Joe Root stepped down as the captain of the England Test team on Friday after their series defeat against the Windies. However, now the main question is who will be the new captain? Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain have thrown their support behind all-rounder Ben Stokes to become the team's test captain after Joe Root stepped down on Friday. Vaughan and Hussain have also said that pacer Stuart Broad is the second favorite to replace Root.

Also Read: Virat Kohli vs Joe Root vs Steve Smith Test Captaincy records

Root ended his five-year tenure as the test skipper on April 15. He said that the job had taken a heavy toll on him recently after dispiriting tours of Australia and the Caribbean capped a string of poor results

Stokes, who was Root's deputy, is best placed to take over but would need support from a "senior core"

Michael Vaughan said

"I don't see anyone else who could take the position and be guaranteed of their place in the side," Vaughan told the BBC.

"In Ben Stokes, you have clearly got someone who has got a smart cricket brain, he's going to give it everything. He is certainly going to have the respect of the players around him."

Hussain said Stokes was "naturally gifted". But England would have to be sure he can cope with the demands of the role.

"You have to be in a good place mentally and physically to do the job — and Ben has had his problems away from the field."

Nasser Hussain wrote in his Daily Mail column

Former skipper Michael Atherton also backed Stokes as the new England Test captain

Former skipper Michael Atherton also backed Stokes, saying he was the "obvious" replacement for Root. Stokes took an indefinite break from cricket in July to focus on his mental health. However, he was also recovering from a second operation on a broken finger but returned to the England squad for the Ashes series.

The 30-year-old has not been training after suffering pain in his left knee in March. But, he is on course to return for the County Championship next month for Durham.

Read Also: Latest Cricket News: ' I have stopped trying to make sense of it. ': James Anderson after his omission from the Caribbean tour

"Whoever the new director of cricket is, the first thing they must do is ... sit down with Stokes, look him in the eye and find out where he is," Hussain said.

He also added that if not Stokes, then "on a short-term basis this summer, the principle of picking your best side leads me to Broad".

Broad is England's second-highest wicket-taker in tests. However, the 35-year-old was omitted from the squad for their tour of the West Indies last month.

"Stuart has a brilliant cricket brain, lots of experience, and is a fighter who wants to win every game he plays in," Hussain said.

Also Read: IPL 2022 News: "As simple as that." Rohit Sharma reveals the reason for their six consecutive losses

"He has a point to prove after the last couple of months and we know how dangerous he can be in those circumstances." Nasser Hussain added.

What do you think? Who should be idle to take the hat upon his head? Is it Ben Stokes or Stuart Broad or anyone else? Let us know in the comments.

In test cricket, we often expect batters to dominate the scoring. But what if the biggest surprise came from a bowler? We're talking about the incredible feat of Jasprit Bumrah, who broke all the previous records for most runs in an over in tests.

Dive into this list of players who shaped this record for most runs in an over in tests.

1. Jasprit Bumrah (35 runs) | India

• The over: 4, WD, 4, NB, 6, 4, 4, 4, 6, 1
• Opposition: England

The current undisputed king of the "most runs in an over" record in test cricket is Jasprit Bumrah. He came out as an unlikely record-breaker and stunned everyone.

In July 2022, facing Stuart Board in England, Bumrah, who was captaining the side, smashed 35 runs in a single over.

The over included fours, a massive six off a no-ball, a wide, and even boundary off a bye, totalling 35 runs. Of these, 29 runs came off his bat directly.

Read Also: Fastest to complete 200 Test wickets by balls bowled

2. Brian Lara (28 runs) | West Indies

• The over: 4, 6, 6, 4, 4, 4
• Opposition: South Africa

The West Indies batting legend, Brian Lara, was the first to achieve this milestone of scoring 28 runs in a single over, which is the second-highest score.

In December 2003, facing South African left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, he showcased his destructive power with a combination of fours and sixes.

Lara's ability to dominate even the best bowlers was a hallmark of his career.

3. George Bailey (28 runs) | Australia

• The over: 4, 6, 2, 4, 6, 6
• Opposition: England

A decade later, in December 2013, Australia's George Bailey equaled Lara's record during an Ashes Test against England in Perth.

Bailey hit 3 sixes and 2 boundaries, along with a quick two runs, to score 28 runs in an over facing England's pacer, James Anderson.

Read Also: Most Test wins as a captain

4. Keshav Maharaj (28 runs) | South Africa

• The over: 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, b4
• Opposition: England

Adding to the list is another surprising knock of South Africa's left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, who joined the list for most runs in an over in tests by scoring 28 runs off an over.

In January 2020, he took on England captain and part-time spinner Joe Root, in a match played in Port Elizabeth.

Other players with 25+ runs in an over in tests:

One of Test cricket's most esteemed rivalries, the Pataudi Trophy, contested between India and England, has been officially renamed the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy. This major decision was taken by ECB and BCCI, announced and confirmed ahead of the upcoming highly anticipated series, set to begin on June 20, 2025.

Explore why was Pataudi Trophy renamed as Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy ahead of India vs England test series below:

Honouring Legends: Why Tendulkar and Anderson?

The renaming of Pataudi Trophy to the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy is a move to honor and celebrate two legendary figures of test cricket of the contemporary era.

The 'God' of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, is widely regarded as the greatest batsman of all time, holds an unmatched array of records, including most runs and centuries in tests. Similarly, James Anderson stands as most successful fast bowler in the history of Tests. His career was nothing short of extraordinary skills, achivements, and consistent excellence.

The renaming therefore celebrates not just individual brilliance of these legends from India and England, but also earned them a rightful place at the forefront of this historic rivalry's new identity!

End of an Era: The Pataudi Legacy

The Pataudi Trophy, which has represented the Test series between India and England for decades, now passes onto history. Named in the honor of former Indian captains, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his son Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, it symbolised a rich connection between Indian and English cricket.

It was first awarded in 2007 and India won it in the English soil.

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

A joint ceremony to unveil the new legacy:

The newly named Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy is set for its official unveiling by both the legends. Tendulkar and Anderson will unveil the trophy at Lord's, during the WTC (2023-25) Final, which commences on June 11, 2025.

India and England will kick-off the new WTC Cycle by playing a five-Test series starting at Headingley (Leeds) from June 20.

The England and Wales Cricket Board on Thursday announced a 14-member squad for the first Test of the five-match series against India. The ENG vs IND five-match Test series is starting from June 20. The first match will be played at Headingley on June 20, 2025.

Also Read: Youngest Cricketers to lead India in Tests

Overton replaces Atkinson

Fast bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton has returned. He has been included in the team in place of injured Gus Atkinson. Jamie has returned after the match against New Zealand in June 2022.

Atkinson was unavailable for selection due to a right hamstring injury suffered during the Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.

Carse, Woakes included in the squad

Fast bowlers Brydon Carse, Jacob Bethell and Chris Woakes have also been named in the squad, who last played during the New Zealand Test tour in December. The India A side are already in the United Kingdom, playing warm-up games against England Lions.

Woakes, known for his effectiveness in home conditions, especially at Lord’s, last featured prominently in 2018 against India, where he claimed four wickets and smashed an unbeaten 137.

Young spinner Shoaib Bashir, who starred with nine wickets against Zimbabwe, retains his spot as the lone specialist spinner. IPL winner Jacob Bethell and seamer Sam Cook, both of whom impressed recently, have also earned call-ups.

Ben Stokes to lead the team

England will field a significantly altered team compared to the last time they faced India in early 2024. James Anderson has since retired, while Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes and Ollie Robinson are the other notable absentees from the squad.

Ben Stokes, who returned from a hamstring injury in that Zimbabwe Test, will lead England against India in a five-match series that marks the start of both teams’ campaigns in the new ICC World Test Championship cycle.

Also Read: Most runs vs England in England for India in tests

ENG vs IND Test Series Schedule

• 20-24 June 2025 - 1st Test, Headingley
• 2-6 July 2025 - 2nd Test, Edgbaston
• 10-14 July 2025 - Third Test, Lord's
• 23-27 July 2025 - Fourth Test, Emirates Old Trafford
• 31 July-4 August 2025 - Fifth Test, Kia Oval

ENG vs IND | England full squad

Ben Stokes (c), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.

The Most Valuable Player in IPL is the cricketer who earns the most points on the MVP Chart of a particular season. Before the 2013 season, the best player of an IPL season received the 'IPL Man of the Series' title. However, the organizers changed it to the IPL Most Valuable Player in 2013.

How do players get the IPL Most Valuable Player award?

There is a special rating system, under which the cricketers earn points for fours, sixes, wickets, catches, dot balls, and stumpings. For every four, the player gets 2.5 points, while a maximum earns him 3.5 points.

