Skipper Suryakumar Yadav made optimal use of available resources in both departments as India did enough to beat a spirited Oman by 21 runs to end their league stage commitments in Asia Cup with a hat-trick of victories.
Needed to bowl stump to stump to negate dew factor: Axar Patel
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is "ready to start" ahead of the first T20I against South Africa of the five-match series, which will take place on December 9.
This is the most open T20 World Cup in history. The traditional powers are compromised. The new powers have gained strength, observes Faisal Shariff.
David Miller smashed a brilliant half-century while Marco Jansen picked up four wickets as South Africa thrashed India by 76 runs in the ICC T20 World Cup Super 8s match.
The others to arrive after a delayed flight were K L Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy along with some members of the support staff.
Not handing the ball to lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah to start the third day's play on a challenging Eden Gardens surface was "questionable", said the legendary Anil Kumble.
The former CSK stalwart also noted that Axar Patel's consistency over recent years positions him as a natural leader within the DC core. But the trickier decision, according to Raina, concerns veteran opener Faf du Plessis, who endured a lean run with just 202 runs from nine games.
India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Friday acknowledged that Sanju Samson has been going through a lean phase without doubting the quality of the struggling batter, and reiterated the team management's support for him.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav would want the attacking batter in him to front up and bolster his leadership against New Zealand when the five-match T20I series gets underway in Nagpur on Wednesday, serving as a final dress rehearsal for India's World Cup title defence in less than three weeks' time.
Gautam Gambhir has made it clear that India's new T20 approach isn't just about fearless batting, it's about all-round aggression.
With their respective leaders switching camps and squads undergoing major overhauls, both Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants, under new captains, will be eager to make a strong start to their IPL campaign when they face off in Visakhapatnam on Monday.
Kishan's statement knock, Surya's welcome fifty give India 2-0 lead
Shubman Gill is the flavour of the season after his stupendous show in the recent Test series against England but he will face a contender in Axar Patel for vice-captaincy
Cricket has never been the same since India's thrilling, last-over win over Pakistan in the final at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, on September 24, 2007.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill's indifferent form is a massive concern but the national selection committee is unlikely to make any shocking changes when it picks the 15-member squad for next year's T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Saturday.
K L Rahul takes over the captaincy after regular skipper Shubman Gill missed the series because of a neck injury.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the first Test against Bangladesh?
Without Axar's 34 and 2/21, DC may not have won the game.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India gear up for yet another demolition act of Pakistan in what promises to be an intense and tense Super 4 face-off of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
South Africa pulled off a sensational victory inside three days of the opening Test against India on Sunday and the manner of it would go a long way in silencing those who doubted their credentials as the reigning world test champions.
Kuldeep was the architect of the collapse, producing a clinical spell of 4/7 in just 2.1 overs.
Our batters never play such kind of bowlers, were overawed by big names: UAE coach Rajput
Rohit Sharma followed up his knock of 73 in the second ODI in Adelaide with a match-winning unbeaten 121 in Sydney to be named the Player of the Series.
Gill may miss ODI series due to unhealed neck injury; Rahul, Pant in line for ODI captaincy
Head coach Gambhir, captain Gill, men's squad send best wishes to Harmanpreet-led side for Women's World Cup final
The grand comeback party of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma endured a quick 22-ball ending, and their lowkey outing reflected in India's seven-wicket defeat against Australia.
The track is historically a high-scoring one and the outfield is quick. But on a red soil surface, the ball grips and can surprise the batters.
'He bowled well and took important wickets in the middle overs. I think he deserved the award and so I would like to share this with him.'
There is a school of thought that having done the hard yards in the England series, Karun Nair deserves an opportunity against a weaker opposition where a century could boost his career.
Australia's stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh continued his fine run of form on Sunday, scoring 46 not out and leading his side to a seven-wicket triumph over India in the weather-affected first one-day international at Perth Stadium.
Against Bangladesh, Samson wasn't even considered good enough to come inside the top seven of the line-up and that begs a question as to what is he doing in the team if he isn't good enough to come ahead of Axar Patel.
This brings us to the question of combination and perhaps Arshdeep could miss out on more games going into the T20 World Cup -- a tournament that will be held in the sub-continent -- India and Sri Lanka.
Abhishek Sharma waged a lone battle with an entertaining 68 from 37 balls in the second T20I against Australia at MCG on Friday.
The overwhelmingly bowler-friendly Melbourne pitch on which 20 wickets fell on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test has prompted Kevin Pietersen and Dinesh Kartik to point out the selective criticism of Indian tracks when spinners get wickets in a heap.
Delhi Capitals have never won the IPL despite featuring top talent over the years. Under Axar Patel's leadership, they will hope IPL 2025 finally ends their title drought.
The Indian team's heavy reliance on all-rounders will be tested by a plucky Australia in the second ODI but the spotlight will continue to stay firmly on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom would look to turn back the clock with series-saving knocks in Adelaide on Thursday.
Axar Patel will lead Delhi Capitals against Royal Challengers Bengaluru after the suspension of regular captain Rishabh Pant.
Indian Test skipper Shubman Gill spoke on the team dinner hosted by head coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday
'We knew it won't be easy to hit how much you may connect. Plan was to bowl smartly and when a batter is set, force him to hit on the bigger sides than small sides.'
