Srikkanth Calls Shubman Gill Overrated

On his YouTube channel, Kris Srikkanth, a major name from India's 1986 World Cup win and famous for not holding back, got very upset with Shubman Gill. Mr. Srikkanth was basically saying, I have been telling people Shubman Gill is overrated for years but it's clear nobody cared. The man is significantly overrated.

Srikkanth questioned Gill's repeated inclusion in the playing XI and pointed out the lack of opportunities for other players like Suryakumar Yadav. Addressing the Ajit Agarkar led selection committee, he remarked, "When Gill is being given so many chances, one might wonder if someone like Suryakumar Yadav could have also been given a longer run in Tests."

Srikkanth mentioned that Suryakumar has the skills and technique, even though he didn't begin well in tests. But, he also said that the selectors and management see him mainly as a white-ball player, so they should look for new talent now.

ALSO READ: Yashasvi Jaiswal Considered as First Choice Opener for England Series

In addition to Suryakumar, Srikkanth recommended two other Indian batters for selection in the Test team. "Ruturaj Gaikwad, for instance, has been performing exceptionally well in first-class cricket, but he's been overlooked. Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan has been impressing in 'A' tours. It's important to promote such emerging talents, but instead, they keep picking Gill, running in circles," he added.

Rohit Sharma, the Captain, wasn't there for the Perth match, and Gill also missed the first Test because he was hurt--but India still won it. Gill wasn't part of the fourth Test because he wasn't doing a good job--but he did come back for the last trade. After coming back, India started to have a tougher time. Then everything became very exciting when Ravichandran Ashwin decided to retire right after the third Test, and everyone was discussing it.Despite coming back, Rohit decided to skip the fifth Test.

Cheeka talking about Shubman Gill.

- He is playing very poorly
- no one is talking about Gill, people talking about KL Rahul and virat form why not Gill
- If Gill plays in England 1 or 2 balls or 1 over He will get out pic.twitter.com/7kvj0J9OP0

— Prakash (@definitelynot05) January 4, 2025

Shubman Gill, who had been part of the Indian squad for the early matches, was sidelined for the first Test of the series due to an injury, which India won. At the same time, Rohit Sharma missed the Perth fixture, leaving avoid in the leadership and batting lineup. The team's fortunes took a downturn in the subsequent matches, with their performance faltering despite high expectations.

Ravichandran Ashwin, a key figure in India's bowling attack, announced his immediate retirement after the third Test under controversial circumstances, sparking debate within the cricket community. His exit added to the already tense atmosphere surrounding the team.

Gill, struggling with form throughout the series, was dropped for the fourth Test. He was given another opportunity to prove himself in the final Test, making his return to the playing XI. However, Rohit Sharma decided to sit out the fifth Test, raising questions about his fitness and readiness. His absence in the final match further complicated India's efforts to secure a victory in the series. Despite returning, Gill's performance remained under scrutiny, adding to the ongoing discussions about his place in the team.

Shubman Gill Career Stats Batting & Fielding

Indian ODI and T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is in the controversy along with three more teammates of the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Gujarat Titans, as they have been reportedly summoned by the Gujarat Crime Investigation Department (CID) in connection with a financial scheme. 

BZ Group, a Gujarat-based company, has scammed almost INR 450 crore in a Ponzi scheme. Several investors have filed complaints against the company for not paying the interest, while the company had promised to pay higher returns. 

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Shubman Gill reportedly invested along with three other Gujarat Titans players

According to a recent report by Ahmedabad Mirror, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill and his franchise teammates Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, and Mohit Sharma also invested in the controversial Ponzi scheme. Mohit and Sudharsan have also played for the Indian national cricket team, while Tewatia has earned the national team call-up but hasn’t earned the national team cap yet. All these players have been summoned by the Gujarat CID, as they will be questioned regarding the financial scheme. 

According to the news report, Indian white-ball vice-captain and Gujarat Titans’ skipper Shubman Gill invested INR 1.95 crore, while his other Titans teammates invested smaller amounts. 

Last month, Bhupendra Singh Jhala, the BZ Group operator, was arrested by the CID. During the investigation, Jhala reportedly admitted the investments of the Gujarat Titans players and did not return those investments yet. 

