BCCI tweets "All buckled up South Africa bound".
It has been decided that Rishabh Pant will not play the two T20 Internationals against Ireland and hence Hardik Pandya, who is his deputy for the South Africa series, is expected to lead the side.
New Zealand's three-pronged attack could spell trouble for India on a spiced-up track and Will Somerville, who played a gutsy knock in Kanpur, might have to sit out.
A young but mighty Mumbai have history and form firmly on their side when they chase their 41st Ranji Trophy title by locking horns with Saurashtra, who are taking a rare shot at domestic cricket's biggest prize, in the summit showdown beginning in Pune from Wednesday. While Mumbai will be appearing in their 45th final of the top domestic tournament, it is only the second time that Saurashtra are in the title clash. Incidentally, it was Mumbai who put paid to Saurashtra's hopes of a maiden triumph by wrapping the final in three days in 2012-13. That was the only time Saurashtra came close to the title. Mumbai won that match by an innings and 125 runs for their 40th trophy. Three seasons later, the scene remains more or less the same and it will take a huge effort from Saurashtra to upset a side which has almost won more titles than the rest of India combined. For the record, since 1990-91, Mumbai haven't lost any of the 10 finals they have played. Mumbai have at least five of those who played in the earlier final in the squad -- Aditya Tare, Abhishek Nayar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shardul Thakur and Vishal Dabholkar.
Has the long due transition phase kicked in for India's Test team?
Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is to provide free passes for school and college students to watch the fourth and penultimate Test match between India and England to be held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai from December 8-12.
Sheldon Jackson top-scored for Saurashtra with a 44-ball 64 as they overcame a late challenge from Kerala to win by nine runs and set up a last eight clash against Mumbai.
K L Rahul has managed just 38 runs in three innings in the ongoing Test series against Australia.
Images from Day 3 of the second Test between South Africa and India, in Johannesburg, on Wednesday.
Ajinkya Rahane is scouring the missing runs. By batting at the nets in shorts spans, against a variety of bowlers, and by doing everything else that is in his control, the seasoned Rahane is bracing up for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand, knowing well it could decide his future in the Indian team.
'30th April bole toh aaplyaa rohit caa brthdde!'
Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer grabbed their chances with centuries, but seniors like Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma had a forgettable series.
'Excellent setting for an intra-squad match simulation here in Southampton.'
Team India is all set to take on Australia in the final of the ICC World Test Championship final from Wednesday at The Oval and this 'Ultimate Test' also brings with it a set of milestones that players can establish during the course of the match.
Among those who remembered the slain bravehearts, who fell to bullets of Pakistani terrorists while repulsing the deadly attack on this day 11 years ago, were their kin, politicians, government officials, sports persons and common citizens.
Round up of the ranji matches being played on Tuesday.
Who do you should be part of India's playing XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka?
Bandon Mein Tha Dum is about a team that hits rock-bottom, loses key players, has its global reputation shrink overnight, but despite all the setbacks, pulls off one of the greatest comeback victories in the history of international cricket, applauds Shailesh Karkera.
All eyes will be on the opening fixture between defending champions Saurashtra and record 41-time champions Mumbai in Ahmedabad with Rahane and Pujara on either side, aiming to make the big scores that have deserted them at the Test level for a while.
Ahead of the WTC Final next month, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting opened up on India and Australia's chances for the big game.
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin struck three early blows to put the hosts on course for a series-clinching victory against New Zealand in the second and final Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Rajneesh Gupta lists all the important numbers from day three of the Oval Test.
Powerful batting lower down the order followed by tidy bowling helped Mumbai thrash Saurashtra by 16 runs in the West Zone T20 league game, for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, at the MCA's BKC ground in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Defending champions Mumbai needed just 22 minutes and 31 balls to wrap up a massive 338-run victory over minnows Vidarbha and log six points to shoot to the top of the Ranji Trophy Group A table at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai 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.
Delhi done in by poor batting as Karnataka win by 4 wickets
Resuming on the fourth day in the second Test at 140 for 5, New Zealand folded up for 167 in the second innings after India set them a mammoth 540-run target.
The 14th season of the IPL, which was postponed in May this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume on September 19 in Dubai with a blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
'There are greats, there are legends and then there is @sachin_rt.'
Iyer's 147 is the highest T20 score by an Indian and in the process he surpassed wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who had scored an unbeaten 128 for Delhi Daredevils in the IPL.
Mumbai crushed Saurashtra by an innings and 21 runs in the final to win their 41st Ranji Trophy title, in Pune, on Friday.
The careers of senior pros Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma are on the line when the selectors pick the Indian Test squad for the coming tour of South Africa.
India will be without captain and batting mainstay Virat Kohli, who decided to skip the first of the two Tests, while batter Rohit Sharma, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will miss both matches.
A round-up of Ranji matches played on Monday.
The duo of Vyas and Desai took the opposing bowlers to the cleaners throughout the innings while stitching a massive first-wicket partnership of 282 runs.
A summary of Ranji matches played on Tuesday.
Shreyas Iyer's dream Test debut has put India in pole position in the opening Test against New Zealand but it also presented his team with a selection headache for the second and final test in Mumbai next week.
A summary of the day's matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament.
Mumbai rode on Abhishek Nayar's scintillating 47-ball 76 to record a comfortable five-wicket win over Saurashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 tournament for west zone, in Vadodara, on Wednesday.
Virat Kohli's position as India's ODI captain, his Test deputy Ajinkya Rahane's future as vice-captain in the longest format along with 100-Test man Ishant Sharma's place will be up for discussion when the national selectors pick the jumbo squad for the tour of South Africa later this week.