Pant received flak for his poor shot selection following a string of low scores in the recent limited over series against West Indies and South Africa.
India opener Gautam Gambhir had his numero uno status intact while team-mate Virender Sehwag slipped a place to sixth in the latest ICC ranking for the Test batsmen.
Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be striving to turn around their fortunes in IPL 2021 after a below-par showing last season.
Virender Sehwag on Friday slipped to fifth position, loss of one place, in the ICC ranking for the Test batsmen but his fellow opener Gautam Gambhir held on to his top position.
The blazing 167-run knock against Sri Lanka on Tuesday earned opener Gautam Gambhir the distinction of being only third Indian batsman after Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid to slam hundreds in four consecutive Test matches.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday
In an affidavit filed in response to a PIL, which has been listed for hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde, the state government said it is important that the investigation is carried out by an independent central agency.
Parthiv Patel's positive batting with scores of 42 and 67 (not out) have impressed skipper Virat Kohli so much that he did not rule out a possibility that along with second wicketkeeeper's slot, the Gujarat stumper could also be an option as back-up opener.
Gautam Gambhir's marathon, match-saving 137 in the second Test against New Zealand earned him rich accolades from stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag, who likened the pugnacious left-hander to Rahul Dravid and dubbed him the "second wall" of Indian cricket.
Should India should include an extra batsman in Karun Nair? Or should all-rounder Hardik Pandya be added to give the team more balance?
Their morale on the upswing after back-to-back victories, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will aim to continue the winning run when they take on the inconsistent Sunrisers Hyderabad in their fifth IPL cricket match in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
Indian opener Gautam Gambhir capped a memorable 2009 by ending the year as the No 1 Test batsman in the ICC rankings issued on Thursday.
Gautam Gambhir maybe among the premier batsmen of the world but the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Player of the Year believes he did not get the kind of backing early in his career which some other players were privileged to.
Karnataka captain R Vinay Kumar's led from the front with a six-wicket haul as the Ranji Trophy champions gained upperhand against Rest of India on the first day of the Irani Cup match despite a gutsy effort from wicketkeepe-batsman Dinesh Karthik.
Following are statistical highlights of opening day of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka played at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur
Robin Uthappa roared back into form with a century, while Karun Nair also cracked a brilliant hundred as the two overcame early jitters to help Karnataka reach 297 for five against Uttar Pradesh on the opening day of their quarter-final Ranji Trophy match.
Statistical highlights on the opening day of the second cricket Test between India and England in Mohali on Friday.
Harbhajan Singh, with three wickets in England's innings, took his tally of wickets this year to 58. Only South Africa's Dale Steyn (60) has claimed more wickets than Harbhajan in 2008.
The BJP stalwart's body was later brought to his residence at Kailash Colony.
Dilip Vengsarkar's future as a member of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) committee will only be decided when the Board of Control for Cricket in India holds it's next Annual General Meeting, even as the Board is set to appoint a full-time Special Projects director.
The hits and misses of the week.
Rajul Hegde/Rediff.com joins a group of journalists in grilling the Bigg Boss housemates on the controversies swirling around the house.
Tamil Nadu registered their first win of the season, beating Kerala by 151 runs Sunday in a Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'B' match at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai.
Modi is seen as exceptional not only on account of his acts but also owing to his style. He appears to sacrifice his life for the people -- like a fakir, a figure he came to epitomize even more in 2020 by growing a long white beard. Charisma is above accountability, and Modi has grasped these dynamics.
Restricting India to 453 is a job well done and Kevin Pietersen and his men are now very much back into the final Test, asserts England off-spinner Graeme Swann.
India were all out for 453 in their first innings on the second day of the second Test against England in Mohali on Saturday
8045 - Runs scored by Rahul Dravid at number 3 position in Test cricket - most by any batsman at this position.
Rajneesh Gupta presents a complete statistical IPL dossier.
Senior opener Shikhar Dhawan is all set to be back in action having recovered from a fractured left-thumb sustained during the second Test match against New Zealand at Kolkata in September.
IMAGES from the IPL match played between Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab on Monday
'The book captures Rana Kapoor's hunger for real estate leading to bungalows in Delhi, Mumbai, London and other cities; the multiple companies -- over 100 -- to fund his family's various ventures; the attempt to game the system by showing lower non-performing assets,' notes Joydeep Ghosh.
Delhi Daredevils will play table-toppers Chennai Super Kings in a crucial Indian Premier League match, in Pune, on Monday.
Sachin Tendulkar was unbeaten on 70 as India ended Day 2 in the first Test on 278 for 3, one run behind New Zealand's first innings total. There were also notable contributions from Gautam Gambhir (72) and Rahul Dravid (66).
Delhi Daredevils face a herculean task to revive their IPL campaign when they clash with Kolkata Knight Riders
Royal Challengers and Delhi Daredevils, desperate for a victory under their belt, will try to outdo each other in Saturday's Indian Premier League match in Bengaluru.
India left out off-spinner Ramesh Powar, preferring young leg-spinner Piyush Chawla instead for the day-night encounter.
'The fitness parameters of the current Indian team are the best that it has ever been,' says the coach.
Opener Gautam Gambhir hit his third century in four Tests as India scored 179 for 1 on the first day of the second and final test against England on Friday.
Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, on Monday, said that unlike football, cricket is a 'captain's game' and the coach should take a 'back seat'.
