BCCI left another squad announcement late in the day as we saw the release of the 15-member Indian team for the upcoming Tests against New Zealand. Rohit Sharma finally now has a deputy in the form of Jasprit Bumrah, who is now likely to step in as India’s captain in case of Rohit’s absence. Apart from this, Yash Dayal has been dropped, while Mohammed Shami continued to be on the sidelines after failing to recover on time. In other news, we even saw the commencement of India’s premier domestic tournament, the Ranji Trophy. On that note, here are the six most headline-worthy stories from October 11 (Friday).
Rohit Sharma now has a vice-captain
Indian cricket fans were taken aback by the news of Rohit Sharma’s potential absence from a Test match during the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This led to speculation about who would lead the team in his absence. The BCCI swiftly addressed the concern by appointing Jasprit Bumrah as the Indian vice-captain. Bumrah, who has previously captained India in Tests, is now the frontrunner to lead the team if Rohit is unable to play.
IPL 2025 franchises frustrated
IPL franchises are facing uncertainty regarding player retentions due to unclear regulations. The teams are confused about the rules governing retentions and Right to Match (RTM), with the October 31 deadline for submitting retention lists looming. The document explaining the rules states a fixed retention deduction of Rs 75 crore, regardless of player prices. However, the rules also mention fixed prices for retained players. Franchises are questioning the meaning of these fixed prices if they can set their own retention costs.
Harshit Rana to make debut?
India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate hinted at giving young players like Harshit Rana and Tilak Varma chances in the final T20I against Bangladesh. This follows the impressive debuts of Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy in the previous matches. We try to expose as many guys as we can to international experience with what we’ve got coming up. So someone like Harshit Rana we’re keen to give a game to.,” Ryan said in pre-match press conference. Harshit Rana was previously there in the T20Is against Sri Lanka but didn’t find his place in the Playing XI.
More sorrow for PAK cricket
The Pakistan Cricket team suffered a devastating loss in the first Test against England, despite a strong first-innings performance. Despite scoring 556 runs in their first innings, Pakistan was unable to maintain their “batting” momentum and collapsed in their second innings, ultimately losing by an innings and 47 runs. This defeat marked a historic low for Pakistan, as they became the first team in Test history to lose a match after scoring 556+ runs in their first innings. Harry Brooks’ triple century and Joe Root’s double century highlighted England’s dominant performance as the duo tormented Pakistani bowlers.
Ranji Trophy is back!
The Ranji Trophy made a triumphant return with a series of exciting matches on day one. Defending champions Mumbai faced a resilient Baroda batting lineup, led by Mitesh Patel’s 86. Madhya Pradesh, the 2022 winners, got off to a solid start thanks to Harpreet Singh Bhatia’s 75*. However, Rajat Patidar, the Indian international and RCB star, failed to make a significant impact. With seven centuries scored across the matches, the Ranji Trophy is off to a thrilling start.
Prithvi Shaw in BGT?
Former selector Jatin Paranjape has revealed that Prithvi Shaw is a potential candidate for the reserve opener spot in India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia. The Mumbai batter, who hasn’t played a Test match since 2020, is considered a “dark horse” for the role. This has absolutely come out of a nowhere, with Shaw not being in India’s plans since some time now. While Rohit Sharma is likely to miss a Test in BGT, someone like Abhimanyu Easwaran or Ruturaj Gaikwad are touted to open.
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