Check out PM Modi's personal messages to India's players at World Cup.
Here is a lowdown of all the light-hearted, fun news from around the ICC World Cup.
New Zealand's pulsating form in the Cricket World Cup is sparking a surge of ticket sales.
Pace legend Michael Holding is impressed with Mahendra Singh Dhoni's approach.
Pakistan, who briefly topped the Test rankings last year, have now lost six straight Tests, one to West Indies in Sharjah, two in New Zealand and three in Australia.
It was at Sydney that Virat Kohli was annointed with permanent Test captaincy and it is at the very ground that he created an epic chapter in Indian cricket history.
Steve Smith led the way with another good knock as Australia raced to 251 for 6 and a lead of 348 over India before rain stopped play at the end of the fourth day in the fourth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday. Statistical highlights from the day's play.
'If Richie Benaud was born to play cricket and born to lead, he was also born to commentate on the game he graced with his inspirational presence.'
India took giant strides towards winning their first ever series on Australian soil in seven decades by retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a comprehensive 137-run win in the third Test in Melbourne on Sunday.
As we prepare to cruise into the New Year, Rediff.com gives you a glance back, through photos, into all the sporting moments that made the last 12 months memorable.
Michael Clarke's Sydney cricket club is being probed for declaring at 17-0 during a local game on Sunday and claiming it was to boost the injured Australian captain's chances of batting time before the first Test against India next month.
On the ICC ODI Team Rankings, No.1 ranked Australia has moved up from 118 points to 120 points, while New Zealand has dropped behind India in fourth position. New Zealand had started the series on 112 points, but the 3-0 defeat has meant it has dropped to 109 points.
Ravindra Jadeja made a memorable comeback to Test cricket with a five-wicket haul as India scored a resounding 108-run victory against South Africa in a low scoring Test match. Rajneesh Gupta presents some interesting numbers from Day 3 of the first Test match, in Mohali, on Saturday.
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Rohit Sharma made history on Thursday with a scintillating 264, the highest individual ODI score, as India amassed 404 for five in the fourth one-dayer against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Take a look the ten best scores in ODIs
Angelique Kerber is looking forward to a potential German sporting double over the next fortnight, aiming to win Wimbledon as one of the favourites while also cheering on her national football team at Euro 2016. Australian Open champion Kerber revealed on Saturday that she had been hooked on watching the Euros, particularly the progress of Die Mannschaft, during her preparations in London.
The former captain's struggling innings of 51 off 96 balls and his failure to rotate the strike in the first ODI has brought to focus the rejigging that captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri will have to fret upon.
Zaheer Khan feels that one shouldn't go 'crazy or overboard' if the bowler in question is not ready for the challenge.
Philander's partnership with Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel has earned the trio the label as the most-balanced and penetrating attack in world cricket.
South Africa captain AB de Villiers will turn to his senior players to help lift the team out of the doldrums after they suffered a 'big knock' to their confidence.
Besides the 90,000 plus fans lending their noisy support, most of the 22 players involved in the final of the World Cup 2015 will have support in the shape of their families and spouses.
The Islamic State terror group is secretly buying land near an isolated village in Bosnia in the heart of Europe which could be a base for devastating terror attacks on the West, a media report has said.
From Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards, Imran Khan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, these cricketers, among others, etched their names in the annuls of cricketing history with heroic efforts that helped their teams clinch the big prize of One-day cricket. With the 2015 edition of the cricket World Cup starting on February 14, we bring you a brief history of finals from 1975-2011...
With the 2019 ODI World Cup on the horizon, focus has firmly shifted to white-ball cricket with the arrival of limited-overs' specialists, in Sydney, on Tuesday.
For the first time in almost a quarter of a century, the cricket World Cup is back Down Under. For the traditionalists and newcomers alike, it is a long overdue return to one of the sport's spiritual homes.
India spinner Kuldeep Yadav said he needs 'more time' to improve as a Test bowler, stressing that playing red-ball cricket is vital for his growth.
Bumrah, who has so far taken eight wickets in the third Test against Australia, in Melbourne, has 47 Test wickets to his kitty after making his debut in January.
Even as the teams get ready for next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Michael Hussey has predicted that spin will not play much of a part in the mega-tournament, and only "mystery spinners like Saeed Ajmal and Sunil Narine have a chance of succeeding.
equally surprised to see the amount of interest in the game at WACA.
Brendon McCullum's inspirational captaincy has lifted New Zealand and the flamboyant batsman should continue leading the side in all three formats at least until next year's World Twenty20, former captain Stephen Fleming said.
His great grandfather played Test cricket for both England and India. His grandfather was arguably the most charismatic captain India has had.
Australia and England will play the first day-night Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval in December next year, adding a bold new ingredient to one of cricket's oldest and fiercest rivalries.
ECB to allow replacements for concussed players in domestic matches
'We played a lot of cricket throughout the year, so injuries are bound to happen. And there will be some concerns about form and fitness. I don't see there will be any drastic changes to the squad'
James Pattinson has the full support of the Australian team in his battle against over-stepping and they expect him to come out and "blow the game apart" in New Zealand's second innings, according to off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
Growing trade and commerce in the region could support passenger demand
Rohit Sharma took his time joining the World Cup party but arrived in style on Thursday, rocking the Melbourne Cricket Ground with a match-winning century to sink Bangladesh and send reigning champions India charging into the semi-finals.
Nearly three years have passed since George Bailey was shut out of Test cricket after one middling series but the door has creaked ajar as Australia searches for answers to its subcontinental malaise before a daunting tour to India.
Reigning champion India will be bidding to gain further momentum and become only the third side in World Cup history to successfully defend its title after West Indies in 1975 and 1979 and Australia, who won the coveted prize three times in succession between 1999 and 2007.
With India all set to host the ICC World Twenty20 for the first time in 2016, we take a look at the 8 grounds that will host the 58 matches over 27 days from March 8 to April 3.
Courtesy of the fast bowler's match haul of 9 for 86, India beat Australia by 137 runs in the third Test to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
