Latest news with #IndianCricket
Khaleej Times
02-06-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Rajeev Shukla to be BCCI interim president: Indian media
Rajeev Shukla is set to be the acting president of the Indian cricket board (BCCI), according to Indian media, quoting BCCI sources. This comes as the current president Roger Binny will turn 70 on July 19, surpassing the age cap set out in the BCCI constitution.
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Shubman Gill: A new chapter begins as India's Test captain
Nearly three weeks after Rohit Sharma's sudden retirement from Test cricket, the Indian cricket board has ended speculation of his successor by naming Shubman Gill as India's new captain for the upcoming five-Test series against England in 25, Gill becomes India's 37th Test captain - and one of its youngest, after Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev and Ravi appointment marks a turning point for Indian cricket. The squad he leads is without batting greats Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, spin stalwart R Ashwin who retired six months ago, and pace spearhead Mohammed Shami, who was sidelined due to fitness team is rich in young batting talent but will miss the experience of Kohli and Sharma. Despite Jaspreet Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammad Siraj, the bowling attack still feels a touch raw. Adding to Gill's challenge: India haven't won a Test series in England since appointment followed intense deliberations between chief selector Ajit Agarkar, coach Gautam Gambhir, and backchannel talks with other Bumrah seemed the natural choice after serving as vice-captain in Australia, concerns over his ability to shoulder the workload of a five-Test series tipped the scales in Gill's favour. A prodigy from Punjab state, Gill has long carried the weight of expectation with burst into the spotlight in 2014, not yet 15, hammering 351 in a world-record opening stand of 587 with Nirmal Singh in the Punjab Inter-District ML Markan Trophy. It was a knock that vindicated his family's bold move from the border village of Chak Kherewala to Mohali, seeking better training and greater exposure for the young run-getting as a junior, fast-tracked him into the under-19 ranks which is where Gill really made his first big of the team that played the 2017-18 U-19 World Cup, he emerged as the top run aggregator for India, highlighted by a skilful, unbeaten 102 against arch rivals Pakistan in the semi-final. In the final where India beat Australia, Gill scored a handy the time, all eyes were on Prithvi Shaw - the U-19 captain whose Mumbai schoolboy feats drew comparisons with Tendulkar. His rise was meteoric: a Test debut century, another soon after. But by 2020, his career had begun to sidelined, Gill made an immediate impact on his Ranji Trophy debut with a half-century, followed by a century. Under Yuvraj Singh's mentorship, he sharpened both his batting and game runs pushed selectors to consider Gill as Shaw's replacement. He debuted in Tests in Melbourne, December 2020, during India's memorable comeback series and graceful, Gill's technical precision and elegant stroke play - especially front of the wicket - set him apart as a promising young talent. Nicknamed the 'Prince' by his family, the title soon became his cricketing identity. Hailed as the Next Big Thing, he's widely tipped to succeed Virat Kohli as the next generation's leading promise remains unproven. Like Kohli, Gill is an all-format player, but unlike Kohli's early dominance, Gill has yet to display the same ambition and match-winning impact - especially in Tests, where his 1,893 runs in 32 matches are solid but not outstanding. Gill's first captaincy, less than five years after his Test debut, comes at a crucial point in his enough international experience to elevate his batting from good to great, he now faces a stern test against England's Bazball style of play in challenging conditions. Success here would be a major boost to his standing as a top Test it is as captain that Gill probably faces tougher England series kicked off India's new World Test Championship cycle, following two finals appearances but a disappointing early exit in the last one. India's recent Test form has been poor, with back-to-back series losses to New Zealand and pull India out of the current rut, Gill will have to lead the way as batter as well as captain in charge of a new-look team, whose dressing-room and dynamics he will have to understand and, perhaps, reshape."Gill is a young man we are investing in not just for one series, but for the next five-six years to take Indian cricket ahead,'' said chief selector Ajit should be a tremendous reassurance for the new captain. While his appointment brings its share of pressure, it also carries immense hope - and an opportunity to carve his own legacy in Indian cricket history.
