Struggling opener Shikhar Dhawan will be the focus in a spoilt-for-choice Indian team when it takes on world champion England in a three-match ODI series starting in Pune on Tuesday.
After their below par showing in the World Cup, some senior Indian players are living on borrowed time.
'So we are missing players. Evin Lewis just decided to push back on a central contract. He is good enough to play Test cricket. So the shorter versions of the game curtail our progress. Having said that, it would be unfair to blame the players for making the choice (of playing IPL). We all want to be financially secure at the end of the day'
This edition of the league will bear special significance with the mega ODI World Cup starting only two and half weeks after the final on May 12. In 2011 and 2015, the World Cup was held before the IPL and this is the first time that it will be held post the tournament.
Seamers put New Delhi in a commanding position as Ishant Sharma and Simarjeet Singh struck big blows against Hyderabad on Day 2 of their Ranji Trophy match. Here is a round-up of all the Ranji Trophy action on Day 2 on Thursday.
Images from the IPL match played between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday
In a thrilling match in Surat, Gujarat defeated Rajasthan "by one over eliminator" after the two teams ended with identical scores in 20 overs and the match was tied.
The tournament, which has been shifted to the UAE due to five million plus COVID cases in India, is a 'TV-only event', expected to be lapped up by all and sundry who crave for cricket and Bollywood in equal measure during prime time.
Calling Test cricket an enduring romance, Sehwag said it is the waiting game which makes the format charming.
A round-up of Ranji matches played on Thursday.
Prashant Dhanawade was lost for words initially when asked about his son Pranav's record-breaking cricketing feat. The 15-year-old became the first batsman to aggregate more than 1,000 runs in an innings in any format of the game when he scored 1009 runs for Smt. KC Gandhi School (Kalyan) against Arya Gurukul School in the HT Bhandari Cup inter-school cricket tournament, organised by the Mumbai Cricket Association.
Karnataka looked set to secure a big first innings lead against Goa despite fighting half-centuries by three of the home team's batters on day three of their Elite Group C match in Porvorim, on Thursday.
A roundup of the Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day matches played on Saturday.
It is a rare first Down Under for India since Lala Amarnath's side visited the country back in 1947-48 months after independence to face Sir Don Bradman's 'Invincibles'.
Rishabh Pant is a 'champion cricketer in the making', who is very much in the mix for the 2019 India's World Cup campaign for his ability to seamlessly switch formats, says chairman of selectors MSK Prasad.
Ashwin said bowling in partnerships will be of paramount importance, especially since India will be missing a fifth bowler in injured Hardik Pandya.
'Kohli represents a new generation of young Indians who are willing to play hard, win every match and dominate the rivals,' says Indrajit Gupta.
A fragile middle-order with over-the-hill players like Jadhav and Karthik has been the current team's biggest weakness and the World Cup semi-final result was a disaster waiting to happen.
A round-up of Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal matches played on Tuesday
'He doesn't leave any stone unturned in his preparations.' 'It is a treat to watch the way he pans and prepares for each format of the game.' 'The way he switches from one format to the other is simply unbelievable.'
'Talent is there, ability is there, it's about managing themselves, how to deal with pressure and the expectations that will come as U-19 champions'
Harish Kotian/Rediff.com rates the Indian players in England.
There will be a strong focus on buying uncapped Indian players with eight franchises gearing up to pick a maximum of 76 out of the 350 plus, who will go under the hammer at the auction for the 10th Indian Premier League.
Swapnil Singh broke an eleven-year jinx as he scored his maiden first class century, a knock of 164 without a blemish, to help Baroda take a massive first innings lead of 404 runs against Mumbai on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy Group C match.
India's list of non-cricket sports stars is growing, but when it comes to endorsement deals, the bulk of the money is spent on a handful of cricketers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar and senior captain Virat Kohli were among millions who congratulated the Indian U-19 team for their World Cup winning effort.
A round-up of Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final matches played on Thursday.
Putting up an all-round show, Karnataka defeated Mumbai by 5 wickets in their Elite Group B Ranji Trophy game in Mumbai on Sunday, inside two-and-half days. This was Mumbai's second consecutive loss at home, following their defeat against Railways.
A round-up of Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Thursday.
Ricky Ponting + Sourav Ganguly + Shreyas Iyer + Kagiso Rabada + Rishabh Pant + Shikhar Dhawan + consistent team selection. Dhruv Munjal on how Delhi Capitals achieved a remarkable turnaround in IPL 2019.
How India's players fared in Australia.
Railways caused the biggest upset in this Ranji Trophy season so far, after they defeated domestic giants Mumbai by 10 wickets within three days in their Elite Group B match, in Mumbai, on Friday. Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan (5-60) took five wickets, as Mumbai were bundled out for 198 in their second essay at the Wankhede Stadium, after India Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane failed miserably in the second innings as well.
A round-up of Ranji matches played on Friday
Some teams have completely overhauled their squads. Others retained their core at the IPL Players Auction.
Ishank Jaggi scored an unbeaten century while Ishan Kishan made 83 to hand Jharkhand the crucial first innings lead over Haryana in a Ranji Trophy match.
'When I entered the Indian team's dressing room, I discovered that there was a divide in the team, like a wall in between two groups of players, there were two teams within one.' 'It was all about individual glory and if the team won in the process great!' 'My entire Test career was about me wishing that my Indian team was more like the Pakistan team.'
Out of the national team reckoning for a while now, India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh says he will continue playing cricket till 2019 before taking a call on his retirement.
A round-up of all the Ranji Trophy matches played on Saturday
Shah Rukh Khan had David Letterman in his grip, giving him no quarter whatsoever, declares Sreehari Nair.