Indian cricket fans have been eagerly waiting for the start of the T20 World Cup, but news has surfaced that one of the team’s star players, Virat Kohli, will not miss the grueling match against Bangladesh on June 1. What is the reason for this? Visa delayed
Kohli, along with Sanju Samson and vice-captain Hardik Pandya, will join the squad late on May 30. This means that he will not be part of the playing XI against Bangladesh, who recently lost the three-match series against the USA.
According to reports, Kohli has sought permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to join the team as of late and the board has agreed. Samson and Pandya are not the first batch of Indian players to visit the United States on Saturday night.
The rest of the Indian team, including captain Rohit Sharma, pacer Jasprit Bumrah and explosive batsman Suryakumar Adadav, left for the US on May 25.
The starting line-up of the team includes wicket keeper Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, mystery spinner Kuldeep Adadaw, Shivam Dube, Mohammad Siraj, Axar Patel and young batting sensation Shubman Gill.
While BCCI did not reveal the specific reason for the delay in arrival, it is understood that such requests are usually made for personal reasons.
India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County Stadium in New York, with group matches against Pakistan, USA and Canada.
According to a BCCI official, Kohli’s delay is due to pending paperwork. He is expected to leave for New York on the morning of May 30 as his visa is scheduled to be processed.
Both Samson and Pandya will be late to join the team, with Pandya traveling from London and Samson citing personal work in Dubai as the reason for the delay.