Getting his team composition right will be Mahendra Singh Dhoni's primary aim as Rising Pune Supergiants meet an out-of-sorts Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League cricket tournament encounter, in Mohali on Sunday.
The Supreme Court needs to step in and order an independent inquiry into the whole IPL scandal, conflicts of interest between office-holders of the BCCI, team-owners of the IPL and even members and captain of the Indian team, says KC Singh
International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) cannot be called an Indian league, its founder managing director Mahesh Bhupathi has clarified though the new competition has borrowed heavily from the cricket-based IPL, especially in the franchise business model.
Up-and-coming Karnataka batsman Lokesh Rahul and Uttar Pradesh leg-spinner Karn Sharma were named in India's 19-man Test squad for the tour of Australia, which was announced after the selection committee of the Board for Control of Cricket in India met in Mumbai on Monday morning. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will miss the opening Test, from December 4, at the Gabba in Brisbane, because of an injury and Virat Kohli will stand in for him.
For all those who are likely to get a game, there will be just one target -- to make most of their chances as some of them might not get too many with just about 16 months left for the 50-overs World Cup.
Help coach Anil Kumble and captain Virat Kohli in selecting India's best 11 for the first Test against the West Indies.
Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 17 runs in their Indian Premier League match, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
The combination of India's flat pitches and cricket's most trigger-happy batsmen is certain to produce some torrid moments for fast bowlers during the World Twenty20.
National selector Mark Waugh has confirmed Shane Watson will play the final two T20 internationals against South Africa after missing the game one defeat in Durban. Watson scored an unbeaten 124 against India in his last T20 appearance for Australia, but suffered an abdominal injury while playing for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League three weeks ago. But Waugh says Watson will return in the second match in Johannesburg on Sunday, and also forecast ongoing changes as Australia seek to determine their best XI ahead of the looming World T20 in India. "He (Watson) would have played on Friday except he had a stomach strain so we just wanted to make sure that he was fully fit. He'll play in the last two games," Waugh said on commentary at Kingsmead. "We're probably going to give everybody two games out of three matches so we can have a look at them and give them some game time in the middle. "We've played very little T20 cricket so everyone will get a game. "Watson's bowling has been very good the last three or four months.
West Indies right-hand batsman Shai Hope believes that their upcoming five-match ODI series against England would be a good gauge for them ahead of the 2019 World Cup.
Anil Kumble is facing a selection conundrum as he needs to choose either "fifth bowler" Hardik Pandya or "sixth batsman" Karun Nair for the series-opener against England but India's chief coach did not reveal much on his preference, praising talent of both the players. Kumble made it clear that the team will allow Hardik to "express himself" as an all-rounder who can be the potential fifth bowler and was unequivocal about team management fully backing talented Karun if he gets an opportunity.
Dhoni returns to the Indian dressing room after three months and for him the series will be start of the preparation for next year's World Twenty20, that will be hosted by India.
The eighth edition of the Indian Premier League, says Haresh Pandya, provides Yuvraj Singh a chance to make up for time lost and opportunities missed or squandered.
There are some batsmen reputed, respected and feared for what they are: Destructive! They are the game-changers. It is not bats, but bludgeons that they wield.
'Dhoni's skills are unbelievable and also his mindset, the way he thinks about the game.'
'The idea of moral responsibility is not particularly strong in our parts. Showing that people are corrupt or immoral through stings doesn't have the required effect in such a culture,' says Aakar Patel.
As far as the Indian team is concerned, even a 3-0 result against the hosts will not be enough for the second-placed side to claim the number one spot in the ICC rankings, while a favourable outcome for the home team will boost its qualifying chances for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.
One of Australia's finest ever captain Ian Chappell never ever believed that a professional cricket team needs a specialist coach. "An international 'coach' is something the Australian team travels in around England," is one of Chappell's iconic pun-intended quote on what he exactly thought about cricket coaches. Back in India though, coaching senior teams - from international to IPL is a well-paid job, not discounting the glamour which is associated with it. But reality bites when one climbs down -- just a notch below at the first-class level where it's not always a bed of roses for all those plying their trade.
'I bring a lot of variety to any team I play for. I keep wickets, I field pretty well and I can bat up and down the order. I think I bring about a certain kind of advantage if I am utilised in the right manner.'
For India, who are considered as title contenders, a good showing in the Asia Cup will give them the much-needed boost going into the World T20.
MS Dhoni hinted that Ajinkya Rahane may not feature in the playing eleven for the first One-day International against South Africa.
Rajneesh Gupta presents the finest bowling heroics in the 20th over in recent T20Is.
'The talk in police circles is that Maria was about to crack the money transaction trail in the crime. The Mumbai police's Economic and Offences Wing had begun investigations into the money trail and Mumbai police officers had visited Singapore in this connection.'
Ian Pont, a former Essex player and fast bowling coach, now at the Ultimate Pace Foundation in Bengaluru, analyses England's disastrous World Cup campaign in an exclusive conversation with Manu Shankar/Rediff.com.
'Sachin Paaji told me to enjoy the situation because this is a reward for all the hard work I have put in for so many years in domestic cricket. He told me not to take any pressure on myself, but to enjoy the moment because this will stay with me forever.' Ajinkya Rahane relives his Test debut and how he has become the Indian team's new Mr Dependable in this exclusive interview with Harish Kotian/Rediff.com
A summary of the matches in the Vijay Hazare One-day championship.
Wriddhiman Saha's diligence and determination makes him the obvious options available for the Indian selectors to replace Dhoni.
So India lost its first World Twenty20 game on Tuesday night. Maybe, we fielded the wrong team :) Haresh Pandya picks 11 India greats who never played the shortest format, but can take on any team in the World T20 championships.
Ahead of the three-match series, commencing in Dharamsala on Friday, Rajneesh Gupta presents a recap on battles between the two sides over the years.
A round-up of Ranji matches played on Thursday...
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