Test call-up reward for his performance: Jagadeesan's coach
Jagadeesan has been rewarded for his consistent performances in the last two seasons for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy, where he top-scored for his side. In the 2023/24 season, he made 816 runs at 74.18 with a high score of 321. In the 2024/25 Ranji season, he made 674 runs at 56.16. Jagadeeasan's personal coach AG Guruswamy, a highly respected figure in Tamil Nadu cricketing circles, is all the more pleased that his protege will be going to England. "Very happy that Jagadeesan has been called by the Indian team management for the last Test as a back up for injured Pant. He has been working hard all these years and in the last two years, he has done extremely well for Tamil Nadu in both white-ball and red-ball cricket. He deserves the call-up,'' said Guruswamy.
What paved the way for Jagadeesan all up was the fact that the current India team management wanted a wicketkeeper who can bat. "Maybe that his batting is a bonus and that paved the way for his call-up. But let's not forget he has also been brilliant behind the wickets. He has been constantly working on his wicket keeping skill sets and has always shown the attitude to put extra effort in practice sessions to polish his game," said Gurusamy. "Jags is mentally very strong. In the last couple of years he has also worked on the mental aspect of the game. He is calm, cool and precise in his approach to the game, thus he can handle pressure. For the last ten days he has been practicing in Coimbatore for his club games. So should he get an opportunity to play for India, I am sure he will excel and not be rusty. Plus, skill-wise, he is good. Because you see, he has been brought up on matting wickets. Backfoot play will be very good for players who play on matting wickets. He will be able to handle the bounce better,'' he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Rohit Sharma's wake-up call sparked Yashasvi Jaiswal's Mumbai U-turn in a month: ‘You must not forget…'
Just a month after deciding to move to Goa for the 2025–26 domestic season—a decision that reportedly left the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) 'surprised'—Yashasvi Jaiswal made a U-turn. He had initially approached the MCA in April, seeking a no-objection certificate (NOC) to facilitate the switch, but soon requested to continue playing for Mumbai. The reversal, it turns out, was influenced by India ODI captain Rohit Sharma. Yashasvi Jaiswal's Mumbai U-turn was influenced by India ODI captain Rohit Sharma.(AP) MCA president Ajinkya Naik, speaking to the Times of India, revealed that Rohit had personally advised Jaiswal to stay with Mumbai, reminding him of the platform the team had provided. 'Rohit asked Yashasvi to stay on in Mumbai at this stage of his career. He explained that there is a lot of pride and prestige in playing for Mumbai, which has won the Ranji Trophy a record 42 times. Rohit also told him to remember that it was because of Mumbai cricket he got a platform to play for India and that he should be grateful,' Naik said. ALSO READ: Dravid, Shastri identified Easwaran as Pujara's Test heir, but...: Father alleges BCCI's IPL bias cost him India cap Naik added that Jaiswal also consulted with other stalwarts of Mumbai cricket before emailing the MCA to withdraw his NOC application. The association approved his request. Jaiswal shares a strong rapport with Rohit, with the two having formed a successful opening pair in Test cricket until Rohit retired from the format in May 2025. Rohit was recently spotted on Day 3 of the final Test against England at The Oval, where Jaiswal had scored a century. After the match, the 23-year-old revealed a brief chat with Rohit during the game: 'I saw Rohit bhai and said hi. He gave me the message to keep playing,' Jaiswal told reporters. Jaiswal also spoke about the influence of senior players like Rohit and Virat Kohli on his game: 'I think that's how you need to plan your game—your innings—knowing where your shots are and where the runs will come from. Playing with Rohit bhai, Virat bhai has helped me grow as a person. Seeing what they've done in Test cricket and how they prepare has been a huge learning,' he added.
India Today
2 minutes ago
- India Today
England not in favour of two-tier World Test Championship and their reason is bizarre
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Richard Thompson has voiced his opposition to the proposed two-tier structure in Test cricket, expressing concerns that relegation could prevent England from competing regularly against top sides such as India and Australia. The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to make a decision soon on whether to adopt a two-tier format for the World Test Championship (WTC).advertisementEngland's long-standing rivalry with Australia remains one of cricket's most iconic contests, and recent Ashes series have delivered substantial financial returns for both nations. The 2023 Ashes, hosted in England, drew some of the largest crowds in recent memory, with gripping on-field action capturing the imagination of recently, England played host to India in a thrilling five-Test series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. All five matches went the full distance, with the final Test at The Oval reaching Day 5. Despite the absence of marquee Indian players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the series was a commercial and broadcasting success, with stadiums packed throughout and a young Indian side led by Shubman Gill fighting valiantly to draw the series 2-2. "There's a lot of options that we've got to look at - tiers would be one of them," Richard Thompson told BBC Test Match Special."We wouldn't want, as England, if we go through a fallow period, to fall into Division Two and not play Australia or India. That simply couldn't happen. Common sense needs to prevail."Thompson instead called for improvements in scheduling bilateral Test series to enhance the competitive balance and overall structure of the WTC, suggesting that a two-tier model might not be the optimal solution."The reality is, if the World Test Championship is improved upon and certain changes are made, perhaps you don't need two tiers of Test cricket. What's essential is a schedule that makes more sense than the current one. That includes better balance between white-ball and red-ball cricket, and acknowledging the upcoming challenge of the Olympics from 2028 onwards."So what happens in 2028, when we have an Olympics and our best eleven cricketers are expected to be in Los Angeles for two weeks in mid-July? That's going to create serious complications."To date, nine teams have featured in the first three cycles of the WTC. If the two-tier system is approved, the WTC will expand to 12 teams, divided into two groups of the WTC has brought added significance to bilateral series, many have raised concerns over the uneven distribution of fixtures, particularly the dominance of the so-called 'Big Three' - England, India, and Australia - who play the lion's share of high-profile July 2025, the ICC formed an eight-member working group to assess the feasibility of introducing a two-tier WTC. The committee is headed by ICC's newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Sanjog Gupta and was formed during the ICC's annual general meeting in Singapore, which was presided over by Chair Jay Shah. ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould and Cricket Australia's CEO Todd Greenberg are also part of the IN FAVOUR?Greenberg recently stated he was open to the idea - but only if it added meaningful development to global Test cricket."My open mind refers to whether it helps grow opportunities for other nations to become stronger and better resourced in Test match cricket. If it achieves that, then I'm open to it," Greenberg told SEN Radio on Wednesday, 6 August."But if it fails to achieve that and instead has the opposite effect, then I wouldn't support it."Any changes to the format of the WTC would only come into effect for the 2027-2029 cycle. The 2025-2027 cycle has already begun, with bilateral series agreed under the current ICC Future Tours Programme. However, the ICC is expected to arrive at a decision promptly, with media rights for the 2027-2031 cycle scheduled to go on sale next year.- EndsYou May Also Like
Economic Times
2 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Indian Super League owner swings to profit in FY25 even as 2025–26 season remains in limbo
Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the JioStar subsidiary that owns and operates the Indian Super League (ISL), reported a sharp financial turnaround in FY 2024–25, posting a net profit of ₹45.2 crore. The company had reported a loss of ₹14.3 crore in the previous reversal was underpinned by a 39% increase in revenue from operations, which rose to ₹492.2 crore from ₹355 crore in FY24. Total income climbed to ₹508 crore, while expenses were tightly controlled at ₹462 crore, resulting in a profitable bottom line, as the company has been racking up losses since inception. In 2023, FSDL had signed Viacom18 Media, now part of JioStar, as the new home of Indian football for the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons at a base price of ₹550 crore for the two-year media rights deal. The turnaround comes even as the future of the ISL remains uncertain beyond 2025, with the 2025–26 season placed on hold amid an unresolved commercial dispute between FSDL and the All India Football Federation (AIFF). As reported by ET on July 12, the disagreement stems from the impending expiration of their current agreement on December 8. The ISL, launched in 2014 and sanctioned by the AIFF, is India's top-tier football league. Organised by FSDL under a franchise model with 12 teams, the league typically runs from September to April. In a recent communication to clubs, FSDL said it was unable to proceed with planning or commercialising the 2025–26 season due to the lack of clarity over the Master Rights Agreement (MRA), which expires in December, roughly a third of the way into the league's usual season.'While discussions between FSDL and AIFF on the potential renewal of the MRA were initiated several months ago, they remain inconclusive at this time,' the company said in its note. 'In the absence of a confirmed contractual framework beyond December, we find ourselves unable to effectively plan, organise, or commercialise the 2025–26 ISL season.'The company has reportedly proposed a new governance structure for the ISL via a holding company jointly owned by ISL clubs (60 percent), FSDL (26 percent), and AIFF (14 percent). However, the federation has demanded an all-cash agreement worth ₹50 crore annually with a 5 percent annual escalation, leading to a AIFF, in a statement, said it began formal renewal talks with FSDL on November 21, 2024, and held meetings in New Delhi and Mumbai in February and March, respectively. FSDL submitted a renewal proposal on March 5, to which the federation responded with a counteroffer on April the process stalled after the Supreme Court, during a hearing on April 26, observed that the renewal should not proceed until further orders. On legal advice, both parties have paused negotiations pending further instructions from the court.'The AIFF is conscious of the importance of the ISL not only to the football structure in the country but also to all the clubs, players, support staff, officials, and fans, and recognises the challenges and difficulties posed due to its disruption,' the federation said. 'At the same time, AIFF respects the law of the land and the direction of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India.' Back in 2010, AIFF had signed a ₹700 crore, 15-year commercial agreement with IMG-Reliance (now Rise Worldwide), which was, at the time, among the most lucrative deals in Indian sport. Rise Worldwide continues to support FSDL commercially. ISL club owners include some of India's most prominent corporates and individuals. Mohun Bagan Super Giant is backed by the RPSG Group (Sanjiv Goenka), Bengaluru FC by the JSW Group (Parth Jindal), Chennaiyin FC by Vita Dani, Abhishek Bachchan, and MS Dhoni, and East Bengal FC by the Emami Group and East Bengal Club. Other clubs include FC Goa (Jaydev Mody, Akshay Tandon, and Virat Kohli as a stakeholder), Hyderabad FC (BC Jindal Group), Jamshedpur FC (Tata Steel), Kerala Blasters FC (Magnum Sports, Nimmagadda Prasad), Mumbai City FC (City Football Group, with Ranbir Kapoor and Bimal Parekh), NorthEast United FC (John Abraham), Odisha FC (GMS Inc., Dr. Anil Sharma), and Punjab FC (RoundGlass Sports, Sunny "Gurpreet" Singh).
