(Rohit Sharma Instagram)
Captain Rohit Sharma leads the initial contingent of Team India as they touch down in New York, gearing up for the imminent T20 World Cup 2024. Notable figures like Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya are set to join the team at a later stage.
Upon touchdown in New York on Sunday morning, India’s skipper Rohit Sharma took to social media to share a group selfie featuring himself alongside 10 squad members and support staff, marking the beginning of their journey towards the T20 World Cup 2024. Notable absentees from the initial batch included star batsman Virat Kohli and vice-captain Hardik Pandya, who are scheduled to join later. Among those present were key players like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel. Accompanying them were reserve players Shubman Gill and Khaleel Ahmed, along with head coach Rahul Dravid and the rest of the support staff.
Kohli, having recently participated in the IPL Eliminator in Ahmedabad, is set to rejoin the team later, as will Hardik, who headed to the United Kingdom after the IPL league stage. Despite captaining MI for the first time, they failed to secure a playoff spot in the five-time champions’ debut under his leadership. Joining the squad in New York on Monday will be Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal, and reserve player Avesh Khan, as Rajasthan Royals played the Qualifier 2 in Chennai on Friday night. India’s sole World Cup warm-up match is slated against Bangladesh at the newly-built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, where they’ll contest three league matches, including a highly anticipated clash against Pakistan on June 9.
Given that most of their league matches will take place at the same venue, India aims to utilize the warm-up game effectively to acclimatize themselves with the conditions. The state-of-the-art modular stadium, equipped with a drop-in pitch, was finalized earlier this month following construction that commenced in January. India, eager to reclaim ICC glory after their last triumph in 2013, is scheduled to kick off their World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5. Notably, the United States is co-hosting an ICC event for the first time, with its national team set to make its debut in the global championship.
