Sanju Samson's T20I future took another hit on Tuesday as India benched him yet again, favouring the finishing skills of Jitesh Sharma in a team that now appears fully committed to its Shubman Gill-led blueprint.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged his recent lean patch and expressed confidence in returning to form ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.
Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali sees shades of Virat Kohli in Shubman Gill's aggressive on-field demeanour, but feels the India batter's approach during the Lord's Test may have triggered a stronger response from the hosts.
Gill scored a sensational 269 in the first innings and followed it up with 161 in the second-earning comparisons to Don Bradman from Shastri himself.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was "disappointed" on missing a century by a whisker, but amazed by Test captain Shubman Gill's "incredible" effort that powered India to a comfortable position at the end of the opening day of the second Test against England, at Edgbaston, on Wednesday.
'Folks - your Test captain, Shubman Gill.'
India begins their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA, aiming to leverage their strong team composition and recent form to secure a victory.
Gill clashed with England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, accusing them of deliberately wasting time.
Shubman Gill dominated with the bat in England, as he amassed a huge tally of 567 runs at an average of 94.50 in the three Tests played in July.
Manjrekar acknowledged that although Gill hadn't yet made a significant mark overseas, his composure as a leader was never in doubt.
Former New Zealand player Ian Smith put down the Shubman Gill-led India's recent red ball struggles at home to their diminishing ability against spin.
As India start their T20 World Cup title defence in less than 72 hours, one is tempted to look at Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir's working relationship which has been fantastic, at least so going by the results -- a whopping 31 wins in 39 games with a winning percentage of 79.48.
India all-rounder Washington Sundar suffered an injury scare and will undergo a scan after picking up a side strain during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday.
Ishan Kishan's selection in the Indian Cricket Team for the T20 World Cup Squad has brought immense joy to his family. His father, Pranav Pandey, expressed his excitement about his son's addition to the squad, stating, "Ups and downs are part of sports, but he's worked hard for it."
Dhruv Jurel on Sunday replaced an injured Rishabh Pant in India's ODI squad for the three-match series against New Zealand in Vadodara.
'I think Shubman has done a good job in putting things together and staying calm. You look at him, you always feel that he's not panicking. He is calm.'
Prem Panicker and Faisal Shariff discuss the young, largely experimental team picked for the five Test tour of England, and its prospects on the latest episode of the Sports And Pastime podcast.
Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill was visibly furious after being controversially run out during the IPL 2025 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
'I think the partnership between me and Washington was very important.'
With the series now level and momentum on India's side, Gill will be hoping the belief, resilience and unity on display in Birmingham will carry through to the remaining three Tests.
India's T20 World Cup squad had space for only 15, but the pool of quality options ran far deeper. The consequence was inevitable: several players with genuine claims were left on the outside, the unlucky ones who narrowly missed the cut.
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored a sparkling 143 off just 78 balls to become the fastest and youngest batter to register a hundred in Youth ODIs during India Under-19's fourth match against England on Saturday at Worcester.
Playing his 32nd Test, he showed no signs of nervousness and batted with his signature effortless ease.
Batting great Alistair Cook says England's 2-2 home series draw against Shubman Gill-led India was against "not a great Indian side", flagging concerns over the team's preparation for the Ashes.
England gained the upper hand after a rain-hit first day of the final Test against India at The Oval on Thursday
In a video shared by the BCCI on 'X', several Indian players, including skipper Gill, shared what comes to mind when they think of playing in England.
India's absolute dominance at home will come under examination when they meet a determined New Zealand in the decisive third ODI at the high-scoring Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, with the three-match series locked at 1-1.
Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill has put an end to swirling rumours of a rift with Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya following a viral video from the Friday's IPL 2025 Eliminator.
With the T20 World Cup less than two months away, India would want their captain Suryakumar Yadav to rediscover his rhythm sooner rather than later.
When players select themselves, the selectors' job becomes delightfully simple. But did the Indian selectors have that luxury while picking the T20 World Cup squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup? asks K R Nayar.
Kuldeep slips to third in ODI rankings, Maharaj regains top spot
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Have selectors told him where he stands in white ball cricket?
Virat Kohli has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings for the first time in five years.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the opening match against USA?
Shubman Gill played a masterful captain's knock with his second century of the series on the opening day of the second Test
Former Australia captain Greg Chappell believes Shubman Gill has displayed greatness with the bat and shown glimpses of his potential as a young captain.
Suryakumar Yadav's poor run of form over the last 18 months has surprised Australian great Ricky Ponting, who believes the Indian skipper should think about scoring runs and not getting out in the lead up to the T20 World Cup.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan has rejected claims that batters have worked him out, saying consistent execution, not new variations, will define his impact at the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Captain Shubman Gill and the ever-dependable K L Rahul gave India a glimmer of hope with resilient half-centuries after a well crafted hundred from Ben Stokes extended England's supremacy in the fourth Test in Manchester on Saturday.
Shubman Gill putting up a batting masterclass on a good pitch reflected his supreme confidence as India's new Test captain, senior spinner Ravindra Jadeja said on Thursday.