The BCCI is set to release the Indian Premier League retention list on October 31. There is a lot of noise in the Indian media about who will stay and who will leave the 10 franchises. It seems fans might be in for some shock news as the likes of KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant might leave their respective franchise.

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room, Kingshuk Kusari, Saurabh Kumar and Alan John bring out some exclusive news about the Indian Premier League and discuss the latest gossip from all the franchises. Apart from that the focus stays on India's Test series against New Zealand, where the hosts have lost their first-ever bilateral against the Black Caps in the history of their cricket.

As concerns lay around the form of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the trio talk about the imminent transition of the Indian Test team and how the senior members of the side have fared in the recent past. The conversation focuses especially on Rohit Sharma, who has looked unclear in his approach on several instances.

Is India's form a point of concern before the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy?

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Produced & Sound Mix By: Sachin Dwivedi

 

Yes, we at the Sledging Room praised Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir when India swept Bangladesh 2-0 at home earlier in October. Their approach to the Kanpur Test was fascinating.

However, it’s time for some tough questions again after India was stunned by New Zealand in the first match of a three-Test series in Bengaluru.

India struggled in pace-friendly conditions in Bengaluru. They made a significant error at the toss, and Rohit Sharma was brave enough to acknowledge it and take the blame.

Despite their past successes, India has shown vulnerabilities even at home recently. Some of Rohit Sharma’s tactics are questionable.

Are India, under Rohit Sharma, capable of defending the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia?

Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar, and Kingshuk Kusari discuss the Bengaluru Test shocker and its implications in the latest episode of Sledging Room.

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Produced & Sound Mix By: Kapil Dev Singh

On Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dropped a bombshell by leaving out former captain Babar Azam, along with fast bowling stars Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, for the last two Tests against England.

The decision to exclude Babar, Shaheen, Naseem, and Sarfaraz Ahmed was made by a selection committee constituted last week. This committee includes former international umpire Aleem Dar, former pacer Aqib Javed, ex-captain Azhar Ali, and analyst Hassan Cheema, who took the bold step of dropping four senior players from the squad.

Being dropped from the national team, particularly for a player who has been a cornerstone of the batting lineup, can be demoralising. This could lead to self-doubt and questions about his place in the team, potentially undermining his confidence further.

Many, including Pakistan’s leading white-ball batter Fakhar Zaman, questioned the board’s decision to drop Babar, highlighting how Virat Kohli was given an extended run to regain his form by the BCCI.

To put it bluntly, Babar enjoyed the hype and comparisons to modern-day greats, including Virat Kohli. However, he hasn’t managed to shut out the outside noise during this period of intense scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the Indian women's team failed to impress in the Women's T20 World Cup. After losing to Australia and New Zealand in the group stage, they are on the brink of an early exit. Is it time to ask tough questions of the team and the management group?

Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar and Kingshuk Kusari discuss the big Pakistan bombshell and India's T20 World Cup show in the latest episode of the Sledging Room.

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Produced & Sound Mix By: Kapil Dev Singh

Sunil Gavaskar dropped a bombshell when he wrote a column for Sportstar, hitting out at those who credited Gautam Gambhir for India’s Kanpur Test win against Bangladesh. Gavaskar said the sole credit for India’s aggressive approach should have gone to Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Test team. He said he felt people indulging in ‘foot-licking’ by crediting the newly-appointed coach.

It seems the legendary Gavaskar missed the mark on this occasion. While he stated the obvious by praising Rohit Sharma for India’s fearless approach, his swipe at the head coach's supporters left a bad taste.

Meanwhile, India women’s cricket has been facing criticism for its slow start to the women’s T20 World Cup. Some critics have accused the women’s cricket team of not asking the right questions. Can India wriggle out of trouble and make it to the semi-final? It looks less likely after a timid batting performance against Pakistan.

In the latest episode of the Sledging Room Podcast, Akshay Ramesh, Saurabh Kumar, and Kingshuk Kusari join the bandwagon and try to make issues out of non-issues.

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Produced and Sound Mix By Kapil Dev Singh