Former wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel has weighed in ahead of the crucial fifth and final Test between India and England, starting Thursday, July 31, at The Oval. With England currently leading the series 2-1, the contest carries massive stakes for both sides. Speaking on Star Sports, Parthiv predicted the outcome of the match and highlighted key players who could turn the game around in India’s favor.

The former cricketer identified either Washington Sundar or Ravindra Jadeja as India’s X-factor at The Oval, citing the favorable conditions for spinners. “I think either of Washington Sundar or Ravindra Jadeja will be the X-factor. There is that drift and bounce at The Oval; if a spinner does well, you can aim for a win,” he said. Both all-rounders scored centuries in the fourth Test and were instrumental in helping India secure a dramatic draw. He also spotlighted captain Shubman Gill, saying, “I think the player to watch out for is Shubman Gill because of the way he is performing, and especially in the fourth Test, how he applied himself.”

Parthiv also expressed his desire to see Jasprit Bumrah return for the final Test. There were initial plans for Bumrah to play only three of the five games, but with the series on the line, Parthiv hopes the ace pacer will be available. “Unfortunately, with Jasprit Bumrah’s body, we have to see how his recovery happens or does not happen. There are many questions. But if the situation is like this, I would definitely want him to play. Hopefully, the support staff works hard on him and makes him fit.”

Kuldeep Yadav and Dhruv Jurel in Focus

Parthiv further reflected on India’s bowling combination and made a strong case for including wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI. “I think the bowling can be better. I am also saying this from the second Test, given the conditions here, India has to somehow find that way of bringing Kuldeep Yadav in. Your batting is in form. If you have to win, you need 20 wickets,” he said. With uncertainty surrounding Bumrah’s fitness, he believes India needs an attacking spinner. “Washington and Jadeja can contain, but you need an attacking spinner. You have that wrist-spinner. They should think of Kuldeep in place of Shardul,” he added.

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With Rishabh Pant ruled out of the fifth Test due to a fractured toe, Parthiv also backed Dhruv Jurel to play. “You will find a batting-friendly pitch at The Oval. You can expect more bounce and can see more runs being scored. I don’t think India will look at KL as a keeper and do anything different there. I think Dhruv Jurel will get an opportunity. It remains to be seen which position he plays. But he will definitely play,” he said. England, on the other hand, will look to clinch the series 3-1, while India will aim to ride the momentum from the drawn Test in Manchester to level the series 2-2.

English cricketer Moeen Ali, who served for the IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Royal Challengers Bengaluru) for three seasons, recently revealed that the former RCB skipper Virat Kohli was almost removed from the captaincy role in the 2019 season.

Virat Kohli-led RCB played one IPL Final

Despite not winning any title, former Indian captain Virat Kohli was one of the most popular captains in the Indian Premier League. He is the only RCB captain to lead the team in 50+ matches, as he led the IPL franchise in 143 T20 matches between 2011 and 2023. Under his leadership, RCB played one IPL final in 2016, where they lost against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Although Kohli temporarily led RCB in three matches during IPL 2023, he originally led the franchise actively in the 2021 season. Before the IPL 2022, he stepped down from the leadership role citing workload management. However, the former RCB cricketer Moeen Ali, who played 19 IPL matches for RCB between 2018 and 2020, revealed that Kohli was almost dropped from the leadership role after choosing an alternative.   

See Also: Gill rates Manchester ton as his best, credits KL Rahul for sparking belief

Parthiv was in line to become captain: Moeen Ali

After finishing as the runners-up in the IPL 2016, Kohli-led RCB failed to reach the playoffs in the next three seasons (2017, 2018, and 2019), including finishing as the last placed team in the 2017 and 2019 editions. However, Kohli-led RCB has shown impressive improvement since the 2020 edition, where they reached the Eliminator. But Kohli's captaincy would be almost over earlier, as Parthiv Patel was in line for the next RCB captain.  

Moeen Ali told SportsTak, "Yes, I think he was. I'm quite sure he was. In the final year, when Gary Kirsten was there-after the first year, I believe-Parthiv was in line to become captain. He had a brilliant cricketing brain. That was the talk at the time. I don't know what happened or why it didn't materialise, but I'm sure he was seriously considered for the role."

Former Indian wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel played 32 T20 matches for RCB, including serving the team for two consecutive seasons in the IPL 2018 and 2019. This name may be shocking for some people, but he was one of the popular captains in Indian domestic cricket. Under his leadership, Gujarat won its first Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. 

Since Joe Root surpassed Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, and Rahul Dravid in the ladder of the most Test runs of all-time to be in the back seat of Sachin Tendulkar, the talk of the town is only on the prediction of when and how he could break the record. But will they decide to pull him off the race and decide not to chase the record?

The discussion happened on the Star Sports studio as they reflected on the recent incident of Wiaan Mulder denying the chance to break Brian Lara’s 400-run record against Zimbabwe at the Queens Park Oval in Bulawayo. Will Joe take the same route and make the decision? The former Indian wicket-keeper, Parthiv Patel, certainly doesn’t think so.

See Also: [WATCH] Joe Root reflects on Sachin Tendulkar's greatness during ENG vs IND 4th Test in Manchester

‘Not, he should not do it at all!! I mean, you are scoring runs, and the record belongs to you. I wasn’t convinced by what Mulder did. When Matthew Hayden broke the record for the first time, it was also against Zimbabwe in Perth. He didn’t deny that. So when you are in a situation like that, then why not? And Joe Root is quite near.’ Parthiv Patel expressed on Star Sports.

Watch: Parthiv Patel reflects on whether Joe Root will choose not to chase Sachin Tendulkar’s Test record

Patel made a valid point that Root stands at a position of being possibly the only person to break the record. With the amount of Tests played around the globe and the loss of attention to the oldest format of the game, it’s unlikely for anyone to get to the mark.

Should #JoeRoot pull a #WiaanMulder move and choose not to chase down #SachinTendulkar’s iconic record for most runs in Tests? 👀

🗣 #ParthivPatel shares his thoughts! #ENGvIND 👉 4th TEST, DAY 4 | LIVE NOW on JioHotstar 👉 https://t.co/xkvCs073fI pic.twitter.com/TNWaUUgZRl

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 26, 2025

‘A few years ago, people used to say that the record is there; you know, records are made to be broken. But realistically, if there is anyone who can break the record, then it’s Joe Root. If he can’t break it, then I don’t think anyone can. You know, you don’t play that amount of Test matches. So, if someone can break the record of 15921 runs, then it’s not Root.’ Patel addressed.

Currently, Root has 13409 runs in 286 innings at an average of 51.17 and a strike rate of 57.40, having scored 38 centuries and 66 half-centuries at the best score of 262. He is around 2500 runs behind Tendulkar’s 15921 runs in 329 innings.

Cricket has produced so much exciting talent since the first ball was played. The game mainly depends on skills and techniques. But height can play a significant role as well, especially for the bowlers. Tall guys like Marco Jansen, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Ishant Sharma, Chris Gayle, and Jacob Oram are a few of the tallest guys in recent memory. Contradictorily, there are multiple active and former individuals whose heights are not on the taller side. In this article, we’ll discover 10 cricketers with the shortest heights ever to play cricket.

10. Sachin Tendulkar

Let’s start the list with Sachin Tendulkar. After legendary Sunil Gavaskar, Tendulkar gained the nickname ‘Little Master,’ which refers to his brilliance along with his height. Tendulkar is 5’41, ruled international cricket for almost 25 years, and is one of the greatest to ever cross the boundary line, recording 100 international centuries (51 Test 100s, 49 ODI 100s) and 164 half centuries (68 ODI 50s, 96 ODI 50s). He faced legendary bowlers like Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, and James Anderson in their prime days.  

9. Kedar Jadhav

The Indian all-rounder also stands at 5’41. He made his debut for team India in 2014 and played 73 one-day international and 9 T20 international matches. Before retiring from cricket, he made 1389 ODI runs in 73 matches with an average of 42.09, including a couple of 100s and six 50s, and 122 T20I runs with a 20.33 batting average, including a half-century.

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8. Tatenda Taibu

The former Zimbabwe international is standing at 5’41. The wicketkeeper-batter became the youngest captain when he was only 20; the Zimbabwe cricket board announced his name as the skipper. At 19, he was named as the vice-captain of the senior team for the tour of England in 2003. For his nation, Taibu played 28 Test matches, 150 ODIs, and 16 T20s. He even played in the Indian Premier League for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

7. Temba Bavuma

One of the shortest cricketers in modern-day cricket with 5’4”. Bavuma is the captain of South Africa in Test and ODI format. His name is scripted in the history book of South Africa as their first African Black batsman to pick in the Test squad. Under his leadership, SA was very close to lifting the World Cup, but in the end they did not succeed. The batter is a pillar in the top order, known for his classic batting style and shot selections.   So far, he has played 62 Test matches, 48 ODIs, and 36 T20Is for SA.

6. Gundappa Vishwanath

One of the most iconic figures in Indian cricket. His aggressive batting style back in the 70s is still a talking point among a part of cricket lovers. The batter stood 5’3”, played for India for almost 14 years, and scored 6,000 runs with an average of almost 40 by playing 90 Test matches.  

5. Mominul Haque

The left-handed Bangladeshi batter, standing at 5’3”, is one of the best Test batsmen the team ever had. The prolific batter also showed his captaincy skills when Bangladesh had to play against New Zealand without their then regular captain, Shakib Al Hasan to an ICC ban. Mominul led his nation to a historic test win. Scoring back-to-back 11 fifties is another golden chapter in his cricket career.

4. Parthiv Patel

Standing at 5’25”, Parthiv Patel was the youngest cricketer to debut for team India at the age of 17 in 2002. Despite his short height, Patel lacked no keeping and batting abilities. He made a significant impact on Indian cricket. He became the youngest wicketkeeper in Test after making his debut in the format at Trent Bridge. Patel played 25 Tests, 38 ODIs, and a couple of T20Is.

3. Mushfiqur Rahim

One of the shortest cricketers of all time, the Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter’s height is 5’25, one of the best cricketers in the country. The cricketer has amassed over 13 thousand runs across Tests and ODIs. Rahim’s unbeaten 219 is his career-best innings so far. Rahim is a pivotal player for Bangladesh cricket in all three formats.

2. Walter Cornford

As per records, Walter Corford is the second shortest cricketer to ever play an official cricket match. After a mind-boggling domestic career, he was selected for the England national team and played a significant role during England’s tour to New Zealand in 1930. In the series, Cornford, involved in 5 catches and 3 stumpings, stood at 5’.

1.  Kruger van Wyk

South Africa-born Kruger van Wyk was the shortest ever cricketer, according to the record book. The wicketkeeper-batter with a 4’9” height had an impressive domestic career but was never called up for national duties for a long duration. Later, he represented New Zealand after playing for Northern (later known as Titans). Under his leadership Wizards won their first-ever Test Championship title. The former cricketer had played 9 Tests for New Zealand.  

On Tuesday afternoon, a terrible terror attack took place in Pahalgam, a popular tourist spot in South Kashmir. Armed terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in the Baisaran valley, also known as "mini Switzerland" because of its green meadows and scenic beauty. The attack killed several people and injured at least 20 others. 

According to reports, the shooting started around 3 PM when the attackers came down from the nearby mountains and began firing. A video from the area shows people lying injured on the ground, while others were crying and searching for family members. Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the number of people killed is still being confirmed. He also said that this attack is one of the worst in recent years against civilians.

