The change in format may bring about some strategic shift in the playing eleven for India with captain Virat Kohli expected to open the innings.
It will be a battle of youngsters with the likes of Nitish Rana, Hardik Pandya on one side and the new star in the horizon Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan with his variations on the other side.
Having sealed the series with a comprehensive win in the second T20I at Lucknow riding on skipper Rohit Sharma's brilliant ton, the home team would look to give reserve bench players like Shreyas Iyer, MS Washington Sundar and the uncapped Shahbaz Nadeem an opportunity before it embarks on the tour of Australia.
As India women cricketer set foot into hitherto uncharted territory, it would be fair to say the auction has gone way beyond expectation for several of them if one compares it with the IPL.
Rohit's dismissal on 39 off 31 balls marked the moment where the Mumbai run chase lost its momentum as boundaries dried up and runs became harder to come by.
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.
High on confidence after one of their splendid run-chases across 10 editions, Mumbai Indians will like to continue their winning momentum against a resurgent Gujarat Lions in an Indian Premier League encounter, in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Mumbai Indians pacer Trent Boult is not sure if skipper Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Hardik Pandya would feature in their next IPL game against Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday but said both of them are recovering well.
Daredevils can be the banana peel and Mumbai Indians will be wary after Chennai Super Kings slipped in their penultimate game. The last time the two teams faced off, the Daredevils won by seven wickets in a last-over thriller.
Kings XI Punjab pacer Sheldon Cottrell is unfazed by the mounting losses of his team in the IPL and asserts that the side will bounce back just as he did after being pummelled by Rahul Tewatia not so long ago.
Rohit Sharma urged his players to be innovative and challenge themselves
West Indies' wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin's century went in vain as they slumped to a 16-run loss against India 'A' in their second and final warm-up 50-over match ahead of the five-match ODI series against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
The duo shared six scalps among them -- the impact of their performance saw Delhi unable to make any headway into the match.
It will be a crucial couple of weeks for Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey, who are back in the mix after being sidelined from India's 50-over World Cup plans.
Virat Kohli is among the finest batsmen of all time, and has amassed a staggering 12,169 runs from 254 ODIs.
In T20 cricket Gayle, perhaps, holds the same place that Don Bradman has in Test cricket.
Magnificent death bowling saw Mumbai Indians snatch an incredible one-run victory from the jaws of defeat against Rising Pune Supergiant in a thrilling final of the Indian Premier League, in Hyderabad, on Sunday.
West Indies have axed two-time World Twenty20 winning captain Darren Sammy and put fellow all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite in charge for two matches against India this month in Florida.
Ashish Nehra produced a sensational spell of pace bowling after Shikhar Dhawan shone with the bat with a scintillating unbeaten 82 as Sunrisers Hyderabad spanked Mumbai Indians by 85 runs in a lopsided IPL match in Visakhapatnam.
Rajasthan Royals skipper Steve Smith was all praise Ben Stokes and Sanju Samson after the eight-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the IPL match in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Besides KL Rahul, another individual who would like to answer his critics with solid performances is Pant.
Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore will fight for survival when they lock horns in the Indian Premier League in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Washington Sundar is in awe of AB de Villiers and feels that the South African swashbuckler's legendary ability to perform multiple tasks, including wicket-keeping, lend balance to the IPL side.
If MI have their problems to sort out, having lost at the death in all three games so far, RCB too have their own shortcomings to address with only one win in three games under their belt.
The needle clash, expected to be watched by a capacity crowd at the Wankhede Stadium, looks set to raise the curtains on the decade-old T20 League in grand style after a formal opening ceremony.
After the gruelling league phase of the ongoing IPL, the stage is set for the play-offs with CSK and MI clashing against each other for a place in May 12 final.
West Indies have dropped batsman Lendl Simmons from their Twenty20 World Cup squad owing to a back injury, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said on Saturday. "The 31-year-old right-handed top-order batsman will remain in Trinidad to continue his rehabilitation," the WICB said. "A replacement player will be named in the coming days," it said in a statement. Simmons, who has played 34 T20Is with a top score of 77, joins all-rounder Kieron Pollard on the sidelines after a knee injury forced him to decline signing a player contract for the tournament in India. Spinner Sunil Narine, who is still working to fix his illegal bowling action, and Darren Bravo, who has opted to focus on the longer formats of cricket, withdrew from the West Indies squad last month.
'I think Moeen Ali read the conditions beautifully, he took chances when his match-up was in his favour, and to take his opportunity like he has, after the success he's had in the IPL was brilliant.'
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai on Saturday.
Rajneesh Gupta presents Mumbai Indians's record in the IPL over the years:
Nothing but a win will keep their play-off hopes alive as defending champions Mumbai Indians take on Gujarat Lions in a do-or-die battle, which will be their final IPL league match in Kanpur on Saturday. With seven wins in 13 matches, Mumbai are currently placed fifth, tied on 14 points with Royal Challengers Bangalore (3rd) and Kolkata Knight Riders (4th) -- both having better net run-rate with one match to go. A loss on Saturday will knock them out of the race for play-offs and Mumbai will hope to pull the rug from under the feet of the Lions this time after suffering a defeat during their home leg on April 16.
Dube smashed 54 off 30 balls with four sixes
Kieron Pollard answered his critics in style by destroying Kolkata Knight Riders bowling, hitting six towering 6s in his match-winning 51 runs off only 17 balls in IPL 9's last match at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai were in a spot of bother when the West Indian joined skipper Rohit Sharma at the crease, but what followed was a Pollard show with the power-hitting batsman hitting the quickest half-century in the history of Mumbai Indians to complete a double against KKR. Catch Pollard in a special chat with IPLT20.com after the game.
West Indies have postponed their visit to Pakistan for a three-match Twenty20 with the leading Caribbean players expressing concerns about their security in the country, the sources have claimed.
The batting resources of West Indies' 'intimidating' team has reduced Dwayne Bravo's role to a specialist bowler.
'So we are missing players. Evin Lewis just decided to push back on a central contract. He is good enough to play Test cricket. So the shorter versions of the game curtail our progress. Having said that, it would be unfair to blame the players for making the choice (of playing IPL). We all want to be financially secure at the end of the day'
Rajasthan Royals would aim to build on their promising start to the season when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore, a side that is yet to unlock its potential.
After winning the 2nd T20I with ease, the Windies go into the decider with confidence and the tie will certainly not be a cakewalk for the hosts, who will look to seal their second T20I series this season.
The player draft for the much-awaited Global T20 Canada 2023 was held in a hybrid-form in Mumbai.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances