Kohli, Bumrah Eyeing Captaincy? Gambhir’s Warning And CT Update – January 1 Cricket Highlights
![Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x, AP Photos]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1735757294609_virat_kohli.jpg?im=Resize=(650,450)?type=mq)
Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x, AP Photos]
Virat Kohli seems to have reconciliated with Sam Konstas as evidenced by his recent interaction with the Konstas brothers. In Pakistan, the Champions Trophy 2025 is facing scheduling troubles with a certain ‘under constructed’ venue. The Indian cricket team, on the other hand, is reportedly stained with controversial headlines amidst ongoing struggles in Australia.
Capping an eventful day in the world of cricket, here we take a look at five of the biggest cricketing news that emerged out of Wednesday, January 1.
Virat Kohli Catches Up With Konstas Brothers At PM Residence
Virat Kohli interacted with the brothers of Australia’s latest batting sensation Sam Konstas at the residence of Australian PM Anthony Albanese. The legendary Indian batter and the Konstas siblings even posed for a friendly social media click.
Last week, Kohli had a run-in with Sam Konstas on the occasion of the latter’s Australian debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). While Konstas whacked the Indian bowlers around to craft his maiden Test half-century, Team India veteran was slapped with a demerit point and 20 percent of his match fees by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Champions Trophy 2025 Likely In Jeopardy
The 2025 Champions Trophy is facing a construction delay on one of its premier venues, the National Stadium in Karachi. As reported by Cricket Pakistan, the construction work on the venue is yet to be completed, having gone past its deadline twice over the course of the past few weeks. The National Stadium is slated to host three matches of the 2025 Champions Trophy, including Pakistan’s opening fixture against New Zealand on February 19.
As per the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the construction work on the venue will stretch till January after facing constant delays at the brink of the tournament’s inauguration.
Jasprit Bumrah And Virat Kohli Eyeing Rohit Sharma’s Captaincy?
An explosive Express Sports report has indicated that a certain senior member of the Indian cricket team in Australia has expressed his desire to take up national captaincy to fix the team’s ongoing issues. The report further states that the senior cricketer in question does not believe that the youngsters of the team are ready to take on the leadership challenge just yet.
?type=mq)
Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, Team India was recently whitewashed 0-3 by New Zealand at home. Moreover, the Indian team has also suffered two defeats in three Tests against Australia ever since he arrived ‘Down Under’. In his absence, Jasprit Bumrah led the visitors to a record 295-run victory in the opening Test to take a 1-0 lead in the series. One can speculate that the senior member offering his help to resolve India’s latest Test quandary can either be former captain Virat Kohli or incumbent skipper Bumrah himself.
Jasprit Bumrah Topples Ashwin For Huge Indian Record
Jasprit Bumrah retained his number one spot on the latest ICC rankings for men’s bowlers in Test cricket. The Indian speedster recently picked up nine wickets against Australia at the MCG to extend his series tally to 30 wickets in just eight innings.
Bumrah, who further solidified himself as the world’s number one ranked Test bowler, extended his ratings to 907 points, going past Ravichandran Ashwin in the process. The legendary off-spinner previously achieved 904 rating points back in December 2016 to hold the most points among all Indian bowlers at a particular period.
Young Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal also gained a rung following his twin 80s against Australia to jump to his career-best fourth spot on the rankings. The dashing left-hander swapped positions with Travis Head on the table, considering the Australian batting dynamite failed to lit up the MCG.
Gautam Gambhir Gives Warning To ‘Careless Batters’
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has reportedly given a stern warning to batters following the team’s horror show against Australia in the ‘Boxing Day’ Test last week. Chasing 340 runs on the final day, Team India folded up for just 155 in 79.1 overs in the final moments before stumps.
As reported by the Indian Express, Gambhir was left extremely disappointed over Team India’s repeated batting struggles ‘Down Under’. Another report has also indicated that the former Indian opener wanted discarded batting barnacle Cheteshwar Pujara in India’s travelling group for the five-match Test series, only to have his request rejected by the selection committee.
?type=mq)
