The two squads comprise a host of players, who have performed consistently for their state teams and IPL franchises over the past couple of seasons.
Indian captain Virat Kohli on Saturday said he has "no idea exactly what's happening" when asked about the legendary Rahul Dravid being in line to be the team's head coach after the T20 World Cup.
"With the death of RK, the outlawed CPI (Maoist) has lost its three central committee members and as many other senior cadres in the last two years. These deaths would certainly deplete the strength of the Naxal movement which has been losing its ground. Security forces would make an all-out attempt to soon bring an end to the five-decade-long mindless violence by ultras in the region," Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.
In what comes as the biggest positive for Indian cricket in recent times, former captain Rahul Dravid has agreed to take over as the head coach of the men's team.
Batting first, Board President's XI made 295 for 9 in 50 overs and then bowled out the tourists for 265 in 47.4 overs.
Shaw knocks at selectors' doors ahead of NZ Tests with a splendid 150 off 100 balls.
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Teenage sensation Prithvi Shaw, who made a successful Test debut against the West Indies, will play for India 'A' captained by Dinesh Karthik.
The comedy is stale, but there are bits that make you laugh, notes Divya Nair.
In an act of gamesmanship, pacers, right-arm quick Harshit Rana (1/27 in 3 overs) and left-arm seamer Kuldip Yadav (2/27 in 3 overs) also wasted time, either faking cramps or tying shoelaces or not delivering the ball even after completing the action.
India's batting legend Sachin Tendulkar along with former team mate Vinod Kambli on Tuesday interacted with Australia-bound young opener Prithvi Shaw.
'It's a wake up call', said Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer as he urged his team's batsmen, with the exception of an in-form Shikhar Dhawan, to take more responsibility following a surprise IPL loss to Kings XI Punjab in Dubai.
For India to do well in the T20 World Cup, it won't be a bad idea to ask KL Rahul to bat in the middle order instead of opening with skipper Rohit Sharma, considering that the top batters, including Virat Kohli, are struggling in the Powerplay overs.
Tendulkar called the Indian captain one of the greatest but said he 'never believed' in comparisons.
His technique against swing bowling has also come under scrutiny with a few greats of the game, including Sunil Gavaskar and Ricky Ponting, calling for his ouster from the team.
With two senior pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (thigh injury) and Ishant Sharma (side strain) all but ruled out, Navdeep Saini will certainly be the fourth pacer after Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav.
The nail-biting win over defending champions Mumbai Indians was certainly a morale-lifter but the inconsistent Kings XI Punjab have another tough battle at hand when they take on table toppers Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, in Dubai, on Tuesday.
'I just can't see how they can bounce back (after) Australia whitewashed them on the third day. So 'no' is the answer -- four-nil to Australia'
Shreyas Iyer on Friday earned the right to invite his coach Pravin Amre for dinner at his home, having fulfilled a condition the former India player had imposed on his protege, by scoring a hundred on Test debut.
Bollywood gives Shashi Kapoor a final salute.
The likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan and Suryakumar Yadav will look to impress the selectors when the Vijay Hazare Trophy -- the domestic one-day competition -- kicks off on Saturday.
Photos from the ongoing IPL 2022 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals
Apart from Virat Kohli and the pace battery of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, and Ishant Sharma, not many in the current Indian Test setup can say they are sure-shot starters.
Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni says the execution of the bowlers was poor against Delhi Capitals in their IPL opener, in Mumbai, on Saturday.
Mumbai produced an incisive bowling display to bundle out Uttar Pradesh for a paltry 180 and take the crucial first-innings lead on the third day of their Ranji Trophy semi-final, in Bengaluru on Thursday.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Thursday tried to steer clear of the controversy surrounding the national selectors' decision to not send a replacement for injured opener Shubman Gill in England, saying it is a matter for the selection committee to consider.
Bumrah finished with figures of 4 for 14 as Delhi crumbled under his accurate spell. But it was Boult who put Mumbai Indians early in the driver's seat with the early double strike.
Karnataka looked set to secure a big first innings lead against Goa despite fighting half-centuries by three of the home team's batters on day three of their Elite Group C match in Porvorim, on Thursday.
Both DC and RCB have looked solid so far and are placed atop the standings with three wins out of four games each.
Images from Saturday's IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Sharjah.
The dominance of Saurashtra's bowlers could be gauged from the fact that Himachal lost their first seven wickets for just 22 runs.
Prithvi should bat just like he does for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy, said Rahane
Rohit Sharma hopes Indian team bring back U-19 World Cup trophy
Thrust into the leadership role, a completely transformed Rishabh Pant carries a lot of hope and responsibility on his shoulders as Delhi Capitals aim to build on the success of the last edition in the UAE, where they finished runners-up to Mumbai Indians.
The 34-year-old was India's number one Test wicket-keeper until a career-threatening shoulder injury ruled him out of action for almost a year.
Pant has often been compared to Gilchrist due to his strikingly similar batting to the Australia legend.
Virat Kohli's top-ranked team, with 360 points in its kitty, is certainly the favourite on paper but the Black Caps under Kane Williamson are experts at wearing down opposition with their patience
A round-up of all the Ranji Trophy matches played on Thursday.
Images from Tuesday's IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab, in Dubai.
Veteran India speedster Mohammed Shami has recovered from his niggles and is fit to play the final Test against England in Manchester, starting September 10.
Surya, who has been in great form, single-handedly guided the domestic giants to victory with an over to spare.
