Ajinkya Rahane announced his return to form in Monday's Indian Premier League match against Royal Challengers Bangalore and India captain Virat Kohli will be happy with the timing, despite being at the receiving end in Abu Dhabi.
A summary of Friday's action in the Ranji Trophy matches across the country.
Kohli, Kohli.... the chants from 90,000 fervent fans still reverberate in the ear when you step into the fabled MCG, even two years after the former Indian skipper pulled off a stunning heist against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022.
'The boys deserve all the credit for the character they showed, real character.'
Controversial keeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha, who has been dropped from the Test team, will still earn Rs 1 crore in annual income after being demoted from group B to C.
According to PTI, the chairman of selectors, Chetan Sharma has asked the duo to regain form by playing Ranji Trophy.
Shreyas Iyer returned to defending champions Mumbai's 16-member side for the Ranji Trophy Elite Group A clash against Odisha
Rahane returns to lead Royals for the game against Delhi Capitals on Saturday after Smith replaced him as captain in the middle of the season following the team's disappointing run which saw them lose six out of their first eight games.
Despite being locked in their hotel rooms, the Indian players are keen not to let their guard down as they prepare for the Test series against England.
Ajinkya Rahane said it is a proud moment for him to captain India ahead of the the second Test match against Australia, starting in Melbourne, from Saturday.
India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar fetched a winning bid of Rs 10.75 crore from Royal Challengers Bengaluru on a largely predictable second day of the mega auction, in Jeddah on Monday.
'But yes, Melbourne Test hundred was really special. I said in Melbourne that my Lord's hundred was special but many people told me that I think Melbourne hundred was better than my Lord's hundred.'
Ajinkya Rahane's slump in form can't be 'judged' by anyone, not even skipper Virat Kohli, who feels that his Test deputy needs an arm of assurance around his shoulders as he figures out what exactly is he going through.
India's Ajinkya Rahane has his own personality and it would be a mistake for him to try and copy Virat Kohli's leadership style in the final three Tests against Australia, former test spinner Harbhajan Singh has said.
Indian team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, senior batsman Rohit Sharma and pacer Shardul Thakur arrived in Chennai on Tuesday for the first two Tests against England.
Back-to-back Test series wins over Australia are almost unheard of but India have won the last four they have played.
Ajinkya Rahane has such calmness that bowlers don't feel scared when they fail to execute a plan under him while regular skipper Virat Kohli's energy is sometimes mistaken for anger, India's bowling coach Bharat Arun said on Wednesday, describing the two contrasting leaders of the side.
Two more failures in two home games could effectively mean end of the road for Ajinkya Rahane, who is leading India in the first Test in Kanpur, starting on Thursday.
Australia's fielders spilled a few chances offered by Ajinkya Rahane as India took a 82-run lead by the end of Day 2 in the second Test.
Ajinkya Rahane's meticulous planning and execution of his training sessions during the COVID-19 induced break is helping him immensely on the ongoing tour of Australia, believes his coach Pravin Amre.
Rahane spoke about how pink ball's increased pace off the pitch during the 40-50 minutes of the twilight session, will be the biggest challenge for any batsman.
Delhi Capitals's new recruit Ajinkya Rahane looked sharp and timed the ball quite well during Delhi's nets session in Dubai on Wednesday.
A stampede at the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh early Wednesday morning resulted in several deaths and injuries as devotees jostled for space to take a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya. Eyewitness accounts describe a sudden surge of pilgrims, leading to a chaotic situation where many were trampled as barricades collapsed. Scattered shoes, slippers, and clothes at the site speak to the intensity of the stampede. Authorities are investigating the incident and have urged devotees to prioritize their safety.
'I think there's going to be a very interesting story that's going to run through this series -- Kohli comes back as captain after Ajinkya Rahane was so good in Australia'
'...the one that turned the match firmly in India's favour was the Johnny Mullagh medal-winning contribution from Rahane. The captain's century came at a time when India could easily have faded to a two-nil deficit, and it was this performance that gave his team the conviction that victory was attainable.'
Warner lauded Kohli's decision to be with his wife for the big day, while praising India's Test vice-captain Rahane for his measured approach.
'Teaching my two team-mates a few Punjabi steps, but it's going to take a while to get them into rhythm.'
Jaffer seemed to have posted a motivational quote, but when you have a closer look and just pick the first letter from the different words, the cryptic message can be guessed as: "Pick Gill and Rahul".
Mitesh Patel and Atit Sheth staged a spirited recovery for Baroda, taking them to 241 for six against defending champions Mumbai on day one of their Ranji Trophy opener in Vadodara on Friday.
Rohit Sharma's poor form in red-ball cricket continued as he fell for a 19-ball 3 before Mumbai conceded a first-innings lead against Jammu and Kashmir
Skipper Ankit Kumar's brilliant century put defending champions Mumbai on the back foot as Haryana reached 263 for five at stumps on the second day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final.
Openers Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill fell for ducks as India 'A' batsmen struggled on the opening day of their three-day practice match against Australia 'A' at the Drummoyne Oval, in Sydney, on Sunday.
Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be an impact player for India in the ongoing T20 World Cup, India Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said, urging the side to rally around the injury-ravaged cricketer whose role as a bowler is uncertain due to fitness issues.
'See all our spinners are really good and given a chance they will all do really well'
In all likelihood, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane would get another chance but over the past two years, his inconsistency has hurt this team badly.
Captain Virat Kohli was at the crease having scored 44 runs along with Ajinkya Rahane who was batting on 29.
'My instinct answers yes, I want to make a comeback in ODI cricket'
All about IPL 2025 which kicks off on March 22, Saturday.
Rohit Sharma will bat at the top of the innings.
Jammu and Kashmir caused a major upset in the Ranji Trophy as they shocked defending champions Mumbai by five wickets on Saturday.
