As India prepare for a high-stakes ODI series, all eyes naturally turn to Rohit and Kohli as this series marks their return since the title-winning ICC Champions Trophy Final earlier this year.
Shubman Gill fell to a bizarre dismissal to a loose shot off the final ball of the morning session.
Abhishek Sharma continues to lead the IPL 2026 MVPI table, highlighting a worrying trend where batters overwhelmingly dominate the top positions and only one bowler features in the top 20. Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2026 after Game 54.
Rashid Khan reflects on his injury recovery, admits rehab mistakes, and addresses Gujarat Titans' middle-order concerns after their win over RCB.
The Indian cricket team's upcoming tour of England will be an examination for new Test leader Shubman Gill, and his success as captain will depend on his own batting performance, reckons former India selector Saba Karim.
Strange selection, says Manjrekar; Irfan, Harbhajan congratulate Gill
"With Shubman, our vision is not limited to one or two seasons; it's long-term" - Gujarat Titans COO Colonel Arvinder Singh, on choosing Gill as captain over senior players
Daryl Mitchell scored an unbeaten 131 from 117 balls to lead New Zealand to a seven-wicket win over India in the second One-Day International on Wednesday.
Since first opening the batting together in January 2023, the duo has been prolific in 50 overs cricket.
A review of the IPL 2026 season, highlighting the successes of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans, while noting the disappointing performances of Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, setting the stage for significant changes.
'If we had stopped them at 210-220 it would have been better, that was a huge difference.'
India beat South Africa by seven wickets on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in the T20 series after their bowlers skittled the tourists for 117, with Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh's performance setting up the platform for a dominant win for the hosts in Dharamsala.
'Though I would like to see him in the playing XI, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will open the batting for the team.'
'Shubh Aarambh': From Fazilka to Leeds, journey of passionate dad and willing son
Indian cricketers, including Test skipper Shubman Gill and ODI captain Rohit Sharma, have cleared the pre-season fitness test which was conducted at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Anukul Roy, the Jharkhand all-rounder, has become a key player for Kolkata Knight Riders with his disciplined left-arm spin. He now seeks a more significant role with the bat, aiming to contribute more in the middle order and replicate his domestic success in the T20 league.
He is the first Indian to achieve the feat of scoring a century in all three formats in international cricket at a single venue.
A recap of the action of the fifth week of IPL 2026.
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.
Mitchell, who was instrumental in New Zealand's historic ODI series win over India on January 18, is the new World No 1 batter in ODIs.
Gill exhibited some solid defence and handled his bat with comfort as he faced pace and spin.
The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League gets underway in Bengaluru on Saturday, a touch lighter on overseas firepower but buoyed by a confirmation of its robust financial health this week.
India will kickstart their campaign on September 10 against the UAE. Media reports suggest that Gill could make his return to the T20I team, possibly as vice-captain.
When Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill bat together at the top of the order, they put smiles on the faces of everyone and are learning the different facets of dealing with various match situations in the shortest format, skipper Suryakumar Yadav said after his team won the five-match T20I series against Australia on Saturday.
India captain Rohit Sharma moved up two places to third in the latest ICC ODI batter rankings following his stellar performance in the Champions Trophy final, while teammate Shubman Gill held on to the top spot.
Woakes came out with his left hand wrapped in a sling and tucked inside his sweater at the fall of the penultimate wicket with the fifth Test - which India won narrowly - tantalisingly placed.
In the bowling rankings, Keshav Maharaj and Matt Henry have broken into the top five
'Shubman Gill is a great thinker and player, but man management will be key to his leadership success.'
Fans also took to X, calling for Head Coach Gambhir's sacking.
Gambhir didn't name him 'most stylish'. Instead, he chose Shubman Gill for that tag
Former India cricketer Arun Lal believes captain Shubman Gill's patience and self-assurance are rubbing off on the group.
Rashid Khan says the pressure of performance in IPL is more than the World Cup and Shubman Gill as the leader of Gujarat Titans has a great opportunity to take bold decisions to prove his credentials as a great captain.
Calling it the formal start of Gill's era, Chopra also wondered what the change means for Rohit Sharma, whose place in India's long-term plans could now depend solely on form and fitness.
KL Rahul and Shubman Gill stood tall, not with fireworks, but with grit and grace, forging a 174-run stand that reminded fans of the game's old soul - and drew admiration from the likes of Sanjay Manjrekar.
Shubman Gill is a 'thinking cricketer' but it is difficult to predict whether he would be able to replicate his T20 captaincy success in the Test format, said Gujarat Titans assistant coach Ashish Kapoor.
Suryakumar Yadav's poor run of form over the last 18 months has surprised Australian great Ricky Ponting, who believes the Indian skipper should think about scoring runs and not getting out in the lead up to the T20 World Cup.
'In-flight charcha with our Captain and Vice-Captain Sahab!. PS: We'll be reminding Shubman about your bat, Rashid Bhai!' GT captioned the video.
Rishabh Pant discusses his decision to open for Delhi Capitals, his run-out, and the team's strategy after their defeat to Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League.
Maybe Shubman Gill didn't want Shardul Thakur , wanted Kuldeep Yadav: Sunil Gavaskar questions captain's say in XI
IPL 2026 Week 6 featured Rohit Sharma's explosive return, Urvil Patel's record-equalling fifty, Finn Allen's maiden IPL ton and Rashid Khan's brilliant comeback spell.
