Category: Sports

Fresh from their historic 175-18 demolition of South Korea, the Indian women’s Kho Kho team secured their quarter-final berth with another commanding performance, overwhelming Iran by 84 points at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

The Women in Blue, demonstrating their tournament favorite’s status, dominated proceedings from the opening seconds to cement their position atop their group, as they scored 100-16 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night, according to a release from Kho Kho World Cup.

The match began with India’s trademark aggressive start, as they eliminated Iran’s first batch within 33 seconds. Ashwini spearheaded the attack, while Meenu continued her brilliant form with multiple touchpoints, helping India amass an impressive 50 points in Turn 1.

The onslaught continued through all four Turns, highlighted by a remarkable 6-minute-8-second Dream Run in Turn 3, which effectively sealed the match.

Led by Wazir Nirmala’s tactical brilliance and contributions from skipper Priyanka Ingle, Nirmala Bhati and Nasreen, Team India demonstrated their championship credentials with another emphatic victory, establishing themselves as the team to beat in the tournament.

The best attacker of the match was Mobina and the best defender was Meenu. The best player was awarded to the captain, Priyanka Ingle
Before Iran, they demolished South Korea in a dominant display, the Indian women’s Kho Kho team delivered a masterclass against them, securing a commanding 175-18 victory.

Women in Blue showcased their prowess with exceptional dream runs and remarkable defensive strategies that left their opponents struggling at the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 being held at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, in what was their opening match of the tournament.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/kho-kho-world-cup-2025-india-women-storm-into-quarter-finals-with-an-emphatic-win-over-iran

A football fan who mocked a dead player at a derby match has been banned and fined.

During a game between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, Brandon Pedryc typed out “Where’s Baldock” in large letters on his phone and waved it at rival fans during the Championship game at Bramall Lane on 11 November last year.

The message was a reference to the death of a former United player George Baldock, who died in Greece a month earlier at the age of 31, Sheffield Magistrates’ Court was told on Monday.

The 23-year-old, a Wednesday fan, said he was responding to being pelted by coins and a bottle, as well as being spat on by rival fans – a claim district judge Marcus Waite accepted.

But Judge Waite described his actions as a “moment of madness” and said they had caused “upset” to fans as well as “enormous distress to the family and friends” of the deceased player.

Pedryc has been fined £300, ordered to pay £205 in costs and surcharges, and given a football banning order for three years.

Speaking to the defendant, the judge said: “You may have been provoked but you reacted by raising the stakes”, adding he had “risked greater disorder” in the highly charged environment of the derby.

Judge Waite went on to say Pedryc had done the right thing, approaching a police officer in Sheffield city centre within an hour of the incident once he realised his actions had gone viral on social media.

The court heard that while the officer made note of what Pedryc admitted to, he did not think a crime had been committed.

After a review by a more senior officer, Pedryc was arrested.

Pedryc told interviewing officers it had been a “sick joke, nothing more” and an attempt to “wind up” the United fans.

Judge Waite said he had received a lengthy letter from Pedryc who he accepted was “thoroughly remorseful”.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/football-fan-who-mocked-dead-player-in-sick-joke-banned-and-fined-13288268

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to delay the highly anticipated announcement of India’s 2025 Champions Trophy (CT) squad beyond the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) mandated deadline of Sunday (January 12).
According to a report by Cricbuzz, the Indian cricket governing body is likely to ask for more time from the ICC to submit their squad for the mega event. An announcement is now likely to happen by the end of next weekend (January 18 or 19).
The report states that the reason behind the delay is India’s recent commitment in Australia, where the team played a hectic five-match Test series as part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).

In normal circumstances, the deadline to submit the squad is a month before the tournament starts, but this time around, the ICC asked for the submissions five weeks earlier. All teams are allowed to make changes to their squad without any reason till February 12.

However, the same report states that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee will announce the squad for the five-match T20I series against England in the next couple of days. It is expected that a squad similar to the one that played a home series against Bangladesh in October will take the field in the shortest format of the game.
The T20I series will take place from January 22 to February 2. India and England will also play three ODIs from February 6 to 12, just days before the 2025 Champions Trophy begins on February 19.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/bcci-delay-champions-trophy-squad-selection-set-to-ask-icc-for-more-time-team-to-be-announced-on-report-article-117134820

Former India and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Manoj Tiwary has gone on a rant in criticism of current senior national team head coach Gautam Gambhir. Tiwary and Gambhir have been teammates in the past, not just in the Indian Premier League but also for the Delhi state team. As Gambhir faces criticism over his poor handling of the Indian team, owing to the recent results against Australia and New Zealand in Tests, Tiwary went on to brand him a ‘hypocrite’, who doesn’t do what he himself preaches.

The criticism Gambhir faced recently, especially from Tiwary, saw India pacer Harshit Rana, who made his Test debut in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, jump to his defence. But, Rana’s defence doesn’t surprise Tiwary.

“Why wouldn’t Nitish Rana and Harshit Rana, for example, not support Gautam Gambhir? Harshit Rana played in Perth in place of Akash Deep. How was that possible? What did Akash Deep do wrong? He bowled fantastic spells against Bangladesh and New Zealand. As a fast bowler, you dream about bowling in friendly conditions, but you dropped him and went in with Harshit, who doesn’t have that much first-class experience. Akash Deep has fabulous records. That is a completely biased selection. That is why players will come out and defend him,” said Tiwary in a chat with Hindustan Times.

“I have said nothing wrong. This is PR which I am talking about. That never used to happen. When something or someone speaks the facts, people come up defending the individual, but they don’t know me. I only speak on facts. PR is quite evident,” he added.

Tiwary also opened some old chapters of his relationship with Gambhir, saying the latter even abused his family and said bad things about former India captain Sourav Ganguly.

“When he fought with me during the Ranji Trophy match in Delhi, everyone heard every word from Gautam Gambhir’s mouth. Whether he was talking bad about Sourav Ganguly or whether he was abusing my family, he was protected by a few of the individuals. This is the PR I am talking about. The process of picking players and selecting them in the playing XI is not happening properly. Akash Deep was dropped in favour of Harshit Rana. If you thought Harshit was so good, why didn’t you continue with him for the rest of the series? Akash Deep doesn’t have a voice,” said Tiwary.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/gautam-gambhir-abused-my-family-said-bad-things-about-sourav-ganguly-manoj-tiwary-7440450

Yuvraj Singh was one of the greatest cricketers to ever play for India. He was instrumental in India’s win in the T20 World Cup 2007 and ODI World Cup 2011. Soon after leading India to their second ODI World Cup, Yuvraj was diagnosed with cancer, however, he was able to beat the disease and make a comeback to the Indian team. The cricket great though couldn’t match the standards he set for himself and was in and out of the team before being permanently snubbed from the side after Champions Trophy 2017.
Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa reflected on Yuvraj Singh’s comeback from cancer and indirectly blamed Virat Kohli for forcing him out of the team.
“Take Yuvi Pa’s instance. The man beat cancer, and he is trying to come back into the international side. He is the man who won us a World Cup, won us two World Cups for that matter, along with the other players, but played an integral role in helping us win. Then for such a player, when you become captain, you say his lung capacity has diminished and you have been with him when you have seen him struggle. Nobody has told me this, I observe things. You have seen him struggle, then when you are captain, yes you have to maintain a level of standard, but there are always exceptions to the rule. Here is a man who deserves to be an exception because he is not just beaten and won you tournaments, but he has beaten cancer. He has beaten the hardest challenge in life in that sense. Some question room for someone like that,” Uthappa said on Lallantop.

Uthappa revealed that Yuvraj Singh asked for a point deduction in the fitness test but was denied the same, however, he was able to pass the test and make a comeback to the side before being snubbed forever after a poor outing in the Champions Trophy 2017.

“So when Yuvi requested for that two-point deduction, he didn’t get it. Then he did the test because he was outside the team and they weren’t taking him in. He passed the fitness test, came inside the team, had a lean tournament, took him out totally. Never entertained him after that. Whoever was in the leadership group, didn’t entertain him. That time Virat was the leader and it went according to him due to his strong personality, and that time it was according to him,” he added.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/virat-kohli-told-yuvraj-your-lung-capacity-has-diminished-robin-uthappa-drops-bombshell-on-legends-india-snub-article-117101421

Former Team India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh gave a befitting reply to a user on X, shutting him down for criticising him and Rohit Sharma amid the latter’s absence from the Sydney Test against Australia. The retired cricketer asked the user to listen to his interview and Rohit’s revelation on day two in Sydney, claiming that rarely does any captain chooses to drop himself from the side.

Rohit opted to rest from the fixture as revealed by stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah at the toss on the opening day of the Sydney Test. The 37-year-old came under massive scrutiny after scoring only 31 runs in three Tests of the series and India losing all three of them. With Harbhajan hailing Rohit for dropping himself and calling him selfless for that reason in a video surfaced on X, an X user wrote the below on the platform:

“@harbhajan_singh You are the same guy who slapped Sreesanth in a game, please spare us from your judgement of who is good and who is bad. This team doesn’t belong to Mr. Gurunath Sharma that his son will keep playing despite negative contribution. You failed in creating the narrative of “opt-out” as the entire cricketing fraternity knows that Rohit Sharma has been dropped due to non-performance and spoiling team atmosphere.”

In response, the 44-year-old hit back by stating:

Virat Kohli took up the leadership responsibilities as India’s stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah left the field with a niggle on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the SCG in Sydney. The extent or the nature of Bumrah’s injury remains uncertain, but HT can reliably confirm that the World’s No.1 fast bowler has left the ground with the Indian team doctor for scans.

Visuals aired on Star Sports showed Bumrah, wearing the training kit, leaving the ground in a car and being taken to the nearby city hospital.

What happened to Bumrah? What’s Bumrah’s injury update?

Bumrah was back in the Indian dressing room in the final session of Day 2 but there was no official update on the nature and extent of his injury.

Bumrah left the field for the first time on Saturday at the stroke of Lunch and then came back after the break to bowl one over. But he left the field again. Substitute fielder Abhimanyu Easwaran replaced him in the field.

Before leaving the field, Bumrah was seen having a quick chat with Kohli, possibly informing him about the discomfort he was facing while bowling. Kohli then took over the captaincy duties. He immediately sprang into action with swift bowling changes. Youngsters Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kuma Reddy stepped up with crucial breakthroughs as India bowled Australia out for 181 to take a 4-run lead.

Despite this, Bumrah’s injury could turn out to be a massive factor in the outcome of this Test and the series. He is not only India’s best strike bowler but also the captain for this Test in regular skipper Rohit Sharma’s absence, who decided to step aside for the series decider due to poor form with the bat. It is still not clear whether Bumrah will be able to bowl in the second innings.

At the Tea break, Star Sports anchor Mayanti Langer informed that it was, in all probability, a back injury for which Bumrah had undergone surgery a couple of years ago.

Bumrah in record books

Earlier in the day, Bumrah gave India a dream start by dismissing overnight batter Marnus Labuschagne early on Day 2 with a delivery that shaped away after pitched around the off stump.

That was Bumrah’s 32nd wicket of this Border-Gavaskar Trophy, taking him to the top of the wicket-takers list among Indian bowlers in Australia. He broke the legendary Bishan Singh Bedi’s long-standing record. The former left-arm spinner had taken 31 wickets in the 1977-78 season. BS Chandrasekhar had also picked up 28 wickets in the same series.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/jasprit-bumrah-taken-to-hospital-for-scans-virat-kohli-returns-as-india-captain-in-sydney-101735960597264.html

There was no improvement in Virat Kohli’s form and India’s premier batsman once again departed for a below-par score in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Virat, who faced 69 balls, only managed to score 17 runs before he once again edged an outside-off delivery to get caught at slips off Scott Boland.
The team had high hopes from Virat after India lost early wickets but he flopped. The fans were upset with Virat and some of the users on X sent him a brutal retirement message. “Better Retire Virat, Making yourself bad game by game. Can’t survive for long with just 2 shots,” a user wrote. “Thank you Virat Kohli…Now announce the retirement pls…You already have done a lot for the team and for the team sake pls retire,” wrote another user.

Virat Kohli kicked off the Australia tour on a memorable note and he slammed a century in the second innings of the Perth Test match, which India won. His form dwindled in the second Test and he hasn’t even managed to breach the 40-run mark since the Perth Test.

The former India captain departed for 7 and 11 in the second Test match in Adelaide. He managed to score 3 runs in the only innings at Gabba. Virat scored 36 and 5 across two innings in the fourth Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. India lost 7 wickets in the final session to lose the game and go 1-2 behind.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/better-retire-virat-kohli-sent-brutal-retirement-message-after-another-batting-failure-in-australia-article-116900072

For Dallas Cowboys fans gathered at Cosm, a new sports venue just north of Dallas, the climax of the Nov. 24 National Football League game against the Washington Commanders delivered a heart-attack-worthy spectacle.

Both teams were muddling through a 10-9 game until the fourth quarter, when a series of unlikely events turned things upside down. In the final stretch, the two offenses exploded for a collective 31 points. With less than a minute left and all the mojo behind them, the Commanders sneezed on an extra-point kick that would have tied the game. Then Washington surrendered a touchdown on the subsequent kickoff, sealing their fate in a 34-26 loss at their home field at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.

Cowboys fans all over the planet witnessed the same bewildering victory on TV. But few Dallas die-hards had better seats for this shocking turnabout than those watching at Cosm, an immersive sports theater that opened in August in The Colony, a north Dallas suburb. Hundreds of fans gathered inside the facility’s cavernous dome to watch a Sunday stunner on a concave three-story screen — an experience immense and vivid enough to be lifelike.

Fourth-and-inches hits different when the screen is so large that a fraction of a yard is rendered at full scale. Like a demi-sized version of Sphere, the space-age entertainment venue that opened in Las Vegas last year, Cosm uses streaming technology and vast curving LED screens to deliver views that rival the best seats in arenas, ballparks and stadiums around the world. With outposts in Los Angeles and Dallas and more on the way — including a development set to break ground in downtown Detroit in 2025 — Cosm hopes to provide a destination experience for sports nuts that doubles as a neighborhood anchor.

Think a planetarium that serves lemon-pepper wings — or a Sphere squeezed into a local game-day haunt. Watching glum Commanders fans file out of the stands in crisp 8K video at Cosm Dallas convinced me. I laughed at Immersive Van Gogh; I wept at Immersive Micah Parsons.

“We will never recreate the stadium experience. Or ever even aspire to beat that,” says Jeb Terry, president and chief executive officer of Cosm and a former offensive lineman in the NFL. “There is nothing like being in a big game — there’s just something about the electricity in the room. But we want to offer the next best thing.”

Cosm aims to create a new category of spectator experience, something in between getting together with friends at a sports bar and splurging on tickets to attend a live game. With backing from RealPage Inc. founder Steve Winn and Mirasol Capital, plus a $250 million round of funding this summer, the company is targeting US markets with multiple local pro teams and passionate (often overlapping) fanbases. To that end, Cosm has partnerships with every major professional sports league in the country, as well as Premier League soccer, Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts, Cirque De Soleil and other events.

For that Cowboys game, a booth for three people front-and-center inside the dome at Cosm Dallas cost $300 — less than the average price for a single ticket across the city at AT&T Stadium — with standing-room tickets going for a fraction of that. Besides games and performances, Cosm features shorter immersive experiences that showcase the company’s technology.

So far the company has planted these sprawling mega-theaters in the suburbs: The 65,000-square-foot (6,000-square-meter) Cosm Los Angeles opened in June in Inglewood, a stone’s throw from SoFi Stadium but a half-hour’s drive from downtown LA. Cosm Dallas is even farther from its core city. Both were designed by the architectural firm HKS with a futuristic finish. The 70,000-square-foot facility near Dallas looks like a big-box retailer that might sell you a Cybertruck. It’s one of several entertainment options at Grandscape, a massive new 400-acre mixed-use development in The Colony. (My cousin in Dallas assures me it’s fun for singles.)

New Cosm locations in Atlanta and Detroit will test whether this model can thrive in a more urban environment. Cosm Detroit will serve as the anchor for a 1.5 million-square-foot development from the real estate firm Bedrock Detroit in historic Cadillac Square. Kofi Bonner, the CEO of Bedrock, says that Cosm Detroit will drive the ongoing revival of the Woodward Avenue corridor and help to cement the Paradise Valley neighborhood as a nightlife district. “It’s a unique entertainment concept that doesn’t exist in the market,” Bonner says.

To chart its future expansions in the US, Cosm is weighing a complicated matrix of real estate plays, sports fandoms and metro populations. It will need to pass several tests: as an immersive tech company, as a development partner and as a favorite local option for regulars.

The company’s name, which is meant to evoke both “cosmos” and “coliseum,” hints at its history. Cosm launched in 2019 and embarked on a series of acquisitions, starting in 2020 with Evans and Sutherland, a computer graphics firm whose digital projection technology powers planetariums. In the same year the company acquired Spitz, a manufacturer of domes and projection screens, as well as LiveLike VR, an immersive tech company. Cosm built its first prototype LED dome in Los Angeles as a vertically integrated company.

“All the partners said, ‘You sound kind of crazy,’” says Terry, who previously worked as a vice president for emerging technology at Fox Sports. “We felt justified to build out the infrastructure to scale. The early prototype was proven enough that we felt like we could take it out full stack.”

Here’s how Cosm works: For live events, the company sets up four or five cameras at the venue, shooting in 8K and even up to 10.5K resolution. Those feeds are produced remotely by technical directors in LA, then aired to Cosm venues on a delay to match the television broadcast. The producers use the 3D computer graphics platform Unreal Engine and other tools to add enhancements: When the Cowboys score, the team’s iconic blue star lights up the ceiling and virtual banners unfurl throughout Cosm Dallas. Broadcast partners provide the play-by-play; servers bring the wings.

“We’re just touching the tip of the iceberg in terms of accompanying graphics and storytelling,” says Devin Poolman, chief product and technology officer for Cosm.

The model is built around an insight that Cosm execs refer to as “shared reality.” The thinking is that that sports fans will never watch a game through a virtual reality headset — no matter how vivid the graphics — because it takes people away from the collective joy and suffering that unite sports fans. You can’t turn and slap your friend sitting next to you when a ref throws a bogus penalty flag if you’re both wearing dorky VR goggles. “You put it on your face for five minutes, and then you take it off, because you want to hang out in the real world,” Poolman says.

Simulating a live game experience is a high bar to clear, however. Broadcast television has not entirely figured it out: There’s a rhythm to a baseball game at a ballpark that’s impossible to capture via TV. Instead of trying to recreate either the televised or live perspective, Cosm strives for a third way. For the Cowboys game, the venue rotated between a handful of static cameras — on the 50-yard line, for example, or just underneath the goal posts in the end zone — while also offering inset game feeds.

As a viewer, it’s like having really (really) good seats, then occasionally shifting to some other good seats, but always with a view of the overall scene via the in-stadium display. The detail is incredibly lifelike: During the Cowboys game, I felt like I was sitting in a sea of burgundy and gold in the DC suburbs. During a pause in play, my game-watching partner spotted a kid chugging his dad’s beer after he left his seat. The fans sitting next to me (in real life) pointed out a group of people wearing Cowboys colors at the Commanders stadium and shouted “kinfolk!”

