Rayudu's consistency at No. 4 slot will solve our middle-order conundrum, says Kohli
Nerves will play a big role when title-hungry Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad look to outdo each other and regain the coveted IPL crown when they square off in the final in Mumbai on Sunday.
On a roll after five wins on the trot, table toppers Mumbai Indians will look to continue their domination when they clash with struggling Delhi Daredevils in an Indian Premier League game, in Mumbai, on Saturday.
It will be a battle of youngsters with the likes of Nitish Rana, Hardik Pandya on one side and the new star in the horizon Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan with his variations on the other side.
A round-up of Ranji matches played on Saturday
Stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma, on Sunday, said his side wanted to bat in tough conditions as part of their preparation for the upcoming World Cup and hence chose to take first strike in the fifth ODI in Wellington.
It was India's players all the way, with Jasprit Bumrah emerging the most valuable, ahead of K L Rahul. Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji present Rediff.com's Most Valuable Player Index after the just-concluded three-ODI series between India and Zimbabwe.
Mumbai Indians will start as favourites when they take on laggards Kings XI Punjab.
An inconsistent Delhi Daredevils will look to break the home jinx when they take on Mumbai Indians in their sixth match of the IPL cricket tournament at Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Thursday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead the Indian team for the limited overs tour of Zimbabwe starting June 11, while top stars like Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have been rested.
India opener Shikhar Dhawan said suspended fast-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya is 'crucial' for the team's balance.
Mayank Markande tops the Paisa Vasool Index at IPL-11. Who are the others?
Young Sanju Samson hit a quickfire half-century to help Rajasthan Royals register a convincing seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the opening match of the Champions League T20 in Jaipur, on Saturday.
Mumbai Indians lost their IPL cricket match against Kings XI Punjab by 18 runs.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets at the Eden Gardens to begin their Indian Premier League (IPL) defense on an emphatic note.
Mumbai Indians seek to maintain momentum against Kings XI Punjab.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni nearly pulled off a heist but Parthiv Patel's last ball run out helped Royal Challengers Bangalore edge past Chennai Super Kings by one run off the last ball in a thrilling finish.
India A struggled as they reached 145 for six in reply to South Africa A's first innings total of 341 at stumps on the second day of the second 'Test' in Pretoria, on Sunday.
It was his knock of 116 that guided India to an imposing 294 for eight and paved the way for an easy 58-run victory in the second ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare, on Friday.
Check out PM Modi's personal messages to India's players at World Cup.
So overwhelming was India's domination in the series, that Zimbabwe's most valuable player, Elton Chigumbura, is only seventh in the combined list with a MVPI of just 175, according to Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji.
Rajneesh Gupta presents statistical summary of Chennai Super Kings and much more.
None of three India fast bowlers -- Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami -- which makes it a bit easy for coach Stephen Fleming to sort his combinations.
Riding on the disciplined performances of their bowlers, Royal Challengers Bangalore thrashed Mumbai Indians by seven wickets for their second straight victory, in the Indian Premier League.
Impressed with rookie Axar Patel's all-round performance in the One-Day International series against Sri Lanka, India's stand-in skipper Virat Kohli has hinted that the left-arm spinner could be preferred in the side for next year's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Uncertanity over the availability of Wriddhiman Saha, who had a split webbing in his right hand, for the first One-Day International against Sri Lanka seems to be over as the wicketkeeper batsman looked fit ahead of the opening game, in Cuttack on Sunday.
'The game nicely drifted in the last 7 overs and one boundary off Umesh off the shoe and one in the end, a couple of inches from Rayudu from pulling it in... That's how the game goes. I've enjoyed being a part of it and West Indies certainly deserved a draw for the way they played'
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League-12 final played between Mumbai and Chennai in Hyderabad on Sunday
India are favoured to extend their dominance while West Indies face insurmountable odds to draw parity, in the second One-day International, in Visakhapatnam, on Wednesday.
Back in form with an impressive performance against South Africa in the recently-concluded Test series, Ravindra Jadeja is likely to make a comeback when the national selectors meet in New Delhi on Saturday.
India will seek to reaffirm their supremacy in the shorter version of the game as they go into a five-match ODI series against an under-strength West Indies in Kochi with the prime focus of preparing for the upcoming cricket World Cup.
Images from the third One-Day International between New Zealand and India in Mount Maunganui on Monday.
Chennai Super Kings seem to hold a slight edge going into the match as they have not only got the better of their southern rivals twice in the league stages but also have the winning momentum going into the match on what promises to be a bouncy track.
Says he comfortable with opening the innings
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Monday made a comeback to the Indian team for the first two Tests against South Africa, replacing veteran Harbhajan Singh, who was the only casualty from the team which won the Test series in Sri Lanka last month.
Shubman Gill's unbeaten half-century and Dinesh Karthik's quickfire knock helped Kolkata Knight Rider crush Chennai Super Kings by six wickets, in Kolkata, on Thursday.
In-form Naman Ojha struck his third successive century while No.10 batsman Umesh Yadav smashed a quickfire 90 to give India 'A' the upperhand against Australia 'A' on Day 3 of the second unofficial Test match.
'We have a quality group of players and we need to be smart about how we use them against opposition. I thought we played a very good game given the fact that what they had to offer. But definitely (Harbhajan was) not dropped in the way that you want me to say it. Just that it was a tactical decision'
After a 3-0 ODI whitewash and a win in the first T20 International, India would be looking to continue their dominance and complete the clean sweep when they take on a hapless Zimbabwe in the second and final T20 International in Harare.
590 cricketers -- including 370 Indian players and 220 overseas players -- will go under the hammer during the two-day mega auction in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.