Renowned Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has urgently returned home due to a family emergency, throwing a curveball into preparations just days before the commencement of the first Test against South Africa. Sources from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have confirmed that the iconic batsman is expected to rejoin the squad in time for the opening Test scheduled for December 26 in Centurion.

Earlier, the BCCI had released wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan from the Test series due to personal reasons, with KS Bharat announced as his replacement for the upcoming two-match series.

Adding to the team’s challenges, India’s opening batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad will be sidelined for the two-Test series due to a finger fracture sustained while attempting a catch during the second ODI against South Africa. The BCCI is yet to announce a replacement for the young batter.

The upcoming Test series marks the return of key players including Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, and other members of India’s ODI World Cup squad. Since the heart-wrenching loss against Australia in the World Cup final, Kohli, Rohit, and other senior members of the Indian team have been on a cricket hiatus.

While the specific details of the ‘family emergency’ prompting Kohli’s early return remain undisclosed, there seems to be assurances from Kohli himself to the BCCI regarding his swift return before the Test series kicks off.

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk).