Star Batter Virat Kohli joins Indian team for WTC 2023 final

LONDON: Star batter Virat Kohli joined the national team's training session at the Arundel Castle Cricket Club along with left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat on Monday.

The BCCI shared pictures of the members of the team, including Kohli, pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj on their official twitter handle.

In a tweet BCCI said, "Team India members begin their preparations for the WTC23 final at Arundel Castle Cricket Club,"

India will play Australia at the Oval in the one-off Test from June 7 to 11. India had finished runners-up in 2021 after losing the WTC final to Kane Williamson-led New Zealand by eight wickets in Southampton two years ago. Meanwhile Chris Gaffaney of New Zealand and Richard Illingworth of England have been named as the on-field umpires for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final .

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced the match officials for the Ultimate Test, which has June 12 earmarked as a reserve day to make up for any lost time during the scheduled five days of play.

Gaffaney, 48, will be standing in his 49th Test match while it will be the 64th outing for 59-year-old Illingworth in the longest format of the game. Incidentally, Illingworth also stood in the first WTC Final two years ago which New Zealand won with an eight-wicket victory against India in Southampton, the ICC informed in a release on Monday.

Another England umpire, Richard Kettleborough, will also be officiating in a second successive WTC Final, once again appointed as the TV umpire. Kumar Dharmasena of Sri Lanka will be the fourth umpire, the release said.

Richie Richardson of the West Indies will be the match referee.