A catch or a stumping is equal to 2.5 points, and a wicket gets the player 3.5 points. The bowler earns one point for every dot ball bowled. The leader of this standing takes the IPL Most Valuable Player trophy home.

Also Read: IPL 2022 Full schedule and fixture in PDF

Here SportzPOint presents you the Most Valuable Player in each season of IPL since the award's inception in 2013.

Shane Watson | 2013

Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson won the Most Valuable Player award in its inaugural edition in 2013. Watson had undone the damage to his IPL prospects that year with all-round performance for the Rajasthan Royals. With 22 sixes, 59 boundaries, 6 catches, and 13 wickets, Watson edged past the big Chris Gayle by 37 points to clinch the Most Valuable Player once again.

A packed Chennai crowd also witnessed Shane Watson's first IPL 100. Incidentally, Watson's 61-ball 101 was also the first century of the 2013 edition of the IPL

Glenn Maxwell | 2014

After failing to find a spot on the Australian side in 2014, Glenn Maxwell staged a fantastic show in the 7th edition of the IPL. The all-rounder Maxwell scored as many as 552 runs in the tournament, during which he also smashed 36 sixes and 48 fours, all at a strike rate of 187.75.

The Aussie fell agonizingly short of a maiden IPL century – he blasted CSK's bowlers to get to a 38-ball 95. Although Kings XI Punjab lost in a thrilling final against the Knight Riders, Glenn Maxwell would have cherished the 2014 season of the IPL for his stellar run.

Read Also: The highest run-getter in every season of IPL till now

Andre Russell | 2015

Kolkata's Caribbean Knight Andre Russell was power personified as far as the 2015 IPL was concerned. The broad-shouldered all-rounder set the IPL on fire with stellar performances lower down the order. Russell was the bright spot of KKR's deep batting order, as the Caribbean genius scored 326 runs through the course of the season.

Russell could brag about his 21-ball 51 against Kings XI Punjab which helped KKR steeple a target of 183. A strike rate of 192.29 stood out in Andre Russell's scintillating season. Don't forget his 14 wickets and 6 catches.

Virat Kohli | 2016

The 9th edition of the IPL pulled every available spotlight on just one man, Virat Kohli. Former Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper was in mint form, as he seemed to have no difficulty in racking up immense runs. Virat Kohli came tantalizingly close to 1,000 runs in a single IPL season, finishing with 973.

En route to yet another blotched IPL final, Kohli hammered 4 centuries – which was the most by a batsman in a single IPL season – and comfortably snapped the Orange Cap. Despite a disappointing end to the season, Virat Kohli had taken the IPL by storm by his insatiable hunger for T20 runs.

Also Read: The highest wicket getter in every season of IPL till now

Ben Stokes | 2017

The tag of 'Most Valuable Player' was attached to Ben Stokes long before he took the field in the 2017 edition of the IPL. Stokes fetched Rs. 14.5 crore and was set to ply his skills for the Rising Pune Supergiant. He didn't disappoint his selectors who invested big money in him. Stokes proved his worth and added the title of Most Valuable Player alongside his already existing tag of Most Expensive Overseas Player.

Although he was dearly missed in the final, Stokes had amassed 316 runs at 31.60 before he left on national duty. The Big Ben lit up the IPL with a stellar century against the Gujarat Lions and was also instrumental in the Pune's impenetrable death-bowling. Stokes bagged a total of 12 wickets while maintaining a miserly economy rate of 7.18.

Suni Narine | 2018

Sunil Narine became the second cricketer after Shane Watson to become the most valuable player of IPL twice. After IPL 2012 he won the prestigious award once again in 2018. By this time he not only proved himself as an excellent bowler but also as a great hard-hitting opener.

He completely justified the roles given to him by giving an extreme start to KKR in the powerplay in most of the matches and also helped the team to reach the playoffs. In 16 matches he scored 357 runs with a strike rate of 189.89 and took 17 wickets with an economy rate of 7.65. One of his most magnificent knocks from IPL 2018 is his half-century in only 17 balls against RCB.

Read Also: Oldest player to score IPL century

Andre Russell | 2019

Once again a player from KKR became the most valuable player of IPL 2019 following Sunil Narine in 2018. Andre Russell also became the third cricketer to be in the MVP award twice in IPL history after Shane Watson and Sunil Narine. By this time, he proved himself as a batter who could win matches in dire situations.

In 2019 IPL Russell completely thrashed boundaries all around and literally played with the opponent bowlers. He aggregated 510 runs in only 14 matches with an out-of-the-ordinary strike rate of 204.81. He not only restricted himself with batting but also picked up 11 wickets for KKR while bowling in the death overs mostly.

