Will he or won’t he? Virat Kohli finally made a brief public appearance before joining the Indian squad for the ICC World T20 2024 on Thursday. Following a stellar season in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper has departed for the United States. Kohli was spotted by the paparazzi at the airport as he prepares to join Rohit Sharma’s Team India ahead of their warm-up game against Bangladesh.
The 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup might be the last opportunity for Kohli and Rohit to break India’s title drought in ICC events. The next T20 World Cup will be held in 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. By then, Rohit will be approaching 40 and Kohli will be 38. The next 50-over World Cup is scheduled for 2027, making this year’s tournament a crucial chance for both players to secure a winner’s medal on the grandest stage in the US and the Caribbean.
Kohli retained his place in the Indian T20I squad during the league stage of the IPL 2024. Leading the batting for the RCB franchise, he amassed 741 runs in 15 games. RCB reached the playoffs, but Kohli scored 33 in their defeat to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL Eliminator. He claimed the Orange Cap for the second time in his illustrious IPL career, having first won it in 2016 with 973 runs.
Kohli was the last player to join the Indian camp for the T20 World Cup. Hardik Pandya and Kohli were notable absentees in the first batch of arrivals earlier this week. Skipper Rohit, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel arrived in New York on Sunday. Team India will play their only World Cup warm-up against Bangladesh at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
