New Role for Legendary Australian: Ricky Ponting appointed as PBKS head coach

Subhomoy Datta
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New Role for Legendary Australian: Ricky Ponting appointed as PBKS head coachNew Role for Legendary Australian: Ricky Ponting appointed as PBKS head coach

Australian legend and two-times World Cup as well as Champions Trophy-winning skipper Ricky Ponting has been appointed in the role of PBKS head coach.

Ricky Ponting has had an exemplary record in the Indian Premier League, as he was first seen starring for the Kolkata Knight Riders as a player back in the inaugural season of 2008, then he returned to the Mumbai Indians in 2013. Ponting started his days as a coach in the IPL when he turned Mumbai Indians batting consultant before parting ways with the team in order to turn head coach and mentor for the Delhi Capitals.

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Ricky Ponting coached the Delhi Capitals for 7 editions (Image credit: The Hindu)


Ponting has had quite a large success with the Capitals, as he took them to multiple playoffs and, on one of those occasions, to a final. It would not be more than 2 months since the legend parted ways with his former franchise, the Delhi Capitals; he is back in the IPL with a new role for a new franchise.

After ending his stint with the Capitals, Ponting was seen in the role of Washington Freedom’s head coach in the MLC 2024. Under Australian head coach and Aussie skipper Steven Smith, Freedom went on to claim the MLC 2024 title.

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Ricky Ponting went on to coach Washington Freedom in their title triumph in MLC 2024 (Image: Cricbuzz.com)


Ricky Ponting, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, has entered a multi-year contract with the Punjab Kings and has also received the liberty to decide on the remaining of the coaching staff. The roles of previous coaches, Trevor Bayliss, Sanjay Bangar, Charl Langeveldt, and Sunil Joshi, remain unclear as to who would reprise their roles under the new mentor.

The Punjab Kings have been the most disappointing among IPL franchises since they could not make it to the playoffs for 10 seasons since 2014. Ponting is their third man in the role of head coach over the last 4 editions of the IPL.


Appointed just before the retention season, Ponting would have a key role to play as only the likes of players like Kagiso Rabada, Harshal Patel, the purple cap winner, Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Singh, and Arshdeep Singh seem to be the handy players in the lineup.

ALSO READ: LSG skipper KL Rahul has hinted towards joining RCB ahead of the IPL mega-auction

Also, Ponting would decide the future of overhyped all-rounder Sam Curran and currently placed England’s No. 1 ICC T20I all-rounder, Liam Livingstone. After Shikhar Dhawan’s retirement, they are also in the quest for a new skipper in the upcoming season.

AUS vs ENG: Winner Prediction, Full Squad, Best Possible Playing 11 and more ahead of the First ODI

Subhomoy Datta
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AUS vs ENG: Winner Prediction, Full Squad, Best Possible Playing 11 and more ahead of the First ODIAUS vs ENG: Winner Prediction, Full Squad, Best Possible Playing 11 and more ahead of the First ODI

AUS vs ENG: The Aussies are on their European tour, as after the initial series with Scotland, they moved to the Isles to play a three-match T20I series against the English. The T20 I series played at Southampton, Cardiff, and Manchester has been tied under rain, affecting the course of play for the final game at Manchester.

This is one of Australia’s major outings with a 5-match ODI series against a major team like England, as they would be in the quest to affix a team for the upcoming Champions Trophy as they remain favorites being the World Champions with the CWC title from 2023.

England faced many major blows, the biggest of them being Jos Buttler’s unavailability for the ODIs as well, since he is struggling with a calf injury. They have, however, picked 5 uncapped debutants for the Aussie series and have called back the likes of Jofra Archer and Liam Livingstone into the side.

Australian greats like Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell also make a comeback to the ODI team, as Mitchell Starc will also be seen in action though their skipper Pat Cummins has been left out, which in turn would see Mitchell Marsh in the role of Australia’s ODI skipper.

Squads of England vs Australia ODIs

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Big 3 return for Aussies in ODIs (Image Credit: Crictoday)

England Squad: Harry Brook [C], Liam Livingstone, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jofra Archer, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, and John Turner.

Australia Squad: Mitchell Marsh [C], Alex Carey, Sean Abbott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Short, Steven Smith, Josh Hazelwood, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc, and Mahli Beardman.

Predicted Best Playing 11:

England Probable Playing 11: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Brydon Carse, and Olly Stone.

Australia Playing 11: Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood, and Adam Zampa.

Winner Prediction

Australia, though the visitors remain to be the favourites considering the depth of their side. England is much loaded with youngsters, with most of their senior campaigners either retired or dropped from the side.

The most experienced in the English den, Adil Rashid would have a titular role to play for his side. However, if Smith, Labuschagne, and Maxwell can add to their form and score alongside the in-form Head, Australia would seem invincible with their brilliant bowling deck. With the fast and swinging English tracks, Archer and Starc would be loved by the audience, as Australia still remain favourites as winners for the opening ODI game.

ALSO READ: IND vs BAN: Strongest Probable Playing 11, Winner Prediction, and more

IND vs BAN: Strongest Probable Playing 11, Winner Prediction, and more

Subhomoy Datta
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IND vs BAN: Strongest Probable Playing 11, Winner Prediction, and moreIND vs BAN: Strongest Probable Playing 11, Winner Prediction, and more

IND vs BAN: India is now on the verge of entering their hectic red-ball schedule, with the first test against Bangladesh about to begin in less than 24 hours at the iconic venue of the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Indian greats Rohit Sharma and veteran Virat Kohli will be back on the cricket field with their experience and all their brilliance with the red ball. India is toiling themselves with intense practice sessions ahead of the 1st Test at Chepauk.

The test schedule will also await witnessing several records being made as well as broken, as India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravi Ashwin will be seen in action. The young opener is just 132 runs behind, breaking an all-time record for India, while also only 9 sixes away from setting a world record, which he might achieve in the very first test only if Jaiswal continues his touch.

Ravi Ashwin also has the chance to inch closer to Lyon as the highest wicket-taker in WTC history. Amid all these records seemed to be threatened, the Bangladesh coach, as well as the skipper, showed intent as well as belief to be a firm opposition after their recent domination over arch-rivals Pakistan in the longer format.

Let’s take a look at the best possible playing 11:

India playing 11: Rohit Sharma [C], Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yash Dayal.

Bangladesh Playing 11: Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto [C], Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana, and Hasan Mahmud.

Both the teams will largely look to dominate with ace spinners they have like Mehidy Hasan Miraz and the Indian spin wizard Ashwin.

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Ravi Ashwin and Mehidy Miraz will be looked at in the red ball tour (Image Credit: X.com)

Who can win the 1st Test at Chennai?

Team India as favouritesTeam India as favourites
Team India will be the favourites to win the First Test (Image Credit: The Economic Times)

The Chennai test is to be played on a unique red soil track, which is very different from the usual black soil track Bangladesh is adapted to play on when at home. Also, the Indian team has remained invincible when playing on home soil, as they have been unbeaten since 2013 against any side in India.

With Rohit and Jaiswal at the top being a vital asset for the Indian team, and their ace spinners alongside the new pace attack led by Jasprit Bumrah, India stand as the favorites to win the opening test.

However, with the Bangladeshi middle order comprising of veterans Mushfiqur and Shakib and their youngsters Litton and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, with both bat and ball, they too would stand as a firm opposition to the hosts, yet India remains to be the favorites to win the match.

ALSO READ: Records Ravichandran Ashwin might eye in the long Test schedule ft. first to 200 WTC wickets

Jasprit Bumrah set to get rested in the second test vs Bangladesh | Rohit Sharma drops a huge hint

Aryan Malik
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Jasprit Bumrah set to get rested in the second test vs Bangladesh | Rohit Sharma drops a huge hintJasprit Bumrah set to get rested in the second test vs Bangladesh | Rohit Sharma drops a huge hint

The Indian Cricket Team are set to begin their long Test Cricket season and they will kick things off with a two-match Test Series versus Bangladesh. The first match will be played at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium of Chennai on 19th September and the game will commence at 9:30 AM IST.

Ahead of the Bangladesh test series, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has given a confirmation that they will be rotating their seamers in the really long Test-Season.

Rohit stated that the Men in Blue will follow a similar strategy to the test series versus England, where the duo of Mohammad Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah got rested for a test match each.

The Men in Blue have announced their squad for just the first test versus Bangladesh. It’s anticipated that one of Siraj or Bumrah will be given a break ahead of the three-match Test-Series versus New Zealand.

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Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj leave the field for rain during the second day of the fifth Test between England and India at Edgbaston on July 02, 2022 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

The Rohit Sharma-led team are going to participate in 10 Test matches ahead of the WTC Final next year. They will be locking horns against Australia in December of this year. This year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy series will consist of five Test-Matches. 

“I really want our team’s best-players to take part in all of the games our team plays in but unfortunately for us, it’s not going to happen. You have to take a look at what’s best for the side and manage the workload of the best bowlers accordingly. It all depends on the workload-management of the players,” Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said ahead of the first test versus Bangladesh.

“We will be evaluating the workload of the guys in a proper-manner and we have found success in implementing it in the past as well. In the England test-series, we gave much needed breaks to (Mohammad) Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah. So we will keep monitoring their workload. You want each and every player to take part in all of the matches, we are blessed to have some of the best fast bowlers in our squad. We witnessed many youngsters shine in this year’s Duleep Trophy. I am not at all concerned about the type of bowlers waiting in the dugout,” Rohit added.

The Men in Blue are blessed to have a lot of talented pacers in their squad. The likes of Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Yash Dayal have performed exceptionally well in first-class Cricket and are expected to do the same for the National team as well. 

The quality of the Indian Cricket Team’s backup seam bowlers was visible during the 2020-2021 tour of Australia, where the Ajinkya Rahane-led team secured a historic test-series win despite fielding a really inexperienced fast-bowling unit. The trio of Navdeep Saini, Mohammad Siraj and T Natarajan emerged as the stars in that series. 

Also Read: ‘No space for Shreyas Iyer in India’s Test Squad’: BCCI Official
For more information, visit the official websites of BCCI and ICC

‘No space for Shreyas Iyer in India’s Test Squad’: BCCI Official

Aryan Malik
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‘No space for Shreyas Iyer in India’s Test Squad’: BCCI Official‘No space for Shreyas Iyer in India’s Test Squad’: BCCI Official

Three years ago in 2021, Shreyas Iyer got his Test career off to a promising start as he scored a century in his very first game versus New Zealand in the city of Kanpur. 

Many Cricketing experts destined the Mumbai batter for greatness but the longest format of the game has not been kind to him ever since his debut in 2021.

With his weakness against short-pitched balls getting exposed to all the Cricket Playing Nations early on in his career, bowlers took full advantage of this and as a result, the right handed batter struggled to perform well in overseas conditions. 

What proved to be even more worrying is that Iyer’s Test Cricket numbers as a batter started to decline even in India.

Shreyas managed to score just 146 runs with his bat in eight innings in the last two years in home conditions, which is not a good performance at all when you consider how well he has performed in other formats. 

After a string of poor performances, the Indian Cricket Team’s selectors eventually ran out of patience with Shreyas Iyer and he got dropped from the team after the end of the second test match versus England earlier this year. 

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Shreyas Iyer leaves the field after being dismissed during day one of the 2nd Test Match between India and England at ACA-VDCA Stadium on February 02, 2024 in Visakhapatnam, India. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

Iyer’s negligence of not playing Domestic Cricket made matters even more worse for him as the BCCI stripped him off of his central contract. 

Things were not looking good and the Mumbai born batter desperately wanted to make things right and make a strong comeback to the Indian Cricket Team. 

This year’s Duleep Trophy offered the 29-year-old a chance to make a strong statement and get picked in India’s squad for the Bangladesh series. However, the right handed batter failed to make use of his opportunities, scoring just 104 runs in four innings for India D, which consisted of a four ball duck and one fifty. 

Following Shreyas Iyer’s Duleep Trophy fiasco, a BCCI official gave a tough and scathing statement in an interview with the Telegraph, crushing all of Iyer’s aspirations of returning to the test-team of Indian Cricket. 

“Currently, our batting unit is currently highly stable, and there are no open spaces for him to join the test squad. Whose place will he take in the team? His shot-selection has been a concerning point in this year’s Duleep Trophy, especially on Sunday. He (Iyer) was settled at the crease and then all of a sudden he played a really poor shot off the bowling of slow left-arm orthodox bowler Shams Mulani. When you are set at the crease and you’re batting on a flat surface as well, you have to utilise such chances,” the official said.

Shreyas still has a chance to get some runs under his belt in the upcoming third and final phase of the 2024 Duleep Trophy later in the current week and then he will also get an opportunity to play in the Irani Cup, where he is guaranteed to be a part of the Mumbai squad. 

He is also very likely to get picked in India’s Twenty-Twenty squad for the T20 International series versus Bangladesh, followed by the next season of Ranji Trophy.

However, another official of the BCCI told National-Daily that even if Iyer manages to find his lost form, he still won’t be considered for the tour of Australia. 

“He (Shreyas Iyer) could play for Mumbai in the upcoming Irani Cup which commences from the first of October in the city of Lucknow. Even if he’s picked for the Bangladesh Twenty-Twenty International series, which begins from the 6th of October, he can still play in the Irani Cup and then make himself available for selection from the second T20 International onwards. 

“With one round of Duleep Trophy still left to be played, he might end up scoring a century there. He mainly needs to get some runs under his belt. He will surely not play in this year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to his weakness against the short-pitched balls, but you still can’t ignore his runs in home conditions.” the other BCCI-Official added.

Also Read: Young Yashasvi Jaiswal eyeing several stunning records in Tests against Bangladesh

For more information, visit the official website of the Telegraph

Sri Lanka announce their playing 11 for the first NZ vs SL test match

Aryan Malik
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Sri Lanka announce their playing 11 for the first NZ vs SL test matchSri Lanka announce their playing 11 for the first NZ vs SL test match

The Sri Lankan Cricket Team have announced their official starting 11 for the first test of the two-match test series versus New Zealand. The first game will be played on September 18th at Galle’s Galle International Cricket Stadium.

After performing exceptionally well with the bat in the England series, Kamindu Mendis has been given a promotion in the batting-order and the 25 year old will now be seen batting at number five.

The Southpaw has featured in six Test-encounters for Sri Lanka and he has scored 695 runs at a mind-blowing average of 77.22. In the England series, Kamindu scored 267 runs in five innings, which includes a hundred in the Manchester test match.

Following the fifty he scored in the third and final test match against England, Sanath Jayasuriya, the interim-head-coach of the Island Nation, confirmed that the Sri Lankan management is thinking of sending Kamindu to bat higher up in the batting-order and the test series versus New Zealand rectifies that statement.

Mendis has never come out to bat above the number six position in the longest format of the game.  Batting at the fifth position will be an advantage for the 25-year-old and playing in favourable conditions will be an icing on the cake for him but it’s surely going to be a difficult task.

In terms of other batting order changes, wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal has been given a promotion as a reward for his impressive performances with the bat. 

He hit two fifties in the recently conducted test-series versus England and he will now be seen batting at number three against New Zealand.

All-Rounder Angelo Mathews has also been promoted to number four, followed by Kamindu Mendis at number five. Skipper Dhananjaya De Silva will be see batting at the sixth position.

Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara form the bowling unit of the Dhananjaya De Silva-led team for the first test match.

Prabath, who was dropped from the starting 11 in the Oval test match versus England, makes his return to the side and he will be getting assistance from off-spinner Ramesh Mendis, who last played a test match in 2023 versus Pakistan.

Sri Lanka’s playing XI for the first-test versus New Zealand

Pathum Nissanka, Dinesh Chandimal (WK), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kamindu Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya De Silva (Captain), Ramesh Mendis, Kusal Mendis, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya and Asitha Fernando.

Also Read: India’s playing 11 for the first test match versus Bangladesh (Predicted) | Axar out, Jurel out, Kuldeep in, Pant in

For more information, visit the official website of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Young Yashasvi Jaiswal eyeing several stunning records in Tests against Bangladesh

Subhomoy Datta
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Young Yashasvi Jaiswal eyeing several stunning records in Tests against BangladeshYoung Yashasvi Jaiswal eyeing several stunning records in Tests against Bangladesh

Young Yashasvi Jaiswal has emerged as India’s best Test batter in the WTC.

India is all set to resume red-ball cricket action after a long stint of gap, as they have not played a Test series since they last hosted England in the summer. Since the T20 World Cup, this is the first time India will be hosting a Test series, and action resumes from the first Test against Bangladesh on the 19th of September.

The squad for the opening Test match has been announced, and from every legend to the players of the much anticipated BGT, they have reportedly said that Jaiswal is India’s most promising talent and one of their biggest reasons for worry while playing against India this time.

Jaiswal is 132 runs away from being WTC’s highest run scorer for India

The young left-handed batter has an extraordinary record in Tests, as he has so far scored 1028 runs in just 9 test matches he played for India in the WTC. So far for India, the highest run-getter for India in the WTC since it started has been Ajinkya Rahane, who scored 1159 runs back in the 2019-21 WTC cycle, the first ever of its kind.

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Ajinkya Rahane – Once he finest among India’s Red ball players (Image: BBC)


Yashasvi Jaiswal emerged as only the third Indian batter to have scored 1000+ runs in the WTC after Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane. Now, Jaiswal is only 132 runs away from breaking Rahane’s record of the highest run-getter for India in the WTC.

Jaiswal is 371 runs away from being the 2023-25 WTC’s highest run scorer

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Yashasvi Jaiswal only 371 runs behind Root’s WTC record runs (Image Credit: ICC)

Currently, the England maestro, who has been making the headlines for a long time now, is the only player in startling form among the Fab 4. Root sits at the top with 1398 runs, while Jaiswal is behind by 371 runs and has secured the second spot alongside Ben Duckett.

With England still having a series to follow against Pakistan and New Zealand, India has a longer Test trial against Bangladesh, followed by New Zealand and then the BGT that will mark the end of this WTC for them. Hence, if he can continue his superior form, then Jaiswal can lead Root in the most runs for the WTC.

ALSO READ: Records Ravichandran Ashwin might eye in the long Test schedule ft. first to 200 WTC wickets

Yashasvi is only nine sixes from breaking a record

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Jaiswal is closing in on McCullum’s long-held Test record (Image: Crictoday)

Yashasvi Jaiswal is standing on the edge of making a world record, as he has currently hit 25 sixes and is only 9 more sixes away from becoming the player with the most sixes in a single calendar year.

Brendon McCullum holds this record for most sixes in a single calendar year, with 33; however, Jaiswal might take over with 9 more sixes in almost 9 more tests remaining in 2024.

Records Ravichandran Ashwin might eye in the long Test schedule ft. first to 200 WTC wickets

Subhomoy Datta
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Records Ravichandran Ashwin might eye in the long Test schedule ft. first to 200 WTC wicketsRecords Ravichandran Ashwin might eye in the long Test schedule ft. first to 200 WTC wickets

Birthday Boy Ravichandran Ashwin eyes several dignified records in red-ball cricket ahead of the beginning of a hectic Test schedule for India.

India is welcoming an intense battle of red-ball action as they begin their long-scheduled Test series with the first against Bangladesh, which is a two-match series at home from the 19th of September.

India will next host New Zealand for a three-match series in red-ball cricket, again at home, before they set away for the much-anticipated tour to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Indian team has assembled at the MA Chidambaram Stadium ahead of the first test for a practice season.

The series is very crucial from India’s point of view, as being the top-ranked Test side and also leading the WTC points table for the third consecutive time, as they look to be in the hunt for their spot in the third consecutive WTC final.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: BGT 2024-25: Aussie players have picked Shubman Gill and Jaiswal as the future of Indian cricket ft. Travis Head

India was an eminent part of the previous two WTC finals, first against New Zealand, which they lost in 2021, then against the mighty Australians in 2023, which also didn’t go in India’s favour. To qualify for the finals, India would still need to win 5 of their 10 remaining games, and since the BGT would be a tough nut to crack, India would look to appeal in the home tests.

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India’s Spin department in Red ball cricket (Image: X.com)


Since the matches are scheduled to be played under home conditions, which is a subcontinent track, hence it is helpful for spinners. With Bangladesh also mostly relying on their spin attack, India would now pin their hopes on spinners as Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and the great Ravi Ashwin make a comeback to the cricket field.

Ravichandran Ashwin has been not only India’s but also the world’s best among bowlers, both pacers and spinners, as he was the fastest to 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, and 500 test wickets. Ashwin has starred in the least of matches for this amazing feat.

Records Ashwin might eye in the next 10 Test matches

Emerging as the highest wicket-taker in the WTC

Nathan Lyon currently is the leader among most wicket-takers in the red ball matches, as he picked 187 wickets in the WTC.

Next following him is the Aussie skipper Pat Cummins, who is the second highest wicket-getter in the format and also the tournament since his arrival in tests, as he has 175 wickets. Next, he is followed by Ravi Ashwin, who sits behind Cummins in the elite list with 174 wickets.

He is just 14 wickets behind Lyon, as he can emerge as the highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game under the WTC cycle.

Nearing 200 WTC wickets

Also, Ashwin can emerge as the record first-highest wicket-taker in the history of WTC, as he is just 26 wickets away from being the first ever to reach 200 wickets in the World Test Championship.

Ashwin is also India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, only behind Anil Kumble, and also among the nine bowlers in cricket history who have picked more than 500 wickets in red-ball games.

India’s playing 11 for the first test match versus Bangladesh (Predicted) | Axar out, Jurel out, Kuldeep in, Pant in

Aryan Malik
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India’s playing 11 for the first test match versus Bangladesh (Predicted) | Axar out, Jurel out, Kuldeep in, Pant inIndia’s playing 11 for the first test match versus Bangladesh (Predicted) | Axar out, Jurel out, Kuldeep in, Pant in

The Indian Cricket Team are all set to commence their busy Test-Season, consisting 10 encounters, which will conclude with the 2024 Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. 

Rohit Sharma and his men will be taking on Najmul Hossain Shanto-led Bangladesh in a two-match Test Series, with the first game set to be played in Chennai’s M.A Chidambaram Cricket Stadium.

The Tigers are in good nick, having whitewashed Pakistan by a margin of 2-0 last month. They will be looking to carry forward their winning momentum and defeat the Men in Blue in India.

Defeating the Indians at home will not be an easy task at all by any means but the current Bangladeshi squad has the momentum and form available with them which they can utilise to defeat the Rohit Sharma-led team.

The first test match of the series will be played between 19-23 September in Chennai while the second and final match will be played at Kanpur’s GreenPark Stadium from the 27th of September onwards.

Ahead of the first test match, the Men in Blue’s main concerning points regarding their starting 11 has been their bowling-combination.

Keeping the Border Gavaskar Trophy in mind, the Chennai Test match will be played on a red-soil surface, which has a tendency of favouring the fast bowlers. This change would mean that the Blue Army would likely opt for a combination of three seamers and two primary spinners.

This means that Akash Deep, who had a really good debut series against England earlier this year, might play the role of the third fast bowler. He is in good form as well as he recently picked a nine wicket haul for India A against India B in Duleep Trophy, with his figures reading 9-116.

The Indians are likely to adopt their 2019 tactics, when they had used similar pitch tactics versus Bangladesh in their previous home series against them. 

Spin bowlers managed to dismiss just five batters in that series and left arm spinner Jadeja had bowled just 19 overs in India’s previous home test series versus the Tigers.

But, according to a PTI news report, skipper Rohit Sharma and Men in Blue’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, have decided to go ahead with a combination of two seamers and three spinners.

This means that the trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav will be the main spin bowlers while Siraj and Bumrah will be the main seamers..

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India’s cricketers celebrate after the dismissal of Bangladesh’s Nurul Hasan (L) during the second day of the first cricket Test match between Bangladesh and India at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on December 15, 2022. (Photo by Munir uz ZAMAN / AFP) (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Axar Patel, who played a crucial role in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph and had a really good Duleep Trophy performance as well, will be forced to sit in the dugout.

Another expected change will be Rishabh Pant returning to the playing 11 at the expense of Dhruv Jurel.

Dhruv had a really good start to his Test Career as he delivered a match-winning performance versus England earlier this year and he even won the player of the match award in the Ranchi test match.

But, Pant has been a crucial player for the Men in Blue over the years in the longest format of the game and his experience will be valued by the team management.

The Southpaw last played a test match for India in December of 2022, before getting side lined from the sport due to an accident.

In terms of the batting department, things are anticipated to remain the same. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma will be the main opening batters followed by Shubman Gill at number three and Kohli at four.

KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan will be fighting it out against each other for the number five spot but the former will be given the preference over the latter, purely on the basis of experience Rahul has with him.

India’s playing 11 for the first test match versus Bangladesh (Predicted)

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan / KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravi Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah.

Also Read: LSG skipper KL Rahul has hinted towards joining RCB ahead of the IPL mega-auction

LSG skipper KL Rahul has hinted towards joining RCB ahead of the IPL mega-auction

Subhomoy Datta
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LSG skipper KL Rahul has hinted towards joining RCB ahead of the IPL mega-auctionLSG skipper KL Rahul has hinted towards joining RCB ahead of the IPL mega-auction

In the latest development, the fan footage conversation shows the fan inquiring about the possibility of KL Rahul joining the RCB camp. While in response, the IPL veteran expressed optimism, saying, “Let’s hope so.”

KL Rahuls squabble with LSG Owner Sanjeev GoenkaKL Rahuls squabble with LSG Owner Sanjeev Goenka
KL Rahul’s squabble with LSG Owner Sanjeev Goenka (Image Credit: NDTV Sports)


Since KL Rahul was seen engaging in an agitated conversation with Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjeev Goenka after the humiliating 10-wicket loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad, as Head and Abhishek chased a 170+ total within 10 overs, rumours have often circulated that Rahul will head back to his first franchise in RCB ahead of the IPL 2025.

LSG failed to make it into the playoffs last year in 2024; after their initial two years, they made it comfortably into the playoffs. Though Rahul has been the pillar of the Super Giants lineup, he might part ways when the team stumbles before making it to the playoffs.

What next for KL Rahul?

Rahul all set for Test return minRahul all set for Test return min
KL Rahul might make his red ball comeback in Sarfaraz’s place (Image Credit: X.com)

KL Rahul was last seen playing in the Duleep Trophy first round with India A, as Rahul played a lone man standing inning in the fourth inning as he scored a fighting 57-run knock, which helped him return to the Indian red ball team.

KL Rahul earlier played for India as an opener; however, this time around, India will be kick-starting their hectic test schedule from the first test at Chepauk, where he might be seen in the role of a middle-order batter.

Rahul in the Indian Premier League started his campaign with RCB in 2013 when he made his debut in the IPL. However, he soon moved to the Sunrisers camp and returned to emerge as a classy T20 batter for RCB in 2016.

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KL Rahul then rose to excellence, as in 2018, the Punjab Kings brought him in as their skipper, and he remained with the franchise till 2021, when the new team, Lucknow Super Giants, LSG, drafted him for a whopping 17 crores, thus handing him the role of LSG’s lead batter and skipper.

They finished in the seventh spot, the lowest in the history of the team since their inaugural season of 2022, when they were debutants alongside the Gujarat Titans.

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