The National
25-05-2025
- Sport
- The National
India guided by hope and instinct as Shubman Gill takes over as Test captain
The signs were already there that Shubman Gill was going to be the future leader of India, once the current superstars vacated their spots. But not many anticipated that moment to arrive so soon and in this fashion. As the wheels began to fall off India's Test cricket late last year after damaging series defeats – at home to New Zealand and away to Australia – there were strong indications that Indian cricket was going to hit the reset button in the immediate future. Since the veterans of the team had recently tasted major success – the 2024 T20 world title – and there was no World Test Championship final to look forward to, the team management had the opportunity to think long term. They were helped by the fact that after the disastrous Test series defeat in Australia, where the now retired captain Rohit Sharma even dropped himself from the team owing to poor form, there was a considerable gap until the next major assignment – the five Test tour of England in June that kick-starts the new cricket cycle. In the interim, India won the 50-overs Champions Trophy as well, giving the ageing stars of the side more cushion as they braced for some enforced changes. What came as a surprise was Rohit and star batter Virat Kohli announcing their retirements from Test cricket within a week, just as the Indian Premier League took a pause due to a worsening conflict with Pakistan. With just days to go for the squad announcement for a major tour of England, India were without their most experienced players and no clear favourite to lead the side moving forward. Fast-bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who guided India to the solitary win in their last Test series in Australia, was the obvious choice but a patchy fitness record and uncertainty over availability for all matches meant the team management could not rely on him long term. KL Rahul could have been another option but the cricket board wanted a player who is young, a guaranteed selection and has a decent Test record. So it was down to Gill and wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant. Pant seemed the more obvious choice as Test cricket is his best format and he has routinely played many memorable knocks in tough conditions home and away. Gill, on the other hand, has been just about decent; he averages 35 in 32 Tests and averages less than 30 away from home. Still, the Indian management picked Gill. Clearly, it is a call made on instinct. Gill is just 25 and has been made captain of the Test team at a sensitive time for India, just like Kohli who took over from the great MS Dhoni as red-ball skipper at the age of 26 in 2014. Gill is not the best batter in the side – Rahul, Pant and even Yashasvi Jaiswal look more assured of their batting against the red ball. But Gill ticks some important boxes. Firstly, he has aligned himself suitably to the demands of the team and leadership group, has shown consistent progress in his game and has been in excellent form in ODI cricket for a couple of seasons. He has also shown leadership potential to senior decision-makers and has made huge strides as a leader at IPL side Gujarat Titans. It is his calm leadership skills at Gujarat which tilted the scales in his favour, especially when compared to the disaster that unfolded at the Lucknow franchise under Pant's captaincy. It might be like comparing apples and oranges, when looking at formats. But when margins are so slim, these are the factors that can prove decisive. When Kohli took over as captain at a young age, there was greater acceptance among Indian cricket fans as he was clearly the next best leader in the group for all formats. The same can't be said about Gill as Rohit is still the ODI captain and Suryakumar Yadav is the leader in T20s, where Gill does not warrant selection. But it can also work in Gill's favour as he can focus on one format and squad. The tour of England will be a fresh start for him and Indian cricket, with very few lingering ties from the recent past. Also, only a few very senior players remain in the squad, which means the players Gill has now could serve Indian cricket for many years. Also, India can't possibly fare worse than what they did in their last two series. Additionally, Gill can now bat entirely at his pace in Tests, and let others play around him. It is a style of play that has worked for him perfectly in the IPL and can do in Tests too. Gill knows he is leading a long-term project with the Test team and there is enough talent in the squad to last the distance, with hardly any captaincy challengers around him. What more could a 25-year-old newly appointed Test captain ask for?
