"Family is your most important priority"- Dale Steyn backs Virat Kohli's decision to withdraw from first two India vs England Tests
Former South African legendary pacer Dale Steyn believed star Indian batter Virat Kohli was well within his rights to take a break from cricket for as long as he wanted, no matter what the personal reasons were for which he was unavailable for the first two Tests against England.
ESPNCricinfo claim that there are doubts about Kohli's participation in the remainder of the series as well and that has caused restlessness among Indian fans. Steyn recalled how he had once withdrawn from the IPL because one of his dogs was unwell.
Here's what Dale Steyn, the bowling coach of Sunrisers Eastern Cape, was quoted as saying ahead of the SA20 2024 final by Hindustan Times about Virat Kohli:
"Family is your most important priority. Sorry, that's it. That's the end of the story right there. I've got three dogs and when one of them got sick, I was out of the IPL. I was jumping on the plane out of there to come back and see my dog. If Virat Kohli has decided to sit back home because he wants to be with his wife, if he's going to have his second child, I don't see any problem with that."
Former South African skipper AB de Villiers recently claimed on his YouTube channel that Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma are awaiting the birth of their second child. However, he took a U-turn while speaking to Dainik Bhaskar and clarified that the news he had given was false and was a mistake on his end.
I don't know what more a man can do to prove himself: Dale Steyn on Virat Kohli
Dale Steyn believes Virat Kohli has already achieved incredible success for India, be it as a player by winning the 2011 World Cup, or as arguably one of the best Test captains the game has seen. Claiming that Kohli need not prove anything to anyone, Steyn stated:
"He's been a servant of India for many years. He's won a World Cup; he's captained with success. I don't know what more a man can do to prove himself in the cricketing world."
Steyn further shed light on the importance of cricketers giving priority to their family members and loved ones. India are yet to announce their Test squad for the remainder of the series against England.