Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front with the bat with a magnificent half-century to propel Mumbai Indians to a thumping 49-run victory against Kolkata Knight Riders, in Abu Dhabi, on Wednesday.
Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody questioned if star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is worth being retained for Rs 18 crore by the Mumbai Indians (MI) for the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and also revealed his retention picks for the next season for the five-time champions.
India spinner Varun Chakravarthy on Friday equated the standards of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to the IPL.
With head coach Rahul Dravid watching on, Kuldeep was bowling to an imaginary field against Rohit, who was beaten by the left-armer at the start of the session.
India would want their big guns Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to fire when the mighty hosts aim for a clean sweep against a beleaguered Bangladesh in the second and final Test starting in Kanpur on Friday.
India will look for the right balance as they aim for a series-levelling victory against a spunky New Zealand in the must-win second Test.
Rohit Sharma hasn't shied away from experimenting with various combinations
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji list the 50 Most Valuable Players in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Team India knows that it is a touch undercooked with a lot of confusion still persisting about what could be the best combination on a drop-in pitch.
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has criticized Babar Azam for focusing on personal milestones over team success, expressing concerns about Pakistan's preparations ahead of their crucial Champions Trophy clash against India. He believes Pakistan's recent struggles, including a disappointing Tri-Nation Series campaign and a 1-1 draw against the West Indies in a home Test series, point to a lack of readiness for the India encounter.
'When you are in the leadership group you have to make some harsh decisions. These are the discussions we have.'
India has only minor concerns, but New Zealand's troubles across batting and bowling departments are more pronounced.
India would be thoroughly justified in thinking their misfiring opening pair have let them down.
'We are prepared. Afghanistan are a very dangerous side'
KKR's Rinku Singh was unlucky not to make it to India's 15-member T20 World Cup squad as he made it as one of the reserves.
Hardik Pandya walked out with the scoreboard reading 99 for 4, and a daunting 222 to chase. The Wankhede was subdued, the Mumbai Indians innings gasping after SKY's stuttering knock. What followed was a spell of breathtaking power-hitting that nearly flipped the game -- and left the crowd in awe.
There are a lot of candidates who are in contention for the post but Hardik Pandya is currently the top pick.
MI staged a coup on Day 1, by winning the bid for Trent Boult, bringing him back into the fold.
Kishore Jena on Friday received his visa to travel to Hungary, paving the way for him to compete at the World Athletics Championships
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Washington Sundar justified his selection with a career-best 7/59 to bowl out New Zealand for 259 on Day 1 of the second Test in Pune.
PM Modi congratulated Rohit Sharma for his "splendid captaincy" and praised Virat Kohli for his performance in the final match.
The Indian team will have a five-day training camp in Chennai ahead of the Test series.
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The Indian players went through a gruelling training session ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh, starting next week.
Sipper Rohit Sharma hailed Prasidh Krishna's impact in the second One-Day International against the West Indies after the pacer's four-wicket haul helped India defend 237 and win by 44 runs, in Ahmedabad, on Wednesday.
'Hardik is also a part of leading group. When we sit, we decide what we want to do in the game going forward and also on the field. He is always around. It's like we have a lot of captains on the ground.'
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test played between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru, on Thursday.
Punjab Police have arrested five people, including the mastermind, in connection with recent grenade attacks on police stations in the state. The terror module is allegedly backed by the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The arrests come after a series of grenade attacks on police stations in Punjab, with the BKI claiming responsibility for some of the attacks. The police are continuing to investigate the incidents and are expecting more arrests.
'...our bowlers were not quite there.'
Every over had a boundary while the singles and twos came at will.
Rohit Sharma's triumphant team will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 11 am at his residence before flying to Mumbai, where a road show and felicitation function is scheduled at the Wankhede stadium.
India's 40-4 (win-loss) home record in the last decade is awe-inducing but there is an ever-little crack, which is getting more pronounced in the past three years, particularly in the case of star batter Virat Kohli.
'We have waited for this moment for 13 years.'
Captaon Suryakumar Yadav, all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel, the only member from the Test side, will be hoping for a strong outing so that India can apply some balm over the wounds from their recent home series defeat against New Zealand.
Rohit Sharma will be looking to get his act together as batter and skipper when his star-studded Mumbai Indians take on an astute Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in what could be safely billed as a Saturday night IPL blockbuster.
Hardik Pandya is all set to lead India in the three-match T20 International series against Sri Lanka, starting on July 27.
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The three-match T20 series will begin on July 7 in Southampton.
