'If he has decided to sit back home...' - Dale Steyn does 'priority' check after Virat Kohli remains out of action due to personal reasons

The India vs England series is trending on one side and Virat Kohli, despite not participating in the contest, is trending on the other side. The star batter pulled out from the fierce red-ball rivalry just days before the curtain raiser in Hyderabad. The Indian Cricket Board revealed that the 35-year-old decided to withdraw due to "personal reasons" and since then fans have been speculating as to the reason behind his absence.

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Initially, there were rumours that Kohli's mother was ill, but the cricketer's brother rubbished all such reports. Then former South Africa skipper AB De Villiers revealed that the Indian superstar and his wife Anushka Sharma are expecting their second child. Later on Friday, the legendary cricketer apologised for his misinformation, but it came late after fueling already rife speculation among fans. 

Kohli's decision to sit out of the series drew mixed reactions from fans as the exact reason was unknown. Notably, his leave has also reportedly been extended, with the right-hander likely to miss the remainder of the series. Former Proteas pacer Dale Steyn is another from the cricket fraternity who has backed Kohli's decision to prioritise his family.

Family is your most important priority: Steyn

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Steyn, who is currently with Sunrisers Eastern Cape ahead of their SA20 Season 2 final, said Kohli has been India's servant for years and has nothing left to prove to the cricketing world. 

"Family is your most important priority. Sorry, that's it. That's the end of the story right there. I've got three dogs and when one of them got sick, I was out of the IPL. I was jumping on the plane out of there to come back and see my dog. So that's my family. If Virat Kohli has decided to sit back home because he wants to be with his wife, if he's going to have his second child, I don't see any problem with that. He's been a servant of India for many years. He's won a World Cup; he's captained with success. I don't know what more a man can do to prove himself in the cricketing world," the 40-year-old told Hindustan Times. 

Steyn shares a close bond with Kohli and the two even shared the dressing room while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. The former right-arm pacer was initially unaware that his teammate de Villiers had taken a U-turn on his claims. However, instead of focusing on that, Steyn continued to support Kohli. 

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"I think at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter about cricket. What matters is why you're playing and who helped you get there. The people behind you or behind the scenes, are the ones the public doesn't see. Your partner, your mother, your wife, your sister… those are the people that are constantly picking you up and if it means that their health is in jeopardy or something is wrong with them, you go to them and that's the most important thing," Steyn concluded.