Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli seen at Mumbai airport as Team India departs for Dubai for the Champions Trophy

The Indian cricket team, along with their support staff, embarked on their journey to Dubai on Saturday in preparation for the upcoming Champions Trophy. Departing from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the team's lineup includes star batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who will play pivotal roles in India's quest for success in the tournament.

Both were seen at the airport, along with several other India stars like Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, and Ravindra Jadeja, among others. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy were also seen at the airport.

India’s opening fixture is scheduled against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai, and the squad is heading into the tournament with a mix of experience and fresh faces.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen engaging with his support staff, including fielding coach T. Dilip, bowling coach Morne Morkel, and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. Team India travels to Dubai on the back of a splendid performance in the ODI series against England, where it registered a dominant 3-0 clean-sweep victory.

Changes in Indian squad

Meanwhile, the squad announcement earlier this week saw the team facing a setback, with India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah being ruled out due to a lower back injury. Harshit Rana was named as his replacement, stepping into a role that will demand composure and resilience on the big stage.

Bumrah faced an injury during the fifth and final Test of the series against Australia in Sydney last month, forcing him to remain on sidelines during the all-important second innings of the game.

The second change was young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal making way for Varun Chakravarthy, a decision that sparked mixed reactions. While some backed the move, citing the need to strengthen the spin department for Dubai’s conditions, others felt India should have reinforced their pace attack instead.

Jaiswal made his ODI debut during the first ODI of the series against England earlier this month, but didn't find a place in the XI in the remaining two matches. He was subsequently removed from the Champions Trophy squad, too, with the team management preferring to add a fifth spinner to the 15-man roster.

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