India vs South Africa 2021-22: Virat Kohli likely to skip ODIs, here's why

India and South Africa will clash in three ODIs after the Tests from January 19. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has reportedly opted out of the ODIs. Notably, he lost the ODI captaincy to Rohit Sharma.

India is gearing up for its South Africa tour, starting with three Tests from December 26. It will also play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against the side from January 19. However, reports suggest that former skipper Virat Kohli will skip the 50-overs format, and this is the reason behind it.

As per Times of India, Kohli has apparently informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he will not be available for the ODIs. The report adds that he wants to celebrate his daughter Vamika's first birthday. Vamika was born on January 11 and will turn a year old next month.

Kohli will not be able to celebrate Vamika's birthday on January 11 since he will be leading the side in the third Test on the same day. However, he has supposedly planned a family holiday after the Test series to celebrate his daughter's first birthday. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma was announced the new ODI skipper last week.

Also, there were rumours regarding Kohli being unhappy with him being dropped from the leadership duties in the 50-over format. Consequently, speculations arose that there happened to be some rift between the two skippers, leading to the main reason for Kohli opting out of the ODIs. Nonetheless, that does not seem to be the case.

A BCCI official informed News9 that Vamika's birthday happens to be the sole reason for Kohli opting out of ODIs and will be on a family holiday. As far as things and relations between Kohli and Rohit are concerned regarding the captaincy, everything is fine. Meanwhile, Rohit has been ruled out of the Tests due to a left hamstring injury. Uncapped opener Priyank Panchal has replaced him.

While Rohit is expected to recover on time before the ODIs, he will have to race against time to be fit. As of now, it is unclear if he will travel to SA with the Test squad right away or undergo his rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Notably, considering the onerous quarantine regulations in SA, he will have to travel a couple of weeks ahead of the ODIs.