A recap of the action of the second week of IPL 2026.
India lost their openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and K L Rahul on a green top but did well to reach 72 for two at lunch on Day 1 of the series-deciding fifth Test against England at The Oval, London, on Thursday.
New Zealand batter Kane Williamson remains at the top of the list with 883 rating points.
Fresh from a hard-fought 2-2 draw in England, Shubman Gill's men will be eager to translate their overseas resilience into home dominance.
After the proceedings began with light warm-up and catching, the action shifted to the nets where all batters had long stints in the nets while the other pace bowlers too put in the hard yards.
While many captains have buckled under the pressure, the responsibility to lead a team followed by a billion-plus fans appears to have brought the best out of Gill.
The others to arrive after a delayed flight were K L Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy along with some members of the support staff.
With 125 runs in three matches including two half-centuries, Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal has made his best start yet to the IPL.
Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson was effusive in praise of Yashasvi Jaiswal, saying the team knew the opener was due for a long innings.
'The winning shot was a great feeling, I wanted to finish the game and winning the game has been my motto. I'm blessed and grateful, I'm trying my best.'
The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be.
The Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals will hope their struggling bowling units can find their form on an Ahmedabad pitch that has produced high scores in the last four matches.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and South Africa, in Kolkata, on Friday.
Shubman Gill struck his 10th Test century, while Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets as India dominated Day 2 of the second Test against West Indies, in Delhi, on Saturday.
The indefatigable duo of Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Siraj is expected to be the big talking point on Saturday when the selectors pick a 15-member Indian ODI squad for a three-match series against New Zealand starting January 11 in Vadodara.
The players from both teams waited for nearly two hours at the ground before the steady drizzle forced them to return to their team hotel.
Sourav Ganguly believes India's biggest selection dilemma ahead of the upcoming Test series against South Africa could centre around one man - Dhruv Jurel.
Shreyas Iyer's 604 runs across 17 matches for Punjab Kings at a strike-rate in excess of 175 did not resonate with the selectors during the Asia Cup selection.
Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who entered the elite 500 Test wicket club at Rajkot, climbed a rung to the second position behind pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
Engineer surprised by Kuldeep's omission from 1st Test, says he should be playing all matches
The home side, chasing a 2-0 series sweep, reduced West Indies to 140-4 with left-armer Jadeja (3-37) leading the way.
There is a school of thought that having done the hard yards in the England series, Karun Nair deserves an opportunity against a weaker opposition where a century could boost his career.
India's recent T20 World Cup victory signals a new era of dominance in the format, driven by strategic gameplay, exceptional talent, and the financial power of the BCCI, while other teams struggle to compete.
Virender Sehwag believes that youngsters Yashasvi Jasiwal and Shubman Gill will dominate the world of cricket for the "next decade".
The Royals batting looks decent but there is the issue of consistency and lack of depth that could be telling as the tournament wears on.
Jaiswal was adjudged man of the match for his 31-ball 60.
India pacer Harshit Rana has revealed that the Indian management is aiming to groom him as an all-rounder.
India beat Bangladesh by seven wickets in the rain-truncated second Test in Kanpur to complete a 2-0 series sweep on Tuesday.
While Rohit Sharma, K L Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mohammed Siraj were all recognised for their exceptional fielding efforts, it was Jaiswal and Siraj who were awarded the coveted 'Impact Fielders of the Series' medals.
IMAGES from the 1st Test, Day 1 between India and England played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, on Thursday
'Guys like Rishabh Pant have got a muscle memory and the thirst for victory.' 'He was such a key player last time he played there and the Australian public loved him as well, because of the nature of the way he played his game.'
All-rounder Axar Patel was named vice-captain of the squad, which also saw the return of in-form Ishan Kishan, who pipped Jitesh Sharma as the second wicketkeeper behind Sanju Samson.
Yashasvi Jaiswal wins ICC Player of Month Award
Rishabh Pant was ruled out for nearly three months after he fractured his foot during the fourth Test against England in Manchester in July.
India great Virat Kohli continued his push to regain his place as the best ODI batter while moving up to the second spot in the latest ICC rankings released on Wednesday.
'I am getting used to managing this side.'
Today, predictability has replaced volatility. When 200 becomes routine and chases follow a template, the element of surprise goes out the window and with it viewer engagement.
Rohit Sharma's training regimen is in full swing, but his playful spirit ensures that he stays grounded and enjoys the process.
The Rajasthan Royals suffered an epic collapse following Yashasvi Jaiswal's runout and it was a blow they couldn't recover from as Gujarat Titans clinched a comfortable win.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League matches played in Guwahati on Saturday.
