Paarl (South Africa), Jan 19 (Cricket News) Star batter Virat Kohli on Wednesday surpassed the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's tally of 5065 runs to become the Indian player with most runs in away One-day Internationals.

He achieved the feat during the first ODI against South Africa here. Kohli made 51 off 63 balls, with the help of three boundaries.

Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara (5,518) holds the top spot for most runs in overseas ODIs.

When he reached 27, Kohli also went past former skippers Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid for most runs scored against the Proteas.

Succeeded recently by Rohit Sharma as India's full-time limited overs skipper, Kohli came into the game with 1287 runs.

Kohli now remains only behind Tendulkar, who has scored 2,001 runs against South Africa in ODIs, the most by any player across countries.

In the overall list, Kohli is now the sixth-highest run-scorer against South Africa. Apart from Tendulkar, Kohli is behind Ricky Ponting (1,879), Kumar Sangakkara (1,789), Steve Waugh (1,581), and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (1,559).

Kohli shocked the cricket fraternity last week by announcing his decision to step down as India's Test captain, a day after the team lost the three-match series 1-2. 

Also Read : Ireland win toss, invite India to bat in U19 World Cup

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Jan 19 (Football News) A title has eluded eight-time champions China in the last four editions of the women's AFC Asian Cup but head coach Shui Qingxia says her side would fancy its chances this time.

China last won the trophy in 2006 after claiming the title for an unprecedented seven editions on the trot from 1986 to 1999. They have finished runners-up in 2008, third in 2024 and 2018.

"As the head coach and also from the point of view of the Chinese women's national team, we wish to do our best and to win the trophy, definitely," said the 55-year-old Qingxia, who will be in her first international match as head coach on Thursday against Chinese Taipei.

"Our wish is to go to the final and win the trophy. Of course, we know this requires a little bit of luck as well." Qingxia is a legend in her country as she is a five-time Asian champion as a player.

While there are a handful of new faces, Qingxia’s squad retains the experienced core of Wang Shanshan, Wang Shuang and Zhang Rui, although regular captain and defensive lynchpin Wu Haiyan has been ruled out of the tournament owing to an injury.

A major boost to the Steel Roses' chances came in the form of Tottenham Hotspur forward Tang Jiali, who has returned to the side after being unexpectedly overlooked for their Tokyo Olympics campaign.

Qingxia said Jiali may not be an immediate starter having played a full match in a 1-1 draw against West Ham United as recently as Sunday night.

"Tang Jiali had a match in England on the 16th, and after discussion between the team we decided that Tang would travel after that match," she explained.

Having won the title thrice in the 1970s and 80s, Chinese Taipei have qualified for the showpiece tournament after a 14-year absence.

"Among the team members from 2008, from that moment we have only two members in the (current) team,” said head coach Kazuo Echigo.

"Everything feels brand new for us, and I'm so excited." Chinese Taipei have never beaten China in over three decades of trying, with their most recent attempt ending in a comprehensive 0-5 defeat during the Tokyo Olympics qualifying.

The current squad is dominated by domestic players, with only two goalkeepers -- Tsai Ming-Jung and Cheng Ssu-Yu -- registered to overseas clubs in Japan. 

Also Read : Asian Cup: Two members of Indian team test COVID positive on eve of tournament

News Source : PTI

Tarouba (Trinidad), Jan 19 (Cricket News) Ireland skipper Tim Tector won the toss and opted to bowl against India in a Group B Under-19 World Cup match at Brian Lara stadium, here on Wednesday.

India have surprisingly rested their regular skipper Yash Dhull and Nishant Sindhu is leading the side in his place.

Shaik Rasheed is also not playing as Garv Sangwan and Aneeshwar Gautam made it to the playing XI.

India won their first match against South Africa by 45 runs.

Teams: India U19: Nishant Sindhu (C) Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Harnoor Singh, Raj Bawa, Kaushal Tambe, Dinesh Bana, Garv Sangwan, Vicky Ostwal, Aneeshwar Gautam, Rajvardhan Hangargekar and Ravi Kumar.

Ireland U19: Tim Tector (C), Liam Doherty, David Vincent, Jack Dickson, Joshua Cox, Philippus le Roux, Scott MacBeth, Nathan McGuire, Matthew Humphreys, Jamie Forbes and Muzamil Sherzad. 

Also Read : South Africa post 296-4 against India in 1st ODI

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Jan 19 (Football News) COVID-19 breached the Indian women's football team's bio-security bubble here on Wednesday ahead of the AFC Asian Cup with two players testing positive for the virus, forcing the organisers to shift them to a medical facility for isolation.

"Two members of the Indian Women's Senior National Team for the AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022 have tested positive for COVID-19, and are currently in isolation at a designated medical care facility," the All India Football Federation (AIFF) tweeted.

"The AIFF prioritises the health and safety of its players, and are following all," the organising federation wrote in another tweet.

One of the players would have featured in the starting XI in the campaign opener against Iran, a source close to the AIFF said.

Hosts India open their campaign in the continental showpiece against Iran at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

The tournament assumes significance as the top-five finishers will book a place in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

India are grouped with China, Chinese Taipei and Iran in Group A. 

Also Read : Attention of footballing world shifts to India: AFC chief ahead of women's Asian Cup

News Source : PTI

Paarl (South Africa), Jan 19 (Cricket News) Opting to bat, South Africa posted a challenging 296 for four against India in the first ODI of the three-match series here on Wednesday.

Skipper Temba Bavuma hit a restrained 110 off 143 balls, while Rassie van der Dussen blasted an entertaining 129 not out off 96 balls to lift South Africa from 68 for three to close to 300-run mark.

The duo added 204 runs for the fourth wicket.

For India, Jasprit Bumrah (2/48) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/53) were among the wicket-takers.

Brief Scores: South Africa: 296 for 4 in 50 overs (Rassie van der Dussen 129 not out, Temba Bavuma 110; Jasprit Bumrah 2/48). 

Also Read : Gaby Lewis named in ICC Women's T20I Team of the Year

News Source : PTI

To all the readers, fans and enthusiasts! After a lengthy break, your beloved combat sports author is back with your favorite MMA news!

2022 is going to be an excellent year for all MMA fans and no better way to start the year with covering the most anticipated featherweight fight between ranked number 8 Giga ‘Ninja’ Chikadze and ranked number 4 Calvin Kattar.

The first fight card of the year, UFC Vegas 46 also featured Brandon Royval who took on Rogerio Bontorin and Katlyn Chookigian who fought the tough Jennifer Maia.

TWTW: The Week That Was

The main event of the evening was to decide who climbs up the ladder and eventually gets a shot at UFC Gold. The contest between #8 Georgian kickboxer Chikadze and #4 Calvin Kattar looked excellent on paper and at the press con. But it all changed once the cage doors shut and the two combatants put their skills to the test.

On a 9 fight winning streak and spectacular finish of Edson Barboza, Chikadze showed he had enough fire power in his arsenal to take out Kattar and eventually talk his way to the title shot. Kattar on the other hand, had been handed over the beating of a lifetime in his last contest versus Max Holloway (who eventually sealed the deal in securing a title shot) in January 2021. Kattar has been out of action since and scheduled his return to face a high-on-confidence Chikadze.

The fight went to the decision with a clear winner handed to Kattar. With a staggering 144 significant strikes over 25 minutes, Kattar had caused severe damage to Chikadze for him to recover or retaliate in time. Katlyn Chookagian had another impressive win on her roster facing the dangerous Jennifer Maia. Chookagian is on a 3 fight win streak and from what we hear, this was her last fight on the current contract. We hope the UFC re-sign her and she has the opportunity to work her way back to the title.

Another impressive much needed win for top flyweight contender Brandon Royval was on display versus the tough Brazilian Rogerio Bontorin. Both the fighters were coming in on a 2 fight losing skid and desperately needed a victory to stay relevant. The fight itself showed a lot of back and forth with both contenders putting on their best foot forward. The fight was so close that it went to a split decision in favor of Royval. A much deserved win for the Factory X loyalist!

WCU: What's Coming Up?

We have the most anticipated heavyweight title fight between friends-turned-foes Francis Ngannou taking on fellow Frenchman Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 happening at Honda Centre on 23/January/2022 (Indian Standard Time). The card also features the trilogy between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo for the Flyweight belt.

Find the entire fight card below:

The unusual 4 fight main card looks stacked with Andre Fialho making it to the main card to make the most of his opportunity. The 2 major battles on UFC 270 would be the co-main event of the evening for the Flyweight belt and the main event of the evening for the heavyweight belt. It's also an odd co-main and main event as the lightest weight category in the UFC is followed by the heaviest weight category in the promotion. It's surely going to be a treat for all the fans as they will witness the fastest fighters on the roster and the hardest hitting fighters on the same card.

In the flyweight division, Mexican champion Moreno is looking to defend his belt versus the man that beat him in a close majority draw in their encounter in December 2020. A fight that post people thought should have gone to Moreno. Their rematch was booked at UFC 263 in June 2021 where Figueiredo was deemed favorite to retain the belt. From the bell go, Moreno showed a revived approach to the game and dominated from the very first bell. The movement and odd angle strikes were sufficient to tire out the champ and it was evident the end would be near.

Also read: Judo has given me a new life and I aim to represent India in the Paralympics - Para Judo athlete Priya Keer

In round 3, Moreno upped the pace and pressured Figueiredo, pushed him against the cage, eventually locking in a nasty rear naked choke to seal the deal and become Mexico’s first UFC champ. This time around at 1 fight win each, Moreno and Figueiredo will aim to put their best foot forward and look to show the world who is the best Flyweight walking on planet earth. It will be an interesting contest and a clash between speed and power.

Crystal Ball Prediction: Moreno retains the belt as the flyweight champion of the world.

The main event of the evening is the battle of former teammates and training partners turned foes Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane, both coached by Fernand Lopez. While Francis was already in the UFC and had his first title shot against Stipe, Ciryl Gane entered the same stable looking to make a mark in MMA after a decorated career in Kickboxing.

Not only have these two heavyweights sparred, but they have been in such close proximity with each other, they have studied each other and are very familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses. However, a lot has changed since Francis left MMA Factory in 2018 and made Xtreme Couture as his new Gym.

The contest is going to be a classic war between friends turned foes but the backstory of Francis’s issue with fighter pay, being on his last fight on the current contract and the swiftness of his opponent is not going to be an easy task for him to deal with. Fernand Lopez, who coached Francis initially, clearly will utilize all his knowledge of his former student and help the current loyalist Ciryl Gane capture the belt that often is synonymous to being the Baddest Man on the Planet.  

Who will reign supreme at UFC 270? Only time will tell.

Crystal Ball Prediction: Ciryl Gane defeats Ngannou and becomes the New Heavyweight Champion of the world.

Make your predictions on the fights and get a chance to win some cool merchandise from Monster Energy. It's easy:

1) Make Your predictions

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About the author

Somesh Kamra is a professional mixed martial artist specializing in Muay Thai. He has designed many effective training programs for Superhuman Gym and the Police Academy. His knowledge of hand to hand combat is unbeaten and has been a success story for many students. Somesh Kamra is educated from the University of Gold's Gym in the field of physical fitness that includes strength training, plyometrics & cardiovascular training for muscular conditioning.

He works closely with the UFC for India and serves as the panelist for the TV Show – The Ultimate Guide to UFC and Pit Stop on Sony Sports Network. Somesh runs India’s first combat podcast – The Fighting G.O.A.T produced exclusively by the IVM Podcast Network. 

Instagram: Somesh.Kamra 
 
Twitter: Somesh_Kamra

(Esports news) India's first and leading homegrown men's grooming essential brand, The Man Company, has joined with Irony Esports, a community-first esports platform, and GamerzArena to launch a first-of-its kind gaming championship called Free Fire-Gentlemen Got Game Championship. The partnership will help The Man Company's awareness-to-action journey and take the 'bring out the gentlemen' in you to new heights. The collaboration is a step further to connect with young gamers through esports, live streaming, and gaming channels.

Through this championship, The Man Company is following the Gen Z culture of live-streaming, passion economy, video gaming, and internet-based interest communities. The 'Gentlemen Got Game' initiative include Gen Z in their vision to create an evolved generation and motivate them to learn three key tenets of the Gentlemen's Code of Conduct; a gentleman is respectful towards all, keeps grooming and hygiene standards, and most importantly, online or offline, he is aware of the diversity in culture, ethnicity, and identities.

The Free Fire-Gentlemen Got Game Championship is based on a popular battle royale game Free Fire for which the registrations have started  for 1000 team slots and will end on January 19. It is open for all and can be registered through the GamerzArena website. The Grand Finale will be held on January 29 and 30. The championship has a dual format that allows both 'open' and 'invited' teams to participate. It will be conducted across five phases after starting on January 20. The winning teams will receive prize money of INR 1 lakh plus a gift hamper. All the participants will be given exclusive discount codes. 

Speaking on this occasion, Hitesh Dhingra, Co-founder, The Man Company, said, "As we embark on the 2022 journey, we have decided not to make hard to complete new year resolutions but instead start a revolution in the right spirit. Since inception, we have been on the quest to promote inside-out grooming, and with the 'Gentlemen Got Game' theme we have decided to take our awareness-to-action journey to a new level."

"Our motive is to fortify our ties with Gen Z as they are the future of our country through a medium in which they are comfortable. The intent is to start instilling the Gentleman Code of Conduct in them at a young age wherein they are more likely to absorb these relevant yet unprecedented thoughts. You can't force someone to grow up as a gentleman. It is a matter of choice. We are simply here to help them make this choice in the right spirit." He added

Further, Tushaar Garg, Founder & CEO, Irony Esports, said “In today’s internet culture nothing is more resonating, relatable and relevant for the everyday Indian gaming aficionado than ‘Bring Out the Gentleman in You’ message. I am pleased that The Man Company has identified gaming, esports and live streaming as a fertile ground for this story-telling and community building that will propel gen z to be mindful, real and authentic in their conduct. “

Brian Wilneff, Chief Executive Officer at Alpha Metaverse Technologies Inc. ‘’We are pleased to work with 'The Man Company' in their endeavor to not only provide the best product for their consumer, but also meet them in an environment that their consumer thrives in. Organic marketing through video games shows just how forward thinking 'The Man Company' is. With our expertise in the development and expansion of the Metaverse, this partnership provides 'The Man Company' an exciting entry point into the space for years to come.

Also read: ONE Esports signs Partnership with Samsung, app to be released later this year

(Basketball news) With the NBA season in full flow there are a lot of players that have gone unnoticed this season. These players are not only contributing to their respective teams but also having amazing productivity when scoring or supporting their big name players. Basketball is a commonplace where  players are called ‘bust’ way too early in their career. Sometimes players have too much expectation as they are top picks that didn’t have instant success or take time to adjust to the big occasions. So let us take a look at these underrated players this season:

3) Lonzo Ball (Chicago Bulls) 
After his tumultuous seasons for the Lakers and the Pelicans, it looks like Lonzo Ball has finally got his mojo back. This season Lonzo is currently averaging around 13 points per game, five rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block this season. He is also shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc. If his stats hold to form he could be making history as one of two guards in NBA history to average at least a dozen points per game, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block, while shooting at least 40 percent from beyond the arc.

So far this season, Lonzo is playing the perfect role in Billy Donavan’s offense as well as defense. He’s not the flashiest scorer, especially compared to someone like DeRozan or star shooting guard Zach LaVine, but his impact on both ends of the floor is definitely being felt in a big way.

2) Jordan Poole (Golden State Warriors)
This season one of the breakout stars has been Jordan Poole as he’s been averaging 17 points a game with almost 40% shooting from behind the arc. He was drafted at number 30 last season but has gone from strength to strength in the absences of their talisman Klay Thompson. He is the perfect balance of the off ball movement and on ball creation that helps him get free shots and also be the perfect partner in crime for Steph Curry. 

Throughout the 2020-21 season, Poole showed he had talent on and off-ball to navigate through screens and make lazy opponents pay. With the ball, Poole began to flash his craftiness as a dribbler and the minute details in his footwork made him a deadly scorer even without elite speed or athleticism but this season with a little bit of freedom from Steve Kerr has actually unleashed a very good player. Poole is having such a good season that he might end up with the Most Improved Player award this season.

Also read: NBA: The MVP race is hotting up as the season heads towards its midpoint

1) Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies)
The Grizzlies are having an extraordinary season this year as they have third in the Western Conference league and also the by far one of the best teams in the league currently. Desmond Bane has been an integral clog in the team as he is averaging 16.2 PPG, 4.4 REB, 2.3 AST . When Ja Morant was sidelined due to injury, the Grizzlies needed someone to step up. They got all that and more in second year guard Desmond Bane. Nearly doubling his scoring average from last year, Bane has been a key scoring threat for the Grizzlies. Unlike many other players on this list, Bane is an excellent scorer and shooter off-the-dribble. With a combination of hesitations and quick step-backs, his bag runs deep. The Grizzlies have an exciting young core and Bane will be a player to watch out for in the future. This Grizzlies team is pushing well above their expectation as their young core group of players have a genuine chance at the NBA title if they continue playing like this 
 

Mumbai, Jan 19 (Football News) The attention of the footballing world shifts to India, the games Asian chief Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said on Wednesday in a message ahead of the women's continental showpiece here.

The 20th edition of women's AFC Asian Cup will kick off when eight-time champions China face Chinese Taipei in Thursday's first match at Mumbai Football Arena. Hosts India open their campaign against Iran in Thursday's second match at DY Patil Satdium in Navi Mumbai.

The third venue of the tournament is the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune.

“The attention of the footballing world shifts to India tomorrow, and I wish all teams the very best in the tournament. Your performances on the pitch will be watched by millions worldwide including young girls who will aspire to follow in your footsteps,” Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Shaikh Salman said in his message.

“The AFC Women’s Asian Cup is a competition that is rich in history and continues to be the catalyst for the development of women’s football in Asia.

“I must thank all the participating teams, our stakeholders and the Local Organising Committee for sharing the AFC’s ambitions to organise the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 with the health and safety of everyone as our highest priority." On Friday, reigning champions Japan begin their title defence against Myanmar in Pune. The 2010 champions and runners-up in the last two editions Australia face Indonesia, who are making their first appearance in the tournament since 1986, at Mumbai Football Arena on Friday.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup will boast a stellar field of international icons like Sam Kerr of Australia, who recently finished second in both Ballon d'Or and the FIFA Best Awards, Saki Kumagai of Japan, and Ji So-yun of Korea Republic, while emerging talents are expected to light up the showpiece. 

Also Read : Bagan ready to re-launch top-four ambitions with Blasters encounter

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Jan 19 (Cricket News) Star India opener Smriti Mandhana was on Wednesday named in the ICC T20 women's Team of the Year for her superlative show in the format in 2021 but no Indian made the men's side.

The stylish Southpaw, who is the Indian team's vice-captain in the format, was the country's highest scorer in the format in 2021 with 255 runs at an average of 31.87.

The 25-year-old scored two fifties in the nine matches she played and got her team off to rapid starts regularly, as evident up by her strike-rate of 131.44.

While Mandhana was the only Indian, several members of the English side feature in the team with Nat Scriver being named captain.

The experienced England all-rounder produced many impactful performances throughout the year. Batting in the middle-order, Sciver scored a total of 153 runs, including one fifty, and she also picked up 10 wickets at an excellent average of 20.20.

Accompanying Mandhana at the top is England's Tammy Beaumont. The 30-year-old's reliable presence at the top of the order helped England off to steady starts regularly. She played nine matches and amassed 303 runs at an average of 33.66, including three fifties.

Danni Wyatt, wicketkeeper Amy Jones and spinner Sophie Ecclestone are the other English players in the side.

Gaby Lewis of Ireland, South African trio of Laura Wolvaardt, Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp and Zimbabwe's Loryn Phiri make up the rest of the playing XI.

No Indian in the ICC Men's T20 Team of the Year ============================== There was no Indian representation in ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year 2021, which featured three Pakistanis including skipper Babar Azam, who has been named captain.

Apart from Azam, opener Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi, who had a sensational T20 World Cup were name in the squad.

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh and pacer Josh Hazelwood, who played a vital role in winning Australia's maiden T20 World Cup title, featured in the team while the trio of South Africans Aiden Markram, David Miller and Tabraiz Shamsi also made it to the playing XI.

Flamboyant wicketkeeper batter Jos Buttler was the sole member of the England team in the ICC side.

Teams: Women: Smriti Mandhana (India), Tammy Beaumont (England), Danni Wyatt (England), Gaby Lewis (Ireland), Nat Sciver (c) (England), Amy Jones (England), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Marizanne Kapp (South Africa), Sophie Ecclestone (England), Loryn Phiri (Zimbabwe), Shabnim Ismail (South Africa).

Men: Jos Buttler (England), Mohammad Rizwan (Paksitan), Babar Azam (c) (Pakistan), Aiden Markram (South Africa) , Mitchell Marsh (Australia), David Miller (South Africa), Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa), Josh Hazlewood (Australia), Wanindu Hasanranga (Sri Lanka) , Mustafizur Rahaman (Bangladesh, Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan). 

Also Read : Kohli, Pant and Bumrah move up in latest ICC Test rankings

News Source : PTI

Vasco da Gama, Jan 19 (Football News) ATK Mohun Bagan will look to stretch their unbeaten run when they take on table-toppers Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League here on Thursday.

The Mariners have played only nine games so far with 15 points and placed sixth in the points table. A win against current league leaders Kerala would take them to the top-four with a game in hand but in Blasters, they face a team brimming with confidence.

Kerala are unbeaten in 10 games and Ivan Vukomanović can rely on a collection of attacking players who are in top form.

Adrian Luna has provided six assists in 11 matches this season for Kerala and sits at the top of the assist leaderboard along with Ahmed Jahouh and Greg Stewart. Despite it being his first year in the ISL, Luna has already started breaking assist records.

Kerala have found a dependable goalkeeper in Prabhsukhan Gill as well, the young shot-stopper impressing under the bar in his first season.

Gill has made eight appearances this season and kept four clean sheets so far. No keeper apart from Gill has kept more than two clean sheets, underlining this being a dismal year for keepers.

ATKMB, meanwhile, bolstered their backline with the addition of Sandesh Jhingan, who returned to the fold from Croatian side HNK Šibenik.

The last time the two sides met in the first game of the season, ATKMB ran out 4-2 winners under then-coach Antonio Lopez Habas.

ATKMB have conceded 18 goals in their 9 matches this season and Ferrando would be concerned about his porous defence. They have now gone seven matches without a clean sheet, their joint-highest such run in the tournament.

ATKMB will also miss the services of playmaker Hugo Boumous who is suspended for the tie. Boumous has been a crucial cog in ATKMB's attack.

In nine matches this season, he has scored five goals and provided three assists for the club. He is currently the joint highest goal scorer for the club. 

Also Read : FC Goa eyeing nothing less than victory against winless SCEB

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) The men’s draw saw the biggest casualty yet as the second round began in the 2022 Australian Open. Hubert Hurkacz at no point of time had hopes of making a comeback against Adrian Mannarino and it was also doomsday for Belinda Bencic as she was beaten by Amanda Anisimova. The doubles matches started today in both the draws.

Hurkacz movement around the court was nowhere near Mannarino who fought till the last point of the match. The 10th seed seemed to be very rigid during the rallies as the left hander did not let any service breaks go to vain. Mannarino has never gone past the third round and will be eager to reach when he faces Aslan Karatsev in the next round. Mannarino defeated Hurkacz 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.

Sebastian Korda picked up his first five set victory over Corentin Moutet in a match that lasted for almost five hours. Moutet kept attacking from the baseline with his forehand as Korda kept coming to the net and finished most of his points standing in the front. The world number 100 kept most of his strokes in the safezone while the next gen player had 92 unforced errors. In the 8th game of the deciding set, Korda surprised the whole court with a forced late reaction dropshot which left Moutet staring in agony as the chair umpire confirmed it being a legitimate shot. Korda defeated Moutet 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(2-7), 7-5, 7-6(10-6).

Karen Khachanov was an all rounder in his second round match against Benjamin Bonzi. The Russian hit 46 winners with his forehand causing the most trouble and served 19 aces. Bonzi had his chances to take it to the tiebreak in the third set but an unforced error gave Khachanov a breakpoint and a route to the third round. Khachanov defeated Bonzi 6-4, 6-0, 7-5.

In women’s singles, Tokyo Olympics singles gold medallist Belinda Bencic was beaten in straight sets by Amanda Anisimova. Bencic broke Amanda’s serve in the first game of the match but could only do it twice in the whole match. The 20 year old had 13 breakpoints in the match and could only win 5 of them but it was enough for a first time win against Bencic in their second career meeting. Amanda defeated Bencic 6-2, 7-5.

Victoria Azarenka only needed 72 minutes to beat Jil Teichmann in a one sided match. Azarenka had four breakpoints in the match which she won and Teichmann had 5 of them in the first set but could not convert any. Teichmann was also winning more points in the 1st serve overall but could only win 5 of the 24 second serves and lost 5 consecutive games in the second set. Azarenka defeated Teichmann 6-1, 6-2.

In men’s doubles, the Dutch pair of Robin Haase and Botic van de Zandschulp beat the 15th seeded pair of Jean-Julien Rojer and Marcelo Arévalo in a match that lasted for 2 hours and 40 minutes. Rojer and Arévalo lost 6 of the 7 breakpoints they had as it denied them the crucial points while Haase and Zandschulp had only won 1 of their 2 breakpoints. The numbers were against the winning pair but they played well to take the final set. Haase and Zandschulp defeated 6-7(5-7), 7-6(10-8), 10-8.

In women’s doubles, Rebecca Peterson and Anastasia Potapova beat Nina Stojanović and Irina-Camelia Begu in a 1st round upset. Rebecca and Anastasia served 8 double faults but that didn’t stop the pair in making a comeback in the deciding set to defeat Stojanović and Irina 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Also read: Kerber, Kvitova and Isner knocked in opening round of Australian Open

(Motorsports news) Maserati is finally making a comeback into motorsports as they will be part of the 2023 season of the Formula E. With the unveiling of the Gen3, Formula E claimed that the car will be the lightest, quickest, and most powerful racing vehicle to date. Maserati confirmed that it will compete in the Formula E World Championship from Season 9. Maserati will be officially involved in the 100% electric single-seater series as drivers and the team on which the Modena-based company will be revealed later. 

The legendary Maserati will race for the first time in almost 60 years, marking its return to single-seater competition since the 1950’s. It will be the first Italian company to compete in the Formula E series ever. Maserati was founded in 1914 and had won several major global championships in the 1950s. Formula E was chosen as the launchpad  to promote the company’s electrification ambitions.In 2023, Maserati will only compete in Formula E from next year as they have opted out of the GT category. The entry of Maserati will be much welcomed into the Formula E series because car manufacturers such as the likes of Mercedes EQ and Aud  have chosen not to continue with the electric series after 2022.

Maserati will compete in the ninth season of the Formula E World Championship as it  begins in January 2023. The new single-seaters will debut with power raised from 250 to 350 kW, or 470 horsepower, and a second motor-generator for enhanced energy recovery, marking a generational leap in Formula E. There will also be cars with entirely different aerodynamics and appearances, allowing veteran teams and new teams to compete on an equal footing with brand new cars that will be a level playing field for all manufacturers. The coming of such an iconic brand in the form of Maserati is not only going to help Formula E grow financially but also help attract more fans to watch the E prix. With the next gen cars being quicker and more efficient it will be an interesting watch to see if they can compete with the likes of  Porsche, DS Techeetah, Nissan, and Jaguar

Back to the Future, Back to Race” is the tagline chosen to celebrate the event, as Davide Grasso, Maserati’s COO, explains in a statement. “We are very proud to be back where we belong as protagonists in the world of racing. We are powered by passion and innovative by nature. We have a long history of world-class excellence in competition and we are ready to drive performance in the future,” said Grasso. “Beyond this piece of history, Maserati Formula E will be our technological laboratory to accelerate the development of high-efficiency electrified powertrains and intelligent software for our road sports cars.”

“Having a brand as famous as Maserati with a racing tradition is certainly one of the best days in the history of the ABB Formula E Championship,” added Formula E founder and chairman Alejandro Agag.

Also read: Hyderabad is all set to host the first ever Formula E race in India

Melbourne, Jan 19 (Tennis News) India tennis star Sania Mirza on Wednesday announced that 2022 will be her last season since her body is "wearing down" and motivation and energy for the everyday grind is not the same anymore.

Mirza, 35, had returned to tennis after giving birth to her son in March 2019 but her progress was later thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mirza made the retirement announcement after losing the Australian open women's doubles first round with partner Nadiia Kichenok.

"There's a bunch reasons for it. It's not as simple as 'okay I'm not going to play'. I do feel my recovery is taking longer, I do feel, considering my son is three years old, I'm putting him at risk by travelling so much with him, that's something I have to take into account," Mirza said at the post-match press conference.

"My body is wearing down. My knee was really hurting today and I'm not saying that's the reason we lost but I do think that it is taking time to recover as I'm getting older," she said. 

Also Read : Bopanna-Vasselin pair's campaign ends in first round

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Jan 19 (Cricket News) Indian star Virat Kohli on Wednesday moved up two places to seventh after scores of 79 and 29 in his last Test as captain in the latest ICC rankings for batters in the five-day format.

Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant's unbeaten century in the second innings of the series-deciding third Test against South Africa lifted him 10 places to 14th, while fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah's six wickets in Cape Town took him back to the top 10 in the bowling chart.

Kohli decided to quit Test captaincy a day after India lost the three-match series against South Africa 1-2, ending his seven-year reign at the helm.

In the latest weekly update that takes into account the third match of the South Africa-India series in Cape Town which the hosts won by seven wickets to clinch the World Test Championship (WTC) series, Keegan Petersen has shot up 68 places to 33rd after match-winning scores of 72 and 82.

He scored the maximum runs to claim the Player of the Series award, his 276-run aggregate helping him surge up after starting the series in 158th position.

Temba Bavuma (up seven places to 28th) and Rassie van der Dussen (up 12 places to 43rd) are the other South Africa batters to advance while fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada (up two places to third) and Lungi Ngidi (up six places to 21st) have also made notable progress.

Australia's Travis Head has reached a career-best fifth position among batters after his Player of the Match performance in the fifth match of their Ashes series against England.

Head, who scored 101 in the first innings in Hobart to finish with a series topping 357 runs that also got him clinch the Player of the Series award, has advanced seven spots to joint-fifth with India's Rohit Sharma.

Head's previous best ranking was the 10th position that he occupied last month.

All-rounder Cameron Green is another Australia player to gain after the 146-run victory that helped Australia win the series 4-0 and climb to second in the WTC points table.

Green was up 23 places to joint 66th after his scores of 74 and 23 and has also moved up 13 places to 62nd in the bowlers' list. Scott Boland has moved from 49th to 43rd with four wickets in the match.

England opener Jack Crawley has progressed nine places to 68th after scores of 18 and 36. Among their bowlers, Stuart Broad has moved up two places to 12th position after finishing with six wickets in the match while Ollie Robinson (up one place to 24th) and Mark Wood (up seven places to 31st) have also advanced.

In the ODI player rankings that consider performances from the last two matches of the West Indies-Ireland series and the first two of the Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe series, Ireland off-spinner Andy McBrine has gained 17 slots to move into the top 10 with two four-wicket hauls.

West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein has moved up two places to joint-59th.

In other major movements, Zimbabwe's Sean Williams has advanced eight places to 40th after scores of 100 and 40 and Sri Lanka batter Kariyawasa Asalanka's knocks of 71 and 23 have helped him move up 16 places to 52nd. 

Also Read : Laughable to blame The Hundred for England's Ashes defeat, says limited overs skipper Morgan

News Source : PTI

Barbados, Jan 19 (Cricket News) Limited overs skipper Eoin Morgan feels it's "laughable" to use The Hundred as an excuse for England's recent Ashes debacle and insisted that Test cricket has "always been the priority." England's Test side slumped to 0-4 Ashes series defeat in Australia last week. They were completely outplayed in four games by the hosts, while Joe Root and his men managed a draw in the fourth Test by the skin of their teeth.

Morgan's comments come after Test skipper Root urged the ECB to 'prioritise' his side following the Ashes defeat, implying there has been too much focus on limited-overs cricket since 2015.

“People that use that as an excuse don’t watch cricket,” Morgan told 'talkSPORT'.

“Test match cricket has always been the priority – it’s the format for our elite players. Obviously times at the moment have been tough down in Australia during the Ashes but they always are. We’ve lost the last two series 4-0," he added.

Root has argued for changes in the domestic structure to incorporate more red-ball matches at the height of summer when The Hundred -- the ECB's professional franchise 100-ball cricket tournament -- takes place.

“It’s laughable to point the finger at The Hundred. The Hundred is an unbelievable success," Morgan said.

He added that the domestic structure in England is similar to that of Australia's.

“Our formats in county cricket and the Hundred, in the way they’re structured, are exactly the same as Australia’s.

“People need something to blame so they’ll point at probably the furthest point to reality because nobody wants to say, ‘You know what, we’ve not had the prep we’d have liked, we probably haven’t played as we’d have liked, and we’ve lost.’ “That happens in all formats, but I stress Test match cricket has always been the priority." It has been claimed that Morgan has been given full-strength squads throughout the last two years in preparation for T20 World Cups but the limited overs skipper pointed out that the white ball side has often not had the luxury of a full strength team available.

“As a white-ball group, we’ve gone on tours and played in series at home where we haven’t had our full-strength side available – that’s been a constant theme for a number of years now. Obviously Test matches take priority and always do." Morgan also said that for a "majority" of his cricketing career, limited-overs cricket was second fiddle, an "afterthought".

“... 95 per cent of the time was spent around planning and prep for Test match cricket and then when we got to a World Cup, it was like, ‘Well, if we do well, great, but if we don’t, it’s fine’.

“With the skill level that guys are producing now on a consistent basis, proven over a long period of time, we’re considered one of the best in the world. Trust me, I’d much rather be considered that than an afterthought,” he added.

England are scheduled to take on West Indies in a five match T20 series, starting Saturday. 

Also Read : SA win toss, opt to bat against India in ODI series opener

News Source : PTI

Navi Mumbai, Jan 19 (Football News) A FIFA World Cup play-offs spot within their grasp, hosts India would seek a winning start against an under-prepared and lower-ranked Iran in their women's AFC Asian Cup campaign opener here on Thursday.

Hosting the continental showpiece for the second time after 1979, India would look to script history by qualifying for the quarterfinals of the 12-team tournament, which will see some of Asia's and world's best players in action.

India had finished runners-up twice -- in 1979 and 1983 -- and third in 1981.

A win against Iran at the DY Patil Stadium will assure India of at least a third-place finish in Group A. Besides the two top teams, two third-placed sides across the three groups will also qualify for quarterfinals.

Iran are the lowest ranked team in the group which also has China and Chinese Taipei. They are ranked at 70th in the world as against India's 55th.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian team had the luxury of a good number of exposure tours and international matches last year, including against former World Cup runners-up side Brazil.

These international match experience is expected to keep Thomas Dennerby's team in good stead even though the hosts are playing without star striker Bala Devi who is recovering from a surgery.

On the other hand, debutants Iran, who began their journey in international football only in 2005, have not played any international match in the last six months.

Dennerby understands the importance of Thursday's match in the home side's bid for a knock-out berth.

"Our first target is to get to quarterfinals, we have a realistic chance to do that. Anything can happen from there on," the experienced Swede said.

"They (Iran) have strong defence and it's going to be a challenge for us to score. It's not going to be an easy game. We are hoping that with some creative and good passing game, we can break down their defence," he added.

"We have players who can create chances and score goals. We have to be good all through the match." All the semifinalists will directly qualify for the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Two more teams from the remaining four quarterfinalists will also get direct berths to the World Cup if Australia make it to the semifinals of this tournament, which is highly probable.

That means even the teams that lose in quarterfinals can directly qualify for the World Cup if they win the play-off matches of the AFC Asian Cup on February 2 and 4. The two losing quarterfinalists will feature in the Intercontinental play-offs.

Iran will be playing in their maiden AFC Asian Cup after defeating Jordan in penalty shoot-out in the qualifying round.

"We have analyzed the Indian team, and are aware that they are strong and fast. Despite our lack of experience, we are motivated. We have reached this level and we we are ready," Iran head coach Maryam Irandoost said.

Besides Behnaz Taherkhani and forward Sara Ghomi, their most experienced player, 22-year-old striker Hajar Dabbaghi, will be the player to watch.

For India, the experienced Aditi Chauhan is expected to don the goalkeeper's gloves while captain Ashalata Devi will marshal the deep defence.

The likes of seasoned Kamala Devi, Indumathi Kathiresan and Anju Tamang will man the midfield, while Manisha Kalyan, who scored India's lone goal against Brazil recently, can be India's trump card.

India have played just three times against Iran in the past and have won twice -- 3-1 in 2007 and 1-0 in 2019. The other match was won by Iran 4-1 in the second leg of AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in 2007.

Eight-time champions China face Chinese Taipei in the tournament opener at Mumbai Football Arena earlier in the day.

Australia captain Sam Kerr, who finished runner-up in this year's Ballon d'Or and FIFA Best Player Award, will easily be the star attraction as the Chelsea player seeks to lead her country to second title after the 2010 triumph. India Squad (From): Aditi Chauhan, Maibam Linthoingambi Devi, Sowmiya Narayanasamy, Dalima Chhibber, Sweety Devi Ngangbam, Ritu Rani, Loitongbam Ashalata Devi, Manisa Panna, Hemam Shilky Devi, Sanju Yadav, Yumnam Kamala Devi, Anju Tamang, Karthika Angamuthu, Nongmeithem Ratanbala Devi, Naorem Priyangka Devi, Indumathi Kathiresan, Manisha Kalyan, Grace Dangmei, Pyari Xaxa, Renu, Sumati Kumari, Sandhiya Ranganathan, Mariyammal Balamurugan.

Match live on Eurosport from 7:30pm IST. 

Also Read : Umtiti to undergo surgery and miss 3 months just days after contract extension

News Source : PTI

La Quinta (USA), Jan 19 (Golf News) A rejuvenated Anirban Lahiri will hope to find early form when he finally begins his 2022 campaign at the American Express this week after a long lay-off since the Fall season.

A refreshing trip home, some work with his coach and spending time with friends and family has put the Indian ace in a good frame of mind.

The third event of the calendar year, the American Express is played on the Pro-Am format and on three courses.

"I was in India for a while. I spent almost a month and a half and I actually extended the trip because I wanted to do some more work on the game," Lahiri said.

"It was a really good trip after a pretty average and disappointing fall. I wanted to come back and get some good work in and go back with a little more confidence and a little more energy. So I'm looking forward." Lahiri, who initially planned to kick off with Sony Open, but will now start with American Express, said he worked on his consistency during the break.

"The game feels much better. I was working on my scoring to make it more consistent. I had some good ones then I had some average ones just working on my ball tracking overall and my approach and attitude on the golf course and just having a little more fun," he said.

"I don't think I had enough fun on the golf course. I wasn't enjoying myself. It had started feeling a little bit more like work so one of the reasons I stayed back and stayed home a little longer was to have some downtime and play some golf with my friends.

"It has been good to spend some time with Chikka (Chikkarangappa) and also some time with Shubhankar and spend time with (coach) Vijay Divecha. as well. So, it was a fantastic trip and I'm looking forward to 2022 now." Lahiri will like to reverse the not-so-good record at the event over the last two years but he did have two decent results in 2016 (T-25) and in 2017 (T-28) when the event was called CareerBuilder Challenge.

Lahiri, who hopes to stake a claim for selection into the International Team for the Presidents Cup later in the year, will compete alongside the likes of International teammates Cameron Smith and Hideki Matsuyama, who enjoyed memorable victories on the PGA TOUR over the past fortnight in Hawaii.

Another International member looking to make a mark is Taiwan’s CT Pan, who played the 2019 Presidents Cup.

The highlight for Pan in 2021 was the Olympic bronze, for which he prevailed in a seven-man playoff which included Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Matsuyama. Pan, who played the latter part of the season with a back injury just managed to keep his card finishing 121st on the FedExCup points list.

Other big stars this week include reigning FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay, World No. 1 Jon Rahm and title holder Si Woo Kim.

The 2022 American Express Pro-Am format consists of two golf tournaments going on at the same time for the 156 professionals in the field.

The 156 pros are each paired with an amateur player, forming 156 two-player pairings. Each golfer will play one round on the host, PGA West's Pete Dye Stadium Course, La Quinta Country Club and the Nicklaus Tournament Course.

The final round will once again be at the Stadium Course. There will be 52 golfers on each course each day. The cut comes in after three rounds, that is 54 holes. 

Also Read : Chikka, Joshi in top-5, stay in contention at Singapore International

News Source : PTI

Paarl (South Africa), Jan 19 (Cricket News) South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to bat against India in the first One-day International here on Wednesday.

India handed debut to all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer.

Left-arm pacer Marco Jansen, who excelled in the Test series, made his debut for South Africa.

Teams: India: KL Rahul (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal.

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Temba Bavuma(c), David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi.

Also Read : Afghanistan to play ODI series against Netherlands in Qatar

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Qatar will host a three match ODI series between Afghanistan and Netherlands starting from 21st January. All the matches will be played in West End Park International Cricket Stadium at Doha, the stadium has so far hosted 6 T20 matches and this will be the first 50 over game in the venue. Both teams will play each other after a decade long gap, the last time these sides met was in 2012 at Sharjah which Afghanistan won. They have played 6 matches overall in which Afghanistan leads with four victories. The players should be ready to start the season with a victory as Netherlands will also be seeking a win. Here are the top four players from Afghanistan to watch out for in the series.

Rashid Khan

Rashid is the leading wicket taker for the side in all the formats. The spinner will be leading the attack and will make sure the pitch is ready for some magical deliveries. The 23 year old is 10 wickets away from becoming the first bowler from his side to take 150 wickets in ODI’s or any in format. If he manages to do it in the first two matches then he can break Mitchell Starc’s record of 150 wickets in 77 matches, Rashid has 140 in 74 matches.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

The finger spinner has been the next superstar after Rashid, Rahman is the fourth highest wicket taker for the side and had made his debut four years ago. He is the youngest player to pick up a five wicket haul in the 50 over format. The 20 year old can pick up wickets every time he bowls and has a lethal carrom ball which can put the batters in a maze.

Hashmatullah Shahidi

Shahidi will be leading the side in the series for the first time and has led the side through the batting exploits. The left hander usually bats in at number 4 or 3 and can stay in the crease until the team is out of danger. The team is fielding youngsters as Mohammad Nabi is also not playing, it will be a tough first assignment for Shahidi as he will try to inspire his teammates to get going during the matches.

Rahmat Shah

Rahmat has been the best batter for the side in recent times, the 28 year old has scored 5 centuries in the format which is only 1 behind Mohammad Shahzad who leads the list. Rahmat has been a consistent batter and has been involved in four of the seven 150 plus partnerships in the team’s ODI history. The right hander walks in at number 3 and can form a heavy run scoring partnership with Shahidi just like they did against Ireland last year.

Also read: On this day a year ago, India conquered fortress Gabba against all the odds

Lucknow, Jan 19 (Badminton News) Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu stormed into the second round of the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament with a dominating straight game win over fellow Indian Tanya Hemanth in the women' singles competition here on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old from Hyderabad, who lost in the semifinals at India Open Super 500 last week, thrashed Tanya 21-9 21-9 in a lop-sided contest at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium.

A former world champion, Sindhu will square off against USA's Lauren Lam, who managed to get past a fighting Ira Sharma 15-21 21-16 21-16.

In another match, India's Kanika Kanwal overcame USA's Disha Gupta 21-15 16-21 21-6 to also make a winning start to her campaign. 

Also Read : Satwiksairaj and Chirag rise to eighth in BWF rankings after India Open triumph

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) With the IPL mega auction set to take place in mid February, the new franchises have limited time to select their three mandatory draft picks as the Ahmedabad franchise have finalized Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill as their draft picks. Along with that the Ahmedabad team also finalized their coaching set up as they will be led by former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra and former South Africa batter and head coach Gary Kirsten. Former England batter Vikram Solanki will be the team director. This is the second instance where the trio of Nehra, Kirsten and Solanki will work together, the previous instance was at Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Ahmedabad have decided to pay both Hardik and Rashid INR 15 crore. It is most likely that Hardik will be Ahmedabad’s captain, which is going to be a first experience for the allrounder in the IPL. The third player will be Shubman Gill who will be paid INR 7 crore. The Ahmedabad franchise will go into the auction with a purse of INR 53 crore. This is the first time Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan will play for another team. 

Hardik's rise since he was bought as an uncapped player for INR 10 lakh in 2015 has been exponential. Hardik, by the time of the 2018 season had already established himself as the best allrounder in India and Mumbai Indians subsequently retained him as their second pick at the auction that year, paying INR 11 crore. In the next two seasons the Mumbai Indians won the title twice in succession as Hardik had scored 762 runs and taken 32 wickets in 29 games. He is also a four-time IPL winner, winning it in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

Also read: K L Rahul set to lead Lucknow IPL franchise

For Gill, this will be his second team in the IPL, having been picked by Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 auction for INR 1.8 crore after he had a terrific U19 World Cup. The 22-year old has already played 10 Tests and three ODIs and has been regarded as one of the brightest young talents of this generation who at one point it looked like he was the future captain of the Knight Riders. The Knight Riders had several other options when it came to retention and couldn’t afford to keep Gill in the squad. It will be an interesting watch to see how the new franchise comes along as they opted for youngsters rather than taking in the experienced pros. It will be also interesting to see what the other new franchises do as the Lucknow team have till now only confirmed KL Rahul as their marquee player.

(Cricket news) It was a captain’s day out in the 2nd ODI of Zimbabwe’s tour of Sri Lanka. Both the team captains led the team from the batting front but it was Zimbabwe's chance to take the reins this time to level the series. The decider will be held on 21st January as the first two matches have seen the batters prosper.

Zimbabwe won the toss again and chose to bat as they wanted to set things right for a win. The openers again had a 50 plus partnership but could not take it ahead as Jeffrey Vandersay again claimed the wickets of both opening batters. Captain Craig Ervine and Sean Williams kept the crease guarded for over 20 overs as the Lankan bowlers had a tough time navigating through the pitch. It was Vandersay once again who gave the breakthrough as he spun the ball and Williams wanted to just defend it but was stumped by Kusal Mendis.

Ervine missed out on a 4th hundred when he was bowled by Maheesh Theekshana and the team still needed 50 more runs to cross the 300 mark. Sikandar Raza took on the responsibility to score his 19th half century and was dismissed in the final ball of the innings by Nuwan Pradeep.

The men in blue had a bad start like the previous game as Tendai Chatara bowled Kusal Mendis in the 5th over of the innings and in the next over Pathum Nissanka too joined his opening partner at the bench. Kamindu Mendis scored his 1st half century in his 6th match as the runs finally started pouring but wickets were also falling down at the other end. Captain Dasun Shanaka’s maiden century couldn’t have come at a better time as he struck a high full toss by Chatara for a six but was dismissed on the very next ball. The team needed runs but his presence was more needed as he walked back with the team needing 56 runs from 33 balls.

Chamika Karunaratne was running between the wickets as he did not want to take risks losing the ball onto the boundary. The right hander was then run out in the final ball of the 47th over as the team now needed 38 of 18 balls. After Karunaratne’s departure the team could only score 16 runs in 3 overs as Zimbabwe kept the series alive with a powerful comeback.

Zimbabwe: 302/8 in 50 overs

Sri Lanka: 280/9 in 50 overs

Man of the match: Craig Ervine (91 off 98 balls, 10x4)

Also read: Rabada released from South Africa squad on eve of India ODI series

Sydney, Jan 19 (Cricket News) "Content" after guiding Australia to its maiden T20 World Cup title and a dominant Ashes victory, head coach Justin Langer is looking forward to the impending contract discussion with the country's cricket board which has been subject to a lot of speculations.

Langer was appointed head coach in the aftermath of the ball-tampering scandal in 2018 to overhaul the team's culture and regain the respect of the Australian public. His contract is due to end in June.

"I'm never edgy (about his future)," Langer told 'SEN Radio' on Wednesday.

"Before the World Cup and before the Ashes, we've never ever been better prepared. So it's not a coincidence I don't think that we've had the success that we've had," he said.

Langer faced criticism for his coaching methods from the players but in the past four months, he has guided Australia to a maiden Twenty20 World Cup title and a 4-0 Ashes series victory.

"Whatever happens from now on, we can all be incredibly proud of this little period. We had two missions: To win the World Cup and to win the Ashes," he said.

"To do that in such a short period is a monumental effort and we're all really satisfied with that, we're all really happy about that, we're all really, really proud of that." Langer says he feels "really content" about Australia's recent achievements.

"I sit here at the moment feeling really content with the last two series," Langer said.

The former Test opener's job had been under the scanner since Australia's disappointing loss to India in Tests last year but he was backed by Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive officer Nick Hockley.

There were also reports of a rift between the players and Langer and all talk of a contract extension was put on hold by CA until after the Ashes series.

"People don't seem to believe this, but the absolute truth is before the World Cup and the Ashes, we all committed to the end of the Ashes to sit down and have some conversations," he said.

"It's been four really big years and it's an all-encompassing job and it's a tough gig...that's just the truth.

"We all said that we'd sit down after the Ashes. So in the next little bit, I'm sure those conversations will start to be had. There's plenty to be spoken about," Langer added.

Last month, the 51-year-old had hinted that he would seek an extension to his four-year contract.

Australian greats Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist have backed Langer to continue, while his predecessor Darren Lehmann, who stepped down after the ball tampering episode, has urged his former teammate to walk away on a high.

"I can't see how he's not (offered another contract)," Ponting told cricket.com.au " I know there was a bit of noise created the last couple of weeks and Cricket Australia giving no assurances to him continuing on.

"The way that I would equate it is if Justin is not to be offered another deal on the back of the best coaching year of his life, that's like (Ashes player of the series) Travis Head not getting offered a contract next year," the former skipper added.

Langer will oversee Australia's upcoming tour of Pakistan with three Tests, three ODIs and a T20I slated across March and early April. 

Also Read : NZ's white-ball tour of Aus postponed indefinitely over quarantine-free home return

News Source : PTI

Panaji, Jan 19 (Football News) FC Goa have lodged a formal complaint with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) regarding the standard of refereeing in the ongoing Indian Super League and have also sought clarification over certain decisions in their matches against Kerala Blasters and NorthEast United earlier this month.

The club said in a statement that it has written to the AIFF's Referee's Department regarding the decisions during their matches played on January 2 and 14. FC Goa had drawn 2-2 and 1-1 against Kerala Blasters and NorthEast United in the two matches, respectively.

It said "the standard of decision making demonstrated was below the required and desired standards of professional football." “We’re pained and disappointed with the standard of refereeing that the team has been subjected to. We’ve held the referees in the highest esteem and have always accounted for a margin of error on tight calls," FC Goa’s Director of Football Ravi Puskur said.

"However, since the turn of the year, there have been two clear cut decisions in two different games that indicate the standard of decision making demonstrated was below the required and desired standards of professional football," he added.

The club has sought clarity over several decisions in these two matches, including the invalidation of a goal against NorthEast United in their last game which would have placed the team a goal ahead with 10 minutes to play.

The team has also sought clarity on the decision to not award a penalty to it in the match against Kerala Blasters. A yellow card was instead handed to Jorge Ortiz for simulation.

It said a "clear contact was made and the player was impeded while attempting to get into a goal scoring position".

The club said the decisions had an adverse effect on their points tally in the season so far.

"We owe it to our players, staff and our fans to seek an explanation on the same. We await to hear back on the response from the referees dept.” 

Also Read : Aim is to get a lot of experience, says Iran skipper Taherkhani

News Source : PTI

Christchurch, Jan 19 (Cricket News) The Black Caps' white-ball tour of Australia scheduled to start from January 30 has been postponed indefinitely after the New Zealand government could not guarantee relaxation in mandatory hard quarantine upon return of players back home in view of COVID-related restrictions.

The tour comprising three ODIs and one Twenty20 International was scheduled to be played between January 30 and February 8, but it now stands postponed until further notice as there is no guarantee as to when the players could return to New Zealand.

A change of stance from the New Zealand government to impose a hard 10-day mandatory quarantine in response to the Omicron wave of COVID-19 infections meant New Zealand Cricket could not secure guarantees that the Black Caps players would be allowed back into the country.

"The BLACKCAPS tour of Australia, initially scheduled for January 24-February 9, has been postponed until further notice, due to the lack of certainty over when the squad would be able to return to New Zealand," the country's cricket board said in a statement.

The players were originally scheduled to depart on Monday. No tour squad had been announced.

No managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) spots had been booked for the players and team management when the tour was confirmed last year, in anticipation of quarantine-free travel between the two countries in February.

"Despite a proposal from New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Australia to extend the length of the tour so that the BLACKCAPS could return home at a time more manageable for the MIQ process, the Government confirmed today it had no capacity to meet the request," the NZC added.

Discussions are now continuing with Cricket Australia over when the postponed fixtures will be played.

NZC and Cricket Australia officials had discussed the possibility of rescheduling the matches to push back the date the Black Caps would be looking to return home in the hope of either an easing of restrictions or increased availability in spots in the country's overburdened managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) system.

NZC chief executive David White said the tour was initially scheduled last year, after the Government signalled its intention to relax MIQ restrictions relating to the trans-Tasman border.

“As we now know, the advent of Omicron prompted a change of strategy from the Government, resulting in a hard 10-day mandatory isolation period being imposed on all incoming travellers,” said White.

“NZC and CA had explored a proposal to expand the tour and to push out the date on which the squad might return to New Zealand, in the hope that might be more achievable for the Government.

“But we received advice this morning that they could not provide certainty over this, either,” he added.

The New Zealand government delayed the planned reopening of the country’s borders late last year as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 surged around the world.

On Tuesday night, the government also announced a pause on new MIQ slots, effectively shutting the border to anyone without a reservation.

It is the third successive summer that Australia and New Zealand have had white-ball fixtures postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.

According to reports, South Africa’s tour of New Zealand next month, however, remains on track with MIQ spots already booked for the tour party. The two Tests are scheduled for Christchurch from February 17 and Wellington from February 25. 

Also Read : England make 320/7 against Canada, SA stopped at 231/9 by Uganda despite Brevis hundred

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Melbourne, Jan 19 (Tennis News) India's Rohan Bopanna and his French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin were knocked out of the Australian Open men's doubles event by wild card pair of Chirstopher Rungkat and Treat Huey here on Wednesday.

Bopanna and Roger-Vasselin began confidently but lost momentum mid-way to lose 6-3 6-7(2) 2-6 in the opening round that lasted one hour and 48 minutes.

Phillippines' left-hander Huey's exceptional service games and net play was crucial in the outcome of the match while Indonesian Rungkat, who initially appeared a weak link, gradually upped his game.

Rungkat's hitting from the baseline improved remarkably as the match wore on.

The Indo-French pair got the first break chance in the fourth game when Bopanna hit a crushing forehand winner past Huey at 15-30 on the serve of Rungkat, who could not put the ball across the net on the next point.

That break positioned Bopanna to serve out the set in the ninth game and he did that with ease, at love, with his booming serves.

Rungkat and Huey came out all guns blazing in the opening game of the second set, attacking Bopanna's serve and earned two breakpoints with a flurry of winners but could convert none.

Both the pairs held serves throughout the second set, which was decided by a tie-breaker.

In the 11th game, though, Roger-Vasselin and Bopanna earned two break chances but their rivals saved both. It was a winner from Roger-Vasselin and a Rungkat forehand error that put the wild cards 15-40.

The wild card pair reeled off six straight points in tie-breaker from 1-2 to level the match.

The momentum changed dramatically after that with Rungkat and Huey dominating the contest by breaking their rivals with ease. They raced to a 5-1 lead with a double break. The Indonesian then served out the match. 

Also Read : Kerber, Kvitova and Isner knocked in opening round of Australian Open

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Wijk Aan Zee (The Netherlands), Jan 19 (Chess News) Indian Grandmaster Vidit Santhosh Gujrathi settled for a draw against Russia's Andrey Esipenko in the fourth round to stay in the lead with three points in the prestigious Tata Steel Masters chess tournament here.

Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, meanwhile, bounced back after a defeat in the third round and scored his first victory of the tournament, beating Nils Grandelius of Sweden late on Tuesday to take his tally to 2 points.

Praggnanandha won a fine positional game in Gruenfeld Defence against Grandelius. After an instructive exchange of his dark-squared bishop for a knight in a closed position, the Indian seamlessly executed a classical plan of playing against the opponent’s so-called bad bishop and pulled out a well-deserved victory in a rook endgame.

Gujrathi and Esipenko tested a popular line of the Italian Opening in which the Russian GM steadily held his ground with Black. Esipenko even emerged a pawn up, but White had sufficient counterplay. Probably satisfied with a half-point, Esipenko chose not to ask further questions and opted for a draw.

Azerbaijan GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov also notched up his first win, outfoxing Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Poland in endgame complications. All other games were drawn.

Magnus Carlsen and Jorden Van Foreest played an exciting game in which the world champion missed a chance to catch up with the leader. The Dutchman did not shy away from complications in a stonewall type position as he boldly sacrificed a pawn and later on another for an active play on the kingside. A draw was agreed on the 54th move.

In the Challengers event being held simultaneously, Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi is on top following a win over Roven Vogel in the fourth round. He is followed by two players on three points while another Indian Grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly has 2.5 points after he drew Daniel Dardha in his round four match.

Standings after Round 4: Masters: 1. Vidit Gujrathi – 3 points; 2-6. Magnus Calsen, Richard Rapport, Andrey Esipenko, Jorden Van Foreest and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – 2.5; 7-9. Fabiano Caruana, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Praggnanandhaa R. – 2; 10-13. Sam Shankland, Sergey Karjakin, Daniil Dubov, Anish Giri, – 1.5; Nils Grandelius – 0.5. 

Also Read : Sandeep Narwal and Manjeet Chhillar shine in Dabang Delhi's win over Patna Pirates

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Basseterre (St Kitts), Jan 18 (Cricket News) Captain Tom Prest struck a run-a-ball 93 as former champions England piled up a massive 320 for seven against minnows Canada in a group A league match of the ICC U-19 World Cup here on Tuesday.

Prest hit 10 boundaries in his entertaining innings though he missed a century by just seven runs after 1998 edition winners England were asked to bat first.

Coming at number three after England were 26 for 1 in the seventh over, Prest shared a 90-run stand for the second wicket with opener George Thomas (52) to lay the foundation of a big total. William Luxton (41 off 32 balls) and George Bell (57 off 37 balls) played aggressive innings down the order to take England well past the 300-run mark.

For Canada, Kairav Sharma was the most successful bowler with three scalps for 51 runs while Sheel Patel (2/52), Parmveer Kharoud (1/34) and Ethan Gibson (1/63) were the other wicket takers.

Brevis hundred in SA's 231/9 against Uganda ============================ Dewald Brevis smashed a century but South Africa were restricted to 231 for nine by Uganda in their group A match in Port of Spain.

One-down Brevis, who struck 11 fours and one six during his 110-ball knock, played a lone hand as he did not get any support from his team-mates except for his captain George Van Heerden (36) after South Africa opted to bat.

The duo stitched 74 runs for the third wicket to ensure that South Africa reach close to 250-run mark.

Pascal Murungi and Juma Miyaji took three wickets apiece while Yunusu Sowobi, Joseph Baguma and Edwin Nuwagaba got one each. PNG bowl Afghanistan out for 200 ====================== Katenalaki Singi grabbed four wickets as PNG shot Afghanistan out for 200 in a group C match at Diego Martin.

Singi (4/18) ripped through the Afghanistan middle-order after Rasan Kevau (3/23) rocked the top-order with three wickets upfront.

Opting to bat first, the Afghans suffered a batting collapse as they were reduced to 40 for three in the eighth over.

A 105-run stand between captain Suliman Safi (62) and Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai (45) for the fourth wicket revived their innings, but the lower-order batters fell in quick succession and the team was all out in 38.2 overs. 

Also Read : First India-South Africa ODI is Earsmus' 100th, 3rd South African to achieve milestone

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Paarl, Jan 18 (Cricket News) Marais Erasmus will become only the third South African umpire to stand in 100 ODIs when he officiates in the first match between the Proteas and visiting India here on Wednesday.

The 57-year-old Erasmus, widely considered as one of the best umpires in the world, will join the duo of Rudi Koertzen and David Orchard when he steps out at Boland Park here for his milestone assignment.

Koertzen held the world record of 209 ODIs -- a mark set between 1992 and 2010 -- until he was recently overtaken by Pakistan's Aleem Dar (211), who is still going, while Orchard umpired 107 matches between 1994 and 2003.

Erasmus has been officiating at the highest level since 2007 and has also been the man in the middle for 70 Tests, 35 T20Is and 18 Women's T20Is.

"I'm very proud to have survived long enough to get to this milestone. It's a tough environment to survive because we're under scrutiny all the time, so to have gotten through that period fills me with pride," Erasmus was quoted as saying in the Cricket South Africa website.

"We are all servants of the game, but sometimes when milestone are reached, we are recognised, which is really nice." Erasmus said that getting to 100 ODIs was never something he thought about when his journey first began in Nairobi on October 18, 2007 -- in a match between Kenya and Canada.

"When you start out, you never look that far ahead. It's obviously a new thing and you try to enjoy those moments, which is what I've done.

"But as you get on to the third and fourth and fifth year, you naturally then think about reaching 50 or whatever landmark is closest. So getting 100 is fantastic, but it's not part of the goal-setting. You just want to be there and do the best job you possibly can." Erasmus, who will become the 18th umpire in the world to officiate in 100 ODIs, said he and his family have sacrificed a lot to get to where he is. He said his wife Adele left her job to look after their twin boys.

"And now in Covid times where I've been in a bubble for six weeks, she's alone for Christmas, so it's been tough at times. But umpiring has given us so many opportunities. We've travelled the whole world as a family, so there's been more good things than bad." He said it's nice to hear good things about his umpiring but at the same time "there's a certain level of expectation" which puts him under a little bit more pressure "because we all have pride in our performance".

"We don't want to be talked about and normally when that happens it's because we made a mistake. I'm just really happy that things have gone the way they have." So, does Erasmus have any preference when it comes to umpiring? Like players, he concedes that Test cricket is the most gruelling and can be tough on the officials too.

"Umpiring Test matches are definitely more challenging because of the length of games and the type of pressures that go with it. So, it is far more taxing, but that's not to say that ODIs and T20Is aren't.

"With the limited overs, if you have a bad day you know you don't have to be on the field tomorrow, but with a Test you know you have to come back and that is just psychologically challenging, especially if you have a bad start. You know it can be a long five days.

"They all bring different challenges, the different formats, but I've enjoyed everything about international cricket so far. I'm really motivated to continue... I'm still keen to do another two or three years." 

Also Read : Rabada released from South Africa squad on eve of India ODI series

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Cape Town, Jan 18 (Cricket News) South Africa's lead pacer Kagiso Rabada was on Tuesday released from the team for the three-match One-Day International series against India as part of its workload management.

The series starts in Paarl on Wednesday.

"Proteas seam bowler, Kagiso Rabada, has been released from the team for the Betway One-Day International (ODI) series against India due to high workloads over a sustained period of time and the need for him to recover prior the outbound Test series against New Zealand next month," Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a statement.

The board said no replacement will be brought in for Rabada as there is an extended squad in place in the Bio-Secure Environment (BSE), but George Linde has been retained from the Test team as an extra spin-bowling option for the series.

Squad: Temba Bavuma (captain) Keshav Maharaj (vice-captain) Quinton de Kock (wk), Zubayr Hamza, Marco Jansen, Janneman Malan, Sisanda Magala, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, George Linde, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne. 

Also Read : Pakistan pacer Mohd Hasnain's bowling action reported during BBL: Report

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Bengaluru, Jan 18 (Kabaddi News) Dabang Delhi's seasoned stars Sandeep Narwal and Manjeet Chhillar had a night to remember as they helped their team beat Patna Pirates 32-29 in the Pro Kabaddi League here on Tuesday.

Chhillar, the defender with most tackle points in PKL history, produced a last-raid tackle to clinch the thriller for Delhi, who were once again without the services of their star raider Naveen Kumar.

Vijay aided with nine points while Narwal, playing the role of an all-rounder, clinched eight points in a win that helped Delhi move to the top of the points table.

Patna lacked the usual sharpness in their defence which ultimately cost them the match.

Patna dominated the early minutes of the match, but Delhi made a comeback through their raider Vijay. He got valuable points off a surprisingly unstable Patna defence to give Delhi the momentum to clinch an ALL OUT in the 10th minute to open a 4-point lead.

Narwal and Chhillar used all their experience to good effect on the mat as Delhi's defence thwarted their opponents.

Patna's cover defender Sajin C suffered a knee injury and had to be replaced which clearly affected their team's chemistry. Narwal donned the role of a perfect all-rounder in the first half by also fetching raid points for Delhi.

At the interval, Delhi had a 9-point lead with scores 19-10.

Patna showed why experts had called them early season favourites to a playoff spot by clawing their way back into the match. The first 10 minutes after the restart belonged completely to Patna as Sachin and Guman Singh exploited the errors in Delhi defence.

The lack of a lethal raider affected Delhi's attack and they finally succumbed to an ALL in the 10th minute. Patna had managed to reduce the lead to just one point and were clearly the team with momentum.

But Delhi were in no mood to let this slip. Narwal's 2-point raid opened the lead to three points as both teams traded blows. Mohammadreza Shadloui then clawed one back for Patna with a stunning ankle hold on Ashu Malik.

Vijay then produced a 3-point Super Raid with three minutes remaining to give Delhi a 4-point lead. Patna needed two points in their last raid, but Chhillar brought out a brilliant diving tackle to help Delhi win the match. 

Also Read : Maharashtra Ironmen becomes the fourth team to feature in PHL

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Lahore, Jan 18 (Cricket News) Pakistan pacer Mohammad Hasnain's bowling action has been reported by umpires in the Big Bash League in Australia and he is set to undergo a test here.

The 21-year-old Hasnain has just finished a productive five-game stint with Sydney Thunder but will now undergo the test at the ICC-accredited biomechanics laboratory in Lahore, according to a report in ESPNcricinfo.

Hasnain, who once bowled a 155kph delivery in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), has played eights ODIs and 18 T20 Internationals after making his Pakistan debut in 2019.

Coming in as a replacement for English pacer Saqib Mahmood, he made a strong impact in his debut season at the BBL, taking seven wickets from five matches at an average of 15.71 and an economy of 6.00 per over.

Hasnain was due to undergo a test on his bowling action on January 19 in Australia, but because he was due to return to Pakistan at the end of his stint, it was decided he would get tested at the ICC-accredited testing facility here.

If he is found to have an illegal action, Hasnain could be suspended from bowling in international and domestic cricket. In that case, he could be doubtful for the Pakistan Super League which begins in less than 10 days. He plays for Quetta Gladiators in the PSL. 

Also Read : Sehwag to lead 'Indian Maharaja' in Legends League

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Muscat, Jan 18 (Cricket News) All eyes would be on swashbuckling former India opener Virender Sehwag when he leads 'Indian Maharaja' in the opening edition of the Howzat Legends League Cricket T20 tournament beginning here on Wednesday.

Sehwag, who led the Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab in Indian Premier League, will have Mohammed Kaif as his deputy and former Australia World Cup winning coach John Buchanan as his coach, it was announced on Tuesday.

Former stylish Pakistani batter Misbah Ul Haq will lead the Asia Lions team which will have a mix of Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan players.

The top names include Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohd. Hafiz, Umar Gul, Sanath Jayasurya, T Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Habibul Bashar among others.

Asia Lions have appointed Tillakaratne Dilshan as a vice captain, while 1996 ICC world cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga will be there coach.

Former Caribbean skipper Darren Sammy will lead the World Giants team.

Sammy was the captain of St. Lucia Zouks team in Caribbean Primer League and he will have former New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori, Aussie pacer Brett Lee, stylish English batter Kevin Pietersen, South African spin ace Imran Tahir under his disposal.

Former South African batsman Jonty Rhodes will be the player cum mentor for the World Giants Team.

"I can't wait to work closely with LLC T20 tournament. It's loved to see all the super stars comes together and fighting for the inaugural title of the league.

"This players are retired but they still very passionate about the cricket. I am sure they will show their extra skills for their teams in next 10 days," LLC T20 Tournament Commissioner Ravi Shastri said.

"I am excited to see how everyone is involving together and use their hundred percent to win the trophy for their team. It's going to be super thrilling experience for all cricket fans in Oman and all across the globe," said Raman Raheja, CEO of Howzat LLC T20 league.

Recently, Howzat Legends League Cricket (LLC) announced its partnership with SONY Pictures Network.

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) to live telecast all the matches of the league on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 3 channels as well as livestream the matches in India on SPN’s premium OTT platform, Sony LIV. 

Also Read : Virat has already set a standard for all of us and team India: Rahul

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Paarl (South Africa), Jan 18 (Cricket News) Stand-in skipper KL Rahul on Tuesday said India did "some phenomenal things" under Virat Kohli, who has raised the bar for everyone in the team during his seven-year tenure at the helm.

In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Rahul is leading the team in the three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting here on Wednesday.

"Look, Virat like I said under him, team India has done some phenomenal things, we won series outside of India, which hadn't been done before.

"We have gone to every country and won a series, so he has done a lot of things right and he has already set a standard for all of us and team India," Rahul said during a virtual press conference on the eve of the first ODI.

Last Saturday, Kohli dropped a bombshell by announcing his decision to quit Test captaincy, a day after India suffered an unexpected series-defeat against South Africa.

Kohli signed off as India's most successful captain with 40 wins from 68 Tests after being given the reins of the side in 2014 when M S Dhoni stepped down during a series against Australia.

Rahul said the team would look to build on the legacy created by Kohli.

"I think, it is all about, for me or for the group going forward is to build on that and we obviously know what it takes for us to be champion team...

"... So just to keep improving as individuals and trying to stay as disciplined and as determined as we can and go out there and enjoy your cricket," added the 29-year-old right-handed batter.

According to Rahul, he would like to emulate Kohli's ability to get the best out of his teammates.

"When it comes to leadership, Virat had this amazing ability to get the best out of everybody, he pushed everybody and you know made us believe that we can do special things, so that is something I have learned from him, and hopefully, I can do that with the team as well," added Rahul.

Arguably the biggest ambassador of the five-day game, Kohli took India to new heights in his tenure, which saw the team become a force to reckon with in all conditions.

Rahul, who captained India in the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, also felt that the self belief within the team is largely due to Kohli.

"The things I have learned from Virat regarding captaincy has been the whole world knows how passionate he is about Test cricket, and in general about cricket. And he has led from the front, he put a lot of changes in the team.

"The current winning belief, which is there in the team, (it) is largely because of Virat as a leader and he has made us believe in ourselves and believe that we can go outside of India and beat any team.

"So, I want to continue that and obviously build on it and get better as a team," said Rahul.

This is the first time that Rahul is leading the side in a full series. 

Also Read : 'KL Cues': Skipper will open, try Venkatesh as 6th bowling option, Dhawan likely to be preferred over Ruturaj

News Source : PTI

(Sports news) Maharashtra Ironmen are the fourth team for the much-awaited inaugural edition of the franchise-based league as announced by the Premier Handball League (PHL) on Tuesday. The team is owned by Punit Balan of the Punit Balan Group.

The Punit Balan Group, valued at around INR 3500 crores is headed by Punit Balan, a young and dynamic entrepreneur and philanthropist who is also one among the new-age sports investors. Passionate about Olympic Sports and owner of teams across various sporting leagues, Punit Balanis known for his intellect and sharp business acumen. He is a visionary who has invested in the field of sports, entertainment and real estate.

“Having stakeholders who are equally passionate and have a vision for Handball in India is a perfect combination for us at PHL. We are delighted to welcome Mr. Punit Balan and the Punit Balan Group on board and believe that this partnership will not only help in restoring the rich sporting legacy of Maharashtra but will also enable the sport of Handball to be developed into a commercially viable product in Maharashtra where the sport is already popular said Manu Agrawal, CEO, Bluesport Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.  

An avid sports enthusiast and youth icon, Punit has made notable contributions through the Indrani Balan Foundation for financial sustainability of Army Goodwill Schools and Parivar School Society in Jammu & Kashmir. Sports has been a major part of Maharashtra’s culture and now, working along with PHL, Punit will look to spread the game in the region. He is also the owner of teams across various sports leagues including in the Tennis Premier League and has an investment in a sports employment startup.

“I have always believed in strategic alliances with competitive and dynamic partners to bring about change and growth. Handball is one of the most exciting games with a unique combination of speed, agility, technique, skill and teamwork and enjoys a great following in the western market. I believe that if promoted and supported well, it will enjoy the same popularity in the Indian market as well. Additionally, being an Olympic sport with a majority of the players coming from the armed forces, Handball becomes a natural choice for our group. Through PHL, we will look to transform this new-age sport,” said Punit Balan, CMD Punit Balan Group. 

Bluesport Entertainment Pvt Ltd—exclusive licensee of the league under the aegis of Handball Federation of India— earlier launched three teams: Garvit Gujarat, Golden Eagles Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan Wolverines. The Maharashtra Ironmen will be a part of the six teams to the inaugural edition, it is expected to take place later this year as PHL gets set to revolutionize Indian handball.

Also read: Premier Handball League launches Rajasthan franchise

Paarl (South Africa), Jan 18 (Cricket News) India skipper KL Rahul on Tuesday hinted that all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer is likely to be groomed as the additional pace bowling option that the team has lacked ever since Hardik Pandya's back injury while declaring that he will open alongside veteran Shikhar Dhawan in the first ODI against South Africa here.

Rahul's media interaction was a clear indication that Ruturaj Gaikwad might have to wait for his turn and the pitch at Boland Park might prompt the team management to play both specialist spinners -- Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal.

"In the past 12-15 months, I have batted in various positions because that is what the team needed of me then and now with Rohit (Sharma) not being there, I will bat at the top of the order," the skipper informed ahead of the opening game.

We are looking to develop Venkatesh as sixth bowling option ===================================== A sixth bowler, preferably seam or pace option, has been India's major headache for past two and half years due to Pandya's injury and now the team management is "excited" looking at what Venkatesh brings to the table with his multiple skill-sets.

"Yes, Venkatesh Iyer has been very exciting since the time he has played for KKR in the IPL and then he joined us for the T20 series against New Zealand and he did well," Raul said.

"Yes, fast bowling all-rounders are always an asset and we are always looking for fast bowling all-rounders as they balance the team out. It's a great opportunity for Venkatesh as he is looking good in the nets," the skipper added.

He made it clear that in coming days, the lanky MP man would be bowling a lot in white-ball games.

"We are trying to develop Venkatesh (as the sixth bowling option) and we will give him that chance. He has done decently and he gives us that option as the sixth bowler." Want Shikhar to remain in good head space =========================== Shikhar Dhawan currently plays only ODIs and it becomes difficult not to question his place in the side after a few failures but the stand-in captain wants the senior pro to remain in a good head space and play like only he can, by dominating the bowlers.

"He is a senior and experienced player and understands what is expected out of him. He is in a great space and has come out here and having fun, enjoying his cricket "...and I mean yeah as a captain, it will be about trying to keep him in that space and give him that confidence to go out there and do what he has been doing and just to enjoy his cricket and giving Team India the starts that he has done," Rahul was all praise for the oldest playing member of the touring party.

At a personal level, Rahul loves Dhawan's approach towards batting.

"I have personally been someone, who has enjoyed seeing Shikhar play in ODIs and how he takes down bowlers. and I just want him to continue doing what he has been doing," he said.

Might play both Ashwin and Chahal in first two games ================================= India have practised for two days and it seems that the track at the Boland Park will assist spinners more than the ones they they got during the Test series at the Centurion, Wanderers and Newlands.

Rahul wants to pick both spinners during the first two games.

"We have quality spinners and Ashwin is coming back into the ODI team, and we all know what quality he brings in," he said.

"Chahal has been doing it for years now and been a great performer for us for years now and it's been great and hopefully we can exploit that in the first two games, since the pitch looks like it will offer bit of spin so they both become very important." 

Also Read : Good to have Quinton back in team, he will have a point to prove: Bavuma

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Paarl (South Africa), Jan 18 (Cricket News) South Africa's white-ball captain Temba Bavuma on Tuesday said Quinton de Kock, after his sudden retirement from Test cricket, will have a point to prove in the three-match ODI series against India.

The series start here on Wednesday.

"It is good to see Quinny again. We obviously miss him in the Test team. He has made his decision (to quit) and it is a decision that we respect. Having Quinny again within team is good. Knowing Quinny, he will have a point to prove," Bavuma said during a virtual press conference.

"I am sure he is also as excited as we are, to be in the team," added Bavuma in response to a question on how was it like to have de Kock back in the team after the drama surrounding his retirement from Tests in the middle of the series against India.

