With a fit again Rohit Sharma back to lead the side, Mumbai Indians are setting their eyes on another IPL title.
IPL 2021 got off to a perfect start as A B de Villiers' stunning late assault helped Royal Challengers Bangalore upset champions Mumbai Indians by two wickets in a last-ball finish in the opening game in Chennai on Friday.
As troubling as it was to see Boult leaking so many runs, New Zealand fans might be as much concerned by how little he and his compatriots have played in the marquee Twenty20 tournament this year.
Jasprit Bumrah's appointment as India's stand-in Test captain is a 'courageous decision' based on his 'tactical nous', and his leadership duel with England skipper Ben Stokes is providing a fascinating sidelight to an entertaining game in Birmingham, said the legendary Ian Chappell.
The Indian batting line-up's soft underbelly lay exposed in slightly favourable bowling conditions as New Zealand gave the two-time champions a rude wake-up call, easing to a six-wicket victory in the World Cup warm-up match at the Oval, in London, on Saturday.
New Zealand eye top spot and a first series win over South Africa.
New Zealand made as many as six changes for the ongoing second Test, some forced and some rotated ahead of the World Test Championship final against India in Southampton from June 18.
England were in a strong position to win the second Test against New Zealand and level their two-match series as they extended their lead to 231 runs when bad light stopped play three overs early on the third day at Hagley Oval on Sunday.
Injured New Zealand pace bowlers Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson are "tracking nicely" as the side begin their preparations for the Test series against India, according to captain Kane Williamson. Both missed the Twenty20 and One-Day International series against India but Williamson said there are hopes they could be available for the first match against the world's top ranked Test team that starts on February 21 in Wellington.
Images from Day 6 of the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, at The Hampshire Bowl, in Southampton, on Wednesday.
Tim Southee picked up five wickets as India suffered another batting failure to lose the opening Test against New Zealand by 10 wickets, on Day 4, in Wellington, on Monday. Needing just nine runs for the win, New Zealand eased to victory in just 1.4 overs to finish the game with one full day and a half to spare and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
In the end, it was the one final bowling effort that resulted in a win for the Rajasthan Royals. That it arrived off the young shoulders of a debutant Kuldeep shows remarkable trust in his capabilities by the Royals's team management.
India captain Virat Kohli acknowledged the need for a "sixth bowling option" but also kept it open-ended when asked about flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya's bowling fitness, stating that the Baroda man "has to be fit to be able to bowl one or two overs."
The flamboyant opener feels the team is benefitting from the "invaluable experience" of veterans Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult in crunch situations.
New Zealand have now secured a first Test series win in England since 1999 and only their third overall in the country.
Jasprit Bumrah has regained the top spot in the ICC men's ODI Player Rankings after fashioning India's 10-wicket win over England with a career-best haul of 6/19 in the first match at The Oval in London.
A formidable squad at his disposal, Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson is hoping to end his team's 13-year-long title drought in IPL 2022.
Images from the IPL 2022 1st Qualifier between Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Krunal kept bowling tight lines, giving away only singles in his overs.
If Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals on Thursday, then Mumbai Indians may find it very difficult to qualify for the play-offs even if they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final league match.
For now, Arjun is bowling to MI batsmen in the nets.
The 10 IPL franchises have so far spent above Rs 388 crore collectively
Images from the third T20 International between India and New Zealand, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, on Sunday.
India will aim to shed their archaic playing style for good with a 'young and fearless' bunch in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand, starting in Wellington on Friday.
Chasing a mammoth 196 for victory, Kolkata Knight Riders's hopes dependent largely on getting off to a quickfire start, but their top order came undone against a spirited performance by the Mumbai Indians pacers with the new ball.
A win for Mumbai Indians will virtually seal them a spot in the play-offs while a loss for KXIP could send them out of contention.
LSG skipper praised Marcus Stoinis for his excellent innings. Stoinis smashed 38 not out in just 17 runs.
Images from Day 2 of the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord's on Friday, June 3, 2022.
With the addition of two IPL teams and a mega players auction coming up ahead of the new season in 2022, star performers at the T20 World Cup could be rewarded with handsome bids.
Images from the T20 World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia, in Dubai, on Sunday.
There is an uncanny resemblance between Wade and Jackson's 'gravity-defying tilt'.
Mumbai Indians pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult could be the key in the most sought-after contest of this IPL.
Martin Guptill will play in his seventh T20 World Cup and Devon Conway will keep wickets in addition to his batting duties at the tournament
Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma says a set batsmen needs to bat deep till the end when playing in hot and humid conditions in the UAE.
Captain Joe Root was dismissed off the last ball of the fourth day moments after he had been struck on the hand by a Trent Boult bouncer to put New Zealand firmly in the driving seat to win the rain-affected first Test at Eden Park.
Coming into the series at the back of a convincing series win over Pakistan, Australia will look to seal their seventh day-night Test win when they face New Zealand in the opening Test beginning in Perth on Thursday.
No Indian featured in the top 10 of the bowlers and all-rounders' list.
'RCB will make decision regarding captaincy after mega auction'
Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma was all praise for their backroom staff after beating Delhi Capitals in the IPL final in Dubai on Tuesday.
