A top BCCI official confirmed that the India Test captain Virat Kohli has not put any formal request for a break. Meanwhile, BCCI now puts all rumors around the corner. Since Tuesday morning, rumors started doing the rounds that Kohli has officially requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to skip the ODI leg of the upcoming South Africa vs India 2021-22 tour. However, the decision for the same is in the board's hands to deny or accept Kohli's request.
The 33-year-old Kohli will be leading India in a three-Test series starting December 26 in Centurion. Meanwhile, he was recently sacked as Team India's white-ball (ODI and T20I) captain. Rohit Sharma has replaced him as his successor in the limited-overs format. There were some reports that Virat Kohli might take a break because of his daughter Vamika's first birthday – January 11. Kohli will be playing his 100th Test match on that day.
BCCI said that Kohli has not officially requested BCCI to skip the South Africa ODI series
"As of now, Kohli hasn't sent any formal request to skip the ODIs to either BCCI president Sourav Ganguly or secretary Jay Shah. If something is decided at a later date or God forbid, he sustains an injury, then it's a different matter,"
A senior BCCI officials told PTI on conditions of anonymity
"As things stand today, he is playing the three ODIs on January 19, 21, 23," he added.
The official also said that all the players' families are also traveling to South Africa. Moreover, they will board the same charter flight due to the bio-bubble restrictions.
"The skipper is traveling with his family. But yes, if he feels bubble fatigue after the Test series and wants to take a break, he would definitely inform the chairman of selectors and secretary (Shah), who is the convenor of the selection committee," the source added.
One reason for the current speculation could be that once India is back home, they will again be inside an extended bubble for three weeks with Sri Lanka coming in for Tests and T20 Internationals. The three-match ODI series between South Africa and India starts on January 19.
In the past year, he has been on a paternity break during the 2020-21 Australia series, and during the three T20 Internationals against New Zealand at home.