Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant will be unavailable for the third and final T20I match against West Indies in Kolkata as the BCCI has decided to give the former India captain and current wicketkeeper a break from the Indian team’s bio bubble.
The BCCI has given both batters a 10-day break from the Indian team’s bio-bubble. The report further states that Pant and Kohli will not be playing in the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka beginning on February 24 in Lucknow. Kohli wants to prepare well for the 100th Test match of his career slated to be played in Mohali in the first week of March.
Kohli has been with the Indian team since December when the side toured South Africa for three Tests and as many ODIs. The 33-year-old had led the team in the Test series before stepping down as captain in the longest format a day after the final Test in Cape Town.
Pant and Kohli played in all the three ODIs against West Indies and scored important half-centuries in India’s 8-run win over West Indies in the second T20I of the series on Friday.
“I decided to be positive when I went in,” Kohli told broadcasters after his innings.
“Despite losing a few wickets, I wanted to continue in the same way. I was disappointed to get out because the game was set up nicely to go hard in the last few overs, which is my strength. I am happy that I went out with a clear intent today.”
