Virat Kohli, the India’s former captain, might not be available for the gamatch
Team India is prepared for their second and final warm-up games for the 2023 ODI World Cup after their Saturday warm-up match against the defending champions England in Guwahati was postponed due to weather and called off before a ball was bowled. At the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, the Men in Blue will face the Netherlands, who advanced to their fifth World Cup appearance after placing second behind Sri Lanka in the Qualifiers competition. Virat Kohli, the country’s former captain, might not be available for the game, though.
Team India reportedly took a special plane on a four-hour flight on Sunday evening from Guwahati to Thiruvananthapuram, although Kohli was not among the party. The seasoned No. 3 hitter travelled from Guwahati back to Mumbai after asking the team management for a leave due to a personal issue.
The weather in Thiruvananthapuram suggests there won’t be any cricket action during India’s final warm-up game on Tuesday, despite the country’s hopes. Tuesday is expected to be “cloudy with a few showers and a thunderstorm,” according to Accuweather. There is a 96% chance of precipitation, and a 46% chance of a thunderstorm. Rain has already impacted three warm-up matches, two of which were played in Thiruvananthapuram. The South Africa-Afghanistan match was cancelled, and the Australia-Netherlands match was reduced to a 23-over match before being abandoned.
The fact that India’s second warm-up game might have a similar outcome may not come as much of a surprise, but skipper Rohit Sharma is likely to be undisturbed because he described these matches as being merely “formality” for Team India, who have been a busy team leading up to the World Cup. Prior to defeating Australia at home in a three-match series last week, India won the Asia Cup a fortnight earlier.
On October 8 in Chennai, India will play their first World Cup match against Australia.
