Former spinner Amit Mishra backed the inclusion of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to in the 2027 ODI World Cup, saying that there is no one better in the team who can handle pressure better than the legendary duo.
The Indian cricket fraternity shared their views on India's T20I World Cup squad, which threw up several surprises with the return of Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan, while Jitesh Sharma missed out and Shubman Gill was dropped.
Samson tried to whip Donovan Ferreira down the ground but the ball hit umpire Rohan Pandit on the shin and he required medical assistance before he was able to continue.
The pitch, left unwatered for nearly a week, appeared dry and brown with faint traces of grass, conditions that could bring reverse swing and variable bounce into play later in the match.
Gill stretchered out with neck injury; ''just bad timing'', says Morne Morkel
The team's balance puzzle once again took centre stage on Tuesday night, even as individual performances from the ongoing series highlighted why leaving either out is a tough ask.
The charismatic presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma alongside a host of top India cricketers lends unprecedented gravitas to the Vijay Hazare One-Day Trophy beginning on Wednesday, giving all of them a chance to prove a point amid a renewed focus on domestic grind.
'We have to show consistency and move forward with the current combination.'
India can draw inspiration from their stunning comeback in the 2016 Chennai Test against England when they triumphed despite conceding 400-plus in the first innings.
Ishan Kishan's return to the Indian T20 setup is a story of timing, perseverance and a domestic season that selectors simply could not overlook.
'I definitely believe the kind of form he is in, the way he is batting, it will strengthen the Indian batting line-up.'
Virat Kohli moved up to No. 4 in the latest ICC rankings with a match-winning hundred against South Africa in the first ODI at Ranchi boosting his ascend.
Virat Kohli arrived in Ranchi ahead of the first One-Day International against South Africa on Wednesday morning.
Rishabh Pant's 'chaotic' leadership style and batting might be the wildcard India need to level the Test series against South Africa, former cricketer Jonty Rhodes said on Friday.
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.
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.
Ahead of the fourth T20I at Carrara Oval in Queensland, Coach Gautam Gambhir was spotted in a long conversation with Shubman Gill during India's training session.
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.
Hardik Pandya marked his return to the Indian team from a two-month injury layoff with a match-winning half-century.
Shubman Gill's fate wasn't actually sealed on Saturday when BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announced the squad for the T20 World Cup but when the fourth T20 International was called off on Wednesday due to thick smog.
'Jitesh Sharma has shown he is quite a capable player. He can bat lower down the order and look to hit the big shots even with a slightly older ball.'
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.
India great Virat Kohli continued his push to regain his place as the best ODI batter while moving up to the second spot in the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday.
In the chase, India lost Shubman Gill for a golden duck, while Marco Jansen got rid of Abhishek Sharma and India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, before Baartman broke the 35-run stand between Axar Patel and Varma.
'In Shubman's leadership, there is either "Yes" or "No". There is no place for "May Be". As a leader and captain, you need to have that assertiveness about decisions you take, and he definitely has that.'
2025 will go down as one of the most unsettling chapters in Indian cricket -- not merely because of who retired, but because of how and when it happened.
Abhishek, who made his international debut last year, had an incredible Asia Cup campaign, amassing 314 runs at an average of 44.85 in six outings.
At this moment, the Indian think tank is doing a tough balancing act of building the team around a new set of players without completely cutting ties with the old guard.
Skipper Shubman Gill acknowledged that the choice between a spinner and an extra seamer for the first Test against South Africa is nothing short of a "conflict".
The focus is to bring momentum back into the Indian dressing room: Morne Morkel
The 26 year old rued the dropped catches, which ultimately cost India the match and the series.
Shubman Gill's form in the series is a concern for India as he has now gone six games without a half-century.
The Proteas arrive high on confidence, having fought out a hard-earned 1-1 draw in Pakistan last month under challenging conditions.
MCG to Barsapara: Gambhir and Pant might be feeling a sense of deja vu
Rana and Sundar also spoke of their respective spells and how they helped India script victory in Sydney.
Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh expressed disappointment at the loss but praised India's all-round performance.
Intent does not always translate immediately into numbers, and effort however sincere needs to find expression in runs, especially with a World Cup drawing closer.
'His point was that if you need workload management, then skip the IPL.'
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.
The collapse, India's lowest failed chase at home, has left behind deeper fault lines than a dry Eden Gardens wicket can conceal.
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