After guiding RCB to IPL crown, coach Andy Flower finds spirituality in Rishikesh
"I was talking with the Swami about teams, actually. And the tendency for us as a sporting organisation is to grab at that trophy that you want to win. And everything's about winning.""But from my experience in playing and coaching, winning is not quite enough. There has to be something more, something deeper, something more meaningful than just winning. Because winning is a little hollow occasionally," said Flower. #WATCH | Uttarakhand: Former Zimbabwean cricket captain and RCB coach, Andy Flower meets Swami Chidanand Saraswati, president and spiritual head of Parmarth Niketan Ashram, in Rishikesh pic.twitter.com/EOuSxgFqhq— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2025advertisementFlower on International Yoga DayFlower also talked about International Yoga Day and said he has been a learning a lot about Yoga over the past two weeks since he has been in Rishikesh. The RCB coach said that he has enjoyed practising yoga over the past few weeks. "It has been brilliant being in Rishikesh on International Yoga Day. I have been in Rishikesh for the last two weeks. I have been learning a lot about Yoga, and the main thing I have learnt is that Yoga is not about a one-hour class, but it is a way of life for hundreds of millions of people. I have enjoyed the physical practices that I have done," said Flower. Must Watch
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Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Shubman Gill's pursuit of perfection: How Indian captain put in serious hours to prepare for English Test and came out trumps
It was about a month before he was to take the most important flight of his life to Heathrow, London, for his first assignment as India's Test captain at 25. On one gloomy day in Chandigarh before Shubman Gill came to England, England came to Shubman Gill. It was IPL time, he was leading the Gujarat Titans and having nets on what seemed like a 'dicey' pitch – some balls flying towards his face, others darting at his ribs. Shubman would stop training, dump the white balls back in the kit bag, and ask for a shiny red new one, the kind used for Test matches. Even while playing IPL, Shubman wasn't missing a chance to be England-ready. Gujarat Titans' assistant coach Naeem Amin is based out of London, and he was there to witness Shubman's quick ball-switch. 'And the bit that you will find interesting was him keen to practice just against a new ball. As soon as the new ball would become a little bit old, he'd change it for another new ball,' says Amin. As India's new Test No.4, Shubman knew that after facing the white-ball on flat tracks, he had to deal with the swinging-seaming red cherry in England. Amin also talks about the young skipper's hunger to learn and the desire to improve. 'His appetite always puts cricket first, and in that aspect, he is second to none. When Kane Williamson (former New Zealand captain and world's leading modern-day batsman) was in our team (GT), he was asking him about his thoughts all the time. 'How would you go about this or that? Why are you doing this drill? How does it benefit you?'.' England and New Zealand are miles apart, but on the cricketing map of conditions and pitches, they aren't that different. Williamson is in England playing county cricket these days, and turned up for the Lord's Test to find his one-time IPL teammate in the middle of the form of his life. He was pretty happy with what he saw. The pursuit of batting perfection has been Shubman's life goal since his wonder years in Punjab's border town of Fazilka. His father, a landed farmer, would pay kids in the neighbourhood Rs 100 to bowl at his son all day. When in his teens, Shubman knew that he could go back to tractors, fields and the family agriculture income, if cricket didn't work out. Like many others around him, the batting prodigy didn't lose sleep over the dilemma of academics or a career option. He would get up fresh with only cricket on his mind. Shubman would follow a punishing schedule, all through his Under-16 and Under-19 days, bat close to 6 to 8 hours every day. A typical day for him in Chandigarh, where he and his father moved from their village, would be about 3 to 4 hours of batting in the morning, a quick Amritsari lunch of patti or chhola kulcha, and again 3 to 4 hours of batting. Even when he made it to the Indian team, he was among the batsmen who batted the most at the nets. 'I want my body to take control of my mind … Not my mind taking control of me, seeding inside me self-doubts or getting carried away. Because I have practised so much for so many years, I want my body to take control of my mind. Let the muscle memory kick in. That's my challenge: use the mind to tell itself to stay quiet,' he once told The Indian Express. In England at the age 25, Shubman seemed to have achieved that batting nirvana. India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has been watching him closely for the past several months, and he could notice a change. 