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The upcoming five-match Test series against England is becoming nothing but a big headache for the Indian selectors. The biggest bomb came in the form of skipper Rohit Sharma's sudden Test retirement, who called time on his career in the longest format after playing 67 matches.
NEW DELHI :India head coach Gautam Gambhir heaped praise on Shubman Gill's leadership following their 2-0 test series sweep against West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
NEW DELHI :Shubman Gill was named India's 50-overs captain on Saturday in place of Rohit Sharma, who was named in the squad along with batting stalwart Virat Kohli for three one-day internationals in Australia this month.
India's new test captain Shubman Gill will drop down one spot in the order to take Virat Kohli's old position at number four, vice skipper Rishabh Pant said on Wednesday ahead of their series opener against England.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had "very contrasting styles" of leadership but the two iconic players along with spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have given the Indian team the "blueprint to win" Test series away from home, says new skipper Shubman Gill, who was on Saturday appointed India's captain in Tests. The first assignment for the 25-year-old is a five-Test series England where he won't have stalwarts like Kohli and Rohit in the line-up. "(The) guys like Rohit bhai, Virat bhai and Ashwin bhai… they have given us a blueprint on how to tour away from home and win matches and series," Gill said in a video released by the BCCI on Sunday.
Shubman Gill being appointed as India's Test captain meant that pacer Jasprit Bumrah missed out. Bumrah - the No. 1 ranked Test bowler in the world as per the ICC rankings - was not considered due to his injury-prone nature and concerns over fitness and workload. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that Bumrah is likely to play no more than three Tests in the upcoming five-match series against England in June. However, despite these reasons, former India cricketer and renowned expert Sanjay Manjrekar expressed his disappointment at Bumrah not being considered for captaincy.
Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar on Saturday described India's 18-strong Test squad for the tour of England as "strange" but asked for a patient approach towards newly-appointed Test captain Shubman Gill. India will play five Tests against England starting June 20, and batting star Gill has been handed the responsibility to steer the team during a "massive transition" phase following the retirement of top stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. "Strange team selection overall. But India go to England with nothing to lose. It's a team in transition so we can only wish it the very best & yes, be patient when it comes to returns on investment.#indianteam," Manjrekar, a former batter, wrote on his 'X' handle without explaining the reasons for his observation.
Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar on Saturday conceded that the void left by the Test retirement of premier cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is tough to fill, but hoped that other players will step up during the upcoming tour of England. Rohit was the first to announce retirement from Test cricket on May 7, while his long-time teammate Kohli followed suit on May 12. "When guys like that retire, they are stalwarts of cricket...it is always difficult, (their) shoes are very big to fill. But one way of looking at it is, that it's an opportunity for others," Agarkar told the media after announcing India's 18-member squad for the five-Test series starting June 20.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shed light on star batter Virat Kohli's sudden decision to retirement from Test cricket. Kohli delivered the shocking news earlier this month, days after India captain Rohit Sharma also announced his Test retirement. On Saturday, chairman of the selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, addressed a press conference before announcing India's squad for the upcoming Test tour of England. During the presser, Agarkar revealed that Kohli reached out to the BCCI in early April, having already made up his mind to retire from the format.