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Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Virat Kohli on how he ‘organically' accepted Anushka Sharma's parents as his own, calls her father ‘fearless': ‘We are like friends'
Virat Kohli is on cloud nine at the moment as he is celebrating the first win of his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore. He has been celebrating his victory with wife, actor Anushka Sharma. In an old interview of the cricketer, he shared that he has a great relationship with her parents and spoke about the friend-like relationship he shares with his father-in-law. He also spoke about the immediate acceptance that the Sharma family showed towards him when they met him, and how they have been accepting towards him since then. In an earlier interview with Dinesh Karthik for Sky Sports Cricket, Virat was asked about his relationship with his in-laws as Dinesh said, 'You have literally imbibed Anushka's parents as your own parents.' Virat then said, 'It's amazing. Just the acceptance from day one was something that was so beautiful. I never felt out of place whenever I met them, whenever I went to see Anushka.' Virat then spoke about his relationship with his father-in-law Ajay Kumar Sharma and said, 'Even now, my father-in-law and me are like friends, I can literally share everything with him. And he is an ex-army man. His point of view is so fearless and so clear. It's absolutely amazing when I speak to him about anything. And my mother-in-law as well. Just beautiful people. And my brother-in-law as well.' Virat shared that he 'organically' became a part of Anushka's family and shared, 'All of them are so accepting and so welcoming. At the end of the day, you realise when you so organically blend with people who accept you so quickly that relationships are only based on mutual respect and understanding and unconditional love… is what they call and that's something I have absolutely experienced.' ALSO READ | 127 cuts, no release: Diljit Dosanjh's Punjab 95 is caught in a cycle of postponements, disappointments, says director Honey Trehan Virat and Anushka got married in Italy in 2018. The couple has a daughter named Vamika and a son named Akaay. It has been speculated that the family has now moved to London but Virat and Anushka have not opened up about it yet. Anushka has not appeared in a film since 2019's Zero. She shot for the Jhulan Goswami biopic Chakda Xpress for Netflix but the film has been in limbo for a few years now.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
RCB Star, On England Duty, Pays Special Tribute To Virat Kohli After Match-Winning Knock
Royal Challengers Bengaluru opening batter Jacob Bethell had to leave the franchise ahead of the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 playoffs due to national commitments. Bethell might be away physically, but a part of him still remains in India with RCB. As the hard-hitting batter smashed a whopping 82-run knock off just 53 balls for England against the West Indies in the first ODI, he decided to dedicate his match-winning performance to RCB legend Virat Kohli, the man with whom he spent the last few weeks. Bethell's 82-run knock took England to a gigantic total of 400/8 against the West Indies. Bethell gave RCB and Virat their due credit, saying he has become a much better batter after spending about two months in India as part of his IPL commitments. Though Bethell didn't get to feature in many matches for RCB, due to competition against fellow Englishman Phil Salt, he still decided to laud Kohli and his IPL teammates for the impact they had on him. "I really found that experience very beneficial for my game. I feel like I am a better player now than I was two months before I went to India. Virat Kohli was great with the information and how he goes about his batting," Bethell told Sky Sports Cricket after his match-winning show against Windies. "All I had to do was ask, and he was great with that stuff. Obviously, being a part of that tournament was really special. There is a lot of noise around it, so it was great to be a part of it," he added. Jacob Bethell with his 3rd ODI fifty! — Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 29, 2025 Bethell also spoke about the infectious impact Kohli's energy had on him when he walked out to bat with the iconic India batter, wearing the RCB shirt. "I was always going to be in the IPL after I signed that contract. I watched the boys do well from afar and really enjoyed it," he said on BBC Test Match Special. "Virat was great. He was happy to share lots of advice with me, and Andy Flower was a great coach, too. I felt the energy when I went out to bat with Virat, and that is something I will take into my game, that intensity," he added. England won the match convincingly by 238 runs.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Jacob Bethell makes good on school coach's vision to kick-start Harry Brook era
Jacob Bethell first set foot inside Edgbaston as a 12-year-old and was told by his school coach to imagine one day playing at the ground for England. The vision came true against West Indies, with Bethell marking his first international at his home ground with a dazzling 82 from 53 balls that instantly put pressure back on Ollie Pope for the No 3 spot in the Test side. Bethell only arrived back in the country earlier this week at the end of his stint in the Indian Premier League, but looked as if he had been playing in English conditions all summer as he put the finishing touches on a perfect day for Harry Brook, who marked his first game as official captain with a win, a fifty and an ODI record equalling five catches for an outfielder. Bethell top scored in a total of 400 for eight, the highest in ODI history without an individual century, as a team effort propelled England to a whopping 238-run victory with 23 overs to spare. West Indies were wretched, bowled out for just 162, and only a 10th-wicket stand of 38, the highest of the innings, saved them from their lowest ODI total against England. How cheeky is THAT from Jacob Bethell?! 🤩 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 To cap his day, Bethell's old coach at Rugby School, the former Warwickshire captain Mike Powell, was in the crowd at Edgbaston to watch his former pupil deliver a masterclass in one-day finishing and live out the potential he saw a decade ago when Bethell arrived in England from Barbados. Powell says that even at that young age Bethell was a natural hooker and puller of the ball, thanks to his early years on pitches in Barbados, where he was bounced by older boys in club cricket. Powell thought him a natural Test player with batting in his blood, but he has also evolved into a modern, multi-format cricketer with a giant future ahead of him. He fell short of his first century in professional cricket, but with two more ODIs in this series and three T20s to follow, he has time to build a strong case to play in the first Test against India. This is a different format and West Indies are not a strong side, but Bethell just has that air of a generational player who appears totally at home in international cricket. Bethell made just two IPL appearances, warming the bench instead of playing for England against Zimbabwe last week. He was allowed to stay in India because England had promised their players they would be able to see out IPL contracts and the Zimbabwe match was a late addition to the schedule and not part of the World Test Championship. That Jacob Bethell power 💪 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 But by being so generous, England created their own headache as Pope seized his chance to return to No 3 by scoring 171 at Trent Bridge. Ben Stokes then got in a lather backtracking on pre-Test match comments that suggested Bethell would be restored to No 3 as soon he was available again. Pope left Trent Bridge seemingly undroppable and with Stokes's backing, but if Bethell keeps up this form the debate is far from over, and just delaying the inevitable. After fifties from Ben Duckett, Brook and Joe Root, as well as solid contributions from Jamie Smith and Jos Buttler, Bethell capped off the England innings. He started carefully with 19 from his first 26 balls, but slammed 63 off his next 27 deliveries, carving five sixes from two pulls, a lofted drive, slog sweep and ramp. All of England's picks in their new-look batting order paid off. Smith looked classy as an opener and clicked immediately with Duckett, the pair adding 64 in seven overs. Root and Brook's half centuries helped England to motor through the middle overs at 6.43 runs an over. There was a danger with batsmen failing to convert fifties that England could fall short when Buttler was dismissed for 37 at the start of the 41st over. But Will Jacks, batting at No 7 for the first time, and Bethell clobbered 98 off 44 balls for the sixth wicket as England plundered 117 off the last 10 overs. West Indies were blown away. Alzarri Joseph was their best bowler, with his pace unsettling England, but others were too easily hit off their lines and length. Jayden Seales's four for 84 from nine overs showed the price paid for taking wickets. He and fellow seamer Matthew Forde conceded 172 from 18 overs. It was a day of extraordinary catching from both sides, the close to sell-out half-term crowd getting good value for money. Roston Chase held on to two blinders before Brydon Carse and Brook matched him in the West Indies innings. WHAT A GRAB, BRYDON CARSE! 🚨 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 Carse hit 85mph and his pace and bounce nicked off opener Brandon King for his only wicket. Saqib Mahmood bowled a consistent line and length, mixed in with the odd sharp bouncer, for figures of three for 32, before Jamie Overton cleaned up the tail. 'It was a good bowling performance, I do not think it was anything magical or special. 'The batsmen won this game with 400 runs on the board, then the plans became quite simple. 'From a West Indies point of view, anytime your number 11 is top scorer, you know you have had a bad day.' 'A pretty seamless day and a dominant performance. [Harry] Brook will have way tougher days than today, but to build a template moving forward, this is as good as you get. 'Before a ball was bowled today, Brook wanted more runs, more dominance from his batters, he got 400 runs, and then each and every bowler looked to take wickets. 'That allowed him to impart some of the expressive side of his captaincy with aggressive fields. He will sit back, for a short period of time, very content.' 'That was a pretty phenomenal performance from the boys. Nice to get the series under way in good fashion. 'Four of us got 50+ scores. If one of us kicks on, that is a complete performance. We have got so much power. Smudge [Jamie Smith] started really well in the powerplay, put them under an immense amount of pressure. That allowed people down the order to try and hit it out of the park. The tempo of our innings was spot on. 'Saqib [Mahmood] bowled beautifully in the powerplay and got the rewards he deserved. [Brydon] Carse and Jamie [Overton] were bowling gas.' 'We did not make the early inroads we were after. If you do not you will always find yourself playing catch up. That is what happened. 'We pulled the game back quite nicely. They were striking at eight-point-something at one stage. We let it slip at the end. We have some work and assessing to do. 'We still have some inexperience in our bowling line-up so it is only a matter of time until we hit the ground running. 400 is a tough task but we did not start well in powerplay with the bat. When you are chasing 400 you need a good start.' 'It is pretty special to play here for the first time for England, and to top it off with a win was special. I enjoy batting in the middle order. Today was a pretty easy situation to come into when I came into bat. 'It was about not losing a cluster of wickets. I think when I back myself when I am in I can get a lot of balls to the boundary so I am not too fussed about dot balls. I try to hit strong shots and get off to a strong start. 'I learnt a lot from the IPL, I feel like a better player because of that experience than I was two months ago. I learnt a lot from the IPL, I feel like a better player because of that experience than I was two months ago. Virat [Kohli] was great with information and how he goes about batting. All I had to do was ask him.' A superb googly from Rashid wraps it up as he bowls Joseph. West Indies are bowled out for 162 and England have won this first ODI by 238 runs. A nice way for Rashid to cap off his 150th ODI. England looked like the England of old under Eoin Morgan and there are some similarities to a match on this ground in 2015 against New Zealand. Harry Brook's record as permanent captain:Games played: 1️⃣Games won: 1️⃣The perfect start ❤️ — England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 29, 2025 Carse is coming back into the attack. There is no mid-on in place and Seales pulls one through that region for four. The number 11 is having some fun. Carse finishes the over by striking Seales on the pads but it pitched outside leg. Seales belted Rashid for one six over wide long on and he repeats that feat in this over. Rashid loops one up again and Seales makes great connection once more, earning himself another six. Seales picks up another boundary as he sweeps behind square for four. He is now up to 23 from eight balls. Off the final ball Rashid strikes Joseph on the pads and England go up but it is a shake of the head from umpire Martin Saggers. Joseph chips one through mid-on for a couple. He then pulls one away behind square on the legside for four. Joseph tries to whack Rashid out of the ground but gets an inside edge. Seales is off the mark with a single into the legside. A few balls later Seales belts Rashid over wide long on for six. A quality shot from a number 11. Jayden Seales is the last man in. Motie c Brook b Overton 18 The end is nigh. Overton completely deceives Motie with a slower ball and he skies it. Brook takes another catch in this innings and England are one wicket away from the most dominant of victories. Five catches for Brook in this innings. FOW 124/9 Motie drills a full Rashid delivery past a diving mid-off for four. Rashid then drops short and Motie belts it over long off for six. Motie sweeps off his pads and it goes very fine, running away for the third boundary of the over. Alzarri Joseph is the new man and he gets under way with a single through point off his second ball. Motie gets his first runs as he drives through wide mid-off for four. Forde c Mahmood b Overton 1 Another batsman to fall for the short-ball plan. Forde tried to whack every ball he faced and he gets a top edge on a pull. Mahmood takes the simple catch at third man and England take eighth wicket. FOW 102/8 Gudakesh Motie joins Forde in the middle. Jangoo c Brook b Rashid 14 Another catch from Brook and it is another good one. It was not the best ball Rashid has ever bowled but it is a fantastic grab by Brook at mid-wicket as Jangoo hit that ball hard. FOW 102/7 Matthew Forde joins Jangoo in the middle. He advances at Overton and gets off the mark with an inside edge for a single through the legside. A single from Jangoo into the offside brings up the West Indies 100. I think it is safe to say they are going to go down swinging. Chase c Jacks b Overton 9 Another wicket falls as Chase falls into the trap. Overton bangs it