Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Dinesh Karthik rued his side's inability to defend the 179-run target they set Delhi Capitals in Friday's IPL match, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, saying they fell short by 10-20 runs and also did not bowl.
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.
It will be a crucial couple of weeks for Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey, who are back in the mix after being sidelined from India's 50-over World Cup plans.
Ben Stokes thrives on his battles with some of the sport's most competitive players as it tends to bring out the best in the feisty England all-rounder, who is hoping to recover quickly from his nightmare end to the World Twenty20 tournament.
West Indian cricket legends, including Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Vivian Richards, have demanded the "dissolution" of the West Indies Cricket Board and formation of an interim one in place of the "obsolete" body.
Eight teams have formed some of the best combinations from a pool of 64 top cricketers in the players' draft for T10League -- the limited ten-over format cricket -- that will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Only pride will be at stake when Delhi Daredevils host embattled Royal Challengers Bangalore in an inconsequential IPL game in New Delhi, on Sunday, with both teams seeking an end to their misfiring campaign on a positive note.
A glamour-filled opening ceremony, featuring Bollywood personalities and all-girl English pop band TBC, performed for the Season 9 of the Indian Premier League, in Mumbai, on Friday.
Rising Pune Supergiant, who have gone from strength to strength, will look to seal their place in the Play-offs with a win over inconsistent Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League in New Delhi, on Friday.
'As a whole, I am very proud of my players'
The 2016 Indian Premier League season brings with it an opportunity for both the old and new.
Images from Thursday's World Cup match between India and West Indies, at Old Trafford.
Nathan Coulter-Nile slammed 92 from 60 deliveries to register the highest score by a No 8 batsman in a World Cup.
Deflated West Indies captain Jason Holder has demanded his players find the belief to win after their improved performance in Melbourne still ended in a draining 177-run loss in the second Test and a 2-0 defeat in the series.
Ravichandran Ashwin produced a bowling masterclass to grab 7 for 83 as India recorded their biggest ever win outside the subcontinent by thumping the West Indies by an innings and 92 runs in the first Test at Antigua to take a morale-boosting 1-0 lead in the 4-match Test series on Sunday. It was Ashwin's first five-wicket haul outside the subcontinent.
England captain Eoin Morgan has said the ploy to bring in Chris Woakes for the last over in the inconsequential third ODI against India was not a way of protecting Ben Stokes, who had been hammered in a similar pressure situation during last year's World T20 final.
West Indies head into World Cup with little or no expectations of success.
Besides KL Rahul, another individual who would like to answer his critics with solid performances is Pant.
Chennai Super Kings take on table toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League match, in Pune, on Sunday.
Delhi Daredevils will be aiming to display more impact in their batting department as they face a formidable challenge from defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL encounter, in Hyderabad, on Wednesday.
Cleared by International Cricket Council of suspect bowling action West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine would be more dangerous and confident in the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir said, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
Kings XI Punjab bowlers displayed exceptional death bowling skills as they shocked a formidable Delhi Daredevils by 9 runs in an IPL encounter.
Sunrisers Hyderabad would look to bounce back when they take on Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Hyderabad on Sunday.
It will be a test of character and battle for supremacy when Delhi Daredevils and Gujarat Lions, two of the most impressive teams of IPL 9, lock horns against each other at the Feroze Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday. Barring one bad day in office, both Daredevils and Gujarat Lions had a near perfect campaign so far in the tournament. While new outfit Gujarat Lions are comfortably placed at the second spot in the eight-team standings with eight points from five matches, the Daredevils are a place below in the third position with six points from four games.
The unbeaten streak of table-toppers Surisers Hyderabad would be up for a test when they take on third-placed Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League contest, in Mohali, on Thursday.
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.
Under fire from all quarters after an abysmal start to their tour, West Indies have pledged to be more competitive at the traditional Boxing Day Test but will struggle to prevent hosts Australia from taking an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
A re-energised Delhi Daredevils would look for their third win in a row when they face table leaders Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League in New Delhi, on Saturday.
Lack of intent in Daredevils players has been very surprising.
A rampaging Kolkata Knight Riders stand in the way of Delhi Daredevils' revival plan as the two teams, with contrasting runs so far, gear up to clash in an Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture in Kolkata on Friday.
'I thought, I've just lost the World Cup. I couldn't believe it.'
During a time where West Indian cricket has struggled to hit the heights of the great teams of the 1970s and 1980s, he has been more than just a great entertainer at the top of the order.
West Indies, on the other hand, would be desperate to return home with some positivity at the end of a two-month long series in which they lost both the Test and ODI series.
Familiarity with conditions at the Eden Gardens is a massive advantage, said chinaman Kuldeep Yadav after bowling India to a five-wicket win over the West Indies in the first T20 International in Kolkata on Sunday.
Delhi Daredevils will have to learn from the mistakes made in the previous game against table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad
The decision left everyone wondering if the on-field umpires faltered in calling off the game, but the Vidarbha player, said nothing like that had happened.
Sunrisers Hyderabad stand in the way of two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders, who would be looking to bring their campaign back on track at home during an Indian Premier League T20 cricket clash, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
The West Indies laid down a significant marker ahead of the ODI series as they comfortably beat England by 21 runs in their sole Twenty20 fixture at Chester-le-Street on Saturday.
Babar Azam hit his maiden century while spinner Mohammad Nawaz grabbed four wickets as Pakistan thrashed the West Indies by 111 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method in the first day-night international on Friday. Azam's rapid-fire 139-ball 120 helped Pakistan post a challenging 284-9 in a match reduced to 49 overs a side due to a 70-minute floodlight failure at Sharjah Stadium in the UAE. West Indies -- set 287 to win -- never got close and folded at 175 in 38.4 overs.
'I don't think there's anything that we did wrong. It was just some fantastic hitting in the last over.'
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