Former champions Kolkata Knight Riders will look to strike a perfect balance under the astute leadership of Eoin Morgan when they open their IPL campaign against a consistent Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on Sunday.
Unlike in previous years when the under-19 players were in focus and even got lucrative offers, this time the franchises were rather subdued when it came to locking in the junior stars as evidently, it takes time for them to be mature enough for top-flight cricket.
In the absence of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul was named vice-captain of the ODI and T20I teams. He also makes a comeback to the Test team, as Shikhar Dhawan was named only in the limited-overs' side.
Team India's throwdown specialist D Raghavendra has skipped travelling to the UAE with the rest of the support staff as he has tested positive for COVID-19.
Gujarat opener Priyank Panchal is likely to lead India 'A' in three four-day 'Tests' against New Zealand 'A'
Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders would strive for a handsome win over struggling Rajasthan Royals in their last round-robin game to stay ahead in the IPL play-offs race in Sharjah on Thursday.
Grace and strength will be on one side while poise and killer instinct on the other when a revamped Kolkata Knight Riders take on champions Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, on Wednesday.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Dinesh Karthik called for improvement in many aspects of the game despite the big win over Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday in Dubai.
After bagging lucrative deals at the Indian Premier League Players' Auction, the Indian team will be eager to deliver when they face arch-rivals Pakistan in the second semi-final of the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Christchurch, on Tuesday.
The Indian team for Australia classified by IPL franchise.
The odds will be stacked heavily in favour of India when the title contenders, with an eye on securing a knockout berth, meet minnows Papua New Guinea in the ICC U-19 World Cup, in Mount Maunganui, on Tuesday.
KKR are heading into the contest after an embarrassing batting performance against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
KKR struggled for stability in the last edition in the UAE, while a change of captaincy at the halfway stage did not help them either.
Morgan's astute captaincy in using his bowling resources was the highlight as KKR had bowled out MI for a modest 152.
With nine defeats from 11 matches, the Sunrisers are languishing at the bottom, while KKR, in fourth place with 10 points from 12 matches, still have hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stage.
Images from Monday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Sharjah.
Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Dinesh Karthik says he need to up his game and get a few runs in the IPL coming matches.
On a roll post the IPL's resumption, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders will look to continue their winning streak when they meet in a high-octane Indian Premier League encounter, in Abu Dhabi, on Sunday.
The 21-year-old had limited opportunity to showcase his skills in the last edition, but this time Kolkata Knight Riders coach Brendon McCullum has already given the opener's slot to him.
SunRisers Hyderabad has the biggest purse while Kolkata Knight Riders has the slimmest purse.
Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill slammed centuries as India U-19 crushed their English counterparts by 230 runs in the fourth One-dayer to take a 3-1 lead in the five-match series, in Mumbai on Monday.
To match or even surpass the Royals, KKR have the biggest stars in Andre Russell to go along with reigning World Cup winning English skipper Eoin Morgan
Eyeing a maiden IPL title, the fancied Delhi Capitals will face another litmus test in the form of a Kolkata Knight Riders unit brimming with optimism when the two sides lock horns in the Qualifier 2 match in Sharjah on Wednesday.
Images from Thursday's Indian Premier League match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, in Dubai.
It will be a test of Virat Kohli's tactical acumen against the ice-cool demeanour of Eoin Morgan when perennial underachievers Royal Challengers Bangalore clash with former champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL Eliminator in Sharjah on Monday.
Images from Monday's Indian Premier League match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab in Sharjah.
India would have in mind the loss they endured against Bangladesh that knocked them out of the Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur last November.
Following is the list of players who have been released by the different franchises ahead of the auction for the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League.
Three-time champions India beat Bangladesh by a comfortable 131-run margin to enter the semi-final of the ICC U-19 World Cup, in Queenstown, on Friday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's astute captaincy will be Chennai Super Kings' biggest weapon against a clinical Kolkata Knight Riders, whose troika of top-notch spinners promise to hold the aces in the high-octane Indian Premier League final in Dubai on Friday.
Unstoppable thus far, India are hoping to rewrite the record books with a fourth title when the Rahul Dravid-coached side squares off against an equally formidable Australia in the final of the ICC Under-19 World Cup, in Maunganui, New Zealand, on Saturday.
Images from the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Mumbai, on Wednesday.
A new captain in the saddle, Kolkata Knight Riders would look to sort out their batting woes and strive for consistency when they face Sunrisers Hyderabad in an intriguing mid-table Indian Premier League clash, in Abu Dhabi, on Sunday.
For KKR, the biggest cause of concern will be the availability of big-hitter Andre Russell, who hurt his knee when he dived into the advertisement boards after missing a catch on Saturday.
Karthik will be surrounded by cricketing brains all around him with the 2019 England World Cup winning skipper as his deputy, and New Zealand great Brendon McCullum as the head coach.
In other big movements, Punjab Kings have released their last edition's captain Mayank Agarwal, while West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
KKR did not win the mini-battles in the game and 172 eventually proved too little.
Punjab, who are on eight points from 11 games, need to win the match to keep their play-offs hopes alive, while KKR (10 points from 11 games) also need a victory to boost their hopes.
The 11th edition of the Indian Premier League will commence, on Saturday, April 7 and will end on 27th May
In the event of Narine missing out again, Mumbai will fancy their chances even more at the Sheikh Zayed stadium, where skipper Rohit Sharma has scored both his half-centuries this season.
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