Category: Sports

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ended their T20I careers on a high as India clinched the T20 World Cup 2024 title after defeating South Africa in the summit clash.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ended their T20I careers on a high as India clinched the T20 World Cup 2024 title after defeating South Africa in the summit clash. Rohit led the Indian cricket team by example as he played a number of important knocks in the competition while Kohli saved his best for the final as he slammed a gritty half-century. In the aftermath of the win, they both announced their retirements from T20Is but not before etching their names in Indian cricket folklore. However, things were not as straightforward just one year ago where there were doubts over whether the two star cricketers will continue playing in the shortest format of the sport. However, according to a report, early calls on Virat and Rohit’s future with the side ultimately led to India’s massive success in the T20 World Cup 2024.

According to the Indian Express report, the BCCI selectors decided to stick with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the T20 World Cup despite some criticism from experts as well as fans.

Following the ODI World Cup 2023, both VIrat and Rohit missed a number of T20I series with Hardik Pandya taking over the captaincy and there were talks on the all-rounders permanently assuming the position. However, chief selector Ajit Agarkar decided to have a conversation with Rohit Sharma.

“Rohit agreed straight away. He felt he would give one last shot in the T20 format. Rohit felt the way his batting form is, he can push one more season,” a BCCI official told The Indian Express.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/how-rohit-sharma-virat-kohli-decision-led-to-t20-world-cup-2024-glory-report-makes-big-revelation-6018894

“Time beat him. Time takes everybody out. It’s undefeated,” said Rocky Balboa in the film “Creed” and those words could easily be applied to Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo who struggled to impose himself on their Euro 2024 last-16 game with Slovenia on Monday.
A tearful Ronaldo being embraced and comforted by team mates after missing a penalty in extra time that could have helped Portugal secure a spot in the quarter-finals before a shootout win is a cathartic image that stunned fans around the world.

Portugal won 3-0 on penalties minutes later, with Ronaldo converting the first spot kick and apologising to fans in the stands immediately after scoring before breaking down in tears following the game and being unable to finish an interview.
His tears showed more than just the sorrow or guilt of a player feeling the weight of responsibility from almost letting his country down. They were the tears of a frustrated player who expects greatness but was not the difference maker he once was.

The 21-year-old struck lucky when her scheduled opponent, 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, withdrew on Monday morning due to illness – though she faced a tricky match against Mexican Renata Zarazua.

Emma Raducanu said she took inspiration from England’s close victory at Euro 2024 by “winning ugly” in her opening match at Wimbledon.

The 21-year-old struck lucky when her scheduled opponent, 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, withdrew on Monday morning due to illness.

Her replacement, Mexican Renata Zarazua, seemed a more welcome challenge on paper, but the world number 98 is a tricky player and Raducanu survived some difficult moments in a 7-6 (0) 6-3 victory on Centre Court.

In her on-court interview, Raducanu referred to England’s close win over Slovakia in Germany, saying: “Like watching the football last night, winning ugly – it all counts.”

She added: “Last night, I had a feeling that they would still turn it around.

“The people I was watching with were like, ‘I don’t know’. It was getting to the 93rd minute. [I said], ‘I have a feeling, I have a feeling’. Then Jude [Bellingham] hit that insane goal.

“When I’m watching, I’m listening to the commentary, I can almost picture it. It’s just the way the story flips, depending on how the result is going.

“For sure, I sympathise with the players who are being told they need to play a lot better, need to play perfect. I think at the end of the day, it’s about getting over the line.

“Today I used it as motivation. It doesn’t need to be beautiful, it doesn’t need to be perfect. As long as you get through the opening rounds, you give yourself another chance to play better.

“For circumstances to align, as long as you’re still in the tournament, you keep giving yourself that chance.”

Drop shots and chopped forehands

Zarazua, who had never won a tour-level grass-court match and was making her main draw Wimbledon debut, stumped Raducanu at times with drop shots and chopped forehands.

The British player lost her break advantage in the first set and the match could have gone either way until the tie-break, when Raducanu seized the initiative.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/emma-raducanu-uses-englands-euro-2024-victory-as-motivation-by-winning-ugly-in-wimbledon-opener-13162114

Three-times champions Spain survived the early scare of an own goal to beat a spirited Georgia 4-1 on Sunday and reach the last eight of Euro 2024, dominating in an exhilarating encounter that brought an end to the minnows’ fairytale run.
La Roja will meet hosts Germany in the quarter-finals on Friday and sent a message of intent with a polished performance in the drizzling rain including superbly taken goals from Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo.

Rohit Sharma shared a post on X following India’s T20 World Cup triumph on Saturday.

Rohit Sharma’s tenure as Indian captain has been marked by his unwavering determination to lead the team to an ICC title ever since he assumed the role in late 2021. Despite several near misses and heartbreaks, including a devastating defeat in the final of a home ODI World Cup against Australia nearly six months ago, Rohit remained steadfast in his pursuit of glory.

On June 29 this year, his resilience and leadership finally bore fruit as India triumphed in magnificent fashion, lifting the T20 World Cup trophy after defeating South Africa in a thrilling finale in Barbados.

As India clinched the win at the Kensington Oval, emotions overflowed for Rohit Sharma. Tears streamed down his face as he dropped to his knees in sheer jubilation. The weight of years of hard work and heartbreaks with the Indian cricket team culminated with the title, and it seemed the perfect time for Rohit, as well as his long-term teammate Virat Kohli, to call time on their T20I career.

On Sunday night, Rohit expressed his emotions through words as much as the enormity of the victory allowed him at the time, sharing a picture of himself lying down at the Kensington Oval, seemingly absorbing the moment.

“This picture epitomises how I’m feeling right now. So many words but can’t find the right ones to express what yesterday meant to me but I will, and I will share them, but right now I’m basking in a dream come true for a billion of us,” Rohit wrote.

In a perfect conclusion to his illustrious 16-year T20I career, Rohit announced his retirement during the post-match press conference following India’s T20 World Cup win. His journey in the format began with a milestone victory in the inaugural T20 World Cup back in 2007, and culminated in another glorious title, perfectly bookending an era marked by his batting prowess and leadership.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/rohit-sharma-pours-out-raw-emotions-in-internet-breaking-first-social-media-post-since-t20-world-cup-win-101719770674850.html

Within minutes of India lifting the T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli stated his intention to quit T20Is. An hour or so later, his skipper Rohit Sharma followed suit

Usually, it’s the bitter aftertaste of defeat which spawns a slew of retirements after every major sporting event. For perhaps the first time in history, three storied individuals have announced their international retirement from a specific format in the immediacy of capturing the ultimate prize in the said format.

India’s captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli celebrate after Team India wins the ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2024 final match against South Africa, at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday(ICC – X )
India’s captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli celebrate after Team India wins the ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2024 final match against South Africa, at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday(ICC – X )
Within minutes of India lifting the T20 World Cup in Bridgetown on Saturday afternoon, Virat Kohli stated his intention to quit Twenty20 Internationals. An hour or so later, his skipper Rohit Sharma followed suit, almost forced to reveal his hand following a specific query at the post-match press conference. A while later, Ravindra Jadeja joined the two stalwarts in the list of former T20 Internationals, taking to social media to break the news.

None of these retirements is a surprise. Rohit has just turned 37, Kohli will be 36 in November and Jadeja is five and a half months short of his 36th birthday. Each has spent at least a decade and a half representing the country, all are certainties in the other two international formats. A World Cup winner’s medal around their necks means there is nothing more left for them to achieve for the country in T20s. That, allied with the fact that a younger bunch is ready to take over, contributed in no small measure to their calls.

What next for them? Certainly T20 franchise cricket, from all indications. There is no sign yet that they are walking away from the 20-over game in its entirety, so their fans still have plenty to look forward to in that regard. But they also have lots to contribute to the national team, given their pre-eminence in both Tests and One-Day Internationals.

India have a crammed 12 and a few months ahead of them, marked by two long and arduous away Test series bookending the 50-over Champions Trophy, tentatively scheduled for February-March, 2025. India’s next Test assignment is at home against Bangladesh, those two Tests followed by three more against New Zealand before they embark for Australia and five Tests, seeking a hat-trick of series wins Down Under. If they make it to a third successive World Test Championship final in the summer, that will be followed by five Tests in England, where India haven’t clinched a series since 2007.

For Rohit, both as rejuvenated Test opener and captain, therefore, there is so much to target. The T20 World Cup triumph has erased some of the huge disappointment of not going all the way at the 50-over home World Cup last year, but the Champions Trophy is a big carrot dangled in front of him, and the promise of a maiden WTC crown is alluring. His bat is smoking hot at the moment and he will look to maximise the time left at his disposal internationally while also being grateful, like Kohli, that he can also devote greater attention to a young family.

Kohli’s standing as the best batter of his generation has taken a little bit of a hit, though within the Indian framework, his continues to be the wicket most coveted by the oppositions. He is at that stage of his cricketing life where individual milestones don’t hold the same significance as they once used to, or when compared to collective success, as a unit. His legacy, like that of Rohit’s, is already firmly established, but he has the enthusiasm, the energy and the hunger to do more, to prepare the next generation for life without Rohit and himself. His intensity is infectious and he continues to be a role model when it comes to fitness and work ethics. He might be done with T20Is, but Kohli isn’t done with cricket. Nor is cricket with Kohli, whose contribution to Indian cricket already far outweighs the scary volume of runs and hundreds.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/what-next-for-virat-kohli-and-rohit-sharma-following-their-retirement-from-t20-internationals-101719804824670.html

The young star rescued England from humiliation with seconds to spare and says it’s a satisfying way to answer critics and “throw it back to some people”.

Just imagine if Gareth Southgate had gone through with the plan to bring off Jude Bellingham.

Imagine if Bellingham had been dropped completely from England’s starting line-up against Slovakia as Southgate faced calls to do.

What Bellingham produced – in a mesmerising moment of magic – is what Real Madrid fans have been cherishing all season.

And it is why Southgate trusted his judgement rather than the clamour for change – even resting Bellingham.

Just a day after his 21st birthday, the overhead kick was Bellingham’s own gift for the nation – saving the Euros campaign.

After watching from the substitute’s bench, Conor Gallagher said: “Buzzing like every single English fan. Incredible goal, incredible moment.”

Few moments in England’s history have been as dramatic as a 95th minute equaliser to keep the team in a tournament.

And thanks to Harry Kane’s header inside a minute of extra time it is on to the quarter-finals.

But had it not been for Bellingham’s brilliance they would have been packing their bags – and he felt the weight of responsibility as the ball came to him in the penalty area.

“And in 30 seconds or in one kick of the ball everything can change. And it’s a feeling that I never want – I don’t like to be in – but when it’s done it feels great.

“So it’s a habit I’ve picked up from Madrid. Obviously my game’s improved a lot since I’ve joined, and I’m really grateful I could bring it to this game.”

The BCCI secretary Jay Shah revealed that Team India’s new head coach will begin his tenure from the Sri Lanka series onwards. The CAC has shortlisted 2 candidates after taking interviews.

The Indian cricket team will have a new head coach from the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka starting later this month, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on Monday but did not reveal who has been finalised to succeed the outgoing Rahul Dravid. Former opener Gautam Gambhir is expected to succeed Dravid as the India head coach. The Cricket Advisory Committee has also conducted the interviews for the high-profile job and short-listed Gambhir and former India women’s coach W V Raman.

The appointment of a selector will also be made soon, said Shah, who is in the Caribbean with the India squad that won the T20 World Cup title on Saturday, beating South Africa by seven runs in the final.

“Both coach and selector appointment will be made shortly. CAC has interviewed and shortlisted two names and after reaching Mumbai whatever they have decided we will go by that. VVS Laxman is going to Zimbabwe but new coach will join from Sri Lanka series,” Shah told select media, referring to the Zimbabwe tour beginning July 6.

The Indian team is due to tour Sri Lanka for three T20Is and as many ODIs starting July 27.

Seniors’ presence helped India

Shah showed his elation after India won an ICC title after 11 years here on Saturday. He praised the efforts of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who played a match-winning knock in the final.

Both the stalwarts announced their retirement from T20Is after the triumph and were joined by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in saying goodbye to the format a day later.

“It was same captain last year and same here in Barbados. We won all games except the final in 2023 as Australia played better. This time we worked even harder and played better to win the title.

“If you look at other teams, experience counts. From Rohit to Virat, all excelled. Experience makes a lot of difference, in World Cups you can’t experiment much also.

“A good player knows when to say goodbye to the game, we saw that yesterday. You look at Rohit’s strike rate, it is better than a lot of young players,” he said.

How does he see the transition panning out following the retirement of Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja? “Transition has already happened with three greats retiring,” Shah said.

India, who had built a reputation of losing the big finals over the past decade, finally ended their title drought after losing two ICC finals over the last 12 months and Shah hoped the winning run will continue.

“I would want India to win all the titles. We have the biggest bench strength, only three players from this team are going to Zimbabwe. We can field three teams if the need arises.

“The way this team is progressing, our target is to win the World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy. There will be a similar squad playing there. The seniors will be there,” said Shah.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/two-names-shortlisted-amid-gautam-gambhir-links-jay-shahs-big-head-coach-revelation-6006667

India won the Twenty20 World Cup title on Saturday after prevailing by seven runs in a heart-stopping final against South Africa to end their 11-year wait for a global title.
The clash between the tournament’s two unbeaten sides lived up to expectations and provided intense drama that culminated with India claiming their second T20 World Cup 17 years after their first.
It was a fitting finale to the biggest T20 World Cup featuring a record 20 teams, which created quite a buzz in United States, the joint tournament hosts with West Indies.

Goals from Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas mean Switzerland will face either England or Slovakia in a quarter-final match on 6 July.

Holders Italy have been knocked out of Euro 2024 after a 2-0 defeat to Switzerland in the last 16.

Italy defeated England on penalties to secure victory at the last men’s Euro final in 2021.

But Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas’s goals secured a comfortable victory for the Swiss on Saturday.

It was the first victory for Switzerland over their southern neighbour in 31 years.

Luciano Spalletti’s side exiting the tournament means the Swiss team advance to the quarter-final of the European Championship for only the second time in their history.

They will face either England or Slovakia in Düsseldorf on 6 July.

The first goal came in the 37th minute from Freuler’s boot.

By the time Italy responded in the second, the Swiss defence were able to deal with it effectively.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/euro-2024-reigning-champions-italy-knocked-out-after-defeat-to-switzerland-13161013

India’s triumph in the ICC T20 World Cup in Barbados evoked memories of the 1983 ODI World Cup win, which ignited a cricket revolution in the country. The underdog Indian team, led by Kapil Dev, defeated the West Indies, a legendary moment in cricket history. Suryakumar Yadav’s stunning catch in the final against South Africa further impacted Indian fans.

As India celebrated their triumphant victory in the ICC T20 World Cup in Barbados, memories of the historic 1983 ODI World Cup win, which ignited a cricket revolution in the country, were vividly revived.
The 1983 victory, where an underdog Indian team led by Kapil Dev defeated the two-time defending champions West Indies, remains a legendary moment in cricket history.

On Saturday, another iconic moment was etched into the hearts of Indian fans as Suryakumar Yadav’s stunning catch at long-off turned the tide in India’s favor during the final against South Africa.

Suryakumar displayed remarkable presence of mind when he grabbed the ball in the deep, threw it into the air before crossing the boundary due to his momentum, and then completed the match-turning catch to dismiss David Miller. This pivotal catch in the last over, when South Africa needed 16 runs off Hardik Pandya’s over, sealed the fate of the match. India went on to win by 7 runs, securing their second T20 World Cup title.

The 11-year wait for validation in the form of an ICC trophy ended at the Kensington Oval on Saturday.

Rohit Sharma’s Team India will meet South Africa in the T20 World Cup final, as the side aims to end an 11-year ICC title drought on Saturday.

Team India will aim to end an 11-year ICC title drought on Saturday when the side faces South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup. The Rohit Sharma-led side produced a solid performance in the semi-final, crushing defending champions England by 68 runs to secure a title clash with the Proteas; both teams reached the final unbeaten.

India’s captain Rohit Sharma celebrates the run-out of England’s Adil Rashid during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup second semifinal cricket match(AP)
Under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, India have reached three finals in ICC tournaments; however, the side faced successive defeats to Australia in the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup, both in 2023. In his first tournament as Indian captain at the 2022 T20 World Cup, India lost to England in the semis. With the upcoming final in Barbados potentially being the last opportunity for Rohit to lead India to an ICC title in the format, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly says the 36-year-old will be desperate to end the wait.

“I don’t think he can lose two World Cup finals in seven (six) months. He will probably jump into the Barbados ocean if he loses two finals under his captaincy in seven months,” Ganguly told PTI.

“He has led from the front, batted brilliantly, and I hope it continues tomorrow. Hope India finishes on the right side, and they should play with freedom. They have been the best side of the competition. I wish them luck, I wish they win. Hope they have a little bit of luck tomorrow because that is required to win big tournaments,” Ganguly added.

Winning IPL is tougher
Rohit is a five-time IPL champion as Mumbai Indians’ captain, a position he held till the 2023 edition of the tournament, and Ganguly says that the length of the premier T20 league makes it tougher to win than ICC tournaments like the T20 World Cup.

“Rohit has the record of winning five IPL titles, which is a huge achievement. Winning an IPL sometimes is more difficult. Don’t misquote me, I’m not saying IPL is better than international cricket,” said Ganguly.

“But you have to win 16-17 (12-13) matches to win an IPL; here you need to win 8-9 matches to win a World Cup. The honour is more in winning the World Cup, and I hope Rohit does it tomorrow,” he concluded.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/rohit-sharma-will-jump-into-barbados-ocean-if-he-loses-2nd-wc-final-sourav-ganguly-goes-unfiltered-ahead-of-ind-vs-sa-101719593049876.html

The Indian women’s cricket team created history on the opening day of the Test match against South Africa as the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side scored a mammoth 525 for the loss of four wickets.

The Indian women’s cricket team created history on the opening day of the Test match against South Africa on Friday as the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side scored a mammoth 525 for the loss of four wickets. It was the most runs scored by any team in a day’s play in Test history (both men and women). The record previously belonged to Sri Lanka men’s cricket team who scored 509 for the loss of nine wickets in the Colombo Test against Bangladesh in 2022. In women’s cricket, the record belonged to England who scored 431 for the loss of two wickets against New Zealand at Lancaster Park, Christchurch in 1935.

This was also the first time that any team scored more than 520 runs in one day during a Test match.

South African spinner Delmi Tucker praised the Indian batters for producing a stunning effort on the opening day of the one-off Test, but hoped that her side can turn the tide around from Day 2.

Batting first, India posted a mammoth 525 for four with a record-breaking Shafali Verma (205) and her opening partner Smriti Mandhana (149) doing the maximum damage.

Tucker was the most successful bowler for SA, grabbing two wickets but she gave away 141 runs.

“We will look back and refresh today, sit down and have discussions about tomorrow. Nothing taking away from their (Indian) batters today; they were phenomenal,” Tucker told reporters during the post-day press conference.

Although the Proteas managed to keep Shafali silent during the preceding ODI series, as she managed only 52 runs in three outings, Tucker felt that the Test format gave the Indian ample time to settle down and find her range.

“It’s a different format, and obviously, she (Shafali) has more time (to settle down). She gave her all and made the most of the opportunity since she is a great batter,” said Tucker.

“Yes, we were a bit off from our lines (with the ball) and wish we could have been better. But, nothing to take away from her as she did (bat) really well.” The pitch was predicted to be spin-friendly, but that wasn’t the case on Friday, while misfields and overthrows added to the Proteas’ woes.

Tucker admitted that the visitors could not execute their strategies well on the day, and the city’s hot weather too played its part.

“We did try a few things when Smriti and Verma were batting. We switched to around the wicket and changed the field. We were happy with it for some time, but they took it away,” she acknowledged.

“We could have definitely been better on the field. Yeah, it’s hot out there. Also, overthrows and misfields are not the best of things. But, staying positive and sharp could help in avoiding those misfields.” However, Tucker focused on the fact that the pitch had started to offer some turn and they should get some purchase on Day 2.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/first-time-in-147-years-indian-womens-cricket-team-achieves-massive-feat-5992253

T20 World Cup 2024, India vs South Africa: With Rahul Dravid set to depart and Rohit Sharma seeking redemption, a formidable Indian team will look to make it count in their third ICC final of the year when they take on a resolute South Africa in Barbados.

Emotions will run high on Saturday when a fearless India, desperate to end the ICC title drought, battle a resolute South Africa, on the cusp of history, in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados. This high-stakes encounter promises nothing short of thrilling drama and nail-biting excitement as both unbeaten teams aim to lift the coveted trophy.

Rohit Sharma’s Indian team knows better than most that it all comes down to this—the final. They were in the World Test Championship final in 2021 and 2023 and lost both encounters. They reached the ODI World Cup final and lost. The results and performances leading up to the summit clash do not matter as the final is a blank slate. The team aims to erase the painful memory of November 19, 2023, when a crowd of over 100,000 in Ahmedabad was left disappointed by Australia’s triumph under Pat Cummins. A victory would also serve as a perfect send-off for outgoing coach Rahul Dravid, who experienced heartbreak in the Caribbean during the 2007 ODI World Cup as India’s captain but now stands on the brink of a remarkable farewell as coach.

India beat England by 68 runs in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2024, which was played at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday (June 27). The win over England booked India’s place in the final and also helped Rohit Sharma break Babar Azam’s world record of most wins as captain in T20Is.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/rohit-sharma-create-history-becomes-first-player-in-the-world-to-article-111326698

Bronny James was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA draft on Thursday, bringing his father LeBron one step closer to fulfilling his long-held dream of playing alongside his son.
Bronny, 19, was informed of the Lakers decision with a phone call from general manager Rob Pelinka while his dad gave an emotional champagne toast to family and friends when they received the news at a restaurant in New York, ESPN reported.

Bronny and LeBron will be the first father-son duo to play in the league at the same time and on the same team and while Bronny is not expected to log significant minutes in his rookie season, it will no doubt be a special moment when they appear together for the first time on the NBA hardwood.
“Family business,” the Lakers posted on X alongside old and current pictures of Bronny and LeBron.
Bronny posted a photo of himself in a Lakers jersey on Instagram and Lakers great Magic Johnson congratulated Bronny and called his selection with the 55th pick of the draft a “historic moment” on X.

As soon as Jasprit Bumrah picked the final of Jofra Archer to seal the victory for Team India, Indian cricket fans couldn’t contain their happiness and excitement as the Men in Blue got another shot at winning the prestigious trophy after qualifying for the T20 World Cup 2024 Final.

Team India’s brilliant all-round show helped the side to advance to the T20 World Cup 2024 Final with a convincing 68-run win over the defending champions England in the semifinal at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday, June 27.After posting a total of 171/7, thanks to batting brilliance of skipper Rohit Sharma (57), Suryakumar Yadav (47) and Hardik Pandya (23), Indian bowlers rattled England’s batting line-up as they bundled them out for 103 in 16.4 overs. The Three Lions’ batting began to collapse after skipper Jos Buttler’s dismissal.Kuldeep Yadav led India’s bowling attack as he registered figures 3/19 with an economy rate of 4.80 in four overs, while Axar Patel too picked three wickets while conceding 23 runs with an 5.80 in his full quota of four overs. Apart from Kuldeep and Axar, Team India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah too contributed to India’s bowling by picking two wickets.

As soon as Jasprit Bumrah picked the final of Jofra Archer to seal the victory for Team India, Indian cricket fans couldn’t contain their happiness and excitement as the Men in Blue got another shot at winning the prestigious trophy after qualifying for the T20 World Cup 2024 Final.

Fans took their X handle (formerly Twitter) and expressed their hope for Team India winning the prestigious trophy, while others lauded the Men in Blue avenging their T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal defeat against England.

Here’s how fans reacted to India’s semifinal win against England

The Men in Blue reached the T20 World Cup 2024 Final for the first time in 10 years. The last India qualified for the semifinal of the prestigious tournament was in 2014, where they lost to first-time champions Sri Lanka in Dhaka.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/its-time-to-bring-trophy-home-fans-ecstatic-as-india-qualify-for-final-with-convincing-68-run-win-over-england-in-t20-wc-2024-semifinal

South Africa (60/1) blew away Afghanistan (56) by 9 wickets in the semi-final in Tarouba to enter their maiden T20 World Cup final.

It took 18 World Cups and 32 years for the South African men’s cricket to team to reach a final. Mocked as the perennial chokers of the cricket world, South Africa would, at last, have their shot at glory and redemption that the cricketing pundits believe was long overdue on June 29 in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados.

Their opponents will only be known after India play England in the semi-final later in the day in Guyana but at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, it was all South Africa. The Proteas put a never-before-seen display with the ball to end Afghanistan’s fairytale run in the tournament. It was a first victory in eight short-format World Cup semi-finals going back to 1992 for the Proteas.

“Awesome feeling. The guys played really well, we executed perfectly. We just wanted to stick to our plan, bowl good lengths and see how the wicket reacts. The wicket was getting a bit open, and it was about keeping it simple,” said Player of the Match Marco Jansen.

The left-arm pacer orchestrated the Afghanistan collapse with the new ball, picking three wickets in the powerplay to finish with figures of 3/16. His new ball partner, Kagiso Rabada, was not far behind. His double-wicket maiden in the fourth over of the match broke the backbone of Afghanistan’s batting order.

Jansen and Rabada helped South Africa to become the first team to take five wickets inside the powerplay in a T20 World Cup semi-final.

There was no respite for Afghanistan after the powerplay as Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi joined hands to claim the remaining five wickets and bowl Afghanistan out for 56 – their lowest in T20Is and the lowest ever in a T20 World Cup semi-final.

South Africa’s batting has stuttered at times during the tournament and Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled Quinton de Kock early, but Reeza Hendricks and skipper Aiden Markram got the Proteas to their target without further losses inside nine overs.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/afghanistans-fairytale-turns-nightmare-south-africa-march-to-maiden-t20-world-cup-final-with-crushing-win-101719457764513.html

England bowler Ollie Robinson had a game to forget after Louis Kimber plundered 43 runs off him in a single over on his way to reach a 127-ball 243.

Louis Kimber has torn up the cricket County Championship record book in an outstanding innings that saw him take 43 runs off a single over.

England bowler Ollie Robinson had a game to forget as the Leicestershire batter put in a historic performance.

Kimber not only hit 43 off Robinson, breaking the record for most runs in one over, he also scored the fastest double hundred from balls faced (100), and most sixes hit (21).

Despite the 27-year-old’s heroics, Leicestershire fell 18 runs short of victory against Sussex.

Fireworks erupted in the 59th over, when Kimber smashed the record 43 off Robinson in an over with nine balls – as the England seamer overstepped three times.

Kimber then hit two sixes and six fours on his way to 41 boundaries across the match.

But he fell agonisingly short of dragging his side to victory when he was bowled out by Nathan McAndrew with only 19 runs needed for victory.

Kimber said: “You don’t get many days like that in your career, it was unbelievable really.

“It’s just a shame we couldn’t get over the line, but personally you have to enjoy days like that. It was good fun.

“I just tried to be positive and see what happened. I got a bit of luck here and there but you need that.

“Most of the lads have told me to remember it because days like this don’t come around too often.

“My phone has been buzzing and the records I have broken are pretty cool.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/louis-kimber-leicestershire-batter-rips-up-record-book-in-unbelievable-innings-including-43-runs-in-one-over-13159568

Afghanistan cricket team received a congratulatory message from legendary Sachin Tendulkar who praised the team for their stunning performance in the T20 World Cup which saw them beat the likes of Australia and New Zealand and make their first-ever T20 World Cup semifinal appearance. Rashid Khan later gave a humble reply to Sachin’s tweet.

Afghanistan’s march to the semifinal is no fluke. The team had also delivered a stunning show in the ODI World Cup last year and missed a semifinal berth by a whisker but went on to beat teams like England, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Pakistan. They almost handed Australia a huge defeat, however, Glenn Maxwell came to the team’s rescue. This was not the case when the two teams met in the T20 World Cup as Afghanistan knocked Australia out of the tournament.

“Afghanistan, your road to the semi-finals has been incredible, overcoming the likes of New Zealand and Australia. Today’s win is a testament to your hard work & determination. So proud of your progress. Keep it up,” wrote Sachin Tendulkar in a post on X.

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan took note of Sachin Tendulkar’s appreciation and humbly thanked him for the warm post. “Thank You, Sachin Sir,” responded Rashid Khan.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/rashid-khans-stunning-reply-to-sachin-tendulkar-goes-viral-as-afghanistan-reach-maiden-t20-world-cup-semis-article-111271112

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/icc-mens-t20-world-cup/ravichandran-ashwin-defends-gulbadin-naibs-actions-in-t20-world-cup-controversy/articleshow/111273525.cms

Mattia Zaccagni rescued Italy with a 98th-minute equaliser as the defending champions booked their spot in Euro 2024’s last 16 on Monday with a 1-1 draw in a tense game against Croatia, whose tournament hopes are hanging by a thread.

Luka Modric gave Croatia a 55th-minute lead, moments after missing a penalty, and that looked like sending them through before late substitute Zaccagni bent a stunning finish past the despairing dive of Dominik Livakovic into the far corner.

The result left Italy, who next face Switzerland, second in Group B on four points, with Croatia third and waiting to see whether two points will be enough to take them through to the knockout stage as one of the best four third-placed sides.
“We deserved to go through tonight in terms of what we produced out there,” Italy coach Luciano Spalletti said. “It was hard to make it through this group. Spain are brilliant, Croatia are excellent.”

Spain, who topped the standings, beat Albania 1-0 to finish with a perfect record from their three games and leave the eliminated Albanians rock bottom with one point.
Albania’s loss also propelled sides not in action into the last 16 with England, France and the Netherlands now guaranteed to finish at least among the four best third-placed teams.
Italy had been rocked with defeat by Spain, which could have been more emphatic than the 1-0 scoreline, yet if there was some solace for Spalletti’s side heading into Monday’s match it was that Croatia had been even less impressive at the finals.

Afghanistan created history by making it to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup for the first time in their history with an 8-run win over Bangladesh at the Arnos Vale Ground, Aros Vale, St Vincent on Tuesday, thus knocking Australia and Bangladesh out of the competition.

Defending a modest total of 115 for five on a bowler-friendly surface, Afghan captain Rashid Khan belied three rain stoppages, a slippery ball and a revised target of 114 off 19 overs to take four for 23 as Bangladesh, who themselves harboured faint hopes of making the last four, were dismissed for 105 off 17.5 overs.

An unbeaten 54 from opener Litton Das was threatening to take Bangladesh to victory and earn Australia the last semi-final spot on net run-rate.

But pacer Naveen ul Haq claimed the last two wickets – Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman – off consecutive deliveries in the penultimate over of the match to trigger delirious Afghan celebrations.

With India defeating Australia earlier in the day and advancing to the second semi-final against England in Guyana on Thursday, this result assured the Afghans of second spot in the group and eliminated the Aussies together with the Bangladeshis.

Source: https://www.news18.com/cricket/afghanistan-beat-bangladesh-to-book-semi-final-berth-knock-out-australia-8943786.html

India captain Rohit Sharma has revealed the strategy that helped him tame Australia in T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 clash.

Winning was not a ‘breeze’ for India in their last T20 World Cup Super Eight match against Australia as skipper Rohit Sharma said he had to tweak his batting to take the wind out of the 2021 champions’ sails. Rohit played some delectable strokes on the off side as the ‘Player of the Match’ made a match-winning 92 off just 41 deliveries just when his opening partner Virat Kohli departed for a duck. Courtesy Rohit’s seven boundaries and eight sixes, India scored 205/5 and then restricted Mitchell Marsh’s side to 181/7 for a 24-run victory and moved into the semifinal of the showpiece event.

With wind a perpetual hindrance, Rohit said he had to play more strokes on the off side to negate the impact.

“I thought right from over number one, there was a strong breeze blowing across. They (Australia) changed their plan, bowling against the breeze, so I realised I had to open up the off side as well.

“You’ve got to factor in the breeze and understand that the bowlers are smart as well and open up all sides of the field. When you keep an open mind and not just think of one shot, you can access all areas of the field,” said the India skipper after the match.

“200 is obviously a good score, but when you’re playing on grounds like this where wind is a factor, anything is possible, but I thought we used the conditions very well. It was very pleasing to see how we were getting through those overs and getting the wickets at the same time.” Rohit also said he knew wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav would be at his potent best in the West Indies after encountering seamer-friendly conditions in the US.

Kuldeep returned excellent figures of 2/24 in his four overs.

“Kuldeep, we understand the strengths he has, but you have to use it when you need it. The pitches in New York were seamer-friendly, but we knew he would play a big role later.” Rohit categorically said he was concentrating only on maintaining the “tempo” of the match and not bothering one bit about his century.

“It was a good wicket, and you want to try and back yourself to play those kinds of shots. I’ve been trying to do that for a few years now, and I’m glad it came off today. The fifties and hundreds don’t matter, I wanted to bat with the same tempo and carry on.

“You want to make big scores, yes, but at the same time you want to make the bowlers think where the next shot is coming, and I think I managed to do that today,” he added.

The skipper added that would like India to continue playing the same way in the knockouts in the manner they have played so far.

“We don’t want to do anything different (in the knockouts). We want to play the same way, understand what the individuals need to do in a given situation, and play freely.

“So far we’ve been doing that consistently, and semifinals, we have to try and do the same thing. It’ll be nice (to play England in the semifinal). Nothing changes for us, we want to focus on what we can do as a team, and take the game on.” Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh, who was guilty of grassing a sitter and could not build on his good start with the bat, conceded India were better on the day.

“It’s disappointing. Still technically a chance to go through, and today India got the better of us. I think over the course of 40 overs there’s a lot of small margins, but honestly, India were the better team.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/they-changed-plan-so-i-realised-rohit-sharma-reveals-masterplan-behind-australia-onslaught-5962064

Steve Clarke’s squad were battling to stay in the tournament in Germany and aiming to reach the knock-out stage of a major competition for the first time.

Hungary have knocked Scotland out with a late goal in a crunch Euro 2024 group match that was almost overshadowed by a serious injury.

Kevin Csoboth scored after Hungary broke quickly in the final minutes to end Scotland’s dreams of making the knock-out stages.

Earlier, there was concern throughout the stadium when Barnabas Varga went down in the Scotland penalty area after a clash with Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn in the second half.

Hungary’s players quickly surrounded their team-mate and a large screen was brought out to provide some privacy as medical staff treated him.

Players on both sides were seen with their heads in their hands, sparking memories of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest at the last Euros tournament in 2021.

Varga, a forward, was stretchered off to warm applause from all sides of the stadium, with his colleagues continuing to surround him, while holding up the screen.

A statement from the Hungarian Football Federation later read: “Barnabas Varga’s condition is stable. The Ferencvaros player is currently in one of the hospitals in Stuttgart. We will inform you immediately if there is any news about his status.”

And Hungary head coach Marco Rossi added after the match Varga would be “okay” but may need an operation on his cheekbone.

Soon after, Scotland thought they had a penalty when substitute Stuart Armstrong was brought down in the penalty area, but the referee waved away their appeals.

Scotland captain Andy Robertson said they were caught by a “sucker punch” at the end of the game in Stuttgart.

Speaking to the BBC after the match, Robertson said they “gave it everything” and “it could’ve gone either way”.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/hungary-put-scotland-out-of-euro-2024-with-late-goal-13157680

After enduring a 21-run defeat, Australia are now stuck in a peculiar situation. They need to win their game against unbeaten India on Monday to ensure their spot in the final four.

Lavishing praise on Afghanistan after they pulled off a historic win over Australia, former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer feels calling their triumph a fluke will be disrespectful to the Rashid Khan-led side. It was a night to remember for Afghanistan and their fans in St Vincent. The surprise was visible on the faces of players and management in Afghanistan’s dugout when Naveen removed Ashton Agar and took his team a step closer to one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history.

Gulbadin Naib executed his four-over spell to perfection, picked up a four-wicket haul and inspired Afghanistan to their maiden T20I win over the Baggy Greens following their 21-run triumph.

“Do not disrespect Afghanistan by calling this an upset. Afg are good enough to beat any team on their day. They played to their potential today and defeated a very good Aus team. A fact that should be celebrated. Congratulations and well-played @ACBofficials #AUSvAFG,” Jaffer wrote on X.

While chasing 149, there was a point in the game when Maxwell was on the crease, and nostalgia started to creep into the entire stadium. The ODI World Cup 2023 heroics of Maxwell in Mumbai looked destined to be repeated.

But this time, Naib came to Afghanistan’s rescue by forcing out a thick edge and Noor Ahmad took a sharp low catch to end the threat posed by Maxwell.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/do-not-disrespect-afghanistan-by-wasim-jaffers-bold-take-on-australia-upset-in-t20-world-cup-5950574

Opener was out 10 short of a third century in a row but the hosts cap their domination with a six-wicket win in the final ODI.

The only disappointing moment for the M Chinnaswamy Stadium fans came in the 31st over when the prolific Smriti Mandhana, on the verge of a third century in a row, fell for 90 in the final women’s ODI against South Africa in Bengaluru on Sunday.

The India vice-captain, in sublime form this series, was out to Khaka Mlaba’s bowling, finishing with a superb series aggregate 343 runs at an average of 114.34. All eyes will be on the 27-year-old when she takes guard in the one-off Test in Chennai from June 28. It will be followed by three T20Is.

Mandhana, who scored 117 and 136 in the first two games, resumed from where she left off, producing another flawless innings studded with 11 fours.

Chasing 325 in the last match, South Africa scored 321, but the visitors were restricted to a modest total after electing to bat first, skipper Laura Wolvaardt (61 off 57b) and Tazmin Brits (38 off 66) doing the bulk of the scoring in a 102-run opening partnership. Wolvaardt was the first to go with Arundhati Reddy taking an impressive catch off her bowling. Last match’s centurion Marizanne Kapp (7) was caught and bowled by spinner Shreyanka Patil, who had come in place of leg-spinner Asha Sobhana. Nadine de Klerk (26) and Mieke de Ridder (26) played little cameos to lift the team past the 200-run mark. For India, Deepti Sharma and Arundhati Reddy scalped two wickets each.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/women-odi-series-mandhana-falls-for-90-as-india-sweep-sa-series-30-101719160797011.html

Bernardo Silva’s first goal at a major tournament, a calamitous own goal from Samet Akaydin and a Bruno Fernandes tap-in gave Portugal a comfortable 3-0 win over Turkey on Saturday to guarantee qualification for the last 16 as Group F winners.
Silva gave Portugal the lead in the 21st minute, rifling home after Nuno Mendes’ cross deflected kindly into his path before Akaydin failed to look and passed the ball beyond onrushing goalkeeper Altay Bayindir seven minutes later.

The former Manchester United player was happy to take a selfie with the first, young pitch invader – but soon appeared weary of the interruptions during Portugal’s match against Turkey.

Four fans, including a child, ran onto the pitch at a Euro 2024 match with a goal of their own on Saturday – scoring a selfie with Cristiano Ronaldo.

The second half of Portugal’s match against Turkey faced interruptions as multiple people managed to evade stewards and get onto the pitch at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, Germany.

Ronaldo was happy to pose for a picture with the first young pitch invader, who got onto the field in the 69th minute and whipped out his phone for a snap.

The youngster was then chased off the pitch and eventually stopped by staff – but not before he waved to the crowd.

Around 15 minutes later, an older spectator tried to do the same but received a different reaction from the former Manchester United star.

Ronaldo threw his hands in the air and turned his back on the fan, who tried to put his arm around him.

A third field invader emerged during injury time and ran past Ronaldo as he defended a corner.

The security breaches continued after the whistle, as two more fans tried to get close to the forward.

The first was tackled to the ground as he tried to approach while holding a phone, and the second was stopped as he tried to confront Ronaldo as the teams left the field.

Portugal coach labels pitch invasions ‘a concern’

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez labelled the interruptions a “concern” in a post-match interview, adding: “Today we were lucky that the intentions of the fans were good.”

He continued: “We all love a fan that recognises the big stars and the big icons in their minds.

“We all agree with that. But you can understand it was a very, very difficult moment – if those intentions are wrong, the players are exposed and we need to be careful with that.

“I don’t think that should happen on a football pitch.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/pitch-invaders-keen-for-cristiano-ronaldo-selfies-disrupt-turkey-v-portugal-euro-2024-match-13157337

The South African side managed to put up a fine performance with the ball to beat the defending champions England by 7 runs in St Lucia in the Super 8 clash at St Lucia as part of the T20 World Cup 2024.

South Africa had collective performances across both innings with the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj starring with the ball while the pair of Quinton de Kock and David Miller starring with the bat in the closely contested game that went down to the final over.

In the first innings, Quinton de Kock gave South Africa the perfect start once again, running on the back of a fine performance in the previous game. He scored yet another fifty and his innings came to an end with 65 in 38 balls.

England’s Jos Buttler got the side back in the game with two brilliant efforts on the field. He first dove to take a brilliant catch to his left side to dismiss the in-form de Kock. This was followed by a brilliant run-out from behind the stumps to get rid of the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen for cheap. David Miller also chipped in the latter stages of the innings to score a 28-ball 43 to help the Proteas register a score of 163/6.

In the second innings, England suffered with their opening pair of Phil Salt and Jos Buttler not being able to deliver a quick start thanks to the brilliant efforts by Rabada and Maharaj to get rid of the respective opening batters cheaply. Maharaj also went on to get the wicket of the experienced Jonny Bairstow as well to put England’s chase in trouble.

Source: https://www.news18.com/cricket/t20-world-cup-2024-rabada-and-maharaj-help-south-africa-topple-the-defending-champions-england-by-7-runs-8940370.html

Virat Kohli will be in action for India against Bangladesh on Saturday (June 22), and during the Super 8 match, which is scheduled to take place at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua, Kohli will have a chance to create history and become the leading run scorer in T20Is.

Most runs in T20Is

France and the Netherlands played it safe in a 0-0 draw that failed to explode into life in Group D at Euro 2024 on Friday, leaving both sides within sight of a place in the last 16 and eliminating Poland.
With France captain Kylian Mbappe remaining on the bench after suffering a broken nose in their opener, the game sparked only in fits and starts, without ever threatening to turn into a classic.
Both sides squandered chances and had periods of control, but neither could find a breakthrough and eased off the throttle in the second half, seemingly content to claim a point.

The draw means Scotland will need to beat Hungary to stand a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages automatically.

Scotland have kept their chances of reaching the knockout stages of the Euros alive after drawing 1-1 with Switzerland in Cologne.

Steve Clarke’s side put in a more positive performance after their 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Germany on the opening day of the tournament but couldn’t secure three points.

The draw leaves Scotland in third place in Group A with a single point – meaning they will need to beat Hungary to stand a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages automatically.

Scott McTominay’s deflected strike gave Scotland the lead after 13 minutes at the Cologne Stadium, but celebrations were short-lived after former Liverpool star Xherdan Shaqiri equalised on the 26-minute mark.

Scotland had to work hard to contain Murat Yakin’s side but they did so with intensity and nearly went ahead in the second half when Grant Hanley hit the post.

The Scots were saved from conceding twice by the offside flag but still put on an impressive performance to secure a draw.

Clarke knew he had to get something from the game and he made one enforced change with centre-back Hanley in for the banned Ryan Porteous, while midfielder Billy Gilmour came in for Ryan Christie.

Winning two corners in three minutes provided instant encouragement for the Scots.

Sky Sports’ expert Nick Wright called it a “much improved showing overall”.

Former Scotland international Kris Boyd said: “A point will do. We’re alive and kicking… They’ve responded tonight, it was more like Scotland. Switzerland are no mugs and Scotland more than matched them.

“Steve Clarke will be relatively happy with that result.”

There was bad news for Scotland defender Kieran Tierney in the second half after he left the pitch on a stretcher following a challenge on Dan Ndoye.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/euro-2024-scotland-keep-chances-of-reaching-knockout-stages-alive-after-1-1-draw-with-switzerland-13155775

FIFA caught onto the trending phrase to celebrate the two iconic No. 7s.

The official FIFA World Cup Instagram handle has sent Indian fans into a frenzy, with a post commemorating both Indian cricket legend MS Dhoni and iconic Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. As the latter prepares to start his Euro 2024 campaign with Portugal, the FIFA World Cup account has made a unique comparison. Both players have made the No. 7 jersey their trademark in their respective sports. And FIFA used the opportunity to catch the hearts of Indian fans on the internet.

Posting a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo, the official FIFA World Cup account captioned: “Thala for a reason.” The phrase has gone viral among Indian cricket fans over the past year, being used whenever a reference to the number ‘7’ is made, as a tribute to the former India captain.

Now, on the eve of Portugal’s game against Czech Republic at Euro 2024, Ronaldo’s no. 7 was celebrated by FIFA by being compared to the trend.

“Thala for a reason” stands for “Leader for a reason” in Tamil, and is a trend that celebrates five-time IPL winning captain MS Dhoni.

FIFA’s post was regionally-limited to Indian viewers, and a clever tactic to garner the love of both Ronaldo and Dhoni fans in India.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/uefa-euro-2024/fifa-makes-unique-thala-for-a-reason-comparison-between-ms-dhoni-and-cristiano-ronaldo-5916675

The Indian proved himself heads and shoulders above much-hyped 19-year-old German prodigy Max Dehning, who came here as the youngest member of the 90m club but finished a disappointing seventh in the eight-strong field.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/paavo-nurmi-games-neeraj-chopra-wins-gold-3071635 

Pakistan cricket team fast bowler Haris Rauf took to social media to address the conversation surrounding the viral video that shows him fighting with a fan in Florida.

Pakistan cricket team fast bowler Haris Rauf took to social media to address the conversation surrounding the viral video that shows him fighting with a fan in Florida. In the video that has been shared multiple times on social media, Rauf can be seen running to hit a fan who was trolling him as he was out on a walk with his wife. Rauf was stopped by a few people as his wife tried to pacify him. The video further showed that the fan and Rauf exchanged few expletives before they were eventually separated by the other people. Rauf even said that “Indian hoga (Must be an Indian)” but the fan quickly responded “Pakistani hoon (I am from Pakistan)”. The cricketer was ultimately taken away from the situation as his wife constantly tried to calm him down and take him away from the fans present around them.

In his social media post, Rauf said that he wanted to address the situation and although he is open to criticism, he “will not hesitate to respond” if anyone insults his parents and family.

“I decided not to bring this on social media, But not that the video is out, I feel it is necessary to address the situation. As public figures, we are open to receiving all kinds of feedback from the public. They are entitled to support or criticise us. Nevertheless, when it comes to my parent and my family, I will not hesitate to respond accordingly. It is important to show respect towards people and their families, irrespective of their professions,” Rauf posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/haris-rauf-breaks-silence-on-viral-fight-with-trolling-fan-says-will-not-hesitate-5916585

Gautam Gambhir is mentor of the current IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders. In case he takes up the Indian head coach job, he will have to quit his position in the KKR management, something which might not help the franchise, who underwent a complete transformation under Gambhir this year.

Gambhir will be interviewed by the Cricket Advisory Committee online, which comprises of former India cricketers Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape and Sulakshana Naik.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/gautam-gambhir-only-applicant-for-head-coach-job-to-be-interviewed-on-tuesday-reports-article-111070892

A bloodied nose, a booking for unsportsmanlike conduct and an unfathomable miss that silenced a stadium – France’s Kylian Mbappe underlined his troubled relationship with the European Championship on Monday amidst uncertainty over his injury.
The France captain, to his credit, was sublime in creating the goal that beat Austria 1-0, but his failure to score at a Euros will weigh heavily on a player who has found the net 12 times at World Cups, including a hat-trick in the 2022 final.

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir is all set to replace Rahul Dravid as Team India’s next head coach. Dravid, whose contract was extended after the ODI World Cup last year, is on his final assignment with the Indian cricket team, i.e., the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the West Indies.

According to Dainik Jagran, the BCCI on Thursday zeroed in on Gambhir and will announce it officially at the end of this week. The report further stated that the former Indian opener will select his team of support staff, which includes the batting coach, bowling coach and fielding coach.

Currently, Dravid is accompanied by Vikram Rathour as the batting coach, Paras Mhambrey as the bowling coach and T Dilip as the fielding coach. Rathour has been with the team since replacing Sanjay Bangar during Ravi Shastri’s tenure. The rest two – Mhambrey and Dilip – were handpicked by Dravid.

IPL mentor to India head coach

Gambhir may not have prior coaching experience but has been associated with a couple of IP franchises as a mentor. After spending two years with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), he returned to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and guided the Shreyas Iyer-led side to a third title win last month.

As far as the Indian coaching job is concerned, a three-year stint with the team, Gambhir will have to let go of the KKR job.

Too many names in the fray

As per various media reports, too many former cricketers seemed to be in the fray when the BCCI initially rolled out the vacancy. The list included former Australian skipper and current Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting, former Australia coach and current Lucknow Super Giants coach Justin Langer, former England coach and current RCB coach Andy Flower, current Rajasthan Royals’ coach Kumar Sangakkara, including Gambhir.

Source: https://www.news18.com/cricket/gautam-gambhir-set-to-replace-rahul-dravid-as-india-head-coach-bcci-to-announce-soon-report-8934043.html

England will need to do a lot better if they are to worry the other tournament favourites after their promising start fell away in the final 45 minutes.

Jude Bellingham fired in a header to get England up and running in Euro 2024 as they edged past Serbia 1-0.

It was a nervy second half for England though, who were forced to soak up pressure from their much-improved opponents.

Bellingham had settled fans’ nerves early on, scoring from a deflected Bukayo Saka cross from the right in the 13th minute.

The 20-year-old’s goal came just a few weeks after he finished a stellar season with Real Madrid by lifting the Champions League trophy.

Kyle Walker also had a good chance in the 25th minute, using his pace to dart into the box and flash the ball across goal.

England dominated most of the first half but there was a warning of Serbia’s threat when Aleksandar Mitrovic sent a shot a few yards wide in the 20th minute.

Serbia were far better after the break, winning more 50-50 balls and putting the Three Lions on the back foot for much of the last 45.

Southgate’s team struggled for possession and Trent Alexander-Arnold made way for Conor Gallagher and Saka was subbed for Jarrod Bowen.

Harry Kane almost made it 2-0 with a header from close range in the 77th minute, but the Serbian keeper pushed it on to the crossbar.

It was a quiet game overall for the captain, who scored a prolific 44 goals with Bayern Munich this season.

Jordan Pickford also made a crucial save in the 82nd minute to keep out Dusan Vlahovic’s shot from about 22 yards.

Bellingham was subbed late on for another prodigious talent, Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, but fans will be happy their young star is off the mark.

Speaking after the match, the Madrid star thanked his family and support network and said he was happy to continue his form with the Spanish champions into the Euros.

The 20-year-old said he was “willing to do whatever it takes” to help England win.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/euro-2024-jude-bellingham-goal-helps-england-beat-serbia-1-0-in-opening-match-13154105

After putting on a formidable total on board, Scotland had even reduced an edgy Australia to 60/3 at one stage but their most successful batters in this World Cup — Travis Head (68) and Marcus Stoinis (59) — delivered again.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/t20-world-cup-2024-australia-crush-scotland-by-5-wickets-england-enter-super-eight-3068582

Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign came to a heartbreaking end on Friday after USA qualified into the Super 8s stage in their maiden appearance.

Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign came to a heartbreaking end on Friday after USA qualified into the Super 8s stage in their maiden appearance. Babar Azam and co, who have got two points from three matches, were hoping for Ireland’s victory over USA in their previous Group A match. However, the fate had other plans in store as the match between USA and Ireland got washed out due to heavy rain in Florida, resulting in co-hosts getting qualified for the Super 8s with five points. As Pakistan have only one game left in the Group stage, so the maximum they can get is a total of four points.

After Pakistan’s shocking exit from the World Cup, social media got flooded with hilarious memes as hashtag “Bye Bye Pakistan” started trending on X (formerly Twitter).

Thanks to their wins over neighbours Canada and heavyweights Pakistan in their first two outings, the USA joined India in the Super Eight stage of the T20 showpiece after their final group match was washed out.

Source:https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/azam-khan-wont-return-to-pakistan-because-t20-world-cup-exit-sets-internet-ablaze-5894010

Fifteen-times major winner Tiger Woods said this could very well be his final U.S. Open, after carding a three-over-par 73 that left him at seven over for the week to miss the cut at Pinehurst on Friday.
The former world number one has kept a limited competition schedule after a horrific 2021 car crash and was non-committal about whether he would tee it up in his national open again after missing the cut at last month’s PGA Championship as well.

Germany thrashed 10-man Scotland 5-1 as the Euro 2024 hosts kicked off the tournament in style in Munich on Friday (Jun 14), the start of a journey they hope culminates in a record fourth continental title.

Florian Wirtz struck the opening goal 10 minutes in and Jamal Musiala soon doubled Germany’s lead with an emphatic finish.

A greatly awaited night for Scotland went from bad to worse before half-time when Ryan Porteous was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Ilkay Gundogan, with Kai Havertz tucking away the resulting penalty.

Niclas Fuellkrug powered in a fourth midway through the second half after coming on as a substitute and not even a late own goal from Antonio Ruediger could spoil an otherwise perfect start to the campaign for Germany.

There was even time for Emre Can to add a fifth goal with the final kick of the game.

DISASTROUS SCOTTISH START
Scotland could surely not have envisioned such a disastrous beginning, but they must regroup quickly with games to come in Group A against Switzerland and Hungary.

After three successive failures at major tournaments, including back-to-back group stage exits at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, this was a strong statement of intent from an experienced Germany side.

It is Germany’s first men’s major tournament as hosts since the 2006 World Cup, and they are looking to recreate the magic that helped rekindle the passion for the national team after a spell in the international doldrums.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann had spoken of his players’ hunger to atone for the failures of recent times, with the outlook improving and optimism gradually increasing since his appointment in September.

His counterpart Steve Clarke on the other hand urged Scotland to “fear no one” going into the country’s second straight Euros after more than two decades in the international wilderness.

Almost right away Germany took the game to a Scotland side who arrived in Munich with only one win from their past nine matches – an unimpressive 2-0 victory over lowly Gibraltar last week.

Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn alertly blocked from an offside Wirtz, but Germany did not wait long in grasping the match by the scruff of the neck.

Toni Kroos, coaxed out of his Germany retirement earlier this year, pinged a ball out to Joshua Kimmich, who teed up Wirtz to sweep in from the edge of the area as Gunn could only help the shot in via the post.

Kroos will hang up his boots for good after the tournament, but with him and Gundogan running the Germany midfield they bring a level of knowledge and maturity few can match.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sport/germany-hammer-10-man-scotland-launch-euro-2024-4412141

The hunt for the next Indian cricket team head coach is underway and former captain Gautam Gambhir has emerged as one of the favourities for the job, according to media reports.

The hunt for the next Indian cricket team head coach is underway and former captain Gautam Gambhir has emerged as one of the favourities for the job, according to media reports. Under Gambhir’s mentorship, Kolkata Knight Riders clinched the IPL 2024 title and reports claim that the BCCI is currently in conversation with Gambhir in their hunt for Rahul Dravid’s successor. Former India head coach Anil Kumble praised Gambhir but said that coaching the national side is a completely different challenge.

“You need somebody with a strong demeanour, and you want continuity,” Kumble told ESPNCricinfo.

“Rahul has done a fantastic job, and hopefully, for him and India’s sake, he has a swansong with the World Cup. What you also have to keep in mind is that some of the senior players are coming towards the backend of their careers. You need players who go through the transition period and ensure India doesn’t miss out the quality in the bowling and batting department. You pick and choose and transition through.”

“You have to give it time. He certainly is capable. We have seen Gautam handle teams. He has been a captain for India, for his franchise, for Delhi. He has all the credentials to be that. But Indian team’s coaching is slightly different, you have to give him time to settle in. Like I mentioned, in case he takes up the job, he will have the task of looking at not just the current lot, but also the future of Indian cricket.”

Gambhir is familiar with most of the senior players in the Indian cricket team right now along with some of the young stars like Rinku Singh. However, Kumble believes that the familiarity will not be a major factor.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/on-reports-of-gautam-gambhir-becoming-next-india-coach-anil-kumbles-different-verdict-5892392

Tennis great Roger Federer says he is enjoying dedicating his time to his family and not rushing into any big projects following his retirement nearly two years ago.
Premiering a new documentary film in London on Thursday that tracks the final days of his sporting career, the 20-times Grand Slam champion said he was very happy with his life.
“I’m definitely not bored at home. Life’s great. I’m trying to be the best dad I can,” the 42-year-old Federer, who has two sets of twins with his wife Mirka, said.
“What’s next? I want to actually wait and see a little bit. I don’t want to have a million things to do right now. I want to be a good dad, a good husband, and be settled a little bit more and then decide, sort of the next mega project, if you like.”

Co-directed by Joe Sabia, known for his “73 Questions” celebrity interviews and Oscar-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia, the documentary mixes candid moments, archive material and interviews with fellow tennis greats Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

The emotion of the two weeks took Sabia, who was given unprecedented access to the Swiss tennis star at his home and in the locker-room, by surprise.

“I wasn’t expecting him to be so nervous. It was really nerve-wracking watching him be so nerve-wracked because I’m just kind of there observing, not saying a thing, watching as a fly on the wall,” he said.

Federer, who turns 43 in August, said he was happy to let his feelings show on screen.

“It’s not like I’m crying through 1.5 hours of the film, you know? It’s a tough watch, but a good one,” he said.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/lifes-great-federer-says-he-launches-retirement-documentary-2024-06-13/

Salman Khan and his brother Arbaaz Khan were questioned by Mumbai Police about the April 14 shooting outside Salman’s residence. The actor told cops he woke up to bullet sounds.

Actor Salman Khan on June 4 told the Mumbai Police he woke up to bullet sounds in the early hours of April 14, a night after he had partied and had slept late.

On Wednesday, an official told news agency PTI that the Mumbai Police recorded statements of the actor and his actor brother Arbaaz Khan in connection with the incident of firing outside his residence in April.

A four-member crime branch team visited Galaxy Apartments in Bandra, where Salman lives, on June 4, he said.

Salman’s statement was recorded for nearly four hours, while his brother’s statement was recorded for more than two hours, the official said.

Two motorbike-borne men fired multiple rounds outside Salman Khan’s residence in the early hours of April 14.

While recording their statements, the crime branch officials asked Salman and Arbaaz around 150 questions, the official said.

The gang had issued threats to Salman Khan in the past, but so far its members have not tried to extort money from the actor, the police official said.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/woke-up-bullet-sounds-salman-khan-cops-firing-outside-house-2552589-2024-06-13

India recorded the highest successful chase at this venue when they scored 111/3 in reply to USA’s 110/8 to qualify for the T20 World Cup Super 8s.

India skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday admitted it wasn’t easy playing on a two-paced newly-laid drop-in pitch at Nassau County ground and the team had to stick through till the end to notch up wins in each of their three matches in the ongoing T20 World Cup. India recorded the highest successful chase at this venue when they scored 111/3 in reply to USA’s 110/8 after Arshdeep Singh (4/9), Suryakumar Yadav (50 not out) and Shivam Dube (31) played key roles.

“We knew it would be tough. Credit to us for the way we held our nerve and got that partnership. Credit to Surya and Dube for showing the maturity and taking us through,” Rohit said after the match.

The skipper seemed relieved more than happy that they have crossed the first hurdle at the global meet.

“Being in the Super Eight is a big relief — playing cricket here wasn’t easy (as) it could have been anyone’s game. We had to stick through till the end in all three games. We will take a lot of confidence from these wins,” he added.

The Indian captain had praise for each of the three key performers while applauding Suryakumar for changing his aggressive approach to anchor the chase.

“He (Suryakumar) showed he has a different game to him, that’s what you expect from experienced players. Credit to the way he stuck through today to take the game deep and win it for us,” he said.

“We knew bowlers had to take the lead (as) run scoring was difficult. All the bowlers did the job, particularly Arshdeep,” said Rohit after India qualified for Super Eight.

Rohit said since seamers were expected to dominate, the team decided to give Dube a chance to roll over his arm too.

“You want options and we should be able to use them as and when we can. Today, the pitch favoured the seamers so wanted to use him,” he said.

“(A) lot of these guys have played cricket together, very happy to see their progress. Saw them last year in MLC as well, they are all hard-working guys,” Rohit said while talking about USA cricketers.

Having produced best T20I figures for India, Arshdeep said he wanted to make full use of a seam-friendly surface.

“In the last two games, I gave away little more runs, (and I) wasn’t happy with that. The team always shows belief in me and keep backing me, I had to deliver for them,” he said.

“The wicket is very conducive to fast bowlers and it’s helping us get some seam movement. The plan was simple, pitch it in the wicket and let the ball do the talking. Don’t give easy balls to score, our batsmen are also facing difficulties to score runs,” he said.

Talking further about his bowling plans, the left-arm bowler said, “The plan was to hit the hard lengths. In conditions like this, you can use the wicket more.” USA’s stand-in skipper Aaron Jones, meanwhile, felt his side was competitive but fell a few runs short.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/wasnt-easy-relieved-rohit-sharmas-big-admission-after-super-8-qualification-5877415

Lia Thomas rose to prominence after she became the first transgender athlete to win the NCAA college swimming title in March 2022 but she has since been barred from swimming in the female category after rules were introduced to ban anyone who has undergone “any part of male puberty”.

Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas can’t compete in the Olympics after she lost her legal battle to have the rules barring her participation overturned.

The 25-year-old rose to prominence after she won the women’s NCAA college swimming title back in March 2022 – the US’ highest college title.

However, during the summer of that year swimming’s governing body, World Aquatics (WA), introduced rule changes that would bar anyone who has undergone “any part of male puberty” from competing in the female category.

Thomas previously swam for Pennsylvania’s men’s team for three seasons before starting hormone replacement therapy in early 2019 – so was affected by the rule change.

In response to the ruling, she launched a legal challenge, asking the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn the rules because they were, she argued, invalid, unlawful and discriminatory.

However, her case was thrown out on a technicality because Thomas was “simply not entitled to engage with eligibility to compete in WA competitions such as the Olympics or world championships” as she was no longer a member of US swimming.

The decision ends any remaining hopes Thomas had of competing in the Olympics.

The three-judge panel added: “The panel concludes that she lacks standing to challenge the policy and the operational requirements in the framework of the present proceeding.”

World Aquatics said it welcomed the CAS decision and said: “We believe is a major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sport.”

USA swimming had previously granted her request for “self-identity verification” as part of its policy on athlete inclusion.

But the judges said USA Swimming had no authority to “modify such scope of application” of the world governing body’s rules.

Thomas was represented at CAS by Toronto-based Tyr, the legal firm that has represented two-time Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya.

Semenya is excluded from running in her specialist 800 metre event by World Athletics rules on athletes with differences in sex development who have elevated levels of testosterone.

Swimming’s policy on transgender athletes was followed by other top-tier Olympic sports who also excluded from women’s events people who have potentially gained lasting physical advantages from going through male puberty.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/transgender-swimmer-lia-thomas-cant-compete-in-olympics-after-losing-legal-fight-against-sports-governing-body-13152276

Virat Kohli may have had a lacklustre start to the T20 World Cup campaign, but Indian fans don’t need to be worried about it, according to Brad Hogg and Wasim Jaffer. Kohli is set to celebrate his T20I debut anniversary on June 12 when India face USA in New York.

It was 14 years ago on June 12, when a young Virat Kohli stepped on to the field at the Harare Sports Club against Zimbabwe to make his T20I debut for India. Fast-forward to the same date in the year 2024 as India gears up to face the USA in the T20 World Cup 2024, Kohli is the second highest run-getter in the format with a total of 4042 runs at an average of 50.52. However, there has been a bit of a worry for the Indian fans about the star batter.

Kohli has registered scores of 1 and 4 against Ireland and Pakistan in the 2 matches so far. While the star batter has been ultra aggressive with his approach, it seems like the lack of runs has been a concern for the team. Or is it?

Over the years, one thing Kohli has shown is the ability to silence the doubters. We saw it in the IPL, when he shut down the critics of his strike-rate as he, at times, single-handedly guided RCB to wins and got them into the playoffs and also won the Orange Cap with 741 runs to his name.

Speaking to Star Sports, Wasim Jaffer brushed aside the concerns about Kohli’s form. The former cricketer said that the star batter will stand up once the tournament heats up. Jaffer said it will be a big day for Kohli as it is his debut anniversary.

“Oh definitely, It’s very unlikely for Virat Kohli to have got out couple of times cheaply. Obviously, the wickets do play a part. It has not been the ideal conditions for batting. We haven’t seen big scores in New York. He will find his feet in this tournament for sure. As soon as the tournament heats up, you will see Virat Kohli stand up in those moments. Big day, the great guy made his T20I debut. He has been phenomenal. And we want him to get those big runs. Like I said, we get into Super 8s, we need this guy to stand up,” said Jaffer.

Don’t worry about it

Brad Hogg, who was also part of the discussion, echoed the comments from Jaffer and said he wouldn’t be too concerned about Kohli’s lacklustre start. Hogg said that Kohli’s late arrival in USA meant he is yet to get used to the conditions.

Hogg was also of the opinion that Wednesday could finally be the day when Kohli hits form.

“Well, hopefully, tonight is the night. But I wouldn’t be too worried about it. I think you have to wait till the Super 8s. That’s when he really stands up. The other thing is that he had a bit of a break, just after the IPL. He arrived late, so he hasn’t gotten adjusted to the conditions as quickly as the others. I wouldn’t be worried if I am the Indian fans. I think he has been supported by a good strong batting lineup, especially with Pant coming in at No.3,” said Hogg.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/t20-world-cup-2024/story/usa-vs-india-virat-kohli-t20i-debut-anniversary-new-york-2552080-2024-06-12

In a viral rant, Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad lambasted captain Babar Azam for his underperformance.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam is critics’ favourite target at the moment. With his team losing the first two matches of the T20 World Cup 2024, to the USA and India respectively, Babar’s been the focal point of criticism coming from former cricketers, fans, and pundits. Even Ahmed Shehzad, an active Pakistani cricketer, tore into Babar and shredded his reputation on a television channel in Pakistan. Shehzad shed light on Babar’s poor statistics in big competitions and suggested that the Pakistan skipper averages only 27 in T20I cricket when it comes to big events.

In a fiery rant on live television, Shehzad said that Pakistan have been losing to mediocre sides under Babar’s captaincy, and even also been losing to top teams’ B, C and D squads.

“Jab se Babar Azam captain hain, hum bohot mediocre, sorry for using this word, teams se haar rahe hain (ever since Babar became captain, we have been losing to mediocre teams),” said.

Former Pakistan cricket team star Kamran Akmal has come under a lot of criticism for making a distasteful remark on India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh.

Former Pakistan cricket team star Kamran Akmal has come under a lot of criticism for making a distasteful remark on India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh. During the T20 World Cup 2024 match between India and Pakistan on Sunday, Akmal was part of the ARY News cricket panel who were discussing the game. With 18 runs to win, Arshdeep was given the responsibility to bowl the final over of the match and he kept his calm to guide India to a six-run victory. However, Akmal courted controversy by making a comment about Arshdeep’s religion.

“Kuch bhi ho sakta hai… 12 baj gaye hai (Anything can happen. It is already 12),” he remarked. “Kisi Sikh ko nahi dena chahiye 12 baje over (No Sikh should be given the over at 12 midnight,” another guest joined in prompting laughter from the former Pakistan cricketer.

The comment was criticised heavily by social media users who called out Akmal for his ‘racist’ remark and former India spinner Harbhajan Singh took to social media to post a powerful message.

“Lakh di laanat tere Kamraan Akhmal.. You should know the history of sikhs before u open ur filthy mouth. We Sikhs saved ur mothers and sisters when they were abducted by invaders, the time invariably was 12 o’clock . Shame on you…Have some Gratitude,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/saved-your-mothers-harbhajan-singh-blasts-ex-pakistan-star-for-racist-sikh-joke-on-arshdeep-singh-5861618

T20 World Cup 2024, India vs Pakistan: Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh lashed out at Kamran Akmal in a strongly-worded comment on social media. Harbhajan responded to the ex-Pakistan cricketer’s racist comment about Arshdeep Singh on live television. Akmal apologised for his remark later in the day.

World Cup-winning former India spinner Harbhajan Singh came up with a strongly-worded reaction to Kamran Akmal’s racist comments about Indian fast bowler Arshdeep Singh. Kamran has been facing flak for his distasteful remark about Arshdeep and his religion during the much-talked-about India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup game on Sunday, June 9 in New York.

Harbhajan Singh did not hold back as he tore into Kamran Akmal, calling the former Pakistan wicketkeeper’s comments ‘filthy’. Harbhajan’s outburst came after Kamran Akmal made an insensitive joke about Arshdeep and the Sikh community during his appearance on a live television show.

“You should know the history of Sikhs before u open ur filthy mouth. We Sikhs saved ur mothers and sisters when they were abducted by invaders, the time invariably was 12 o’clock . Shame on youâ€æHave some Gratitude (sic),” Harbhajan Singh said in a social media post, hours after Pakistan were handed a 6-run defeat by Rohit Sharma and his men.

AKMAL APOLOGISES TO HARBHAJAN, SIKH COMMUNITY

Kamran Akmal penned a note of apology later in the day.

“I deeply regret my recent comments and sincerely apologize to @harbhajan_singh and the Sikh community. My words were inappropriate and disrespectful. I have the utmost respect for Sikhs all over the world and never intended to hurt anyone. I am truly sorry,” Akmal said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Before Harbhajan Singh lashed out at Kamran Akmal, the former Pakistan cricketer was facing flak for his comments. Akmal was even seen laughing to another insensitive comment from another panelist during the television show on Sunday.

Despite a few former cricketers crossing the line on social media, the India vs Pakistan game was played in good spirits at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium in New York.

India and Pakistan players flaunted their camaraderie before the start of the much-anticipated contest. In front of a packed house with 34,000 fans at Nassau County, Shaheen Afridi and Rishabh Pant walked into the ground after a high-five along the boundary rope. The two teams shook hands and shared embraces before they headed onto the field for the national anthems.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/t20-world-cup-2024/story/harbhajan-singh-slams-kamran-akmal-racist-comment-arshdeep-india-vs-pakistan-2551505-2024-06-10

It went all the way down to the wire, but Keshav Maharaj got the job done when it mattered the most as South Africa clinched a nail-biting 4-run win over Bangladesh.

South Africa won the toss and opted to bat first, a decision they may have gone to regret for the duration of their innings.

Opener Quinton de Kock seemed in fine form, but Tanzim Sakib had other ideas, as the Bangladesh pacer wreaked havoc over a highly-acclaimed batting order.

Tanzim went on a wicket-taking spree, removing both South African openers, and scalping the likes of de Kock, Hendricks, and Stubbs, leaving the Proteas at 23-4, in dire need of a partnership.

A partnership is exactly what would entail from their hard-hitters as Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller stuck to their natural game whilst exhibiting patience to play through the rough period and steer SA away from utter humiliation.

The duo of Miller and Klaasen added an invaluable 79 runs in their partnership. But, soon enough, the duo was picked off by the likes of Taskin and Rishad, as South Africa could only limp to a meagre 113 runs in 20 overs.

Bangladesh came out with quite some fervour to take on the Proteas, but Kagiso Rabada immediately shut them down, as the pacer struck in his first over to remove BAN opener Tanzid Hasan for just 9 runs.

Bangladesh skipper Shanto and keeper Litton Das occupied the field for a while to neutralize the effect of the wicket till the end of the powerplay, as they stood at 29-1.

But, the introduction of spin proved to be beneficial as Keshav Maharaj instantly scalped Litton with his first ball, while in-form pacer Anrich Nortje struck in his first over as well to remove the prized Shakib Al-Hasan shortly after.

The spin-pace combo worked wonders as both Maharaj and Nortje piled the pressure on a deflating Bangladesh batting order, while Nortje picked up his second wicket in his second over as well, dismissing the brave skipper Shanto who put up a long stand to keep his team in the fight.

What ensued next was the stand that saved Bangladesh, as Towhid Hridoy and veteran Mahmudullah withstood the fiery attack from the Proteas, as they slowly yet steadily chipped away at the total, bringing the game down to its last three overs where Bangladesh needed 20 runs off 18 balls.

Source: https://www.news18.com/cricket/sa-vs-ban-t20-world-cup-keshav-maharaj-rises-to-the-occasion-vs-bangladesh-as-south-africa-secure-4-run-win-in-low-scoring-thriller-8928345.html

Naseem Shah put in a valiant fight at the end with the bat but Pakistan fell short of India’s total by 6 runs in the T20 World Cup 2024 match on Sunday.

The India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 Group A clash on Sunday turned out to be an absolute thriller, where the bowling sides of both the teams stepped up to deliver. Batting first, India could only put 119 runs on the board, losing all 10 wickets in just 19 overs. However, the score proved to be enough as India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya put in an exemplary show with the ball, restricting Pakistan for just 113, despite Naseem Shah’s late cameo with the bat.

Naseem remained unbeaten on 10 runs off 4 balls but couldn’t help his team go across the line. Seeing his effort falling short, and the defeat putting Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign in serious trouble, Naseem couldn’t control his emotions. The Pak star was seen crying after the conclusion of the match, with his teammate Shaheen Afridi trying hard to console him.

A picture of India captain Rohit Sharma has also emerged on social media, where he could be seen trying to console Naseem who was visibly heartbroken because of the defeat.

Pakistan captain babar Azam lauded his team’s bowling and blamed batters for playing ‘too many too balls’, resulting to a below-par show while chasing a gettable target of 120 runs.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/naseem-shah-inconsolable-after-pakistans-loss-rohit-sharmas-gesture-wins-hearts-watch-5856276

It has been a disappointing T20 World Cup 2024 campaign for the Pakistan cricket team till now as the Babar Azam-led side slumped to a 6-run loss against India.

It has been a disappointing T20 World Cup 2024 campaign for the Pakistan cricket team till now as the Babar Azam-led side slumped to a 6-run loss against India on Sunday. It was the second defeat for Pakistan in two matches after they were stunned by United States in the first group stage encounter. Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf took three wickets each to bundle out India for 119 but a disciplined show from India pacers, specially Jasprit Bumrah, handed Pakistan a crushing defeat. The loss against India was also a huge blow for Pakistan’s chances of reaching the Super 8 stage of the competition.

Pakistan have 0 points after 2 matches and their qualification chances are looking quite slim at the moment. The Babar Azam-led side will have to win their two remaining matches against Canada and Ireland while hoping that United States and Canada do not win any more games.

Even if Pakistan win both of their matches and United States lose their two remaining games, the qualification to the Super 8 stage will come down to Net Run Rate (NRR). Both sides will have 4 points from 4 matches and Pakistan will need several results to go their way.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/pakistan-out-of-t20-world-cup-2024-explaining-what-loss-vs-india-means-for-babar-azam-and-co-5855012

Carlos Alcaraz made a grand entrance into the tennis history books as he claimed his maiden French Open title to become the youngest man to capture Grand Slams on all three surfaces with a see-saw five-set victory over German Alexander Zverev on Sunday.
The 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1 6-2 win may not have been a classic, but the Spaniard showed that he belonged among the elite as he added a third Grand Slam crown to his impressive trophy cabinet that already has the 2022 U.S. Open and 2023 Wimbledon titles.

Alcaraz became the seventh man to win a major on hard, grass and clay courts, a feat that eluded some of the sport’s greats, including American Pete Sampras, who boasts 14 major titles, but never won at Roland Garros.
At 21 years old, Alcaraz has played in three Grand Slam finals and won them all, while for comparison, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic were in their late 20s before they mastered the sport’s slowest surface.

“Since I was little kid, I was running from school to put on the TV to watch this tournament. Now I am lifting the trophy in front of all of you,” said Alcaraz, who was described by Zverev as a “Hall of Famer” in his speech.
Sunday’s defeat prolonged Zverev’s frustration at Grand Slams, with the German still chasing a first title despite reaching the last four eight times.
“I’ll be back next year,” Zverev promised.

El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo and Croatian Mate Pavic beat Italian pair Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-5 6-3 on Saturday to win the French Open men’s doubles title.

It was the ninth seeds’ first Grand Slam crown as a pair. Arevalo, 33, won the French Open men’s doubles in 2022 with Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer and the 30-year-old Pavic has now won the men’s doubles titles at all four Grand Slams.

“It feels special,” said Pavic, who has won seven Grand Slams, including three mixed doubles titles. “I want to thank Marcelo for bringing me to the top. He knows how it is to be done.”

“Two crazy weeks, a lot of tough matches… we did it together. I am really happy,” Arevalo said.

The first set was poised at 5-5 when Arevalo and Pavic saved four break points to win the game and broke their opponents to clinch the set.

“Of course, I had it in the back of my mind, (that) I lost here twice (in) the finals,” Pavic, who lost the men’s doubles finals in 2018 and 2020, told reporters. “I was pretty close even before… you have it there in your mind, you want to win.”

Bolelli and Vavassori, who reached this year’s Australian Open final, broke to go 2-1 up in the second set, but Arevalo and Pavic broke back immediately and did so again to take a decisive 5-3 lead.

“You played an unbelievable match,” Vavassori told the winners.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/arevalo-pavic-win-french-open-mens-doubles-title-2024-06-08

The 30-year-old, known as ‘cyclone’, signed a contract with the UFC last year in October to become the first woman from India to compete in the biggest Mixed Martial Arts promotion.

Kentucky: India’s Puja Tomar scripted history as she became the first mixed martial arts fighter from the country to win a bout at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in UFC Louisville.

Debutant Tomar eked out a 30-27, 27-30, 29-28 split-decision win over Brazil’s Rayanne dos Santos in the straw-weight (52kg) bout on Saturday.

“This win is not my win. This win is for all Indian fans and all Indian fighters. before everyone thought that Indian fighters did not stand anywhere. I only thought I have to win and show the world that Indian fighters are not losers,” Tomar told

The 30-year-old, known as ‘cyclone’, signed a contract with the UFC last year in October to become the first woman from India to compete in the biggest Mixed Martial Arts promotion.

Anshul Jubli and Bharat Kandare have represented India on the world stage in the UFC, as has Canada-based Arjan Singh Bhullar.

“I feel great, I had come from home thinking that I will win. I have worked really hard that’s why I am here, and the crowd is cheering me. I was very strong and motivated so that’s why I won.”

Born in Budhana village of Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, Tomar is a five-time national wushu champion and also has a background in karate and taekwondo.

“I was confident of winning; I attacked a lot. But I wasn’t able to give my 100 percent. I felt pressured in the second round. I need to improve on a lot of skills like take downs.”

“My MMA journey was not easy, this win is for my mother, she has fought with the world for me. So, this win is for her.”

She has competed in other tournaments including Matrix Fight Night, where she won the straw-weight title twice.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/puja-tomar-becomes-first-indian-to-win-in-ultimate-fighting-championship-3058915

This is India-Pakistan served with a slice of Americana. Should be fun.

In a country that’s about as dangerous as it is beautiful, a rivalry with identical characteristics will play out on Sunday.

India take on Pakistan at the Nassau County Intentional stadium, and this contest will feel relegated in significance after the latter’s recent loss to the United States. Still, these ancient rivals don’t rest on past performances to take it easy on the day it matters.

While their rivalry has become more of a formality after India’s sustained success over their neighbours across formats in the last decade, the hype itself has not died out yet, and it possibly never will.

Besides the game’s promoters forcing emotions down the throats of consumers with their chintzy ad campaigns, people continue to live in nostalgia, recalling moments from when an India-Pakisan contest held more chips.

This, however, is a tad different because this part of America hasn’t had the chance to sit in the palpable tension that is a typical Indo-Pak contest. These teams have played in North America – the continent – way back in 1997 when they had the ‘Friendship’ Cup in Toronto, but this is America proper, and the locals are storming in.

Though promoted as ‘Super Bowl on steroids’, it’s not likely that this game will go down as a classic.

Given the nature of the four drop-in pitches at the venue, no matter which one the curator picks for the day, it will play unevenly and move a whole bunch in the air.

Historically, that would give Pakistan the edge for their pace acumen, but India’s no slouch in that department anymore. If anything, one could go so far as saying India’s bowling is far more stringent in the format.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/the-big-battle-at-the-big-apple-3058487

India vs Pakistan: Ahead of the big game in New York, Shaheen Afridi was teased by a group of Indian fans, but it was his reaction that took the cake.

With Pakistan looking for a comeback after the humiliating loss against the USA earlier this week and aiming for a repeat of their Dubai heroics from 2021, Shaheen Afridi will have to play a crucial role for the 2009 champions when they take on India in the blockbuster T20 World Cup match in New York on Sunday. Ahead of the big game at the Nassau County International Stadium, Shaheen was teased by a group of Indian fans, but it was his reaction that took the cake.

Shaheen will open the attack for Pakistan and will look to emulate what he had managed against India three years back en route to Pakistan’s record 10-wicket win in the group-stage tie. It remains Pakistan’s only-ever win against India in World Cup history. On Sunday, he will be up against the likes of India captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, whom he has dismissed a few times in international cricket.

Ahead of the game in New York, a video went viral on social media where Shaheen came across a group of Indian fans, and he obliged for some autographs and pictures, and also interacted with them. During the conversation, one of the fans said: “We have come here to watch a special match, but we got a nice surprise.” Another fan then asked Afridi “not to bowl” well against India, leaving the left-arm fast bowler smiling.

However, his best reaction was reserved for the fan that followed, saying: “Consider Kohli and Rohit as one of your good friends,” as the entire group burst into laughter, while Afridi just smiled on.

India head into the game on the back of a win against Ireland on Wednesday. On the other hand, Pakistan lost to co-hosts, the USA, via Super Over on Thursday leaving their World Cup campaign in tatters. While a win against India could revive their hopes of making the Super 8, a loss could imply a humiliating group-stage exit.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ind-vs-pak-t20-world-cup-consider-virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-your-friends-shaheen-afridi-teased-by-indians-pacer-reaction-101717896239394.html

Garcia-Caro believed she had won herself a place on the podium at the European Athletics Championship in Rome – but premature celebrations cost her the bronze medal.

Spanish race walker Laura Garcia-Caro stuck her tongue out and punched a fist in the air thinking she had won a bronze medal at the European Athletics Championship – only to realise seconds later that she had been overtaken.

The 29-year-old athlete was beaming and convinced she had secured third place in the last five metres of the women’s 20km race walk at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Friday.

But Garcia-Caro’s joy at winning a medal turned to horror when she looked to her right and saw Ukraine’s Lyudmila Olyanovska bridging the gap between them.

The Ukrainian overtook Garcia-Caro with only two metres left to the finish line.

“I am quite disappointed. The first part of the race I suffered, but [I did] recover and in the last 10 metres I thought I had it but I didn’t,” Garcia-Caro told local media.

T20 World Cup 2024, NZ vs AFG: Afghanistan hammered New Zealand by 84 runs to pull off another big upset in the tournament. Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi picked 4 wickets each as New Zealand were outplayed in all three departments in Guyana.

Afghanistan produced a ruthless performance and told the world yet again that they are here to challenge for the T20 World Cup title by crushing former finalists New Zealand in a Group C game. Riding on Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 80 and a superlative bowling show led by captain Rashid Khan, Afghanistan beat New Zealand by 85 runs on a sluggish pitch at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Friday, June 7 (Saturday morning in India). New Zealand were bundled out for 75, their fourth-lowest total in T20 cricket.

It was also Afghanistan’s first-ever win over New Zealand in T20 internationals. Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi were the heroes with the ball as they took four wickets each for Afghanistan after Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s match-winning 80.

It was the second big upset of the T20 World Cup after Pakistan were stunned by co-hosts USA on Thursday in Dallas.

Kane Williamson’s New Zealand looked undercooked in their first match of the T20 World Cup as they were outplayed in all three departments by Afghanistan. From missing catches and stumps to struggling to even put bat to ball, the BlackCaps looked a shadow of their dominant self against an inspired Afghanistan side. In fact, New Zealand’s innings lasted just 15.2 overs as they were handed a huge wake-up call.

New Zealand did not play a warm-up match and most of their top stars missed a tour of Bangladesh to be part of the Indian Premier League. The rustiness was on display on Thursday as the BlackCaps did not get going at all.

T20 World Cup 2024: Points Table

For Afghanistan, who only made their T20 World Cup debut in 2010, back-to-back wins in Group C has put them in a great position to qualify for the next round — the Super 8s. Afghanistan are on top of the Group C points table, placed above co-hosts West Indies. Afghanistan had hammered Uganda by 125 runs in their opening match, which was also played in Guyana.

RUTHLESS AFGHANISTAN SHOOT OUT NZ FOR 75
After having put 159 on the board on a sluggish pitch, Afghanistan always knew that they had enough to trouble the New Zealand batters. And Fazalhaq Farooqi started from where he left a couple of days ago by getting Finn Allen for 0 in the very second ball of the New Zealand innings.

The left-arm seamer, who picked 5 wickets in the game against Uganda, rattled New Zealand with the new ball, picking up the big wickets of Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell. Fazalhaq bowled 13 dot balls in his three-over burst in the powerplay as New Zealad were reduced to 33 for 3 in the first six overs.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/t20-world-cup-2024/story/new-zealand-vs-afghanistan-score-shock-result-guyana-rashid-khan-fazalhaq-gurbaz-2550556-2024-06-08

Carlos Alcaraz reached his maiden French Open final with a 2-6 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3 win over Jannik Sinner before Alexander Zverev also recovered from a slow start on Friday to beat Casper Ruud 2-6 6-2 6-4 6-2 and set up a blockbuster clash for the trophy.
Third seed Alcaraz was far from his usually brilliant self early in his contest but took full advantage of Australian Open champion Sinner’s hand cramps to draw level, before sealing the see-sawing match in a decider after a little over four hours.

Having already captured a Wimbledon and U.S. Open trophy at the age of 21, Spaniard Alcaraz became the youngest man to reach Grand Slam finals on all three of the sport’s surfaces and will look to emulate several compatriots by winning Roland Garros.
“I have a special feeling for this tournament, because I remember when I finished school I’m running to my home just to put the TV on and watch the matches here in the French Open,” Alcaraz told reporters.

“Of course, Rafa Nadal dominated this tournament for 14-15 years. It’s unbelievable. I wanted to put my name on that list of the Spanish players who won this tournament… (Juan Carlos) Ferrero, (Carlos) Moya, (Albert) Costa, legends of our sport.
“If I want to be one of the best players in the world, I have to be a good player in every surface, like Roger (Federer) did, Novak (Djokovic), Rafa, (Andy) Murray. The best players have had success on every surface.”

Saurabh Netravalkar’s LinkedIn headline reads: “Principal Member of Technical Staff at Oracle, Professional Cricketer”.

Newcomers USA left the cricket world in shock on Thursday as they defeated former champions Pakistan via the Super Over to record their biggest win in T20 World Cup history. The result was reminiscent of Pakistan’s three-wicket loss to Ireland in the 2007 ODI World Cup in the West Indies, a tournament where they were knocked out in the group stage as well. Though it is going to take a few more upsetting results for Pakistan to go through a similar fate this time, the result puts the USA and its players in the spotlight, especially the Mumbai-born Saurabh Netravalkar who delivered in the crucial Super Over against Babar Azam & Co.

In the Super Over bowled by Mohammad Amir, USA piled up 18 runs, eight of which came from extras. Saurabh Netravalkar then kept his cool and bowled brilliantly to give away just 13 runs for a famous win. As Netravalkar steered USA to victory, his LinkedIn profile went viral on social media, as fans lauded the ‘software engineer’ from Oracle who made history at the biggest stage in cricket.

His LinkedIn headline reads: “Principal Member of Technical Staff at Oracle, Professional Cricketer”. It’s time to swap these around.

“It’s a very humbling feeling that life has given me a second chance to pursue what I love doing,” Netravalkar said after the match. “And I really feel that bliss as soon as I walk onto the field to play competitive cricket.”

As for the match, USA thus jumped to the top of Group A with two wins from as many games ahead of the clash against India. USA had defeated Canada by seven wickets in their opener.

Opting to field, left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige scalped three wickets for 30 runs as Pakistan found it difficult to press the accelerator and were restricted to 159 for seven.

While chasing, USA ended on the same score, reaching 159 for 3 with skipper Monank Patel (50 off 38), Aaron Jones (36 not out of 26) and Andries Gous (35 off 26) leading from the front.

In another embarrassment for Pakistan, they took longer time than usual to come out to bat in the Super Over, keeping the USA fielders waiting and getting the on-field umpires involved.

Earlier, USA’s decision to bowl first worked as Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed in the second over, caught by Steven Taylor off Netravalkar (2/18).

USA started their chase on a bright note, scoring 44 runs in the powerplay.

Patel led from the front as he played his shots to pick up consecutive boundaries off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the fourth over.

Naseem Shah gave Pakistan the first breakthrough when Taylor nicked one to Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps.

Bur new man Andries Gous meant business as he picked up two fours in the same over.

Gous was particularly elegant square of the wicket as he just opened his bat a bit to pick up another four off Haris Rauf.

USA’s body language was positive with Patel and Gous leading the charge.

Patel showed his prowess through the off-side, picking up two consecutive boundaries off Iftikhar Ahmed through the cover region.

Patel was at his destructive best as he first hit Afridi over mid-off for a boundary and then clobbered the bowler over his head for a six to bring up his 50 off 34 balls.

A 68-run second wicket stand was finally broken by Rauf, who got the better of Gous with a quick delivery.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/linkedin-profile-of-saurabh-netravalkar-usas-match-winner-against-pakistan-goes-viral-5834818

The pitches used in the T20 World Cup matches played in New York have not been up to standard and ground staff are working on remedying them for the rest of the tournament, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Thursday.
The temporary Nassau County International Cricket Stadium has hosted two games so far, both of which were low-scoring encounters due to the nature of the drop-in pitch which has made batting extremely difficult due to the movement and bounce.

Fans expecting a run-fest were left disappointed when Sri Lanka were bowled out for 77 — their lowest ever score — against South Africa, while India bowled out Ireland for 96 in Wednesday’s one-sided contest.
“T20 Inc and the ICC recognise that the pitches used so far at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium have not played as consistently as we would have all wanted,” the ICC said in a statement.

“The world-class grounds team have been working hard since the conclusion of yesterday’s game to remedy the situation and deliver the best possible surfaces for the remaining matches.”
The stadium is set to host six more matches, including Sunday’s blockbuster game between arch rivals India and Pakistan.
India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour described it as a “challenging wicket” having also played a warm-up match at the venue.

“It is what it is. We need to find a way to deal with it and I think we have enough skills in the team and enough experience in the team to deal with it,” he said.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, whose team open their tournament against Afghanistan in Guyana on Friday, said the balance between bat and ball was important at any competition.
“They’ve been interesting-looking surfaces — obviously first time being used,” he said of the New York pitches.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/sports/cricket/icc-admits-new-york-pitches-t20-world-cup-not-up-mark-2024-06-06/

India’s eight-wicket win over Ireland in their T20 World Cup 2024 opener got soured a bit as captain Rohit Sharma trudged off the field mid-way during batting.

India’s eight-wicket win over Ireland in their T20 World Cup 2024 opener on Wednesday got soured a bit as captain Rohit Sharma trudged off the field mid-way during batting. Rohit left the ground after suffering a blow on his upper arm from a delivery bowled by pacer Josh Little at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Before retiring hurt, Rohit scored 52 off 37 balls with the help of four fours and three sixes to give India a perfect launching pad to chase down a paltry target of 97.

Rohit got hit on his upper arm on the second ball of the ninth over. The injury eventually forced him to move out of the field after the final ball of the 10th over.

The good news for India was that the injury was not serious. Rohit revealed about it after the game. “Yeah, just a little sore (the arm),” said the India captain.

Later in India’s innings, Rishabh Pant too copped a blow on his elbow on the first ball of the 11th over. That delivery was also bowled by Josh Little. Pant, however, continued his innings after receiving some treatment from the physio and finished off the match with a six.

The surface of Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, where the India vs Ireland match was played, received a lot of criticism for its vicious bounce while the extremely slow outfield was also at the receiving end of the critics’ fury.

“I said it at the toss as well. Quite unsure of what to expect from the pitch. Not aware on what it is to play like on a pitch that’s five months old. I don’t think the wicket settled down even when we batted second,” said Rohit.

“There was enough for the bowlers. That’s pretty much what you gotta do. Try to hit those lengths consistently. All these guys have played a lot of Test cricket. Arshdeep is the only guy who hasn’t. His two wickets upfront set the tone for us,” he added.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/rohit-sharma-provides-injury-update-after-leaving-ground-mid-way-during-batting-vs-ireland-5826899

The script was ripped up at the French Open on Wednesday as ailing second seed Aryna Sabalenka and off-colour fourth seed Elena Rybakina were sent tumbling out in the quarter-finals before Alexander Zverev restored some normality.
Hampered by illness throughout her match, Sabalenka crashed to a 6-7(5) 6-4 6-4 defeat to Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva as the Australian Open champion’s 11-match Grand Slam winning streak ground to a halt on Court Philippe Chatrier.

During the warm-up match between India and Bangladesh, a spectator breached security and invaded the pitch to hug Rohit Sharma.

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma highlighted the importance of the security of players during the match ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 Group A encounter against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Wednesday, June 6.

During the warm-up match between India and Bangladesh, a spectator breached security and invaded the pitch to hug Rohit Sharma. The US police immediately intervened and pinned the pitch invader, but the India skipper asked the policemen to be gentle with him while taking him off the field.

Security has been tightened at the New York stadium due to threats from the terrorist organization ISIS. The USA Police were deployed at the stadium to ensure the security of the players and spectators.

‘Security of players is important’: Rohit Sharma

Speaking at the press conference on the eve of India’s opening match against Ireland, Rohit Sharma urged the fans and spectators to refrain from invading the pitch for the sake of players’ security. He also requested the fans to follow the rules and regulations set by the authorities.

World number one Novak Djokovic’s disappointing season continued on Tuesday when the defending French Open champion was forced to pull out of the Grand Slam before his quarter-final with a knee injury that could threaten his Wimbledon and Olympic chances.
The injury, sustained in his fourth-round win over Francisco Cerundolo, ended the Serb’s quest to win a record-extending 25th Grand Slam trophy and will result in him losing his top ranking to Italian Jannik Sinner later this month.

Pakistan great Rashid Latif slammed the current team, which is in USA for T20 World Cup 2024, for organising a ‘private dinner’ with the entry fee of USD 25.

The Pakistan cricket team and its players continue to find ways to trigger controversies. Right before the start of their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, Pakistan team is said to have hosted a ‘private dinner’ in the United States of America, where they invited fans for ‘meet and greet’. The initiative, however, wasn’t free or for a charity. The ‘private dinner’ had an entry fees of 25 US Dollars, leaving many in the Pakistan cricketing fraternity fuming. Rashid Latif, one of the finest Pakistan cricketers of all time, took to social media to highlight the shocking program organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board and the players.

According to a video shared by Latif on social media, fans were allowed to meet Pakistan players during the private dinner if they paid a fee of USD 25. The Pakistan legend and others in the video were dumbfounded by the idea.

“There are official dinners, but this is a private dinner. Who can do this? It’s terrible. That means you met our players in 25 dollars. God forbid, had there been a mess, people would have said boys are earning money,” Latif said in the video.

Presenter Nauman Niaz called out the ‘sad state of affairs’ in the Pakistan team while a fan suggested that the price should’ve at least kept higher, if the team was going through with the idea.

Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

Latif also suggested that he understands the idea of organising charity dinners but a private dinner, with a fee, was beyond his comprehension.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/usd-25-to-meet-cricketers-pakistan-team-slammed-for-hosting-private-dinner-in-usa-5821036

India will play three of their four group games in New York against Ireland, Pakistan and USA, while their last league game against Canada will be held in Florida.

There has been a lack of buzz in the West Inides and USA for the ongoing T20 World Cup. Due to the high pricing of the tickets, the stadiums have been partially empty and isolated. However, India head coach Rahul Dravid is hopeful to see the fans turn up for their group games. India will play three of their four group games in New York against Ireland, Pakistan and USA, while their last league game against Canada will be held in Florida.

“It’s slightly different and exciting to have a World Cup coming to a new country, and a new place. Things are very different in terms of the buzz, as cricket is not one of the major sports in the country. Hopefully, when our games come in, the Indian fans start to come in and bring that similar kind of excitement,” Dravid said in a pre-match press conference.

Ever since the team’s arrival in the Big Apple, the Indian players have been training at the Cantiague Park, which is located in Hicksville.

While admitting that it’s been a bit strange training in a public park, Dravid insisted that it has been an enjoybale experience to train at the Cantiague Park.

“But in terms of what we wanted out of practice, it hasn’t the way we practice or the professionalism we have in terms of approaching things, which is very much like what we do normally. It is a bit strange that we are practicing in the park, as compared to practicing in cricket stadiums during other events. But here we are, practising in a public park, which has been great fun. But it has been something new and exciting,” he added.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/team-india-practicing-in-public-park-rahul-dravid-shares-strange-t20-world-cup-details-5814189

Defending champion Novak Djokovic produced a superhuman effort to subdue Argentine Francisco Cerundolo 6-1 5-7 3-6 7-5 6-3 on Monday and reach the quarter-finals of the French Open, as the top seed shrugged off a knee issue for a milestone win.
Big-hitting women’s title contenders made short work of their opponents earlier as second seed Aryna Sabalenka thrashed American Emma Navarro 6-2 6-3 while fourth seed Elena Rybakina eased to a 6-4 6-3 victory over Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.

The French superstar will join an already formidable squad that includes Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.

Kylian Mbappe has joined Real Madrid on a five-year deal, confirming weeks of speculation that he was finally joining the Spanish champions.

“Real Madrid CF and Kylian Mbappe have reached an agreement whereby he will be a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons,” the club said on Monday evening.

Mbappe posted photos of himself as a youngster wearing the famous white kit, including one alongside Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Nobody can understand how excited I am right now,” said Mbappe – who called the move a “dream come true”.

It’s believed the confirmation was deliberately held until after Saturday’s Champions League final, which Real won 2-0.

The European champions are getting him on a free transfer and Mbappe will get a £85m bonus paid over five years, in addition to his £12.8m post-tax annual salary.

France’s captain, 25, announced he was leaving hometown side Paris Saint-Germain in May.

He spent seven years there and his 256 goals in 308 matches – including 44 this season – made him the club’s top scorer.

Earlier on Monday, Mbappe told French President Emmanuel Macron – who was visiting the national squad – the transfer was hours away from being confirmed.

Mbappe is widely regarded as one of the world’s best players, but despite his prolific scoring was unable to bring PSG the Champions League title the club’s owners crave.

His chance of European glory should now increase as he joins an already stellar squad including the likes of England’s Jude Bellingham and Brazil’s Vinicius Junior.

Mbappe’s exploits famously include scoring a hat trick in the 2022 World Cup Final, a match Argentina ultimately won on penalties.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/kylian-mbappe-joins-real-madrid-on-five-year-deal-13147442

The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York hosted its first match ever when Sri Lanka took on South Africa in their T20 World Cup 2024 match.

The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York hosted its first match ever when Sri Lanka took on South Africa in their T20 World Cup 2024 match on Monday. It was an extremely low-scoring encounter as batters from both teams struggled to score quickly and it was the bowlers who reigned supreme for the majority of the encounter. Fans were not pleased with how the drop-in pitch at the venue behaved with famous cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle also criticising the outfield. Fans took to social media to express their displeasure and even former India cricketer Irfan Pathan weighed in on the matter.

This is the same venue where India will play their first three group stage matches of the T20 World Cup 2024 including the blockbuster clash against Pakistan. The other two will be against Ireland and USA.

Earlier, Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid also had a warning regarding the surface.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/india-vs-ireland-venue-comes-under-sharp-criticism-irfan-pathan-says-this-5809799

Many users took the opportunity to bring back references of Hardik Pandya’s likeness to the Caribbean lifestyle.

Hardik Pandya appeared over Roston Chase’s name in a hilarious error during Star Sports’ post-match coverage of the West Indies vs Papua New Guinea Group C game in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. After Roston Chase smashed an unbeaten 42 to guide West Indies to victory, viewers were left startled to see Hardik Pandya’s image in place of the West Indies batsman. The error drew light-hearted remarks from fans on social media, as the image went viral on X.

Many users took the opportunity to bring back comparisons of Hardik Pandya’s likeness to the Caribbean lifestyle. In particular, a clip of Hardik’s brother Krunal comparing him to a Caribbean person went viral.

“If you see a picture of Hardik as a child, you would think that this kid is from the Caribbean, not an Indian kid,” jokes Krunal in the clip taken from Season 3 of the YouTube series ‘What The Duck’.

Hardik Pandya’s Caribbean likeness was also talked about by Sourav Ganguly before in an episode of Breakfast With Champions on YouTube.

“I met Hardik Pandya the other day, it seemed like he is Jamaican-born. He can’t be from Baroda!” said the former India captain on Pandya in a video dating back to 2018.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/hardik-pandya-is-from-west-indies-internet-is-convinced-after-broadcasters-error-5807591

David Wiese starred with the bat and then with the ball in the Super Over as Namibia scored a thrilling win over Oman in their T20 World Cup Group B clash at the Kensington Oval in Barbados’s Bridgetown on Sunday.

Wiese blasted a four off the first ball and then crushed a full toss for six off Khan’s second delivery. He then took three more runs off the next two balls before Gerhard Erasmus hit back-to-back fours to set Oman a daunting victory target of 22 off their super over.

Wiese took over the bowling duties for Namibia and after conceding just two runs from his first two deliveries, took the wicket of Naseem Khushi.

Two more singles left Oman needing 18 from the last delivery to win, meaning Wiese could allow Zeeshan Maqsood to blast a six knowing victory was assured.

The 39-year-old was adjudged as the Player of the Match for his exploits.

“Lost a couple of years tonight, don’t know how many I have left in me now. Just been that kind of an emotionally draining game,” David Wiese said after the match.

When asked about his bowling in the Super Over, Wiese said: “I had a feel for the wicket and knew what I had to execute in the Super Over.

Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus said Wiese wanted to bowl the Super Over.

“David was up in the change room and he was very clear that he wanted to bowl the Super Over,” Gerhard Erasmus said at the post-match presentation.

The match went to a super over after a nerve-jangling low-scoring battle which saw Oman bundled out for 109. Namibia’s run-chase then faltered after a stunning bowling performance by Oman’s Mehran Khan saw them finish on 109-6 to set up the super over drama.

Source:https://www.news18.com/cricket/t20-world-cup-namibia-vs-oman-thrilling-super-over-win-david-wiese-reaction-8918470.html

The T20 World Cup 2024 has begun, with the USA vs Canada contest being the first match in the month-long event. The Indian cricket team, however, will have to wait for a few more days to begin their journey in the tournament, with Rohit Sharma’s men scheduled to take on Ireland in their opening fixture on June 05. While Indian fans have their fingers crossed for the side, Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Riyan Parag suggested that he doesn’t even want to watch the T20 World Cup this time.

Parag, whose name was discussed among the probables for the T20 World Cup before the 15-man squad was announced, had a fine Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign. However, there was no place for him in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup, even among the reserves.

In an interview, Parag candidly said that he would’ve worried about the T20 World Cup if he was playing. This year, he doesn’t have much interest.

“It will be a biased answer (prediction on top four teams) but to be very honest I don’t even want to watch the World Cup. I’ll just see who is winning it at the end and I’ll be happy. When I will play the World Cup, I will think about top four and all of that,” Parag said in a chat with The Bharat Army.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/dont-even-want-to-watch-the-world-cup-rajasthan-royals-star-riyan-parag-5803990

There used to be a time when Simone Biles would find “beauty in the blindness” ahead of the Olympics, reveling in not knowing what she didn’t know.

That was eight years ago. Back when she was still just a teenager. Still kind of “ditzy.”

Those days are long gone. The evidence isn’t just on Biles drivers’ license or her marriage certificate but in how the now 27-year-old is able to see beyond herself. The tunnel vision that most great athletes have in pursuit of greatness has fallen away.

And maybe that’s the biggest difference between the national title the gymnastics star won on Sunday night — her ninth, this one with an all-around total of 119.750 — and her first over a decade ago.

The defining moment of Biles’ victory wasn’t a twist, a turn or a jump, but a walk.

It came early on, when Biles watched 2020 Olympic champion and good friend Sunisa Lee spin awkwardly in the air during her vault and landed on her back, a mixture of surprise and fear spreading across her face.

“I was kind of thinking that this was over,” Lee said.

Then Biles appeared at her side, unprompted. She knew exactly where Lee was in that moment better than anyone.

Three years ago at the Tokyo Games, a similar wayward vault by Biles started a chain of events that led to her withdrawing from multiple competitions and dragging the discussion on the importance of mental health front and center.

Watching Lee, who has spent most of the last two years battling kidney issues that have made her weight yo-yo and complicated her training, try to gather herself, Biles left her World Champions Centre teammates and gave Lee the kind of support Biles relied on so heavily back in Japan.

“I know how traumatizing it is, especially on a big stage like this,” Biles said. “And I didn’t want her to get in her head, so we just went and talked about it.”

The two retreated off the floor to talk, with Biles reminding Lee she “could do hard things.”

When they returned, Biles stood next to the uneven bars cheering Lee on as she rebounded with a brilliant (if somewhat watered down) routine that scored a 14.500 and helped her finish a promising fourth.

“I know I was having a hard time and she was just there to help lift me up,” Lee said.

Biles is at a stage in her unparalleled career where the joy she gets from the sport is no longer centered strictly on the quality of her performance.

While she joked that she believes she’s “aging like fine wine,” it’s telling that she saved her biggest smile afterward when talking about the five World Champions Centre teammates — most of them a decade younger — who will join her at Olympic trials in Minneapolis later this month.

“That’s kind of what excites me because I think they have long careers ahead of them,” Biles said. “So if I can do anything to help them, right now and in the future, that’s what I’m going to do.”

It’s her way of giving back. She is well aware of the spotlight that awaits her in Paris and is trying to set an example for others on how to navigate the pressure that lies ahead. She’s become a regular in therapy — now even during meet weeks — and is determined to focus on what she can control.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/simone-biles-gymnastics-paris-olympics-ee35d8671238d511467e794c97eaad47

The lack of all-round options in the Indian team is a big worry, especially as the T20 World Cup 2024 doesn’t have ‘Impact Player’ rule.

As India edge closer to the start of their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, former cricketers and experts are contemplating what playing XI should the team opt for. With no ‘Impact Player’ rule like the Indian Premier League, the management has to be extra careful with regards to the team balance. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, hence, feels there should be more bowling options in the playing XI as the trio of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav doesn’t bowl, making the team handicapped.

In a chat on Star Sports, Pathan backed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s inclusion in the team, not just for his batting but also the fact that he can bowl one or two overs if required.

“With the selected team, there can be two combinations. In one combination, you can play with six bowlers, including Axar Patel, to deepen the batting lineup. In the other combination, you can play with four front-line bowlers and expect Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya to bowl. Another option for Team India is a young player who bowls in the nets but hasn’t bowled in matches, Yashasvi Jaiswal. Shivam Dube also mentioned during the IPL that he has been regularly bowling in the nets, preparing to bowl one or two overs in the World Cup,” Irfan said.

“If Hardik can give you the option of bowling three to four overs, this problem will be largely solved. Our other batsmen, like Rohit, Virat, or Suryakumar Yadav, can’t bowl, which makes us somewhat handicapped. Ideally, if any of these players could bowl, it would greatly benefit the team. We talk about Australia, but even England has many all-rounders among their top seven players, including Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, and Will Jacks. It’s always better to have more bowling options, and yes, in this scenario, we are definitely handicapped,” the retired all-rounder added.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-suryakumar-make-india-handicapped-rahul-dravid-sent-blunt-message-5804521

In 27 ODIs last year, Virat Kohli scored 1,377 runs at an average of 72.47 and a strike rate of 99.13, with six centuries and eight fifties in 24 innings. His best score was 166*.

Star India batter Virat Kohli received his ICC ODI Player of the Year award and was also selected for ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year 2023 in New York as his side prepares to play the T20 World Cup opener against Ireland on June 5. The official handle of ICC took to Instagram on Saturday morning to post a video of Virat being given his trophy and cap, in acknowledgement of an incredible 2023 he had with the bat.

The 35-year-old witnessed another massive peak of his illustrious career in 2023, after some years of inconsistent form and struggle for massive scores. In 27 ODIs, he scored 1,377 runs at an average of 72.47 and a strike rate of 99.13, with six centuries and eight fifties in 24 innings. His best score was 166*.

He played a big role in India’s Asia Cup 2023 triumph, scoring an unbeaten 122* in 94 balls against arch-rivals Pakistan in a crucial Super Four stage game.

Later on in the ODI World Cup held last year at home, Virat delivered an all-timer campaign, scoring 765 runs in 11 matches at an average of 95.62, with three centuries, six half-centuries and the best score of 117.

He ended the tournament as a top-scorer, scoring the most runs in a single World Cup edition, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 673 runs back in the 2003 WC. He also outdid Sachin’s record of 49 ODI tons, scoring his 50th ODI ton against New Zealand in the semifinals.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/virat-kohli-named-icc-odi-player-of-the-year-2023-poses-with-trophy-5797706

The Indian cricket team vice-captain Hardik Pandya struggled with form at the IPL 2024. But against Bangladesh, he struck a quick-fire 23-ball 40.

The India vs Bangladesh T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York on Saturday had several positive for Rohit Sharma and Co. Rishabh Pant was back in India colours for a long time and he dazzled with a fine half-century. Though Virat Kohli did not play, Pant’s innings as well as some fiery bowling from Arshdeep Singh assured the Indian team management that they are moving in right direction. Suryakumar Yadav too did well by scoring a 18-ball 31.

However, the player whose performance was most talked about was Hardik Pandya’s. The Indian cricket team vice-captain struggled with form at the IPL 2024. But against Bangladesh, he struck a quick-fire 23-ball 40. Coming to bat at No. 6, Pandya’s innings included four sixes and two fours. The highlight was his three straight sixes against Tanvir Islam.

The innings prompted the internet to say that Pandya has left the Mumbai Indians days behind.

Rishabh Pant reinforced his claim for a berth in India’s playing 11 for the T20 World Cup as the first-choice wicketkeeper batter when he made a flowing fifty to guide his side to 182 for five against Bangladesh in a warm-up match on Saturday.

Pant, who was making his India comeback after that horrific car accident in December 2022, retired after making 53 (32b, 4×4, 4×6) on a slightly slow pitch.

But the knock has certainly given him an edge over Sanju Samson in the perceived competition for the wicketkeeper-batter slot.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/t20-world-cup-2024/6-6-6-hardik-pandya-blitz-in-t20-world-cup-warm-up-vs-bangladesh-internet-screams-mi-days-are-behind-watch-5795985

USA and Canada will lock horns in the opening match of T20 World Cup 2024 on Sunday in Dallas.

USA vice-captain Aaron Jones picked the bones out of Canada’s bowling attack as the co-hosts hunted down 195 with 7 wickets to spare despite a shaky start to their run-chase against Canada at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. Jones finished unbeaten at 94 and shared a 131-run stand with Andries Gous to set things up for USA.

Canada put on a power-packed batting performance to set the co-hosts USA a daunting 195 to win in the tournament opener. Opener Navneet Dhaliwal and middle-order batter Nicholas Kirton hit half-centuries, while Shreyas Movva put on the finishing touches to propel Canada to 194-5 in 20 overs.

Co-hosts United States of America (USA) will kick off the 9th edition of the T20 World Cup by facing Canada on Sunday at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. USA captain Monak Patel has won the toss and has chosen to bowl first in Dallas, citing that they will have more clarity while chasing, given it’s a fresh wicket.

Canada skipper Saad Bin Zafar stated that he doesn’t mind batting first and understand that stakes will be high, given it’s a World Cup fixture. It’s worth noting that Canada have lost their last 4 matches against USA, which were played in Dallas. Nevertheless, they are likely to not be pushovers.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/usa-vs-can-t20-world-cup-2024-co-hosts-to-bowl-first-in-dallas

Caruana is also the Candidates champion and will face China’s Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship that is scheduled for November 20 and December 15, 2024.

Cristiano Ronaldo had a brilliant season on an individual level but ended it trophyless which left him distraught and was seen in tears after the clash.

Cristiano Ronaldo broke down in tears after Al Nassr’s defeat against rivals Al-Hilal in the Saudi Cup final on penalties to end their season trophyless. Ronaldo was distraught after the result as Al Nassr went down on penalties, with goalkeeper Yassine Bounou being Al-Hilal’s hero with two saves.

Ronaldo took the second chance in the shootout and converted it, as did Al-Hilal’s star Aleksandar Mitrovic, but in the end, Bounou made a massive difference in helping his side win the final 5-4 on penalties.

The two teams, who dominated the Saudi league campaign before Jorge Jesus’s side won the title for the 19th time, were locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes when a last-gasp equaliser from Ayman Yahya forced the extra period but there were no goals.

Mitrovic put Al-Hilal ahead in the game after just 7 minutes as Al-Nassr trailed behind for most of the clash. Mitrovic had put Al-Hilal ahead after seven minutes when he headed home Malcom’s cross in the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at King Abdullah Sports City.

Ronaldo fired a spectacular bicycle kick against the post after the break, but he was, in any case, offside. He failed to break the deadlock throughout the 90 minutes, but Yahya somehow managed to take the game to extra time.

The Portuguese superstar had a brilliant season on an individual level but he ended it trophyless which left him distraught and was seen in tears after the clash.

Source:https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/football/cristiano-ronaldo-cries-inconsolably-after-finishing-season-trophyless-as-al-hilal-beat-al-nassr-in-saudi-cup-final-101717202346486.html

Gautam Gambhir is all set to take over from Rahul Dravid as the head coach of the senior national men’s team. Gambhir found success with the Knight Riders after having returned to the IPL franchise as their mentor in 2024.

Indian Premier League-winning mentor Gautam Gambhir is set to replace Rahul Dravid as the new head coach of the Indian senior men’s national team, IndiaToday.in has learnt. The World Cup-winning former opener is ready to take up the responsibility despite his recent commitment to the IPL franchise, Knight Riders. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) called in applications for the top job even as Dravid’s tenure is set to come to an end in June. The deadline for applying for the head coach role was May 27.

The chatter around Gautam Gambhir taking up the role of the head coach grew louder during the second half of the IPL 2024 season. However, considering his renewed association with the Knight Riders, it remained to be seen whether the former opener would show interest in the demanding job.

Gambhir returned to KKR for the first time since leaving the franchise as a player in 2017. The two-time title-winning captain was appointed as the mentor of the franchise and he made an immediate impact, overseeing a successful campaign as KKR went on to win their third IPL crown on May 26. Gambhir, who has the trust and respect of the KKR ownership group, can extend his stay at the Knight Riders. However, a source in the knowledge of developments said Gambhir is prepared to take on the challenge of coaching the senior national team.

There was no formal approach made, but things moved forward between the board and Gambhir through informal chats, the source said. Gambhir has no previous coaching experience at the highest level, but his stints as a mentor in the IPL seem to have convinced the BCCI bigwigs that the former opener is the right man to take the team forward from Rahul Dravid.

Notably, BCCI secretary Jay Shah was spotted having a chat with Gautam Gambhir at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai after KKR defeated the SunRisers in the IPL 2024 final on Sunday, May 26. The informal chat, which was captured on TV cameras, added fuel to speculation about the head coach job.

GAMBHIR THE RIGHT MAN?
It remains to be seen if the BCCI will conduct interviews for the head coach role through the Cricket Advisory Committee, considering the likelihood of Gambhir taking up the role. BCCI secretary Jay Shah said earlier in the month that a CAC would be formed to interview the shortlisted candidates.

Gambhir’s first job as a mentor at the highest level was in 2022 when he was associated with the Lucknow IPL franchise. During his two-year stint, LSG, who were coached by Andy Flower, made it to the playoffs. The former opener then returned to KKR and galvanised a hugely talented squad to their third IPL crown. Gambhir’s role in offering role clarity and tuning the Knight RIders toward a common goal was highlighted by the players, the other members of the support staff and their co-owner Shah Rukh Khan.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/gautam-gambhir-india-cricket-team-head-coach-bcci-kkr-mentor-role-2546422-2024-05-31

USA vow to play ‘fearless cricket’ in World Cup debut

The USA make their debut in the T20 World Cup against Canada on Saturday and vice-captain Aaron Jones says they are determined to play a ‘fearless’ brand of cricket.

Both teams are making their first appearances in the expanded 20-team competition but there is particular pressure on the USA, as tournament co-hosts, with the West Indies, to deliver a strong showing on home soil.

The explosive, short-format of the game, is seen by cricket’s leaders as being the perfect version to capture the imagination of mainstream American sports fans and Jones says the team doesn’t want to be afraid of going on the attack.

“Fearless cricket, positive cricket, smart cricket. I think that’s what we’re really and truly trying to do,” Jones told a press conference.

“We don’t want to regret anything. We want to leave everything out there on the park. And then, obviously, if we come out on top, it’s great. If we don’t come out on top, that’s how cricket goes sometimes. But we don’t want to regret anything,” he added.

The two North American teams have been drawn in a tough group however with India and Pakistan the clear favourites to be the two teams who qualify for the Super Eight stage.

Ireland, who in many ways are a role model for the USA and Canada, having come from relative cricket obscurity to be a regular in major tournaments, will be looking to pull off an upset and sneak into the top two in Group A.

But however the results turn out, it is a landmark moment for the USA team to be in an elite competition after decades of being stuck in minor tournaments.

“We’ve been speaking over the last couple of years about playing in World Cups, about getting test status, about taking USA cricket to higher heights,” said Jones.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/usa-vow-to-play-fearless-cricket-in-world-cup-debut-101717187401286.html

A RUNNER has finished 36 marathons in 36 days — despite being told she would not live past 16.

Fitness coach Sophie Holmes, 32, set the record by completing the Edinburgh Marathon.

Sophie, who has cystic fibrosis, has now raised £25,000 from the challenge which started with the London Marathon.

She is the first person with the disease to do 36 marathons in 36 days.

Cystic fibrosis causes mucus in the lungs and, at age four months, doctors said Sophie, from Southend, Essex, would not live past 16.

She said: “My determination to survive and thrive and to defy the odds has been born probably from as young as I can remember.

“When I turned 19, I was unfortunately told I only had two years to live.

“But, the naïve 19 year old me was not going to let that happen.

“So I started chasing after these big goals.

“When I then started to get better, they were like, maybe you won’t make 30.

“So when I turned 30, I decided I wanted to celebrate by running 30 marathons in 30 days.

“But at the time, we were in lockdown, so it wasn’t something that was possible.”

She continued: “Last year I got in to London for this year, and the Edinburgh Marathon and the idea was reborn because I was like, ‘I wonder how many days are in between both of these races?’

“I first calculated it as 35.

“So I started telling everyone that I was going to run 35 marathons in 35 days and then my coach recounted the days and said, ‘well, actually we are going be running 36.'”

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/health/11490428/runner-cystic-fibrosis-marathon-record/

Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma is well-known for his witty one-liners and he once again left everyone in splits with his banter with teammate Kuldeep Yadav.

Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma is well-known for his witty one-liners and he once again left everyone in splits with his banter with teammate Kuldeep Yadav. Rohit was asked to present the ICC ODI Team of the Year cap to Kuldeep during a promotional shoot for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 and their conversation has gone viral on social media. During the presentation, Kuldeep said that he had a good year with both the bat and ball – a remark that resulted in Rohit hilariously roasting him. Rohit said that he is the captain of the side and he has never seen Kuldeep bat.

Here’s how the conversation between Rohit and Kuldeep went – 

Rohit – It’s my great pleasure to present this wonderful cap to a wonderful athlete and who has been a real asset for Team India, ICC ODI Team of the Year, Kuldeep.

Kuldeep –  Thank you, Rohit bhai.

Rohit – You want to say something?

Kuldeep – No, no, all good.

Rohit – You should say something

Kuldeep – I mean, nothing much to say. I mean I had a great season last year, both with the bat and ball.

Rohit – Bat?

Kuldeep – Yeah.

Rohit – When?

Kuldeep – “I mean, uh. I mean, uh.”

Rohit – I mean uh, when?

Belgian player David Goffin complained he was “insulted for three and a half hours” by partisan supporters and that one person spat chewing gum at him. The women’s number one player Iga Swiatek also told fans they were too disruptive.

French Open organisers have banned alcohol in the stands after complaints by players, including one who claimed a spectator spat chewing gum towards him.

Amelie Mauresmo, director of the tennis tournament in southwest Paris, also said that security would be tightened around the site of the Grand Slam.

“Until now, alcohol was allowed in the stands. Not in every stand… But now it’s over. Everywhere,” she said.

Belgian player David Goffin complained after his first-round victory in five sets on Tuesday against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on court 14, saying he was “insulted for three and a half hours” by the partisan supporters with one person spitting gum at him.

He said: “It’s a total lack of respect. I think it’s just too much. It’s becoming soccer. Soon there’ll be smoke bombs, hooligans and fights in the stands.”

“I think it’s getting ridiculous. Some people are there more to cause trouble than to enjoy the atmosphere,” Goffin said, adding that he thought things were worse at the French Open than the US Open, Wimbledon or the Australian Open.

“Here, it’s really an unhealthy atmosphere, I think. You can feel that people are talking to you and trying to throw you off balance with really harsh words. I’m not going to repeat what I heard,” said Goffin, who has reached the quarter-finals at three of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

Meanwhile, number one-ranked women’s player Iga Swiatek told the fans they were too disruptive during points when she beat former number one Naomi Osaka in a thrilling three-set contest on Wednesday.

“When you scream something during the rally or right before the return, it’s really, really hard to be focused,” said the Polish player, who is the defending champion at Roland Garros.

“The stakes are big and there is a lot of money here to win. So losing a few points may change a lot,” she said.

“So please, guys, if you can support us between the rallies – but not during – that would be really, really amazing.”

But Osaka did not have an issue with what was going on, indicating crowds at the US Open in New York were more badly behaved.

“I thought the crowd was really cool. For me, I feel like those are the moments I live for,” she said.

“Also, it just makes me feel like the crowd is having fun, and I think at the end of the day that’s what I want the most. I want people to – like, no matter if I won or lost – (say), ‘Oh, I watched the match and I had a great time.’

“For me, I didn’t have a problem with the crowd at all. But I’m also used to the New York crowd.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/french-open-bans-alcohol-in-stands-after-tennis-fan-allegedly-spits-at-player-13145706