Team India captain Virat Kohli will be the first to arrive in the city on Tuesday for the pink-ball Test scheduled at Eden Gardens from Friday. Ajinkya Rahane is also likely to accompany the captain.
However, it was not certain whether the India captain will visit the Eden on Tuesday. “He may come to the ground in the evening. But everything would be finalised after his arrival,” a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) official said.
India thrashed Bangladesh in the first Test by an innings and 130 runs in Indore. India are favourites in the second Test too but Kohli doesn’t want to take a day off. On Monday, Virat tweeted a video of him working out in the gym with the caption: “No days off.”
Among other India team members, Ishant Sharma is slated to arrive on Tuesday night. Rohit Sharma is expected to land in the early hours of Wednesday. The pace duo Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav will arrive later that day.
The rest of the players are expected to arrive at 12.30 pm on Tuesday along with the Bangladesh squad by a chartered flight from Indore.
Almost all the dignitaries who have been invited for the pink ball Test have confirmed their availability. But the CAB hasn’t received any communication from Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “We don’t have any information whether he is coming or not,” CAB secretary Avishek Dalmiya said.
Among former India cricketers Farokh Engineer, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, Mohammed Azharuddin, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Chandu Borde, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman, Saba Karim, Ajit Agarkar, Sunil Joshi, Venkatesh Prasad and Sadagopan Ramesh have confirmed their presence during the opening day of the Test match.
Meanwhile, Calcutta police led by commissioner Anuj Sharma visited the ground and did a survey of the security arrangements.
“Police are happy with the arrangements but they have given some suggestions and we will make the necessary changes,” Avishek said.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Union home minister Amit Shah, state governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and chief minister Mamata Banerjee will be present among others at the Eden.
