Training was in full-flow on the third day of the Mumbai Indians camp as the boys returned to their Day 1 base at Reliance Corporate Park, Navi Mumbai. Director of cricket operations, Zaheer Khan, was present to give his valuable insights along with Anmolpreet Singh, who arrived for his first session. For those constantly enquiring us on social media asking about Yuvraj Singh, the southpaw joined the side and added to an already formidable unit.

Fan favourite and Mumbai Indians’ new recruit is in:

The King from the north, Yuvraj, was in early and wasted no time in taking the field. The southpaw did his mandatory stretches, wearing a knee guard on his left knee and warmed up before doing a few sprints. Yuvi then joined the rest of the squad for an intense catching drill lead by James Pamment. The flamboyant all-rounder then stretched his arms with the willow in hand and you won’t believe what happened next. First ball in the nets, Yuvraj rocks back and pulls one over mid-wicket off the meat of the bat. Once he got enough batting practice, Yuvraj began to roll his arm over. The experienced star was also giving some piece of advice to youngsters, Rasikh Dar, Rahul Chahar and Anmolpreet Singh.

Nothing like having Zak back:

The Director of Cricket Operations, Zaheer Khan, made his presence felt. Zak, along with Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene, took charge of the proceedings at the camp. The former Indian pacer was his calm and composed self as he took time to interact with all the players, old and new. The veteran was certainly excited to be back with MI as made evident in a candid interaction he had with us. He said,”It is great to be back in the dressing room. It is great fun to be around the boys.” The experience and knowledge of the game that Zak brings with him will be vital for the season.

Kishan giving it his all:

The Jharkhand boy is giving it his all to make an impact this season. The 20-year old, who arrived earlier this week, is making the most of his training opportunity with the support staff. He has been getting personal attention in each aspect and is sweating it out in the middle. Besides his glovework, the wicketkeeper-batsman has also been spotted taking part in fielding drills on the outfield. Kishan and new-comer, Anmolpreet were looking good in the nets. They were timing the ball well and seem to be full of confidence.

Mitch and Rashik bent their backs:

One has plenty of experience and the other – who has just entered the big stage – were bowling in tandem. The Kiwi and the boy from Jammu and Kashmir ran in hard and banged the ball in short. The duo kept bowling for long spells under Bond’s close supervision. What a moment for the youngster though, soaking in all the wealth of experience from some greats. Barinder Sran was also present and showcased his left-arm pace.

Catches win you matches:

The most intense training drills of the day, however, came in the field. Pamment had his goal in mind and made the team go through his routine. They were given flat catches, over the head catches and boundary catches as well. One highlight from the session that stood-out was Yuvraj tipping the ball to Kishan as he was crossing the boundary rope. Pamment also ensured that target practice wasn’t neglected as the boys all took turns at rattling the stumps.

Stick with us for more updates from the MI pre-season camp.