Reports: Indian team to leave for WTC Final in three batches in accordance with results of IPL 2023

With India scheduled to play against Australia in the much-anticipated final of the World Test Championship 2023, it has recently been revealed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could send the team in three batches, to assemble in England ahead of the final showdown. A practice game for the team is also being speculated in order to help the team acclimatise to the playing conditions in England.

As per reports from Cricbuzz, the first of the three batches could leave for England immediately after the completion of the Indian Premier League 2023. This would include those players whose teams fail to qualify for the playoff stages of the IPL. Reportedly, the first batch would set off for England on May 23. 

Following that, players whose teams make it to the playoffs but fail to break into the final, will leave for England immediately after the completion of the Qualifiers. They could be seen flying out on May 23 or 24. The last batch would then set out on May 30, soon after the completion of the IPL 2023 final on May 28 at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. 

Cheteshwar Pujara, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur could find themselves in first lot

Going by the performances of their respective teams, it has been speculated that players like Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur and Ravichandran Ashwin could be part of the first batch scheduled to leave for England on May 23.

Axar is playing in the IPL 2023 for Delhi Capitals, who became the first team to get eliminated from the ongoing tournament. Kolkata Knight Riders, the team that Shardul plays for, too have very bleak chances of making it to the playoffs. Ashwin's Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, spoiled their chances after conceding a mammoth defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their penultimate clash of the tournament. Meanwhile, Cheteshwar Pujara, who is not part of any of the IPL teams, is also likely to leave in the first batch itself.