(Cricket news) Virat Kohli was forced to skip the three-day intra-squad match that is now taking place in Pretoria, while Ruturaj Gaikwad will not play in the two-Test series against South Africa. The young opener’s finger injury has not healed, according to sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Indian team management in South Africa has freed him. A family emergency forced Kohli, who was just in South Africa for the Test series, to return to India.

Kohli’s emergency situation is still unclear, but according to BCCI sources, he will return to Johannesburg in time for the first Test, which begins at Centurion on December 26. After receiving approval from the BCCI and team management to skip the three-day practice match that Indian players are now participating in in Pretoria, Kohli departed for Mumbai almost three days ago. It is anticipated that Kohli will return on Friday, December 22.

On December 19, during the second ODI against the hosts in Port Elizabeth, Gaikwad, who is 26 years old, sustained a finger injury. “He was hit in the ring finger during the second ODI, and he hasn’t completely healed from it. Before the third and final ODI on Thursday got underway, the BCCI made the following announcement: “He is still being monitored by the BCCI Medical Team.” Now that it’s clear he won’t be able to recover in time for either of the two Tests, the team management has opted to discharge him right now after speaking with the BCCI.

He should arrive in India on Saturday. In the meantime, the majority of the Indian players have had strong performances thus far in the practice match, which ended on Friday. When it came to seizing opportunities, Sarfaraz Khan and Abhimanyu Easwaran excelled, while Rohit Sharma, the captain, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur all looked good. Since they have been involved in different matches, all of the Indian players are currently dispersed.

All of the Indian teams will now gather in Johannesburg and proceed to Centurion for the Test after the three-day match concludes on Friday and the ODI series ends on Thursday. The players will move to Cape Town after the Boxing Day Test, which ends on December 30, for the second and final Test, which starts on January 3.

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