The former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, has lauded the young Indian star batter and the captain of the longest format, Shubman Gill, for his incredible run of batting during the recently concluded five-match Test series in England, which the visitors went on to draw 2-2.

Shubman Gill finished 754 runs in the 10 innings at an average of 75.40 and a strike rate of 65.56 with the help of four centuries at the best score of 269 runs during the second encounter at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The right-handed batter was under immense pressure after landing in the country.

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“No question, Shubman Gill. He’ll be around for a long, long time because we’ve seen what kind of series he’s had here. I think he’s only 25 years of age, and as you know, with this exposure, he’ll get even better. He’s right up there. He’ll be up there. He’s composed. He’s very regal. The way he bats, he’s very easy on the eye, very fluent and can play the long innings.” Ravi Shastri commented on Sky Sports Cricket.

Watch: Ravi Shastri labels this player as 'rising star' for India

Shubman had a career Test average of around 35 before the start of the trip. Now, he has smashed an overall 2647 runs in 69 innings at an average of 41.35 and a strike rate of 61.42, with the help of nine centuries and seven half-centuries at the best score of 269, which was followed by 150+ in the second innings of the Edgbaston fixture.

"The way he bats, he's very easy on the eye" ✨

Ravi Shastri believes Shubman Gill will be 'around for a long time' 🤩 pic.twitter.com/WuYN8B5R3g

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 14, 2025

When Gill came onto the scene, he was compared to Virat Kohli’s skills with the bat. Those are huge shoes to fill in for the Punjab-born, who, however, was decent in his first Test series as captain in making some vital decisions to change the momentum of the game.

Now, the reports have claimed that the Gujarat Titans’ captain could qualify to feature in the Asia Cup 2025 squad for the defending champions. If he gets into the side, then he might end up shouldering the responsibility of the vice-captaincy in the national side.

After MS Dhoni decided to hang up his shoes at the end of the Boxing Day Test during the BGT 2014-15, Virat Kohli became the new Test captain as Ravi Shastri was appointed as the new head coach. That was the biggest change in Indian cricket, as the head coach felt that Kohli’s ability to dominate with the bat and leadership skills were amazing.

Kohli is the fourth leading run-getter in Tests as captain with 5864 runs in 113 innings at an average of 54.80 with the help of 20 centuries and 18 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 254 runs. Ravi Shastri revealed that he had no doubt of Kohli leading the red-ball charge and earning success.

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“It was great. I mean, he was the one man I identified who would lead the team. And I wanted him to lead the team. You know, once I took over the job and once Dhoni had finished, he did a magnificent job. I think, first, his skills as a batsman, his ability to dominate, you know, be in the face, play hard, but play fair, and wanting to win and take the game forward.” The former Indian head coach expressed on Sky Sports Cricket.

Watch: Ravi Shatri shares his thoughts on coaching period under Virat Kohli’s captaincy

The Delhi batter carried the same form even in the ODIs. As captain, he was India’s second leading run-getter in ODIs with 5449 runs in 91 innings at an average of over 72 with 27 fifties and 21 centuries at the best score of unbeaten 160 runs against the Proteas.

"He did a magnificent job" 🙌

Ravi Shastri on what it was like to be India coach whilst Virat Kohli was captain 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/b142Hmgg5i

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 14, 2025

“I would say Kohli, the best batsman in his pomp, was unbelievable because in those five years when India were number one in the red-ball format, some of the innings he played in Australia, South Africa, England, across formats were unreal.” Shastri highlighted in the same video.

Under Kohli, India won their three-match Test series in Sri Lanka before earning the first red-ball series victory in Australia during the 2018-19 trip. They also took the lead of 2-1 under his captaincy during their tour to England in 2021 before it was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Manchester.

The incident happened just after Akash Deep dismissed the England left-handed opening batter, Ben Duckett, who, before that, was smashing the Bengal pacer all around the park. A few balls ago, the southpaw nailed the bowler for a huge six before getting an outside edge into the hands of the wicket-keeper, as Deep walked up to the batter and put his arm around the batter's shoulder.