The best seats at Cosm are the booths within the dome, and those command a higher premium. Cheaper seats are available in the hall, which offers wall-to-wall LED screens showing the game and standing-room views of the dome. Cosm also offers an outdoor terrace deck: great for events in warmer weather or for the fan who needs a break from the on-field action (as all Cowboys fans eventually do).

The Cosm experience has its occasional hiccups: During the first quarter of the ’Boys game, the screen had to be restarted, leaving fans under the dome with a view of a 60-by-86-foot screen in dark mode. The glitch lasted only a few minutes, and Terry says that it doesn’t happen regularly, but it’s the kind of thing that could bring a bachelor party to a halt during a pivotal moment in the final seconds of a Mavs game.

Another challenge is making a facility as vast as Cosm warm and welcoming enough to draw fans out from their beloved local watering holes. The hall at Cosm Dallas can fit 800 people, large enough to feel infrastructural, like the interior of a real stadium. That’s less of a concern, perhaps, for an instant city like Grandscape in The Colony, where Cosm really is the local option. But it’s a factor that the Detroit architecture firm Rossetti is taking to heart with Cosm Detroit, which will occupy a downtown parcel between a skyscraper built in 1927 and a separate new project.

Source : https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-01-02/at-cosm-sports-fans-experience-live-games-on-shared-reality-screens

Earlier in 2024, when Rahul Dravid had confirmed that he would no longer extend his contract with the BCCI as the head coach of the Indian team, Gautam Gambhir emerged as the strongest candidate to replace the legend. And it seemed a fitting replacement with Gambhir heading into his new role on the back of an IPL title for Kolkata Knight Riders as mentor. However, as the former India opener stands on the brink of losing his job in the Indian team, a report revealed that he was only a “compromise.”

Rumours about Gambhir as Dravid’s replacement started largely during the second half of IPL 2024. There was barely any other contender to challenge the former India World Cup winner, despite Gambhir lacking any experience as a coach. Even in his only other stint in IPL post-retirement, Gambhir had served as a mentor for Lucknow Super Giants.

However, Gambhir has had a torrid time as a head coach since his official appointment in July. This includes an ODI series loss in Sri Lanka and an unprecedented 0-3 whitewash in a home Test series against New Zealand. He now stands on the verge of a second consecutive Test series defeat, as India trail 1-2 against Australia. The Rohit Sharma-led side is set to concede the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in over a decade, unless they draw the final Test in Sydney later this week.

‘Gambhir was never BCCI’s first choice’

With time running out for Gambhir, who has until the Champions Trophy in February to prove his worth, a report in PTI claimed that the former India left-handed batter was never BCCI’s first-choice option to replace Dravid. It was head of the National Cricket Academy VVS Laxman, before the India legend declined the offer. In fact, Gambhir was picked after some renowned overseas name too rejected the role.

“He was never BCCI’s first choice (it was VVS Laxman) and some of the well-known overseas names didn’t want to coach all three formats, so he was a compromise. Obviously, some other compulsions were also there,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/gautam-gambhir-compromise-was-never-bcci-first-choice-head-coach-it-was-vvs-laxman-101735746146120.html

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 is nearing its end. Australia and India are gearing up for the Sydney Test, and ahead of the crucial match, the visitors have everything to do. The batting lineup is under fire, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both feeling the heat. The senior pros in the lineup underperformed in Tests in 2024, and their failures have been the main reason behind India’s 1-2 deficit in the marquee series against Pat Cummins and co.

The previous Melbourne Test also saw Rishabh Pant facing scrutiny for how he got out in both the innings, paving the way for Australia to gain the upper hand. When it comes to Virat Kohli, he has been getting out the same way, fishing outside the off-stump. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma is looking a pale shadow of his old self, who is unable to buy a run.

Amid these batting failures, Hindustan Times spoke to former South Africa batter Daryll Cullinan, who played 70 Tests and 138 ODIs, scoring more than 8,000 runs across both formats. The 57-year-old also expressed joy at seeing Proteas make their way to the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Excerpts:

Rohit Sharma has been struggling for runs in tests lately. What do you make of his form, and should he look to step away from Tests?
Rohit has never been comfortable against pace and bounce. I saw it in South Africa, where he plays from the crease. The short ball is on his mind. The result is he doesn’t get forward neither back properly. He gets away with it in India, where there is less bounce, and the pitches are slower. He arrived in Australia under-prepared and never took on the responsibility up front. This mentally was an admission of his concerns. I think he is comfortable playing his cricket in India and moving permanently to white ball cricket. The right thing and wise thing to do now. Rohit should call time. If he doesn’t, selectors must make the decision for him.

Virat Kohli has been struggling against deliveries bowled outside the off-stump and getting out the same way repeatedly. Do you think a glaring flaw has crept into his game?
In my opinion, Kohli’s lack of form is technical and starts with an erroneous coaching belief about the set-up at the crease. The open stance with the front foot retracted back towards the square leg is at fault, and I see it coached around the world today. In red-ball cricket, and note I say red-ball cricket, it’s causing major issues for batsmen in defence and attack on and outside off stump. Added to this, Kohli is pressing his front foot straight down the pitch before the ball leaves the bowler’s hand.

In a millisecond, turn your front shoulder and get your foot moving across towards the ball outside off stump. It’s impossible! All you can do then is throw your hands at the ball, which Kohli is doing. The reality is that shot against Starc, which got him out, was on. The world is saying it’s a mental fault. Partly true. You see, we must recognize Kohli’s natural instinct is to attack, and he must continue to look to attack. That’s when he is at his best. He knows no other way, and he’s not going to change now. Asking him to be more disciplined outside off stump will only increase his anxiety levels.

The answer for Kohli, is adopting a more side on stance, keeping his head still, and limiting his backlift. The 2018 images illustrate this. He can still make his trigger movements but keep them small. I suggest this method for all red-ball cricket.

The reality is that cricket is a sideways game and always will be. It’s the old way and still the best way.

There is much debate regarding how Rishabh Pant got out in both the innings of the Melbourne Test. What did you make of it?

Pant needs to assess the situation. It’s the easy excuse well “that’s the way” I play. I don’t accept that explanation. He must play according to what’s best for the team.

Should Jasprit Bumrah be India’s next Test captain?

I’ve never been in favour of fast bowlers being captain. He may be the exception whilst India search for a long-term captain.

Can India turn it around and win the Sydney Test? Or will Australia come out on top?

I want to stress that if in India win in Sydney, it’s been a successful tour for them. I can’t see why they can’t win in Sydney! In fact, I think they will.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ashwins-mid-series-retirement-selfish-he-wont-make-it-public-but-it-was-a-spiteful-reaction-daryll-cullinan-to-ht-101735783118743.html

Such has been the impact of Jasprit Bumrah in the Border-Gavaskar trophy that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese jokingly suggested a law that forces India’s pace spearhead to bowl “left-handed or off one step” against the home team.

The right-handed Bumrah, considered as the world’s best fast bowler across formats, has caused plenty of trouble for the Australian batters and has taken 30 wickets in four Tests.

Albanese, who hosted the Indian and Australian players here on Wednesday ahead of the decisive fifth Test, spoke glowingly of Bumrah. “We could pass a law here that says he has to bowl left-handed or off one step. Every time he has come onto bowl has been very exciting,” Albanese said in a lighter vein, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

“The Australian and Indian teams have already given us an incredible summer of cricket,” Albanese later wrote on social media. “When the fifth test starts on Friday, the SCG will be a sea of pink in support of the great work of the McGrath Foundation. Go Australia!,” he added.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir spoke on behalf of the Indian team. “Australia is a beautiful country to travel but a tough place to tour. Crowds have been absolutely amazing. We’ve got another Test match to go. Hopefully we can entertain the crowd,” he said.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/jasprit-bumrah-has-to-bowl-left-handed-australian-pm-anthony-albanese-hilariously-taunts-indian-pacer-at-new-year-reception-party

India had a great year in sports in 2024. Despite some big lows like Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification, and India’s first Test series loss in 12 years at home, there were multiple highs as well. India had a great Olympics campaign, with multiple medals, and many players almost coming close to a medal. A sport like chess fetched India some of its greatest sporting glories in 2024. As 2024 draws to a close, we take a look back at the five biggest moments that defined Indian sports in the calendar year.

LeBron James on Monday said he hopes to finish his historic career off as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, remarks the NBA’s all-time leading scorer made on his 40th birthday.
“That’s the plan. I would love for it to end here,” James told reporters after practice in Los Angeles.
“I came here to plan the last stage of my career and to finish it off here, but I’m also not silly or too jaded to know the business of the game as well, to know the business of basketball.

“But my relationship with this organization speaks for itself.”
Asked when he would know it was time to hang up his high tops, James said his exit would come before he felt he could no longer compete “at a high level.”
“I could probably play this game at a high level for about another five to seven years if I wanted to, but I’m not going to do that,” he said.
“King James” is a four-time NBA champion, four-time league MVP, 20-time All-Star and the winner of three Olympic gold medals.

James joined the Lakers from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018 and led Los Angeles to a championship inside the biosecure COVID-19 “bubble” in 2020.
He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the league’s all-time leading scorer in February 2023 and this season teamed up with his son Bronny to become the first father-son duo to play on the same NBA team together.
The evergreen James has continued to shine in his 22nd NBA season, averaging 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and nine assists while shooting 49.6% from the field for the 18-13 Lakers.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sports/basketball/lebron-40-says-he-wants-finish-his-career-with-lakers-2024-12-31/

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli left the internet fuming as the star India batters once again failed to score big on Day 5 of the fourth Test encounter against Australia in Melbourne.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli left the internet fuming as the star India batters once again failed to score big on Day 5 of the fourth Test encounter against Australia in Melbourne on Monday. It has been a struggle for the veteran batters as they have not scored a lot of runs lately. The misery continued in the second innings of the fourth Test as Rohit was dismissed for 9 while Virat was caught in the slips for 5. Rohit was dismissed by Pat Cummins with Mitchell Marsh taking a sharp catch at gully while Virat was once again guilty of chasing a wide delivery from Mitchell Starc as he was caught in the slips.

India were 33 for three at lunch, chasing a 340-run target against Australia.

Rohit Sharma (9), K L Rahul (0) and Virat Kohli (5) were the Indian batters to be dismissed. Kohli was caught at first slip off Mitchell Starc at the stroke of lunch.

Resuming at 228 for nine, Australia were bowled out for 234 on the final day.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/australia-vs-india-2024-25/same-old-story-internet-blasts-rohit-sharma-virat-kohli-after-flop-show-in-mcg-test-against-australia-7360440

Melbourne: India were bowled out for 369 in their first innings with Nitish Kumar Reddy scoring 114 as Australia took a 105-run lead in the fourth Test here on Sunday.

Reddy made his runs off 189 balls with 11 fours and one six and was the last wicket to fall, caught by Mitchell Starc off Nathan Lyon in only the fourth over of the day.

For Australia, Pat Cummins (3/89), Scott Boland (3/57) and Nathan Lyon (3/96) were the pick of the bowlers.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/bgt-india-bowled-out-for-369-australia-take-105-run-lead-in-4th-test-3335173

Team India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy’s father touched Sunil Gavaskar’s feet before play in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). With Reddy scoring a hundred on day three of the decisive MCG Test, the 75-year-old said Indian cricket has a diamond in their hands due to them.

The 21-year-old scored his maiden Test hundred on day three of the Boxing Day Test to stage a fightback for Team India after Australia won the previous couple of days. With the youngster getting there with a boundary off Scott Boland in the dying stages of the day, his father was present at the venue and became emotional to the extent of bursting to tears.

Speaking in a video uploaded by Star Sports, Gavaskar told Reddy’s family in an emotional meet-up:

“Mujhe maloom hai aap logo kitna sactfice kiya hai. Aapki wajah se mere aankhon mey aansu aa rahe they. Aapke wajah se Bharat ko ye heera mila hai. (He has struggled a lot. Because of you, I am tearing up. Because of you, India has got a diamond, Indian cricket has got a diamond)

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/aapke-wajah-se-bharat-ko-sunil-gavaskar-tells-nitish-reddys-family-after-all-rounders-maiden-test-ton-at-mcg-video

There’s a reason why even streamers like Netflix now want a piece of the live sports action. It’s what rules our viewing habits, as witnessed by Variety‘s annual list of the year’s 100 most-watched primetime telecasts. A full 75 out of those 100 slots went to sports (up from 56 last year), thanks to 45 NFL games (the same as last year), 19 Paris Summer Olympics installments and both the NBA Finals (four out of five games) and a big World Series.

The World Series didn’t make the list last year, but in 2024 it was back with all five games — thanks to the major market Los Angeles Dodgers/New York Yankees matchup. Meanwhile, here’s a first: The NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship didn’t make the top 100 telecasts lists, but the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship did. (Both of those games were simulcast, but this chart looks only at individual networks, so those numbers would ultimately be higher — 18.87 million for the women’s final and 14.82 for the men’s final.)

The election year made two appearances in the chart, starting with the Sept. 10 Presidential Debate held by ABC. That 20.3 million number was for the Alphabet net alone; the debate was simulcast by multiple networks and actually drew an estimated audience of 67.1 million viewers — which would make it the No. 2 telecast of the year, behind only the Super Bowl.

With sports taking up the lion’s share of the list, there wasn’t much room for regular primetime fare this year. And for what was left, it all went to CBS. Specifically, the Eye network’s breakout hit “Tracker,” which took 15 slots — more than anything except the NFL and the Olympics. The other spots went to four editions of “60 Minutes” and the two back-to-back final episodes of “Young Sheldon.”

Continuing their climb were the two most-watched awards shows: The Oscars was once again the year’s most-watched entertainment telecast. Back on March 10, 20.2 million people saw “Oppenheimer” take the best picture prize — up from 19.4 million in 2023 and 17.6 million in 2022. CBS’ Grammys kudocast jumped to 18.1 million viewers this year, compared to 13.4 million in 2023 and 10.2 million in 2022. (The Grammys even beat the Oscars in adults 18-49).

Among all outlets, NBC led with the most slots with 38 (up from 24 last year), thanks to its primetime Sunday Night Football and all those evenings of Summer Olympics coverage. Next was CBS with 25, then ABC (12), Prime Video (10), Fox (9), ESPN (5) and one for Fox News.

Below, our ratings roundup of the year’s most-watched telecasts (in Live+7 ratings), according to broadcast and cable measurements, in both total viewers and adults 18-49.

Source : https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/most-watched-shows-2024-tracker-young-sheldon-super-bowl-olympics-oscars-1236260223/

Reddy, who made his Test debut for India in Perth last month, came out to bat at No. 8 in the ongoing Boxing Day Test at MCG and has scored his maiden red-ball fifty.

The official X handle of the Indian men’s cricket team (@BCCI) shared an appreciation post for Nitish Kumar Reddy on Saturday, December 28, after the 21-year-old right-handed batter from Andhra Pradesh scored his maiden Test century for India and also helped the Rohit Sharma-led side avoid follow-on in the ongoing fourth Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Reddy came out to bat at No. 8 for India, and with the help of four fours and one six, crossed the 50-run mark in 81 balls. He scored his maiden Test half-century for India when the team was in deep trouble and staring at the follow-on.

After completing his first Test fifty, Nitish came up with the Pushpa celebration, and the official X handle of BCCI also took the cue from the movie by captioning the post ‘Flower nahi, fire hai.’

“Nitish Kumar Reddy brings up his maiden 50 in Test cricket and unleashes the iconic celebration,” BCCI tweeted.

‘Flower nahi, fire hai’ is an iconic dialogue of Tollywood actor Allu Arjun in the movie Pushpa, the second installment of which is making headlines in India these days.

Nitish’s fighting knock in the ongoing match is not only appreciated by the BCCI but also by many fans, experts, and former greats of the game.

Source : https://www.news18.com/cricket/flower-nahi-fire-hai-bccis-tweet-for-nitish-kumar-reddys-goes-viral-9170555.html 

India are currently taking on Australia in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 which is the much-awaited Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The most talked about moment from the match happened when Virat Kohli was involved in an altercation with 19-year-old debutant Sam Konstas. While walking past Konstas, Kohli pushed the young opener with his shoulder, which was followed by the two having a verbal standoff with each other. Despite the physical altercation, Kohli was not banned, but a fine was imposed on him.
According to the official statement by ICC, Virat Kohli has been fined 20% of his match fees. Kohli, like all other Indian players, earns a fee of Rs 15 lakhs per Test match. If 20% of this fee is deducted, it means that Kohli will earn Rs 12 lakhs from the Boxing Day Test. Hence, he will have to pay a fine of Rs 3 lakhs for his shoulder push on Sam Konstas.

The contest between Sam Konstas and Jasprit Bumrah was a major highlight of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Konstas had a thunderous debut as the 19-year-old struck an excellent half-century in Melbourne on Thursday.
Following Nathan McSweeney’s failure to grab the limelight, Australia called Konstas for the last two Test matches. The Aussie youngster once again showed why he is so highly rated as he reverse-scooped the in-form Bumrah twice despite getting beaten by the pacer at the start of his innings.
He was so confident that Bumrah conceded 18 runs in an over for the first time in Test cricket. After the match, the Aussie opener admitted he worked hard on that scoop shot and was determined to put the pressure back on the bowler.

As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo he said, “I think it probably will look silly if I did get out.

“But I’ve worked pretty hard on that shot, and I feel like it’s probably a safe shot for me really. But I think that’s the beauty about being young and maybe a bit naive. I’m just trying to put pressure back on the bowler in the best way I think is, and it was good to get a few runs today.
“I think I was just getting used to the wicket, first time facing him, getting used to his action,” Konstas said. “Obviously, he beat my bat quite a few times, and [I] was lucky enough to get a few away. But it was a great contest.”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/hes-a-legend-sam-konstas-honest-admission-on-facing-jasprit-bumrah-for-the-first-time-at-mcg-article-116685317

It seems as it the whole saga surrounding Manu Bhaker and her selection for the Bharat Ratna may be dawning to an end, as it has been leant that her name is likely to be added to the final list of the nominees after union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya is set to take a call on the matter.

In August, Bhaker became independent India’s first athlete to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics with her bronze-winning show in the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events.

Reports of her omission from the national honours evoked shock with her family insisting that application was duly submitted.

The sports ministry and the 12-member awards committee were criticised, although a ministry official said: “this is not the final list, there is a process involved”.

The Awards Committee for the Dhyan Chand Bharat Ratna involve the likes of characters such as retired Supreme Court judge Justice V Ramasubramanian and also includes former women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal, boxer Vijender Singh, and cricket great Anil Kumble among others.

Alot of deliberation exists around whether or not she even submitted the application for the Bharat Award, but speaking to Hindustan Times, NRAI Prez Kalikesh Singh Deo reinstated that they were completely in the dark about her.

