[Watch] Team India players listen intently to Rahul Dravid as Men in Blue begin practice for T20Is vs SA
Team India have begun their training on Monday for the five-match T20I series at home against South Africa, which starts on June 9 in Delhi. The Indian players were part of the recently concluded IPL 2022, which ended on May 29 in Ahmedabad.
KL Rahul will lead India in the T20Is against the Proteas in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been rested. Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami have also been given a break for the five-game series.
The official social media handles of the BCCI shared a video of the players listening with rapt attention to Team India head coach Rahul Dravid. The cricket board uploaded the clip with the caption:
“Back in Blue - Prep mode 🔛 #TeamIndia begin training in Delhi ahead of the 1st T20I against South Africa. #INDvSA”
Back in Blue - Prep mode 🔛
#TeamIndia begin training in Delhi ahead of the 1st T20I against South Africa.
@Paytm #INDvSA https://t.co/kOr8jsGJwL
While some of the seniors have been rested, IPL 2022 stars Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh have earned a call-up to the Indian team. Veteran keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik and all-rounder Hardik Pandya have also made a comeback on the basis of their impressive performances in the T20 league.
“Getting out of the bio-bubble is really very satisfying” - Team India keeper-batter Rishabh Pant
In a massive sense of relief for cricketers from both sides, the BCCI has decided to do away with bio-bubbles for the T20I series.
Reacting to the move, Team India’s wicketkeeper-batter and vice-captain for the series, Rishabh Pant, told SG Cricket Podcast:
"Getting out of the bio-bubble is really very satisfying. And hopefully, there are no more bio-bubble things, so I'm enjoying the time out now we have gone through so much."
The 24-year-old also spoke about the impact a bio-bubble has on the mental health of a cricketer. He stated:
"When you keep on playing throughout the year, especially with the kind of pressure it is important to relax your mind. If you can't refresh your mind, you won't be giving your hundred percent. We need to keep working on our mind and keep refreshing."
18-member #TeamIndia squad for the upcoming five-match Paytm T20I home series against South Africa.
#INDvSA @Paytm https://t.co/tK90uEcMov
The India-South Africa series will begin with the first T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on June 9. The subsequent matches will be played in Cuttack (June 12), Visakhapatnam (June 14), Rajkot (June 17) and Bengaluru (June 19).
Team India's squad for South Africa T20Is: KL Rahul (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik.