Ravi Bishnoi stunningly hits Rinku Singh on head multiple times as Suryakumar Yadav watches in silence

Indian players went on a jungle safari in Nagpur before the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which is set to begin in Nagpur on Wednesday, January 21. Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi was seen in a playful mood as he repeatedly tapped Rinku Singh on the head, jokingly telling him to look at the camera.

India will begin their T20I series against New Zealand with a focus on producing a commanding performance ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side will play the opening match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium. Notably, it will be India’s final series before the World Cup.

Ravi Bishnoi Hits Rinku Singh on the Head During Team India Outing

Indian players took a break with a jungle safari in Nagpur ahead of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The group included Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ravi Bishnoi, Ishan Kishan, and Rinku Singh.

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Samson shared a video from the outing on his Instagram account. The clip showed the players enjoying a jeep ride during the safari. During the ride, Ravi Bishnoi was in a playful mood. He repeatedly tapped Rinku on the head and jokingly asked him to look towards the camera.

Samson captioned the post: "🐯🦁🦓 🐘🦏🔥🌳🏡☕️ Superaaaaaa !!

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A post shared by Sanju V Samson (@imsanjusamson)

India will open their T20 World Cup title defence with a match against the United States of America on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Indian side will also face Pakistan, Namibia, and the Netherlands during the group stage.

Ravi Bishnoi Replaces Washington Sundar in India’s Squad for New Zealand T20Is

Ravi Bishnoi has returned to India’s T20I squad for the five-match series against New Zealand, replacing Washington Sundar. Bishnoi was not part of the original squad and makes his comeback after nearly a year.

Sundar was ruled out after suffering a side strain during India’s four-wicket win in the first ODI of the recently completed three-match series against New Zealand. That injury forced the team management to bring in Bishnoi as his replacement.

Bishnoi last played a T20I in February 2025 against England at the Wankhede Stadium, where he recorded figures of 1-0-9-1. The leg-spinner has taken 61 wickets from 42 T20Is, with an economy rate of 7.35.

Shreyas Iyer Added as Injury Replacement as Tilak Varma Ruled Out for First Three T20Is

India have made another injury-related change to their squad, with Shreyas Iyer added for the first three T20Is. He replaced Tilak Varma, who was ruled out after undergoing surgery for an abdominal issue.

Iyer returned to the T20I setup after a gap of two years. He last played for India in the format in 2023 against Australia. During the IPL 2025 season, he scored 604 runs in 17 matches at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 175.07, including six half-centuries.

Iyer made his T20I debut in 2017 against New Zealand. He has played 51 T20Is so far, scoring 1104 runs from 47 innings at an average of 30.66 and a strike rate of 136.12, with eight half-centuries to his name.

Also read: Ravichandran Ashwin drops Ravindra Jadeja BOMB, declares Axar Patel clearly better for ODIs