‘We’ve grown up seeing them play’- Mohammad Saifuddin on bowling to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during the 2019 World Cup warmups

Back during the warm-up matches in the 2019 World Cup, Bangladesh fast bowler Mohammad Saifuddin had a chance of bowling to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. In the match at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, the 23-year-old was overwhelmed on seeing his ‘dream cricketers’.

Rohit and Virat came together after Mustafizur Rahman trapped Shikhar Dhawan in front. Going down the memory lane, the Chittagong-born Saifuddin recalled his hilarious conversation with the now 33-year-old Rohit after which he tried hard to get rid of them.

In the end, Saifuddin castled Virat with a ball that shaped back in. Virat went for a flick, but the ball snuck through his bat and pad.

Luckily I was able to dismiss Kohli: Mohammad Saifuddin

“During our practice match at Cardiff, Rohit Sharma was at the striker’s end with Virat Kohli as the non-striker. I told Rohit, ‘It’s been 10 to 12 years since I’ve been watching you guys on TV, both of you are our dream cricketers. Now I’m bowling to you and I don’t know what to do’.

“Then Rohit laughed at me and said ‘Good luck’. Then I was trying to best to make sure that I get at least one of them out. Luckily I was able to dismiss Kohli,” Saifuddin was quoted as saying during a live chat with BDcrictime.

Kohli managed 47 off 46 and Rohit fell prey to Rubel Hossain. However, on the backs of KL Rahul’s 108 and MS Dhoni’s 113, India amassed 359 on the board, winning the match by 95 runs.

Saifuddin also lauded Rohit and Virat for inspiring him while growing up. Even as Bangladesh cricketers have been involved in some heated altercations with Indian players, Saifuddin reckons that he doesn’t want to sledge them, bearing in mind that cricket is a ‘gentleman’s game’.

‘We don’t want to sledge them. We have grown up, seeing them play and we can’t imagine sledging them. Cricket is a gentleman’s game and should remain that way. Also, because there’s demerit points, we have to be careful,” the speedster added.

In the World Cup. Saifuddin played seven matches and picked up 13 wickets at an economy rate of 7.18.