Sanju Samson is set to return as Rajasthan Royals captain after receiving clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to keep wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
The cricketing world hailed India after their dominant 96-run win over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final, with legends praising the team's power-packed batting and Jasprit Bumrah's brilliance.
A round-up of Sunday's action in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy group stage matches.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2026 after the league stage.
Shreyas Iyer, aiming to make a comeback to India's Test squad, fell for a second successive duck in the ongoing tournament.
IMAGES of the Asia Cup Final played between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday
Sanju Samson's technical weaknesses against express pace along with Rinku Singh's dip in form and fitness issues will be a concern for India
Sanju Samson breathed a sigh of relief as he struck his maiden One Day International century during the third ODI against South Africa at the Boland Park stadium in Paarl on Thursday.
The No 3 batter will rejoin India squad ahead of T20 WC warm-up game in Mumbai.
CSK have not successfully chased a target of 190 or more since their memorable 2018 victory against RCB.
Earlier, warm-up routines had players darting through shuttle runs and high knees before bats were unsheathed.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was crowned the Most Valuable Player of the 2026 IPL season, achieving an unprecedented MVPI of 1071, significantly ahead of his closest competitor, Shubman Gill. His exceptional strike rate of 236 was a key factor in this achievement, making him only the third player in IPL history to surpass an MVPI of 1000 in a single season.
Sanju Samson's blistering century against South Africa marked a turning point in his international career, showcasing a level of maturity and aggression that has captivated cricket fans worldwide.
Suryakumar Yadav's childhood coach Ashok Aswalkar and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla express confidence in India defeating England in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final at Wankhede.
Ravindra Jadeja praises Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's fearless batting after his 15-ball fifty powered Rajasthan Royals to a dominant IPL 2026 win over CSK.
'We wanted the sixth bowler to come in, so Sanju Samson missed out'
The Asia Cup champions will not have it easy against the Mitch Marsh-led Aussies at home as the Indians were seen going hard in the nets on Monday.
Suryakumar Yadav defends Tilak Varma's batting approach in the T20 World Cup, explaining the team management's strategy for his role despite recent struggles against slow bowlers.
'While acknowledging Sanju's potential to pivot the course of a game with his exceptional abilities, it's imperative to recognise the distinct role that Team India expects from him.'
India lead the five-match series 2-1 and the contest in Ahmedabad on Friday will be their last assignment for the calendar year.
Following their narrow seven-run defeat against India in the T20 World Cup semi-final, England captain Harry Brook hailed fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah as the 'best bowler of all time'.
'If they have picked him ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal, and as many felt, Sanju Samson, you can imagine how extremely privileged he is.'
Samson was part of the squad in the recently concluded ODI series that the team won 3-0 and scored a half-century in the second game.
After Sanju Samson was included in India's 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka great and Rajasthan Royals Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara believes the 29-year-old will succeed in the upcoming global showpiece if he wins the race to be first-choice wicket-keeper for Men in Blue at the prestigious event.
Kolkata Knight Riders' new head coach, Abhishek Nayar, emphasises the importance of finding the right team combinations as their biggest challenge ahead of IPL 2026, despite a revamped squad with new players.
Washington ruled out of T20I series against NZ; Bishnoi, Iyer added to squad
With key changes and a focus on a balanced squad, can the Rajasthan Royals make a significant impact in the Indian Premier League 2026 season under Riyan Parag's leadership?
Samson's innings was complimented with fine strokeplay as well as quick running that brought him another IPL half-century and put RR in victory's path.
Dinesh Karthik believes Devdutt Padikkal's consistent performances in domestic cricket and the IPL will soon earn him a place in the Indian national team.
Kartik Sharma recorded his maiden IPL half-century with a measured knock saw Chennai Super Kings overhaul Mumbai Indians to keep their play-off hopes alive.
Ravindra Jadeja agreed to return to the Rajasthan Royals, where he played the first two IPL seasons, taking a pay cut from Rs 18 crore to Rs 14 crore.
Ishan Kishan's thrill-a-second maiden T20I hundred compensated for Sanju Samson's familiar failure, and the knock in conjunction with Arshdeep Singh's fifer scripted India's 46-run romp over New Zealand in the fifth and final match in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.
It was a performance wrapped in authority and flair, one that re-instated the belief that they can remain T20 World Cup champions.
Is this a subtle hint at a change of guard at Rajasthan Royals?
India and West Indies clash in a high-stakes virtual quarter-final on Sunday, with the winner advancing to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
Ravichandran Ashwin shares his views on MS Dhoni's role in Chennai Super Kings, suggesting he should either play fully or retire, rather than be an Impact Substitute.
Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that his excessive celebration after dismissing Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the Challenger Trophy early in his career had annoyed the iconic former captain. Ashwin believed that dismissing Dhoni could give him a chance to play for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's explosive innings and Donovan Ferreira's late fireworks powered the Rajasthan Royals to a formidable total against Gujarat Titans in the IPL Qualifier 2.
Kerala's Sanju Samson, 27, was part of the ODI series against Zimbabwe which India won 3-0. He has represented India in seven ODIs and 16 T20Is so far.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) secured their second consecutive win in the IPL, defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 32 runs. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad highlighted the team's improving dynamics and adaptability, while key performances from players like Noor Ahmad and Kartik Tyagi were also noted.
