In other big movements, Punjab Kings have released their last edition's captain Mayank Agarwal, while West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Kane Williamson has shown that classically elegant batsmen, too, could prosper big time in the slam-bang world of Indian Premier League cricket and former Australia batsman Dean Jones wants the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Gautam Gambhir, who have struggled in this year's IPL, to take cues from the New Zealand captain.
Kolkata Knight Riders will have no margin for error when they take on hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad, who will fancy their chances despite coming off a defeat, in the Indian Premier League match in Hyderabad on Saturday.
'The auctions were necessary up to a point, but now the time has come where continuity is very, very, important.'
Kolkata Knight Riders delivered a professional performance to beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in Jaipur on Wednesday, putting their Indian Premier League campaign back on track with back to back victories.
Wriddhiman Saha, on Tuesday, said Sunrisers Hyderabad have enough bench strength to replace Australian batsman David Warner, who is facing a lengthy ban from Cricket Australia for his role in the ball tampering scandal.
Seamer R Vinay Kumar, on Thursday, threw his weight behind in-form wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik who was a surprise choice to lead the two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
'Experience is the key. There are basically two ways to read leg-break bowling. Either you pick up from the wrists or wait for the ball to pitch. No two batsmen would employ the same technique'
Australia looked on course for a total in the range of 250 in the 40th over before India's spinners took charge. The Jason Sangha-led side lost its last six wickets for 33 runs and was dismissed in 47.2 overs.
India crushed arch-rivals Pakistan by 203 runs on Tuesday to set up a summit clash against Australia on February 3 at Mount Maunganui in New Zealand.
India fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat claimed a Rs 11.5 crore deal with the usually thrifty Rajasthan Royals even as South African pace ace Dale Steyn went unsold on the second day of the Indian Premier players' auction in Bengaluru, on Sunday.
As the 16th edition of the glitzy Indian Premier League is set to unfold, let's take a look at the driving force of the T20 league and what's in store in this edition.
Carlos Brathwaite's presence in the Kolkata Knight Riders line-up will boost the franchise's batting, which is the 'best' among the eight IPL teams, claimed assistant coach Simon Katich.
The 21-year-old had limited opportunity to showcase his skills in the last edition, but this time Kolkata Knight Riders coach Brendon McCullum has already given the opener's slot to him.
Grace and strength will be on one side while poise and killer instinct on the other when a revamped Kolkata Knight Riders take on champions Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, on Wednesday.
Shubman Gill's unbeaten half-century and Dinesh Karthik's quickfire knock helped Kolkata Knight Rider crush Chennai Super Kings by six wickets, in Kolkata, on Thursday.
England batter Liam Livingstone fetched a staggering Rs 11.50 crore deal from Punjab Kings, who also roped in West Indies fast bowler Odean Smith, for Rs 6 crore, on Sunday, Day 2 of the TATA Indian Premier League 2022 Player Auction, in Bengaluru.
Their fate hanging in balance, a loss in the penultimate league round match may virtually sound the death knell for one of the two teams.
It is understood that barring captain Virat Kohli, almost all the Test team regulars will be in action in the one-off Test against Afghanistan.
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings, in Dubai, on Friday.
Table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders and a transformed Kings XI Punjab cross swords in an Indian Premier League contest in which big-hitting Jamaicans Andre Russell and Chris Gayle will be up against each other in Kolkata on Saturday.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said he wants his youngest son, five-year-old AbRam, to grow up to be a hockey player and represent the country in international stage.
Three-time champions India beat Bangladesh by a comfortable 131-run margin to enter the semi-final of the ICC U-19 World Cup, in Queenstown, on Friday.
His tunnel vision on the 'process' is legendary in Indian cricket and U-19 chief coach Rahul Dravid's next aim is to see a few of the World Cup-bound colts included in the 'A' team within the next six to eight months.
The 10 teams in the league will be bidding heavily for the Indian players in a list of 590 cricketer
Images from the Indian Premier League 'Eliminator' between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Sharjah.
Delhi done in by poor batting as Karnataka win by 4 wickets
Two more failures in two home games could effectively mean end of the road for Ajinkya Rahane, who is leading India in the first Test in Kanpur, starting on Thursday.
Dhoni has turned back the clock with his last three innings, two of them half centuries, adding to the fine run of imposing all-rounder Shane Watson.
Andre Russell's 12-ball 41 headlined Kolkata Knight Riders' clinical performance as they recorded a crushing 71-run victory over Delhi Daredevils to return to winning ways in the Indian Premier League, in Kolkata, on Monday.
Sunrisers Hyderabad stand in the way of two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders, who would be looking to bring their campaign back on track at home during an Indian Premier League T20 cricket clash, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
There is no shortcut to playing first-class cricket.
It will not be the first time that the competition has had to be held outside India.
'Whenever the team's needed them, they (fast bowlers) have provided the breakthroughs. They're ready whenever I ask them to bowl. They've good intensity as well, their fitness is great as well'
A summary of Ranji matches played on Wednesday.
For MP, Saransh Jain, Kumar Kartikeya and Anubhav Agarwal also took two wickets apiece. MP got seven points from the win. The outright-winning team gets six points while a victory of an innings or 10-wickets fetches seven points.
The tournament, which has been shifted to the UAE due to five million plus COVID cases in India, is a 'TV-only event', expected to be lapped up by all and sundry who crave for cricket and Bollywood in equal measure during prime time.
Chahal, who has been an automatic choice in the limited overs format has not played any first-class cricket since December 2016 (against Haryana in Ranji Trophy), but the Indian team management and especially skipper Virat Kohli has indicated that he wants the wiry leg-spinner for five-day matches also.
Kolkata Knight Riders will be aiming to exploit Sunrisers Hyderabad's recent run of poor form
Their bowling once again failed to live up to expectations while the fielding was also below-par as Royal Challengers Bangalore continued their poor run in IPL-11 with a six-wicket defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in Bengaluru, on Sunday.
