Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, both struggling in the Indian Premier League, will be looking to turn their fortunes around when they face each other on Friday.
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the first Test against England?
India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is up and running in Beckenham, putting in the hard yards before the upcoming five high-stakes Tests against England, slated to kick off on June 20 at Headingley.
India pacer Prasidh Krishna says he has learned to "switch on" as per the team's requirements and is now looking to carry his rich IPL form on to the tour of England.
The Indian Test team in near future won't have any player wearing the jersey No.18 that belonged to legendary Virat Kohli for the last 14 years
Lucknow Super Giants silenced all doubts with a dominant run chase, storming to their first victory of IPL 2025.
From Jasprit Bumrah's much-anticipated return to the all-rounder conundrum, the playing XI could very well hold the key to seizing control of this historic series.
'With a new generation stepping up, Team India is not just carrying forward a legacy -- they are writing a new chapter in our cricketing history.'
IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya registers unwanted record with 11-ball over against GT
India finished Day 3 on 90/2 to lead England by 96 runs at stumps in the opening Test on Sunday after England were dismissed for 465 in the first innings.
Pant now has three Test centuries on English soil.
Captain Rishabh Pant on Monday admitted it was difficult for his side to fill the void created by the absence of key bowlers
'If you are called in as a replacement, you are likely to start. Ups and downs are a part of life. I have always backed my skills.'
Joe Root produced a batting masterclass on way to a milestone 38th hundred as England exploited a jaded Indian bowling attack to stamp their dominance on the fourth Test in Manchester.
Rathi said he always bowls to take wickets and wants to be mentally strong like West Indies spinner Sunil Narine, who plays for KKR.
Earlier, Mukesh bowled with venom, taking three wickets to help India crawl back into the contest as England Lions stumbled to 333 for five at lunch on Day 3.
With the series nicely poised at 1-1 going into the third Test, the narrative built around both the teams has changed significantly following India's 336-run routing of England at Edgbaston.
As India look to bounce back from the crushing defeat in the series opener against England in Leeds, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's availability for the second Test in Edgbaston, scheduled to begin on July 2, has been a hot topic of discussion.
Shubman Gill played a masterful captain's knock with his second century of the series on the opening day of the second Test
Shubman Gill was deemed Rohti's long-term successor and was crowned the new Test skipper.
England captain Ben Stokes on Tuesday dismissed the chatter surrounding Jasprit Bumrah's availability for only three Tests out of five as "India's problem" and said he is expecting the "passionate" visitors to fight hard in the second Test irrespective of the team composition.
As questions swirled around dropped catches, poor captaincy calls, and a one-dimensional bowling attack, former players didn't hold back.
'We won't miss Virat and Rohit. I have faith in our young team.'
Tom Haines smashed an unbeaten century to lead England Lions' strong reply after Karun Nair's double century had powered India A to a massive 557 on Day 2 of the first Unofficial Test.
His availability will be a massive boost for LSG's bowling department, with Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan and Akash Deep doing most of the heavy lifting.
Both DC and LSG have 10 points and a win will keep them safely perched in the higher echelons of the points table ahead of the jostlers.
None more eye-catching than Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who posted on X, "Woke up to watch an 8th grader play in the IPL!!!! What a debut."
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday.
As India prepares to take on England in the first Test at Leeds, all eyes will be on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
Two fast-bowling all-rounders look to be in a battle for one spot, while a decision between Prasidh Krishna and left-armer Arshdeep Singh could be condition-dependent.
'The dismissal of Mumbai's Test batters once again brought to the fore the perils of the all-out aggressive mode of batting that is nowadays thought of as being central to run-making.'
Chennai Super Kings have never experienced a worse phase in the Indian Premier League and their faltering batters will have to deliver to arrest their steep slide in a must-win game against an upbeat Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow on Monday.
This isn't just a Test match - it's a test of Shubman Gill's leadership, temperament, and decision-making.
Bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur will also be aiming to continue his dream run for Mumbai so far.
Shardul Thakur's second first-class hundred brought Mumbai back from the brink in their Elite Group A clash against Jammu and Kashmir at MCA BKC Ground in Mumbai on Friday.
This was India's seventh defeat in their last nine matches as their poor run in Test cricket continues following successive series defeats against New Zealand at home and in Australia.
A rampaging Mumbai Indians will look to maintain their winning run in a vital mid-table battle against a dangerous Lucknow Super Giants in an Indian Premier League clash here on Sunday.
Lucknow Super Giants spinner Digvesh Rathi, known for his wicket-taking ability and equally noticeable celebrations, was at the centre of an on-field drama after dismissing Abhishek Sharma.
Jurel has produced a solid body of work in first-class and Test cricket alike, even though he displayed a completely different avatar for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a finisher since his debut in 2023.
Skipper Rishabh Pant, visibly relieved, credited his team for staying focused on the "controllables," a lesson he learned from MS Dhoni.
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