IPL 2021 had many moments that made the tournament more special and fans asking for more.
Mohammed Siraj turned in his best figures in the IPL as he guided Royal Challengers Bangalore to a 24-run win over Punjab Kings.
South Africa are chasing their first World Cup trophy and, despite being ranked third in the world, captain Faf Du Plessis insists they will play without fear.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player of IPL 2023.
South Africa will head to India armed with three frontline slow bowlers in their Test squad after recalling leg-spinner Imran Tahir and off-break bowler Dane Piedt for the four-match series starting in November.
Two candidates appear to have the strongest claims - AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis - both already captains of the national side in the shorter formats of the game.
Rajat Patidar's astute captaincy has been apparent throughout this season, be it bowling changes or field placements, he has been spot on. Unlike other franchises where captaining big egos has not sat well with certain players, Patidar has commanded the respect of his senior India as well as international team-mates.
Mumbai Indians have been in ominous form and the varied bowling attack could prove a challenge for the CSK batters, who are low on confidence.
Following is a list of individual honours that were awarded at the end of the 14th Indian Premier League.
Captain Steve Smith scored a breezy 44 to guide Australia to a six-wicket win over South Africa in the final Twenty20 International on Wednesday and a 2-1 series victory.
'Rinku supported Zeeshan a lot during UP T20 league. A leg-spinner needs a lot of confidence from his captain. He was brought into bowl at crucial junctures and that helped him catch attention of scouts.'
Chennai Super Kings finished their league assignments with a thumping six-wicket loss to Punjab Kings, who cantered home with seven overs to spare.
CSK have better resources but they must utilise them to the hilt. Teams:
Royal Challengers Bangalore pacer Mohammed Siraj grabbed four wickets to lead his side to a 24-run win over Punjab Kings.
Rohit was declared captain of India's yet-to-be-named T20 World Cup squad in February this year by BCCI secretary Jay Shah at an event in Ahmedabad, a good two months after he was replaced by Pandya as MI skipper.
Paceman Dale Steyn returned from a brief vacation to inspire South Africa and spinner Imran Tahir took four wickets as they throttled Pakistan's batsmen to win the third one-day international in Abu Dhabi by 68 runs on Wednesday.
Fresh from their morale-boosting win over LSG, and bolstered by the return of India wicketkeeper-batter K L Rahul, Delhi Capitals will look to build on the momentum when they take on formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL match in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
South Africa claimed six wickets for 17 runs in a dramatic finish to snatch an unlikely one-run victory over Pakistan in their first one-day international at Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
South Africa's success in Australia is often put down to their comfort on the hard local tracks, which can be similar to those at home, but they could face some unfamiliar conditions this year.
Tillakaratne Dilshan hit an unbeaten 74 off 51 deliveries to take Sri Lanka to a six-wicket consolation win in the third and final Twenty20 match over South Africa which has secured the series 2-1.
Uncapped all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius has been named in the South Africa's squad as a replacement for injured Dale Steyn for the remaining Tests of the three-match series against Australia. The 33-year-old ruled out of the tour after fracturing his right shoulder during Australia's first innings of the opening Test, which the Proteas went on to win by massive 177 runs at the WACA Ground in Perth.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2023 after Game 61.
Kohli effected a superb direct hit at the bowler's end to end Shahrukh's stay in the middle.
Eyeing a top-two finish, Chennai Super Kings will start as the firm favourites when they take on Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League, in Dubai, on Thursday.
Opener Dean Elgar struck a magnificent century for South Africa but Sri Lanka came back strongly with four wickets in the final session to balance the scales on the opening day of the first Test on Wednesday.
Dhoni's men will have to adapt to the conditions quickly to avoid any such hiccup in the play-offs.
With eight points from 11 games, RR are placed second from bottom in the eight-team table and a loss on Saturday will end their slim chances of qualifying for the knockout stage.
Images from Tuesday's IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and SunRisers Hyderabad, in Dubai.
West Indies tour of South Africa hit a new low on Wednesday when they were bundled out for 122 in under 34 overs to lose the third one-day international by nine wickets at Buffalo Park.
South African captain Graeme Smith is reportedly unhappy with Cricket South Africa's (CSA) announcement of player contracts as it has been difficult for some of the players to handle.
South Africa lost Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock among several experienced batters in recent years, leaving Elgar and Temba Bavuma to shoulder a heavy burden.
Jofra Archer showed why England could not leave him out of their final ICC Men's Cricket World Cup squad as he bowled them to opening win against South Africa.
Aaron Finch's side will head to Sunday's decider in Hobart buoyed by Australia's first win in the short format since January and having delivered some badly needed cheer for the struggling cricket nation.
Cricketers have an extended break at home but they are not sitting still. They have taken to social media to urge everyone to practice social distancing to fight the spread of coronavirus.
Getting his team composition right will be Mahendra Singh Dhoni's primary aim as Rising Pune Supergiants meet an out-of-sorts Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League cricket tournament encounter, in Mohali on Sunday.
The left-handed batter and India vice-captain was signed up in the recent auction, in Mumbai, for Rs 3.40 crore, the highest price for a player in the WPL auction.
All-rounder Mitchell Marsh will return home from the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a side strain and will be assessed ahead of Australia's tour of West Indies next month, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Sunday.
Young pace sensation Lungi Ngidi has been rewarded for his recent performances with a place in South Africa's squad for the six-match ODI series against India starting in Durban on February 1.
The 24-year-old wicketkeeper injured the index finger on his right hand while fielding in South Africa's eight-wicket win in the second Test in Wellington and underwent scans earlier this week.
South African speedster Dale Steyn, who has been marred by a string of injuries (groin and shoulder), will be returning to competitive cricket in a club game in Cape Town. Steyn will play for Western Province Cricket Club against St Augustine in his bid to prove his fitness for next month's three T20s against Australia ahead the much-important World T20 in India. Steyn, who missed out owing to a groin injury during the tour to India injured his shoulder in the first Test against England and has been out of competitive cricket since close to two months. Despite his injury, the 32-year-old was included in the squad South Africa keeping a replacement ready if he failed to make it. Proteas T20 skipper Faf du Plessis said, "Steyn looks fully fit but a call could only be taken on whether he will travel to the tournament if he gets through the matches against Australia."
