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.
Bharat Arun singled out pacers Harshit Rana and Mitchell Starc for their crucial contributions in KKR's title triumph.
Kohli, dismissed for 18 off 7 balls, was convinced the delivery from Harshit Rana was a no-ball due to its height.
Rohit hinted that the 64-Test veteran could still play a part in the remainder of the five-Test series in Australia.
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.
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.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday
Yashasvi Jaiswal was on Saturday expectedly picked in the India squad for the Champions Trophy and pacer Mohammed Shami returned to national fold
Manav Suthar grabbed seven wickets to engineer India D's batting collapse and fashion a four-wicket win for India C in the Duleep Trophy in Anantapur on Saturday.
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.
India's cricket team has embarked on a journey to Dubai for the upcoming Champions Trophy, aiming to secure another global trophy after their T20 World Cup triumph last June.
Chasing 152 could have been tricky but KKR Opener Quinton de Kock got stuck in and guided the team to victory.
The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be.
Reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders will hope that their strife-ridden batting unit will tighten its act against in-form table-toppers Gujarat Titans in the IPL match in Kolkata on Monday.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday
It may be hosting an ODI for the first time since December 22, 2019, but Cuttack has always served up belters and it may be no different this time.
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.
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will expect a lot more from their top-order as they aim to get their campaign back on track against a power-packed Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL match in Chennai on Monday.
Narine stars as KKR keep playoff hopes alive with 14-run win over DC
'I will watch India's match against New Zealand with no tension -- just enjoy the cricket.'
'Going into Brisbane, India need a tight strategy for Travis Head and they need to get Akash Deep in and maybe Ravindra Jadeja for Ashwin.'
Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood, and Sunil Narine emerged as rare bright spots-combining discipline, guile, and experience
Varun Chakravarthy had a second coming in international cricket with 17 wickets in his last seven T20Is and 12 of them in South Africa in batting-friendly conditions.
'When you are scoring runs and taking wickets, everyone is standing with you.' 'But the real test is to realise who is with you during your tough times.'
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
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the third Test against Australia in Brisbane?
The BCCI has also named one inter-squad for a three-day match slated for December 20 to 22.
KKR fielding coach Ryan Ten Doeschate, a member of their 2014 IPL title winning team under Gautam Gambhir, credited Narine's transformation to the former skipper who is now the mentor of the side.
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.
Jitesh Sharma could well pip Ishan Kishan for second wicketkeeper's slot in the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian T20 team which will play three T20Is against the Bangladesh starting October 6 in Gwalior.
K L Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran will open the batting for India if captain Rohit Sharma is not available for the first Test against Australia in Perth, said head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Starc was the standout performer on a lively Adelaide pitch, returning excellent figures of 6/48 to dismiss India for a mere 180 runs.
Mohammed Shami will make his long-awaited comeback to competitive cricket in the Ranji Trophy.
However, Rana can take a slice of comfort as he completed a four-wicket haul in the opening session of the day to bowl out India A for 290 in their first dig.
Shardul Thakur bowled 8 full tosses, conceded 9 runs and took 2 wickets. It's early days and Thakur's season has seen him enjoy mixed fortunes, His figures of 2 for 52 were lucky breakthroughs but he is a great wicket-taking option.
Ricky Bhui delayed the inevitable with a stubborn hundred, but spinners Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian eventually brought India D to their knees
Rinku Singh picked for second round as top stars leave for Test series against Bangladesh. Mayank Agarwal has been named as India A captain in Gill's place.
Heinrich Klaasen's entertaining half-century went in vain as Andre Russell's all-round effort steered Kolkata Knight Riders to a thrilling four-run victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second Test against Australia in Adelaide?
India captain Rohit Sharma played down concerns around his fitness after a crucial group A match of the Champions Trophy against Pakistan. Despite a brief period off the field during the Pakistan innings, Rohit assured that his hamstring was "okay." Meanwhile, Virat Kohli's century led India to a six-wicket victory, putting them on the verge of a semifinal berth.
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