Leaders Across India Strongly Condemn the Attack

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he was deeply saddened by the attack. He posted on X, saying, "Those involved in this act will not be spared." He also said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held a meeting with top security officials. Shah is expected to travel to Srinagar to review the situation closely. A meeting was also held at his home in Delhi, attended by senior officials, including the heads of the Intelligence Bureau, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police.

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Many political leaders strongly condemned the attack. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called it an “act of cowardice” and said his prayers are with the victims. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the government must take responsibility and take strong steps to stop such violence in the future. Sajad Lone, leader of J&K People's Conference, said the terrorists are enemies of Kashmir’s future. “They don’t want tourists to come here. They want to destroy our peace and economy,” he said. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the violence and said such acts must be rejected by all.

Indian Cricket Community Stands United Against Terrorism

This tragic attack has hurt not just the families of the victims but also the people of Kashmir, who depend on tourism for their income. Just when Kashmir was beginning to see more visitors, this attack has brought fear and pain again. The country now waits for strong action and justice for those who lost their lives in this cruel act of terror.

Indian cricketers also expressed their sorrow. Shubman Gill posted, “Heartbreaking to hear about the attack in Pahalgam. My prayers are with the victims and their families.” Gautam Gambhir wrote, “Those responsible will pay. India will strike. #Pahalgam.”

Heartbreaking to hear about the attack in Pahalgam. My prayers are with the victims and their families. Violence like this has no place in our country.

— Shubman Gill (@ShubmanGill) April 22, 2025

Targeting innocent tourists is an act of absolute cowardice. Heart goes out to all the victims and their families. Just when it should’ve been the start of a beautiful summer in paradise. Hope the perpetrators are dealt with in the severest manner .. #PahalgamAttack

— Jatin Sapru (@jatinsapru) April 22, 2025

Shocked and angry to hear what happened in Kashmir today. While those responsible will be punished, and I’m sure they will, right now there’s a numb disbelief at the terrible acts and the manner in which it all happened. Praying for the souls of those who lost their lives in…

— parthiv patel (@parthiv9) April 22, 2025

Unimaginable atrocity in Pahalgam.
Heart goes out to the victims and their families. 🕉️ शान्ति।
Hope the perpetrators (and their sympathisers) are identified, caught and given the punishment they deserve.

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) April 22, 2025

Gujarat Titans have named a new assistant coach, who was the youngest Test wicketkeeper. He will also serve as a batting coach for the team. 

IPL 2022 champions Gujarat Titans are sorting out the coaching team before the IPL 2025 mega auction, which has been scheduled on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Parthiv Patel joins the Gujarat Titans coaching team

While the former Indian left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra will continue his head coach role for the team, his former national team teammate now joins Titans. Parthiv Patel has joined Gujarat Titans as an assistant coach and batting coach.

Previously, Parthiv served as a scout for the IPL team Mumbai Indians. Also, he worked for the International League T20 team Mumbai Emirates as a batting coach.

Parthiv played 25 Tests, 38 ODIs, and two T20Is. Making his Test debut at the age of 17 years and 152 days, he became the youngest Test debutant wicketkeeper as well as the youngest debutant wicketkeeper in international cricket among the ICC Full-Members. 

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Parthiv had a memorable career in the IPL and domestic cricket

The wicketkeeper-batter played 139 IPL matches while representing Chennai Super Kings, now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala, now-defunct Deccan Chargers, SunRisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (previously known as Royal Challengers Bangalore), and Mumbai Indians. The left-handed batter scored 2848 runs in his IPL career with an average of 22.60 and a strike rate of 120.78. He hit 13 half-centuries in his IPL career, including his highest score of 81 runs. 

Parthiv was part of the three IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings in 2010 and Mumbai Indians in 2015 and 2017. 

Parthiv was successful in domestic cricket. Serving for Gujarat, he became the first captain to have won all three major titles in Indian domestic cricket. Under his leadership, Gujarat won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2012/13, Vijay Hazare Trophy 2015/16, and Ranji Trophy 2016/17.

