Dubai, Sep 25 (Cricket News) Mumbai Indians Director of Cricket Operations, Zaheer Khan on Saturday exuded confidence that star all-rounder Hardik Pandya would be fit to play in their next game against Royal Challengers Bangalore after missing the title holder's first two games in the second leg of the ongoing Indian Premier League.

MI did not have the best of starts in the second phase of the tournament, losing their first two games against Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.

But Zaheer is optimistic about Hardik's return in the playing eleven in their next game on Sunday.

"Well, we have a practice session today lined up, so after we finish the press conference we are going to go there and will take an informed call on that. He (Hardik) has started practicing, that's what I can share with you guys right now. So, we are hopeful that he (Hardik) will be fit and available. That's what we are hoping," the former India pacer said at the pre-match conference.

MI head coach Mahela Jayawardane had said that the Baroda all-rounder missed the game against CSK due a little niggle. He also the missed the next game against KKR. According to Zaheer, every team has become smart in their preparations and the five-time champions MI very well know how to perform under pressure.

"As you know, IPL is a very highly competitive tournament, so teams are always trying to have a one up on each other and they are getting smart in their preparation and these days every team is analysing every other team. So we have to stay on the top.

"The focus has always been on us, this team has been so successful because we have been focusing on our processes, our strengths and our players who are taking the field. And these are the players who have got us the championship, so we have that kind of approach and we have had quite a lot of good conversations around those things," he said.

"When it comes to the back-end of the tournament, the pressure is (high), this team certainly knows how to perform under pressure," added Zaheer.

MI middle-order has misfired in the first two games since the IPL's resumption. "When you look at the scorecard, you will say ya (laughs), there is a concern." But Zaheer stressed that it was just a matter of time.

"But I don't see it (the middle-order form) as a concern. It is just about finding that rhythm. You have seen in this format and this tournament particularly that once you get on a roll, you can win a couple of games together," he said.

"This team has been so successful because of certain processes in terms of form, it is always just one innings away, be it a batter or a bowler and for you to win games of cricket, everything has to come together," he explained.

Zaheer said they got good starts in the last two games but weren't able to finish off things.

"So far, we have been getting good starts, we have been having those platforms, (we are) not being able to close in those situations, so the focus will be on that going forward. It is just about everything coming together and we just need that one game and that one game I am certain has to be the next game," he said.

"Because we are getting in that business end of the tournament where every game is going to matter and every game is going to bring in more pressure. When we have such a successful background to look at and such experienced players to fall back on, we are looking forward to the challenge and we are looking forward to the opportunity we have right now, going forward to make history.

"It is just a matter of time before we turn things around," Zaheer signed off.

Also Read : Testing time for India stars as out of sync RCB face rusty Mumbai Indians

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 25 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be aiming to up their captaincy quotient and raise their respective team's performance by a few notches when Royal Challengers Bangalore lock horns with defending champions Mumbai Indians in an IPL game, here on Sunday.

India's outgoing T20 captain and the one who will replace him, both have endured crushing defeats. It puts them on a slippery slope as the tournament approaches its business end.

RCB are still in top four with 10 points from nine games while MI after their back-to-back defeats have slumped to sixth spot with eight points from nine games.

The fact that bulk of India's top-order batters, who are currently under-performing, are from these two sides, sticks out like sore thumb.

Going into the World T20, Kohli, Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan are some of the batting mainstays.

Also there is Hardik Pandya, who is not being picked by Mumbai Indians as he is perhaps not 100 percent fit to carry his all-round duties which includes four overs of brisk fast-medium bowling.

But if Hardik is batting fit and still the burly and bordering on sloppy Saurabh Tiwary is preferred, then it does seem a bit baffling as the Baroda all-rounder purely as a batsman is miles ahead of the Jharkhand man.

Kohli showed some form en route his half-century against CSK at Sharjah but the overall form has been scratchy and his MI counterpart also didn't completely look in his elements during the previous game against KKR.

The more worrying factor will be Surya's lack of form which might be a result of lack of game time, having sat through two Tests in England. He is suddenly looking a lot rustier than usual.

It was no different for Ishan also as the trio needs to fire to be in good head space before the T20 World Cup on same tracks that are expected to get slower.

One can only hope that their form doesn't desert them when they need it most in the "Desert Nation".

Interestingly, both RCB and MI have lost their two matches on resumption to same opposition --- KKR and CSK.

What's more disconcerting has been the patchy bowling efforts from both sides save an odd bowler.

For Mumbai, it is Jasprit Bumrah, who has looked head and shoulders above the rest of the pack while Yuzvendra Chahal with wiry little frame is carrying the burden of an entire below-par bowling attack.

No support for either of the two from the other bowlers have not helped their cause either.

RCB's case is a bit trickier as they have now lost seven matches on the trot in the UAE. Five of those defeats came in the last edition.

RCB's bowling attack, in terms of quality, is a bit wafer-thin as the likes of Harshal Patel don't have the wherewithal to perform match after match.

In case of Navdeep Saini, a success-rate of just about "half wicket per IPL game" (17 scalps in 30 matches) gives a picture of why Kohli can't always rely on him.

Wanindu Hasaranga was taken after just two good matches against a second string Indian side in Sri Lanka and even if one goes by his ICC rankings, there are enough quality players who would see his spell through.

In batting, it's more about Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal who put on 111 for the first wicket only to find that others weren't good enough to add even 50 runs.

They have a keeper in Kona Bharath, who is primarily a red-ball specialist. Against the CSK, Harshal Patel, who had some sporadic experiences of batting for Haryana, was sent ahead of him.

That only speaks of skipper's lack of trust having sent him up the order.

Glenn Maxwell as usual is the "big buy" which more often than not goes waste and Tim David not being the man for slow tracks is also hurting RCB chances.

Squads Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (Captain), Navdeep Saini, Glenn Maxwell, Dan Christian, Rajat Patidar, Dushmantha Chameera, Pavan Deshpande, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Sachin Baby, Wanindu Hasaranga, George Garton, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shahbaz Ahmed, Devdutt Padikkal, Kyle Jamieson, Suyash Prabhudessai, KS Bharat, Tim David, Akash Deep, AB de Villiers.

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain) Quinton de Kock, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Anukul Roy, Arjun Tendulkar, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, James Neesham, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Marco Jansen, Yudhvir Singh, Adam Milne, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohsin Khan, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Piyush Chawla, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult.

Match starts at 7:30PM IST.

Also Read : Our batters are lot more aggressive than they were last time: Simons

News Source : PTI

Sharjah, Sep 24 (Cricket News) Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday attributed his team's remarkable turnaround this IPL season to the players' hard work and understanding their roles and responsibilities.

Three-time winners CSK endured their worst outing last season when they finished seventh in the eight-team league, a far cry from the manner in which they are dominating in this edition, including their latest six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore.

"Our players have worked hard, they have understood their roles and responsibilities. Over here, the three grounds are different. This is slowest (so far) of all. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are different. So the players have been adapting," Dhoni said after the comfortable six-wicket win over RCB.

RCB skipper Virat Kohli (53) and young Devdutt Padikkal (70) struck brisk half-centuries in an impressive 111-run stand but CSK pulled the strings to restrict them to 156 for six after electing to bowl.

The in-form Ruturaj Gaikwad, then, came good again with a quick 38 while Faf du Plessis made 31 at the top to lay a strong foundation for CSK to chase the modest target in 18.1 overs.

CSK's decision to bowl first was prompted by the dew factor.

"We were worried about the dew, so whenever there's chances of dew we want to bat second.

"They got off to a good start but after ninth over wicket slowed down. You still had to bowl tight, and Jadeja's spell was important with Padikkal batting from one end.

"After that Bravo, Josh (Hazlewood), Shardul (Thakur), Deepak (Chahar) were brilliant. It's always on the back of your mind on which bowler can be effective over here," the former India skipper said.

Even as RCB got off to a great start, Dhoni brought into play his years of experience to effect a turnaround.

"I had told Moeen (Ali) before drinks that he would be bowling soon, but then I decided Bravo should bowl. The more you delay Bravo, the more difficult it is since he will end up bowling four straight overs in these difficult conditions." Stroke-making was not very difficult on this track but RCB ended up conceding a lot of boundaries to their opponents.

"Looking at the wicket, I felt left-right combo was important. We bat deep, we have a lot of left-handers, so in the back of the head it's there.

"And I feel all of them are good enough to play in any position. That's why we went with the left-right combination, which pushed Raina and Rayudu down." Dhoni called his longtime CSK teammate Bravo "brother", who brought them back into the game with the wicket of Kohli.

"Bravo has turned up fit - that's a very good thing. And he is executing well. I call him my brother.

"We always have fights over whether he should bowl the slower ball. But I told him that now everyone knows he bowls slower balls, so I told him to bowl six different balls in one over. Whenever he can, he takes up responsibilities." Besides admitting that his team conceded too many runs off boundaries, RCB skipper Kohli said they were 15-20 runs short of a challenging target. He also said his bowlers could not make use of the conditions.

"175 could have been a winning total. The pitch had a lot to offer but our bowlers could not make use. They got away with too many boundary opportunities. They bowled well in their back end and executed the yorkers when needed," Kohli said.

"It was difficult for us to get elevation, and only bad balls could be put away. We then gave too many boundary balls. We spoke of areas we didn't want them to hit, but we couldn't do that.

"The X-Factor was missing in the first five overs with the ball. But it's very important to execute balls during the crunch moments. Those few moments... that's what we failed to capitalise on." Despite their seventh straight loss in the UAE (including results from last season), Kohli remained optimistic of turning things around in the coming days.

"We need to get on a winning run again. This game is more disappointing than the first one. We were on top and then gave it all away." Man of the Match Bravo, who returned excellent figures of 3/24 in four overs, said he just wanted to keep things simple.

"I just strive to be competitive. IPL is the toughest competition in the world. Some days it works for me, some days it doesnt. But the pride and love I have for this game keeps me going.

"RCB are a big side, and Virat is a very good player, so it was an important wicket. I wanted to just keep it simple. Variations, yorkers, slower balls...just stuck to my basics," Bravo said. 

Also Read : Sunrisers Hyderabad face Punjab Kings in battle of laggards

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, Sep 24 (Football News) Former Real Madrid coach Angel Puebla Garcia has been appointed as the deputy to SC East Bengal head coach Manuel 'Manolo' Diaz, the club announced on Friday.

He will also be fulfilling the responsibilities of a strength and fitness coach.

With close to two decades of coaching experience, Garcia has worked with the likes of Vicente del Bosque at Real Madrid between 1993-94 and Rafa Benitez in Real Madrid and Real Valladolid between 1994-1996 as both football conditioning and assistant coach.

A UEFA Pro License holder who has also cut his teeth in sports science, fitness and conditioning with multiple degrees to show for, Garcia has worked closely with players of the ilk of David Villa and David Silva also working with the Georgia national team in 2008.

"I am happy to be part of such a big club like SC East Bengal. I have worked in some of the finest football clubs and with some of the best coaches. I know what it takes to bring the winning mentality and that is what we will try to do here," Garcia said.

"I am looking forward for the challenge ahead and I can't wait to get started," he added.

Garcia was the chief executive of Real Valladolid's academy and Kimberley College Football Academy in Brisbane (Australia). Having worked in four continents, Garcia was last attached to Newell's Old Boys in Argentina, where he was the assistant coach to Germán Burgos.

Garcia has worked with players like Raúl, Fernando Morientes, Emilio Butragueño, Rafael Martín Vázquez, Iván Zamorano and Maxi Rodríguez besides also training Spanish world champions Villa, Silva, Álvaro Arbeloa, Carlos Marchena and Raúl Albiol.

He has worked with Al Wasl in Dubai, also plying his trade with Evergrande Football School in China. Garcia was assistant coach to Héctor Cúper in Turkey as well for FC Orduspor. He worked with Cúper at Racing de Santander before that also being part of his team at Greek club Aris FC.

Meanwhile, former Indian football star Renedy Singh will continue to remain assistant coach of SC East Bengal and will be part of Diaz's backroom staff.

Former India captain Renedy was part of Robbie Fowler's coaching team as well in SC East Bengal debut season in the Indian Super League.

Also Read : Mumbai City secure loan move for Brazilian striker Catatau

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 24 (Cricket News) He might have played just one match under Rishabh Pant's leadership as of now but South African speedster Anrich Nortje is impressed by Delhi Capitals' skipper's match reading skills and ability to project what's there in the offing.

Nortje, world's fastest bowler missed out on the first phase of IPL due to an injury.

The match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he got 2/12, was the first game that he played under Pant's captaincy.

"It's difficult to say just after one game. But all in all, he is good in understanding the game from what I have seen. He is a keeper as well and sees things differently," Nortje said ahead of Capitals' game against Rajasthan Royals.

"He has got a good eye of what's going to happen in the game, and that's really nice having that especially as a captain.

"The simple things like being good with angles and where fielders need to be placed, projecting what's going to happen, really nice having him at the back," Nortje said of his new skipper having played under Shreyas Iyer last time.

Without an iota of doubt, Nortje is currently the fastest bowler in world cricket and has bowled the top eight fastest deliveries of the IPL which includes a lot of 150 plus thunderbolts.

The highest recorded speed this IPL has been 151.71 kmph.

"I don't think about bowling speeds on the field but I do think about it when I am doing my strength training. High speed is not something I search for on the field. I just try to hit the right lengths while bowling during a game." Having Kagiso Rabada as a new ball partner has also helped him as their relation has become stronger over the years.

"KG learnt quite a lot. We are quite comfortable with each other and our relation has grown as we get along well.

"We chat simple stuff, like getting on top of off-stump, cliches, just about finding how to do it, knowing what you say to each other, building on it. How he bowls in certain situations in certain wickets," Nortje cited the advantages of having Rabada in his corner.

When asked about his experience of working with head coach Ricky Ponting, Nortje said, "I love his chats and he breaks things down very nicely and makes everything easy to understand." "He's quite clear on what he wants. I am trying to learn as much as possible from him. We enjoy working with him and hopefully, we can grow as a unit with him." Asked if he has shared some tricks of the trade with young fast bowler Avesh Khan, the Proteas speedster was waxed eloquent about the Indian's yorkers.

"Some of us have been looking at how Avesh is landing his yorkers and how he has been going about things. He has been so good for us.

"It was especially nice to see him land his yorkers in the first half of the season in India. It's been so nice to see him progress as a bowler."

Also read : I respect team's decision to let Pant stay as captain: Iyer

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 24 (Cricket News) Uncapped medium pacer Umran Malik was on Friday named as a short-term COVID-19 replacement for T Natarajan in the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad for the ongoing Indian Premier League.

Natarajan had tested positive for COVID-19 before the team's fixture against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday.

"Sunrisers Hyderabad have brought in medium pacer Umran Malik as a short-term COVID-19 replacement for T Natarajan for their VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 campaign," an IPL release stated.

The 21-year-old Malik has played one T20 and List A match for Jammu Kashmir and has picked a total of four wickets. He is already part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad as a net bowler.

"Under the Regulation 6.1 (c), franchises are allowed to sign a short-term replacement player until the original squad member is permitted to re-enter the team's bio-secure environment." "Hence, Malik will only be a part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad side until Natarajan recovers and is allowed to join the team," the release added.

The left-arm pacer is currently under isolation for 10 days and will have to test negative twice before being allowed back into the bubble.

The 30-year-old Natarajan has 20 IPL wickets from 24 matches.

Also Read : SRH's India player T Natarajan tests positive, match against DC to go ahead as scheduled

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 23 (Cricket News) The ICC on Thursday launched the official anthem of the upcoming T20 World Cup along with a campaign film featuring 'avatars' of Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli and West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard.

The tournament will begin on October 17 in Oman and UAE, with the final to be played in Dubai on November 14.

Composed by Bollywood music director Amit Trivedi, an animated film features young fans from all over the world engaged in T20I cricket and includes some of the sport's biggest superstars.

India captain Kohli leads the group of players brought to life as 'avatars' in the animation, that interact with each other throughout.

Kohli is joined by fellow captain Pollard of the reigning champions, West Indies as well as Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan.

Launched in collaboration with ICC's global broadcast partner Star Sports, the film premiers worldwide on Thursday across ICC, BCCI, and Star Sports' social media handles.

The animation features a brand-new broadcast technology that blends both 3D and 2D effects to create the film.

A production team of over 40 people, including designers, modellers, matte painters, animators, lighters, and compositors, worked round-the-clock to produce the final version.

A total of 16 countries, featuring the sport's biggest names and best teams, will compete in the sport's biggest event since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There is something magical and special about putting on the West Indies jersey and stepping onto the field," said Pollard.

"This upcoming World Cup will give us more special moments. We know our fans will be fully engaged, watching, and supporting and we want to give them plenty to cheer about," he added.

The opening fixture of the tournament takes place on October 17 as Oman take on men's T20 World Cup debutants Papua New Guinea at Muscat's Oman Cricket Academy.

Claire Furlong, ICC General Manager, Marketing and Communications said: "Cricket has more than a billion fans around the world, and we wanted to put our young fans in the heart of the action alongside their heroes and allow them to live the game."

Also Read : The fantastic four who have made a mark in the T20 game for the country and in IPL

News Source : PTI

(Cricket News) Cricket Ireland have confirmed that their men’s team will play a warm up match against Scotland and three T20I’s against the United Arab Emirates cricket team in Dubai at the ICC Academy before the T20 World Cup in October.

The fixtures were officially announced by the Emirates Cricket Board and will be held between 5th to 10th October, featuring the likes of UAE, Ireland, Scotland, Namibia and Papua New Guinea. The Ireland men’s squad is due to leave for the UAE tomorrow and will undergo a mandatory six day quarantine before training can begin.

THE COMPLETE FIXTURE LIST

Pre-T20 World Cup – preparation period

5 October 2021: Ireland v Scotland – warm-up match (ICC Academy Oval 2; start 9am local time)
7 October 2021: Ireland v UAE – 1st T20I (ICC Academy Oval 1; start 9am local time)
8 October 2021: Ireland v UAE – 2nd T20I (ICC Academy Oval 1; start 9am local time)
10 October 2021: Ireland v UAE – 3rd T20I (ICC Academy Oval 1; start 9am local time)

Official T20 World Cup warm-up matches

12 October 2021: Ireland v Papua New Guinea – warm-up T20I (Abu Dhabi; start 2pm local time)
14 October 2021: Ireland v Bangladesh – warm-up T20I (Abu Dhabi; start 6pm local time)
 
T20 World Cup - Round 1

18 October: Ireland v Netherlands (Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi; starts 10am GMT)
20 October: Ireland v Sri Lanka (Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi; starts 2pm GMT)
22 October: Ireland v Namibia (Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah; starts 10am GMT)

The top two teams from Round 1 will progress to the Group Stage. 

THE SQUAD

An 18-player preliminary squad has been announced which will further be reduced to 15 for the T20 World Cup tournament along with three other players as reserves. 

Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Graham Kennedy, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Kevin O’Brien, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Also read: Mumbai Indians look to bounce back against Kolkata Knight Riders on Match 34

Dubai, Sep 23 (Cricket News) Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Trevor Bayliss has asserted that their pacer T Natarajan's positive COVID-19 result did not impact their performance against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday since all the players are used to last-minute setbacks. The game went ahead after other members of SRH squad tested negative but Delhi Capitals cruised to an eight-wicket win with 13 balls to spare.

"I don't think that would have affected the result of the match. They played way too well for us tonight. It was a little bit of an upset," Bayliss said at the post-match press conference.

"Natarajan was going to play, but these guys are professional players. Every now and then, there's an injury just before play and you have got to make a late replacement. So, I am sure all of the players are, in a way, used to that. But we hope Nattu (Natarajan) gets over it pretty quickly and we can move on," added Bayliss.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad coach said Delhi Capitals' world-class tall pacers used the wicket pretty well and deserve the credit for scripting their team's victory.

South African pace duo of Kagiso Rabada (3/37) and Anrich Nortje (2/12) wreaked havoc to help DC restrict SRH to 134 for 9 on Wednesday night in an IPL match. The Rishabh Pant-led side then cruised to the target in just 17.5 overs. "Give Delhi the credit. They bowled particularly well. They have got some world-class bowlers and upfront some world-class very fast bowlers, so they had a good day. We didn't have such a good day and that's the game of cricket," Bayliss said. "Their bowlers upfront bowled exceedingly well. A lot of pace and used the wicket well with cutters, with the ball just holding in the wicket little bit and jumping up a little-bit, those tall fast bowlers took full advantage of it." With Natarajan missing from the playing XI, SRH went in with left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed and speedster Sandeep Sharma had to play a different role.

Sandeep was introduced late in the attack as Khaleel opened the bowling with seasoned Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

"Khaleel (Ahmed) in our practice matches has probably been one of our best bowlers. He was getting the ball to move around in those practice games. He is a little bit taller.

"We thought the balls for the taller guys were sticking in the wicket. He basically bowled quite well. It was one of those things, trying to fit three new ball bowlers into two.

"Today, we went with Khaleel, which meant Sandy (Sandeep Sharma) had to play a little bit of a different role," Bayliss said.

Also Read : I respect team's decision to let Pant stay as captain: Iyer

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 23 (Cricket News) Shreyas Iyer says he relished captaining the Delhi Capitals in the IPL but completely respects the team management's decision to let Rishabh Pant stay as leader of the pack till the end of the 2021 season.

Iyer had led the Capitals to the summit clash of the 2020 season but he missed the first phase of this year's season due to a shoulder injury and the management asked Pant to captain the side.

The 26-year-old returned to the side before IPL's resumption after the COVID-19 forced break but the Capitals chose not to change the leader again, keeping Pant in the captain's chair.

The young Mumbai batsman, who hit a blistering 47 in team's win on Wednesday night, said he understands team's policy and has no complaints.

"When I was given the captaincy, I was in a different frame of mind and my decision-making and temperament level was very good and I benefited from it in the last two years," Iyer said at the post-match press conference.

"This is part of the decision-making from the franchise or whatever decision they took, I respect the fact and Rishabh is leading the side well from the start of the season and they thought that he should be continued till the season end and I completely respect the decision," he added.

The 26-year-old said he continues to enjoy the pressure situation as he thrives in such circumstances.

"And no drastic change has come that my focus has increased in batting. when I was captain, I like to soak in the pressure, when there is pressure, there are more challenges and, in such situations, I perform, that is my mind-set.

"Even today (Wednesday) when I went in, there was pressure to win the game. The wicket was playing uneven, so the mind-set is the same that being a main part of the team, you have to finish the match and whenever I play, my mindset is that I play till the last ball and see to it that I make the team win." The aggressive batsman it is a "really good feeling" to contribute in team's win in his first match post comeback.

"I wouldn't say that I'm satisfied because the hunger has just gone up and the appetite keeps on increasing every match you play, so yeah, not satisfied or not contained," he said after DC demolished Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets.

Iyer said the injury period was difficult for him but he had the right people around him.

"I have a very close-knit family and friends and they never made me feel that I was going through an injury.

"When I got injured, it was really difficult for me to adapt (to) the fact that I was injured because I keep doing so many activities here and there and I never think about that situation and that occurred, so it was really tough for me to adapt.

"They kept me busy and in a positive frame of mind and never made me feel that I am going through an injury.

"When the rehab started and I started gaining strength, that feeling was really amazing and that put me in a really good frame of mind that I will come back positive and strong," shared the top-order batsman.

Delhi Capitals is at the top of the table and Iyer said the key now is to maintain the momentum.

"When we came in here, we were still on the top of the table and we have to maintain the same rhythm that we created in the first half of the leg and the mindset has been really positive in the dugout," he said.

Also Read : SRH's India player T Natarajan tests positive, match against DC to go ahead as scheduled

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 22 (Cricket News) The International Cricket Council on Wednesday charged former West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels of breaching four counts of the anti-corruption code during a T10 league, including failure to disclose hospitality benefits that could bring disrepute to the sport.

The game's governing body charged the West Indian on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), the organiser of the T10 League which is four seasons old.

"Samuels will be given a time period of 14 days to respond to the charges," an ICC release said.

The 40-year-old Samuels played 71 Tests, 207 ODIs and 67 T20Is in his international career, scoring 11,134 runs and taking 152 wickets. He retired from international cricket in November 2020.

According to the ICC, Samuels breached articles 2.4.2, 2.4.3, 2.4.6 and 2.4.7 of the Code.

The three articles deal with failure to disclose to the Anti-Corruption Official, receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that was made or given in circumstances that "could bring the participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute", non-cooperation with the investigation, and obstructing or delaying the investigation by "concealing information that may have been relevant..." The T10 league's latest edition was held in Abu Dhabi in January-February earlier this year.

Samuels was a part of the event in 2019 when he turned up for Karnataka Tuskers, which was led by South African star Hashim Amla.

Also Read : Home Season: Team India to play 4 Tests, 3 ODIs and 14 T20Is

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 22 (Cricket News) Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer T Natarajan has tested positive for COVID-19 but the team's IPL match against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday will go ahead as scheduled, the BCCI said.

Left-arm pacer Natarajan, who is coming back from a knee surgery, has been isolated along with six close contacts which also include out of favour India all-rounder Vijay Shankar.

"Sunrisers Hyderabad player T Natarajan tested positive for COVID-19 at a scheduled RT-PCR test. The player has isolated himself from the rest of the squad. He is currently asymptomatic," a BCCI release stated.

"The rest of the contingent including the close contacts underwent RT-PCR tests at 5AM local time this morning and the test reports are negative.

"As a result, tonight's game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals will go ahead at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai," it further stated.

The close contacts identified by the medical team also include Vijay Kumar(Team Manager), Shyam Sundar J (Physiotherapist), Anjana Vannan (Doctor), Tushar Khedkar (Logistics Manager), and Periyasamy Ganesan (Net Bowler).

The IPL resumed here on Sunday after it had to be halted in May due to multiple COVID cases in its bio-bubble when the event was being staged in India.

Also Read : IPL: Delhi Capitals take on struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad in match 33

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The main question the Hyderabad setup needs to answer is, will they bring back David Warner back into the playing XI? He was stripped off his captaincy midway through the season and then axed from the playing XI against Rajasthan Royals which has meant that he has suffered his worst IPL season by some distance. For SRH, chances of qualification look really grim with Kane Willamson and co needing to win all their matches to even stand a chance for qualifying for the playoffs. On the other hand Delhi Capitals will look to reclaim top spot from CSK, the welcome return of Sheryas Iyer might act as a boost for the team.

SRH's biggest miss is going to be their best batsman this season's Jonny Bairstow as he opted to focus on the T20 World Cup and Ashes. They have brought in West Indies explosive batsman Sherfane Rutherford as his replacement. Another major concern for SRH is their middle order as they haven't really shown any impetus to score runs or even take the team home in run chases. With Bairstow not playing, SRH management can use either Mohammad Nabi or Jason Holder to fill that void in the team. In the first leg SRH were hampered with injuries especially to their bowlers, this unwanted break might act as a blessing in disguise as they have near full strength bowling line.

The Delhi Capitals side will be looking for their maiden IPL trophy as this team almost have all the bases covered. They lost Chris Woakes but have replaced him with Ben Dwarshuis for the rest of the season, while left arm seamer Kulwant Khejroliya replaces M Siddharth. The DC management opted to stick with Rishabh Pant as the captain even though Sheryas Iyer is back to full fitness. The return of Iyer will be a boost for the team, and the balance of the team improves as he can play no 3 which could mean that they could bring back the South African duo of Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada back together in playing XI. Warner vs Rabada will be a key battle to watch out for as Rabada has dismissed him 3 times in 39 balls but he has also conceded at a rate of 9.38.

Head to head: SRH 11 - 8 DC, the last time they played Delhi prevailed in a humdinger of a contest as the match went into a super over.

Pitch and Weather report: The Dubai International Stadium is a batting friendly surface like we saw in the last match and is expected to assist the batters again, pacers might get some assistance towards the latter half of the game and wrist spinners in both the sides might play a big role.The temperature will  hover around 39 degrees as the humidity will be 55% with no chance of rain as of now. The dew factor could play a major role in the second innings.

Also read: Captain Samson fined Rs 12 lakh for RR's slow over rate against Punjab

Interesting facts:

• Amit Mishra will become the first player to feature in 100 matches for Delhi in the IPL if he plays 
• Amit Mishra is only 4 wickets behind Lasith Malinga’s tally of 170 wickets to become the highest wicket taker in IPL history
• Rashid Khan has picked up 17 wickets in 12 matches in Dubai at an economy rate of 4.55
• DC have hit the fewest sixes (32) but have hit most fours also (132)
• Ashwin needs only one wicket to take 250 T20 wickets and in doing so he’ll become the only the third Indian bowler to do so.  

Probable XI for DC:

1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Avesh Khan   

Probable XI for SRH:

1 David Warner, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Kane Williamson (capt), 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Jason Holder/ Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 T Natarajan, 11 Sandeep Sharma   .       

Dubai, Sep 22 (Cricket News) Punjab Kings head coach Anil Kumble admitted that his team losing IPL games narrowly has become a pattern and the two-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals was certainly a difficult pill to swallow.

The Punjab side failed to score four runs from the final over with the Royals fast bowler Karthik Tyagi dismissing Nicholas Pooran and Deepak Hooda and giving away only one run to snatch the win for his team on Monday.

“It’s sort of become a bit of a pattern for us, especially as soon as we get to Dubai, it seems. There was a clear message saying we need to finish this game in 19 overs, and that was the approach," Kumble said at the post-match press conference.

"Unfortunately, we let it till the end, and in the last couple of balls it becomes a lottery (with) a new batsman going in, it is a bit of lottery.” The legendary leg-spinner gave credit to Tyagi for the way he bowled the final over.

“But credit to how Tyagi bowled the last over, it was pretty obvious that he’s going to bowl wide outside the off stump, but somehow our batters didn’t take the right options.

“Yes, it’s become a pattern, that’s something that we need to discuss and sort out. We have five more games, but again, we don’t want to get bogged down by this defeat. It’s certainly a difficult pill to swallow,” elaborated Kumble.

While Kumble praised the bowling effort of his team, he lamented that the batsmen could not finish the game.

“It was a very good wicket, in fact we really came back in the last four overs, I think we gave just about 20 runs and picked up six wickets. Arshdeep (Singh) bowled brilliantly, (Mohammed) Shami bowled brilliantly, (Harpreet) Brar bowled really well on a tough pitch.

“And remember one side of the ground, the boundaries were short, the other was longer. At one stage, Rajasthan were looking to score almost 200-210, so to really squeeze the last four overs and pick up six wickets, I thought the bowling effort was really good,” said the head coach, who has 619 Test wickets to his name.

“I think the batting showed till the 17th over that we were cruising, unfortunately 18th, 19th (over) sort of pulled us back after that six (Aiden) Markram hit. After that, we just got singles and then lost wickets and took it to the last over, which unfortunately we couldn’t finish,” he added.

According to Kumble, the team management had given a clear message to finish the game in 19 overs, but unfortunately it did not turn out that way.

“As batsmen, they certainly know what their scoring shots are, it’s not about just the scoop. It also boils down to that particular batsman. When you have 8 runs in 12 balls, I don’t think we needed a scoop, all it needed was a bit of hitting, and even if someone got out, the next batsman would at least get five or six balls to get those runs.

"When it goes to the last couple of balls, it becomes really hard,"

Also Read : Special to change game myself after watching others do it: Tyagi

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 22 (Cricket News) Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has been fined Rs 12 lakh for his side's slow over rate during their two-run win over Punjab Kings in an Indian Premier League match here.

The Royals pulled off an incredible two-run victory over Punjab Kings with fast bowler Karthik Tyagi dismissing Nicholas Pooran and Deepak Hooda and giving away only one run in the final over to snatch the win for his team at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday.

"Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has been fined after his team maintained a slow over rate during their VIVO Indian Premier League 2021 match against Punjab Kings at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai on September 21," the IPL said in a statement.

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

The two sides were playing their first match after resumption of the IPL on September 19.

Also Read : Delhi Capitals resume IPL campaign against laggards SRH

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 21 (Cricket News) Pacer Kartik Tyagi was ecstatic to effect a turn around in an IPL match for Rajasthan Royals after having seen others do it in the past seasons.

Punjab were poised for an easy win as they needed just four runs from the last over but the 20-year-old from Uttar Pradesh changed the game with his accurate bowling.

He took two wickets and conceded just one run to script an incredible two-run win for his team.

Tyagi, who missed the India leg of the IPL, said "This feels really good".

"I have been talking to seniors over the years and they keep telling me that things keep changing in this format, so I need to keep believing," Tyagi said at the post match press conference.

"I've always heard from everyone and also watched games in this format where strange things have happened. Today, I was fortunate to play a big role in something special." Asked about his effort, he said, "I was bowling a bit too short earlier, later worked on it consciously after getting a lot of feedback." Royals skipper Sanju Samson could not stop smiling after pulling off an incredible win.

"It's funny that we kept believing (that we could win). I kept the overs of Mustafizur and Tyagi for the end, believing. Cricket is a funny game right. We just kept fighting and believing," he said.

"I always believe in my bowlers, want to keep fighting and that's why I kept those two overs till the end. To be very honest, to get that score on this wicket, we felt good because we had the bowling.

"If we took the catches, we could have won the game earlier. People have really worked hard on their fitness," he said.

Punjab skipper KL Rahul was gutted.

"This is a tough one to swallow. We need to see how we can handle pressure better. It's happened to the best in the game. Tough one to swallow that you haven't learnt from your previous mistakes," he said, looking dejected. "We bowled decent lengths in the first six. Unfortunate that edges got it away from us. But we pulled this back nicely with the ball."

Also Read : Rishabh's level of maturity has gone through the roof: Ponting

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 21 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting feels his young skipper Rishabh Pant's level of maturity "has gone through the roof" in the last couple of seasons as he has evolved from a swashbuckling keeper-batsman to a leader of the pack.

The 23-year-old Pant was given the responsibility to lead Delhi Capitals in the first phase of IPL 2021 after regular captain Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to a shoulder injury.

"Rishabh's level of maturity in the last two seasons has gone through the roof," Ponting, one of the game's all-time greats, described the cricketer on Tuesday.

"When I first came in, he just burst on to the scene. I had said we are going to see the unearthing of someone who is going to play for India for a long time. I could see that coming. I could see how much he wanted to be in every Indian team..

"It will take a very good player to knock him off that Indian team." Under Pant's captaincy, DC reached their maiden IPL final last season though they lost to Mumbai Indians in the summit showdown in the UAE.

"He has done a terrific job so far (leading DC in IPL). We are all striving for something special. This year we want to go one step further and Rishabh is going to play an intergral part in that." Before the first phase of the league had started in India earlier this year, Ponting had backed Pant as the team's skipper in the absence of Iyer, stating that the youngster would enjoy the extra responsibility.

And he did as DC topped the standings with six wins from eight matches before COVID-19 cases in the IPL's bio-bubble led to a suspension of the event.

Eager to in their first silverware, Pant said the team needs to give just 10-15 percent more than last season.

"We are better than last time this year. We have been focussing on the process for two-three years. We don't have to do too many things differently from last year. We can do the same things and give 10-15 percent extra," Pant said on the eve of their opening game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

With the presence of people like Marcus Stoinis and Shimron Hetmyer in the team, besides Pant, the Australian legend has a lot of confidence in his middle-order.

"Stoinis has had actually really big impact on us. He has the talent to be a great all-rounder in world cricket, especially in white-ball. We have got a lot of finishing power there with Hetmyer, Stoinis and Pant... makes our batting lineup really strong and really deep." Ponting is delighted to have Shreyas back in the squad, lending additional firepower to the batting lineup.

"I am delighted to have him back in the team. He has been an exceptional player for Delhi, a world-class player. It does make our team look a little more complete." He said the inclusion of Shreyas in the playing XI will not disturb their bowling combination that has two highly effective South African pacers in Kagiso Rabada and Andre Nortje.

Ponting said the vibe and atmosphere around his group is good going into their first game in the second phase of the league.

DC have plenty of senior players in their ranks including Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin, and some of them often miss out on game time, but the head coach said managing them has never been an issue as he treats everyone equally.

"I manage everyone the same way, everyone is on the same page in our team. We treat each other equally, that's certainly the way we try to go about. We have a good mix of youth and experience..

"We also do rely on our senior players as, at the end of the day, Rishabh is not always going to be right. So we bring everybody along the journey." Pant said the team's performance in the first half is good from the psychological point of view but they don't talk about what happened few months ago.

"That performance in first half counts obviously but we just want to focus one match at a time. We don't discuss that as a team and focus on our process.

"As a player, I don't think too much. I try to make most of the opportunity I get, move on, and keep learning everyday." Asked about his biggest learning from his predecessor in the Indian team -- the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni -- Pant said, "Focus on the process and results will follow." When asked about his leadership, he said, "I just try to keep the environment light. Anyone can discuss anything with me or Ricky. The combination of youth and experience helps us to go forward.

"I have learned from Ricky that everyone should be treated equally in the team -- players and also the support staff. Only then special things happen and as a skipper, that's the only thing you want." About Wednesday's opponents, Ponting observed that SRH are not a high-scoring side but "they back their defensive side of the game" and are always up for a scrap.

"We feel like we are well prepare. I am very confident that our boys will get the job done." 

Also Read : We've given ourselves a good chance to qualify for playoffs: Rabada

News Source : PTI
 

Dubai, Sep 21 (Cricket News) Bolstered by Shreyas Iyer's return, Delhi Capitals will look to maintain the form they showed in the first half of the season as they resume their IPL campaign against a struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Wednesday.

Delhi are currently sitting on the second spot, with 12 points from eight games. On the other hand, Sunrisers are placed at the last spot, with just a solitary win from seven games and six losses.

The Rishabh Pant-led side ended the first half of the IPL with a win and would be keen to start on a winning note.

And to do that, the Capitals have enough power-hitters in their line-up, who can take any good attack to cleansers and Sunrisers won’t be an exception.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan (380 runs), would be keen to prove the selectors wrong after being axed from India’s World T20 squad, while his partner young Prithvi Shaw (308 runs), would also like to get some runs under his belt.

DC boast of a strong middle-order comprising Shreyas Iyer, skipper Rishabh Pant (213 runs), Australians Steve Smith (104 runs) and Marcus Stoinis (71 runs) and Shimron Hetmyer (84 runs.

They will have to play their roles well if the Capitals need to keep winning and in case the opener’s fail, the middle-order will need to take responsibility.

Iyer, who is making a comeback after recovering from shoulder injury that he sustained in March, would also be keen to start the tournament well.

Delhi also have a settled bowling attack and they could go in with Avesh Khan (14 wickets) and Kasigo Rabada (8 wickets), who have been lethal at the start and at the death.

Delhi have array of spinners to choose from – be it wily old-fox Ravichandran Ashwin, experienced campaigner Amit Mishra, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav or Pravin Dubey.

For Sunrisers, a win would boost their confidence and help them stay afloat in the tournament.

However, their season’s leading run-getter Johnny Bairstow, has decided to pull out and hence the marauding Australian opener David Warner (193 runs) will have to shoulder more responsibility.

The likes of Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Wriddhiman Saha, Kedar Jadhav, Abdul Samad and Vijay Shankar, will also need to chip in and contribute.

Their bowlers, led by spin sensation Rashid Khan, also will have to put up a disciplined show to contain the Delhi batters at the Dubai International Stadium.

Teams (From): Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Ripal Patel, Shikhar Dhawan, Shimrom Hetmyar, Shreyas Iyer, Steve Smith, Amit Mishra, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan, Ben Dwarshuis, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Kulwant Khejroliya, Lukman Meriwala, Pravin Dubey, Tom Curran, Umesh Yadav, Axar Patel, Lalit Yadav, Marcus Stoinis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sam Billings and Vishnu Vinod.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kane Williamson (Captain), David Warner, Manish Pandey, Sherfane Rutherford, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Goswami, Rashid Khan, Vijay Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Abhishek Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddharth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, T Natarajan, Basil Thampi, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem, Abdul Samad, J Suchith, Jason Holder, Virat Singh, Priyam Garg, Kedar Jadhav, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Jason Roy.

Match starts at 7.30 PM.

Also Read : How Kohli overcame persistent back issues

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Punjab Kings take on Rajasthan Royals in the Dubai International Stadium in a must win match for both teams, with Mumbai dropping points Rajasthan can go level on points and can also occupy the 4th position if they win. On the other hand KL Rahul’s side can’t afford any more slip ups as they have to potentially win all their matches to stand a chance of qualifying for the playoffs. Both the sides will have plenty of new faces due to the non availability of players, and some of those could work in favour looking at their form and calibre of these players.

Rajasthan Royals are basically going to have a new set of foreign players as the likes of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye and Jos Buttler all opted out as they wanted to focus on the T20 World Cup and Ashes. Although the Royals have got in form players in Evin Lewis, Oshane Thomas, Shamsi and Glenn Phillips in. The positives for Royals is that Liam Livingston and Evin Lewis are in sublime form as both were the highest run getters in the Hundred and CPL respectively. A lot of responsibility falls on Chris Morris to lead the relatively inexperienced  bowling attack as players like Archer and Tye opted out, Morris’ match up with Gayle will be an interesting watch as the South African has dismissed him three times scoring 58 runs in 61 balls only.

Punjab Kings on the other hand will be without Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith and Dawid Malan, the kings decided to bring in Nathan Ellis, Adil Rashid and Aiden Markarm as their replacements. The kings during the first phase had a lot of dependency on the top order as 50% of the runs this season have been scored by KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, the middle order has only averaged 17.10% of the runs in this year's IPL, which is the lowest amongst the teams. A solution to this problem could be Markarm as he recently played in the slow turning pitches in Sri Lanka recently at number 3. The Kings can straightway hand Adil Rashid his debut as the Royal players tend to struggle to spin.    

Also read: Kolkata Knight Riders outclass dull Royal Challengers Bangalore to win by 9 wickets

Head to head: RR 12 - 10 PBKS, their last game was a thriller as kings won by four runs in the last over.

Pitch and Weather report: The pitch was green top in the first match which assisted the fast bowlers. It is expected to turn slower like it did earlier as a total of 160 could be a challenging target especially with the long boundaries. The temperature is going to hover around 42 degrees with no chances of rain as of now.

Interesting facts:

• Mustafizur (43) and Shamsi (41) are the second and third highest wicket-takers in T20s in 2021
• KL Rahul has a strike rate of over 157 in the middle overs
• Kings (57) and Royals (52) are amongst the top three six hitting teams this season
• Mustafizur has an economy rate of 8.81 in the death overs which is the best this season

Probable XI for PBKS:

1 KL Rahul (capt, wk), 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Fabian Allen/Adil Rashid, 8 Ravi Bishnoi, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Mohammed Shami 

Probable XI  for RR:

1 Evin Lewis, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Sanju Samson (capt, wk), 4 Liam Livingstone, 5 Riyan Parag, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Rahul Tewatia, 9 Kartik Tyagi, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Chetan Sakariya/Jaydev Unadkat

Karshi (Uzbekistan), Sep 21 (Football News) Up against a formidable opponent in an unfamiliar territory, ATK Mohun Bagan will start as underdogs in their AFC Cup Inter-Zone Semi-final against FC Nasaf of Uzbekistan here on Wednesday.

ATK Mohun Bagan are without central defender Sandesh Jinghan, who has joined Croatian club Sibenik since the 1-1 draw with Bashundhara Kings which saw the Indian side advance as South Asian Zonal champions.

Another heavyweight Hugo Boumos is also out, having been omitted from the squad to make way for Joni Kauko, a newly signed midfielder who appeared in all three of Finland’s matches at UEFA Euro 2020 earlier this year.

The 2020 Uzbekistan Super League runners-up will play the make-or-break clash in the familiar surrounds of Markaziy Stadium, a venue where they have tasted defeat just twice in 11 home matches this season, including their 3-2 win over Turkmenistan’s FC Ahal in the previous round of the continental tournament.

In contrast, ATK Mohun Bagan have had to travel via Dubai in their bid to advance to next month’s Inter-Zone Final against Lee Man FC of Hong Kong, and have been out of domestic league action since March, with three AFC Cup group stage fixtures in August their only competitive action in over six months.

Despite the lack of competitive preparation matches, Antonio Lopez Habas’ side hope to make up for it in talent and ambition.

The star attacking duo of Roy Krishna and David Williams have travelled after combining for three of the team’s six goals in the group stage, while goalkeeper Amrinder Singh will be aiming to build on a positive start to life at ATK Mohun Bagan.

Fans of the Kolkata-based side will, at the very least, be expecting a far better result than the last Indian team to venture to Karshi for an AFC Cup clash, with Dempo suffering a 9-0 defeat in the group stage back in 2011.

Nasaf are match fit, focused and in form. Chasing the trophy, a decade after the club won it in 2011, the settled nature of Ruzikul Berdiev’s outfit is underlined by the fact there are no changes to the squad which successfully navigated the Central Asian Zonal Final last month.

Serbian duo of Marko Stanojevic and Andrija Kaluđerovic -- both goal scorers against Ahal -- may be well known to fans from outside Uzbekistan, but Nasaf’s strength lies in their deep pool of young local talent, with Sherzod Nasruallev, Khusayin Norachaev, Akmal Mozgovoy and Khusniddin Alikulov all under 25, and all influential in the competition so far.

Berdiev’s charges have proved impossible to contain in Asia this season, averaging 67 percent of possession and 21 shots at goal per outing over their four fixtures and scoring multiple goals in every match.

Also Read : Kerala Blasters FC launch their home kit for 2021-22 Indian Super League season

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 21 (Cricket News) India skipper Mithali Raj continued to hold on to the number one spot while New Zealand's Amy Satterthwaite returned to the top five in the latest ICC women's ODI rankings for batters released on Tuesday.

While skipper Mithali, who has 762 rating points, retained her top spot, opener Smiriti Mandhana was placed seventh.

Satterthwaite made her way back into the top five on the back of her unbeaten 79 in the first ODI against England.

South Africa opener Lizelle Lee, who had caught up with Mithali last week to share the mantle at the top, has slipped by a position at number 2 -- one rating point behind -- after missing the final two ODIs against West Indies.

England captain Heather Knight also made significant gains. Her match-winning 89 off 107 deliveries against New Zealand helped her enter the top ten, jumping five places to share the ninth spot with Natalie Sciver and Laura Wolvaardt.

Veteran Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami moved up a spot to fourth while senior spinner Poonam Yadav remained static on ninth among bowlers.

India's Deepti Sharma moved a rung to be fourth in the all-rounders' list led by Australia's Ellyse Perry.

In the bowling rankings, the England pair of Sophie Ecclestone and Katherine Brunt climbed up the ladder one position each at sixth and seventh respectively, shifting Ayabonga Khaka of South Africa down to number eight who missed the final two outings of the series against South Africa.

Kate Cross snared five wickets in the first two ODIs while Natalie Sciver picked up three. Effectively, Cross moved up two places to 15th and Sciver advanced up three places to 18th.

Also Read : Australia too good for struggling India, win by nine wickets in first ODI

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 21 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals pacer Kagiso Rabada feels the the team has given itself a good chance of qualifying for the IPL playoffs following a brilliant performance in the first half of the season.

The Delhi franchise registered six wins from eight matches in the first half of the tournament and led the points table when the league was suspended midway in May owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I think the guys are in a good space as we have been playing some cricket since the first half of the tournament. That's a positive for the team," Rabada said in a media release.

"It's also nice to start the second half of the season being on top of the table. However, we still have a lot of work to do. We've given ourselves a good chance to qualify for the Playoffs and earn a spot in the final," said the fast bowler.

Speaking about the return of Shreyas Iyer, who had missed the first leg due to injury, Rabada said that the batsman is great for the balance of the side.

"It's awesome to have Shreyas back. He's a phenomenal batter and an integral part of our team. He's good for the balance of the team. I'm sure he's itching to play. He seems to be in good spirits and he seems to be hitting the ball well." The fast bowler, who has snared eight wickets this season, expressed that the Delhi Capitals who finished runners-up last season, will give it their best shot to win their maiden IPL trophy this time.

"We've had unfinished business since the day the Delhi Capitals didn't win a final. We are coming back after a break and it's just one final stretch for us.

"Hopefully, we can do it for our fans and our families this season. We are just going to give it our best shot. The guys believe that they can do it so that's a great sign." The Rishabh Pant-led side will begin its second leg campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Also Read : Virat’s decision to quit captaincy didn't impact RCB's performance against KKR: Hesson

News Source : PTI

Auckland, Sep 20 (Cricket News) New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is hopeful of finding a window next year for the abandoned white-ball series against Pakistan, its CEO David White has said.

Just hours before the start of the first ODI at Rawalpindi on Friday, New Zealand called off the Pakistan tour which was to comprise three ODIs and five T20Is, citing security concerns.

“I’m sure we’ll find a window. We are scheduled to play them next year in January and February, two Test matches as part of the World Test Championships and some ODIs, so maybe we can wrap the games around those series," White said on Mornings with Ian Smith show on SEN Radio.

White, however, reiterated that apart from abandoning the tour, there was no other option left for them.

“(The Pakistan Cricket Board) were fantastic, very professional. We will work through with them over the coming weeks and months to ensure we fulfill our obligations to them, we’ve got to play five ODIs and three T20s against them.

“It’s really disappointing for Pakistan cricket, but we had no option but to leave the tour, unfortunately,” he said.

White spoke about the serious nature of the threat that came about despite “extensive” precautions.

“I was at home and we got a call from a government agency on Friday afternoon informing us of a specific credible threat against the team,” he said.

“I contacted our security person in Pakistan, which was at 3am in the morning, and we just worked through it with him on the ground and other independent sources as well." He said the New Zealand government agencies informed that they had knowledge of a specific credible threat against the team.

"They informed us of that immediately and we continued those discussions and informed our people on the ground (in Pakistan). We had a contingency in place. We had a charter flight that was available at short notice.

"So we were able to do that and execute that and secure accommodation in Dubai where the team are going to be staying for the World T20s, so that’s where the players are now.

“They are all safe and in a secure place, I think they’re in a hotel where there are two of the IPL teams as well.”

Also Read : PCB reaches out to SLC and BCB for short tours but no series could be planned

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 20 (Cricket News) Young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad is glad that he could take up the responsibility of guiding Chennai Super Kings to an eventual winning total from a "tough situation" against reigning champions Mumbai Indians in their opening match of the second phase of IPL here.

The 24-year-old Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 88 off 58 deliveries to guide CSK to a fighting 156/6 from 24/4. CSK eventually won the match by 20 runs here on Sunday.

"Obviously the situation was tough as most of the top-order batsmen got out. I had to take the responsibility and then find a way how can we reach up to 120-130," Gaikwad told teammate Deepak Chahar in a video posted on IPL website.

"And after spending some time on the crease the target got extended by 10 runs everytime, 140-150 looked possible then." Gaikwad took up the onus on himself after the likes of Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni were dismissed early, while Ambati was retired hurt.

Gaikwad and senior pro Ravindra Jadeja (26) shared crucial 81 runs for the fifth wicket to take CSK forward and lay the foundation for the winning total.

"The conversation I had with Jaddu bhai (Jadeja) in between was to build a partnership, it was the plan and thankfully it got executed," said Gaikwad, who bagged his fifth man-of-the-match award in 13 IPL matches.

"Our preparation was good, we came a little early here than other teams. We had plenty of match simulations where we tried simulating slog overs batting as well as early on in the innings, setting target as well. I think that was really helpful."

Also Read : Ruturaj's 88 and bowlers power CSK to 20-run win over MI

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 19 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel says the team will look to build on its "happy memories" from the previous season, when it reached its maiden final, and go a step further in the second leg of IPL-14.

The IPL, which was suspended midway into the 14th season of the league in May owing to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble, resumes in the UAE on Sunday.

The Capitals, who are currently perched on top of the points table, had reached their maiden final last season when the tournament was held entirely in the UAE. The Shreyas Iyer-led side had lost to Mumbai Indians in the summit clash.

"When it was announced that the second half of the tournament will be held in the UAE, I thought about our performance the last time we were here," Axar was quoted as saying in a media release.

"We have happy memories from that tournament as we reached our first-ever IPL final. We are looking to repeat our performance and hopefully, just go one step further in the final this season," said the all-rounder, who had picked up nine wickets in 15 matches last season.

Axar, who was part of the Indian squad for the recently-concluded Test series in England, spoke about the massive difference in weather conditions between UK and UAE.

"It's been a drastic change for us as far as the weather is concerned. It was quite cold in England and now we are getting used to the heat here.

"When we stood on our balconies during quarantine, we got an idea about the heat, but we got to know the full extent of the weather conditions when we started practising in the nets.

"We are looking to get used to the conditions in the next 2-3 days," he said.

When asked about his personal goals for the remainder of the IPL season, Axar said, "My personal goals are always aligned with the team goals.

"I always think about what the team needs and then set my personal goals accordingly. I always carry out my preparations according to the team's requirements. And personally, I just look to get better with every match in every season." Delhi Capitals are set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22. 

Also read : Match readiness will be an issue for some of IPL players: RR all-rounder Chris Morris

News Source : PTI

Karachi, Sep 19 (Cricket News) The Pakistan Cricket Board had reached out to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh for a short series in the country to make up for the cancellation of the New Zealand tour but since players from both the nations had prior commitments, no series could be planned.

PCB CEO, Wasim Khan said Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) showed willingness to play in Pakistan but there was little time in hand for them to send their teams.

"Our Chairman spoke to them and explored the possibility of a short tours and they were very receptive but they pointed out it was very difficult for them to change their already confirmed plans and also some of their players were dispersed," he said.

"They showed a strong willingness but because of the short time frame it was not possible for them to put in place a tour as they had prior plans for the World Cup," he said.

New Zealand abandoned their tour of Pakistan on Friday citing a security threat to their team, hours before the first ODI was to be played in Rawalpindi.

The Kiwis have reached Dubai after taking a chartered flight out of Islamabad.

Wasim Khan also ruled out any possibility of a boycott of the World T20 Cup match against New Zealand but made it clear that they believed New Zealand had treated Pakistan cricket with disrespect and left scars by unilaterally abandoning the tour.

"We have a real problem in world cricket if perceived threats can’t be discussed at the Government to Government or Intelligence level and teams can abandon a tour unilaterally," he said.

He confirmed Pakistan would be taking up the issue of inequality in world cricket at the International Cricket Council level as according to him there had to be a level-playing field for all member countries.

"Since it is a bilateral series there is little hope of getting any compensation from NZ cricket unless we go to a dispute resolution committee.

"What we can do is ensure at the ICC board level that such things don't happen again. We are going to have a full dialogue and discussion with them about the processes in place for such situations," he said.

Also Read : Zimbabwe secures victory in the decider over Scotland to win T20 series

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 20 (Cricket News) The COVID-forced four-month break between the first and second phase of the Indian Premier League is sure to affect the "match readiness" of some players and they might just "struggle" to shake the rustiness off, feels Rajasthan Royals' South African all-rounder Chris Morris.

While most of the foreign players were freelancing in leagues and also playing international cricket, the Indian domestic players haven't had any game time after the IPL stopped in the first week of May due to COVID-19 cases inside the bio-bubble.

"Match readiness is going to be an issue just like last time when IPL was played in Dubai. People will take a couple of games to get rustiness out of their way," Morris, one of the mainstays in this Royals line-up, said when asked about challenges of having the IPL in two halves.

"Fortunately, overseas players have been playing some cricket. I have done pre-season at home, trying to lose weight. Match fitness is always the best type of fitness. We have had two warm-up games now and we have spent time on our feet," Morris said.

The fast-medium bowler and lower-order explosive hitter feels that simulations can never match the intensity of real games.

"You can never simulate match intensity and I think a few guys will struggle to get that rustiness off. That's the nature of the beast of COVID at the moment," he said.

"Some guys will have to shake off their rustiness and I think that's part and parcel of the game. You have to find out a way to get out and make it work," he added.

For Morris, all the freelance overseas players like Liam Livingstone, and Evin Lewis to name a few, will add a lot of intensity to the game.

"The guys who are there are playing leagues and scoring quite a lot of runs and making massive impact around the world," he said.

Morris also said that the Royals' bowling unit has quality to restrict the opposition.

"The bowling unit is going to be under pressure as it's the bowlers who win you matches, we know we have quality to restrict teams and at business end, we will come out all guns blazing," he added.

Also Read : Battle of explosive top-orders as Rajasthan Royals meet Punjab Kings in IPL

News Source : PTI

Colombo (Cricket News) : Galle Gladiators fell short by a whisker to win the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League going down to eventual winner Jaffna Stallions in a closely fought final. But, owner of Galle Gladiators Mr. Nadeem Omar feels this will be the year of the Gladiators as they prepare to bounce back even stronger in the second edition of the premier T20 League in the island nation. 

In the first season, the team was led by Pakistani star all- rounder Shahid Afridi in the early phase of the tournament and was later taken over by Sri Lanka’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa after Afridi had to leave the tournament midway due to some personal reasons. Former legendary pacer Wasim Akram was the team mentor.

Mr Omar also owns the Quetta Gladiators franchise in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He is a Pakistani business executive and former scrabble player who is known nationally and internationally for his contributions to sports. He has been the president of the Pakistan Scrabble Association since October 2020 and the president of the Karachi City Cricket Association since May 2018. He is also the president of the Pakistan Cricket Club. The core motivation of the Galle franchise is to develop the game in the southern province of Sri Lanka.

“The upcoming season of LPL is very crucial for us especially after the way we fought back last season. We saw some remarkable performances from young players like Azam Khan, Dhananjaya Lakshan and Sahan Arachchige. They have set a benchmark of excellence for the younger talents who will come into the team. Coming into the next edition, we want to put up a better fight and clinch the trophy. We had great support from the fans around Galle, though they weren’t allowed into the stadiums but we saw their support online through various platforms. We urge them to extend their support in similar fashion and help us grow,” said Mr. Omar while highlighting the focus for the upcoming edition of the premier T20 League in the Island Nation. 

Mr Anil Mohan, who is the Founder and CEO of Dubai-based production giant The IPG Group, the official promoter of LPL, added, “Gladiators set LPL on fire with their remarkable comeback in the

first edition. But we are all set to witness a new chapter in its cricketing history with LPL becoming bigger and better. I am confident that the Galle team's performance will help the League grow in stature.”

Mr. Jawad Ghulam Rasool, COO & CCMO of The IPG Group added: “Last season of LPL saw Mr. Nadeem Omar’s team, the Galle Gladiators give us some nail-biting performances. Mr. Nadeem Omar will always hold a special relationship with us as the first franchise to be announced that kick started the league. I look forward to some thrilling moments in this year’s LPL which will no doubt be welcomed by sports enthusiasts not just in Pakistan but the world over. We wish Mr. Nadeem ‘Mr. Cricket of Pakistan’ and the Gladiators good luck for the second season of the Lanka Premier League”

The inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) which was played in a bio-secure bubble at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota from November 26 till December 16, 2020, reached a cumulative audience of 557 million people through TV, digital-social space, and traditional media outlets. Sponsors enjoyed a media evaluation (visibility) of $54.5m and title sponsor MY11CIRCLE enjoyed a ROI of 9.85x. Winner of the first edition of LPL Jaffna Stallions tops the valuation chart with $3.98m followed by Galle Gladiators ($3.82m), Dambulla Kings ($3.54m) Colombo Kings ($3.44m) and Kandy Tuskers ($3.19m).

The LPL matches which were telecast live by Sky Sports, Sony Sports Network, Geo, PTV, and Willow TV in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UK, US, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand saw 155 million people tuning in to catch live action. On social media, it achieved a reach of 218 million and LPL found 133478 mentions as the league came alive with each and every match with some scintillating performances on the ground.

Dubai, Sep 20 (Cricket News) Liam Livingstone and Evin Lewis's explosive batting will meet its match in Chris Gayle's power and KL Rahul's finesse when Rajasthan Royals lock horns with Punjab Kings to improve upon their mid-table position in the Indian Premier League here on Tuesday.

The two IPL teams have been perennial under-achievers in the league and would be desperate to change their fortunes after disappointing one and all with their underwhelming performances over the past few seasons.

More so for Punjab Kings, the only team that has lacked any kind of stability over the 14 seasons of IPL with captains and coaches being changed like musical chairs.

For skipper KL Rahul, who has been a prime performer in IPL, it will not just be about the runs he scores but also about how he leads the team with guidance from Anil Kumble, who will also want to prove his mettle as a franchise coach.

However, the match on Tuesday will be more about the kind of starts that the top-orders players provide.

Liam Livingstone has been a rage in shortest format for last couple of years now and is coming into his own with some great performances in 'The Hundred'. His potential opening partner is likely to be West Indies man Lewis, who has often been Indian cricket team's nemesis in various games.

Mohammed Shami is expected to be partnered by either Chris Jordan or Nathan Ellis.

If Livingstone and Lewis can be explosive in the Powerplay overs, Royals will expect skipper Sanju Samson to be more consistent in that number three position.

What will be Royals' advantage is Punjab's weak Indian bowling set-up save Shami as they have to depend on either Adil Rashid or Ravi Bishnoi for wrist spin. Their pace line-up with left-armer Arshdeep Singh as the domestic pick doesn't look the strongest.

Royals' third and fourth foreign player in the playing XI will be interesting choices as Chris Morris as an all-rounder is a certainty, while the fourth slot will go to either David Miller in the middle-order or world's No 1 T20 spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.

However, it is the Indian players like Rahul Tewatia, Riyan Parag, Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya, who will like to step up their game in the next four weeks to ensure a play-off berth for Royals, which many believe is the weakest unit in absence of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler.

Similarly for Punjab Kings, Rahul and Mayank Agarwal are expected to open with Chris Gayle still an enforcer par excellence at the age of 41 which will keep the Rajasthan bowlers on tenterhooks.

In the middle-order, Nicholas Pooran, who had a horrendous outing in the first phase will like to put a far better account of himself along with M Shahrukh Khan.

Squads: Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (captain), Liam Livingstone, Evin Lewis, David Miller, Chris Morris, Oshane Thomas, Mustafizur Rahaman, Tabraiz Shamsi, Glenn Phillips, Chetan Sakariya, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Akash Singh, Anuj Rawat, KC Cariappa, Yashashvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Kartik Tyagi, Mayank Markande, Jaydev Unadkat, Kuldip Yadav, Mahipal Lomror Punjab Kings: KL Rahul (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Porel, Shahrukh Khan, Mohammed Shami, Nathan Ellis, Adil Rashid, Murugan Ashwin, Harpreet Brar, Moises Henriques, Chris Jordan, Aiden Markram, Mandeep Singh, Darsan Nalkande, Prabhsimran Singh, Ravi BIshnoi, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar, Jalaj Saxena.

March Starts: 7:30 pm.

Also read : KKR is now dangerous side with nothing to lose, says Morgan

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 20 (Cricket News) Star allrounder Hardik Pandya was kept out of the IPL game against Chennai Super Kings as a precautionary measure as he had a little niggle, said Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene.

"Hardik was training, had a little niggle, so again precaution, we thought, lets just give him extra days to see how things are, but nothing serious,” the former Sri Lankan skipper said during a virtual press conference.

MI skipper Rohit Sharma had also opted out of the match and Jayawardene said he should be available for the next match.

"Rohit was batting and doing his running as well, but after coming back from the UK, we felt that, he probably needed an extra few days, so should be fine to play the next game," he said.

Mumbai didn't have a good start to the resumption of the IPL as they lost the opening match by 20 runs and Jayawardene lamented that none of his batters took the responsibility to bat through the innings.

Ruturaj Gaikwad hit an unbeaten 88 while Dwayne Bravo, batting at number eight, smashed 23 off just 8 balls as CSK made 156 for six after opting to bat first.

The total proved to be more than enough as CSK restricted MI to 136 for 8.

"We probably gave couple of soft dismissals. It just needed someone to take a bit more responsibility and bat through the innings, which we did not do and that was a difference with Ruturaj (Gaikwad) doing that for CSK," Jayawardene said.

"So, even though they (CSK) lost wickets, there was a set batsman, who went till the end. So, I think we're disappointed, the way we handled the situation, the game awareness and the approach." Chasing 156, MI slipped to 37 for three in the sixth over, before further slumping to 58 for four in the 10th over. Saurabh Tiwary (50 not out) was the top-scorer for MI but he didn't get enough support.

"...probably needed a bit more application of taking that responsibility and giving yourself a bit of time because we felt that the second half of each innings was much easier to bat," Jayawardene said.

“So, I put it down to game awareness and taking that kind of onuses, but not too concerned, because the guys (have) been hitting the ball pretty well, it is just the application out there in the middle, that is something we need to work on." Mumbai did well in the Delhi-leg of the cash-rich tournament when the IPL was called off earlier this year due to outbreak of COVID-19 cases.

Jayawardene admitted it is hard to create that kind of momentum again.

“Yeah, I mean, not in our control. Obviously, we played a couple of very good games in Delhi but unfortunately the tournament had to stop and everyone went away, was playing a lot of different cricket in different parts of the world and then coming back together again and trying to create that kind of momentum is going to be harder.

"We knew we need to be sharper, especially against the experienced Chennai team. But I think we probably competed that first 10 overs and probably another five overs in between in a 40-over game.

"So, I think when you're playing an opposition like Chennai, if you're not in the competition for that many overs, it's always going to be tough," he said.

Also Read : Rohit Sharma rested due to knee niggle

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 19 (Cricket News) India vice-captain Rohit Sharma opted out of Mumbai Indians' opening match of the second phase of Indian Premier League, which resumed here on Sunday, due to a knee niggle he had sustained during the recent England tour.

Rohit had struck a century in the second innings of the fourth Test at the Oval but did not take the field when England batted.

"The message from the physio is 'assess every minute, don't look too far ahead'," Rohit had said after the Oval Test.

Kieron Pollard led the defending champions against Chennai Super Kings in the absence of Rohit.

MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene said Rohit was kept out of the game as a precautionary measure.

"Rohit had something going in last Test (Oval), so we thought a couple of days of extra precaution," he said.

Mumbai Indians next play Kolkata Knight Riders on September 23 in Abu Dhabi.

With the T20 World Cup beginning immediately after the conclusion of the IPL, the Indian maestro would not wish to rush his return. 

Also Read : The top five run scorers in the first phase of the Indian Premier League

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 19 (Cricket News) The gifted Ruturaj Gaikwad laid the foundation with an unbeaten 58-ball 88 before Dwayne Bravo led an excellent bowling display to power Chennai Super Kings to a crushing 20-run win over Mumbai Indians in the IPL here on Sunday.

Gaikwad batted through the innings to lift Chennai Super Kings from a precarious 7/3 to 156 for six as the IPL-14 resumed in the UAE after the first phase in India was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in May.

The late spark was provided by Bravo (23 off 8 balls) as CSK recovered from a disastrous start to put up a fighting total.

Chasing 157 on a pitch where the ball often stopped on the batsmen, MI too were off to a poor start as they slipped to 37 for three in the sixth over at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Both Quinton de Kock (17) and debutant Anmolpreet Singh (16) got out after getting starts, the bowler being pacer Deepak Chahar on both occasions.

Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan too made their way back to the dugout in quick succession to leave MI in a spot of bother at 58 for four in the 10th over.

Saurabh Tiwary (50 not out) and stand-in skipper Kieron Pollard tried to forge a partnership before Josh Hazlewood had the big-hitting all-rounder from Trinidad trapped in front of the wicket.

CSK brightened their prospects further when Krunal Pandya was run out by the Dwayne Bravo-MS Dhoni combination.

Tiwary and Adam Milne tried but could not succeed, with the latter getting out to the experienced Bravo in the second ball of the 20th over.

Bravo picked up 3/25 while Chahar had 2/19 as MI ended at 136 for eight.

Earlier, the 24-year-old Gaikwad added 81 runs for the fifth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (26) to steady the ship after they lost skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the sixth over with the score reading 24 for 4.

Gaikwad smashed nine fours and three sixes, while Bravo hit three maximums as CSK scored 112 runs in the back 10.

CSK lost four wickets in the power play, including the wickets of skipper Dhoni and the team's seasoned run-getter Suresh Raina, as three top-order batsmen failed to open their account.

The start was inauspicious for CSK as Trent Boult dismissed Faf du Plessis in the fifth ball of the very first over when the New Zealand pace spearhead had the veteran South African caught by the backward point fielder Adam Milne, who was standing very fine, after the batsman had shaped himself up to play the cut shot.

One for one became two for two in the next over as Milne got Moeen Ali who slapped a slightly short ball straight to Saurabh Tiwary at cover.

What didn't help Moeen was that the ball seemed to stop as the England all-rounder went for his shot.

More trouble was in store for CSK as the three-time winners lost the big wicket of Raina in the third over when the experienced left-handed batsman, who has helped the team win so many matches in the past, got out to an irresponsible shot when he miscued one while trying to attack the Kiwi seamer.

Meanwhile, Ambati Rayudu retired hurt after taking a blow on his body to make matter worse for the Super Kings.

If that was not enough, holders Mumbai Indians piled more misery on CSK by sending the veteran Dhoni back to the hut for a poor score.

The World Cup-winning Indian captain timed his shot well but, to his shock, Boult completed a well-judged catch at deep square leg, capping a forgettable powerplay for the unit from Chennai.

After that, Gaikwad and Jadeja put together invaluable runs by mixing caution with aggression to give their team a total to defend against a side that is missing two of their big players in regular skipper Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Hardik Pandya, whose seam-up bowling was missed when the Chennai duo was rebuilding their innings.

Also Read : Kohli to quit RCB captaincy after this year's IPL

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 19 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli will step down as captain of his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore at the end of the ongoing season, the Indian batting maestro announced on Sunday, two days after deciding to quit national T20 captaincy following next month's World Cup.

The 32-year-old will quit the India T20 captaincy to manage the immense workload that he has been enduring as an all-format skipper and his decision to leave the leadership role in franchise cricket is part of those efforts.

"This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I'll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me," Kohli said in a video statement issued by RCB.

"I have spoken to the squad. It was something that was on my mind as I recently announced stepping down as T20 captain to manage my workload which has been immense.

"I want to be clear about how I want to move forward. I have made it clear to the management that I can't think of being in any other team apart from RCB," he added.

Kohli was inducted in the RCB squad in 2008, when the league came into existence, and started leading the side in 2013. He has not managed to win the IPL title even once but was never removed from captaincy due to his immense brand value.

"It is just a little halt, not the end of the journey. The journey will continue," he asserted.

One of the most decorated players of the franchise, the star batsman will continue to be a part of the RCB squad.

Kohli has been enduring a tough phase in which he has gone without a Test century in two years and perhaps the decision will help focus on the longest format of the game.

He has managed 563 runs at 26.80 in 12 Tests during this period.

"It has been a great and an inspiring journey, captaining a talented bunch of players in the RCB squad.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the RCB management, coaches, support staff, players, and the entire RCB family, who have been instrumental in the growth of the franchise over the years.

"It wasn't an easy decision but one that has been well thought of and in the best interest of this wonderful franchise." Kohli has played 199 IPL matches and scored 6076 runs so far with five hundreds.

He had his best IPL season as a batsman in 2016 when he claimed the Orange Cap with 640 runs averaging an astonishing 81.

The highest paid cricketer in the IPL, Kohli was the first to be retained by his franchise ahead of the 2018 players auction.

Mike Hesson, RCB's director of cricket operations, thanked Kohli for his contribution as the team's captain.

"Have only been here a short time but I thank you @imVkohli for all you have done for @RCBTweets as a fully committed leader and team man, your energy and passion is infectious. I know the boys are fully committed to help send you out on a well deserved high skipper," Hesson tweeted.

Also Read : Ruturaj and Bravo got us more than what we expected: Dhoni

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 19 (Cricket News) Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Ruturaj Gaikwad and Dwayne Bravo "got us more than what we expected" after his team was reeling at 24 for four at one stage of its IPL match against Mumbai Indians here on Sunday.

Gaikwad stroked his way to an unbeaten 88 while veteran Bravo, batting at number eight, smashed 23 off just 8 balls as CSK made 156 for six after opting to bat first.

The total proved to be more than enough as CSK beat MI by 20 runs.

"At 30 for 4, you want to put up a respectable score, I felt Rutu and Bravo got us more than what we expected. We thought of 140, to get close to 160 was tremendous," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

"Rayudu got injured, so it was tough to come back from there but we batted sensibly and finished superbly. It was sensible for one batter to bat right through to the end." Talking about the wicket, Dhoni said, "The wicket was two-paced, slightly slow to start off. Also it's difficult if you're batting lower down, if you don't get a chance to see what is happening, you want to go hard." Dhoni also said that Ambati Rayudu, who retired hurt after getting hit while batting, should be fine by the next match.

Gaikwad was declared the Player of the Match and he said it was one of his better knocks.

"Obviously one of my top innings until now, given the pressure we were in. I had to grind it out, bat till 10-12 overs, give myself time and push for 120-130, and then slowly 140-150 was possible. It was a matter of spending time in the middle," he said.

"Mahi bhai, everyone in the CSK management, once they back you, they don't make you think anything but positive things. The Sri Lanka tour and preparation coming here helped a lot." MI's stand-in captain Kieron Pollard was also all praise for Gaikwad.

"Ruturaj batted really well. In T20 cricket, if one person bats through he can hurt you. We didn't finish off well with the ball. Losing by 20 runs you know those were the extra runs we conceded," he said.

He did not find any fault with the pitch but blamed poor batting for the defeat.

"The surface was good, new ball had movement, our seamers got early wickets. Their batters tried to continue the momentum throughout, we didn't do that." "Even though they got 150-plus, as a batting team we could have gotten that. Losing three wickets was a cardinal sin for us. Given the circumstances, Saurabh (Tiwary, 50 not out) batted really well," he said.

Also Read : Rajasthan Royals aim to break into the top four in the 2nd phase of the IPL

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news): The Indian Premier League is set to continue after a gap of 4 months as the pandemic caused a break in the middle of the tournament. The first half saw over 29 matches played and now in the second half, there will be a total of 27 matches before the qualifiers. The final will be played one month from now on October 15th. Out of the 8 teams only Delhi Capital and Punjab Kings have played 8 matches as the rest have played 7 matches.

The teams will play a total of 14 matches which will see the top four teams enter the qualifiers. The second half will be crucial as every match will give the teams a chance to enter the top four of the points table. Bottom placed Sunrisers Hyderabad will hope their luck changes in Dubai and Sharjah as top placed Delhi Capitals will hope their wheel of fortune keeps rolling. Mumbai Indians are currently placed 4th, they are known for their comebacks and the expectations are no different this time.

Since the venue has shifted from India to UAE there will be a significant change in every team as the pitch will be different and there will also be spectators in limited numbers this time which will bring the old charm back. The matches will start on September 19 and the schedule has also been released.

Also read: A look back at what happened in the 1st half of Indian Premier League 2021

Dubai, Sep 20 (Cricket News) Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming has lavished praise on young opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, saying he absorbed the pressure and played a "remarkable" innings which gave the team a chance against defending champions Mumbai Indians in their IPL match here.

Gaikwad hit a match-winning unbeaten 88 as CSK posted 156 for 6 after being reduced to 24 for four inside the powerplay.

"Today's innings was very special. It's okay to play an innings in a high-scoring game and dominate. But when you're the one to get a score to give your team a chance, then that's even more special," Fleming said at the post-match press conference.

"So, the way he went about his work, it had really absorbing pressure and then the ability to accelerate as the innings went on, it really was down to his hand, that we were able to create any pressure whatsoever. So, it was a remarkable innings from him." Gaikwad anchored the innings with an unbeaten 58-ball knock before Dwayne Bravo led an excellent bowling display to power CSK to a crushing 20-run win over Mumbai Indians in the IPL here on Sunday.

"It was very special, as you know, we've had very big taps on him (Ruturaj) for some time. Even last time we were here, we rushed him back, probably too early given the shape he was in from COVID, but that's how much regard and respect we have for his ability.

"But the way he finished off the IPL here in Dubai last year, set him up for the first part in India,” added the former New Zealand skipper.

While batsman Ambati Rayudu retired hurt after taking a blow on his body, pacer Deepak Chahar had cramps while bowling.

Giving an update on their fitness, the head coach said: "Rayudu X-ray was clear. So, it was just a bad bruise at the stage and he lost a little bit of power on his grip. So, yeah, we were up feared for that it could be broken, but the good news, it is not.

"And Deepak Chahar was cramped and will check that out tomorrow. So hopefully fingers crossed, they both will come through reasonably, okay.” In the game against Mumbai Indians, CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni came out to bat ahead of Ravindra Jadeja and Fleming said the call was taken based on the match situation.

"It is very much (based on the) situation. In India, we had some really good starts and we looked at the left and right hand combination. So, we're getting into the back end of the innings," he said.


"When the captain made the call today it was much different. We haven't been in this situation for some time, if at all."So, the captain wanted the responsibility and it was right, so it was a good call but it's very much situational and just a little bit of a gut feel in the match situation, with a left hander or MS goes up. So, it's good to have those options."

Also Read : Harshal Patel leading the race for purple cap in first phase of Indian Premier League

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 18 (Cricket news) Players will be getting valuable experience in the UAE conditions ahead of the T20 World Cup while the Indian cricket board will be hoping its money-spinner stays away from the looming COVID-19 shadow when the IPL resumes with the blockbuster Chennai Super Kings-Mumbai Indians clash here on Sunday.

As the second wave of COVID-19 wreaked havoc in India in April-May, the water-tight IPL bio-bubble was also breached, forcing the suspension of the tournament after 29 games.

With too much at stake for all stakeholders including the players, teams and BCCI, there was little doubt over the completion of the world's biggest T20 competition. It was only about when the BCCI would squeeze in the IPL in an ever-pack global calendar.

After a few alterations in the franchise cricket and international calendar, the best possible window was found with the BCCI slotting in the tournament as the lead up to the T20 World Cup.

Last week, doubts over smooth conduct of the tournament resurfaced with the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Indian team's camp in England but fortunately for the organisers, the issue did not escalate and the available Indian and English players arrived here safely.

The entire IPL was held in the UAE last year without any hassles and the BCCI will be hoping for a similar experience this time around.

Fans, albeit a limited number, will also be present at an IPL venue for the first time since 2019, adding immensely to the event's spectacle.

Though the squads have already been announced for the World Cup, an IPL performance seldom gets unnoticed and there could be some players, including Indians, who make the squad in the 11th hour in case of injury with the ICC allowing changes until October 10.

India skipper Virat Kohli, who will step down from T20 captaincy after the World Cup, would love to get his hands on the elusive trophy and Royal Challengers Bangalore showed signs earlier in the season that they could finally go all the way.

Delhi Capitals, who finished runners-up in 2020, are leading the points tally and are primed to win their maiden title. The other teams in the top four are CSK, RCB and the mighty Mumbai Indians, the winner of a record five titles and the team to upstage.

There are 31 games to be played in UAE conditions instead of the usual 60 and that could mean good pitches for the majority of the tournament. With the conditions different from India and pitches expected to be slower, all teams have emphasised on starting from scratch.

CSK and MI renew their celebrated rivalry to kick start the IPL resumption on Sunday.

Having already played half of their 14 league games, MI, who have three wins from seven games, can't afford another slow start.

CSK, aka Dad's Army, finally seemed to have found a winning combination after the disappointment of 2020. Their young guns like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sam Curran delivered in the first half of the season while their spinners -- Imran Tahir, Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja -- also came to the party. Moeen and Jadeja also impressed with the bat.

Now the team will be hoping its stalwarts, skipper Dhoni and Suresh Raina, too find their touch.

MI, on the other hand, will be hoping to up their game like they often do in pressure situations. Their famed middle-order did not exactly set the stage on fire and their bowling in the powerplay also can be better.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been in stellar touch of late, will be expected to continue in the same vein and the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and leggie Rahul Chahar, come into the event a more confident trio having made the World Cup squad.

Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya would be expected to bowl regularly in the tournament which will also tell the India selectors on how he is shaping ahead of the ICC showpiece.

The teams which have been affected by withdrawals of key players include Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, who all are struggling to survive in the competition.

Punjab had to seek replacements for Dawid Malan, Riley Meredith and Jhye Richardson. They managed to rope in the services of rising Australian pacer Nathan Ellis to boost their death bowling. England leggie Adil Rashid too has come into the squad.

KKR will be missing the services of star pacer Pat Cummins who has been replaced by Tim Southee.

Royals were anyway without Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes and now Jos Buttler has been added to that list. The English player to watch out in the squad would be Liam Livingstone.

With one win from seven games, Sunrisers Hyderabad will have to come up with something special to resurrect their campaign. They will be without star opener Jonny Bairstow.

Also read: Punjab Kings look to break their 6 year streak to qualify for the playoffs

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Sep 18 (Cricket news) Mahendra Singh Dhoni was always a bowlers' captain in white ball cricket and his presence as team mentor for the T20 World Cup will immensely benefit Jasprit Bumrah and Co, feels former India opener Virender Sehwag.

Dhoni was recently named mentor for the mega event by the BCCI.

"I am very happy that MS accepted the offer to be the Team Mentor for the T20 World Cup. I know many people want that MS should again comeback into the mainstream of Indian cricket and being roped in as the mentor is the best thing that could have happened," Sehwag told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Sehwag, who has played alongside Dhoni for a decade, knew what his core strength was as a captain and that is understanding his bowlers' psyche in limited overs format.

"As a keeper, MS was exceptional with his understanding of field placements and this is something that will help the bowling unit in this World Cup. The bowlers can pick his brains and get useful tips on planning against a batsman," the explosive opener of yesteryears said.

For Sehwag, there can't be a better 'mentor' than Dhoni when it comes to young players, who are a bit introvert and need someone to guide them as they try to express themselves on the field.

"There are always players in any international side, who are shy and do hesitate to go up to their skipper and strike up a cricketing conversation. MS has always been that kind of a person who is easily approachable and also a perfect trouble shooter for youngsters." While the BCCI has announced the 15-member squad with three reserves, Sehwag believes that with ICC giving a window to change teams till October 10, there could still be room for some good performers, who have missed the bus.

"100%. We have around seven matches minimum left for the teams. That means you still have a platform to perform and those who are on the fringes could still impress the Indian selectors who would be watching the tournament closely. "Since ICC allows a window to change teams, I will not be surprised if there are some changes in the original squad," the Nawab of Najafgarh said.

Talking about Virat Kohli, Sehwag said that Kohli at least owes one IPL trophy to Bangalore since he enjoys such a huge fan following.

"IPL is important for every captain but I think more so for Virat as with his huge fan base, everyone wants Virat to win a trophy for the Bangalore franchise. If not multiple times then at least once in his tenure as captain," the 42-year-old said.

"This has been a strange year off the field due to pandemic and who knows it might be a different year for Bangalore from previous seasons and they go on to win the trophy," said Sehwag.

Just like that last edition of IPL in the UAE, Sehwag again feels that Mumbai and Delhi are favourites to win the tournament.

"Since the second half has been shifted to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, I think Delhi and Mumbai will again be favourites and the five-time champions are slightly ahead," he said.

Sehwag reckons that pitches in UAE will be slower and thus Chennai and Bengaluru might facesome problems.

"Chennai's average score in India was 201 during the first phase but I think when it comes to UAE tracks, they would be lacking a bit in batting firepower. If I have to pick one team, that will be Mumbai." He said that for Chennai, after such a long gap, it might take "some more matches" to settle down and get into the "groove".

When asked which are the players that he would be looking forward during the next four weeks, Sehwag named four batters.

"My first choice will be Ishan Kishan followed by Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul and Sanju Samson. These four I will be intently watching. I have loved Devdutt's batting and if I have to pick one amongst the four, he is my man. Who knows, if he does well, he might be drafted in as that Indian top-order for the T20 World Cup,' he added.

The interview was facilitated by "Flipkart Video for Power Play with Champions".

Also read: Achieved all I wanted, never overstay your welcome: Shastri gears up for end of India tenure

The show will take viewers through a predictive spin on the upcoming cricket tournament, which will not only give them a chance to test their knowledge of their favourite game, but will also give them a chance to win exciting prizes.

Talking about the show, Sehwag said, "I had a great time last year on Flipkart Video Power Play with Champions and also half the season that we did earlier this year." 

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 17 (Cricket news) South African pacer Anrich Nortje wants to replicate his last year's IPL performance in the upcoming second half of the T20 league to help Delhi Capitals win their maiden title, here.

Nortje, who picked 22 wickets in 16 matches in his first-ever IPL season in 2020, played an instrumental role in helping DC reach its maiden IPL final, where it came second-best against Mumbai Indians here last year.

DC are set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22 when the season resumes here.

"It was here where things started to happen for me in the IPL, but I am looking to take it match by match this season. There's a lot coming up, even after the IPL," he said in a release issued by DC.

"We have to try and remember what we did here the last time we were here and try and implement that again. Hopefully, we can repeat what we did in the UAE the last time we were here," said the 27-year-old.

The fast bowler added that the second half of the IPL 2021 season will be completely different from the first half of the season.

"What worked at one place is not going to work at another place so we have to take it game by game. The upcoming games in the UAE are going to be completely different from the games we had earlier in the season.

"Maybe teams will field different strategies in the second half of the tournament. We have to be switched on now and just be ready," Nortje said.

He feels playing in the IPL before the T20 World Cup in the UAE is certainly going to be a big advantage for all the players.

"It's definitely a massive advantage to play the IPL before the T20 World Cup. We have a chance to acclimatise to the conditions and get first-hand experience of the kind of wickets here in the UAE.

"The sooner we get the information about the kind of wickets here, the better it will be for all of us. I think each team is looking to assess everything as much as possible, but, firstly we have to assess the conditions for the IPL as it certainly is a big tournament in itself and then we will get to the T20 World Cup," he said.

Also read: Delhi Capitals retain Rishabh Pant as captain for remainder of IPL 2021

News source: PTI

(Cricket news) Sunrisers Hyderabad are at the bottom of the points table with 2 points as the next few matches are a must win for the 2016 champions. They lost in the second qualifier to Delhi Capitals last year and this year have had a poor start in the League with 6 losses in 7 matches. Their lone victory came against Punjab Kings in the fourth match, since then they are on a three match losing streak and also lost their first three matches.

They are led by Kane Williamson who took over David Warner after the first six matches and will be leading the team for the remainder of the IPL. The change in captaincy did lead to some speculations about the team as Warner had led the side in the previous occasions and also topped the lists with the bat but since the team has been struggling this year there was some sense to try as many options available. 

Their batting line up has been carried by David Warner for the past few years and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar has added strength to the bowling line up. Johnny Bairstow was the leading run getter in the first half for the team but has pulled out the second half as Sherfane Rutherford has been his replacement. Rutherford is coming back from a CPL title win with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and has scored three half centuries from his last four outings.

Sunrisers Hyderabad have a strong bowling line up as Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, yorker specialist Thangarasu Natarajan and Rashid Khan who is also the current leading wicket taker in the team. Khaleel Ahmed and Siddarth Kaul also form a dangerous duo as they add more to the bowling line up. Mohammad Nabi was slowly finding his form and can be a life saver in the second phase meanwhile there are now reports over spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman as he is yet to join the team in Dubai over not getting an entry visa.

Their batting line has failed to live up the expectations as Williamson and Wriddhiman Saha have struggled in the first phase. Warner and Manish Pandey have struck two half centuries so far, the team’s highest score of 177 came in the first match against Kolkata Knight Riders as only Pandey and Warner were scoring runs. Williamson had a terrific year with the bat in 2018 when they lost in the final to Chennai Super Kings.

Jason Holder is a powerful batsman and also a useful bowler and will look to contribute at both ends as the team needs the batsmen to start scoring. They have been one of the most consistent teams since their debut in 2013 and always managed to reach the top four except in 2014 and 2015 so it’s too early to count them out of the league. They will need to begin a winning streak in UAE and the best way to begin would be to topple the table leaders Delhi Capitals on 22nd September.

Also read: What you do in second half of IPL matters, says Royals spinner Shamsi

Dubai, Sep 17 (Cricket news) Rajasthan Royals are currently not in the top four of the IPL points table but their world No.1 T20 spinner Tabraiz Shamsi believes it won't matter when the COVID-hit league resumes on Sunday as it would be a fresh start for all the teams.

IPL resumes here on Sunday after being suspended in May due to COVID cases in its bio-bubble.

"I think whether the team is at the first spot or the fifth, the position at the halfway mark doesn't really count. It's what you do in the second half that matters," Shamsi was quoted as saying in a press release.

"So, I think we are in a good position right now and we have got half a tournament to play, so it depends on how we play the rest of the games," stated Shamsi, who is currently in quarantine having arrived from Sri Lanka earlier this week.

Shamsi, who has 40 wickets in 30 ODIs and 49 in 42 T20Is to his name for South Africa, has never been much in demand in IPL auctions. He admitted it did affect him earlier.

"In the past, when I was younger, it (not getting picked) did affect me a little bit. But as you grow older, you realize there are bigger things in life.

"You understand that there are certain things you can’t control, and I was certainly in that space. I feel like I just have to do my work, and if a team feels I can benefit them with my services, they would pick me like Rajasthan has, and I‘m going to try my best to make sure that we win the competition." Shamsi said that the definition of a good spell in T20 has evolved over time.

"With reference to the conditions in UAE and the short boundaries in Sharjah, I think it is a challenge.

"But it also means that you have an opportunity to get wickets. Sometimes on grounds like that, a spell which goes for 35-40 runs can be a match-winning spell, whereas in other games, a spell of 3 or 4 wickets can change a game.

"So, I think it's not just about taking wickets," said Shamsi who had picked up 3 wickets in 4 IPL matches in 2016.

A fan of Royals' IPL-winning former captain Shane Warne, Shamsi added that he's had the opportunity to speak to the Australian legend a few times about his bowling.

"Shane was of course a legendary leg spinner, and he was always a go-to man for any spinner.

"From him, I have learned to keep things simple and to be able to remember that we're all different and that cricket becomes as complicated as you make it in your head."

Also read:  If I ever play Tests fine, but don't mind being T20 nomad: Royals' Liam Livingstone

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 16 (Cricket news) Delhi Capitals on Thursday announced that flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will continue to lead the side in the remainder of the IPL beginning September 19.

It was one of the most predictable decisions considering that Delhi Capitals did well under Pant despite the fact that Shreyas Iyer led them to their first final last year.

Delhi Capitals are currently leading the IPL points table with 12 points having won six games under Pant's captaincy earlier this year after he was assigned the role in absence of injured Iyer, who had to undergo a shoulder surgery.

"JSW-GMR co-owned Delhi Capitals today announced that Rishabh Pant will continue as captain for the remainder of the IPL2021 season," franchise's official handle tweeted.

That Pant would be retained as captain was reported by PTI on September 3.

Also read: Shikhar Dhawan and Kagiso Rabada hope to carry their form in UAE as Delhi Capitals sit on top

News source: PTI 

(Cricket news) Delhi Capitals has so far won 6 matches out of which five of them have come while chasing. Their squad consists of attacking batsmen and bowlers as Shikhar Dhawan has had a good run with the bat and pacer Avesh Khan has had a superb start with the ball. The team will start their second half on 22nd September against bottom placed Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Rishabh Pant will continue leading the side that is yet to win a title although their best performance came last when they lost to Mumbai Indians in the final. This year they had a rocking start and the young captain will try to showcase his fearless batting which is a huge bonus in this format. Pant also played useful knocks as he scored a fifty against Rajasthan Royals in a losing cause and has led the side with his always enthusiastic persona.

Their batting line consists of Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Pant and Shreyas Iyer is making a comeback after an injury. Their bowling has pacers like Tom Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh and spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel. They are one of the most balanced sides even though the stars have failed to impress, they have been depending upon Dhawan and Avesh. This will be a great time to showcase the skills as the T20 World Cup is also just around the corner and IPL is the perfect stage to catch the selectors attention. Many players have found their calling in the IPL and this time it's no different.

Chris Woakes has pulled out of the team and has been replaced by Ben Dwarshuis who is a medium pacer. Tom Curran can maybe show off his all round skills and the team has so far performed well with the bat and ball. Rabada has a chance to make history as last year he became the second bowler after Dwayne Bravo to take 30 wickets in a year, this time he can chase Bravo’s record of 32 wickets in 2013. Dhawan needs 23 runs to cross 5600 runs in IPL and is the second highest run scorer overall after Virat Kohli.

The Delhi Capitals even though have been part of the IPL since 2008 have reached the top four five times and have finished in the bottom three the rest of the times except in 2010 when they finished 5th. They will look to carry their momentum in Dubai and Sharjah as there are six more matches and they will want to take all the points to not only reach the qualifiers but not give away their top rank. They so far have 12 points and have a two point lead over second placed Chennai Super Kings who have played one match less than Delhi Capitals.

Also read: Doesn't matter what we have done in first half: Ponting

Dubai, Sep 16 (Cricket News) Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan is excited at the prospect of fans returning to the stadiums after the lifting of the coronavirus-enforced restrictions and cheering them on when the IPL-14 resumes in the UAE on Sunday.

The IPL, which was suspended midway into the 14th season of the league in May owing to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble, will restart in the UAE on Sunday.

On Wednesday, it was announced that fans will be allowed to watch the matches in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah in limited numbers, keeping in mind the COVID protocols and the UAE government regulations.

"Incredibly excited to have fans back at the IPL this year. It's been too long to hear that roar of the KKR fans at Eden Gardens. Unfortunately, it's not at home but I cannot wait to hear it here in the UAE," Morgan was quoted as saying by the KKR website.

The England limited overs skipper was speaking on the sidelines of a training session.

Head coach Brendon McCullum too welcomed the move and believed that support from fans will spur them on as they seek a play-offs berth.

"That's actually fantastic. We were talking about it whether the fans would be back. Now that we know they're going to be, it's fantastic. Hopefully all of the stadiums will be jam-packed with KKR fans.

"We can certainly use their support. We have got a big task in front of us and we will certainly rally when we get the support of our fans. So, hopefully we get plenty of it in the UAE." Batsman Rahul Tripathi also was excited over fans coming in for IPL matches for the first time since COVID-19 pandemic struck the world.

"We have missed them (fans) a lot during this period. It's always fun when somebody is there in the stands to cheer for you. I must say welcome back to the fans." The two-time IPL champions are placed seventh in the points table with four points from seven matches.

KKR will start their second leg of the campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi on September 20.

Also Read : There were times when we were paralysed by fear: KKR coach McCullum

News Source : PTI 

New Delhi, Sep 16 (Cricket News) Rajasthan Royals' English batsman Liam Livingstone aspires for a successful Test career but he doesn't mind being a T20 "nomad" either and would prefer to spend his time building his white-ball brand instead of losing sleep over whether he can make it big in the longest format.

The 28-year-old, one of the most sought after T20 freelancers in world cricket, having played in the Big Bash League, and the Pakistan Super League, is now expected to shoulder the batting burden of Rajasthan Royals along with Sanju Samson during the Indian Premier League which resumes this Sunday in the UAE.

Unlike a lot of cricketers, who would try to give politically correct answers on questions with regards to Test cricket, Livingstone has no hesitation in straight-talk. He has not yet made his Test debut.

"Yes absolutely (on being a T20 nomad). In world of cricket, you now have two routes. If you can't make it as a red ball cricketer, you still can travel the world and be part of a lot of franchise competitions," Livingstone told PTI in an interview.

Coming into the IPL after some smashing performances in 'The Hundred' for Birmingham Phoenix, Livingstone aspires to create a brand and fan base of his own playing the shortest format.

"Hopefully in the next few years, I can travel the world and play in franchise league cricket. The best part is to come back again and again for the same franchises, create a fan base of yours and also create friendships that last a lifetime.

"Hopefully, I can do that in franchise cricket for years," said the man, who got international limelight after recently scoring a 42-ball hundred against Pakistan in a T20 international game in Nottingham.

There have been some superb white ball players like David Warner and even before him Virender Sehwag, who made waves in the shorter formats and then had a quality career in Test cricket.

Livingstone doesn't believe in taking the IPL route as wearing the England whites is not on his radar when asked about the Ashes.

"I have a really big IPL coming up and then the T20 World Cup. Test cricket is not something that I am thinking about and in the next couple of months, my aim is to win IPL and the T20 World Cup and see what happens from there.

"I certainly won't be playing IPL to push my case in Test cricket. Things like that take care of themselves and whatever will be, will be," he said.

Livingstone has had a middling first-class career for Lancashire with 62 appearances and an average of 38 plus with seven hundreds.

"I really enjoy red ball cricket and I play as much as I can when I am back home," he said.

But at the same time he agreed that paucity of time is an issue as he is on the road during T20 leagues.

"I haven't had as much opportunity as I would have liked and I still have the dreams of playing Test cricket but with our schedule these days, there isn't too much time to play red ball cricket which is a shame.

"My strength has become white ball cricket and in these days, you stick to your strength. Hopefully, one day I will fulfil my dream of playing Test cricket." "I withdrew from bubble life as I wasn't fresh last time" ================================= Livingstone had withdrawn during the first phase of the tournament in India when he complained of bubble fatigue and left home from his Mumbai team base.

He feels way more fresh this time around.

"Last time was very different as we were stuck in a hotel room in Mumbai and I was already five to six months away from home during the winters. This is different as I have spent a lot of time over at home during the last few months and it was nice to get refreshed," he explained.

"I feel a lot more fresher than what I did last time. Also, in Dubai, we have got a little more outdoor space and guess we can do a little bit more getting out than what we could have done in the middle of Mumbai.

"So last time, I made the right decision and so I do feel a lot more fresher this time." 10 of us would have great preparations for the World T20 ===================================== There will be 10 World T20-bound England cricketers in the IPL including skipper Eoin Morgan and that will be a great advantage going into the showpiece.

"There is no better preparation than playing matches on the pitches on which you will be playing World T20 and I guess that's the nice part of it.

"We have a lot of our guys coming on to play competitive cricket leading up to the World Cup and there will be 10 of us who will be here," he said.

"...Hopefully, I can perform for Royals and take the team to the play-offs," added Livingstone about his franchise which is fifth on the table with six points from seven games.

"My fearlessness has lot to do with England's transformation" ===================================== Livingstone, who has so far hit an astounding 234 sixes in only 149 T20 games, feels that England's change of approach in white-ball cricket also helped when he was shaping himself up for the big league.

"I think my game changed really in last one year and English cricket's white ball philosophy transformed around 2016. So yeah, the change in their philosophy also helped me to be fearless and it's really nice to have that environment around us.

"That's why we have got so many good white ball cricketers. So I am happy to get that freedom to go out there and perform." "No extra pressure to perform but would love to carry my 'Hundred' form' ============================================= Livingstone is happy that his white-ball exploits are being talked about.

"I don't think there is any pressure and it has been nice to put in performances that have made people start talking about me. It's been nice to put up some match-winning performances for England and Birmingham in The Hundred." He wants to replicate that for the Royals and follow it up for England in the T20 World Cup.

"I think you want that sort of form when you come into an IPL and World Cup. Hopefully I can carry that on in the IPL." RR have a great set-up even without Stokes, Archer and Buttler ======================================= Rajasthan Royals will be surely missing Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler but Livingstone has faith in the team's other players.

"We have got a very good core of overseas players. Whatever be the make of the team, I still believe that we have got real quality to go through and there is young home (India) talent, which gives squad a nice look." 

Also Read : Delhi Capitals include net bowler Khejroliya in main squad after spinner Siddharth sustains injury

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 16 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting feels his team will need to start from the scratch as its table-topping performance in the IPL's first half won't matter when the lucrative league resumes in the UAE on Sunday.

The IPL was suspended midway into the 14th season of the league in May owing to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble.

"It doesn't matter what we've done in the first half of the season. It's been four months since when we played some really good cricket, so we really have to start again," Ponting said in press release issued by the franchise.

"We have to build ourselves as we go along in the tournament and make sure that we are playing our best cricket at the back end of the tournament.

"Our performance in the first half of the tournament was because of how well we played and how hard we worked, but I don't think we played our best cricket," added the Australian batting great.

The IPL resumes in the UAE on Sunday. DC lead the points table with six wins from eight matches.

Ponting said that the players have shown great intensity during the pre-season camp here.

"I have been waiting for four months to come back to the Delhi Capitals camp. I have such a great time when I work with the team and it's a great time in my calendar year. I have been keeping a close eye on what's been happening here.

I have been speaking to the coaching staff here and they have done a great job so far (in the pre-season camp). You can see with the intensity and the attitude shown by the players that it's been a really worthwhile camp so far.

"I am really excited about what we've got coming up in the next four-five weeks," said the 46-year-old.

When asked about Shreyas Iyer's return to the Delhi Capitals side post recovering from his shoulder injury, Ponting said, "It's great to have Shreyas back. He has got an infectious attitude.

"I have been talking to him a lot and his training has been great. He's so keen to get back into the field, score runs and win. He's a world-class player and he's going to add a lot to our team, there's no doubt about that." The Delhi Capitals will take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22 in their first match on resumption.

Also Read : A look back at what happened in the 1st half of Indian Premier League 2021

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 16 (Cricket News) One of the most notable omissions from India's T20 World Cup squad, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on Thursday asserted that he will be his wily, old wicket-taking self in the upcoming second half of this year's IPL.

During a training session for his team Royal Challengers Bangalore, a cheerful Chahal offered to bat, but only if the swashbuckling Glenn Maxwell was the bowler.

Reflecting on his first training session with the team, Chahal said, "Obviously, the feeling was good, it was okay and I'm happy with the way I bowled today.

"I'm very pumped up, especially, you know, we're good on the points table and we have a very good chance to stay at the top of the table and when you bowl well after a long time you always feel good. Today, I can say that the old Yuzi is back." The IPL-14, which was suspended midway into the league in May owing to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble, will resume in the UAE on Sunday and Chahal will be one of the many players trying to reclaim his place in the national team.

Chahal was far from his best in the first leg of the IPL in India. Despite his team playing in spin-friendly surfaces such as the one in Chennai, the leg-spinner struggled for rhythm and could only pick four wickets in seven matches at an economy of 8.26.

During the training session, South African legend AB de Villiers was seen welcoming both Chahal and Maxwell back into the team before the net session commenced.

Head coach Mike Hesson laid out the plans for the session and said, "In terms of practice today, we all know what the role is. We've all had those meetings for what we're training for. So when we go in the nets, we're really specific about what we're trying to get out of it." When the league was suspended, RCB were placed third in the points table with five wins from seven matches.

After the net session, de Villiers was joined by Maxwell to compete in a game where both players attempted to hit the stumps from 22 yards, but with a tennis ball and a racket.

The versatile de Villiers said that he played the sport quite a lot in his younger days and Maxwell responded that he was not surprised at all.

Also Read : IPL in UAE will level playing field for T20 World Cup: Maxwell

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals on Wednesday inducted left-arm seamer Kulwant Khejroliya in the main squad for the upcoming second half of this year's IPL after left-arm orthodox spinner Manimaran Siddharth was ruled out of the tournament due to quadriceps strain.

"Delhi Capitals today announced that left-arm orthodox bowler Manimaran Siddharth has been ruled out of the IPL 2021 due to an injury. The 23-year-old incurred a quadriceps strain during training in Dubai," Delhi Capitals said in a release.

Left-arm medium fast bowler Khejroliya, who is already part of the Delhi Capitals team's bio-bubble as a net bowler, was readily included in the main squad.

Khejroliya, who plays domestic cricket for the Delhi state side, has so far taken 17 wickets in 15 T20 matches at an average of 23.29.

The 29-year-old had a below-par IPL debut season for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2018 and 2019 seasons, taking 3 wickets in 5 IPL matches.

"The DC support staff is currently overlooking Manimaran Siddharth's rehabilitation programme in Dubai. He will be heading back to India in a few days where he will continue to undergo rehabilitation. The Delhi Capitals franchise wishes him a speedy recovery," the release added.

Also Read : Performance in first match will set tone for DC this IPL, says Kaif

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Karachi, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali is confident that their team can beat arch-rivals India in the opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup replicating their convincing win in the 2017 Champions Trophy final at the Oval.

Pakistan since then have played India twice in 50 over games and has been thrashed at the Asia Cup in Dubai in 2018 and the ODI World Cup in Manchester in 2019.

Before every global event, there is always a lot of hullabaloo from the Pakistan corner but till date, they haven't beaten India ever in 50 or T20 over World Cup games.

In fact, they have also failed to beat India in practice games.

"When we won the Champions Trophy (in 2017), it was a very good time for us and we will try to beat them again in the T20 World Cup. We will give our best. Playing against India is always a pressure game because of the expectations of fans from both countries," Hasan told a virtual media conference on Wednesday.

He pointed out that the Pakistan and India match are the most-watched ones at the global events.

"Even those people who don't normally watch cricket follow the India vs Pakistan matches, so the pressure on the players is high but we will give it our best." Hasan also feels that spinners would dominate in the dry conditions in UAE but it didn't mean that pacers couldn't do well in those conditions.

"We know how to bowl in those conditions but yes you can see all teams have picked many spinners in their squads." Disappointed at Misbah and Waqar's resignations, says Hasan ===================================== Hasan also admitted that he was disappointed at the way Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis had resigned as head coach and bowling coach before the World Cup "Honestly speaking, I was disappointed because the World Cup was coming and such a change happened and they left," he said.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Rameez Raja announced "But it is not our domain as a player and this is something for the Pakistan Cricket Board and others to handle. Our job is to perform and try to win matches for Pakistan." Hasan said that Waqar was a role model for him and he would miss his guidance but as a professional one has to move on.

