Virat Kohli Missing World Cup Warm-Up vs. Netherlands; Team India In Thiruvananthapuram Without Him

Summary: The match could see the absence of India’s former captain, Virat Kohli.

Following a rain-induced washout in their warm-up match against defending champions England in Guwahati, where not a single ball was bowled, Team India is now gearing up for their second and final warm-up game ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup. The Men in Blue will face the Netherlands at Thiruvananthapuram's Greenfield Stadium. It's worth noting that India could be without the former captain, Virat Kohli, for this match. The Netherlands secured their fifth World Cup appearance by finishing second in the Qualifiers event, just behind Sri Lanka.

As per a Cricbuzz report, Team India took a four-hour flight from Guwahati to Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday evening, utilizing a special aircraft. Notably, Virat Kohli did not accompany the team on this trip. The experienced No. 3 batsman requested leave from the team management due to a personal emergency and subsequently flew back to Mumbai from Guwahati.

Virat Kohli is expected to rejoin the Indian team in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. However, the weather forecast for the final warm-up match on Tuesday looks challenging, with a 96% chance of precipitation and a 46% chance of a thunderstorm, according to Accuweather. So far, rain has affected three warm-up games, including one in Thiruvananthapuram where South Africa vs. Afghanistan was washed out, and Australia vs. the Netherlands was reduced to a 23-over match before being abandoned.

While the prospect of India's second warm-up match facing a similar fate due to weather might not be unexpected, Captain Rohit Sharma seems unperturbed, considering these games as mere "formalities" for Team India. The team has been active, winning the Asia Cup a fortnight ago and recently triumphing over Australia in a three-match series at home.

India is scheduled to kick off their World Cup campaign on October 8 in Chennai, facing Australia.