Rehman Zaid and his sister Fatima travelled from Oman to Dubai with one goal in mind—to catch a glimpse of their cricketing heroes of Team India. To them, the long hours of waiting in front of the ICC Cricket Academy were nothing when it came to the possibility of watching their idols up close. For cricket lovers from non-conventional cricket-playing countries, these chances are not very common.
But on this day, fans from all over the globe—India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Oman, the UK, and the USA—turned up in huge numbers, most of them of Indian origin, to see their idols play. Over 200 ardent fans were just a few meters away from the players, divided only by a barricade and a few security guards. They held smartphones and took every second with them, snapping images and filming videos of the Indian celebrities as they went through their drills.
The Indian squad was in the midst of a rigorous three-hour training session, preparing for their Champions Trophy 2025 match against Bangladesh on February 20. Even with the hectic schedule, the mood among the stands remained upbeat as spectators waited eagerly for an opportunity to engage with the cricketers once the practice session concluded.
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Zaid, who had come with his family of four, was overjoyed. “We have come all the way from Oman, and we are fortunate to see this. We will be watching a couple of India’s matches, but this moment is already so special,” he exclaimed, smiling widely.
Wave From ‘King’ Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer Signs on T-Shirt: Awed Fans Connect With Indian Cricketers in Dubai@imVkohli #ChampionsTrophy #ChampionsTrophy2025 #ViratKohli https://t.co/O0g4AzV8av
— LatestLY (@latestly) February 18, 2025
As practice came to a close, fans made one final desperate push to get closer to their idols. While most of the players were quick to board the team bus, others took a moment to show appreciation for their fans, signing autographs and waving before leaving.
For 17-year-old Fatima, the experience became even more surreal when she managed to get Shreyas Iyer’s signature on her T-shirt. “I can’t believe this! I’m so grateful to ICC for allowing us to see and interact with the Indian players from so close. This feels unreal,” she gushed.
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Her thrill doubled when she saw Virat Kohli walking towards the crowd. “I saw Virat! He even gave an autograph to me and a few others. He is so great. I just missed Shami’s, though,” she said, still in awe of the moment.
Not surprisingly, the loudest cheers of the night came when Kohli showed up, reaffirming why he is still one of the world’s most popular cricketers. Today, many of them are going to come back on February 20 and 23, looking to see their cricketing idols play as India faces Bangladesh and Pakistan.