“We don’t even know if she applied or not, but if she did, I don’t think the committee had any reason to not consider her. If she didn’t apply, there’s nothing the committee could’ve done. We’re hopeful the ministry understands our point of view and gives her the award she so thoroughly deserves,” Kalikesh stated in his interview.

Source : https://www.news18.com/sports/manu-bhakers-name-to-be-possibly-added-to-khel-ratna-but-ill-let-him-know-9167688.html

India pacer Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the last two Tests against Australia as he is yet to regain full fitness, the BCCI said on Monday.

Shami, who last played for India in the ODI World Cup final in November, 2023, made a comeback from his right heel surgery during Bengal’s Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh last month.

With calls for his selection growing, Shami played all nine games for Bengal in the subsequent Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. He is also part of Bengal’s squad for the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy but did not play the opening game on Saturday against Delhi.

His fitness has been a subject of intense debate and speculation, so much so that India skipper Rohit Sharma had asked the physios at the National Cricket Academy to provide clarity on the matter following the Brisbane Test.

Shami had developed swelling in his knees while playing the SMAT, and the clarification in that regard finally came on Monday.

“Based on the current medical assessment, the BCCI Medical Team has determined that his knee requires more time for controlled exposure to bowling loads. Consequently, he has not been deemed fit for consideration for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” said the BCCI in a release.

“Shami will continue to undergo targeted strength and conditioning work under the guidance of the medical staff at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence and build his bowling loads needed to meet the demands of the longest format of the game. His participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy will depend on the progress of his knee.” The medical team said the veteran fast bowler has fully recovered from the heel injury that kept him out of action after the ODI World Cup.

“The BCCI Medical Team at the Centre of Excellence has been working closely with Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami on his recovery and rehabilitation after his right heel surgery. Shami has completely recovered from this heel problem.

“However, his left knee has exhibited minor swelling due to increased joint loading from his bowling workload. The swelling is on the expected lines, owing to the increased bowling after a prolonged period,” the BCCI said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/mohammed-shami-declared-unfit-for-remaining-two-tests-of-border-gavaskar-trophy-3329541

ICC ended the deadlock over the hosting of the Champions Trophy by stating that India will play their matches at neutral venue

Dubai has been locked in as the neutral venue to host India’s matches in the Champions Trophy with a semi-final and the final also to be staged in the UAE if Rohit Sharma and Co qualify for the knockouts. A reliable source in the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that Dubai was chosen as the neutral venue after a meeting between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak on Saturday night.

Sheikh Nahyan, who is currently vacationing in the Ghotki region of Sindh and Naqvi, who is also the country’s interior minister, met and finalised the logistical and administrative matters for the mega-event hosted by Pakistan.

On Thursday, the deadlock over the hosting of the Champions Trophy finally ended when the ICC announced that India will play their matches of the 50-over event at a neutral venue instead of host country Pakistan, which will get a similar arrangement for tournaments to be held in India till 2027.

Will Champions trophy final happen in Lahore?

Kuala Lumpur: Opener G Trisha made a doughty fifty before the left-arm troika of Ayushi Shukla, Sonam Yadav and Parunika Sisodia spun web around Bangladesh batters as India scored a 41-run win to emerge champions in the inaugural Women’s T20 U19 Asia Cup here on Sunday.

On a spongy pitch, Trisha’s 52 off 47 balls (5×4, 2×6) guided India to 117 for seven, but Indian spinners cut through the Bangladesh line-up to bundle them out for 76 in 18.3 overs.

The biggest partnership in Indian innings, in fact in the match itself, was between Trisha and her skipper Nikki Prasad — a 41-run alliance for the fourth wicket.

India batters struggled against pacer Farjana Easmin, who took four wickets.

Despite that, India were restricted to a below-par total, and Bangladesh seemed well on track for a win once they reached 44 for two in the seventh over.

However, Ayushi (3/17), Sonam (2/13) and Parunika (2/12) took over from that point as Bangladesh lost remaining eight wickets for a mere 32 runs.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/india-beat-bangladesh-by-41-runs-to-bag-womens-u19-t20-asia-cup-3328494

Rickey Henderson, a 10-time All-Star and the all-time stolen base leader, died on Friday after a bout with pneumonia, multiple outlets reported. He was 65.
Henderson played 25 seasons in the major leagues, stealing at least 100 bases on three occasions, including 130 steals in 1982 to break Lou Brock’s modern-day record for a single season. He finished with 1,406 steals to shatter Brock’s all-time mark of 938.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of my husband, Rickey Henderson. A legend on and off the field, Rickey was a devoted son, dad, friend, grandfather, brother, uncle, and a truly humble soul,” Pamela Henderson said in a statement. “Rickey lived his life with integrity, and his love for baseball was paramount. Now, Rickey is at peace with the Lord, cherishing the extraordinary moments and achievements he leaves behind.”

Far more than a stolen-base threat, Henderson hit 297 home runs with 1,115 RBIs. His 81 leadoff home runs are a major league record.
“For multiple generations of baseball fans, Rickey Henderson was the gold standard of base stealing and leadoff hitting,” Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Rickey was one of the most accomplished and beloved Athletics of all-time. He also made an impact with many other clubs during a quarter-century career like no other. Rickey epitomized speed, power and entertainment in setting the tone at the top of the lineup. When we considered new rules for the game in recent years, we had the era of Rickey Henderson in mind.

The Champions Trophy impasse has finally ended as ICC has confirmed the hybrid model for the upcoming marquee event which is set to be held next year. After their refusal to play in Pakistan, India is all set to play their matches at a neutral venue yet to be decided by the ICC.
As the Champions Trophy is arriving thick and fast, the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy is all set to be the stage for auditions as India are in the hunt to fill in the gaps. The 50 over tournament will see some of the most prominent names with the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel in the action.
Kuldeep Yadav’s injury might be a blessing in disguise for both Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakravarthy. While both Washington Sundar and Axar Patel are likely to be ahead in the pecking order, a third alternative might be in the offing. as reported by PTI.

Chakravarthy came to the Indian fold after a long gap and was very impressive with the ball against South Africa on the batting-friendly pitches. He has 12 wickets in the T20I series against South Africa and will definitely be the player to watch out for in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Mumbai captain Shreyas Iyer will also be determined to prove his worth in the limited over format. He recently guided Mumbai to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title and will be keen to replicate his leadership antics in the competition.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/champions-trophy-ipl-sensation-varun-chakravarthy-in-focus-as-india-continue-their-search-for-wrist-spinner-in-vijay-hazare-trophy-article-116507848

The BCCI on Friday shared a tribute video honouring Ravichandran Ashwin. The off-spinner announced his retirement from international cricket on December 18, 2024, after the third Test match between India and Australia at the Gabba ended in a draw.

The news of Ashwin’s retirement came as a shock to many, given his remarkable consistency and invaluable contributions to the team over the years. In the emotional video posted by BCCI, Ashwin reflected on his illustrious journey while snippets of his memorable matches played in the background.

He recalled a defining moment early in his career, saying, “In 2012, we lost a tricky series against England. I was just starting out, and I promised myself that I would never lose another one. That promise pushed me to enjoy every moment of my game. Hearing the crowd erupt when my name was announced to bowl or bat was something I always looked forward to. I knew I needed to keep improving as a cricketer.”

Discussing his career highlights, Ashwin described the last decade as a dream come true. “It’s been a magical season, a fairytale ride. It will be hard to replicate. In the end, it’s not the runs or wickets that matter—it’s the memories you make along the way.”

Ashwin also shared a lighthearted anecdote about an uncanny prediction made in 2011. “Someone told me I would retire on December 18, 2024, after taking so many wickets.

If you’d told me that back then, I wouldn’t have believed it. I never imagined the game I love would give me so much in return—so many wickets, runs, and most importantly, love. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who supported and challenged me along the way.”

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/r-ashwin-retires-bcci-gives-emotional-tribute-to-veteran-spinner-capturing-memorable-moments-of-his-glorious-career-video

Anushka Sharma sent her love to Ravichandran Ashwin and his wife Prithi Ashwin after the superstar bowler announced his retirement from international cricket. On Wednesday, Ashwin surprised fans by announcing his retirement. The Indian Cricket Team’s official Instagram handle shared a moving video of him announcing his retirement followed by him meeting all the players in the dressing room and even meeting a few Australian players.

The NH10 actress shared the video on her Instagram Stories and bid him an emotional farewell. Anushka tagged Ashwin and wrote, “A lasting legacy.” She also tagged his wife, Prithi and shared a hug emoji as well as a heart emoji.

Anushka often joins the Indian cricket team on their tour to support the team and her husband, cricketer Virat Kohli. She shares a close bond with the cricketers’ wives as well. In the past, Anushka has been spotted hanging out with them in the stands during matches and stepping out on lunch and dinner dates as well.

The actress has been focused on her personal life since the release of Zero, in 2018. Anushka announced at the time that she is taking a break to spend time with Virat. Over the years, Anushka has maintained a distance from the camera. Following the birth of her kids, daughter Vamika and son Akaay, she has been spending more time with her family. It is also said that Anushka has moved to London with Virat and is based there now. However, the couple has not addressed the rumours yet.

Source : https://www.news18.com/movies/anushka-sharma-gets-emotional-as-r-ashwin-retires-from-international-cricket-a-lasting-legacy-9161050.html

Muscat: India’s goalkeeper Nidhi stole the limelight in the penalty shootout, making three sensational saves to help India overcome three-time champions China 3-2 (1-1) and clinch their second consecutive Women’s Junior Asia Cup hockey title here on Sunday.

Nidhi’s heroics capped off a stellar performance, having already stood tall during regulation time by thwarting multiple attempts from the Chinese forwards as the four quarters ended in a nerve-wracking 1-1 stalemate.

While skipper Jinzhuang Tan scored for China in the 30th minute, Siwach Kanika’s strike early in the second half (41st minute) brought India back into the game in an intense battle for supremacy.

Sakshi Rana gave India a perfect start in the shootout by converting the first attempt, while Nidhi denied China’s opener.

China fought back as Hao Guoting equalised, and after misses from Mumtaz Khan and Kanika Siwach, it was Ishika’s top-corner strike that kept India level at 2-2.

Nidhi’s heroics in the final two attempts, blocking shots from Li Jingyi and Zuo Dandan, set the stage for Sunelita Toppo, who sealed the win with a composed finish to seal a memorable victory for India.

The game began with China taking early control, pressing hard against the Indian defense in the opening minutes.

Nidhi made back-to-back saves in the second quarter to keep the scores level after 25 minutes.

Despite India’s dominance in possession, their inability to capitalise on penalty corners — missing two golden chances in the first quarter — proved costly.

China struck first in dramatic fashion right before half-time.

A penalty stroke was awarded to the Chinese side, and they converted clinically to give them a significant edge going into the break.

India began the second-half with renewed vigour and a sense of urgency as they dominated proceedings in the third quarter and were finally rewarded in the 41st minute.

A penalty corner opportunity saw the ball rebound to an Indian attacker, who slotted it home to level the score at 1-1.

The goal reignited India’s hopes and set the stage for a dramatic final quarter.

It was a tense affair, with both India and China pushing for the winner but failing to score the decisive goal.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/hockey/womens-junior-asia-cup-hockey-nidhi-stands-tall-as-india-retain-title-with-victory-over-3-time-champs-china-3318742 

Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is among 23 athletes whose competition artefacts have been inducted into the World Athletics Heritage Collection, currently on display in the online 3D platform of the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA).

Chopra, who became India’s first Olympic gold medallist in athletics when he clinched the top podium finish at the Tokyo Games in 2021, has donated the competition t-shirt he wore at the Paris Games this year.

With his second round throw of 89.45m, Chopra secured the silver medal in Paris behind Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who created an Olympic record with a 92.97m effort.

Besides Chopra, Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the World Athletics (WA) women’s field event athlete of the year, and her fellow Paris Olympic medallist Thea LaFond are among the athletes whose competition artefacts have been inducted into the heritage collection.

Sebastian Coe lauds athletes

D Gukesh responded to Magnus Carlsen, who criticised the quality of the World Chess Championship final between the Indian and Ding Liren.

D Gukesh reigned supreme in Singapore, as he defeated defending champion Ding Liren at the World Chess Championship on Thursday. The win made the Indian Grandmaster the youngest-ever world champion at the age of 18. The decisive Game 14 began on an equal footing, with Liren trying his best to force a tie-breaker. But a massive blunder by Liren saw Gukesh come out on top with a 7.5-6.5 victory.

After his win, Gukesh was extremely emotional as he was seen crying his eyes out. Meanwhile, it sent social media into a state of frenzy as fans began to congratulate him for his victory. But it was downplayed by former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, who took to X, and called the match as the ‘end of chess as we know it’, expressing his displeasure with its quality. Kramnik also labelled Liren’s blunder as ‘childish’. Meanwhile, Magnus Carlsen also seemed to support Kramnik’s views and appeared to be dissatisfied with the standard of the match. He called it ‘a second or third-round match of an open tournament.’

D Gukesh responds to Magnus Carlsen

Gukesh was asked if he was hurt by Carlsen’s comments, and he had a different perspective. Speaking to BBC World, he said, “Not really.”

“I get that maybe in some of the games, the quality was not high but I think the world championship matches are decided not purely by chess but by who has the better character and who has the better willpower. And I think those qualities, I did show quite well.”

He pointed out that despite the low quality of the match, he managed to perform at critical moments. “And the pure chess part, it was not at a very high level as I would have liked it to be because it’s a new experience for me. So the workload was different, the pressure was different,” he said.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/d-gukesh-responds-to-magnus-carlsen-s-criticism-of-world-c-ship-victory-remarks-and-the-pure-chess-part-it-was-101734108492394.html

Mohammed Siraj’s bail-switch act created a drama-filled episode on Day 2 of the third Test between India and Australia in Brisbane.

Fresh after taking a 20 percent hit on his match fee over the on-field altercation with Australia batter Travis Head, Mohammed Siraj produced another act that is going to be talked about for long. The India pacer, struggling to grab his wicket of the match in the third Test of the series against Australia, showed once again that he will try every single trickery in his pocket to get under the batter’s skin. In an incident that went viral on the internet, Siraj walked about to Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne and switched the bails at his end.

Siraj, bowling the 33rd over of the innings on Day 2, walked past Labuschagne after bowling a delivery and switched the two bails. The Australia batter thought that the India pacer was walking up to have a chat with him but it turned out that he had some other plans.

As Siraj returned to the bowler’s end after switching the bails, Labuschagne decided to switch the bails again. The act by the Indian pacer also triggered a big reaction from the crowd. Here’s the video:

Though Labuschagne switched the bails, the trick did help Siraj put the Australia batter off-focus, as India all-rounder Nitish Reddy got him caught in slips in the next over.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/australia-vs-india-2024-25/mohammed-siraj-switches-bails-at-batters-end-marnus-labuschagne-loses-wicket-next-over-watch-7251174

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is not impressed with the Australian crowd booing Mohammed Siraj following the spat with Travis Head in Adelaide.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is proving to be one hell of a spectacle and the five-match series between Australia and India is living up to everyone’s expectations. The marquee series reached a tipping point in Adelaide as Travis Head and Mohammed Siraj clashed in the middle, leading to the latter being docked 20 per cent of his match fees. Australia walked away as the winners in Adelaide, levelling the series, however, the major talking point was the altercation between Head and Siraj.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said it is understandable why Siraj got pumped up after dismissing Head. The 1983 World Cup-winning hero also said that pacers can find it tough to maintain self-control once they are under pressure.

After dismissing Travis Head (140) in the first innings, Mohammed Siraj gave a fiery send-off to the Australian batter, much to the displeasure of the Adelaide crowd. Fans then booed the Indian pacer as well.

The booing continued on Day 1 of the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba, Brisbane and the Indian pacer did look rattled by the hostile reception coming his way.

“Head’s explosive batting is a delight to watch, but opposition bowlers are never amused. No wonder Mohammed Siraj, who was flicked nonchalantly for a six the ball before, was pumped up when he knocked over the local hero’s stumps,” Sunil Gavaskar wrote in a column for Sydney Morning Herald.

“Who said what to whom will be debated endlessly. Both players ended up with demerit points against their names, with Siraj being lighter in the pocket, too, with a fine. Fast bowlers by nature are aggressive on the field, and when the red mist comes down, it can be hard for them to keep self-control,” he added.

‘Siraj getting stick from all saints’

Sunil Gavaskar didn’t mince any words as he took potshots at the Australian public for booing Siraj in Adelaide. However, he also expressed some surprise with the reaction of the Indian pacer.

“Siraj is getting the stick from all the “saints” in Australian cricket who, of course, were known for their impeccable behaviour on the field. It may have incensed Australian fans that Siraj’s fiery send-off was directed at Head, who scored a magnificent century and was also the local boy,” wrote Gavaskar.

“But the same people will cheer if an Aussie quick gives a similar send-off to an English batter during next summer’s Ashes. There were some suggestions in the media that the Australians should get back to being the mongrels they once were. So, do mongrels simply purr, or do they bark, too,” he added.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/australians-should-get-back-to-being-mongrels-gavaskar-hits-out-at-crowds-hypocrisy-sides-with-sirajs-aggression-101734138609763.html

ICC has finally approved a model for the Champions Trophy, with both PCB and BCCI happy with the development.

After months of tussle, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have finally agreed on a hybrid model for the 2025 Champions Trophy. According to a report in India Today, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has also approved the model with matches set to be played in Pakistan and Dubai. This comes after the BCCI refused to send the Indian team to play in Pakistan, citing security concerns. However, the PCB denied to accept their demands initially.

According to India Today, the ICC has finally approved a model for the Champions Trophy, with both PCB and BCCI happy with the development.

Here’s all you need to know about the latest development:

As per the hybrid which has now been approved, the matches will be played across venues in Pakistan, while Dubai will host India’s games including semi-final and final.

If India reach the semi-final and final, Dubai will be the venue for both of those matches. Similarly, if they are eliminated before the knockout stage, Pakistan will host the semi-final and final.

“No compensation for PCB for missing the opportunity to host India matches. In return, PCB will get to host an ICC women’s tournament after 2027,” the report added.

Earlier, PCB told ICC that if India do not come to Pakistan, they too will not send their team across the border for the T20 World Cup in 2026, a tournament which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/bcci-pcb-agree-on-champions-trophy-model-these-are-the-conditions-7241933

Rwandan President Paul Kagame joined Max Verstappen on stage when the Red Bull driver collected the Formula One champion’s trophy for the fourth year in a row at an awards ceremony held in Africa for the first time on Friday.
The 27-year-old was handed the trophy by International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Mohammed Ben Sulayem alongside Kagame, who had earlier spoken of Rwanda bidding to host a race, at the gala in Kigali.

Verstappen, who is one of only six drivers to have won four or more titles since the championship started in 1950, said he was proud of his season and everyone in the team.
“It’s amazing, four titles is definitely incredible. Of course I also hope it doesn’t stop here. I hope we can be successful for a longer period of time,” said Verstappen.
“This year the competition is very close, but then again in 2026 a lot is going to change.”

McLaren won the constructors’ title for the first time in 26 years, ending Red Bull’s reign.
“Of course we’re not standing here as constructors’ champions. In a way, I do think we deserved a little bit more in that championship. I tried my very best and we also know a lot where we have to work on for next year,” added Verstappen.
“I’m very excited about that as well because it does look like it’s going to be a proper fight between a lot of teams.”

The Dutch driver earlier attended a motorsports grassroots development programme with young people as an obligatory “work of public interest” as punishment for swearing at the Singapore Grand Prix in October.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sports/formula1/verstappen-collects-his-f1-trophy-rwanda-2024-12-13/

Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju shocked the world of chess on Thursday when he became the youngest world champion at the age of just 18.

The Chennai-born prodigy defeated defending champion, China’s Ding Liren, in a dramatic match staged in Singapore which he had entered as the challenger. The FIDE World Chess Championship carries a $2.5m (£1.96m) prize fund.

It marked the peak to date of his career, his greatest moment in a long string of achievements.

Gukesh became a grandmaster aged 12 years and seven months and even then, he was upfront about the fact that he dreamt of being the world champion.

In fact, he said he had harboured such ambitions since he was seven when he was a spectator at a World Title match between Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen in 2013.

As he confessed at the press conference following his dramatic win against Ding, he just didn’t think it would happen so soon.

Gukesh is the 18th world champion since Wilhelm Steinitz won what is considered the first title match way back in 1886.

Born in May 2006, Gukesh is also, by far, the youngest player to have ascended this pinnacle.

He comfortably improved upon the prior record held by Garry Kasparov (born April 1963) who was 22 when he won the title in Moscow in November 1985 by beating Anatoly Karpov.

The 14-game match was tied with two wins each after 13 games. It looked as though the 14th game was heading for a draw.

In that case, there would have been tiebreaks played at progressively shorter time controls.

But Ding blundered on move 55 and Gukesh exploited the error to clinch the title.

Over the last three years the young player has made a string of extraordinary achievements, culminating in this victory.

Gukesh won the individual gold medal for best performance in the last two Olympiads. He led India to a team bronze at Chennai in 2022 and the gold medal in 2024 in Budapest.

He also won the Candidates – the tournament that earned him the right to challenge Ding Liren.

Earlier in his teens, Gukesh was ruled out as a prospective challenger by his mentor, the former world champion Viswanathan Anand, or “Vishy Sir” as Gukesh calls him. He thought Gukesh simply didn’t have enough experience.

Indeed, Gukesh suffered an apparently catastrophic loss at the midway stage, but then he pulled himself together to win in the next round and eventually took the event.

In the title match Gukesh lost the first game, and equalised with a win in game three, he then took the lead in game eleven and Ding equalised with a win in game 12.

Game 14 was obviously high-tension with the title and a prize fund of $2.5m (£1.98m) at stake, but the teenager controlled his nerves.

Gukesh is obviously an extraordinary talent but this is not the romantic story of a lone ranger surprising the world. The Chennai GM is at the apex of a robust chess ecosystem, which is one of the best, perhaps the best, in the world.

Gukesh has also been strongly supported by his parents, by the chess establishment in India, and by his school.

India has over 85 grandmasters, many of whom are not yet of driving age.

Indian teams have succeeded recently, winning both the Open Gold (with Gukesh on top board) and the Women’s gold at the last Olympiad in Budapest.

Those grandmasters are at the tip of a pyramid with over 30,000 rated players, because a huge number of Indians play officially sanctioned tournaments.

Gukesh has been a professional player since he was around 10 years old. He is mentored by Viswanathan Anand, who is himself a five-time world champion.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c23vn7x4012o

FIFA confirmed the host nations of the 2030 and 2034 editions of the FIFA World Cup. The 2030 edition will be hosted by six countries across three continents in an edition that will mark the 100-year anniversary of the tournament. The mega tournament will return to the Gulf in 2034 with Saudi Arabia declared hosts.

FIFA confirmed the host nations of the 2030 and 2024 FIFA World Cups on Wednesday (December 11) in an extraordinary congress session that was spearheaded by President Gianni Infantino with all member associations in attendance in an online meeting.
The 2030 edition of the tournament will be an unprecedented tournament, as a total of six countries across three continents will host the tournament. While Spain (Europe), Portugal (Europe), and Morocco are the three main host nations, three South American nations (Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay) will host one match each as part of the centenary celebrations of the tournament.
Uruguay will host the opening match of the tournament while the second and third match will take place in Argentina and Paraguay.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia was also confirmed as the host nation of the 2034 edition, marking the third time the tournament will take place in Asia and the second in a Gulf nation after Qatar 2022. This will be the first time in history that a 48-team FIFA World Cup is held in a single host nation.

For those unversed, the 2026 edition, set to be hosted by the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada, will see the world’s most popular sporting event expand from a 32-team event to 48 participating teams.
Neither the 2030 nor the 2034 bids had any competition, and after a presentation by all host nations, they were confirmed as the host nation.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/football/6-countries-in-3-continents-to-host-2030-fifa-world-cup-fifa-award-saudi-arabia-2034-edition-article-116219664

The ICC Champions Trophy consensus is far from over. BCCI has convened with the ICC that the Indian Cricket Team will not travel to Pakistan for the marquee event next year.

The ICC Champions Trophy saga is far from over. BCCI already made their intentions clear to the ICC that the Indian Cricket Team won’t travel To Pakistan due to security concerns.
The ongoing saga has also affected ICC’s plans to release the schedule. The usual norm has been to release the schedule 100 days ahead of the tournament starts. The Pakistan Cricket Board had hoped to conduct the Champions Trophy from February 19 which means the official schedule would have to be released by November 12 but that didn’t happen.
December 11 was tipped to be the day when ICC published that much coveted Champions Trophy fixture but it seems they have failed to reach a consensus with both PCB and BCCI. As per several reports, a hybrid model has been accepted by all the stakeholders and India’s matches are likely to be held in Dubai.

An ICC board members meeting was also supposed to be held on December 7 but it was postponed due to disagreements regarding how the eight-team competition will go ahead. As per a Cricbuzz report, it has now emerged that the delay in the decision making could force ICC to convert the marquee event into a T20 tournament from the regular ODI format.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/champions-trophy-to-be-conducted-in-t20-format-shocking-details-emerge-amid-indo-pak-standoff-article-116222177

Saudi Arabia has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup, sparking a major backlash against FIFA and the FA amid major human rights concerns regarding the kingdom

Saudi Arabia is to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup – much to the fury of human and gay rights groups.

Football ‘s international governing body handed the tournament to the Middle Eastern country during its virtual congress in Zürich after the bid ran unopposed. The Football Association endorsed Saudi Arabia’s submission in a move that sparked further backlash.

Fan groups claim FIFA rigged the vote for the Gulf state by changing the rules for bidding. Under its laws, the organisation’s 211 member nations are supposed to select one tournament host through a single vote, and there are usually multiple contenders.

Instead, members voted simultaneously for two tournaments – the World Cup in 2030 and 2034. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, which will have games played in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, were named joint hosts of the World Cup in six years.

Football fans immediately gave Saudi Arabia’s bid success, FIFA and the FA the red card. Tottenham Hotspur supporter Andy Anderson expressed his disgust on X. He wrote: “So the rainbow flag wavers at the FA backed Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid….. anyone surprised by their ocean-going hypocrisy?

Preston North End fan Adam Salisbury added: “The whole world has blood on its hands supporting Saudi’s World Cup bid. Standing by and allowing them a free run at it. Talk about lying down and having your belly tickled with that sweet gulf nectar. The FA and the government can f*** off too.

John James added: “I wonder when the English FA will be telling fans to leave their ‘Stonewall Rainbow Laces’ at home when heading to the 2034 Saudi Arabia World Cup.”

‘Shame on the FA’

Pakistan are slated to host the tournament as it is scheduled to kick off on February 19th. However, with India not travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, they are likely to play their matches in Dubai.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram made a surprise appearance at the Coke Studio show in Dubai for the Champions Trophy tour ahead of the 2025 edition. The retired cricketer carried the coveted trophy and placed it on a platform before greeting the crowd by screaming, “assalamualaikum” as the spectators roared too.

Pakistan are slated to host the tournament as it is scheduled to kick off on February 19th. However, with India not travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, they are likely to play their matches in Dubai. With the venue not finalized, the apex body of cricket is yet to announce the final schedule of the same.

Below is the video of Wasim’s appearance at the Coke Studio show in Dubai:

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/video-wasim-akram-appears-in-coke-studio-show-for-champions-trophy-2025-tour 

Virat Kohli’s poor run of form has been a worrying cause for India. The visitors lost the second Test to Australia in Adelaide and the Border Gavaskar Trophy is now tied at 1-1.

Virat Kohli has endured a poor run of form in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Except for a century in Perth, the 36-year-old’s struggle in the long format has been quite evident for the past few months.
With scores of 7 and 11, Virat again faltered in Adelaide as the Indian batting lineup looked clueless and didn’t have any answers to Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland. Virat’s tendency to play outside the off stump has often created problems for him and Boland exploited the area to dismiss the batter in the second innings.
Travis Head has been the chief tormentor for India across every format. The Australian batter was in scintillating form and scored a century in Adelaide to take the game away from the visitors. Mohammed Kaif believes India should target Head as he also has his weakness for delivery outside the off stump.

In a video uploaded on his X account, the former Indian cricketer said, “When Boland, someone who doesn’t play consistently, knows how to exploit this, why can’t we trap Travis Head? If his weakness is outside the off-stump, why don’t we consistently bowl there? Every batsman has weaknesses.”

Kaif further elaborated that the way Australian bowlers have exploited Virat’s weakness, Indian bowlers should implement the same strategy to get the better of Head.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/india-vs-australia-virat-kohli-ki-kamzori-log-pakad-ke-rakhe-hue-hai-india-urged-to-attack-travis-head-to-exploit-weakness-article-116170667

Fresh setback for the Indian team, Mohammed Shami is unlikely to travel to Australia anytime soon.

With the Indian team in desperate need of bowling reinforcements in Australia, the wait for veteran pacer Mohammed Shami to join the team continues. It looked like Shami could be ready to feature in the final two Tests of the series but his fitness concerns have prevented the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from flying him Down Under anytime soon. India captain Rohit Sharma was asked about Shami’s status after the conclusion of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Rohit kept the door open for Shami but refused to give any timeline.

The India captain also suggested that the pacer is dealing with a swollen knee problem as he prepares to regain match fitness in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Bengal.

A report in the Indian Express claimed that Shami has undergone a fresh fitness test which indicates that the pacer isn’t yet ready for 5-day cricket. Hence a flight to Australia anytime soon can be ruled out. But, Shami will feature in Bengal’s quarterfinal against Baroda at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where his fitness and knee issues could be put under another test.

There are doubts about whether Shami is ready to bowl lengthy spells in the red-ball format, considering he is facing swollen knee issues even as he is bowling 4 overs for Bengal’s T20 side.

Since making a comeback to competitive cricket, Shami has featured in one Ranji Trophy and has also played in each of Bengal’s seven matches so far in the SMAT, shining both with the ball and the bat.

What Rohit Sharma said about Mohammed Shami’s situation

Rohit didn’t sound too optimistic about Shami’s potential return, highlighting the knee issues that the veteran pacer continues to face. The India captain asserted that he doesn’t want to rush Shami back into the team unless he is assured of his 100% fitness.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/australia-vs-india-2024-25/another-twist-in-mohammed-shami-tale-pacer-not-flying-to-australia-after-rohit-sharmas-revelation-7220917

FIFA has delivered the sporting prize Saudi Arabia’s crown prince craved in the easiest of football matches to win – one without any opponent.

Football has never seen a stadium as audacious and outlandish before.

A futuristic cliff-top venue will be built 350m above ground when the $1.5trn NEOM megaproject springs up from the Saudi Arabian desert.

There are no limits on ambition or spending to bring the World Cup to the kingdom in 2034 – and no need to win a bidding contest.

After flattering and funding FIFA, Saudi Arabia will today be confirmed as hosts of the 2034 World Cup by acclamation of football nations rather than a vote.

It is the rapid conclusion to a 14-month process engineered to secure their victory but a strategic success for the kingdom in avoiding a protracted contest.

And scrutiny of the fast-tracked process – ending at a virtual FIFA Congress – has diminished the spotlight on discriminatory laws, human rights violations and working conditions as 15 stadiums are built for its biggest sporting spectacle.

But FIFA endorses the Saudi view that a World Cup can be a catalyst for change by introducing labour reforms and providing more rights for women.

Bid leader Hammad Albalawi insists: “We are a young nation seizing this opportunity.”

An opportunity that has been facilitated by Gianni Infantino; the Saudis knowing the touch-points to pander to the globe-trotting FIFA president who collects photos for Instagram alongside the powerful and wealthy.

No country – where FIFA does not have offices – has been visited more by him in recent years.

By contrast, he never seemed to visit Australia before it hosted the Women’s World Cup in 2023 to check on preparations.

Even in the midst of Switzerland’s pandemic restrictions, when non-essential travel was advised against from FIFA’s base, Mr Infantino went to Saudi in early 2021 to be filmed talking up the oil-rich country in a government PR video, in a ceremonial sword dance around palaces of Diriyah.

It was clear where his priorities were as the Saudis proved savvy at winning over the governing body holding the keys to the World Cup hosting.

Mr Infantino skipped FIFA’s own large video gaming tournament in Liverpool this August to launch Saudi’s Esports World Cup in Riyadh alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

That was before FIFA officially launched the 2034 bidding process.

And Mr Infantino has not held a single open news conference in the year since being accused of rigging the bidding process to help the Saudis – denying journalists the chance to put the claims to him directly.

On the face of it, Mr Infantino can claim to have introduced a more open and transparent bidding process than his predecessors oversaw with published inspection reports and scoring.

There was also the ability for any country to enter – as long as you were from the Asia or Oceania regions.

And only if you could decide in less than four weeks whether your country could handle and fund a 48-team tournament with 104 matches – beyond nations with an electorate to consider and budgets to balance.

It was all assisted by a behind-the-scenes secret deal that knocked Europe, Africa and South America out of contention – combining their six countries bidding for the 2030 World Cup into a single, unprecedented mammoth tournament plan.

Those regions then became ineligible to try to host the 2034 tournament.

So all paths – like so many in sport – now lead to Riyadh in 2034.

For Mark Pieth, who advised Sepp Blatter’s FIFA on anti-corruption and governance changes, it is all a “turn for the worse”.

The Swiss law professor told Sky News: “We tried to reform FIFA. What we’re now seeing is quite abominable.

“You have FIFA trying to break all the rules that they’ve given themselves, starting with deciding on two World Cups at the same time, no competition, manipulated reports and finally acclamation instead of a vote.”

The rigging claim would be disputed by FIFA, which yesterday said auditors BDO “concluded that both evaluation processes were executed with objectivity, integrity and transparency”.

There has been little dissent across world football – even countries like Germany that took a vocal stand against Qatar while insisting they would not “gloss over” Saudi issues.

The English Football Association has been deliberating over whether to provide a public position on Saudi – a delicate balancing act while considering a future Women’s World Cup bid and needing FIFA on side.

And the FA speaking out on Saudi – if not the FIFA process – would put it at odds with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who was in Riyadh this week for talks with the crown prince.

But one country that has led the charge against FIFA is Norway.

Their football association head, Lise Klaveness, first broke ranks to tell Sky News: “When decisions are made in closed rooms, it’s the opposite of what the reforms were promising us.”

And on Tuesday she confirmed Norway would attempt to abstain – although FIFA is set to avoid a vote.

She said: “The lack of predictability and open processes challenges trust in FIFA as the global custodian of football.”

It was Mr Infantino who was swept to power after the discredited Blatter reign ended in a wave of convictions of football officials after raids in 2015.

And the former general secretary at European governing body UEFA even sat on the reform committee that attempted to curb the powers of FIFA presidents before he ascended to that position himself and adjusted term limits to remain in post longer.

Miguel Maduro, who was forced out as governance chief by Mr Infantino, told Sky News: “They promised a much higher degree of transparency on how the bidding was going to take place. We saw nothing of that type in this process.

“Basically, it is something that was cooked internally, within what I usually call the political cartel that dominates FIFA.”

The pick cannot be reversed.

But there can be moves to protect the conditions of the migrant workforce – already said by Human Rights Watch to exceed 13 million in Saudi – as 15 stadiums and vast wider infrastructure is built up.

Despite none of the stadiums being complete yet, FIFA still gave the Saudis the highest scoring since the inspection process was introduced for World Cup bidding by Mr Infantino.

FIFA’s inspection report did express concerns about “indecent working conditions” and found gaps complying with “international standards” that “contradict Islamic law”.

There are assurances fans will face no discrimination but anti-LGBTQ+ laws remain – a red line the conservative nation cannot cross and unmentioned in the mandatory human rights risk assessment.

But football is far from the first sport to be seduced by the Saudi riches – helping them cleanse the country’s image and distract from rights issues.

Boxing’s biggest bouts are now there, there has been an attempted takeover of golf by launching the rebel LIV series and a $1m golden ball was added to allow the kingdom to put its lavish imprint on snooker.

Much is bankrolled by the $900bn Public Investment Fund which has owned Newcastle United for three years.

And the sovereign wealth fund has a stake in state oil firm Aramco which became a FIFA sponsor in April.

Streaming platform DAZN, which has close ties to Saudi, seems to have bailed out FIFA’s new 32-team Club World Cup with a reported $1bn global broadcasting deal announced last week without a clear ability to recoup the cash as games air free.

No wonder dissent has been brushed aside by FIFA – even from the US where the Club World Cup will be staged next year followed by the main men’s World Cup in 2026.

Democrat senators Ron Wyden and Dick Durbin wrote to Mr Infantino in October: “The kingdom continues to torture dissidents, engage in extrajudicial killings, discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community, oppress women and religious minorities, exploit and abuse foreign workers, and restrict almost all political rights and civil liberties.”

For many in football – particularly domestic leagues – the bigger concern will be the impact on the calendar.

There are no commitments to stage the tournament in the typical June-July slot, with January-February 2034 looking more likely to avoid clashing with Ramadan and the Hajj.

Qatar 2022’s November-December slot showed how football can accommodate a switch without long-term damage to the club game.

But the message from within Saudi is they are a very different proposition to the first Middle East hosts – even if this World Cup pick is as controversial.

Where Qatar still lacks a vibrant local football culture, Saudi is home to Asia’s most successful team – Al Hilal.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/saudi-arabia-to-be-named-as-2034-world-cup-hosts-but-questions-still-hang-over-bidding-process-13271235

A shortlist of six contenders has been announced for the 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Footballer Jude Bellingham, runner Keely Hodgkinson, darts player Luke Littler, cricketer Joe Root, Para-cyclist Sarah Storey and triathlete Alex Yee are the nominees.

Voting will take place during the show on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer on Tuesday, 17 December.

The programme – presented by Gabby Logan, Alex Scott and Clare Balding, and broadcast live from MediaCityUK in Salford – will celebrate 12 months of incredible sporting action.

Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: “It’s a fantastic shortlist. All six have kept us on the edge of our seats this year, showing us how sensational they are.

“I’m looking forward to reliving each of their successes on the night and finding out who audiences want to be crowned BBC Sport Personality of the Year 2024.”

The public can vote by phone or online on the night for the main award, with full details announced during the show.

Other awards to be announced include Young Sports Personality of the Year, Team and Coach of the Year, Unsung Hero and the Helen Rollason Award.

The Lifetime Achievement and World Sport Star awards will also be presented.

Rohit, who managed scores of 3 and 6 in the the Adelaide pink-ball Test after dropping down the batting order, is being criticized by fans and former players for being subdued.

New Delhi: ‘Let’s not doubt Rohit Sharma’s ability to bounce back’, said the legendary Kapil Dev, who also felt that under-fire India skipper doesn’t need to prove himself at this stage of his career.

Rohit, who managed scores of 3 and 6 in the the Adelaide pink-ball Test after dropping down the batting order, is being criticized by fans and former players for being subdued.

India lost the game by 10 wickets in just two and a half days.

“He doesn’t have to prove himself. He has done this for many, many years, so let’s not doubt somebody. I won’t doubt him. I hope his form comes back, that’s important,” Kapil said during the launch of the Vishwa Samudra Open, a PGTI event set to begin at the Delhi Golf Club on Tuesday.

Rohit had missed the opening Test due to the birth of his second child.

Despite scoring most of his runs as an opener, the 37-year-old dropped down to the number six position, offering the top spot to K L Rahul, who played a pivotal role in the Perth win.

“With one or two performances, if you doubt someone’s captaincy, I mean, just six months back when he won the T20 World Cup, you wouldn’t have asked me this question. Let it go, knowing his ability and talent, he will come back. They will come back strongly.”

Asked if it was a mistake to include young Harshit Rana in the second Test, Kapil said: “I am a nobody. How can I judge? There are people up there who have the responsibility to decide who should be in the team.” “We shouldn’t talk. My former colleagues are sitting there, and I hope they will do a good job.” In Rohit’s absence, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah had led India to a 295-run in Perth.

Asked if Bumrah is shaping up well to take over the reins from Rohit, Kapil said: “I think it is too early to talk about that. With one performance, you can’t say he is the best, and with one bad performance, you can’t say he doesn’t deserve it.”

“Let a player play a lot of cricket, take on a lot of captaincy. Ups and downs will come, and then you judge a person by how he reacts in difficult times, not in good times. In good times, we don’t have to judge. When he is down and out…” Virat Kohli, who also looked subdued coming into the five-Test series in Australia, managed to hit his first hundred in 18 months in Perth. However, the star batter failed in the second Test with scores of 7 and 11 in his two innings.

“Like Virat Kohli, he is one of the best cricketers in our country. If you put the four top batsmen, he will be there. If he is going through a rough time, it is only up to him how fast he can bounce back,” Kapil said.

Kambli needs to go back to rehab

Former India batter Vinod Kambli has been struggling with alcohol-related and other health issues. He appeared frail during a recent public event held in memory of legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar. He was seen refusing to let go of his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/kapil-dev-backs-rohit-sharma-says-captain-doesnt-need-to-prove-himself-3309784

India pacer Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head were held guilty of breaching the world body’s code of conduct after a disciplinary hearing on Monday. The duo were involved in a heated argument on the second day of the Adelaide Test which became the highlight of the match that lasted less than three days.

India pacer Mohammed Siraj was on Monday handed a heavier fine than his Travis Head after the duo were found guilty of a heated exchange on the field. While Siraj was fined 20% of his match fee, Head didn’t face any monetary sanctions but other disciplinary measures were levied against him, even as he took his side to a 10-wicket win.
Siraj and Head were held guilty of breaching ICC’s code of conduct after a disciplinary hearing on Monday. The duo were involved in a heated argument on the second day of the Adelaide Test which became the highlight of the match that lasted less than three days.
While both captains, Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins, came out in support of their players and didn’t give much importance to the incident, several former cricketers found Siraj’s behaviour unnecessary.

“Siraj has been penalised 20 per cent of his match fee after being found guilty of breaching article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel,” ICC said in a statement on Monday.

Article 2.5 is against using language, actions or gestures which belittle or could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an international game.
ICC said that Head too was “sanctioned” for breaching Article 2.13 of the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. It is against personal abuse of a player, player support personnel, umpire or match referee during an international game. This article doesn’t carry any financial sanction and hence Head saved himself from that.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/why-was-mohammed-siraj-handed-heavier-penalty-than-travis-head-after-adelaide-test-spat-heres-what-we-know-article-116154087

An innings defeat looked on the cards when Australia reduced India, overnight 128 for 5 and still 29 runs behind hosts’ first-innings total of 337, to 148 for 7 when R Ashwin was bounced out.

Adelaide: India weren’t 36ed this time but the loss was no less crushing. Not unlike the last time they played here, India were humbled on the third morning of the pink-ball Test, helping Australia pull level at 1-1 in the five-match series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

An innings defeat looked on the cards when Australia reduced India, overnight 128 for 5 and still 29 runs behind hosts’ first-innings total of 337, to 148 for 7 when R Ashwin was bounced out. But Nitish Reddy manufactured a few big hits to set Australia a target of 19 runs — after folding for 175 — to level the series, a task Nathan McSweeney (10 n.o.) and Usman Khawaja (9 n.o.) completed with little fuss here at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Skipper Pat Cummins capped off the win with a five-wicket haul (5/57) that would have healed wounds suffered in the course of a 295-run loss in the opening Test.

Australians had pulled the game away from India on Saturday’s second day itself by shaving the cream of their batting. Rishabh Pant (28) was the last vestige of the “mighty” Indian batting coming into third day’s play. Australia knew Pant stood between them and a series-levelling win with Nitish (42, 47b, 6×4, 1×6) having shown enough promise. Even as the tourists’ top-order crumbled under lights, Pant defied a pumped-up Aussie attack with extravagant batting that stood oblivious to the situation his team was in. He had charged down and slammed the first ball he had faced for a four and brought out his now-familiar roll-over reverse slap.

If he had stayed in the crease for an hour or so, Aussies might have been left with a tricky target to chase under lights. All that turned out to be wishful thinking when the 26-year-old fell rather tamely, hanging his bat outside and managing a nick behind the wickets. Then onwards, it was just a matter of when rather than if.

Cummins then unleashed a barrage of bouncers on the Indian tailanders with handsome rewards. After Ashwin, the pacer also dismissed Rana in similar fashion, constantly targeting either his ribs or head. Nitish gave back as good as he got, even hooking the 33-year-old for a majestic six. But the 21-year-old was out trying to ramp a rising delivery from Cummins over third man. And it wasn’t long before Scott Boland (3/51) had Siraj caught by, incidentally, Travis Head to end India’s innings.

It was a thorough professional performance by Australia who came here with their egos bruised and reputation damaged. Any more reversal here could have been catastrophic but they came out all guns blazing right from ball one on Friday afternoon. They looked more proficient, purposeful and hungry. Despite getting the best conditions to bat and bowl on the opening day itself, India blew it all away. This defeat was as much down to their inexperience with the pink ball as it was to their strategic dearth.

The batters lacked application and the bowlers weren’t disciplined enough. The good thing, though, is there is still plenty of cricket to be played, starting with the third Test in Brisbane – the venue of their most memorable overseas series win.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/indians-turn-pink-under-lights-3308883

Travis Head had a verbal spat with Mohammed Siraj on Day 2 of the second Test match, in Adelaide.

Travis Head stole the show on Saturday, as he destroyed the Indian bowling line-up in Adelaide. Day 2 of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy pink-ball Test saw plenty of action, but it was Head who hogged the spotlight with his century.

Head was unplayable at times as he raced to 140 off 141 balls, and it looked he would add more to his tally. But then he lost his wicket to Mohammed Siraj in the 82nd over.

Receiving a scorching yorker, Head failed to bring down his bat on time and the ball crashed into the stumps. What followed was pure pandemonium as Siraj tried to give him a send-off in celebration. But the Aussie batter was not in the mood to stay silent so then the pair exchanged some words. Then Head walked off to a loud applause from the Adelaide Oval crowd. Siraj was also booed by the spectators.

Travis Head on verbal spat with Mohammed Siraj
Speaking after Stumps, Head said, “I think they booed him after the reaction. If you want to raise the crowd up, you get the crowd.”

Subtly disagreeing with Siraj’s actions, he stated, “Yeah, there’s been conversations I’ve had, I’ll leave those conversations that I’ve had with individuals around that. Like I said, I feel like the way I would like to play the game, I guess the respect shown for myself and I hope my teammates, I’d feel like I’d hold a high expectation of my teammates as well and the way we conduct ourselves and the way we go about things. I can’t speak much for India but like I said I’m going to call that in certain situations, I’ve had conversations with guys this year about that and I feel like you can play hard and play fair but obviously when you’re out you can’t do much about it.”

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/going-to-stand-up-for-myself-travis-head-fumes-at-siraj-after-fiery-send-off-defends-crowd-booing-ind-pacer-101733581047164.html

It was easily the most disappointing draw of the match as very little happened in Game 10. The match is tied 5-5 with four classical games left

What we have after seven draws on the trot is a match that’s down to just four classical games with the possibility of a tie-break looming.

Easily the top contender for the most disappointing draw of the match, Game 10 had little happening over the board. The life had gone out of the position long before a three-fold repetition was agreed upon by Ding Liren and Gukesh after 36 moves. The match is poised at 5-5 and there’s no telling where it goes from here.

If the scores remain tied at the end of Game 14, the match will head into a tie-break – four rapid games of 15 minutes each with a 10-second increment per move. Should the scores still remain even, the match will be decided in a blitz playoff.

The theory of Ding wanting to steer the match into tie-breaks appears more plausible with every draw that he seems eager to make. The match is now down to just four classical games. Gukesh will have the White pieces in two of the remaining games. Looking at how the match has played out so far, it’s unlikely that Ding will want anything but quiet draws in any of his White games. It will rest on Gukesh to create imbalances, take risks and try to go for a win with White. It could very well happen in Game 11 on Sunday, or Game 13 on Tuesday, when Gukesh will have the White pieces.

“The cost of one game is higher than it was maybe at the start or a few games before,” Gukesh said when asked if he thought the cost of every move and game is higher at this point since the match is nearing its end. “My approach is still the same – to play good games. If you think about it, it’s not that different because even though the cost of losing the first game, for example, is not that high, I still would not want to lose that game.”

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/world-chess-championship-ding-gukesh-draw-game-10-tie-break-chances-grow-101733587837128.html

As per a report, Mohammed Shami is set to receive his fitness clearance from the NCA and will be on a flight to Australia soon.

Mohammed Shami is expected to be available for the final two Tests of India’s ongoing tour of Australia, a report claims. Shami is awaiting a fitness clearance certificate from the National Cricket Academy post which he will board a flight to Australia to join the India squad.

Shami wasn’t picked in India’s original squad for the five-match series which got underway last month. However, he’s been taking part in domestic cricket and represented Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in a bid to prove his match fitness.

“Shami’s India kit has already been dispatched to Australia. He will complete Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 assignment and then leave,” news agency PTI quoted a source as saying.

Shami last represented India at the 2023 ODI World Cup final following which he was forced to the sidelines due to an ankle issue for which he later underwent a surgery.

Currently taking part in SMAT 2024, Shami will be in Bengaluru and NCA medical team head Dr Nitin Patel, and Strength and Conditioning trainer Nishant Bordoloi would reportedly take stock of the 34-year-old’s fitness after Bengal end their campaign.

“Shami will be playing the pre-quarter final for us against Chandigarh. He will join us in Bengaluru by tomorrow. However, I am not sure if he will be available if we qualify for quarters or go the distance. Guess he will be fit and available for last two Australia Tests,” Bengal head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla told PTI.

Shukla further said Shami has lost weight and played enough cricket in a short span of time.

Source: https://www.news18.com/cricket/mohammed-shamis-india-kit-dispatched-to-australia-star-pacer-expected-to-be-available-for-final-two-tests-9148612.html

The live coverage of day two of Australia vs India 2nd Test at the Adelaide Oval.

A riveting day of red-ball cricket encapsulated the Adelaide Oval on day one of the second Test between India and Australia as the latter took control of the proceedings at the iconic venue. The home side were under immense pressure, especially on their batting front, but Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne weathered the storm to build a promising platform for Australia.

Nitish Kumar Reddy was once again the shining light for Team India as he made an enterprising 42. However, the standout performer on the day was Mitchell Starc, who sizzled with a six-for, showcasing his mastery with the pink ball to skittle the tourists for 180.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/aus-vs-ind-2nd-test-day-2-live-team-india-look-to-land-early-blows-australia-target-ascendancy

Mike Tyson is being sued in a London court for nearly 1.5 million euros ($1.59 million) for allegedly breaking a deal to promote a gambling company in order to fight social media influencer-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul.
Medier, a Cyprus-registered company that promotes online casino and betting company Rabona, is suing the former heavyweight champion and his company Tyrannic for allegedly reneging on the deal, which was agreed in January.

The lawsuit, filed at London’s High Court in October, says Tyson terminated the deal in March – the same day his fight with Paul was announced – because Medier breached their agreement.
Medier’s lawyers, however, argue its actions did not constitute a breach of the deal and that Tyson’s breach of contract has caused Medier losses of around 1.46 million euros.
“The true reason for Mr Tyson and Tyrannic’s hasty and unlawful termination was because Mr Tyson had agreed a deal, sponsored by Netflix, to fight the influencer Jake Paul,” the company’s lawyer said in documents made public on Friday.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sports/mike-tyson-sued-uk-ditching-promotion-deal-fight-jake-paul-2024-12-06/

Lionel Messi has been named the 2024 Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player following a campaign in which he captained Inter Miami to their first-ever Supporters’ Shield as top club in the regular season, the league said on Friday.
In his first full MLS season after joining Miami in July 2023, Messi had 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 matches while his club set a league record with a 74-point campaign before a stunning first-round elimination from the playoffs.

“I would have liked to receive this award in another situation, being able to play the final (on) Saturday,” Messi said in comments provided by MLS from MVP ceremony.
“We had a big dream of being MLS champions this year. It didn’t happen, but next year we’ll come back stronger to try again.”
For Messi, the MVP award is yet another accolade in an illustrious career that includes a World Cup winner’s medal and a record eight Ballon d’Or awards as the world’s best soccer player.

The 37-year-old Argentine is the first player in Inter Miami history to earn the MLS’s highest individual honour, which was renamed in 2015 after former MVP Donovan, who played a key role is establishing the league.
The Miami captain also joined Mexico’s Carlos Vela in 2019 (LAFC, 34 goals, 15 assists) and Italy’s Sebastian Giovinco in 2015 (Toronto FC, 22 goals, 16 assists) as the only players in MLS history with at least 20 goals and 15 assists in a season.

Messi beat out Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernandez, Portland Timbers midfielder Evander, D.C. United’s Christian Benteke and Miami teammate Luis Suarez to take home the award.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/messi-named-mls-most-valuable-player-2024-2024-12-06/

The drawn match left both the players on an identical tally of 4 points each, still shy of 3.5 points in order to win the championship.

Singapore: Indian challenger D Gukesh and defending champion Ding Liren of China played out their fifth draw on the trot in a nervy eighth game of the World Chess Championship to remain level on points here on Wednesday.

The drawn match left both the players on an identical tally of 4 points each, still shy of 3.5 points in order to win the championship.

The two players signed peace after 51 moves. It was the sixth draw of the 14-round match.

The 32-year-old Liren had won the opening game while the 18-year-old Gukesh had emerged victorious in the third game.

The second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh games had ended in draws.

Liren decided against risking much and took home a draw while it was possible in a complicated position. The game lasted more than four hours.

It seemed like Gukesh would also take it given the chances Liren has misplayed in the match.

Just six more games are left to be played in the USD 2.5 million championship and if a tied result happens after 14 rounds, there will be games under faster time control to determine the winner.

The next two back-to-back games might just turn out to be crucial to the outcome of the match.

It was kind of surprising when Gukesh decided not to go for the draw initially through repetition which would have ended the game some time earlier.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/world-chess-championship-gukesh-liren-play-out-yet-another-draw-in-8th-game-3303668

Tendulkar was speaking after unveiling the legendary coach Achrekar’s memorial

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday described his celebrated childhood coach Ramakant Achrekar as an “all-rounder” and a one-stop shop who was way ahead of his time when it came to teaching cricket as his coaching went beyond the field. Tendulkar was speaking after unveiling the legendary coach Achrekar’s memorial at the iconic Shivaji Park here. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray was also present on the occasion.

Sachin Tendulkar on coach Ramakant Achrekar

Recalling his days when he was under the tutelage of Achrekar, Tendulkar said players trained by him were never tensed during matches thanks to their solid temperament developed by the great coach.

“Ajit (Tendulkar’s elder brother) used to play, and in matches, his observation was, who were not sir’s students, they were tensed. He used to wonder sir’s students were never under pressure.

“Then he realised, sir had a lot of practice matches, and that temperament had been built. I was no exception,” Tendulkar spoke in Marathi.

He further added, “Sir had a swiss knife, glue, sand paper, first aid, after match, he used to say ‘let’s do match demonstration’. He wrote in code language, who did what wrong in the match. Once, during batting, a friend was flying a kite, he would stand and see, and take notes.”

“Sir was a general store, used to have everything, was very caring. he used to control situations while we were going to the doctor also. He was an all-rounder,”

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/sachin-tendulkar-calls-childhood-coach-ramakant-achrekar-sir-an-all-rounder-one-stop-shop-of-wisdom

The future of the ICC Champions Trophy has been covered in a veil of uncertainty after India held firm on its stance not to send the men’s cricket team to Pakistan.

Former spinner Harbhajan Singh reaffirmed his stance by stating that he doesn’t “expect” that the Indian team will travel to Pakistan for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy. The future of the ICC Champions Trophy has been covered in a veil of uncertainty after India held firm on its stance to not send the men’s cricket team to Pakistan. On the other hand, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been persistent about not switching to a hybrid model and hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan.

Harbhajan backed India’s stance of not sending the team to Pakistan for the marquee event and told ANI, “I have said this before. I don’t think Team India will travel to Pakistan.”

“I don’t think the situation is suited to go there and play. People in Pakistan love cricket and the Indian team. But considering the situation, I don’t think Team India will travel. Governments are involved, and they are making the decisions,” Harbhajan added.

Last Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal cited the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) statement, which stated that because of the “security concerns” in Pakistan, it is unlikely that the Indian team will cross the border to play the marquee event in Pakistan.”

“The BCCI has issued a statement. They have said that there are security concerns there, and therefore, it is unlikely that the team will be going there,” Randhir Jaiswal said.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/situation-not-suited-pakistan-dealt-big-blow-by-harbhajan-singh-as-champions-trophy-hosting-rights-chances-dim-7157757

Shoaib Akhtar’s statement came hours after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) gave in to BCCI and ICC’s demand on Champions Trophy

Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar made a staggering claim saying that the hybrid model for the Champions Trophy was already decided, just hours after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) gave in to BCCI and ICC’s demand. Under the model, all of India’s matches will be reportedly played in the UAE, while the remainder of the games will be hosted in Pakistan.

The proposal for a hybrid model was put forward after BCCI formally told the ICC that the Indian team did not get clearance from the government to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. The apex body too was keen to push forward the model in the wake of the Islamabad unrest. However, PCB was adamant about hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan, but eventually gave it after they were reportedly left on the verge of losing hosting rights.

Speaking to a Pakistan media channel, Akhtar acknowledged PCB’s stance as he delivered an unbiased verdict on the hybrid model.

“You are getting paid for hosting rights and revenue, and that’s fine—we all understand it. Pakistan’s stance is also reasonable. They should have maintained a strong position—why not? Once we are able to host the Champions Trophy in our country and they are unwilling to come, they should share the revenue with us at a higher rate. That’s a good call,” Akhtar said.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/hybrid-model-was-already-signed-earlier-shoaib-akhtar-big-claim-pcb-gives-in-to-bcci-icc-champions-trophy-demand-101733102169687.html

Mikaela Shiffrin’s attempt at a record-extending 100th career World Cup win has been put on hold after she crashed during a giant slalom race in Killington, Vermont, where she was in position to reach the milestone.
Shiffrin had the fastest first run and looked to be headed for a sure victory but, with the finish line in sight, she caught an edge that sent one ski flying as she tumbled and crashed into the safety netting.

In an interaction with The Times of India, Harbhajan Singh has revealed that he wants Vicky Kaushal to portray him in his biopic. This is because both he and the actor come from the same district and speak the same language. He even said that he will talk to the star actor regarding this.

“I think Vicky Kaushal would be an ideal choice. Both he and are from the same district and speak the same language. I will certainly talk to him,” Harbhajan Singh said.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/not-diljit-dosanjh-harbhajan-singh-wants-36-year-old-actor-vicky-kaushal-to-play-him-in-his-biopic-article-115848296

Ravichandran Ashwin feels Virat Kohli is going to lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the upcoming IPL 2025.

India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who was recently picked up by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, feels Virat Kohli is going to lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the upcoming edition of the tournament. While analysing RCB’s auction, Ashwin said that the franchise haven’t gone with any other leadership option, hence he does not see anyone else other than Virat leading the team, who are searching for the elusive IPL title win.

Earlier, former South Africa and RCB batter AB de Villiers had also predicted that Virat Kohli is going to lead the franchise next year. Virat Kohli had previously stepped down as the RCB captain after the 2021 season.

“In all likelihood, I think Virat Kohli is going to captain that side. That’s the feeling I get because they haven’t gone for a captain. Unless and until they are going to go with somebody else. I don’t see anyone other than Virat as captain,” Ashwin said on a video posted on his official YouTube handle.

RCB had a ‘great auction’

Ashwin also hailed RCB’s auction strategy, saying the franchise was very measured in its approach, and it can be seen in their buys. In the two-day event in Jeddah, RCB managed to acquire players like Tim David, Josh Hazlewood, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma.

AB de Villiers dropped a major hint on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) new captain for the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). RCB released Faf du Plessis and did not buy either Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, or Shreyas Iyer in the auction, leaving a question mark on the leadership role.

There is a major expectation that RCB will target either Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, or KL Rahul in the auction as they look for a new captain. With the franchise purchasing neither of the three players, the captaincy conundrum has only grown.

Ab de Villiers Confirms New RCB Captain

Kohli stepped down after the 2021 season and announced the decision just days after he confirmed he would resign as India’s T20I captain after the 2021 T20 World Cup.

“Virat Kohli, I don’t think it has been confirmed yet but he will be captain looking at the squad,” said de Villiers on his Youtube channel.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/ab-de-villiers-makes-big-reveal-after-ipl-2025-auction-confirms-virat-kohli-rcbs-new-captain-for-ipl-2025-article-115779090

Shahid Afridi has blamed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for ‘intertwining politics with sports’ and called for ICC to ‘uphold fairness and assert their authority’.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has extended his support to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for not accepting the hybrid model for next year’s Champions Trophy, scheduled to be played in Pakistan. The veteran all-rounder has blamed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for ‘intertwining politics with sports’ and called for ICC to ‘uphold fairness and assert their authority’. The ICC Board meeting is set to take place on Friday to decide the schedule of the marquee tournament. The BCCI has told ICC that the Indian team will not travel to Pakistan for the tournament due to the Indian government’s disallowance. However, the PCB is reluctant to host the entire tournament in Pakistan, leaving the future of the Champions Trophy uncertain.

Afridi added that Pakistan have travelled to India five times since the Mumbai terror attacks that deteriorated the relations of the neighbouring countries.

“By intertwining politics with sports, the BCCI has placed international cricket in a precarious position. Fully support the PCB’s stance against the hybrid model – especially since Pakistan (despite security concerns) has toured India five times, including a bilateral white-ball series, post-26/11. It’s time for the ICC and its Board of Directors to uphold fairness and assert their authority,” Afridi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be hosted across three venues in Pakistan over February and March next year. But India, who have not toured Pakistan since 2008, told the ICC that their government had not permitted them to travel to Pakistan for the event earlier this month.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has insisted that the PCB remains “clear” in its view on hosting the Champions Trophy, and added that “it’s not possible that Pakistan play in India, and they don’t come here”.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/post-26-11-shahid-afridis-direct-message-to-bcci-over-champions-trophy-mess-demands-iccs-fairness-7128876

The World Chess Championship 2024 is still underway but Indian grandmaster D Gukesh is assured of a huge sum.

The World Chess Championship 2024 is still underway but Indian grandmaster D Gukesh is assured of a huge sum, thanks to his first victory in the third round of the 14-classical match event against Ding Liren. With a maximum of 11 games remaining, the scores are tied at 1.5-1.5. This was after Liren won the opener and the second game ended in a draw. Gukesh went on to win the third game. As per the prize money fixed for a match win in the event, Gukesh will get Rs 1.69 crore, an amount that Liren too assured himself after the first-round victory.

With nerves no longer a concern for him, Gukesh will hold the psychological edge against a slightly shaken defending champion Liren when the two resume their intriguing battle for the World Championship crown in the fourth round in Singapore on Friday.

Gukesh has clearly shown better preparation, while Liren’s calculation let him down in the third game. The match had started with Gukesh facing the Chinese in a French defense game with white pieces and his initial progress gave the Indian a huge time advantage, which he held till the end.

The youngster lost the opener playing badly in a complicated middle game but could take heart from the fact that his preparation had come good.

In the second game, which was his first white, Liren chose a solid variation in the Italian opening and Gukesh had no troubles whatsoever in equalising easily out of the opening itself.

The game ended in a mere 23 moves vide repetition earning Gukesh a lot of respect for his flawless play with a slightly unfavourable colour.

Coming in to the third game ahead of the first rest day, Gukesh decided to put all his energy and his opening choice yet again made Liren spend more than half of the allotted time on the first 14 moves itself.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/chess/indian-grandmaster-d-gukesh-assured-of-rs-1-69-crore-despite-world-chess-championship-2024-still-underway-7126963

RCB introduced the Hindi page by sharing a video of Virat Kohli

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has faced online criticism after creating a separate social media handle for Hindi-speaking fans or those who don’t understand English. The new X (formerly Twitter) account, named “Royal Challengers Bengaluru Hindi” with the handle “@RCBinHindi,” has stirred controversy among Kannada speakers.

Many have accused the Bengaluru-based IPL team of promoting “Hindi imposition” and are calling for the account to be removed. RCB introduced the Hindi page by sharing a video of Virat Kohli speaking in Hindi, accompanied by English subtitles. The page, that the IPL franchise launched on November 24.

The caption of the post when translated read, “Listen to your favourite player Virat Kohli in his favourite Hindi language, where he shared his thoughts on the joy of being associated with RCB for years and the auction. Now all RCB videos are available in your favourite Hindi language too!

Fans express anger over Royal Challengers Bengaluru Hindi handle

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/take-franchise-to-some-north-state-rcb-faces-backlash-from-fans-for-launching-social-media-handle-in-hindi-featuring-message-from-virat-kohli

Former India head coach Greg Chappell delivered a massive verdict on the controversy surrounding Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling action.

Former India head coach Greg Chappell believes that the Australian top order is a major concern for the hosts after a 295-run loss to India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series opener in Perth. India’s win was biggest by the margin of runs against Australia in Australia. The previous biggest win dates back to 1977, when India won their first Test Down Under in Melbourne. It was also their 10th Test victory in the country. After opting to bat first, India were bowled out for just 150 but Jasprit Bumrah, standing in as captain in full-time skipper Rohit Sharma’s absence, swung the momentum back in India’s favour with a brilliant five-wicket haul that restricted Australia to just 104. Overall, he snapped eight wickets across the match.

“Yet it was Australia’s batting performance that was more concerning. India’s bowlers, spearheaded by the lethal Jasprit Bumrah, looked sharper and more menacing. By the way, please stop this nonsense of questioning Bumrah’s action. It is unique, but it is unequivocally clean. It demeans a champion performer and the game to even bring it up. The top order is a major concern. To avoid forced changes, they must deliver in Adelaide,” Chappell wrote in his column in The Sydney Morning Herald.

Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne is facing pressure, having not scored a century since July 2023. He was dismissed for 2 from 52 balls and 3 from five deliveries in the first Test. Chappell believes that the right-hander is playing for survival instead of looking for runs.

“Marnus Labuschagne knows he is under pressure. With only 330 runs from his last 16 innings, he must rediscover his form quickly and revert to the free-flowing style of old; two off 52 balls is not good enough. A change of mindset should be his first port of call. He looks to be batting for survival when he really should be looking to score runs. A subtle but important difference,” he wrote.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/australia-vs-india-2024-25/stop-this-nonsense-controversial-ex-india-coachs-brutal-take-on-jasprit-bumrahs-illegal-action-allegations-7109241

The announcement means Murray will join forces with the man who was his biggest nemesis during his professional playing career.

Novak Djokovic has appointed Andy Murray to coach him into and through the Australian Open.

Announcing the collaboration, Djokovic said: “I am excited to have one of my greatest rivals on the same side of the net, as my coach.”

He said he was looking forward to the start of the season and competing in Australia alongside Murray, with whom he said he has “shared many exceptional moments on the Australian soil”.

In a video posted on X, the Serbian player added: “We had some of the most epic battles in our sport… I thought our story was over, turns out it has one final chapter.

“It is time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner.”

Three-time Grand Slam winner Murray retired in August after exiting the men’s doubles at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The announcement means he will join forces with the man who was his biggest nemesis during his professional playing career, with Murray losing four Australian Open finals to Djokovic in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

But Murray claimed victory over Djokovic at the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013.

In a statement, Murray added: “I’m going to be joining Novak’s team in the off-season, helping him to prepare for the Australian Open.

“I’m really excited for it and looking forward to spending time on the same side of the net as Novak for a change, helping him to achieve his goals.”

Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who has spent more weeks at number one than any other player in tennis history.

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/novak-djokovic-appoints-andy-murray-as-coach-13259183

Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim let out some expletive-laden words while speaking to the bowler about field setting in the Abu Dhabi T10 League game between Samp Army and UP Nawabs on Saturday.

Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim let out some expletive-laden words while speaking to the bowler about field setting in the Abu Dhabi T10 League game between Samp Army and UP Nawabs on Saturday. In a video surfaced on social media, Wasim was heard saying, Tera dimaag kharaab hai, b******d pole pe maar dega’.

The moment occurred when West Indian all-rounder Odean Smith came to bat in the tenth over of the innings, with the Nawabs requring eight runs off the final two deliveries. The bowler in question was Amir Hamza as he had dismissed Najibullah Zadran and Andre Fletcher to raise the victory hopes for their side.

Amir Hamza successfully defends 11 off the final six balls as Samp Army win 3 out of 3 matches:

With 11 required off the final over, Hamza had dismissed Zadran and Fletcher, leaving Smith to get eight runs off the final two deliveries. The 33-year-old Afghan cricketer had conceded four byes in the second-last delivery of the innings, but Smith couldn’t score even a run on the final ball.

Samp Army batted first and most of the batters struggled, with the exception of Sharjeel Khan, who belted 37 off 23 deliveries to set up a 101-run chase for the opposition. Hamza also finished as the pick of the bowlers for Samp Army with figures of 2-0-9-2.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/bd-pole-pe-maar-dega-imad-wasim-caught-abusing-on-stump-mic-during-abu-dhabi-t10-league-video-viral

The light-hearted banter about bowling pace was reminiscent of their KKR days

Harshit Rana and Mitchell Starc were involved in a banter during Day two of the AUS vs IND 1st Test at Perth. The incident happened on the fifth delivery of the 30th over. A back-of-a-length ball rose sharply, striking Starc’s bat shoulder and falling short of Virat Kohli at second slip. As the ball trickled away, Rana cheekily stuck out his tongue and smiled at his IPL teammate.

Starc can be heard offering a little warning to Harshit Rana ” “I bowl faster than you Harshit. I bowl faster than you. I’ve got a long memory.” Their light-hearted banter about bowling pace was reminiscent of their Kolkata Knight Riders days and brought smiles all around.

Australia vs India Day 2 update

Team India is currently on top against Australia in the ongoing Test match in Perth. Bumrah stole the show after completing his 5-wicket haul by dismissing Alex Carey on Day 2. He thus becomes the first Indian pacer to pick up 50 wickets in a single WTC cycle. Harshit Rana dismissed Nathan Lyon to get India to a closing distance of bowling out Australia.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/i-bowl-faster-than-you-mitchell-starc-offers-little-warning-to-harshit-rana-during-aus-vs-ind-1st-test-video

A rising delivery from Josh Hazlewood saw Kohli edging the delivery to Usman Khawaja in slip.

Virat Kohli’s poor form with the bat continued in Australia after being dismissed for just 5 runs in the 1st innings of the opening test match in Perth. A rising delivery from Josh Hazlewood saw Kohli edging the delivery to Usman Khawaja in slip. The right-handed batter was standing outside the crease and couldn’t keep the ball down. Virat came to the series having scored just 93 runs in six innings in the previous series against New Zealand.

Here’s what fans had to say about Virat Kohli’s failure

The Border-Gavaskar Test series between Australia and India, which starts in Perth on Friday, pits the two best teams in red-ball cricket against each other.

The last four series between these two countries have been compelling, making it the pre-eminent rivalry in Test cricket today. This period has been particularly good for India, who have won the rubber on all four occasions, including twice in succession in Australia.

But India’s unexpected recent whitewash by New Zealand, marked by the failure of top stars, has raised doubts about the future of some big names.

The spotlight in the current series will be on veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who have been the pillars of India’s dominance across formats over the past decade. However, with advancing age and recent dips in form, questions linger about their ability and hunger to continue competing at the highest level.

The most concerning issue has been the form of star batter Virat Kohli, the poster boy of Indian cricket.

His recent struggles have stretched over more than three years. In the past five years, Kohli, who once piled up Test centuries with ease, has managed to add only two more to the 27 he had amassed earlier at a rapid pace.

His Test batting average, once hovering in the mid-50s, has dipped below 48. The run machine who was touted as most likely to overhaul Sachin Tendulkar’s Test records has been sputtering.

Australia has long been a happy hunting ground for Kohli. His first Test century came in Adelaide in 2011, and during the 2014-15 series, he dazzled with almost magical strokeplay, cementing his place among the game’s greats.

Kohli’s fiery aggression – outdoing even the Aussies at their own game – earned him respect and adoration from fans Down Under. When he led India to their historic first Test series victory in Australia in 70 years, he assumed cult status.

Captain Rohit Sharma, a late bloomer in Test cricket, may have had comparatively modest success in the format, but the respect he commands from opponents is every bit as significant as that given to Kohli.

After starting with centuries in his first two Tests, Sharma lost his way and place, briefly, till he was given the opener’s slot. Since then he hasn’t looked back.

Sharma’s prowess in white-ball cricket has often overshadowed his superlative batting in Tests, where he can be destructive and sublime as the situation demands.

He often faces criticism for his inconsistency in producing big scores. However, there’s unanimous agreement that when Sharma finds his rhythm, India’s chances of winning Tests soar dramatically.

While Sharma hasn’t had a prolonged lean trot like Kohli, he has unfortunately hit a dramatic slump in the recent home Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

In 10 innings each during these matches, neither Sharma nor Kohli managed to muster even 200 runs. The calibre and class of Sharma and Kohli are beyond dispute. The concern is whether they are over the hill.

Ashwin and Jadeja are undoubtedly world-class all-rounders. With more than 3,000 runs apiece, Ashwin has surpassed 500 Test wickets, while Jadeja recently crossed the 300-mark. Both would be welcomed with open arms into any team in the world.

In tandem, they’ve more often than not played havoc with opposing teams though their overseas record is modest.

In 10 Tests in Australia, Ashwin has taken 39 wickets at an average of 42.15. Meanwhile, Jadeja has claimed 14 wickets in just four Tests at an impressive average of 21.78 – better than Ashwin’s, though from a smaller sample size.

But such stats can also be misleading.

Ashwin is the more experimental of the two, adding an element of surprise and edge to his bowling. In 2021, he had Australia’s top batsmen, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, dancing to his tune. Jadeja, on the other hand, is the master of control – economical and deadly, especially on a crumbling pitch.

The value of Ashwin and Jadeja extends beyond just their bowling. Ashwin’s doughty batting in the memorable 2021 series was critical in India winning the series. Jadeja has often shored up the batting with stout defence and spunky strokes when the top order has fallen. And he is worth 30-35 runs on fielding alone.

The concerns about Ashwin and Jadeja stem from their relatively modest bowling returns against New Zealand at home last month. Ashwin took nine wickets at a strike rate of 66.33, while Jadeja claimed 16 wickets at 37.93.

Effectively, the Kiwi spinners outshone both these stalwarts, and India lost a home series after 18 Test wins. As in the case of Sharma and Kohli, was this an aberration or a sign of waning powers?

It would be reckless to dismiss players of such high calibre and vast experience based on a handful of stats. Beyond their skill and ambition, great players rely on self-belief and pride to overcome the toughest challenges and deliver when it matters most.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87xw18x08lo

Germany dismantled visitors Bosnia and Herzegovina 7-0 on Saturday with a statement win and two goals apiece from Florian Wirtz and Tim Kleindienst to secure top spot in their Nations League group A3 with a game to spare.

The Germans, who had already qualified for next year’s quarter-finals of the competition, are on 13 points with Netherlands in second place on eight, and are eager to re-establish themselves as an international force ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

“We have no injuries from the game and our counter-pressing was extraordinarily good,” said Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann after the biggest win for the team since he took over last year.

“And then to score seven goals against an opponent sitting so deep is something.

“We wanted to win possession and then quickly play the ball forward, be quick in transition and find those runs, something we did not do often enough at the Euros (in June). We did it well,” Nagelsmann added.

Germany, travelling to Budapest to face Hungary on Tuesday for their last group match, took the lead with in-form Jamal Musiala’s looping header after only 90 seconds.

The Bayern Munich attacking midfielder has now scored in his third consecutive game for club and country.

Everything seemed to be working seamlessly for the hosts and they doubled it with striker Kleindienst’s first Germany goal in the 23rd minute after he turned in Robert Andrich’s shot.

Kai Havertz twice came close in an explosive first half before getting on the scoresheet in the 37th after a quick one-two with Wirtz, who bagged Germany’s fourth goal five minutes after the restart with a dipping free kick that caught Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj off guard.

With Bosnia’s defence in complete disarray and unable to handle their opponents’ speed, the hosts showed no signs of easing off and kept pouring forward.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/germany-pulverise-bosnia-7-0-seal-top-spot-nations-league-group-2024-11-16

The Champions Trophy 2025 remains in a limbo due to India’s refusal to come to Pakistan and PCB’s decline to accept hybrid model.

BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla has declared that they only followed the Indian government’s directive over not travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. Shukla stated that they have conveyed the message from the Home Ministry’s message to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

With the PCB releasing the schedule of the Champions Trophy a few months ago, the BCCI has now declined to send the Indian team to the neighbouring nation for the tournament. However, the PCB is also declining for a hybrid model, putting the tournament under enormous doubt.

Speaking to ANI, Rajiv claimed:

“Bharat-Pakistan ka aap jahan tak Champions Trophy ka punchein, yeh bada spacht hai ki jo sarkaar kahegi, vahi hum karenge. Jo sarkar ka message hoga vahi hum kahenge, usi hisaab se ICC ko keh diya hai.”

(If you talk of India-Pakistan Champions Trophy match, whatever the Indian government says, we are to follow that only. Whatever the Home Ministry told us, we have conveyed that to the ICC).

“ICC is now BCCI because Jay Shah is set to become Chairman of ICC” – Najam Sethi

Meanwhile, former PCB chairman Najam Sethi slammed the ICC for not raising their voice against the BCCI due to the latter majority revenue for them. He said during an interview with a local channel, as quoted by CricketPakistan.pk:

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/jo-sarkaar-kahegi-bcci-vice-president-rajiv-shukla-over-team-india-not-visiting-pakistan-for-ct-2025-video

Opting to bat, India posted a massive 283 for 1, thanks to unbeaten centuries from Tilak Varma (120 not out off 47 balls) and Sanju Samson (109 not out off 56 balls), and then bowled South Africa out for 148 in 18.2 overs.

Johannesburg: Sanju Samson’s breathtakingly beautiful stroke-play was matched by Tilak Varma’s understated brilliance as India, riding on their record breaking twin tons, bullied a listless South Africa with a series-winning 135-run victory in the fourth and final T20 International here on Friday.

India thus ended this year’s T20I campaign by winning all bilateral series along with the T20 World Cup triumph and victory percentage of 92.

Samson’s 109 not out off 56 balls was complemented by Varma’s 120 not out in only 47 balls as they took India to an unsurmountable 283 for 1 in 20 overs, their highest total on overseas soil.

In South Africa’s run chase, Arshdeep Singh (3/20) swung the ball prodigiously under lights during an opening spell that reduced the hosts to 10 for 4 and were eventually shot out for 148 in 18.2 overs.

Among the plethora of records that tumbled, the most special one will be the two Indian batters scoring centuries in same T20I innings. Samson and Varma also posted the highest partnership for India in T20 Internationals — 210 off just 93 balls for the second wicket.

Samson completed his ton in 51 balls while Varma (41 balls) took 10 balls less.

Samson now has three T20I tons in the last five innings which also included two ducks.

It seems brilliance and disappointment exist together for the Kerala man who will certainly increase a lot of selection headache for Ajit Agarkar when Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant come back in the Indian T20I squad.

For Varma, back-to-back T20I tons on South African soil will not only increase his stocks but it also speaks volumes about the kind of team man skipper Suryakumar Yadav is. Suryakumar decided to relinquish his favourite batting spot, allowing a young talent to blossom showing what leadership is all about.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/india-beat-sa-by-135-runs-in-4th-t20i-clinch-series-3-1-3278887

Pakistan are designated hosts of Champions Trophy 2025, while India hold maximum power in world cricket owing to its capability to generate revenue

Where and when the Champions Trophy 2025 be played? That is the biggest question in world cricket right now. Pakistan are designated hosts of Champions Trophy 2025, while India hold maximum power in world cricket owing to its capability to generate revenue. Now, BCCI has informed world cricket body ICC that it won’t be travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. India and Pakistan don’t play bilateral series due to political tensions. The arch-rivals play each other only in ICC and Asian Cricket Council events.

India last toured Pakistan in 2006. Now, with India refusing to tour Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken a hard stance. It has said that a ‘hybrid model’ of hosting is out of question. It has also written to the ICC to explain in a written response about the reasons behind BCCI refusing to travel to Pakistan.

Now, according to a video report in Sports Tak, in the response by BCCI there will be a heavy mention about the fear of safety for the Indian cricket team players.

The report said that, along with the reply that the BCCI is sending to the ICC, there is a dossier which mentions that the BCCI is concerned with the terrorist acts in Pakistan. It mentions about cross-border terrorism and also the fact that Indian players can be potentially high target in Pakistan. Though the Indian cricket team might get a lot of love from the common people, there always remains a chance that terrorists might target the Indian cricket team. Like, what happened in 2009 with the Sri Lanka team in Pakistan. The dossier will also mention the terrorism incidents that happened in Pakistan in the last 12 months.

While neither the PCB nor the BCCI are willing to hedge from their current stance, the responsibility of resolving the matter falls on the shoulders of ICC, who only have three options with them. They are:

1. Convince the PCB to agree on BCCI’s hybrid model proposal, which would see five of the 15 games of the tournament being played in UAE.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also maintained a hard stance and has ruled out possibility of a ‘hybrid model’ where some matches, including India’s, are played at a neutral ground

The uncertainty over Champions Trophy 2025 is one that has kept the world cricket on tenterhooks. From the time, the BCCI informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it will not be travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, the future of the tournament is in doldrums. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also maintained a hard stance and has ruled out possibility of a ‘hybrid model’ where some matches, including India’s, are played at a neutral ground. It has also written to the ICC seeking a written response on the reason behind India not agreeing to come to Pakistan.

Among the places which were being discussed as the neutral venues were Sri Lanka, Dubai and South Africa. A PTI report claimed that there has been no recent discussion on South Africa as a venue.

Now, a video report on Sports Tak has claimed that within the BCCI corridors, there has been a discussion that if Pakistan maintains its hard stance of not agreeing to a hybrid model and pulls out of the Champions Trophy, then the tournament can be hosted in India. The report further claimed that if Pakistan pulls out, then the ICC may have to pay huge compensation to the broadcasters as India vs Pakistan clash is a marquee match in any cricket event.

The report added that this discussion is at an initial stage and nothing has been finalised yet.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/india-to-host-champions-trophy-if-pakistan-maintain-hard-stance-report-claims-initial-bcci-talks-7021076

Indian batters hammered 13 sixes during the third T20I against South Africa, which was played at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday (November 13).

India players produced a super show on Wednesday (November 13) in the third T20I of the ongoing four-match series against South Africa and went on to win it by 11 runs. In the match played at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday (November 13), India first rode on Tilak Varma’s maiden T20I century to post a total of 219 runs on the board and then successfully managed to defend the target by restricting Proteas to 208 for 7 in 20 overs. Arshdeep Singh picked up three wickets for the Suryakumar Yadav-led side in the match, whereas two South African batters were sent back to the pavilion by Varun Chakravarthy.

India won the third T20I by 11 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the series, and during the match, India also broke three elite T20I records.

• The win over South Africa on Wednesday was India’s 164th victory in 241 T20I matches played so far, and it also helped Men in Blue become the second team in the world after Pakistan to register outright wins in 100 T20Is away from home.
• Indian batters smashed a total of 13 sixes in the third T20I, which helped the 2024 T20 World Cup winners become the first team in the world to hit 200 sixes in T20s in a calendar year.
• The 219-run total in the Centurion T20I was also the eighth time India crossed the 200-run mark in T20Is in 2024. It helped Men in Blue create the record of scoring most 200+ scores in a calendar year. India surpassed seven 200+ scores each by the Birmingham Bears in 2022, India in 2023, and Japan in 2024.
• Tilak Varma scored a century for India in the third T20I, which helped Men in Blue become the third team in the world to score five individual centuries in a calendar year. Indian batters scored five individual centuries in 2023 as well, and during the 2016 edition of the IPL, RCB also scored five centuries.

The swords were drawn at Rohit and Kohli after IND’s whitewash at home and that is exactly why Lee believes that the two superstars need to reset mentally and start new for BGT 2024.

Sometimes the best way to move ahead is to take a step away. Former Australian pacer Brett Lee believes that is exactly what Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli must do to regain their mojo before they take on the mighty Australia in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Even Rohit might not have foreseen the utter humiliation his side would face as India condemned themselves to eternal humiliation with a 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand at home, the first-ever in a three-match series for India.

The swords were most definitely drawn at Rohit and his talisman Virat Kohli the very next moment and that is exactly why Lee believes that the two superstars need to reset mentally and start new.

“If you look at the Hitman (Rohit Sharma) and King (Virat) Kohli – they got 90 runs each in the series. It’s so unlike them. They are way better players than that. It’s hard to put your fingers on why they failed,” stated Lee on his YouTube channel.

“When you have a couple of bad runs back-to-back, that’s when the pressure could set in. I guess the thing now is someone like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma just have to go back to the drawing board.”

Lee also stated the importance of getting back to the basics, and taking a break away from the game as much as possible. He also issued a warning to both batters regarding the Australian pace attack, which will look to exploit any and every bit of weakness they can find to pose a threat to the Indians.

Source: https://www.news18.com/cricket/rohit-sharma-virat-kohli-need-to-get-away-from-cricket-to-regain-mojo-before-bgt-2024-says-brett-lee-9118430.html

The BCCI has informed the ICC about the Indian government’s denial of permission to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in 2025.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is gearing up to host the Champions Trophy next year. The venues are being upgraded to meet the ICC standards, and the renovation work is in progress in different cities across the country. The PCB has been sharing videos of the stadiums that will host the fixtures during the eight-nation tournament.

On Saturday, the PCB shared a video in which the Members of the PCB Board of Governors could be seen receiving a briefing on the ongoing upgradation of Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Meanwhile, the BCCI has reportedly informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) about the Indian government’s denial of permission to travel to Pakistan for the showpiece event.

“This is an ICC event, and BCCI has informed the global body that it won’t travel to Pakistan. It will depend on the ICC to inform the host nation about the development and then close in on the scheduling of the tournament. The convention is to announce the schedule 100 days prior to the commencement of the event,” PTI quoted a source from the BCCI as saying.

The BCCI intimating to the ICC about its inability to travel to Pakistan would leave the PCB with no option but to organise the Champions Trophy in the ‘Hybrid Model’. However, board chairman Mohsin Naqvi said in a press conference that his board had not received any official communication from the BCCI. He added that it is the ICC’s prerogative, as the principal organiser, to inform Pakistan about the latest developments.

Source : https://www.news18.com/cricket/bcci-denies-travel-to-pakistan-for-champions-trophy-pcb-reacts-strongly-by-posting-video-of-stadium-renovation-9114991.html

Gautam Gambhir could end up losing his role as Team India’s head coach in Tests if Rohit Sharma’s men don’t do well in Australia.

The start to what was promised to be a fruitful coaching career hasn’t gone the way Gautam Gambhir or the well-wishers of the Indian team had predicted. Gambhir arrived in the Indian team on the back of a title-winning campaign at Kolkata Knight Riders. But, since becoming Team India’s head coach, Gambhir has suffered an ODI series loss in Sri Lanka and a clean sweep at home against New Zealand in Tests. As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) top brass tightens its screws on the slumping performances, Gambhir faces a make-or-break Test campaign against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The series is unarguably Gambhir’s biggest ‘Test’ to sustain the India coach job in the longest format.

It has been reported that Gambhir could see his role as Team India’s head coach being taken away from him if India fail to do well in Australia. While the BCCI intends to stick with Gambhir as the white-ball coach, a poor show Down Under could be the final nail in the coffin for him in red-ball cricket.

According to a report in Dainik Jagran, if the Indian team fails in Australia too, the BCCI could ask a specialist like VVS Laxman to take up the coach’s role in Test cricket while Gambhir would stay put only in ODIs and T20Is.

It isn’t yet known if Gambhir would accept such a change, if it comes down to this. If the Border-Gavaskar Trophy remains a closely-fought contest, the BCCI might have a tough decision on its hands to make.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/australia-vs-india-2024-25/gautam-gambhir-under-sacking-threat-if-india-fail-in-australia-tests-report-6977920

Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has come under a lot of criticism following the 0-3 whitewash in the Test series against New Zealand.

Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has come under a lot of criticism following the 0-3 whitewash in the Test series against New Zealand. The Rohit Sharma-led side was completely outplayed by the visitors as they slumped to three consecutive losses at home. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) conducted a review of the series defeat on Friday with skipper Rohit Sharma, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and Gambhir in attendance along with BCCI secretary Jay Shah and president Roger Binny. A number of topics were discussed and a report by PTI claimed that Gambhir and the team think-tank are currently not “on the same page” when it comes to certain decisions regarding the team.

“It can’t be confirmed whether Gambhir’s coaching style was questioned or not but it is understood that some people in the Indian team think tank aren’t on same page with the chief coach.”

“The selections of T20 specialist all-rounder Nitish Reddy and rookie pacer Harshit Rana, with only 10 matches in Ranji Trophy have not been unanimous to say the least,” the PTI report stated.

Fast bowler Harshit Rana and all-rounder Nitish Reddy were top performers in the IPL 2024 but their inclusion for the upcoming Test series against Australia has reportedly caused a bit of division. The report claimed that their lack of experience means that the duo did not enjoy “unanimous” support.

There were also discussions about Gambhir’s style of coaching which is very different from his predecessor Rahul Dravid and how the team is getting used to it.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/division-in-team-india-report-claims-gautam-gambhir-think-tank-not-on-same-page-regarding-6975960

Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble has said that there is something wrong with Indian batters’ play against spin and the team needs to sit down and introspect.

Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble has said that there is something wrong with Indian batters’ play against spin and the team needs to sit down and introspect.

Indian team succumbed as the spin duo of Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips spun New Zealand to a 25-run win over India in the third Test at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, handing the hosts their first-ever series whitewash at home in a Test series of three or more matches.

Speaking on JioCinema, Kumble said that the batters failed to make any adjustments against spin.

“This has consistently happened over the last three Test matches. Whenever the spinners come on, there hasn’t been a noticeable improvement from one game to the next. A couple of players have made certain adjustments, which has helped in the batting lineup, but collectively, as a batting unit, they haven’t been able to avoid those collapses. This has happened far too often in a single session, which is a concern,” said Kumble.

Harsha Bhogle called out Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s catastrophic performances in India’s home Test campaign this season.

Team India’s stalwarts tasted dirt once again as New Zealand spinners ran riot in the second innings of the Wankhede Test. Chasing a target of 147 runs to win the third and final match of the series, India lost half of their team for just 29 runs. There were huge expectations from the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to bail out the team and earn a consolation win. Both fell prey to the tricky of New Zealand spinners on Sunday.

While Rohit was dismissed looking to go for a big hit against Kiwi pacer Matt Henry, Kohli was undone by ‘local boy’ Ajaz Patel. In fact, Rohit’s rash shot was severely criticised by commentator Harsha Bhogle, who struggled to wrap his head around the approach opted by India’s skipper.

“Trying to get my head round Rohit Sharma’s approach. Struggling. That was a wicket on a platter and ends a disappointing home season for him with 133 in 10 innings,” Harsha posted on X (formerly Twitter) after Rohit’s dismissal.

Kohli, who only has one fifty-plus score in this series, was dismissed for a single run from 7 balls. Harsha highlighted how poor Kohli and Rohit have been this home Test campaign for India.

“Kohli 192 in 10 innings. Rohit 133. It has been a forgettable home season for the big two,” the renowned commentator wrote on social media.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/india-vs-new-zealand-2024/rohit-sharma-virat-kohlis-catastrophic-form-exposed-as-harsha-bhogle-drops-stats-bomb-6932712

Since Gautam Gambhir’s appointment, India suffered an ODI series loss in Sri Lanka and a home Test series whitewash against New Zealand

Just like the senior batters of the Indian team, the performance of head coach Gautam Gambhir is too under the scanner after a disastrous Test series defeat against New Zealand on Sunday. It was India’s first-ever whitewash in a Test contest (minimum of three matches) at home and a second series defeat for India since the appointment of Gambhir in July, the other being against Sri Lanka (0-2) in an ODI contest in August.

According to a report in the PTI, Gambhir’s fate relies entirely on the impending tour of Australia where India play five Tests as part of the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar series. India will not only look to retain the title, having won both their last two tours of Australia but also have the World Test Championship final qualification on the line. Having suffered a brutal and unprecedented whitewash at home, India, who dropped to the second spot in the table, have to avoid a loss or more than a solitary draw against Australia to make the final for the third straight time.

The report further revealed that unless a remarkable turnaround, BCCI might curb Gambhir’s power, having been given a free hand in selection matters, unlike his predecessors, Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid.

Some of the concerns raised against Gambhir, according to the report, has been his insistence on a rank turner in Mumbai for the third Test against New Zealand despite it being no secret that the Indian batting line-up has increasingly become vulnerable against spin over the last few years. Moreover, questions have also been raised on a few of his tactical calls during the recent home series like the decision to send Mohammed Siraj as night-watchman on the second evening of the third Test and Sarfaraz Khan at No.8 in the first innings.

Gambhir given free hand in selection matters

According to the BCCI rules, head coaches have no say in selection matters, which was often raised by Shastri, both during his tenure and following the end of his successful stint, and his successor Dravid. But the board made an exception, considering the importance of the Australia tour, and allowed Gambhir to be part of the selection meeting.

As per a report, Pant was left unhappy by several decisions taken by the GMR Group, co-owners of Delhi Capitals.

An interesting piece of information has been revealed following Rishabh Pant not being retained by Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction. Pant’s nine-year connection with the 2020 finalists came to an end as he was released, with Axar Patel being the franchise’s first retention. However, a new report has revealed that Pant was left unhappy by the decisions taken by co-owners GMR Group, who will run the franchise for the next two years. This reportedly includes DC’s change in coaching staff.

As per a report by PTI, Pant was left dissatisfied by the decision to appoint Hemang Badani as the head coach and Venugopal Rao as the Director of Cricket at DC.

Moreover, it has been reported that Pant was also unhappy about his powers being curbed by the GMR Group. Earlier, it had been reported that Delhi Capitals were considering stripping captaincy off Pant and handing it to Axar Patel.

Pant, who had been bought by the Delhi Capitals in 2016, had been retained through two previous mega auctions, and had even attended previous mega auctions in person.

