Sipper Rohit Sharma hailed Prasidh Krishna's impact in the second One-Day International against the West Indies after the pacer's four-wicket haul helped India defend 237 and win by 44 runs, in Ahmedabad, on Wednesday.
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.
Shahbaz Ahmed played his part to perfection and together with DK who stayed on till the end with a 23-ball 44, brought RCB back from the dead.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will be aiming to halt the Jos Buttler juggernaut when they take on Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League match at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Tuesday.
Having released 10 players ahead of the auction, the team management focussed on strengthening the batting and pace bowling units.
Gujarat opener Priyank Panchal is likely to lead India 'A' in three four-day 'Tests' against New Zealand 'A'
With most of the power-hitters in isolation after Krunal Pandya's COVID-19 positive case, India could score just 132 for 5 on a slow track. Sri Lanka chased down the total with two balls to spare and won by four wickets.
'In T20, you only have to bowl 24 balls, which works in our favour, but it's also important to trust your instincts as to which variations can work in which situations.'
Sri Lanka beat India by four wickets to draw level in the three-match series.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for Friday's third ODI against Sri Lanka?
Shardul Thakur produced an all-round display and Navdeep Saini impressed with his pace again as India thumped Sri Lanka by 78 runs in the third and final Twenty20 International to complete a 2-0 series victory in Pune on Friday.
Virat Kohli smashed Lahiru Kumara for a six to seal a clinical victory which came with 15 balls to spare
Both the high-profile openers, Kohli and Faf du Plessis, are big match players and will be itching to make an impact after low returns in the previous game.
Saini's 76-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja kept India in pursuit of a 274-run target but the former's dismissal crushed team's hopes.
FIXTURES (Start at 14.40 local, 0910 IST, 0340 GMT)
The second-string Indian led by Shikhar Dhawan departed for Colombo on Monday for their limited overs against Sri Lanka next month.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane's position in group A of the BCCI central contracts could be up for deliberation
Rajasthan are third on the points table, and it is mostly because of the flamboyant Jos Buttler.
Rajasthan Royals' director of cricket and head coach Kumar Sangakkara believes they have a 'very competent' squad at their disposal to script a turnaround after three dismal IPL seasons.
SunRisers Hyderabad has the biggest purse while Kolkata Knight Riders has the slimmest purse.
Guilty of making too many changes at the top, Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking to find a winning combination against Rajasthan Royals and snap their five-match losing streak in the IPL, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Monday.
Navdeep Saini didn't get a chance to share the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah in his six international games and no wonder he is excited at an opportunity to pick the brains of India's pace spearhead during the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Saini, has so far played an ODI and five T20 Internationals but Bumrah has either been rested or was out due to his stress fracture on lower back during these games.
Bumrah had a unique and new outing on the field when he whacked bowlers all around the park.
Left-arm pace bowler Thangarasu Natarajan's dream debut has been made extra special by India's T20I series win against Australia.
RCB skipper Virat Kohli will join the squad on Thursday.
Natarajan was added to the Test squad for the remaining two Test matches against Australia on January 1.
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.
The middle-order continues to remain a concern for CSK with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni himself not being at his best.
Left shaken by a bunch of world-class operators, the Indian team's white-ball stars will be aiming to put up an improved batting effort in the second T20 International against England in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
India captain Virat Kohli led from the front with an unbeaten 72 to help secure his team's comprehensive seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the second Twenty20 International, in Mohali, on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, pacer Dale Steyn had announced that he would not be available for selection for IPL 2021 and as a result, he has also been released.
In impressive form throughout the season, Lucknow Super Giants will look to bounce back from the reverse they suffered in their previous match and beat Rajasthan Royals in the IPL fixture at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday and confirm a berth in the play-offs.
Images from Monday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and SunRisers Hyderabad, in Dubai.
With no substantial partnerships or intent-filled batting, it was always going to be a task as all KKR managed was 84.
Fans were quick to condemn Rahul's remarks with some calling the Indian cricketer 'despicable' and someone who lacked 'the spirit of sportsmanship'.
Pacer Navdeep Saini, who is among India's standbys for the World Cup, says he is ready for his big break in the mega event should the need arises.
Opener KL Rahul will be playing for India 'A' in their first unofficial Test against England Lions to be held in Wayanad from February 7-10.
While Rajasthan, placed second in the standings, have lost only two games and won six, Mumbai are already out of contention for a play-off berth
Two wrist-spinners, who are currently dominating the bowling charts will be itching to show their wares
Heading into Brisbane, Siraj found himself leading a depleted Indian pace attack that included Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini, both of whom had played only one Test, plus debutant T Natarajan.
