Tag: Shubman Gill

The ace performers of the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj, are unlikely to be included in the India squad for the Asia Cup 2025, which is set to commence next month.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to leave out the duo amid multiple options in the fray.

The selectors are likely to go with Yashasvi Jaiswal as a backup opener for the marquee event.

Shubman Gill, the skipper of India in the longest format of the game, may find it difficult despite showing a rich vein of form, having amassed 754 runs in the five-match Test series, the report states.

Notably, Gill also had a stellar Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, scoring 650 runs as an opener. However, the selectors are keen to go with the current pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.

According to the report, the other options in the squad are Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rinku Singh, with one more vacant slot to be filled, while Jitesh Sharma is likely to be added as a backup wicketkeeper.

Notably, Mohammed Siraj is also not in the plans for the India squad for the Asia Cup 2025, following reports that ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah has shown his availability for the tournament.

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The selectors are likely to meet and announce the squad for the Asia Cup 2025 on August 19.

For the unversed, the Asia Cup will get underway on September 9 with Afghanistan taking on Hong Kong in the opener.

Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are slotted in Group A alongside UAE and Oman, while Group B comprises Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong.

India and Pakistan are slated to meet on September 14 in Dubai. The tournament, to be played in the T20 format, is seen as vital preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Four stage, where another India–Pakistan clash could take place on September 21.

The final has been scheduled for September 28.

READ: Former all-rounder calls for India to skip Pakistan clash at Asia Cup 2025

LONDON: India Test captain Shubman Gill carved his name into cricketing history on Thursday by breaking a record held by West Indies great Sir Gary Sobers, which had stood unchallenged for nearly six decades.

On Day 1 of the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval, Gill went past Gary Sobers’ record for most runs by an overseas captain in a Test series held in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia).

Sobers had scored 722 runs in the 1966 series in England. Gill needed just one run to overtake that mark and did so with a couple off the sixth ball he faced.

He went on to make 21 runs in the first innings, pushing his series tally to 743 runs.

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The 25-year-old also eclipsed another legendary Indian name, Sunil Gavaskar, whose 732 runs in the 1978-79 home series against the West Indies were the most by an Indian captain in a single Test series.

Shubman Gill now sits third on the all-time list for most runs by a captain in a Test series.

Only Don Bradman (810) and Graham Gooch (752) stand ahead of him. With a second innings still to come, Gill has a chance to overtake both and rewrite another page in the record books.

He is also inching closer to Gavaskar’s overall Indian record of 774 runs in a single Test series, a milestone set during the iconic 1971 tour of the West Indies.

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India captain Shubman Gill has thrown his support behind head coach Gautam Gambhir following a heated exchange with the Oval pitch head groundsman ahead of the fourth Test against England.

A day earlier, India’s head coach Gambhir was involved in a verbal spat with the pitch curator Lee Fortis. The curator raised concerns about the heavy footmarks and the training equipment on the main pitch.

In doing so, he suggested that the Indian team should view the pitch from 2.5 meters away from the strip. As a result, Gautam Gambhir was seen pointing his finger at Fortis.

“You don’t tell us what we need to do. You don’t tell us what we need to do, okay. You don’t need to tell us. You don’t tell any of my squad what we need to do.

You have no right to tell us. You’re just a groundsman; you stay in your capacity. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond. You are just a groundsman,” Gautam Gambhir had said to Lee Fortis.

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Now, Shubman Gill has commented on the incident, who was not present at the venue during the incident

“What happened yesterday, I thought was just absolutely unnecessary,” Gill said in the pre-match press conference.

He backed Gautam Gambhir, noting that the coach has every right to look at the pitch.

“It’s not the first time that we were having a look at the wicket, we have been there for almost two months.

A coach has every right to be able to go close quarters and have a look at the wicket and I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. I actually don’t know why the curator would not allow us to go have a look at the wicket,” he added.

Shubman Gill said they had never received any instructions during a pitch inspection under certain circumstances.

“As long as I remember, we had never got any instructions. As long as you are wearing rubber spikes or [are] barefoot you can see the wicket from near,” he said.

“We have played four matches already in this series, and nobody stopped us from watching the pitch. All of us have played so much cricket, we have gone to the pitches so many times, including the coaches and captain, I don’t know what the fuss was about,” Shubman Gill concluded.

For the unversed, India is trailing 2-1 in the five-match series against England, despite producing a memorable performance in the fourth Test in Manchester, which secured a draw.

The visitors will be eyeing a win in the final Test at the Oval, which is set to begin tomorrow, to level the series.

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MANCHESTER: India captain Shubman Gill extended his rich vein of form in the fourth Test against England, levelling with legendary Don Bradman after scoring another gutsy hundred at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Gill, who hit his fourth ton in the same number of games, tied with Bradman for most centuries as skipper in a Test series.

With this feat, Shubman Gill also became the first player to hit four tons in his maiden Test series as captain.

Captains to Score Four Centuries in a Test Series

Don Bradman – India tour of Australia 1947/48

Sunil Gavaskar – West Indies tour of India 1978/79

Shubman Gill* – India tour of England 2025

Most Hundreds In Debut Test Series As Captain

Shubman Gill – 4 Centuries

Warwick Armstrong – 3 Centuries

Don Bradman -3 Centuries

Greg Chappell -3 Centuries

Virat Kohli -3 Centuries

Steven Smith -3 Centuries

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A day earlier, the Indian captain surpassed former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf’s record for most runs scored by an Asian player in a Test series in England.

Most runs in a Test series in England (by an Asian batter)

Shubman Gill* India 657 runs, 2025

Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan, 631 runs,  2006

Rahul Dravid India, 602 runs, 2002

Virat Kohli, India, 593 runs, 2018

Sunil Gavaskar, India, 542 runs, 1979

The right-handed batter came out to bat with India in dire straits, trailing 0-2 on day four of the Test match.

Gill forged a crucial 188-run stand with KL Rahul to steady India in chasing down England’s substantial lead.

KL Rahul was removed early on the morning of the final day; however, Gill continued and went on to score a century.  He was dismissed for 103 runs, soon after completing his century.

At the time of filing this story, India were 279-4, still trailing by 32 runs. Ravindra Jadeja stood at 33* while Washington Sundar scored 39* off 107 balls.

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India captain Shubman Gill and KL Rahul excelled in a remarkable defensive effort as they halted the home team’s attempt to secure a series-clinching victory in the fourth Test at Old Trafford on Saturday, following a long-awaited century from England captain Ben Stokes.

Gill came in with India in dire straits at 0-2 after Chris Woakes struck with successive deliveries in the first over of India’s second innings to have Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan both caught in the slips for ducks.

That left India more than 300 runs behind the mammoth first-innings total of 669 by England, featuring Stokes’ superb 141.

But an engrossing series of several twists and turns produced another as India reached stumps on the fourth day without further loss at 174-2, with opener KL Rahul 87 not out and Gill 78 not out.

India still face a deficit of 137 runs but have renewed hope of leaving Manchester with what would be a remarkable draw after England, already 2-1 up in this five-match series, compiled their fifth-highest Test total of all time.

It was a return to form for Gill, who had started his first series as India skipper with three hundreds in four innings, only to manage 34 runs in total in his last three knocks.

Stokes did not bowl himself Saturday, a concerning sign for England following his history of hamstring trouble, after taking an excellent 5-72 in India’s first innings of 358.

His hundred meant Stokes became just the fourth England player to take five wickets and score a century in the same Test after Tony Greig, Ian Botham, and the currently sidelined Gus Atkinson.

It looked as if bowling might not be needed at all on Saturday as Gill survived a hat-trick ball from veteran paceman Woakes.

And the second ball after lunch saw Gill, still on nought, survive an impassioned lbw appeal from fast bowler Jofra Archer, who was convinced he had struck pad, rather than bat first.

But England’s review produced an inconclusive replay, and the original not out decision was upheld.

Gill had made two when Archer rapped him on the pad only for another lbw appeal to be turned down, with the express quick down on his haunches in disbelief.

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The 25-year-old Gill then hit back with two boundaries in three balls from Woakes, a dashing cut followed by a textbook straight drive.

