Team India players left for the USA on Saturday for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, as skipper Rohit Sharma led the charge with the first batch. With key players like Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya missing, captain Rohit was spotted with Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and a few others were spotted at the airport alongside the coaching staff.
The players looked refreshed after finishing their IPL campaign, as some of them posted photos of themselves on their social media at the airport. The Indian stars also cut the cake before leaving for the USA, and Rishabh Pant was seen offering a piece of it to Rohit, who refused to do it. The Indian skipper made a hard-hitting statement while refusing the cake: ‘Jeetne ke baad cake khayenge (will eat after winning)’.
Rohit will be leading the Indian team for the second straight T20 World Cup, in the last edition his team suffered a defeat in the semi-final against England. Meanwhile, last year, under his leadership, India lost the finals of World Test Championship and ODI World Cup both to Australia. The swashbuckling opener will look to redeem himself in the USA and West Indies and lead India to their second T20 WC title.
Virat Kohli likely to miss warm-up match
Meanwhile, Kohli will reportedly travel to New York on May 30 as the BCCI scheduled his visa appointment for a later date. He had a stellar IPL 2024 and leading the Orange Cap tally with 741 runs in 15 matches but his team suffered exit in the playoffs. According to a report on Indian Express, the 35-year-old is hence likely to miss India’s T20 World Cup warm-up game on June 1 in New York against Bangladesh.
“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 newspaper.