Rahane is playing back-to-back Ranji games after a long time and it would be a good opportunity for him to get some runs under his belt, especially at his home turf, before he heads for New Zealand with the India 'A' team.
India's limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma, star wrestler Vinesh Phogat, TT player Manika Batra and Paralympic gold-winning high jumper Mariyappan Thangavelu were on Tuesday picked for this year's Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award by the sports ministry's selection committee.
Skipper Ishant Sharma shone with the ball with three wickets while debutant Kulwant Khejroliya impressed with his pace as Delhi restricted Assam to 224 for seven at stumps on the first day of their Ranji Trophy Group A match.
Top India players, including Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, on Sunday, came out strongly in support of Finance Minister and former DDCA President Arun Jaitley, who has been accused of turning a blind eye to financial irregularities during his tenure by AAP.
tung by the defeat in the series opener despite putting up a big score, India will have to plug their bowling loopholes when they take on Australia in the second One-Day International on Friday, fully aware that any slip-up will make their task of bouncing back difficult.
Delhi Capitals bowling coach James Hopes feels that the team's under-fire pace spearhead Anrich Nortje will get better with time having recently made a comeback to competitive cricket after six months.
With two senior pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (thigh injury) and Ishant Sharma (side strain) all but ruled out, Navdeep Saini will certainly be the fourth pacer after Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav.
Prasidh Krishna's performance hints at bare bench strength
India opener Prithvi Shaw is likely to retain his place in the playing eleven for the second Test against New Zealand, starting Saturday, while Ravindra Jadeja may replace Ravichandran Ashwin.
India will look to plug the chinks in its armoury and provide finishing touches to its preparation for the four-Test series when it takes on the West Indies Cricket Board Presidents' XI in the final warm-up match, starting in Basseterre, St Kitts, on Thursday.
Led by skipper Virat Kohli, the Indian Test squad sans opener Lokesh Rahul and coach Anil Kumble arrived in Kolkata along with the New Zealand team ahead of second cricket Test starting on Friday. Rahul has been ruled out of the match because of a hamstring injury while Kumble is slated to join the team on Wednesday morning ahead of their practice session at Eden Gardens in the afternoon, local manager said.
Kirti Azad hit out at Ishant Sharma and expressed concerns at the team's thin bowling option.
Should the struggling Rahane make way for an extra bowler?
A resurgent Delhi Capitals will look to exploit Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling vulnerabilities and ascend to top-four in the table during their Indian Premier League match in Kolkata on Monday.
The Delhi Capitals bowlers have come under the scanner for their poor death over bowling, but on Wednesday, they silenced critics with a sizzling display to bowl Gujarat Titans out for a paltry 89.
Saliva is primarily used on a new ball while sweat is used on the old ball when reverse swing comes into play.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar condemned the ugly on-field altercations between Indian and Sri Lanka players on Day 4 of the third and final Test in Colombo on Friday, saying such incidents are poor advertisement for the sport.
'It's not about four or five bowlers; it's the balance that can get you 20 wickets. Like I have kept saying in the past, it depends on conditions' 'Competition for places, nothing like it. It goes to show everyone is one his toes, nobody will rest on his heels'
If India's net session on Wednesday is taken into consideration, Wriddhiman Saha is starting as the wicketkeeper ahead of Rishabh Pant for the series opener beginning on Friday.
Punjab Kings need a big win to keep their IPL 2023 Play-Off hopes alive against wooden spooners Delhi Capitals.
The Australian players have of late refrained from sledging, which is perfectly fine with Indian captain Virat Kohli, who is happy to compete 'without any altercation' during the upcoming series Down Under.
Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was rewarded with the elite grade A plus retainership.
India's bowling attack will be lead by Bumrah and will be supported by Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, and Sharma.
Veteran India speedster Mohammed Shami has recovered from his niggles and is fit to play the final Test against England in Manchester, starting September 10.
'I think it's a great opportunity to do well in any condition. We did well on the last two tours of South Africa and England. We are not even thinking like we have a pressure situation. Instead, we always think that we have an opportunity to do well'
After a win like that, the morale of any team would be high but Delhi will need to find a way to bat well against the star studded RCB.
Pacer Ollie Robinson destroyed India's batting line-up with a five-wicket haul to power England to a huge victory by an innings and 76 runs, on Day 4 of the third Test, at Leeds on Saturday.
Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar feels that Ishant Sharma should step up in a leadership role as the bowling unit has the skill set and ability to take 20 Australian wickets in the third Test starting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Images from the IPL match between Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals in Lucknow on Friday.
Prithvi Shaw, who last played for India in October 2018, returns to the side after Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the ODI and Test series due to a left calf muscle strain.
Das was retired hurt after being hit on his head at the stroke of lunch at the Eden Gardens
The match, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, will also be a face-off between skippers KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, both seen as future India captaincy material.
India Test captain Virat Kohli, premier batsman Shikhar Dhawan and speedster Ishant Sharma were named in Delhi's One-day squad, which will be led by Gautam Gambhir, for the North Zone leg of the Vijay Hazare Trophy between December 10-18.
A summary of the first day's play at different venues in the Ranji Trophy.
Thrust into the leadership role, a completely transformed Rishabh Pant carries a lot of hope and responsibility on his shoulders as Delhi Capitals aim to build on the success of the last edition in the UAE, where they finished runners-up to Mumbai Indians.
India's captain was on Thursday ruled out of Asia Cup due to a Grade 1 left side injury.
India fast bowler Ishant Sharma believes his franchise Delhi Capitals has one of the best bowling attacks for the upcoming 12th edition of the Indian Premier League.
Kohli said he had no idea why Rohit didn't do his rehabilitation in Australia along with Wriddhiman Saha.
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between India and Bangladesh, in Indore.
