A player of the stature of Virat Kohli missing the upcoming Tests against England is a blow not just for the Indian team, but also for the series and world cricket in general, feels former skipper Nasser Hussain.

Nasser though supported the Indian ace for prioritising his private life.

Kohli, who withdrew from the first two Tests against England due to personal reasons, is likely to miss the remaining matches in Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala too.

“Yeah, well, nothing’s confirmed at the moment. There’s speculation, whether it’s the next two Test matches... Wh­ether it’s the next three Test matches... nothing’s confirmed, but it will be a blow. It’ll be a blow for India. It’ll be a blow for the series. It’ll be a blow for world cricket. It’s going to be a special series. It already has been. The first two games have been fascinating,” Nasser told Sky Sports.

Doffing his hat to the Indian batter, the former England captain said players such as Kohli deserve to spend some time with family after serving the game with distinction.

“The game needs to look after the likes of Virat Kohli as well. He has been playing international cricket for more than 15 years now, and if he needs a break to be away with family, (to) get some time away from the game, we absolutely wish Virat Kohli all the best,” Nasser said.

“If it means we don’t get the mouth-watering possibility of an Anderson versus Kohli contest that we have seen over the years, then so be it. But Kohli and his family and his private life has to come first.”