Ravindra Jadeja's superb all-rounder show powered Chennai Super Kings to a thumping 28-run victory against Punjab Kings.
Jadeja will be expected to play a key role in the T20 showpiece in the United States and West Indies, where the ball is likely to turn.
England captain Liam Livingstone struck a magnificent century to guide the tourists to a five-wicket victory over West Indies.
IPL: Comeback-man Pant the highlight as Delhi Capitals take on Punjab Kings
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will look to set their house in order and get back to winning ways when they face an upbeat yet unpredictable Punjab Kings for the second time in a row in the IPL match in Dharamsala on Sunday.
A spirited Punjab Kings edged Chennai Super Kings by four wickets in a thrilling finish off the last ball in a high-scoring IPL 2023 match.
Mumbai Indians, who are placed sixth in the points table, have been able to bounce back impressively with wins against Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Ben Stokes will start the third Test for England against India at Trent Bridge on Saturday just four days after being cleared of affray.
A disappointed Rajasthan Royals will have to focus on better execution of their strategies for a swift turnaround when they face a highly inconsistent yet capable Punjab Kings in their Indian Premier League match in Mullanpur on Saturday.
The absence of two frontline bowlers, Matheesha Pathirana and Tushar Deshpande, and copious amount of dew at the Chepauk Stadium hurt Chennai Super Kings in their seven-wicket defeat against Punjab Kings on Wednesday, reckoned skipper Ruturaj Gaikward.
Their campaign was not off to the best of starts with an injury to their lead pacer and the team guilty of a sloppy display on the field which led to a loss but Abhishek Porel's scintillating cameo was a big positive, says Delhi Capitals assistant coach Pravin Amre.
The Curran-Rayudu partnership for the third wicket put the brakes on the CSK innings in the middle overs, as they could add just 27 runs from 26 balls before both fell in quick succession.
Vidwath Kaverappa dismissed Faf du Plessis and Will Jacks but had Virat Kohli dropped twice off his bowling.
England will be eyeing their second T20 World Cup after a long wait of 12 years.
Arshdeep picked up four wickets, including two off consecutive deliveries in the final over, for 29 runs as Mumbai Indians fell short by 13 runs, chasing a target of 215, in Saturday's IPL match at the Wankhede Stadium.
To avoid the ignominy of missing the cut for the prestigious Champions Trophy, England must win their remaining two fixtures against the Netherlands and Pakistan.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals played in Mullanpur on Saturday
Jos Buttler said before the game that the outfield was in 'poor' condition while it was given an 'average' rating by the International Cricket Council.
Did Harpreet Brar take the best catch of the match?
Travis Head struck a remarkable 19-ball half century, including 30 off one over, as Australia beat England by 28 runs in the first match of their T20 series in Southampton on Wednesday.
'Very pleasing. Most importantly the win, cricket has turned to baseball isn't it? We're delighted with the two points.'
West Indies took a 2-0 lead over England in the five-match T20I series after winning the second game by 10 runs.
Images from the IPL 2023 match between Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders in Mohali on Saturday.
England need to bowl West Indies out cheaply and try to force a follow-on to have any chance of winning the second Test, said seamer Sam Curran
And one Saturday evening, under the Mumbai night sky, next to the Arabian Sea, with the 'God of Cricket' in attendance, Mumbai Indians were done in by the brilliance and resilience of Punjab Kings.
'Hopefully, he will be back from his injuries soon. The priority will be the Champions Trophy, so we are going to make sure he is ready for that.'
Bangladesh would like to exploit those chinks in England's armour
CSK can ill-afford to take Punjab Kings lightly, who are coming in to this match after chasing down a world record total of 262 against KKR.
Kolkata Knight Rogers and the Punjab Kings will do battle at the I S Bindra cricket stadium in Mohali on Saturday, April 1, afternoon.
DC lost Salt, Marsh, Rossouw, Warner, Axar and Manish off five successive overs.
The Indian team management will try to keep cards close and assess defending champions England's batting depth when the home team takes field for its first World Cup warm-up match game, in Guwahati on Saturday.
Punjab went into the 2023 mini auction with the maximum purse and spent most of their money on England all-rounder Sam Curran, making him the costliest buy in IPL history at Rs 18.50 crore.
Rahul Tewatia's entertaining cameo of 36 from 18 balls was the turning point for the Gujarat Titans.
CSK opener Devon Conway is enjoying a dream run with the bat with five half-centuries from six matches in IPL 2023.
PHOTOS of the IPL 2023 match between Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans played at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on Thursday.
Their campaign back on track after the humiliating loss in the opener, title holders England would look for a dominating all-round effort against a battered Afghanistan in the World Cup in New Delhi on Sunday, with eyes firmly set on bettering their net run rate.
Stunning catches from the Punjab Kings-Royal Challengers Bengaluru game.
England were reeling at 89-4 when Buttler somewhat steadied the innings before Curran clobbered six sixes in his blistering 64 to help them to a competitive score.
Cummins, who skipped the IPL last season, was also the most expensive buy in the 2020 IPL Auction.
Until this innings, Dhoni didn't have a duck in his last 108 T20 games. This was his first zero in T20s since 2015.
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