Batting maestro Virat Kohli was spotted at Mumbai airport on Tuesday evening to rejoin the Indian team before the ODI World Cup 2023. Ahead of the warm-up match against Netherlands, Kohli flew back to home in Mumbai due to personal reasons. The former India captain also missed the optional practice session on Monday to return home.
According to a report on PTI, the batting maestro left for his home from Guwahati on September 30 due to emergency personal reasons.
“It was an optional session. He is expected to join the squad soon and could play the warm-up game if required,” a BCCI source privy to developments told PTI on condition of anonymity.
However, he was spotted at the Mumbai airport on Tuesday evening to take a flight to join the team.
Meanwhile, India’s second World Cup warm up match against Netherland was washed out due to incessant rain on Tuesday. The game was abandoned without a ball being bowled. The hosts’ first warm up game against England also met with a similar fate in Guwahati last week. India is thus the only team that heads to the World Cup without batting or bowling in the warm up matches. India will open their campaign against Australia in Chennai on Sunday.
Apart from Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma, batter Shreyas Iyer and pacer Mohammed Shami also skipped the session which was attended by the likes of Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and veteran spin duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
With two warm-up matches getting washed out due to rain, the Indian management has a tricky task ahead of them to lock their team combination. They have a problem of plenty when it comes to finalising their middle-order and bowling department.
Meanwhile, an emphatic performance in the Asia Cup followed by a dominant show with the willow against Australia placed the Indian team in a good headspace going into the ODI showpiece but problems remain when it comes to zeroing in on the ideal playing XI.
India begin their campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai.
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