There will be a strong focus on buying uncapped Indian players with eight franchises gearing up to pick a maximum of 76 out of the 350 plus, who will go under the hammer at the auction for the 10th Indian Premier League.
Bowler Jaydev Unadkat in another player to watch out for as the three-match series in the shortest format kicks off in Johannesburg on Sunday
Former all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar on Saturday slammed India's team selection in the ongoing Test series against South Africa, saying it is a shame to pick players for a Test match based on their form in limited overs cricket.
War-torn Afghanistan, playing only their third match after being inducted as a Test-playing nation two years ago, completed a famous victory by defeating Bangladesh by 224 runs with 3.2 overs left on the final day on Monday.
Former captain Sunil Gavaskar gave a thumbs up to the selection committee's decision to reward the domestic players while naming a new-look India squad for the upcoming limited overs series in Zimbabwe.
Looking back at his India career, Pathan fondly recalled the moments when he delivered for the team.
'I just want to keep learning and keep getting better.'
Lesser known cricketers who could make waves at the IPL auction.
Saurashtra left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat has been recalled, while India also have three first-timers in Washington Sundar, Basil Thampi and Deepak Hooda for the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka.
A look at the top 10 purchases at the IPL auction.
'I just need to go back and bat at my old position at No 3.' 'In the IPL, captaincy is just for namesake. You just need to go out there and play well.' Suresh Raina tells Harish Kotian/Rediff.com about the challenges that lie ahead as he leads the Gujarat Lions and how much he will miss his beloved Chennai Super Kings and under his favourite skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The 13th edition of the IPL will have added significance as 2020 is also a T20 World Cup year.
'The IPL was a big learning for me that whatever you do at this level, you should be confident about yourself.'
The Aussie opener is back with the Orange Army after he was not disallowed by the BCCI last year following his involvement in the ball tampering saga in the Cape Town Test in March 2018.
'I have seen Bishan paaji get worked up when he felt the game was losing its character because of some individual.'
Sreesanth, who was not shortlisted in IPL 2021 auction's final list, returned figures of five for 65 in his first List A game in more than eight years.
16-year-old Nagaland leg-spinner Khrievitso Kense says he became a cricketer all by himself and honed his skills by watching Warne on TV.
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.
'I would have loved to see Dhoni play the first ever Test in Rajkot.' Fans from Saurashtra share their excitement with Haresh Pandya.
Vijay Shankar is dealing with as he tries to move on from a "disheartening" off day that nearly cost India the Nidahas Trophy final against Bangladesh.
While 41 times champions Mumbai are expected to last the distance, it will be a stern test of character for Gujarat who are in their first final in 66 years with the baggage of never winning the prestigious domestic trophy.
It was batters who mostly lead their teams to victories and some into the knock-outs. While Mumbai trailblazer Sarfaraz Khan continues to find the big runs, Baba Indrajith's consistency wasn't enough for Tamil Nadu to make even the top two in Group H.
If divine intervention in 1992 was the heavens opening up against England in their do-or-die game, even the best bookies couldn't have predicted that the Netherlands would beat South Africa in 2022. A handful of them must have made a killing.
Hardik has just taken 10 Tests to record a rare feat -- scored a ton and taken 5 wickets. Still not 25, Hardik has shown that he belongs to the place, says Rajneesh Gupta, giving us the numbers that matter.
'He didn't want to be a stagnant cricketer, he always wanted to work hard.'
'The call-up from Rahul Dravid was the turning point for Sarfaraz.' 'I would like to thank Virat Kohli for the trust he has shown in Sarfaraz.'
Defending IPL champions Mumbai Indians have been hit hard by the Bombay High Court decision to shift all their home games out of the Wankhede Stadium, but the side were focused only on the game, according to wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel.
All eyes will be on 41-year-old Wasim Jaffer, who is only 853 runs shy of 20,000 first-class runs.
Out-of-favour India openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir found some form going their way as Delhi got the better of Himachal Pradesh by six wickets in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 match for North Zone in Mohali on Tuesday. Sehwag smashed 42 off 32 balls, while the left-handed captain Gambhir scored a 40-ball 41, helping Delhi complete the chase of 134 with 10 deliveries to spare at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium.
Irfan Pathan discloses on how he coped with the disappointment of getting dropped from the Indian team and what inspired his superb comeback in domestic cricket this season which he hopes lead to bigger things and eventually into a 'a really good story and inspiration' for others.
All that's transpired on and off the cricket pitch on Monday.
A round-up of final day of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Thursday.
Cricketer-turned-commentator Deep Dasgupta refused to call the IPL bubble porous but did admit to having anxieties of his own once cases began to rise in Delhi.
'... And give him the confidence and freedom to express himself.'
In opting for an extra spinner, says Harish Kotian/Rediff.com, India have picked a batsman less.
'Rahulbhai told me to manage my mental energy better.' 'He said I was thinking about the game too much, hence I am not able to manage my mental energy and it is resulting in mental fatigue.' 'I am putting too much pressure on myself. He believed that was harmful to me.'
'When you saw him, you immediately knew that he was something special.'
'I had offers from the BJP, but my ideology is different from theirs.'
After Ambati Rayudu failed the Yo-Yo test, the selectors turned to Suresh Raina for the ODI series in England.
'Dhoni was the captain and everyone else was battling for the second wicket-keeper's slot.' 'I was fighting with myself, always thinking of improving my game, getting better personally, not comparing myself with anyone else.'
