The all-rounder also speaks of how coach Ravi Shastri has inspired him and the challenge of opening in Test matches.
IMAGES from the opening T20I played between India and South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
'KL Rahul should play at number five and Rishabh Pant should play at number six. Jadeja and Ashwin should play at number seven and eight and then three seamers. I will want to go in with five bowlers.'
It is an perfect stage for India's mercurial skipper Virat Kohli, who loves to bring his A game to the fore when the chips are down.
A look at the newly-laid dark coloured Chepauk track is an indication that unlike the strip used during the first Test, this one will offer turn earlier than expected.
Both KXIP and the Royals would look to build a winning momentum after starting the tournament as underdogs.
Captain KL Rahul has been one of the few consistent performers in the formidable-looking Punjab batting unit and he once again led by example against MI
Rahul and Pant, both match-winners in their own rights even with the bat, will like to seize the initiative in these early rounds.
IPL can be truly said to have come of age. It is now more Indian than ever before. Teams often fielded fewer than the four allowed foreign players. Indian batters and bowlers were simply better in performance, consistency and reliability, points out Shreekant Sambrani.
Despite crushing South Africa comprehensively in the recent Test series, Team Director Ravi Shastri feels that the current crop of Indian batsmen need "massive improvement" when it comes to facing spinners on tracks that offer turn.
Here is a look at the team that will open its campaign against Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai on April 12.
Punjab Kings kept their prospects of making the play-offs alive after a a five-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in Dubai on Friday. They are placed fifth with 12 points, after five wins and seven defeats. Victory in Sunday's outing will certainly enhance their chances.
A win for Mumbai Indians will virtually seal them a spot in the play-offs while a loss for KXIP could send them out of contention.
England bowled India out for 184 on Sunday to win the fourth Test by 60 runs and wrap up the series with a match to spare.
While a draw always seems a safe option in a game like this but Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri wouldn't like to play a defensive game which at times can be counter-productive.
All the injuries that happened to top Indian cricketers prior to and during the Australia series along with their current status.
Kings XI run into a RCB squad which has grown in confidence by leaps and bounds since their last meeting.
The Virat Kohli-Rahul Dravid era began with a convincing Test series win against New Zealand at home and the India skipper on Monday said team is following the same "mindset" and objective under the new support staff.
KL Rahul and Co would like forget the unsavoury incident and focus on the task ahead.
Rajneesh Gupta lists the Indian players's T20 Internationals records updated after the game against Scotland in the T20 World Cup.
Delhi done in by poor batting as Karnataka win by 4 wickets
Opener KL Rahul's career-best 158 has put India in the driver's seat in the second Test against West Indies at Kingston, Jamaica. The visitors reached a comfortable 358 for on day 2 and lead by a convincing 162 runs after leading the series 1-0. Rahul, who scored his third Test century, has equaled former captain Mohammed Azharuddin's record to convert his first three fifties into hundreds.
Williamson agreed that getting Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara out early did set it up nicely for them.
The nail-biting win over defending champions Mumbai Indians was certainly a morale-lifter but the inconsistent Kings XI Punjab have another tough battle at hand when they take on table toppers Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, in Dubai, on Tuesday.
Australia made a meal of it but successfully chased down 128 for a four-wicket victory and an unassailable 2-0 series lead after dismissing India for 224 on the fourth day of the second Test.
Harbhajan Singh is the first Indian to take a Test hat-trick. He achieved this feat while playing against Australia at Kolkata in March 2001 by dismissing Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne.
Also giving the training a miss were first Test double centurion Mayank Agarwal and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha.
India would look to finalise their batting order for the tournament-proper when they take on Australia in their second and final warm-up game in Dubai on Wednesday.
One of New Zealand's most successful coaches who is now currently director of cricket at the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mike Hesson expects Rohit and Gill to open but wants Agarwal, who lost his spot in the eleven after two Tests in Australia, to be given a chance.
When was the last time we saw an IPL top 50 table without the names of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, M S Dhoni, and with Rishabh Pant getting almost the last empty seat? ask Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji as they list the 50 Most Valuable Players after the first 29 IPL 2022 games.
A summary of Ranji matches played on Wednesday.
It was a dream come true moment for Tamil Nadu bowlers Thangarasu Natarajan and Washington Sundar as they made their Test debuts at the Gabba.
India's chief coach Ravi Shastri feels that Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara should remain in the top bracket when the Board of Control for Cricket in India and Committee of Administrators (COA) thrash out the revised central contracts based on the new remuneration structure.
Paceman Mohammed Shami is improving but he is not certain for the next match.
Coming off heartbreaking losses, the Indian Premier League game between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab will be a test of character for both sides as they look to get back to winning ways, in Abu Dhabi, on Thursday.
Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will be available for the Boxing Day Test match against Australia after recovering from a shoulder problem, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Sunday.
Opening the innings, Shubman Gill scored a 65-ball 45 on debut before he nicked an outswinger from Pat Cummins.
Stand a chance to win special book sets from Crossword Book Store.
Images from Thursday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab, in Sharjah.
The Kerala youngster delighted once again with his magical batting at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
