Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Aug 20 (ANI): Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals' Indian players on Thursday gathered in Mumbai ahead of their departure for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the IPL 2020.

Initially scheduled to start in March, the 2020 edition of the IPL was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the 13th edition of the IPL will be played from September 19 to November 10, across three venues in the UAE -- Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai.

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Ajinkya Rahane, who is a part of the Delhi Capitals for the first time, was among the players who reached the team hotel in Mumbai and expressed his thoughts on the challenges that all the players and franchises will face this season due to the ongoing pandemic.

The 32-year-old, in a statement, said, "There is no doubt that it will be a challenging trip for everyone involved. But like everyone else, I've spent these last few months focusing on my physical and mental health, and taking care of my family. So the time I've managed to spend with them has put me in a positive frame of mind. However, this IPL will be a very different experience for all of us, and we need to make sure that we are all very positive when we hit the ground running. The key is to take one step at a time."

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Prithvi Shaw echoed his teammate's opinion and said, "We have spent the past 4-5 months dealing with this pandemic, so everyone is aware of all the do's and don'ts. We all have been preparing mentally to live and play under such circumstances, and taking all necessary precautions for our safety and well-being."

Speaking on how his team will be approaching the upcoming season, Shaw said, "All of us at Delhi Capitals play together as a team, and approach everything as one unit. We know people have a lot of expectations from us, but our focus will be on making the most of the training sessions we get in the UAE, and re-creating that fantastic team environment which made us so successful last year. We also have the chance to gel with the new players and then set our sights on the IPL season." (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)