"I wish them the best. I will miss Waqar’s guidance as I took up bowling after watching him bowl on screen." Hasan also spoke on the appointment of Vernon Philander as the bowling consultant with the Pakistan team for the World Cup.

"We all know that Philander is a great bowler and he has performed at the top level. We are looking forward to working with him but it is too early to say how much benefit we can get from him as this will only be clear once he joins the squad." New Zealand will give us tough time, he assesses ================================ Hasan stated that Pakistan would not underestimate the New Zealand squad in the home series in ODIs or T20 Internationals as any national team had to be respected.

"I think their team has enough potential to give us a tough time and the thing is they have to come to Pakistan after playing a tough series in Bangladesh in dry conditions and they will not be easy to beat," he added.

Pakistan and New Zealand play their first ODI at the Rawalpindi stadium on September 17 while the five-match T20 series will be held in Lahore from the 25th.

New Zealand is playing on Pakistan soil after 18 years. Hasan said that presently he was not thinking about the World Cup.

"Right now, the focus is on the home series against New Zealand because my team needs me to deliver for them all the time." Hasan also spelt out his ambition to become a proper all-rounder and said he was focussing on improving his batting day by day in the nets.

"I want to be a good all-rounder in all three formats. The presence of someone like Abdul Razzaq who has joined us recently has already been a big help to me. He is teaching me how to do power hitting while keeping a balance at the crease. He has been a quality all-rounder for Pakistan." 

Also Read : Pakistan to tour Bangladesh after 5 years for a Test and T20 series in November

News source : PTI

New Delhi, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Having broken the stereotype for a successful fast bowler in Australia, the "not so tall" Nathan Ellis is set to tick off another major milestone in his fast rising career.

After making a remarkable journey from club cricket to international cricket in little over 24 months, the first bowler to take a hat-trick on his T20 International debut is looking to learn from the best in his maiden IPL outing. Picked as a replacement for fellow Aussie Riley Meredith in the Punjab Kings squad, Ellis wants to pick brains of teammate and one of his favourite bowlers Mohammad Shami and also hopes to have a chat with the man with the "best yorker", Jasprit Bumrah, and the "aggressive" Mohammad Siraj. Speaking to PTI from Dubai, Ellis described the phase in which he made his international debut before landing an IPL deal as overwhelming.

"It is one of those of things you sort of dream about growing up but you know it's never a reality and it's never like you've definitely going to do it. So to be able to get on that Australia tour was a dream come true.

"And then I wasn't really expecting to get a game so to get a game and and sort of the results that came from that was amazing and still doesn't feel really real. And then obviously to get the opportunity to come to the IPL with Punjab.

"It's (playing in IPL) is something that I've also dreamt about," he said referring to the happenings of the last one month.

Following his hat-trick in Bangladesh, Ellis was named as one of the reserves in the Australia squad for the T20 World Cup, which follows the IPL in the UAE. Having come to the UAE before with Big Bash franchise Hobart Hurricanes three years ago, Ellis has an idea of the conditions and says the IPL stint is bound to provide him with a valuable experience.

"I don't really have any specific expectations (from his first IPL). I'm prepared to play against the best players as it is the best T20 tournament in the world. So I'm very prepared that it's going to be tough cricket," said the death overs specialist.

"Also I am really, really excited to talk to Mohammed Shami. I haven't spoken to him yet but he's been one of my favourite cricketers." What about the players in other teams? "Bumrah is arguably the best T20 bowler in the world if not in general in all formats. I'd love to be able to get a hold of him and pick his brian if I get the chance. He definitely is the best yorker bowler in the world.

"So I'd love to love to pick his brain, as well as Siraj's. I think the way he has come on to the scene and I love how aggressive and how much energy he brings to the table I think that's something that I tried to do as well," said Ellis, who himself has a pretty effective yorker besides other T20 skills.

Ellis picked up the sport seeing the likes of Brett Lee and Andy Bichel on television. Ever since he started playing junior cricket, he was reminded that he was not the usual tall fast bowler that Australian cricket is known to produce.

However, the six feet tall bowler took all the criticism in his stride as he just wanted to play the game he loved.

"Height is something that I've always had to deal with from junior cricket, all the way through now, especially in Australia with the stereotypical fast bowler in Australia is six foot five, tall, bouncy.

"I've always had to break that down but the simple fact that at the end of the day I love playing cricket. And my mantra has always been you know if you're performing and you're taking wickets they can't ignore you forever, whether you're 8 foot tall of five foot tall." He may have found instant success as a death bowler, Ellis feels he has the game for all formats.

In the shortest format, he lies mostly on yorkers, cutters and slower balls to keep the batsman guessing. Bowling in the death can be unforgiving but Ellis loves the challenge.

"It's not a role that many people look forward as it it's tough, and you have more bad days than good days. But I really, I really enjoy the challenge. I really enjoy the me versus the batter battle." "I also love it as you trying to stay a step ahead of the batter and structure different types of balls and different variations which is the crux of being a T20 bowler." Asked to sum up the last 24 months, Ellis added: I'm just trying to soak as much as I can, because I feel like it's come really quick and I am worried that it might go really quick so I'm really trying to soak it up.

Also Read : The sudden shift from Test cricket to T20, turning defense into offense

News source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell believes having the Indian Premier League in the UAE will level the playing field "a fair bit" in the T20 World Cup to be held at the same venue next month.

The IPL will resume on September 19 in the UAE after being suspended in May due to the second wave of COVID-19 in India, which led to multiple cases inside its bio-bubble.

It will be followed by the T20 World Cup from October 17.

"The tournament being in UAE probably levels the playing field a little bit," Maxwell, who plays for Royal Challenger Bangalore in the IPL, told 'icc-cricket.com'.

"Probably makes it a little bit easier for there not to be as much of a home ground advantage. For the IPL to be there to have a lot of international players that are potentially going to be in that World Cup over there playing, I think it's probably levelled the playing field a fair bit." Australia's top players, including Steve Smith, David Warner, Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins, have not competed in the last few months and will be back in action at the IPL.

Maxwell said the IPL stint will help the preparation of the Australian players.

"The fact we've got a lot of guys going over for the IPL as a preparation, get a few games in those conditions, it's going to do wonders for our batters," he said.

"Our bowlers are going to be up and firing by the time the tournament starts. I can assure you everyone is looking forward to hitting the ground running over there." Australia will have to battle it out against defending champions West Indies, world number one England and South Africa in a tough group in the Super 12 stage.

With their key players missing, Australia suffered 1-5 series losses against the West Indies and Bangladesh but Maxwell has no doubts they'll manage a better performance at the big competition.

Talking about Australia's chances at the World Cup, Maxwell said: "I think they're very good. When this team comes together, I think we'll slip straight back into us being in a great position.

"We're all looking forward to it. You look through our line-up, we've got a team full of match winners and guys that on their day can take the game away from the opposition.

Asked about the draw in the T20 World Cup, Maxwell said: "There are no weak teams in this World Cup and we know that. We know we've also got a very good chance of beating everyone on our day. Both groups are going to be tough, it doesn't matter.

"If we play our best, I feel that's going to be good enough on the day. I think we'll be focussing solely on what we can do every game and hopefully, that is good enough at the end of the day."

Also Read : Had to give up one, so chose World Cup and Ashes over IPL, says Woakes

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Limited spectators will be allowed into the stadiums when the much-awaited Indian Premier League resumes in the UAE this weekend, the event's organisers announced on Wednesday.

The IPL, which was suspended midway in May due to COVID-19 cases in its bio bubble, will resume from Sunday with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on Chennai Super Kings at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

"This match will be a momentous occasion as IPL will welcome the fans back to the stadiums after a brief hiatus owing to COVID-19 situation," an IPL statement said.

"Matches will be played at Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi with limited seating available keeping in mind the COVID protocols and UAE government regulations," it added.

It will be the first time since 2019 when the IPL will be played in front of an audience.

Last year, the league was played behind closed doors in the UAE while the first half of the 2021 edition was also played inside a strict bio-bubble.

Although the league organisers did not specify the exact number of fans who would be let in but sources said their presence would be 50 per cent of the stadium capacity.

"Fans can buy tickets starting September 16 for the remainder of the tournament on the official website www.iplt20.com. Tickets can also be purchased on PlatinumList.net," the league organisers said.

Also Read : E-bidding for new IPL teams planned on October 17

News source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 15 (Cricket News) India captain Virat Kohli and star batsman KL Rahul maintained their fourth and sixth place respectively among the batsmen while no Indian bowler featured in the top-10 in the ICC T20 rankings.

The top seven batsmen led by England's Dawid Malan maintained their rankings while South African keeper-batter Quinton de Kock is now ranked eighth while West Indies Evin Lewis has dropped a place to be ninth in the list.

Among bowlers, Tabraiz Shamsi still holds the pole position followed by Wanindu Hasaranga and Rashid Khan.

India's top ranked bowler in the list is veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar at 12th while injured off-spinner Washington Sundar is the other in the top-20 at 18th place.

Yuzvendra Chahal is the only bowler who has shown improvement and is now 25th although he has been dropped from the Indian team for the T20 World Cup.

In the all-rounders' list, the only Indian among the top-20 is Hardik Pandya, who is just about managed to make the list with 98 points.

The Indians last played a T20 series in Sri Lanka and hence haven't played any games in the shortest format.

Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has moved up two places to eighth after finishing with eight wickets in the series against South Africa while Nasum Ahmed (up 25 places to 15th) and Mehedi Hasan (up four places to 20th) have also made notable progress.

However, Shakib Al Hasan has conceded the top spot for all-rounders to Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi.

In the ODI rankings for batters, Jaskaran Malhotra of the United States, who struck sixes in an over from Papua New Guinea’s Gaudi Toka in a World Cup Super League 2 match, has rocketed 169 places to 132nd.

In the bowlers’ list, Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane is now in top-100 at 91st place.

Also Read : Lee takes joint first position with Mithali in ODI Rankings

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Assistant coach Mohammad Kaif reckons the first match in the second half of the Indian Premier League will set the tone for the rest of the tournament for table toppers Delhi Capitals.

The second leg of the T20 league, which was suspended in May due to the increasing COVID-19 cases in India and multiple infections in the IPL bio-bubble, is scheduled to resume in the UAE from September 19.

The Capitals are currently perched on top of the points table with 12 points from eight matches.

"There has been a big break after the first half of the IPL, but we are fortunate that most of the players have been playing international cricket regularly," Kaif was quoted as saying in a media release.

"We have a well-balanced side as there are players with international cricket experience and domestic players, who have been putting in good performances. The first match is going to be crucial for us.

"Our performance in the first match will set the momentum for us," he said.

Kaif added that the roles of some of the players in the team may change because of the change in venue from India to UAE.

"We played well in India and now we have to carry forward our performance here in the UAE. The roles for some of the players compared to the first half of the IPL may change because the conditions are different here.

"We have to start afresh in the second half of the tournament. We are looking to get used to the conditions here in the next few days and also play a couple of practice matches," said the 40-year-old.

Star batsman Shreyas Iyer, who missed out on the first half of the season due to a shoulder injury, his returned to the side for the second leg.

"There are not many changes to the squad as compared to the first half of the tournament, however the biggest plus for us is that Shreyas Iyer is back in the squad.

"He is a fantastic player and he's been playing well for us in the last couple of seasons. We are looking forward to seeing him play this season," Kaif said.

The Capitals are set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22.

Also Read : Iyer's return will strengthen team, need to start on a high note: Dhawan

News source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 14 (Cricket news) India skipper Mithali Raj was on Tuesday joined at the top by South Africa opener Lizelle Lee, whose unbeaten 91 in the opening match against the West Indies helped her take joint-first position in the latest ICC women's ODI rankings.

While Mithali, who retains her number one spot, is now tied in first place with Lee at 762 rating points, with Australia's Alyssa Healy in third place, India opener Smiriti Mandhana also held on to her ninth spot.

Lee, who first seized the top position in June 2018 and again reached the summit in March this year, scored 18 runs in the second match, which also counted towards this week's rankings update.

Veteran Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami and senior spinner Poonam Yadav remained static on fifth and ninth respectively among bowlers, while Deepti Sharma maintained her fifth spot in the all-rounders' list.

Indian teen star Shafali Verma held on to her top rank in the T20 rankings with 759 points, ahead of Australian Beth Mooney (744) and India T20 vice-captain Mandhana (716).

There was no movement for Sharma (sixth) and Yadav (eighth) in the T20 bowling rankings with the former also retaining her fourth spot in the all rounders' list.

In T20 rankings for bowlers, England’s Sarah Glenn has moved up a slot to second position while New Zealand off-spinner Leigh Kasperek (up seven places to 15th) and all-rounder Jess Kerr (up eight places to 58th) have also moved up the table.

Also read: Indian team has improved massively since T20 WC defeat to Australia, says Mandhana

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 14 (Cricket news) Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum says they were "paralysed a little bit by fear" when coronavirus struck the first half of the IPL in India.

It was KKR spinner Varun Chakravarthy and seamer Sandeep Warrier, who first tested positive for COVID-19 in May in the middle of the League, which was eventually postponed.

The Purple and Gold brigade led by England white-ball skipper Eoin Morgan had an underwhelming first half. They are languishing at the seventh spot but McCullum is hopeful for a strong showing when action resumes from September 19 in the UAE.

"In regards to the tournament which is upcoming (second half of the IPL phase), we can end it right. We can take the game on and we're in a situation where we need things to go our way," McCullum was quoted as saying by the KKR website.

"We need to hit the ground running, challenge one another privately, support one another publicly and try and get the best out of one another in the next 4-5 weeks. Who knows where we can go with this.

"There were sometimes throughout the season when I just felt we were being paralysed a little bit by fear," he added.

The virus had wreaked havoc in India at that time, claiming thousands of lives.

The 39-year-old former New Zealand skipper, who started his IPL journey as a player with KKR, is hopeful the team will be able to get rid of the angst that had been built in the first phase of the league.

"I wasn't able to free the guys up enough to understand that and that's sort of a challenge for me. But it is also a good challenge for the guys as well that they need to push the envelope of their own thinking as well.

"Hopefully we will be able to strip away a bit of the angst which had built up in the first part of the season, just go out there and try and enjoy ourselves."That's the ambition that I have got for the franchise and hence why I am unapologetic and unrelenting in my belief that we need to play a braver style of play," he said.

Talking about his coaching style, McCullum said, "When we left India (after IPL was called off due to Covid), I think everyone understood me as a coach on how I want our team to play." "I am unapologetic about that as well because my job is to try and build something at KKR that is going to last far longer than I am going to last for the franchise," McCullum added.

KKR will open their second-phase campaign against Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore on September 20 in Abu Dhabi.

Also read: Unfortunate we ended up in IPL early, hopefully we can maintain strong, bio-secure environment: Virat Kohli

News source: PTI

(Cricket news): The IPL is set to resume from 19th as the first half saw only 29 matches taking place and the remaining matches will take place in Dubai and Sharjah. Since the inclusion of the T20 format in the game, there have been problems in dealing with the style and the needs of the format. The T20 format demands quick thinking and attacking gameplay which comes in both bowling and batting while Test cricket demands a whole different skill set.

The Indian players will have only a handful of days to prepare for the IPL as the England Test series got over abruptly. Many England players are not available this time as they have a hectic schedule playing the T20 World Cup and also the Ashes. The Indian players will try to use the IPL as a platform to find form in the T20 World Cup but might have a tough time in the start of the IPL.

Players will also have to stay in the COVID bubble and follow the protocols as the Fifth test scare hopefully will again. The change from 90 overs to 20 overs requires the players to be versatile and only few are able to excel in all the three formats. There has been quite an increase in the amount of runs scored in a game no matter what the format is and it has affected the players who are well versed in Test cricket.

Chris Gayle, one of the flag bearers of the T20 format is one of the most attacking players who has set the benchmark in the game. There has been a contrasting rise over the past decade in the run scoring between the teams. In the ODI format, the 700 run aggregate has been crossed 21 times in which 19 have come this decade and 13 have come in the past 5 years.

The batsmen who are currently on the pitch are totally different from the ones who were there 30 years ago. There were attacking players but now most of them are definitely playing in an aggressive style as the game calls for it. The current set of players are the most adaptive ones as they quickly change their game in a matter of few days and it can be clearly seen in the IPL.

The IPL is into its 13th edition and for the first time has seen a halt in the middle, the players will don change from white to colorful jerseys. Joe Root, the current highest Test run getter this year has not featured in the IPL although Rohit Sharma who is the second highest run getter will be looking to take his team to the top. Rohit Sharma is always known as an attacking batsman but has tuned his batting skills which came in handy against the England side will be in a different form when dons the Blue jersey. It is for sure a superpower, like running a marathon and now sprinting down the 100 metre track.

Also read: Had to give up one, so chose World Cup and Ashes over IPL, says Woakes

Dubai, Sep 13 (Cricket news) India captain Virat Kohli said it is unfortunate to "end up here early" for the IPL after a COVID-19 outbreak led to the cancellation of the fifth Test against England and hoped for a "secure" bio-bubble in the league to tackle the "uncertain" times.

Kohli, who will again lead Royal Challengers Bangalore in the tournament, along with other Indian players refused to take the field in the fifth Test against England at Old Trafford, after junior physio Yogesh Parmar became the fourth close-contact support staff to test positive for COVID-19.

"Unfortunate that we had to end up here early, but with COVID in place, things are very uncertain," Kohli told the RCB's digital media platforms.

"Anything can happen at any time. Hopefully, we're able to maintain a good, strong, and secure environment, and have a quality IPL.

"It's going to be an exciting phase and a very important one for us at RCB and then for the Indian team at the T20 World Cup," the Indian captain said.

The IPL begins on Sunday and RCB will play their first match on Monday.

Also read: We want rescheduled Test to be 'fifth' of series and not one off: Sourav Ganguly

The RCB will have some exciting new additions to their squad including leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga and Singapore batter Tim David. The skipper is looking forward to meet the new recruits.

"I've been in touch with everyone. We've had discussions over the last month or so, a little longer than that with the replacements, who's coming and who's not. Eventually, we ended up replacing our key players with some top-quality cricketers," the RCB skipper said.

He believes that replacement players will fit into the system perfectly.

"Our key players will be missed, and they are a part of the family, but the people coming in as well have great skill sets, especially for these conditions.

"So, I'm very excited to see them, with the whole group at practice and certainly very excited to resume a very good season that started last time around," he said.

News source: PTI

Lahore, Sep 13 (Cricket news) Newly-elected Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja on Monday said resumption of bilateral assignments with India is "impossible right now" and he is "not in a hurry" for it either as his focus is solely on his country's domestic circuit at this point.

The 59-year-old, who formally took over on Monday after being elected unanimously, also acknowledged that being chairman of the PCB is one of the toughest jobs in cricket.

"It is a very big challenge and a lot of boxes had to be ticked before the prime minister (Imran Khan) decided to give me this tough job," he said in a press conference here.

Asked about the possibility of revival of bilateral series between Pakistan and India, Raja said, "Impossible right now..." "...because the sporting model has been spoiled by politics and right now it is a status quo and we are not in a hurry on this issue because we have to focus on our domestic and local cricket," he added.

He also expressed his displeasure over the development that there would be no Decision Review System in the upcoming Pakistan-New Zealand white-ball series in Rawalpindi and Lahore.

"Yes there is no doubt that this DRS issue reflects a mess and I will look into this matter," he said.

Raja expressed his reservations over the standard of coaching in the country and said there was a dire need to improve the local infrastructure in the country.

When asked whether he would allow the board CEO, Wasim Khan, to carry on, Raja made it clear that he would not discuss internal matters of the body in public.

Also read: Former Pakistan skipper Ramiz Raja formally elected as PCB chairman

However, he claimed that if it came down to proper accountability 90 per cent of the functionaries deserved to be sacked from the board.

Raja was also asked about the India-Pakistan match in the coming T20 World Cup in Dubai. The game is due on October 24.

"It is a show stopper and when I met with the Pakistan team players I told them I want the tables to be turned this time and the team must be 100 percent operational for the match and to do well in it," he said.

The new PCB Chairman also said that he wants the national team to play fearless cricket.

"We must be prepared to face problems and also lose matches but I have told the players they shouldn't worry about being secure about their places in the team and play fearless cricket.

"I know we will face more failures than success when we go on this path but we have to do it if we are to become relevant in world cricket. Because this is a process and we need to change the mindset of our players as well." Raja is Pakistan's 18th Test and 12th ODI captain, and played 255 international matches in which he scored 8,674 runs in the period from 1984 to 1997.

He has previously served the PCB as its Chief Executive from 2003-2004 and has represented Pakistan on the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee and presently sits on the MCC World Cricket Committee.

After retirement he has been a successful broadcaster.

News source: PTI

Wentworth (UK), Sep 13 (Golf news): Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma fired a six-under 66, his best of the week, to finish Tied-ninth at the 2021 BMW PGA Championship, here.

After finishing the third round with four birdies in a row, Sharma had seven birdies against a sole bogey on Par-4 11th. He birdied the fourth, sixth, 10th, 12th , 13th, 16th and 18th.

Sharma rose 26th places on the Race to Dubai rankings to 78th and is closer to his first goal of Top-60.

In his five starts, Sharma has had two Top-10s (T-9 and Cazoo and BMW PGA), two other Top-20s (T-16 at Hero Open and T-12 at Italian) and has had just three over par rounds in 20.

American Billy Horschel made a stunning closing birdie to fulfil one of his great golfing ambitions and won his first Rolex Series title at the 2021 BMW PGA Championship.

The American watched the event on television as a child and fell in love with Wentworth Golf Club when he finished in the top five on his debut two years ago.

The 34-year-old said he would rank a win at the prestigious event alongside a victory at The PLAYERS Championship, and he carded a closing 65 to finish at 19 under and beat Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat, home favourite Laurie Canter and Welshman Jamie Donaldson by one shot.

Kiradech, who dropped a late bogey on Par-5 17th and failed to birdie the Par-5 18th, finished in a tie for second with Donaldson (66) and Canter (67). All three ended at 18-under) Horschel already has a World Golf Championships title under his belt this season and this victory moves him up to second on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.

He became the first American to win a Rolex Series event and just the second to win the BMW PGA Championship after the great Arnold Palmer in 1975.

South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout finished at 17 under, a shot clear of England's Andrew Johnston and Justin Rose and Italian Francesco Laporta.

In the race for an automatic place in Padraig Harrington's Ryder Cup team, a closing 72 was enough to see Bernd Wiesberger edge out Shane Lowry and join Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Paul Casey, Matt Fitzpatrick and Lee Westwood as the qualifiers.

Also read: Sharma closes with four birdies in a row, rises to 12th at Wentworth

News source: PTI 

Dubai, Sep 13 (Cricket news): Uncapped Australian fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis was on Monday named as Chris Woakes' replacement in the Delhi Capitals squad for the second half of the Indian Premier League starting here on September 19.

The 27-year-old Dwarshuis, a left-arm pacer, has picked up 12 and 100 wickets from seven and 82 List A and T20 matches so far.

He represents New South Wales in List A while plays for Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League and is the sixth-highest wicket-taker in the history of the tournament with 85 wickets in 69 matches.

Dwarshuis, who was also part of the erstwhile Kings XI Punjab side in the IPL earlier, will be joining the Delhi Capitals team bio-bubble in the UAE soon, the franchise said on Monday.

Woakes along side his England teammates Jonny Bairstow (Sunrisers Hyderabad) and Dawid Malan (Punjab Kings), all of whom were part of the just-concluded Test series against India, had pulled out from the second leg of the IPL citing personal reasons.

Delhi Capitals are currently leading the standings with 12 points from eight games.

Also read: Iyer's return will strengthen team, need to start on a high note: Dhawan

News source: PTI 

Manchester, Sep 12 (Cricket news): India head coach Ravi Shastri and his support staff colleagues Bharat Arun and R Sridhar are likely to leave for India on Wednesday provided they have two negative RT-PCR reports prior to their departure date.

Shastri, who tested positive for COVID-19 prior to the fourth Test at the Oval, has been in quarantine since September 4 and is expected to complete his 10-day isolation period along with Arun and Sridhar on Monday.

However, the trio needs to have negative RT-PCR reports before they leave the UK shores for India and are expected to join a much stricter bio-bubble in Dubai, post IPL when the Indian team assembles for the T20 World Cup campaign.

"Ravi, Sridhar and Arun are all doing well physically and are mostly asymptomatic. They will take their RT-PCR test on Monday and if all goes well, they can fly out on the original date of departure, that is September 15. The final call will be taken by the medical team," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the other support staff members of the contingent will be flying out on Monday afternoon by commercial flight via Dubai.

However, junior physio Yogesh Parmar, who tested positive on September 8, will have to remain in isolation for a few more days before he is able to fly back home.

The fifth Test between India and England at the Old Trafford was cancelled after Virat Kohli refused to field his team apprehending more cases during incubation period.

The standalone Test in all likelihood will be held in July next year but the ECB has already approached the ICC for a quick decision by the Dispute Resolution Committee on the issue.

COVID-19 is an acceptable non compliance and the Indian camp has stated that it was unable to field a team for the match.

If the ICC rules it as a Test abandoned due to COVID-19, India would win the series 2-1 or else a forfeiture would mean series levelled at 2-2 and England making a successful claim to the insurance company for reimbursement of GBP 40 million loss.

Also read: India's IPL stars off to Dubai after second successive negative RT-PCR reports

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 12 (Cricket news): Delhi Capitals' senior batsman Shikhar Dhawan on Sunday said the return of regular skipper Shreyas Iyer will strengthen the team further as it looks to resume its IPL campaign on a high note.

The 2021 IPL was suspended in May due to multiple COVID cases inside its bio-bubble and the second leg of the lucrative tournament will begin on September 19 in the UAE.

"We were in a certain flow in the first half of the season and then that flow was broken once the tournament was suspended," Dhawan said in a release issued by the franchise.

"So we have to rebuild our energy and get back on the flow we were in. The good thing is that our team is well balanced and Shreyas Iyer is back in the side as well, so our team is even stronger now." Iyer had missed the first leg of the IPL after suffering a shoulder injury during the first ODI between India and England in March.

The 35-year-old Dhawan, who is currently the highest run-getter in the IPL 2021 season with 380 runs in eight matches, said the team is focussed on its first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

"It's great to be back. There's a great environment within the team. All the boys are working very hard and I am looking forward to the IPL season. I am very excited to play the upcoming matches," said the opener, who has scored 3 fifties in the season so far.

"It's very important to start on a high note. We need to do well from the first match itself and therefore we are working very hard for our first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. We have to bring our hard work into effect during matches and produce great results." Delhi Capitals, the last year's finalists, will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22.

Also read: Bairstow, Malan pull out of IPL, citing personal reasons

News source: PTI 

Wentworth (UK), Sep 12 (Golf news): India's Shubhankar Sharma closed with four successive birdies for a round of 4-under 68 that saw him rise to T-12 and set him for a fine finish at the BMW PGA Championship.

Sharma had one birdie and one bogey in his first 14 holes and then picked four birdies on the last four. A day earlier, he had four birdies against one bogey for a 69.

Sharma has had a good run past few weeks. He was T-12 last week at the Italian Open and two starts prior to that he was T-9 at Cazoo Classic and T-16 at Hero Open.

In between at the European Masters he was well placed after three rounds before running into trouble on the last day.

At T-12 in Wentworth, after three rounds he is set for another good finish that should carry him closer to the first goal of getting to Top-60 for the Race to Dubai World Tour Championships at the end of the season.

Francesco Laporta is in pole position to make his maiden European Tour win. However, the Italian has a bunched leaderboard lining up behind him heading into the final day and several of them are vying for a place in the European Ryder Cup team.

The 30-year-old carded a three under 69, which included an eagle at the par five fourth, to move to a 14 under total and edge one ahead of Englishman Laurie Canter, who signed for a two under 70.

Amongst those a shot further back on 12 under were former FedEx Cup winner Billy Horschel and 2013 Masters Champion Adam Scott, while 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry and two-time Rolex Series winner Bernd Wiesberger were both on 11 under par heading into the final day.

Lowry and Wiesberger are both one low round away from sealing automatic qualification to the Ryder Cup, while Justin Rose would need to come from five strokes back to get the win he requires to move into the automatic qualification spots -- the former U.S. Open winner sits on nine under par.

Lee Westwood is also in danger of slipping out of the automatic qualification places for Whistling Straits in two weeks’ time.

Also read: Shubhankar Sharma’s steady 69 sees him rise to 25th, makes cut easily

News source: PTI 

Manchester, Sep 12 (Cricket news): England pacer James Anderson is "gutted" that the fifth Test against India at his home ground, Old Trafford was cancelled, bringing a premature end to the exciting series, which he said deserved a better finish.

The final match of the series was cancelled when a physio in the Indian camp tested positive ahead of the game, making the visiting players apprehensive, though all of them tested negative. The 39-year-old Anderson also wondered whether he would get to play another Test match for England at his home ground.

"I'm gutted for everyone at Lancashire cricket, for the fans who paid for tickets/trains/hotels, for both sets of supporters that wanted to see the finish this series deserved," Anderson wrote on his instagram page.

"I hope it will be played again at some point and I hope I will get to play another international game at my home ground that I love so much," he mentioned further.

Indian cricketers led by skipper Virat Kohli refused to play as they were apprehensive about testing positive in the incubation period which would have coincided with the Test match dates between September 12-16.

All the Indian cricketers contracted with IPL franchises left for Dubai the following day after Test match was cancelled.

Anderson has taken 632 wickets from 166 Tests with 15 wickets from the four Tests against India.

Also read: Wasn't outbreak of COVID, it was perception of what might happen that caused cancellation: ECB CEO

News source: PTI 

Manchester/Dubai, Sep 11 (Cricket news): The Indian cricketers, contracted to play the Indian Premier League (IPL), left for the UAE in chartered and commercial flights after returning negative RT-PCR tests for the second time in two days.

The travel arrangements were made by players' respective franchises.

The players began their early departures for the remainder of the IPL, starting September 19, after India's fifth Test against England was postponed indefinitely following COVID-19 outbreak in the Indian camp.

The players, led by Virat Kohli, refused to take the field despite testing negative for the virus as they had apprehensions that playing members could contract the virus after assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive just ahead of the final game.

"The good news is that all the players and support staff members have now tested negative for the RT-PCR for the second time. The reports arrived late on Friday evening and most of them are already on their way to Dubai for the IPL," a senior BCCI official told PTI.

"Two non-IPL players Abhimanyu Easwaran and Arjan Nagwaswalla will be flying out on Monday with the rest of the support staff. They will be flying to their respective Indian cities via Dubai and will take a commercial flight," the senior official said.

The players started departing in clusters -- some in charter flight arranged by their franchises like Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderbad while Chennai Super Kings cricketers took commercial flight.

"Mumbai Indians flew in three of its Indian contingent members, captain Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav, to Abu Dhabi on a private charter flight. The trio, along with their families, arrived today morning and will now undergo six days of hard quarantine, starting today as per the IPL's guidelines," MI issued a statement.

"All members had returned negative RT PCR results before departure. A new RT PCR test was undertaken upon arrival at Abu Dhabi, which are negative as well," it also stated.

RCB captain Virat Kohli and his premier pacer Mohammed Siraj also took a charter flight from Manchester.

"Keeping the safety and security of our players as the utmost priority, Royal Challengers Bangalore have arranged a special charter flight for captain Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj to ensure their safe transit to the UAE.

"The players will be flying out at 11.30 PM (UK time) on Saturday and will arrive in Dubai early Sunday morning. Both, Virat and Siraj will undergo 6-day quarantine in Dubai before joining the team bio-secure bubble," RCB said in a release.

Harrison himself attended Shastri's Book launch ============================== It was learnt late on Friday evening that even England and Wales Cricket Board CEO Tom Harrison attended the book launch of India's head coach Ravi Shastri, who got infected during the function and was forced into quarantine during the fourth Test. BCCI was peeved at the timing of the event in the middle of the series since it allowed outside guests. It has now been identified as a super spreader with no one wearing face masks because of relaxation of rules.

Shastri, bowling coach Bharath Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar all tested positive after the event.

It was local British paper 'Evening Standard' that reported Harrison's attendance on August 31, which wasn't known to most people.

"Standard Sport can reveal that Harrison, the ECB Chief Executive, also attended the event. He wore a mask throughout, except consuming food and drink." However if the newspaper is to be believed then Harrison apparently "hadn't seen the guest list" and "expected a COVID-safe event, in line with the safer lguidelines that were laid out for both teams by the ECB this summer."

Also read: Bairstow, Malan pull out of IPL, citing personal reasons

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Sep 11 (Cricket news) Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Jonny Bairstow and Punjab Kings batsman Dawid Malan have pulled out of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) due to personal reasons. The England and India players were supposed to fly into UAE from Manchester together in a bubble to bubble transfer but COVID-19 cases in the visitors' camp forced IPL teams to make their own arrangements.

The fifth Test between India and England was also postponed indefinitely after a junior physio tested positive for the virus ahead of the game.

Other members of India's support staff, including head Ravi Shastri, were already in quarantine after they tested positive for the virus during the fourth Test at the Oval.

All players arriving in Dubai now have to do a six-day quarantine and that could be the reason behind Bairstow and Malan pulling out.

A BCCI official told PTI that both the players won't be part of the IPL resuming September 19.

"They won't be boarding the flight to UAE. One of the reasons for their pull out is the six-day quarantine which they didn't need to do earlier," said the official.

While Bairstow is a regular in the Sunrisers line-up, world number one T20 batsman Malan made his IPL debut with Kings earlier this year.

Bairstow had made 248 runs at strike rate of 141 plus in seven games earlier this season.

Both Bairstow and Malan were part of England's Test squad in Manchester.

Also read: Bangladesh win T20I series against New Zealand amidst World Cup preparations

There are also doubts over the presence of England all-rounder Chris Woakes in the IPL. He plays for Delhi Capitals.

Bubble life has taken a toll on players and with the T20 World Cup to follow in UAE, not playing the IPL would allow more family time to Bairstow and Malan.

Both are also part of England's Ashes plans but the tour Down Under is also currently in doubt with Australia imposing some of the harshest restrictions in the world on incoming travellers in the COVID times. 

News source: PTI

Wentworth (UK), Sep 11 (Golf news) Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma played a steady round of 3-under 69 to ensure weekend action at the BMW PGA Championship here.

Sharma, who shot 70 in the first round, is now 5-under 139 and Tied-25th, a rise of 26 places from his opening round Tied-51.

Sharma, fighting to get into top-60 and qualify for the season-ending Race to Dubai World Tour Championships later in the year, is currently 104th. A good result should take him into top-90 and give him a chance to improve in further events.

Sharma had birdies on first, fourth, 12th and 13th while he bogeyed seventh for the second day running.

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who recently regained his PGA Tour card, moved into the outright lead.

Also read: Golfer Sneha Singh leads amateur domination in 8th leg of Hero WPGT

The three-time European Tour winner from Thailand had shared the first round lead after an opening 64 and followed that up with a solid 68 to move to a 12 under total, one stroke clear of Englishman Laurie Canter, who carded a 66, and Francesco Laporta, who came in with a 65 in the final group of the day.

Adam Scott of Australia was in fourth place at ten under after a 69, while Justin Rose was one of three players in a share of fifth place at nine under. The Englishman is chasing a victory which would guarantee his place in Pádraig Harrington's European team for the Ryder Cup in two weeks' time.

Shane Lowry and Bernd Wiesberger both improved on their opening round performances with impressive second rounds as they each target a Ryder Cup debut at Whistling Straits.

Irishman Lowry, who requires a strong result to secure his Ryder Cup place, carded a six under 66 on Wentworth Club's famous West Course to move to 8-under, while Wiesberger signed for a 5-under 67 for a six under total.

News source: PTI

Manchester, Sep 11 (Cricket news) The legendary Sunil Gavaskar has lauded the BCCI's offer of rescheduling the cancelled Old Trafford Test, saying India should never forget England's gesture of returning back to complete a tour, which was halted midway due to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.

The fifth Test between India and England here was called-off hours before its start on Friday after a COVID-19 outbreak in the visiting team's camp which made the Indian players reluctant to play fearing a positive result might lead to 10-day isolation and scheduling nightmare of Indian Premier League.

Both the BCCI and England Cricket Board (ECB) officials later announced that the match will be rescheduled at a later date as a one-off game, but the decision is yet to be made official.

"Yes, I think that (rescheduling the cancelled Test) would be the correct thing to do. Look, we, in India, should never forget what the England team did in 2008 after the horrific attack, the 26/11. They came back," Gavaskar told official broadcaster of the series Sony Sports.

"They would have been perfectly entitled to say 'we don't feel safe. We are not coming back'." The visiting England team was playing an ODI against India in Cuttack on November 26 when terrorists attacked Mumbai, leading to the cancellation of the last two ODIs of the seven-match series.

England headed home immediately, but later returned for the two Test series which India won 1-0.

Also read: CSK trying to get their five players in Manchester to Dubai via commercial flight

Gavaskar said that the then skipper Kevin Pietersen was instrumental in England's decision to return back for the Test matches.

"Never forget that Kevin Pietersen led the team, and he was the main man. If KP had said, no I don't want to go, that would have been the end of the matter.

"It was because KP was willing to go and he convinced the others, the team came and we had that fantastic Test match in Chennai where India chased 380 to win on the last day," the batting great said.

Gavaskar termed BCCI's rescheduling offer as a "fantastic news" and said the cancelled Test can be held next year after the Indian Premier League.

"Don't forget, the gesture of the ECB has to be remembered," he said.

"It's absolutely apt that the BCCI now says, right next year, we are still coming to England. I think there will be a little lean period. I think the IPL will finish in early June. So there is enough time for them to go a few days early, depending on whether we still have Covid and all the restrictions and maybe play a Test match before or after," Gavaskar said.

"This is fantastic news coming that the BCCi will make up for it. This is exactly what the relations between boards should be."

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 10 (Cricket news): Chennai Super Kings are looking to get their Indian and English players on a commercial plane to UAE a day after the fifth Test in Manchester was cancelled due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the visitors' camp.

Ravindra Jadeja, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shardul Thakur, Moeen Ali and Sam Curran are part of the CSK squad which has already started training ahead of the IPL resuming September 19.

Before COVID struck the Indian team, the plan was a bubble to bubble transfer with players of both teams taking a chartered flight to UAE.

"Chartered flight is not a possibility anymore. We are trying to get their tickets done for a commercial flight tomorrow. When they land, they will do six-day quarantine like the rest of the players," CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan said.

Indian players have been in their rooms in Manchester since junior physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive on Thursday.

Also read:  Indian players got the jitters after assistant physio tested positive claims Dinesh Karthik

News source: PTI

Manchester, Sep 10 (Cricket news) Dinesh Karthik has revealed that the Indian players got the jitters after assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive for COVID-19, making them uncomfortable to play the fifth and final Test against England, which was called off hours before its start on Friday.

The game, scheduled to be hosted by the Old Trafford, is now expected to be played at a later date.

Karthik, who is now part of the IPL bubble, had commentated for the first three Tests before he left to join the KKR squad in the UAE.

Senior physio Nitin Patel had tested positive during the fourth Test in London alongside head coach Ravi Shastri and two other support staff members.

"I spoke to a few of the guys (Indian players). More often than not, a lot of the players after the fourth Test. This is tiring. Almost all games have gone down the wire, they are tired and they have only one physio right now.

"They had two, but before this one went down along with the chief coach, another couple of the coaches, so they had one physio, so they've done a lot of work with that man. And now he tests positive. Now, that is the problem," Karthik told Sky Sports.

"If it was somebody else, somebody was helping you know in terms of logistics and all that they wouldn't be this afraid but when this person got it, the physio, I think that's when they got the jitters a little bit," he added.

Also read: India forfeit fifth Test against England as players decline to take field post COVID scare

The series wasn't taking place in a strict bubble but the players were told to stay indoors for the duration of the fifth Test before taking a flight to the UAE and get into another bubble.

"You also have to understand, as soon as this finishes, they have the IPL soon after that the World Cup, and soon after that the New Zealand series and we are talking about literally one week turnarounds," Karthik said.

"How many bubbles can they do? When they left, when they rather assembled in India they assembled on May 16 it's four months almost four months. That's a lot of time already." The wicketkeeper batsman said the players understandably had a tough time mentally once the junior physio tested positive and there was no way day one of the series decider would have happened as per schedule. "Let's take an example for today, most of the guys today haven't even slept till 2.30-3 in the morning because they don't know if they have to be ready for the match, they don't know because you know it's it's very late in India, so they don't know if they're going to be able to speak to ECB those kinds of discussions were gone.

"So most of them haven't even slept till 3 O'clock so the Test match happening today was out of question almost. It's whether they can delay it further, but you have to imagine you have to remember this that there is a good chance that in the RTPCR test three days later, someone could test positive and if he's in the playing 11, then what happens to that person," he said.

"Is he going to spread it around? Is he this super spreader for that point of time, that puts every other player in jeopardy, and then they have to stay 10 days in England then what happens to the IPL, which is supposed to start four days after they land in Dubai...

"...So it has so many other questions, it's not necessary that they've tested negative today means that two days later they will test negative again. Even if it is one person who does test positive, then that puts the whole thing into another different dimension," said Karthik.

He informed that the players have been told to remain in their rooms.

"Yes, they are all in the rooms. They have not moved out since the time they heard about the physio. They've all been told to stay in the rooms and not move out. And that's exactly what they're doing." Asked if the players were fearful about taking the virus to the IPL bubble," he said: "Absolutely. That is one thing you got to understand, for so long a lot of IPL teams have already come and started quarantined and all of that, the Indian team have not had a major bubble so to say, up until this Test, where they have been told to try not to go out of your rooms even during the game.

"... but now you know, with a positive result for a certain person, it's completely different but they've been informed that you know we are, we are moving from a bubble to a bubble so we have to kind of make bubble in England when we are here.

"So for this last test everybody has been told to stay in the rooms don't move or try and order room service. Play the Test match and get on with it and let's get to IPL after that so that's kind of been the mood so to speak (before the match was called off)," added Karthik.

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 10 (Cricket news): Delhi Capitals senior batsman Steve Smith says his Indian Premier League side will have to play their best cricket in the second half of this year's cash-rich T20 tournament if they want to make it to the final.

With 12 points from six wins out of eight games, DC are currently at the top of the standings before the tournament was stopped midway in May due to the increasing COVID-19 cases in India and multiple cases in the IPL bio-bubble.

Smith believes the Rishabh Pant-led team has the potential to do even better in the second half of the IPL to be played in UAE from September 19 to October 15.

"We have to pick up from where we left off. We were playing some really good cricket, getting the results we were after. And I think we can do even better so we should be playing our best cricket in the back end of the tournament.

"You have to play well enough to get to the final, but hopefully, we can play our best cricket in the final," the 32-year-old Australian was quoted as saying in a DC release.

He said the team will certainly have to rebuild itself for the remainder of the IPL. "It's been a few months since we have played together so we have to build again. We have a great squad and we have Shreyas Iyer back in the side as well, which adds a lot more to us. He's a quality player and good to see him back out in the park." Smith said he is fortunate to have returned for the second half of the event during such a tumultuous time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's been a very unique time in the world in the last 18 months. We've all had to work together to try and get through this and we have to continue to get through the situation.

"I am really fortunate to have a chance to come back for the second half of the tournament. I am looking forward to it. Delhi are sitting at a great spot on the table so hope that we can keep playing some great cricket and be there at the business end of the tournament," he said.

DC will resume their campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22.

Also read: Looking for different match-winners in different games: RR Director Sangakkara

News source: PTI

Wentworth (UK), Sep 10 (Golf news): It was a tale of two nines for Shubhankar Sharma as he shot 2-under 70 to lie at T-22 in the opening round of the BMW PGA Championship here.

Sharma was 2-over for the front nine with bogeys on third and seventh and then changed his fortunes with birdies on 14th and 15th and an eagle on Par-5 17th to be placed T-22.

Play was suspended overnight due to darkness, with four groups remaining to complete in round one in the championship which is the third Rolex Series event of the 2021 Race to Dubai.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat carded seven birdies in a stunning back nine at Wentworth Club to take as share of the first round lead.

The 32-year-old from Thailand has struggled to find the kind of form which has earned him four European Tour titles, but he reignited the flame on the West Course's famous back nine.

Five birdies in succession were followed by back-to-back birdies at the 16th and 17th, earning him an eight under 64 and a one-stroke advantage.

He was joined at the top by South Africa's Christiaan Bezuidenhout, the three-time European Tour winner carding an eagle at the par five fourth hole and picking up birdies on the final three holes to sign for his 64.

Also read: Shubhankar makes a final day charge, finish T12 in Rome

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 9 (Cricket news) Rajasthan Royals Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara wants to see different players of his side becoming match-winners in different games as they look forward to the resumption of the IPL season in the UAE.

The Royals, who are placed fifth in the IPL points table, will begin the second leg of IPL by taking on Punjab Kings on September 21. Commenting on what he expects from his players as they aim to make it to the playoffs, Sangakkara said, "What I want to see from them is their best efforts - competing as hard and for as long as possible to create opportunities to take games by the scruff of their neck and win them - that's the real key.

"If one player can win us the odd game here and there, different players become those match-winners in different games, and that's really what you're looking for in terms of formulating a side winning," he said in an RR release.

Having stayed in touch with the team during the off-season, Sangakkara said he got a lot of feedback from the players.

"I expect them to always challenge the plans we set for them and question as to why they're doing something, or if they have a better alternative. I think that's the real way we can challenge each other as coaches and players to get better," said the 43-year-old Sri Lankan legend.

"And I'm genuinely very happy to note that our players are excelling at that. I really love the energy and the attitude of all the players at the Royals, especially the younger Indian guys, who are all very keen to learn and very confident in their abilities." The former captain is under quarantine in his hotel room here with his family.

"The first phase of the season had both positives and negatives for our team. It was a bit of a mixed bag with some injuries and pull-outs, but those are very understandable situations where you must support the players." Players like Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer have pulled out due to different reasons, including injury-related.

Sangakkara referred Jaydev Unadkat as a great example of hard work and determination.

"Earlier this year, I was particularly impressed with JD (Jaydev Unadkat), because we all know that he has gone through some difficult phases in his career but I think he really stepped up during the first phase of IPL 2021.

Also read: Shami fit to play in Manchester; medical team monitoring Rohit, Pujara

"His bowling was outstanding, and that just goes to show that you can come back from a setback and start doing well if you put in the work." On Sanju Samson's captaincy, Sangakkara said, "I really think Sanju Samson does well when he's Sanju Samson. He's a bright young man. He's got a balanced head on his shoulders, and I like the way he keeps everything very simple, clear and direct.

"His captaincy was very impressive given he had to take over at a tough time without a full-strength squad."

News source: PTI

(Cricket news) Chris Silverwood, England Men’s Cricket team’s head coach has named his 15 player preliminary squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 which will be held in the UAE and Oman.

England preliminary ICC Men's T20 World Cup Squad

Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) Captain, Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Sam Billings (Kent), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Tymal Mills (Sussex), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).

Travelling Reserves

Tom Curran (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), James Vince (Hampshire).

Tymal Mills is set to make a return to the England team for the first time since February 2017 after impressing at the Vitality T20 Blast. His skills at The Hundred also helped Southern Brave lift the inaugural trophy.

Ben Stokes continues to take an indefinite break from cricket and is excluded from the 15 player squad. England have until 10th October to finalize the players ahead of the tournament.

England Men's Head Coach, Chris Silverwood, said: "We are excited about the prospect of challenging to win the ICC T20 World Cup. I believe we have selected a squad that covers all bases and has the depth to be successful in what is expected to be a very competitive tournament featuring the best players in the world.

"Tymal Mills deserves his inclusion and has demonstrated over the past couple of years, but particularly this summer that he has all the skills to succeed at this level. His exceptional pace is a standout, and the way he has spearheaded Sussex and Southern Brave's respective attacks in the short-form game has shown that he relishes the pressures of the big stage. He will add variety to our bowling unit, and we can't wait to see him play in a major international tournament."

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 – England’s Group Fixtures:

England v West Indies, Saturday 23 October 2021, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 3.00pm BST)

England v Qualifier (B2), Wednesday 27 October 2021, Abu Dhabi (2.00pm GST / 11.00am BST)

England v Australia, Saturday 30 October 2021, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 3.00pm BST)

England v Qualifier (A1), Monday 1 November 2021, Sharjah (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT)

England v South Africa, Saturday 6 November 2021, Sharjah (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT)

Semi-finals

First semi-final, Wednesday 10 November, Abu Dhabi (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT)

Second semi-final, Thursday 11 November, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT)

Final

Final, Sunday 14 November, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT)

Also read: Another member of India's support staff tests positive, team cancels practice
 

Gurugram, (Golf news): Amateurs Avani Prashanth, Vidhatri Urs and Sneha Singh grabbed the spotlight as they occupied three of the top six places at the end of first round of the eighth leg of Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here on Wednesday.

While Avani won the third leg of the ongoing season in Mumbai, Sneha had won the 11th leg in 2019 in Hyderabad.

In the opening round of the eighth leg at the Golden Greens Golf Club, Avani shot 1-under 71 to take a one-shot lead over Saaniya Sharma (72).

Four players, including amateurs Vidhatri and Sneha, besides last week’s winner Jahanvi Bakshi and Afshan Fatima were Tied-3rd with rounds of 73 each.

Three players -- Seher Atwal, Lakhmehar Pardesi and Siddhi Kapoor -- shot 74 each while three others, including amateurs Khushi Hooda and Nishna and pro Rhea Saravanan, carded 75 each.

Avani, with back-to-back birdies on Par-3 fourth and Par-5 fifth, went 2-under and was placed as such till she came to the 14th.

She hit a roadblock and double bogeyed the hole. Despite that, she fought back with birdies on 15th and 17th with a bogey in between on 16th to be the only player to finish under par.

Saaniya Sharma had three birdies and three bogeys for her 72 and was lying second.

Amateur Vidhatri had a steady front nine with one birdie and no bogeys and turned in 1-under. On the back nine, she had two birdies, three pars and four bogeys to finish the day on 73.

Another amateur, Sneha Singh landed the only eagle of the day when she holed her third shot on Par-5 fifth. She had two more birdies on back nine. She also had three bogeys and a double bogey on Par-4 14th for her 73.

Jahanvi Bakshi, playing three groups behind Avani, had two birdies and a bogey in the first 16 holes. She seemed to be in a position to get a share of the lead with Avani who had finished earlier.

However, Jahanvi double bogeyed late in the day on Par-4 17th and carded 73.

Also read: India's Jeev Milkha Singh becomes first golfer in world to be granted 10-year Dubai Golden Visa

News source: PTI 

Mumbai, Sep 9 (Cricket news): Shikhar Dhawan remains a "very" important part of India's limited overs set up but the need of the hour was to look at other players and give him some rest, said chief selector Chetan Sharma after the southpaw did not find a place in the T20 World Cup squad.

The stylish opener had captained India in the limited overs series in Sri Lanka in July.

"Shikhar Dhawan is a very important player for us, he was the captain in Sri Lanka. What discussion happened I cannot disclose. He is important and he is there in the loop.

"But the need of the hour was that we look at other players and give Shikhar Dhawan some rest, otherwise he is an important player and he will be back very soon,” Chetan said in his first virtual press-meet on late Wednesday night.

Rohit Sharma, K L Rahul and Ishan Kishan are the three openers in the squad. However, there is a possibility that skipper Virat Kohli might open alongside Rohit.

“We have three openers -- Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan, who can bat as opener and can also fit into the middle order. So Kishan is giving us a lot of options, if needed he can open like he has done in ODIs (in Sri Lanka) when he got a fifty and he can also play in middle order because he is a good player of spin.

“It is upto the team management if they want Kohli to open the batting, but as of now we have picked three openers. Virat is an asset for the team. When he bats in the middle order, the team plays around him.

"He has a brilliant record in T20s batting in the middle order. But as I said, it all depends on what the situation is at that point of time," said the former India pacer.

Rishabh Pant is the number one wicket-keeper batsman in the squad ahead of Kishan and Rahul.

“You are talking about three wicket-keepers but number one is Rishabh Pant, number two is Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul will only be used to keep wickets in case of an emergency otherwise he is a specialist opener in the team,” said Chetan.

According to Chetan, the shortest format is all about all-rounders and hence the panel led by him has packed the team with such players.

"We have Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, so that was the main point, if the wickets are turning, then you have Axar and Jadeja with you.

"Hardik Pandya is one of the leading all-rounders India have, so the main aim was to just pack the team with all-rounders,” the 55-year-old explained.

Chetan also made clear that all-rounder Hardik Pandya will bowl full quota of his overs.

He also listed the reasons why wrist spinner Yuzvendra Chahal wasn’t picked and young Rahul Chahar was preferred over him.

"We had a discussion over Yuzvendera Chahal and the selectors thought was we need a bowler, who can bowl fast, and as we have recently seen Rahul Chahar bowling, the speed that he bowls with, the selectors thought that we need such a player, who can on those wickets, can hold and more speed, and so, there was a lot of discussion about Chahal, but we zeroed on Rahul Chahar,” he said.

Asked whether the selectors thought of picking a left-arm seamer, Chetan quipped, “It is always in the mind of selectors that you need variation. But at the end of the day, we discussed, there is a concern of the wickets, so the selectors decided on three fast bowlers, with Hardik Pandya as the fourth bowler.

"Even though we thought, we might not have fixed a left-arm pacer. We talked about T Natarajan, but he hasn’t played cricket for long due to injury, so that is the reason, we stuck to the main guys, who are strike bowlers.” Premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made a comeback to the national T20 side after four years and Chetan said performing in the IPL went in his favour.

“See, Ravichandran Ashwin has been regularly playing the IPL. We have seen how well he has performed and definitely when we go to the World Cup, we need an off-spinner, everyone has idea that in Dubai and UAE, the later half of IPL will be played, so wickets might be low and slow, which will aid the spinners...

"...so it is necessary to have an off-spinner in the team, and because Washington Sundar is injured and Ashwin is an asset to the team and the way he has performed in the IPL, he has got place in the team." Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy also made it to the 15.

"Varun has bowled really well at an economy rate of five in Sri Lanka. He is a mystery spinner and people find it difficult to read him. I would say he is the surprise package. This was the main reason to pick Varun as he is a mystery bowler.” “Ashwin is the only off-spinner. Varun is basically leg-spinner, mystery bowler, we haven’t understood, what will the batsmen understand,” he said.

Shreyas Iyer has been kept as a stand-by player and Chetan said the main reason for it was that Mumbaikar, who has recovered from shoulder injury, has not played cricket recently.

Finally, the chief selector said that the standby players would come into picture only if any injury happens to any squad member.

Also read: Shami fit to play in Manchester; medical team monitoring Rohit, Pujara

News source: PTI 

Dubai, Sep 8 (Golf news) Star Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh has become the first professional golfer in the world to receive the prestigious 10-year Dubai Golden Visa in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the sport.

The 49-year-old Jeev has had a long association with Dubai, having featured in several tournaments and making many friends in the city.

"I am really honoured and humbled that the Dubai government has considered me for the Golden Visa and I am looking forward to making many more special memories here," Jeev said in a release.

During the 2001 Dubai Desert Classic, Jeev had established a world record at that time when he completed the four rounds with just 94 putts while finishing tied sixth.

Jeev, winner of four titles on the European Tour, four on Japan Golf Tour and six on the Asian Tour, has received the 10-year 'Gold card' for being an elite professional athlete.

Also read: Jahanvi aims to continue good form at the 8th leg on the Hero WPGT

"This is a huge honour. I think I came to Dubai for the first time in 1993, and I have loved every moment of my stay here and greatly admired the energy of this fascinating city," he said.

"My family has enjoyed the many offerings of Dubai, like the variety of restaurants and shopping, but being a professional golfer, the biggest attraction for me is the quality of golf courses and the practice facilities that you get here, which really are second to none.

"I have also got a lot of support from Dubai. I was one of the first ambassadors for Jumeirah Golf Estates, and also of 'Golf in Dubai' for many years." The Golden Visa was instituted by the UAE government in 2019 as a new system which allowed investors (minimum of AED 10 million) and entrepreneurs, as well as professionals and specialised talents like in the field of science, knowledge and sports, to apply for it.

Other sportspersons who have been granted the Golden Visa by Dubai include footballers Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, Roberto Carlos, Luis Figo and Romel Lukaku, tennis superstar Novak Djokovic, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and her husband and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.

Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt have also received their visas.

Son of the legendary Indian athlete, the late 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh, Jeev won two of the biggest tournaments on the European Tour -- the 2006 Volvo Masters at Valderrama and the 2012 Scottish Open.

He also won the 2008 Singapore Open and rose to No. 28 in the Official World Golf Ranking, a high that few Asian golfers have managed to surpass. 

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 8 (Cricket news) India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has gained a place to be ninth in the ICC Test rankings for bowlers following his match-winning spell in the fourth Test against England at The Oval.

Bumrah had bowled Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow in a sensational spell of reverse swing that tilted the game decisively in India's favour.

Australia pacer Pat Cummins leads the standings while premier India spinner R Ashwin remains second while not being part of the four Tests against England.

There is no change in the top-10 batsmen with Joe Root leading the pack. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are fifth and sixth in the standings.

Also read: Bumrah becomes fastest Indian pacer to reach 100 Test wickets mark

Ashwin has dropped a spot to be fifth in the all-rounders' rankings with Ravindra Jadeja staying on third place. West Indies' Jason Holder is the leading all-rounder.

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 8 (Cricket news) He burst into the IPL scene as a mystery spinner with an eye-popping INR 2.4 crore price tag but KC Cariappa couldn't exactly set the stage on fire in the handful of games that he played.

Six years hence and 29 T20 games which include a few for his state Karnataka and some for Kings XI Punjab (Punjab Kings), Cariappa, who put on weight after a "bout of depression" is now ready to sing the redemption song with Rajasthan Royals.

A chance call from Royals top official Zubin Bharucha brought the Bengaluru man back on track.

"I was just roaming around in Bengaluru and my fitness had taken a toll but that is when Zubin (Bharucha) sir called me to ask to come for the IPL trials.

"I was shocked that someone is asking me to come for trials because I was lost almost for one year and weighed around 95kgs then. However, I went for it and bowled well," Cariappa said in a press release issued by the Royals.

In fact Bharucha enquired what's wrong with him.

"Zubin sir then called me and said, 'I've been following you since 2015, but what is wrong with you? What is wrong with your fitness? We like your bowling but you have to get your fitness right.' "And that was the moment when I found the motivation again, and I worked really hard to get back into shape. So I'm really thankful to him (Bharucha) and to the Rajasthan Royals franchise for showing faith in me," expressed an emotional Cariappa.

Calling the upcoming season as one of the most crucial of his life, Cariappa said that he will use his opportunities to make a case for the Indian team.

Also read: Jaiswal says having played in UAE-like conditions in Oman will help in IPL

"I have been training really consistently during the off season, and it (the upcoming season) is very important because I've been waiting for a big opportunity for a long time, and every year I've been getting only a few matches," he said.

".....and sometimes they go well, sometimes they go bad. But if I get an opportunity again, I just want to do well and, in my head, I tell myself that I should be in the Indian team – I feel every cricketer aspires to play for his country and so do I," signed off Cariappa. 

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 8 (Cricket news) Leg-spinner Amit Mishra is glad that he is back to full fitness after a rather slow recovery from COVID-19 that pretty much cut him off from the outside world.

The Delhi Capitals tweaker is now looking forward to the IPL resuming here on September 19. He was among the infected people in the IPL-bio bubble, forcing the BCCI to suspend the event in May.

"After the IPL was suspended in May, I focussed on my recovery from Covid-19. According to the advice given to me by the doctors, I improved my fitness slowly and steadily," he said in a team release.

"It was difficult for me during the recovery phase, but I am happy that I am here for the second half of the season. I trained on my own and didn't go close to anybody after recovery.

"I got some gym equipment such as treadmill and set them up at my home as well because I didn't want to train in a public gym.

Delhi Capitals had a good run in the first half of the tournament, recording 6 wins in 8 matches.

However, Mishra feels that all teams will have to start afresh when the season resumes.

"We are at the top of the table right now, but we have to start afresh. We have to set our strategies again. I think every team has an equal chance of doing well now since we are all re-starting the tournament.

Also read: Head coach Shastri tests positive for coronavirus, isolated along with other support staff members

"We are playing the second half of the IPL in a different country, so we have to devise our strategies according to the conditions here in the UAE." The leg-spinner added that he will try to build on the momentum they had in the first half of the season.

"We have been doing well in the last two seasons and the performances have come because of a collective effort. From coaches to selectors to players, everyone should be credited for Delhi Capitals' progress as a team in the last few years," said the 38-year-old.

Delhi Capitals take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22. 

News source: PTI

New Delhi, (Archery news): India's first Paralympic medal winner archer Harvinder Singh, who had turned his farm at a Punjab village into a practice ground during the lockdown, on Tuesday attributed his success to long hours of training, including "practice of tie shots and breathing exercises".

The 31-year-old Singh, whose legs stopped functioning properly due to adverse effect from an injection during his childhood, won a historic archery bronze in the men's individual recurve event in the just-concluded Tokyo Paralympics.

"I have put in a lot of hard work in these last few years that included training for seven-eight hours every day, including doing practice of tie shots, breathing exercises and mental conditioning," Singh said in a release issued by Paralympic Committee of India.

"I have also done practice to control my emotions and stay calm in pressure situations, which has come handy in Tokyo," he said.

Hailing from a middle-class farming family, Singh had dengue when he was just one-and-half years old and a local doctor administered him an injection that had an adverse effect and his legs stopped working properly.

In the bronze medal playoff, Singh was leading before Kim Min Su of Korea clinched the fifth set, shooting a perfect 10 to force a shoot-off where the Indian responded in style with a perfect 10 against the Korean's 8 for a 6-5 (26-24, 27-29, 28-25, 25-25, 26-27) (10-8) win.

If a match is tied after five sets, one arrow shoot-off decides the winner.

Singh said he still couldn't believe that he is now a Paralympic medallist and the feeling is slowly sinking in.

"The dream that I had for such a long time has finally come true. The feeling of winning a medal at the Paralympics is slowly sinking in. I am very, very happy," said the archer from Ajitnagar in Punjab.

He is hoping that his achievement will inspire the next generation of para archers to win international medals for the country.

"I believe that this medal is a big milestone for para archery in India. I remember my Asian Para Games gold medal in 2018 saw a big upsurge in archers' participation at the National Championships.

"I hope this Paralympic medal will give hope and motivation to the differently abled players to play the sport," said Singh, who also acknowledged the support of his coaches, including Gaurav Sharma, PCI, Sports Authority of India and Archery Association of India.

Singh, who is hoping his Paralympic medal will fetch him a reputed job, has his eyes on next year's World Para Archery Championships in Dubai (February 18 to 27) and Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.

"The aim would be to continue the momentum and form. I will also be training to shoot under pressure as the focus now would be on doing well in the World Championships and Asian Para Games next year.

"Hard work, hard work and hard work! Keep working hard, continuing the process and keep believing yourself and the results will follow," he said when asked what advice he would give to youngsters.

Pursuing a Ph.D in economics at Punjabi University in Patiala, Singh is a also a painter and aspires to crack the UPSC examination some day, according to his coach Gaurav Sharma.

Also read: India's history-making Paralympians return to rousing reception

News source: PTI 

Dubai, Sep 7 (Cricket news) Indian teen star Shafali Verma maintained her number one position among women's T20 batters while New Zealand's Sophie Devine is the new joint top-ranked all-rounder in the latest ICC rankings issued on Tuesday.

Verma is holding onto her top rank with 759 ranking points, ahead of Australian Beth Mooney (744) and India T20 vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (716).

Another Australian Meg Lanning is at fourth spot with 709 points while Devine also gains a place in the batting chart to jump up to number 5 with 689 points.

Devine showed her class in the third T20I against England at Hove, scoring 50 runs with the bat while also returning with figures of 2/26. This has enabled her to jump up a spot and be the joint top-ranked all-rounder alongside England's Natalie Sciver.

Also read: Would the Afghanistan women’s cricket team survive under the Taliban’s rule?

Other gainers in the all-rounders rankings include India's Deepti Sharma, Australia's Ellyse Perry and West Indies' Hayley Matthews, who all gain a spot to jump to no 4, 5 and 6 respectively. Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies dropped down three spots to seventh. In the batting rankings, South Africa's Lizelle Lee was the big gainer, jumping up three spots to the eighth spot in the chart.

In the bowling list, Australia's Megan Schutt gained two spots to reach no 2 in the rankings. Jess Jonassen of Australia also gained a spot to reach no 4.

India's Deepti Sharma also moved up to no 6 while Poonam Yadav remained at eighth.

Hayley Matthews, who was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the T20I series against South Africa, has gained seven places to break into the top 15 among bowlers. 

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 7 (Cricket news) Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal reckons that having played in similar conditions to the UAE during Mumbai's tour of Oman recently will help him during the upcoming second phase of the IPL.

The 19-year-old was a part of the Mumbai team that defeated Oman in the One- Day series in Muscat.

"I had a very good series against Oman and in similar conditions to the UAE. I’m really happy with the way I’m playing my cricket at the moment, and I can’t wait to replicate these performances in the IPL against much stronger line-ups,” the youngster was quoted as saying in a media release.

Jaiswal, who had a tally of close to 300 runs in the one-day and T20 series combined, said it's always better to have some cricket under the belt.

"It was good practice for me before the big matches in the IPL. It had been a while I had played competitive cricket, and to play against an international team like Oman is certainly good preparation. I’m happy I could score some runs and win some matches for my team." Jaiswal also got the chance to have a one-on-one session with his idol, batting great Sachin Tendulkar.

Speaking after joining up with the Royals’ squad ahead of the IPL, as he quarantines in his hotel room in Dubai, he said, "My idol has always been Sachin Tendulkar, and I was really fortunate to have a conversation with him before the Oman tour. I was glad that Mumbai Cricket Association invited him for a session before we left from Mumbai to play against Oman." "I was over the moon when I first heard he was going to be present there, and when I had the chance to speak to him at length, he was really humble and helped me on some skills where he thought I could improve on.

"It was good to see that a legend like him was aware of my game, and it was certainly a very happy moment for me. I can't wait to keep implementing those things in my game and express myself better on the field," he added.

Also read: Bowler's heroics earn India first Oval win in 50 years to go 2-1 up with 1 match to go

Jaiswal also revealed the chats he had with another legend Kumar Sangakkara, who is the Royals director of cricket, earlier this year.

"We have had so many chats on what I can do during the game - how I should think, what my approach will be against which bowler, how I can change the tempo of the game, etc.

"I'm really fortunate to have a mentor like him. I also feel the best thing about him is that he’s always willing to listen and give his time to the players," the youngster said. 

News source: PTI

Dubai, (Cricket news): Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has urged spectators to forget about "team selection and other nonsense" and appreciate the game in its purest form after premier India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was controversially excluded for the fourth consecutive Test against England.

As India continued to persist with the four seamers and a specialist spinner strategy for the fourth Test against England, skipper Virat Kohli had been subjected to sharp criticism by fans for backing Ravindra Jadeja and not selecting Ashwin in the playing XI.

However, Kohli's decision to keep Ashwin on the bench stood vindicated as India registered a memorable 157-run win in the fourth Test at The Oval on Monday, to go 2-1 up in the five-match series.

"As “spectators” of Test Cricket, just stop worrying about team selection and other nonsense and start appreciating the competition, passion, skill and patriotism unfolding in front of your eyes. You’re missing a good game!," de Villiers tweeted.

"Well played India, well Captained @imVkohli and amazing skill and guts from a few individuals. Also well played @root66 & England! Great ad for our beautiful game! Excited for the finale," he added.

The 37-year-old, who plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, arrived in the UAE for the second phase of the IPL on Monday.

The lucrative league, which was suspended in May due to increasing number of COVID-19 cases in India and within the IPL bio bubble, will resume from September 19 in the UAE.

"It's great to be back, looking forward to seeing everyone again. Some of the guys are in the UK but they'll be joining us soon. We has a good start to the tournament so we have got a lot of momentum to build on. I'm just looking forward to settle in and seeing everyone again," de villiers said in a video posted by RCB.

"Been playing around with the guys a bit , I'm also feeling like a young kid ready to go again, very excited to play cricket again.

RCB are currently placed third in the table with 10 points from seven outings. The Kohli-led side will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabu on September 20.

"I'm just getting ready for the IPL, I had a couple of hiccups here and there, a few things that got in the way that I had to overcome but I'm trying to get fit, hitting some balls and then now for some isolation and then we get going again," de Villiers added.

Also read:  Has Shardul Thakur's performance with the willow made Hardik Pandya comeback in Tests very complicated?

News source: PTI 

Dubai, Sep 6 (Cricket news) UAE's wicketkeeper-batsman Gulam Shabbir was on Monday banned from all cricket for four years after he admitted breaching six counts of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code during the series against Nepal and Zimbabwe in 2019.

The game's governing body International Cricket Council (ICC) disclosed that Shabbir breached articles 2.4.4, 2.4.5. 2.4.6 and 2.4.7 of the Code.

Shabbir failed to disclose to the Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) the full details of attempted approaches to engage in corrupt conduct in relation to the series against Nepal in January/February 2019.

He also failed to disclose to the ACU full details of approaches or invitations to engage in corrupt conduct in relation to the series against Zimbabwe in April 2019.

He also did not disclose an approach received by a teammate to engage in corrupt conduct in relation to the series against Zimbabwe and hid full details of facts and/or incidents that he was aware of which may have evidenced corrupt conduct by other Participants.

As per article 2.4.6, he failed to cooperate with the ACU’s investigation by failing to surrender all his mobile devices upon request and failing to produce documentation requested by the ACU and also obstructed the ACU’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation (2.4.7).

Also read: Late Irish charge not enough as Zimbabwe win the last match of T20I series

His ban is effective till August 20, 2025.

"Shabbir played 40 matches for the UAE and was expected to understand his responsibilities as an international cricketer.

"He also attended at least three anti-corruption education sessions in which players were reminded of their obligations to report any approaches by corrupters," Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager - Integrity Unit, said.

"It was disappointing to note that he did not report any of the approaches. Although he was cooperative when interviewed and expressed remorse, it is only appropriate that he be banned so that a strong message goes out to other players and potential corrupters," he added. 

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 6 (Cricket news) India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was on Monday nominated for the ICC 'Player of the Month' award for August following his brilliant performances with both the bat and ball in the ongoing Test series against England.

Besides Bumrah, the others in the men's category included England Test skipper Joe Root and Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, the ICC announced.

The nominees among the women were Thailand's Nattaya Boochatham, and the Ireland duo of Gaby Lewis and Eimear Richardson.

Bumrah, who has been exceptional with his fast bowling against England, took nine wickets in the first Test.

He received just as many plaudits for his role with the bat in the second Test at Lord's, when he contributed to an 89-run ninth-wicket partnership with Mohammad Shami that proved pivotal to India's win.

England went on to level the series in the third Test, mostly thanks to captain Root, who has plundered runs at will. He scored centuries in each of the three Tests against India in August, a purple patch that led him to the top of the Test batting rankings.

On the other hand, Afridi, in two Tests against West Indies in August, promised wickets every time he was thrown the ball.

He ended the series with 18 wickets, taking 10 wickets in the second Test and helped Pakistan secure a series-levelling 109-run victory.

In taking 10 wickets in the Test, Afridi became the fourth-youngest paceman from Pakistan to achieve the feat, after Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Mohammad Zahid.

In women's cricket, Boochatham made contributions with both bat and ball in the series against Zimbabwe, which propelled her to career-best positions across the women's T20I player rankings for batters, bowlers, and all-rounders.

Her performances helped Thailand win their three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe 2-1.

While the Irish duo of Lewis and Richardson played a big part in Ireland's three wins out of four in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier in August.

Also read: Honours split at the Oval as all four results a possibility on a flat day 5 pitch

Lewis became the first Ireland player to score a century in women's T20Is, during their 164-run win over Germany, in the opening game of the tournament. Her knock featured 11 fours and three sixes, and her 105 came off just 60 balls.

Richardson, meanwhile, was adjudged the Player of the Tournament in Europe Qualifiers, thanks to her contributions with both bat and ball.

She finished the tournament with seven wickets at an economy rate of 4.19, and aggregated 76 runs with the bat. 

News source: PTI

Karachi, Sep 6 (Cricket news) Middle-order batsmen Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah were picked despite not having "impressive numbers" in Pakistan's 15-strong squad for next month's T20 World Cup even as the experienced duo of Fakhar Zaman and wicket-keeper Sarfaraz Ahmed were left out.

The Babar Azam-led squad will also play in upcoming T20Is against New Zealand and England before the World Cup.

The seven home T20Is in Lahore and Rawalpindi will be played from September 25 to October 14 before Pakistan takes on arch-rivals India in their T20 World Cup opener in Dubai on October 24. The T20 World Cup gets underway from October 17 in the UAE and Oman.

Asif played his last T20I against Zimbabwe in April and averages 16.38 in 29 matches with a strike-rate of 123.74, while left-handed batsman Khushdil averages 21.6 in 9 matches. He last played a T20I against South Africa in Lahore.

"Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah may not have impressive numbers against their names but hardly anyone can doubt their tremendous talent and prowess," Chief selector Muhammad Wasim said in a release.

"They are the best in the available pool of middle-order batsmen and we remain confident that they will provide us solutions to our middle-order difficulties through solid performances." The squad includes five batters (Asif, Babar Azam, Khushdil, Mohammad Hafeez and Sohaib Maqsood), two wicketkeeper-batters (Azam Khan and Mohammad Rizwan), four all-rounders (Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Shadab Khan) and four fast bowlers (Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain and Shaheen Shah Afridi).

Arshad Iqbal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sharjeel Khan and Usman Qadir, who were a part of the Pakistan squad for the T20I series in England and West Indies, have been left out.

Zaman, Qadir and Shahnawaz Dahani have been named as travelling reserves. However, Sarfaraz has been completely omitted.

"Azam Khan is an aggressive and attacking batter who also keeps wickets, a combination that has earned him the selectors' nod ahead of Sarfaraz Ahmed," Wasim said.

"Mohammad Wasim Junior has been preferred over Faheem Ashraf due to his pace and ability to hit big shots. Wasim will bolster the fast bowling unit, which comprises Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain and Shaheen Shah Afridi." Wasim said Zaman, Dahani and Qadir were unlucky to miss out on the selections.

"Sohaib Maqsood's ability to bat and perform anywhere in the top-order has given him an edge over Fakhar, while the presence of three experienced spinners, who are also capable batters, and five genuine wicket-taking fast bowlers made it difficult for Usman Qadir to get into the side," he said.

"Like Faheem, an uncapped Shahnawaz was tied with Mohammad Wasim Junior, but we opted for the latter due to his pace and batting abilities.

The chief selector said the experience of playing in the UAE will hold the players in good stead and Pakistan will look to do well in the home T20 series to carry the momentum into the showpiece event.

"Most of these players know the United Arab Emirates conditions better than others as they propelled Pakistan to number-one in the ICC T20I rankings after winning 21 out of 36 matches (13 loses and two no-results)," he said.

Also read: Umar Akmal makes comeback after serving ban, named in Central Punjab side

"In the lead up to the event proper, they will play seven T20Is at home, which will take their overall tally of T20Is in 2021 to 24 – most by any participating country.

The Squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Asif Ali, Azam Khan, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohaib Maqsood.

Travelling reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir.

News source: PTI

Tokyo, Sep 4 (Paralympic news) live update: Indian shuttlers Pramod Bhagat and Suhas Yathiraj stormed into the men's singles finals of the badminton event in their respective classifications but Manoj Sarkar and Tarun Dhillon suffered contrasting losses in their semifinal match at the Tokyo Paralympics on Saturday.

The 33-year-old Bhagat, the current world no 1, secured a 21-11 21-16 win over Japan's Daisuke Fujihara in the first SL3 class semifinals that lasted 36 minutes.

The top seeded Indian, current world and Asian champion, will lock horns with Great Britain's Daniel Bethell in the summit clash later in the day.

In SL4 class, Suhas outwitted Indonesia's Fredy Setiawan 21-9 21-15 in 31 minutes in the first semifinal.

The Noida District Magistrate will face top seed Lucas Mazur of France in the final on Sunday.

Mazur managed to stave off a spirited effort from Tarun, claiming a narrow 21-16 16-21 21-18 win over the second seeded Indian in a gruelling semifinal that lasted an hour and three minutes at the Yoyogi National Stadium.

The 27-year-old from Hisar will face Setiawan in the bronze medal play off on Sunday.

Manoj too couldn't get into any sort of rhythm against second seeded Bethell, going down 8-21 10-21 in the other men's singles SL3 class semifinals.

The 31-year-old will now play Fujihara in the bronze medal play-off later in the day.

With only half of the court being used in this classification, Bhagat and Fujihara engaged in a lot of long rallies and the Indian came up on top most of the time.

Bhagat, the top seed, trailed 2-4 early in the opening game but a series of overhead drops helped him claw back. The duo were 8-8 before the Indian entered the interval at 11-8.

After the break, he continued his good run and eventually pocketed the opening game with six straight points.

It was a Bhagat show in the second game as well as the Indian led all the way to come up trumps.

Bhagat will pair up with Palak Kohli for their mixed doubles SL3-SU5 semifinals later in the day.

"It was a great game against Fujihara, he pushed me with some great shots. But I had a plan and I executed it very well. I am happy I have reached my maiden Paralympic finals but the work is not done yet," said Bhagat after his match.

Bhagat, who had developed a defect on his left leg after contracting polio at the age of 5, has won a total of 45 international medals, including four world championship gold medals.

He won two gold medals and a bronze in men's singles, besides two gold medals and a silver in men's doubles at the BWF Para World Championships in the last eight years.

In the 2019 edition at Basel, Bhagat had won gold medals in both singles and doubles events.

In the 2018 Asian Para Games, he won two medals -- a gold and a bronze. He topped it up with two gold medals and one silver at the IWAS World games in 2019.

He clinched two gold medals at the BWF Para World Badminton Championships in Basel, Switzerland in 2019.

This year, Bhagat had claimed two gold medals at the Dubai Para Badminton tournament in April when the sport returned after a year-long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bhagat won the singles gold and also paired up with Manoj Sarkar to clinch the men's doubles gold in SL4-SL3 category.

In SL classification, persons with standing/lower limb impairment/severe are allowed to compete.

Also read: Soman Rana misses podium finish in Shot Put at the Tokyo Paralympics, Lakra and Ekta produce season bests in Club Throw

News Source: PTI

Tokyo, Sep 3 (Paralympics news) A congenital impairment notwithstanding, 18-year-old Paralympics silver medallist Praveen Kumar was such a sports freak in his school days that he googled on internet to find out how to take up para athletics and take part in the showpiece.

Praveen, a son of a poor farmer at a village near Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district, clinched silver medal in the men's high jump T64/T44 event of the Paralympics by setting a new Asian record of 2.07m.

"My school life was mostly about sports. But at that time I did not know I will reach at this level one day. I was playing volleyball initially in school, but then slowly came to know of para athletics and took up high jump," Praveen said after his event.

"I came to know about Paralympics and how to take part in it after searching on google," the high jumper, whose congenital impairment affects the bones that connect his hip to his left leg, said during a virtual press conference organised by Eurosport and Paralympic Committee of India.

Explaining how he came to rise to this level, Praveen said, "I took part in a district level competition where I met Ashok Saini sir who gave me phone number of Satyapal sir (his current coach).

"I contacted (Satyapal) sir and then he found out in which classification I will compete. He identified me and said he will take me. This was 2018," said Praveen who is a B.A. second year student in Motilal Nehru College in Delhi.

Praveen, who is just in his second year in the international circuit, said initially even the fellow students and teachers of his school wondered how he will do well in his sport but they later began supporting him.

"I won a silver in junior para athletics world championships in 2019 and won gold in the para athletics Grand Prix earlier this year (in Dubai), so people started supporting me." He finished fourth in the Para Athletics (senior) World Championships in 2019.

Talking about Friday's competition, he said, "I was a bit low in confidence when I cleared 1.97m in my second attempt but I regained confidence after jumping 2.01m. I told myself I will give my best whatever it takes, whether rain or not.

"There was pressure while trying to jump 2.10m. In the final attempt, I just thought of doing my best and it was a very good attempt but there was some problems in my landing and so I could not clear it," said Praveen, who was congratulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on phone.

His coach Satyapal said he initially had some reservation about his short stature but found that Praveen has very strong muscles on his right leg.

"His left leg is the impaired one but his right leg has very strong muscles. So, despite his short stature I took him under me. Height (of athlete) is very important in high jump," Satyapal told PTI about his ward who is around 5ft 5 inches tall.

"He came to me with his father in 2018 and I found out his talent. He is from a very poor family but he is very sincere and dedicated." Praveen was also COVID-19 positive in April and he could not train properly this year.

"Due to lock down, he could not train properly. High jumpers need mattress to train but he could do that as the stadiums were closed. Moreover, he contracted COVID-19 this year," Satyapal, who trains Praveen at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, said. Satyapal said Praveen is a sure shot gold medal candidate at the Asian Para Games next year in Hangzhou in China.

Also read: Praveen Kumar wins silver at Men’s High Jump T64 at the Tokyo Paralympics

"He started competing in international events only two years back and now he has won a silver in Paralympics. He is just 18 and he will be the country's top Paralympian in future.

"Our target will be to win the Asian Para Games next year and gold in 2014 Paris Paralympics with world record." The world record in T44 high jump is 2.19m.

T44 classification is for athletes with a leg deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired passive range of movement in the legs. 

News source: PTI

Karachi, Sep 2 (Cricket news) Pakistan captain Babar Azam feels pressure will be more on the fancied India when the arch-rivals meet in the T20 World Cup on October 24.

After a meeting with the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman in waiting, Ramiz Raja, Babar said: "I think India will be under more pressure as compared to Pakistan during the World Cup match.

"We would like to start our campaign by defeating India." The arch-rivals are set to clash in Dubai in the group stage of the World T20 Cup as per the draws released by the International Cricket Council.

Both teams have not played any cricket against each other since the World Cup 2019 in England when India won comfortably.

India have had the upper hand over Pakistan in ICC events and remain undefeated in the 50-over World Cup.

Babar pointed out that playing in the UAE would be like playing at home for Pakistan.

"It is like playing at our home ground when we play at UAE venues and we want to give our 100 percent on the field coupled with that,” he added.

Babar also expressed satisfaction with the ODI squad announced for the series against New Zealand which has drawn a lot of flak from critics and former players.

Also read: Ashwin overlooked again; mystery continues over exclusion despite Kohli explainer

Babar claimed that a balanced squad had been picked for the series.

The selectors dropped former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed from the squad while recalling batsmen, Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah.

"We are facing issues in the middle-order and this series is a good opportunity for players making a comeback to cement their place in the side,” he said.

He also insisted he was under no pressure leading the team in all three formats. 

News source: PTI

Dubai, Sep 1 (Cricket news) Opener Rohit Sharma on Wednesday toppled his skipper Virat Kohli to become top-ranked Indian batsman after being placed fifth in the latest ICC men's Test Player Rankings.

Rohit's scores of 19 and 59 in the third Test lifted him one place to a career-best fifth position, seven rating points more than Kohli for an aggregate of 773.

The last time someone other than Kohli was the top-ranked India batter was in November 2017, when Cheteshwar Pujara was second and Kohli fifth.

In the latest update, Pujara has progressed three slots to reach 15th position after his second innings knock of 91 and is the fourth Indian on the list with Rishabh Pant still ahead of him in 12th place despite slipping four slots.

India pacer Jasprit Bumrah also rose one place among bowlers, from 10th to ninth, while spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was static at the second position behind Australia's Pat Cummins.

Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin held on to their third and fourth spots respectively in the Test all-rounder rankings, which is headed by West Indies' Jason Holder.

England captain Joe Root's sublime form in the ongoing World Test Championship series against India has helped him reclaim the top spot for batters after nearly six years.

The 30-year-old had started the series in fifth position but his 507 runs in three Tests have helped him overtake Kohli, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and finally New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, whom he now leads by 15 rating points.

Root was second before the Leeds Test, in which he scored 121 in England's only innings.

Root was last at the number one position in December 2015 before being overtaken by Williamson, with Kohli and Smith also reaching the pinnacle since.

The last time someone apart from these four was at the top was South Africa's AB de Villiers in November 2015.

Root is now only one point below his career-best aggregate of 917 rating points, which he achieved in August 2015 after his innings of 130 against Australia in Nottingham.

Only four other England batters have achieved more rating points – Len Hutton, Jack Hobbs, Peter May and Denis Compton.

Other England batters to make progress in the latest weekly rankings update include opener Rory Burns (up five places to 24th) and Jonny Bairstow (up two places to 70th), while Dawid Malan has re-entered the rankings in 88th position after scoring 70.

Also read: I have made changes to my bowling action, reveals Royals pacer Unadkat

Among bowlers, veteran England pacer James Anderson has moved back to the top five, his four wickets in the match lifting him one place, while Player of the Match Ollie Robinson has advanced nine places to 36th after his seven-wicket match haul.

Craig Overton has reentered the rankings in 73rd position with three wickets in each innings.

In the men's T20I Player Rankings, Ireland's Paul Stirling is up one place to 23rd with scores of 24 and 37 in their ongoing series against Zimbabwe, while Kevin O'Brien is up from 42nd to 39th after scoring 25 and 60 in the two matches played in Dublin.

Zimbabwe's Tendai Chetara has moved up five places to 99th among bowlers. 

News source: PTI

New Delhi, August 31, 2021 (Boxing News): Preeti Dahiya and three other youth women boxers finished on top on the final day as the Indian contingent ended their successful campaign at the 2021 ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships with 39 medals, including 14 gold, in Dubai.

India earlier added 19 medals, including eight gold, five silver and six bronze medals, in the junior event. The youth boxers added another 20 more (six gold, nine silver and five bronze) to India’s tally at the prestigious continental event, where both the age groups junior and youth were played simultaneously for the first time.

Bishwamitra Chongtham (51kg) set the benchmark by winning India’s first gold in the last seven years in the youth men’s category at the Asian Championships and Vishal (80kg) added one more top podium finish, Neha (54kg) handed the country gold in the youth women’s event played late on Monday night. She fought her way through to win against Kazakhstan’s Aishagul Yeleubayeva by split 3-2 decision.

Later, Preeti Dahiya struck another top prize with a similar victory in the 60kg final against the 2021 Youth World Championships silver medallist Zuldyz Shayakhmetova of Kazakhstan. Sneha Kumari (66kg) and Khushi (75kg) also emerged victorious in their respective finals to bag gold medals. While Sneha registered Referee Stopping the Contest (RSC) win over local favourite Rahmah Almurshidi, Khushi blanked Kazakhstan’s Dana Diday.

“This has been a brilliant outing for our junior and youth boxers. Winning 39 medals is a commendable achievement and it only shows the depth of boxing talent we have in India. As a federation, we are committed to identify and promote more and more youngsters from across the country, ensuring best coaching and guidance to groom them into future champions at the elite level. I’m sure the valuable experience gained in such a big tournament will help these boxers to curve a strong path for themselves. On behalf of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), I congratulate all the winners once again and the coaches and support staff for this successful campaign, and wish them good luck for future tournaments,” BFI President Ajay Singh said.

Meanwhile other youth boxers in the ring on the final day, Vishvanath Suresh (48kg), Nivedita Karki (48kg), Tamanna (50kg), Simran Verma (52kg), Preeti (57kg), Khushi (63kg), Vanshaj (64kg), Jaydeep Rawat (71kg) and Tanishbir Kaur Sandhu (81kg) signed off with silver medals.

Earlier five boxers, including one woman, claimed bronze medals in the youth event after finishing in the semi-finals. Among men, Daksh Singh (67kg), Deepak (75kg), Abhimanyu Loura (92kg) and Aman Singh Bisht (92+kg) bagged bronze medals while Lashu Yadav (70kg) ended with a bronze in the women’s category.

With 20 medals in the youth event, India improved from their last edition’s medals tally of 12 medals, including five gold, achieved in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2019.

The gold medallists in the youth category will be awarded with USD 6,000 while USD 3,000 and USD 1,500 will be given to the silver and bronze medal winners respectively. However, gold, silver and bronze medal winners in the junior event were awarded with USD 4,000 while USD 2,000 and 1,000 respectively.

The championships witnessed the presence of pugilists from boxing heavyweights like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to name a few. The event also served as the much needed competitive tournament for the upcoming young talents at the Asian level after a gap of almost two years, lost due to the pandemic.

Also read: India clinch six gold medals at Asian Youth Championships

Dubai, Sep 1 (Cricket news) He had started the current IPL season on a bright note with a match-winning effort against Delhi Capitals and senior Rajasthan Royals speedster Jaydev Unadkat wants to carry on the good work, albeit with a tweak in his bowling action when the proceedings start in the UAE.

Unadkat, who will be Royals' most experienced bowler with 84 IPL games under his belt, in fact, took time off from social media to concentrate on the technical aspects of his bowling.

"I have worked on some of the technicalities in my bowling. I wanted to make a few changes in my bowling action, so was working on that, and that itself requires a good amount of time, so I was devoted towards making those changes and getting used to them," Unadkat was quoted as saying in a media release issued by Royals.

"I wanted to do some work with my bowling and wanted to go off the attention a bit. It's always nice if you can have some time with only yourself and the family, and not really listen to what the outside world has to say about you," he elaborated.

The highlight for Unadkat during the postponed first phase in India was 3/15 figures against DC which earned him Player of the Match award and he hopes to continue in the same vein.

"It's been a good start for the team and for me personally as well. That game (against DC) was crucial, I was coming back into the team, so I had to do well. I was pretty happy with the way I was bowling in that part of the season, and I'll be looking to continue doing the same in this phase as well but with a few improvements that I've been working on during the off season." Unadkat is expected to be a guiding force for the Royals bowling group, which also has young Chetan Sakariya in its ranks, who will be even more fired up after having made his international debut in Sri Lanka.

"He's (Sakariya) a very honest guy, keeps working hard for his game so it's good to see him get rewarded. He's been doing that for Saurashtra and now he did that for RR as well. So yes, really happy for him and I believe he'll only learn and get better as he's quite young." Unadkat said that the duo have talked about the "technical aspects of bowling", and Sakariya comes up to him "whenever he has doubts in his bowling".

Also read: All eyes on team management's stand on Rahane and Ashwin as India eye improved show

The role of a mentor is not something new for Unadkat, he said.

"I think I've been playing that role in our team for the past 2-3 years because of the experience I have in the IPL till now, and I quite like to do it. Nowadays to be honest, it's not about one leader in the pack, everyone who is coming in has played at the highest level somewhere or the other down the line." Unadkat believes the "conditions will be similar to last year." "It is harder to bowl when the boundaries are smaller like in Sharjah because the batsmen are more confident of clearing the boundary, but you got to accept the challenge and find ways to bowl.

"We know that those games are going to be high scoring, so you got to be aware that even if you get hit, you must come back stronger," he said.

On a batting belter like Sharjah, putting a plug on fours and sixes will be paramount.

"It's not about going for 24 runs or getting 2 wickets – it's about restricting those boundaries. In a ground which is small, and has flat wickets, every single ball matters. We've played quite a few games on all the grounds last season, and the wickets and the weather are going to be similar, and we're confident that we can do well," he signed off. 

News source: PTI

Dubai, Aug 31 (Cricket news) Table toppers Delhi Capitals will start the IPL from scratch, treating the upcoming second phase in the UAE as a fresh tournament in different conditions, said assistant coach Pravin Amre.

The second leg of the T20 league, which was suspended in May due to the increasing COVID-19 cases in India and multiple infections in the IPL bio-bubble, is scheduled to resume in the UAE from September 19.

The Capitals are currently perched on top of the points table with 12 points from eight matches.

"We have to look at the remainder of the season as a fresh one. There has been a long break after the first half and we will be playing in different conditions and wickets," Amre was quoted as saying in a media release.

"We are looking to start from scratch and not show any complacency after a brilliant performance in the first half of the tournament.

"We will look to play with the same intensity that we showed in our first match of the IPL 2021," he added.

The Capitals have hit the ground running in their pre-season camp overlooked by assistant coaches Amre and Ajay Ratra at the ICC Academy here.

Amre expressed that the team is looking to get used to the conditions and the wickets in the UAE.

Also read: IPL 2022: BCCI expects Rs 5000 crore windfall as base price for new teams kept at Rs 2000 crore

"It's going to be humid when the season resumes and it is important for the players to get used to the wickets and conditions here in the UAE. Credit to the DC management for sending us here early, so that we have enough time to prepare well with the conditions on offer." Star batsman Shreyas Iyer, who missed out on the first half of the season due to a shoulder injury, reached Dubai a week earlier than the rest of the team to work on his game with Amre.

Amre said that Iyer has regained his full fitness and is hitting the ball very well in the nets.

"It's always hard for any cricketer to come back after an injury. Our entire team, especially Delhi Capitals' strength and conditioning Coach Rajinikanth Sivagnanam, Assistant Physio Dhananjay Kaushik and Physio Patrick Farhart worked hard when Shreyas was undergoing rehabilitation." "Even the National Cricket Academy played an important role during Shreyas' recovery period. Getting his shoulder strength back was important for him and he has been hitting the ball as long as anybody in the nets." The Capitals are set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22 here. 

News source: PTI

Tokyo, Aug 30 (Paralympics news) Breaking the world record five times on his way to gold in the Paralympics did not suffice for Sumit Antil as the Indian para javelin thrower said it was not his best, vowing to better a performance that was incredible by any yardstick.

The wrestler-turned-javelin thrower clinched India's second gold at the ongoing Paralympics here on Monday, shattering the men's F64 category world record multiple times in a stunning Games debut performance.

But surprisingly, soon after his triumph, Antil said it was not his best.

On winning gold and setting a world record of 68.55 metres, he said, "This is my first Paralympics and I was a little nervous because the competitors are great.

"I was hoping for a 70-metre-plus throw, maybe I can do 75m. It was not my best, I am very happy to break the world record." This was not the first time he was making the javelin travel far.

A few months before the Tokyo Games, within a span of 20 days, Haryana's Antil had broken the world record twice in the F-64 category. In his sixth and last attempt he hurled the javelin to a distance of 66.90 metres at the 19th Para-Athletics Championships at Bengaluru in March.

The effort bettered his own world record of 66.43 metres, set during the third leg of the Indian Grand Prix on March 5 in Patiala.

On how much further he can throw, he said, "In training I have thrown 71m, 72m, many times. I don't know what happened in my competition.

"One thing is for sure in future I will throw much better," Antil who started out as a wrestler before switching to javelin throw said.

But he was definitely happy to have won the top medal at the biggest stage, terming it as realisation of a dream.

"It is a dream come true. I can't express my feelings right now," the 23-year-old who entered the Tokyo Paralympics as the world record holder in his event said.

Antil, who lost his left leg below the knee after he was involved in a motorbike accident in 2015, sent the spear to 68.55m in his fifth attempt, which was the best of the day by quite a distance and a new world record.

Also read: Sumit Antil breaks World Record thrice to win Gold in Javelin Throw F64 at the Tokyo Paralympics

In fact, he bettered the previous world record of 62.88m, also set by him, five times on the day. His last throw was a foul. His series read 66.95, 68.08, 65.27, 66.71, 68.55 and foul.

Australian Michal Burian (66.29m) and Sri Lanka's Dulan Kodithuwakku (65.61m) took the silver and bronze medals respectively.

The F64 category is for athletes with a leg amputation, who compete with prosthetics in a standing position.

A student of Delhi's Ramjas College, Antil was an able-bodied wrestler before his accident which led to amputation of his leg below the knee. A para athlete in his village initiated him to the sport in 2018.

He also competed against Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra in the able-bodied Indian Grand Prix series 3 on March 5 in Patiala.

He finished seventh with a best throw of 66.43m while Chopra shattered his own national record with a big effort of 88.07m.

He won a silver in the F64 javelin throw at the 2019 World Championships in Dubai. 

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 30 (Boxing news) World youth bronze-medallist Bishwamitra Chongtham (51kg) claimed the gold medal in the Asian Youth Boxing Championships in Dubai on Monday as Indian boxers continued their dominating run at the event.

Chongtham defeated Uzbekistan's Kuziboev Ahmadjon 4-1, staving off a stiff challenge.

However, Vishvanath Suresh (48kg) signed off with a silver after losing 0-5 to reigning youth world champion Sanzar Tashkenbay of Kazakhstan.

Earlier in the junior competition, Indian girls snared half a dozen gold medals as the country ended with whopping eight gold, five silver and six bronze.

Out of the 10 girls in the finals, six ended with gold medals, while four others claimed a silver each. Among the boys, three were in the finals and two of them signed off with gold medals.

India's tally of gold medals was equal to traditional powerhouse Kazakhstan and just one less than another heavyweight Uzbekistan.

Rohit Chamoli (48kg) and Bharat Joon (+81kg), Vishu Rathee (girls 48kg), and Tanu (girls 52kg) were the early gold medallists before others joined in following late night wins on Sunday.

Nikita Chand (60kg), Mahi Raghav (63kg), Pranjal Yadav (75kg) and Kirti (+81kg) picked up their yellow metals in the later bouts.

Kirti won against Shugyla Rysebek of Kazakhstan in a 4-1 split decision. Raghav (63kg) also fetched a split 3-2 decision against Algerim Kabdolda of Kazakhstan.

Chand outperformed Assem Tanatar of Kazakhstan, while Yadav defeated another Kazakh in Akzhan in a spilt 4-1 decision.

Also read: 4 gold medals for India at Asian junior boxing

Rudrika (70kg) went down 1-4 against Uzbek Oysha Toirova and Sanjana (81kg) endured a 0-5 loss against Kazakhstan's Umit Abilkaiyr.

Aanchal Saini (57kg) also went down 0-5 against Ulzhan Sarsenbek of Kazakhstan to end with a silver medal.

India's six bronze medals came after Devika Ghorpade (50kg), Aarzoo (54kg) and Supriya Rawat (66kg) lost in the girls semi-finals while Ashish (54kg), Anshul (57kg) and Ankush (66kg) exited in the boys' last-four stage.

In the last Asian Junior Championships held in 2019 in Fujairah, UAE, India had finished third with 21 medals (six gold, nine silver and six bronze).

At the ongoing edition, the gold medallists in the junior category were awarded with USD 4,000 while USD 2,000 and 1,000 were given to the silver and bronze medal winners respectively.

Later in the day, Nivedita (48kg), Tamanna (50kg), Simran (52kg), Neha (54kg), Preeti (57kg), Preeti Dahiya (60kg), Khushi (63kg), Sneha (66kg), Khushi (75kg), Tanishbir (81kg) will be in action in the women's category finals.

Among the men, Jaydeep Rawat (71kg), Vanshaj (64kg) and Vishal (80kg) will also fight in their finals. 

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 29 (Boxing News) It was gold rush for India at the Asian Junior Boxing Championships in Dubai with four pugilists from the country finishing on top in the finals held on Sunday.

Rohit Chamoli (48kg), Bharat Joon (+81kg), Vishu Rathee (girls 48kg), and Tanu (girls 52kg) notched up contrasting victories in their summit clashes to bag the top prize.

While Chamoli defeated Mongolia's Otgonbayar Tuvshinzaya in an intense final, Joon got the better of Kazakhstan's Yerdos Sharipbek 5-0 to finish on top.

Chamoli rallied after losing the opening round to prevail 3-2 in the hard-fought contest.

Joon, on the other hand, easily out-maneuvered his rival, who fizzled out after a decent start.

In another final, Gaurav Saini (70kg) signed off with a silver medal after losing 0-5 Boltaev Shavkatjon of Uzbekistan.

In the girls' competition, Rathee picked up the gold medal defeating Uzbekistan's Bakhtiyorova Robiyakhon.

After her, Tanu edged past Tomiris Myrzakul of Kazakhstan in a split 3-2 verdict.

However, Muskan (46kg) had to be content with a silver medal after being bested by another Uzbek Ganieva Gulsevar in a closely-fought bout.

Later tonight, Tanu (52kg), Aanchal Saini (57kg), Nikita (60kg), Mahi Raghav (63kg), Rudrika (70kg), Pranjal Yadav (75kg), Sanjana (81kg) and Kirti (+81kg) will be competing in the other girls' finals.

Also read: 3 more Indians in final of Asian youth boxing; country set for big medal haul

India have already won six bronze medals in the junior event after Devika Ghorpade (50kg), Aarzoo (54kg) and Supriya Rawat (66kg) lost in the girls semi-finals while Ashish (54kg), Anshul (57kg) and Ankush (66kg) also claimed bronze in the boys' event.

In the last Asian Junior Championships held in 2019 in Fujairah, UAE, India had finished third with 21 medals (six gold, nine silver and six bronze).

At the ongoing edition, the gold medallists in the junior category will be awarded with USD 4,000 while USD 2,000 and 1,000 will be given to the silver and bronze medal winners respectively.

On Monday, 15 Indian boxers will fight for gold in the youth event.

Nivedita (48kg), Tamanna (50kg), Simran (52kg), Neha (54kg), Preeti (57kg), Preeti Dahiya (60kg), Khushi (63kg), Sneha (66kg), Khushi (75kg), Tanishbir (81kg) will be in action in the women's category.

Among the men, Vishvanath Suresh (48kg), Bishwamitra Chongtham (51kg), Jaydeep Rawat (71kg), Vanshaj (64kg) and Vishal (80kg) will fight their finals. 

News source: PTI

(Athletics news) Tokyo Paralympics 2021 Live Update: India's Nishad Kumar clinched a silver medal in the men's high jump T47 event in the Paralympics with an Asian record effort here on Sunday.

The 21-year-old Kumar cleared 2.06m to win the silver and set an Asian record. American Dallas Wise was also awarded a silver as he and Kumar cleared the same height of 2.06m.

Another American, Roderick Townsend, won the gold with a world record jump of 2.15m.

Another Indian in the fray, Ram Pal finished fifth with a best jump of 1.94m.

T47 class is meant for athletes with a unilateral upper limb impairment resulting in some loss of function at the shoulder, elbow and wrist.

Hailing from Una in Himachal Preadeh, Kumar met with an accident at the age of eight that resulted in the loss of his right hand.

He also contracted COVID-19 earlier this year while training at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru.

"Absolutely delighted that Nishad Kumar wins the Silver medal in Men’s High Jump T47. He is a remarkable athlete with outstanding skills and tenacity. Congratulations to him," tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kumar had won a gold medal in the men's high jump T46/47 event at the Fazza World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai earlier this year. He began competing in para athletics in 2009.

This was India's second medal of the Games after Bhavinaben Patel won a silver in women's singles table tennis class 4 event earlier in the day.

Patel became only the second Indian woman to win a medal at the Games following a 0-3 loss to world number one Chinese paddler Ying Zhou in the final.

Also read: Vinod Kumar clinches bronze in discus throw, third medal for India in Paralympics

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 28 (Cricket news) Set to play for the Rajasthan Royals in the second leg of the IPL, South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi said he is looking to gather some "inside information" about the UAE pitches before he returns to the country for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Shamsi, the world no. 1 ranked T20I bowler in ICC rankings, will be joining the Royals squad as a replacement for Australian pacer Andrew Tye for the remainder of IPL scheduled to be held in the UAE from September 19.

"I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I'm not excited about (the IPL). I am very excited. Especially because I've never played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi," Shamsi was quoted as saying by 'ESPNcricinfo'.

"The IPL is a different thing. I have played in the past but I was a lot younger and I didn't get a lot of game time regularly. When you get regular game time, you can showcase what you can do. You can improve." Shamsi had earlier played four IPL matches in which he picked up three wickets for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who had recruited him as a replacement player during the 2016 season.

Also read: Pujara came with an intent to score runs and showed his character: Rohit

"...I'm really happy I got picked up in the IPL because I've never been there and played there," said Shamsi, who has since picked up 45 wickets in 39 T20Is, along with 32 wickets in 27 ODIs for South Africa.

"It will be nice if I can play on those pitches and get some inside information and gain some experience; just to be able to pick up some knowledge and information that might help us in the World Cup." The 31-year-old left-arm spinner feels South Africa will do well at the T20 World Cup, considering their strong bowling attack.

"...I believe we have one of the best bowling attacks in the world. All we need is a bit of game time. I'm not saying that because we've won a couple of series back-to-back. The talent in the squad is there," he said.

"We might be inexperienced at the international level but it doesn't mean that we don't have the skill. We showcased that against a very strong West Indies team, and against Ireland.

"Nobody here wants to lose and I know the people back home don't want to see us losing. So we're pushing it. We just need a bit more time together. The more we play together the better we're going to get."

News source: PTI

Dubai, Aug 28 (Cricket news) Former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis was on Saturday named the icon and captain of the Bangla Tigers ahead of the fifth edition of Abu Dhabi T10 tournament.

"It is an exciting new format to be part of. I am looking forward to joining forces with some of the world's biggest names in this league and representing team Bangla Tigers," Du Plessis said in a release.

