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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
OTTplay Bails And Banter Mumbai vs Gujarat Pre-Match Analysis
The party's just getting started! The comeback kings against the most consistent side this season! It's Pandya vs Shubman in the eliminator clash.. OTTplay Presents Bails & Banter Powered by Dafa News! Your ultimate companion for IPL cricket analysis! Join cricket experts as they break down team strategies, dissect key moments, and discuss the perfect playing XI. Catch them LIVE every match day: 🕑 2:30 PM for afternoon matches 🕕 5:30 PM for evening matches Stay ahead of the game with Bails & Banter! Follow us on Instagram: / ottplayapp Credits: Indian Premier League & JioHotstar
NDTV
27-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Rahul, Jaiswal To Open: Cheteshwar Pujara Makes Bold No. 3 Call For India's Test XI
The departures of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have given the Indian team management almost a blank slate to work with ahead of the start of the England tour. While a few names like KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill are confirmed, the think tank has to put its head together to structure the rest of the batting line-up. Cheteswhar Pujara, one of India's finest No. 3 batters in recent times, has shared his ideas on the puzzle that the team has to resolve. "The openers who batted in Australia in the BGT (Border-Gavaskar Trophy) series -- KL Rahul and Yashasvi, should continue. Now talking about no.3, at this stage we don't know whether Shubman will bat there or drop down to No.4," Pujara said on Sunday during an online interaction organised by Sony Sports Network. Though Pujara wants Gill to bat at the No. 3 spot, he does see him making a slight change and taking up the No. 4 spot instead. If that happens, Gill wants Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan or Karun Nair to take up the role. Pujara fancies Sudharsan and Easwaran more for the one-down spot. "If Shubman bats at No.4, then someone like Abhimanyu Eswaran or Karun Nair could be a good fit at that position, but I would still like to see Shubman batting at No.3," he added." Someone like Karun who has done very well in domestic cricket, I think ideal position for Karun would be No.4. If Shubman bats at No.3, then Karun Nair comes at No.4. If Shubman bats at No.4, then at No.3 it would be a choice between Abhimanyu Eswaran or Sai Sudharsan," he said. With Gill leading the India team in his first assignment away from home in England, Pujara expects the young star to face a significant challenge. "When he goes to England, and when he starts his preparation, he will understand that these are the shots which he can play while the ball is new. Plus, there are some shots that you need to avoid when the ball is new, and it's swinging or seaming around a bit. I would say it's very similar to what you get in Australia ,where the ball does a bit more for the first 25-30 overs and then it settles down a bit," Pujara said. "So, once the ball gets old, you as a batter, you can play a few more shots. But if he is batting at number 3 or 4 and India loses one or two wickets early on, then he might have to change his game a bit. He is capable enough to do that, and once he goes there, I am sure he will understand what he has to do," he added. Listen to the latest songs, only on
India Gazette
26-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
"Ideal position for Karun would be....": Cheteshwar Pujara on Indian top order for England tour
New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): Indian middle-order veteran Cheteshwar Pujara said that he would like to see newly-appointed red-ball captain Shubman Gill continue batting at number three, while a returning Karun Nair could bat at an 'ideal position' of number four. Pujara was speaking during a media interaction organised by Sony Sports Network, the official broadcaster of the India tour of England, starting from June 20 onwards. Speaking during the interaction, Pujara said about India's top order that he would like to witness KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal open again after some solid outings in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. 'I would like to say that if we are talking about the top three, the openers which batted in the Australia BGT series, KL Rahul and Yashashvi, they should continue opening the innings. Now talking about number three, at this stage, we do not know whether Shubman is going to carry on batting at number three, or is he going to drop down to number four.' 