By Zainab Shafiq 
The Indian Cricket Team has begun its training in New York City for the upcoming T20 World Cup, set to kick off in the West Indies and USA on June 2nd. However, a key player’s absence has sparked discussions – star batter Virat Kohli.
Most team members arrived in New York on Tuesday, but Kohli is noticeably missing. This sparks concerns about his availability for India’s only warm-up match against Bangladesh on June 1st. The BCCI has remained tight-lipped on Kohli’s travel plans, leaving fans and pundits to speculate.
The Indian team’s travel arrangements were spread out. Players whose teams were knocked out of the IPL 2024 league stage arrived first, with the exception of Hardik Pandya who joined later after a break. Others followed as their respective IPL teams were eliminated from the playoffs.
Soham Desai, India’s strength and conditioning coach, explains the team’s initial focus is adjusting to the new time zone. “We eased into things here,” he said in a BCCI video. “The main goal was simply to get used to the time difference.”
“We haven’t played any cricket yet,” shared Jasprit Bumrah. “We’re here for a team activity today. Hopefully, it goes well. The weather’s great, so looking forward to it.”
The team’s first day in New York involved light running, basic exercises to improve strength and conditioning, and some fun team-building activities with a football.
“They’ve been away from the national team setup for two and a half months,” Desai said. “We just wanted to get them together to assess their fitness and figure out what needs to be done before the World Cup.”
Desai emphasized the importance of gradually increasing training intensity. “The goal is to spend 45 minutes to an hour on the field to get them going again. We want to see their movement and running, so we can create plans to get each player ready for the first match.”
Several players expressed their enthusiasm for the new environment. Hardik Pandya spoke of the “positive atmosphere,” while Ravindra Jadeja anticipated “a lot of fun,” and Suryakumar Yadav described the first day as “fantastic.”
India’s World Cup Schedule
India’s World Cup campaign begins on June 5th against Ireland in New York. The group stage continues with matches against Pakistan (June 9th), USA (June 12th), and Canada (June 15th). The first three games will be played in New York, with the final group stage match taking place in Lauderhill, Florida.
With the World Cup approaching and Kohli’s absence creating uncertainty, all eyes are on the BCCI for updates on his status and India’s preparations to defend their 2007 T20 World Cup title.