Australian opener Usman Khawaja finally had his visa approved by Indian authorities and will soon join his teammates in Bangalore ahead of the blockbuster Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023, beginning on 9th February in Nagpur. 

Khawaja was supposed to already be in Bangalore, along with the rest of his teammates, but a delay in visa approval meant he couldn’t fly with them. His passport and visa were handed over to a Cricket Australia Official yesterday, and he will board the flight from Melbourne on Thursday.

“Me waiting for my Indian Visa like… #stranded #dontleaveme #standard #anytimenow” posted Khawaja on Instagram with a picture of a forlorn-looking Pablo Escobar from the Netflix series Narcos.

Khawaja had faced a similar hassle every time his work required a visit to India. In 2011, he expressed his frustration over unnecessary delay on social media, and only after Cricket Australia (CA) intervened, he got his visa approved. On a few more occasions, his visa would come exactly on the day he was supposed to fly, causing a lot of stress to the player.

The Indian high commission specifically enquires whether the visitors’ lineage traces back to Pakistan. It is speculated that Khawaja faces such a hassle because his parents are from Pakistan, and he was also born in Pakistan.

Khawaja had earlier toured with the Aussies on two occasions, in 2013 and 2017, but this is the first time he is coming as a vital cog of his side. Khawaja was recently awarded the Shane Warne Medal for Australia’s Test Player of the Year. He has had an amazing turnaround just when it seemed all over and has emerged as the most prolific batter for Australia over the course of the last 12 months.

Though an entirely different set of challenge awaits in India, and a lot will hinge on Khawaja and his opening partner David Warner if Australia wants to reclaim the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The familiarisation process is underway in Bangalore, where the team is laboring on a spin-friendly pitch. 

Lead Image: Cricket Australia