The former Indian wicketkeeper batter Parthiv Patel is set to join the Gujarat Titans as their batting mentor for their upcoming IPL 2025 season.

According to a report by Times of India (TOI),"Sources reveal that Parthiv Patel will join the support staff led by Indian Head Coach Ashish Nehra".

Parthiv Patel will take the role from South Africa International and ODI World Cup Winning Coach, Gary Kirsten as he left the Titans to take the white-ball head Coach duties of the Pakistan Team. Parthiv represented Gujarat during his Domestic career and led them to win their maiden Ranji Trophy title against Mumbai in the 2016-17 season.

See Also:- Hero of 2022 Pakistan tour recalled by England for third Test

The 39-year-old represented the National Team in all three formats and he is also the youngest wicketkeeper to represent the country when he made his debut in 2002.

Parthiv Patel and his IPL Career

Wicketkeeper batter has represented various teams in the IPL. He played for Chennai Super Kings from 2008 to 2010. Then he represented the currently defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala. He then made the switch to the Deccan Chargers in 2012, followed by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2012. He played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2014 and then joined Mumbai Indians from 2015 to 2017. His final stint in IPL was with Royal Challengers Bengaluru again from 2018 to 2020.

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In December 2020, he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket and joined the Mumbai Indians in a scouting role. He is also a commentator in IPL along with international matches as well.

Gujarat Titans will look to make a strong comeback after a disappointing 2024 season as they failed to make it to playoffs for the first time since their debut season. They finished at eighth position in points table last season.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has been one of the best players for the Indian team for many years. However, not only as a player but as a captain he made a huge impact on the side which also included being supportive towards youngsters in the team – be it India or in IPL.

However, apart from Team India, he was the captain of Mumbai Indians and led the team to five IPL titles as well. Moreover, under his captaincy, Mumbai Indians made many youngsters’ future including Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. Recalling one such incident about Rohit Sharma backing the youngsters in the side, former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel shared how Rohit saved Bumrah from being released by Mumbai Indians.

“Rohit is always with the players” – Parthiv Patel

“Rohit is always with the players, and the biggest examples of it are Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. Bumrah joined MI in 2014, but when he played his first season in 2015, it didn’t turn out that well. MI had decided to drop Bumrah midway through the season, but Rohit felt this was one solid player and that they should keep him. And you saw how from 2016, Bumrah’s performance reached the next level,” Parthiv Patel told JioCinema.

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“Same with Hardik Pandya. When he joined in 2015, he became quite the rage but in 2016 he had a bad season. The thing is when you’re an uncapped player, franchises release you quickly and then assess how a player is performing in Ranji Trophy or other domestic matches before maybe taking them back. But Rohit did not let it happen. That’s why these guys went on to become the players that they did,” Parthiv Patel again stated.

However, Parthiv Patel was once a player in the RCB squad before becoming an expert in the game. He once shared about Bumrah to Virat Kohli who also revealed that he had once informed Kohli about the then-unknown bowler Jasprit Bumrah. As per the veteran, Kohli had responded in a rather ignorant manner as well.

Parthiv Patel opines on how Kohli ignored Bumrah

“In 2014, when I was at RCB, I told Kohli there’s this bowler named Bumrah. Have
a look at him. Virat replied saying ‘Chhor na yaar. Ye Bumrah-Vumrah kya karenge?’ (Leave it. What will such players do?)” Parthiv had said to Cricbuzz.

“When he was first picked, Bumrah played Ranji Trophy for the first 2-3 years. 2013 was his first year, and he didn’t have a good season in 2014. In 2015, it was so bad that there were discussion going on that he might have to be sent back home midseason. But, he slowly began improving and Mumbai Indians really backed him. It was his own hard work and such backing that really brought out the best in him,” Parthiv Patel concluded.