Team India knows that it is a touch undercooked with a lot of confusion still persisting about what could be the best combination on a drop-in pitch.
India's newly-forged coach-captain combination of Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav will look to make instant impact against a Sri Lankan team in disarray.
Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden also wants Kohli to bat as much as possible in the powerplay.
A win at Motera will see skipper Virat Kohli surpassing Mahendra Singh Dhoni to become the most successful Indian captain at home.
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan on Thursday termed Virat Kohli's decision to leave T20I captaincy after the 2021 T20 World Cup as an "unselfish" one.
"My natural length is a bit back from a good length. So because of my height, I trouble all kinds of batters. When Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli praise you, what more do you need? Rohit bhai said, best of luck for your future," Irfan said.
'Kohli is the most complete Indian batsman of my time. Only the greatest of champions has the courage and the intelligence to transport their imagination beyond the mortal plane. Kohli has that. Perhaps only Tiger Pataudi has come close to transcending a similar stratosphere'
Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin shared his reaction and also had a message for Kohli.
Dhoni nearly won the match for CSK with a magnificent 84 not out off 48 balls
Atherton said Kohli looked in his comfort zone during his knock on Sunday.
A fine half-century by Rilee Rossouw went in vain as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bowlers delivered a brilliant performance to bundle out Punjab Kings (PBKS) for just 181 runs and secure a 60-run win at Dharamsala on Thursday.
"I absolutely love playing on this ground. Right from the nets at the back, as soon as I enter, it makes me feel at home. That knock at MCG was meant to be, but when I come here, it's like I'm meant to come to Adelaide and enjoy my batting," he said.
Kohli holds the record for most Test appearances as India Test captain (68) and he also holds the record for most Test wins by an Indian captain (40). Only Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh have won more matches than Kohli as captain in Test cricket.
If one looks at selection pattern, Jurel was the second keeper behind Sanju Samson for this series and Jitesh was a late entrant because of the unavailability of the World Cup squad members.
Desperate Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be under tremendous pressure to get their act together against an equally struggling Mumbai Indians when the two teams face-off in an Indian Premier League match in Mumbai on Thursday.
'There is a little bit of home advantage and you got to use your matches at home. It's your facility but in Hyderabad, I think it's fair conditions. At the end of the day, better team on the day wins the game. I must say I congratulate the ground staff for producing good tracks, it's just each and every time, we came up short.'
Wagner said that the crowd was trying to get under Kohli's skin by singing
Images from the IPL 2024 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.
'A leader who led the side with grit, passion & determination. Thank you Captain @imVkohli,' the BCCI tweeted on Thursday,
Team India began their preparation for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Sri Lanka leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay wreaked havoc with a six-wicket haul to hand India a 32-run defeat in the second ODI match.
Rohit currently sits at fourth place in the overall list of captains with the most T20I wins.
Rohit & Co. eye better batting show against USA
Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli slammed half-centuries as India edged Australia by six wickets in the third and final T20 International in Hyderabad on Sunday, to claim the series 2-1.
There are a lot of candidates who are in contention for the post but Hardik Pandya is currently the top pick.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly on Thursday lavished praise on Virat Kohli after the India skipper decided to step down as T20I captain post the 2021 World Cup.
The Delhi-born batter is the most successful Indian skipper in Test cricket when it comes to the number of wins. Under his 65-match stint as captain, India have won 38 matches with remarkable Test series victories in foreign soils as well.
India's skipper missed out on what would have been his 99th Test on the morning of the second match of the series against South Africa in Johannesburg, adding to an intriguing drama that is unfolding around him on an almost daily basis now.
India's star batsman Virat Kohli on Friday paid tribute to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who quit as India's captain in the limited overs formats earlier this week, saying he was the perfect leader for any young player coming into the team.
'Saare coaching sessions ka ek hi invoice bheju, ya aasan kishton mein chukaoge champ?'
Gambhir feels the split between Kohli and the BCCI should have been handled in a better way.
'I would say Board president is Board president but yes the Indian cricket team captain is also a big thing. But talking badly about each other in public, I don't think it is a good thing, whether it is Sourav or Kohli.'
Former India captain and chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar feels Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sourav Ganguly was wrong in airing his views on behalf of the national selectors over Virat Kohli's captaincy saga.
Check out how India's players reacted after victory over South Africa in the final.
Kohli was first to enter the nets to take throwdowns from the Indian support staff
Former head coach Ravi Shastri hailed Virat Kohli as India's 'most aggressive and successful' captain after he stepped down as the Test skipper on Saturday.
Kohli was also congratulated by his friend and Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate AB de Villiers
'Yes, toss definitely is going to be a factor in this tournament especially. If the dew keeps creeping in in the later half the game, you need those extra runs in the first half then.'
India has never won a Test series in South Africa and the two Test series, which begins on Boxing Day, December 26, at the SuperSport Park cricket stadium in Centurion, is the last frontier to be overcome for Rohit and his contemporaries Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammad Shami.
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