Ahead of the Afghanistan T20Is, Abhishek Sharma beat Shivam Dube in a friendly kite-flying contest and teased him about Punjab’s superior skills. The series also sees India play as the designated visiting team despite matches being held in Delhi.
Indian teammates Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube engaged in a fun kite war ahead of the first T20I of the three-match series against Afghanistan, starting on Sunday, September 13. Afghanistan will be hosting the T20I series against India at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer, Abhishek Sharma, who was part of the inaugural season of the Sher-e-Punjab T20 Cup, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, Ravi Bishnoi, Prince Yadav, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and others had their first practice session under the watchful eyes of Gautam Gambhir-led coaching staff on Thursday, September 10.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma have arrived to join the India squad after the Duleep Trophy Final, which saw East Zone end a 13-year drought of lifting a trophy by defeating South Zone. Meanwhile, Yash Thakur has replaced injured Harshit Rana in India’s squad ahead of Afghanistan T20Is.
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Abhishek’s Brutal Tease at Dube Goes Viral
As Team India prepares for the upcoming Afghanistan T20Is in New Delhi, Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube decided to unwind from the intense practice grind with an impromptu kite-flying session.
Following the practice sessions in New Delhi, Abhishek and Shivam took some time off to engage in a spirited battle of wits and skill high above the training grounds. With strings in their hands, the two Punjabi and Mumbai stars put on a competitive display, with Abhishek Sharma eventually winning the kite war.
Then, Abhishek took a hilarious dig at Dube, firing off a cheeky comment that "Bombay is years behind" when it comes to kite flying, adding that the skill comes naturally to people from Punjab.
“Bombay is still years behind when it comes to kite flying. It's going to take them years to catch up; this is a skill honed since our childhood,” Abhishek said.
The kite-flying face-off has quickly become one of the most talked-about moments off the pitch, highlighting the relaxed and playful environment within the Indian squad as they fine-tune their preparations for the upcoming series opener.
India Will Play as Visiting Team at Home
The upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan will see Team India play host to travelling, but with a twist: due to bilateral scheduling and hosting rights, the Men in Blue will technically feature as the visiting team on home turf at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Afghanistan has officially been designated as the host nation for this three-match rubber, meaning official scoreboards and tournament protocols will list Afghanistan as the hosting board, even though the matches unfold in front of passionate Indian crowds in the capital.
The BCCI has played a pivotal role in facilitating arrangements for Afghanistan in India as part of its efforts to support the growth of Afghan cricket and strengthen the bilateral cricketing relationship between the two nations. Afghanistan is the first team to host a series on Indian soil.
Additionally, Team India will be allotted the visiting team dressing room rather than their usual home quarters, marking a rare operational quirk for a side playing on home soil while officially designated as the visiting team.
Also Read: Duleep Trophy Final: Ishan Kishan's Sensational Century Sparks Test Comeback Chatter (WATCH)
