The 3-0 series win against the West Indies could be called a precursor and the real battle begins now against Quinton de Kock's Proteas who are also in the midst of a tough transition.
Opener Mayank Agarwal stamped his authority on a struggling South African attack with a second successive hundred as India gained the upperhand on the opening day of the second Test.
All about IPL 2025 which kicks off on March 22, Saturday.
Vaibhav Arora or Mitchell Starc? Whose bowling was the highlight?
South Africa will be without experienced pace bowler Dale Steyn for Thursday's Cricket World Cup opener against England at The Oval after failing to shake off a recurring shoulder problem.
Opener Fakhar Zaman smashed his second century in as many matches as Pakistan beat a much-changed South Africa by 28 runs in the third and final One-Day International, in Pretoria on Wednesday, to clinch the series 2-1.
IMAGES from the T20 World Cup match played between South Africa and Nepal in Kingstown, St. Vincent, on Saturday.
Kolkata Knight Riders triumphed in a tense run-chase to outclass Delhi Capitals by three wickets and stay in the hunt for a place in the IPL play-offs.
Stoinis gave DC the start they were looking for, then picked two wickets in the powerplay, and, most importantly, got Kane Williamson to end SRH's challenge.
England swept to a dominant 118-run victory as they dismissed South Africa for a paltry 83 to win the second One-Day International at Old Trafford on Friday and square the three-match series at 1-1.
Eyeing a maiden IPL title, the fancied Delhi Capitals will face another litmus test in the form of a Kolkata Knight Riders unit brimming with optimism when the two sides lock horns in the Qualifier 2 match in Sharjah on Wednesday.
Nortje, Markram among players nominated for CSA top awards.
Rabada broke through Hasan Ali's defense to get to the milestone, making him the third fastest after former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis (7,730) and compatriot Dale Steyn (7,848) in terms of balls bowled.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12 match between South Africa and India, in Perth, on Sunday.
'We know that there will be a lot of competition, we know that some franchises will be having more money, and that's when all the expertise and all the auction experience will count.'
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index of T20 World Cup 2024 after Game 54.
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals, in Dubai, on Monday.
Debutant left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem on Monday said he was nervous for exactly three balls in his maiden Test appearance against South Africa.
But players past and present, including India captain Virat Kohli, have been critical of the move.
Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Siraj have been added to the squad as injury replacements but they do not figure in the World Cup-bound squad, as of now.
Take a bow Rilee Roussow, Liam Livingstone/
Does Riyan Parag get your vote?
Pushed into a tight corner, Royal Challengers Bengaluru rose above their frailties to notch four wins on the trot and stay alive in the race to play-offs. However, a volatile Delhi Capitals offer them a different challenge in their penultimate IPL league match in Bengaluru on Sunday.
India captain Virat Kohli led from the front with an unbeaten 72 to help secure his team's comprehensive seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the second Twenty20 International, in Mohali, on Wednesday.
Rajasthan were going at nearly 13 runs an over until debutant Tushar Deshpande came into the attack in the 11th over.
They stand on the opposite ends of IPL's success spectrum but there is little to separate between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals in the tournament's 13th edition as they head into a blockbuster Qualifier 1 match, in Dubai, on Thursday.
Mumbai Indians had roared back to form after thrashing RCB by five-wickets in the last game, there are problems aplenty for DC.
Captain Dean Elgar said he always believed his young South African side could become a formidable team after they beat England by an innings and 12 runs within three days in the first Test at Lord's on Friday.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 8s Group 2 match between South Africa and England at Gros Islet, St Lucia, on Friday.
Images from Tuesday's IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals, in Abu Dhabi.
Delhi Capitals rode on Prithvi Shaw's fluent fifty and a disciplined bowling effort to inflict a 44-run defeat on Chennai Super Kings, in the Indian Premier League, in Dubai, on Friday.
India's senior opener Rohit Sharma moved a place up to 23rd in the batting chart while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah jumped 10 places to joint 24th in the ICC men's T20 rankings issued on Wednesday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni or Rishabh Pant? Whose knock did you enjoy most?
Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has confirmed that Steve Smith will bat in the top three in the Indian Premier League
Lungi Ngidi decimated India's top order as South Africa triumphed by five wickets
Opener Fakhar Zaman's scintillating 193 was not enough for Pakistan who lost the second one-day international to South Africa by 17 runs at The Wanderers on Sunday as the hosts levelled the three-game series.
Rohit Sharma did practically everything right in the T20 WC: He batted brilliantly, he captained even more capably, but he failed to top the most valuable player table. Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index of T20 World Cup 2024.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Robin Uthappa hit half-centuries to power Chennai Super Kings to victory against Delhi Capitals in the IPL Qualifier 1 match on Sunday.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index of T20 World Cup 2024 after Game 48.
