Gill Goes the Extra Mile in Auckland, Kohli Takes the Gym Route!
A small cluster of fans gathered near the boundary ropes, calling out for autographs and selfies from the Punjab-born skipper. While Rahul signed off with his trademark inside-out drives and headed to the tunnel, Gill pushed further. He moved straight into close-in, slip, and boundary catching drills before receiving a quick neck massage an area that has caused him discomfort whenever he spikes his training volume.
XtraTime Webdesk: Auckland’s Eden Park saw a quiet Monday morning turn into an intense workout session for captain Shubman Gill. Ahead of the five-match ODI series starting November 4, Gill ramped up his workload on the centre wicket, making up for skipping Sunday’s session.
With fast bowlers Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, and Auqib Nabi rested after heavy bowling spells the previous day, local net bowlers and spinners stepped in. Only two designated batters took the field: Gill and KL Rahul.
Rahul kicked off the morning with wicketkeeping drills, taking throwdowns from Dayanand Garani and Nuwan Seneviratne before padding up. The two faced alternating deliveries minute by minute under the watchful eye of spin coach Sairaj Bahutule.
A small cluster of fans gathered near the boundary ropes, calling out for autographs and selfies from the Punjab-born skipper. While Rahul signed off with his trademark inside-out drives and headed to the tunnel, Gill pushed further. He moved straight into close-in, slip, and boundary catching drills before receiving a quick neck massage in an area that has caused him discomfort whenever he spikes his training volume.
The rest of the senior team took a completely different route. Virat Kohli showed up solely for a gym workout. He was seen briefly in a luxury car, catching a glimpse of the nets before driving off. Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad stayed indoors. With the Hamilton T20I contingent arriving later in the day, the complete squad gets just one joint practice session on Tuesday before matchday.
