Virat Kohli’s departure delayed, set to miss T20 World Cup warm-up game

Virat Kohli is set to miss India's sole warm-up match before the T20 World Cup 2024 due to a brief respite he's taking post Royal Challengers Bangalore's exit from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

India is slated to play against Bangladesh in the warm-up game in New York on June 1st.

Kohli had communicated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about his intention to join the squad later. However, according to a renowned Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta, Kohli’s departure has been delayed due to pending paperwork.

According to a BCCI official, Kohli is expected to depart for New York in the early hours of May 30th, as his visa appointment has been scheduled accordingly.

Similarly, wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson and all-rounder Hardik Pandya will also be joining the team belatedly. Hardik is in London at the moment and is expected to join the team directly from there, whereas Samson cited 'personal work in Dubai' as the reason for his delayed departure.

While the first group of Indian players left for the USA on Saturday, another batch is scheduled to depart on Monday. Among those who departed on Saturday night from Mumbai are India captain Rohit Sharma, along with players like Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and others, along with the support staff.

India's journey in the T20 World Cup 2024 kicks off on June 5th against Ireland in New York, with the much-anticipated clash against Pakistan scheduled for June 9th at the same venue.