Test series win in England bigger prize than IPL, says India captain Gill
Gill is set for his first assignment since succeeding Rohit Sharma as Test skipper as he leads a new-look side in the first of five matches against Ben Stokes' England at Headingley this week.
Test cricket, for so long the pinnacle of the game, has to compete with T20 franchise leagues around the world and players have multiple commitments.
Gill, who won the IPL title with Gujarat Giants in 2022, still views Tests, and especially series wins outside of Asia, as the ultimate achievement.
"You don't get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England -- maybe two, if you're the best of your generation, maybe three -- and you get to have a crack at the IPL every year," the batsman told a pre-match press conference in Leeds on Thursday.
"In my opinion winning a Test series in England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are bigger."
India will be without the retired trio of Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin as they aim for a first Test series win in England since 2007.
Gill did not reveal his team for the first Test at Headingley but confirmed he would step in to Kohli's usual position of four in the batting order.
Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant are big-name players but Gill said less experienced members of the India squad were unburdened by past failures in England.
"A lot of people talk about us not having experience but there are positives that we don't really have any baggage coming to England because not all of the players have been to England," he said.
"That could be one thing that makes the difference for us because we won't be carrying any baggage. We are all very motivated."
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France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Test series win in England bigger prize than IPL, says India captain Gill
Gill is set for his first assignment since succeeding Rohit Sharma as Test skipper as he leads a new-look side in the first of five matches against Ben Stokes' England at Headingley this week. Test cricket, for so long the pinnacle of the game, has to compete with T20 franchise leagues around the world and players have multiple commitments. Gill, who won the IPL title with Gujarat Giants in 2022, still views Tests, and especially series wins outside of Asia, as the ultimate achievement. "You don't get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England -- maybe two, if you're the best of your generation, maybe three -- and you get to have a crack at the IPL every year," the batsman told a pre-match press conference in Leeds on Thursday. "In my opinion winning a Test series in England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are bigger." India will be without the retired trio of Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin as they aim for a first Test series win in England since 2007. Gill did not reveal his team for the first Test at Headingley but confirmed he would step in to Kohli's usual position of four in the batting order. Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant are big-name players but Gill said less experienced members of the India squad were unburdened by past failures in England. "A lot of people talk about us not having experience but there are positives that we don't really have any baggage coming to England because not all of the players have been to England," he said. "That could be one thing that makes the difference for us because we won't be carrying any baggage. We are all very motivated."
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
India start new era without Kohli and Rohit against England
Gill succeeded Rohit as captain after the latter announced his retirement from Test cricket last month. Just days later, Kohli said he was bowing out of red-ball internationals as well. Gill also has the additional responsibility of filling Kohli's shoes at number four in the batting order. India vice-captain Rishabh Pant on Wednesday revealed that was where his new skipper would bat in the first of a five-Test series against England starting at Headingley on Friday. The 25-year-old Gill has a modest Test batting average of 35 in 32 matches, a figure that drops to 29 in away games and declines even further to under 15 in three matches in England. India's number four position has been dominated during the past three decades by all-time batting great Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli, who in that specific position scored 21,056 runs between them in 278 Tests. Gill's first challenge will be ensuring the demands of captaincy don't detract from his batting in England, where India have won just three Test series -- in 1971, 1986 and 2007. Thus far Gill has made all the right noises, saying last month: "I believe in leading by example -- not just by performance, but, I think, off the field by discipline and hard work." He will have the ebullient Pant to lean on after the wicketkeeper-batsman's return from a life-threatening car crash in 2022, while opener Yashavsi Jaiswal is one of the game's rising stars. But it is not just in batting where India -- who have had limited warm-up time in England -- must cope without stalwart performers. Jasprit Bumrah is arguably the best all-format bowler in world cricket at present but, following a back injury lay-off, the quick may only play in three of the five Tests given the tight schedule. Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has retired from Test cricket, while experienced Mohammed Shami, not fully fit following ankle surgery last year, has been omitted. 'They have enough ammunition' If there are concerns about India's ability to take the 20 wickets they need to win a match, those doubts apply to England as well. Beaten 4-1 in India last year, Ben Stokes' men are tipped to turn the tables on home soil in a series that launches the new cycle of the World Test Championship following South Africa's dramatic defeat of Australia in last week's final at Lord's. England, however, are without the retired duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, their two most successful Test bowlers of all time with a combined 1,308 wickets between them. "It feels so good when both of them are not there," said Pant, adding: "But at the same time, they have enough ammunition in the England bowling line-up. "We don't want to take anyone lightly because our team is also young and still looking to develop themselves." England's desire to field an attack including both Jofra Archer and Mark Wood has been hampered by repeated injuries to the fast bowlers. Both Archer and Wood will be missing at Headingley, where Durham paceman Brydon Carse is set to make his home debut in an attack where Chris Woakes, who missed most of the start of the season with an ankle injury, is the senior seamer. "There's no hiding away from the fact that, over a number of years, England have had Broad and Anderson as the main two bowlers, so it is slightly more inexperienced," said Carse. The 29-year-old added: "I think it's a good chance for a couple of younger players, with slightly less experience, to stamp down some authority throughout the series."
France 24
06-06-2025
- France 24
Indian police arrest two after deadly cricket stampede: reports
Hundreds of thousands packed the streets in the southern city of Bengaluru on Wednesday to welcome home their hero Virat Kohli and his RCB cricket team after they beat Punjab Kings in the final of the Indian Premier League. But the euphoria of the vast crowds ended in disaster when 11 mainly young fans died in a stampede near M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the players were parading the trophy. Karnataka state's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Friday he had directed police to arrest the representatives of RCB, event organisers DNA, and Karnataka State Cricket Association. While there has been no official confirmation of the arrests, Siddaramaiah said a first information report, which marks the start of a police investigation, had been "registered against them". Media outlet India Today said that Nikhil Sosale, RCB's head of marketing, was arrested at Bengaluru's airport. The Indian Express newspaper also reported Sosale was arrested along with an executive from an event management company. The deaths have sparked widespread anger, and top police officers including the city's police commissioner have been suspended. Local media reported that the accusations include culpable homicide, not amounting to murder, among others. There was no immediate comment from RCB. 'Made to pay' Siddaramaiah, who only uses one name, also pointed the finger at some senior police. "These officers appear to be irresponsible and negligent and it has been decided to suspend them," Siddaramaiah said. The dead were aged between 14 and 29, and were among a sea of people who had poured onto the streets to catch a glimpse of their heroes. RCB offered financial aid of $11,655 to each family of the victims, calling the deaths "unfortunate". Indian media have widely reported the team earned $2.3 million in prize money alone for taking the title on Wednesday. Kohli, who top-scored in the final, said he was "at a loss for words" after the celebrations of a first IPL crown turned to tragedy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the accident "absolutely heartrending". Siddaramaiah has said that the stadium had a capacity of 35,000 people "but 200,000-300,000 people came". Deadly crowd incidents are a frequent occurrence at Indian mass events such as religious festivals due to poor crowd management and safety lapses. "The grim truth is that the fan, who drives the commerce of every sport, is the last priority for administrators," The Hindu newspaper wrote in its editorial on Friday. "Asphyxia was the primary cause of death besides injuries suffered in the stifling rush," it added. The pioneering IPL sold its broadcast rights in 2022 for five seasons to global media giants for an eye-popping $6.2 billion, putting it up amongst the highest-ranked sport leagues in cost-per-match terms. "The world's richest cricket tournament can't cut corners when it comes to fans' safety," the Indian Express newspaper wrote in an editorial. "A fitting tribute to those dead, therefore, is not mere signing a cheque but holding those in charge responsible -- ensuring that heads roll, and those who dropped the ball Wednesday are made to pay."
