Champions Trophy 2025: After ensuring its victory in the T20 World Cup 2024, the next target of the Indian team is the Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan. This ICC event will be held in the early months of 2025, and it has not yet been confirmed whether the Indian team will go to Pakistan or not. Down below this article will provide: India Expected 15-Players for Champions Trophy 2025.
India will play only three ODIs before the Champions Trophy 2025, which clearly means that there will be very little opportunity for the selection committee and head coach Gautam Gambhir to test the performance of the key players.
India Expected 15-Players for Champions Trophy 2025
The Champions Trophy 2025 will be played in ODI format this time, Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the strongest contenders for the opener. Now it will be interesting to see whether Rohit’s opening partner will be Gill or Jaiswal.
The middle order may be on the shoulders of Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer. Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel and Riyan Parag can be selected in the squad for the role of all-rounder.
Jaspreet Bumrah will play the lead role in bowling whereas his fellow bowlers can include Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana.
IPL 2025: The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) is expected to be another record-breaking season as there is a mega auction scheduled in 2025. All teams will get the only chance to retain a limited number of players, which will make it tough for all the teams.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who have not won a title yet, are desperate to win the championship. They will try everything to end this trophy drought. Some reports confirm that RCB might release Faf du Plessis ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.
It will leave them with no choice other than finding a new captain for the IPL 2025. So what are the possible choices? We will talk about the three players who can captain RCB in the IPL 2025.
IPL 2025: Three Players who can captain Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2025
Rajat Patidar has become a core member of the RCB’s batting lineup and has improved over the years. He had a pretty good start with the team and is one of the players whom the franchise is likely to retain.
With Virat, Du Plessis, Karthik, and Maxwell, Rajat Patidar has learned to adapt to the situation and can be a good leader. If RCB is looking to groom someone for the future, then Patidar is a pretty good choice, and they can take this bold move to appoint him the captain in the IPL 2025.
2. KL Rahul
IPL 2025
KL Rahul joined Lucknow Super Giants in 2022 for three years. His contract has been over, but the question is whether LSG will retain him or not. Some media reports confirm that the franchise might release him as owner Sanjeev Goenka was seen shouting at Rahul during a game in 2024.
If it happens that RCB should target him. In the past, Rahul has shown his desire to play for RCB again because he is a local boy. He can lead the team, open the innings, and also keep wickets. So he can replace Du Plessis and Karthik alone.
1. Virat Kohli
IPL 2025
Who other than Virat Kohli will be better to lead RCB in the 2025? The former RCB captain left the captaincy in 2022, and Du Plessis was named captain. But Virat led the team in some matches when Du Plessis was used as an impact player.
Virat has not retired from the T20 internationals, so he will only play T20s in the IPL. So, if the franchise can convince him, he can take up the captaincy job once again in the IPL 2025.
Ian Bell, the ex-English cricketer has been appointed as Sri Lanka new red ball batting coach. Everyone is contesting for the remaining matches of the World Test Championship, with England again being one of those sides that are competing for the most matches in the longest format of the game.
Sri Lanka, which has played the fewest matches, will be on their tour to England to compete against the Three Lions. The Lankan players are unaware of the recent conditions at the pitches across England. Even the legendary Sanath Jayasuriya, who has been placed as their interim coach, might need someone’s expertise in the area.
Ex-English batsman Ian Bell retired internationally from cricket in 2020, and since then he has not bid adieu to the game with his several stints as a coach. Bell has been in the front with both domestic as well as national sides across the world, and this has only added to his brilliance as well as experience.
Ian Bell has been appointed as Sri Lanka's batting coach for the upcoming Test series against England
“We appointed Ian to bring in a person with local knowledge to help the players with key insights on the conditions there. Ian has a lot of experience playing in England, and we believe his inputs will help our team in this crucial tour,”
SLC CEO Ashley De Silva said (Source: ESPNcricinfo)
Starting his coaching career with the England U-19 Men’s team, he has been in the deck for the Three Lions. Domestically as well, Bell has been an asset for many sides across formats, as he served either as an assistant coach or a batting consultant for Derbyshire, the Hobart Hurricanes, and the Melbourne Renegades as well.
However, the most recognizable feats in his career remain with the New Zealand team as their assistant coach before the World Cup last year, also being seen for the last time in The Hundred as Birmingham Phoenix’s assistant coach, which he resigned to take up his spot in the Lankan side.
Dhananjaya de Silva to lead Sri Lanka in England (Image: Wisden)
Sri Lanka reported their squad for the England tour, while Dhananjaya de Silva has been announced as their skipper to lead them across the 3 tests to be played at Manchester, Lord’s, and the Oval. Let’s see what special Bell can bring to the Lankan side.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25: The time has come when the hype of the India vs Australia Test rivalry fires up the global cricket enthusiast. Ponting has kicked off the chain event with his bold statement of the prediction of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 where INDIA vs AUSTRALIA fight in a multi-match bilateral Test series.
Unlike the other cricketing events between India and Australia, India have enjoyed a far better dominance over Australia in the history of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Be it home series, or away, India had the upper hand, and especially in the last four series, the Men in Blue have won all four series 2-1.
Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins | Image: AP
The BCCI and Cricket Australia came to an agreement to extend the four-match test series to a five-match Test series and from now onwards, the two teams will play five test matches every two years for sure and this year, the two teams will take bout in December and January.
Now, the ICC Hall of Fame and Former Australian Captain have made an early call for the winner of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Though the two teams are highly competitive in nature and have often shown their rigid character, Ponting thinks his home team is going to take the series one-sided.
Ponting on Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 Winner
During a recent episode of The ICC Review, Ponting discussed his forecasts for the series while chatting with host Sanjana Ganesan. He said “I’m obviously going to tip Australia to win and I’m never going to tip against Australia. There will be a draw somewhere and there will be some bad weather somewhere, so I’m going to say 3-1 to Australia.“
He confidently went with Australia and before that, he even showed the weight of the Gravitas of the two teams in test cricket while putting his support to Australia. He also emphasized on a note that ‘Australia got a point to prove’.
Australian Cricket Team
“It’s going to be a competitive series and as I said I think Australia’s got a bit of a point to prove against India in Australia on the back of what’s happened the last the last two series here,” he added.
He also liked the idea of a 5-match Test series and said “We are back to five Tests as well, which is the other really important thing about this series. It’s only been four Tests the last couple of times. Five tests, I think everyone’s really excited by that and I don’t know if there’d be too many drawn games.”
However, if we take a look at the history of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India have won it as many as 11 times out of 16 while Australia has 5 trophies on their cabinet.
When we come to the matches, Australia do have better numbers but not better than India. Out of a total of 56 matches played between these two nations in the BGT, India have won 24 matches and Australia won 20 while 12 ended in a draw.
Image Source: Twitter
The series is scheduled to be played in the last month of the year and we can just wait for the results.
ICC World Test Championship Points Table: The first Test of the South Africa tour of West Indies have resulted in a draw and South Africa have now reached the seventh spot in the updated WTC Points Table. This post reads the ICC World Test Championship Points Table Latest Updated After WI vs SA 1st Test.
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Have rain not interfered, we would have got a better result at the end because West Indies only needed 96 runs and South Africa needed to pick up 5 more wickets to win the game on the last day. Let’s have a look at the WI vs SA 1st Test Match Highlights:
WI vs SA 1st Test Match Highlights
Visitors South Africa won the flip of the coin and opted to bat first. The Proteas played the first hour excellently and lost the first wicket in the 14th over. Tony and Bavuma were too good at the top with 78 and 86 to their names respectively. Wicketkeeper batter Verreynne and all-rounder Mulder added valuable runs to the end and South Africa scored 357 runs in the first innings. Warrican and Seales were the key wicket-takers for the home team.
Markram and Toni (Getty Images)
The Windies were sturdy at the top but quite slow as well. They lost their first wicket on 27th over but it was only 53 on the board. Batters got good starts but each failed to convert it to a big knock. Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada shared 7 wickets between them. Warrican contributed with the bat as well and struck valuable 35 runs towards the end. South Africa wrapped up the home team for just 233 runs and gained a lead of 124 runs in the first innings.
Adding to their lead, Tony and Markram were brisk at the top and were quick to add runs. Tristan Stubbs was exceptional in their and struck 68 runs off 50 balls and the Proteas were 297 runs ahead and they declared.
The last day saw a lot of rain. The West Indies faced an early blow, losing a wicket in the brief, tense overs before lunch. As the heavens opened, the second session was delayed by a full hour, heightening the anticipation. When play resumed, South Africa struck quickly, claiming another wicket, but the West Indies were not to be easily tamed.
Athanaze took the stage with a commanding presence, his intent clear from the very first ball. He anchored the innings with poise, as his teammates rallied around him. The promise of a maiden century loomed large, yet in a moment of desperation, he let it slip away as the shadows lengthened. Despite this, the clock was the West Indies’ ally, leaving South Africa with too steep a mountain to climb in too little time. With no victory in sight, both sides reluctantly agreed to a truce, shaking hands, and settled it as a DRAW.
Below is the ICC World Test Championship Points Table Latest Updated After WI vs SA 1st Test :
ICC World Test Championship Points Table After WI vs SA 1st Test
South Africa and Bangladesh were equal on the PCT but now, South Africa are better on PCT than Bangladesh and now they are seventh-ranked with 26.67 PCT. West Indies are still at the bottommost rank in the ICC WTC Points table.
AFG vs NZ: It is time for some red-ball action, as in the next few months we will see some interesting Test series played across the world. The inaugural WTC winner, New Zealand, will have three series in line for the subcontinent.
They will play a one-off test against Afghanistan at the start of September. It will be followed by a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. After that, New Zealand will lock horns with India in a three-match Test series between October and November.
The Black Caps are currently sitting in third place in the ongoing World Test Championship 2023-25, and this will be a very important season for them going ahead. If they can manage a good show, they can fancy their chances to make it to the final of the WTC in England next year.
AFG vs NZ: New Zealand announced squad for Afghanistan and Sri Lanka Tests
AFG vs NZ Test Series 2024: New Zealand Announced Squad for Tests against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka 12
The AFG vs NZ one-off test will be played in India at Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground, Greater Noida. This match will be played between September 9 and 13. On Monday, August 12, the New Zealand Cricket Board announced a 15-member squad for the AFG vs NZ one-off test, and a similar squad will feature in the test series against Sri Lanka.
After some good performances, the NZC has rewarded William O’Rourke and Ben Sears with their first overseas assignment. Tim Southee will be leading the team, and Tom Latham will be the vice-captain. With the conditions expected to be spin-friendly, New Zealand have picked up four spinners and Glenn Phillips.
The squad covers the one-off Test against @ACBofficials in India and two ICC World Test Championship against @OfficialSLC in Sri Lanka next month.
Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, and Michael Bracewell are the specialist spinners in the team. Bracewell has been out of action for more than 18 months, but he is completely fit now. The batting order looks very strong with the availability of Kane Williamson, Will Young, Ravindra, Phillips, and Latham.
The Test matches against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka will be important for the ongoing WTC championship. It will also help them to prepare for the three-match series against India. After these away series, New Zealand will host England for three Tests in November and December. Former Pakistani legend Saqlain Mushtaq will join the team for the coming Asian challenge.
AFG vs NZ: New Zealand’s Squad for Afghanistan and Sri Lanka Tests
Tim Southee (captain), Tom Latham (vc), Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Michael Bracewell, Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Santner, Will Young, Ben Sears
IND vs BAN: Jasprit Bumrah has emerged as one of the world’s greatest bowlers of the decade. Bumrah has not been able to manage his workload well, and India has faced major trouble whenever Bumrah has missed vital tournaments for India due to his injuries.
India is all set to feature in a 2-match series in the longest format of the game against Bangladesh. This will include India’s final phase of the 10 test matches, which the Men in Blue will likely feature in the next 113 days before the WTC final at Lord’s next year.
Keeping sight of this intense schedule, India’s ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah might be rested for the upcoming Bangladesh tests. Team India management is well aware of Bumrah’s immense contribution to their international campaigns, and hence they have spared him first in the Zimbabwe tour, followed by the Sri Lanka tour as well.
Jasprit Bumrah might be rested for the Test series against Bangladesh. (Express Sports). pic.twitter.com/8vEdtfrFtO
Bumrah was last seen in a blue shirt in the T20 World Cup 2024, where he led Team India to a great victory against the Proteas in the finals, when everything seemed to have slipped from their hands. Bumrah, alongside Pandya, helped India defend the timid 30 runs with set batters on the pitch.
Agarkar on Shami’s return (Image: Khel Now)
Also, Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector of the Indian team, gave a major insight into Mohammad Shami’s probable return in the Bangladesh tests. Shami, who was India’s leading wicket-taker in the World Cup 2023, has missed out on every game since then due to his ankle injury.
Shami, who had suffered due to his ankle injury, was training in the NCA for a long period of time and now reportedly is in the ending phases of his rehab. Mohammad Shami was also inclined towards being back for Bengal in the domestic cycle before his return to the national side.
If Shami returns, it likely gives Bumrah some ideal time off to make himself fit to be available again, whereas Bumrah is also likely to be back into the India side from the New Zealand home tour, and both the pacers would be in sight of the Australia tour and the ICC tournaments in the upcoming year.
