Rinku Singh stole the show with as he guided Kolkata Knight Riders to a thrilling three-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Sudeep Tyagi and Siddharth Trivedi, the medium pacers from Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat respectively, won't be a part of the Saurashtra Ranji Trophy squad for the first two matches this season.
Former stumper Syed Kirmani was bestowed with the prestigious Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Indian cricket, while Test captain Virat Kohli bagged the Polly Umrigar Trophy for Cricketer of the Year in the BCCI awards night in Mumbai on Tuesday.
A round-up of the opening day's actions of the Ranji Trophy matches being played in different parts of the country.
A formidable India U-19 team coached by the legendary Rahul Dravid start as overwhelming favourites against minnows Ireland in their opening Group D league match of the ICC U-19 World Cup in Mirpur on Thursday. Being three-time champions, the tournament has always helped India unearth raw talent who have gone on to become big stars in the future. Whether it is Yuvraj Singh or India's current No. 1 batsman Virat Kohli, India have been lucky in terms of tapping quality talent from the tournament. It's no different this time round as the likes of Ishan Kishan, Risabh Pant, Avesh Khan would like to showcase their talent under the able guidance of Dravid, in an event which is widely televised.
A summary of the day's play in the Ranji Trophy matches played across the country.
Tail-ender Javed Khan, batting with a finger injury, saved Mumbai from following-on while chasing Railways' first innings score of 242 in the rain-truncated Ranji Trophy match, in Delhi, on Wednesday. A summary of the final day's play of the league matches around the country.
Young Karun Nair completed a hat-trick of first-class centuries in his debut season as Karnataka seized control of their Ranji Trophy semi-final against hosts Punjab, taking an 81-run first innings lead on the third day, in Mohali, on Monday. In reply to Punjab's first innings total of 270, the visitors ended the third day's play on 351 for 5, with Nair unbeaten on a career best score of 107 in company of comeback man Amit Verma, who struck an unbeaten 65.
The 20-year-old, who had a dream debut in the Indian Premier League, tells Rediff.com's Harish Kotian how a successful show in the Ranji Trophy helped boost his confidence in the IPL.
Priyam was named captain of the Indian under-19 team for the World Cup to be played in South Africa from January 17 to February 9.
'During the 2015 IPL, Kohli Sir greeted me with folded hands after I scored a 21-ball 45.' 'Everybody knows he has played many such innings, but what he was doing was motivating a 17 year old.' 'It speaks volumes of him as a captain and human being,' Sarfaraz Khan tells Aruneel Sadadekar/Rediff.com
The BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit on Thursday said it will launch a probe into an alleged bribery scandal unearthed by a sting operation, which claimed that a member of Indian Premier League chairman Rajeev Shukla's personal staff sought bribes to facilitate selection of players.
Mumbai sneaked into the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy by virtue of their first innings lead in their last Group A league match against holders Karnataka, which ended in a draw at the Wankhede stadium on Monday.
Praising Kuldeep Yadav for his recent exploits in international cricket, India discard Suresh Raina said credit should be given to former head coach Anil Kumble for shaping the young spinner.
'Cricket is a game where if you come back after a gap, then it is not easy to perform immediately.'
Originally, Porel, Tyagi, Natarajan and Kamlesh Nagarkoti were named as net bowlers but the last one had to be pulled out even before the team left for Australia due to his frail body needing workload management.
Young Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Sarfaraz Khan on Tuesday revealed he has been advised to play as per the match situation by captain Virat Kohli in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
Uttar Pradesh left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar is the only new face in the 18-member Indian squad for the three-Test series against Sri Lanka.
Riding on Shreyas Iyer's marathon knock of 173, Ranji giants Mumbai gathered three points against Baroda on the basis of first innings lead in their Group B cricket encounter, in Vadodra, on Sunday.
Middle-order batsman Chirag Gandhi struck a timely, maiden first class hundred and remained unbeaten on 136 to lift newly-crowned Ranji Trophy champions Gujarat from deep trouble on day one of the Irani Cup game against the Rest of India at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.
Riding on right arm leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal's five-wicket haul, Karnataka beat Uttar Pradesh by 92 runs to enter into the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Saturday.
A call-up for the West Indies tour for two Tests was inevitable for Yashasvi Jaiswal after proving himself across formats.
Ranji champions Uttar Pradesh will take on Pakistan's national winners Sialkot in the four-day match in Dharamshala.
Discarded Indian pacer Praveen Kumar has joined Samajwadi Party on Sunday ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Kumar, who has represented India in six Test matches and 68 ODIs, said that he met UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and took the decision to join his party. "I have met CM and decided to join the party. I will do whatever is possible for the party," Kumar told reporters after meeting the CM, who is also state president of SP.
Star all-rounder Kieron Pollard will lead the Trinidad side whereas Darren Sammy will lead the Caribbean Select XI.
Captain Imran Nazir scored a fine century to rally Sialkot to 261 in reply to Uttar Pradesh's first innings total of 316.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians have opted for Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh Stadium as their home ground.
A summary of the Ranji matches played across India on Sunday.
India put up a spirited bowling performance, before Mumbai youngster, Sarfaraz Khan struck an unbeaten half-century to steer the team to a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh and clinch the U-19 tri-series one-day cricket tournament in Kolkata on Sunday.
The teams shared the trophy following the tie in the final of the Ranji Inter-state one-day knock-out tournament.
There is a more authentic Indian cricket connection to Afghanistan and that is through the family roots of Iftikhar Ali Khan, the Nawab of Pataudi.
'If he gets a couple of early wickets, he will be a different bowler but things may not go as per plan. It might take some time for him to get back the rhythm.'
Off-spinner Gurkeerat Singh Mann registered his career best bowling figures as Punjab defeated a sorry-looking Andhra by seven wickets on the second day of a Group 'B' Ranji Trophy match, in Patiala, on Saturday.
Fleming revealed that it was a well-thought out decision as CSK heavily rely on spinners in Chepauk's low and slow wicket.
A summary of the day's play in the Ranji Trophy matches.
Afghanistan's cricket team will shifted its home base from Sharjah to the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association stadium in Noida where they will play their matches and practice after an MoU was signed on Thursday in this regard.
A summary of Tuesday's play in the Ranji Trophy matches at various venues across the country.
'It's like sometimes you go to a top restaurant and order a dish, the food quantity might be less, but if the quality and taste is good, then it leaves a mark forever.' 'As far as my career is concerned, I think I delivered quality.' 'I last played for India in 2006, but even today when people meet me they remember Kaif as the best fielder who could take some amazing catches, get run outs and save runs on the field.'
A fit-again Irfan Pathan feels that he is close to bowling at his best and it's just a matter of time before he is again back in contention for the seam bowling all-rounder's slot in the Indian cricket team that has been up for grabs for some time.
Krunal Pandya on Saturday became the costliest uncapped buy in IPL history, going for a whopping Rs 8.8 crore to Mumbai Indians as rookie players, both Indian and overseas, turned overnight millionaires in the auction in Bengaluru.