RCB cancel practice session after secutiry threat to Virat Kohli, 4 arrested at Ahmedabad airport - Reports

RCB cancelled their practice session on Tuesday after a threat was raised to Virat Kohli’s security.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) practice session on Tuesday in Ahmedabad was cancelled as a serious threat was made to the security of star batsman Virat Kohli ahead of the Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals (RR). The Gujarat Police arrested four men at the Ahmedabad airport on suspicion of terror activities.

RCB and RR are set to clash on Wednesday evening at the Narendra Modi Stadium in the Eliminator of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The winner will proceed to the Qualifier 2, while the loser will be knocked out of the competition.

RCB’s preparation for this must-win game was hampered as they had to cancel their practice session a day before the match. They were scheduled to practice at the Gujarat College ground since the Narendra Modi Stadium was hosting the Qualifier 1.

Virat Kohli was told about the threat and the arrests

According to a report in Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika, the reason for RCB cancelling their practice session was that they were informed by the Gujarat Police about the threat to Virat Kohli, who one police official described as a “national treasure.”

Rajasthan Royals were also told about this but they continued with their practice session. Both teams also didn’t hold any pre-match press conference.

One of the police officers, Vijay Singha Jwala, was quoted as saying, “Virat Kohli learned about the arrests after arriving in Ahmedabad. He is a national treasure, and his security is our utmost priority.”

He added, “RCB did not want to take a risk. They informed us that there would be no practice session. Rajasthan Royals were also informed about the development, but they had no problems going ahead with their practice.”

The police tightened the security outside RCB’s team hotel in Ahmedabad. A separate entry and exit door was made for only RCB players and staff.

While RCB chose to opt out of the practice session, RR went ahead. They were given additional security as police convoys escorted their team bus. The RR players were guarded by the policemen who patrolled the entire ground.

Meanwhile, Kohli is the leading run-scorer of IPL 2024 and is the only batsman to have amassed over 700 runs so far. RCB are on a six-match winning streak, while RR have lost their last four completed matches.

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