The dashing left-handed batter-wicketkeeper had announced his retirement from the longest format of the game after the first Test of the series which India won, saying he wants to spend more time with his growing family.

During last year's T20 World Cup, when Cricket South Africa (CSA) mandated players to take the knee, de Kock initially refused and missed the game against West Indies as a result. He subsequently apologised and has taken the knee since.

As the focus shifted to the ODI series against India, Bavuma said they are up against a strong side but ready for the challenge.

"In terms of India, it is a strong white ball team. The ODI squad they put out... we will give the respect they deserve like we do to any other team. We know it is going to be tough considering the Test series.

"Yeah, we have been preparing as well as we can to be ready for the challenge that comes up," Bavuma said.

He also said lanky left-arm pacer Marco Jansen has been drafted into the ODI squad and is in contention.

"Marco has obviously been drafted into the ODI squad. The world has seen what cricketing abilities he has. That was a really a no-brainer to get him into the white ball squad and see him display his skills. He comes into contention," Bavuma said of Jansen.

With regard to the likely bowling combination for the ODIs, the SA skipper said conditions in Paarl (where the first two matches will be played) would be taken into consideration and that the spinners would have a role to play.

"In terms of bowling combination, we have to consider the conditions in Paarl. It is a lot different to the highveld wickets. Paarl is a bit more on the lower side, a bit more skiddier.

"Guys like Lungi (Ngidi), Jansen, they come into the picture. Guys who can exploit the conditions. Paarl is quite friendly towards the slower bowlers. Shamsi, Keshav, Linde all come into the picture. Everyone within the squad comes into contention," Bavuma said.

The South Africa batters have been preparing to play spin for some time now, he said about tackling Indian spinners.

"Preparation has been happening for the past year actually. The positive result the guys displayed in Sri Lanka during the series there last year. You must have seen in the T20 WC as well.

"Coming up against India, spin bowling is a strength of them, we will try to prepare as well as we can to mitigate that," he added.

Asked if there was pressure on him to perform, Bavuma said, "There is always pressure. There is no bigger motivation for this group of guys than coming up against a strong outfit which the Indian team is. Come tomorrow we must make sure we pitch up and need to do what we do." Bavuma, who did well in the recent Test series that South Africa won, said he felt like his feet were moving well and he was hitting the ball nicely.

"Yeah, look the Test series went well for the team and me. I think the feet seemed to move well. I would like to carry on with the same feeling. To be honest I have been doing the same things. Maybe it is just a period of good form for me.

"At the moment, my feet are moving quite well and I am hitting the ball quite well," he signed off. 

Also Read : Docu series 'Down Underdogs' will leave Indian cricket fans in nostalgic tears

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) The first two day have not been kind to the seeds as they kept the trend on day 2 of the 2022 Australian Open. Multiple Grand Slam winners Petra Kvitova and Angelique Kerber made their way out of Melbourne in the first round of the event. In the men’s field, it was a bad start to the season for John Isner, Ugo Humbert and Nikoloz Basilashvili.

In men’s singles, Andy Murray has been playing a couple of stretched matches as he played a four hour match against Basilashvili. Both the players had been involved in a three hour battle a few days ago at Sydney and it was the former world number who again held on for a win. Murray totally outplayed Basilashvili in the opening set but in the second the 29 year old began his ball bashing technique to set up another marathon match. The Georgian even played a few deft dropshots which Murray had done earlier, the 3 time Grand Slam winner had his chances beaten to a pulp by Basilashvili in the fourth set. Murray defeated Basilashvili 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-4.

When two servers meet, there is not much movement on the court but there are a lot of first serves which take up all the heat. It was an all American meeting between John Isner and Maxime Cressy as it was also their first career meeting. The 36 year old has not been able to win matches lately and the streak continued in the 1st round as Cressy had the extra boost in the final set. The match saw 70 aces by the players and 20 double faults by the 24 year old who also won two service games more than the 6 foot 11 inch player. Cressy defeated Isner 7-6(7-2), 7-5, 6-7(4-7), 6-7(4-7), 6-4.

In another court there was a similar French battle and it was the senior this time who took the next gen in the 1st round. Richard Gasquet waved his magic backhand for his first victory at the event in four years and will face another next gen player Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round. Gasquet defeated Ugo Humbert 3-6, 7-6(7-4), 7-6(7-3), 6-3.

In women’s singles, Kaia Kanepi could not have imagined her match in any other way as she beat Kerber in 70 minutes. The 2016 champion was never strong enough against Kanepi who played from the baseline and never did rush a point to enter the second round. Kanepi defeated Kerber 6-4, 6-3.

It was the end of the road for another Grand Slam winner as Petra Kvitova was hit by Romanian storms. Sorana Cirstea had to pull out tough shots in the beginning of both sets but after that it was a smooth run against Kvitova. Cirstea reached the fourth round in 2017 and has not won more than 2 matches since then. Cirstea defeated Kvitova 6-2, 6-2

The next gen in the women’s field did not have as much luck as their male counterparts. Leylah Fernandez joined other top seeds in making an early exit of the season opener. Fernandez lost three breakpoints as she lost the first set in a close encounter in which both the players had long rallies but in the second set, Maddison Inglis took the first four games to open a huge lead in the match and over her opponent’s mind. From there it was game over for the 2021 US Open runner up who lifted her hands in disappointment after losing the match. Inglis defeated Fernandez 6-4, 6-2.

Also read: Norrie, Gauff and Fognini fall in opening day of Australian Open

Mumbai, Jan 18 (Football News) Iran skipper Behnaz Taherkhani says their aim is to get a lot of experience from the upcoming AFC Women's Asian Cup, their maiden appearance in the marquee event.

Iran will make their Asian Cup debut after coming through the qualifiers in dramatic fashion -- with a penalty shootout win over Jordan.

"We are extremely excited, and happy to be a part of the AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022. It is a proud moment for us, and we will do our best to be successful," Taherkhani was quoted as saying in a media statement issued by the All India Football Federation.

"Our aim is to gain a lot of experience from this tournament. We know we have a long way to go, but being here is a good start," said the defender.

Iran, who are clubbed in Group A, begin their campaign against hosts India on Thursday.

Nicknamed 'Team Melli Baanovaan' (Ladies National Team), Iran played their first international match in 2005, in the WAFF West Asian Women's Football Championship, when they beat Syria 5-0.

Since then, they have come a long way, and are currently ranked 70th in the world and 14th in Asia.

Iran were clubbed alongside Jordan and Bangladesh in the qualification round for the Asian Cup. They defeated Bangladesh 5-0 in their opening game, but so did Jordan, setting up a winner-takes-all clash between the two in the final game in which Iran prevailed.

"Despite our lack of experience, the team is motivated, and works hard. We have reached this level. We are ready," said head coach Maryam Irandoost.

"We have analyzed the Indian team, and are aware that they are strong and fast. The opener is one for everyone to look forward to," Irandoost signed off. 

Also Read : FC Goa eyeing nothing less than victory against winless SCEB

News Source : PTI

 

(Boxing news) The International University Sports Federation (FISU) Acting President Leonz Eder and International Вохing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev have signed a collaboration convention,to develop boxing at competitions for university athletes. The main reason is to include the development of both university sport and boxing, joint educational initiatives, as well as the promotion and development of shared values including gender equality, sustainability, fair play and integrity. 

“We look forward to what I believe to be a truly mutually beneficial cooperation between IBA and FISU,” said IBA President Umar Kremlev. “Together we will work to further instill fundamental values of boxing across the sports world as well as the younger generation of student athletes. Through joint education programmes we intend to learn and exchange vital knowledge from and with FISU.”

Since 2004, FISU has organized the FISU World University Championship Boxing every two years as boxing will be a part of the 2022 FISU University World Cup Combat Sports. The FISU University World Cup Combat Sports will also feature six new sports: boxing, karate, muaythai, sambo, wrestling and wushu.

Also read: Mayweather in talks for exhibition boxing match against Youtuber Money Kicks

FISU Acting President Leonz Eder stated: “We are truly excited to see IBA recognising the importance of our events and we are determined to promote boxing within the programme in tandem with the University Sport Movement. Boxing is a popular and universally accessible sport on campus which can be practiced by all university students of all genders. We will gladly encourage IBA to use university sport as a development platform for experimenting with new rules and the testing of new equipment.”

(Basketball news) The Los Angeles Lakers snapped out of their three match losing streak as they defeated the Utah Jazz 101-95. For the Lakers, LeBron James scored 25 points and Stanley Johnson had 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a much needed victory. The Lakers got 44 points from their bench which was an integral part in the fourth quarter revival. For the Jazz, Mike Conley had 20 points and Rudy Gobert had a double double with 19 points and 16 rebounds as Jazz star Donavan Mitchell had a quiet night with 13 points only. With this result the Lakers moved to 7th in the Western Conference standings as they improved their record to 22-22.

''I'm just trying to put everyone in position to be successful and read the game while the game was going on and I knew the way we could be successful offensively,'' James said. ''The guys responded well to what I saw and Stanley had a big-time game.''

''Our effort and energy wasn't where it needed to be in the Denver game, second half of the Memphis game and the other game,'' James said. ''We weren't playing to our capabilities. As the leader of this team I was taking onus of that and letting Laker Nation know.''

''It feels good doing what I came here to do,'' Johnson said. ''I came here to bring energy and affect the game in different ways. Today was the day I was able to do it within the scheme and get deflections and be active. It resulted in positive plays. It feels good. We all put a lot into this. It's not just a wake up and do it.''

''I thought we had too many really tough shots,'' Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. ''I think some of the shots are makeable but we made it harder on ourselves than it needed to be as far as making better reads and moving the ball quicker and generating some better shots. I think that showed.''

The Brooklyn Nets suffered their second successive defeat on the roll as they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-107. This was also their 5th win a row as the Cavs are certainly pushing above their weight this season. For the Cavaliers, Darius Garland strengthened his All-Star case with 22 points and 12 assists as Isaac Okoro added 15 points and Jarrett Allen had 14 and 10 rebounds. For the Nets, Kevin Durant was missing his second game in a row but James Harden added 22 points as Kyrie Irving top scored with 27 points. With this result the Cavs stayed in 4th but have the same number of wins as the third placed Nets in the Eastern Conference.

It's a signature win for us against a high-level team,'' Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. ''Obviously with reasons why and excuses coming back off that long road trip and all those things, playing against two of the most elite players in our league, and our guys figuring out a way.

''I'm not bringing science into it,'' said Irving, who was defensive about his position. ''I'm staying rooted in what I believe in.''

''It's an opportunity for our team to grow,'' Nash said. ''We have to find solutions.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose their third successive match in a row as Warriors also lose

The other results were:

• Wizards 117 - 98 76ers
• Grizzlies 119 - 106 Bulls
• Clippers 139 - 133 Pacers
• Hawks 121 - 114 Bucks
• Magic 88 - 98 Trail Blazers
• Heat 104 - 99 Raptors
• Spurs 107 - 121 Suns
• Mavericks 104 - 102 Thunder

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Knicks vs Timberwolves
• Warriors vs Pistons
   

Bambolim, Jan 18 (Football News) Unbeaten in their last three games, FC Goa will look to climb up the ladder with a victory against winless SC East Bengal in an Indian Super League match here on Wednesday.

FC Goa haven't really burst to life under Derrick Pereira but the veteran coach has managed to remain unbeaten in the last three outings, playing out a 1-1 draw against NorthEast United FC in their last game.

Jorge Ortiz has looked extremely sharp for the Gaurs even though they had the likes of Edu Bedia and Ivan Gonzalez missing against NorthEast United.

A win on Wednesday will see Goa move up from the bottom half of the table and close the gap on the top four teams, and against SC East Bengal they will fancy their chances.

"When I came in, I did not want to change too much. We kept the same formation, the 3-4-3 system but just adjusted the structure and the boys have responded well. There is always scope for improvement and we will look to do well in the coming days," Pereira said on the eve of the game.

SCEB showed defensive solidity under interim coach Renedy Singh and held fort until the very end against Jamshedpur FC before conceding in the dying minutes of the second half.

But the red and golds have had no attacking teeth whatsoever with striker Daniel Chima Chukwu also jumping ship to Jamshedpur. They have roped in Brazilian striker Marcelo Ribeiro dos Santos but he won't be available against FC Goa.

In their 11 league games, SCEB has failed to score in five games.

SCEB has new coach in Mario Rivera and the Spaniard will have his task cut out with the team rooted to the foot of the table with just six points from 11 games.

Rivera guided East Bengal to a second-place finish in the I-League two seasons back.

The last time the two sides met this season, FC Goa edged past their rivals 4-3 in a high-octane tie. 

Also Read : Social audience of La Liga has grown 2000% in last five years

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 18 (Badminton News) Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and former world number one Kidambi Srikanth remained static in the latest badminton world rankings but the men's doubles duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty moved two places up to eighth after their triumph in the Indian Open.

Former world champion Sindhu maintained her seventh position with 90994 in the women's rankings while Srikanth remained in the 10th place with 69158 points in the men's chart.

Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu leads the women's rankings with 108800 points while reigning Olympic champion Victor Axelsen heads the men's list with 116779 points.

From the Indian perspective, the biggest gainer has been the men's Indian doubles pair of Satwiksairaj and Chirag, who jumped from tenth to the eight place with 76708 points in the latest rankings issued by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

They defeated top-seeded Indonesian pair Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan 21-16, 26-24 to win the men's doubles crown at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open on Sunday.

Coming into the match with a 1-3 head-to-head record, Satwik and Chirag dished out a brave effort against the Indonesian pair and staved off a fightback to reign supreme in the final.

Satwik and Chirag had won the Thailand Open Super 500 title in 2019, besides reaching the final of the French Open Super 750 the same year.

No Indians featured in the women's doubles and mixed doubles rankings. 

Also Read : Prannoy enters second round of Syed Modi badminton, Sameer retires hurt

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The Indian side will be waiting to take the lead in the ODI series in the tour of South Africa. The Proteas denied history to India in the Test series a few days earlier but in the 50 over format things may look different. The men in blue obviously are bringing in a lot of experience when both the sides meet in the first ODI which will be held tomorrow at Boland Park. Here are the top four players to watch out for in the three match series.

Virat Kohli

The right hander will be the most experienced player from both the sides and played well in the Test series. Although many questions have been raised about the captaincy issue, his performance should matter in the series as the team needs it. He will again try to bring in some stability in the batting order just like he did in previous matches and has experience playing Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi.

Janneman Malan

Malan was the leading run scorer for the proteas last season, he scored over 500 runs in 7 innings with 2 centuries and half centuries. The right hander has been in form and has played 11 matches so far. Malan can make an impact on the team which needs consistent players especially in the 50 over format and needs to get on the attack along with the pacers.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

One of the top swing bowlers on the side, Kumar will need to get the ball to move in a pitch where the highest target chased is 250. It is a bowler friendly pitch, although he played only 5 matches last year he restricted the run scoring especially against England at Pune. He will be needed especially during the overs where he has proven to bowl down a couple of perfect yorkers, swing and not speed is the enemy.

Kagiso Rabada

Rabada has been the go to pacer for the team in all three formats. The 26 year old has the talent to outsmart the batters and will need to strike early. The last time he played against India, the pacer only gave away 39 runs in 10 overs while taking two wickets. Rabada will take full control of the home conditions and will need to provide a breakthrough for batters to collapse like in the Test series.

Also read: Not looking for anything but if it happens, will try my best to take team forward: KL Rahul on Test captaincy

(Motorsports news) Hyderabad is all set to host the first ever Formula E race in India, in what is a big step towards the growth of motorsports in the country. The city will join the likes of New York, London, Berlin, Rome and Seoul which have already been hosting the event and the race proposal was all thanks to the initiative of industries and IT minister K. T. Rama Rao. An agreement will be signed by the state government, Formula E Association and Greenko, a leading alternative energy provider, “to make Hyderabad a candidate host city for Formula E race on yearly basis.”

Since 2014 Formula E has just grown immensely and it gives a wide look into the future of the motorsports industry. The best part of Formula E is that no new separate track is required, unlike F1 as the racing takes place on the existing city roads. The team had visited the Hussainsagar circuit of Tank Bund and Necklace road, the circular road around KBR Park in Jubilee Hills and financial district road in Gachibowli which can be the next venue by November 2022 or March 2023 itself if the state government undertakes infrastructure developments to make the circuit not only race worthy but also world class.

This a major boost for the motorsports fans in India as the FIA are trying to dive into the Asian market and especially after an amazing season last year, the viewership along with added sponsorship makes it possible for Hyderabad to host an E-prix. The decision to host in Hyderabad was because of the development of Hyderabad in the hub of all technologies. It is the hub for sustainability activities and is also a key player in production of clean electricity as it matches with the Formula E ideals. 

Alberto Longo, Co-founder and Chief Championship Officer, FIA Formula E said, “We are announcing Hyderabad as the official candidate city for Formula E. This is massive because it was only 29 days ago that I received a call from Dilbagh (Mahindra team) that there is an opportunity in India. I have never seen the speed in taking decisions like it happened here. That obviously has somewhat helped the group of people behind the decisions that we make. I have never seen such a speed of decisions by a Minister (referring to Industries Minister KT Rama Rao). You can clearly see the vision he has for the State. I was surprised to know that. We hope that Hyderabad will be on the calendar of Formula E soon and we can actually enjoy the race in Hyderabad soon. We are impressed with the attitude that brought us here and I am sure it will lead us to finalizing the race soon”

On the track changes he said, “The track proposed by the Telangana Government is good. We will suggest a few changes and modify it to suit the race. But I can say the location is fantastic and hopefully we will get everyone to be part of the event here. Clearly, it is a global event and we are expecting participation from several countries. About 400 to 500 million people watch the race on TV and the spectatorship at the event depends on the city. However, it is safe to say that about 50,000 to 80,000 people will watch it at the location.”

After the signing ceremony, Mahindra Racing CEO Dilbagh Gill expressed delight and said that “it has always been our burning desire to race in front of our fans and have a home race. We are now one big step closer to this dream”.

Also read: Formula 1: Ferrari and McLaren reveal launch dates for 2022 car

Anil Chalamalasetty, CEO of Greenko and promoter of the event, said that “if all goes as planned then Hyderabad would enter into a final agreement with Formula E in the next three months and could expect a race soon. Greenko has been synonymous with green and renewable energy and we hope our engagement with such global events goes a long way,” 
 

Paarl (South Africa), Jan 18 (Cricket News) He hasn't given a serious thought to the idea of being India's full-time Test captain but KL Rahul on Tuesday said if chosen for the coveted job, he would try to take the "team forward" as best as he can.

"To lead the country is a dream come true for any player and something special that he will cherish for a long time. I am no different," Rahul, who is the stand-in ODI captain for the series against South Africa, said on the eve of the first match here.

"It will be exciting but I am not really looking for anything at this time but if it happens to come, I will try my best to carry Team India and Indian cricket forward to the best of my abilities," he added.

With Virat Kohli stepping down from Test captaincy after their team's 1-2 series defeat, Rahul, who led the team in Johannesburg in former's absence said that he didn't pay too much heed about his name cropping up as possible successor till articles started getting published.

"I hadn't given it a thought till the articles with names started doing rounds." 

Also Read : Unmukt Chand becomes first Indian cricketer to play in a BBL match

News Source : PTI

Melbourne, Jan 18 (Cricket News) Former U-19 World Cup winning skipper Unmukt Chand on Tuesday became the first Indian cricketer to play in Australia's Big Bash T20 League as he made his debut for Melbourne Renegades.

The 28-year-old Chand, a right-handed batsman, made his BBL debut against Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL.

"The new colours suit you, @UnmuktChand9," Renegades tweeted. Chand, under whose leadership India had won the ICC U-19 World Cup in 2012 in Australia, retired from all forms of Indian cricket in August last year, making him eligible to play leagues overseas.

After the Under-19 World Cup success, Chand led the India A team as well but never really graduated to the senior level. 

Also Read : K L Rahul set to lead Lucknow IPL franchise

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 18 (Cricket News) K L Rahul will captain the yet-to-be-named Lucknow franchise in the upcoming IPL, a league source told PTI on Tuesday.

It is learnt that Rahul is one of the players Lucknow has picked from the draft ahead of the mega auction on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru.

The other two are likely to be Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and uncapped leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi.

"Rahul will captain Lucknow. The team is deciding on the other two draft picks," an IPL source told PTI.

Rahul led Punjab Kings for the past two seasons but did not want to stay at the franchise. Bishnoi was also with Punjab while Stoinis represented Delhi Capitals.

RPSG Group had shelled out Rs 7090 crore to buy the Lucknow franchise.

Rahul is currently the stand-in captain of the Indian ODI team in South Africa in the absence of an injured Rohit Sharma. 

Also Read : Former IPL cricketer R Sathish claims 'fixing approach' during TNPL 2021

News Source : PTI

Lucknow, Jan 18 (Badminton News) India's HS Prannoy entered the second round of the men's singles competition at the Syed Modi International badminton tournament after registering a straight-game win over Ukraine's Danylo Bosniuk here on Tuesday.

On a comeback trail, the fifth seeded India took just 36 minutes to get the better of Bosniuk 21-14 21-18 in his opening clash.

A former top-10 player, Prannoy, who gave a good account of himself before being stopped by 20-year-old Lakshya Sen in the quarterfinals of the India Open last week, will next meet compatriot Priyanshu Rajawat, who got a first round walkover from Rahul Yadav Chittaboina.

However, the tournament was over for fourth seed Sameer Verma after he retired hurt against Ireland's Nhat Nguyen.

Sameer was training 2-7 in the first game before he decided to concede the match due to a calf muscle injury, which he had sustained in October last year.

Subhankar Dey also conceded his match against compatriot Kartikey Gulshan Kumar due to an injury when he was trailing 2-9 in the opening game.

Among women, Ashmita Chaliha gave a first round walkover to Malvika Bansod, while Aakarshi Kashyap defeated Mugdha Agrey 21-13 21-14 and Anupama Upadhyaya eased past Rituparna Das.

Two-time Olympic medallist and top seed PV Sindhu will open her campaign against compatriot Tanya Hemanth on Wednesday, while London Games bronze medallist Saina Nehwal, seeded fourth, will test her fitness when she takes on Czech Republic's Tereza Švábíková in the first round. 

Also Read : More relieved than happy to have pulled off Indian Open: BAI secretary general Singhania

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 18 (Cricket News) Former first-class and IPL cricketer Rajagopal Sathish was allegedly offered Rs 40 lakh to fix matches during the Tamil Nadu Premier League 41-year-old Sathish was part of Chepauk Super Gillies squad that won the TNPL last season. The former Tamil Nadu player has also been part of Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. A person named Bunny Anand made the offer to Sathish via Instagram.

"He informed us as well as the International Cricket Council earlier this month that he was offered money through social media. Since we are only facilitators in such cases, we advised him to lodge a police complaint. He has done that and now police will investigate and do the needful," BCCI ACU chief Shabir Khandwawala told PTI.

The complaint has been filed with Bengaluru Police.

The TNPL was played from July 19 to August 15 last year.

Asked why Sathish chose to approach the BCCI only now, the ACU chief said: "Whatever the circumstances were, it needs to be seen by the police.

"We don't want to discourage him. If he has decided to come out, our duty is to show him the way," Khandwawala, who is a former Gujarat DGP, added.

Sathish has also played 41 first-class games and 57 List A games. He was also a part of the now defunct unsanctioned Indian Cricket League. 

Also Read : We hope to break down Iran defence to start with a win: Dennerby

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Jan 18 (Football News) India head coach Thomas Dennerby on Tuesday said the hosts would aim to break down a strong Iranian defence with an attacking game to eke out a win in their women's AFC Asian Cup opener here on Thursday.

The match against Iran would be crucial for India in their bid to qualify for the quarterfinals. Iran are the lowest ranked team in Group A which also has China and Chinese Taipei. They are ranked at 70th in the world as against 55th of India.

"Our first target is to get to quarter-finals, we think we have a realistic chance to do that. Iran is going to be a real tough game. We have followed them through videos and they are really a fighting (team)," Dennerby said in a virtual media interaction ahead of Thirsday's match.

"They (Iran) have strong defence, they defend very well around their box. It is going to be a challenge for us to score. It is not going to be an easy game. We are hoping that with some creative and good passing game, we can break down their defence," he added.

"We have a lot of players that can create chances and score goals. We have to be good all through the match." A win against Iran will give India a big chance to make it to the knock-out stage -- the quarterfinals. A quarterfinal berth will virtually ensure at least an Inter-continental Play-offs berth for the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Five teams from the tournament will directly qualify for the 2023 women's FIFA World Cup while another two will make it to the Intercontinental Play-offs. Australia, which finished runners-up in the last edition of the AFC Asian Cup, have already qualified for the 2023 FIFA World Cup as co-hosts.

"It is a big challenge obviously for us, but it is also a very big opportunity. If we qualify for the quarterfinals, we have a chance for qualifying for the FIFA World Cup next year and that will be huge for Indian football," said captain Ashalata Devi.

"We are hoping that the Asian Cup being hosted in India will give a big boost to women's football in our country." India had beaten Iran 1-0 in 2019 in Bhubaneswar in the last meeting between the two sides. 

Also Read : Serie A: AC Milan suffer a shock defeat as Napoli close in both the Milan clubs

News Source : PTI

Paarl (South Africa), Jan 18 (Cricket News) Fast-rising India pacer Mohammed Siraj considers Virat Kohli his "superhero" and says the batting ace will always remain his skipper despite his captaincy tenure ending in all formats of the game.

Kohli, whose limited-overs leadership stint ended last year, stunned all by relinquishing Test captaincy on Saturday, a day after India lost a three-match Test series to an under-strength South Africa 1-2.

Siraj took to social media on Monday to thank Kohli for "trusting and believing" in his capabilities.

"To my superhero, I cannot be thankful enough for the support and the encouragement that I got from you. You have always been my great brother.

"Thank you for trusting me and believing in me for all these years. For seeing the great at my worst. You will be always be my captain King Kohli @virat.kohli," Siraj wrote in an Instagram post.

Siraj made his debut in Test, ODI and T20 cricket under Kohli and is also the former skipper's teammate in IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The 27-year-old pacer from Hyderabad played eight Tests under Kohli, scalping 23 wickets at an average of 27.04.

Both Kohli and Siraj will be seen in action during the ODI series against South Africa starting Wednesday in Paarl. 

Also Read : India begin preparations for the 2023 World Cup with 1st ODI Vs South Africa

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The first ODI match in the Zimbabwe tour of Sri Lanka saw the hosts winning in a high scoring encounter. Zimbabwe are in a must win situation entering the second ODI today in the same pitch as Sri Lanka will look to continue their form from the earlier match.

Zimbabwe scored their fourth highest score against Sri Lanka in the first match when they piled up 296 on board. Sean Williams scored his 5th century and also bowled a tight spell as he was the most valuable player on the team. Regis Chakabva and Takudzwanashe Kaitano had a strong opening partnership with debutant Kaitano impressing on debut but only three batters managed to score more than 20 runs and stay for more than 25 balls. Captain Craig Ervine needs to get the runs for the team along with Sikandar Raza as their experience could not help the team in the batting front.

Among the bowlers, Richard Ngarava picked up three wickets but bowled 8 wides which was three more than the Lankan team put together. He picked up two important wickets, Dinesh Chandimal and Charith Asalanka in successive overs as both of them scored 70 plus runs. Wellington Masakadza only gave away 29 runs in his 6 overs and will be looking to bowl more overs in the upcoming match. Three bowlers bowled 9 overs and all of them were pacers as Sean bowled 8 overs while giving 43 runs. The bowlers were not expensive but the score was just not enough to restrict the Lankan batters, the men in red will need their batters to fire and will need to use their spinners more as they were more economical even though three of them together took one wicket.

The Sri Lankan side needs to strengthen their batting line up as only three batters scored more than 30. Dinesh Chandimal stood at the crease for some time as Pathum Nissanka gave the team a good start and Charith Asalanka added more fuel to the fire. The batters need to put up a collective effort as they turned out to be lucky in the previous match.
 

Maheesh Theekshana was the most effective bowler for the side as he only gave away 40 runs in his 10 overs and stopped the run flow. Chamika Karunaratne picked up three wickets including two in the last over and Jeffrey Vandersay dismissed the opening batters. Vandersay and Captain Dasun Shanaka could not control the run scoring much.

The hosts are the favorites to win the match as they have a well balanced team which can do even better. While Zimbabwe will need their batters to save them for losing the series, they know the pitch and now have to stay longer in the crease while giving more power to the spinners. 

Also read: U-19 World Cup: India eye improved batting performance against Ireland

(Football news) AC Milan suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Spezia as they failed to capitalize on Inter dropping points. In-form Milan winger Rafael Leao put his side in front at the end of the first half after Theo Hernandez missed a penalty but Spezia soon struck back through substitute Kevin Agudelo in the 64th minute. In the dying minutes of the match Junior Messias thought he had won it for them when he curled home in stoppage time winner, but the referee's whistle had already stopped for an earlier foul on Milan's Ante Rebic, and Spezia took advantage of this as Emmanuel Gyasi struck the killer blow with final kick of the match to win it for them  at the death. The decision left Milan players furious with referee Marco Serra as he hardly left any time for advantage to be played, with around two seconds passing between the foul on Rebic and Messias' shot. This was a missed opportunity for Pioli's side, who knew going into the game, a win would send them top.

Spezia climbed to 14th place on 22 points, six clear of the relegation zone as Milan stayed in second with 48 points meaning they are 2 points behind Inter having played a match more. Milan went into the game on a run of three consecutive league wins, despite missing a string of key players through injury and playing in the Africa Cup of Nations as Pioli’s side couldn’t take advantage and go on top of the table.

"I tried to calm down the players but couldn't, We know we have suffered an injustice. It's a shame, the responsibility is ours for the goal we conceded but that must be shared with the referee. Milan coach after the late controversy said.

"The guys were great, they knew it was a difficult game against a team that is fighting for the title. We did well right to the end," Spezia coach Thiago Motta said.

Also read: Robert Lewandowski and Alexia Putellas take top honors in FIFA Awards

Napoli went back to winning ways as they won 2-0 against Bologna and now have closed that gap to AC Milan to two points and are also four points behind leaders Inter. A brace from Hirving Lozano helped them capture all three points. In the first half, Elmas cuts in from the left in the one-on-one and places a perfect ball on the penalty spot for Lozano who sends the ball into the back of the net to put Napoli ahead in the 20th minute, The story of the second was the same as the first half, in the 47th minute a Napoli's counter-attack ended with Fabían's killer pass to Lozano, who coolly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0 for the club from Naples. With this result Napoli stayed in third with 46 points. 

Tarouba (Trinidad and Tobago), Jan 18 (Cricket News) In-form batter and captain Yash Dhull will be expecting a much improved batting effort from his team when record four-time champions India take on Ireland in their second Group B match of the ICC U-19 World Cup here on Wednesday.

Having started their campaign with a 45-run win over South Africa, the Indians are brimming with confidence and are expected to steamroll Ireland at the Brian Lara Stadium.

Both India and Ireland have registered wins in their openers. While India beat South Africa, Ireland defeated Uganda by 39 runs.

Dhull single-handedly anchored the Indian innings against the Junior Proteas as they lost both their openers -- Harnoor Singh and Angkrish Raghuvanshi early after being put into bat.

Dhull added vital 71 runs with Shaikh Rasheed (31) for the third to resurrect the Indian innings first and then stitched valuable contributions with Nishant Sidhu (27), Raj Bawa (13) and Kushal Tambe (35) to give his bowlers a decent target to defend.

But come Wednesday, Dhull would be looking for more support from his openers to ease the pressure on middle and lower-order going into the knockout stages of the tournament.

If Indian batters were not upto the mark against South Africa, it was completely contrasting performance from the bowling unit.

Left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal (5/28) turned out to be the star performer with the ball while right-arm fast bowler Raj Bawa (4/47) gave the perfect support from the other end as India bowled out South Africa for 187 runs.

Jalandhar-born left-handed opener Harnoor, who was India's leading run-getter in the Asia Cup with 251 runs in five games and struck an unbeaten 100 against Australia in the team's final warm-up game on January 11, is expected to score a bagful of runs in the tournament but managed only 1 in the opener.

Right-arm pacer Rajvardhan Hangargekar (1/38), who has played senior cricket for Maharashtra and impressed with his raw pace in the Asia Cup, and left-arm fast bowler Ravi Kumar both had ordinary outings against South Africa.

Meanwhile in the other match of the day, Australia will take on Scotland in a Group D game in Basseterre.

Squads (from): India: Yash Dhull (c), Harnoor Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, SK Rasheed (vc), Nishant Sindhu, Siddarth Yadav, Aneeshwar Gautam, Dinesh Bana, Aaradhya Yadav, Raj Angad Bawa, Manav Parakh, Kaushal Tambe, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Vasu Vats, Vicky Ostwal, Ravi Kumar, Garv Sangwan.

Ireland: Tim Tector (c), Diarmuid Burke, Joshua Cox, Jack Dickson, Liam Doherty, Jamie Forbes, Daniel Forkin, Matthew Humphreys, Philippus le Roux, Scott MacBeth, Nathan McGuire, Muzamil Sherzad, David Vincent, Luke Whelan, Reuben Wilson.

Match Starts at 6:30 PM IST. 

Also Read : For first time in seven years, all eyes on Kohli the batter as India take on SA in ODIs

News Source : PTI

Paarl (South Africa), Jan 18 (Cricket News) The mighty Virat Kohli's presence in the Indian playing eleven as a mere player for the first time in seven years will be keenly followed while his potential successor in red-ball cricket, K L Rahul, will be judged for his captaincy in the three-match ODI series against South Africa beginning here on Wednesday.

Whether he is batting in the middle or fielding at the boundary line, Kohli's every move is tracked but some of that attention will now have to be shared by Rahul.

More importantly, will he be at his usual animated best on the field or will the cricketing world see a rather subdued Kohli after his stunning resignation from Test captaincy brought an end to his innings as official leader of the team across formats? He did not want to leave ODI captaincy after relinquishing the role in the shortest format and it led to a war of words with the BCCI on how the entire matter was handled.

His supporters and Indian cricket in general will be hoping that Kohli has put his differences with the BCCI firmly behind him and come Wednesday, he starts a new innings with his willow doing most of the talking. A highly desired century after two years would be cherry on top.

Rahul, who is leading the side in the absence of an injured Rohit Sharma, is expected to turn to Kohli for advice during the series. Not only Kohli has a major role to play as a batter, but as vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah said on the eve of the series, the star "will always be a leader" in the team.

With the new leadership and support staff, India will look to win the series with one eye on preparations for the 2023 World Cup and also make up for the disappointment of unexpectedly going down in the Tests last week.

The last time a full strength India played an ODI series was at home against England in March before a second string squad travelled to Sri Lanka in July.

Rahul batted in the middle-order against England but it remains to be seen if he moves back to the top alongside Shikhar Dhawan.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, who made the squad following an exceptional domestic season, might have to wait longer for his ODI debut.

It will be crucial three games for the seasoned Dhawan, who has already lost his place in the T20 side.

The southpaw has thrived under pressure in the past and will be looking to solidify his position as the first-choice opener alongside Rohit when the latter returns from injury.

Kohli will bat at his usual number three spot while there will be a toss-up between Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer for the number four position.

Rishabh Pant is expected to come at number five while Venkatesh Iyer is likely to make his 50-over debut as the all-rounder at six, having shown promise in the T20s against New Zealand.

The two spinners likely to play are Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin, who has made a comeback after more than four years.

Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will share the load in the pace department while for the third pace option, the management could pick Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur or Prasidh Krishna.

Mohammad Siraj, who injured his hamstring during the Test series, is also fit as suggested by Bumrah on Monday.

On the previous tour, India hammered the hosts 5-1 in ODIs and they will draw confidence from that.

South Africa will be in high spirits after a memorable victory in the five-day format.

Skipper Temba Bavuma played a few crucial in the preceding Tests and he will carry that confidence into his batting as well as his leadership.

Quinton de Kock, who retired from Test cricket after the series opener against India, starts his life as a white-ball only player.

Tall left-arm pacer Marco Jansen, who excelled in his maiden Test series, is expected to trouble the Indian batters with his extra bounce and variations in the short format after earning a maiden call-up.

If Tests were any indication, the ODIs would be an intensely-fought affair.

Squads: India: KL Rahul (captain), Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Md. Siraj, Jayant Yadav, Navdeep Saini.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (captain), Keshav Maharaj, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Zubayr Hamza, Marco Jansen, Janneman Malan, Sisanda Magala, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne.

Match starts 2 PM IST. 

Also Read : Ben Stokes opts out of IPL auctions to stay fresh for English home summer: Reports

News Source : PTI

Wijk Aan Zee (The Netherlands), Jan 18 (Chess News) Indian Grandmaster Vidit Santhosh Gujrathi prevailed over Russia's Daniil Dubov in the third round to become the sole leader with 2.5 points in the prestigious Tata Steel Masters chess tournament here.

Gujrathi's compatriot, 16-year old Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, however, suffered a defeat at the hands of Dutchman Jorden Van Foreest late on Monday night.

Apart from Van Foreest, Andrey Esipenko and Richard Rapport also scored victories and now sit on two points together with world No.1 Magnus Carlsen and Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who drew their games.

In the Gujrathi-Dubov match, the Russian, true to his creative style, introduced a novelty in the Italian Opening as early as on move 8.

The Indian GM took the seemingly risky approach, first trading his dark-squared bishop and then accepting a central pawn sacrifice.

As a result, he fell behind in development, whereas Black's king got stuck in the centre.

Gujrathi capitalised on an error on move 32 by Dubov and secured a point.

Van Foreest surprised Praggnanandhaa with a rare line and put serious pressure on the black side. Praggnanandhaa held his own up to a point before the Dutchman gained the upper-hand to score a win.

Carlsen showed resilience to share the point with Poland's Jan-Krzysztof Duda while Dutch star Anish Giri drew with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.

In the fourth round to be played later on Tuesday night, Gujrathi faces Espinenko and Praggnanandhaa tackles Sweden's Nils Grandelius in the 13-round championship.

Meanwhile, in the Challenger event being held simultaneously, Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi defeated Belgium's Daniel Dardha in the third round to share the joint top spot with two others -- Thai Dai Van Nguyen (Czech Republic) and Volodar Murzin (Russia) -- having scored 2.5 points.

Another Indian GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly was held to a draw by Max Warmerdam of the Netherlands and has two points from three rounds.

