India opener Abhishek Sharma put in some extra effort at training with a one-on-one session alongside fielding coach T Dilip ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against Bangladesh. The youngster had a mixed outing in the field during the recent win over Pakistan, dropping a couple of straightforward chances but also pulling off a spectacular catch to dismiss Saim Ayub at the Dubai International Stadium.
His struggles began early in the innings when he misjudged a simple chance in the very first over off Hardik Pandya’s bowling, giving opener Sahibzada Farhan a lifeline. Later, fielding at long-on, Sharma again found himself under pressure when Farhan mistimed a slog against Varun Chakaravarthy. Despite a full-length effort running to his right, the fielder couldn’t complete the catch.
Determined to improve, Sharma worked closely with Dilip, focusing on his catching technique. The drills involved practicing catches on the move along the boundary ropes, where he looked comfortable, as well as high skiers, where he initially struggled. After dropping a couple in succession, Sharma adapted to the coach’s guidance and began holding onto the aerial chances more consistently.
Fielding under the lights at the Dubai International Stadium has always been challenging due to its notorious ‘Ring of Fire’ floodlight setup. Players often lose track of the ball for a split second before being forced to quickly readjust as it descends. Alongside Abhishek Sharma, Spinner Kuldeep Yadav and Vice-Captain Shubman Gill also made fielding errors in India’s Super 4 win over Pakistan.
“Coach Emailed Us About Dropped Catches” – Suryakumar Yadav
In recent times, Team India have maintained high standards in the field, making the lapses against Pakistan an unusual exception. Similar issues were seen at the start of their red-ball tour of England, but the side’s fielding showed marked improvement as that series went on.
After the win over Pakistan, skipper Suryakumar Yadav noted that the fielding coach would be addressing the players who dropped catches.
“The fielding coach has sent an email to the boys, who had buttered fingers, to appear before him at his office. But this happens, it is a part of the game. I am okay with it because it happened in the first game itself, and we have more crucial games to go,” Suryakumar said during the post-match press conference (via Times of India).
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