Pathan also lauded young Harshit Rana's all-round contribution, insisting the pacer is earning his place purely on merit.
As India aim to defend their T20 World Cup title, former India coach Rahul Dravid says they start as favourites but knockout cricket leaves no room for error.
'That's the stuff that a lot of people don't see...the work that you put in, away from the shiny lights and the TV, but it's always nice I guess when you get the rewards from that.'
'It is a passing phase'. 'He will bounce back'. 'He is a run machine; poor form is just temporary'. The vote of confidence in Gill was inspiring and reassuring, notes Sandeep Goyal.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen believes India are the favorites to win the T20 World Cup, but cautions that the format is unpredictable and that India's 'favourites' tag comes with its own dangers.
Karnataka's bowlers Prasidh Krishna, Vidwath Kaverappa, and Shreyas Gopal dismantled Mumbai's batting lineup, while Mayank Agarwal's half-century put Karnataka in a commanding position on the first day of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match.
Bangladesh spinners wreaked havoc with the ball as they picked up all 10 wickets to help the hosts rout West Indies by 179 runs in the third and final ODI in Dhaka on Thursday.
New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell on Tuesday said it would be "silly to underestimate" Indian batting superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and backed the stalwarts to play next year's ODI World Cup.
He was greeted with chants of 'Kohli, Kohli' with fans jostling for selfies and handshakes, as Kohli struggled to make his way through the crowd to his car.
Even as the focus remains on the T20 World Cup which is less than a month away, Kohli and Rohit will hog the limelight in the three ODIs over the next seven days.
Ravindra Jadeja was not picked for the ODI series in Australia, something he said was "not a surprise" after being informed of the team management's plans.
New Zealand are not dwelling on the T20 World Cup, which is still a month away, and are instead focused on the immediate challenge of facing the Indian bowlers in the upcoming white-ball series, batter Daryl Mitchell said on Wednesday.
Back to his brilliant best, Suryakumar Yadav's unbeaten 82 lit up Raipur in the 2nd ODI against New Zealand, to shut out all doubters, days ahead of the T20 World Cup.
KL Rahul opened up about his on-field role in mentoring Harshit Rana during the tense chase against New Zealand in the first ODI in Vadodara, describing the experience as enjoyable.
Spin great Harbhajan Singh said the selectors were right in appointing Shubman Gill as India's ODI captain last year, stating that the youngster is ready for "big challenges".
England's batting star Harry Brook is on 'a final warning' after being involved in an altercation with a nightclub bouncer during the tour of New Zealand ahead of the Ashes.
Form and familiarity favour India in T20 World Cup
Shubman Gill on Thursday said he would look to imbibe the 'calmness' that his predecessor Rohit Sharma brought to the dressing room
India Women to travel to South Africa for five-match T20I series
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla said that head coach Gautam Gambhir has a firm grip on the team and is popular among the players.
Rohit Sharma took to the nets to fine-tune his batting ahead of the three-match series against New Zealand, starting on Sunday, January 11.
The sesquicentenary of 'Vande Mataram' was the overriding theme of the ceremonial event held at the Vijay Chowk and presided over by President Droupadi Murmu, who arrived at the venue in a traditional buggy to the sound of bugles, adding a ceremonial grace to the occasion.
'But now they can't take any chances. They have to play their best eleven again.'
Calling it the formal start of Gill's era, Chopra also wondered what the change means for Rohit Sharma, whose place in India's long-term plans could now depend solely on form and fitness.
'It was good fun. I was obviously really nervous. Super stoked for the boys to get the win.'
USA's pacer Ali Khan made a big disclosure on social media that he has been denied a visa by India to participate in next month's T20 World Cup.
South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt scored a hundred for the ages before the seasoned Marizanne Kapp made the ball talk in good batting conditions to script a 125-run victory over England and enter their maiden Women's ODI Cup final, in Guwahati, on Wednesday.
The opener also milked 100 runs for the opening wicket with Devon Conway.
Pant cops blow during nets ahead of ODI series against New Zealand
Rohit Sharma to be conferred Honorary Doctorate by Ajeenkya DY Patil University
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday wished former Indian cricketer and 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev on his 67th birthday.
India superstar Virat Kohli will not feature in Delhi's fixture against Railways in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in New Delhi on Tuesday, head coach Sarandeep Singh told PTI.
Shubman Gill was rewarded with the captaincy of the Indian ODI team for the upcoming tour of Australia, the BCCI announced on Saturday.
With Rashid and Ahmed currently unavailable, Liam Dawson is the squad's only specialist spinner, meaning Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell may be required to bowl more than initially planned.
Ten Doeschate admitted that, in hindsight, India would have preferred playing a third spinner instead of Reddy, given how effectively New Zealand's spinners exploited the conditions.
Kuldeep was instrumental to India's success at the Asia Cup, topping the wicket-taking chart with 17 wickets. Chopra explained the rationale behind dropping the left-arm wrist spinner, attributing it to batting depth.
Saurabh Netravalkar emphasizes the importance of a strong defensive strategy for the USA against India in the T20 World Cup, highlighting the team's experience and the significance of playing at Wankhede Stadium.
Saim Ayub scored 77 from 70 balls as Pakistan eased to a seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the third and final One-day International in Faisalabad on Saturday to clinch the series 2-1.
India may have won the toss in Vadodara, but the real storm broke at the team announcement. Arshdeep Singh's exclusion from the first ODI against New Zealand ignited a wave of fan fury, turning the spotlight firmly on India's puzzling pace-bowling choices.
'He doesn't play T20 cricket. So, he will not be a part of the World Cup in 2026 in India. But when they go to 2027 in South Africa, he will be 40 years old. And that's a big number in sport.'
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