Standings after Round 3: Masters: 1. Vidit Gujrathi – 2.5 points; 2-6. Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Magnus Calsen, Richard Rapport, Andrey Esipenko and Jorden Van Foreest – 2; 7-8. Fabiano Caruana, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – 1.5; 9-13. Sam Shankland, Sergey Karjakin, Daniil Dubov, Anish Giri, Praggnanandhaa – 1; 14. Nils Grandelius – 0.5. 

Also Read : Surender Gill shines as UP Yoddha thrash Puneri Paltan 50-40

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London, Jan 17 (Cricket News) World's premier all-rounder Ben Stokes has opted out of this year's Indian Premier League in order to manage his workload and remain mentally fresh for England's next home season, according to reports in British media.

Stokes had an underwhelming Ashes, having scored only 236 runs and picking only four wickets in England's 0-4 thrashing at the hands of Australia.

With lot of England stalwarts including former skipper David Gower already starting their annual criticism of the cash-rich T20 league, it is understood that Stokes, who could have again fetched bug bucks, has decided to stay away.

"Stokes will sit out this year's tournament, which will feature 10 teams for the first time and be preceded by a mega-auction in which there are plenty of spaces to fill," London's Evening Standard reported.

"Stokes has had a tumultuous time over the last couple of years, with the death of his father Ged 13 months ago preceding a long break in 2021 to prioritise his mental health and fix a finger badly broken at the IPL," it wrote.

Stokes was a part of Rajasthan Royals squad during the 2021 edition and during the postponed first leg fractured his finger and was ruled out of the tournament. When the tournament resumed in September, post COVID-19 induced break, Stokes didn't come back.

"Sitting out represents a significant financial sacrifice but should also allow him some time off to mentally refresh between England's tour of the Caribbean in March and the international summer in June," the paper reported.

Among the sought-after English players, only Moeen Ali (who has retired from Tests) and Jos Buttler were retained by their franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan respectively.

Last summer, ECB allowed England players, who were at the IPL to sit out the early-season Tests against New Zealand, something that led to a lot of criticism as the rotation policy put in place hurt the team's composition according to many. 

Also Read : Sri Lanka restrict Australia to 175; Pakistan ride on Haseebullah ton to score 315/9 vs Zimbabwe

News Source : PTI

Basseterre (St Kitts), Jan 17 (Cricket News) Left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage scalped five wickets as Asia Cup runners-up Sri Lanka bowled out Australia for 175 in a group D league match of the ICC U-19 World Cup here on Monday.

Wellalege had brilliant figures of 10-1-28-5 and got ideal support from off-spinner Treveen Mathew (2/32) and pacer Matheesa Pathirana (2/34) on a slow track where Australian batters struggled to force the pace of the innings.

Opener Campbell Kellaway (54 off 77 balls) was the only significant contributor for the Australians as the next best score was William Salzmann's 22.

The only significant stand was 46 for the fourth wicket between Campbell and Tobias Snell (19).

West Indies bowl out Scotland for 95 ======================= Pacer Siva Sankar took three wickets while off-spinner Onaje Amory got two in his kitty as West Indies bundled out Scotland for 95 in another group D league match at the Basseterre.

Opener Oliver Davidson was the top scorer for Scotland with 43 while as many as nine players failed to reach double figures. The second highest score was 11 by Muhaymen Majeed.

Haseebullah scores ton as Pakistan pile up big total ================================ Opener-keeper Haseebullah Hameed smashed 135 off 155 balls with 10 fours and four sixes while No. 4 Irfan Khan made 75 as Pakistan piled up a mammoth 315 for 9 against Zimbabwe in a group C match held at Diego Martin in Trinidabd and Tobago island.

Haseebullah and Irfan added 189 runs for the third wicket to lay the platform for a big score. For Zimbabwe, medium pacer Alex Falao was the most successful bowler with 5 for 58. 

Also Read : Having picked Hardik and Rashid, Ahmedabad prefer Shubman Gill over Ishan Kishan

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 17 (Cricket News) The Ahmedabad IPL franchise on predictable lines have signed Hardik Pandya and Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan but preferred young India opener Shubman Gill for the upcoming season of Indian Premier League.

PTI was the first to report on January 10 that Pandya is all set to captain the Ahmedabad franchise for the season and they have also finalised Rashid Khan, who otherwise would have gone for a "bomb" at the auctions.

However, their third choice Ishan Kishan didn't work out and they zeroed in on Gill, who could also be seen as a potential captaincy candidate.

"Ahmedabad has decided on its players and accordingly informed the BCCI about their draft picks. Hardik, Rashid and Shubman are the three choices," a senior IPL official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"They wanted Ishan Kishan badly but it is understood that Ishan is more interested in going back to the auction and there is a high chance that MI might buy him at a premium price." 

Also Read : Indian bowling attack by far most challenging one for me: Petersen

News Source : PTI

Bengaluru, Jan 17 (Kabaddi News) Surender Gill shone with his raids as UP Yoddha thrashed Puneri Paltan 50-40 in a high-scoring match of Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 here on Monday.

Gill (21 points) and Pardeep Narwal (10 points) scored Super 10s for Yoddha in a match, which had way too many defensive errors.

Aslam Inamdar and Mohit Goyat had Super 10s for the Pune side, but they did not get any help from a stuttering defence that conceded far too many points.

The first half was a high-scoring affair with just one empty raid in the first five minutes. Pardeep Narwal started the proceedings with a three-point Super Raid and that certainly set the tone for the other raiders.

Inamdar and Goyat combined to help Pune clinch the game's first 'All Out' close to the 10th minute but Yoddha immediately clawed their way back.

It was raining Super Raids on both sides and Gill's three-point effort with seven minutes remaining helped Yoddha inflict an 'All Out'.

Both the left corners -- Pune's Vishal Bharadwaj and Yoddha's Sumit -- were having an error-prone night and conceded far too many points in the first half that ended 20-20.

Yoddha started the second half brightly with Gill aggressive in his raids. His four-point Super Raid in the fifth minute paved the way for another 'All Out' which helped Yoddha open a seven-point lead.

He and Pardeep Narwal took turns to eat points away from Pune and eventually got them an 'All Out' in the 10th minute.

Yoddha scored a massive 20 points in the first 10 minutes after the restart to open a 15-point lead. Both Narwal and Gill crossed their Super 10s while Goyat did the same for Pune.

Inamdar manufactured a three-point Super Raid in the 12th minute of the second half to spark a comeback. But Pune's defenders were having a night to forget with Gill picking points with ease.

Despite Inamdar and Goyat's best attempts, Pune could not close the gap as Yoddha clinched a valuable win. 

Also Read : Second part of Pro Kabaddi League to start from Jan 20

News Source : PTI

Paarl, Jan 17 (Cricket News) Rookie South Africa batter Keegan Petersen admits the world class Indian bowling attack was by far the most challenging he has faced but said he would not have wanted another way to build his nascent career.

The 28-year-old was named player of the series after his outstanding exploits with the bat against India in the three-match contest which South Africa won 2-1.

The stylish right-hander was the top run-scorer from either sides in the series, amassing 276 runs at an average of 46.00. He was the only player to notch-up three half-centuries, recording scores of 72, 82 and 62, whilst his slip fielding was another hallmark of the series.

"It was by far the most challenging bowling I have come across in my career, whether it’s been in first-class cricket or any form of cricket," Petersen was quoted as saying in Cricket South Africa website.

"It hasn’t been an easy introduction for me to international cricket, but I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way," he explained.

"My journey's unique and it's my story to tell as well." Petersen has now played five Tests for South Africa, although his previous three innings -- all against West Indies -- did not yield too many runs.

"It hasn't completely sunk in yet. I still can't explain how it feels completely despite it being two days already. Myself, my family and everyone close to us are still trying to get over it somehow. It was a challenging series against one of the best bowling attacks in the world." Petersen said he's proud to be a part of a team that is trying to start something new in South African cricket.

"Whether I bat in first couple of overs or whether I bat after 50 overs, I'm just grateful to have the opportunity to be there, playing amongst a group of guys who are also trying to start something new in South African cricket.

"We are also trying to tell a new story as a team together as well." South Africa lost the first Test by 113 runs in Centurion, before storming back with successive seven-wicket victories in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

It was the biggest win for the Proteas since Dean Elgar was appointed Test captain and Petersen has hailed the leadership of the new skipper.

"Deano as our captain, he's going to, he has and he is going to achieve great things as well as a captain. He's a brilliant leader and we wouldn't want anyone else to lead us," said Petersen.

"The achievement for us as a squad, we know the chips were down and the odds were against us especially after the first game where we were beaten. It wasn't a good scenario, but we had a couple of strong chats after the game looking at ways to bounce back.

"It's just our personalities and character as South Africans, even though we’re the underdogs, we always come back fighting. That’s just how we are and we showed that during this series. Hopefully, it carries on for years to come.” The two teams will now move on to the three-match ODI leg of the tour that begins on Wednesday here. 

Also Read : Would love to see Shakib playing all formats: Habibul

News Source : PTI

Muscat, Jan 17 (Cricket News) Shakib-Al-Hasan may be mulling on retiring from Test cricket to prolong his white-ball career, but former Bangladesh skipper and current national selector Habibul Bashar said they still need the star all-rounder in all the three formats.

Bangladesh created history recently beating reigning World Test Champions on their home soil at Bay Oval to bag their first-ever win in New Zealand and the win came without Shakib, who had decided to opt out of the series.

"I would love to see Shakib in all formats definitely. But the problem these days is playing in bio-bubble with so much cricket happening all around the world... These guys some times also need time out," Bashar said in a media interaction organised by the Legends League Cricket here.

The 34-year-old ace all-rounder Shakib plays all three formats for Bangladesh but recently he said it's time to "think about Test cricket" as he's seen taking frequent breaks from International cricket over the last few years.

Shakib is Bangladesh's most-successful batsman (12,523 runs across formats) in International cricket and is their leading wicket-taker in Tests (215), ODIs (277) and T20Is (117).

He's played 59 Tests, 215 ODIs and 94 T20Is since his debut in 2006.

"It's not easy for a player. They also have family. Playing three formats with these guys is a bit difficult these days. He's been more than six months away from his family. Sometimes you got to understand. But I would love to see Shakib playing all the three formats," the current national selector said.

The first Test win for Bangladesh ended the Black Caps' 17-match unbeaten run on home soil.

"The boys did a fantastic job beating NZ in NZ. Our team is going through a rebuilding process. We had a young side. New Zealand also came back very well in the second Test. But I see a good future for these boys. When the senior players join in, we will have an exciting year ahead." Talking about Bangladesh cricket, Habibul said: "We still have a long way to go. But this win will give a big confidence going forward.

"We still need to win more matches outside Bangladesh. We are in the right process, I see a bright future ahead, and hope to win more matches. We need to win major tournaments. We still have not won any tournament, barring our final appearance in the Asia Cup. But cricket is going in the right process. We have an exciting future ahead." Indian Maharajas will be a step ahead ======================== The first season of Legends League Cricket will have former cricketers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, England, among other cricket nations divided into three teams representing India, Asia and Rest of the World.

Cricket fans all across the world will get to see the legends of cricket roll back the years and sweat it out on the field again.

The 49-year-old former star Bangladeshi skipper will join hands with the likes of explosive batters like Shahid Afridi and Sanath Jayasurya among others in the Asia Lions Team in the Legends League Cricket to be played here from January 20-29.

They will be up against the Indian Maharajas featuring the likes of Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and the Pathan brothers (Irfan and Yusuf) among others.

The World team boasts of Kevin Pietersen, Daren Sammy, Daniel Vettori, Brett Lee and Jonty Rhodes among others.

Giving the Indian Legends side a bit of an edge, Habibul said: "Yes definitely, they will be a step ahead with other teams. They played together for a very long time and know each other so well." "But we also know each other well. We have played together. It will be an exciting contest." Talking about the tournament, he said: "It's a wonderful opportunity for all of us to play each other again. There was a lot of tension between us during our playing days when we're representing our countries.

"Now as we all are retired, doing our zone but we still have that competitive feeling. I'm so excited to play against my old colleagues again. I'm sure we will have a wonderful time in the middle," he concluded. 

Also Read : No hard feelings, we're good friends: Jansen on heated moments with Bumrah

News Source : PTI

Margao, Jan 17 (Football News) Odisha FC will look for a new dawn after parting ways with coach Kiko Ramirez when they take on fellow stragglers NorthEast United FC in the Indian Super League here on Tuesday.

Odisha parted ways with Ramirez after their last game against Kerala Blasters which they lost, finding themselves in ninth position with 13 points from 10 games.

Kino Garcia was announced as his interim replacement and on Tuesday will have a job at hand to resurrect the ship against a NorthEast United side who are looking to galvanize their arsenal themselves.

NorthEast United are a rung below Odisha in 10th position having nine points from 11 engagements.

Meanwhile, Marcelinho is all set to make his NEUFC debut against former club Odisha as the Brazilian forward marks his return to the tournament.

With 33 goals and 18 assists in the ISL, Marcelinho brings ample experience and final third ability as NorthEast United hope to turn their season around.

Garcia's first job will be to steady the porous defence. Odisha have conceded 24 goals in just 10 games this season. No team has conceded more goals than Odisha.

NorthEast United's midfield lynchpin Hernan Santana scored a stunner of a free kick in their draw against FC Goa and has looked good of late.

In a season where NorthEast United have been ravaged by injuries, Hernan Santana has played more minutes than any other NorthEast United player.

The Spanish midfielder has alternated between playing as a centre-back and in midfield this season but has settled into a midfield role of late due to the emergence of the Patrick Flottmann- Mashoor Shereef pairing.

Santana is NorthEast United’s chief orchestrator in possession, having more touches of the ball and completing more passes than any other NEUFC player.

Imran Khan has also stepped up in the absence of Fede Gallego as NorthEast United’s creative outlet this season. He has three assists to his name this season.

Among Indian players, only Roshan Singh (5) has more assists than Imran Khan.

The last time the two sides met in the first half of the season, Odisha ran out 1-0 winners. 

Also Read : COVID-hit Jamshedpur FC's ISL match against Hyderabad FC postponed due to lack of players

News Source : PTI

Paarl, Jan 17 (Cricket News) South Africa pacer Marco Jansen on Monday said he has no "hard feelings" with his IPL side Mumbai Indians team-mate Jasprit Bumrah even though the duo engaged in some heated exchanges during the Proteas' 2-1 Test series triumph.

Jansen and Bumrah shared some heated exchanges during the second Test at Wanderers which South Africa won by seven wickets and again during the third match at Newlands where the hosts sealed a remarkable Test series win.

"I've played with Bumrah in the IPL and we're good friends. You're not going to back down when you're playing for your country and sometimes on-the-field things get heated," the 21-year-old said in a media interaction on Cricket South Africa Twitter handle.

"He obviously did the same and there are no hard feelings because it was in the heat of the moment, because it was two players giving their all for their countries." Despite his fiery persona on-the-field, Jansen said he's very introverted.

"I'm a bit of an introvert off the field. But I want to express myself on the field in the sport I love the most. I show the passion and love for the game. If there's one place I want to show my passion, it's got to be on the field." Not underestimating India in ODIs ===================== Next up is the three-match ODI series beginning here on Wednesday. The last time India came to South Africa in 2018, they won the six-match ODI series 5-1.

It was also India's first-ever ODI series win in South Africa.

"We hope to carry forward the momentum from the Test series. But we are not underestimating at all. We have to bring our A game and will be looking to take the fight to them," Jansen said.

"We have to work on our preparation and be as prepared as possible, give our all in the field. It will be very, very nice to get an ODI series win," he said.

Never expected an ODI call-up =================== With the experienced pacer Anrich Nortje missing the ODIs as well after being left out of the Tests due to a hip injury, Jansen has got a maiden ODI call-up in the squad led by Temba Bavuma.

"It wasn't a call-up I expected, but I'm very glad and honoured to be selected in the squad," Jansen said.

"I just want to learn as much as possible as it is my first call-up to the ODI squad. If I get an opportunity, I'll hope to make the most of it and take it with both hands." Having made a lacklustre debut in the Centurion Test, the lanky left-armer bounced back strongly to finish with 19 wickets, just behind their top wicket-taker Kagiso Rabada (20) with an superb average of 16.47.

"I've been in the Test squad previously, before this series, but obviously never expected to be selected. It was an honour.

"I didn't start the way I wanted to do. I was very, very nervous. It's normal to get nervous in your first Test. Just after that I was glad to come back well in the second innings and contributed to the team," Jansen, who got five wickets in his Test debut, said.

My identical twin is my best friend ===================== The player from Potchefstroom has also a left-arm seamer identical twin in Duan, who was also part of the Mumbai Indians squad, albeit as a support player.

"We grew up together, know everything about each other. He's my best friend. It is not weird, but weird in some ways that we have the same traits. Sharing the journey with him is something very special. We love each other very much. I'm a bit taller than him," Jansen said.

"In the IPL, he came along as a support player and practiced with us. It was a great experience for him and for us. Our parents are very proud of us, back us all the way and are very, very supportive." 

Also Read : Won't judge Virat's decision, it's a personal one and we respect that: Bumrah

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Ireland Men have won their first-ever one-day international series away from home over an ICC Full Member after recording a two-wicket victory over the West Indies at Sabina Park in Kingston today. For the third time in succession, Ireland won the toss and chose to bowl first.

Shai Hope went on the attack, blasting balls to all parts of the stadium. Hope was particularly aggressive with Josh Little, feeding off the extra pace and width on offer. He brought up his half-century off just 37 balls, with 9 fours and a six.

Hope’s dismissal caused a middle-order collapse with West Indies losing 7-57 in the next 17 overs. Young claimed two wickets, but the chief destroyer was off-spinner Andy McBrine. He had Nicholas Pooran and Shamarh Brooks both trapped in front, and set up the perfect delivery to Kieron Pollard, who was caught by William Porterfield.

George Dockrell chipped in for a wicket to dismiss the dangerous Romario Shepherd – Dockrell’s 150th List A wicket – and the home side’s innings was seemingly adrift at 119-7 in the 28th over. It was then that former West Indian captain Jason Holder took the responsibility – he and Akeal Hosein put on 63 for the eighth wicket in a face-saving stand for the Caribbean side.. Gareth Delany with a superb flat throw from deep square leg and Neil Rock’s quick hands catching the tall Barbadian all-rounder short of his crease.

The West Indian side were bowled out for 212 in the 45th over - the third time in the series Ireland has dismissed the home side before they batted out their allotted overs. This is the first time Ireland Men have bowled out a Full Member in three successive matches. Bowling honours once more went to Andy McBrine – the off-spinner finished with 4-28 from 10 overs. McBrine’s series haul of 10 wickets at 11.6 apiece was an excellent return. Having lost fellow spinners Simi Singh and Ben White for the series due to Covid infections, Ireland needed McBrine to stand up – and that he did, with two four-wicket hauls the last two matches.

With 213 the target, Ireland lost opener Porterfield from the first ball of the innings – upper-cutting a ball from Joseph that flew straight to Hosein at Third. Stirling regained momentum with a quickfire 44 from 38 balls. Aided by the more circumspect McBrine, the pair put on 73 for the second wicket from 77 balls. However, looking certain to register his 27th ODI half-century, Stirling missed a tossed up ball by spinner Hosein and was trapped in front. Given not out, the bowling side sought a review, which shortly after saw the Irish skipper walking back to the pavilion.

McBrine was joined by the in-form Harry Tector who had scored six half-centuries in his last nine innings. McBrine looked increasingly confident as his innings grew and he brought up his second career ODI half-century from 89 balls. Shortly after, the left-handed McBrine flashed at a bouncing ball outside off stump and edged through to the keeper, out for 59 but the victory was at sight.

Tector registered his third half-century of the series, but there was again danger lurking as the score went from 190-4 to 208-8. It was nervous times for all Ireland’s fans as Mark Adair and Craig Young stood at the crease. Fortunately, Young steered the winning runs away to the boundary off Shepherd and the Men in Green had won their first ODI series win away from home against a Full Member.

Andy McBrine said after the game:

“It means a lot to the team – the last 3 to 4 weeks hasn’t been easy on us, but there’s a fighting spirit left in us and we showed that today. There was a nice bit of spin in the pitch today – I  just had to change up my lengths and keep it as simple as possible and force them to make mistakes – and that has happened in the last three games. I struggled a bit to get my timing with the bat, I just ground it out and waited for my ball as much as I could. Harry and I kept things simple, we were always up above the required rate, so didn’t need to lapse into anything we didn’t need to. “Player of the Series” means a lot personally, but I’m firstly just trying to contribute what I can to the team.”

After the match, Stirling said:

“We’re delighted, it’s not every day we go on away trips and turn over a side like the West Indies. Really proud of the lads that we can go 1-nil down in the series and come back to win the next two games and take the series. We may have been fortunate to win the toss three times, but we still had to go out and perform, so we’re delighted. We’re a pretty tight unit, we always have been, it’s one of our strengths.

West Indies Men v Ireland Men, 3rd ODI, Sabina Park, Jamaica, 16 January 2022  

West Indies 212 (44.4 overs: S Hope 53, J Holder 44; A McBrine 4-28, C Young 3-43)

Ireland 214-8 (44.5 overs: A McBrine 59, H Tector 52, P Stirling 44; A Hosein 3-59)  

Ireland Men won by 2 wickets

Also read: Won't judge Virat's decision, it's a personal one and we respect that: Bumrah

(Tennis news) Day 1 of the 2022 Australian Open saw quite a few seeded players making their exit. The highest seeded player to fall was Cameron Norrie, the 12th seed had it tough against Next Gen player Sebastian Korda while 18th seed Cori Gauff was knocked out by Wang Qiang.

Cameron Norrie was nowhere near his best as he lost the first two sets in an hour and failed to take a single game in the second set. Korda kept hitting winners as Norrie’s court movement was also hampered, there was no ray of light for the British number one as the youngster did not shy away from taking chances in almost all the rallies. Korda kept coming forward to finish the points and only had some issues in the third set where Norrie put in some volleys which delayed the result of the match. Korda defeated Norrie 6-3, 6-0, 6-4.

“It wasn't easy. I didn't get a lot of preparation, didn't get any matches under my belt,” Korda said in his post-match press conference after he was forced to withdraw from the Adelaide International 1 in the first week of the season due to testing positive for Covid-19. “But I am just super happy with the way I came out. I stuck with my tactics. They worked really well and I am really comfortable on these courts.”

Fabio Fognini failed to find his touch against Tallon Griekspoor in the opening round. Griekspoor did see some half hearted winners from Fognini who could not hit most of the balls on the other side of the court. Griekspoor entered the main draw at Melbourne for the second time in his career and it was his second victory at Grand Slams. The 25 year old will next face Pablo Carreno Busta as it will be tough against the Spaniard who has been in form this year. Griekspoor defeated Fognini 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Feliciano Lopez played a record 79th consecutive Grand Slam at Melbourne, the 40 year old lost to John Millman in the 1st round. Millman was quick to find space around the net as Lopez is one of the last players to fully rely on the classic serve and volley. Millman moved well around the court while finding the lines even with his backhand and had sublime control when hitting winners from the net. Millman defeated Lopez 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.

Cori Gauff made her first early exit at a Grand Slam in two years when she was shocked by Wang Qiang in straight sets. Wang secured her first victory in over 6 months as she took advantage of an error-stricken game by the teenager. Gauff had 38 unforced errors which mostly contributed to the former world number 12 taking 6 consecutive games from the end of the first to the second. Even though it looked like the American could have staged a comeback when saving a few match points but it was not happening this time. Wang defeated Gauff 6-4, 6-2.

Sofia Kenin also had her luck give up on her as she was up against Madison Keys in the first round. Sofia had won the title at Melbourne two years ago but it was all over right on the first day for the former champion. Keys was too powerful around the court as no amount of sprints could cover certain groundstrokes she unleashed. The 12th seed has been struggling with a foot injury and coming back on tour after being infected with Covid. Keys defeated Kenin 7-6 (7-2), 7-5.

Also read: Mirza-Kichenok to open against Zidansek-Juvan in Australian Open

New Delhi, Jan 17 (Badminton News) Badminton Association of India secretary general Ajay Singhania is more relieved than happy that it has successfully conducted this edition of Indian Open despite being rocked by COVID-19 cases during the tournament.

The hiccups in conducting the USD 350,000 prize money event started with uncertainty over the clearance for the tournament due to escalating COVID-19 cases in Delhi at the start of the year.

"By the time the tournament week started a small core group was responsible for pulling off this event and I am more relieved than happy that we pulled this off," said Singhania in a BAI release.

The India Open was held after a gap of two years following the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020.

While the first two days witnessed a smooth sailing, seven Indian players returned positive results in the mandatory RT-PCR tests, not only throwing the pre-quarterfinal schedule haywire but also leaving the officials with another task to deal with.

The said players could not stay in the official hotel after testing positive and had to be accommodated elsewhere.

"Sending them to a government hospital for quarantine was risky. But thankfully we somehow managed to convince a city hotel while most refused to host these players," Singhania added.

The other major area of concern for BAI was hunting for a host broadcaster in a short span of time as the previous contract had expired.

"Sony came on board to show the matches and we are grateful to them. It was a touch and go situation but things fell in place even if last minute," he said.

The action will now move to Lucknow for the Syed Modi International next week and then the Odisha Open.

BAI is confident that the three-event Indian circuit would provide the perfect start to the new international badminton season despite the challenges of COVID-19 in the country. 

Also Read : Singapore shuttler Yeo Jia Min tests COVID positive on return from India

News Source : PTI

Bambolim, Jan 17 (Football News) Jamshedpur FC's Indian Super League match against Hyderabad FC was postponed hours before kick-off here on Monday after the Jharkhand-based club failed to field a team due to COVID-19 cases in its ranks.

The ISL said it will reschedule the match to a later date.

"Hero Indian Super League (ISL) announces the postponement of Match No. 63 between Hyderabad FC and Jamshedpur FC scheduled to be played today, Monday, January 17, 2022, at Athletic Stadium, Bambolim," the ISL said in a statement.

"The decision has been taken in consultation with the League's medical team taking into account the inability of Jamshedpur FC to field a team. The League will look to rearrange the fixture to a later date." According to sources, several Jamshedpur FC players have been kept under isolation as close contacts after at least a couple of team-mates tested positive for COVID-19 and that is the reason why they did not have the requisite numbers to field an XI.

"To my knowledge, at least a couple of Jamshedpur players have tested positive in the past few days. Several other players have to be isolated because of that," a source privy to the development said.

The source also said that there is no plan of immediate suspension of ISL unless drastic escalation in COVID-19 cases happen.

Jamshedpur FC played their last match on January 11 when they beat SC East Bengal 1-0 here. They have not been allowed to train since then due to COVID-19 cases.

According to FSDL, the ISL organisers, at least 15 should be available per team for a match to happen. Otherwise, it would be rescheduled to a later date.

A match between Kerala Blasters FC and Mumbai City FC in Vasco was also postponed on Sunday, hours before kickoff as the southern outfit did not have the requisite number of players to field.

Prior to this, two more matches had been postponed this season after the coronavirus breached the ISL's bio-bubble.

Besides players from Jamshedpur FC, members of ATK Mohun Bagan, FC Goa, Bengaluru FC and Odisha FC have also contracted the virus, while SC East Bengal too isolated themselves after their hotel staff inside the bio bubble was found positive.

On Saturday, the ISL fixture between ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC was also postponed due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Earlier, ATK Mohun Bagan's match against Odisha FC had to be postponed after an unnamed player reported positive for the virus.

As many as four ATKMB players in the bio-secure bubble were found positive and the Juan Ferrando-coached side was locked in respective rooms for one week without a single training session. 

Also Read : Good outing at AFC Asian Cup can change face of Indian woman football: Manisha

News Source : PTI

Singapore, Jan 17 (Badminton News) Singapore woman shuttler Yeo Jia Min has tested positive for COVID-19 upon her return from India after withdrawing from the just-concluded India Open in New Delhi.

The Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) said Yeo had tested negative in India. However according to SBA, the rapid antigen test (RAT) she took upon arrival in Singapore on Sunday returned positive. Her positive test result was later confirmed by a second confirmatory RAT test on Monday.

The 22-year-old Yeo withdrew from the tournament last Thursday after she experienced "high fever".

In an Instagram post on Monday, Yeo said she is back in Singapore but has tested positive for COVID.

"I am now in isolation and complying with all the procedures," she said in her post. "I will do my best to recover well and get back on the court soon." Thanking her fans, the young shuttler said many people have sent her well wishes.

"Sorry it's been pretty hectic in the midst of trying to recover physically," added Yeo, who is ranked 17th in the world.

SBA added: "The health and welfare of our players are our priority and this is also why we decided to pull her out of this week's competition and fly her back home after she fell ill last week." "We have reminded our players, coaches and staff who are currently overseas to take extra care and precaution and avoid unnecessary mingling to lower the probability of infection." Several players from around the world were forced to withdraw from the event after a spate of COVID-19 cases across India.

Singapore reported 863 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, 363 were individuals arriving here from abroad, according to the Ministry of Health website.

As of Sunday, Singapore had 2,91,849 coronavirus cases and 843 COVID-related deaths since the outbreak of the disease here.

The ministry also confirmed 675 Omicron cases on Sunday, 253 of which were imported or those arriving here from abroad. 

Also Read : Lakshya withdraws from Syed Modi International citing exhaustion

News Source : PTI

Paarl, Jan 17 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli's decision to quit Test captaincy needs to be respected, said India's stand-in ODI vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, who believes that the former skipper would continue to be a "leader in the group".

Kohli announced his decision to step down via social media, a day after India lost a three-match Test series 1-2 to the weakest South African side in recent times.

When asked how Kohli informed the team, the normally reticent Bumrah said that the star batter called a meeting to announce his decision to quit.

"Obviously, as a team unit, we are closer, so we came to know earlier, that he would step down from Test captaincy and we respect his decision and valued his leadership. We congratulated him for his contribution as a leader, we wished him all the best. That was about it." Asked how he sees this decision, Bumrah said he wouldn't want to comment on a personal call.

"I am no one to sit in judgement of his decision. It's a personal decision and we respect his decision. He knows how his body is reacting and what frame of mind he is in.

"It's been an immense pleasure to play under his captaincy and I made my Test debut under him. As I have spoken earlier also that he (Kohli) will always be a leader in the group and his contribution has been immense and will be immense," the speedster added.

So what has been the biggest takeaways from Kohli's captaincy? The fast bowler's instant reply was the superb fitness culture that he brought into the team.

"He has been leader of the team. He brought the fitness culture and everybody got fitter as a team and his contribution has been immense," he said.

"He has been a very important leader in the group and captain for such a long period of time. His knowledge will be used by us and as a team, his contribution and suggestions will always be important.

"We have always looked up to him and it will be same going further as well," Bumrah added. 

Also Read : If given an opportunity, it will be an honour to captain India: Jasprit Bumrah

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Jan 17 (Football News) Young midfielder Manisha Kalyan believes a good performance at the upcoming AFC Women's Asian Cup could change the face of Indian football.

Manisha feels that it has been a learning process for her in the senior team over the last few years.

"Every youngster has to adapt themselves to senior football, and it took me a couple of years of being on the fringes, after I was brought in from the U-19 team," Manisha was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

Manisha, who stole the headlines in November last year with her goal against world no Brazil, doesn't want to rest on her past achievements.

"That's all in the past. We don't know who will make the starting XI, or who will come on from the bench, but one thing we do know is that the coaches select us because of the players we are in the present, and nothing what we have done in the past," she stressed.

"That goal against Brazil was a great moment personally, and I will look back from time to time in my low moments and try to take strength from it. But the Asian Cup is a much bigger stage. A good performance here could change Indian football," added Manisha.

The 'Blue Tigresses' as the Indian women's football team is known as, are gearing up for the AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022 and their initial target remains to reach the last eight stage.

"We've got so many youngsters in our team. There are 20-year-olds, 18-19-year-olds, and even a 16-year-old," said Sanju Yadav, who plays as a forward.

"But playing for the senior team at this young age means that you must come of age mentally. I think these youngsters that we have are very mature," Sanju added.

Sanju believes the youngsters who have made the final list of 23, have been brought in on the basis of both their physical and mental strengths.

"Not everyone in a team will have the same physical capacity. But football is a game where mental aptitude is just as important, and these youngsters have shown a lot of that," she continued.

Hosts India, who are clubbed in Group A, will take on Iran in their first league game at the DY Patil stadium on January 20. 

Also Read : Serie A: Inter draw against Atalanta as Juventus close in to the Champions league spots

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their successive loss as they lost 133-96 to the Denver Nuggets. For the Nuggets Hyland followed up a 17-point game against Portland with career highs of 27 points and 10 rebounds as Nikola Jokic had 17 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for his eighth triple-double of the season, while Jeff Green scored a season-high 26 points in Denver's second straight blowout victory. All five Nuggets starters scored in double figures. For the Lakers LeBron James had 24 points and nine rebounds, but made just 9 of 23 field goals. Russell Westbrook, who was just 15 for 59 in the previous four games, had 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting.With this result the Lakers fell below 500 with their record currently at 21-22, on the other hand the Nuggets leapfrogged into 6th in the standings as their stands at 22-20.

''It meant a lot to me. It took some stress off my shoulders and made me relax more and it also made me more comfortable knowing me and Coach have that connection,'' Hyland said

''We've just got to make a decision we're going to play hard,'' Westbrook said. ''Sometimes, the schemes and how you play, it doesn't really matter. You've just got to play hard sometimes. Teams are playing harder than us, so it's as simple as that.''

'Nikola gets a triple-double in 28 minutes, Bones gets his first career double-double, the bench was great, the starters were great,'' Malone said

''We've got to get back to the drawing board and get our defense right,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''We haven't performed well enough in the last two games on that side of the ball.''

The Golden State Warriors lost their second game in a row as they lost 119-99 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylen Nowell scored 17 points and Malik Beasley added in 16 with five second-half 3-pointers on an especially productive night for the reserves for the Timberwolves. Jordan Poole scored 20 points and Jonathan Kuminga had 19 points for the Warriors, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. They missed 16 straight shots over one stretch in the second half as they played without Steph Curry and Draymond Green on Sunday night. With this result the Timberwolves improved their record to 21-22 and jumped into 7th in the Western Conference standings

''We're really close. We like to see each other succeed. That right there is one of the hardest things to find in teams, I feel like,'' Nowell said. ''None of us on the team are selfish.''

''We don't just want be in the play-in game. We want to be set in the playoffs. We're trying to figure out how to get a nice little win streak to get us above the hump,'' Beasley said.

'Got some and-ones, got some layups, utilized my finishing ability. For this team to grow, I have to grow as well,'' Towns said
''You can't trust what I say, because I say I can play 40 minutes, but I'm not a sports scientist,'' Thompson said. ''That's what our training staff is for. I trust them, and I don't want to get over eager in just my fourth game in. I want to peak come playoff time”

Also read: NBA: The MVP race is hotting up as the season heads towards its midpoint

The other results were:

• Bucks 96 - 103 Raptors
• Wizards 110 - 115 Trail Blazers
• Nets 120 - 105 Pelicans
• Hawks 108 - 117 Knicks
• Thunder 102 - 107 Cavaliers
• Heat 98 - 109 76ers
• Celtics 114 - 112 Bulls
• Spurs 101 - 94 Clippers
• Mavericks 108 - 92 Magic
• Pistons 108 - 135 Suns
• Kings 112 - 118 Rockets

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Wizards vs 76ers
• Cavaliers vs Nets
• Grizzlies vs Bulls
• Clippers vs Pacers
• Hawks vs Bucks
• Magic vs Trail Blazers
• Heat vs Raptors
• Spurs vs Suns
• Mavericks vs Thunder
• Lakers vs Jazz

Paarl (South Africa), Jan 17 (Cricket News) India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah on Monday said he is not averse to leading the national team if an opportunity comes knocking at his door in the near future.

With Virat Kohli's captaincy tenure in all formats coming to an end following his resignation from Test leadership, there are questions about who could be his long-term successor considering that Rohit Sharma will be 35 next year.

"If given an opportunity, it will be an honour and I don't see any player would say no and I am no different. Be it any leadership group, I always look to contribute however I can, to the best of my abilities," Bumrah replied to a query from PTI in a press conference ahead of the ODI series against South Africa starting Wednesday.

Bumrah would be the vice-captain during the series and said taking responsibility and helping teammates comes naturally to him.

"I look at this situation in the same manner...taking responsibility and talking to players and helping them out has always been my approach and it will always be my approach going further keeping any situation in mind." Bumrah also that the team respects Kohli's decision to give up Test captaincy and was duly informed by the star batter. 

Also Read : Takeaways from Australia's dominant performance in the 4-0 Ashes win

News Source : PTI

Muscat, Jan 17 (Hockey News) Performing well at the upcoming Asia Cup will give the Indian women's hockey team the requisite momentum for a busy 2022 season, which includes the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games, says vice-captain Deep Grace Ekka.

Besides defending the title, a spot in this year's FIH Women's World Cup will be at stake for the Indian women in the Asia Cup to be held at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex here from January 21 to 28.

India will open its campaign against Malaysia on January 21 and top-four teams from the event will earn direct qualification to the World Cup to be co-hosted by Spain and Netherlands later this year.

"It is important for us to perform well in the tournament as it will set the momentum for us for the upcoming challenges in 2022. It is a packed year for us, and the more games we play, the more we will be able to test ourselves and what we have been working on the training grounds," Ekka said in a statement issued by Hockey India.

Besides India, other participating teams in the tournament are China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

"It is sort of a new start for us. This will be our first full tournament after the Tokyo Olympics as unfortunately, we could only play one game in Korea at the Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2021," Ekka said.

India won the women's Hockey Asia Cup in 2017 to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, where they managed to reach the knockout stages.

In 2018, India also went on to win the silver medal at the Asian Games.

And Ekka believes a successful title defence in Muscat will be key for the team going forward.

"Winning the women's Hockey Asia Cup trophy in 2017 was a turning point for us and it really gave us the confidence that we can perform on the big stage if we play as a team.

"Winning the trophy once again can really motivate our players to perform even better this year and have an unforgettable 2022. It is very important for us to have a positive start," she said. 

Also Read : We want to prove Tokyo wasn't a one day wonder, says women's hockey coach Schopman

News Source : PTI

(Esports news): ONE Esports, a subsidiary of Group ONE Holdings (ONE), today announced about joining a long term partnership with Samsung in Southeast Asia. This is the latest major partnership for ONE Esports, following recent partnership announcements with Activision Blizzard, foodpanda Thailand, Franklin Templeton, FWD, Marriott Bonvoy, and McDonald’s Philippines.

