Swimming – World Aquatics Championships – Aspire Dome, Doha, Qatar – February 18, 2024 Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko in action during the women’s 400m medley final REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina Purchase Licensing Rights
An Israeli medallist was booed by the crowd in a sour finish to the Doha World Championships on Sunday, taking the gloss off some stunning achievements in the pool highlighted by Sarah Sjostrom’s third consecutive 50 metres freestyle world title.
Anastasia Gorbenko took silver in the women’s 400m individual medley but her celebrations were spoiled as a chorus of boos rained down from the terraces, drowning out her post-race interview by the floor presenter.
The jeers continued as Gorbenko left the Aspire Dome pool, and she was booed again at the medals ceremony though there was also applause. Briton Freya Constance Colbert won the race.
The presence of Israeli swimmers at the championships has drawn criticism from some Qatari media outlets and pro-Palestine groups amid Israel’s military campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
Gorbenko said she had been booed multiple times during the week and it had affected her emotionally. But she was defiant that she deserved her moment on the podium.
“I’m here to represent my country… And I’m doing this with the Israeli flag and I’m proud of that. And whoever doesn’t like it, it’s just not my problem,” the 20-year-old told reporters.
Swimming’s global governing body World Aquatics declined to comment.
Politics infused the event in Doha where Belarusian swimmers competed as neutrals due to restrictions imposed on their athletes, and Russia’s, stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — which Moscow called a “special military operation”.
Russia’s swimming federation called the restrictions unacceptable and none of the country’s swimmers competed.
The boycott further weakened the competition, with Doha snubbed by a number of top swimmers due to its unusual scheduling in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics in July and August.
None of the England top-order batters made a substantial score on day 4 of the 3rd Test in Rajkot.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan were magnificent with the bat. | (Credits: Twitter)
England have suffered one of their heaviest defeats in Test cricket as day 4 at the Niranjan Shah Stadium ended with India firmly on top. Simultaneously, India are also on the way to register their biggest win in the format terms of runs and take a 2-1 lead in the five-Test series. The tourists collapsed to 122 to lose by a staggering 434 runs.
India already held a lead of 322 when they started day 4, with Shubman Gill and Kuldeep Yadav taking England to the cleaners. Gill was unfortunate to fall for 91 after Kuldeep Yadav made a poor call from the striker’s end. Kuldeep fell for a decent 27 to Rehan Ahmed. It was all India from that stage as Yashasvi Jaiswal returned to bat and took English bowlers to the cleaners in the company of Sarfaraz Khan.
Jaiswal resumed on 104 and added 110 runs more without much fuss, sending several records tumbling as he smashed his 2nd double-ton of the series. At the other end, Sarfaraz Khan also showcased his prowess, staying unbeaten at 68 as Rohit Sharma declared by setting an improbable 556 for England to win.
India vs England: R Ashwin’s wife Prithi Narayan Ashwin took to Instagram to put a heartfelt message on Ashwin’s incredible milestone of 500 Test wickets. Ashwin had to withdraw from the Rajkot Test temporarily due to a family emergency.
BCCI arranged a charter flight for R Ashwin to head home and return to Rajkot. (AP Photo)
Senior India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had a frantic last 48 hours. After picking his 500th wicket in Test cricket, Ashwin was forced to withdraw midway from the Rajkot Test match to attend a family emergency.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India issued a release, hours after the conclusion of Day 2 of the Test match that Ashwin had to go out of the Test match.
“Ravichandran Ashwin has withdrawn from the Test squad, effective immediately due to a family medical emergency. In these challenging times, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team fully supports Ashwin,” the BCCI press release said.
The spinner however rejoined the Indian team on Day 4, after attending his family in Chennai. Ashwin picked on wicket in his six over spell after giving away just 19 runs.
IND vs ENG, 3rd Test: Match Report
Ashwin’s wife Prithi took to Instagram and penned an emotional note for the cricketer.
“We chased the 500 to Hyderabad, it didn’t happen. To Vizag, it didn’t happen. So I just bought a ton of sweets and gave it to everyone at home at 499. 500 came and went quietly. Till it didn’t. A lot happened between 500 and 501. Longest 48 hours of our lives,” Ashwin’s wife wrote on Instagram.
After former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s deepfake video spread like wildfire on social media, star batter Virat Kohli has become a victim of the same. In a clip that has gone viral on social media, renowned news anchor Anjana Om Kashyap could be portrayed as talking about Virat Kohli promoting an app named Aviator app.
Anjana Om Kashyap and Virat Kohli. | (Credits: Twitter)
The video cuts to Kohli talking about an online game with a winning percentage of 200. With the 35-year-old in reality has not promoted any online game, the video is a dubbed version of an old one, with Kohli claiming that more money can be won by investing a small amount. The clip concludes with the Delhi-born cricketer endorsing the application to the wider public.
In January 2024, Tendulkar took to his official handle on X, addressing the fake video of his daughter using the aviator app. The batting maestro wrote the following on X:
“These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads & apps like these in large numbers. Social Media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the spread of misinformation and deepfakes.”
A magnificent hundred by Yashasvi Jaiswal propelled India to 196/2 at stumps, stretching the overall lead to 322 runs and consolidating their position against England on the third day of the third Test in Rajkot on Saturday.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dream season just got better as he singlehandedly seized the initiative from England with a sizzling century, putting India in complete control at the end of third day’s play in the third Test. Jaiswal’s (104 retired hurt off 133 balls) second ton of the series was beautifully complemented by Shubman Gill (65 batting, 120 balls), who curbed his natural aggression as India ended the day at 196 for 2 in 51 available overs. The left-handed opener, who will be torch-bearer of Indian batting for the next decade, scored his third Test hundred in only seventh Test appearance before the blazing blade was brought to a halt by back spasms that forced him to retire.
The Jaiswal-Gill pair added 155 runs in quick time with the former giving the English team a test of its own medicine with nine fours and five sixes, the best being the imperious pull off Jimmy Anderson.
The overall lead swelled to 322 by stumps, after Indian bowlers made a splendid comeback, getting last five England wickets for only 29 runs with visitors being bowled out for 319.
Mohammed Siraj (4/84 in 21.1 overs) was brilliant with his yorkers to tail-enders while Kuldeep Yadav (2/77 in 18 overs) compensated brilliantly for Ravichandran Ashwin’s unfortunate withdrawal with two quick wickets in the morning session.
However it was Joe Root’s indiscreet reverse ramp off Jasprit Bumrah which Jaiswal pouched with less than a second’s reaction time that turned the tables.
“That shot was not on and it became a turning point,” Siraj said at post-match press conference.
Rohit Sharma’s captaincy was spot-on and the manner in which he tweaked Jasprit Bumrah’s field position at long-on to get Ben Stokes dismissed off Ravindra Jadeja (2/51) spoke volumes about his acumen.
On Sunday, India would be looking to take a lead of at least 425 if not 450 and have at least 125 overs to bowl out England. With no Ashwin available, India would need a cushion of more overs on a deck that is still good for batting.
Jaiswal Jazz
Jaiswal’s onslaught continued despite England frenetically changing their bowling and fielding plans but none worked enough to stop the Indian opener.
Having spotted a vacant off-side field, Jaiswal brought out two reverse sweeps off Rehan Ahmed for fours.
However, his charge was halted only after England brought back Mark Wood for a short-ball ploy yet again in the game with a packed leg side field.
Unfazed with England’s deployments, Jaiswal dealt in singles once into his 90s and brought up his third century of fledgling career with a four off Wood.
However, the left-handed opener had to retired hurt close to the end of the play for being unable to deal with back spasms.
Jaiswal not only took the wind out of England’s aspirations but also consolidated India’s grip on the contest, having lost Rohit Sharma (19) cheaply in the second session.
At the other end, Gill put behind the disappointment of the first-innings duck with a fifth half-century, countering England’s ploy of a packed on-side field with up to six fielders placed and Wood bowling into his body.
India’s task was to preserve wickets and build their lead, given the amount of time left in the game and surface in Rajkot being benign so far.
Additionally, Rohit’s early dismissal with their overall lead not being big enough would have provided some concerns but all that was banished by the pair of Jaiswal and Gill with their unbeaten 155-run stand for the second wicket.
Reliance Foundation athlete Jyothi Yarraji has clinched gold at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.
Jyothi Yarraji. | (Credits: Twitter)
Reliance Foundation athlete Jyothi Yarraji won India’s first medal at the ongoing Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tehran (Iran), winning Gold in the 60m hurdles event with a new national record timing of 8.12s on Saturday. The performance is a great 2024 season opener for Jyothi, who bettered her own national record from last year’s edition at Kazakhstan, where she won silver.
Speaking about the achievement, Jyothi Yarraji said, “The Asian Indoor Athletics Championship was a very good experience. It is the start of the season and the first international competition of the season, so I am very happy with the performance. This gold medal is special. I was a little worried about the pain in the hamstring last week, but my team and physiotherapists at Reliance Foundation worked hard to make me competition-ready.
Media Release – Reliance Foundation’s Jyothi Yarraji Makes History: Clinches Gold and New National Record at Asian Indoor Athletics Championships
Reliance Foundation athlete Jyothi Yarraji won India’s first medal at the ongoing Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tehran… pic.twitter.com/EuQIojOHuj
— Reliance Industries Limited (@RIL_Updates) February 17, 2024
“I am thankful to the Odisha government and the Reliance Foundation for helping me prepare for the competition. I am happy with the way I have started the season.”
Jyothi trained at the Kalinga Indoor Athletics Stadium for the competition. She also participated in the first Indoor Athletics Test Meet organized by Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High Performance Centre. Jyothi continues her excellent from 2023, where she won silver in the 100m hurdles event at the Asian Games & also won two medals at the Asian Championships.
Speaking about her effort, James Hillier, Athletics Director, Reliance Foundation, said, “It was a really good result for Jyothi, we did a 3-week training camp in Bhubaneswar. It was a very helpful session. She wanted to start the season on a good note. She had a small injury during her training, nothing serious but she couldn’t train for a week. Now she is back in form. This was a good race for her.”
World number one Iga Swiatek won the Qatar Open for the third year in a row on Saturday after beating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (10/8), 6-2 in the final. Swiatek is the first player to win three straight titles at the same WTA event since Serena Williams completed a Miami Open hat-trick from 2013-15. Rybakina fell short in her bid for a third title of the year. She had lifted the trophy last week in Abu Dhabi after winning in Brisbane at the start of January.
Swiatek, who entered the final having won her last 21 sets at the tournament, made a dreadful start as she fell a double break behind at 1-4.
The Pole broke twice in succession to bring the set back on serve, but it looked as if Rybakina would snatch it when she won a lengthy 11th game to go 6-5 up with her service game to come.
Swiatek rallied once more to force a tie-break but failed to take two set points before having to save one herself. After another missed opportunity, the top seed closed the set out at the fourth time of asking.
A magnificent hundred by Yashasvi Jaiswal propelled India to 196/2 at stumps, stretching the overall lead to 322 runs and consolidating their position against England on the third day of the third Test in Rajkot on Saturday.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s dream season just got better as he singlehandedly seized the initiative from England with a sizzling century, putting India in complete control at the end of third day’s play in the third Test. Jaiswal’s (104 retired hurt off 133 balls) second ton of the series was beautifully complemented by Shubman Gill (65 batting, 120 balls), who curbed his natural aggression as India ended the day at 196 for 2 in 51 available overs. The left-handed opener, who will be torch-bearer of Indian batting for the next decade, scored his third Test hundred in only seventh Test appearance before the blazing blade was brought to a halt by back spasms that forced him to retire.
The Jaiswal-Gill pair added 155 runs in quick time with the former giving the English team a test of its own medicine with nine fours and five sixes, the best being the imperious pull off Jimmy Anderson.
The overall lead swelled to 322 by stumps, after Indian bowlers made a splendid comeback, getting last five England wickets for only 29 runs with visitors being bowled out for 319.
Mohammed Siraj (4/84 in 21.1 overs) was brilliant with his yorkers to tail-enders while Kuldeep Yadav (2/77 in 18 overs) compensated brilliantly for Ravichandran Ashwin’s unfortunate withdrawal with two quick wickets in the morning session.
However it was Joe Root’s indiscreet reverse ramp off Jasprit Bumrah which Jaiswal pouched with less than a second’s reaction time that turned the tables.
“That shot was not on and it became a turning point,” Siraj said at post-match press conference.
Rohit Sharma’s captaincy was spot-on and the manner in which he tweaked Jasprit Bumrah’s field position at long-on to get Ben Stokes dismissed off Ravindra Jadeja (2/51) spoke volumes about his acumen.
On Sunday, India would be looking to take a lead of at least 425 if not 450 and have at least 125 overs to bowl out England. With no Ashwin available, India would need a cushion of more overs on a deck that is still good for batting.
Jaiswal Jazz
Jaiswal’s onslaught continued despite England frenetically changing their bowling and fielding plans but none worked enough to stop the Indian opener.
Having spotted a vacant off-side field, Jaiswal brought out two reverse sweeps off Rehan Ahmed for fours.
However, his charge was halted only after England brought back Mark Wood for a short-ball ploy yet again in the game with a packed leg side field.
Unfazed with England’s deployments, Jaiswal dealt in singles once into his 90s and brought up his third century of fledgling career with a four off Wood.
However, the left-handed opener had to retired hurt close to the end of the play for being unable to deal with back spasms.
Jaiswal not only took the wind out of England’s aspirations but also consolidated India’s grip on the contest, having lost Rohit Sharma (19) cheaply in the second session.
At the other end, Gill put behind the disappointment of the first-innings duck with a fifth half-century, countering England’s ploy of a packed on-side field with up to six fielders placed and Wood bowling into his body.
India’s task was to preserve wickets and build their lead, given the amount of time left in the game and surface in Rajkot being benign so far.
Additionally, Rohit’s early dismissal with their overall lead not being big enough would have provided some concerns but all that was banished by the pair of Jaiswal and Gill with their unbeaten 155-run stand for the second wicket.
Indian women shuttlers’ dream run continued as they progressed to their first-ever final at the Badminton Asia Team Championships after edging out two-time former champions Japan 3-2 in a thrilling semifinal on Saturday.
Indian women shuttlers’ dream run continued as they progressed to their first-ever final at the Badminton Asia Team Championships after edging out two-time former champions Japan 3-2 in a thrilling semifinal on Saturday. World No. 23 pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, world No. 53 Ashmita Chaliha and the 17-year-old Anmol Kharb registered stunning wins in the first doubles and second and deciding singles to take India through to the summit clash. India will face Thailand in the final on Sunday.
Though Japan were without their world No. 4 Akane Yamaguchi, world No. 7 pair of Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota and world No. 8 combination of Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara, they were still a formidable side, making it a tough battle for India.
Returning from a long injury layoff, Sindhu had enjoyed wins against China’s Han Yue and Hong Kong’s Lo Sin Yan Happy but she couldn’t produce her best against the left-handed Aya Ohori, going down 13-21, 20-22 in the first singles to peg India back.
Treesa and Gayatri, playing the first doubles, dished out a superlative performance to outwit world No. 6 Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida 21-17, 16-21, 22-20 in a 73-minute contest as India drew level at 1-1.
Up against former world champion Nozomi Okuhara, who is currently ranked world No. 20, the left-handed Ashmita produced an aggressive game, using her overhead cross drops and jump smashes to good use, to record a shocking 21-17, 21-14 win to hand India a 2-1 lead.
With Tanisha Crasto suffering a niggle, Sindhu then paired up with Ashwini Ponnappa but they couldn’t get across the world No. 11 pair of Rena Miyaura and Ayako Sakuramoto, losing 14-21, 11-21 in 43 minutes.
Ashwin took his landmark 500th Test wicket on Friday, with England’s Crawley caught after top-edging a sweep
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has pulled out of the third Test against England in Rajkot because of a family emergency.
On Friday’s second day, the 37-year-old became only the ninth man to reach 500 Test wickets.
“The health and wellbeing of the players and their loved ones are of utmost importance,” said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“The BCCI extends heartfelt support to the champion cricketer and his family.”
Rajiv Shukla, vice-president of the BCCI, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Ashwin had to “rush and leave Rajkot Test to Chennai to be with his mother”.
After two days, England are 207-2 in their first innings, 238 behind India’s 445.
Thrilling Duckett century leads England counter
Duckett century amazing to watch – Wood
On Friday, Ashwin made 37 with the bat, then had England opener Zak Crawley caught off a top-edged sweep to reach the milestone of 500 wickets.
He is the second Indian to achieve the landmark and fifth spin bowler.
Ashwin was also the batter in question when India were penalised five penalty runs for running on the pitch.
If he does not return to the Test, India will not be allowed to replace his batting or bowling, but will be permitted a substitute fielder.
“In these challenging times, the BCCI and the team fully supports Ashwin,” said the BCCI statement.
“The board and the team will continue to provide any necessary assistance to Ashwin and will keep the lines of communication open to offer support as needed. Team India appreciates the understanding and empathy of the fans and media during this sensitive period.”
The five-match series is currently level at 1-1.
India are already without star batter Virat Kohli, after he withdrew from the series for personal reasons.
Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring a penalty against Newcastle United during a Champions League game in November. Pic: AP Photo/Christophe Ena
Kylian Mbappe has told Paris Saint-Germain he will leave at the end of the 2023-2024 season when his contract expires, Sky News understands.
Mbappe’s current contract with PSG expires in the summer and since 1 January he has been able to hold pre-contract talks with other clubs.
The terms of the forward’s exit are yet to be finalised as the two parties negotiate whether Mbappe will leave for a fee or sacrifice his own earnings to protect PSG financially.
It is understood PSG and Mbappe will make an announcement once this is agreed in the coming months.
The 25-year-old has been widely linked with a move to Real Madrid.
But, it has been reported Mbappe would have to take a pay cut to join the Spanish side.
IND vs SA: Sarfaraz Khan’s father Naushad said that getting run out is part and parcel of the game, and he did not want to blame anyone for the dismissal.
Sarfaraz Khan’s father not willing to play blame game after son’s run out. Courtesy: Reuters
Sarfaraz Khan’s father, Naushad, said that he wouldn’t want to blame anyone after the young Indian batter got run out on his Test debut against England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.
On Thursday, February 15, Sarfaraz donned the India colours for the first time and raced to his half-century off 48 balls.
When he was looking good for a big score, he got run out against the run of play after a miscommunication with Ravindra Jadeja. | IND vs ENG, 3rd Test scorecard
Jadeja called for a single and Sarfaraz responded to his partner’s call. However, Jadeja backed out midway, after which it was too late for Sarfaraz to make his ground at the non-striker’s end.
Mark Wood pulled off a stupendous direct hit to pull the curtains down on Sarfaraz Khan’s brilliant knock. Skipper Rohit Sharma was also not happy as he showed his anguish inside the dressing room.
“It’s a part and parcel of the game. Sometimes, you get run out and sometimes in some other way. It was his luck and I would not blame anyone. If luck favours him, he will again score big,” Sarfaraz’s father told Aaj Tak.
Sarfaraz’s father was present at the venue, cheering for his son, and also made an appearance in the commentary box.
‘Feeling bad for Sarfaraz’
Sarfaraz scored 62 runs off 66 balls with 9 fours and 2 sixes, helping India post a decent score of 326 for 5 on the board against the Three Lions.
Sarfaraz also stitched together a valuable partnership of 77 runs for the fifth wicket along with Jadeja, who went on to score his fourth Test hundred and complete 3000 Test runs.
On the run out, Jadeja dropped a post on his Instagram story, apologising for the mishap in the middle.
“Feeling bad for Sarfaraz Khan. It was my wrong call. Well played,” Jadeja’s Instagram story read.
Eternal optimism, one Bollywood movie song and the shayaris kept the son of a cricket obsessed father going.
Throughout his knock, Sarfaraz showed the daring, composure and will, virtues that showed he belongs to the Test level. (Reuters/PTI)
Sarfaraz Khan could not hold his tears back when the legendary Anil Kumble handed him his maiden Test cap, just before the start of the third Test between India and England Rajkot. Beside him was his wife, who too was overcome with emotions. Then he ran towards his father Naushad, the most influential figure of his life, and hugged him. “I will cry the whole day when I play for my country,” he had once told The Indian Express.
As the day progressed, he pushed some of the English bowlers to the verge of tears too, as his robust 62 off 66 balls, brutally cut short by a run out, played a big role in helping his country post 326 for five. Throughout his knock, he showed the daring, composure and will, virtues that showed he belongs to the Test level. The England bowlers tested him with everything they could—pace and seam bowling, spin of various hues and funky field placings—but he had an answer to every question they posed to him. Like he had an answer to every hurdle that he had to overcome to reach this far.
Somi Kohli showing his photos with MS Dhoni (Screeengrab)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, arguably India’s greatest captain, is lauded for his demenour on and off the field with the captain cool’s actions warming the hearts of his fans.
Under Dhoni, India won the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup and a Champions Trophy as well as reaching the top of ICC Test rankings for the first time.
Recently the story of MSD’s kind heart went viral on social media. The story behind the bat manufacturer BAS, whose bat Dhoni used during the early days of his career, took the internet by storm.
Somi Kohli, the owner of BAS, in a viral video revealed how Dhoni rejected a contract worth crores and even refused to accept any payment for using the bat manufacturer’s sticker. This Kohli explained was Dhoni’s way of repaying help during his initial days as a cricketer.
“Dhoni did not mention any money. He just said ‘put your stickers on my bats and send them across’. I tried to convince him, ‘You’re letting go of such a lucrative contract’. He refused crores of rupees worth of contract. I requested his wife Sakshi, his father, mother. Even told his CA and Paramjit from Ranchi. They all went to his home before the World Cup. But he said ‘No… it is my decision’,” Mr. Kohli said in a video on Sports Launchpad YouTube channel.
Dhoni was recently seen batting in the nets as the legendary cricketer preapres for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. The viral photo shows Dhoni playing with a ‘Prime Sports’ bat in the nets.
‘Prime Sports’ is the name of sports goods store-turned-company in Ranchi, which is owned by Dhoni’s friend Paramjit Singh.
Shah was present at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Khanderi, which was renamed after veteran cricket administrator Niranjan Shah, as the chief guest.
Rajkot: India will be playing the T20 World Cup 2024, to be organised in the Caribbean and the USA, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, said BCCI secretary Jay Shah at an event here on Wednesday.
India have had Hardik Pandya as their full-time skipper in the shortest format but the heartbreaking loss in the final of the 2023 World Cup to Australia have reignited the murmurs of senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit returning for the T20 showpiece in June.
Will win T20 WC under Rohit’s captaincy: Shah
“In 2023 (final) at Ahmedabad, even though we did not win the World Cup after 10 straight wins, we won hearts. I want to promise you that in 2024 (T20 World Cup) in Barbados (venue for the final), under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, ham Bharat ka jhanda gaadenge (we will hoist the Indian flag),” Shah said at the end of his speech.
Shah was present at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Khanderi, which was renamed after veteran cricket administrator Niranjan Shah, as the chief guest.
Ishan Kishan has constantly been in the news for the past one month since he took a break midway into India’s Tour of South Africa. While the BCCI was supportive of his decision to take a break, what many reports have suggested is that Ishan Kishan’s lack of game-time after the Tour ended may have raised a few eyebrows. Despite Indian cricket team coach Rahul Dravid saying that Ishan Kishan needs to play some form of cricket, to make a national team comeback, Ishan Kishan has been absent from the scene. Despite the ongoing Ranji Trophy campaign, Ishan has not been competing in the premier domestic competition and rather training on his own.
These have led to speculation about Ishan Kishan’s future in Indian cricket.
Asked if Kishan Kishan would find himself out of BCCI retainership (he has a grade C annual contract of Rs 1 crore), a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity: “No discussions have taken place as of now regarding central contracts.”
With the ICC T20 World Cup in the Americas, starting from June 1 and India playing their opening game on June 5 in New York, the workload of India’s core group of players during the IPL, which is going to be tentatively scheduled between March 22 to May 26, will be very important.
A terrifying video of an Indonesian footballer getting hit by lightning has sent shockwaves across the sports world. According to reports in international media, the footballer named Septain Raharja, from Subang, collapsed after the incident during a friendly match at the Siliwangi Stadium in Bandung, West Java on Saturday. The match was on when the incident happened. The footballer was breathing after being struck by lightning and was rushed to a local hospital but died soon afterwards, according to Indonesia’s PRFM News.
The video, capturing the exact moment when the 35-year-old Septain Raharja was struck by lightning, has gone viral. According to standard.co.uk, Septain Raharja, was competing in a friendly football match between 2 FLO FC Bandung and FBI Subang, when lightning struck him at around 4:20pm local time on Saturday.
Footballer (soccer) dead after being struck by lightning during a match in Indonesia⚡️
⭕️The man, later identified as Septain Raharja(35), was competing in a friendly football match between 2 FLO FC Bandung and FBI Subang, when lightning struck him at around 4:20pm local time on… pic.twitter.com/rAzB0rHCVi
After the incident, several Indonesian teams maintained a moment of silence in the memory of the bereaved.
According to Daily Mail, Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency’s (BMKG) analysis said the cloud the lightning came from was just 300m above the stadium when it struck the footballer.
Quite astonishingly, this is not the first time that a footballer in Indonesia was struck by lightning mid-match in recent times. In 2023, a youngster in Bojonegoro, East Java was struck by lightning during the Soeratin U-13 Cup.
He suffered a cardiac arrest and was immediately taken to hospital for treatment. The boy was revived and regained consciousness after 20 minutes.
Football – NFL – Super Bowl LVIII – Kansas City Chiefs v San Francisco 49ers – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States – February 11, 2024 Kansas City Chiefs’ Harrison Butker kicks a field goal REUTERS/Mike Blake Purchase Licensing Rights
The San Francisco 49ers woke up on Monday still stinging from a Super Bowl loss and facing criticism given that some of their players admitted they were not aware of playoff overtime rules that allowed for both teams to possess the ball.
Sunday’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas was only the second to go to overtime and the first to fall under a March 2022 rule change which eliminated the chance of a team winning the game outright on the first possession of the extra period with a touchdown.
“I didn’t even know about the new playoff overtime rule, so it was a surprise to me,” 49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead said after the game. “I didn’t even really know what was going on in terms of that.”
After winning the overtime coin toss, the 49ers elected to receive the ball to start the extra frame and marched down the field before settling for a 27-yard field goal and a 22-19 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs.
But the Chiefs responded with a 75-yard drive that Patrick Mahomes capped with a three-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman that secured a 25-22 victory.
In the regular season, if the team that gets the ball first in overtime scores a touchdown on the opening possession, they win.
“You know what? I didn’t even realize the playoff rules were different in overtime. I assume you just want the ball to score a touchdown and win,” 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk said in an ESPN report. “I guess that’s not the case. I don’t totally know the strategy there. We hadn’t talked about it, no.”
