The Indian team has reached Dubai for the Champions Trophy, where Team India conducted their first practice on 16 February. Team India suffered a major setback on the very first day of practice, as wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant was injured during the training. Rishabh Pant got a ball in the knee with a strong shot by Hardik Pandya. He groaned with pain but Physio Kamlesh Jain immediately treated him. Pandya came out of the nets and came to know his condition. By the way, the injury was not serious and Pant immediately came for batting practice wearing a pad. On the first day, it was felt that Pant’s injury is not big, but Pant was seen struggling in the second practice.
Update about Rishabh Pant’s injury
According to the news agency PTI, Rishabh Pant appeared struggling after a injury on Hardik Pandya’s shot during training on Sunday. He was seen a little lame. He did not practice wicketkeeping and fielding and when he came to bat, he did not even appear in the rhythm.
Rishabh Pant’s injury can prove to be a shock for India. However, this does not seem to be the equation of the playing XI, because the head coach Gautam Gambhir has already said that KL Rahul is India’s number-one wicketkeeper choice. After the 3-0 win in the ODI series against England, Gautam Gambhir had indicated about KL Rahul, he will be a part of the playing XI and Rishabh Pant may have to sit outside.
Gautam Gambhir had said, “Rahul is our number one wicketkeeper right now and I can say this much right now. Rishabh Pant will get a chance but Rahul is doing well right now and we cannot play with two wicketkeeper batsmen.”
KL Rahul is making ‘preparations’
Wicketkeeper batsman Lokesh Rahul, who is preparing for the role of Finisher, worked on the skill of putting his big shots in the second practice session of the Indian team on Monday before his first match of the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh. Known for his technically strong batting, Rahul focused on playing aggressive shots.
32 -year -old KL Rahul appeared during the practice adopting more active and power hitting mentality. Rahul, who played a fast innings of 40 off 29 balls in the third ODI against England, was seen practicing sixes on almost every ball. Rahul’s role ready to bat at fifth or sixth will be important in the final overs where he may need to speed up the innings and he could have been seen practicing ‘Range Hitting’.
Captain Rohit looked in the rhythm
Shreyas Iyer, who batted aggressively in the recent series, also worked on his aggressive game. In the ODI series against England, 87, 60 and 112 runs, Shubman Gill, who became the best player of the series, appeared in a brilliant form and put many great strokes including brilliant drive and bridge.
India’s captain Rohit Sharma, who returned to the form by playing a brilliant innings of 119 runs in the second ODI against England, also appeared in the rhythm. He practiced late cut and touch shot. Virat Kohli, the mainstay of Indian batting, also spent time in improving his skills. He looked full of confidence while trying to play the ball from between the bat and late.
The session started with the ‘Direct Hit’ competition between the three teams. The team led by Rohit included Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas. The team won after the decisive throw of the Indian captain. Team one included Gill, Mohammed Shami, Akshar Patel, Varun Chakraborty and Washington Sundar while the team included Kuldeep Yadav, Rahul, Harshit Rana and Kohli.
(With input from language)
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