India’s star cricketer Virat Kohli, landed in Perth for the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). The 36-year-old is the first member of the Indian squad to reach Australia. After touching down at Perth Airport, Kohli quickly made his way to prepare for the crucial Test series.
The Indian team is travelling in two batches for the series, with the first group, including players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Mohammad Siraj, already on their way. The Indian team has split into two batches for their journey to Australia. While the first batch of players and coaching staff is already en route, the second group is scheduled to depart soon.
The squad is set to begin training at the WACA ground on Tuesday, though the venue will be locked down to keep the Indian camp under tight security. The Indian team will be playing the first Test of the BGT in Perth from 22 November.
Virat Kohli will not lead Indian team
Reports suggest that Captain Rohit Sharma has not travelled with the first batch due to the impending birth of his second child. As a result, there is uncertainty about his participation in the first Test. There were some speculations that if Rohit doesn’t play, then Virat Kohli will be leading the squad due to his experience leading the team in SENA countries. However, In Rohit’s absence, Jasprit Bumrah will be leading the team, as confirmed by head coach Gautam Gambhir during a pre-departure press conference on Monday.
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Kohli’s family arrives with him
Kohli was spotted at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport late on Sunday night. He was accompanied by his wife, actress Anushka Sharma, and their children, Vamika and Akaay. As they stepped out of their car, Kohli kindly requested the paparazzi not to take pictures of his family, prioritising their privacy. However, he himself posed for photos with the media before heading inside the airport.
Gambhir defends Kohli amid criticism
Gautam Gambhir has strongly backed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma following recent criticism from former Australia captain Ricky Ponting. Ponting had questioned Kohli’s form, suggesting that any other player would have been dropped after scoring just two hundred in five years. Gambhir, however, remains confident that Kohli will bounce back and prove his critics wrong in the upcoming series against Australia, following a challenging home Test series.
