With India set to name their T20 World Cup 2026 squad on Saturday in Mumbai, the spotlight has firmly shifted to Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav, whose recent struggles have turned the selection meeting into a high-stakes call.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is "ready to start" ahead of the first T20I against South Africa of the five-match series, which will take place on December 9.
Captain Shubman Gill backed veteran opener Rohit Sharma despite his below-par showing during India's 2-1 defeat in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand.
India all-rounder Washington Sundar suffered an injury scare and will undergo a scan after picking up a side strain during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday.
Dhruv Jurel on Sunday replaced an injured Rishabh Pant in India's ODI squad for the three-match series against New Zealand in Vadodara.
Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand after suffering a rib injury in the series opener in Vadodara.
While the first India vs New Zealand ODI will be played at Vadodara, the second match will get underway at Rajkot. The teams will face off for the final ODI of the series at Indore.
Opener Sanju Samson once again failed to get back among the runs, as he was dismissed for 24 from 15 balls in the fourth T20I against New Zealand.
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.
Pathan felt the same learning curve now applies to Gill, who has rapidly risen through the ranks and embraced leadership roles across formats.
Shubman Gill is set to make a comeback during the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting in Cuttack, on December 9.
Captain Shubman Gill will travel with the Indian team to Guwahati for second Test against South Africa, starting on Saturday, but his participation is still not confirmed.
Though Shubman Gill travelled with the Indian team to Guwahati on Wednesday, his injury is unlikely to heal in time ahead of the second Test, which begins on Saturday.
Senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma looked in good touch as India went through a rigorous training session in Vadodara on Friday, ahead of their three-match ODI series against New Zealand.
India's absolute dominance at home will come under examination when they meet a determined New Zealand in the decisive third ODI at the high-scoring Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, with the three-match series locked at 1-1.
Defending champions India look to do something they have never done in World Cups and retain the trophy.
Virat Kohli has reclaimed the top spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings for the first time in five years.
Former New Zealand player Ian Smith put down the Shubman Gill-led India's recent red ball struggles at home to their diminishing ability against spin.
'Gill is recovering really well, it's a speedy recovery.'
With the T20 World Cup less than two months away, India would want their captain Suryakumar Yadav to rediscover his rhythm sooner rather than later.
Virat Kohli's stroke-filled 91-ball 93 set up India's win in the series opener against New Zealand.
India begins their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA, aiming to leverage their strong team composition and recent form to secure a victory.
In the fifth T20I against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram, Ishan Kishan produced an innings that may well have changed the course of his career.
Pant cops blow during nets ahead of ODI series against New Zealand
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.
Even as the focus remains on the T20 World Cup which is less than a month away, Kohli and Rohit will hog the limelight in the three ODIs over the next seven days.
K L Rahul's unbeaten ton was eclipsed by Daryl Mitchell's splendid 131 not out as New Zealand levelled the three-match series 1-1 with a seven-wicket win in the second ODI.
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin hailed New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell as a "brainy cricketer" who is capable of making the best out of his limits as a player and someone who can give a franchise 400-500 runs batting at number three or four during a tournament.
"Gill should cement his place at the top order in T20": Irfan Pathan
Tilak Varma underwent emergency surgery in Rajkot after complaining of severe abdominal pain while playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Hyderabad.
Former India batter Robin Uthappa has flagged a lack of role clarity in India's batting approach during a big chase.
'You have a lot of options if you want to see. You can remove Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill and you can open with Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad...'
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.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan has rejected claims that batters have worked him out, saying consistent execution, not new variations, will define his impact at the upcoming T20 World Cup.
'He (Pandya) can command a spot in the top five on his batting alone. He could also be one of the top three seamers in any team if he was just a bowler.'
Yuvraj Singh was seen giving Sanju Samson some batting tips during a nets training, in a video posted on X.
'India never began well, and that's one of the main reasons they weren't able to chase these big scores,'
Shubman Gill's vulnerability to straight deliveries is an area of concern, former national batting coach Sanjay Bangar said on Wednesday.
MITCHELL AND PHILLIPS SAVE NZ This is the first time in 37 years that New Zealand have won an ODI series in India
Runs have dried up for Suryakumar, with his last T20I fifty coming back in October 2024. With the World Cup less than two months away, the pressure has begun to mount.
