Kings XI Punjab once again showed their batting might as the table-toppers chased down another 200-plus run target to comfortably beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in an IPL match in Uppal on Wednesday.
As India broke a long-standing World Cup jinx against South Africa in Melbourne, appreciation and congratulatory messages poured in from the cricket fraternity which hailed the team's "terrific" all-round performance in front of a packed MCG.
Captain Faf du Plessis led from the front with an impressive 120 as he single-handedly took South Africa to 269 for 8 in the first One-Day International against India, in Durban, on Thursday.
Rajneesh Gupta profiles the cricketers playing the World Cup 2019.
A Lionel Messi masterclass, netting a brilliant free kick before laying on two more goals, put Argentina's World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a resounding 3-0 win over Colombia in San Juan on Tuesday.
Steve Smith smashed a brilliant century to lead Australia to a series-clinching three-wicket win over South Africa in their fourth one-day international on Friday. Smith hit a career-best ODI total of 104 from 112 deliveries as the Australians passed South Africa's 267-8 with six balls to spare at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
India will meet Bangladesh in the semi-finals in Birmingham on Thursday.
The International Cricket Council released the provisional squads of the 12 teams for next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand on Friday. However, co-hosts Australia and minnows Ireland decided against releasing the provisional list although they submitted 30 names to the parent body within the stipulated deadline.
Former Wimbledon champion Anne Jones was among British sports personalities included in the United Kingdom's New Year's honours list on Monday.
Kings XI Punjab coach Sanjay Bangar rued drop catches as Chris Gayle went on to smash a match-winning 57-ball 117, saying the West Indian batsman's innings completely turned the match in Royal Challengers Bangalore's favour in their Indian Premier League match on Wednesday.
After putting a stop to their prolonged losing streak, Delhi Daredevils will look to carry forward the momentum when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in their Indian Premier League encounter in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
South Africa skipper AB de Villiers led from the front with an all-round show to help South Africa thrash minnows UAE.
A list of some of sport's greatest comebacks after Tiger Woods ended an 11-year major championship drought with victory at The Masters on Sunday.
Sri Lanka thrashed South Africa by 128 runs in Colombo on Wednesday to wrap up the one-day series 4-1.
A summary of sports events and persons in the news on Saturday.
Having found some light at the end of the tunnel, Royal Challengers Bangalore will be keen to expose the chinks in Kings XI Punjab's armoury during their must-win IPL encounter in Indore on Monday.
Kings XI Punjab may have shown their mettle, winning two games so far in the Oppo Champions League T20, but the team coach Sanjay Bangar said that there is still a scope for improvement.
A buoyant India will look to cash in on South Africa's injury woes, compounded by the loss of captain Faf du Plessis, when the two sides meet in the second One-Day International in Centurion on Sunday.
Trailing 1-2 in the series, India have some concerns with most batsmen not showing enough flexibility at different batting positions.
The Africans have won just one of their four games and are sixth in Pool B, but victory against William Porterfield's side will put them back in the hunt for a quarter-final place.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly opined that he was confident of an Indian victory after the team crossed the 250-run barrier.
Kings XI Punjab will once again be facing a 'do-or-die' situation during their penultimate round encounter against table toppers Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, in Mumbai, on Thursday.
Rediff.com gives you a flashback of these events in pictures snapped right here...
A relieved Mahendra Singh Dhoni took a dig at his critics, after inspiring India to a series-levelling win over South Africa in the second One-Dayer in Indore on Wednesday.
Virat Kohli says he doesn't want any tags attached to his name and performances. We'll respect his request -- we'll only attach numbers!
A superb all-round show by J P Duminy earned South Africa a 12-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first Twenty20 international in Colombo on Friday. The tourists, after putting up a modest 115-6 after electing to bat, restricted Sri Lanka at 103-9 at the Premadasa stadium.
So 52 games have already been played in the Indian Premier League this season. Here are the Most Valuable players and some random observations by Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle.
A hostile trio of Pakistan left-arm fast bowlers took full advantage of a pitch freshened by rain to hand pre-tournament favourites South Africa their second defeat in the ICC World Cup.
India announced themselves as genuine contenders to defend their World Cup title on Sunday by humbling South Africa's vaunted pace attack before bowling out the Proteas for an emphatic 130-run victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The third and final cricket One Day International between India and South Africa was abandoned after rains intervened at the innings break to leave the home side with a 2-0 series win in Centurion.
Enjoying one of the best phases in his career so far, Royal Challengers Bangalore's inspirational leader Virat Kohli is ready to play through pain against Kings XI Punjab with multiple stitches in his split webbing in another must-win IPL encounter in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Kohli sustained split webbing in his left hand while fielding against Kolkata Knight Riders as he went for a diving catch. He left the field briefly to get medical assistance, got his webbing taped and was back in field. He then played another classy knock to keep RCB's play-off qualification hopes alive. "I might need 7-8 stitches," Kohli had said after the match but if KXIP thought that the opposition skipper will make himself unavailable, they would be in for disappointment as RCB's manager Avinash Vaidya said that India's No 1 batsman will be playing in this crucial encounter.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji identify the Most Valuable Players in the IPL so far.
After Ambati Rayudu failed the Yo-Yo test, the selectors turned to Suresh Raina for the ODI series in England.
Andre Russell returned with a four-wicket haul to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to a seven-run win over Kings XI Punjab and go atop the points table in their return to home in the Indian Premier League.
J P Duminy and Heinrich Klassen hit superb half-centuries to steer South Africa to a six-wicket victory over India in the second Twenty20 International, in Centurion, on Wednesday night.
Mumbai Indians lost their IPL cricket match against Kings XI Punjab by 18 runs.
A superb cameo from Glenn Maxwell helped Kings XI Punjab overcome a poor start to their chase and win the battle of first-timers against Hobart Hurricanes by five wickets in the Champions League T20 in Mohali.
Pakistan made a winning return on Saturday to the venue where they defeated New Zealand in their 1992 cricket World Cup semi-final.
Hindu-American Congresswon Tulsi Gabbard coasts to a rollicking re-election victory in in Hawaii's 2nd District
Some of the game's leading players have left their mark on the World Cup. Check out who they are.