But he might have been out for 46 when an edge off Brydon Carse flew high to point, only for Liam Dawson to drop a two-handed chance.

Gill’s three off part-time spinner Root saw him to a 77-ball fifty before Rahul followed him to the landmark in 141 balls as he repelled England with sound defence.

But Rahul showed a willingness to attack when Archer strayed in direction with an elegant late-cut and forceful pull.

England resumed in command at 544-7 against India after Root had become the second-highest run-scorer in Test history during his majestic 150 on Friday.

Stokes, 77 not out overnight after briefly leaving the field with cramp Friday, delighted Saturday’s large crowd with yet more thrilling stroke-play.

He completed a 164-ball hundred with a leg-glanced four off Jasprit Bumrah.

It was Stokes’s first Test century in more than two years following a whirlwind 155 against Australia at Lord’s in June 2023.

The 34-year-old celebrated his 14th century in 115 Tests by clenching his fist, looking to the sky and making a crooked finger gesture in honour of his late father Ged before raising his bat to a cheering crowd.

With the shackles off, left-handed batsman Stokes drove Washington Sundar for six and the next ball reverse-swept the off-spinner for four.

Stokes then launched Ravindra Jadeja for six, but, trying to repeat the stroke, the next ball he holed out off the left-arm spinner with England exactly 300 runs ahead at 658-9.

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Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has thrown his weight behind Indian Test skipper Shubman Gill following his on-field altercation with England’s openers during the third Test at Lord’s.

England edged out India by 22 runs in a gripping contest to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

But it was Gill’s animated exchange with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett towards the end of Day 3 that dominated headlines.

With six minutes left in the day and both teams tied at 387 in the first innings, Gill was keen to sneak in two overs.

However, the English openers were in no hurry to face the new ball, sparking a heated argument between the Indian skipper and the opening batters.

Speaking on The ICC Review, Ricky Ponting admitted he was surprised by Gill’s visible aggression.

“That was a little out of character from what I’ve known from Shubman in the past,” Ponting told host Sanjana Ganesan.

“I am sure everyone who was there watching it, and I know you would know him quite well, that’s not what he’s generally like.”

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However, Ponting said the incident reflected a young captain stepping up and setting the tone for how he wants his side to play.

“That’s the captain standing up for his team,” he said.

“That’s a captain really wanting to show that it’s his team now and this is the way that we’re going to play the game, and also, I guess, wanting to give a little bit back.”

Drawing a comparison with India’s former leaders, Ricky Ponting said Gill’s approach seemed more in line with Virat Kohli’s intensity than Rohit Sharma’s calm leadership style.

“I think that’s him starting to put his stamp on his team. And a lot like Virat [Kohli] did, in similar ways,” he further stated.

“Rohit [Sharma] probably was never as outwardly aggressive, I guess, especially to opposition players.

“I know he (Rohit) would quite often get aggressive with his teammates and try to bring the best out of them that way. But I love watching Shubman [Gill] stand up for what he thought was right in the game last week.”

India now trails 2-1 in the series against England as they head into the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, starting on July 23.

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Shubman Gill led from the front once more with a second hundred in as many matches as India’s captain to keep England at bay at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

Gill’s 114 not out was the cornerstone of India’s 310-5 at stumps on the first day of the second Test, with Yashasvi Jaiswal contributing a typically entertaining 87.

India lost two wickets in quick succession to be 211-5 but all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (41 not out) helped Shubman Gill avoid a further collapse in an unbroken stand of 99.

Shubman Gill, however, knows better than anyone that individual milestones are no guarantee of team success.

In the first Test at Headingley, India posted five individual hundreds, including Gill’s 147, and still lost — the first time this had happened in more than 60,000 games of first-class cricket.

Batting collapses cost India dear before England, making light of a seemingly stiff target of 371, won by five wickets to go 1-0 up in a five-match series.

England captain Ben Stokes, as he did in Leeds, again opted to field after winning the toss, with England having achieved their all-time record fourth innings victory chase of 378 at Edgbaston, against India three years ago.

KL Rahul, fresh from a hundred at Headingley, rarely looked comfortable Wednesday, labouring for a 26-ball two that ended when he played on to Chris Woakes.