This partnership with Samsung will see ONE Esports develop an exclusive ONE Esports mobile app for Samsung devices in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, to be released after a few months. The app will be a go-to platform for esports news and content in Southeast Asia, and will be completely integrated into the ONE Esports media ecosystem, featuring news and content from ONE Esports’ website, oneesports.gg, which will be localized according to each market. Samsung users will be able to get access to exclusive videos and rewards produced by the ONE Esports team for the app.

The app will be made available in the Samsung Galaxy Store and Google Play Store for over-the-air download only on Samsung mobile devices in 2022.

“I am proud to announce this partnership with Samsung that brings ONE Esports’ world-class esports content natively on mobile, in collaboration with Southeast Asia’s leader in mobile devices and experiences. Samsung clearly understands that brands need to connect and engage with the next generation to stay ahead of the curve, and mobile devices and esports are two of the most effective ways to reach them. As the penetration of mobile usage and gaming across Southeast Asia continues to grow, this partnership will give the new generation of mobile-first consumers the best way to consume esports content,” said Carlos Alimurung, CEO, ONE Esports.

“Led by a young, digital, and global audience, esports is shaping up to be the future of sports, media, and entertainment. Through this unprecedented partnership with ONE Esports, we are excited to bring the galaxy of esports to Samsung mobile users, many of whom are passionate about esports and mobile gaming. ONE Esports is uniquely positioned as Southeast Asia’s premier esports media organisation, and our partnership sets the cornerstone for combining the best of esports experiences with the best mobile gaming devices for our customers,” said Chris Tarr, Head of Mobile Services & Partnerships, Southeast Asia and Oceania at Samsung Electronics.

 For the app launch, ONE Esports will run various activations to promote Samsung on one oneesports.gg. ONE Esports and Samsung will join hands to hold a mobile esports tournament next year. More details on the tournament will be released at a later date.

Also read: India clinch World Esports Cup 2021 Title

New Delhi, Jan 17 (Badminton News) Newly-crowned India Open champion Lakshya Sen on Monday pulled out of the Syed Modi International Super 300 tournament after feeling "exhausted" following his participation in back-to-back tournaments since October last year.

The 20-year-old from Uttarakhand had stunned world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the finals to clinch his maiden Super 500 crown at the season-opening India Open on Sunday.

"Since completing the India Open 2022 tournament in Delhi last night, I am feeling very exhausted and suffering from tiredness. In these circumstances, I am afraid I will not be able to do justice to my participation in the event," Sen said in his letter to the organisers.

"Therefore, after consulting my coaches, my physios and family, I have decided it would be best for me to withdraw from the Syed Modi International 2022 tournament so that I can take some much needed rest and recuperate, before I start training in earnest for the upcoming events from March onwards,” he added.

The youngster has competed in nine tournaments since October last year.

He entered the finals of the Dutch Open, reached the semifinals at Hylo and entered the knockout stage at World Tour Finals on debut before sizzling at the World Championships with a bronze last year.

"My sincere apologies for the short notice to withdraw from the event. I trust you will understand my position and appreciate your support in this matter. I hope the tournament goes off smoothly, and I wish all participants, especially my fellow participants from India, all the very best in the event,” Sen added.

A hectic season awaits Indian shuttlers with big-ticket events such as Commonwealth Games, Asian Games lined-up this year apart from the regular BWF World Tour events, including the World Championships and All England Championships Sen, who had emulated his mentor Prakash Padukone by winning the World championship bronze in Huelva, Spain last month, will now look to claim the All England Championships in March.

Top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also decided to give the Super 300 tournament a miss after becoming the first team from the country to win the India Open crown.

Among other Indians, top seed Kidambi Srikanth, top women's doubles player Ashwini Ponnappa and men's doubles player Manu Attri have confirmed to PTI their withdrawal from the tournament.

Srikanth, Ashwini and Attri were withdrawn from the India Open after testing positive for COVID-19 last week. 

Also Read : Sen now needs to work on tactical acumen and endurance for consistent run: Vimal

News Source : PTI

Bengaluru, Jan 17 (Kabaddi News) The second part of the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League will kick off on January 20, tournament organisers Marshal Sports announced on Monday.

The second part which comprises 33 matches will go on till February 4.

Tamil Thalaivas will lock horns with Gujarat Giants in the first match on Thursday, while Bengaluru Bulls will clash with Patna Pirates in the second match of the day.

The "rivalry week" of PKL will be held from January 31 to February 4.

"The upcoming 33 matches, including the rivalry week, will be followed by the penultimate round of further 33 matches that will complete the full 132-match round-robin stage. This will be followed by the play-off round and thereafter the Season 8‘s grand finale," a media release said.

PKL successfully completed 66 matches constituting the first half of the league stage of the ongoing eighth season. 

Also Read : Jaipur Pink Panthers hold Tamil Thalaivas to thrilling tie

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 17 (Badminton News) Former India coach Vimal Kumar is impressed with the title-winning performance of Lakshya Sen at the India Open but said the young shuttler still needs to work on his endurance and tactical acumen to have a consistent run in the international circuit.

The 20-year-old from Uttarakhand stunned world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore 24-22 21-17 in men's singles final to clinch his maiden Super 500 crown at the season-opening India Open here on Sunday.

"Lakshya was tactically much better, he was in control of the match, never allowed Loh to attack. His counter attack was very good. His net dribbles were excellent and with the same action he was flicking the shuttle to the back of the court. Overall, he played a very mature game," Vimal told PTI.

"He is at par with anybody, but he still needs to work on his tactical side, strength and conditioning. He can work on stability around the net areas, his endurance can be better. So, technically there are all the areas where he can work on.

"There are many youngsters from Europe, Thailand and Japan, who will be gunning for him now. It will be tough ahead. I don't want to put pressure on him by talking about the 2024 Olympics, it's all about how best he can play, how best he can take care of his body," he added.

Sen was not selected to represent India at the Sudirman Cup mixed team competition in Finland and Thomas Cup Finals in Aarhus, Denmark after he lost his first match to Sai Charan Koya at the round-robin group stage during the selection trials.

But a training stint with Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen and Loh Kean Yew in Dubai rejuvenated him.

"He was shattered after missing the Sudirman Cup and Thomas cup," said Vimal, who has guided Sen since his young age as part of the Padukone Dravid Centre for Excellence (PDCE) in Bengaluru.

"But then (Viktor) Axelsen phoned him and invited him for a two week training stint in Dubai. Loh was also there. So he stayed there and trained. That stint helped him to brush aside the disappointment," he said.

A rejuvenated Sen entered the final at the Dutch Open, played some close matches against Japan's Kento Momota, reached the semifinals at Hylo, reached the knockout stage at World Tour Finals on debut before sizzling at the World Championships with a bronze.

"Right from Europe circuit, he has been consistent in last three months. It is very important that he plays consistently well from now on. This performance will give him a clear understanding where he stands." Vimal, a former Olympian, said Sen is known for his attacking game but in the last few months he has shown that he can also outlast his opponents in gruelling three-game matches.

"There has been criticism in the past that once his attack doesn't work, he runs out of ideas. But in World Championships, he played some tremendous rallies, and long exhausting matches and prevailed in those long matches and that gave him the confidence," he said.

"He is playing better badminton overall and he is grabbing the opportunities. In the semifinals, it was tough against the Malaysian but he pulled through, he employed his smashes well. Also against HS Prannoy he had a long match, winning these matches shows his maturity." "Many players can't get that breakthrough, can't convert opportunities. But Lakshya has the ability to beat good players." Sen was in rampaging form three years back, winning five titles including two Super 100 tournaments but then the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the BWF circuit.

"He was in good rhythm in 2019 but the pandemic was a damper. If he could have had that opportunity, I was confident that he could have qualified for Tokyo," Vimal said.

"Many players suffered due to the pandemic, sometimes it kills the spirit of youngsters when you are not able to compete. I am glad he survived that phase and found the enthusiasm to play." 

Also Read : Sindhu looks to end title drought at Syed Modi International

News Source : PTI

Lucknow, Jan 17 (Badminton News) Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu will look to recover from her unexpected semifinal loss at the India Open and end her title drought at the Syed Modi International, which begins here on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old from Hyderabad was well on course to win her first title since the 2019 World Championship triumph last week before left-hander Supanida Katethong of Thailand shattered her hopes with a three-game win at the India Open.

Sindhu, who had finished runner-up at Swiss Open and World Tour Finals last year, will hope to turn things around this week when she begins her campaign against compatriot Tanya Hemanth.

The Indian will be itching to settle scores against Supanida, whom she is likely to face again at the semifinals at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium here.

Second seeded Canadian Michelle Li, a Commonwealth Games silver medallist, will be one of the strong contenders for the title in women's singles, which also has Polish eighth seed Jordan Hart, second seed Iris Wang of USA and Russia's fifth seed Evgeniya Kosetskaya.

Men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty has decided to give the Super 300 tournament a miss after claiming their maiden India Open Super 500 crown.

Lakshya Sen, who secured his maiden Super 500 title at New Delhi on Sunday, also is likely to follow suit after playing continuously since October last year.

Among others, World Championships silver medallist and top seed Kidambi Srikanth also is unlikely to compete this week as he is undergoing seven-day mandatory quarantine after withdrawing from the main draw last week following a positive COVID-19 result.

Third seed B Sai Praneeth, who had pulled out of India Open after testing positive, is also awaiting a RT-PCR test result, while Ashwini Ponnappa and Manu Attri are yet to recover from the virus and will miss the tournament.

Ashwini is part of the top seeded women's doubles pairing, while Manu and B Sumeeth Reddy are seeded third in the men's doubles event. On a comeback trail, former top-10 player H S Prannoy gave a good account of himself before being stopped by 20-year-old Sen in the quarterfinals last week.

Fifth seed Prannoy will hope to go deep in the draw this week when he opens his campaign against Ukraine's Danylo Bosniuk.

London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal, seeded fourth, too will test her fitness when she takes on Czech Republic's Tereza Švábíková in the opening round. She had lost in the second round last week.

There are a host of other Indians in men's singles, such as seventh seed Sourabh Verma, fourth seed Sameer Verma -- who he is still recovering from a calf muscle injury -- Subhankar Dey and youngsters like Kiran George, Mithun Manjunath and Priyanshu Rajawat.

In women's singles too, Aakarshi Kashyap, who had reached the quarterfinals last week, will look to continue her good run when she faces fellow Indian Mugdha Agrey in opening round.

Malvika Bansod and Ashmita Chaliha will be tied in a battle of supremacy in the opening round, while Samiya Imad Farooqui, Ira Sharma and Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli will be the other prominent Indians in action.

Fourth seeded Ashwini Bhat K and Shikha Gautam will look to put up a good show in women's doubles.

There are likely to be more withdrawals and a clearer picture will emerge only after the manager's meeting later in the day. 

Also read : We played one of the best matches ever: Satwik

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 17 (Cricket News) India's white ball captain Rohit Sharma is recovering well from his left hamstring injury and has a bright chance of making a comeback for the six-match home white-ball series against the West Indies next month.

Rohit, who was also the designated Test vice-captain for the tour of South Africa, sustained a left-hamstring strain during a net session just prior to the team's departure for the tour and had to pull out.

He was subsequently also forced to skip the ODIs in South Africa, starting this Wednesday, as he couldn't attain full fitness before the selection committee announced the team.

"Rohit's rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy is going pretty well. He is expected to be okay for the West Indies series. It's still close to three weeks from now before the first ODI is played in Ahmedabad from February 6," a BCCI source privy to developments told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The series against the West Indies comprises three ODIs and as many T20 Internationals. The one-dayers will be played February 6 to 12, followed by T20Is from February 15 to 20.

For Rohit, the hamstring has been a recurrent problem which also forced him to miss the first two Test matches as well as the white-ball leg of the tour of Australia in 2020-21.

He did make a comeback for the final two Tests after serving a two-week hard quarantine in Sydney for the last two Test matches.

Currently, as per BCCI's policy, each and every player has to mandatorily appear for fitness tests at the NCA before being awarded 'fit to play' certificates. The selection committee is informed about their availability only after this exercise.

With Virat Kohli now having relinquished captaincy even from the Test format, there is greater need for Rohit to remain injury-free in the current set-up.

An Acceptable choice among players ======================== It has been an open secret in recent years that apart from being one of the best performers across formats, Rohit has been a few notches above his peers in terms of acceptance of one and all in this team.

Having learned the ropes of captaincy handling Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Rohit's man-management is seen closer to MS Dhoni's style.

While KL Rahul, because of his age, is being considered a long term all-format leader, something which might also have the backing of head coach Rahul Dravid, what will go in Rohit's favour, despite the fitness and age concern, is his excellent form across formats.

"Rohit Sharma should be the bridge before BCCI is confident about the next young India captain that they want the team to lead for at least five years.

"This ICC World Test Championship cycle should be about giving it to an experienced hand rather than someone, whose leadership credentials aren't proven enough," a senior BCCI official said. 

Also Read : KL Rahul should be made Test skipper: former BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) Paula Badosa set her priorities for the big ones in Australia when she won the Sydney Tennis Classic beating Barbora Krejcikova in the final. Krejcikova had played the match of her life against Anett Kontaveit in the semifinal but could not draw much inspiration for the championship match. Badosa on the other hand had a much straightforward semifinal against Daria Kasatkina.

Badosa had tough opponents on her way to the final as she faced Jelena Ostapenko in the opening match, Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals and also played one match more than Krejcikova. All of the opponents of the 2021 Indian Wells champion faced were in the top 50 while Krejcikova’s real test came in the semifinal against Kontaveit which took 2 and half hours.

The world number 9 had a 2-0 head to head record against Krejcikova, both the victories coming last year. The Spaniard started well by taking the first two games and broke serve thrice to win the first set comfortably. In the second set, the world number 4 took the first two games and the rallies were getting shorter as she found her target in no time while Badosa had no chances to take.

In the deciding set, the momentum kept shifting each game as both players broke serve once but could get a lead at point of the set. In the tiebreak, it was Badosa who took the lead with her defensive shield proving to be a tough one to break. She was leading 5-2 and Krejcikova tried to repeat the semifinal drama but could not get much time, Badosa lost the next two points but won the next point to get herself a championship point. With a strong backhand down the line, the 24 year old made it 3 out of 3 in WTA finals as well as a third victory over the 2021 Roland Garros champion.

"Of course winning the title gives me a lot of confidence, especially with the level I have played this week," Badosa said. "Of course I am tired. I play Monday. I will have to fly tonight, so let's see how I recover. But I will try to give my best there. I'm playing at a high level. Let's see. I'm looking forward to it."

Both players have a chance to play again at the Australian Open quarterfinals, the 26 year old would want to add more majors after her victory in Paris last year. While Badosa is still looking for a first Grand Slam title win and the victory at Sydney is certainly going to pump her up when she plays at Melbourne.

Also read: Krejcikova wins epic semi final against Kontaveit at Sydney

(Football news) Inter Milan were held to a 0-0 draw against Atalanta as Inter Milan dropped points in Serie A for the first time in more than two months as Atalanta held the league leaders to an entertaining 0-0 draw on Sunday to end their eight-match winning run. Atalanta goalkeeper Juan Musso produced a spectacular save in the first half, before his Inter counterpart Samir Handanovic responded with two crucial interventions of his own after the break. There were chances aplenty in a battle between two of the division's most attacking sides, but neither team could find the breakthrough despite producing a combined 23 shots.

It was the first time since last January that Inter failed to find the net, a run of 39 league matches. The champions moved two points clear in first place and extended their unbeaten league run to 13 matches, but AC Milan can knock them off top spot by beating Spezia on Monday. Atalanta remained fourth, sandwiched one point behind Napoli and one ahead of Juventus.

"It is a great result for us, because Inter usually dominates," said Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini. "There were some moments that were in our favour and some not. Both teams wanted to win and that made it a great game."

"It's a good draw given how it went. It could have gone either way. It was the right result, it's never easy against Atalanta," Inter captain Handanovic said

Juventus continued their surge up the table as they won 2-0 against Udinese. Paulo Dybala glared at Juventus directors instead of celebrating after scoring in a 2-0 Serie A win over Udinese on Saturday, which sent the Turin club one point behind fourth-placed Atalanta.United States international Weston McKennie headed home Juve's second in the 79th minute to stretch their unbeaten league run to eight games. Juve remained fifth but moved on to 41 points, level with Atalanta in fourth, who have two games in hand. Udinese are 14th with 20 points. Allegri marked his 300th game as Juventus coach, becoming the third manager to reach the landmark after Giovanni Trapattoni and Marcello Lippi

Only 5,000 fans were allowed into the Allianz Stadium as part of new restrictions to fight the spread of the virus, but those who turned up were eager to see their side respond to an Italian Super Cup defeat by rivals Inter Milan on Wednesday. Dybala sent them on the road to victory when he curled in a finish, but the striker's reaction is sure to spark further speculation about his future.

Dybala downplayed the gesture after the game and said "I invited a friend and couldn't find him, there were a lot of people,"

Asked if that explanation should be believed, Dybala replied: "I don't know, that is up to you."
I have nothing to prove to anyone. The club decided that we will talk in February or March, I am available to the coach,

Also read: Bundesliga: Lewandowski hat-trick sinks FC Köln as Dortmund thump Freiburg

The other results were:

• Roma 1 (Oliveira)(pen) - 0  Cagliari
• Salernitana 0 - 3 Lazio (Immobile x2, Lazzari)
• Sassuolo 2 (Scamacca, Defrel) - 4 Verona (Caprai, Barak x3)
• Venezia 1 (Okereke) - 1 Empoli (Zurkowski)
• Sampdoria 1 (Caputo) - 2 Torino (Singo, Praet)

(Football news) Bayern returned to winning ways after thumping FC Koln 4-0.  Robert Lewandowski got a hat trick to make it 300 Bundesliga career goals as he steered them to a 4-0 win at Cologne on Saturday that restored a six-point lead at the top. The Bavarians, chasing a record-extending 10th consecutive league title, bounced back from last week's loss to Borussia Bundesliga top scorer Lewandowski rifled in from a Thomas Mueller assist in the ninth minute after Cologne's Ondrej Duda had lost possession, to set a league record as Bayern have now scored in 66 consecutive Bundesliga matches. It was also the first of three goals for the Pole, who has so far netted 23 times in the league this season. Moenchengladbach have 46 points from 19 games with Dortmund in second place on 40.

Corentin Tolisso, also back from a COVID-19 infection, beautifully combined with Mueller to thunder a shot into the top corner in the 25th. Lewandowski killed off the game just past the hour, chipping the ball past Cologne keeper Marvin Schwaebe to make it 3-0. The 33-year-old bagged his hat trick and his 300th in the Bundesliga having also played for Borussia Dortmund, when he slotted home from close range after good work by Leroy Sane 12 minutes later Lewandowski is second on the league's all-time scorers list with only Bayern great Gerd Mueller ahead of him with 365 goals.

"We are happy and grateful to have him in our team," Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer, back from his COVID-19 infection, said.

"We have a lot to thank him for because he is just a machine in the box and in keeping possession. His finishing is unique."

Dortmund thrashed SC Freiburg 5-1 as fullback Meunier powered home a header at the near post from a Julian Brandt corner after 14 minutes and doubled the lead in the 29th, nodding in another Brandt corner. He had only scored once before in the Bundesliga since joining in 2020.
Haaland then got in on the action, quickly peeling away from team mate Jude Bellingham to race into the box, latch onto a perfectly timed through ball from the England international and tap in Dortmund's third goal on the stroke of halftime. The Norwegian bagged his second in the 75th -- his 55th goal in 56 Bundesliga matches -- after Ermedin Demirovic had pulled a goal back for the visitors just past the hour. Haaland has now scored 78 goals in 77 matches in all competitions for the Ruhr valley club.

Also read: Lucas Digne joins Aston Villa as Anwar Ghazi moves to Everton as a part of the deal

"Five goals sounds good. The first half was a top performance," said Dortmund coach Marco Rose. "In the second half we eased off a bit and allowed them to pull a goal back. But it was a deserved win. "We took a good step today and we have to keep at it. We have the quality to play good games. We have now won two games in a row, are three points off Bayern. But what's important is to be consistent so that we have a chance to bring the title to Dortmund."

The other results were:

• VFB Stuttgart 0 - 2 RB Leipzig (Silva(pen), Nkunku
• Monchengladbach 1 (Elvedi) - 2 Leverkusen ( Andrich, Schick)
• Union Berlin 2 (Voglsammer, Promel) - 1 Hoffenheim (Baumgartl)(og)
• Wolfsburg 0 - 0 Hertha Berlin
• Augsburg 1 (Gregoritsch) - 1 Frankfurt (Kamada)
• Arminia 2 (Okugawa, Castro) - 2 Furth (Leweling, Nielsen)
• Mainz 1 (St Juste) - 0 Bochum

Indore, Jan 17 (Cricket News) Former BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale believes that K L Rahul should be handed over the Indian Test cricket team's captaincy as the 29-year-old batter can provide long-term leadership after Virat Kohli's stunning decision to step down.

Kohli on Saturday dropped a bombshell by quitting Test captaincy, a day after India suffered a Test series defeat to a second-string South Africa.

The Delhi player signed off as India's most successful captain with 40 wins in 68 Tests after taking over back in 2014 when M S Dhoni stepped down in the middle of the series against Australia.

"I feel that the next India Test captain should be the one who can take the responsibility for a longer period of time. So accordingly, I would suggest KL Rahul’s name as the next test captain," Jagdale, who was also an office-bearer with Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA), told PTI.

The BCCI has not yet announced the next Test captain. Rohit Sharma was named Kohli's deputy before the Test series against South Africa and Rahul took over captaincy duties during the second Test after both Kohli and Rohit suffered injuries.

The 71-year-old Indore-based Jagdale feels that Rahul has performed in all the three formats of the game.

Jagdale also stressed that the BCCI and the selectors should ensure that the IPL "power centres" do not interfere in policies of Indian cricket.

Kohli took India to new heights in his tenure which saw the team become a force to reckon with in all conditions.

However, in the past few months, Kohli endured tense relations with the BCCI which removed him as ODI skipper after the star batter decided to leave T20 captaincy.

Jagdale, who also played 53 first-class matches, hailed Kohli's contribution.

"Nobody can ignore Kohli's contribution in Test cricket," Jagdale, one of the veteran administrators of the game, signed off. 

Also Read : Root 'sacrifices' opportunity to enter IPL mega auction

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) Thanasi Kokkinakis made a dream comeback by winning the Adelaide International 2, he beat Arthur Rinderknech in the final. This was the first title for Kokkinakis and second final after Los Cabos in 2017. The Australian had saved multiple match points against Marin Cilic in the semifinal and even in the final he had to burn all his energy to take the trophy.

Both players were serving strong in the first set as Kokkinakis was the first one to get a chance in tie break 6-5 but couldn't finalize the deal. After saving a set point, Rinderknech won the set due to an unforced error by the wildcard entry. The second set saw the service defense going strong and the tiebreak saw Rinderknech win the first two points until Kokkinakis won a hat trick of points. It was level at this point, the 25 year old made it 6-3 as he had 3 set points to level the score but the frenchmen saved two points which didn’t put load on his opponent. With a strong first serve, the scores were leveled.

In the deciding set, the world number 48 serve was broken in the opening game as the crowd was fully behind the home favorite. The world no 103 did not let his serve get broken as he continued to dominate the service games and then broke Rinderknech for the second time to take the title at Adelaide.

"I wouldn't want to win my first title anywhere else," said Kokkinakis, who out-aced his opponent 18 to 15. "To my family, friends and coaches, what a ride it's been. You have seen me at my lowest lows and now the highest high. It's been a serious journey. For now I am so happy.

“I’ve been playing and practicing on this court since I was eight or nine years old, coming here before school every day. I love this court so much.”

Aslan Karatsev replayed his 2021 Australia form this year when he beat Andy Murray for the Sydney Tennis Classic title. Karatsev only needed an hour and half in the final to win his third career title. The Russian never looked out of shape in the event as the groundstrokes were hard to reciprocate and even Murray was not able to match up to Karatsev aggressive stroking of the ball.

Karatsev had 4 breakpoints in the first set and won two of them to keep a lead over the former world number 1. Murray could not decode his opponent's serve as he failed to break him in the opening set and had 4 double faults to give the lead. In the second set, Murray had five breakpoint chances but could win one of them and conceded 2 out of three to again lose the chance to come back into the match.

In the 9th game of the second set, Murray was out of fuel as he couldn’t believe it when Karatsev hit a neat inside out forehand winner in a 19 shot rally. Karatsev and Murray will be heading into the Australian Open because of their performances in Sydney.

"It was an important moment to keep the level, keep the serve. I lost a bit of concentration on the first serve. Especially against him it's important to have a first serve, because on the second serve he steps in and can dictate the point more," Karatsev said. "It was a tough game. I tried to manage it, to stay calm, to stick to my plan."

Also read: Tie break thrillers continue to take the spotlight in Australia

Hobart, Jan 17 (Cricket News) England skipper Joe Root has "sacrificed" the opportunity to enter the IPL mega auction to "throw" all his energy into reviving the fortunes of his under-fire Test team.

Considered one of the modern greats of the game, Root is yet to play in the Indian Premier League after going unsold in the 2018 auction.

Last week, Root said he was considering entering the mega auction but added he would look to play in the tournament only if it does not distract him from his Test career.

However, the wait to see the 31-year-old feature in lucrative league increased further as he has decided to prioritise the English Test team, which just succumbed to an embarrassing 0-4 Ashes defeat.

"There's a lot that we need to do for this team, which deserves all of my energy," Root said at the post-match conference after his side's 146-run loss to Australia in the fifth Test on Sunday.

"I'll keep sacrificing as much as I can because I care so much about Test cricket in our country and trying to get us to where we want to be," added the star batter, confirming he has turned down the chance to enter the auction.

England's below par performance in Test cricket this past year has led to questions on his leadership but Root has expressed his desire to continue as the English red ball captain.

"It's very difficult when you get beaten as heavily as we have done on this tour to convince people I'm the right man.

"But I can tell you one thing for sure – as long as I have the opportunity to captain this team, I will throw everything into it and give everything - for everyone supporting us, for the guys around me, for the players – to try and provide an environment that allows us to be successful," Root said.

The IPL has expanded to 10 teams starting this year and the mega-auction ahead of the upcoming season is scheduled to be held on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. 

Also Read : PCB asks Pakistani players in BBL to return home immediately for PSL 7

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 16 (Badminton News) India's top doubles player Satwiksairaj Rankireddy says they were desperate for a podium finish after a mixed 2021 season and described their performance at the India Open finals as "one of the best ever" in their career.

Satwik and Chirag Shetty became the first team from the country to win India's flagship tournament after registering a 21-16 26-24 result over three-time world champions Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan.

"It was a dream match for us, we still can't believe it. We had a clear plan and we wanted to implement that and give 100 percent. I feel we played one of the best matches ever," Satwik said during a virtual press conference. "We stayed calm. I could see they were under pressure. So happy with the win." The Indian pair had lost thrice to the world number 2 Indonesian pair in four meetings but they came up with a plan to extend the rallies and play a more defensive game against the experienced pair.

"We know how to play them, we played against them in Thailand Open last year. We wanted to stay neck to neck, we wanted to keep them under pressure. We thought let them make mistakes and let's not give easy points.

"They are best in taking quick points but we kept calm and played big rallies, that was the positive point. Even when we were 24-24, we wanted to play big rallies. I kept telling Chirag that we should just try to keep the shuttle inside." Satwik and Chirag had failed to cross the group stages at their maiden Olympics despite notching up stunning wins in two of the three matches.

They ended the World Championships in Spain with a pre-quarterfinal loss, last month.

"Yeah, 2021 was a mixed feeling for us. We wanted to win a tournament, wanted to play a final. After world championships, I cried a lot, I wanted to win a medal," Satwik said.

"I was crying literally, I had a fire that I wanted to finish at the podium as much as possible, so that hunger was there and luckily we could win here, hopefully we will continue this form." His partner Chirag had expressed their target of reaching the world's top five this season.

After stunning Ahsan and Setiawan, Chirag said it was a performance worthy of being in top 5. "We usually don't play this kind of a game, it is a new thing for us and it is working well and it shows that we can get points and win matches while defending, so I think we definitely played like a top 5 pair today," he said.

"That is one thing which kinds of differentiates the top five pair and top 10 because things go your way, you try to change and play a plan 'B' kind of game, that in something that worked really well." World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen then made it a double delight, securing his maiden Super 500 title with a stunning 24-22 21-17 victory over world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore.

"This is the biggest world tour tournament I won. Winning feels good. In the match, in the closing stages I was nervous and anxious to finish it off as it was a big tournament but I am happy I could pull it off," Sen said.

"I think I played some good physical matches since quarterfinals. It will give me a lot of confidence to go ahead and play the whole season. Winning a world tour 500 event is a big thing for me." Talking about the final, Sen said he was anxious in the closing stages.

"I gave couple of easy points towards the end but after being a match point down, I played calmly. I took a break and it helped me to think better and play calmly." Sen and Loh have trained together in Dubai last year and so far have played each other four times in the international circuit with each winning two matches each.

"We know each other's game well, what to expect. I had beaten him last few months ago, I was confident and had a game plan and it worked well. I am happy I won today and again it was a close game," Sen said. 

Also Read : Satwik-Chirag pair claims maiden India Open title

News Source : PTI

Wijk aan Zee (The Netherlands), Jan 17 (Chess News) Indian Grandmasters Vidit Santhosh Gujrathi and R Praggnanandhaa were held to draws in their second round matches in the Tata Steel Masters chess tournament here.

World No.1 Magnus Carlsen, however, scored his first win on Sunday.

Gujrathi drew in 27 moves against Fabiano Caruana (USA) with white, while Praggnanandhaa shared the point with Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland) in the second round games.

Praggnanandhaa and Duda played a very solid game in which White had a slight advantage that was virtually impossible to turn into something tangible. A draw came as a logical outcome.

Carlsen defeated Dutchman Anish Giri and joined Duda and Vidit Gujrathi at the top of the standings with 1.5 points.

The only other winner of the day was Richard Rapport, who took full advantage of Jorden Van Foreest’s mistake in a knight endgame. All other games were drawn.

Gujrathi plays Daniil Dubov (Russia) in the third round later on Monday night and Praggnanandhaa takes on Van Foreest.

In the Challengers section being played simultaneously, India's Arjun Erigaisi put it across Max Warmerdem in the second round. He lies in second spot along with compatriot Surya Shekhar Ganguly and Thai Dai Van Nguyen on 1.5 points.

Standings after Round 2: Masters: 1-3. Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Magnus Calsen and Vidit Gujrathi – 1½ ; 4-11. Fabiano Caruana, Richard Rapport, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Sergey Karjakin, Andrey Esipenko and Jorden Van Foreest – 1; 12-14, Sam Shankland, Nils Grandelius, Anish Giri – ½. 

Also Read : Vidit Gujrathi starts with a win, Praggnanandhaa holds Anish Giri to a draw

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 16 (Shooting News) The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has invited applications for the posts of foreign and Indian coaches as well as high performance manager for the country's senior and junior shooters across disciplines.

The tenure of the contract will be till the 2024 Paris Olympic Games from the date of appointment.

The coaching staffs positions have been left vacant since the NRAI decided to terminate the contracts of all coaches last year.

The move followed a review by the national federation in the wake of the Indian shooting team's disastrous outing at the Tokyo Olympics, where they failed to win a single medal, five years after returning empty-handed from the Rio Games in 2016.

"The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) invites applications from highly qualified and experienced foreign coaches to train the Indian shooting team/national squad for achieving excellence in all major international competitions including Olympic Games 2024," the NRAI said in its advertisement.

The federation is also looking to hire high performance manager for the shooters in rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines.

"The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) invites applications for appointment of a qualified and experienced High-Performance Manager (HPM) for its national squad of shooters in the discipline of rifle, pistol and shotgun." The HPM, primarily, will be responsible for monitoring the training and development programme of the shooters to "achieve excellence in the sport to perform" at various international competitions.

All the appointments are subject to approval by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

Besides, the NRAI has also invited Expression of Interest (EOI) from Indian nationals for the appointment of coaches for senior and junior shooters on contract basis, for the "national squad/Indian shooting team and empanelment of coaches for promotion of the shooting sport and training of shooters at state and district level".

As far as the major requirements for the coaches and HPM are concerned, the applicants must be below 65 years of age and should have played at the Olympics/continental games/Commonwealth Games/World Championships or other continental championships besides having previous coaching experience at the top level with established shooters. 

Also Read : 30 medals for Topgun Shooting Academy at Delhi state meet

News Source : PTI

Karachi, Jan 16 (Cricket News) Pakistan Cricket Board has asked all the national players participating in the ongoing Big Bash League in Australia to return home immediately in order to give themselves ample time to prepare for the seventh edition of PSL, which begins here from January 27.

The PCB has asked Muhammad Hasnain, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan to return home immediately ahead of the upcoming Pakistan Super League.

The Board has also confirmed that the PSL would be held as per original schedule in two phases at Karachi and Lahore.

The PCB had already released the match schedule for the tournament, which begins at the National Stadium here, before the event is being shifted to Lahore from February 9.

Having signed enhanced new broadcast and title sponsorship deals for the PSL 7, the PCB is banking on the league to be a major success despite the rising number of positive COVID-19 cases in the country.

The PCB has written to the franchises employing the Pakistani players that they are all required to return home for the PSL preparations. 

Also Read : U-19 WC: England register seven-wicket win over Bangladesh

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Basseterre (St Kitts and Nevis), Jan 17 (Cricket News) Defending champions Bangladesh suffered a seven-wicket loss against England in a lop-sided contest to make a poor start to their campaign at the ICC U-19 World Cup here.

Opting to bat, Bangladesh were bundled out for a paltry 97 by England, who then returned to overhaul the target in 25.1 overs.

England produced a lethal bowling effort to reduce Bangladesh to 51 for nine in the 25th over at Warner Park in the Group A match.

No.11 Ripon Mondol hit 33 not out in a spirited last-wicket stand of 46 with Naimur Rohman (11) to drag Bangladesh close to the 100-mark.

Left-arm pacer Joshua Boyden was the pick of the bowlers for England with figures of four for 16, while right-arm fast bowler Thomas Aspinwall scalped two wickets, giving away 18 runs.

Besides, Tom Prest (1/5), Fateh Singh (1/29) and James Sales (1/29) took a wicket each.

In reply, England lost opener George Thomas (15) and captain Tom Prest (4) but Jacob Bethell (44) and James Rew (26 not out) put on 65 before the former was run out just shy of the finish line as England cruised to victory.

Earlier, Bangladesh's decision to bat first backfired as they lost wickets at regular intervals and slumped to 26 for five by the 14th over.

Bangladesh made a slow start to their innings before losing their first wicket -- Mahfijul Islam -- in the fifth over.

Bangladesh's struggle from the onset can be gauged from the fact that only four of their batters managed double digit scores, with last man Mondal top-scoring with a 41-ball unbeaten knock which was studded with five boundaries and one six.

Chasing the total, England got off to a slightly nervy start as Bethell survived a run-out scare when SM Meherob could not gather the ball at the stumps with only five on the board.

He survived a close lbw appeal off Ashiqur shortly after before opening partner Thomas began to up the ante after a cautious start.

But having hit three fours, Thomas perished for 15 when he miscued another attacking shot off Ripon to leave England 20 for one in the ninth over.

That breakthrough gave Bangladesh a small glimmer of hope but when the English captain Prest nicked one behind off his counterpart Rakibul for four soon after, the game was very much on.

However, Rew joined hands with Bethell and together they batted superbly, counteracting the Bangladesh spin attack to alleviate any potential English nerves.

Bethell eventually was run out by Ariful but by then the game was all but over.

William Luxton strode out to the crease and promptly hit his first ball down the ground for six before hit the winning runs off the first ball of the 26th over.

England thus picked up a comfortable two points to go top of Group A ahead of their match against Canada on Tuesday, while Bangladesh will look to bounce back on Thursday against the same opponents, who lost to the UAE in their opener on Saturday.

Brief scores: Bangladesh: 97 all out in 35.2 overs (Ripon Mondol not out 33; Joshua Boyden 4/16, Thomas Aspinwall 2/18).

England: 98 for 3 in 25.1 overs (Jacob Bethell 44; Rakibul Hasan 1/13). 

Also Read : ODI series win against India would give us lot of confidence going ahead: Bavuma

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Bengaluru, Jan 16 (Kabaddi News) Tamil Thalaivas and Jaipur Pink Panthers played out an entertaining 31-31 draw in their Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) match here on Sunday.

Defences of both the teams had a great outing with Thalaivas captain Surjeet Singh and Jaipur's Sandeep Dhull picking up High 5s. Thaliavas had a two-point lead going into the final raid of the match but made a mistake resulting in a tie.

Their raider Manjeet misjudged a touch and walked into the lobby resulting in a Super Tackle and two points for Jaipur.

Tamil Thalaivas had the better start to the match with their defensive duo of Surjeet Singh and Sagar not giving Jaipur raider Arjun Deshwal an opportunity.

The Panthers were not willing to let points leak in their defence as well with Sandeep Dhull and Sahul Kumar tackling the Tamil raiders with ease. The game changed momentum when experienced K Prapanjan suffering a shoulder injury during a raid in the seventh minute.

Ajinkya Pawar was brought in as his replacement, but Jaipur sniffed an opportunity. Surjeet Singh produced a one-man Super Tackle on Arjun Deshwal but Jaipur clinched their ALL OUT eventually with two minutes to the interval. At halftime, the scores were 17-13 in favour of Jaipur.

Tamil coach Uday Kumar wanted his team to make a slow comeback and not rush things, but his team had other plans. The second half started with a tackle on Jaipur's Deepak Hooda which was followed by a two-point raid by Bhavani Rajput.

With three remaining on the mat, Thalaivas' Manjeet produced a stunning Super Raid that inflicted an ALL OUT. They took the lead, but the Panthers got it back immediately with Sandeep Dhull and Surjeet Singh picking their High 5s.

The two teams matched tackle for tackle and the scores were level at 24-24 with 10 minutes remaining.

Ajinkya Pawar got a two-point raid to open the lead for Thaliavas but Jaipur's Naveen produced a Super Tackle to close the gap. Jaipur, trailing by two points, produced a Super Tackle in the last raid of the match to earn a tie.

Thalaivas will consider themselves unlucky as raider Manjeet walked into the lobby under the belief that he had gotten a touch. But the referees decided against his claim to end the closely-fought match. 

Also Read : UP Yoddha beat Telugu Titans 39-33 (Pro Kabaddi League)

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Cape Town, Jan 16 (Cricket News) South Africa's white-ball skipper Temba Bavuma believes that a series win over India in the upcoming three-match ODI rubber will give the home team a "hell lot of confidence" going ahead.

The last time India came to South Africa in 2018, they won the six-match series 5-1. It was also their first-ever ODI series win in the Rainbow Nation.

"We will have to get things right in the next ODI series against India. I'm not too worried about what happened in that 2018 series. I'm more concerned about establishing our own style of play and implementing our strategy to good effect.

"An ODI series win against India would give us a helluva lot of confidence, and some momentum ahead of the games to follow," Bavuma was quoted as saying by 'Daily Maverick'.

Bavuma, who was a part of the Proteas' triumphant campaign in the just-concluded three-match Test series, feels their campaign in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup helped change perception about South Africa's white-ball squads.

In the mega event in the UAE, South Africa had won four out of their five group matches, only to miss the semi-finals on the basis of net run-rate due to their loss in the tournament opener against Australia.

"Perceptions are changing about this South African white-ball team. In the past, it was said that we lacked the ability to take on spin and that we struggled in overseas conditions. I feel like we proved a lot of people wrong at the T20 World Cup.

"We've just got to keep building towards that next T20 World Cup in Australia, which will require another shift in mindset." He said the ODI squad must look to take heart from the T20 team's showing during the World Cup in the UAE.

"Perhaps we should take heart from what the T20 side has accomplished in recent times. That team didn't place much emphasis on results, but rather on the process.

"We really came to grips with how we wanted to play. There was a lot of energy and intensity, especially with regard to our fielding," he said.

"Then we start to win consistently. Since the beginning of the West Indies series last June, we've won 13 out of 16 T20s. It's something we want to replicate across the formats. If we bring the same energy to our ODI approach, we will build more confidence and momentum, and the big results will come." 

Also Read : Virat Kohli: Captain who went for win at all costs

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New Delhi, Jan 16 (Cricket News) Going for the win at the risk of losing and playing five bowlers were two non-negotiables for Virat Kohli, India's most successful Test captain.

Having taken up Test captaincy from M S Dhoni in the middle of a series in Australia back in 2014, Kohi changed the way India played the five-day game.

Filling in for the injured Dhoni in the Adelaide Test, Kohli not for once thought about a draw with India needing 364 runs in 98 overs on day five. His aggressive approach rubbed off on to the entire team as the visitors got agonisingly close to a famous win before losing the game by 48 runs. "At no point did we not think about chasing the score down. We have come here to play positive cricket. No sort of negativity is welcome in this group. That's the kind of belief we have come here with," Kohli said after the loss that sowed the seeds of many famous wins overseas during his seven-year tenure as captain.

"This has been one of our strongest performances overseas in the past two-three years, and I am really proud the way the boys played in this game." 'Lions at home, lambs abroad' was the tag associated with past teams but Kohli ensured India became the team for all conditions, he took out the place and pitch out of the equation.

Five-bowler theory that reaped rich rewards =========================== Before Kohli, winning a Test overseas was considered a big deal but when he shocked the cricketing world by stepping down from captaincy on Saturday, his rich legacy included a team mentality which did not settle for anything less than a series victory. What enabled Kohli to win Test matches overseas regularly was the fast bowling resources he had at his disposal. The likes of Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah flourished under his leadership, turning into India's most fearsome bowling attack of all times. Former chief selector MSK Prasad, whose majority of the tenure coincided with Kohli's reign as captain in all three formats, explained how the champion batter contributed to India's stellar success across formats.

"First of all I feel he built a wining culture in the side, especially away from home. He introduced the five bowler theory and fitness culture he had helped change before that," Prasad, who thought Kohli had another three four years of captaincy left in him, told PTI.

"He brought aggression into the side. Kohli along with the rest of the stakeholders created a bench strength of fast bowlers which helped us take 20 wickets when we were travelling." Fast-tracking Bumrah's Test debut ===================== Kohli had managed to build a strong pace attack for all conditions but the x-factor was missing, which was eventually provided by Jasprit Bumrah, who since making his Test debut in South Africa four years ago, has become of the one of the best bowlers in the world. "I still remember in 2017 we had decided to groom Bumrah for an away series. We gave him rest from limited overs cricket and told him to focus on his red ball cricket. He took a six wicket haul in the Ranji semifinal that year and that convinced Virat and all of us that he could excel in Test cricket," recalled Prasad.

Rohit Sharma the opener proved to be a masterstroke ================================= Though the decision to push Rohit at the top of the order to resurrect his Test career was suggested by head coach Ravi Shastri, Kohli bought into that idea completely.

It not only revived Rohit's Test career and also gave the team the strokemaker, the team was looking for at the top of the order. Kohli wanted his bowlers to take 20 wickets and his batters to go for runs and not just survive.

The bowlers delivered on that promise more often that not but the batting remains a work in progress with star studded line-up coming a cropper overseas on multiple occasions, most recently in South Africa. 'One of the best captains of all times' ======================= Former India captain and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar, who gave his Kohli his big break in international cricket after tracking his career since the U-16 level, feels it would be difficult to match Kohli's exemplary record as captain.

"40 wins in 68 Tests (fourth highest in overall wins category). The records speak highly of his captaincy. His positive outlook to the game, he always looked to play five bowlers which sometimes could backfire but that is the way he played the game. In the end, the team won many matches with that approach," said Vengsarkar.

Kohli endured his fair share of lows along with the historic highs. He led the team to Test wins in England and South Africa besides the series win in Australia but could not get his hands on the ICC World Test Championship trophy despite being the best team in that two-year cycle.

India won a series in Australia for the first time ever in 2018-19 besides scaling new heights in limited overs cricket.

"The success rate under him across formats is outstanding. We were number one in all formats of the game. We beat every side in their own backyard in limited overs cricket.

"However, one low point would certainly be is not being able to win series in South Africa and England in 2018. Both series were closely fought but we ended up on the wrong side," lamented Prasad. 

Also Read : India-South Test series involved emotion, Ashes lacked it: Ian Chappell

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Melbourne, Jan 16 (Tennis News) Veteran Indian tennis player Sania Mirza and her Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok have been seeded 12th in the women's doubles event of the Australian Open and have been pitted against Slovenia's strong singles players Kaja Juvan and Tamara Zidansek.

Sania and Kichekon have entered the first Grand Slam of the season after reaching the semifinals of the first Adelaide WTA event and making a first round exit from the second.

Zidansek is ranked 29th in the world in the singles chart while Juvan is also a top-100 player at number 89.

In the men's doubles, 41-year-old Rohan Bopanna and his French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin have been placed in the bottom half of the draw where they will play against wild card pair of Indonesia's Christopher Rungkat and Philippines' Treat Huey in their first round match.

The mixed doubles draw has not been made as yet and it is highly unlikely that Bopanna and Mirza would enter together since their combined ranking won't be enough to enter the event as a team.

No Indian player could make the singles main draw with Yuki Bhambri, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Ankita Rain falling in the qualifiers. 

Also Read : Tie break thrillers continue to take the spotlight in Australia

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New Delhi, Jan 16 (Badminton News) India's Lakshya Sen secured his maiden Super 500 title by winning the Yonex-Sunrise India Open with a stunning straight-game victory over reigning world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the men's singles final here on Sunday.

The 20-year-old Sen, who had claimed his maiden world championships medal with a bronze in Spain last month, produced a fine performance to outshine the fifth seeded shuttler 24-22 21-17 in the summit clash that lasted 54 minutes.

In a repeat of last year's Dutch Open final, the Indian ensured that he had the last laugh this time around.

Going into this match, the two had a 2-2 head-to-head record with Sen losing two of the last three meetings, but the Indian was the better man on show on Sunday as he showed great athleticism, used his attacking shots to good effect and came up with his punched winners from the back at the right moments. 

Also Read : Satwik-Chirag pair claims maiden India Open title

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Melbourne, Jan 16 (Cricket News) Australian great Ian Chappell feels the just-concluded Test series between India and South Africa involved the kind of emotion that the lop-sided Ashes lacked completely.

Beaten comprehensively in the three-match series opener, South Africa bounced back in style to claim the rubber 2-1 after convincing victories in the second and third Test against their fancied opponents.

"South Africa surprisingly defeated India in an old-fashioned dogfight that included some enthralling cricket. It also involved ample emotion of the sort that has notably been missing from an Ashes contest that has been surprisingly uncontroversial so far," Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.

The former Australia captain added, "The South Africa series featured bowling domination on pitches that were probably too much in favour of the fielding side, but there was also some exquisite batting." While both teams fought hard to outdo each other throughout the series, the Ashes series between traditional rivals Australian and England turned out to be completely one-sided with the former dominating their beleaguered visitors.

The hosts sealed the five-match series with three successive wins before England just about managed to halt the Australian juggernaut in the fourth Test with a hard-earned draw. Australia won the fifth Test with two days to spare, to take the series 4-0.

"The Australia-versus-England series has often been frustratingly one-sided. It was apparent again when the ebullient Travis Head, aided by Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green, launched a defiant counterattack in Hobart.

"In the first three Tests it was mainly the home side displaying the grit and application that five-day cricket requires. That led to 12 days where Australia steamrolled their way to a series victory, while English cricket was exposed for all its ineptitude," Chappell said.

He added, "It was only when Joe Root's batting skill was duplicated and England finally applied some bowling nous that a Test was saved. Even then it was a close call.

"At the SCG, Australia were still by far the better side, expertly led and prepared to expend the required energy, but at least England unearthed some much needed fight." Chappell also believed that the administrators should start valuing the selectors more highly than coaches.

"A good Test selector is capable of including both considerations in his choices and that is why they are highly regarded. When it comes to financial rewards, cricket should start valuing selection more highly than coaching; it would make a pleasant and worthwhile change," Chappell said.

Speaking on the role of selectors, Chappell cited as example the 28-year-old South African Keegan Petersen, who had played just two Tests coming into the series against India.

However, he showed a lot of composure against the strong Indian bowling attack and was unfortunate to have not got a century after scoring three fifties in the series.

"... In particular, Petersen's sudden rise to fame has been a revelation and raises the question of where he has been all this while. This example exposes one of the mysteries of Test cricket: do some selectors know what they should be looking for? "Petersen is in his prime, at 28, but he has only played five Tests. Despite lacking experience he has all the requirements of a Test No. 3, including a wide range of shots that he is prepared to play, plus a solid defence.

"So why is he only playing now? Sometimes players deserve an opportunity on potential and temperament alone and this is where good selection stands out," Chappell pointed out. 

Also Read : Gavaskar wants Rishabh Pant to succeed Kohli as Test skipper

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Panaji, Jan 16 (Football News) The Indian Super League (ISL) match between Kerala Blasters FC and Mumbai City FC in Vasco was postponed on Sunday, hours before their kickoff as the southern outfit did not have the requisite number of players to field.

The match was scheduled to be played at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco.

The organisers did not specify the reason for the postponement.

Prior to this, two more matches had been postponed this season after the coronavirus breached the ISL's bio-bubble.

"Hero Indian Super League (ISL) has decided to postpone Match No. 62 between Kerala Blasters FC and Mumbai City FC scheduled to be played today, Sunday, January 16, 2022, at Tilak Maidan Stadium, Vasco. The League will look to reschedule the fixture to a later date," the ISL said in a statement.

"The decision has been taken in consultation with the League's medical team after it was assessed Kerala Blasters FC do not have the requisite number of players available for the match.

"The League will work closely with the medical experts to monitor and ensure the safety of all the players and support staff in the squad and others involved," it added in the statement.

On Saturday, the ISL fixture between ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC was also postponed due to the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Earlier, ATK Mohun Bagan's match against Odisha FC had to be postponed after an unnamed player reported positive for the virus.

As many as four ATKMB players in the bio-secure bubble had been reported to be positive and the Juan Ferrando-coached side had been locked in their rooms for one week without a single training session.

Players of other teams including FC Goa, Bengaluru FC and Odisha FC also contracted the coronavirus, while SC East Bengal too isolated themselves after their hotel staff inside the bio bubble found positive. 

Also Read : AFC Women's Asian Cup: Good start in the first match will boost our confidence, says India's Indumathi

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New Delhi, Jan 16 (Badminton News) Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Sunday became the first team from country to win the Yonex-Sunrise India Open after toppling three-time world champions Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan, here.

The world number 10 Indian pair, which had won its first Super 500 tournament in Thailand in 2019, upset the top seeded Indonesian pair 21-16 26-24 in 43 minutes to make a rampaging start to the new season.

Coming into the match with a 1-3 head-to-head record, Satwik and Chirag dished out a brave effort as they staved off a fightback to reign supreme in the final.

From almost missing the tournament following a false COVID positive result to winning the title, it turned out to be an incredible start to 2022 for the Indian pair, which accumulated valuable ranking points ahead of a busy season, which comprises some big-ticket events such as the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

The Indian pair started on a positive note and even through the Indonesian combination clawed back, Satwik and Chirag ensured they are two points ahead at the first interval.

The Indians tried to engage their rivals in rallies and led 18-13 but the Indonesians reduced the deficit to 16-18 before Satwik and Chirag prevailed in the opening game.

Fast-paced but short rallies were the norm in the second game as well as Ahsan and Satiawan grabbed a three-point lead at 9-6 early in the second game.

But the Indian pair again ensured they have the advantage at the break, grabbing a slender 11-10 lead. Sawtik and Chirag maintained the intensity in the rallies after the break to lead 15-13.

The world number two again drew parity at 17-17 but Satwik and Chirag moved to 19-17 when Ahsan erred at net. But Chirag went long next as it was 19-19. Indonesian managed to move to a game point with a tap by Ahsan.

What followed next was frequent exchange of points as both India and Indonesia earned and squandered their advantage positions in equal measure.

After a fierce battle, it was the Indian pair who showed better nerves to emerge victories with the Indonesia squandering five game points.

Satwik and Chirag had won the Thailand Open Super 500 title in 2019, besides reaching the finals at French Open Super 750 the same year.

The duo also claimed the silver medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, besides winning the Hyderabad Open Super 100 and finishing runners-up at Syed Modi International in 2018.

Satwik and Chirag also played a crucial role in India earning the historic mixed team gold medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The Indian pair also had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics last year but couldn't cross the group stage despite winning two out of three games. 

Also Read : Want to improve my senior ranking, qualify for Olympics: Tasnim Mir

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 16 (Cricket News) The legendary Sunil Gavaskar wants Rishabh Pant to succeed Virat Kohli as the next India Test captain as he believes a sense of responsibility will make the glovesman a better cricketer in all forms of the game.

Kohli surprised the cricket fraternity by quitting Test captaincy on Saturday evening, a day after losing the Test series in South Africa 1-2 to draw the curtains on a successful seven-year reign.

Gavaskar said he preferred Pant as he is an automatic choice for selectors across all formats of the game.

"It's going to be quite a debate as far as the selection committee is concerned as to who should be taking Indian cricket forward. First of all, it should be someone who is an automatic pick across all formats of the game. Once that happens, it will be a lot easier," Gavaskar told India Today.

"If you ask me, I am still staying, I would look at Rishabh Pant as next India captain.

"For one reason only, just like Rohit Sharma was given the captaincy of Mumbai Indians when Ricky Ponting stepped down, look at the change in his batting after that. Suddenly the responsibility of being captain made him convert those beautiful cameos of 30s, 40s and 50s into hundreds, 150s and 200s.

"I think that sense of responsibility given to Rishabh Pant will help him score many more of that wonderful hundred he scored at Newlands," he added.

Further explaining the rationale behind his pick, Gavaskar cited the example of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who achieved great success after taking over the captaincy at a very young age.

"Yes, I am saying that. Tiger Pataudi was captain at the age of 21 under adverse circumstances when Nari Contractor was injured. Look what he did after that. He took to captaincy like duck to water.

"I think what we have seen with Rishabh Pant as the captain of Delhi Capitals in the IPL, I do believe he has the capability of taking Indian cricket forward and making it a very exciting team to watch," he said.

Limited-overs skipper Rohit Sharma has emerged as the front-runner to take over Test captaincy from Kohli although he was not part of the South Africa series due to an injury. Rohit was recently made Test vice-captain, replacing Ajinkya Rahane. In Rohit's absence, KL Rahul was Kohli's deputy in South Africa. 

Also Read : Thank you for supporting Test cricket so passionately: Warne to Kohli

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Melbourne, Jan 16 (Cricket News) Spin legend Shane Warne has thanked star batter Virat Kohli for "passionately supporting" Test cricket, a day after he stepped down as skipper of the Indian Test team.

Kohli on Saturday ended his seven-year reign as India's most successful Test captain, the move coming a day after an unexpected 1-2 series loss to South Africa.

Under Kohli, India won 40 out of 68 Tests, a record which made him one of the most successful Test captains in world cricket.

"Congrats @imVkohli on what you and your team has achieved under your leadership and thankyou for supporting test cricket so passionately and insuring that it stays the number 1 form of the game," Warne tweeted.

Kohli has been the most successful Test captain India has ever produced. After taking over the reins from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he led India in 68 Test matches and secured 40 victories at a win percentage of 58.82.

As Test captain, he registered his first series win against Sri Lanka in 2015, a victory that India registered in the Emerald Island after 22 years.

Last year, Warne was all praise for Kohli after his team beat England by 157 runs in the fourth Test at The Oval to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

Warne had then called Kohli the biggest superstar in world cricket.

However, the Australian great was not too pleased with the Indian maestro after he let it rip on the stump mic following the DRS episode that gave Dean Elgar a lifeline during the third and final Test against South Africa in Cape Town.

"Look it is an interesting one, I am not sure that should be happening from a captain of an international team.

"But sometimes frustration overflows, you just get so frustrated and that's why I said I wonder if that has happened three or four times through the series, and that was like okay that is enough now we can't have it anymore," Warne had said. 

Also Read : Your legacy as captain will stand for benchmarks you set: Ashwin

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Mumbai, Jan 16 (Football News) Midfielder Indumathi Kathiresan feels a good start in their AFC Women's Asian Cup campaign-opener against Iran will give hosts India a massive boost going forward.

India, drawn in Group A, will open its campaign against Iran here on Thursday.

Besides Iran, India will take on Chinese Taipei (January 23) and China (January 26) in the 12-team competition, which will be held in three cities of Maharashtra.

“It’s important for us to get a good start in the first match itself. That would really give us the confidence to push ahead,” Kathiresan was quoted as saying by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

“We had played Iran a couple of years back in the Hero Gold Cup, and they are a good side. They are a side that has qualified for the Asian Cup, and they deserve the respect. Having said that, we are confident in our abilities, but not overconfident,” the midfielder added.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the teams are operating from within a bio bubble and no spectators are allowed for the continental event.

“It’s sad that we won’t have the fans in the stands to support us in the Asian Cup, especially since we are the ones hosting it,” forward Dangmei Grace said.

“But seeing such excitement everywhere is certainly motivating for us all. When you play for the country, you always dream of such support,” Grace added.

India have four teenagers in the squad -- Hemam Shilky Devi, Naorem Priyangka Devi, Sumati Kumari, and Mariyammal Balamurugan.

Of these, 18-year-old Mariyammal and 16-year-old Shilky have already made their senior international debuts against Brazil in November last year.

“It was definitely a surreal experience to play in Brazil. But we can never stop at that. For me, this is just the start of my football career, and I want to keep pushing as far as I can.

"Playing Brazil was a unique experience, but playing the Asian Cup will be even bigger. We can’t wait,” said Mariyammal. 

Also Read : Arindam steps down as East Bengal captain

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 16 (Cricket News) "Your legacy as a captain will stand for the kind of benchmarks you have set," veteran spinner R Ashwin summarised Virat Kohli's spectacular Test captaincy stint as other members of the Indian cricket team also hailed the integrity and the vision of the talismanic leader.

Kohli, who took over from MS Dhoni midway through the Australian tour back in 2014-15, on Saturday announced his decision to quit Test captaincy.

The 33-year-old leaves as the most successful India captain in Test cricket with 40 wins from 68 matches with the highlight being the wins in Australia and England last year.

It was under Kohli that team India become a force to reckon with in all conditions and won overseas.

"Cricket captains will always be spoken about with respect to their records and the kind of triumphs they managed, but your legacy as a captain will stand for the kind of benchmarks you have set. There will be people who will talk about wins in Australia, England , Sl etc etc," Ashwin tweeted.

"Wins are just a result and the seeds are always sown well before the harvest! The seeds you managed to sow is the kind of standard you set for yourself and hence set the expectations straight with the rest of us.

"Well done @imVkohli on the headache you have left behind for your successor and that's my biggest takeaway from your stint as captain. We must leave a place at such an altitude that the future can only take it higher from there on," Ashwin added.

Senior India and Delhi pacer Ishant Sharma, who has played with Kohli since childhood, recalled a conversation during the 2017-18 tour of South Africa when Kohli had told him that India needs to start winning in overseas conditions.

"Thank you for all the memories I've shared with you in dressing room & on & off the field since childhood, where we never thought that you would be our captain & I'll play 100 test matches for India. All we did was just play cricket with all our heart & things worked out well.

"I still remember back 2017 in South Africa, where u told me it's high time to win series in these countries. Yes, we didn't win 2017-18 series in Africa, but we went to Australia & beat them in Australia. In England 2017-18 series we lost, but we know as team how close we came! "So cheers to your most successful Test Captaincy for India and thanks for the amazing memories as a Captain you have given us," Ishant wrote.

Kohl's decision to quit Test captaincy caught everyone by surprise and India's limited overs skipper Rohit Sharma was no different.

"Shocked?? But congratulations on a successful stint as Indian captain," Rohit wrote in his Instagram post while also wishing Kohli the best for the future.

India's fast bowling revolution in Tests began under Kohli, who always backed his pacers. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami were quick to thank the former skipper for his contributions.

"Integrity, insight and inclusivity. Your contribution to the team as captain is invaluable, you've been a great leader to this side. It's been a pleasure playing under you," Bumrah said.

"The epitome of leadership. The man who galvanised a team to win overseas Congratulations on a brilliant run as Team India captain. Looking forward to more from you with the bat - Go well Virat," Shami tweeted.

Openers Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal also congratulated Kohli on an illustrious captaincy stint.

Congratulations on taking the Indian team all the way to the top! Been a pleasure playing under your leadership, Virat!," Dhawan tweeted.

"A leader in every sense. Can't thank you enough for all that you've done, Skip," said Rahul.

"Congratulations Virat Kohli on a fantastic term as captain. It was an absolute honour playing under your leadership. Someone who led by example. You have created a winning mentality in everyone. Your passion and dedication towards the game is an inspiration. Thank you, Skips," Agarwal said. 

Also Read : Arindam steps down as East Bengal captain

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 16 (Badminton News) Newly-crowned junior world No. 1, Tasnim Mir knows she has to take defeats in her strides on the senior circuit, which is full of challenges, as she is determined to realise her long term goal of representing India at the Olympics.

On Wednesday, the 16-year-old from Gujarat had become the first Indian to grab the top rank in the under-19 girls singles.

"It is a big confidence boost for me. Just like I became world number one in U-19, I want to continue that performance in seniors too," Tasnim, currently ranked 602 in seniors, said in a virtual press-conference organised by Sport Authority of India (SAI) on Sunday.

"My long term goal is to improve my ranking in seniors as well, so that I can participate in Olympics and represent India. So my main aim is to play as many senior tournaments as possible and perform well in them so that my ranking can improve." Tasnim's ascent to the top in the junior circuit has fuelled hopes that India may have finally found a successor to the likes of Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu.

"There is a lot of competition at India level. In the India open, we have seen Malvika (Bansod) and Ashmita (Chaliha), Aakarshi (Kashyap), they are giving good performance.

"I do feel the pressure and responsibility that the entire nation has high hopes from me. Of course I would try to improve myself and live up to the expectations." Korea's An Seyoung has emerged as one of the most sensational talents in the senior circuit in the last couple of years.

Asked if she too would like to have a similar start like the 19-year-old Korean, Tasnim said: "An Seyoung performance is unbelievable and it is going to be tough to emulate that and I want to perform like her, but it will take time..." Tasnim has been simply sensational last year as she secured titles in three junior international tournaments to jump three places to grab the top position in the junior world rankings.

However, she says she will have to learn to deal with failures as she graduates to the senior circuit.

"When I would lose matches, I used to think that I won't be able to do it. If I would have given up then, I wouldn't have reached this stage," she said.

"I don't like losing. In last 2-3 years I have been winning and I am performing well but as I step into seniors circuit, I am facing losses. So I feel it is very difficult. So I used to think about giving up earlier but then I feel from these failures I will improve more." Talking about her training stints, Tasnim said : "I left training under my father six years back. For two years, I was at Gopichand academy and then moved to Assam, where I have been training under Edwin Iriawan for last four years.

"My coach has trained Saina and Sindhu, he is very experienced. So his training regime has helped me a lot. I have evolved as a player, I have improved my strength.

"There are lot of men players there, so I could train against them. It has been a good training stint in Assam." 

Also Read : India Open: Sen, Chirag-Satwik enter final, Sindhu out of title race

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Wijk Aan Zee (Netherlands), Jan 16 (Chess News) Indian Grandmaster Vidit Santosh Gujrathi began his campaign at the Tata Steel Masters chess tournament with a win over American Sam Shankland, here.

After the rating favourites Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana (USA) and Anish Giri (the Netherlands) drew their games, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Gujrathi and Jorden van Foreest grabbed the lead with victories in round one, late on Saturday.

Gujrathi, the India No.2 behind Viswanathan Anand, took advantage of a mistake by Shankland, playing black, on the 33rd move to grind out a win in 73 moves.

The other Indian player in the fray in the Masters section of the Tata Steel chess tournament - Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa opened with a draw against Anish Giri (the Netherlands) in 44 moves.

The 16-year old Indian faced Giri in a rare line of the English Opening with Black. The Dutchman made a pawn sacrifice to grab the initiative, but the Indian youngster neutralised white’s threats and safely played out a draw.

World No.1 Carlsen of Norway was held to a draw by Russia's Andrey Esipenko in 21 moves as chose to play it safe against the highly-rated opponent.

Caruana had the upper hand against Sergey Karjakin (Russia) but missed a couple of good attacking opportunities and allowed his opponent to escape with a draw.

In the second round later on Sunday night, Gujrathi faces Caruana while Praggnanandhaa takes on Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland).

A total of 14 players are taking part in the round-robin tournament featuring 13 rounds with Carlsen headlining a strong field.

Meanwhile in the Challengers event, being held simultaneously, experienced Indian GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly began with a victory over Marc Andria Maurizzi of France. Arjun Erigaisi, the top-seed, was held to a draw by Lucas van Foreest (the Netherlands). 

Also Read : UP Yoddha beat Telugu Titans 39-33 (Pro Kabaddi League)

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New Delhi, Jan 16 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli is "one of the finest captains" and "once in a generation" cricketer, BCCI said in its rich tribute after the star batter quit as Test captain and asserted that it was a personal decision which the cricket body respects.

Kohli on Saturday ended his seven-year reign as India's most successful Test captain, a day after an unexpected 1-2 series loss against South Africa.

Under Kohli, India won 40 out of 68 Tests, a record which made him one of the most successful Test captains in world cricket.

"I personally thank Virat for his immense contributions as captain of the Indian cricket team. Under his leadership, the Indian cricket team has made rapid strides in all formats of the game. His decision is a personal one and the BCCI respects it immensely," BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said in a statement.

EVERY GOOD THING COMES TO AN END ========================= "He will continue to be a very important member of this team and take this team to newer heights with his contributions with the bat under a new captain. Every good thing comes to an end and this has been a very good one," Gnaguly added.

Kohli's strained relations with the BCCI recently made headlines when the star batter quit T20 captaincy and was later sacked as ODI captain. Ganguly had said they had requested Kohli to stay back till the T20 World Cup, a claim which Kohli contradicted. Kohli has been the most successful Test captain India has ever produced. After taking over the reins from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he led India in 68 Test matches and secured 40 wins at a win percentage of 58.82.

As Test captain, he registered his first series win against Sri Lanka in 2015, a victory that India registered in the Emerald Island after 22 years.

"Virat Kohli has been one of the finest captains to have ever led the Indian cricket team. His record and contribution towards the team as a leader has been second to none. To lead India in 40 Test wins is proof that he led the side with aplomb," BCCI secretary Jay Shah said.

"He led the team to some of its finest Test match wins in India and overseas – including Australia, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka and South Africa – and his efforts will inspire the fellow and upcoming cricketers who aspire to represent the country.

"We wish Virat the best for the future and hope that he will continue to make memorable contributions on the field for the Indian team." Under Kohli's leadership, India also registered their first Test series win in Australia in 2018, clinched series in the West Indies, attained the No.1 spot in Test rankings and later in the subsequent years marched into the maiden ICC World Test Championship Final in 2021.

Kohli also holds the impeccable record of winning 24 out of the 31 Tests played at home as captain, having lost only two Tests.

"A cricketer like Virat comes once in a generation and Indian cricket is fortunate to have him serve the team as a leader," said BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla.

"He captained the side with passion and aggression and played a pivotal part in many of India’s memorable wins at home and abroad. We wish him the best for his career ahead." While Kohli is India's most successful Test skipper, MS Dhoni is second in the list with 27 victories in 60 games and Ganguly comes third with 21 wins.

Kohli also ranks fourth in the list of most victories as Test captain behind South Africa's Graeme Smith (53) and Australian duo of Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41).

"With his never-say-die attitude, Virat gave his all to the side as leader and his fabulous record as a captain speaks for that. From the moment he became India’s Test captain, he made sure that India always strives for excellence and dominates world cricket," said Arun Singh Dhumal, BCCI Treasurer.

"While Virat – the batsman – remained a powerhouse, Virat – the captain – did not leave any stone unturned, powering the team to some of its finest performances across the globe. I wish him all the very best for the future." It is expected that Rohit Sharma will now lead India in Tests apart from captaining the side the white-ball games. 

Also Read : U19 World Cup: UAE, Ireland and Zimbabwe open campaign with comfortable wins

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Basseterre, Jan 16 (Cricket News) Skipper Mihir Patel scored a combative 96 but his innings went in vain as Canada were handed a 49-run defeat by UAE in their opening Group A clash of the U-19 World Cup here.

Opting to bat, UAE rode on Punya Mehra (71) and Ali Naseer's (73) knocks to reach 284 for seven in their designated 50 overs. Their bowlers then performed as a cohesive unit to bowl out Canada for 235 in 46.5 over to open their campaign with a win on Saturday.

Naseer's destructive 73 off just 50 balls did the maximum damage for Alishan Sharafu's side after Mehra's well-judged 71 had put the wheels in motion for a strong first innings total.

The Canadians had UAE reeling at 47 for 3 but Mehra, Nilansh Keswani (39) and Sharafu (37) helped them recover to 174 for five.

And then came all-rounder Naseer's late innings pyrotechnics, as his brutal knock – at a strike rate of 146 – catapulted his team to a sizeable total.

Patel’s Canada rallied with the captain leading from the front as his fine innings of 96 off 105 balls kept them continually in contention.

Wicketkeeper Anoop Chima (46) and lower-order batter Kairav Sharma (43) also offered resistance but two wickets each for Keswani, Sharafu, Adhitya Shetty and Jash Giyanani helped bowl Canada out for 235 to complete a hard-fought 49-run victory.

Cox catapults Ireland to comfortable win over Uganda ================================= Wicketkeeper Joshua Cox scored a well-timed century before spinner Matthew Humphreys spun a web around Uganda as Ireland registered a 39-run win in the second match of the day.

After arriving at the crease with the score at 40 for two, Cox compiled a superb 111 not out off 113 balls to haul his team up to a total of 236 for nine.

Two wickets apiece for Juma Miyaji (2/56), Pascal Murungi (2/44), Joseph Baguma (2/34) and Matthew Musinguzi (2/35) sought to reel the Irish in but ably assisted by Philippus le Roux (32), Cox put his team in a commanding position at the interval.

Ugandan captain Murungi offered the underdogs a consistent glimmer of hope in the run chase but his knock of 63, bolstered by bowler Miyaji's blockbuster 38 at No.9, proved insufficient in causing a Group B upset.

Left-arm spinner Humphreys – who opened the bowling for Ireland – starred with the ball for Tim Tector's team as his four wickets for just 25 runs helped halt the Ugandan momentum and cap a 39-run triumph.

Zimbabwe thrash Papua New Guinea by 228 runs ============================== In another match, Zimbabwe’s firepower proved too much for Papua New Guinea as the former galloped to a massive 228-run victory in their Group C clash.

Opting to bat first, skipper Emmanuel Bawa (100) scored a superb century while David Bennett played a 58-run knock.

The Zimbabweans racked up a formidable total of 321 for nine from their 50 overs before a polished all-round bowling performance bundled out Papua New Guinea for 93 to complete a comprehensive 228-run victory in Port of Spain.

Papua New Guinea bowler Junior Morea dismissed opener Steven Saul early on but after Bawa entered the fray at 15 for one, he never looked back as his majestic hundred – off just 95 balls – helped haul his team to a match-winning score.

Bawa and Bennett compiled a century stand for the third wicket while opening batter and wicketkeeper Panashe Taruvinga (36), along with Victor Chirwa and Connor Mitchell – who both scored 35 – also made contributions.

Barnabas Maha’s team never got going in response, with no batter mustering more than 15 runs as the wickets were shared equally among the Zimbabwean attack.

Ngenyasha Zvinoera, Brian Bennett and Victor Chirwa -- all took two scalps apiece as Bawa’s side bowled the underdogs out with 15 overs remaining to crank up for Monday's clash with Pakistan in perfect fashion.

Also Read : His decision is personal, BCCI respects it: Ganguly

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 16 (Cricket News) BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has lauded Virat Kohli for taking the team forward in all forms of cricket during his stint as India skipper but said his decision to quit Test captaincy was a personal one.

Kohli on Saturday ended his seven-year reign as India's most successful Test captain, a day after an unexpected 1-2 series loss against South Africa.

Under Kohli, India won 40 out of 68 Tests with memorable series wins in England and Australia being the highlight.

"Under Virat's leadership Indian cricket has made rapid strides in all formats of the game ..his decision is a personal one and bcci respects it immensely ..he will be an important member to take this team to newer heights in the future. A great player. well done .. @BCCI @imVkohli," Ganguly tweeted.

While Kohli is India's most successful Test skipper, MS Dhoni is second in the list with 27 victories in 60 games and Ganguly comes third with 21 wins.

Kohli also ranks fourth in the list of most victories as Test captain behind South Africa's Graeme Smith (53) and Australian duo of Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41).

Kohli, who was given the reins of the Test side back in 2014 when Dhoni stepped down in the middle of the series against Australia, made the announcement in the backdrop of his tense relations with the BCCI which removed him as ODI captain after the star batter himself decided to leave T20 captaincy.

A massive controversy had erupted when BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and chief selector contradicted Kohli's claims that that he was not asked to stay back as T20 captain. 

Also Read : U19 WC: India beat South Africa by 45 runs; start campaign on winning note

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Georgetown, Jan 16 (Cricket News) Four-time champions India dished out a clinical show to start their U-19 World Cup campaign on a winning note, thrashing South Africa by 45 runs here.

Put in to bat at the Providence stadium on Saturday, India rode on skipper Yash Dhull's responsible 82 to post a fighting 232 allout and then bundled out the opposition for 187, with left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal (5/28) and pacer Raj Bawa (4/47) doing bulk of the damage.

Chasing 233, South Africa colts lost opener Ethan John Cunningham (0) in the first over as he was trapped in front by pacer Rajvardhan Hangargekar (1/38).

But Valintine Kitime (25) and Dewald Brevis (65), who idolizes AB de Villiers, then rallied the innings with a 58-run stand.

The duo played patiently and hit the loose balls away as South Africa cantered to 38 for 1 after 10 overs.

Kitime then took on left-arm medium pacer Ravi Kumar (0/30) in the 10th over, hitting him for a boundary and a six as South Africa amassed 10 runs off it.

Brevis and Kitime then hammered Bawa, amassing 17 runs of the 11th over. But Ostwal broke the stand after removing Kitime, who edged to stumper Dinesh Bana in the 12th over.

It soon became 83 for 3 as Ostwal struck again, this time dismissing GJ Maree (8), who was caught by Bana in the 21st over.

Thereafter, India did not allow any other South African batter to settle down. Bawa sent back a well-set Brevis, who was caught by rival skipper Dhull in the 36th over and that triggered a collapse for the rainbow nation.

Skipper George Van Heerden (36) tried to take the game deep but he was devoid of partners as Bawa and Ostwal wrecked havoc on the middle and lower order.

The South African innings eventually folded in 45.4 overs.

Earlier, Dhull helped India recover from a poor start and his knock laid the cornerstone of India's fighting total.

The start of play was delayed by around 40 minutes due to rain and amid the prevailing conditions, South Africa decided to put India in to bat.

Left-arm pacer Aphiwe Mnyanda rocked the Indian top-order by trapping in-form opener Harnoor Singh (1) and his partner Angriksh Raghuvanshi (5) in front of the stumps.

Left-handed Harnoor, who was India's leading run getter in the Asia Cup and scored a century in the warm-up game against Australia here, fell to a ball that nipped back in. Raghuvanshi played around Mnyanda's inswinger and was plumb in front, leaving India for 11 for two.

With India in trouble, skipper Dhull and Shaik Rasheed (31) got together to resurrect the innings. They shared a 71-run stand before Rasheed missed a sweep shot off left-arm spinner Liam Alder to be adjudged LBW.

Rasheed, who was dropped on 17 at second slip off Andile Simelane, played some impressive strokes in his 54-ball knock, including an aerial pull and an on drive off pacer Matthew Boast to break the shackles.

Delhi batter Dhull then shared a 44-run stand with Nishant Sindhu (25) to take the innings forward. The skipper ended up with 11 fours and it took a brilliant direct hit from Simelane to dismiss him.

Kaushal Tamble added 35 valuable runs towards the end of the innings to take the team past 200.

Boast was quick to clean up the lower-order, removing Tambe and Rajvardhan Hangargekar in successive deliveries as India were all out in 46.5 overs.

The Dhull-led side, who have also won the Asia Cup, will now take on Ireland on Wednesday.

Brief Scores: India U19: 232 allout in 46.5 overs (Yash Dhull 82, Kaushal Tambe 35; Matthew Boast 3/40) beat South Africa U19 187 allout in 45.4 overs (Dewald Brevis 65, George Van Heerden 36; Vicky Ostwal 5/28) by 45 runs. 

Also Read : Alone and cornered, Kohli had no option but to quit Test captaincy; Rohit Sharma set to be Test captain

News Source : PTI

Bengaluru, Jan 15 (Kabaddi News) UP Yoddha beat struggling Telugu Titans 39-33 in a Pro Kabaddi League match here on Saturday.

