They have jumped to the second spot in the points table with sixth consecutive win but the Royal Challengers Bangalore's stand-in skipper Virat Kohli is not ready to take their place in the IPL play-offs for granted.
Pakistan wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal took five catches as New Zealand's top order failed to capitalise on sound starts and battled to 246 for six at the close of play on the first day of the second Test at a windswept Basin Reserve on Saturday.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) should impose life ban on the Pakistani players if they are found guilty of spot-fixing, Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan said in Centurion, on Wednesday.
Virat Kohli scored a breezy half century to help Royal Challengers Bangalore eke out a narrow three-wicket win over Delhi Daredevils in an Indian Premier League match at Ferozshah Kotla on Tuesday.
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Already burdened by back injuries to captain Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum, New Zealand on Tuesday suffered yet another setback when fast bowler Daryl Tuffey was ruled out of the ongoing five-match One-Day International series against India due to a bicep strain.
New Zealand's stand-in skipper Ross Taylor was disappointed after the Black Caps crashed to their seventh consecutive One-day International defeats in Guwahati, but hoped to get their act together before the forthcoming World Cup in February.
Brendon McCullum's recurring back problem has rendered him a doubtful starter for the first ODI to be played at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday.
Misbah-ul-haq overcame the loss of late wickets to keep his cool and guide Pakistan to a two-wicket victory over New Zealand in their fourth one-day international match in Napier on Tuesday. Misbah, who has anchored Pakistan's batting throughout the tour of New Zealand, proved once again a thorn in the side of Daniel Vettori's team, scoring 93 not out as Pakistan finished on 264 for eight in 49 overs having chased down the host's 262 for seven.
New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 38 runs in their Champions Trophy Group B match at the Wanderers stadium on Sunday.
Images from the World Twenty20 match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe played at Providence, Guyana on Tuesday.
Statistical highlights of the first match in the T20 World Cup, between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, in Guyana on Friday.
Virat Kohli's sparkling century helped India script a 40-run win against an injury-hit New Zealand in the first One-day International to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series in Guwahati on Sunday.
Veteran fast bowler Chris Martin is among the 20 players, who have been handed New Zealand Cricket contracts for another year.
Gautam Gambhir leads one of the star-studded line-ups in the Champions League Twenty20. The Delhi Daredevils' line-up boasts of the two most dangerous batsmen in world cricket -- Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virender Sehwag.
He became only the seventh all-rounder in the world to score 2,000 runs and take 100 wickets in a particular country.
New Zealand have shortened next year's home Test series against Australia to two matches to help alleviate scheduling conflicts with the lucrative Indian Premier League Twenty20 season.
In a bid to secure the services of West Indies bowler Kemar Roach for next season's KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, Queensland have held secret talks with the player. Having announced Daniel Vettori as their guest player for this year's campaign, the Bulls are now targeting Roach to spearhead their assault on the multi-million dollar Twenty20 Champions League for the 2010-2011 season.
Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor scored centuries as New Zealand completed their World Cup preparations with a crushing 119-run win over Pakistan in Napier on Tuesday. It was their eighth win in their last 10 completed matches.
Kumar Sangakkara scored an unbeaten 113 and then returned to break the world record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in One-day internationals as Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 34 runs in the seventh and final match in Wellington on Thursday.
New Zealand will head into the final day of their one-off Test against Bangladesh in Hamilton firmly in the driving seat, as the visitors suffered multiple setbacks after being set a target of 404.
Struggling with three pull-outs within one week, Delhi Daredevils would seek to capitalise on the experience of legendary Australian paceman Glenn McGrath when they take on Victoria in their opening Champions League Twenty20 match in New Delhi on Friday.
New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum believes that the injury curse, which fell upon the Black Caps during the Champions Trophy, has given way to some fresh talent.
New Zealand snatched a dramatic three-run win over Sri Lanka in the first Twenty20 international on Wednesday.
Reader Aravinda Ram sent us this photograph from Johannesburg.
Pakistan made a strong comeback on the fourth day of the final Test against New Zealand at McLean Park, in Napier, finishing the day on 347 for four wickets in its second innings.
New Zealand took the first day's honours in the second Test against Pakistan after reducing the visitors to 161 for 6 when stumps was called 56 minutes before the scheduled close at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Thursday.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has succeeded in signing its six Indian Premier League-contracted players, avoiding a possible rift caused by a scheduling clash with Australia's tour of the country next March.
Australia registered a tense 12-run win over New Zealand in the second one-day international at Auckland.
Ross Taylor had a winning start to his career as a captain as New Zealand eked out a two-wicket win over trans-Tasman tivals Australia in a closely contested opening one-day international at Napier on Wednesday.
Rishabh Pant became the first Indian and only the 12th player on record to hit a six as the first scoring shot of their Test career.
Chennai Super Kings went on expected lines as they retained their top five players including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo for the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League.
New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori made a crucial breakthrough as he clean bowled Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene for a brave 77.
New Zealand's Colin Munro and Ish Sodhi have started the year with a bang after vaulting to the top of the ICC T20I Player Rankings for batsmen and bowlers respectively, following stellar performances in the series against the West Indies, which recently concluded at Mount Maunganui on Wednesday.
Half-centuries from openers Imran Farhat and Salman Butt saw Pakistan make a strong reply after conceding a huge first innings lead against New Zealand on day three of the third Test, in Napier, on Sunday. Farhat, who made 117 not out in the first-innings, was 55 not out at the close with Butt unbeaten on 66 as the tourists reached 128 without loss in 56 overs to reduce the deficit to 120 runs.
Statistical highlights of the opening day's play in the first Test between India and New Zealand at Hamilton on Wednesday.
Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif celebrated his return to international cricket with three vital wickets as New Zealand battled to 276 for 6 at stumps on Day 1 of the first Test in Dunedin on Tuesday.
World champions India will worry more about the fickle Kiwi weather than the composition and strength of Daniel Vettori's team when they meet New Zealand in the first Twenty20 cricket international at the AMI Park in Christchurch on Wednesday.
New Zealand all-rounder Jesse Ryder suffered a double blow on Sunday when he was ruled out of the rest of the Champions Trophy with injury and fined for breaking a chair with his bat. The left-hander tore an abductor muscle while scoring a half century in his team's Group B match against Sri Lanka at The Wanderers.
Riding on a splendid all round show, New Zealand saw off Sri Lanka by 38 runs in a high scoring Group B match to keep their semi-final chances alive in the Champions Trophy at the Wanderers stadium on Sunday.
