'The runs from his bat at the top of the order will be crucial for India's success in this five-match series against South Africa.'
'I'd love to see the strategy of 11 on 11, not changed or impacted because of an impact player who might only bat for two balls and doesn't field.'
Former Chennai Super Kings batter Suresh Raina believes the five-time IPL champions should look at buying the in-form Sarfaraz Khan at the auction on Tuesday.
Ravindra Jadeja agreed to return to the Rajasthan Royals, where he played the first two IPL seasons, taking a pay cut from Rs 18 crore to Rs 14 crore.
Defending champions RCB bolstered their squad by securing Iyer, Jacob Duffy and Mangesh Yadav, among others during the auction held on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
With the India and South Africa T20I series levelled 1-1, focus shifts to Gill's form ahead of the third T20 on Sunday in Dharamsala.
Shubman Gill's vulnerability to straight deliveries is an area of concern, former national batting coach Sanjay Bangar said on Wednesday.
Shubman Gill was ruled out of the second Test against South Africa and the recently concluded three-match ODI series due to a neck injury.
Tilak Varma enjoys the longer formats and has been seeking inputs from Virat Kohli on fitness and running between the wickets as he looks to make the most of the opportunities coming his way.
Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan feels Australia all-rounder Cameron Green will attract strong interest from teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings at Tuesday's Indian Premier League 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi.
Former South Africa pace ace Dale Steyn feels Suryakumar Yadav's "secure, welcoming, and willing to adjust" captaincy brings out the best in the players, who in turn back their skipper.
Most 38-year-olds would hate leaving home but Virat Kohli's commitment to the game remains unmatched, said former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn.
'India will have to use him carefully. If they want him to bowl three overs early, then Arshdeep Singh has to partner Bumrah in the death overs.'
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma deserve to be treated differently for their body of work over the years and their place in the ODI side should have never been a topic of debate, reckons ex-India batting coach Sanjay Bangar.
'Jitesh Sharma has shown he is quite a capable player. He can bat lower down the order and look to hit the big shots even with a slightly older ball.'
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Anil Kumble believes fans may have already seen the last of M S Dhoni behind the stumps, hinting that the Chennai Super Kings icon may not don the gloves in IPL 2026.
"Gill should cement his place at the top order in T20": Irfan Pathan
Pretoria Capitals' skipper Keshav Maharaj is excited to have greats Sourav Ganguly and Shaun Pollock as part of their coaching staff in SA20.
'He (Pandya) can command a spot in the top five on his batting alone. He could also be one of the top three seamers in any team if he was just a bowler.'
While India left out Kuldeep Yadav for the second match in a row, Australia's leg-spinner Adam Zampa took a four-wicket haul and was named the man of the match.
The IPL's overall valuation fell by 8 per cent to Rs 76,100 crore in 2025.
The national selectors brought back wicketkeeper-batter Kishan along with Rinku Singh while dropping Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill who has been struggling in the T20 format.
Delhi Capitals' head coach Hemang Badani said they want to move towards a younger and more aggressive option aligned with the team's style of play.
Rohit won the 'Player of the Match' award and the 'Player of the Series' award as well for top-scoring in the series with 202 runs, including a century and a fifty each.
The JioStar expert also analysed KKR's buys at the auction, saying that getting NZ all-rounder Rachin Ravindra at base price was smart and there is "serious batting power" in the squad.
Virat Kohli's second successive ton during the second ODI against South Africa here seemed "inevitable" as the stalwart got off the mark with a six, carrying the confidence of his first-game heroics, feels former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.
'Constant changes to the playing XI, batting orders, and frequent rotations prevent stability.'
Sachin once removed the drive in Australia; maybe Jaiswal needs to shelve the cut shot: Steyn
Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar on Sunday hailed Virat Kohli as the greatest one-day cricketer of all time, saying the Indian icon's world-record tally of centuries underline his unmatched stature in the format.
While big buys grabbed attention, several franchises quietly walked away with proven performers at throwaway prices -- the kind of signings that often make the difference between mid-table finishes and title runs.
Liam Livingstone struggled in IPL 2024 -- managing just 112 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 133.33, with a lone half-century apart from taking only two wickets.
'The South today is a creative engine shaping the future of Indian entertainment.'
Kuldeep Yadav has acknowledged that playing all three formats "is a luxury" but an attacking mindset has kept him relevant in the face of stiff competition.
Application required in Test cricket was missing, says Kumble after India's batting collapse
Spin great Anil Kumble believes India can fight their way back into the second Test in Guwahati with a strong showing with the bat on the third and fourth days.
Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara on Thursday stressed that each and every bilateral assignment will be "very important" now for stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as India look ahead to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
"He needs to rotate strike, keep the scoreboard moving": Pathan on Virat ahead of 3rd Sydney ODI
India's World Cup-winning team was built on trust and role clarity, feels dashing keeper-batter Richa Ghosh, who was assigned the finisher's role by head coach Amol Muzumdar.
'I look forward to contributing to the next phase of cricket's evolution, expanding its global footprint, enhancing the fan experience, and working closely with ICC Member Boards to build on our strong foundations.'
'We would like to believe and back ourselves to know these conditions or adapt to these conditions a lot faster even if we find them slightly different, as compared to, say, somebody who is brought up in Johannesburg and has played all his cricket at the Wanderers ground.'
