IND vs SA 2022: Why is Virat Kohli not playing today's match?

Former India captain Virat Kohli has not been named in the playing XI for the third T20I against South Africa in Indore on Tuesday (October 4).

The team management opted to hand Virat Kohli a brief break before the squad departs for the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. Apart from the ace batter, wicket-keeper KL Rahul has also been recused from the upcoming fixture.

The Delhi-born batter has found his touch since returning to the side for the 2022 Asia Cup. He took a step back from the sport following a dismal tour of England to allow him to restore his mentality and make a comeback to the side.

The ongoing brief home season has been a fruitful one for Kohli as he capped it off with a sublime unbeaten 49 in Team India's narrow win in the second T20I. He is expected to play a huge role for the Men in Blue at the World Cup as they aim to end their nine-year-long silverware drought.

Who has replaced Virat Kohli in India's Playing XI?

Virat Kohli's absence leaves a void at the No. 3 position in the Indian batting unit. With Hardik Pandya currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, the team finds themselves short of a batter.

Shreyas Iyer, the sole batting candidate on the sidelines, has replaced the former skipper and is touted to bat at No. 3. The Mumbai-born batter, who is on the standby list for the T20 World Cup 2022, has found success batting up the order in the shortest format.

India's playing XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.

England's playing XI: Temba Bavuma(c), Quinton de Kock(w), Rilee Rossouw, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi.

Will Team India wrap up their World Cup preparations with a clean sweep over the Proteas? Let us know what you think.