Vaughan Says Gill As Test Captain Is 'Bold Call' After Rohit, Kohli Retirements
Last Updated:
Michael Vaughan feels Shubman Gill's appointment as India's Test captain is a bold call after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's retirements.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that appointing 25-year-old Shubman Gill as India's Test captain for the upcoming five-Test series against England is a 'bold move" following the retirements of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the red-ball format.
Gill will lead India in their first assignment of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle in England, starting on 20 June in Leeds. The right-handed opening batter will have wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant as his deputy.
With the recent Test retirements of Rohit and Kohli, India's batting line-up will be primarily led by Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Pant.
Vaughan noted that Gill faces a challenge to prove himself on foreign soil but mentioned he possesses the temperament for crucial moments.
'Shubman Gill is officially the new face of Indian Test cricket, stepping up as captain for the England series. It's a bold move, trusting a young leader with a new-look team after the retirements of giants like Rohit and Kohli. Gill has a lot to prove, especially away from home, but he has shown he has the temperament for big moments," said Vaughan, who is part of Sony Sports Network's expert commentary team for the series.
The veteran England batter added that the England tour could mark the beginning of a special era for India's next generation.
'With Rishabh Pant as his deputy and a squad eager to make their mark, this England tour could be the start of something special for India's next generation. Don't be surprised if these youngsters rise to the occasion," Vaughan added.
Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar echoed Vaughan's sentiments, saying the world is eager to witness how the young Indian team performs in the series.
'There's always something special about an Indian team touring England, and this time, with a new young captain and terrific young players, the excitement and anticipation among fans are at an all-time high. Everyone is eager to see how these young cricketers will rise to the occasion and carve out their legacy," said Gavaskar, who will join Vaughan in the commentary box for the tour.
The upcoming India tour of England marks a significant new chapter for Team India, as a fresh squad prepares to tackle one of cricket's most challenging assignments in English conditions. Historically, India's success in Test series on English soil has been rare, with the team having won a Test series in England only three times in the past 100 years.
These landmark victories came in 1971, 1986, and 2007, each time under the leadership of a new or first-time captain – Ajit Wadekar in 1971, Kapil Dev in 1986, and Rahul Dravid in 2007 – highlighting the pivotal role of new leadership in these historic triumphs.
First Published:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
8 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Australia v SA: Fuzzy priorities and an imperfect WTC final
Mumbai: When Australia began their World Test Championship (WTC) campaign, David Warner was still around facing James Anderson and Stuart Broad. That feels like such a long time ago when you consider how Warner has moved on to become a T20 freelancer. Anderson will soon have a trophy named after him to settle retirement pangs, if any. With Broad, he's hopped to the South African corner as bowling consultant – to offer a crash course on beating old enemy Australia. The length of the playing cycle, however, is the least prickly of issues with WTC. Pat Cummins and Temba Bavuma posed with the WTC mace made of sterling silver and gold plates at Lord's on match eve amid some disquiet over their contrasting lead-ins to make the final. Australia (19 Tests) survived the rigours of two five-Test series against England and India, while South Africa qualified with bare minimum participation (12 Tests). 'I'm tired of speaking about it, to be honest. We're here and that's all that matters. We get a chance to walk away as the World Test champions,' said Shukri Conrad, South Africa head coach. Conrad is right. South Africa are not to blame. They have played by the rules. Just like India was not at fault that their Champions Trophy schedule was less punishing than the other teams. The complex framework within which many of cricket's world events are currently staged with every format grappling for space with the franchise calendar means there's no perfect solution in sight. Test retirements The SA coach took charge only recently. From Quinton de Kock in the previous cycle to Heinrich Klaasen in the current one, Test retirements have become regular. It just happened that South Africa found a way to register a flurry of wins towards the end of the WTC cycle. They had even stopped pushing and virtually gifted wins to New Zealand as a severely depleted squad was fielded for the away series in February 2024 while the cream of their talent played SA20. 'Whenever I go into the stores here, you start calculating what it costs you. So, it's no surprise we can't compete,' Conrad was blunt about not being able to pay their Test players. 'So, it's about prioritising certain tours where we could give them a break and ensure that some conditioning is able to happen. Whenever we're not playing, there's an opportunity for them to earn some USD.' The question is whether Test cricket is in a better place than it was when this WTC cycle began two years back. It's still Australia, England and India who can afford to play five-Test series, home-and-away and make money out of it. But one can argue that if not for WTC, Cricket South Africa would possibly not even make the attempt to stage Test cricket, perhaps leading to a lost generation of Test talent for a cricket nation which has been among the most competitive since the return after the end of Apartheid. There has been some talk that qualifying for the Lord's final would lead to a revival of interest in Test cricket in South Africa. But there's nothing in the Future Tours Program that suggests this. There is no home Test scheduled for another year in South Africa. Of late, Zimbabwe are playing a lot more Test cricket. And they don't rank anywhere among the Test elite who compete for WTC. They are among the 12 Test teams though, which is not a notional privilege. Test status brings substantially more ICC funding compared to Associate teams. That is what it boils down to. Unless national boards can make Test cricket viable, they won't see the point in playing it. The depleting pool of international talent will make things dire. The hope of an evenly spread Test calendar to determine WTC finalists is delusionary in the current scheme of things. One-off final The good thing about a one-off final is that these persistent problems matter very little. Both Australia and South Africa will enter the field on Wednesday coming off very little red-ball cricket. As the Dukes ball tends to swing throughout the day, a sharp burst from Kagiso Rabada – he should be determined after his drug misadventure – and who knows? It wouldn't matter that Australia's total squad experience is double that of their opponents and that they are defending champions. 'They're here for a reason,' Steve Smith, Australia vice-captain said about the Proteas. 'I don't know how the system works with the percentages and what have you, but they're here, they're in the top two, and they're a good side.'
