Team India fielding coach T Dilip visits Tirumala Venkateswara Temple
Tirupati, May 24
Indian men's cricket team fielding coach T Dilip visited the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple at Tirumala in Tirupati district on Sunday.
The fielding coach also offered prayers at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple.
T Dilip will be in action when India host Afghanistan for a one-off Test and three ODIs. The ODI series starts from June 14 to June 20, following a one-off Test starting from June 6.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on May 19 unveiled the squad for the upcoming India vs Afghanistan matches.
Shubman Gill is set to lead the side in both formats, with KL Rahul appointed vice-captain in the longest format, replacing Rishabh Pant. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer has been named vice-captain for the 50-over format.
The team was announced by the Men's Selection Committee, led by chairman Ajit Agarkar, along with Shiv Sundar Das, Ajay Ratra, R. P. Singh, and Pragyan Ojha, in the presence of BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia.
Batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are set to return to the top order in the blue jersey, while Ishan Kishan has been picked as the wicketkeeping option in the squad.
India has opted for three all-rounders, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Washington Sundar, while the spin attack will be spearheaded by Kuldeep Yadav. The pace unit features Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, and Gurnoor Brar.
India have also included three uncapped players in the ODI squad, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, and Harsh Dubey. Rohit's inclusion in the ODI squad, along with Hardik Pandya's, is subject to fitness clearance.
Veteran seamer Jasprit Bumrah and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have not been included in the Test and ODI squads.
In the red-ball format, India's top order features Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, and KL Rahul. Devdutt Padikkal has also been included in the squad, while Rishabh Pant, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Dhruv Jurel are set to strengthen the middle order.
India's pace attack features Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Gurnoor Brar. While the spin attack features Kuldeep Yadav, Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar.
India's Test squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Rishabh Pant (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar.
India ODI squad: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Love how Indian cricketers stay connected to their roots. T Dilip visiting Tirumala shows the humility our support staff has. But I'm a bit worried about the bowling attack against Afghanistan - no Bumrah, no Jadeja, and we're trying new names like Prince Yadav and Gurnoor Brar. Hope they don't get smashed around! 😬
T Dilip's dedication is praiseworthy - he's transformed our fielding from average to world-class. Visiting Tirumala before the series is a nice touch. But selecting Shubman Gill as captain in both formats feels rushed. He's still finding his feet in ODIs. Should have let Rohit lead in ODIs at least. Just my opinion.
Interesting to see T Dilip making a pilgrimage before a series - that's the kind of cultural integration you don't see in other cricketing nations. India's squad depth is incredible though. Uncapped players like Harsh Dubey getting chances shows BCCI is thinking long-term. Exciting times for Indian cricket!
Fielding coach going to Tirumala - that's the Indian spirit! 🇮🇳 But I'm scratching my head at the squad selection. Rishabh Pant dropped as Test vice-captain for KL Rahul? And no place for Axar Patel in either squad? Washington Sundar is good but Axar has been consistent. Hope the selectors know what they're doing.
It's heartwarming to see the spiritual side of Indian cricket. T Dilip seeking blessings at the temple, then heading to coach the team - perfect blend of faith and professionalism.
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