With Rohit Sharma stepping away from Test cricket, all eyes are now on who will lead India into a new red-ball era.
India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is up and running in Beckenham, putting in the hard yards before the upcoming five high-stakes Tests against England, slated to kick off on June 20 at Headingley.
Two fast-bowling all-rounders look to be in a battle for one spot, while a decision between Prasidh Krishna and left-armer Arshdeep Singh could be condition-dependent.
Mayur Sanap wishes there was more to a this feel-good exercise that never reaches the dramatic heights it is aiming for.
With the series nicely poised at 1-1 going into the third Test, the narrative built around both the teams has changed significantly following India's 336-run routing of England at Edgbaston.
Gill, Rahul, Pant and the irrepressible Yashasvi Jaiswal will now have a chance to script the next glorious chapter in Indian cricket.
While Gill's intent was to contain, former players believe he missed an opportunity to attack when it mattered most.
A short video posted by Mumbai Indians ahead of their IPL 2025 clash against Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Stadium has triggered fresh controversy.
Gujarat Titans skipper Gill is expected to captain India on the Test tour of England following the retirement of Rohit Sharma. Rishabh Pant is likely to be his deputy.
Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, both struggling in the Indian Premier League, will be looking to turn their fortunes around when they face each other on Friday.
He walked on crutches in one of his first public appearances at Feroz Shah Kotla last year, but when an emotional Rishabh Pant walks out as captain of Delhi Capitals, he will need to put on his 'out of box' thinking cap to stop a marauding Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL match in New Delhi on Saturday.
'With a new generation stepping up, Team India is not just carrying forward a legacy -- they are writing a new chapter in our cricketing history.'
Karun Nair's struggles at the crucial No. 3 position is a big headache for Team India.
India are yet to win a Test in Birmingham in nearly six decades -- boasting of a dismal record of seven losses and one draw in eight attempts.
Jitesh Sharma left spectators enchanted with an unbeaten 85 from a mere 33 deliveries while striking handsomely at 257.58, his best in the IPL's history.
Both DC and LSG have 10 points and a win will keep them safely perched in the higher echelons of the points table ahead of the jostlers.
'We won't miss Virat and Rohit. I have faith in our young team.'
Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that the five-Test series could be a start of 'something special' for Shubman Gill-led India.
After a much-needed two-day respite, Team India returned to the training grounds with renewed vigour, setting their sights on a pivotal showdown against New Zealand on Sunday.
'Most of the batters performed. I would say that is a very good sign going forward. Apart from this you have got three quality batters who are not even part of the squad -- Shreyas (Iyer), Sarfaraz (Khan) and (Devdutt) Padikkal.'
'I would give the captaincy to Virat for the Test series in England... Shubman Gill can be his VC for the tour.'
'Over the years, I have played under different captains. I know the mindset of every single captain whom I have played under and I also understand what players need and their mindset.'
A rampaging Mumbai Indians will look to maintain their winning run in a vital mid-table battle against a dangerous Lucknow Super Giants in an Indian Premier League clash here on Sunday.
India's young guns are fearless and mentally hardened by the IPL exposure. But true mettle will be tested when adversity strikes -- and this time, there will be no Kohli to stir up the crowd, no Rohit to deliver a captaincy masterstroke, and no Ashwin to conjure wickets out of nowhere.
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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?
Take a look at the numbers and narratives that made Edgbaston Test one for the ages.
With just two wins from seven games, the Royals, languishing at eighth on the table, come into the contest on the back of a gut-wrenching Super Over defeat to Delhi Capitals.
'I have a feeling that after a certain transition happens, you could see Rishabh Pant opening the batting for India in T20 cricket.'
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the first Test against England?
The squad also features Karun Nair, who returns to the national set up after a long gap of eight years.
It was Rishabh Pant's brief, unconvincing stint at the crease that starkly epitomised his season-long struggle
Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were left out from the list of centrally-contracted players last year, after failing to show up for domestic cricket despite a directive from the BCCI.
Ahead of the fifth and final Test match in Dharamshala, India skipper Rohit Sharma gave a witty reply to England opener Ben Duckett's comment that Yashasvi Jaiswal started playing aggressively after getting influenced by Bazball.
In a country where it becomes awkward to handle the retirements of legends like Kohli and Rohit, the selectors has shown the required foresight.
Mohit displayed immense game awareness, taking a single to bring Ashutosh on strike, bringing down the equation to five runs in four balls.
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.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's three best performing players in all the 17 IPLs (2008-2024).
Pant is currently undergoing rehabilitation at NCA Bangalore
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