A year after he created what has been considered New Zealand's most memorable cricketing moment, all-rounder Grant Elliott has retired from one-day international cricket.
They endured a disastrous run the last time around to finish at the bottom of the heap and Kings XI Punjab would be aiming to make amends this season when they begin their campaign against newbies Gujarat Lions in their IPL opener in Mohali on Monday. Kings XI Punjab did not make any big buys this year and have a new captain in South African David Miller in place of Australian George Bailey who was released after leading the side to the last place in the previous season. Virender Sehwag has also retired and he will serve as team mentor this season. The Preity Zinta-owned side continues to lack the team balance as it has not added any significant player, only snapping the likes of all-rounders Farhaan Behardien and Marcus Stoinis, seamer Mohit Sharma and left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh. Last season, their batsmen lacked consistency and whenever they did well, the bowlers let the side down. On the other hand, debutants Gujarat Lions have a balanced side with top-class performers in both batting and bowling. They have explosive batsmen in Brendon McCullum, captain Suresh Raina, Aaron Finch and a plenty of top-notch all-rounders in Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja and James Faulkner.
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Shikhar Dhawan admitted that he wanted to use man-of-the-match Amit Mishra better in the second match after giving him only one over in the first match.
The World T20 in Bangladesh has reached its business end. The semi-final line-up has been decided. While Sri Lanka take on the West Indies in a repeat of the 2012 final, Team India, champions of the inaugural edition in 2007, meet South Africa. Even as await those matches, here's a look at some of the best efforts in the Super 10s.
Standing in as skipper for the injured AB de Villiers and without pace spearhead Dale Steyn for all but a day and a half of the campaign, the 32-year-old batsman delivered a 2-1 series triumph that sent Australia plummeting into crisis.
South Africa exceeded expectations by scoring 431 in their first innings. At stumps on Day 4, they were 11 for one, needing another 384 runs for an improbably victory.
South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn took six for eight as Pakistan collapsed to their lowest test total of 49 on the second day of the first Test at the Wanderers on Saturday.
World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev feels that India's top-order batsmen need to take more responsibility against South Africa.
There is speculation that the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held between October 18 and November 15 giving BCCI a window to organise the IPL.
England, with a series win already secured, can complete South Africa's ignominious fall from the top of the rankings when the final Test of the four-match series starts at Centurion Park in Pretoria on Friday.
Former cricketer Jonty Rhodes believes Indian batsmen can perform well against the South African pace attack in the three-Test series later this year.
A change from spin-friendly wickets in India to ones favouring seamers means South Africa's pace attack are keenly looking forward to the Test series against England, which starts on Saturday.
Rabada, the number one ranked Test bowler, could still play if he succeeds in his appeal against an International Cricket Council (ICC) decision to award him three demerit points for his reaction to dismissing Steve Smith in the second Test.
Hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad will once again be banking on its lethal bowling unit to deliver the goods when they take on an unpredictable Kings XI Punjab in a Indian Premier League match, on Friday.
South Africa have now lost five Tests in a row, including two shock home losses to Sri Lanka, and are struggling with on-field know-how to dig themselves out of tough situations.
With no team as yet assured of a last four play-off berth, Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Wasim Akram described this Indian Premier League (IPL) season as the most interesting in its eight-year history.
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Ferozshah Kotla on Friday.
Batsman AB de Villiers will return to the role of wicketkeeper for South Africa in the opening two Tests of their four-match home series against England starting in Durban on Boxing Day.
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis will begin training on Wednesday as he seeks to prove his fitness ahead of the four-match home Test series against Australia starting on March 1.
The 23-year-old limped off the field with a hamstring injury as South Africa lost to Bangladesh on June 2 and missed the subsequent defeat to India and the rained-out clash with the West Indies.
Delhi Daredevils defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by four runs.
South Africa's hopes of a semi-final place at the Cricket World Cup appear to have been washed out along with their fixture against the West Indies at the Rose Bowl on Monday.
Shane Watson claimed a hat-trick as Rajasthan Royals restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to a 134 for 9 in the IPL match in Ahmedabad on Thursday. However, his effort was in vain as Hyderabad came back with a vengeance to dismiss the former champions for 102 and win by 32 runs for only their third victory this season.
Fast bowler Anrich Nortje, wicketkeeper/batsman Rudi Second and spin bowling all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy have been included in the 15-man squad that will be captained by Faf du Plessis.
Darren Sammy led a fine bowling display with four wickets as Sunrisers Hyderabad spanked Kings XI Punjab by 30 runs to keep themselves in the hunt for a play-offs berth in the Pepsi IPL in Mohali on Saturday.
Sachin Tendulkar cautioned the Indian cricket team to guard against complacency ahead of its World Cup game against South Africa, saying the Proteas are a far better fielding unit than Pakistan.
South Africa coach Gary Kirsten defended his team's preparations after his pace brigade was laid low by injury in the second Test on Thursday, leaving his back-up bowlers at the mercy of a voracious Michael Clarke and the Australian batsmen.
South Africa's success in Australia is often put down to their comfort on the hard local tracks, which can be similar to those at home, but they could face some unfamiliar conditions this year.
Statistical highlights of the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab in Jaipur on Sunday.
For a visiting cricketer, an India tour conjures up the image of a batsman surrounded by a shoal of fielders and facing relentless spin from both ends and South Africa should not expect anything different in the four-test series starting on Thursday.
Images from the IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Pune Warriors in Hyderabad on Friday.
South African skipper A B de Villiers blamed 'unforced errors' and 'miscommunication in the heat of the battle' for the 26-run loss to India in their Champions Trophy in Cardiff.
With India being outplayed in the Twenty20s, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will face added pressure to perform and lead India from the front against a formidable South African unit in the five-match ODI cricket series starting in Kanpur on Sunday.
11 other players have quoted the highest base price for this year's auction to be held on February 6 in Bangalore.
Skipper Graeme Smith believes South Africa have possibly the best top-six among contemporary batting line-ups as they prepare to face Pakistan in the second Test at Newlands starting on Thursday.
South Africa's pacemen routed Australia's batsmen with five late wickets to leave the hosts reeling at 111-5 at the close of day three on Saturday and buoy the tourists' hopes of pulling off an unlikely victory in the second Test.
Hardik Pandya stood tall amid ruins with his all-round prowess but hosts South Africa were still very much in command with a current lead of 142 runs against India after an enthralling second day in the first Test in Cape Town
South Africa held a 411-run lead over Pakistan at the close of the second day of the first test at the Wanderers on Saturday with seven second innings wickets still in hand after dismissing the visitors for their lowest test score of 49.
South Africa's celebrated pace attack took a hammering in the first Test against Australia and has much to prove in next week's second but batsman Hashim Amla still believes it is the best in the world.
Captain Kane Williamson, all-rounder Vijay Shankar and comeback man Wriddhiman Saha will look to score in the key match.
