Ravindra Jadeja and Sarfaraz Khan. (Source – Ravindra Jadeja and Sarfaraz Khan/instagram)
Star India batter Virat Kohli left for Australia with his family on Saturday evening. The first batch that featured Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, and Yashasvi Jaiswal among others left on Sunday and now, the second batch is on their way to Down Under. Notably, senior cricketers Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are traveling in the second batch alongside Sarfaraz Khan, and Harshit Rana, the coaching and support staff.
As per reports, Jasprit Bumrah isn’t traveling with the squad. He will be leaving India later in the day and the reasons behind that are not known. KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, and Abhimanyu Easwaran were already in Australia and have checked in the team hotel in Perth. As per reports, the Indian team will be starting their preparatory camp for the Australia series on November 12 at WACA but the first day can be optional given the schedule plan of the players.
Check the players’ posts below:
Also Read – BGT 2024-25: Virat Kohli first to reach Australia ahead of Perth Test
Meanwhile, skipper Rohit Sharma hasn’t traveled with the squad and there’s still no guarantee about his presence in the first Test. He may miss out on the opening game of the series due to personal details but it will be confirmed later on as head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed in the press conference before their flight to Australia.
India needs a 4-0 win to guarantee WTC final spot
Notably, India is under tremendous pressure after a humiliating 3-0 series defeat to New Zealand at home. It put them in a difficult spot as the Rohit-led side now needs a 4-0 win over Australia in the five-match series to guarantee their place in the WTC final. They have done well in the Down Under in the last couple of times but it is going to be an extremely challenging affair.
In case Rohit misses out, Bumrah will be leading the team in Perth and either Abhimanyu Easwaran or KL Rahul will pair with Jaiswal at the top of the order.