Page 1875 - Sports
'Injured'Stokes out of warm-up match against NZ XI
England all-rounder Ben Stokes' hopes of making a Test return suffered a major blow as he has been ruled of his side's two-day warm-up match against New Zealand XI due to a back injury.However, it is believed that the 26-year-old's injury is not that serious to put his highly-anticipated return to Test cricket against New Zealand in jeopardy.The opening warm-up match would have been Stokes' first match since his last Test appearance against West Indies in September 2017 after which he was ruled out the Ashes series in the wake of his alleged involvement in a scuffle outside a Bristol City nightclub on September 25.Besides Stokes, all-rounder Chris Woakes and Craig Overton will also miss the opening practice match due to hamstring and quad injuries respectively.The opening two-day warm-up match between England and New Zealand XI is slated to be held at Hamilton on Wednesday.
Atletico Madrid's Gameiro suffers thigh injury, Costa has bruised ankle
Atletico Madrid on Tuesday announced that French forward Kevin Gameiro had sustained a muscle injury to his right thigh and that Spanish forward Diego Costa had a bruised ankle, both sustained during the La Liga club's 3-0 win against Celta de Vigo.
Foreign players uncertain over playing in Pakistan leg in PSL
As the third edition of the Pakistan Super League enters its decisive stage, uncertainty remains over how many foreign players will travel to Lahore and Karachi for the two play-off matches and the summit clash. England's limited overs captain Eoin Morgan joined Karachi Kings in Sharjah as did other English stars like Jason Roy (Quetta Gladiators), Alex Hales and Sam Billings (Islamabad United) yesterday. But none of them are willing to travel to Pakistan because of security concerns. Morgan, Roy and Hales have already publicly made it clear they will not be available for the play-off matches in Lahore or the final in Karachi on March 25 if their franchises qualify. Doubts also remain over whether Billings will come to Pakistan. England's former Test batsman Kevin Pietersen, a big draw in the PSL and who plays for Quetta, has made it clear at a press conference in Dubai that he would not travel to Lahore or Karachi. Similarly, Australian Shane Watson has also said if his team Quetta .
IPL: RCB to don green jersey vs RR on April 15
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) led by skipper Virat Kohli will don green jerseys when they take on Rajasthan Royals in an Indian Premier League (IPL) home match on April 15.
Will get money's worth if Gayle, Yuvi can win even two games: Sehwag
Their stock has nosedived in recent years but if Chris Gayle and Yuvraj Singh win a couple of games for Kings XI Punjab in the upcoming Indian Premier League, mentor Virender Sehwag would take it as a decent return on investment. Gayle and Yuvraj were both bought at a base price of Rs 2 crore by the Preity Zinta co-owned franchise. The Jamaican dasher went unsold twice before being lapped by up KXIP while none of the other teams bid for Yuvraj, clearly indicating that they are no longer considered as match-winners. However Sehwag is not complaining. "It is great that they have come to us at their base price. It is surely a bargain. Who knows if there were more bidders, they could have gone as high as USD 1 million. They are big names and match winners, even if they win two-three games for us, we would get the return on investment," Sehwag told PTI during an interview on the sidelines of KXIP's jersey launch here today. While Yuvraj is a certain starter in the XI, at least for the ...
KKR to support CAB's U-16 Mayor's Cup
Two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Tuesday joined hands with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) for a first of its kind Under-16 tournament.
I-League: Champs Minerva have 'no money' to pay domestic players
Not everything is hunky-dory for surprise I-League champions Minerva Punjab FC as their players are yet to get their salaries and, according to sources, there is little possibility their dues would be cleared anytime soon.
Irani Cup: Rest of India takes on Vidarbha ahead of IPL
A bunch of domestic performers such as Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw along with a battle-hardened internationals like Ravichandran Ashwin will be eager to add some context to Irani Cup when Rest of India clashes with Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha, here from tomorrow. With just three weeks left for the cash-rich Indian Premier League to start, the Irani Cup sticks out like sore thumb as India A's next big tour starts not before July. Most of the Rest of India players have had good Ranji Trophy season but BCCI's decision to re-schedule Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy before IPL auctions has taken the sheen away from the prestigious match, which used to serve as trials for India hopefuls in yesteryears. However, youngsters like Shaw, Agarwal, Abhimanyu Easwaran won't mind a big hundred in front of national selectors as it would ensure a ticket for the A team's tour of England -- a series happening after 2010. Ravikumar Samarth after a fabulous Deodhar Trophy would like to continue his rich .
