Gill led from the front in Dharamshala.
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

Shreyas’ captaincy credentials have been hard to ignore.
| Photo Credit: File photo: Vijay Soneji

For the scribes who spend any length of time covering domestic cricket in India, there may be jaded familiarity with a line trotted out by players aspiring for higher honours when probed on matters of selection. “Our job is to just score runs or take wickets, selection will take care of itself,” is the common refrain.

A little over a week ago, with the announcement of India’s squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, a fresh reminder arrived that mere runs or wickets don’t always suffice. The nub of the subsequent critique directed at the selection panel from fans and former cricketers was this: do performances in the Ranji Trophy, the country’s premier First Class tournament, really matter while picking India’s Test team?

Recurring question

It is a question that crops up usually when a Test squad is chosen close on the heels of a Ranji season, and overlooks the standout run-getter or wicket-taker. 

You don’t have to rewind to the distant past to consider the predicament of Sarfaraz Khan. For a span of three seasons from 2019-20 to 2022-23 — the red-ball tournament was cancelled in 2020-21 due to Covid — the middle-order batter from Mumbai churned out runs like clockwork. In the 2021-22 season, Sarfaraz rose to the top of the leaderboard with 982 runs in nine innings at a Bradmanesque average of 122.75. It came on the back of 928 runs at 154.66 in 2019-20.

Yet, a call-up eluded Sarfaraz until the beginning of 2024 when he was drafted into the squad for the second Test of a five-match series against England. A handful of opportunities with mixed results later, the 28-year-old, a few kilos lighter but with his insatiable appetite for run-scoring undiminished, finds himself back on the periphery of the Test set-up.

The trigger for the renewal of this debate is the decision to name Gurnoor Brar in India’s pace attack for the assignment against Hashmatullah Shahidi & Co. With Jasprit Bumrah resting after the exertions of the T20 World Cup and the IPL, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are the other pacers in the 15-member contingent.

Gurnoor’s maiden call-up has seemingly come at the expense of Jammu & Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi, who has produced jaw-dropping returns over the past two seasons. After claiming 44 scalps in 2024-25, the medium-pacer propelled himself to the front and centre of his team’s epochal title-winning feat in 2025-26 with 60 wickets. Nabi’s overall career figures read 156 wickets in 41 First Class appearances at an average of 18.37 and a strike-rate of 38.1.

In comparison, Gurnoor has picked up 52 wickets in 18 matches (average 27.30, strike-rate 45.3) over the course of three years. Last season, the 26-year-old from Punjab played just two Ranji matches and snared a total of four victims.

Now, it isn’t exactly good optics that a fast bowler who has honed his craft to a fine degree on the Ranji circuit is ignored in favour of another whose numbers don’t quite scream for attention. To infer on the basis of these examples, however, that Ranji performances have entirely ceased to matter wouldn’t be accurate either. In this very squad, for instance, the emergence of left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, whose 69 scalps were the most in the 2024-25 Ranji season, points to his exertions in domestic cricket getting due reward.

As chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained during a media interaction, Nabi, whose rise from the spartan surroundings of Baramulla is an endearing triumph of human spirit, hasn’t gone unnoticed. “You don’t necessarily pick a lot of seamers for a Test team in India. Nabi was close. There was a chat about him. He has had some incredible performances for Jammu & Kashmir,” Agarkar said.

What selectors mull over

Reassuring as that is for the 29-year-old from J&K, Gurnoor’s induction underlines that there is more to selection than plain numbers. Whilst evaluating fast bowlers in particular, the presence of certain qualitative attributes to supplement the prevailing dynamics of the pace attack is an important consideration for the selectors.

“It is not only about someone taking wickets. It is also about the balance of the squad and how players fit into that. It is not always about picking the best players. It is about picking players that play best with each other,” former national selector Jatin Paranjpe, who is head coach of North Mumbai Panthers in the Mumbai Premier League, told The Hindu.