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Both Woakes (2-59 in 21 overs) and new-ball partner Brydon Carse (1-49 in 16) kept things tight. But the pressure England had exerted in a first hour where India were held to 37-1 off 13 overs was released by Josh Tongue, whose 13 wicketless overs cost 66 runs.

Jaiswal went to his fifty with consecutive boundaries off fast bowler Tongue, a hook followed by a rasping cut. It took him a mere 59 balls to reach the landmark, with 40 of his runs coming in fours.

Left-hander Jaiswal, 62 not out at lunch, look destined for another hundred after his 101 at Headingley until caught behind flat-footedly edging a cut off a loose Stokes delivery, with India then 161-3.

New batter Rishabh Pant, who in Leeds became only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score two hundreds in a match, was relatively restrained in taking 23 balls to score his first boundary — a six off Shoaib Bashir.

The off-spinner, however, had his revenge when Pant (25) holed out to long-on.

India’s 208-4 became 211-5 when the recalled Nitesh Kumar Reddy was bowled playing no shot to a Woakes delivery that nipped back off the seam.

But the 25-year-old Gill pulled the lively Stokes in front of square and drove Carse for commanding fours.

Gill though required several minutes of on-field treatment when on 86 for what appeared to be cramp – a delay that led to boos from a capacity crowd at a sun-drenched Edgbaston.

But the jeers turned to cheers when, in the over before England took the new ball, Gill swept part-time off-spinner Joe Root to complete a watchful 199-ball hundred, including 11 boundaries.

India made three changes, notably resting Jasprit Bumrah after it was announced before the series the outstanding fast bowler would only feature in three of the five Tests in order to protect his fitness following a back injury.

The third Test at Lord’s starts just four days after the scheduled end of the game in Birmingham. Akash Deep was given the unenviable task of replacing Bumrah, the world’s number one-ranked Test bowler.

Both teams and the umpires wore black armbands on Wednesday in memory of former England batter Wayne Larkins, who died aged 71 on Saturday.

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BIRMINGHAM: India captain Shubman Gill has shared his thoughts on playing two spinners in the second Test against England, starting tomorrow here at Edgbaston.

The home side, England, started the series on a winning note, defeating India in the opening match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, despite the visitors amassing a significant score of 471 in their first innings.

The second Test is set to take place at Edgbaston, a venue where India have not won a single game in their previous eight attempts.

Following the conclusion of the second Test, the two teams will travel to London for the third match of the series, which is scheduled at the iconic Lord’s from 10 to 14 July.

After that, the fourth Test will commence at Old Trafford on 23 July. The series will conclude with the fifth Test at The Oval, scheduled from 31 July to 4 August.

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Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Gill stated about the possibility of playing an extra spinner.

“Usually we don’t see two spinners in England, but given the conditions in Leeds, we thought having an extra spinner would have been good. I think on these conditions having a second spinner will be helpful,” he said to reporters.

“If the conditions are same, having a second spinner would be good” said Gill in while attending media on 2nd Test eve, he added.

The newly appointed captain, Shubman Gill, also spoke about the much-anticipated call of playing ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah amid debate surrounding his workload management plan.

“We will take the Jasprit Bumrah call this evening. Jasprit Bumrah is available. We are trying to find the right combination which can pick 20 wickets and score runs as well. Will take final call after looking at the wicket for final time today,” Shubman Gill concluded.

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LEEDS: India batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has revealed the genius ploy of captain Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant during the opening Test first innings against England.

Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant added a mammoth 209-run stand on the fourth wicket which put India in a commanding position.

Tendulkar, while analysing the duo’s partnership, highlighted the tactical conversation between them.

“I also noticed something interesting during Bashir’s spell. Shubman and Rishabh were speaking loudly in Hindi between deliveries. It was not just casual talk,’ he said on X (formerly Twitter).

“They were playing mind games with the bowler, trying to disrupt his rhythm. These minor details may not appear on the scoreboard, but they can have a significant impact on the game,” Tendulkar said of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant.

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The little master heaped high praise on Rishab Pant for his batting while mentioning the southpaw’s trademark unconventional ‘falling sweep’.

