Team India’s star batter Virat Kohli reportedly flew back to Mumbai from Guwahati due to a ‘personal emergency’ while the rest of the squad has reached Trivandrum. Kohli has opted out of the India vs Netherlands warm up match on October 3 which is their last opportunity to prepare ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
The first warm-up game of the Indian side against England was called off due to rain without a single ball being bowled on September 30 in Guwahati. The Men in Blue will now look to have a final look at their combination in the warm-up game against Netherlands before playing their first league game.
Team India to miss the services of Virat Kohli in India vs Netherlands warm up match
According to a report in Cricbuzz, the Rohit Sharma-led side travelled to Thiruvananthapuram from Guwahati on a special aircraft on October 1, but Virat Kohli was not with the other members of the squad.
Kohli requested the team management for a leave owing to a personal emergency and hence flew back to Mumbai from Guwahati. However, It isn’t yet known what the personal emergency is and Virat might soon rejoin the group.
“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,” Cricbuzz quoted a source as saying.
Virat showed his form during the Asia Cup 2023 in which he smashed a hundred against Pakistan but didn’t get the opportunity to bat in a couple of games. The experienced batter scored 56 runs in the third ODI against Australia after being rested in the first two ODIs.
The Indian Team will expect some game time before going into the World Cup 2023 which begins on October 5. The India vs Netherlands warm-up match in Trivandrum will provide them the last chance to assess their preparations for the marquee tournament.
However, the weather forecast in Trivandrum ahead of Team India’s warm-up fixture against Netherlands doesn’t seem to be too positive. The forecast for October 3 is cloudy with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm. The probability of precipitation is 96 percent and that of a thunderstorm is 46.
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The Men in Blue will play their first league game against Pat Cummins-led Australian side on October 8 in Chennai. The team management will certainly hope that Virat Kohli remains in the best of form during the World Cup which will allow them to perform well against the tougher sides.