Batting at number four, Dhoni, who generally bats at number six, anchored India's chase with a 114-ball 87 not out which was studded with six boundaries.
The focus will be on K L Rahul and Vijay Shankar, contenders for the number four slot, in the World Cup warm up match against New Zealand, in London, on Saturday.
Following is the list of players who have been released by the different franchises ahead of the auction for the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League.
Suresh Raina was on Monday ruled out of the remaining two ODIs against New Zealand after failing to recover from viral fever as India decided not to make any change to the squad that has taken a 2-1 lead in the ongoing five-ODI series.
Ajinkya Rahane was chosen as captain of the depleted Indian team for the limited overs tour to Zimbabwe next month as the selectors decided to rest several seniors including Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
While India's rivalry with Pakistan is historic, the one against Bangladesh has been a bitter one post the controversial 2015 World Cup quarter-final at Melbourne.
S Badrinath stood tall amid ruins before West Zone bundled out South for 199 and stretched their overall lead to 492 runs after day three of the Duleep Trophy final in Chennai on Saturday.
India gets new face in pace attack
It will be a selection dilemma for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coach Anil Kumble as a fit-again Suresh Raina is back in the nets having recovered from a bout of viral fever that kept him out of first ODI in Dharamsala. With Kedar Jadhav picking up two wickets with his handy part-time off breaks, the same skill set of both the players is definitely going to be a factor as the team management decides to pick the XI for the second ODI against New Zealand on Thursday.
Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who came in at No. 7 in Tuesday's IPL match against Rajasthan Royals, blamed the 14-day quarantine for lack of batting time.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, CSK revealed England fast bowler Mark Wood and uncapped Indian players Kanishk Seth and Kshitiz Sharma have been released.
It will be a big statement if Virat Kohli's young side could start off with a bang at Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 'spritual home', a task which will be easier said than done.
Medium pacer Rajat Bhatia and leg spinner Chaitanya Nanda shared eight wickets to help Delhi bundle out Maharashtra for a meagre 219 runs on the first day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Division Group A tie.
The Indian Playing XI will also have Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Sunday as he replaces Mohammed Shami, who was hit on the leg in his follow through during the third match.
National selection committee will pick India's Test and ODI teams for the New Zealand tour after a few days.
A roundup of the Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day matches played on Saturday.
If Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals on Thursday, then Mumbai Indians may find it very difficult to qualify for the play-offs even if they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final league match.
Hosts Australia will pull on a classic uniform from the 1980s featuring green strip on bright gold top and pants when they take on India in the three-match ODI series.
With the three-match T20I series ahead and also the World Cup round the corner, India will have to address this weakness to ensure that their much-vaunted batting doesn't crumble on an odd day when the condition aids swing bowling in England.
Mumbai were 113 for two in 38 overs at stumps on Day of the Ranji Trophy match in reply to Maharashtra's first innings of 451.
Unmukt Chand has been appointed India A captain for the upcoming ODI tri-series involving Australia A and South Africa A starting in Chennai on August 5.
Mayank Agarwal has been in top form in Test cricket and he could carry that form into the limited overs series if picked in the playing XI. The Karnataka cricketer is currently playing in the Ranji Trophy and will join the national squad before the opening ODI.
India now are the only team to have chased 350-plus thrice and in each of them Kohli has been the backbone with centuries in each.
Tendulkar's latest opinion was strikingly different from his criticism of the former captain a few days ago when he questioned the 'lack of intent'
"Can't be so defensive against the spinners," Sehwag tweeted.
The series appeared done and dusted when in the 4th ODI on Sunday India began a modest 190-run chase but their intimidating batting line-up fell short by 11 runs in a stunning turnaround on a slow pitch.
Pakistani players made a prolonged appeal but umpire Marais Erasmus was not convinced.
The confidence Kedar Jadhav has in his bowling comes from the fact that Mahendra Singh Dhoni used him as a surprise weapon during the ODI series at home against New Zealand last year.
India will miss Pant in World Cup, said Ganguly
The hosts have not name a replacement for the left-handed batsman, with Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul both able to play at the top.
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.
A World Cup victory will put Kohli in a league of his own and even those sceptical about his tactical nous, will have no other option but to grudgingly doff their hats at his heady achievements.
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.
India have a couple of middle-order slots still up for grabs and Shreyas Iyer sees this as an 'opportunity'
A round-up of Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Wednesday.
'Let's see. You are the first one to tell me this. I need to see why they have not picked me. I don't know what the plan is now that I am not there in the team. Probably, I will be playing the Ranji Trophy'
Operating like a well-oiled unit, Chennai Super Kings will start as overwhelming favourites when they clash with struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL match in New Delhi on Wednesday.
A severely hamstrung Kedar Jadhav held his nerve in the closing stages, while the lower order made vital contributions with the bat as India edged past Bangladesh by three wickets to win their seventh Asia Cup title in a pulsating last-ball finish, in Dubai on Friday.
In the bowlers' list, Bumrah is sitting at the top with 774 points.
Out-of-favour India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been handed a golden opportunity to get back into the reckoning after being named captain of Rest of India for the Irani Cup match against Ranji Trophy champions Karnataka, in Bangalore, from February 9 to 13. Also included in the Rest of India team is Gautam Gambhir, who is also keen to make a comeback to the Indian team. However, his Delhi team mate Virender Sehwag failed to make the cut after a poor run in the Ranji Trophy.
