Abhishek notched his third successive fifty in the tournament with a fluent knock which came at a staggering strike rate of 196.77, containing eight fours and two sixes.
'...If Shubman Gill had that kind of a fiery side to him, we would have seen it a little earlier. You don't have to show it when you're the captain.
Kohli is struggling for big runs of late and his last Test century was against the West Indies at Port of Spain in July 2023.
India ODI skipper Rohit Sharma made an unexpected appearance at the Kennington Oval to enjoy the live action on Saturday.
However, if aggression was the buzzword during the Australia Tests, the Kohli that was on show against Pakistan was a different version, a restrained one, and if one may say, after the Border-Gavaskar series, possibly a more matured one.
Shubman Gill was inspirational both as a batter and skipper, as he led from the front with four hundreds amassing 754 runs in the five-match Test series in England.
Although he termed it as Indian team's internal matter, Cummins was a touch surprised with Rohit Sharma's decision to drop himself from the playing eleven on account of poor form.
This will be Virat Kohli's first Ranji Trophy match in 12 years.
After a brilliant 269 in 387 balls in the first innings, Gill was dismissed for an entertaining 161 off 162 balls with 13 fours and 8 sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 99.38.
Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar decoded the dismissal of Rohit Sharma and identified that aggression, a forte of the veteran swashbuckler, was his undoing in the first ODI against Australia in Perth at the Optus Stadium on Sunday.
You need to understand there is so much to do in life besides what you do professionally: Rohit
Yashasvi Jaiswal's run out will be huge in the broader context of the fourth Test match against India as it also affected Virat Kohli's concentration
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has backed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to bounce back in the Champions Trophy, expressing confidence in their ability to lead India to success.
Royal Challengers Bangalor will attempt to break a 17-year jinx at the Chepauk stadium when they face Chennai Super Kings in the IPL match on Friday.
Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth feels Test skipper Virat Kohli will turn out to be one of the best leaders ever for the cricket team, given his "adaptability skills". "Adaptability skills which Virat has are fantastic. You see Virat Kohli's game approach, he adapts beautifully in all the three formats. As a cricketer if you want to be a complete cricketer, you need adaptability skills and that is what cricket teaches you," Srikkanth said at a public event. The former chairman of selectors also appreciated Kohli for his "never-give up attitude".
The tournament had been fraught with tension from the very start, and the animosity carried into the final, which India won by five wickets on a rather long Sunday night.
'Players can apply for permission if they want their families to stay longer on tours.' 'The BCCI will make a decision as it sees fit.'
It was a surreal feeling for Nehal Wadhera when he found out that Virat Kohli knew him by his first name.
Brett Lee compared Gill's captaincy style to that of Australian legends Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh, highlighting his ability to command respect and stand firm in challenging moments.
The India skipper will be eyeing the great Don Bradman's 88-year-old record for most runs by a captain in a Test series.
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.
Earlier in the day, B Sai Sudharsan has etched his name in Indian cricket history by making his Test debut on June 20.
Reflecting on RCB's disastrous first half of the tournament, star batter Virat Kohli admitted he had his 'bags packed in April' itself.
Mighty impressed with Shubman Gill's footwork in difficult English conditions, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly is expecting the young skipper to score truckloads of runs in away conditions
Gill's recall would mark his first T20I appearance since the Sri Lanka series in July 2024, right after the T20 World Cup, where he didn't feature.
The Bellerive Oval is one ground where the side boundaries are smaller in size, hence hitting the right lengths would be paramount considering anything short would be flying over cover, point, square leg or mid-wicket on either side of the fence.
This season, Rohit has scored 158 runs in seven innings at an average of 26.33, with a strike rate of 154.90, with a fifty to his name.
Kohli follows Rohit into retirement: Can Next Gen stars emulate India's batting luminaries?
Virat Kohli began training with the Delhi team on Tuesday ahead of his eagerly-awaited Ranji Trophy comeback after a 12-year gap.
Ashwin said Kohli only expressed his opinion that the WTC final should be a best of three series but never demanded the format to be changed.
"I will be walking out with you to bat at the MCG," R Ashwin told Virat Kohli in a short note on X Friday, a subtle and endearing demonstration of their closeness in the team.
Playing his 32nd Test, he showed no signs of nervousness and batted with his signature effortless ease.
Virat Kohli has the skill to score runs at a much better strike-rate like any young T20 star but RCB's team composition is such that he needs to adopt a risk-free approach.
Australia held their nerve in a tense chase, edging past India by two wickets to seal the series 2-0 despite a late fightback from the visitors on Thursday in Adelaide.
India is facing form concerns and selection dilemmas as they enter the final phase of their Champions Trophy preparations.
'There is no particular style that I have to follow. I have played so much cricket so far and everyone knows my style of playing.'
With the departure of seniors Rohit Sharma and Kohli from the T20 International scene, workload management of someone like Jasprit Bumrah assumes greater significance, Gambhir said.
Shubman Gill etched his name in the record books after becoming only the third captain in the history of Test cricket to score four centuries in a series.
Virat Kohli was not extended any special treatment, asserted India great Sunil Gavaskar, but some former Australia players felt the batting superstar got away lightly for his physical altercation with debutant Sam Konstas in the ongoing Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Virat Kohli, struggling for form, will be playing in Delhi's last league game against Railways at the Kotla from January 30.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances