Visa Issues Cause Virat Kohli to Miss T20 World Cup Warm-Up Match

Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, along with two other players including Sanju Samson and vice-captain Hardik Pandya, will join the rest of the Indian team late for the T20 World Cup starting on May 30. Kohli had requested permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to join the squad late, which was granted by the board.

These three players will not be part of the playing XI in India’s first warm-up match against Bangladesh, scheduled before the T20 World Cup. The decision comes as Kohli, Samson, and Pandya were not part of the initial contingent of Indian players who traveled with the squad on Saturday night.

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The remaining members of the Indian team, including captain Rohit Sharma, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, and batsman Suryakumar Yadav, departed for the USA on May 25. The first contingent also includes other players like Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Dube, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, and Shubman Gill.

The specific reasons for the delayed arrivals of Kohli, Samson, and Pandya have not been disclosed by the BCCI. However, such requests for delayed arrivals are typically granted for personal reasons.

India will play against Ireland, Pakistan, USA, and Canada in the group stage of the T20 World Cup, with their first match against Ireland scheduled for June 5 at the Nassau County Stadium in New York.