India head coach Rahul Dravid hinted on Monday that the team management is still not sure when Virat Kohli would rejoin the squad for the rest of Tests against England.
India defeated England by 106 runs in the second Test to level the series 1-1 after losing the opener in Hyderabad.
Virat on a break to take care of pregnant Anushka Sharma
Kohli had pulled out of the first two Tests due to personal reasons but it is being reported that he could miss more games due to his wife Anushka Sharma's second pregnancy.
Kohli took a break once again to spend time and take care of Anushka, who is expecting her second child this year. The star couple were blessed with a daughter, Vamika, in 2021.
Indian team in touch with Kohli
Dravid said the team management will contact Kohli to check whether he will play in the upcoming Tests or not.
"We'll connect with Virat Kohli and find out about his availability for the rest of the series," Dravid told reporters in Vizag.
Dravid on Ishan Kishan's selection
The former India captain also spoke about Ishan Kishan, who took a break from international cricket after playing the first three T20Is of the home series against Australia in December, 2023.
Kishan has been sidelined by the BCCI selectors as he has not played any cricket in over a month and was therefore, overlooked for the first two England Tests.
'Ishan Kishan needs to play some cricket'
"There is a way back for anyone and everyone. It's not that we rule out anybody from anything. He had requested a break, we were happy to give him a break.
"Whenever he is ready, I didn't say he has to play domestic cricket, I said whenever he is ready... he needs to play some cricket and come back. The choice is his. We are not forcing him to do anything. We are in touch with him.
"He hasn't yet started playing, right? At the moment, it's not something that we would consider. He is maybe not ready. He decides when he wants to be ready," Dravid said.
Rajkot challenge awaits
India played the second Test without stalwarts Kohli, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul but still ended up on the victorious side due to the brilliant performances of Yashasvi Jaiswal (204 runs in 1st innings), Jasprit Bumrah (9 wickets in the match) and Shubman Gill (104 in 2nd innings).
The two teams will now get a small 10-day break before playing the third Test in Rajkot from February 15.
