India begins their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA, aiming to leverage their strong team composition and recent form to secure a victory.
India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav said a short break after the South Africa series last year and a conscious change in his batting approach helped him rediscover his touch.
A seemingly unstoppable force in the shortest format, the current India squad has an aura of invincibility around it unlike the one that ended the cricketing powerhouse's long wait for an ICC title in Barbados 19 months ago.
Sanju Samson received a big vote of confidence as bowling coach Morne Morkel said the opener was just one knock away from breaking free from a lean run.
To witness over 100,000 people sitting in stunned silence is not a sight one can forget easily.
The sustained aggression of Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav has made it difficult for New Zealand bowlers to "remain calm" in the ongoing five-match T20I series in India.
A mouth-watering India-South Africa warm-up at the D Y Patil stadium did exactly that, igniting anticipation and hopes among fans.
Sri Lanka has implemented special security measures for the highly anticipated India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match in Colombo on Sunday.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the T20 World Cup match against Pakistan?
India faced a heavy defeat against South Africa in their T20 World Cup Super Eights opener after a batting collapse while chasing 188. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav admitted the failure to build partnerships cost them the game.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's stunning performance in the Under-19 World Cup final has led to calls for the young cricketer to be fast-tracked into the senior Indian team, with former cricketers drawing comparisons to Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.
Defending champions India thumped Pakistan by 61 runs in a grudge Group A match of the T20 World Cup to secure their place in the Super 8s, in Colombo, on Sunday.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar anticipates leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav replacing pacer Arshdeep Singh in the crucial T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, citing favorable conditions for spinners and strategic bowling decisions in recent games.
Pakistan is expected to field four specialist bowlers, including two spinners and two pacers, in their crucial T20 World Cup match against India in Colombo.
Opener Sanju Samson once again failed to get back among the runs, as he was dismissed for 24 from 15 balls in the fourth T20I against New Zealand.
Following India's emphatic eight-wicket victory over New Zealand in the third T20I, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi said he focused on bowling in the right areas and worked extensively on his lengths after enduring a difficult Indian Premier League (IPL) season last year. Bishnoi delivered an impressive spell of 2/18 in four overs, playing a key role in restricting New Zealand to 153/9 in 20 overs. His disciplined bowling effort laid the foundation for India's dominant win in Guwahati. Speaking during the post-match press conference, Bishnoi said he worked closely with his coaches at home in Jodhpur after being left out of the Indian T20I side. The leg-spinner added that playing matches in the Vijay Hazare, Syed Mushtaq and Ranji Trophy tournaments has helped him to make a comeback. "It's always difficult when you are away from the side. You feel like you should be there, but you aren't. I had time to work on my own bowling. I worked a lot. I worked with my coaches at home in Jodhpur. Then I played domestic matches again. I played a few matches in the Vijay Hazare, Syed Mushtaq and Ranji Trophy tournaments. All those things helped me a lot to come back," Bishnoi said. The 24-year-old further stated that he consciously tried to bowl in the right areas and adapt his rhythm according to match conditions. "I was trying to bowl in the right areas. It depends on my rhythm on the given day. I have worked on my lengths. I didn't have a good IPL last season. I was a bit nervous and excited," he added. On Abhishek Sharma's blistering batting performance, Bishnoi said, "The way Abhishek is batting, India needs this. He practices a lot. Hope he continues this form for a long time." Sharma made an outstanding unbeaten 68 runs in just 20 balls, including seven fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 340. Abhishek Sharma's fifty, paired with Suryakumar Yadav's blistering unbeaten 57 off 26 balls, propelled India to a convincing eight-wicket win, chasing down 154 runs in just 10 overs. With this victory, India also took the five-match T20I series, winning all three T20Is.
Ishan Kishan's sensational comeback and Sanju Samson's inconsistent displays with the bat will reignite debate over who should be Abhishek Sharma's preferred opening partner.
Ishan Kishan's thrill-a-second maiden T20I hundred compensated for Sanju Samson's familiar failure, and the knock in conjunction with Arshdeep Singh's fifer scripted India's 46-run romp over New Zealand in the fifth and final match in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.
Shivam Dube: 'I worked really hard, but there is something called support that is given by Surya and Gautam. They have given me a free hand. So I go and hit because they trust me a lot.'
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav says India will consider playing two spinners in the T20 World Cup if the situation demands, highlighting the team's strong spin bowling options and flexible batting lineup.
You don't just play here -- you must dare to play here because the sound from the stands crashes onto the field, and often the cheer comes back to the players like waves.
'He worked very hard in the last two years, he played a lot of domestic cricket, focused on his batting.'
Abhishek Sharma's pyrotechnics followed a now familiar script with India out-batting New Zealand by 48 runs in the opening T20 International in Nagpur on Wednesday.
USA spinner Harmeet Singh compared Suryakumar Yadav's calm under pressure to Mahendra Singh Dhoni after the Indian captain's match-winning 84 in the T20 World Cup opener.
The No 3 batter will rejoin India squad ahead of T20 WC warm-up game in Mumbai.
While wickets fell in a steady procession at the other end, captain Suryakumar Yadav took it upon himself to anchor and attack and almost single-handedly hauled his side to a competitive total on a sluggish pitch.
Suryakumar Yadav becomes fourth player to play 100 T20Is for India, achieves feat during 1st T20I against New Zealand
Sanju Samson seeks revival with home support as India manage injuries and combinations against New Zealand in the final T20I before the World Cup.
Jaise main team se in and out hota hoon uska advantage bhi hai. Mera ball bhi in and out jaata hai. I'm enjoying that, says Arshdeep Singh
Yuvraj Singh was seen giving Sanju Samson some batting tips during a nets training, in a video posted on X.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the opening match against USA?
Indian ODI and Test skipper Gill recently suffered a significant setback after being dropped from the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup and the New Zealand T20I series due to fitness and form concerns.
Suryakumar Yadav, who returned to form with a blazing 82* against New Zealand at Raipur, spoke on how he dealt with his lean patch
Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan face a key test as India take on New Zealand in the second T20I at Raipur, eyeing World Cup momentum.
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner emphasizes the importance of pace variety in his team's bowling attack for the T20 World Cup, highlighting the different strengths of bowlers like Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, and Jacob Duffy.
Riding on momentum gained from Mumbai win, Punjab to take on Saurashtra in VHT semis
In this rivalry, numbers fade and national pride takes centre stage.
India will be hoping for a positive turn in their spinners' performance while attempting to extend the total domination over New Zealand to the fourth T20I in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
Form and familiarity favour India in T20 World Cup
Former captain Sourav Ganguly on Sunday backed the Indian team's aggressive batting template in the T20 World Cup, saying top-order players like Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma should not curb their attacking instincts even on two-paced surfaces.
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