Upon arrival in Thiruvananthapuram to play the first T20I against South Africa, Team India was bestowed with a grandstand welcome as rose petals were showered on the players. The excitement among fans has reached unprecedented levels in Thiruvananthapuram as they get ready to watch their stars perform in their city. Several videos and pictures have gone viral where enthusiastic fans can be seen creating a festival-like occasion in the city.
Â
Watch the video here:
The first T20I match between India and South Africa is scheduled to be played on September 28 (Wednesday). The Protea players are in the country to participate in a three-match T20I series.
Â
The upcoming series will offer an excellent opportunity for both sides to consolidate their strengths and iron out flaws before the T20 World Cup, which gets underway on October 16 in Australia.
Â
Speaking on India's recent problem of defending a total, Team India batting coach Vikram Rathour surprisingly cited 'dew' being the primary factor behind the struggles.
Â
"We are working on that area of getting better at defending targets. But to be fair to our bowlers, toss plays a vital role and every time we have not been able to defend are the places where there has been dew, so it gets easier to chase," Rathour said on the eve of the first T20I against South Africa.
Â
The Men in Blue recently defeated reigning T20 World Cup champions Australia in a three-match T20I series by a margin of 2-1. India lost the opening match of the series but clawed their way back and schooled the Baggy Greens.Â
