World Cup 2023: In the lead-up to the much-anticipated ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, India was scheduled to play two warm-up matches to fine-tune their preparations. The first warm-up, pitting India against England on September 30, was unfortunately washed out due to persistent rain. Now, all eyes are on the second and final warm-up match against the Netherlands, scheduled for October 3. However, ahead of this critical practice fixture, there’s a surprising development involving former Indian captain Virat Kohli.
World Cup 2023: It has come to light that Virat Kohli has made an unexpected return to Mumbai from Guwahati. Reports suggest that he sought permission from the Indian team management for this departure. Cricbuzz has reported that Kohli is likely to rejoin the Indian squad on Monday after completing his undisclosed task or commitment.
While the reports do not explicitly confirm whether Virat Kohli will participate in the second warm-up match, they do state that he is expected to reach Thiruvananthapuram, the venue for the match, by Monday evening.
World Cup 2023: India’s World Cup campaign will commence with a high-voltage clash against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Notably, the Indian team had previously squared off against Australia in an ODI series, clinching a 2-1 series victory.
Speculation is rife that this World Cup might mark the swansong for both Indian captain Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli in ODI cricket. Rohit Sharma, aged 35, and Virat Kohli, aged 34, are nearing the twilight of their illustrious careers, and the next World Cup would see them both turn 40. In light of this, there’s a strong possibility that they might consider retirement after the tournament. Much like the iconic 2011 World Cup win, when the team rallied together to secure the trophy for Sachin Tendulkar, there’s a collective desire to clinch this World Cup for Virat and Rohit.
The tentative playing eleven for India in the 2023 World Cup is expected to include:
World Cup 2023 Team India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj. This formidable lineup aims to bring glory to India once again on the world stage.
