Star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell says IPL's UAE leg will help the preparation of Australia's players.
There is no change in the top three of the all-rounders' table which is headed by Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh.
RCB's Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson said the plan of the franchise in the auction was to look at players that will combine well with the retained squad.
'It won't be easy like the other matches but confidence is the main thing... If we took that confidence into the ground and deliver to our best, you never know'
Australia captain Aaron Finch expects New Zealand to fight and scrap in their remaining games to seal a place in the semis.
'I'm very disappointed with our fielding, it is not up to the mark or standard expected'
An fine all-round display by Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler's late assault with the bat ended England's long losing streak against Australia as the visitors won the fourth One-Day International by 57 runs in Perth.
A series win in Australia will certainly put Kohli on a higher pedestal even though the quality of the home team's batting line-up suffered adversely due to the bans of former skipper Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner.
India captain Rohit Sharma admitted that death bowling remains an area of concern for the team going into next month's T20 World Cup but hoped that the bowlers will find their groove soon.
Kohli (886 points) and Rohit (868 points) have gained two and three ratings points, respectively to occupy the top two positions in the batting rankings.
'England against Australia at Lord's, it doesn't get much bigger than that.'
Pakistan players did not find any spot in ICC Team of the Decade across all formats
To everyone's surprise, the team management didn't play him during the high-scoring first T20I in Mohali, raising doubts whether he has still attained peak fitness or not.
Australia beat India by four wickets in a nail-biting finish after wicket-keeper Brad Haddin and James Faulkner held their nerves to help Australia go past India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. Earlier, paceman Mitchell Starc captured a career-best 6-43 and Rohit Sharma hit a century as India put up a total of 267 for 8. Check out the images from the match...
For South Africa, Rassie van der Dussen has advanced three slots to the sixth position, just one shy of his career-best, after scores of 34 not out and 52.
'It'll test us out, no doubt, against a good Indian outfit .... They beat us out here last time and they're a very good side'
'We got off to a good start and kept (going) on with that adrenaline''
Young all-rounder Cameron Green scored a confident century for Australia 'A' on day two of the tour match against India 'A' in Sydney on Monday to put his hand up for selection in the Test series starting next week.
Australia captain Tim Paine has cast doubt over his One-Day International future after his touring side were thumped 5-0 by England, who sealed the series whitewash with a one-wicket victory in Manchester on Sunday.
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya bowled in top-flight cricket for the first time since returning from a back surgery more than a year ago, with his team under pressure against Australia during the second ODI in Sydney on Sunday.
Usman Khawaja struck his second century in three matches as Australia thumped India by 35 runs in their final one-dayer to seal a come-from-behind 3-2 series victory at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, on Wednesday.
The two groups will unite late on Thursday night and with the opening ODI slated for Friday, the players will have no scope to wriggle in a practice session as one unit.
Australian wicket-keeper-batsman Matthew Wade has been ruled of the ongoing Chappell-Hadlee series against New Zealand.
Injured fast bowler James Pattinson has returned to the Australia set-up when he was named on Tuesday for the One-day series against England in January.
Gujarat Lions would look to better their debut season's success and aim for a winning start against two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League match, in Rajkot on Friday.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting began his new innings as the head coach of the Mumbai Indians who commenced their training at the Wankhede Stadium ahead of the Indian Premier League season 8, scheduled to start on April 8.
Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell may be rested from the first One-day international against Pakistan as the tourists recover from a stomach bug that has hit the team in the United Arab Emirates.
Hazratullah Zazai (162 not out off 62) and Usman Ghani (73 off 48) set a new record for the opening-wicket partnership with a 236-run stand as Afghanistan surpassed Australia's 263 for 3 posted against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in 2016.
The Indian team management are 'not confused' about the composition of the World Cup squad despite their ODI series defeat against Australia as only one slot is up for grabs, said skipper Virat Kohli.
Australia's big-hitting opener is bullish about the team's chances of lifting a record fifth World Cup on home soil.
India captain Virat Kohli wasn't perturbed by his team's shoddy batting performance in the first T20 International as he is looking to give more chances to youngsters KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant looking ahead at the World Cup in England.
With 762 points, Kohli is behind England's David Malan
Chilling at home after coming back from a coronavirus-forced "hotel arrest" in Pakistan, South African pacer Dale Steyn believes it's a pity that sporting events are being cancelled en masse due to the crisis. Steyn, who returned from Pakistan due to the virus outbreak, said it's indescribable how the situation changed in a matter of hours.
'Over the last 12 months Virat's averaged 133, Shikhar 75, and Rohit 50; so there's a lot of runs and balls faced from their top three. It's important to get them as early as you can because once they get in, they score fast and they don't seem to get out too easily'
Kolkata Knight Riders resemble a sinking ship ahead of a rather inconsequential IPL-15 match against bottom-placed Mumbai Indians who, even if already out of reckoning, will have their tails up in Navi Mumbai on Monday.
Gujarat Lions opener Aaron Finch was all praise for his 'Champion' West Indies team-mate Dwayne Bravo, who he feels 'keeps getting better and better with age'.
Hardik Pandya's leadership skills and India's overall World Cup preparedness will be under focus
IMAGES from the 1st ODI played between India and Australia in Hyderabad on Saturday
Australia opener Aaron Finch believes off-spinner Nathan Lyon will play an important role considering the amount of bounce on offer in the pitch in the ongoing second Test in Perth.
Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has been called into the squad for the remainder of the One-day series against South Africa to give Mitchell Johnson time to rest up before next month's Test series against India.