'From the Australia series to this series, I have seen his thought process and the way he batted. It is little different from what he has done in Australia … I would give a lot of credit to him for deciding what he wants to play, when he does not … Every batter, at some stage of their life, thinks and changes the way they bat in Test cricket. And Shubman seemed to be doing that brilliantly in this England series,' Kotak said. Before this series, Shubman's highest Test score was his 128 against Australia in 2023. As if he was given a Midas touch along with the captain's armband, everything that he touched in England has turned to gold. Between June 20 to July 6 – his fortnight of fortitude from the first to the third Test – Shubman registered three higher scores: 147, 269, 161. This was like the Swedish pole-vaulter Mondo Duplantis clearing new heights every other day, raising the bar at will. It was in Birmingham that Shubman would find his Bodhi Tree, where he found enlightenment. In England, his 267 is being hailed as the most perfect knock he's ever played. Data shows that epic innings had a false shot percentage of 3.5 – that's the least for any innings in England since this statistic came into existence 20 years back. Since geniuses like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Pointing, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli are on the list below Shubman, the Birmingham innings is worthy to be framed in India's batting Hall of Fame. The near-perfect 267 was the outcome of his long penance, after mulling over many dismissals. It lifted him to a higher level, elevated him to the spiritual state where 'the body controls the mind' and the 'mind tells itself to stay quiet.' xxx England isn't an easy place to play cricket. In summer, the days are long; for cricketers, they are longer. They can suck the energy out of you, the weather can be murky, it can make you gloomy. This time, during the day, there was heat too. Consider the schedule of an Indian cricketer during the Lord's Test to understand this. The day would start at 6 am to be on the team bus that would start at 8 am. The match timing would be 11 am to 6.30 pm. By the time the team settles on the bus for the journey back to the team hotel, after press conferences and interviews, it would be 7.30 p.m. From Lord's to St James Court, where the team stayed, was easily a one and half hour long journey on the team bus, negotiating London's notorious traffic. After that the players would have a meal, some me-time and then hit the bed. Within hours, the alarm would go off once again. The schedule would be more or less the same for 25 days, plus there was the pressure of performance and fear of failure to deal with. For Gautam Gambhir, Shubman's biggest achievement as a first-time skipper was to remain unfazed all through this very demanding tour. 'This England team challenges a captain much more than Australia. They have many batsmen who can just run away with the game, and this puts pressure on the captain when the team is fielding. But not once has he looked shattered or lost,' he says. In Australia, there's just one Travis Head in the Test team who can mentally disintegrate an opposition captain and make the fielding side rudderless. In England, Bazballers are crawling out of the dressing room ever so frequently. It starts with openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, the batting buccaneers who can brain freeze the best. Down the batting line-up, there is Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, and Ben Stokes – all three with swinging bats that can rattle any captain. The run machine Joe Root, with his solidity, seems to loom as a fulcrum. There have been occasions when Shubman has looked clueless, when he seemed to have lost the grip on the game but the team didn't give up. As was the case at The Oval when Brook and Root seemed to have the game in their pocket, India kept on coming back at them. And when they got a toe-hold in the door, they barged in as a commando unit on a covert operation. But as a member of the tour said, this series has been one of learning for the young skipper. 'See the way Ben Stokes leads his team, he has a few fielding templates, or call them plans, to get wickets. He keeps his fielders moving around. Suddenly, there would be a leg-side trap, next the off-side would have fielders in funky positions. Shubman needs to find his own templates and plan. He is young, he is hungry, he will learn,' a team official says. Gujarat Titans coach Amin gives an example of Shubman's thinking of a course correction as soon as he gets out. 'He is not the kind you will say I could have done this or that. After he has made a mistake as a batsman and got out, he has already dissected it on his walk back to the dugout. This is how quickly he realizes what he needs to do. There are times when there might be video analysis going on for another batter. He's keen to listen in, just in case he can upskill 0.5%,' he says. In the first Test in Leeds, he got out playing a reckless shot when on 147. It would have helped if he had stayed on longer. On the eve of the next Test, he would take the blame, promise to do better and an astonishing atonement waited for him. He would score a double hundred in the next innings. What was that compelling reason for the improved performance? 