'He adds stability in the middle order and there were spots where he could have slotted in.'
The BCCI press conference scheduled at 1.30pm in Mumbai is 'expected to be delayed owing to weather disruptions'.
If Punjab goes for a flat deck, there is no guarantee that the bowling unit can defend anything in the 220 range, especially when KKR have the likes of Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, and Venkatesh Iyer in their ranks.
Shubman Gill, who has been India's stand out batter in the tournament, was the only one who did not turn up for practice.
Since he took over, head coach Gautam Gambhir has stressed on multi-skilled players across formats, especially those who can add batting depth.
'It would have been understandable if, after a gruelling tour where five Test matches were crammed into a little over six weeks, he had opted to rest.''
For the home side, it has been a season of mixed returns so far. After early defeats to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians, KKR roared back to form in their last outing -- a commanding win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Former players lauded Varun Chakravarthy's bowling display against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, with Ravi Shastri advocating for his inclusion in the semifinals.
Venkatesh Iyer silenced his critics with a match-winning 60 off 29 balls, propelling Kolkata Knight Riders to a convincing 80-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
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.
When Punjab Kings opted to bat, they were 39 for 1 in just 3.2 overs before they fell like nine pins and at the thick of all the action was Ramandeep Singh.
'Will any coach think of keeping out Rohit and Kohli from the ODI team? That means there is something going on within the team against the two players.' Manoj Tiwary, who played 12 ODIs and three T20Is for India, said iconic players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli deserve greater respect.
'If Rohit wants to open, KL should bat at No. 3. Nothing later than that.'
Images from the IPL 2025 match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders.
'The only concern they might have is around Jasprit Bumrah's fitness and what that does to the bowling attack... that's where the main challenge lies for India.'
Pace sensation Mayank Yadav is expected to unleash his raw speed while the absence of India's T20 regulars will provide another opportunity to the fringe players in the three-match series against Bangladesh, beginning in Gwalior Sunday.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 39.
Kolkata Knight Riders batter Quinton de Kock says having former Chennai Super Kings players Ajinkya Rahane and Moeen Ali in their ranks gave them key insights into the Chepauk conditions, which prompted the decision to field an extra spinner, a move that proved crucial in their eight-wicket win in the IPL match in Chennai on Friday.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy Group A match played between India and Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in Dubai on Thursday.
Australia were the number one team back in the day and reminisced the challenges they faced playing against them.
Marnus Labuschagne arrived at the crease in Perth with a plan: channel his inner Cheteshwar Pujara.
India's batting is a major concern with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggling for runs ahead of the tour of Australia.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy justified his selection with a five-wicket haul and bowled India to a 44-run victory against New Zealand.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second ODI against England on Sunday?
Mumbai Indians bowled out Kolkata Knight Riders for a paltry 116 runs in their latest IPL encounter, winning the match by eight wickets.
Shami last played for India in the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad after which he was sidelined because of an ankle injury which needed surgery.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Australia and India in Perth, on Friday.
Despite the challenging build-up, Gambhir said he is "extremely confident" of retaining the Border Gavaskar Trophy. The players will hope to be as confident as they prepare for the fight to keep their World Test Final chances alive.
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.
For DC, the onus will be on Prithvi Shaw and veteran Australian David Warner to provide a solid start.
With the series locked at 1-1, Brisbane could well decide the course of the rubber and whether Rohit's men would continue to be the master of their fate in the ongoing World Test Championship.
Rohit hinted that the 64-Test veteran could still play a part in the remainder of the five-Test series in Australia.
'Whatever was thrown at us, we responded pretty well throughout the series.'
Riding high on their new-found confidence, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be hoping to finally get it right at home and keep their play-off hopes alive when they take on a struggling Rajasthan Royals in their IPL match in Kolkata on Sunday.
Images from the first One-Day International between India and England at the Barabati Stadium, in Cuttack, on Sunday.
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.
India began their Champions Trophy campaign with a six-wicket victory against Bangladesh after opener Shubman Gill anchored their nervy chase with a classy hundred.
India will have to wait until day two to show their skills and may need early wickets to force a third consecutive result in the series.
India will be under tremendous pressure when they face an equally circumspect Australia in a battle of two out-of-form batting units in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth
He finished with 4-0-34-3, a testament to his ability to exploit early wickets and dismantle batting line-ups with his raw pace. This performance served as a stark reminder of why he was the most sought-after bowler at the IPL auction.
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