India sealed the numero uno spot in the International Cricket Council Twenty20 rankings after Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side won the Asia Cup in Mirpur and will now enter the World T20 as the top team.
Virat Kohli slammed an unbeaten 90 before a collective effort by the Indian bowlers gave the visitors a resounding start in the Twenty20 series against Australia with a 37-run victory in the first match in Adelaide, on Tuesday.
South Africa coach Russell Domingo says India have a seriously good batting line-up and it's not the Proteas' style to target one individual player.
Off-spinner R Ashwin is matching Indian batsmen at their game
With momentum on their side, Dhoni and Co need to justify the favorites' tag and go the distance.
'...then Bangladesh would have been the world champions a long time ago!'
However, if anyone has unfinished business over a decade of IPL, it is India captain Virat Kohli. He made his intent amply clear earlier this week.
At the face of it, there is apparently no danger to Dhoni's captaincy since the team is still winning matches. But if one digs deeper, Kohli has slowly and surely been the man everyone is looking forward to as the leader, across all formats for India.
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The two batted as if 'pressure' was a concept unknown to them. Raina was the muscular enforcer, Dhoni the consigliere planning and controlling the momentum of the assault.'
India put up yet another dismal batting display, on seam-friendly conditions, to suffer a humiliating 134-run defeat in the second one-dayer against South Africa in Durban on Sunday.
'Dhoni may be hoping that luck stays with him for a couple of months more.' 'He may want to step down on a triumphant note, holding aloft the World T20 trophy on April 3.'
IMAGES from the IPL season XI opener played between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday
Joe Root hit his second successive century to power England to an eight-wicket victory against India, which helped them clinch the three-match series 2-1, in Headingley on Tuesday.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Players ratings after the league phase in IPL 10.
India's limited overs cricket will usher in a new era with the national selectors expected to name Virat Kohli as the captain when they pick the squad for three ODIs and three T20 Internationals against England in Mumbai on Thursday. Test skipper Kohli is expected to be anointed captain of the limited overs teams also, after Mahendra Singh Dhoni decided to step down from the job in a surprise decision last night.
The series already in their pocket, India would aim for a clean sweep against the hosts and end the tour of Australia on a high when the two teams clash in the third and final Twenty20.
'With India's bowling so poor, there will be extra pressure on the batsmen to score more runs. The Indian team, which nonchalantly scores 300/350 runs in ODIs at home, has had problems making even 200/250 runs in Australia.'
The No. 4 slot is considered the most vital position for any successful ODI side, yet India are struggling to find a solution to their revolving door conundrum for some time now.
India's 2011 World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten says the 2015 tournament boils down to three games: quarters, semis and final.
Despite India being down 0-2 in the three-match Twenty20 series against South Africa, ace spinner Harbhajan Singh says it's too early to write the team off.
India will have their task cut out against a vastly improved England
'Freedom of Expression' in India is used liberally by people when it comes to having an opinion on cricket.
The defeat to a depleted Sri Lanka in the first T20 International is a good wake-up call for the Indians, according to former captain Sunil Gavaskar.
Jolted by the loss to Australia in their opening match, India will look to plug its bowling loopholes and ensure a stronger batting display when they take on England in their second ODI tri-series match in Brisbane on Tuesday. Both sides will be looking to register their first victory in the tournament, the hosts having stolen a march on them with two successive wins.
MS Dhoni hinted that Ajinkya Rahane may not feature in the playing eleven for the first One-day International against South Africa.
Penpix of the India squad for the 2015 cricket World Cup, which is being held in Australia and New Zealand.
With a tally of 19 wickets in the series so far, Moeen Ali is the second highest-wicket taker from both sides after team mate James Anderson, who has 21 dismissals to his name. Incidentally, only three spinners have taken more wickets against India outside Asia.
Rediscovering himself in the twilight of his career, a rejuvenated Mahendra Singh Dhoni would look to continue his regained form and guide India to a series-clinching win when the hosts take on New Zealand in the fourth One-Day International, in Ranchi, on Wednesday.
Stung by an improved New Zealand the other night, a wary India would like to quickly get their house in order when they square off with Kane Williamson's boys in the third ODI in Mohali on Sunday. While the six-run defeat in Delhi has given India plenty to ponder about, it has also renewed interest in the contest which had been dominated by the home team prior to Thursday, stretching from the one-sided Test series to the first ODI in Dharamsala. From the New Zealand point of view, a victory was all that they needed after a string of deflating defeats. As a result of their first win on Indian soil in 13 years, one can expect a certain spring in the stride of the visitors when they take the field at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.
Virat Kohli hit a splendid century but Mitchell McClenaghan claimed four wickets to lift New Zealand to a thrilling 24-run victory against India in the first One-Day International in Napier.
What does Tendulkar miss the most about not being an active player? "I miss the laughter, the seriousness, the celebrations."
Former selector Raja Venkat, who was part of the committee which picked the victorious Indian team for the 2011 World Cup, says the current selectors are not doing things the right way.
Chennai Super Kings' skipper MS Dhoni powered his team to a final over victory. CSK beat the hosts Mumbai Indians by four wickets at the Wankhede, Mumbai on Saturday night.
India stormed into the final of the ICC World T20 with a resounding six-wicket victory over South Africa in the second semi-final, in Mirpur, on Friday night. Chasing South Africa's competitive total of 173, India, led by a scintillating unbeaten 76 by Virat Kohli, completed the task with five deliveries to spare and reach their second World T20 final.
The cricket fraternity from across the globe reacted with shock and sadness at the sad demise of Australian batsman Philip Hughes.
India most buzzed team in CWC while 'favourites' Australia fail to impress fans on Facebook.
Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are India's highest-ranked batsman and bowler in third and 13th positions respectively.
The Indian team's batting woes continued as they lost their opening warm-up tie of the ICC World T20 against Sri Lanka by five runs in Dhaka on Monday.
Check out the images from Day 1 of the fourth Test between Australia and India played at Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Indian pace attack is getting much attention Down Under, with Varun Aaron being singled out for special praise by Australian cricketers. They feel the youngster's biggest assets - pace and bounce - have troubled the visitors on previous tours Down Under.
