The dew factor will go out of the window but the searing heat will be an issue when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on a better prepared Rajasthan Royals in the first of the 10 IPL double-headers, in Abu Dhabi, on Saturday.
'KL Rahul in his last 5 Test series - v SA - Avg 7.1, - v Eng - Avg 29, - v WI at home - Avg 18, - v Aus - Avg 10.7, - v WI - Avg 25.4.'
After scores of 14 and 1, Virat Kohli is due for a big one and will be hoping to spend more time in the middle when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Mumbai Indians in the IPL in Dubai.
The 34-year-old was India's number one Test wicket-keeper until a career-threatening shoulder injury ruled him out of action for almost a year.
India's vacant cupboard of all-rounders will give Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri numerous points to ponder.
Virat Kohli said that he baked a cake for the first time for his wife and Bollywood star Anushka Sharma on her birthday
The RCB spinners choked KKR for runs; and in the batsmen's bid to make up the run-rate KKR lost wickets regularly.
'They showed a lot of discipline and overall if I had to analyse the performance of these bowlers, I would say they bowled pretty well. It's a good pitch still. This is a great experience for them bowling against the best batters, and test themselves'.
For skipper Virat Kohli, the primary aim will be to get an idea of his core group of players going into the ICC T20 World Cup in October.
'My goal initially was to play for the team (KKR) regularly and contribute to the wins. Hopefully, I will be able to perform for the Indian team. I want to thank selectors for having faith in me.'
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the three-match T20Is and ODIs against West Indies but has been included in the Test squad, while veteran wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is 'unavailable' for the entire tour.
Five India Test players, including vice-captain Rohit Sharma, opener Shubman Gill and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, have been placed in isolation and an investigation launched into a possible breach of the COVID-19 bio-security protocol by them, Cricket Australia said on Saturday.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji list India's Most Valuable ODI Players in the 2020-2021 season.
Punjab Kings kept their prospects of making the play-offs alive after a a five-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai on Friday. They are placed fifth with 12 points, after five wins and seven defeats. Victory in Sunday's outing will certainly enhance their chances.
Siraj's brilliance saw KKR reduced to 14 for 4 inside 4 overs -- the lowest score by any team inside the Powerplay this season. The Hyderabad lad became the first bowler to bowl two maidens in an IPL game.
Rohit Sharma is likely to miss his third game in a row when Mumbai Indians take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday with both teams aiming to secure their spot in the IPL play-offs.
Likely to be fit for 3rd Test against England.
The Indian team is scheduled to play the WTC final against New Zealand from June 18-22 before taking on England in a five-Test series.
The Indian team's strategy is expected to undergo paradigm shift with some players getting a subtle yet stern message to lift their games as they face an embarrassing possibility of a clean sweep against South Africa in the third ODI, in Cape Town on Sunday.
Seven Olympic and six Paralympic disciplines were identified for support at a meeting of the Mission Olympic Cell.
The bowling attack looks the most settled this year and if batting manages to compliment the bowling, RCB can expect to have a solid season.
Both the Indian and Australian players are scheduled to leave for Sydney on Monday.
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.
Left-arm pacer Thangarasu Natarajan earned his maiden call-up to the Indian Test squad after he was named as the replacement for the injured Umesh Yadav for the last two games against Australia.
If Rahane's side can go 2-1 up and ensure the retention of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, it will be one of the finest hours in the history of Indian cricket
Ankit Bawne (46, 82), who looked set was out of the last delivery of the day, giving a return catch to pacer Junior Dala. India A require 255 runs on the final day with only four wickets in hand.
RCB suffered four consecutive defeats to finish the league stage at the fourth spot, SRH registered a hat-trick of wins to edge past Virat Kohli's men in the standings.
Assured of a play-off berth, Royal Challengers Bangalore will look to quickly recover from their loss in the previous game and finish the league phase on a high when they take on table-toppers Delhi Capitals in their final IPL round-robin game in Dubai on Friday.
Team India's throwdown specialist D Raghavendra has skipped travelling to the UAE with the rest of the support staff as he has tested positive for COVID-19.
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.
Fit again Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari made their way back into the Indian Test squad, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya was left out for next month's IIC World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the five-match series against England.
KL Rahul will have to show drastically improved leadership acumen when he leads India against a buoyant South African side in the second ODI on Thursday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to build on the momentum when they take on a struggling Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League match in Dubai on Wednesday.
K L Rahul has been named vice-captain of the squad, which also has Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harshal Patel, Venkatesh Iyer, Avesh Khan, Axar Patel.
Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan also wished their former India teammate.
It was Marcus Stoinis at his destructive best on Monday as he took the RCB bowling apart in the final few overs.
Kuldeep Yadav, among all the players in this team, has more experience of playing with pink ball and the kind of revolution he produces, he could make it difficult for batsmen to spot the black seam of the pink kookaburra under lights.
'I think it's a very healthy trend. It's an embarrassment of riches.'
Enduring a forgettable outing in the first half of this year's IPL, two-time former champions Kolkata Knight Riders would look for reversal of fortunes when they resume their campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the second phase of T20 league in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Pick your Indian team for the final ODI against Australia in Canberra on December 2.
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