Cricket ODI World Cup 2023

'Looks like rumours were true' - Fans react as Team India lands in Thiruvananthapuram for 2023 World Cup warm-up game without Virat Kohli

Team India arrived in Thiruvananthapuram for their second warm-up match ahead of the ODI World Cup, but Virat Kohli was missing from the unit.

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Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli (Source: Twitter)

Indian cricket team landed in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, October 1 for their second warm-up fixture of the Men’s ODI World Cup 2023. Team India coaching staff led by head coach Rahul Dravid, captain Rohit Sharma and his teammates were seen arriving at the airport and then at the team hotel. However, veteran batter Virat Kohli was missing from the unit, leading to speculations that he would not play the warm-up match.

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The former India captain did not travel to Thiruvananthapuram with the team but will reportedly join the camp on Monday. He will also be available for the final practice match against the Netherlands on Tuesday 3 October at the Greenfield International Stadium. As per reports, the batting maestro had sought special permission from the Indian Cricket Board to fly back to Mumbai from Guwahati due to a family emergency.

There were earlier reports that Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma are expecting their second child. With Kohli missing from the team due to personal reasons, fans started to believe that the rumours were true. “Anushka is expecting her second baby. Like the last time, they will formally share the news with the world at a later stage," a source close to the development told Hindustan Times. The celebrity couple has a daughter named named Vamika who was born in January 2021.

Team India receives a warm welcome in Trivandrum 

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As the Men in Blue walked out of the airport terminal, a large crowd of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars amid tight security. In a video released by news agency ANI, the supporters can be heard chanting ‘India, India’ as they see star pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami come out first. They soon proceeded to the team hotel where they received a traditional welcome from the hotel staff. Coach Dravid was the first to enter the hotel, followed by Shubman Gill and skipper Rohit Sharma.

Watch the videos below:

India would be hoping that the match against the Netherlands doesn't get washed out as there are predictions of rain on the match day in the city. Notably, both India and Netheraland's first warm-up match was called off due to rain. While the India-England match was abandoned without a ball being bowled, the Netherlands vs. Australia was called off during the second innings.

Here's how fans reacted: 

India featured Virat Kohli ODI World Cup 2023