It will be a crucial couple of weeks for Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey, who are back in the mix after being sidelined from India's 50-over World Cup plans.
Besides KL Rahul, another individual who would like to answer his critics with solid performances is Pant.
The Pandya brothers -- Hardik and Krunal -- bowled well to keep the runs down and take wickets inside the Powerplay.
IMAGES from the 2nd T20 International played between India and West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
However, it remains to be seen how RCB will cope without players like Rajat Patidar and Josh Hazlewood, who both have been sidelined for at least the first half of this IPL due to injuries. Australian Glenn Maxwell is also unlikely to feature in Sunday's game.
Aruneel Sadadekar/Rediff.com takes a look at some players Indian fans will miss following their exploits in the Indian Premier League.
Rohit Sharma and Lendl Simmons hit half-centuries as Mumbai Indians demolished Chennai Super Kings by 41 runs to win their second Indian Premier League title, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by six wickets in an Indian Premier League match at the MA Chidambaram stadium.
As India women cricketer set foot into hitherto uncharted territory, it would be fair to say the auction has gone way beyond expectation for several of them if one compares it with the IPL.
Rajneesh Gupta presents Mumbai Indians's record in the IPL over the years:
A look at the various batting records in the IPL over the years.
India relied on their bowlers to stage a remarkable recovery scripting a comfortable 48-run win in the second cricket One-day international against the West Indies to level the five-match series 1-1 in New Delhi.
Their campaign back on track after drubbing Bangladesh in their previous game, Australia cannot afford slip-up against an unpredictable West Indies in their final Super 12 match as they look to seal a semi-final spot in the T20 World Cup on Saturday.
Virat Kohli anchored a tricky chase before Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur played useful cameos with the bat to power India to a series-winning four-wicket victory over the West Indies in the third ODI, in Cuttack, on Sunday. IMAGES from the third and final ODI in Cuttack on Sunday.
Following a disastrous outing in the 2022 edition, five-times champs Mumbai Indians will look to turn it around when the 16th season of the IPL gets underway.
Rohit will take charge as full time India white ball captain in the upcoming series against West Indies
Mumbai Indians have an eight-match winning streak against Kolkata Knight Riders with an overall 18-5 head-to-head record.
Kolkata Knight Riders resemble a sinking ship ahead of a rather inconsequential IPL-15 match against bottom-placed Mumbai Indians who, even if already out of reckoning, will have their tails up in Navi Mumbai on Monday.
CSK have been on a roll with three wins on the trot that have boosted them to the top of the table.
Even on paper, there is not much to choose, especially with Pune beating MI thrice this season including a comprehensive victory in Qualifier 1. But a impressive show by Mumbai in the final cannot be ruled out.
The major factor behind Rohit's decision to open is that he won't have much time to prepare for the World Cup, which starts in England on May 30, a couple of weeks after the IPL ends.
Fresh from their clinical display against Sunrisers Hyderabad, two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders will look to set the record straight against nemesis Mumbai Indians in their second IPL match in Chennai on Tuesday.
With an eye on the final spot, two-time champions Chennai Super Kings face high-flying Mumbai Indians in their first qualifier in the Indian Premier League at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Pat Cummins blasted the quickest half-century in IPL history to power Kolkata Knight Riders to an emphatic five-wicket victory against Mumbai Indians at the MCA stadium in Pune on Wednesday.
Mumbai Indians beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 42 runs in their final league fixture in Abu Dhabi on Friday but still failed to qualify for the IPL play-offs.
Hardik Pandya staged a late assault to help Mumbai Indians pull off a thrilling four-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders for their first win in the Indian Premier League in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Having made it to the IPL for the first time ever, Delhi Capitals are up against the rampaging Mumbai Indians, who have already beaten them thrice this season and are looking all set for their fifth IPL title.
Mumbai Indians need to rethink their strategy; Narine boost for Kolkata Knight Riders.
The odds are in favour of table toppers Kolkata Knight Riders as they square off against defending champions Mumbai Indians, experiencing a campaign that is oscillating between high and low, in a potentially exciting Indian Premier League contest in Mumbai, on Thursday.
Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders would be eager to avenge their twin defeats in the league stage when they face old foes Mumbai Indians in the IPL Qualifer 2 in Bengaluru, on Friday.
A recurring back injury will certainly keep Chris Gayle out of the upcoming home Test series against England, but the destructive West Indies batsman insists that he is not retiring from any format of the game.
Mumbai Indians have a 10-5 record against KKR. Can they maintain the advantage?
Rising star Babar Azam hit his third successive hundred to anchor Pakistan's 3-0 clean-sweep of the West Indies with a comfortable 136-run win in the third and final one-dayer on Wednesday. Azam smashed a 106-ball 117 while skipper Azah Ali returned to form with a 109-ball 101 as Pakistan compiled 308-6 before restricting West Indies to 172 in 44 overs on a flat Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch.
Rival openers Evin Lewis of the West Indies and India's Lokesh Rahul have made huge gains in the latest ICC Players Rankings for T20I Batsmen after slamming fine centuries in the recent two-match series in Lauderhill, USA, played on 27 and 28 August. The first match, in which a T20I record aggregate of 489 runs were scored, saw Lewis slam a 49-ball 100 in the West Indies' total of 245 for six that has helped him move up 288 slots to reach 51st rank.
How did India and Virat Kohli fare in T20Is? Rajneesh Gupta presents all the numbers.
Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front with a sparkling 84 not out as an inspired Mumbai Indians cruised to a six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders to open their account in the ninth season of Indian Premier League in Kolkata, on Wednesday.
South Africa won the fifth One-Day International against India by 214 runs on Sunday, to win the five-match series 3-1, their first ODI series win on Indian soil. Rajneesh Gupta presents some interesting numbers from the match played in Mumbai.
Images from Tuesday's IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Chennai.
