In a rare moment of candour, de Villiers admitted that Kohli had ignored him for months last year, after what he calls a "blunder" involving the Indian cricketer's private life.
India will miss Virat Kohli more than Rohit Sharma in the marquee Test series against England and the duo's recent retirement from the format will "hurt" the transitioning team's chances in the rubber starting on Friday, reckons the legendary Geoffrey Boycott.
The 33-year-old Stokes had surgery on his left hamstring in December after suffering a tear during the third Test against New Zealand, which ruled him out of action for a prolonged period.
Pakistan have made four changes to the side for the second Test against England after resting senior cricketers including former captain Babar Azam from the rest of the series.
England Test captain Ben Stokes hopes he can become a dominant force with both bat and ball again when the all-rounder returns from hamstring surgery.
India's young guns have the talent to achieve something special in the upcoming England Test series, provided they back themselves, said former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers in Mumbai on Saturday.
Karun Nair stroked a magnificent century to power India A to 409/3 on Day 1 of the four-day unofficial Test against England Lions.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the first Test against England?
Test cricket would have been a "far blander place" without Kohli: Vaughan
England tested him like no other place - from exposing his raw edges in 2014 to witnessing his peak in 2018, and finally revealing his human side in 2021.
As Jaiswal trudged back to the dugout, Maddie, who is in India to support him during the tournament, was spotted with her face in her hands.
'At this stage, I want a senior cricketer to take up the captaincy and see the Indian team through this transition phase.'
All eyes will be on Captain Shubman Gill and Coach Gautam Gambhir to lead the Indian Test team into a bold new era.
Axar Patel made an expected comeback to the side for the first two Tests against England.
Charismatic England batter Joe Root has advocated consistency to counter India in the upcoming five-Test series, saying "there's no hiding place" when it comes to facing such an indomitable opponent.
'Ben Stokes is one of the best captains I've ever seen. So it would be stupid not to look at him.'
Fast bowlers Lutho Sipamla and Hardus Vijoen ripped through the Sunrisers Eastern Cape batting line-up to power Joburg Super Kings to a dominant nine-wicket bonus point victory.
Bumrah's exclusion wasn't solely about workload management-his leadership potential played a crucial role in the decision. The BCCI has all but finalised him as India's next Test captain.
England star batsman Joe Root has expressed his confidence in the team's approach under coach Brendon McCullum, saying the 'Bazball' philosophy perfectly complements the players' skills. Root, returning to England's ODI setup for the series against India, sees endless possibilities for the team under McCullum's guidance. He highlighted the exciting blend of skills within the squad and believes this team has the potential to achieve great things.
Virat Kohli's career was hanging by a thread after a disappointing showing with the bat in Australia.
Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane along with the uncapped duo of Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan are in the running for a place in the Indian Test team.
England Test captain Ben Stokes will be sidelined for at least three months
'If you end up finding yourself in the position where you happen to be in that World Test Championship final, then it is great, but it is a real weird one knowing that you are playing for something over a long period of time.'
'I've been a firm believer in that if you want Test cricket to survive and be alive and thriving, I think that's the way to go.'
Pacer Prasidh Krishna picks up injury during Ranji match
Ramiz Raja backed Babar Azam to come good in red-ball cricket, saying that he needs to show the world through his temperament that he is like the West Indies batting legend Vivian Richards.
Top-seeded Diana Shnaider breezed past Australia's Priscilla Hon 6-4, 6-1 to reach the quarterfinal round at the Hong Kong Tennis Open on Wednesday.
'I want to be wearing this England shirt for as long as I can.'
England all-rounder Moeen Ali said he has closed the door on a return to Test cricket after having an "honest" conversation with coach Brendon McCullum.
Mohammed Shami said his prime focus is to achieve optimum fitness keeping in mind the upcoming five-match Test series against England.
Shaheen Afridi has been left out of Pakistan's squad for a two-Test series in South Africa in a bid to keep him fresh for the Champions Trophy at home next year
England Test captain Ben Stokes has welcomed coach Brendon McCullum being given additional charge of the country's limited-overs sides.
Jos Buttler will however lead England's T20 side against West Indies.
With 765 international scalps in his bag, Ashwin is the second-highest wicket-taker from India after Anil Kumble.
McCullum replaced Chris Silverwood who left the role in February
'There is nothing I can really do on my right side'
Wood, who has taken 119 wickets in 37 Tests, will miss England's Test tours of Pakistan in October and New Zealand in December, the ECB said in a statement.
Former captain Babar Azam, pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah returned to the Pakistan team for the upcoming white-ball series in Australia.
2024 saw some of the most competitive and captivating cricket being played on the field.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday said that South African Gary Kirsten ended his tenure as Pakistan white-ball head coach as he made "some breaches" of his contract with the Board.
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