On Friday, veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin withdrew from the ongoing third Test match against England, citing a 'family emergency'. The BCCI made a late-night announcement, stating that Ashwin had requested to be relieved from the Test squad due to a medical emergency within his family.

More details emerge about Ashwin's ‘family emergency’

BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla provided an update on the reason for R Ashwin's withdrawal from the 3rd Test between India and England in Rajkot after Day 2 on Saturday. Shukla posted on X, informing that Ashwin had to urgently depart from Rajkot to Chennai to be with his mother. 

"Wishing speedy recovery of mother of @ashwinravi99. He has to rush and leave Rajkot test to Chennai to be with his mother," Shukla wrote on Twitter. 

Earlier, the BCCI provided an update regarding Ashwin's sudden withdrawal from the ongoing 3rd Test match in Rajkot. The BCCI said that Ashwin had to withdraw from the match due to a family emergency. The BCCI, however, did not announce Ashwin's replacement in its release. 

“Ravichandran Ashwin has withdrawn from the Test squad, effective immediately due to a family medical emergency. In these challenging times, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team fully support Ashwin,” the BCCI said in its statement. 

“The BCCI extends its heartfelt support to the champion cricketer and his family. The health and well-being of the players and their loved ones are of utmost importance. The Board requests respect for the privacy of Ashwin and his family as they navigate through this challenging time,” it added. 

It will be intriguing to observe whether the England side, led by Ben Stokes, will consent to India fielding a like-for-like replacement for Ashwin. According to the regulations, the England team must grant approval if India opts to introduce a replacement for Ashwin during the match.

If England side doesn't agree, India will have to bat and bowl with 10 players only and bring in a substitute to field for the remainder of the match in Rajkot.