As of now, the IPL is scheduled to be played between April 10 and May 24, and the Mumbai Indians have decided to send batches of cricketers to South Africa to train under newly appointed fielding coach Jonty Rhodes and fast bowler Shaun Pollock, who played for them last year and will now help out as part of the support staff.

The franchise has already sent six players to Durban, where they will train under the South African duo. “It will be good for players, especially for bowlers. Training with two specialists will definitely help these cricketers,” one of the officials said.

Both wicket-keepers, Pinal Shah and Yogesh Takawale, as well as pacers Rahil Shaikh and Rohan Raje are part of the first bunch of players who left on Sunday night, apart from batsman Jaydev Shah. They will train in Durban for a week before returning.

Players such as Abhishek Nayar, Ajinkya Rahane and Saurabh Tiwary, who are currently playing for West Zone in the ongoing Deodhar Trophy, will be part of the second batch that will fly to South Africa on March 19.

The Mumbai Indians, incidentally, are yet to lock down on a ground to host their home matches.