The former Indian opening batter, Sunil Gavaskar, has blamed the fans of Indian cricket for spreading a false claim of how the former ODI captain, Rohit Sharma, has deliberately underperformed under the new leadership of Shubman Gill during the opening 50-over clash against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

Gavaskar felt that the misconception is far from the truth. He also revealed that similar things had also been made in the past. Rohit Sharma returned with a struggling score of eight runs in the middle after he ended up getting an outside edge into the slip region.

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“Over the years, a significant misconception among Indian cricket fans is that if a player is replaced as captain, he will attempt to undermine the new captain by not performing to the best of his ability. Nothing can be further from the truth, for the simple fact is that if a captain has been replaced and then doesn’t perform, he could be out of the team altogether.” Gavaskar wrote in his column on Sportstar.

Sunil Gavaskar slams Indian fans for their misconception about former Indian captains

Along with Rohit, Virat Kohli was dismissed for an eight-ball duck in the middle. The right-handed batter couldn’t keep the ball on the ground when he went for a flashing drive and was caught by the backward point fielder.

“So, no player, however aggrieved he may feel at losing the captaincy, is ever going to underperform deliberately. With that misconception still going strong, many are questioning if young Shubman Gill will be able to handle two former captains, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are part of the three-match One-Day International series against Australia.” The former opener addressed.

“Gill has gone out of his way to say that his equation with them hasn’t changed simply because he is the captain now. If anything, he will only benefit by having these two stalwarts by his side. Both would be happy to offer suggestions if asked, and what could be better for a captain leading in this format for the first time than to have two of the greatest ODI players playing in his team?” Gavaskar concluded.

Everything went India’s way on the opening day of the second Test of the two-match series against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed a huge knock of over 150 runs and remained unbeaten to continue with the same flow on the second day, along with the captain, Shubman Gill.

However, a fatal accident took place during the 85th over of the day when Yashasvi Jaiswal flicked Anderson Phillip to the mid-wicket fielder and rushed for a single. The fielder made a brilliant stop and threw the ball at the wicket-keeper, Tevin Imlach, who ran from his position to collect the ball.

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While he was doing that, Gill rushed in to complete the single. He didn’t see the keeper and banged into his right shoulder. The first impression was not good for both players as they somehow managed to gather themselves. The physios from both camps ran in for medical treatment. After a couple of minutes, they looked well and restarted the job.

Watch: Shubman Gill bangs into Tevin Ismach’s right shoulder during IND vs WI Delhi Test

Gill won the toss for the very first time in his Test captaincy and decided to bat on a good surface to pile up the runs. They didn’t make any change and decided to go with an unchanged eleven, while West Indies made two changes by bringing Imlach and Philip into the side.

Ouch! A nasty collision happened between Shubman Gill and Tevin Imlach at the striker’s end 😬#INDvsWI #ShubmanGill pic.twitter.com/89Da3jpDIk

— CREX (@Crex_live) October 10, 2025

Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul provided them a great start with the bat before the former posted another huge partnership with Sai Sudharsan for the second wicket. The latter missed out on his well-deserved century by 13 runs while Jaiswal ended the day with an unbeaten 173 runs, thanks to 22 boundaries. It’s the fourth most runs by an Indian opener on the first day of a Test match.

India posted 318/2 in their 90 overs as Gill remained on 20 runs. For most of the second half of the day, he kept his defensive mindset. India has already taken a lead of 1-0 in this series thanks to their victory by an innings and 140 runs in Ahmedabad.

A trio of Indian players impressed with incredible batting and bowling performances to gain a comfortable and huge victory over West Indies in the first Test of the two-match series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which has gained new rating points in the latest ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings. The Shubman Gill-led side got an innings and 140-run victory inside three days in the WTC 2025-27. 

The right-arm fast bowler of the Blue Brigade, Mohammed Siraj, claimed seven wickets across two innings and was rewarded on the updated Test bowling ranking as he rose three spots to 12th in the table with a career-best rating. Jasprit Bumrah continues to maintain the top spot with three wickets in the same game, as Kuldeep Yadav jumps to the 21st rank. 

