• Source:JND
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Asia Cup 2025: Indian opener Abhishek Sharma was at his 'brutal' best during the optional net session on Tuesday ahead of India's opening game against the UAE. Indian bowlers, among the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Harshit Rana, chose to rest, but Arshdeep Singh completed fitness drills under the guidance of strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux as per a report.

Abhishek Sharma's 'Range-Hitting' Impresses All

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As per a report in PTI, The left-hander from Punjab exuberated confidence with his near-perfect hand-eye coordination to hit some massive sixes, some of them landing well outside the practice facility.

The report further stated that Abhishek smashed around 25 to 30 sixes, as he drew the attention of all present in the ICC Academy in Dubai.

Shubman Gill Looked Content Too

The report also stated that "Vice-captain Shubman Gill caressed quick bowlers inside-out over extra cover with his trademark grace. However, one thunderbolt from a local net bowler sneaked past his defences and uprooted the off-stump, a rare blemish in an otherwise polished session."

Sanju Samson Rests

Indian wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson, along with bowlers like Bumrah, Kuldeep and Rana, opted to rest. On the other hand, wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma continued his grind. Under fielding coach T. Dilip, he worked on reflex “no-look” catching drills — a routine where the keeper stands with hands parallel to the ground as the coach drops the ball from close range.

The challenge is to pluck the ball inches before it touches the ground without watching its trajectory, purely relying on instinct and reaction time.

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Squads:

India Squad: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Jitesh Sharma(w), Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh

United Arab Emirates Squad: Muhammad Waseem(c), Alishan Sharafu, Rahul Chopra(w), Asif Khan, Muhammad Zohaib, Harshit Kaushik, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Saghir Khan, Haider Ali, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Aryansh Sharma, Dhruv Parashar, Matiullah Khan, Ethan DSouza, Simranjeet Singh

Inputs from PTI