Desperate to break their title jinx, Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore will be hoping for a positive start to their campaign in the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League, when they take on Sunrisers Hyderabad, in Bengaluru, on Tuesday.
Chris Gayle joined Hashim Amla and Sachin Tendulkar as only the third batsman in the history of ODI cricket to score centuries against 11 different countries, while Shimron Hetmyer hit his maiden century as the Windies defeated the United Arab Emirates by 60 runs in their opening Group A fixture of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 at the Old Hararians in Harare on Tuesday.
Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood received his reward for some fine domestic form on Wednesday when he was included in a pace-heavy 13-man squad for the first two One-Day Internationals against South Africa next month.
Ecstatic after his maiden call-up into the Indian cricket team, all-rounder Hardik Pandya said that India A coach Rahul Dravid's guidance during the Australia tour has made him "mentally stronger". "For me, everything changed after my tour of Australia with the India A team. It is a tour that transformed me as a cricketer. I can't but thank Rahul Dravid enough for his contribution. I understood that there is a mental aspect about the game that needs to be worked upon. He (Dravid) made me mentally stronger," Hardik told PTI.
India last won a Test series in England in 2007 under Rahul Dravid, and it will be no easy task ahead of the Virat Kohli-led side to replicate that feat.
ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said the issue over the number of teams for the next World Cup is not set in stone and would be reviewed later this year but he does not expect any changes.
'When Hardik was dropped from the Zimbabwe tour, coach Sanjay Bangar called, telling him to work hard and not lose focus.' 'This really motivated Hardik to do better and he emerged one of the star performers during India A's tour of Australia.'
The SCG may be perfect for the under-performing trio -- Pujara, Dhawan and Ashwin -- to regain their touch.
- 'Unless and until they finalise the combination of pace and spin, it will be extremely difficult for the team to progress beyond the quarter-finals' - 'It is up to the team management what they want from Patel'
The below-par Test record of Rohit Sharma is expected to be the focus of discussion when the selection committee, headed by Sandeep Patil, picks the Indian cricket squad for the home Test series against New Zealand . Despite Rohit's poor form in the Tests, he has the confidence of captain Virat Kohli, who feels that the ODI specialist should be given a longer run to prove himself in the Test format.
'Rohit has been dropped two Tests back and then to bring him back, it's a little bit strange to drop Pujara'
'I don't see Hardik getting a new ball. He is a certainty in the side as playing four fast bowlers would mean a long tail. He is your ideal No 7 batsman but you can use him for 4-6 overs depending on the situation'
Sachin Tendulkar sent out a warning to the teams participating in next year's cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, saying they need to watch out for defending champions India.
The master plan reveals a far more expansive project involving Chinese penetration into Pakistan's agriculture, industry, telecommunications, surveillance and intelligence networks and even leisure and popular culture.
Here's this week's collection of wacky and funny stories from around the world.
Speculation is rife that Younis Khan will quit One-day cricket after the World Cup and chances are it would be far from a fairytale farewell for one of Pakistan's modern batting greats.
Suresh Raina smashed an unbeaten half-century as Chennai Super Kings booked a berth in the second qualifier with a comfortable seven-wicket win over holders Mumbai Indians in the IPL eliminator in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Their winning momentum punctured after a loss to Rising Pune Supergiants, Sunrisers Hyderabad would look to get back to their winning ways when they take on a struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore in an Indian Premier League Twenty20 match, in Hyderabad, on Saturday.
Cricket has few examples of players calling it quits when very much at the top their game. It is anything but coincidence that most of them happen to be from the most successful nation in the history of the sport.
West Indies have lost their last four Tests, two to Australia and two to Sri Lanka, and have not enjoyed a single win in Australia since the 1996-97 tour.
It is not only Dhoni's batting, but also his regular inputs during a game to bowlers and fielders that should work in the veteran's favour when it comes to the 2019 World Cup.
