Shubman Gill's early days as India's Test captain have stirred intense debate -- not just for his on-field decisions, but for a noticeable shift in persona.
Shubman Gill was deemed Rohti's long-term successor and was crowned the new Test skipper.
Jurel has produced a solid body of work in first-class and Test cricket alike, even though he displayed a completely different avatar for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a finisher since his debut in 2023.
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.
As Team India gear up for the much-anticipated Test series against England starting on Friday, several players in the squad will draw confidence from their county cricket experience.
Gill, Rahul, Pant and the irrepressible Yashasvi Jaiswal will now have a chance to script the next glorious chapter in Indian cricket.
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.
Gill and Jaiswal centuries put India in control of series opener against England
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.
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.
'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.'
Mohit displayed immense game awareness, taking a single to bring Ashutosh on strike, bringing down the equation to five runs in four balls.
'I would give the captaincy to Virat for the Test series in England... Shubman Gill can be his VC for the tour.'
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.
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.
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.
Having bid adieu to his stellar Test career a content man, Indian Test batting great Cheteshwar Pujara wouldn't mind a coaching stint or a role at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in the next stage of his cricketing journey.
While India dominated visiting teams on spin-friendly wickets to put together 18 consecutive series wins at home in last 12 years, the choice to play on turning tracks against New Zealand backfired in Pune and Mumbai.
Mayur Sanap wishes there was more to a this feel-good exercise that never reaches the dramatic heights it is aiming for.
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?
Former captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday said India may have missed a trick by not playing Kuldeep Yadav at Lord's and Manchester, as quality spinners come to the fore on the last two days of a Test match.
While Gill's intent was to contain, former players believe he missed an opportunity to attack when it mattered most.
'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.'
Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that the five-Test series could be a start of 'something special' for Shubman Gill-led India.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be wary of Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) aggressive batting approach when the two teams face off in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday.
It was Rishabh Pant's brief, unconvincing stint at the crease that starkly epitomised his season-long struggle
Rohit, Virat Kohli, along with Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were among the first to touch down, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting series.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's three best performing players in all the 17 IPLs (2008-2024).
The squad also features Karun Nair, who returns to the national set up after a long gap of eight years.
The Indian team ramped up preparations for the Boxing Day Test by practicing on a fresh wicket on Tuesday at the MCG.
With their respective leaders switching camps and squads undergoing major overhauls, both Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants, under new captains, will be eager to make a strong start to their IPL campaign when they face off in Visakhapatnam on Monday.
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.
'We won't miss Virat and Rohit. I have faith in our young team.'
New 'Captain Cool' in Town: Shreyas Iyer could be the leader India needs
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.
In a country where it becomes awkward to handle the retirements of legends like Kohli and Rohit, the selectors has shown the required foresight.
'Pant can give that differential variable that they are looking for in the batting order.'
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.
'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.'
Rishabh Pant has been shifted from the ICU to the private ward of the Max Hospital in Dehradun following an improvement in his condition.
