Virat Kohli’s reason for absence from England Tests revealed by AB de Villiers

On January 22, three days before the start of the opening Test match against England, Kohli withdrew himself from the matches in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. BCCI later released a statement saying that Kohli spoke to India captain Rohit Sharma and the team management, where he emphasised that "while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention."

Speaking in a Q&A session on his YouTube channel during India's second Test against England in Vizag, De Villiers, responding to a fan question, revealed that the personal reason for which Kohli opted out of the England series is the impending arrival of his second child.

"Yes, his second child is on the way. It's family time and things are important to him. If you are not true and genuine to yourself, you lose track of what you are here for. I think most people's priority is family. You can't judge Virat for that. Yes, we miss him. But he has made absolutely the right decision," said De Villiers.