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.
Having recently made his international comeback against England in both T20Is and ODIs, the stretchable knee caps did not go unnoticed as Mohammed Shami first tried to get a feel of the conditions by bowling a few deliveries with a short run-up.
India face an anxious wait as Jasprit Bumrah's fitness status will only be confirmed in the first week of February.
Buoyed by their win in the first Test in Perth, the Indian cricket team arrived in Canberra for the mid-series two-day game against the Australia Prime Minister's XI on November 30 and December 1 ahead of the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide on December 6.
All-rounder Shams Mulani starred with the ball to spearhead India A's remarkable recovery against India D on Day 1 of the Duleep Trophy match.
The series already in their pocket, India will look to address their batting woes against an England team gunning for revenge after feeling hard-done by a debatable concussion substitute when the two teams clash in the fifth and final T20 International in Mumbai on Sunday.
Kohli was seen remonstrating with the umpires after a controversial dismissal.
Sunrisers Hyderabad ended their disappointing IPL season with power-packed batting effort, etching a crushing 110-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders.
'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.
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.
'What they bring to the table (can) never be written off.'
England skipper Jos Buttler said his side was "outplayed" by India throughout the three-match series.
Harbhajan, however, felt the current crop of spinners lack aggression.
Rohit Sharma's decision-making has come under intense scrutiny, especially after the team's failure to contain Australia's innings in the first session of Day 2.
No Shubhman Gill or Hardik Pandya either in Sanjay Manjrekar's T20 World Cup team.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday
Suryakumar Yadav has been named the captain for this T20I series, bringing his leadership and experience to the relatively young squad. Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma will serve as the wicketkeepers, while key players such as Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Washington Sundar are included to strengthen the batting and bowling departments.
K L Rahul would look to make the most of his first red-ball outing in months ahead of the upcoming Test series against England.
The barren run of skipper Rohit Sharma and the selection conundrum that Virat Kohli's possible return poses are the towering obstacles in India's quest for a series win against England in the second ODI in Cuttack on Sunday.
Matthew Hayden shared a behind-the-scenes insight into Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting's excitement about young opener Prabhsimran Singh
The upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is likely to see bowlers playing a crucial role in the success of teams.
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.
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.
Kolkata Knight Riders will have little motivation left when they take on also ousted Sunrisers Hyderabad in an inconsequential IPL game in New Delhi on Sunday.
Jadeja's return along with Akash Deep replacing Harshit Rana, is seen as a bold move that could either turn the series around or backfire spectacularly.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy Group A match played between India and Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in Dubai on Thursday.
With the Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh just around the corner, India's star batsman KL Rahul focused on power-hitting during a training session in Dubai.
'We want to look at the future and try and make sure we get the right guys in as well.'
'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.
Sunrisers Hyderabad ended their topsy-turvy IPL 2025 campaign with a commanding win over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in New Delhi on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
With Bumrah out of commission, speedsters Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana will have to take responsibility.
'India needs to score big because they will have to defend those totals without Bumrah.'
The squad also includes Punjab opener Prabhsimran Singh and Punjab pacers Siddharth Kaul and Baltej Singh.
While it's a do-or-die game for KKR, who must win all their remaining three matches to stay in playoffs contention, the match will be more about celebrating Dhoni's legacy than the result.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli among India players to train ahead of ODIs against Sri Lanka
The Men's Selection Committee has picked India's 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match IDFC FIRST Bank Test series against New Zealand.
'It would have been 2-2 coming to the Wankhede (Stadium for final T20I). It would have been way more on the game. But it didn't happen.'
India head coach Gautam Gambhir said he has not seen a 'better T20 hundred' than Abhishek Sharma's 54-ball 135 in the fifth T20I against England.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances