Indian Premier League - the world's richest cricket league just got bigger and better after the addition of two new teams, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT), to the existing eight franchises.

Indian Premier League - the world's richest cricket league just got bigger and better after the addition of two new teams, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT), to the existing eight franchises. Decoding the spending narratives of both new teams is slightly difficult as they have built a team from scratch. However, if we talk about Lucknow Super Giant (LSG), they have acquired some top-class players to build a strong team in the leadership of India's star batter KL Rahul. For LSG, the pre-auction picks were KL Rahul (Rs 17 cr), Marcus Stoinis (Rs 9.2 cr) and Ravi Bishnoi (Rs 4 cr) and if we see their full squad, it appears they have opted for batting all-rounders, meaning a batting heavy side. Still, they might fall short of names when it comes to batting reserves. ALSO READ | Punjab Kings break the bank for Livingstone. PBKS squad list for IPL 2022 with signings of Dhawan, Bairstow The Playing XI of the side is quite good, however, they might struggle when it will come to bench strength. For the Playing XI, they have KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stonis, Manish Pandey, Krunal Pandya, Jason Holder, Mark Wood and Avesh Khan. There are lesser options for backup in terms of batting reserves for the first three playing spots. The first five batters in Playing XI are expected to be KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Marcus Stonis, Manish Pandey, Evin Lewis (not in playing order). In the bowling department, LSG have Mark Wood, Avesh Khan, Ankit Rajpoot, Dushmantha Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav. ALSO READ | Prodigal son returns to Delhi Capitals: Complete squad of DC for IPL 2022 with Warner, Marsh, Shardul in camp After the IPL 2020 Auction, here's how the squad of Lucknow Super Giants looks like: Pre-auction picks: KL Rahul (17 Cr), Marcus Stoinis (9.2 Cr), Ravi Bishnoi (4 Cr) Players acquired at IPL 2022 auction: Batters: Quinton de Kock (wk) (Rs 6.75 cr), Manish Pandey (Rs 4.60 cr), Manan Vohra (Rs 0.20 cr), Evin Lewis (Rs 2 cr). Allrounders: Jason Holder (Rs 8.75 cr), Deepak Hooda (Rs 5.75 cr), Krunal Pandya (Rs 8.25 cr), K Gowtham (Rs 0.90 cr), Ayush Badoni (Rs 0.20 cr), Kyle Mayers (Rs 0.50 cr), Karan Sharma (Rs 0.20 cr) Bowlers: Mark Wood (Rs 7.5 cr), Avesh Khan (Rs 10 cr), Ankit Rajpoot (Rs 0.50 cr), Dushmantha Chameera (Rs 2 cr), Shahbaz Nadeem (Rs 0.50 cr), Mohsin Khan (Rs 0.20 cr), Mayank Yadav (Rs 0.20 cr)

Lucknow Super Giants complete squad for IPL 2022: De Kock, Holder and Avesh among best buys for debutants

All eyes were on the newly-formed IPL team, i.e. the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), in the two-day IPL 2022 mega auction, held in Bengaluru. Having picked KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi as their top three picks ahead of the mega auction proceedings, the Lucknow IPL team made heads turn by going all-out in buying the likes of Quinton de Kock,&nbsp;Jason Holder, Krunal Pandya, Manish Pandey and Deepak Hooda on Day 1 on Saturday (February 12).

On Day 2, Lucknow mentor Gautam Gambhir named a 'steal deal' for the&nbsp;franchise which they roped in on Sunday (February 13). Lucknow bought&nbsp;former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spin-bowling all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham for INR 9 million (INR 90 lakhs). For the unversed, the MS Dhoni-led Yellow Army broke the bank for the Karnataka player in the IPL 2021 auction, buying him for INR 92.5 million (INR 9.25 crore). Hence, Gambhir called him&nbsp;a 'steal deal'.

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Speaking to official broadcaster Star Sports, on Sunday (February 13), the former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Gambhir firstly shared his experience of building a squad from scratch. "I have been at the auction table before but never have a built a squad from scratch as there was always a core team around which we built the squad," he said.

Gambhir then highlighted a signing from Day 2 which&nbsp;was a steal deal, as per him, for the&nbsp;franchise. "I think getting Krishnappa Gautham for 90 lakhs was a steal deal. He went for 9.25 crore last time around. We were looking for somebody to add firepower at No. 8 and with Krunal Pandya already a part of the squad, we were very happy to buy Gowtham as well," he asserted.

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LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka had stated after&nbsp;Day 1 of the IPL mega auction during a virtual press conference, "We are very happy with the way it's gone so far. We have got our top preferences as of now and it's gone well so far for us. We have got a great opener in Quinton, a very good all-rounder in Jason Holder. We have two quality Indian batsmen. Out of the seven people we had in the squad so far, I think there is a balance beginning to emerge. So far, it is very much on track for us."

All eyes were on the newly-formed IPL team, i.e. the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), in the two-day IPL 2022 mega auction, held in Bengaluru. Having picked KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi as their top three picks ahead of the mega auction proceedings, the Lucknow IPL team made heads turn by going all-out in buying the likes of Quinton de Kock, Jason Holder, Krunal Pandya, Manish Pandey and Deepak Hooda on Day 1 on Saturday (February 12).

All eyes were on the newly-formed IPL team, i.e. the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), in the two-day IPL 2022 mega auction, held in Bengaluru. Having picked KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi as their top three picks ahead of the mega auction proceedings, the Lucknow IPL team made heads turn by going all-out in buying the likes of Quinton de Kock, Jason Holder, Krunal Pandya, Manish Pandey and Deepak Hooda on Day 1 on Saturday (February 12). On Day 2, Lucknow mentor Gautam Gambhir named a 'steal deal' for the franchise which they roped in on Sunday (February 13). Lucknow bought former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spin-bowling all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham for INR 9 million (INR 90 lakhs). For the unversed, the MS Dhoni-led Yellow Army broke the bank for the Karnataka player in the IPL 2021 auction, buying him for INR 92.5 million (INR 9.25 crore). Hence, Gambhir called him a 'steal deal'. ALSO READ | Nothing more dangerous: Twitter explodes as MI include Jofra Archer in Jasprit Bumrah-starrer pace attack Speaking to official broadcaster Star Sports, on Sunday (February 13), the former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Gambhir firstly shared his experience of building a squad from scratch. "I have been at the auction table before but never have a built a squad from scratch as there was always a core team around which we built the squad," he said. Gambhir then highlighted a signing from Day 2 which was a steal deal, as per him, for the franchise. "I think getting Krishnappa Gautham for 90 lakhs was a steal deal. He went for 9.25 crore last time around. We were looking for somebody to add firepower at No. 8 and with Krunal Pandya already a part of the squad, we were very happy to buy Gowtham as well," he asserted. ALSO READ | IPL 2022 mega auction: Faf du Plessis' emotional message for Dhoni's CSK after joining RCB - WATCH LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka had stated after Day 1 of the IPL mega auction during a virtual press conference, "We are very happy with the way it's gone so far. We have got our top preferences as of now and it's gone well so far for us. We have got a great opener in Quinton, a very good all-rounder in Jason Holder. We have two quality Indian batsmen. Out of the seven people we had in the squad so far, I think there is a balance beginning to emerge. So far, it is very much on track for us."

IPL 2022 mega auction: Gautam Gambhir names ex-CSK player as 'steal deal' for Lucknow Super Giants

Avesh Khan, who had a memorable run for the Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2021, has made heads turn by becoming the highest-ever uncapped player&nbsp;during Day 1 of the IPL 2022 mega auction, being held in Bengaluru on Saturday (February 12). He, thus, went&nbsp;past K Gowtham’s 9.25 cr in 2021 (CSK) to create a new record among uncapped players.

When broadcaster Charu Sharma announced the players from the uncapped list, Avesh's name attracted quite a lot of franchises as he saw several teams bidding for him. The MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Mumbai Indians (MI) and the 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were engaged in an intense bidding war for the 25-year-old pacer, who eventually went to the KL Rahul-led Lucknow franchise for a whopping price of INR 100 million (INR 10 crore).

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For the unversed, Avesh had a breath-through season in IPL 2021 edition, accounting for a total of 24 wickets -- second-most overall --&nbsp;at an average of 18.75. He, thus, played a key role in taking Pant &amp; Co. to the playoffs. He, however, wasn't retained by Delhi camp as they went ahead and retained Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Axar Patel and Anrich Nortje.

DC, surprisingly, also didn't bid for Avesh; having already invested a huge sum on several players.

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Prior to the mega auction proceedings, R Ashwin -- Avesh's ex-DC teammate -- had predicted a huge bidding war for the young speedster.&nbsp;"There is definitely going to be a bidding war for Avesh Khan. No doubt about that. Guarantee. Just like how Vijay Mallya fought for me with CSK in 2010, I can picture a Parth Jindal or a Kiran Rao fighting it out for Avesh Khan this year. With whom will they fight? Well, that might be any team," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Surely, many are highly&nbsp;impressed with Avesh as he will now look to replicate his previous season's performance in the Rahul-led Lucknow franchise.

Avesh Khan, who had a memorable run for the Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2021, has made heads turn by becoming the highest-ever uncapped player during Day 1 of the IPL 2022 mega auction, being held in Bengaluru on Saturday (February 12).

Avesh Khan, who had a memorable run for the Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2021, has made heads turn by becoming the highest-ever uncapped player during Day 1 of the IPL 2022 mega auction, being held in Bengaluru on Saturday (February 12). He, thus, went past K Gowtham’s 9.25 cr in 2021 (CSK) to create a new record among uncapped players. When broadcaster Charu Sharma announced the players from the uncapped list, Avesh's name attracted quite a lot of franchises as he saw several teams bidding for him. The MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Mumbai Indians (MI) and the 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were engaged in an intense bidding war for the 25-year-old pacer, who eventually went to the KL Rahul-led Lucknow franchise for a whopping price of INR 100 million (INR 10 crore). ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Aakash Chopra names Virat Kohli's successor as RCB pick star players in mega auction For the unversed, Avesh had a breath-through season in IPL 2021 edition, accounting for a total of 24 wickets -- second-most overall -- at an average of 18.75. He, thus, played a key role in taking Pant & Co. to the playoffs. He, however, wasn't retained by Delhi camp as they went ahead and retained Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Axar Patel and Anrich Nortje. DC, surprisingly, also didn't bid for Avesh; having already invested a huge sum on several players. ALSO READ | CSK stalwart Suresh Raina goes UNSOLD at IPL 2022 mega auction Prior to the mega auction proceedings, R Ashwin -- Avesh's ex-DC teammate -- had predicted a huge bidding war for the young speedster. "There is definitely going to be a bidding war for Avesh Khan. No doubt about that. Guarantee. Just like how Vijay Mallya fought for me with CSK in 2010, I can picture a Parth Jindal or a Kiran Rao fighting it out for Avesh Khan this year. With whom will they fight? Well, that might be any team," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. Surely, many are highly impressed with Avesh as he will now look to replicate his previous season's performance in the Rahul-led Lucknow franchise.

IPL 2022 mega auction: Avesh Khan becomes highest-ever uncapped pick, sold for Rs 10 crore

India's vice-captain KL Rahul and all-rounder Axar Patel have been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against West Indies. While Rahul will miss the three-match rubber after suffering a hamstring injury while fielding during the second ODI against West Indies on Wednesday, Axar is yet to recover fully from his shin injury and had also tested positive for COVID-19 recently.

The duo will be replaced by opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad and all-rounder Deepak Hooda in India's T20 squad for the West Indies series. While Gaikwad has already made his T20I debut for the Indian team, Hooda is yet to earn his maiden cap in the shortest format of the game. Hooda had recently impressed on his ODI debut for the Men in Blue against Kieron Pollard's men.

"Rahul sustained an upper left hamstring strain during fielding in the 2nd ODI on 9th February 2022 while Axar has resumed the final stage of his rehabilitation after recently recovering from Covid-19. They will now head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of their injury," said the BCCI in a statement on Friday.

"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda as replacements," it added.&nbsp;

Both Gaikwad and Hooda are already part of India's ODI squad for the ongoing three-match series against West Indies and will stay with the squad for the T20Is. In the absence of Rahul, Gaikwad will be hoping to get more opportunities at the top after not getting even a single game in the ODI series.

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Hooda can also be used as a finisher in the lower middle-order in the absence of the likes of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, who are both not part of the squad. Venkatesh Iyer will be Hooda's only competitor for the all-rounder's spot in the playing XI.

India's updated T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda.

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India's vice-captain KL Rahul and all-rounder Axar Patel have been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against West Indies. While Rahul will miss the three-match rubber after suffering a hamstring injury while fielding during the second ODI against West Indies on Wednesday, Axar is yet to recover fully from his shin injury and had also tested positive for COVID-19 recently.

India's vice-captain KL Rahul and all-rounder Axar Patel have been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against West Indies. While Rahul will miss the three-match rubber after suffering a hamstring injury while fielding during the second ODI against West Indies on Wednesday, Axar is yet to recover fully from his shin injury and had also tested positive for COVID-19 recently. The duo will be replaced by opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad and all-rounder Deepak Hooda in India's T20 squad for the West Indies series. While Gaikwad has already made his T20I debut for the Indian team, Hooda is yet to earn his maiden cap in the shortest format of the game. Hooda had recently impressed on his ODI debut for the Men in Blue against Kieron Pollard's men. "Rahul sustained an upper left hamstring strain during fielding in the 2nd ODI on 9th February 2022 while Axar has resumed the final stage of his rehabilitation after recently recovering from Covid-19. They will now head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of their injury," said the BCCI in a statement on Friday. "The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda as replacements," it added. Both Gaikwad and Hooda are already part of India's ODI squad for the ongoing three-match series against West Indies and will stay with the squad for the T20Is. In the absence of Rahul, Gaikwad will be hoping to get more opportunities at the top after not getting even a single game in the ODI series. Also Read: Virat Kohli endures worst ODI series in 9 years as he bags 2-ball duck in 3rd ODI against West Indies Hooda can also be used as a finisher in the lower middle-order in the absence of the likes of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, who are both not part of the squad. Venkatesh Iyer will be Hooda's only competitor for the all-rounder's spot in the playing XI. India's updated T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda.

KL Rahul, Axar Patel ruled out of T20I series against West Indies, replacements announced

India got off to a winning start in the ongoing three-match ODI series against West Indies with a comfortable six-wicket win in the first ODI at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The hosts will be locking horns with Kieron Pollard &amp; Co. in the second ODI of the series on Wednesday and will be hoping to continue their winning run against the visitors.

Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar were brilliant for India in the series-opener as the duo rattled the West Indies batting line up to pick up seven wickets between them. West Indies were bundled out for a paltry 176 runs in 43.5 overs before India chased down the target with as many as 22 overs to spare.

Captain Rohit Sharma, who was leading the Men in Blue in his first ODI as the full-time skipper of the Indian team, slammed a brilliant 51-ball 60 to get the hosts off to a good start before Suryakumr Yadav (34) and debutant Deepak Hooda (26) wrapped up the run-chase while remaining unbeaten.

It was a comfortable victory for India in the first ODI, however, a change is likely in the playing XI for the second ODI as KL Rahul is available for selection after missing the first game. The vice-captain had missed the series-opener due to personal reasons but is likely to return to the XI in the second game.

Rahul is likely to replace left-hand batter Ishan Kishan at the top as India would like to give Hooda more chances in the middle-order after his good show on debut. Kishan, who also looked in fine touch for his 28 off 36 balls, might have to make way for Rahul, who is unlikely to be slotted in the middle-order and will play as an opener.

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Apart from Rahul replacing Kishan, India are unlikely to make any other change and will once again reply on the spin pair of Chahal and Sundar to continue their terrific run in the second game. Sundar is unlikely to be replaced by any other spinner as he offers a lot with the bat as well lower down the order.

India's predicted XI for 2nd ODI against West Indies:

Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal,&nbsp;Prasidh Krishna

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India got off to a winning start in the ongoing three-match ODI series against West Indies with a comfortable six-wicket win in the first ODI at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

India got off to a winning start in the ongoing three-match ODI series against West Indies with a comfortable six-wicket win in the first ODI at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The hosts will be locking horns with Kieron Pollard & Co. in the second ODI of the series on Wednesday and will be hoping to continue their winning run against the visitors. Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar were brilliant for India in the series-opener as the duo rattled the West Indies batting line up to pick up seven wickets between them. West Indies were bundled out for a paltry 176 runs in 43.5 overs before India chased down the target with as many as 22 overs to spare. Captain Rohit Sharma, who was leading the Men in Blue in his first ODI as the full-time skipper of the Indian team, slammed a brilliant 51-ball 60 to get the hosts off to a good start before Suryakumr Yadav (34) and debutant Deepak Hooda (26) wrapped up the run-chase while remaining unbeaten. It was a comfortable victory for India in the first ODI, however, a change is likely in the playing XI for the second ODI as KL Rahul is available for selection after missing the first game. The vice-captain had missed the series-opener due to personal reasons but is likely to return to the XI in the second game. Rahul is likely to replace left-hand batter Ishan Kishan at the top as India would like to give Hooda more chances in the middle-order after his good show on debut. Kishan, who also looked in fine touch for his 28 off 36 balls, might have to make way for Rahul, who is unlikely to be slotted in the middle-order and will play as an opener. Also Read: Virat Kohli to join Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh in elite list during 2nd ODI Apart from Rahul replacing Kishan, India are unlikely to make any other change and will once again reply on the spin pair of Chahal and Sundar to continue their terrific run in the second game. Sundar is unlikely to be replaced by any other spinner as he offers a lot with the bat as well lower down the order. India's predicted XI for 2nd ODI against West Indies: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna

Ishan Kishan to make way for KL Rahul? India's predicted playing XI for 2nd ODI against West Indies

Rohit Sharma-led Team India beat West Indies by six wickets in the three-match ODI series opener on Sunday (February 6) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad. With this, India started their home season on a high and also completed their 1000th outing in the 50-over format on an emphatic note.

With a 1-0 lead, Rohit &amp; Co. will not like to lose momentum and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three ODIs as both sides face each other in the second and penultimate match on Wednesday (February 09), at the same venue.

The likes of KL Rahul (limited-overs vice-captain), Shreyas Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan have been added to the squad. Rahul missed the series opener -- reportedly due to personal reasons -- whereas Iyer and opener Dhawan have recovered from Covid-19 and cleared to train on Tuesday (February 08). It is highly unlikely that the Rahul Dravid-led team management will include both Iyer and Dhawan at one go, however, Rahul is expected to return to the playing XI.

It will be interesting to see who misses out if Rahul is included in the XI. For the Windies, they need to address their batting issues at the earliest whereas a lot depends on Jason Holder and Kemar Roach with the ball. While Alzarri Joseph had a decent outing in the series opener, the inexperienced spin duo of Fabien Allen and Akeal Hosein will be tested by the Indian batters.

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Here is everything you need to know about the match - date, IST, streaming details, etc.&nbsp;

When is India vs West Indies&nbsp;2nd ODI match taking place?

India vs West Indies 2nd ODI is scheduled to take place on February 09, 2022.&nbsp;

Where is India vs West Indies 2nd ODI taking place?

India vs West Indies 2nd ODI&nbsp;will take place at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium,&nbsp;in Ahmedabad.

At what time India vs West Indies 2nd ODI taking place?

India vs West Indies 2nd ODI&nbsp;will kick off at 1:30pm (IST).

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How to watch India vs West Indies 2nd ODI live on TV?

India vs West Indies 2nd ODI will be aired live on Star Sports channels - Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Hindi HD, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Telugu, and Star Sports 1 Kannada.&nbsp;

How to watch India vs West Indies 2nd ODI live streaming?

The India vs West Indies 2nd ODI will be available to watch online/streaming on the Disney+ Hotstar App and the website.&nbsp;

Rohit Sharma-led Team India beat West Indies by six wickets in the three-match ODI series opener on Sunday (February 6) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad.

Rohit Sharma-led Team India beat West Indies by six wickets in the three-match ODI series opener on Sunday (February 6) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad. With this, India started their home season on a high and also completed their 1000th outing in the 50-over format on an emphatic note. With a 1-0 lead, Rohit & Co. will not like to lose momentum and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three ODIs as both sides face each other in the second and penultimate match on Wednesday (February 09), at the same venue. The likes of KL Rahul (limited-overs vice-captain), Shreyas Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan have been added to the squad. Rahul missed the series opener -- reportedly due to personal reasons -- whereas Iyer and opener Dhawan have recovered from Covid-19 and cleared to train on Tuesday (February 08). It is highly unlikely that the Rahul Dravid-led team management will include both Iyer and Dhawan at one go, however, Rahul is expected to return to the playing XI. It will be interesting to see who misses out if Rahul is included in the XI. For the Windies, they need to address their batting issues at the earliest whereas a lot depends on Jason Holder and Kemar Roach with the ball. While Alzarri Joseph had a decent outing in the series opener, the inexperienced spin duo of Fabien Allen and Akeal Hosein will be tested by the Indian batters. ALSO READ | Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer test COVID-19 negative, cleared to train ahead of 2nd ODI vs West Indies Here is everything you need to know about the match - date, IST, streaming details, etc. When is India vs West Indies 2nd ODI match taking place? India vs West Indies 2nd ODI is scheduled to take place on February 09, 2022. Where is India vs West Indies 2nd ODI taking place? India vs West Indies 2nd ODI will take place at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, in Ahmedabad. At what time India vs West Indies 2nd ODI taking place? India vs West Indies 2nd ODI will kick off at 1:30pm (IST). ALSO READ | This has been happening for years: Sunil Gavaskar rubbishes rift rumours between Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli How to watch India vs West Indies 2nd ODI live on TV? India vs West Indies 2nd ODI will be aired live on Star Sports channels - Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Hindi HD, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Telugu, and Star Sports 1 Kannada. How to watch India vs West Indies 2nd ODI live streaming? The India vs West Indies 2nd ODI will be available to watch online/streaming on the Disney+ Hotstar App and the website.

INDvsWI: When and where to watch India vs West Indies 2nd ODI match - IST time and streaming details

Virat Kohli's captaincy stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) came to an after the conclusion of IPL 2021 last year. Kohli had taken over as the full-time skipper of RCB in 2013 and led the side in a total of nine seasons but failed to inspire the team to its maiden IPL title triumph.

RCB came close to ending their IPL title drought under Kohli's captaincy in IPL 2016 when they made it to the final of the competition. The Kohli-led side was up against David Warner-led Sunrisers Hyderabad in the summit clash and stood just one step away from the elusive trophy.

However, RCB lost the final by 8 runs and missed out on their maiden trophy. Batting first, SRH posted a strong total of 208 runs on the board and took control of the final. However, RCB got off to a stunning start as Kohli and Chris Gayle posted a 114-run stand for the first wicket with half-centuries apiece.

However, the rest of the batters disappointed as SRH managed to restrict RCB on 200 runs to clinch their maiden IPL title. Kohli revealed, KL Rahul, who was also part of the RCB squad back then, still sends him a screenshot of the final when it comes on TV and says the loss still hurts.

“The final, I feel like it was written, how could the finals be in Bangalore, after we play that kind of a season, and we are playing that kind of a game at 100-0 after 9 overs. To this date, KL takes screenshots of that game when it is broadcasted and says it still hurts," Kohli said speaking about the IPL 2016 final loss on the RCB podcast.

“And it does hurt to an extent. You have to think about that game every now and then. We were not good enough on that day. That is one game where I feel like, it hurts. From all the IPL seasons I’ve been a part of, we had it right in front of us,” he added.

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/everyone-else-was-getting-a-decent-car-when-virat-kohli-was-left-disappointed-by-rcbs-treatment-450707">&nbsp;'Everyone else was getting a decent car': When Virat Kohli was left disappointed by RCB's treatment</a>

Not winning an IPL title as captain disappoints me: Virat Kohli

Kohli has been with RCB since the inception of IPL in 2008 as he remains the only active player in the league to have played for only one franchise so far in his IPL career. However, the former captain is yet to win his maiden title with the franchise.

After losing the final in 2016, RCB came close to ending their IPL title drought in the last two years as they qualified for playoffs in back-to-back seasons. However, they failed to reach the final on both occasions and had to settle with a finish in the top four. Kohli said it has been disappointing to not win an IPL title as a captain.

“Not winning a title as captain disappoints me, I would say we had opportunities, where we came close. We have to accept the fact that the reason we have not won is because we have not been as courageous, or as clear in our plans as we should have been in those moments. You could say that the odds were stacked against us in terms of expectations, but you have to deal with those expectations,” Kohli said.

&nbsp;

Virat Kohli's captaincy stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) came to an after the conclusion of IPL 2021 last year.

Virat Kohli's captaincy stint with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) came to an after the conclusion of IPL 2021 last year. Kohli had taken over as the full-time skipper of RCB in 2013 and led the side in a total of nine seasons but failed to inspire the team to its maiden IPL title triumph. RCB came close to ending their IPL title drought under Kohli's captaincy in IPL 2016 when they made it to the final of the competition. The Kohli-led side was up against David Warner-led Sunrisers Hyderabad in the summit clash and stood just one step away from the elusive trophy. However, RCB lost the final by 8 runs and missed out on their maiden trophy. Batting first, SRH posted a strong total of 208 runs on the board and took control of the final. However, RCB got off to a stunning start as Kohli and Chris Gayle posted a 114-run stand for the first wicket with half-centuries apiece. However, the rest of the batters disappointed as SRH managed to restrict RCB on 200 runs to clinch their maiden IPL title. Kohli revealed, KL Rahul, who was also part of the RCB squad back then, still sends him a screenshot of the final when it comes on TV and says the loss still hurts. “The final, I feel like it was written, how could the finals be in Bangalore, after we play that kind of a season, and we are playing that kind of a game at 100-0 after 9 overs. To this date, KL takes screenshots of that game when it is broadcasted and says it still hurts," Kohli said speaking about the IPL 2016 final loss on the RCB podcast. “And it does hurt to an extent. You have to think about that game every now and then. We were not good enough on that day. That is one game where I feel like, it hurts. From all the IPL seasons I’ve been a part of, we had it right in front of us,” he added. Also Read: 'Everyone else was getting a decent car': When Virat Kohli was left disappointed by RCB's treatment Not winning an IPL title as captain disappoints me: Virat Kohli Kohli has been with RCB since the inception of IPL in 2008 as he remains the only active player in the league to have played for only one franchise so far in his IPL career. However, the former captain is yet to win his maiden title with the franchise. After losing the final in 2016, RCB came close to ending their IPL title drought in the last two years as they qualified for playoffs in back-to-back seasons. However, they failed to reach the final on both occasions and had to settle with a finish in the top four. Kohli said it has been disappointing to not win an IPL title as a captain. “Not winning a title as captain disappoints me, I would say we had opportunities, where we came close. We have to accept the fact that the reason we have not won is because we have not been as courageous, or as clear in our plans as we should have been in those moments. You could say that the odds were stacked against us in terms of expectations, but you have to deal with those expectations,” Kohli said.

KL Rahul takes screenshots of IPL 2016 final when it is broadcasted and says it still hurts: Virat Kohli

The Indian team was dealt with a huge blow ahead of the start of the upcoming ODI series against West Indies as three players tested positive for COVID-19. Openers Ruturaj&nbsp;Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer have tested positive for the virus and are unlikely to feature in the three-match ODI rubber that gets underway on Sunday (February 06).

With Dhawan and Gaikwad down with COVID-19 and KL Rahul unavailable for selection in the first ODI due to personal reasons, the Indian team had to rope in Ishan Kishan and Mayank Agarwal as reserve openers ahead of the start of the series.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma on Saturday confirmed his opening partner for the first ODI against the Kieron Pollard-led side. Rohit said Kishan will open the batting with him in the series-opener as Mayank is still in quarantine after joining the rest of the Indian squad in Ahmedabad.

"Ishan will open with me. Mayank is still in isolation although he has come into the squad. So, Ishan will open," Rohit told the reporters during the pre-match virtual press conference on Saturday.

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Rohit himself will be returning to the field for the Men in Blue after a gap of nearly two months as he had missed India's tour of South Africa due to a hamstring injury. The Hitman has fully recovered and is raring to go in what will be his first ODI series as India's full-time captain.

The first ODI between the two sides will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. While Kishan will open the batting, Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Hooda are likely to feature in the middle-order along with Rishabh Pant.

All-rounder Washington Sundar is also likely to be included in the playing XI given the absence of some of the top batters in the team.

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The Indian team was dealt with a huge blow ahead of the start of the upcoming ODI series against West Indies as three players tested positive for COVID-19. Openers Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer have tested positive for the virus and are unlikely to feature in the three-match ODI rubber that gets underway on Sunday (February 06).

The Indian team was dealt with a huge blow ahead of the start of the upcoming ODI series against West Indies as three players tested positive for COVID-19. Openers Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer have tested positive for the virus and are unlikely to feature in the three-match ODI rubber that gets underway on Sunday (February 06). With Dhawan and Gaikwad down with COVID-19 and KL Rahul unavailable for selection in the first ODI due to personal reasons, the Indian team had to rope in Ishan Kishan and Mayank Agarwal as reserve openers ahead of the start of the series. Indian captain Rohit Sharma on Saturday confirmed his opening partner for the first ODI against the Kieron Pollard-led side. Rohit said Kishan will open the batting with him in the series-opener as Mayank is still in quarantine after joining the rest of the Indian squad in Ahmedabad. "Ishan will open with me. Mayank is still in isolation although he has come into the squad. So, Ishan will open," Rohit told the reporters during the pre-match virtual press conference on Saturday. Also Read: Virat Kohli was unhappy with Anil Kumble for 'not standing up for players', claims former BCCI official Rohit himself will be returning to the field for the Men in Blue after a gap of nearly two months as he had missed India's tour of South Africa due to a hamstring injury. The Hitman has fully recovered and is raring to go in what will be his first ODI series as India's full-time captain. The first ODI between the two sides will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. While Kishan will open the batting, Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Hooda are likely to feature in the middle-order along with Rishabh Pant. All-rounder Washington Sundar is also likely to be included in the playing XI given the absence of some of the top batters in the team.

Rohit Sharma confirms his opening partner for first ODI against West Indies in absence of Dhawan, Rahul

After the disastrous tour of South Africa, Team India return to familiar conditions as they get ready to host Kieron Pollard-led West Indies in the three-match ODI series, starting on February 6. Being whitewashed 3-0 in the ODIs in South Africa, India will be eager to return to winning ways in the 50-over format.

Rohit Sharma will also officially start his tenure as the full-time white-ball captain of the Men in Blue during the series. In early December 2021, Rohit was appointed as the limited-overs skipper by the BCCI selectors. After missing the SA ODIs, due to a hamstring injury, Rohit will have a stern test to start his tenure with a win.

Ahead of the India-WI ODI series, the Covid-19 crisis has hit the Indian camp. Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan,&nbsp;Navdeep Saini,&nbsp;Ruturaj Gaikwad and a few other support staff members have tested positive. Thus, the likes of Mayank Agarwal, Ishan Kishan, etc. have been added to the squad before the series opener.

Here's everything to know about the squads, streaming, schedule and telecast details before the ODI series

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-west-indies-covid-19-scares-rohit-sharma-led-indian-camp-before-windies-odis-450056">India vs West Indies: COVID-19 scares Rohit Sharma-led Indian camp before Windies ODIs</a>

Squads

India: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Ishan Kishan, Mayank Agarwal

WI: Kieron Pollard (c), Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Brandon King, Fabian Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh.

Schedule

India will host West Indies in the three ODIs at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad before the action moves to the three T20Is (in Kolkata).

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Telecast and live streaming

The three ODIs'&nbsp;live telecast will be on Star Sports 1/1HD/1 and Star Sports Hindi/1HD Hindi from 1:30 PM IST. In addition, the&nbsp;fixtures will be streamed live on the Disney+Hotstar app.

After the disastrous tour of South Africa, Team India return to familiar conditions as they get ready to host Kieron Pollard-led West Indies in the three-match ODI series, starting on February 6.

After the disastrous tour of South Africa, Team India return to familiar conditions as they get ready to host Kieron Pollard-led West Indies in the three-match ODI series, starting on February 6. Being whitewashed 3-0 in the ODIs in South Africa, India will be eager to return to winning ways in the 50-over format. Rohit Sharma will also officially start his tenure as the full-time white-ball captain of the Men in Blue during the series. In early December 2021, Rohit was appointed as the limited-overs skipper by the BCCI selectors. After missing the SA ODIs, due to a hamstring injury, Rohit will have a stern test to start his tenure with a win. Ahead of the India-WI ODI series, the Covid-19 crisis has hit the Indian camp. Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan, Navdeep Saini, Ruturaj Gaikwad and a few other support staff members have tested positive. Thus, the likes of Mayank Agarwal, Ishan Kishan, etc. have been added to the squad before the series opener. Here's everything to know about the squads, streaming, schedule and telecast details before the ODI series ALSO READ | India vs West Indies: COVID-19 scares Rohit Sharma-led Indian camp before Windies ODIs Squads India: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Ishan Kishan, Mayank Agarwal WI: Kieron Pollard (c), Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Brandon King, Fabian Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh. Schedule India will host West Indies in the three ODIs at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad before the action moves to the three T20Is (in Kolkata). ALSO READ | BCCI announces Rohit-led India squad for WI series; Jasprit Bumrah, Md Shami rested, Jadeja misses out Telecast and live streaming The three ODIs' live telecast will be on Star Sports 1/1HD/1 and Star Sports Hindi/1HD Hindi from 1:30 PM IST. In addition, the fixtures will be streamed live on the Disney+Hotstar app.

India vs WI, ODIs: Everything to know about squads, schedule, telecast, streaming details

Team India's limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul is not part of the three-match ODI series opener versus Kieron Pollard's West Indies, in the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad. When BCCI announced the 18-member Rohit Sharma-led ODI and T20I squad for the West Indies series at home, Rahul was named in the strong line-up but will be available from the second ODI.

While BCCI didn't reveal any details into Rahul missing the series opener, as per reports in ESPNCricinfo, it has now been learned that the 29-year-old decided to give the first match, on Sunday (February 6)&nbsp;a miss due to his sister's wedding.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-west-indies-covid-19-scares-rohit-sharma-led-indian-camp-before-windies-odis-450056">India vs West Indies: COVID-19 scares Rohit Sharma-led Indian camp before Windies ODIs</a>

On Wednesday (February 2), Team India have been dealt with a major blow ahead of the ODI series opener. As many as four India players and three members of their support staff have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of Sunday's tour opener.&nbsp;

"The BCCI Medical team is handling the positive cases and they will remain in isolation till complete recovery is attained," BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hopefully-theyll-go-back-sourav-ganguly-opines-on-under-fire-duo-cheteshwar-pujara-ajinkya-rahane-450083">'Hopefully, they'll go back...' - Sourav Ganguly opines on under-fire duo Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane</a>

India will be eager to get back to winning ways, having not won a single game in 2022 so far, after a disastrous tour of South Africa. In SA, India started with a bang -- winning the tour opener -- before everything went downhill from thereon to lose the three Tests 2-1 and get whitewashed in the three ODIs.

India host West Indies in three ODIs and an equal number of T20Is. Sri Lanka will turn up next in India, for two Tests and three T20Is.

Team India's limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul is not part of the three-match ODI series opener versus Kieron Pollard's West Indies, in the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad.

Team India's limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul is not part of the three-match ODI series opener versus Kieron Pollard's West Indies, in the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad. When BCCI announced the 18-member Rohit Sharma-led ODI and T20I squad for the West Indies series at home, Rahul was named in the strong line-up but will be available from the second ODI. While BCCI didn't reveal any details into Rahul missing the series opener, as per reports in ESPNCricinfo, it has now been learned that the 29-year-old decided to give the first match, on Sunday (February 6) a miss due to his sister's wedding. ALSO READ | India vs West Indies: COVID-19 scares Rohit Sharma-led Indian camp before Windies ODIs On Wednesday (February 2), Team India have been dealt with a major blow ahead of the ODI series opener. As many as four India players and three members of their support staff have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of Sunday's tour opener. "The BCCI Medical team is handling the positive cases and they will remain in isolation till complete recovery is attained," BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement. ALSO READ | 'Hopefully, they'll go back...' - Sourav Ganguly opines on under-fire duo Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane India will be eager to get back to winning ways, having not won a single game in 2022 so far, after a disastrous tour of South Africa. In SA, India started with a bang -- winning the tour opener -- before everything went downhill from thereon to lose the three Tests 2-1 and get whitewashed in the three ODIs. India host West Indies in three ODIs and an equal number of T20Is. Sri Lanka will turn up next in India, for two Tests and three T20Is.

India vs WI ODIs: Here's why KL Rahul is not part of series opener in Ahmedabad

India's limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul has climbed up the ladder in the latest ICC T20I Rankings. With this, he has swapped places with England's Dawid Malan, who takes the fourth spot in the list spearheaded by Pakistan's Babar Azam.

The top-two batting spots are occupied by Pakistani openers -- Babar (on top with&nbsp;805 rating points) and Md Rizwan taking the second spot. South Africa's Aiden Markram (796 points) is at the fourth position. For Virat Kohli and white-ball captain Rohit Sharma, India's two mainstays with the bat,&nbsp;the former is at the tenth spot whereas Rohit follows suit.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-mega-event-to-be-held-in-india-franchises-eager-for-bcci-to-finalise-venues-report-449770">IPL 2022: Mega event to be held in India; franchises eager for BCCI to finalise venues - Report</a>

JASON HOLDER MAKES A GIANT LEAP

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and fast-bowling all-rounder Jason Holder&nbsp;achieved career-best rankings in the bowling list following the end of the five-match T20I series between West Indies and England, in&nbsp;the Caribbean island. Meanwhile, there is not even a single Indian bowler in the top 15. Under-fire senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar sits at the 19th spot. 
&nbsp; 
While Hosein has moved up 15 places to take the&nbsp;18th position -- returning with six scalps in the three&nbsp;games he featured in during the&nbsp;WI-England T20Is -- all-rounder Holder has moved up by three places to 23rd with a huge gain of 20 rating points. The lanky all-rounder ended with 15 wickets (including a hat-trick)&nbsp;to also walk away with the Player-of-the-Series award.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/4-wickets-in-4-balls-jason-holder-becomes-first-west-indies-bowler-to-take-a-t20i-hat-trick-watch-449246">4 wickets in 4 balls! Jason Holder becomes first West Indies bowler to take a T20I hat-trick - Watch</a>

Shakib Al Hasan occupies the 20th position whereas India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is at the 25th spot. In the all-rounders' category, Moeen Ali has jumped up by six spots to enter the top 3. Mohammad Nabi leads the chart with Glenn Maxwell also featuring in the top 5, occupying the fourth spot.

India's limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul has climbed up the ladder in the latest ICC T20I Rankings. With this, he has swapped places with England's Dawid Malan, who takes the fourth spot in the list spearheaded by Pakistan's Babar Azam.

India's limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul has climbed up the ladder in the latest ICC T20I Rankings. With this, he has swapped places with England's Dawid Malan, who takes the fourth spot in the list spearheaded by Pakistan's Babar Azam. The top-two batting spots are occupied by Pakistani openers -- Babar (on top with 805 rating points) and Md Rizwan taking the second spot. South Africa's Aiden Markram (796 points) is at the fourth position. For Virat Kohli and white-ball captain Rohit Sharma, India's two mainstays with the bat, the former is at the tenth spot whereas Rohit follows suit. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Mega event to be held in India; franchises eager for BCCI to finalise venues - Report JASON HOLDER MAKES A GIANT LEAP Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and fast-bowling all-rounder Jason Holder achieved career-best rankings in the bowling list following the end of the five-match T20I series between West Indies and England, in the Caribbean island. Meanwhile, there is not even a single Indian bowler in the top 15. Under-fire senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar sits at the 19th spot. While Hosein has moved up 15 places to take the 18th position -- returning with six scalps in the three games he featured in during the WI-England T20Is -- all-rounder Holder has moved up by three places to 23rd with a huge gain of 20 rating points. The lanky all-rounder ended with 15 wickets (including a hat-trick) to also walk away with the Player-of-the-Series award. ALSO READ | 4 wickets in 4 balls! Jason Holder becomes first West Indies bowler to take a T20I hat-trick - Watch Shakib Al Hasan occupies the 20th position whereas India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is at the 25th spot. In the all-rounders' category, Moeen Ali has jumped up by six spots to enter the top 3. Mohammad Nabi leads the chart with Glenn Maxwell also featuring in the top 5, occupying the fourth spot.

ICC T20I Rankings: KL Rahul climbs up the ladder; Jason Holder makes huge gain after England series

India and Pakistan locked horns with each other in the 2021 Men's T20 World Cup, in the UAE. Both sides played their respective Super 12 opening clash against each other on October 24 at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.&nbsp;

While many expected the Virat Kohli-led Indian team to extend their unbeaten run versus the arch-rivals in World Cup history, Babar Azam's&nbsp;Men in Green thrashed the one-time winners by ten wickets. Shaheen Afridi was the star performer for Team Pakistan as he returned with 3 for 31. The youngster's opening spell pushed India on the backfoot, reducing them to 6 for 2 with openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul back in the hut. While then captain Kohli stood tall with an impressivr 57, he was also dismissed by Shaheen in his last spell as Men in Green restricted India's famed batting line-up to 151-7. In reply, Babar and Md Rizwan's respective half-centuries propelled the team to a massive ten-wicket win.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/when-ms-dhoni-was-in-the-team-it-was-not-like-virat-kohli-on-giving-up-team-india-captaincy-449252">'When MS Dhoni was in the team, it was not like.....': Virat Kohli on giving up Team India captaincy</a>

&nbsp;

Recently, Shaheen reflected back on the team atmosphere prior to the marquee clash, his magical spell and lauded India's top order. In a chat with&nbsp;Cricbuzz, Shaheen said,&nbsp;"Most players were playing for the first time against India in a T20 World Cup, except Hafeez bhai and Shoaib bhai. And for us, it was an opportunity. The kind of cricket we played, we were very prepared and we had belief in each other. The captain's role is crucial and he backed me and the team a lot. The dressing room environment was quite friendly."

He opined, "There was a sense that if Shaheen can't, then Hasan Ali will... and if Hasan Ali can't, then Haris Rauf will. We had to play our best cricket and make people happy back home. And it was good fortune that we ended up on the right side."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/quicker-virat-kohli-discovers-his-form-easier-it-will-be-for-rohit-sharma-says-former-india-pacer-449267">Quicker Virat Kohli discovers his form, easier it will be for Rohit Sharma, says former India pacer</a>

On the famed trio -- Kohli, Rohit and KL and the strategy behind getting the better of them

In this regard, Shaheen said, "The end I was bowling from, the leg-side boundary was smaller, say about 60-65 meter only. If I had bowled straight and fast at him [Virat Kohli], he would have flicked me or pulled me for runs. So I wanted to mix things up and bowl a slow bouncer at him so that it would have been difficult for him to go leg-side."

"Luckily for me, the ball gripped and he got out. I admire Virat Kohli a lot, he's one of the best around. Rohit, Rahul and Kohli are their mainstays and three of the best batsmen in the world. Kohli unki reedh ki haddi hai (Kohli is their spinal cord). And once you get them out, it gets difficult for the middle order," he added.

For the unversed, India and Pakistan will once again lock horns with each other in this year's Men's T20 WC, to be held in Australia. They both are in Pool 2 and will meet at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on October 23.

India and Pakistan locked horns with each other in the 2021 Men's T20 World Cup, in the UAE. Both sides played their respective Super 12 opening clash against each other on October 24 at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai.

India and Pakistan locked horns with each other in the 2021 Men's T20 World Cup, in the UAE. Both sides played their respective Super 12 opening clash against each other on October 24 at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai. While many expected the Virat Kohli-led Indian team to extend their unbeaten run versus the arch-rivals in World Cup history, Babar Azam's Men in Green thrashed the one-time winners by ten wickets. Shaheen Afridi was the star performer for Team Pakistan as he returned with 3 for 31. The youngster's opening spell pushed India on the backfoot, reducing them to 6 for 2 with openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul back in the hut. While then captain Kohli stood tall with an impressivr 57, he was also dismissed by Shaheen in his last spell as Men in Green restricted India's famed batting line-up to 151-7. In reply, Babar and Md Rizwan's respective half-centuries propelled the team to a massive ten-wicket win. ALSO READ | 'When MS Dhoni was in the team, it was not like.....': Virat Kohli on giving up Team India captaincy Recently, Shaheen reflected back on the team atmosphere prior to the marquee clash, his magical spell and lauded India's top order. In a chat with Cricbuzz, Shaheen said, "Most players were playing for the first time against India in a T20 World Cup, except Hafeez bhai and Shoaib bhai. And for us, it was an opportunity. The kind of cricket we played, we were very prepared and we had belief in each other. The captain's role is crucial and he backed me and the team a lot. The dressing room environment was quite friendly." He opined, "There was a sense that if Shaheen can't, then Hasan Ali will... and if Hasan Ali can't, then Haris Rauf will. We had to play our best cricket and make people happy back home. And it was good fortune that we ended up on the right side." ALSO READ | Quicker Virat Kohli discovers his form, easier it will be for Rohit Sharma, says former India pacer On the famed trio -- Kohli, Rohit and KL and the strategy behind getting the better of them In this regard, Shaheen said, "The end I was bowling from, the leg-side boundary was smaller, say about 60-65 meter only. If I had bowled straight and fast at him [Virat Kohli], he would have flicked me or pulled me for runs. So I wanted to mix things up and bowl a slow bouncer at him so that it would have been difficult for him to go leg-side." "Luckily for me, the ball gripped and he got out. I admire Virat Kohli a lot, he's one of the best around. Rohit, Rahul and Kohli are their mainstays and three of the best batsmen in the world. Kohli unki reedh ki haddi hai (Kohli is their spinal cord). And once you get them out, it gets difficult for the middle order," he added. For the unversed, India and Pakistan will once again lock horns with each other in this year's Men's T20 WC, to be held in Australia. They both are in Pool 2 and will meet at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on October 23.

'He's their batting's backbone': Shaheen Afridi lauds Virat Kohli, reflects on magical T20 WC spell vs India

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has defended KL Rahul after intense criticism over his poor captaincy in the recently-concluded ODI series between India and South Africa. Rahul-led India suffered a 3-0 whitewash in the three-match series against the hosts. Rahul had been asked to lead the side against the Proteas in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who was out injured.

Gambhir said it is too early to judge Rahul as a leader on the basis of just four matches that he has led India in so far. Rahul had earlier led India in the second Test of the three-match series against South Africa which the visitors lost before losing all three ODIs on the tour. In four matches that he has led India in, Rahul has failed to inspire his side to even a single win.

Rahul has been facing intense criticism for his poor captaincy in the series with many questioning his leadership credentials. However, Gambhir has responded to the star batter's critics and said it is unfair to judge Rahul so early.&nbsp;

"Sometimes we start relating someone just with performances and the results. It's too early to judge someone by just captaining 4 games," Gambhir was quoted as saying by India Today.

While Rahul is yet to win a game as the captain of the Indian team, he led Punjab Kings for two seasons in the Indian Premier League (IPL) where he failed to take the team to the playoffs in both seasons. Rahul has now left Punjab to join the Lucknow Super Giants team ahead of the new season and Gambhir has been roped in as the mentor of the Lucknow franchise.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/370-indians-220-overseas-stars-up-for-grabs-complete-list-of-590-players-for-ipl-2022-mega-auction-">370 Indians, 220 overseas stars up for grabs: Complete list of 590 players for IPL 2022 mega auction</a>

Gambhir believes Rahul has the attributes of a great captain and has a bright future as a leader in the game. Rahul will lead Lucknow Super Giants in their debut season in the IPL this year. Though Gambhir admitted Rahul is a work in progress as captain, he believes the star batter has the qualities to become a successful captain.

"But the most important attribute a leader should have is he doesn't fly too high that he doesn't go down too deep either. That is probably the best quality KL Rahul has. Always captaincy is a work in progress. You can never say, as a player or as a leader, that you have achieved everything. You want to keep improving every day. You got to be the best of yourself till the last day of your career," said Gambhir.

"Whatever I have seen of KL, he has a great, great future ahead not only as a batter but as a leader as well. Because that is a quality that very few people have - being calm and composed. When you start doing that, that reflects on the entire team as well.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/warner-iyer-rabada-and-7-others-part-of-marquee-set-at-ipl-2022-mega-auction-see-full-list-449521">Warner, Iyer, Rabada and 7 others part of marquee set at IPL 2022 mega auction, see full list</a>

"When you have that kind of leader, the entire squad will benefit a lot. And I am sure he is going to do that, knowing the kind of person that he is," added the Lucknow Super Giants mentor.

Rahul, who has not had great campaign as captain in the IPL in the last two seasons, will be hoping to spark a turnaround this year as the skipper of the Lucknow Super Giants. The newly-introduced franchise has roped in Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and young Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction.

&nbsp;

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has defended KL Rahul after intense criticism over his poor captaincy in the recently-concluded ODI series between India and South Africa.

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has defended KL Rahul after intense criticism over his poor captaincy in the recently-concluded ODI series between India and South Africa. Rahul-led India suffered a 3-0 whitewash in the three-match series against the hosts. Rahul had been asked to lead the side against the Proteas in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who was out injured. Gambhir said it is too early to judge Rahul as a leader on the basis of just four matches that he has led India in so far. Rahul had earlier led India in the second Test of the three-match series against South Africa which the visitors lost before losing all three ODIs on the tour. In four matches that he has led India in, Rahul has failed to inspire his side to even a single win. Rahul has been facing intense criticism for his poor captaincy in the series with many questioning his leadership credentials. However, Gambhir has responded to the star batter's critics and said it is unfair to judge Rahul so early. "Sometimes we start relating someone just with performances and the results. It's too early to judge someone by just captaining 4 games," Gambhir was quoted as saying by India Today. While Rahul is yet to win a game as the captain of the Indian team, he led Punjab Kings for two seasons in the Indian Premier League (IPL) where he failed to take the team to the playoffs in both seasons. Rahul has now left Punjab to join the Lucknow Super Giants team ahead of the new season and Gambhir has been roped in as the mentor of the Lucknow franchise. Also Read: 370 Indians, 220 overseas stars up for grabs: Complete list of 590 players for IPL 2022 mega auction Gambhir believes Rahul has the attributes of a great captain and has a bright future as a leader in the game. Rahul will lead Lucknow Super Giants in their debut season in the IPL this year. Though Gambhir admitted Rahul is a work in progress as captain, he believes the star batter has the qualities to become a successful captain. "But the most important attribute a leader should have is he doesn't fly too high that he doesn't go down too deep either. That is probably the best quality KL Rahul has. Always captaincy is a work in progress. You can never say, as a player or as a leader, that you have achieved everything. You want to keep improving every day. You got to be the best of yourself till the last day of your career," said Gambhir. "Whatever I have seen of KL, he has a great, great future ahead not only as a batter but as a leader as well. Because that is a quality that very few people have - being calm and composed. When you start doing that, that reflects on the entire team as well. Also Read: Warner, Iyer, Rabada and 7 others part of marquee set at IPL 2022 mega auction, see full list "When you have that kind of leader, the entire squad will benefit a lot. And I am sure he is going to do that, knowing the kind of person that he is," added the Lucknow Super Giants mentor. Rahul, who has not had great campaign as captain in the IPL in the last two seasons, will be hoping to spark a turnaround this year as the skipper of the Lucknow Super Giants. The newly-introduced franchise has roped in Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and young Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction.

'Too early to judge': Gautam Gambhir responds to KL Rahul's critics after his poor captaincy vs South Africa

On January 15, Virat Kohli gave up Test captaincy. This came a day after India lost the three-match Test series versus South Africa 2-1, in the rainbow nation. While Kohli had already resigned as the T20I captain and was sacked as the ODI skipper, he was expected to carry on as the leader in whites for a few more years.

Thus, Team India is set to enter a new phase in the upcoming white-ball home series versus West Indies where Rohit Sharma will completely take over as the limited-overs&nbsp;skipper. Many eyes will still be on Kohli, who will play his first-ever home series without captaincy responsibilities on his shoulders. Ahead of the India-WI ODIs, which gets underway on February 6, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir opined on Kohli the player. The 2011 World Cup-winning member Gambhir feels nothing changes for Kohli and the Rahul Dravid-led team management's approach towards him following his captaincy tenure.

"Nothing changes," Gambhir told Sports Today. He opined, "When you are growing up as a kid you want to try and win games for the country and that is all that matters. You don't dream of captaining the side from day one so for me nothing changes. If it does then there is something seriously wrong. Captaincy is just a honour and responsibility and I'm sure Virat would be thinking the same way."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/quicker-virat-kohli-discovers-his-form-easier-it-will-be-for-rohit-sharma-says-former-india-pacer-449267">Quicker Virat Kohli discovers his form, easier it will be for Rohit Sharma, says former India pacer</a>

Meanwhile, Team India have a lot to do in the white-ball formats with recent disastrous performances in the 2021 T20 World Cup -- in the UAE -- and the 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in the ODI series. Many have called for India to change their playing style and adopt a new and aggressive template in the shorter formats.&nbsp;

However, Gambhir doesn't feel a change of template is required and stated that they are very 'overrated'.&nbsp;&nbsp;He said, "I've always thought of only one template which is to score the last run if you are chasing and take the last wicket if your defending. As simple as that, there is no other template that makes sense to me. All these are created by the media, the finisher, opener, death bowler and all."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/when-ms-dhoni-was-in-the-team-it-was-not-like-virat-kohli-on-giving-up-team-india-captaincy-449252">'When MS Dhoni was in the team, it was not like.....': Virat Kohli on giving up Team India captaincy</a>

"Cricket is a very simple game. All of us would want that when we are chasing a total, we should score the last run and if we are defending, we should take the last wicket and take the points in our kitty. That is all that matters and the only template. Templates are very overrated," the ex-cricketer added.

Rohit-led India are gearing up for the three-match ODI series versus the Caribbean team, starting on February 6.

On January 15, Virat Kohli gave up Test captaincy. This came a day after India lost the three-match Test series versus South Africa 2-1, in the rainbow nation. While Kohli had already resigned as the T20I captain and was sacked as the ODI skipper, he was expected to carry on as the leader in whites for a few more years.

On January 15, Virat Kohli gave up Test captaincy. This came a day after India lost the three-match Test series versus South Africa 2-1, in the rainbow nation. While Kohli had already resigned as the T20I captain and was sacked as the ODI skipper, he was expected to carry on as the leader in whites for a few more years. Thus, Team India is set to enter a new phase in the upcoming white-ball home series versus West Indies where Rohit Sharma will completely take over as the limited-overs skipper. Many eyes will still be on Kohli, who will play his first-ever home series without captaincy responsibilities on his shoulders. Ahead of the India-WI ODIs, which gets underway on February 6, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir opined on Kohli the player. The 2011 World Cup-winning member Gambhir feels nothing changes for Kohli and the Rahul Dravid-led team management's approach towards him following his captaincy tenure. "Nothing changes," Gambhir told Sports Today. He opined, "When you are growing up as a kid you want to try and win games for the country and that is all that matters. You don't dream of captaining the side from day one so for me nothing changes. If it does then there is something seriously wrong. Captaincy is just a honour and responsibility and I'm sure Virat would be thinking the same way." ALSO READ | Quicker Virat Kohli discovers his form, easier it will be for Rohit Sharma, says former India pacer Meanwhile, Team India have a lot to do in the white-ball formats with recent disastrous performances in the 2021 T20 World Cup -- in the UAE -- and the 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in the ODI series. Many have called for India to change their playing style and adopt a new and aggressive template in the shorter formats. However, Gambhir doesn't feel a change of template is required and stated that they are very 'overrated'. He said, "I've always thought of only one template which is to score the last run if you are chasing and take the last wicket if your defending. As simple as that, there is no other template that makes sense to me. All these are created by the media, the finisher, opener, death bowler and all." ALSO READ | 'When MS Dhoni was in the team, it was not like.....': Virat Kohli on giving up Team India captaincy "Cricket is a very simple game. All of us would want that when we are chasing a total, we should score the last run and if we are defending, we should take the last wicket and take the points in our kitty. That is all that matters and the only template. Templates are very overrated," the ex-cricketer added. Rohit-led India are gearing up for the three-match ODI series versus the Caribbean team, starting on February 6.

It is just an honour: Gautam Gambhir feels nothing changes for Virat Kohli post captaincy tenure

The senior Indian men's cricket team is going through a transition period of late. While Virat Kohli was succeeded by Rohit Sharma as India's white-ball captain, the 33-year-old Kohli resigned as the Test captain as well on January 15, a day after the national side went down to South Africa in the three Tests in the rainbow nation.

After Kohli's resignation, all eyes are now on who will succeed him as the Test captain. Under Kohli, India had a great run in the red-ball format. The national team dominated in whites at home, won a Test series in Australia, ensured an unassailable 2-1 lead over England in the United Kingdom during the incomplete five Tests in mid-2021 and ended as runners-up in the inaugural WTC final.

Hence, Kohli's successor will have a huge task to take the team forward. At present, there are five contenders to succeed Kohli, in the form of Rohit, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant along with R Ashwin's name also doing the rounds in some discussions.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-rishabh-pant-top-5-contenders-who-can-succeed-virat-kohli-as-indias-test-captain-448152">From Rohit Sharma to Rishabh Pant: Top 5 contenders who can succeed Virat Kohli as India's Test captain</a>

Speaking on Ex-Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar's Youtube channel, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri also joined the bandwagon. While he had earlier stated that Rohit can take over in whites, Shastri pointed out why he doesn't think Bumrah will get the nod. He&nbsp;said, "No, I never thought of it. In India we've had enough. And I never thought in that fashion at that time. In India it's going to be difficult for a fast bowler to captain. A fast bowler captain has to be an all-rounder basically or he has to be a Bob Willis kind of captain who in conditions where they play, a fast bowler will always be in the game, he will be aggressive."

"He'll be looking to win games and take wickets. Very rarely has a fast bowler been there for too long. Unless he is a genuine all-rounder like Kapil, Imran or Sir Garfield," he added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/why-cant-harbhajan-names-virat-kohlis-successor-as-test-captain-if-rohit-sharma-declines-offer-448070">'Why can't...' - Harbhajan names Virat Kohli's successor as Test captain if Rohit Sharma declines offer</a>

Speaking to&nbsp;Sports Tak,&nbsp;recently Harbhajan Singh had backed Bumrah to take the top job and said,&nbsp;"According to me, Rohit Sharma should be the captain of all three formats. If he is totally fit then he should captain all three formats. If Rohit feels that he doesn't want to captain all three formats. Then in Test cricket, I am on Jasprit Bumrah's side. He should be given the captaincy because a fast bowler is always thought that they think too big."

It will be interesting to see who succeeds Kohli. India's next red-ball assignment is at home, versus Sri Lanka starting in end February.&nbsp;

The senior Indian men's cricket team is going through a transition period of late. While Virat Kohli was succeeded by Rohit Sharma as India's white-ball captain, the 33-year-old Kohli resigned as the Test captain as well on January 15, a day after the national side went down to South Africa in the three Tests in the rainbow nation.

The senior Indian men's cricket team is going through a transition period of late. While Virat Kohli was succeeded by Rohit Sharma as India's white-ball captain, the 33-year-old Kohli resigned as the Test captain as well on January 15, a day after the national side went down to South Africa in the three Tests in the rainbow nation. After Kohli's resignation, all eyes are now on who will succeed him as the Test captain. Under Kohli, India had a great run in the red-ball format. The national team dominated in whites at home, won a Test series in Australia, ensured an unassailable 2-1 lead over England in the United Kingdom during the incomplete five Tests in mid-2021 and ended as runners-up in the inaugural WTC final. Hence, Kohli's successor will have a huge task to take the team forward. At present, there are five contenders to succeed Kohli, in the form of Rohit, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant along with R Ashwin's name also doing the rounds in some discussions. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Rishabh Pant: Top 5 contenders who can succeed Virat Kohli as India's Test captain Speaking on Ex-Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar's Youtube channel, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri also joined the bandwagon. While he had earlier stated that Rohit can take over in whites, Shastri pointed out why he doesn't think Bumrah will get the nod. He said, "No, I never thought of it. In India we've had enough. And I never thought in that fashion at that time. In India it's going to be difficult for a fast bowler to captain. A fast bowler captain has to be an all-rounder basically or he has to be a Bob Willis kind of captain who in conditions where they play, a fast bowler will always be in the game, he will be aggressive." "He'll be looking to win games and take wickets. Very rarely has a fast bowler been there for too long. Unless he is a genuine all-rounder like Kapil, Imran or Sir Garfield," he added. ALSO READ | 'Why can't...' - Harbhajan names Virat Kohli's successor as Test captain if Rohit Sharma declines offer Speaking to Sports Tak, recently Harbhajan Singh had backed Bumrah to take the top job and said, "According to me, Rohit Sharma should be the captain of all three formats. If he is totally fit then he should captain all three formats. If Rohit feels that he doesn't want to captain all three formats. Then in Test cricket, I am on Jasprit Bumrah's side. He should be given the captaincy because a fast bowler is always thought that they think too big." It will be interesting to see who succeeds Kohli. India's next red-ball assignment is at home, versus Sri Lanka starting in end February.

Should Jasprit Bumrah succeed Virat Kohli as India's Test captain? Ex-head coach Ravi Shastri answers

Team India returned from a disastrous tour of South Africa, losing the three Tests 2-1 and being whitewashed in the preceding three ODIs. In limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma's absence, KL Rahul led the side in the 50-over series where the national side produced a listless performance.

India's bowlers failed to get regular breakthroughs throughout the course of the series whereas the middle and lower-order batting remains a cause of concern. After the three ODIs, it is widely believed that India need an urgent transformation in the white-ball formats. The Men in Blue need to rejig their batting line-up, play more fearlessly and include more specialists in the two shorter formats.

In this regard, veteran keeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has opined that star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja can solve India's middle and lower-order struggles. Karthik suggested for Jadeja to bat at No. 6 going ahead.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-announces-rohit-led-india-squad-for-wi-series-jasprit-bumrah-md-shami-rested-jadeja-misses-out-447930">BCCI announces Rohit-led India squad for WI series; Jasprit Bumrah, Md Shami rested, Jadeja misses out</a>

"Jadeja is ready to bat at No.6. In fact, he is batting so well that he can play at No.5 as well. He is using his brain and is not that reckless kid anymore," Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

"He is someone who is winning games with the bat. In fact, in white-ball cricket, his stronger suit is his batting," Karthik added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shastri-opines-on-kohli-rohit-and-dhonis-personalities-reveals-whose-phone-number-he-doesnt-have-448040">Shastri opines on Kohli, Rohit and Dhoni's personalities, reveals whose phone number he doesn't have</a>

At present, Jadeja is out of contention for a spot across formats due to knee injury. On Wednesday (January 26), the BCCI selectors named a strong ODI and T20I squad for Rohit-led India's West Indies series, at home. Jadeja missed out as he is still not fully fit from his knee injury. The star player remains an indispensable part of the Indian team across formats.

Team India returned from a disastrous tour of South Africa, losing the three Tests 2-1 and being whitewashed in the preceding three ODIs. In limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma's absence, KL Rahul led the side in the 50-over series where the national side produced a listless performance.

