Category: Sports

The contest, which saw partisan crowds cheering loudly for both India stars Rohit and Virat Kohli, also witnessed booing of MI skipper Pandya intermittently.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/ipl-2024-mumbai-indians-beat-royal-challengers-bengaluru-by-7-wickets-2974609

IPL 2024, MI vs RCB: Dinesh Karthik left quite a few, including Rohit Sharma, impressed with his 23-ball 53 against MI on Thursday. Rohit’s stump mic banter with Karthik went viral in the big-ticket match at the Wankhede Stadium.

Rohit Sharma was at his inimitable best as the India captain was engaged in on-field banter with his good friend Dinesh Karthik after the RCB star tore into the MI bowling attack in their IPL 2024 match at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Rohit was heard teasing Karthik with a comment on T20 World Cup selection after the veteran wicketkeeper hit 53 of just 23 balls, helping the visiting side post 196 on the board in 20 overs even after Jasprit Bumrah picked up a 5-wicket haul.

During the change of overs in the first innings, Rohit Sharma was seen going toward Dinesh Karthik, who was batting in the middle, and engaging in banter with him. Rohit was impressed by the RCB star’s big-hitting show. Karthik, has been juggling commentary duties and professional cricket, smashed his first fifty of the IPL 2024 season, hitting 4 sixes and 5 boundaries. Karthik was the only RCB batter to hit a six against Jasprit Bumrah, who was nearly unplayable on Thursday night at the iconic venue.

“World Cup Khelna Hai, World Cup (He is looking to push for the World Cup selection. He has to play the World Cup),” Rohit was heard saying as it was caught on the stump mic. The clip of the banter between Rohit and Karthik went viral on social media.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/ipl-2024-mi-vs-rcb-dinesh-karthik-t20-world-cup-rohit-sharma-stump-mic-viral-comment-2526191-2024-04-11

Coming out in support of Hardik Pandya, RCB icon Virat Kohli urged MI fans to applaud the underfire Mumbai skipper at the Wankhede.

Reinvoking the Spirit of Cricket in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League, Virat Kohli rallied behind Hardik Pandya as the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper urged the Mumbai Indians fans to stop chanting against their franchise skipper on Thursday. Kohli gestured from the middle to make sure Pandya didn’t go through a hostile round of booing in match No.25 of the IPL 2024 between RCB and MI at the famous Wankhde Stadium.

Pandya has been facing the wrath of MI fans ever since the all-rounder replaced Rohit Sharma as the leader of the Mumbai Indians. Hardik completed his sensational switch to Mumbai from Gujarat Titans in an all-cash deal before the new season. Pandya was subjected to venomous reception by fans in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. When a section of fans targeted Hardik at Wankhede, superstar Kohli reminded the MI faithful that the Mumbai skipper represents Team India in the international arena.

Virat Kohli reminds MI fans Hardik Pandya plays for India
When Hardik walked out to finish the run chase for the Mumbai Paltan, the MI skipper was not at the receiving end of the hostile reception as Kohli told the Wankhede crowd to applaud their captain. Kohli’s incredible gesture to quieten the crowd became an instant hit among the fans. Fans and followers of the game also marvelled at Kohli’s sportsmanship on social media. Finishing things in style at a packed Wankhede, Pandya smoked a six to end the IPL encounter in Mumbai’s favour.

How Hardik performed against RCB?
Batting at a strike rate of 350.00, Hardik remained unbeaten on 21 off just 6 balls to make sure Mumbai finished ahead of Bengaluru. Quick-fire knocks from Ishan Kishan (69) and Suryakumar Yadav (52) put MI on the verge of a comfortable win over RCB. Hardik and Co. completed the 197-run chase in 15.3 overs to record their second win of the IPL 2024. Skipper Pandya bowled a single over and leaked 13 runs in the RCB innings.Rohit Sharma lifts Jasprit Bumrah as MI pacer steals Purple Cap from Chahal with 5-wicket demolition act vs RCB

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/virat-kohli-reminds-mi-fans-hardik-pandya-plays-for-india-asks-trolls-to-applaud-underfire-mumbai-skipper-at-wankhede-101712857935468.html

Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter was charged with bank fraud on Thursday in federal court and accused of stealing $16 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers power-hitting pitcher to cover gambling debts.
According to a 36-page criminal complaint and affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Ippei Mizuhara embezzled the money from an account of Ohtani’s that Mizuhara had helped set up and sent the funds without Ohtani’s knowledge to an illegal sports gambling operation.

U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada, announcing the results of his investigation at a news conference, stressed that there was nothing to suggest wrongdoing by Ohtani, who signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract to join the Dodgers this season as the league’s highest-paid player.
“I want to emphasize this point. Mr. Ohtani was a victim in this case. There’s no evidence to indicate that Mr. Ohtani authorized the over $16 million in transfers from his account to the bookmakers,” Estrada said.

The outcome spared the Dodgers and Major League Baseball a potential scandal of epic proportions, recalling the controversy stirred 35 years ago when Pete Rose was accused of gambling on baseball games, including those of his own team, while he played for and managed the Cincinnati Reds.
Those allegations led MLB to permanently ban Rose from baseball in 1989. Rose later admitted to wagering on MLB games, including those played by the Reds but said he never bet against his own team.

Ohtani, 29, whose talents as a slugger and a pitcher have earned him comparisons to Babe Ruth, told reporters at a March 25 press conference that he was a victim of theft by Mizuhara and that he never bet on baseball or knowingly paid a bookmaker.
Mizuhara, 39, has agreed to turn himself over to federal authorities on Friday and was expected to make his initial court appearance that afternoon, according to Thom Mrozek, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The defendant will not be asked to enter a plea and is expected to be released on bond, Mrozek added.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/legal/japanese-language-interpreter-charged-with-bank-fraud-targeting-mlb-star-shohei-2024-04-11/

Gujarat Titans bounced back from two defeats on the trot with a three-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals.

Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill gave a straightforward answer to Harsha Bhogle’s remark about his team leaving the match too late to win against Rajasthan Royals at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday, April 10.

Gujarat Titans bounced back from two defeats on the trot with a three-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals. With a target of 196, the visitors pulled of the chase on the final ball of the match. Gill played a match-winning knock of 72 off 44 balls while Sai Sudharsan scored 39 off 35 balls.

However, Rashid Khan (24*) and Rahul Tewatia (22) also played a crucial role as their 28-run stand for the seventh wicket helped Gujarat Titans achieve the target. With 15 runs off 6 balls required to win, Rashid took the responsibility in his hands after Tewatia’s wicket to take the team past the finishing line.

Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson has been fined Rs 12 lakh after his team maintained a slow over rate during the Indian Premier League match against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur

Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson has been fined Rs 12 lakh after his team maintained a slow over rate during the Indian Premier League match against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur. The Royals’ four-match winning streak was broken by the Shubman Gill-led Titans, who won the match by three wickets in a last-ball thriller on Wednesday. “Sanju Samson, the Rajasthan Royals captain, has been fined after his team maintained a slow over rate during their TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match against Gujarat Titans at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur on April 10,” said an IPL statement.

“As it was his team’s first offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over rate offences, Samson was fined Rs 12 lakhs,” the statement added.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2024/sanju-samson-slapped-with-hefty-fine-for-code-of-conduct-breach-during-rrs-first-loss-of-ipl-2024-5417294

Oldest World No. 1 Novak Djokovic welcomed Rohan Bopanna to an elite club, acknowledging the enormity of Rohan Bopanna’s achievement. The 44-year-old Indian became the oldest man to reach the top spot in ATP men’s doubles charts.

“We are old but gold,” Novak Djokovic said with his good friend, Rohan Bopanna alongside him in Monte Carlo as the duo relished being the oldest No. 1s in their respective categories. Djokovic seems to be thrilled that a 44-year-old is able to dominate doubles tennis at such a stage of his career. The Serb took to social media to welcome the Indian veteran to the No. 1 club with a post in his inimitable style.

“Age is just a number. For us, that number is 1,” Djokovic wrote in a post on his social media, sharing a photo of him playing a forehand and Bopanna acing one backhand return. The Serb seems to have been inspired by Bopanna’s feat of becoming the oldest numero uno in men’s doubles tennis in the twilight of his career.

Djokovic’s words are a tribute to the hard work that the 44-year-old Indian player has put in over the years. Earlier in 2024, Bopanna ended his long wait for a men’s doubles Grand Slam title when he and his Australian partner, Matthew Ebden, won the Australian Open crown. Bopanna has not slowed down since, as he went on to become the oldest man to win a Masters 1000 title, breaking his own record from last year, after he and Ebden lifted the Miami Open doubles crown.

During a chat with the ATP in the lead-up to the ongoing Monte Carlo Masters tournament, Djokovic and Bopanna heaped praise on each other with the Serb lauding the Indian star’s improved work ethic and the belief to be the best in the world.

“I see him in the gym for countless hours and also more hours with the physio, a bit more than before but it is amazing to share the tour with you for so many years,” Djokovic had said.

“What an incredible moment to be the oldest number in singles and doubles. It is great for Serbian and Indian tennis,” he added.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/tennis/story/rohan-bopanna-novak-djokovic-world-no-1-oldest-friends-x-photo-2525837-2024-04-11

Winners in the 48 track and field events at the Paris Games will take home around £39,000 – but relay teams will split the prize between them. Payments for silver and bronze medallists are planned to start at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Athletics will become the first sport to introduce prize money at the Olympics this summer.

World Athletics, the international athletics federation, says it will pay Olympic gold medal winners $50,000 (around £39,400) at the Paris games.

The athletics governing body said it is setting aside $2.4m (£1.89m) to pay the gold medallists across 48 events at Paris’ track and field programme.

Relay teams will split the $50,000 between their members.

Payments for silver and bronze medallists are planned to begin at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “The introduction of prize money for Olympic gold medallists is a pivotal moment for World Athletics and the sport of athletics as a whole, underscoring our commitment to empowering the athletes and recognising the critical role they play in the success of any Olympic Games.

“This is the continuation of a journey we started back in 2015, which sees all the money World Athletics receives from the International Olympic Committee for the Olympic Games go directly back into our sport.”

He added: “While it is impossible to put a marketable value on winning an Olympic medal, or on the commitment and focus it takes to even represent your country at an Olympic Games, I think it is important we start somewhere and make sure some of the revenues generated by our athletes at the Olympic Games are directly returned to those who make the Games the global spectacle that it is.”

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Coe added that he wanted athletes “to recognise that I see a very clear correlation between me announcing the new partners, the Sony’s, the Deloitte’s, the Morinaga’s that come to the table and the fact that they are able to benefit from the proceeds of the growth of the sport”.

He also said he does not think prize money “remotely” ruins the ethos of the Olympics, saying “rather than have the athletes as the first thought and the last consideration, and singing a good song about how important they are, that needs to be reflected”.

“This prize money I see as a raft of funds that we are making available within the sport that may actually allow those athletes to remain in the sport for another four years,” he added.

“And look, not everybody is going to win an Olympic title at 100 metres or 1,500 metres, but we’ve got 48 disciplines, and this will help the athletes.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/paris-olympics-50000-for-a-gold-athletics-becomes-first-sport-to-offer-prize-money-to-olympians-13112079

Nitish Reddy showed tremendous character during a vital 37-ball 64 as Sunrisers Hyderabad eked out a two-run win over Punjab Kings, surviving a daring attack by Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma.

Young Nitish Reddy showed tremendous character during a vital 37-ball 64 as Sunrisers Hyderabad eked out a two-run win over Punjab Kings, surviving a daring attack by Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma in a see-sawing IPL match on Tuesday. Sent in to bat, the 20-year-old Reddy lifted SRH to 182/9 after PBKS had the visitors reeling at 66 for four in the 10th over. PBKS were stopped at 180/6, but they wouldn’t have gone that far had it not been for a whirlwind 66-run partnership between the heroes of their last match, Shashank (46 not out off 25 balls) and Ashutosh (33 not out off 15 balls). Needing 29 runs in the last over bowled by Jaydev Unadkat, SRH dropped three catches as Shashank and Ashutosh came within touching distance of pulling off another stunning win.

The Visakhapatnam-born Reddy, who started out as a batter at age group level before blossoming into a pace-bowling all-rounder, struck five sixes and fours fours during his unbeaten knock.

Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh (4/29) was the standout bowler for PBKS, but SRH still eventually finished with a total that looked improbable at one stage.

Abdul Samad chipped in with a 12-ball 25 before Jaydev Unadkat ended the SRH innings with a last ball six.

In reply, the hosts were off to a disastrous start as they lost three wickets with only 20 runs on the board, one of them being captain Shikhar Dhawan (14 off 16 balls) who was stumped brilliantly by Heinrich Klaasen despite standing up to seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/32).

The run rate pressure got to Dhawan after the early dismissals of his opening partner Jonny Bairstow and Prabhsimran Singh.

Bairstow was bowled by SRH skipper Pat Cummins (1/22) for a three-ball duck after he looked to play across the line, while Prabhsimran (4) was sent back by Bhuvneshwar after the batter got a leading edge while trying to work the ball on the leg side.

Sam Curran was dismissed for a 22-ball 29 by T Natarajan (1/33) thanks to a stunning catch by Cummins at mid-off.

Earlier, the match got underway on an eventful note as Travis Head (21 off 15 balls) would have been out first ball after a clear edge. But the opener must thank Kagiso Rabada for prolonging his stay in the middle as the South African lead pacer, having opened up Head completely, was not sure if he had indeed induced an edge.

Wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma went up straightaway but Rabada didn’t join his colleague loudly enough, as the batter got a reprieve with PBKS refusing to take a review.

Replays showed a clear edge, and it was strange on Rabada’s part who was smashed for three successive boundaries by Head for a 16-run third over.

Head got a thick edge for a four, got the second boundary through the off-side, and then played one on the rise through mid-on for his third straight four off Rabada.

Despite living a charmed life, Head failed to capitalise, thanks to PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan, who ran back and kept his eyes on the ball to complete an excellent catch, which was followed by his trademark thigh-slap celebration.

It was a big breakthrough for PBKS and their captain was delighted, and so was bowler Arshdeep Singh, who was the beneficiary of Dhawan’s judgement and athleticism.

Two balls later, Aiden Markram was walking back to the dugout for a duck after edging an away going Arshdeep delivery to Jitesh.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2024/ipl-2024-sunrisers-hyderabad-prevail-over-punjab-kings-by-2-runs-5408640

Ravindra Jadeja made optimum use of a tacky Chepauk surface as Chennai Super Kings were back to winning ways after they comfortably outclassed Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets.

Ravindra Jadeja made optimum use of a tacky Chepauk surface as Chennai Super Kings were back to winning ways after they comfortably outclassed Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets in an IPL match on Monday. It was CSK’s third win in five games, all of which have come at Chepauk, having lost the last two matches away from home. Jadeja, whose spin bowling has often taken a back-seat in past few seasons, took three wickets in a space of eight deliveries to clinically dismantle KKR, who could only manage 137 for 9 on a track where stroke-making became difficult. The chase wasn’t the problem as skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 58-ball-67 and was duly supported by Daryl Mitchell (25 off 19 balls) and in-form Shivam Dube (28 off 18 balls). The chase was completed in 17.4 overs.

Fittingly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was present in the middle when they finally got the winning runs.

The match was a typical one from the KKR playbook, where they always apply the choke with their spinners on a surface where the ball grips and then their top-order controls the chase which is within manageable limits like it was on Monday.

Earlier, Jadeja worked his magic, ripping the heart out of KKR’s batting.

Having lost back to back games on the road, CSK were back in their element on a familiar Chepauk turf where the ball gripped and allowed Jadeja (3/18 in 4 overs) and Maheesh Theekshana (1/28 in 4 overs) were absolutely brilliant with both their line and length.

While KKR lost Phil Salt (0) cheaply off the very first delivery, Sunil Narine (27 off 20 balls) and young Angkrish Raghuvanshi (24 of 18 balls) continued from where they had left against DC, chancing their arms and adding 56 in Powerplay but once spinners came into operation it all fell apart.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2024/ruturaj-gaikwad-ravindra-jadeja-shine-as-csk-end-kkrs-unbeaten-run-in-ipl-2024-5401800

Mayank Yadav in all likelihood will miss Lucknow Super Giants next IPL match against Delhi Capitals at home on April 12

Young pace sensation Mayank Yadav in all likelihood will miss Lucknow Super Giants next IPL match against Delhi Capitals at home on April 12 because of an abdominal niggle which will require monitoring over the week, the franchise’s CEO stated on Monday. Mayank suffered the niggle during LSG’s 33-run win over Gujarat Titans at Lucknow on Sunday night.

“Mayank felt soreness in lower abdominal area and as a precaution we are managing his workload over the next week. We hope to see him soon on the field,” said Vinod Bisht, the CEO of the Super Giants in a statement.

However, the statement meant that Mayank might be a non-starter even in LSG’s weekend game (April 14) against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.

With Bisht being non-committal about his possible return to action, things aren’t exactly looking great for the injury prone speedster. While one match absence is safely on cards, lower abdominal injuries for fast bowlers does take more time to heal.

On Sunday night, Mayank walked off the field with LSG physio after bowling just one over against the Titans.

The ultra-quick pacer, who generally crosses the 150 kmph mark effortlessly, could barely go past 140 kmph in his lone over, fourth of the GT innings, in which he conceded 13 runs.

He did not return to the field for the rest of the night. At that time, his absence was attributed to a side strain.

After the match, LSG all-rounder Krunal Pandya had said that Mayank looked alright.

“I don’t know what is happening. I had a brief chat and he seemed okay, which is a positive. Whatever conversation I have had, whatever we see, he has a good head on his shoulder. Really excited to see how his carer pans out,” Krunal said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Mayank, who made his IPL debut against Punjab Kings in this IPL, had taken six wickets from two matches before limping out in the third game.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2024/bad-news-for-indias-156-7-kmph-ipl-sensation-mayank-yadav-on-his-injury-lsg-ceo-says-as-precaution-5401239

Portugal’s record scorer was shown a straight red card four minutes from time for elbowing an opponent.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/football/cristiano-ronaldo-red-carded-as-al-hilal-win-saudi-super-cup-semi-final-2970473

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) by 33 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday.

Yash Thakur picked up five wickets as Krunal Pandya took three wickets each to help LSG beat GT for the first time in the IPL.

Chasing 164 to win, Lucknow had a steady start with Sai Sudarshan picking up a brace of boundaries in the second over off Naveen-ul-Haq. Mayank Yadav came to bowl the third over and left the field straightaway after completing his first over as he suffered a side strain.

Things aren’t going smoothly for LSG on Sunday night and Sudarshan helps himself to two more fours – driven down the ground and whipped through midwicket – before Shubman Gill gets going with a ramp wide of deep third. Mayank’s pace barely got above 140kph in the first over as he left the field straight after completing his first over.

When it seemed like this chase would be simple, Yash Thakur fires one through Gill and into the timber. Full, straight, and cross-seam, it continued to skid as the captain of the Titans tried to flick across the line and got out at 19. Gill’s team was in a good position at 54 for 1 at the conclusion of the powerplay.

M Siddharth struggled to bowl as he crossed the bowling line three times in his second and fifth over of the inning, but managed to give only 12 runs. Sudarshan appeared to be in excellent form as he scored 29 from 18 after the end of the seventh over.

LSG was still in the match, but Ravi Bishnoi had a great return catch to dismiss Titans’ impact sub Kane Williamson, who chipped one back to the bowler and was out for one from four deliveries. Bishnoi leaped to his right and held out one arm, just hanging on as he banged into the turf. Williamson was undoubtedly the one targeted to lead a modest pursuit on a sticky surface, but he left on a cheap note.

Virat Kohli’s eighth IPL century went in vain as Rajasthan Royals comfortably thrashed them to win by six wickets in a one-sided match on Saturday.

Jos Buttler roared back to form with a masterful century that overshadowed Virat Kohli’s record-extending 113 as Rajasthan Royals defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets for a fourth win in as many matches in the IPL on Saturday. Royals now have four wins out of four and sit on top of 10 team table while RCB slipped to eighth spot with fourth defeat and three on trot. While Kohli enhanced his status as RCB’s lone ranger by notching up his eighth IPL century but RCB could only manage a below-par 183/3 after the home side opted to bowl.

Then, the England white-ball skipper in his 100th IPL appearance chose to ruin Kohli’s evening by playing a knock that was way better compared to former India skipper’s effort both in intent and quality.

Buttler, who ended IPL 2023 with three successive ducks and scored a highest of 13 in his last three innings, anchored the chase with five balls to spare.

Buttler finished the chase with a six off Cameron Green over deep square leg in the last over that also notched up his sixth IPL century.

His effort came off just 58 balls, laced with nine fours and four sixes.

Skipper Sanju Samson gave a fine support to Buttler in a record 148-run partnership — the highest of the season — that virtually killed the contest.

Samson ended up with 69 runs from 42 balls with eight fours and two sixes. Rajasthan Royals now are on the top of the table with eight points, ahead of Kolkata Knight Riders on net run-rate.

On a day, Rajasthan Royals spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal (2/34) and Ravichandran Ashwin (0/28) turned it around for the home side, by choking RCB in the middle overs, RCB bowling looked woefully short.

The likes of Mayank Dagar and Himanshu Sharma failed to make any dent to the Royals’ chase.

As it turned out, Chahal, who was released by RCB before the IPL 2022 auction, came to prove the difference against his former side.

Following a watchful start, Buttler made his intention clear in the last over of the power play when he picked rookie left-arm spinner Dagar to unleash his fury.

He punched him firmly for a boundary with his silken timing, and then smashed him for four, six and another four in a 20-run over.

From being 10 from 10 balls at the start, Buttler raced to his fifty from just 30 balls — which was nine balls lesser than what Kohli took for his milestone.

For Buttler the 20th IPL fifty came after a long wait of eight innings.

The Englishman read the length well, dished out his silken cover drives, and lofted over the bowlers’ head by playing late to boss the RCB bowling that looked ordinary.

Samson also stepped it up in Dagar’s second over, the 11th of the innings, spanking him for two fours and one six with an inside out loft shot to notch his second fifty this season.

The fifty came in just 33 balls for the Royals skipper as the duo bossed the chase in their century-plus partnership.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2024/rr-vs-rcb-ipl-2024-virat-kohlis-ton-in-vain-as-rajasthan-royals-beat-royal-challengers-bengaluru-by-6-wickets-5389453

Mayank Yadav has managed to win over former cricketers and experts with his searing pace despite playing just two games.

Farid Khan, a sports journalist from Pakistan, has been on the receiving end of some fierce criticism from fans for his prediction on Indian tearaway pacer Mayank Yadav. In a viral video, Farid claimed that Mayank will play for India in the T20 World Cup and the team management is showing him videos of Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf in order to get him prepped for the game against Pakistan in New York on June 9. For the unversed, Mayank has been making waves since making his IPL debut for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) last month.

Despite playing just two games so far, Mayank has managed to win over former cricketers and experts with his searing pace. He bowled the fastest delivery of IPL 2024, clocked at 156.7, during the game against RCB on Tuesday.

In two matches, Mayank has picked up six wickets, conceding just 41 runs. The 21-year-old has been touted by many to play for India in the coming months.

Speaking on Mayank, Farid claimed that former Pakistan bowling coach Morne Morkel, who is part of LSG’s support staff, is working on Mayank to get him ready for the T20 World Cup, especially for the game against India.

“Mayank Yadav will be part of India’s T20 World Cup squad. I assure you. You can take a screenshot of my post. India are getting him ready and he will play against Pakistan. BCCI is already showing him videos of Haris Rauf’s spell against India in the last T20 World Cup. Former Pakistan bowling coach Morne Morkel is at LSG, he is getting Mayank ready,” Farid said in a video posted by him on X (formerly Twitter).

However, Farid had to face the wrath of fans for his prediction.

Here’s how social media reacted:

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/bcci-showing-mayank-yadav-video-of-haris-rauf-pakistan-reporters-bizarre-comment-gets-criticised-5373230

Shashank Singh’s induction into the PBKS ranks had a hint of controversy last year during the IPL auction

Shashank Singh – this is one name which will b spoken about a lot in the coming days in the IPL 2024. On Thursday, when all hope was lost for Punjab Kings while chasing a 200-run total against Gujarat Titans, Shashank Singh emerged as the Shikhar Dhawan-led team’s hero. The batting allrounder scored 61* off just 29 balls to take his team to a win in 19.5 overs. He hit four sixes and six fours as PBKS registered their second win in four matches in the IPL 2024.

However, Shashank Singh’s induction into the PBKS ranks had a hint of controversy last year. Towards the end of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction, Shashank Singh was roped in for Rs 20 lakh by Punjab Kings. But soon after he was picked in the accelerated auction, there seemed to be some confusion going by the gestures of Punjab Kings co-owners Ness Wadia and Preity Zinta. When Shashank’s name was brought up, Preity Zinta raised the paddle after discussing the player with her team. The player was quickly sold as no other franchise bid for him, and the hammer went down.

As there seemed to be some confusion, auctioneer Mallik Sagar said: “It was a wrong name? You don’t want the player?” asked Mallika. “We are talking about Shashank Singh. But the hammer has come down. Player No. 236 and 237 both went to you. I think the hammer has come down for 237 (Shashank) as well,” she said.

Than incident led to social media storm on how Punjab Kings did not want a player which it had just bought. However, Punjab Kings on Wednesday issued a clarification: “Punjab Kings would like to clarify that Shashank Singh was always on our target list. The confusion was due to 2 players of the same name being on the list. We are delighted to have him onboard and see him contribute to our success.

After Shashank’s latest heroics, the auction confusion memes flooded the internet.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2024/oye-lucky-lucky-oye-shashank-singh-auction-confusion-memes-flood-internet-as-star-helps-pbks-beat-gt-5376587

Jandard took the fall gracefully and posted a “debrief” on Instagram where he jokingly said: “I fell in front of the president. I fell in front of the whole of France.”

A French diver took a tumble during an Olympic inauguration ceremony performed in front of distinguished guests – including Emmanuel Macron.

Alexis Jandard lost his footing at the vital moment on the 3m springboard, bouncing once then slamming his back onto the board before falling headfirst into the pool, causing an unwanted splash.

His fellow divers kept their composure and executed the synchronised performance barely rippling the water in contrast.

As well as leaving him red-faced, the accident left the Olympian athlete with a red back which he proudly showcased on social media with the caption “j’ai glissé chef” – “I slipped chief”.

The caption also doubles as a quote from an old French film series, La Septième Compagnie, where a soldier during the Second World War constantly slips putting his squadron in jeopardy.

Jandard took the fall gracefully and posted a “debrief” on Instagram where he jokingly said: “I fell in front of the president. I fell in front of the whole of France.”

He even invited his followers to tease him for the mishap. “Honestly, I really deserve it,” he said.

The smiling 26-year-old reassured everyone that “everything is fine” adding: “I didn’t hurt myself. There was a little bit of blood but that is okay.”

Jandard, who has twice represented France at the World Aquatics Championships, defiantly said: “That won’t stop me from going to practice this afternoon.”

Speaking to French publication RMC Sport, Jandard said: “These are things that happen but don’t usually happen to me. I’ve broken boards before but the board has never broken me before. Now it’s done.”

The incident happened as French President Emmanuel Macron officially inaugurated the Olympic Aquatic Centre (OAC) ahead of the games to be held in Paris this summer.

Mr Macron pressed the button which unfurled the French tricolour from the highest platform, as other divers leapt in unison into the pool.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/french-diver-alexis-jandard-slips-during-olympic-inauguration-performance-in-front-of-emmanuel-macron-13107961

Adam Gilchrist believes that the reaction of the crowd towards Hardik Pandya during IPL 2024 shows the popularity and support that Rohit Sharma commands among the supporters.

Former Australian cricket team wicket-keeper batter Adam Gilchrist believes that the reaction of the crowd towards Hardik Pandya during IPL 2024 shows the popularity and support that Rohit Sharma commands among the supporters. Hardik ended Rohit’s ten-year tenure as Mumbai Indians skipper after completing a sensational trade from Gujarat Titans. However, under his leadership, MI have lost all three of their games in IPL 2024 and Hardik was even booed by the crowd during the matches. Gilchrist pointed out that Hardik’s move to MI took place in a ‘mysterious manner’ and the reaction of the fans towards the MI skipper actually shows their ‘tribalism and intensity’.

“It shows you the status that Rohit Sharma has in the game there. The mysterious manner with which it all played out initially, the pace with which it happened, everyone was stunned with Mumbai getting Hardik Pandya away from Gujarat and then Rohit relinquishing captaincy. It’s an odd one. But this is the nature of the beast in the IPL. The tribalism and intensity within fan bases. It’s hard to replicate anywhere else with that level of intensity,” Gilchrist said on Club Prairie Fire podcast.

Gilchrist also recalled an instance where he was booed by Australian fans at home. He succeeded the renowned wicket-keeper Ian Healy in the Australia Test squad back in 1999 and the reaction from the fans was not great when he made his ODI debut.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2024/shows-you-the-status-of-rohit-sharma-australia-great-on-ipl-crowd-booing-hardik-pandya-5367842

Sunil Narine smashed 85 to lead Kolkata Knight Riders to the second-best ever IPL total of 272-7 in a crushing 106-run victory over Delhi Capitals on Wednesday.

Sunil Narine smashed 85 to lead Kolkata Knight Riders to the second-best ever IPL total of 272-7 in a crushing 106-run victory over Delhi Capitals on Wednesday. The mammoth score came just a week after Sunrisers Hyderabad posted the highest ever innings total of 277-3. Kolkata, IPL champions in 2012 and 2014, remain unbeaten from three matches this season after they bowled out Delhi for 166 in 17.2 overs to top the 10-team table. Delhi skipper Rishabh Pant made 55 off 25 balls, his second successive fifty, and Tristan Stubbs hit 54 but the rest of the batting flopped.

The venue was Delhi’s adopted home ground due to the upcoming general elections in India but Narine and Kolkata made it their own.

Narine tore into the Delhi attack as he hit seven fours and seven sixes in his 39-ball blitz for his highest T20 score in his 501st match.

Narine, 35, smashed Delhi seamer Ishant Sharma for 26 runs in an over as he raised his fifty in 21 balls and put on 104 runs with teenage debutant Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who hit 54.

There was no respite for the bowlers as Narine’s departure off Mitchell Marsh in the 13th over brought in Andre Russell for another punishing knock.

Russell smashed 41 off 19 balls and then Rinku Singh threatened to help KKR surpass Hyderabad’s record total with his eight-ball 26.

South African quick Anrich Nortje sent back Rinku at the end of the 19th over and Ishant bowled Russell with a toe-crushing yorker at the start of the 20th as Kolkata fell just short of the record.

The innings featured 18 sixes and 22 fours.

Delhi were never in the chase after they lost four wickets, including Marsh out for a duck off fellow Australian Mitchell Starc, inside five overs.

It was the first wicket of the season for left-arm quick Starc, who became the most expensive buy in IPL history after Kolkata shelled out $2.98 million for him in the auction.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2024/dc-vs-csk-ipl-2024-sunil-narine-shines-as-dominant-kolkata-knight-riders-crush-delhi-capitals-5369357

Two footballers of Himachal Pradesh-based Khad FC, taking part in the Indian Women’s Football (IWL) League second division, had alleged that Sharma, the owner of the club, had barged into their room and physically assaulted them on the night of March 28.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday has suspended Deepak Sharma, who is an executive committee member of the federation, for allegedly assaulting and misbehaving with two women footballers of a club during their stay in Goa for the ongoing Indian Women’s League 2.

Two footballers of Himachal Pradesh-based Khad FC, taking part in the Indian Women’s Football (IWL) League second division, had alleged that Sharma, the owner of the club, had barged into their room and physically assaulted them on the night of March 28.

“The AIFF Executive Committee has decided to suspend Mr. Deepak Sharma from participating in any football-related activities until further notice,” AIFF said in a statement.

The Goa police on Saturday has arrested Deepak Sharma and an FIR has been registered under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 354A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code.

In the complaint letter to the AIFF accessed by The Indian Express, the two women alleged that after a match in the Indian Women’s League second division, they returned to their accommodation and were boiling eggs as dinner was over. Sharma, who the girls alleged was in an inebriated state, barged into their rooms and assaulted them. The letter stated that Sharma was drinking alcohol in front of the girls during their journey from Himachal to Delhi, and continued to do so in Goa as well.

On Tuesday, the AIFF also dissolved the three-member committee formed on March 30 to probe the incident, and instead referred the matter to its Disciplinary Committee.

“The AIFF is determined to promote women’s football in a safe and enabling environment and will take all necessary steps to ensure this. The case has now been referred to the Disciplinary Committee and will be taken up emergently,” AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey said.

“The AIFF has taken all steps necessary to ensure the safe passage of the complainants to their hometowns and will continue to provide any support that might be necessary.” He said the AIFF has been at the forefront of development of women’s football since he took charge as its president.

“There are currently 27,030 registered women players in the country with 15,293 registered between September 2022 and March 2024. The increase in number of women footballers in various age groups is one of the most encouraging trends,” Chaubey said.

“This season, we started the IWL 2 for the first time, and there is a definite plan to introduce promotion and relegation in the IWL from the next season. India made their best-ever finish (runners-up) in Turkish Women’s Cup recently and defeated European opponents.”

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/football/aiff-suspends-deepak-sharma-for-alleged-physical-assault-of-two-women-players-9247004/

LSG pacer Mayank Yadav rattled the RCB batting line-up with his searing pace in the IPL 2024 clash at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Tuesday. Mayank bowled the fastest bowl of the ongoing season.

LSG pacer Mayank Yadav rattled the RCB batters and silenced the roaring crowd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium with a delivery that clocked an astonishing 156.7kph. This was the fastest ball of IPL 2024 as Mayank rewrote the record books with his blistering pace. The young LSG pacer unleashed a ferocious delivery that zipped through the air, leaving the batsman, and indeed everyone watching, in awe. Earlier in the tournament, he had already made headlines by firing nine deliveries over 150 kmph in a single match, picking up three crucial wickets and conceding only 27 runs, leading LSG to their first win of the season against Punjab Kings. His performance was so impressive that it caught the attention of cricket legends like Brett Lee and Dale Steyn, who praised the young Indian pacer for his raw pace and potential.

Mayank dismissed Glenn Maxwell for a duck with a thunderous delivery clocked at 151kph to send shockwaves through the stadium. Maxwell, one of the world’s finest batters, could only manage a feeble attempt, flapping the ball to mid-on. As Mayank Yadav continued his onslaught, he swiftly removed Cameron Green, further denting RCB’s batting lineup. The Chinnaswamy Stadium fell into a deathly silence, with spectators and players alike awestruck by Mayank Yadav’s sheer pace and control.

Mayank Yadav’s ability to consistently hit such high speeds forced batsmen to rethink their strategies on the fly, highlighting the immense pressure he exerted on the opposition.

With every delivery, spectators found themselves glancing up at the screens in anticipation of the next blistering pace Yadav would unleash. In a game where anticipation often precedes action, Yadav’s performance was a stark reminder of the immense impact sheer pace can have on the outcome of a match.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/mayank-yadav-shuts-chinnaswamy-crowd-with-fastest-ball-of-ipl-2024-2522461-2024-04-02

Rajasthan Royals defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets to register their third consecutive win in this edition of the IPL.

A clinical Rajasthan Royals romped home for a third win on the trot in the Indian Premier League with a six-wicket hammering of Mumbai Indians, whose skipper Hardik Pandya continued to be on the receiving end of fans’ anger, on Monday. After Yuzvendra Chahal (3/11) and Trent Boult (3/22) combined to suffocate Mumbai Indians with the bat, restricting them to 125/9, Riyan Parag (54 not out) churned out yet another top-drawer knock to take Rajasthan Royals to the first spot in the IPL points table. The 22-year-old Parag continued to make giant strides this season with a knock that reflected his maturity and aggression, dishing out some spectacular hits while being single-minded to not relent until his side was over the line. Parag’s knock was studded with five fours and three sixes as Royals reached 127/4 from 15.3 overs, winning with 27 balls to spare.

Meanwhile, there was no letup for Pandya who was booed on several occasions in Mumbai Indians’ first home game. It started with Pandya being booed when he took field for warm-up drills and the fans hit the player hard again when he came out for the toss.

Even though commentator and former India and Mumbai player Sanjay Manjrekar appealed to the crowd to “behave”, the boos continued until Pandya hit a few fours to bring smile back on Mumbai fans after their side was left reeling at 20/4 inside the powerplay.

Pandya top-scored with 34 for Mumbai in his bid to turn the brickbats into cheers but Rajasthan came out on top on every moment in the game, which was underlined by special bowling efforts from Chahal, Boult as well as Nandre Burger (2/32), who were all backed by excellent fielding.

Boult struck early with a three-wicket burst inside the powerplay and Chahal made life miserable for rest of the batters in the following overs to return brilliant figures 3/11 in four overs, accounting for Pandya, Tilak Varma (32) and Gerald Coetzee (4).

If Chahal suffocated the MI batters in the middle overs while stopping both Pandya and Varma in their tracks, it was Boult who ran riot in the home side’s top order, dismissing Rohit Sharma, Naman Dhir and Dewald Brevis for first-ball ducks.

The tone was set in the first over itself by Boult who rocked the Mumbai Indians twice, including the priced scalp of Rohit who was out for a golden duck.

Looking to get the feel of the ball on his bat perhaps prompted Rohit to go for one which was angled away by Boult, and an outside edge was snaffled splendidly by Rajasthan ‘keeper-skipper Sanju Samson.

Dhir (0) was guilty of walking across the wickets and failing to cover Boult’s in-swing, with the ball crashing into his pads. A DRS appeal was eventually burned since the ball tracking showed it would have clipped the leg stump.

Mumbai’s situation worsened when impact player Brevis (0) played one meekly to short third on another delivery angling away from the right-hander off Boult in the third over, with Nandre Burger (2/32) taking a sharp reverse cupped catch.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2024/riyan-parag-yuzvendra-chahal-excel-as-rajasthan-royals-hand-hardik-pandyas-mumbai-indians-3rd-straight-loss-in-ipl-2024-5354261

Pant, who came into the tournament after recovering from a life-threatening road mishap in December 2022, belted four boundaries and three maximums for his first fifty in 15 months.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/ipl-2024-delhi-capitals-beat-chennai-super-kings-by-20-runs-2959603

Sachin Tendulkar has posted the video of a young girl playing cricket in Sopore, Kashmir. “Always good to see young girls playing cricket. Watching videos like these brings a smile to my face,” he wrote along with the post.

Sachin Tendulkar, Indian cricket team legend, recently visited Kashmir and was enamoured by the beauty of the place. The beauty and people’s exceptional hospitality in the place left the Master Blaster in awe. The great Indian player, popularly known as the ‘God of Cricket’ treated his fans with a stunning video from his trip to Kashmir. In the video he posted on social media X (formerly Twitter), he was seen enjoying the snowfall in Gulmarg with his wife Anjali Tendulkar and daughter Sara Tendulkar.

Tendulkar reminisced about the beauty of the snow-covered nation in a post that featured a video and praised the locals for their warm welcome. “Jammu and Kashmir will remain a beautiful experience etched in my memory. There was snow all around but we felt warm because of people’s exceptional hospitality,” Tendulkar posted on X.

Now, Tendulkar has posted the video of a young girl playing cricket in Sopore, Kashmir. “Always good to see young girls playing cricket. Watching videos like these brings a smile to my face,” he wrote along with the post.

Recently, Tendulkar had highlighted the talent and passion of differently abled cricket from Kashmir Amir Hussain Lone.

Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

The cricket icon also visited a cricket bat manufacturing plant. For those who don’t know, Kashmiri willow bats have a global reputation for excellence. Tendulkar also lauded the craftsmanship of the Kashmir Willow bats, describing them as great examples of ‘Made in India’ products. The legendary cricketer also encouraged people to visit Jammu and Kashmir, which he referred to as “a precious jewel of Incredible India,” as well as other places in India.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sachin-tendulkar-shares-viral-video-of-young-girl-playing-cricket-in-sopore-kashmir-says-brings-a-smile-5340375#pfrom=home-ndtv_lateststories

Cambridge won the men’s Boat Race to complete the double over university rivals Oxford following victory in the women’s race.

It was Cambridge’s fifth win from the past six in the men’s race and seventh successive win in the women’s.

Earlier in the week, crews had been warned to not enter the Thames after high levels of E. coli were found.

After the race, Oxford rower Leonard Jenkins said some of the crew had been struggling with illness.

“This is not to take anything away from Cambridge at all but I do also want to say that we’ve had a few guys go down pretty badly ill with the E. coli,” the Oxford number seven said.

“This morning I was throwing up and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to race. I kept that quiet and ultimately that’s on my shoulders, it may not have been the right choice because I didn’t have my all to give in that race.

“It would be a lot nicer if there wasn’t as much poo in the water. It’s not to take away from Cambridge, as we may not have beaten them even if we were all on top form.”

Neither of the winning teams entered the water after their victories and crews were also told to take additional precautions including covering any blisters and wearing footwear when getting in and out of the boats.

Men’s victory an ‘unbelievable feeling’

Cambridge dominated the men’s race and were more than 10 seconds ahead, but slowed towards the conclusion with stroke Matt Edge on the verge of collapse.

But Edge and his team held on for a comfortable victory by three and a half lengths.

There were some early warnings for oar clashes, but after about five minutes Cambridge had pulled more than a length ahead.

Oxford slipped further behind but had a glimmer of hope on the final straight when Edge started to struggle, his oar barely scraping the water.

But their slower start cost them as Cambridge had opened up enough of a distance to hang on.

“That was my last race with this club and I knew it was going to be a challenging one,” said Cambridge president Sebastian Benzecry.

“We put a lot into it, pushed ourselves into a place that we rarely go, but it is an unbelievable feeling. They never gave up and I am so proud of all the guys.”

Edge had to be carried from the boat at the conclusion.

The men’s head-to-head stands at 87-81 in Cambridge’s favour and they also lead 48-30 in the women’s race.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/sport/rowing/68699476

LSG vs PBKS, IPL 2024: Young Pace bowler Mayank Yadav grabbed three wickets as Lucknow Super Giants defeated Punjab Kings by 21 runs.

Young Pace bowler Mayank Yadav grabbed three wickets while Mohsin Khan took two as Lucknow Super Giants defeated Punjab Kings by 21 runs despite openers Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow’s century partnership at Ekana Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Chasing a tough 200-run target for victory after LSG had made 199 for 8, Shikhar smashed a 50-ball 70, while Bairstow was equally belligerent in his 29-ball 42 as the duo amassed 102 runs for the opening wicket.

But Mayank struck when things were starting to look bleak for LSG, getting rid of Bairstow, Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma to return figures of 3/27. Mohsin chipped in with 2/34 as PBKS could only manage 178/5 in their 20 overs. Earlier, wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock (54), stand-in skipper Nicholas Pooran (42) and Krunal Pandya (43) played some big shots as the hosts made a strong bid to win at home. Sam Curran emerged the most successful PBKS bowler grabbing three wickets for 28 runs.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2024/lsg-vs-pbks-ipl-2024-mayank-agarwal-steals-limelight-with-pace-as-lucknow-super-giants-humble-punjab-kings-5341819

R Ashwin reckons the IPL has grown so “huge” that at times cricket itself takes a backseat with players finding it hard to juggle between training and advertisement shoots.

Premier India spinner R Ashwin reckons the IPL has grown so “huge” that at times cricket itself takes a backseat with players finding it hard to juggle between training and advertisement shoots. Ashwin spoke about the meteoric rise of the IPL since its inception in 2008 and how tough life on the road for a player can be over the course of the two-month long competition. “As a youngster coming into the IPL, I was only looking to learn from the big stars, I did not think about how the IPL would look 10 years down the line. I can say that, having been in the IPL for so many seasons, the IPL is huge,” he said on Club Prairie Fire podcast. “Sometimes I wonder if IPL is even cricket, because sport takes a backstage (during IPL). It’s so huge. We do end up practising in advertisement shoots and sets! That’s where the IPL has gotten to,” said Ashwin, who is an important member of the Rajasthan Royals squad.

The 37-year-old, who recently completed 500 Test wickets, started his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings and that led to him wearing the coveted India cap across formats.

Back in 2022, the IPL media rights were sold for a whopping Rs 48,390 crore for a five-year cycle, making it the second biggest league in the sporting world in terms of per match value after NFL, leaving behind the likes of English Premier League, NBA and Major League Baseball.

Ashwin spoke about his early days in the IPL and how the event exceeded all expectations.

“No one envisaged the kind of growth that the IPL has had. I still remember a conversation I had with Scott Styris when we were both at CSK. He told me that when he was playing for the Deccan Chargers in the initial seasons of IPL, he did not think the IPL would last for more than two-three years.

“Initially, there was a big influx of money,” Ashwin said on the podcast hosted by former England captain Michael Vaughan and Australian great Adam Gilchrist.

Players bagging astronomical deals at the auction has also added significantly to the profile of the IPL. At the latest auction, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc fetched a record Rs 24.74 crore deal from Kolkata Knight Riders.

“Look, over the years you’d think that the IPL is one tournament that is largely won at the auctions. I believe the auctions are a very important facet of this league, but the beauty of the IPL is that franchises have evolved into getting their teams right.

SRH vs MI Highlights, IPL 2024: Asked to bat first, SRH posted a mammoth 277 for three, the highest total in IPL history, and then stopped MI at 246/5.

SRH vs MI Highlights, IPL 2024: Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Mumbai Indians in a run-fest at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Asked to bat first, SRH posted a mammoth 277 for three, the highest total in IPL history. Travis Head, playing his first IPL game this season, blasted a 24-ball 62, while Abhishek Sharma slammed 63 off 23 to lay the foundation. Heinrich Klassen (80) and Aiden Markram (42) provided the late charge to take the hosts past the 250-mark. In reply, MI were two wicket down at the score of 66 before Tilak Varma (64 off 34) and Naman Dhir (30 off 14) stitched a solid 84-run partnership to give the side a solid hope. However, SRH dictated terms post that and MI were eventually restricted to 246/5. (Scorecard)

Highlights of IPL 2024 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians:

A woman employee at the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) headquarters here has lodged a “verbal” complaint of “harassment” against a male colleague, according to a source in the national body.

A woman employee at the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) headquarters here has lodged a “verbal” complaint of “harassment” against a male colleague, according to a source in the national body. The woman is, however, yet to press a formal charge. Nonetheless, the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of the AIFF met on Tuesday to discuss the matter where she sought time before proceeding any further with her complaint. “She made a verbal complaint and despite she not doing it in writing and not pressing for charges, the ICC escalated the matter and the committee met to discuss the issue. She has sought time to decide on whether to press charges or not,” an AIFF source told PTI.

“At this point in time, we don’t even know what is the nature of charges or harassment. The ICC will submit a report in a few days,” said he added.

In January, the AIFF constituted the Internal Complaints Committee under the provision of Chapter II (4.1) of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Work Place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/football/aiff-woman-staffer-alleges-harassment-by-male-colleague-in-admin-dept-source-5322851

A prosecutor at Spain’s High Court is seeking a prison sentence of 2-1/2 years for former soccer federation chief Luis Rubiales over his unsolicited kiss on player Jenni Hermoso, a court document seen by Reuters on Wednesday showed.
Prosecutor Marta Durantez charged Rubiales with one count of sexual assault and one of coercion for his alleged actions in the aftermath of the kiss, offences carrying jail terms of one year and 18 months, respectively.

Rubiales, 46, grabbed Hermoso and kissed her on the lips on Aug. 20 of last year during the awards ceremony after Spain’s victory in the women’s World Cup in Sydney, making global headlines and causing a national debate in Spain about sexism.
Hermoso and her teammates said the kiss was unwanted and demeaning, but Rubiales argued it was consensual and denied any wrongdoing.
The prosecutor also accused the former coach of the women’s national team, Jorge Vilda, the current sporting director of the Spanish federation (RFEF), Albert Luque, and the RFEF’s marketing chief, Ruben Rivera, of coercing Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual.The indictment said the three officials harassed Hermoso by exerting “constant and repeated acts of pressure” directly on the player and through her friends and family. They each face 18 months behind bars as well.
All three denied wrongdoing when they appeared before the court.
Durantez also said Rubiales should pay 50,000 euros ($54,080) in damages to Hermoso, with another 50,000 euros to be jointly paid by Rubiales, Vilda, Luque and Rivera.

In addition, she requested a restraining order barring Rubiales from coming within 200 metres of Hermoso and from communicating with her for the next seven-and-a-half years.
If convicted and sentenced as requested by the prosecutor, Rubiales would not necessarily have to go to prison. Spain’s criminal code allows judges to “exceptionally” suspend jail terms if – as in this case – none of the sentences imposed individually exceeds two years.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/prosecutor-seeks-2-12-year-jail-term-spains-ex-soccer-chief-rubiales-over-kiss-2024-03-27/

Kwena Maphaka rose to fame during the ICC U19 World Cup in South Africa last month where he was the most successful bowler with 21 wickets from 6 ODIs.

Kwena Maphaka, the young fast bowling sensation from South Africa, became the third youngest overseas cricketer to play in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.

The 17-year-old Mumbai Indians star was handed his debut cap before the toss and even bowled the first over for the team in Match 8 of IPL 2024 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Maphaka, who replaced the injured England pacer Luke Wood in MI’s playing XI, rose to fame during the ICC U19 World Cup in South Africa last month where he was the most successful bowler with 21 wickets from 6 ODIs.

He was brought on board the MI franchise as a late replacement for injured Sri Lankan cricketer Dilshan Madhushanka ahead of IPL 2024.

At 17 years and 354 days, he is the second youngest player after Rasikh Salam to play for MI in the IPL.

Youngest players for MI in IPL:

MS Dhoni turned back the clock to take a brilliant catch behind the stumps to leave both fans and experts stunned during the IPL 2024 match between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans.

MS Dhoni turned back the clock to take a brilliant catch behind the stumps to leave both fans and experts stunned during the IPL 2024 match between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans on Tuesday. The fans have not seen Dhoni bat in this year’s IPL till now but the fielding effort was enough to send the social media into a frenzy. Vijay Shankar edged a delivery from Daryl Mitchell and Dhoni did not hesitate one bit before pulling off a full-stretch dive to complete the catch. Replays showed that the ball travelled at quite a rapid pace after connecting with the bat and Dhoni had just 0.6 seconds to complete the effort.

Chennai Super Kings produced a clinical display to outwit Gujarat Titans by 63 runs.

Asked to take first strike, CSK dished out a solid batting display to post a challenging 206 for six.

In response, GT could manage just 143 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs.

Earlier, Shivam Dube (51 off 23 balls), Ruturaj Gaikwad (46 off 36 balls) and Rachin Ravindra (46 off 20 balls) all slammed quickfire scores. Sameer Rizvi (14) also came up with a surprise cameo, while Daryl Mitchell (24) too contributed.

For GT, Rashid Khan (2/49) took two wickets, while Sai Kishore (1/28), Spencer Johnson (1/35) and Mohit Sharma (1/36) snapped one each.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2024/ms-dhoni-turns-back-the-clock-takes-0-6-secs-to-take-stunning-catch-watch-5316160

Wales have failed to qualify for Euro 2024 after losing to Poland in a penalty-shootout in Cardiff.

The game went to penalties after it remained 0-0 after 90 minutes and extra-time at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Poland won the penalty shoot-out 5-4, goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny – a former Arsenal player – saving the crucial spot-kick from Leeds winger Daniel James.

Poland converted five perfect penalties with Robert Lewandowski, Sebastian Szymanski, Przemyslaw Frankowski, Nicola Zalewski and Krzysztof Piatek all successful against Danny Ward.

It means Poland are through to their fifth successive European tournament.

They will be in Group D with France, the Netherlands and Austria at the tournament in Germany, which begins in June.

Wales have qualified for the last two UEFA European Football Championships, reaching the semi-finals in 2016 and the round of 16 in the delayed 2021 tournament.

Defeat to Poland “hurts”, manager Rob Page told S4C.

“It’s a cruel game, that’s what I’ve said to the players – one kick away from qualifying,” he added.

“I thought we were the better team – my message to the players at half-time was we are the better team, we will win this game.

“It’s so disappointing but look how far we’ve come – there’s something good happening with this group.

“We rallied around Daniel James – he had the bravery to take that penalty. I am so proud of that group.”

Source : https://news.sky.com/story/wales-fail-to-qualify-for-euro-2024-after-defeat-against-poland-in-penalty-shootout-13099341

If CSK batting coach Mike Hussey is to be believed then the chances of MS Dhoni getting promoted up the order in IPL 2024 are slim.

When Shivam Dube was going all guns blazing and Daryl Mitchell was doing his best to keep the scoreboard ticking in an IPL 2024 match against the Gujarat Titans, the cameras turned towards the Chennai Super Kings dugout. Behind the glass doors, MS Dhoni was seen shadow-practising his big hits. Five overs were left in the innings and CSK had as many as seven wickets in the bank including an extra batter. It was an ideal time for a Dhoni show.

The knowledgeable Chepauk crowd sensed that and so did the hero cam of the broadcasters. It was fixed on Dhoni. In between deliveries, the broadcast would switch to that camera where Dhoni was the focus. A big crowd would erupt in anticipation. It’s been almost a year that the world hasn’t seen Dhoni bat in a competitive cricket match. The wait was prolonged when Dhoni didn’t get a chance to come out in the middle to wield his willow in the IPL 2024 opener against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

On Monday, the anticipation kept rising. When Dube, after playing a superb knock of 51 off 23 balls, got out while attempting to deposit Rashid Khan into the stands in the second ball of the 19th over, the Chepauk crowd waited with bated breath for Dhoni to emerge from the dugout. The familiar confident stroll, the authoritative glance and the swag-filled approach to the crease – what a sight it is. Only if the CSK management thought from the heart.

In walked young Sameer Rizvi. There was a collective gasp in Chepauk but the young right-hander made an immediate impression by hitting his first ball in IPL for a six. He smashed another six in the last ball of that over.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ms-dhoni-at-no-8-is-crazy-stephen-fleming-wants-to-batting-coach-mike-hussey-on-csks-plans-in-ipl-2024-101711509882911.html

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s team has covered all its bases and it was evident as Rachin Ravindra prepared a platform with a 20-ball 46-run innings to allow Shivam Dube to unlock his beast mode with a 23-ball 51.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/csk-beat-gujarat-titans-by-63-runs-register-second-win-this-season-2953523

The news of Rishabh Pant being able to keep wickets comes as a huge boost for the Delhi Capitals and India fans who were waiting for an update on the India cricketer. He received the clearance from the NCA on Sunday and is all set to turn up in DC colours in IPL 2024.

Pant has not played any form of cricket since his near-fatal accident in December 2022. He was involved in a car accident while driving alone from New Delhi to Roorkee and was forced to go through a tough phase of surgeries.

“It’s a big decision we’ll have to make because if he is fit, you’d think he’d step straight back into that captaincy role,” Ponting said.

“If he’s not entirely fit and we have to use him in a slightly different role, then we’ve got some decisions to make there,” Ponting added.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/rishabh-pant-has-started-keeping-batting-not-an-issue-ricky-ponting-article-108380811

Rahul Dravid was responding to a query on what the board can do to address concerns like the one raised by Shardul Thakur about just three-day gaps between Ranji Trophy matches leading to injuries and hampering player recovery. Thakur himself has been out of contention from the Indian Test team after the World Test Championship finals.

India head coach Rahul Dravid has said that BCCI needs to hear its players when it comes to planning the domestic cricket calendar. He was responding to a query on what the board can do to address concerns like the one raised by Shardul Thakur about just three-day gaps between Ranji Trophy matches leading to injuries and hampering player recovery.

Thakur termed the current schedule, where teams have had just three days between matches, as difficult with schedules getting tighter.

With the IPL window getting bigger, BCCI has had to force-fit all senior men’s competitions over a smaller window than usual.

“I’ve heard the same as well. I saw some of the comments Shardul [Thakur], I think, made and, in fact, some of the [new] boys who’ve come into the team [have said it] as well. Some comment about how tough the domestic schedule is, especially in a country like India with the amount of travel involved,” Dravid said at the post-match press conference.

“You need to hear your players because they are the ones going through the grind and putting their bodies on the line; and if there are enough voices saying that, then yeah, I think there’s some need to look at it, and see how we can manage our schedules,” Dravid added.

The senior men’s domestic calendar started in June last year, with the Duleep Trophy, the zonal first-class competition. The schedule has been relentless since the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic T20 competition began in October.

The Ranji Trophy that started in January has had players criss-crossing India for games with just three-day breaks. Finalists Mumbai and Vidarbha, who play the final beginning Sunday, would have played 10 first-class matches in just over 10 weeks.

The BCCI has done away with the annual Captains & Coaches Conclave where multiple crucial topics, like umpiring, scheduling, format, DRS, match fees and central contracts used to be discussed. Since the resumption of domestic cricket post COVID-19, this practice of involving players and coaches has been discontinued.

Among other problems have been the unavailability of top players for their domestic teams due to the schedule clash with the India A calendar.

“The Ranji Trophy is a long season. If you add a Duleep and a Deodhar on top of that – last year, if I’m not mistaken, the Duleep started in June, it was just a month after the IPL – and your problem in this situation is your best players, the guys who are pushing for selection for India, are the ones that end up playing the most cricket because they keep getting selected at the next level more and more,” Dravid said.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/need-to-hear-your-players-rahul-dravid-on-domestic-calendar-article-108361368

India vs England: he chatter between the Indians and the English batters were caught on stump mic.

England caved in pretty quickly on the third day of the fifth Test against India in Dharamsala after the hosts took a huge lead in the first innings. The famed Bazball technique came to nothing as Ben Stokes and Co. provided no resistance. India held the upper-hand throughout with a 4-1 series win in sight. The Indians engaged in nasty sledging of England stars too. The chatter between the Indians and the English batters were caught on stump mic.

One of the interactions that went viral was between Shubman Gill and Jonny Bairstow. It involved Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel too.

Here’s how the conversation went:

Bairstow – What did you say to Jimmy about getting tired and he got you out after that?

Gill – So what, it was after my 100, how many have you got here?

Sarfaraz – Thode se runs kya bana diya, jyada uchal raha hain (scored a few runs today and jumping too much).

India took a huge 259-run first innings lead before Ravichandran Ashwin ran through England’s self destructing top-order to leave them reeling at 103 for five in their second innings at lunch on day three of the fifth Test on Saturday. India could add only four runs to their overnight score to end with 477 in response to England’s 218.

The visitors took less than 20 minutes to wrap up India’s innings with veteran James Anderson finally getting to the 700-wicket mark. Young off-spinner Shoaib Bashir had Jasprit Bumrah stumped for his second five-wicket haul of his debut series.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/india-vs-england-2024/uchal-raha-hai-nasty-sledging-as-shubman-gill-sarfaraz-khan-taunt-jonny-bairstow-during-india-vs-england-5thtest-watch-5205254

James Anderson achieved the feat during Day 3 of the ongoing 5th Test against India in Dharamsala.

England pacer James Anderson on Saturday became the first fast bowler to claim 700 Test wickets. The 41-year-old achieved the feat during Day 3 of the ongoing 5th Test against India in Dharamsala. Anderson dismissed Kuldeep Yadav early in the morning session, becoming only the third bowler to claim 700 or more Test wickets. Only Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708) took more Test wickets than Anderson (700). On day 2, Anderson had cleaned up Shubman Gill to move to 699 Test wickets.

In the 147-year history of test cricket, which started from 1877, Anderson is the first pacer to take 700 wickets.

In India’s first innings, Anderson managed to take 2/60 in 16 overs, at an economy rate of 3.75. He got the wickets of Shubman Gill and Kuldeep Yadav.

Anderson, who made his Test debut for England back in 2002, now has 700 wickets in 187 Test matches. These have come at an average of 26.52 and a strike rate of 56.9, with 32 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls to his name. His best bowling figures in an inning are 7/42.

He is England’s highest wicket-taking bowler in Tests. Overall, in international cricket, he is behind Sri Lanka’s spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan (800 wickets in 133 matches) and the late Australian spin great Shane Warne (708 wickets in 145 matches).

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/india-vs-england-2024/india-vs-england-5th-test-james-anderson-becomes-first-pacer-to-take-700-test-wickets-5204601

Rohit Sharma once again showed his class during the ongoing England Test series, this time in the fifth and final game in Dharamshala.

Rohit Sharma once again showed his class during the ongoing England Test series, this time in the fifth and final game in Dharamshala. The India captain scored runs at a brisk pace during the hosts’ first innings in the match after they bowled out England for a below-par total of 218. Rohit raced to his 18th Test fifty in 77 balls and en route for the milestone, he took the England bowlers to the cleaners with some sensational strokes. One of them included a superb pull shot.

On the fourth ball of the 4th over of India’s innings, Mark Wood bowled a 151.2 kmph short ball but Rohit’s response to it was even better. He quickly transfered his weight on the backfoot and brought out his trademark pull shot to see the ball sail over the fine leg fence for a six.

Watch it here:

Kuldeep Yadav, who grabbed five wickets, and 100th Test man Ravichandran Ashwin helped India bundle out England for a woeful 218 in their first innings on Day 1 of the fifth Test on Thursday.

Kuldeep (5/72) and Ashwin (4/51) ran through the England batting line-up as the visitors lost eight wickets for 118 runs across post-lunch and post-tea sessions.

Opener Zak Crawley (79, 108 balls) offered lone resistance for England.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/india-vs-england-2024/mark-wood-bowls-151-2-kmph-delivery-rohit-sharmas-response-even-better-watch-5194041

After handing Ravichandran Ashwin the cap, head coach Rahul Dravid said it was a well-deserved moment for the Tamil Nadu cricketer.

“Test cricket is the closest synergy that you can find to life.” Ravichandran Ashwin’s voice trembled with emotion and pride during the gratitude-speech after receiving his special 100th Test cap from India head coach Rahul Dravid here on Thursday. But Ashwin did not restrict that landmark moment, which came during the fifth and final Test against England, to himself but he championed the cause of Test cricket amidst money-spinning T20 leagues.

“IPL has been a hugely popular tournament; a lot of kids want to play T20 and get into the IPL. I really do wish that they get there. But remember one thing, this format (Test)… it is in a lot of things that life wouldn’t teach you,” Ashwin said.

“I think Test cricket is what life is. It is the closest synergy that you can find to life. It will teach you to adapt, dealing with pressures.” The 37-year-old Ashwin, who made his Test debut in 2011, also paid handsome tribute to his father — Ravichandran — for believing in him and supporting his journey.

“It’s quite an emotional moment. Not just not just for me. I’m not one who would be shaken by emotions a lot. But today is a hugely emotional moment for a man who is sitting back in Chennai. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it here,” Ashwin began before making a quick recollection of early days.

“The first day (as a kid cricketer), I still remember it very clearly, I would put my kit in front of the petrol tank, and then he would put me on the bike and take me to the coaching camp.

“A government employee (his dad) wanted to take his son all the way miles ahead in life, somewhere he imagined I would ever get. He got me here because of the help of my mom and, of course, my granddad,” he added.

His wife Preeti has been a big pillar of support for him in periods of struggles.

“My wife didn’t know what she was getting into. She’s gotten into it and she’s standing next to me today. I have got two lovely kids who are also enjoying my journey over the last few years,” Ashwin said.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/india-vs-england-2024/emotional-moment-for-a-man-sitting-in-chennai-r-ashwins-beautiful-tribute-to-dad-on-100th-test-5192189#pfrom=home-ndtv_m_

India vs England 5th Test: Rohit Sharma made a quick stop at Bilaspur to inaugurate the Khel Mahakumbh before linking up with the Indian team in Dharamsala.

Fresh off from attending the pre-wedding functions of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, Rohit Sharma had quite an eventful Wednesday. The India captain marked his arrival in Himachal Pradesh for the fifth Test against England in style, but not in Dharamsala. Approximately 150 kms away from the HPCA Stadium, Rohit reached Bilaspur in style – entering the city in a chopper – to attend the inauguration of the Khel Mahakumbh.

The Khel Mahakumbh is the foundation on which Khelo India is built. It’s more of a grass-roots level event, comprising sports competition. It ranges from school to state level across various age groups and stretches up to three months, rewarding athletes with cash awards. And for the occasion to be graced by Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid was a big deal, especially for the Sports Minister of India, Anurag Thakur, who revealed that the India skipper left Delhi at 5.30 in the morning to reach the Luhnu Cricket Ground in time.

“Rohit Sharma has come here from Delhi at 5.30 am to inaugurate our Khel Mahakumbh, I thank him wholeheartedly – If Rohit wanted, he could have refused to come here as the 5th Test was from 7th but he came as he knew that the future of India would be here,” said Thakur at the event,” Thakur said.

That wasn’t all. Rohit and Dravid engaged in a friendly game of cricket. Rohit picked up the bat and faced his coach for a friendly few deliveries with the tennis ball. And once he was done, it was Dravid’s turn to pick up the bat as he gave the hundreds of fans in attendance reasons to cheer. It may not have been the perfect practice for the captain-coach duo ahead of the 5th Test but it was certainly a friendly warm-up nonetheless. Rohit and Dravid then headed back to Dharamsala where they linked up with the team and underwent their first nets ahead of the series finale.

Rohit back in business
After a 10-day break, the Indian team will be back in action hosting England for the last Test of this gruelling five-match series. With India having already captured it with an unassailable 3-1 lead attained in Ranchi, Rohit is eyeing the biggest Test series win in terms of margins. Last year, Rohit led India to a 2-1 win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, but another win here can see him better it with a 4-1 finish.

While Rohit will certainly be one of the men in focus, all eyes will be on Ravichandran Ashwin, who is set to play his 100th Test for India. The ace spinner will become the 14th Indian to complete a century of Tests, joining an illustrious list of rare Indian cricketers to the landmark. Having said that, Ashwin’s party could be spoiled due to the Dharamsala weather. With temperature expected to dip as low as 1 degree Celsius and rain on the horizon, the fifth Test is expected to be interrupted by rain.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/rohit-sharma-adored-for-5-30am-move-for-indias-future-90-kms-away-from-dharamsala-before-india-vs-england-5th-test-101709662763856.html

Ellyse Perry (58, 37b, 4×4, 4×6) was in perilous form for Royal Challengers Bangalore against UP Warriorz in a WPL game

The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru was witness to some terrific hitting from Royal Challengers Bangalore batters in a Women’s Premier League match against UP Warriorz on Monday. Engaging fifties by skipper Smriti Mandhana and star all-rounder Elsyse Perry took Royal Challengers Bangalore to a formidable 198 for three in 20 overs. Looking to get out of a two-match losing streak, RCB promoted S Meghana into the opening slot in place of Sophie Devine and the move paid off.

Meghana and Mandhana (80, 50b, 10×4, 3×6) added 51 runs in 5.3 overs to give the Royal Challengers a strong platform and the hosts ended the Power Play at 57 for 1, their best in WPL 2.

Mandhana in the company of Perry (58, 37b, 4×4, 4×6) added 95 runs off just 64 balls for the second wicket to optimise that start as the UP bowlers wilted under constant heat.

The left-hander’s timing was stunning as she played shots all around the park and treated spinners with disdain. It will give her a lot of confidence as she often tends to get stuck against the tweakers.

Mandhana, who was dropped on 28, was particularly severe on off-spinner Chamari Athapathuthu and left-arm pacer Anjali Sarvani, who she carted for a slew of fours and sixes.

But slog-sweep of off-spinner Deepti Sharma ended in the hands of Poonam Khemnar at deep mid-wicket to silence the roaring RCB fans.

However, Perry, who smashed left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad for two successive sixes, and Richa Ghosh added 42 runs off 18 balls for the third wicket as RCB motored on to a strong total. One of her sixes even went on to break the display car’s window.

The Warriorz’s chase did not have much to write home about except a fifty (55, 38b, 7×4, 3×6) by captain Alyssa Healy as it ended at 175/8.

Vrinda ruled out

Warriorz’s Vrinda Dinesh is ruled out of the remainder of the WPL after suffering a shoulder injury during the match against Mumbai Indians here on February 28.

The UP side has signed wicket-keeper batter Uma Chetry as a replacement at her base price of Rs 10 lakhs.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/women-s-premier-league-2024/elysse-perrys-monstrous-6-breaks-cars-window-rcb-stars-reaction-viral-in-wpl-watch-5176300

Yuzvendra Chahal picked Rajasthan Royals teammates Jos Buttler or Yashasvi Jaiswal to win the Orange Cap (become the highest run-scorer) in IPL 2024.

Veteran Indian cricket team spinner Yuzvendra Chahal picked Rajasthan Royals teammates Jos Buttler or Yashasvi Jaiswal to win the Orange Cap (become the highest run-scorer) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. In a video on his YouTube channel‘JokerKiHaveli,’ Esports streamer Gulrez Khan asked him to pick the top run-scorer of the upcoming season and although he jokingly picked himself first, he later said he believes it will be either Buttler or Jaiswal. “Orange cap will go to (Yashasvi) Jaiswal or Jos Buttler,” Chahal said.

Chahal was asked to predict the leading wicket-taker as well and he picked himself. For the second position, he picked Gujarat Titans spinner Rashid Khan.

“I will take the most wickets. Second, Rashid Khan,” the veteran spinner said in the video.

Meanwhile, former India opener Aakash Chopra has expressed his surprise over the leg spinner being excluded from the central contracts of the BCCI.

He added that Chahal’s ouster means the selection committee is looking at other options.

“I am a bit surprised that Yuzi Chahal’s name is not there. Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shikhar Dhawan – their names not being there, I can understand. Even Deepak Hooda for that matter. But Chahal’s name not being there – what does that signify? It seems to indicate that they (BCCI) are looking in a different direction. This is a validation of the theory. He might have had a ray of hope, but it wasn’t to be. His name is not there,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2024/not-virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-or-shubman-gill-yuzvendra-chahal-names-his-orange-cap-pick-for-ipl-2024-5168418

Rohit Sharma-led Indian men’s cricket team reached the No. 1 position in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 points table after Australia beat New Zealand by 172 runs in the first Test of the ongoing two-match series played between the two teams at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Sunday (March 7).

Rohit Sharma-led Indian men’s cricket team reached the No. 1 position in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 points table on Sunday (March 3) after Australia beat New Zealand in the first Test of the two-match series. In a match played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, the Aussies dismissed the Black Caps for 196 runs in the second inning to win the fixture by 172 runs and go 1-0 up in the two-match series.

For the visitors, star spinner Nathan Lyon picked up six wickets for 65 runs in the second inning, and two batters were dismissed by Josh Hazlewood. Rachin Ravindra finished as the top scorer for the hosts. The 24-year-old left-handed batter amassed a total of 59 runs from 105 balls in the second inning.

After losing the first Test against the Pat Cummins-led side at home, New Zealand has slipped to No. 2 position in the WTC 2023-25 points table. The Black Caps have 60 PCT (%). Australia remained in the No. 3 spot, but their PCT (%) has now increased from 55 to 59.09.

World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 Points Table

India were the biggest winners from Australia’s win in Wellington. The Rohit Sharma-led side has now moved to No. 1 position in the points table with 64.58 PCT (%). India will maintain the No. 1 position if they manage to get the better of England in the fifth Test, which starts on Thursday (March 7) in Dharamsala.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/india-reach-no-1-position-in-wtc-2023-25-points-table-after-australia-beat-new-zealand-by-172-runs-in-1st-test-article-108171483

Rashid Byrd also appeared in ‘Semi-Pro’

After being in custody nearly 3½ years, a former professional basketball player will be spending the rest of his life in prison.

Rashid Byrd, who played in the NBA D-League and overseas, was sentenced to 90 years to life for a series of violent sexual assaults.

Byrd was arrested by Los Angeles Police in 2020, after they investigated a victim’s report that she was assaulted by Byrd the previous year.

That investigation found Byrd was also convicted of sexual assault in 2010 and arrested for a sexual assault in Washington in 2005.

“He started as a charmer, playing up his status as an athlete and pseudo-celebrity, but that quickly faded into rapes and violence,” said Det. Dara Brown, the lead investigator on the case.

“The LAPD is grateful for the brave women who came forward to tell their stories,” Brown added. “While this investigation has gone on for years, we are thankful that Byrd is no longer on the streets.”

Byrd, who stands at 7-foot-1, signed contracts with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings but never appeared in an NBA game. He played in 19 games for the Lakers’ D-League affiliate in the 2008-09 season.

Source : https://www.foxnews.com/sports/former-nba-prospect-sentenced-90-years-prison-multiple-sexual-assaults

The exclusion from the central contracts is a big setback for Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer as apart from losing recognition, the young players will suffer financial and professional damage

In one of the biggest cricket news this year, the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to exclude India’s star players Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the central contracts. The cricket association was miffed with the young batters for prioritizing IPL over the domestic red ball tournaments and the action came after several warnings. The exclusion from the central contracts is a big setback for Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer as apart from losing recognition, the young players will suffer financial and professional damage.

What Ishan Kishan, and Shreyas Iyer will miss?

1. The central contracts of the BCCI are divided into four parts- A+, A, B, and C. The annual fees of the players vary as per their contracts. In 2023, Shreyas Iyer was placed in Grade B and received a ₹3 crore annual fee. Ishan Kishan, who was placed in Grade C, earned ₹1 crore in match fee.
2. The players with central contracts receive various facilities from the National Cricket Academy (NCA). They can use its ground for practice whenever they want, but Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan will now require a green signal from their respective state authorities to avail of NCA services.
3. If the players with central contracts get injured during the matches they play for India, BCCI compensates for their loss in other tournaments like Indian Premier League (IPL). Now, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan will have to bear that loss in case of injury during or before IPL 2024.

BCCI upset with Ishan Kishan for training with Hardik Pandya

Days ahead of BCCI’s decision to exclude Ishan Kishan from the central contract, the young batter was seen practicing with Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya in a pre-IPL camp with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). As per ESNPNCricinfo, the BCCI was particularly upset with those images as Ishan Kishan missed the Ranji Trophy 2024 match for Mumbai.

Source : https://www.livemint.com/sports/cricket-news/from-crores-in-annual-fee-to-practicing-at-nca-3-things-ishan-kishan-shreyas-iyer-will-miss-without-bcci-contract-11709371501502.html

Ireland defeated Afghanistan to clinch their first-ever win in a Test match

Ireland finally won their first Test match on Friday when they defeated Afghanistan by six wickets in Abu Dhabi, ending a streak of seven successive losses. Captain Andy Balbirnie led from the front with an undefeated 58 as Ireland reached their modest target of 111 in the final session of the third day. Ireland had played their first Test back in 2018 when they were defeated by Pakistan. “We’re absolutely excited. We’ve created history. The monkey is off the back and it’s very special to do that,” said Balbirnie whose team were wobbling at 13-3 at one stage.

“Obviously there were nerves; we were chasing our first win. You ask this whole group how special this is. A lot of our guys didn’t get to play Test cricket. Hopefully people back home want to be Test cricketers.”

Ireland are now the fourth fastest team in the 147 year history of Tests to clinch a win in the format. Australia took one match to win their first Test. England, Pakistan and Afghanistan took two matches to win their first Test. West Indies took six matches while Ireland has now taken eight matches. India won their first Test after 25 matches.

Afghanistan resumed their second innings Friday on 134-3 before they were dismissed for 218.

Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi top scored with 55 while Rahmanullah Gurbaz, making his Test debut, hit 46. Mark Adair picked up three wickets to finish with eight for the match. Craig Young and Barry McCarthy also claimed three apiece.

Gurbaz, better known for his flamboyant and explosive shot-making in limited overs cricket, clubbed the only two sixes of the innings.

Chasing just 111 for victory, Ireland were in trouble with three wickets down for just 13 runs with 18-year-old fast bowler Naveed Zadran clean-bowling opener Peter Moor and Curtis Campher, both without scoring.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/4th-fastest-in-147-years-ireland-clinch-1st-win-in-8th-test-to-make-history-5157948

A proposal for the use of blue cards emerged last month but Gianni Infantino says FIFA is “completely opposed” to the idea.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has ruled out blue cards being shown to players sent into sin bins.

A plan had been formed by some of football’s lawmakers for a new card to join the long-standing red and yellow ones that referees can deploy.

The proposal emerged last month, with Sky News understanding that some protocols had already been prepared for release.

Sin bins are currently only used at the lower levels of grassroots football, with players sent into them for 10 minutes for dissent.

But Mr Infantino rejected the idea of blue cards being used in the professional game.

Speaking in Scotland, ahead of Saturday’s meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) at Loch Lomond, he said: “FIFA is completely opposed to blue cards.

“Red card to the blue card. No way. You have to be serious.

“We are always open at IFAB, at FIFA, to look into ideas and proposals… but once you look at it you also have to protect the game, the essence of the game, the tradition of the game.

“There is no blue card.”

The world governing body holds four of the eight votes on IFAB, which is holding its 138th annual meeting this weekend. The other votes are held by the four British nations.

Mr Infantino also dismissed calls for temporary concussion substitutes, following a request from players’ unions concerned about long-term brain damage caused by head injuries.

FIFA’s preference is for teams to make an extra permanent substitution to replace players suspected of having a concussion.

Mr Infantino said: “We studied it and medical experts are saying it is simply impossible in a few minutes to be able to determine whether there has been a concussion, whether concussion is serious or not.

“And that’s why, in case of a suspected concussion, the player has to be substituted.

“If you want to care about the health of the player, then the players go out and another player comes in, and that’s the end of it.

“And this would protect the player. All the rest is not protecting the heads of players, just making some PR announcements.”

Football’s law-making body IFAB is being sued by a group of former players in the UK who allege they suffered brain injuries from playing football and authorities failed to take reasonable action to protect them from repeated concussive and sub-concussive blows.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/fifa-president-rules-out-use-of-blue-cards-and-temporary-concussion-subs-13084855

The Delhi Capitals inflicted hosts Royal Challengers Bangalore’s first loss of the second season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), winning by 25 runs at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.

Chasing 195 runs for victory, it was well-and-truly the Smriti Mandhana show at the Chinnaswamy as the RCB skipper single-handedly exerted tons of pressure on the DC bowling helping the hosts reach 52 runs after the Powerplay, of which 45 runs came from Mandhana’s bat.

The southpaw kept RCB in the game, even as Devine found it tough to get going at her end and got to her maiden WPL half-century, off 32 balls.

Devine finally got going with two consecutive sixes off Minnu Mani but fell in the next over (23 runs off 17 balls) to give Arundhati Reddy her first wicket.

With RCB needing 85 runs in the last 10 overs, DC found themselves marginally ahead in the contest but with Mandhana still in the middle, they could not relax just yet.

The southpaw and the in-form Sabbhineni Meghana kept the asking rate in check with some measured batting, but DC nudged significantly ahead in the contest when they removed Mandhana (74 runs off 43 balls), bowled by Marizanne Kapp.

The onus to take RCB home fell on Meghana and Richa Ghosh and at 138 for 2 after 15 overs, needed to take the hosts home in a tricky chase. But the wicket-keeper batter fell off the first ball of the 16th over for 19 to DC’s MVP Kapp as the visitors mounted the pressure on the hosts.

RCB needed 51 runs off the final four overs, but a combination of some excellent bowling and clutch fielding meant the DC were always ahead in the game and in the end, won by 25 runs.

Earlier, contributions from Shafali Verma (50 runs off 31 balls), Alice Capsey (46 runs off 33 balls), Kapp (32 runs off 17 balls) and Jess Jonassen (36 not off 15 balls) helped DC reach a mammoth 194 for 5 in 20 overs.

Source: https://www.news18.com/cricket/wpl-2024-delhi-capitals-down-royal-challengers-bangalore-by-25-runs-end-unbeaten-run-8798360.html

Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia has moved an urgent joint petition in the Delhi High Court, seeking a stay on the selection competition being organised by the WFI.

Rejecting the Wrestling Federation of India’s invitation to compete in the upcoming national trials, ace Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia has moved an urgent joint petition in the Delhi High Court, seeking a stay on the selection competition being organised by the WFI in New Delhi on March 10-11. It has been learnt from reliable sources that Bajrang, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and her husband Satywart Kadiyan moved the court on Wednesday and the matter will be heard on Friday. While Bajrang did not confirm filing a petition, he questioned the government’s silence on the issues concerning Indian wrestling.

The Indian team for the Asian Wrestling Championships Olympic Qualifier in Kyrgyzstan next month will be selected on the basis of the trials at Delhi’s IG Stadium.

Bajrang told PTI from Russia, where he is training for the last two months, that he has spent a fortune abroad but he won’t compete in trials if they are conducted by the Sanjay Singh-led WFI.

“I would not spend Rs 30 lakh on my training if I were to not compete in the trials, but how the suspended WFI is conducting the trials? I don’t get what the government’s compulsion is (on allowing WFI to conduct trials)?” Bajrang said.

“I don’t understand how a sports body suspended by the Indian government issue a circular and announce the trials. Why is the government silent? We will appear in the trials only if the ad-hoc panel or the government conducts it. How can a suspended body announce the trials?” he asked.

WFI president Sanjay Singh had appealed to the protesting wrestlers to forget the past and appear for the trials.

The trio had led a prolonged protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding the arrest of then WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who they had accused of sexual harassment.

Bajrang, the Tokyo Olympics bronze winner, said that not just him but Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat will also skip the trials.

“This decision to not appear in trials is a joint decision taken by us. We are together in this,” he said.

PTI tried to reach out Sakshi and Vinesh for confirmation but the former did not return calls and the latter could not be contacted.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/wrestling/bajrang-refuses-to-appear-in-selection-trials-under-wfi-moves-court-against-selection-competition-5150258

The member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team backed the BCCI’s directive for cricketers to play Ranji Trophy, saying it’s a good move and the rule should be applicable to every India team player

Member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team Kirti Azad on Thursday backed the BCCI’s directive for cricketers to play Ranji Trophy, saying it’s a good move and the rule should be applicable to every India team player, including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The out-of-favour duo of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were excluded from the list of centrally-contracted players after they ignored the directive to play Ranji Trophy. “It (directive) is a very good move. Everybody should be playing Ranji Trophy cricket, but currently the emphasis is on the IPL. It is good, it is entertaining but the real cricket is the (five) days’ cricket. Playing in domestic cricket is good, it keeps you in touch.

“But whenever you are free, even if you’re a Rohit Sharma or a Virat Kohli, you should go back and play domestic cricket for the state. That (state) gave you the opportunity to be a player, get selected and then play for the country.

He felt that penalising just Ishan and Iyer wasn’t right.

“Just to penalise the two is not correct, I think everybody should be penalised. Everybody should be seen with the same mirror,” Azad told PTI Video.

Azad declined to comment on whether this was the potential end of the road for Ishan and Iyer after their names were excluded from the list of centrally-contracted players.

“My question is, are they playing enough domestic cricket? They are playing T20 cricket, nowadays and every other state has a T20 cricket league. Back in the days when we were starting our careers, players like Bishan Singh Bedi, Madan Lal, Surinder Amarnath, Mohinder Amarnath, Chetan Chauhan, Sunil Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil, Karsan Ghavri played alongside youngsters like me and Ravi Shastri.

“All these senior Test team players would play for their sides, would play for the pride of their state which seems missing in the youngsters nowadays,” he added.

He questioned why India players had issues playing domestic cricket while England cricketers willingly played county cricket when not in the national side.

“Look at county cricket; there are 20-plus counties and there are numerous three-day and four-day games along with T20 cricket, but every player is involved there. If a player is left out of the Test squad, then he returns to play for his county.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/even-if-you-are-rohit-sharma-or-virat-kohli-1983-world-cup-winner-on-domestic-cricket-mandate-5149013

Shohei Ohtani stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers — and many around the world — with his marriage announcement on Thursday, so manager Dave Roberts said any gift the team gives the two-time MVP would be like most of the money in his contract: deferred.

