A look back at a few memorable showdowns in the last decade and half that had the quintessential crests and troughs of Test cricket.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Virat Kohli washed away 18 years of hurt and disappointment, conquering Punjab Kings by six runs to lift their maiden Indian Premier League title.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have very little time to pick up the pieces after a debilitating loss as they eye a much-improved display from their batting unit in a return Indian Premier League match against in-form Punjab Kings in Mullanpur, Punjab, on Sunday.
Australia great Matthew Hayden hailed the selection of Krunal Pandya as a "smart pick" for the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp in this IPL season, adding that there is "something special" about the squad this year.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be looking to secure play-off qualification as struggling Lucknow Super Giants aim to stay alive in the tournament when the two sides clash in the Indian Premier League match in Lucknow on Friday.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's bid for a maiden home victory this IPL season will depend on their batters' ability to handle the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Glenn Maxwell when they face the Punjab Kings on Friday.
RCB were adamant to get a good bowling attack, it was a huge first step in winning IPL: Andy Flower
Captain Pat Cummins said after the match that Hazlewood's injury was nothing too serious.
Shreyas Iyer's inspiring leadership faces its toughest test yet when Punjab Kings host an equally upbeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League in Mullanpur on Thursday.
The 3rd Test match in Kingston, Jamaica, will mark Australia's first day-night Test away from home and if they opt for a pace-heavy attack, Scott Boland could come into the side.
IMAGES from the IPL 2022 game between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday.
RCB have bolstered their bowling attack with the acquisition of Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood for Rs 12.50 crore
Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will miss the second Ashes Test in Adelaide with a side injury, Cricket Australia said on Monday.
RCB will have to play five games inside 13 days against MI (away), Delhi Capitals (home), Rajasthan Royals (away) and Punjab Kings (home).
At Rs 10.75 crore, the 35-year-old India discard is one the most expensive players signed by RCB at the mega auction.
But the hosts will be a confident group as star batter Virat Kohli made a return to run-making ways after an all too brief blip.
Even shadow Purple Cup winner Prasidh couldn't escape Vaibhav's onslaught on Monday night!
'It's not jabs anymore. Sunny is throwing haymakers over the top.'
Virat Kohli's nearly two-decade long agonising wait to lay his hands on an IPL trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be up against Shreyas Iyer's resolve to make first-time winners out of the tenacious Punjab Kings.
Virat Kohli's struggles against Australia's bowlers persisted as he was dismissed for just three runs on Day 3 of the Brisbane Test on Monday.
Australia will have to dust off the cobwebs but are still fancied to successfully defend their World Test Championship crown against equally ring-rusty South Africa in the final at Lord's.
Sai Sudharsan upstaged some of the world's top batters as he topped the run scoring charts, while Prasidh Krishna was the most successful bowler of the season.
Change will be a key theme for both the West Indies and Australia in their upcoming three-Test series in the Caribbean with the visitors set to field a remodelled batting line-up and the hosts being led out for the first time by Roston Chase.
'The ideal thing would be for India may be to chase, rather than having Australia chase.'
On Tuesday, Hazlewood bowled just one over before walking out of the field before undergoing scans later to ascertain the severity of the injury.
Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood once fretted that he might be too predictable to be a successful T20 bowler but said his approach had gone "the opposite way" after working with Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming and bowling consultant Eric Simons.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane shed light on one moment in the first innings that completely changed the "momentum" against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening match of Indian Premier League 2025.
The spotlight in the World Test Championship Final is on the electrifying duel between Australia's batting mainstay Steve Smith and South Africa's pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada.
Virat Kohli has been with RCB since the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, including nine seasons as captain of a franchise that made the finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016 but lost every time.
The 30-year-old said he will look to bowl at the nets on the third day of the Boxing day Test and will rely more on feel than on medical assessment.
Chennai Super Kings will commence their campaign with a match against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
Kohli has constructed a mini hot streak, making four fifties in his last five innings and pushing for Orange Cap with 443 runs.
Jhye Richardson will replace injured paceman Josh Hazlewood but opener David Warner has been cleared to play against England in the second day-night Ashes Test.
Speaking ahead of the first Test from June 25 onwards at Barbados, Joseph said as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald, "To take 13 wickets across the series was a good feeling. A lot has changed. There were a lot of opportunities that came my way."
Openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli will brace for a fiery showdown against thunderbolts from express pacer Jofra Archer as Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru look to get back to winning ways in the IPL match in Jaipur on Sunday.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, two sides chasing their first IPL title, will square off in a tantalising Qualifier 1 encounter on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar felt that his bowlers grabbing three crucial wickets during the Powerplay overs of Chennai Super Kings' chase was the game-changing moment in their 50-run win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
K L Rahul's impeccable 93 not out off 53 deliveries propelled Delhi Capitals to an emphatic six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Chinnaswamy stadium, Bengaluru, on Thursday, April 10 2025.
Opener David Warner and all-rounder Mitch Marsh will be rested for the five-match Twenty20 International series against Sri Lanka next month to prepare for the upcoming tour of Pakistan.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 55.
