Both the high-profile openers, Kohli and Faf du Plessis, are big match players and will be itching to make an impact after low returns in the previous game.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle list Rediff.com's 50 Most Valuable Players ahead of Sunday's IPL 2022 final between the Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals.
India have accumulated 122 points on the back of series wins over Australia and New Zealand and are placed behind England.
The Indian fans could get a glimpse of the immensely talented Shubman Gill in the senior team jersey if he is chosen to replace Virat Kohli for Thursday's fourth ODI against New Zealand.
Former New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori believes a quick start will be crucial to their hopes against India in the first semi-final at Old Trafford.
Martin Guptill will play in his seventh T20 World Cup and Devon Conway will keep wickets in addition to his batting duties at the tournament
Mumbai Indians had rested key pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult in the game against SRH, which they lost by 10 wickets, but Bond defended the decision saying that was done with a long-term view.
Rain disrupted almost all of the second day of the first Test between New Zealand and England on Friday, with the hosts managing to extend their lead to 171 runs before they were forced from the field for good ahead of the final session.
Dean Elgar made the most of being dropped early in his innings to score his seventh Test century and anchor South Africa's 229 for four at the close of play on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in Dunedin on Wednesday.
Azhar Ali and Haris Sohail scored half-centuries as Pakistan overcame a shaky start to reach 207-4 against New Zealand on day one of the second Test in Dubai on Saturday.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test played between Australia and New Zealand at the MCG on Saturday.
India are poised for their third T20 International series triumph in five years but would be wary of a strong fightback from the usually plucky New Zealand when the two sides clash in the second game of the three-match series in Rajkot.
Australia defeated New Zealand by eight wickets to win their maiden Twenty20 World Cup title on Sunday.
Will India retain the same playing XI?
New Zealand will have their tails up and eye another upset when they resume the trans-Tasman rivalry with a strong Australian side.
Coming into the series at the back of a convincing series win over Pakistan, Australia will look to seal their seventh day-night Test win when they face New Zealand in the opening Test beginning in Perth on Thursday.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland believes there will be more day-night Tests in the future
'When you play for India, there are loads of expectations. We are watched, people come to the stadium and everyone who plays for India needs to embrace that and cope with it. We haven't done that in these two games, and that's why we haven't won.'
Trent Boult and Neil Wagner quickly wrapped up Sri Lanka's second innings on Sunday as New Zealand clinched the series 1-0 with a dominant 423-run victory in the second Test.
New Zealand eye top spot and a first series win over South Africa.
Images from Sunday's IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab, in Dubai.
The Black Caps were also scheduled to travel to Australia for an ODI series but the fixture was on Friday postponed to next summer (2021-22) due to the pandemic.
England scripted history on Sunday by claiming their first-ever World Cup title. The finals will be remembered for ages as it did not have a winner after the 50-over and super over action both ended in a tie.
Off-spinner Mark Craig grabbed three wickets after lunch as New Zealand completed a 193-run victory, and 2-0 series sweep, shortly before tea on the final day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday.
India retained their number one spot and captain Virat Kohli remained static at second in the ICC rankings. India have 116 rating points, six more than New Zealand with third-placed Australia accumulating 108 points.
Batsman Kane Williamson has been given the opportunity to flex his captaincy credentials after being named to lead New Zealand in their one-day international and Twenty20 series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
Doull said New Zealand were definitely benefited by the two games against England ahead of the marquee clash.
IMAGES from the first semi-final of the ICC World Cup played between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.
New Zealand moved to temper expectations ahead of the Cricket World Cup after their six-wicket victory over India in the warm-up match on Saturday, with conditions likely to be more conducive to batting during the tournament.
England's sporting global ambitions have never been fully realised since Sir Alf Ramsey's team won the 1966 FIFA World Cup. Whether it is Gary Linekar or Hary Kane, the 'Cup' that they desperately want never came home during the last five and half decades.
India face a replay of their 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand, while South Africa are set for a tough Australian challenge as the semi-final line-ups was confirmed on Saturday.
New Zealand are better organised and clinical in terms of execution and hence could start as the favourites in the first semi-final against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Images from Saturday's IPL match between Mumbai Indians vs SunRisers Hyderabad, in Chennai.
Kohli (886 points) and Rohit (868 points) have gained two and three ratings points, respectively to occupy the top two positions in the batting rankings.
Semi-finalists six times. Runner-up in 2015. Rajneesh Gupta highlights important numbers for the New Zealand team from World Cups.
Former India opener Gautam Gambhir expects K L Rahul to have a stupendous IPL campaign when the T20 league resumes in the UAE on Sunday.
A demoralising defeat in their own den will certainly serve as a wake-up call for the Kolkata Knight Riders bowlers as they take on a menacing Royal Challengers Bangalore batting line-up in an Indian Premier League encounter, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc was named the player of the tournament after his team beat New Zealand by seven wickets to win the World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Gujarat Lions would look to better their debut season's success and aim for a winning start against two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League match, in Rajkot on Friday.
Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim was taken to hospital on Monday after being hit on the head by a bouncer from New Zealand's Tim Southee but was reported to be doing "fine".
