India's Asia Cup-bound players arrive in Bengaluru for conditioning camp
The camp, which begins on Thursday at the Karnataka State Cricket Associations (KSCA) Three Ovals campus in Alur, will primarily focus on the fitness of the players, especially those who recently returned from the Caribbean. Additionally, the camp aims to foster team bonding before shifting the focus to the final stages of World Cup preparation.
Fifteen out of the 18 players will undergo fitness assessments and participate in indoor sessions on the first day. From the following day, players will be divided into batches for outdoor conditioning and skill-based programs.
According to ESPNcricinfo, senior players who didn't participate in the T20Is in the Caribbean were given personalized fitness and diet plans over the past two weeks. India has been cautious about managing workloads after several key players suffered injuries in recent years.
One player of particular interest is KL Rahul, who has been conditionally cleared to play in the Asia Cup. Although he has fully recovered from a thigh injury and completed rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Rahul reportedly picked up a minor niggle that makes his availability uncertain for the first two Asia Cup games.
Shreyas Iyer, on the other hand, is fully fit and ready to go. This camp marks his return to the senior set-up since the home Test series against Australia in March. Iyer has performed well in practice games and has been facing net bowlers from the India A squad during a skill-based camp for emerging players at the NCA.
The team is expected to depart for Colombo on August 30. India's first match in the Asia Cup is against Pakistan in Pallekele on September 2. If they reach the final, India can play a maximum of six matches in the tournament. After the Asia Cup, India will play three ODIs against Australia at home before commencing their World Cup campaign.
The ICC recently announced the warm-up fixtures for the tournament. India is scheduled to play against England and Netherlands on September 30 and October 3, respectively. They will then travel to Chennai for their tournament opener against Australia on October 8.
