Batting through a long streak of leanness, Former India captain Virat Kohli batted at the nets and played throw-downs in India’s first practice session before the T20 game against West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Kohli was the first player to go to the nets and take throw-downs from the Indian support team as Kohli batted from both ends before heading to the drill.
After that, he took part in a lengthy net session that ran over 45 minutes. India captain Rohit Sharma, along with coach Rahul Dravid was also spotted engaged in lengthy discussions in the presence of director Sujan Mukherjee.
Team India batting coach Vikram Rathour interviewed the media before the team’s rehearsal at Eden Gardens and assured them that Kohli isn’t worried about Kohli’s fitness level in the willow.
“I haven’t had any specific discussion with Virat Kohli. I don’t believe he’s been in a slump of form since he has had a good run during ODI and T20s this year. Sure, he played an uncharacteristically poor game against West Indies. However, he’s been hitting very well at the nets. I’m sure he will be back in the nets soon,” Rathour told the media at a conference via video this morning (February 14).
In the white-ball format, the Indian player last scored a 100 against West Indies in August 2019 during the Port of Spain ODI, and since then, he’s been able to score 10 50-plus points but hasn’t been able to turn them into tons.
He has yet to make an international century over more than two years in all formats. His most recent century was with Bangladesh at the first Indian pink ball day/night test held at Eden Gardens in November 2019.
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CAB asks BCCI to permit spectators
On Wednesday, there will be no fans in India’s first T20I with the West Indies. Still, the Cricket Association of Bengal is hoping it will be the case that it will get a chance to ensure that the board will reconsider their decision on the third and the second T20Is.
“The Cricket Association of Bengal has again asked the BCCI to permit spectators at remaining games,” CAB president Avishek Dalmiya announced in an announcement.
“The CAB will intimate all stakeholders once they have received feedback from the BCCI Board.”
The number of match representatives would be limited to around 2000 match representatives and sponsors in the initial match.
“The BCCI has allowed only upper-tier or hospitality boxes to representatives and sponsors for the game,” he added.
In the past, Dalmiya hoped to conduct games with fans after the state government permitted 75 percent capacity.
However, the BCCI chairman Sourav Ganguly reacted in a local community’s direction and stated that they wouldn’t allow fans to be in the stadium due to the BCCI’s safety-first policy.
Dalmiya was then able to convince the Board to allow entry to fans. 70% of fans were permitted to attend India-New Zealand T20I in November of last year.
