Champions Trophy: India ready to hit ground running

Left: Rohit Sharma stepping off the bus in Dubai.
Right: Highlights from Team India’s journey from Mumbai to Dubai.

–Shamik Chakrabarty in Dubai

They came together, not in batches. Gautam Gambhir was the first to come out followed by Hardik Pandya and then Virat Kohli. Fans had assembled at the Dubai airport and there was a murmur about not seeing Rohit Sharma. The skipper stepped out of the arrival gate after a while.

Rohit boarded the team bus and stepped off it. He chatted with the support staff, seemingly indicating that he had forgotten something. The India captain could have been a good case study for Robert Lynd if the famous Irish writer of the Forgetting fame were alive.

Rohit’s forgetfulness is well-known. He once even forgot the team’s decision at the toss. Star Pakistan batsman Babar Azam would attest how Rohit forgot his iPhone and airpods in the plane during the 2023 World Cup. Another Pakistan batsman, Imam-ul-Haq, shared this hilarious anecdote on a podcast.

“Babar once told me of an incident, when there was a captains’ meeting during the 2023 World Cup and they all went on an aeroplane,” Imam had said on the Ultra Edge podcast. “Babar said that Rohit forgot his iPhone in the plane, then his airpods as well, and kept cursing himself every two minutes about how forgetful he is.”

Joking aside, Rohit’s batting and captaincy must go like clockwork in the Champions Trophy, where India will play their first game against Bangladesh on February 20. The tournament starts in Karachi a day before, with Pakistan and New Zealand playing in the opener. Dubai is hosting India’s matches and will be at the centre of attraction, for they are the game’s royalty.

The big game is on February 23 – India versus Pakistan – and Dubai will live up to the expectations. The excitement is steadily building. As per a report on Khaleej Times, tickets for that match are being resold nearly seven times their original price – Dh500 tickets reportedly going at Dh3,500. Those who couldn’t buy their tickets through the official website – they were exhausted in a jiffy – have been venting their frustrations that resellers are asking for “600 per cent higher”.

Indian and Pakistani expats live cheek by jowl in this part of the world and through friendly banters they support their respective sides. An India-Pakistan game is never an occasion for animosity in Dubai, it’s an event for celebration.

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From: Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Shreyas Iyer. Source: Kuldeep Yadav Instagram

Make no mistake, this is a tournament where India can’t afford a slip-up, on the heels of the disaster Down Under. It’s a different format all right, but the margin for error remains negligible. At the same time, this is the format where Rohit & Co. are most comfortable.

Rolling over England at home served as a good build-up. The skipper got back among runs, Kohli scored a half-century, both Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer looked to be in excellent touch… But can India replace the irreplaceable – Jasprit Bumrah? A pace attack comprising Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana has to be greater than the sum of its parts.

Before coming to Dubai, the players assembled at a hotel in Mumbai, where according to sources, Gambhir’s team-talk centred around how even a whisper shouldn’t go out of the dressing room. After the leaks controversy in Australia, a foolproof measure has become the need of the hour.

After landing in Dubai, India straightway decided to train from 1 pm local time on Sunday. There’s no time to waste.

Also Read: Champions Trophy, 2025: A lowdown on Pakistan’s chances

The post Champions Trophy: India ready to hit ground running appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports.



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