Indian cricketer and former captain Virat Kohli is most likely to attend the prestigious 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Temple which is scheduled to take place on January 22 in Ayodhya. As per a report, the Indian cricket team has been directed to gather in Hyderabad on January 20 for a four-day practice session ahead of the first Test against England, starting on January 25 at the Uppal Stadium.
The report in Cricbuzz also stated that BCCI has permitted Kohli to take a day off (January 22) in order to attend the ceremony after his net sessions conclude on January 21.
On the other hand, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has headed to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to prepare for the Test series. He canceled all commercial engagements and ad shoots to focus on his training at the NCA.
The Indian players and coaching staff, currently participating in the Twenty20 series against Afghanistan, will have a two-day break. After the third and final T20I on Wednesday, they will return home before regrouping in Hyderabad on January 20.
The England team is expected to arrive in Hyderabad on January 21, having prepared for the series in Abu Dhabi. The late arrival of the England team has faced criticism, with former player Steve Harmison expressing concern about their chances and suggesting a potential 5-0 series loss under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brandon McCullum.