All posts tagged: Indian Cricket news

How Shubman Gill’s side thrives with all-rounders, squad flexibility

How Shubman Gill’s side thrives with all-rounders, squad flexibility

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How many players does a team constitute? The simple answer is 11. But it could vary from 11 to 22. The all-rounders-packed India side that strode out against South Africa could boast of 16 players. Eight batters, six bowlers and two wicket-keepers. They are not a disjointed bunch of bits and pieces cameo-acts, but genuine specialists, who could barge into the team based on any singular dimension of theirs. The soul of their total cricket ethos is the three all-rounders, three skilled to bat anywhere in the order, walk out in any situation, on any surface, and expect to score runs. They could bowl at any time: take the new ball, operate in the middle overs and plough with the soft and ragged ball, straddle the different worlds of attacker, enforcer or a hold-an-end-up thrift merchant. On Friday, Shubman Gill threw the ball to Axar Patel in the eighth over. Then he could have summoned either Ravindra Jadeja or Washington Sundar. All three could handle the new ball. Gill entrusted the duties to Axar because …

As India win Women’s World Cup, Amol Muzumdar gets love back from the sport he loved for all those years as nearest among nearly men

As India win Women’s World Cup, Amol Muzumdar gets love back from the sport he loved for all those years as nearest among nearly men

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On the most rewarding night of his cricketing life, Amol Muzumdar did not want to dwell on the least rewarding days of his cricketing journey. “My playing days are gone,” he stone-walled a question on his unfulfilled career. Another allusion was firmly pushed through covers, as he would repeatedly essay in his pomp. “Don’t make it sound too dramatic!” The narrative thread is irresistibly filmy: Muzumdar, the nearest among the nearly men of Indian cricket, arguably the greatest Indian cricketer to have never worn the crisp white robes for his country, stirring the women’s team to their first World Cup triumph. From nearly man to man of the hour. It was a stage where he could have embellished the script with an emotional flourish, he could have wept and kneeled to kiss the turf, he could have run down the touchline and swiped his fists. He could have drawn the world’s gaze to him. But he stood beatifically, content and containing his emotions, withdrawn from the festivities and rebounding the attention to his wards. The …

Sanju Samson has no option but to be tight-lipped and bat wherever the team asks him to, says Kris Srikkanth

Sanju Samson has no option but to be tight-lipped and bat wherever the team asks him to, says Kris Srikkanth

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Former India captain and chairman of selectors has once again come down with a sharp criticism with how the Indian team has handed Sanju Samson a demotion in the batting order. Following Srikkanth’s comments on pacer Harshit Rana earlier this month on his YouTube channel, India head coach Gautam Gambhir had responded strongly asking to avoid any personal comments. This time, Srikkanth expressed his frustration over Gambhir’s decision to slot Samson in the middle-order. Samson, who had forged an attacking partnership at the top with Abhishek Sharma, was forced to move to the middle-order after India handed a recall to Shubman Gill to the T20 side in the Asia Cup. Despite scoring three centuries at the top in the past one year, the 30-year-old is still adjusting to his new role in the middle-order as he was clearly seen short on rhythm at the Asia Cup in the UAE. And Srikkanth has said Samson is the ‘most unlucky’ player as he has been made to bat at different positions. “The guy who’s most unlucky is …

how her brother shaped India’s all-weather all-rounder from the land of the Taj Mahal

how her brother shaped India’s all-weather all-rounder from the land of the Taj Mahal

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Avadhpuri Colony in Shahganj is about nine kilometers from Agra’s most recognisable landmark, the Taj Mahal. As the navigator takes you close to Deepti Sharma’s location, another landmark is unmissable. The entrance to the group of houses is grand: “Arjuna Awardee Cricketer Deepti Sharma Marg: Sarvajan Vikas Samiti Avadhpuri aapka hardik swagat karti hai.” It is where India’s all-weather all-rounder grew up, running after her brother Sumit Sharma to watch him practise cricket, often sneaking out of the house without her mother’s knowledge. “This is where we all grew up. But after Deepti won the Arjuna Award, CM Yogi Adityanath had said we need to improve the roads around the house, it wasn’t that great before,” Sumit tells The Indian Express. “It became Deepti Sharma Marg. Then the colony decided that it is a matter of great respect for us, so we will keep the name of this colony in Deepti’s name. This is a matter of pride for us now. People around here now use it as a landmark. ‘Where do you live? We …

Competitive, calm but still a work-in-progress

Competitive, calm but still a work-in-progress

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It’s not often that a player who was nearly dropped just a year back becomes the Test captain. It’s definitely not often that a player who was dropped from the playing XI midway during the last Test series that India played, just months back, becomes the captain. But here we are, due to the big-ticket retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli along with the selectors’ lack of confidence in the other captaincy candidates – Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant – that Shubman Gill, 24, has been anointed as India’s Test captain. In 2024 during the England home series, Gill, struggling with his form, almost lost his place in the Test side. But he bounced back strongly. Later he was on drinks duty for the Melbourne Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy this year in Australia. He got his place back only after captain Rohit decided to drop himself on a grassy-green Sydney track for the final Test of the series. It’s what he did in that Test that needs a rewind, but first …

