Kohli joins Team India training ahead of WTC final, Rohit to hit nets from Tuesday

Cricketer Virat Kohli at a practice session ahead of the World Test Championship final cricket match between India and Australia, in UK, Monday, May 29, 2023.

Batting mainstay Virat Kohli joined the national team’s training session on Monday at the picturesque Arundel Castle Cricket Club along with left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat, who seemed to have recovered from left shoulder injury.

India will play Australia at the Oval in the one-off Test from June 7 to 11.

The BCCI on Monday shared pictures of the members of the team, including Kohli, pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj on their official twitter handle.

“Team India members begin their preparations for the WTC23 at Arundel Castle Cricket Club,” BCCI said in a tweet.

While Kohli, Umesh and Siraj were seen jogging in their new training kit, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin could be seen rolling his arm over at the nets.

Unadkat was also engaged in a discussion with head coach Rahul Dravid and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey. Cheteshwar Pujara, who has been playing for Sussex in the English county circuit to prepare for the final, also was seen arriving in the training ground.

Umesh and Shardul Thakur were among the first batch of Indian players to arrive for the WTC final.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and young Mumbai opener Yashasvi Jaiswal have also reached, while the last batch including Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill, Mohammad Shami, K S Bharat and Ajinkya Rahane, will be leaving on Tuesday following the IPL final in Ahmedabad.

Jaiswal was included in the squad as a stand-by player after Ruturaj Gaikwad informed BCCI about him getting married on June 3-4.

India had finished runners-up in 2021 after losing the WTC final to Kane Williamson-led New Zealand by eight wickets in Southampton two years ago.

India won’t play any warm-up game as the English County Championship is on and also this being an ICC event, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is under no obligation to arrange practice matches for the visiting team.