The men’s selection committee has selected a 15-member India A squad for the upcoming Australia tour. In this tour, India A will play two first-class matches along with one special game. 

The upcoming India A tour of Australia is very important for Indian cricket, as the Indian national cricket team will tour Australia in the second half of November to play the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It will be a five-match Test series, which will be a part of the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship. 

India A will play two first-class matches

India A is set to travel to Australia. In this upcoming tour, India A will play two first-class matches against Australia A. McKay will host the first-class match from October 31 and Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the second first-class match from November 7. Both the matches will be four-day challenges. 

Also one intra-squad game

Later, India A will play a three-day intra-squad game against the Indian national cricket team at WACA, Perth. It will be an important practice match for the Indian national cricket team before the beginning of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that will begin on November 22.  

India A leaders and wicketkeepers

Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead India A squad in the upcoming Australia tour, while the in-form domestic cricket opener Abhimanyu Easwaran will play the vice-captain role. Ishan Kishan and Abishek Porel have been selected as the wicketkeepers. 

Other India A members

Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, and Navdeep Saini have been selected as the pacers in the India A squad. Talking about the spinners, the selectors have selected the left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Manav Suthar and the off-spin bowling all-rounder Tanush Kotian. 

Nitish Kumar Reddy, who recently made his T20I debut during the home series against Bangladesh and won the Player of the Match award in the Delhi T20I for his all-round performances (74 off 34 balls and 4-0-23-2), has been selected in the India A squad. 

Talking about batting, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, and Baba Indrajith are the other key names apart from the leaders and wicketkeepers. 

India A squad for Australia tour

Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vice-captain), Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, Baba Indrajith, Ishan Kishan (wk), Abishek Porel (wk), Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian

Mumbai and Maharashtra are currently playing in the Ranji Trophy match where both the Indian batters Shreyas Iyer and Ruturaj Gaikwad made headlines with their respective centuries. While Iyer scored one yesterday (142 off 190), Gaikwad smashed a hundred on Sunday, giving a strong message to the selectors for his selection in the Test squad as well.

However, with this, he has smashed his seventh century in First-Class cricket. Gaikwad reached the three-figure mark on Day 3 of the match at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC, Mumbai. The Maharashtra captain helped his side to steady in the middle after they lost Siddhesh Veer early in the game. Notably, Mumbai were bowled out for 441 in the first innings as well.

Ruturaj Gaikwad shines with the bat

Notably, Gaikwad has 14 half-centuries to his name so far. In 35 matches, the veteran Maharashtra batter has scored past 2,400 runs in red-ball cricket as well. He scored at an average of over 43. Gaikwad, who has represented India in six ODIs and 23 T20Is, is yet to feature in the longer format as well.

Moreover, Gaikwad has been in good form recently. He led the Rest of India in the Irani Cup against Mumbai and also started off the Ranji Trophy with 86 against Jammu & Kashmir before being dismissed for a duck in the next match against Mumbai as well. 

R D Gaikwad 101 runs in 87 balls (14x4, 2x6) Maharashtra 176/1 #MUMvMAH #RanjiTrophy #Elite Scorecard:https://t.co/l7QWZwMQUU

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) October 20, 2024

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Ruturaj Gaikwad is likely to lead the India A team

Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad is likely to lead the India A team on the tour of Australia later this month as well. Apart from Gaikwad, the 15-man squad includes other batters like Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan. Moreover, India will likely need to name a reserve Test opener for the Australia series, considering Rohit Sharma set to miss one of the first two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for personal reasons as well.

The matches against Australia A could give match practice, or act as an audition, for a few of the backup players likely to be added to the Test squad and it could be helpful for Gaikwad as well. 

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has once again been overlooked by the Indian selectors, despite not doing anything wrong. He wasn’t picked for the Indian cricket team’s ongoing tour of Sri Lanka, and has been dropped from the team for the upcoming limited overs series in Sri Lanka.

However, Gaikwad has bounced back by returning as the captain of his state team, following this latest setback. The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) has announced their probable squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season 2024-25, with Gaikwad as the new captain.

Gaikwad named Maharashtra Ranji Trophy captain

Sulakshan Kulkarni, a former Mumbai wicketkeeper batter, has been appointed as the new head coach of the Maharashtra Cricket Team for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. Gaikwad, who previously led Maharashtra’s List-A and T20 teams, is now the captain for the prestigious first-class tournament.

Gaikwad has replaced Kedar Jadhav as Maharashtra’s captain for the Ranji Trophy after Jadhav retired from all forms of the game last month. Sulakshan Kulkarni has also replaced Santosh Jedhe as the head coach of the Maharashtra cricket team.

MCA announces 28-member probable squad

On July 25, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) took to social media to announce the 28-member probable squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024-25. With Kulkarni’s guidance and Gaikwad’s fresh red-ball captaincy, the team will have a fresh start as many senior players have retired.

Notably, Gaikwad was a strong candidate for India’s T20I captaincy but was overlooked for the role. Instead, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal were chosen for the T20I team, with the Gujarat Titans skipper named vice-captain.

BCCI’s plans for the 2024-25 domestic season

The 2024-25 domestic cricket season will feature longer breaks between matches to give players more recovery time and ensure top performance throughout the season. The Ranji Trophy 2024-25 will be conducted in two phases.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah had said in a statement: “The season will kick off with the Duleep Trophy tournament, featuring four teams selected by national selectors. Following this, the Irani Cup tournament will take place. After these, two tournaments will be held: the first five league games (per team) of the Ranji Trophy, followed by the T20 competition, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the 50-over tournament, the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The season will conclude with the remaining two league games of the Ranji trophy and knockout stages.”

India’s rising stars Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill made big jumps in the ICC T20I rankings after their impressive performances on the Zimbabwe tour. Jaiswal moved up four spots to reach 6th place with 743 points, just behind Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. Travis Head stayed at the top of the rankings, with Suryakumar Yadav and England’s Phil Salt tied for second with 797 points each.

Shubman Gill, who captained India for the series, climbed a remarkable 36 places to secure the 37th spot. This made him the fourth highest ranked Indian in T20I, ahead of Rohit Sharma (42nd) and Virat Kohli (51st), who recently retired from T20I cricket. Gill now trails only Suryakumar Yadav (2nd), Jaiswal (6th), and Ruturaj Gaikwad (8th) among Indian batters.

Jaiswal and Gill shine in ICC T20I rankings

Gill and Jaiswal seized their opportunities, emerging as top run scorers in the series. Gill was the leading run scorer with 170 runs in five matches, boasting a strike rate of 125.93 and an average of 42.50.

Impressive performances on the Zimbabwe tour

After missing the first two T20Is, Jaiswal made a splash with an unbeaten 93 in the fourth T20I, scoring a total of 141 runs in three matches at an average of 70.50 and an impressive strike rate of 165.88. Their contributions helped India win the five match series against Zimbabwe 4-1.

Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani also saw a rise, moving up 11 places to 44th in the T20I bowlers rankings. Meanwhile, Washington Sundar climbed 36 spots to 46th, and Mukesh Kumar moved up 21 places to 73rd.

England’s Adil Rashid remained the top ranked T20I bowler, while Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza rise to third in the all-rounders rankings after his strong performances against India.

Talented young batter Ruturaj Gaikwad led Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2024 with MS Dhoni is his side. And, now he is playing under Shubman Gill in the ongoing series against Zimbabwe as well. While he is batting at no. 3, he believes that it would be tough to fill Virat Kohli’s place. However, following India’s win in the T20 World Cup 2024, Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from the T20 format as well.

“Wherever the team sends me, I’m happy to bat there,” Ruturaj said in his batting position on the eve of the third T20I. “There isn’t much of a difference opening the batting or playing at Number 3. You still have to play the new ball. Not much of a difference. It’s a really big topic, it’s not the right point to think about it. To compare to him or to fill in his shoes is really tough.

As I had said in the IPL as well, its difficult to fill Mahi bhai’s shoes as well. You want to start your own career, you want to play your own game. That’s the priority right now, focus on one game, focus on making your team win – for whichever side you play – and make sure you’re on the winning side more often than not.”

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Ruturaj Gaikwad played a key role in the 2nd match for India vs Zimbabwe

However, Ruturaj Gaikwad also admitted that the batting conditions in Zimbabwe are not easy. And, India saw that in the first T20I, as they lost to Zimbabwe before bouncing back in the second as well.

“It’s definitely challenging,” he said. “It’s slightly unique. If you have seam movement coming at you in one pace, you can still negotiate it. But here it’s slightly double-paced and the bounce is also slightly variable. That’s causing a bit of difference. When the ball is new, it’s slightly tougher to score. But once the ball becomes old, with fast outfield and relatively small straight boundaries, you can convert your runs after that.”

“To be honest, not much has changed,” he noted. “My batting has always been the same – take responsibility and play and try to finish the game. It’s just that the way you look at the game, you are more involved when you are used to captaining an IPL team. You tend to be in the game for a longer period of time than when you’re standing at the boundary and just focussing on one ball at a time. But batting-wise, not much of a difference,” Ruturaj Gaikwad concluded.

India bounced back strongly in the series with a resounding 100-run victory over Zimbabwe in Harare. Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad led the charge as India leveled the series on Sunday, July 7th.

In a thrilling comeback, the young Indian team dominated Zimbabwe in the second T20I. Abhishek Sharma played a stellar innings, smashing a sensational century to propel India to a massive total of 234 runs. Zimbabwe struggled right from the start, managing to score only 134 runs in response, thanks to outstanding bowling performances by Avesh Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, and Mukesh Kumar.

Zimbabwe’s early charge and subsequent collapse

Zimbabwe began their chase aggressively, with Brian Bennett hitting boundaries early on. However, his departure after a quickfire 26 marked the start of Zimbabwe’s downfall. They lost wickets consistently, finding themselves at 76/7 by the 12th over. Luke Jongwe and Wessley Madhvere tried to revive the innings, but Zimbabwe eventually succumbed, getting all out in the 18.4 overs.

Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan stood out with their superb bowling. Bishnoi conceded just 11 runs in his spell and took crucial wickets, while Avesh Khan troubled the batsmen with his pace and aggression.

Abhishek Sharma’s explosive century

The match belonged to Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who played pivotal roles with their contrasting yet effective batting styles. Abhishek Sharma, after a slow start unleashed his aggression to score a maiden T20I century. He hit 8 sixes and 7 boundaries in his explosive innings, dominating the Zimbabwean bowlers.

Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad showcased his class with an unbeaten 77 off 47 balls, paying homage to MS Dhoni on his birthday. The duo’s partnership of 137 runs set India on course for their highest-ever T20I total against Zimbabwe.

Rinku Singh also made a significant contribution, smashing 48* off just 22 balls towards the end of the innings, further bolstering India’s formidable total.

With this win India has tied the series 1-1 there are still three matches to go.

The young Indian team faced a tough challenge in Harare as Zimbabwe beat them by 13 runs, giving the World Champions their first T20I defeat of the year.

Zimbabwe’s bowlers delivered an impressive performance, defending a modest total of 115 and bundling India out for just 102 in 19.5 overs. Sikandar Raza and Tendai Chatara took 3 wickets each, while Clive Madande’s late surge helped secure the victory. India’s poor death bowling and reckless batting cost them the game.

India won the toss and chose to field first. Mukesh Kumar struck early, dismissing Innocent Kaia for a duck. Wesley Madhevere and Brian Bennett then steadied Zimbabwe’s innings until Ravi Bishnoi turned the tide, taking two crucial wickets. Despite Avesh Khan removing Raza and causing a collapse, Madande’s 29 off 25 balls pushed Zimbabwe to 115. Bishnoi was the standout bowler for India, claiming 4 wickets for 13 runs.

Zimbabwe’s new era under Sikandar Raza

India’s chase started poorly, with Abhishek Sharma out for a duck. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Riyan Parag also failed to score significantly. Rinku Singh was out for a duck, and despite Shubman Gill’s efforts, the team struggled.

Gill was eventually dismissed by Raza, leaving India at 47 for 6. Avesh Khan and Washington Sundar provided some resistance, but Raza’s catch and Chatara’s wickets sealed Zimbabwe’s win.

Zimbabwe’s bowling brilliance and India’s batting collapse

Patience is needed with the young Indian players like Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel, who are transitioning from IPL to international cricket. Their aggressive playstyle needs adjustment for the international stage.

Zimbabwe rebuilding under Sikandar Raza’s captaincy, showed belief and confidence. Despite missing key players like Sean Williams, Ryan Burl, and Craig Ervine, they capitalized on Madande’s late runs and Raza’s strategic bowling changes. Both teams will face off again on July 7.

Chennai Super Kings were heavily favored to reach the IPL 2024 playoffs at the expense of Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of their crucial clash on Saturday, which served as a virtual knockout. Despite RCB setting a daunting target of 218/5 and reducing CSK to 129/6, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja staged a remarkable fightback to bring their team within reach of a top-four finish. However, a superb final over from Yash Dayal ultimately shattered their hopes.

Dhoni was dismissed in the final over, right after hitting the left-arm pacer for a massive six, narrowly missing out on what would have been another legendary chase from ‘Captain Cool’. CSK finished fifth on the points table, missing the playoffs for only the third time in IPL history. It was a mixed debut season as captain for Ruturaj Gaikwad, who took over from Dhoni just before the tournament opener against the same team that eventually knocked them out nearly two months later.

CSK began the season with two consecutive wins but then faced two losses in their next fixtures. Their campaign was marked by a see-saw performance, balancing wins and losses throughout the league stage. Despite the inconsistency, they managed to stay in or close to the top four, aided by a positive Net Run Rate.

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Lack of a solid opening pair in Conway’s absence

Gaikwad and Devon Conway had formed a formidable opening pair, significantly contributing to CSK’s success last season. However, this season, Conway was sidelined for the entire 17th season due to a thumb injury, despite initial hopes that he would rejoin the squad midway through the tournament. His absence led to the inclusion of England seamer Richard Gleeson as his replacement.

Although CSK secured Rachin Ravindra after a fierce bidding war in the auction, the young Kiwi batter couldn’t quite fill the void left by Conway. Ravindra’s maiden IPL season saw him amass 222 runs at an average of 22.20, with only one half-century to his name. CSK experimented with various opening combinations throughout the season, starting with Gaikwad and Ravindra, but later introducing Ajinkya Rahane into the mix.

At times, Rahane opened with Ravindra, pushing Gaikwad down the order. In other instances, Rahane opened alongside Gaikwad, while Ravindra was benched, and Daryl Mitchell was brought in at No. 3. This constant shuffling meant that CSK’s top-order, especially the opening pair, never truly settled. This instability was a significant factor in their inconsistent performances throughout the season.

Shivam Dube losing form at crucial phase

Seam-bowling all-rounder Shivam Dube had been in explosive form during the T20I series against Afghanistan earlier this year and carried that momentum into the first half of the IPL season. Although CSK did not utilize him much as a bowler, his match-winning performances with the bat were crucial. His impressive run ultimately earned him a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad.

However, like several other World Cup-bound Indian players, Dube’s form inexplicably dipped right after the BCCI’s announcement. Prior to the squad announcement, Dube had amassed 347 runs in nine matches at an average of 57.83 and a strike rate of 170.93.

