Despite consistently reaching the WTC finals in the past two cycles, where they faced New Zealand and Australia but fell short, India's chances for a third consecutive appearance are now at risk.
An in-form Mumbai Indians will be out for revenge having lost to Gujarat Titans earlier in the season.
Mumbai Indians have the upper hand given their current form despite having lost to CSK in their IPL season-opener in Chepauk.
Latham admitted he has given thought to how to utilise the spinners at their disposal. New Zealand have Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel among frontline tweakers and Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips also to roll over their arms.
'These are areas that we're trying to tidy up and try and be much more consistent all around.'
Struggling Mumbai Indians will be hoping their batters get their act together and shoulder responsibility when they take on an inspired Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League match in Mumbai on Monday.
IMAGES from the IPL 2024 match between Gujarat Titans vs Shubman Gill at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.
A spirited performance from their bowlers saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru outclass Chennai Super Kings by 27 runs to qualify for the play-offs.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes South Africa has a slight edge over New Zealand in their Champions Trophy semifinal clash.
Hardik Pandya's maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket and star batter Suryakumar Yadav's fluent 67 went in vain as Lucknow Super Giants beat Mumbai Indians by 12 runs in an Indian Premier League match in Lucknow on Friday.
New Zealand captain Tim Southee said playing two Tests at Galle, known as a spinner's paradise, was always going to be challenging.
'Sometimes you're so used to muscling the ball that you end up forgetting the soft hands which probably used to happen eight or 10 years back. A complete cricketer is a cricketer who plays T20 format and Test cricket successfully. He can adapt his game.'
Despite being hit by the absence of key bowlers due to injuries as well as international commitments, Chennai Super Kings will still like to display their on-field ruthlessness while taking on wooden spooners Gujarat Titans in a 12th round IPL encounter in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Images from the opening day of the first Test match between India and New Zealand in Kanpur, on Thursday.
Fans can expect a wide open tournament in the absence of an overwhelming favourite in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Sri Lanka put themselves in a good position on the third day of the opening Test against New Zealand after Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal made half-centuries but the hosts lost some of their momentum to reach 237-4 at stumps in Galle on Friday.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead believes that Kane Williamson's ability to counter India's spin attack will be crucial in the Champions Trophy final.
Kane Williamson is a doubt for the Test series against India due to a groin injury sustained in the second Test against Sri Lanka.
The tournament was decorated with several impactful players and 12 of them have made it to the ICC Champions Trophy Team of the Tournament.
Rohit Sharma's aggressive batting and Shubman Gill's calculated approach have formed a formidable opening partnership for India in ODIs.
Noor Ahmad excelled on his Chennai Super Kings debut before Rachin Ravindra and Ruturaj Gaikwad stuck sublime half-centuries to set up a four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians.
Ravindra Jadeja's superb all-rounder show powered Chennai Super Kings to a thumping 28-run victory against Punjab Kings.
Ajaz Patel said helping New Zealand wrap up a 3-0 series sweep in India on Sunday was even more special than his spectacular outing at the Wankhede Stadium three years ago
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League Qualifier 2 match played between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians in Ahmedabad, on Sunday.
South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada has dethroned Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah as the top bowler in the latest ICC Men's Test Player Rankings released on Wednesday.
New Zealand made a strong start to their bid for a consolation victory in the third and final Test against England at Hamilton's Seddon Park on Saturday, reaching lunch on the opening day on 93 without loss.
Paceman Josh Little picked up Ireland's second hat-trick in T20 internationals when he grabbed a trio of New Zealand victims at the T20 World Cup on Friday.
MI will hope Jasprit Bumrah returns to his menacing best, which is essential for them to stop an explosive Sunrisers Hyderabad batting unit in its tracks.
Having got off to a start so typical of themselves in the Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians will hope for a quick turnaround when they take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai on Monday.
Pandya's inclusion obviously adds firepower to batting and he can also open the bowling if necessary.
New Zealand find themselves in the a difficult group with two-time champions West Indies and Afghanistan also vying for the the top two spots.
Jadeja, Chahar, Harshal, Tushar, Mitchell... Who gets your vote?
Rohit Sharma fires again as Mumbai Indians pulverise hapless Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets.
Kohli, widely considered one of the batting greats of the modern game, has managed just two centuries in the last five years and only two fifties in his last 12 innings in the longest format.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has picked India as the favourites in Sunday's Champions Trophy summit clash against New Zealand, but hastened to add that the advantage will be miniscule, given that the Black Caps are a formidable side.
Chennai Super Kings batsman Rachin Ravindra attributed their comprehensive victory over Mumbai Indians to the team's spinners, particularly the leadership of Ravichandran Ashwin. Ravindra highlighted the depth and balance provided by the spin attack, which ensured they could handle any off-days from individual bowlers.
DC's downfall was marked by unstable opening partnerships, inconsistent middle-order performances, and poor execution in pressure moments-both with bat and ball.
Australia completed a clean sweep of their three-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand on Sunday as Matthew Wade's side won a rain-affected clash by 27 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method at Eden Park.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy Group A match played between India and New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in Dubai on Sunday
The upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is likely to see bowlers playing a crucial role in the success of teams.
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