With Team India aiming for a smooth transition, Rishabh Pant has been appointed as Shubman Gill’s deputy for the upcoming Test series against England. India are set to take on England in a five-match Test series, beginning June 20. Pant, who captained the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025, endured a disappointing season. Despite his dip in form, the left-hander has been included in the squad, owing to his previous performances in red-ball cricket. During one of the IPL 2025 matches, legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, while commentating, criticised Pant for playing a reckless shot. Over the years, Pant has built a reputation as a swashbuckling batsman across formats but has often failed to deliver in high-stakes situations. As the England series approaches, Pant’s performance will be closely watched. If he fails to make an impact again, India’s bench strength offers solid alternatives capable of replacing even the most established names. Dhruv Jurel, who has shown promising signs in the longest format, will start on the bench but has the potential to take up the wicketkeeping role. He has played four Test matches so far, scoring 202 runs, including a half-century. Additionally, KL Rahul, a veteran of 58 Tests, remains a strong contender for the gloves if needed. In addition to his batting and wicketkeeping duties, Pant will also carry the responsibility of being the team’s vice-captain. With the vantage point behind the stumps, his ability to assist the captain with field placements and decision-making will also be put to the test. So far, in 43 Test matches, Pant has scored 2,948 runs, including six centuries and 15 half-centuries. Ind vs Eng Test series: Squads India squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana. England: Ben Stokes (Durham) - Captain, Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Cook (Essex), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).
18 June,2025 05:21 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentGlenn Maxwell rolled back the years with a sensational century, lighting up the Major League Cricket (MLC) stage with a vintage display of power-hitting for Washington Freedom (WSF) against Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) in Oakland. The Australian all-rounder, nicknamed ‘The Big Show’ for his flamboyant and fearless strokeplay, hammered an unbeaten 106 off just 49 deliveries. Maxwell fully lived up to the moniker, launching a relentless assault that included a staggering 13 sixes and just two boundaries. He struck at a blistering rate of 216.33, anchoring a crucial innings after WSF suffered an early collapse. An insane Glenn Maxwell hundred in the MLC!He went from 11 off 15 ... to 106 off 49!Full highlights coming in just minutes 👀 pic.twitter.com/zwcpjnyAls — 7Cricket (@7Cricket) June 18, 2025 With this century, his eighth in T20 cricket, Maxwell joined elite company, tying with fellow Australians David Warner, Aaron Finch, India’s Rohit Sharma, England’s Jos Buttler, and Michael Klinger for the joint-fourth-most centuries in the format. Only Chris Gayle (22), Babar Azam (11), and the duo of Rilee Rossouw and Virat Kohli (9 each) have more T20 tons. Maxwell’s leadership has been pivotal for Washington Freedom this season, especially in the absence of regular captain Steve Smith, who led them to the MLC title last year. After opting to bat first upon winning the toss, WSF got off to a shaky start, finding themselves struggling at 68/4. A brief but impactful cameo of 32 runs off 11 balls by Mitchell Owen provided early momentum, featuring four fours and two sixes. From that precarious position, Maxwell took charge, stabilising the innings before launching into top gear in the death overs. His partnership with Obus Pienaar (14* off 10 balls) proved vital, especially in the final over bowled by Jason Holder, which went for 26 runs. Maxwell brought up his hundred in style during that over, guiding Washington Freedom to a formidable total of 208/5. In the 2025 edition of MLC, Maxwell has been in red-hot form, amassing 149 runs from just three innings at an extraordinary average of 149.00 and a strike rate exceeding 204. His previous scores were 38* and 5, showcasing both consistency and impact. As things stand, he is the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament. (With ANI inputs)
18 June,2025 04:57 PM IST | Oakland (US) | mid-day online correspondentThe much-awaited England series is now just two days away, and Shubman Gill is all set to take on his new assignment. After the unexpected Test retirement of Rohit Sharma, Team India’s management appointed Gill as their new red-ball captain. Since the announcement, the 25-year-old has received mixed reactions from former cricketers. Recently, Dinesh Karthik remarked that Gill is yet to fully grasp the enormity of what it takes to lead India in Test cricket. Meanwhile, several other players have extended their best wishes to the Fazilka-born cricketer. Over the years, Gill has demonstrated leadership ability in white-ball cricket, both in the IPL and while captaining India in the shorter formats, achieving a fair degree of success. Though matching the feats of former skippers MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma in Test cricket may seem like a distant goal, Gill is expected to lead the side competently in the years to come. It would be unfair to compare Gill with the legendary MS Dhoni in terms of captaincy. Dhoni, during his tenure, led a team filled with established stars such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane. In contrast, Gill takes charge of a squad that includes debutant Sai Sudharsan, returning batter Karun Nair, back in the national setup after a long gap, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is yet to confirm his opening partner for the series. Additionally, Jasprit Bumrah is expected to be available for three of the five Tests, with workload management preventing him from playing consecutive matches. Sudharsan earned his maiden Test call-up after an impressive IPL 2025 campaign. Nair, with prior experience in English conditions, is expected to to bring his A-game to cement his place in the side. Given these dynamics, Gill’s India will be up against an England side led by Ben Stokes, currently ranked the top all-rounder in Test cricket. Since Brendon McCullum took over as head coach, the English team has embraced the aggressive ‘Bazball’ philosophy. To add to India’s challenge, Joe Root is in red-hot form and will be chasing multiple records during the series. The five-match Test series is set to begin on June 20 at the Yorkshire Cricket Ground.
18 June,2025 04:26 PM IST | Mumbai | Sujay ShivalkarDays before Shubman Gill-led India take on England for a five-match Test series, T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav has flown to England to seek expert medical advice for a sports hernia injury on the right side of his lower abdomen. The 33-year-old may require surgery based on the specialist's evaluation. It remains unclear whether the injury worsened during the T20 Mumbai League, though Suryakumar had undergone an intense and uninterrupted three-month stretch of travel and competitive cricket. “Surya is suffering from Sports hernia on right side lower abdomen. He has gone to the UK for consultation. If required, he will be going under the knife,” a source close to the cricketer told PTI on conditions of anonymity. With no T20 internationals scheduled before August or September, Suryakumar saw this window as an ideal time to address his fitness concerns without compromising national duties later in the year. “With no T20 cricket before August-September, Surya thought that this is the best time where he can tend to his injury and also have enough time for recuperation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru,” a BCCI source said. Suryakumar had a stellar IPL 2025 season with Mumbai Indians, amassing 717 runs across 16 games at an average of 65 and an impressive strike rate of 167. His run tally included six not outs and a new T20 benchmark, registering 16 consecutive scores of 25 or more, a record in the format. His consistency was instrumental in Mumbai Indians’ resurgence. After losing four of their first five games, the team bounced back with a six-match winning streak that propelled them into the playoffs. Soon after the IPL, Suryakumar turned out for Triumph Knights MNE in the T20 Mumbai League as their marquee player and captain. He began the tournament in style, striking an unbeaten 50 off 27 balls against Eagle Thane Strikers. He followed that with scores of 42 off 31 against Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals, 1 against SoBo Mumbai Falcons, and 29 off 16 versus North Mumbai Panthers. Despite his personal efforts, Triumph Knights struggled as a unit, winning just one of their four completed matches, with one more fixture abandoned due to inclement weather. They ended the league phase in fifth place among eight teams. (With PTI inputs)
18 June,2025 04:10 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentAhead of the upcoming five-match Test series against India, England's Joe Root feels that the opponents have all bases covered. "You look at India's progression as a team across all formats, and they have all bases covered - great seam attack, talented batters and a very strong spin attack," Root told Sky Sports. Root also expressed confidence in his side by saying that they have a good home record, but will also have a huge respect for what Team India will bring into the series. "They are going to compete anywhere in the world, but our record at home makes for a fantastic series. We will go into it with confidence but also with a huge amount of respect for what they will bring," he said. The 34-year-old also said that people will draw comparisons with the Ashes during the India series. "You know The Ashes is coming, and you will be asked about it. People will be trying to relate stuff in the India series to that, but you have a job to do against a brilliant team," he concluded. He will also look to chase Sachin Tendulkar's record of 15,921 runs in the longest format of the game. Along with Tendulkar, Root will also look to surpass Rahul Dravid, who has the best batting average among the players who have played the India-England Test series. So far, Root has played 153 matches and has scored 13,006 runs with a batting average of 50.80. The five-match Test series will take place from June 20 to August 4, with matches scheduled at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord's and The Oval (London), and Old Trafford (Manchester). Ind vs Eng Test series: Squads India squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana. England: Ben Stokes (Durham) - Captain, Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Cook (Essex), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire). (With ANI Inputs)
18 June,2025 02:56 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentJoe Root, who has been enjoying his rich vein of form, has stated that it is his time to pay back everything to Ben Stokes, who has done so much for him. England are all geared up to clash against India in the five-match Test series. "Ben did so much for me as my vice-captain, now it's my turn to give a bit back to him. It was difficult and weird coming back into the team after being leader. I didn't want to get in Ben's way or step on his toes, but I wanted him to know I was there to support him," Root told Sky Sports. "I knew a big part of that was scoring runs. I wanted to make sure I could affect games with the bat, and clearly, if I was following his lead as a former captain, it