All private tennis academies now need to register with AITA
With an aim to bring an end to organisational apathy, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) has started the process of bringing all private academies under uniform regulation, which will ensure that only those centres can host age-group tournaments, which are registered with the Federation. The move, accepted by AITA Executive Committee, means that all private academies in the country will have to apply for registration immediately with their respective state Associations because from July 1, 2018, unregistered academies won't be able to host tournaments. Across the country, a lot of academies host tournaments such AITA Talent Series, Championship series, Super Series, National series and the Nationals. However, there have been numerous complaints that the events are being hosted in the most unprofessional manner. It has been noted that some venues do not have even basic amenities such as drinking water and separate washrooms for boys and girls. There are no basic sitting ...
KKR to sponsor inter-school Mayor's Cup
Two-time Indian Premier League champions Kolkata Knight Riders has decided to sponsor Cricket Association of Bengal's (CAB) U-16 inter-school tournament for the Mayor's Cup. Teams from 44 schools will compete across eight venues at the Maidan in the 45-over competition commencing March 15, with the final scheduled at Eden Gardens to be attended by KKR team members. "It's a premiere inter-school tournament. The fact that KKR has decided to sponsor this Cup shows their commitment to cricket at grassroots level in the region. We appreciate this effort," former India captain and CAB President Sourav Ganguly stated in a release. CAB joint secretary Avishek Dalmiya hoped for more involvement from KKR in future. "Tournaments like Mayor's Cup go a long way in scouting talents at the junior level. KKR's decision to associate themselves with this event shows how serious they are about developing cricket in this region. We hope to see them being involved more with local cricket in the region," ..
BFC eye win to start AFC group stage campaign on a high
High on confidence after making it to the final of the Indian Super League in their first season, Bengaluru FC would look to begin their AFC Cup group stage campaign on a high note with a win over Abahani Dhaka Limited here tomorrow. Bengaluru are going into the match with their tails up after an enthralling 3-1 win against FC Pune City in the second leg of the Indian Super League on March 11 here. In contrast, the Bangladesh Premier League champions Abahani have come here after a 0-1 loss to Maldives' New Rediant Club in their backyard. Bengaluru have made it to the group stage after routing T C Sports of Maldives 5-0 in the second leg here on February 21 with a splendid hat-trick by Toni Dovale. The other two goals were scored by Erik Paartalu and Rahul Bheke. This is not the first time Bengaluru are facing Abahani. They had met each other last April here when Bengaluru had emerged 2-0 winners, riding on Nishu Kumar and Marjan Jugovic's goals. Bengaluru skipper Sunil Chhetri and ...
I-League 2nd division kicks off tomorrow
The 2nd Division I-League kicks off tomorrow with Mohammedan Sporting Club playing host to Jamshedpur FC Reserves at Barasat in West Bengal. Langsning FC take on Chennaiyin FC Reserves in another match at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong as 18 teams will be plying their trade in the league this year, a rise of 50% from last season's 12. Three teams are making their debut this season, in the form of TRAU FC from Imphal, Manipur, FC Kerala from Thrissur, Kerala and Madhya Bharat FC from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. In the preliminary phase, the teams have been divided into three groups of six. The teams will take on each other on a home and away basis with the top two from each group qualifying for the six team Final Phase. The winner of the Final Phase will then be promoted to the top tier of Indian football. Although the top two sides from the preliminary phase are slated to qualify for the Final Phase, the ISL Reserve sides will not qualify for the Final even if they finish within the
Amol Muzumdar appointed Rajasthan Royals batting coach
Rajasthan Royals today announced the appointment of former domestic cricket stalwart Amol Muzumdar as their batting coach ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The Royals said Muzumdar would bring with him immense experience and quality needed to help young and established names fine-tune their batting skills. He, along with Head of Cricket Zubin Bharucha and bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule, will oversee Rajasthan Royals' first camp here from March 13 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, the IPL side said in a release. The camp is meant for all the Indian players who are looking to get into the groove and get fully geared up for the hectic season ahead. The focus of the camp will be on role specification sessions, team building exercises, besides other cricketing skills. We are proud to have Amol Muzumdar on board as the team's batting coach. His record on domestic circuit speaks for his greatness. The young batsmen will get so much to learn from him and develop their skills. ...
