The Virat Kohli-led RCB has won five of its eight games on the back of all-round performances but seemingly blundered in the eight-wicket defeat to laggards KXIP on Thursday.
Whether he is batting in the middle or fielding at the boundary line, Virat Kohli's every move will be tracked, though some of that attention will now be on skipper K L Rahul.
Karnataka pacer Abhimanyu Mithun picked a five-wicket haul in their Group B match against UP. While Delhi's Ricky Bhui put his team in a good position against Andhra. A round-up of Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Wednesday.
Only pride will be at stake when Delhi Daredevils host embattled Royal Challengers Bangalore in an inconsequential IPL game in New Delhi, on Sunday, with both teams seeking an end to their misfiring campaign on a positive note.
Rising Pune Supergiant, who have gone from strength to strength, will look to seal their place in the Play-offs with a win over inconsistent Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League in New Delhi, on Friday.
Bhui faced 313 balls during his unbeaten century and struck 15 boundaries and four sixes. A round-up of Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Thursday.
With only 17 ODIs left for India before the World Cup, senior pros like Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik and Ravichandran Ashwin will aim to remain relevant in the 50-overs format in the forthcoming Deodhar Trophy.
Australia buried India under an avalanche of runs for a 51-run drubbing in the second ODI and an unassailable 2-0 series lead after the majestic Steve Smith produced another master-class in the form of a 64-ball 104, in Sydney, on Sunday.
Unbeaten half-centuries from Manish Pandey (95) and Ambati Rayudu (62) helped India 'B' and India 'A' register victories against South Africa 'A' and Australia 'A' respectively in separate quadrangular one-day series matches in Bengaluru.
'Looking at the Indian team, that (inexperienced bowling attack) is an area we are going to take advantage of just like I suppose, you look at opposing teams and at areas, which you can take advantage of'
'We did not bat well and we were not able to string any partnership. We were expecting a little dew and it would have made it difficult for the Delhi bowlers. Look, it was a fair game and it was dry throughout the 40 overs, Delhi were a better team against us. We were thinking that the dew might come in and that is why we opted to chase'
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle list the Most Valuable Players during the India-Australia ODI series.
Captain is confident of RCB going the distance this season
Domestic doyen Wasim Jaffer showed his mastery with a 53rd first-class hundred in Vidarbha's 289 for two against Rest of India on the opening day of the Irani Cup, which witnessed an out-of-sorts Ravichandran Ashwin trying his hand at bowling leg breaks, in Nagpur, on Wednesday.
Delhi Daredevils will be aiming to display more impact in their batting department as they face a formidable challenge from defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL encounter, in Hyderabad, on Wednesday.
When Mizoram batted, Shreevats Goswami (31) was the only significant scorer but the seasoned Mumbai attack led by Dhawal Kulkarni kept the minnows under check.
The convincing win gave India an unassailable 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore pacer Umesh Yadav says getting dropped from the Indian team off and on has led to loss of self-confidence and dip in form.
CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni missed the game against SRH due to a stiff back but is likely to be back for Sunday's match against Virat Kohli-led RCB.
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli says with the South African batsman around the opposition knows they have a slim chance, 'and there's a good reason for that'.
Images from Monday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Sharjah.
RCB to ring in changes against KKR in search of first win
Images from Monday's IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore, in Dubai.
An underwhelming India suffered their first ODI whitewash in more than three decades as New Zealand completed a 3-0 sweep with a five-wicket victory in the third match, in Mount Maunganui, on Tuesday. It is the first whitewash for India in 31 years in a series in which all matches have been played.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played at Chepauk in Chennai on Saturday
Neither side will be at full strength, as a string of first-team players will be missing due to injuries, when India and New Zealand meet in the opening match of the ODI series on Wednesday in Hamilton.
Senior New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor admitted that the 0-5 whitewash by India has hurt his side badly and the whole T20I series has been a disappointment for them. Taylor, however, said his side played better cricket than the results suggest though they knew from the beginning that it was going to a be tough task against a strong Indian team.
The Kiwis will have greater concern over their lack of finishing after squandering two last over winning positions in two consecutive games, and the series along with.
Australia's limited-overs skipper and Royal Challengers Bangalore opener Aaron Finch says there will be lots of games played over and over on the same wickets, which will get slower and the dew factor will become even more.
Rahul has shown a lot of flexibility in the series, first with the bat and then putting his hand up for keeping.
Dasun Shanaka is their 10th captain in nearly five years, and barring a classy batsman like Dhananjaya de Silva and a steady pacer in Dishmantha Chameera, this team lacks quality to challenge the might of the Indian team led by Shikhar Dhawan.
Flag bearer Tek Chand will lead the Indian contingent -- India will be represented by 54 para athletes, the biggest ever contingent in the history of the Games.
A summary of the first day's proceedings in the Ranji Trophy matches across the country.
In other big movements, Punjab Kings have released their last edition's captain Mayank Agarwal, while West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
A re-energised Delhi Daredevils would look for their third win in a row when they face table leaders Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League in New Delhi, on Saturday.
Lack of intent in Daredevils players has been very surprising.
A rampaging Kolkata Knight Riders stand in the way of Delhi Daredevils' revival plan as the two teams, with contrasting runs so far, gear up to clash in an Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture in Kolkata on Friday.
IMAGES from the 3rd and final T20I played in Bengaluru on Sunday
IMAGES from the tour match played between Australia A and India at the SCG in Sydney on Sunday.
Selection committee looking to continue building towards World T20 in Australia in October 2020.
