Shreyas Iyer is not liked as much as someone else: Ex-coach questions Asia Cup snub

 "I wanted to ask that question - how is he not even in the reserves if he's such a strong contender?" Nayar said. "Sometimes, selection meetings can be quite interesting, and the discussions even more so. But I genuinely can't understand what justification there could be for not including Shreyas Iyer in a 20-member squad."

Shreyas last played a T20 International for India in December 2023, scoring a half-century against Australia. Since then, he has not been recalled to the T20I side, missing the 2024 T20 World Cup and now the Asia Cup, despite strong domestic form and leadership credentials.

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Nayar acknowledged that selection is often based on a range of factors, but suggested that personal preferences may have played a role in this instance.

"Any selection, after a while, comes down to who you prefer a little more than the other. In that regard, maybe Shreyas Iyer is not liked as much as someone else. Maybe," he said.

India's Asia Cup 2025 Squad Announcement Live Updates: BCCI Sources Deliver Bad News Though Suryakumar Yadav Has Arrived For Meeting

 India's Asia Cup 2025 Squad Announcement Live Updates: We have arrived on the day when the mustery surrounding the Indian cricket team's squad for the Asia Cup 2025 will end. While earlier it was announced that the press conference will start from 1:30 PM, it has been delayed now. In fact, BCCI sources have told NDTV that there is no conformation on when the PC will start. India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav is at the BCCI headqaurters but due to heavy rain in Mumbai, leading to flight disruptions, the other important members of the selection board have faced severe disruptions to their travel plans. 

According to reports, one or two of Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, and Riyan Parag will be picked in the 15-man squad for the Asia Cup. Suryakumar Yadav is expected to captain the team. But, the biggest question mark is around the potential selection of Test skipper Shubman Gill, who showed phenomenal form in the IPL 2025 campaign.

Shreyas Iyer should be in India's plans for Asia Cup T20: Aakash Chopra

 Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that Shreyas Iyer should be part of India's squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE. He has highlighted Iyer's performance in the 2025 Champions Trophy, where India won the title. Chopra pointed out that the Mumbai batter played a vital role in the middle overs and often shifted the pressure away from his partners.

The tournament will be played from September 9 to 28, and the selectors are set to name the squad on Tuesday, August 19. Iyer has been in sublime form with the bat and is a strong contender to earn his spot in the named squad.

"Shreyas Iyer needs to be spoken about because when we were watching the Champions Trophy, no Indian player was better than him in the middle overs. He was the guy who was taking the attack to the opposition. He was the guy who was hitting boundaries whenever he wished, and removing the pressure on the batter at the other end," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Chopra also pointed to Iyer's form in the IPL 2025, where he captained eventual runners-up Punjab Kings and enjoyed his best season in the league. It was after 2014 that the Punjab Kings could reach the playoffs. Iyer played a key role in helping the team win Qualifier 2 with a match-winning 87 not out

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s sudden Test retirement linked to BCCI ‘internal politics’: claims Ex-India star

 Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma abruptly retired from Test cricket in May 2025, shocking the cricketing world. A few days before the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, the two titans of Indian cricket announced that they would no longer play the longest format of the game. Former Indian cricketer Karsan Ghavri offers a completely different perspective on their poor performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, which many believed pushed them towards retirement.

While many believed their poor form in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy led to retirement, Ghavri claimed it was actually BCCI “internal politics” and selectors pressure that forced them out.

“He [Kohli] should have definitely continued playing for India easily, probably for another couple of years. But something really forced him to retire. And unfortunately, when he retired, he was not even given a farewell by the BCCI,” said Ghavri on the Vickey Lalwani Show.

“Such players, such a great player who has done such great service to BCCI, India cricket and Indian fans, should be given a grand and fabulous farewell,” he added.

He further held the selection panel responsible for the “premature” retirement of Rohit and Virat from Test cricket.

“It’s due to internal politics within the BCCI, which is hard to understand. And I think this is the reason he retired prematurely. Even Rohit Sharma retired prematurely. They were asked to go out,” said Ghavri.

‘We Supported him but…’ Former Indian cricketer shared about Rohit Sharma

 Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan revealed the Rohit Sharma’s interview in Sydney. Which happened when Rohit decided not to play the final test match against Australia due to a bad performance.

He also missed the opener first test of the series and only scored 164 runs in the three matches, including one half century with an average of 6.20.

Irfan Pathan also revealed that, in the interview with Rohit Sharma in Sydney, the broadcasters had no choice but to back him as the captain of the Indian team. However, Rohit was struggling in the series. He would’ve been dropped by the management if he had not been the captain.

How Gautam Gambhir Changed Dravid-Era Instruction To Transform Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant's Careers

 

Gautam Gambhir brought a significant change to Indian team before the start of England Test series. It ended up transforming the performances of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and others.

How Gautam Gambhir Changed Dravid-Era Instruction To Transform Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant's CareersGautam Gambhir brought a significant change to Indian team before the start of England Test series. It ended up transforming the performances of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and others.NDTV Sports DeskUpdated: August 13, 2025 03:47 pm ISTRead Time: 2 min

How Gautam Gambhir Changed Dravid-Era Instruction To Transform Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant's CareersFile photo of Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill© X (Twitter)

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Quick ReadSummary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewedCoach Gautam Gambhir aimed to change India's approach after defeats to Australia and New ZealandGambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak emphasised spending more time at the creaseShubman Gill and Rishabh Pant were instructed to adopt a more traditional batting style

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India's 5-match tour of Australia saw Shubman Gill take charge of the Test team for the first time in his career. With head coach Gautam Gambhir's coaching stint on the line - after debacles against Australia and New Zealand - he knew that changes needed to be made if he had to keep hold of the job in the longest format. The departures of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin didn't make his life easier, or maybe it did, but the challenges were undoubtedly huge, considering that the transition was completed 'on paper'.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma likely to feature for India A vs Australia A ?

 The upcoming series between India A and Australia A might get a little tough and challenging. According to the reports, some caped players can also take part in the series. The legendary players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who played their International match in March 2025, might play for India A to prepare for the Australia tour

The upcoming series between India A and Australia A is gonna exciting for the fans. According to the reports, some caped players might participate in the series.

Both the players played their last matches and competitive cricket in IPL 2025. The India A squad for the unofficial ODI series won’t include Test and T20I players. The three matches are set to be played on September 30, October 3 and 5.

Most of the fans are waiting for the squad. Here is the probable squad of India A against Australia A:

The Openers of the team will be: Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikward, Devdutt Padikkal. These three batters are likely to be the opener of the India A squad. However, if Rohit plays, he will lead the team. Otherwise, Gaikward and Padikkal are confirmed to be open for the team.

Middle-order: Virat Kohli is likely to be in the squad and to play for the team against Australia A. On the other hand, Rajat Patidar, Rinku Singh, Ishan Kishan and Ayush Badoni might also be a part of the squad.

All-rounder: Kunal Pandya could be the spin-bowling all-rounder in the team. On the other hand Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel are likely to busy in the Asia Cup.

Mohammed Siraj was 'angry' with captain Ajinkya Rahane's decision during his debut Test series due to...

 Mohammed Siraj was the hero of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England as he returned the most wickets in the five-Test series. The right-arm pacer picked up 23 wickets and helped India achieve a record six-run victory over the hosts in the fifth and last Test at the Oval. The 31-year-old picked up five wickets in the second innings of the final match, guiding Shubman Gill's India to a miraculous victory against all odds to tie the series.

Shubman Gill silences doubters, Jadeja stands tall: Parthiv Patel on England tour

 Former India cricketer Parthiv Patel has hailed Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja for their outstanding performances during India's recent Test series in England, calling them the key pillars in the team's success on foreign soil under challenging conditions.