Shubman Gill is busy in the BGT 2024-25

Shubman Gill is currently busy in Australia to play in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Although he missed out on the fourth Test of the five-match Test series, he can return in the fifth-match Test squad in Sydney, starting on January 3, 2025. The Gujarat CID will question him regarding the financial scheme at a later date. 

While the skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah are likely to get rest for the upcoming home ODI series against England, Gill is likely to lead the Indian team. Before this three-match ODI series, India will also play a five-match home T20I series against England.

The Indian all-format specialist opener Shubman Gill suffered a finger injury during an intra-squad match which made him unavailable for the first Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 Test in Perth. With over a week to go for the second Test, the swashbuckling opener still remains doubtful and is unlikely to recover before the upcoming pink-ball Test in Adelaide. 

The 25-year-old will be rested during a two-day practice match against the Prime Minister’s XI at Canberra, starting on November 30. 

Way forward for Shubman Gill

A close aide of Shubman Gill revealed to TOI that even if the opener gets fit, he will need to partake in a practice match before featuring in the BGT test series. 

Gill has been advised by the medical team to rest for a period of at least two weeks while he continues to be in close supervision of the medical staff. 

“Gill was told to take a 10-14 day rest by a medical specialist after his finger injury. He will not be a part of the Playing XI in the practice and is doubtful for the second Test of the series. We will have to wait and see the speed of his recovery. Even if Gill is declared fit, he will need practice before playing a contest.”

See also: Pakistan's Champions Trophy dream gets a massive hit

Will Gill play any role at all in the ongoing BGT series?

Former Mumbai and India selector Jatin Paranjape fears that the 25-year-old could miss a major chunk of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy Test series. 

Paranjape explained that players need somewhere between two to four weeks to recover from finger injuries which effectively means that Gill could miss at least two or three red-ball matches in the series. 

“You need two to four weeks to recover from finger injuries. Gill could miss two to three red-ball matches.”

Meanwhile, India will be boosted by the arrival of the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma who will be back after a refreshing paternity leave. In his absence, Bumrah scripted a win for the ages as India crushed the hosts ruthlessly in the Perth Test by 295 runs to take an early 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series. 

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has departed for India and will not be present with the Indian team when it takes on Prime Minister's XI in Canberra in a two-day tour game on November 30. Gambhir is expected to be away due to personal reasons. 

However, more recently, a BCCI spokesperson revealed that the 43-year-old is expected to be back well in time before the start of the second Test in Adelaide which will be a D/N Test match. The Canberra tour game will be played during the day but with a pink ball in a bid to acclimatize to conditions presented in a day/night Test. 

Who will take charge in Gambhir's absence? 

While Gambhir is away for personal reasons, assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate, and Morne Morkel will collectively be in charge of the Indian squad. 

India managed to make a stunning comeback after a humiliating series whitewash at home by thumping Australia by a mammoth 295 runs in the Pert Test. The mood in the camp is certainly positive after that win and with the inclusion of Rohit Sharma, India's lineup is only going to be strengthened a lot further. 

What will happen to the team composition if Gill becomes fit?

Gill was excluded from the first Test due to a fractured thumb. With a little under 10 days to go for the second Test, Gill still has ample time to recover from his injury. 

Should he become fit for the Adelaide Test, India will then have to free up two spaces in the batting lineup in order to accommodate him. There is no major update on Gill's fitness at the moment but the 25-year-old is highly unlikely to feature in the upcoming two-day tour game in Canberra. 

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While the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 is less than a week away to begin, the Indian camp is not in a comfortable position due to the top-order batting confusion. Just two days before the beginning of the Perth Test, Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel has brought an important update regarding injured Shubman Gill. 

Indian captain Rohit Sharma is on parental leave and will miss the first Test of the five-match Test series in Australia. Perth Stadium will host the first Test of the series, starting on November 22. The situation became tougher for the visitors when Shubman Gill got an injury on his left thumb while fielding at the slip during the intra-squad match and didn’t return to the field on the second day of the practice match. 

