India Cricket Team Members Won't Fly Together To Dubai For Asia Cup, Report Says: "Doesn't Make Sense..."
The 15-member Indian squad led by Suryakumar Yadav will assemble in Dubai on September 4 for the Asia Cup, which begins on September 9
The 15-member Indian squad, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will assemble in Dubai on September 4 for the Asia Cup, which begins on September 9. In a departure from the usual convention, players will reach Dubai in a staggered manner from their respective locations, unlike other occasions when the team would first assemble in Mumbai before departure. The decision was made keeping logistics in mind and also to ensure the travelling convenience of the players.
"All the players will arrive in Dubai by the evening of September 4, and the first nets session will be held on September 5 at the ICC Academy. Factoring in logistical convenience, the players will be allowed to fly into Dubai from their respective cities," a senior BCCI official told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
"Obviously, a few will travel from Mumbai, but asking some of the others to first come to Mumbai and then fly to Dubai doesn't make sense. In any case, Dubai is a short-duration flight compared to other international flights," he added.
India will take on the UAE in their tournament opener on September 10 before facing arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai on September 14. Their third group match will be against Oman on September 19, before the Super Four stage.
Among the Asia Cup-bound cricketers, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are playing for North Zone against East Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarterfinal, which began on Thursday, while Kuldeep Yadav is playing for Central Zone against North East Zone.
The official responded negatively when asked whether Prasidh Krishna or Washington Sundar, who are among the standbys, would travel with the main squad as net bowlers.
India Cricket Team