Cricket | Asia Cup bound players arrive for camp in Bengaluru

The Asia Cup-bound Indian cricket team has started arriving here in batches for a week-long preparatory camp. With the Maharaja Cup KSCA T20 on at full swing at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the national team players will undergo their fitness drills and conditioning at the Alur Grounds, located on the city’s periphery.

On Thursday, star batter and former captain Virat Kohli shared an update on social media platform Instagram about having successfully completed his Yo-Yo test. In fact, fitness will be the main area of focus, for a number of Indian players have broken down in recent times. The camp is expected to drill the outfit into shape ahead of the Asia Cup, with the all important World Cup beginning at home on October 5.

Batters Shreyas Iyer and K.L. Rahul are returning from long injury lay-offs, while speedsters Prasidh Krishna and Jasprit Bumrah made encouraging comebacks in the T20I series against Ireland. Rahul, who has fully recovered from his thigh injury but is nursing a small niggle, will be keenly watched.

The Indian team is expected to leave Bengaluru on August 30 for Sri Lanka ahead of its Asia Cup opener against Pakistan in Pallekele (a Kandy suburb) on September 2.