A top BCCI official reportedly told a news agency that in contrast to the floating reports that India Test captain Virat Kohli wants to skip the ODI series which will be played after the Tests in South Africa, the cricketer has not put in an official request to the BCCI as of now.
Kohli will be leading India in a three-Test series starting December 26 in Centurion and the series ends on January 15 in Cape Town with the third and final Test. The three-match ODI series will kick off on January 19.
Reports emerged that Virat Kohli wanted to skip the three ODIs against the Proteas as he was planning a holiday with his family to celebrate his daughter Vamika’s first birthday. Kohli will be playing his 100th Test match on that day. The ODI series starts on January 19.
These came after new Test vice-captain and new ODI captain Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the Test series due to a hamstring injury.
"As of now, Kohli hasn't sent any formal request to skip the ODIs to either BCCI president Sourav Ganguly or secretary Jay Shah. If something is decided at a later date or God forbid, he sustains an injury, then it's a different matter. As things stand today, he is playing the three ODIs on January 19, 21, 23," a senior BCCI official privy to developments told PTI.
Kohli had recently lost his ODI captaincy to Rohit Sharma as BCCI went for split captaincy in red-ball and white-ball cricket. While Kohli has said, while quitting the T20I captaincy, that wants to keep leading India in Tests and ODIs, the BCCI and the selection committee felt that there cannot be two limited-overs captains and hence Rohit was handed the leadership of both ODIs and T20Is.
Meanwhile, the official also said that all the players' families are also traveling to South Africa aboard the same charter flight due to the bio-bubble restrictions.
"The skipper is traveling with his family. But yes, if he feels bubble fatigue after the Test series and wants to take a break, he would definitely inform the chairman of selectors and secretary (Shah), who is the convenor of the selection committee," the source added.
Another reason being floated for this is that the Indian team will enter another extended bubble on return from South Africa as they host Sri Lanka for Tests and T20Is.
The Delhi-born India Test captain has been an advocate of workload management in bubble life, which he thinks isn't sustainable for long periods of time as it can take a toll on one's mental health.
It remains to be seen if Kohli takes a break in South Africa or more likely skips the T20 series against Sri Lanka at home.
(PTI inputs)
