Each year, Samson has played a few match-defining knocks but this time he would have to go the extra mile if the Royals want to win that elusive second title.
The India 'A' bowlers had a tough time on the field as Pieter Malan and Tony de Zorzi scored centuries to take South Africa 'A' to 343 for three at stumps on day one of the opening unofficial Test.
Rajasthan Royals' star-studded batting will face the serious challenge of decoding Sunil Narine's mystery at Eden Gardens when they take on two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders in a top-of-the-table IPL clash in Kolkata on Tuesday.
KL Rahul's tactical acumen will be tested along with his batting prowess when a depleted Indian team clashes with a tricky Bangladesh
The middle-order continues to remain a concern for CSK with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni himself not being at his best.
Images from Monday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and SunRisers Hyderabad, in Dubai.
India's vacant cupboard of all-rounders will give Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri numerous points to ponder.
India 'A' bowlers were largely ineffective, allowing Steve Smith and senior batsman Shaun Marsh to strike comfortable hundreds as Australia started their Test tour in impressive fashion in the three-day warm-up game in Mumbai on Friday.
Skipper Rishabh Pant will look to overcome his rustiness as Delhi Capitals aim for an improved batting display in their bid for a first win of the IPL season when they take on Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Thursday.
Bumrah had a unique and new outing on the field when he whacked bowlers all around the park.
Siraj, who was not included in the T20I squad for the Caribbean tour, took seven wickets in the two Tests, including a five-for in the first innings on a flat Port-of-Spain court to spark a batting collapse for West Indies on the fourth morning.
Left-arm pace bowler Thangarasu Natarajan's dream debut has been made extra special by India's T20I series win against Australia.
The focus will be on K L Rahul's form and fitness when he returns after a quadriceps injury lay-off to lead Lucknow Super Giants in their IPL 2024 opener against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Sunday.
As many as four world-class match-winners are expected to bid adieu to the game one by one in the next couple of years and Gautam Gambhir is in an unenviable position as head coach.
Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan and skipper Hanuma Vihari hit a fifty each to guide India A to 229 for 6 in reply to South Africa A's 268 all out at stumps on the second day of the third unofficial Test, in Bloemfontein, on Tuesday.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya is one of the notable promotions to Grade A, which is worth Rs 5 crore, while rookies Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj got their maiden central contracts, worth Rs 1 crore, in Grade C.
Rajasthan Royals will face a stern test of character as they look to arrest a shocking slide in a do-or-die IPL Eliminator against an in-form RCB.
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.
With no substantial partnerships or intent-filled batting, it was always going to be a task as all KKR managed was 84.
Chahal, who has been an automatic choice in the limited overs format has not played any first-class cricket since December 2016 (against Haryana in Ranji Trophy), but the Indian team management and especially skipper Virat Kohli has indicated that he wants the wiry leg-spinner for five-day matches also.
Will Young scored an unbeaten 117, steering New Zealand 'A' to 221 for five against India 'A' on the opening day of the second unofficial Test, in Hamilton, on Friday.
Having released 10 players ahead of the auction, the team management focussed on strengthening the batting and pace bowling units.
The Capitals have been inconsistent so far, winning five and losing six of their last 11 games.
Abhimanyu Mithun claimed a third five-for of the season as Vidarbha collapsed for 185 before Karnataka were left reeling at 36 for three on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semi-final in Kolkata.
The Indian team's worries ahead of the second Test against New Zealand increased after senior-most pacer Ishant Sharma skipped Friday's practice session due to pain in his right ankle, making him a doubtful starter for the game.
India concluded the two-match US leg of the series by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead after notching up a 22-run win in the second game on Sunday.
Natarajan was added to the Test squad for the remaining two Test matches against Australia on January 1.
Virat Kohli said that he baked a cake for the first time for his wife and Bollywood star Anushka Sharma on her birthday
While the pace department needs some urgent solutions, the spin has a slightly different landscape.
PHOTOS of the IPL 2023 match between Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals at the Himachal Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Friday.
Ashwin got rid of Tilak, Yuzi got David and Sams, and Pollard couldn't get going.
A resurgent Mumbai Indians will need to address their bowling woes as they look to exact revenge on table-toppers Rajasthan Royals in their reverse fixture of the Indian Premier League in Jaipur on Monday.
It is understood that the controversy has not gone down well with the travelling team and it is not amused with how Cricket Australia has so far handled the issue.
Openers KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan slammed quickfire half-centuries as India outclassed Sri Lanka by 78 runs in the third and final T20 International to win the three-match series 2-0, in Pune, on Friday. Images from the third T20 International between India and Sri Lanka, at Pune, on Friday.
Washington is the third player after Shubman Gill and Avesh Khan to be ruled out of the tour.
The Bengaluru outfit will hope for a reversal at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, a venue that carries similar traits as RCB's home -- Chinnaswamy Stadium -- in terms of a smooth pitch and a blistering outfield adding value to the batters' shots.
Nadda also met Chandrashekar Kambar, a Jnanpith award recipient as part of the BJP's ongoing nationwide campaign on the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Kishan and Kieron went after Zampa and how!
Team India will have to choose between experimenting and continuing the winning combination
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Friday.
