India's assistant coach Abhishek Nayar seemed chuffed when the discussions turned to Harshit Rana.
Iyer, who returned to international action after a long injury layoff following a spleen laceration with internal bleeding sustained during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney in October last year, said he was delighted to begin the series on a winning note.
'This format is difficult. You get 10 overs, and you have to play different roles in different phases.'
An analysis of Gautam Gambhir's coaching style, highlighting his conviction, support for players, and success in white-ball cricket, while also addressing his polarising nature and the challenges he faces in longer formats.
Josh Hazlewood clinically dismantled a famed Indian top-order with a probing spell to kill the contest as Australia cantered to a four-wicket victory in the second T20 International.
Kolkata Knight Riders' new head coach, Abhishek Nayar, emphasises the importance of finding the right team combinations as their biggest challenge ahead of IPL 2026, despite a revamped squad with new players.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India had advised both veterans to play domestic cricket to remain in contention for ODI selection ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma shared a few words of encouragement before presenting the cap to the youngster.
Yorkers on the field, reels off it -- Arshdeep Singh is mastering both games. The left-arm pacer, already India's leading T20I wicket-taker, is fast becoming cricket's social media star.
Even as the focus remains on the T20 World Cup which is less than a month away, Kohli and Rohit will hog the limelight in the three ODIs over the next seven days.
Virat Kohli has two hundreds and a fifty in his last three innings, while Rohit Sharma has a hundred and two fifties in his last four outings.
Arshdeep and Rana snared two wickets apiece in tight spells during a clinical performance.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said they played a batter short on purpose to test themselves in the fourth T20 against New Zealand, in Visakhapatnam, on Wednesday.
Ishan Kishan's sensational comeback and Sanju Samson's inconsistent displays with the bat will reignite debate over who should be Abhishek Sharma's preferred opening partner.
'He has been benched so many times that he has lost a bit of rhythm.'
Faf du Plessis called upon KKR to prepare spin-friendly pitches for their home games at Eden Gardens, which will bring their spin duo Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy into contention.
India all-rounder Axar Patel was on Monday ruled out of the remaining two T20 Internationals against South Africa due to illness with the BCCI's selection committee naming Shahbaz Ahmed as his replacement.
Australia's Mitchell Marsh marked a milestone with a flurry of towering sixes on Sunday, becoming the eighth Australian to smash 100-plus sixes in ODIs.
Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav has found himself in the spotlight for a brief moment of forgetfulness at the toss during their Asia Cup fixture against Oman in Dubai on Friday.
Shubman Gill's form in the series is a concern for India as he has now gone six games without a half-century.
The Bellerive Oval is one ground where the side boundaries are smaller in size, hence hitting the right lengths would be paramount considering anything short would be flying over cover, point, square leg or mid-wicket on either side of the fence.
Ravichandran Ashwin says Suryakumar Yadav's cameo in the opening T20I was a key World Cup boost, while backing India's World Cup combination and calling Arshdeep Singh a marquee bowler.
IMAGES from the 3rd T20I between India and South Africa in Dharamsala on Sunday.
With Abhishek Sharma hospitalised with a stomach bug, Sanju Samson is set to get another opportunity at the top of the order.
'It was just put the ball in the right areas, don't try too much and see what happens.'
Rana didn't disappoint Gambhir either as the young pacer grabbed three wickets, supporting skipper Jasprit Bumrah to bundle out Australia for 104 in their first innings.
Harshit Rana could pose a strong challenge to senior teammate Prasidh Krishna as they battle it out for the third pacer's slot in the India playing XI for the opening Test against Australia in Perth.
Former India opener WV Raman, one of the most respected coaches in the country, feels experience will be a key factor which should go in favour of the Punjab pacer.
Abhishek Sharma admitted that India's batting unit was caught slightly off guard by the extra bounce and disciplined bowling in Australian conditions in the second T20I in Melbourne.
With the T20 World Cup less than two months away, India would want their captain Suryakumar Yadav to rediscover his rhythm sooner rather than later.
The two A teams will engage in the three-match 50-overs series at Kanpur's Green Park Stadium a few days after the conclusion of their two four-day unofficial Tests in Lucknow.
Harshit Rana's meteoric rise may have come as a surprise to many, but not N S Negi, his coach in his formative years, who has seen the strapping youngster mature into a pacer with the "potential to become a multi-format bowler for India".
These comments come after India recently announced their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Suryakumar Yadav is set to lead India in his first-ever ICC tournament as captain, with Axar Patel named as his deputy.
'He is a tall bowler and he will be able to generate bounce.' 'What goes in his favour is also his ability to get movement.'
For a bowler this effective to be sidelined repeatedly, there must be either a very specific tactical reason -- or something unspoken within the dressing room dynamics.
At this moment, the Indian think tank is doing a tough balancing act of building the team around a new set of players without completely cutting ties with the old guard.
Arshdeep Singh -- statement spells against SA shows need to give pacer consistent ODI outings
Virat Kohli surpassed the great Ricky Ponting for most runs by a No 3 batter in ODIs.
The inability to turn promising starts into match-defining scores haunted India throughout the series, including in the third and final ODI in Indore.
K L Rahul takes over the captaincy after regular skipper Shubman Gill missed the series because of a neck injury.
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