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Kohli & Rohit have shown 'blueprint' for future
Former captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have shown a "blueprint" for India's future Test success, says new skipper Shubman Gill, 25, was announced as Rohit's replacement on Saturday after the 38-year-old and modern great Kohli both retired from the led India to a record 40 wins in 68 Tests while Rohit, who replaced him in 2022, has the next best win percentage as skipper."I have always been inspired by the greats and legends of Indian cricket," Gill said. "I have been very fortunate to play with so many of them."Both were contrasting in terms of their style but inspiring to see them work towards a common goal."Gill was appointed skipper ahead of bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who had served as Rohit's first series in charge will be the highly-anticipated five-Test series in England which starts on 20 June."I'm looking forward for this exciting opportunity, and I think the upcoming series in England is going to be a very exciting one," said Gill, who is captain of Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League."I believe in leading by example, not just by my performance but, off the field, by my discipline and hard work."As a captain, a leader should be able to know when to step in, but also when to give space to the players."Because everyone has had a different life and grown up differently, everyone has a different personality."India were unbeaten in home series throughout Kohli's time as captain and had significant success away, including series wins in Australia and a 2-2 draw in Rohit they reached the final of the 2023 World Test Championship, although they were beaten by Australia and their unbeaten run at home was ended by New Zealand last year."Virat was very aggressive and wanting to lead from the front," Gill said."Rohit was also aggressive but you might not see that on his expression. "He was someone calm and tactically very present. He was very communicative to the players."Rohit, Virat and Ashwin [retired off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin] have given us a blueprint on how to tour away from home and win matches and series."
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shubman Gill: Young 'Prince' leading India's post-Rohit, Kohli era
Shubman Gill, long Indian cricket's "Prince" in waiting, has been entrusted with leading a new era after the Test retirements of greats Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The 25-year-old Gill was identified in 2020 as a batting successor to Kohli after impressing on his Test debut in Melbourne, where he opened and made 45 and an unbeaten 35 as India beat Australia by eight wickets. Gifted with a wide variety of shots at the top of the order, it has been Gill's inspiring leadership of Gujarat Titans that clinched his elevation to the Test captaincy to succeed Rohit. Gill played a captain's knock of 93 this week to secure a place in the playoffs for Gujarat, who were IPL champions in their 2022 debut season. "I have talked about this a couple of times, when I'm batting, I want to play and think as a batsman, not as a captain. At the back end last season I learnt that," said Gill, who is in his second season leading Gujarat. Gill, who has scored 636 runs at an average of 57.81 to lie second on the IPL batting charts, has led from the front and been dubbed "Prince" by pundits in the cricket-obsessed country. "Let Shubman Gill remain Shubman Gill instead of calling him a 'Prince'," said former India wicketkeeper and Gujarat assistant coach Parthiv Patel. "You gave him this name from the commentary box. He is leading from the front and makes his presence felt in the dressing room. "He doesn't talk much, but his words carry a lot of weight." Rohit and batting great Kohli's departures paved the way for Gill to lead a young India squad for five Tests in England beginning on June 20. Other candidates included Jasprit Bumrah, who was Rohit's deputy in Australia this year, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. - Competitive instinct - Gill got the nod but he has big boots to fill. Rohit won 12 of his 24 Tests as skipper and his predecessor Kohli was India's most successful Test captain with 40 wins from 68 matches in charge. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar had already identified Gill's leadership credentials and competitive instinct ahead of his appointment, and he urged fans to give him time. "It would take a couple of years to get to the level of our 'super captains'," said Gavaskar. "All of them brought something unique to the table. "When you look at Gill, Iyer, and Pant... you can see a mix of different qualities. "Gill seems the most competitive. When there's a close call, he's quick to question the umpire. He's very involved in the game." In 2023, Gill scored a Twenty20 hundred to become the fifth Indian batsman -- including Kohli and Rohit -- to record centuries across all three formats. Gill, who hails from a family of farmers in the northern state of Punjab, said he owed much of his success to his father. "I think the way I practise and the way my dad made me practise... 90 percent of the credit should go to him because it was his vision," said Gill. Gill has played 32 Tests, scoring 1,893 runs at an average of 35.05 with five hundreds. But there are question marks over his record outside India. In his 13 overseas Tests, Gill's average is only 29.50. fk/pjm/dh/pbt
