The Indian team has arrived in Thiruvananthapuram, but without Virat Kohli. The star Indian batsman requested permission from the team management due to a personal emergency. He flew to Mumbai from Guwahati and is expected to join the Indian team in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
“A source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that he went to Mumbai for personal reasons. “Virat will rejoin the team soon,” the source said something a spokesman for the team also confirmed. The other members of the contingent arrived in the Kerala city after a four-hour flight on a special aircraft on Sunday evening.
As the Indian team reached Thiruvananthapuram for the second and final warm-up game against the Netherlands on Tuesday, wet weather seemed to be following them from the extreme east down to the south.
Their first warm-up game against England was cancelled due to rain without a single ball bowled. It may not come as a surprise if the second game too meets a similar fate. There is a chance that Tuesday’s match could also be affected by inclement weather, either fully or partially.
The weather was not favorable on Sunday, with the city experiencing intermittent rain. The team has scheduled a practice session for Monday, but it is subject to weather conditions. “Team India will have an optional training session from 2 PM onwards at the KCA – St Xavier’s College Cricket Ground, Thiruvananthapuram, weather permitting,” said the team’s spokesman.
So far, three games have been affected by rain, with two of them taking place in Thiruvananthapuram, between South Africa and Afghanistan on September 29. The Australia-Netherlands match on September 30 was reduced to a 23-over contest but couldn’t be completed. New Zealand and South Africa are scheduled to play on Monday before India takes on the Netherlands on Tuesday.
India start their World Cup campaign against Australia in Chennai on October 8. The championship kicks off on October 5 between last World Cup finalists, England and New Zealand, in Ahmedabad.
