World Test Championship Final: India Squad Expected to Leave For England Tour Early

With the travel restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, BCCI may send the India Test squad for the England tour earlier. India will first face New Zealand in the final of the ICC World Test Championship starting June 18 before taking on England in a five-match series.

The final of the now suspended IPL 2021 was to be played on May 30 following which BCCI was to name a jumbo India Test squad for England tour in the first week of June. The members of the India and New Zealand Test squad were to travel to UK in a chartered flight together afterwards.

However, the surge in coronavirus cases in India which also impacted the bio-secure environments of various IPL teams resulted in IPL 2021 being postponed indefinitely.

A India deals with record fresh coronvirus cases on a daily basis, UK has placed the country in ‘red zone’ travel list. It has banned the entry of Indian nationals from April 23 onwards.

However, as per a report in India Today, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is in discussions with UK government to allow Indian players to travel for the World Test Championship final.

In such a scenario, the BCCI may be asked to submit well in advance the list of Indian contingent travelling to the UK for the WTC final and England Test series.

Then there are further hurdles regarding the mandatory quarantine period of 14 days which puts question mark over whether Indian players will be allowed to train outside their hotel rooms.

The England Test series get underway from August 4 in Nottingham with the fifth and final match to be played from September 10 in Manchester.

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• England cricket team
• ICC World Test Championship final
• India cricket team
• New Zealand cricket team