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.
India put on a commanding performance to beat South Africa by 30 runs in their T20 World Cup warm-up clash at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on Wednesday.
Mitchell Santner explains his defensive T20I blueprint after a match-winning 3/26 against India in Visakhapatnam, detailing how pressure, match-ups and key wickets powered New Zealand's 50-run win.
All-rounder Axar Patel was named vice-captain of the squad, which also saw the return of in-form Ishan Kishan, who pipped Jitesh Sharma as the second wicketkeeper behind Sanju Samson.
'I have been waiting for this day and I am very fortunate that I am going to wear the yellow jersey.'
When I was out, asked myself one question, 'Can I do it or not?', says Kishan
After this snub, it looks difficult for Shubman Gill at this point to make a comeback to the T20 team with plenty of talented young players waiting in the wings.
Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson says he is still not over Jos Buttler leaving the team and wishes the IPL would change its rule of releasing players every three years.
While Abhishek Sharma's explosive century stole the headlines, Samson's replacement by Dhruv Jurel raised questions about his availability.
As India start their T20 World Cup title defence in less than 72 hours, one is tempted to look at Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir's working relationship which has been fantastic, at least so going by the results -- a whopping 31 wins in 39 games with a winning percentage of 79.48.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title. The 10th edition of the 20-overs global showpiece event will run from February 7 to March 8.
Gill, who was vice-captain of the T20I side, was the most high-profile absentee when the national selectors named a 15-member squad for the global showpiece in India and Sri Lanka starting February 7.
Phil Salt's explosive 33-ball 65 laid the foundation and Virat Kohli's 100th T20 fifty provided the finishing touch as RCB chased down what looked like a big target without much ado.
'It is a passing phase'. 'He will bounce back'. 'He is a run machine; poor form is just temporary'. The vote of confidence in Gill was inspiring and reassuring, notes Sandeep Goyal.
Rohit Sharma offered a hilarious piece of advice to spinner Kuldeep Yadav ahead of the T20 World Cup this year from February 7.
Ishan Kishan will play ahead of Shreyas Iyer in the series against New Zealand as he is a part of India's T20 World Cup squad and a like-for-like replacement for an injured Tilak Varma being a left-hander, skipper Suryakumar Yadav said on Tuesday.
Suryakumar Yadav, who returned to form with a blazing 82* against New Zealand at Raipur, spoke on how he dealt with his lean patch
Former Chennai Super Kings batter Suresh Raina believes the five-time IPL champions should look at buying the in-form Sarfaraz Khan at the auction on Tuesday.
Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson has been fined Rs 24 lakh after his team maintained a slow over-rate during their match against Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League.
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.
Padikkal's fourth VHT ton this season powers Karnataka to big win vs Tripura
Samson had new batting batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and throwdown specialists for company.
'You cannot come and play for Kerala whenever you feel like.'
'It will not happen that Dhoni is off the field and leaves someone like Sanju Samson to keep wickets.'
With the India and South Africa T20I series levelled 1-1, focus shifts to Gill's form ahead of the third T20 on Sunday in Dharamsala.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title in familiar home conditions next month.
Ruturaj Gaikwad set to lead Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Shubman Gill's injury during the South Africa T20I series earlier this month was the moment when India's World Cup opening combination became clear.
Shubman Gill is set to make a comeback during the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting in Cuttack, on December 9.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla said that head coach Gautam Gambhir has a firm grip on the team and is popular among the players.
For most IPL teams, the 2026 mini auction will be all about strategic buys and role-specific additions, while for a couple of others, it is going to be a captain-centric affair.
'Definitely we could have done better. It is not about luck. We have made some mistakes. We should come back with a better mindset in the next season,'
India lead the five-match series 2-1 and the contest in Ahmedabad on Friday will be their last assignment for the calendar year.
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Anil Kumble believes fans may have already seen the last of M S Dhoni behind the stumps, hinting that the Chennai Super Kings icon may not don the gloves in IPL 2026.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav would want the attacking batter in him to front up and bolster his leadership against New Zealand when the five-match T20I series gets underway in Nagpur on Wednesday, serving as a final dress rehearsal for India's World Cup title defence in less than three weeks' time.
Sanju Samson, who will be leading Rajasthan Royals for a fifth successive year, credits Rahul Dravid's leadership as a major influence on his own approach.
The 34-year-old mystery spinner rewrote the record books during the fifth and final T20I against South Africa at Ahmedabad on Friday, casting a spell of his bamboozling spin magic on the Proteas batters, four of them surrendering to his bowling.
Following his SMAT heroics, Kishan has also returned to the Indian team for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
These comments come after India recently announced their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Suryakumar Yadav is set to lead India in his first-ever ICC tournament as captain, with Axar Patel named as his deputy.
'He just has to do what he does best -- which is to destroy opposition bowling.'
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