Page 1278 - Sports
Kohli holds special place among Indian greats: Manjrekar
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has asserted that skipper Virat Kohli has made a special place for himself "among the Indian greats."Speaking at the MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture, the 53-year-old further praised Kohli for his phenomenal batting skills."Even among Indian greats now, he's finding a special place. It's amazing. You talk about dirty Varanasi waters, but Indian waters keep producing these kinds of phenomenal batting talents, year after year, generation after generation," the International Cricket Council (ICC) website quoted Manjrekar, as saying."Sunil Gavaskar quit in 1987. We had Tendulkar two years later, in 1989. And as he was winding up his long career, here comes Virat Kohli," he added.Kohli, who recently scaled to number one ranking in the Test cricket, has been in outstanding form, a glimpse of which was seen during the first Test of the ongoing five-match series against England in Edgbaston.He played a smashing knock of 149 to pull India out of a .
Lancashire rope in Afghan spinner Zahir Khan
Afghanistan spinner Zahir Khan has been roped in by the Lancashire cricket club for the ongoing 2018 English county season.The 19-year-old became the fourth Afghanistan cricketer after Rashid Khan (Sussex), Mohammad Nabi (Leicestershire) and Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Hampshire) also joined this year's county season.Reflecting on his inclusion in the team, the bowler said that he is excited to join the team and hopes to make a significant contribution to the club."I'm really excited to be signing for Lancashire for the rest of the campaign. It's always been an ambition of mine to play county cricket in England and test myself against some of the world's best players. I can't wait to get started now," ESPNcricinfo.com quoted Khan, as saying."I have heard a lot of good things about Lancashire and Old Trafford from Jos Buttler when I played with him at the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and I hope to make a significant contribution during my stay here," he added.Khan holds an impressive first-class .
Makes more sense to play five bowlers than extra batsman: Arun
Playing an extra batsman in the second Test against England will be a "conservative move" with the Lord's pitch looking more bowler-friendly than Edgbaston, feels India bowling coach Bharat Arun. India lost the first Test by 31 runs and the second Test will start at the 'Home of Cricket' from Thursday. Interestingly, Sunil Gavaskar has been the biggest advocate of playing an extra batsman after India's poor show in the series opener. "Playing an extra batsman here, I would consider it as a conservative move. I think everything depends on the conditions and they are not going to be as friendly as it was in the first Test, it makes more sense to play five bowlers (here)," Arun said during a press conference. The Indian batsmen were seen pushing hard at swinging deliveries but Arun defended them. "The batsmen played a lot forward in Birmingham and they did it in the practice game as well. They feel they have a lot more options in doing that rather than staying back inside the crease," ...
Pakistani cricketer Hafeez considers retirement in protest
Pakistan's senior batsman Mohammad Hafeez is reportedly considering retirement in protest against his recent demotion in the players' categories by the Pakistan Cricket Board, local media reported on Tuesday.
Bumrah out of contention for 2nd Test, confirms bowling coach Arun
India will not be able to avail the services of Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test against England as he is yet to recover from a left hand fracture sustained during a T20 International against Ireland in June. While the BCCI had stated in an earlier media release that Bumrah will be available for selection from the second Test subject to fitness, it is now confirmed that the recovery has been slower than expected and he is now out of contention from the Lord's Test. "He (Burmrah) is bowling fit right now but it's too early to put him into a game-like situation. The plaster on his hand needs to come off first. He is out of contention for the second Test," bowling coach Bharat Arun confirmed at a media conference today. Bumrah has been bowling at the nets but it has been found that he is still taking catches with soft ball.
Bolt to train with Aussie football side Central Coast Mariners
Legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, known for his love for football, will join Australian club Central Coast Mariners for an "indefinite training period".
India jump to 9th spot in women's hockey rankings
Following their quarter-final finish at the Women's Hockey World Cup, India have jumped a place to be ninth in the world rankings announced by International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Tuesday.
Sindhu definitely among Indian badminton greats: Padukone
Badminton legend Prakash Padukone has no hesitation in calling four-time World Championship medallist P.V. Sindhu as one of the "greats" among Indian shuttlers even as he hoped that the Hyderabadi will break her silver medal run in major championships.
T10 League gets International Cricket Council (ICC) sanction
The ICC has officially sanctioned the second season of T10 League to be held in Sharjah from November 23. The apex body's validation comes as a shot in the arm for the league that will have two new teams, making it a strong eight team affair. "Yes, the ICC has sanctioned the T10 tournament after the organisers completed all formalities and requirements as per the Regulations on Sanctioning of Cricket Events," an ICC spokesperson told PTI today. T10 is a domestic franchise tournament of the Emirates Cricket Board, which is an Associate Member of the ICC. However, it has been learnt that sanctioning of the event doesn't mean the ICC is supporting, patronising or promoting the league or the format. The ICC considers T10 as a tool to promote cricket and generate a new fan base. "This sanction from ICC for T10 League gives our partners, stakeholders and more importantly the players a much-needed boost. Having said that, it additionally gives us responsibility to ensure we keep growing ...