Due to the 50-50 ownership of Delhi Capitals shared between the JSW Group and the GMR Group, each owner runs the franchise in two-year cycles. 2025 and 2026 will be under the direction of GMR Group.

Under their leadership, DC decided to part ways with Ricky Ponting, who had been their head coach for seven years. Legendary Indian Sourav Ganguly was also replaced as the men’s team’s Director of Cricket.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2025/rishabh-pant-left-unhappy-by-delhi-capitals-report-reveals-major-reason-for-exit-ahead-of-ipl-retentions-6923874

Rohit Sharma continues to be a Mumbai Indians player, being announced as one of the players retained by the franchise for IPL 2025.

Rohit Sharma will continue to represent the Mumbai Indians, a team he has become synonymous with over many years and many successes in the IPL. The joint-most successful franchise managed to hang on to their former captain, despite some rumours that Rohit might look to move on from his hometown team in the upcoming auction.

Speaking on the matter to JioCinema, Rohit reflected on the decision to remain in Mumbai, and what it means to him as a native of the city and someone who has played some of his best cricket for the franchise.

“I have played so much cricket in Mumbai, this is the place where I started my cricket career. So this city is very, very special. Obviously, when you play for such a long time, you create so many memories with the team,” said Rohit in the interview. While he has been replaced by Hardik Pandya as captain, he will continue to open for the franchise.

While Rohit captained Mumbai to the IPL 2020 title, they haven’t had too much success in the years since. Rohit stated that he hopes to help edit their fortunes: “We haven’t had the best of the season in the last two or three years. But we are quite determined to change that.”

“I have played so much cricket in Mumbai, this is the place where I started my cricket career. So this city is very, very special. Obviously, when you play for such a long time, you create so many memories with the team,” said Rohit in the interview. While he has been replaced by Hardik Pandya as captain, he will continue to open for the franchise.

While Rohit captained Mumbai to the IPL 2020 title, they haven’t had too much success in the years since. Rohit stated that he hopes to help edit their fortunes: “We haven’t had the best of the season in the last two or three years. But we are quite determined to change that.”

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/rohit-sharma-s-first-reaction-after-being-retained-by-mumbai-indians-for-ipl-2025-this-is-my-home-101730382956262.html

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has unleashed a fiery rant after Gary Kirsten’s abrupt departure as Pakistan’s limited-overs coach. Basit, who shared his frustration on his YouTube channel, lamented the deteriorating state of Pakistan cricket.

“Pakistan’s cricket is deteriorating, and I don’t want it to decline. In the coming days, it will get worse,” he remarked.

Basit expressed his frustration that foreign coaches like Kirsten are often hired without first being tested at the junior levels.

Drawing comparisons to global practices, he pointed out that Australia and India adopted a more measured approach, with Rodney Marsh and Rahul Dravid working with grassroots programs before ascending to senior roles.

“Mazak bana diya hai Pakistan ka (They’ve made a joke out of Pakistan). And the establishment is 90 percent involved in it,” Basit said, hinting at internal interference in cricketing decisions.

Babar Azam.’ So you don’t want Rizwan as captain, and you don’t want Shaheen Afridi—is this Pakistan’s team or Gary Kirsten’s team?”

He further ridiculed Kirsten’s potential distractions, quipping, “Next, he’ll say, ‘My academy is running in Cape Town,’ and then join some PSL franchise. Why do you even give opportunities to people like this who can’t spend their time in Pakistan?”

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/news/mazak-bana-diya-hai-pakistan-ka-basit-ali-delivers-hilarious-rant-after-gary-kirstens-exit/articleshow/114730464.cms

Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri won the Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world on Monday, beating Brazil’s Vinicius Jr and England’s Jude Bellingham, both of Real Madrid, to the prestigious prize.
Barcelona’s Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s award for a second time.
Rodri, a first-time winner of the award, was instrumental in helping his team win an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League trophy last season. He was also named best player at this year’s European Championship after Spain lifted a record-extending fourth title.

Team India continues to face heavy criticism after their Test series defeat against New Zealand, first in 12 years at home.

Criticism continues to be thrown at Team India’s face from all corners after the defeats in the first two Tests against New Zealand. In what was the first home Test series defeat for Rohit Sharma and his men in 12 years, the batting unit’s failure has been highlihted as the biggest contributing factor. Even former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali tore into the Indian team, saying the players looked overconfident against the Kiwis but didn’t manage to play either spin or pace.

“I had said chasing 350-plus will be too difficult. There had to be a ton from one of the top three batters. India’s batting got exposed. In the first match, the Kiwi pacers took 17 wickets. In the second Test, spinners took 19 wickets. India players were neither able to play pacers well nor spinners. On a track that had pace and bounce (Bengaluru), India lost and on a spinning track, India lost as well,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.

“The match India won against Bangladesh in two days and New Zealand’s 2-0 defeat in Sri Lanka, the team might have thought they would beat the Kiwis easily. This means, that Indian management and Indian players were overconfident. New Zealand did their homework. They had nothing to lose. No one would have thought that the Kiwis might be able to defeat India. Even New Zealand themselves wouldn’t have thought of something like this. But they did their homework,” he added.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/india-vs-new-zealand-2024/overconfident-can-neither-play-spin-nor-pace-ex-pakistan-star-tears-into-team-india-6883845

During the two ongoing Test matches between India and New Zealand at Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) stadium and the third Pakistan-England Test at Rawalpindi, the domination of spin on the opening days has stood out.

During the two ongoing Test matches between India and New Zealand at Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) stadium and the third Pakistan-England Test at Rawalpindi, the domination of spin on the opening days has stood out, with the tweakers established new records, milestones and memories from “Pindi to Pune”. In the second Test between the Kiwis and India, the Indian team chose a combination of three frontline spinners in Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin on what was a spin-friendly surface, with all three having exceptional quality in their batting as well when in full flow.

The move to include Washington, playing his first Test in over three years since that iconic Border-Gavaskar Trophy sealing win at The Gabba in Brisbane against Australia in January 2021, raised questions as he was picked over a much more accomplished and senior as a spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, who has had to sit out often during Test matches due to Ashwin-Jadeja’s abilities as batters.

When Kiwis were 197/3, with Rachin Ravindra looking set for another century and only Ravichandran Ashwin having made some notable, but not-so-impacful dents in Kiwis’ innings, a lot was being said about Kuldeep’s absence from the field. However, Washington, who had bowled tightly so far, responded to the chatter in the most dominating way possible, taking the next seven wickets with his masterful movement with the ball. He triggered Kiwis’ collapse from 197/3 to 259 all out in the first innings.

Washington went on to register his career-best Test figures and his maiden Test fifer. He and Ashwin, two Tamil Nadu stars, teamed up to take all ten Kiwi wickets on day one, making it only sixth instance of spinners getting all the ten wickets on day one of a Test in India.

Sundar had cleaned bowled five batters in his spell, including Rachin, Tom Blundell, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee and Ajaz Patel. He joined stars and older players like Jadeja, Anil Kumble, Jasubhai Patel and Bapu Nadkarni to be among players to have accomplished most “bowled” dismissals during a Test innings in India.

Sundar’s figures were the third-best by an Indian against New Zealand in Tests and the joint-best along with Ashwin in the 21st century. Spinner Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan, who also happened to play for Tamil Nadu, had registered all-time best figures of 8/72 against Kiwis in 1965 at Delhi, followed by Erapalli Prasanna’s 8/76 at Auckland in 1975.

Ashwin also overtook Nathan Lyon to become the leading wicket-taker in the history of the ICC World Test Championship with 189 scalps in just 39 matches, as compared to Australian legend Nathan Lyon’s 187 wickets in 43 matches. He also overtook Lyon (530 wickets) to become Test’s seventh-highest wicket-taker, with 531 scalps.

On the other hand at Rawalpindi, the pitch was expected to spin from early on. While England had made over 500 runs within a single day (including four centuries) the last time they were at the venue back in 2022, it was the complete opposite this time around.

England was up for a surprise as they collapsed from 70/1 to 118/6, as Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes all departed in quick succession. Jamie Smith (89 in 119 balls, with five fours and six sixes) and Gus Atkinson (39 in 71 balls, with five fours) counter-attacked and averted a complete collapse by taking England to 267 in 68.2 overs.

All the overs bowled in the innings were bowled by spinners, the first time in 142 years that no pacers bowled any over in a Test inning. The previous such instance was in February 1882 in Sydney, where two Australian slow bowlers – Joey Palmer and Edwin Evans – bowled 115 overs between them to bowl England out for 133, as per Wisden.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/from-rawalpindi-to-pune-spinners-rule-the-pitch-create-new-records-milestones-and-memories-6868693

India A excelled in all three departments, clinching a thrilling seven-run victory over Pakistan to kick off their ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup campaign on an exhilarating note.

India A excelled in all three departments, clinching a thrilling seven-run victory over Pakistan to kick off their ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup campaign on an exhilarating note in Al Amerat, Oman on Saturday. India’s top order fired in unison as it posted 183 for 8 with Tilak Verma top-scoring with a 35-ball 44 after opting to bat. Pacers Anshul Kamboj (3/33) and Rasikh Salam (2/30) and spinner Nishant Sindhu (2/15) shared eight wickets amongst themselves to restrict Pakistan to 176/7.

Not only did India shine with the bat and ball, they also delivered an impressive performance in the field, particularly through Ramandeep Singh, who made a stunning catch and saved vital runs in the closing moments.

Openers Abhishek Sharma (35 off 22) and Prabhsimran Singh (36 off 19) unleashed an aggressive assault on the pace attack, sending the ball flying across the field.

Abhishek slapped consecutive boundaries in the first over, while Prabhsimran followed suit by dispatching Zaman Khan for a four and a six in the next over, setting a vibrant tone.

Together, they struck eight boundaries and five sixes, propelling India A to an impressive 68 without loss during the Powerplay.

However, the introduction of spin after the Powerplay slowed their momentum, leading to the loss of both Abhishek and Prabhsimran in quick succession. This brought skipper Verma (44) and Nehal Wadhera (25) to the crease.

As the pitch became increasingly sluggish, Verma took on the anchor role, while Wadhera and Ramandeep (17) found the boundaries.

After losing two wickets to the pace of all-rounder Anshul Kamboj early in the chase, Yasir Khan (33) and Qasim Akram (27) began to attack fiercely.

However, a spectacular catch by Ramandeep at deep midwicket broke their partnership, dismissing Yasir. In the same over, left-arm spinner Nishant made his mark by removing Akram.

Arafat Minhas top-scored for Pakistan with 29-ball 41 but it was Abdul Samad who blazed away to 25 off 15 balls. Samad walked in when Pakistan needed 58 more to win but the 26-year-old hit a six and two back-to-back boundaries off Vaibhav Arora in the 16th over to bring down the equation to 42 off 24 balls.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/all-around-india-a-defeat-pakistan-a-by-7-runs-in-acc-emerging-teams-asia-cup-6827806

Sarfaraz Khan produced an entertaining show with the bat in India’s second innings currently underway in Bengaluru to bring up a quick century – the first of his Test career – on the fourth morning of the first Test against New Zealand on Saturday. Sarfaraz got to the milestone with a beautiful punch through covers for a four, taking just 110 deliveries.

Soon after reaching the three figures, Sarfaraz soaked in the moment while holding his two arms aloft and pointed his bat towards the Indian dressing room while roaring in delight.

He thus became the 22nd Indian batter in Test history to score a duck and a century in the same Test. Shubman Gill, who is missing this contest due to a fitness issue, recently registered a duck and a century in the Chennai Test against Bangladesh.

Sarfaraz made his Test debut earlier this year during the home series against England and justified the hype around him by scoring 200 runs in five innings at an average of 50 including three half-centuries. He didn’t play in the two Tests against Bangladesh but with Gill missing out in Bengaluru, a spot opened up with India bringing him into their playing XI for the series opener against New Zealand.

Source: https://www.news18.com/cricket/watch-sarfaraz-khans-epic-celebration-as-he-roars-after-hitting-maiden-test-hundred-9091369.html

Pakistan cricket team batter Kamran Ghulam impressed everyone on debut as he slammed a gritty century on Day 1 of the second Test match against England.

Pakistan cricket team batter Kamran Ghulam impressed everyone on debut as he slammed a gritty century on Day 1 of the second Test match against England on Tuesday. Ghulam looked at ease against the England bowlers and he ended up scoring 118 off 224 deliveries with the help of 11 fours and 1 six. The 29-year-old replaced Babar Azam in the starting XI after the former Pakistan captain was dropped following a dismal run. Following the ton, Babar took to social media to congratulate Ghulam on his achievement as he wrote on his Instagram story – “Well played Kamran”.

Kamran Ghulam hit a superb century on his debut to guide Pakistan to 259-5 on the opening day of the second Test against England in Multan on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old replaced out-of-form Babar Azam at number four and foiled England’s aggressive bowling and fielding to score 118.

At close of an even day’s play, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha were unbeaten with 37 and five respectively.

The day ended Ghulam’s frustrating long wait for a place in the Pakistan team after he smashed a national record 1,249 runs in the 2020 domestic season.

Ghulam led a fightback after the hosts, who won the toss, were struggling at 19-2 with England spinner Jack Leach striking twice in the first hour.

Ghulam added 149 for the defiant third wicket with Saim Ayub, who hit a career-best 77, and another 65 for the fifth wicket with Rizwan.

He reached three figures with a boundary off spinner Joe Root, taking 280 minutes and becoming Pakistan’s 12th batter to score a century in his first Test.

With just half an hour before stumps, Ghulam was bowled by spinner Shoaib Bashir, ending a resolute 323-minute knock spiced with 11 fours and a six.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/babar-azams-reaction-goes-viral-after-test-replacement-kamran-ghulam-slams-debut-ton-6796874

Mohammed Shami potentially is still some gas in the tank, a few more miles in his legs, but will the injuries please stay away?

Mohammed Shami’s last competitive outing was on 19 November 2023, during India’s heartbreaking loss to Australia in the final of the 50-over World Cup. Having mostly bowled first-change, behind Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, from the time he was drafted in for the league fixture against New Zealand in Dharamsala, Shami was surprisingly given the second over in the title clash, because he was unwell and wanted to bowl when at his freshest.

The experienced pacer struck with his first legal ball, having David Warner caught at first slip by Virat Kohli. But that was as good as it got for Shami – and India. He finished with one for 47 from seven overs which increasingly became bereft of venom as Australia romped home by six wickets with 42 deliveries to spare.

There were loud cheers for Sanju Samson, not just from the Hyderabad crowd, but also from his teammates as he won the Player of the Match award

India were a happy camp on Saturday following yet another flawless show against Bangladesh. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side won the series finale by 133 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad and subsequently scripted another clean sweep under head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Sanju Samson played a vital role in India scripting the whitewash as the 29-year-old smashed a 47-ball 111 to become the first wicketkeeper-batter from the country to notch up a ton in the international format. Getting to the mark in just 40 balls, en route to which he even smashed five sixes in an over, Samson also became the second-fastest Indian to the feat. His knock, along with a 173-run stand for the second wicket with captain Suryakumar saw India post their highest-ever T20I total of 297/6 before the bowlers restricted Bangladesh to just 164 for seven.

There were loud cheers for Samson, who finally proved his worth, and earned himself a longer rope in the format, not just from the crowd, but also from the teammates themselves. In fact, when Samson was awarded the Game-Changer award and the Player of the Match trophy, most of the Indian players couldn’t keep calm. Visuals showed that all-rounder Hardik Pandya fell on the ground laughing, while Suryakumar and fast bowler Arshdeep Singh seemed to cheer the loudest. Other players like Ravi Bishnoi, Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma joined in as well.

Samson explains team reaction

The reaction from the fellow Indian players left presenter and former India cricketer Murali Kartik curious during the post-match presentation as he asked Samson about it, and the Kerala-based cricketer too, seemed amused.

“The dressing room energy and the boys really have lots of happiness fo

r me. I am very happy. They are happy that I did well,” he said looking at his teammates.

Samson also opened up on how the India leadership group backed him despite his failures in the Sri Lanka series earlier this summer, where he incurred back-to-back dismissals for duck.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/hardik-pandya-falls-down-laughing-suryakumar-yadav-arshdeep-cant-keep-calm-sanju-samson-wins-player-of-the-match-award-101728803469222.html

India’s hopes of reaching the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals were dealt a massive blow as the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side slumped to a 9-run loss against Australia in a crucial Group A encounter.

India’s hopes of reaching the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals were dealt a massive blow as the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side slumped to a 9-run loss against Australia in a crucial Group A encounter in Sharjah on Sunday. India were completely outplayed by Australia as Harmanpreet’s half-century could not clinch the match for her side. As a result, Australia qualified for the semifinals with 8 points from 4 matches but India’s fortunes still hangs in balance. India have 4 points from 4 matches with their losses coming against Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand have 4 while Pakistan have 2.

However, India can still qualify for the semis if Pakistan can beat New Zealand in the final Group A match on Monday. If Pakistan win, they will have 4 points along with India and New Zealand. However, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will qualify for the knockout stage thanks to a better Net Run Rate (NRR).

India lost to defending champions Australia by nine runs in their last group match to find themselves in a difficult position to qualify for the semifinals of the women’s T20 World Cup, on Sunday.

Chasing 152 for a win, India ended at 142 for 9 with captain Harmanpreet Kaur top-scoring with 54 not out off 47 balls. Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma chipped in with 29 and 20 respectively.

India ended their Group A campaign on four points after two wins and two losses.

Australia, who topped the group with all four wins, qualified for the semifinals while New Zealand (4 points) need a win against Pakistan on Monday to make it to the last-four stage.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/women-s-t20-world-cup/india-can-still-reach-womens-t20-world-cup-2024-semifinals-despite-loss-vs-australia-heres-how-6782082

Ravi Shastri stunned, others left baffled as Sanju Samson smashes incredible backfoot six over extra cover

Sanju Samson showcased his brilliance in the third and final T20I against Bangladesh, leading India to a commanding victory in what turned out to be a one-sided affair. The match, held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday, saw Samson at his imperious best as he smashed his maiden T20I century, posing his contention for the place as one of India’s most explosive hitters.

Opening the innings for the Indian team, Samson took full advantage of the batting-friendly conditions and made his intentions clear from the outset. Despite India losing Abhishek Sharma early for just 4 runs, Samson kept the pressure on Bangladesh’s bowlers with a remarkable display of aggressive stroke play. Right from the first over, he unleashed an array of shots, timing the ball beautifully and keeping the scoreboard ticking at a brisk pace.

One particular shot in the 8th over stood out, leaving both spectators and commentators in awe. Facing Mustafizur Rahman, who bowled a back-of-length delivery outside off, Samson went deep in his crease and effortlessly dispatched the ball over covers for a towering six. It was a shot that showcased not only his power but also his technique, making it clear that Samson was in the mood to produce something special.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ravi-shastri-stunned-others-left-baffled-as-sanju-samson-smashes-incredible-backfoot-six-over-extra-cover-101728754759096.html