Riding high on their new-found confidence, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be hoping to finally get it right at home and keep their play-off hopes alive when they take on a struggling Rajasthan Royals in their IPL match in Kolkata on Sunday.
If Punjab goes for a flat deck, there is no guarantee that the bowling unit can defend anything in the 220 range, especially when KKR have the likes of Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, and Venkatesh Iyer in their ranks.
Chawla lauded Hardik's sharp tactical awareness, which played a pivotal role in MI's emphatic 8-wicket triumph, helping them bounce back after two consecutive defeats.
Mumbai Indians bowled out Kolkata Knight Riders for a paltry 116 runs in their latest IPL encounter, winning the match by eight wickets.
'The stakes are too high and it would have been a complete embarrassment had Bumrah broken down in a match.'
According to ESPNCricinfo, Shubman Gill has also confirmed his availability for Punjab's upcoming Ranji Trophy sixth-round fixture against Karnataka, set to begin on January 23.
Virat Kohli's childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, remains confident that the star batter will rediscover his form ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, despite recent struggles.
Shubman Gill's fluent century and a clinical performance from their bowlers helped India trounce England by 142 runs in the third and final ODI on Wednesday, to complete a 3-0 series sweep.
India's Champions Trophy squad has raised eyebrows with a number of bold selections, including a spin-heavy attack and the exclusion of experienced pacer Mohammed Siraj.
Having recently made his international comeback against England in both T20Is and ODIs, the stretchable knee caps did not go unnoticed as Mohammed Shami first tried to get a feel of the conditions by bowling a few deliveries with a short run-up.
Dube was hit on the helmet by a Jamie Overton bouncer and seamer Rana replaced him despite it not being a like-for-like replacement as concussion substitute rules mandate.
For the home side, it has been a season of mixed returns so far. After early defeats to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians, KKR roared back to form in their last outing -- a commanding win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Images from Day 2 of the first Test between Australia and India in Perth on Saturday.
Axar Patel, who had a perfect view of Jaiswal's catch, was lavish in his praise.
Gujarat Titans handed defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders an emphatic 39-run loss in the IPL 2025 match in Kolkata on Monday.
Jasprit Bumrah is only human and cannot always shoulder the responsibility of bowling opposition out all by himself, skipper Rohit Sharma said.
Champions Kolkata Knight Riders look like the most complete squad heading into IPL 2025.
While India are on a high after a measured six-wicket win over a sprightly Bangladesh, Pakistan are evidently tense after the 60-run loss in the tournament-opener to New Zealand.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday
Shardul Thakur bowled 8 full tosses, conceded 9 runs and took 2 wickets. It's early days and Thakur's season has seen him enjoy mixed fortunes, His figures of 2 for 52 were lucky breakthroughs but he is a great wicket-taking option.
The common theme in their opening game defeats was how the seemingly powerful batting and bowling units of KKR and RR failed to fire.
The common theme in those defeats was how the seemingly powerful batting and bowling units of KKR and RR failed to fire.
England skipper Jos Buttler said his side was "outplayed" by India throughout the three-match series.
Although India are playing a strong brand of 50-overs' cricket of late, they have some selection riddles to solve before they face Bangladesh in their opening match of the Champions Trophy.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 29.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy Group A match played between India and Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in Dubai on Thursday.
KKR's newly-appointed skipper Ajinkya Rahane seemed visibly irritated by the repeated discussions around Iyer's price tag and said he "deserved that price".
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 39.
With the Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh just around the corner, India's star batsman KL Rahul focused on power-hitting during a training session in Dubai.
Chahal's match-defining spell saw him take home his first Player of the Match for Punjab Kings.
It was a track where batters made merry after LSG put on 238 for 3 before KKR fell just four runs short as over 400 runs were scored.
Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood, and Sunil Narine emerged as rare bright spots-combining discipline, guile, and experience
'India needs to score big because they will have to defend those totals without Bumrah.'
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy justified his selection with a five-wicket haul and bowled India to a 44-run victory against New Zealand.
Rana didn't disappoint Gambhir either as the young pacer grabbed three wickets, supporting skipper Jasprit Bumrah to bundle out Australia for 104 in their first innings.
India face an anxious wait as Jasprit Bumrah's fitness status will only be confirmed in the first week of February.
With Bumrah out of commission, speedsters Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana will have to take responsibility.
The barren run of skipper Rohit Sharma and the selection conundrum that Virat Kohli's possible return poses are the towering obstacles in India's quest for a series win against England in the second ODI in Cuttack on Sunday.
Gambhir said the playing XI would be decided after taking a look at the pitch.
The youngsters in the side couldn't have got a better mentor than 'King' Kohli himself to guide them with his words of wisdom.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances