India's new Test captain Gill falls cheaply in IPL
Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill fell for just 13 runs on Sunday in his first Indian Premier League outing after being named captain of the Indian Test team.
The 25-year-old was named as Rohit Sharma's successor on Saturday, when the selectors announced the team for the five-Test series in England beginning on June 20.
"Feels exciting to be able to have that (Test captaincy) kind of a challenge, it's going to be a really exciting series for us," Gill said at the toss against Chennai Super Kings, his team's last league match.
Gujarat has already made the playoffs of the T20 tournament and are chasing 231 at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, the venue for the June 3 final.
With the spotlight on the newly crowned Test leader, Gill hit a four and a six in his nine-ball stay before being caught at slip off medium-pace bowler Anshul Kamboj.
Gill will lead a Test team still coming to terms with the shock retirements of Rohit and Virat Kohli after the two stalwarts walked away from the longer format within six days of each other this month.
fk/pjm/pbt
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Cricket mailbag: England's bold bowling plans, Bumrah concerns
What a way for The Athletic's cricket coverage to begin. A fantastic victory for England over India in another classic Headingley Test, with this one going the distance and not finishing until 6.29pm on the fifth day. We seem to have stimulated your interest, as our mailbag appeal confirmed when we invited your questions on the series and all things cricket. Here, our cricket writer, Paul Newman, answers a selection of those sent in. Questions have been slightly edited for clarity. It was interesting that in your Jofra Archer article, you mentioned England were disappointed in Sam Cook's pace against Zimbabwe and that Matthew Potts was thought to be short of pace and skill. Surely someone who can open the bowling, bowl decent pace and bowl all day, like them, would be a good foil to quicker guys, such as Brydon Carse, Archer and Mark Wood? — Matt H I agree, Matt, someone like that is vital to the balanced attack England want, but they believe — and his record suggests they're right — Chris Woakes is that man. Yes, he was a little below his best at Headingley, but he gets more into a series the longer it goes on and I fancy him to make an impact in the second Test at Edgbaston. The best Cook and Potts can hope for is to deputise for Woakes, who, at 36, cannot go on forever. The question is whether they are good enough at international level. James Anderson, anyone? Given India's lack of fast bowling depth and Jasprit Bumrah only due to play three out of the five matches, do you think India will win a Test this series? — Dilip G Well, Dilip, I tipped England to win 4-1 before the series and was worried I might be a tad optimistic, but it will take a lot for India to come back, especially given the way they lost in Leeds. I just don't understand why India should publicly say Bumrah will only play three games, something they doubled down on after the first Test. Surely you see how it goes? Advertisement He must be a doubt for Edgbaston as all cricketers want to play in a Lord's Test and the next two are back to back. And if Bumrah doesn't play in the next one, India could be in trouble. Sun Tzu said all battles are won or lost before they're fought. Why do India keep playing Shardul Thakur? Putting him in the XI is telling the entire world you're not committed to winning. I could say Joe Root is a better bowler and Woakes is a better batter than him. Do you have any insight into how selection in India works? — Rahul S Say what you think, Rahul! I can't pretend to know how selection in India works, but I do think Thakur needs to be replaced in Birmingham and the man to do it should be left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The only trouble is that it lengthens a tail that was twice blown away by Josh Tongue at Headingley even further. Thakur did dismiss Ben Duckett and Harry Brook with successive balls, but other than that, he just didn't seem to be trusted by Shubman Gill — or KL Rahul, who seemed to be captaining India more than the new skipper on the final day. Ben Stokes' decision to bowl first on a hot, dry day, with conditions perfect for swinging the ball in the coming days, looked like madness. Now he may look like a genius. Do you think the bowl first plan will take on in Tests or will it just be a fad? — Richard P It has been a big part of Stokes' strategy ever since he said 'we'll chase' against New Zealand at Trent Bridge at the start of Bazball in 2022. I could see where he was coming from this time. The last six Tests at Headingley had been won by the side bowling first and the stats told you the pitch in Leeds now gets better and better for batting, as is shown by the last day average of 40 per wicket over the last few years, compared to a first day one of 26. Advertisement There was a bit of uneven bounce this time, but the way England cruised home shows that the impossible of a few years ago is now commonplace. I expect more and more captains to do it the Stokes way. Do you think Gautam Gambhir will lose his job if India lose the series? As an outsider, he has never really seemed up to the job, and more of a political appointment — Callum N Well, he has lost seven of his first 11 Tests as coach and the pressure is on. Gambhir can be a spiky character and turned on an Indian journalist in the post-match press conference at Headingley simply for asking about Rishabh Pant's two hundreds. Goodness knows how he will react if he is asked a difficult question. He will be under scrutiny if this series continues to go badly for India. Hey Paul, do you think India have missed the experience of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the first Test? We did not see any batting impact to be honest, but in terms of captaincy, is their experience is being missed, especially on the third and fourth days of play? — Rishabh G I did read somewhere, Rishabh, before the first Test that India might be better without the big two because they are now past their best, but they were always going to be severely missed, as much for their aura and presence as their batting. Gill is a novice leader and will learn, but it was clear when the pressure was on during the final day in Leeds that India were being captained by committee, with Rahul and Pant looking more in charge than Gill. It's a real problem for them. India appear to have some strength in the batting, with five centuries across the first Test. But how big a worry will the lack of lower-order runs be? They should have got 550+ in the first innings — Joseph C Yes, that was where the first Test was lost, no question. From 430-3 in the first innings, they had to make at least 550, as you say, but what struck me is that England never seemed to lose faith that it was the right decision to bowl first. I can think of a few past teams whose heads would have dropped and allowed the opposition to bat them out of the game. Same with the second innings. The India lower order is a huge worry and I can't see it improving any time soon, especially when, as looks certain, Kuldeep comes in for Thakur. Advertisement What does the depth in bowling look like for India? Aside from some of Mohammed Siraj's opening spell, the seamers largely looked like they lacked threat when Bumrah wasn't bowling — Joseph C I guess anyone will look poor in comparison to Bumrah, as he is right up there with the best there's been. I called him 'arguably' an all-time great in a piece I did for The Athletic during the first Test, and that was wrong. There's no 'arguably' about it. But the supporting cast have to improve. Siraj is all aggression but not enough bite, while Prasidh Krishna had his moments but went for more than six an over across the two innings. Maybe left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh gets a go at Edgbaston… Do you think Australia are starting to worry about the Ashes? They look all over the place with an ageing team, whereas for England it looks like it's all coming together at the right time — Tom E Steady, Tom, let's not get too carried away. But I do think England have their best chance of winning in Australia this winter since the golden tour of Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower in 2010-11. You're right, Australia looked an ageing team during the World Test Championship final and it will be fascinating to watch them in their series in the West Indies. The key will be if England can keep their best fast bowlers fit because Australia always seem able to get their heavyweights out on the pitch when it matters most. But they will be taking note of what England do against India, no question. Despite his wickets, Shoaib Bashir is not a top-level spinner at international level. Will England stick with him against Australia? — Mark H He is one of Stokes' pet projects, Mark, and there is no question the captain is brilliant in his handling of spinners. They still believe Shoaib has the attributes to succeed in Australia and I can't see them turning, but leaving out Shoaib and bringing in Jacob Bethell might be the only way to get the gifted Warwickshire batter in the side. He bowls reasonable left-arm spin, too. Other than that, the only real option might be Hampshire's Liam Dawson, who is back in from the cold at international level and is decent with the bat, too. Is T20 killing the art of opening the batting in the Championship? Why are there no contenders to push Zak Crawley, especially right-handers? — Alexander S Perhaps it is more accurate to say, Alexander, that there are few contenders for Crawley's spot who are playing the way England want them to play. Championship statistics have gone out of the window with this regime. They pick people they feel can succeed playing the Bazball way, hence the perhaps harsh jettisoning of Alex Lees at the end of 2022. I remember hearing that Rob Key wanted Duckett to open instead and thinking, 'Blimey, is Duckett a Test opener?', but he got that one spot on. Crawley added a bit of responsibility to his natural attacking game in the second innings at Headingley and was better for it. He will be opening in the first Test in Perth this winter, whatever happens for the rest of this series. Hi Paul, what's the latest rumours on The Hundred team sales process? It's all gone very quiet — Andrew B The process should be complete by early July. I don't think there are any problems with it, just that it was probably always going to take longer than the rather optimistic ECB forecasts. It seems it's just a few I's to be dotted and T's crossed at the Lord's and Oval franchises now, then it will all be done. I can't wait until it becomes a T20 competition and falls in with the rest of the world. It will surely come sooner or later. Advertisement How far are we off some kind of global competition to link the various, often contextless, franchise leagues and give them meaning for fans across the world and avoid a complete oversaturation of T20? — Charlie M It is desperately needed, Charlie, but it is unofficially happening with Indian Premier League owners buying up teams in various competitions, including The Hundred. My worry in future is that the best players will be contracted to one IPL team and play in all their various competitions around the world, with their 'owner' having to make them available for international cricket rather than the other way round. And anyone who watched the first Test will surely agree that the primacy of Test and international cricket should still be paramount. Oversaturation appears inevitable, sadly. Do you think we'll FINALLY take the World Test Championship seriously or just continue using it as a springboard for the Ashes home and away? — Omar M I like the concept and there's no question the finals have been great, particularly South Africa's win over Australia at Lord's this