See Also: [WATCH] Suryakumar Yadav decodes Rohit Sharma in one word before revealing his toughest bowler ever faced

Updated ICC Men’s Test bowling ranking

Mohammed Siraj rises to Number 12 in ICC Test bowling ranking 

India’s opening batter, KL Rahul, has scored a Test century in the contest and has moved up four places to 35th overall, with Joe Root holding the top rank. Ravindra Jadeja, celebrating another century, gains six spots to move to 25th overall. He also increased his advantages to the top of the Test all-rounder as Washington Sundar joins him to get into the 11th spot.

There were plenty of changes near the top of the latest T20I rankings after the conclusion of the New Zealand and Australia series. Mitchell Marsh was superb for their 2-0 series victory and moved to the 10th overall rank in the list of T20I batters.

New Zealand’s Tim Robinson has gained a whopping 58 places to equal 22nd on the list of batters, as Bangladesh’s Saif Hasan has gone up 17 spots to 18th. In the T20I bowlers’ rankings, Rashid Khan. Has gained six places to move to the second place and is only behind Varun Chakravarthy.

At the Super Four stage, Team India will face Bangladesh and the game is expected to be another nail-biting affair. The IND vs BAN Super Four match in the Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled to take place on Wednesday at the Dubai International Stadium. India received a positive start to their Super Four stage, and they have continued their winning momentum. Team India has not witnessed a single loss, and they have become the biggest contender for the Asia Cup trophy. 

On the other hand, Bangladesh entered the Super Four stage with 2 wins and a single loss. Their net run rate stood at -0.270. However, Bangladesh started their Super Four stage with a win against Sri Lanka in a thrilling contest.

IND vs BAN Match Details

Date: 24th September, 2025

Time: 8:00 PM IST

Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium 

Live Streaming: Fancode  

IND vs BAN Weather Report

There are no signs of any rain interruptions throughout the game. It is pleasant conditions and perfect throughout the game.

Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: PAK vs SL Today Match Prediction– Super Four, Match 3, Who will win today?

Top Batters IND vs BAN

• Abhishek Sharma (IND) - 173 runs in this tournament 

• Towhid Hridoy (BAN) - 127 runs in this tournament 

• Litton Das (BAN) - 119 runs in this tournament 

Top Bowler IND vs BAN

• Kuldeep Yadav (IND) - 9 wickets in this tournament 

• Mustafizur Rahman (BAN) - 7 wickets in this tournament 

• Shivam Dube (IND) - 5 wickets in this tournament 

IND vs BAN Recent Performance

IND vs BAN Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1- If IND bats first

• First Innings score prediction- IND is expected to score 170-180 runs

• Result prediction- IND will win the match by 20-30 runs

Scenario 2- If the BAN bats first

• First Innings score prediction- BAN is expected to score 140-160 runs.

• Result prediction- IND will win the match by 4 wickets 

IND vs BAN Predicted Playing XI

India (IND) Playing XI 

Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Bangladesh (BAN) Playing XI 

Parvez Hossain Emon, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Litton Das (wk/c), Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Narul Hasan, Shamim Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, and Mustafizur Rahman

IND vs BAN Complete Squad

India - 

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

Bangladesh -

Litton Das (c), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Tawhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Hossain, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, and Shoriful Islam, Shaif Uddin.

IND vs BAN Today Match Prediction, Who Will Win the Match?

India to win

We predict that India will win this Asia Cup 2025 match. Abhishek Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav and Suryakumar Yadav will be key players to watch out for.

The former Indian bowler, Ishant Sharma, has criticized the fans for showing their bias towards the unselected players during any squad announcement for a series or a competition. He reckoned that selectors go through a hard job of not only picking a player but leaving a player, who is also tremendous in that very job.

During the Asia Cup 2025, many reckoned that the selectors made a wrong decision by bringing Shubman Gill into the squad while leaving Shreyas Iyer, who was in superb form during the IPL 2025 for the Punjab Kings (PBKS) with the bat and in the leadership department.

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‘See, the funda is very simple in our country. Those who get selected are bad, and those who don’t are bad. They don’t talk about those who get selected. They talked about Shreyas Iyer getting into the side, but in whose place. You can actually tell the ICC that they had more players and wanted to take 20 players in place of 15.” Ishant expressed during a recent podcast.

Watch: Ishat Sharma criticizes people’s bias for selected players

Gill smashed 35 runs in three innings during the group stage of the event, while against Pakistan in the Super 4 stage of the tournament, the right-handed batter clubbed 47 runs in Dubai. His partnership for the opening wicket with Abhishek Sharma was incredible as Ishant shed light on this discussion.

True words by Ishant Sharma the players who don’t get selected are seen as good & the ones who do get picked are considered bad.
Shreyas Iyer’s fans were outraging over his nonselection in the Asia Cup, but not even once they point out the right player. They were just after Gill. pic.twitter.com/0EdEZAduxC

— LaPulga (@LAPULGA_11) September 23, 2025

“These things are really hard to understand. Yes, you are a fan of an individual. But the most thankless job is that of a selector. Because he has undoubtedly selected one player, but the one he has left out, like Shreyas, is a class player. But again, in whose place would he come? Fans get upset, but cricket doesn’t stop for anybody.” The Delhi-born addressed.

“How can you do favoritism. Numbers are there. Those who are performing are playing, and those who don’t are not getting selected. As I said, people talk about those players who don’t get selected in the squad.” Ishant Sharma concluded that India is just one win away from qualifying for the final of the Asia Cup.

Team India finished their group stage at the top of the Group A point table with 3 wins. They are yet to witness their first loss in the competition. With three wins, Team India recorded a net run rate of +3.547. They won their last match by 21 runs against Oman. 

On the other hand, Pakistan finished their group stage at the 2nd spot in the Group A point table with 2 wins and a single loss. Their net run rate stood at +1.790. Pakistan’s only loss came against India at the group stage, and they will be motivated to reverse the results on Sunday..

IND vs PAK Match Details

Date: 21st September, 2025

Time: 8:00 PM IST

Venue: Dubai International Cricket Ground

Live Streaming: Fancode  

IND vs PAK Weather Report

There are no signs of any rain interruptions throughout the game. It is pleasant conditions and perfect throughout the game.

Also Read: Asia Cup 2025: IND vs PAK Dream11 Prediction Super Four 2nd Match Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing XI

Top Batters IND vs PAK

• Abhishek Sharma (IND) - 99 runs in this tournament 

• Fakhar Zaman (PAK) - 90 runs in this tournament 

• Muhammad Haris (PAK) - 87 runs in this tournament 

Top Bowler IND vs PAK

• Kuldeep Yadav (IND) - 8 wickets in this tournament 

• Saim Ayub (PAK) - 6 wickets in this tournament 

• Abrar Ahmed (PAK) - 3 wickets in this tournament 

IND vs PAK Recent Performance

IND vs PAK Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1- If IND bats first

• First Innings score prediction- IND is expected to score 170-185 runs

• Result prediction-IND will win the match by 30-40 runs

Scenario 2- If the PAK bats first

• First Innings score prediction- PAK is expected to score 140-150 runs.

• Result prediction- IND will win the match by 5 wickets 

IND vs PAK Predicted Playing XI

India (IND) Playing XI 

Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Pakistan (PAK) Playing XI 

Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed

IND vs PAK Complete Squad

India - 

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

Pakistan -

Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.

IND vs PAK Today Match Prediction, Who Will Win the Match?

India to win

We predict that India will win this Asia Cup 2025 match. Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah will be key players to watch out for.

