Sports
Ind-Eng Test Series: Gambhir Expected to Rejoin Team India in Leeds on Tuesday
India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, who recently returned home due to a family emergency, is expected to rejoin the squad in Leeds on Tuesday, just days before the first Test against England, which kicks off on Friday.
The former opener returned to Delhi on June 11 after his mother experienced a cardiac arrest and was admitted to the hospital. He missed a three-day intra-squad match in Beckenham but has learned that his mother is showing steady improvement. However, doctors have opted to keep her in the ICU for continued monitoring.
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During Gambhir’s absence, the team’s preparations were managed by assistant coaches Ryan ten Doeschate and Sitanshu Kotak, along with bowling coach Morne Morkel and India A coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar. The match in Beckenham was conducted behind closed doors.
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Following the game on Sunday, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav emphasized the importance of overs for the bowlers, who have primarily played T20 cricket in recent months due to the IPL. “Volume is crucial,” Kuldeep noted to bcci.tv. “All bowlers are encouraged to bowl as many overs in practice as they would in a match: fast bowlers should aim for at least 15 to 20 overs, and spinners should bowl as much as possible.”
Kuldeep also expressed support for new Test skipper Shubman Gill, stating, “I’ve observed that Shubman possesses the same qualities as our previous leaders. He’s ready to lead us.”
Upon his return, Gambhir will be tasked with making team decisions alongside Gill and other management regarding the lineup for the opening Test. With the recent retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, there are key batting positions up for grabs, with contenders like Karun Nair and B Sai Sudharsan emerging as front-runners.
Nair, who scored a double-century for India A in the first unofficial Test against the England Lions, will be looking to make a comeback after an eight-year wait. Other batsmen like Dhruv Jurel and Abhimanyu Easwaran have also performed well recently.
KL Rahul, who excelled with a century in the second unofficial Test against the England Lions, is likely to open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Captain Gill may adjust his batting position to accommodate Sudharsan at No. 3 and drop himself to No. 4. Nair, traditionally a top-order player, will need to adapt to the No. 6 spot, while vice-captain Rishabh Pant will bat at his regular No. 5.
Seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy could take the No. 7 position, although India might consider Shardul Thakur for this role based on his past performances in English conditions. Ravindra Jadeja will further strengthen the batting lineup at No. 8.
In terms of the bowling unit, it’s been established that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will participate in only three of the five Tests to manage his workload, though it remains unclear which matches he will play. While Bumrah is expected to feature in the first Test, the overall bowling composition will be interesting to watch.
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history in the Women’s Premier League by scoring the highest number of runs in the first over of a match. RCB scored a massive 23 runs in the opening over, setting a new WPL record.
This historic moment took place during the match against Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Gujarat Giants bowler Renuka Singh Thakur conceded 23 runs in the first over, making it the most expensive opening over in WPL history.
Renuka began the over with a wide delivery. The ball went past the wicketkeeper and crossed the boundary, resulting in five runs. RCB batter Grace Harris then took charge of the over. She smashed four consecutive boundaries, putting the Gujarat Giants under pressure.
During the over, Renuka Singh bowled two more wides, adding extra runs to the total. On the final delivery of the over, Grace Harris struck another boundary. This completed a dramatic and record-breaking first over for RCB.
With this, Renuka Singh Thakur recorded the most expensive first over ever bowled in the Women’s Premier League. The previous record was held by Tanuja Kanwar. She had conceded 21 runs in the first over while playing for Gujarat Giants against Mumbai Indians in the 2023 season.
In the same match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru batted first and put up a strong total. RCB scored 182 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. The team showed aggressive batting throughout the innings.
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Gujarat Giants chased the target but failed to keep up with the required run rate. They were bowled out for 150 runs in 18.5 overs. As a result, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the match by 32 runs.
This victory strengthened RCB’s position in the tournament and added a historic achievement to the Women’s Premier League records.
On the first day of the second Test between India and South Africa at Barsapara Stadium, South Africa made a strong start, reaching 247 for 6 at stumps.The venue, Barsapara Cricket Stadium, hosted its very first Test match in history — making the day special for Guwahati and cricket in Assam.
South African skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to bat first.Their openers, Aiden Markram (38) and Ryan Rickelton (35), gave a solid start with a partnership of 82 runs.Later, Tristan Stubbs added 49 before getting out, while Bavuma made 41.
India fought back well thanks to a strong performance by spinner Kuldeep Yadav. He picked up 3 wickets and gave away only 48 runs in 17 overs.Ravindra Jadeja also chipped in with an important wicket, dismissing Bavuma. In the final over before stumps, Mohammed Siraj struck, getting Tony de Zorzi out.At the end of play, Senuran Muthusamy was unbeaten on 25, and Kyle Verreynne was 1 not out.
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The light became a concern late in the day. As visibility dropped, play was stopped, and light issues forced the umpires to call it a day early.Overall, India ended Day 1 with a degree of satisfaction. The bowling attack showed discipline, especially through their spinners, and they managed to check the South African momentum.
India A began their Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 campaign with a huge total against the UAE in Doha. Captain Jitesh Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first. Vaibhav Suryavanshi then produced a stunning innings. He scored 144 runs from just 42 balls. His knock included 11 fours and 15 sixes.
Suryavanshi reached his fifty in 17 balls. He completed his century in only 32 balls. He added 163 runs for the second wicket with Naman Dhir, who made 34. Jitesh Sharma also played a quick innings and scored a fast fifty.
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India A finished at 297 for 4 in 20 overs. The team now holds a strong position in the match.
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