"It is going to be a thrilling time for the game of cricket. It's heart-warming to see leagues like T10 putting in so much hard work and offering such exciting formats for sports enthusiasts. I can’t wait to get going." Du Plessis has played 69 Tests, 143 ODIs and 50 T20Is for South Africa in a career which started in 2011. He has also captained South Africa in all three formats.

Also read: CPL: Jamaica and Trinbago score first wins

"It is terrific to have a world-class player like Faf in our squad. We have all seen his exploits for South Africa in various formats. He is a champion cricketer," Bangla Tigers owner Mohammad Yasin Chowdhury said.

"It is a huge honour to have him in our squad. We all know what he has achieved both on and off the field. His deeds speak for his brilliance. I wholeheartedly welcome Faf to the Bangla Tigers family." The league, which is being staged under the aegis of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) with official approval of the International Cricket Council (ICC), will be held at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from November 19 to December 2. 

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 28 (Boxing news) World youth bronze-medallist Bishwamitra Chongtham (51kg) was among three Indian male boxers who advanced to the finals of the Asian Youth Championships in Dubai.

Chongtham defeated Tajikistan's Akarali Abdurakhivonzoda 5-0 on Friday night to make the summit clash.

Joining him in the finals were Suresh Vishwanath (48kg) and Jaydeep Rawat (57kg).

While, Vishwanath defeated Bahrain's Fadel Sayed 5-0, Rawat edged past Kyrgyzstan's Bekbol Murasbekov 3-2.

However, Lashu Yadav (70kg) in the women's draw and Deepak (75kg) signed off with bronze medals after semifinal losses.

Yadav was beaten 0-5 by Kazakhstan's Gaukhar Shaibekova 0-5. Deepak, on the other hand, lost to Kazakhstan's Aliaskarov Bakbergen 1-4.

Also read: 3 Indians enter finals of the Asian junior boxing in Dubai

India's medal count has swelled past 35 in the event being conducted simultaneously for junior and youth boxers (both men and women). While 20 medals are secure for India in the youth competition, the junior event will yield 19 podium finishes.

The draws at the event are considerably small following last-minute withdrawals due to the COVID-19 related travel restrictions. More than 20 Indians were assured of medals on the day of draws itself because of the small size of the competition.

The gold medallists in the youth category will be awarded a prize money of USD 6,000, while silver and bronze medallists will claim USD 3,000 and USD 1,500 respectively.

The junior champions will walk away with USD 4,000 for gold and USD 2,000 and 1,000 for silver and bronze medallists respectively. 

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 27 (Boxing news) The Indian men's boxing team for the world championship would be picked on the basis of performances in next month's Nationals, High Performance Director Santiago Nieva told PTI, conceding that there is very little time in hand to go for elaborate trials.

Nieva, who is currently on a break, spoke to PTI from his home base in Sweden and touched on his assessment of Indian boxers' Olympic performance and the plans ahead for what promise to be a very busy next few months starting with the national championship from September 15.

"The world championships (in Belgrade, Serbia from October 26) is a really big assignment coming up. The time for preparation is very less so we will rely on performances in the national championships to figure the team. There is no time to hold trials," Nieva said.

"Some new faces will definitely be there but we also need experience. So, those who participated in the Olympics will also be considered. But I guess they will have to compete in the Nationals. If they feel motivated and prepared enough, they will compete," he added.

Five Indian male boxers -- Amit Panghal (52kg), Manish Kaushik (63kg), Vikas Krishan (69kg), Ashish Chaudhary (75kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) -- competed in the Tokyo Games. Of these, only Satish managed to go past his opening round.

Krishan is out of reckoning due to a major shoulder injury which will keep him out for three months.

Nieva is expected to be back in India ahead of the Nationals to be held in Bellary, Karnataka. India had won an unprecedented two medals at the event's last edition with Panghal claiming a first ever silver for the country.

"It is a unique situation because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A world championship just three months after the Olympics is not common but it is what it is. We would try to go abroad for training after picking the team but if it doesn't work out, we stay here and train," Nieva said.

The Indian men's boxers weren't particularly impressive at the Olympics with Panghal's first-round ouster a massive letdown.

Nieva admitted that the performance could have been a lot better and that there would be pressure on him as well as the team in the world championships.

"There is always pressure. It is never avoidable. But I don't think it would be any different from other times. See, when you do well, people expect you to do better. If you do badly, people expect you to improve. So there is always scrutiny," he said.

The upcoming Nationals as well as the world championships will be competed in the new weight categories introduced by the International Boxing Association last month.

The revised weight divisions for men, after being increased from 10 to 13, are 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 86kg, 92kg, and +92kg.

In all likelihood, someone like Panghal would compete in 51kg or 54kg and several others will also weigh their options.

Speaking of Panghal, Nieva said he has spoken to the world number one, who has been aloof after his Olympic disappointment.

"I expected him to be still bitter but good thing is he seems to be looking ahead. He came across clear and analytical about his performance and I believe that he is well on course to shrug it off and come back stronger," Nieva said.

Also read: 3 Indians enter finals of the Asian junior boxing in Dubai

On the Olympic performance, Nieva both agreed and disagreed with Boxing Federation of India President Ajay Singh's assessment that the Indians would need to focus more on the mental aspect of competing at something as big as the Olympics.

"I am not denying that we can do better, not just mental, but in several other aspects, we can always do better. But I don't think that our boxers can be considered mentally not up there. I don't think it is specific to our boxers," he said.

Aside from this, the Indian boxers also seemed lacking when it came to connecting powerful punches in the Tokyo Games. Nieva said work is in progress to improve the strength and conditioning aspect.

"When I first came here in 2017, I found the techniques to be a bit old school and I believe we have improved in strength and conditioning considerably as is evident from the results of the past four years.

"Sometimes you come up against opponents who are way more strong than you, so the idea is to keep improving," reasoned the 47-year-old, who is a member of the Asian Boxing Confederation's coaches' committee. 

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 27 (Boxing news) Three Indian boxers stormed into the finals of the Asian Junior Championships in Dubai with dominating victories in their last-four stage bouts.

Tanu (52kg), Nikita Chand (60kg) and Vishu Rathee (48kg) were the ones to make the final, on Thursday.

Tanu defeated Nepal's Swostika 5-0, while Nikita got the better of Uzbekistan's Mukhusa Tokhirova by a similar margin.

Rathee, on the other hand, took less than two minutes to wind up the proceedings, outclassing Mongolia's Otgonbat Yesunkhuslen in her semifinal bout.

However, Ashis (54kg) and Anshul (57kg) ended with bronze medals.

Ashis lost to Uzbekistan's Norkosmov Mironshokh 1-4. Anshul was beaten 0-5 by another Uzbek in Dalerjon Bozorov.

Also read: Men's national boxing from Sep 15; allowing head guards under consideration

The tournament, which is being held simultaneously for junior and youth boxers (both men and women) offers the gold medallists in the youth category a prize money of USD 6,000 while silver and bronze medallists will claim USD 3,000 and USD 1,500 respectively.

The junior champions will be awarded with USD 4,000 for gold and USD 2,000 and 1,000 for silver and bronze medallists respectively.

On Wednesday, six Indian boxers advanced to the finals of the Asian Youth Championships with two of them getting walkovers after their Kazakh opponents were quarantined following a COVID-19 case in the contingent. 

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 26 (Boxing news) The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is planning to conduct the men's national championships from September 15 to 22 at the Inspire Institute of Sports in Karnataka's Bellary and is considering the possibility of allowing pugilists to compete with head guards at the event.

The national championships could not be held last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The upcoming event will also be competed in the new weight categories introduced by the International Boxing Association last month. The revised weight divisions for men, after being increased from 10 to 13, are 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 86kg, 92kg, and +92kg.

Men's amateur boxing did away with head guards in 2013 after the AIBA medical commission, after a research study, concluded that removing the gear "may reduce the already small risk of acute brain injury in amateur boxing." The AIBA events and Olympic competitions do not feature head guards but national associations are free to conduct their tournaments with or without the protective gear.

"There is an executive committee meeting on September 3 where this will be discussed and if there is consensus, we will allow boxers to wear head guards during the championships," BFI Secretary General Hemanta Kalita told PTI.

"The AIBA gives national federations the choice to conduct their domestic events with or without head guards," he added.

The AIBA research had concluded that head guards can increase the risk of blows to the head because the padding around the eyes limits the boxer's vision. On the flip-side, the absence of head guards has contributed to an increased rate of cuts.

To this, the AIBA study had stated that "as boxers become more experienced and acclimated" to boxing without head guards and coaches change their style in view of the new rule, the rate of cuts will be reduced to previous historic levels.

Also read: Six Indians reach the finals of Asian Youth boxing in Dubai

The head guards were made mandatory in 1984 by AIBA before being dumped in 2013.

The tournament in Bellary will require boxers, participating officials and support staff to present a negative RT-PCR test report obtained 72 hours before landing at the competition. The boxers' temperatures will also be checked on arrival.

Head guards, if allowed, will be provided by the organisers.

"It is mandatory for everyone to use mask appropriately at all places, except in boxing ring," read the competition brochure.

The 2019 men's national championship was held in Himachal Pradesh with Services Sports Control Board claiming the overall honours with six gold, two silver and one bronze medal.

Another traditional powerhouse Railways had finished second with one gold, four silver and two bronze medals.

The Indian men's boxing team endured an underwhelming Olympic campaign with only one of the five qualified boxers managing to go past the first round.

The next big assignment lined up for them is the world championship in Belgrade, Serbia come November. 

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 26 (Sports news) Six Indian boxers advanced to the finals of the Asian Youth Championships in Dubai with two of them getting walkovers after their Kazakh opponents were quarantined following a COVID-19 case in the contingent.

Of the six Indians who made the summit clashes, two were men and four women.

In the women's draw, Simran Verma (52kg) and Sneha (66kg) progressed after getting walkovers from Kazakh rivals Khava Bolkoyeva and Anar Turynbek respectively.

"One of these girls tested positive for COVID-19 and the other had to be also quarantined as she was the infected girl's room partner. That's why we got walkovers in these two categories," India coach Bhaskar Bhatt told PTI.

Joining them in the finals were Preeti (57kg) and Preeti Dahiya (60kg).

Also read: In the ring you face your opponent just like facing problems in life - Indian boxer Akashdeep Singh

Preeti outclassed Narika Rai of Nepal RSC in the third round to book her final berth. Preeti Dahiya, on the other hand, defeated Uzbekistan's Rukhshona Uktamova 3-2.

Among the men, Vanshaj (64kg) defeated Iran's Faridi Abolfazl 5-0, while Vishal (80kg) outpunched Kazakhstan's Dauren Mamyr by a similar margin to move ahead.

However, Daksh (67kg) lost to Uzbekistan's Solijonoz Samandar 4-1.

Also ending with bronze medals were Abhimanyu (92kg) and Aman Singh Bisht (+92kg).

While Abhimanyu lost to Uzbekistan's Tokhirov Nusratbek 5-0, Bisht also went down to an Uzbek in Zokirov Jakhongir.

India's assured medal tally stood at over 20 on the day of the draws itself as many countries either skipped or fielded smaller squads due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The tournament, which is being held simultaneously for junior and youth boxers (both men and women) offers the gold medallists in the youth category a prize money of USD 6,000 while silver and bronze medallists will claim USD 3,000 and USD 1,500 respectively.

The junior champions will be awarded with USD 4,000 for gold and USD 2,000 and 1,000 for silver and bronze medallists respectively.

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 25 (Paralympics news) World no. 1 Indian para shuttler Pramod Bhagat believes he has the "strongest mindset on the planet" and is aiming to return with two gold medals from the Tokyo Paralympics to complete his illustrious trophy cabinet.

The 33-year-old, who is the current Asian and world champion, has qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics in two events – men's singles SL3 and mixed doubles SL3-SU5 with Palak Kohli.

SL3 refers to minor standing or lower limb impairment, while SU5 is for players with an impairment of the upper limb.

"I have been waiting for this day ever since I started my professional journey, and it is also the only medal which is missing from accomplishments...," Bhagat, who was affected by polio at an early age, told PTI in an interview.

"Currently I'm in my best shape with the strongest mindset on the planet. My coach and trainer worked a lot on me. I had a few drawbacks which I'm slowly working on." The Indian badminton contingent will leave on Friday for Tokyo and Bhagat will be a prime contender for the gold medal at the Games, where para badminton is making its debut.

"I don't want to disappoint the 1.4 billion people who are behind me, my aim is to get India's first gold in Paralympic badminton. I will be aiming for 2 golds, 1 in singles and 1 in mixed doubles," said Bhagat, who has so far won five medals at the world championships.

"Also being no. 1 adds a lot of pressure of delivering at the world stage, I'm using that as motivation for myself to perform. We are hoping to win at least 3-4 medals for India.

"My full focus is on the tournament and how to give my best. I'm also keeping my mind clear and not stressing or thinking about anything. It's going to be a very big for me as this is one medal which has eluded me." Bhagat had claimed two gold medals at the Dubai Para Badminton tournament in April when the sport returned after a year-long break due to the pandemic.

"Dubai was like a litmus test for all of us as we were playing a tournament after almost a year. It really tested us as irrespective of how much you practise, matches are a different ball game," said Bhagat, who won the singles gold and also paired up with Manoj Sarkar to clinch the men's doubles gold in SL4-SL3 category.

Also read: 12-member Indian contingent, including Jhajharia, departs for Tokyo Paralympics

"The last few years have been really good for me as I feel I am at my prime and playing very well. I am working towards maintaining that and practising very hard and also evolving." The Paralympics, just like the Olympics, will be held in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic and Bhagat said the health crisis will always be in the back of the mind.

"The virus has created havoc not just me but for everyone. There will always be a worry about the virus jeopardizing the entire campaign but I am not thinking about it.

"Right now my focus is to play my best games in this tournament." How difficult was it to train for the Paralympics with the pandemic putting the country under lockdown? Bhagat said "Initially the whole scenario was very uncertain. With training facilities and courts shut it really became difficult to train and stay fit, but slowly the government made the necessary arrangements for us to at-least train at home." "Once the courts were open we were back in the bubble training for the Paralympics.

"It was good that at least we got to some game time at the recently concluded Dubai Para Badminton Tournament, that really helped us to gauge where we stand when it comes to match practise and on court stamina." So, will it affect the performance? "It can if you let it, hence I have blocked those thoughts and just thinking about my game. During the lock down I not only worked on my physical strengths and stroke play but also focussed on mental wellbeing," he signed off.

Badminton action begins on September 1 at Tokyo. 

News source: PTI

Dubai, Aug 25 (Cricket news) The Indian cricket team took the top spot in the latest World Test Championship standings with 14 points after its massive 151-run victory over England in the second game of an ongoing five-match series.

The rain-forced draw in the opening Test gave India four points and the outright win at Lord's 12 points. However, the team has 14 points in total, instead of 16, as it was docked two points for slow over rate.

According to the WTC rules, teams cop one-point penalty for each over short. Each match-win is worth 12 points while a tie gives teams six points. Four points are awarded for a drawn result.

Also read: Shaheen Storm in Jamaica helps Pakistan fight back to draw Test series 1-1

India are followed by Pakistan (12 points), who beat West Indies by 109 runs to level the series.

The Caribbean side also has 12 points as it had won the opening match of the series and is placed third in the table.

England are placed fourth with two points. They also lost two points, earned from the drawn opening match in Nottingham, because of their slow over rate.

The third Test of the five-match series between India and England is beginning Wednesday at Headingley in Leeds.

The current WTC cycle will run till 2023. New Zealand became the inaugural champions in June after defeating India in the finals. 

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 25 (Boxing news) Three Indian boxers advanced to the finals of the Asian junior championships after notching up comprehensive victories in their last-four stage clashes in Dubai.

While Rohit Chamoli (48kg) and Bharat Joon (+81kg) made the junior boys finals, Muskan (46kg) entered the girls summit showdowns, on Tuesday night.

Joon defeated Kyrgyzstan's Emir-Khan Razhapov 5-0 and Chamoli got the better of Kazakhstan's Aidar Kadyrkhan by a similar scoreline.

Muskan sailed past Kazakhstan's Yelyanur Turganova, pulling off an unanimous victory.

However, Supriya Rawat (66kg) lost to Sanowar Bozorboeva 1-4 and Aarzoo (54kg) also endured a close loss to Uzbekistan's Guldana Tileuergen, going down 2-3.

Also read: Four Indians enter semifinals of Asian Youth boxing championship

Devika Ghorpade (50kg) was defeated 0-5 by Uzbekistan's Shaina Nematovain in another girls semifinal.

Among boys, Ankush (66kg) was beaten 0-5 by Uzbekistan's Fazliddin Erkinboev in his last-four bout.

All four of them ended with bronze medals.

India's assured medal tally stood at over 20 on the day of the draws itself as many countries either skipped or fielded smaller squads due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The gold medallists in the youth category will receive prize money of USD 6,000 while silver and bronze medallists will claim USD 3,000 and USD 1,500 respectively.

The junior champions will be awarded with USD 4,000 for gold and USD 2,000 and 1,000 for silver and bronze medallists respectively.

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 24 (Sports news) Four Indian boxers entered the semifinals of the Asian Youth boxing championships being held in Dubai after a day of mixed results for the country.

The continental showpiece is being conducted simultaneously for the youth and junior boxers (both men and women) for the first time.

Seven Indians took the ring in the quarterfinals on Monday evening and four of them emerged victorious.

Jaydeep Rawat (71kg) defeated UAE's Mohammed Eissa in the most dominating show by an Indian, outclassing his rival in the second round.

Also read: In the ring you face your opponent just like facing problems in life - Indian boxer Akashdeep Singh

Vanshaj (63.5kg) won 5-0 against Tajikistan's Makhkamov Dovud, while Daksh Singh (67kg) defeated Kyrgyzstan's Eldar Turdubaev 4-1.

Suresh Vishvanath (48kg) was up against against Kyrgyzstan's Amantur Zholbborosv and prevailed 5-0.

However, Victor Saikhom Singh (54kg) lost to Kyrgyzstan's Derbek Tilvaldiev 2-3, while Vijay Singh(57kg) was beaten 0-3 by Tajikistan's Morodov Abubakr.

Rabindra Singh lost 2-3 to Tajikistan's Yoqubov Abdurrahim.

India's assured medal tally stood at over 20 on the day of draws itself as many countries either skipped or fielded smaller squads due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The gold medallists in the youth category will receive prize money of USD 6,000 while silver and bronze medallists will claim USD 3,000 and USD 1,500 respectively.

The junior champions will be awarded with USD 4,000 for gold and USD 2,000 and 1,000 for silver and bronze medallists respectively.

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 23 (Sports news) Gaurav Saini (70kg) advanced to the final while three other Indian boxers entered the last-four stage after contrasting victories in the Asian Junior Championships in Dubai.

Saini defeated Kyrgyzstan's Zakirov Mukhammadaziz 4-1 to enter the summit clash on Sunday night. The tournament is being held simultaneously for the youth and junior boxers (both men and women) for the first time.

Entering the semifinals were Ashis (54kg), Anshul (57kg) and Bharat Joon (+81kg).

Ashis outpunched Tajikistan's Rahmanov Jafar 5-0, while Anshul pummelled UAE's Mansoor Khaled in his quarterfinal bout which was stopped in the first round itself due to the Indian's dominance.

Also read: A global celebration for International Boxing Day is being planned by AIBA

Joon eked out a 3-2 triumph over Uzbekistan's Kenesbaev Aynazar.

However, it was curtains for Krish Pal (46kg) and Preet Malik (63kg).

Pal was no match for Uzbekistan's Bakhtiyor Yakhshiboev, who outclassed him by the second round forcing the referee to stop the contest.

Malik went down 2-3 to Kyrgyzstan's Eldar Esembaev.

More than 20 medals were assured for India on the day of draws itself as COVID-19 travel restrictions kept several counties away leading to small size of the draws.

The gold medallists in the youth category will receive prize money of USD 6,000 while silver and bronze medallists will claim USD 3,000 and USD 1,500 respectively.

The junior champions will be awarded with USD 4,000 for gold and USD 2,000 and 1,000 for silver and bronze medallists respectively.

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 21 (Boxing news): Rohit Chamoli (48kg), Ankush (66kg) and Gaurav Saini (70kg) advanced to the semifinals of the ASBC Youth and Junior Boxing Championships in Dubai, assuring themselves of at least bronze medals.

Three other Indian pugilists also registered victories on the opening day of the tournament.

Providing India an ideal momentum in the junior boys' event, Chandigarh's Chamoli outclassed Alhassan Qadous Sriya 5-0 while Ankush blanked Bader Shehab from Kuwait 5-0.

Haryana's Saini too put up a dominating show against another Kuwaiti boxer Yaqoub Saadallah before he was declared the winner with Referee Stopping the Contest (RSC) in the second round of the bout.

Ashish (54kg), Anshul (57kg) and Preet Malik (63kg) were the other three junior pugilists to emerge victorious in their respective opening round matches.

On the other hand, Yashwrdhan Singh (60kg), Usman Mohd Sultan (50kg), Naksh Beniwal (75kg) and Rishabh Singh (81kg) suffered defeats in their respective preliminary bouts.

Also read: A global celebration for International Boxing Day is being planned by AIBA

The 2021 world youth championships bronze medallist Bishwamitra Chongtham will begin his campaign in the prestigious continental event as six youth Indian boxers will be seen in action on the second day.

Apart from Bishwamitra, Daksh Singh (67kg), Deepak (75kg), Aditya Janghu (86kg), Abhimanyu Loura (92) and Preeti (57kg) will play their opening round matches.

The on going Asian Championships will provide the much-needed competitive tournament to the promising young talents at the Asian level after a gap of almost two years lost due to pandemic.

The gold medalists in the youth age group will receive prize money of USD 6,000 while silver and bronze medalists will claim USD 3,000 and USD 1,500 respectively.

However, the junior champions will be awarded with USD 4,000 and, USD 2,000 and 1,000 for silver and bronze medalists respectively.

News source: PTI

Prague, Aug 21 (Golf news) India's Shiv Kapur shot a second straight round of two-under and moved to four-under to make he cut at the D+D REAL Czech Masters golf tournament here.

Based out of Dubai during the pandemic, Kapur seemed to have finally found form and played steady to be placed tied 17th at the Albatross Golf Resort.

Things, however, were not so good for SSP Chawrasia (70-75) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (74-73), who missed the cut.

Chawrasia, who had a good 70 on the first day, started the second with five bogeys in the first six holes and missed the cut by one.

Kapur birdied the eighth, but bogeyed the ninth to turn in even par. On the back nine, he birdied Par-3 13th and par-4 15th and did not drop any shots for a round of 70.

Also read: Aditi Ashok makes cut at Women's Open golf

Play was halted for half an hour due to waterlogging after heavy rain in the Czech capital.

Sebastian Söderberg, who will defend his Omega European Masters title next week at Crans-sur-Sierre, equalled the course record at Albatross Golf Resort as he fired an eight-under par 64 to take the halfway lead.

The 30-year-old leads Sean Crocker of the United States and Poland's Adrian Meronk, who both carded five under par rounds of 67 to sign for nine under par totals. They sit one stroke ahead of 2016 Open Champion Henrik Stenson, who remains bogey-free after 36 holes on eight-under.

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 20 (Sports news):  India were assured of a whopping 21 medals in the Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championships for men and women in Dubai after the unveiling of draws as COVID-19 related travel restrictions hampered participation in the continental showpiece.

India would be represented by a contingent of 73 -- two squads for men (junior and youth) and two squads for women (junior and youth) -- in the tournament featuring over 250 boxers.

Among the 21 in the medals rounds, nine have made the final directly.

The Indians have left in batches after technical issues with their COVID-19 test reports disrupted the original travel plans.

One batch of 23 left last night, another 25 boarded the flight to Dubai this morning, while 25 more will leave this evening.

"The 25 who are left are mainly members of the support staff and a couple of boxers who are to compete later, all the junior boxers who are scheduled to compete tonight have reached Dubai," as said by a contingent source.

Rohit Chamoli (48kg), Mohammed Usman (50kg), Nikhil (54kg) Anshul (57kg), Preet Malik (63kg), Ankush (66kg), Gaurav Saini (70kg), Naksh Beniwal (75kg), and Rishab Singh (81kg) are scheduled to compete in their opening bouts in the evening.

Also read: In the ring you face your opponent just like facing problems in life - Indian boxer Akashdeep Singh

Wins would assure them of medals in the tournament.

Women boxers were the biggest beneficiaries of the small draws and in the youth competition, five have made the finals directly to be guaranteed at least a silver, while four are in the last four-stage assuring them of a bronze.

Deepika (81kg), Khishi (75kg), Neha (54kg), Tamanna (50kg) and Nivedita Karki (48kg) are the direct finalists.

Lashu Yadav (70kg), Sneha Kumari (66kg), Preeti Dahiya (60kg), and Simran Verma (52kg) have found a place in the semifinals.

Among the youth men, Amin Singh (+92kg) and Vishal (80kg) are assured of a bronze after having made the semifinals already.

In the junior competition, Kirti (+81kg), Pranjal Yadav (75kg), Mahi Raghav (63kg) and Aanchal Saini (57kg) are the finals courtesy the small size of their draws.

The direct semifinalists are Sanjana (81kg), Rudrika (70kg), Supriya Rawat (66kg), Nikita Chand (60kg), Aarsoo (54kg), Tanu (52kg), Devika Satyajit (50kg), Vishu Rathee (48kg) and Muskan (46kg).

The event was to feature boxers from 18 countries but that number went down considerably as teams pulled out or sent smaller squads due to the travel restrictions in place owing to the pandemic.

The women's participation seemed to be the worst hit because of the late pullouts.

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 19 (Cricket news) Former India opener Gautam Gambhir reckons that India will go into the T20 World Cup as a "far superior" outfit than arch-rivals Pakistan while Afghanistan led by Rashid Khan will be the team to watch out for.

India and Pakistan open their group league campaign on October 24 at the Dubai stadium.

Gambhir, who scored a memorable 75 against Pakistan in the 2007 World T20 final, said that there will be lot of pressure on India's neighbours.

"Expectations are going to be really high from Pakistan as well, and at the moment, if you see, India is far more superior to Pakistan," Gambhir told Star Sports.

Also read: ODI series against Afghanistan in Sri Lanka is on: PCB

"In a T20 format, anyone can beat anyone because it is a very individual kind of format, and we should not take any team for granted." "For example, you should not take Afghanistan for granted. People like Rashid Khan can create upsets. It's the same with Pakistan. But, yes, there will be pressure on Pakistan." He said Afghanistan's IPL players make them a competitive outfit which can certainly cause a few upsets. "I have always been a believer that if you want to talk about one team that is going to be a real underdog in this tournament, that must be Afghanistan. Additionally, they have got people like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb, and Mohd Nabi, you can't take them players lightly." The group 1 which comprises Australia, West Indies, England and South Africa is the 'Group of Death' according to Gambhir.

"That's actually the real group. You have got four teams locked in and playing what, on day one of the T20 World Cup, that's going to be a very exciting Saturday." Defending champions West Indies have always been a solid team in shortest format.

"West Indies have always been very unpredictable with the kind of firepower they've got, they can go on to win the third time as well.

"England has also got the firepower. They have probably got the most consistent white-ball team over the last couple of years – after winning the 50-over World Cup.

"Australia has literally gone off the radar, probably because a lot of main players are missing, but then again, they can be very dangerous on that particular day." 

News source: PTI

Dubai, Aug 19 (Cricket news): Zimbabwe will host the women's World Cup qualifier between November 21 to December 5, the International Cricket Council announced on Thursday.

The 10-team tournament, the schedule for which will be announced in due course, decides three qualifiers for next year's women's World Cup to be held in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3.

They will join five sides who have already qualified through the ICC Women's Championship -- Australia, England, India, South Africa and hosts New Zealand.

The three qualifiers as well as the next two teams will also ensure places in the next ICC Women’s Championship (IWC) along with the top five from last time, as the number of teams in the third cycle of the IWC goes up from eight to 10 teams.

Also read: Australia announces 15 man squad in search of elusive T20 WC title

The teams that will be seen in action in the fifth edition of the tournament are Bangladesh, Ireland, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United States, the West Indies and Zimbabwe.

"The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier is an extremely important event in our calendar as it not only provides teams with a chance to qualify for the World Cup but will also determine the final two participants in the next edition of the ICC Women's Championship," ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley said.

Zimbabwe Cricket Chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani said: "Firstly, I wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the ICC board for their magnanimous gesture in allowing us the privilege of hosting the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021.

"On our part, we will leave no stone unturned to ensure this prestigious global event stands out as a unique event that celebrates Zimbabwe in all its magnificent splendour, richness, vibrancy, diversity and glory." 

News source: PTI

Dubai, Aug 17 (Cricket news) India will open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup in Dubai on October 24, the ICC said on Tuesday.

As per the schedule announced by the ICC, India's next opponent will be New Zealand in Dubai on October 31, followed by match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi on November 3.

India's remaining two Super 12 matches are against the winner of Group B (November 5 in Dubai) and second placed side of Group A (November 8 in Dubai).

The tournament's first round kicks off on October 17 in Oman, with Oman taking on Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh playing Scotland.

Also read: On field tension during our second innings helped our bowlers says Indian skipper Virat Kohli

Group A consists of Sri Lanka, Ireland, the Netherlands and Namibia, while Group B has Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and Oman.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 12 stage.

The Super 12s -- round two of the tournament, with two groups -- will begin on October 23, with Australia facing South Africa in Abu Dhabi and England up against West Indies in Dubai.

The first semifinal will be held in Abu Dhabi on November 10, while the second will be played in Dubai on November 11.

The final will be held in Dubai on November 14 with November 15 marked as reserve day.

News source: PTI

The beauty about sports is that it unites people, it brings together entire communities rooting for a common cause. It has the power to empower and transform the lives of others in a manner very rarely seen. Sports for the disabled is not just a recreation activity, it’s a way of life for those that are not blessed with equal opportunity, it’s a path towards a life of dignity and self respect despite their limitations, it’s inspirational beyond belief and an important lesson about being able to achieve anything if you set your mind to it.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Mr. Nitendra Singh, Head of Cricket Operations at Divyang Cricket Control Board of India speaks about getting adequate support for physically challenged cricketers, their potential, overcoming challenges, the role of media, government and his future goals.

Q 1) As Head of Cricket Operations at DCCBI, do you get adequate support from the likes of BCCI for physically challenged cricketers?

At present there is no support from BCCI but we're trying to get support. I'm hopeful that we'll soon get help from the BCCI. Some organizations like Indian Oil corporation and PSU's are helping. Even the Baroda Cricket Association which runs the domestic team of Baroda are helping me because I played a lot of first class cricket for the Baroda team.

Q 2) As head coach of Indian Physically Challenged Women Cricket Team, do you see a lot of potential in our female cricketers to achieve accolades at the highest level?

Physically challenged girls have got tremendous potential. They want to prove to people that they are nothing less than normal men or women and they concentrate on their game. In 2019, I organized the world's first coaching camp for physically challenged girls and you wouldn't believe nearly 80 girls turned up from all over India and I formed the world's first physically challenged girls team. They definitely have the potential to achieve accolades at the highest level and it is my opinion that they are better than the men's team. They work very hard and learn very easily. DCCBI's general secretary Haroon Rashid is a very energetic person and he is taking a lot of interest in it and our CEO Ghazal Khan is also a brilliant woman. She has got a lot of knowledge about IT and in today's world IT knowledge is essential. She is doing exactly what needs to be done.



Q 3) What are some of the challenges that you have faced at DCCBI? How did you overcome them?

The primary challenge is the sponsorship, somehow we are getting the necessary sponsorships. Mr. Haroon Rashid is trying his level best and some more people like me are also trying. We are giving good facilities to the physically challenged players. Recently the first DPL was held in Sharjah which is the stadium where the IPL is also played. Our boys have proved that they are no less than the normal people. It was a very good tournament and an incredible achievement for the players as well as the DCCBI.

Q 4) According to you, how can the government, media and corporations help in supporting Divyang cricket?

At present the media can play a vital role and the Government of India is conducting other sports but not cricket at any level. Cricket is run by the BCCI which oversees all forms of cricket including Men’s cricket, Women’s cricket, Divyang cricket which includes the deaf, physically challenged, blind and other types of cricket. The government should help the Divyang sportspersons. Our PM Modi gave a title ‘Divyang’ which has all the disabilities under it whether they are blind, deaf, physically challenged or any other disability. It is easier now for people to recognize us, especially when we are in need of sponsorship from a company. Government is giving opportunities and jobs to the people in Divyang and now has to think more diversely for their future.

Q 5) What are your goals and ambitions for Divyang cricket in the future? How do you plan to accomplish them?

At present Mr. Haroon Rasheed is going to organise a four nation tournament of physically challenged in Dubai in the same stadium, after that we are planning for the Asia cup and the World Cup. We will do it, if the BCCI helps us it is well and good but I'm hopeful that the BCCI will help us because they need results and we are giving them results.

Also read: My goal is to make physically challenged cricketers financially strong and give them equal opportunities

New Delhi, Aug 16 (Sports news) Ace Indian swimmer Sajan Prakash will take some time off from the swimming pool to undergo a two-week Ayurvedic treatment in Kerala for a long-standing neck issue.

Prakash, the first-ever Indian swimmer to breach the 'A' standard time for the Olympics, had suffered a slipped disc in 2019 which has been radiating pain towards his left hand while swimming.

"I'm going to get an Ayurvedic treatment. It's a two-week plan. It involves massage etc, it's like totally resetting your body," Prakash, who is with the Indian Olympic contingent here, told PTI.

"When I start swimming again after this treatment it will be like starting again from the basics, slowly slowly building up. It's a good investment for the future," he added.

The 27-year-old butterfly specialist had completed a four-month rehabilitation program for his slipped disc before the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed globally last year.

Also read: A legacy continued: Muhammad Ali’s grandson wins pro boxing debut

Resuming training after staying away from the pool for eight-nine months, Prakash had to start from scratch as he struggled to execute even a single stroke of butterfly, often considered the most difficult swimming style, which requires not only good technique but also strong muscle.

He swam freestyle and backstroke before venturing back into butterfly and made a remarkable comeback that saw him make the 'A' cut for the Tokyo Games, a day before the qualification period ended, in a meet in Italy in the last week of June.

Although, the Kerala swimmer has consistently improved his performance in the past one year, he is still not 100 per cent fit and feels pain on his left side while swimming.

"I have the slip disk on my neck C4 C5 C6 which triggered to the left shoulder, where I feel weakness. I can't really pull with my left hand properly," Prakash said.

"When I swim butterfly, when I try to swim really fast I go towards the left side because there is less power in my hand.

"I tried to fix my shoulder as much as possible with treatments but still I have not had full power on my left hand," he added.

Prakash, who trains in Dubai with coach Pradeep Kumar, has shortlisted two places in Kerala for the treatment.

He had competed in two events at the Tokyo Games -- the men's 200m and 100m butterfly -- but was unable to advance to the semifinals of either of the two.

In the 200m butterfly, his pet event, Prakash finished 24th among 38 swimmers.

News source: PTI

Kent (UK), Aug 16 (Golf news) India's Shubhankar Sharma got off to a flying start with four birdies in the first seven holes in the last round to finish a creditable tied ninth, only his second top-10 outing of the year, at the Cazoo Classic golf tournament here.

