Shubman Gill has been in terrific form so far in the ongoing ODI series between India and West Indies. Gill got a chance to open the batting with stand-in skipper Shikhar Dhawan against West Indies after a number of senior players were rested for the ODI series and he has so far made the most of his opportunities with brilliant knocks in the first two matches.

After playing an exceptional knock of 64 runs in the series-opener at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad, Gill continued his fine form in the second ODI against the hosts. He scored a fine 43 off 49 balls in India's 312-run chase but ended up missing a well-deserved half-century by a whisker.

Gill looked in great touch in the second ODI and slammed five fours en route to his 43 off 49 balls before he was caught and bowled by Kyle Mayers. Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt criticised Gill for giving away his wicket regularly despite being set out in the middle. Butt suggested that Gill should look to bat deep and convert his starts into big scores as he is a very talented batter.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sc-issues-notice-to-former-india-captain-ms-dhoni-in-arbitration-proceedings-against-amrapali-group-500714">SC issues notice to former India captain MS Dhoni in arbitration proceedings against Amrapali group</a>

"Shubman Gill played well but he is losing his wicket even after getting set. It's happening continuously. He is such a good player I think that he needs to carry on, he needs to score big because he has got a lot of talent," Butt said in a video on his YouTube Channel.

Talking about the game, Indian bowlers were taken to the cleaner by West Indies batters after the hosts won the toss and decided to bat first in the game. Playing his 100th ODI for West Indies, Shai Hope slammed a brilliant century while captain Nicholas Pooran scored 74 off 77 balls to help the hosts post a strong total of 311 runs on the board.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cut-odis-from-50-to-40-overs-ravi-shastri-gives-bold-suggestion-to-make-odi-cricket-entertaining-500704">'Cut ODIs from 50 to 40 overs': Ravi Shastri gives bold suggestion to make ODI cricket entertaining</a>

In reply, India found themselves in trouble at 79/3 in the 18th over after losing their top-order cheaply. However, half-centurions Shreyas Iyer (63) and Sanju Samson (54) combined to steady the ship for the Men in Blue with a 99-run stand for the 4th wicket. Axar Patel then played a sensational knock of unbeaten 64 off 35 balls to take India home in the final over.

India won the game by two wickets and took an unassailable 2-0 lead to clinch the three-match series and record their 12th successive ODI series victory against the hosts - the most by any team against a single team in the world.

Shubman Gill has been in terrific form so far in the ongoing ODI series between India and West Indies. Gill got a chance to open the batting with stand-in skipper Shikhar Dhawan against West Indies after a number of senior players were rested for the ODI series and he has so far made the most of his opportunities with brilliant knocks in the first two matches.

Shubman Gill has been in terrific form so far in the ongoing ODI series between India and West Indies. Gill got a chance to open the batting with stand-in skipper Shikhar Dhawan against West Indies after a number of senior players were rested for the ODI series and he has so far made the most of his opportunities with brilliant knocks in the first two matches. After playing an exceptional knock of 64 runs in the series-opener at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad, Gill continued his fine form in the second ODI against the hosts. He scored a fine 43 off 49 balls in India's 312-run chase but ended up missing a well-deserved half-century by a whisker. Gill looked in great touch in the second ODI and slammed five fours en route to his 43 off 49 balls before he was caught and bowled by Kyle Mayers. Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt criticised Gill for giving away his wicket regularly despite being set out in the middle. Butt suggested that Gill should look to bat deep and convert his starts into big scores as he is a very talented batter. Also Read: SC issues notice to former India captain MS Dhoni in arbitration proceedings against Amrapali group "Shubman Gill played well but he is losing his wicket even after getting set. It's happening continuously. He is such a good player I think that he needs to carry on, he needs to score big because he has got a lot of talent," Butt said in a video on his YouTube Channel. Talking about the game, Indian bowlers were taken to the cleaner by West Indies batters after the hosts won the toss and decided to bat first in the game. Playing his 100th ODI for West Indies, Shai Hope slammed a brilliant century while captain Nicholas Pooran scored 74 off 77 balls to help the hosts post a strong total of 311 runs on the board. Also Read: 'Cut ODIs from 50 to 40 overs': Ravi Shastri gives bold suggestion to make ODI cricket entertaining In reply, India found themselves in trouble at 79/3 in the 18th over after losing their top-order cheaply. However, half-centurions Shreyas Iyer (63) and Sanju Samson (54) combined to steady the ship for the Men in Blue with a 99-run stand for the 4th wicket. Axar Patel then played a sensational knock of unbeaten 64 off 35 balls to take India home in the final over. India won the game by two wickets and took an unassailable 2-0 lead to clinch the three-match series and record their 12th successive ODI series victory against the hosts - the most by any team against a single team in the world.

'It's happening continuously': Ex-Pakistan captain criticises Shubman Gill after his repetitive mistakes

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has lauded Team India's youngsters after the Men in Blue's two-wicket win over West Indies in the second and penultimate ODI, held on Sunday (July 24) in Trinidad. With another win on the trot, India have also taken an unassailable 2-0 lead over the Nichoas Pooran-led hosts and will now aim for a series whitewash in the final ODI, on Wednesday (July 27).

Talking about the likes of Shreyas Iyer (63), Sanju Samson (54), Player-of-the-Match Axar Patel, etc., Kaneria lavished huge praise on the Rahul Dravid-coached Indian team's younger brigade and termed them 'serious match-winners'. India were in a tricky position in pursuit of 312 versus the Windies, being 79/3 and then in a tight spot at 256/6, but half-centurions Sanju, Iyer and Axar's late blitz (64 not out off 35 balls) took the visitors past the finish line.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/relive-axar-patels-64-as-india-take-unassailable-lead-over-west-indies-with-2nd-odi-win-watch-500467">Relive Axar Patel's 64* as India take unassailable lead over West Indies with 2nd ODI win - WATCH</a>

Thus, Kaneria said on his Youtube channel, "The youngsters in the Indian team like Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson took responsibility after skipper Shikhar Dhawan got out (in the second ODI). This is a big thing. The lot that is coming into Indian cricket are serious match-winners - be it bowlers, all-rounders or finishers. They put an extra topping on the flavor."

"In absence of big names like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah among many others, these boys have won overseas. Be it an A, B or C team, when you go overseas, conditions are against you. Hats off to the young team. Shikhar Dhawan’s captaincy has been admirable. He has rotated the bowlers very well," added the tainted spinner.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wi-vs-ind-2nd-odi-dravid-was-getting-tensed-iyer-on-dressing-room-atmosphere-in-visitors-run-chase-500577">WI vs IND, 2nd ODI: 'Dravid was getting tensed...' - Iyer on dressing room atmosphere in visitors' run-chase</a>

After India's series win over WI, Dhawan said at the post-match presentation, "It was a great team performance. Boys didn't lose the self belief, that is amazing. Iyer, Sanju, Axar everyone was amazing, Even Avesh came out in his debut game and scored those 11 important runs. Thanks to IPL, they perform on a huge stage. I felt that we bowled nicely. They got off to a good start. Hope and Pooran batted well. We thought if they could do it, we knew that we could do it. We started a little slow. Shubman batted well. The Iyer-Samson partnership made a huge difference. There was a run-out. But these things happen. Boys are learning. Thanks to the support staff as well."

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has lauded Team India's youngsters after the Men in Blue's two-wicket win over West Indies in the second and penultimate ODI, held on Sunday (July 24) in Trinidad.

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has lauded Team India's youngsters after the Men in Blue's two-wicket win over West Indies in the second and penultimate ODI, held on Sunday (July 24) in Trinidad. With another win on the trot, India have also taken an unassailable 2-0 lead over the Nichoas Pooran-led hosts and will now aim for a series whitewash in the final ODI, on Wednesday (July 27). Talking about the likes of Shreyas Iyer (63), Sanju Samson (54), Player-of-the-Match Axar Patel, etc., Kaneria lavished huge praise on the Rahul Dravid-coached Indian team's younger brigade and termed them 'serious match-winners'. India were in a tricky position in pursuit of 312 versus the Windies, being 79/3 and then in a tight spot at 256/6, but half-centurions Sanju, Iyer and Axar's late blitz (64 not out off 35 balls) took the visitors past the finish line. ALSO READ | Relive Axar Patel's 64* as India take unassailable lead over West Indies with 2nd ODI win - WATCH Thus, Kaneria said on his Youtube channel, "The youngsters in the Indian team like Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson took responsibility after skipper Shikhar Dhawan got out (in the second ODI). This is a big thing. The lot that is coming into Indian cricket are serious match-winners - be it bowlers, all-rounders or finishers. They put an extra topping on the flavor." "In absence of big names like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah among many others, these boys have won overseas. Be it an A, B or C team, when you go overseas, conditions are against you. Hats off to the young team. Shikhar Dhawan’s captaincy has been admirable. He has rotated the bowlers very well," added the tainted spinner. ALSO READ | WI vs IND, 2nd ODI: 'Dravid was getting tensed...' - Iyer on dressing room atmosphere in visitors' run-chase After India's series win over WI, Dhawan said at the post-match presentation, "It was a great team performance. Boys didn't lose the self belief, that is amazing. Iyer, Sanju, Axar everyone was amazing, Even Avesh came out in his debut game and scored those 11 important runs. Thanks to IPL, they perform on a huge stage. I felt that we bowled nicely. They got off to a good start. Hope and Pooran batted well. We thought if they could do it, we knew that we could do it. We started a little slow. Shubman batted well. The Iyer-Samson partnership made a huge difference. There was a run-out. But these things happen. Boys are learning. Thanks to the support staff as well."

WI vs IND: The lot are serious match-winners, says former Pakistan spinner on Men in Blue's young brigade

Axar Patel was the Player-of-the-Match as Shikhar Dhawan-led Team India came from behind to beat West Indies in the second and penultimate ODI to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the second and penultimate match, on Sunday (July 24).

Chasing 312, after hosts opted&nbsp;to bat first, India were in a spot of bother. From 48 for no loss, Dhawan &amp; Co. were 79/3 before Sanju Samson (54) - Shreyas Iyer (63)'s 99-run fourth-wicket stand kept India in the hunt. Losing Samson, Iyer, Deepak Hooda and Shardul Thakur, the onus fell on all-rounder Axar, who had to bat deep with the tailenders to take the visitors home.

Axar (who had also claimed a wicket in the match) was up for the challenge and his career-best 64-run unbeaten knock stunned the Nicholas Pooran-led West Indies as India chased down the target in the last over, with two balls to spare, by two wickets. Here's the spin-bowling all-rounder's classy knock, off just 35 balls which comprised 5 sixes and 3 fours:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MpzD0t2heXU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/axar-patel-breaks-ms-dhonis-17-year-old-record-with-match-winning-knock-in-2nd-odi-against-west-indies-500423">Axar Patel breaks MS Dhoni's 17-year-old record with match-winning knock in 2nd ODI against West Indies</a>

At the post-match presentation, Axar said, "I think this is a special one. It came at a crucial time and also helped the team to win the series. We have done the same in the IPL. We just needed to remain calm and keep the intensity up. I was playing an ODI after close to 5 years. I would want to continue performing like this for my team."

Axar-starrer India have now clinched the three-match ODI series with the&nbsp;final match&nbsp;to be held on Tuesday (July 27). After the ODIs, the action will move to the five T20Is (starting on July 29) with Rohit Sharma set to return and take charge of the side.&nbsp;

Axar Patel was the Player-of-the-Match as Shikhar Dhawan-led Team India came from behind to beat West Indies in the second and penultimate ODI to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the second and penultimate match, on Sunday (July 24).

Axar Patel was the Player-of-the-Match as Shikhar Dhawan-led Team India came from behind to beat West Indies in the second and penultimate ODI to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the second and penultimate match, on Sunday (July 24). Chasing 312, after hosts opted to bat first, India were in a spot of bother. From 48 for no loss, Dhawan & Co. were 79/3 before Sanju Samson (54) - Shreyas Iyer (63)'s 99-run fourth-wicket stand kept India in the hunt. Losing Samson, Iyer, Deepak Hooda and Shardul Thakur, the onus fell on all-rounder Axar, who had to bat deep with the tailenders to take the visitors home. Axar (who had also claimed a wicket in the match) was up for the challenge and his career-best 64-run unbeaten knock stunned the Nicholas Pooran-led West Indies as India chased down the target in the last over, with two balls to spare, by two wickets. Here's the spin-bowling all-rounder's classy knock, off just 35 balls which comprised 5 sixes and 3 fours: × ALSO READ | Axar Patel breaks MS Dhoni's 17-year-old record with match-winning knock in 2nd ODI against West Indies At the post-match presentation, Axar said, "I think this is a special one. It came at a crucial time and also helped the team to win the series. We have done the same in the IPL. We just needed to remain calm and keep the intensity up. I was playing an ODI after close to 5 years. I would want to continue performing like this for my team." Axar-starrer India have now clinched the three-match ODI series with the final match to be held on Tuesday (July 27). After the ODIs, the action will move to the five T20Is (starting on July 29) with Rohit Sharma set to return and take charge of the side.

Relive Axar Patel's 64* as India take unassailable lead over West Indies with 2nd ODI win - WATCH

India and West Indies will square off in the three-match ODI series on Friday evening (July 22). In Rohit Sharma's absence, Shikhar Dhawan will take charge of the new-look side, which comprises several young faces such as Deepak Hooda, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, etc.

Team India arrived in Trinidad, from Manchester, amid heavy rainfall which forced them to shift their net session indoors. While there are chances of rain making its presence left in the series opener, the match is still expected to take place although we might lose some overs. For Nicholas Pooran-led West Indies, they will test themselves against a young and promising Indian line-up in their own conditions. Men in Blue, on the other hand, will be eager to carry on with their winning momentum from the England tour.

Here is everything you need to know about the match - date, IST, streaming details, etc.&nbsp;

When is the West Indies vs India 1st ODI taking place?

West Indies vs India 1st ODI&nbsp;is scheduled to take place on July 22, 2022 (Friday).&nbsp;

Where is West Indies vs India 1st ODI&nbsp;match taking place?

West Indies vs India series opener&nbsp;will be played at the Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wi-vs-ind-1st-odi-weather-forecast-will-rain-make-its-presence-felt-in-series-opener-in-trinidad-499679">WI vs IND, 1st ODI, weather forecast: Will rain make its presence felt in series opener in Trinidad?</a>

At what time West Indies vs India 1st ODI&nbsp;match taking place?

West Indies vs India 1st ODI&nbsp;will kickoff&nbsp;at 1:30 PM&nbsp;GMT (9:30 AM). The IST time is 7 pm.

How to watch West Indies vs India 1st ODI match live on TV?

West Indies vs India 1st ODI will be telecast on DD Sports.

How to watch West Indies vs India 1st ODI live streaming?

West Indies vs India 1st ODI's&nbsp;online/streaming will be on FanCode.

India and West Indies will square off in the three-match ODI series on Friday evening (July 22). In Rohit Sharma's absence, Shikhar Dhawan will take charge of the new-look side, which comprises several young faces such as Deepak Hooda, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, etc.

India and West Indies will square off in the three-match ODI series on Friday evening (July 22). In Rohit Sharma's absence, Shikhar Dhawan will take charge of the new-look side, which comprises several young faces such as Deepak Hooda, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, etc. Team India arrived in Trinidad, from Manchester, amid heavy rainfall which forced them to shift their net session indoors. While there are chances of rain making its presence left in the series opener, the match is still expected to take place although we might lose some overs. For Nicholas Pooran-led West Indies, they will test themselves against a young and promising Indian line-up in their own conditions. Men in Blue, on the other hand, will be eager to carry on with their winning momentum from the England tour. Here is everything you need to know about the match - date, IST, streaming details, etc. When is the West Indies vs India 1st ODI taking place? West Indies vs India 1st ODI is scheduled to take place on July 22, 2022 (Friday). Where is West Indies vs India 1st ODI match taking place? West Indies vs India series opener will be played at the Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad. ALSO READ | WI vs IND, 1st ODI, weather forecast: Will rain make its presence felt in series opener in Trinidad? At what time West Indies vs India 1st ODI match taking place? West Indies vs India 1st ODI will kickoff at 1:30 PM GMT (9:30 AM). The IST time is 7 pm. How to watch West Indies vs India 1st ODI match live on TV? West Indies vs India 1st ODI will be telecast on DD Sports. How to watch West Indies vs India 1st ODI live streaming? West Indies vs India 1st ODI's online/streaming will be on FanCode.

WI vs IND: When and where to watch West Indies vs India 1st ODI match - IST time and streaming details

Team India are in a spot of bother ahead of the fifth and final Test versus England, which will get underway on July 01 in Edgbaston, Birmingham. On Sunday (June 26), the regular captain Rohit Sharma tested positive for Covid-19 and went into isolation since then. As per a report in PTI, Rohit tested positive for the deadly virus once again on Wednesday (June 29) and was scheduled to undergo another&nbsp;test in the evening, followed by another on Thursday (June 30)&nbsp;on the eve of the final Test.&nbsp;

Addressing the media during a press conference, head coach Rahul Dravid spoke on Rohit's availability, whether Jasprit Bumrah will captain in Hitman's absence, and also made heads turn by stating that the team has plenty of options regarding who will open with Shubman Gill if Rohit misses out.&nbsp;

In this regard, Dravid said during a press conference, "We'll make a decision. We will weigh a lot of factors. Obviously, Mayank is a regular opener. someone who opens regularly. We have other options too; (KS) Bharat himself has opened in a lot of games for Andhra and showed in that side game that he is batting superbly at the moment. He scored a 70 and a 40 (43) after opening the batting. We got him to open in that innings keeping a lot of things in mind."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-england-5th-test-is-rohit-sharma-ruled-out-will-jasprit-bumrah-lead-visitors-dravid-gives-updates-493066">India vs England, 5th Test: Is Rohit Sharma ruled out? Will Jasprit Bumrah lead visitors? Dravid gives updates</a>

Dravid also added No. 3 batter Cheteshwar Pujara's name in the mix and said, "Pujara has got a lot of great quality. He has opened for India as well in the past. So I would not want to give things away, but like I said, in our minds, we are clear on the direction we are going. We will see what happens to Rohit, but I am not at liberty to disclose the playing XI. But we have clarity."

In Pujara's absence, when he was dropped for the Sri Lanka home series early this year, Hanuma Vihari had been slotted at the No. 3 position. Even Hanuma has opened for India in the MCG Test in 2018-19. Hence, India have a lot of options if Rohit misses out. For the unversed, regular opener KL Rahul is also out of action due to injury. Thus, India is without their two openers who commenced the innings in the four Tests of the incomplete five-match series versus England, which ended abruptly last year due to the Covid crisis in the then Virat Kohli-led Indian camp.

India is ahead by 2-1&nbsp;in the series and, thus, have an unassailable lead. Hence, they have a solid chance to win a Test series on English soil for the first time since 2007.

Team India are in a spot of bother ahead of the fifth and final Test versus England, which will get underway on July 01 in Edgbaston, Birmingham. On Sunday (June 26), the regular captain Rohit Sharma tested positive for Covid-19 and went into isolation since then.

Team India are in a spot of bother ahead of the fifth and final Test versus England, which will get underway on July 01 in Edgbaston, Birmingham. On Sunday (June 26), the regular captain Rohit Sharma tested positive for Covid-19 and went into isolation since then. As per a report in PTI, Rohit tested positive for the deadly virus once again on Wednesday (June 29) and was scheduled to undergo another test in the evening, followed by another on Thursday (June 30) on the eve of the final Test. Addressing the media during a press conference, head coach Rahul Dravid spoke on Rohit's availability, whether Jasprit Bumrah will captain in Hitman's absence, and also made heads turn by stating that the team has plenty of options regarding who will open with Shubman Gill if Rohit misses out. In this regard, Dravid said during a press conference, "We'll make a decision. We will weigh a lot of factors. Obviously, Mayank is a regular opener. someone who opens regularly. We have other options too; (KS) Bharat himself has opened in a lot of games for Andhra and showed in that side game that he is batting superbly at the moment. He scored a 70 and a 40 (43) after opening the batting. We got him to open in that innings keeping a lot of things in mind." ALSO READ | India vs England, 5th Test: Is Rohit Sharma ruled out? Will Jasprit Bumrah lead visitors? Dravid gives updates Dravid also added No. 3 batter Cheteshwar Pujara's name in the mix and said, "Pujara has got a lot of great quality. He has opened for India as well in the past. So I would not want to give things away, but like I said, in our minds, we are clear on the direction we are going. We will see what happens to Rohit, but I am not at liberty to disclose the playing XI. But we have clarity." In Pujara's absence, when he was dropped for the Sri Lanka home series early this year, Hanuma Vihari had been slotted at the No. 3 position. Even Hanuma has opened for India in the MCG Test in 2018-19. Hence, India have a lot of options if Rohit misses out. For the unversed, regular opener KL Rahul is also out of action due to injury. Thus, India is without their two openers who commenced the innings in the four Tests of the incomplete five-match series versus England, which ended abruptly last year due to the Covid crisis in the then Virat Kohli-led Indian camp. India is ahead by 2-1 in the series and, thus, have an unassailable lead. Hence, they have a solid chance to win a Test series on English soil for the first time since 2007.

Rahul Dravid names 3 batters who could open for India if Rohit Sharma gets ruled out of 5th Test vs England

India created history by winning their second successive Test series in Australia during the 2020/21 tour. After the first Test, at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Virat Kohli-led India were trailing 1-0 post a shambolic performance in the opening match, which they lost by eight wickets.

After the series opener loss, India were without regular captain Kohli, who travelled back home for the birth of his first child. Hence, Ajinkya Rahane was the stand-in captain and&nbsp;had plethora of young guns at his disposal as India hoped for a turnaround. The visitors battled several odds -- injuries, reports of alleged bio-bubble breach, sledging, racial abuse, etc. -- to not only bounce back in style and but also ended&nbsp;Australia's 32-year-old unbeaten streak at The Gabba, Brisbane in the series decider to eventually win 2-1.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-had-tears-rolling-tim-paine-recalls-md-sirajs-racism-incident-during-india-australia-sydney-test-490147">'He had tears rolling...': Tim Paine recalls Md Siraj's racism incident during India-Australia Sydney Test</a>

In a recently-released documentary Badon mein tha Dum, celebrating India's historic series triumph Down Under in 2020/21, Rishabh Pant -- the then second-highest run-getter for the visitors -- shared an untold story about Shubman Gill. In a 328-run chase, on the final day of the series, Indian opener Gill scored a magnificent 91 to lay the foundation before Pant's 89 not out and Cheteshwar Pujara's gritty 56 took India home in the Brisbane Test.

Missing out on his maiden Test ton, Gill was livid with himself and Pant spoke about his reaction after being dismissed. "Gill and I had discussed that we wanted to win the match and not just draw it. Gill was hitting the pull shot, the cut shot. I was feeling happy because we had discussed it. In my mind, I had only one thought that we have to win. When Gill got out, he was furious after he came back. He was shouting, 'What have I done?' and was cursing himself. I told him… 'Don't worry, you have batted well'," said Pant on the docudrama.

Currently, both Pant and Gill are part of India's Test line-up, which is gearing up for their rescheduled fifth and final match versus Ben Stokes-led England, on July 1 in Edgbaston. The duo will now look to take India to their first-ever series win on English soil since 2007 as India lead the incomplete five-match Tests 2-1.

India created history by winning their second successive Test series in Australia during the 2020/21 tour. After the first Test, at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Virat Kohli-led India were trailing 1-0 post a shambolic performance in the opening match, which they lost by eight wickets.

India created history by winning their second successive Test series in Australia during the 2020/21 tour. After the first Test, at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Virat Kohli-led India were trailing 1-0 post a shambolic performance in the opening match, which they lost by eight wickets. After the series opener loss, India were without regular captain Kohli, who travelled back home for the birth of his first child. Hence, Ajinkya Rahane was the stand-in captain and had plethora of young guns at his disposal as India hoped for a turnaround. The visitors battled several odds -- injuries, reports of alleged bio-bubble breach, sledging, racial abuse, etc. -- to not only bounce back in style and but also ended Australia's 32-year-old unbeaten streak at The Gabba, Brisbane in the series decider to eventually win 2-1. ALSO READ | 'He had tears rolling...': Tim Paine recalls Md Siraj's racism incident during India-Australia Sydney Test In a recently-released documentary Badon mein tha Dum, celebrating India's historic series triumph Down Under in 2020/21, Rishabh Pant -- the then second-highest run-getter for the visitors -- shared an untold story about Shubman Gill. In a 328-run chase, on the final day of the series, Indian opener Gill scored a magnificent 91 to lay the foundation before Pant's 89 not out and Cheteshwar Pujara's gritty 56 took India home in the Brisbane Test. Missing out on his maiden Test ton, Gill was livid with himself and Pant spoke about his reaction after being dismissed. "Gill and I had discussed that we wanted to win the match and not just draw it. Gill was hitting the pull shot, the cut shot. I was feeling happy because we had discussed it. In my mind, I had only one thought that we have to win. When Gill got out, he was furious after he came back. He was shouting, 'What have I done?' and was cursing himself. I told him… 'Don't worry, you have batted well'," said Pant on the docudrama. Currently, both Pant and Gill are part of India's Test line-up, which is gearing up for their rescheduled fifth and final match versus Ben Stokes-led England, on July 1 in Edgbaston. The duo will now look to take India to their first-ever series win on English soil since 2007 as India lead the incomplete five-match Tests 2-1.

He shouted 'What have...': Pant recalls Gill's reaction after falling for 91 during Brisbane Test run-chase

India were handed a huge blow ahead of the all-important one-off 5th Test against England in Edgbaston, Birmingham after KL Rahul was ruled out due to an injury. The opening batter had earlier missed the recently-concluded T20I series against South Africa at home after suffering a groin injury and is set to remain on the sidelines ahead of the Test match against England.

Rahul was named captain of the Indian team in the absence of Rohit Sharma for the five T20Is against South Africa. However, he was ruled out of the series ahead of the opening game and will not return to the team for the upcoming Ireland and England tours. While India have not named his replacement for the England Test, there were speculations about Cheteshwar Pujara being promoted as an opener in his absence.

However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently took to social media to post footage from India's training sessions at Leicestershire and hinted at India's opening pair for the Test match. With captain Rohit Sharma confirmed to open the innings, there was a tussle between Pujara and Shubman Gill for the second spot.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/11-years-of-virat-kohli-in-test-cricket-former-india-captain-shares-special-video-to-relive-memorable-journey-489963">11 years of Kohli in Test cricket: Former India captain shares special video to relive memorable journey</a>

However, BCCI's post has now hinted that Rohit will open the batting with Gill in the upcoming four-day warm-up match in Leicestershire followed by the 5th Test against England. "#TeamIndia openers captain @rohitsharma45 and @shubmangill are getting into the groove on Day 1 of our nets session," BCCI captioned their post with pictures of Gill and Rohit batting in the nets.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CfBkbLGjIpL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:16px;">
<div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 19% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CfBkbLGjIpL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CfBkbLGjIpL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>

<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>

<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">&nbsp;</div>

<div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<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/tv/CfBkbLGjIpL/?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 Team India (@indiancricketteam)</a>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The 5th Test was originally scheduled to be played in Manchester last year during India's tour of England. However, it was postponed due to COVID-19 and will now be completed in Edgbaston in July. It will be the final game of the five-match series between the two teams which is currently locked at 2-1 in India's favour.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/no-stamp-that-says-rishabh-pant-will-surely-play-in-t20-wc-2022-ex-india-pacer-makes-big-statement-489920">No stamp that says Rishabh Pant will surely play in T20 WC 2022: Ex-India pacer makes big statement</a>

Rahul's absence is a huge blow for the Indian team considering he was one of the top performers for the visitors during their tour of England last year. Rahul was enjoying a prolific run with the willow and amassed 315 runs in 4 matches as an opener to help India take a 2-1 lead in the series.

If India manage&nbsp;to win or draw the Test match, it will be a historic series win for the visitors. India have never won a Test series in England since 2007 and this will be their first triumph on English soil in the whites since 2007.

India were handed a huge blow ahead of the all-important one-off 5th Test against England in Edgbaston, Birmingham after KL Rahul was ruled out due to an injury.

India were handed a huge blow ahead of the all-important one-off 5th Test against England in Edgbaston, Birmingham after KL Rahul was ruled out due to an injury. The opening batter had earlier missed the recently-concluded T20I series against South Africa at home after suffering a groin injury and is set to remain on the sidelines ahead of the Test match against England. Rahul was named captain of the Indian team in the absence of Rohit Sharma for the five T20Is against South Africa. However, he was ruled out of the series ahead of the opening game and will not return to the team for the upcoming Ireland and England tours. While India have not named his replacement for the England Test, there were speculations about Cheteshwar Pujara being promoted as an opener in his absence. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently took to social media to post footage from India's training sessions at Leicestershire and hinted at India's opening pair for the Test match. With captain Rohit Sharma confirmed to open the innings, there was a tussle between Pujara and Shubman Gill for the second spot. Also Read: 11 years of Kohli in Test cricket: Former India captain shares special video to relive memorable journey However, BCCI's post has now hinted that Rohit will open the batting with Gill in the upcoming four-day warm-up match in Leicestershire followed by the 5th Test against England. "#TeamIndia openers captain @rohitsharma45 and @shubmangill are getting into the groove on Day 1 of our nets session," BCCI captioned their post with pictures of Gill and Rohit batting in the nets. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Team India (@indiancricketteam) × The 5th Test was originally scheduled to be played in Manchester last year during India's tour of England. However, it was postponed due to COVID-19 and will now be completed in Edgbaston in July. It will be the final game of the five-match series between the two teams which is currently locked at 2-1 in India's favour. Also Read: No stamp that says Rishabh Pant will surely play in T20 WC 2022: Ex-India pacer makes big statement Rahul's absence is a huge blow for the Indian team considering he was one of the top performers for the visitors during their tour of England last year. Rahul was enjoying a prolific run with the willow and amassed 315 runs in 4 matches as an opener to help India take a 2-1 lead in the series. If India manage to win or draw the Test match, it will be a historic series win for the visitors. India have never won a Test series in England since 2007 and this will be their first triumph on English soil in the whites since 2007.

Will Cheteshwar Pujara open against England in KL Rahul's absence? BCCI's post hints at India's opening pair

The India-Australia Test series was full of action, drama and entertainment during the 2020/21 Border Gavaskar Trophy, held Down Under. While India defied all odds to beat Australia, 2-1, after a disastrous show in the opening Test, the series was filled with various sledging episodes, racial abuse, alleged bio-bubble breach, etc.

Ahead of the third and penultimate&nbsp;Test, at the SCG, Sydney, Team India star players -- Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and Navdeep Saini -- were caught in a huge controversy after an image went viral with all four of them sitting inside a restaurant, breaching the bio-bubble rules for the four-match Test series Down Under. It became a huge talking point before BCCI denied all such claims.

As per the bio-bubble rules back, the cricketers were&nbsp;allowed to dine out at a restaurant. However, they&nbsp;were told to avoid sitting indoors, to eliminate the chances of contracting the deadly COVID-19 virus.&nbsp;

In the docu-series Bandon Mein Tha Dum, Tim Paine -- who was captaining Australia back then -- blamed the Indian players for putting the entire series at risk.

"I mean those 4-5 guys put the whole Test series at risk. For what? For a bowl of Nando’s, chips or wherever they went, like I just find that pretty selfish to be honest,” said Paine, who was succeeded by Pat Cummins as the Aussie Test captain following his sexting scandal last year.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ashwin-recalls-intense-sledging-episode-with-paine-shares-story-behind-that-will-be-your-last-series-remark-489019">Ashwin recalls intense sledging episode with Paine, shares story behind 'that will be your last series' remark</a>

Even Cummins reacted in the docu-series and stated, “It did annoy quite a few of the boys. Especially the ones who had to spend a Christmas without their families. That was sacrificing quite a bit to be there on that tour to hear that the other team were flouting the rules and not taking it as seriously."

<section>
India's then stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane defended his troops saying, "The players who appeared in the pictures were actually waiting for their takeaway order. Due to bad weather, they had to wait inside. The story that appeared in the news was really wrong."

Amid many on and off-field drama, the India-Australia series was one for the ages, where a second-stringed Indian team defeated Australia to win their second successive series in whites on the Aussie soil.
</section>

The India-Australia Test series was full of action, drama and entertainment during the 2020/21 Border Gavaskar Trophy, held Down Under. While India defied all odds to beat Australia, 2-1, after a disastrous show in the opening Test, the series was filled with various sledging episodes, racial abuse, alleged bio-bubble breach, etc.

The India-Australia Test series was full of action, drama and entertainment during the 2020/21 Border Gavaskar Trophy, held Down Under. While India defied all odds to beat Australia, 2-1, after a disastrous show in the opening Test, the series was filled with various sledging episodes, racial abuse, alleged bio-bubble breach, etc. Ahead of the third and penultimate Test, at the SCG, Sydney, Team India star players -- Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and Navdeep Saini -- were caught in a huge controversy after an image went viral with all four of them sitting inside a restaurant, breaching the bio-bubble rules for the four-match Test series Down Under. It became a huge talking point before BCCI denied all such claims. As per the bio-bubble rules back, the cricketers were allowed to dine out at a restaurant. However, they were told to avoid sitting indoors, to eliminate the chances of contracting the deadly COVID-19 virus. In the docu-series Bandon Mein Tha Dum, Tim Paine -- who was captaining Australia back then -- blamed the Indian players for putting the entire series at risk. "I mean those 4-5 guys put the whole Test series at risk. For what? For a bowl of Nando’s, chips or wherever they went, like I just find that pretty selfish to be honest,” said Paine, who was succeeded by Pat Cummins as the Aussie Test captain following his sexting scandal last year. ALSO READ | Ashwin recalls intense sledging episode with Paine, shares story behind 'that will be your last series' remark Even Cummins reacted in the docu-series and stated, “It did annoy quite a few of the boys. Especially the ones who had to spend a Christmas without their families. That was sacrificing quite a bit to be there on that tour to hear that the other team were flouting the rules and not taking it as seriously." India's then stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane defended his troops saying, "The players who appeared in the pictures were actually waiting for their takeaway order. Due to bad weather, they had to wait inside. The story that appeared in the news was really wrong." Amid many on and off-field drama, the India-Australia series was one for the ages, where a second-stringed Indian team defeated Australia to win their second successive series in whites on the Aussie soil.

'Pretty selfish, they put....' - Paine on Team India stars' alleged bio-bubble breach during 2020/21 Tests

Gujarat Titans (GT) created history on Sunday (May 29) as they defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 7 wickets in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Sunday (May 29) to win their maiden title in their debut season. Gujarat Titans chased down the target of 131 runs comfortably with 11 balls to spare to become only the second team after RR to win the elusive trophy in their debut season. RR had won their first IPL title in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008.

It was a lop-sided final with Gujarat Titans dominating the proceedings right from the start of the game. Skipper Hardik Pandya delivered a brilliant performance with the ball as he bagged a three-wicket haul to help GT restrict RR to a low-key total of 130/9 in 20 overs.

Opener Shubman Gill then slammed an unbeaten 45 while Pandya and David Miller played crucial knocks of 34 and 32 runs respectively to take GT over the line comfortably in the run chase. It was a comprehensive win from the Titans, who were also the most consistent teams throughout the league stage of the tournament.

Gill, who won his maiden IPL title with the Titans, was elated after the memorable triumph and compared it to a World Cup win. The former India U-19 star, who was part of the Prithvi Shaw-led India U-19 team which won the ICC U-19 World Cup in 2018, said winning an IPL trophy was equivalent to winning a World Cup.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hardik-pandya-for-india-captaincy-sunil-gavaskar-throws-weight-behind-gt-skipper-after-ipl-2022-triumph-483410">Hardik Pandya for India captaincy? Gavaskar throws weight behind GT skipper after IPL 2022 triumph</a>

"Obviously, it (title win) means a lot. After winning the U-19 World Cup, I think winning an IPL is as big as winning a World Cup," Gill said speaking to Harsha Bhogle after the final.

"This is my fifth year and I am fortunate enough to win the IPL this time. I wanted to be there till the end, and that’s what the talk was about with the coaches, and I am glad that we came over the line. Our bowlers bowled really well to restrict them to 130. We initially thought that if we could get them under 150, it would be a good target for us to chase down, but fortunately it was even less than 150 and we did the job for the team," he added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShubmanGill?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShubmanGill</a> hit the title-winning runs for the <a href="https://twitter.com/gujarat_titans?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gujarat_titans</a> &amp; here's how he summed up his emotions. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GTvRR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GTvRR</a> <a href="https://t.co/VXYeCXm4W9">pic.twitter.com/VXYeCXm4W9</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1530982394471526402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/complete-list-of-award-winners-from-ipl-2022-orange-cap-purple-cap-to-emerging-player-of-the-year-483407"> </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/complete-list-of-award-winners-from-ipl-2022-orange-cap-purple-cap-to-emerging-player-of-the-year-483407">Buttler to Chahal -&nbsp;Complete list of award winners from IPL 2022&nbsp;</a>

Gill was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad last year and was released by the franchise ahead of IPL 2022. Gill had joined KKR in 2018 and spent four seasons with the franchise failing to win his maiden trophy. He was slotted in as an opener at GT and went on to play an instrumental role in their maiden title triumph this year.

Gill was consistent throughout the tournament and managed to step up when his team required. He finished the tournament with 483 runs in 16 matches at an average of over 34.50 and a strike rate of over 132. He was the second-highest run-getter for GT behind skipper Hardik this season.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gujarat-titans-script-fairytale-run-to-win-maiden-ipl-title-in-debut-season-483499/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Gujarat Titans (GT) created history on Sunday (May 29) as they defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 7 wickets in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Sunday (May 29) to win their maiden title in their debut season.

Gujarat Titans (GT) created history on Sunday (May 29) as they defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 7 wickets in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Sunday (May 29) to win their maiden title in their debut season. Gujarat Titans chased down the target of 131 runs comfortably with 11 balls to spare to become only the second team after RR to win the elusive trophy in their debut season. RR had won their first IPL title in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008. It was a lop-sided final with Gujarat Titans dominating the proceedings right from the start of the game. Skipper Hardik Pandya delivered a brilliant performance with the ball as he bagged a three-wicket haul to help GT restrict RR to a low-key total of 130/9 in 20 overs. Opener Shubman Gill then slammed an unbeaten 45 while Pandya and David Miller played crucial knocks of 34 and 32 runs respectively to take GT over the line comfortably in the run chase. It was a comprehensive win from the Titans, who were also the most consistent teams throughout the league stage of the tournament. Gill, who won his maiden IPL title with the Titans, was elated after the memorable triumph and compared it to a World Cup win. The former India U-19 star, who was part of the Prithvi Shaw-led India U-19 team which won the ICC U-19 World Cup in 2018, said winning an IPL trophy was equivalent to winning a World Cup. Also Read: Hardik Pandya for India captaincy? Gavaskar throws weight behind GT skipper after IPL 2022 triumph "Obviously, it (title win) means a lot. After winning the U-19 World Cup, I think winning an IPL is as big as winning a World Cup," Gill said speaking to Harsha Bhogle after the final. "This is my fifth year and I am fortunate enough to win the IPL this time. I wanted to be there till the end, and that’s what the talk was about with the coaches, and I am glad that we came over the line. Our bowlers bowled really well to restrict them to 130. We initially thought that if we could get them under 150, it would be a good target for us to chase down, but fortunately it was even less than 150 and we did the job for the team," he added. : @ShubmanGill hit the title-winning runs for the @gujarat_titans & here's how he summed up his emotions. #TATAIPL | #GTvRR pic.twitter.com/VXYeCXm4W9 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 29, 2022 × Also Read: Buttler to Chahal - Complete list of award winners from IPL 2022 Gill was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad last year and was released by the franchise ahead of IPL 2022. Gill had joined KKR in 2018 and spent four seasons with the franchise failing to win his maiden trophy. He was slotted in as an opener at GT and went on to play an instrumental role in their maiden title triumph this year. Gill was consistent throughout the tournament and managed to step up when his team required. He finished the tournament with 483 runs in 16 matches at an average of over 34.50 and a strike rate of over 132. He was the second-highest run-getter for GT behind skipper Hardik this season. ×

'As big as winning a World Cup': Shubman Gill reacts after Gujarat Titans lift IPL 2022 trophy - WATCH

Gujarat Titans returned to winning ways after back-to-back losses and became the first team to seal their place in the play-offs by defeating Lucknow Super Giants by 62 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday.

Even though LSG did a decent job with the ball to restrict GT to 144 for 4 after being asked to bowl, the KL Rahul-led side flopped with the bat as they were bowled out for 82 in 13.5 overs. Rashid Khan (4/24) starred with the ball for GT, while Yash Dayal (2/24) and R Sai Kishore (2/7) picked up two wickets each.

Earlier, opening batter Shubman Gill hit a fine half-century but LSG produced a disciplined bowling effort to restrict GT to a modest score. Gill remained not out on 63 off 49 balls with the help of seven fours but lacked support from the other end. He was left stranded as GT's next highest scorer was David Miller (26).

Avesh Khan (2/26) picked up two wickets for LSG, while Mohsin Khan (1/18) and Jason Holder (1/44) scalped one apiece.

GT sealed their play-off berth, reaching 18 points from 12 games. The defeat snapped LSG's five-match winning streak but they are still comfortably placed in the second spot with 16 points and need just a win to book their last-four berth.

LSG made a slow start to their chase and their problems were further compounded after they lost Quinton de Kock (11) and skipper KL Rahul (8) in consecutive overs to slump to 24 for 2 after four overs.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-updated-points-table-after-gujarat-titans-thrash-lucknow-super-giants-by-62-runs-477970">IPL 2022 updated points table after Gujarat Titans thrash Lucknow Super Giants by 62 runs</a>

While Yash Dayal accounted for De Kock, Rahul top-edged a Mohammed Shami short delivery to Wriddhiman Saha behind the stumps. Debutant Karan Sharma didn't help his cause either, handing a catch to David Miller inside the circle to give Dayal his second scalp of the day.

Introduced into the attack in the eighth over, Rashid Khan struck with his third delivery, foxing Krunal Pandya with a googly and Saha was quick to whip off the bails. With wickets falling in quick succession from the start, LSG never got any momentum to their chase, reaching 58 for 4 at the halfway stage.

The ever-rising asking rate led to the downfall of Ayush Badoni (8), who was stumped by Saha off R Sai Kishore. 
LSG's scorecard cut a sorry figure as the likes of Marcus Stoinis (2) and Jason Holder (1) too failed to rise to the occasion.

Deepak Hooda top-scored for LSG with a struggling 26-ball 27. Earlier, GT's decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired big time as they lost Wriddhiman Saha (5) and Matthew Wade (10) cheaply with the scoreboard reading just 24 inside five overs.

With wickets tumbling from the other end, Gill went about his business cautiously and in the company of skipper Hardik Pandya shared 27 runs for the third wicket before the latter departed, edging one to Quinton de Kock behind the stumps to give Avesh his second wicket of the day.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/there-is-no-hero-worship-gautam-gambhir-explains-reason-behind-lucknow-super-giants-success-in-ipl-2022-477966">'There is no hero worship': Gautam Gambhir explains reason behind Lucknow Super Giants' success in IPL 2022</a>

Once Hardik departed, Gill took the onus on himself and upped the ante, first chopping Avesh to the square boundary and then reverse-swept Krunal Pandya to the third-man fence in the next over. But thereafter, both Gill and Miller failed to open their arms as Mohsin and Krunal bowled tight line and length to stem the run flow.

Miller finally broke the shackles in the third delivery of the 16th over with a huge six off Jason Holder over extra cover, in what was the first maximum of the innings. Miller, however, perished in the final ball of the over, caught by Ayush Badoni as he slashed one straight to deep third man.

Gill, on the other hand, went about his innings in a smooth fashion and brought up his fifty in 42 balls with a single off Dushmantha Chameera. Once he reached his fifty, Gill opened up and struck Chameera for back-to-back boundaries to pick up 14 runs from the 17th over.

Rahul Tewatia (22 not out off 16 balls) used the long handle to good effect in the final over, smashing Holder for three boundaries to take the score close to the 150-run mark.&nbsp;

Gujarat Titans returned to winning ways after back-to-back losses and became the first team to seal their place in the play-offs by defeating Lucknow Super Giants by 62 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday.

Gujarat Titans returned to winning ways after back-to-back losses and became the first team to seal their place in the play-offs by defeating Lucknow Super Giants by 62 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday. Even though LSG did a decent job with the ball to restrict GT to 144 for 4 after being asked to bowl, the KL Rahul-led side flopped with the bat as they were bowled out for 82 in 13.5 overs. Rashid Khan (4/24) starred with the ball for GT, while Yash Dayal (2/24) and R Sai Kishore (2/7) picked up two wickets each. Earlier, opening batter Shubman Gill hit a fine half-century but LSG produced a disciplined bowling effort to restrict GT to a modest score. Gill remained not out on 63 off 49 balls with the help of seven fours but lacked support from the other end. He was left stranded as GT's next highest scorer was David Miller (26). Avesh Khan (2/26) picked up two wickets for LSG, while Mohsin Khan (1/18) and Jason Holder (1/44) scalped one apiece. GT sealed their play-off berth, reaching 18 points from 12 games. The defeat snapped LSG's five-match winning streak but they are still comfortably placed in the second spot with 16 points and need just a win to book their last-four berth. LSG made a slow start to their chase and their problems were further compounded after they lost Quinton de Kock (11) and skipper KL Rahul (8) in consecutive overs to slump to 24 for 2 after four overs. Also Read: IPL 2022 updated points table after Gujarat Titans thrash Lucknow Super Giants by 62 runs While Yash Dayal accounted for De Kock, Rahul top-edged a Mohammed Shami short delivery to Wriddhiman Saha behind the stumps. Debutant Karan Sharma didn't help his cause either, handing a catch to David Miller inside the circle to give Dayal his second scalp of the day. Introduced into the attack in the eighth over, Rashid Khan struck with his third delivery, foxing Krunal Pandya with a googly and Saha was quick to whip off the bails. With wickets falling in quick succession from the start, LSG never got any momentum to their chase, reaching 58 for 4 at the halfway stage. The ever-rising asking rate led to the downfall of Ayush Badoni (8), who was stumped by Saha off R Sai Kishore. LSG's scorecard cut a sorry figure as the likes of Marcus Stoinis (2) and Jason Holder (1) too failed to rise to the occasion. Deepak Hooda top-scored for LSG with a struggling 26-ball 27. Earlier, GT's decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired big time as they lost Wriddhiman Saha (5) and Matthew Wade (10) cheaply with the scoreboard reading just 24 inside five overs. With wickets tumbling from the other end, Gill went about his business cautiously and in the company of skipper Hardik Pandya shared 27 runs for the third wicket before the latter departed, edging one to Quinton de Kock behind the stumps to give Avesh his second wicket of the day. Also Read: 'There is no hero worship': Gautam Gambhir explains reason behind Lucknow Super Giants' success in IPL 2022 Once Hardik departed, Gill took the onus on himself and upped the ante, first chopping Avesh to the square boundary and then reverse-swept Krunal Pandya to the third-man fence in the next over. But thereafter, both Gill and Miller failed to open their arms as Mohsin and Krunal bowled tight line and length to stem the run flow. Miller finally broke the shackles in the third delivery of the 16th over with a huge six off Jason Holder over extra cover, in what was the first maximum of the innings. Miller, however, perished in the final ball of the over, caught by Ayush Badoni as he slashed one straight to deep third man. Gill, on the other hand, went about his innings in a smooth fashion and brought up his fifty in 42 balls with a single off Dushmantha Chameera. Once he reached his fifty, Gill opened up and struck Chameera for back-to-back boundaries to pick up 14 runs from the 17th over. Rahul Tewatia (22 not out off 16 balls) used the long handle to good effect in the final over, smashing Holder for three boundaries to take the score close to the 150-run mark.

IPL 2022: Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill star as Gujarat Titans beat LSG by 62 runs, qualify for playoffs

Gujarat Titans' opener Shubman Gill's poor run continued in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Tuesday (May 03) as he was once again dismissed cheaply without managing a double-digit score in his side's clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Tuesday.

Gill suffered a terrible run-out after a mix up with Punjab Kings' pacer Sandeep Sharma, who was standing in Gill's path while the GT opener was completing the run. The incident happened on the first delivery of the third over when Gill pushed one towards cover and ran for a quick single.

Gill was involved in a mini collision with Sharma while completing the run. He was caught short on the crease on the non-striker's end after a brilliant throw from Rishi Dhawan, who shattered the stumps with a direct hit. Gill was sent packing cheaply on 9 off just 6 balls.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-pacer-mukesh-choudhary-reveals-how-ms-dhonis-iconic-2011-wc-finals-six-inspired-him-to-take-up-cricket-476158">CSK pacer Mukesh Choudhary reveals how MS Dhoni's iconic 2011 WC final's six inspired him to take up cricket</a>

The Gujarat Titans' opener was visibly upset with Sharma as he went on to have a heated exchange with the Punjab Kings pacer before walking back to the dugout.

Watch video:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bad run <a href="https://t.co/CInpmRlRTW">pic.twitter.com/CInpmRlRTW</a>
— ChaiBiscuit (@Biscuit8Chai) <a href="https://twitter.com/Biscuit8Chai/status/1521505308798971905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

After Gill's departure in the third over, young Indian batter Sai Sudarshan came out to bat at number three and went on to steady the ship for Gujarat Titans. Sudarshan remained unbeaten on 65 off 50 balls to help Gujarat Titans post 143/8 in 20 overs.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hes-not-ruffled-at-all-sunil-gavaskar-hails-gts-ice-man-rahul-tewatia-for-his-finishing-heroics-476139">'He's not ruffled at all': Sunil Gavaskar hails GT's 'ice man' Rahul Tewatia for his finishing heroics</a>

As the likes of skipper Hardik Pandya (1), David Miller (11) and Rahul Tewatia (11) failed to get going, Sudarshan took control of GT's innings and helped them post a fighting total on the board. Gujarat Titans will be looking to defend the total and continue their winning run in the tournament.

&nbsp;

Gujarat Titans' opener Shubman Gill's poor run continued in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Tuesday (May 03) as he was once again dismissed cheaply without managing a double-digit score in his side's clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Tuesday.

Gujarat Titans' opener Shubman Gill's poor run continued in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Tuesday (May 03) as he was once again dismissed cheaply without managing a double-digit score in his side's clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Tuesday. Gill suffered a terrible run-out after a mix up with Punjab Kings' pacer Sandeep Sharma, who was standing in Gill's path while the GT opener was completing the run. The incident happened on the first delivery of the third over when Gill pushed one towards cover and ran for a quick single. Gill was involved in a mini collision with Sharma while completing the run. He was caught short on the crease on the non-striker's end after a brilliant throw from Rishi Dhawan, who shattered the stumps with a direct hit. Gill was sent packing cheaply on 9 off just 6 balls. Also Read: CSK pacer Mukesh Choudhary reveals how MS Dhoni's iconic 2011 WC final's six inspired him to take up cricket The Gujarat Titans' opener was visibly upset with Sharma as he went on to have a heated exchange with the Punjab Kings pacer before walking back to the dugout. Watch video: Bad run pic.twitter.com/CInpmRlRTW — ChaiBiscuit (@Biscuit8Chai) May 3, 2022 × After Gill's departure in the third over, young Indian batter Sai Sudarshan came out to bat at number three and went on to steady the ship for Gujarat Titans. Sudarshan remained unbeaten on 65 off 50 balls to help Gujarat Titans post 143/8 in 20 overs. Also Read: 'He's not ruffled at all': Sunil Gavaskar hails GT's 'ice man' Rahul Tewatia for his finishing heroics As the likes of skipper Hardik Pandya (1), David Miller (11) and Rahul Tewatia (11) failed to get going, Sudarshan took control of GT's innings and helped them post a fighting total on the board. Gujarat Titans will be looking to defend the total and continue their winning run in the tournament.

WATCH: Shubman Gill loses cool at Sandeep Sharma after terrible run-out against Punjab Kings

Match 48 of the IPL 2022 edition will see the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) lock horns with Mayank Agarwal's Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday evening (May 03). While one team Gujarat has everything going right for them this season, Punjab have remained rusty and inconsistent. Hence, they have to pull up their socks in order to stay alive in the playoffs race.

Earlier, Punjab and Gujarat were involved&nbsp;in a humdinger of a clash when they had met in match 16 on April 8, at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. Being asked to bat first, Mayank-led PBKS rode on Liam Livingstone's blistering 27-ball 64 to post 189-9. In reply, Hardik &amp; Co. were in the run-chase courtesy of Shubman Gill's 96 but lost him and skipper Hardik as Punjab kept fighting hard to stay in the contest. Nonetheless, with 13 needed off 3 balls, Gujarat still won the game with Rahul Tewatia's two sixes in a row (and a wide-ball).

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-ms-dhoni-starrer-csk-celebrate-eid-with-family-members-ahead-of-yellow-armys-next-clash-476003">WATCH: MS Dhoni-starrer CSK celebrate EID with family members ahead of Yellow Army's next clash</a>

For Gujarat, they are defying odds and finding new heroes and unearthing new ways to emerge on top in every game. With one more win, they are very much set to qualify for the playoffs and, hence, will test the erratic Punjab line-up, who is still struggling to finalise a settled XI and haven't won two games on the trot so far.

Match prediction for Gujarat vs Punjab: It is expected to be a humid day. Expect toss and dew to play a part once again. Batting second team likely to walk away with a win? Gujarat are surely favourites and expected to romp past Punjab.

Match 48 of the IPL 2022 edition will see the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) lock horns with Mayank Agarwal's Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday evening (May 03).

Match 48 of the IPL 2022 edition will see the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) lock horns with Mayank Agarwal's Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday evening (May 03). While one team Gujarat has everything going right for them this season, Punjab have remained rusty and inconsistent. Hence, they have to pull up their socks in order to stay alive in the playoffs race. Earlier, Punjab and Gujarat were involved in a humdinger of a clash when they had met in match 16 on April 8, at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. Being asked to bat first, Mayank-led PBKS rode on Liam Livingstone's blistering 27-ball 64 to post 189-9. In reply, Hardik & Co. were in the run-chase courtesy of Shubman Gill's 96 but lost him and skipper Hardik as Punjab kept fighting hard to stay in the contest. Nonetheless, with 13 needed off 3 balls, Gujarat still won the game with Rahul Tewatia's two sixes in a row (and a wide-ball). ALSO READ | WATCH: MS Dhoni-starrer CSK celebrate EID with family members ahead of Yellow Army's next clash For Gujarat, they are defying odds and finding new heroes and unearthing new ways to emerge on top in every game. With one more win, they are very much set to qualify for the playoffs and, hence, will test the erratic Punjab line-up, who is still struggling to finalise a settled XI and haven't won two games on the trot so far. Match prediction for Gujarat vs Punjab: It is expected to be a humid day. Expect toss and dew to play a part once again. Batting second team likely to walk away with a win? Gujarat are surely favourites and expected to romp past Punjab.

GT vs PBKS, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings match?

IPL 2022's match 40 will see the one-time winners Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) take on the high-flying Gujarat Titans (GT) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Wednesday evening (April 27). With the league stage in a very crunch phase, with all teams fighting it out to enter the playoffs (sans Mumbai Indians), both the in-form teams will be desperate to not lose momentum.

With this being another reverse fixture in the ongoing season, Hyderabad will have some momentum having beaten Gujarat with ease in their previous face-off (by eight wickets). In their only meeting so far, Kane Williamson-led SRH opted to bowl first at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on April 11. Despite a fifty from Hardik Pandya and Anubhav Manohar's chancy 21-ball 35, SRH managed to restrict GT for 162-7. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan's two wickets each led the show for the 2016 champions.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/r-ashwin-achieves-elite-feat-in-rr-rcb-tie-becomes-second-off-spinner-to-attain-150-ipl-scalps-474245">R Ashwin achieves elite feat in RR-RCB tie, becomes second off-spinner to attain 150 IPL scalps</a>

In reply, SRH rode on Abhishek Sharma's 32-ball 42 and Kane Williamson's 57 not out to take Hyderabad to an easy eight-wicket win with 5 balls to spare. At present, both camps are coming into this encounter on the back of an impressive win in their last match. While Gujarat won a hard-fought match versus Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Hyderabad demolished Bengaluru by 9 wickets after dismissing them for a mere 68.

Match prediction for SRH vs GT clash:&nbsp;While Titans have played only one game at the Wankhede, in their tournament-opener versus Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Hyderabad will play their first game of the season at this venue. Dew might again be a factor but teams batting first have been able to defend totals in the last five encounters at the Wankhede. Tough to decide on a winner.&nbsp;SRH to complete a double over GT?

IPL 2022's match 40 will see the one-time winners Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) take on the high-flying Gujarat Titans (GT) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Wednesday evening (April 27).

IPL 2022's match 40 will see the one-time winners Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) take on the high-flying Gujarat Titans (GT) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Wednesday evening (April 27). With the league stage in a very crunch phase, with all teams fighting it out to enter the playoffs (sans Mumbai Indians), both the in-form teams will be desperate to not lose momentum. With this being another reverse fixture in the ongoing season, Hyderabad will have some momentum having beaten Gujarat with ease in their previous face-off (by eight wickets). In their only meeting so far, Kane Williamson-led SRH opted to bowl first at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on April 11. Despite a fifty from Hardik Pandya and Anubhav Manohar's chancy 21-ball 35, SRH managed to restrict GT for 162-7. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan's two wickets each led the show for the 2016 champions. ALSO READ | R Ashwin achieves elite feat in RR-RCB tie, becomes second off-spinner to attain 150 IPL scalps In reply, SRH rode on Abhishek Sharma's 32-ball 42 and Kane Williamson's 57 not out to take Hyderabad to an easy eight-wicket win with 5 balls to spare. At present, both camps are coming into this encounter on the back of an impressive win in their last match. While Gujarat won a hard-fought match versus Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Hyderabad demolished Bengaluru by 9 wickets after dismissing them for a mere 68. Match prediction for SRH vs GT clash: While Titans have played only one game at the Wankhede, in their tournament-opener versus Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Hyderabad will play their first game of the season at this venue. Dew might again be a factor but teams batting first have been able to defend totals in the last five encounters at the Wankhede. Tough to decide on a winner. SRH to complete a double over GT?

GT vs SRH, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Gujarat Titans vs Sunrisers Hyderabad match?

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was keenly awaited. The excitement for each year's edition knows no boundaries. This time around, it went a level up as the ardent cricket fans welcomed the two debutant teams in the form of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT) in the cash-rich league.

The BCCI decided to expand the league by adding two more teams with an aim to give more opportunities to youngsters, some big names who often got sidelined and&nbsp;fans plenty more to cheer for. While a nervy start was expected from both Gujarat and Lucknow in IPL 2022, the two teams have taken the 15th season by storm and have announced their arrivals with a bang. Both GT and LSG have been the giant killers of IPL 2022, surpassing some big teams and surprising many without breaking much sweat.

1) Team compositions

Complete squad of Gujarat Titans for IPL 2022:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz,&nbsp;Abhinav Sadarangani, David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Yash Dayal,&nbsp;Alzarri Joseph, Pradeep Sangwan, Varun Aaron, Rahul Tewatia, Dominic Drakes, Jayant Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Darshan Nalkande, Gurkeerat Singh Mann,&nbsp;Sai Sudarshan

Complete squad of Lucknow Super Giants for IPL 2022

KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, Ravi Bishnoi, Quinton de Kock (wk), Manish Pandey, Manan Vohra, Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, K Gowtham, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Karan Sharma, Mark Wood, Avesh Khan, Ankit Rajpoot,&nbsp;Dushmantha Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav

Looking at both squads, it is safe to say that the newbies didn't get bogged down in the two-day mega auction, held in mid-February. They came with a clear plan: to fill their squads with multi-dimensional players,&nbsp;seasoned bowlers, a mix of domestic talents and foreign players. Their smart team composition is helping them reap rewards in the IPL 2022 edition so far.

2) Newness, fresh minds, new captains

Starting from scratch often helps, especially if it is going the distance in a big-ticket T20 tournament like the IPL. Both Gujarat and Lucknow have benefitted from a fresh and positive dressing room environment created since the beginning of the 15th season. With the leadership group being expanded in Team India, Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul have also put their best foot forward to showcase their credentials as GT and LSG skippers, respectively.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/dewlad-brevis-to-liam-livingstone-batters-with-biggest-sixes-in-ipl-2022-so-far-471945">Dewlad Brevis to Liam Livingstone: Batters with biggest sixes in IPL 2022 so far</a>

Meanwhile, the inclusions of Ashish Nehra, Gary Kirsten (for Gujarat) and Gautam Gambhir, Andy Bichel, Andy Flower (for Lucknow) in the coaching setup have led to&nbsp;role clarity for players, keeping things simple, sticking to basics, resorting to smart and tactical matchups. The presence of such stalwarts have given enough cushion to both the young captains and their respective players.

3) Playing fearlessly, without any past baggage

Both Lucknow and Gujarat have expressed themselves freely on the field, having no past baggage. While it helped both sides to settle their nerves by locking horns with each other on debut, they have only grown from strength to strength from thereon. In addition, the two teams have gained immensely with the repeated failures of two of the most successful IPL teams; i.e. Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

GT and LSG&nbsp;in IPL 2022 (after match 31):

Gujarat playing like 'Titans'

Played - 6 
Won - 5 
Lost - 1 
NRR - 0.395&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Position - Table-toppers&nbsp;

'Super Giants' Lucknow

Played - 7 
Won - 4 
Lost - 3 
NRR - +0.124 
Position - 4th

Both sides have beaten defending champions CSK (once so far) whereas Lucknow have also beaten MI. Gujarat are yet to face MI.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-former-india-opener-names-two-franchises-who-have-lit-up-the-competition-this-year-471826">IPL 2022: Former India opener names two franchises who have 'lit up' the competition this year</a>

In IPL 2016, the then debutant and now-defunct&nbsp;Gujarat Lions (GL) had topped the points table and reached Qualifiers 2. In IPL 2017, Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), in their second season, had qualified for the final and lost the coveted title by a run (to MI). While Gujarat (under a totally different owner) and Lucknow both have started well in their first-ever IPL season, the duo are here for the long run and not just to fill in for a few seasons. Thus, they will hope to go the distance courtesy the strong foundation laid down&nbsp;and build something special&nbsp;for themselves in the IPL, where the eight original franchises have already carved out their own space and identity.&nbsp;

For now, it is just the start. But the start surely has been promising. Let's see what else is in store for the two newbies as they strive hard to gain prominence, value and recognition&nbsp;in the cash-rich league.

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was keenly awaited. The excitement for each year's edition knows no boundaries. This time around, it went a level up as the ardent cricket fans welcomed the two debutant teams in the form of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT) in the cash-rich league.

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was keenly awaited. The excitement for each year's edition knows no boundaries. This time around, it went a level up as the ardent cricket fans welcomed the two debutant teams in the form of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT) in the cash-rich league. The BCCI decided to expand the league by adding two more teams with an aim to give more opportunities to youngsters, some big names who often got sidelined and fans plenty more to cheer for. While a nervy start was expected from both Gujarat and Lucknow in IPL 2022, the two teams have taken the 15th season by storm and have announced their arrivals with a bang. Both GT and LSG have been the giant killers of IPL 2022, surpassing some big teams and surprising many without breaking much sweat. 1) Team compositions Complete squad of Gujarat Titans for IPL 2022: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Abhinav Sadarangani, David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph, Pradeep Sangwan, Varun Aaron, Rahul Tewatia, Dominic Drakes, Jayant Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Darshan Nalkande, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sai Sudarshan Complete squad of Lucknow Super Giants for IPL 2022 KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis, Ravi Bishnoi, Quinton de Kock (wk), Manish Pandey, Manan Vohra, Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, K Gowtham, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Karan Sharma, Mark Wood, Avesh Khan, Ankit Rajpoot, Dushmantha Chameera, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav Looking at both squads, it is safe to say that the newbies didn't get bogged down in the two-day mega auction, held in mid-February. They came with a clear plan: to fill their squads with multi-dimensional players, seasoned bowlers, a mix of domestic talents and foreign players. Their smart team composition is helping them reap rewards in the IPL 2022 edition so far. 2) Newness, fresh minds, new captains Starting from scratch often helps, especially if it is going the distance in a big-ticket T20 tournament like the IPL. Both Gujarat and Lucknow have benefitted from a fresh and positive dressing room environment created since the beginning of the 15th season. With the leadership group being expanded in Team India, Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul have also put their best foot forward to showcase their credentials as GT and LSG skippers, respectively. ALSO READ | Dewlad Brevis to Liam Livingstone: Batters with biggest sixes in IPL 2022 so far Meanwhile, the inclusions of Ashish Nehra, Gary Kirsten (for Gujarat) and Gautam Gambhir, Andy Bichel, Andy Flower (for Lucknow) in the coaching setup have led to role clarity for players, keeping things simple, sticking to basics, resorting to smart and tactical matchups. The presence of such stalwarts have given enough cushion to both the young captains and their respective players. 3) Playing fearlessly, without any past baggage Both Lucknow and Gujarat have expressed themselves freely on the field, having no past baggage. While it helped both sides to settle their nerves by locking horns with each other on debut, they have only grown from strength to strength from thereon. In addition, the two teams have gained immensely with the repeated failures of two of the most successful IPL teams; i.e. Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). GT and LSG in IPL 2022 (after match 31): Gujarat playing like 'Titans' Played - 6 Won - 5 Lost - 1 NRR - 0.395 Position - Table-toppers 'Super Giants' Lucknow Played - 7 Won - 4 Lost - 3 NRR - +0.124 Position - 4th Both sides have beaten defending champions CSK (once so far) whereas Lucknow have also beaten MI. Gujarat are yet to face MI. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Former India opener names two franchises who have 'lit up' the competition this year In IPL 2016, the then debutant and now-defunct Gujarat Lions (GL) had topped the points table and reached Qualifiers 2. In IPL 2017, Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), in their second season, had qualified for the final and lost the coveted title by a run (to MI). While Gujarat (under a totally different owner) and Lucknow both have started well in their first-ever IPL season, the duo are here for the long run and not just to fill in for a few seasons. Thus, they will hope to go the distance courtesy the strong foundation laid down and build something special for themselves in the IPL, where the eight original franchises have already carved out their own space and identity. For now, it is just the start. But the start surely has been promising. Let's see what else is in store for the two newbies as they strive hard to gain prominence, value and recognition in the cash-rich league.

How newbies Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants have been the giant-killers in IPL 2022

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) star Rahul Tripathi pulled off a sensational one-handed diving catch during his side's clash against Gujarat Titans in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Monday (April 11). Tripathi produced a contender for the 'Catch of the Season' as he sent Shubman Gill packing with a stunning effort.

SRH skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl first in the game. His team were off to a poor start as senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar ended up giving away as many as 17 runs in the very first over. However, SRH pacers pulled things back quickly in the next few overs of the Powerplay.

Umran Malik drew the first blood for SRH when he got rid of Gujarat Titans opener Gill cheaply on 7 off just 9 balls in the 3rd over. Malik bowled a wide volley to Gill, who sliced it hard towards the cover region where Tripathi came up with a superhuman effort to take a one-handed blinder.

Watch video:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rahul tripathi stunning catch... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GTvsSRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GTvsSRH</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRHvGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRHvGT</a> <a href="https://t.co/UA0focDkgi">pic.twitter.com/UA0focDkgi</a>
— Chinthakindhi Ramudu (O- Negitive) (@RAMURAVANA) <a href="https://twitter.com/RAMURAVANA/status/1513523850272993280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hardik-pandya-becomes-fastest-indian-cricketer-to-hit-100-sixes-in-ipl-history-470303">Hardik Pandya becomes fastest Indian cricketer to hit 100 sixes in IPL history</a>

Gill was dismissed cheaply on just 7 off 9 balls as Gujarat Titans got off to a shaky start. GT then went on to lose the likes of Sai Sudarshan (11), and Matthew Wade (19) cheaply before skipper Hardik Pandya combined with Abhinav Manohar to post a 50-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Riding on Pandya's half-century and Manohar's 35, Gujarat Titans went on to post a challenging total of 162 runs on the board in 20 overs.&nbsp;T Natarajan and Bhuvneshwar were the pick of the bowlers for SRH as they picked up couple of wickets each. The duo picked up four wickets between them to help their side restrict GT on 162.

&nbsp;

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) star Rahul Tripathi pulled off a sensational one-handed diving catch during his side's clash against Gujarat Titans in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Monday (April 11).

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) star Rahul Tripathi pulled off a sensational one-handed diving catch during his side's clash against Gujarat Titans in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Monday (April 11). Tripathi produced a contender for the 'Catch of the Season' as he sent Shubman Gill packing with a stunning effort. SRH skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl first in the game. His team were off to a poor start as senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar ended up giving away as many as 17 runs in the very first over. However, SRH pacers pulled things back quickly in the next few overs of the Powerplay. Umran Malik drew the first blood for SRH when he got rid of Gujarat Titans opener Gill cheaply on 7 off just 9 balls in the 3rd over. Malik bowled a wide volley to Gill, who sliced it hard towards the cover region where Tripathi came up with a superhuman effort to take a one-handed blinder. Watch video: Rahul tripathi stunning catch... #GTvsSRH #SRHvGT pic.twitter.com/UA0focDkgi — Chinthakindhi Ramudu (O- Negitive) (@RAMURAVANA) April 11, 2022 × Also Read: Hardik Pandya becomes fastest Indian cricketer to hit 100 sixes in IPL history Gill was dismissed cheaply on just 7 off 9 balls as Gujarat Titans got off to a shaky start. GT then went on to lose the likes of Sai Sudarshan (11), and Matthew Wade (19) cheaply before skipper Hardik Pandya combined with Abhinav Manohar to post a 50-run stand for the fifth wicket. Riding on Pandya's half-century and Manohar's 35, Gujarat Titans went on to post a challenging total of 162 runs on the board in 20 overs. T Natarajan and Bhuvneshwar were the pick of the bowlers for SRH as they picked up couple of wickets each. The duo picked up four wickets between them to help their side restrict GT on 162.

