The barren run of skipper Rohit Sharma and the selection conundrum that Virat Kohli's possible return poses are the towering obstacles in India's quest for a series win against England in the second ODI in Cuttack on Sunday.
Ben Stokes' aggressive batting has an intimidating effect on the bowlers and England's stand-in captain Jos Buttler wants the premier all-rounder to carry this rampaging form for Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming Indian Premier League, starting next month.
A dominant India ended England's title defence by handing them a 68-run thumping in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup.
The dry Wankhede Stadium pitch on which Indian spinners claimed all the 10 wickets in England first innings in the fourth cricket Test, was still good enough to bat on after two days of play, said England's Joss Buttler.
England captain Jos Buttler is happy with his team's preparation but tipped champions Australia as the favourites to win the Twenty20 World Cup on home soil.
Former skipper Michael Vaughan feels England "missed the trick" by recalling its cricketers from the IPL to play a T20 series against Pakistan, saying it had denied them experiencing pressure-cooker situations of the playoffs, which could have helped them prepare better for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Americas.
Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Sam Billings, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Jason Roy and Curran brothers Sam and Tom landed on Wednesday morning.
England batsman Jos Buttler smashed an unbeaten 110 off 55 balls as the hosts beat Pakistan by 12 runs in a thrilling run-packed second One-Day International on Saturday. Buttler's blitzkrieg and half-centuries by Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and skipper Eoin Morgan helped England to a huge total of 373 for three wickets in 50 overs.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle pick the 50 Most Valuable Players in IPL 2022 after Game 55.
Although Mumbai lost the game by three wickets -- Bumrah's efforts stood out as a beacon of brilliance.
No side has won the IPL title after finishing fourth on the points table. Will Mumbai be able to break that jinx?
England batters look to tame strong South African bowling
Defending champions England stormed their way to a crushing eight-wicket victory over the West Indies.
Former captain Michael Vaughan said the BCCI should "swallow pride" and look at England for inspiration after India's semi-final exit from the T20 World Cup.
'It showed that, no matter what it is, we're not going to roll over'
Dawid Malan has retired from international cricket
Images from the third T20 International between India and England, in Ahmedabad, on Tuesday.
Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna's excellent spell with the ball and Sai Sudharsan's fluent fifty inspired Gujarat Titans to a convincing 36-run victory against Mumbai Indians.
Harry Brook said that England's batters will look to apply constant pressure on India's bowlers during the second T20I in Chennai on Saturday.
England stand-in skipper Jos Buttler says there were shades of 'great finisher' Mahendra Singh Dhoni in Sam Curran's valiant 95 not out in the third and final ODI, in Pune, on Sunday.
Asked if it was one of the finest T20I performance by an English team, he agreed instantly.
Former India speedster Varun Aaron has praised Gujarat Titans' young opener Sai Sudharsan's exceptional performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, saying he has a very bright future ahead of him.
"With Shubman, our vision is not limited to one or two seasons; it's long-term" - Gujarat Titans COO Colonel Arvinder Singh, on choosing Gill as captain over senior players
The Indian team management will try to keep cards close and assess defending champions England's batting depth when the home team takes field for its first World Cup warm-up match game, in Guwahati on Saturday.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji check out who could be the Most Valuable Player of IPL 2025 before the final.
According to accuweather.com, the weather conditions in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday is expected to be 'cloudy, windy and humid with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm early in the day.'
Images from the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals in Chennai on Sunday.
'He (Stokes) always stands up in the biggest moments. He is a man who can take a lot of pressure on his shoulders and perform, and yeah, with him in the middle you know you have got a good chance.'
Images from the ICC World Cup match between England and the Netherlands, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium, in Pune, on Wednesday.
England will be keen to overcome a lack of ideal preparation due to rain and hit the ground running when they face Scotland in their T20 World Cup opener
Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most runs by an Indian in England. Virat Kohli holds the record for most wins by an Indian captain in England.
Rajaneesh Gupta lists the amazing numbers that make Rohit Sharma one of the finest ODI batters of his time.
'I hadn't really planned to get a wicket on the first ball. My mindset was to put the ball in the right areas. Obviously, when you play knockouts, you want to start and finish well with the first and last ball.'
23-year-old Harshit Rana made his India debut as a concussion substitute, marking a historic first for the format.
Jos Buttler and his England team-mate Joe Root, who are part of the Rajasthan Royals team, had a candid chat this week.
The pitch in Guyana has favoured the bowlers in the past by slowing down as the game goes on.
Dube was hit on the helmet by a Jamie Overton bouncer and seamer Rana replaced him despite it not being a like-for-like replacement as concussion substitute rules mandate.
'One of the best aspects of the IPL is that every day, a new player emerges as a star.'
England won't rush Ben Stokes into the playing XI against New Zealand if he is not completely fit, skipper captain Jos Buttler said on Wednesday, hinting that the explosive batter might not start in the World Cup opener.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
