Royal Challengers Bengaluru's bid for a maiden home victory this IPL season will depend on their batters' ability to handle the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Glenn Maxwell when they face the Punjab Kings on Friday.
Bumrah, who turns 26 today has been out of cricket action for over three months now after suffering from a lower back injury.
Virat Kohli anchored a tricky chase with an unbeaten 100.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy justified his selection with a five-wicket haul and bowled India to a 44-run victory against New Zealand.
While the young Indian team showed great resolve to earn a creditable draw in England, the series exposed several weaknesses that need urgent attention.
Australia's stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh continued his fine run of form on Sunday, scoring 46 not out and leading his side to a seven-wicket triumph over India in the weather-affected first one-day international at Perth Stadium.
'We're just starting to scratch the surface. So let's keep working hard together as a family, as one. And we're going to get better every day.'
It may be a matter of celebration in the Indian dressing room but there is something that has not gone down too well with cricket fans.
India on Sunday recorded their eighth successive win in a bilateral series and stand-in captain Rohit Sharma said the team needs to maintain the consistency in the upcoming tours overseas.
Shubman Gill's return to Ranji Trophy ended in a two-ball duck as Saurashtra and Punjab batters struggled on a rank turner during the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match in Rajkot
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.
If Punjab goes for a flat deck, there is no guarantee that the bowling unit can defend anything in the 220 range, especially when KKR have the likes of Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, and Venkatesh Iyer in their ranks.
'Faced with their consistently negative approach, I had to play strokes, leaving the ball would have bored me. So, I opted for attacking shots given the circumstances.'
K L Rahul takes over the captaincy after regular skipper Shubman Gill missed the series because of a neck injury.
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.
Kohli's 124 in vain as New Zealand beat India by 41 runs in 3rd ODI to clinch series 2-1
Defending champions Mumbai announced their 16-member squad sans India stars Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer to take on Meghalaya in their must-win Ranji Trophy Elite Group A
Ishan Kishan's sensational comeback and Sanju Samson's inconsistent displays with the bat will reignite debate over who should be Abhishek Sharma's preferred opening partner.
Of late, Iyer has done well to cement his spot as India's number four in the limited-overs formats. He was criticised for recklessness before he matured as a batsman.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have very little time to pick up the pieces after a debilitating loss as they eye a much-improved display from their batting unit in a return Indian Premier League match against in-form Punjab Kings in Mullanpur, Punjab, on Sunday.
Shubman Gill might just want to be fit enough to bat, as even a half-fit skipper is seen as more effective than Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran or Sarfaraz Khan.
For most IPL teams, the 2026 mini auction will be all about strategic buys and role-specific additions, while for a couple of others, it is going to be a captain-centric affair.
Ahead of his side's Indian Premier League match against Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach Abhishek Nayar hailed skipper Shreyas Iyer for his mental strength and positive approach to life.
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.
Punjab Kings maintained their momentum and added another victory to their kitty in IPL 2025 by drubbing Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
Rohini Iyer sends neer dosas for the Skipper and his missus.
Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer combined in a rollicking 159-run partnership to help India wrest back control of the second Test against Bangladesh.
During his Mumbai U-16 days Shreyas Iyer's performance dipped and one coach attributed it to lack of focus which worried the father. During these phases, the normal instinct for any parent is to admonish their children but Iyer decided to take his son to a sports psychologist.
'With the way we were going, we came to run-a-ball and to lose from there, really disappointing. We didn't play smart cricket.'
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the must-win match against Zimbabwe on Thursday?
Kotian, who played a vital role in Mumbai's Syed Mushtaq Ali triumph this season, has been a consistent performer on the domestic circuit.
In India's last ODI series against Sri Lanka, Rahul kept wickets in the first two matches, scoring 31 and 0, while Pant played the third game but managed only 6 runs. India could opt to include both players in the XI, but that would likely come at the expense of Iyer.
Replacing Gautam Gambhir as the skipper, young Shreyas Iyer Iyer led from the front with the bat, smashing a brilliant 93 from 40 balls to propel Delhi to a massive 219 for four in their 20 overs.
Saha said a cricketer should treat every match with equal importance citing his own example.
Expect some fireworks for the highly-versatile Cameron Green along with Quinton de Kock, Matheesha Pathirana, Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi.
The JioStar expert also analysed KKR's buys at the auction, saying that getting NZ all-rounder Rachin Ravindra at base price was smart and there is "serious batting power" in the squad.
Not only were Royal Challengers Bangalore outplayed in all departments by Delhi Capitals, Virat Kohli was outdone by his opposite number Shreyas Iyer.
Opener Sam Konstas smashed a century to lead Australia's superb showing with the bat on the rain-hit Day 1 of the first unofficial Test match against India A.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings, two sides chasing their first IPL title, will square off in a tantalising Qualifier 1 encounter on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
England captain Jos Buttler expressed disappointment after his team's four-wicket loss to India in the opening ODI in Nagpur on Thursday.