Yoddha were better in all the departments with their raiders – Pardeep Narwal (10), Shrikant Jadhav (7) and Surender Gill (7) – picking up valuable points.

Telugu Titans had a great opportunity to make a comeback by inflicting an ALL OUT on Yoddha in the final minutes but captain Rohit Kumar’s decision to go raiding backfired.

Rajnish and Ankit Beniwal scored 9 points each for the Titans who are without a win in Season 8.

Telugu Titans had Rohit Kumar back in the starting 7 but that didn’t really add to the raiding efforts in the first half. Rajnish and Ankit Beniwal showed glimpses of their immense potential, but the half surely belonged to Yoddha who had a clear plan for the Titans.

Their defensive corner duo of Sumit and Nitesh Kumar found form after the initial raids making life difficult for the young Telugu raiders.

At the other end Pardeep Narwal, Shrikant Jadhav and Surender Gill took turns to eat away points from the defence. Together, they inflicted an ALL OUT on the Titans with 7 minutes remaining for halftime to open a 3-point lead. Yoddha managed the time on the mat very well and ended the half on top with scores 19-14. 

Also Read : PKL: Jaipur Pink Panthers beat Patna Pirates 38-28

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New Delhi, Jan 15 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli wasn't pushed but he decided to jump.

It was a twitter message on September 16 when he informed the world about his decision to quit T20 captaincy, keen to focus all his energies on Test cricket and ODI format keeping the 2023 World Cup in mind.

Exactly, one day short of four months, the 33-year-old has now joined the list of former India captains, having announced his decision of stepping down for the second time, this time from the traditional format.

In between, he was sacked from the 50-over format, much to his dismay and from there started his "Journey to the Centre of Earth" from the "Top of the World", where he spent at least six and half year of his seven-year captaincy tenure.

Rohit Sharma set to be new Test captain ========================= Rohit Sharma was the designated Test vice-captain for the tour of South Africa and there won't be any change to that hierarchy that BCCI has set in place. By natural progression, if all goes well and he is fit, Rohit Sharma will be leading India in Test match cricket with KL Rahul being his deputy.

The home series against Sri Lanka will be first assignment for Rohit. However with two World Cups in two years and so much of cricket, Rahul could be seen leading the team from time to time as and when Rohit takes a break as a part of workload management.

Where did it go wrong for Virat? =================== His relations with the BCCI having reached its lowest ebb, it can be safely concluded that Kohli has "retired hurt", the decision only accentuated by a shock defeat against the weakest South African Test side in recent times.

If BCCI sources are to be believed, there has been no prior discussions with any of the top brass as he had burnt his bridges in the pre-departure press conference that became his undoing.

It was his and his decision alone. The establishment for once had no inclination to stop him from stepping down. However before putting out a formal statement, he had informed the BCCI biggies that he is tired.

Rahul Dravid is creating a succession plan and the roadmap ahead. This team has moved beyond Virat Kohli - The Leader. It will now only be about Virat Kohli-The Batter.

So it wasn't surprising at all when BCCI secretary Jay Shah congratulated Kohli on his decision, which was in one way, an immediate acceptance of his resignation.

"Congratulations to imVkohli on a tremendous tenure as TeamIndia captain. Virat turned the team into a ruthless fit unit that performed admirably both in India and away. The Test wins in Australia & England have been special," Shah tweeted.

The series defeat and lack of runs have also pushed him to a corner and with all his support system in and outside the team gone, one of the world's finest batters had lost the zeal.

But how did it happen? Here's the back story.

Quitting T20 captaincy and an insinuation ========================= When Kohli had decided to quit T20 captaincy, just prior to that, he had a meeting with BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah, five selectors. Even Rohit Sharma was present in that meeting.

Kohli referred to this "very meeting" where he had expressed his desire to quit T20 captaincy and which he said was accepted well by everyone.

And this is the same meeting which Ganguly had referred to when he said that he had requested Kohli to stay back as captain.

In between what no one spoke about was how Kohli had come with a proposal of having KL Rahul as his deputy in ODIs while Rohit remained captain in only T20 format.

That proposal was immediately shot down as it would have meant Rohit would have missed the ODI captaincy despite being a deserving candidate for the job.

In this back-drop, Kohli had miscalculated one aspect. He never expected that the BCCI would sack him from ODI captaincy on the pretext of "too much leadership".

Someone who has played all his cricket under MS Dhoni, a man who has lived and left on his own terms, Kohli found the sacking difficult to digest.

Not known to pull his punches, he made a calculated insinuation at BCCI president Ganguly, accusing the former stalwart of lying (without naming) that the fomer skipper had asked to him stay back as T20 captain till the World Cup. That was his first brush with the establishment.

Having ended with a bloody nose, BCCI waited and then unleashed its chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma to defend the establishment.

The former pacer on his part completely contradicted Kohli, making it a case of "your word versus mine".

Kohli wasn't a fool not to read the writing on the wall when he would have learnt that BCCI has thrown a counter-punch on a 31st night when the team was celebrating.

He knew that he needed to win the Test series in order to hold his ground.

Respect for batter but for captain? ===================== Ask any of his teammates, Virat Kohli the batter has the highest respect for his heady achievements and the manic consistency but there was a point between 2017-19 when Committee of Administrators was in power and the Indian skipper with coach Ravi Shastri by his side had the carte blanche as far as his team building was concerned.

Yes, there were whsipers of "lack of communication," players at times "didn't feel secure enough" and those who were struggling for form weren't given "an arm of assurance".

Somehow, the batter Kohli earned a lot of respect but leader Kohli stood in a 'Lonely Planet' and unlike an Imran Khan, who had complete devotion from his team, Kohli perhaps found himself in a tight corner.

When Jasprit Bumrah on the second day's end was asked how much has been captain Virat Kohli's hand in his development, the pacer had replied: "A bowler's development also depends on his own hard work". A simple line but said a lot.

Microphone chatter and jaded final press meet ============================ Virat Kohli won't be seen in a press meet for the Indian team in near future. That's a certainty. He looked jaded, tired and spent on Friday when he came for the media interaction.

The answer to a very valid and pointed question on losing focus due to unnecessary stump-mic chatter was a more a gibberish one where he only knew what he was trying to explain.

In his farewell note, there wasn't any thank you note for Rahul Dravid, which he had reserved for Ravi Shastri. Perhaps, he hadn't struck that chord yet.

All captains have a shelf life and better placed are those who judge earlier that it's time to leave. Kohli judged it but only after damage was done. 

Also Read : South Africa ask India to bat in U-19 World Cup

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 15 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli's unexpected decision to quit Test captaincy stunned the cricketing world, which lauded the Indian star batter for taking his team to new heights.

Kohli ended his seven-year reign as India's most successful Test captain with memorable series wins in England and Australia being the highlight. "Although I also am shocked by @imVkohli sudden decision, I respect his call. I can only applaud him for what he has done for world cricket & India. Easily one of the most aggressive and fittest players India has had. Hope he'd continue to shine for India as a player," tweeted former teammate Suresh Raina.

Kohli took India to the top of world rankings and made them a formidable force in all conditions.

"When Virat took over as Test captain, India winning a test overseas was an achievement, now if India lose an overseas test series it is an upset. And that's how far he has taken Indian cricket forward, and that will be his legacy. Congratulations on successful reign," wrote former India opener Wasim Jaffer.

The great Virender Sehwag wrote: Many Congratulations #ViratKohli on an outstanding career as India's Test Captain. Stats don't lie & he was not only the most successful Indian Test Captain but one of the most successful in the world. Can be very proud @imVkohli & looking forward to watch u dominate with the bat." "It’s always an honour to lead the dynamic Indian team. And the decision to step down is an emotional heavy moment. A journey well travelled," added former India skipper Mohamad Azharuddin. Former India pacer Irfan Pathan wrote: "Whenever the talk of Indian cricket captains will arise in test cricket @imVkohli's name will be up there,not only for results but the kind of impact he had as a captain. Thank you #ViratKohli." 

Also Read : South Africa ask India to bat in U-19 World Cup

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 15 (Badminton News) World championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen progressed to the men's singles summit clash with a thrilling win but it was curtains for two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open here on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Sen rallied his way to a 19-21 21-16 21-12 win over world number 60 Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong to enter his maiden World Tour Super 500 summit clash.

However, there was disappointment in store in women's singles as top seed and home favourite Sindhu lost 14-21 21-13 10-21 to sixth seeded Thai Supanida Katethong.

Young Aakarshi Kashyap too had a golden chance but she squandered five game points in the opening game to allow Busanan register a 26-24 21-9 win in the other women's singles semifinal.

Sen, seeded third, will face reigning world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the summit clash on Sunday in a repeat of Dutch Open final last year.

"It is a good feeling to play my first super 500 final at my home country," said Sen, who had won two Super 100 titles -- Dutch Open and SaarLorLux Open -- besides three international challenge at Belgium, Scotland and Bangladesh in 2019. "The first game was pretty close, I did some errors which cost me. But I kept my calm in the second and third game and managed to it pull off." Loh, seeded fifth, was given a walkover in the other semi-finals by Canada's Brian Yang after developing a sore throat and headache.

In the men's doubles, world number 10 pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy cruised to a 21-10 21-18 win over France duo of William Villeger and Fabien Delrue to make it to the finals.

Chirag and Satwik will square off against three-time world champion Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan from Indonesia on Sunday. In other results, Indian women's doubles pair of Haritha Manazhiyil Harinarayan and Ashna Roy lost 12-21 9-21 to fourth seeded Benyapa Aimsaard and Nuntakarn Aimsaard of Thailand.

On Sunday, Sen will be itching to set the record straight after losing the Dutch Open final to Loh. Overall, the duo has a 2-2 head-to-head record with Sen losing two of the last three meetings.

"Both of us are playing well, it will be a good match tomorrow and I am really looking forward to playing him," Sen said about his final clash.

In the men's singles semifinals, both shuttlers showed their attacking prowess during the last-four clash.

Sen made his opponent move across the court with his returns and used his smashes to good effect to open up a four-point lead at 10-6 after being 2-4 down initially.

The Indian entered the interval at 11-8 after Yong went wide.

After the break, Sen came up with some stiff smashes to bother the Malaysian but he couldn't sustain the pressure as Yong made it 14-14. The Malaysian left Sen wrong-footed with a precise net shot to take the lead.

Yong then won a video referral to take a two point lead at 16-14. Sen controlled the proceeding thereafter to claw back at 17-17.

However, Yong grabbed two game points when a return of serve from Sen went wide and sealed it comfortably.

Yong carried the momentum in the second game, opening up a 4-1 advantage. Sen did well to erase the deficit but Young ensured he had his nose ahead at the break.

Resuming at 9-11, Sen continued his pursuit to turn things around. He drew parity at 13-13 and crafted his way to a 19-16 lead with a powerful drive away from the forehand of his opponent. A net error from Yong gave Sen four game points and he sealed it when Yong again erred at the net.

In the decider, Sen made a confident start, leading 4-1 and then reached 9-5 with another cross court jump smash. He played another precision shot at the baseline and with Yong going wide, Sen entered the interval with a massive six-point advantage.

Sen went on a smash hitting spree thereafter to quickly jump to a 18-12 lead. He grabbed eight match points with a drop and sealed it without much ado after his opponent went to net again.

Sindhu, who had beaten Katethong at the Indonesia Masters last year, however, couldn't summon her best against an opponent ranked 33rd in the world.

She had no answers to her opponent's compact game as the opening game slipped through her fingers in a jiffy.

A rattled Sindhu dished out some aggressive returns after the change of sides to lead 4-2 and then managed a slender 11-10 lead at the break. She looked in control thereafter and soon grabbed eight game points. She squandered the first chance before roaring back into contest when Katethong erred.

The decider started as a close affair but Katethong soon eked out a slender 9-7 lead before entering the interval at 11-7.

Katethong was precise with her return and water-tight in her defence, attributes which helped her to move to 16-9 lead, before grabbing massive eight match points and sealed it when Sindhu went long again.

Also Read : World championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen enters India Open final

News Source : PTI

Georgetown (Guyana), Jan 15 (Cricket News) South Africa skipper George Van Heerden won the toss and opted to field against India in the U-19 World Cup here on Saturday.

The start of the match was delayed by around 40 minutes due to rain.

Teams: South Africa U19: Ethan John Cunningham, Valintine Kitime, Dewald Brevis, GJ Maree, George Van Heerden(c), Andile Simelane, Kaden Solomons(w), Mickey Copeland, Matthew Boast, Liam Alder, Aphiwe Mnyanda.

India U19: Harnoor Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shaik Rasheed, Yash Dhull(c), Nishant Sindhu, Raj Bawa, Kaushal Tambe, Dinesh Bana(w), Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Vicky Ostwal, Ravi Kumar. 

Also Read : Virat Kohli steps down as Test captain after unexpected defeat against South Africa

News Source : PTI

Cape Town, Jan 15 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli on Saturday dropped a bombshell by quitting Test captaincy following the unexpected series defeat against South Africa.

Kohli was appointed Test captain back in 2014 when M S Dhoni stepped down in the middle of the series against Australia.

"Every thing has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it's now. There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey but there has never been lack of effort or lack of belief," Kohli wrote in a statement which he posted on Twitter, taking everyone by surprise. His shock announcement came a day after India lost the Test series in South Africa 1-2.

Kohli led India to the top of world rankings and during his tenure, the team recorded a memorable series win in Australia.

The 33-year old had recently quit as T20 captain and was later sacked at ODI captain by the BCCI. 

Also Read : England get late wickets to stay in the game after another batting collapse

News Source : PTI

(Esports news) India’s Total Gaming lifted the title in the action-packed inaugural edition of the World Esports Cup 2021 (WEC ’21).

The South Asia’s premier tri-nation esports tournament, WEC ’21, which was sponsored by smartphone maker Infinix Smartphones, saw a participation of 1.2 million from India, Pakistan and Nepal and also witnessed a high viewership across the social channels of India Today Gaming (ITG). 

The Global Finals saw tough competition between twelve teams from India, Pakistan and Nepal. Teams from India—Total Gaming, Chemin Esports, Orangutan Elite and Arrow Esports—put up an impressive show right from the start of the five-day final stage. With a well coordinated attacking as well as defensive strategy, tactics and coordination, they were on top of the teams from Pakistan and Nepal and finished in the top four. 

The competition saw Total Gaming, comprising of skilled and renowned players including captain Ajay Sharma, Hora Vetkumar, Narai Yadav, Daksh Garg, and Rohit Sarraf (sub), getting past the other teams across three countries for the prestigious title with 342 total points (RP 198, KP 144) as they secured the INR 35 lakh for their top spot finish. Chemin Esports and Orangutan Elite secured second and third position respectively and won prize money of INR 15 lakh and INR 8 lakh. 

Total Gaming’s Daksh aka Mafia, with 53 kills was adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament and also received INR 50,000. 

Talking about a successful conclusion of the World Esports Cup 2021, Mr. Vishwalok Nath, Director, WEC ’21 said: “The esports athletes across three countries showcased their A-game in the global finals and the competition was nothing short of top-class. We are driven by our association by working with a bunch of talented players across India, Pakistan and Nepal and this serves as the perfect set up to take our marque property to new heights. The five-day global finals witnessed top-notch performances by the participating teams and players. 

“I congratulate all the teams as there is nothing called losing but learning which everyone got from this tournament. I hope these athletes will further utilise this experience and win medals for their country in the coming time," This inaugural edition has been a stupendous success in every possible way. As tournaments like these become bigger and grander. We are continuing to see a growing interest among the youth to take up esports professionally. We are also thankful to all our sponsors and stakeholders for their endless support and belief. We’re already looking forward to season 2 of our popular IP Esports Premier League,” Nath concluded.

The World Esports Cup 2021, which had Infinix smartphone as the presenting sponsor, was played under the game centric campaign #GameHaiToFameHai with Tiger Shroff as the inimitable brand ambassador that gave the platform for players to showcase their top game and get recognised in the industry.

Also read: World Esports Cup to start from today as fans continue to cheer from virtual stadiums

Bambolim, Jan 15 (Football News) Ace goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya on Saturday stepped down as SC East Bengal captain in yet another setback for the red-and-gold brigade who are yet to win a match from 11 outings in the Indian Super League.

"I've always been honest about the way I've played the game. And at this moment due to circumstances around me, I am stepping down as the captain of SC East Bengal," the 32-year-old announced on Twitter.

"Like always, I will give the club, the shirt, and the supporters nothing short of 100% every single time I get on the pitch. And while I am off it, I will be there to help in whatever way needed. Let’s finish the season in the best possible way," he added.

Bhattacharya, who was given the Golden Gloves with most clean sheets in ATK Mohun Bagan's runners-up finish last season, switched allegiance to SCEB in their second ISL appearance and was made the captain.

But things did not did no go as per his expectation as he struggled with a porous defence at his disposal, conceding nine goals from seven matches this season.

He also struggled with an injury that kept him out in four games this season.

East Bengal, who have six points with six draws and five losses, next face FC Goa here on January 19. 

Also Read : ISL: Blasters look to consolidate lead, Mumbai City aim to end winless run

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 15 (Cricket News) The World Cup-bound Indian women's cricket team will assemble in Mumbai on Sunday for a week of quarantine before its travel to New Zealand.

The players had gathered in Dehradun recently for team bonding and youngsters in the team were also assigned tasks to develop leadership skills.

The 15-squad members and three reserves have now been asked to report to Mumbai where they will isolate for a week. The team is expected to depart for New Zealand on January 24 and the players will have to undergo another quarantine upon arrival.

India play a five-match series and one off T20 against hosts New Zealand beginning February 11 before the ODI World Cup in March-April.

The team management wanted a week long training camp before departure but it could not be arrange due to rising COVID-19 cases across the country.

India reached the final of the 2017 edition giving a massive boost to women's cricket in the country. The Mithali Raj-led squad is expected to go all the way this time.

Seasoned names like Shikha Pandey, Jemimah Rodrigues and Punam Raut were dropped from the World Cup squad, triggering a controversy. 

Also Read : Shubman Gill likely to be middle-order enforcer, Vihari and Iyer to fight for other slot

News Source : PTI

Vasco, Jan 15 (Football News) Leaders Kerala Blasters will be keen to consolidate their top spot when they take on a bruised Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League here on Sunday.

Kerala have remained unbeaten in 10 of their 11 games so far and are sitting pretty at the top of the heap. Ivan Vukomanović's charges have looked the best team so far in the tournament with their attacking arsenal steam rolling opponents.

In Mumbai City, they have a team that are on a five-game winless run.

For Kerala, Adrian Luna has been their best player by a distance. The Uruguayan has provided six assists in 11 matches this season and is one of the main reasons for the team's success.

With six assists, he sits at the joint top for most assists in Kerala Blasters history along with Jessel Carneiro and Josu Prieto.

Reigning champions Mumbai would be desperate to end their winless run. Placed fourth in the points table, Des Buckingham's side have 17 points in 11 games and a win would bring them right on track.

Mumbai have conceded 20 goals in just 11 matches. They have suffered because of their porous backline and Buckingham would want to address that first. 

Also Read : COVID-hit ATK Mohun Bagan's match against Bengaluru FC too postponed

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) With the NBA in full flow there have been certain players who are having extraordinary individual seasons. We take a look at those players who are not only in the MVP reckoning but also helping their team grind out results over these past few months. This season has been really tough on the players especially with the Covid situation and protocols, so to be consistent in an inconsistent season really tells about the players mentality and contribution points wise to their respective teams. Lets us a take look at the top three players in the league currently:

3) DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls) 

This season DeRozan has averaged 26.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.7 apg. When the Bulls signed DeMar DeRozan on a three-year for a $85 million contract and traded Thaddeus Young plus a future protected first round pick to finish the deal many experts regarded the move as disastrous and doubted his skills but DeRozan had other ideas as he is currently having his best season at the age of 32 and has helped Chicago from being the worst-to-first in the Eastern Conference standings. After finishing last season with the fewest wins in the league over the last four seasons, the Bulls are now a legit contender for the No. 1 seed in the East.

DeRozan has been deadly on the mid-range scoring and hitting clutch shots for the Bulls. He’s leading the league in fourth quarter scoring, which has helped his team capture the top spot in the standings. While DeRozan doesn’t shoot many threes and remains a below average defender but his consistent ability to get to the foul line and score baskets are a crucial part in Billy Donavan’s offence. If DeRozan keeps this up, the Bulls are a legit contender in the East.

2) Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)

This season Kevin Durant has averaged 29.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 5.9 apg. He’s leading the league in scoring at about 30 points per game. If KD can maintain a shooting percentage above 61 percent, it will be the 10th straight year he’s done it. He’s also had a major impact on the Nets’ team success with Kyrie Irving still having not played enough games together, James Harden is having a below par season compared to his standards, and Joe Harris is hurt, but Brooklyn are still in the reckoning to win the Eastern Conference
 
Durant has a strong case both as MVP winner as it is remarkable that he’s still playing so well even after tearing his achilles. Brooklyn’s defense has also been playing at a top-five level most of the year, and Durant is a factor on that end as well despite not putting up huge steal or block rates so far. KD is having an incredible season this year and in all possibilities at the end of the season he might just lead the Nets to their maiden NBA crown

1) Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors)

Curry this season is averaging 27.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.9 apg. At the age of 34 he is still playing his prime. He’s once again one of the league’s leading scorers, and he’s doing this making more three-pointers than ever before. Nowadays he’s been surrounded by a reliable veteran supporting cast that helps his team to win matches even when he's not around. Golden State Warriors have become a team that got knocked out in the play-in tournament last year to one having the best record this season.

Also read: The Bucks win big against the Warriors as Grizzlies made it 11 straight victories

Curry all his life has been a bit of an underrated defender, but with time he's becoming an even better defender than before, his defence has played a pivotal role on what’s clearly the best defense in the league in Golden State. He also broke the all time three point record of Ray Allen at the Madison Square Garden this season. As long as he stays healthy, Golden State remains the No. 1 seed in the West and a third MVP title wouldn’t be far.

Jeddah, Jan 15 (MotorSports News) Monster Energy Honda Team rider Pablo Quintanilla won the final stage of the Dakar Rally to grab second overall place, while Hero MotoSports Team finished with its best-ever performance.

Quintanilla earned the final stage victory, finishing 3 minutes 27 seconds short of clinching the outright Dakar 2022 title.

"I am very happy with the result and my performance throughout the whole race, especially during the second week, which I managed well, making up time with a steady performance," Quintanilla said.

Hero MotoSports Team Rally wrapped up a memorable campaign that saw them become the first Indian manufacturer to win a stage in the world's toughest rally for the very first time.

They ended their campaign with a stage win and one stage podium, as both their riders crossed the final finish line.

All through 2021, the team participated in multiple races, constantly upgrading their machines, and reaching the top positions.

They entered the Dakar Rally battling several last-minute hurdles - including two of their riders getting unfit for the race due to injuries.

Joaquim Rodrigues, the star performer of the team, finished the last stage of 163 kms between Bisha to Jeddah with yet another top-15 finish. He finished 13th while his teammate Aaron Maré secured the 15th place in the overall standings of the RallyGP class.

All four Monster Energy Honda team riders also managed to finish one of the toughest ever editions of the rally, with the Honda CRF450 RALLY once again making it through the entire Dakar without a single mechanical issue.

Joan Barreda, Ricky Brabec and José Ignacio 'Nacho' Cornejo, riding their respective Honda CRF450 RALLY bikes, also finished the race among the leaders.

Spain’s Barreda, fourth on the final stage, finished fifth overall, equalling the result achieved in 2017. Brabec took seventh spot overall, while Cornejo, third in the last stage, consolidated his sixth place in the final rally classification. 

Also Read : India's Noah completes third Dakar, beats own record for best stage ranking

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 15 (Cricket News) The supremely-talented Punjab batter Shubman Gill will lend solidity to the Indian middle-order when a major reshuffle is expected to force struggling Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane out of the Test team.

The reshuffle is likely to happen in the wake of India's shock 1-2 defeat against an unfancied South Africa.

India's next Test assignment is a two-match series against Sri Lanka, starting February 25 in Bengaluru and at least two middle-order slots will be up for grabs.

Rohit Sharma is expected to be fit for that Test series and will take up his opening slot alongside KL Rahul.

Gill has mostly played as an opener but once he recovers from his shin injury and makes himself available, it is expected that both team management and the selectors will pick him as a specialist middle-order batter.

Pujara and Rahane's exit from the national side is certain. They can only save their places if coach Rahul Dravid puts his foot down and asks the selection committee to give the out-of-form duo one last chance.

But if that happens, it is understandably going to cause a lot of heartburn to all the deserving youngsters, who might feel severely let-down for not getting the break at the right moment in their respective careers.

"I think both Pujara and Rahane will be dropped from the team for the Sri Lanka series. Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will both play," Sunil Gavaskar said while commentating on India-South Africa series.

"We'll have to see who plays at number three. Hanuma Vihari may take Pujara's place and Shreyas Iyer could be number five in place of Rahane, but we will have to see. Nevertheless, I think there will certainly be two spots up for grabs against Sri Lanka," Gavaskar was also heard saying.

However team management's school of thought might just be divergent from the legendary former India opener.

With Rahane and Pujara bringing in the same type of game into play during past two years, where it was more about self preservation and less about keeping the scoreboard ticking (save the second innings at Wanderers), the Indian team will need a free-flowing batter in that middle-order, who has the ability to take the game away in one session.

In terms of skills, technique, temperament, Gill is the solution to the problem. In fact, had KL Rahul not opted out of New Zealand home series due to niggle and fatigue, Gill would have played in the middle-order.

If Gill plays at number five, he can exploit the conditions when the ball becomes old and the attack is tired. Also, he has the range to take on the bowlers when the second new ball will be in operation.

Two way battle between Vihari-Iyer ====================== The trickier choice is for the other middle-order slot where Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari will be locked in an intense battle. Both have been impressive -- Iyer in his short two-match career and Vihari giving his all in one overseas Test he has competed in.

Vihari is a defensive player, who brings in technical solidity and a sense of calm which is a pre-requisite in Test cricket, especially as the conditions and flow of the game keep changing.

It makes him a good choice for number three as Pujara's replacement but if positive intent and x-factor is considered, Iyer is certainly a far better choice.

However the jury is still out on one aspect of Iyer's batting which the selectors as well head coach Rahul Dravid will be keenly assessing -- the Mumbaikar's ability to handle short balls.

Any chance of comeback for Pujara-Rahane =========================== In Indian cricket, you can never say never. Both are 33 years old and perhaps need to go back to the drawing board and revisit what they have been doing wrong.

The problem with professional cricketers is that if a technical flaw crops up in midst of a series, rectifying it is tough and they just work their way around that flaw.

It's a kind of temporary option but with no dedicated off-seasons like what players of yesteryears enjoyed, probably a break from the national team will give them enough time to work on their flaws and comeback stronger.

It would have been great had the Ranji Trophy not been put on hold once again as it would have given them quality match practice and ability to correct mistakes in live game situation which is always the best option.

If not, they might play for English county but to be fair, county stint during the earlier phase wasn't of great help to either Pujara or Rahane.

Therefore, it doesn't look too bright for the duo as some serious talent is waiting in the wings. 

Also Read : Sri Lanka to start 2022 season against Zimbabwe in three match ODI series

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) - After a  long hiatus, Zimbabwe will be playing against Sri Lanka in a three match ODI series. Sri Lanka is back in action after a month, all the three matches will be held in Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Zimbabwe is heading with a handful of experienced batters who can overthrow the young hosts but in the bowling unit the team in red falls behind. The pitch is bowler friendly but can throw in surprises.

Craig Ervine, the captain of the Zimbabwe team is set to play his 100th match in the 50 over format. Ervine was the second highest run scorer in the series against Ireland with two half centuries in three matches, the team will be needing the captain to take the lead again as they will be up against a tougher bowling attack. Sean Williams, the most senior side on the player is also expected to guide the team with the bat and ball. Sean is 5 runs away from becoming the 7th player from his side to score more than 4000 runs in ODI’s.

Among the bowlers for the team in red, Blessing Muzarabani will be leading the bowling attack alongside another pacer Richard Ngarava. Even though both don't have much experience they can be a cause of concern with their pace and are backed up by experienced team mates. Tendai Chatara, one of the fastest bowlers in the team is 4 wickets away from being the 6th bowler to take 100 wickets in the format.

Sri Lanka team is also building up their pace numbers with the entry of three uncapped players in the squad. Nuwan Pradeep and Dushmantha Chameera will be the forefront of speedsters in the team and have the advantage of playing at home. Spinner Praveen Jayawickrama had a splendid debut in Tests for the team last year and now he will need to strike in this format as he has played 5 ODI so far.

The hosts have batters who can bring a few twists and turns in the plot. Charith Asalanka is having a good run since making his debut last year with three half centuries in 8 matches, the left hander can set the tone in the first few overs for the team. Dinesh Chandimal is also a handy top order batter who has had 5 years of experience playing at this level and can form a steady partnership with Kusal Mendis. The first one day is scheduled to start tomorrow as the players complete their pandemic protocols.

Also read: Ireland U19 captain Tim Tector shares his views before the start of the World Cup

New Delhi, Jan 15 (Badminton News) World championship bronze medallist Lakshya Sen entered his maiden World Tour Super 500 summit clash on Saturday with a come-from-behind win over Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open, here.

The 20-year-old from Almora, who had joined his mentor Prakash Padukone and B Sai praneeth as a medallist at the World championships last month, notched up a 19-21 21-16 21-12 win over the world number 60 Yong in a thrilling semifinal clash.

Third seed Sen, ranked 17 in the world, will face world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the summit clash on Sunday in a repeat of Dutch Open final last year.

Loh, seeded fifth, was given a walkover in the semifinals by Canada's Brian Yang after developing a sore throat and headache.

Sen will be itching to set the record straight after losing the Dutch Open final to Loh. Overall, the duo has a 2-2 head-to-head record with Sen losing two of the last three meetings.

Sen had won two Super 100 titles -- Dutch Open and SaarLorLux Open -- besides three international challenge at Belgium, Scotland and Bangladesh in 2019 before COVID-19 somewhat halted his progress.

Last year, the youngster made it to the semifinals at Hylo, reached the knockout stage at World Tour Finals on debut before sizzling at the World Championships with a bronze. 

Also Read : Two players withdrawn from India Open due to COVID-19; Brian Yang too pulls out

News Source : PTI

Singapore, Jan 15 (Golf News) Indian golfer S Chikkarangappa, shot a two-under 70 in difficult conditions in the third round to move to sole third and within three shots of the leader Rattanon Wannasrichan (73) at the Singapore International, here on Saturday.

While the 28-year-old Chikka, looking for his maiden Asian Tour successes moved up, fellow Indian Khalin Joshi, the first round leader (75), slipped to fourth and was four behind the leader.

Thailand's Rattanon maintained his lead at Tanah Merah Country Club and put himself in position for his second title on the Asian Tour.

Korean youngster, Joohyung Kim (69) played solid on another day of strong winds and was sole second.

Rattanon was 4-under, while Kim Joohyung was second at 2-under and Chikka was 1-under for third. They were the only players under par after 54 holes.

Chikkarangappa, two-time winner on the Asian Development Tour, has been knocking on the doors of a maiden title win for a while, won twice on the Indian domestic Tour in 2021.

He also accompanied Anirban Lahiri as his caddie for the Tokyo Olympics "I learnt a lot from watching the top stars from all over the world. I have been feeling very confident since then. As a for a win, it is not in my control, I can only try and play my best," he said.

"So, when I go out for the final round, that’s what I will do – give my best. It will be exciting to go out in the final group with Rattanon and Kim and I have seen both play." Chikka started the third round with a birdie and was 2-under for front nine but dropped a shot on Par-5 10th for the second day in a row. He made up for it with a birdie on 18th, also for the second day in a row.

Joshi, who shot 67 on the first day, has struggled with the putter for the last two days and hopes to reverse that trend on Sunday.

Rashid Khan, two-time winner on Asian Tour, but who last won in 2014, had a round of 70 and rose to T-14, while Viraj Madappa was T-36 after dropping with a card of 78.

Shubhankar Sharma (77) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (80) had a rough outing and dropped to T-45, while Shiv Kapur (75) and Abhijit Chadha (75) were T-55.

Rattanon, 27, winner of the 2017 Thailand Open, returned a third round one-over-par 73 on the Tampines Course for a two-shot advantage over Kim, who returned a 69.

Thailand’s 14-year-old amateur star Ratchanon Chantananuwat, who was two behind the leader at the start of the day, slipped back with a 76 and is five off the pace. 

Also Read : Joshi's putter slips but stays second as Chika, Sandhu occupy 7th place

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) The past two days have seen comebacks overstaying their visit to Australia and it appears unclear when their visas will get revoked. The semifinals at Sydney Tennis Classic and Adelaide International 2 showed the world how a sport inaugurates a season. Sydney had seen Barbora Krejcikova play one of the top matches in WTA tour history yesterday and now it was the turn of ATP to light the court up.

Aslan Karatsev reached the finals at Sydney by beating Daniel Evans in a 3 hour semifinal war. The Russian has grown fond of Australia as last year he had a major breakthrough and now it's recurring. The world number 20 took four consecutive games in the first set to make it 5-1 until Evans took two games in a row to extend the first set to 40 minutes. In the second set, both players were holding their serve as there was no breakthrough for an hour until the tie break paid a visit.

The crowd expected the match to end when Karatsev got his first match point at 6-5 but did expect a handful of forehand hammers from Evans who then went to save four more. Then Evans had his first chance to take the set at 9-8 but hit a forehand lob long and went on to lose four more chances until a backhand into the net by Karatsev gave hope to the Brit. After 3 hours and 6 minutes, Karatsev took the match in the deciding set to reach the final. Karatsev defeated Evans 6-3, 6-7(13-15), 6-3.

Andy Murray made his first final in three years with a win over Reilly Opelka. Opelka was too strong for Murray in the first set as the ace machine continued to hit powerful forehand winners and came into the net to get ahead in the tiebreak. The former world number one was the first one to break serve as he did it thrice in the second set and even managed to lob the 6 foot 11 inch player in the 8th game. 

After losing the second set, Opelka got back at Murray in the very first game of the deciding set when the world number 25 quickly managed to change his backhand into a forehand lob due to a net cord. Murray did not slow down as he went on to break serve four times and even saved a breakpoint to win their first meeting on tour. Murray defeated Opelka 6-7(8-6), 6-4, 6-4. Murray again will have a first time meeting when he plays Karatsev in the final.

At Adelaide, it was Thanasi Kokkinakis who reached the finals on tour for the first time in 5 years. Kokkinakis was up against Marin Cilic and started the match with robust groundstrokes to take the set. In the second set, Cilic overpowered the Australian by a long margin to level the match as both players played their best in the first two sets. In the third set, the 2014 US Open winner saved 3 breakpoints and Kokkinakis saved 2 as it went for a tie break.

It was the 25 year old who got a great start as he booked 4 match points at 6-2 but a few superhuman forehands by Cilic cancelled them all. The Croatian won the next 5 points to give himself matchpoint as the youngster started hitting unforced errors, Kokkinakis found clarity immediately and went on to save 3 match points. A double fault by the 33 year old gave the wildcard a fourth matchpoint and then finally a ticket to the final against Arthur Rinderknech. The match saw a combined effort of 72 winners and 192 points. Kokkinakis defeated Cilic 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(12-10).

Also read: Arthur Rinderknech makes his first ATP tour final at Adelaide

New Delhi, Jan 15 (Badminton News) The COVID-19 pandemic continued to take a toll on the Yonex-Sunrise India Open badminton tournament with two players being withdrawn from the main draw ahead of their mixed doubles semifinal clash here on Saturday.

Second seeded Russian mixed doubles player Rodion Alimov tested positive for the virus and was withdrawn from the USD 400,000 tournament.

His mixed doubles partner Alina Davletova was also withdrawn after being identified as a close contact.

Indonesian pair of Yong Kai Terry Hee and Wei Han Tan thus made it to the mixed doubles final after getting a walkover.

"Badminton World Federation (BWF) can confirm that one player from the current draw has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2022," the world's governing body BWF said in a statement.

"The player returned a positive result to a mandatory RT-PCR test conducted on Friday. His doubles partner has been identified as a close contact and has also been withdrawn from the tournament. Their opponents will be given a walkover to the final." Meanwhile, world champion Loh Kean Yew made it to the 䂪en's singles finals without breaking a sweat after his semifinal opponent, Brian Yang, pulled out of the tournament after complaining of "sore throat and bit of a headache".

"Brian Yang complained of sore throat and bit of a headache in the morning. He said he is not feeling well and hence he has withdrawn," Badminton Association of India (BAI) said.

"Yang though has tested negative for COVID -19. Loh Kean Yew therefore is through to the finals." Russian women's doubles pairing of Ekaterina Malkova and Anastasiia Shapovalova also withdrew from the season's first event after the former developed a back pain.

Their semifinals opponents -- third seeded Russians Anastasiia Akchurina and Olga Morozova thus qualified for the summit clash.

On Wednesday, as many as seven Indian shuttlers, including reigning world championship silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth, were withdrawn from the event after testing positive for the virus.

Besides Srikanth, the other players withdrawn were Ashwini Ponnappa, Ritika Rahul Thkar, Treesa Jolly, Mithun Manjunath, Simran Aman Singh and Khushi Gupta.

Earlier, India's B Sai Praneeth, the 2019 world championship bronze medallist, double specialists Manu Attri and Dhruv Rawat had tested positive and had pulled out before the start of the tournament.

The entire England badminton contingent had also withdrawn ahead of the Super 500 event after the country's doubles specialist Sean Vendy and coach Nathan Robertson tested positive for the virus.

Organised by the Badminton Association of India, the 2022 edition of India Open is being held behind closed doors at the Indira Gandhi Stadium's KD Jadhav Indoor Hall.

As per the COVID-19 protocols, all the participating players are being tested everyday at the hotel and outside the stadium. 

Also Read : COVID-19: Two players withdrawn from India Open

News Soucre : PTI

(Football news) Inter Milan after winning the supercoppa will be high on confidence as they take on Atalanta. The teams will contest a Lombardy derby as Inter revival continues apace, as coach Simone Inzaghi claimed his first trophy for the club since taking over from title-winning predecessor Antonio Conte in the summer with Supercoppa success on Wednesday. They have gone unbeaten in 12 consecutive top-flight games, after a 2-1 victory over Lazio last week which helped them stay a point clear of title challengers AC Milan at the top of the table. They will also  be seeking to score in a 40th straight Serie A match as this would be just the third time any team have done so in the competition's history. The Nerazzurri are one of only two teams to have scored in each of their league games across the top five European leagues this term, along with Bayern Munich. They are averaging over 2.5 goals per game as they have scored 51 goals this season itself..

