Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya hit fifties to rally India in the rain-hit Asia Cup match in Pallekele on Saturday.
Krunal Pandya is also the first player to win 4 IPL titles -- three with Mumbai Indians and one with RCB.
Abhishek Sharma's scintillating 75 was beautifully complemented by Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy as India comfortably hammered Bangladesh by 41 runs to enter the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Wednesday.
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.
Test captain Shubman Gill also doesn't fit in the Indian T20 line-up, which has a settled top three in Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
IMAGES of the Asia Cup Final played between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday
When the Indian team entered the ICC Cricket Academy Arena for their evening net session ahead of the Asia Cup, Samson was the first to start his solo keeping drills with fielding coach T Dilip, even as others were just about lumbering up.
What stood out on Wednesday wasn't just the dominant win -- it was the sight of Wankhede fans cheering loudly for a man they once booed. The redemption was complete.
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav has lauded the energy and commitment of his teammates on the opening day of training ahead of the Asia Cup
Such has been the problem of plenty for selectors in the T20 format that they are finding it difficult to even accommodate Yashasvi Jaiswal -- a proven performer in T20 cricket.
Shastri also advised Pandya to stay calm and weather the storm with solid performances.
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.
Mohammed Azharuddin has weighed in on some of the most debated issues in cricket at the moment - the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup fixture
'Though I would like to see him in the playing XI, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will open the batting for the team.'
'When we started, our primary job was to get a job; cricket was secondary for us.'
In 2023, the BCCI announced a deal with Dream11 as the lead sponsor for Team India. Dream11 replaced Byju's, whose contract ended in March that year, and had signed the agreement with BCCI for a period of three years.
On Friday night in Abu Dhabi, that same man -- now 43 and wearing Oman's colours -- stood tall against cricket's biggest stars and proved that dreams have no expiry date.
Rohit Sharma holds the record for leading India to the most victories in T20 Internationals.
The India all-rounder is yet to recover from his ankle injury that rendered him out of action last week.
The inclusion of Gill in the squad has raised doubts in the minds of management about who will open the innings for their side, along with left-hand batter Abhishek, in the tournament.
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.
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.
'When the bowling changes were needed at important stages, he didn't do it and I think because of that MI went on the backfoot.'
Hardik Pandya injured his left ankle during the match against Bangladesh in Pune.
Spinners of both sides will have a significant role to play considering that Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the only specialist pacers who will be seen in action in Sunday's match.
'Update on Hardik Pandya in couple of days'
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.
This is the first-ever India vs Pakistan final across 17 editions of the Men's Asia Cup since the tournament's inception in 1984.
Hardik Pandya's indifferent batting form in IPL 2024 is a big worry.
'Just as Cricket Australia manages Mitchell Starc's workload to preserve him for key series and tournaments, the BCCI should ensure that our premier fast bowler is preserved for the most important contests.'
With Mumbai Indians refusing to comment on the development, one would need to wait till November 26, the closing day for IPL's trading window.
The BCCI press conference scheduled at 1.30pm in Mumbai is 'expected to be delayed owing to weather disruptions'.
As India gears up to face Oman on Friday, September 19, at the Dubai international stadium, the focus returns to cricket.
Gujarat Titans will receive Rs 15 crore from Mumbai Indians for the all-cash trade deal apart from a hefty undisclosed transfer fee.
Santner, Bumrah make my job very easy: Pandya
'I would like to see him play Test cricket, especially in these conditions.'
'As much as we may want, unka number itni aasani se nahi aayega (It's not going to be easy for Rahul)'
In a resolute display, Punjab Kings outsmarted Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in a must-win encounter and assured themselves of a top-two finish in the IPL at the Sawai Mansingh stadium, Jaipur, on Monday, May 26, 2025.
'If you consider Parag for captaincy, how do you expect Samson to stay?'
'Jaiswal has an avg of 36 & a strike rate of 164 in T20Is and he got dropped for Gill who has avg of 30 and a strike rate of 139.' 'There is no place for merit anymore.'
