The game on Friday had enough positives for India, mainly the performance of Mohammad Shami and Suryakumar Yadav, but few questions still need to be answered ahead of the World Cup, beginning October 5.
Pacer Mitchell Starc was adjudged player of the match for his sensational bowling up front when he claimed the scalps of Travis Head, Nitish Reddy and Shahbaz Ahmed in the powerplay.
Punjab Kings produced a disciplined bowling performance to outsmart Chennai Super Kings and return to winning ways at Mullanpur, Chandigarh, on Tuesday, April 8 2025.
Successful in keeping opponents and vitriol at bay so far, India will have to rise above traditional bugbear New Zealand and a rigmarole of emotions surrounding stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to reclaim the Champions Trophy after 12 years in Dubai on Sunday.
With the announcement of IPL resumption imminent, Punjab find themselves well-placed with majority of their star Indian and foreign players already in the country and on standby.
Chennai Super Kings bowler Ravichandran Ashwin feels the unfairness towards bowlers has become hugely apparent.
Thanks to the depth in their squad, India joined Afghanistan and Romania as the countries to have won a record 12 consecutive Twenty20 Internationals.
Shardul Thakur emerged as the unlikely hero for Mumbai on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A
Rachin Ravindra had two reprieves before being sent back by Kuldeep Yadav.
Mumbai were bowled out for 181 in their second innings, setting J&K 243 runs to win the season-opening match.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season is set to begin on March 22 with a clash between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. This venue will also host the final match of the season on May 25. Dharamsala and Guwahati will host a couple of IPL matches this year, with Dharamsala serving as the second home venue for Punjab Kings and Guwahati hosting Rajasthan Royals matches in addition to their regular home venue, Jaipur.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer admitted that it is "tough to stay calm" in nail-biting matches like as their one-run win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in Kolkata on Sunday, but was a relieved man after the team garner two crucial points.
Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer says the time spent in gym sessions is paying off, since he's not a gifted player.
Shreyas, who is also the skipper of Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, appreciates Ricky Ponting's coaching style.
Iyer and Pant mixed caution with aggression.
'Indian cricket is on an upward curve, definitely, other teams have to catch up with us and (the Champions Trophy) final is going to be crucial.'
Gujarat Titans' assistant coach Parthiv Patel on Friday said 'fearlessness' among batters was the reason for the huge powerplay scores in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
Home lad KL Rahul's innings led the celebrations at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with a cracking century.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Santner acknowledged India's superior game plan and their ability to dictate terms in the middle phase.
Shreyas Iyer's dream Test debut has put India in pole position in the opening Test against New Zealand but it also presented his team with a selection headache for the second and final test in Mumbai next week.
KKR's most successful leader Gautam Gambhir is back in his second innings as a mentor. His partnership with head coach Chandrakant Pandit, a shrewd tactician in domestic circuit, will be the key to their revival.
Bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur will also be aiming to continue his dream run for Mumbai so far.
Cricket ricket royalty added to the glamour at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's sangeet ceremony in Mumbai on Friday night.
The 25-year-old Shubman Gill is a clear favourite to land the high-profile job as Indian embarks on a new World Test Championship cycle.
Rizvi, Nair power DC to six-wicket win over Punjab Kings
Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer combined in a rollicking 159-run partnership to help India wrest back control of the second Test against Bangladesh.
Shreyas Iyer revealed he tried to convince the stand-in-captain Jasprit Bumrah to let him have a bowl in the first T20 International against Sri Lanka in Lucknow on Thursday.
Chahal is now the first player in IPL history to take a hat-trick against CSK.
With the Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh just around the corner, India's star batsman KL Rahul focused on power-hitting during a training session in Dubai.
India may be one of the favourites, but Uthappa said they will have their task cut out in their opener against Bangladesh.
Talented India batsman Shreyas Iyer has been ruled fully match-fit and cleared by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to return to competitive cricket, which is set to take place when the IPL resumes in the UAE from September 19.
Former skipper Sunil Gavaskar believes Shreyas Iyer is better suited for the number four spot in ODIs than Rishabh Pant and should be given a permanent slot in the Indian middle-order.
Except in the IPL, the Australians have not had a good look at Varun Chakravarthy's bowling and that could spell trouble for Steve Smith and Co.
Along with his ability to adapt, the high release point makes Hazlewood a tricky customer to deal with on any kind of surface, as it allows him to find that disconcerting extra bounce.
K L Rahul has now won the accolade twice.
Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar has defended Rohit Sharma from speculation about his retirement, saying it is "unwarranted."
'I see them as well rested India players. Could have been selected for the Duleep Trophy.'
Bumrah, who turns 26 today has been out of cricket action for over three months now after suffering from a lower back injury.
'At the moment it's 90% confirmed that Ajinkya will be the new KKR captain. He was bought by KKR specifically for the purpose of being a viable captaincy option.'
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