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In a perfect dress-rehearsal of the T20 World Cup 2024, Rohit Sharma-led Team started their campaign with a bang as they thrashed Bangladesh in their warm-up match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York recently. They defeated Bangladesh by a convincing margin of 60 runs in their only practice game before the T20 World Cup. Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya were the stars with the bat, helping India set a challenging total of 183 runs. The bowlers then did their part, with Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Dube delivering impressive performances. They restricted Bangladesh to a meagre 122 runs, losing nine wickets in the process.
However, Virat Kohli was the only player missing from this warm-up match. Reports suggest he extended his break from cricket after Royal Challengers Bangalore's disappointing loss in the IPL Eliminator. While Kohli was initially expected to travel with the first batch of players, he received permission from the BCCI to fly to New York at a later date.
Despite joining the Indian team just before their warm-up match against Bangladesh, Virat Kohli wasn't able to participate in any of the three practice sessions held at Cantiague Park. This makeshift venue, created by the ICC, was designed for teams to prepare for their World Cup matches in New York.
Fans in New York were eagerly anticipating seeing Kohli practice before India's opening World Cup match against Ireland on Wednesday, June 5. However, journalist Vimal Kumar, who is currently in the US, Indian team has been given a rest day after their warm-up win. This meant Kohli missed another practice session, while teams like Sri Lanka and South Africa went through their drills at Cantiague Park in preparation for their own World Cup opener on Monday.
Virat Kohli's red-hot form
Virat Kohli enters the World Cup in top form. He dominated the recent IPL 2024 season, scoring a whopping 741 runs in just 15 innings. This impressive performance earned him the prestigious Orange Cap, awarded to the tournament's leading run scorer, for the second time in his career. Furthermore, Kohli holds a historic record in the T20 World Cup itself. Since his debut in 2012, he has amassed a staggering 1141 runs across 27 matches, making him the leading run scorer in the entire history of the competition.
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