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While India are returning to red-ball action after a gap of six months and last defeated England 4-1 in January, Bangladesh come on the back of a remarkable 2-0 series win over Pakistan, their first series victory over the side in Test cricket, in Rawalpindi, indicating that they won’t be just mere pushovers this time around.

Bangladesh’s recent good form and India’s home domination has led to anticipation about how this Test series would pan out, as compared to chatter around its previous editions being of lopsided affairs.

The red-soil pitch will bring good bounce and carry, but with soaring temperatures in Chennai, spinners will come more into picture.

India will be welcoming back Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul into Test cricket action after varying long periods of absence. Their return means Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel will be warming the bench. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja along with Kuldeep Yadav will be the key in leading India’s charge with spin, while their valuable batting runs would also be an aspect which will be the difference between a good total and a winning score.

For Bangladesh, they come with a dash of belief in their abilities and confidence to continue their good work after the historic triumph in Rawalpindi. With Chennai set to aid spinners, it means either Taijul Islam or Nayeem Hasanis are likely to enter the playing eleven.

With head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe stating Bangladesh have all bases covered, it means they have all the ingredients in their arsenal – crafty spinners, exciting pacers and gritty batters – to surprise India in Chennai. The task may be improbable, but with nothing to lose, Bangladesh will be buoyed to shine bright under unforgiving Chennai heat, provided India immediately hits the ground running as a dominant force at home.

The Squads

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Jaker Ali Anik.

* Match starts at 9:30am on JioCinema (digital) and Sports18 (TV)

(IANS)

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The IPL has held two large auctions in the past 10 years, with four-year intervals in between. The first major auction was held in 2014, then in 2018--when the Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings made their comeback after a two-year suspensions.

About developments related to the mega auction, sources close to BCCI confirmed to IANS that auction is likely to be scheduled in November end or early December . "IPL 2025 auction will take place in November end or early December this year. Rules of it will be out in couple of days," BCCI sources told IANS.

The 2021 mega auction was forced to be postponed by one year due to the Covid-19 outbreak. In both cases, teams added an extra year to the contracts of their players.

Like the 2022 auction in February and the 2023 and 2024 auctions in December, the upcoming IPL mega sale is most likely going to be a two-day affair.

In the last mega auction held in 2022, the IPL teams were permitted to retain up to four players. With the end of the three-year cycle approaching, there are differing opinions among franchises about the optimal number of retained players. While some teams argue for a larger retention cap, possibly up to eight players, others are comfortable with the existing limit of four or five.

(IANS)

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“The approval of #OneNationOneElection by the Union Cabinet under the leadership of the illustrious Prime Minister of India Shri @narendramodi is a significant and welcome step,” the Chief Minister wrote on X.

The Chief Minister further stated that the decision to approve the  ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy will strengthen the security of the country. He said the decision will ensure rapid development in the country by bringing political stability.

“This decision will definitely help in strengthening the security system of the country and accelerating the pace of development. By achieving political stability, it will also give a new direction to the economic development of the country. I wholeheartedly thank the Hon'ble Prime Minister for such a historic decision,” added the Chief Minister.

Notably, the PM Modi government approved the report from a high-level panel led by former President Ram Nath Kovind on the concept of 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOE) Wednesday.

A bill to implement simultaneous elections is expected to be introduced in the upcoming Winter session of Parliament. This initiative aims to synchronise Parliamentary and Assembly elections, which has been a part of the Modi government's 100-day agenda.

(IANS)

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