Rohit Sharma, Kedar Jadhav see delayed departures for Champions Trophy 2017

Team India left for their title defense of the Champions Trophy on Wednesday night. However, there were two players missing out on the flight who were expected to be onboard with the Indian team for the tour. Hard-hitting opening batsman Rohit Sharma and the new-found middle-order finisher Kedar Jadhav did not travel with the national side in the same flight.

Incidentally, both players had different reasons for having missed out on the flight to England. Rohit Sharma, who recently won the IPL trophy for his team Mumbai Indians this season, had requested the BCCI for an extended leave post the IPL. Rohit wanted to attend a wedding ceremony of his cousin which would see him depart a little late for the mega ICC event.

Rohit had requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to grant him leave and the board had obliged. “Rohit Sharma had made his request a long time back. So the BCCI agreed to the request,” said a board official as per the quotes in the Indian Express.

Visa clearance for Jadhav

On the other hand, veteran Maharashtra batsman Kedar Jadhav failed to board the flight since his visa did not arrive on time. The BCCI had approached the British High Commission to look into the matter for the clearance but it did not work out. Now, Kedar is expected to depart on Friday (May 26). Both Rohit and Kedar Jadhav will make it to England before India’s first warm-up match.

“His (Jadhav) visa is cleared now and he is expected to leave on Friday. We waited for it earlier but nothing happened till late on Wednesday evening. Both players will be available for the first warm-up game on May 28,” the official said about Jadhav.

The presence of two key players ahead of their first warm-up match against New Zealand will certainly boost the preparations of the Indian team.