'You have to just adjust to the conditions quickly because there is a big difference in the 50-over and 20-over cricket.' 'Even in Test cricket you can't be a classical spinner, which you were 20 years ago.' 'If I want to hide myself from my limitations, then I don't want to play this game.'
Dark sunglasses were the order of the day for Australia's triumphant cricket team.
'I am always in favour of playing five bowlers, because if we play more batsmen, you can score 700 runs in a Test but that doesn't help in any way' 'We want to start the series with that same mindset, that our bowling should be strong enough to take 20 wickets' 'We have committed some mistakes we cannot afford in Test cricket if you want to be a champion side'
Rajneesh Gupta gives us a list of noteworthy statistics from first-class and Ranji Trophy
The shocking death of batsman Phillip Hughes on Thursday has cast doubts on whether the first Test between Australia and India will go ahead in Brisbane next week.
A look at the squads for the seventh season of the Indian Premier League at the conclusion of the two-day auction in Bangalore.
Newly appointed Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan wants cricketing "powerhouse" India to encourage "democracy" in the functioning of the ICC after being forced to let BCCI have the control of the governing body along with England and Australia.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will have to pull out all stops to prevent the Mumbai Indians juggernaut.
Their World Cup build-up halted by West Indies team's sudden mid-series pullout, India would resume the preparations for the mega-event when they square off against under-cooked sub-continental rivals Sri Lanka in a hastily-arranged ODI series starting in Cuttack on Sunday.
Take a look at the statistical highlights of the first One-day International between India and Sri Lanka.
Australia survived a middle-order meltdown to beat Bangladesh by three wickets in a World Twenty20 Super 10 match on Monday to get their campaign up and running.
The perfect buildup and distinct home advantage certainly gives India an edge heading into the World Twenty20 Championship but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his team cannot afford to take things for granted given the format's fickle nature. India blanked Australia in their own backyard, beat Sri Lanka at home before capturing the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. In the course of these triumphs, Dhoni's men lost just one game making it the near-perfect build-up campaign for the team which won the inaugural Championship back in 2007. "I think we are running on sixth gear. Technology has gone into the eighth gear but the kind of stuff we are doing on the field is adequate for any level of game. "We have to see the focus should be on from the very first ball. I think everything is set, there're not anymore gears to operate on. I am really quite happy with the progress," Dhoni said at the pre-tournament news conference where the main draw matches will start on March 15. India will be up against New Zealand in their opening match in Nagpur on March 15. "Let's not say it's happening in India so it belongs to us. Especially in the shorter formats, the difference becomes smaller and smaller. Every team has a chance, if we play to our potential and execute our plans then we definitely have a chance."
Led by the in-form Cheteshwar Pujara, India 'A' will eye revenge for the ODI series loss when they take on a confident West Indies 'A' in the unofficial three-Test series, starting at the Gangotri Glades, in Mysore, on Wednesday.
Cricket legend Ajit Wadekar reflects on cricket's journey.
Thinking big, China is changing the world order; with mixed priorities, we can but tag along, writes T J S George.
Royal Challengers Bangalore may have faltered against Sunrisers Hyderabad after notching up a win in their first game, but captain Virat Kohli expects a complete turnaround once Adam Milne and Mitchell Starc recover from their respective injuries.
There was optimism mingled with conviction in VVS Laxman's tone and tenor as the batting great today predicted the start of an era of prolonged dominance by the current Indian Test team, akin to the great West Indian and Australian sides of the past. As the long home season begin with the Kanpur Test against New Zealand, India are seeking to become the numero uno side in Test cricket and Laxman, who called captain Virat Kohli a "trendsetter", felt achieving the number one status will just be the beginning of a long journey.
No country has achieved a faster, deeper modern transformation than China, says former ambassador Kishan S Rana.
Ravi Shastri says the learning curve for the Indian side is over and it's time that the players start winning Test matches abroad.
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