Pujara has so far scored 521 runs in seven innings with three hundreds at an impressive average of 74.42.
Images from the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Ahmedabad, on Monday.
The captain says that the series might be the perfect opportunity for spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Parveez Rasool to seal their spots as T20 specialist spinners for the future
Steve Smith believes India is one of the toughest places to play Test cricket and winning a five-day format series in the country is a major career goal for him. Smith also heaped praise on India's spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, describing him as a difficult bowler to face in the subcontinent.
In a bid to get quality practice against quick bowlers, India have shelved their plan of playing a tour game and instead summoned four rookie pacers to travel with the team to South Africa.
'Virat suffered a neck sprain during an IPL match in Jaipur.'
With two senior pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (thigh injury) and Ishant Sharma (side strain) all but ruled out, Navdeep Saini will certainly be the fourth pacer after Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav.
A World Cup victory will put Kohli in a league of his own and even those sceptical about his tactical nous, will have no other option but to grudgingly doff their hats at his heady achievements.
Back in the Indian team after a four-year gap, Sanju Samson is at peace with his flaws and doesn't try to be the "perfect batsman" that he wanted to be for the longest time.
Veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha and young opener Prithvi Shaw are unlikely to be picked for the remaining Tests in Australia as India look to ring in wholesale changes after the batting debacle in Adelaide.
The Indian team has turned into a mini-hospital with multiple players nursing injuries.
After their below par showing in the World Cup, some senior Indian players are living on borrowed time.
Although he termed Champions League T20 as a "great platform", Test specialist and SunRisers Hyderabad player KL Rahul feels that scrapping of the tournament will not mean the end of opportunity for talented Indian players to prove their mettle.
Head coach Chris Silverwood feels his team has learnt valuable lessons from the tour of India that will come in handy
Veteran pace bowler Zaheer Khan's fitness issues have been under the scanner since joining Delhi Daredevils ahead of the ongoing eighth edition of the IPL and the franchise insists that he and Mohammed Shami are still not fit for selection.
Dhoni's contract not being renewed is not exactly a surprise as he has not played a competitive game since that World Cup semifinal on July
For skipper Virat Kohli, the primary aim will be to get an idea of his core group of players going into the ICC T20 World Cup in October.
'I just want to keep learning and keep getting better.'
Mumbai Indians' hopes of starting Indian Premier League's season 10 well got a boost with information received that West Indies T20 specialists, Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons, would reach in time for their lung-opener against Rising Pune Giant on April 6.
'Pant can be your match-winner, he has the X-factor.'
England batsman Jos Buttler has vowed not to curb his attacking instincts after earning a "surprise" recall to the Test team for the opening test against Pakistan starting at Lord's on Thursday.
'Rohit can bring a lot to the table.' 'And if he clicks, then imagine how strong our batting line-up will be.'
Dhoni came out to bat at number seven in Tuesday's match and took time to settle down before unleashing his powerful shots
'Probably, a couple of more ODIs would have been more beneficial for both the teams, not just us. It would have been more ideal and logical'
Warne wants India to experiment with their top-order in the upcoming home series against Australia, starting February 24 with the first T20.
Senior South Africa batsman Hashim Amla, who is finally getting to play in the Indian Premier League, feels he is now more comfortable with T20 format and there is no reason why conventional batsmen like him can't succeed in the shortest format. Amla was branded as a Test specialist early on in his career but 12 years after making his international debut, he is a valuable asset for the team across all formats. To add to that, his recent run of form in T20s has clearly shown how well he has adjusted to the slam bang version of the game. "There has been a lot of T20 cricket of late and that helps. Yes you do try to hit a few, innovate but the basics remain the same," said Amla, who joined Kings XI Punjab as a late replacement for Shaun Marsh.
'The confidence and the kind of cricket India has played in the recent past will be a big factor.'
'Bumrah is a class act.' 'Bhuvneshwar makes the ball move and that is why he will be successful over in England.'
Should India try out Shreyas Iyer or Manish Pandey at No 4? Who should be the two spinners in the playing XI? Should India include young pacers Khaleel Ahmed and Navdeep Saini?
'Cricket in general is played at a pace below what it needs to be. Cricket needs to be speeded up in all forms of the game. If it puts pressure on captains and bowlers, so be it. We need to ask captains and bowlers to be a little bit surer in their plans'
Veteran India seamer Ashish Nehra will soon undergo a surgery to treat a 'high-grade tendon injury' he had suffered on his right knee during an Indian Premier League match earlier this month.
Former all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar on Saturday slammed India's team selection in the ongoing Test series against South Africa, saying it is a shame to pick players for a Test match based on their form in limited overs cricket.
India's ODI specialist Ambati Rayudu announced his retirement from first-class cricket to focus on One-Day Internationals and T20s.
In opting for an extra spinner, says Harish Kotian/Rediff.com, India have picked a batsman less.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday said he has a balanced squad at his disposal and is confident of retaining the ICC Twenty20 World title, beginning in England next week. The India captain said pace spearhead Zaheer Khan is expected to be fit for the opening match against Bangladesh on June 6.
Andrew Flintoff is struggling to be fit for next month's World Twenty20, the England all-rounder said on Saturday.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who became the highest paid overseas player in the Indian Premier League auction, is excited about sharing the dressing room with Steven Smith and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his maiden stint at the cash-rich T20 tournament.
Hanuma Vihari wanted to utilise the summer months playing county cricket in England but the COVID-19 pandemic has put paid to the India all-rounder's plans for the time being.
Former India captain and team director Ravi Shastri said Cheteshwar Pujara, who was not picked up by any of the teams for this year's Indian Premier League, deserves to be compensated handsomely as a reward for his consistent contributions to the Test team's success this home season.
The batting resources of West Indies' 'intimidating' team has reduced Dwayne Bravo's role to a specialist bowler.
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