Hardik seems to be in menacing form with the bat ahead of the World Cup, having overcome a back injury and a massive controversy following his sexist comments on a popular TV show.
Rohit Sharma-led squad will be hoping it has enough left in the tank to record a maiden T20 series win in New Zealand
Images from Tuesday's IPL match between Mumbai Indians and SunRisers Hyderabad, in Sharjah.
India captain Virat Kohli and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will be rested for the limited-overs series against the West Indies, scheduled in the United States and the Caribbean, from August 3. Kohli and Bumrah will, however, be back for the two-Test series, which is a part of the inaugural World Test Championship.
Hardik Pandya said his sole objective is to win the World Cup.
The Mumbai Indians seem to script a similar story from the last two Indian Premier League editions, when they had recovered from poor starts. After a sluggish start in IPL 9, the defending champions have finally seemed to find their form by defeating heavyweights Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Wankhede Stadium. Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front by scoring a match-winning 62 runs but another major positive that MI can take from Wednesday's game is that they finally look to find their settled playing XI. Skipper Rohit reflects on MI's second victory out of five games and also reveals his future plans in the tournament. Congratulations on the successful run-chase. This must be a very satisfying win against a good team? Yes, it is a very satisfying victory, especially to beat a team like that. We just wanted to focus on our strengths and we did pretty much well. We bowled really well, we fielded really well and we batted well too. This was a perfect example of how we can perform as a team. As a captain it is sheer joy to see the batsmen step-up and perform well. I am really happy to see this.
'Hardik is also set to go the United Kingdom to consult the same doctor, who had treated him during the first injury post Asia Cup. He is certainly not playing the Bangladesh series but how long he will be out is still not clear. We will know after he comes back from the United Kingdom'
Vijay Shankar and Shreyas Iyer scripted a superb chase to help India 'A' notch up a thrilling four-wicket win over New Zealand 'A' in a high-scoring unofficial, in Mount Maunganui, on Friday.
Kieron Pollard scripted Mumbai Indian's sensational four-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore with a blistering 70-run knock which overshadowed Samuel Badree's hat-trick in an Indian Premier League game, in Bengaluru, on Friday.
Nothing but a win will keep their play-off hopes alive as defending champions Mumbai Indians take on Gujarat Lions in a do-or-die battle, which will be their final IPL league match in Kanpur on Saturday. With seven wins in 13 matches, Mumbai are currently placed fifth, tied on 14 points with Royal Challengers Bangalore (3rd) and Kolkata Knight Riders (4th) -- both having better net run-rate with one match to go. A loss on Saturday will knock them out of the race for play-offs and Mumbai will hope to pull the rug from under the feet of the Lions this time after suffering a defeat during their home leg on April 16.
Images from the IPL final between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, in Dubai on Tuesday.
Rahul Chahar's brilliant spell of 2/14 helped Mumbai Indians crush Chennai Super Kings by 6 wickets to enter the IPL final.
Reader Krunal Vansia has sent us this photograph of the star.
Pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Kuldeep Yadav have been rested for the third T20I against West Indies
TV replays clearly showed there was a clear inside edge and a huge spot on the hotspot could also be detected as the ball passed the bat but Daryl Mitchell was still given out by third umpire Shaun Haig.
Dube smashed an unbeaten 79 off 60 balls that included a half a dozen of sixes and three boundaries which took India's score to 327 for 6 in 47 overs.
Rohit Sharma is looking forward to some solid performances from the team's spinners.
West Indies, on the other hand, would be desperate to return home with some positivity at the end of a two-month long series in which they lost both the Test and ODI series.
Familiarity with conditions at the Eden Gardens is a massive advantage, said chinaman Kuldeep Yadav after bowling India to a five-wicket win over the West Indies in the first T20 International in Kolkata on Sunday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not a part of the three-match T20I series against West Indies and Australia presenting Rishabh Pant with a golden chance to consolidate his place in limited overs cricket.
Royal Challengers Bangalore pacers blew away the Mumbai Indians' top order before shining in the death overs to set up a much-needed 14-run win, which kept them alive in the Indian Premier League Play-offs race, in Bengaluru, on Tuesday.
Images from the IPL match played between Mumbai Indians and RCB in Mumbai on Monday
Once again, it was the teacher's son from Vadodara, that mysterious practitioner of lethal magic at the death who ensured that Rohit Sharma's side ended the night an improbable fourth on the IPL points table.
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.
In this series, we bring you your weekly shot of wisdom from super achievers.
Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore will fight for survival when they lock horns in the Indian Premier League in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Young players, including Hardik Pandya, need to work harder
'Since we cannot trust the net bowlers about their exposure to COVID, it would be ideal to go with a large contingent as we can be assured of all the players' safety as they will be in a bio-secure environment.'
If MI have their problems to sort out, having lost at the death in all three games so far, RCB too have their own shortcomings to address with only one win in three games under their belt.
Images from Thursday's IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, in Dubai.
The needle clash, expected to be watched by a capacity crowd at the Wankhede Stadium, looks set to raise the curtains on the decade-old T20 League in grand style after a formal opening ceremony.
Holders Vidarbha thrashed Mumbai by an innings and 145 runs to knock out the 41-time Ranji Trophy champions.
Poor fielding and lack of judgement while going for the Decision Review System cost India the first T20 International against Bangladesh, stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma said.
Shubham Pundir top-scored with 42 to take J&K to 139 for eight in 20 overs.
India 'A' began their UK tour on a promising note, thrashing England Cricket Board XI by 125 runs following half centuries from captain Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw and Ishan Kishan.
Jasprit Bumrah's death-overs mastery in Sunday's Indian Premier League final has convinced batting great Sachin Tendulkar that the 25-year-old with an unorthodox action is currently the best bowler in world cricket.
According to an ICC release, Maxwell's scores of 56 and 113*, in the two T20Is that helped Australia claim the series 2-0, helped him rise two positions to 3rd in the rankings.
'MS is obviously a world-class finisher and even he was finding it hard to hit the middle of the bat. So, I think it was right of him to try and farm the strike. He hit a six in the last over and I think that showed how difficult it was'
High on confidence after decimating a high-profile Royal Challengers Bangalore, an upbeat Gujarat Lions will be aiming to lift their game a notch higher when they face title contenders Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League encounter, in Rajkot on Saturday.
On a roll with four consecutive victories, two-time champions Mumbai Indians would look to continue the winning streak when they take on Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League match, in Indore, on Thursday.
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