By most accounts, Gurnoor’s ability to generate disconcerting bounce — he stands at 6’5” — at brisk pace ticks the right boxes. The first whiff of the Agarkar-led panel’s interest in the man from Muktsar came when he was drafted into the India-A set-up last year. “With Gurnoor, we have seen a lot of promise over the last season-and-a-half. He’s a tall guy with a bit of pace,” the chief selector noted.

If India is to return to the summit of Test cricket, it is imperative for Shubman Gill to have at his disposal a well-rounded pace attack, of the kind that Virat Kohli marshalled during his tenure. 

In this context, the urge to give Gurnoor a run-out is understandable, for he could be an ideal foil to Bumrah and Siraj. Bumrah, of course, is a cunning exponent of late swing with a bag of other tricks up his sleeve. Siraj can shape the new ball away from the right-hander, but relies primarily on the wobble-seam delivery to home in on the stumps. But both are at their most lethal when targeting the fuller end of the good-length zone. The likes of Akash Deep and Harshit Rana, who tend to move the ball off the seam, also operate at comparable speeds from similar release points.

Since the exit of Ishant Sharma in 2021, what India hasn’t had is a genuinely tall quick who can consistently unsettle batters with variable bounce. Sure, there is Prasidh, six Tests old, with the tools at 6’3” to hit the deck and cause discomfort. But the 30-year-old has been impeded by an erratic radar.

It is worth remembering that the absence of a lanky, menacing operator was keenly felt on South African shores in 2021-22. At Johannesburg and Cape Town, where India lost to fritter away a 1-0 advantage, South Africa’s speedsters leveraged their towering frames to draw more uneven bounce.

A different profile

Nabi’s strengths lie elsewhere. He is not very quick through the air, nor has he the physical gifts to extract considerable lift. His main ally is the capacity to find lateral movement without erring in line or length — think of his dismissals of K.L. Rahul and Karun Nair in February’s Ranji final in Hubballi. The J&K spearhead can also get the old ball to reverse, as he did to great effect in an encounter against Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

For the moment, Nabi will have to stay patient. And perhaps believe in the cliche that his job is to keep taking wickets; selection will take care of itself.

Published – May 30, 2026 02:28 am IST

Watch: R. Ashwin’s career highlights

One of India’s greatest offspinners, R. Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket midway through the Test series in Australia on December 18th, 2024, in Brisbane.

Here’s a look at his career in numbers.

File picture of ICC chairman-elect Jay Shah
| Photo Credit: AP

Newly-elected ICC Chairman Jay Shah says he will look to ensure that Test cricket forms the “bedrock” of the game in his tenure during which he will also try to “dismantle barriers that have hindered cricket’s progress”.

The 35-year-old will relinquish his current position of BCCI secretary to succeed incumbent Greg Barclay on December 1 as the youngest ICC Chairman for a term of two years.

“While the T20 is a naturally exciting format, it is equally important that Test cricket remains a priority for everyone as it forms the bedrock of our game,” Shah said in a statement issued by the BCCI on Tuesday.

“We must see to it that cricketers are driven to longer format and our efforts will be channelised towards this goal,” he added.

Shah said he would also like to work towards setting up a separate program for talent search. He emphasised on lifting the standard of the game across the globe.

“I want to assure you that I will do everything possible to elevate the standard of our game across the globe. As I step into this pivotal role, I am resolutely committed to meeting your high expectations and dedicating myself to the beautiful game of cricket,” he said.

Shah, who is the son of union home minister Amit Shah, will relinquish his position as the BCCI secretary at the board’s Annual General Meeting likely to be held towards the end of next month or in October.

Shah became the fifth Indian after the late Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar to be elected for the high-profile job.

“With cricket poised to make its historic debut at the Olympics in 2028, we stand at the precipice of a transformative era. This juncture is not merely a milestone, it’s a clarion call for all of us involved in this magnificent sport.

“It is my privilege to lead the ICC during such an exciting period in our shared journey,” he said.

During his tenure as the ICC Chairman, Shah said he would advocate for the growth of women’s and differently-abled cricketers.

“We must champion the ICC’s mission further by allocating more resources and attention to Women’s Cricket and Differently-abled Cricket. Together, we can empower these essential facets of the sport, making them not just visible but vibrant and thriving.”

“I eagerly anticipate a tenure rich with collaborative efforts, striving to dismantle the barriers that have hindered cricket’s progress. Every challenge we face is an opportunity in disguise, and together, we will transform adversity into triumph.

“Let’s embark on this incredible journey, hand in hand, united by our passion for cricket and our belief in its extraordinary potential,” Shah noted.

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today spoke to the Indian Cricket Team on the phone to congratulate the players for their T20 World Cup win against South Africa, officials said.

The Prime Minister thanked coach Rahul Dravid , whose two-and-a-half-year-long tenure as Team India’s Head Coach came to a close after yesterday’s match, for his contribution to Indian cricket. Under Rahul Dravid’s guidance, India’s 11-year ICC title drought ended with Team India’s triumph in yesterday’s match.

Rahul Dravid’s incredible coaching journey has shaped the success of Indian cricket.

His unwavering dedication, strategic insights and nurturing the right talent have transformed the team.

India is grateful to him for his contributions and for inspiring generations. We are… pic.twitter.com/8MKSPqztDV

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 30, 2024

PM Modi congratulated Rohit Sharma for his “splendid captaincy” and praised Virat Kohli for his performance in the final match.

Dear @ImRo45,

You are excellence personified. Your aggressive mindset, batting and captaincy has given a new dimension to the Indian team. Your T20 career will be remembered fondly. Delighted to have spoken to you earlier today. pic.twitter.com/D5Ue9jHaad

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 30, 2024

Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – announced their T20I retirements yesterday. While Kohli announced his retirement minutes after the triumph, India captain Rohit Sharma announced it in the official post match press conference.

Dear @imVkohli,

Glad to have spoken to you. Like the innings in the Finals, you have anchored Indian batting splendidly. You’ve shone in all forms of the game. T20 Cricket will miss you but I am confident you’ll continue to motivate the new generation of players. pic.twitter.com/rw8fKvgTbA

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 30, 2024

PM Modi also praised Hardik Pandya for his final over and Suryakumar Yadav for his splendid catch on the boundary line to dismiss David Miller.

Home Minister Amit Shah also called Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma to congratulate them on the win.

In a video message, PM Modi yesterday had said that the team won the World Cup and also the “hearts of crores of Indians”. No small achievement that they did not lose a single match, he said.

“Champions! Our team brings the T20 World Cup home in style! We are proud of the Indian Cricket Team,” Prime Minister Modi posted on X – earlier known as Twitter.

The country witnessed euphoric celebrations last evening as Team India won the T20 World Cup, with fans flooding the streets carrying the Tricolour in their hands.

Social media was flooded with congratulatory messages and images of celebratory scenes as India edged past South Africa by seven runs in the final match of T20 World Cup 2024 at the Kensington Oval, Barbados to clinch an ICC title after 11 years.

Watch | How India became a pace-bowling superpower

India’s success in Test cricket has always been associated with its batting prowess and its unique spin-bowling core, several generations of which have helped build India as a Test fortress.

But in the past half a decade or so, a breed of fast bowlers have changed the script. India has since became a pace-bowling superpower, highlighted by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammad Siraj at the centre of it all and well supported by other stalwarts like Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and more.

How did India get so good at fast bowling? What does the data say?

The Hindu spoke to Bharath Arun, the former India bowling coach who was in instrumental in getting the likes of Shami, Siraj and Bumrah to find their peak. Arun gives insights into the importance of seam position, consistency, the science of inswing/outswing/reverse swing, and more.

The Hindu also spoke to Shanker Basu, who was a key figure in ensuring the fast bowlers keep fit while he was the head trainer of the Indian team.

Reporting: Srinivasan Ramani, Dipak Ragav

Videography: Johan Sathyadas, Shiva Raj, Thamodharan B.

Production: Johan Sathyadas, Shiva Raj

3D animation: Archit Ramesh

2D animation: Soumyadip Sinha

Graphics: Kannan Sundar

Fast bowler data: Hayagrive Srikanth, Cricket21

Voiceover: Kunal Shankar