The signs were already there that Shubman Gill was going to be the future leader of India, once the current superstars vacated their spots. But not many anticipated that moment to arrive so soon and in this fashion.
As the wheels began to fall off India’s Test cricket late last year after damaging series defeats – at home to New Zealand and away to Australia – there were strong indications that Indian cricket was going to hit the reset button in the immediate future.
Since the veterans of the team had recently tasted major success – the 2024 T20 world title – and there was no World Test Championship final to look forward to, the team management had the opportunity to think long term.
They were helped by the fact that after the disastrous Test series defeat in Australia, where the now retired captain Rohit Sharma even dropped himself from the team owing to poor form, there was a considerable gap until the next major assignment – the five Test tour of England in June that kick-starts the new cricket cycle.
In the interim, India won the 50-overs Champions Trophy as well, giving the ageing stars of the side more cushion as they braced for some enforced changes.
What came as a surprise was Rohit and star batter Virat Kohli announcing their retirements from Test cricket within a week, just as the Indian Premier League took a pause due to a worsening conflict with Pakistan.
With just days to go for the squad announcement for a major tour of England, India were without their most experienced players and no clear favourite to lead the side moving forward.
Fast-bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who guided India to the solitary win in their last Test series in Australia, was the obvious choice but a patchy fitness record and uncertainty over availability for all matches meant the team management could not rely on him long term.
KL Rahul could have been another option but the cricket board wanted a player who is young, a guaranteed selection and has a decent Test record. So it was down to Gill and wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant.
Pant seemed the more obvious choice as Test cricket is his best format and he has routinely played many memorable knocks in tough conditions home and away.
Gill, on the other hand, has been just about decent; he averages 35 in 32 Tests and averages less than 30 away from home. Still, the Indian management picked Gill.
Clearly, it is a call made on instinct. Gill is just 25 and has been made captain of the Test team at a sensitive time for India, just like Kohli who took over from the great MS Dhoni as red-ball skipper at the age of 26 in 2014.
Gill is not the best batter in the side – Rahul, Pant and even Yashasvi Jaiswal look more assured of their batting against the red ball. But Gill ticks some important boxes.
Firstly, he has aligned himself suitably to the demands of the team and leadership group, has shown consistent progress in his game and has been in excellent form in ODI cricket for a couple of seasons. He has also shown leadership potential to senior decision-makers and has made huge strides as a leader at IPL side Gujarat Titans.
It is his calm leadership skills at Gujarat which tilted the scales in his favour, especially when compared to the disaster that unfolded at the Lucknow franchise under Pant’s captaincy.
It might be like comparing apples and oranges, when looking at formats. But when margins are so slim, these are the factors that can prove decisive.
When Kohli took over as captain at a young age, there was greater acceptance among Indian cricket fans as he was clearly the next best leader in the group for all formats.
The same can’t be said about Gill as Rohit is still the ODI captain and Suryakumar Yadav is the leader in T20s, where Gill does not warrant selection.
But it can also work in Gill’s favour as he can focus on one format and squad. The tour of England will be a fresh start for him and Indian cricket, with very few lingering ties from the recent past.
Also, only a few very senior players remain in the squad, which means the players Gill has now could serve Indian cricket for many years.
Also, India can’t possibly fare worse than what they did in their last two series. Additionally, Gill can now bat entirely at his pace in Tests, and let others play around him. It is a style of play that has worked for him perfectly in the IPL and can do in Tests too.
Gill knows he is leading a long-term project with the Test team and there is enough talent in the squad to last the distance, with hardly any captaincy challengers around him. What more could a 25-year-old newly appointed Test captain ask for?
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
More on Quran memorisation:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Fernando Jara (jockey), Irfan Ellahi (trainer).
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,400m
Winner: Yaalail, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Fernando Jara, Helal Al Alawi.
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2.200m
Winner: Ezz Al Rawasi, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi.
Stan%20Lee
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