sends a strong message to anyone coming into the team or not as established as myself," he added. Ahead of the series, the right-hander will continue to chase Sachin Tendulkar's record of 15,921 runs in the longest format of the game. Along with Tendulkar, Root will also look to surpass Rahul Dravid, who has the best batting average among the players who have played the India-England Test series. So far, Root has played 153 matches and has scored 13,006 runs with a batting average of 50.80. Considering his dominance against India, nothing is impossible for in-form Root in the upcoming five-match Test series. So far, having played 30 Test matches against India, he has scored 2,846 runs with an average of 58.08. He also has 10 centuries and 11 half-centuries, with a top score of 218 runs. The five-match Test series will take place from June 20 to August 4, with matches scheduled at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord's and The Oval (London), and Old Trafford (Manchester). Ind vs Eng Test series: England squad Ben Stokes (Durham) - Captain, Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Cook (Essex), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire). (With ANI Inputs)
18 June,2025 02:03 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndia’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is currently in London, to treat a right-side sports hernia and is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks, according to a report by News 24 Sports. The explosive middle-order batter’s treatment will start next week, the report added. Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not issued an official statement, reports suggest the medical procedure could require up to two months of recovery. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
18 June,2025 08:53 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSThe peerless Jasprit Bumrah has revealed that he had ruled out Test captaincy during the IPL itself as part of his workload management, and had informed the BCCI of his desire to prioritise his bowling responsibilities over leadership duties. During an interaction with former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports Cricket, Bumrah explained the thought process behind his decision to turn down the Indian Test captaincy. “There’s no fancy stories to it. There is no controversy or a headlining statement that I was sacked. Before Rohit and Virat retired, I had spoken to the BCCI during the IPL about my workload going forward in a five-match series,” Bumrah said. “I’ve spoken to the people who have managed my back, I’ve spoken to the surgeon as well, who’s always spoken to me about how smart you have to be about the workloads. “And then we came to the conclusion that I have to be a little smarter. So then I called the BCCI and said I don’t want to be looked at in a leadership role, because I won’t be able to give all matches coming to a five-match Test series,” added Bumrah. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
18 June,2025 08:46 AM IST | Leeds | PTIFormer India wicketkeeper-batter Syed Saba Karim is confident that while Rishabh Pant will perform as both, batter and stumper, more importantly, his vice-captaincy will also play a key role for the Shubman Gill-led side during the England series. India will play the first of five Tests at Leeds, starting on Friday. “I’m sure about Rishabh. I’m very confident that he will not only be an important performer for the Indian side [as batter and wicketkeeper], but also his leadership skills, being vice-captain, will also come to the fore,” Karim told mid-day on Tuesday. Pant, 27, has represented the country in 43 Tests, scoring 2,948 runs, including six centuries. Saba Karim “Shubman and Rishabh have played together. So, he knows the kind of inputs Rishabh can offer. And both can then strategise accordingly, I’m sure this will be effective for the team. India have managed to win only thrice [in England]; the first was in 1971, then 1986 and 2007. So, since 2007 till date, it’s been a huge gap, so, hopefully, this transition can prove fruitful. Even if we don’t win the series, we can at least draw it,” added Karim, 57. The former stumper insisted that India’s batters will have an important role to play. “This is a very strong English batting side, but their bowling looks quite inexperienced. So, if India’s young batters can put up a good score on the board, I’m sure we can do well. I’m backing [Abhimanyu] Easwaran to open the innings with [Yashasvi] Jaiswal. I feel players, who have done well at the domestic level for a number of years, who have done well for India ‘A’, whenever India has toured in SENA [South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia] countries, should be given enough opportunities. I believe Easwaran has the technique and temperament to succeed in these conditions. Also, I feel Shubman should focus on his batting because that’s the reason he’s in the team. If he scores runs, captaincy will be a smooth affair too,” Karim signed off.
