India will kick off their ODI World Cup 2023 campaign against Australia in Chennai on October 8 but were scheduled to play two warm-up games ahead of their first match in the tournament.
India's first warm-up match against England was washed out due to rain in Guwahati as the Men in Blue reached Kerala ahead of their second warm-up match against the Netherlands in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
The Indian players received a remarkable reception as hundreds of fans, who had gathered outside the airport, chanted ‘India, India’, welcoming them to the Kerala capital.
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While head coach Rahul Dravid and Jasprit Bumrah were among the first to board the team bus, Virat Kohli did not travel with the team. He is expected to join the team well in time before India's match against the Netherlands.
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Virat had requested permission from the team management due to a personal emergency. He flew to Mumbai from Guwahati.
Talking about the upcoming match, there are heavy concerns over the possibility of weather ruining India's build-up preparations for the ODI World Cup 2023.
Notably, the first warm-up match against England was canceled due to rain without a single ball bowled. It may not come as a surprise if the second game too meets a similar fate.
The weather was not favorable on Sunday, with the city experiencing persistent rain. The Men in Blue have scheduled a practice session for Monday, but it is subject to weather conditions.
So far, three warm-up matches have been affected by rain, with two of them taking place in Thiruvananthapuram, between South Africa and Afghanistan on September 29.
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The Australia-Netherlands match on September 30 was reduced to a 23-over contest but couldn't be completed. New Zealand and South Africa are scheduled to play on Monday before India takes on the Netherlands on Tuesday.
The prestigious tournament kicks off on October 5 with the first match scheduled between the last World Cup finalists, England and New Zealand, in Ahmedabad.