Sindhu doesn't have mental block in major finals, insists Padukone
Indian badminton great Prakash Padukone insists that P V Sindhu doesn't have any mental block in major finals and urged the media to not put the star shuttler under pressure by focussing on her defeats. The former All England Champion backed Sindhu to win the World Championship crown soon after two consecutive silver medal performances in the prestigious event. Sindhu lost the World Championship final to Spain's Carolina Marin on Sunday, her third major final defeat. She had lost the Worlds final last year and the title clash of the 2016 Rio Olympics. She also finished runner-up in the Superseries Finals in Dubai last year. "It is quite creditable that she reached the final again. The competition is very tough. She should aim for the gold next time. She beat two Japanese players (Okuhara and Yamaguchi) against whom she normally loses. Unfortunate that she could not do the same in the final," said Padukone on the sidelines of PNB Metlife Junior Badminton Championship here today. Asked .
Squash tourney: Mangaonkar, Pradhan in quarters
Mahesh Mangaonkar and Abhishek Pradhan, the No. 1 and 2 seeds, remained unchallenged at the 43rd Maharashtra State Men's Squash tournament and entered the quarterfinals of the event today. Mangaonkar was up against Yash Bhargava, who could not match the speed and power of the India No. 3 and succumbed to a 11-7, 11-4, 11-5 defeat at the Bombay Gymkhana here. Earlier, in round 3, Mangaonkar defeated unseeded Aryaman Jaising, who had a good run before losing2-11, 5-11, 2-11. Pradhan was challenged by a lower ranked Kunj Rawani, who put up a good fight but ended up on the losing side with the former taking the match at 11-7, 11-8, 12-10. Yash Fadte (16) eliminated unseeded Awdesh Yadav, winning 11-1, 11-4, 11-5. Men's Results Round 4: Mahesh Mangaonkar [1] bt Yash Bhargava [17/32] 11-7 11-4 11-5; Abhishek Pradhan [2] bt Kunj Rawani [17/32] 11-7 11-8 12-10; Yash Fadte [9/16] bt Awdesh Yadav 11-1 11-4 11-5; Sandeep Jangra [5/8] bt Abhinav Sinha [9/16] 11-5 11-1 11-3; Gaurav ..
India level series with big win in 4th Youth ODI
Spinners Ayush Badoni and Harsh Tyagi shared six wickets after a collective batting show by the visitors as India Under-19 team mauled Sri Lanka U-19 by a comprehensive 135-run margin in the fourth Youth ODI to level the series 2-2, here today. Electing to bat, the Indian batsmen put on board a decent 278 for six with Devdutt Padikkal (71), skipper Aryan Juyal (60) and Yash Rathod (56) scoring half-centuries. After early fall of Atharwa Taide (20), Padikkal and Pawan Shah (36) added 74 runs for the second wicket before Sandun Mendis broke the stand by scalping the latter. The following batsmen used the platform to post the highest score of the series. India then bowled out the hosts for 143 in 37.2 overs with off-spinner Badoni taking three wickets for just 35 runs and left-arm spinner Tyagi also accounting for three Sri Lankan batsmen. Opener Navod Paranavithana top scored for the hosts with his 45-run knock while captain Nipun Dananjaya Perera contributed 36. The decisive fifth ODI .
Soccer: Kroenke wins full control of Arsenal after Usmanov agrees to sell
LONDON (Reuters) - American billionaire Stan Kroenke has struck a deal to take full control of Arsenal by buying out Russian rival Alisher Usmanov, valuing the English Premier League club at around $2.3 billion but enraging some fans of the north London team.