It was a very surprising decision from the selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) when they appointed the Test captain of the Blue Brigade as their new vice-captain for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which starts on September 09 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) across two venues- Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Many reckoned that Axar Patel should have been the new vice-captain of the side after getting the leadership during the previous home T20I series against England. However, most of them forgot that Hardik Pandya was the leader of the side when Rohit Sharma, the former leader, used to take breaks. The former Indian all-rounder, Suresh Raina, has expressed his wish to see the Baroda player as the new Indian leader.

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“Gill is anyway ahead of Shreyas Iyer (for captaincy), but in white-ball cricket, I think Hardik Pandya will do a lot of good as a captain. He has the experience of Kapil Dev with performances in the batting, bowling, and fielding departments. He is a very positive guy. He is also the captain and gives me a glimpse of Mahi bhai. The way he conducts the team is something I like a lot.” Raina expressed during a podcast video with Shubhankar Mishra.

Suresh Raina wants Hardik Pandya to lead India in T20 World Cup 2026

The 31-year-old pace all-rounder has overall smashed 1812 runs in 90 innings at an average of 27.87 and a strike rate of 141.67, besides picking up 94 wickets at an average of 26.43 and a strike rate of 19.3 and an economy rate of just over eight with the best bowling figure of 4/16 in an inning.

Statements by Suresh Raina:
- Gill over Iyer any day
- Hardik will do miracles as captain
- He has Kapil dev level experience
- He is a player's Captain
- He gives me glimpses of MS Dhoni

Anyways Hardik is always there as a leader,Target Asia cup and T20wc ❤️ pic.twitter.com/c28RZtTQvz

— Nenu (@Nenu_yedavani) August 30, 2025

Hardik was one of the biggest reasons for India winning the T20 World Cup. His inclusion brought balance in the playing eleven as he gave the option of batting at number six and also contributed with four overs in the middle.

During the 2025 season of the IPL, the veteran smashed 224 runs at an average of 24.88 and a strike rate of 163.50, with the best score of unbeaten 48 runs, besides bagging 14 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 24.42. He will look to hold the same rhythm during the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.

The Indian selection committee, under the head of selectors Ajit Agarkar, will meet on August 19 to pick the squad for the upcoming 2025 season of the Asia Cup. A few reports earlier claimed that the Test captain of the Blue Brigade, Shubman Gill, was likely to get included in the squad along with the premier pacer, Mohammed Siraj, and the middle-order batter, Shreyas Iyer.

Gill is coming off a fabulous five-match red-ball series in England, where he smashed over 750 runs, which is only second to the legendary opening batter, Sunil Gavaskar, in terms of aggregate in the series. Even in the recent IPL 2025, the right-handed batter crossed the 600-run mark, but those came as an opener. However, the selectors wanted to stick with the current pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.

See Also: [WATCH] Shocking!! Bangladesh fielders injured umpire to leave ongoing match

There is always room for a third opener, but more than Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal is a strong contender for the spot. However, it’s equally possible that both Jaiswal and Gill don’t get selected for the 20-over event as they look to prepare well for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj likely to miss India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025

The other batters in the squad are likely to be Tilak Verma, captain Suryakumar Yadav, and Rinku Singh, with more batting slots to be discussed. Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar are also contenders, while Shreyas Iyer, who led the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the IPL final, ended as the runners-up of the competition.

Jitesh Sharma, the wicket-keeper batter, is also expected to get a spot. Mohammed Siraj was the leading wicket-taker of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy with an incredible performance. However, he could still struggle to find a place as the premier pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, will be trusted to lead the attack.

Arshdeep Singh, the left-arm pacer, will also carry the new ball. There are discussions of Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana to be included. The veteran seamer, Mohammed Shami, who played the home T20I series against England earlier this year, is unlikely to get selected. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy should be back in the squad as well.

The former World Cup winner for India, Yuvraj Singh, has responded to how the Indian Test captain, Shubman Gill, has brushed aside the doubts on his overseas batting record and led the side to a drawn series of 2-2 margin in England. Gill smacked 754 runs at an average of 75.40 from five games with the help of four centuries.

