Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
The likes of Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel would all like to get some decent hit out there in the middle ahead of Sunday's clash against Pakistan.
On Sunday, in the crucible of Dubai, it all comes down to a single question: Who will seize their moment and become a hero for a nation?
Shubman Gill is the flavour of the season after his stupendous show in the recent Test series against England but he will face a contender in Axar Patel for vice-captaincy
Australian pacer Pat Cummins will be another new captain in this year's IPL as he has been assigned to lead Sunrisers, who had secured the services of the 30-year-old for a whopping Rs 20.5 crore in last year's auction.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India gear up for yet another demolition act of Pakistan in what promises to be an intense and tense Super 4 face-off of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi and left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh moved up to the sixth and 10th spot respectively in the latest ICC T20 rankings released on Wednesday.
Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav has found himself in the spotlight for a brief moment of forgetfulness at the toss during their Asia Cup fixture against Oman in Dubai on Friday.
This was India's third victory in a row against Pakistan and their 11th victory overall against the arch-rivals in 14 T20 matches.
On Sunday, Goud repaid the faith shown in her with a telling spell of 3 for 20, that included three maidens, to derail Pakistan's chase of 247.
Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah overtook Bhuvneshwar Kumar to become team's fourth-highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket.
Gujarat Titans Captain Hardik Pandya and his elder brother Krunal Pandya, who plays for the Lucknow Super Giants, recently engaged in a one-on-one mini-cricket battle inside their home.
'Looking at their bowling line-up, they had a left-arm spinner and a leg spinner. I think Dube was perfect for that occasion in that 7-15 overs range.'
After days of off-field drama, Team India was back on the field in Dubai at the ICC Academy, sharpening their skills ahead of the final Group A clash against Oman.
Shubman Gill was rewarded with the captaincy of the Indian ODI team for the upcoming tour of Australia, the BCCI announced on Saturday.
India pacer Arshdeep Singh linked his success in the Super Over against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup Super 4s match to his ability to nail the wide yorkers.
Mumbai Indians' new skipper Hardik Pandya Sunday took the six-run defeat to Gujarat Titans in their IPL opener on the chin, saying it was "not an issue" as there are 13 matches to go.
Shastri also advised Pandya to stay calm and weather the storm with solid performances.
Earlier, warm-up routines had players darting through shuttle runs and high knees before bats were unsheathed.
The India all-rounder is yet to recover from his ankle injury that rendered him out of action last week.
This brings us to the question of combination and perhaps Arshdeep could miss out on more games going into the T20 World Cup -- a tournament that will be held in the sub-continent -- India and Sri Lanka.
ri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka smashed a belligerent century as Indian bowlers endured their worst day in the Asia Cup before Arshdeep Singh produced a brilliant 'Super Over' to win the game for his side in Dubai on Friday.
Matthew Sandery, head curator at the Dubai international stadium, was spotted near Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak, but did not ask them to keep away. Incidentally, the BCCI, being the hosts, can even suggest the kind of wicket they would need for the match.
A dominant India beat Pakistan by seven wickets with 25 balls to spare in the Asia Cup matchg in Dubai on Sunday.
Ashwin wants this "unexpected hero" to surprise against Pakistan during Asia Cup
Pandya did admit that execution on part of MI bowlers was off the mark.
Hardik Pandya injured his left ankle during the match against Bangladesh in Pune.
Virat Kohli is yet to arrive in Bengaluru and it is not clear when he will undergo the mandatory fitness test ahead of the new season.
Will Shubman Gill force either Sanju Samson or Tilak Varma out of the playing XI for the Asia Cup opening match against the UAE?
'Pretty amazing. The whole tournament, we remained unbeaten, it feels pretty amazing to be in this position.'
'Update on Hardik Pandya in couple of days'
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Saturday reprehended the fans booing Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya, saying it is not the fault of the player if he has replaced much-loved Rohit Sharma, who shepherded the team in previous seasons.
Abhishek Sharma was brutal and beautiful in equal measure during his scintillating 74 as India made a tricky chase look comfortable, winning an ill-tempered Super 4 contest of the Asia Cup against Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday.
Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill has put an end to swirling rumours of a rift with Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya following a viral video from the Friday's IPL 2025 Eliminator.
The team management now has a tricky call on hand while deciding whether to keep Samson in the playing XI finding a slot for him in top three or play Jitesh Sharma
If there is any truth to the chatter around Hardik Pandya shifting base to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans, then the five-time IPL champions have "struck gold", India off-spinner R Ashwin said.
That is the level of trust we have in each other.'
Mystery spinner Varun Charkravarthy on Wednesday rose to the top spot in ICC's T20 International Bowlers' Rankings for the first time
The tournament had been fraught with tension from the very start, and the animosity carried into the final, which India won by five wickets on a rather long Sunday night.
Since he took over, head coach Gautam Gambhir has stressed on multi-skilled players across formats, especially those who can add batting depth.
