Shivam Dube remains a vital cog in India's T20 set-up and bowling coach Morne Morkel wants the Mumbai all-rounder to step up as a back-up medium pacer ahead of the T20 World Cup, in line with head coach Gautam Gambhir's philosophy of packing the XI with multi-skilled cricketers.
Gill's highest score in the three Asia Cup matches has been an unbeaten 20 with the Test skipper failing to click in the games against Pakistan and Oman after a fruitful red-ball away series against England.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav made optimal use of available resources in both departments as India did enough to beat a spirited Oman by 21 runs to end their league stage commitments in Asia Cup with a hat-trick of victories.
'Though I would like to see him in the playing XI, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will open the batting for the team.'
To defend their Asia Cup title, India must improve catching and find a steady middle order. Friday's dead rubber is a good chance to try these out.
Against Bangladesh, Samson wasn't even considered good enough to come inside the top seven of the line-up and that begs a question as to what is he doing in the team if he isn't good enough to come ahead of Axar Patel.
Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
India's mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy has dropped one place to third spot in the ICC men's T20 bowling rankings, while Hardik Pandya continues to top the all-rounders' chart issued on Wednesday.
The likes of Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel would all like to get some decent hit out there in the middle ahead of Sunday's clash against Pakistan.
India's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup signals a bold new era, with seven fresh faces ready to debut on the continental stage.
Folks who had previously mocked Gambhir on social media suddenly acknowledged his foresight. Some even apologised for doubting him, flooding SM with praise and memes celebrating his 'KKR quota' selections.
Unless a player picks up an injury in training, India's team is expected to wear the same look against a Pakistan squad that are without top stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, lending it a look of youth and experience.
The inclusion of Gill in the squad has raised doubts in the minds of management about who will open the innings for their side, along with left-hand batter Abhishek, in the tournament.
The BCCI press conference scheduled at 1.30pm in Mumbai is 'expected to be delayed owing to weather disruptions'.
Just hours after being named to India's Champions Trophy squad, mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been sidelined with a calf injury.
Abhishek Sharma was brutal and beautiful in equal measure during his scintillating 74 as India made a tricky chase look comfortable, winning an ill-tempered Super 4 contest of the Asia Cup against Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday.
Shubman Gill enjoyed a phenomenal run with the bat in England, piling up 754 runs at an average of 75.40 with four centuries.
Riyan Parag's 2023 tweet predicting he would hit '4 sixes in an over' resurfaced, sparking a viral frenzy online.
The unexpected 10-day break has left both the RCB and the KKR with different goals to achieve and common challenges to hurdle over.
'After I am done with cricket, my first goal is to direct a movie.'
Shubman Gill is the flavour of the season after his stupendous show in the recent Test series against England but he will face a contender in Axar Patel for vice-captaincy
Having lost the third ODI to Sri Lanka, Shikhar Dhawan's men will be looking to go one better against Sri Lanka with a T20 team that is ahead in almost all departments.
After his forgettable 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, Varun Chakravarthy spent three years on the sidelines.
Except in the IPL, the Australians have not had a good look at Varun Chakravarthy's bowling and that could spell trouble for Steve Smith and Co.
Mohammed Shami, who has been out of action since IPL 2025 and is not part of India's ongoing Test tour of England, was named in Bengal's 50-member list of probables for the upcoming domestic season.
Kolkata Knight Riders batter Quinton de Kock says having former Chennai Super Kings players Ajinkya Rahane and Moeen Ali in their ranks gave them key insights into the Chepauk conditions, which prompted the decision to field an extra spinner, a move that proved crucial in their eight-wicket win in the IPL match in Chennai on Friday.
Varun Chakravarthy is the second oldest debutant for India in One-Day Internationals after Farokh Engineer.
The BCCI shared a video on their X handle capturing the players' arrival, showcasing their excitement for the match.
Despite outstanding performances in the IPL and on the international stage, several big names failed to make the cut.
Ravichandran Ashwin's tactical foresight proved spot on as mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy dismissed the dangerous Travis Head early in India's Champions Trophy semifinal against Australia.
Kolkata Knight Riders will have little motivation left when they take on also ousted Sunrisers Hyderabad in an inconsequential IPL game in New Delhi on Sunday.
Shreyas Iyer had led KKR to their first IPL title in a decade last year. However, on Saturday, he returns as captain of a rejuvenated Punjab Kings chasing a play-off spot.
If Punjab goes for a flat deck, there is no guarantee that the bowling unit can defend anything in the 220 range, especially when KKR have the likes of Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, and Venkatesh Iyer in their ranks.
Thrown into the spotlight in just his second ODI, Varun Chakaravarthy made the opportunity count in spectacular fashion.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy justified his selection with a five-wicket haul and bowled India to a 44-run victory against New Zealand.
The common theme in their opening game defeats was how the seemingly powerful batting and bowling units of KKR and RR failed to fire.
The common theme in those defeats was how the seemingly powerful batting and bowling units of KKR and RR failed to fire.
How well will Shubman Gill fit in the T20 team? Is it a gamble by the selectors in order to unite captaincy across formats? asks Harish Kotian.
Tamilians and Keralites believe he is one of them, and people from Karnataka also consider him their hero.
Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Moeen Ali said he dominated Rajasthan Royals batters by thinking like one.
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