BCCI’s press release had no mention of Jadeja’s fitness status or his availability for selection in the third Test against England in Rajkot
India’s Ravindra Jadeja walks off the ground after being run out during the fourth day of the first Test vs England(PTI)
In another big blow to India’s batting plans for the third Test against England, the hosts lost KL Rahul after he failed to recover from his injury that kept him out of the second Test in Visakhapatnam. Rahul, whose availability for the last three Test matches of the series was subject to fitness, was on Monday ruled out as BCCI’s selection committee named Devdutt Padikkal, another Karnataka batter, as his replacement. But what is the fitness status of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, whose selection for the Rajkot match was also subject to fitness?
Last week, selectors had named a 17-man squad for the final three Tests against England. Shreyas Iyer was dropped from the team, following a string of poor returns with the bat, but Jadeja and Rahul were added to the list, although their participation was subject to fitness clearance from BCCI’s medical team. Jadeja had incurred a hamstring injury during the first Test in Hyderabad, and Rahul complained of quadriceps pain after the match, subsequently leading to both the senior players getting ruled out of the second game in Visakhapatnam.
Rahul, however, failed to recover in time for the Rajkot Test as the batter will continue his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru before returning for the final two Tests. “Rahul has reached 90 per cent of match fitness and is progressing well under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team. He will continue his recovery process at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to be completely match-fit for the fourth and fifth Test,” read the BCCI statement.
Disappointment gripped the Indian camp in Benoni as the Uday Saharan-led Team India tasted defeat, failing to defend the Under-19 World Cup title on Sunday. Australia emerged as the new champions after beating India by 70 runs in the big final. This was Australia’s fourth U19 title and first since 2010 and, in a way, they also washed away the pain of losing to India in two title matches in 2012 and 2018.
Chasing the highest-ever total of 253 in the history of the tournament finals, Saharan & stumbled to 174 all out as the relentless Aussie bowlers did not give them any breathing space.
Pacer Callum Vidler started Australia’s victory march by packing off Indian opener Arshin Kulkarni, inducing an edge to stumper Ryan Hicks. From that point, India simply failed to stitch together any meaningful partnerships as frontline batters including skipper Saharan (8), Musheer Khan, who received a reprieve on zero, and Sachin Dhas (9) departed without making any real contributions.
Beardman broke through the defence of Musheer (22) with a delivery that kept a tad low, while the pacer tempted Saharan, the tournament’s highest run-getter, with a slightly wide delivery on off-stump, but his slash ended in the hands of Hugh Weibgen at point. The Aussie quick later added the wicket of opener Adarsh Singh, who was India’s highest scorer on the day with a 77-ball 47, to bulldoze the Indian batting unit with pace and bounce.
If the Indian batters could not cope with the hostility of Beardman, a disciple of legendary Dennis Lillee, they could not counter the guile of MacMillan, Australia’s lone spinner this day. MacMillan was introduced in the 20th over and he dismissed Dhas off his first ball, a regulation catch to Hicks behind the stumps.
Murugan Abhishek (42, 45b) tried gamely in the company of Naman Tiwari adding 46 runs for the ninth wicket, highest of the innings, but the task proved beyond his reach. However, the Australian batters too can claim the right amount of credit for this triumph.
Uday Saharan admitted that his batters faltered in their execution and paid the price for playing rash shots in a heartbreaking 79-run loss to Australia in the U-19 World Cup final.
India skipper Uday Saharan admitted that his batters faltered in their execution and paid the price for playing rash shots in a heartbreaking 79-run loss to Australia in the U-19 World Cup final on Sunday. Set 254 to win, India cut a sorry figure with the bat as they were all out for 174 in 43.5 overs. Opener Adarsh Singh (47) and number 8 Murugan Abhishek (42) were the only Indian batters who showed the stomach to fight as the title slipped out of their hands. “We played a few rash shots, couldn’t spend more time at the crease. We had prepared, but couldn’t execute,” said Saharan during the post-match presentation.
While India faltered in the final step, skipper Saharan praised the team for their impressive run in the tournament.
“It was a very good tournament. I am very proud of the boys, they all played very well. They all showed great fighting spirit from the start, very proud of them,” he said.
“We got to learn a lot from the start to now. From the coaching staff to the games, learned a lot. Now we just need to keep learning more and move ahead.” For Australia it was their fourth U-19 World Cup title.
“It’s unbelievable. I am so proud of this group of boys and the coaches. A lot of work has gone in over the last few months,” Australia captain Hugh Weibgen said.
“We had fair bit of confidence that if we got 250 on the board, we’d defend it. India, obviously, is a class side, they dominated the whole tournament and they were on the wrong side today but they have a lot of class.” Australian bowlers were on the money with Callum Vidler (2/35), Charlie Anderson (1/42), Mahli Beardman (3/15) and Tom Straker (1/32) sharing seven wickets in the final.
“Personally, as a unit they work so well together. They know their roles, they know their jobs. I’ll be very surprised if the four of them don’t go a long way.” Weibgen also heaped praise on Harjas Singh, who top-scored for Australia with 55.
Last year Kiptum shattered the men’s world record, winning the Chicago Marathon in two hours and 35 seconds. His record was ratified by international track federation World Athletics last week.
Pic: PA
World marathon record holder and London Marathon winner Kelvin Kiptum and his coach have died in a car crash, Kenya’s former prime minister has said.
The 24-year-old won the London Marathon last year.
His coach was also killed in the crash, Kenyan runner Milcah Chemos said, who went to the hospital where the bodies were taken.
The crash happened on a road between two towns in western Kenya, she said, in a high-altitude region renowned as a training base for long distance runners.
Kenya’s former prime minister Raila Odinga said on X: “Devastating news as we mourn the loss of a remarkable individual, Kelvin Kiptum, World Record holder and Kenyan athletics icon. Together with his coach, they tragically passed on in an accident tonight.
“My deepest condolences to his loved ones, friends, and the entire athletics fraternity.
“Our nation grieves the profound loss of a true hero.”
Kiptum smashed the course record for the London Marathon last year, winning the men’s event in the second-fastest marathon in history, crossing the finish line in two hours one minute and 25 seconds.
Swimming – World Aquatics Championships – Aspire Dome, Doha, Qatar – February 11, 2024 China’s Pan Zhanle in action during the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay heats REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne Purchase Licensing Rights
China’s teen sensation Pan Zhanle set the men’s 100 metres freestyle world record at the swimming World Championships in Doha on Sunday with a stunning leadoff swim in the 4x100m relay to power his nation to the title.
The 19-year-old clocked 46.80 seconds, eclipsing the previous mark of 46.86 set by Romania’s David Popovici, as the opening day of the event finished with a bang at the Aspire Dome pool.
The amazing swim lifts the teenager into favourite for the 100m gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
A calm Pan said he had not been hunting the world record.
“Actually at this meet, the main thing for me was to perform,” he told reporters.
“My next goal is to swim fast — faster and faster.
“I don’t know (how fast).”
The 19-year-old flirted with record pace at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year.
He became the first Asian swimmer to break the 47 seconds barrier in the event and clocked an incredible 46.65 in a relay leg. Only the leadoff leg of a relay counts as a world record.
Umesh, who last appeared for India in the World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023, seemed particularly hurt by the non-selection
Umesh Yadav last played for India in the WTC final in June 2023(ANI)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Saturday, announced the squad for the final three matches of the five-Test series against England. Shreyas Iyer was left out, Virat Kohli remained unavailable because of personal reasons, while Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul have been named in the 17-man India squad, albeit their participation is subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI’s medical team.
While Iyer’s absence and the true reason behind it remained the cynosure of the squad announcement, BCCI’s move also indicated that India have begun to look past veteran stars in Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Umesh Yadav despite the batting order lacking experience and the pace-bowling line-up relying on completely on Jasprit Bumrah.
Umesh, who last appeared for India in the World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023, seemed particularly hurt by the non-selection, especially after an impressive run in the ongoing domestic season where he has picked up 19 wickets in seven innings.
Taking on Instagram after the squad announcement, Umesh posted a story that read: “Kitaabon par dhool jamne se, kahaaniyan khatm nahi hoti (Stories don’t get over with dust accumulating on books).”
BCCI’s selection committee has picked Akash Deep as the extra seamer in the line-up. The Bengal quick, who snared 103 wickets in 28 first-class games at 23.18, earned his maiden call-up.
Umesh’s non-selection happened amid concerning numbers from India’s second seamer. Indian fast-bowling unit have picked up 16 wickets in two Tests, with Bumrah accounting for 14 of those dismissals at just 10.66. Mohammed Siraj went wicketless in the opening Test, where he bowled only 11 overs. Mukhesh Kumar, who replaced him in the India XI for the Vizag match, averaged 70 in 12 overs for a single wicket.
Hosts Qatar retained the Asian Cup with a 3-1 win on Saturday against surprise packages Jordan with Akram Afif the home hero with a hat-trick of penalties.
Akram Afif scored a hat-trick in final of AFC Asian Cup against Jordan.
Hosts Qatar retained the Asian Cup with a 3-1 win on Saturday against surprise packages Jordan with Akram Afif the home hero with a hat-trick of penalties. It was a fitting final act to a month of football that began with 24 teams and witnessed a series of dramatic games. It will also help dispel the memories of Qatar’s World Cup, when they lost all three games, the worst record of any host in the competition’s history. Playing in front of 86,492 spectators at Lusail Stadium, which staged the World Cup final 14 months ago, Jordan were in their first Asian Cup final and contesting the biggest game in their history.
Ranked 87th in FIFA’s world rankings, 29 places below their opponents, they fell behind midway through the first half when forward Afif held his nerve with a penalty for his sixth goal of the tournament.
Qatar fully deserved their half-time lead but Jordan roared back to equalise through Yazan Al-Naimat’s smart finish.
The underdogs were level however for just six minutes, Afif slotting home once again from the penalty spot after the referee was advised by VAR to go to his pitch-side monitor.
This time there was to be no Jordan comeback and Afif scored again from the spot for his hat-trick in injury time, again after a VAR intervention.
At the final whistle the triumphant Qatari substitutes raced from the bench and threw Afif in the air.
Afif holds nerve
Qatar came into the final attempting to become the fifth team to lift back-to-back Asian titles and hoping to erase the bitter memories of their home World Cup.
The Under-19 World Cup final on Sunday will be a ninth apperance for India in the summit clash of the event
Uday Saharan-led Indian cricket team will be taking on Australia in the final of Under-19 World Cup 2024 at Willowmoore Park, Benoni on Sunday. It will be a ninth apperance for India in the summit clash of the event. Out of the eight matches played so far, the side won five and lost three. Notably, India are the most successful team in the history of the tournament. Australia, with three titles, are the second best team on the list. Here is a look at India’s performance in the finals of Under-19 World Cup so far –
2000: This was the first time India made it to the summit clash of the event. Under the captaincy of Mohammad Kaif, India registered a one-sided victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo. After getting an invitation to bowl first, India bundled out Sri Lanka for 178 and then chased down the total in 40.4 overs with 6 wickets in hand. Yuvraj Singh was also a part of that Indian team.
2006: This India’s second appearance in the final of Under-19 World Cup but unlike the last time, the result didn’t go in their favour as they suffered a 38-run loss at hands of arch-rivals Pakistan in Colombo. Ravikant Shukla was the captain of the Indian side that had the likes of Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Piyush Chawla. Pakistan posted 109 all out after electing to bat first and then bowled India out for 71.
2008: This was the third time India entered the final of Under-19 World Cup. The side handed a 12-run loss (DLS method) to its opponent South Africa in Kuala Lumpur. Virat Kohli-led India posted a total of 159 all out before restricting the Proteas to 103 for 8. Stars like Saurabh Tiwary, Manish Pandey, Ravindra Jadeja and Siddarth Kaul were also part of the Indian team.
2012: India won the title for the third time, beating Australia in the summit clash in Townsville. India restricted Australia at 225 for 8 after electing to bowl first. The side then chased down the target in 47.4 overs with 6 wickets in hand, thanks to captain Unmukt Chand’s 111 not out. Hanuma Vihari and Sandeep Sharma were also the part of the winning Indian team.
2016: From this edition, India have consecutively managed to make it to the final of Under-19 World Cup so far. Getting an invitation to bat first against West Indies in Mirpur, Ishan Kishan-led India posted 145 only to see their opponents chase it down in 49.3 overs. Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Sarfaraz Khan, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan were among the star players in the team.
2018: This final against Australia at Mount Maunganui was truly dominated by India. Electing to bat first, Australia posted 216 before India chased it down in 38.5 overs. Prithvi Shaw was the captain of the Indian side that had the likes of Shubman Gill and Shivam Mavi.
Feb 7, 2024; Tokyo, Japan; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) dribbles against Vissel Kobe midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi (7) during the second half of a preseason friendly at Japan National Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Naoki Nishimura-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Argentina’s friendly against Ivory Coast, scheduled to be held in Beijing in March, has been cancelled, the Chinese city’s football association said on Saturday, following a backlash against Lionel Messi’s failure to play in a match in Hong Kong.
Beijing’s announcement came a day after Hangzhou’s sports authorities also cancelled a friendly between Argentina and Nigeria after Messi’s failure to play for Inter Miami in Hong Kong on Sunday caused widespread anger among fans.
“Beijing does not plan, for the moment, to organise the match in which Lionel Messi was to participate,” the Beijing Football Association said in a statement to local media.
