Despite the heavy backlash following the series loss, head coach Gautam Gambhir showed no signs of concern, shrugging off all the uproar at the pre-departure presser on Monday.
Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians have announced that they have retained their core players — Jasprit Bumrah, Surya Kumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, and Tilak Varma ahead of IPL 2025 season.
India skipper Rohit Sharma on Tuesday confirmed that pacer Mohammed Shami’s return to international cricket could be further delayed as a swelling on his knee “has put him back a little bit in his recovery.”
After inclement weather conditions allowed only 35 overs of play in hte first three days of the second Test against Bangladesh, India adopted a never-seen-before ultra-aggressive approach to snatch a seven-wicket victory in Kanpur, and eventually complete a 2-0 whitewash of their eastern neighbours.
After Pant, Gill centuries, Ashwin’s triple strikes dent Bangladesh to 158/4 in 515-run chase
The biggest positives from the series could be the emergence of young guns like Yashasvi Jaiswal, scoring in excess of 700 runs, Sarfaraz Khan bludgeoning his way to the side with half centuries, and Dhruv Jurel – the young Uttar Pradesh stumper, who was picked with an experience of just 15 first-class matches.
The unavailability of star players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Shami has in a way put the onus on the younger players to prove themselves on the big stage and in a way stake their claim in the side.
The day was special for English skipper Ben Stokes, who claimed the wicket of Rohit with his first delivery of the series, having not bowled competitively since the second Test of last year’s Ashes. A sharply seaming ball that hit Rohit’s off stump as he resumed his innings after the lunch break brought some relief to the English camp as it ended a sedate 171-run stand for the second wicket between Sharma and Gill.
There are chances of precipitation on the first two days of the match, and the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 10 degrees before rising over the weekend. Both teams have used different lenses of judging the pitch.
In the 2024 edition, Pandya’s first assignment will be against the Titans when Mumbai Indians open their campaign at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 24.
