Before the first game of the five-game series against New Zealand, which starts in Nagpur on January 21, India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav and four other squad players went on a forest safari in the Pench Tiger Reserve on Monday.
During a private visit to the reserve, which spans Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, Yadav was joined by wicketkeepers Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, batter Rinku Singh, and spinner Ravi Bishnoi.
The players landed in Seoni on Saturday night and lodged at a resort, according to Pench Tiger Reserve Field Director J Deva Prasad, who spoke with PTI. The T20 stars of Team India departed for Nagpur at about noon on Monday after going on the jungle tour.
The players saw leopards and other wildlife on the safari, but they did not see a tiger, according to another forest department officer. In an open vehicle, the cricket players drove around the area and posed for pictures with fans.
When the team came to Nagpur for the first Twenty20 match, Pench wildlife photographer Rituraj Rahi Jaiswal said he gave captain Yadav an annual calendar with pictures of tigers, leopards, and other animals.
On a number of social media sites, the cricketers who went to Pench also posted pictures and videos from their forest adventure. According to an official, Yadav had previously visited the Pench Tiger Reserve on February 15, 2025.
India lost the three-match ODI series against New Zealand on Sunday in Indore, 1-2. Now, all eyes are on the five-match Twenty20 series, with the opening match between the two teams scheduled for Wednesday in Nagpur.
