Superstar India batter Virat Kohli has undergone scans on a mystery injury just over a week out from the start of the first Test.
The visitors were dealt a fresh injury worry on Friday when opener K.L. Rahul, in the frame to replace skipper Rohit Sharma at the top of the order, left the field after being struck on the elbow during India’s match simulation at the WACA Ground.
Virat Kohli was sent for scans on Thursday.Credit: Getty Images
The nature of Kohli’s injury is unclear, but a source with direct knowledge of the matter has confirmed the batting great did have scans on Thursday.
The issue did not prevent Kohli from taking part in India’s internal practice match on Friday, though it was of sufficient concern for Team India to send him for medical imaging.
Kohli has been one of India’s most durable players. Since his Test debut in June 2011, Kohli has played 118 of a possible 136 games, the most of any India player in that period. The next best is spinner Ravichandran Ashwin with 105.
Kohli, 36, enters the Border-Gavaskar series in a lengthy form slump stretching back to the start of 2020.
Across his past 60 innings, he is averaging a modest 31.68 and has reached triple figures just twice.
His average this year is a meagre 22.72 from six Tests, though those matches have been played on ultra spin-friendly pitches.
Kohli has excelled in Australian conditions, averaging 54.08 from four tours here, though pitches on these shores have become more difficult to bat on in the past four years.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri, who was at the helm of the country’s historic series wins in Ausralia in 2018-19 and 2020-21, is backing Kohli to rediscover his best.
“Well, the king is back in his territory,” Shastri said on the ICC Review show.
“That’s all I will tell (the doubters). When you’ve earned that title after your exploits in Australia, it will be on your (opponent’s) mind when you go out to bat.”
