India play the opening T20I against New Zealand on Friday.
Rajasthan Royals would be banking on their near-perfect combinations in almost all departments of the game to put up another commanding performance when they take on a strong Punjab Kings.
With two senior pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (thigh injury) and Ishant Sharma (side strain) all but ruled out, Navdeep Saini will certainly be the fourth pacer after Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav.
The 34-year-old was India's number one Test wicket-keeper until a career-threatening shoulder injury ruled him out of action for almost a year.
History is on Hardik Pandya's side, which has won all three games against the Royals so far, and that would certainly play on the minds of the Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan outfit at the Narendra Modi stadium.
Head coach Rahul Dravid and his team will assemble at the National Cricket Academy on Tuesday to start preparations for the World Test Championship final in June.
Captain Virat Kohli is unlikely to feature in the tournament because of his India commitments.
Jasprit Bumrah and Shikhar Dhawan are also back in both the squads, while pacer Mohammed Shami got a break from the T20 series.
Will India go into the 3rd T20I vs Sri Lanka with the same squad or will Sanju Samson and Manish Pandey get a look in?
SunRisers Hyderabad has the biggest purse while Kolkata Knight Riders has the slimmest purse.
From Under-19 talents such as Prithvi Shaw and Shivam Mavi to last domestic season's top run-getter Mayank Agarwal, the list includes all those whom the selection committee found worthy of national or A team call-up in the near future
Earlier this month, pacer Dale Steyn had announced that he would not be available for selection for IPL 2021 and as a result, he has also been released.
Following is the list of players who have been released by the different franchises ahead of the auction for the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League.
Both DC and RCB have looked solid so far and are placed atop the standings with three wins out of four games each.
The dew factor will go out of the window but the searing heat will be an issue when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on a better prepared Rajasthan Royals in the first of the 10 IPL double-headers, in Abu Dhabi, on Saturday.
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.
Gujarat opener Priyank Panchal is likely to lead India 'A' in three four-day 'Tests' against New Zealand 'A'
Guilty of making too many changes at the top, Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking to find a winning combination against Rajasthan Royals and snap their five-match losing streak in the IPL, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Monday.
The bowling attack looks the most settled this year and if batting manages to compliment the bowling, RCB can expect to have a solid season.
Some of their bowling and fielding frailties exposed in the series-opener, India will aim for quick course correction when they take on a resurgent New Zealand in a must-win second ODI, in Auckland, on Saturday. India find themselves in a familiar situation after the loss in Hamilton. But the visitors have come from behind against the West Indies and Australia to win their last two ODI series and Virat Kohli's men will aim to do the same against the Kiwis.
'Having refined carbohydrates -- such as maida -- in excess is not really healthy.'
RCB suffered four consecutive defeats to finish the league stage at the fourth spot, SRH registered a hat-trick of wins to edge past Virat Kohli's men in the standings.
Their confidence severely dented after two comprehensive defeats, last edition's runners-up side Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking to get their inconsistent campaign back on track when they face Rajasthan Royals in the IPL match in Mumbai on Monday.
It remains to be seen whether India stick to their combination of three specialist pacers and two spinners combination or bring in an extra spinner in Kuldeep Yadav to partner Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja.
Jos Buttler would be eagerly waiting to pounce on an inexperienced Chennai Super Kings attack in order to clinch a play-offs berth for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2022 match on Friday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will look to shrug off the disappointment of two back-to-back defeats and get back to winning ways when they taken on Sunrisers Hyderabad as they aim to seal their place in the play-offs, in the IPL match, in Sharjah, on Saturday.
The middle-order continues to remain a concern for CSK with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni himself not being at his best.
It will be a test of Virat Kohli's tactical acumen against the ice-cool demeanour of Eoin Morgan when perennial underachievers Royal Challengers Bangalore clash with former champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL Eliminator in Sharjah on Monday.
Images from Monday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and SunRisers Hyderabad, in Dubai.
India go into the game 0-1 down after Australia registered a 10-wicket win in the lung-opener at Mumbai
"Slogans are a subset of freedom of expression. You express your politics through it. I can chant any slogan, you can differ or agree. But you can't slap sedition charges," Aparajitha Raja, the 25-year-old president of the JNU unit of AISF and daughter of CPI leader D Raja, tells Shivam Saini.
An unassailable lead has opened up the window for experimentation but there will be no letup in India's intensity when they face a heartbroken New Zealand team in the fourth T20 International, in Wellington, on Friday. Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant are waiting for opportunities, with the former expected to get a look-in. Pant's call-up would depend on which batsman is left out, and whether KL Rahul will continue to keep wickets.
Besides Kohli, who led India to a historic Test series triumph in Sri Lanka recently, the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Ishant Sharma, Gautam Gambhir and Ashish Nehra were also named among the probables.
After eight defeats in 11 outings, Chennai Super Kings will look to give their forgettable campaign a semblance of respectability when they take on in-form Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League in Dubai on Sunday.
Lockie Ferguson's inclusion gave the much-needed impetus to the side, but KKR are still struggling with their star all-rounder Andre Russell who capped yet another flop show with the bat.
When Mizoram batted, Shreevats Goswami (31) was the only significant scorer but the seasoned Mumbai attack led by Dhawal Kulkarni kept the minnows under check.
For KKR, the biggest cause of concern will be the availability of big-hitter Andre Russell, who hurt his knee when he dived into the advertisement boards after missing a catch on Saturday.
After scores of 14 and 1, Virat Kohli is due for a big one and will be hoping to spend more time in the middle when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Mumbai Indians in the IPL in Dubai.
There were no major surprises with most of the players picking themselves.
Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to build on the momentum when they take on a struggling Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League match in Dubai on Wednesday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances