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Shubman Gill, on day 1 (June 20) of the first Test against England, became only the fourth Indian batter to score a hundred in his maiden Test match as captain on the side. Before Gill, only Virat Kohli, Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Hazare had achieved the same landmark. Gill, however, is the first one to get a century against England in England in his maiden Test as captain. Apart from him, Hazare had scored his century in his maiden Test as captain against England but in Delhi back in 1951. Overall, this is Gill's sixth Test century.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/jaiswal-is-first-indian-opening-batter-to-score-100-in-headingley-against-england-in-test-1750430166021">IND vs ENG: Jaiswal breaks 58-year-old record with stunning hundred at Headingley</a>By the 80th over, Gill was batting beautifully well on 118 &nbsp;with Rishabh Pant on his side nearing 50. Thanks to them, India already were past 300 for loss of only three wickets.Batting first after losing the toss, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul opened the batting for India and added 52 runs for the opening wicket in the first 15 overs. This is only the second time in India's history of touring England for Tests that they have crossed 50-run mark for the opening wicket at Headingley.The partnership ended when Rahul chased a wide full ball only to be caught at the slips off Brydon Carse. The duo, however, added 91 runs - the highest opening partnership for India at Headingley.Jaiswal, however, scored his hundred before getting out - the first by an Indian opener in Tests at the venue. He was dismissed shortly after the break on a beauty by Stokes which took his off stump for 101.Earlier, India handed a Test debut to Sai Sudharsan after a bumper season in IPL 2025 but he was dismissed on a duck on the stroke of lunch. They also offered a place to Karun Nair who is returning to India set up after an eight-year hiatus.

Before Gill, only Virat Kohli, Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Hazare had achieved the same landmark. Gill, however, is the first one to get a century against England in England in his maiden Test as captain.

Shubman Gill, on day 1 (June 20) of the first Test against England, became only the fourth Indian batter to score a hundred in his maiden Test match as captain on the side. Before Gill, only Virat Kohli, Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Hazare had achieved the same landmark. Gill, however, is the first one to get a century against England in England in his maiden Test as captain. Apart from him, Hazare had scored his century in his maiden Test as captain against England but in Delhi back in 1951. Overall, this is Gill's sixth Test century. Also Read - IND vs ENG: Jaiswal breaks 58-year-old record with stunning hundred at Headingley By the 80th over, Gill was batting beautifully well on 118 with Rishabh Pant on his side nearing 50. Thanks to them, India already were past 300 for loss of only three wickets. Batting first after losing the toss, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul opened the batting for India and added 52 runs for the opening wicket in the first 15 overs. This is only the second time in India's history of touring England for Tests that they have crossed 50-run mark for the opening wicket at Headingley. The partnership ended when Rahul chased a wide full ball only to be caught at the slips off Brydon Carse. The duo, however, added 91 runs - the highest opening partnership for India at Headingley. Jaiswal, however, scored his hundred before getting out - the first by an Indian opener in Tests at the venue. He was dismissed shortly after the break on a beauty by Stokes which took his off stump for 101. Earlier, India handed a Test debut to Sai Sudharsan after a bumper season in IPL 2025 but he was dismissed on a duck on the stroke of lunch. They also offered a place to Karun Nair who is returning to India set up after an eight-year hiatus.

Before Gill, only Virat Kohli, Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Hazare had achieved the same landmark. Gill, however, is the first one to get a century against England in England in his maiden Test as captain.

IND vs ENG: Best India captain in England already? Gill joins elite company with blockbuster hundred at Headingley

Whenever Wimbledon Championship is talked about Roger Federer's name always comes on top - for he has won eight grass court titles - the most by any player in open era. Federer won five consecutive Wimbledon titles from 2003 to 2007 before adding three more in 2009, 2012 and last one in 2017. After Federer came Novak Djokovic who has won the Wimbledon seven times including four back-to-back titles. Djokovic's first title on grass court came in 2011 before winning it consecutively in 2014 and 2015 and then in 2018, 2019, 2021 &amp; 2022 - with 2020 being cancelled due to Covid 19.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/who-is-greatest-player-in-wimbledon-roger-federer-could-have-won-12-titles-if-not-for-novak-djokovic-1750166409661">Greatest player in Wimbledon? Roger Federer could have won 12 titles if not for Djokovic and Nadal</a>Before Federer burst on scene, there was another player who had won seven Wimbledon titles that too in eight years - no other player in the history of open era Wimbledon has won it with that success. He is Pete Sampras from the USA.Is he better than Roger Federer in Wimbledon? Let's have a look at his numbers:Sampras first won a grand slam in 1990 when he claimed the US Open - his home tournament. It was a three-year gap before he won his second title - a Wimbledon in 1993.The Championship victory started what could be a dream run with Sampras winning two more Wimbledon titles - in 1994 and 1995 before losing in the Round of 16 of 1996 edition. The US tennis great, however, bounced back in some style as he won four consecutive Wimbledon title in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 to make it total seven.As for other grand slams, he won four more US Open titles apart from one in 1990 - in 1993, 1995, 1996 and 2002. As for Roland Garros, the best he could muster was reach the semis of 1996 French Open - clearly not his strong suit. As for Australian Open - he conquered Rod Laver court twice in 1994 and 1997.He finished he career with 14 grand slam title and half of them were Wimbledon titles - making him arguably one of the best grass court player ever.

Before Federer burst on scene, there was another player who had won seven Wimbledon titles that too in eight years - no other player in the history of open era Wimbledon has won it with that success. He is Pete Sampras from the USA.

Whenever Wimbledon Championship is talked about Roger Federer's name always comes on top - for he has won eight grass court titles - the most by any player in open era. Federer won five consecutive Wimbledon titles from 2003 to 2007 before adding three more in 2009, 2012 and last one in 2017. After Federer came Novak Djokovic who has won the Wimbledon seven times including four back-to-back titles. Djokovic's first title on grass court came in 2011 before winning it consecutively in 2014 and 2015 and then in 2018, 2019, 2021 & 2022 - with 2020 being cancelled due to Covid 19. Also Read - Greatest player in Wimbledon? Roger Federer could have won 12 titles if not for Djokovic and Nadal Before Federer burst on scene, there was another player who had won seven Wimbledon titles that too in eight years - no other player in the history of open era Wimbledon has won it with that success. He is Pete Sampras from the USA. Is he better than Roger Federer in Wimbledon? Let's have a look at his numbers: Sampras first won a grand slam in 1990 when he claimed the US Open - his home tournament. It was a three-year gap before he won his second title - a Wimbledon in 1993. The Championship victory started what could be a dream run with Sampras winning two more Wimbledon titles - in 1994 and 1995 before losing in the Round of 16 of 1996 edition. The US tennis great, however, bounced back in some style as he won four consecutive Wimbledon title in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 to make it total seven. As for other grand slams, he won four more US Open titles apart from one in 1990 - in 1993, 1995, 1996 and 2002. As for Roland Garros, the best he could muster was reach the semis of 1996 French Open - clearly not his strong suit. As for Australian Open - he conquered Rod Laver court twice in 1994 and 1997. He finished he career with 14 grand slam title and half of them were Wimbledon titles - making him arguably one of the best grass court player ever.

Before Federer burst on scene, there was another player who had won seven Wimbledon titles that too in eight years - no other player in the history of open era Wimbledon has won it with that success. He is Pete Sampras from the USA.

Better than Federer in Wimbledon? Retired US tennis player won 7 Wimbledon titles in eight years

Usman Khawaja, left-hand opening batter for Australia, is a Pakistani-origin cricketer, born in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Although Khawaja plays for Australia, he has often said that he has a deep love for Pakistan, his birthplace. His family moved to Australia when he was just four years old. Khawaja started playing international cricket for Australia in 2011. Today, he is considered one of the top batsmen in Test cricket.&nbsp;Khawaja’s personal life is also quite interesting. He is married to Rachel McLellan, who is nine years younger than him. The two first met in Sydney and then got engaged in 2016 and tied the knot in 2018.&nbsp;&nbsp;Before marrying Khawaja, Rachel was a Catholic Christian. However, she chose to convert to Islam before their wedding. Khawaja has said that Rachel embraced Islam of her own free will and there was no pressure on her. The couple had a traditional Islamic wedding.&nbsp;Also Check - <a href="Indian bowlers with most Test wickets against England in England">Indian bowlers with most Test wickets against England in England</a>&nbsp;In 2016, on his 21st birthday, Khawaja proposed to Rachel during horse riding in New York’s Central Park. The proposal was a special and romantic moment for both of them.&nbsp;Rachel has always supported Khawaja through the ups and downs of his cricket career.&nbsp;Rachel is also very active on social media and often shares pictures of their family life. She has over 139 K followers on Instagram. The couple has been blessed with two daughters.&nbsp;&nbsp;Rachel also holds dual citizenship of Australia and New Zealand and apart from working as a Business developer, she also works in the sports media industry in her country.&nbsp;Many people admire Rachel not only because of &nbsp;Khawaja but also for her beauty. She often draws attention from her looks, with some even saying she could rival Hollywood actresses.

Rachel is also very active on social media and often shares pictures of their family life. She has over 139k followers on Instagram. The couple has been blessed with two daughters. 

Usman Khawaja, left-hand opening batter for Australia, is a Pakistani-origin cricketer, born in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Although Khawaja plays for Australia, he has often said that he has a deep love for Pakistan, his birthplace. His family moved to Australia when he was just four years old. Khawaja started playing international cricket for Australia in 2011. Today, he is considered one of the top batsmen in Test cricket. Khawaja’s personal life is also quite interesting. He is married to Rachel McLellan, who is nine years younger than him. The two first met in Sydney and then got engaged in 2016 and tied the knot in 2018. Before marrying Khawaja, Rachel was a Catholic Christian. However, she chose to convert to Islam before their wedding. Khawaja has said that Rachel embraced Islam of her own free will and there was no pressure on her. The couple had a traditional Islamic wedding. Also Check - Indian bowlers with most Test wickets against England in England In 2016, on his 21st birthday, Khawaja proposed to Rachel during horse riding in New York’s Central Park. The proposal was a special and romantic moment for both of them. Rachel has always supported Khawaja through the ups and downs of his cricket career. Rachel is also very active on social media and often shares pictures of their family life. She has over 139 K followers on Instagram. The couple has been blessed with two daughters. Rachel also holds dual citizenship of Australia and New Zealand and apart from working as a Business developer, she also works in the sports media industry in her country. Many people admire Rachel not only because of Khawaja but also for her beauty. She often draws attention from her looks, with some even saying she could rival Hollywood actresses.

Rachel is also very active on social media and often shares pictures of their family life. She has over 139k followers on Instagram. The couple has been blessed with two daughters.&nbsp;

Meet Rachel Khawaja, wife of Pakistan-origin Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja, who converted to Islam for marriage, know their love story

Yashasvi Jaiswal has done what no other Indian opening batter has been able to achieve when playing a Test against England at Hedingley, Leeds. The 23-year-old southpaw scored a hundred on day 1 (June 20) of the first Test against England - the first by an Indian opener in Tests at the venue. Before Jaiswal's ton, it was Farookh Engineer's 87 in 1967 as highest score by an Indian opening batter at Headingley in Tests against England. India were 215/2 by teas thanks to his century with skipper Shubman Gill staying unbeaten past fifty in his first Test as India skipper - a dream start definitely. Jaiswal, however, was dismissed shortly after the break on a beauty by Stokes which took his off stump for 101.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tears-grit-and-a-dream-fulfilled-sai-sudharsans-journey-to-indias-test-debut-1750419415817">Tears, grit and a dream fulfilled: Sai Sudharsan’s journey to India's Test debut</a>Batting first after losing the toss, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul opened the batting for India and added 52 runs for the opening wicket in the first 15 overs. This is only the second time in India's history of touring England for Tests that they have crossed 50-run mark for the opening wicket at Headingley. The only other time Indian openers crossed 50-run mark for opening wicket in Leeds was back in 1986 with Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth adding 64 runs.By 20th over, the openers had crossed the previous highest opening partnership mark when Rahul hit a sumptuous four off Ben Stokes. The partnership ended when Rahul chased a wide full ball only to be caught at the slips off Brydon Carse. The duo, however, added 91 runs - the highest opening partnership for India at Headingley.Earlier, India handed a Test debut to Sai Sudharsan after a bumper season in IPL 2025 where he ended with Orange Cap for most runs in the tournament while playing for Gujarat Titans. They also offered a place to Karun Nair who is returning to India set up after an eight-year hiatus.

The 23-year-old southpaw scored a hundred on day 1 (June 20) of the first Test against England - the first by an Indian opener in Tests at the venue. Before Jaiswal's ton, it was Farookh Engineer's 87 in 1967 as highest score by an Indian opening batter

Yashasvi Jaiswal has done what no other Indian opening batter has been able to achieve when playing a Test against England at Hedingley, Leeds. The 23-year-old southpaw scored a hundred on day 1 (June 20) of the first Test against England - the first by an Indian opener in Tests at the venue. Before Jaiswal's ton, it was Farookh Engineer's 87 in 1967 as highest score by an Indian opening batter at Headingley in Tests against England. India were 215/2 by teas thanks to his century with skipper Shubman Gill staying unbeaten past fifty in his first Test as India skipper - a dream start definitely. Jaiswal, however, was dismissed shortly after the break on a beauty by Stokes which took his off stump for 101. Also Read - Tears, grit and a dream fulfilled: Sai Sudharsan’s journey to India's Test debut Batting first after losing the toss, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul opened the batting for India and added 52 runs for the opening wicket in the first 15 overs. This is only the second time in India's history of touring England for Tests that they have crossed 50-run mark for the opening wicket at Headingley. The only other time Indian openers crossed 50-run mark for opening wicket in Leeds was back in 1986 with Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth adding 64 runs. By 20th over, the openers had crossed the previous highest opening partnership mark when Rahul hit a sumptuous four off Ben Stokes. The partnership ended when Rahul chased a wide full ball only to be caught at the slips off Brydon Carse. The duo, however, added 91 runs - the highest opening partnership for India at Headingley. Earlier, India handed a Test debut to Sai Sudharsan after a bumper season in IPL 2025 where he ended with Orange Cap for most runs in the tournament while playing for Gujarat Titans. They also offered a place to Karun Nair who is returning to India set up after an eight-year hiatus.

The 23-year-old southpaw scored a hundred on day 1 (June 20) of the first Test against England - the first by an Indian opener in Tests at the venue. Before Jaiswal's ton, it was Farookh Engineer's 87 in 1967 as highest score by an Indian opening batter.

IND vs ENG: Jaiswal breaks 58-year-old record with stunning hundred at Headingley

June has been precious for Indian cricket with India lifting two ICC titles and four Indian batters debuting in Test cricket.

June has been precious for Indian cricket with India lifting two ICC titles and four Indian batters debuting in Test cricket.

From Lord’s glory to debut dreams: Why June is special for Indian Cricket

Virat Kohli, the heart of Indian cricket, chooses to lay low and lead a quiet life with his family in London, England. Since announcing his Test retirement last month, Kohli, who later won his maiden IPL title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025, moved to the UK to spend the English summer with his wife and Bollywood actress, Anushka Sharma, and two kids. Choosing to spend time in peace and away from the chaos and media attention, Kohli remains in the vicinity of the Indian Team despite not being part of the Test squad for the ongoing five-match Test series against England.&nbsp;Even as India will play two Test matches in London, including the third one at the Lord’s starting July 10, Kohli chooses to remain private and deliberately distanced from the sport, per a Telegraph report that sheds some light on Kohli’s London life.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/is-june-20-the-luckiest-day-for-indian-test-cricket-history-and-numbers-suggest-so-sourav-ganguly-rahul-dravid-virat-kohli-1750410114862">Is June 20 the luckiest date for Indian Test Cricket? History and numbers suggest so!</a> &nbsp;Unlike his batting hero and cricket great Sachin Tendulkar, who was at Lord’s recently, Kohli skipped the recently-concluded WTC Final between Australia and South Africa and MCC’s ‘World Cricket Connects’ symposium despite staying close to the venue. &nbsp;Meanwhile, contrary to his life in India, where he is no less than a mega superstar, which also comes with its set of restrictions, Kohli walks like a free man in London - a city that offered him the refuge he longed for while staying in India. In the UK, he goes to restaurants with his family and even rides a tube (metro), something he can only imagine doing in his country.&nbsp; &nbsp;Moreover, he and Anushka are believed to be staying in Notting Hill.<h2>Team India in the UK &nbsp;</h2>After playing the intra-squad game against India-A in Beckenham, the senior men’s team was sent out to bat first on day one of the Leeds Test against England on Friday (Jun 20).&nbsp; &nbsp;While India handed a debut cap to Sai Sudharsan – the new number three- they recalled domestic giant Karun Nair to the Test line-up for the first time in eight years. &nbsp;In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack, and Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna will share the new ball with him. All-rounder Shardul Thakur was picked ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy, while Ravindra Jadeja retained his place as the lone spinner.&nbsp;

Heart of Indian Cricket, Kohli chooses to lead quiet life in England – Report

Virat Kohli, the heart of Indian cricket, chooses to lay low and lead a quiet life with his family in London, England. Since announcing his Test retirement last month, Kohli, who later won his maiden IPL title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025, moved to the UK to spend the English summer with his wife and Bollywood actress, Anushka Sharma, and two kids. Choosing to spend time in peace and away from the chaos and media attention, Kohli remains in the vicinity of the Indian Team despite not being part of the Test squad for the ongoing five-match Test series against England. Even as India will play two Test matches in London, including the third one at the Lord’s starting July 10, Kohli chooses to remain private and deliberately distanced from the sport, per a Telegraph report that sheds some light on Kohli’s London life. Also read | Is June 20 the luckiest date for Indian Test Cricket? History and numbers suggest so! Unlike his batting hero and cricket great Sachin Tendulkar, who was at Lord’s recently, Kohli skipped the recently-concluded WTC Final between Australia and South Africa and MCC’s ‘World Cricket Connects’ symposium despite staying close to the venue. Meanwhile, contrary to his life in India, where he is no less than a mega superstar, which also comes with its set of restrictions, Kohli walks like a free man in London - a city that offered him the refuge he longed for while staying in India. In the UK, he goes to restaurants with his family and even rides a tube (metro), something he can only imagine doing in his country. Moreover, he and Anushka are believed to be staying in Notting Hill. Team India in the UK After playing the intra-squad game against India-A in Beckenham, the senior men’s team was sent out to bat first on day one of the Leeds Test against England on Friday (Jun 20). While India handed a debut cap to Sai Sudharsan – the new number three- they recalled domestic giant Karun Nair to the Test line-up for the first time in eight years. In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack, and Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna will share the new ball with him. All-rounder Shardul Thakur was picked ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy, while Ravindra Jadeja retained his place as the lone spinner.

Even as India will play two Test matches in London, including the third one at the Lord’s starting July 10, Kohli chooses to remain private and deliberately distanced from the sport.

Heart of Indian Cricket, Kohli chooses to lead quiet life in England with family – Report

What does it mean to wear the Indian Test jersey? For some, it’s an achievement and for others, it’s a lifetime dream. But for Sai Sudharsan, it meant grit, patience and a powerful comeback. On Friday (Jun 20), the 23-year-old left-hand batter from Tamil Nadu lived the biggest day of his cricketing career as he made his Test debut for India against England at Headingley, Leeds. Cheteshwar Pujara handed him his Test cap and tears were rolling in Sai’s eyes, a moment that showed how much Cap. No. 317 meant to him.Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-rahul-jasiwal-start-off-headingley-test-with-historic-milestone-last-achieved-in-1986-1750418296708">IND vs ENG: Rahul, Jasiwal start off Headingley Test with HISTORIC milestone last achieved in 1986</a>June 20: Glorious Day in Indian Test CricketInterestingly, June 20 is a date that carries great meaning in Indian cricket. In 1996, it was the day legends like Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid made their Test debuts at Lord’s. In 2011, it was Virat Kohli’s turn. Now, in 2025, the baton has been passed to Sai Sudharsan.But his path to the debut wasn’t a walk in the park. In December 2019, Sai was dropped from Tamil Nadu’s U-19 team for a strange reason: poor physical shape. He was completely shattered; however, instead of quitting, he fought tooth and nail to come back stronger.Sai's parents played a crucial role in his fitness and training journey. Usha Bharadwaj, a former Tamil Nadu volleyball player and fitness coach, began training him along with his father, R Bharadwaj, a track-and-field athlete who represented India.Sudharsan's comeback was strong and focused. In the 2021 TNPL, he became the second-highest run-scorer. He shone in his maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 610 runs, including three centuries, with an average of 76. One of those knocks came during a record-breaking 416-run opening stand with N Jagadeesan against Arunachal Pradesh.Then came the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he made headlines. Picked by the Gujarat Titans (GT) in 2022, he rose steadily in the cash-rich tournament. In the 2023 IPL final against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), he smashed 96 and nearly won the trophy for GT. Also in IPL 2025, Sai topped the orange cap leaderboard with 759 runs, including a century and five fifties.Now, he's here batting at No. 3 in the Indian Test team with a mix of calmness and confidence. Sai Sudharsan’s journey proves that no setback is permanent. Hard work and strong belief can defy all the odds and place you towards your goal.

On Friday (Jun 20), the 23-year-old left-hand batter from Tamil Nadu lived the biggest day of his cricketing career as he made his Test debut for India against England at Headingley, Leeds.

What does it mean to wear the Indian Test jersey? For some, it’s an achievement and for others, it’s a lifetime dream. But for Sai Sudharsan, it meant grit, patience and a powerful comeback. On Friday (Jun 20), the 23-year-old left-hand batter from Tamil Nadu lived the biggest day of his cricketing career as he made his Test debut for India against England at Headingley, Leeds. Cheteshwar Pujara handed him his Test cap and tears were rolling in Sai’s eyes, a moment that showed how much Cap. No. 317 meant to him. Also Read | IND vs ENG: Rahul, Jasiwal start off Headingley Test with HISTORIC milestone last achieved in 1986 June 20: Glorious Day in Indian Test Cricket Interestingly, June 20 is a date that carries great meaning in Indian cricket. In 1996, it was the day legends like Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid made their Test debuts at Lord’s. In 2011, it was Virat Kohli’s turn. Now, in 2025, the baton has been passed to Sai Sudharsan. But his path to the debut wasn’t a walk in the park. In December 2019, Sai was dropped from Tamil Nadu’s U-19 team for a strange reason: poor physical shape. He was completely shattered; however, instead of quitting, he fought tooth and nail to come back stronger. Sai's parents played a crucial role in his fitness and training journey. Usha Bharadwaj, a former Tamil Nadu volleyball player and fitness coach, began training him along with his father, R Bharadwaj, a track-and-field athlete who represented India. Sudharsan's comeback was strong and focused. In the 2021 TNPL, he became the second-highest run-scorer. He shone in his maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 610 runs, including three centuries, with an average of 76. One of those knocks came during a record-breaking 416-run opening stand with N Jagadeesan against Arunachal Pradesh. Then came the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he made headlines. Picked by the Gujarat Titans (GT) in 2022, he rose steadily in the cash-rich tournament. In the 2023 IPL final against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), he smashed 96 and nearly won the trophy for GT. Also in IPL 2025, Sai topped the orange cap leaderboard with 759 runs, including a century and five fifties. Now, he's here batting at No. 3 in the Indian Test team with a mix of calmness and confidence. Sai Sudharsan’s journey proves that no setback is permanent. Hard work and strong belief can defy all the odds and place you towards your goal.

On Friday (Jun 20), the 23-year-old left-hand batter from Tamil Nadu lived the biggest day of his cricketing career as he made his Test debut for India against England at Headingley, Leeds.

Tears, grit and a dream fulfilled: Sai Sudharsan’s journey to India's Test debut

The first India vs England Test is underway at Headingley with already great signs visible for the Shuman Gill's relatively inexperienced batters. Batting first after losing the toss, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul opened the batting for India and added 52 runs for the opening wicket in the first 15 overs. This is only the second time in India's history of touring England for Tests that they have crossed 50-run mark for the opening wicket at Headingley. The only other time Indian openers crossed 50-run mark for opening wicket in Leeds was back in 1986 with Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth adding 64 runs.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/meet-the-only-england-player-to-feature-in-headingley-test-vs-india-in-2021-and-2025-1750399034870">Meet the only England player to feature in Headingley Test vs India in 2021 and 2025</a> Notably, India went on to win that Test in 1986, second of the series, and the series as well having won the first Test already. The series win in 1986 - only second in Tests for India in England ever - came under 1983 ODI World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev. The other two times India won a Test series in England was in 1971 (under Ajit Wadekar) and 2007 (under Rahul Dravid).By 20th over, the openers had crossed the previous highest opening partnership mark when Rahul hit a sumptuous four off Ben Stokes.Rahul and Jaiswal's partnership ended when the former chased a wide full ball only to be caught at the slips off Brydon Carse. The duo, however, added 91 runs - the highest opening partnership for India at Headingley.Earlier, India handed a Test debut to Sai Sudharsan after a bumper season in IPL 2025 where he ended with Orange Cap for most runs in the tournament while playing for Gujarat Titans. They also offered a place to Karun Nair who is returning to India set up after an eight-year hiatus.India Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed SirajEngland Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir

This is only the second time in India's history of touring England for Tests that they have crossed 50-run mark for the opening wicket at Headingley. The only other time Indian openers crossed 50-run mark for opening wicket in Leeds was back in 1986.

The first India vs England Test is underway at Headingley with already great signs visible for the Shuman Gill's relatively inexperienced batters. Batting first after losing the toss, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul opened the batting for India and added 52 runs for the opening wicket in the first 15 overs. This is only the second time in India's history of touring England for Tests that they have crossed 50-run mark for the opening wicket at Headingley. The only other time Indian openers crossed 50-run mark for opening wicket in Leeds was back in 1986 with Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth adding 64 runs. Also Read - Meet the only England player to feature in Headingley Test vs India in 2021 and 2025 Notably, India went on to win that Test in 1986, second of the series, and the series as well having won the first Test already. The series win in 1986 - only second in Tests for India in England ever - came under 1983 ODI World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev. The other two times India won a Test series in England was in 1971 (under Ajit Wadekar) and 2007 (under Rahul Dravid). By 20th over, the openers had crossed the previous highest opening partnership mark when Rahul hit a sumptuous four off Ben Stokes. Rahul and Jaiswal's partnership ended when the former chased a wide full ball only to be caught at the slips off Brydon Carse. The duo, however, added 91 runs - the highest opening partnership for India at Headingley. Earlier, India handed a Test debut to Sai Sudharsan after a bumper season in IPL 2025 where he ended with Orange Cap for most runs in the tournament while playing for Gujarat Titans. They also offered a place to Karun Nair who is returning to India set up after an eight-year hiatus. India Playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir

This is only the second time in India's history of touring England for Tests that they have crossed 50-run mark for the opening wicket at Headingley. The only other time Indian openers crossed 50-run mark for opening wicket in Leeds was back in 1986.

IND vs ENG: Rahul, Jasiwal start off Headingley Test with HISTORIC milestone last achieved in 1986

Steve Smith's cricket journey is one of the most fascinating stories in modern-day cricket. From starting as a leg-spinner in 2010 to becoming one of the greatest Test batters ever, let's have a look at his top 10 career moments.

Steve Smith's cricket journey is one of the most fascinating stories in modern-day cricket. From starting as a leg-spinner in 2010 to becoming one of the greatest Test batters ever, let's have a look at his top 10 career moments.

Steve Smith's Top 10 Career Moments: From Leg-spin debut to Lord’s batting glory

India’s five-match Test series against England, starting on Thursday (June 20) at Headingley in Leeds, will be a special one for Rishabh Pant. This will be Pant’s third Test tour of England, but for the first time, he will play as the team’s vice-captain.&nbsp;&nbsp;Pant has done really well in England since making his debut there in 2018. As India’s second-most experienced batter in the team now, his performance will be important if India want to win a Test series in England, something they haven’t done since 2007.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="Indian bowlers with most Test wickets against England in England">Indian bowlers with most Test wickets against England in England</a>&nbsp;Pant also has the chance to break MS Dhoni’s record for most Test centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper. Both Dhoni and Pant have six centuries each. If Pant scores one more century then he will go past Dhoni. Wriddhiman Saha is next with three centuries, followed by Farokh Engineer, Syed Kirmani, and Budhi Kunderan.&nbsp;Pant is also close to breaking another Dhoni record, the most Test runs by an Indian keeper in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia). Dhoni has 1731 runs, while Pant has 1681 runs. He needs just 50 more runs to become the highest run-scorer in SENA countries for India.&nbsp;The series will begin at Leeds. Pant confirmed he will bat at number five, while captain Gill will play at number four. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal are expected to open the innings, but the team is still deciding who will bat at number three.&nbsp;Jasprit Bumrah will play only three of the five Tests, so the team has added Harshit Rana to the squad as extra support.&nbsp;India squad:Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.

Pant has done really well in England since making his debut there in 2018. As India’s second-most experienced batter in the team now, his performance will be important if India wants to win a Test series in England, something they haven’t done since 2007.

India’s five-match Test series against England, starting on Thursday (June 20) at Headingley in Leeds, will be a special one for Rishabh Pant. This will be Pant’s third Test tour of England, but for the first time, he will play as the team’s vice-captain. Pant has done really well in England since making his debut there in 2018. As India’s second-most experienced batter in the team now, his performance will be important if India want to win a Test series in England, something they haven’t done since 2007. Also Read - Indian bowlers with most Test wickets against England in England Pant also has the chance to break MS Dhoni’s record for most Test centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper. Both Dhoni and Pant have six centuries each. If Pant scores one more century then he will go past Dhoni. Wriddhiman Saha is next with three centuries, followed by Farokh Engineer, Syed Kirmani, and Budhi Kunderan. Pant is also close to breaking another Dhoni record, the most Test runs by an Indian keeper in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia). Dhoni has 1731 runs, while Pant has 1681 runs. He needs just 50 more runs to become the highest run-scorer in SENA countries for India. The series will begin at Leeds. Pant confirmed he will bat at number five, while captain Gill will play at number four. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal are expected to open the innings, but the team is still deciding who will bat at number three. Jasprit Bumrah will play only three of the five Tests, so the team has added Harshit Rana to the squad as extra support. India squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.

Pant has done really well in England since making his debut there in 2018. As India’s second-most experienced batter in the team now, his performance will be important if India wants to win a Test series in England, something they haven’t done since 2007.

Rishabh Pant needs 50 more runs to break MS Dhoni’s THIS legendary record

June is lucky for Indian cricket. But is there one luckiest date of them all? Those from the bygone years might argue that June 25 is the luckiest date – why? India lifted its first ICC title – an ODI World Cup on that date in 1983, beating the defending champions West Indies in a famous Lord's final. Fast forward almost 40 years, the Men in Blue won its second T20 World Cup title on June 29, 2024, in the Americas. But is there a date that holds more significance to Indian Test cricket, specifically? History and numbers suggest that it’s June 20.&nbsp;June 20 and Indian Test cricket have plenty to do with each other. Has India won anything major on this day? Perhaps not! Then what makes it special than other dates on the calendar?&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-end-1st-test-headingley-leeds-preview-shubman-gill-era-begins-as-team-india-launches-quest-for-history-in-uk-1750398005312">IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK</a> &nbsp;Of all the greatest Test cricketers the country has produced over the years, the three most significant ones made their respective Test debuts on June 20. Those three players were Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli.&nbsp; &nbsp;Known for shaping Indian cricket their way, each contributed massively both on and off the field. Besides being among the country’s biggest match winners, all three were fabulous captains and led India to scale massive heights at home and abroad, creating history almost everywhere. &nbsp;While Ganguly and Dravid were introduced to the Test scene on this day in 1996 during India’s Test against England at the Lord’s, Virat emerged on the Test side on June 20, 2011, debuting alongside opener Abhinav Mukund and seamer Praveen Kumar, against the West Indies.<h2>From 1996 till eternity &nbsp;</h2>Picked to play alongside the superstar Sachin Tendulkar, with whom this pair etched their name in history books countless times later on, Ganguly and Dravid enjoyed their maiden outings on English soil as Indian batters. While history remains kinder to Ganguly, who scored a hundred on debut, hitting a brilliant 131 batting at number three, it somewhere forgot to honour Dravid that much, who missed the same feat by just five runs in his debut outing, as he got out on 95 in the same innings. &nbsp;Years later, they finished their Test careers as one of the best in the game. While both played over 100 Tests for India, Dravid led the race for most runs scored between them; Ganguly, however, did more as a Test captain and was famous for saving Indian cricket following match-fixing scandals in the early 2000s. &nbsp;Meanwhile, Kohli’s emergence on the Test scene in 2011 changed Indian Cricket forever. Let alone being applauded for his run-scoring spree throughout his career, Kohli’s run as India’s Test captain has the world talking about it to date. Of his massive achievements as both batter and skipper, Kohli leading India to a Test series win Down Under (against Australia) made him the best-ever. &nbsp;However, all three are now retired, with Kohli being the latest to hang up his Test boots.&nbsp;Besides, another name is added to the list. On June 20, 2025, Tamil Nadu batter Sai Sudharsan made his Test debut ahead of day one of the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Test Cap number 3⃣1⃣7⃣ Congratulations to Sai Sudharsan, who is all set to make his Test Debut 🙌 Updates ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/CuzAEnBkyu">https://t.co/CuzAEnBkyu</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/wn8kaXdln6">pic.twitter.com/wn8kaXdln6</a>&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1935992504836669748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

India won its maiden ODI World Cup on June 25, 1983, and their second T20 World Cup title on June 29, 2024. But why is June 20 more famous?

June is lucky for Indian cricket. But is there one luckiest date of them all? Those from the bygone years might argue that June 25 is the luckiest date – why? India lifted its first ICC title – an ODI World Cup on that date in 1983, beating the defending champions West Indies in a famous Lord's final. Fast forward almost 40 years, the Men in Blue won its second T20 World Cup title on June 29, 2024, in the Americas. But is there a date that holds more significance to Indian Test cricket, specifically? History and numbers suggest that it’s June 20. June 20 and Indian Test cricket have plenty to do with each other. Has India won anything major on this day? Perhaps not! Then what makes it special than other dates on the calendar? Also read | IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK Of all the greatest Test cricketers the country has produced over the years, the three most significant ones made their respective Test debuts on June 20. Those three players were Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli. Known for shaping Indian cricket their way, each contributed massively both on and off the field. Besides being among the country’s biggest match winners, all three were fabulous captains and led India to scale massive heights at home and abroad, creating history almost everywhere. While Ganguly and Dravid were introduced to the Test scene on this day in 1996 during India’s Test against England at the Lord’s, Virat emerged on the Test side on June 20, 2011, debuting alongside opener Abhinav Mukund and seamer Praveen Kumar, against the West Indies. From 1996 till eternity Picked to play alongside the superstar Sachin Tendulkar, with whom this pair etched their name in history books countless times later on, Ganguly and Dravid enjoyed their maiden outings on English soil as Indian batters. While history remains kinder to Ganguly, who scored a hundred on debut, hitting a brilliant 131 batting at number three, it somewhere forgot to honour Dravid that much, who missed the same feat by just five runs in his debut outing, as he got out on 95 in the same innings. Years later, they finished their Test careers as one of the best in the game. While both played over 100 Tests for India, Dravid led the race for most runs scored between them; Ganguly, however, did more as a Test captain and was famous for saving Indian cricket following match-fixing scandals in the early 2000s. Meanwhile, Kohli’s emergence on the Test scene in 2011 changed Indian Cricket forever. Let alone being applauded for his run-scoring spree throughout his career, Kohli’s run as India’s Test captain has the world talking about it to date. Of his massive achievements as both batter and skipper, Kohli leading India to a Test series win Down Under (against Australia) made him the best-ever. However, all three are now retired, with Kohli being the latest to hang up his Test boots. Besides, another name is added to the list. On June 20, 2025, Tamil Nadu batter Sai Sudharsan made his Test debut ahead of day one of the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds.

India won its maiden ODI World Cup on June 25, 1983, and their second T20 World Cup title on June 29, 2024. But why is June 20 more famous?

Is June 20 the luckiest date for Indian Test Cricket? History and numbers suggest so!

The cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) comes every year. But not everyone gets a chance to captain India in Tests outside of home, and even though those who get to live this honour might not have more than one or two series under their belts. The newly-appointed Indian captain, Shubman Gill, feels the same ahead of leading his team out for the first Test between England and India starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. When asked about prioritising between winning an IPL trophy and lifting one for India in Tests abroad, he didn’t take more than a second to answer.&nbsp;Gill has won an IPL trophy with Gujarat Titans in its maiden appearance (in 2022) but not as a captain. Besides leading GT in the concluded IPL 2025, where his team finished inside the top four but failed to advance through, Gill led India in five T20Is against Zimbabwe last year, winning the series 4-1. With the marquee England series being his first as a full-fledged captain (in Tests), Gill has a whole new world to explore and excel in.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-2025-sachin-tendulkar-expects-something-special-from-captain-shubman-gill-in-england-predicts-test-series-scoreline-1750403012299">Sachin Tendulkar expects ‘something special’ from India captain Gill on England tour, predicts series scoreline</a> &nbsp;Addressing the media in the pre-game presser, Gill picked one of the two, saying, "Definitely the Test series, in my opinion. You don't get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England, maybe two; if you are the best of your generation, maybe three.&nbsp; &nbsp;“And IPL comes every year, and you get to have a crack at it every year. So in my opinion, winning a Test series in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa is bigger,” he continued.&nbsp;<h2>Setting goals &nbsp;</h2>With no Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma around, the onus would fall on three experienced batters, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and captain Gill himself, to bail the team out in challenging conditions and situations. Without burdening himself much on the captaincy and batting front, Gill said, &nbsp;"Honestly, when I want to go out there and bat, I just want to play as a batsman, not really want to think that I'm the captain of the team, because I think that sometimes puts too much pressure on you. Whenever I'm going out there, I want to play as a batsman and want to want to dominate the opposition and be the best batsman in the series, and that's what I'm trying to look at."

Shubman Gill picks between winning Test series abroad and lifting an IPL trophy

The cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) comes every year. But not everyone gets a chance to captain India in Tests outside of home, and even though those who get to live this honour might not have more than one or two series under their belts. The newly-appointed Indian captain, Shubman Gill, feels the same ahead of leading his team out for the first Test between England and India starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. When asked about prioritising between winning an IPL trophy and lifting one for India in Tests abroad, he didn’t take more than a second to answer. Gill has won an IPL trophy with Gujarat Titans in its maiden appearance (in 2022) but not as a captain. Besides leading GT in the concluded IPL 2025, where his team finished inside the top four but failed to advance through, Gill led India in five T20Is against Zimbabwe last year, winning the series 4-1. With the marquee England series being his first as a full-fledged captain (in Tests), Gill has a whole new world to explore and excel in. Also read | Sachin Tendulkar expects ‘something special’ from India captain Gill on England tour, predicts series scoreline Addressing the media in the pre-game presser, Gill picked one of the two, saying, "Definitely the Test series, in my opinion. You don't get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England, maybe two; if you are the best of your generation, maybe three. “And IPL comes every year, and you get to have a crack at it every year. So in my opinion, winning a Test series in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa is bigger,” he continued. Setting goals With no Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma around, the onus would fall on three experienced batters, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and captain Gill himself, to bail the team out in challenging conditions and situations. Without burdening himself much on the captaincy and batting front, Gill said, "Honestly, when I want to go out there and bat, I just want to play as a batsman, not really want to think that I'm the captain of the team, because I think that sometimes puts too much pressure on you. Whenever I'm going out there, I want to play as a batsman and want to want to dominate the opposition and be the best batsman in the series, and that's what I'm trying to look at."

When asked about prioritising between winning an IPL trophy and lifting one for India in Tests abroad, he didn’t take more than a second to answer.

‘It comes every year…’: Shubman Gill picks between winning Test series abroad and lifting an IPL trophy

When India and England face off in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, on Friday (Jun 20), a lot will feel new, especially for India. Under the new leadership of Shubman Gill, the Indian Test team is stepping into a new era after legends like Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Rohit Sharma bid farewell to red-ball cricket.&nbsp;&nbsp;But there’s one familiar face on the other side. For England, former captain Joe Root is the only player from their 2021 Headingley XI who will also be part of the 2025 playing XI. A lot has changed in these four years for England, but Root’s presence and consistency remain constant.&nbsp;Also Read | IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK&nbsp;Back in 2021, Root led England to a dominant win over India in Leeds. He scored a brilliant 121, and England won that match by an innings and 76 runs. Ollie Robinson, who was the Player of the Match back then with seven wickets, is not in the squad this time. Root’s experience will be key, especially with so many fresh faces around.&nbsp;England's 2021 lineup included names like Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, James Anderson and Craig Overton, most of whom have either retired or are no longer in contention. Moeen, Anderson and Malan have stepped away from the game, while Bairstow and Buttler last played in 2024 and 2022, respectively. Hameed, despite strong performances in county cricket, hasn’t made a return yet.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the 2025 squad is young and exciting, featuring players like Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope and Shoaib Bashir. But among them, Root stands tall as the experienced pillar. With 121 Tests and over 13,000 runs, he brings calmness and class to a fresh England team.&nbsp;As England takes the field with a new lineup, Joe Root’s role becomes even more important.

The 2025 squad is young and exciting, featuring players like Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope and Shoaib Bashir. But among them, Root stands tall as the experienced pillar.

When India and England face off in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, on Friday (Jun 20), a lot will feel new, especially for India. Under the new leadership of Shubman Gill, the Indian Test team is stepping into a new era after legends like Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Rohit Sharma bid farewell to red-ball cricket. But there’s one familiar face on the other side. For England, former captain Joe Root is the only player from their 2021 Headingley XI who will also be part of the 2025 playing XI. A lot has changed in these four years for England, but Root’s presence and consistency remain constant. Also Read | IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK Back in 2021, Root led England to a dominant win over India in Leeds. He scored a brilliant 121, and England won that match by an innings and 76 runs. Ollie Robinson, who was the Player of the Match back then with seven wickets, is not in the squad this time. Root’s experience will be key, especially with so many fresh faces around. England's 2021 lineup included names like Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, James Anderson and Craig Overton, most of whom have either retired or are no longer in contention. Moeen, Anderson and Malan have stepped away from the game, while Bairstow and Buttler last played in 2024 and 2022, respectively. Hameed, despite strong performances in county cricket, hasn’t made a return yet. Meanwhile, the 2025 squad is young and exciting, featuring players like Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope and Shoaib Bashir. But among them, Root stands tall as the experienced pillar. With 121 Tests and over 13,000 runs, he brings calmness and class to a fresh England team. As England takes the field with a new lineup, Joe Root’s role becomes even more important.

The 2025 squad is young and exciting, featuring players like Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope and Shoaib Bashir. But among them, Root stands tall as the experienced pillar.

Meet the only England player to feature in Headingley Test vs India in 2021 and 2025

Batting giant Sachin Tendulkar has thrown his support behind the new Indian Test captain Shubman Gill to do ‘something special’ on the England tour, starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. As Gill embraces his new role, succeeding now-retired Rohit Sharma to become the 37th Indian Test skipper, Sachin asked him to shut all outside doors and pay no heed to all the opinions and noise coming his way. Sachin, who led India across 25 matches during his tenure, advised Gill to back his instincts, follow whatever was discussed inside the dressing room, and stick to the plan.&nbsp;"My advice to him [Gill] would be that he should not worry about what x, y, z is saying," Tendulkar said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo.&nbsp;&nbsp;"His captaincy, whether Shubman is being aggressive, or defensive, or attacking enough, or not a proactive captain, or active captain - whatever that opinion is, it's only an opinion, and it's from outside. I think what he needs to think about is what was discussed in the dressing room - when they are planning something, are they going according to that plan and whether the decision being made is in the interests of the team - that is what he needs to think about and not about the outside world,” he continued.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-end-1st-test-headingley-leeds-preview-shubman-gill-era-begins-as-team-india-launches-quest-for-history-in-uk-1750398005312">IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK</a> &nbsp;Meanwhile, Sachin also acknowledged how big an honour it is for him (Gill) to captain India in Tests and that he must enjoy this and try and give his best for his country.&nbsp; &nbsp;"The outside world can only give opinions. These guys can go out and play as well, and only the dressing room will have that honour. No one else will have that. I would say, just go out, it's a huge honour, enjoy the moment and give your best for the country and do what is in the interest of the country. Other than that, I would say shut the doors to everything. I think that should be his thought process,” Sachin continued.<h2>Series prediction &nbsp;</h2>Sachin has played plenty of cricket in England. From scoring his maiden Test hundred in Manchester in 1989 to helping India clinch a Test series win on English soil in 2007, the Little Master has seen all.&nbsp; &nbsp;Reflecting on what it was like winning in England against a potent squad, Sachin said everyone contributed to unlocking that massive achievement.&nbsp;As he continued to cherish the memories of that tour, which India won 1-0 (3), Sachin said,&nbsp; &nbsp;"Winning the series was a fabulous, fabulous moment - that is what we strive for. There were multiple good performances by individuals… Zaheer [Khan] played a role. I think everyone coming together and then chipping in at the right time makes a big difference. I still remember we were in the dressing room, celebrating at The Oval, the last Test. These kinds of moments stay with you forever. We're still talking about it 18 years down the line. I hope we're able to do something this series too, so 20 years down the line, we can still talk about it." &nbsp;Meanwhile, predicting the result of the upcoming five-match series, Sachin said, "I have settled for 3-1 to India."

Sachin, who led India across 25 matches during his tenure, advised Gill to back his instincts, follow whatever was discussed inside the dressing room, and stick to the plan.

Batting giant Sachin Tendulkar has thrown his support behind the new Indian Test captain Shubman Gill to do ‘something special’ on the England tour, starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. As Gill embraces his new role, succeeding now-retired Rohit Sharma to become the 37th Indian Test skipper, Sachin asked him to shut all outside doors and pay no heed to all the opinions and noise coming his way. Sachin, who led India across 25 matches during his tenure, advised Gill to back his instincts, follow whatever was discussed inside the dressing room, and stick to the plan. "My advice to him [Gill] would be that he should not worry about what x, y, z is saying," Tendulkar said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo. "His captaincy, whether Shubman is being aggressive, or defensive, or attacking enough, or not a proactive captain, or active captain - whatever that opinion is, it's only an opinion, and it's from outside. I think what he needs to think about is what was discussed in the dressing room - when they are planning something, are they going according to that plan and whether the decision being made is in the interests of the team - that is what he needs to think about and not about the outside world,” he continued. Also read | IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK Meanwhile, Sachin also acknowledged how big an honour it is for him (Gill) to captain India in Tests and that he must enjoy this and try and give his best for his country. "The outside world can only give opinions. These guys can go out and play as well, and only the dressing room will have that honour. No one else will have that. I would say, just go out, it's a huge honour, enjoy the moment and give your best for the country and do what is in the interest of the country. Other than that, I would say shut the doors to everything. I think that should be his thought process,” Sachin continued. Series prediction Sachin has played plenty of cricket in England. From scoring his maiden Test hundred in Manchester in 1989 to helping India clinch a Test series win on English soil in 2007, the Little Master has seen all. Reflecting on what it was like winning in England against a potent squad, Sachin said everyone contributed to unlocking that massive achievement. As he continued to cherish the memories of that tour, which India won 1-0 (3), Sachin said, "Winning the series was a fabulous, fabulous moment - that is what we strive for. There were multiple good performances by individuals… Zaheer [Khan] played a role. I think everyone coming together and then chipping in at the right time makes a big difference. I still remember we were in the dressing room, celebrating at The Oval, the last Test. These kinds of moments stay with you forever. We're still talking about it 18 years down the line. I hope we're able to do something this series too, so 20 years down the line, we can still talk about it." Meanwhile, predicting the result of the upcoming five-match series, Sachin said, "I have settled for 3-1 to India."

Sachin, who led India across 25 matches during his tenure, advised Gill to back his instincts, follow whatever was discussed inside the dressing room, and stick to the plan.

Sachin Tendulkar expects ‘something special’ from India captain Gill on England tour, predicts series scoreline

Carlos Alcaraz is enjoying one of the best phases of his career. Just days after winning the Roland Garros 2025, the World No. 2 is back on court in winning ways. On Thursday (Jun 19), he defeated fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar in a tough match to reach the Queen’s Club quarter-finals.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz">Alcaraz</a> won in sets of 6-4, 6-7, and 7-5 in a match that lasted three hours and 26 minutes. It was played on the hottest day of the year in London, making the contest even more challenging.&nbsp;Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-deja-vu-in-paris-carlos-alcaraz-replicates-his-idol-rafael-nadal-with-fifth-grand-slam-1749477239743">Deja Vu in Paris: Carlos Alcaraz replicates idol Rafael Nadal's record with fifth grand slam title</a>&nbsp;At one stage in the third set, Alcaraz was trailing by 2-4 and looked tired. However, having the attitude of never giving up, as seen in the French Open Final 2025, where he came back to win after his counterpart Jannik Sinner had three championship points. This time to stop cramps, he drank pickle juice between games, kept fighting, came back at 4-4, and finally won the match with a perfect lob shot.&nbsp;This was Alcaraz’s second match since his big French Open win over Jannik Sinner. He made 53 unforced errors but also hit 49 winners, demonstrating his aggressive and fearless playing style.&nbsp;The first set went to Alcaraz after Munar served three double faults. The second set was a closed one. Alcaraz missed two match points in the tiebreaker, and Munar took the set with a clean forehand. The final set saw both players break each other’s serve, but Alcaraz stayed calm and finished strong.&nbsp;After the match, he smiled and wrote, “Were we on clay?” on the camera lens, joking about how long and hard the match felt.&nbsp;Alcaraz will now face Arthur Rinderknech of France in the quarter-final. Rinderknech has lost both previous meetings with Alcaraz, with the last loss coming at Queen’s 2023.&nbsp;With 15 wins in a row, his longest winning streak so far, the Spanish star looks ready to defend his Wimbledon title later this month.

This was Alcaraz’s second match since his big French Open win over Jannik Sinner. He made 53 unforced errors but also hit 49 winners, demonstrating his aggressive and fearless playing style.

Carlos Alcaraz is enjoying one of the best phases of his career. Just days after winning the Roland Garros 2025, the World No. 2 is back on court in winning ways. On Thursday (Jun 19), he defeated fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar in a tough match to reach the Queen’s Club quarter-finals. Alcaraz won in sets of 6-4, 6-7, and 7-5 in a match that lasted three hours and 26 minutes. It was played on the hottest day of the year in London, making the contest even more challenging. Also Read | Deja Vu in Paris: Carlos Alcaraz replicates idol Rafael Nadal's record with fifth grand slam title At one stage in the third set, Alcaraz was trailing by 2-4 and looked tired. However, having the attitude of never giving up, as seen in the French Open Final 2025, where he came back to win after his counterpart Jannik Sinner had three championship points. This time to stop cramps, he drank pickle juice between games, kept fighting, came back at 4-4, and finally won the match with a perfect lob shot. This was Alcaraz’s second match since his big French Open win over Jannik Sinner. He made 53 unforced errors but also hit 49 winners, demonstrating his aggressive and fearless playing style. The first set went to Alcaraz after Munar served three double faults. The second set was a closed one. Alcaraz missed two match points in the tiebreaker, and Munar took the set with a clean forehand. The final set saw both players break each other’s serve, but Alcaraz stayed calm and finished strong. After the match, he smiled and wrote, “Were we on clay?” on the camera lens, joking about how long and hard the match felt. Alcaraz will now face Arthur Rinderknech of France in the quarter-final. Rinderknech has lost both previous meetings with Alcaraz, with the last loss coming at Queen’s 2023. With 15 wins in a row, his longest winning streak so far, the Spanish star looks ready to defend his Wimbledon title later this month.

This was Alcaraz’s second match since his big French Open win over Jannik Sinner. He made 53 unforced errors but also hit 49 winners, demonstrating his aggressive and fearless playing style.

Carlos Alcaraz edges past Munar to reach Queen’s Club quarters

The Shubman Gill era begins in Indian Cricket. The Prince, the successor or whatever the fans and cricket fanatics wish to call him, the time has come for him to carry forward the vast legacy left behind by countless Indian captains. As Gill embraces his new role in the Test side, alongside a newer batting position, as also confirmed by his deputy Rishabh Pant in the pre-match presser, he aims to launch a quest for creating history in the UK by winning his maiden series as the skipper, the last of which came under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy in 2007, when India won the three-match series 1-0.&nbsp;Here is the match preview of the first Test between India and England starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds.<h2>Match Preview &nbsp;</h2>Team India begins its new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle (2025-27) with an away tour of England, consisting of five Tests. With Headingley in Leeds staging the series opener, India has a crucial task at hand to deliver at the start and remain in line for a series win in the UK for the first time in 18 years.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wi-vs-aus-2025-australia-drop-former-world-number-one-batter-marnus-labuschagne-for-first-test-against-west-indies-steve-smith-finger-injury-1750394458847">Australia drop former world no one for first Test against West Indies; Steve Smith also misses out</a> &nbsp;Despite not having Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin (as all are now retired from Tests), alongside seamer Mohammed Shami due to match fitness concerns, Team India picked several newcomers and young legs for their away English tour. With a few uncapped players in the squad, besides those who featured in just a handful of matches thus far, the Gill-led Indian Team has plenty of options to choose from and explore during this two-month window. &nbsp;However, what stands out is the pace attack, led by perhaps the best Indian seamer ever, Jasprit Bumrah. Considering the depth in that department, Gill was confident of winning matches on the back of his bowlers picking 20 wickets across all games, also echoing the same during the presser on match eve.&nbsp; &nbsp;"You can't win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored. So, that has been one of our key discussion points, you know, how we're gonna take 20 wickets. And there might be a case, you know, where we could only be going with some pure batters, and you could see a bowling all-rounder and three to four premier fast bowlers or proper bowlers,” Gill said ahead of the first Test against England.<h3>England ready to rock and roll &nbsp;</h3>Despite failing to qualify for the third consecutive WTC Final, which concluded last week (with South Africa beating Australia), England captain Ben Stokes insists on entertaining the fans with their brand of cricket, which the world now calls ‘Bazball.’ &nbsp;Although they have named their playing XI for the series opener against India, it remains to be seen if they deploy caution in their approach at any point during this entire five-match saga. &nbsp;Meanwhile, unlike the Indian Team, which has a new look and shows promise across different fronts, the hosts have a settled batting and bowling attack.&nbsp;<h3>Predicted/Playing XIs – &nbsp;</h3>England – Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir &nbsp;India (Predicted) – Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wk), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj&nbsp;

Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK

The Shubman Gill era begins in Indian Cricket. The Prince, the successor or whatever the fans and cricket fanatics wish to call him, the time has come for him to carry forward the vast legacy left behind by countless Indian captains. As Gill embraces his new role in the Test side, alongside a newer batting position, as also confirmed by his deputy Rishabh Pant in the pre-match presser, he aims to launch a quest for creating history in the UK by winning his maiden series as the skipper, the last of which came under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy in 2007, when India won the three-match series 1-0. Here is the match preview of the first Test between India and England starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds. Match Preview Team India begins its new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle (2025-27) with an away tour of England, consisting of five Tests. With Headingley in Leeds staging the series opener, India has a crucial task at hand to deliver at the start and remain in line for a series win in the UK for the first time in 18 years. Also read | Australia drop former world no one for first Test against West Indies; Steve Smith also misses out Despite not having Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin (as all are now retired from Tests), alongside seamer Mohammed Shami due to match fitness concerns, Team India picked several newcomers and young legs for their away English tour. With a few uncapped players in the squad, besides those who featured in just a handful of matches thus far, the Gill-led Indian Team has plenty of options to choose from and explore during this two-month window. However, what stands out is the pace attack, led by perhaps the best Indian seamer ever, Jasprit Bumrah. Considering the depth in that department, Gill was confident of winning matches on the back of his bowlers picking 20 wickets across all games, also echoing the same during the presser on match eve. "You can't win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored. So, that has been one of our key discussion points, you know, how we're gonna take 20 wickets. And there might be a case, you know, where we could only be going with some pure batters, and you could see a bowling all-rounder and three to four premier fast bowlers or proper bowlers,” Gill said ahead of the first Test against England. England ready to rock and roll Despite failing to qualify for the third consecutive WTC Final, which concluded last week (with South Africa beating Australia), England captain Ben Stokes insists on entertaining the fans with their brand of cricket, which the world now calls ‘Bazball.’ Although they have named their playing XI for the series opener against India, it remains to be seen if they deploy caution in their approach at any point during this entire five-match saga. Meanwhile, unlike the Indian Team, which has a new look and shows promise across different fronts, the hosts have a settled batting and bowling attack. Predicted/Playing XIs – England – Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir India (Predicted) – Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wk), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj

Here is the match preview of the first Test between India and England starting Friday (Jun 20) at Headingley in Leeds.

IND vs ENG 1st Test, Preview: Shubman Gill era begins as Team India launches quest for history in UK

Australia has made some bold calls following conceding their WTC crown to the Proteas by dropping the former world number one Test batter Marnus Labuschagne for the series opener against West Indies, starting June 25 in Barbados. While Marnus’ exclusion comes on the back of his lean patch in the previous World Test Championship (WTC) cycle (2025-27), not having veteran batter Steve Smith available for the first Test comes as a massive blow to the visitors. Smith, who dislocated his little finger on the right hand while attempting to complete a catch against South Africa during the Lord’s final, sits out of the playing XI, with the Aussies roping in replacements.&nbsp;Rookie opener Sam Konstas returns to the side after missing out on a spot in Sri Lanka (Australia's last Test series) and the WTC Final, and Australia also recalled in-form batter Josh Inglis to play in place of Smith in Barbados. The visitors confirmed two changes five days before the start of the first of the three Tests between West Indies and Australia.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-2025-closer-to-god-how-india-series-could-cut-gap-between-sachin-tendulkar-joe-root-1750333731233">IND vs ENG: Closer to God! How India Test series could cut gap between Sachin and Root</a> &nbsp;"Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team," CA chief selector George Bailey said. "He understands his output hasn't been at the level we, or he, expects. We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively." &nbsp;While Konstas earned his third Test cap since making his explosive Test debut against India at the MCG late last year, Inglis, who scored a Test hundred in his first game against Sri Lanka in Galle earlier in February, is ready for a golden chance. &nbsp;Sam, the right-handed batter, scored a fiery 60 off 65 balls against Jasprit Bumrah-led Indian attack on day one of the Boxing Day, including scooping the world’s best bowler for fours and sixes for fun, while Inglis, on the other hand, impressed everyone on a spinning Galle track against perhaps the toughest bowlers in those conditions, pushing his case for a future selection. &nbsp;"We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus. We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers. &nbsp;"In his only opportunity in Test cricket to date, Josh was outstanding in Sri Lanka, showing great intent and ability to put pressure on the opposition,” Bailey continued.&nbsp; &nbsp;Meanwhile, Australia will confirm the playing XI for the first Test closer to the D-day.&nbsp;

The visitors confirmed two changes five days before the start of the first of the three Tests between West Indies and Australia.

Australia has made some bold calls following conceding their WTC crown to the Proteas by dropping the former world number one Test batter Marnus Labuschagne for the series opener against West Indies, starting June 25 in Barbados. While Marnus’ exclusion comes on the back of his lean patch in the previous World Test Championship (WTC) cycle (2025-27), not having veteran batter Steve Smith available for the first Test comes as a massive blow to the visitors. Smith, who dislocated his little finger on the right hand while attempting to complete a catch against South Africa during the Lord’s final, sits out of the playing XI, with the Aussies roping in replacements. Rookie opener Sam Konstas returns to the side after missing out on a spot in Sri Lanka (Australia's last Test series) and the WTC Final, and Australia also recalled in-form batter Josh Inglis to play in place of Smith in Barbados. The visitors confirmed two changes five days before the start of the first of the three Tests between West Indies and Australia. Also read | IND vs ENG: Closer to God! How India Test series could cut gap between Sachin and Root "Marnus at his best can be a really important member of this team," CA chief selector George Bailey said. "He understands his output hasn't been at the level we, or he, expects. We will continue working with him on the areas of his game we feel he needs to rediscover. We continue to value his skill and expect him to work through the challenge positively." While Konstas earned his third Test cap since making his explosive Test debut against India at the MCG late last year, Inglis, who scored a Test hundred in his first game against Sri Lanka in Galle earlier in February, is ready for a golden chance. Sam, the right-handed batter, scored a fiery 60 off 65 balls against Jasprit Bumrah-led Indian attack on day one of the Boxing Day, including scooping the world’s best bowler for fours and sixes for fun, while Inglis, on the other hand, impressed everyone on a spinning Galle track against perhaps the toughest bowlers in those conditions, pushing his case for a future selection. "We have made the decision to give Josh and Sam the opportunity to replace Steve and Marnus. We are excited to see them get the chance to further their fledgling Test careers. "In his only opportunity in Test cricket to date, Josh was outstanding in Sri Lanka, showing great intent and ability to put pressure on the opposition,” Bailey continued. Meanwhile, Australia will confirm the playing XI for the first Test closer to the D-day.

The visitors confirmed two changes five days before the start of the first of the three Tests between West Indies and Australia.

Australia drop former world no. one for first Test against West Indies; Steve Smith also misses out

Defending champion Jannik Sinner lost his second-round match on grass at Halle on Thursday to Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, the Italian's first tournament since his French Open final defeat.&nbsp;The world number one fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to the 45th-ranked Bublik for the 23-year-old's first defeat to a player ranked outside the top 20 since the summer of 2023.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-club-world-cup-real-madrid-striker-kylian-mbappe-released-from-hospital-after-suffering-stomach-bug-1750391976301">Real Madrid's Mbappe released from hospital after suffering stomach bug</a>&nbsp;A few days before his defeat to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the title match at the French Open, Sinner had easily dispatched Bublik in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, dropping only six games.&nbsp;&nbsp;On Thursday, ten days before Wimbledon, Bublik claimed his second victory in six ties against Sinner.&nbsp;"We are tennis players and we try to win every match we play, but it is a special one," Bublik said. "I had never beaten a No. 1 in the world. It is an accomplishment."&nbsp;Sinner, who had beaten Yannick Hanfmann in straight sets in the first round, cruised through the first set against Bublik without facing a break point.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sinner had three break points at the start of the second set, but Bublik held and then went on the attack, hitting 20 winners in the set and gaining the break he needed in the sixth game.&nbsp;The 28-year-old broke Sinner's serve in the third with a flashing forehand.&nbsp;"I had an amazing forehand to break in the third set, and then I kept serving," Bublik said. "On grass, if you lose your serve, it is maybe tough, and I am a guy who doesn't lose a lot of serves. I just kept serving and putting him in uncomfortable positions, and it worked well."&nbsp;"He is an unbelievable player, and I was not thinking that I could beat him," said Bublik. "But I had a few chances and executed them well."&nbsp;The Kazakh will play Tomas Machac in the quarter-finals after the Czech beat Hungarian Fabian Marozsan 6-2, 6-3.&nbsp;&nbsp;Earlier, world number three Alexander Zverev rallied from a set down to see off Italy's Lorenzo Sonego.&nbsp;The 28-year-old German won 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) against the 46th-ranked Sonego and next plays another Italian, Flavio Cobolli, for a place in the semi-finals.&nbsp;A finalist in Halle in 2016 and 2017, Zverev recorded his fifth victory in as many meetings with Sonego, a year after beating him at the same stage of the same competition.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sonego took advantage of his only chance to break in the first set at 4-3. The German struggled throughout to break his opponent's serve.&nbsp;&nbsp;Zverev dug deep in the second set, leading 5-4, to win the set before dominating the tiebreak in the final set.&nbsp;Argentina's 63rd-ranked Tomas Martin Etcheverry also reached the quarter-finals after a three-hour duel against fourth seed Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6).&nbsp;The Argentine saved two match points in the tiebreak of the deciding set to set up a meeting with Russia's Karen Khachanov.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

World no. one Sinner suffers shock second-round loss to Bublik at Halle

Defending champion Jannik Sinner lost his second-round match on grass at Halle on Thursday to Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, the Italian's first tournament since his French Open final defeat. The world number one fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to the 45th-ranked Bublik for the 23-year-old's first defeat to a player ranked outside the top 20 since the summer of 2023. Also read | Real Madrid's Mbappe released from hospital after suffering stomach bug A few days before his defeat to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the title match at the French Open, Sinner had easily dispatched Bublik in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, dropping only six games. On Thursday, ten days before Wimbledon, Bublik claimed his second victory in six ties against Sinner. "We are tennis players and we try to win every match we play, but it is a special one," Bublik said. "I had never beaten a No. 1 in the world. It is an accomplishment." Sinner, who had beaten Yannick Hanfmann in straight sets in the first round, cruised through the first set against Bublik without facing a break point. Sinner had three break points at the start of the second set, but Bublik held and then went on the attack, hitting 20 winners in the set and gaining the break he needed in the sixth game. The 28-year-old broke Sinner's serve in the third with a flashing forehand. "I had an amazing forehand to break in the third set, and then I kept serving," Bublik said. "On grass, if you lose your serve, it is maybe tough, and I am a guy who doesn't lose a lot of serves. I just kept serving and putting him in uncomfortable positions, and it worked well." "He is an unbelievable player, and I was not thinking that I could beat him," said Bublik. "But I had a few chances and executed them well." The Kazakh will play Tomas Machac in the quarter-finals after the Czech beat Hungarian Fabian Marozsan 6-2, 6-3. Earlier, world number three Alexander Zverev rallied from a set down to see off Italy's Lorenzo Sonego. The 28-year-old German won 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) against the 46th-ranked Sonego and next plays another Italian, Flavio Cobolli, for a place in the semi-finals. A finalist in Halle in 2016 and 2017, Zverev recorded his fifth victory in as many meetings with Sonego, a year after beating him at the same stage of the same competition. Sonego took advantage of his only chance to break in the first set at 4-3. The German struggled throughout to break his opponent's serve. Zverev dug deep in the second set, leading 5-4, to win the set before dominating the tiebreak in the final set. Argentina's 63rd-ranked Tomas Martin Etcheverry also reached the quarter-finals after a three-hour duel against fourth seed Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6). The Argentine saved two match points in the tiebreak of the deciding set to set up a meeting with Russia's Karen Khachanov. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The world number one fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to the 45th-ranked Bublik for the 23-year-old's first defeat to a player ranked outside the top 20 since the summer of 2023.

Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe has been released from the hospital in the United States after suffering a stomach bug, the Spanish giants said on Thursday.&nbsp;Mbappe, who is in the USA at the Club World Cup, had what the club called "an acute case of gastroenteritis" and was taken in for tests and treatment.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-club-world-cup-lionel-messi-free-kick-earns-inter-miami-shock-comeback-win-over-fc-porto-1750391573245">Club World Cup: Lionel Messi’s free-kick earns Miami shock comeback win over Porto</a>&nbsp;"Our player Kylian Mbappe was discharged from the hospital this afternoon and has returned to the Real Madrid training camp," Los Blancos said in a statement.&nbsp;"Mbappe will continue with specific medical treatment and will gradually return to the team's activities," they added.&nbsp;French striker Mbappe missed his team's Club World Cup opener against Al-Hilal on Wednesday, a 1-1 draw in Xabi Alonso's first game at the helm.&nbsp;Alonso said on Tuesday that the 26-year-old forward had been "feeling a little better" after illness in the run-up to the match in Miami.&nbsp;Madrid B-team player Gonzalo Garcia, 21, started in Mbappe's stead and opened the scoring for Real Madrid against their Saudi Arabian opponents.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-brazilian-side-botafogo-stun-champions-league-winner-psg-in-club-world-cup-1750391057492">Brazilian side Botafogo stun Champions League winner PSG in Club World Cup</a>&nbsp;Madrid's second match in Group H is on Sunday, June 22, against Mexican side Pachuca in Charlotte.&nbsp;Mbappe finished as the European Golden Shoe winner in his first season at Real Madrid with 31 goals in La Liga, but Los Blancos finished the season without a major trophy.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Real Madrid striker Mbappe released from hospital after suffering stomach bug

Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe has been released from the hospital in the United States after suffering a stomach bug, the Spanish giants said on Thursday. Mbappe, who is in the USA at the Club World Cup, had what the club called "an acute case of gastroenteritis" and was taken in for tests and treatment. Also read | Club World Cup: Lionel Messi’s free-kick earns Miami shock comeback win over Porto "Our player Kylian Mbappe was discharged from the hospital this afternoon and has returned to the Real Madrid training camp," Los Blancos said in a statement. "Mbappe will continue with specific medical treatment and will gradually return to the team's activities," they added. French striker Mbappe missed his team's Club World Cup opener against Al-Hilal on Wednesday, a 1-1 draw in Xabi Alonso's first game at the helm. Alonso said on Tuesday that the 26-year-old forward had been "feeling a little better" after illness in the run-up to the match in Miami. Madrid B-team player Gonzalo Garcia, 21, started in Mbappe's stead and opened the scoring for Real Madrid against their Saudi Arabian opponents. Also read | Brazilian side Botafogo stun Champions League winner PSG in Club World Cup Madrid's second match in Group H is on Sunday, June 22, against Mexican side Pachuca in Charlotte. Mbappe finished as the European Golden Shoe winner in his first season at Real Madrid with 31 goals in La Liga, but Los Blancos finished the season without a major trophy. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Mbappe, who is in the USA at the Club World Cup, had what the club called "an acute case of gastroenteritis" and was taken in for tests and treatment.

Real Madrid's Mbappe released from hospital after suffering stomach bug

A Lionel Messi trademark free-kick earned Inter Miami a shock 2-1 comeback win against Porto in the Club World Cup on Thursday.&nbsp;The Argentine superstar found the top corner with a second-half set-piece to clinch a surprise victory for the MLS side and give them a strong chance of progressing from Group A.&nbsp;Inter Miami and Palmeiras have four points each, after the Brazilian side beat Al Ahly 2-0 earlier on -- the Egyptians, like Porto, have one point.&nbsp;Samu Aghehowa's early penalty gave the Portuguese side the lead as they had the better of the first half and could have scored more.&nbsp;However, Telasco Segovia blasted Miami level, and then Messi's free-kick helped them claim a noteworthy scalp, in a match many thought would be straightforward for Porto.&nbsp;Co-owned by former England international David Beckham, Inter Miami played their first MLS match in 2020 and signed Messi in 2023, raising their profile significantly.&nbsp;This was the first competitive victory for an MLS side over European opposition, in their second encounter after Chelsea beat Los Angeles FC earlier in the week.&nbsp;"It's a huge joy, the whole team made a big effort, we worked really well," Messi told DAZN. "It's a really important win for us and we have to enjoy it...&nbsp;"You can see that we want to compete, and today we competed against a really good European team... we knew that today we were weaker, but we had our strengths."&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-brazilian-side-botafogo-stun-champions-league-winner-psg-in-club-world-cup-1750391057492">Brazilian side Botafogo stun Champions League winner PSG in Club World Cup</a>&nbsp;Even with Messi, arguably the face of the tournament, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was under half-full at kick-off, hamstrung by another 3:00 pm kick-off on a working day as it was for Chelsea's opener at the venue.&nbsp;More fans entered throughout the game, keen to get a glimpse of the 37-year-old widely considered to be the game's greatest ever player, with nearly 32,000 present in the end.&nbsp;Messi did not disappoint and was the game's outstanding player, involved heavily from the off.&nbsp;The former Barcelona great clipped a dipping ball in behind for veteran striker Luis Suarez, who could only prod it at the goalkeeper.&nbsp;Porto took the lead in the eighth minute after being awarded a soft penalty after a VAR review, as Miami defender Noah Allen made light contact with João Mario in the box.&nbsp;Spain international Samu Aghehowa beat Oscar Ustari, who had saved a penalty in the goalless draw against Al Ahly, even though the stopper got a hand to his low effort.&nbsp;&nbsp;Uruguayan striker Suarez, 38, might have levelled after Messi threaded him through on goal, but forced to use his weaker left foot, Porto goalkeeper Claudio Ramos denied him.&nbsp;Javier Mascherano's side almost levelled through US international Benjamin Cremaschi after a charge forward from Suarez broke open Porto's defence, but Ramos made a smart near-post stop to thwart him.&nbsp;Maximiliano Falcon brilliantly headed off his own goal-line with Ustari beaten by Rodrigo Mora's effort to keep Inter Miami's hopes alive.&nbsp;Ustari denied Aghehowa and then scrambled the ball to safety as it rolled towards his net after Alan Varela crashed a shot off the upright and it hit him on the back, as Porto turned the screw before the break.<h2>‘Clutch moment’</h2>&nbsp;Inter Miami levelled right at the start of the second half, with Segovia blasting home Marcelo Weigandt's inviting cut-back to stun the Portuguese side.&nbsp;Messi then sent Miami ahead with a goal all of his own making after 54 minutes.&nbsp;The playmaker was brought down outside the area and dusted himself down before arrowing a classic Messi free-kick into the top right corner.&nbsp;"(Messi) is a leader, he's the player he is, he's the greatest player in the world," Inter Miami forward Fafa Picault told DAZN. "I had a feeling (the free-kick) was going in. That was a great goal, a great show of leadership and coming in a clutch moment for us."&nbsp;Miami battled hard to keep Porto at bay, and groans travelled around the stadium after seven minutes of stoppage time were announced.&nbsp;Mascherano's players threw themselves in the way of shots in a way the former Argentine defensive midfielder would have done himself, and Inter Miami were eventually able to claim their much-craved victory.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Club World Cup: Messi’s free-kick earns Miami shock comeback win over Porto

A Lionel Messi trademark free-kick earned Inter Miami a shock 2-1 comeback win against Porto in the Club World Cup on Thursday. The Argentine superstar found the top corner with a second-half set-piece to clinch a surprise victory for the MLS side and give them a strong chance of progressing from Group A. Inter Miami and Palmeiras have four points each, after the Brazilian side beat Al Ahly 2-0 earlier on -- the Egyptians, like Porto, have one point. Samu Aghehowa's early penalty gave the Portuguese side the lead as they had the better of the first half and could have scored more. However, Telasco Segovia blasted Miami level, and then Messi's free-kick helped them claim a noteworthy scalp, in a match many thought would be straightforward for Porto. Co-owned by former England international David Beckham, Inter Miami played their first MLS match in 2020 and signed Messi in 2023, raising their profile significantly. This was the first competitive victory for an MLS side over European opposition, in their second encounter after Chelsea beat Los Angeles FC earlier in the week. "It's a huge joy, the whole team made a big effort, we worked really well," Messi told DAZN. "It's a really important win for us and we have to enjoy it... "You can see that we want to compete, and today we competed against a really good European team... we knew that today we were weaker, but we had our strengths." Also read | Brazilian side Botafogo stun Champions League winner PSG in Club World Cup Even with Messi, arguably the face of the tournament, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was under half-full at kick-off, hamstrung by another 3:00 pm kick-off on a working day as it was for Chelsea's opener at the venue. More fans entered throughout the game, keen to get a glimpse of the 37-year-old widely considered to be the game's greatest ever player, with nearly 32,000 present in the end. Messi did not disappoint and was the game's outstanding player, involved heavily from the off. The former Barcelona great clipped a dipping ball in behind for veteran striker Luis Suarez, who could only prod it at the goalkeeper. Porto took the lead in the eighth minute after being awarded a soft penalty after a VAR review, as Miami defender Noah Allen made light contact with João Mario in the box. Spain international Samu Aghehowa beat Oscar Ustari, who had saved a penalty in the goalless draw against Al Ahly, even though the stopper got a hand to his low effort. Uruguayan striker Suarez, 38, might have levelled after Messi threaded him through on goal, but forced to use his weaker left foot, Porto goalkeeper Claudio Ramos denied him. Javier Mascherano's side almost levelled through US international Benjamin Cremaschi after a charge forward from Suarez broke open Porto's defence, but Ramos made a smart near-post stop to thwart him. Maximiliano Falcon brilliantly headed off his own goal-line with Ustari beaten by Rodrigo Mora's effort to keep Inter Miami's hopes alive. Ustari denied Aghehowa and then scrambled the ball to safety as it rolled towards his net after Alan Varela crashed a shot off the upright and it hit him on the back, as Porto turned the screw before the break. ‘Clutch moment’ Inter Miami levelled right at the start of the second half, with Segovia blasting home Marcelo Weigandt's inviting cut-back to stun the Portuguese side. Messi then sent Miami ahead with a goal all of his own making after 54 minutes. The playmaker was brought down outside the area and dusted himself down before arrowing a classic Messi free-kick into the top right corner. "(Messi) is a leader, he's the player he is, he's the greatest player in the world," Inter Miami forward Fafa Picault told DAZN. "I had a feeling (the free-kick) was going in. That was a great goal, a great show of leadership and coming in a clutch moment for us." Miami battled hard to keep Porto at bay, and groans travelled around the stadium after seven minutes of stoppage time were announced. Mascherano's players threw themselves in the way of shots in a way the former Argentine defensive midfielder would have done himself, and Inter Miami were eventually able to claim their much-craved victory. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The Argentine superstar found the top corner with a second-half set-piece to clinch a surprise victory for the MLS side and give them a strong chance of progressing from Group A.&nbsp;

