Like Kohli, Shubman Gill, another promising top-order batter, also made his mark on the international stage after his successful stint in the U-19 World Cup in 2018. Many cricket enthusiasts and experts have hailed Gill as the next big thing in Indian cricket. Together, Kohli and Gill represent a formidable duo in India’s batting lineup.
However, a fake video recently went viral, falsely depicting Kohli criticizing Gill. In the doctored video, Kohli appears to admonish Gill, saying there’s a “big gap between showing promise and becoming a legend.” The video, which has been widely circulated, shows Kohli comparing himself to legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The comments in the video are believed to be the result of lip-syncing, and the incident has sparked concerns over the misuse of AI technology, with many viewers warning that “AI is dangerous.”
In other news, the latest ICC Test rankings released on Wednesday saw several shifts among top players. Virat Kohli has moved up two places to secure the eighth spot, while Indian captain Rohit Sharma has dropped one place to sixth. Young Indian batter Yashasvi Jaiswal continues his rise, moving up one spot to seventh in the rankings.
Veteran England batter Joe Root maintained his position as the top-ranked Test batter in the world, following England’s successful first Test against Sri Lanka in Manchester. Root’s teammate, Harry Brook, made significant gains, jumping three places to fourth overall, surpassing Pakistan’s Babar Azam, Australia’s Steve Smith, and Rohit Sharma.
Babar Azam experienced a notable drop, falling six places from a shared third to ninth after a rare failure in the first innings of Pakistan’s Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan climbed seven spots to enter the top 10, achieving a career-high ranking at a shared 10th place following his century in the same match.
Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim also reached a career-high rating, moving up seven spots to 17th place.
Among bowlers, seasoned Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin continues to hold the top spot, with pacer Jasprit Bumrah and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja maintaining their third and seventh positions, respectively. England’s Chris Woakes climbed four spots to 16th, while Sri Lanka’s Asitha Fernando made a significant leap of 10 places to 17th. Pakistan’s Naseem Shah (up four places to 33rd) and England’s Gus Atkinson (up four places to 42nd) also achieved career-best ratings after strong recent performances.
In the all-rounder rankings, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin continue to occupy the top two spots, with India’s Axar Patel ranked sixth.