Team India returned from a disastrous tour of South Africa, losing the three Tests 2-1 and being whitewashed in the preceding three ODIs. In limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma's absence, KL Rahul led the side in the 50-over series where the national side produced a listless performance. India's bowlers failed to get regular breakthroughs throughout the course of the series whereas the middle and lower-order batting remains a cause of concern. After the three ODIs, it is widely believed that India need an urgent transformation in the white-ball formats. The Men in Blue need to rejig their batting line-up, play more fearlessly and include more specialists in the two shorter formats. In this regard, veteran keeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has opined that star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja can solve India's middle and lower-order struggles. Karthik suggested for Jadeja to bat at No. 6 going ahead. ALSO READ | BCCI announces Rohit-led India squad for WI series; Jasprit Bumrah, Md Shami rested, Jadeja misses out "Jadeja is ready to bat at No.6. In fact, he is batting so well that he can play at No.5 as well. He is using his brain and is not that reckless kid anymore," Karthik said on Cricbuzz. "He is someone who is winning games with the bat. In fact, in white-ball cricket, his stronger suit is his batting," Karthik added. ALSO READ | Shastri opines on Kohli, Rohit and Dhoni's personalities, reveals whose phone number he doesn't have At present, Jadeja is out of contention for a spot across formats due to knee injury. On Wednesday (January 26), the BCCI selectors named a strong ODI and T20I squad for Rohit-led India's West Indies series, at home. Jadeja missed out as he is still not fully fit from his knee injury. The star player remains an indispensable part of the Indian team across formats.

'Not that reckless kid': Karthik suggests star player to bat at No. 6 and address India's middle-order woes

From Rohit Sharma to Rishabh Pant: Top 5 contenders who can succeed Virat Kohli as India's Test captain

In Rohit Sharma's absence, Team India gave a listless performance in the three-match ODI series versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa, in the African nation. With limited-overs captain Rohit being ruled out due to hamstring injury, KL Rahul was appointed the captain of the ODI setup as the national side were whitewashed in the series.

Rahul had a disastrous start to his captaincy career in the recently-concluded South Africa tour. With Virat Kohli missing the second and penultimate Test in Johannesburg, due to upper back spasm, Rahul had even captained India in the purest format during the SA tour. However, he failed to take India to victory in the one Test and three ODIs as stand-in captain.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/why-cant-harbhajan-names-virat-kohlis-successor-as-test-captain-if-rohit-sharma-declines-offer-448070">'Why can't...' - Harbhajan names Virat Kohli's successor as Test captain if Rohit Sharma declines offer</a>

Speaking to Sportskeeda, former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has questioned the Chetan Sharma-led selection committee for grooming Rahul and appointing him the stand-in captain in SA. He said,&nbsp;"First of all, I want to ask the selectors, "What did you see in Rahul as captaincy material?" Suddenly, they’re saying that they’re grooming him as a future captain. I don’t understand how you can "groom" a captain. A person is either a born leader or he isn’t."

"Captaincy comes naturally, it’s an inbuilt quality. Grooming a captain is possible, but the process will take a long time. It will take a player around 20 to 25 games to learn about decision-making, but even then success will not be guaranteed. See, every international match is important for India," Tiwary added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shastri-opines-on-kohli-rohit-and-dhonis-personalities-reveals-whose-phone-number-he-doesnt-have-448040">Shastri opines on Kohli, Rohit and Dhoni's personalities, reveals whose phone number he doesn't have</a>

Despite India's listless performance in the ODIs under Rahul's captaincy, he is being touted as the future leader. Rahul is already the limited-overs vice-captain and can also take the captaincy role in Tests following Kohli's resignation post the SA series. While Rohit is the frontrunner to become the all-format captain, fitness remains a concern with Hitman and, hence, Rahul has a chance to become the Test captain (or at least the vice-captain).&nbsp;&nbsp;

In Rohit Sharma's absence, Team India gave a listless performance in the three-match ODI series versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa, in the African nation. With limited-overs captain Rohit being ruled out due to hamstring injury, KL Rahul was appointed the captain of the ODI setup as the national side were whitewashed in the series.

In Rohit Sharma's absence, Team India gave a listless performance in the three-match ODI series versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa, in the African nation. With limited-overs captain Rohit being ruled out due to hamstring injury, KL Rahul was appointed the captain of the ODI setup as the national side were whitewashed in the series. Rahul had a disastrous start to his captaincy career in the recently-concluded South Africa tour. With Virat Kohli missing the second and penultimate Test in Johannesburg, due to upper back spasm, Rahul had even captained India in the purest format during the SA tour. However, he failed to take India to victory in the one Test and three ODIs as stand-in captain. ALSO READ | 'Why can't...' - Harbhajan names Virat Kohli's successor as Test captain if Rohit Sharma declines offer Speaking to Sportskeeda, former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has questioned the Chetan Sharma-led selection committee for grooming Rahul and appointing him the stand-in captain in SA. He said, "First of all, I want to ask the selectors, "What did you see in Rahul as captaincy material?" Suddenly, they’re saying that they’re grooming him as a future captain. I don’t understand how you can "groom" a captain. A person is either a born leader or he isn’t." "Captaincy comes naturally, it’s an inbuilt quality. Grooming a captain is possible, but the process will take a long time. It will take a player around 20 to 25 games to learn about decision-making, but even then success will not be guaranteed. See, every international match is important for India," Tiwary added. ALSO READ | Shastri opines on Kohli, Rohit and Dhoni's personalities, reveals whose phone number he doesn't have Despite India's listless performance in the ODIs under Rahul's captaincy, he is being touted as the future leader. Rahul is already the limited-overs vice-captain and can also take the captaincy role in Tests following Kohli's resignation post the SA series. While Rohit is the frontrunner to become the all-format captain, fitness remains a concern with Hitman and, hence, Rahul has a chance to become the Test captain (or at least the vice-captain).

'What did you see in KL Rahul as captaincy material?' - Manoj Tiwary questions selectors after India-SA ODIs

Virat Kohli, on January 15, announced that he is stepping down as Team India's Test captain. This came as a huge shocker for the entire cricketing fraternity. The decision was announced only a day after India lost the three-match Test series versus South Africa, in the rainbow nation.

While Kohli had already resigned as the T20I captain and was sacked from the top post in ODIs, the 33-year-old was expected to carry on as the Test skipper for few more years. Under him, India dominated at home, won their maiden Test series on Australian soil, earned an unassailable 2-1 lead over England in the incomplete five Tests in the United Kingdom last year and also played the inaugural WTC final.&nbsp;

Thus, all eyes are now on the national selectors as they have a huge task to name Kohli's successor in whites. While Rohit Sharma is leading the race, already being in charge of the limited-overs side, his fitness remains a concern. Other candidates are KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. Recently, star pacer Mohammed Shami also opined on the captaincy debate and said 'who doesn't want to captain India'.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/why-cant-harbhajan-names-virat-kohlis-successor-as-test-captain-if-rohit-sharma-declines-offer-448070">'Why can't...' - Harbhajan names Virat Kohli's successor as Test captain if Rohit Sharma declines offer</a>

Speaking to&nbsp;India.com&nbsp;on captaincy, Shami said: "I am not thinking too much about captaincy at the moment. I am ready for whatever responsibility is given to me. To be honest, who doesn’t want to captain the India team but it is not the only thing and I am looking to contribute in whichever manner possible for the team.”

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shastri-opines-on-kohli-rohit-and-dhonis-personalities-reveals-whose-phone-number-he-doesnt-have-448040">Shastri opines on Kohli, Rohit and Dhoni's personalities, reveals whose phone number he doesn't have</a>

It will be interesting to see if Shami is considered for the top job. Anil Kumble remains the last Indian player to have captained the national side in any format. Kumble led India in Tests for around a year before being succeeded by MS Dhoni. Since then, bowlers have not been preferred to take up the captaincy role.

Will the same happen this time around? Only time will tell...

Virat Kohli, on January 15, announced that he is stepping down as Team India's Test captain. This came as a huge shocker for the entire cricketing fraternity. The decision was announced only a day after India lost the three-match Test series versus South Africa, in the rainbow nation.

Virat Kohli, on January 15, announced that he is stepping down as Team India's Test captain. This came as a huge shocker for the entire cricketing fraternity. The decision was announced only a day after India lost the three-match Test series versus South Africa, in the rainbow nation. While Kohli had already resigned as the T20I captain and was sacked from the top post in ODIs, the 33-year-old was expected to carry on as the Test skipper for few more years. Under him, India dominated at home, won their maiden Test series on Australian soil, earned an unassailable 2-1 lead over England in the incomplete five Tests in the United Kingdom last year and also played the inaugural WTC final. Thus, all eyes are now on the national selectors as they have a huge task to name Kohli's successor in whites. While Rohit Sharma is leading the race, already being in charge of the limited-overs side, his fitness remains a concern. Other candidates are KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. Recently, star pacer Mohammed Shami also opined on the captaincy debate and said 'who doesn't want to captain India'. ALSO READ | 'Why can't...' - Harbhajan names Virat Kohli's successor as Test captain if Rohit Sharma declines offer Speaking to India.com on captaincy, Shami said: "I am not thinking too much about captaincy at the moment. I am ready for whatever responsibility is given to me. To be honest, who doesn’t want to captain the India team but it is not the only thing and I am looking to contribute in whichever manner possible for the team.” ALSO READ | Shastri opines on Kohli, Rohit and Dhoni's personalities, reveals whose phone number he doesn't have It will be interesting to see if Shami is considered for the top job. Anil Kumble remains the last Indian player to have captained the national side in any format. Kumble led India in Tests for around a year before being succeeded by MS Dhoni. Since then, bowlers have not been preferred to take up the captaincy role. Will the same happen this time around? Only time will tell...

Who doesn't want to captain Team India, says star India player as Test captaincy spot up for grabs

The BCCI announced 18-member ODI and T20I squads for Team India's white-ball series versus Kieron Pollard-led West Indies on Wednesday (January 26). As it was reported earlier that Rohit Sharma had passed the fitness test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) Bengaluru, Hitman has returned to the squad after missing the entire South Africa tour. Rohit was appointed as the white-ball captain in early December 2021, however, he missed leading the side in the three ODIs in South Africa due to hamstring injury. Nonetheless, he has returned as Rohit will gear up to play his first ODI series since early 2021.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, however, remained unfit and couldn't return&nbsp;to the line-up, failing to recovering from his knee injury.&nbsp;Selectors didn't include Hardik Panya as well, in any of the squads, as they aren't fully confident of his ability to deliver as an all-rounder due to fitness concerns. R Ashwin, meanwhile, is not in any squads&nbsp;for being unavailable for selection and the offie is undergoing treatment. Bhuvneshwar Kumar held onto his T20I spot&nbsp;but isn't in the scheme of things for ODIs.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-is-one-of-the-sharpest-cricket-minds-greg-chappell-heaps-praise-on-former-indian-captain-447839">MS Dhoni is one of the sharpest cricket minds: Greg Chappell heaps praise on former Indian captain</a>

In addition, there are some big updates with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami being rested. Limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul will be available from the second ODI onwards whereas spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel will feature only in the T20Is.

&nbsp;

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Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami have been rested from the series. 
KL Rahul will be available from 2nd ODI onwards. 
R Jadeja is undergoing his final stage of recovery post his knee injury and will not be available for the ODIs and T20Is. 
Axar Patel will be available for the T20Is.
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1486385548063555584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The biggest talking point is the addition of some domestic and IPL star players such as Deepak Hooda and Ravi Bishnoi. Hooda, Harshal Patel are&nbsp;named in the ODI and T20I squad, respectively,&nbsp;whereas Bishnoi is part of both ODIs and T20Is. Kuldeep Yadav also makes a return to the ODI setup. Pacers Md Siraj and&nbsp;Avesh Khan&nbsp;have been backed for both the white-balls series whereas Prasidh Krishna is part of the 50-over squad.&nbsp;Nonetheless, there was no room for Himachal's star Rishi Dhawan, who has had a stellar run in the domestic circuit of late.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/good-news-for-team-india-fans-rohit-sharma-clears-fitness-test-ahead-of-west-indies-series-report-447797">Good news for Team India fans! Rohit Sharma clears fitness test ahead of West Indies series: Report</a>

India will lock horns with West Indies in three ODIs and equal number of T20Is in early February,&nbsp;starting on the 6th. The ODIs will be held in Ahmedabad and the T20Is will take place in Kolkata. The BCCI had recently revised the schedule, to not have the ODIs clash with the IPL 2022 mega auction, and also narrowed down the total venues from six to two cities due to Covid-19 crisis.

Squad for WI series:

ODI squad:&nbsp;Rohit Sharma (Capt), KL Rahul (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), D Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Y Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan

T20I squad: Rohit Sharma(Capt),KL Rahul (vc),Ishan Kishan,Virat Kohli,Shreyas Iyer,Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk),Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel

The BCCI announced 18-member ODI and T20I squads for Team India's white-ball series versus Kieron Pollard-led West Indies on Wednesday (January 26). As it was reported earlier that Rohit Sharma had passed the fitness test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) Bengaluru, Hitman has returned to the squad after missing the entire South Africa tour.

The BCCI announced 18-member ODI and T20I squads for Team India's white-ball series versus Kieron Pollard-led West Indies on Wednesday (January 26). As it was reported earlier that Rohit Sharma had passed the fitness test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) Bengaluru, Hitman has returned to the squad after missing the entire South Africa tour. Rohit was appointed as the white-ball captain in early December 2021, however, he missed leading the side in the three ODIs in South Africa due to hamstring injury. Nonetheless, he has returned as Rohit will gear up to play his first ODI series since early 2021. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, however, remained unfit and couldn't return to the line-up, failing to recovering from his knee injury. Selectors didn't include Hardik Panya as well, in any of the squads, as they aren't fully confident of his ability to deliver as an all-rounder due to fitness concerns. R Ashwin, meanwhile, is not in any squads for being unavailable for selection and the offie is undergoing treatment. Bhuvneshwar Kumar held onto his T20I spot but isn't in the scheme of things for ODIs. ALSO READ | MS Dhoni is one of the sharpest cricket minds: Greg Chappell heaps praise on former Indian captain In addition, there are some big updates with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami being rested. Limited-overs vice-captain KL Rahul will be available from the second ODI onwards whereas spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel will feature only in the T20Is. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami have been rested from the series. KL Rahul will be available from 2nd ODI onwards. R Jadeja is undergoing his final stage of recovery post his knee injury and will not be available for the ODIs and T20Is. Axar Patel will be available for the T20Is. — BCCI (@BCCI) January 26, 2022 × The biggest talking point is the addition of some domestic and IPL star players such as Deepak Hooda and Ravi Bishnoi. Hooda, Harshal Patel are named in the ODI and T20I squad, respectively, whereas Bishnoi is part of both ODIs and T20Is. Kuldeep Yadav also makes a return to the ODI setup. Pacers Md Siraj and Avesh Khan have been backed for both the white-balls series whereas Prasidh Krishna is part of the 50-over squad. Nonetheless, there was no room for Himachal's star Rishi Dhawan, who has had a stellar run in the domestic circuit of late. ALSO READ | Good news for Team India fans! Rohit Sharma clears fitness test ahead of West Indies series: Report India will lock horns with West Indies in three ODIs and equal number of T20Is in early February, starting on the 6th. The ODIs will be held in Ahmedabad and the T20Is will take place in Kolkata. The BCCI had recently revised the schedule, to not have the ODIs clash with the IPL 2022 mega auction, and also narrowed down the total venues from six to two cities due to Covid-19 crisis. Squad for WI series: ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (Capt), KL Rahul (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), D Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Y Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan T20I squad: Rohit Sharma(Capt),KL Rahul (vc),Ishan Kishan,Virat Kohli,Shreyas Iyer,Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk),Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel

BCCI announces Rohit-led India squad for WI series; Jasprit Bumrah, Md Shami rested, Jadeja misses out

India's limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma has cleared the fitness test held at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Wednesday (January 26). Rohit, who was named the white-ball captain in early December, 2021, had missed the entire South Africa series due to hamstring injury, where India lost the three Tests 2-1 and were whitewashed in the preceding ODIs.

Sources close to the development have already confirmed that members of the All-India Senior Selection Committee are set to conduct a meeting to announce the Indian squad for the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies on Wednesday. Prior to it,&nbsp;a&nbsp;fitness test was scheduled for Rohit in the afternoon and Hitman has cleared the test with flying colours. As per the latest developments, the 34-year-old is set to return back to the Indian team and lead the national side in the upcoming three ODIs and equal number of T20Is versus Kieron Pollard-led West Indies, starting on February 6 in Ahmedabad.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-central-contracts-test-specialists-cheteshwar-pujara-ajinkya-rahane-likely-face-demotion-report-447737">BCCI central contracts: Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane likely face demotion - Report</a>

According to the PTI, Rohit is also set to be announced the next Test captain. On January 15, Virat Kohli had stepped down as the Indian Test captain, only a day after India lost the three Tests versus Dean Elgar-led Proteas in the rainbow nation. Hence, Rohit is being touted to be the next red-ball captain and take over captaincy duties altogether for Team India.&nbsp;

KL Rahul is expected to remain Rohit's deputy across all formats. On the other hand, the selectors are expected to rest ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah for the West Indies series. The WI series will be followed by Sri Lanka's tour of India, comprising two Tests and three T20Is.

India's limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma has cleared the fitness test held at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Wednesday (January 26). Rohit, who was named the white-ball captain in early December, 2021, had missed the entire South Africa series due to hamstring injury, where India lost the three Tests 2-1 and were whitewashed in the preceding ODIs.

India's limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma has cleared the fitness test held at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Wednesday (January 26). Rohit, who was named the white-ball captain in early December, 2021, had missed the entire South Africa series due to hamstring injury, where India lost the three Tests 2-1 and were whitewashed in the preceding ODIs. Sources close to the development have already confirmed that members of the All-India Senior Selection Committee are set to conduct a meeting to announce the Indian squad for the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies on Wednesday. Prior to it, a fitness test was scheduled for Rohit in the afternoon and Hitman has cleared the test with flying colours. As per the latest developments, the 34-year-old is set to return back to the Indian team and lead the national side in the upcoming three ODIs and equal number of T20Is versus Kieron Pollard-led West Indies, starting on February 6 in Ahmedabad. ALSO READ | BCCI central contracts: Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane likely face demotion - Report According to the PTI, Rohit is also set to be announced the next Test captain. On January 15, Virat Kohli had stepped down as the Indian Test captain, only a day after India lost the three Tests versus Dean Elgar-led Proteas in the rainbow nation. Hence, Rohit is being touted to be the next red-ball captain and take over captaincy duties altogether for Team India. KL Rahul is expected to remain Rohit's deputy across all formats. On the other hand, the selectors are expected to rest ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah for the West Indies series. The WI series will be followed by Sri Lanka's tour of India, comprising two Tests and three T20Is.

Good news for Team India fans! Rohit Sharma clears fitness test ahead of West Indies series: Report

Senior batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are set to be demoted in BCCI's central contract list. The two senior players have been under the radar for quite sometime, owing to their poor scores in the red-ball format. Pujara's last Test ton came in early 2019 whereas the former vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has not been able to score a hundred following his heroics in the MCG Test between India and Australia in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Rahane's 112 in the MCG Test remains his last Test century and, thus, the right-hander also lost the vice-captaincy post recently.&nbsp;Both Rahane and Pujara were offered a Grade A contract by BCCI in 2021, with a&nbsp;salary of Rs 5 crore each (INR 50 millions).

As per The&nbsp;Times of India, the two will be demoted to Grade B due to their low returns with the bat. The players in Grade B have a salary of Rs 3 crore each (INR 30 millions). In addition, as per the report, veteran pacers Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are also likely to be dropped in the contract list.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rahul-dravid-hints-at-change-of-template-for-team-india-in-white-ball-cricket-post-south-africa-odis-447382">Rahul Dravid hints at change of template for Team India in white-ball cricket post South Africa ODIs</a>

On the other hand, the likes of KL Rahul and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will not be promoted&nbsp;in the central contract list, the report further adds. While the two players feature in all forms of the game for Team India, they were likely to get a promotion to Grade A+ category. However, the report suggests that it may not happen so soon for them.

The Grade A+ category comprises three players, such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and speedster Jasprit Bumrah. Apart from the contract list, the Indian team for the forthcoming limited-overs series versus West Indies is also set to be announced very soon.

After the disastrous tour of South Africa, India will now gear up to host West Indies and Sri Lanka before the action moves to the IPL 2022 edition.

Senior batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are set to be demoted in BCCI's central contract list. The two senior players have been under the radar for quite sometime, owing to their poor scores in the red-ball format.

Senior batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are set to be demoted in BCCI's central contract list. The two senior players have been under the radar for quite sometime, owing to their poor scores in the red-ball format. Pujara's last Test ton came in early 2019 whereas the former vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has not been able to score a hundred following his heroics in the MCG Test between India and Australia in the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Rahane's 112 in the MCG Test remains his last Test century and, thus, the right-hander also lost the vice-captaincy post recently. Both Rahane and Pujara were offered a Grade A contract by BCCI in 2021, with a salary of Rs 5 crore each (INR 50 millions). As per The Times of India, the two will be demoted to Grade B due to their low returns with the bat. The players in Grade B have a salary of Rs 3 crore each (INR 30 millions). In addition, as per the report, veteran pacers Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav are also likely to be dropped in the contract list. ALSO READ | Rahul Dravid hints at change of template for Team India in white-ball cricket post South Africa ODIs On the other hand, the likes of KL Rahul and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will not be promoted in the central contract list, the report further adds. While the two players feature in all forms of the game for Team India, they were likely to get a promotion to Grade A+ category. However, the report suggests that it may not happen so soon for them. The Grade A+ category comprises three players, such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and speedster Jasprit Bumrah. Apart from the contract list, the Indian team for the forthcoming limited-overs series versus West Indies is also set to be announced very soon. After the disastrous tour of South Africa, India will now gear up to host West Indies and Sri Lanka before the action moves to the IPL 2022 edition.

BCCI central contracts: Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane likely face demotion - Report

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 edition is still over two months away. However, all eyes are on the mega auction, which is set to be held in mid-February in Bengaluru. The 15th edition is eagerly awaited as it will see two new teams joining the eight franchises, which also makes the forthcoming mega auction all the more important.

While the eight existing teams will face the challenge to revamp once again, the two new teams -- i.e. Lucknow and Ahmedabad -- will aim to create start from scratch and make the most of the auction proceedings. Ahead of the auction on February 12 and 13, Lucknow Super Giants' captain KL Rahul has lavished praise on Kagiso Rabada, who was not retained by the Delhi Capitals (DC), and hinted that the team management might aim to buy him.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/time-we-get-better-and-transform-our-white-ball-cricket-says-rahul-post-indias-listless-performance-vs-sa-447258">Time we get better and transform our white-ball cricket, says Rahul post India's listless performance vs SA</a>

"We have seen Rabada being a key bowler for the Delhi Capitals and played a huge part in their success. Every team would want a player like Kagiso Rabada. Come on, he bowls over 145kph and is a very smart cricketer. Everyone would want someone like that," said Rahul about the South African pace spearhead on India Today.

Rahul also heaped praise on Marco Jansen and Rassie van der Dussen, who made heads turn with their performances in the India-SA series, in the rainbow nation. "Marco Jansen played a few games for Mumbai Indians but he has come of his own now. He had a really good series with the red ball (during the India Test series in the African nation) and that makes a little bit of a difference with how people see him. He is someone who will do really well in international cricket with the red ball. We all spoke about it after the series as well that he is going to be the next big thing in international cricket," opined Rahul.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lucknow-super-giants-rpsg-group-owned-ipl-franchise-unveil-their-name-ahead-of-debut-season-447209">Lucknow Super Giants! RPSG Group-owned IPL franchise unveil their name ahead of debut season</a>

"Van der Dussen has been performing phenomenally and is someone who plays spin really well. That is key and a very important thing that a franchise looks at when you are picking a foreign batter. We play the IPL in India and teams tend to use a lot of spinners in the middle overs so you need to be a good player of spin to get into an IPL team," added Rahul.

For now, Lucknow have acquired the services of Rahul, Ravi Bishnoi and Marcus Stoinis. On the other hand, Ahmedabad franchise have named Hardik Pandya as the captain, along with claiming the services of Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 edition is still over two months away. However, all eyes are on the mega auction, which is set to be held in mid-February in Bengaluru.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 edition is still over two months away. However, all eyes are on the mega auction, which is set to be held in mid-February in Bengaluru. The 15th edition is eagerly awaited as it will see two new teams joining the eight franchises, which also makes the forthcoming mega auction all the more important. While the eight existing teams will face the challenge to revamp once again, the two new teams -- i.e. Lucknow and Ahmedabad -- will aim to create start from scratch and make the most of the auction proceedings. Ahead of the auction on February 12 and 13, Lucknow Super Giants' captain KL Rahul has lavished praise on Kagiso Rabada, who was not retained by the Delhi Capitals (DC), and hinted that the team management might aim to buy him. ALSO READ | Time we get better and transform our white-ball cricket, says Rahul post India's listless performance vs SA "We have seen Rabada being a key bowler for the Delhi Capitals and played a huge part in their success. Every team would want a player like Kagiso Rabada. Come on, he bowls over 145kph and is a very smart cricketer. Everyone would want someone like that," said Rahul about the South African pace spearhead on India Today. Rahul also heaped praise on Marco Jansen and Rassie van der Dussen, who made heads turn with their performances in the India-SA series, in the rainbow nation. "Marco Jansen played a few games for Mumbai Indians but he has come of his own now. He had a really good series with the red ball (during the India Test series in the African nation) and that makes a little bit of a difference with how people see him. He is someone who will do really well in international cricket with the red ball. We all spoke about it after the series as well that he is going to be the next big thing in international cricket," opined Rahul. ALSO READ | Lucknow Super Giants! RPSG Group-owned IPL franchise unveil their name ahead of debut season "Van der Dussen has been performing phenomenally and is someone who plays spin really well. That is key and a very important thing that a franchise looks at when you are picking a foreign batter. We play the IPL in India and teams tend to use a lot of spinners in the middle overs so you need to be a good player of spin to get into an IPL team," added Rahul. For now, Lucknow have acquired the services of Rahul, Ravi Bishnoi and Marcus Stoinis. On the other hand, Ahmedabad franchise have named Hardik Pandya as the captain, along with claiming the services of Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill.

'Everyone wants someone like him' - Lucknow captain KL Rahul eyes star foreign player ahead of IPL auction

Team India were thrashed in the three-match ODI series versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa, in the rainbow nation. While the three Tests were extremely competitive, which Virat Kohli's India lost 2-1, the KL Rahul-led Men in Blue were whitewashed in the preceding ODIs.

Rahul &amp; Co. failed to chase down totals on two occasions whereas they also couldn't defend a competitive score in the second and penultimate ODI. With the series loss, India have now lost all their last bilateral ODI series in SENA countries (losing to England 2-1 in mid-2018, 2-1 to Australia in late 2020 and being whitewashed versus New Zealand and the Proteas). Thus, head coach Rahul Dravid opened up on the drubbing versus Bavuma &amp; Co. and hinted at a change of template on cards for Rohit Sharma-led India in the white-ball formats.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/there-is-a-rift-in-indian-team-virat-kohli-didnt-quit-test-captaincy-because-he-wanted-to-shoaib-akhtar-447351">There is a rift in Indian team, Virat Kohli didn't quit Test captaincy because he wanted to: Shoaib Akhtar</a>

Speaking in the post-match press conference Dravid opined, "We certainly could do better in the middle overs. We understand the template, and a large part of that template is dependent on the balance of your squad. Some of the guys who really help us balance out the squad and give us those all-round options at No. 6, 7 and 8 were not available for the selection. Hopefully, when they come back, it will give us a little more depth, which will allow us to play in a slightly different style."

"Having said that, even South Africa who batted first on two occasions scored 290 [296] and 280 [287]. If I think back to the 30th over [of the second innings] in both these games, we should have actually chased them down. We didn't because we played some poor shots and we didn't play smart cricket at critical situations," he further added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/time-we-get-better-and-transform-our-white-ball-cricket-says-rahul-post-indias-listless-performance-vs-sa-447258">Time we get better and transform our white-ball cricket, says Rahul post India's listless performance vs SA</a>

For the unversed, the likes of limited-overs captain Rohit, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya weren't part of the ODIs versus South Africa. It will be interesting to see the kind of changes in playing style and team combination India goes ahead with in the upcoming white-ball assignments.

Rohit &amp; Co. will now gear up for the limited-overs series versus West Indies at home. They will then host Sri Lanka in three T20Is before the action shifts to the IPL 2022 edition.

Team India were thrashed in the three-match ODI series versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa, in the rainbow nation. While the three Tests were extremely competitive, which Virat Kohli's India lost 2-1, the KL Rahul-led Men in Blue were whitewashed in the preceding ODIs.

Team India were thrashed in the three-match ODI series versus Temba Bavuma-led South Africa, in the rainbow nation. While the three Tests were extremely competitive, which Virat Kohli's India lost 2-1, the KL Rahul-led Men in Blue were whitewashed in the preceding ODIs. Rahul & Co. failed to chase down totals on two occasions whereas they also couldn't defend a competitive score in the second and penultimate ODI. With the series loss, India have now lost all their last bilateral ODI series in SENA countries (losing to England 2-1 in mid-2018, 2-1 to Australia in late 2020 and being whitewashed versus New Zealand and the Proteas). Thus, head coach Rahul Dravid opened up on the drubbing versus Bavuma & Co. and hinted at a change of template on cards for Rohit Sharma-led India in the white-ball formats. ALSO READ | There is a rift in Indian team, Virat Kohli didn't quit Test captaincy because he wanted to: Shoaib Akhtar Speaking in the post-match press conference Dravid opined, "We certainly could do better in the middle overs. We understand the template, and a large part of that template is dependent on the balance of your squad. Some of the guys who really help us balance out the squad and give us those all-round options at No. 6, 7 and 8 were not available for the selection. Hopefully, when they come back, it will give us a little more depth, which will allow us to play in a slightly different style." "Having said that, even South Africa who batted first on two occasions scored 290 [296] and 280 [287]. If I think back to the 30th over [of the second innings] in both these games, we should have actually chased them down. We didn't because we played some poor shots and we didn't play smart cricket at critical situations," he further added. ALSO READ | Time we get better and transform our white-ball cricket, says Rahul post India's listless performance vs SA For the unversed, the likes of limited-overs captain Rohit, all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya weren't part of the ODIs versus South Africa. It will be interesting to see the kind of changes in playing style and team combination India goes ahead with in the upcoming white-ball assignments. Rohit & Co. will now gear up for the limited-overs series versus West Indies at home. They will then host Sri Lanka in three T20Is before the action shifts to the IPL 2022 edition.

Rahul Dravid hints at change of template for Team India in white-ball cricket post South Africa ODIs

India suffered a heartbreaking 4-run defeat in the third and final ODI of the three-match series against South Africa at the Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday (January 23). India came close to securing a comfortable win but ended up falling short at the end as the hosts completed a 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series. Deepak Chahar's sensational cameo of 54 runs had put India in a closing distance of the target but his dismissal led to India enduring an agonising defeat.

India head coach Rahul Dravid defended stand-in captain KL Rahul after India's 3-0 series loss and said there is&nbsp;scope for him to improve as a leader going forward. Rahul was appointed as the captain of the Indian team in ODIs in the absence of permanent skipper Rohit Sharma, who was ruled out due to a hamstring injury. India failed to even open their account in the ODI series in Rahul's captaincy as they suffered three back-to-back losses in the three games.

Rahul has been facing intense scrutiny over his poor captaincy after India's disappointing show in the series. Dravid came to the rescue of the Indian skipper and extended his support to him. &nbsp;"He did a good job. It's not easy to end on wrong side of the result," Dravid said when asked about Rahul's captaincy.

"He is just starting out and I think he did a very decent job. He will constantly get better as he captains," the India head coach added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/respect-their-privacy-netizens-react-as-video-of-virat-kohli-anushka-sharmas-daughter-goes-viral-446979">'Respect their privacy': Netizens react as video of Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma's daughter goes viral</a>

The India head coach said the whitewash at the hands of South Africa was a 'good eye opener' for the Indian team ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. India lost the first game against the Proteas by 31 runs before suffering a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat in the next game. The Men in Blue came close to bagging a consolation win in the final third encounter but ended up losing by 4 runs.