Time of India
10 minutes ago
- Time of India
India go down 0-1 to Hong Kong in crucial 2027 Asian Cup Qualifier match
NEW DELHI: The suffered a heartbreaking 0-1 defeat to hosts Hong Kong after conceding a stoppage-time penalty in a crucial 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier on Tuesday. The decisive goal came from Stefan Pereira in the 94th minute after a costly foul by India goalkeeper Vishal Kaith. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The referee pointed to the spot after Kaith charged off his line and collided with Michael Udebuluzor while attempting to punch the ball clear. Pereira made no mistake from the spot, calmly slotting the ball to Kaith's right. The Indian custodian was also shown a yellow card for the late challenge. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Earlier in the evening, head coach Manolo Marquez opted to keep veteran striker and talisman Sunil Chhetri out of the starting XI. Despite the raucous support for the home side at the newly built Kai Tak Stadium, India looked promising in the early exchanges and created a handful of chances in the first half, although Hong Kong dominated possession. However, as has often been the case of late, India's lack of clinical finishing once again proved costly. Their best opportunity of the half came in the 35th minute when Ashique Kuruniyan, set up beautifully by Liston Colaco's run and cross from the left, fired wide from close range. Colaco, who had earlier received treatment for an injury, also tried his luck with a powerful long-range effort, but it went straight into the hands of the Hong Kong goalkeeper. Hong Kong grew into the game as the first half progressed and nearly broke the deadlock through a set-piece, only to be denied by a goal-line clearance from Ashish Rai after Kaith was beaten. Both sides had their moments in a tightly contested opening 45 minutes, but neither could capitalize. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Kuruniyan, effective down the flank throughout the match, had another opportunity early in the second half but again couldn't convert. In an attempt to inject urgency into the Indian attack, Marquez introduced Sunil Chhetri and Naorem Singh in place of Kuruniyan and Brandon Fernandes. MLC: Venky Harinarayan on growing cricket in the USA, AI-driven teams and the Olympic boost India continued to press for a goal and came close in the 81st minute when Lallianzuala Chhangte delivered a precise cutback to Chhetri inside the box, but the veteran striker failed to make solid contact. The result is a major blow to India's qualification hopes, especially after their goalless draw against Bangladesh at home in March in their opening qualifier. With only a few matches remaining, the Blue Tigers will now need to regroup quickly to keep their Asian Cup dreams alive.
News18
13 minutes ago
- News18
India Go Down 0-1 To Hong Kong In Crucial AFC Asian Cup Qualifier
Last Updated: India lost 1-0 to Hong Kong in a 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier as Stefan Pereira scored a late penalty after a Vishal Kaith mistake. The Indian football team suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat against hosts Hong Kong in a crucial 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier match on Tuesday, conceding a late goal from Stefan Pereira in injury time. Hong Kong were awarded a penalty after Indian goalkeeper Vishal Kaith came off his line and collided with Michael Udebuluzor while attempting to clear the ball. Pereira (90+4) converted the spot-kick, placing the ball to the right of Kaith, who received a yellow card for the foul. Earlier, India's coach Manolo Marquez had opted to leave veteran striker Sunil Chhetri out of the starting line-up. Despite strong home support at the newly built Kai Tak Stadium, India created several chances in the first half, even though Hong Kong enjoyed more possession. However, the Blue Tigers' persistent struggles with finishing continued to plague them throughout the opening 45 minutes. The closest India came to scoring before half-time was in the 35th minute when Ashique Kuruniyan missed from close range following a well-delivered cross from Liston Colaco on the left. After receiving treatment for an injury, Colaco unleashed a powerful long-range shot that was comfortably saved by the goalkeeper. As the half progressed, Hong Kong gained confidence. The home side nearly took the lead from a free-kick, but Asish Rai made a crucial clearance after goalkeeper Kaith was beaten. Both teams had opportunities, but neither could break the deadlock in a tightly contested first half of this vital 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier. Kuruniyan, who otherwise delivered an impressive performance on the flanks, had another chance to open the scoring early in the second half but was unable to convert. Shortly thereafter, coach Manolo Marquez introduced India's all-time leading goal-scorer, Sunil Chhetri, alongside Naorem Singh, replacing Kuruniyan and Brandon Fernandes. India continued to create chances in the second half, notably in the 81st minute when Lallianzuala Chhangte provided a superb cutback to Chhetri inside the Hong Kong box, but the veteran striker failed to connect cleanly. The result represents a setback for India, who entered the match following a goalless draw against Bangladesh in their opening Asian Cup qualifying match at home in March.
