'It’s the family that will stay with you' - Suresh Raina backs Virat Kohli for taking parental leave

Recently retired Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has backed skipper Virat Kohli for taking parental leave after the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Raina stated that one's family remains a constant in life and Kohli has made the right decision.

Kohli has returned home to be with his wife Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child. India lost the first Test in horrible fashion but came back with a more spirited performance to trounce the Aussies by 8 wickets in Melbourne.

In an interaction with the Times of India, Raina pointed out that he had done the same in 2016 for the birth of his daughter.

"It should be his personal decision. I did the same thing when my daughter was born. The game is with you today but might not be tomorrow. It’s the family that will stay with you. When your family, your wife need you most, you need to be there, no matter what. Virat is doing a fantastic job by being there and looking after his wife,” said Raina.

Virat Kohli came under immense fire from netizens in India for his decision to leave the Indian cricket team during the series. Some passionate fans went as far as questioning his integrity as an Indian. However, many from the cricketing fraternity came out in support of the 32-year-old as well.

Virat Kohli deserves this leave: Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina and Kohli's on-field partnership was one of the best in Indian ODI cricket. The duo scored 2238 runs together at a brilliant average of just under 59.

Raina remarked that Kohli has done enough for the national team to deserve this leave.

“In this pandemic, you need to be there for your family. If you are worried about them, you can’t play. He [Virat Kohli] has given so much to the country and he deserves this," said Raina.

All eyes are currently on stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who stood tall with a brilliant hundred in the 2nd Test. The third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground will bring different and arguably tougher challenges for the Indian cricket team.