'I know that the CSK squad is deep, they've got a lot of options at the top, but I also believe that as much as the pressure is now on to find that No. 3, it's just probably the most challenging time that I can look for anyway for CSK.'
The in-form Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore takes on Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in a top-of-the-table IPL showdown in Mumbai on Sunday with two points and momentum at stake.
Eyeing a top-two finish, Chennai Super Kings will start as the firm favourites when they take on Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League, in Dubai, on Thursday.
Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni made it amply clear that he will wear his favourite yellow jersey for at least one more season and the 'Whistle Podu' army will certainly see him playing his "farewell game" at their beloved Chepauk.
Dhoni's men will have to adapt to the conditions quickly to avoid any such hiccup in the play-offs.
The two sides experienced contrasting fortunes in their respective tournament opener.
With eight points from 11 games, RR are placed second from bottom in the eight-team table and a loss on Saturday will end their slim chances of qualifying for the knockout stage.
Former batsman Sanjay Manjrekar feels that Rohit Sharma is on a self-destructive mode and said it will be difficult for him to retain his place in India's Tests squad.
But the ISI chief did not retire giving the impression that he has won General Asim Munir's trust, notes Rana Banerji who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
Faf du Plessis made a successful review of an lbw decision against him before guiding South Africa to a series-clinching six-wicket victory in the fifth and final One-dayer against New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday.
When he walked out to bat, India were in a precarious position with all their top batsmen back in the hut and once again it was Ravindra Jadeja who played the rescue act.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes was the costliest buy after the first round of Indian Premier League players' auction, going to Rising Pune Supergiants for a whopping Rs 14.50 crore.
Pakistan's anti-government protesters had a quiet day in Islamabad's high security area where they have been camping demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resignation, even as opposition leader Imran Khan vowed to continue the sit-in until goals achieved.
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between India and South Africa in Mohali, on Saturday.
An unbeaten century from opener Martin Guptill eased New Zealand to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over South Africa in the second One-Day International at Senwes Park on Sunday.
Norne Morkel, who has now retired from the international cricket, has said that he is keen to play in the Big Bash and Sheffield Shield having relocated to Sydney with his family.
Australian opener David Warner has surged to a career-best third in the ICC ODI Players Rankings for batsmen after accumulating 386 runs at an impeccable average of 77.20 in the recently concluded five-match series against South Africa.
Having won the series, India would like to carry on momentum forward, especially with the three-match T20I series to follow soon after. Yet, the visitors would also like to find a balance between going all out in a dead rubber and resting a few players keeping in mind a long overseas schedule later this year.
India will look to crush a South African revival before it becomes a threat to their pursuit of a maiden ODI series triumph here when the two sides clash in the fifth one-dayer, on Tuesday.
No other spinner headed into the World Cup with a burden of expectation heavier than the one on Rashid Khan's shoulders. But seven matches into the tournament and the poster boy of Afghan cricket is buckling under the weight.
The 2019 edition in England & Wales might be only 15 games old but set a fascinating pattern right from the very first ball when South Africa opened up with the leg spin of Imran Tahir.
'There cannot be a batsman in the world less liable to panic than Kane Williamson'
Rajasthan Royals defeated Delhi Daredevils by three wickets.
Chennai opener Shane Watson rode his luck to smash the match's only half-century but his 80 could not prevent his team going down to Mumbai for the fourth time in this year's IPL.
South Africa were given a glimpse of what they have been missing as De Villiers flayed Bangladesh's attack with stunning ease on his way to a career-best one-day international score on Wednesday.
It's less than a year since he made his debut, in the first Test against India at Mohali, but Kagiso Rabada has emerged South Africa's leading cricketer. The 21-year-old fast bowler was named South African's youngest ever Cricketer of the Year and also scooped up five other awards at a gala hosted by Cricket South Africa.
KKR slumped to their third straight defeat after losing to CSK by five wickets in a home game, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
Virat Kohli strengthened his position at the top of ICC ODI rankings for batsmen by touching a career-high 911 points, while Kuldeep Yadav broke into the top-10 of the bowlers' chart at sixth, on Wednesday.
'It's come down to the people and their belief whether finger spinners could do the job or not. I feel finger spinners have a role to play provided you back them'
Former captain Mahela Jayawardene hit a classy unbeaten century to help Sri Lanka close on 305 for five on the first day of the second Test against South Africa in Colombo on Thursday. In a chanceless six hours at the crease, Jayawardene finished on 140 not out off 225 balls, including one six and 16 fours, to give Sri Lanka a solid start in their bid to level the two-match series.
KKR with 12 points from 12 games would like to win the next two encounters to ensure a smooth passage while CSK, currently at the bottom of the eight-team table, are only playing for pride.
South Africa clinched the Twenty20 series with a comfortable six-wicket win over a lacklustre India in the second match, which was marred by shameful and unruly crowd behaviour at the Barabati stadium in Cuttack.
After eight defeats in 11 outings, Chennai Super Kings will look to give their forgettable campaign a semblance of respectability when they take on in-form Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League in Dubai on Sunday.
Mumbai Indians have been in ominous form and the varied bowling attack could prove a challenge for the CSK batters, who are low on confidence.
Virat Kohli will be facing the toughest battle of his nascent ODI captaincy career when defending champions India take on South Africa in a do-or-die match of the ICC Champions Trophy, in London, on Sunday.
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals have failed to live up to expectations in the IPL so far and are placed sixth and seventh respectively on the points table in the eight-team competition.
Virtually out of the play-off race, bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad will hope to keep their new-found momentum intact when they face table toppers Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, in Sharjah, on Thursday.
all-rounder Washington Sundar, who bats left-handed and bowls right-arm off-spin, was picked following a trial by the franchise a few days ago after Ravichandran Ashwin was ruled out of IPL-10 with an injury.
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings head into the match after identical seven-wicket wins over Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively.
On a roll post the IPL's resumption, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders will look to continue their winning streak when they meet in a high-octane Indian Premier League encounter, in Abu Dhabi, on Sunday.
