A look at how the teams stack up ahead of the mega auction.
India's captain was on Thursday ruled out of Asia Cup due to a Grade 1 left side injury.
Kings XI Punjab will look to go all guns blazing against down and out Gujarat Lions in Mohali.
Dhoni's contract not being renewed is not exactly a surprise as he has not played a competitive game since that World Cup semifinal on July
After making impressive debuts in their respective openers, Rising Pune Supergiants and GujaratLions will test each others' strengths when the two new entrants clash in the Indian Premier League (IPL), in Rajkot on Thursday. The two teams feature a lot of faces from the suspended Chennai Super Kings and at least six players, who played in the same side till last year, will now be in opposite camps. Close friends and CSK teammates Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina will now be devising strategies as rival captains. Both have admitted that playing in a jersey other than 'yellow' has been very "emotional" but have promised to give their all for their new teams. The Dhoni-led Pune Supergiants were very convincing and dominant when they handed defending champions Mumbai Indians a nine-wicket drubbing. They did not even require their middle order, packed with Dhoni himself and players such as Steven Smith, to come out with the top-order delivering it for them comfortably.
While India's rivalry with Pakistan is historic, the one against Bangladesh has been a bitter one post the controversial 2015 World Cup quarter-final at Melbourne.
Celebs spotted at the special screening of MS Dhoni: The Untold Story!
High on confidence after decimating a high-profile Royal Challengers Bangalore, an upbeat Gujarat Lions will be aiming to lift their game a notch higher when they face title contenders Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League encounter, in Rajkot on Saturday.
The Indian fans could get a glimpse of the immensely talented Shubman Gill in the senior team jersey if he is chosen to replace Virat Kohli for Thursday's fourth ODI against New Zealand.
With the three-match T20I series ahead and also the World Cup round the corner, India will have to address this weakness to ensure that their much-vaunted batting doesn't crumble on an odd day when the condition aids swing bowling in England.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday evening discussed the party's strategy ahead at a meeting of the Parliamentary Board, its highest decision-making body.
At 12 years, seven months and 17 days, Dommaraju Gukesh is the second youngest Grandmaster of all time.
India are eyeing a place in the final after three wins in as many matches, while Pakistan will look to step up their game in the Super Four match, after a scare against Afghanistan.
Hosts Australia will pull on a classic uniform from the 1980s featuring green strip on bright gold top and pants when they take on India in the three-match ODI series.
India will miss Pant in World Cup, said Ganguly
Critics of the Mars mission are asking why India should spend Rs 450 crore on this esoteric mission when there are so many other national priorities. The argument is too simplistic. Moreover, the technological experience of this mission is going to help us in more earthly applications, says Dinesh C Sharma.
Images from the IPL matches played between Mumbai and Pune at the Wankhede on Saturday.
Kolkata Knight Riders, who have lost their last four games, need to get back to winning ways and keep their hopes alive of making it to the play-offs.
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.
Sri Lankans Thirimanne, Chandimal and Prasad also charged
The Indian government must support ISRO so that it is able to achieve its goal of becoming self-sufficient in all segments of the space business. The highly successful PSLV programme is a testimony to its capabilities. Now it needs to demonstrate the same with GSLV. Nothing should waver it from this goal. Not even competition with China, says Dinesh C Sharma
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji identify the Most Valuable Indian ODI Players in the 2018-19 season so far.
Delhi's young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant got his maiden Test call-up as he was picked up as the additional glovesman along with Dinesh Karthik after Wriddhiman Saha was ruled out with injury for the upcoming five-match Test series against England.
Bolly celebs have a new party place to go to!
'The coronation of Yogi Adityanath as the surprise chief minister should set at rest all speculation over the nature of the UP mandate,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Mumbai Indians produced a commendable performance as they thrashed Pune Warriors by 41 runs to win the 'Maharashtra derby' of the Indian Premier League in Mumbai on Saturday.
Dinesh Karthik is always ready to deliver whatever the situation may be and his experience and repertoire of strokes make him a suitable candidate to provide the final flourish for India at the death overs, skipper Rohit Sharma said.
Captain Virat Kohli hit an unbeaten half-century, while Krunal Pandya picked up a career-best four-wicket haul to guide India to a series-levelling victory in the third and final T20 International against Australia.
The plan to set up a human colony on Mars is a crude joke on unsuspecting and ignorant space enthusiasts, says Dinesh C Sharma.
Looking to salvage pride in the third Test beginning, in Johannesburg, on Wednesday, team India got down to business at the Wanderers with a practice session that lasted just under four hours.
Having sealed the series with a comprehensive win in the second T20I at Lucknow riding on skipper Rohit Sharma's brilliant ton, the home team would look to give reserve bench players like Shreyas Iyer, MS Washington Sundar and the uncapped Shahbaz Nadeem an opportunity before it embarks on the tour of Australia.
'People didn't associate Dinesh with hitting sixes. He had the ability to hit fours and the odd six, but hitting sixes (regularly) is one aspect of the game we have really worked hard on.'
Adityanath, who had in the past lashed out at a section of Muslims for terming the practice of 'surya namaskar' as un-Islamic, said the sun salutation was a beautiful example of religious harmony. "The namaz offered by Muslims resembles different postures and asanas of surya namaskar including pranayam.
Chief selector MSK Prasad told reporters last month that most of the players in the current India side pick themselves and it was a matter of finalising a couple of slots before the World Cup in England and Wales.
Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) is in talks with super majors like ExxonMobil to replace Norway's Statoil and Petrobras of Brazil who have decided to quit its KG basin gas block.
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils in Mumbai, on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators announced a new category 'A+' with an annual retainership of Rs. 7 crore. The top category includes the likes of captain Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah.
The hostage drama in Hyderabad involving a suspended head constable and a superintendent of police ended on a peaceful note. The state Director General of Police Dinesh Reddy intervened and successfully persuaded Head Constable Giriprasad Sharma to release SP Lakshmi Narayana. The drama ended four hours after it started.
A pure match-winner, a back-up opener and an effortless six-hitter in the class of Rohit Sharma -- Rishabh Pant merits selection in India's World Cup squad.
According to reports, the team will consist of players who, will more-or-less form the core of the 15-member squad for World Cup to be played in England.
