With a few thousand fans in attendance at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, the Indian team began preparations in earnest with an intense practice session on Monday ahead of the first T20I of the five-match series against South Africa, which begins on Tuesday. Having recovered from a neck spasm, Shubman Gill was the centre of attention as the entire squad, except Hardik Pandya, who had a solo practice session on Sunday, turned up for the nets. After a hectic travel schedule that took him from Kolkata to Guwahati, Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Bengaluru, Gill finally looked back to his best, having been cleared by the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. His long, confident nets session was marked by the return of his trademark timed shots, it was as if the T20I vice-captain had never been away.
Following extensive warm-up drills and a pep talk from head coach Gautam Gambhir, the Men in Blue split into groups across three nets. Gill and Sanju Samson faced a barrage of quick stuff from Jasprit Bumrah and local net bowlers, while captain Suryakumar Yadav alternated with Tilak Varma. At the centre net, Jitesh Sharma and Washington Sundar worked on power-hitting with assistance from throwdown specialists. The standout contest was between Bumrah and Gill, with the premier pacer going all out. Though Bumrah beat Gill’s bat a couple of times, the 26-year-old responded with some exquisite strokes, quickly finding his rhythm. Abhishek Sharma focused on his bowling, while Sanju, who was interchanging with Gill, worked primarily on range-hitting despite not being entirely fluent. Notably, both Abhishek and Tilak spent significant time bowling, underlining India’s intent to maximise bowling options.
Meanwhile, Surya dominated the spinners, Varun Chakaravarthy, Abhishek, Axar Patel, and a few net bowlers, looking in sublime touch. Tilak also impressed, with the pair set to occupy the crucial No. 3 and No. 4 positions. Jitesh unleashed several big hits and is expected to continue in his finisher’s role. However, with Sanju also practising wicketkeeping alongside Jitesh, the gloves remain up for grabs.
After the main nets, both Gill and Surya faced the throwdown specialists, entertaining the crowd with a flurry of lofted shots. Gambhir was seen in an animated discussion with Shivam Dube about his bowling, before holding lengthy conversations with captain Surya and vice-captain Gill. Despite only just joining the squad, Gill batted for nearly two hours, a testament to meticulous planning, given that no full team training sessions are scheduled for the rest of the series, with only optional practices planned in Lucknow and Dharamsala. He then spent another half an hour taking flat and high catches under the guidance of fielding coach T. Dilip.
As the players cooled down after an exhausting session, Sanju, Abhishek and Surya were seen sharing light-hearted moments with coach Gambhir. With just 10 T20Is remaining before the 2026 T20 World Cup, India will be keen to hit top gear ahead of the marquee event in February-March next year.
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