"It is his right to ask for it" - BCCI secretary Jay Shah backs Virat Kohli's personal leave amid IND vs ENG Test series

BCCI secretary Jay Shah has backed Indian batting star Virat Kohli's decision to go on a personal leave amid the ongoing five-Test series against England. The BCCI boss reckons the right-handed batter is well within his right to ask for a leave, having been playing for 15 long years.

Kohli decided to skip the first two Tests due to what the BCCI mentioned as 'personal reasons;. With rumours of the 35-year-old and his wife Anushka Sharma expecting their second child, the former Indian captain has also withdrawn from the remaining three games.

Ahead of India's third Test against England in Rajkot, Shah said, as quoted by India Today:

"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. We will talk about Virat later."

It's the first time Kohli will miss an entire Test series since debuting in the format in 2011.

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Jay Shah confirms Rohit Sharma as captain ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024

Jay Shah and Rohit Sharma

Jay Shah also confirmed Rohit Sharma as the captain of the T20 World Cup 2024 and backed him to bring the trophy home. He said during the function to rename Saurashtra Cricket Associtiation Stadium to Niranjan Shah Stadium:

"At this point in time, Rohit is an all-format captain. It is a collective decision, and the selectors are fully aligned on the matter. Hardik Pandya will retain his position as vice-captain for the T20 World Cup.

"I have not made any comments about the 2023 World Cup, in which we lost the final in Ahmedabad. However, I can assure you that India will clinch the T20 World Cup in Barbados on June 29 under Rohit Sharma's captaincy."

The Men in Blue were firm favourites to win the 2023 World Cup and played the final in Ahmedabad after winning 10 straight games. However, Australia beat the hosts in the final by six wickets to lift the crown for the sixth time.