in short and Chase takes it on, giving Jacks a fairly simple catch at deep square leg. FOW 97/6 For the first time today Adil Rashid is on. Not his finest over as he finds his radar and West Indies get six singles. Only Shane Warne and Saqlain Mushtaq have taken more wickets in their first 150 ODI's. Just shows how good Rashid has been. Overton is into the attack having bowled just two balls earlier before damaging a finger. Jangoo hits a driver through cover that brings him three after good work from Jacks. England appeal for a catch down the legside but umpire Kumar Dharmasena is not having it. England have just one review remaining and Harry Brook has no hesitation in using it. It is a pretty terrible review as there was no bat and in fact it hit Chase's hip. England have no reviews left. Roston Chase is in at number seven and is off the mark first ball. Chase heaves away for four over deep mid-wicket. It has been an incredible day of catching, starting with two stunners by Roston Chase and then Brydon Carse's grab in the deep and Harry Brook's diving effort to give Bethell his wicket. It has not been much of a contest but a good sized half term crowd have had decent value for money today. Andrew c Brook b Bethell 8 Another terrific grab! Andrew plays a lofty drive and Brook dives to his left to make a stunning grab mid-air. England have taken some stunners in the field, as did West Indies earlier to be honest. FOW 79/5 Mahmood has bowled superbly today and he will continue. England have a leg slip in place to Jangoo and it nearly pays dividends but a chance falls just short of Duckett. Change of bowling as Bethell, who bowled four balls earlier, is back on. Andrew goes downtown and deposits Bethell over long on for six. Time for drinks. During the break, David 'Bumble' Lloyds has been on the mic to urge people to donate to the Bob Willis fund. Amir Jangoo joins Andrew at the crease. Mahmood appeals for a caught behind down the legside but umpire Kumar Dharmasena turns it down. England think about an appeal and Harry Brook decides to go for it. There is no bat so the original decision stands and England lose a review. Jangoo gets off the mark with a pull through square leg for two. A huge appeal for LBW from the last ball but it is turned down. England think about another review but decide against it. That was a good call as it was missing. A reminder West Indies still need 331 runs to win! Hope c Carse b Mahmood 25 Oh my word! What a catch! Mahmood bangs it in short and Hope pulls it away. Carse looked like he might have slightly misjudged it but sticks his arm up into the air and pulls off a stunning catch. It is a little similar to Ben Stokes' catch against South Africa at The Oval at the start of the 2019 World Cup. FOW 66/4 WHAT A GRAB, BRYDON CARSE! 🚨 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 Carse offers up a bit of width and Hope takes advantage as he cuts the ball over the fielders inside the circle and away for four. Next ball he goes over the top off the back foot and gets it over Brook at mid-off. The timing was not great so he only gets a couple. 18-year-old Jewel Andrew is in on debut and this will be a test. He is off the mark with a single first ball down to third man. Mahmood finds the inside edge once more but Hope is fortunate that it flies past the stumps and away for four. That has happened at least three or four times to Mahmood so far. That is the end of the first powerplay and it is safe to say it has been England's. Carty c Brook b Mahmood 22 Mahmood is going to come back from the opposite end to the one he started and he is back in the wickets. It comes off the slice of the bat and it is another easy catch for Brook at mid-off. Mahmood has bowled brilliantly so far. FOW 53/3 Carse is going to come back on for Mahmood. Hope hits a full toss through mid-off that he thinks will bring him four but a great diving stop from Brook keeps it down to one. That single brings up the West Indies 50. Off the final ball Carty hits one high into the sky but it lands safely and he comes back for two. The first change of bowling in this innings as Jamie Overton replaces Carse. Carty hits the ball back at Overton but the England bowler cannot hold on to the caught-and-bowled chance. Overton then proceeds to run straight off as he knows he has done some damage to his finger, potentially dislocated. Jacob Bethell is going to finish the over. England have plenty of spinners in this side so we are going to see plenty of overs of spin in this innings. Carty finishes the over by swatting Bethell over wide mid-on for four. Carty hits down the ground and does not get all of it but the ball lands safely and he comes back for two. Carty finishes the over by pulling Mahmood away over mid-wicket for four. These are probably West Indies' two premier batsmen in this XI so if they are to have any chance (which looks very remote!) these two will have to score lots of runs. Hope gets off the mark with a couple through the covers. Hope then flashes at a wide delivery from Carse that takes a thick outside edge and beats Smith at third man. Carse strikes Hope on the pads and there is a half appeal, mainly from Root, but it was going down leg. Hope gets his second four of the over with a simple push up the ground through mid-off for four. Pure timing. Carty squeezes one away for two through cover point. Later in the over it is a much more convincing shot from Carty as his drive through the same area races away for four. West Indies captain Shai Hope joins Carty out in the middle. Terrific start from Mahmood and Carse. King c Buttler b Carse 10 What a delivery! Carse bowls a beautiful line and length, finding the outside edge of King's bat with some movement and Buttler takes the simple catch. It was just a feather but that was a sublime delivery. FOW 17/2 Keacy Carty, who averages nearly 50 in ODI cricket, comes to the crease. He nearly plays his second delivery onto his own stumps but it bounces away. A wicket maiden from Mahmood. Greaves c Brook b Mahmood 4 Soft, soft dismissal. He gives Brook catching practice at mid-off with the simplest of catches for the new England captain. FOW 8/1 Brydon Carse will open from the other end but he starts with a wide. That is the only run conceded in the over and he went past King's outside edge a couple of times in that over. King flashes at a wide delivery from Mahmood and it flashes past the inside edge. Mahmood then strikes King on the pads but umpire Martin Saggers turns down the appeal. There was half an appeal for a catch as the ball was caught nothing there. The first runs come from a thick inside edge that runs all the way to the backward square leg boundary. Rashid does just enough to flick it back in before hitting the rope so he saves a run as the West Indies' batsmen came back for three. Mahmood then finds the inside edge once more and Greaves is fortunate that it does not crash into the stumps but instead runs away fine for four. Mahmood bangs one in short and England think there is an edge and so does the umpire as the finger goes up. Greaves immediately reviews and it is a superb review as there was no contact with the bat but instead with the helmet. We are ready to get back under way for the West Indies run chase as the tourists need 401 to win this first ODI. Brandon King and Justin Greaves will open the batting for West Indies. Saqib Mahmood will open the bowling for England. 