Virat Kohli Heartbroken After Manchester Attack 1

With just over a week left before the eighth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy kick-starts in England, the country has been rocked by a deadly bomb attack which is being touted as the worst in Britain in a decade.

A bomb explosion took place in Manchester on late Monday night (May 22)  during a concert by US pop star Ariana Grande which resulted in the death of at least 22 people while 59 others are reportedly injured.

The explosion has definitely raised a question over the security of the players of all the teams who will be soon arriving in England for the showpiece event but at the same time the whole cricketing fraternity is sad over the sickening explosion and India skipper Virat Kohli is no exception.

The maverick skipper, who is gearing up to lead the Men in Blue for the first time in an ICC Trophy, said he was heartbroken to hear the news of the deadly bomb blast.

The 28-year-old cricket star took to Twitter to offer his condolence.

“I wish a lot of courage & strength to all those affected in the Manchester Bombings last night. Heartbreaking to hear the sad news.,” he tweeted.

Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate and West Indies star Chris Gayle also took to Twitter to express his grief over the unfortunate incident.

“Thoughts and prayers goes out to Manchester! ???? #VerySad,” Gayle tweeted.

The BCCI, meanwhile, held an emergency meeting on Tuesday (May 23) to discuss the security issues about the team after the explosion. On the other hand, the International Cricket Council released a statement, insisting that safety is its top priority and it will continue to review its security procedures ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy. As of now, the tournament is set to go ahead as planned.

The tournament will see the top eight teams fighting it out for the coveted trophy. The showpiece event will kick-start on June 1 with hosts England taking on Bangladesh while India will begin their campaign against Pakistan on June 4 at Edgbaston.