Indian opener Shubman Gill has officially walked out to bat with an MRF-sponsored bat in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final against Australia. This puts an end to speculation sparked by recent images showing Gill holding a bat with an MRF sticker during India’s practice sessions. While Gill had been a long-time CEAT-sponsored player, this switch to MRF has now been confirmed on the field.
MRF has a long-standing legacy in cricket bat sponsorship, with legendary players like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Brian Lara, AB de Villiers, and Gautam Gambhir having used MRF-branded bats throughout their careers. The company is known for endorsing some of the biggest names in cricket, particularly aggressive and stylish stroke players.
Some earlier reports suggested that Gill might have been testing a bat borrowed from Virat Kohli, who has been associated with MRF for many years. However, with Gill now stepping onto the field with the MRF bat in an official match, it confirms his transition from CEAT to MRF, making him the latest Indian batting star to be endorsed by the brand.
Australia Posts 264 in First Innings
Meanwhile, in the first innings, Australia was bowled out for 264 after opting to bat first. The Australian batters showed better resistance than New Zealand did in the previous game, but India’s spinners still dominated the middle overs.
- Spin vs Australia: 34 overs | 2 maidens | 176 runs | 5 wickets.
- Key Moments:
- Early Struggles: Australia lost Connolly for a duck early on.
- Head’s Aggression: Travis Head, who was dropped on 0, made a strong comeback but eventually fell to Varun Chakravarthy for 39.
- Smith Anchors Innings: Captain Steve Smith top-scored with 73 and was part of three half-century partnerships.
- Carey’s Resistance: Alex Carey played a crucial innings, countering India’s spin attack with smart strokeplay.
- Shami’s Crucial Strike: Smith’s dismissal by a low full toss from Shami halted Australia’s momentum, preventing them from reaching a 300+ total.
At one stage, Australia seemed poised for a bigger score, but Rohit Sharma rotated his bowlers effectively to restrict them to 264. While this is not an intimidating total, it remains competitive in a high-pressure semi-final. India will back themselves to chase this target against an inexperienced Australian bowling attack, but if the pitch starts offering more turn, the contest could get tricky.
