A day after leaving out Jasprit Bumrah from the playing XI in the IND vs ENG 5th Test, the pacer has been released from the squad. After playing three Tests as per his workload management, the pacer has been relieved of his duties. In other news, Shardul Thakur is set to lead West Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy, and has has been picked over Shreyas Iyer. Meanwhile, India Champions have boycotted the semi-final tie against Pakistan in WCL 2025, prompting a reaction from captain Shahid Afridi. On that note, let’s take a look at the top headlines from August 1.
Why did Rohit Sharma retire?
The sudden retirement of Rohit Sharma from Test cricket, had caused a bit of a furor. After all, he was the Indian skipper. There were murmurs, that the BCCI might have played some sort a role in that. But a few months after the event, the truth might have just come out. Jaydev Shah, in a podcast revealed, that the reason was more personal. Read more here.
Afridi’s lame excuse
Pakistan Champions captain Shahid Afridi has claimed that Yuvraj Singh and co. were an embarrassment for the nation after they team decided to boycott the WCL 2025 semi-final. His remarks come after India pulled out of the semi-final clash against the arch-rivals, shortly after multiple stars in the team decided to boycott the group-stage clash against Pakistan in England. Read more here.
Jasprit Bumrah released from India squad
, Jasprit Bumrah, won’t be in London with the India squad that is playing the 5th Test. After Day 1 of the IND vs ENG 5th Test at the Oval, Bumrah has been released from the squad. He did not make the India Playing XI due to workload management, despite bowling only 119 overs in the three matches. Instead, Bumrah will now begin a long break with no matches scheduled till the Asia Cup 2025, if it goes ahead. Read more here.
Shardul Thakur over Shreyas Iyer as captain
Shardul Thakur is all set to lead the West Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025. The domestic red-ball tournament is scheduled to begin from August 28. The report claims that Shreyas Iyer was not picked as captain as he is bound to be included in India’s Asia Cup squad, as the tournament is scheduled to be played from September 9 onwards. Read more here.
Forgotten spinners shine in England
Snubbed Indian spinners continue to prove their merit in the ongoing County Championship even as India have adopted a more pace-favouring approach in the ongoing IND vs ENG Test series. While Kuldeep Yadav ended the series without getting even a single game, Yuzvendra Chahal and Sai Kishore – Indian spinners taking part in the County Championship, have silently gone on to prove their mettle with incredible spells. Read more here.
Yashavi Jaiswal Bounces Back to form
After a few failures in the series, Yashasvi Jaiswal had the pressure of coming up with runs in the Oval Test. Despite managing only 2 in the first innings, he managed to get to his 13th fifty in the second innings, that ensured, India led by 52 runs, at the end of day 2.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Gautam Gambhir avoids back-to-back series defeats, but selection & tactics concerns remain
Top Stories
