Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill, both in strong form after their Champions Trophy triumph with India, look to lead their respective teams, Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans, to IPL glory in the 2025 season.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said his side will not hold back on aggression in the high-voltage Asia Cup clash against Pakistan on September 14.
Gujarat Titans (GT) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by three wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in a dramatic Indian Premier League match at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Tuesday.
Suryakumar Yadav maintained his numero uno position among batters despite being out of competitive cricket for past three months while ace spinner Rashid Khan, back in Afghan jersey after an injury lay-off, is back among top-10 in bowlers' list in the latest ICC T20I rankings published on Wednesday.
'They are not only setting new standards for themselves but also paving the way for future players to keep pushing those boundaries.'
This is a historic first-ever bilateral series victory for Afghanistan in Test cricket.
But in their pursuit of glory, both leaders must find a way to address the issues at hand.
Sai Sudharsan's classy fifty combined with a collective bowling effort powered Gujarat Titans to a commanding 58-run win over Rajasthan Royals.
Rashid and Rahul turned the game on its head with their unbeaten 59-run stand from just 24 balls.
'I feel like we are so lucky to be here giving this happiness to people back home. We hardly see these kind of events back home where they could celebrate and enjoy those moments. That's something which really, really satisfies me.'
Ganguly believes Iyer's transformation makes him a strong contender for a spot in all three formats of international cricket.
Hardik's singing, his fluent Tamil, Rashid's felicity on the ukulele stunned everyone who watched the video.
Gujarat Titans will look to bounce back from the carnage that wonder boy Vaibhav Suryavanshi inflicted on them when they face a stuttering Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL match in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Mumbai Indians outlasted Gujarat Titans by 20 runs in a high-scoring IPL Eliminator despite a classy effort from Sai Sudharsan.
Rashid Khan says the pressure of performance in IPL is more than the World Cup and Shubman Gill as the leader of Gujarat Titans has a great opportunity to take bold decisions to prove his credentials as a great captain.
Who has scored the most runs in Asia Cup? Who has taken the most wickets?
With 288 runs at a strike rate of 225, Nicholas Pooran is the top run-getter in IPL 2025, while Mohammed Siraj has been brilliant in Powerplay overs with 10 wickets in five games.
The Gujarat Titans have cemented their status as a dominant force in the IPL. With a strategic blend of experience and youth, the team is poised to make another strong bid for the title in IPL 2025.
The Capitals sit pretty at the top with 10 points from six games, while the Titans trail close behind with eight from as many outings.
Defeat will severely dent both the teams' dreams of a semi-final berth in the tournament, as South Africa and Australia have already notched two points.
Debutants Afghanistan will aim to continue their impressive rise in white-ball cricket, while South Africa will once again attempt to shed the 'chokers' tag when the two sides kick-off their Champions Trophy campaign in Karachi on Friday.
Afghanistan T20I captain Rashid Khan believes Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill possesses the qualities to lead India in the future.
Prasidh rated GT skipper Shubman Gill as an approachable captain.
Was it complacency or a case of easing off after securing qualification?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's bowling unit will face a different challenge when they take on Gujarat Titans in an IPL match on Wednesday.
Rashid finished with final figures of 4-24 against Lucknow after what he would later attribute to 'experimenting with a different length' in this particular match.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, reeling from three consecutive defeats, will face a resurgent Gujarat Titans in their fifth IPL encounter on Sunday.
For the fourth-placed Titans, Shubman has also found a perfect foil in left-handed B Sai Sudharsan as opening partner. On his part, Sudharsan has topped the charts for the Titans with 504 runs in 10 matches at 50.40 and a strike rate of 154.12 with five half-centuries.
On paper, the squad may not create too much optimism among fans but it still has a balanced look with a good mix of young players and experienced international names.
Rashid Khan ripped through the Delhi Capitals batting line-up to steer Sunrisers Hyderabad to an emphatic 88 run victory and keep their hopes alive of making it to the playoffs.
Pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada produced an inspired bowling performance to lead MI Cape Town to their maiden SA20 title with a comfortable 76 runs victory over two-time champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Saturday.
However, their third choice Ishan Kishan didn't work out and they have now zeroed in on Gill, who could also be seen as a potential captaincy candidate.
"It is very hard for the bowlers nowadays especially with the impact player. You have eight or nine batters in a team and it becomes very hard. If you need 60-65 in the last four overs it is quite gettable nowadays.
Gujarat Titans eye top-two finish as struggling LSG look to salvage pride
As Jaiswal trudged back to the dugout, Maddie, who is in India to support him during the tournament, was spotted with her face in her hands.
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene on Friday said star pacer Jasprit Bumrah was still recuperating from a back injury and that the team was waiting for him to be cleared by the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
Pandya's inclusion obviously adds firepower to batting and he can also open the bowling if necessary.
Although Mumbai lost the game by three wickets -- Bumrah's efforts stood out as a beacon of brilliance.
Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Noor Ahmad will join Rashid and Nabi in Afghanistan's formidable spin attack, which is likely to be key to their performance in the 20-team tournament.
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