Abhijeet Gupta top ranked Indian at Abu Dhabi Masters
Grandmaster and former world junior champion Abhijeet Gupta starts as the top ranked Indian in the Abu Dhabi Masters, where as many as 88 Indians are participating in the Masters section. With Indian players enjoying a overwhelming presence among 158 participants, it looks like an Indian open away from home country for GMs like Aravindh Chithambaram, Murali Karthikeyan , S L Narayanan who do not play many tournaments in India. Le Quang Leim of Vietnam starts as the top seed in the Masters section that carries a total prize purse of USD 40000, including the blitz event. Gupta might be the top ranked Indian but he still starts as the 20th seed in a star studded field that boasts of 47 Grand Masters and 28 International Masters. Young International Master Nihal Sarin will hope to get his Grandmaster norm as he starts as the highest ranked non-GM in the tournament. The tournament that carries a first prize of 13000 USD will be played over nine rounds under classical system with 90 minutes
KL Rahul signs 3-year contract with PUMA
Global sportswear brand PUMA today announced a three-year association with India cricketer K L Rahul. The partnership will see Rahul feature in brand campaigns and promote the latest product lines across performance and sportstyle categories. Rahul joins Indian skipper Virat Kohli and a line-up of athletes. The association has been facilitated by Cornerstone Sport, which exclusively represents Rahul and Kohli. Commenting on the association, Rahul said, "Choosing to exclusively partner with a sportwear brand is an important decision and we have hit it out of the park with this association. "As a cricketer I am constantly striving to be one step ahead in the game both on and off the pitch and PUMA, the forever faster brand, shares the same goals and values. It will be amazing to work with PUMA and join their impressive portfolio of athletes and super stars." PUMA India MD Abhishek Ganguly said, "Rahul is a world class athlete who inspires today's youth with his performance and style. He
13 from MEG selected for Indian squad for Asian Games
As many as 13 sportsmen of the prestigious Madras Engineer Group (MEG) here are among the 524-member Indian contingent for the Asian Games in Indonesia to be held from August 18-September 2. Three of them have been selected foraquatics, five for water sports, two for handball and one eachfor athletics, boxing and para-athletics, an MEG release said today. Blade runner Naib Subedar Anandan G, who is among the 13, will compete in 100, 200 and 400 Metres events inpara-athletics. Besides Anandan, others selected from the MEG are: Arvind Mani (100mtr back stroke Swimmer), Ramanand Sharma (Diving), London (Diving), Santosh (Athletics), Albert Raj (Kayaking), Jagan (Rowing), Pandurang (Rowing), Rahul Giri (Rowing), Greenidge (Handball), Aditya (Handball), Mujeeb Rehman (Rowing Coach) and Kuttappa (Boxing coach), the release added.
Siraj takes 10-for as India A beat South Africa A by innings and 30 runs
Pacer Mohammed Siraj bagged his maiden 10-wicket haul as India A beat South Africa A by a comprehensive innings and 30 runs after stiff resistance from the middle order on the final day of the first 'Test'. After his 5 for 56 in the first innings, Siraj took 5 for 73 in the second innings as South Africa A were all out for 308 in 128.5 overs. However, it was a toil for the India A bowlers on the final day as it took them 88.5 overs to get the final six wickets. It was Rajneesh Gurbani (2/45 in 15 overs), who quickly sent back Zubayr Hamza (63) to reduce the Proteas to 121 for 5. However, Rudi Second (94) and Shaun von Berg (50) added 119 runs for the sixth wicket but more importantly frustrated the home team for more than 50 overs. Once Von Berg was caught by Ravikumar Samarth off Gurbani's bowling, India A came back into the game. It took another 12 overs to remove Dane Piedt (8), who edged one off Navdeep Saini to Kona Bharath behind the stumps. Finally, India got Second trapped leg
Roadmap to make country's best racing talents make it big
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt Ltd has announced a new roadmap to make country's best racing talents make it big at the international level. Honda Group of Companies in the Asian region, including India, have created three new teams exclusively for Asian riders in international racing championships, a press release said. The first of these, Honda Asia Dream Racing, will compete in the historic Suzuka eight hours Endurance Race and JSB1000 class of All Japan Road Race Championship, the premier road racing championship in Japan. The second team, IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia, is a platform for Asian riders in Moto2 and Honda Team Asia in Moto3 class of FIM Road Racing Championship. These two classes are the stepping stones to MotoGP, the most premier class of circuit racing. Minoru Kato, President and CEO, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, Honda will introduce the Moto3 machine NSF 250R as competition bike in India next year. India's best racers from ...
Dream come true moment for Indian players as NBA star Lopez hosts them for lunch
Disney World advertises itself as a place where dreams come true and it is exactly turning out to be the same for 20-odd boys and girls from India, who are taking part at the inaugural NBA Junior World Championships starting here today. The Indians, who have come to Disney World to take part in the NBA Jr World Championship at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, were invited for a special lunch by Milwaukee Bucks star Brook Lopez at his home. Lopez, who was in India earlier this year as part of an NBA promotional programme, was so mesmerized by the Indian hospitality that he decided to host the Indian contingent at his plush summer villa here. And, the 13- and 14-year-old enthusiastic Indian youngsters could not have asked for more as they got a chance to meet one of their idols and his family as they gulped a variety of pizzas and other stuffs by a luxurious pool at Lopez's Golden Oak residence. "When I came to India to see the kids playing at the Junior NBA Academy, the people of
'Discriminated' Hafeez mulling retirement from cricket
Pakistani batsman Mohammad Hafeez may hang up his bat due to "discriminatory treatment" at the hands of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), claimed DawnNewsTV.The report came a day after the PCB demoted the right-hand batsman from Category A to Category B in its revised list of centrally contracted players.The 37-year-old has not taken the shuffling well, DawnNewsTV reported."Mohammad Hafeez will not sign the central contract," the TV station quoted a source, as saying.Due to "discriminatory treatment" the player "cannot continue to keep on playing," the source added.Backing his claim, the source said that Hafeez had taken a similar decision in past when he decided to withdraw from the fifth one day international against Zimbabwe, last month, after Pakistan coach Micky Arthur dropped him from the first four matches of the five-match ODI series.The Pakistani player, who was in the PCB's top category contract for quite a long time, was replaced by the latest sensation Babar Azam in the ...