GT vaulted to the top of the table with 16 points, while MI now find themselves in must-win territory in their remaining games.
With an aggressive mindset and intense training sessions, India looks set to make a powerful statement when they step onto the field, observes K R Nayar, the veteran cricket writer, from Dubai.
After bagging back-to-back Olympic bronze medals, India will start as favourites to defend their ACT title against top hockey playing nations of Asia in the form of China, Japan, Pakistan, Korea and Malaysia.
India captain Rohit Sharma, who led the team to their second ICC T20 World Cup title last June, has been named skipper of the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year 2024.
Rohit Sharma's career has been a mix of brilliant moments and inconsistencies. While his Test record may not be impressive, his white-ball dominance and leadership qualities make him a legend.
Since Suryakumar took over as captain last year, India have hardly put a wrong but his own form has dipped.
'Right now hockey is totally changed and anyone can beat anyone depending on the day. It depends on how many chances you create.'
Noor Ahmad excelled on his Chennai Super Kings debut before Rachin Ravindra and Ruturaj Gaikwad stuck sublime half-centuries to set up a four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians.
In India's last ODI series against Sri Lanka, Rahul kept wickets in the first two matches, scoring 31 and 0, while Pant played the third game but managed only 6 runs. India could opt to include both players in the XI, but that would likely come at the expense of Iyer.
Fifties by skipper Shreyas Iyer and veteran Ajinkya Rahane carried Mumbai to a five-wicket win over Maharashtra in a Group C match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
It will be a test of wits between Pandya brothers Hardik and Krunal when defending champions Gujarat Titans clash with Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL match in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
It is understood that Yashasvi Jaiswal has a bright chance of making it to the ODI squad. His inclusion would ensure a left-handed batter in the top four.
India's hockey team skipper Harmanpreet Singh and veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh expressed disappointment at not being able to realise their goal of winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, but said a bronze will be at least better than returning home empty-handed.
Hardik Pandya's maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket and star batter Suryakumar Yadav's fluent 67 went in vain as Lucknow Super Giants beat Mumbai Indians by 12 runs in an Indian Premier League match in Lucknow on Friday.
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.
Dhoni showed that Hardik still has a lot to learn when it comes to leadership skills as Chennai Super Kings outwitted Gujarat Titans by 15 runs in the first Qualifier to book a place in their 10th IPL final.
'A good headache (playing XI selection), we want to stick to our strengths.'
Anmolpreet smashes fastest List A hundred by an Indian
Arshdeep Singh starred as India ended their wait for a major ICC trophy win with victory in the T20 World Cup last year.
Want a game against SL to impress Hardik, says Shivam Mavi after maiden India call-up
India lost 2-4 against the Netherlands in shootout after their return leg FIH Pro League match ended in a 1-1 draw in Rourkela on Wednesday.
After the T20 World Cup disappointment, the Indian team got to business straightaway as they prepared for the three match T20I series in Wellington, New Zealand.
India may be one of the favourites, but Uthappa said they will have their task cut out in their opener against Bangladesh.
Although India are playing a strong brand of 50-overs' cricket of late, they have some selection riddles to solve before they face Bangladesh in their opening match of the Champions Trophy.
Pandya said he had learnt a lot of cricketing nuances from Dhoni, not by picking his brains but simply by watching him in action.
After a disappointing showing in the Test series in Australia recently, the Indian team is eager to make a fresh start in the T20 format.
'The stakes are too high and it would have been a complete embarrassment had Bumrah broken down in a match.'
A major surprise in the 2024 Google search trends was the absence of iconic names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, M S Dhoni, and Virat Kohli from the list of the top 10 most-searched athletes.
Successful in keeping opponents and vitriol at bay so far, India will have to rise above traditional bugbear New Zealand and a rigmarole of emotions surrounding stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to reclaim the Champions Trophy after 12 years in Dubai on Sunday.
Dube was hit on the helmet by a Jamie Overton bouncer and seamer Rana replaced him despite it not being a like-for-like replacement as concussion substitute rules mandate.
MI will hope Jasprit Bumrah returns to his menacing best, which is essential for them to stop an explosive Sunrisers Hyderabad batting unit in its tracks.
Pacers Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal and Sumit Mohanta shared seven wickets to power Bengal to an innings and 13-run win over Punjab in their Elite Group C match of the Ranji Trophy.
Images from the fourth T20 International between India and England in Pune on Friday.
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner also said it was "a bit of a shock" for everyone the way ball spun in the second innings.
It is expected that Hardik will return to competitive cricket in the Indian Premier League, where he is set to make his maiden appearance as a full-time captain with the CVC-owned Ahmedabad franchise.
'We have made a good bonding in the team from the start. In every match we played as a group. We have put on combined performance. We have worked as a team in the tournament. Everyone contributed a little bit and hope this continues.'
Shubman Gill's fluent century and a clinical performance from their bowlers helped India trounce England by 142 runs in the third and final ODI on Wednesday, to complete a 3-0 series sweep.
Rohit Sharma's fiery knock was cut short by Yudhvir Singh, as he was caught at midwicket for a fluent 28 runs off 35 balls.
All about IPL 2025 which kicks off on March 22, Saturday.
While India are on a high after a measured six-wicket win over a sprightly Bangladesh, Pakistan are evidently tense after the 60-run loss in the tournament-opener to New Zealand.
