It was a questionable decision from Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill not to introduce Sai Kishore in the middle-order overs, when Delhi Capitals (DC) batters were rotating strike rate with ease. In IPL 2025, Game 35, Sai Kishore asked to bowl only the last over of the first innings. He delivered exactly what the skipper asked him to do— offered only 9 runs and took the wicket of Ashutosh Sharma. But why did Gill introduce Kishore so late?

Delhi Capitals displayed an all-round batting performance against GT at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The stadium has a reputation for recording multiple high-scoring matches; the surface of the ground is often found to be batting-friendly.

The Capitals' batters discovered the surface is ideal for a big total, and they did start their innings with flowing runs. Experienced Ishant Sharma was the only exception from GT's bowling department, who took a wicket and in exchange had a 6.33 economy rate. Other than Ishant, Prasidh Krishna was the best performer with the ball, bagging 4 scalps with a 10.25 economy rate. 

Read More: Watch IPL 2025: Buttler’s Brilliant Catch Dismisses Vipraj in Style

Krishna, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshad Khan all were expensive, with an economy rate of around 10 in total. So why did Shubman Gill not prefer Sai to slow down the opponent's strike rate? 

A bold decision by Shubman Gill 

A possible answer is Axar Patel, Delhi Capitals skipper himself. Sai Kishore has a very poor record against Axar. Whenever the young spinner bowled, Patel, something exciting happened, mostly in favor of Axar. He has experience batting against the spinner with a pretty high strike rate. 

Delhi Capitals already was running with a high strike rate margin; Axar was in the middle of the park with the bat. In that scenario, Gill probably chose the safest option, not to use Sai Kishore as a bowler as long as Axar Patel was on the field. GT's none of their strategy was able to restrict Delhi from grabbing a total of 203 runs in their 20 overs limit. 

IPL 2025 Emerging Captains: Who will be the successor of Rohit Sharma as the skipper in Team India? In every season, the Indian Premier League has produced some of the great talents in world cricket, like Surya Kumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and many more. But only a few cricketers have the capability to lead a team at the highest order. Before announcing his retirement from all cricket formats, Rohit Sharma will leave his legacy behind, which can put more pressure upon his successor. But who will lead the Men in Blue Brigade in the future, especially in Test and ODI formats? Let's find out. 

Read More: IPL 2025: KKR vs SRH Dream11 Prediction 15th Match Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing XI

In the ongoing IPL 2025, there are many franchises relying on young Indian blood to cherish their trophy-winning desire. Shubman Gill, Gujarat Titans captain, is already a speculated successor of Rohit Sharma for the Team India captaincy role. But there is yet no strong evidence that BCCI is considering Gill as the team's future leader. Along with Gill, there are at least two other captains who are now doing well in IPL 2025. 

Shreyas Iyer, who uplifted IPL last season as Kolkata Knight Riders skipper, is doing constantly well with Punjab Kings as a team captain and as a batter as well, which proves, under pressure, Iyer has the ability to deliver his best. The 30-year-old Mumbai-born batter has played unbeaten 97 vs. Gujarat Titans and an unbeaten 52-run against Lucknow Super Giants, which ensures Punjab Kings win both of the games. 

Rajat Patidar is evolving as a captain in this season as well. Under his captaincy, Royal Challengers Bengaluru is now the front runner to win IPL 2025. Like Punjab Kings, RCB also remains victorious in their two matches. Against KKR, Patidar scored 34 and 51 against Chennai Super Kings. 

On the other hand, under Gill's leadership, in two matches, Gujarat Titans won against Mumbai Indians and lost against Punjab Kings. In these two games, Gill scored 33 vs. PBKS and 38 vs. MI.

India has produced cricket with some of the best ODI batsmen ever, and the team currently playing is nothing short of legendary. With class, consistency, and power-hitting, the batting order has overwhelmed world cricket.

Shubman Gill - Number 1.
Rohit Sharma - Number 3.
Virat Kohli - Number 5.
Shreyas Iyer - Number 8.
KL Rahul - Number 16.

ONE OF THE GREATEST ODI BATTING UNIT EVER 🤯🔥 pic.twitter.com/5XGxtMB9fp

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 12, 2025

1. Shubman Gill – The Rising Star
Shubman Gill is now one of the finest young openers of international cricket. His elegant stroke play, attacking mindset, and unbelievable consistency make him a star player for India.

2. Rohit Sharma – The Hitman
At No. 3, Rohit Sharma is among the greatest ODI destroyers in history. With several double-hundreds in his credit, his capacity to accelerate innings and support the top order is unparalleled.

ALSO SEE: Sanju Samson Shares His Hardships Before The IPL 2025

3. Virat Kohli – The Chase Master
Virat Kohli, the No. 5, is the mainstay of India's ODI batting. His impeccable technique, hunger to run, and ability to chase down any target make him among the all-time great batsmen in cricketing history.

4. Shreyas Iyer – The Middle-Order Maestro
Sporting No. 8, Shreyas Iyer has brought stability and aggression to India's middle order. His strike rotation ability and acceleration at the appropriate time give huge value to the batting lineup. 

5. KL Rahul – The Trusty Finisher
Sporting No. 16, KL Rahul is India's utility batter who can adapt to any situation. If he opens or shuts shop, his calm demeanor and repertoire of shots make him a vital cog.

A Legendary ODI Batting Line-up
This line-up has the mix of youth and experience, aggression and composure, which makes it the all-time greatest ODI line-up. With their talent and sheer will, they have written themselves into the annals of cricketing history

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the best performers of February in international cricket, identifying three men and three women cricketers who performed exceptionally well on the field.

Men's Player of the Month Nominees

Shubman Gill (India): Made 406 runs at more than 100 average, including a century against Bangladesh and important contributions in India's series victory over England.

Glenn Phillips (New Zealand): Starred in the Tri-Nation Series with a century and solid performances in the Champions Trophy opener.

Steve Smith (Australia): Led Australia to a Test series sweep over Sri Lanka with back-to-back centuries.

Steve Smith 🇦🇺
Shubman Gill 🇮🇳
Glenn Phillips 🇳🇿

Three standout performers and in-form batters have been nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for February! 🥇❤️

Who deserves to win? 🤔🏆#SteveSmith #ShubmanGill #GlennPhillips #Sportskeeda pic.twitter.com/y46iEVoU97

— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) March 7, 2025

ALSO SEE: RCB Star Ellyse Perry Talks About The Maha Kumbh Mela

Women’s Player of the Month Nominees

Alana King (Australia): Took nine wickets in the Women’s Ashes Test, delivering a match-winning performance.

Thipatcha Putthawong (Thailand): Led the wicket charts in the Nepal Women’s Tri-Nation Series and played a crucial all-round role.

Annabel Sutherland (Australia): Scored 163 in the Ashes Test, becoming the first woman to score a Test century at the venue.

Two top spinners and one powerhouse all-rounder have been named as nominees for the ICC Women's Player of the Month for February 👏

More 👇

— ICC (@ICC) March 7, 2025

Voting Process

The ICC Voting Academy and fans worldwide will vote to decide the winners. Fans can cast their votes at icc-cricket.com/awards, with results announced next week.

In the 18th over of India’s chase against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025, spinner Abrar Ahmed gave his team a much-needed breakthrough of Shubman gill. He bowled a carrom ball that completely fooled Shubman Gill, leaving him and hitting the stumps. A former Indian cricketer in the commentary box said the delivery reminded him of R Ashwin’s carrom ball.  

Shubhman gill dismissed on 46(52) by Abrar Ahmed#ChampionsTrophy #INDvsPAK pic.twitter.com/uPQQY8xRTE

— D Decoded Reality (@DDecodedReality) February 23, 2025

Pakistan fans were thrilled with the wicket, but Abrar’s celebration stole the spotlight. He pointed towards the dressing room, signaling Gill to walk back after the dismissal. At the other end, Virat Kohli looked shocked as Gill’s solid innings of 46 off 52 balls came to an end in the biggest rivalry match.

ALSO READ: Not Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma this indian magician is Headache for Pakistan team

India was going strong at 100 for 1, with Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in control of the 242-run chase. Pakistan needed a game-changing moment, and Abrar Ahmed provided it with a stunning delivery that sent a well-set Shubman Gill back to the pavilion at the Dubai International Stadium.

India ODI vice-captain, Shubman Gill scores a fantastic century in Ahmedabad against England in the third ODI. He previously also scored a couple of fifties in the series and ended the series as the highest run scorer.

Shubman Gill History in Narendra Modi Stadium :

Gill's love affair with Ahmedabad as a batting venue continued as he delivered yet another dominant performance. Gill has played a Test, 3 ODIs and a T20I in the Narendra Modi Stadium. He has centuries in all three formats and is very much familiar to his IPL home ground. As he creates history of becoming the first player to score centuries in all three formats at a venue. His performance in Narendra Modi Stadium,let take a look

🚨 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓 🚨

Shubman Gill becomes the first-ever Indian cricketer to score a century in all formats of the game at a single venue! pic.twitter.com/KtYP1pNRf3

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) February 12, 2025

ALSO SEE : ICC names Brand Ambassadors for 2025 Champions Trophy

The Gujarat Titans captain, Shubman Gill has also scored 4 fifties and 3 centuries at the venue when it comes to the IPL where he also once won the orange cap.He has additionally played 18 IPL innings in Ahmedabad and has 953 runs at a staggering strike rate of 159.4 . He has the highest score of 129 in IPL games at the venue.

India's ODI vice-captain Shubman Gill replaced skipper Rohit Sharma to rise to the second spot in the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI rankings, just a week before the start of the 2025 Champions Trophy, and on the day of the final ODI of the three-match series against England in Ahmedabad.

Gill gained one place to move to second on the latest ODI batter rankings and is just five rating points adrift of Babar after back-to-back half-centuries against England, while Rohit, sitting third, is within 13 rating points of the century in Cuttack.

The crown of NO.1 ODI Ranking for Batters :

Gill is now just five rating points behind Pakistan star Babar Azam (786 points), who retained his top spot. Although Rohit slipped to number three, he isn’t too far from Gill and Babar either with his 773 points.

🚨 SHUBHMAN GILL 🚨

- Shubhman Gill likely to become No 1 batter of Men's Odi Rankings pic.twitter.com/hbZIjet1HS

— Jonhs.🧢 (@CricLazyJonhs) February 10, 2025

ALSO SEE : Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: ODI Stats Examination Before the 2025 Champions Trophy

Furthermore, India skipper Rohit Sharma dropped down one spot into third with a rating of 773. It is worth noting that Rohit looked to be in exceptional form in the Cuttack clash, scoring an exceptional century. However, despite his knock, he dropped down one spot but is still within catching distance of Gill and Babar.

Interestingly, Shubman Gill is well on his way to taking the No. 1 crown from Babar Azam, considering that the star batter performed exceptionally well against England in the third ODI of the series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Former star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin weighed in on Shubhman Gill's recent appointment as India's vice-captain for the upcoming Champions Trophy starting in February. The veteran now-retired spinner calls the move a "forward-thinking" move from the BCCI. Ashwin further stresses that such an elevation in the ranks will further secure his spot in the team. 

See also: Ind vs Eng 1st T20I 2025: Team India's probable XI for 1st T20I

Ashwin shares his takeaways on his YouTube channel

Gill's role as Team India's vice-captain in the upcoming Champions Trophy also means that the youngster can be further groomed as a future leader across formats. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin appreciates the move from the BCCI and believes that the board is looking ahead. 

“Think about who else in the current squad could be considered for the vice-captain role. I’m not saying whether the decision to make Shubman Gill vice-captain is right or wrong, but it’s clear that the management is looking ahead. He was the vice-captain in the last series too, and I believe he has some vice-captaincy experience in Tests as well."

In addition, Ashwin also believes that Gill has prior vice-captaincy experience which could come in handy in his newly assumed role.

Axar Patel named the T20I vice-captain for India

While Gill has filled the vice-captain slot for India in the ODI format, Indian spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel has been awarded the same position in the T20I setup. Ashwin highlighted that this move is considered highly stable given Gill's established position in the team.

“Both Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul could play in the XI, but the management has opted for a player whose spot is secure. If Shubman Gill is groomed for leadership, he can lean on the guidance of senior players like Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah."

However, the Indian legend is not impressed by the overall Indian squad handpicked for the forthcoming Champions Trophy edition. He feels that there is a strong resemblance with the 2023 ODI World Cup squad which underperformed at the last hurdle. The lack of left-handers in the top seven and the absence of a reliable batting option at No. 8 have left the start spinner visibly concerned. 

CVC Capital Partners are planning to sell most of their stake in the Gujarat Titans IPL team, valued at around 1-1.5 billion US dollars.

According to The Economic Times, the Luxembourg-based private equity firm is in talks with the Adani Group and Torrent Group about selling a majority of its stake in the Titans.

CVC Capital to Sell Majority Stake in Gujarat Titans

However, CVC Capital Partners will still keep a minority interest after the sale. CVC Capital Partners bought the Gujarat Titans for Rs. 5625 Crores in 2021, a year before the team made its first appearance in the Indian Premier League.There was a four-year lock-in period on the ownership, which is ending soon.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India doesn’t allow franchises to sell their stake before the lock-in period ends.With the lock-in period expiring in February next year, CVC Capital Partners are planning to leave their ownership of the Titans, who won the title in their first attempt.

Both Adani Group and Torrent Group initially showed interest in the franchise, bidding Rs 5,100 crore and 4,653 crore, respectively.

Gujarat Titans: Performance Over the Years

The Gujarat Titans have been very successful in the IPL, reaching the finals twice and winning once in three years.After Hardik Pandya left the franchise for a lucrative 15 Cr deal with Mumbai Indians, GT named young batter Shubman Gill as his successor.However, Shubman Gill had a tough start to his leadership, with the Titans finishing eighth in the ten-team standings.

In a recent interview with The Daily Mail, legendary West Indies cricketer Brian Lara revealed two potential players who might break his famous 400-run record in Test cricket. Lara’s record, achieved in April 2004 against England, remains the highest individual score in Test cricket.

Reflecting on today’s cricket landscape, Lara highlighted the talents of two young Indian cricketers, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, as possible contenders to surpass his monumental achievement.

Brian Lara’s historic 400-run innings

Brian Lara’s unbeaten 400 off 582 balls against England at the Antigua Recreation Ground is a landmark in cricket history. Achieved during the fourth Test match in 2004, Lara’s innings surpassed Matthew Hayden’s previous record of 380 runs. This feat solidified Lara’s status as one of cricket’s greatest batter and set a benchmark that has yet to be eclipsed by any active cricketer.

See Also: Replacing Jadeja in T20Is? India star shares honest thoughts

Potential record breakers

Brian Lara named Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the players most capable of breaking his 400-run record. According to Lara, these two Indian batters possess the talent, aggression, and capability required to achieve such a monumental task if they find themselves in the right situation.

“How many aggressive players do you have playing today? Especially in the England team. Zak Crawley and Harry Brook. Maybe in the Indian team? Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill. If they find the right situation, the records could be broken – both of them,” Lara said to The Daily Mail.

Shubman Gill: A Rising Star

Shubman Gill has quickly become one of the brightest talents in international cricket. Making his Test debut for India in 2020, Gill has consistently showcased his ability to score runs under pressure. With a highest score of 128 and an average of 35.52 across 25 Test matches, Gill’s potential for big innings is evident.

Yashasvi Jaiswal: The Young Prodigy

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s journey from humble beginnings to the international cricket stage is nothing short of inspirational. At just 22 years old, Jaiswal has already scored two double centuries in his nine-Test career, with a top score of 214 not out. His average of 68.53 and his three hundreds indicate a player with the temperament and skill to challenge Lara’s record.

Comparing the styles of Gill and Jaiswal

Gill and Jaiswal have distinct batting styles that could help them in breaking Lara’s record. Gill’s elegant stroke play and ability to handle fast bowling make him a formidable top-order batters.

In contrast, Jaiswal’s aggressive approach and proficiency against spin bowling allow him to dominate in different conditions. Both players have shown that they can build big innings, an essential trait for breaking a long-standing record.