The superlative effort of 4-7 in 2.1 overs against the UAE saw Kuldeep Yadav bagging the man-of-the-match award and at the post-match presentation ceremony he got a chance to express his disappointment and question the logic behind his constant omission from the Playing XI.
Shreyas Iyer had led KKR to their first IPL title in a decade last year. However, on Saturday, he returns as captain of a rejuvenated Punjab Kings chasing a play-off spot.
The Bellerive Oval is one ground where the side boundaries are smaller in size, hence hitting the right lengths would be paramount considering anything short would be flying over cover, point, square leg or mid-wicket on either side of the fence.
India's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup signals a bold new era, with seven fresh faces ready to debut on the continental stage.
The likes of Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel would all like to get some decent hit out there in the middle ahead of Sunday's clash against Pakistan.
Kuldeep Yadav's artistry was too much for a clueless UAE to comprehend as India hardly broke a sweat in an emphatic nine-wicket victory in their Asia Cup opener in Dubai on Wednesday.
Gill's highest score in the three Asia Cup matches has been an unbeaten 20 with the Test skipper failing to click in the games against Pakistan and Oman after a fruitful red-ball away series against England.
Spinner Varun Chakravarthy's failure to clear fitness tests has ruled him out while Thangarasu Natarajan is racing against time to be battle-ready, making him doubtful for at least the early part of India's five-match T20 series against England, starting in Ahmedabad, on Friday.
'Though I would like to see him in the playing XI, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will open the batting for the team.'
IMAGES from the 1st T20I played between India and England at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Here are how the bowlers fared in Guwahati...
Andre Russell and Varun Chakravarthy picked up three wickets each to power Kolkata Knight Riders to an emphatic nine-wicket victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL match in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
'I have said this before... Selection is not in my hands. If there is a fitness issue, I shouldn't be here playing for Bengal.'
IMAGES from the second T20I in Gqeberha played between India and South Africa on Sunday
Chakravarthy heaped praise on fellow leg-spinner Suyash Sharma, who had figures of 2/30 on Wednesday, and said that he could play for the national side.
Shivam Dube remains a vital cog in India's T20 set-up and bowling coach Morne Morkel wants the Mumbai all-rounder to step up as a back-up medium pacer ahead of the T20 World Cup, in line with head coach Gautam Gambhir's philosophy of packing the XI with multi-skilled cricketers.
Kolkata Knight Riders will have little motivation left when they take on also ousted Sunrisers Hyderabad in an inconsequential IPL game in New Delhi on Sunday.
The left-hander clobbered eight sixes and five fours in his scintillating 79 off 34 balls as India chased down a modest 133-run target in 12.5 overs.
Pakistan are currently in the second spot with two points, ahead of UAE (2 points) on net run rate.
This is the first-ever India vs Pakistan final across 17 editions of the Men's Asia Cup since the tournament's inception in 1984.
Shubman Gill enjoyed a phenomenal run with the bat in England, piling up 754 runs at an average of 75.40 with four centuries.
'He has been working hard on his bowling. This was a perfect game for him.'
Abhishek Sharma was brutal and beautiful in equal measure during his scintillating 74 as India made a tricky chase look comfortable, winning an ill-tempered Super 4 contest of the Asia Cup against Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday.
The BCCI press conference scheduled at 1.30pm in Mumbai is 'expected to be delayed owing to weather disruptions'.
Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav made optimal use of available resources in both departments as India did enough to beat a spirited Oman by 21 runs to end their league stage commitments in Asia Cup with a hat-trick of victories.
With a five-match T20I series in October-November in Australia, five T20Is against South Africa at home in December and five T20Is against New Zealand at home in January 2026, Team India will now look to test itself, its combinations and youngsters against some of the world's best T20I teams ahead of the T20 WC 2026, which will start in early 2026.
Indian cricketers - both past and present - have voiced strong support for the armed forces following a daring cross-border strike
KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane felt it was tough for the bowlers.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI against Pakistan on Sunday?
Bumrah, DreRus or Varun Chakravarthy: Who bowled the best spell?
Gambhir also backed Shubman Gill and urged people not to mix-up formats while comparing performances.
Parag smashed England veteran Moeen Ali for five consecutive sixes in the 13th over -- he dispatched the first six over deep square leg to bring up his half ton.
One cycle refers to three seasons between mega auctions, meaning Russell is aiming to stay with KKR well into his 40s if form and fitness permit.
The inclusion of Gill in the squad has raised doubts in the minds of management about who will open the innings for their side, along with left-hand batter Abhishek, in the tournament.
'By God's grace, I was successful. I'm still 7 on 10, still more work to do.'
To defend their Asia Cup title, India must improve catching and find a steady middle order. Friday's dead rubber is a good chance to try these out.
Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming rued the the lost opportunity to pick their former net bowler Varun Chakravarthy at the IPL auctions.
Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad find themselves in troubled waters, having lost two of their last three games
India's spinners were the key architects of the bowling performance. Varun Chakravarthy (2/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/40) were the standout performers, while Jadeja (1/30) and Axar Patel (0/29 in 8 overs) kept the pressure on with their economical spells.
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