'So if Shubman bats at number four, then there is a vacancy at number three, then someone like Abhimanyu Easwaran or Karun Nair could be a good fit at that position. But I would still like to see if Shubman can carry on batting at number three and someone like Karun, who has batted really well in domestic cricket, gets an opportunity to bat at number four, which will be a bit more suitable for him because he is someone, Karun is someone who has not batted at number three in domestic cricket. I am not saying he cannot do it for the test team, but ideal position for Karun would be number four,' he added. There are media reports that Gill could drop down to number four. At number three so far, he has scored 1,019 runs at an average of 37.74, with three centuries and three fifties. His best score is 119*. Karun, who asked the sport for a second chance with a heartfelt tweet in December 2022, made the most of the opportunity while representing Vidarbha domestically. The man who is just the second Indian to blaze his way to a triple hundred exhibited quintessential form and has pushed a case for his return to the Indian team since his last Test in 2017. He was the fourth-highest run-scorer in last season's Ranji Trophy with a staggering tally of 863 in nine appearances at 53.93, including four centuries and two fifties. Easwaran, who has been a domestic cricket stalwart for Bengal, has played 101 first-class games, scoring 7,674 runs at an average of 48.87, 27 centuries and 29 fifties behind him. He did have a disappointing tour to Australia last year as a part of India A team, where he ended up with just 36 runs in four innings. He will be leading India A for their tour of England starting from May 30 onwards. The series will take place from June to August 2025, with matches at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord's (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), and The Oval (London). This will be India's first bilateral series since both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket earlier this month. India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav. (ANI)
Mint
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Shubman Gill at No. 3 or No. 4? Cheteshwar Pujara picks top order for India's tour to England
The Test squad has been announced, and it has a new captain in the form of Shubman Gill as India are less than a month away from their gruelling five-match Test series in England. The team is sporting a slew of new faces and the return of a couple of old ones as the Indian Test side starts its new era without stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli. Veteran Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has had his say on the team, especially on the Indian batting order, as it is the biggest talking point ahead of the tour to England. The retirements of Sharma and Kohli have not only created a leadership vacuum, but they have also left a sizeable hole in the top order. The former was the team's opener, while the latter occupied the key number 4 position. Pujara spoke to Sony Sports Network, who will broadcast the England tour, and opined, "The openers who batted in Australia in the BGT (Border-Gavaskar Trophy) series — KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal — should continue. Now talking about No. 3, at this stage we don't know whether Shubman Gill will bat there or drop to No. 4. "If Shubman bats at No. 4, then someone like Abhimanyu Easwaran or Karun Nair could be a good fit at that position, but I still would like to see Shubman batting at No. 3," he said. Pujara further went on to say, "Someone like Karun, who has done well in domestic cricket, I think the ideal position for Karun would be No. 4. If Shubman bats at No. 3, then Karun Nair comes in at No. 4. 'If Shubman bats at No. 4, then at No. 3 it would be a choice between Abhimanyu Easwaran or Sai Sudharsan.' Gill, 25, will lead a young, inexperienced Indian Test side on a tough challenge in the pace-friendly conditions of England. Earlier on May 24, Saturday, former cricketer Mohammed Kaif felt India's new Test skipper has a shot at glory since expectations could be low due to the recent exits of the three stalwarts. Kaif drew comparisons to India's tour to Australia in 2021, in which Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane led a young side to a 2-1 win in the four-match series. "When Rahane was leading India in Australia, before the Gabba Test, everyone had said that it was a very young team. "So, Gill should probably phone Rahane and have a chat because Rahane had done some brilliant work on that tour with a young side. "Gill has to do something like that as well,' Kaif said in the video posted on his X account. India begins its tour to England on June 20, when the first Test begins at Headingley. They will play four more Tests before heading back home, and Gill will look to be the first Indian captain to win a Test series in England since Rahul Dravid in 2007.
