'They can't afford to go 2-0 down so you want your best bowler.'
Despite the Emirates Cricket Board's 'two-week rest' policy for pitches, the tight schedule necessitated the use of this 'tired surface'.
Fascinating numbers from the India-Pakistan iconic cricket rivalry.
The inclusion of Gill in the squad has raised doubts in the minds of management about who will open the innings for their side, along with left-hand batter Abhishek, in the tournament.
It is every cricketer's dream to be acknowledged by Sachin Tendulkar, and spinner Kuldeep Yadav who made his Test debut against Australia on Saturday, was showered with praise by the cricket legend as he weaved a wrist spinner's web around the tourists during the decisive fourth Test in Dharamsala.
Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah returned to India's T20 squad for next month's Asia Cup, but IPL star performers Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out.
India's T20 World Cup campaign begins on June 5 against Ireland at the newly-constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. India play Pakistan on June 9.
India vice-captain Shubman Gill dethroned Pakistan's Babar Azam from the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI Rankings for batters on the back of his strong showing against England in the recent home series.
Pat Cummins captured the sentiment perfectly, calling this potentially the 'last chance' for fans Down Under to witness these legends in action. With both stalwarts set to be 39 and 40 respectively by the 2027 World Cup, every appearance carries added significance. Ro-Ko have been the heartbeat of Indian cricket for over 15 years. Their return brings an emotional lift to the team and raises expectations for the series against the world champions.
In the series, Kuldeep scored 97 valuable runs down the order and took 19 wickets at an average of 20.15.
After a much-needed two-day respite, Team India returned to the training grounds with renewed vigour, setting their sights on a pivotal showdown against New Zealand on Sunday.
With their respective leaders switching camps and squads undergoing major overhauls, both Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants, under new captains, will be eager to make a strong start to their IPL campaign when they face off in Visakhapatnam on Monday.
Varun Chakravarthy is the second oldest debutant for India in One-Day Internationals after Farokh Engineer.
Kuldeep, however, said Dhoni is someone who puts forward his views in between overs only when he feels it is required.
As debates around Jasprit Bumrah's workload continue, Sanjay Manjrekar has taken a firm stance - arguing that the onus lies on the pacer to adapt, not the system.
Kuldeep Yadav said that Gautam Gambhir, who led KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, gave him confidence by assuring him of a place in the team. The chinaman bowler also said former Pakistan captain Akram helped him more with the mental aspect of the game.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy final played between India and New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.
Broken foot, unbroken in spirit: Pant gives update
As India head into a series-deciding fifth Test, questions over Gambhir's tactics and temperament are growing louder.
Mohit displayed immense game awareness, taking a single to bring Ashutosh on strike, bringing down the equation to five runs in four balls.
Suryakumar Yadav's doughty 73 not out proved to be the difference as Mumbai Indians sealed the fourth and final play-off berth with a 59-run trouncing of Delhi Capitals.
Former spinner Harbhajan Singh believes India made a mistake by picking four spinners for the T20 World Cup.
The match ended after New Zealand scored 133 for 4 in their second innings.
'We are prepared. Afghanistan are a very dangerous side'
How well will Shubman Gill fit in the T20 team? Is it a gamble by the selectors in order to unite captaincy across formats? asks Harish Kotian.
Opener Ben Duckett hit the most defining century of his career, exposing an out-of-depth Indian attack as England comfortably chased down a tricky target of 371 to win the opening Test by five wickets.
Shreyas Iyer's 604 runs across 17 matches for Punjab Kings at a strike-rate in excess of 175 did not resonate with the selectors during the Asia Cup selection.
Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav opened up on his favourite IPL team when the tournament started, saying that he was a big fan of five-time champions Chennai Super Kings.
India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is up and running in Beckenham, putting in the hard yards before the upcoming five high-stakes Tests against England, slated to kick off on June 20 at Headingley.
Skipper Ankit Kumar and promising batter Yash Dhull made contrasting hundreds to place North Zone on the cusp of the Duleep Trophy semifinals in Bengaluru, on Saturday.
'After a smashing start to his T20I career, it is now time for Rinku Singh to make his mark in the ODI format.'
Kuldeep Yadav's career best 4/20 takes KKR closer to a place in the play-offs.
As Team India gear up for the much-anticipated Test series against England starting on Friday, several players in the squad will draw confidence from their county cricket experience.
The series in Australia could well be Rohit's last in India Blues. But Kohli, given his high fitness standards, could play on until the 2027 World Cup.
Kuldeep Yadav got a verbal lashing from MS Dhoni for not adhering to his instructions while bowling during an ODI against Sri Lanka in 2017. So scared was the UP spinner that he went upto Dhoni in the team bus to apologise and asked if he had ever lost his composure like this in the past.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and the West Indies, in Ahmedabad, on Thursday.
The pitches in West Indies, where the Super 8 matches will be played, are conducive for spinners.
BCCI shared pictures on X with a caption, 'Gearing up for the Super 8s. Prep Mode on. #TeamIndia.'
Virat Kohli anchored a tricky chase with an unbeaten 100.
Yuzvendra Chahal posed with wife Dhanashree Verma along with the World Cup winner's medal
