Will Virat Kohli skip IPL 2024? Here's what Sunil Gavaskar has to say

Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary Indian cricketer, has speculated about the participation of Virat Kohli in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli has refrained from the ongoing Test series against England due to personal reasons.

The IPL 24 will kick off on March 22 with defending champions Chennai Super Kings facing Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chepauk. Kohli, who was initially part of the Indian Test squad, withdrew before the first match in Hyderabad.

Earlier this month, Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma announced the birth of their second child. Gavaskar, during an interaction with the students of the Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi, at a Star Sports Star event, cheekily questioned whether Kohli would play in the IPL.

"Kya woh khelenge... kuchh reason ke liye khel nahi rahe hain, shaayad ho sakta hai ke IPL ke liye bhi na khele (Will he play... He is not playing because of some reason, perhaps he may not play in IPL as well)," Gavaskar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 

Gavaskar also predicted that wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel could be the superstar of this IPL. He applauded Mumbai Indians' move to make Hardik Pandya their captain, allowing Rohit Sharma to bat freely.

"For Hardik to have someone like Rohit to turn to would be invaluable. Hardik will enjoy having Rohit as 'captain'," Gavaskar noted. 

Gavaskar expressed excitement about Rishabh Pant's comeback after a near-fatal car accident and suggested that the captaincy of Delhi Capitals should be given to him upon full recovery.

He also considered Kolkata Knight Riders as the dark horse in the IPL and emphasized the importance of the interaction between coach Chandrakant Pandit and former IPL-winning captain Gautam Gambhir for KKR's success.

"Both Gambhir and Pandit are strong personalities and the interaction they would have would be key. The combination they both will make is going to be very crucial. If they click then KKR can become a very, very strong contendor for the title," Gavaskar mentioned. 

(With agency inputs)