Shubman Gill named new Test captain of India; Rishabh Pant vice-captain starting from England tour

Shubman Gill named new Test captain of India; Rishabh Pant vice-captain starting from England tour

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Shubman Gill has been named the new Test captain for the Indian cricket team and will succeed Rohit Sharma, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday. This officially begins the new era for the Indian red-ball set-up after the shock retirements of Rohit and Virat Kohli. Earlier, both stalwarts — Rohit and Kohli — pulled the plug from their glittering Test careers, announcing their retirement from this format within a span of one week. FOLLOW: India Test Squad Announcement For England Tour Highlights Rishabh Pant has been named Gill’s deputy starting from India’s tour of England. Story continues below this ad Earlier, it was reported by The Indian Express that Gill was the front-runner to captain the men’s Test team after incumbent Rohit announced his retirement. The senior selection committee, headed by former India all-rounder Ajit Agarkar, is of the opinion that 25-year-old Gill is the ideal candidate to take over as Test captain. However, the selectors were to discuss the same with the BCCI before making a formal announcement. This …

Ayush Mhatre, Vaibhav Suryavanshi to headline India U-19 team for England tour; Check full squad for multi-format series

Ayush Mhatre, Vaibhav Suryavanshi to headline India U-19 team for England tour; Check full squad for multi-format series

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced the India U-19 squad for the England tour. The youth side is scheduled to travel to England from June 24 to July 23 later this year for a multi-format series. “The Junior Cricket Committee has picked India’s U19 for the upcoming tour of England, scheduled from June 24 to July 23, 2025. The tour comprises a 50-over warm-up match, followed by a five-match Youth One-Day series and two Multi-Day matches against England U19,” read the statement released by BCCI. Mumbai sensation Ayush Mhatre, who was roped in by Chennai Super Kings midway during the Indian Premier League 2025, will lead the India youth side. Another Mumbai player, Abhigyan Kundu, has been named Mhatre’s deputy. Story continues below this ad Bihar’s prodigy and Rajasthan Royals opener, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who lit up the IPL 2025 with a 35-ball hundred, has also been included in the squad. Vaibhav’s explosive batting was the talk of the town when he smashed the fastest century by an Indian in IPL …

Ashwin backs Jasprit for Test leadership role after Rohit-Kohli retirement

Ashwin backs Jasprit for Test leadership role after Rohit-Kohli retirement

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Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin feels the Indian team is in for testing times ahead after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket in a span of one week. Speaking on the latest episode of Ash ki baat on YouTube, he said, “We were in the middle of the KKR–CSK game when Rohit announced his retirement, and then today, Virat as well. I’ve been hearing the news of Virat’s supposed retirement for the last two days, but they (BCCI) must’ve spoken with him as well; that’s a personal conversation I would obviously not bring out here.” “I had no idea that both of them would retire all of a sudden, as it would be testing times for the Indian cricket team,” he added. Story continues below this ad Ashwin also called for the new era under coach Gautam Gambhir. After taking over the coaching reins from Rahul Dravid, Gambhir had to endure a white-ball series loss in Sri Lanka, a whitewash against New Zealand in Test matches at home and a …

Virat Kohli tells BCCI he wants to retire from Test cricket | Cricket News

Virat Kohli tells BCCI he wants to retire from Test cricket | Cricket News

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Virat Kohli has told the Indian cricket board that he wishes to retire from Test cricket, but top officials have asked him to reconsider the decision, The Indian Express has learnt. “He has made up his mind and has informed the board that he is moving on from Test cricket. The BCCI has urged him to rethink as the crucial England tour is coming up. He is yet to revert on the request,” sources told this newspaper. Kohli’s decision comes on the back of Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement a couple of days ago. India’s selectors are set to meet in a few days to pick the team for the five-Test series in England next month. Story continues below this ad It is learnt that Kohli has been contemplating his Test future since the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia earlier this year when he went through a lean run after scoring a century in the first Test. If Kohli doesn’t change his mind, and with Rohit out of the picture, it will leave India with a …

Knocks that encapsulated Rohit Sharma’s Test career | Cricket News

Knocks that encapsulated Rohit Sharma’s Test career | Cricket News

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In the list of India’s highest run-getters in Tests, Rohit Sharma occupies the 16th spot – with 4,301 runs in 110 outings, an average of 40.57 and 12 hundreds. The numbers aptly capture his place among the country’s best willow-wielders. Rohit was a good batsman with great moments in Tests. But in view of his undisputed gifts, the statistics are bound to imply that his talents never soared fully in the longest version. Even more fascinating is the company of the 4,000-ers from his country — that bracket where a batsman is not good enough to be counted among the greats yet superior to most of those to have worn Test stripes. At the upper end is MS Dhoni (4,867), whose batting in the five-day format was acquired and laborious; then comes Mohinder Amarnath, the self-admittedly less-gifted batsman than his brothers but one who overcame technical glitches with toughness of mind. Rohit does share some of his traits, his game was predetermined to fail in England, and he did on his maiden tour to those …