Shillong, October 2: Star batsman Virat Kohli is set to rejoin the Indian cricket team in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday after briefly flying to Mumbai from Guwahati due to a personal emergency.
The Indian team had arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday evening in preparation for their second warm-up match against the Netherlands, scheduled for Tuesday.
As per IANS, a source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed Kohli’s Mumbai visit, stating, “Virat will rejoin the team soon,” as reported by Cricbuzz.
India’s first warm-up match against England in Guwahati had to be canceled due to persistent rain, and there is a possibility that their second warm-up match in Thiruvananthapuram might also be affected by rain, either partially or entirely.
The team’s practice session on Monday is contingent on favorable weather conditions, although thunderstorms are predicted. The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) announced, “India will train from 2 to 5 pm at the St Xaviers College Cricket Ground.”
Inclement weather has marred the warm-up matches in Thiruvananthapuram thus far, with the South Africa-Afghanistan game on September 29 being abandoned due to rain, and the Australia-Netherlands encounter on September 30 being a 23-over contest that couldn’t be completed due to rain.
On Monday, South Africa is slated to face New Zealand in their second warm-up match before India takes on the Netherlands on Tuesday. India, the champions of 1983 and 2011, will commence their campaign against five-time champions Australia on October 8 at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai. This tournament marks India’s first exclusive hosting of the Men’s ODI World Cup.