Kaif also questioned Gill's tactical choices on debut, especially the call to leave out Kuldeep -- a bowler capable of turning games in Australia's own backyard.
Jemimah Rodrigues rose through the ranks in Mumbai to become one of the key batters for India, but the journey wasn't easy.
Deepti Sharma, the World Cup's leading wicket-taker who took a magnificent 5/39 in the final, is joined by teammates Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues in World Cup's Team of the Tournament.
'Things are stable now, but it could have been fatal. He's a tough lad and should be fine soon.'
For India, the battle is no longer about proving skill or form, but about crossing the elusive final hurdle that has so often tripped them -- including in this very tournament.
Gill stretchered out with neck injury; ''just bad timing'', says Morne Morkel
Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, may have expressed support for the Kolkata pitch, but it continues to draw criticism from all quarters.
Harmanpreet Kaur and her team's maiden World Cup title is not just a turning point for cricket in the country but a watershed moment for Indian sports, feels women's head coach Amol Muzumdar.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are among the world's top players calling for the Davis Cup to return to its traditional home-and-away format and be staged over two years, a proposal backed by ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.
Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad hundreds help India set 359-run target in second ODI
Arshdeep Singh, who took three wickets for 35 runs in the third T20I against Australia, in Hobart on Sunday, said he's been working on his process, trusting his skills, and executing the plans he practised.
It's a colossal achievement, rate it bigger than any other title: Ashwin on women's WC triumph
'I'm looking at it as a chance to play international football, to represent India, and to hopefully inspire other players with a similar background to me, to show them that they can come to India and do the same thing.'
Here's a look at some key moments which helped decide the championship fight.
Gill, who donned the opener's role during India's unbeaten run to the Asia Cup trophy, mustered up 127 runs in seven appearances.
The Indian junior men's hockey team suffered their first defeat in the ongoing Sultan of Johor Cup, going down to Australia 2-4 in a pool match in Johor, Malaysia, on Wednesday.
'He is not changing it anymore and hopefully he sticks to it and plays many more knocks like this for us.'
Under pressure to revive their campaign after back-to-back defeats, India will have to consider adding a sixth bowler to bring more balance to their attack when they face England in a crucial Women's ODI World Cup match, in Indore, on Sunday.
Calling it "the destruction of Test cricket", former India spinner Harbhajan Singh says under-prepared and excessively bowler-friendly surfaces like the one used at Eden Gardens, prevent the genuine development of players.
Facing the pressure of playing in a World Cup on home soil, Rodrigues struggled for consistence, posting two ducks and a pair of 30s before being dropped for India's group-stage match against England.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will need a lot of game time going forward now that they play only one format but a decision on how the two white ball legends will stay in rhythm will be decided once the South Africa ODI series is over, skipper Shubman Gill said on Saturday.
Captain Shubman Gill acknowledged losing early wickets was one of the big reasons for India's loss in the rain-hit first ODI against Australia.
The Indian women's cricket team will look to end a 47-year wait for its maiden ICC title when it takes the field at the ODI World Cup starting with a clash against Sri Lanka.
The Indian team management has not asked for a rank turner for the opening Test of the two-match series against South Africa beginning at the Eden Gardens on Friday, Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly said on Monday.
The Indian junior men's hockey team registered a comprehensive 3-1 win over Australia in their second match in the Four-Nation Tournament in Berlin on Sunday.
India bounced back from three successive defeats after starting the Women's World Cup as one of the favourites.
Smriti Mandhana dropped a rung to second but Jemimah Rodrigues scaled nine positions to be 10th in the latest ICC women's ODI rankings after India's title-winning World Cup performance.
Grind pays off for Ruturaj Gaikwad, now upto him and luck to prove his 50-over mettle.
While India left out Kuldeep Yadav for the second match in a row, Australia's leg-spinner Adam Zampa took a four-wicket haul and was named the man of the match.
Days before the ODI series, Kohli tweeted on Thursday, 'The only time you truly fail is when you decide to give up.'
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for Thursday's second ODI against Australia?
The 26 year old rued the dropped catches, which ultimately cost India the match and the series.
Captain Ben Stokes brushed off concerns about England's Ashes preparations on Wednesday, saying there was no way the squad could prepare in the same way touring teams of the past had, given the demands of the modern game.
India's opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal is set to feature for Mumbai's Elite Group D fixture against Rajasthan in Jaipur in the third round of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, scheduled to commence on November 1.
The cricketing ecosystem has learned to survive the prolonged absence of Kohli and Rohit -- at least in two formats -- in this interim period.
Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott will leave the position after next year's Twenty20 World Cup.
'The only thought was that we have to give it all in those seven hours for our country.'
South African captain Laura Wolvaardt said she "couldn't be prouder" of her team's campaign in the ICC Women's World Cup and promised to get stronger in the coming times after they lost to India in the title clash in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
'Can Gautam Gambhir almost look at being serious about picking 20 wickets as much as he feels about depth in batting?'
India captain Shubman Gill admitted that dropped catches and a total which was just adequate cost his side dearly as Australia clinched the ODI series with a disciplined all-round performance in Adelaide on Thursday.
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