Why is Virat Kohli not playing today's 3rd India vs England Test?

Star batter Virat Kohli missed out on India's playing 11 for the third Test against England in Rajkot due to personal reasons.

Kohli is on official leave, which he initially applied for the first two games before asking for an extension covering the entire series. His return date is not confirmed and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked fans and media to respect the former captain's privacy.

"Virat has spoken to Captain Rohit Sharma, the team management, and the selectors and has emphasized that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention," a statement from the board said before the series.

"The BCCI respects his decision and the Board and team management has extended its support to the star batter and is confident in the abilities of the remaining squad members to step up and deliver commendable performances in the Test series," the statement added.

On Saturday, February 10, while announcing the squad for the final three Tests, the board said:

"Virat Kohli will remain unavailable for selection for the remainder of the series due to personal reasons. The Board fully respects and supports Mr. Kohli’s decision."

In an event on Wednesday, BCCI secretary Jay Shah also offered support to the batter.

“If somebody is asking for a personal leave in 15 years then it is his right to ask for it. Virat is not that kind of a player that he would ask for a leave without any reason. We must back and trust our players,” he said.

This is the first time in Kohli's debut since 2008 that he has missed an entire Test series.

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Who has replaced Virat Kohli in India's 11?

The hosts called up Rajat Patidar as his cover for the first two Tests. While KL Rahul batted at number four in Hyderabad, he missed out on the Visakhapatnam game due to injury and Shreyas Iyer got a chance at No. 4.

However, the Mumbaikar didn't impress either and was dropped. Now, it'd be a toss-up between one-Test-old Patidar, who played his first Test at No. 5 in Visakhapatnam, and the latest debutant Sarfaraz Khan to try and fill the massive shoes.