Royal Challengers Bangalore’s campaign in the ongoing 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League came to an end on a disappointing note on Sunday. Despite the efforts of Virat Kohli, who smashed a record-breaking century in the must-win game against Gujarat Titans, RCB failed to make it to the playoffs of the IPL 2023. Kohli was visibly disappointed with the team’s exit from the tournament.
No Break For Virat Kohli
Hours after RCB lost their crucial game, Virat and Anushka were spotted back in the bay and heading home. For the unversed, we should tell you that Virat will get no break from work following IPL 2023 as he will leave for the much-awaited World Test Championship Final on Tuesday.
Yes, Virat Kohli is among the first batch of Indian players to leave for the World Test Championship final on Tuesday. The Indian cricket team led by Rohit Sharma will take on Australia in the WTC Final 2023 starting June 7 at Oval, London.
Meanwhile, Kohli will be accompanied by head coach Rahul Dravid besides Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel among others.
Here’s a list of players traveling in 1st batch:
- Virat Kohli
- Mohammed Siraj
- R Ashwin
- Shardul Thakur
- Axar Patel
- Umesh Yadav
- Jaydev Unadkat
- Aniket Choudhary (Net bowler)
- Akash Deep (Net bowler)
- Yarra Prithviraj (Net bowler)
“There will be two or three departures in total. The first batch leaves at 4.30 am tomorrow,” PTI quoted a BCCI source.
WTC Final 2023: Jaydev Unadkat to travel with the first batch:
Yes, Jaydev Unadkat will also travel with the first batch of Indian cricketers leaving for London. There were doubts regarding the fitness of Unadkat, who is recovering from a shoulder injury. He will be monitored by the BCCI Medical Team in London and any calls regarding his availability will be taken at a later date. A senior BCCI official revealed:
“Yes, Jaydev is traveling with the team. He is nearing the completion of his rehab. But he is yet to be a match fit. He has begun low-intensity bowling. But we are hopeful that he will be okay by the next week or so,”
Meanwhile, the players who will stay back in India and are expected to travel later include kipper Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Mohammad Shami, KS Bharat, and Ajinkya Rahane.
Cheteshwar Pujara is already in England, playing county cricket.
Here is India’s squad for WTC final: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishan Kishan, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat
