Their opponents New Zealand, who effectively knocked India out of the World Cup, have reached Jaipur on a chartered flight from Dubai with little time to reflect on their loss to Australia in the title clash.
Virat Kohli's tourists are the second ranked ODI side in the world and will be looking to get into their groove in the three 50-over and three Twenty20 matches that precede the four-match Test series around the new year.
Captain KL Rahul has been one of the few consistent performers in the formidable-looking Punjab batting unit and he once again led by example against MI
'When I am in the zone, and watching the ball well, the sixes come out naturally, and in that process, I tend to lose my wickets also. I enjoy my shots but I come back to the present after I play those shots.'
India's formidably consistent match-winners have a date with history in the New Year when they take on an out-of-sorts South Africa in the second Test in Johannesburg from Monday in pursuit of a coveted first-ever series win in the Rainbow Nation.
Having already won the series, Rohit and Dravid will now like to maintain a fine balance between winning and also trying out all their available resources to see how each and every individual is placed.
The hosts have not name a replacement for the left-handed batsman, with Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul both able to play at the top.
India have a real shot at winning their first ever away series against South Africa,
KL Rahul on Wednesday said that his batting position will depend on the format the team will be playing.
A final decision by the team's think-tank will be taken after the final practice session on Friday.
Considering Hardika Pandya's heavy recent workload, the decision was made to negate any possibility of a major injury concern, the BCCI said on Friday.
Kings XI Punjab captain KL Rahul blamed his side's inability to defend a decent total against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL match to the dew factor
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's astute captaincy will be Chennai Super Kings' biggest weapon against a clinical Kolkata Knight Riders, whose troika of top-notch spinners promise to hold the aces in the high-octane Indian Premier League final in Dubai on Friday.
Strike rates are over-rated, said Kings XI Punjab captain K L Rahul, brushing aside criticism of his bottom-placed team which lost its fourth match on the trot, failing miserably in a chase of 202 against SunRisers Hyderabad, in Dubai, on Thursday.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his side banks on consistency in selection and head coach Stephen Fleming should be given credit for it.
Rahul also backed youngsters in the team saying that the young guns will play a "big role" for KXIP in this season.
Virat Kohli's talismanic presence will be the shot in the arm that India would need in their bid to win the historic first-ever away Test series against South Africa.
India's vice captain KL Rahul on Sunday said that Jasprit Bumrah and Co. have endured hard lessons in adapting to conditions so far and it is not a surprise that wickets have been hard to come by on batting-friendly Australian tracks.
Ravindra Jadeja was called up to the Indian team as the replacement for Axar Patel for the first three ODIs in the five-match series against Australia starting in Chennai, on Sunday.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya returned to the Indian squad for the three-match ODI series against South Africa after a six-month injury lay-off along with fit-again senior opener Shikhar Dhawan and seasoned seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. This was the first selection meeting under new chairman Sunil Joshi. However, vice-captain Rohit Sharma is yet to fully recuperate from his calf muscle injury and is expected to return to action during the Indian Premier League later this month.
A desperate Sunrisers Hyderabad would seek inspiration from skipper David Warner to arrest any further slide when they take on Punjab Kings in an IPL match, in Chennai, on Wednesday.
Rookie Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar has been drafted in the Indian squad for the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka with seamer Bhuvneshar Kumar and senior opener Shikhar Dhawan being released.
KKR are gradually emerging as a strong contender for a third IPL title
A restructured Kings XI Punjab have all the required ingredients to achieve success in the upcoming IPL but they have to ensure that good starts are not squandered and their overseas combination is apt.
Senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the big surprise in India's squad for the T20 World Cup to be held in the United Arab Emirates next month.
Kings XI Punjab pacer Sheldon Cottrell is unfazed by the mounting losses of his team in the IPL and asserts that the side will bounce back just as he did after being pummelled by Rahul Tewatia not so long ago.
Frequently changing captains and coaches has hurt Kings XI Punjab in the past and that is why the franchise has decided to work on a three-year plan under Anil Kumble and K L Rahul to take the side forward, co-owner Ness Wadia said.
Opener Mayank Agarwal said Kings XI Punjab's dressing room remains a positive space despite two narrow defeats in their first three IPL games and it won't be long before things fall in place for his team.
Rohit Sharma will lead a second string Indian team, comprising leading performers in domestic (Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 and IPL) tournaments, for the Twenty20 tri-series in Sri Lanka, starting March 6. S hikhar Dhawan will be his deputy in the side that has as many as six changes.
Kings XI Punjab captain KL Rahul believes that the 'short run' that played a part in their opening IPL loss to Delhi Capitals massively affected their play-off chances despite a remarkable comeback in the second leg of the tournament.
Images from Friday's IPL match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals, in Abu Dhabi.
KL Rahul will encounter in his road to redemption as he gears up to play for India A in the first unofficial Test.
IMAGES from the 1st ODI between Australia and India played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday
Mumbai Indians enter the match high on confidence following successive victories over holders Chennai Super Kings and last edition's finalists Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Kings XI Punjab batsman Mayank Agarwal was neither apprehensive about getting back to nets nor is he cribbing about strict bio-bubble guidelines in place for the IPL, saying it's worth following the protocols to compete in a league that "beats everything".
Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore have won only three games out of 10 in IPL-12 so far.
Images from Sunday's IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab in Dubai.
Talented Karnataka batsman Manish Pandey, who recently led the India A squad to a tri-series win in South Africa, made a comeback to the team.
Images from the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings, in Chennai, on Friday.
It will not be the first time that the competition has had to be held outside India.
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