Devdutt Padikkal hit a stroke-filled 92 not out after right-arm pacer Akash Deep shone bright with the ball with a four-wicket haul as India A took control of the four-day second unofficial Test against England Lions on the opening day in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore's young batsman Devdutt Padikkal is quarantining at his home in Bangalore since returning positive for COVID-19 during a test conducted on March 22, his IPL franchise said on Sunday.
Karnataka on Tuesday named internationals K L Rahul, Prasidh Krishna, and Karun Nair in the probables list for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.
The Indian selectors will be announcing the team for the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps, starting January 11 in Vadodara and there have been speculations about whether Pant can hold on to his place in the squad.
With no foreign tours for the next one year, Easwaran's Test debut looks unlikely with N Jagadeesan being looked at as a potential third opener.
K L Rahul made a solid 74 before retiring hurt as India remained on course to chase a formidable 412-run target set by Australia A on day three of the second unofficial Test in Lucknow on Thursday.
India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who played in the fifth and final Test at The Oval against England in their last assignment, has been named Iyer's deputy.
Little-known ambidextrous Bengal spinner Kaushik Maity seamlessly doubled up for both roles during the optional practice session.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that Indian Premier League (IPL) matches will not be shifted from Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Auqib Nabi, Jammu and Kashmir's key bowler, is focused on performing well in the Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka, aiming to leverage his adaptive skills and contribute to his team's success.
Captain Shreyas Iyer and Devdutt Padikkal struck half-centuries to help India D stretch their lead against India C on the second day of their Duleep Trophy match.
The last time two specialist keepers played together in a Test was in 1986, when Kiran More and Chandrakant Pandit featured in the same XI, with Pandit playing as a batter.
Team India skipper Shubman Gill is unlikely to feature in the second Test against South Africa, with Cricket Association of Bengal sources confirming that he is not travelling to Guwahati with the team on Wednesday.
Rishabh Pant was ruled out for nearly three months after he fractured his foot during the fourth Test against England in Manchester in July.
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.
Azharuddeen was the vice-captain of the side, and now that role has been handed to Tamil Nadu's N Jagadeesan.
N Jagadeesan hit an unbeaten half-century to lead India A' confident reply in Australia A's huge first innings total on Day 2 of the first unofficial Test.
Rishabh Pant's 'chaotic' leadership style and batting might be the wildcard India need to level the Test series against South Africa, former cricketer Jonty Rhodes said on Friday.
India A captain Shreyas Iyer has pulled out of the second unofficial Test against Australia A starting in Lucknow on Tuesday because of personal reasons.
The 20-year-old Padikkal was one of the finds of the last IPL, scoring 474 runs with five half-centuries and contributing handsomely to RCB's campaign.
Saurashtra will be bolstered by the presence of India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja against a strong Madhya Pradesh i the second round of Ranji Trophy.
'Sometimes it might look wrong in the fans' eyes, but please don't twist things or create narratives that aren't even close to the truth.'
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.
The short turnaround time from the high of winning a controversy-marred Asia Cup notwithstanding, Shubman Gill's India will be outright favourites against a struggling and under-strength West Indies when the teams face-off on a green-top in the first Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Pant's gritty fifty keeps India A together in chase of 275
After the first phase, which saw CSK openers dominating the proceedings, it's their bowlers who are coming to their own in the second phase.
Pacers Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal and Sumit Mohanta shared seven wickets to power Bengal to an innings and 13-run win over Punjab in their Elite Group C match of the Ranji Trophy.
'So make sure first you pick the right characters and then if you see that, try and give them a longer run so that they themselves should be content and happy that they've got a longer run rather than just chopping and changing as well.'
Skipper Shubman Gill had a long batting stint while the troika of Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel returned to action for India's final training session here on Wednesday before the first Test against the West Indies.
RCB batter Devdutt Padikkal's absence at No. 3 will also be partially filled by Patidar's availability. Padikkal has been sidelined for the remainder of the IPL due to a hamstring injury, and Mayank Agarwal, who is primarily an opener, has been brought in by the franchise to take his place.
Shubman Gill might just want to be fit enough to bat, as even a half-fit skipper is seen as more effective than Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran or Sarfaraz Khan.
David Warner was among the high-profile players who went unsold on Day 1 of the Indian Premier League 2025 mega auction in Jeddah on Sunday.
In a video posted by RCB's X handle, Krunal Pandya spoke in the dressing room about two people and crucial moments that turned the tide in their favour.
Here's a roundup of all Ranji Trophy matches played on Day 1 on Wednesday.
Devdutt Padikkal stroked a sparkling 63 from 45 balls, inclusive of a six and six fours, to propel RCB to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory against Rajasthan Royals.
India's Test stars flopped with the bat as the hosts folded for a lowly 194 in 52.5 overs in their first innings, on Day 2 of the unofficial second Test against Australia A.
Devdutt Padikkal (5) and skipper Virat Kohli (7) departed in quick succession early, both falling to Sandeep Sharma (2 for 20).
Abhimanyu Easwaran made the future path all the more tough with his second duck of the match, while Sai Sudharsan concluded his lukewarm preparation for the South Africa Test series with an underwhelming 23 off 38 balls.
Senior pros Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made a grand comeback to the Vijay Hazare Trophy, smashing centuries on the opening day of the one-day tournament on Wednesday.
It was also his third hundred in the last seven innings after going past three digits against Australia A at Lucknow and the West Indies at Ahmedabad.
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