Need break, will get back to you when I want to play next: Virat Kohli informs BCCI selectors
New Delhi: After securing the title of the top run-scorer in the recently concluded ODI World Cup, former India captain Virat Kohli has opted to skip the upcoming white-ball matches in India's South Africa tour. The tour is set to commence with a T20 International on December 10 in Durban.
According to The Indian Express, Kohli has conveyed his decision to take a break from white-ball cricket to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Although he is expected to participate in the Test matches, the precise timeline for his return to white-ball cricket remains uncertain.
A source from The Indian Express stated, "He (Kohli) has informed the BCCI and selectors that he needs a break from white-ball cricket and will get back to them about when he wants to play white-ball cricket next." The source added, "At the moment, he has informed the BCCI that he will be playing red-ball cricket, which means he is available for selection for the two Test matches in South Africa."
The South Africa tour encompasses three T20 internationals, three One Day Internationals (ODIs), and two Test matches. Kohli's decision to forgo the limited-overs segment follows his outstanding performance in the World Cup, where he amassed 765 runs in 11 innings, including three centuries, earning him the Player of the Tournament title.
The first Test of the tour is scheduled for Boxing Day at Centurion, followed by the second Test in Cape Town. Presently on vacation in London, Kohli is taking a well-deserved break after an intense period of continuous cricket. His last break, alongside captain Rohit Sharma, was before the World Cup in September, where they were rested for the first two ODIs against Australia at home.
The availability of Rohit Sharma for the white-ball games remains uncertain. Rohit, currently on a break in the United Kingdom, led India to ten consecutive wins in the World Cup before their defeat in the final.
The national selection committee, led by former Indian all-rounder Ajit Agarkar, is set to convene soon to select the Indian team for all three formats of the South Africa tour. Additionally, BCCI secretary Jay Shah is expected to hold discussions with Rohit and chairman of selectors Agarkar to outline the future roadmap for the Indian cricket team.
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Rajnath to top commanders: Outmaneuver adversaries with strategic surprise
Jaipur/New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday directed the top military commanders of the three services to integrate an "element of surprise" into modern warfare to outmaneuver India's adversaries and bolster strategic posture.
In his address at the joint commanders conference in Jaipur, Singh also described the Operation Sindoor as a testament to the "swift, precise, and joint response" of the Indian armed forces to safeguard national interests and called upon the military to remain ready to deal with any security challenges.
In their two-day deliberations, the commanders carried out a comprehensive review of the combat preparedness of the military in the wake of the evolving regional security situation.
Operation Sindoor was a demonstration of India's growing capabilities and a symbol of the nation's collective resolve and new military ethos, Singh said, a day after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
He also unveiled a 'Joint Doctrine for Integrated Communication Architecture' that is aimed at strengthening doctrinal clarity, interoperability and integrated communications across the armed forces in future multidomain operations.
The joint commanders' conference, themed 'Military Capability in New Domains', brought together the top leadership of the defence ministry and the three services to deliberate on emerging security challenges and future readiness.
Comprehensive deliberations were held on future warfare, multidomain operations, technological transformation and joint capability development.
The conference witnessed extensive discussions on cognitive warfare, cyber resilience against evolving quantum and AI-enabled threats, military capability development in emerging domains, indigenous innovation and AI-enabled warfighting concepts.
It was attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh among others.
In his remarks, Singh asked the commanders to remain "future-ready" by learning from the operation as well as the current global security landscape.
He underscored the need to strengthen capabilities in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, data analytics and secure communication networks to stay prepared in the rapidly evolving geopolitical security scenario. He emphasised that future conflicts will increasingly be shaped by hybrid threats, information dominance and operations conducted simultaneously across cyber, space, electromagnetic and cognitive domains, according to an official readout.
Highlighting the transformative impact of emerging technologies, Singh stressed on the importance of ensuring integrated national preparedness across all spectrums of conflict, it said.
Singh's remarks at the conference came a day after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
The defence minister appreciated the progress achieved in enhancing jointness, integration and technological adoption across the three services, the readout noted.
Singh said that jointness constitutes a pivotal dimension within the transformative changes sweeping across the global defence sector.
"Future wars will not be won solely through weaponry, but through innovative thinking and enhanced synergy," he said.
The defence minister exhorted the commanders to cultivate the "element of surprise" to remain unpredictable to the nation's adversaries and secure a strategic edge in any given situation.
He, however, urged them to remain vigilant of the element of surprise of the enemy and always stay two steps ahead.
Singh also reiterated the Narendra Modi government's commitment to enhancing the capabilities of the defence forces through state-of-the-art weapons and platforms. He added that special focus is being laid on research in niche domains.
During the conference, he released a documentary film on Operation Sindoor.
The film reaffirms the nation's and defence forces' commitment to operational preparedness and decisive national response capabilities.
Demonstrations of advanced systems and platforms developed for intelligence fusion, operational planning and information management were also showcased during the conference reflecting growing integration of cutting-edge technologies into joint operational structures, according to the defence ministry.
The discussions will contribute significantly towards shaping India's future military transformation and integrated operational preparedness, it said.
