In a world where age and form seem to be at odds with each other, these IPL veterans defied expectations wrote their own narratives and left us all marveling at their incredible staying power.
Stung by an improved New Zealand the other night, a wary India would like to quickly get their house in order when they square off with Kane Williamson's boys in the third ODI in Mohali on Sunday. While the six-run defeat in Delhi has given India plenty to ponder about, it has also renewed interest in the contest which had been dominated by the home team prior to Thursday, stretching from the one-sided Test series to the first ODI in Dharamsala. From the New Zealand point of view, a victory was all that they needed after a string of deflating defeats. As a result of their first win on Indian soil in 13 years, one can expect a certain spring in the stride of the visitors when they take the field at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.
Virat Kohli hit an unbeaten 154 to make short work of a seemingly steep target as India beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the third one-day international in Mohali to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series on Sunday.
Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni turned the clock back with a batting masterclass as the old warhorses' twin tons powered India to a 15-run win over England in the second One-day International and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Suresh Raina smashed a sensational fifty in his comeback game
He ended his spell with four wickets for 13 runs, bowling an incredible 18 dot balls, his best-ever IPL figures.
Moeen Ali delivered a spell of 3-12 that knocked the wind out of DC's sails.
India defeated Pakistan by six wickets in a Super 10 Group 2 match to record their first win in the ICC World Twenty20 in Kolkata on Saturday. Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 55 to guide India home in their chase of 119.
IMAGES from the IPL match played between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils in Pune on Monday
Batting superstar Virat Kohli feared that India were virtually out of the ICC World T20 after the first 10 overs of their chase against Australia and has no idea how he and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni managed to achieve the seemingly imposing target. "It virtually felt like you are out of the tournament at the end of 10 overs. To pull the game back after that along with MS Dhoni - I don't know how we did it. Even out there in the middle, I didn't know how this was happening. I am just grateful that I was able to do it for the team," Kohli told BCCI.TV after scripting India's memorable win. He spoke about how emotional he became once Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit the winning boundary. "It was a pretty emotional feeling when I saw Dhoni hitting the winning runs. I don't really know what to say. "That is the reason you play the sport. That is the feeling that you crave as a sportsperson. It is such a wonderful moment for your team. To see your teammates celebrate and get happy is a wonderful feeling," added Kohli. By his own admission, he has "never played an innings" in a situation where 39 were needed in last three overs.
Saha, 32, possesses none of his predecessor's flamboyance or big-hitting ability with the bat but his dexterity behind the stumps, to go with his determination in front of them, has meant that Dhoni, who now plays only limited-overs cricket, has not really been missed.
India will surely fancy their chances of an encore, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Indian great Sachin Tendulkar remains the gold standard of batting in the post-Bradman era but Virat Kohli's latest masterclass in Sunday's World Twenty20 shootout against Australia has prompted comparisons with his famous compatriot.
Given the relative paucity of cricket this year, Test cricket has emerged as a healer for deprived fans, notes Dhruv Munjal.
'Politics has risen around Padmavati, but the film has nothing political in it.'
The second World Twenty20 semi-final is likely to hinge on who emerges on top in the battle between the big-hitting West Indian batsmen and India's wily spinners when the former champions clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
'Mahendra Singh Dhoni has at his disposal a range of multi-skilled players who possess the ability to turn the game around at the flick of a switch.'
The Indian cricket team went from strength to strength in 2019, especially in Test cricket where they are rightly perched at the top. They went unbeaten in Test cricket in 2019 which included winning their first-ever series in Australia, after which they registered three successive whitewashes against West Indies, South Africa and Bangladesh.
India have won all their six games against Pakistan in the World Cup.
The 100MB app casts the cricketer in a digital avatar that can be used in a variety of ways. Celebrities, Urvi Malvania reports, are increasingly leveraging their fan following in the real world to build virtual empires.
Rediff.com takes a look at a few brilliant efforts which, unfortunately, were in a losing cause.
Season 9 of the IPL has seen many youngsters punch above their weight. Some of them make Aruneel Sadadekar/Rediff.com's Young Guns XI.
'This little incident might seem trivial to most people. But when such things happen in the BCCI's own backyard...'
'This was Kohli's veneration for his master: The man who had inspired him to pick up a cricket bat in the first place, the man he had grown up watching. Just that now, he was exactly like him, or, dare it be suggested, maybe a shade better while chasing down daunting totals,' says Dhruv Munjal.
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