'Sometimes, especially when you are the captain, I think you need to lead by example so that whenever there is another player in that situation, you can command that player,' the team official said. This was a captain subtly asserting himself; this was a skipper earning the right to be the 'commander.' Former England captain Nasser Hussain, who had noted during the first Test that Gill 'lacked aura' would reassess his verdict at the end of the second Test: 'He (Gill) is not going to be a Kohli-type character. He's got a low heartbeat, but that can help. Look at this crowd here today. Look at all of India watching on. You may need someone just to calm the team.' As for Gambhir, he hasn't been over-interfering in the proceedings on the field. For long periods of stand-offs where wickets have been hard to come by, the captain has been changing fields, bowlers, and tactics without any obvious prompt from the dressing room. When Shubman is batting, the substitutes haven't randomly run on the field with gloves, or when the team is fielding, carrying unasked-for water bottles. Shubman does his thing, the way he likes. He does have counsel available on the field. Vice-captain Pant, seniors KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and even Mohammed Siraj, to chip in – when asked for and even offer unsolicited advice. As the pundits from the commentators box, especially while assessing the new captain during the first Test have said 'Shubman is running the team by committee.' xxx Amin speaks about this same leadership trait in the captain, who is always willing to listen. 'Shubman is the kind of guy where a 15-year-old was there and he had an opinion on something and Shubman thought it would be useful to him, he would listen to him,' he says. Behind those soft features and dimpled smile, there is a steely resolve to stay ahead. 'The guy puts in hours… he puts in some serious hours to get better. Like I'm telling you about the red ball, how he's practising against it, even when he's in India. He's just trying to stay one step ahead,' says Amin. It is the same pursuit of perfection that started from the border town. Life came full circle for Shubman at The Oval. In a 2-2 verdict, it was tough to say if the runs brought the best out of his captaincy or the captaincy triggered an avalanche of runs.
Pink Villa
7 hours ago
- Pink Villa
Inside Mohammed Siraj's Hyderabad Bungalow: Indian cricketer who once lived under tough financial troubles, now owns Rs 13 crore home
India's star pacer Mohammed Siraj has been grabbing headlines for his outstanding performance in the India vs. England fifth Test match at the Oval. Siraj took a five-wicket haul, including three wickets on the final day, bringing a stunning win for Team India. Let's take a look at the house tour of the star fast bowler, who once lived through tough financial troubles. A peek into Mohammed Siraj's luxurious mansion in Hyderabad Mohammed Siraj lives with his family in Hyderabad in a locality that is home to many high-profile celebrities and cricketers. His luxurious abode, which is reportedly valued at approximately Rs 13 crore, is located in the Jubilee Hills area of the city. His residence is spacious and modern, with a pinch of luxury with comfort. While Siraj doesn't flaunt his mansion on social media much, glimpses of his residence stole the limelight when he hosted his Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammates for a Hyderabadi biryani dinner in 2018. RCB players, including Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis, were invited to the dinner. Unique center table of wooden trunks in living room Mohammed Siraj's main living area features lavish, brown leather sofas. It also has a unique center table, made from wooden trunks. The living area is designed to be a perfect space for relaxing and hosting guests. Special trophy wall for awards and other accomplishments The cricketer has a special trophy wall inside his abode, which is positioned behind the couch in his room. It showcases a collection of awards and honors that he has earned in his career. It serves as a compelling testament to Siraj's remarkable accomplishments in the cricketing world. Siraj also has a stylish and extensive walk-in wardrobe at his mansion, a dedicated space for his collection of luxury clothing and branded shoes. Born in Telangana, Mohammed Siraj hails from a Hyderabadi Muslim family. He had humble beginnings. The cricketer used to live in Tolichowki, a neighborhood in the city. While Siraj's father, Mirza Mohammed Ghaus, was an auto rickshaw driver, his mother, Shabana Begum, is a housewife. He also has an elder brother named Mohammed Ismail, who is an engineer by profession.
