For the Gujarat Lions to roar, their top-heavy batting order must first win in unison against a consistent KKR bowling attack.
In its quest to paint a rosy picture on the health of Indian cricket, Board of Control for Cricket in India president N Srinivasan and former treasurer Ravi Savant's note in the Board's Annual Report doesn't have a single mention of the spot-fixing scandal that rocked the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League.
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Saturday
Dwyane Bravo recorded his best IPL figures with a four-wicket haul before Aaron Finch smashed 74 runs off 47 balls as Gujarat Lions thumped hosts Kings XI Punjab by five wickets to make a winning entry into the Indian Premier League match in Mohali.
The secret to Virat Kohli's phenomenal success, says Dhruv Munjal, lies in his fitness and a tenacious urge to be the best.
There were ugly scenes at Feroz Shah Kotla ground as rival captains Gautam Gambhir and Manoj Tiwary nearly came to exchanging blows during the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Bengal, in New Delhi on Saturday.
Powered by in-form, inspirational leader in Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to inch closer to a maiden Indian Premier League title triumph when they take on table-toppers Gujarat Lions in the Qualifier I, in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Hosts Mumbai rode on a solid batting display following their excellent bowling stint and looked poised for an outright win against Punjab on Day 3 of their Ranji Trophy match in Mumbai on Saturday.
A round-up of Ranji matches played on Friday
A summary of Tuesday's play in the Ranji Trophy matches at various venues across the country.
It will be a test of character and battle for supremacy when Delhi Daredevils and Gujarat Lions, two of the most impressive teams of IPL 9, lock horns against each other at the Feroze Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday. Barring one bad day in office, both Daredevils and Gujarat Lions had a near perfect campaign so far in the tournament. While new outfit Gujarat Lions are comfortably placed at the second spot in the eight-team standings with eight points from five matches, the Daredevils are a place below in the third position with six points from four games.
A summary of the third day's play in the quarter-final matches of the Ranji Trophy.
Delhi lost their second game in a row after their star studded batting line-up, including the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Gautam Gambhir, failed to fire against Himachal Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament.
Shikhar Dhawan struck an unbeaten 47 after a clinical display by his bowling team-mates as Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Gujarat Lions by five wickets in their IPL match.
'Twenty20 cricket can be a lottery at times, but I think we'll definitely reach the semifinals.'
Led ably by Shardul Thakur, Mumbai bowlers put up a much better display than the previous game and shot out Railways for a paltry 217 on day one of their four-day Group 'B' Ranji Trophy tie at the Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai, on Sunday.
A summary of the second day's play in the Ranji Trophy matches played at various venues across the country.
A summary of the second day's play in the Ranji Trophy matches played at various venues across the country.
Shreyas Iyer was the lone ranger as his unbeaten 191 helped Mumbai to 328/6 in their Group A Ranji Trophy cricket match against Gujarat in Hubballi on Wednesday. At stumps on the third and penultimate day, Mumbai trailed Gujarat by 109 runs with four wickets remaining in the first innings. Gujarat were all out for 437 in their first essay after Priyank Kirit Panchal slammed 232.
A summary of the opening day's play in the Ranji Trophy matches played across the country.
From winning the Under-19 World Cup to becoming Test captain, Virat Kohli has made rapid strides in international cricket. Pradeep Sangwan, his team mate from junior cricket, writes about the man they fondly call 'Cheeku'
Ashish Hooda scalped four wickets for 39 runs in an impressive pace bowling spell as Haryana came back into their Ranji Trophy Group 'A' match against Bengal on the third and penultimate day, in Lahli, on Sunday.
A summary of the first day's play at different venues in the Ranji Trophy.
A round-up of Ranji matches played across India on Saturday
Youngster Shreyas Iyer slammed his third ton of the season, a strokeful 137, while senior batsman Rohit Sharma hit an unbeaten 110 as Mumbai made an imposing 407 for four on day one of their Group B Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh, in Mumbai, on Saturday.
India Test regulars like Cheteswar Pujara and Ishant Sharma have also thrown their hat into the ring with base prices of Rs 50 and Rs 75 lakh respectively.
A summary of the day's matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament.
Sanju Samson smashed 72 off 56 balls as Kerala completed a five wicket win over Punjab to cruise into the quarterfinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, in Kochi, on Saturday.
Ranji Trophy giants, Mumbai, pulled off a thrilling one-wicket win over Tamil Nadu despite visiting skipper Dinesh Karthik's brilliant 167 in the first innings of the Group 'B' league encounter, in Mumbai, on Sunday.
A round-up of Ranji matches played across India on Sunday.
Captain Yuvraj Singh fell cheaply in his Ranji Trophy season opener before Uday Kaul and Gurkeerat Singh led Punjab's recovery against Railways on day two of the Group A match, in New Delhi, on Friday.
'This was Kohli's veneration for his master: The man who had inspired him to pick up a cricket bat in the first place, the man he had grown up watching. Just that now, he was exactly like him, or, dare it be suggested, maybe a shade better while chasing down daunting totals,' says Dhruv Munjal.
A summary of Wednesday's play in the Ranji Trophy matches at various venues across the country.
A summary of Tuesday's play in the Ranji Trophy matches at various venues across the country.
A summary of Monday's play in the Ranji Trophy matches at various venues across the country.
Owing to their first innings lead, Bengal grabbed three crucial points against Haryana after their Group A Ranji Trophy match ended in a draw at the CH Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Lahli on Monday.
Needing 95 to win, Delhi knocked off the runs in 14.1 overs with Unmukt Chand hitting 51 off 41 balls, striking 9 fours and a six, while skipper Gautam Gambhir's 44 ball 45 had seven fours.
Ahead of the start of the ninth season of the IPL, Rajneesh Gupta presents a detailed statistical analysis of the players involved.
IPL Action VIII: These players went unsold