In the IPL 2025 opener against Mumbai Indians, the 'Dhoni Review System returned, as precise and infallible as ever.
The Kiwis arrived in Dubai on Thursday evening ahead of the ICC showpiece's title clash against India on March 9.
The fortunes of Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals changed quite dramatically after their clash on April 13, when MI held their nerve in a tense finish to pull off a remarkable win.
In a resolute display, Punjab Kings outsmarted Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in a must-win encounter and assured themselves of a top-two finish in the IPL at the Sawai Mansingh stadium, Jaipur, on Monday, May 26, 2025.
Michael Bracewell, who was one of the main performers for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy, will lead the side in the absence of Mitchell Santner.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday
New Zealand booked their place in the final of the Champions Trophy against India after a 50-run victory over South Africa.
With the pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) expected to offer some grip to the spinners, the Indian batters did not want to leave anything to the chance.
Delhi Capitals snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as Mumbai Indians pulled off a stunning 12-run comeback win in a thrilling IPL 2025 match.
Seamers Ben Sears, Nathan Smith and Will O'Rourke will play their first global tournament at the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates next month after being named in the New Zealand squad on Sunday.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy second Semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Wednesday
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji check out who could be the Most Valuable Player of IPL 2025 before the final.
The 37-year-old player added that uncertainty about a place in the Playing XI or 12, means one needs to capitalise on chances offered.
Delhi Capitals committed harakiri in what seemed like an easy run chase against Mumbai Indians to slump to their first defeat in IPL 2025 at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi on Sunday, April 13, 2025.
Henry struggled to make an early impact but got a wicket at the death, dismissing Bangladesh's Rishad Hossain in the 44th over to reach the landmark.
Spectators at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai couldn't contain their joy as their beloved Thala was back in the CSK yellow once more.
He first led the side in a T20 against West Indies at Bay Oval in November 2020 and became New Zealand's 24th ODI captain when he led the side in the only ODI against Scotland in Edinburgh in 2022.
At the mega auction, Mumbai Indians made some strategic buys, in a bid to build a strong team around their solid Indian core consisting of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jaspreet Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Tilak Varma.
What stood out on Wednesday wasn't just the dominant win -- it was the sight of Wankhede fans cheering loudly for a man they once booed. The redemption was complete.
Tilak Verma, who has two T20I hundreds for India and is one of the pillars of the core MI set-up, had scored just 25 off 23 balls, inclusive of two boundaries, when Mitchell Santner, with a career IPL strike-rate of 106, was sent in.
A seemingly invincible India will be eager to sharpen their game against spin and give a run to second-line players ahead of the semi-final when they take on New Zealand in their last group match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday.
A rampant Mumbai Indians will present a stern test of character for the rattled Punjab Kings in a virtual semi-final when the two teams face-off in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
That said the pitch is going to get challenging for the batters as the game wears on.
But in their pursuit of glory, both leaders must find a way to address the issues at hand.
Veteran all-rounder Mitchell Santner will captain the New Zealand side for the three-match T20I series against India.
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead will no longer coach the One-Day International and T20 teams but may re-apply for the Test role, he said on Tuesday.
New Zealand and South Africa, both laden with world-class talent but often falling short in ICC tournaments, will face off in a tightly contested Champions Trophy semifinal.
New Zealand stumper-batsman Tom Latham was ruled out of the one-day series against Pakistan with a hand leaving Michael Bracewell to continue as the side's captain.
While MI's win will assure them of a place in the play-offs, Delhi Capitals need to win both their remaining games to advance.
Rajasthan Royals will face Mumbai Indians in a crucial Indian Premier League match on Thursday, looking to halt the five-time champions' surging momentum.
Despite the Emirates Cricket Board's 'two-week rest' policy for pitches, the tight schedule necessitated the use of this 'tired surface'.
Chennai Super Kings will lean on their formidable spin strength under favourable conditions at the Chepauk as well as recent record against Mumbai Indians sans Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, when the two sides face each other in their Indian Premier League campaign opener in Chennai on Sunday.
Kohli reviewed the on-field LBW call, but replays showed it was 'umpire's call', leaving him and the crowd stunned.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League Qualifier 2 match played between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad, on Sunday.
Although in the opposition camp, Mhatre was not short of support during his eye-catching knock. His band of cousins were spotted celebrating his boundaries, with one of them driven to tears of joy.
India's spinners were the key architects of the bowling performance. Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) were the standout performers, while Jadeja (1/30) and Axar Patel (0/29 in 8 overs) kept the pressure on with their economical spells.
Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Daniel Vettori says that working around their batting line-up and getting the match-ups right with Kamindu Mendis in the mix served the team well against Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League match in Chennai on Friday.
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).
New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson said his side have every chance of derailing India in a major final once again.
It was a stunning defeat for India, who were dismantled by eight wickets in seamer-friendly conditions in the opening match at Bengaluru, as they suffered their first series loss on home soil since falling to England in 2012.
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