Why Virat Kohli is not in T20 squad: The former Indian captain had last played a T20I almost five months ago.
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The first T20I of the ongoing India’s tour of England will be played in Southampton tomorrow. It is noteworthy that it will be India’s first-ever T20I at The Rose Bowl.
Two of the leading teams in international cricket, the fascinating prospect of a three-match England vs India T20I series scheduled to be played within four days has it in it to allure the eyeballs from across the globe.
Why Virat Kohli is not in T20 squad?
With both the teams finishing a Test match just over 24 hours ago in Birmingham, a completely different set of 22 players will participate in the first T20I between England and India in the last 15 months.
As a result, it shouldn’t be surprising for fans as to why former India captain Virat Kohli’s name in not in India’s 18-member squad for the first T20I. Kohli, however, will be available for the second and third T20I to be played on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
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Coming on the back of a 2-0 series victory in Ireland, the only player added to the Indian squad is captain Rohit Sharma. Having missed the Edgbaston Test due to COVID-19, Sharma will return to action as the leader of the T20I squad. Had Sharma played the Test, even he would’ve missed the first T20I due to a mere one-day gap between the two matches.
As far as the squad for the second and third T20Is is concerned, Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah will return in place of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi, Venkatesh Iyer and Arshdeep Singh.
