There has been a tense situation between India and Pakistan for the last few days. Pakistan carried out drone attacks on several border cities including Jammu and Pathankot on Thursday night, to which the Indian Army responded. The Indian Army foiled every attack by Pakistan and retaliated. At the same time, many Indian athletes responded to the India-Pakistan War and have praised the valor of the Indian Army.

'War has been chosen by Pakistan': Virender Sehwag

Amidst the ongoing tension with Pakistan, Virender Sehwag lashed out at the neighbouring country. Taking to his official X handle, Sehwag accused Pakistan of choosing war and condemned its actions to shield terrorist elements.

"War has been chosen by Pakistan when they had an opportunity to keep quiet. They have escalated to save it’s terrorist assets, speaks so much about them. Our forces will reply in the most appropriate manner, a manner Pakistan will never forget," Sehwag posted on May 8, 2025.

War has been chosen by Pakistan when they had an opportunity to keep quiet.
They have escalated to save it’s terrorist assets, speaks so much about them.
Our forces will reply in the most appropriate manner, a manner Pakistan will never forget.

— Virrender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) May 8, 2025

Virat Kohli saluted the Indian Army

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Virat Kohli posted on Instagram story and saluted the army. He wrote, "We stand in solidarity with, and salute our armed forces for fiercely protecting our country in these difficult times. We are forever indebted to our heroes for their unwavering bravery and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifices they and their families make forour great nation. Jai Hind."

Venkatesh Prasad, former India fast bowler and ex-bowling coach, posted a scathing reaction on the social media platform X. “What a complete rogue state Pakistan is. India will screw them like how,” he wrote, standing firmly behind the defence response that thwarted the attempted strikes using drone and missile interception systems.

Fearless in unity. Boundless in strength. India’s shield is her people. There’s no room for terrorism in this world. We’re ONE TEAM!

Jai Hind 🇮🇳#OperationSindoor

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) May 7, 2025

Grateful to our armed forces for their courage and bravery. We salute them and remain forever in their debt for everything that they do to keep us safe 🇮🇳

— Jasprit Bumrah (@Jaspritbumrah93) May 9, 2025

With every passing moment, with every decision taken I feel extremely proud of our Indian Army, Indian Airforce & Indian Navy. Our warriors are standing tall for our nation’s pride. It’s important for every Indian to be responsible and refrain from spreading or believing any fake…

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) May 9, 2025

Former Indian cricketers Harbhajan Singh and Shikhar Dhawan also boosted the morale of the Indian Army and praised them. Harbhajan wrote, "Jai Bharat. Jai Jawan. Har Har Mahadev."

Respect to our brave hearts for protecting our borders with such strength and stopping the drone attack on Jammu. India stands strong. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) May 8, 2025

जय भारत 🇮🇳 । जय जवान । हर हर महादेव 🙏

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) May 8, 2025

Massively proud of our forces and their resilience. You are the reason we stay unharmed, at our homes. Big salute to your strength and determination in protecting us at borders. We thank you. Jai Hind 🇮🇳

— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) May 9, 2025

Apart from Indian cricketers, badminton Star PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra also praised Indian Army during India-Pakistan War situation.

To the brave men and women of the Indian Armed Forces — your courage, discipline, and sacrifice are the soul of our nation. In moments like OperationSindoor, we’re reminded of the silent strength and selfless service that keep our tricolour flying high. India stands with you. Jai…

— Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) May 8, 2025

Indian Air Force 🙏🙏🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
Indian Army 🙏🙏🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
Indian Navy 🙏🙏🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳

— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) May 8, 2025

We are proud of our Brave Indian Armed Forces who are fighting for our nation against Terrorism.
Let’s do our part and make sure to follow guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety during this time.
जय हिन्द जय भारत जय हिन्द की सेना 🇮🇳

— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) May 8, 2025

Delhi-Punjab match was cancelled

The IPL 2025 match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings was cancelled. The decision to cancel the match was taken amid the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan. However, the board had said that the match could not be held in Dharamsala due to technical fault.

Also Read: Official: IPL 2025 suspended for one week with immediate effect

Due to security reasons, the match was stopped and the floodlights were switched off and the spectators were safely evacuated from the stadium. Within a short time, the stadium was completely evacuated.

The Bengal Pro T20 League, a premier domestic cricket competition in West Bengal, is meant to be a stage for local talent to shine. Launched to nurture and showcase Bengal’s cricketers, the league has been a source of pride for the state’s cricket fans.

However, the recently concluded Season 2 draft has sparked a firestorm of controversy. Reports have surfaced that outstation players—those not originally from West Bengal—are being registered as Bengal players, allegedly through falsified documentation.

This practice has raised serious ethical and legal questions, with fans and critics alike accusing the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and franchise teams of undermining the spirit of the league. Today, we dive into why this is not just unfair but potentially illegal, and what it means for the future of Bengal cricket.

Indian bowlers, especially pacers, have always waited for the tour of England since it produces seam-friendly pitches, which help them get more wickets. From legends of yesteryears like Kapil to modern-day greats like Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, they have had success in England against England. 

With another England tour forthcoming, we present you the list of bowlers with the most wickets vs England in England for India in tests. 

1. Ishant Sharma | 48 Wickets

Ishant Sharma has the most wickets vs England in England for India in tests. He is widely known for his pace and wicket-taking abilities. He took 48 wickets in 14 matches, with an economy of 3.29.

Ishant's ability to make the ball come in from a difficult length has worked well on English conditions. Moreover, his short-ball strategy during the 2014 series at Lord's helped India register a famous win in England.

Read Also: Most international wickets for India

Sharma's stats vs England in England

2. Kapil Dev | 43 Wickets

The Indian legend, Kapil Dev, is the second-highest wicket-taker in the list with 43 wickets in 13 matches played. The former Indian captain has an exceptional record against England and dominated on their home soil throughout his career.

Kapil's incredible outswing always had the batters guessing and with his ability to clean up tails, also helped him get many wickets in those conditions.

Dev stats vs England in England

3. Jasprit Bumrah | 37 Wickets

One of the most successful bowlers of this era, Jasprit Bumrah, climbed up the ladder really fast in his career. His finest skillset and ability to generate steep bounce and challenging seam movement with his unorthodox bowling action, got him 37 wickets in just 8 matches (15 innings) so far, and there's more to come in the future.

Read Also: Jasprit Bumrah becomes first-ever player to pick 200 Test wickets with an average below 20

Bumrah stats vs England in England

4. Anil Kumble | 36 Wickets 

Anil Kumble holds the fourth place for most wickets vs England in England for India in tests. He took 36 wickets in 10 matches, which is commendable for a spinner in such conditions.

Kumble was the senior-most bowler of the squad during that time, and was often described as bowling "faster" for a spinner, that too with high accuracy. His spin deliveries was considered to be as fast as a "jumbo jet."

Kumble's stats vs England in England

5. Bishan Singh Bedi | 35 Wickets

Bishan Singh Bedi is the one name that stands out while discussing the wicket-taking rate against England. Bedi's incredible stat as a spinner in pace bowling friendly conditions like England sets him apart from the rest.

He took 35 wickets in 12 matches (18 innings), with an economy less than 3. Bedi also has the highest number of maidens among all the players in this list.

Singh Bedi stats vs England in England

6. Mohammed Shami | 34 Wickets

Mohammad Shami has a brilliant overseas record, and only a few Indian bowlers can be at the level with him. He has 34 wickets in 12 matches to his name, with an economy of 3.56.

Shami consistently hits challenging lengths, which makes him a wicket-taker against England batters. His unfortunate absence in the upcoming Test squad against England therefore became a point of concern for the fans.

Shami's status vs England in England

7. B. S. Chandrasekhar | 31 Wickets

The wizard of leg spin, B.S. Chandrashekhar, makes his way up here with 31 wickets in 9 matches against England on their home soil. He had a phenomenal bowling figure in a match with 8 wickets (conceding 114 runs).

His most cherished performance against England came in the 1971 Oval Test, where he took 6 wickets for 38 runs, leading India to secure their first series victory on the English soil.

Read Also: Weird Styles: Indian players with unusual bowling actions

Chandrashekhar stats vs England in England

8. Zaheer Khan | 31 Wickets

One of India's most celebrated pace bowlers, Zaheer Khan, holds the eighth position with 31 wickets in only 8 away matches vs England. The former left-arm pacer was one of the best for India during his era. 

Zaheer had made legends like Alastair Cook his bunny with his lethal outswingers, going away from Cook. He was the best of his time, who significantly enhanced India's bowling strength.

Khan's stats vs England in England 

9. Ravindra Jadeja | 22 Wickets

Ravindra Jadeja, who is one of India's key all-rounders, holds the ninth position with 22 wickets in 10 matches. He is equally good with the bat as he is with spinning the ball for his nation.

Jadeja's ability to bowl long spells with variations, makes him a vital asset for the Indian team.

Read Also: Most Wickets for India in Test Cricket | Ravindra Jadeja overtakes Ishant Sharma’s tally

Jadeja stats vs England in England 

10. Vinoo Mankad | 20 Wickets

Vinoo Mankad stands out from an early era. The former all-rounder truly made his mark on England soil by taking 20 wickets in just 6 matches. 

With his tight bowling and impeccable lengths, Mankad made the most out of the English conditions and proved why he was considered one of the best of his generation.

Mankad stats vs England in England 

11. Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan | 20 Wickets 

The eleventh name on the list, Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan, who also had success in the English conditions, took 20 wickets in 10 matches.

He was a valuable off-spinner for the team, known for his accuracy and control over the ball.

Venkataraghavan's status vs England in England 

The game between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad was stopped for a few minutes as Luka Modric was substituted in the second half.

Real Madrid players gave him a guard of honour while Toni Kroos and Carlo Ancelotti gave a special hug to Real Madrid's most decorated player ever. 

Read Also | Luka Modric to Depart Real Madrid After Club World Cup, Leaving Legacy as Club Legend

Modric will end his Real Madrid career with the FIFA Club World Cup and, till now, has won 28 trophies for the Los Blancos. 

Along with Modric, it was also Carlo Ancelotti's last home match for Real Madrid, as he will also be leaving Real Madrid at the end of this season. 

The European leagues are up and running and we have already witnessed some great encounters between the top European teams. The hunt to win the European Golden Boot is also taking shape for the 2024-25 season.

Some big names from the Top five European leagues are already in full swing and they are scoring loads of goals to clinch the coveted annual award for the highest goalscorer in Europe. However, some young and talented players have enlisted themselves in the charts as well; even from outside of the top five European leagues.

According to the coefficient rankings updated by UEFA on 7 November 2024, the top five European Leagues are the English Premier League, Serie A (Italy), LaLiga (Spain), Bundesliga (Germany), and French Ligue 1 respectively. 

Sportzpoint brings you all the details about the leading goalscorers in the top five European leagues, details of the UEFA League ranking, and the leading goalscorers competing for the 2024-25 European Golden Boot.

The European Golden Boot Race

The Golden Boot is awarded by European Sports Media (ESM) which is a unified association of Football Magazine publications such as Marca, Kicker, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Frankfurter AZ, etc. They took over since 1996-97 season and started a new ranking system based on the position of the league for the respective players. 

The UEFA coefficient ranking is considered a measure for weighting points, with the principle being to acknowledge players who score in leagues of higher quality according to rankings, which makes it tougher to find the back of the net.

The number of goals scored in the top five leagues of Europe are counted with a multiplier of two, while those from leagues ranked six to 21 receive a 1.5 multiplier, and goals from all other leagues are counted as one.

This is how the points system works. 

⚽️🏆 Players with the Most European Golden Boot Wins:

🇦🇷 Lionel Messi: 6
🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo: 4
🇺🇾 Luis Suarez: 2
🇫🇷 Thierry Henry: 2
🇵🇱 Robert Lewandowski: 2

😳😳😳🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/AObaXoSpah

— Sholy Nation Sports (@Sholynationsp) July 26, 2024

Before looking at the players' list, here is the official UEFA ranking of league coefficients:

UEFA Ranking: League coefficients

Rank 1-5

Goal scorers from these five leagues receive a multiplier of 2. 

Rank 6-21

Goal scorers from these leagues ranked from 6 to 21 receive a multiplier of 1.5. 

Top goalscorers of the 2024-25 season in the top 5 European Leagues (as of 24th May 2025):

Premier League | England

1. Mohamed Salah | 28 Goals

• Club: Liverpool FC
• Nationality: Egypt
• Appearances: 37
• Goals: 28

2. Alexander Isak | 23 goals

• Club: Newcastle United
• Nationality: Sweden
• Appearances: 33
• Goals: 23

3. Erling Haaland | 21 goals

• Club: Manchester City
• Nationality: Norway
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 21

4. Chris Wood | 20 goals

• Club: Nottingham Forrest
• Nationality: New Zealand
• Appearances: 35
• Goals: 20

5. Bryan Mbeumo | 19 goals

• Club: Brentford
• Nationality: Cameroon
• Appearances: 37
• Goals: 19

Serie A | Italy

1. Mario Retegui | 25 goals 

• Club: Atalanta BC
• Nationality: Italy
• Appearances: 35
• Goals: 25

2. Moise Kean | 18 goals

• Club: AFC Fiorentina
• Nationality: Italy
• Appearances: 10
• Goals: 5

3. Ademola Lookman | 15 goals

• Club: Atalanta BC
• Nationality: Nigeria
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 15

4. Romelo Lukaku | 14 goals

• Club: Napoli
• Nationality: Belgium
• Appearances: 36
• Goals: 14

5. Marcus Thuram | 14 goals 

• Club: Inter Milan
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 32
• Goals: 14

LaLiga | Spain

1. Kylian Mbappe | 30 goals

• Club: Real Madrid
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 34
• Goals: 30

2. Robert Lewandowski | 25 goals 

• Club: FC Barcelona
• Nationality: Poland
• Appearances: 33
• Goals: 25

3. Ante Budimir | 21 goals 

• Club: CA Osasuna
• Nationality: Croatia
• Appearances: 37
• Goals: 21

4. Ayoze Perez | 19 goals 

• Club: Villarreal
• Nationality: Spain
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 19

5. Raphinha | 18 goals

• Club: FC Barcelona
• Nationality: Brazil
• Appearances: 35
• Goals: 18

Bundesliga | Germany 

1. Harry Kane | 26 goals 

• Club: Bayern Munich
• Nationality: England
• Appearances: 31
• Goals: 26

2. Serhou Guirassy | 21 goals

• Club: Borussia Dortmund
• Nationality: Guinea
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 21

3. Patrik Schick | 21 goals

• Club: Bayer Leverkusen 
• Nationality: Czech Republic
• Appearances: 31
• Goals: 21

4. Jonathan Burkardt | 18 goals

• Club: 1.FSV Mainz 05
• Nationality: Belgium
• Appearances: 29
• Goals: 18

5. Tim Kleindienst | 16 goals 

• Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
• Nationality: Germany
• Appearances: 31
• Goals: 16

Ligue 1 | France

1. Ousmane Dembele | 21 goals 

• Club: Paris Saint-Germain
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 29
• Goals: 21

2. Mason Greenwood | 21 goals 

• Club: Olympique de Marseille
• Nationality: England
• Appearances: 34
• Goals: 21

3. Arnaud Kalimuendo | 17 goals

• Club: Stade Rennais FC
  
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 33
• Goals: 17

4. Jonathan David | 16 goals

• Club: Lille OSC
• Nationality: Canada
• Appearances: 32
• Goals: 16

5. Alexandre Lacazette | 15 goals

• Club: Lyon
• Nationality: France
• Appearances: 30
• Goals: 15

Read Also | Most goals in Europe's Top Five Leagues in 2023/24 Season

The Ultimate European Golden Boot Race (Among the top 10 European Leagues according to UEFA coefficient rankings)

Considering the players from the top 10 European leagues in this list, this is what the current race of chasing the 2024-25 European Golden Boot looks like:

For any touring cricket team, England presents an unique challenge in Test cricket. It's a land where even most skilled players can struggle.