India lost the opening game at Leeds in Headingley before earning a huge victory by 336 runs at Edgbaston in Birmingham. They couldn’t hold their nerve during the close Lord’s Test but drew the fourth Manchester Test. At Kennington Oval, they earned a close six-run victory.

See Also: "Can't have control..."- Joe Root mocks David Warner's 'surfboard' comment ahead of Ashes 2025/26

“There were a lot of question marks over his overseas record. The guy became the captain and scored four Test hundreds. It's just unbelievable that when you're given responsibility, how you take it. So, very proud of them. I certainly feel it's a win for us, although it's a drawn series, because it's a young team. And it's not easy to go and play well in England and prove yourself.” Yuvraj Singh expressed on ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 event.

Yuvraj Singh lauds India stars after England vs India 2025 Test series

Yuvraj also praised the two spin all-rounder, Washington Sundar, and Ravindra Jadeja, besides explaining how they showed their resilience in the absence of two veterans, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom retired from the longest format of the game.

The moment in the tournament was when India drew the Test series. I've never seen, in a very long time, Washington and Jadeja get hundreds and draw a Test match. That speaks volumes. Jadeja has been there for a long time. But I think Washington Sundar, as a youngster coming into the team, I think it was incredible to do what he did.” The southpaw addressed.

“I think it's just fantastic because I felt when you have a young team going to England, it's a lot of pressure. You're filling the boots of somebody like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma; it's not easy. I think the guys took it head-on.” Yuvraj Singh concluded.

India’s premier batter and Test captain, Shubman Gill, was warmly welcomed in New Delhi on Wednesday, August 13. Upon his arrival, the 25-year-old posed for photos with police officers and enthusiastic young fans, soaking in the admiration and support from cricket lovers.

Shubman’s recent stint in England saw him take charge as India’s Test captain for the first time during the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The five-match series proved to be an intense contest, with both sides battling fiercely across conditions and finishing the series in a 2-2 draw. Gill’s leadership and batting were key highlights throughout the tour.

The young captain has quickly earned praise for his calm demeanor and tactical acumen on the field. Fans and cricket analysts alike are excited to see how he continues to shape India’s Test squad in upcoming series, with expectations running high for his leadership and performance.

See Also: WATCH: Star RCB batter smashes 26 runs off Rashid Khan's over in Men's The Hundred 2025

Shubman Gill Spotted in Delhi:

The 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy marked India’s first Test series without veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who retired from red-ball cricket in May. Shubman Gill took charge as captain, leading a young and inexperienced Indian team with composure and skill through the tough conditions of England.

Shubman Gill led India with the bat, amassing 754 runs in 10 innings at an impressive average of 75.40, including four centuries. His consistent performances and strong leadership earned him Player of the Series honors, helping India secure a thrilling 2-2 draw in the five-match Test series.

Ahead of India’s upcoming Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE, starting September 9, Shubman Gill arrived in New Delhi with friends. The star batter warmly interacted with fans, pausing to pose for photos and share moments with supporters, showcasing his approachable side off the field while preparing for the next major international challenge.

 

 

 

 

 

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India’s Men in Blue have been placed in Group A with the UAE, Pakistan, and Oman for the Asia Cup 2025. The team will begin their campaign against the UAE on Wednesday, September 10, in Dubai, aiming to start strong in the tournament while navigating a competitive group stage that includes regional rivals and emerging teams.

Shubman Gill to Captain North Zone:

Ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, Shubman Gill will captain North Zone in the Duleep Trophy, which kicks off the 2025-26 domestic season on August 28. His squad includes international talents like Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Anshul Kamboj, who made his Test debut during India’s England tour earlier this year. Gill’s leadership will be crucial as North Zone aims to start the season on a high.

Other domestic teams will also feature prominent players in leadership roles. Tilak Varma will lead South Zone, Ishan Kishan will captain East Zone, Dhruv Jurel will helm Central Zone, Shardul Thakur will guide West Zone, and Jonathan Rongsen will take charge of North East Zone. These appointments highlight the blend of youth and experience across India’s domestic circuit, providing players an opportunity to impress ahead of international duties.