Dubai: IPL 2020 runners-up Delhi Capitals began their first training session after completing the mandatory six-day quarantine in Dubai. The Indian players, support staff and management had reached Dubai from New Delhi on August 21.
The franchise took to social media to share pictures of the players training at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Saturday evening after the quarantine period was over. They also posted a video of Shreyas Iyer coming down the pitch and hitting a six. Other members like Amit Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Lukman Meriwala, Ripal Patel, Vishnu Vinod, Pravin Dubey and Siddharth Manimaran were seen practicing as well.
Iyer, who had missed the first leg of IPL 2021 due to a shoulder injury, was already in Dubai to prepare for the second leg of the tournament scheduled to begin from September 19 in UAE. Iyer had been practicing with assistant coach Pravin Amre for two weeks before the team arrived in Dubai.
During the first ODI against England in March, Iyer had sustained a shoulder injury which needed surgery and missed the remainder of the series and first half of IPL 2021 in India. In his absence, Rishabh Pant led the team till the second wave of COVID-19 halted the tournament.
Delhi are currently the table toppers with six wins and two losses from eight matches. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings were the first to reach UAE and began training sessions ahead of the tournament.
The second leg of the IPL 2021 will begin with Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 19. Delhi will resume their campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the same venue on September 22.
(IANS)