“Rishabh’s falling paddle sweep is not accidental. It is intentional and extremely clever. Going down with the shot allows him to get under the ball and scoop it over leg slip with control,” Sachin Tendulkar wrote.

Rishabh Pant, who scored his seventh century in Test cricket, sometimes plays an unconventional ‘falling sweep’, a shot in which he often finds himself in an awkward condition.

Pant’s 136 off 178 balls, laced with a dozen boundaries and half a dozen maximums, featured the audacious ‘falling paddle sweep’ multiple times.

During his sublime century against England, Rishabh Pant broke multiple records.

The left-handed batter surpassed MS Dhoni, former Indian captain record of most Test centuries (6) as a wicketkeeper batter for India. Along with that, the 27-year-old now has 1,746 runs in SENA nations at an impressive average of 38.80 from 27 Tests, overtaking MS Dhoni.

Apart from this record, Rishabh Pant also became the first visiting wicketkeeper to score three centuries in England, while no other keeper has more than one hundred on English soil.

READ: Rishabh Pant breaks plethora of records with fiery ton against England

Shubman Gill marked his first innings as India captain with a sparkling hundred after fellow young gun Yashasvi Jaiswal also scored a fine century against England at Headingley on Friday.

India — sent into bat by England captain Ben Stokes — were in the commanding position of 359-3 at stumps on the first day of the five-Test series.

Shubman Gill was 127 not out after sharing a stand of 129 for the third wicket with opener Jaiswal, dismissed for 101 shortly after tea.

The aggressive Rishabh Pant was 65 not out, including an extraordinary swiped six off Chris Woakes in the last over of a day.

Pant ensured India continued to pile on the agony for England during an unbroken stand of 138 with his new skipper.

Concerns had been expressed before the series about how India would cope in England without Rohit Sharma, Gill’s predecessor as captain, and Virat Kohli after the two star batsmen retired from Test duty within days of each other last month.

But such is the depth of talent in cricket-obsessed India, quality replacements were always likely to be available.

And an England attack without retired greats James Anderson and Stuart Broad and missing injured express quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, rarely threatened on a good batting pitch under increasingly sunny skies.

Jaiswal and opening partner KL Rahul ensured India made a fine start to their quest for just a fourth Test series win in England after triumphs in 1971, 1986 and 2007.

England, however, enjoyed a double strike shortly before lunch as India’s 91-0 was transformed into 92-2.

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Rahul, on 42, drove loosely at a wide ball from Brydon Carse and edged to Joe Root at first slip

Moments later, Sai Sudharsan made a duck on Test debut when Stokes had him well caught down the legside by diving wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

But India’s third-wicket duo regained the initiative with sublime stroke-play.

The 25-year-old Gill was especially severe on Woakes, whose 19 wicketless overs cost 89 runs.

Stokes brought on Shoaib Bashir to add variety but the off-spinner’s first ball was cuffed for four by left-hander Jaiswal, who went to 99 with two superb boundaries off Carse.

A quick single took an elated Jaiswal to a 144-ball hundred, including 16 fours, as he completed his fifth century in 20 Tests and third against England.

It also meant the 23-year-old had scored hundreds on his Test debut, his first Test in Australia and first in England.

The hosts’ wicketless session was summed up when Smith fumbled the ball onto a nearby unused helmet to concede five penalty runs

Jaiswal, however, was out shortly after tea for 101 when Stokes, from around the wicket, bowled him with a fine delivery that angled in and held its line.

India, however, were still well-placed on 221-3, and the dynamic Pant set the tone by thumping Stokes back over his head for four off just his second ball.

Shubman Gill completed his century with a superb cover-driven four off fast bowler Josh Tongue, his 14th boundary in 140 balls faced.

As he admired the shot, a joyful Gill ripped off his helmet in celebration of his sixth hundred in 33 Tests and third against England.

Gill later pulled Tongue over the head of Bashir at fine leg for six and was just shy of his highest Test score of 128, against Australia at Ahmedabad in 2023, at the close.

Before the play India and England, the match officials observed a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of an Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed all but one of 242 people on board.

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