'It was important at the start for the West Indies, in conditions with the two new balls they might have felt they could have utilised, but they bowled too much width. '[Ben] Duckett set the tone brilliantly for England and the West Indies just did not get things right in the first 10 overs and the last 10 and they are the most crucial in this format.' There are growing fears that English women's cricket is becoming a soft target for corruption, with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of bets placed on matches. Corruption in men's cricket has been a longstanding issue for the sport, with numerous high-profile examples coming to light. A Telegraph Sport investigation can reveal a crackdown taking place in the women's game after uncovering: For more from Sonia Twigg, click here. A terrific team performance by England, Jacob Bethell underlining his class with a top score of 82 off 53 balls playing the finisher role to near perfection in his first innings on home soil this year. He had 20 off his first 26 balls but then found his range scoring all around the wicket, hitting 62 off his next 26 balls as West Indies struggled to find a way to keep him quiet. Fifties for Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Harry Brook enabled the lower order to make the most of the final overs. Jacks and Bethell plundered 117 off the final 10 overs and the total off 400-8 had echoes of the 408-9 England made here a decade ago at the start of the Eoin Morgan era. West Indies will begin their tour of England on Thursday: their first match in the country for all of… 10 months. The tourists will play three one-day internationals and three Twenty20s before leaving almost as quickly as they arrived. The wider context of the games is not immediately clear, even if there is some jeopardy in the matches. England are eighth in the ODI rankings, and West Indies ninth. Should either side slip to 10th by the cut-off in March 2027, they will face the grim prospect of entering the qualification tournament for the final four spots in the 2027 World Cup. The opacity about how England could end up in the qualifiers speaks to a wider flaw in how ODIs are organised. The rankings mean little to players and are prone to manipulation. West Indies learnt as much in 2015 when Pakistan cancelled a tri-series, knowing that losing to West Indies would endanger their Champions Trophy spot. "The Bob Willis Fund saved my life" 💙 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 The last ball evades Carse but Hope cannot gather and it runs away for four byes to bring up the England 400 as they finish on 400/8 off their 50 overs. The West Indies have bowled two really good overs to finish this innings but England will be very happy with this total. The last eight overs went for 107 runs. Welcome to the Harry Brook era 👋England reach 400 in an ODI for the first time since their record-breaking 498-4 vs Netherlands in June 2022 🏴 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 Bethell c Hope b Seales 82 An end to a fantastic innings. Seales throws it wide of the off stump and Bethell can only feather it behind to Hope. FOW 393/8 Brydon Carse joins Bethell in the middle and he gets off the mark second ball with a couple to the cover-point boundary. It is a tight over from Joseph, conceding just two runs and taking the wicket of Overton. One more over remaining. Overton c Chase b Joseph 1 Another outstanding catch! Chase has already taken one and now he takes another. Overton splices one high into the air and Chase runs back from mid-off to take a stunning catch over his head. The West Indies are going to be chasing a huge total but they have taken some great catches. FOW 391/7 West Indies have been punished for slow over rate so an extra man has to come into the circle. Jamie Overton is the new man in. Third man is up inside the circle and Bethell guides one delicately to the boundary for four. Jacks c Hope b Greaves 39 Jacks' fun is over. He tries to pull Greaves away but it loops off the top edge and Hope dives forward to take the catch. A good innings there from Jacks to keep the momentum going. FOW 385/6 Forde bowls one in the slot and Jack punishes him by whacking it over long on for six. West Indies bowling coach Ravi Rampaul is signalling to the players. It actually looked more like a signal of surrender! Jacks follows that up with another boundary as he flicks the ball away on the full for four through square leg. Make that three straight boundaries as Jacks finds the gap between long on and deep mid-wicket. This is brutal batting! Four consecutive boundaries now as Jacks pummels one back over Forde's head for four. The run of boundaries is only ended by consecutive wides. Jacks finds the boundary once more as an attempted Forde yorker is flicked over square leg for four. He does not know where to bowl and he looks frazzled. 24 from the over in total! This is the first time in ODI history that all of a top seven have reached 30. A surprising and amazing stat, really. Jacks dabs behind point on the offside and quickly comes back for two. England have combined some big hitting with good running between the wickets to constantly keep the pressure on West Indies. Bethell once again finds the gap between mid-off and cover to find the boundary once more. The ball is flying to all parts. Seales then offers width and is too full to Bethell, who tucks into it and belts it well over mid-off's head for six. 400 anyone? A Seales wide takes England to 350. Bethell finishes the over with a reverse ramp over short third man for four. To make matters worse for Seales, it is a no ball so it will be re-bowled and will be a free hit. It is a dot ball but this is an exhibition from Bethell. How cheeky is THAT from Jacob Bethell?! 🤩 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 375 now looks perfectly achievable, with five wickets still in hand, and England might now be aiming for more. Fine leg is up inside the circle and Bethell takes advantage by flicking Joseph off his hips for four to bring up his third ODI fifty. Bethell finishes the over by emphatically swatting Joseph over deep mid-wicket for six. This is some fine batting from Bethell. That Jacob Bethell power 💪 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 The West Indies have been warned about taking too long between overs; a couple more of those and they will suffer a five-run penalty. England continue to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Bethell finds the gap between mid-off and cover, with the ball running away for four. Off the final ball Bethell powers a back-of-the-length delivery for six over long on's head. He is approaching fifty. Hope is changing up his bowlers and now brings Joseph back on. Bethell gets one on his hips and flicks it just over the head of Carty at deep backward square leg for six to bring up England's 300. Joseph finishes the over by straying down leg and Jacks flicks away past short fine leg for four. England still have plenty of firepower remaining and can continue to go hard inside these final 10 overs. England will be aiming for at least 350 but dreaming of 375. Will Jacks is in at number seven. Seales has been expensive but has taken the wickets of Root, Brook and Buttler. Not a bad collection of names to dismiss. Jacks gets off the mark fourth ball with a single to deep mid-wicket. Buttler c Forde b Seales 37 Buttler will be so annoyed at himself there. One ball after ramping Seales for four, Buttler smacks a short-pitched slower ball straight to Forde at deep mid-wicket. He could not have picked him out any better. FOW 287/5 Just the one run from Greaves' latest over. In the context of this innings that is an exceptional over. Motie is brought back on. A single from Bethell down to long on brings up the 50 partnership off 43 balls. A few balls later Bethell unveils the reverse sweep and he gets it over Jangoo at short third man. The ball looked like it might get all the way to the boundary but Jangoo just flicks it back in. Bethell then goes for the conventional sweep and belts Motie for six over deep mid-wicket. Big hit! Greaves is back into the attack and starts with a wide. Buttler advances at Greaves and deposits him over long off for six. Next ball he charges again and swats a short ball back past Greaves for four. This is the Buttler we know and love. Down the ground x2 😮💨 That's more like it from Jos Buttler 🤩 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 England's run rate is just under seven and they will be backing themselves to secure a big first-innings total with plenty of batting still to come. It is a tight start to the over from Joseph but he drops short and Bethell pulls away for four. In fact, it actually flicked off the helmet after coming off the bat. Actually looking at UltraEdge there was no contact with bat or glove but runs were given. Once the concussion checks are completed after Bethell was struck on the helmet, Joseph beats the outside edge of Bethell's bat. A single off Buttler's bat takes England to 250. England are currently projected to get 356 at the current rate. Bethell pulls aerially quite far in front of square but it lands safely, a fair bit away from any fielder, and he comes back for two. Five off the over. Time for spin to return as Chase is being brought on. A good return for the part-timer, conceding just two runs. Shai Hope is bringing Joseph back into the attack, hoping one of his principal strike bowlers can make another breakthrough. Joseph is around the wicket to Bethell but strays too straight and, on the angle, Bethell to simply flick it away fine for four. Joseph finishes the over off with an absolute beauty that finds the inside edge of Buttler's bat but evades Hope and runs away four. Streaky for Buttler. On his home ground Jacob Bethell comes to the crease. Good running between Buttler and Bethell brings the former two. The next ball they run well again and get another couple. Forde then strikes Buttler on the pads and appeals but it is turned down. Hope then fires at the stumps at the non-striker's end and no-one is backing up so the ball runs away for four over-throws. Had the West Indies reviewed it they would have lost their final review. Bethell is off the mark second ball with a single down to fine leg. Brook c Carty b Seales 58 What have you done Harry? He has batted so nicely but throws away his wicket. He is given width by Seales and cuts away but picks out the fielder on the point boundary. Carty did well to come in and take the catch. Another England batsman that got off to a great start but has been unable to convert it into a big score. FOW 221/4 Another great catch and Harry Brook can't believe his luck! 😲 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 Forde oversteps and Brook will be on strike for the free hit. That no ball brings up the England 200. Brook steps to the legside and powers Forde through the offside for four. Brook then pulls Forde over fine leg for six. He went with it and never tried to keep it down, knowing he had enough power to get it over the fielder. A single then into the offside brings up Brook's sixth ODI fifty, his first as the permanent captain. It has come from 41 balls. Buttler gets off the mark second ball with a single into the offside. The former captain joins the current captain as Jos Buttler heads to the crease. Brook advances at Forde, who has also been brought back on, and he flashes at one. It flies past short third man and away for four. That was not a million miles though from finding the hands of the fielder. Root c Hope b Seales 57 Seales is brought back into the attack and, at the end of an expensive over, he gets a crucial wicket. He entices Root into a wider delivery and the ball is nicked through to Hope. FOW 188/3 Brook uses his feet to Greaves and deposits him over long off for a big six. That was a statement shot from the new England white-ball captain. A few balls later Brook gets down on one knee and flicks the ball over fine leg for a second six of the over. Quite a remarkable shot. England are in such a strong position with still the likes of Buttler, Bethell and Jacks to come. Joe Root has that ODI rhythm back, which is so good to see. He played so irregularly for a few years when the schedule was a mess that he lost it. But he's played a bank of games this year and looks the part. I'm not sure Buttler will make it to the 2027 World Cup, but I'm pretty certain Root will. "Rishabh Pant-esque!" 💥A remarkable shot from new England ODI captain Harry Brook 🌟 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 A single out to the point boundary brings up Root's 42nd ODI fifty, met by a roar of 'ROOOOOT!' from the Edgbaston crowd. It has come from 60 balls and it has been rather effortless and risk-free so far. We reach the halfway stage of the innings. The West Indies bowlers have managed to stem the flow of boundaries but these two are still rotating strike well. The run rate is still up at 6.54. Root is closing in on yet another ODI fifty. A single off Root's bat brings up the England 150. It is still very blustery out in the middle. Root plays plenty of shots splendidly but one he makes look so easy is the guided shot off the back foot down to third man. It is remarkable how easy he makes it look and it just keeps the scoreboard ticking along. England have so much batting still to come and will want to take full advantage of this start. The challenge is on for this new England outfit. At 148-2 after 22 overs, can they build on this good start, motor along nicely keeping wickets in hand for the end? In the recent past they have continued to go hard, got themselves out and run out of gas for the death overs, falling short with their total. With Brook new to the crease, Motie has a slip in place to England's captain. Five off the over. New white-ball captain Harry Brook joins his fellow Yorkshireman Root out in the middle and gets off the mark straight away with a single down to fine leg. Off his second ball later in the over Brook is slightly fortunate as an aerial flick comes up short of mid-wicket. Duckett c Chase b Greaves 60 That is a stunning catch to dismiss Duckett! The England opener tried to flick it away but gets a leading edge that flies to backward point. Chase jumps and sticks out his right hand to take a brilliant catch to end a great innings from Duckett. Two good catches to dismiss England's openers. FOW 137/2 Another SCREAMER from West Indies in the field 🤩 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 West Indies are desperately searching for a breakthrough here and it does not really like look coming, other than if England make an error of judgement. Not only are these two scoring boundaries regularly but they are also rotating strike very nicely. Off the final ball Duckett uses his feet to Motie but gets just a single down to long on. Root uses his foot to Greaves and punches down the ground for four. The ball went straight into the ground and Greaves was unable to get his hands on it to stop it. There is then a half appeal for LBW but it was straying down leg. Captain Shai Hope seriously considers a review but it was a good job he did not as the ball was sailing down leg. West Indies have just one review left after spurning one earlier. I wonder what was said in the West Indies huddle during that drinks break. They were really poor in the opening part of this innings and have to change things quickly or else this innings will quickly get away from them. It is a tight over though from Motie, going for just a couple. It will be a change of bowling from both ends as Justin Greaves comes on. It is a reasonably tight over but England still get five runs from it. Time for drinks. Change of bowling for the West Indies as Gudakesh Motie comes into the attack. The running between the wickets is good, with Root coming back for two having flicked the ball behind square on the leg side. These two are keeping the scoreboard ticking along nicely. Chase has been expensive, costing 27 runs from his three overs, but he continues. Off the final ball of the over Duckett pushes up to wide long-off and comes back for two to bring up his seventh ODI fifty in his 23rd match. It has come off just 34 balls. Joseph strays onto the pads and Root flicks him away for four, despite the best efforts on the boundary by Andrew. That boundary brings up England's 100 inside 13 overs. England are ticking along nicely, with the run rate currently sitting at 8.15. Root gets out the first reverse sweep for the first time in his innings and makes good connection, getting four runs. He had that completely under control. There have been a fair number of leaky overs from the West Indies so far but that is a tight over from Joseph, going for just two runs. Duckett is very lucky. He goes for the sweep against Chase but gets a top edge. Fortunately for Duckett it just lands safely at deep square leg. That was very nearly both set batsmen gone. Chase then commits the cardinal sin for a spinner; bowling a front foot no-ball. That gives Root the opportunity of facing the free hit and he sweeps him on the full over square leg's head for four. A very successful opening powerplay for England. Joseph looked like he was going to get out of the over well but Duckett decides to ramp scoop him over the keeper for four. Not much Joseph could do about that ingenuity from Duckett. Joe Root is in at number three. Roston Chase is into the attack and we have spin for the first time today. Guess what, Root is off the mark first ball with a push down to long-on for one. Poor fielding from Carty at cover allows Duckett to come back for two. Towards the end of the over Duckett has had enough of just tapping the ball around as he charges Chase and whacks him over mid-wicket for six. Smith c King b Joseph 37 West Indies make the breakthrough with a change of bowling. Joseph is into the attack and gets a wicket in his first over. Seales had just missed the opportunity to catch Smith at mid-on having slipped but the West Indies wait just moments to get him out. Smith times a pull superbly but it is straight at King, who takes a fantastic catch at mid-wicket with the ball flying towards him at speed. Smith's good innings comes to an end and he will be disappointed he did not make more of a good start. FOW 64/1 A good start for Smith, opening for the first time in List A cricket. He showed some of his class with seven fours in his 37 - the best a lofted off drive - and the partnership with Duckett looked to click. The left hand-right hand, short and tall combo seemed to mess with lines and lengths too. There were a couple of half chances from Smith before the reflex catch from Brandon King at midwicket. TOP CATCH! 🚨Brandon King takes a BEAUTY to dismiss Jamie Smith after a promising innings 🙌 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 Duckett shows great late touch with a late cut down to the third-man boundary. Carty nearly makes a mess of his parry but stops it from hitting the boundary rope. Good running though from England brings them three. An aerial pull from Smith in front of square brings him two and in turn brings up the England 50 inside six overs. Smith then cracks one at speed through point for four. That flew to the point boundary. Smith finishes the over with yet another four through mid-wicket and England are flying. Smith squeezes one of the back foot between point and couple for two. Two Lloyds, David and Clive, both in attendance today. Smith then advances at Forde and lifts one over mid-off for four. Not the purest contact but still a decent enough connection. He then gets two more with a Kevin Pietersen-esque flick through mid-wicket. Smith finishes the over by getting on top of the bounce and punching off the back foot through cover for another four. Great start by England. We are hearing that the West Indies were forced into a very late change with Evin Lewis not making it and they turned to Jewel Andrew. A couple of former Prime Ministers are in the house today in the form of Sir John Major and Rishi Sunak. Seales strays onto Duckett's pads and that is easy pickings for Duckett, flicking it away through mid-wicket for four. Tremendous balance from Duckett there. Off the final ball of the over it is exactly the same as earlier in the over, with Seales straying onto Duckett's pads and it is the same result; four more. Solid start from this opening pair. Interesting train journey today. Rishi Sunak was on board with his protection officers on his way to the cricket. Group of blokes, late middle age I would say, sank at least 16 beers between the four of them between Euston and Birmingham and sat opposite me was Mike Powell, the former Warwickshire captain who is now head of cricket at Rugby School and chatted about an exciting young cricketer he coached there, Jacob Bethell. Pretty wild start from Jayden Seales, but that is what England's opening pair are designed to do: knock a bowler off his line and length. Jamie Smith is effectively playing the role of Zak Crawley, as a tall right-hander who contrasts nicely with little Ben Duckett. Many thought Jacob Bethell should open with Duckett but that would leave England with their two left-handers opening and five right-handers from three to seven, which in white-ball cricket is a bit of a no-no as it can allow spinners to settle into a rhythm. Forde gives Duckett too much width and is too short, with Duckett taking the gift by cutting it away just in front of point for four. A positive start so far with a few hairy moments. Jayden Seales will open from the Birmingham End and he strikes Smith on the pads with his first ball. It struck Smith on the full but was going down leg. Two balls later Smith is dropped. He flashes at a wider delivery from Seales and the ball flies to Greaves' right at second slip. Greaves sticks out his right hand but cannot keep hold of it. It runs away for four down to third man. Seales then strikes Smith on the pads and there is a huge appeal, which umpire Kumar Dharmasena turns down. The West Indies think long and hard before reviewing. It appeared that they had run out of time but they are allowed to review. It is not a good review to say the least from Shai Hope as the ball was going way down leg. Everyone knew it a long time before the decision came having seen just one replay and were quickly back into position. Smith then responds by drilling Seales through cover for four. He then finishes the over by flicking it through wide mid-on for another four and that brings to an end an eventful over. Smith has played a couple of delightful shots in that over but also looked troubled. Smith goes for a drive through the offside first ball and gets an inside edge through square leg to get the first run of the innings. A little bit of movement from Forde into Smith and the wind has got up at Edgbaston. Duckett faces three dot balls before finally getting off the mark with an emphatic cover drive for four. Too full from Forde and Duckett punishes him. Five from the opening over. The Harry Brook era has its first boundary courtesy of Ben Duckett 💥 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett head out to the middle. Matthew Forde will send down the opening over. We are ready for action at Edgbaston. Both sides make their way out onto the outfield, led by Bob Willis' daughter Katie. Tomorrow would have been Bob's 76th birthday and we have 45 seconds of roaring applause for the England great. Today is #BlueForBob, where Edgbaston will turn blue to raise awareness and funds for Prostate Cancer 💙 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 29, 2025 There are growing fears that English women's cricket is becoming a soft target for corruption, with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of bets placed on matches. Corruption in men's cricket has been a longstanding issue for the sport, with numerous high-profile examples coming to light. A Telegraph Sport investigation can reveal a crackdown taking place in the women's game after uncovering: For more from Sonia Twigg, click here. Adil Rashid is magic 🪄Congratulations, Rash! 👏#ENGvWI | #EnglandCricket — England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 29, 2025 Jamie Smith will open against West Indies as England begin their ODI rebuild under new captain Harry Brook by looking to the Test team for inspiration. Smith will be aiming to emulate Adam Gilchrist as a keeper turned ODI opener after replacing Phil Salt at the top of the order. Salt was part of the team that bombed at the Champions Trophy earlier this year, losing three matches out of three. Gilchrist, who like Smith batted at No 7 in Tests, scored 9,200 ODI runs with 16 centuries in 260 games as an opener, winning three World Cups with Australia. Of players who started their ODI careers before 2000, only five batsmen have a better strike rate. 'There are a couple of new faces who have played before but have not been in recently. We are looking forward to what the future holds. We will try to get back to winning ways, and try to have as strong a team as possible. 'As a batting unit, we need to try and get bigger scores individually - try to get those match-winning knocks; as a bowling unit, to take wickets throughout, and have the skills to bowl to certain dimensions.' Welcome to Edgbaston. A decent crowd in today. Jos Buttler bats at five and will keep in his first match as the former England captain. Harry Brook described him as still being the no 1 white ball batsman in the world yesterday but in reality he has not operated at that level for a while now. At 34 Buttler could still make the 2027 ODI World Cup but you feel they missed a trick here by not giving Tom Banton his chance and really building a fresh, young new team for Brook to work with. Cue a Buttler hundred today. England: Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid. West Indies: Brandon King, Justin Greaves, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (captain and wicketkeeper), Amir Jangoo, Roston Chase, Jewel Andrew, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales. The coin goes in favour of Shai Hope and he has decided to bowl first. Here is what Hope had to say at the toss: 'We are going to bowl first and try to see if we can get the best of the conditions bowling. Data shows that the team chasing usually gets the better of them. 'We know what is at stake here, so we have got to play good cricket and see if we can start the series well with a win. We need to adapt as quickly as we can, use the experience of the guys who have been here previously.' We already know the England XI but who will win the toss? Harry Brook or Shai Hope? Both captains are out in the middle in Edgbaston and we are ready for the toss. 'There are quite a few challenges that will unfold over the course of his [Brook's] journey and tenure as captain of this side. There will be hiccups along the way and fires you have to put out. 'One of the challenges I found as a leader was getting people to lean in and to listen. If you can do that, you can deliver a message and comminute where you want to go and how you want to get there. 'Right here and now, this England team are listening, because there is an element of desperation. They are desperate to get back to where this talented squad belongs, which is competing at ICC events. They have lost their last seven ODI's on the trot.' West Indies will begin their tour of England on Thursday: their first match in the country for all of… 10 months. The tourists will play three one-day internationals and three Twenty20s before leaving almost as quickly as they arrived. The wider context of the games is not immediately clear, even if there is some jeopardy in the matches. England are eighth in the ODI rankings, and West Indies ninth. Should either side slip to 10th by the cut-off in March 2027, they will face the grim prospect of entering the qualification tournament for the final four spots in the 2027 World Cup. The opacity about how England could end up in the qualifiers speaks to a wider flaw in how ODIs are organised. The rankings mean little to players and are prone to manipulation. West Indies learnt as much in 2015 when Pakistan cancelled a tri-series, knowing that losing to West Indies would endanger their Champions Trophy spot. ODI's: Today- Edgbaston Sunday 1st June- Cardiff Tuesday 3rd June- The Oval T20's: Friday 6th June- Durham Sunday 8th June- Bristol Tuesday 10th June- Southampton A new one-day era for English cricket begins today as Harry Brook begins his permanent tenure as England's white-ball captain, hosting the West Indies at Edgbaston in the first of three ODI's. Brook has taken over from Jos Buttler, who retains his place in the side and keeps wicket. It has been a rough few years on one-day cricket for England. Under Eoin Morgan between 2015 and 2020, England were the most formidable one-day outfit and then Buttler took over the captaincy, winning the T20 World Cup in 2022. However, since then, things have gone downhill at the 2023 World Cup, 2024 T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy earlier this year. Matthew Mott has come and gone in the last few years and Buttler has been replaced as captain. They have lost their past seven ODI's, including all three matches at the Champions Trophy earlier this year, but Brook is looking to bring a renewed energy to this new regime. 'It is a new era and hopefully we can bring a lot of energy, competitiveness and lot of fun out there. We want to engage the crowd as much as we can and try to get some wins under our belt. I know lads have sometimes said that we do not care about winning but that is not true. Everybody hates losing. 'As a batter, I will try and be the positive, attacking self I usually am. That is part of the ethos Baz and I are bringing. We want to put bowlers' best balls under pressure. We are going to try and have our best players as much as possible (from now on). There is so much cricket to be played and we have got to try and help players with their scheduling as well.' Brook does have a little experience captaining England, having stepped in as captain for the then-injured Buttler last summer, when England lost 3-2 at home against Australia. England have already named their side for this first ODI, with Jamie Smith given the nod to open alongside Ben Duckett. Smith has never opened in List A cricket and struggled batting at number three during the Champions Trophy earlier this year. However, he has the backing of both his captain Brook and head coach Brendon McCullum. ''Baz [Brendon McCullum] and I have this desire that he [Smith] could be an unbelievable white-ball opener. Baz actually said it in Pakistan to me and a few lads. I am not saying he has cemented his spot but he is going to get a good crack. He is such an immense player and can play the moving ball, as we have seen in Test cricket. There is no reason he can't bang it as an opener.' England are currently without fast bowlers Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson due to injury. They are currently eighth in the ODI world rankings, one place above their opponents. The West Indies, who are captained by Shai Hope, were most recently in action last week, when they drew 1-1 against Ireland. Play gets under way from Edgbaston at 1pm.
India Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- India Today
KL Rahul aims for India's batting comeback in his favourite Tests vs England
India batter KL Rahul emphasised his and the entire Indian team's love for Test cricket and explained how the side aims to overcome their recent batting struggles in the upcoming series against England. Rahul, who will be one of the key players in the five-match Test series, highlighted the collective shortcomings in India's previous losses but remains confident the team will make a strong recovery. He described the England series as the beginning of a new era for India's Test has been significant excitement and speculation following the appointment of Shubman Gill as India's new Test captain, succeeding Rohit Sharma, who recently retired from the format. The 18-man squad selected for the England series has also raised hopes among fans of a return to winning ways. India missed out on the 2023-2025 World Test Championship final after a home whitewash against New Zealand, followed by a Border-Gavaskar Trophy defeat to Australia, which ended their decade-long an interview with former England captain Nasser Hussain for Sky Sports Cricket, KL Rahul reflected on the team's batting struggles in back-to-back series defeats and expressed optimism about regaining composure in England. "I think looking back at the last couple of Test series, we definitely should have batted better. Losing three Test matches at home, in conditions that we know well—and where we've rarely, if ever, lost a series in recent times—is disappointing," KL Rahul think the main reason was our batting. New Zealand found a way to keep us quiet. They didn't give us easy boundaries, and we're a team that enjoys hitting boundaries and putting pressure on pressure built up, and we ended up playing some poor shots," he added."I think we carried that habit of not being able to win crucial moments into the Australia series. We made some of the same mistakes again. Yes, Australia is a tough place to play, but we had won the last two series there. We went in with confidence, having held the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for nearly a decade. The conditions weren't new to us—we knew what to expect. But somehow, as a team, we just didn't perform well enough. Collectively, we fell short and ended up on the wrong side of things," he also emphasised the entire team's collective love for Test cricket, making the bounce-back even more important."I love red-ball cricket. You can't take that away from me, or anyone who's been part of that Indian team. Everyone I've spoken to in that squad feels the same. Red ball cricket is number one for us. We love playing Test cricket, and that hasn't changed for me," KL Rahul grew up watching Test cricket. I used to wake up at 5 in the morning to watch matches in Australia with my father—he loved the game too. There's just something pure about Test cricket. It's always stuck with me, and I don't think that's ever going to change," he Test team is undergoing a major transition towards youth after stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from the format. Shubman Gill now leads the side, supported by experienced players such as KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Jasprit Bumrah. Although the England series will present a significant challenge in unfamiliar conditions, expectations remain KL Rahul's recent form has been mixed; he scored 276 runs across five Tests against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but managed just 12 runs in his sole appearance during the New Zealand series in Bengaluru. This series offers Rahul a chance to regain his usual composure and scoring rhythm with the Watch
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
'Why are you thinking about the next youngster already?': KL Rahul hits out at obsession on future over current form
KL Rahul has remained one of India's key figures in both ODIs and Tests, yet his place in the XI has rarely felt secure until recent times. Despite delivering several match-winning performances over the years, Rahul has had to navigate an unsettled role in the Test team, often batting out of position while also competing for the wicketkeeping duties in ODIs; most notably with Rishabh Pant until last year. That constant shuffle has left him with the recurring challenge of having to stay at the top of his game across formats without a significant assurance. In a conversation with Nasser Hussain for Sky Sports Cricket, Rahul addressed this pressure head-on, reflecting on how the scrutiny around his place affects his mindset. He acknowledged that while elite athletes are expected to deliver consistently, it does take a toll when strong performances aren't enough to silence doubts. 'I don't mind having to prove himself. I think that's how sports go. You never settle. And it's just not for me, it's for every person who plays a sport. You have to always perform, every tournament, every game, and that's the challenge of being an international athlete. I see the same amount of competition for English, Aussie, or Kiwi players,' Rahul began. 'That's not what's hard. The hard part is that people who make decisions seem to forget what a player has done in the recent tournament. That has been a little bit of a challenge for me.' Rahul gave an example of shifting benchmarks that complicate a player's place in the Indian setup, especially in ODIs. With India not scheduled to play a 50-over game until mid-August, Rahul pointed out the inconsistency in how fans judge selections. 'I don't know when the next ODI series will be, but by the time the English summer gets over, which could be about five (three) months, you see people writing and commenting that we need to look for players for the 2027 World Cup or the next World Cup after. And sometimes, as a player, you sit back and think, 'why should there be a change when something's working for you? Why are you thinking about the next youngster already?'' Rahul said. 'But I don't think it's a challenge for me. It's for everybody else.' Rahul is part of India's 18-member squad for the series against England which begins June 20. From this series onwards, however, Rahul's role in the leadership group will likely increase, as he remains one of the key senior players in the squad following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the Test format.
