As India prepares for its upcoming five Test series against England, the selection committee faces a crucial decision regarding the team's leadership. Who should be the next India captain in red ball cricket?
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill's indifferent form is a massive concern but the national selection committee is unlikely to make any shocking changes when it picks the 15-member squad for next year's T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Saturday.
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.
Images from the fifth T20 International between India and South Africa, in Ahmedabad, on Friday.
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.
This isn't just a Test match - it's a test of Shubman Gill's leadership, temperament, and decision-making.
Bumrah, when quizzed about the repeated ball change, maintained a neutral tone on the matter.
Jasprit Bumrah reflected on missed catching opportunities off his bowling and emphasised the importance of moving on during the game.
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
One of the reasons why bowlers are rarely considered captains is because they are more susceptible to injuries than batters, argues Vishal Menon.
He has taken nine five-wicket hauls in SENA conditions.
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.
While the white-ball trophy cabinet kept getting heavier, Team India's fortunes in Test cricket swung wildly between hope and despair in 2025.
The controversial decision to select Shubman Gill in place of a well-settled Sanju Samson as the opener has backfired for the Indian team so far.
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.
Rishabh Pant was ruled out for nearly three months after he fractured his foot during the fourth Test against England in Manchester in July.
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.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday.
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma downplayed Shukri Conrad's controversial remarks that he wanted India to "really grovel".
Images from Day 1 of the second Test between India and South Africa, in Guwahati, on Saturday.
In a candid conversation on The ICC Review with Sanjana Ganesan, Shastri named two young stars he believes are ready to be groomed for the role - Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant.
India cricketers, along with coach Gautam Gambhir, visited Shri Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri on Tuesday to seek blessings ahead of the first T2OI of the five-match series against South Africa, set to be played on the same day at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium.
India captain Rohit Sharma, who led the team to their second ICC T20 World Cup title last June, has been named skipper of the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year 2024.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is "ready to start" ahead of the first T20I against South Africa of the five-match series, which will take place on December 9.
"Don't think he'll be available for all 5 Tests...": Ajit Agarkar on Jasprit Bumrah's availability for England series
The two pacers have played a crucial role in MI's winning run of six matches in a row, having picked up 17 wickets between them in the last three games.
'When you play two spinners surely the way for beating them, you get runs on the board and hope the pitch deteriorates.'
While defending totals of 350 or more in 59 Tests, India have won 42, with their sole defeat coming against England at Edgbaston in 2022.
Rishabh Pant, who hit two centuries in the Headingley Test, now trails top-ranked batter Joe Root by just 88 points.
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.
Simon Harmer picked up four wickets as South Africa staged an incredible fightback to shock India by 30 runs in a low-scoring first Test match.
India will look to address several lingering selection puzzles when they take on South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday in the first ODI of the three-match series, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return to the set-up for a short audition that could well shape their 2027 World Cup fate.
Virat Kohli moved up to No. 4 in the latest ICC rankings with a match-winning hundred against South Africa in the first ODI at Ranchi boosting his ascend.
Bumrah will miss a few initial games of the tournament as he is currently recuperating from a back injury at the BCCI Centre of Excellence at Bengaluru.
With Bumrah out of commission, speedsters Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana will have to take responsibility.
'Folks - your Test captain, Shubman Gill.'
Gautam Gambhir has made it clear that India's new T20 approach isn't just about fearless batting, it's about all-round aggression.
The 25-year-old Shubman Gill is a clear favourite to land the high-profile job as Indian embarks on a new World Test Championship cycle.
Images from the second T20 International between India and South Africa, at the PCA's New Chandigarh Stadium, Mullanpur.
Hardik Pandya marked his return to the Indian team from a two-month injury layoff with a match-winning half-century.
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