With just two wins from seven games, the Royals, languishing at eighth on the table, come into the contest on the back of a gut-wrenching Super Over defeat to Delhi Capitals.
Sai Sudharsan made the opportunity count in his comeback game with a fifty while Rishabh Pant suffered another injury as India played the old-fashioned way to reach 264 for four at stumps on Day 1 of the fourth Test in Manchester on Wednesday.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's three best performing players in all the 17 IPLs (2008-2024).
Across five fiercely contested Tests, more than 7,000 runs were scored, including a record-equalling 21 individual centuries. Every match stretched into a gripping fifth day. The sun shone, the stands were full, and the cricket -- emotional, enthralling, and endlessly unpredictable -- captured imaginations around the world.
Delhi Capitals looked like a well-oiled machine with four wins in a row before a stunning batting meltdown against Mumbai Indians halted their momentum.
Sanju Samson is set to return as Rajasthan Royals captain after receiving clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to keep wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
England are set to host Australia for three Twenty20s, followed by a five-match ODI series. The first ODI will take place on September 19 at Trent Bridge.
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'From what I've heard, England have had just one net session this entire trip, if not any. If you're not prepared to do the hard yards, you're not going to improve.'
Samson had new batting batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and throwdown specialists for company.
Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer hailed Priyansh Arya's sensational maiden IPL century, praising his fearless approach and highlighting the young opener's transformation from being 'timid' in the previous game
A magnificent fighting 95 from skipper Riyan Parag went in vain as defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) held their nerves to deny Rajasthan Royals (RR) a win, leaving them one run short at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Images from the IPL 2025 match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders.
With over 500 runs, six crucial catches, the most by an Indian on the tour, Rahul led by example and lived up to his wiseman tag.
Sanju Samson fractures index finger, out of action for five to six weeks
The third Test at Lord's could well be the series' turning point. This isn't just about team combinations or tactical tweaks anymore. The pitch has emerged as a defining factor -- one that could tilt the balance of power in a contest hanging delicately at 1-1.
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.
'Tilak Varma is the next BIG thing in Indian Cricket. Wow! What an incredible match-winning innings!'
K L Rahul would look to make the most of his first red-ball outing in months ahead of the upcoming Test series against England.
Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has returned to the team after recovering from a finger surgery he underwent last month. .
While Abhishek Sharma's explosive century stole the headlines, Samson's replacement by Dhruv Jurel raised questions about his availability.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday
Rajasthan Royals face a tough challenge against a marauding Punjab Kings batting lineup, led by in-form Shreyas Iyer.
England pacer Brydon Carse is expecting the transitioning Indian team to put up a strong fight in the five-match Test series despite the recent retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, thanks to their "huge depth".
To say the least, a relatively inexperienced batting line up led by Shubman Gill would be relieved to see the name of James Anderson
India will ponder whether they want to include Washington Sundar, who is quite handy with the bat or Kuldeep Yadav, who is a much better wicket-taking option.
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.
Sai Sudharsan's classy fifty combined with a collective bowling effort powered Gujarat Titans to a commanding 58-run win over Rajasthan Royals.
Tilak Varma's "mature" unbeaten 72 was the difference between India and England in the second T20I here, reckoned visitors's pace bowling all-rounder Brydon Carse.
Since Suryakumar took over as captain last year, India have hardly put a wrong but his own form has dipped.
South Africa crushed England by seven wickets in their final group match to storm into the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy.
The Proteas will now face the Group A runners-up in the semifinals, with India and New Zealand set to battle for Group A placings in Dubai on Sunday.
A probable lack of solution for his recurring struggles with the ball outside the off-stump prompted Virat Kohli to take retirement from Test cricket
In a must-win situation to keep the five-match series alive, England would be hoping to put a much improved performance with the bat.
Rising star Riyan Parag will lead Rajasthan Royals in the first three IPL games, as regular captain Sanju Samson will be playing as a specialist batter cum Impact Substitute.
Led by Shubman Gill, a defiant India put on a mentally strong and technically disciplined response to keep the series alive with England 2-1 up. While there were plenty of positives to take forward, a few concerns continue to linger as the series heads to a decider at The Oval.
England secured a 26-run victory over India in the third T20I in Rajkot on Tuesday to stay alive in the five-match series.
Joe Root's century in vain as England were shown the door.
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