IND vs AUS | Visa delay forces Usman Khawaja to miss flight to India for Border Gavaskar Trophy
Usman Khawaja’s departure for the upcoming four-match Test series against India has been delayed owing to issues in acquiring the visa. The batter confirmed the development on his social media account with a post and is now expected to fly out to Bengaluru on Thursday on a rescheduled flight.
Australia are set to play a multi-format series against India from February 9, including four Tests and three ODIs. However, Usman Khawaja’s arrival in the host country has been delayed due to issues in acquiring the visas. The left-handed batter confirmed the development on his social media account with a post captioned "Me waiting for my Indian Visa like... #stranded #dontleaveme #standard #anytimenow.".
According to ESPNcricinfo, a few of the visas have been delayed and there is uncertainty around any change regarding travel plans. Nevertheless, the batter is expected to fly out to Bengaluru on Thursday. The Australian Test team travelled in two groups on Tuesday and Wednesday after the conclusion of the year-end Cricket Australia black-tie gala where Khawaja was awarded the inaugural Shane Warne Men's Test Player of the Year. The batter has visited India on multiple occasions and has suffered similar difficulties in getting a visa in the past as well.
The Australian team is set to spend four days training in Bengaluru before relocating to Nagpur for the first Test. The other matches are slated to be played in Delhi, Dharamshala, and Ahmedabad respectively.