Delhi Capitals started their preparations for the upcoming IPL with their first nets session after completing their one-week quarantine, in Dubai, on Saturday. All the top India players including captain Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Prithvi Shaw took part in the first nets session along with their other team-mates at the ICC Academy in Dubai, where the squad also got the opportunity to train under the lights.
Emerging stars like Umran Malik and Mohsin Khan could be rewarded for their superb performances in IPL 2022, while old-horses Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik are likely to return to the Indian team for the T20I series against South Africa next month.
Former India captain and NCA Director Rahul Dravid says during his stint as coach with these teams, he made sure that every cricketer who toured got a game unlike his playing days.
Dhawan hit on rib-cage, won't take field during Australia innings
A battle royale is in the offing as heavyweights Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals clash in a high-profile IPL encounter, in Chennai, on Tuesday.
The BCCI has decided to recommend women's cricket great Mithali Raj and premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, country's highest sporting honour.
A look at the major names who were not retained by the IPL franchises.
Punjab Kings stand-in skipper Mayank Agarwal rued his team's inability to step up the scoring in the middle overs, saying they ended up with at least 10 runs short in the IPL game against Delhi Capitals, in Ahmedabad, on Sunday.
Kagiso Rabada picked up 25 wickets in 12 games in last year's IPL.
The Indian players in Durham were glued to the action as their compatriots registered a thrilling win in Colombo to seal the three-match ODI series 2-0.
Whether he is batting in the middle or fielding at the boundary line, Virat Kohli's every move will be tracked, though some of that attention will now be on skipper K L Rahul.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the second ODI against Sri Lanka?
Dhoni's men will have to adapt to the conditions quickly to avoid any such hiccup in the play-offs.
In the absence of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul was named vice-captain of the ODI and T20I teams. He also makes a comeback to the Test team, as Shikhar Dhawan was named only in the limited-overs' side.
Images from Sunday's second IPL match, between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, in Mumbai.
Shreyas Iyer played a crucial knock of 43 from 32 balls to lift Delhi Capitals to a 33-run victory against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Images from Thursday's IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, in Dubai.
'As a group, we have left that behind and are focusing on the next four games, one by one.'
There was nothing rusty about the Delhi opener as he batted in the nets.
Game 43 of IPL 2020 will see the Kings XI Punjab take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Jasprit Bumrah and Shikhar Dhawan are also back in both the squads, while pacer Mohammed Shami got a break from the T20 series.
Virat Kohli has not scored an international hundred since November 2019 but head coach Rahul Dravid dismissed notions that the owner of 27 Test hundreds is "lacking in motivation".
Game 34 of IPL 2020 will see the Delhi Capitals take on the Chennai Super Kings at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
It could well be the last mega auction the BCCI may conduct, as most of the original IPL franchises want it discontinued.
Having lost the third ODI to Sri Lanka, Shikhar Dhawan's men will be looking to go one better against Sri Lanka with a T20 team that is ahead in almost all departments.
'We lost to KKR in the UAE phase of the tournament, but we were in control in some parts of that match as well. However, in the next match, both teams will be under the same pressure as both sides are playing for a spot in the final.'
'Virat Kohli focuses on what form you are in at the current point.'
The view on having Pant on board, if Dhawan is ousted, was echoed by former England batsman Kevin Pietersen.
It will take a special effort from the struggling Sri Lankan side to pull one back against the rampaging visitors.
Australia's David Warner was taken to hospital for scans on a groin strain on Sunday, prompting a nervous wait for the hosts ahead of the start of the Test series against India in Adelaide on December 17.
'Whoever is playing this series, is looking at T20 World Cup. Of course, if selectors, Ravi bhai or Virat have some players in mind, we can mutually agree and play that player as this is a good platform. If you want to see someone before World T20, this is the only series you have.'
The Indian squad comprises many openers like Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, apart from Dhawan and Shaw, but Raman felt that having played for India earlier would go into Shaw's favour.
'If he loses his place in the ODI side, I don't know where it puts him, in terms of the India team in all 3 formats.'
Kohli's poor show, however, hasn't affected the team much as it is playing extremely well in the white-ball games.
Here's how some of your favourite and popular sportspersons wished their fans and followers on the auspicious occassion:
Shastri on Sunday had a long one-on-one chat with Gill after the latter's batting session.
Rahul Dravid says the just-concluded Sri Lanka series is an opportunity to reflect that not all wickets are going to be flat. 'We need to find ways to scrap and score 130, 140 on these wickets'
Out-of-form senior opener Shikhar Dhawan has been included in the India 'A' side for the last two unofficial one dayers against South Africa 'A' to get back among the runs
'I've done commentary only once and that was post IPL when I had two months break. I've realised that I enjoy it. But it's not something that I'm in any way pursuing for the next three years in a serious manner.'
Bumrah, Chahar, Kaul get their first dose of COVID vaccine.
