Virat Kohli misses World Cup 2023 warm-up match vs. Netherlands due to personal emergency

India to face Netherlands in final World Cup warm-up, Kohli doubtful

The defending champions were denied a chance to get some match practice in Guwahati on Saturday as their rain-washed-out warm-up match against England was called off without a ball being bowled.

India will now play their second and final warm-up match against the Netherlands at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. The Dutch qualified for their fifth World Cup appearance after finishing second behind Sri Lanka in the Qualifiers event.

However, India might miss the services of their former captain Virat Kohli for the match. Kohli has flown back to Mumbai due to a personal emergency but is expected to rejoin the squad before the start of the World Cup.

Team India traveled to Thiruvananthapuram from Guwahati on a special aircraft on Sunday evening, but Virat Kohli was not part of the group. The veteran batter requested leave from the team management due to a personal emergency and flew back to Mumbai.

Kohli is expected to join the Indian team in Thiruvananthapuram later on Monday.

India will be hoping for some cricket action in their final warm-up game before the World Cup on Tuesday, but the weather forecast in Thiruvananthapuram is not promising. According to Accuweather, there is a 96% chance of precipitation and a 46% chance of a thunderstorm.

This is concerning news, as three warm-up matches have already been affected by rain, two of which were played in Thiruvananthapuram. The South Africa-Afghanistan match was washed out, and the Australia-Netherlands match was reduced to a 23-overs contest before being called off.

If the rain does wash out India’s final warm-up match, it will be a major blow to their preparations for the World Cup. The Men in Blue will need all the practice they can get, as they are looking to defend their title.

India’s second warm-up match against the Netherlands on Tuesday is at risk of being washed out due to rain, but captain Rohit Sharma is likely to remain unfazed. Sharma has previously termed these fixtures as mere “formality” for Team India, who have been busy playing cricket in the lead-up to the World Cup.

India won the Asia Cup two weeks ago before defeating Australia at home in a three-match series last week. This means that the team is already well-prepared for the World Cup, and a rain-washed warm-up match is unlikely to derail their campaign.