"This is a good eye-opener but we haven't played a lot of ODI cricket. We last played against England in March (after that second-string side played against Lanka under Dravid's coaching). We will play a lot of white-ball cricket before next year's World Cup. The guys who play at 6, 7, and 8 weren't available for selection and when they come back, the side will have a slightly different look," Dravid said.

India suffered a heartbreaking 4-run defeat in the third and final ODI of the three-match series against South Africa at the Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday (January 23).

India suffered a heartbreaking 4-run defeat in the third and final ODI of the three-match series against South Africa at the Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday (January 23). India came close to securing a comfortable win but ended up falling short at the end as the hosts completed a 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series. Deepak Chahar's sensational cameo of 54 runs had put India in a closing distance of the target but his dismissal led to India enduring an agonising defeat. India head coach Rahul Dravid defended stand-in captain KL Rahul after India's 3-0 series loss and said there is scope for him to improve as a leader going forward. Rahul was appointed as the captain of the Indian team in ODIs in the absence of permanent skipper Rohit Sharma, who was ruled out due to a hamstring injury. India failed to even open their account in the ODI series in Rahul's captaincy as they suffered three back-to-back losses in the three games. Rahul has been facing intense scrutiny over his poor captaincy after India's disappointing show in the series. Dravid came to the rescue of the Indian skipper and extended his support to him. "He did a good job. It's not easy to end on wrong side of the result," Dravid said when asked about Rahul's captaincy. "He is just starting out and I think he did a very decent job. He will constantly get better as he captains," the India head coach added. Also Read: 'Respect their privacy': Netizens react as video of Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma's daughter goes viral The India head coach said the whitewash at the hands of South Africa was a 'good eye opener' for the Indian team ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. India lost the first game against the Proteas by 31 runs before suffering a comprehensive seven-wicket defeat in the next game. The Men in Blue came close to bagging a consolation win in the final third encounter but ended up losing by 4 runs. "This is a good eye-opener but we haven't played a lot of ODI cricket. We last played against England in March (after that second-string side played against Lanka under Dravid's coaching). We will play a lot of white-ball cricket before next year's World Cup. The guys who play at 6, 7, and 8 weren't available for selection and when they come back, the side will have a slightly different look," Dravid said.

'He is just starting out': Rahul Dravid defends KL Rahul's captaincy after 3-0 whitewash against South Africa

Team India ended their disastrous tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). While Virat Kohli-led India were 1-0 up after winning the tour opener, i.e. the Centurion Test, everything went downhill from thereon. Kohli &amp; Co. lost the Test series 2-1 and went onto be whitewashed by the Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in the preceding ODIs.

In limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma's absence, KL Rahul led the Men in Blue in the three ODIs. Under Rahul, India remained winless by putting up a listless performance in the 50-over leg. After the tour, Rahul believes India have done many things right in the limited-overs formats in the last few years but their white-ball cricket needs a transformation right now.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rahul-hardik-were-really-happy-watching-me-play-in-t20-wc-pak-pacer-recalls-his-time-as-indias-net-bowler-447247">Rahul, Hardik were really happy watching me play in T20 WC: Pak pacer recalls his time as India's net bowler</a>

Rahul told Sports Today in an exclusive chat, "It's a huge honour and it's a dream come true to represent my country and lead my country. Yes, the results didn't go our way but I think there were massive learning. We are at a stage right now where we have World Cups as the focus and we are working towards getting better as a team. I feel like we have played very good cricket over the last four or five years but it's also time for us to get better and transform our white-ball cricket."

During the three ODIs, Rahul's captaincy was heavily criticised. The 29-year-old's field settings and bowling changes were ineffective, when compared to his South African counterpart Bavuma. The star Indian batter has also not had much success as an IPL captain. Nonetheless, Rahul remains undeterred and feels he is learning and will only get better.

"I don't use that as an excuse for not winning, but I think we are a work in progress as a team. I learned so much while leading. Losses make you so much stronger than starting off with victories. My career has always been that way. I have always got everything slowly. I am confident in my leadership skills and I know that I can bring out the best from my players. I know I can do well for my country and franchise," Rahul added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/why-stick-your-hand-out-and-hurt-yourself-salman-butt-slams-team-indias-poor-show-in-south-africa-odis-447218">Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself: Salman Butt slams Team India's poor show in South Africa ODIs</a>

After the SA tour, India will prepare for their home season, which starts with a limited-overs series versus Kieron Pollard-led West Indies. It will be followed by two Tests and three T20Is versus Sri Lanka before the action moves to the IPL 2022 edition. It will be interesting to see if Rohit-led India come out with a new approach in the white-ball formats after the SA drubbing.

Team India ended their disastrous tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). While Virat Kohli-led India were 1-0 up after winning the tour opener, i.e. the Centurion Test, everything went downhill from thereon.

Team India ended their disastrous tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). While Virat Kohli-led India were 1-0 up after winning the tour opener, i.e. the Centurion Test, everything went downhill from thereon. Kohli & Co. lost the Test series 2-1 and went onto be whitewashed by the Temba Bavuma-led South Africa in the preceding ODIs. In limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma's absence, KL Rahul led the Men in Blue in the three ODIs. Under Rahul, India remained winless by putting up a listless performance in the 50-over leg. After the tour, Rahul believes India have done many things right in the limited-overs formats in the last few years but their white-ball cricket needs a transformation right now. ALSO READ | Rahul, Hardik were really happy watching me play in T20 WC: Pak pacer recalls his time as India's net bowler Rahul told Sports Today in an exclusive chat, "It's a huge honour and it's a dream come true to represent my country and lead my country. Yes, the results didn't go our way but I think there were massive learning. We are at a stage right now where we have World Cups as the focus and we are working towards getting better as a team. I feel like we have played very good cricket over the last four or five years but it's also time for us to get better and transform our white-ball cricket." During the three ODIs, Rahul's captaincy was heavily criticised. The 29-year-old's field settings and bowling changes were ineffective, when compared to his South African counterpart Bavuma. The star Indian batter has also not had much success as an IPL captain. Nonetheless, Rahul remains undeterred and feels he is learning and will only get better. "I don't use that as an excuse for not winning, but I think we are a work in progress as a team. I learned so much while leading. Losses make you so much stronger than starting off with victories. My career has always been that way. I have always got everything slowly. I am confident in my leadership skills and I know that I can bring out the best from my players. I know I can do well for my country and franchise," Rahul added. ALSO READ | Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself: Salman Butt slams Team India's poor show in South Africa ODIs After the SA tour, India will prepare for their home season, which starts with a limited-overs series versus Kieron Pollard-led West Indies. It will be followed by two Tests and three T20Is versus Sri Lanka before the action moves to the IPL 2022 edition. It will be interesting to see if Rohit-led India come out with a new approach in the white-ball formats after the SA drubbing.

Time we get better and transform our white-ball cricket, says Rahul post India's listless performance vs SA

Haris Rauf was one of the top performers for Babar Azam-led Team Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. Rauf returned with eight wickets in the showpiece event, with a best of 4 for 22 versus New Zealand. While he went wicketless and conceded at over ten per over in the semi-final clash versus eventual winners Australia, Rauf impressed overall with his raw pace.

Rauf's career took off after his maiden stint in the BBL 2019/20 season for the Glenn Maxwell-led Melbourne Stars. Not many know that the speedster was also a net bowler for Virat Kohli-led Team India during their 2018/19 tour of Australia for four Tests Down Under. Back then, he struck a chord with Kohli, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and the likes. In a recent interaction, the 28-year-old revealed that Rahul and Hardik were very happy seeing his progress and play for his country when they met him during India-Pakistan's 2021 T20 WC face-off in Dubai.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/why-stick-your-hand-out-and-hurt-yourself-salman-butt-slams-team-indias-poor-show-in-south-africa-odis-447218">Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself: Salman Butt slams Team India's poor show in South Africa ODIs</a>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsHKy6LAMKe/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Haris Rauf (@harisraufofficial)</a>
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Talking to&nbsp;paktv.tv&nbsp;recently Rauf recalled the interaction he had with Rahul and Hardik and said, "When I was net bowler for India, I had bowled to them in Sydney in the nets. So I had told them once that I would one day bowl to them in an international game. And both Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul had told me that I have the potential to bowl at international level. They gave me a lot of confidence."

"Then when I met them recently at the T20 World Cup, they remembered all our conversations. We had a discussion over it as well and they were really happy for me watching me play for Pakistan. When you play with good players you learn all the good things. I always try to learn good things from such players," he further added.

Rauf returned with 1 for 25 in Pakistan's 10-wicket win over India in the 2021 T20 WC. He debuted for the Men in Green during early 2020, in a T20I versus Bangladesh. So far, he&nbsp;has impressed one and all in his 34 T20Is, taking 41 wickets at an economy rate of&nbsp;8.44. In addition, he has represented Pakistan in 8 ODIs, claiming 14 wickets at an economy rate of less than 6.

Haris Rauf was one of the top performers for Babar Azam-led Team Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. Rauf returned with eight wickets in the showpiece event, with a best of 4 for 22 versus New Zealand.

Haris Rauf was one of the top performers for Babar Azam-led Team Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. Rauf returned with eight wickets in the showpiece event, with a best of 4 for 22 versus New Zealand. While he went wicketless and conceded at over ten per over in the semi-final clash versus eventual winners Australia, Rauf impressed overall with his raw pace. Rauf's career took off after his maiden stint in the BBL 2019/20 season for the Glenn Maxwell-led Melbourne Stars. Not many know that the speedster was also a net bowler for Virat Kohli-led Team India during their 2018/19 tour of Australia for four Tests Down Under. Back then, he struck a chord with Kohli, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and the likes. In a recent interaction, the 28-year-old revealed that Rahul and Hardik were very happy seeing his progress and play for his country when they met him during India-Pakistan's 2021 T20 WC face-off in Dubai. ALSO READ | Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself: Salman Butt slams Team India's poor show in South Africa ODIs View this post on Instagram A post shared by Haris Rauf (@harisraufofficial) × ALSO READ | PAK better than India: Akhtar makes bold claim, predicts Men in Green to win 2022 T20 WC face-off Talking to paktv.tv recently Rauf recalled the interaction he had with Rahul and Hardik and said, "When I was net bowler for India, I had bowled to them in Sydney in the nets. So I had told them once that I would one day bowl to them in an international game. And both Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul had told me that I have the potential to bowl at international level. They gave me a lot of confidence." "Then when I met them recently at the T20 World Cup, they remembered all our conversations. We had a discussion over it as well and they were really happy for me watching me play for Pakistan. When you play with good players you learn all the good things. I always try to learn good things from such players," he further added. Rauf returned with 1 for 25 in Pakistan's 10-wicket win over India in the 2021 T20 WC. He debuted for the Men in Green during early 2020, in a T20I versus Bangladesh. So far, he has impressed one and all in his 34 T20Is, taking 41 wickets at an economy rate of 8.44. In addition, he has represented Pakistan in 8 ODIs, claiming 14 wickets at an economy rate of less than 6.

Rahul, Hardik were really happy watching me play in T20 WC: Pak pacer recalls his time as India's net bowler

Team India ended a torrid tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). While the Test series was evenly-contested, which the visitors lost 2-1, the Men in Blue were expected to beat the rather inexperienced Temba Bavuma-led Proteas in the preceding three ODIs despite missing regular limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma.

Nonetheless, the KL Rahul-led Indian team lost 3-0, repeating the same mistakes in every game to finish off a forgettable ODI series. Talking about the third and final ODI, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. Prasidh Krishna's 3 for 59 and two wickets each from Deepak Chahar and Jasprit Bumrah dismissed the South Africans for 287 in 49.5 overs, courtesy Quinton de Kock's 124.

In reply, Rahul &amp; Co. were dismissed for 283 49.2 overs despite fighting fifties from Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Chahar. Reflecting on Team India's dismal showing in the three ODIs, former Pakistan captain Salman Butt slammed Rahul &amp; Co. for their ordinary performances, criticising the middle-order batters, team selection, etc.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hes-batting-on-a-different-planet-dinesh-karthik-backs-indian-star-urges-team-india-to-give-him-a-long-rope-447167">He's batting on a different planet: Dinesh Karthik backs Indian star, urges Team India to give him a long rope</a>

Butt said on his Youtube channel, "This is just sad. Despite being such a good team, losing all three matches to a relatively inexperienced side playing without a couple of their main pacers makes for a really sad scenario. The noise surrounding certain topics will only increase after all this."

Butt pointed out that the&nbsp;decision-making was poor in the entire ODIs and claimed, "Let things go on as they were. Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself? You made unnecessary and unreasonable changes. The team selection has been questionable. On this tour where Pant played some outstanding knocks, he also played some shots that held no logical reasoning."

"The selection of the bowling line-up was also very poor. If you have guys who can clock 140 kph, then what are you doing by playing Bhuvneshwar [Kumar] and Shardul Thakur. Moreover, the keeper was standing up the pacers This is not England where you can trap the batters on a wet pitch by bringing the wicketkeeper up to the medium pacers. These are questions that will have to be answered by the team management and the selectors," he added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/difficult-journeys-help-you-grow-kl-rahul-pens-emotional-note-after-indias-3-0-series-loss-vs-south-africa-447198">'Difficult journeys help you grow': KL Rahul pens emotional note after India's 3-0 series loss vs South Africa</a>

Butt mentioned few positives for India from the third and final ODI before stating that the middle-order lacks serious depth. "If you look at the good parts then Deepak Chahar bowled and batted well, and he single-handedly brought India close to victory. Before that, Suryakumar Yadav also batted well. He was set and if he continued to play calmly, then India would have won. He also got out to false shot. There was no need to play such an extravagant shot. The shot he got out to was not a good option and India eventually paid the price for it."

"We got to see one fault shot after another at a time when they were least needed. That's the main reason for their downfall. Moreover, batters didn't capitalise after getting set. Not many large scores were made in this series. India has been top-class sin chasing especially when Virat Kohli plays long. But their middle-order does not have depth," he concluded.

Team India ended a torrid tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). While the Test series was evenly-contested, which the visitors lost 2-1, the Men in Blue were expected to beat the rather inexperienced Temba Bavuma-led Proteas in the preceding three ODIs despite missing regular limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma.

Team India ended a torrid tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). While the Test series was evenly-contested, which the visitors lost 2-1, the Men in Blue were expected to beat the rather inexperienced Temba Bavuma-led Proteas in the preceding three ODIs despite missing regular limited-overs captain Rohit Sharma. Nonetheless, the KL Rahul-led Indian team lost 3-0, repeating the same mistakes in every game to finish off a forgettable ODI series. Talking about the third and final ODI, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. Prasidh Krishna's 3 for 59 and two wickets each from Deepak Chahar and Jasprit Bumrah dismissed the South Africans for 287 in 49.5 overs, courtesy Quinton de Kock's 124. In reply, Rahul & Co. were dismissed for 283 49.2 overs despite fighting fifties from Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Chahar. Reflecting on Team India's dismal showing in the three ODIs, former Pakistan captain Salman Butt slammed Rahul & Co. for their ordinary performances, criticising the middle-order batters, team selection, etc. ALSO READ | He's batting on a different planet: Dinesh Karthik backs Indian star, urges Team India to give him a long rope Butt said on his Youtube channel, "This is just sad. Despite being such a good team, losing all three matches to a relatively inexperienced side playing without a couple of their main pacers makes for a really sad scenario. The noise surrounding certain topics will only increase after all this." Butt pointed out that the decision-making was poor in the entire ODIs and claimed, "Let things go on as they were. Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself? You made unnecessary and unreasonable changes. The team selection has been questionable. On this tour where Pant played some outstanding knocks, he also played some shots that held no logical reasoning." "The selection of the bowling line-up was also very poor. If you have guys who can clock 140 kph, then what are you doing by playing Bhuvneshwar [Kumar] and Shardul Thakur. Moreover, the keeper was standing up the pacers This is not England where you can trap the batters on a wet pitch by bringing the wicketkeeper up to the medium pacers. These are questions that will have to be answered by the team management and the selectors," he added. ALSO READ | 'Difficult journeys help you grow': KL Rahul pens emotional note after India's 3-0 series loss vs South Africa Butt mentioned few positives for India from the third and final ODI before stating that the middle-order lacks serious depth. "If you look at the good parts then Deepak Chahar bowled and batted well, and he single-handedly brought India close to victory. Before that, Suryakumar Yadav also batted well. He was set and if he continued to play calmly, then India would have won. He also got out to false shot. There was no need to play such an extravagant shot. The shot he got out to was not a good option and India eventually paid the price for it." "We got to see one fault shot after another at a time when they were least needed. That's the main reason for their downfall. Moreover, batters didn't capitalise after getting set. Not many large scores were made in this series. India has been top-class sin chasing especially when Virat Kohli plays long. But their middle-order does not have depth," he concluded.

Why stick your hand out and hurt yourself: Salman Butt slams Team India's poor show in South Africa ODIs

KL Rahul had a series to forget captaining India for the first time away from home as the visitors were clean swept 3-0 by South Africa in the recently-concluded ODI series. After back-to-back defeats in the first two matches, India lost the third and final ODI by 4 runs on Sunday to suffer a 3-0 whitewash against the Proteas.

Rahul, who was the stand-in skipper of the Indian team in the absence of permanent skipper Rohit Sharma, faced criticism from all corners for his poor leadership. Rahul was criticised by many for his poor field placements and bowling changes among others as India produced a below-par show in the ODI series.

Rahul failed to win even a single game as captain as India lost all three games in a row. He took to social media on Monday to pen an emotional note after the series defeat and said it was a learning curve for him and the rest of the team.

"Difficult journeys help you to improve and grow stronger. The results might not have gone our way, but we will learn from the mistakes," Rahul wrote in his tweet.

The opening batter added that it was an honour for him to lead the national team in the absence of Rohit and that the feeling of captaining the side can't be described in words. "Leading the country was a great honour, a proud moment which cannot be described in words," he added.

&nbsp;

India had gotten off to the worst possible start in the ODI series as they lost the first game in Paarl by 31 runs after failing to chase down a target of 297 runs. They suffered a seven-wicket defeat in the second game before losing the third and final encounter by just 4 runs on Sunday.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shoaib-akhtar-makes-bizarre-statement-about-virat-kohli-would-not-have-married-if-i-were-in-his-place-447138">Shoaib Akhtar makes bizarre statement about Virat Kohli: Would not have married if I were in his place</a>

After half-centuries from Virat Kohli (65) and Shikhar Dhawa (61) put India in a comfortable position in the 288-run chase in the third ODI on Sunday, the visitors lost the plot after the quick dismissals of Rishabh Pant (0), and Shreyas Iyer (26).

Suryakumar Yadav scored 39 off 32 balls while Deepak Chahar played a stunning cameo of 34-ball 54 but failed to take India home as they lost in the final over.

&nbsp;

KL Rahul had a series to forget captaining India for the first time away from home as the visitors were clean swept 3-0 by South Africa in the recently-concluded ODI series.

KL Rahul had a series to forget captaining India for the first time away from home as the visitors were clean swept 3-0 by South Africa in the recently-concluded ODI series. After back-to-back defeats in the first two matches, India lost the third and final ODI by 4 runs on Sunday to suffer a 3-0 whitewash against the Proteas. Rahul, who was the stand-in skipper of the Indian team in the absence of permanent skipper Rohit Sharma, faced criticism from all corners for his poor leadership. Rahul was criticised by many for his poor field placements and bowling changes among others as India produced a below-par show in the ODI series. Rahul failed to win even a single game as captain as India lost all three games in a row. He took to social media on Monday to pen an emotional note after the series defeat and said it was a learning curve for him and the rest of the team. "Difficult journeys help you to improve and grow stronger. The results might not have gone our way, but we will learn from the mistakes," Rahul wrote in his tweet. The opening batter added that it was an honour for him to lead the national team in the absence of Rohit and that the feeling of captaining the side can't be described in words. "Leading the country was a great honour, a proud moment which cannot be described in words," he added. India had gotten off to the worst possible start in the ODI series as they lost the first game in Paarl by 31 runs after failing to chase down a target of 297 runs. They suffered a seven-wicket defeat in the second game before losing the third and final encounter by just 4 runs on Sunday. Also Read: Shoaib Akhtar makes bizarre statement about Virat Kohli: Would not have married if I were in his place After half-centuries from Virat Kohli (65) and Shikhar Dhawa (61) put India in a comfortable position in the 288-run chase in the third ODI on Sunday, the visitors lost the plot after the quick dismissals of Rishabh Pant (0), and Shreyas Iyer (26). Suryakumar Yadav scored 39 off 32 balls while Deepak Chahar played a stunning cameo of 34-ball 54 but failed to take India home as they lost in the final over.

'Difficult journeys help you grow': KL Rahul pens emotional note after India's 3-0 series loss vs South Africa

Team India ended a torrid tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). After winning the tour opener, i.e. the Centurion Test, everything went downhill for the visitors. India missed the services of regular captain Virat Kohli for the second and penultimate Test -- at The Wanderers, Johannesburg -- due to upper back spasm and lost the plot from thereon.

Under KL Rahul, India lost their first-ever Test in J'burg. The series was levelled ahead of the Test series finale, where Kohli returned to the playing XI but failed to take India to a maiden series win in whites in the rainbow nation. India lost the Tests 2-1 and went onto lose the preceding three ODIs 3-0. Amid all this, Kohli stepped down as the Test captain -- after having been sacked as the ODI skipper and resigning as T20I captain last year.

Ahead of India's next Test series, i.e. a two-match series versus Sri Lanka at home before IPL 15, the national selectors have a tough ask to name the next captain in the red-ball format. Former Aussie spinner Shane Warne has named who should take over from Kohli in whites.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shoaib-akhtar-makes-bizarre-statement-about-virat-kohli-would-not-have-married-if-i-were-in-his-place-447138">Shoaib Akhtar makes bizarre statement about Virat Kohli: Would not have married if I were in his place</a>

While there are four names doing the rounds&nbsp;for the Test captaincy spot -- KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant -- Warne has ruled out Pant's name. The spin wizard feels Bumrah can be the next Test captain.

“India are very lucky that they have got so many different options and people that could captain the team. For me, Jasprit Bumrah could do it but I think Rohit for the next couple of years and have him (Bumrah) as deputy. I don’t like a wicketkeeper as captain. I think a wicketkeeper makes a good vice-captain and deputies, never captain. So that is how I see it but India have got plenty of options. Rahane would be fantastic but his form just has just slipped a little lately. We saw what a terrific job he did in Australia last season when Virat went home. We know he can do a terrific job in the Test area. He just needs to make sure he is making runs,” Warne told Hindustan Times in an interview arranged by BookMyShow stream, the platform which premiers the spinner's documentary film ‘Shane’.

Warne, however, opened up on Pant and his batting approach. For the unversed, Pant played two good knocks in the just-concluded SA tour -- including a Test ton and a gritty 85 in the second ODI -- but drew criticism for his shot selection in India's second innings of the J''burg Test and the tour finale (i.e. the third ODI). In this regard, Warne said, "Do not change. Do not change, Rishabh Pant. He is my favourite cricketer. Let him keep playing the way he plays. The only statement I would say to Rishabh Pant… ‘All he needs to ask himself all the time is… what does the team need me to do right now? He asks himself that question and he will play the right way. Look, I hope no one changes Rishabh Pant. Just play the way you play because he is exciting and he is great to watch. I love him."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ravi-shastri-feels-pant-should-be-kept-in-mind-for-leadership-goes-ahead-with-senior-pro-as-next-test-captain-447086">Ravi Shastri feels Pant should be kept in mind for leadership, goes ahead with senior pro as next Test captain</a>

While Bumrah is also an option for Test captaincy, Rohit is the strongest contender to be the next skipper. He is already the limited-overs captain and can be asked to take up the same role in whites for a brief period, grooming his successor. As Bumrah doesn't feature in majority of India's home Tests, he might lose the battle to his IPL skipper Rohit.

Team India ended a torrid tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). After winning the tour opener, i.e. the Centurion Test, everything went downhill for the visitors.

Team India ended a torrid tour of South Africa on Sunday (January 23). After winning the tour opener, i.e. the Centurion Test, everything went downhill for the visitors. India missed the services of regular captain Virat Kohli for the second and penultimate Test -- at The Wanderers, Johannesburg -- due to upper back spasm and lost the plot from thereon. Under KL Rahul, India lost their first-ever Test in J'burg. The series was levelled ahead of the Test series finale, where Kohli returned to the playing XI but failed to take India to a maiden series win in whites in the rainbow nation. India lost the Tests 2-1 and went onto lose the preceding three ODIs 3-0. Amid all this, Kohli stepped down as the Test captain -- after having been sacked as the ODI skipper and resigning as T20I captain last year. Ahead of India's next Test series, i.e. a two-match series versus Sri Lanka at home before IPL 15, the national selectors have a tough ask to name the next captain in the red-ball format. Former Aussie spinner Shane Warne has named who should take over from Kohli in whites. ALSO READ | Shoaib Akhtar makes bizarre statement about Virat Kohli: Would not have married if I were in his place While there are four names doing the rounds for the Test captaincy spot -- KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant -- Warne has ruled out Pant's name. The spin wizard feels Bumrah can be the next Test captain. “India are very lucky that they have got so many different options and people that could captain the team. For me, Jasprit Bumrah could do it but I think Rohit for the next couple of years and have him (Bumrah) as deputy. I don’t like a wicketkeeper as captain. I think a wicketkeeper makes a good vice-captain and deputies, never captain. So that is how I see it but India have got plenty of options. Rahane would be fantastic but his form just has just slipped a little lately. We saw what a terrific job he did in Australia last season when Virat went home. We know he can do a terrific job in the Test area. He just needs to make sure he is making runs,” Warne told Hindustan Times in an interview arranged by BookMyShow stream, the platform which premiers the spinner's documentary film ‘Shane’. Warne, however, opened up on Pant and his batting approach. For the unversed, Pant played two good knocks in the just-concluded SA tour -- including a Test ton and a gritty 85 in the second ODI -- but drew criticism for his shot selection in India's second innings of the J''burg Test and the tour finale (i.e. the third ODI). In this regard, Warne said, "Do not change. Do not change, Rishabh Pant. He is my favourite cricketer. Let him keep playing the way he plays. The only statement I would say to Rishabh Pant… ‘All he needs to ask himself all the time is… what does the team need me to do right now? He asks himself that question and he will play the right way. Look, I hope no one changes Rishabh Pant. Just play the way you play because he is exciting and he is great to watch. I love him." ALSO READ | Ravi Shastri feels Pant should be kept in mind for leadership, goes ahead with senior pro as next Test captain While Bumrah is also an option for Test captaincy, Rohit is the strongest contender to be the next skipper. He is already the limited-overs captain and can be asked to take up the same role in whites for a brief period, grooming his successor. As Bumrah doesn't feature in majority of India's home Tests, he might lose the battle to his IPL skipper Rohit.

Don’t like wicketkeeper as captain: Not Pant! Shane Warne suggests who should be India's next Test captain

On January 15, Virat Kohli stepped down as the Indian Test captain. This came as a shocker for the whole cricketing fraternity, given the 33-year-old led India with great success in the red-ball format. Kohli's decision came on the following day after India had lost the three-match Test series versus South Africa, in the African nation.

With him stepping down as the Test captain, Kohli's overall captaincy tenure for Team India also came to an end. Talking about Kohli's credentials as a captain in the purest format, he led India to their maiden Test series win in Australia, ensured an unassailable 2-1 lead over England in the incomplete five Tests in the United Kingdom in mid-2021 and to the inaugural WTC final. In addition, India were dominant at home under his leadership skills.

Kohli's successor, thus, has huge shoes to fill in. Ex-head coach Ravi Shastri feels Rohit Sharma, who is already the limited-overs captain, should take over as the Test captain as well, with wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant being groomed under him.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lot-of-people-wouldnt-have-been-able-to-digest-virat-kohli-reaching-50-60-wins-as-test-captain-ravi-shastri-446945">Lot of people wouldn't have been able to digest Virat Kohli reaching 50-60 wins as Test captain: Ravi Shastri</a>

Former Indian coach Shastri has suggested Rohit's name as the successor and called him the natural choice, with him already being the vice-captain in whites.&nbsp;

"If Rohit is fit, why can't he be the captain in Tests too. He was appointed vice-captain for the South Africa series but he couldn't go there because of injuries. So why not, if he was made the vice-captain, why can't he be promoted to captaincy,"&nbsp;Shastri said to&nbsp;India Today.&nbsp;

"Rohit's vice-captain has to be seen. Rahul Dravid has to see who that person could be because that player has to be a certainty in the playing XI. I think, why name the vice-captain at all? Decide on the tour who is the most experienced player, who is playing well. You announce your vice-captain in advance, and later you realise that your vice-captain doesn't fit in your XI," stated the ex-Indian head coach and all-rounder.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rahul-dravid-has-a-big-task-ahead-has-to-prove-he-is-not-an-overrated-coach-shoaib-akhtar-446926">Rahul Dravid has a big task ahead, has to prove he is not an overrated coach: Shoaib Akhtar</a>

Shastri opined on Pant and claimed he can be looked upon as a future captain. "Rishabh is a tremendous young player. As a coach, I was very fond of him, his attitude and the good thing about him was that he would always listen to you. A lot of people say, he always does what he wants but that's not true. He reads the game well and would always put my team effort first than self. So he should always be kept in mind for leadership," said Shastri.&nbsp;

India's next assignment in the red-ball format is versus Sri Lanka at home, in February-March. Before that, the national selectors will have to take a call and name the next Test captain. Some other contenders are Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul or R Ashwin.

On January 15, Virat Kohli stepped down as the Indian Test captain. This came as a shocker for the whole cricketing fraternity, given the 33-year-old led India with great success in the red-ball format.

On January 15, Virat Kohli stepped down as the Indian Test captain. This came as a shocker for the whole cricketing fraternity, given the 33-year-old led India with great success in the red-ball format. Kohli's decision came on the following day after India had lost the three-match Test series versus South Africa, in the African nation. With him stepping down as the Test captain, Kohli's overall captaincy tenure for Team India also came to an end. Talking about Kohli's credentials as a captain in the purest format, he led India to their maiden Test series win in Australia, ensured an unassailable 2-1 lead over England in the incomplete five Tests in the United Kingdom in mid-2021 and to the inaugural WTC final. In addition, India were dominant at home under his leadership skills. Kohli's successor, thus, has huge shoes to fill in. Ex-head coach Ravi Shastri feels Rohit Sharma, who is already the limited-overs captain, should take over as the Test captain as well, with wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant being groomed under him. ALSO READ | Lot of people wouldn't have been able to digest Virat Kohli reaching 50-60 wins as Test captain: Ravi Shastri Former Indian coach Shastri has suggested Rohit's name as the successor and called him the natural choice, with him already being the vice-captain in whites. "If Rohit is fit, why can't he be the captain in Tests too. He was appointed vice-captain for the South Africa series but he couldn't go there because of injuries. So why not, if he was made the vice-captain, why can't he be promoted to captaincy," Shastri said to India Today. "Rohit's vice-captain has to be seen. Rahul Dravid has to see who that person could be because that player has to be a certainty in the playing XI. I think, why name the vice-captain at all? Decide on the tour who is the most experienced player, who is playing well. You announce your vice-captain in advance, and later you realise that your vice-captain doesn't fit in your XI," stated the ex-Indian head coach and all-rounder. ALSO READ | Rahul Dravid has a big task ahead, has to prove he is not an overrated coach: Shoaib Akhtar Shastri opined on Pant and claimed he can be looked upon as a future captain. "Rishabh is a tremendous young player. As a coach, I was very fond of him, his attitude and the good thing about him was that he would always listen to you. A lot of people say, he always does what he wants but that's not true. He reads the game well and would always put my team effort first than self. So he should always be kept in mind for leadership," said Shastri. India's next assignment in the red-ball format is versus Sri Lanka at home, in February-March. Before that, the national selectors will have to take a call and name the next Test captain. Some other contenders are Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul or R Ashwin.

Ravi Shastri feels Pant should be kept in mind for leadership, goes ahead with senior pro as next Test captain

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