The umpires had a word with the bowler after that, while KL Rahul tried to pull him off the moment. The former England captain, Michael Atherton, didn’t enjoy the incident at all. He questions whether a bowler would have thought of doing the same with a feisty batter, and it was excellent from Ben to fully avoid any heat in that moment.

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‘Can you imagine doing that to Viv Richards? Or anyone? I would have hated that, having put an arm around me after dismissing me. Stay out of my way. This is a serious point. I understand it was in good nature, and I love giving players maximum leeway on the field.’ Atherton expressed on Sky Sports Cricket.

Watch: Former players react to incident between Akash Deep and Ben Duckett during ENG vs IND 5th Test

‘Because it’s an emotional and passionate game, I like to see them getting stuck in and don’t love to see the match referees always. But it’s a non-contract spot. Something like that will end in a problem. So this is something that the match referee had to stamp out.’ Atherton felt that the match referee would need to discuss with the pacer.

"If Athers had put his hand around me getting me out, I would've said 'Get out of the way!'" 😅

Ravi Shastri and Michael Atherton share their thoughts on the incident between Ben Duckett and Akash Deep 💭 pic.twitter.com/UyQzCX6uJL

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 2, 2025

Even Ravi Shastri, the former Indian coach, supported the view and felt that it would have gone in an ugly way had Ben not handled the situation in the right way.

‘No physical contract. What it may lead to is that Duckett might have been thinking something else at that moment in time. Another player with the feisty character wouldn’t have liked it and could have done something that he would have regretted. Just because it has been seen by millions, the match referee would be forced to take action because of the rules.’ Shastri observed.

Days changed, venues changed, atmosphere changed, playing conditions and line-up kept varying along with the score-line of the five-match Test series between England and India. But the visiting captain Shubman Gill’s fortune with the toss was stuck at one place, as he lost his fifth and all tosses of the series at the Kennington Oval in South London.

That was the 15th instance of India losing the toss across the three formats in international cricket. The only other instance of a captain losing all the tosses in a Test series during the 21st century was when Virat Kohli led them during the 2018 trip in England. Ravi Shastri, the toss presenter for the fifth game, made a hilarious comment on the incident.

See Also: Chris Woakes ruled out of ENG vs IND 5th Test? England camp shows concern at Oval

‘Just a thought on the toss again, you know, I had a line ready. Whoever wins or loses, whoever wins the toss, I had a line ready that the Law of Averages has to catch up. Shubman Gill, in four Test matches, had lost all four. Ollie Pope, in four Test matches, had lost all four but won three Test matches. That’s where Gill came from and said, We hope to win the Test match even if I lose the toss.’ He revealed.

Watch: Ravi Shastri comments on Shubman Gill losing five tosses during ENG vs IND 2025 series

‘Don't mind losing the toss as long as we win the game. I was a bit confused yesterday about what to do. It was a bit overcast, but the wicket looks good. We'll look to post good runs in the first innings. Should be a good pitch for the bowlers.’ Gill, India’s captain, expressed at the toss during the fixture.

"Law of averages has to catch up" 🤣

Ravi Shastri on Shubman Gill losing yet another toss 🪙 pic.twitter.com/2UFeUzlMm2

— Sky Sports (@SkySports) July 31, 2025

He didn’t enjoy a great day either in the field after getting run out. He looked in fluent touch before getting another share of the unfortunate luck. The right-handed batter tapped Gus Atkinson under his eyes and rushed for the single, only to get slipped in the middle and saw the bowler breaking the stumps to send him back for the first time with a score of more than 20 and less than 100 in the series.

India ended with 204/6 as Karun Nair celebrated his unbeaten fine-half-century as they aim to cross the 275-run mark in the first innings.

Ravi Shastri, one of Indian cricket’s most loved commentators, has once again praised Virat Kohli. He called him the most influential player of the last decade.

