Kohli rested for third T20I versus West Indies; details inside
Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli will miss the third and final T20I against West Indies as he has been given a short break. India have already clinched the ongoing T20I series, having won the first two games to take an unassailable lead of 2-0. According to a report in PTI, the talismanic cricketer exited India's Kolkata bio-bubble on Saturday. Here are further details.
Why does this story matter?
The report also adds that Kohli is likely going to be rested from the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. India versus Sri Lanka T20I series is slated to start on February 24 in Lucknow, just four days after the conclusion of the WI series. The decision to rest Kohli was taken to keep him fresh for the Test series against SL.
Kohli has left for home: BCCI official
"Yes, Kohli has left for home on Saturday morning as India have already won the series. As it has been decided by BCCI," a BCCI official told news agency PTI. "It will be a policy to give all the regular all-format players periodic breaks from the bubble to ensure that their workload management and mental health is taken care of," the official added.
A look at West Indies' tour of India
West Indies started the India tour with a six-wicket loss in the ODI tournament. They lost the ODI series 0-3 after suffering 44 and 96 runs defeats in the second and third games respectively. West Indies began the T20I leg with a six-wicket defeat. They were beaten by eight runs in the second game. The third game will be played on Sunday in Kolkata.
How did Kohli fare against West Indies?
Kohli endured a torrid outing with the bat during the three-match ODI series against West Indies, which India won 3-0. He scored 26 runs in three games at a below-par average of 8.66. Kohli amassed 69 runs in the first two T20Is against WI at a strike rate of 127.78. He averaged 34.50. He also scored a fifty as India won the second T20I.
Kohli was rested fromT20I series against NZ last year
Kohli was given his last break in November last year when he missed the T20I leg of New Zealand's tour of India. He was rested from NZ T20Is after a long four-month stretch, which started with India's tour of England and ended with the conclusion of the 2021 T20 World Cup. In between, he played the second leg of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.