For Atalanta fifth-placed Juve are just three points behind them heading into the weekend's action, so the pressure to perform remains intense, even after winning their last league match 6-2 away to Udinese, Atalanta need to produce a similar performance to not only stay 4th but also maintain pressure on Napoli in third place For Inter most of their players are fit and firing as Atalanta will be without  Robin Gosens and star striker Duvan Zapata as  Marco Sportiello, Davide Zappacosta and Roberto Piccoli are considered doubtful.

AC Milan take on Spezia as they look to take advantage of Inter facing a tough match against Atalanta. AC Milan have started 2022 in very good fashion winning all their matches possible,  with wins against Roma and Venezia followed up by a cup win over Genoa after extra-time. AC Milan are currently a point behind Inter with an extra match played but have a chance to leapfrog them as their next two fixtures after Spezia, are against  Juventus (January 23) and Inter (February 6). The main concern for the Rossenari are only Florenzi, Kalulu, Gabbia, Theo Hernandez and the returning Calabria fit in defence, then just Bakayoko and Krunic available for the midfield against Spezia because Tonali is suspended. Kjaer and Tomori are injured, Romagnoli has Covid-19 but Ballo-Toure, Kessie and Bennacer are at the African Cup of Nations and will miss these 3 crucial matches.

Juventus take on Udinese as they look to finally go into the Champions League places. Allegri’s men will look to put aside their Supercoppa disappointment and get back to winning ways as last week’s  victory in the league leaves the Bianconeri placed fifth in the Serie A standings as they are now just three behind Atalanta, who still have a game in hand. Majority of their victories have come on the road, as Juve rank only ninth in the league in terms of home form at the Allianz Stadium. The only positive that Allegri can conjure from this week is that most of his squad players are fit and ready to start this crucial encounter.

Also read: City take on Chelsea while Liverpool hope to close the gap on league leaders

The other fixtures are:

• Salernitana vs Lazio
• Sassuolo vs Verona
• Venezia vs Empoli
• Roma vs Cagliari
• Bologna vs Napoli
• Fiorentina vs Genoa
   

New Delhi, Jan 15 (Sports News) Indian fencers, including Olympian Bhavani Devi, bowed out of the women's individual sabre event of the World Cup after losing their respective contests in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Bhavani Devi, ranked 55th in the world, had received a bye in the round of 128 but she suffered a 8-15 loss to Spain's Elena Hernandez in the next round to exit the competition.

The 28-year-old from Chennai, the first Indian to participate at the Olympics, secured victories in four matches in the group stage, while lost one. One match was called off.

Among other Indians in fray, Anitha Karunakaran and Josna Christy Jose couldn't cross the round of 128.

While Karunakaran lost 3-15 to Russia's Dariya Drozd, Jose lost to Spain's Araceli Navarro by a similar scoreline.

The men's and women's Team World Cup will get underway at the same venue on Monday.

Bhavani Devi may compete in the next women’s World Cup in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from January 28 to 29. There are two more World Cups in Greece (March 4 to 5) and Belgium (March 18 to 19). 

Also Read : PKL: Jaipur Pink Panthers beat Patna Pirates 38-28

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) After more than 120 days since the last Grand Slam, the 2022 season is ready for the Australian Open to take place at Melbourne. At the beginning of every year, there are new expectations from the next gen to take over the older generation and there are few players who will look to take over the trophy from the seniors.

Daniil Medvedev had beaten Novak Djokovic at the 2021 US Open final and Djokovic had beaten Medvedev in the final of Australia at the start of the year. This year, the Serbian is currently playing against the Australian government as he needs a victory to compete in the main draw. Meanwhile the Russian will be keen to add a second major to his pocket but will be facing a challenge from the rest of the rising stars. Alexander Zverev has not won a major title yet, he has won everything else including the Olympic gold and can join Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal in winning all the major titles in the sport.

Nadal won the Melbourne Summer Set which was his first title at Australia in 13 years, his first title was the 2009 Australian Open. The Spaniard was beaten by Stefanos Tsistsipas in the quarterfinal last year and the Greek player will also be in line to get his first big title. Most of the next gen players have not played any matches so far, the players who have started with year in form would be Felix Auger Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov. The two Canadians have shown how much they grew as players and would be willing to do the same at Melbourne. Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner would also play till the final days of the event as they had a good run last year.

In the women’s singles, Ashleigh Barty will be aiming for a third Grand Slam overall and a first at home. While the Australian has her targets, Aryna Sabalenka can set a sight at a first major as well as the top ranking when she plays next week. Sabalenka reached the semifinals of the last two Grand Slams, the 23 year old can steal the thunder from Barty and it would be daring to do it in front of the home crowd. In the top 10 rankings, all the players are below 30 years and a few made their debuts in the single digit platform. Barbora Krejcikova took the Roland Garros by storm by winning the singles and doubles trophy; Krejcikova takes on Paula Badosa who is yet another debutant in the top 10 and certainly one of them to watch out.

Naomi Osaka will also make her return and if she is in form then there is no doubt about her taking home her 5th major. The Japanese player issued a walkover in the semifinal at Melbourne Summer Set a few days ago but is expected to play at the event. The Australian Open is set to start from January 17 and the audience would want to wear their seat belts as its going to be a bumpy start to the year.

Also read: Novak Djokovic has long divided opinion. Now, his legacy will be complicated even further

Fatorda, Jan 15 (Football News) With a surge in COVID-19 cases inside the bio-bubble here, ATK Mohun Bagan's Indian Super league match against Bengaluru FC was postponed, hours before their kickoff here on Saturday.

This was their second successive fixture to be postponed. It was only last Saturday that ATKMB's match against Odisha FC had to be postponed after an unnamed player reported positive for COVID-19.

"Hero Indian Super League (ISL) announces the postponement of the match between ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC scheduled to be played on Saturday at PJN Stadium, Fatorda," ATKMB said in a statement.

"Each match is assessed on a number of factors including the ability of the clubs to field a team; the severity of COVID-19 breakout at the club(s); and the ability of the club personnel to safely prepare for and play the match." "The health and safety of all personnel in various "bubbles remains our priority, and the League & clubs will continue to monitor the situation and act accordingly." As many as four ATKMB players in the bio-secure bubble here are reported to be positive as the Juan Ferrando-coached side were locked in their rooms for one week without a single training session.

Players of other teams including FC Goa, Bengaluru FC and Odisha FC also contracted the coronavirus, while SC East Bengal too isolated themselves after their hotel staff inside the bio bubble found positive.

Fifth-placed ATKMB have 15 points, five points shy of leaders Kerala Blasters with two matches in arrears for the Mariners. 

Also Read : City take on Chelsea while Liverpool hope to close the gap on league leaders

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 15 (Cricket News) India's seven-wicket loss to South Africa in the series-deciding third Test has cost them a top four spot as Virat Kohli and his men slipped to the fifth position in the World Test Championship standings.

India, the runners up of the inaugural edition of the WTC, are currently placed fifth in second cycle with a 49.07 percentage of points won (PCT), which is taken into account rather than the points earned.

India have played nine Tests in the second cycle of WTC, winning four, losing three and drawing two. They have 53 points, the highest among all teams so far.

After the second Test India were in fourth position with 55.21 PCT and South Africa were one slot behind with a PCT of 50.

But the win in the Newlands Test has helped South Africa (66.66 PCT) rise to the fourth spot.

Currently, Sri Lanka leads the standings with a 100 PCT followed by Australia (83.33) and Pakistan (75).

Reigning champions New Zealand, who drew a two-match series with Bangladesh at home earlier this week, are placed sixth with a PCT of 33.33. 

Also Read : DRS controversy gave us a window to chip away at target: Elgar

News Source : PTI

Cape Town, Jan 15 (Cricket News) South African skipper Dean Elgar said the DRS controversy offered them a "window" to have a go at the target with the Virat Kohli-led Indian team getting distracted by their on-field chatter during the series-deciding third Test.

The left-handed opener's LBW decision by umpire Marais Erasmus was overturned after HawkEye showed the ball trajectory going over the stumps.

It led to tempers fraying in the Indian camp with skipper Kohli along with his deputy KL Rahul and senior offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin mocking the South African broadcasters 'SuperSport" on stump microphone.

Chasing 212 in tough Newlands conditions, South Africa were 60 for one in the 21st over when Elgar got the reprieve but with the Indian camp busy with the DRS controversy the hosts went on to score 40 runs in the next eight overs.

"That obviously gave us a little bit of a window period, especially yesterday (Thursday) for us to score a little bit freer and obviously, chip away at the deficit that we needed or the target that we needed," Elgar said after their series-clinching seven-wicket win here on Friday.

"It worked out well in our hands, it played nicely into our hands. For a period of time, they actually forgot about the game and they were challenging a bit more of the emotional side of what Test cricket has to offer." Asked about the controversy, Elgar said: "Loved it. It was obviously maybe a team that was under a little bit of pressure and things weren't going the way which they obviously were quite used to of late.

"Yeah we're extremely happy. We still had to execute our skills with the bat (on day three and four) knowing that the wicket was playing a bit in the bowlers' favour and we needed to be extra disciplined out there and execute our basics." Guys woke up after 113-run defeat, and responded in style ======================================= South Africa had started the series with an embarrassing 113-run defeat in the Boxing Day Test at Centurion where they had never lost.

So Elgar took upon the responsibility to pull the team together with some "hard chats" with his teammates, who responded well.

"Losing the first game of a home Test series is never ideal. I think it's a South African trait that you always have to start slow and we almost have to be 0-1 down to actually wake up and realise that you know we were up against it and our backs against the wall and the guys responded beautifully to that." Asked about the change room conversations, the Proteas skipper said: "I think that ties into the conversations I had with the team prior to the second game. Guys taking responsibility and valuing their wicket a lot more. A few soft dismissals and lapses of concentration can hinder your series and ultimately that's what got us the loss in the first game." Elgar said he is "very happy that the guys responded well." "They responded to fulfil those roles, especially from a batting point of view. We needed guys to stand up from a character point of view, make a bit more of a conscious effort and be a lot more aware of the position that they have within the side, purely to bring the best out of the player.

"Ultimately bringing the best out of the player will obviously influence the environment. So yeah, I'm glad and very, very relieved and very, very thankful of the guys for responding the way they did.

"It's a proper squad effort, even the guys who didn't play stood up in the right occasions for us." After losing the first Test, it took a lot of character from South Africa to stage a comeback and Elgar showed the way with an unbeaten 96 to chase down 240 to level the series at Wanderers.

"The momentum is something that we gained from Wanderers. Another thing is confidence especially from our batters point of view. We haven't had a lot of that.

"But showing the guys that these guys are beatable. They're also human beings. We are human beings playing a bloody tough sport.

"You need to get that confidence within your setup. I'd say momentum and confidence is a big thing that we've gained out of the Wanderers victory," he said about their turnaround.

Thick-skinned captain, showing little emotions on camera ====================================== Leading an unheralded side, short on experience, against the world number one Indians, many had written off Elgar at the start of the series.

But he went about his role quietly to lead a remarkable coming-from-behind series win.

"I think my skin is pretty thick when it comes to on-field matters and matters that value the team in a big way." Talking about his learnings as a skipper, Elgar said: "I don't want to show my emotions too much on camera. So I think from that point of view, it's something that I've actually learned quite quickly.

"I haven't had a lot of time to actually sit down and bottle everything up. I think from a captaincy point of view it definitely helped me from being a little bit more calm with regards to not panicking too soon," he concluded. 

Also Read : Great world player in the making, reminds of Gundappa Viswanath: Shastri on Petersen

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 15 (Cricket News) Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has lavished rich praise on Keegan Petersen, saying the South African batter reminded him of the legendary Gundappa Viswanath.

Petersen proved to be a crucial member of the South African team that defeated India 2-1 in the just-concluded Test series.

The batter scored twin fifties in the third Test in Cape Town and was adjudged the Player of the Match as well as the Player of the Series.

"Keegan Peterson (KP). Excellent initials (@KP24). A great world player in the making. My childhood hero Gundappa Vishwanath comes to mind #SAvIND," Shastri tweeted.

Regarded as one of the best batters during his era, the right-handed Viswanath, who played 91 Tests and 25 ODIs for India, possessed supple wrists which he used to great effect in playing square cuts. The 28-year-old Petersen is also equally wristy.

Shastri also said 'KP' was a great initial, referring to the former England skipper Kevin Pietersen, one of the most captivating batters.

Petersen ended the three-match series with 276 runs in six innings, including three crucial half-centuries. 

Also Read : Australia bowl out hosts West Indies for 169 in U-19 World Cup opener

News Source : PTI

Melbourne, Jan 15 (Tennis News) After a convoluted and shambolic visa approval process, followed by questions about his movements over the past month and the information provided to Australian border officials, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has cancelled Novak Djokovic’s visa.

The decision is a major blow to Djokovic, who is tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at 20 Grand Slam singles titles, the most ever by a male player. While his lawyers will attempt to challenge the latest visa cancellation, Djokovic is unlikely to chase history at his most successful Grand Slam tournament.

The decision is also a blow to the Australian Open. With Federer out with injury, Djokovic and Nadal were the prime draw cards in this year’s men’s tournament. If the top-ranked Serbian player and nine-time Australian Open champion is deported, some have feared serious repercussions for the longevity of the event.

Critics have gone so far as to theorise global tennis powerbrokers might look elsewhere to host the “grand slam of the Asia-Pacific”, so as: […] to be confident the tournament can proceed smoothly with strong levels of public and government support.

In that sense, the conservative MP and former professional tennis player John Alexander had urged allowing Djokovic to stay in the country, arguing: Retaining the Australian Open as a grand slam event […] is in our national interest.

While the Australian Open’s reputation certainly has taken a hit, its status as one of the four Grand Slam tournaments has plenty of support. The longer-term damage might be to Djokovic’s legacy.

Given the extraordinary backstory to his medical exemption from COVID vaccination to enter Australia – along with the many questions that have arisen about his COVID infection in December – public opinion about him has swayed back and forth on a daily basis.

Djokovic has long been a polarising figure in tennis. Despite his athleticism, endurance and mental toughness, he has sometimes been accused of gamesmanship, “exaggerating” injuries to allow for medical pauses when an opponent has the momentum.

Like other players, Djokovic has also exhibited unruly behaviour on court, with occasional racket smashes, as well as disqualification from the 2020 US Open after recklessly – albeit accidentally – smashing a ball into a line judge.

Compared with the much-loved Federer and Nadal, Djokovic has a narrower fan base. At the Australian Open, he’s always had the effervescent support of Melbourne’s large Serbian diaspora, with their patriotic singing and flag-waving. But the mood of the rest of the crowd this year would likely have been mixed, with some undoubtedly voicing their hostility.

Indeed, local tennis fans would have good reason to chafe at Djokovic’s medical exemption from immunisation given the stringent COVID protocols they must follow to attend the Australian Open.

The tournament requires fans to be double-vaccinated or provide evidence of a medical exemption. However, unlike Djokovic’s peculiar defence, prior COVID status does not absolve local residents from the need to be double-vaccinated, with “previous infection” no basis for an exemption.

Grand slammed? Further complicating Djokovic’s legacy is the question of whether he’ll now face visa difficulties at the other tennis majors. The rapid spread of the Omicron variant may alter the rules for unvaccinated players in different countries and tournaments.

As things stand, Djokovic appears to face no vaccine-related impediment to competing at the French Open in a few months. The French sports minister has said Djokovic “would be able to take part”, although unlike vaccinated players he would need to follow “health bubble” protocols.

French President Emmanuel Macron, however, has made headlines by declaring he wants to “piss off” the unvaccinated – in part by mandating a “health pass” for public venues, a requirement for which is to be vaccinated. Whether Macron insists on changes for competitors at Roland-Garros remains to be seen.

As far as Wimbledon is concerned, unvaccinated international arrivals to the United Kingdom are currently required to take repeat COVID tests over several days, plus quarantine for ten days at a residence of their choice.

Djokovic would, presumably, look to a rent a house with a lawn tennis court attached.

The US Open seems less certain. The unvaccinated are not permitted in specific indoor venues in New York without a medical exemption.

So, if one of Djokovic’s matches on the showcourts at the US Open was affected by rain and the roof needed to be closed, it is not clear what organisers would do. He might be forced to forfeit the match.

Given Djokovic has been less prone to injury than Federer or Nadal and is coming off one of his best years on tour, he is still likely to retire with the most men’s grand slam titles. If so, he can rightfully be feted as the greatest male tennis star of all time.

But how he will be remembered is a more complicated question. In one sense, Djokovic appears to revel in being depicted as the “arch-nemesis” of Federer and Nadal – it has fuelled his desire to surpass their grand slam title hauls.

Yet, for all his tennis greatness, Djokovic often attracts eye-rolling outside the court – not simply in relation to his views on vaccines, but the wider pseudo-scientific ruminations that underpin his public pronouncements.

As the Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has put it, Djokovic seems “a very strange cat”.

The drama from the past week will have an effect on the way others view him, too. It will inflame his supporters, infuriate his detractors, and prompt even neutral observers to take a stand in respect to his entry to Australia. When it comes to Novak Djokovic, everyone will now surely have an opinion. (The Conversation) MRJ

Also Read : Krejcikova wins epic semi final against Kontaveit at Sydney.

News Sources : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 15 (Badminton News) The COVID-19 pandemic continued to take a toll on the Yonex-Sunrise India Open badminton tournament with two players being withdrawn from the main draw ahead of their mixed doubles semifinal clash here on Saturday.

Second seeded Russian mixed doubles player Rodion Alimov tested positive for the virus and was withdrawn from the USD 400,000 tournament.

His mixed doubles partner Alina Davletova was also withdrawn after being identified as a close contact.

Indonesian pair of Yong Kai Terry Hee and Wei Han Tan thus made it to the mixed doubles final after getting a walkover.

"Badminton World Federation (BWF) can confirm that one player from the current draw has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2022," the world's governing body BWF said in a statement.

"The player returned a positive result to a mandatory RT-PCR test conducted on Friday. His doubles partner has been identified as a close contact and has also been withdrawn from the tournament. Their opponents will be given a walkover to the final." On Wednesday, as many as seven Indian shuttlers, including reigning world championship silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth, were withdrawn from the event after testing positive for the virus.

Besides Srikanth, the other players withdrawn were Ashwini Ponnappa, Ritika Rahul Thkar, Treesa Jolly, Mithun Manjunath, Simran Aman Singh and Khushi Gupta.

Earlier, India's B Sai Praneeth, the 2019 world championship bronze medallist, double specialists Manu Attri and Dhruv Rawat had tested positive and had pulled out before the start of the tournament.

The entire England badminton contingent had also withdrawn ahead of the Super 500 event after the country's doubles specialist Sean Vendy and coach Nathan Robertson tested positive for the virus.

Organised by the Badminton Association of India, the 2022 edition of India Open is being held behind closed doors at the Indira Gandhi Stadium's KD Jadhav Indoor Hall.

As per the COVID-19 protocols, all the participating players are being tested everyday at the hotel and outside the stadium. 

Also Read : Olympic medallist P V Sindhu enters semifinals of India Open.

News Sources : PTi

Georgetown (Guyana), Jan 14 (Cricket News) A disciplined Australian bowling unit bundled out hosts West Indies for a paltry 169 after skipper Ackeem Auguste top-scored with a 67-ball 57 on the opening day of the U-19 World Cup here on Friday.

Opting to bat after winning the toss, the West Indies were off to a disastrous start as they found themselves reeling at 12 for three in the sixth over at the Providence Stadium, with pacer Tom Whitney and leg-spinner William Salzmann doing the damage.

Auguste joined wicketkeeper Rivaldo Clarke (37 off 42 balls) in the middle and the two stitched together a partnership of 95 runs for the fourth wicket, steadying the innings in the process.

However, the home team suffered another collapse following the dismissal of Clarke by Indian-origin spinner Nivethan Radhakrishnan (3/48) in the 22nd over.

Radhakrishnan struck two more blows, sending back Anderson Mahase and Johann Layne in quick succession to leave the West Indies at 131 for eight in only the 32nd over.

Cooper Connolly, who is leading the Australian team in the age-group tournament, too bagged three wickets including the significant one of Auguste, after which the hosts struggled to recover.

Opening the Australian bowling, Whitney too, returned impressive figures of 3/20 in 8.1 overs.

Batting at number nine, McKenny Clarke struck 29 off 35 balls, with the help of three sixes and two fours to stretch the innings and add some valuable runs to the West Indies total.

Brief scores: West Indies: 169 all out in 40.1 overs (Ackeem Auguste 57, McKenny Clarke 29; Tom Whitney 3/20, Nivethan Radhakrishnan 3/48, Cooper Connolly 3/17). 

Also Read : It will rank up there in history of Test cricket in South Africa: Boucher

News Source : PTI

Bengaluru, Jan 14 (Kabaddi News) Jaipur Pink Panthers stunned table-toppers Patna Pirates 38-28 in a Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 match here on Friday.

Raider Deepak Hooda scored a Super 10 and was aided by Arjun Deshwal with nine points as the Panthers continued their habit of beating top teams in Season 8. Patna had an off day on the mat with their raiders struggling to make the required impact.

The first half was a closely-contested affair with Jaipur matching Patna blow for blow.

Monu Goyat looked impressive for the Pirates in the initial minutes while in-form Deepak Hooda took majority of raiding duties for the Panthers. There were no tackle points scored in the first 10 minutes with scores even at 10-10.

Pink Panthers' Sahul Kumar slowly found the rhythm in the defence towards the closing stages of the half.

He and Deepak Hooda combined to inflict the first ALL OUT in the last minute to open a four-point lead.

Jaipur's Arjun Deshwal then produced a two-point raid to end the half 18-12 in their favour.

Prashanth Rai and Sachin also started raiding more for the Pirates in the second half, but they failed to close the gap on the Panthers.

Patna thought they had a Super Raid when Monu Goyat's finger sneaked past the mid-line close to the ninth minute of the half. But the referees said the raider's struggle had been over.

With 10 minutes remaining, Jaipur had a five-point lead. The big difference between the teams was how they approached their do-or-die raids. Jaipur converted most of theirs while the Pirates often perished.

Jaipur had a healthy seven-point lead, and they used the momentum to inflict another ALL OUT with under two minutes remaining.

Mohammadreza Shadloui had a poor outing in the left corner for Patna and Jaipur picked points off him to clinch the win. 

Also Read : PKL: Maninder Singh helps Bengal Warriors beat Tamil Thalaivas

News Source : PTI

Cape Town, Jan 14 (Cricket News) South Africa head coach Mark Boucher on Friday ranked the remarkable, come-from-behind 2-1 series win against World No. 1 India as one of the best in their history of Test cricket.

Trailing 0-1 after losing the Boxing Day opening Test at Centurion, the Dean Elgar-led side showed immense resilience to win back-to-back matches at the Wanderers and Newlands to upset the firm favourites.

"To put it into perspective we have lost three tosses. A lot of people, including some of the media, had written us off after day one of the first Test of the series," Boucher said at the post-match media interaction.

"So, to come back after losing the first Test badly and then to win the second Test and now win the third Test is pretty incredible.

"It will rank up there -- in top five must be. Where we've come from, the on-field and off-field stuff... It's good to get some good results.

"The way the whole Test series was played was hard fought, some good cricket, it must be up there with some of the best Test series to have played in South Africa." Will take a lot of confidence from this triumph ============================= Going into the series, the hosts were short on experience as they played their first Test in six months at Centurion. They played just six Tests under new captain Elgar as Australia opted not to travel for a four-match series last March.

Elgar started his journey with a 2-0 win over the West Indies before losing to India in the Boxing Day Test.

"It's certainly something that we can take a lot of confidence from. This team is on a mission, really. We've been through some tough times of late and they have driven in a way that is pretty special.

"I'm incredibly proud of where they come from in a short period of time and the results are starting to come through now which is fantastic.

"Our feet are firmly on the ground. We know that we're not the finished product. We've got goals ahead of us. So we will enjoy this win," Boucher said.

Going into the fourth day's play, South Africa started from 101 for two and finished the task with as many as seven wickets in hand.

"These guys deserve it. They've been through a lot together as a unit. So it's just nice to see that.

"It's a close knit group of guys. The World Cup was a massive disappointment, although we played some good cricket throughout.

"It is just something that was really needed in our dressing room to put the hard work in." Not surprised with the character shown ======================== In both the Tests, the inexperienced side under Elgar were set tricky targets of over 200 in bouncy conditions.

Elgar showed the way in Johannesburg, helping the side chase down 240 in a seven-wicket win.

Here, Keegan Petersen top-scored with 82 -- his third successive Test fifty -- as the hosts chased down the 212-run target.

"It doesn't surprise me because you got Dean as well who's that sort of character who leads from the front.

"You've got Temba (Bavuma) as the vice-captain who is the same fighter with that spirit in him, so you've got two leaders like that who the guys are going to follow.

"The guys stood up with regards to their own games as well." Boucher added, "To put these things into perspective about where this team is and where the Indian team is... They are probably the best team in world cricket Test-wise at the moment.

"They've gone over to England, beat England, beat Australia in Australia. So this is something that our boys won't take for granted." Loss for words for Keegan ================= For South Africa, Petersen and 21-year-old lanky left-arm pacer Marco Jansen were the finds of the series.

Heaping praise on the duo, Boucher said: "You get two youngsters who have just come into the side. Both of them deserve their little spotlights." Petersen, who was playing only his second series after a lacklustre debut against the West Indies in June, impressed with his solidity and composure at No. 3.

The 28-year-old scored three fifties in four innings and each time bettered his score to be adjudged Man of the Series. He was also the Man of the Match in their series-clinching win here.

"Keegan probably didn't start off as well in the West Indies as he would have liked. Then he didn't start off too well at the Supersport Park.

"But he's always shown signs of the player that we are seeing right now. He just stuck to his guns. He's in a good position to have a guy like Dean next to him. He (Dean) really backs him.

"He's a tough nut and batting at No. 3 in Test cricket, you have got to be tough, you got to know your game, technically you got to be sound as well. Hopefully he just gets better, better and better.

"It's a very tough position to play in South Africa in our conditions, batting at No. 3. The way that he's come through the series, I'm at a loss for words. In a big series, against big players and to get the Man of the Series, he fully deserved it," Boucher said of Petersen.

Found a superstar in Jansen ================== Uncapped left-arm seamer Jansen was a revelation and grew from strength to strength after an unimpressive debut in the Boxing Day Test.

"When you lose out a guy like Andre Nortje (hip injury), it was a big loss for us but then you get Marco coming to the side. We are really in a good space at the moment." "A lot of people questioned his selection in the first Test. He didn't start off too well and the media jumped on him a bit, which I thought was quite unfair," he said of Jansen.

"But we saw what he had in Pakistan. He was with us in the West Indies, and it was just a matter of time before he came through because we can see the skillset that he's got and the variation." Averaging a superb 16.47, Jansen finished with 19 wickets, behind their top wicket taker Kagiso Rabada (20).

"Now when we look at him and probably everyone's looking the same, what a find we've got, another addition to our bowling attack. He has a lot of cricket to learn. We find a superstar in him as well. He's only going to get better," he said.

We've turned the corner quite a while ago ========================== The head coach further went on to say that they have turned the corner after some forgettable performances in the recent past including a group-stage exit in the 2021 T20 World Cup.

"I believe that we've turned the corner quite a while ago. Our results have been pretty solid over the last six months to a year.

"We had the chance to try a few players. I think that's starting to come good now because we started to get a depth of cricketers that we can turn to," he signed off. 

Also Read : You probably have to speak to selectors what they've in mind: Kohli on Pujara and Rahane's future

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Cape Town, Jan 14 (Football News) A crestfallen India captain Virat Kohli's defence of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane lacked conviction as he put the ball on selection committee's court with regards to the future of the two out-of-form senior batters.

Pujara and Rahane failed in five out of six knocks and haven't made any tangible contribution throughout the year, save a knock here and there, and after the shock 1-2 series defeat against South Africa, it seems to be all over for the veterans of 95 and 82 games respectively.

"I cannot sit here and talk about what's gonna happen in the future. That's not for me to sit here and discuss. You probably have to speak to the selectors, what they have in mind. This is not my job," a jaded Kohli said when asked what message is being given to younger players waiting in the wings to replace Rahane and Pujara.

With Pujara and Rahane being his log-time teammates -- the former in fact made his Test debut before him -- it was difficult for Kohli to walk down the treacherous slope where he had to admit that these two are now past their sell by date.

"As I have said before, I will say again, we will continue to back Cheteshwar and Ajinkya because of the kind of players they are, what they have done in Test cricket for India over the years, playing crucial knock in the second innings (in Johannesburg) as well. These are kind of performances we recognise as a team," the skipper said but, unlike other times when Kohli forcefully drove home a point, here the words seemed like mere afterthought.

And then it came with a rider.

"What the selectors decide to do, I obviously will not comment sitting here." Disappointed but no point harping on 'ifs' and 'buts' ================================ Kohli admitted that not being able to beat South Africa in South Africa is disappointing but he has never believed in 'what if' concepts.

"We are certainly very disappointed as it's natural part of sport, specially for a team that's so driven and believe we can win anywhere in the world. Having done that, it's even more disappointing not to get the result we wanted. That's part of sport. Accept and move on." But when pointed out that the two defeats doesn't really reflect the amount of fight India had put in, Kohli said: "That's part of sport. I can't say what would have happened if this would have happened or that would have happened. It's a fact that we lost 1-2, those balls didn't take edges and didn't come to slips..

"So ifs and buts have no place in sport as it such a beautiful thing that you play one moment at a time and when that moment passes away there's no point thinking about it as there are more and more moments that follow and you have to make sure that you stay in present and capitalise on all those moments individually." For Kohli, if they were meant to win, they would have won it.

"I won't look back at things that could have gone our way as if it had to go our way, it would have gone our way. I don't think there's any point focusing on it anymore." Pant's knock was a high quality one ====================== Rishabh Pant's hundred kept India in the third Test and the skipper had a special mention.

"It was a high quality knock. That's the talent he possesses and we understand the quality he has. He is special talent and can do special things." On ODIs, I can talk from player's point of view ============================= Even amidst all the disappointment, Kohli didn't lose his wry sense of humour as he reminded one and all that he is no longer the ODI captain when asked how will this series defeat affect the team morale in the upcoming three-match 50-over series.

"I can talk from a player's point of view," Kohli said and it wasn't difficult to understand what he meant.

"Driven and motivated to perform in ODI series. I don't think we will take this into ODIs." 

Also Read : Travis Head's quickfire ton rescues Aussie innings after minor collapse on day 1

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Mumbai, Jan 14 (Football News) Indian captain Ashalata Devi feels doing well in the AFC Women's Asian Cup will, to a large extent, depend on how well the team absorbs the pressure as it aims a quarterfinal berth and a historic World Cup qualification.

The tournament will be held in three venues across Maharashtra from January 20 to February 6. The event provides teams with a chance to earn qualification to the 2023 FIFA World Cup.

"There is pressure to perform in every tournament and I believe you cannot play without it," Ashalata said.

"It is how you handle it that matters and we have learnt to deal with it." Even as the four semi-finalists earn a direct slot to the next women's World Cup, all the losing quarterfinalists will make it to the continental play-offs for the last possible slot from Asia.

The Imphal-born defender is raring to play on the big stage ever since she heard that India was hosting it.

"It was always a dream to represent India in such big tournaments and we are aiming to qualify for the quarterfinals and create history by qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup," asserted Ashalata.

Having been a part of the national set-up for over a decade, Ashalata was nominated for the AFC Women's Player of the Year in 2019.

Over the same years, she has played with Indian football legends like Oinam Bembem Devi but she refused to compare her current team-mates with previous ones.

"I cannot say that this is the best squad I have been a part of until we play in the tournament," she told the AIFF.

"It is how you perform in that tournament which matters and that is what would make it the best." She put emphasis on the "strong bonding" that has developed between the younger players and the senior ones ahead of the continental tournament.

"When I was a young player in the team, I used to ask the senior players a lot of questions," she said.

"If we don't share and communicate, the bonding never develops. So we make it a point to talk to each other often.

"Even if I am not the best person to deal with a particular matter, I will direct them to the best person to solve it," added Ashalata.

India have been drawn against Iran (January 20), Chinese Taipei (January 23) and China (January 26) in Group A of the competition. The top two from each of the three groups, along with the two best second placed teams from the groups will make it to the quarterfinals.

The official squad of 23 has as many as 15 players under the age of 25 with the average age of the team being 23.13, and Ashalata has taken the lead in integrating them into the squad.

"We are guiding the young players on and off the field, sharing our experiences, giving tips and advising them on how to maintain professionalism," stated Ashalata.

"The youngsters coming through are comfortable with us and that will help them perform better." 

Also Read : Mohun Bagan looks to seize golden opportunity against Bengaluru FC

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Singapore, Jan 14 (Golf News) India's Khalin Joshi struggled with his putter and slipped to 2-over 74 on the second day but stayed two shots off the lead at the halfway stage of the Singapore International here on Friday.

Thailand's Rattanon Wannasrichan sensationally eagled the 626-yard par-five 18th to take the lead after the second round. With 73-66, he was five-under 139, two shots clear of Joshi and Ratchanon Chantananuwat (75-66), Thailand's 14-year-old amateur golf sensation.

The USD 1million tournament is the second from last event on the Asian Tour's 2020-21 season.

On another difficult day in strong winds on an exacting Tampines Course, eight of the 15 Indian who teed off at the event, made the 36-hole cut, which fell at 7-over.

Other Indians making the cut were S Chikkarangappa (75-70) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (70-75) at T-7; Shubhankar Sharma (73-75) and Viraj Madappa (77-71) at T-20; Shiv Kapur (79-72), Rashid Khan (75-76) and Abhijit Chadha (72-79) at T-54.

Indians missing the cut were M Dharma (81-73); Karandeep Kochhar (77-78), Veer Ahlawat (78-77); Sunit Chowrasia (77-79); Udayan Mane (74-83), Jeev Milkha Singh (78-80) and Jyoti Randhawa (79-79).

Joshi said: "It wasn't a good day on the greens for me. I struggled with the putter but overall, I am happy with the way I'm playing.

"Obviously, it was tough out there. It's not going to be easy. The winds were up. I felt like I should have capitalised more earlier in the day because it wasn't as windy as now. But overall, I'm in a good position and just looking forward to the next two days." S Chikkarangappa and Ajeetesh Sandhu battled to 70 and 75 and were in Top-10 of the leader board.

Shubhankar Sharma suffered a double bogey and two other bogeys against a lone birdie on 18th, while Viraj Madappa, who like Joshi and Sandhu is searching for his second Asian Tour win, had four birdies on the front nine and three bogeys on the back nine of the Tana Merah Course.

Rattanon took away the focus from Ratchanon with his brilliant finish.

"The 18th was playing downwind. My second shot was with a three wood, it was a low cut. I was just hoping for a good shot, and it finished 10 feet away. It was a little but lucky," said Rattanon, whose sole Asian Tour victory came in the 2018 Thailand Open.

Ratchanon, who is playing in his first professional event overseas, shot 75 yesterday and complained of feeling unwell but was thrilled to get himself back in contention today with a round that saw him hit all 14 fairways despite the wind.

Filipino Angelo Que and Paul Peterson from the United States returned rounds of 71 and 73 respectively to sit at one under for the tournament.

Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, finished in solo possession of sixth place on level par after a 73. 

Also Read :  Khalin Joshi leads Singapore International, Sandhu lies third.

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Cape Town, Jan 14 (Cricket News) There is "no running away" from India's batting collapses every now and then, captain Virat Kohli said on Friday after his team squandered a 1-0 lead and a golden opportunity to script a maiden Test series win in South Africa.

Besides the batters' failures, Kohli listed inconsistency, lack of application, lapse in concentration and their inability to seize the crunch moments as reasons for the team's loss in the three-match rubber. The hosts prevailed 2-1.

"The batting has to be looked into, no running away from that. Having collapses every now and then not a good thing," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony after South Africa emerged winners by seven wickets in the series-deciding third Test here.

"No excuses there. It's really disappointing for sure. We know how far we've come as a team. That people expect us to beat South Africa in South Africa is testimony to how far we've come. We haven't done it, that's the reality, accept it and come back as better cricketers." India won the series-opener in Centurion by 113 runs but surprisingly caved in against an inexperienced South African team in the remaining two matches, with their batters letting them down on more than one occasion.

Kohli though gave credit to his opponents for the manner in which they staged the turnaround, a day after losing his cool over a DRS decision.

"We had a great first game but South Africa did amazingly well. In both Tests they won, they were clinical with the ball in crunch moments. Lapse of concentration cost us key moments and they seized those moments; South Africa were absolutely deserving winners in the end." The star-studded Indian team thus failed to add to its incredible triumph in Australia last year, and Kohli attributed it to its inability to grab the key moments and capitalising on the momentum.

"As I said, one of the challenges we've faced touring abroad is make sure capitalising on momentum, when we've done that we've won Tests away from home. When we haven't, they've cost us quite bad." Speaking about the areas that require immediate attention and where they lost out to the Proteas, Kohli said, "Have had a few collapses that have cost us important moments and Test matches. It's batting; can't pin-point any other aspect.

"People talk about pace and bounce, considering their heights, they were able to get much more off the wickets in all three Tests. They applied pressure long enough for us to make mistakes. It's the understanding of conditions for them which they know very well." Kohli was impressed by KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant's centuries, counting them as the positives from the series.

I threw down the challenge after first game and guys responded: Elgar =========================================== South Africa captain Dean Elgar said his squad didn't give up despite losing the first Test by a big margin.

"I think it will sink in in a day or two, maybe this evening. Couldn't be prouder of the group. The guys responded brilliantly. After the first loss, had a lot of hope knowing we can still win this.

"I asked the players to respond in a better nature, better way and they responded brilliantly. Challenging your players within the group, need character to stand up." Elgar lavised praise on his inexperienced bowling attack that kept on asking tough questions of the Indian batters.

"The way our bowling unit delivered throughout the series is brilliant. I threw down the challenge after the first game and the guys responded brilliantly.

"It's unreal to see how a group that doesn't have the repertoire or names can gel together as one. If you want to operate at a high performance level, have to have tough chats. If guys don't like it, it's up to them to deal with.

"I've got an old-school mentality with new-school twist. Laid down challenges to senior players as well, great to see them take it on board and deliver. Would like to think I gave us the best message for us to go out and perform.

Also Read : South Africa beat India by seven wickets, win series 2-1

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