In a recent video posted on Stick to Cricket, the former India head coach was asked to name the best player of the modern era. Without any delay, Shastri said, "It's a young group at the moment, but the best player, the most influential player of the last decade – Virat Kohli."

Shastri, who coached India during some of Kohli’s most successful years as Test captain, has always been a big admirer of the former captain. His latest praise adds to many good things he has said about Kohli in recent years.

In a quick question-and-answer segment, Shastri was also asked to name the current bowler he would least like to face. His answer was Jasprit Bumrah. He also gave a fun reply to a question about whether he would prefer hitting six sixes or winning a World Cup. He reminded everyone that he had done both in his career, but said the World Cup win was more special.

Also Read -OTD: India defeated Sri Lanka by miles with Shikhar Dhawan's career best total in Test

Shastri Picks His Top Five Most Influential Indian Cricketers

Earlier, Shastri was speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, hosted by former England cricketers Phil Tuffnell, Alastair Cook, David Lloyd, and Michael Vaughan.

On the podcast, Shastri named Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli in his list of top five Indian players. Indian spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi and current pace star Jasprit Bumrah were not included.

He said, "Definitely (Sunil) Gavaskar, Kapil (Dev), Sachin (Tendulkar), and Virat (Kohli) — I am looking at the most influential players of that era. Bishan (Singh Bedi) would have been there, but MS (Dhoni) again. MS will come in. And Bumrah is still here. Bumrah is young and still has cricket left. I am talking about players who have almost finished their careers, so these will be the five."

Virat Kohli: India's All-Format Legend

Talking about Virat, he is the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket with 27,599 runs, 82 centuries, and an average of 52.27. He is India’s top all-format player. In ODIs, he has 14,181 runs with 51 centuries — the most by any batter. In Tests, he scored 9,230 runs and led India to 40 wins in 68 matches. In T20Is, he is the third-highest run-getter with 4,188 runs.

Virat has won the 2011 ODI World Cup, 2013 and 2025 Champions Trophy, and the 2024 T20 World Cup. He also led India to three WTC maces and is known for shining in big matches.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has shared a special video on Rishabh Pant, who inspired a lot of people at Old Trafford. In the morning, the news came that he had fractured his toes by trying to play a premeditated reverse-sweep against Chris Woakes and had been advised a six-week rest.

That meant there was no chance of the left-handed batter taking any part in the game. But the Delhi batter was robust. He came down the stairs and walked through the atmosphere where the spectators stood up and lauded his courage. Rishabh Pant also smashed Ben Stokes for a six into the stands and celebrated his half-century to carry India over the 350-run mark.

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‘For him to come back and do what he did - that was something special. What he did today, if that doesn’t lift the team, nothing will. The ovation he got while going away, and the ovation he got coming back, and the applause he got from everyone from the England team out there.’ Ravi Shastri, the former Indian head coach, expressed in the video.

Watch: Ravi Shastri, Dinesh Karthik, and Cheteshwar Pujara highlight Rishabh Pant’s courage during Eng vs Ind 4th Test.

‘Before the Test, I asked him, ‘How’s the finger? Toota to nahi hain? (Isn’t it broken?) Will you play this game?’ He said, ‘Of course, I will play, toota bhi hota to khelta (I would have played even if my finger was broken.’ Shastri added regarding how Pant nearly broke his finger at Lord’s while grabbing the ball of Jasprit Bumrah.

BCCI's special video for Rishabh Pant featuring Ravi Shastri, Dinesh Karthik, and Cheteshwar Pujara pic.twitter.com/MU9NPkkBtF

— Sandy (@flamboypant) July 25, 2025

‘One thing that’s for sure is England loves Rishabh Pant. It’s always inspirational to still come and score those 16-18 runs. In sports, certain moments live a long life, and it was such a moment. Showing that he cares and he wants to win the series was brilliant to watch.’ The former wicket-keeper batter, Dinesh Karthik, shed light.  

‘We need more players like him who can step up in difficult moments. He showed a lot of courage to come out to bat. Every step he took, he was in pain. He showed a lot of character.’ Cheteshwar Pujara added as India finished the second day’s play with England trailing by 133 runs and eight wickets in hand.  

During a recent podcast on Stick to Cricket, the former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, was challenged to pick the biggest rival between the India-Pakistan clashes and the Ashes of England and Australia. It has always been a topic in modern games where talks remain on which remains the biggest head-to-head in the game.

Ashes comes with so much history, as do the India-Pakistan clashes. The neighbours and families get connected along with the government on most occasions. And Ravi Shastri reckoned that in the past, when he was part of the Indian team, the India vs Pakistan clashes would top the Ashes rivalry comfortably.

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‘I would say the years I have played India vs Pakistan. Just the interest it generates from the outside is massive. It has billions of viewers. They keep that in the same group of ICC events to get a couple of games. Although having said that, in the last 10 years, I think India vs Australia has taken. In cricketing terms, India, Australia, and England have had some fantastic series.’ The former Indian head coach addressed.

Watch: Ravi Shastri picks top rivalry between Ashes and India vs Pakistan

The former all-rounder, who was in a discussion with some of the other notable players like Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, David Llyod and Phil Tufnell, pained the picture of how the ICC tends to keep both the Asian side in the same group to engage the peoples.

"Billions watch it!" 📺

Ravi Shastri on why the India vs Pakistan rivalry tops the Ashes 🏏 pic.twitter.com/xkZouSe0i1

— Stick to Cricket (@StickToCricket) July 23, 2025

‘Like this year, you got more crowds in at the MCG for Boxing Day. The highest number of people and the largest number of people came in since Bradman’s team in 1936. So now, I think the Ashes will get a lot of people. But to upstage that, it has to be the greatest series and probably the best crowd ever.’ Shastri countered.

England is due to play the Ashes 2025/26 in the winter down under. The buzz has already been set with the Ben Stokes-led side going hard at the Australian side, which is under a little bit of pressure, looking at their top order. But it will still need to be the greatest series to overtake the records set by the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.

As the fourth Test of the five-match series between India and England continues to unfold, the hosts maintain a 2-1 lead. With the action shifting into a critical phase, a win for England in this penultimate Test would seal the series in their favor. However, if India manages to come out on top, the teams will head into a high-stakes decider at The Oval. Day 1 saw early setbacks for India as both openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, were dismissed, denting their strong start.

KL Rahul was the first to fall in the second session, edging a Chris Woakes delivery to Zak Crawley. Jaiswal, on the other hand, reached his half-century before being removed by Liam Dawson, who celebrated his first Test wicket in eight years. Shubman Gill, leading India in this series, also couldn’t make much impact, departing for just 12 off 23 balls, continuing a run of low scores.

Despite the intense on-field action, it was a lighthearted off-field moment that caught social media’s attention. Commentating during the match, former India head coach Ravi Shastri aimed a good-natured jibe at legendary wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer. As the camera focused on the 87-year-old in the stands, Shastri quipped, “A real pin-up boy in the 60s and 70s. Hugely popular, and he's not changed over the years. A great storyteller and a voracious eater even now. At lunch his plate will be full.” The veteran, listening in from the stands, responded with a hearty chuckle.

A legend honoured at Old Trafford

Adding to the emotional resonance of the moment, Lancashire County Cricket Club honored both Farokh Engineer and former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd by naming stadium stands after them at Old Trafford. Engineer, who represented Lancashire between 1968 and 1976, left a legacy of 5,942 runs, 429 catches, and 35 stumpings in 175 matches. His presence was crucial in helping the club lift the Gillette Cup four times in six years, ending a long 15-year title drought.

Watch the video here

Never change, Ravi 🤣 pic.twitter.com/aIc1mhgJF9

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 23, 2025

See Also: [WATCH] ENG vs IND, 4th Test: KL Rahul dismissed after lunch break; misses half-century

With Jaiswal, Rahul, and captain Gill already back in the pavilion, India’s hopes now rest on their middle-order strength to post a competitive total in this crucial Test.

