(Image Source: AP)
[Saba Sports News] Virat Kohli has not yet joined the squad in Thiruvananthapuram, but team management remains confident that he will arrive shortly. As of late Monday evening, there was no confirmation of Kohli’s presence with the team. Nevertheless, team officials have consistently stated that he will be available for selection in the upcoming warm-up game against the Netherlands, scheduled just five days before the start of the World Cup in Chennai.
Kohli, dealing with a family emergency, had initially flown to Mumbai while the Indian team headed directly to Thiruvananthapuram from Guwahati. The team management has granted him leave and anticipated his arrival in Thiruvananthapuram by Monday.
Meanwhile, the Indian team had an optional training session at the KCA – St. Xavier’s College Cricket Ground in the city on Monday afternoon. Several key players, including KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj, participated in the practice session, which lasted nearly two and a half hours.
The weather in Kerala is improving, raising hopes that Tuesday’s match will proceed with minimal interruptions. On Monday, the game between New Zealand and South Africa lasted for 87 overs before concluding with New Zealand winning by seven runs on the DLS Method.
After Tuesday’s game, the team is set to fly to Chennai on Wednesday, while skipper Rohit Sharma will attend the customary pre-World Cup Captains’ Day event in Ahmedabad. The World Cup is scheduled to commence on Thursday, October 5.