This Is How Rohit Sharma Is Preparing For Shaheen Afridi Challenge Ahead Of Pakistan Clash In Asia Cup

One of the two guaranteed high-profile India-Pakistan matches will take place in less than a week, with the first taking place at the Pallekele International Stadium in Sri Lanka during the 2023 Asia Cup. And the match’s main talking point will be the competition between Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi and India’s top order.

Left-arm seamers: a problem for Team India

There is no denying India’s susceptibility to left-arm seamers. Mohammad Amir won the 2017 Champions Trophy, Trent Boult advanced to the World Cup semifinals in 2019, and Shahid Afridi won the 2021 T20 World Cup. India has thus secured their sole like-for-like substitute at the training camp in Alur in an effort to counter the towering left-arm seamer.

In preparation for the continental competition, which will be followed by the ODI World Cup at home, India hitters were grouped into pairs to bat in match simulations in a centre-wicket practice at the KSCA facility on Days 2 and 3. On Saturday, Aniket Choudhary, a tall left-arm bowler, was ordered to bowl at Rohit Sharma, who was batting alongside KL Rahul.

The 33-year-old has never represented India before, and while he may lack Afridi’s talent for getting late movement, his appearance at the practice net will at least give India an idea of what the Pakistan pacer might be like.

Shaheen Afridi versus Rohit Sharma in the past

In international cricket, the two have only met three times. Rohit had managed 19 off 18 against the southpaw in their lone ODI meeting during the 2018 Asia Cup, en route to his match-winning century. However, Rohit was dismissed for a golden duck in Dubai during the 2021 T20 World Cup match when Shaheen made a comeback as a more experienced bowler. However, the India captain was able to neutralize the left-armer in their 2022 T20 World Cup match when he scored four out of five.

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Rohit has been removed from the game seven times in 18 innings since the last World Cup, with an average of 31. In the initial powerplay, five such dismissals have taken place. Shaheen, on the other hand, struck out 29 right-handers in 20 innings during the same time frame, striking out 22 on average, with 10 of those strikeouts occurring with fresh balls.