Messi, who did not play in the friendly in Hong Kong due to a reported injury, appeared as a second-half substitute on Wednesday in Inter Miami’s friendly against Vissel Kobe in Tokyo.
Preparations are underway at Allegiant Stadium ahead of the NFL’s Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., February 9, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder Purchase Licensing Rights
The sports gambling industry is preparing for a record-breaking inflow of money as Americans bet on Sunday’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
A record 67.8 million American adults are expected to bet a combined $23.1 billion on the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, the American Gaming Association said this week.
So far, the highest wager at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas is $1 million towards the San Francisco 49ers beating the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Caesars Sportsbook Assistant Director of Trading Adam Pullen.
“They’re very passionate about their teams, the Bay Area fans, and they come over and they use their passion at the betting windows,” Pullen said.
“You might get more people that maybe wouldn’t bet, are going to throw a bet down, just because everybody knows it’s here. So, yeah, records will be set.”
The number of American adults planning to bet on the NFL’s title game is up 35% from a survey conducted last year by the trade group representing the U.S. casino industry, while the estimated value of wagers is well up from $16 billion last year.
With the expansion of legal sports betting, the AGA said traditional Super Bowl wagers are expected to pass casual wagers for a second consecutive year.
Las Vegas native Robert Jansing, a 49ers fan, was putting his faith – and money – in favor of San Francisco at the Caesars Sportsbook.
“I don’t bet a lot, but on the Super Bowl, I always do the Super Bowl…biggest game of the year,” Jansing said. “And I won the last two. I bet on Kansas City last year and I bet on the Rams a year before. So we’ll see how it goes.”
In an YouTube live, South Africa great AB de Villiers has apologised to the Kohli family.
Virat Kohli’s name is missing from the squad list for the last three Tests against England, which was announced on Saturday. “Virat Kohli will remain unavailable for selection for the remainder of the series due to personal reasons. The Board fully respects and supports Mr. Kohli’s decision,” the BCCI said in a release. There has been intense speculation about the nature of Virat Kohli’s ‘personal reason.’ In the midst of this Virat Kohli’s long-time teammate at Royal Challengers Bangalore, AB de Villiers last week said that the India star and Anushka Sharma’s “second child is on the way”.
On Friday, however, ABD did a U-Turn and said: “Family comes first and then Cricket. I had made a big mistake on my YouTube channel. That information was wrong and not true at all. I think whatever’s best for Virat’s family comes first. No one knows what’s happening there, all i can do is wish him well. Whatever the reason for his break, I hope he can comeback stronger, better and fresh from this.”
Now, in an YouTube live, the South Africa great has apologised to the Kohli family.
“My friend Virat Kohli is still not available. I cry out to everybody to give him the privacy that he deserves. Family comes first. No one knows what exactly is going on. I am asking all of us to respect that. I did bit of a blunder in my previous show and I apologise to the Kohli family for that,” AB de Villiers said in an YouTube Live.
“Just not nice. I shared information that was not confirmed at all so. I am begging everyone out there to respect him and his family and his private time. Hopefully, we will see Virat back, happy and scoring runs. Like he always does.”
In his previous YouTube live, de Villiers was asked if he has spoken to Virat Kohli and whether he is fine or not.
“All I know is he is fine. He is spending a bit of time with his family, that is the reason he is missing the first two Test matches. I am not going to confirm anything else. I cannot wait to see him back. He is fine, he is happy,” revealed AB de Villiers on his YouTube channel.
“Let me just see what he said. I just want to at least give you a little bit of love,” he added.
“So I wrote to him ‘Been wanting to check in with you for a while now biscuits. How are you?’. He said ‘Just need to be with my family right now’. Then I said I am doing well.
Virat Kohli is expected to miss the last three Tests against England. (AFP Image)
India might miss the services of Virat Kohli in the last three Test matches against England as the batting maestro has reportedly withdrawn his name from the series. Kohli missed the first two Tests of the series due to personal reasons and it seems like now India have to deal without him in the remaining matches too.
According to a report on Indian Express, Kohli has already informed the team selectors on Friday in an online meeting that he has decided to withdraw his name from the remaining matches which will be played at Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala.
Earlier, Kohli was picked in the squad for the first two Test but he withdrew his name three days prior to Hyderabad Test due to personal reasons.
The only word from the BCCI on Kohli came in a media advisory on January 22 where they informed about the former India captain’s withdrawal from the first two Tests in Hyderabad and Vizag respectively.
“Mr Virat Kohli has requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be withdrawn from the first two Tests of the upcoming IDFC First Bank Test series against England, citing personal reasons.
“Virat has spoken to Captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors and has emphasized that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention,” read a BCCI statement.
Meanwhile, the selectors have not announced the squad for the last three Tests yet as they are awaiting the fitness clearance of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja who missed the Vizag Test due to injuries.
In the interview, it was reported that Anirudhsinh Jadeja, the father of Ravindra Jadeja, explicitly stated that he has absolutely no connection with his son
Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has denied the allegations made by his father, Anirudhsinh Jadeja, who reportedly accused the cricketer’s wife, Rivaba, of causing discord within the family. Ravindra, in a post on X, referred to his father’s interview with a Gujarati daily as “scripted” and characterized it as an effort to “tarnish” the image of his wife, Rivaba.
Accompanying a graphic post on X, the CSK star captioned a message in Gujarati, stating, “All the claims made in the baseless interview are devoid of meaning and accuracy. It presents a one-sided narrative, and I categorically reject the accusations. The efforts to smear the reputation of my wife are truly condemnable and inappropriate. While I have much to express, I choose not to do so publicly.”
In an interview with Divya Bhaskar, Anirudhsinh Jadeja asserted that he maintains “no connection whatsoever with Ravi (Ravindra Singh Jadeja) or his wife (Rivaba Jadeja).” He emphasized the lack of communication, stating, “We don’t call them, and they don’t call us.” Anirudhsinh alleged that a dispute arose within three months of Ravindra Jadeja’s marriage. He mentioned residing alone in Jamnagar, with Ravindra’s separate Panchvati bungalow also in the same city. Anirudhsinh expressed bewilderment, stating, “I don’t know what magic the wife has done…” as quoted by Divya Bhaskar.
The Undertaker made his way towards the ground with his trademark entrance as the lights in the Kingdom Arena went off while a giant moon was projected on the screen.
Cristiano Ronaldo was among many who were left awestruck as the WWE Superstar The Undertaker made a special appearance during the Riyadh Season Cup final against Al-Hilal on Thursday. The Undertaker made his way towards the ground with his trademark entrance as the lights in the Kingdom Arena went off while a giant moon was projected on the screen and laser lights were flashed throughout the stadium. The Undertaker, also known as Mark William Calaway, walked through the stage and unveiled the trophy to the fans present inside the stadium.
Ronaldo had a smile on his face as he was seen joking about something with his teammates as the Undertaker lifted the trophy.
Pakistan team was crestfallen, tears flowing down the cheeks of players after losing the U19 World Cup semifinal to Australia in a last-over thriller.
Pakistan were crestfallen. (Screengrab)
Pakistan played one of the most thrilling knockouts in the history of the Under19 World Cup, but in the end, it was Australia, who held their nerves and saw themselves through to the final. After a topsy-turvy 99 overs of play, the match boiled down to the last six balls, with Australia needing to knock off three. Zeeshan Ahmed ran in hoping to deliver the knockout punch but voice captain Raf MacMillan inside-edged the ball to the boundary. Ubaid Shah, Naseem’s brother, stationed at short fine leg gave it a chase but emerged second base. Australia had won by the narrowest margin of one wicket, when it all seemed lost a few overs ago, and set up a blockbuster final against India on Sunday.
As the ball touched the boundary, Umaid just lay there motionless. Zeeshan and captain Saad Baig were on the ground shattered, while the rest of the team were unable to lift themselves up. Tears were flowing down many a cheek. Pakistan were so near and yet so far. They made a match out of it after getting all out for 179 with Ali Raza doing the bulk of the damage with 4/34. But at last, it just wasn’t going to be. Heartbreak all around.
Things could have worked in Pakistan’s favour though, had they not wasted time in between overs. As a result, they were forced to place a fielder inside the 30-yard circle. Who knows, had Ubaid been in the deep, the result could have been something else. But it is what it is. Pakistan are on their way back. Australia are into the summit clash where a repeat of the men’s ICC World Cup 2023 awaits.
“Difficult to be the losing team, but we were short by 20-30 runs. We put in 100 percent effort. They played well. Boys fought really well. The way Ali Raza bowled was brilliant. Throughout the tournament, our bowling was good in the tournament. One team has to win, one has to lose, that’s the game,” losing captain Baig said at the post-match press conference.
Chinese state media, Hong Kong politicians and some fans swiftly condemned Argentine player Lionel Messi’s participation in a match in Japan on Wednesday after staying on the bench just days earlier in a highly anticipated game in Hong Kong.
Many in the financial hub were dismayed on Sunday when the 36-year-old did not come onto the field during a much hyped Inter Miami match in front of a sell-out crowd, with fans demanding answers and a refund.
Miami head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said Messi was deemed unfit to play in Sunday’s friendly in Hong Kong, but he came on as a 60th minute substitute against Vissel Kobe on Wednesday.
China’s state-controlled Global Times said Messi’s absence posed many questions on the differential treatment for Hong Kong.
“The match in Hong Kong became the only one in Messi’s six pre-season friendly matches on this trip where he was absent. The situation … has magnified these doubts and suspicions on the integrity of Inter Miami and Messi himself.”
Some mainland fans travelled 12 hours from Xinjiang to Hong Kong to see Messi, the Global Times wrote, with the disappointment of the government and fans “entirely understandable. The impact of this incident has far exceeded the realm of sports.”
Tokyo, Japan; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) dribbles the ball against Vissel Kobe during the second half of a preseason friendly at Japan National Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Naoki Nishimura-USA TODAY Sports Purchase Licensing Rights
Messi apologised to his Chinese fans on Weibo, a Chinese platform similar to X, just ahead of the game on Wednesday, saying it was a real shame he was not able to play in Hong Kong due to an injury.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I always want to play… especially in these games where we travel so far and people are excited to see our games. Hopefully we can come back and play a game in Hong Kong,” he wrote in Chinese and Spanish.
The match in Hong Kong drew 40,000 fans, with spectators paying up to nearly HK$5,000 ($640) per ticket. In Tokyo, entire blocks of seating at the Japan National Stadium remained unoccupied, with just 28,614 tickets sold.
Hong Kong’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said in a statement that, like the fans, it was very disappointed that Messi could not play in Hong Kong due to injury.
“However three days later, Messi was able to play actively and freely in Japan … the government hopes the organisers and teams can provide reasonable explanations.”
Sports lawmaker Kenneth Fok said the incident “sprinkled salt wounds” on Hong Kong fans, while senior government advisor Regina Ip wrote on X that “Hong Kong people hate Messi, Inter-Miami and the black hand behind them, for the deliberate and calculate snub to Hong Kong.”
India’s squad for the remaining three Tests against England will be announced soon. Virat Kohli is unlikely to feature but there is good news on Rahul, Jadeja.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma with teammates KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli during a group photograph(PTI)
The BCCI senior men’s selection committee led by former pacer Ajit Agarkar will meet on Thursday (virtually) to finalise the India squad for the remaining three Tests against England. Captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid are also likely to be present in the selection meeting. Rohit, notably, had a lengthy discussion with Agarkar almost immediately after India beat England in the second Test in Visakhapatnam. The selection meeting won’t be a straightforward one by any means. There are many questions to be answered but none bigger than the availability of Virat Kohli.
Kohli, who missed the first two Tests in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam will not be available for the third and fourth Tests and is also doubtful for the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala, reported ESPNCricinfo. The former captain has reportedly informed Rohit and the selectors about his decision. But expecting the series to go down the wire, the selectors may wait for Kohli’s decision on the final Test and announce the squad only for the third and fourth Tests in Rajkot and Ranchi.
Another big player who is unlikely to play any part in the series is pacer Mohammed Shami. The veteran fast bowler is yet to recover fully from the ankle injury he suffered during the ODI World Cup.
There is, however, good news for India elsewhere. KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja who missed the second Test due to injuries are likely to be included in the squad for the next two Tests. Rahul was out with a quadriceps injury while Jadeja hurt his hamstring while attempting a run in the series opener. Both of them are currently at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. The NCA doctors haven’t submitted their final report to BCCI but both Rahul and Jadeja are reportedly recovering well and with the third Test in Rajkot still a week away, the selectors are optimistic about their return.
Siraj set to return; Bumrah won’t be rested from third Test
Pacer Mohammed Siraj, who was released from the squad for the second Test, is also confirmed to return to the squad to share the workload with Jasprit Bumrah. The Indian team management is reluctant to play four spinners and hence, Siraj is almost certain to straightaway come into the XI in Rajkot in place of Mukesh Kumar, who struggled with his line and length in the previous Test.
A few media reports were suggesting that Bumrah might be rested for the third Test but the newly-crowned No.1-ranked Test bowler is set to feature in Rajkot. Bumrah has been the leader of India’s bowling attack and the team management doesn’t want to rest him at this crucial stage. Besides, the 9-day gap between the second and third Tests is believed to be enough to manage Bumrah’s workload. However, if India win the third Test then chances are high that Bumrah will be rested from the fourth one in Ranchi as there is very little gap between them.
Allegiant Stadium, the site of Super Bowl 58 between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Purchase Licensing Rights
The Super Bowl will be played on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada between the AFC champion and reigning Super Bowl winners the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.
See how the venue was chosen and which ones will be next.
Where is Super Bowl 2024?
The Super Bowl will take place at Allegiant Stadium, located next to the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.
The multi-purpose domed stadium opened in 2020 and is home to the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders and the University of Nevada’s Las Vegas (UNLV) Rebels college football team.
With a 65,000 capacity, the fully enclosed air-conditioned stadium will be the first to host the Super Bowl in Nevada.
Fuelled by splendid fifties by Sachin Dhas and captain Uday Saharan, India battled past SA by two wickets to storm into the final, their fifth consecutive of the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
Fuelled by splendid fifties by Sachin Dhas and captain Uday Saharan, defending champions India battled past South Africa by two wickets to storm into the final, their fifth consecutive of the ICC Under-19 World Cup on Tuesday. Dhas (96, 95 balls, 11×4, 1×6) and Saharan (81, 124, 6×4), who were India’s guiding forces in the last match against Nepal with a hundred each, garnered 171 runs for the fifth wicket as India hunted down the target of 245 with just 7 balls to spare. India will face either Australia or Pakistan in the summit clash to be played at this venue on Sunday, searching for their sixth trophy in the marquee event. But the beginning of India’s chase resembled a debris yard, losing four wickets for just 32 runs in the 12th over.
The South African new-ball bowler Kwena Maphaka jolted India in the first ball of their innings, dismissing Adarsh Singh with a nasty climbing delivery that the batter had no choice other than snicking to wicket-keeper Lhuan-dre Pretorious.
His partner Tristan Luus soon joined the fun with the wickets of Musheer Khan, Arshin Kulkarni and Priyanshu Moliya as all three India batters were indecisive outside the off-stump while hanging their bats to dry.
But the Indians found their saviours in Dhas and Saharan, who dished out innings of vastly contrasting nature and tempo.
Dhas was aggressive despite the situation his team was in, but Saharan was happy to keep his end going.
Dhas’ knock was a treatise on playing cross-batted shots as he cracked a six, pulled fours besides those well-placed nudges through the vacant spots on the on-side.
Saharan, on the other hand, was more traditional but was not entirely hesitant to bring out an exquisite drive or rasping cut whenever an opportunity was there for him to do so.
Dhas reached his fifty in 47 balls, fittingly, with a pull off pacer Riley Norton and Saharan reached his half-century in 88 balls with a cover drive off off-spinner Juan James.
In the process, Saharan also became the highest run-getter in this World Cup with 389 runs.
But these two youngsters showed immense maturity not to squander the start they got; piling runs to keep the pressure squarely on the hosts.
A second hundred in this event was there for his taking, but Maphaka, the tournament’s highest wicket-taker so far, deceived him with a slower ball that Dhas just managed to scoop to David Teeger at covers.
But the breakthrough came a wee bit late as India hung on to squeeze past the line notwithstanding the run out of Saharan when the scores were level.
Earlier, bowlers played a significant part in shaping India’s victory, limiting 2014 champions South Africa to 244 for 7 on a pitch that offered them considerable assistance.
SA found fight through wicketkeeper batter Lhuan-dre Pretorious (76, 102 balls) and Richard Seletswane (64, 100 balls) after early blows, but those efforts were not enough to rattle the visitors.
Pretorious and Seletswane milked 72 runs for the third wicket but they took nearly 22 overs for that.
The South African top-order just could not get going against India pacers Naman Tiwari (1/52) and Raj Limbani (3/60) who found appreciable pace, bounce and carry from the Willowmoore track.
Even when Seletswane and Pretorious were reconstructing the SA innings, they failed to score at a brisk pace, as the run-rate for a large part remained under four.
The England cricketers are set to indulge in some golf and other recreational activities in Abu Dhabi before returning to India ahead of the third Test.
India’s Rohit Sharma shakes hands with England’s Ben Stokes(REUTERS)
After losing the second Test in Visakhapatnam by 106 runs, the England cricket team decided to leave India and fly to Abu Dhabi. Just like the series-opener in Hyderabad, the second match in Visakhapatnam ended in four days with the hosts India levelling the series with a commanding all-round performance. With the third Test in Rajkot nine days away, the Ben Stokes-led side thought it would be better to utilise the break relaxing.
The England cricketers are set to indulge in some golf and other recreational activities in Abu Dhabi before returning to India ahead of the third assignment of what has been a fascinating contest between and ball in Rajkot on February 15.
The team management led by captain Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum believe the break would allow the England players to freshen up and resume their bid to repeat what the Alastair Cooks men did in 2012
England prepared for the highly anticipated Test series against India with an extensive conditioning camp in Abu Dhabi instead of arriving in the subcontinent early for practice matches.
During the Abu Dhabi camp before the series, the England team spent a lot of time working on ways to tackle the Indian spinners. While they rallied to emerge winners in the opener, the English batters were blown away by Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliant exhibition of reverse swing bowling in the first innings of the second Test before succumbing in a record 399-run chase to a disciplined Indian bowling unit in their second innings.
‘We’re a level-head team’: Ben Stokes after loss in Vizag
India dismissed England for 292 runs in their second innings on day four to register a series-levelling 106-run win in the second Test on Monday.
“Being 2-0 up would have been great for us, but that’s the great thing about a five-match series, it’s the end of the series where everything counts,” Stokes told reporters.
“We’re a very level-headed team and that allows us to put things behind us, move on to the next thing and concentrate there.”
The next FIFA World Cup is on the horizon, as Canada, Mexico and USA prepare to host the biggest tournament in sport.
The FIFA World Cup 26™ will take place over three countries for the very first time, with Canada, Mexico and USA set to share hosting duties in a ground-breaking edition of sport’s greatest event.
A total of 16 stadiums have been chosen to host the games, the most since Korea/Japan 2002, with some truly spectacular venues set to showcase the best in the beautiful game.
Read all about which stadiums will play host to the world in 2026 with FIFA.
Canada
Toronto Stadium
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Capacity: 45,000 Opened: 2007 FIFA World Cup 26™ fixtures: Five group-stage matches and a Round of 32 tie
Toronto Stadium was purpose-built as Canada hosted the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2007™ and staged the final where Argentina emerged triumphant, with Sergio Aguero claiming the Golden Ball and Golden Boot.
The venue, which has an English Premier League-style roof canopy and steep stands on either end of the ground, played host to the climax of Canada’s campaign to reach the FIFA World Cup 2022™, when their ticket to Qatar was secured with victory over Jamaica.
That success ended Canada’s 36-year absence from the global showpiece, and extended their impressive record of having never lost a competitive match at Toronto Stadium, which will be welcoming FIFA tournaments back to the city having also hosted the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ in 2014.
Location: Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada
Capacity: 54,000
Opened: 1983
FIFA World Cup 26™ fixtures: Five group-stage matches, a Round of 32 tie and a Round of 16 contest
Now in its 40th year of existence, BC Place Vancouver remains a jaw-dropping piece of architecture situated on the banks of the False Creek inlet.
The area – which has recently undergone renovations – is the home of MLS team Vancouver Whitecaps and the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) BC Lions, and has also occasionally hosted the Canada national team.
One of the most memorable matches at BC Place Vancouver came when the venue hosted the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™, where USA defeated defending champions Japan 5-2, thanks in no small part to a three-goal haul from Carli Lloyd inside the opening 15 minutes.
Mexico
Estadio Azteca Mexico City
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Capacity: 83,000
Opened: 1966
FIFA World Cup 26™ fixtures: Three group-stage matches, a Round of 32 tie and a Round of 16 contest
A true coliseum of world football and the first to host a third FIFA World Cup™, Estadio Azteca Mexico City – which welcomed the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona across two pulsating World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986 – will once again take centre stage.
The arena’s day job is to host both Club America and Cruz Azul of Liga MX as well as the Mexico national team, while Pumas, Atlante, Atletico Espanyol and Necaxa have all previously played their football here.
Estadio Azteca Mexico City was the venue for the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ in 2011, when a capacity crowd of 98,943 set the record for the number of supporters at any game in the history of the prestigious youth tournament.
Estadio Guadalajara
Location: Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
Capacity: 48,000
Opened: 2010
FIFA World Cup 26™ fixtures: Four group-stage matches
Built on raised ground and with a spherical, coliseum-like design, Estadio Guadalajara is certainly one of the more eye-catching venues set to hold matches at the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
Inaugurated in 2010, the stadium is home during the regular season to C.D. Guadalajara, who have enjoyed their fair share of success there. The men’s team secured their historic double title campaign, league and cup of the Clausura 2017 tournament, and the 2018 Concacaf Champions League victory, while the two titles of the women’s team in 2017 and 2022 add to the trophy haul.
Estadio Guadalajara was one of the main venues for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2011 and hosted the Pan-American Games the same year.
Jasprit Bumrah finished with figures of 6/45 in the first innings of the 2nd Test in Hyderabad. (Image: AP)
Jasprit Bumrah continues to shine for India in the longest format of the sport. He reached his milestone 150th Test wicket after dismissing the English skipper Ben Stokes in the first innings of the second Test at Hyderabad. The wicket of Ben Stokes also makes him the fastest Indian pacer to reach the milestone as well.
The fast bowler came around the wicket against Ben Stokes to get the delivery which was nipping back in and deceived the batter completely as it beat him and went on to crash onto the stumps.
This is not the first time today he managed to get the batter clean-bowled, he also managed to dismiss the in-form Ollie Pope who had scored 196 runs in the first Test with a toe-crushing yorker to get him clean-bowled. He then went on to grab the wickets of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow as well.
Another notable feat for Bumrah is that he has taken the fewest number of deliveries among Indian bowlers to reach the milestone as well which shows his immense wicket-taking ability in the Test format for India.
Soon after the wicket of Ben Stokes he also managed to get the wicket of Tom Hartley who was looking to go after the bowlers and bring down the deficit of runs as well with the boundaries. Hartley looked to go again but edged the delivery to the man at slips who took the catch there as he managed to bring up a class five-wicket haul as well.
Another interesting stat to add here is that after Bumrah’s heroics today, the last time an Indian seamer dismissed the opposition batters batting at the #3, #4, #5 and #6 in an innings for a Test match being played in India was none other than the legendary Indian skipper, Kapil Dev who finished with 9/83 against the West Indies in Ahmedabad in 1983.
Son Heung-min scores through free-kick to send South Korea to Asian Cup semi-finals(X)
Son Heung-min came through in clutch moments for South Korea, securing a 2-1 victory over Australia in extra time with a spectacular free-kick. This win propelled South Korea into the Asian Cup semi-final against Jordan. It was a win in the most dramatic fashion for the Koreans, as they seemed almost out of the tournament after being unable to open the scoring at the end of 90 minutes.
Australia took the lead in the 42nd minute after Hwang In-beom’s defensive error allowed Connor Metcalfe to deliver a cross for Craig Goodwin to score with a volley at the back post. However, South Korea found a late equalizer in the 96th minute when Son Heung-min was fouled in the box, and Hwang Hee-chan calmly converted the penalty.
With momentum on their side, South Korea secured victory in extra time as Son curled in a magnificent free-kick from outside the box in the 104th minute to seal their spot in the quarter-finals.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 179* left former cricketers stumped as they lavished massive praise on the young Indian opener.
Yashasvi Jaiswal kisses his helmet after scoring a century on the first day of the second Test.(AP)
Trailing 0-1 in the ongoing five-match series, India posted 336/6 by stumps on Day 1 of the ongoing second Test in Vizag, on Friday. The home side’s second-highest individual score was 34, so then how did they cross 300? Well, most of the work was done by young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who remained unbeaten at 179* off 257 balls, packed with 17 fours and five sixes.
It was also Jaiswal’s second Test ton, and he will be looking to get his first double hundred on Day 2. The 22-year-old got a half-century in the first Test, and went a notch higher in the second, showing stunning stroke-play to reach his hundred, getting to the landmark with a six over long-on. Other batters who came and stitched stands with him lost their wickets but Jaiswal carried on.
After his knock, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) cricketer received plenty of praise from former cricketers. Former India opener Aakash Chopra hailed Jaiswal’s performance and went a level higher, stating that he ‘is even above Sir Don Bradman at this point in time’.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “The most fantastic performance came from Yashasvi Jaiswal’s bat. How well the kid batted. Jimmy Anderson was the only pacer and he kept leaving his deliveries. He gave a lot of respect to James Anderson’s bowling.”
More praise for Yashasvi Jaiswal
“When spin came, he hit two fours in the first over. After that, he showed why this player is so special. His conversion rate of fifties into hundreds for players who have 10 or more centuries in first-class cricket, he is even above Sir Don Bradman at this point in time,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out Jaiswal’s approach towards England’s James Anderson and said that it ‘was an excellent sign.’ Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he said, “It wasn’t like Jimmy Anderson didn’t bowl much, he bowled a lot. I don’t think a single boundary was hit by Jaiswal against him. That is maturity. He realized this is a bowler who’s not going to give him hittable balls.”
Ravichandran Ashwin is only four wickets away from joining the elite 500 club in Test cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin in action during the 1st India vs England Test in Hyderabad(PTI)
As Team India gears up to face England in the second Test of the series in Visakhapatnam, all eyes will be on off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. The senior India bowler stands on the cusp of history with 496 Test wickets to his name. With four more wickets, he will become the only second Indian bowler to enter the 500-wicket club.
Ashwin has been the mainstay of the Indian Test team for many years and has been one of the most successful bowlers – particularly in the subcontinental conditions – for the side. The veteran off-spinner will aim to not only reach the milestone 500-figure but also help India level the series in Vizag, as the side endured a shock 28-run loss in the opening match in Hyderabad.
As the 36-year-old Ashwin stares at the incredible feat, let’s take a detailed look at all the potential records the India star can break in the second Test:
The iconic 500
Ravichandran Ashwin’s six dismissals in the 1st Test propelled him to 496 wickets in his Test career. Should he reach 500 wickets in the upcoming Test, he will join Anil Kumble as the only second Indian and become only the fifth spinner in cricket history to achieve this feat, further solidifying his status as one of the game’s all-time greats.
Here’s the list of the highest wicket-takers in Tests (among spinners)
Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 800
Shane Warne (Australia) – 708
Anil Kumble (India) – 619
Nathan Lyon (Australia) – 517
Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 496*
A ‘century’ against England:
Ashwin’s prowess against England is well-documented, and with just six more scalps, he will become the first Indian bowler to claim 100 wickets against England in Tests, a testament to his consistency and dominance against top opposition.
The Indian spinner had surpassed Kumble in terms of most wickets against the English side in the previous Test and remains only behind Bhagwath Chandrashekhar (95 wickets) on the list.
Major milestone on Indian soil
Nearing 350 wickets in Tests on home soil, Ashwin is poised to become the only second Indian bowler and fifth overall to achieve this remarkable feat, cementing his legacy as one of India’s most successful spinners.
The off-spinner is seven wickets away from the key milestone. Interestingly, Kumble had finished his career on exactly 350 wickets on Indian soil, meaning Ashwin has an opportunity to surpass the India legend in the second Test. Here’s the list of highest wicket-takers on home soil:
Al Nassr crushed Inter Miami 6-0 as injury ruled Cristiano Ronaldo out of a much-hyped showdown with Lionel Messi, who was limited to a late substitute appearance.
Al Nassr crushed Inter Miami 6-0 as injury ruled Cristiano Ronaldo out of a much-hyped showdown with Lionel Messi, who was limited to a late substitute appearance in Thursday’s friendly in Riyadh. Ronaldo’s calf injury prompted Al Nassr to cancel their two-game China tour last week and it denied him what could have potentially been a last match against longtime rival Messi. The pair have won a combined 13 Ballon d’Or awards, with Messi taking home the prize for a record eighth time last year. Their most recent meeting came in January 2023 when Ronaldo played in a Saudi select team beaten 5-4 by Messi’s PSG. Instead, Brazilian Talisca upstaged the illustrious duo with a hat-trick as the Saudi Pro League side demolished their Major League Soccer opponents, scoring three times in the first 12 minutes.
The reaction of Ronaldo and Messi after Al Nassr third goal.
Otavio drilled in the opener as Miami lost the ball trying to play out from the back, bringing Ronaldo to his feet to applaud from the stands.
A sliding Talisca turned in Al Nassr’s second as the visitors again paid the price for conceding possession near their own box.
Aymeric Laporte scored the goal of the night, catching Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender off his line as he belted in a long-range free-kick from deep inside his own half.
Talisca got his second from the penalty spot minutes after half-time and Mohammed Maran looped in a header to compound Miami’s misery.
The American side were clearly feeling the effects of a globe-trotting pre-season tour, but the gulf in class was also stark, despite the presence of former Barcelona stars Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Talisca completed his treble and performed Ronaldo’s signature celebration, before Messi trotted on for the final seven minutes with his team trailing by six goals.
Miami continue their preparations for the new MLS season, which starts February 21, by heading to Asia for games in Hong Kong and Japan.
The logo of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is seen on an official Paris 2024 store at Place de l’Opera in Paris, France, January 1, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
The number of people set to attend the opening ceremony of this year’s Olympics has been estimated at about 300,000, French Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday, around half as many as were previously expected.
The opening ceremony will be a six kilometre parade along the River Seine on July 26. It will take place amid security concerns as France is on a high terrorism alert.
“The idea is that there will be 100,000 people on the lower quays (with paying tickets) and more than 220,000 people on the upper quays (with free tickets),” Darmanin told French TV channel France 2.
“Then there are all those who live there and who will be able to rent, have parties along the Seine.”
The last time Darmanin estimated the number of attendees was in May 2023, when he said up to 600,000 were expected at the opening ceremony.
Paris 2024 organisers said the estimate was not final.
“As the French government has indicated, the final decision on the size of the stadium will be taken at the end of the consultation process in spring 2024,” they said in a statement to Reuters.
Harbhajan Singh suggested huge changes in the bowling attack as he picked the playing XI for the second Test match against England starting February 2.
Former Indian cricket team spinner Harbhajan Singh suggested huge changes in the bowling attack as he picked the playing XI for the second Test match against England starting February 2. Harbhajan said that Sarfaraz Khan should be handed his Test debut in the absence of KL Rahul with all-rounder Washington Sundar replacing the injured Ravindra Jadeja. He also advised Rohit Sharma to go with four spinners in the bowling department with Kuldeep Yadav replacing Mohammed Siraj. That means that Jasprit Bumrah will be playing as the only specialist pacer in the team picked by the former Indian cricket team star.
“I think Sarfaraz should be played at No. 5. He has been scoring a lot of runs in domestic cricket and even for India A in the matches against England Lions,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
Harbhajan said that the decision to play Kuldeep Yadav or Mohammed Siraj will depend on how the wicket looks in Vishakhapatnam. Reports suggest that the track can be friendly to spinners and in that case, Harbhajan suggested that Kuldeep should be added keeping his World Cup form in mind.
Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh was named the Allan Border Medalist at the 2024 Australian Cricket Awards on Wednesday while Ashleigh Gardner bagged the Belinda Clark Award. Marsh made a return to the Test format in the Ashes 2023 at Headingley and scored a run-a-ball 118. The right-handed batter went on to score 441 runs with an average of 49 during last year’s ODI World Cup, which also included a 177* against Bangladesh.
“I’m a bit fat at times and I love a beer but you see the best in me always and you’ve changed my life. For your support and your leadership, Patty, playing under you is a dream,” Marsh said during the event as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
“I often spoke to my wife about… that I just wanted to get one more crack at it, and it’s been amazing. She gave me the perspective on life that I needed,” Marsh added.
According to the complaint, when the cyclist decided to quit the camp and return to India, Sharma called her family and asked them to get her married as she did not have a future in the sport.
SAYING THAT she feared for her “life”, a top Indian cyclist has accused the chief national team coach, R K Sharma, of allegedly forcing himself into her room, offering a “post-training massage”, “forcefully” trying to pull her towards him, and asking her to “sleep with him”, during a camp in Slovenia last month, according to her complaint emailed to the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
The complaint states that Sharma allegedly told the cyclist that he “wants” her “to be his wife”. When she resisted, the complaint alleges, the coach threatened to destroy her career by “removing her from the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE)”, and making sure she would “sell vegetables on the road”.
According to the complaint, when the cyclist decided to quit the camp and return to India, Sharma called her family and asked them to get her married as she did not have a future in the sport.
Sharma is still in Slovenia with the rest of the Indian team at the training camp for the Asian Championships this month, and is scheduled to return on June 14. He did not respond to calls and messages from The Indian Express seeking his response to the allegations. The coach has been involved with the national team since 2014.
SAI has constituted a committee to probe the matter. Cycling Federation of India (CFI) also formed a committee. We’ve met the cyclist & assured her that justice will be provided: MP Singh, Gen Secy,CFI on complaint by a woman cyclist over inappropriate behaviour by a coach (07.6) pic.twitter.com/LQVWNVicpx
The cyclist’s complaint was brought to light on Monday by SAI in a brief statement, which said she was “immediately” brought back “to ensure her safety” — and that a panel has been set up to “investigate the matter”, which “is being dealt (with) on priority”.
In a separate statement on Monday, the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) identified the complainant and the coach, said it stands “with the complainant” and has formed a probe panel of its own.
In the detailed complaint, the cyclist describes the coach’s conduct as “inappropriate, unlawful and objectionable”.
“I was scheduled to leave for the cycling training camp in Slovenia for the date 15th May 2022 to 14th June 2022,” the complaint states. “After all the logistical arrangements were made, to my sheer surprise and shock, three days before my scheduled travel date, I received a call from my coach Mr R K Sharma telling me that I have to share the room at Hotel Balnea in Slovenia with him alone,” it states.
India Women vs South Africa Women, World Cup 2022 Score Updates: Indian opener Smriti Mandhana completed her 22nd ODI half-century at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
Women’s World Cup Live Score: Smriti Mandhana remained key as she scored another half-century.
Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana got off to a solid start as they added 91 runs for the first wicket in 15 overs before the former was run-out for 53. Yastika Bhatia soon followed as she was dismissed for 2 runs as India went two wickets down in quick succession. However, Mandhana continued to pile on the runs to complete her 22nd ODI half-century and partner well with skipper Mithali Raj. Earlier, India opted to bat against South Africa at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch in a crucial encounter for both teams. Two changes each for India and South Africa in their respective final XIs. Meghna Singh came in for Jhulan Goswami while Deepti Sharma in for Punam Yadav and for South Africa, Lara Goodall came in for Tazmin Brits while Masabata Klaas is in for Tumi Sekhukhune. While South Africa have already qualified, India need to win — or for the match to be washed out — to make it to the final four of the World Cup. If they lose, they will need England to lose to Bangladesh by a worse margin so they drop below the Mithali Raj-led team on Net Run Rate.
Mithali Raj at the toss: “We’ll have a bat. Yesterday’s match was played on the same track. Spinners will get some assistance in the second innings. It’s a good wicket to bat when the sun is out. We have to be composed and play our best cricket. We have two changes. Meghna Singh comes in for Jhulan, Deepti in for Punam.”
KKR beat CSK by 6 wickets to start the IPL 2022 on a high (IPL Image)
Shreyas Iyer’s leadership skills outshone Ravindra Jadeja’s in the season opener of IPL 2022 as Kolkata Knight Riders registered a comfortable six-wicket win over defending champions Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium. Ajinkya Rahane, who recently lost his place in India’s Test squad, silenced his critics with a crucial 44-run knock to set up the platform for his new franchise in a successful run chase. Shreyas hit the winning runs in his first match as KKR captain as his team chased down the 132-run target with 9 balls to spare.
Veteran Chennai Super Kings wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni turned back the clock to smash his first IPL century since 2019. Dhoni ended his century drought to pull his team to a fighting total of 131/5 after a very sluggish start against a high-quality KKR bowling attack.
Chasing the target of 132, KKR were off to a solid start as Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer shared a 43-run stand for the opening wicket. However, Dwayne Bravo got the better of Venkatesh (16) with a slower one as he edged that to Dhoni behind the stumps. Rahane was then joined by Nitish Rana who also scored crucial 21 runs before becoming the second victim of Bravo.
Rahane, who was looking in great touch, was dismissed by New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner. The veteran India batter tried to play a big shot over mid-wicket but missed the connection and got caught by Jadeja.
CSK lost by six wickets in Ravindra Jadeja’s first game as captain of the four-time IPL winning side.
Ravi Shastri; Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja did not have a perfect start to his captaincy period for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as the defending champions lost by six wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders in the season opener of the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). And following the game, former India head coach Ravi Shastri gave his verdict on Jadeja’s captaincy in the game.
MS Dhoni’s quickfire half-century, his first since 2019, and his unbeaten 70-run stand with Jadeja helped CSK bounce back from 61 for 5 in the 11th over to 131 for five at the end of 20 overs.
Chennai tried their best to defend the total and emulate the result the had achieved in the IPL 2021 final against the same side, but KKR wrapped up the chase with nine balls to spare.
Speaking to Star Sports at the end of the game, Shastri felt that Jadeja should have been more brave with his bowling decisions, exemplifying that Shivam Dube shouldn’t have bowled the eighth over and one between him or Mitchell Santner should have been used in the attack.
“Jadeja for me, as a captain, needs to be a little more braver when it comes to when to bowl. Sometimes as a captain, when you are a premier bowler you tend to hold yourself back. There has to be someone there to tell him you got to bowl and that you are good enough to get wickets. And I though they were over late. Instead of Shivam Dube in that overs it should have been an experienced bowler – Jadeja or Santner. Because when you are defending 130, one mistake can cost you, one over of 14 or 15 runs can cost you and the game will slip,” he said.
The Rajasthan Royals found themselves in a spot of bother just a day before the commencement of IPL 2022 when skipper Sanju Samson had urged the franchise’s social media team to behave professionally after they had played a social media prank on him on March 25. Sanju’s photo which was clicked while he was supposedly relaxing in the team bus was given a hilarious touch with the usage of filters.
Moments after Samson had criticized the RR social media team for the prank, the Rajasthan Royals team management issued a statement where they took strict action against them by mentioning that the franchise has decided to appoint a new team in due course. Now, the admin has shown his hilarious side after getting fired.
Rajasthan Royals give a hilarious send-off to social media admin
In the video posted by the Royals on their official Twitter handle, the franchise’s social media admin hilariously tries to convince the players and the members of the support staff to save his job. Meanwhile, the person’s face cannot be seen as he is standing behind the camera. Young all-rounder Riyan Parag urges the person to have a word with head coach Kumar Sangakkara and bowling coach Lasith Malinga.
Legendary WWE wrestler Triple H, AKA Paul Levesque revealed that he is done as an active wrestler and announced his retirement from in-ring competition.
Legendary WWE wrestler Triple H, AKA Paul Levesque revealed that he is done as an active wrestler and announced his retirement from in-ring competition. Levesque suffered a cardiac issue last September, and the decision to walk away from the ring is a result of it. ‘The Game’ as Triple H is fondly called, admitted that his heart issue was life-threatening and that he had gone into heart-failure and said there were instances he doubted whether he would make it.
Levesque, 52, said that he was down pneumonia, which filled his lungs and arms with fluid. A normal heart ejection fraction operates at 55-60 percent but Levesque’s had dropped to 12 percent “By the time I got to the emergency room, my ejection fraction had gone down to 22,” Triple H told Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take.
“Which, I was in heart failure. Bad. By the next morning – as they figured that out that evening – by the next morning as they got the MRI done and they were sending me in for a heart scan. My ejection fraction was down to 12. So, I was nosediving and sort of at the one-yard line of where you want to be – or where you don’t want to be, really, for your family and your future.”
MS Dhoni shockingly stepped down as the Chennai Super Kings captain on March 24 having led them successfully for 12 seasons. Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been appointed as his successor. After taking over the reins from Dhoni, Jadeja has exuded confidence to lead the team from the front from this year onwards and also take the legacy of the franchise forward.
Meanwhile, it seems that Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma is not convinced that the southpaw will be a good leader for CSK. While the former Ranji player did hail Ravindra Jadeja the all-rounder, he made it clear that sometimes a good cricketer is not necessarily a good captain adding that the middle-order specialist is an inexperienced candidate as well.
Ravindra Jadeja doesn’t have that much experience: Rajkumar Sharma
“Ravindra Jadeja is no doubt a leading all-rounder in the world. But since he hasn’t captained much and doesn’t have that much experience, then it would be something to look out for. Sometimes a good cricketer isn’t necessarily a good captain and vice versa”, said Rajkumar Sharma while speaking on the YouTube podcast ‘Khelneeti’.
India vs Bangladesh Live Score, Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022: Currently placed fourth in points table with back-to-back feats, India take on Bangladesh in must-win game. Catch Live Updates of IND vs BAN, being played at the Seddon Park, Hamilton.
India vs Bangladesh, Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022: India posted 229/7 in 50 overs after opting to bat first against Bangladesh in the must-win Women’s World Cup fixture in Hamilton. Yastika Bhatia, who scored 50, emerged as the leading run-scorer. Meanwhile, Mithali Raj failed to live up to her reputation, getting out for a golden duck. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana got the team to a perfect start, adding 74 runs for the opening wicket. However, Bangladesh bounced back well and picked three wickets in quick succession. Harmanpreet Kaur also failed to do much as she was run-out on 14(33). Yastika Bhatia and Richa Ghosh then stitched a crucial 50-plus stand before Ghosh was caught-behind on 26. Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar then added 48 runs together to help India post a respectable total. India have so far won two games and lost three, including back-to-back defeats against England and Australia. They find themselves in a tricky spot against Bangladesh, who have put up a commendable fight against their opponents. A memorable win against Pakistan is the highlight of their campaign so far. India need to win games against Bangladesh and South Africa to stay alive in the tournament.
In the last two editions of the IPL, MS Dhoni has struggled with the bat, scoring a combined total of 314 runs from 30 matches.
MS Dhoni hasn’t scored a fifty in his last 30 IPL matches. (CSK/Twitter)
In the last two editions of the IPL, MS Dhoni has struggled with the bat, scoring a combined total of 314 runs from 30 matches. If his tally of 200 runs in IPL 2020 was disappointing, the following year was even worse as Dhoni aggregated only 114 runs. In the last two seasons, Dhoni hasn’t scored a single half-century although in IPL 2021, he did play a cameo of 18 off 6 balls that won Chennai Super Kings the Qualifier 1 game against Delhi Capitals.
With 13 needed off the last over, Dhoni cracked three fours off Avesh Khan and rolled back the years. It was vintage Dhoni at his ‘finisher’ best but former India all-rounder Reetinder Sodhi feels the CSK skipper’s golden days with the bat are behind him. And if the stats are anything to go by, it might be true. Dhoni usually bats lower down the order for CSK, but with his finishing skills on the wane, Sodhi feels CSK and Dhoni would both benefit if the skipper bats higher.
“MS Dhoni has to bat up the order because he is no longer the same finisher that he was known to be a few years back. If he takes his time, comes in the 10th or 11th over, he can hit the lusty blows later. MS Dhoni knows that he is the key to CSK’s prospects,” Sodhi said on India News, also featuring former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim.
A superb run of form had helped Lakshay secure a bronze medal in World Championships, win his maiden Super 500 title at India Open in January, and then end up as runners-up at the German Open.
Indian Shutter Lakshya Sen, Pic Courtesy: AFP
New Delhi: World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen’s superb run in the All England Open Championships ended with a 10-21, 15-21 loss to reigning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the men’s singles final in Birmingham on Sunday. Axelsen, today, brought his A-game to win his second title as he outclassed Sen in a hard-fought battle.
Sen started the final on the backfoot as Axelsen was in top gear right from the start of the match. It seemed that Sen was running out of ideas against World No. 1. The Danish star dominated the India shuttler to win the first game 21-10 in 22 minutes and then crushed his opponent 21-15 in the 2nd set to seal an easy win.
The 20-year-old Almora Lad could have become the third Indian shuttler to win the prestigious final of the world’s oldest badminton tournament — the All England Open.
Pandya has not donned the India jersey ever since the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in November last year.
It seems that Hardik Pandya might be in the perfect frame of mind ahead of the IPL 2022 that gets underway on March 26. He will be leading the new entrants Gujarat Titans. Gujarat had roped him in a pre-auction deal for INR 15 crore after he was released by the five-time winners Mumbai Indians.
Lately, the star all-rounder made it clear that he is not treating the upcoming edition of the marquee tournament as a comeback as he is still a “work in progress”. It is to be noted that Pandya has not donned the India jersey ever since ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in November last year as he is working on his fitness and trying to rediscover his mojo.
I am just a work in progress right now: Hardik Pandya
“I don’t think it is going to be my comeback or I am focusing on it. For me, right now I just want to be in a positive mindset and I’m not looking way ahead, I am just focusing on things which are controllables, which is looking after my body and making my team win,” said Pandya while speaking to the IPL website.
“Eventually if I do things right for Gujarat Titans in IPL, then things will fall into places for future as well. I am just a work in progress right now but for me, what will be important is that I will always be available for the players no matter what time and day. I want to give the players security and freedom,” he added.
Padukone and Gopichand are the only Indians to have won the prestigious event
Lakshya Sen during the men’s semifinal match against Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham on March 19, 2022. | Photo Credit: AP
World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen stunned defending champion Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia to reach his maiden final at the All England Championships in Birmingham on Saturday.
The 20-year-old Sen became only the third men’s singles player after Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand to reach the final after outwitting Lee 21-13 12-21 21-19 in a gruelling semifinal match.
Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj are now in a league of their own.
Jhulan Goswami became the first player to reach 250 ODI wickets earlier. (ANI)
Veteran India fast bowler Jhulan Goswami has become just the second player after captain Mithali Raj to make 200 appearances in women’s ODIs. Saturday’s World Cup match against Australia is Goswami’s 200th of her career. The 39-year-old Jhulan had earlier become the first player to take 250 wickets in women’s ODIs.
Mithali, on the other hand, is making her 230th ODI appearance. Former England captain Charlotte Edwards previous held the record for most ODI appearances before Mithali and Jhulan went past her. Among active players, South Africa’s Mignon du Preez is closest to the pair, having played 150 matches.
Jhulan is representing India in her fifth Women’s World Cup edition, having made her debut in the tournament in 2005.
Goswami had become the highest wicket-taker in Womens’ WCs by dismissing Anisa Mohammed in the 36th over of the innings with West Indies chasing a mammoth target of 318 set by India. The bowler, thus, lead the chart ahead of Fullston (39 wickets), England duo of Carole Hodges (37 wickets) and Claire Taylor (36) and another Australian in Cathryn Fitzpatrick (33).
There were calls to retire the iconic No.7 jersey as a mark of respect to MS Dhoni’s contribution to Indian cricket.
Former India skipper MS Dhoni(Getty Images)
MS Dhoni and No. 7 go hand in hand. The talismanic keeper-batter has been sporting the iconic No. 7 jersey since his international debut in 2007 and the number has eventually become synonymous with him. Dhoni may have retired from the biggest stage, but the former India skipper remains to be a crucial part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) set-up.
Widely regarded among the most successful captains to have braced the sport, Dhoni opened up about the significance of the No. 7 jersey but ruled out any superstitious perspective to it. There were calls to retire the jersey digits as a mark of respect to Dhoni’s contribution to Indian cricket. And the 40-year-old Dhoni shared the “simple” reason behind selecting the number, saying his date of birth is emblematic of the digit.
“A lot of people initially thought that 7 is a lucky number for me and all of that. But I chose the number for a very simple reason. I was born on the 7th of July. So it’s the 7th day of the 7th month, that was the reason,” Dhoni told fans during a virtual interaction held by India Cements.
“Rather than getting to all the different things as to what number is a good number and all, I thought I will use my date of birth as the number. Then whenever people kept asking me, I kept adding to the answer. 81 was the year, 8-1 is again 7, 7 is a very neutral number. People actually kept telling me, I started absorbing it and I started telling it to others in the same way,” he further said.
Ind vs Eng Womens World Cup 2022 Live: England captain Heather Knight won the toss and chose to bowl against India. Rejuvenated after scoring a massive win over the West Indies, India will look to make their road to the semifinals easier when they face a beleaguered England in a crucial match of the Women’s ODI World Cup at Mount Maunganui. Get live cricket score updates of womens world cup 2022 match between India vs England. Check live scorecard, ball by ball commentary, cricket score online on Times of India.
OVERS 33.1: OUT! Richa Ghosh (33) is run out, India 123/8
08:39 (IST) Mar 16
India 120/7 after 32 overs
08:39 (IST) Mar 16
OVERS 31.5: FOUR! Richa Ghosh edges a Kate Cross delivery to the third man fence
08:38 (IST) Mar 16
OVERS 31.3: BIG HIT! Jhulan Goswami hits a Kate Cross delivery over the long-off fence for the first SIX of the match
IPL 2022 mega auction had some shocking surprises with big names going unsold.
The IPL 2022 mega auction took place last month in Bengaluru for two days and the ten franchises spent a lot of money to make sure that they set a strong core for the upcoming seasons. However, there were some surprises for the fans as some of the big names in the tournament went unsold and they might be back in the race as replacements for IPL 2022 later.
A lot of factors have been considered while picking up players in the mega auction and it is not easy to get a bid despite the expansion into ten teams this time. The domestic performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy have all been looked upon and there isn’t any room for emotions in the mega auction.
The recent form and game time is also considered as the analysts, for each franchise will make sure the hard yards have been done in the backend and they have a big role to play during the mega auction. However, the long tournament this year from March 26 to May 29 might just bring the unsold players back into the equation taking injuries and the bio bubble fatigue into consideration.
5 Unsold Indian players who can come in as replacements in IPL 2022 later
1. Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina was surprisingly unsold in the IPL 2022 mega auction despite having a staggering record in the cash-rich tournament. Popularly called the Mr. IPL for his consistent performances over the years for the Chennai Super Kings, Raina is among the all-time greats of the tournament and should come in as a replacement in IPL 2022 later.
Raina missed the IPL 2020 edition due to personal reasons and when he returned to the tournament in 2021, he wasn’t as effective as he used to be in the past. With 160 runs in 12 games in IPL 2021, Raina was nowhere near his best in the previous edition and wasn’t picked for the final few games due to his injury concerns.
However, the 35-year-old has scored 5528 runs in 205 IPL games, and his IPL experience will be immaculate to any franchise. He is one of the best fielders India has ever produced and is very quick in the inner field, although he has lacked fitness off late. The left-hander will be a huge asset to any franchise still if he can get some game time which will be crucial to his return.
2. Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma has been a great servant for India in Tests having played more than 100 Tests, and it was a big surprise that he went unsold in the IPL 2022 mega auction. The right-arm seamer has been dropped from the Indian Test squad recently with the young pacers stepping in and he will have to be back at his best to ensure he is picked up again in the squad.
Ishant has been around the IPL for a long time since the inaugural edition and has played for various franchises as well. He has come in as a replacement bowler in the past but has lost a bit of pace that did threaten batters a little bit earlier in his career. The tall lanky pacer regrouped his limited-overs bowling in 2019 since being picked up by Delhi Capitals and has been bowling really well with the new ball in the format.
His overall IPL numbers haven’t been that impressive, however, Ishant has been quite impressive in the last three seasons of IPL and has managed to hit the right lengths. He hasn’t been taking up the responsibility of bowling the death overs, which proved to be very costly for him at the start of his IPL career and franchises might consider him as a replacement.
3. Amit Mishra
Amit Mishra is one of the best leg spinners in IPL history with some stunning numbers to his name and he deserved a bid in the IPL 2022 mega auction. The 39-year-old hasn’t announced his retirement from international cricket despite making his debut in 2003 and remained in the shadow of the legendary Anil Kumble for a long time.
However, Mishra has been a huge success in IPL with 166 wickets in 154 IPL games at an average of 23.9 and has taken three hattricks as well. Mishra is a handy batter down the order as well and he will be in the eyes of a lot of franchises given his experience in the tournament.
Mishra played just the four games in the previous edition for Delhi Capitals and he did impress with six wickets which included a four-wicket haul as well. He has the ability to change games around quickly and recently the Delhi franchise owner, acknowledged him for his services over the years.
India registered a 2-0 clean sweep over Sri Lanka by beating them 238 runs in the second Test in Bengaluru. Here is how the world reacted to Indias massive win in 2nd Test against Sri Lanka.