The 25-year-old Gill scored 28 runs in the simulation match before Navdeep Saini dismissed him. He batted in that game for the second time and scored 42 not out. As most of the Indian batting order is mostly inexperienced, Gill has to play an important role, especially in the absence of the skipper Rohit Sharma. 

SEE ALSO: Former Indian legend rallies behind Bumrah ahead of first BGT Test

Fingers crossed: Morne Morkel

As Gill has a thumb injury, the reports suggested Gill’s absence in the five-match Test series opener and uncertainty for the second Test of the series, which has been scheduled at Adelaide Oval starting on December 6. However, the Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel is still hopeful about Gill’s participation in the upcoming Perth Test. 

Morkel claimed, “Shubman is improving on a day-by-day basis. We will take a call on the morning of the Test. He played well in the match simulation during the build-up, so fingers crossed.”

Shubman Gill: Key man during the 2020/21 Australia tour

Shubman Gill has scored 1800 runs in 29 Tests (54 innings) with an average of 36.73. The right-handed batter has hit five centuries and seven half-centuries in his Test career. 

Gill toured with the Indian team during the previous Australia tour in the 2020-21 season. He was the fourth most runs-scorer for India and the sixth most runs-scorer in the four-match Test series in that Australia tour. The right-handed batter scored 259 runs in six innings (three Tests) with an average of 51.80, including two half-centuries. He scored 30+ runs in five out of six innings, including the unforgettable 91 runs during the historic successful fourth innings chase in the Gabba Test. 

Team India Skipper Rohit Sharma will miss the First Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which starts on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Rohit Sharma stayed back in India for the birth of his second child and will join the India Squad ahead of the Second Test in Adelaide a day-night match starting on December 4.

Rohit had communicated with BCCI and National Selectors in advance that he might miss the Perth Test. He had left the possibility of last-minute travel open, depending on the timing of the child's birth. Rohit and his wife welcomed their second child on Friday, a week before the first Test, raising the chance that he might travel to Perth. However, Rohit has communicated to BCCI that he will be available to play the two-day pink-ball warm-up game against the Australian Prime Minister's XI before the day-night Test in Adelaide.

See Also:- India vs India A match simulation update

Vice Captain Jasprit Bumrah will lead the side in the absence of Rohit Sharma. Bumrah has led India in one Test previously, the fifth Test of their two-part 2021-22 tour of England at Edgbaston, when Rohit had tested positive for Covid-19. India lost that Test match by 7 wickets and the 5-match Series was tied at 2-2 with the first test being drawn at Nottingham.

India will begin their Test series with two key members missing from their top order, with Shubman Gill also set to miss the Perth Test due to a fractured thumb. KL Rahul and the uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran were the top contenders to open with Yashasvi Jaiswal in Rohit's absence, but now there’s a possibility that both might play.

In the latest ICC Test batting ranking announcement, former Indian captain Virat Kohli slipped to the lowest points in the last 10 years. 

While the 36-year-old Virat Kohli is playing the senior batter role of the Test team, he recently disappointed in the three-match home Test series against New Zealand. While India suffered a shocking 3-0 defeat in the home Test series, the right-handed batter scored only 93 runs in six innings. 

After scoring a duck in the Test series opener at Bengaluru, Kohli scored fighting 70 runs in their second innings of the Bengaluru Test. However, his next four innings scores were 1, 17, 4, and 1 run, respectively. 

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Virat Kohli is now in the 22nd ICC Test batting rankings

Kohli’s poor batting performances forced him to go down eight spots in the ICC Test batting rankings as he is standing in 22nd place. It is his worst ICC Test batting rankings in almost the last 10 years. Last time, Kohli was outside the top 20 ICC Test batting rankings in December 2014. Meanwhile, the Indian captain Rohit Sharma also slipped to 26th position. 

While Indian batters Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill strongly performed in the recently concluded home Test series against New Zealand, they are in strong positions in the ICC Test batting rankings. 

Pant, Gill, and Jaiswal are shining in the Test batting rankings

Rishabh Pant finished the Test series as the leading run-scorer with 261 runs, including three half-centuries. By climbing to the five spots, the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter’s latest Test batting ranking is no. 6. 

Despite scoring 190 runs, the opener Jaiswal slipped one place to shining at the fourth place. While Shubman Gill scored 144 runs, he improved his rating to four places by standing in the 16th position. 

Sarfaraz Khan, who shined in the Bengaluru Test with a 150-run knock, scored only 21 runs in the next four innings. By falling to 11 places, he is standing in the joint 77th place.

English star Joe Root and New Zealand star Kane Williamson are in the first and second positions, respectively, in the latest ICC Test batting rankings. The new English star Harry Brook is in third place in the Test batting rankings. 

India’s Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill took the spotlight on Day 2 of the third Test, putting up a solid partnership that lifted India to 185/5 in the 39.4th over. With both young batters reaching their fifties, the morning session saw India countering New Zealand’s early edge and stabilizing their innings with aggressive play.

Pant and Gill dominate New Zealand bowlers in morning session

Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill brought an impressive start for India on Day 2, with both batters reaching their fifties to shift the momentum in India's favor. Shubman Gill played with determination, benefitting from a dropped catch on 45, and reached his fifty with precise strokes and well-timed boundaries. Pant, meanwhile, played a chanceless innings, reaching 60 runs off just 59 balls, showcasing his trademark aggressive style. The pair added 100-plus runs together, punishing the New Zealand bowlers and pushing the Indian score to 185/5 in the 39.4th over.

Gill’s solid 68 off 98 balls included several exquisite cover drives and disciplined shot selection, reflecting his composure at the crease. His partnership with Pant proved to be a much-needed lift for India after New Zealand’s early breakthroughs on Day 1. Pant, with his fearless batting, took on the bowlers from the outset, racing to 55 with boundaries and singles that kept the scoreboard ticking.

𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐢 🔥#INDvNZ #IDFCFirstBankTestTrophy #JioCinemaSports #RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/Rf9qhP76PF

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) November 2, 2024

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India fight back against New Zealand’s early advantage

New Zealand’s bowlers initially found success on Day 1, putting India under pressure by claiming four early wickets. However, Pant and Gill's partnership on Day 2 shifted the tide, with the young duo anchoring the innings and taking India to a stronger position by the morning's end. The quick runs from Pant gave India a boost in run rate, and Gill’s solid technique kept the bowlers at bay, helping India build towards a competitive total.

The New Zealand bowlers, who seemed poised for a quick finish in the early stages, struggled to contain the aggressive pair as they adjusted their lengths but found little success. As the day progresses, India will look to Pant and Gill to continue their form and lead a counterattack that could potentially set the stage for a challenging total.

Star India batter Shubman Gill returned to India's playing XI in the second Test against New Zealand as the visitors won the toss and opted to bat in Pune on Thursday. Team India made three big changes after facing an eight-wicket defeat in the first Test in Bengaluru last week. However, Gill missed the first Test match in Bengaluru due to a stiff neck but Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed before the second Test that Gill has recovered completely.

Shubman Gill replaced KL Rahul

However, Shubman Gill replaced out-of-form batter KL Rahul, while India also dropped the speedster, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav, respectively. Akash Deep and Washington Sundar replaced Kuldeep and Siraj in the playing XI for the match as well.

Meanwhile, New Zealand made one change to their playing XI as they added left-arm spinner Mitchell Santer in place of injured pacer Matt Henry as well. India captain Rohit Sharma also admitted that he would've loved to bat first in Pune.

"I would have batted as well . Whatever the pitch is we have to play good cricket. Lot of positives. No matter what the situation of the game is, you always try and come back into the game. That is what we did. At the end, not a lot of runs on the board. A little drier [the pitch]. We do understand how important the first 10-15 overs. We have made three changes," Rohit Sharma said at the toss.

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Matt Henry misses out with a glute niggle

"We're going to have a bat. Surface slightly different to what it was last week. Not a lot of grass. Might produce a bit of spin as we expect when we come to these parts of the world. Obviously a really proud moment for this group. We celebrated that but our focus has quickly turned to Pune here. It's just about adapting to this surface. Trying to take the confidence we built up from last week. Matt Henry misses out with a glute niggle. Santner comes in," the New Zealand captain, Tom Latham said.

India XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand XI: Tom Latham (C), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, William O'Rourke