England captain Ben Stokes believes that India star Virat Kohli's absence from the ongoing five-Test series should not be labelled as positive or negative for them. This comes ahead of the third Test between the two sides which will begin in Rajkot from February 15, 2024.

Virat Kohli, who missed the first two Tests against England due to personal reasons, has been ruled out of the remainder of three Tests as well, BCCI confirmed in a statement. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has respected his request for leave and has asked the media and fans to respect his privacy during this period.

Rajat Patidar replaced Virat Kohli in the India XI in the second Test in Vizag, while Sarfaraz Khan also waits in the wing as India tried to adjust to Kohli’s absence.

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"I don't mean to say anything disrespectful to the question. I think when it's situations like these, when someone is missing a big series and a lot of cricket due to personal reasons, which we are not sure of, we shouldn't label that as positive or negative to our team," Stokes said in the video posted by the ECB.

Recognizing that Kohli's position is a loss for cricket as a whole, Stokes sent his best wishes to him, knowing that the presence of a player like him on the cricket pitch is a spectacle that all fans long to see.

"We should just let it be. It's a broader loss for cricket. I wish Virat whatever he is going through all the best, I wish he comes through it. Virat Kohli, on a cricket field, is something that everybody wants to see," Stokes added.

Here is the video: