The Indian cricket team is likely to be without the services of Virat Kohli for the warm-up game against Bangladesh on June 01, ahead of the start of the T20 World Cup 2024. Kohli, who was with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad for the Eliminator clash against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, didn’t fly with the first batch of players to the USA and West Indies for the showpeice event. As per a report, Virat sought an extended break from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) following RCB’s heartbreaking exit from the IPL. Hence, his availability for the warm-up clash against Bangladesh is highly doubtful.
As per a report in the Indian Express, Kohli had informed the BCCI of his plan to join the team late, and had even kept his visa appointment late. The talismanic batter is expected to leave for New York on May 30th. Hence, he might not be ready for the warm-up match on June 01.
"Kohli had informed us way beforehand that he will be joining the team late and that is why the BCCI has kept his visa appointment for a later date. He is expected to fly out to New York in the early morning of May 30th. The BCCI has agreed to his request," a BCCI official told the paper.
The T20 World Cup is being jointly hosted by the USA and the West Indies from June 2 to June 29. The Indian cricket team, which has departed India for New York, will begin its campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the newly-constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. India will face arch-rivals Pakistan on June 9, followed by matches against co-hosts USA (June 12) and Canada (June 15) in their Group A matches.
India had won the inaugural edition way back in 2007 in South Africa.
Cricket is not a mainstream sport in the US, which has traditionally been a baseball, American football, basketball, ice hockey, and soccer-playing nation.
Members of the diaspora from the Indian sub-continent as well as those belonging to other cricket-playing nations such as the West Indies and Australia play the sport in the US but usually on temporary, make-do pitches on baseball fields, in parks and on school sports fields during the summer months.
With PTI inputs