Royal Challengers Bangalore will expect more runs from their batters and discipline in 'death' overs bowling when they take on high-flying Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL match in Bengaluru on Monday.
India will expect a better approach from skipper Shikhar Dhawan and young Shubman Gill in the Powerplay overs when the team clashes with New Zealand in a do-or-die second One-Day International, in Hamilton, on Sunday.
It may be an inconsequential game on paper but Indian bowlers await another tough test against South Africa ahead of the T20 World Cup when the two teams meet in the final game of the three-match series in Indore on Tuesday.
Officials said most of the preparations are complete and the counting will start at 8 am on Saturday.
Team India will usher in a new era, which will begin with the ODI series against the West Indies, beginning, in Ahmedabad, on Sunday.
Farmer unions on Monday had announced a countrywide 'chakka jam' on February 6 when they would block national and state highways for three hours in protest against the internet ban in areas near their agitation sites, harassment allegedly meted out to them by authorities, and other issues.
India are set for a T20 appetizer ahead of their marquee Test series against Australia when they face the touring New Zealand in a three-match series, beginning in Ranchi, on Friday.
Defending champions West Zone rode on gritty half centuries from Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel to scramble past South Zone by two wickets and enter the Deodhar Trophy final, in Mumbai, on Monday. Chasing an imposing 315 for victory in the second semi-final at the Wankhede stadium, West were struggling at 174 for 6 before Yadav (80 off 56 balls, 4 sixes, 7 fours) and No. 8 batsman Patel (64 not out off 38 balls) put together a match-winning stand of 70 runs off 76 balls that saw the hosts home with 17 balls to spare.
Shivam Dube carried his rich recent form into domestic circuit cracking a rapid fifty but Shreyas Gopal's four-wicket haul ensured that Mumbai were bowled out for 251
With Ravindra Jadeja unavailable because of injury, will India include the left-handed Rishabh Pant over Dinesh Karthik who is a designated finisher in the squad?
Narayan Jagadeesan followed up his double ton in the previous game with a magnificent triple century to help Tamil Nadu declare their first innings
Before facing the might of Shaheen Shah Afridi in Asia Cup, a morning session with deliveries moving both sides, albeit with a gentle pace, would be decent enough extended net session for Rahul.
The second T20 game between India and Sri Lanka will be played at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo starting 1900 IST today.
The Indian team had a gruelling nets session in Mohali as they prepared for Tuesday's opening game in the three-match T20I series against World Champions Australia.
Shivam Dube continued his recent streak of form with a counter-attacking fifty that proved to be the cornerstone of Mumbai's excellent 330 for six against Bengal
The Punjab Kings, who have heavily relied on skipper Shikhar Dhawan, will need their batters to step up as they face a confident Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday.
'Gossip Time', Yuzvendra Chahal captioned the picture.
Having won the first game by three runs, another victory will give India a successive ODI series win in the Caribbean.
Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed a bill to regulate the appointment and service terms of Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners incorporating key amendments like retaining their status at par with Supreme Court judges, upgrading the search committee and inserting a new clause to protect them from court cases while discharging their official duties.
Irfan Pathan predicts playing XI for India in T20 World Cup
Lungi Ngidi decimated India's top order as South Africa triumphed by five wickets
IMAGES from the opening T20I played between India and South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
The Samajwadi Party is unwilling to cede ground to the BJP, especially in Amethi, since the Congress is too weak to counter the BJP's well-oiled election machinery.
Gill will not like to repeat the mistakes of his predecessors while aiming to cement his place in the T20I side after making a reputation for himself in the longer versions.
The Punjab police on Friday claimed to have busted an ISI-backed terror module jointly handled by Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and Pakistan-based gangster Harvinder Singh Rinda with the arrest of two of its operatives.
Images from the third and final T20 International between India and Sri Lanka.
Hardik Pandya will be expected to begin his full-time T20 captaincy tenure on a bold note as the Indian team prepares to start its life beyond Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul.
Former coach Ravi Shastri called India's current batting line-up their best ever in the shortest format.
Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal. Deepak Hooda, Dinesh Karthik, Umesh Yadav and Umran Malik. Sam Curran, Harry Brook, Jofra Archer and Kagiso Rabada.
Lucknow Super Giants will be itching to get back to winning ways against a buoyant Sunrisers Hyderabad with young wrist spinner Ravi Bishnoi holding the key.
Kunjarani, Ravina and Kirti outpunched their opponents by unanimous decisions whereas Bhawna and Devika earned 4-1 wins in the finals.
SRH will bank on Markram's leadership skills to deliver results this season.
India will need their bowlers, especially Harshal and Chahal, to overcome their struggles ahead of the T20 World Cup.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya was named as India's T20I captain for the three-match series against Sri Lanka, with Rohit Sharma retaining the ODI leadership role.
To everyone's surprise, the team management didn't play him during the high-scoring first T20I in Mohali, raising doubts whether he has still attained peak fitness or not.
What changes must India make to the playing XI for Friday's second T20 International against Australia?
Infused with new energy under Rohit, India looked a completely overhauled unit after being whitewashed in South Africa and the team would certainly want to continue from where it left of on Sunday night.
Bumrah, Chahar, Kaul get their first dose of COVID vaccine.
Dhoni has managed some cameos in the fag end of the innings and the skipper is expected to continue doing so despite calls of him coming up the order.
In other big movements, Punjab Kings have released their last edition's captain Mayank Agarwal, while West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
