Mahendra Singh Dhoni would be hoping for a memorable farewell but he faces a major roadblock in the form of Gujarat Titans' run machine Shubman Gill.
Hardik Pandya excelled with both bat and ball to power the Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in their debut season.
The loss of Bavuma will further weaken their top six, especially as the experienced Reeza Hendricks has withdrawn from the squad after the birth of his first child, while the in-form Rassie van der Dussen is doubtful for the first match of the series, at least, with a grade one left quadriceps strain.
Pandya said he had controlled his natural aggressive batting to adjust to the conditions.
Skipper Sanju Samson will look for support from his batsmen as Rajasthan Royals aim to return to winning ways against laggards Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai on Monday and keep their play-offs hopes alive.
IMAGES from the IPL 2023 match between Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday
Liam Livingstone and Evin Lewis's explosive batting will meet its match in Chris Gayle's power and KL Rahul's finesse when Rajasthan Royals lock horns with Punjab Kings to improve upon their mid-table position in the Indian Premier League in Dubai on Tuesday.
He bowled a tight line, took a wonderful catch and smashed 40 runs off just 18 balls to take his team to victory and live another day in this season of the IPL.
IMAGES from the IPL 2022 game between Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, in Mumbai, on Monday
The teams which don't make long-term promises that are difficult to fulfil but focus on immediate process and know the roles of players required for slots.
IMAGES from the ICC World Cup match between Pakistan and South Africa, in Chennai, on Friday.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock will be available for the ODI series after his abrupt retirement from Test cricket on Thursday, while all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius earns a recall.
Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje are expected to spit fire on a track that will offer steep bounce as India's top-order gears up for its toughest test in adverse conditions against a top-notch South African side in the T20 World Cup on Sunday.
Once Dube departed in the 16th over, it was always going to be a big ask for RR to post a challenging total.
Three-time champion Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals would look to build on their first wins and gain momentum when they clash in the Indian Premier League in Mumbai on Monday.
Comeback man Heinrich Klaasen followed Rassie Van der Dussen's suit in turning out to be an unlikely hero with a career-best 81 as South Africa once again outwitted India by four wickets on a tricky pitch to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
South Africa have recalled fast bowler Anrich Nortje and all-rounder Wayne Parnell, and handed a first Twenty20 International call-up to batsman Tristan Stubbs, in a full-strength squad for the five-match tour of India starting on June 9.
The sides will next head to Bengaluru for the deciding fifth T20 on Sunday.
The Men in Blue are on a 12-match winning streak and come Thursday, they can create an all-time record of winning 13 T20I games in a row.
It will be a battle between Liam Livingstone and Lockie Ferguson.
It's a pity that all the cricketing brains in the dugout -- Brian Lara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara and Dale Steyn in coaching roles -- cannot convert performances out in the middle.
Shamsi's wrist spin accounted for Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran and David Willey, who was bowled first ball to set up a hat-trick chance that Chris Jordan denied him.
New franchise Gujarat Titans on Sunday unveiled their team logo in the Metaverse ahead of their maiden IPL season this year.
Gujarat Titans have built a strong team combination at the mega-auction, with marquee players such as Mohammed Shami, Jason Roy, and Lockie Ferguson.
Dhoni returns to the Indian dressing room after three months and for him the series will be start of the preparation for next year's World Twenty20, that will be hosted by India.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel are likely to be the frontline pacers, but for the third pacer's slot it will be interesting to see if India pick Umran Malik, who troubled quite a few batters in IPL 2022 with his raw pace, or young Arshdeep Singh, who impressed with his consistent performances for Punjab Kings.
Extrapolations stars Adarsh Gourav alongside such heavyweights like Meryl Streep, Sienna Miller, Kit Harrington, Tahar Rahim, Matthew Rhys, David Diggs, Gemma Chan and David Schwimmer.
GT, on the other hand, are the side to beat in this IPL. Even if they lose on Thursday, the Hardik Pandya-led side will finish at the top, which means it will get two chances to reach the final.
Chance for India batters to get their act right against Bangladesh
He joins injured fast bowler Kagiso Rabada on the sidelines.
Gujarat Titans will be seeking to cap their dream debut season by winning the title
The experienced seamer, however, refused to read too much into their forgettable bowling display at the Feroz Shah Kotla and expressed optimism about a strong comeback in the second match.
One of cricket's greatest players passed into the ages on Monday. Rediff.com salutes the legend.
Titans look to forget Rinku Singh's onslaught against Punjab Kings
RR have a lot of issues to sort out, particularly in the absence of key foreign players like Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes.
Smarting from opening game losses, a good batting display will be high on the agenda for South Africa and defending champions West Indies when the two teams lock horns in a Super 12 match of the T20 World Cup in Dubai on Tuesday.
India will be looking to round off their T20 World Cup preparation with a marked improvement in their death bowling besides providing crucial game time to its untested players in the three-match series against South Africa.
Skipper Yash Dhull gave a glimpse of his rare talent with a well-paced hundred which guided powerhouse India into its fourth consecutive Under-19 World Cup final.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2023 after Game 52.
Images from Thursday's IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals, in Mumbai.
