A look at the top five batters, who are expected to make a difference in IPL 2022:
England stood on the brink of the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup after Jos Buttler's batting pyrotechnics secured their comprehensive eight-wicket victory against Australia in a Group I match on Saturday.
SunRisers Hyderabad has the biggest purse while Kolkata Knight Riders has the slimmest purse.
Australia pace spearhead Pat Cummins on Friday said he is glad that the effort he put into his T20 bowling in the last four-five months is giving him the desired results in the ongoing World Cup, which has been his "main goal" for a while.
United States Secretary of State John Kerry has held wide-ranging talks with visiting Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh on key issues, including the regional situation with respect to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
'It's a tough gig, opening in Test cricket, but we're really confident Marcus has got what it takes to be a successful Australian opening batsman.'
Smith has been England's tormentor-in-chief in the ongoing Ashes series, which Australia have already retained after winning the fourth Test in Manchester on Sunday.
Pat Cummins, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell were among seven players with IPL contracts who have decided not to go on back-to-back tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh in July and August, while Steve Smith will miss the trips through injury.
With David Warner and Will Pucovski ruled out of the first Test and looking at Joe Burns's worrying form, Australia can't afford to miss Green for the day-night fixture.
Royals are more affected than Sunrisers with the absence of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Joffra Archer, who have left for England to join the World Cup camp.
Images from Friday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad, in Abu Dhabi.
The two groups will unite late on Thursday night and with the opening ODI slated for Friday, the players will have no scope to wriggle in a practice session as one unit.
Ricky Ponting said Australia is open to shuffling the batting line-up if the circumstances dictate a more flexible approach in the ongoing World Cup.
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell said it is unfair that a bowler has to inform the umpire how they are going to bowl while a batsman can easily become "opposite-handed" without any notification and take advantage of the field placing.
India head into the third Test with momentum after dampening Australia's Christmas cheer with a dominant eight-wicket win in the second match in Melbourne.
Finch scored 114 in an opening stand of 156 with David Warner (69) to lay a platform before his predecessor as captain Smith smashed 105 off 66 balls to drive Australia to 374 for six -- their highest total against India.
Images from the fourth One-Day International between Australia and India in Canberra, on Wednesday.
Opening batsman Marcus Harris has been called into Australia's first Test squad as the hosts count the cost of a number of injuries ahead of the series opener against India in Adelaide.
President Donald Trump talked to the Saudi King, during which the latter flatly denied having any knowledge of the missing journalist.
Twenty20 stalwarts Rashid Khan of Afghanistan and West Indian Andre Russell, with an identical 100,000 pounds reserve price, are among 239 players from outside the UK to enter the draft.
Young all-rounder Cameron Green scored a confident century for Australia 'A' on day two of the tour match against India 'A' in Sydney on Monday to put his hand up for selection in the Test series starting next week.
Hardik and Pollard added 41 runs for the fourth wicket. The younger Pandya scored 28 runs off 19 balls. The elder Pandya scored 20* off four balls while Pollard remained unbeaten on 25 runs.
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.
While wickets were falling, at the other end, Dhawan stayed cool and grew in confidence
Signed playing shirts from the Boxing Day Test will be auctioned online from Thursday, with all proceeds also going to the Australian Red Cross.
'Every facet of their Test team has to improve. They are kidding themselves if they think everything will be rosy when Smith and Warner come back'
Trump said a thorough investigation will prove that no such collusion took place.
Rajasthan Royals outclassed Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets to end their home campaign on a winning note and keep their play-off hopes alive, in the Indian Premier League.
A pulsating Ashes opener that had promised a grandstand finish will more than likely end early with a handsome win to Australia after Steve Smith's side pushed within 56 runs of victory at the close of day four on Sunday.
Four openers. Two middle order batsmen. Two leg-spinners. Three fast bowlers. Harish Kotian picks his IPL XI from the league stages.
Images from the fifth One-Day International between Australia and India in Sydney, on Saturday.
Ponting said with one down in the very first over, the side wanted to match the runs scored by SRH in the powerplay
'I am allowed to experiment a little bit and fail at times. Today was one of the days it didn't come off'
Despite the recent injury setbacks, senior off-spinner Nathan Lyon believes that the current Australian team is the 'tightest group' that he has been a part of and is certainly in a much better space than what it was two years back, when India triumphed 1-2 in Tests.
The PM will meet President Donald Trump face-to-face for the first time at the White House on Monday. "I think that the US really appreciates India, and I think that President Trump realises that India has been a force for good in the world and that it's a relationship that's important. And I think that will come through in the visit on Monday," the official said.
As soon as the Aussies clinched the victory, David Warner was seen having a good time with his daughter Ivy Mae.
The Pandyas continue to be in the thick of things with Hardik Pandya (391) ahead, but Krunal Pandya (300) not too far behind. Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle list the 50 Most Valuable Players after the first 38 IPL 2022 games.
Australian spin great Shane Warne on Monday picked his fierce rival Sachin Tendulkar as the batsman to bat in any conditions and called his former skipper Steve Waugh a match saver rather than a match-winner.
Jos Buttler anchored the run chase to help the home side clinch the three-match series in Southampton on Sunday.
The Australians may be in high spirits having won last three Tests against Pakistan to win three-match series 3-0, but will head to India next month having lost nine consecutive Tests in Asia and with just one series win in the subcontinent since the late 1960s.
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