Indian vice-captain Shubman Gill faced an unexpected challenge in the nets ahead of India’s Asia Cup 2025 opener against the United Arab Emirates. While practicing at the ICC Academy, Gill looked in excellent touch with his cover drives and classic stroke play, but a local bowler managed to clean bowl him, uprooting his off stump.
Gill is expected to feature in India’s playing XI against UAE, though his exact batting position remains under discussion, with options to open or bat at number three. Despite the rare dismissal in practice, his overall form appeared strong, giving fans confidence ahead of the tournament.
Abhishek Sharma and Jitesh Sharma Impress in Practice
The optional net session also highlighted the form of young left-hander Abhishek Sharma, who entertained spectators with exceptional hand-eye coordination and power-hitting. Over an hour, Sharma hit 25 to 30 sixes, turning the nets into a display of “range-hitting.”
Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma focused on reflex catching drills under fielding coach T. Dilip. The “no-look” catching exercise, designed to improve instinct and reaction time, had the young keeper practicing plucking balls inches from the ground without watching their trajectory.
Senior players like Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, and Harshit Rana chose to rest on the optional training day, but the focus remained on the emerging stars as India fine-tunes its preparation ahead of the Asia Cup opener.
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