He has no challenger in the Congress, the Akali Dal is in disarray. Will he call a snap election?
England will need to defeat Namibia in their last league match and hope that Scotland lose to Australia.
The Kiwis named their 15-player squad for the ninth edition of the 20-over showcase on Monday, with the Black Caps opting for an experienced squad that includes Williamson and fast bowling duo Tim Southee and Trent Boult.
Former captain Kane Williamson, batsman Tom Blundell and quick Kyle Jamieson, who all have hamstring issues, were selected despite doubts over their fitness.
Trent Boult was named in the New Zealand squad for part of the upcoming Twenty20 series against Australia on Wednesday, indicating that the veteran fast bowler is still in the frame for the World Cup in June.
IMAGES from the Day 1 of the third Test played between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday
Following a top-order wobble, captain Hardik Pandya (15 not out) and Suryakumar Yadav (26 not out) combined for a crucial 31-run partnership as they helped the hosts reach 101-4 on the penultimate ball, chasing New Zealand's 99-8.
Amir, Imad recalled to Pakistan squad for NZ T20I series
Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson will take over the captain's role for the first time in his career as regular skipper Kane Williamson continues to recover from a knee injury, and his deputy Tom Latham has been rested for the series.
New Zealand beat England by a comfortable six wickets as the four-match Twenty20 International series finished in a 2-2 draw.
New Zealand set Pakistan a tricky target of 319 and then landed two late blows to boost their hopes of a series-clinching victory in the second Test on Thursday.
Pakistan lost two early wickets before captain Babar Azam steadied the ship with an innings of 79.
Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam claimed a match haul of 10 wickets to bowl Bangladesh to a comprehensive 150-run victory against New Zealand in the opening Test in Sylhet on Saturday.
New Zealand steam roll England in third T20I
The most interesting aspect of the contest is the form of batters from both sides which has been the reason of their success so far.
Glenn Phillips smashed a quickfire half century to guide New Zealand to a two-wicket victory over Pakistan in the third one-day international in Karachi.
Saud, who forged a 150-run partnership with Sarfaraz Ahmed for the fifth wicket, was unbeaten on 124, which included 17 fours.
Having already played their opening encounters in the ongoing cricket World Cup, it is time for New Zealand and the Netherlands to venture deep into the tournament as they face each other in Hyderabad on Monday.
New Zealand will firmly bank on their potent batting line-up to ward off Bangladesh's capable spin attack on a slow Chepauk pitch on Friday.
Apart from Rohit, Guptill is closely followed by former India captain Virat Kohli (3,308), Ireland's ODI skipper Paul Stirling (2,894), and Australian captain Aaron Finch, who is fifth in the list with 2,855 runs.
Bangladesh beat New Zealand by five wickets in the opening Twenty20 International at McLean Park, Napier, on Wednesday after dismissing the hosts cheaply for the second time in four days.
With spin expected to have an impact on the outcome of the opening Test starting in Kanpur on Thursday, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is hoping that the lessons learnt during the World Twenty20 in India will help his side's spinners counter the hosts. New Zealand had reached the semi-finals of World T20 and Mitchel Santner (4/11 in 4 overs) had recorded the best figures for a Kiwi spinner in Twenty20s en route to their knock out stage appearance. Those figures had come for a winning cause against India in Nagpur and he was well supported by Ish Sodhi, who took three wickets in that match. These two spinners -- Santner and Sodhi -- will challenge the Indian batting line-up in this Test series.
Chapman, Astle picked in New Zealand T20 World Cup squad; Veteran Ross Taylor ignored.
Pakistan's weakened pace attack in the absence of injured Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah, didn't offer a challenge to Conway and Latham with the new ball as both batters took New Zealand to 41-0 by tea before adding 124 more runs in the final session.
Hathurusingha was also fully aware of the difficulty posed by his lack of red-ball cricket experience before the series.
Kane Williamson, spinners set up NZ's 35-run win over Ireland
India will be expecting more runs from the middle order and discipline in the death overs as they look for a series sealing win against New Zealand in the second ODI in Raipur on Saturday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership as well as finishing skills will be put through a stern test when an inconsistent India take on a rejuvenated New Zealand in the series-deciding fifth and final cricket ODI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. With the series locked at 2-2, Dhoni and his men will be eager to clinch the issue while history beckons Kane Williamson's men as they have a glorious opportunity to taste their maiden success in a bilateral ODI rubber. The only thing that can play spoilsport is the cyclone threat which can lead to complete washout.
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday approved 412 gallantry awards and other defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel and others on the eve of 74th Republic Day.
England are an ageing side alright, but few will dare to bet against Jos Buttler's men successfully defending their World Cup title in a few weeks time.
Led by Saharan, who is leading the batting charts with 389 runs, the team's performance got better with each match and the only time it has been pushed to a corner in the tournament is the semifinal where it pipped hosts South Africa by a solitary wicket.
With the series on the line, captain Hardik Pandya is unlikely to make changes despite clamour for inclusion of Prithvi Shaw.
We asked colleagues, present and past, to reflect on a man who has made such a difference to their lives and careers. Here it is then, a rich collection of memories that offer enchanting glimpses of the enigmatic Ajit Balakrishnan.
The second Test, also in Karachi, begins on Monday.
Virat Kohli has, in the past, been dismissed a number of times by leg-spinners but New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi doesn't find any distinct weakness in the Indian captain's game. Although he is only 27, Sodhi will be seen in a new role of spin consultant for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League starting next month, apart from learning about the financial and operational side of franchise management.
The opening Test, also played in Karachi, ended in a draw as well.
'That's a standard we want to keep going with for the rest of tournament.'
Experienced pacers Tim Southee and Trent Boult's absence leaves a "massive hole" in the New Zealand squad, but also provides a chance to fringe players to step up during the India tour, says stand-in-captain Tom Latham.
New Zealand are better organised and clinical in terms of execution and hence could start as the favourites in the first semi-final against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Glenn Phillips raced around the outfield to take an excellent diving catch at extra cover to trigger an Australian collapse.
