[Watch] "Getting into the groove" - Indian cricketers undergo intense training in Alur ahead of Asia Cup 2023
Team India cricketers are currently undergoing a preparatory camp in Alur, Karnataka, ahead of the Asia Cup 2023. The Men in Blue will begin their campaign in the continental tournament with a clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in Kandy on September 2.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a short clip from the training sessions. The cricketers had a good warm-up session before hitting the nets. The batters looked in good shape, hitting balls from the middle of the bat.
Shreyas Iyer, who is making a comeback from injury, didn't show any signs of rustiness while batting. KL Rahul, who is also returning from injury, looked good with the gloves on. In all probability, he will be India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batter.
"Prep mode 🔛 Energy levels high 💪 Getting into the groove in Alur 👌 #TeamIndia | #AsiaCup2023," the BCCI captioned the video.
The upcoming Asia Cup 2023 in Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be the preparatory tournament for all participating teams ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup.
The Men in Blue, in particular, will hope to finalize their combinations for the 50-over showpiece event. They haven't won an ICC event since a decade now, with their last trophy coming during the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 under MS Dhoni.
They last won the ODI World Cup in 2011 on home soil by beating Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
"We have tried to communicate with the players after every selection" - Rohit Sharma on the competition for places in India's playing XI
Being an Indian captain or a head coach is not an easy job. With so many players vying for the 11 spots, they often have to take some harsh calls and are criticized publicly.
Speaking about the competition, the Men in Blue skipper Rohit Sharma asserted that he and head coach Rahul Dravid have been transparent about selection calls.
"While picking the best combination, there will be guys who will miss out for various reasons and Rahul bhai [Dravid] and I have tried our best to explain to the players why they are not in the squad," Rohit Sharma told PTI.
"We have tried to communicate with the players after every selection and playing XI that has been announced. We talk to them face-to-face, one-on-one why they have not been picked," he added.
Rohit and Co. are likely to announce their preliminary ICC ODI World Cup squad on Sunday, September 3.