The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
Axar also patted fellow spinner Varun Chakravarthy (5/42) for coming up with a match-winning spell.
'But I would say given the importance of this series and given the conditions we think we are going to face, he (Nitish Kumar Reddy) might miss out in this Test this week.'
The T20 WC champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
This was India's fourth defeat in the last six Tests at home and in all four Tests -- including three against New Zealand -- their batters have flopped against spin.
Axar, who has led his state side Gujarat in 23 matches across formats, said he isn't one to lean heavily on analytics or prescribed captaincy templates.
Star spinner Kuldeep Yadav and all-rounder Axar Patel are likely to be promoted from Grade B to Grade A in the BCCI central contract list as the parent body is expected to announce the contracts for the 2025-26 season by the end of this week,
Gill may miss ODI series due to unhealed neck injury; Rahul, Pant in line for ODI captaincy
Ravichandran Ashwin questioned India's team selection for the West Indies Test series, highlighting the curious case of Nitish Reddy's inclusion over proven match-winner Axar Patel.
Simon Harmer led South Africa's lion-hearted bowling effort as the Proteas registered a thrilling 30-run victory against India inside three days of the low-scoring opening Test.
The track is historically a high-scoring one and the outfield is quick. But on a red soil surface, the ball grips and can surprise the batters.
The series promises a fascinating duel between the two modern-day pace greats.
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
Rohit immediately knew the gravity of his mistake. He banged the ground in frustration, visibly furious with himself.
'India gave me its heart first. So India will always have mine.'
'Make it a habit that this is how it's going to be under my captaincy.'
Rishabh Pant back in full flow as India step up nets ahead of SA opening Test
Head coach Gambhir, captain Gill, men's squad send best wishes to Harmanpreet-led side for Women's World Cup final
With no ODI series in Australia in the next two years, it is impossible to think that the legendary duo will again be seen Down Under in India blues.
South Africa pulled off a sensational victory inside three days of the opening Test against India on Sunday and the manner of it would go a long way in silencing those who doubted their credentials as the reigning world test champions.
In all, Axar has led in 24 matches across all formats, winning 12, losing 10 and two matches ended in a draw.
Keshav Maharaj couldn't hide his pride after South Africa stunned India in Kolkata, reserving his highest praise for Simon Harmer's heroics and describing their partnership as nothing short of a 'privilege.'
The former CSK stalwart also noted that Axar Patel's consistency over recent years positions him as a natural leader within the DC core. But the trickier decision, according to Raina, concerns veteran opener Faf du Plessis, who endured a lean run with just 202 runs from nine games.
'Commendable' performances in a losing cause should 'never' be celebrated, said India head coach Gautam Gambhir as he took a critical view of the team's recent ODI series defeat to Australia.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, arrived in Delhi on Tuesday and linked up with rest of the Indian team, many of whom were playing in the two-Test series against West Indies.
India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar feels the debate over preparing a spin-friendly track at the Eden Gardens for the opening Test against South Africa is pointless as the country has been laying out such wickets for ages.
Rinku Singh, known for his hard-hitting abilities down the order, rolled his arms over during a training session on the eve of the opening game of the 5-match T20 series against Australia in Canberra on Thursday.
Shubman Gill might just want to be fit enough to bat, as even a half-fit skipper is seen as more effective than Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran or Sarfaraz Khan.
Rohit Sharma shared a few words of encouragement before presenting the cap to the youngster.
'I definitely believe the kind of form he is in, the way he is batting, it will strengthen the Indian batting line-up.'
In the 82 matches he has donned the red and blue of the Capitals, Patel scored 967 runs and picked up 62 wickets, at an impressive economy of 7.09.
Delhi were placed strongly at 146/3 after 14 overs but a flurry of wickets in the death overs saw them restricted to 203/8.
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.
Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh expressed disappointment at the loss but praised India's all-round performance.
Washington Sundar enhanced his reputation as a T20 hitter with India batting in top gear through the innings to comfortably chase down a target of 187 for a series levelling five-wicket win over Australia.
Ravichandran Ashwin exposed India batters' lack of quality to battle ball tweakers by claiming that if legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar or past domestic heroes Amol Muzumdar, the India women's team head coach and Mithun Manhas had played against spinners on such a track, the Test would have gone to four days, unlike India's harrowing 30-run defeat against South Africa at Eden Gardens.
Formidable India have their tails up as they head to the gargantuan MCG for the second T20I against Australia here on Friday, thanks to the influx of young talent and the return to form of skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
Axar Patel, once known as the 'poor man's Jadeja', has transformed into a crucial batting asset for India.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for Thursday's second ODI against Australia?
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