Punjab King were handed a blow even before the match with the captain and batting talisman Shikhar Dhawan sustaining a shoulder injury and missing the match. All-rounder Sam Curran led the team in his absence and chose to bowl first after winning the toss. They did a good job under him with the ball as they restricted LSG to 159/8. PBKS lost three wickets in the powerplay but Sikandar Raza anchored the chase as they were struggling to keep their wickets together. Raza himself fell after scoring 57 off 41 but Shahrukh Khan then did the perfect finishing act, smashing an unbeaten 23 off 10 balls to take Punjab over the line. Read the Match Report of the LSG vs PBKS game and share your thoughts in the comments.

Read Also: IPL: Most Man of the Match Awards by Indian Players

LSG vs PBKS: IPL 2023 Match Report

Kl Rahul & Kyle Mayers gave a decent start to Lucknow Super Giants

KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers opened for LSG. On the other side, Matt Short started the proceedings for PBKS. Lucknow had a great start with Kyle Mayers carrying his brilliant form. Mayers started off in style with a six. He smashed 3 sixes and 1 four to score 29 runs. Harpreet Brar dismissed him. Kl Rahul hasn't been good this season but he showed his class right from the start. LSG lost Hooda's wicket early after the fall of Kyle Mayers.

Krunal Pandya built a stable partnership with skipper Kl Rahul but couldn't extend the inning longer. Pandya lost his wicket after scoring 18 runs. He never managed to change gears in time. Rahul got to his fifty in style and this was ominous for PBKS. He got to his first half-century of the season and it has come in 40 balls. Punjab had a huge relief as they dismissed the dangerous man Pooran for a duck. It was none other than Rabada who sent him home.

Pooran's wicket brought Marcus Stoinis came to the crease. Stonis played a little cameo with two sixes but Sam Curran sent him back to the dugout after scoring 15 runs. Kl Rahul scored 74 runs in 56 deliveries with 8 fours and 1 six as the left-handed Arshdeep Singh removed him from the crease. Punjab Kings managed to score only 159 runs after loosing 8 wickets at the end of 20 overs. It was too low according to the pitch but the bowlers did pretty well. Sam Curran picked up 3 wickets while Rabada got 2 wickets.

Read Also: RCB vs DC: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Delhi Capitals comfortably by 23 runs

Punjab Kings registered their third victory after a dreadful start

PBKS lost three wickets in the powerplay including the big-hitting Matthew Short. Sikandar Raza anchored the chase but they were struggling to keep their wickets together. Raza fell after scoring 57 off 41 but Shahrukh Khan did the perfect finishing act, smashing an unbeaten 23 off 10 balls to take Punjab over the line. Short played a brilliant 22-ball 34 with five fours and 1 six but Gowtham dismissed him at the right time.

Sam Curran & Jitesh Sharma couldn't contribute too much with the bat but Sharukh Khan was waiting for his moment and he stepped up big time. Yudhvir Singh, Bishnoi & Wood picked up 2 wickets each but Punjab still somehow managed to chase the score. Punjab Kings registered their third victory after playing five matches till now in the campaign.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has announced Team India for India's tour of England today i.e. Saturday, 24 May. Along with the ENG vs IND 2025 squad announcement of the team, he also announced the new captain. A total of 18 players of Team India have been selected for the England tour and the command of this team has been handed over to young Shubman Gill.

Rishabh Pant has been made the vice-captain of the team. Karun Nair has returned to the Indian squad for the first time since 2017. Players like Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh have also got a place. However, Mohammed Shami has not been selected in the team.

Also Read: Every Test Captain of Indian Men's Test Cricket Team

Here's everything Agarkar said during the Press conference of ENG vs IND 2025 squad announcement.

Why was Mohammed Shami not selected?

Ajit Agarkar has confirmed that the medical team has declared Mohammed Shami unfit, due to which he has not been selected. "He's had a little bit of a setback over the past week, got some MRIs done. Wasn't going to be able to play five Tests. Don't think his workload is where he needs to be. Medical guys told he'll be ruled out. We were hoping he'll play some part, but if he's not fit, we'd rather pick guys fit and available rather than waiting," Agarkar said.

