AUS vs IND: Virat Kohli to be given special preference during quarantine

Bengaluru, November 13: Skipper Virat Kohli, who arrived in Australia with the rest of the Team India members is set to get special treatment during the mandatory quarantine period.

A 25-member jumbo Indian squad, led by Kohli, touched the base in Sydney for a gruelling two-month tour Down Under that starts with a One-day International on November 27.

The Men in Blue will play three ODIs, as many T20Is and four Test matches in the long tour which end only in the fourth week of January.

Before that each member of the team has to undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine-cum-training period as per the new novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic enfored health guidelies and protocols.

After their arrival in Sydney, the Indian contingent along with Australian stars such as David Warner, Steve Smith, Pat Cummins who figured in the just-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE were whisked away to the Sydney Olympic Park.

With New South Wales (NSW) government allowing the Indian team to train during the two-week quarantine period, their sessions will be conducted at the Blacktown International Sports Park, which has also been turned into a bio-secure venue.

The Pullman Hotel where the Indian team would put up for the next two weeks was also the base for rugby side New South Wales Blues, who have now shifted to another hotel.

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the hotel authorities will provide the Indian captain, who will return home after the pink-ball day/night Test in Adelaide to be with his celebrity wife Anushka Sharma for the birth of their first child, a special penthouse suite where Australian rugby legend Brad Fittler normally puts up.

It is understood that a limited number of families are also being allowed by the NSW state government and the players' families will need to adhere to the strict quarantine protocols.

The Australian stars returning from UAE after the IPL will however join their national team's camp from November 22. They will train separately.

(With Agency inputs)