Club World Cup: Lionel Messi’s free-kick earns Miami shock comeback win over Porto

Paris Saint-Germain suffered a shock 1-0 Club World Cup defeat against Brazilian side Botafogo on Thursday in a hard-fought battle between the reigning champions of Europe and South America.&nbsp;A first-half goal from Brazilian international Igor Jesus proved the difference as Botafogo all but sealed a place in the knockout rounds in front of a 53,699 crowd at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nba-basketball-los-angeles-lakers-to-be-sold-in-record-breaking-10bn-deal-report-1750306093556">Los Angeles Lakers to be sold in record-breaking $10bn deal - Report</a>&nbsp;French champions PSG are widely regarded as one of the favourites for FIFA's 32-team tournament after a dazzling season which culminated with a scintillating 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League final last month.&nbsp;But their hopes of securing a victory which would have seen them become the first side to reach the last 16 were stymied by a resilient performance from their opponents from Rio de Janeiro.&nbsp;"A lot of people wondered, but we showed how strong Botafogo is," goal scorer Jesus said after the win. "It was a difficult game, and we had to defend well, and we did our job and scored a goal.&nbsp;"We're really happy -- we knew how important this game was. One team was the champion of the Champions League, the other team was the champion of South America," added Jesus, who had been strongly linked with a move to English Premier League side Nottingham Forest earlier this year before opting to stay with the Brazilians to play in the Club World Cup.&nbsp;"I think I made the right choice to stay in Botafogo," Jesus quipped.&nbsp;Paris Saint-Germain picked up where they had left off in Sunday's 4-0 Group B rout of Atletico Madrid, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia testing Botafogo goalkeeper John with an early curling effort after just two minutes.&nbsp;But that early effort was as close as PSG came to scoring in a scrappy first half punctuated by a series of niggling fouls that prevented the European champions from settling into their passing game.&nbsp;Botafogo's midfield trio of Marlon Freitas, Gregore and Allan worked tirelessly to close down Vitinha, denying the skilful PSG playmaker time and space to launch attacks despite dominating possession.&nbsp;Instead, it was Botafogo who took the lead with a goal against the run of play on 36 minutes.&nbsp;Jefferson Savarino's perfectly weighted through ball split the PSG defence and sent Jesus racing through on goal.&nbsp;The Botafogo striker did brilliantly to wrongfoot the covering Willian Pacho before sweeping a shot that took a slight deflection past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on its way into the net.&nbsp;PSG continued to dominate possession through the second half, and spent long periods camped in the final third.&nbsp;But Botafogo's defence held firm and the result leaves the Brazilians firmly on course for the last 16, with a final group game against Atletico Madrid to come in Pasadena on Monday.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Brazilian side Botafogo stun Champions League winner PSG in Club World Cup

Paris Saint-Germain suffered a shock 1-0 Club World Cup defeat against Brazilian side Botafogo on Thursday in a hard-fought battle between the reigning champions of Europe and South America. A first-half goal from Brazilian international Igor Jesus proved the difference as Botafogo all but sealed a place in the knockout rounds in front of a 53,699 crowd at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. Also read | Los Angeles Lakers to be sold in record-breaking $10bn deal - Report French champions PSG are widely regarded as one of the favourites for FIFA's 32-team tournament after a dazzling season which culminated with a scintillating 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League final last month. But their hopes of securing a victory which would have seen them become the first side to reach the last 16 were stymied by a resilient performance from their opponents from Rio de Janeiro. "A lot of people wondered, but we showed how strong Botafogo is," goal scorer Jesus said after the win. "It was a difficult game, and we had to defend well, and we did our job and scored a goal. "We're really happy -- we knew how important this game was. One team was the champion of the Champions League, the other team was the champion of South America," added Jesus, who had been strongly linked with a move to English Premier League side Nottingham Forest earlier this year before opting to stay with the Brazilians to play in the Club World Cup. "I think I made the right choice to stay in Botafogo," Jesus quipped. Paris Saint-Germain picked up where they had left off in Sunday's 4-0 Group B rout of Atletico Madrid, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia testing Botafogo goalkeeper John with an early curling effort after just two minutes. But that early effort was as close as PSG came to scoring in a scrappy first half punctuated by a series of niggling fouls that prevented the European champions from settling into their passing game. Botafogo's midfield trio of Marlon Freitas, Gregore and Allan worked tirelessly to close down Vitinha, denying the skilful PSG playmaker time and space to launch attacks despite dominating possession. Instead, it was Botafogo who took the lead with a goal against the run of play on 36 minutes. Jefferson Savarino's perfectly weighted through ball split the PSG defence and sent Jesus racing through on goal. The Botafogo striker did brilliantly to wrongfoot the covering Willian Pacho before sweeping a shot that took a slight deflection past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on its way into the net. PSG continued to dominate possession through the second half, and spent long periods camped in the final third. But Botafogo's defence held firm and the result leaves the Brazilians firmly on course for the last 16, with a final group game against Atletico Madrid to come in Pasadena on Monday. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

A first-half goal from Brazilian international Igor Jesus proved the difference as Botafogo all but sealed a place in the knockout rounds in front of a 53,699 crowd at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.

India's newly appointed Test skipper Shubman Gill says that they'll be going for 20 wickets as that's the only way any team wins a Test match. The comments on the eve of first Test against England which starts June 20. This would be the first time India are going to play without Ravi Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - all of whom retired - as they enter into a new era. Gill, however, was wary of India's batting depth and pointed that that there could a bowling allrounder to accompany four proper bowlers. This indicates that Shardul Thakur might get preference over Nitish Reddy."Yes, definitely," Gill said in response to the question on the eve of Test match when asked if they'd be going for 20 wickets. “You can't win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored. So, that has been one of our key discussion points, you know, how we're gonna take 20 wickets. And there might be a case, you know, where we could only be going with some pure batters and you could see a bowling allrounder and three to four premier fast bowlers or proper bowlers.”Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/what-is-tendulkar-solid-defence-advice-for-attacking-indian-batters-in-ind-vs-eng-test-series-1750351813096">IND vs ENG: Tendulkar shares 'solid defence' advice for attacking Indian batters</a>Taking Gill's statement into consideration, India's playing XI may look like as following:Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan/Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed SirajGill's thinking behind playing four seamers could also be based on the fact that pacers have taken about 85% of the wickets in the last five Tests.The pitch at Leeds offers good support to fast bowlers. Apart from England spinner Jack Leech's five-wicket haul in both innings against New Zealand in 2022, spinners have not had much success at Headingley.Also, in the last five matches, most teams batting first were all out for less than 200 and the team chasing won four times with the average target for chasing being just under 300 runs (298 runs to be precise).

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: India's playing XI may look like as following - Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan/Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

India's newly appointed Test skipper Shubman Gill says that they'll be going for 20 wickets as that's the only way any team wins a Test match. The comments on the eve of first Test against England which starts June 20. This would be the first time India are going to play without Ravi Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - all of whom retired - as they enter into a new era. Gill, however, was wary of India's batting depth and pointed that that there could a bowling allrounder to accompany four proper bowlers. This indicates that Shardul Thakur might get preference over Nitish Reddy. "Yes, definitely," Gill said in response to the question on the eve of Test match when asked if they'd be going for 20 wickets. “You can't win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored. So, that has been one of our key discussion points, you know, how we're gonna take 20 wickets. And there might be a case, you know, where we could only be going with some pure batters and you could see a bowling allrounder and three to four premier fast bowlers or proper bowlers.” Also Read - IND vs ENG: Tendulkar shares 'solid defence' advice for attacking Indian batters Taking Gill's statement into consideration, India's playing XI may look like as following: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan/Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj Gill's thinking behind playing four seamers could also be based on the fact that pacers have taken about 85% of the wickets in the last five Tests. The pitch at Leeds offers good support to fast bowlers. Apart from England spinner Jack Leech's five-wicket haul in both innings against New Zealand in 2022, spinners have not had much success at Headingley. Also, in the last five matches, most teams batting first were all out for less than 200 and the team chasing won four times with the average target for chasing being just under 300 runs (298 runs to be precise).

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: India's playing XI may look like as following - Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan/Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

IND vs ENG: Shardul Thankur over Nitish Reddy in playing XI? Captain Gill vows go after '20 wickets'

With the inaugural edition of the Shooting League of India (SLI) all set to take place in Delhi, the excitement surrounding the tournament has begun to build. The league aims to make the sport of shooting more prominent among the masses, while also focusing on providing more exposure to the athletes, with many national and international stars taking part in the competition.&nbsp;&nbsp;Olympic gold medallist and world champion from Croatia, Giovanni Cernogoraz, has enrolled for the auction of the inaugural edition of the Shooting League of India (SLI), marking what could be his first-ever appearance in a league-style shooting competition. With a decorated career in trap shooting that includes gold medals at the 2012 Olympics and 2023 ISSF World Championships, and multiple European Championships medals, Cernogoraz expressed curiosity and enthusiasm for the SLI, calling it a “very interesting competition.” “It is a new format, very interesting and unique,” said the shooter, who confirmed it will be his first experience in a fast-paced, team-based league environment.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Never before have I shot in a league-style format – this would be my first time. It will be a new experience for me, and the format seems a very interesting idea for the future.” The SLI format, described as fast-paced and team-centric – a departure from traditional individual shooting events – presents a fresh twist to the sport. He also elaborated on the impact of this format, describing how it can help junior athletes gain more experience as they get to play alongside some of the best athletes from all across the world as well as India.&nbsp;&nbsp;“This league is important for young shooters, for sponsors, and for the media to make shooting more visible and important. Having youngsters shooting with players like me will provide them great motivation for their future ventures as well.” Giovanni also shared his excitement about playing in India again, having already participated in the 2017 ISSF World Cup final in New Delhi earlier. While talking about the experience of playing in the national capital of India, he lauded the city’s hospitality and food. “I have competed before in New Delhi. The range is beautiful, the organization is great, and I even have a bronze medal from here. I only have good memories of India – the food, the weather, the people. Everyone is helpful.”&nbsp;&nbsp;With global stars and Indian talent mixing teams, the cross-generational, cross-cultural format is another aspect the champion is looking forward to. Despite the continuous nature of league matches, the Olympic gold medallist is not fazed by the format. “It is always a pleasure to shoot with athletes from around the world – it brings good energy and connection” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I have a routine – before the competition, I do reflex and stability exercises. I like running. During matches, I work with a tennis ball for reflexes, and I eat only carbs and fruits – no meat during competitions. This keeps me sharp,” he added while describing his diet and fitness routine, which will also help his in catering to the fast-paced nature of the league. He signed off by delivering a special message for the young Indian athletes, encouraging them to keep working hard in the sport and said, “Shooting is a beautiful sport. It is not very popular, but it gives you a great experience. It is a hard sport – you need a lot of concentration, but it is worth it.”

A new experience Olympic champion Giovanni Cernogoraz eyes debut at Shooting League of India

With the inaugural edition of the Shooting League of India (SLI) all set to take place in Delhi, the excitement surrounding the tournament has begun to build. The league aims to make the sport of shooting more prominent among the masses, while also focusing on providing more exposure to the athletes, with many national and international stars taking part in the competition. Olympic gold medallist and world champion from Croatia, Giovanni Cernogoraz, has enrolled for the auction of the inaugural edition of the Shooting League of India (SLI), marking what could be his first-ever appearance in a league-style shooting competition. With a decorated career in trap shooting that includes gold medals at the 2012 Olympics and 2023 ISSF World Championships, and multiple European Championships medals, Cernogoraz expressed curiosity and enthusiasm for the SLI, calling it a “very interesting competition.” “It is a new format, very interesting and unique,” said the shooter, who confirmed it will be his first experience in a fast-paced, team-based league environment. “Never before have I shot in a league-style format – this would be my first time. It will be a new experience for me, and the format seems a very interesting idea for the future.” The SLI format, described as fast-paced and team-centric – a departure from traditional individual shooting events – presents a fresh twist to the sport. He also elaborated on the impact of this format, describing how it can help junior athletes gain more experience as they get to play alongside some of the best athletes from all across the world as well as India. “This league is important for young shooters, for sponsors, and for the media to make shooting more visible and important. Having youngsters shooting with players like me will provide them great motivation for their future ventures as well.” Giovanni also shared his excitement about playing in India again, having already participated in the 2017 ISSF World Cup final in New Delhi earlier. While talking about the experience of playing in the national capital of India, he lauded the city’s hospitality and food. “I have competed before in New Delhi. The range is beautiful, the organization is great, and I even have a bronze medal from here. I only have good memories of India – the food, the weather, the people. Everyone is helpful.” With global stars and Indian talent mixing teams, the cross-generational, cross-cultural format is another aspect the champion is looking forward to. Despite the continuous nature of league matches, the Olympic gold medallist is not fazed by the format. “It is always a pleasure to shoot with athletes from around the world – it brings good energy and connection” he said. “I have a routine – before the competition, I do reflex and stability exercises. I like running. During matches, I work with a tennis ball for reflexes, and I eat only carbs and fruits – no meat during competitions. This keeps me sharp,” he added while describing his diet and fitness routine, which will also help his in catering to the fast-paced nature of the league. He signed off by delivering a special message for the young Indian athletes, encouraging them to keep working hard in the sport and said, “Shooting is a beautiful sport. It is not very popular, but it gives you a great experience. It is a hard sport – you need a lot of concentration, but it is worth it.”

Olympic gold medallist and world champion from Croatia, Giovanni Cernogoraz, has enrolled for the auction of the inaugural edition of the Shooting League of India

'A new experience': Olympic champion Giovanni Cernogoraz eyes debut at Shooting League of India

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has an invaluable piece of advice for Indian batters as they get ready for the first of five Tests against England in Headingley, Leeds from June 20. Tendulkar, who played 17 Tests in England and scored 1,574 runs at an astonishing average of 54.31 with four ton and eight fifties, wants Indian batters to have a 'solid defence' against the England fast bowlers. Such in the inexperience of Indian batters that England batter Joe Root has more hundreds than entire Indian squad combined. India, under newly appointed skipper Shubman Gill, will be hoping to act on Tendulkar's advice.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-1st-test-match-prediction-what-should-india-do-after-winning-toss-and-how-much-is-par-score-1750349099064">IND vs ENG, 1st Test Match Prediction: What should India do after winning toss and how much is par score - check inside</a>"There are three things which one needs to respect: overhead conditions, the wind, and the pitch," he said as reported by ESPNCricinfo. "I feel something that all batters should think about and consider is a good, solid front-foot defence to a fast bowler. If you can defend well on the front foot to a fast bowler, then the rest of the things will fall into place. It is important to keep your hands close to your body, have a solid front-foot defence. The balls which are meant to be hit are, anyway, going to go ahead because they all are attacking players. But the balls which are not meant to be hit, that is when the hands will go away from the body, and a dismissal could cost the game. So a good, solid defence on the front foot is going to be a key factor."Tendulkar also has an advice for Gill and said that he should 'shut the doors' and just focus on what is in the interest of the country."The outside world can only give opinions. These guys can go out and play as well, and only the dressing room will have that honour. No one else will have that. I would say, just go out, it's a huge honour, enjoy the moment and give your best for the country and do what is in the interest of the country. Other than that, I would say shut the doors to everything. I think that should be his thought process," added the little master.

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Tendulkar also has an advice for Gill and said that he should 'shut the doors' and just focus on what is in the interest of the country.

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has an invaluable piece of advice for Indian batters as they get ready for the first of five Tests against England in Headingley, Leeds from June 20. Tendulkar, who played 17 Tests in England and scored 1,574 runs at an astonishing average of 54.31 with four ton and eight fifties, wants Indian batters to have a 'solid defence' against the England fast bowlers. Such in the inexperience of Indian batters that England batter Joe Root has more hundreds than entire Indian squad combined. India, under newly appointed skipper Shubman Gill, will be hoping to act on Tendulkar's advice. Also Read: IND vs ENG, 1st Test Match Prediction: What should India do after winning toss and how much is par score - check inside "There are three things which one needs to respect: overhead conditions, the wind, and the pitch," he said as reported by ESPNCricinfo. "I feel something that all batters should think about and consider is a good, solid front-foot defence to a fast bowler. If you can defend well on the front foot to a fast bowler, then the rest of the things will fall into place. It is important to keep your hands close to your body, have a solid front-foot defence. The balls which are meant to be hit are, anyway, going to go ahead because they all are attacking players. But the balls which are not meant to be hit, that is when the hands will go away from the body, and a dismissal could cost the game. So a good, solid defence on the front foot is going to be a key factor." Tendulkar also has an advice for Gill and said that he should 'shut the doors' and just focus on what is in the interest of the country. "The outside world can only give opinions. These guys can go out and play as well, and only the dressing room will have that honour. No one else will have that. I would say, just go out, it's a huge honour, enjoy the moment and give your best for the country and do what is in the interest of the country. Other than that, I would say shut the doors to everything. I think that should be his thought process," added the little master.

IND vs ENG, 1st Test: Tendulkar also has an advice for Gill and said that he should 'shut the doors' and just focus on what is in the interest of the country.

IND vs ENG: Tendulkar shares 'solid defence' advice for attacking Indian batters

India are ready to start a new journey in Test cricket with a five-match series against England, starting on June 20 (Wednesday). The team will play under their new captain, Shubman Gill. This is India’s first Test series after a 162-day break. The last time they played a Test was in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25). Looking at the last five Test matches at Headingley, teams that batted second have won four times. Teams batting first have won just once. This shows that the toss will be very important, as the pitch mostly helps teams that bat second.Match Prediction: IND vs ENG, 1st Test at HeadingleyIf a team bats first, a score of 250 to 270 runs in the first innings is usually good. In the last five matches, most teams batting first were all out for less than 200.The pitch is good for chasing. In the last five games, the team chasing won four times, and the average target for chasing has been just under 300 runs (298 runs to be precise).Teams batting second have won 80% of the last five matches.Also Read - IND vs ENG 2025: 5 Indian players to watch out for in Test seriesSpinners are effective or pacersPacers have taken about 85% of the wickets in the last five Tests. The pitch at Leeds offers good support to fast bowlers. Apart from Jack Leech's five-wicket haul in both innings against New Zealand in 2022, spinners have not had much success at Headingley.Match ScenariosIf India bat first:India should aim for 300-330 runs in the first innings. With top pacers like Bumrah and Arshdeep, they can try to bowl out England for a low total and set a big target in the last innings.If India bat second:They must try to bowl out England for under 250 runs. A big chase could be tough against England’s strong pace attack at home.If England bat first:England should aim for 330-350 runs in the first innings. This will put pressure on the young Indian side, as many of their batters are still new at this level. England’s bowlers like Tongue and Woakes on their home pitches can make things difficult for Indian batters.If England bat second:If bowling first, England should try to keep India under 250 runs. This will give them the upper hand, as India also has a powerful bowling attack led by Bumrah and Siraj.Predicted Playing XIsEngland (confirmed): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib BashirIndia (predicted XI's): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj&nbsp;

India is ready to start a new journey in Test cricket with a five-match series against England, starting on June 20 (Wednesday). The team will play under their new captain, Shubman Gill. 

India are ready to start a new journey in Test cricket with a five-match series against England, starting on June 20 (Wednesday). The team will play under their new captain, Shubman Gill. This is India’s first Test series after a 162-day break. The last time they played a Test was in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25). Looking at the last five Test matches at Headingley, teams that batted second have won four times. Teams batting first have won just once. This shows that the toss will be very important, as the pitch mostly helps teams that bat second. Match Prediction: IND vs ENG, 1st Test at Headingley If a team bats first, a score of 250 to 270 runs in the first innings is usually good. In the last five matches, most teams batting first were all out for less than 200. The pitch is good for chasing. In the last five games, the team chasing won four times, and the average target for chasing has been just under 300 runs (298 runs to be precise). Teams batting second have won 80% of the last five matches. Also Read - IND vs ENG 2025: 5 Indian players to watch out for in Test series Spinners are effective or pacers Pacers have taken about 85% of the wickets in the last five Tests. The pitch at Leeds offers good support to fast bowlers. Apart from Jack Leech's five-wicket haul in both innings against New Zealand in 2022, spinners have not had much success at Headingley. Match Scenarios If India bat first: India should aim for 300-330 runs in the first innings. With top pacers like Bumrah and Arshdeep, they can try to bowl out England for a low total and set a big target in the last innings. If India bat second: They must try to bowl out England for under 250 runs. A big chase could be tough against England’s strong pace attack at home. If England bat first: England should aim for 330-350 runs in the first innings. This will put pressure on the young Indian side, as many of their batters are still new at this level. England’s bowlers like Tongue and Woakes on their home pitches can make things difficult for Indian batters. If England bat second: If bowling first, England should try to keep India under 250 runs. This will give them the upper hand, as India also has a powerful bowling attack led by Bumrah and Siraj. Predicted Playing XIs England (confirmed): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir India (predicted XI's): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

India is ready to start a new journey in Test cricket with a five-match series against England, starting on June 20 (Wednesday). The team will play under their new captain, Shubman Gill.&nbsp;

IND vs ENG, 1st Test Match Prediction: What should India do after winning toss and how much is par score - check inside

England may have become the most attacking Test team in the world since taking on the Bazball philosophy but skipper Ben Stokes want the team to be 'smarter in those situations' when they are behind in the game. The comments, given to BBC Sport, was made one day out of the start of English summer before they take on India in the first of five Tests to kick off World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2025-27. England would be hoping to put the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, under pressure in Leeds when they face off on June 20."It's just being smarter in those situations when it's obvious that the opposition is on top of us," he said. "We just felt like, as a team, that the area of improvement… is actually soaking up that pressure, and allowing ourselves a better opportunity to then apply the pressure back onto [the opposition] in the way that we know we can.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-listen-to-everybody-but-ex-skipper-kapil-advice-to-new-test-captain-shubman-gill-1750345076760">IND vs ENG: 'Listen to everybody, but...,' ex-skipper Kapil to new Test captain Shubman Gill</a>"When we have lost, we probably look back on those moments [and think], 'Could we have been a lot better at slowing everything down, and understanding where we are in the position of the game to then allow us to play in that natural way that we like to go about things?' Having those reflective moments and honest conversations within the group is what can take teams to the next level," added Stokes.Predicted Playing XIs England (confirmed): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib BashirIndia (predicted): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

England would be hoping to put the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, under pressure in Leeds when they face off on June 20 in first of five Tests.

England may have become the most attacking Test team in the world since taking on the Bazball philosophy but skipper Ben Stokes want the team to be 'smarter in those situations' when they are behind in the game. The comments, given to BBC Sport, was made one day out of the start of English summer before they take on India in the first of five Tests to kick off World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2025-27. England would be hoping to put the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, under pressure in Leeds when they face off on June 20. "It's just being smarter in those situations when it's obvious that the opposition is on top of us," he said. "We just felt like, as a team, that the area of improvement… is actually soaking up that pressure, and allowing ourselves a better opportunity to then apply the pressure back onto [the opposition] in the way that we know we can. Also Read - IND vs ENG: 'Listen to everybody, but...,' ex-skipper Kapil to new Test captain Shubman Gill "When we have lost, we probably look back on those moments [and think], 'Could we have been a lot better at slowing everything down, and understanding where we are in the position of the game to then allow us to play in that natural way that we like to go about things?' Having those reflective moments and honest conversations within the group is what can take teams to the next level," added Stokes. Predicted Playing XIs England (confirmed): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir India (predicted): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

England would be hoping to put the young Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, under pressure in Leeds when they face off on June 20 in first of five Tests.

IND vs ENG: U-turn on Bazball? Skipper Stokes wants England to be 'smarter in those situations'

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U-turn on Bazball? Stokes wants England to be 'smarter in those situations'