T20 Series

India then did not let the target get above their head as they chased it down quite comfortably in 14.1 overs. It was a real good opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, putting up 85 runs in just 9.1 overs, which saw the scoreboard reach 109/3 and ensured victory came with ease.

Debutant Riyan Parag, who made his debut T20Is against Zimbabwe, found his maiden ODI call-up with Harshit Rana too finding a place in the squad. Virat Kohli and K.L. Rahul along with Shreyas Iyer make up the 50-over team.

Following Kohli, Rohit Sharma also announced his retirement from T20Is after steering India to the T20 World Cup title. Speaking to IANS during a curtain raiser event for the Trinity Golf Championship League, Kapil Dev discussed the contributions of these cricketing stalwarts and shared insights on the Indian contingent for the Paris Olympics:

Gill, projected to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in the upcoming three T20Is in Sri Lanka later this month, emerged as the top scorer in the five-match series in Harare. He was not included in the T20 World Cup squad for the USA and Caribbean.

The T20I games are going to start the tour on July 26, 27, and 29 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Thereafter, the ODIs will take place on August 1, 4, and 7 in Colombo at the R Premadasa International Stadium.

Opting to bat first, India posted a competitive total of 182/4. Gill's innings of 66 runs off 49 balls, embellished with 7 boundaries and 3 sixes, anchored the innings alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad's aggressive 49 off 28 balls, which included 4 fours and 3 sixes.

"When you lack quality, ratings drop, crowds diminish and it becomes meaningless cricket, which is detrimental to the sport," Shastri said, demanding a cut in the number of Test-playing nations to make the game more competitive. He called for two tiers with promotion and relegation to keep Test cricket interesting and the top six teams playing consistently.