Shami played his last Test match for India in the form of WTC Final 2023.

Virat Kohli had approached for retirement in April

Ajit Agarkar revealed that Virat Kohli had approached him in April regarding retirement from Test cricket. He said, "When guys like that retire, always big holes to fill. Ashwin also retired. Those three have been stalwarts. Always difficult. One way of looking at it is, opportunity for someone else. Had conversations with both of them."

"Virat reached out early April, seem him give 200% every ball he plays even when he's not batting or on the field. Felt he'd given everything he had, if he can't keep up to the standards it was time for him. It's come from him. Have to respect that. They've earned that respect."

Jasprit Bumrah will not play all 5 Tests

Jasprit Bumrah will not play all five Tests, Ajit Agarkar confirms. The chief selector said, "Don't think he'll be available for all five Tests. Whether it's four or three, we'll see based on how the series goes and his workload is. Even if he's fit for 3-4 Tests, he'll be an asset for us. Just happy he's part of the squad.

"More important to us a player. Once you're managing people, there's a lot that takes out of you. We've had a chat with him, he's okay with it. He knows where his body's at. KL not really, he's captained a while back, he's a quality player and hope he has a big series. With Booms, it was more about his workload management.

'He’s a quality bowler'

Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has been included in the squad in the absence of Mohammad Shami. Talking about Arshdeep's inclusion, Ajit Agarkar stated, "He's a quality bowler and has had a taste of counTy as well. he plays domestic when he can. A tall guy, can bowl with the new ball, has body of work in red-ball cricket and in recent form in the last couple of years. Bumrah unlikely to play all five Tests, we needed a bit of variety."

Also Read: Form? Fitness? Should Mohammad Shami be there for the England test series? Who are the other options?

Agarkar on captaincy

With Shubman Gill being appointed as India's new Test captain, Ajit Agarkar provided a massive hint that Gill could be the long-term leader of the Test team.

"We discussed every option that's there, over the last year or so, we've looked at Shubman at various times. Taken a lot of feedback from the dressing room. Very young, but there's been improvement. We're hopeful he's the guy. He's a terrific player, our best wishes to him."

"You don't pick captains for one tour or two tours. We've seen some progress over the last year or two with him. No doubt it's going to be as tough as it gets,"

Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new Test captain of the Indian Men's Test Cricket team for the five-Test series starting in England from June 20. Wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant has been appointed as the vice-captain of the team.

Also Read: LIVE: Indian Test team announcement for England tour LIVE updates | Subhman Gill named captain; Nair, Sudharsan, Easwaran, Shardul in test squad

Gill will replace Rohit Sharma, who retired from the format in May due to poor form last season, especially in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

Gill's Test career

Gill has played 32 Tests for India so far. He made his Test debut in the MCG Test on India's 2020-21 Australia tour. He has so far scored 1893 runs at an average of 35.05. There is a big difference between his average at home (42.03) and outside (27.53). The upcoming series will be Gill's first full tour.

He has also played two WTC Finals there in 2021 and 2023, and also played the fifth Test on the 2021 tour after it was postponed due to COVID-19.

India will start WTC 2025-27 cycle with five-Test series

India will start the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with a five-Test series against England. They are scheduled to play the first Test at Headingley (from June 20), the second Test at Edgbaston (from July 2), the third Test at Lord's (from July 10), the fourth Test at Old Trafford (from July 23) and the final Test at The Oval (from July 31).

Every Captain of Indian Men's Test Cricket Team

Since their first Test in 1932, India have witnessed 36 Test captains across 589 matches. CK Nayudu led India in their maiden Test match in 1932 against England. However, it was only 20 years later that India tasted their first Test victory under the captaincy of Vijay Hazare against England on February 10, 1952 at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Only five Indian captains – Mohammed Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – have managed to notch up at least 10 Test victories. Kohli remains as India’s most successful Test captain, winning 40 of the 68 Tests he led in with a 58.82 success rate. Leading in 60 games between 2008-14, Dhoni is the second-most successful Test skipper for the country, winning 27 matches.

Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Indian men's test cricket team's announcement for the upcoming England tour. Chief of the selection committee Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir might attend the press conference to announce the Indian men's test cricket for the important England tour.

After qualifying for consecutive WTC finals, India failed to qualify for the World Test Championship final under Rohit Sharma. Now, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli already gone from the test format, India will have to fill many gaps to start the new WTC cycle. 

Who will be the next test captain? Will Mohammed Shami be picked? There are many questions which will be answered today.

So, stay tuned as we bring you all the LIVE updates of the announcement. 

The true defining moments of IPL happens in the playoffs stage. A batsman's ability to deal pressure and get going is tested in these high-stakes environment.

As we are about to enter the playoffs of IPL 2025, let's take a look at the 5 batters with the most runs in IPL playoffs history. Some impressive unmatched numbers are ready to unfold. Check them out.

5. Shane Watson | 389 Runs

The Australian legend, Shane Watson's impact on IPL playoffs and crucial matches holds the 5th position for the 5 batters with the most runs in IPL playoffs history.

Watson made his debut in IPL 2008 and played until 2020, scoring a total of 389 runs in 12 playoff matches. He was in the winning squad of Rajasthan Royals in 2008, and won the title with CSK in 2018. He also represented RCB during his IPL career.

Watson scored a century and 3 fifties in his IPL playoffs journey, with a strike rate above 150.

Read Also: 5 bowlers with the most wickets in IPL playoffs history

Shane Watson stats in IPL playoffs

4. Faf du Plessis | 390 runs

The South African cricketer, Faf du Plessis, has a strong playoffs record with the bat, having scored 390 runs in 15 playoff matches in IPL. His ability to adapt and play power-packed cricket has been crucial for the teams.

He won 2 titles with Chennai Super Kings in 2018 and 2021, and played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in other playoff matches.

Faf du Plessis stats in IPL playoffs

3. Shubham Gill | 474 Runs

The youngest name on this elite list, Shubman Gill, has rapidly grown to be a key player in IPL playoffs. He scored a total of 474 runs in just 10 playoff matches, playing for KKR and GT.

Gill's standout performance came with a record breaking 129 runs in the Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023 for Gujarat Titans. He also lifted the trophy with the franchise in 2022.

The numbers are about to increase, as GT has made it to the playoffs of IPL 2025, and we are yet to see some Gill magic in the upcoming playoffs scene.

Read Also: Can Shubman Gill or Sai Sudharsan break Kohli's record of most IPL runs in a single season?

Shubham Gill status in IPL playoffs

2. MS Dhoni | 523 Runs

A list like this is incomplete without the playoffs King himself, so here he is! MS Dhoni holds the second position with 523 runs in 28 playoff matches, which is the highest no. of matches among others in here.

Dhoni is a key player for the team who led CSK to win the IPL title 5 times, and also led RPSG into the finals in IPL 2017. His ability to finish matches will be forever treasured in all kinds of playing format.

MS Dhoni stats in IPL playoffs

1. Suresh Raina | 714 Runs

The former Indian cricketer, Suresh Raina, holds the 1st rank in the list for 5 batters with the most runs in IPL playoffs history. He scored 714 runs in 24 playoffs matches, played for CSK and GL.

It's been 6 years since Raina played his last playoff match (in 2019), and his numbers are still far from being broken in the current IPL years.

He also won the title 4 times with CSK, playing a crucial role in their playoff games with a strike rate above 155.

Read Also: Which team has qualified for IPL playoffs most times?

Suresh Raina stats in IPL playoffs

Is Mohammad Shami ready to spearhead India's pace attack in the upcoming five-match Test series against England starting June 20, 2025?

With concerns over his form and fitness following a lacklustre IPL 2025 and a long injury layoff, we dive deep into whether the star pacer should be included in the squad. 

From his stellar 2023 ODI World Cup performance to recent struggles with pace and rhythm, we analyse Shami’s prospects and what he brings to the table.  Plus, we explore potential alternatives like Arshdeep Singh, Anshul Kamboj, and others who could step up if Shami’s fitness remains a concern.

With Jasprit Bumrah’s workload being managed, who else can India rely on to challenge England’s batsmen?