Bhubaneswar, Feb. 9 -- Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn has defended star India batsman Virat Kohli's decision to spend time with family over playing the five-Test series against England.

Kohli has initially requested not to play the first two Tests against England due to personal reasons. Now, he is likely to miss the next three Tests as well.

Amid the issue, fans and experts have stood divided over Kohli's call. However, Steyn stands right next to Kohli in these challenging times and reckons everything else, including cricket, takes a backseat when it comes to family.

"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 ...