Far away from home, Indian cricketers have sincerely accepted this challenge and given a tough fight for many years. Discover which batting legends have mastered the game and scored the most runs vs England in England for India in tests.

1. Sachin Tendulkar | 1575 Runs

The 'Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar holds the unmatched record for most runs vs England in England for India in tests. He scored 1575 runs in 17 matches (30 innings) with an average above 54.

Tendulkar dominated the English soil with 4 hundreds and 8 fifties in his test career.

Read Also: Sachin vs Kohli: Stats Comparison in Test Cricket

Tendulkar stats vs England in England

2. Rahul Dravid | 1376 Runs

Rahul Dravid is another big name when it comes to legendary test batsmen from India. He holds impressive record against England which is hard to match in the long run for young Indian batters of the coming age.

Dravid scored 1376 runs in 13 matches, with his highest being a phenomenal 217 runs during India tour of England in 2002.

Dravid stats vs England in England

3. Sunil Gavaskar | 1152 Runs

Sunil Gavaskar is the third Indian batter to cross the 1000-run mark against England in England. The 'Little Master' scored 1152 runs in 16 matches during his Test career.

He scored 221 runs in 1979, which is the highest score ever by an Indian batsman against England in their own soil.

Gavaskar stats vs England in England

4. Virat Kohli | 976 Runs

Here comes the most successful Test captain of India, Virat Kohli, securing the fourth position in this list. He surpassed many legendary test batters with his brilliant record against England in their home soil.

Kohli scored 976 runs in 15 matches, with 2 centuries and 5 fifties to his name. The numbers could soar higher if he had not retired from tests at the age of 36, in 2025.

Read Also: The Kohli Effect: Will Indian fans lose interest in Test cricket after Virat Kohli's retirement?

Kohli stats vs England in England

5. Dilip Vengsarkar | 960 Runs

Dilip Vengsarkar is a gem of a player in the history of Indian Test cricket. He scored 960 runs in 13 matches (23 innings), with 157 being his highest score.

Vengsarkar scored 4 hundreds and 4 fifties during his tenure.

Vengsarkar stats vs England in England

6. Sourav Ganguly | 915 Runs

Another successful captain in the history of Indian Test cricket, Sourav Ganguly, makes his way to the sixth rank in the list. He started his career with an iconic ton against England in 1996.

Ganguly scored a total of 915 runs in 9 matches (15 innings) vs England in England with an average above 65.

Read Also: Most successful Test captains from India

Ganguly stats vs England in England 

7. Gundappa Viswanath | 858 Runs

Gundappa Viswanath played a major role for India in Tests back in the 1970s. He scored 858 runs in 13 matches against England in England, with an average of 39.

Viswanath stats vs England in England 

8. Cheteshwar Pujara | 806 Runs

Cheteshwar Pujara's journey as a test batsman in the English soil was short-lived but great. He scored 806 runs in 14 matches, having one century and 5 fifties to his name.

Pujara stats vs England in England 

9. MS Dhoni | 778 Runs

Apart from excellent captaincy records, MS Dhoni also holds the ninth position for most runs vs England in England for India in tests. He scored 778 runs in 12 matches (23 innings).

Read Also: 16 Indian Cricketers with stands named after them at a stadium

Dhoni stats vs England in England

10. Ajinkya Rahane | 665 Runs

Ajinkya Rahane is the tenth name in the elite list for most runs vs England in England for India in tests. He scored 665 runs in 14 matches, with a classy century and 5 half centuries to his name.

Rahane stats vs England in England