Legendary former India cricketer and ex-head coach Ravi Shastri has named his five greatest Indian cricketers of all time. Shastri made the revelation while appearing as a guest on the Stick to Cricket podcast, hosted by Michael Vaughan, Alastair Cook, David Llyod, and Phil Tufnell. His list caused debate because it missed some of India's biggest stars.

Shastri's top five were Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni—thus missing out on legends like Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, and Rohit Sharma. Tendulkar was No. 1 on Shastri's list with respect to the Little Master's incredible longevity, technique, and because of who he played against during his playing career. 

"No. 1 would be Tendulkar because of the expectations and because of longevity, for having played 24 years in the game. 100 hundreds,” said Shastri. “He played every pace attack of that decade. He started playing against Wasim (Akram), Waqar (Younis), and Imran (Khan). Then went on to the Aussies. Then the English attack Broady (Stuart Broad) and (James) Anderson, and the South Africans attack (Jacques) Kallis, Shaun (Pollock), and Allan Donald. He is pure, technique-wise and following-wise.”

Ganguly, Dravid, Rohit, and Kumble miss out

Sourav Ganguly and Rohit Sharma, two captains who have led India to ICC titles, were not part of Shastri's list. Ganguly had led India to victory in the 2002 Champions Trophy and the final of the 2003 World Cup. Rohit, despite leading India to the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup title, was also omitted.

See Also: Shubman Gill shares crucial injury update on Indian pacer ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

Also missing were Rahul Dravid—India's second-highest run-getter in Tests—and Anil Kumble, India's top wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs. Instead, Shastri picked World Cup-winning captains Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni and included Virat Kohli, India’s most successful Test captain during Shastri’s coaching tenure. Sunil Gavaskar, the first batter to cross 10,000 runs in Test cricket and a trailblazer in Indian batting, rounded off the top five.

The former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, has picked up the top five greatest Indian cricketers of all time during a podcast on ‘Stick to Cricket’ podcast, where he has left out some notable players, including Rohit Sharma, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, and Sourav Ganguly. He seemingly selected the players who had the biggest impact in the game with both bat and ball, besides their leadership skills, to change the face of Indian cricket.

The first name on the list of Shastri is the greatest batter of the game ever, Sachin Tendulkar. The Mumbai-born, who spent long years with Ravi in the domestic side and the international field, is the leading run-getter across formats with 34357 runs in 782 innings at an average of 48.52 and a strike rate of 67.58, thanks to 100 centuries and 164 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 248 runs for India. 

See Also: Suresh Raina avoids Shubman Gill to pick India's backbone player before ENG vs IND 4th Test in Manchester

The second player on the list is Virat Kohli. The right-handed batter, along with scoring runs and shouldering the responsibility of the side to change the red-ball team, is currently the country’s second-highest run-getter in international cricket. He has smashed 27599 runs in 617 innings at an average of 52.27 and a strike rate of nearly 80 with 82 centuries and 143 fifties.

Ravi Shastri denies Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly among top 5 greatest Indian cricketers of all time

The third player on the list of Ravi Shastri is MS Dhoni, who is the only captain to win three ICC trophies in all formats. With the bat, the Ranchi-born is the sixth leading run-getter across formats for India with 17092 runs in 523 innings at an average of 44.74 and a strike rate of 78.78, bagging 15 centuries and 108 fifties.

The fourth player on the list is the former captain and opening batter, Sunil Gavaskar. The Mumbai-born is ninth in the list with 13214 runs in 316 innings at an average of 46.20 and a strike rate of 48.25, with the help of 35 centuries and 72 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 236 runs.

The last man on the list is the former World Cup-winning captain, Kapil Dev. The Haryana all-rounder smacked 9031 runs at a strike rate of 86 in international cricket besides picking up 687 scalps at an average of 28.83.