“I’m very happy for him and his bride,” Roberts said, smiling. “As far as wedding gifts, we got surprised and didn’t have much time to think about it. I’m sure it’s en route.”

Ohtani, the two-way Japanese star, revealed on Instagram early Thursday that he was married. Much of the relationship remains shroudded in mystery.

“She is a Japanese woman,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “I don’t really feel comfortable talking about when I got married exactly, but she’s a normal Japanese woman.”

Ohtani only gave a few more tidbits about the relationship during a short interview on Thursday, saying he had known his new bride for three or four years.

The 29-year-old Ohtani is Japan’s biggest celebrity. There has been curiosity about his personal life, which he has always kept private. His focus and his image has always been 100%-baseball focused and free of scandals and tabloid news.

“I felt like it was good timing because it was before the season,” Ohtani said. “I didn’t really want any distractions once the season started. I would have liked to announce it earlier, but there were some paperwork issues that (delayed) the whole process.”

Ohtani moved from the Los Angeles Angels to the Dodgers in December on a record $700 million, 10-year contract that calls for $680 million to be paid from 2034-43.

Ohtani said his marriage didn’t affect how he treated free agency.

“She has a great understanding of my profession, and she’s willing to be wherever I wanted to play and ultimately it was my decision,” Ohtani said.

The post on Instagram included a photo of his dog “Dekopin,” whom Ohtani also calls “Decoy.”

He wrote: “We hope the two of us — and one animal — will work together.”

The news broke in the middle of the night in North America and late afternoon in Japan where it was immediately the top news item.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/shohei-ohtani-married-japan-e5949dae4e5bc7b99607554cb78bbe3b

Ravi Shastri issued a sharp message for Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan after BCCI axed them from the central contracts for the 2023-24 season.

Out-of-favour batters Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were shown the exit door by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for ignoring the apex cricket board’s directive to feature in the Ranji Trophy on Wednesday. Iyer and Kishan’s names went missing from the 30-player annual retainership list shared by the BCCI for the 2023-2024 season. With opinions taking flight after BCCI unveiled the list of centrally-contracted players, former India head coach Ravi Shastri reserved special praise for board secretary Jay Shah.

For the first time, the BCCI revealed the list of selected players who received the fast bowling contracts. The selection committee has been handing out fast-bowling offers to Indian pacers since the 2021-2022. Speedsters Akash Deep, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Umran Malik, Yash Dayal and Vidwath Kaverappa have made the cut for the season. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the former Indian all-rounder and ex-India head coach welcomed the BCCI’s game-changing move.

“Big applause to @BCCI and @JayShah for the game-changing move with ‘fast bowling’ contracts. A crucial step in gearing up for Down Under later this year. The emphasis on Test Cricket and Domestic Cricket is a powerful message, setting the right tone for the future of our beloved sport!,” Shastri said in his post. Ex-India head coach Shastri also backed Iyer and Kishan to come back stronger following their unceremonious exits from the central contracts list.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ravi-shastri-sharp-message-shreyas-iyer-ishan-kishan-salutes-jay-shah-over-bcci-game-changing-move-101709142690825.html

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were the notable absentees from BCCI’s annual contract list for Team India (Senior Men) for the 2023-24 season.

Star India cricketers Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer did not find a place in the Annual Player Contracts for Team India (Senior Men) for the 2023-24 season, which were announced on Wednesday by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Rumours were rampart over the duo being dropped from the contract list, which has now been finalised for the duration between October 1st, 2023 to September 30th, 2024. “Please note that Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were not considered for the annual contracts in this round of recommendations,” the BCCI said in a release on Wednesday.

Kishan had opted for a break midway through the tour of South Africa, before being dropped from the team for the T20Is against Afghanistan and the ongoing Test bilateral against England.

On Kishan’s non-selection, India head coach Rahul Dravid had said that the player is yet to make himself for selection, adding that the wicketkeeper-batter will have to play domestic cricket to get back into the national team.

Iyer, on the other hand, played the first two Tests against England, before being dropped from the squad for the last three games. BCCI didn’t give a reason behind his ouster from the team. However, he kept on missing the Ranji Trophy matches for his state team Jharkhand.

Iyer recently excused himself from a Ranji Trophy game of Mumbai due to a back issue. A report in the Times of India had predicted that the duo will be dropped from the BCCI contracts list.

After dropping Kishan and Iyer from the central contract list, BCCI, in their release, also warned the players to feature in domestic games when they are part of the national team.

“The BCCI has recommended that all athletes give precedence to participating in domestic cricket during periods when they are not representing the national team,” the BCCI suggested.

Meanwhile, among the contracted players – Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja were placed in the highest – A+ – category. Six players – R Ashwin, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya – are in the A category.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/bccis-stern-message-on-playing-domestic-cricket-after-terminating-ishan-kishan-shreyas-iyer-contracts-5144353

Cristiano Ronaldo has been suspended for one match after appearing to make an obscene gesture following Al Nassr’s 3-2 win over Al Shabab, the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Football Federation (SAFF) said on Wednesday.
After the final whistle on Sunday, social media videos captured Ronaldo cupping his ear before repeatedly pumping his hand forward in front of his pelvic area. The action appeared to be directed at the rival Al Shabab supporters.

In the background, chants of “Messi” could be heard, referencing Ronaldo’s long-term football rival from Argentina.
The committee said the Portuguese star would have to pay a fine of 10,000 Saudi riyals ($2,666) to the Saudi Football Federation, and 20,000 riyals to Al-Shabab to cover the costs of the complaint filing fees.
The committee said the decision is not subject to appeal.
In April last year, the 39-year-old Ronaldo appeared to grab his genitals while on his way to the dugout following the end of a league game against Al Hilal, which Al Nassr lost 2-0.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/ronaldo-suspended-one-match-obscene-gesture-saudi-league-game-2024-02-28/

As per the Andhra Cricket Association, cricketers were forced to sign the Letter of Support that was shared by Hanuma Vihari on his social media account. Vihari lashed out at the state body, alleging mistreatment and political interference and vowed not to play for the association again.

Andhra cricketers were forced to sign the ‘Letter of Support’ that Hanuma Vihari had shared on his social media handles, Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) said on Tuesday, sharing letters from players. On Monday, Vihari lashed out at the Andhra cricket board after he was asked to step down as the captain of the team.

Vihari claimed he was subject to mistreatment by the board and alleged political interference after Andhra failed to go through to the semi-final of the Ranji Trophy 2024 following a 4-run loss to Madhya Pradesh at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.

Vihari said that the Andhra board asked him to resign after cricketer Prudhvi Raj KN’s father, also a politician, complained to the state association that the India cricketer verbally abused his son, who was the 17th player in their squad. Vihari also said that he would never play for Andhra, adding he felt humiliated by the board’s treatment.

However, the ACA said that signatures of players calling for Vihari’s reinstation as captain were obtained under duress. The state body also said several players and members of the support staff brought to the notice of ACA about issues with Vihari’s conduct in the past.

The following are Andhra Cricket Association’s claims and copies of letters to support them, accessed by India Today.

He asked the Andhra Cricket Association to continue on behalf of Andhra, apologising for being emotional and frustrated for not being selected in the Indian team, as he was not given the NOC.

Hanuma Vihari has alleged that despite all the players in the team supporting him to continue as the captain, he was removed. In this regard, the concerned players have complained to the Andhra Cricket Association against Vihari.

The Andhra Cricket Association came up with a bombshell response to Hanuma Vihari’s controversial remarks on Prudhvi Raj KN.

Andhra Pradesh crashed to a narrow four-run defeat against Madhya Pradesh in their Ranji Trophy quarter-final fixture on Monday. It was a close encounter but Madhya Pradesh came out on top in a nail-biting thriller.

The heartbreak for Andhra Pradesh didn’t just end there. After the match, star batter and former captain Hanuma Vihari came up with sensational accusations towards the Andhra Cricket Association and also towards a teammate. In a controversial statement posted on Instagram, Vihari disclosed the circumstances leading up to his departure from captaincy. He revealed that he was asked to resign from captaincy after an altercation with a player, who happened to be the son of a “prominent politician”.

Soon, Andhra cricketer Prudhvi Raj KN took to Instagram and revealed that he was the cricketer Vihari spoke about. but Prudhvi had a different take on the situation and accused Vihari of abusing him.

In an attempt to put an end to the social media war, Andhra Cricket Association came forward with an official statement, where they also threw accusations towards the India cricketer.

In their statement, Andhra Cricket Association said, “Addressing the reported issue, it has come to our attention that Mr. Vihari personally verbally abused a specific player during the Bengal Ranji game in front of everyone. The affected player filed an official complaint with ACA.”

The association also explained the captaincy change in the statement. The statement revealed, “In January 2024, following the first Ranji Trophy game, an email from the Chairman of the Senior Selection Committee proposed a new captain due to Vihari’s status as an Indian prospect affecting his season-long availability. Vihari, in response, expressed appreciation for the decision, leading to Ricky Bhui being announced as the new captain by the senior selection committee.”

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/andhra-cricket-association-responds-to-hanuma-viharis-accusations-on-prudhvi-raj-fresh-allegations-thrown-101708970171180.html

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said on Sunday “it makes more sense for the IOC” to give India the hosting rights for the 2036 Olympic Games.

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said on Sunday “it makes more sense for the IOC” to give India the hosting rights for the 2036 Olympic Games as the country is growing by leaps and bounds in every sphere including sports. Thakur, while speaking at the News9 Global Summit, said India’s recent performance at mega international events, such as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, gives him hope that the country could become a top-10 sporting nation by 2036 and be in the top-5 by 2047.

“We had the largest population to see the Olympic sports last time (in 2020 Tokyo) and this time, it makes more sense for the IOC to give 2036 Olympics to none other than Bharat, our India,” said Thakur.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already expressed the country’s desire to host the Olympics in 2036 during the IOC session in Mumbai last year, and when asked if India was ready to hold the mega event and which city could play host, Thakur said, “PM Modi made it very clear during the IOC session that India is very serious to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, and before that we want to host the 2030 Youth Olympics. And, I have a reason to say so.

“If you look at India in the last 10 years, we have become the fifth-largest economy in the world. If you look at sector to sector, India is doing extremely well…economy-wise fifth largest, next five years, we are going to be the third largest.

“By 2036, the Indian economy would be much larger, sports infrastructure is also getting better and better with each passing day. We have 1.4 billion population, out of which 65 per cent is below 35. That is 1/6th of the total population of the world lives in India, so what could be a bigger market (for Olympics).

“Then, the target I have set for 2036, India will be among the top-10 medal winning countries, and (by) 2047, among the top-5 to win medals,” he said.

Thakur foresees Olympic disciplines too enjoying a huge following and compared it with where cricket was before the country won the World Cup for the first time and how massively things have changed now.

“If you look at 1983 (World Cup win), before that even in cricket we didn’t have enough money. When the team won the World Cup, even the BCCI didn’t have enough money to pay them (winning team players), or to celebrate in a big way.

“But when they (BCCI) fought the case against Prasar Bharati and won the case, that is where they won the telecast rights and the game changed. Then money came into cricket. That is how the BCCI have done well with their professional working in the last so many years.

“In the last 2-3 decades, we have seen so many cricketers doing well on the international stage. So, in cricket we had a lot of stars to look up to. And, today, in other sports too we have a lot of starts to look up to. I think the time has started when the country’s mindset has changed,” he added.

He said the government’s focus on creating sports infrastructure in the last 10 years and pumping in money gave him confidence.

“The sports budget has been increased three times in the last 10 years. We have spent 3,000 crores in creating 300 sports infrastructure. We have a lot of schemes for the benefit of players, so that they can perform better rather than worry about the facilities… how they can train, where to train, who will fund them. That is not their worry today, they all need to train hard and perform.

“That is why India has won 100-plus (107) medals in the Hangzhou Asian Games. At one time, a rickshaw-puller’s or a tea seller’s son used to worry how he will reach the top level in sports. After Khelo India and Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS), boarding, lodging and training etc is taken care of and elite athletes get Rs six lakh pocket money as well.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/othersports/it-makes-more-sense-for-ioc-to-give-2036-olympics-to-india-anurag-thakur-5125184

19-year-old Max Dehning made heads turn by becoming the youngest man to breach the coveted 90m mark in javelin. The German teenager achieved the feat at the Winter Throwing Championships in Halle on Sunday, February 25.

It seems Neeraj Chopra has a new rival to worry about at this year’s Paris Olympics. 19-year-old Max Dehning of Germany threw 90.20m on Sunday, February 25 at the German Winter Throwing Championships in Halle. Dehning became the youngest man to breach the coveted 90m mark in the history of men’s javelin throw and the first to go past the mark in the Olympics year.

Max Dehning improved on his personal best, which was 78.07m until Saturday, to make heads turn in the track and field community. Dehning, a two-time U20 World Championships silver medallist, came up with the massive throw in his first attempt at the German Winter Throwing Championships on Sunday, improving on his previous mark by more than 12m.

Max Dehning’s 90.20m is the 22nd on the list of best-ever throws in men’s javelin history, an elite club that is topped by legendary Jan Zelezny’s 98.48m throw.

Max Dehning’s coach knew that his ward had achieved a special throw the moment the spear left his hand in the competition on Sunday.

Incidentally, Max Dehning’s second throw was 85.45m as he proved that his record throw was not a fluke and that he can challenge the big boys at the highest level. Nico Cyclist finished second in the competition on Sunday with a best effort of 76.56m.

The throw also makes Max Dehning eligible to compete at the Olympics in Paris this year as the qualification mark was set at 83m for men’s javelin.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/athletics/story/max-dehning-javelin-90m-throw-teenager-germany-olympics-paris-youngest-2506974-2024-02-25

Cristiano Ronaldo faced a flurry of criticism after appearing to make an obscene gesture following the end of Al Nassr’s 3-2 win over Al Shabab in an exciting Saudi Pro League game on Sunday.
The Portugal forward opened the scoring with a 21st-minute penalty but Al Nassr needed a late goal from Brazilian Talisca, who struck twice, to settle the game with four minutes left.
After the final whistle, social media videos captured Ronaldo cupping his ear before repeatedly pumping his hand forward in front of his pelvic area. The action appeared to be directed at the rival Al Shabab supporters.

Ravichandran Ashwin became the first Indian to claim 100 wickets against England as he dismissed Jonny Bairstow in th first innings of the Ranchi Test.

A modern-day great, Ravichandran Ashwin scaled a new mountain on Friday as India took on England on Day 1 of the 4th Test in Ranchi. The veteran spinner bagged his 100th wicket against England in Tests as he dismissed Jonny Bairstow LBW in the morning session. Ashwin, in the process, became the first Indian to claim 100 scalps against England in the longest format of the game. Ashwin reached the milestone in his 23rd Test against the Englishmen. The overall list is led by the legendary Shane Warne, who bagged a whopping 195 wickets against England in 36 Tests.

After Ashwin, the next Indian on the list of BS Chandrasekhar who took 95 wickets against England in 23 matches. Anil Kumble is the third on the list with 92 wickets in 19 matches.

Though categorised as a spinner, Ashwin has also done wonders with the bat at times. The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer also became the first Asian bowler to claim 100 wickets against England while also scoring 1000 runs against them with the bat.

Ashwin, in the third Test against England in Rajkot, became the second Indian bowler after Anil Kumble to take 500 Test wickets during the third Test against England — a feat which means a lot to the senior off-spinner after enduring a phase when he did not know how to come out of the “dark tunnel” he had hit.

Ashwin also became only the third off-spinner to achieve the feat and continues to be the second-highest wicket-taker for India behind Kumble, who ended his career with 619 scalps.

The 37-year-old reached the milestone on day two of the ongoing Test. He needed just one wicket for the feat and that came in the way of opener Zak Crawley, who mistimed a sweep that landed in the safe hands of Rajat Patidar at short fine leg.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/india-vs-england-2024/india-vs-england-ravichandran-ashwin-completes-unique-century-first-indian-to-reach-milestone-5111741

The duo of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer are reportedly likely to lose their place in BCCI’s central contract list for the 2023-24 season.

Away from international duty, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan continue to keep their distance from the Ranji Trophy for different reasons. While Kishan has reportedly been ‘working on his technique’ ahead of the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, Iyer is said to struggling with a minor back spasm problem. But, it seems like the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) top brass isn’t entirely happy with Kishan and Iyer, and is likely to leave out the duo from the new central contracts list.

As per a report in the Times of India, both Iyer and Kishan are expected to be omitted from the list of centrally contracted players for the 2023-24 season. One of the reasons behind this decision is reportedly their absence from domestic cricket despite the board’s insistence.

“The selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, has almost finalised the list of centrally contracted players for the 2023-24 season too, which the BCCI will announce soon.

“Kishan and Iyer are likely to be excluded from that list, as both haven’t been playing domestic cricket despite the BCCI’s diktat to do so,” a source told the paper.

The paper also quoted a source close to Iyer saying that the middle-order batter was left out of the last three Tests against England due to a back problem.

Iyer was “excluded from India’s squad for the last three Tests as a precautionary measure, after he complained of a back problem.” “Patel’s email to the BCCI was written after the second Test against England. Since then, a back problem has bothered Iyer,” the source said. “Iyer was one of India’s top-performing batsmen in the ODI World Cup in India last year. He won’t lose the contract just because he missed the odd Ranji match.”

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/ishan-kishan-shreyas-iyer-likely-to-be-axed-from-bcci-central-contracts-report-5112229/amp/1

Travis Kelce was seen admiring the incredible view from Taylor Swift’s $25,000-per-night presidential suite at the five-star Crown Sydney hotel Thursday morning, photos from the Daily Mail show.

The three-time Super Bowl champion joined the “Blank Space” singer Down Under this week as she prepares to bring her Eras Tour to Sydney.

Kelce was seen pensively looking out at the city’s major landmarks from the lavish digs, which feature floor to ceiling windows and unparalleled views of Sydney Harbour.

The two-story hotel room also boasts an open-air terrace and a private infinity pool on the 88th floor of the luxury property.

Kelce kept it casual in a white top with an oversized green jacket and a black cap.

The NFL star, who was seemingly in high spirits, stood alongside his pal, fellow football player Ross Travis, who accompanied him on the trip to Australia.

It appears Kelce and Swift, both 34, wasted no time hitting the town the moment Kelce landed on Thursday, as the two were seen touring the Sydney Zoo with Swift’s opening act, Sabrina Carpenter.

The 14-time Grammy winner apparently loved her first visit to the zoo so much on Wednesday that she brought her man back to see the animals for himself.

The two held hands while getting up close and personal with the Aussie wildlife during a private tour of the park, which is located in Western Sydney about 40 minutes away from the city center.

The “Cruel Summer” songstress and the football tight end even hand-fed kangaroos and koalas during their wholesome day out.

As previously reported, Swift jetted into Sydney after concluding three record-breaking performances at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last week.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/02/22/entertainment/travis-kelce-seen-admiring-view-from-taylor-swifts-hotel-in-sydney/

Promising seamer Akash Deep made his Test debut in India’s fourth Test against England in Ranchi. His inclusion is a strategic move to bolster the Indian team’s pace attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.

Akash Deep has been handed his Test debut as the Bengal pacer will replace Jasprit Bumrah and partner Mohammed Siraj in the fourth Test against England in Ranchi on Thursday. Akash Deep’s stellar performance, claiming 12 wickets across three matches against the England Lions, propelled him into the squad for his Test debut.

His rigorous preparation was evident during net practice sessions in Ranchi, where he showcased his bowling prowess at full tilt and demonstrated versatility with an extended batting session. With the upcoming conditions in Ranchi anticipated to be overcast and cooler, favoring seam bowlers like Akash Deep, his inclusion appears to be a strategic move by the Indian team, capitalizing on his potential to exploit the conditions effectively and bolster the bowling attack.

The absence of Jasprit Bumrah, the highest wicket-taker in the ongoing series, leaves big shoes to fill. However, Akash Deep’s debut might be seen as a fitting response to this challenge. His pace and ability to deliver in-dippers could prove invaluable on the Ranchi pitch, which may offer seam movement before the cracks begin to play a role. Batters Rajat Patidar and Sarfaraz Khan and wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel have already made their test debuts in this series.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/india-vs-england-akash-deep-makes-his-test-debut-in-ranchi-2506005-2024-02-23

Abhishek Sharma and Tania Singh hadn’t talked to each other in a long time.

IPL (Indian Premier League) cricketer Abhishek Sharma, who represents Sunrisers Hyderabad in the marquee tournament, is expected to be called up by Surat Police in connection with the suicide of model Tania Singh in the Vesu area of Surat.

Originally from Rajasthan, Tania Singh resided at Happy Elegance in the Vesu area and was pursuing Fashion Design and Modeling for the last 18 months. She committed suicide in her apartment, and the authorities suspect a love affair between her and Abhishek Sharma, although the duo hadn’t spoken to each other in a long time.

It is worth noting that, according to Police Inspector BU Barad of Vesu Police Station, that there was no contact between Abhishek and Tania for a long time. However, seeing that he was friends with her, he would be called for questioning.

Sunrisers Hyderabad aim to improve in IPL 2024

It is worth noting that Abhishek Sharma is an all-rounder who has scored 893 runs at a strike rate of 137.38 in 47 matches in IPL. He has scored four half-centuries and taken nine wickets in IPL and represents Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The 16th edition of the IPL was not kind to Hyderabad as the side came into the tournament hoping to go all the way, but failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition after they finished in 10th place in the IPL 2023 standings.

Playing 14 games throughout the course of the season, Hyderabad managed to win just four games and lost the remaining games. The side finished the group stage with eight points in 14 matches and had a season to forget.

Source : https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/srh-cricketer-abhishek-sharma-to-be-interrogated-in-connection-to-model-tania-singhs-suicide

Six sixes in an over is a feat in cricket that is universally celebrated

In cricket, there are several feats which are widely celebrated. Hitting six sixes in an over is one of the them. Who can forget the six sixes hit by Yuvraj Singh at the 2007 T20 World Cup off England’s Stuart Broad. West Indies legend Sir Gary Sobers was the first person to achieve the feat in a major match. Playing in a County Championship for Nottinghamshire in 1968, Garfield Sobers hit Glamorgan’s Malcolm Nash for six sixes in an over. Then Ravi Shastri became the first Indian to hit six sixes in an over in 1985 for Bombay against Baroda.

Herschelle Gibbs was the first batter to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket. Now, Vamshhi Krrishna of Andhra Pradesh is the latest addition to that list. He achieved the feat in a Col CK Nayudu Trophy match. The Col CK Nayudu Trophy is a national tournament for U-23 cricketers.

“6 sixes in an over alert! Vamshhi Krrishna of Andhra hit 6 sixes in an over off Railways spinner Damandeep Singh on his way to a blistering 64-ball 110 in the Col C K Nayudu Trophy in Kadapa,” the BCCI wrote in a post along with the video.

Recently, after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that R Ashwin, who had left to be at his mother’s side, who had fallen ill, rejoined the team on Day 4 of the third Test against England, former head coach Ravi Shastri revealed that the board arranged a charter flight arranged a chartered plane for the player.

Shastri lauded BCCI and secretary Jay Shah for showing empathy towards Ashwin, adding that the gesture would’ve made the player feel “special”.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/6-sixes-in-1-over-andhra-pradesh-youngster-makes-history-bcci-issues-alert-watch-5100441

Jasprit Bumrah was released “keeping in mind the duration of the series and amount of cricket he has played in recent times,” a BCCI statement said

Ahead of the India vs England fourth Test, starting in Ranchi on Friday, Jasprit Bumrah has been released from the squad, the BCCI said in a media release late on Tueday. “The decision was taken keeping in mind the duration of the series and amount of cricket he has played in recent times,” the BCCI statement added. Meanwhile, KL Rahul is ruled out of the fourth Test. “His participation in the final Test match in Dharamsala is subject to fitness,” the BCCI said.

Mukesh Kumar, who was released from the squad for the third Test in Rajkot, has joined the squad in Ranchi.

As part of workload management, India had also rested Mohammed Siraj from the second Test in Visakhapatnam before he returned to play a part in India’s record 434 run win over the visitors in Rajkot on Sunday.

India are well-placed to seal the series in Ranchi but if they are not able to, the home team will desperately need the services of Bumrah for the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala beginning March 7.

Rahul, who missed the second and third Test after complaining of pain in his right quadriceps, had reached 90 percent fitness last week, according to an insider.

“He is reaching his match fitness and should be available for Ranchi Test,” a source told news agency PTI.

Rahul was among India’s best batters in the opening Test in Hyderabad before going down with the same injury that he suffered during the IPL last year.

Since his comeback after four months on the sidelines, the batter has delivered for India across formats. He was the only centurion for India in the drawn two-Test series in South Africa in December.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/india-vs-england-2024/jasprit-bumrah-released-from-india-squad-for-4th-test-against-england-bcci-reveals-reason-5095487

Indian batting star Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have announced the birth of their second child, a baby boy named Akaay on February 20, Tuesday.

In a statement released on both their social media profiles, Kohli and Anushka said that the boy was born on 15th February. The duo would go on to request the fans to respect their privacy at the moment.

“With abundant happiness and our hearts all of love, we are pleased to inform everyone that on 15th February, we welcomed our baby boy Akaay & Vamika’s little brother into this world!”

“We seek your blessings and good wishes in this beautiful time in our lives. We request you to kindly respect our privacy at this time.”

“Love & Gratitude. Virat & Anushka,” read the statement from Anushka Sharma on her Instagram post.

Kohli and Anushka Sharma tied the knot in 2017. The star couple celebrated the third birthday of Vamika, their daughter, on 11 January 2024.

Notably, Kohli had prioritised family in 2021 as the then captain had returned home after the first of a 4-Test series against Australiaa to be with his wife during the birth of their first child.

The Indian star had initially withdrawn from the first two Tests against England, where India had lost the first match in Hyderabad and won the second one in Vizag. However, the Indian star would then go on to withdraw from the whole series, citing personal reasons and the BCCI backing his decision.

AB de Villiers had initially revealed on his YouTube channel that Kohli and Anushka were expecting their second child. However, a few days later, the former South African skipper would perform a U-turn and said that he didn’t know why Kohli had taken a break.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/virat-kohli-anushka-sharma-announce-birth-of-second-child-akaay-2504838-2024-02-20

The player did not get a chance in the playing XI of the Indian cricket team for a long time despite being Man of the Match for scoring a ton vs West Indies

Getting an Indian cricket team cap is the ultimate dream for any cricket player from the country. But if getting an India call-up is tough, maintaining the place in the India team is ever harder. Many cricketers have shown promise, yet their international career fizzled out after some time. Manoj Tiwary, who served Bengal for about two decades and represented India in 12 ODIs and three T20Is, is part of that list. The player retired a day after Bengal’s final match in the Ranji Trophy this season on Sunday.

Manoj Tiwary made his ODI debut against Australia in 2008. He scored his first ODI ton against West Indies in Chennai On December 11, 2011. He was adjudged the Man of the Match for his performance. However, he was not part of the playing XI again until July 2012 against Sri Lanka.

A day after his retirement, he said his biggest regret would be not getting the Test cap after having represented India in the ODIs and T20Is.

“When I had completed playing 65 first-class matches, my batting average was around 65. The Australia team had toured India then, and I had scored 130 in Chennai in a friendly game, then I scored 93 against England in a friendly game. I was very close, but they picked Yuvraj Singh instead. So Test cap and the fact that I was ignored after getting the Man of the Match award for scoring a hundred…I was ignored for 14 straight matches. When self-confidence is at its peak and someone destroys that, then that player is finished,” Manoj Tiwary told News18. “Confidence is everything for a player, in any profession.”

Who killed that confidence? Tiwary was asked upfront. “I know the name but I don’t want to take it. I am a grown man now. When a player is omitted, it’s the decision of the team management,” he replied.

“The captain of that team was MS Dhoni. I am asking you upfront,” the reporter then asked Manoj Tiwary.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/want-to-ask-ms-dhoni-why-i-was-dropped-after-scoring-ton-just-retired-stars-explosive-take-name-drops-virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-5088497