When the Indian team entered the ICC Cricket Academy Arena for their evening net session ahead of the Asia Cup, Samson was the first to start his solo keeping drills with fielding coach T Dilip, even as others were just about lumbering up.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir threw his weight behind under-fire batter K L Rahul ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, starting in Pune from Thursday.
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.
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.
K L Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran will open the batting for India if captain Rohit Sharma is not available for the first Test against Australia in Perth, said head coach Gautam Gambhir.
There are three aspects of the decision taken jointly by Agarkar and Gambhir with the blessings of someone very powerful in Indian cricket ecosystem. First, they are on same page that both Rohit and Virat Kohli aren't exactly in their scheme of things for the 2027 World Cup.
'Gautam Gambhir and Morne Morkel will need to provide Rohit with more inputs like whether to bowl bouncers or bowl round the wicket or whether we are allowing the game to drift.'
Little-known ambidextrous Bengal spinner Kaushik Maity seamlessly doubled up for both roles during the optional practice session.
Gambhir has made his selection process clear by stating his strong belief in players featuring across all three formats.
The national selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar, in all likelihood, will select identical squads for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and the marquee ICC T20 World Cup, a BCCI source said on Friday.
'I have always taken pride while donning the Indian jersey during my playing days and it is going to be no different when I take up this new role.'
Speculations and debates have sparked over social media since last week, after chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the management's decision to hand over the ODI captaincy from Rohit to Shubman Gill.
Gill back in full flow, Hardik opts out of practice ahead of SA T20I series
'What solution can Gambhir or Nayar possibly give, apart from telling him to not play those deliveries?'
Head coach Gautam Gambhir put up a stout defence of under-pressure skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli ahead of tour of Australia.
India will look to reprise their home template of big first-innings totals and sustained spin in the short two-Test series against South Africa beginning in Kolkata on Friday.
To be or not to be could well be the dilemma in Shubman Gill's mind as he crisscrosses formats, having tweaked his technique from an unorthodox style to a more classical one that is not quite yielding the returns he may have envisaged in T20 Internationals.
'Will any coach think of keeping out Rohit and Kohli from the ODI team? That means there is something going on within the team against the two players.' Manoj Tiwary, who played 12 ODIs and three T20Is for India, said iconic players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli deserve greater respect.
Former England cricketer Graeme Swann believes Kolkata Knight Riders team mentor Gautam Gambhir will be a 'brilliant' head coach for India.
'I am here for a noble cause and don't want to talk about that.'
Team India skipper Shubman Gill is unlikely to feature in the second Test against South Africa, with Cricket Association of Bengal sources confirming that he is not travelling to Guwahati with the team on Wednesday.
The Men in Blue, led by newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir, arrived in Sri Lanka for a six-match white-ball series on Monday.
Cheteshwar Pujara refuses to believe India's recent poor record at home is because of transition.
The once familiar sight of nimble-footed, whippywristed Indian batters dominating spin looks a distant memory, replaced by the horror of watching South Africa off-spinner Simon Harmer wreak havoc by taking 17 wickets over the two Tests.
With the departure of seniors Rohit Sharma and Kohli from the T20 International scene, workload management of someone like Jasprit Bumrah assumes greater significance, Gambhir said.
India's awe-inspiring batting depth will face a stern test against South Africa's quality spin attack in the first Test, starting in Kolkata on Friday.
The central theme of their discussion was 'desh ke liye karna hai', reflecting a mutual belief in serving the country.
Working with Abhishek has made me understand how to become a coach: Yuvraj Singh
The 42-year-old Gambhir, a key member of the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning Indian side, led Kolkata Knight Riders to IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.
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.
'M S Dhoni stands as a towering figure in Indian cricket, arguably the most successful captain ever.'
Dinesh Karthik on Tuesday said head coach Gautam Gambhir's display of aggression in the past has generally come out in "protection of his players".
They weren't up for a windfall even after the trophy but life was certain to get a lot better as some sponsors and state governments stepped up to lift them financially.
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.
Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh expressed disappointment at the loss but praised India's all-round performance.
Patil, a member of India's World Cup winning team in 1983, hoped Gambhir will continue to have success at international level after excelling in the IPL.
With Gautam Gambhir now part of the setup, there is renewed hope for a turnaround in Rahul's Test career. Gambhir's belief in Rahul's abilities, combined with his guidance, could help unlock his true potential and bring the expected consistency.
Kolkata Knight Riders and Team India are going through a transition as Gautam Gambhir steps away from the franchise to pursue national objectives.
Gambhir has ability to derive the best out of his players: Childhood coach Bharadwaj
The last time two specialist keepers played together in a Test was in 1986, when Kiran More and Chandrakant Pandit featured in the same XI, with Pandit playing as a batter.