Mint
8 hours ago
- Mint
'Storm only rattles those who arent ready': Gill on Indias series draw against England
London [UK], August 4 (ANI): Indian skipper Shubman Gill and vice-captain Rishabh Pant expressed happiness with their team's performances during the recently concluded tour to England and took to their social media to voice out their joy. Both Gill and Pant had a record-breaking series in England as they both fired a massive volume of runs with the bat, ensuring that Indian cricket is in the safe hands following the retirements of stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin. Taking to Instagram, Gill had a message for his doubters following a 'Player of the Series' performance, saying, "The storm only rattles those who aren't ready for it." During the series, Gill emerged as the leading run-getter, indeed manifesting his aim to be the "best batter of the series" into reality, with 774 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, with four centuries and a best score of 269. He scored his centuries in a variety of situations, coming into the series with the pressure of performing well outside Asia being heavy on his shoulders, having not crossed the 40-run mark outside Asia since the 91-run knock at Brisbane against Australia in 2021. With a mountain-like volume of runs, Gill tore into cricketing record books like no one did and silenced his critics in style. As a captain, much of his tactical brilliance led to India dominating all the Test matches for significant periods and ensuring they were decided on the final day. Also, vice-captain Pant, who broke numerous records as an Indian/Asian wicketkeeper-batter in South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia (SENA) conditions, posted that the tour "asked a lot and gave even more in return". "A tour that asked a lot and gave even more in return. Proud of how this team stood up, adapted and kept fighting. Representing the country means everything to us; it takes everything out of you, but we take pride in that. Big thanks to our incredible support staff and the fans who stood by us throughout. This team is hungry, united and here to take Indian cricket forward," he posted. While Pant did not play the fifth Test due to a foot injury, he still ended up as the sixth-highest run-getter with 479 runs in four matches and seven innings at an average of 68.42, with two centuries and three fifties. His best score was 134. One of the biggest moments of the series saw him walk out to bat despite an injured foot during the fourth Manchester Test, in a show of remarkable courage, determination, and a will to do everything to get the country over the finishing line. He delivered a valuable half-century, which added much-needed runs to India's total, helping them draw the match eventually. After England opted to bowl first, they reduced India to 153/6. A 58-run partnership between Karun Nair (57 in 109 balls, with eight fours) and Washington Sundar (26 in 55 balls, with three fours) was the most meaningful part of the inning as India was bundled out for 224 runs. Apart from Gus Atkinson's five-wicket haul, Josh Tongue (3/57) was also good. In the second innings, four-fers from Siraj (4/86) and Prasidh Krishna (4/62) reduced England to 247, despite a 92-run opening stand between Zak Crawley (64 in 57 balls, with 14 fours) and Ben Duckett (43 in 38 balls, with five fours and two sixes) and a fifty by Harry Brook (53 in 64 balls, with five fours and a six). They led by 23 runs. In India's second innings, key contributions came from Yashasvi Jaiswal (118 in 164 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes), Akash Deep (66 in 94 balls, with 12 fours), Ravindra Jadeja (53 in 77 balls, with five fours) and Washington Sundar (53 in 46 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes). Sundar stitched a very crucial 10th wicket stand with Krishna, with the latter scoring nothing out of it and Sundar doing all the hitting. They all took India to 396 runs, giving them a 373-run lead and setting a target of 374 runs for England to win the series. India started well, reducing England to 106/3. However, fine centuries from Harry Brook (111 in 98 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes) and Joe Root (105 in 152 balls, with 12 fours) troubled India with a 195-run stand for the fourth wicket. At one point, England was 317/4 on day four. However, a late surge by Siraj (5/104) and Krishna (4/126) shifted the pressure to England, and they were left six runs short, bundled out for 367 runs.