WATCH: Rahul Tripathi takes a sensational one-handed catch to send Shubman Gill packing in GT vs SRH clash

The unbeaten Gujarat Titans (GT) locked horns with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match 16 of the IPL 2022 edition on Friday evening (April 08), at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. In the last ball of the high-scoring thriller, GT thrashed PBKS by six wickets to remain the only unbeaten team in the competition and occupy the second spot in the points table.&nbsp;

Opting to bowl first, Hardik &amp; Co. removed Punjab skipper Mayank Agarwal for cheap whereas Jonny Bairstow also departed early into the pavillion in his debut game for the franchise.&nbsp;Shikhar Dhawan, becoming the first Indian to slam 1,000-plus fours in T20s, got a start once again before perishing for a 30-ball 35 as the onus fell on Liam Livingstone. The Englishman didn't disappoint with his clean striking and effortless blows into the stands. His entertaining 27-ball 64 -- filled with 7 fours and 4 sixes at 237.04 -- propelled PBKS to 189-9 (reeling at&nbsp;162-9 at one stage) along with vital cameos from Jitesh Sharma, Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Chahar. GT's Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers, with 3 for 22.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-shikhar-dhawan-joins-historic-club-becomes-1st-indian-with-1000-plus-fours-in-t20-cricket-469435">IPL 2022: Shikhar Dhawan joins historic club, becomes 1st Indian with 1000-plus fours in T20 cricket</a>

In reply, GT's innings was single-handedly held by Shubman. The right-hander continued from where he left versus the Delhi Capitals (DC) and played proper cricketing shots at a very healthy strike rate, despite losing Matthew Wade early. He struck a vital 101-run second-wicket stand with Sai Sudharshan (35) to take the game away from Punjab.&nbsp;

Mayank rotated his bowlers but to no avail and Chahar's rusty spell proved to be decisive (1 for 41). However, the spinner conceded only five runs off his penultimate&nbsp;over and also removed Sai to change the course of the contest. Gill, too, slowed down a bit towards the end of his innings as Kagiso Rabada removed him in the nervous 90s whereas Arshdeep Singh's last two overs brought Punjab back. Hardik also returned for a 25-ball 17 in the last over with 18 needed off the last five&nbsp;balls.

Nonetheless, Sharjah King Rahul Tewatia -- who had stunned Punjab in a 220-plus high-scorer in IPL 2020 -- once again came in the middle of Punjab and victory. His 3-ball 13*, with 12 off the last two deliveries, effortlessly sealed the deal for Gujarat in an emphatic run-chase.

The unbeaten Gujarat Titans (GT) locked horns with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match 16 of the IPL 2022 edition on Friday evening (April 08), at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.

The unbeaten Gujarat Titans (GT) locked horns with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match 16 of the IPL 2022 edition on Friday evening (April 08), at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. In the last ball of the high-scoring thriller, GT thrashed PBKS by six wickets to remain the only unbeaten team in the competition and occupy the second spot in the points table. Opting to bowl first, Hardik & Co. removed Punjab skipper Mayank Agarwal for cheap whereas Jonny Bairstow also departed early into the pavillion in his debut game for the franchise. Shikhar Dhawan, becoming the first Indian to slam 1,000-plus fours in T20s, got a start once again before perishing for a 30-ball 35 as the onus fell on Liam Livingstone. The Englishman didn't disappoint with his clean striking and effortless blows into the stands. His entertaining 27-ball 64 -- filled with 7 fours and 4 sixes at 237.04 -- propelled PBKS to 189-9 (reeling at 162-9 at one stage) along with vital cameos from Jitesh Sharma, Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Chahar. GT's Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers, with 3 for 22. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Shikhar Dhawan joins historic club, becomes 1st Indian with 1000-plus fours in T20 cricket In reply, GT's innings was single-handedly held by Shubman. The right-hander continued from where he left versus the Delhi Capitals (DC) and played proper cricketing shots at a very healthy strike rate, despite losing Matthew Wade early. He struck a vital 101-run second-wicket stand with Sai Sudharshan (35) to take the game away from Punjab. Mayank rotated his bowlers but to no avail and Chahar's rusty spell proved to be decisive (1 for 41). However, the spinner conceded only five runs off his penultimate over and also removed Sai to change the course of the contest. Gill, too, slowed down a bit towards the end of his innings as Kagiso Rabada removed him in the nervous 90s whereas Arshdeep Singh's last two overs brought Punjab back. Hardik also returned for a 25-ball 17 in the last over with 18 needed off the last five balls. Nonetheless, Sharjah King Rahul Tewatia -- who had stunned Punjab in a 220-plus high-scorer in IPL 2020 -- once again came in the middle of Punjab and victory. His 3-ball 13*, with 12 off the last two deliveries, effortlessly sealed the deal for Gujarat in an emphatic run-chase.

IPL 2022: Shubman Gill's 96, Rahul Tewatia's last-ball 6 keep GT unbeaten, Hardik & Co. beat PBKS

The second weekend of IPL 2022 edition saw three games being played. On Saturday (April 2), the 15th season saw its second doubleheader with Rajasthan Royals (RR)-Mumbai Indians (MI) clashing in the afternoon game, followed by Gujarat Titans (GT) taking on Delhi Capitals (DC) in the evening encounter. On Sunday (April 4), only a solitary game was held, which saw Punjab Kings (PBKS) further stretch defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK)'s winless streak (3).&nbsp;

While RR beat MI in the Saturday afternoon's face-off, GT also remained unbeaten with a 14-run win in a hard-fought match held at the&nbsp;Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. Being asked to bat first, GT were 44 for 2 before Shubman Gill's 84, skipper Hardik Pandya's 31 and valuable knocks from David Miller-Rahul Tewatia propelled GT to 171 for 6 in 20 overs. In reply, Rishabh Pant-led DC franchise were restricted for 157-9, courtesy Lockie Ferguson's 4 for 28 and contributions from Mohammed Shami, Hardik and Rashid Khan.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-ravindra-jadejas-reaction-goes-viral-as-csk-skipper-finally-wins-the-toss-vs-pbks-watch-468197">IPL 2022: Ravindra Jadeja's reaction goes viral as CSK skipper finally wins the toss vs PBKS - WATCH</a>

After the game, head coach Ashish Nehra addressed the team&nbsp;and delivered a short and simple dressing room speech. The former Team India pacer's speech has gone viral and was shared by the Gujarat team's official Twitter handle. Here's the video:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
GT Awards🏆 returns in the 🆕 episode of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InTheLockerRoom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InTheLockerRoom</a> ▶️ 
 
Big reveal: Coach Nehra’s ᴄʜɪʟʟ ᴘɪʟʟ 😏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SeasonOfFirsts?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SeasonOfFirsts</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AavaDe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AavaDe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/YIjygcRCAq">pic.twitter.com/YIjygcRCAq</a>
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) <a href="https://twitter.com/gujarat_titans/status/1510603242153345030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-pbks-star-liam-livingstone-goes-big-hits-a-mammoth-108m-six-during-csk-face-off-watch-468175">IPL 2022: PBKS star Liam Livingstone goes big, hits a mammoth 108m-six during CSK face-off - Watch</a>

After back-to-back wins in their opening two games, Gujarat remain only one of the two unbeaten teams in the 15th season so far. They will now enjoy a five-day break before squaring off with the Punjab franchise on April 8 (Friday), at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.

The second weekend of IPL 2022 edition saw three games being played. On Saturday (April 2), the 15th season saw its second doubleheader with Rajasthan Royals (RR)-Mumbai Indians (MI) clashing in the afternoon game, followed by Gujarat Titans (GT) taking on Delhi Capitals (DC) in the evening encounter.

The second weekend of IPL 2022 edition saw three games being played. On Saturday (April 2), the 15th season saw its second doubleheader with Rajasthan Royals (RR)-Mumbai Indians (MI) clashing in the afternoon game, followed by Gujarat Titans (GT) taking on Delhi Capitals (DC) in the evening encounter. On Sunday (April 4), only a solitary game was held, which saw Punjab Kings (PBKS) further stretch defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK)'s winless streak (3). While RR beat MI in the Saturday afternoon's face-off, GT also remained unbeaten with a 14-run win in a hard-fought match held at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. Being asked to bat first, GT were 44 for 2 before Shubman Gill's 84, skipper Hardik Pandya's 31 and valuable knocks from David Miller-Rahul Tewatia propelled GT to 171 for 6 in 20 overs. In reply, Rishabh Pant-led DC franchise were restricted for 157-9, courtesy Lockie Ferguson's 4 for 28 and contributions from Mohammed Shami, Hardik and Rashid Khan. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Ravindra Jadeja's reaction goes viral as CSK skipper finally wins the toss vs PBKS - WATCH After the game, head coach Ashish Nehra addressed the team and delivered a short and simple dressing room speech. The former Team India pacer's speech has gone viral and was shared by the Gujarat team's official Twitter handle. Here's the video: GT Awards🏆 returns in the 🆕 episode of #InTheLockerRoom ▶️ Big reveal: Coach Nehra’s ᴄʜɪʟʟ ᴘɪʟʟ 😏#SeasonOfFirsts #AavaDe #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/YIjygcRCAq — Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) April 3, 2022 × ALSO READ | IPL 2022: PBKS star Liam Livingstone goes big, hits a mammoth 108m-six during CSK face-off - Watch After back-to-back wins in their opening two games, Gujarat remain only one of the two unbeaten teams in the 15th season so far. They will now enjoy a five-day break before squaring off with the Punjab franchise on April 8 (Friday), at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.

Eat well, rest well: Ashish Nehra's speech wins hearts as Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat remain unbeaten - watch

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson scalped four wickets for 28 runs in a stunning display of pace and accuracy after Shubman Gill's imperious 84 to help Gujarat Titans beat Delhi Capitals by 14 runs and register their second consecutive win in their maiden IPL season here on Saturday.

Ferguson, who was bought for a whopping Rs 10 crore in the IPL auction, dismissed dangerous opener Prithvi Shaw (10), Mandeep Singh (18), captain Rishabh Pant (43 off 29 balls) and Axar Patel (8) to rock the DC's run chase of 172.

Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami (2/30) chipped in with two late wickets to hand DC, who finished on 157 for nine, their first defeat in the tournament.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tom-latham-breaks-sachin-tendulkars-24-year-old-record-with-ton-against-netherlands-467779" hreflang="en">Latham breaks Tendulkar's 24-year-old record with ton against Netherlands</a>

Titans captain Hardik Pandya got his first wicket as he dismissed DC opener Tim Seifert (3) while Rashid Khan (1/30) also chipped in with the scalp of Shardul Thakur.

It was not the best of starts for DC as they lost opener Seifert in the second over. Ferguson then rocked DC's innings with two wickets in the fifth over -- Shaw and Mandeep -- as the Titans found themselves in the ascendency.

But DC captain Pant and Lalit Yadav (25), who had played a major role in DC's win in their previous match, revived the chase with a 61-run stand off 6.5 overs for the fourth wicket.

Lalit was run out in a dramatic fashion in the 12th over. Off a throw by Abhinav Manohar at the bowler's end, one bail had gone off early due to Vijay Shankar's foot being in contact with the stumps.

Shankar dislodged the other bail off as Lalit dived at full stretch. Pant had a discussion with the umpires, but Lalit had to trudge off. Once Pant was out after a belligerent innings, it was becoming increasingly difficult for DC to chase down the target.

They needed 46 runs from the final five overs with only four wickets remaining. Thakur was out in the 16th over and then Shami removed Rovman Powell (20) and Khaleel Ahmed (0) in a two-wicket burst in the 18th over to virtually end DC's hope.

Earlier, Gill struck an imperious 84 off just 46 balls -- his highest T20 score, to power the Titans to 171 for six after being asked to bat.

Gill, who struck six boundaries and four sixes during his stunning innings, and captain Pandya (31) revived the Titans innings with a 65-run partnership for the third wicket after they lost Matthew Wade (1) and Shankar (13) cheaply.

Wade was out in the third ball of the innings off Mustafizur Rahman (3/23) while Kuldeep Yadav (1/32) bamboozled Shankar, who went for a slog-sweep only to see his stumps cart-wheeling.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/jos-buttler-slams-26-runs-off-basil-thampis-over-hits-a-massive-101m-six-in-rr-vs-mi-clash-watch-467729" hreflang="en">Buttler slams 26 runs off Basil Thampi's over, hits a massive 101m six - WATCH</a>

Gill was in imperious form during his knock as he made amends of his cheap dismissal -- zero runs -- in the previous match.

He hoisted Axar Patel for a six early on and then smashed the same bowler for another maximum in the 16th over. His best shot was the straight six off Kuldeep in the 15th over.

He was finally out in the 18th over off Ahmed (2/34) with Patel taking an easy catch at deep mid-wicket. Gill and Hardik denied the DC bowlers any success for 7.5 overs, while adding 65 runs during that crucial period after the Titans were 44 for two in the seventh over.

Hardik took time to settle down but just when he was getting into his grooves, he got out, hitting straight to Powell at long-on off the bowling of Ahmed. The Titans captain struck four boundaries during his 27-ball knock.

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson scalped four wickets for 28 runs in a stunning display of pace and accuracy after Shubman Gill's imperious 84 to help Gujarat Titans beat Delhi Capitals by 14 runs and register their second consecutive win in their maiden IPL season here on Saturday.

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson scalped four wickets for 28 runs in a stunning display of pace and accuracy after Shubman Gill's imperious 84 to help Gujarat Titans beat Delhi Capitals by 14 runs and register their second consecutive win in their maiden IPL season here on Saturday. Ferguson, who was bought for a whopping Rs 10 crore in the IPL auction, dismissed dangerous opener Prithvi Shaw (10), Mandeep Singh (18), captain Rishabh Pant (43 off 29 balls) and Axar Patel (8) to rock the DC's run chase of 172. Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami (2/30) chipped in with two late wickets to hand DC, who finished on 157 for nine, their first defeat in the tournament. Also read | Latham breaks Tendulkar's 24-year-old record with ton against Netherlands Titans captain Hardik Pandya got his first wicket as he dismissed DC opener Tim Seifert (3) while Rashid Khan (1/30) also chipped in with the scalp of Shardul Thakur. It was not the best of starts for DC as they lost opener Seifert in the second over. Ferguson then rocked DC's innings with two wickets in the fifth over -- Shaw and Mandeep -- as the Titans found themselves in the ascendency. But DC captain Pant and Lalit Yadav (25), who had played a major role in DC's win in their previous match, revived the chase with a 61-run stand off 6.5 overs for the fourth wicket. Lalit was run out in a dramatic fashion in the 12th over. Off a throw by Abhinav Manohar at the bowler's end, one bail had gone off early due to Vijay Shankar's foot being in contact with the stumps. Shankar dislodged the other bail off as Lalit dived at full stretch. Pant had a discussion with the umpires, but Lalit had to trudge off. Once Pant was out after a belligerent innings, it was becoming increasingly difficult for DC to chase down the target. They needed 46 runs from the final five overs with only four wickets remaining. Thakur was out in the 16th over and then Shami removed Rovman Powell (20) and Khaleel Ahmed (0) in a two-wicket burst in the 18th over to virtually end DC's hope. Earlier, Gill struck an imperious 84 off just 46 balls -- his highest T20 score, to power the Titans to 171 for six after being asked to bat. Gill, who struck six boundaries and four sixes during his stunning innings, and captain Pandya (31) revived the Titans innings with a 65-run partnership for the third wicket after they lost Matthew Wade (1) and Shankar (13) cheaply. Wade was out in the third ball of the innings off Mustafizur Rahman (3/23) while Kuldeep Yadav (1/32) bamboozled Shankar, who went for a slog-sweep only to see his stumps cart-wheeling. Also read | Buttler slams 26 runs off Basil Thampi's over, hits a massive 101m six - WATCH Gill was in imperious form during his knock as he made amends of his cheap dismissal -- zero runs -- in the previous match. He hoisted Axar Patel for a six early on and then smashed the same bowler for another maximum in the 16th over. His best shot was the straight six off Kuldeep in the 15th over. He was finally out in the 18th over off Ahmed (2/34) with Patel taking an easy catch at deep mid-wicket. Gill and Hardik denied the DC bowlers any success for 7.5 overs, while adding 65 runs during that crucial period after the Titans were 44 for two in the seventh over. Hardik took time to settle down but just when he was getting into his grooves, he got out, hitting straight to Powell at long-on off the bowling of Ahmed. The Titans captain struck four boundaries during his 27-ball knock.

Shubman Gill, Lockie Ferguson shine as Gujarat Titans beat Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022

Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer said that Shubman Gill can become a regular in all three formats after he scored 84 off just 46 deliveries to guide Gujarat Lions to a comprehensive victory over Delhi Capitals on Saturday. <o:p></o:p>

“He played him really well. Anything that was pitched up, he went straight and chose the right option. Very happy to see him do well, I think he has got it in him to play all three formats,” said Jaffer on ESPNCricinfo.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-not-finished-mohammad-kaif-makes-big-prediction-about-ms-dhonis-ipl-future-467983" hreflang="en">'He is not finished': Md Kaif makes big prediction about MS Dhoni's IPL future</a><o:p></o:p>

The youngster looked completely at ease against the Delhi Capitals bowling attack and he even neutralized the threat of Kuldeep Yadav who took three wickets in the previous match.<o:p></o:p>

Jaffer said that Gill needs to improve his power game and a good IPL season can bring him back into contention for wicket ball cricket.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/alyssa-healys-stunning-ton-helps-australia-thrash-new-zealand-to-lift-record-7th-womens-world-cup-trophy-467890" hreflang="en">Healy's stunning knock helps Australia beat New Zealand to lift 7th WC trophy</a><o:p></o:p>

"He just needs to develop his power game a little bit. I think this IPL has a lot more importance for him because he is not currently in the radar for white ball cricket. 500-600 runs in this IPL will bring him into contention.<o:p></o:p>

“He played according to the wicket. Once it settled down a little bit, it started coming on to his bat nicely. I think he likes pace on the ball. There wasn't much spin, he was hitting it through the line and he is a class batter anyway. He is not somebody who is scared of hitting the ball in the air. We have seen that in Test cricket as well, he has taken on the bowlers. It is just about the power game in the death overs which he needs to develop. He is a very fine player,” said Jaffer.<o:p></o:p>

Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer said that Shubman Gill can become a regular in all three formats after he scored 84 off just 46 deliveries to guide Gujarat Lions to a comprehensive victory over Delhi Capitals on Saturday.

Former Indian cricket team opener Wasim Jaffer said that Shubman Gill can become a regular in all three formats after he scored 84 off just 46 deliveries to guide Gujarat Lions to a comprehensive victory over Delhi Capitals on Saturday. “He played him really well. Anything that was pitched up, he went straight and chose the right option. Very happy to see him do well, I think he has got it in him to play all three formats,” said Jaffer on ESPNCricinfo. Also read | 'He is not finished': Md Kaif makes big prediction about MS Dhoni's IPL future The youngster looked completely at ease against the Delhi Capitals bowling attack and he even neutralized the threat of Kuldeep Yadav who took three wickets in the previous match. Jaffer said that Gill needs to improve his power game and a good IPL season can bring him back into contention for wicket ball cricket. Also read | Healy's stunning knock helps Australia beat New Zealand to lift 7th WC trophy "He just needs to develop his power game a little bit. I think this IPL has a lot more importance for him because he is not currently in the radar for white ball cricket. 500-600 runs in this IPL will bring him into contention. “He played according to the wicket. Once it settled down a little bit, it started coming on to his bat nicely. I think he likes pace on the ball. There wasn't much spin, he was hitting it through the line and he is a class batter anyway. He is not somebody who is scared of hitting the ball in the air. We have seen that in Test cricket as well, he has taken on the bowlers. It is just about the power game in the death overs which he needs to develop. He is a very fine player,” said Jaffer.

IPL 2022: Wasim Jaffer backs Gujarat Titans youngster as potential all-format player for India

IPL 2022: Gujarat Titans remain unbeaten with win over Delhi Capitals

Shubman Gill pulled off possibly the catch of the tournament till now to dismiss Evin Lewis during Gujarat Titans’ Indian Premier League encounter against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday.<o:p></o:p>

Lucknow Super Giants were already rocked by the dismissal of their two openers – KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock – after a brilliant spell of bowling by Mohammed Shami and the catch turned the game even more in Gujarat Titans’ favour as they dominated proceedings from the beginning.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Catch of the season- shubman gill 💥 <a href="https://t.co/3igSWYpRse">pic.twitter.com/3igSWYpRse</a>
— depressed gill fan (@ceoofgilledits) <a href="https://twitter.com/ceoofgilledits/status/1508452465523396612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

<o:p></o:p>

During the fourth over of the match, Varun Aaron pitched it short against Lewis who rocked back into the crease to play to pull shot. However, the ball hurried on to the bat and ended up miscuing his shot towards the deep mid-wicket region. Gill started running backwards from mid-wicket and he was able to complete a brilliant catch which earned him praise from the crowd and his teammates. <o:p></o:p>

Shubman Gill was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders after a prolonged partnership with the franchise but before he could go under the hammer in the mega auction earlier this year, the Gujarat Titans franchise decided to retain him along with Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-want-to-emulate-my-brother-ms-dhoni-gt-captain-hardik-pandya-sends-warning-to-other-teams-466383">'Want to emulate my brother Dhoni': Hardik Pandya sends warning to IPL teams</a>

Gujarat Titans&nbsp;went with four overseas options in their season opener – Lockie Ferguson, David Miller, Rashid Khan and Matthew Wade. While, on the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants used just three of their overseas players – Quinton de Kock, Evin Lewis and Dushmantha Chameera.<o:p></o:p>

Earlier, Gujarat Titans&nbsp;won the toss and opted the field at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.<o:p></o:p>

Shubman Gill pulled off possibly the catch of the tournament till now to dismiss Evin Lewis during Gujarat Titans’ Indian Premier League encounter against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday.

Shubman Gill pulled off possibly the catch of the tournament till now to dismiss Evin Lewis during Gujarat Titans’ Indian Premier League encounter against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday. Lucknow Super Giants were already rocked by the dismissal of their two openers – KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock – after a brilliant spell of bowling by Mohammed Shami and the catch turned the game even more in Gujarat Titans’ favour as they dominated proceedings from the beginning. Catch of the season- shubman gill 💥 pic.twitter.com/3igSWYpRse — depressed gill fan (@ceoofgilledits) March 28, 2022 × During the fourth over of the match, Varun Aaron pitched it short against Lewis who rocked back into the crease to play to pull shot. However, the ball hurried on to the bat and ended up miscuing his shot towards the deep mid-wicket region. Gill started running backwards from mid-wicket and he was able to complete a brilliant catch which earned him praise from the crowd and his teammates. Shubman Gill was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders after a prolonged partnership with the franchise but before he could go under the hammer in the mega auction earlier this year, the Gujarat Titans franchise decided to retain him along with Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan. Also read | 'Want to emulate my brother Dhoni': Hardik Pandya sends warning to IPL teams Gujarat Titans went with four overseas options in their season opener – Lockie Ferguson, David Miller, Rashid Khan and Matthew Wade. While, on the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants used just three of their overseas players – Quinton de Kock, Evin Lewis and Dushmantha Chameera. Earlier, Gujarat Titans won the toss and opted the field at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

IPL 2022: Catch of the tournament? Shubman Gill plucks a stunner for Gujarat Titans - WATCH

The&nbsp;struggle is real for slots in the Indian senior men's cricket team. When India left for the United Kingdom, in early 2021, for the WTC final and the five-match Test series versus England, Shubman Gill was the first-choice opening partner of Rohit Sharma.

The duo managed to give decent starts to&nbsp;India&nbsp;in the WTC final before an injury ruled Gill out of action ahead of the five Tests versus Joe Root-led England. Thus, KL Rahul replaced him and made the most of the opportunities&nbsp;against the English side. While Gill returned back to competitive cricket with the second and final leg of IPL 2021 and also featured in the home Tests versus New Zealand, the 22-year-old had to once again miss out on appearing in the India-South Africa Tests, in the African nation, after the same injury reoccurred. In a freewheeling chat with Sports Tak, Gill opened up on the&nbsp;frustrating injury that has sidelined him in India's Test team.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-virat-kohli-or-kl-rahul-rcbs-dinesh-karthik-picks-player-to-watch-out-for-in-ipl-2022-464521">Not Virat Kohli or KL Rahul! RCB's Dinesh Karthik picks 'player to watch out for' in IPL 2022</a>

"I have come out of it entirely now. It endured a stress fracture on my shin when we playing the World Test Championship final in England. About 2-3 days later, when the match ended, that night, I was in a lot of pain with my shin. I was in pain for almost 7-8 hours. I had no issues with my shin. I had never faced any problem with it whatsoever. It was quite shocking for me… to be in pain for 7-8 hours in the night. When I told the physio next day, they got an MRI done and that is where I found out that there’s a fracture in the shin," Gill told Sports Tak in an interview.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/when-ms-dhoni-asks-you-to-do-something-consider-it-done-says-shivam-dube-ahead-of-ipl-2022-opener-464586">When MS Dhoni asks you to do something, consider it done, says Shivam Dube ahead of IPL 2022 opener</a>

"After that we went for the IPL and there weren't too many fitness Tests so when we were playing Tests against New Zealand (in November-December last year), it reoccurred. In the first innings, there was quite a load while fielding because for a long time, there wasn't a Test match where we had to field for close to 130-140 overs, fielded almost for 2 days. Due to that, it began paining again. After that, the physios decided that until and unless it completely heals, I won’t try to make a comeback. Else it will keep happening. I spent 2 months at the NCA and I am now completely pain free," added Gill.

Having gone through some tough times in the recent past, Gill will now like to showcase his T20 credentials in the forthcoming IPL 2022 edition, where he will represent the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT). If he has a good season, the right-hander will become a contender in featuring back into the Indian team and can also&nbsp;make&nbsp;a case for selection for the T20 World Cup.&nbsp;

The struggle is real for slots in the Indian senior men's cricket team. When India left for the United Kingdom, in early 2021, for the WTC final and the five-match Test series versus England, Shubman Gill was the first-choice opening partner of Rohit Sharma.

The struggle is real for slots in the Indian senior men's cricket team. When India left for the United Kingdom, in early 2021, for the WTC final and the five-match Test series versus England, Shubman Gill was the first-choice opening partner of Rohit Sharma. The duo managed to give decent starts to India in the WTC final before an injury ruled Gill out of action ahead of the five Tests versus Joe Root-led England. Thus, KL Rahul replaced him and made the most of the opportunities against the English side. While Gill returned back to competitive cricket with the second and final leg of IPL 2021 and also featured in the home Tests versus New Zealand, the 22-year-old had to once again miss out on appearing in the India-South Africa Tests, in the African nation, after the same injury reoccurred. In a freewheeling chat with Sports Tak, Gill opened up on the frustrating injury that has sidelined him in India's Test team. ALSO READ | Not Virat Kohli or KL Rahul! RCB's Dinesh Karthik picks 'player to watch out for' in IPL 2022 "I have come out of it entirely now. It endured a stress fracture on my shin when we playing the World Test Championship final in England. About 2-3 days later, when the match ended, that night, I was in a lot of pain with my shin. I was in pain for almost 7-8 hours. I had no issues with my shin. I had never faced any problem with it whatsoever. It was quite shocking for me… to be in pain for 7-8 hours in the night. When I told the physio next day, they got an MRI done and that is where I found out that there’s a fracture in the shin," Gill told Sports Tak in an interview. ALSO READ | When MS Dhoni asks you to do something, consider it done, says Shivam Dube ahead of IPL 2022 opener "After that we went for the IPL and there weren't too many fitness Tests so when we were playing Tests against New Zealand (in November-December last year), it reoccurred. In the first innings, there was quite a load while fielding because for a long time, there wasn't a Test match where we had to field for close to 130-140 overs, fielded almost for 2 days. Due to that, it began paining again. After that, the physios decided that until and unless it completely heals, I won’t try to make a comeback. Else it will keep happening. I spent 2 months at the NCA and I am now completely pain free," added Gill. Having gone through some tough times in the recent past, Gill will now like to showcase his T20 credentials in the forthcoming IPL 2022 edition, where he will represent the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT). If he has a good season, the right-hander will become a contender in featuring back into the Indian team and can also make a case for selection for the T20 World Cup.

It was quite shocking for me: India's youngster recalls his frustrating injury before England Tests

Shubman Gill was the focal point of a lot of discussions when Kolkata Knight Riders decided to release the opener ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 auctions. However, he was picked up by Gujarat Lions even before going under the hammer and with the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year, this will be a brilliant chance for Gill to make it case in front of the national selectors.<o:p></o:p>

According to PTI, Gill spoke about the various opening partners he has had during his IPL stint till now and also opened about his recent conversations with India skipper Rohit Sharma.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pat-cummins-opens-up-about-sharing-dressing-room-with-shreyas-iyer-ahead-of-ipl-2022-464329" hreflang="en">Pat Cummins opens up about sharing dressing room with Shreyas Iyer</a><o:p></o:p>

"When I started opening in IPL, my first opening partner was Chris Lynn and we had some good partnerships. I really enjoyed batting with him. For some matches, Sunil Narine opened with me. There is no specific name as such, but the right-left combination works the best."<o:p></o:p>

The young opening batsman also spoke about learning from Rohit Sharma in the recent past.<o:p></o:p>

"Pull shot is one shot that I have always liked. I recently talked to Rohit Sharma, it was about something tactically. I asked him when he hits the ball, what goes in his mind and how does he read the bowlers' mind? There was something particular that I wanted to talk to Rohit Sharma about. It was not about opening the batting," said Shubman during a media interaction as quoted by PTI.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;</o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kumar-sangakkara-calls-indian-cricketer-one-of-the-best-t20-players-ahead-of-ipl-2022-464317" hreflang="en">Sangakkara calls Indian cricketer 'one of the best T20 players' ahead of IPL</a><o:p></o:p>

When asked about missing a few matches for India due to injury, Shubman said: "When you miss a tour, it is always disappointing but the injury is something you do not have control over. I am young and I will have opportunities going ahead. But when you miss series against England and South Africa, it is a big thing as you always want to perform as a youngster in overseas Tests."<o:p></o:p>

Shubman Gill was the focal point of a lot of discussions when Kolkata Knight Riders decided to release the opener ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 auctions.

Shubman Gill was the focal point of a lot of discussions when Kolkata Knight Riders decided to release the opener ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 auctions. However, he was picked up by Gujarat Lions even before going under the hammer and with the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year, this will be a brilliant chance for Gill to make it case in front of the national selectors. According to PTI, Gill spoke about the various opening partners he has had during his IPL stint till now and also opened about his recent conversations with India skipper Rohit Sharma. Also read | Pat Cummins opens up about sharing dressing room with Shreyas Iyer "When I started opening in IPL, my first opening partner was Chris Lynn and we had some good partnerships. I really enjoyed batting with him. For some matches, Sunil Narine opened with me. There is no specific name as such, but the right-left combination works the best." The young opening batsman also spoke about learning from Rohit Sharma in the recent past. "Pull shot is one shot that I have always liked. I recently talked to Rohit Sharma, it was about something tactically. I asked him when he hits the ball, what goes in his mind and how does he read the bowlers' mind? There was something particular that I wanted to talk to Rohit Sharma about. It was not about opening the batting," said Shubman during a media interaction as quoted by PTI. Also read | Sangakkara calls Indian cricketer 'one of the best T20 players' ahead of IPL When asked about missing a few matches for India due to injury, Shubman said: "When you miss a tour, it is always disappointing but the injury is something you do not have control over. I am young and I will have opportunities going ahead. But when you miss series against England and South Africa, it is a big thing as you always want to perform as a youngster in overseas Tests."

Shubman Gill picks favourite opening partner ahead of IPL 2022

Rohit Sharma-led Team India had a flawless run in the two-match Test series opener versus Dimuth Karunaratne-led Sri Lanka in Mohali. Everything clicked for the home side right from the word go. Rohit won the toss in his debut Test as captain as India opted to bat first at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali.

Riding on Ravindra Jadeja's 175 not out and fifties from Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant and R Ashwin, India declared at 574-8 and dismissed the Lankans for 174 and 178 to win the opening Test by an innings and 222 runs. Ahead of the second and final Test, India is expected to play the same winning combination. However, there might be a debate for one spot, i.e. the second-opening slot. Mayank Agarwal managed only 33 in the first innings and he might be replaced by Shubman Gill, who has also done well in his limited opportunities in whites.

In this regard, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar named his pick and suggested who should partner Rohit at the top in the series decider.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-test-rankings-ravindra-jadeja-becomes-no1-all-rounder-after-dream-run-in-sl-series-opener-460512">ICC Test Rankings: Ravindra Jadeja becomes No.1 all-rounder after dream run in SL series opener</a>

"He (Gill) hasn't played any form of cricket in the last two months. He did not even play Ranji Trophy so if you have to play for India, you need some or the other type of practice. Of course, he has the talent, there is no doubt about it. But in the end, it is also about form," Gavaskar said on Sports Tak.

"And if you see carefully, Mayank Agarwal always scores big in India's home series. He bats like a boss in India but doesn't score runs overseas. In home series, he has at least one big hundred or a double century. So, he should definitely open. And at No. 3 there is Hanuma Vihari. What has he done wrong? In South Africa, in the one opportunity he got, he steadied the tail and batted defiantly, adding runs in India's second innings. So he should get opportunities," the ex-India opener opined.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-top-earners-to-players-with-big-pay-cuts-bccis-new-central-contracts-list-for-2021-22-459987">From top earners to players with big pay cuts: BCCI's new central contracts list for 2021-22</a>

"As for Shreyas Iyer, the kind of form he showed in the white-ball series (against Sri Lanka), and the way he started off his Test career in December against New Zealand, I think this should be our top five," Gavaskar further added.

The second and final Test is a day-night affair, the third pink-ball encounter in India. If India win the Test, they will not only inflict a series whitewash over the Islanders but also continue their winning run, across formats, under Rohit since late 2021.

Rohit Sharma-led Team India had a flawless run in the two-match Test series opener versus Dimuth Karunaratne-led Sri Lanka in Mohali. Everything clicked for the home side right from the word go.

Rohit Sharma-led Team India had a flawless run in the two-match Test series opener versus Dimuth Karunaratne-led Sri Lanka in Mohali. Everything clicked for the home side right from the word go. Rohit won the toss in his debut Test as captain as India opted to bat first at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. Riding on Ravindra Jadeja's 175 not out and fifties from Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant and R Ashwin, India declared at 574-8 and dismissed the Lankans for 174 and 178 to win the opening Test by an innings and 222 runs. Ahead of the second and final Test, India is expected to play the same winning combination. However, there might be a debate for one spot, i.e. the second-opening slot. Mayank Agarwal managed only 33 in the first innings and he might be replaced by Shubman Gill, who has also done well in his limited opportunities in whites. In this regard, Little Master Sunil Gavaskar named his pick and suggested who should partner Rohit at the top in the series decider. ALSO READ | ICC Test Rankings: Ravindra Jadeja becomes No.1 all-rounder after dream run in SL series opener "He (Gill) hasn't played any form of cricket in the last two months. He did not even play Ranji Trophy so if you have to play for India, you need some or the other type of practice. Of course, he has the talent, there is no doubt about it. But in the end, it is also about form," Gavaskar said on Sports Tak. "And if you see carefully, Mayank Agarwal always scores big in India's home series. He bats like a boss in India but doesn't score runs overseas. In home series, he has at least one big hundred or a double century. So, he should definitely open. And at No. 3 there is Hanuma Vihari. What has he done wrong? In South Africa, in the one opportunity he got, he steadied the tail and batted defiantly, adding runs in India's second innings. So he should get opportunities," the ex-India opener opined. ALSO READ | From top earners to players with big pay cuts: BCCI's new central contracts list for 2021-22 "As for Shreyas Iyer, the kind of form he showed in the white-ball series (against Sri Lanka), and the way he started off his Test career in December against New Zealand, I think this should be our top five," Gavaskar further added. The second and final Test is a day-night affair, the third pink-ball encounter in India. If India win the Test, they will not only inflict a series whitewash over the Islanders but also continue their winning run, across formats, under Rohit since late 2021.

Mayank or Gill: Gavaskar shares his pick, suggests who should open with Rohit Sharma in 2nd Test vs SL

The IPL 2022 mega auction was a star-studded event, which took place on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. The ten franchises went on a buying spree and added quite a few big names to strengthen their respective squads for the upcoming IPL 15 edition, set to be held in India in March-May.&nbsp;

Talking about the Gujarat Titans (GT), the newly-formed IPL franchise along with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), they also added some big names in their roster ahead of the 15th edition of the cash-rich league. After adding the likes of all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan along with opener Shubman Gill, as&nbsp;their three initial picks, the GT franchise did a good job in their maiden IPL auction.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kolkata-knight-riders-complete-squad-for-ipl-2022-shreyas-iyer-joins-galaxy-of-knights-cummins-returns-453041">Kolkata Knight Riders complete squad for IPL 2022: Shreyas Iyer joins Galaxy of Knights, Cummins returns</a>

The Gujarat franchise have roped in the likes of&nbsp;Lockie Ferguson, Jason Roy, David Miller Mohammed Shami, Rahul Tewatia, Alzarri Joseph, etc., along with investing in a host of inexperienced as well as some uncapped players --&nbsp;&nbsp;Gurkeerat Singh, Yash Dayal, Darshan Nalkande.&nbsp;

Among the whole squad, Hardik, Rashid, Jason Roy, Md Shami, Gill remain one of their biggest stars and signings. Towards the fag end of the mega auction, the think-tank also added two good wicketkeeper-batters in Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade.&nbsp;

It is safe to say that Gujarat didn't spend a lot on various players, and bought them for a cheaper price, they would be satisfied with their first outing at the auction as they now have a host of all-rounders (Vijay Shankar,&nbsp;Dominic Drakes and Jayant Yadav) and good international pacers in their mix.&nbsp;

At the mega auction, their biggest signings were NZ pacer Ferguson (INR 100 million) and ex-Rajasthan Royals' (RR) all-rounder Rahul Tewatia (INR 90 million). Overall, Hardik and Rashid remain the most expensive players for the Gujarat franchise (both coming in at INR 150 million).

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/royal-challengers-bangalore-complete-squad-for-ipl-2022-faf-du-plessis-to-captain-pace-heavy-line-up-453152">Royal Challengers Bangalore complete squad for IPL 2022: Faf du Plessis to captain pace-heavy line-up?</a>

Complete squad of Gujarat Titans for IPL 2022:

Jason Roy,&nbsp;Abhinav Sadarangani, David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Yash Dayal,&nbsp;Alzarri Joseph, Pradeep Sangwan, Varun Aaron, Rahul Tewatia, Dominic Drakes, Jayant Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Darshan Nalkande, Gurkeerat Singh Mann,&nbsp;Sai Sudarshan

Squad strength: 23 (15 - India, 8 - overseas)

The IPL 2022 mega auction was a star-studded event, which took place on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. The ten franchises went on a buying spree and added quite a few big names to strengthen their respective squads for the upcoming IPL 15 edition, set to be held in India in March-May.

The IPL 2022 mega auction was a star-studded event, which took place on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. The ten franchises went on a buying spree and added quite a few big names to strengthen their respective squads for the upcoming IPL 15 edition, set to be held in India in March-May. Talking about the Gujarat Titans (GT), the newly-formed IPL franchise along with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), they also added some big names in their roster ahead of the 15th edition of the cash-rich league. After adding the likes of all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan along with opener Shubman Gill, as their three initial picks, the GT franchise did a good job in their maiden IPL auction. ALSO READ | Kolkata Knight Riders complete squad for IPL 2022: Shreyas Iyer joins Galaxy of Knights, Cummins returns The Gujarat franchise have roped in the likes of Lockie Ferguson, Jason Roy, David Miller Mohammed Shami, Rahul Tewatia, Alzarri Joseph, etc., along with investing in a host of inexperienced as well as some uncapped players -- Gurkeerat Singh, Yash Dayal, Darshan Nalkande. Among the whole squad, Hardik, Rashid, Jason Roy, Md Shami, Gill remain one of their biggest stars and signings. Towards the fag end of the mega auction, the think-tank also added two good wicketkeeper-batters in Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade. It is safe to say that Gujarat didn't spend a lot on various players, and bought them for a cheaper price, they would be satisfied with their first outing at the auction as they now have a host of all-rounders (Vijay Shankar, Dominic Drakes and Jayant Yadav) and good international pacers in their mix. At the mega auction, their biggest signings were NZ pacer Ferguson (INR 100 million) and ex-Rajasthan Royals' (RR) all-rounder Rahul Tewatia (INR 90 million). Overall, Hardik and Rashid remain the most expensive players for the Gujarat franchise (both coming in at INR 150 million). ALSO READ | Royal Challengers Bangalore complete squad for IPL 2022: Faf du Plessis to captain pace-heavy line-up? Complete squad of Gujarat Titans for IPL 2022: Jason Roy, Abhinav Sadarangani, David Miller, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade, Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, Noor Ahmad, R Sai Kishore, Yash Dayal, Alzarri Joseph, Pradeep Sangwan, Varun Aaron, Rahul Tewatia, Dominic Drakes, Jayant Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Darshan Nalkande, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sai Sudarshan Squad strength: 23 (15 - India, 8 - overseas)

Gujarat Titans Complete squad for IPL 2022: Hardik Pandya-led line-up filled with all-rounders, star pacers

After a long wait, the Ahmedabad franchise's owner&nbsp;Siddharth Patel of CVC Capital Partners has revealed the official name of the Hardik Pandya-led unit. The Ahmedabad franchise is set to be named Gujarat Titans. It remains one of the two new additions (along with Lucknow -- named Lucknow Super Giants) to the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of the 2022 edition, in India.

Ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, the Ahmedabad franchise had named all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the captain and also roped in Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill as their three picks. Gary Kirsten, who guided the MS Dhoni-led India to the 2011 ODI World Cup title, will serve as the batting coach whereas former pacer Ashish Nehra has been named as the head coach.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/an-emotional-call-aakash-chopra-on-csk-shelling-out-inr-120-million-to-retain-ms-dhoni-ahead-of-ipl-auction-451508">'An emotional call': Aakash Chopra on CSK shelling out INR 120 million to retain MS Dhoni ahead of IPL auction</a>

For the unversed, the franchise from Ahmedabad is the second team from Gujarat to feature in the IPL. In the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Gujarat Lions were the first-ever side from the state to be included in the IPL. It was led by Suresh Raina, who took them to the playoffs in their inaugural season.&nbsp;

Hardik's services have been roped in for INR 150 million whereas the CVC Capital Partners also bought Rashid for the same price. Shubman, on the other hand, was picked at INR 80 million. He has earlier represented the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) since the 2018 season.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-mandatory-rules-laid-down-by-bcci-for-all-10-franchises-at-mega-auction-451445">IPL 2022: Mandatory rules laid down by BCCI for all 10 franchises at mega auction</a>

It will be interesting to see who all are picked by the Ahmedabad franchise in the forthcoming auction. As per reports, the newly-formed team have INR 520 million in their purse heading into the auction proceedings. The mega auction will be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.

After a long wait, the Ahmedabad franchise's owner Siddharth Patel of CVC Capital Partners has revealed the official name of the Hardik Pandya-led unit. The Ahmedabad franchise is set to be named Gujarat Titans.

After a long wait, the Ahmedabad franchise's owner Siddharth Patel of CVC Capital Partners has revealed the official name of the Hardik Pandya-led unit. The Ahmedabad franchise is set to be named Gujarat Titans. It remains one of the two new additions (along with Lucknow -- named Lucknow Super Giants) to the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of the 2022 edition, in India. Ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction, the Ahmedabad franchise had named all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the captain and also roped in Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill as their three picks. Gary Kirsten, who guided the MS Dhoni-led India to the 2011 ODI World Cup title, will serve as the batting coach whereas former pacer Ashish Nehra has been named as the head coach. ALSO READ | 'An emotional call': Aakash Chopra on CSK shelling out INR 120 million to retain MS Dhoni ahead of IPL auction For the unversed, the franchise from Ahmedabad is the second team from Gujarat to feature in the IPL. In the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Gujarat Lions were the first-ever side from the state to be included in the IPL. It was led by Suresh Raina, who took them to the playoffs in their inaugural season. Hardik's services have been roped in for INR 150 million whereas the CVC Capital Partners also bought Rashid for the same price. Shubman, on the other hand, was picked at INR 80 million. He has earlier represented the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) since the 2018 season. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Mandatory rules laid down by BCCI for all 10 franchises at mega auction It will be interesting to see who all are picked by the Ahmedabad franchise in the forthcoming auction. As per reports, the newly-formed team have INR 520 million in their purse heading into the auction proceedings. The mega auction will be held in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.

IPL 2022: Hardik Pandya's Ahmedabad franchise named Gujarat Titans, reveals team owner

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Brendon McCullum said he was disappointed to see the franchise lose star India batter Shubman Gill ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction. Like the other franchises, KKR too had a tough time in finalising their four retentions ahead of the mega auction.

The two-time champions decided to keep West Indies all-rounders Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy and young Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer while letting go of Gill. Gill was once touted as one of the future leaders of KKR but had to be released by the franchise.

Gill was picked up by the Ahmedabad IPL franchise as one of their three picks from the players draft ahead of the auction. The young Indian batter has joined the Ahmedabad franchise for a whopping sum of Rs 8 crore (INR 80 million). McCullum said it was disappointing to lose Gill but they have their plans heading into the mega auction.

"You need to plan as you're going to lose a lot of players. It was disappointing to lose Shubman Gill. But that's the way life is sometimes and we will be well prepared for the upcoming auction," said the KKR head coach in a live session on the franchise's social media handles.

McCullum also talked about the four players retained by the franchise and explained why KKR decided to keep them while letting go of the others.&nbsp;

"Sunil Narine and Andre Russell have been proven campaigners for a decade. We have all seen what Varun Chakravarthy is capable of in the last two seasons. Venkatesh Iyer was probably the story of the second half of IPL 2021," said the KKR head coach.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-set-to-host-ipl-2022-in-maharashtra-and-gujarat-25-percent-crowd-likely-report-448905">BCCI set to host IPL 2022 in Maharashtra and Gujarat; 25 percent crowd likely - Report</a>

KKR now have Rs 48 crore (INR 480 million) remaining in their purse heading into the mega auction next month and their focus will be on finding replacements for the likes of Russell and Narine in case of injuries to the star all-rounders. KKR will also be looking to build a strong squad that can take them over the finishing line after losing in the final lats year.

"Certainly not easy to find a backup for someone like Andre Russell and that's why he is such an important re-signing. When he is at his best, he is effectively two world-class players in one. It's really challenging to find a backup for these players. That will be the topic of our conversation. If Dre Russ is out due to injury, you could need two players, a batter and a bowler, and try to balance things out accordingly," McCullum added.

&nbsp;

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Brendon McCullum said he was disappointed to see the franchise lose star India batter Shubman Gill ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Brendon McCullum said he was disappointed to see the franchise lose star India batter Shubman Gill ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction. Like the other franchises, KKR too had a tough time in finalising their four retentions ahead of the mega auction. The two-time champions decided to keep West Indies all-rounders Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Indian spinner Varun Chakaravarthy and young Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer while letting go of Gill. Gill was once touted as one of the future leaders of KKR but had to be released by the franchise. Gill was picked up by the Ahmedabad IPL franchise as one of their three picks from the players draft ahead of the auction. The young Indian batter has joined the Ahmedabad franchise for a whopping sum of Rs 8 crore (INR 80 million). McCullum said it was disappointing to lose Gill but they have their plans heading into the mega auction. "You need to plan as you're going to lose a lot of players. It was disappointing to lose Shubman Gill. But that's the way life is sometimes and we will be well prepared for the upcoming auction," said the KKR head coach in a live session on the franchise's social media handles. McCullum also talked about the four players retained by the franchise and explained why KKR decided to keep them while letting go of the others. "Sunil Narine and Andre Russell have been proven campaigners for a decade. We have all seen what Varun Chakravarthy is capable of in the last two seasons. Venkatesh Iyer was probably the story of the second half of IPL 2021," said the KKR head coach. Also Read: BCCI set to host IPL 2022 in Maharashtra and Gujarat; 25 percent crowd likely - Report KKR now have Rs 48 crore (INR 480 million) remaining in their purse heading into the mega auction next month and their focus will be on finding replacements for the likes of Russell and Narine in case of injuries to the star all-rounders. KKR will also be looking to build a strong squad that can take them over the finishing line after losing in the final lats year. "Certainly not easy to find a backup for someone like Andre Russell and that's why he is such an important re-signing. When he is at his best, he is effectively two world-class players in one. It's really challenging to find a backup for these players. That will be the topic of our conversation. If Dre Russ is out due to injury, you could need two players, a batter and a bowler, and try to balance things out accordingly," McCullum added.

'It was disappointing to lose Shubman Gill': Coach Brendon McCullum explains why KKR released star batter

The Ahmedabad Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise revealed their final three picks from the players draft ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction on Friday (January 21). The Ahmedabad IPL franchise has roped in star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, ace spinner Rashid Khan and young India batter Shubman Gill ahead of the auction.

The two new teams - Lucknow and Ahmedabad had been given the right to pick a maximum of three players each ahead of the mega auction after the existing eight teams revealed the list of the players retained by them. While Ahmedabad have picked Hardik, Rashid and Shubman, the Lucknow team has picked KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi.

The Ahmedabad franchise has picked Hardik and Rashid as their top players at the price of Rs 15 crore (INR 150 million) each. Shubman will be earning a staggering amount of Rs 8 crore (INR 80 million) per season with the team. While Hardik was part of the Mumbai Indians squad last season, Rashid and Shubman represented Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively.

Hardik had made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in 2015 and played an instrumental role in their success over the years before his seven-year-long stint with the franchise ended this year. Hardik has been one of the best all-rounders in the league over the years with 1476 runs and 42 wickets in 92 IPL matches.

Rashid, on the other hand, made his IPL debut in 2017, had played only for Sunrisers Hyderabad till now and will be part of a new team from the upcoming season. Many had been left surprised when Rashid was not retained by the Sunrisers before it was revealed he wanted to be retained as the first-choice player for an amount of Rs 16 crore (INR 160 million).

However, SRH wanted their skipper Kane Williamson to be the first-choice retention. They went on to keep Williamson and released Rashid ahead of the mega auction. Rashid has been one of the best bowlers in the IPL since his debut in 2017 and has an impressive 93 wickets to his name in 76 IPL matches.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lucknow-franchise-rope-in-kl-rahul-marcus-stoinis-and-ravi-bishnoi-ahead-of-ipl-2022-mega-auction-446565">Lucknow franchise rope in KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi ahead of IPL 2022 mega auction</a>

Gill too has played only for Kolkata Knight Riders so far in the IPL and will be playing for a new team first time this year. He was picked by KKR for a sum of Rs 1.8 crore (INR 18 million) ahead of IPL 2018 and has since made a name for himself with his consistent performance.

He will be now earning more than four times what he was at KKR with his Rs 8 crore (INR 80 million) contract with the Ahmedabad team. Gill has 1417 runs in 58 IPL matches. Former India head coach Gary Kirsten and former India pacer Ashish Nehra will be part of the team's backroom staff.

The Ahmedabad Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise revealed their final three picks from the players draft ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction on Friday (January 21).

The Ahmedabad Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise revealed their final three picks from the players draft ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction on Friday (January 21). The Ahmedabad IPL franchise has roped in star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya, ace spinner Rashid Khan and young India batter Shubman Gill ahead of the auction. The two new teams - Lucknow and Ahmedabad had been given the right to pick a maximum of three players each ahead of the mega auction after the existing eight teams revealed the list of the players retained by them. While Ahmedabad have picked Hardik, Rashid and Shubman, the Lucknow team has picked KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi. The Ahmedabad franchise has picked Hardik and Rashid as their top players at the price of Rs 15 crore (INR 150 million) each. Shubman will be earning a staggering amount of Rs 8 crore (INR 80 million) per season with the team. While Hardik was part of the Mumbai Indians squad last season, Rashid and Shubman represented Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively. Hardik had made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in 2015 and played an instrumental role in their success over the years before his seven-year-long stint with the franchise ended this year. Hardik has been one of the best all-rounders in the league over the years with 1476 runs and 42 wickets in 92 IPL matches. Rashid, on the other hand, made his IPL debut in 2017, had played only for Sunrisers Hyderabad till now and will be part of a new team from the upcoming season. Many had been left surprised when Rashid was not retained by the Sunrisers before it was revealed he wanted to be retained as the first-choice player for an amount of Rs 16 crore (INR 160 million). However, SRH wanted their skipper Kane Williamson to be the first-choice retention. They went on to keep Williamson and released Rashid ahead of the mega auction. Rashid has been one of the best bowlers in the IPL since his debut in 2017 and has an impressive 93 wickets to his name in 76 IPL matches. Also Read: Lucknow franchise rope in KL Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Ravi Bishnoi ahead of IPL 2022 mega auction Gill too has played only for Kolkata Knight Riders so far in the IPL and will be playing for a new team first time this year. He was picked by KKR for a sum of Rs 1.8 crore (INR 18 million) ahead of IPL 2018 and has since made a name for himself with his consistent performance. He will be now earning more than four times what he was at KKR with his Rs 8 crore (INR 80 million) contract with the Ahmedabad team. Gill has 1417 runs in 58 IPL matches. Former India head coach Gary Kirsten and former India pacer Ashish Nehra will be part of the team's backroom staff.

Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill join Ahmedabad IPL team ahead of mega auction

The Ahmedabad franchise has reportedly finalised their draft picks ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction. The Ahmedabad franchise was bought by CVC Capital Partners in October last year and are one of the two new teams set to be part of the IPL from the 2022 edition of the tournament.

Ahead of the mega auction which will see all ten teams build their squad almost from scratch, the two new teams have been given the option to pick a maximum of three players each. While the existing eight teams had the choice of retaining up to four players, Ahmedabad and Lucknow franchises can pick three players each in the draft ahead of the mega auction.

As per a report in ESPN Cricinfo, Ahmedabad are all set to rope in star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan and young Indian batter Shubman Gill ahead of the mega auction.

As per the rules set by the BCCI, the new franchises can spend Rs 15 crore, Rs 11 crore and Rs 7 crore on three players respectively, however, the Ahmedabad franchise has decided to pay both Hardik and Rashid Rs 15 crore (INR 150 million) each while Gill will be paid Rs 7 crore (INR 70 million).

As per the report, Hardik is also set to be appointed as the captain of the Ahmedabad franchise. The all-rounder was released by Mumbai Indians on retention day. He has played only for Mumbai Indians so far in the IPL but will be turning out for a new team ahead of the new season.

Hardik, who has 1476 runs and 42 wickets to his name in 92 IPL matches, played an instrumental role in Mumbai Indians' success since joining the side in the 2015 season. Rashid, on the other hand, has been one of the best bowlers in the IPL since his arrival in the league in 2017. He has picked up 93 wickets in 76 matches at an economy rate of just 6.33.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ben-stokes-pat-cummins-and-other-top-england-australia-players-in-doubt-over-entering-ipl-mega-auction-445477">Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins and other top England, Australia players in doubt over entering IPL mega auction</a>

Gill, who was roped in by KKR in the IPL auction in 2018, was deemed as a future leader of the side. However, he was let go of by the franchise this year. The talented right-hander has 1417 runs in 58 IPL matches at an average of over 31 and is one of the rising stars of Indian cricket.

The report also states that the Ahmedabad IPL franchise has finalised its coaching staff which will be headed by former India pacer Ashish Nehra, who is likely to be the head coach of the team. Former India head coach Gary Kirsten is set to be roped in as a mentor while former India batter&nbsp;&nbsp;Vikram Solanki will be the batting coach of the team.

The Ahmedabad franchise has reportedly finalised their draft picks ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction. The Ahmedabad franchise was bought by CVC Capital Partners in October last year and are one of the two new teams set to be part of the IPL from the 2022 edition of the tournament.

The Ahmedabad franchise has reportedly finalised their draft picks ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction. The Ahmedabad franchise was bought by CVC Capital Partners in October last year and are one of the two new teams set to be part of the IPL from the 2022 edition of the tournament. Ahead of the mega auction which will see all ten teams build their squad almost from scratch, the two new teams have been given the option to pick a maximum of three players each. While the existing eight teams had the choice of retaining up to four players, Ahmedabad and Lucknow franchises can pick three players each in the draft ahead of the mega auction. As per a report in ESPN Cricinfo, Ahmedabad are all set to rope in star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan and young Indian batter Shubman Gill ahead of the mega auction. As per the rules set by the BCCI, the new franchises can spend Rs 15 crore, Rs 11 crore and Rs 7 crore on three players respectively, however, the Ahmedabad franchise has decided to pay both Hardik and Rashid Rs 15 crore (INR 150 million) each while Gill will be paid Rs 7 crore (INR 70 million). As per the report, Hardik is also set to be appointed as the captain of the Ahmedabad franchise. The all-rounder was released by Mumbai Indians on retention day. He has played only for Mumbai Indians so far in the IPL but will be turning out for a new team ahead of the new season. Hardik, who has 1476 runs and 42 wickets to his name in 92 IPL matches, played an instrumental role in Mumbai Indians' success since joining the side in the 2015 season. Rashid, on the other hand, has been one of the best bowlers in the IPL since his arrival in the league in 2017. He has picked up 93 wickets in 76 matches at an economy rate of just 6.33. Also Read: Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins and other top England, Australia players in doubt over entering IPL mega auction Gill, who was roped in by KKR in the IPL auction in 2018, was deemed as a future leader of the side. However, he was let go of by the franchise this year. The talented right-hander has 1417 runs in 58 IPL matches at an average of over 31 and is one of the rising stars of Indian cricket. The report also states that the Ahmedabad IPL franchise has finalised its coaching staff which will be headed by former India pacer Ashish Nehra, who is likely to be the head coach of the team. Former India head coach Gary Kirsten is set to be roped in as a mentor while former India batter Vikram Solanki will be the batting coach of the team.

Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill set to join Ahmedabad franchise ahead of IPL 2022 - Report

The supremely-talented Punjab batter Shubman Gill will lend solidity to the Indian middle-order when a major reshuffle is expected to force struggling Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane out of the Test team.

The reshuffle is likely to happen in the wake of India's shock 1-2 defeat against an unfancied South Africa. 
India's next Test assignment is a two-match series against Sri Lanka, starting February 25 in Bengaluru and at least two middle-order slots will be up for grabs.

Rohit Sharma is expected to be fit for that Test series and will take up his opening slot alongside KL Rahul. 
Gill has mostly played as an opener but once he recovers from his shin injury and makes himself available, it is expected that both team management and the selectors will pick him as a specialist middle-order batter.

Pujara and Rahane's exit from the national side is certain. They can only save their places if coach Rahul Dravid puts his foot down and asks the selection committee to give the out-of-form duo one last chance.

But if that happens, it is understandably going to cause a lot of heartburn to all the deserving youngsters, who might feel severely let-down for not getting the break at the right moment in their respective careers.

Read Also |&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/sports/ashes-5th-test-australia-bowl-out-england-for-188-in-1st-innings-gain-152-run-lead-445010">Ashes, 5th Test: Australia bowl out England for 188 in 1st innings, gain 152-run lead</a>

"I think both Pujara and Rahane will be dropped from the team for the Sri Lanka series. Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will both play," Sunil Gavaskar said while commentating on India-South Africa series.

"We'll have to see who plays at number three. Hanuma Vihari may take Pujara's place and Shreyas Iyer could be number five in place of Rahane, but we will have to see. Nevertheless, I think there will certainly be two spots up for grabs against Sri Lanka," Gavaskar was also heard saying.

However, team management's school of thought might just be divergent from the legendary former India opener. 
With Rahane and Pujara bringing in the same type of game into play during past two years, where it was more about self preservation and less about keeping the scoreboard ticking (save the second innings at Wanderers), the Indian team will need a free-flowing batter in that middle-order, who has the ability to take the game away in one session.

In terms of skills, technique, temperament, Gill is the solution to the problem. In fact, had KL Rahul not opted out of New Zealand home series due to niggle and fatigue, Gill would have played in the middle-order.

If Gill plays at number five, he can exploit the conditions when the ball becomes old and the attack is tired. Also, he has the range to take on the bowlers when the second new ball will be in operation.

Two way battle between Vihari-Iyer 
 
The trickier choice is for the other middle-order slot where Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will be locked in an intense battle. Both have been impressive -- Iyer in his short two-match career and Vihari giving his all in one overseas Test he has competed in.

Vihari is a defensive player, who brings in technical solidity and a sense of calm which is a pre-requisite in Test cricket, especially as the conditions and flow of the game keep changing.

Read Also |&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/sports/ajit-agarkar-on-rahane-and-pujaras-future-in-test-cricket-you-have-players-who-can-take-their-places-444979">Ajit Agarkar on Rahane and Pujara's future in Test cricket: 'You have players who can take their places'</a>

It makes him a good choice for number three as Pujara's replacement but if positive intent and x-factor is considered, Iyer is certainly a far better choice.

However the jury is still out on one aspect of Iyer's batting which the selectors as well head coach Rahul Dravid will be keenly assessing -- the Mumbaikar's ability to handle short balls.

Any chance of comeback for Pujara-Rahane 
 
In Indian cricket, you can never say never. Both are 33 years old and perhaps need to go back to the drawing board and revisit what they have been doing wrong.

The problem with professional cricketers is that if a technical flaw crops up in midst of a series, rectifying it is tough and they just work their way around that flaw.

It's a kind of temporary option but with no dedicated off-seasons like what players of yesteryears enjoyed, probably a break from the national team will give them enough time to work on their flaws and comeback stronger.

It would have been great had the Ranji Trophy not been put on hold once again as it would have given them quality match practice and ability to correct mistakes in live game situation which is always the best option. 
If not, they might play for English county but to be fair, county stint during the earlier phase wasn't of great help to either Pujara or Rahane.

Therefore, it doesn't look too bright for the duo as some serious talent is waiting in the wings.

The supremely-talented Punjab batter Shubman Gill will lend solidity to the Indian middle-order when a major reshuffle is expected to force struggling Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane out of the Test team.

The supremely-talented Punjab batter Shubman Gill will lend solidity to the Indian middle-order when a major reshuffle is expected to force struggling Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane out of the Test team. The reshuffle is likely to happen in the wake of India's shock 1-2 defeat against an unfancied South Africa. India's next Test assignment is a two-match series against Sri Lanka, starting February 25 in Bengaluru and at least two middle-order slots will be up for grabs. Rohit Sharma is expected to be fit for that Test series and will take up his opening slot alongside KL Rahul. Gill has mostly played as an opener but once he recovers from his shin injury and makes himself available, it is expected that both team management and the selectors will pick him as a specialist middle-order batter. Pujara and Rahane's exit from the national side is certain. They can only save their places if coach Rahul Dravid puts his foot down and asks the selection committee to give the out-of-form duo one last chance. But if that happens, it is understandably going to cause a lot of heartburn to all the deserving youngsters, who might feel severely let-down for not getting the break at the right moment in their respective careers. Read Also | Ashes, 5th Test: Australia bowl out England for 188 in 1st innings, gain 152-run lead "I think both Pujara and Rahane will be dropped from the team for the Sri Lanka series. Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will both play," Sunil Gavaskar said while commentating on India-South Africa series. "We'll have to see who plays at number three. Hanuma Vihari may take Pujara's place and Shreyas Iyer could be number five in place of Rahane, but we will have to see. Nevertheless, I think there will certainly be two spots up for grabs against Sri Lanka," Gavaskar was also heard saying. However, team management's school of thought might just be divergent from the legendary former India opener. With Rahane and Pujara bringing in the same type of game into play during past two years, where it was more about self preservation and less about keeping the scoreboard ticking (save the second innings at Wanderers), the Indian team will need a free-flowing batter in that middle-order, who has the ability to take the game away in one session. In terms of skills, technique, temperament, Gill is the solution to the problem. In fact, had KL Rahul not opted out of New Zealand home series due to niggle and fatigue, Gill would have played in the middle-order. If Gill plays at number five, he can exploit the conditions when the ball becomes old and the attack is tired. Also, he has the range to take on the bowlers when the second new ball will be in operation. Two way battle between Vihari-Iyer The trickier choice is for the other middle-order slot where Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will be locked in an intense battle. Both have been impressive -- Iyer in his short two-match career and Vihari giving his all in one overseas Test he has competed in. Vihari is a defensive player, who brings in technical solidity and a sense of calm which is a pre-requisite in Test cricket, especially as the conditions and flow of the game keep changing. Read Also | Ajit Agarkar on Rahane and Pujara's future in Test cricket: 'You have players who can take their places' It makes him a good choice for number three as Pujara's replacement but if positive intent and x-factor is considered, Iyer is certainly a far better choice. However the jury is still out on one aspect of Iyer's batting which the selectors as well head coach Rahul Dravid will be keenly assessing -- the Mumbaikar's ability to handle short balls. Any chance of comeback for Pujara-Rahane In Indian cricket, you can never say never. Both are 33 years old and perhaps need to go back to the drawing board and revisit what they have been doing wrong. The problem with professional cricketers is that if a technical flaw crops up in midst of a series, rectifying it is tough and they just work their way around that flaw. It's a kind of temporary option but with no dedicated off-seasons like what players of yesteryears enjoyed, probably a break from the national team will give them enough time to work on their flaws and comeback stronger. It would have been great had the Ranji Trophy not been put on hold once again as it would have given them quality match practice and ability to correct mistakes in live game situation which is always the best option. If not, they might play for English county but to be fair, county stint during the earlier phase wasn't of great help to either Pujara or Rahane. Therefore, it doesn't look too bright for the duo as some serious talent is waiting in the wings.

Rahane, Pujara likely to be dropped, Rohit Sharma expected to be fit for Test series against Sri Lanka

The Indian cricket board BCCI revealed why batter Shubman Gill didn't take the field on Day 2 of the second and final test against New Zealand, which is underway at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.&nbsp;

Providing an update on Gill, BCCI on its official Twitter handle wrote: "Shubman Gill suffered a blow to his right elbow while fielding in the first innings. He has not recovered completely and hence not taken the field as a precautionary measure."&nbsp;

During the match, New Zealand's star spinner Ajaz Patel claimed the rare honour of bagging all 10 wickets in an innings and bowled out India for 325. However, the Indian bowling unit displayed a stunning performance to take control of the second Test.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-to-replace-ajinkya-rahane-as-indias-test-vice-captain-for-south-africa-tour-report-434171">Rohit Sharma to replace Ajinkya Rahane as India's Test vice-captain for South Africa tour - Report</a>

In reply, the New Zealand batters collapsed to 62 all out and India were 332 ahead by stumps after not enforcing the follow-on and reaching 69 for 0 in their second innings. For India, Mayank Agarwal (38)* and Cheteshwar Pujara (29)* opened during India's second innings.&nbsp;Hosts now lead Kiwis by 332.&nbsp;

At stumps, Agarwal said, "This innings was all about grit and determination. I haven't changed much, just tried to stay side on, but it's more mental than technical. For my batting, if I don't attack I'll get stuck, so if I don't put Ajaz under the pump, he will keep bowling in good areas."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/poorest-in-last-4-5-years-sourav-ganguly-opens-up-on-indias-disappointing-show-in-t20-world-cup-2021-434114">Poorest in last 4-5 years: Ganguly opens up on India's disappointing show in T20 World Cup 2021</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 Update 🚨: Shubman Gill suffered a blow to his right elbow while fielding in the first innings. He has not recovered completely and hence not taken the field as a precautionary measure.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvNZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvNZ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Paytm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Paytm</a> <a href="https://t.co/UqSzXYTce2">pic.twitter.com/UqSzXYTce2</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1467095762530029569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"The Indian domestic circuit is tough, and the years anyone spends there helps them. It's hard and the experience and learnings you get is phenomenal, and I've carried that into international cricket. We will look to pile on as many runs as we can tomorrow and put the pressure on New Zealand," he added.&nbsp;

The Indian cricket board BCCI revealed why batter Shubman Gill didn't take the field on Day 2 of the second and final test against New Zealand, which is underway at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The Indian cricket board BCCI revealed why batter Shubman Gill didn't take the field on Day 2 of the second and final test against New Zealand, which is underway at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Providing an update on Gill, BCCI on its official Twitter handle wrote: "Shubman Gill suffered a blow to his right elbow while fielding in the first innings. He has not recovered completely and hence not taken the field as a precautionary measure." During the match, New Zealand's star spinner Ajaz Patel claimed the rare honour of bagging all 10 wickets in an innings and bowled out India for 325. However, the Indian bowling unit displayed a stunning performance to take control of the second Test. ALSO READ | Rohit Sharma to replace Ajinkya Rahane as India's Test vice-captain for South Africa tour - Report In reply, the New Zealand batters collapsed to 62 all out and India were 332 ahead by stumps after not enforcing the follow-on and reaching 69 for 0 in their second innings. For India, Mayank Agarwal (38)* and Cheteshwar Pujara (29)* opened during India's second innings. Hosts now lead Kiwis by 332. At stumps, Agarwal said, "This innings was all about grit and determination. I haven't changed much, just tried to stay side on, but it's more mental than technical. For my batting, if I don't attack I'll get stuck, so if I don't put Ajaz under the pump, he will keep bowling in good areas." ALSO READ: Poorest in last 4-5 years: Ganguly opens up on India's disappointing show in T20 World Cup 2021 🚨 Update 🚨: Shubman Gill suffered a blow to his right elbow while fielding in the first innings. He has not recovered completely and hence not taken the field as a precautionary measure.#TeamIndia #INDvNZ @Paytm pic.twitter.com/UqSzXYTce2 — BCCI (@BCCI) December 4, 2021 × "The Indian domestic circuit is tough, and the years anyone spends there helps them. It's hard and the experience and learnings you get is phenomenal, and I've carried that into international cricket. We will look to pile on as many runs as we can tomorrow and put the pressure on New Zealand," he added.

'He has not recovered completely': BCCI reveals why Shubman Gill didn't take field on Day 2 of Mumbai Test

shubman-gill

Shubman Gill, News on Shubman Gill, stories on Shubman Gill, articles on Shubman Gill, Shubman Gill stories at Wion, Shubman Gill news, Shubman Gill latest news