A look at 5 key battles in Sunday's clash at the T20 World Cup in Dubai.
'He was the one who set the agenda for the 1983 World Cup win with 89 in the first match against the West Indies, then top-scoring with 40 in the crucial match against Australia when we had to qualify for the semi-finals.' 'He played another brilliant innings of 61 against England in the semi-finals.'
Can India avoid the humiliation of a series whitewash, asks Harish Kotian.
Chetan Sharma salutes the memory of Dean Jones.
'At the end of the day, we also had to look at players who will figure in the playing XI.'
'He has gone through ups and downs, he knows how to handle himself and is somebody who can get the team together.'
Shiva Keshavan reveals why he feels 'stabbed in the back' after giving his all for the country for 20 years and what keeps him going despite all the recent problems affecting him.
Should India retain the winning combination for Thursday's ODI against Australia?
'I would have to say Sachin. He has got that aura. He would be the guy I choose,' says former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee when asked to comment on Tendulkar and Lara's greatness.
'I want to give this title to the people of China because it is all about peace, it is all about India-China friendship.'
The major factor behind Rohit's decision to open is that he won't have much time to prepare for the World Cup, which starts in England on May 30, a couple of weeks after the IPL ends.
India's young, rising stars Ruturaj Gaikwad, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan come up with world-class performances.
Former India captain Rahul Dravid shares his thoughts on Pakistan hosting India in a series in the UAE in December. Harish Kotian reports.
'Everyone's there just to criticise the young man and there is so much pressure on the poor guy.'
Rediff.com's Harish Kotian picks 5 players to look out for in this year's Champions Trophy.
Rediff.com's Harish Kotian picks 5 players to look out for in this year's Champions Trophy.
'There are a lot of uncertainties when it comes to cricket.'
The sudden postponement of the boxing trials for the Asian Games has left Olympic bronze medallist MC Mary Kom fuming as she termed the last-minute schedule change as highly unprofessional' on the part of the organisers.
After their below par showing in the World Cup, some senior Indian players are living on borrowed time.
Having made it to the IPL for the first time ever, Delhi Capitals are up against the rampaging Mumbai Indians, who have already beaten them thrice this season and are looking all set for their fifth IPL title.
'You have to be focussed 100 percent, that is the quality of the IPL.' 'If your preparation is not up to the mark, you will face a lot of problems.'
The first qualifier of the Indian Premier League between Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders has been postponed to Wednesday, at 1600 IST. With the Eden Gardens in Kolkata under ankle deep water following torrential rain over the last two days the organisers were forced to put off Tuesday's fixture by a day.
The time for experiments is over, Harish Kotian points out.
'He was a very fierce competitor. 'I got to learn a lot from him in terms of his discipline, focus and his routines, like how one has to prepare for the game.'
Should India exploit South Africa's weakness against the turning ball?
The likes of Virat Kohli, David Warner will be aiming to silence their critics, while KKR's Shreyas Iyer and Lucknow Super Giants' K L Rahul will be looking to prove themselves after being the handed captaincy of their respective franchises.
'I am particularly happy that an Indian has done such a superb job as the coach because people always talk about foreign coaches, but Shastri has dashed all those views.'
With the addition of two IPL teams and a mega players auction coming up ahead of the new season in 2022, star performers at the T20 World Cup could be rewarded with handsome bids.
India's cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar vehemently opposed the International Cricket Council's proposed four-day Test, urging the governing body to refrain from tinkering with a format in which the spinners come into play on the fifth and final day. A day less, according to the world's highest run-getter across two formats, will lead to batsmen thinking of Tests as an extended version of limited-overs cricket.
Aditya Verma, the petitioner in the IPL spot-fixing scandal, hailed the verdict, stating that the ball is now in the BCCI's court and cleaning up the mess can start with BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur urging former BCCI president Srinivasan to withdraw his representation from the ICC.
'The IPL is like a corporate world, the owners expect results and on top of that you don't get that much time.' 'Coaching is not that important at that level, it is more about man management and keeping the atmosphere really good, that is the most important thing.'
Upset by Jimmy Anderson's comments about Virat Kohli, the usually calm Ravi Ashwin gives the English bowler a piece of his mind.
'When he gets more confident with the bat, you will see him developing into a batter more than a batter-'keeper.'
With Rahul likely to bat at No 4, asks Harish Kotian, will Ajinkya Rahane get a look in?
'You can't just have one single player who is individually doing well and be able to win the World Championship or the Olympics.' 'In the Thomas Cup, you need a group of players performing at the same time at their highest level.' 'So that shows how difficult it is, and what a great achievement that is for a country like India to be able to win it.'
Much before the BCCI came out with its probe panel report, many were aware what was coming.
Dhawan, Pujara, Ashwin, Jadeja shone, but Pandya is the standout performer in the Sri Lanka series for Rediff.com's Harish Kotian.
'I don't want it to be a batting affair otherwise you could just walk in with the umpire, with the bowling machine, put your hat on the bowling machine, walk away.' Brett Lee tells Harish Kotian on how Twenty20 cricket has changed the dynamics of cricket and why a bit of controlled aggression is needed in the sport.
'The IPL was a big learning for me that whatever you do at this level, you should be confident about yourself.'
Coach A N Sharma recalls his first meeting with Virender Sehwag way back in 1993 when he turned up at his academy in Vikaspur, West Delhi, wanting to be a cricketer. More than anything, he remembers how he had come across a young boy, who amongst other things, just wanted to hit every ball he faced.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances