Virat Kohli has been granted paternity leave for the birth of his second child. The Delhi-born batter has opted out of the ongoing Test series against England. Initially, for a period of two Test matches, Kohli had his leave extended for the rest of the series due to the situation.
The BCCI announced in a press release, regarding Kohli's unavailability to face England at home, citing personal reasons. The parent authority urged the fans to not speculate on the reason for Kohli's absence.
However, Kohli's close friend and former teammate from Royal Challengers Bangalore, AB De Villiers spilled the beans regarding the pregnancy of Anushka Sharma - Virat Kohli's wife.
This is not the first time the BCCI has given paternity leaves to players. Along with maternity leaves, paternity leaves have become a significant aspect of today's work culture.
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List of Indians to have missed games due to paternity leave
| Sr. | Player | Year | Paternity Leave | Schedule Occasion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rahul Dravid | 2009 | Accepted | 2009 Indian Premier League |
| 2 | Gautam Gambhir | 2014 | Accepted | 2014 Indian Premier League |
| 3 | Rohit Sharma | 2018 | Accepted | Test series vs Australia |
| 4 | Virat Kohli | 2021 | Accepted | Test series vs Australia |
| 5 | Virat Kohli | 2024 | Accepted | Test series vs England |
MORE: Which team won the SA20 2024 Title?
List of Indians to have denied/opted against paternity leave
| Sr. | Player | Year | Paternity Leave | Schedule 1Occasion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunil Gavaskar | 1976 | Rejected by BCCI | Test series vs West Indies |
| 2 | Sourav Ganguly | 2001 | Rejected by BCCI | Test series vs South Africa |
| 3 | MS Dhoni | 2015 | Opted against by player | 2015 ICC ODI World Cup |
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