Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant already exit bio-bubble; to skip Sunday’s game and upcoming Sri Lanka T20Is - Reports

India batter Virat Kohli and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant have exited the team bio-bubble in Kolkata and won’t be available for the third and final T20I against the West Indies on Sunday. The duo is also set to miss the forthcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka starting February 24.

While talks were rife about the former captain going on a break, the cricket fraternity was keen to know his joining date given his impending 100th Test. But having already pocketed the Windies series, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had no qualms in granting Kohli the much-needed leave.

Though he had skipped the opening Test against New Zealand in Kanpur last November, the 33-year-old has been confined to bio-secure bubbles since India’s Test series in England in Aug-Sept. Interestingly, he had reportedly asked for a break during the three-match ODI series in South Africa this January, but eventually went on to partake in it.

Pant, on the other hand, had skipped the entire home series – three T20Is and two Tests – against the Kiwis.

However, both the all-format players will be back for the two-Test series against Lanka which is scheduled to kick off in Mohali on March 4. If Kohli wishes to further his stay at home, the coveted 100th Test will be played from March 12 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

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Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant's absence to make way for fresh faces

India's 8-run win against the West Indies on Friday was their 100th victory in the format [Credits: BCCI]

Ahead of the T20 World Cup in Oct-Nov, Team India have been auditioning as many players as possible for the limited vacancies available. While Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant are certainties in the side, the upcoming four T20Is will present opportunities to the fringe players to push through towards the core.

Shreyas Iyer, who was once a regular feature in India's middle order, would get an extended run. Rahul Dravid and Co. might also be tempted to push an off-colour Ishan Kishan down the order, while handing a much-deserved cap to opener Ruturaj Gaikwad. With the team's perennial need for additional bowling options, Deepak Hooda too is in line to make his debut in the shortest format.

More or less the same group will be retained for the Sri Lanka T20Is, with the return of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja garnering much interest. Pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, who were rested against the West Indies, are also likely to return.