Mumbai Indians' iconic player, Sachin Tendulkar does not want to set any targets for himself in the Indian Premier League season-6 as the senior Indian batsman is focused on winning the maiden IPL crown for the home team's loyal fans.
     "I don't like to set targets for myself, even if I set targets, I like to keep it to myself. I am little superstitious that way," said Tendulkar.
     "The (team) target is to win the tournament, that's what all of us wanted to do. It would be a fantastic gift for all the Mumbai Indians fans. I always wanted to win it. We go out there to win and give our best. Leave the rest to the almighty," Tendulkar told 'Times Now' on the sidelines of a function here.
     Tendulkar, who would be playing under the captaincy of former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting this season, said the team has prepared well for the tournament and will go all out to win the trophy.
     "In the earlier seasons also, we always went out to win the tournament but it wasn't so. ...

I don't like to set targets for myself: Tendulkar

PTI Automatic

Punjab came up with a fine allround performance to register a 25-run victory over Bengal in the Super League (Group B) match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament here today.
     Electing to bat, Punjab scored 168 for six in their stipulated 20 overs, and then restricted Bengal to 143 for eight.
     Opener Ravinder Singh scored a quickfire 46-ball 60, studded with eight fours and a six, to lay a solid platform.
     Mayank Sidana (30) and Gurkeerat Singh (27) then made valuable contributions to take the team to a competitive total.
     For Bengal, Sayan Mondal (2/21), Shami Ahmed (2/30) and Sanjib Sanyal (2/35) chipped in with two wickets each.
     In reply to Punjab's total, Bengal kept on losing wickets at regular intervals with Siddarth Kaul (2/24), Amitoze Singh (2/25), Rahul Sharma (2/32) and Rajwinder Singh (2/32) claiming two each.
     Shreevats Goswami top scored with 33 from 27 balls with the help of six boundaries.
     Brief scores:
     Punjab: 168 for six in 20 ...

Punjab beat Bengal in Mushtaq Ali

ONGC capitalised on the advantage of Sporting Clube de Goa being reduced to 10-member side as they came from behind to hold the hosts to a 1-1 draw and split points in the 22nd round of the I-League at Duler Stadium here today.
     The hosts took the lead in the 20th minute through Dawson Fernandes but ONGC's Hassan Odeola scored the valuable equaliser in the 77th minute.
     Sporting Clube de Goa now has 30 points from 22 matches and remain at the sixth spot, while ONGC took their tally to 29 points from as many games.
     Sporting, who came into the match with impressive record of remaining unbeaten in their last five matches after their new Spanish coach Bruzon took over, made their intention clear from the very beginning.
     They made early inroads into the rival half and took the lead in the 20th minute with Fernandes striking the goal off a cross from Juanfri from the left.
     ONGC, who are also playing well under their new coach Santosh Kashyap, did not lose hope as they 

ONGC rallies to hold Sporting to 1-1 draw

Royal Challengers Bangalore pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who yesterday trained hard at the National Cricket Academy under the watchful eyes of coach Ray Jennings having recovered from an injury, today skipped the team's net session.
     Zaheer arrived at the NCA today but did not take to the field as he had done yesterday.
     The left-arm fast bowler was seen consulting NCA head physio Ashish Kaushik, before leaving the venue for a routine fitness check-up.
     "It is just a routine check-up and we are hoping for the good," a RCB official said.
     Zaheer had sustained a calf injury during Mumbai's Ranji Trophy game against Gujarat last December. He was dropped from the Indian Test squad against England.
     Meanwhile, Murali Karthik bowled at the nets today much to delight of the RCB batsmen, who desperately wanted to face an exemplary spinner like him.
     Murali has a good record in the T20s with an economy rate of close to seven and 93 wickets in 127 matches.
     The slow ..

Zaheer skips RCB training camp

Digvijay Singh hit a flawless five-under 67 to be tied fifth as the Indians made a good start on the first day of the inaugural Chiangmai Golf Classic at the Alpine Golf Club, here today.
     Shiv Kapur, whose sole win on the Asian tour came in Thailand in 2005, also opened strongly with three-under 69 after starting from the tenth and was tied 16th.
     Gaganjeet Bhullar carded 70 to be tied 27th, while Anirban Lahiri, SSP Chowrasia, Jyoti Randhawa and Himmat Rai carded 71 each and were tied 50th.
     Rashid Khan and Sujjan Singh scored 72 each to be tied 73rd. Earlier, C Muniyappa pulled out after two holes.
     Digvijay, an affable golfer, with a love for skydiving and adventure sports, was pleased with his showing and said, "Very satisfying, bogey free and made five birdies. After a long time, I putted decent today. Couldn't be a better time to get back into the game. Looking forward to defending (the Panasonic Open India) next week as well."
     "It was good because I didn't 

