Cricket can be a game of some complexity and nuance but as England showed in their dismantling of Australia in Thursday's World Cup semi-final, it can also be a remarkably straightforward sport.
Against England on Monday and then Wednesday's game versus Australia, the Indian team management would look to give the players who are still not automatic choices in the playing XI, more overs to bat or bowl to get a better idea about their current form.
England have rested batsman Kevin Pietersen and bowling pair Graeme Swann and James Anderson from their limited-overs squads for the series in Australia starting next month.
England will be determined to get their act together against defending champions Sri Lanka.
Guptill whacked eight sixes and six fours during his sensational knock to leapfrog Rohit's record of most sixes in T20Is.
With nine defeats from 11 matches, the Sunrisers are languishing at the bottom, while KKR, in fourth place with 10 points from 12 matches, still have hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stage.
Images from Sunday's IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and SunRisers Hyderabad, in Abu Dhabi.
England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and sent Pakistan in to bat after early morning showers delayed the start and reduced the game to 47 overs per side.
The RCB spinners choked KKR for runs; and in the batsmen's bid to make up the run-rate KKR lost wickets regularly.
On a roll post the IPL's resumption, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders will look to continue their winning streak when they meet in a high-octane Indian Premier League encounter, in Abu Dhabi, on Sunday.
Left shaken by a bunch of world-class operators, the Indian team's white-ball stars will be aiming to put up an improved batting effort in the second T20 International against England in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
England's semi-final hopes were dented after they slipped to a 20-run defeat against Sri Lanka.
Four franchises were involved in a bidding war with MI Cape Town making the initial move followed by Paarl Royals. However, towards the end it was Johannesburg Super Kings and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who fought tooth and nail before the latter made a winning bid of R 9.2 million.
Sunrisers Hyderabad kept their play-off hopes alive by pulling off a well-deserved seven-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in a thrilling Indian Premier League match that went to the wire at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, on Thursday.
England may change their bowling combination for Thursday's ICC World Cup semi-final against Australia.
Rising Pune Supergiant look to build on gains against Kings XI Punjab.
England held their nerve in the face of a late assault by Akeal Hosein and Romario Shepherd to secure a one-run victory over the West Indies in Bridgetown on Sunday and level their five-match Twenty20 International series at 1-1.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni defended his unsuccessful decision of not rotating strike in the last over against England in the Only T20 International, saying he backed himself to go for it.
Facing the prospect of a series defeat at home for the first time in 15 months, skipper Virat Kohli will have a relook at his team combination as hosts India take on a resurgent England in a do-or-die second T20 International, in Nagpur on Sunday.
Rohit Sharma is pleased with his team's 'clinical' performance.
England cricket director Andrew Strauss gave his full backing to Test captain Alastair Cook on Tuesday and appointed Joe Root as his deputy in a significant move for the future.
England stood on the brink of the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup after Jos Buttler's batting pyrotechnics secured their comprehensive eight-wicket victory against Australia in a Group I match on Saturday.
'It is only a short series, but we think we can learn a lot from it'
Except for Dasun Shanaka, no Sri Lankan batsmen looked comfortable against England bowlers. The 29-year-old all-rounder scored an unbeaten 48 runs off 65 balls.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh is expected to officially announce his retirement from competitive cricket sometime next week and after that he will decide on an offer to be a part of the support staff of a franchise.
Vice-captain Jos Buttler is expected to keep wicket following a hip problem for Friday's World Cup clash against West Indies.
Shami was the standout bowler for the Kings XI Punjab, picking three wickets.
Joe Root smashed an unbeaten century to steer England to a convincing eight-wicket against Bangladesh in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy in London, on Thursday.
Starc took his tally to 19 wickets in the tournament so far.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians would look for inspiration from skipper Rohit Sharma, who is set to return to action, when they take on a rejuvenated Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.
Chennai Super Kings put up a huge 220 for 3, riding on a 60-ball 95 from Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad's 64.
Back-to-back losses denting their confidence, defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad would look to put their campaign back on track when they take on Kings XI Punjab in their IPL match, in Hyderabad, on Sunday.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan is excited at the prospect of fans returning to the stadiums after the lifting of the Covid-enforced restrictions and cheering them on when the second leg of IPL starts in the UAE on Sunday.
Pat Cummins's gutsy half-century and Captain Eoin Morgan's cautious 39 runs helped Kolkata Knight Riders post 148 after an awful start.
Images from Monday's Indian Premier League match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab in Sharjah.
England captain Eoin Morgan admitted that Kuldeep Yadav "completely deceived" his batsmen in the opening Twenty20 International in Manchester on Tuesday night, and said the hosts need to put up a better show against the Indian wrist spinners in the remaining matches if they want to give the visitors a tough fight in the series.
All-rounder Moeen Ali said the defeats to India in the T20s and first ODI will be a 'good thing' for England in the long run as the players could learn a lot from defeats.
England skipper Eoin Morgan gave credit where it was due, stating that Chris Gayle's 'skill level was quite up', on the night when the burly West Indian tormented the English bowlers in their opening ICC World T20 fixture on Wednesday.
After a comfortable outing in the tournament-opener against Bangladesh, title favourites England are set to face a much stiffer test against New Zealand in a crucial ICC Champions Trophy Group A fixture in Cardiff, on Tuesday.
'Our mindset is exactly the same whoever we play against. Like I said, the win yesterday, our mindset is fresh. We have a positive mindset.'
