New Zealand and South Africa, both laden with world-class talent but often falling short in ICC tournaments, will face off in a tightly contested Champions Trophy semifinal.
The fortunes of Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals changed quite dramatically after their clash on April 13, when MI held their nerve in a tense finish to pull off a remarkable win.
That said the pitch is going to get challenging for the batters as the game wears on.
In the IPL 2025 opener against Mumbai Indians, the 'Dhoni Review System returned, as precise and infallible as ever.
New Zealand booked their place in the final of the Champions Trophy against India after a 50-run victory over South Africa.
Santner, Bumrah make my job very easy: Pandya
New Zealand will pin their hopes on a rookie attack and field a new wicketkeeper when they take on the West Indies in the second Test in Wellington starting on Wednesday following a slew of injuries.
He first led the side in a T20 against West Indies at Bay Oval in November 2020 and became New Zealand's 24th ODI captain when he led the side in the only ODI against Scotland in Edinburgh in 2022.
West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican stressed that seizing crucial moments will be the key to competing in the two-match series against India.
New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner feels assessing the conditions in Dharamsala and countering an in-form Rohit Sharma will be vital as they eye the "tough" task of beating India at home during their World cup clash on Sunday.
The Kiwis arrived in Dubai on Thursday evening ahead of the ICC showpiece's title clash against India on March 9.
Despite the Emirates Cricket Board's 'two-week rest' policy for pitches, the tight schedule necessitated the use of this 'tired surface'.
MI staged a coup on Day 1, by winning the bid for Trent Boult, bringing him back into the fold.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy second Semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Wednesday
Mitchell Santner scored his maiden Test century and then grabbed three quick wickets to reduce England to 55-3 at the close of play on the fourth day of the first Test at Bay Oval on Sunday.
New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner has been ruled out of the first Test against Australia and replaced by spinner Mark Craig, the team said on Tuesday.
'You've got to be quite smart against him. If he gets on a roll, he's pretty tough to stop. As we've seen, he has bowled extremely well'
Chris Jordan's all-around brilliance could not prevent New Zealand from securing a series-levelling 21-run victory over England in the second Twenty20 International of the five-match series on Sunday.
Australia captain Tim Paine lost a referral when third umpire Aleem Dar upheld the decision after reviewing video replays from several angles.
With the pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) expected to offer some grip to the spinners, the Indian batters did not want to leave anything to the chance.
'Yeah, the IPL, I guess, is the pinnacle of all T20 tournaments and I was pretty excited when I was picked up in 2018.'
At the mega auction, Mumbai Indians made some strategic buys, in a bid to build a strong team around their solid Indian core consisting of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jaspreet Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Tilak Varma.
New Zealand stumper-batsman Tom Latham was ruled out of the one-day series against Pakistan with a hand leaving Michael Bracewell to continue as the side's captain.
The batting maestro, known for his aggressive stroke play, fell victim to a full toss from Mitchell Santner in the 24th over.
Images from Day 2 of the second Test between India and New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday.
Chennai Super Kings will lean on their formidable spin strength under favourable conditions at the Chepauk as well as recent record against Mumbai Indians sans Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, when the two sides face each other in their Indian Premier League campaign opener in Chennai on Sunday.
A seemingly invincible India will be eager to sharpen their game against spin and give a run to second-line players ahead of the semi-final when they take on New Zealand in their last group match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday.
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead will no longer coach the One-Day International and T20 teams but may re-apply for the Test role, he said on Tuesday.
Virat Kohli has succumbed to spin three times in the first two Tests, while scoring just 68 runs in four innings.
India's spinners were the key architects of the bowling performance. Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) were the standout performers, while Jadeja (1/30) and Axar Patel (0/29 in 8 overs) kept the pressure on with their economical spells.
Rookie all-rounder Mitchell Santner and veteran Grant Elliott have been rewarded for their recent strong performances by being included in New Zealand's list of centrally contracted players on Wednesday.
Spinner Maheesh Theekshana's hat-trick was in vain as New Zealand clinched the three-match One-Day International series against Sri Lanka with a game to spare after a 113-run victory in a rain-shortened second one-day international in Hamilton on Wednesday.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday
Babar Azam's approach drew heavy criticism from fans
Thrown into the spotlight in just his second ODI, Varun Chakaravarthy made the opportunity count in spectacular fashion.
After his stellar performance, Chakaravarthy credited senior players for helping him settle his nerves during the game.
The series promises a fascinating duel between the two modern-day pace greats.
New Zealand were ahead of the DLS par score of 78 at that stage before the game was eventually called off.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji check out who could be the Most Valuable Player of IPL 2025 before the final.
New Zealand clinched the tri-nation title by beating hosts Pakistan by five wickets in the final in Karachi on Friday to give them a major boost ahead of next week's Champions Trophy.
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