Virat Kohli And Company To Leave For WTC Preparation
After being free from IPL duties these players along with Rahul Dravid-led support will start their preparation earlier for WTC Final.
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The first group of the Indian squad selected for the World Test Championship final, consisting of players whose IPL teams failed to qualify for the playoffs, will board the early morning flight to the United Kingdom on Tuesday.
Sunday's elimination of the Royal Challengers Bangalore from the IPL released Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj from IPL duties. Along with Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur, and R Ashwin, they will be the first to arrive in the United Kingdom. These players will commence early training with the Rahul-Dravid-led support staff to return to Test match mode in preparation for the June 7 final against Australia at The Oval.
Unadkat to join later
Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat, who sustained a left shoulder injury on April 30 during IPL training, is on the mend. However, he will travel after completing rehabilitation and being declared healthy. "Jaydev has begun bowling in the nets, and we are hopeful that he will be ready on time," said a BCCI representative.
Yadav is also recuperating from an IPL-related hamstring injury. His final appearance for Kolkata Knight Riders occurred on April 26. Mukesh Kumar, a right-arm pacer for the Delhi Capitals who was selected for the ODI squad against South Africa, is traveling with the team. Kumar, who competes in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal, has also represented the rest of India.
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Ishan Kishan, Surya Kumar Yadav, and Ruturaj Gaikwad will travel to the United Kingdom in stages as their respective IPL campaigns conclude. Cheteshwar Pujara has made the most of his county tenure with Sussex and will likely be the most well-prepared participant.
White kookaburra to Red Dukes
With the final to be contested with Dukes balls under English conditions, the two bowling attacks are preparing very differently. While Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc opted out of the IPL to remain fresh for the upcoming World T20 and Ashes series, the majority of Indian bowlers will be gorging on Twenty20 cricket.
During the Indian Premier League, all the talk about players bowling with a crimson ball in the nets was just that.
"With the amount of travel involved in this year's IPL, rest and recuperation were of the utmost importance," said a member of one franchise's support staff. It was not feasible to overwork the bowlers with increased workloads.
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