Virat Kohli has left Australia and is coming back to India to be with his wife Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child. And, he has handed over the charge to Ajinkya Rahane for the upcoming three games of the four-match Test series.
The regular Indian skipper had already asked BCCI for paternity leave. And, the Indian cricket board privileged with the leave. He was asked to play the Pink Ball Test before leaving Australia. Kohli left for India after an important team meeting with players.
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Virat Kohli Gives A Tonic Booster To Team India Before Leaving Australia
A source revealed that Kohli had a meeting with Team India before leaving Australia. He added that the main reason behind the meet was to boost the morale of all the players after a humiliating loss in the 1st Test. The source asserted that Ajinkya Rahane’s role as a captain becomes more important as Rohit Sharma will join the side after the 2nd Test. And, it will be important to watch how youngsters will perform in the absence of Virat Kohli.
India bundled out for a score of 36 runs in the 2nd innings of the 1st Test. And, fans can expect a number of changes on the side. The voices are taking rounds that Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul will replace Prithvi Shaw, Wriddhiman Saha, and Virat Kohli. Meanwhile, Navdeep Saini and Mohammad Siraj are in contention to replace injured Mohammad Shami in Boxing Day Test.
“Kohli has left Australia today morning. He had a word with the whole unit before leaving and the idea was to boost the confidence of the boys and keep them positive. He officially handed over the mantle of captaincy to Rahane and asked the team to keep showing intent and express themselves on the pitch. With Rohit Sharma set to join the squad only after the second game, Rahane’s role becomes all the more important in guiding the youngsters,” a source told.
India vs Australia 2nd Test will begin on December 26 at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
