Australia head coach Justin Langer feels the Indian Premier League is an excellent platform to prepare for the T20 World Cup but conceded that health is paramount as the the T20 league may become another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 13th edition of IPL was originally scheduled to start on March 29 in Mumbai but it was postponed to April 15 to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 24,000 people worldwide.
Virat Kohli's tourists are the second ranked ODI side in the world and will be looking to get into their groove in the three 50-over and three Twenty20 matches that precede the four-match Test series around the new year.
India have surged to the second spot in the ICC's latest T20I rankings after they completed a 3-0 clean sweep over Sri Lanka in the shortest-format on Sunday.
Gujarat Titans have been firing on all cylinders, with their batting prowess and bowling might.
Aaron Finch and his men arrived in India as clear underdogs, having endured a wretched couple of years in the format during which they lost six ODI series in a row and were ravaged by a ball-tampering scandal.
The two players were eligible for Aaron Finch's national side after their 12-month suspensions for ball-tampering ended last month.
Images from the IPL 2022 match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Monday.
Their confidence severely dented after two comprehensive defeats, last edition's runners-up side Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking to get their inconsistent campaign back on track when they face Rajasthan Royals in the IPL match in Mumbai on Monday.
KKR are placed at the sixth spot with 12 points and they will not only have to win but do it with a big margin
Australia's push to win their first ever T20 World Cup remains firmly on track, a 97-run thumping of South Africa in Cape Town handing the Australians four consecutive T20 series wins for the very first time.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will look to shrug off the disappointment of two back-to-back defeats and get back to winning ways when they taken on Sunrisers Hyderabad as they aim to seal their place in the play-offs, in the IPL match, in Sharjah, on Saturday.
IMAGES from the IPL 2022 game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Mumbai, on Friday.
Media reports have said pace spearhead Pat Cummins, opener David Warner and several others might miss the tours after returning home following the abrupt suspension of the Indian Premier League last month.
Back to winning ways, a resurgent Sunrisers Hyderabad will be forced to tinker their successful combination following all-rounder Washington Sundar's injury as they face Kolkata Knight Riders.
Australia coach Justin Langer believes his team can re-establish themselves as the best in the world as they prepare for a potential semi-final showdown with Pakistan at the Twenty20 World Cup this week.
It was only the fourth time in history that a side has lost an ODI chase with two centurions.
Malan enjoyed a fruitful series against Australia, scoring 66, 44 and 21 in three games to guide England to a 2-1 series victory.
Earlier, the West Indies chose to bat first after winning the toss and rode on opener Lewis's effort which included nine sixes and four boundaries to post a challenging total although the hosts were poised for an even bigger score at one point.
Australia captain Aaron Finch expects New Zealand to fight and scrap in their remaining games to seal a place in the semis.
India captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday said the consolation win over Australia in the third and final ODI is a timely 'boost' for the remainder of the tour, made possible by the freshness that came with a changed squad.
The defending champions won their opening two games against Afghanistan and West Indies.
Images from Saturday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings, in Dubai.
Australia buried India under an avalanche of runs for a 51-run drubbing in the second ODI and an unassailable 2-0 series lead after the majestic Steve Smith produced another master-class in the form of a 64-ball 104, in Sydney, on Sunday.
Kolkata Knight Riders outclassed Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to snap their five-match losing streak in the IPL 2022 match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday.
The 30-year-old leg-spinner said watching Yuzvendra Chahal and Sundar bowl during RCB's thumping 82-run win over KKR a few days before helped him find the right length at the same small Sharjah ground.
Australia are yet to hit their stride, but that's exactly why the rest should worry, says former Aussie great Allan Border.
Kolkata Knight Riders are expected to continue with their risk-taking approach despite mixed returns when they on Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League, at the Wankhede stadium, in Mumbai on Friday.
Recently, India coach Ravi Shastri had indicated that Virat Kohli could bat at No. 4 in the World Cup
Chief selector MSK Prasad told reporters last month that most of the players in the current India side pick themselves and it was a matter of finalising a couple of slots before the World Cup in England and Wales.
Doubting David Warner "is an absolute no-no," says Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell who is confident that the out-of-form opener will turn things around in the T20 World Cup.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan admitted that India were completely outplayed by Australia and that it was the middle-order collapse that triggered the loss in the opening ODI at the Wankhede in Mumbai on Tuesday.
South Africa continued their recent dominance of Australia in this format having won 11 of their last 12 ODI meetings dating back to 2016.
'My father's dreams for me were connected to cricket.'
'I knew if I did well in cricket, his soul would rest in peace.'
Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore go into the virtual quarter-final, having lost four and three games on the trot respectively
Virat Kohli stepped down as India's 20-overs skipper and lost ODI captaincy too with Rohit Sharma taking over as their sole white-ball leader.
Players from New Zealand and Australia made significant gains in the rankings updated after the first two matches of the ongoing series between the two sides.
Rahul sits in the third position with Aaron Finch, who completed his 1,000 runs in 29 innings.
The India captain's 41st ODI century wasn't enough to prevent India from losing the third ODI against Australia by 32 runs in Ranchi, on Friday.
Australia on Tuesday named Steve Smith and David Warner in their Twenty20 squad for home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan as selectors firm up plans for next year's World Cup on home soil.
John Hastings claimed six wickets before Aaron Finch and George Bailey's attacking half-centuries powered Australia to a series clinching six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the fourth one-day international in Dambulla on Wednesday. Australia rode on Finch's 19-ball 55 and an unbeaten 90 from Bailey to chase down 213 in 31 overs and take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
