England secured a 26-run victory over India in the third T20I in Rajkot on Tuesday to stay alive in the five-match series.
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.
Sanju Samson, who will be leading Rajasthan Royals for a fifth successive year, credits Rahul Dravid's leadership as a major influence on his own approach.
Delhi Capitals mentor Kevin Pietersen believes that KL Rahul is the best option to bat at number four and keep wickets for India in the next T20 World Cup.
Sanju Samson, elevated to No.3 spot, hit his maiden international century in the third and final ODI against South Africa.
Shami last played for India in the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad after which he was sidelined because of an ankle injury which needed surgery.
Prabhsimran Singh - Punjab Kings' pint-sized powerhouse whose explosive batting, sharp game sense, and newfound maturity have made him the breakout Indian star of the tournament.
Harbhajan, however, felt the current crop of spinners lack aggression.
RR feeling Jos Buttler's absence, KKR under-utilising Andre Russell: Anil Kumble
... hit five 50-plus scores in a row at a particular venue.
All India Police boxer Minakshi pulled off a stunning upset, defeating World champion Nitu Ghanghas of Haryana in the 48kg semi-final of the 8th Elite Women's National Boxing Championship.
K L Rahul is likely to be rested for the white-ball series against England, starting in Kolkata on January 22.
Ishan Kishan, who was dropped from India's central contracts last year, hit a blistering century on his Sunrisers Hyderabad debut in the IPL, marking his return to form in style.
Sunrisers Hyderabad buried Rajasthan Royals under a deluge of runs to start its IPL 2025 campaign in thumping fashion with a 44-run win in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Rajasthan Royals opened their account in IPL 2025 with a six-run win over five-time champions Chennai Super Kings at the Barsapara cricket stadium, Guwahati on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
Rekha, a resident of Koh village, was alone at home watching TV when the incident occurred. Her children, aged seven and five, were at school and her husband Sanju, a farm labourer, was away at work, Farah police station in-charge Sanjay Kumar Pandey said.
Ishan Kishan made a dream start at his new IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad with a match-winning century against Rajasthan Royals.
Even shadow Purple Cup winner Prasidh couldn't escape Vaibhav's onslaught on Monday night!
Rise of Suryavanshi: Facing 600 balls-a-day from age of 10 to playing 150km throwdowns
A man in Jharkhand's Ramgarh district allegedly locked his ailing mother at home and went to Prayagraj for a holy dip in Maha Kumbh along with his wife, children and in-laws. The 65-year-old woman was rescued by police after she was found locked in her home for three days and survived on flattened rice. Her daughter, who lives nearby, received a phone call from neighbours about her mother's situation and informed the police. The man, a CCL employee, claimed he had made arrangements for his mother's food and drink before leaving for the Kumbh.
The left-hander clobbered eight sixes and five fours in his scintillating 79 off 34 balls as India chased down a modest 133-run target in 12.5 overs.
Shastri drew a parallel between Samson and Rohit Sharma, highlighting the importance of Samson realising his full potential.
Prasidh Krishna has emerged as a key weapon for Gujarat Titans -- especially in the middle overs, where his extra pace and bounce have rattled batters.
Josh Hazlewood scalped four wickets in a brilliant spell as Royal Challengers Bengaluru staged a stunning comeback to edge Rajasthan Royals by 11 runs.
'Hardik is also a part of leading group. When we sit, we decide what we want to do in the game going forward and also on the field. He is always around. It's like we have a lot of captains on the ground.'
Since Suryakumar took over as captain last year, India have hardly put a wrong but his own form has dipped.
Jwala Singh, the formative coach of Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, believes the upcoming IPL season will be crucial for his ward's bid to reclaim a spot in the Indian T20 World Cup squad next year. Singh emphasized the IPL's role as a platform for players to make a mark, stating that "IPL performances are taken into account, and you get noticed." He is confident Jaiswal will end the IPL season as the highest run-scorer, urging him to "take to the field with the mindset of being the best."
Sanju Samson's technical weaknesses against express pace along with Rinku Singh's dip in form and fitness issues will be a concern for India
Samson could lose out as he decided to skip the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 39.
India will look to extend lead against England
The common theme in those defeats was how the seemingly powerful batting and bowling units of KKR and RR failed to fire.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 29.
Avesh Khan held his nerve in the death overs, bowling yorker after yorker to perfection, to help Lucknow Super Giants pull off a thrilling two-run win over Rajasthan Royals.
India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson said that he had a lot of failures in his life and the century against the Proteas meant a lot to him.
India opener Abhishek Sharma suffered an ankle injury during a catching drill at the nets in Chennai on Friday.
At the launch of his app powered by Single.id, MSD said he wants to enjoy his last few years of cricket, like he did when he was a child.
India batter Tilak Varma on Friday achieved a historic feat during the fourth and final match against South Africa in Johannesburg.
India's young T20 stars, led by opener Abhishek Sharma's blistering 79 off 34 balls, helped India crush England by seven wickets in the first T20I in Kolkata.
Wanindu Hasaranga, who grabbed four prized wickets, was the pick of the bowlers for Rajasthan Royals.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances