India will open their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign against Ireland in New York on June 5.
The global showpiece tournament will get underway on June 1, while the Men in Blue will open their campaign against Ireland at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York on June 5.
After landing in USA, the Indian team wasted no time and had their first training session on Wednesday (May 29).
BCCI shared a video of the team’s training session, where strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai mentioned that the players are adjusting to the new time zone and easing into their routines.
"We came in the day before yesterday and we just eased into our routines here, the players are just getting used to the time zone. Today we are having our first ground session," Soham said.
In the video, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja expressed his excitement about playing cricket in New York for the first time.
"First time we gonna play cricket in New York, it's gonna be fun," Jadeja stated.
India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah spoke about the pleasant weather and expressed his anticipation for the ICC tournament.
"We have not yet played cricket, came here for a team activity today. Hopefully, it will be good. The weather is really good, so we are looking forward to it," Bumrah said.
Vice-captain Hardik Pandya highlighted the vibrant atmosphere in New York, while Suryakumar Yadav mentioned the growing popularity of cricket in the United States.
"Very exciting to be here in New York, has a good vibe, bright sun out," Pandya said.
"I heard the cricket is growing here in the US, so we are really excited and the first day here was amazing, so very excited for the few days coming up," Suryakumar remarked.
It's been more than a decade since Team India last won a global title. After the Champions Trophy triumph in 2013, the side has lost as many as five ICC event finals and bowed out in the semi-finals on numerous occasions.
Last year, the Men in Blue had a great chance to end the ICC trophy drought but they once again failed to cross the final hurdle. The Rohit Sharma-led side won all the league-stage matches and the semi-final before losing the title clash of the Cricket World Cup to Australia in Ahmedabad.
While the Indian team is considered one of the favourites for the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA next month, it remains to be seen whether Rohit and his men manage to end the ICC trophy drought or not.