India Men's Test and ODI Captain Shubman Gill shared his immense pride and offered special wishes from Birmingham following the India Women's Cricket Team's historic 270-run triumph over England in the first-ever women's Test match played at Lord's. Speaking from Birmingham ahead of the Men's ODI series opener, Gill called it a "very proud moment for us," emphasizing how special it is to play and win at the iconic venue.
"Firstly, I think it is a very proud moment for us. Our women's team winning the historic match at Lord's," stated India Men's captain Shubman Gill from Birmingham. The India Women's team, under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, outclassed England across all four days. The massive 270-run margin stands as an emphatic statement, continuing the team's unbeaten red-ball streak on English soil. India posted 285, anchored by Smriti Mandhana (83), Harmanpreet Kaur (58), and Deepti Sharma (57) in the first innings while batting.
Debutant seamer Kranti Gaud claimed a phenomenal 5-wicket haul, rolling England out for 170, imprinting her name on the Lord's honour board. India declared at 341/7 due to a stellar Yastika Bhatia century (113) and Smriti Mandhana's 70. Setting a mammoth target of 457, India bowled England out for 186 on Day 4, with Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma cleaning up the tail. Kranti Gaud received the Player of the match for her exceptional, breakthrough bowling performance.
Virat bhai and I spoke about players who can strengthen the team: Gill shares details of key discussions from practise match
During his pre-match press conference in Birmingham ahead of the 1st ODI against England, India Captain Shubman Gill detailed his strategic discussions with Virat Kohli, making his exact thoughts and plans explicit.
When asked about his lengthy, viral net-session discussion with Kohli, Gill provided the complete context, "Virat bhai and I were discussing the kind of team combination we'll need for the upcoming tour of South Africa. We also spoke about players who aren't part of the squad right now, and which bowlers and all-rounders could strengthen the team and be valuable options for the upcoming World Cup.”
Addressing the broader roadmap for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup, Gill highlighted the ongoing search for a balanced, future-focused squad, emphasizing discussions on identifying key bowlers and all-rounders. Gill strongly shut down any speculation regarding the roles of veterans Kohli and Rohit Sharma, calling them the "backbone" of Indian batting. Gill explicitly stated that due to their immense experience, skill, and match-winning ability, they are definitely being considered for the 2027 World Cup.
He mentioned that recent fitness setbacks for players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana have hindered efforts to give them more game time, noting, "We wanted players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana to play as many matches as possible before the World Cup so that when their opportunity comes, they feel settled.”