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First Post
26-05-2025
- Sport
- First Post
How Rahul Dravid played a role in shaping Shubman Gill's cricketing journey
While former India all-rounder Karsan Ghavri spotted a 12-year-old Shubman Gill during a pace-bowling camp in Chandigarh, it was batting legend Rahul Dravid's recommendation years later that would fast-track the top-order batter's entry into international cricket. read more Shubman Gill was coached by Rahul Dravid in the 2018 U-19 World Cup as well as in the latter's stint as Team India head coach from 2021 to 2024. PTI When Lakhwinder Singh Gill, an affluent farmer from Chakh Khere Wala village, which is just 10km from the Indo-Pakistan border, decided to move to Mohali to give wings to his younger child Shubman's cricketing talent, he didn't have a Plan B in mind. The boy was not even nine years old but the only 'toy' he ever played with was a cricket bat gifted by his grandfather Sardar Didar Singh. Shubman Gill's story is as much about adhering to the 3 'Ds' (Discipline, Dedication and Determination) as it is about a pushy father, who was ready to move mountains to see his son wear that India cap. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And on June 20, when Shubman walks out wearing that navy blue India blazer over his whites alongside English counterpart Ben Stokes at the iconic Headingley, Lakhwinder can surely raise a toast. It would be for his heady 16-year journey to see that 'another boy at another coaching camp' is polished to perfection to become India's next Test captain. Not all sporting stories need to be sob stories. They could also be stories of resilience, obsession for excellence and the sacrifices made as a family for years. Moving out of one's comfort zones, missing social gatherings for years, not having an outing as a family. From a distance, all of it might not look that difficult but monotony in pursuit of excellence certainly has a different ring to it. 'We had not attended any wedding festivities for years so that our son's focus on cricket doesn't waiver,' Lakhwinder had told PTI when Shubman first came into national prominence with an Under-19 World Cup hundred against Pakistan in 2018. The Gill family had the resources from the beginning. Grandfather Didar could afford a makeshift pitch on his sprawling courtyard at his Fazilka home and the father could risk shifting a family of four to Chandigarh – far removed from a very comfortable life they had in the village. Gill's story is a classic case of being at the right place at the right time and also doing his bit when it is absolutely necessary. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Otherwise how in the world would former India seamer Karsan Ghavri, who was in Mohali in 2011 for a pace bowler's camp organized by PCA under the aegis of BCCI, find out that there were no batters who could face bowlers at said camp. 'Kadoo bhai' (as he is known in Indian cricket circuit) took a walk with one of his assistants in close vicinity of the PCA Stadium and stopped by to watch an Under-14 game where a young boy's technique caught his attention. He wanted to know more about the boy and approached the only other man around, who stood under the shade of a tree, watching the proceedings intently. 'Who's that boy? Any idea?' he asked the man and as fate had it, it was Lakhwinder watching his son bat. 'That's my son Shubman and he is 12 years old,' the father had answered. The man with 100-plus Test wickets didn't waste one moment before telling Gill to report for pace bowler's camp the very next day. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The result was a 12-year-old standing up to the likes of erstwhile India U-19 seamers like Sandeep Sharma with minimum fuss. Fast-tracking Gill into the Punjab U-14 side was then a matter of time after Kadoo bhai's strong recommendation. Serendipity happened not once but twice for Gill. During India A's 2018 tour of England, MSK Prasad's selection committee was picking the next lot for the List A games. 'Anmolpreet Singh had a great season and one of the five selectors was bent on putting him on that flight. Anmol had runs in domestic cricket and his choice would have been justified. Now Rahul (Dravid), who was the NCA head and India A coach, had a request for the selectors,' a former national selector recalled. 'Rahul, everyone knows, is polite to a fault. He had just one request for the panel. He said, 'please select this boy Shubman and accommodate Anmol for another A tour'. 'We couldn't turn down his request and Shubman within months of U-19 World Cup triumph was in India A team,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Anmolpreet had runs but Shubman had something more, technique and temperament. And at the elite level, these two count as much as runs. Dravid had seen something special and didn't want the boy to hang around in domestic cricket for too long. As Ian Chappell once famously said 'too many years in domestic cricket will allow chinks to creep into the system'. He played some significant knocks for India A in England during the one-day tri-series but none more important than a double hundred against West Indies A in a 'Test' match a year after. There was no looking back after that. While his Test match batting is still a work in progress but with wrists which are supple, physique which is sinewy and a languid stance to boot, he has had the game for ODIs. The snap pull or a short arm jab over mid-wicket or a cover-drive played with minimal back-lift, Shubman in Blues has been Virat Kohli's extension. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In home Tests, he has had his moments but England will be a test of his batsmanship. As far as leadership is concerned, the current IPL is an indicator that he is growing in the role. And perhaps, if Gill is the captain, Gautam Gambhir is the right man to be there during his inception days. The ride won't be a smooth one and there are no guarantees of success. But you can't hold it against Shubman for not giving his 200 percent. Indian cricket is hoping for 'Shubh' Arambh.
