The first group of Indian players and support staff departed for Dubai on Saturday, marking the start of their preparations for the upcoming Champions Trophy. The team will face Bangladesh in their opening match on February 20 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Key players spotted at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport included star batter Virat Kohli, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, wicketkeeper-batters Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, as well as spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy. Also joining the squad were middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, all-rounder Axar Patel, pacers Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, and skipper Rohit Sharma. Hardik Pandya was the last member to board the flight before departure.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen alongside his coaching staff, including fielding coach T. Dilip, bowling coach Morne Morkel, and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, as the team prepared for the journey.
India’s preparations are well underway as they aim to make a strong start in the prestigious ICC event.
In a significant development earlier this week, India announced two changes to their 15-member squad. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the tournament due to a lower back injury, with Harshit Rana named as his replacement. The second change, which surprised many, was the omission of young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was replaced by Varun Chakravarthy. This decision sparked mixed reactions from fans and former cricketers, with some questioning the move while others supported strengthening the pace attack.
Chakravarthy’s inclusion follows a solid performance on his ODI debut against England, where he claimed figures of 1/54 in 10 overs, showcasing his promise.
