Virat Kohli looked sharp and assertive, taking on throw-down experts Raghu (right-arm) and Nuwan Seneviratne (left-arm),
who pushed the pace throughout the session. The battle was compelling to watch — Kohli found the middle of the bat
repeatedly, though there were moments when Raghu’s extra pace beat him. Head coach Gautam Gambhir stood positioned
between the two nets, observing the session closely.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma (AFP Photo)
NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma appeared unfazed by the growing chatter around their futures, focusing instead
on a demanding net session under the floodlights ahead of India’s second ODI against South Africa on Wednesday.Go Beyond
The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Speculation has intensified over what lies ahead for the senior
duo, especially with the road to the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 now part of the discussion.
Still have doubts? Virat Kohli blows World Cup trumpet with another masterclass
But fresh off back-to-back match-winning performances against Australia and South Africa, neither Kohli nor Rohit showed
any signs of easing up during training on Tuesday. Kohli looked sharp and assertive, taking on throw-down experts Raghu
(right-arm) and Nuwan Seneviratne (left-arm), who pushed the pace throughout the session. The battle was compelling to
watch — Kohli found the middle of the bat repeatedly, though there were moments when Raghu’s extra pace beat him. Head
coach Gautam Gambhir stood positioned between the two nets, observing the session closely. When Kohli wrapped up his
batting, he rested both bats on his shoulders and walked past Gambhir without exchanging a word — a moment that would
not go unnoticed considering the recent narrative surrounding Indian cricket. Rohit, who followed Kohli into the nets
and then toward the dressing room shortly after, did pause briefly for a conversation with Gambhir before heading
inside. While all eyes naturally gravitated toward the two senior players, training intensity remained high across the
nets as India look to clinch the series after taking a 1-0 lead with Sunday's win in Ranchi. With the match to be played
on a black-soil surface at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, the batting group trained with intent, showcasing
aggression from the outset. Yashasvi Jaiswal sent multiple deliveries soaring over the leg side boundary, and even
rolled his arm over to bowl to Rishabh Pant — the last batter to take his turn in the nets.