Shubman becomes the fifth-youngest Test captain for India; Shami ignored
Shubman Gill will become the fifth-youngest player to captain India’s Test team when he leads the side against England at Leeds on 20th June. The Punjab batsman, aged 25 years and 285 days, was named captain for the five-match series following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket earlier this month. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi remains India’s youngest Test captain, having led the team at 21 years and 77 days in 1962 against the West Indies. Meanwhile, Pacer Mohammed Shami was not picked in India’s squad for the five-match Test series. Shami, whose last Test was the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia in June 2023, made a comeback to the national side earlier this year after undergoing an ankle surgery in February 2024. Abhimanyu Easwaran, however has cracked into the side following his impressive performance in the domestic cricket last season. But it is to be seen whether he gets opportunity to play in Tests. However, after eight long years, Karun Nair has returned to the India Test squad for the five-match series against England, beginning June 20. Nair last played for India in 2017, in a Test against Australia in Dharamsala. He has featured in six Tests, scoring 374 runs at an impressive average of 67. Notably, he became only the second Indian batter after Virender Sehwag to score a Test triple century. Along with Sai Sudarshan, Indian left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has also earned his maiden Test call-up for the upcoming five-match series in England. Arshdeep’s County Championship stint with Kent last year saw him take 13 wickets in five Division 1 matches at an average of 41.76, with best figures of 3/58. In first-class cricket, he’s claimed 39 wickets in 12 matches for Punjab at an average of 28.05. Arshdeep also leads India’s T20I bowling charts with 99 wickets. “Arshdeep is a quality bowler, he has played county cricket, and domestic cricket. We have watched him over the last couple of years. There is no other reason,” said chief selector Ajit Agarkar while announcing the test squad. India’s squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav. Test series will commence on June 20th in Leeds before the action moves to Birmingham for the second Test. The Lord’s Cricket Ground will host the third Test, beginning on July 10, 2025. Old Trafford and Kennington Oval will host the fourth and fifth Tests of the series respectively.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi gets call from Team India for England tour after IPL heroics
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced Team India’s Under 19 squad for the upcoming England tour. The teams will face each other in a 50-over warm-up match, followed by a five-match Youth One-Day seriesandtwo Multi-Day matches, scheduled fromJune 24 to July 23, 2025. Vaibhav Suryabangshi who came into the limelight after smashing a century in his Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, also made cut to the team.Ayush Mhatre who showcased an impressive performance for the Chennai Super Kings has been named as the captain. Abhigyan Kundu is named a vice-captain. “The Junior Cricket Committee has picked India’s U19 for the upcoming tour of England,” BCCI announced in a release. Significantly, Vaibhav’s mobile phone found nearly 500 ‘missed calls’ as he switched off his phone for the last five days. He said, “I have been preparing for 3-4 years. And I saw the results too. Whatever was missing, I was able to work on it. All the things that once looked tough, became easy. I have realized that it’s important to stay focused. There’s no such thing as a natural game. You only have to play according to what the team needs. And not try to do too many extra things at this level. I have to stay in my strong zone and make the team win,” he said. Vaibhav also revealed, “I received over 500 missed calls, but I had kept my phone switched off. A lot of people were approaching him after I scored the century. But I don’t like having too many people. I try to stay away. I had kept my phone off for 4 days; I told you that. I like to be around my people at home and a few friends.” However, Rajasthan Royals chief coach Rahul Dravid has warned the team’s sensational find-out that he will have to go under intense scrutiny before the next IPL, especially by the opposition bowlers. So, according to Dravid, touring England should give Vaibhav valuable learning.
Ben Stokes quits alcohol to boost fitness!