18 June,2025 08:42 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureFormer Team India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has hailed young Test captain Shubman Gill for his work ethic and character and believes this will help him in the upcoming England series. Nayar, who was part of the coaching set-up under head coach Gautam Gambhir when Rohit Sharma led India to the Champions Trophy title in UAE in March 2025, was previously associated with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as assistant coach from 2018. Gill was also with the KKR outfit from 2018 to 2021. Abhishek Nayar “I’m a huge Shubman Gill fan. I have reflected on his journey as a cricketer and seen that grow. The one thing that always stood out from Day One was the character behind Shubman Gill. He personifies the work ethic of a top, professional cricketer. And for me, that’s one of the most important attributes a cricketer can have,” Nayar told mid-day recently. Fifth youngest skipper Gill, 25, will become India’s fifth-youngest skipper in the longest format after Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (21), Sachin Tendulkar (23), Kapil Dev (24) and Ravi Shastri (25). When asked about Gill’s captaincy, skill-set, and temperament as a batter, Nayar said: “Everyone knows Shubman Gill, the cricketer, but the work ethic of Gill the cricketer is not what a lot of people know. He is someone who is constantly looking to evolve. He is as driven as some of the world’s top-most cricketers and is always looking to be the best in the world. That’s one thing that’s really special about him.” Always hungry to win Gill has scored 1,893 runs in 32 Tests with an average of 35.05, including five centuries. According to Nayar, Gill is always hungry to win titles. “Shubman always wants to win championships. As an individual, he has always wanted to [win championships], so, as a leader, I’m sure he will be the same. I hope only good things happen to him because the work ethic and character make him very special,” concluded Nayar, who recently guided Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals to the T20 Mumbai League title as a mentor.
18 June,2025 08:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureFormer India wicketkeeper-batsman and Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Chandrakant Pandit wants India’s young captain Shubman Gill to lead the team in the five-Test series against England without thinking about the absence of star players and former skippers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma who recently retired from the longest format. Gill, 25, who has represented the country in 32 Tests, previously led the national side in a five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe last July and currently leads Gujarat Titans in the IPL. However, this time he will be facing a much tougher task as he takes on the captain’s responsibility in Test cricket for the first time in a major series, starting at Leeds on June 20. “In the absence of the experienced Virat and Rohit there is a challenge for Gill to spend more time in the middle, to score runs and shoulder the responsibility [as captain]. And because some of the other players are new players, he may try to change his natural game. But my advice to him is that he should not do that, because he will then be taking unnecessary pressure upon himself. And due to this pressure, he may go into a shell,” Pandit told mid-day on Saturday. Pandit, 63, who has helped Mumbai, Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh win Ranji Trophy titles, felt that this is a good opportunity for Gill to extract a good performance from his young side. “I feel there is a great opportunity for Shubman, as a captain, where, without having experienced players or stalwarts, he can lead a new, young team and inspire them to give their best to win the series. This will be a very competitive series for the young Indian team and will definitely do well in England,” added Pandit. Interestingly, Pandit, who made his Test debut against Mike Gatting’s England in the 1986 Leeds Test which Kapil Dev’s team won by 279 runs, cautioned Gill & Co about the pacer-friendly Headingley pitch. “Firstly, there will definitely be pressure on the youngsters [like Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran] who will be playing a Test in England for the first time or for someone like Karun Nair who is playing after a long gap. The other pressure is about playing the moving ball at Leeds. The Indian players need to have self-belief. They need to realise that they are good enough and that’s why they are playing for the country. If batters spend time in the middle, they will get to know how to play at Headingley and automatically they will be able to counter the swing. If you think only about scoring runs, it will affect your game,” Pandit signed off.
18 June,2025 08:29 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh MayureADVERTISEMENT
