Reports - Virat Kohli to miss South Africa ODIs due to personal reasons

India are due to tour South Africa for three Tests and as many ODIs starting from December 26. However, if reports are to be believed, Virat Kohli is likely to skip the ODI series. The 33-year-old is planning to go for a small vacation with his family in January, on his daughter's first birthday. According to reports in the Times of India, Kohli has also conveyed his plans to BCCI.

Meanwhile, India could also be without their limited-overs skipper Rohit Sharma for the series. The opener suffered an injury in Mumbai and was ruled out of the Test series. The injury is likely to take some time to heal which puts Rohit's participation in the ODI series in doubt.

The last time when India toured South Africa in 2018, Kohli scored a jaw-dropping 558 runs and led India to a 5-1 series win. It also was the team’s first bilateral series victory in South Africa. His absence will definitely be a major blow to the team.

Meanwhile, Kohli missing the ODI series may give rise to speculations that all is not well between him and Rohit Sharma. However, India’s limited-overs captain was all praise for Virat Kohli and the way he led the Indian team in ODIs, saying Kohli turned the India into a ruthless unit.

"He's (Virat) put the team in a situation where there is no looking back. Those five years he has led the team, he led from the front every time we stepped onto the park. There was clear grit and determination to win every game. That was the message to the entire squad," said Rohit Sharma.