First training session on sticky wicket was a great challenge: AB de Villiers

The 36-year-old, who turns out for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the T20 league, resumed training after a five-month long coronavirus-induced break for the sport and said the first sessions were pretty good as he stuck to the basics.

“It was very good, enjoyable to be out there, the wicket was a bit sticky so it was a great challenge, actually if I could have it my way, I would have wanted my first net session to go like this only after a long time,” De Villiers said in a video posted on RCB’s official Twitter handle.

“I kept my basics in place, watched the ball carefully, I played some nice shots in the end and it was enjoyable,” added de Villiers, who also donned the keeping gloves during the session. De Villiers was in quarantine for six days after arriving in the UAE and hit the nets after clearing three COVID-19 tests. The session was also attended by Umesh Yadav, Parthiv Patel and Gurkeerat Singh among others. The team had hit the nets for the first time on Saturday after successfully ending its quarantine period.

Strength and conditioning coach Shanker Basu said: “There are three things we have to be mindful of. One the players are coming after a long time and they will be ready to jump and go gung-ho and it is our job to pull them back a little.

“Number two, there is oppressive heat and that can be a telling thing, most importantly we need to find the right balance in gym. From now onwards, it should just aid the skill part.”

RCB captain Virat Kohli, South African pace legend Dale Steyn, the spin trio of Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar and Shahbaz Nadeem were among the players who had attended the first net session.