Digvijay shoots 67 to lie fifth at Chiangmai, Kapur 16th

Upcoming Australian pacer Gurinder Sandhu of Indian origin today toppled veteran wicketkeeper Brad Haddin to win the prestigious Steve Waugh Medal as the best New South Wales cricketer for the year 2012-13.
     Sandhu, the first Australian of Indian origin to represent the country in cricket at the international level, won the medal with 146 votes, three clear of Haddin.
     The honour has made him the first Indian and the first rookie to win the medal, ousting Haddin (143) and Trent Copeland (133) at the awards ceremony in Doltone House here.
     Sandhu has, so far, played only two Sheffield Shield four-day matches and four domestic limited-overs fixtures.
     The 19-year-old lanky right-arm quick, who only made his first-class debut at the start of this month, took 14 wickets in four Ryobi Cup games for his state and an equal number of strikes in just two Sheffield Shield matches with a best effort of five for 31.
     Sandhu, who lives in Blacktown, was the active member of the 

Indian-origin pacer Sandhu wins Steve Waugh Medal

Shillong Lajong SC came back from behind to hold the heavyweights Mohun Bagan to a 2-2 draw in their return leg of I-League fixture here today.
     All the action was confined to the second half when Togay Ozbey gave Mohun Bagan the lead in the 51st minute after a goalless first period.
    However, Bagan's joy was short-lived as the northeastern giants scored the equaliser within a minute when Boithang Haokip pulled one back.
    Manish Maithani once again put the green and maroon brigade ahead in the 60th minute. But they failed to hold on to the advantage as PC Lalhumthara managed to earn a point for the Shillong outfit with a 77th minute strike.
     Absence of Odafa Okolie, who is down with fever, once again proved to be a setback for the Bagan as they had to settle for a point to remain at the bottom of the table with 10 points from 17 matches.
    Lajong also remained static at 10th position with 21 from 22 matches.

Lajong hold Mohun Bagan 2-2

The President of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA), Anurag Thakur today heaped praises on local girl Sushma Verma for securing a berth in Indian women's cricket team for the upcoming limited-overs series against Bangladesh.
     The 20-year-old Sushma from Shimla will be a part of the 15-member Indian squad to take on Bangladesh for a three-match Twenty20 series and as many ODIs, starting on April 2 at home.
     "This has been possible by her hard work and all the facilities and training being provided by HPCA to the players," Thakur, who is also the joint secretary of BCCI, said.
     "The day is not far when Himachal will be the powerhouse of cricketing talent in the country, owing to the natural benefits and the world class infrastructure being developed here," he added.
     Harmanpreet Kaur will captain the women's team, while opener Poonam Raut will be her deputy.

Thakur hails Himachal girl's inclusion in Indian women's team

The upcoming Indian Premier League will witness an artistic flourish, especially during matches involving the Delhi Daredevils team, which has got together a clutch of celebrated and upcoming artists to capture the diverse and vibrant spirit of the game and its players.
	Custom-built large-sized 5 inch cricket bats, each painted in different styles by 15 artists are set to be exhibited at the various IPL match venues as well as other places like the airport before being finally auctioned off.
	"Batting for Art...Khelo Front Foot Pe" initiative by the Delhi Daredevils includes a suite of works of artists Binoy Varghese, Chintan Upadhayay, Dileep Sharma, Farhad Husain, Jayasri Burman, Kanchan Chander, Khem Vaishnav, Neeraj Goswami, Paresh Maity, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Satish Gupta, Seema Kohli, Sidharth, Thota Vaikuntam and Yusuf Arakkal.
	A desktop calendar documenting the works of art would also be bought out.
	The funds raised in the auction of the works and a dinner GMR Sports, owners 

Cricket bat as canvas - Artistic showcase for Delhi Daredevils

With just one match to go, FCBEscola India team is all set to secure a place in top 10 teams at the International Escola football tournament, which is currently being held in Barcelona.
     The FCBEscola India team is in the Under-12 category, which has a total of four groups and as many as 28 teams.
     Out of six matches they have played so far, the Indian side has won three, drawn one and lost two.
     The team represented by nine young footballers, all born in 2001, created a flutter with officials from other international Escola teams, watching the young guns from India on the field with a keen interest.
     The matches on the format of 25 minutes with six players and a goalkeeper are being held at the Mini Estadi facilities next to Camp Nou.

