Senior opener KL Rahul has been left out of the India squad which will travel to Zimbabwe for an ODI series next month after COVID-19 delayed his return from a long injury lay-off, while Washington Sundar and Deepak Chahar made their comebacks.
An all-charged up Virat Kohli took the field as the RCB bowlers put up a spirited performance to guide their team to a thumping 67 run victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second Test against New Zealand, starting on Friday?
Sri Lanka were reeling on 86/6 in response to India's 252 on day one of the second Test, leaving the hosts 166 runs ahead so far in the day-night game.
History is also a bit against India when it comes to results at the business end of the ICC events.
India are once again at the crossroads, with the team again searching for middle order options ahead of the World Cup.
Up against Delhi Capitals, RCB will need to address their middle-order woes, to return to winning ways, in what could be touted as a battle of equals.
Their winning streak halted by defending champions Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore will hope Harshal Patel returns to the playing eleven and contribute in bringing their campaign back on track when they face Delhi Capitals in the IPL match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday.
On the other hand, the Royals have managed to win only one of their three fixtures. They lost to Chennai Super Kings in their previous match to slip down to the sixth spot. Sanju Samson and his men will be eyeing a second win.
The Indian team is scheduled to play the WTC final against New Zealand from June 18-22 before taking on England in a five-Test series.
The 2021 IPL, which was suspended in May owing to a COVID-19 outbreak in its bubble, will resume in the UAE from September 19.
Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh will be among a host of former stars in the India Maharaja team which will take part in the inaugural edition of the Legends League Cricket (LLC), starting on January 20 in Oman.
Siraj revealed that Kohli coming to his house was the best surprise of his life.
Will this (Rohit, KL Rahul and Kohli), be India's top three going into the T20 World Cup?
Hardik Pandya's leadership skills and India's overall World Cup preparedness will be under focus
'We will be quarantining for that much time.'
The national selectors did well to deliver a loud and clear message as they sought to kickstart the transition in the Indian T20 team.
IMAGES from the 1st ODI played between India and Sri Lanka in Guwahati on Tuesday.
RCB pacer Harshal Patel took 3/35 and was rightly named player of the match against CSK.
A look at how India have fared in their World Cup opening games.
Glenn Maxwell shared a touching relationship with Shane Warne, who passed away last year, and the Royal Challengers Bangalore all-rounder termed the spin legend as the most caring and loyal person he has ever come across.
Shubman Gill is all set to open with Rohit Sharma after he was named in India's 15-man squad for the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand, in Southampton, from June 18.
India is upset at a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by a US state department official while defending the immunity it had extended to Saudi Arabian ruler Mohammad bin Sultan, who is facing allegations of killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings would need to lift themselves after a nightmarish start to the season as they target their first win of IPL 2022 when they take on a high-flying Royal Challengers Bangalore on Tuesday.
Ajinkya Rahane has been retained in India's Test squad, to be led by Virat Kohli, for the South Africa series later this month.
Arshdeep has courage but needs experience
Australian legend Ricky Ponting feels Mohammed Shami's strength lies in the longest format and there are better quick bowlers in India's T20 set up, weighing in on his absence from the Asia Cup squad.
SunRisers Hyderabad has the biggest purse while Kolkata Knight Riders has the slimmest purse.
Virat Kohli has got back his "power game" and things have started falling in place for him ahead of the T20 World Cup, said former India Test cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar.
The experienced seamer, however, refused to read too much into their forgettable bowling display at the Feroz Shah Kotla and expressed optimism about a strong comeback in the second match.
Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will lead India in the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur, starting November 25, before regular skipper Virat Kohli returns to take charge from the second Test in Mumbai.
It is understood that Kuldeep, who had lost his mojo in the Kohli-Ravi Shastri era, has been called back as the current team management and selectors feel that he has the X-Factor to contribute to team's cause.
Images from Day 2 of the second Test between India and Australia, at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi, on Friday.
Then, physio Patel came down to the crease to attend to Bangladesh's lower-order batter.
After their emphatic victory against LSG, Mumbai Indians would be fancying their chances against defending champions Gujarat Titans in Friday's Qualifier 2 match.
Zakir Hasan (100) and Najmul Hossain Shanto (67) frustrated the Indian bowers for the entire opening session but the visitors pulled back things in the next two sessions
Shubman Gill was unlucky to miss out on a maiden century but India rode on his sublime 98 to outclass West Indies by 119 runs and complete a 3-0 rout in the ODI series at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad on Wednesday.
IMAGES of the T20 World Cup match played between India and Pakistan at the MCG on Sunday
Two more failures in two home games could effectively mean end of the road for Ajinkya Rahane, who is leading India in the first Test in Kanpur, starting on Thursday.
Responding to India's 246 for eight declared after a day of multiple rain interruptions, Leicestershire were primed to take a sizable lead over the tourists when Pant was in his element.
