Team India trained under chilly conditions during their training session in Mohali on Wednesday, January 10, ahead of the first T20I against Afghanistan. India's head coach Rahul Dravid was seen layered up in multiple clothes, while the batters donned batting gloves to deal with the cold.
Amidst the foggy training environment Ravi Bishnoi's joke had former Indian cricketer Pragyan Ojha in stitches during his interaction with the official broadcasters ahead of the series opener.
India's star spinner Bishnoi, who was included in India's 16-member squad for the series against Afghanistan, expressed more concern about fielding than bowling under such conditions. He also highlighted the challenge of spotting the ball in the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium due to the tall floodlights, drawing from his experience with the former Punjab Kings. Notably, the first T20I of the three-match series between India and Afghanistan is scheduled to kick off at 7 pm IST.
“In the cold, I am scared of fielding than bowling to the batters” Ravi Bishnoi said on Sports18.
“It’s tough to field in Mohali because of the low level of the floodlights. You have to prepare for the situation before the game,” he added.
Since his debut in February 2022, Bishnoi has become a prominent spinner for India in T20Is. Accumulating 34 wickets in 21 matches, the leg-spinner, known for his effective googlies, is a top contender for selection in the World Cup squad.
Bishnoi's adaptability to bowl in different stages of a T20I innings, including the powerplay, has provided the team management with more strategic options. He particularly excelled in a T20I series at home against Australia last year, where he claimed 9 wickets in 5 matches.
"100 percent. I remember having a word with you (Pragyan Ojha) about pace. Even in Ranji Trophy, I was trying to give the ball a bit of air. I tried it will the red ball. But T20 game is fast-paced, you get very time to change in T20Is. But, I have practised with the red ball. Hopefully, it will come to my help in T20I cricket," Bishnoi said.
Heading into the T20I series against Afghanistan, Bishnoi comes off a strong performance in a Ranji Trophy match for Gujarat against Tamil Nadu earlier this month. He took 5 wickets in total, including a notable 4-wicket haul in the first innings.
India’s T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
Afghanistan’s T20I squad: Ibrahim Zadran (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmaullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib.
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