Kohli has always led from the front but he knows his search for a maiden title will remain incomplete if the team doesn't perform in all departments.
Delhi Capitals will expect more from their batters after an underwhelming display in their previous outing, while Lucknow Super Giants are eager to shrug off overdependence on skipper KL Rahul when the teams clash in the IPL match in Mumbai on Sunday.
It will be interesting to see if India turn to Kuldeep Yadav for the second Test in Chennai, starting on Saturday, or continue with their strange tactics of freezing him out.
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav has sustained a serious knee injury and is likely to miss most of the domestic season, having already come back to India with his IPL campaign in the UAE cut short.
Virtually out of the play-off race and struggling on multiple fronts, a horribly out-of-sorts Mumbai Indians will need a special team effort to arrest their slide when they take on Lucknow Super Giants in a return-leg IPL fixture in Mumbai on Sunday.
The selection committee on Sunday met at National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to pick the India 'A' squad.
The team has five stand-bys in Priyank Panchal, KS Bharat, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shahbaz Nadeem and Rahul Chahar.
Himachal Pradesh, who were bowled out for 130 in their first innings, were 79 for one at stumps on day three needing another 393 runs for an improbable win.
Skipper Karun Nair anchored a tricky chase with a polished 90 as India 'A' beat South Africa 'A' by six wickets in the second 'unofficial' Test to level the two-match series 1-1.
'Didn't realise was flanked by Chinese and Pakistani athletes on victory podium'
In an act of gamesmanship, pacers, right-arm quick Harshit Rana (1/27 in 3 overs) and left-arm seamer Kuldip Yadav (2/27 in 3 overs) also wasted time, either faking cramps or tying shoelaces or not delivering the ball even after completing the action.
'Pancham was way ahead of his times. Picture chale na chale, RD's music was damn good.'
Condolences over the demise of chief of defence staff Gen Bipin Rawat poured in on Wednesday from various countries, including the US, Russia and Pakistan.
Curran, who started positively from the outset, then smashed two sixes and as many boundaries off Khaleel Ahmed in the fourth over
But the focus will be on 19-year-old Gill, who has broken into the Indian Test squad for the three-match series against the Proteas, starting on October 2 in Visakhapatnam.
These promotions will allow General Bajwa to shuffle the deck on the top, but this is likely to be a limited reshuffle, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.
Karnataka looked set to secure a big first innings lead against Goa despite fighting half-centuries by three of the home team's batters on day three of their Elite Group C match in Porvorim, on Thursday.
India made just one change to their squad as Umesh Yadav replaced Shardul Thakur for the last two Tests of the ongoing four-match series against England.
SunRisers Hyderabad, who won the toss and opted to field, made one change, bringing in Priyam Garg in place of Abhishek Sharma.
Olympic champion Neeraj admitted that his comeback from outside the medal position midway into World Athletics javelin throw final was 'challenging, but he knew that a good throw was around the corner.
The body language and intensity were not up to the mark, said a disappointed India skipper Virat Kohli, counting the many errors his team committed in the massive 227-run loss to a "more professional and consistent" England in the opening Test in Chennai.
Playing in his debut Vijay Hazare season, the 17-year-old scored 203 off 154 balls, which included 12 sixes and 17 fours against Jharkhand in the Vijay Hazare Trophy One-Day tournament.
A summary of all the action from Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Wednesday.
Mumbai Cricket Association's members are unhappy with the treatment meted out to former India player Sanjay Manjrekar, who has been sacked as the commentator.
Astronomy Photographer of the Year, an annual exhibition that showcases the world's greatest space photography, now in its 13th year, has announced its 2021 winners.
The team of 30 doctors of 'Muslim Medical Mission' of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah applied for a visa through online and courier.
Bolstered by Shreyas Iyer's return, Delhi Capitals will look to maintain the form they showed in the first half of the season as they resume their IPL campaign against a struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Bangladesh overcame a minor scare to keep their T20 World Cup 2021 hopes alive with a 26-run win over hosts Oman.
Images from Tuesday's IPL match between SunRisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals in Dubai.
South Africa 'A' fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, on a comeback trail after injury, bowled Gill, who made a classy 90 in the first innings to leave India 'A' at 10 for one.
Formed in 2013, Sunrisers Hyderabad have been one of the most consistent performers, having won the tournament in 2016 and finishing as runners up last year.
Skipper Sanju Samson will look for support from his batsmen as Rajasthan Royals aim to return to winning ways against laggards Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai on Monday and keep their play-offs hopes alive.
Former India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who recently drew curtains on his international career, is keen to compete in T20 Leagues abroad and will seek the Board of Control for Cricket in India's permission for exploring the options.
Virat Kohli was rested from the three-match T20I series against the West Indies.
According to police sources, the arrested included Khasif (aged 30) and Syed Nadim (20), who are residents of Shivamogga, about 250 kms from Bengaluru.
Proteas pacer Dale Steyn also said that it was nice to finally get out to the middle to do some training.
Share markets will have only three trading days this week with Monday and Wednesday being holidays due to general elections in Mumbai and Maharashtra Day, respectively.
Skipper Aiden Markram and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder hit superb hundreds as South Africa 'A' fought their way to 400 all out against India 'A' on day three of the second unofficial Test, in Mysuru, on Thursday.
Khan, 69, was not present in the lower house at the time of voting. His party lawmakers staged a walkout.
Root's unbeaten knock was studded with 14 boundaries and a six.
