Captain Kohli and Coach Shastri's selection choices for the first two Tests against England, which India lost, were bizarre. Why, for instance, did they drop Umesh Yadav and include Kuldeep Yadav for a seaming track at Lord's? Instinct, gentlemen, can't overrule logic. Time we helped Messrs Kohli and Shastri pick the side for the Trent Bridge Test. What changes must India make for the must-win third Test?
Statistical highlights of the first ODI match between India and New Zealand, in Dharamsala, on Sunday.
England hammered India by an innings and 159 runs in the second Test at Lord's on Day 4 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match series, on Sunday.
Sri Lanka's medium pace bowler Thisara Perera said he did not realise that he had taken a hat-trick till his teammates informed him about it, as his entire concentration was on bowling in the death overs during the second T20 International against India in Ranchi on Friday. Although Sri Lanka lost the second game against India by 69 runs here last night to concede the advantage, Perera stole the show by becoming the first Sri Lankan bowler to take a hat-trick in T20 Internationals. "Actually, I didn't know that it was a hat-trick. Because that time my concentration was about my death bowling," Perera said at the post-match press conference here. "My teammates told me I got a hat-trick. Then I thought it was very good for me," he said when asked when did he come to know about the feat. Perera first dismissed Hardik Pandya in the fourth ball of the final over and then sent back Suresh Raina in the next delivery. In the last ball of the over, he had Yuvraj Singh caught at long-on. By the time Perera's hat-trick came it was a bit too late and thus, it did not help Sri Lanka's cause. Perera said it was good to get his second hat-trick in international cricket. "This is my second one -- the first hat-trick was in an ODI (against Pakistan)," he said. Defending his team's decision to bowl first upon winning the toss, Perera said, "We thought dew factor could play a role at the latter stage of the match. So we wanted to bowl first."
K L Rahul, the kingpin of the KXIP batting, is second (MVPI: 601), followed by Sunrisers Captain Kane Williamson (543). Jos Buttler, after his match-winning batting for Rajasthan Royals on Friday night, is just 4 'runs' behind at 539, and M S Dhoni is fifth with 538 'runs'.
Selection committee chairman MSK Prasad made it clear that the Gujarat speedster's 'workload management' is paramount for him.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji analyse Week 3 of IPL-11 in Rediff.com's Most Valuable Players ratings.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present the best performing players in IPL-11 in Rediff.com's Most Valuable Players ratings.
Rediscovering himself in the twilight of his career, a rejuvenated Mahendra Singh Dhoni would look to continue his regained form and guide India to a series-clinching win when the hosts take on New Zealand in the fourth One-Day International, in Ranchi, on Wednesday.
High on confidence after winning the first Twenty20 International, India will look to press home the advantage and seal off the three-match series when they take on Australia in the second T20 in Melbourne.
The change in format may bring about some strategic shift in the playing eleven for India with captain Virat Kohli expected to open the innings.
Yuvraj Singh's patchy form and fear of inclement weather will be paramount when India take on the West Indies in the second One Day International, in Port of Spain on Sunday.
India's young guns will get an opportunity to fire on the big stage and carry forward the team's exceptional dominance over England when they clash with the visitors in the three-match Twenty20 series, starting in Kanpur on Thursday.
'If you bowl a no ball and get a wicket off that no ball, then there is no one else to blame.'
Skipper Virat Kohli will usher in a new era in Indian cricket when he leads the side in the ODI series-opener against England in Pune on Sunday in place of the iconic Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who recently relinquished the captaincy in the limited over formats.
Lendl Simmons was a late replacement, but he led a charmed life to blast an unbeaten 82 and carry the West Indies to a thrilling seven-wicket victory over India in the second semi-final of the World Twenty20, the Wankhede Stadiumin Mumbai, on Thursday.
Former India captain Rahul Dravid feels the Virat Kohli-led team has a 'great chance' of winning a maiden Test series in South Africa next month given the depth of talent in the side.
Aruneel Sadadekar/Rediff.com picks his IPL Dream Team of Season 9. Check it out!
India's batting woes in South Africa continued as the visitors folded up for 187 on Day 1.
Rajneesh Gupta presents all the important numbers after the third week of IPL 2020.
Rajneesh Gupta presents all the important numbers after the second week of IPL 2020.
Under-fire India coach Ravi Shastri, on Thursday, called on his struggling batsmen to show more discipline and grit when the third Test against England gets underway at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
Australia's spin legend Shane Warne blamed a lacklustre performance with the ball as the main reason for India's defeat to the West Indies in Thursday's World T20 semi-final in Mumbai.
Rajneesh Gupta brings you all the numbers from the first 17 games in IPL-12.
Sachin Tendulkar says the "sound" that came off skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's bat during the recent Asia Cup was a reflection of his positive mindset and it was a good news for already "favourites" India in the World Twenty20.
The national selection committee, under Sandeep Patil, is likely to leave it to limited-overs' captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to decide on his availability for the short tour of Zimbabwe, from June 11-20.
If KL Rahul is fit, Abhinav Mukund will be expectedly left out, a strange coincidence because he was the original back-up opener in this Test squad ahead of Shikhar Dhawan.
India return to place from where journey to glory began.
The top order failed to fire in difficult conditions, but the bowlers stood out, not only performing with the ball but scoring vital runs as well.
The Asia Cup to be played in Bangladesh from February 24, will be played in the T20 format for the first time in the tournament's history. The tournament which precedes the vital World T20 to be held in in India in March, has a rich history with India and Sri Lanka winning it five times each. Pakistan have been victorious on two occasions while Bangladesh's best finish has been their runner-up performance in the 2012 edition. Team India will be led by MS Dhoni and the tournament will also see Virat Kohli returning after taking a break from the recently concluded three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Dhoni will be chasing history to become the most successful skipper in the tournament history. The Indian skipper and former Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga have both recorded same number of nine victories and four defeats in the Asia Cup All the matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur. The qualifying rounds involving Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Oman has begun from Friday.
The clean sweep in the T20 series against Australia has lessened their dilemmas but selectors will debate.
India will eye revenge for their defeat in one-day series as they meet fierce rivals Australia in three Twenty20 Internationals, starting on Tuesday, January 26 at Adelaide Oval. Games will also be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (January 29) and Sydney Cricket Ground (January 31). The matches will see some of the world's explosive batsmen in action, while the series is also tipped as a much-needed preparatory ground ahead of the crucial World T20 scheduled to be held in March in India.
Results from final league games of Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 tournament
The second World Twenty20 semi-final is likely to hinge on who emerges on top in the battle between the big-hitting West Indian batsmen and India's wily spinners when the former champions clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
For the visitors, the game against the Mandeep Singh-led India 'A' side will be more about getting into the match simulation mode before they get going against Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team in the opening T20 International at Dharamsala on October 2.
Kohli started his English summer on a bright note hitting an unbeaten 52 off 55 balls while Mahendra Singh Dhoni also played some delightful strokes square off the wicket.
Chasing a competitive target of 191, Lewis smashed his way to an unbeaten 125 off 62 balls with as many as 12 sixes and six fours as the reigning World T20 champions knocked off the runs in only 18.3 overs.
Joe Root said that although England got a few things wrong, they never let go of the belief to win.
Rajneesh Gupta brings you the drama and the magic behind all the 12 IPL finals so far.
Kane Williamson's gamble to compromise on speed and pick three specialist spinners paid off as New Zealand humbled hosts India by 47 runs in a spin-dominated Super 10 contest of the World Twenty20 in Nagpur, on Tuesday.
