New Delhi, Feb 11 (NationPress) – The defending champions, India, faced a momentary injury scare on Wednesday as wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan was struck on his toe by a fast yorker from Jasprit Bumrah during an optional practice session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, just before their Group A clash against Namibia on Thursday.

Kishan, who has been in exceptional form, scoring 20 runs in India's opening victory against USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, was the first player to gear up for the nets. During the session, he faced deliveries from Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Washington Sundar. However, a strong yorker from Bumrah caught him off guard, hitting his left foot and causing him considerable pain.

He exited the nets, visibly distressed, and took a seat on the ground, which led to immediate assistance from the team's physiotherapists. The support staff promptly removed his left pad and shoe while Kishan continued to wince in pain. Bowling coach Morne Morkel also came over to check on him during the physios' assessment.

After a brief period, Kishan tried to walk without his shoes, limping slightly but displaying signs that the injury was not as serious as initially thought. Within minutes, he put his shoe back on, re-padded, and returned to face a few more deliveries. Although he looked a bit uncomfortable, he soon stepped away from the nets again, heading back to the dressing room with a staff member.

While Kishan appeared to be in good spirits, a noticeable limp remained. It was uncertain if he left the nets early out of caution or to allow teammate Sanju Samson to continue batting. Samson is poised to play in Thursday’s match if Abhishek Sharma, who was recently discharged from the hospital due to a stomach infection, is unfit for the game.

Meanwhile, the Indian batting lineup was concentrating heavily on their big-hitting techniques, with skipper Suryakumar Yadav even sending a ball soaring toward the imaginary third-tier fence. Notably, Abhishek, along with Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, and Mohammed Siraj, were absent from the practice session preceding the match.

New Delhi has enjoyed sunny afternoons, but temperatures drop after sunset, increasing the likelihood of dew. A member of the ground staff disclosed to IANS, under anonymity, that dew began to settle in around 7:45 pm during the Indian team's practice on Tuesday evening.

“Yes, the dew started to accumulate midway through India’s practice on Tuesday, but we have our measures in place to mitigate its impact and ensure it doesn’t significantly influence the match's outcome,” the ground staff member added.