Indian team checked in Mohali ahead of the start of 1st T20I against Australia, will begin practice today

In order to step up their preparations for the 2022 edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Indian men’s cricket team will take on Australia in the three-match T20I series. The series against the defending world champions will start on Tuesday (September 20) in Mohali, and the next two matches will then take place in Nagpur (September 23) and Hyderabad (September 25).

Ahead of the start of the first T20I in Mohali, the members of the Indian cricket team checked in to Mohali on Saturday (September 17). Team captain Rohit Sharma and premier batsman Virat Kohli were spotted in Mohali along with veteran wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, and fit-again fast bowler Harshal Patel.

The Indian team is scheduled to take part in its first training session on Sunday (September 18) at the PCA Stadium under the mentorship of head coach Rahul Dravid, who has also reached Mohali along with his players.

The upcoming matches against Australia will be India’s first assignment after the conclusion of the Asia Cup T20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates, where India failed to reach the finals of the continental event for the first time since its 2014 edition.

The Men in Blue will look to bounce back from the forgetful results in the UAE and come up with a strong show against the Aaron Finch-led side which has already landed in India on September 15.

In the Australian series, all eyes will be on the fast-bowling duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, as they will make their comeback after missing a substantial amount of action on the field. The duo last played a competitive match for India against England in July. They missed the Asia Cup, where Team India missed their presence. But after attaining full fitness, they are now selected for the Australia series and will also travel with the team for the T20 World Cup.