NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket team players will depart for the Asia Cup, starting September 9 in the UAE, directly from their respective locations, rather than assembling in Mumbai as has been customary, according to PTI.
The 15-member squad, led by Suryakumar Yadav, will convene in Dubai on September 4 ahead of the tournament. The staggered travel plan was implemented to streamline logistics and ensure players' convenience.
"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.
The Asia Cup will be staged in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from September 9 to 28, with eight teams split into two groups. Group A features India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, while Group B includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong.
India will open their campaign against the UAE on September 10 in Dubai, before locking horns with arch-rivals Pakistan in a much-anticipated clash on September 14 at the same venue. Their final group-stage fixture is set for September 19 in Abu Dhabi, where they will face Oman.
The tournament will be played in the T20I format and will serve as key preparation for the teams ahead of next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
