New Delhi: Not every day, fans get a chance to get up close with their favourite Indian cricketers. For many, catching a glimpse of their favourite stars is a cherished dream. But a host of fans got a chance to interact and get autographs from some of the Indian cricketers in Dubai after the Indian team’s practice session at the ICC Cricket Academy.
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team is currently in Dubai for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 which is set to get underway on Wednesday, February 19. India will play all their matches at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai after the BCCI’s decision to not send the Indian team to Pakistan for the tournament.
The Indian team held a three-hour long training session at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai on Monday ahead of their opener against Bangladesh on Thursday, February 20. Around 200 fans from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Oman, Nepal and India along with some of UK and US citizens of Indian origin gathered outside the academy to get a chance to connect with the Indian cricketers.
The fans got a chance to interact with the Team India stars as they stood only 5 metres away from the cricketers and were separated by only a barricade and a few security personnel, as per news agency PTI. While some managed to get the autographs and pictures with their favourite stars, others were just happy to catch a glimpse.
Shreyas Iyer gives autographs on t-shirts, Virat Kohli gets loudest cheer
In a video that has surfaced on social media, Iyer can be seen signing autographs on t-shirts for multiple fans who were present at the venue. Rehman Zaid and Fatima cricket fans from Oman, who are in Dubai to watch India’s matches in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, were delighted to see the Indian stars in training and were happy to get Iyer’s autograph on a t-shirt.
The duo also managed to catch a glimpse of Virat Kohli, who received the loudest cheer from the group of fans present at the ICC Cricket Academy. However, Zaid and Fatima, who are in Dubai with their family, were a bit disappointed to not manage to get the autograph of Team India pacer Mohammed Shami.
“We have come from Oman. We will be watching a few matches of India. We are quite happy that we got such an opportunity to see the cricketers from so close,” Zaid told PTI.
“I am so happy. I am so grateful to ICC for allowing us to see and interact with the Indian cricketers from so close. I managed to get the autograph on the T-shirt,” said Fatima, who got a t-shirt signed by Iyer.
“This is so unreal. I saw Virat. He came and signed this one for me and for others. He is so nice and wonderful. I just missed Shami’s autograph,” she added.
India will open their campaign against Bangladesh on Thursday, February 20 before taking on arch-rivals Pakistan in a blockbuster clash on Sunday, February 23. India will play their final group-stage clash against New Zealand on March 02.
Fans got a chance to get up close with the Indian cricket team stars in Dubai ahead of the start of the Champions Trophy 2025. While some managed to get autographs, others were happy to get a glimpse of their favourite players. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
