Virat Kohli and the Indian cricket team could reportedly leave early for the ICC World Test Championship match against New Zealand on June 18.
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Virat Kohli and the Indian cricket team could leave early for the ICC World Test Championship clash against New Zealand. With the postponement of IPL 2021, the Indian cricket team now has adequate time to prepare for the final. Had the IPL 2021 gone on as per schedule, the side would have left in the first week of June. Now, with the IPL 2021 postponed indefinitely, there is a chance that the Indian cricket team might leave by second week of May.
However, there is a problem for India when it comes to traveling in the United Kingdom. The UK has put India in the ‘red list’ and has mandated a 14-day quarantine on arrival from the country. The ICC is in talks with the UK government and the ECB to make sure India cricketers travel to the UK. Even British and Irish nationals, and third-country nationals with residence rights in the UK arriving in England from India will be required to quarantine in a hotel.
Before the Australia series, many of the Indian players were already in the IPL bio-bubble. Thus, they had to undergo a 14-day quarantine in Sydney but they could train. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, had to undergo a hard 14-day quarantine as he had left the IPL bio-bubble and had to be in isolation in Sydney.
When they went into every state, they had to be under isolation for a particular period of time. The same might be the situation in England. When India arrive, they may have to pick a squad of 25 people. In the Australia tour, every player was being picked as the squad reeled from injuries.
Apart from the ICC World Test Championship, India will play five Tests in England beginning from August 4 in Trent Bridge. India will play in Lord’s, Leeds, The Oval and then in Manchester as the tour ends on September 10. This might be the start of the new ICC World Test Championship cycle.
Apart from the men’s team, the women’s cricket team will tour England for three ODIs, three T20Is and a Test. The Test match will be played after a gap of seven years for the India women’s cricket team.
