India head coach Gautam Gambhir will rejoin the touring party on Tuesday after he returned to India due to 'personal reasons,' according to ESPNcricinfo.
Reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders will hope that their strife-ridden batting unit will tighten its act against in-form table-toppers Gujarat Titans in the IPL match in Kolkata on Monday.
Gambhir had taken charge of the team in July and the team will be playing its first Test in his tenure.
Bihar Cricket Association president Rakesh Tiwary, along with the Royals management, Dravid, and Vaibhav's father Sanjiv, are trying to create a safety net around the teenager, whose life has changed after becoming the youngest ever centurion in IPL's history.
K L Rahul has turned the wheels in a manner only a batter blessed with skill-set as his can.
Rinku Singh attempted the falling reverse lap scoop and reverse pull by using the pace off Ravi Bishnoi's googlies, similar to Rishabh Pant's audacious stroke-making.
With a power-packed batting line-up, match-winning spinners and a solid pace attack, champions KKR are once again the team to beat.
The likes of Yashaswi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna are on their maiden Test tour of Australia.
Mohammed Shami's much-awaited return to top-flight cricket did not receive too many supporting signals during the seasoned pacer's nearly hour-long stint of varying intensity at the India nets here on Friday. Despite working hard on finding his bowling rhythm, Shami never really hit his flowing peak. While he was expected to feature in the playing 11 during India's first T20I against England at Kolkata on Wednesday, the management decided to delay his comeback. Shami's rhythm and sharpness gradually hit a higher gear but the whole picture was one of rustiness, raising questions about his current form and the decision to select him for the series against England and the Champions Trophy.
Fresh from their morale-boosting win over LSG, and bolstered by the return of India wicketkeeper-batter K L Rahul, Delhi Capitals will look to build on the momentum when they take on formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL match in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
The Indian players got down to business on Friday with an intense session in the nets under the watchful eyes of head coach Gautam Gambhir.
"When a captain or a coach says something like this, obviously there is a bit of confidence and you've to back yourself up.'
From working in a garment factory, selling bread, and driving an autorickshaw, the 24-year-old fast bowler's path to representing domestic giants Mumbai was anything but easy.
How Kolkata Knight Riders Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar rested faith in Rinku's talent.
Ahead of the nets, they asked the staff to draw extended white lines along off and leg stumps at four practice nets, an exercise generally aimed at keeping batters aware of the line and lengths.
The ICC has rated Chennai's M A Chidambaram Stadium pitch, used for India's Test match against Bangladesh in September, as 'very good'
Virat Kohli spent about 45 minutes in the nets and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah bowled full tilt as the Indian cricket team on Friday began its preparations
Nayar comes with a high reputation as a sharp cricket mind and a lifestyle/motivational coach who have worked with the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Rinku Singh.
With Gautam Gambhir now part of the setup, there is renewed hope for a turnaround in Rahul's Test career. Gambhir's belief in Rahul's abilities, combined with his guidance, could help unlock his true potential and bring the expected consistency.
It could well be the last of his innumerable comebacks but Dinesh Karthik is not losing sleep over it as he intends to build on the recent gains in international cricket by following the timely advice of India coach Ravi Shastri.
Here's a glimpse of India's new faces and veterans sweating it out...
Nayar believes that the whole team has bought into Rohit and Gambhir's philosophy, including the two spin greats.
The likes of Andre Russell and Harshit Rana found it tough to describe the feeling of being IPL champions, even as they praised Nayar.
'#TeamIndia could benefit if they have the services of #Tendulkar as the batting consultant in their prep for the #BGT2025.'
IPL broadcaster Star Sports denied airing the audio of any personal conversation involving Rohit Sharma.
Raghavansi played down his effort and thanked his "guru", saying he has influenced him the most
Kolkata Knight Riders and Team India are going through a transition as Gautam Gambhir steps away from the franchise to pursue national objectives.
Virat Kohli's conduct came under the microscope in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne on Thursday after a clash of shoulders with teen debutant Sam Konstas, but the incident did little to knock the Australian wonder boy off his stride.
Rohit Sharma on Sunday lashed out at the IPL broadcasters for 'breaching' cricketers' privacy
Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar has spearheaded the establishment of a temporary training facility in bustling Mumbai.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli among India players to train ahead of ODIs against Sri Lanka
Gambhir led the team to the ground and oversaw the training session which included fielding drills and sessions with the players.
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel feels there is "no harm" in trying Yash Dayal in place of either Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammed Siraj for the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, beginning on Friday.
The Men in Blue, led by newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir, arrived in Sri Lanka for a six-match white-ball series on Monday.
India's cricket team boasts a wealth of talent, with numerous players capable of taking on leadership roles. The Indian team doesn't have a designated vice-captain and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said it does not need one.
Yashasvi Jaiswal's intense and innovative pre-tour training against short-pitched balls at the Thane Stadium contributed to his unbeaten 90 in Perth
Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma ignore each other on match eve
In case Rohit misses a Test match in Australia, the in-form Abhimanyu Easwaran is likely to be his cover although Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are also players with enough experience in the opening slot.
'Really happy with BCCI. They've agreed with most things I've asked for. The crux of the support staff will remain as they are.'
'I never expected a very easy run for me. I know that we lost in Sri Lanka and against NZ and it is not a good place to be. All we can do is keep working hard and we will try winning every game that we play to represent the country.'
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