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As India stepped up their preparations for the Champions Trophy clash against Bangladesh, they arrived in Dubai on Saturday, determined to fine-tune their skills before the high-stakes encounter. The Indian squad has been diligently working in the nets, focusing on every facet of their game to ensure they are fully prepared for the tournament`s opening match.
In the nets, Pakistani-origin bowler Shahid Shabbir and Afghanistan-based spinner Zainullah were enlisted as net bowlers, tasked with helping the Indian batters perfect their technique. Both Shabbir and Zainullah shared their experiences of bowling to Indian batting giants such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and others during the training sessions.
Shabbir reflected on his interactions with Kohli and Rohit, revealing that the former faced early challenges against the away swing but came back strong on the second day. He also humorously recalled sending Rishabh Pant’s bail flying during the second day of the session.
“Kohli had some difficulty on the first day, especially with the away swing, but he played exceptionally well on the second day. He appreciated my bowling,” Shabbir shared with ANI. “Rohit was, as always, batting confidently, just like he does in match situations.”
On the second day, Shabbir had the satisfaction of dismissing Pant, which left him pleased. “I managed to bowl Pant out. He was gracious in acknowledging my good bowling,” Shabbir added.
For Zainullah, the opportunity to bowl to the Indian superstars, particularly Kohli, was a dream come true. The Afghanistan spinner also mentioned receiving praise from India’s renowned spin duo, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, following the training session.
“The pitch was quite straightforward, and I focused on helping the batsmen practice effectively for an extended period. It was truly a dream to bowl to Kohli and Rohit. Getting the chance to bowl to these legends was a moment I will cherish. After the session, Kuldeep and Varun both praised my bowling,” Zainullah said.
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy.
Bangladesh’s Squad: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Tawhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmud Ullah, Jaker Ali Anik, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.
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