Skipper Virat Kohli's weakness outside the off-stump was again exposed as India plunged into deep trouble at 28 for three, after their bowlers dismissed South Africa for a modest 286, on the opening day of the first Test in Cape Town on Friday.
The IPL starts on September 19 and, in all likelihood, all the English and Australian players will land in the UAE via a charter flight on September 17, making them available for their respective team's opening match.
Rohit Sharma is likely to miss his third game in a row when Mumbai Indians take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday with both teams aiming to secure their spot in the IPL play-offs.
Sri Lanka fought back to 321 in the first innings having been reduced to 86 for five against South Africa.
As we head to the head to the business end of the tournament, that involves three former champions, a look at the players who flattered to deceive, faltering under the weight of expectations, hurting their respective teams.
South Africa have named six uncapped players in their 17-man squad for the first two Tests of the four-match series against England as new coach Mark Boucher seeks to revive the fortunes of the ailing side. Batsmen Pieter Malan and Rassie van der Dussen, fast bowlers Dane Paterson and Beuran Hendricks, all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius and wicketkeeper Rudi Second will all hope to make their debuts in the first Test starting in Pretoria on December 26.
Hashim Amla was probably more relieved than elated after his declaration gamble paid off and the bearded South African began his captaincy tenure with a thumping 153-run win against Sri Lanka on Sunday.
The Virat Kohli-led RCB has won five of its eight games on the back of all-round performances but seemingly blundered in the eight-wicket defeat to laggards KXIP on Thursday.
Lokesh Rahul enhanced his case for inclusion in India's first Test XI with a composed half century, guiding Board President's XI past a difficult period on day one of the two-day practice game against visiting South Africa on Friday.
Statistical highlights on the second day of the second and final cricket Test between India and South Africa in Durban.
Shikhar Dhawan had the luxury of having very impressive bowlers to fall back upon in crucial junctures and the Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper is delighted that they did not let him down in the match against Mumbai Indians in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Rajneesh Gupta presents the finest bowling heroics in the 20th over in recent T20Is.
All cricketing activity has come to a halt due to the health crisis and there are serious doubts over the future of T20 World Cup. However, the International Cricket Council is yet to take the final call on the T20 showpiece event.
India may not have played a Test match for more than three months now but off-spinner R Ashwin held on to his eighth spot in the ICC Test bowlers' rankings led by South African paceman Dale Steyn.
Raring to go in the IPL, a fit-again Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Ishant Sharma feels T20 is easier for fast bowlers than ODIs with the problematic four-fielder rule not being there in cricket's shortest format.
One of the most consistent teams in the Indian Premier League over the last few years, Sunrisers Hyderabad will be one of the teams to watch out for in IPL 2021.
Mumbai get the money-spinning tournament rolling in Chennai on Friday, just four months after claiming their second successive title, with a match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, led by India captain Virat Kohli.
AB de Villiers revealed that he would be auctioning his and Virat Kohli's kits from the 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Gujarat Lions for raising funds to aid the battle against the coronavirus. During a live session on Instagram with former South African captain and RCB teammate AB de Villiers, Kohli said winning the tournament remains the goal but he would not leave the team irrespective of the results.
South Africa have dismissed ball-tampering allegations surrounding their second Test victory over Australia after opposing opener David Warner said the Proteas worked on the ball at Port Elizabeth to generate reverse swing.
India have never won the first Test of a series in Australia and will be looking to come hard at Australia on Day 5. Rajneesh Gupta has all the numbers from the fourth day of the Adelaide Test.
David Miller helped South Africa blast 14 runs from their super over, before the wily Tahir restricted Sri Lanka to only five in reply, two of which were wides.
Former South African batsman HD Ackerman has said that the team's familiarity with the Indian bowlers due to their exposure to the Indian Premier League (IPL) may be an advantage for them in the semi-final of the World Twenty20 on Friday.
Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has picked Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar as the toughest bowler he has faced in his illustrious international career.
South Africa are to gamble on the fitness of Quinton de Kock and JP Duminy, who were named on Wednesday in a 15-man squad for the Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next month.
India's batting sensation Cheteshwar Pujara says the upcoming Test series in New Zealand should be a little easier than the recent one against South Africa, where the team was beaten 1-0 in the two-match series.
Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Shahid Afridi, David Warner, Dale Steyn among others will attract maximum interest in the World T20, courtesy their ability to single-handedly win matches.
India's off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has managed to retain his second spot in the latest ICC player rankings for Test bowlers issued on Sunday.
India put up yet another dismal batting display, on seam-friendly conditions, to suffer a humiliating 134-run defeat in the second one-dayer against South Africa in Durban on Sunday.
When Ryan Harris hobbled into Newlands for the final day of the third Test against South Africa on Wednesday, it seemed unlikely he would end up being the man to clinch the series for Australia.
Team India faces an uphill task in the upcoming Test series against South Africa, beginning at the Wanderers on Wednesday, and no one is more pragmatic about it than MS Dhoni, the team captain.
Pakistan side put its World Cup campaign back on track with an upset 29-run win via Duckworth/Lewis method over South Africa
RCB suffered four consecutive defeats to finish the league stage at the fourth spot, SRH registered a hat-trick of wins to edge past Virat Kohli's men in the standings.
South Africa's pace bowlers laid the foundation for a crushing nine-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first Twenty20 international at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
A patient half-century by Ajinkya Rahane and some disciplined bowling display helped Rajasthan Royal notch up a comfortable four-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL match in Abu Dhabi.
South African skipper Faf du Plessis ratcheted up the rhetoric on the eve of the much-anticipated opening Test against India, saying they have a 'score to settle' with the World No 1.
The three-Test South Africa series is the first of a gruelling 2018-19 season that includes tours to England and Australia.
Images from Wednesday's Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, in Abu Dhabi.
Fiery pace and bounce has always been India's bane on foreign soil but former New Zealand speedster Simon Doull says India's young brigade of batsmen is well equipped to face the Kiwi quicks on green tops.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir made no bones about the fact that he got a raw deal from umpire Nigel Llong which prompted an angry reaction from him as he cursed on his way back and flung his bat angrily on reaching the dug-out.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni blamed losing too many wickets in the morning session and some poor umpiring decisions for their 10-wicket defeat in the second Test against South Africa but applauded the way his team played in the series.
