NEW DELHI: India are resting batting mainstay Virat Kohli for the three 20-over matches against Sri Lanka this month with an eye on the Twenty20 World Cup on home soil. Kohli, the world’s top-ranked Twenty20 batsman, enjoyed a prolific run of form to help India complete a 3-0 series whitewash in Australia on Sunday. With Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men kicking off their bid for a second Twenty20 World Cup in six weeks, the team has decided to rest Kohli who was top-scorer in the series in Australia. India recalled Bhuvneshwar Kumar after the paceman sustained a thumb injury in Australia and missed the T20 series. Left-arm spinner Pawan Negi received his first call-up to the India squad who play Sri Lanka in the first T20 International in Pune on February 9. Ranchi and Visakhapatnam host the other matches.