Cricket fans and experts focused on Champions Trophy final

All eyes are on the highly anticipated Champions Trophy final, as cricket fans and experts eagerly await the showdown. Ahead of the crucial match, the Indian team resumed training at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Friday evening after a three-day rest.  

India’s key batters, including Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli, engaged in extensive batting sessions, facing both spinners and pacers under windy conditions. Meanwhile, power-hitters like Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, and Ravindra Jadeja focused on playing big shots, practicing powerful hits beyond the boundary.  

On the bowling front, Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy dedicated most of his time to fielding drills, working on his positioning and agility across different areas of the field.  

Before the training session, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak dismissed claims that his team held a ‘home advantage’ in Dubai, stating, “There is no such thing as an advantage here. Winning depends on performance—if we play well, we win; if we don’t, we lose. Saying that we have an advantage is baseless.” 

India will hold its final training session on Saturday afternoon from 3 PM to 5 PM in Dubai. Meanwhile, the New Zealand squad is scheduled to practice at the ICC Academy in the evening as they finalize their preparations for the grand finale.