The India squad to play New Zealand in a five-ODI, two-Test tour is as dominant a force in world cricket as at any stage when retired batting great Sachin Tendulkar donned the pads.
The 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicks off on Saturday with two reinstated teams and a new broadcaster in a fresh testament to its undiminished appeal to India's incurably cricket-obsessed masses.
As many as 80 brands are riding the digital and television broadcast this year.
Team India, despite all the hype and expectations, failed to beat Australia even once during the tour. On the contrary, the co-hosts, having already got the measure of their opponents in the Test matches and the tri-series, thrashed them in Sydney, abruptly ending the Men in Blue's World Cup defense. Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com looks at the lighter side of things.
Insisting that India are currently playing the "best cricket of the World Cup", West Indies batting legend Brian Lara feels that the defending champions must test their bench strength against minnows UAE in a Pool B match in Perth.
Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI's demand is for a tournament involving the 'Big Three' of India, Australia and England plus another country to be slotted into an already bursting schedule, putting it on course for a clash with the ICC, which has enjoyed a period of calm in recent years at its Dubai headquarters. India's 'Super Series' proposal is a concern to many in the game, including the executive chairman of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA), Tony Irish.
'Let us stand together in displaying our utter and complete lack of spine, in safeguarding our hundreds of crore rupees of income and in supporting this military-style mobilisation against the very masses who have practically treated us as gods and to whom we owe everything we enjoy.'
Joginder Tuteja lists the actors, who are yet to announce their next ventures.
Sukanya Verma takes us down beautiful bridal history.
The consistency of India's bowlers throughout the tournament disguised the team's batting problems till they were exposed in the semi-final against Australia.
Dhoni's track record as captain of the Indian team is formidable.
David Warner and Glenn Maxwell struck blistering centuries as Australia flexed their batting muscles to expose defending champion India's bowling limitations in a World Cup warmup match in Adelaide on Sunday.
Images from Day 4 of the first Test between India and England, at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai.
Australia expecting a very different India in World Cup semi-final.
India will finish their home series against Sri Lanka on December 24 before leaving for South Africa on December 28. They are scheduled to play a two-day warm-up tie starting on December 30 before taking on South Africa in the first Test on January 5.
>With 40 out of 70 IPL 2022 games completed, the crucial playoff spots are slowly starting to take shape. Shailesh Karkera finds out how teams may fare in the crucial second half of IPL 2022.
MS Dhoni all set for new innings.
India's notoriously volatile fans showed rare maturity in accepting the end of their team's reign.
India go into the quarter-final against their neighbours as favourites, but will certainly not take them too lightly, not wanting to suffer the same fate as they did in the 2007 edition.
David Warner's career-best 178 and Glenn Maxwell's 88-run blitz powered Australia to a record World Cup total of 417 for six wickets and 275 runs victory over lowly Afghanistan in a Pool A match at the Gabba, in Perth, on Wednesday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's boys have eclipsed the India record by winning nine straight games in the World Cup, including four matches in the previous edition. Saturday's match against Zimbabwe provides them the opportunity.
Cricket World Cup will be clean, says anti-corruption chief.
Five years into retirement, the little master is the third highest paid sports endorser. How did he script his return to relevance?
In the end it came in as a quiet announcement on the social network. But MS Dhoni had made the decision. He knew it was the right time.
Title holders India are not among the front-runners to win the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, feels former Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming.
Check out the images from the second semi-final between Australia and India at the ICC World Cup at the Sydney Cricket, on Thursday.
Why didn't the BCCI CEO mention Pakistan in his letter?
'Judging by the formbook, both sides are an equal chance to win. Pakistan has the better-balanced attack, offset by a batting line-up that oscillates between the brilliant and the bwahahaha, sometimes in the space of the same over.' 'As for India, 'bowling attack' is an oxymoron and the batting line-up is still struggling to memorise its lines.'
French football legend Robert Pires says it was his 'second daddy' Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who convinced him to come out of retirement and play in the Indian Super League.
With a new campaign for Gatorade and renewed thrust on sports drinks, PepsiCo looks to make the most of the growing passion for fitness in the country.
Injuries, confusion over team changes and replacement players have compounded problems for India, who look bereft of a clear strategy and have stumbled after a good start at the World Cup.
Irked by the delaying tactics of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the Supreme-Court appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) on Thursday instructed the Indian Cricket Board to "immediately announce the Champions Trophy squad".
Missed these amazing pictures this year? We give you a recap.
India's One-day International cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is among Forbes magazine's 100 highest-paid athletes in the world.
Sukanya Verma lists the lessons Bollywood taught us this year.
Despite their up and down showing in the league stage, there is no doubt that England are one of the most complete teams in the World Cup and are heavy favourites for Sunday's final, but New Zealand won't give up without a fight.
RailYatri offers a host of travel-related services to a 4.5 million user base. Shine Jacob finds out what's next for the app.
The eight IPL franchises will submit their 'Player Retention Lists' on Friday, January 10. A look at the players likely to be retained.
Saurashtra left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat has been recalled, while India also have three first-timers in Washington Sundar, Basil Thampi and Deepak Hooda for the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka.
Skipper Rohit Sharma rose to the occasion when it mattered most as his record breaking third double hundred guided India to a series-levelling 141-run win against Sri Lanka in the second ODI in Mohali on Wednesday.
