The dawn of a new era had begun under Sourav Ganguly's aggressive leadership. With Ganguly and Coach John Wright at the helm India had transitioned into a force to be reckoned with.
A formidable India will fancy their chances of taking an unassailable 2-0 lead against a weakened West Indies when the two sides lock horns in the third game of the ongoing five-match ODI series, in North Sound, Antigua, on Friday.
Should he bat at No 4? Or should he play the finisher's role at No 6?
Professionalism will be pitted against passion when defending champions India square off with Bangladesh in the second semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy, in Birmingham on Thursday.
Former India off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna on Friday took a dig at Virat Kohli and said if the current skipper feels he is the boss of Indian cricket then the team can do without a coach.
'He has led India to wins in the World T20, the World Cup and the Champions Trophy. Which other captain in the world can boast of such a record?' 'And if it is about form, then Virat Kohli isn't in the best of form. Neither is Shikhar Dhawan. So what do you do? Drop them all?'
World cricket's most intriguing rivalry will once again be renewed when India take on an unpredictable Pakistan with rehabilitated pacer Mohammad Aamir being the focus of attention in a round-robin league encounter of the Asia Cup T20 tournament, in Mirpur, on Saturday.
India are in the middle of a phenomenal run in the shortest format of the game, and Team Director Ravi Shastri on Wednesday said that he expects his side to maintain consistency and make winning a habit to clinch a big tournaments like the World T20. Shastri said that India have got the right balance in the team and most of the big players are in form at the right time ahead of the ICC event. "We have got into a good habit of winning games. You might get the odd hiccup on the way. But it's important to maintain a level of consistency and treat every game as an important game. Every game is important from here on," he told a news conference. "To win a big tournament you need seven-eight individuals performing consistently. We are not a team of individuals. We are the Indian cricket team. "Virat (Kohli) is in outstanding form, and so is Rohit (Sharma)... MS (Dhoni) has done well lower down the order. Yuvraj (Singh) has struck form. Shikhar (Dhawan) has had his moments," Shastri said ahead of the World T20 warm-up game against the West Indies.
Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, on Monday, said that unlike football, cricket is a 'captain's game' and the coach should take a 'back seat'.
A formidable India U-19 team coached by the legendary Rahul Dravid start as overwhelming favourites against minnows Ireland in their opening Group D league match of the ICC U-19 World Cup in Mirpur on Thursday. Being three-time champions, the tournament has always helped India unearth raw talent who have gone on to become big stars in the future. Whether it is Yuvraj Singh or India's current No. 1 batsman Virat Kohli, India have been lucky in terms of tapping quality talent from the tournament. It's no different this time round as the likes of Ishan Kishan, Risabh Pant, Avesh Khan would like to showcase their talent under the able guidance of Dravid, in an event which is widely televised.
Michael Jordan needed a Scottie Pippen, so did Lionel Messi with an Andres Iniesta by his side and Suresh Raina is that glue that admirably stuck around with Mahendra Singh Dhoni in highs, lows, and from Saturday, in retirement.
Take Norma Godinho's quiz to find out just how much you know about sport.
India will play their inaugural World Test Championship final against New Zealand at Southampton's Ageas Bowl Stadium from June 18-22, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly confirmed
Despite a superb six-wicket haul by leg-spinner Adam Zampa, Rising Pune Supergiants suffered a narrow four-run loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL clash to end their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage.
Sunrisers Hyderabad will aim to stop a rampaging Rising Pune Supergiant when both teams meet in the Indian Premier League, on Saturday, in a bid to cement their place in the play-offs.
The current Indian team up is yet to identify its core set for players with the World Cup just weeks away.
Virat Kohli smashed a masterful 82 to guide India to a six-wicket win against Australia in their final World Twenty20 Super 10 game on Sunday and set up a semi-final against West Indies in Mumbai.
Remember Yuvi's 6 sixes in an over in the first World T20?
Debutant Hardik Pandya stellar performance in Tuesday's T20 International against Australia caught the attention of India supporters, and India's ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the youngster can lend the side some much-needed stability if he performs consistently.
'We won the last World Cup and the Champions Trophy on the all-round performance -- so the Jajedas, Binnys, Ashwins could play a role in India defending the title' 'Stuart Binny could come in very handy in those surfaces with the seam bowling, as a lower order batsman also or as a floater' 'Yuvraj must be motivated to try and make a comeback'
Rohit Sharma slammed a quickfire 83 to power India to a comprehensive 45-run victory against Bangladesh in the first match of the Asia Cup T20 tournament in Dhaka, on Wednesday.
India will go for the kill against a determined England in the Garden City, setting the stage for a tantalising series-deciding third and final Twenty20 International in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The superb build-up run has made India the clear favourites for an unprecedented second World Twenty20 title but the in-form hosts will have to guard against complacency when they take on a spirited New Zealand in their campaign-opener in Nagpur on Tuesday.
Shikhar Dhawan continued his love affair with the ICC Champions Trophy with yet another elegant hundred, guiding India to an imposing 321 for six.
Virender Sehwag exuded confidence about India making it to the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal scripted a dramatic collapse with sensational figures of six for 25 to help India crush England by 75 runs and win the three-match T20 International series 2-1, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday.
The most consistent team across all seasons of the IPL, Chennai Super Kings would look to put behind the off-field distractions and do what they are best at when they take on previous edition's bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils in their opening match of the Twenty20 league.
Choosing between a third spinner and an extra batsman will be the topic of discussion when the three-member national selection panel decides on the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, starting June 1 in England.
Inclement weather poses a threat to the India-Australia T20 international in Rajkot on Thursday, with the Met department forecasting rainfall over the next 48 hours.
India's quest for a historic treble ended in heartbreak as Sri Lanka came up with a clinical performance to beat them by six wickets in the final of the World T20 in Mirpur on Sunday. While Sri Lanka emerged third time lucky in a World T20 summit clash, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's hopes of adding a second World T20 title to the 50-over World Cup triumph in 2011 and Champions Trophy in England two years later ended in disappointment.
Ahead of the three-match series, commencing in Dharamsala on Friday, Rajneesh Gupta presents a recap on battles between the two sides over the years.
Facing the prospect of a series defeat at home for the first time in 15 months, skipper Virat Kohli will have a relook at his team combination as hosts India take on a resurgent England in a do-or-die second T20 International, in Nagpur on Sunday.
Images from the third and final T20 International between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Statistical highlights of the one-off Twenty20 international between India and England at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday.
Jason Holder could well turn out to be one of the most expensive buys at this edition of IPL
The Wankhede Stadium track being prepared for the ICC World T20 semi final clash between India and the West Indies is unlikely to favour the batsmen to the same extent as it did in the earlier matches here, it has been learnt. "There's an even coating of grass to bind the wicket, but the track would be slower than in earlier games. But it will still be a good T20 wicket," informed sources said on Tuesday ahead of the March 31 clash which is to be witnessed by a packed capacity crowd of 33,000 spectators. The heat in Mumbai has been on the higher side over the last few days with mercury touching the mid-30s, and this factor too is expected to affect the way the track will behave, the sources pointed out. In the last international game played at this venue featuring India, South Africa whipped the hosts by a whopping margin of 214 runs to clinch the ODI series 3-2 on October 25, 2015.
Bollywood celebrities have backed the Indian Cricket Team after they lost the final of 2017 ICC Champions Trophy against Pakistan.
Mumbai Indians have an eight-match winning streak against Kolkata Knight Riders with an overall 18-5 head-to-head record.
Considering that the tournament Down Under will be played on faster wickets, it's obvious that spinners are unlikely to play a significant role. In these circumstances, having one spinner in the playing eleven is the most one can expect, says Bikash Mohapatra.
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