An under pressure India will face their stiffest test in recent times when they try to bounce back in the three-match ODI series against a refreshed New Zealand in the must-win second game in Pune, on Wednesday.
Having regained his form with two unbeaten knocks in the league stage of the cricket World Cup, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has gained two spots to be placed eight in the latest ICC batting rankings.
A 3-0 lead in the five-match series will be a perfect parting gift for Ranchi's favourite son, who, in all likelihood, will be seen wearing the India Blues for the last time at his home ground.
Rohit Sharma stamped his class with an authoritative hundred in the company of magnificent Virat Kohli as India annihilated Bangladesh by nine wickets to set up a bumper summit showdown with arch-rivals Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy, in Birmingham, on Thursday.
Paceman Bhuvaneshwar Kumar followed up his team's superb collective batting effort with a four-wicket haul as India Blue lifted the NKP Salve Challenger Series Trophy with a convincing 50-run victory over Delhi in the final.
A first T20 series victory in New Zealand will be the icing on the cake for the Men in Blue, who have far exceeded expectations during their three-month sojourn in this part of the world.
Injuries have forced India to make changes to their winning combination. With Murali Vijay and Wriddhiman Saha returning home, the visitors are likely to field a new combination.
Indian team director Ravi Shastri also made it clear that Shami will figure in the playing XI during the two warm-up games against West Indies (in Kolkata, on Thursday) and South Africa in Mumbai on March 12 in order to assess his fitness.
Facing the prospect of a series defeat at home for the first time in 15 months, skipper Virat Kohli will have a relook at his team combination as hosts India take on a resurgent England in a do-or-die second T20 International, in Nagpur on Sunday.
A severely hamstrung Kedar Jadhav held his nerve in the closing stages, while the lower order made vital contributions with the bat as India edged past Bangladesh by three wickets to win their seventh Asia Cup title in a pulsating last-ball finish, in Dubai on Friday.
Yuvraj Singh made it back to the Indian team for the limited overs series against Australia but seniors Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were again ignored.
With the 2019 ODI World Cup on the horizon, focus has firmly shifted to white-ball cricket with the arrival of limited-overs' specialists, in Sydney, on Tuesday.
India's captain was on Thursday ruled out of Asia Cup due to a Grade 1 left side injury.
India's batsmen came a cropper under pace-friendly conditions, prompting captain Rohit Sharma to say that the forgettable performance against Sri Lanka in the first ODI in Dharamsala on Sunday is an eye-opener for the hosts.
MS Dhoni, who has not played since the World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand in July, will be making his highly awaited comeback in the IPL beginning March 29. The national selection committee has not changed the panel's stance on Dhoni, who will 'have to perform' in the upcoming Indian Premier League to be considered for T20 World Cup selection.
Delhi Capitals chief executive officer Dhiraj Malhotra and assistant coach Mohammad Kaif shared their thoughts, having met their players after a long time.
Out of India's total tally of 842 runs in five matches, the duo has rattled up 471 runs -- which accounts to 55 percent of the runs -- at a strike rate of 160.
Buoyant Kolkata Knight Riders will look to continue their winning momentum when they face defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
An extensive experience of playing the Big Bash League in Australia contributed to Jos Buttler and Alex Hales' absolute dominance over India in the T20 World Cup semi-final, said head coach Rahul Dravid.
History is also a bit against India when it comes to results at the business end of the ICC events.
West Indies, on the other hand, would be desperate to return home with some positivity at the end of a two-month long series in which they lost both the Test and ODI series.
India, without captain Virat Kohli and veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni, won't have it easy against T20 World champions West Indies, who are bolstered by the arrival of star players Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell.
The susceptible technique of Indian batsmen in seamer-friendly conditions was thoroughly exposed as Sri Lanka comfortably beat India by seven wickets in the first ODI of the three-match series.
Rain is expected to play role in 5th ODI in Thiruvananthapuram even as the wicket-keeper batsmen will look to complete 10,000 ODI runs.
The national selectors did well to deliver a loud and clear message as they sought to kickstart the transition in the Indian T20 team.
The Indian selectors finally lost patience with the under-performing pace duo Ishant Sharma and R Vinay Kumar and ignored them for the upcoming three-match One Day International series against the West Indies.
New players from India and abroad have caught the attention of brand managers.
India have a chance to hold the Proteas by the scruff of their neck with the latter seemingly at their weakest following back-to-back defeats,
In David Warner, who is back as captain for this season, the franchise has an inspirational leader and a superb batsman, who would like to lead from the front.
India are eyeing a place in the final after three wins in as many matches, while Pakistan will look to step up their game in the Super Four match, after a scare against Afghanistan.
While the two T20 matches will be a precursor to the ODI series, vice-captain Rohit Sharma is likely to be given a short break to rejuvenate and come back fresh for the ODIs.
India are the overwhelming favourites to win the tournament for a record seventh time while Bangladesh will be hoping to be third-time lucky in a summit clash.
Two Indian batsmen are now in the top five of the ICC ODI rankings, with Virat Kohli remaining at number three and opener Shikhar Dhawan climbing up the ladder to fifth after earning four places in the latest list issued on Wednesday.
Their winning momentum punctured after a loss to Rising Pune Supergiants, Sunrisers Hyderabad would look to get back to their winning ways when they take on a struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore in an Indian Premier League Twenty20 match, in Hyderabad, on Saturday.
IMAGES from the T20 World Cup match played between India and Bangladesh in Adelaide on Wednesday.
Former captain Kapil Dev said the Indian team with its right balance of youth and experience along with the "unmatchable" duo of Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni will definitely reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's batting position will be under spotlight as India aim to go for the kill against a gutsy New Zealand in the third T20 International despite weather threatening to play spoilsport.
Virat Kohli went out of his comfort zone during the Asia Cup and played a rare sweep shot and Rohit wants even the bowlers to push their limits.
As the 16th edition of the glitzy Indian Premier League is set to unfold, let's take a look at the driving force of the T20 league and what's in store in this edition.
