To K L Rahul, a decade-long journey in international cricket has felt like 25 years in which he has had to overcome 'mental challenges' of being a floater in the Indian set-up.
Mayank Agarwal finally found some form going his way and Rishabh Pant mixed caution with his customary aggression as India's warm-up fixture against New Zealand XI ended in a draw, in Hamilton, on Sunday.
Will India retain the same playing XI?
A Test series win in England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa ranks as a "bigger" achievement than an IPL title, said India's new captain Shubman Gill on Thursday.
Sri Lanka, who are third in the WTC rankings behind already qualified Australia and India, will need to beat New Zealand 2-0.
Rohit Sharma last went past the 50-run mark five months ago, when he made 52 against New Zealand during the Bengaluru Test in October.
The two players decided to pull out in favour of playing for their provinces in the Plunket Shield, New Zealand's domestic first class championships.
Pakistan all-rounder Khushdil Shah has expressed surprise at his selection for the Champions Trophy, saying he doesn't know how he got into the team.
India's mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy took 5 wickets for 42 runs in a convincing 44-run victory over New Zealand in their final Champions Trophy group game, sending India through to the semifinals alongside the Kiwis.
Young blocked the first ball of the Abrar Ahmed over for a dot before sweeping the ball to square leg to bring up his century.
'The best coach is the one who is tactically superior. He should know how to pick the right XI according to the conditions.'
'We won't miss Virat and Rohit. I have faith in our young team.'
Bumrah also said that the team has finalised its playing XI although he will reveal it only at the toss.
The collective brilliance of the Indian XI in the 2023 World Cup makes a compelling case for each player to be considered for inclusion in every World XI.
Ian Bell stroked an unbeaten century as England amassed an impressive 357 for seven at the end of the first day of their match against a New Zealand XI in Queenstown on Wednesday.
'I will watch India's match against New Zealand with no tension -- just enjoy the cricket.'
India won't give into the temptation of tinkering with the Playing XI, feels opening batter KL Rahul.
South Africa named uncapped Neil Brand as their captain for a two-match Test tour of New Zealand next month where the majority of their team will be missing, competing instead in the domestic Twenty20 league.
But Rohit's deplorable form in red-ball in red-ball cricket may have forced this decision.
'Unfortunately, we tend to crack under pressure and lose close matches as we have seen in recent games.'
Tell us who should be in India's Playing XI for the 2nd Test against New Zealand, starting on Thursday.
Shubman should focus on his decisions and not how outside world perceives him: Tendulkar
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI against Pakistan on Sunday?
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second ODI against England on Sunday?
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the first Test against New Zealand?
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for Sunday's match against South Africa?
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for their first Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh on Thursday?
India's young guns are fearless and mentally hardened by the IPL exposure. But true mettle will be tested when adversity strikes -- and this time, there will be no Kohli to stir up the crowd, no Rohit to deliver a captaincy masterstroke, and no Ashwin to conjure wickets out of nowhere.
India 'A' scored 279 for 8 in 50 overs and then dismissed New Zealand XI for 187 in 41.1 overs
Rohit Sharma's career has been a mix of brilliant moments and inconsistencies. While his Test record may not be impressive, his white-ball dominance and leadership qualities make him a legend.
'Certain formats require a certain skill set and whenever we look at these kinds of players, if the talent is there, then you don't want to shy away from blooding them.'
Senior batter KL Rahul and reserve keeper Dhruv Jurel will be flying to Australia for the second 'unofficial Test' between India A and Australia A starting November 7
Raina also laid emphasis on how Kuldeep Yadav could be a lynchpin in India's success.
Except in the IPL, the Australians have not had a good look at Varun Chakravarthy's bowling and that could spell trouble for Steve Smith and Co.
'Even in PlayStation games, he was keen to win.'
Since making his debut in 2017, the highly rated Kuldeep Yadav has featured in just 13 Tests in seven years.
Between 2014 and 2019, he scored 21 centuries in just 55 Tests. Among these were seven double centuries, the most by an Indian in Test cricket. Remarkably, six of those double tons came within a span of just 22 Tests.
MI staged a coup on Day 1, by winning the bid for Trent Boult, bringing him back into the fold.
New Zealand can become only the second team to inflict a series whitewash on India in their backyard.
