Formidable India have their tails up as they head to the gargantuan MCG for the second T20I against Australia here on Friday, thanks to the influx of young talent and the return to form of skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
On Wednesday, the team celebrated with a lively team bonding session that had everyone moving and grooving.
Shami puts Bengal on top of points table with easy win vs Services
Shubman Gill was rewarded with the captaincy of the Indian ODI team for the upcoming tour of Australia, the BCCI announced on Saturday.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said that Powerplay overs will be crucial in the five-match T20 International series against Australia.
The India vs Bangladesh rivalry has gotten bitter in recent years, thanks to the partisan young fans, many of whom perceive India as an adversary.
Rinku, who is not having a great IPL season as he is not getting to face enough balls, though made it to the list of reserves.
Ahead of the mini-auction, scheduled to be held in Doha on December 26, the 10 franchises have released their list of retained and released players.
The Bellerive Oval is one ground where the side boundaries are smaller in size, hence hitting the right lengths would be paramount considering anything short would be flying over cover, point, square leg or mid-wicket on either side of the fence.
'In a format driven by aggression and innovation, the question remains: Can Shubman Gill's classical batting style continue to find space in India's T20 future?'
''When you have quality players like Rohit and Virat, you just can't question their ability and utilisation. Their presence is enough to boost the team's confidence.'
KKR, CSK to engage in bidding war in IPL mini-auction with big purse in hand
Kolkata Knight Riders saw two star performers in Rinku Singh and Venkatesh Iyer during their win over Gujarat Titans.
Two teachers-cum-Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in Madhya Pradesh died of illness while conducting voter list surveys. Relatives allege heavy workload and pressure to meet targets as the cause. A third BLO is missing.
'He is coming off age and doing what is expected of him and he has done really well for India.'
Shubman Gill enjoyed a phenomenal run with the bat in England, piling up 754 runs at an average of 75.40 with four centuries.
The team management now has a tricky call on hand while deciding whether to keep Samson in the playing XI finding a slot for him in top three or play Jitesh Sharma
With the much-anticipated Group A clash against arch-rivals Pakistan looming, India is sparing no effort in their training sessions, honing skills and strategising tactics.
'I have been playing for UP since 2013 at No. 5 or 6. So, I have got used to that position. I keep backing myself to play in that position because it is very tough to play in that position if 4-5 wickets are down.'
Those who bowl at 150 kph are kings, but I am also working on slower balls, yorkers: Umran Malik
Mhatre's maiden ton, Dube blitz fire Mumbai to seven-wicket win over Vidarbha
Test captain Shubman Gill also doesn't fit in the Indian T20 line-up, which has a settled top three in Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
After days of off-field drama, Team India was back on the field in Dubai at the ICC Academy, sharpening their skills ahead of the final Group A clash against Oman.
Hardik Pandya could become the first Indian and overall the third player in the history of T20 Internationals to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 100 wickets.
Against Bangladesh, Samson wasn't even considered good enough to come inside the top seven of the line-up and that begs a question as to what is he doing in the team if he isn't good enough to come ahead of Axar Patel.
The duo put on 103 runs for the sixth wicket from just 45 balls to turn the match on its head.
Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
India pacer Arshdeep Singh linked his success in the Super Over against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup Super 4s match to his ability to nail the wide yorkers.
Explosive left-hander Rinku Singh has emerged a "contender" for the finisher's spot in India's T20 World Cup squad, according to Ashish Nehra. The former India pacer though believes that the batter will face stiff challenge for the position from fellow-cricketers.
Kuldeep Yadav has a good record in T20 Internationals with 69 wickets in 40 matches at an economy rate of 6.77, with a best of 5/17 against South Africa.
Australia ODIs in sight, Rohit starts training with former India assistant coach Nayar
Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah returned to India's T20 squad for next month's Asia Cup, but IPL star performers Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out.
The report also indicated that Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are unlikely to get a call-up to the T20I squad as the team management might not upset the team's core combination.
'There are lots of very talented and skilful players who are coming through the system. The only thing we need to make sure is the transition is done in a controlled manner.'
'At the previous edition in Kobe, India won 17 medals. With a stronger team this time, I am confident we will surpass 20 medals and create history on home soil.'
The likes of Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel would all like to get some decent hit out there in the middle ahead of Sunday's clash against Pakistan.
Since he took over, head coach Gautam Gambhir has stressed on multi-skilled players across formats, especially those who can add batting depth.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India gear up for yet another demolition act of Pakistan in what promises to be an intense and tense Super 4 face-off of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma and Prabhsimran Singh are the others who have been picked at the back of a stellar IPL.
Shami's four-wicket burst sets up Bengal's eight-wicket win over Uttarakhand