IND vs BAN: Team India, who have had great results across all formats, though their outcomes were not the finest until winning the T20 World Cup earlier this year. The India team has a schedule for the longest format of the game, as, in the next 113 days, India is set to feature in 10 test matches.
India has been crowned No. 1 in tests for over a long period now, as this feat was achieved in the Shastri era, which was continued in the Rahul Dravid times. Under Virat Kohli, India entered the first-ever WTC final in 2021, as they lost against New Zealand in the finals.
Next was their two-year cycle, when once again India played some stunning cricket under skipper Rohit Sharma, as he led them to a World Test Championship for the second consecutive time in 2023, when they lost against the Australian side led by Pat Cummins.
This time around as well, Dravid splurged with immense test cricket success until Gambhir took over. India will play their first-ever test series under their new coach, Gautam Gambhir, who has given preference to his idealism and hence made changes to the squad.
Team India is scheduled to play 10 Test matches in 111 days from 19th September till 7th January.
India Tour of Australia—Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
First test: 22nd November to 26th November
Second test: 6th December to 10th December
Third test: 14th December to 18th December
Fourth test: 26th December to 30th December
Fifth test: 3rd January to 7th January
With the conclusion of India’s final test of the Australia tour, after the boxing day test, India will conclude their WTC cycle, with only awaiting the finals if the table toppers can make their way into Lord’s.
India’s Supposed Squad with some likely new faces
India has recently instructed their players to make a move, and the BCCI also issued a strict notice to the players of the national side for participation in domestic leagues in order to prepare themselves for the upcoming international saga.
Likely Yashasvi Jaiswal, the left-handed young batter from Mumbai, has been a part of the Indian team for this WTC cycle, and he has been the supreme batter despite the presence of the most veteran cricketers. Hence, undoubtedly Jaiswal will continue to feature alongside skipper Rohit Sharma in the longest format of the game for India.
Rohit and Jaiswal in Tests (Image: Rediff.com)
These two openers are placed among the top 10 ranks of the ICC Test Rankings, and the veteran Virat Kohli is also placed 10th. Kohli will be placed in the team as well.
Now comes the players, over whose selection there remain some questions to be answered. Cheteshwar Pujara was replaced by a young Indian batter, Shubman Gill, at no. 3. However, Gill has been out of touch for a long time now, and players like Mumbai skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, youngsters Sarfaraz Khan, and also Tilak Verma have shown promising domestic seasons to replace him from the side.
While India faced the biggest trouble in the middle order, as Gambhir has hinted at Pandya’s return in tests if he chooses to make a return. Rishabh Pant has made a comeback and will likely be the first-choice wicketkeeper in Team India’s Test squad.
Sarfaraz Khan in tests for India has been impressive (Image: Forbes India)
While players like KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and also the likes of young wk-batter Dhruv Jurel will also be trying to compete for the middle-order spots of Team India.
India seems to have settled down with the likes of Ravindra Jadeja at no. 7, as he has been the greatest among all-rounders in the format. At the same time, Axar Patel can once again feature as India’s finest all-format all-rounder, as his batting abilities are on par with his bowling geniuses.
Gambhir has indicated that he is not likely to further include the likes of Ravi Ashwin, despite the 38-year-old being India’s highest wicket-taker in test cricket. But Gambhir indicated even the greatest have to depart someday, and hence he sanctioned Kuldeep and Washington Sundar to prepare for the Duleep Trophy.
Ravichandran Ashwin remains a Test veteran for India (Image: m.rediff.com)
While India’s likely pace bench would feature players like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, and also Md. Siraj. What remains is doubt over players like Shardul Thakur or Umesh Yadav, who are no more likely to be in the format, with some other fine picks that might replace them in the near future.
PAK vs BAN Test Series 2024: A big update on the PAK vs BAN series as the Bangladesh squad has been announced today by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Taskin Ahmed made his return to the Bangladesh Squad and here we are with the Bangladesh Squad for Pakistan Tour.
Bangladesh have come up with a strong 16-men squad to tour Pakistan. Taskin last played a Test in June 2023 but took a break from red-ball cricket to focus on recovering from a shoulder injury. Recently, he expressed a desire to return to red-ball cricket, and the BCB believes he is fit enough to handle the demands of the longer format.
Shakib al Hasan (Getty Images)
The selection panel chose Shakib Al Hasan and Shoriful Islam despite their long absence from Test cricket. Their return to the squad significantly strengthens the bowling department on Pakistani soil.
Taijul and Miraz have been the backbone of Bangladesh’s spin attack for quite some time, with more than 350 wickets combined. Bangladesh will also rely on Shanto, Litton Das, and the rest of the batting lineup to perform well, as it will take a collective team effort to compete effectively against Pakistan.
Skipper Shanto (Getty Images)
The surfaces in Pakistan are again expected to be batting-friendly and this could lead to batting-heavy contests between the two teams in the upcoming series. However, there is always something for pacers. Below is the Bangladesh Squad For Pakistan Tour 2024:
Bangladesh Squad For Pakistan Tour 2024
Najmul Hossain Shanto (C), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed
Expected Playing 11
Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Taskis Ahmed
IPL 2025: The Indian Premier League remains to be one of the world’s most highly anticipated franchise-level cricket leagues, of which the 18th edition will be played in 2025. The 10 franchises from the IPL 2024 will be participating in the upcoming season as well, with only a few of their players being retained before the mega-auction.
Though the BCCI and the IPL committee have not given an official announcement about whether there will be a mega-auction, it is to be believed that according to the usual trait of the IPL, the mega-auction will be conducted. The last mega-auction saw some terrific buys, with the likes of Ishan Kishan, Sam Curran, Cameron Green, and Nicholas Pooran being the record bids for the team. However, the mini-auction was even more exciting last time around as Green, Mitchell, Cummins, and Starc were bought for an insane amount of money.
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Let’s have a close look at the players who can be big-budget players to feature in the IPL mega-auction
Rohit Sharma
India’s T20 World Cup skipper, who has also been a great servant to the MI side, thus contributing immensely to their legacy in the cup, winning it five times for them. Rohit Sharma has been with the Mumbai Indians since 2011 and has never been released into the auction; however, since the last IPL, there has been the buzz that the player has decided that his following years in the IPL would not be with MI.
Though nothing has been confirmed by either Rohit or MI yet, the veteran will be targeted by the likes of teams: the Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans, and defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders. Owing to his supreme form internationally since last year’s World Cup, Rohit will be one of the record-breaking bids in the mega-auction. He will be bought for a supposed account, which can surely be much higher than his 16 crore INR, which would be his retention amount for MI.
KL Rahul
The LSG skipper has not been the very best since his arrival with the new franchise, as he was roped in for a historic 17 crore INR. Rahul was, however, seen last season having a debacle with the LSG owner, Sanjiv Goenka.
This time around, the Royal Challengers are likely interested in having the LSG skipper into their side as their skipper and also their opening batsman alongside Virat Kohli. They might get rid of the experienced Faf. Rahul might be again roped in as a million-dollar deal, as he can again be one of the biggest signings of this mega-auction.
Glenn Maxwell
The Aussie all-rounder, Maxwell, has been a very dominating player in the shortest format of the game. Maxwell has rightly indicated that he might once again be parting ways with another IPL franchise, and owning to his extremely weak streak with the side, even the RCB franchise is likely to release him.
Maxwell was one of the anchors of WAF’s MLC title triumph (Image: Sportskeeda)
Bought for a whopping 10 crores INR in the previous mega-auction, Maxwell can once again be brought in by any side for a lump sum of money, as Maxwell was an all-round excellent performer featuring for the MLC-winning side Washington Freedom.
Hardik Pandya
India’s ace all-rounder was brought in by the Mumbai Indians from the Gujarat Titans last season and was also handed over the captaincy role. Neither did the MI fans receive him well as the skipper, nor could he perform well.
Pandya, though, came back strongly and also revived his fanbase, as he led by example with his all-round excellence and won the T20 World Cup for India. Pandya, if not retained for such a whopping amount by the Mumbai Indians, will be back in the auction after years and will see another considerable increase in his market value.
🚨BIG UPDATE ON MI :
"According to the report Captain Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Surya Kumar Yadav will remain with Mumbai Indians Suspense over Jasprit Bumrah."👀
Owing to his long-injured status, there are immense chances that the Gujarat Titans might part ways with Mohammad Shami, who was retained for an entire season without a match in 2024.
With sights at the mega-auction, where teams will look to reinforce their main teams, Muhammad Shami will be a huge target for every franchise in the tournament. Shami has been one of IPL’s most experienced bowlers, and if he recovers from injury, then he can be one of the most highly-paid bowlers in the mega-auction, as teams likely did for Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in the previous mini-auction.
