T20 World Cup 2024: Sanju Samson's delay departure unfolds 'personal' drama

The India National Cricket Team left for New York for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024, starting on June 1 in the USA and Caribbean. The first batch of Indian players departed for the USA on Saturday evening, while the second batch will reportedly depart on Monday, May 27.

Team India captain Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, Axar Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rishabh Pant, along with the support staff, left Mumbai on Saturday, May 25, for Dubai. They will then take the flight to New York.

Sanju Samson will join Team India late in New York

It is being said that India batting star Virat Kohli has taken a mini break before leaving for the USA for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, where the Men in Blue will kick off their campaign against Ireland on June 5 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

Apart from Kohli, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya will join the India cricket team late in New York for the upcoming 20-team mega ICC event. Samson recently led the Rajasthan Royals (RR) to the IPL 2024 playoffs, where they lost the final berth to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) after suffering a 36-run defeat in the Qualifier 2 in Chennai.

According to the Indian Express, Samson has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he has personal work in Dubai, due to which he could not join the first batch of Indian players for the New York trip. The BCCI accepted Samson’s request for a delayed departure for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 due to ‘personal work in Dubai’.

Virat Kohli likely to miss India's T20 WC warm-up game against Bangladesh

However, there is no clarity on whether Samson will depart for the USA with the second batch of Indian players. Notably, Samson was in great form with the bat in the IPL 2024, where he amassed 531 runs in 16 matches for RR. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya has been training in London for a few days and will join the Men in Blue in the USA directly from there later.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli is all set to miss India’s only warm-up game against Bangladesh on June 1, having taken a mini-break from the game after helping the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs. Kohli was in scintillating form with the bat in the IPL 2024, amassing 741 runs from 15 matches at an average of 61.75.

According to a BCCI official, Kohli informed the BCCI that he would join the India team late in the USA. He is likely to travel to New York in the early hours of May 30. A BCCI official told The Indian Express: “Kohli had informed us way beforehand that he would be joining the team late, and that is why the BCCI has kept his visa appointment for a later date. He is expected to fly out to New York in the early morning of May 30th. The BCCI has agreed to his request.”