Kolkata Knight Riders' skipper Ajinkya Rahane is extremely pleased with Moeen Ali's bowling performance in his side's 8-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
The T20 WC champions will look to enter this phase with clarity of intent as they refine roles, streamline combinations and settle the XI that will carry the weight of expectations in front of home crowds.
The BCCI press conference scheduled at 1.30pm in Mumbai is 'expected to be delayed owing to weather disruptions'.
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.
Pakistan are currently in the second spot with two points, ahead of UAE (2 points) on net run rate.
The spotlight will be firmly on Mohammed Shami as the Indian team contemplates his inclusion in the playing XI.
The IPL consistently rewards smart squad building, tactical flexibility, and balanced team composition over individual star power. So what exactly are franchises paying for when the bidding war begins?
The left-arm spinner shared a 45-second video of himself bowling in the nets at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
'I have said this before... Selection is not in my hands. If there is a fitness issue, I shouldn't be here playing for Bengal.'
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of IPL 2025 after Game 55.
The spinners kept a lid on the scoring with Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja taking wickets at regular intervals.
In the letter, the body asked for the removal of Bhogle and New Zealand's Simon Doull from the commentary panel for matches in Kolkata after they stated that the Eden Gardens pitch was not helping the local franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.
Their pre-tournament decision to fill the squad with five spinners drew a lot of flak from all corners, but it is now proving to be a masterstroke on the slow pitches in Dubai.
This is the first-ever India vs Pakistan final across 17 editions of the Men's Asia Cup since the tournament's inception in 1984.
The 29-year-old spinner claimed the first five-wicket haul in IPL 2020, when he registered career-best figures of 5-20 in four overs to power KKR to a huge 59-run victory against Delhi Capitals.
It is understood that Yashasvi Jaiswal has a bright chance of making it to the ODI squad. His inclusion would ensure a left-handed batter in the top four.
'He has been working hard on his bowling. This was a perfect game for him.'
Abhishek Sharma was brutal and beautiful in equal measure during his scintillating 74 as India made a tricky chase look comfortable, winning an ill-tempered Super 4 contest of the Asia Cup against Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai on Sunday.
Mohammed Shami, who has been out of action since IPL 2025 and is not part of India's ongoing Test tour of England, was named in Bengal's 50-member list of probables for the upcoming domestic season.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy Group A match played between India and New Zealand at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in Dubai on Sunday
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav made optimal use of available resources in both departments as India did enough to beat a spirited Oman by 21 runs to end their league stage commitments in Asia Cup with a hat-trick of victories.
Brydon Carse will replace Gus Atkinson for England's second T20 International against India on Saturday.
The BCCI's medical team is working overtime with the Tamil Nadu wrist spinner, whose knees are not in the best of condition.
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.
In a high-pressure clash against India in the Champions Trophy semi-finals, Steve Smith seemed to have destiny on his side.
'The ideal thing would be for India may be to chase, rather than having Australia chase.'
With a five-match T20I series in October-November in Australia, five T20Is against South Africa at home in December and five T20Is against New Zealand at home in January 2026, Team India will now look to test itself, its combinations and youngsters against some of the world's best T20I teams ahead of the T20 WC 2026, which will start in early 2026.
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.
With KKR failing to capitalise on home advantage, the pressure is already mounting on Rahane and his squad to bounce back in their next encounter.
Varun Chakravarthy believes the Rajkot pitch slowed down more than expected during India's run chase, contributing to the home team's first loss in the five-match T20I series.
Images from the fourth T20 International between India and England in Pune on Friday.
A seemingly invincible India will be eager to sharpen their game against spin and give a run to second-line players ahead of the semi-final when they take on New Zealand in their last group match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday.
The inclusion of Gill in the squad has raised doubts in the minds of management about who will open the innings for their side, along with left-hand batter Abhishek, in the tournament.
The series already in their pocket, India will look to address their batting woes against an England team gunning for revenge after feeling hard-done by a debatable concussion substitute when the two teams clash in the fifth and final T20 International in Mumbai on Sunday.
Architect-turned-cricketer Varun Chakravarthy, with a base price of Rs 20 lakh, went to Kings XI Punjab for a massive Rs. 8.4 crore, while Rajasthan Royals retained Jaydev Unadkat for the same amount.
Rachin Ravindra had two reprieves before being sent back by Kuldeep Yadav.
Shubman Gill is the flavour of the season after his stupendous show in the recent Test series against England but he will face a contender in Axar Patel for vice-captaincy
As captain, Gautam Gambhir won KKR its two titles. Now, as team mentor, can he inspire KKR to achieve glory?
Unless a player picks up an injury in training, India's team is expected to wear the same look against a Pakistan squad that are without top stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, lending it a look of youth and experience.
