No room for Kuldeep Yadav, Ranji star as Gautam Gambhir told to make bold Shubman Gill call in India XI vs England
The discussions around the potential playing XI has been mostly about the top-order combination, with senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma having retired from the format last month. Uthappa, speaking on Star Sports show 'Game Plan', said that he would want to stick with KL Rahul as an opener, after his century in the India A game recently, and have Gill pushed down to the No. 4 spot to make way for Sai Sudharsan at No. 3.
"For me, I want to start stronger right at the top, and I would want KL Rahul to open there. With the kind of success he has gotten there, with just the way he batted in Australia, and the way he has batted in the past in England augurs well for India to get him to open the batting," he said.
"At No. 3, I would love to see someone like Sai Sudharsan because of how technically right he is, and the potential he possesses as what we feel and believe he can do and achieve in Test cricket. No. 4, Shubman Gill for sure," Uthappa added.
Uthappa then added the returning Karun Nair, who scored a double century in the first India A earlier this month, at No. 5. In the battle between the two all-rounders, he snubbed Mumbai's Ranji Trophy star Shardul Thakur, who earned a call-up after an impressive show with the bat and ball in the last domestic season, and picked Nitish Reddy.
"My No. 5 would be Karun Nair because you want a little bit of experience there. No. 6 - Rishabh Pant, I love him at No. 6. I think that's his sweet spot. At No. 7, I will have Nitish Kumar Reddy because he is a proper fast-bowling all-rounder, your fourth fast-bowling option," he elaborated.
Uthappa picked a solitary spinner in Ravindra Jadeja, thus overlooking Kuldeep Yadav, to add more batting depth.
"I will have Jadeja. Again, increased depth, scores runs, and has scored runs in England as well in Test cricket. So I will have him at No. 8," he said.
His pace line-up comprised Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. "I see Siraj playing that role. Siraj has to be a lot more disciplined though. One change, you will like to see Prasidh Krishna come in, and Nitish Kumar Reddy again to support the fast bowlers," Uthappa said.
Robin Uthappa's India XI for England Tests: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsna, Shubman Gill, Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
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Indian Express
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Economic Times
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Shubman Gill: India's only batter with 1,000 international runs in 2025 so far
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News18
2 hours ago
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Last Updated: Shubman Gill is the only Indian with over 1,000 international runs in 2025. He scored 754 runs in the the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test series against England. New Delhi [India], August 9 (ANI): With his exceptional performance in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, where numerous records were set, Indian Test skipper Shubman Gill emerges as the only Indian with over 1,000 international runs in 2025 so far. Gill had a remarkable tour of England, excelling both as a captain and a batter. He silenced critics who labelled him a 'flat track bully' or 'Ahmedabad bully'. Before this series, he hadn't scored over 40 outside Asia since his memorable 91 against Australia in Brisbane in 2021. However, this series saw him cement his place at number four, a position previously held by legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. In the Test series, Gill amassed a leading 754 runs at an average of 75.40, with four centuries, including a personal best of 269. He topped the run charts for the series, which concluded in a thrilling 2-2 draw, showcasing some outstanding Test cricket. This year, Gill has accumulated 1,234 runs in 14 matches and 20 innings, averaging 64.94, with six centuries—the most by any batter this year—and two fifties across all formats. He is the second-highest run-scorer of the year, behind England's Ben Duckett, who has 1,290 runs in 23 matches and 27 innings at an average of 47.77, with three centuries and eight fifties, and a best score of 165. Among Indians, his closest competitors are KL Rahul (741 runs in 14 matches and 19 innings at an average of 46.31, with two centuries and two fifties) and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (605 runs in 13 matches and 17 innings at an average of 67.22, with a century and five fifties). In six Tests and 12 innings this year, Gill has scored 787 runs at an average of 65.58, with a strike rate of 64.03, including four centuries and a top score of 269. He has also been prolific in ODIs, scoring 447 runs in eight matches and innings at an average of 63.85, with two centuries and two fifties, and a best score of 112. He has not yet played a T20I this year. Notably, in the ICC Champions Trophy-winning campaign, he scored 188 runs at an average of 47.00, with a century and a best score of 101* in five innings. Since 2023, after establishing himself as a regular in the Indian team, Gill has become the world's leading run-scorer across all formats. He has accumulated 4,577 runs in 85 matches and 105 innings, averaging 48.17, with 16 centuries and 17 fifties, and a best score of 269. He also holds the record for the most international centuries since 2023. Following him are Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis (4,341 runs in 107 matches at an average of 39.46, with seven centuries and 27 fifties in 119 innings), England's Joe Root (3,833 runs in 53 matches and 77 innings at an average of 54.75, with 13 centuries and 17 fifties), and his compatriots Harry Brook (3,788 runs in 82 matches and 96 innings at an average of 44.56, with eight centuries and 21 fifties) and Ben Duckett (3,743 runs in 65 Tests at an average of 42.53, with eight centuries and 20 fifties in 91 innings). view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: News cricket Shubman Gill Shatters Records, Is India's Top Run-Scorer In... 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.
