India have already qualified for the Super Fours of the ACC Asia Cup 2025.
The defending champions India have already qualified for the Super Fours of the ACC Asia Cup 2025 with back-to-back smashing victories against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Pakistan. The Men in Blue are set to play their final group stage fixture tonight against Oman, before taking on the arch-rivals Pakistan once again on Sunday.
However, ahead of tonight’s clash, an Indian-origin player named Vinayak Shukla, who now plays for Oman, has expressed his emotions about facing the side that he once dreamt of representing.
The wicketkeeper-batter of the Oman team opened up on how it feels to play against the country from which he belongs. Shukla went on to express his excitement about taking the field against some of the star Indian players, specifically the ace spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who his continuing a blazing form with successive player of the match awards in the T20 league so far.
“Playing against India is going to be very special. I was playing in India once, and now I’m playing for Oman. Facing players like Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep and Shubman Gill is huge for the Oman national cricket team as well as for me. I’m especially looking forward to meeting Kuldeep personally,” he said to Times of India.
The player, who also works as a data operator in Oman, revealed that he had played with Kuldeep in his childhood days in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Notably, since his international debut, the gloveman has scored a combined 356 runs in eight ODIs and 10 T20Is for Oman. After a stumbling start against Pakistan, he had also scored a 17-ball 20 in their latest Asia Cup match against the hosts UAE.
“I remember playing matches with Kuldeep bhai in Kanpur. He was with Rovers Club and I played for PSE. Once he bowled to me and I hit him for four, and he said, ‘Oh, pretty good shot!’ There are some fond memories and I’ll always cherish those,” added Shukla.
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The 31-year-old has also acknowledged the former Indian captain MS Dhoni as his mentor, while wishing to meet the legendary wicketkeeper-batter in the future. Shukla also spoke about how the match-finishing skills and the leadership qualities of Dhoni have inspired him to refine his gameplay.
“As a wicketkeeper-batsman, my inspiration has always been Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The way he finishes games and leads the team is unmatched. He is my guru. I never met him but want to meet him,” stressed the player.
However, Oman have already been eliminated from the T20 league after two consecutive defeats. Considering the practical chances, the team is set to leave the tournament without a win, following their final Group A clash against the title-favourites India.
On the other hand, India are set to lock horns with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the Super Fours on September 21, September 24 and September 26, respectively. Out of these four sides, the top two will advance to the Final, which will take place at the Dubai International Stadium on September 28.
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