Indian cricketers with the trophy after clean sweeping Sri Lanka 2-0
India displayed another clinical performance to hammer Sri Lanka by 238 runs in the second Test and take the two-match series 2-0on Monday in Bengaluru. The Rohit Sharma-led side started Day 3 of the pink-ball day-night Test needing 9 wickets and they got that within a session and a half to extend their dominance on home soil. Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah were the stars of the show for India. The off-spinner picked up four wickets and also went past Dale Steyn in the highest wicket-takers’ list to lead India’s charge. Bumrah on the other hand, returned with three wickets to back his five-wicket haul in the first innings. For Sri Lanka, captain Dimuth Karunaratne played a brilliant knock, scoring his 14th Test ton while Kusal Mendis slammed a breezy half-century. But it wasn’t enough as India bowled them out for 208 in the second innings to complete the series sweep. The hosts had won the first Test by an innings and 222 runs.
Shreyas Iyer was declared the Player of The Match for his twin half-centuries on a pitch that had a lot of help for the spinners and was not at all easy for batting. India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was named as Player of The Series for his impactful performances with the bat and assured keeping behind the stumps.
Daniil Medvedev ‘s first stint as the World No. 1 lasted for less than a month
Daniil Medvedev ‘s first stint as the World No. 1 lasted for less than a month after he crashed out of the Indian Wells Masters in the third round.The Russian tennis ace suffered defeat at the hands of Gael Monfils in California, as the Frenchman came from a set down to secure a victory.
Medvedev appeared to let his emotions get the better of him as he was blown away in the third set. After being broken in the first game of that deciding set, Medvedev took his frustrations out on his racket and smashed it into pieces. He made such a mess that, after the pair changed ends, Monfils was left to sweep up pieces of plastic from the baseline with a towel.
The 26-year-old Medvedev, competing as a neutral athlete, needed to reach at least the last eight to maintain his place at the top of the pile.
Now that he has failed to do so, Novak Djokovic will once again wear the crown despite being absent from this tournament due to travel rules preventing him from entering the US because he is unvaccinated against Covid.
Rishabh Pant was instrumental in India’s 2-0 triumph in the Test series as the Lankan bowlers endured a hard time against him.
Irfan Pathan and Rishabh Pant. (Photo Source: Getty Images)
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has lavished massive praises on Rishabh Pant following the wicketkeeper-batter’s stellar show against Sri Lanka. The southpaw was instrumental in India’s 2-0 triumph in the Test series as the Lankan bowlers endured a hard time against him. Pant scored 185 runs in three innings and that too at a strike rate of over 120.
In fact, during the second Test in Bengaluru, Pant slammed a 28-ball half-century, the fastest by any Indian in Test matches. As he was impressive behind the stumps as well, Pant was named the Player of the Series. Irfan was among many to laud the youngster’s stellar show and he even made a bold prediction. The former cricketer reckons Pant will surpass MS Dhoni’s to become India’s most-successful wicketkeeper-batter in Tests.
Rishabh Pant still has a long way to go: Irfan Pathan
“He is just a 24-year-old boy, and at such a young age, so much improvement has been seen in his cricket. I believe by the time he finishes his cricket career, there is still a long way to go, you will see him play 10 years of international cricket for sure, he will become India’s highest run-scoring wicketkeeper-batter in Tests, I have no doubt about that,” Irfan said on Star Sports.
He entered the WWE’s Hall of Fame twice, as Razor Ramon and as a founding member of the New World Order.
Scott Hall (left, as Razor Ramon) fought “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at WrestleMania in 2002. GEORGE PIMENTEL/WIREIMAGE
Scott Hall, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer who famously ignited pro wrestling’s “Monday Night Wars” in the 1990s by walking in unannounced during a rival organization’s marquee TV show, has died. He was 63.
Hall was taken off life support Monday in a hospital in Marietta, Georgia, after he broke his hip in a fall in March and suffered several complications while in surgery on Saturday. The WWE announced his death.
“My heart is broken and I’m so very fucking sad,” his longtime tag team partner Kevin Nash wrote on Instagram. “I love Scott with all my heart, but now I have to prepare my life without him in the present. I’ve been blessed to have a friend that took me at face value and I him.”
Very good at being very evil in the ring, Hall won the WWE Intercontinental title four times and WCW Tag Team championships seven times (as “The Outsiders” with Nash), and in 1994 at WrestleMania X at Madison Square Garden, he competed in an iconic ladder match against Shawn Michaels. However, he never won the world title.
During his 26 years as a wrestler, he also feuded with the likes of Sting, Lex Luger, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Ric Flair and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
After his retirement in 2010, Hall was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, first in 2014 as bad guy Razor Ramon (resplendent with gold chains, slicked-back hair and toothpick in mouth in an homage to Al Pacino’s Scarface character) and then in 2020 as a member of the villainous stable the New World Order (nWo).
During Memorial Day weekend on the May 27, 1996, episode of WCW Monday Nitro on TNT (owned by Ted Turner), the 6-foot-7 Hall suddenly appeared striding through the crowd, entering the ring unannounced to interrupt a match.
Mitchell Starc’s delivery was clocked at 145kph and Fawad Alam was completely beaten by the pace as the ball tailed in and crashed into his pads.
Mitchell Starc trapped Fawad Alam with a ‘blazing yorker’
Mitchell Starc was on top of his game as his spell of three for 29 saw Australia bowl out Pakistan for a paltry of 148 in the first innings on Day 3 of the ongoing second Test at the National Stadium in Karachi. However, Starc’s “blazing yorker” which got the better of Fawad Alam hogged all the limelight on a day dominated by the Australian bowlers. The delivery was clocked at 145kph and Alam was completely beaten by the pace as the ball tailed in and crashed into his pads.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared the video of the dismissal on their official Twitter handle.
This was Fawad Alam’s first opportunity to contribute with either bat, ball in this series. The experienced left-hander did not get an opportunity to bat or bowl in the first Test. Alam’s seven-day wait ended in a golden duck as he was dismissed off the first ball.
After rolling over Pakistan for cheap, Australia took a first innings lead of 408.
The visitors were 81 for one at stumps on Day 1, extending their lead to 489 with Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne unbeaten on 35 and 37, respectively.
India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant scored the fastest Test fifty by an Indian batter on Sunday when he completed his half-century in 28 deliveries on the second day of the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.
Rishabh Pant on Sunday broke Kapil Dev’s record of fastest Test fifty for India.
India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant scored the fastest Test fifty by an Indian batter on Sunday when he completed his half-century in 28 deliveries on the second day of the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. With India having bowled Sri Lanka out for 109 early in the day’s play, the hosts extended their 143-run first innings lead with some quick scoring in their second innings. It was Rishabh Pant, batting at No. 5, who took charge of the innings and attacked the visiting bowlers to help consolidate India’s control.
With his brisk fifty, Pant broke Kapil Dev’s almost 40-year record of the fastest Test fifty by an Indian batter.
Kapil Dev had scored a 30-ball half-century while batting against Pakistan in the Karachi Test in December, 1982. Despite his heroics, Pakistan went on to win the match by an innings and 86 runs.
Earlier on Sunday, Jasprit Bumrah took a fifer, his first in a home Test, as India ran through Sri Lanka’s lower order and bowled them out for 109.
Sri Lanka had resumed batting at 86/6 on Day 2 but could add only 23 runs to their total.
India started their innings well, with Rohit Sharma scoring 46 and Hanuma Vihari chipping with a knock of 35.
Iyer created an unimpressive record despite playing a match-defining knock.
Shreyas Iyer. (Photo Source: BCCI)
India found themselves in a spot of bother having lost half their side early after winning the toss on Day one of the second Test against Sri Lanka at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Having been reduced to 148/6, the hosts could have been bundled out cheaply had it not been for Shreyas Iyer’s vital half-century that helped them in crossing the 250-run mark.
The middle-order sensation made it matter yet again just like he had during the three WI T20Is that preceded the Test series. Iyer scored 92 runs off 98 deliveries. While he did reach his fifty with a splendid six, the Mumbai cricketer also went on to create an unwanted record as he joined two of India and world cricket’s batting megastars after falling eight short of a deserving century.
After being stumped by Niroshan Dickwella off left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama for 92, Shreyas Iyer ended up creating an unwanted record held by batting legend Sachin Tendulkar and his former opening partner Virender Sehwag. In fact, he became the fourth batter to be stumped while batting in the 90s.
This season, physios and trainers of the NCA and head coach Rahul Dravid will be in touch with the country’s top cricketers to ensure they stick to the plan, with the focus on strength and conditioning.
As the BCCI moves to a centralised system, the NCA, headed by VVS Laxman, will play a more active role in scientific fitness monitoring of the cricketers who are part of the core group expected to play in the T20 World Cup later this year and the 50-over World Cup in 2023.
TO AVOID untimely injury breakdown and ensure optimum fitness with two World Cups scheduled in as many years, contracted Indian cricketers will have to follow a fitness plan designed by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) during the course of the IPL, which is set to begin March 26. Earlier, once players joined their IPL teams, they followed the regimen of their respective franchises.
The NCA-monitored fitness plan has been put in place after the BCCI and selectors were kept in the dark earlier about the fitness status of top cricketers during the IPL.
This season, physios and trainers of the NCA and head coach Rahul Dravid will be in touch with the country’s top cricketers to ensure they stick to the plan, with the focus on strength and conditioning. The BCCI has informed the IPL teams about the direct role the NCA will play in fitness management of players.
Cristiano Ronaldo became the all-time leading men’s goalscorer in football history as his brilliant hat-trick inspired Manchester United’s 3-2 win against Tottenham, while Liverpool closed the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City with a 2-0 victory at Brighton on Saturday.
Ronaldo had netted just once in his previous 10 games amid speculation that the Portugal striker was considering his future after less than a season of his second spell with United.
The 37-year-old’s commitment was questioned when he reportedly jetted to Portugal last weekend rather than watch his team after being ruled out of their 4-1 defeat at Manchester City with a hip injury.
Even United interim boss Ralf Rangnick conceded he did not know if Ronaldo was happy at the club.
But Ronaldo proved his commitment to the United cause with a superb display to single-handedly dispatch Tottenham at Old Trafford.
Chasing an elusive international hundred for 28 months now, Virat Kohli would hope for a turnaround at his ‘spiritual home’ when India take on an under-prepared and injury-hit Sri Lanka in the second Test, with the action unfolding under flood lights, in Bengaluru from Saturday.
India will look to sweep the two-match Test series 2-0 against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.
Chasing an elusive international hundred for 28 months now, Virat Kohli would hope for a turnaround at his ‘spiritual home’ when India take on an under-prepared and injury-hit Sri Lanka in the second Test, with the action unfolding under flood lights, in Bengaluru from Saturday. Interestingly, the last time Kohli reached a three-figure mark, it was a ‘Pink Ball’ game in which India thrashed Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs in Kolkata, back in November 2019. He had scored 136 back then. The former India skipper has taken strike in 28 innings since then but a Test hundred has remained elusive. The 33-year-old has got a 50-plus score only six times with highest being a knock of 79 against South Africa in Cape Town in January this year.
Now he is returning to the M Chinnaswamy stadium, a venue which he knows like the back of his palm as he has led his IPL side Royal Challengers Bangalore here (RCB) for a decade. That comforting familiarity with the conditions may also help.
Kohli vs tough times
A colossus that he has developed into in world cricket, expectations are always high from the star Indian cricketer, who is perhaps enduring the most challenging phase of his career and not just in pure cricketing terms.
Kohli’s run-in with the establishment and the subsequent removal from the leadership role in ODIs may have added pressure but he can breath easy since in Sri Lanka he faces a bowling attack, which hardly has the wherewithal to trouble the Indian batters in their own den.
ICC Women’s World Cup: India skipper Mithali Raj on Saturday scripted a massive record in the ongoing Women’s World Cup
Mithali Raj has now captain in most number of matches at Women’s World Cups.
India skipper Mithali Raj on Saturday scripted a massive record in the ongoing Women’s World Cup. With India electing to bat against West Indies in their third match of the tournament at the Seddon Park in Hamilton, Raj has now made the most appearances as captain in Women’s World Cup history. She went past former Australian women’s team captain Belinda Clark, who had captained in 23 matches. So far, Mithali has captained India in 23 World Cup matches, bagging 14 wins, eight wins and one no result.
Mithali will be hoping to cap the record with a win over the West Indies, with India having lost one match and won one in the ongoing tournament so far.
India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test: The KSCA has announced in a statement that 100 percent crowd capacity will be allowed in the Bengaluru Test match.
IND vs SL: The 2nd Test match will have 100 percent crowd capacity.
The second Test between India and Sri Lanka, a pink ball game starting on Saturday, could witness a full house after the Karnataka State Cricket Association on Thursday allowed 100 percent crowd attendance for the match owing to sharp decline in COVID-19 cases and high demand for tickets. “KSCA is happy to inform that there has been very good response for viewership of the India vs Sri Lanka Day-Night Test cricket match being played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore from 12-16 March, 2022.
“Considering the high number of volume of response and since there are no further restrictions for spectators, KSCA will be opening up sale of tickets for full capacity of the stadium,” KSCA treasurer Vinay Mruthyunjaya said in a statement.
The prices of the tickets per day has been kept at Rs 1250 (Grand Terrace), Rs 750 (E-Executive), Rs 500 (D Corporate) and Rs 100 respectively.
In the first Test between India and Sri Lanka, which was also Virat Kohli’s landmark 100th Test, 50 percent crowd capacity was allowed at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.
