"Didn't Dare To...": India's Latest Pace Sensation Reveals How He Angered Virat Kohli

15.10.2024 - 04:41 sports.ndtv.com

From making Virat Kohli "angry" in the nets to castling Cheteshwar Pujara in a crucial Ranji Trophy match, Tamil Nadu pacer Gurjapneet Singh has caught the eyes of cricket lovers in India.

Born and raised in Ambala, Gurjapneet constantly failed to get into Punjab age-group team, before finally deciding to move to Chennai for better opportunities.

After initial struggles, Gurjapneet is now winning games in Ranji Trophy for his adopted state, Tamil Nadu. The 25-year-old claimed a six-wicket haul to help Tamil Nadu beat Saurashtra in their Elite Group D match on Monday.

His remarkable figures of 14-5-22-6 included the crucial wickets of veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Sheldon Jackson. For the unversed, Gurjapneet was one of the net bowlers for India for their two-match Test series against Bangladesh recently.

cricket India Cricket Team Virat Kohli Sheldon Jackson Cheteshwar Pujara New Zealand India Bangladesh

Ahead of the Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia, former cricketer M. S. K. Prasad backed stalwart batter Virat Kohli to come back in to form during this series. In 2024 in Tests, Virat has scored 245 runs in five Tests and ten innings at an average of 27.22, with just one fifty and best score of 70. In the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 though, Virat has been rather solid. He has scored 556 runs in eight Tests at an average of 42.76, with a century and three fifties in 14 innings, with best score of 121.

"When You Mocked Me": Virat Kohli's Blunt Reason For Blocking Glenn Maxwell At RCB Revealed. This Happened Next

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has recalled the time when star India batter Virat Kohli had blocked him from Instagram. While the two have become good friends after playing four seasons together at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), there was a time when Kohli and Maxwell had their differences. For the unversed, RCB acquired the services of Maxwell for a whopping INR 14.25 crore ahead of IPL 2021. He enjoyed a successful season with the bat, scoring over 500 runs to help RCB reach the playoffs.

"Cheteshwar Pujara Was Holding The Fort In 2018": Ex Chief Selector's Concerning Virat Kohli Remark

If only numbers were to be taken into consideration, Virat Kohli would unarguably be India's go-to player with the bat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting next month. Kohli has been prolific against the Aussies over the years, scoring over 1300 runs Down Under in Tests at an average of 54.08. But, despite possessing 8 hundreds and 5 fifties under his belt against Australia (overall in Tests), Kohli's name isn't giving the veteran of Indian cricket much confidence.

"Don't Want To Sugarcoat": Dinesh Karthik's Blunt Virat Kohli Verdict Amid Form Concerns

Team India faced a shocking 113-run defeat against New Zealand in the second Test in Pune. This loss turned out to be a historic one as New Zealand gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and ended India's 12-year-old winning streak at home in Test cricket. In the second Test, India needed 359 runs to win but they got bundled out for 245 as the Kiwi spinner Mitchell Santner wreaked havoc with his six-wicket haul. Apart from this loss, another major concern for Rohit Sharma and co is the poor form of star batter Virat Kohli.

"Senior Players Need To...": Ex-India Star Irfan Pathan Sends Warning To Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma And Co.

Following India's series defeat to New Zealand on home soil, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan took to X to express both praise for New Zealand and concern for the Indian team's performance in the longer format. In his tweet, Pathan commended New Zealand's impressive achievement and emphasized the need for reflection and improvement within Team India. "Well done, New Zealand, on winning the series on Indian soil! For Team India, there's a lot to reflect on. Senior players need to step up and deliver in the ultimate format of the game. The next three months will be crucial for them."

Watch: Virat Kohli's Mix-Up With Rishabh Pant Deals India Big Blow, Internet Asks "Whose Fault?"

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was run out on duck after a mix-up with Virat Kohli on Day 3 of the ongoing second Test against New Zealand on Saturday. The incident happened in the 23rd over with India chasing a mammoth 359 target to level the series. Ajaz Patel bowled a good length ball to Kohli, who guided it towards short third man. Kohli looked at Pant, who was at non-striker's end, hoping to steal a single. Both trusted each other and went for the run. However, Mitchell Santner fired a throw towards the keeper's end and Tom Blundell did the rest. Pant seemed to be struggling despite making a desperate dive to get inside the crease.