Successful in keeping opponents and vitriol at bay so far, India will have to rise above traditional bugbear New Zealand and a rigmarole of emotions surrounding stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to reclaim the Champions Trophy after 12 years in Dubai on Sunday.
India claimed an unassailable 2-0 lead over England after captain Rohit Sharma's rapid hundred secured a four-wicket win in the second one-day international on Sunday.
Shubman Gill's return to form will provide a big boost to Gujarat Titans as they square off against table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders in their must-win IPL game in Ahmedabad on Monday.
They will meet the winner of Wednesday's second semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand in the final in Dubai on Sunday.
Here is a look at likely retentions for some teams.
'Especially in the middle overs. That's going to be a key challenge.'
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy final played between India and New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.
England were cruising at nearly nine runs per over after the powerplay when Chakravarthy turned the game around.
"I think he (Shami) will be a major miss for India, given the Australian conditions. The pace and bouncy wickets in Australia would have helped India in gaining an upper hand if Shami had been in the squad but that's not in the selector's hand as he is recovering, but I think he will be missed," Adams said.
Since Suryakumar took over as captain last year, India have hardly put a wrong but his own form has dipped.
Sunrisers Hyderabad's bid to reignite their campaign in IPL 2023 came undone once again as they messed up an easy run chase against Kolkata Knight Riders.
'They haven't done a lot wrong. That's without some of their stars actually performing in that final.'
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 68.
Having recently made his international comeback against England in both T20Is and ODIs, the stretchable knee caps did not go unnoticed as Mohammed Shami first tried to get a feel of the conditions by bowling a few deliveries with a short run-up.
Kapil Dev believes the injury-enforced absence of key players like Jasprit Bumrah can hamper any team and hopes India's pace spearhead will return to action soon.
Chahal's match-defining spell saw him take home his first Player of the Match for Punjab Kings.
Yuzvendra Chahal led a stunning comeback for Punjab Kings with 4/28 as they defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 16 runs in their low-scoring Indian Premier League thriller on Tuesday.
The KKR think-tank might not be unduly worried as their campaign is still at a nascent stage, but they would like to see the first-choice pacer and spinner finding their range at the earliest.
India is facing form concerns and selection dilemmas as they enter the final phase of their Champions Trophy preparations.
'We have to lay a bit more importance on partnerships and understanding a bit of match awareness. It's all great to be aggressive but you have to got to use a little bit of upstairs to get the job done.'
IMAGES from the IPL match between KKR and LSG at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday
For KKR, IPL 2025 is slipping away rapidly. They need more than just a few tactical tweaks - they need clarity of leadership and bold but sensible changes in their playing XI.
England captain Jos Buttler lauded Abhishek Sharma for his blistering 54-ball 135 in India's dominant 150-run win in the fifth T20I on Sunday
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji check out who could be the Most Valuable Player of IPL 2025 before the final.
'Say hello to the new faces from #TeamIndia's limited-overs squad for the Sri Lanka tour! A special feature with the young brigade coming out soon on http://bcci.tv. Stay tuned! #SLvIND,' BCCI tweeted.
'Bitter pill to swallow,' says Shreays Iyer
Tactician par excellence Gautam Gambhir couldn't have envisaged a battle of brains with a more different kind of adversary than the smiling yet ruthless Pat Cummins as Kolkata Knight Riders face a spirited Sunrisers Hyderabad in a mega IPL final in Chennai on Sunday.
New rules, new captains, but same excitement as two months of cricket extravaganza kicks off in Kolkata.
Playing as the opener, Sanju Samson has made just 39 runs in the first two T20 Internationals against Bangladesh.
Our batters don't know how to score 180 runs, admits Shanto
It was a track where batters made merry after LSG put on 238 for 3 before KKR fell just four runs short as over 400 runs were scored.
Rahul Tripathi was a picture of sadness as he walked back towards the dressing room.
IMAGES from the IPL match played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings in Kolkata on Monday.
Indian batting line-up need to get its mojo back against a resurgent South Africa to regain the lost ground on rather unfamiliar SuperSport Park conditions
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Nitish Rana has been fined Rs 12 lakh after his team maintained a slow over-rate during their IPL 2023 match against Punjab Kings.
In a display of raw power and audacious stroke play, Rajasthan Royals' 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi tore into the Gujarat Titans bowling attack with a scintillating knock during which multiple records fell by the wayside in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday.
Vaibhav Arora or Mitchell Starc? Whose bowling was the highlight?
The upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is likely to see bowlers playing a crucial role in the success of teams.
Which batter impressed most at the Wankhede on Monday? Vote!
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 29.
