Xtra Time Web Desk: Team India captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were among the five cricketers who turned out for the optional practice session at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Saturday ahead of their last league game against Netherlands. The two openers batted for almost half an hour. They mostly faced throwdowns and net bowlers. Shubman batted twice in the nets.
The Indian captain has emerged as a standout performer in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, taking on the opposition bowlers in the powerplay. With 442 runs to his name, the Indian captain is placed fifth in the highest run-scorers’ list. He scored those runs at a staggering strike rate of 123, and an average of 55.
Along with Rohit, Shubman too looked confident ever since he recovered from dengue. Shubman was more aggressive than the two in the optional practice session on Saturday. He hit some really big shots and looked in excellent form. Later after he finished batting in the nets, Shubman had a long chat with Head Coach Rahul Dravid.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Shardul Thakur too batted along with Ishan Kishan. But if Rahul Dravid’s press conference is an indication, then the Indian team management are unlikely to tinker with the winning combination.
The Men in Blue is on a role having won all their eight league matches leading up to the semi-final against New Zealand at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on November 15. For the local fans a perfect Diwali gift for them would be to see Virat Kohli scoring his 50 th ODI ton and India sailing into the semis undefeated as group toppers.