Sharma then ran out of birdies and instead dropped a shot on par-4 13th when he went into water but finished with a final birdie for four-under 68. He birdied the first, fourth, fifth seventh and 18th holes.

Sharma registered a total of 11-under and recorded his best finish since his T-8 at Made in Himmerland in Denmark in May.

Four other Indians Gaganjeet Bhullar, SSP Chawrasia, Shiv Kapur and Ajeetesh Sandhu missed the cut.

Also read: Tvesa Malik finishes T-67th in Scottish Open as Ryann O’Toole wins title

Sharma, who has been having a modest season with a fair amount of cuts, has been getting a lot of birdies, but has also been giving away a lot of shots, often double bogeys.

This week he had 15 birdies on the front nine alone and nine more on the back nine, but he also gave away four bogeys each on the first and second days. On the third day he bogeyed once and double bogeyed once and on the final day there was just one bogey.

"I feel my game is coming back and this week was a good feel,' said Sharma.

Scotsman Calum Hill, 26, claimed his maiden European Tour title with a nerveless performance down the stretch, carding a five-under final round 67. It meant back-to-back Scottish winners on the Race to Dubai.

The 26-year-old had missed out on an opportunity of a first victory at last week's Hero Open, losing out to his compatriot Grant Forrest.

Hill was one stroke off the pace entering round four and was two shots back as he reached the turn, but birdies at the 10th, 13th and 15th edged him clear of the pack on 16-under.

Alexander Levy, who stormed through with an 8-under 64 to set a 15-under par clubhouse target, ended second, which was his best finish since April 2018 when he won the Trophée Hassan II.

Richard Bland continued his impressive summer as he shared third place with his English compatriot Callum Shinkwin, Welshman Jamie Donaldson, and third round leader Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark.

News souce: PTI

Sharjah, Aug 14 (Cricket news) The Sharjah cricket stadium, which will host 10 IPL matches before the T20 World Cup, has announced major upgrades in the run-up to the lucrative league, which will be played from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates.

The first half of the IPL 2021 was played in India earlier this year, before it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The BCCI then decided to shift the remaining matches to the UAE and they will be played at Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. "The newly re-laid wicket block will now accommodate six pitches in the centre, including four broadcasting and two practice pitches.

"They are currently building a new practice facility with four turf wickets and four astro-turf wickets to accommodate multiple teams during practice sessions. These will be ready in time for the IPL," a media release issued here stated on Saturday.

Among other facilities, a new state-of-the-art 'fit capital gymnasium', the indoor swimming pool, steam, and sauna area have also been upgraded.

Also read: India still ahead despite Anderson-led England fightback on day 2 of 2nd test

Moreover, there are 11 new VIP suites, a new VIP grand dining area and improved hospitality facilities at the top tier of the pavilion end.

"Sharjah's atmosphere or as we like to call it the 'Sharjah magic' is what differentiates the stadium from any other cricketing venue in the UAE," said Khalaf Bukhatir, Managing Director of Bukhatir Group and CEO of Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

"This was no more evident than at last year's edition when we played host to some of the most exciting moments of the IPL," Bukhatir added.

"We still don't know if we are welcoming cricket fans into the stadium this IPL, but we are certainly ready and looking forward to hosting some world-class cricket in a world-class, safe and secure environment," he said.

The first game here will be played between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore on September 24.

The stadium will also host Qualifier 2 on October 11 and the Eliminator on October 13.

News source: PTI

New Delhi, Aug 14 (Cricket news) India's middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer on Saturday reached Dubai to train and be ready for the upcoming phase two of the Indian Premier League, starting September 19.

Iyer, who led the Delhi Capitals to the title clash in the 2020 season, is making a comeback after nearly five months of intense rehabilitation.

He had undergone a shoulder surgery on April 8 after a horrific on-field injury during an ODI in Pune.

"Yes, Shreyas has already reached Dubai and will start training after completion of all the quarantine protocols," a senior official close to DC told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"The Delhi Capitals team is arriving by the end of this month but Shreyas wants to start training and be on level terms by the time he touches base with the squad." Iyer has his childhood coach and also Delhi Capitals' batting coach Praveen Amre with him for help.

"Praveen has travelled with Shreyas to help him during the first week when the team and the net bowlers aren't available. Since BCCI SOP protocols don't allow any outside net bowler, it is expected that Shreyas will be helped with throwdowns by Praveen," the source said.

"In these COVID times, it is very difficult to get quality training time in India. Since the DC team would be doing hard quarantine in India for five to six days before travelling to UAE, it would have delayed his training time by at least 10 days.

Also read: How Sachin Tendulkar scored his 1st International hundred on this day in 1990

"He can now make full use and integrate into the main squad and train the last three weeks before the tournament starts with DC," the source added.

Earlier this week, PTI had reported that Iyer, who is a regular feature in India's white ball teams, got a fitness certificate from the National Cricket Academy after one week of tests as mandated by the BCCI.

Iyer had led DC to the finals of the IPL in 2020 but there is a possibility that Rishabh Pant, who captained during the first phase earlier this year would continue in his role.

Before the IPL was halted, 29 matches were held. Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier from Kolkata Knight Riders had tested positive for the virus, forcing the BCCI to press the pause button and move the remainder of the tournament to UAE.

Now the remaining 31 matches will be played in the duration of 27 days with the action beginning with a clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians on September 19.

News source: PTI 

Melbourne, Aug 14 (Cricket news) Batting legend Ricky Ponting has backed Australian players to feature in the rescheduled Indian Premier League in the UAE, saying it would be an ideal preparation ahead of T20 World Cup in October.

The IPL will squeeze its remaining 76 games between September 19 and October 15 while the T20 World Cup will be held just after that from October 17 to November 14. Both tournaments will be held in the UAE.

"Those guys that haven't played for three or four months now, they need to get back into the groove of playing high-quality cricket against the best players in the world," Ponting was quoted by cricket.com.au as telling Australia Test captain Tim Paine in a conversation on SEN radio.

"No doubt it's their best preparation to be in those exact conditions, playing in probably the strongest domestic T20 tournament in the world," said Ponting, who will head to Dubai as head coach of IPL side Delhi Capitals.

Fast bowler Pat Cummins, who skipped the West Indies and Bangladesh tours to spend the time with his pregnant fiance, is not expected to return to the IPL with his first child due in the middle of the rescheduled tournament.

"For second half of this season it's going to be really tough to get over there," Cummins said in a vlog on his YouTube channel.

"We'll see how it plays out but at this stage it might be a bit too hard, but with the World Cup straight after that, I'm hoping to be good to go for that." Australia captain Aaron Finch this week had surgery on his right knee to repair cartilage damage he suffered in the West Indies. While the surgery was a success, he faces a 10-week recovery period, which will leave him sidelined right up until Australia's opening match of the Super 12 stage of the World Cup.

Finch has previously said he believed a return to the IPL would be "hard to justify" for players who had skipped the winter tours citing the fatigue and toll of hotel quarantines and bio-secure bubbles.

Riley Meredith, Dan Christian, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Adam Zampa, Andrew Tye and Josh Philippe were all part of the side that toured the Caribbean and Bangladesh, and all hold IPL deals.

Marsh and Philippe had opted out of the first stage of the IPL tournament that was held in India.

Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn and Ben Cutting - none of whom are in Australia's plans or hold state contracts - are the other Australians with IPL contracts.

Australia's T20 side, which did not have a host of first-choice players, suffered 1-4 series defeats against West Indies and Bangladesh recently, and Ponting said the results underlined the current lack of depth in Australian cricket.

Also read: KL Rahul backs Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to find form soon; says they know how to turn things around

The Australian side crashed to their lowest-ever T20I total of 62 against Bangladesh in Dhaka a few days ago.

"... whether it was a lack of confidence or a lack of skill or a lack of game awareness in the conditions. Just the lack of know-how and skill in those conditions brought us undone again.

"It's been the Achilles heel for Australian cricket for as long as I can remember. It just goes to show the depth around Australian cricket right now is not where it needs to be.

"The T20 World Cup is not far away (but) with everyone fit and healthy in the UAE, I still think the Australian team can push really hard to win that title that's eluded us," Ponting said.

News source: PTI

Karachi, Aug 13 (Cricket news) The International Cricket Council (ICC) has allowed participating nations in the upcoming T20 World Cup to bring 15 players and eight officials for the tournament in the UAE.

An official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Friday that the ICC had set September 10 as the deadline for participating nations to submit their final 15 players and eight officials, including the coaches and support staff.

"The ICC has also allowed all participating nations to bring additional players with their squads because of the COVID-19 situation and bio-secure bubble but the concerned boards will have to bear the costs of these additional players".

Also read:  KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma's classic test match batting put India in a commanding position after day 1

"The ICC bears the expenses of only 15 players and eight officials.' The T20 World Cup, the first since 2016, will be held from October 17 to November 14 in Oman and three venues in the UAE -- Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

The qualifying tournament of eight nations including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Ireland will be played until September 23 in Oman and one venue in the UAE.

Four teams will qualify for the Super-12 stage which begins from September 24 in the UAE.

"It is now up to the boards to decide how many additional players they want to have with their main squads given the COVID-19 situation because if any player tests positive or they are injury issues, the teams can take replacements from their additional players." The ICC has informed the boards that they can make any last-minute changes in their squads until five days before the quarantine period for teams begins.

"But the boards have to send their squads by 10th September." The tournament was scheduled to be held in India but due to the COVID-19 situation, the ICC moved it to UAE.

News source: PTI 

Kent (UK), Aug 13 (Golf news) Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma shot a two-under 70 to be placed Tied 31st after the first round but four of his compatriots struggled on the opening day of the of the Cazoo Classic.

Despite four bogeys, two on either side of the course at the London Golf Club, Sharma packed in three birdies on both sides of the course for his card of 70, which placed him T-31 at London Golf Club.

Of the other Indians, Gaganjeet Bhullar (73) was T-85, SSP Chawrasia (75) was T-115, while Shiv Kapur (76) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (76) were T-127 with the cut likely at 1-under or even par.

Sharma is coming off a fine top-20 at last week's Hero Open and he showed signs of getting back into form to make a bid to get into Top-60 for the Race to Dubai Championships at the end of the season.

Also read: Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri looks to improve FedEx Cup position at Wyndham before play-offs

Richard Bland returned to European Tour action for the first time in over three weeks and picked up from where he left off as the Englishman took the first round lead.

Having earned an emotional first European Tour victory in May's Betfred British Masters, which came in his 478th start and at the age of 48, Bland has been riding a wave claiming Top-5s at the Made in HimmerLand and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

His last appearance came at The Open in Royal St George's, where he hit the first tee shot of the Championship.

A seven under 65 continued his momentum on home soil as he earned a one-stroke lead over English compatriots Dale Whitnell and Jordan Smith, as well as American duo Sihwan Kim and Sean Crocker.

Bernd Wiesberger, chasing a qualification place for the European Ryder Cup team, opened with a four under par 68.

News source: PTI

Dubai, Aug 11 (Cricket news) Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and West Indies skipper Stafanie Taylor were on Wednesday named the ICC Player of the Month for July in men's and women's categories respectively.

Shakib's contributions in all three formats of the game helped Bangladesh win their series against Zimbabwe last month.

He had scored an unbeaten 96 in Bangladesh's three-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the second ODI at the Harare Sports Club.

In the T20Is, Hasan took three wickets at an economy rate of seven, leading his country to a series win against Zimbabwe. He is also the top all-rounder in the latest ICC men's T20 Rankings.

"It is very humbling to be voted ICC Men's Player of the Month for July 2021. There have been many outstanding performances during the month and that is why this is special for me," said Shakib, who edged out Australia's Mitchell Marsh and West Indies' Hayden Walsh Jr, in an ICC release.

Also read: ICC update Test Players rankings as Jasprit Bumrah returns to top 10 while Virat Kohli slips to 5th

"I find most pleasure and satisfaction when I contribute to wins and therefore, I am very happy to have helped in Bangladesh’s successes over the last few weeks." West Indies all-rounder Taylor, who led her team in the ODI and T20I series win against Pakistan in July, was nominated for the award alongside teammate Hayley Matthews and Pakistan's Fatima Sana but her all-round performance in the series helped her claim the most votes.

"This is a bit surprising to me, winning ICC Player of the Month award for July, but I'm happy. It shows that the hard work you put in, will pay off and it did, against Pakistan, to help us win that series. We played well in both formats," Taylor said.

"I'm over in England now playing in The Hundred, which is a different kind of competition, played at a faster pace, but I’m still working hard. We’re also looking forward to the series against South Africa at home, and we will be looking to win that as well. I want to thank the fans for all their support, as it is always appreciated." In the four ODIs against Pakistan, Taylor scored 175 runs with a strike rate of 79.18 and took three wickets with an economy rate of 3.72. She was also on top of the rankings for batters and all-rounders in the ICC Women's ODI Rankings earlier in July.

News source: PTI

Dubai, Aug 11 (Cricket news) Riding on his fine show in the opening Test against England, India pacer Jasprit Bumrah has returned to the top 10, but skipper Virat Kohli slipped to the fifth position in the latest ICC men's Test player rankings.

Bumrah, who held a career-high third position in September 2019, has improved 10 slots to grab the ninth place among bowlers after a match haul of nine for 110 in the Nottingham Test.

Kohli, however, slipped a place following his duck in the first innings of the series opener.

He was overtaken by England skipper Joe Root, who grabbed the fourth position in the batters' list after his Player of the Match performance of 64 and 109 earned him 49 rating points.

Opener Rohit Sharma and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant were static at the sixth and seventh spots respectively.

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja progressed three slots to 36th among batters with a first innings half-century and opener KL Rahul has re-entered the rankings in 56th position with scores of 84 and 26.

Jadeja also improved a spot to take the second position in Test all-rounder ranking list, which also had senior India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin at the fourth spot.

Ashwin continued to stay at the second place in the bowlers list, which was topped by Australia's Pat Cummins.

Shardul Thakur was also up 19 places to 55th, while England seam bowlers James Anderson (up one place to seventh) and Ollie Robinson (up 22 places to 46th) also moved up in the latest men's weekly rankings update issued every Wednesday.

Bangladesh's Shakib-Al-Hasan was back to number one position among all-rounders in T20I rankings, having reached that spot last in October 2017.

Also read: ICC announces intentions to bid for cricket's inclusion in the Olympic games in LA 2028 and beyond

He has also gained three slots to reach 53rd among batters and advanced six positions to reach 12th among bowlers. Captain Mahmudullah has gained two slots and is now in 33rd position.

Fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman is back in the top 10, gaining 20 slots after taking five wickets in four matches, while Mohammad Saifuddin (up 26 places to 43rd) and Nasum Ahmed (up 103 places to 66th) are among the others to make headway.

Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has gained four slots to reach 21st position among batters, after aggregating 111 runs in the last four matches of the five-match series in Bangladesh, played over the last week.

Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar has gained one slot to reach seventh place among bowlers while fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is up 43 places to 34th position.

News source: PTI

Dubai, Aug 11 (Cricket news) The ICC has imposed a 40 per cent penalty on match fees for both England and India teams along with deduction of two ICC World Test Championship points each for maintaining slow over-rates in the first Test in Nottingham.

ICC match referee Chris Broad imposed the sanctions after both the sides were ruled to be two overs short of their targets after time allowances were taken into consideration.

Also read: ICC announces intentions to bid for cricket's inclusion in the Olympic games in LA 2028 and beyond

In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.

In addition, as per Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions, a side is penalised one point for each over short.

Captains Joe Root and Virat Kohli pleaded guilty and accepted the proposed sanctions, so there was no need for formal hearings.

On-field umpires Michael Gough and Richard Kettleborough, third umpire Richard Illingworth and fourth umpire David Millns leveled the charges.

The first Test ended in a draw after India failed to get a shot at victory target of 209 on the final day due to heavy downpour that washed out the proceedings.

News source: PTI

With the Tokyo Olympics having recently concluded, Indian boxers for the most part would have been left with a bitter aftertaste after an underwhelming performance. Out of the nine unprecedented boxers at Japan’s capital, only one (Lovlina Borgohain) secured a bronze medal while notable names such as Mary Kom, Amit Panghal, Ashish Kumar and Simranjit Kaur fell short. It’s fair to wonder what needs to change at the grassroots for India to become more competitive in professional boxing, especially at the highest level.

To learn more about India’s professional boxing scenario, coach Mujtaba Kamal sheds light on his career, scouting for Indian talent, overcoming challenges and his expectations and goals for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Q 1) You were pursuing boxing in the mid-2000’s, how much of an impact did injuries have for you to give up your dreams and choose a career as a fitness boxing coach?

I started professional boxing in 2012, after I played amatuer boxing for almost 13 years before that. I moved to Hong Kong, China to turn professional and then I had a few fights against Samoa boxers and Hong Kong boxers but that is not recorded in the BoxRec. BoxRec is basically a record book which has records of all the boxing fights for example if you search Muhommed Ali, the website shows you his number of matches, wins, losses, draws, knockouts. I fought a professional fight in 2012 and then I found a promoter from China, after which I suffered a jaw fracture. The concept of professional boxing is not there in India  which is why I had to move abroad. In professional boxing, you have an entire team which includes a coach, manager, matchmaker, promoter but I didn’t have a team at the beginning, I used to coach myself and ask people to give me a chance to fight which is the reason I couldn't succeed as a professional boxer. My main goal after that has been to structure professional boxing in India as I was on a 1 month bed rest after my jaw fracture, the day I got up is when I decided that professional boxing needs to have a structure in India. I wanted to give other people the chance I couldn't get because I wasn’t guided. I want all Indian boxers to have the right guidance to succeed in this sport. As of now I have 70 Professional boxers with me and most of them are 1st rankers in India.

Q 2) What do you look for in an aspiring boxer that will give you an indication of their talent?

A professional boxer needs to have a hardcore style with good feet movement, the foundation has to be strong. So I see the boxer's style first to judge his potential and overall talent. I observe his amatuer record because after turning professional many boxers restart their process to make their foundation stronger. I check his achivements in amatuer, national and state level. Apart from that, I look at how much heart and courage the fighter has. Whether he has fear and how much capacity of punches he is able to endure. I check all these through videos of his fights and conversations with his coaches to see if he has what it takes to become a professional.



Q 3) Who are some of the most notable names that have trained under you? How do you use social media to scout for young talent?

I primarily focus on boxing related content on social media to build awareness for boxing and pro-boxing amongst boxers as well as general audience. Social media has been a great tool that helps me to connect with boxers and boxing fans. Many boxers reach out to through Instagram for guidance, especially those who want to turn pro. Surprisingly, many people who are doing boxing for fitness right now are keen on starting their professional career which would be technically very difficult but it’s good to see that boxing is getting more popular day by day. Earlier, if I saw someone's name in BoxRec and ametuer records, then first and foremost I check their Instagram before anything else but most of the Indian boxers are active on Instagram but not too much, which is why you don’t get an idea about their impact. Now, I personally contact people and ask for videos. I also research about them and ask around. Faizan Anwar is one of our boxers who we have moved to Dubai under Round 10 and D4G boxing promotions and currently is managed by Jose Mohan and me. There aren’t many training facilities in India for boxing so he has moved to Dubai. There he has another management team and all of us together are managing him. There are other boxers like Satish Karthik, Arshad Asif Khan, Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Kaur who are ranked number one in India who are all managed by me.

Also read: From Assam to Tokyo: How Lovlina Borgohain captured a billion hearts with bronze at the Olympics

Q 4) Do you think India can provide a good platform for aspiring boxers, seeing as you had to move to Hong Kong to pursue your professional career?

This is what is happening now, Mandeep Jangra who is an Arjuna Awardee and Asian Championship silver medalist moved to the US because India does not have a proper training platform or structure in professional boxing. I need the sponsor's support and need to build a proper training platform so that I can support India’s B grade boxers. India's top class boxers like Shiva Thapa or others want to turn into professional boxers but India still does not have a structure.

If you look at the Tokyo Olympics, 7 to 8 boxers or maybe even more were a part of the Men’s and Women’s team. In professional boxing a lot of things take place in a year other than training, there is personal management which takes care of the diet, handling social media, improving mental health along with boxing and also financial support for every fight. If we start this culture in India, I am sure we can win more medals in the 2024 Olympics. This time out of 9 boxers, we got 1 medal and can improve this tally next time. Many boxers want to turn professional and amatuer. In amatuer boxing, there is only one event in a year that is the National Championship. The medal winners will be in the Indian camp, any promising boxer who loses in the quarterfinals or earlier has to wait for a year, in the meantime can turn into a professional boxer and can play matches regularly and thus the platform for the boxers will be ready.

Q 5) What are some of the challenges that you have faced, both as a professional boxer and a coach? How did you overcome them?

I did not have much experience as a professional boxer. Having fought 2,3 bouts, I was then affected by an injury. As a professional boxer I did not get many fights and did not receive any guidance, I was doing it by myself. Unlike amateur boxing, we currently don’t have a proper structure and mechanism for professional boxing in India. To succeed in professional boxing, there is a need for strong coaching, management and promotion. Since 2016, AIBA is allowing boxers to compete in both amateur and professional platforms simultaneously, thus bringing a major change in boxing world. It is time for us to learn from developed and leading boxing countries, and focus more on professional boxing. In India since there is no proper management, boxers fail to get good quality bouts, many boxers don’t have the basic foundation in boxing, boxers who are not even district champions turn into professional boxing. Professional boxing is a lot more complex and tougher than amatuer boxing. Experience is a major factor turning into professional boxing, this is one of the major challenges I have faced. Those boxers who I promote just want to fight blindly, they are not aware of the rankings and the experience after the fight. In order to overcome these challenges I want to set up a training academy for professional boxing. Cult has helped me a lot by using their facilities to promote professional boxing from the start, because of them I have over 70 boxers in which some are champion boxers. They also provide nutrition management and strong financial support.

Q 6) Do you believe that some of your trainees will represent India at the 2024 Olympics and hopefully win medals for the country?

Yes, I am sure that there will be individuals who will represent the country at the 2024 Olympic Games. I have been preparing for them since 2019 and it takes years of training. It not only takes individual effort but there is also a lot of teamwork involved. In professional boxing, there will be boxers who have trained under me who will perform very well in the 2024 Olympics and hopefully win a medal as well.

Dubai, Aug 7 (Cricket news) None of the international players competing in the IPL will have to serve quarantine but the franchise members and families could face punishment if there is a "bubble breach", according to the health and safety protocols released by the BCCI ahead of the T20 tournament which will resume next month at the UAE.

The remaining matches of the Indian Premier League, which was suspended in April after multiple bio bubble breach, will now take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 19 with the Chennai Super Kings taking on defending champions Mumbai Indians.

"Breach of any Bio-Secure Environment protocols by franchise members or their families will be subject to disciplinary action by the BCCI," the governing body said in its Health and Safety protocols, a copy of which is in possession of PTI.

The IPL will see participation of players from across the globe, including from Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, West Indies and Bangladesh, among others.

According to the protocols, "All franchise team members must undergo a COVID-19 RT-PCR test, 72 hours before their scheduled flight ... All individuals must quarantine themselves and avoid contact with others after the RT-PCR test.

"All members whose RT-PCR test result is negative may travel to the franchise's city of choice," it stated, which means that there is no quarantine for international players.

The document also said, "depending on the country of flight departure, all international passengers arriving at Dubai airport are required to display a negative RT-PCR test report for sample taken between 48-72 hours before their scheduled flight.

"For passengers arriving from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, it is mandatory that the COVID-19 PCR report includes a QR code linked to the original report for verification process," it added.

The document also laid down the process which the "franchise team members and their families would undertake" for "entering and remaining within the Bubble." "They may only leave the Bubble in unavoidable circumstances. However, for unscheduled visits prior permission must be sought from the BCCI Chief Medical Officer before leaving the Bubble.

"Re-entry to the Bubble is only permitted after completing 6 full days quarantine and confirmation that all 3 results of the RT-PCR tests for samples collected on day 2,4 and 6 are negative," stated the protocols.

Also read: I had doubts I would ever play for England again: Seamer Ollie Robinson

It also outlined what needs to be done in case anyone has to visit a hospital for any investigation.

"In exceptional circumstances, if members within a bubble are required to visit a hospital for investigation and/or treatment, green corridors will be created to avoid close contact with any individuals who are outside their Bio-Secure Bubbles," it said.

"(A) team member and accompanying team staff must wear PPE and sanitise their hands frequently during hospital visits. In the interest of the health and safety of the other members of the team, all members must follow the prescribed guidelines in this Health and Safety document to maintain the sanctity of the Bio-Secure environment." The document also explained in detail the measures that need to be followed by the players, support staff, BCCI officials, ground staff, the vendors and rules related to Bubble-to-Bubble transfer and instructions about pre-IPL preparatory camps.

News source: PTI 

Dubai, Aug 2 (Cricket news) India is producing enough talent in the fast bowling department with promising speed merchants ready to take over when it is time for Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah to hand over the baton.

The former Australian great feels that bench strength has been crucial to India's success in the recent years. "A word here about the Indian bowling attack, which I feel has been fantastic," Lee added.

"They have experienced bowlers and some good young guys coming through. They have enough pace, are excited and enthusiastic, ready to take over from the likes of Bumrah and Shami. This trend may help India do well for the next 10, 15 or even 20 years," Lee told ICC website.

Also read: Sri Lanka all-rounder Isuru Udana retires from international cricket

After making it to the final of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship, India will kick off the 2021-23 edition with a five-match series against England, with the first Test starting August 4.

"The bench strength is crucial for a team to do well and India’s performance in Australia bears testimony to that," said Lee.

It's about having 16 to 17 players of same quality and that has made the difference.

"Teams are not of just 11 players anymore. There are some 16-17 of them and it is about having others who are good enough to stand up at the world level at any given time.

"Also, with travelling in bubbles, there will be players who get extended rests and others who get fatigued, but that is how the times are." 

News source: PTI

(Boxing news) Mahi Raghav, two time Khelo India Youth Games champion cruised into the 63 kg final by defeating Nikita from Rajasthan at the 4th Junior Girls National Boxing Championship at Delhi Public School (DPS), Sonipat on Friday.

Having won back to back medals at the Khelo India Youth Games in 2019 and 2020, Mahi secured a 3-2 victory and will now take on Punjab’s Arshdeep Kaur for a gold medal on Saturday. Arshdeep emphatically won her semi-final clash 5-0 against Andhra Pradesh’s Deepika Sundi.

Haryana boxers have secured a place in the finals for each weight category and apart from Mahi, Muskan (46kg), Vishu Rathee (48kg), Neha (50kg), Tanu (52kg), Aarzoo (54kg), Anchal Saini (57kg), Kanishka Maan (60kg), Saneha (66kg), Rudrika (70kg), Pranjal Yadav (75kg), Sanjana (80kg), Kirti (+81kg) have also progressed to the finals that will take place on Saturday.

Also read: Yuberjen Martinez Rivas knocks out Amit Panghal 4-1 in Men’s Flyweight Round of 16

The Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) maintained their fine form at the semi-finals of the 3rd Junior Boys National Boxing Championships where nine of their boxers Harsh (46kg), Neeru (48kg), Nikhil (52kg), Ashish (54kg), Preet Malik (63kg), Ankush Panghal (66kg), Jackson Singh Laishram (70kg), Naksh Beniwal (75kg) and Rhythm Sangawan (+80kg) reached the final. Anshul (57kg), Yashwardhan Singh (60kg), Gagandeep (66kg), Gaurav Saini (70kg), Ishan Kataria (75kg) and Bharat Njoon (+80kg) from Haryana will compete for the gold medal in their respective categories.

Nearly 500 boxers (298 boys and 201 girls) competed in the third edition of Junior Boys and fourth edition of Junior Girls National Boxing Championships. The top performers will be selected for the 2021 ASBC youth and junior boxing championships which will take place in Dubai from August 17 to 31st.

(Boxing news) Sonipat, Jul 29 Defending champions Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) extended their impressive run at the third Junior Boys National Boxing Championships as seven of their pugilists progressed to the quarter-finals here on Thursday.

Harsh started the proceedings for SSCB with a flawless unanimous victory against Madhya Pradesh's Gaurav Baghel in the 46kg round of 16 bout.

Neeru (48kg), Nikhil (52kg), Ashish (54kg), Vinay Vishwakarma (57kg), Henthoi (60kg) and Preet Malik (63kg) were the other SSCB pugilists who entered the quarter-finals in their respective categories.

Haryana -- the second-placed team of last edition, also had a glorious day with an equal number of boxers making their way into the last-eight stage.

Also read : SSCB dominate in junior boxing

Sahil provided the winning start for his team when he outperformed Punjab's Sumit 5-0 in the 48kg last-16 bout.

The 2019 Asian Schoolboy Championships gold medallist Yashwardhan Singh further extended the momentum and registered unanimous victory against Maharashtra's Huzef Apradh.

Saurabh (50kg), Pankaj Kumar (52kg), Akshat (54kg), Anshul (57kg) and Milan Deswal (63kg) also emerged victorious for Haryana in their respective pre-quarterfinals.

The third edition of junior boys and fourth edition of junior girls nationals, with participation of nearly 500 boxers (298 boys and 201 girls), is significant as the top performers will be selected for the 2021 ASBC youth and junior boxing championships, which is slated to take place in Dubai from August 17 to 31. 

News source : PTI

Sonipat, Jul 28 (Boxing news) Haryana boxer Mahi Raghav progressed to the quarterfinals after defeating Delhi's Gargi Tomar on day 2 of the 4th Junior Girls National Boxing Championships here on Wednesday.

Mahi, who had clinched the gold medal at the Golden Girl Championships in Sweden last year, registered an unanimous victory in the opening round bout of women's 63kg category.

Apart from Mahi, Tanu (52kg), Rudrika (70kg) and Sanjana (80kg) extended the winning momentum for Haryana and advanced into the next round in their respective categories.

Three Maharashtra boxers also emerged victorious on Tuesday.

Also read: Indian women boxers continue to flourish as Pooja Rani records victory in Tokyo

Srushti Raskar notched up 5-0 victory against Assam's Manalisha Basumatary in the 57kg preliminary bout, while Sana Gonsalves (63kg) and Jagruti Both (70kg) defeated Gujarat's Janhvi Surolia and Tamil Nadu's Srimathi S respectively with referee stopping the contest in the first round of both the bouts.

On the second day, 29 bouts were played in the 4th edition of the event while 65 matches took place in the 3rd Junior Boys National Championships.

The event is an opportunity for boxers to showcase their skills as top performers will be selected for the 2021 ASBC youth and junior boxing championships, which is slated to take place in Dubai from August 17 to 31.

News source: PTI

Dubai, Jul 28 (Cricket news) India captain Virat Kohli and senior batsman KL Rahul stayed put at fifth and sixth position respectively in the latest ICC rankings for the T20 International batsmen issued on Wednesday.

However, both Rahul and Kohli are not part of the Indian team that is playing a T20 series in Sri Lanka, the dividends of which were reaped by pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who moved up to 16th position in the bowlers' list after his 4/22 in the first game last Sunday.

Also read: India-NZ final most watched across all WTC series: ICC

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who was economical in the first game, has gained 10 places to be 21st on that list where Sri Lankan Wanindu Hasaranga with a stellar performance is placed second.

In the T20I batsmen's list, Rohit Sharma has dropped to 14th without playing while Shikhar Dhawan after his 38-ball-46 is now 29th.

In the ODI list, Kohli and Rohit trail Pakistan's Babar Azam in the top-10 while Jasprit Bumrah is the lone Indian at seventh in the bowlers' table.

In the all-rounder's list, Ravindra Jadeja remained static at No 9.

News source: PTI 

Dubai, Jul 28 (Cricket news) The India-New Zealand final in Southampton last month was the most watched across all series that were part of the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC), with a total global audience of 177 million, the ICC said on Wednesday.

The live viewership of the Test played between June 18 and 23 had touched 130.6 million across 89 territories.

India contributed most of the audience with Star Sports and national broadcaster Doordarshan accounting for a whopping 94.6 per cent consumption of the intensely contested match that saw New Zealand complete an eight-wicket win on the reserve day.

In addition to the English-language world feed, Star had produced local language feeds in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

ICC Chief Commercial Officer Anurag Dahiya said, "The viewership data for broadcast and digital coverage of the ICC World Test Championship Final presents a really heartening picture, showing strong consumption across territories and languages as well as formats.

"The ICC always strives to give the best possible viewership experience and will continue to invest in resources that enhance the viewing pleasure and engagement of our fans," he was quoted as saying in an ICC release.

The viewership was also impressive in New Zealand, considering its small population and the inconvenient time of broadcast, with over 200,000 people staying up all night or waking up very early in the mornings to watch their team win the battle of attrition and lift the coveted Test Mace on Sky Sport.

In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports recorded the highest-rated match in the 2019-2021 WTC cycle for a match not involving hosts England and the Reserve Day was also the most watched day of a non-England Test match since 2015.

The launch of ICC's OTT platform ICC.tv resulted in an additional 665,100 live views from over 145 territories outside of the key broadcast markets, totaling 14 million viewing minutes.

Also read: England tour: India has centre wicket training; Pant bats in the nets

ICC digital platforms witnessed total views of over 500 million across all video content watched during the match window. Facebook provided most of the consumption across ICC digital assets with 423 million views and 368 million minutes consumed on the ICC Page.

The Reserve Day saw the most views ever recorded across the ICC Facebook page on a single day, with 65.7 million individual views across the 24-hour period, surpassing the 64.3 million enjoyed during the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.

Instagram added a further 70 million individual views across the final. Further contributions from the ICC website and mobile app, as well ICC's channels on Twitter and YouTube, took the total video views to 515 million.

News source: PTI 

Sonepat, Jul 27 (Boxing news) Service Sports Control Board (SSCB) began strongly in the 3rd Junior Boys National Boxing Championships with eight of their pugilists winning their opening bouts here.

Harsh started the proceedings for SSCB in a quite commanding manner as he out-punched Niraj Sah of Steel Plant Sports Board (SPSB) by a unanimous decision in the 46kg opening round match.

Later in the 54kg, Ashish also defeated Gujarat's Atul Sahani as the referee stopped the contest (RSC) in the first round of the face-off.

Rajan (50kg), Henthoi (60kg), Ankush Panghal (66kg), Jackson Singh Laishram (70kg), Naksh Beniwal (75kg) and Rhythm Sangawan (+80kg) were the other boxers who registered victories on Monday in their respective opening round matches and ensured perfect day for SSCB with all-win record.

Earlier last week, SSCB emerged champions in the 4th Youth Men's National Boxing Championships with 10 medals (7 gold and 3 silver).

Fourth edition of the Junior Girls National Championships was also kickstarted on Monday and 28 bouts were fought with 201 boxers participating from across the country, including Haryana, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Mizoram.

Also read: Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain defeats Germany’s Nadine Apetz 3-2 in round of 16 women’s welterweight division

The boys event witnessed the presence of 298 boxers while 65 bouts took place on opening day.

The on-going championships is being played with AIBA's newly-introduced weight divisions -- 13 categories in men's event and 12 for women.

The event will also be a selection trial for the youth and junior Asian championship, which is slated to take place in Dubai from August 17 to 31.

News source: PTI