All eyes will be on Shubman Gill when Ranji Trophy resumes on Thursday after India's Test and ODI captain decided against taking a break and opting to turn up for Punjab against Saurashtra in a key Group B clash in Rajkot.
There has been no change in KL Rahul's wretched form even after his comeback from suspension but India 'A' coach Rahul Dravid is not worried as he has confidence in the talented opener's quality.
KL Rahul's struggling run in the opening slot has left former India opener Wasim Jaffer baffled and he believes the Karnataka player seems caught in an unsolved jigsaw puzzle despite having the ability to do well.
KL Rahul scored only 13 on his return from suspension but India A sealed the ODI series against England Lions with a comfortable 60-run win taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
Rahul now has the most centuries by an Indian opener.
KL Rahul kept the wickets in the limited overs series against Australia in January this year and also during the team's tour to New Zealand. The pressure to replace Dhoni behind the stumps was 'immense' due to high expectations from fans said Rahul.
With over 500 runs, six crucial catches, the most by an Indian on the tour, Rahul led by example and lived up to his wiseman tag.
Shubman Gill is set to use the Vijay Hazare Trophy as his first platform for response after being left out of India's 2026 T20 World Cup squad.
Former India pacer R Vinay Kumar said the enviable batting riches in their line-up will give Karnataka a huge upper hand over maiden entrants Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy final.
With the England series behind him, Rahul is soaking up every moment of fatherhood -- making up for lost time with Evaarah and cherishing the quieter joys of life off the field.
Updates from Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy final between Jammu & Kashmir and Karnataka, in Hubbali on Tuesday.
Virat Kohli's second successive hundred was not enough as South Africa, aided by Aiden Markram's ton, chased down a target of 359 to clinch a four-wicket win and level their one-day international (ODI) series 1-1 in Raipur on Wednesday.
Ever since he saw him bat for the first time, as a tiny 11-year-old at his academy, Mangalore-based Karnataka State Cricket Association coach Samuel Jayaraj knew KL Rahul was destined for bigger things.
'As much as we may want, unka number itni aasani se nahi aayega (It's not going to be easy for Rahul)'
Pant cops blow during nets ahead of ODI series against New Zealand
KL Rahul on Wednesday said that his batting position will depend on the format the team will be playing.
India's absolute dominance at home will come under examination when they meet a determined New Zealand in the decisive third ODI at the high-scoring Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, with the three-match series locked at 1-1.
K L Rahul and B Sai Sudharsan struck sublime hundreds as India A registered a stunning five-wicket win over Australia A while hunting down a target of 413 to seal the two-match unofficial Test series 1-0, in Lucknow, on Friday.
Even as the focus remains on the T20 World Cup which is less than a month away, Kohli and Rohit will hog the limelight in the three ODIs over the next seven days.
In India's first innings, only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 97 balls) and Washington Sundar (48 off 92 balls) could contribute substantially as the home team suffered a batting collapse after starting the day at 9 for no loss.
Devdutt Padikkal, who appears to have found a magic bat of sorts and is scoring runs at will, will hold the key to Karnataka's chances as they take on Vidarbha in the first semifinal of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Rishabh Pant's place in the playing eleven is far from guaranteed, while Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy are locked in a tight contest for the additional all-rounder's slot as India confront several selection dilemmas ahead of the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi.
Mayank Agarwal stroked a fluent century to lead Karnataka's fightback after Auqib Nabi's three-wicket haul had put Jammu and Kashmir in control, on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy final.
Kohli's 124 in vain as New Zealand beat India by 41 runs in 3rd ODI to clinch series 2-1
India have been fined 10 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against South Africa in the second ODI in Raipur.
Rahul had not yet joined his IPL franchise Delhi Capitals for the impending birth of his child.
'I am getting used to managing this side.'
The big question is of bench strength and chances for the likes of KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik and Umesh Yadav.
On field Axar bhai is very motivated, off field the funniest guy to be around: Abhishek Porel
As India got off to a strong start in the must-win fourth Test for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday, opener K L Rahul achieved a major career milestone, joining an elite list of Indian batters with 1,000 or more Test runs in England.
India beat West Indies by seven wickets in the second and final Test to complete a 2-0 series sweep at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
Indian cricket's latest batting sensation KL Rahul feels that the younger crop of cricketers are lucky that they don't have to look too far for inspiration with Test captain Virat Kohli being there. "He (Kohli) is such an inspiration. We feel lucky that we don't have to look too far. The guy who inspires you is sitting right next to you in the dressing room.
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav admitted that he is "bad with DRS" appeals after his hilarious banter with senior pro Rohit Sharma formed a nice, little subplot of India's series-clinching victory against South Africa in the third ODI in Visakhapatnam.
'There was a time when I was in a quality over quantity mindset in international cricket and did not hit enough balls. Now I am back to enjoying hitting a lot of balls in the nets.'
Looking forward to the challenge of facing Dale Steyn in the upcoming four-match Test series against South Africa, Indian opener Lokesh Rahul has said playing the speedster in the longer format is a "different ballgame" as one has to counter the late movement he gets.
'This is my ground, my home, (I) know this (ground) better than anyone else. Something I have always done with my preparation is that I always try to adapt to different wickets.'
Grind pays off for Ruturaj Gaikwad, now upto him and luck to prove his 50-over mettle.
IMAGES from the first ODI played between India and New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday
India opener Lokesh Rahul is determined to make amends in the second innings after failing to convert a fifty into a century for the fifth time in the ongoing series against Australia.
Four defeats in six games notwithstanding, Royals Challengers Bangalore batsman KL Rahul expressed confidence of his team bouncing back in the ongoing Indian Premier League, saying that it just needed to sort out a few grey areas in its bowling attack.
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