Gautam Gambhir's Love for KKR on Full Display as Team India Begins Training for 1st T20I vs Sri Lanka: WATCH

Newly-appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir’s tenure gets begins with the tour of Sri Lanka, comprising 3 T20Is and as many ODIs. The team arrived in the island nation on Monday and had their first practice session under Gambhir’s watchful eyes on Tuesday in Pallekele.

The video of the team’s arrival at the training was shared on the social media handle of Sony Sports Network where Gambhir was seen leading the charge. What also caught the viewer’s attention was his love for Kolkata Knight Riders as the head coach was seen carrying a bag with the KKR logo and his name.

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Meanwhile, the likes of Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Khaleel Ahmed, vice-captain Shubman Gill and other coaching staff were also spotted while getting off the team bus.

The 15-member India team along with the support staff had left Mumbai on Monday after a pre-departure press conference addressed by Gambhir, who took over Rahul Dravid as the national coach, and BCCI’s chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar.

They arrived the same same day in Pallekele after a short layover in Colombo. India will play a three-match T20I series against the home side, who are yet to announce their squad. The Suryakumar-led side will play the first of the three T20Is on July 27, followed by matches on July 28 and 30.

The team will then travel to Colombo to play three One-day Internationals scheduled for August 2, 4 and 7.

The team, comprising several youngsters with Shubman Gill as the vice-captain, is without stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, who announced retirement from T20Is following India’s title triumph in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.

Suryakumar was last week appointed the new T20 captain ahead of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who previously led the side, because of his fitness and the feedback the team management got from the dressing room.

The team has a fair sprinkling of experience as apart from Suryakumar and Gill, it also has Sanju Samson, Pandya and pacers Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh among others.

(With Agency Inputs)