"He should just focus on his batting" - Misbah-ul-Haq doesn't want Virat Kohli to lead India in England Test if Rohit Sharma is unavailable

Former Pakistan batter Misbah-ul-Haq has stated that India shouldn't appoint Virat Kohli as captain for the rescheduled fifth Test against England if Rohit Sharma is ruled out because of COVID-19.

He mentioned that Virat Kohli is under tremendous pressure due to his lack of form and suggested that the right-hander should concentrate just on his batting. He pointed out that Kohli will have a major role to play with the bat.

The former Pakistan captain believes the team management should make someone else the skipper for the one-off Test. He made these remarks while speaking on ICA Sports' YouTube channel.

Misbah-ul-Haq stated:

"The biggest concern for Virat Kohli is his form with the bat. He has been under a lot of pressure recently because of it. The team management must consider this before considering him for the captaincy as India need him as a batter.

"India should rather look to rely on someone who they think is the future. Virat Kohli should just focus on his batting as he will be an important pillar for the team in the absence of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul."

It is worth mentioning that Virat Kohli led the Indian side during their tour of England last year. The visitors managed to secure two stunning victories in the red-ball rubber and are currently leading the series 2-1.

"Rohit Sharma is not yet ruled out" - Rahul Dravid

Team India head coach Rahul Dravid spoke of Rohit Sharma's availability for the England Test during a media interaction on Wednesday. He revealed that the skipper hasn't been ruled out of the encounter yet and is being assessed by the BCCI's medical team.

He stated that the 35-year-old will undergo two more tests for COVID-19 and will play the game if he returns negative tests for both.

Rahul Dravid said:

"Update on Rohit is that he is monitored by our medical team and we still got 36 hours to go. He is not yet ruled out. He will have a test tonight and in the morning to see if he is available. Of course, he will have to return negative to play the Test."

However, recent reports suggest that Sharma has once again tested positive for COVID-19 and will not take part in the Test, while senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be the captain.

India and England are scheduled to play the one-off Test from July 1 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.