Two-time world champions West Indies will be the star attraction when 10 teams battle it out at next month's ICC Cricket World Cup qualifier for the two remaining places at the mega-event in 2019.
A summary of all the action from Ranji Trophy matches played on Wednesday.
A ruthless India completed a nine-wicket demolition of the West Indies in the fifth and final ODI in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday for their sixth successive series win at home.
Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill put on a 123-run partnership to help New Zealand end the fourth day of the first Test on 199 for three, on Saturday, but two late wickets will give the West Indies hope of securing a victory.
Tillakaratne Dilshan hit a glorious 96 as Sri Lanka thrashed the West Indies by 57 runs and entered the final of the World Twenty20 on Friday.
Wavell Hinds and Fidel Edwards led West Indies to a series-levelling victory over Zimbabwe.
Formidable India will hope to get more answers for their unsettled middle-order puzzle when they take on a reeling West Indies in the five-match ODI series, starting Sunday and ticking off the home team's countdown to the 2019 World Cup.
Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and Thisara Perera will be part of the World XI in the Twenty20 International against the West Indies, at Lord's on May 31, the ICC announced on Thursday.
Stokes was eventually dismissed for exactly 100 -- his sixth Test century -- with Kemar Roach (4-71) and Shannon Gabriel (4-51) the main wicket-takers as West Indies put their first-Test rout behind them.
Sunil Narine, and Dwayne and Darren Bravo all made themselves unavailable for the five-match ODI series, which begins in Manchester on September 19 and concludes in Southampton on September 29.
England finally bowled out a determined West Indies for 345 and limped to 10 for two in the evening gloom chasing 191 for victory after an absorbing fourth day of the first Test at Lord's on Sunday.
Denied adequate preparation time in India, the West Indies would look to utilise all their resources when they take on Board President's XI
After reading Amitabh Bachchan's tweet, Virat Kohli thanked the Bollywood star and called him an inspiration.
West Indies kept the pressure on Australia on day three of the first Test in Bridgetown, Barbados on Monday with the tourists restricted at the close to 248 for five in 95 overs.
Azhar Ali's superb unbeaten 146 led Pakistan to a commanding 279 for one on the first day of the first test against West Indies in Dubai on Thursday. Azhar shared an opening partnership of 215 with Sami Aslam, who was bowled by Roston Chase for 90 in the final session to give the Caribbean side their only success of the day.
In the last 13 months, India have played the West Indies in six T20 Internationals with the hosts coming up trumps every single time.
Young pace sensation Umran Malik's scorching final over proved to be the difference as Sunrisers Hyderabad slayed Punjab Kings by seven wickets for their fourth successive win in IPL 2022.
The duo is just 27 runs away from completing 1,000 partnership runs against the Windies and if they manage to do so, they will become the first pair to achieve the feat against the Caribbean team in ODIs.
The weather stands in the way of India going 2-0 up in the series after rain forced an early end to play on day four with the West Indies in deep trouble at 48/4 in their second innings and 256 runs behind the visitors, in Kingston, on Tuesday.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Denesh Ramdin rebuilt West Indies' first innings with a 200-run partnership to guide their side to 289 for six at the close of play on the first day of the third and final Test against New Zealand on Thursday.
A confident India, with a new coach at the helm, will seek to record a third consecutive Test series triumph on the Caribbean soil when the Virat Kohli-led side clashes with an inexperienced West Indies in the first Test match, starting in Antigua, on Thursday.
West Indies were 269 for nine, needing seven runs to save follow-on, at the end of the third day of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
Azhar's obdurate 193-ball stay at the crease helped his side plod slowly towards the hosts' first-innings total of 312 at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown to stand 140 runs behind with seven wickets in hand at the close.
India's batsmen posted a massive 609 for six in their second innings before West Indies finished on 245 for seven to escape with a draw.
Kieron Pollard declared himself 'heartbroken' but 'determined' to fight on in the international game as West Indies' Super 12 fate was confirmed with defeat to Sri Lanka on Thursday.
The young turks are playing in the challenging English conditions with red duke ball for the first time in their career.
After so many false dawns, West Indies cricket fans will be wary of reading too much into Sunday's third Test win over England but in drawing the three Test series, the Caribbean side showed some significant signs of improvement.
Former India batsman Wasim Jaffer picked his all-time One-day International team and picked four Indian players including Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its skipper.
Kieron Pollard was recalled to the West Indies squad announced on Wednesday for next month's triangular One-day series against Australia and South Africa.
West Indies, put in to bat, struggled throughout their innings as 18-year-old Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan took three wickets for seven runs off his four overs to land the man of the match award on his international debut.
Kusal Mendis led a strong Sri Lankan second innings effort but the West Indies still held the advantage at stumps on day four of the first Test at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad on Saturday. Set a daunting target of 453 when the hosts declared their second innings at 223 for seven just after lunch, the visitors reached 176 for three by the close with Mendis unbeaten on 94.
Bangladesh restricted the West Indies to 164 for 8 and then hit up the required runs in 18 overs to win by six wickets.
The West Indies' Cricket Board hit back at its detractors, insisting it is trying to find ways to keep its best players competing for the national team.
Virat Kohli took time off from his busy schedule to spend time with wife and Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma
West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard tipped his side as favourites against England in the World Cup tie on Thursday, but warned his team-mates against complacency.
Delhi Daredevils captain Zaheer Khan is hoping that West Indies' World T20 hero Carlos Brathwaite will be his usual attacking self when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL match on Sunday. "Everyone knows that IPL is all about momentum. Every guy's contribution will be crucial. And after his performance in the World Cup final, Brathwaite is coming in with that kind of confidence. I am hopeful that he will carry forward that confidence in the IPL," Zaheer told mediapersons, in New Delhi on Tuesday. For 37-year-old Zaheer, the biggest positive will be working with youngsters from India as well as overseas.
Panesar finished with match figures of 10-187 - his first 10 wicket haul in his 16th Test - and was named man of the match.
Brilliant centuries from Smriti and Harmanpreet were backed by courageous bowling performance as India beat WI by 155 runs.
West Indies players will share the entire $1.6 million in prize money for winning the men's World Twenty20 title as well as a portion of sponsorship revenue, the head of the region's cricket board told Reuters on Sunday.
Lendl Simmons was a late replacement, but he led a charmed life to blast an unbeaten 82 and carry the West Indies to a thrilling seven-wicket victory over India in the second semi-final of the World Twenty20, the Wankhede Stadiumin Mumbai, on Thursday.
