The first batch of the Indian cricket team has departed for the United States to participate in the T20 World Cup. Notably, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya are not part of this initial group.
The T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States and the West Indies, is set to commence on June 1. Due to the IPL playoffs and final, some players have delayed their departure. Among those who have already left are captain Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, head coach Rahul Dravid, batting coach Vikram Rathore, Shubham Dubey, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel. These players are expected to begin their training sessions shortly.
Star batsman Virat Kohli, along with others involved in the IPL playoffs, will join the team later. Kohli is scheduled to leave for the World Cup on May 30. The Rajasthan Royals, featuring players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Yuzvendra Chahal, were eliminated by Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2, and their players have yet to join the national squad.
The reason behind vice-captain Hardik Pandya’s absence in the first batch remains unclear, though speculations suggest potential differences with captain Rohit Sharma might be a factor.
India’s first match in the tournament is against Ireland on June 5, followed by a high-stakes game against Pakistan on June 9. Subsequent matches include clashes with the USA on June 12 and Canada on June 15. India previously won the T20 World Cup in 2007 under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and has been striving to reclaim the title since.
Indian Team Roster:
- Rohit Sharma (Captain)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Virat Kohli
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper)
- Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper)
- Shivam Dubey
- Hardik Pandya (Vice-Captain)
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Arshdeep Singh
- Yuzvendra Chahal
- Mohammad Siraj
