Team is mentally and physically fit for long season: Dhoni

"The team is all fit from the physical and mental aspects. The one and a half months break (after last IPL) was very good from the physical and mental aspect.

"Even on the tour of Sri Lanka (where the team played five ODIs and a lone T20 game against the hosts) we had breaks between each game. We are quite ready for the packed season ahead," said Dhoni at the launch of a new national T20 jersey by the Indian Cricket Board's apparel sponsors Nike.

"Slowly we will get into the Test format now and then the T20s. There is lot of cricket ahead ending with the IPL. We have to look ahead every 15 days," he said.

Dhoni was referring to the start of the first home series of the season - against New Zealand - beginning with the Test match at Hyderabad on August 23. The visitors will play one more Test at Bangalore before ending their tour with two T20 Internationals at Vizag and Chennai.

This will be followed by the ICC World T20 Championship in Sri Lanka from September 18 to October 7. The season will continue with the visit by England and Australia before the IPL.

Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Irfan Pathan, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma were the other Indian cricketers present at the launch of the new T20 jersey for Team India.

Dhoni also said that with the return of Yuvraj in the team, the dressing room atmosphere will become very lively once again.

"When Yuvraj was not there Virat had taken upon that job. We missed Yuvraj as a character in the dressing room apart from his batting skills. With him being back the atmosphere in the dressing room will become livelier again," he remarked. MORE