India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, along with four other team members, went on a jungle safari in the Pench Tiger Reserve on Monday before the opening match of the five-game series against New Zealand, starting in Nagpur on January 21.
In addition to Yadav, wicketkeepers Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, batter Rinku Singh, and spinner Ravi Bishnoi enjoyed the jungle safari during a private visit to the reserve, which spans across Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, according to an MP forest department official.
Watch:
Safari diaries ft. Sanju and the bois 🐅🐆📷🐘🥳#WhistlePodu
📹 : Sanju Samson pic.twitter.com/SCKcDsVdlI— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) January 19, 2026
Pench Tiger Reserve Field Director J Deva Prasad informed PTI that the players arrived
in Seoni on Saturday night and stayed at a resort. After their jungle safari on Monday morning, Team India’s T20 stars departed for Nagpur around noon.
No Tiger In Sight!
Another forest department official mentioned that during the safari, the players spotted leopards and other wildlife but did not see a tiger. The cricketers toured the reserve in an open jeep, posed for photographs with fans, and acknowledged their greetings.
Pench wildlife photographer Rituraj Rahi Jaiswal presented skipper Yadav with an annual calendar featuring photographs of tigers, leopards, and other wildlife when the players returned to Nagpur for the first T20 match.
The players who visited Pench also shared photos and videos of their jungle safari on various social media platforms.
Yadav had previously visited the Pench Tiger Reserve on February 15, 2025, according to an official.
After Sachin…
Batting legend and Bharat Ratna awardee Sachin Tendulkar visited the popular reserve, home to a wide range of wildlife such as tigers, chital, leopards, and sloth bears, with his family in 2023.
The three-match ODI series against New Zealand concluded in Indore on Sunday, with India losing the series 2-1. The focus now shifts to the five-match T20 series, with the first encounter between the two teams scheduled to take place in Nagpur on Wednesday.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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