
IPL cheerleader's nightmarish ordeal after Dharamsala blackout stirs internet: 'It was scary. Everyone was screaming...'
With Rohit Sharma stepping down, former chief selector MSK Prasad discusses potential candidates for India's Test captaincy, highlighting Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul. Prasad advocates for Bumrah to lead, citing his successful past as captain, while suggesting Gill focus on his batting before taking on captaincy. India's series in England starts June 20, 2025.

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Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
India will replace the skill side of it: Ponting on team's transition from Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli
ANI Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket last month Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting expressed that while replacing legendary India batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma would be a hard thing to do in Test format, they have the quality and skill in their players to cope with this massive task better than other teams. The five-test tour of England, starting June 20 at Leeds and lasting until August 2025, is set to be a heavy one for fans and players alike. With senior stars Rohit and Virat having retired from the longest format of the game, the onus lies on the Shubman Gill-led new-look Indian side to prove themselves away from home in tough English conditions and ensure that Indian cricket is safe. Several newer talents and domestic cricket/Indian Premier League (IPL) performers like Dhruv Jurel, Karun Nair, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan have earned a ticket to the UK as a part of the main squad. Speaking in the ICC Review as quoted by ICC, Ponting said, "It is always very hard to replace players like that that have been around for so long, that have played that much Test cricket. But if any country can do it and do it quickly, India can because of the amount of young talent that they have.""I have seen it firsthand for 10 years around the IPL, and we have seen the emergence of (Yashasvi) Jaiswal and these sorts of guys who have come into international cricket with India and done really well pretty much straight away." "The skill side of it is one thing to replace, and I think India will replace the skill side of it easily enough, but the experience is the big thing that will be missing for them. So now, even with a young captain with Shubman Gill, they will still have some experience with KL Rahul and (Jasprit) Bumrah and these sort of guys.""But I think if you look at a rebuilding sort of phase, I think India can cope with it better than most other teams," he bid adieu to Test cricket last month, and a few days later, Virat bid his farewell to the format with a heartfelt note on made his Test debut against West Indies in November 2013 and since then, Rohit featured in 67 Tests for India, scoring 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, with 12 centuries and 18 fifties, his best score being 212. He is the 16th-highest run-getter in the format for years of up and down performances, particularly away, the start of the ICC World Test Championship as a proper tournament revived his Test career as he went on to have a prolific run as an opener. In 40 Tests during WTC history, he made 2,716 runs at an average of 41.15, with nine centuries and eight fifties. His best score was 212. He is India's top run-getter, century maker in WTC history and overall at 10th among top Virat first represented India in Tests against West Indies in 2011 and in the coming years, became the country's biggest ambassador for the longest format, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85 in 123 appearances, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties. He is the fourth-highest run-getter for India in Tests. He also made a massive impact as India's most successful Test captain, winning 40 out of 68 matches, leading them to numerous iconic wins overseas. As a leader, he developed a massive roster of fast bowling talent for India and was an advocate for top-level fitness and inculcated in the team a "win at all costs" attitude and ability to take on their opponents head-on.


United News of India
2 hours ago
- United News of India
Team India lands in UK for five-test series
London, June 7 (UNI) The Indian cricket team has arrived in the United Kingdom ahead of their highly anticipated five-match Test series against England, marking the beginning of the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. Departing from Mumbai on Friday night, the squad landed in England with a refreshed lineup and a new leadership structure. Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new Test captain, succeeding Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom have retired from the format. Rishabh Pant has been named vice-captain, signalling a generational shift in Indian Test cricket. The series will be contested for the newly named Tendulkar–Anderson Trophy, honouring two legends of the game. The first Test begins on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds, followed by matches at Edgbaston (July 2–6), Lord's (July 10–14), Old Trafford (July 23–27), and The Oval (August 4–8). In a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on social media, debutant Sai Sudharsan expressed his excitement. 'It's good to be a part of the Indian cricket team, especially in a Test series. Welcome to the UK,' he said. Sudharsan, who had an impressive IPL season with the Gujarat Titans, is among the new faces in the red-ball squad. In a recent interview, he emphasised his team-first mentality, stating that 'winning means more than stats and milestones.' The atmosphere upon arrival was upbeat. Players were seen in good spirits as they interacted with fans and media. A light-hearted moment saw Jasprit Bumrah jokingly tease a teammate for wearing sunglasses at night — a glimpse of the camaraderie that has come to define the squad. This tour is being closely watched as it represents a significant transitional phase for Indian cricket. With a blend of experience and youth, Team India is looking to begin their WTC campaign on a strong note and mount a serious challenge on English soil. Cricket fans worldwide are eagerly awaiting what promises to be a riveting series between two of the sport's premier Test sides. UNI BDN BM


Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma absence felt immediately after Team India lands in England: 'Get used to it. Time to witness…'
For the first time since 2011, an England-bound Indian Test team will not feature either Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. The two senior batters announced their retirement from the traditional format last month, leaving the BCCI selectors to pick a new-look Indian side, with Shubman Gill at the helm. But their absence was felt immediately after the Indian side landed in London on Saturday, amid no fans or media at the airport. From the airport to the practice ground, Adelaide had thronged with fans and media when Kohli landed with the Indian team for the tour of Australia last November. The 36-year-old, believed to be playing his final Test series in Australia, had made headlines even before the contest got underway. Such was the hype that Indian team management was forced to conduct a closed-door practice session, forcing fans to climb trees to catch a glimpse of the superstar. But none was seen on Saturday in London after the Gill-led side landed for the five-match Test series, starting June 20. In a video that went viral on social media, Indian journalist Vimal Kumar said, "I did not get to see that hype. Not a single fan or media personnel was seen." While few fans reckoned the aur of Test cricket was gone with the retirement of Kohli and Rohit, some feared it was the "downfall of Indian Test cricket." However, few remained optimistic, saying that the aura would return with Gill getting his bat to do the talking. The first question Gill was asked at the press conference in Mumbai earlier this week before the departure to London, was about the absence of Kohli and Rohit, and the pressure it would put on the young side. But the captain boldly dismissed it, saying it was just like any tough situation they had faced before. "Pressure is always there in every tour. Definitely, two very experienced players who played for such a long time and won so many times, very difficult to fill their space. But it is not a different kind of pressure, all of us players are used to it," he said in the pre-tour presser on Wednesday.