It will be a battle of youngsters with the likes of Nitish Rana, Hardik Pandya on one side and the new star in the horizon Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan with his variations on the other side.
Joe Burns scored his maiden Test century and his opening partner David Warner his 14th as Australia finished the third day of the first Test against New Zealand in a dominant position on 264 for four with a lead of 503 runs on Saturday.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori got just what he wanted on Sunday -- a perfect winning start to the World Cup -- and owes it to an unheralded pace bowling trio.
New Zealand, on Monday, recalled temperamental all-rounder Corey Anderson for the five-match ODI series against India next month and he will play as a specialist batsman.
James Vince's knock of 59 runs enabled England to defeat New Zealand by seven wickets
New Zealand's Colin Munro and Ish Sodhi have started the year with a bang after vaulting to the top of the ICC T20I Player Rankings for batsmen and bowlers respectively, following stellar performances in the series against the West Indies, which recently concluded at Mount Maunganui on Wednesday.
In the bowlers list, Bumrah achieved a career-high ranking of 28 while fellow teammate Mohammad Shami moved two places to 24th.
Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore have won only three games out of 10 in IPL-12 so far.
Despite the win against KXIP, RCB remain at the bottom of the points table and remain to win all their remaining league games to have any hopes of progressing in the tournament.
On the back of some great all-round performance, Australia thumped New Zealand by 247 runs to win the Boxing Day Test and take a 2-0 series lead. Images from Day 4 of the Boxing Day Test played at the MCG on Sunday.
In charge of a house in complete disorder, Virat Kohli will hope that Royal Challengers Bangalore play in the manner that defines his cricket when they meet Delhi Capitals in the IPL match in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Ahmed Shehzad hit a career-best 176 while Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq struck unbeaten centuries before Pakistan declared their first innings on 566 for 3 wickets in the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Both teams have been more than disappointing thus far in the IPL and need a win to revive their respective campaigns.
With Jasprit Bumrah "ready and roaring" after an injury scare, Mumbai Indians will fancy their chances against an erratic Royal Challengers Bangalore when the two star-studded teams square off in the IPL, in Bengaluru, on Thursday. The big sub-plot of the contest will be the world's best ODI batsman -- Virat Kohli -- taking guard against the world's best ODI bowler -- Bumrah -- in a format notorious for its unpredictability.
Check out the head to head record between the World Cup finalists.
Pakistan need 274 runs on the final day to win the second Test and complete a 2-0 series sweep against New Zealand after bowling the hosts out for 293 late on the fourth day.
India captain Virat Kohli consolidated his position at the top of the table, while openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan moved up in the latest ICC T20I Player Rankings.
Pakistan's Abdul Rehman produced a sustained, tight spell of left-arm spin bowling to take three wickets for 51 runs as New Zealand scrambled to 260 for seven at the close of play on the first day of the first Test at Seddon Park on Friday.
A hobbling Kane Williamson guided New Zealand to 142 for five at the close of play on the third day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Hamilton, with the hosts needing another 47 runs to seal a 2-0 series sweep.
This year's IPL was action-packed and Redifff.com reloads some of the memorable moments, in pictures, from this year's competition.
Images from the World Twenty20 match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe played at Providence, Guyana on Tuesday.
Pakistan will not only have to win the remaining three matches, starting with New Zealand, but also hope that the results in other matches favour them to salvage any hopes of a semi-final berth.
India will strive to play with the same grit they displayed in the second match in Pune when they square off against New Zealand in the third and final One-Day International of the series, in Kanpur, on Sunday.
Kieron Pollard and Jos Buttler's late assault helped Mumbai Indians keep their hopes alive with a convincing six-wicket victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday.
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.
In a tight season for India, the first T20 comes only five days after their last ODI against Australia at home.
Opener David Warner put New Zealand's bowlers to the sword with a masterful 163 and Usman Khawaja scored his maiden Test century as Australia dominated the opening day of the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, on Thursday.
Unbeaten in seven Test series since 2013, New Zealand are widely viewed to have their best chance in a good while to secure a second series victory on Australian soil to go with the Richard Hadlee-inspired 1985 triumph.
Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front with a sparkling 84 not out as an inspired Mumbai Indians cruised to a six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders to open their account in the ninth season of Indian Premier League in Kolkata, on Wednesday.
Deepak Chahar is the first Indian bowler ever to hold the record of best bowling figures in any format of international cricket (Test/ODI/T20I), points out Rajneesh Gupta.
New Zealand rode on a superb unbeaten hundred from Ross Taylor to thrash India by seven wickets in the fourth One-Day International and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, in Hamilton, on Tuesday. The defeat also handed the tourists their second straight series defeat overseas, following the 2-0 loss to South Africa last month.
Images from the World CUp match between New Zealand and Kenya, at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, on Saturday.
Australia dismissed New Zealand for 302 in the second innings to win the second Test by 176 runs. Man of the match Mitchell Johnson claimed 6-73 for a total of 10 in the Test.
The Indian batting line-up's soft underbelly lay exposed in slightly favourable bowling conditions as New Zealand gave the two-time champions a rude wake-up call, easing to a six-wicket victory in the World Cup warm-up match at the Oval, in London, on Saturday.
With a new cricket director, coach and chairman, England return to the field of play in the first Test against New Zealand on Thursday following an extraordinary period of upheaval.
Mumbai Indians seek to maintain momentum against Kings XI Punjab.
Mumbai Indians will look to continue their rampaging run when they take on the formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Factbox on the cricket World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa at Eden Park, Auckland.
A defiant fifth-wicket stand of 74 between Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq ensured Pakistan secured a draw in the second Test against New Zealand on Friday to maintain a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
India's bowlers laid the foundation before Shikhar Dhawan anchored a straightforward chase to secure the tourists a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first one day international in Napier on Wednesday.
