logo
'Fragile' Nair, Sudharsan only red flags for Ganguly, ex-BCCI chief wants Gambhir to place his bets on uncapped batter

'Fragile' Nair, Sudharsan only red flags for Ganguly, ex-BCCI chief wants Gambhir to place his bets on uncapped batter

Hindustan Times5 days ago
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was impressed with the batting performance in the recently concluded Test series against England, but flagged one major concern — the No. 3 spot. Ganguly indicated he wasn't satisfied with how Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan handled the role, and urged head coach Gautam Gambhir to back uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran for the position, with India set to face the West Indies in a two-match Test series in October. Sourav Ganguly had his say on the No. 3 batting spot in Indian Test line-up
During the England series, captain Shubman Gill moved to No. 4 to fill the void left by Virat Kohli's retirement, leaving No. 3 up for grabs. India tested two options, but neither impressed. Sudharsan scored 140 runs at 23.33 in six innings, with one fifty, while Nair managed 111 runs at 27.75 in four innings, without a half-century.
Speaking to The Times of India, Ganguly said Easwaran, the only batter in the squad not to get a game in the series, deserves a chance at No. 3.
'He has age on his side. I still believe he will get his chance. I feel batters like Yashasvi, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja have all got runs. It's only the No. 3 slot that looked a bit fragile. Maybe Easwaran will be tried there,' Ganguly said.
Recently, Abhimanyu's father revealed that Gambhir has assured the Indian batter of a fair chance. The Bengal batter has been waiting to earn his debut cap for India since earning his first official call-up to the Indian squad in 2022.
"Gautam Gambhir, when he spoke to my son, he assured him see you you're doing the right kind of things you'll get your turn you'll get a long run. I'm not the one who will push you out after one or two matches. I'll give you a long rope. That's what my son communicated to me. The entire coaching team assured him that he'll get his due, he'll get his long run. That's the best I can say. My son is waiting for 4 years, He's put in 23 years of hard work," Ranganathan Easwaran said in an interview with Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel.
Abhimanyu will next be seen in action in the Duleep Trophy, where he will lead the East Zone side. The domestic tournament will offer him a shot at proving himself for the West Indies series.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Shubman Gill unlikely for Asia Cup squad as Ajit Agarkar all set to reward Shreyas Iyer: Report
Shubman Gill unlikely for Asia Cup squad as Ajit Agarkar all set to reward Shreyas Iyer: Report

Hindustan Times

time7 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Shubman Gill unlikely for Asia Cup squad as Ajit Agarkar all set to reward Shreyas Iyer: Report

Ajit Agarkar and the rest of the All India Men's Senior Selection Committee will convene on Tuesday, August 19, to pick the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. Suryakumar Yadav has cleared the fitness Test and is all set to lead India in the eight-team tournament, beginning September 9. There are several major decisions in front of the selectors. However, the biggest question is whether there can be a place for Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The selectors will pick the Asia Cup squad on Tuesday, August 19. (AFP) Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have made the most of their chances in the shortest format. Hence, there are no grounds for dropping them. However, Shubman Gill (Test captain) and Jaiswal are two of the biggest names in Indian cricket right now. Hence, it needs to be seen whether the selectors are willing to take a brave call and keep the duo out for now. According to a report in Sportstar, the selectors are all set to make a bold call and leave Gill and Jaiswal out of the squad for the Asia Cup. Ajit Agarkar is all set to retain the core group that has excelled under Gambhir in T20Is recently. The Asia Cup ends on September 28, and the first Test against the West Indies begins on October 2. Considering the turnaround period, the selectors are likely to keep Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal fresh for the red-ball assignments. The same report states that Shreyas Iyer and Jitesh Sharma are likely to earn call-ups into the Asia Cup squad. In IPL 2025, Jitesh Sharma impressed one and all with his big-hitting exploits for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who won their maiden title. Also Read: Shubman Gill for Asia Cup may look tempting, but it could severely backfire on Team India in more ways than one Shreyas Iyer led Punjab Kings to the IPL final, but they fell short against RCB in the summit clash. Neither Jitesh nor Shreyas has played in T20Is since Gautam Gambhir took over as the head coach. Shreyas last played a T20I in December 2023, while Jitesh made his last appearance in January 2024. Why pick Shreyas Iyer? According to the report, the selectors want an experienced middle-order batter in the conditions of the UAE for the Asia Cup. Hence, Shreyas Iyer is all but set to be picked. It must be mentioned that the right-handed batter played a crucial role in the UAE in the Champions Trophy 2025, which India eventually won after beating New Zealand in the summit clash. If Shreyas is indeed picked, then one between Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh might have to be dropped. Both Dube and Rinku were part of India's squad for the five-match T20I series against England in January 2025. Suryakumar Yadav will be attending the selection meeting for the Asia Cup. The tournament will begin on September 9 with India playing their first match on September 10 against the UAE. India are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, UAE and Oman.

India's golden arm Neeraj Chopra qualifies for Diamond League 2025 Final in Zurich despite skipping Silesia leg
India's golden arm Neeraj Chopra qualifies for Diamond League 2025 Final in Zurich despite skipping Silesia leg

Time of India

time16 minutes ago

  • Time of India

India's golden arm Neeraj Chopra qualifies for Diamond League 2025 Final in Zurich despite skipping Silesia leg

Neeraj Chopra (PTI Photo) Neeraj Chopra has secured his position in the men's javelin throw event at the Diamond League 2025 Final in Zurich, Switzerland. This confirmation comes from the latest standings released after the Silesia leg on Saturday. Despite not participating in the Silesia Diamond League, Chopra's 15 points from two Diamond League appearances this season have guaranteed his spot in the finale. The championship-deciding men's javelin final is scheduled for August 28. The 27-year-old Indian athlete has demonstrated exceptional performance this year. He won the Paris leg with an 88.16m throw and achieved a national record of 90.23m in Doha, where he finished second to Germany's Julian Weber. Chopra and Weber are currently tied at 15 points in second place. Keshorn Walcott from Trinidad and Tobago leads the standings with 17 points from three events, including a second-place finish in Silesia with 82.54m. The Zurich final is likely to feature two-time world champion Anderson Peters and Brazil's Luiz Mauricio Da Silva among the competitors. Chopra, who won the Diamond League trophy in 2022 and was runner-up in 2023 and 2024, has not yet officially confirmed his participation in the Zurich Final. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem, the Paris 2024 Olympics gold medalist, has chosen not to participate in this year's Diamond League circuit. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!

Shardul Thakur Wants To 'Enhance Leadership Qualities' In Duleep Trophy
Shardul Thakur Wants To 'Enhance Leadership Qualities' In Duleep Trophy

News18

time17 minutes ago

  • News18

Shardul Thakur Wants To 'Enhance Leadership Qualities' In Duleep Trophy

Last Updated: Shardul Thakur will captain West Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2025, aiming to enhance his leadership skills. The tournament runs from Aug 28 to Sep 15, featuring four Indian squads. Ahead of the Duleep Trophy 2025 season, Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur shared his thoughts on the competition, stating that he would use this opportunity to express himself. The tournament, scheduled from August 28 to September 15, will kick off the Indian domestic season 2025-26. Last year, the format changed from its traditional zonal structure to featuring four different Indian squads, A, B, C, and D, selected by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Shardul, expressing his views on Revsportz, said, 'The Duleep Trophy is one tournament where a player gets rewarded for their performance in previous seasons, or rather, throughout the whole season. The top 15 players from each zone play in the tournament, and the competition again gets tougher and a level up from what you play at the state level, where there is a mix of strong and not-so-strong teams. Duleep Trophy, on the other hand, is a competition among equals, so I would like to use this opportunity to express myself and show my talent." Shardul Thakur will captain the West Zone in the 2025 Duleep Trophy season. Although he has never led in the first-class format, he captained Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, a one-day tournament, in December 2024. Discussing his role as captain, the 33-year-old player said, 'I've been given a role and I'm leading the West Zone. So, rather than a challenge, it's more like an experience for me on the personal front, to understand what qualities a leader should possess. I believe I have a few, but using this tournament, I would want to enhance my leadership qualities further. I understand that as a captain, I will have to be available for the players, sit and discuss bowling styles and fielding positions, strategies, etc. Looking forward to what's going to open up for me in this leadership journey." West Zone Duleep Trophy squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Aarya Desai, Manan Hingrajia, Harvik Desai, Saurabh Nawale, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Jaymeet Patel, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Shardul Thakur (c), Tushar Deshpande and Arzan Nagwaswalla. (With ANI Inputs) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store