T20 World Cup 2022: [WATCH] Playing lawn ball to posing with quokkas, Team India’s day out at Rottnest Island

The Team India contingent, which is in Australia as part of their preparations for the T20 World Cup 2022, recently visited Rottnest Island, taking a day off from practice. The players and the support staff had plenty of fun playing games and dancing, apart from celebrating all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s birthday.

Rottnest Island lies just 19 kilometers offshore from Perth and is famous for its tranquil atmosphere and serene beaches. The island is renowned for activities like swimming, surfing, and snorkeling, among many other things.

On Wednesday, October 12, the official Twitter handle of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a clip from India’s visit to Rottnest Island. The video was shared with the caption:

“Fun, Adventure & Rejuvenation. #TeamIndia’s day out at the Rottnest Island had it all!”

In the full video posted on bcci.tv, Team India players are seen chilling out and making the most of their day off.

The Indian contingent poses for a group picture.

Apart from celebrating Pandya’s 29th birthday (October 11), the players tried their hand out at the lawn ball.

The India left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh.

Later, Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid and Rishabh Pant, among others, clicked pictures with quokkas - the local animal.

Virat Kohli poses with a quokka.

Speaking about the experience, Team India captain Rohit Sharma said:

“It was a great experience to be on this Rottnest Island. It’s always nice, when you're on a tour, to have the team together and get some activity done. It was a very productive day for us.”

Team India coach Dravid added:

“It was challenging getting here. Yacht ride here on choppy waters wasn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea. Mine neither, but once we got here… It is a beautiful island and beautiful place. Just a good opportunity for everyone in the group to just have a day off and unwind. We have had three pretty hectic days since we have been here in Perth.”

Indian players take a stroll.

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Team India won their practice match against Western Australia

The Men in Blue beat Western Australia by 13 runs in their first warm-up match in Perth on Monday, October 10. Batting first, India scored 158 for six as Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with 52 off 35, while Pandya scored 29 off 20.

In reply, Western Australia were held to 145. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler for India with 3/6, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed 2/26. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal also chipped in with a couple of wickets.