Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to seal a play-off berth by beating laggards Delhi Daredevils.
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is focused on making good use of the one-month break post the Indian Premier League to sharpen his skill sets at the National Cricket Academy under Narendra Hirwani before embarking on India's challenging tour of the United Kingdom.
It's no secret that the 37-year-old is the first choice wicketkeeper for the England World Cup but a lot will depend on how he performs in the last three ODIs against West Indies.
England's sporting global ambitions have never been fully realised since Sir Alf Ramsey's team won the 1966 FIFA World Cup. Whether it is Gary Linekar or Hary Kane, the 'Cup' that they desperately want never came home during the last five and half decades.
Senior Sri Lankan batsman Dinesh Chandimal admitted that his side cannot always use 'transition phase' as an excuse for the team not doing well in recent times. Ahead of their World T20 cricket match against England on Saturday, Chandimal blamed on "inexperience of middle-order" for their inconsistent performances of late but he added that players need to "put their hands up and perform". "You cannot always say transition. We need to put our hands up. We will give our best shot in the next game," Chandimal said when asked whether a team comprising of Tillakaratne Dilshan, him, Chamara Kapugedara, Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera can be termed as inexperienced.
'He has been RCB's leader since 2013 and RCB's best performance under him has been runners up in 2016.' 'In 2013 and 2014, RCB didn't reach the Playoffs stage.' 'In 2015 it reached that stage.' 'In 2017, RCB didn't go beyond the league stage.' 'Sometimes, a change at the top leads to a change in a team's fortunes,' says Sudhir Bisht.
Rohit Sharma roared back to form with a quickfire half-century, while Washington Sundar picked up three wickets as India outclassed Bangladesh by 17 runs to advance to the final of T20 tri-series, in Colombo, on Wednesday.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is highly impressed with young Gujarat pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who has given the Australian batsmen hard time during the limited overs series in Australia that concluded in Sydney on Sunday.
Captain Michael Clarke was frank about Australia's struggles to read the spin off the slow Dubai wicket but declined to criticise his team mates after his second dismissal to slow bowling in the first Test against Pakistan.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not a part of the three-match T20I series against West Indies and Australia presenting Rishabh Pant with a golden chance to consolidate his place in limited overs cricket.
England start as the favourites but India have a golden chance to reverse the trend and get into gear just before the World Cup.
Images from the ICC Champions Trophy match between England and Pakistan in Cardiff on Wednesday.
The United Arab Emirates have sensed an inconsistent West Indies side could be ripe for the taking in their final World Cup Pool B match in Napier, UAE captain Mohammad Tauqir has said.
All-rounder Stuart Binny stamped his class by hitting a sparkling unbeaten century as Karnataka took firm grip of the Irani Trophy match against Rest of India (ROI) with a 189-run first innings lead in Bangalore on Monday.
After back-to-back losses against Delhi Daredevils and Rising Pune Supergiant, Sunrisers eked out a seven-wicket win over table-toppers Mumbai Indians at Hyderabad and David Warner's men need another inspiring show.
The indomitable Chennai Super Kings will have the advantage of familiarity with the conditions but the unbeaten Kolkata Knight Riders would still be a tough nut to crack when they clash in the Oppo Champions League T20 final at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians will be aiming to sort their 'opening woes' in both departments of the game when they take on a rejuvenated Kings XI Punjab in a must-win Indian Premier League encounter, in Indore, on, Friday.
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke feels that fast bowler Mitchell Starc's absence due to injury will have a huge bearing on the final outcome of the four-Test series against India.
With the teams entering the final phase of their preparations for next year's World Cup, former batting great Ian Chappell said defending champions India, Australia and South Africa are the favourites to win the game's showpiece event.
New Zealand's Brendon McCullum expects favouritism, underdog status and the possibility of choking under the weight of expectation to have little influence on Saturday's World Cup quarter-final against West Indies.
High on confidence after their fourth consecutive victory, Mumbai Indians will look to extend their winning run and sneak into the top-four when they lock horns with table-toppers Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League match at the Chepauk on Friday.
Mumbai Indians will look to extend their winning run and sneak into the top-four.
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.
The second World Twenty20 semi-final is likely to hinge on who emerges on top in the battle between the big-hitting West Indian batsmen and India's wily spinners when the former champions clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
A resurgent Delhi Daredevils will look to build a winning momentum.
Help coach Anil Kumble and captain Virat Kohli in selecting India's best 11 for the first Test against the West Indies.
India are using the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka as preparation for next year's World Cup and home team's captain Virat Kohli says recent performances of the pace bowlers, especially Umesh Yadav, has given him a lot of hope going into the mega-event.
Even as South Africa plot India's downfall with the help of Gary Kirsten and Mike Hussey, cricketing greats Sunil Gavaskar and Ian Chappell felt their presence would not make much of a difference to the Proteas' chances in their World Cup game against the holders.
India have been a far superior side to England in the ongoing five-match Test series but an area where the home team should have done better was close-in catching, feels fielding coach R Sridhar.
Revealing New Zealand's strategy that has outwitted Indian bowlers in the ongoing ODI series, batsman Ross Taylor said the Kiwis have focussed on denying wickets to the visiting side's spinners to wear out the rest of their attack.
There are some batsmen reputed, respected and feared for what they are: Destructive! They are the game-changers. It is not bats, but bludgeons that they wield.
A steadily improving Delhi Daredevils look all set to challenge the might of title contenders Kolkata Knight Riders when the two teams clash for the second time in the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match, in New Delhi on Saturday.
New Zealand bowler Neil Wagner on Saturday said that the hosts will not be hitting the panic button just yet as they are confident of taking remaining Indian wickets needed for victory in the first Test, in Auckland.
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.
A clash of contrasting styles, the ICC World T20 final in Kolkata on Sunday gives both England and the West Indies a chance to create history.
Opener Mayank Agarwal continued his rich vein of form with a cracking 161 as India Blue batsmen were engaged in a run-feast scoring 336 for 3 against Green on the first day of the virtual "semi-final' clash of the Duleep Trophy, in Greater Noida on Sunday.
Suresh Raina was presented a golden opportunity to force his way back into the Test squad after being named captain of the Board President's XI, which will play the West Indies in a three-day warm-up match ahead of the Test series that follows the ongoing One-day internationals.
Pumped up after a thrilling win over the smooth-sailing Chennai Super Kings, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will take on the resurgent Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Meet the Indian cricket squad selected for the Champions Trophy in England starting June 1.
Pakistan have long been regarded as a talented yet inconsistent side, but through a combination of sheer hard work, application and a little help from some inclement Caribbean weather, the South Asian side sit atop the test rankings for a first time.
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