A batsman of Russell's calibre may just prove to be the difference between the two sides.
A look at how the teams stack up ahead of the mega auction.
With neither the Bharatiya Janata Party nor the Shiv Sena willing to yield ground on the number of Assembly seats they want to contest, the alliance between them seems to be on the brink.
The dominance of Saurashtra's bowlers could be gauged from the fact that Himachal lost their first seven wickets for just 22 runs.
KKR are gradually emerging as a strong contender for a third IPL title
Abhimanyu Easwaran dropped anchor at one end as his 97-run stand with Shreevats Goswami enabled Bengal to reach 185 for four against Madhya Pradesh on the first day of their final group league encounter of the Ranji Trophy, in New Delhi on Wednesday.
In Maharashtra, where the 'Mahayuti' alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena and smaller parties is against the 'Maha-agadhi' led by the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party whereas the ruling BJP is locked in a contest with the opposition Congress and the fledgling Jannayak Janata Party for the 90 assembly seats in Haryana.
Be it Assam, Haryana or Delhi, the Congress is facing one crisis after another regarding its Rajya Sabha nominations, reports Renu Mittal.
The final figure of polling could increase and it will be available on Tuesday, officials said.
Political observers feel that the outcome of the elections weighs in favour of the BJP which had won a massive mandate in the Lok Sabha elections, held earlier this year.
For the legion of CSK fans, it will be a homecoming like no other as the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side will play at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai for the first time since May 2015.
In the absence of a conducive environment, India should not show any "hurry" to hold talks with Pakistan when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits New York later this month, BJP president Rajnath Singh said.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle list IPL 2020's Paisa Vasool Players.
Table-toppers Chennai Super Kings will look to complete the double against Kolkata Knight Riders, just like Delhi Capitals did, when the teams clash in Sunday's IPL match in Kolkata. The home side's consistency has suddenly taken a beating after two defeats on the trot, first in Chennai and then against Delhi Capitals on Friday night. Thus, the Knight Riders will be under immense pressure to arrest the slide when they face mighty Chennai.
Domestic giants Mumbai continued its winning run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy thrashing Madhya Pradesh by nine wickets in Mumbai on Monday.
'The Congress has become two distinct parties, one of the durbar, the other of the field and if they keep drifting apart, death is a certainty,' says Shekhar Gupta.
It will not be the first time that the competition has had to be held outside India.
Dhoni has turned back the clock with his last three innings, two of them half centuries, adding to the fine run of imposing all-rounder Shane Watson.
It is curtains down for Maharashtra and Haryana assembly polls. Here's a look at political biggies, who made it and who didn't.
590 cricketers -- including 370 Indian players and 220 overseas players -- will go under the hammer during the two-day mega auction in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.
Heres a roundup of all the Ranji Trophy action from across India.
Medium pace duo of K V Sasikanth and Cheepurapalli Stephen returned with five wickets each as Andhra Pradesh notched up a comprehensive nine-wicket win over Delhi in their Group A Ranji Trophy match on Friday. A round-up of the Ranji Trophy matches on Friday.
Apprehending that some of its MLAs may not toe the party line, especially as BJP-backed Chandra had claimed support of at least two INLD MLAs, a dozen-odd legislators of the party were on Monday sent off to the hill station in Uttarakhand.
Maharashtra's Swapnil Gugale slammed a triple century while Ankit Bawane hit a double hundred as the duo registered the highest-partnership in the history of the Ranji Trophy, against Delhi, in the Ranji Trophy Group B match at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, on Friday.
As Maharashtra and Haryana show, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah completely control the BJP and are taking it to the next level ruthlessly, without carrying forward any past baggage.
A round-up of Ranji matches played on Monday.
A summary of the first day's play in the Ranji Trophy league matches at various venues across the country.
Punjab pummelled Delhi by 10 wickets for their maiden win of the season on Friday while handing the hosts their first Ranji Trophy loss at home in five years.
A round-up of Ranji Trophy matches played on Friday
India Test regulars like Cheteswar Pujara and Ishant Sharma have also thrown their hat into the ring with base prices of Rs 50 and Rs 75 lakh respectively.
A round-up of Ranji Trophy matches played on Thursday
A summary of the second day's play in the Ranji Trophy matches played at various venues across the country.
Veteran opener Virender Sehwag is making most of his hard-earned form as he blended caution with aggression during an attractive unbeaten knock of 147 to take Delhi to a respectable 278 for 7 at stumps against Haryana in the Ranji Trophy Group B match in Lahli, on Monday.
A summary of the day's play in the Ranji Trophy matches played across the country.
IPL Action VIII: These players went unsold
