BCCI grants Indian star Virat Kohli permission to visit Ram Temple inauguration on January 22: Reports

Veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli has received an official invitation to be present in Ayodhya on January 22 for the Ram Temple Inauguration. Reports from Cricbuzz claim that the star cricketer has obtained permission from the BCCI to take a day off from their scheduled camp for England Tests to head to Ayodhya for the occasion.

The report also claimed that after the third T20I in Bengaluru against Afghanistan, the players and even the coaching staff will disperse for a two-day break. The team management and the Test squad will then gather in Hyderabad on January 20.

It will be a four-day camp before the first Test against England begins at the Uppal Stadium on January 25. Kohli will have a net session on January 21 and will then be on leave for a day to visit Ayodhya.

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England's preparation method for India Tests has come under scrutiny

England are slated to arrive on the Indian shores on January 21, just three days before the start of the first Test. While Ben Stokes and company will have a preparatory camp in Abu Dhabi under their belt by the time they arrive, some cricket pundits have slammed the visitors for the lack of preparation in the conditions.

Former England pacer Steve Harmison claimed that such negligence could lead to England being whitewashed 5-0 by the hosts. Here's what he had to say on TalkSport:

"If England go in 3 days before, they deserve to get beat 5-0. They really do. I'm an old man, that is what they are going to say, the times have changed, the game has changed, but I tell you, preparation has not changed. You can't go into India underprepared."

The anticipation continues to build in the cricketing fraternity on whether the Bazball ideology will work against Rohit Sharma and company.