New Zealand are flying low at the World Cup and that suits them down to the ground, according to James Franklin. The seven-time semi-finalists are playing it cool in England and Wales, with the understated Kane Williamson at the helm.
With an aim to stay relevant till the business end, a desperate Kings XI Punjab will be aiming a comprehensive victory against a down and out Royal Challengers Bangalore in an Indian Premier League, in Bengaluru, on Friday.
Already out of the reckoning, Gujarat Lions severely dented Kings XI Punjab's play-off chances with a comfortable six-wicket victory in an Indian Premier League match, in Mohali, on Sunday.
A stat pack of India and New Zealand's ODI careers...
RCB began their campaign without skipper and star batsman Virat Kohli as well as another key player A B de Villiers due to injuries and lost their opening match against defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Wearing Australian colours for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal erupted in Cape Town in March, 2018, Steve Smith and David Warner were greeted warmly by a small crowd in Brisbane, where Aaron Finch's team took a one-wicket win.
Captain Kane Williamson, all-rounder Vijay Shankar and comeback man Wriddhiman Saha will look to score in the key match.
Sri Lanka beat New Zealand via Super Over after the opening Super Eights match of the ICC World Twenty20 ended in a tie.
Langer's side secured their spot in the last four with a 64-run win over hosts England at Lord's on Tuesday and return to the famous north London ground on Saturday to face neighbours New Zealand in their penultimate round-robin tie.
New Zealand will head into their first Test against England on March 6 with a new opening partnership after the recall of Peter Fulton and inclusion of the uncapped Hamish Rutherford and Tom Latham in their squad on Sunday.
590 cricketers -- including 370 Indian players and 220 overseas players -- will go under the hammer during the two-day mega auction in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.
Dhoni's men will be slight favourites as it will be Bairstow's last game
Australia's former national selector Mark Waugh also picked the Kane Williamson-led New Zealand for their ability to perform well in all departments.
New Zealand is all set to bring back Brendon McCullum as an opening batsman for the two-Test series against India starting on Thursday in Hyderabad.
'It is one of those things that every day, often, you are having small conversations about it'
New Zealand battled to 64 for two in their follow-on innings, still 340 runs behind South Africa, at tea on the third day of the second Test at St. George's Park on Sunday.
Australia's fifth World Cup triumph was largely possible due to efforts of fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who had a sensational run with the ball in the mega-event.
Captain Kane Williamson hailed his pace attack after a devastating opening 10 overs sent New Zealand into their second straight World Cup final with a surprise 18-run win over India.
He is among the best in the world but New Zealand captain and batting mainstay Kane Williamson prefers to be modest and says he has "learnt watching Virat Kohli", terming the Indian swashbuckler a "great player". "Virat's a great player and his ability to dominate attacks through all three formats is very special. "Certainly that I admire, I love watching him play and learn from a player like that," the current World No.3 in the ICC Test rankings told reporters during a media interaction in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Ross Taylor says New Zealand's ODI side can deal with pressure situations a lot better than the Twenty20 one and that was precisely why they could knock down a big target in the series-opener against India, in Hamilton, on Wednesday.
J P Duminy blasted an unbeaten 86 and Dale Steyn bowled a sensational last over as South Africa pulled of a dramatic two-run victory over New Zealand to bring their ICC World Twenty20 campaign back on track, in Chittagong, on Monday.
Neither side will be at full strength, as a string of first-team players will be missing due to injuries, when India and New Zealand meet in the opening match of the ODI series on Wednesday in Hamilton.
Images from the third day's play of the second Test between India and New Zealand being played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore
The Kiwis will have greater concern over their lack of finishing after squandering two last over winning positions in two consecutive games, and the series along with.
Premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will be in focus alongside speedster Mohammed Shami when defending champions India take on New Zealand on Sunday in their opening warm-up game ahead of the Champions Trophy in London.
McClenaghan and Milne last featured in the 50-over format for New Zealand in early 2016 and missed a majority of last year's fixtures through injuries.
Hardly challenged in a dominating run this season, India once again start as overwhelming favourites when they take on an inconsistent-but-gritty New Zealand in a three-match One-Day International series, starting in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Kane Williamson hit a brilliant 123 as New Zealand staved off Pakistan's spirited challenge to eke out a series-levelling seven-run victory in the fourth one-day international in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Kings XI Punjab will be aiming to continue their late surge against Rising Pune Supergiant in a 'winner takes it all' Indian Premier League encounter, in Pune on Sunday.
New Zealand held their nerve under the floodlights to beat Bangladesh by two wickets in a dramatic low-scoring Cricket World Cup match at The Oval on Wednesday.
Images from the third One-Day International between New Zealand and India in Mount Maunganui on Monday.
India crushed New Zealand by 178 runs in the second Test on Monday to clinch the three-match series and reclaim top spot in the world rankings from Pakistan.
Wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha's battling half-century helped India reach 316 before the hosts were dismissed in their first innings against New Zealand on the second morning of the second test at Eden Gardens on Saturday.
Fans of the ace cricketer, who recently turned 38, took to Twitter to appeal to their idol to keep his chin high while praising his efforts in turning tables in favour of the Men in Blue.
New Zealand survived Ravindra Jadeja's late onslaught to stun India by 18 runs in a low-scoring thriller on Wednesday and reach the ICC World Cup final for the second time in a row.
Bangladesh shocked New Zealand by five wickets to keep their hopes alive of making it to the semi-finals at the ICC Champions Trophy in Cardiff, on Friday.
What cost India a place in the World Cup final?
A formidable Indian cricket team is likely to revel in home conditions, as they prepare to host and dominate New Zealand in the first Test in Kanpur, from Thursday, heralding the beginning of a long 13-match home season.
Umar Gul bulldozed New Zealand with a sensational five-wicket haul as Pakistan defeated New Zealand by six-wicket to keep their semifinals hopes alive in the World Twenty20.
George Worker compiled a brisk 62 off just 38 balls on his international debut to enable New Zealand to complete their brief limited overs tour of Zimbabwe with an easy 80-run win in their only Twenty20 international on Sunday.
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