England’s Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed that he has given up alcohol to recover from a hamstring injury, which he suffered in December in a Test match in New Zealand. According to media reports, the all-rounder has stopped drinking alcohol since 2nd January this year, making a lifestyle shift for the all-rounder. Stokes has admitted that his previous drinking habits were “all or nothing” and had begun to affect both his physical recovery and personal well-being. The 33-year-old spoke on the Untapped podcast, saying, “After my first major injury, I remember the shock of it, after the initial adrenaline had stopped, thinking: ‘How has this happened? We did have a bit of a drink four or five nights ago, could that have played a part? It wouldn’t have helped.’ “Then I was like: ‘OK, I need to start changing what I do.’ I don’t think I’ll ever be completely sober, but I’ve not had a drink since 2 January. I said to myself: ‘Not until I finish my injury rehab and get back on the field.’ I think the day I wake up and can’t be bothered to do the training program is getting towards that time when you don’t want it anymore. But I haven’t got any interest in stopping. “It’s just getting harder to do everything. Hence why now I feel like I have to work so much harder away from the field, in the gym, and all that kind of stuff to just give me the best chance of being out there to perform. But I’ll keep going as long as I possibly can.”
Malan predicts IPL will resume in September after the Test-series against England
Former England cricketer Dawid Malan predicts the remainder of the IPL can resume in September after the five-test series between India and England gets over. The ongoing Indian Premier League has been suspended due to tensions between India and Pakistan. However, this is not the first time IPL has been suspended mid-way through. During the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in 2021, the tournament was halted and resumed in September later in the year. Malan stated while speaking on Al Arabiya, “If it doesn’t happen in India or Sri Lanka in a week like that, I suppose they will start in September. They got a massive Test series coming up against England in a few months, and the IPL has to finish before that or start after that; logistically, it is quite a headache for the organizers. I guess they have to wait and see how next week plays out in terms of the safety concerns of players and people of both countries.” The five-match Test series is beginning on 20th June makes it one of the earliest starts for India in the English summer, with their last two Test tours mostly being played in the months of August. The five Tests will be played at Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford and the Oval from 20th June to 4th August.
Virat wants to retire from Test cricket also; BCCI reportedly asks him to rethink
Virat has told the BCCI that he wishes to retire from Test cricket ahead of the England Test series, but top officials have asked him to reconsider his decision! According to a report by The Indian Express, Kohli’s decision came just days after Rohit Sharma decided to retire from Test cricket. According to media reports, the selectors will be meeting in a few days to determine the squad for the five-match Test series against England, and if both Virat and Rohit are not available, they will have a huge task at hand. The report further claimed that Kohli has been contemplating retirement since the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where his disappointing show earned him a lot of criticism. “He has made up his mind and has informed the board that he is moving on from Test cricket. The BCCI has urged him to rethink as the crucial England tour is coming up. He is yet to revert on the request,” sources told the Indian Express. If Kohli doesn’t change his mind, and with Rohit out of the picture, it will leave India with a largely inexperienced middle-order to join forces with KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top, and Rishabh Pant later down the order. Besides, the team will be left without the guiding hands of two veterans who, between them, have led the Test team for nearly 11 years till now. Kohli became India’s Test captain in December 2014, followed by Rohit in February 2022.
Harry Kane wins first career title as Bayern Munich becomes Bundesliga champion
The ‘curse’ has finally been over. Harry Kane can now celebrate his first career title after Bayern Munich became Bundesliga champion for the 34th time with a little help from Freiburg on Sunday. Freiburg drew with second-placed Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 to leave Bayern an unassailable eight points clear of the 2024 champion with two rounds of the German league remaining. Kane had never won a title in a career of runner-up finishes and individual top scorer awards with Tottenham and England, leading some to speak of a “curse” against a player considered one of the world’s best forwards. Kane was ready to celebrate Saturday when Bayern looked set to win 3-2 in Leipzig. But Yussuf Poulsen equalized with the last kick of the game for Leipzig to draw 3-3 and postpone Bayern’s party for one day at least. “Next week, Harry!” teammate Thomas Mller wrote on Instagram. He didn’t have to wait that long. Leverkusen played without conviction in Freiburg, knowing that second place was already secured and that it only had a mathematical chance of defending its title with Bayern having a far superior goal difference. Maximilian Eggestein fired the home team ahead before the break and an own-goal from Piero Hincapie after it put Freiburg firmly in control. It is Bayern’s record-extending 34th German championship including the first for the club in 1932. All the others came after the Bundesliga’s formation in 1963.