FCBEscola India set to secure a place in top 10

The winners of the ICC Champions Trophy tournament, commencing on June 6, will pocket a prize money of USD 2 million while the runners-up will be richer by USD 1 million.
     The total prize money of the 50-over event is worth USD 4 million and even the losing semi-finalists will get USD 400,000 each.
     The ICC will be paying USD 100,000 to the two third-placed teams in each group.
     The three venues for the tournament are Cardiff, Edgbaston and the Oval.
     India will be playing their opening match of the tournament against South Africa in Cardiff on June 6.
     The marquee match between India and Pakistan will be held in Birmingham on June 15. While India have never lost to Pakistan in a World Cup match, they haven't done too well against the arch-rivals in the mini World Cup.
     "The world's eight top ranked ODI sides will go head-to-head, pitting the best versus the best. With 15 matches to be played at three world-class venues over 18 days, the intensity will be high .

ICC Champions Trophy winners will pocket USD 2 million

South Africa captain Graeme Smith today received the ICC Test Championship mace and prize money of USD 450,000 for leading the team to the top spot in ICC Test rankings on the annual cut-off date of April 1.
     Smith received the mace from the ICC's umpires and referees manager, Vince van der Bijl, in a ceremony at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
     "I am truly honoured and humbled to receive the Reliance ICC Test Championship mace and prize money, not just on behalf of myself, the players and the team management but on behalf of all South Africans," said Smith.
     "We all appreciate the enormous privilege of representing our country and taking on the responsibility that goes with it," he added.
     South Africa have finished at the number one spot for the first time since the current ranking system was introduced in 2003.
     India are placed third behind England in the current rankings.

Smith receives ICC Test Championship mace

Lauding the team for their 4-0 triumph over Australia in the recently concluded Test series, out-of-favour opener Gautam Gambhir today stressed on the need to win Test series abroad in order to be recognized as a force in world cricket.
     "Unless a team wins overseas, they are not recognized as a force. I have always believed that winning in overseas conditions matters a lot. I am happy that we have done well at home. There is nothing wrong in using home advantage as every country does that", Gambhir told reporters at a promotional event here.
     "But look at South Africa. They beat Australia in Australia and England in England. Actually, they are the No 1 side in the world," he said.
     "My personal aim has always been to be a member of the overseas Test series winning squad and score runs in team's victory," Gambhir said at the launch of a new cricket portal CricLan.Com.
     Gambhir, who has just started training after recovering from mild jaundice, said that "form is a ...

Doing well in overseas Test series is most important: Gambhir

Star India is the latest brand to come on board as an official partner of the sixth season of the Indian Premier League.
     "We are happy to be associated with the IPL primarily to drive our flagship channel, Star Plus. We saw a great opportunity to use this platform to communicate our brand promise of 'Rishta Wahi, Soch Nayi'. The power of Star's platform is unique and we are keen to leverage this to support BCCI's efforts to increase the reach and popularity of IPL," Star India CEO Uday Shankar said.
     The IPL already has Pepsi, Vodafone and Yes Bank as official partners.
     Speaking on the association IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla said, "Since its inception in 2008, the tournament has provided a platform to organisations, which are as passionate about achieving and maintaining standards of excellence, as the IPL itself, to showcase themselves. STAR India belongs to this elite fraternity. We look forward to a fruitful association with them."
     The IPL season six begins on ...

Star India signs as official partner of IPL 6

Harmanpreet Kaur was today named captain of the Indian women's team replacing seasoned Mithali Raj for the limited-overs series against Bangladesh starting April 2 at home.
     Opener Ponam Raut has been named as Harmanpreet's deputy.
     Indian eves will play a three T20s and as many ODIs after their disastrous World Cup campaign in February at home.
     Senior Indian batswomen and captain Mithali Raj has not been named in the 15-member squad chosen by the All-India Women's Selection Committee.
     Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (Capt), Poonam Raut (Vice-Capt), M D Thirushkamini, Smriti Mandhana, Anagha Deshpande, Sneha Dipti, Mona Meshram, N Niranjana, Archana Das, Poonam Yadav, Ritu Dhruv, Swagatika Rath, Shubhalaxmi Sharma, Sushma Varma Ekta Bisht.

Harmanpreet to lead India against Bangladesh

Pakistan's T20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez believes that their just-concluded tour to South Africa will benefit the side in future assignments including the ICC Champions Trophy.
     Hafeez said the learnings from facing South African bowlers in hostile conditions will be visible in his side's performance in the upcoming matches.
     "Obviously, the way we lost the Test series in South Africa was very disappointing for us but we came back strongly in the T20 match and the One-day series and finished on a positive note. Having played such tough cricket it will benefit us for future assignments," Hafeez said.
     Hafeez, who returned home from South Africa on Tuesday, turned up for the Lahore Lions side in the national Super Eight T20 Cup yesterday and scored a blistering hundred against Multan Tigers.
     The 32-year-old urged his Pakistan teammates to play in domestic competitions regularly in order to raise the profile of the national level events.
     "It is good to see that all ...

