Rohit Sharma-led Team India finally arrived in Dubai on Saturday, February 15 to begin their preparations for the Champions Trophy 2025, which is set to start from February 19. The first group of players and support staff, including Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir, departed from Mumbai on Saturday afternoon.
Did Rohit Sharma forget something again?
However, a video of Rohit Sharma in Dubai after Team India's arrival has sparked speculation among fans, who are wondering if the Indian captain has once again forgotten something.
The video shows Rohit standing at the door of the team bus, engaged in conversation with a member of the support staff. Rohit has a track record of forgetting things while traveling. From leaving his passport at the team hotel to forgetting his bags, the India captain has done it all.
However, a Times of India report, however, hints at a different reason for Rohit's apparent delay. The report claims that KL Rahul was the last Indian cricketer to leave the Dubai airport, exiting a full 20 minutes after the rest of the team. He then reportedly had to make his way to the team hotel separately. This information could explain why Rohit was seen waiting at the team bus and speaking with a support staff member, perhaps coordinating Rahul's transport or addressing the delay.
The group of Indian players who traveled to Dubai included Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, and Arshdeep Singh. Several members of the support staff also made the trip, including bowling coach Morne Morkel, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, and T Dilip. News agency ANI later reported that Hardik Pandya was the last player to join the team in Dubai.
Team India will kick off their Champions Trophy's campaign on February 20 with a clash against Bangladesh before clashing with arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23. Rohit Sharma's brigade will then play their last league-stage match against New Zealand on March 2.
India's Champions Trophy squad:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.