Jofra Archer | 2020

Rajasthan Royals' all-rounder Jofra Archer claimed the IPL Most Valuable Player award in 2020. The English player topped the MVP standings with 305 points to his name.

Archer picked up 20 wickets, bowled 175 dot deliveries, smashed five fours and ten sixes as well as took five catches to beat the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rashid Khan to become the Most Valuable Player in IPL 2020. No other player could score 300 MVP points last year.

Also Read: IPL 2022: Players to play each season of IPL

Harshal Patel | 2021

The Most Valuable Player of IPL 2021 is Harshal Patel from Royal Challengers Bangalore. With 264.5 points, the cricketer had an amazing season this year. Starting from taking crucial wickets to winning the Purple Cap, Game-changer of the season, picking the highest number of wickets in IPL, he did it all. He had a dreamy season after making a comeback to RCB from DC. Also, he took a 4 wicket haul and a 5 wicket haul this season as well.

Suryakumar Yadav | 2025

Mumbai Indians batter Suryakumar Yadav has been named the Most Valuable Player for IPL 2025. The MI middle-order star finished the season with 717 runs to his name from 16 matches, registering his best season so far averaging, 65.18. He struck five half-centuries in the course of the tournament, emerging as MI’s highest run-scorer in IPL 2025. SKY is the second MI batter to win the Most Valuable Player of the season award after Sachin Tendulkar in 2010.

N.B: Last updated on 04/06/2025.

In Test cricket, captaincy is often associated with experience and seasoned wisdom, which matters in the long format. However, young talents step up early and prove how they are worthy of leadership.

With Shubman Gill stepping up as the new test captain for India, let's take a moment to celebrate the youngest cricketers to lead India in tests.

Here we bring you the five youngest cricket to ever represent India in tests as a captain.

5. Shubman Gill (25 years 285 days) | 2025

The newest name to join this list of young Indian test captains is Shubman Gill. At the age of 25 years and 285 days, Gill became the 37th test captain of India, and is set to lead in the longest format of the game.

The Indian team will play under Gill's captaincy with the commencement of five-match test series against England on June 20, 2025. This was a major change in the test squad after the former captain, Rohit Sharma, along with Virat Kohli, announced retirement from tests.

Gill made his test debut against Australia in December 2020, and scored 1893 runs, with 5 centuries and 7 fifties so far. With this new turnaround in his career, he became the 5th youngest cricketer to lead India in tests.

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

4. Ravi Shastri (25 years 229 days) | 1988

A prominent all-rounder and later a successful coach for the Indian team, Ravi Shastri also briefly held the reins of Test captaincy. He took on the role at the age of 25 years and 229 days, when he led India against West Indies on January 11, 1988.

His captaincy tenure was limited to a single match, but it was a memorable one, as India secured a victory by 255 runs. Shastri scored 3830 runs and took 151 wickets in his test career, that spanned from 1981 to 1992.

3. Kapil Dev (24 years 48 days) | 1983

The legendary all-rounder, Kapil Dev stepped into test captaincy for India at the age of 24 years and 48 days. His first match as a captain was against West Indies on February 23, 1983.

Dev captained India in 34 matches and proved how he was worthy of the position with true leadership skills at such young age. He took 434 wickets and scored 5248 runs in his test career (1978-1994).

He is still the youngest captain to win the World Cup for any team, and comes third in the list for youngest cricketers to lead India in tests.

Read Also: Most successful Test captains from India

2. Sachin Tendulkar (23 years 169 days) | 1996

One of the greatest batsmen of all time, Sachin Tendulkar also had his tenure as the test captain of India at the age of 23 years and 169 days. He first took on the captaincy to lead India in a match against Australia, in 1996.

Tendulkar's captaincy journey had two phases, with him leading in 25 matches. He had an incredible test career with 15921 runs in 200 matches, which is still the highest by any batter in the world!

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

1. Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (21 years 77 days) | 1962

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi remains India's youngest ever test captain, having taken the role at the age of just 21 years and 77 days! He was famously known as 'Tiger' Pataudi in the field of cricket.

He captained India in 40 matches out of his 46-match test career. Despite losing his right eye in an accident early in his career, he continued to play and lead with brilliant skills and courage.

Pataudi scored 2793 runs, smashing 6 centuries and 16 half-centuries in his test career (1961-1975).