Virat Kohli, India's prominent batsman, will not participate in the remaining games of the England Test Series.
Virat Kohli, one of India's most celebrated cricketers, is absent from the ongoing Test series against England due to personal reasons. This marks his first missed Test for India in over two years, a significant absence that has left a gap in both batting strength and field leadership.
Kohli, who captained the Indian team in 68 Tests from 2014 to 2022, retired from Test cricket in May 2025 after a distinguished career spanning 123 Test matches with 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85. His retirement has had a profound impact on the Indian team, especially during the challenging phase in Test cricket over the past five years.
India feels the pain of losing Kohli's experience and skill against a strong English side, making the Test matches tougher and placing more responsibility on other players to step up. The series marks a defining phase for India’s next generation, with Shubman Gill taking over as the new captain and Rishabh Pant as vice-captain. They, along with other young players, are now tasked with filling the shoes of veterans like Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who also retired recently.
Regarding replacement details, the Indian team is relying on a blend of youth and experience to cover for Kohli’s absence. Shubman Gill is leading the side and is considered a promising batsman. Veterans like KL Rahul and emerging talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal are expected to share the batting responsibilities. Rishabh Pant, who has an excellent average against England, is also a key player in the batting lineup.
The third Test of the series against England is scheduled to commence in Rajkot on February 15. Kohli had already opted out of the first two Tests, and his last absence from a Test match was in January 2022 due to a back spasm, which ruled him out of a match against South Africa in Johannesburg.
In addition to Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul, who featured in the first Test, have been recalled to the squad pending clearance from the BCCI medical team. The India squad for the remaining Tests includes three wicketkeepers: Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, and KS Bharat. The squad also includes Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep (an uncapped seamer), and Mukesh Kumar.
Shreyas Iyer, a batter who participated in the first two Tests, is omitted from the 17-man squad for the remaining fixtures. Kohli ranks fourth in India's all-time leading run-scorers with 8,848 runs in 113 Tests.
This series, currently level at 1-1 following India's victory in the second Test by 106 runs in Visakhapatnam, promises to be an exciting test of India's ability to navigate this transition and maintain competitive performance without their legendary batsman.
Despite Kohli's retirement, football remains a notable absence in his repertoire of sports, as he dedicated his entire career to cricket. In the ongoing Test series against England, the gap left by Kohli's skill and leadership is particularly apparent, prompting other players to step up, such as Shubman Gill, who is leading the team in this series.