After being named in the World Cup squad, his performance dramatically declined. In his subsequent five matches, he managed just 46 runs at an average of 9.2, with his strike rate plummeting to 112.19. This poor run included back-to-back golden ducks and a disappointing knock of 7 off 15 balls against RCB in a crucial match. Dube’s slump in form came at the worst possible time for CSK, as his contributions with the bat were sorely missed when the team needed them the most.

In a gripping encounter at the IPL, Chennai Super Kings emerged victorious against Rajasthan Royals in a nail-biting clash, boosting their chances of qualifying for the playoffs. The match, characterized by its low-scoring nature, saw CSK chasing down a modest target of 142 runs on a tricky surface, ultimately securing a five-wicket win in 18.2 overs.

The foundation of CSK’s victory was laid by their disciplined bowling attack, led by seamer Simarjeet Singh. The bowlers put up a united front to restrict Rajasthan Royals to a modest total of 141 for five in their innings. Notable performances came from Tushar Deshpande, who claimed 2 wickets for 30 runs, while other bowlers maintained disciplined spells to contain the opposition batsmen.

Ruturaj Gaikwad leads CSK’s chase

In pursuit of the target, CSK’s skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad played a captain’s knock, dropping the anchor with a well-compiled unbeaten 42 runs off 41 balls. Gaikwad’s composed innings provided stability to the CSK batting lineup, guiding them towards the target with calculated strokes and sensible batting.

Supporting Gaikwad in the chase was rookie Sameer Rizvi, who provided the finishing touches with a quickfire 15 not out off just 8 balls, including three boundaries. Despite a minor hiccup when Ravindra Jadeja became the third batter in IPL history to be adjudged out after obstructing the field, CSK remained composed and sealed the victory with relative ease.

CSK defeat RR with impressive performance  

Simarjeet Singh’s stellar performance with the ball, claiming three crucial wickets, was instrumental in restricting RR’s batting lineup. Additionally, Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round contribution, despite the rare mode of dismissal, showcased his value to the CSK team. With this victory, Chennai Super Kings have significantly enhanced their chances of qualifying for the playoffs, further solidifying their position in the IPL standings. The team’s collective effort, characterized by disciplined bowling and composed batting, bodes well for their campaign as they aim for further success in the tournament.

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As the IPL season progresses, CSK will be looking to build on this momentum and continue their winning streak, with eyes set on clinching the coveted title once again. With strong performances from both seasoned veterans and emerging talents, CSK remains a formidable force in the IPL, capable of overcoming any challenge thrown their way.

In a thrilling Tata IPL showdown, defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) returned to their winning ways with a commanding 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s outstanding knock of 98 runs and a superb bowling performance by pacer Tushar Deshpande were the highlights of the match.

Gaikwad’s performance is always a game changer

Choosing to bat first after winning the toss, CSK’s innings was propelled by Gaikwad’s explosive 54-ball innings, setting the tone for the team. Daryl Mitchell’s vital contribution of 52 runs off 32 balls, along with Shivam Dube’s explosive cameo of 39 off 20 balls, ensured CSK posted an imposing total of 212/3.

In response, SRH struggled to find their footing as Deshpande’s impressive figures of 4/27 in 3 overs rattled their top order. Despite their cautious approach, SRH lost three wickets within the powerplay and failed to recover.

Mitchell shows amazing performance to defeat SRH

CSK’s emphatic win snapped their two-game losing streak, propelling them to the third spot in the IPL Points Table with 10 points. Meanwhile, SRH slipped to fourth place after suffering their fourth defeat of the season, also on 10 points.

Highlights of the match included Gaikwad achieving his fifty, followed by Mitchell’s milestone. However, Gaikwad fell just short of a century, getting out at 98 runs, while CSK reached a formidable total of 212/3 in 19.2 overs.

See Also: CSK vs SRH: A memorable day for Daryl Mitchell in IPL

With this dominant performance, CSK showcased their strength and determination in the IPL, solidifying their position as serious contenders for the title once again.