G. S. Vivek

Consulting Editor (Sports) ABP News. Venturing into Live Sports Broadcast.
Ex-Indian Express, Ex-India Today. Love and follow all sports

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

I understand the Shreyas and Vaibhav decision but what is the fault of Rinku Singh and Kuldeep Yadav to be dropped?

KKR killed Rinku' career with their handling while I believe it remains the end of Kuldeep T20 career with Selectors picking Bishnoi for his voice and quick leg break.

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

Test cricket worldwide being reduced to a comedy of errors. India is playing Test cricket with literally zero spectators. Absolutely wrong venue and wrong opposition. More people sit to watch Ranji Trophy.

Who would give a venue two IPL qualifiers and Test match back to back?

In another place, England New Zealand is producing another comedy where mediocre bowlers are getting on the honours board because of sub standard pitch.

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

Team India employing use and dispose theory or do our big stars don't know when to say goodbye?

Suryakumar Yadav likely to be dropped as skipper, Rohit Sharma met with something similar last year. Virat, despite great performances, is still kept on tenterhooks. Mohd Shami is sitting out cold... Many examples in recent past.

So are the selectors right and cricketers wrong? Or cricketers deserve a right to call time on their careers gracefully.

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

The big question in front of coach Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill. What kind of pitch to play against Afghanistan in Test? Definitely can't be turning track. Our batters can't bat, plus Afghans will be happy.

Seaming pitch then? But we have a very inexperienced seam attack.

Or most likely play on placid track, hoping Afghans make more mistake with their impatience while Indian batters get some good scores.

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

Everybody is raving about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and rightly want him in the Indian team as well.

The question is....in place of who? Abhishek Sharma? Sanju Samson? Ishan Kishan?

Let us not get distracted by Ireland tour or no-full strength team. This is the question selectors need to tackle.

Problem is...there is no space. None of them can, or should bat below No.3. So, should you make Vaibhav wait?

[CricBlogger @Indranilcricket]

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[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

How many of you see Rajat Patidar as the new number 4/5 in T20 set up. Imagine Rajat Patidar and Hardik Pandya as the two finishers alongside Abhishek, Sanju, Ishan.

Rajat is easily the most reinvented cricketer in Indian cricket ....almost like @DineshKarthik did previously.

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

@howisthat31 Axar is rested. Not dropped.

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

Who would be the most disappointed cricketer in Team India now?

a) Yasashvi Jaiswal for getting dropped from ODI squad for nothing.
b) Sanju Samson for not getting picked in ODI once again
c) Rishabh Pant for being dropped as Test vc and ODI omission
d) Aaquib Nabi for being overlooked in Tests despite 60+ wickets in Tests
e) Mohd Shami for repeatedly being ignored despite fitness proofs.

Or is there someone else. Do discuss. Team India is becoming a place of Heartbreaks!

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

Few developments on Indian cricket:

1) Rohit Sharma not likely to play next World Cup. England tour may be crucial.

2) Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad looked as back ups to Yashashvi alongside Shubman.

3) Suryakumar Yadav likely to lead both Ireland and England t20Is. Asian Games yet to be taken regarding a full strength team.

4) Sanju Samson looked up to take over the next T20 cycle as skipper. World Cup 28 and LA 28.

5) Selectors looking at meaty role for Washington Sundar and Nitish Reddy to lend balance to Test and ODI team balance.

6) Wanted: Fast Bowlers who can generate bounce and seam off the pitch, looking at SA and Australia World cups.

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

Believe in celebrating every small step towards progess...
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[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

@anantgoenka Will always carry that ideology… still believe in them strongly. A good part of me is always IE

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

S Santhanam… or Santy sir as we called him… he taught me the nuances of reporting… going to every game and venue on time… in person. Watching them practice . He said two things stuck by me forever:

1) What you see, experience and write from the ground, google can never replace that. Instead it will always immortalise it with your byline. Desk writing is easy. You just need an opinion.

2) There are a lot of people to write and praise about Team India cricketers. You need to focus on the youngsters and upcoming players. They need you more. This is your real investment in sports journalism.

Santy sir…. Hope I carried through your baton on Delhi cricket and Indian sports to your expectations.

Here’s to all the Indian Express Sportsline pages, the bike rides with Baboo and Sandy in tandem…. the DDCA chai and pakodas….. Till next time

S Santhanam
Express News Service
New Delhi

It will always remain immortal.

@anantgoenka @rajkamaljha @unnishanker

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

Sources say Hardik Pandya won’t be traded on the player’s insistence. Hardik will be keenly sought and likely to be bought for same 25+ bracket. Remember Lucknow, CSK and KKR will be sitting with a purse in excess of 30-40 crore. And it’s a small auction. For one year only. Teams have option of releasing Hardik if required before mega auction

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

This is utter bullshit. IPL's best bowler over the years in Chahal not bowling an over, and T20 vice captain Axar Patel also not bowling....because some guy with a computer and software deciding match ups is pathetic.

Much more is expected out of slippers like Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel....even Suryakumar yesterday. You lose a match but dare not bowl your lead guy!

If people has to watch computer cricket, we will watch e sports. Not IPL.

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

This kid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi suddenly seems to be evoking a lot of pent up emotions from all international bowlers. First Jamieson and then Mohd Siraj today.

Vaibhav is no longer considered cute. He is a bat wielding monster who had bled out reputations.

But is the short ball slowly becoming his bane? He seems to be in a hurry with the quick stuff hurled at his neck.

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

Shreyas Iyer is a great batsman but how can he become the next skipper of T20 side when till three weeks back he wasn't even in the 15!

Remember Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir are still there, so are other selectors , so there is no change in thought process.

Making Iyer skipper will mean lack of vision and blueprint from selectors. Didn't they know that Surya, form aside, has limited career path from last one year?

India has never ever picked someone from the blue and made him the skipper. Same applies to Shubman Gill as well, even though he leads Team India in two formats. The new skipper will have to first get into the squad or is already part of it.

Eve when they remove someone like Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Rohit, their successor was part of the set up and a really successful one. So there is our clue....

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

The Team India T20 set-up has 1 vacant slot in middle order. The No 4 slot. Should it be Rajat Patidar or Tilak Varma. Or going forth Surya isn't a certainty. So .....

Any thoughts on vacant slots?

[G. S. Vivek @GSV1980]

Has the IPL 2026 solved our problems or added more issues?

This IPL has given us Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Prabsimram to an already over crowded opener, wicketkeeper opener.

It has demoralized Suryakumar, Arshdeep, Bumrah, Hardik, Kuldeep, Axar to an extent that is fearful.

It has told us with Bhuvi and Virat that class is permanent and age isn't a factor. Right now....to build a new T20 team...we are short on middle order, fast bowlers and spinner. We only have a bunch of openers across different teams.

No wonder, Ajit Agarkar won't draw all conclusions from this IPL. Definitely not for ODIs.