month. It meant so much to them. It's just a question of making the points system fairer. Stokes does not appear a great fan, particularly as points deductions for poor over-rates have cost England dearly, but surely he watched that game and wished England were there. I hope England do take it very seriously now a new cycle has begun, and how about this as an idea — the 2027 final should be staged at Headingley to compensate for them not getting an Ashes Test that year! Are Essex going down this season? — Connor B No need for that, Connor! I hope not, as a lifelong Essex fan. They are having a difficult season, but I took hope from a members' meeting staged at Chelmsford last week. The coach, CEO and chair all seemed to be on the same page and all suggested Essex would come through this storm. If you like a bit of transfer gossip, I'm told they are trying to sign Ben Compton and Josh de Caires, the son of former England captain Michael Atherton, from Kent and Middlesex, respectively, but there is enough talent at Chelmsford to ensure survival this season. Chris Silverwood is a good man and coach. He will see them all right…
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chennai clinch inaugural Sevens title as rugby touches down in India
Irish Sevens international Terry Kennedy (C) on the attack for Chennai in the final of the inaugural Indian Rugby Premier League against Delhi Redz in Mumbai (Punit PARANJPE) Ireland Sevens international Terry Kennedy helped Chennai Bulls clinch India's inaugural Rugby Premier League (RPL) title on Sunday as the sport took its first fledgling steps in a country obsessed by cricket. Kennedy scored two of Chennai's seven tries as they concluded the six-team rugby sevens franchise league with a 41-0 thrashing of Delhi Redz in Mumbai. Advertisement India's Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra was among the many stars who graced the finale although the crowds were understandably no match for the hordes that turned up to watch Virat Kohli's Bengaluru win the T20 Indian Premier League earlier this month. However, the RPL's coverage on satellite television has given organisers hope that rugby could emerge as a major sport in India. "No matter how big a sport may be, there is always space if you work hard enough if you create a product that's good enough," Rugby India president Rahul Bose told AFP. "In that respect we are very happy and very secure in the knowledge that there is space for this game and it doesn't have to come by eating away at anybody else's space." Advertisement Just as the IPL focused on the shortest form of cricket, so the RPL has chosen to go for the shortest form of rugby, with the seven-a-side format in this tournament lasting 16 minutes -- four quarters of four minutes each -- and dispensing with the hard grunt of the 15-man game to showcase slick handling and blistering pace. Kennedy is not the only top Sevens player to have been drafted in to the RPL. His teammate Joseva Talacolo, who also scored a try in Sunday's final, won silver with Fiji at last year's Olympics in Paris while Scott Curry, whose Bengaluru Bravehearts finished fourth after losing the bronze medal match to Hyderabad Heroes, played 321 times for New Zealand's All Blacks Sevens team. The American Perry Baker, now 39 and a two-time World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, came out of retirement to play for Kalinga Black Tigers. Advertisement According to Bose, this first iteration of the tournament has gone down well with the public. "What we have heard is that the game is easy to follow, very fast, very exciting and has got tremendous amount of likeability," said Bose who is also a successful Bollywood actor. "Along with that, the athletic prowess of these men has come in for a lot of attention. We are happy with the connect we have made." - 'Bigger and better' - The RPL is seen as a way for India to bolster their dreams of hosting the Olympics in 2036 - and given the continental qualifying system for the Olympics, India even has an eye on fielding a men's or women's team prior to that. Advertisement But it is more than an ideal. The RPL, which blends Indian players with international stars, is run by GMR Sports which, as owner of the IPL team Delhi Capitals, knows a thing or two about franchise competitions in India. "The first season has gone very well for us," Satyam Trivedi, chief executive officer of GMR, told AFP. "The sponsors are happy with what they see on the ground and on TV. "However this is just the beginning for us. We are looking at the first season as a showcase event and take a lot of learnings from here. "In every season this league will get bigger and better." fk/bsp/mw
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Disability sport calendar
Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are the top wheelchair tennis pairing in the world [Getty Images] BBC Sport picks out the key sporting events of 2025. The list will be updated with further fixtures and events as they are confirmed; dates and venues are subject to change. 2025 JULY 8-13: Wimbledon wheelchair tennis events, London Advertisement AUGUST 8-22: Cerebral Palsy Football European Championships, Loughborough University 26-31: World Para-ice Hockey Women's World Championships, Slovakia 28-31: Para-cycling Road World Championships, Ronse, Belgium SEPTEMBER 2-6: US Open wheelchair tennis events, New York 2-7: Para-fencing World Championships, Iksan, South Korea 20-25: IFSC Para-climbing World Championships, Seoul 21-27: Para-swimming World Championships, Singapore 21-28: World Rowing Championships, Shanghai 26-5 Oct: Para-athletics World Championships, New Delhi, India 28: Wheelchair Rugby League Grand Final, Manchester OCTOBER 7-19: European Wheelchair Basketball Championships, Sarajevo 16-19 Para-cycling Track World Championships, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil NOVEMBER 15-26: Summer Deaflympics, Tokyo, Japan 20-25: European Para Table Tennis Championships, Helsingborg, Sweden
