Will Virat Kohli attend any of the India vs England Tests? Reports paint a gloomy picture

The quality of the next gen coming in to kick off India's new Test era looks promising. However, tuning in for the India vs England series would be a hard sight for Indian fans. When the opening Test took off at Headingley, it marked the first time in over 5,000 days that the baggy blues did not feature Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Rohit Sharma in the combination. The hard pill to swallow is that the sight won't conjure again. While Ashwin retired late last year, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their exits in May this year, just a month before the start of the new WTC cycle. Now, as Shubman Gill takes the reins of the Indian team, the fans are bound to miss their heroes of years.

Virat Kohli unlikely to attend any of the two India vs England Tests scheduled in London

The start of the India vs England Test series at Leeds, Headingley, freshened up the wounds of the Indian fans. The reality of never seeing their much-celebrated hero, Virat Kohli, in Indian whites hit the masses hard. Now, while his retirement has long been confirmed, the audience sits expectantly, hoping to catch a glimpse of their idol in England. Virat Kohli is currently residing in London with his wife Anushka Sharma and their two children, opting for a low-profile existence just a short distance from the grounds where he once captivated fans.

A recent report offers a rare glimpse into Kohli’s present-day lifestyle, quiet, detached from the sport, and purposefully out of the spotlight. While India prepare to contest two of the five India vs England Tests in London, the city Kohli now calls home, he has stayed away from the action. Unlike Sachin Tendulkar, who was recently seen at Lord’s, Kohli chose not to attend the WTC Final or participate in the MCC’s “World Cricket Connects” event, both held practically in his backyard.

For Kohli, London has become something of a personal haven, offering the kind of anonymity that remains impossible in India. The former India captain has occasionally been spotted out and about, dining at local restaurants or using public transport, moments that would be nearly impossible back home. He has often spoken of the freedom he experiences abroad, which many believe to be a driving factor behind his relocation to England.

Interestingly, there were recent murmurs of a possible return to English cricket in a different avatar. County side Middlesex reportedly explored the possibility of signing Kohli for the season. But so far, he has not responded or shown any interest in making that move. The only recent cricket-related moment that featured him came during the IPL, when RCB won their maiden title. The jubilant victory celebrations in Bengaluru, however, took a dark turn with a tragic stampede during the parade.

As of now, Virat Kohli is expected to rejoin India’s limited-overs setup in August for the ODI series in Bangladesh, the only format he remains active in internationally. Until then, his connection to the ongoing India vs England series remains possibly non-existent. Non-existent in the sense that the former Test hero is unlikely to visit any of the two venues in London to catch the matches.  Still, his presence hasn’t gone unnoticed entirely. Before the Test series began, Kohli reportedly hosted several Team India members, including new skipper Shubman Gill, for a private lunch at his home in London.