Virat Kohli is said to have notified the BCCI that he will be unavailable for selection in white-ball matches indefinitely. This virtually eliminates him from the forthcoming white-ball phase of India’s tour to South Africa, as well as the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in January. According to a BCCI source, Kohli has decided to focus on red-ball cricket for the time being and will just play the two Tests in South Africa, skipping the ODIs and T20Is.

Kohli has informed the BCCI and selectors that he needs a break from white-ball cricket and he will get back to them about when he wants to play white-ball cricket next. At the moment he has informed the BCCI that he will be playing red-ball cricket, which means he is available for selection for the two Test matches in South Africa, a source from BCCI said.

On the other side, India captain Rohit Sharma’s availability for the white-ball phase of the South Africa tour is unknown. Both Rohit and Kohli have not played T20 cricket since the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, but with the T20I World Cup set for June next year, there have been discussions about whether both would like to return for one last shot at an ICC title.

However, it appears that Rohit and Kohli will no longer play T20Is. In fact, their prospects in ODIs are also grim. India doesn’t have much white-ball action until the T20 World Cup. After the T20 World Cup, India will go to Sri Lanka for a T20I and ODI series, which will provide a stronger indication of their white-ball future.