As India went into the second Test against England on Wednesday without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, former players and coaches questioned the thinking behind resting the world's best bowler when they trail 0-1 in the series.
All-rounder Axar Patel was named vice-captain of the squad, which also saw the return of in-form Ishan Kishan, who pipped Jitesh Sharma as the second wicketkeeper behind Sanju Samson.
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".
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'There is no question on the value that he brings to the side. But the management and board need to discuss how to use him...'
'Why let England know what's coming and what's not? Why not keep it under wraps and make them guess?'
The indefatigable duo of Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Siraj is expected to be the big talking point on Saturday when the selectors pick a 15-member Indian ODI squad for a three-match series against New Zealand starting January 11 in Vadodara.
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India may have drawn the series in England, but Jasprit Bumrah's performance has come under scrutiny-with Irfan Pathan rating the world's No. 1 Test bowler a modest 6 out of 10 for failing to deliver decisive wins.
Images from the fifth T20 International between India and South Africa, in Ahmedabad, on Friday.
Former wicketkeeper Vijay Dahiya feels Shreyas Iyer was unlucky to be left out of India's Asia Cup squad but said some players will always miss out due to the depth of talent in the country.
Jasprit Bumrah was rested from the second Test at Edgbaston, as part of his workload management.
Bumrah, rested for the second Test against England, made a classy appearance alongside wife Sanjana Ganesan.
India beat South Africa by seven wickets on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in the T20 series after their bowlers skittled the tourists for 117, with Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh's performance setting up the platform for a dominant win for the hosts in Dharamsala.
While the white-ball trophy cabinet kept getting heavier, Team India's fortunes in Test cricket swung wildly between hope and despair in 2025.
Bumrah's pace has dropped noticeably in the ongoing fourth Test against England in Manchester - from his usual 140kph to the 130-135kph range. While he consistently touched 140-plus at Headingley and Lord's, Old Trafford has told a different story.
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The Indian selectors will be announcing the team for the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps, starting January 11 in Vadodara and there have been speculations about whether Pant can hold on to his place in the squad.
Kumble suggested that Bumrah could manage his workload by skipping India's upcoming home series instead.
With two Tests left, India trailing the five-match series 1-2, and Bumrah available for only one of them, Panesar feels India needs to go all out in Manchester next week.
Asked about Bumrah's availability for the next match, Gill was clear at the post-match presentation, "Definitely," he said
Ravi Shastri cautions India about resting Bumrah in second Test against England
Shubman Gill is set to make a comeback during the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting in Cuttack, on December 9.
Sitanshu Kotak did not rule out India spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's participation in the must-win fifth and final Test against England.
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between India and South Africa, in Guwahati, on Saturday.
Lord's venue promises to be a cracker of a contest, especially with another round in the ongoing rivalry between two modern legends - Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah and England's star batter Joe Root.
India great Virat Kohli continued his push to regain his place as the best ODI batter while moving up to the second spot in the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir hinted pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah could play in the must-win fifth and final Test against England.
With Bumrah leading the charge, India prised out five wickets in the second session to snuff out South Africa's hopes of reaching the 200 mark.
India all-rounder Axar Patel was on Monday ruled out of the remaining two T20 Internationals against South Africa due to illness with the BCCI's selection committee naming Shahbaz Ahmed as his replacement.
'Myself, Shubman, we could have given a good start because we can't rely on Abhishek all the time.'
A toe injury suffered before the fourth T20I is set to keep Gill out of the final T20I here as India would want to take a cautious route, more so when there is a ready replacement for the top order slot in Sanju Samson.
'The name on the Honours board feels good. It is something I can tell my son about when he is grown up.'
As India look to bounce back from the crushing defeat in the series opener against England in Leeds, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's availability for the second Test in Edgbaston, scheduled to begin on July 2, has been a hot topic of discussion.
HarHardik Pandya added another milestone to his T20I career on Sunday, becoming one of the rare all-rounders in world cricket to combine power-hitting with a century of wickets in the shortest format.
Irfan Pathan criticised believes controlling restricting the number of overs sent down by pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah during the Lord's Test proved crucial.
The injury-prone Bumrah played the first, third and fourth Tests in the Anderson-Tendulkar five-match series, skipping two matches with Mohammed Siraj leading the pace-bowling attack.
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.
At this moment, the Indian think tank is doing a tough balancing act of building the team around a new set of players without completely cutting ties with the old guard.
India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has continued his red-hot form, adding another fifer to his kitty to become the first Asian player ever to have 150 wickets in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia (SENA) nations.
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