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Star batter Virat Kohli will miss the series opener against Afghanistan in Mohali due to personal reasons, head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed.
India's three-match T20I series against the Afghans will be their final international assignment in the shortest format before the World Cup in June. After much speculation about his future in T20Is, Kohli was selected to the Indian squad for the Afghanistan series.
While his T20I numbers are other-worldly, Kohli hasn't played for India in the format since the 2022 World Cup semi-final defeat to England. The 35-year-old has been in incredible white-ball form, finishing as the leading run-getter in the recent ODI World Cup.
The champion batter is also the all-time leading run-scorer in T20 World Cups with 1,141 runs at an average of 81.50 and a strike rate of 131.30. Kohli was also the Player of the Tournament in the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups.
Yet, the veteran is still searching for his maiden T20 World Cup trophy in five tries since the 2012 edition.
The news of Virat Kohli's return to the T20I format had fans eagerly anticipating to catch him in action in the shortest format after 14 months. Hence, it was no surprise that Twitter reacted immediately to Kohli's absence from the opening fixture.
Here are some of the best reactions:
India have an unbeaten record against Afghanistan in T20Is
Team India have been unbeaten in T20Is against Afghanistan as they get set to play their first-ever bilateral series against the Asian neighbors.
The two sides have met on five previous occasions in the shortest format, with India winning four and the recent-most meeting abandoned due to rain. The first meeting between the sides came in the 2010 T20 World Cup, and India chased down 116 with seven wickets in hand in under 15 overs.
India and Afghanistan next met in the following World Cup, and a much closer encounter saw the 2007 champions pull off a 23-run victory. It was a nine-year wait before the two teams met again in a T20I, and the Men in Blue completed a 66-run win in the 2021 World Cup.
Their first meeting outside the World Cup came during the 2022 Asia Cup, and Team India emerged victorious again by a massive 101 runs. Unfortunately, the latest battle between the sides during the 2023 Asian Games final was called off due to rain after only 18.2 overs of play.
The upcoming series will have Rohit Sharma back in action in T20Is after 14 years, with the 36-year-old also set to captain the side.
