During a toss in Dubai, Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan opted to bat first, while India’s Rohit Sharma, who has faced a series of toss losses, humorously clarified the situation when former coach Ravi Shastri mistakenly asked him what India would do if they had won. Rohit noted, “It doesn’t matter what we wanted,” confirming India would bowl first. He mentioned fielding the same XI as before, emphasizing the need for an overall team performance on the slower pitch. Rizwan disclosed a change in the Pakistan lineup: Fakhar Zaman was replaced by Imam-ul-Haq due to injury, aiming for a strong target after their previous loss.
India’s captain Rohit Sharma engaged in a light-hearted conversation with former head coach Ravi Shastri after Pakistan’s skipper Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and opted to bat first. Given the conditions in Dubai, which tend to favor the team batting first, both captains were eager to set a solid score. Ultimately, it was Rizwan’s decision that prevailed. However, Shastri stumbled momentarily by asking Rohit, who has faced a string of unfavorable tosses recently, what India would do. Rohit skillfully deflected the situation, sparing Shastri from further embarrassment.
After conversing with Rizwan, who had won the toss, Shastri turned to Rohit and asked, “What have you decided?” before quickly realizing that it was actually the Pakistan captain who had made the toss call.
A smiling Rohit responded, “Doesn’t really matter, they won the toss so we’ll bowl first.” He also mentioned that India is maintaining the same XI for their match against Pakistan.
Ravi Shastri – “What would you have done if you won the toss”
Rohit Sharma – “It doesn’t matter what we wanted”
— ` (@FourOverthrows) February 23, 2025
“It looks similar to the last game; the surface appears to be on the slower side. Our batting unit has a lot of experience, so we are aware of our game plan if the pitches tend to slow down. We need a complete team performance with both bat and ball. The last game posed its challenges for us, which is beneficial as you want to test yourself under pressure. We are sticking with the same team,” he stated.
Pakistan, having suffered a loss to New Zealand in their prior match, was forced to make a change as Fakhar Zaman’s injury paved the way for Imam-ul-Haq’s inclusion in the lineup.
“We will bat first; it seems like a solid surface. Our goal is to set a good target. Every match holds significance in ICC events, and we plan to approach this normally. The players are accustomed to these conditions, we have performed well here previously, and we aim to give our best today. Our last game is behind us now. One change – Fakhar is out, Imam is in,” Rizwan shared during the toss.
Topics mentioned in this article