Virat Kohli-led Indian cricket team leaves for South Africa with Anushka Sharma in tow

Virat Kohli-led Indian cricket team, along with Anushka Sharma, left for the South Africa tour from Mumbai late on Wednesday.

The Indian cricket team, led by Virat Kohli, left for the South Africa tour late on Wednesday from Mumbai. The captain was accompanied by his actress wife Anushka Sharma. The duo got married in Italy on December 11 and held wedding receptions in New Delhi (December 21) and Mumbai (December 26).

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli along with his wife Anushka Sharma leave for the South Africa series from Mumbai late on Wednesday. (PTI)

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The Indian team will play three Tests, six One-Day Internationals (ODI) and three Twenty20 Internationals against South Africa with the first Test beginning on January 5 in Cape Town.

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli along with his wife Anushka Sharma deboard the team bus. (PTI)

Hardik Pandya with Shikhar Dhawan’s son Zoraver. (PTI)

R Ashwin (R) and Cheteshwar Pujara with a member of the team staff. (PTI)

“We as a team are feeling very confident, in terms of the balance the side has and the kind of cricket we’ve been playing. Of course, we haven’t played in (overseas) conditions, apart from the ICC Champions Trophy (in England). Every tour is a chance,” Kohli said while addressing the press on Wednesday evening.

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Murali Vijay, R Ashwin and Cheteshwar Pujara at the Mumbai airport. (PTI)

“If you look at the teams which have gone to South Africa in the past, you are talking about some of the biggest names in Indian cricket. It’s not like that was not a chance; you need to play really good cricket for a very long period of time to win series and that is something we are pretty excited about. We want to go out there and express ourselves. The most important thing is we are enjoying each other’s company and that’s exactly what we are looking to do.

KL Rahul has the point to prove in foreign batting conditions. (PTI)

Kohli had missed India’s limited-overs series against Sri Lanka due to his marriage to the Bollywood star. “I was away for something which is much more important. That is a period that will always remain special for both of us. Switching back to cricket is not difficult at all because it is in my blood, like it is for every other team member and the team management as well.”

Parthiv Patel, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav leave for the South Africa series. (PTI)

Wriddhiman Saha, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, and KL Rahul at the airport. (PTI)

On his part, coach Ravi Shastri backed the team and said that the next 18 months can define the team. “They have been together for the last four-five years and that experience will stand them in good stead, that’s for sure. The conditions will be testing, but this one-and-a-half years will define this Indian cricket team, and the whole team is aware of that. With tours of South Africa, Australia and England coming up in the next year-and-a-half, all I can say is this will be a better cricket team after those 18 months.”