While India are on a high after a measured six-wicket win over a sprightly Bangladesh, Pakistan are evidently tense after the 60-run loss in the tournament-opener to New Zealand.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was on Saturday expectedly picked in the India squad for the Champions Trophy and pacer Mohammed Shami returned to national fold
Jurel and Nitish Kumar Reddy then safely saw off the bowling to stay 73 for 5 till close of play, taking a 11-run lead.
Shreyas Iyer's ability to negotiate spin bowling effectively makes him a crucial asset for India in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Rahul will come in place of Baba Indrajith, who scored 9 and 6 and didn't look comfortable at all against pace and bounce, which wasn't exactly 125 clicks.
K L Rahul eases concerns surrounding his fitness ahead of the first Test against Australia, starting in Perth, by batting comfortably in the nets on Sunday.
Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will be vice-captain for the series.
India needed Rohit Sharma to open, Washington Washington's variation at MCG: Abhishek Nayar on axing Shubman Gill
Gavaskar, a revered opener during his playing days, said the 22-year-old Jaiswal has "the cricketing world at his feet".
Shubman Gill dispelled all doubts about his thumb injury with a stylish fifty even as skipper Rohit Sharma kept cards close to his chest by coming in at No. 4 in India's curtailed pink-ball warm-up game against Prime Minister's XI in Canberra on Sunday.
Boland credited his intense rehabilitation for getting him back in the national reckoning.
Rajasthan Royals inched closer to securing a play-offs berth with a convincing 24-run win over LSG in Mumbai.
Buzz has it that Athiya Shetty and KL Rahul have been dating each other. Despite their public appearances, the two have neither denied nor confirmed their relationship.
India T20I deputy KL Rahul on Monday said being the side's vice-captain will bring an additional responsibility for him, but he is looking forward to the challenge and working alongside head coach Rahul Dravid.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy Group A match played between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in Dubai on Sunday.
Mystery spinner bowls in nets as India prep for three-match ODI series vs England.
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.
Jasprit Bumrah has reached an impressive milestone in the ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, sitting at 904 rating points
India is facing form concerns and selection dilemmas as they enter the final phase of their Champions Trophy preparations.
Rahul sits in the third position with Aaron Finch, who completed his 1,000 runs in 29 innings.
Rahul has completed his isolation period, but has been advised one more week's rest and recuperation by the BCCI's medical professionals.
All about IPL 2025 which kicks off on March 22, Saturday.
K L Rahul came in for harsh criticism from former India medium pacer Venkatesh Prasad who claimed the opener's selection was based on "favouritism'.
For the team management, it is a choice between a younger man's (Sarfaraz) flamboyance and fearlessness versus a seasoned campaigner who has been a Test captain and is part of the national set-up for a decade now.
'I think there was a fair bit of good bowling today. Obviously there was enough in the wicket and it probably felt like it was a hardball wicket.'
India wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul says he is the "most comfortable" playing as an opener in the T20 format as it gives him the chance to make the 'best impact'.
In-form Karun Nair's career could see a resurrection.
"To be honest, I was not serious when I was young," he said in a video released by the BCCI on Thursday.
All-rounder Washington Sundar was on Sunday added to the India squad for the remaining two Tests against New Zealand.
Images from the first One-Day International between India and England in Nagpur, on Thursday.
India will have to wait until day two to show their skills and may need early wickets to force a third consecutive result in the series.
In the last two years, top-of-the-line cricketers such as Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna spent several months at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), which is now a CoE, to recover from their respective injuries, sitting out of some high-value matches.
Rahul, believing in his philosophy of 'less is better', curbed his once-infamous impetuosity
India managed to keep the five-Test series level at 1-1 heading into the Boxing day Test in Melbourne, the fragility of their top order remains a major concern for the tourists.
Shubman Gill has made far too many changes in his batting approach, which is hindering his run-scoring ability on away tours, feels former Australian captain Ricky Pointing
Playing the Good Samaritan, India's batting star K L Rahul donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) hoods to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel posted at Bengaluru airport, to help them fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between Australia and India in Perth on Sunday.
With a heavy downpour preventing the resumption of play after the break, the match was abandoned and the series remains locked at 1-1.
In case Rohit misses a Test match in Australia, the in-form Abhimanyu Easwaran is likely to be his cover although Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are also players with enough experience in the opening slot.
India pace bowler Akash Deep played down concerns over skipper Rohit Sharma's knee injury in the build-up to the fourth Test against Australia this week after the batsman was hit during a practice session on Sunday.
