In a surprising turn of events, India has lost its third wicket, with Virat Kohli departing after falling for the familiar trap of playing outside off. Hasan Mahmud claimed his third wicket of the day, tempting Kohli with a full delivery outside off. Kohli chased it with a cover drive, only to edge it to Litton Das behind the stumps. Kohli managed just 6 runs from 6 balls, leaving India in deep trouble at 20/3.

Earlier in the match, India’s struggles were evident as Shubman Gill was dismissed for a duck in a soft dismissal. Hasan Mahmud, who had already sent captain Rohit Sharma back to the pavilion for 6 runs, bowled a leg-side delivery that Gill attempted to flick, only to edge it to Litton Das. Rohit, too, was dismissed early, caught at second slip after edging a sharp delivery.

India’s return to cricket after a 45-day break has been challenging, with three quick wickets in the first session leaving them reeling.

Teams:

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das(w), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana India

(Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj

India’s struggles continue as Shubman Gill falls to a soft dismissal without scoring. Hasan Mahmud, who had earlier dismissed Rohit Sharma, struck again by bowling a delivery down the leg-side. Gill tried to flick the ball, thinking it was an easy opportunity, but only managed to get an inside edge. Litton Das took an easy catch, sending Gill back to the pavilion for a duck. This leaves India in a tough spot at 14/2.

The crowd erupted as Virat Kohli walked out to the crease, hoping to steady the innings. Earlier, captain Rohit Sharma was dismissed for just 6 runs, with Hasan Mahmud delivering a sharp ball that was edged to second slip. India’s comeback after a 45-day break has started on a rough note, with two early wickets in the first session.

Teams:

Bangladesh (Playing XI): Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das(w), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana India

(Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj

The Duleep Trophy 2024-25 is set to begin on September 5, and the BCCI has announced the captains for the four squads. Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Abhimanyu Easwaran will lead their respective teams in this prestigious first-class tournament.

Key Highlights

• Team A:
  • Captain: Shubman Gill
  • Notable Players: Riyan Parag, KL Rahul, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav
  • Overview: Gill’s team includes a mix of experience and youth, with key players like KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav aiming to make a significant impact.
• Team B:
  • Captain: Abhimanyu Easwaran
  • Notable Players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar
  • Overview: Easwaran will lead a strong side featuring experienced internationals like Ravindra Jadeja and upcoming talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal.
• Team C:
  • Captain: Ruturaj Gaikwad
  • Notable Players: Suryakumar Yadav, Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar
  • Overview: Gaikwad’s team is bolstered by the presence of explosive batsman Suryakumar Yadav and consistent performers like Sai Sudharsan.
• Team D:
  • Captain: Shreyas Iyer
  • Notable Players: Ishan Kishan, Devdutt Padikkal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh
  • Overview: Iyer will lead a well-rounded squad featuring star players like Ishan Kishan and all-rounder Axar Patel.

Tournament Details

• Start Date: September 5, 2024
• End Date: September 22, 2024
• Venues: Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh & Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

BCCI’s Selection Strategy

The BCCI has included many players from India’s senior squads in this year’s Duleep Trophy, except for a few like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and R Ashwin. Mohammed Shami continues his rehabilitation and is not part of the tournament.

The players selected for the upcoming home Test series against Bangladesh will be replaced in the Duleep Trophy squads.

Former India cricket team fielding coach R Sridhar has confidently predicted that Shubman Gill will lead India in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Sridhar believes that Gill, currently vice-captain for T20Is and ODIs, will eventually captain India in all three formats.

Gill’s Leadership Potential:

• Vice-Captain Roles: Shubman Gill is already serving as the vice-captain for T20Is and ODIs. He is currently the deputy to Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is and to Rohit Sharma in ODIs.
• All-Format Player: Sridhar praises Gill as an all-format player and sees him as a natural successor to Rohit Sharma. He believes that Gill’s talent and leadership skills make him the ideal candidate to lead India in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is after the 2027 World Cup.

Sridhar’s Views:

• Future Captain: “Shubman Gill for me is an all-format player. I think he would be the apprentice to captain Rohit Sharma in Test matches and ODIs. I am sure India will see him as the captain post 2027 World Cup in all formats,” Sridhar told Hindustan Times.

Gill’s Recent Performance:

• Strong Comeback: After missing the T20 World Cup, Gill made a strong return by leading India to a 4-1 series win against Zimbabwe.
• Leadership Experience: Despite being only 24 years old, Gill has already had a taste of captaincy. After Hardik Pandya moved to Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2024, Gill was promoted to captain Gujarat Titans. Although the team did not perform well, this experience helped Gill develop his leadership skills.

Key Details:

As the cricketing world looks ahead to the future, Shubman Gill’s rise as a leader is eagerly anticipated. His talent, combined with his leadership experience, positions him as a promising candidate to guide India to success in the 2027 ODI World Cup and beyond

Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors for the Indian cricket team, has announced Shubman Gill as the new vice-captain for India’s white-ball cricket. Gill will support Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma in the upcoming T20I series and ODIs in Sri Lanka. This decision follows the exclusion of Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul from the role.

At 24, Gill has quickly risen through the ranks. He recently captained India to a 4-1 series win over Zimbabwe in T20Is and had a stellar year in 2023 as an ODI batter. Gill also led the Gujarat Titans to success in the IPL and showed his leadership skills during a tough Test series against England.

Agarkar explained the reasoning behind Gill’s appointment. “Rishabh Pant has been out for a while, and we want to ease him back into the game. KL Rahul hasn’t been part of T20Is recently. We need to plan for the next two years and see how things evolve,” Agarkar said.

Agarkar also addressed the challenges faced when Hardik Pandya was injured and Rohit Sharma was unavailable. He emphasized the need to avoid such situations in the future.

“Shubman is a player who we believe can perform across all formats and has shown strong qualities over the past year. By giving him the vice-captaincy, we aim to prepare him for future leadership roles. He will learn from experienced players like Suryakumar and Rohit, helping us avoid last-minute leadership changes if injuries or form issues arise,” Agarkar added.

Gill’s new role is seen as a strategic step to develop his leadership skills and prepare him for greater responsibilities in the Indian cricket team. His performance will be closely watched as India looks ahead to its international fixtures.

The Indian cricket team, led by Shubman Gill, will embark on a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe starting July 6, 2024 in Harare. The series will be played entirely at the Harare Sports Club, with all matches starting at 4:30 PM IST.

The schedule for the Zimbabwe vs India T20I series is as follows:

Zimbabwe vs India 1st T20I

• July 6, Saturday, 4:30 PM IST

Zimbabwe vs India 2nd T20I

• July 7, Sunday, 4:30 PM IST

Zimbabwe vs India 3rd T20I

• July 10, Wednesday, 4:30 PM IST

Zimbabwe vs India 4th T20I

• July 13, Saturday, 4:30 PM IST

Zimbabwe vs India 5th T20I

• July 14, Sunday, 4:30 PM IST

The series will mark the beginning of a new era in Indian T20I cricket, with several senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announcing their retirement from the format. Gill will lead a young Indian side featuring promising talents from the IPL, including Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag and Tushar Deshpande.The series will be crucial for Zimbabwe as well, as they look to make the most of the opportunity to face a strong Indian side at home.

Indian Squad for the series against Zimbabwe

• Shubman Gill (captain)
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Ruturaj Gaikwad
• Abhishek Sharma
• Rinku Singh
• Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper)
• Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper)
• Riyan Parag
• Washington Sundar
• Ravi Bishnoi
• Avesh Khan
• Khaleel Ahmed
• Mukesh Kumar
• Tushar Deshpande
• Shivam Dube
• Sai Sudarshan
• Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper)
• Harshit Rana

Zimbabwe Squad for the series against India

• Sikandar Raza (captain)
• Faraz Akram
• Brian Bennett
• Johnathan Campbell
• Tendai Chatara
• Luke Jongwe
• Innocent Kaia
• Clive Madande (wicket-keeper)
• Tadiwanashe Marumani
• Wellington Masakadza
• Blessing Muzarabani
• Dion Myers
• Antum Naqvi
• Richard Ngarava
• Milton Shumba

The matches will be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network in India, with live streaming available on the SonyLIV app and website.

As Team India celebrates an impressive streak in the ongoing T20 World Cup in the United States, a social media gesture by Shubman Gill has sparked considerable debate among cricket enthusiasts. Recently, Gill unfollowed Rohit Sharma on Instagram, leading to speculation about discord within the team.

Gill’s action on social media coincided with reports suggesting potential disciplinary issues and rumors of his and Avesh Khan’s departure from the squad. The speculation stemmed from Gill’s reported dissatisfaction over being overlooked for playing XI selections, particularly in favor of Yashasvi Jaiswal, despite his reserve status in the squad.

Clarifying the situation, sources close to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated that no final decisions have been made regarding Gill and Khan’s status. Both players remain integral parts of the team, slated to participate in upcoming matches against Canada and potentially in the Super 8 stage against formidable opponents like Australia and Afghanistan.

The ongoing T20 World Cup has witnessed India’s dominance with three consecutive wins, setting the stage for an exciting journey into the Super 8s in the Caribbean. As the team focuses on their upcoming fixtures, the incident involving Gill’s social media activity continues to be a point of discussion among fans and analysts alike.

Shubman Gill and Avesh Khan, who were part of the reserves for Team India in the T20 World Cup, will head back home after the USA leg of the tournament. Team management decided not to take them to the Super 8 stage in the West Indies, as they felt there was no need to carry a squad of 19 players.

A report from News18 revealed that Gill and Khan won’t travel with the team for the Super 8 matches against Afghanistan on June 20, Bangladesh on June 22, and Australia on June 24. If India makes it to the semifinals, the match will be on June 27. A source mentioned, “There was very little gap between games for any extensive practice. So it was decided by the management to release the two players as matches are literally back to back.”

The BCCI has already arranged for Gill and Khan to head back home, and they won’t be at the ground for the IND vs CAN match on June 15. Only the 15-member squad is allowed in the dugout.

Weather Puts IND vs CAN Match in Doubt

The IND vs CAN match is under threat due to the bad weather in Florida. The USA vs IRE match was washed out on June 14, and similar weather is expected on June 15. Team India skipped their practice session due to the rain and opted for a gym session instead. The team is set to leave for Barbados on June 16, followed by matches in Antigua and St. Lucia.