A 11-year-old cricket enthusiast, Drushil Chauhan, had a moment to remember when he got a chance to bowl at captain Rohit Sharma during one of India’s practice sessions at the WACA ground in Perth ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Drushil’s smooth run-up and bowling action impressed Rohit, who invited the kid to bowl at him at the nets after the Indian contingent had arrived for its afternoon practice session.
“We were at the WACA for an afternoon practice session and the kids were finishing their morning event. We could see 100-odd kids playing cricket from our dressing room. One of them caught everyone’s attention, especially that of Rohit,” Team India analyst Hari Prasad Mohan said in a video posted on bcci.tv.
“Everyone was amazed by his (Drushil’s) smooth runup. He was constantly beating the bat. Rohit then went out to ask him to bowl a few balls at the nets.”
Drushil was also invited to the Indian team’s dressing room where batting coach Vikram Rathour shaked hands and had a few words with him as well.
After the nets session, Rohit asked Drushil: “You stay in Perth, so how are you going to play for India?”
“I’m going to go to India when I’ll be good enough,” Drushil replied as the India captain signed some merchandise for him.
Warm-up checklist
The Indian team management may need to consider whether Virat Kohli should get some batting practice in Monday’s warm-up game against Australia followed by the one versus New Zealand on Wednesday, both to be held at the Gabba in Brisbane. Kohli didn’t bat in any of the two practice matches against Western Australia XI in Perth.
It would also be essential to make Mohammed Shami bowl a few overs in these two games.
Shahbaz superb
Calcutta: Shahbaz Ahmed’s all-round show helped Bengal eclipse Tamil Nadu by 43 runs in their Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy Group E game against Tamil Nadu at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday.
Shahbaz first hit an unbeaten 42 off 27 balls that lifted Bengal to 164 for 6 after a mini-collapse. Thereafter, he finished with three wickets for just 13 runs in his four overs, which played a crucial role in limiting the strong Tamil Nadu line-up to 121 for 9.
The Cricket Association of Bengal is set to felicitate Shahbaz, who made his India debut in the recent ODI series against South Africa and is also in line to be named Bengal’s best cricketer of last season, in its annual awards ceremony on October 29.
