WATCH: Virat Kohli brings up traditional pull shot during practice session ahead of first Test vs Bangladesh

The Indian team is  set to return to action after a month-long break as they host Bangladesh in a two-match Test series followed by three-match T20I series, in September - October 2024. With this, India will also commence their home Test calendar as per the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2023-25. Moreover, the Men in Blue will see the return of their marquee players in Virat Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, among others in the upcoming series.

Just days ahead of the series, the Men in Blue kickstarted their net sessions at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai under Gautam Gambhir-led coaching staff. Star Indian batter, Virat Kohli, who landed in Chennai directly from London on Thursday night was also seen hitting the nets. In the video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Kohli was seen hitting his trademark pull shot, while other batters, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja also looked in good knicks. 

Watch Virat Kohli practice trademark pull-shot during net sessions:

Speaking of Virat Kohli, the 36-year-old will feature in Test cricket for the first time this year after last appearing in the Test series against South Africa in the rainbow nation. Kohli had missed the Test series, earlier this year due to the birth of his second child with wife Anushka Sharma. Kohli has so far featured in 113 Test matches, scoring 8848 runs at an average of 49.15 and strike rate of 55.56. He has scored 29 centuries and registered 30 fifty-plus scores.

Bangladesh’s Test tour of India 2024: Schedule, Date, Timings, Venue, and More

India’s squad for the 1st Test of the Bangladesh Test series: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.