Bharath Ramaraj in Dubai
A few enthusiastic fans chanted “cheeku, cheeku, Kohli, Kohli” as the mainstay of the Indian line-up showcased his control over football in the net session, ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy game versus New Zealand. Kohli, who scored a hundred in India’s win over Pakistan, looked relaxed and chilled out. But as soon as he put on his cricket gear, he seemed to be wearing again his special suit – King Kohli – and he ramped up his intensity levels.
Initially, while facing Mohammed Shami, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, Kohli was intent on defending off the back foot. But he soon expanded his game by crunching a couple of crackerjack pulls. The way he picked the length in a jiffy to go back and across and essay the shot brought enough cheers from those few journalists watching the practice session. Probably, Kohli’s plan was to prepare for New Zealand’s seam attack, which consists of some tall pacers.
Meanwhile, those few journalists witnessing the action had something else to look out for – raining sixes. This wasn’t the place to scroll through the mobile as one of those leather balls might just end up smashing your head. So, the scribes had the task of watching the trajectory of the ball closely. Some of those bazooka hits from Shreyas Iyer even smashed into the ICC Academy building with a huge thud.
The training workshop also saw Rishabh Pant trying to find his groove. The southpaw-batter, who was ill, played for a while and essayed some well-timed shots through what would have been imaginary long-on and midwicket regions. The only time he seemed uncomfortable was while facing a lifter from Hardik Pandya. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were the two players who didn’t participate in the session. Rohit, the India skipper, had an issue with his hamstring in the game versus Pakistan. Although he later indicated that the hamstring was ‘okay’.
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The onus also was on a couple of Indian bowlers, especially Mohammed Shami. The veteran Indian pacer has been struggling with niggles ever since he returned to action from a serious ankle injury. During the India-Pakistan game, too, he was attended by the medical staff. So, how did he go about his business in the nets?
Initially, Shami didn’t take part in warm-up games, which included football and a helmet game. But he had a rather long net with the ball in hand. Shami began his bowling session on a cautious note, struggling a touch with his back foot landing. In simple words, Shami didn’t put much weight on his back foot when he ran through the crease. There wasn’t much of a jump either.
During the second half of the training workshop, Shami upped his pace. Whether he was still feeling some pain in his ankle is anyone’s guess. These days, Shami also charges to the crease with his legs strapped. Logic says it would be better to not risk Shami for the New Zealand game as they have already qualified for the semifinals.
Amid all of this, the main focus for the journalists was still about observing the path of the leather ball in what turned out to be a session full of light-hearted moments blended with zeal and vigour. Something that also indicated the players were in a good space after winning a couple of games.
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