South African tour will help us in upcoming matches: Hafeez

Troubled New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder has been admitted in a hospital in a critical condition after suffering severe head injuries in a brawl outside a bar here.
     Ryder was attacked by two or three people when he was leaving Aikman's Bar in the suburb of Merivale late last night and it appears that the cricketer had been assaulted twice, Christchurch Police said.
     The 28-year-old is in intensive care unit with a fractured skull and is in an induced coma due to multiple injuries.
     The first attack took place outside the bar where Ryder was out with his Wellington teammates after their team suffered a semifinal loss in the domestic one-day competition here earlier in the day.
     Police believe that at least two people followed him across the road to the parking area of a fast-food restaurant where the second attack occurred, while his two teammates who left the bar with him were in the restaurant when he was attacked again.
     In a statement, New Zealand Cricket ...

Ryder in coma after suffering severe injuries in bar brawl

Former captain Arjuna Ranatunga today slammed the decision of the cricket Board and government to allow Sri Lankan players to participate in the IPL as an endorsement of human rights abuse allegations against Sri Lanka.
     "What most people seem to ignore is that both Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi are wanting to stop Sri Lankans playing in Tamil Nadu because they accuse Sri Lanka of human rights violations. So playing in other (Indian) states while skipping Tamil Nadu is an endorsement of human rights allegations against our country," Ranatunga told PTI.
     "Players must be made aware of this as the world will say that Sri Lankan IPL players have unwittingly endorsed the human rights violation charges," he said.
     Ranatunga charged both the Tamil Nadu leaders of playing politics with sport.
     "They were never concerned about the welfare of north and east (Sri Lankan) Tamils other than at times of elections in Tamil Nadu," Ranatunga said.
     He was also critical of the ...

Players in IPL endorsement of rights abuse charges: Ranatunga

A five wicket haul by India pacer Umesh Yadav helped Vidarbha beat Odisha by 73 runs in a Super League (Group A) match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament here today.
     Playing his second match after recovering from a back injury, Umesh Yadav (5/18 in three overs) halted the Odisha runchase after a blistering half century from teammate Ravi Jangid (63) took Vidarbha to a commanding 180 for eight in 20 overs.
     Odisha were bowled out for 107 in 14.3 overs.
     Electing to bat, Vidarbha got off to poor start and lost three wickets inside the first five overs with 33 runs on the board.
     Left-handed Jangid first stitched a 54-run partnership with skipper Shalabh Shrivastava (23) for the fourth wicket followed by 39-run stand with Urvesh Patel (17).
     A late blitz from Apoorv Wankhade (26 off 10 balls) took Vidarbha to 180 for eight in their quota of 20 overs.
     Pacer Basant Mohanty bagged three wickets for 30 runs while Suryakant Pradhan (2/22) accounted for two ...

Umesh Yadav shine in Vidarbha victory

Sri Lankan cricket Board today decided top allow its cricketers to take part in the IPL but directed them not to play in Chennai after the governing council of the high-profile Twenty20 league decided to withdraw them from the games to be held there.
     "Discussions were held with Minister of Sports regarding the release of Sri Lanka players for IPL 2013. Based on a note sent by Minister of External Affairs regarding the safety of players, it was decided that No Objection Certificates issued to the players be restricted to exclude their appearance at any venue in Tamil Nadu and also to obtain the Players' personal opinion on their willingness to participate in the event," said a statement from Sri Lanka Cricket.
     "At initial stages, SLC liaised with BCCI and obtained Safety Guarantees for their participation and conveyed their assurances to each individual player. If and when the players express their intention to play in the IPL 2013, they would be permitted to proceed with the 

SLC allows players in IPL, but says no to Chennai matches

Royal Challengers Bangalore pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who is set to play in the IPL after recovering from an injury, trained at the National Cricket Academy here under the watchful eyes of coach Ray Jennings.
     Zaheer bowled at the nets, and according to his team-mate Jaydev Unadkat, looked good as he was getting the ball to swing both ways.
     Zaheer had sustained a calf injury during Mumbai's Ranji Trophy game against Gujarat last December. He was dropped from the Indian Test squad against England.
     "Zaheer looked good as he was getting the ball to swing both ways as he normally does and it was good bowling in tandem with him at the nets. I learnt a lot by just seeing him bowl from close quarters," Unadkat told reporters after the training session.
     Unadkat said he has been working on the basics of remaining fit throughout the season so as to improve his pace.
     "I am hitting 135 kmh mark at present," he said.
     Unadkat said he has been working on variations for 

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