To everyone's surprise, the team management didn't play him during the high-scoring first T20I in Mohali, raising doubts whether he has still attained peak fitness or not.
India will expect a better approach from skipper Shikhar Dhawan and young Shubman Gill in the Powerplay overs when the team clashes with New Zealand in a do-or-die second One-Day International, in Hamilton, on Sunday.
Images from the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, in Dubai, on Sunday.
With Ravindra Jadeja unavailable because of injury, will India include the left-handed Rishabh Pant over Dinesh Karthik who is a designated finisher in the squad?
With two senior pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (thigh injury) and Ishant Sharma (side strain) all but ruled out, Navdeep Saini will certainly be the fourth pacer after Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav.
Deepak Chahar has replaced Pandya in the squad, Ravindra Jadeja will come in for Axar, while Siddharth Kaul will be flown in as reinforcement for Shardul, the BCCI confirmed on Thursday.
As the 16th edition of the glitzy Indian Premier League is set to unfold, let's take a look at the driving force of the T20 league and what's in store in this edition.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane's position in group A of the BCCI central contracts could be up for deliberation
Delhi's strong batting line up of Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Steven Smith and Pant himself will look to fire on all cylinders right from the opening game.
Deepak Chahar's heroics (four wickets in an over) went in vain as Rajasthan went down by 1 run
Dhawan took control of the proceedings with a flurry of boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Ravindra Jadeja's batting in the 19th over turned the game on its head.
Sikandar Raza's lion-hearted effort took Zimbabwe on the cusp of a famous victory before India held their nerves to pull off a 13-run win in the third ODI and complete a series sweep in Harare on Monday.
Images from Tuesday's IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai.
Many seniors including captain Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are all set to be rested for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, with an eye on the marquee tour of England in July.
Gaikwad, a India 'A' regular, who tested positive a few days after Chahar, was being touted as the one to replace Suresh Raina, who pulled out of the IPL due to personal reasons.
Gearing up for a gruelling tour of Australia, the Indian team on Saturday began outdoor training with a light session after the entire contingent tested negative for COVID-19.
Yuvraj slammed the youngsters who dropped too many catches in the outfield
The two squads comprise a host of players, who have performed consistently for their state teams and IPL franchises over the past couple of seasons.
Should India have included Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur, Shikhar Dhawan and Yuzvendra Chahal? Tell us!
In the 10 matches this season, Jadeja has scored just 116 runs
Dasun Shanaka is their 10th captain in nearly five years, and barring a classy batsman like Dhananjaya de Silva and a steady pacer in Dishmantha Chameera, this team lacks quality to challenge the might of the Indian team led by Shikhar Dhawan.
In the last four IPLs, Mohammed Shami has taken 19 wickets or more every season.
The Chennai Super Kings squad wore a relieved look as the players got together for breakfast at the Taj hotel in Dubai on Friday morning.
'My goal initially was to play for the team (KKR) regularly and contribute to the wins. Hopefully, I will be able to perform for the Indian team. I want to thank selectors for having faith in me.'
KL Rahul scored only 13 on his return from suspension but India A sealed the ODI series against England Lions with a comfortable 60-run win taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
The BCCI senior selection committee on Saturday announced the India A squad for the five one-dayers against the Lions.
Punjab Kings are placed eighth while Chennai Super Kings occupy the penultimate slot in the 10-team IPL points table.
Rishabh Pant's Delhi Capitals taught Dhoni's 'Dad's Army' a cricketing lesson with a thumping seven-= wicket victory.
The teams are ready to battle it out and with no established name figuring in India's bowling department
On a roll after back-to-back wins, the vintage Chennai Super Kings would look to extend their winning run when they clash with struggling Kolkata Knight Riders in their next IPL match in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Images from the third T20 International between India and South Africa, in Indore, on Tuesday.
India overpowered South Africa by 16 runs in a high-scoring contest in the second T20 International in Guwahati on Sunday to register their first-ever T20 home series victory against the Proteas.
Ahead of Saturday's event, here's a lowdown of ready references for the auction.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh can beat each other on their day
Dhoni's wife Sakshi shared her feelings on an Instagram story, which was later deleted.
In the 18th over of the Rajasthan Royals innings, Deepak Chahar, bowling to Tom Curran, got a caught behind decision from umpire C Shamshuddin. It was a horrible decision and Curran couldn't refer it as Rahul Tewatia wasted the only DRS.
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals, in Dubai, on Monday.
After the Chennai Super Kings outclassed the Kings XI Punjab in Pune, Ziva Dhoni enjoyed some time out in the middle.
Chennai Super Kings batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad, who tested positive for COVID-19 last month, continues to be in isolation and is unlikely to be available for the team's IPL opener against Mumbai Indians on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
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