Virat Kohli returns back to Mumbai due to family emergency ahead of 1st Test against South Africa

South Africa vs India Test series is next in line after the Men in Blue won the ODI series 2-1 on Thursday. The test team members has already reached in Centurion and had started practicing as well. The Men in Blue are currently playing intra-squad practice game ahead of the 1st Test. As per reports, former India captain Virat Kohli returned back home due to some family emergency ahead of the test series.

The report has not given details as to what was the exact reason of his return. He left South Africa three days back after seeking permission from the Indian Cricket Board. This was the reason he wanted to sit out of the intra squad practice as well. Previously wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan had backed out of the tour because of some personal reasons, though the 35-year-old batter will be joinning the side a day before the test match start. 

The World Test Championship (WTC) finalists are already missing Mohammed Shami and Ruturaj Gaikwad due to injuries. The former is yet to fully recover from a finger injury that he sustained during IND vs SA 2nd ODI on December 19. 

He hasn't fully recovered: Indian Cricket Board

The Indian Cricket Board statement said before the start of the ODI series decider, "(He) hasn't fully recovered from the blow he sustained on his ring finger while fielding in the second ODI. He remains under the supervision of the Indian Cricket Board Medical Team."  The likes of Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur had a good outing in the game. The intra-squad game will conclude on Friday.

The Men in Blue side have a good chance of winning the Test series for the first time in Proteas soil. Only one Asian team Sri Lanka has been able to win a series in South Africa.