Virat Kohli's return for England Tests remains doubtful; KL Rahul likely to get fit for Rajkot Test

The return of premier batter Virat Kohli to the Indian team for the remainder of the Test series against England remains unclear even as the bigwigs are mulling over having a word with the former captain about his plans at the earliest.

Kohli is currently out of the country and it is understood that selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar or the BCCI's top brass will speak to him to get a clearer picture to find out whether he is in a position to resume national duty.

For personal reasons, Kohli had taken a sabbatical from the first two Tests against England.

"Family comes first as BCCI's press release stated and Virat will only play if he feels that he is in a position to play," a BCCI source in know of things told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The personal reason for which Kohli opted out of the Tests is the impending arrival of his second child, as revealed by his close friend and former Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate AB de Villiers on his YouTube channel.

De Villiers said Kohli had done the right thing by taking a break.

"Yes, his second child is on the way. It's family time and things are important to him. If you are not 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.

Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, who have been struggling for big runs, will have to step up in the second innings of the ongoing Test against England in Visakhapatnam because KL Rahul could get fit in time for the third Test starting on February 14 in Rajkot.

The squad for the remaining three Tests against England will be named next week after the conclusion of the second Test.

Shreyas, Gill on notice as Rahul to return?

Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, who have been struggling for big runs in the red-ball format, will have to buckle up and score some runs when their turn to bat comes in India's second innings at Vizag.

If they fail to do so, KL Rahul could walk in for one of them in the third Test. Rahul missed the second Test with a quadriceps injury but the word is that the Bengaluru man could be for the next match at Rajkot from February 15.

Both Iyer and Gill haven't scored a single fifty in their last nine Test innings and time is running out for both of them with the red-hot Sarfaraz Khan sitting in the dug-out and Rahul's quadricep problem getting better with each passing day.