Speaking on JioHotstar, Parthiv credited Gill for not only taking up the challenge of captaining the Test side but also delivering with the bat in remarkable fashion. He pointed out that despite facing significant criticism over his leadership and batting, Gill made the number four spot his own and produced a record-breaking series.

Gill finished the series with four centuries, averaging 75.40 and scoring more than 750 runs in varying conditions. Parthiv noted that the young skipper answered all doubts about his ability to perform in the SENA countries with big match-winning innings.

When Gautam Gambhir explained Kuldeep Yadav's omission in England Test series

 Former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta has explained why star spinner Kuldeep Yadav did not play a single Test match in England. Kuldeep, the only wrist-spinner in the Indian team, did not get a game in the five-match Test series, despite the pitches having barely any grass throughout the tour.

Kuldeep's exclusion raised many questions, especially as England were regularly scoring 350+ totals. When asked about it during the series, the Indian think tank maintained that including Kuldeep upset the balance of the side.

Speaking on X, cricketer-turned-analyst Dasgupta revealed he had a conversation with Gautam Gambhir and the Indian team management and was satisfied with the explanation they gave.

Dasgupta said the main problem against England was their ability to score quickly, which meant India needed a batting cushion of 350-400 runs to stay in the game. That requirement made it hard to include Kuldeep in the lineup.

He further added that India might have played Kuldeep if the lower order had contributed more in the first Test at Headingley. Given the failure of Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, and the tailenders in that game, the management stayed apprehensive about playing an extra spinner.

Siraj gets rousing welcome in Hyderabad; grand felicitation planned for Oval hero

 

India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj was given a hero's welcome in his hometown Hyderabad after his phenomenal performance in the recently concluded five-match Test series against England. He helped India snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the fifth Test at the Oval, as he scalped his fifth five-wicket haul of the series, registering figures of 5/104 in the second innings.

Courtesy of his performance, India managed to restrict England to 367 and won the match by six runs. As a result, India managed to save themselves from their third successive series loss and levelled it at 2-2. After bowling India to victory, Siraj was given a rousing reception upon his return to his hometown.

Sunil Gavaksar hits special dance after India's trilling Oval Test win

 

Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar turned into India's biggest cheerleader yet again as he joined the celebrations at The Oval following India's dramatic six-run win over England in the fifth and final Test on August 4. The former India captain, who was part of the commentary panel for the high-stakes five-match series, couldn't contain his excitement as India levelled the series 2-2 in one of the most thrilling finishes in recent Test history.

As emotions spilled over post-match, Gavaskar was seen celebrating with fellow commentators and team members, including Cheteshwar Pujara, who was also part of the broadcast team. In a moment that lit up social media, Gavaskar sang and danced to the patriotic classic "Meri Desh Ki Dharti" in front of a cheering crowd—showcasing yet again his undying passion for Indian cricket.

3-pacer policy, no Kuldeep Yadav: Morne Morkel explains India's Oval call

 India's decision to persist with a three-pacer strategy and overlook Kuldeep Yadav throughout the England Test series has sparked conversations—both inside the dressing room and amongst fans. The tactical call, repeated over five matches, was a defining feature of India's approach in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.Throughout the series, India opted for a combination centred around three frontline pacers, with spin handled by Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, both all-rounders. The aim was to lengthen the batting lineup, offering more depth at the cost of a specialist spinner. But as the Tests wore on and pitches began to break up, the absence of Kuldeep Yadav, India's premier wrist-spinner, became increasingly conspicuous.

Didn't expect that reaction: Prasidh Krishna on fiery moment with good mate Joe Root

 Prasidh Krishna said that he was a bit surprised by the reaction from Joe Root during Day two of the Oval Test as both men were involved in a verbal spat on Friday, August 1. Prasidh and Root were involved in a tense moment during Day two as the usually calm England star was unhappy with some of the words from the Indian pacer. This required the umpires to step in to defuse the situation.

England's batting coach Marcus Trescothick would play down the incident during the press conference. Prasidh commented on the matter and said that it was just the competitive edge coming out from both players and insisted that they're good friends off the field.