ICC Test rankings: Rabada on top, Ashwin gains two places
Kagiso Rabada regained his top spot among bowlers crossing the coveted 900-point mark in ratings even as Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin climbed up a couple of notches to be placed fourth in the ICC Test Player Rankings, released today. Rabada was back as No 1 after his 'Player of the Match' effort of 11-150 that helped South Africa defeat Australia by six wickets in Port Elizabeth to level their four-match series at 1-1. Rabada is the 23rd bowler to cross 900 points and only the fourth South Africa player to do so after Vernon Philander (highest of 912 points in 2013), Shaun Pollock (909 in 1999) and Dale Steyn (909 in 2014). Despite India not playing a Test match currently, Ashwin gained two places as Josh Hazlewood (from 4th to 5th) and Mitchell Starc (5th to 9th) slipped in the rankings following Australia's defeat. The other Indian Ravindra Jadeja remained static at third place. In the batsmen's list, there has been no change with Steve Smith perched at the top while ...
Sardar, Ramandeep dropped for varied reasons, says Marijne
Veteran Sardar Singh and Ramandeep Singh were today axed from Indian men's hockey team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and head coach Sjoerd Marijne said while the former lost out his place because of stiff competition, the latter was dropped because of inconsistent performances in recent past. "Sardar was dropped from the Commonwealth Games team because of stiff competition for centre position and Ramandeep was omitted for his inconsistent performance. They, however, are good players," Marijne told PTI after the announcement of the squad here. Sardar's exclusion was on expected lines as he performed below-par at this year's Azlan Shah Cup. However, a few eyebrows were raised at Ramandeep's exclusion as he performed decently in the same tournament. While Manpreet Singh will don the captain's armband, Chinglensana Singh will be his deputy. "The reins of deputy to Manpreet Singh has been given to Chinglensana. These players can play vertical and have the ability to score goals," the ...
IPL 2018: Rajasthan Royals rope in Amol Muzumdar as batting coach
Rajasthan Royals has appointed domestic stalwart Amol Muzumdar as their batting coach for the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), beginning April 7.As someone who is revered for his contribution to the game on the domestic circuit, Muzumdar brings with him immense experience and quality needed to help young and established names fine-tune their batting skills.He, along with Head of Cricket Zubin Bharucha and bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule, will oversee Rajasthan Royals' first camp in their hometown of Jaipur from March 13 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium."We are proud to have Amol Muzumdar on board as the team's batting coach. His record on domestic circuit speaks for his greatness. The young batsmen will get so much to learn from him and develop their skills.""Amol and Sairaj both bring skill, experience and vehemence that will surely drive the energy of the team in the right direction," said Zubin Bharucha, Head of Cricket.Amol Muzumdar, on the other hand, said he was ...
India eye Nidahas Trophy final berth against tricky Bangladesh (Preview)
Buoyant after registering a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka, a confident Rohit Sharma-led India would aim to seal a final berth in the Nidahas Trophy Twenty20 tri-series when they face a tricky Bangladesh at the R. Premadasa Stadium here on Wednesday.
Dhoni spends some quality time with family
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has been rested from the ongoing T20I tri-series in Sri Lanka, seems to be making full use of his free time by spending some quality time with his family.The 36-year-old took to his official Instagram and posted an around a minute long video featuring some still shots of him relaxing with his wife Sakshi and daughter Ziva.The video, which is titled "Fun time with the family", also includes some stills of number of Dhoni's dog.Dhoni will now return to action in the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), beginning April 7.The former Indian skipper is all set to once again play for Chennai Super Kings, who is making a return to the tournament after serving a two-year suspension in IPL fixing scandal. Dhoni has retained for whopping Rs 15 crore by the CSK in the IPL retention held on January 14.CSK are slated to take on defending champions and Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians in the inaugural match of IPL at the Wankhede Stadium in
IPL: Amol Muzumdar to join Rajasthan Royals as batting coach
Rajasthan Royals has appointed domestic stalwart Amol Muzumdar as their batting coach for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), it was announced on Tuesday.
Manpreet to lead Indian hockey team at CWG, no place for Sardar
Ace midfielder Manpreet Singh is set to lead the Indian mens hockey team at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, starting April 4, while the experienced former captain Sardar Singh has been left out of the 18-member squad, announced by Hockey India on Tuesday.