The ODI rankings witnessed a major shake-up on the opening day of the ICC Champions Trophy with India’s Shubman Gill and Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana rising to the top of the batting and bowling charts, respectively in the latest update released on Wednesday.
Shubman Gill rose to No 2 in the ICC ODI rankings for batters and is now closing in on former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam’s top spot. Gill closed the gap with Babar after hitting back-to-back fifties in the first two ODIs against England.
Former India cricketer and coach Yograj Singh lauded the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for their approach towards picking the 15-member squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.
In 2023-24, the BCCI had stripped Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer of their annual contracts after the duo did not turn up for their respective state sides despite not being on national duty. While the move set a precedent for many, it may not be the same in the case of Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli — with both the veterans battling a prolonged lean patch in red-ball cricket.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said a player of Shubman Gill’s quality must feature in India’s playing eleven in Tests, adding that how he fits in for the Sydney Test against Australia is the team’s call.
CSK will play their second game of the season against last year's finalist, GT at their home arena, MA Chidambaram Stadium. The five-time champions had won their first game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by six wickets
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.
Ahead of the Vizag Test, there was a conversation around Gill that he could be sent to domestic cricket to work on his game with a week’s time between the second and the third Test, starting February 15 in Rajkot.
The 24-year-old's absence on the field is bit of a blow for India to lose their best slip catcher for rest of the innings. Gill grabbed four catches in England’s first innings.
"He is grinding it out at the Ranji Trophy and is always on the radar," said Shastri during the commentary.
