Familiar ground, lively crowd:’ Suryakumar Yadav after reaching Cuttack Barabati Stadium for India-SA T20I

Team India Captain Suryakumar Yadav said returning to the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack felt “like coming back to familiar ground with a lively crowd,” as the team India arrived here on Monday afternoon.

The Men In Blue reached Cuttack along with head coach Gautam Gambhir in the team bus that departed from the Mayfair Hotel in Bhubaneswar. Star players, including Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and the skipper himself, dived right into practice mode ahead of the India–South Africa T20I scheduled for Sunday, December 9.

The Indian skipper, during an interaction with media persons at the Barabati, recalled his earlier domestic cricket experience at the stadium and said it would be useful for the upcoming match.

“I have played both domestic cricket here, although that was a long time ago. I know the ground. It is quite good, and a lively crowd comes out to support us as well,” he said.

Yadav also stressed that preparation for local weather conditions was crucial. “No one has control over fog, so we need to be ready,” he said, adding that the squad was aware of evening visibility factors and would adjust training sessions accordingly.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya, who reached Odisha earlier than the main contingent, was seen practising separately at Barabati yesterday evening as part of an individual session.

SKY Addresses Team Shuffles

Responding to questions on selection and possible reshuffles, Suryakumar said the side had avoided frequent changes in recent months, and the approach would continue.

“We have not done that in the last five or six series, and there will not be many changes going forward,” he said. He confirmed that Shubman Gill, who has returned fully fit, would resume his regular role at the top of the order.

Suryakumar added that wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is “prepared to bat at any position” according to team needs. He also remarked that comparisons between all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube were not appropriate, noting that their contributions were separate and specific to team balance.

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Galleries Opened For Spectators

According to the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA), India is scheduled to practise from 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm at the nets, while South Africa will train from 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm. The OCA has opened Galleries 6 and 7 to allow spectators to watch both sessions from inside the stadium.

Officials said that lunch, dinner and snacks services, along with a fitness trainer, medical support and assistant staff, have been arranged by the OCA for both squads as part of the match logistics.