Page 364 - Sports
I was a little shocked after not being picked for Australia series: Karthik
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik Tuesday said he remained confident about his selection in India's World Cup squad despite being dropped for the ODIs against Australia, attributing his inclusion to consistent performances over the past two years. In an otherwise predictable squad, Karthik's selection over the young Rishabh Pant became the talking point after the team was announced on Monday. Chief selector MSK Prasad said the more experienced Karthik was preferred over Pant because of his better wicket-keeping skills. Now that the squad selection is over and done with, Karthik is a happy man and for the next one month, remains focused on captaining KKR in the IPL. "I am very happy now but there is a tournament (IPL) to play. I would be lying if I say I was thinking about the selection too much. It was only on the morning of selection I was thinking about it. Being a leader of the team (KKR), I have been trying to help everybody and focus on the job at hand." It had seemed Pant was .
Ommission from World Cup squad is unfortunate for Rayudu: Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir, the former Indian cricketer on Monday said that Ambati Rayudu's omission from the World Cup squad is very unfortunate for the player as he has been in a good form in ODIs for the past one year."It's unfortunate on Rayudu because I feel he was so close of being part of the World Cup team as he was averaging 48 in white-ball game. And at the age, he is at, it is very disheartening because I have gone through the same in my career. I feel sorry for him," Gambhir told ANI.Rishabh Pant was also omitted from the World Cup squad but Gambhir believes the omission of Rayudu is more disheartening than Pant as the latter has his age to his advantage."I think I feel sorrier for Ambati Rayudu than any other player. Rishabh Pant is still playing formats, It's not about Pant, it's about fifteen people who have been selected for The World Cup. Ambati Rayudu would be far more disheartened as Pant has his age to his advantage, but Rayudu is unfortunate," Gambhir said.There are ...
CricPlay to enable fans compete live with Gambhir
Indias online fantasy gaming segment is heating up as the countrys latest free fantasy cricket gaming app -- CricPlay -- has enabled over 200,000 Indians to play live online fantasy cricket with Gautam Gambhir, opening batsman of the two World Cup winning team.
Chennaiyin FC look for maiden AFC Cup win in match against Manang Marshyangdi of Nepal
A Super Cup title having eluded them, Chennaiyin FC would look to regroup themselves when they square off against Nepalese side Manang Marshyangdi in their second group match of the AFC Cup here Wednesday. Chennaiyin won the 2017-18 Indian Super League but had a disastrous outing in the just-concluded season as they finished at the bottom of the table. They redeemed themselves a bit by finishing runners-up in the Super Cup. The Chennai-based side lost 1-2 to FC Goa in the Super Cup final on April 13 but they would look to forget that disappointment and score their maiden win in the AFC Cup, against the Nepal league champions, at the TransStadia Arena here. John Gregory's side need a win on Wednesday, given that it played out a goal-less draw against its Indian counterpart Minerva Punjab in its opening AFC Cup Group E match on April 3 at the same TransStadia Arena, which serves as the club's home venue. Chennaiyin have a fully fit squad available with Jerry Lalrinzuala and Dhanpal ...
Opener, finisher or a specialist no 4 - DK can do it all at World cup: Abhishek Nayar
Dinesh Karthik might have been picked as a back-up wicketkeeper for the World Cup but mentor Abhishek Nayar feels the Tamil Nadu cricketer can play the role of an opener, a finisher or a specialist no 4 for India in England. MSK Prasad led selection committee on Monday picked allrounder Vijay Shankar for the no 4 spot and made it clear that the second wicket-keeper will come into play only if Mahendra Singh Dhoni is injured. However, Nayar said Karthik could be India's answer for the debatable No 4 spot and can even open if needed. "He can play a Kedar Jadhav finisher's role to a No 4 batsman's role if needed. He can even open if needed," Nayar, who's credited for resurrecting Karthik's career, told PTI from Mumbai. "Being a good fielder, adds that value. Of course he's back-up wicketkeeper, but I'm pretty sure that the management will look at him as a specialist batsman if someone is slightly out of form. "You never know what opportunities this game can bring to you. For his point of
Arjun makes strong debut in European series opener
Arjun Maini made his highly anticipated debut in the European LeMans Series alongside Bruno Senna, nephew of the late great Ayrton Senna, and gentleman driver John Ferano, here on Tuesday.
Varun Chakravarthy, Kings XI Punjab spinner sidelined by a finger injury
Varun Chakravarthy, Kings XI Punjab spinner has been sidelined from the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a finger injury."It is unfortunate that Varun picked up the injury, but these things happen in cricket. We have great faith in his abilities and we can only hope that he recovers soon," KXIP CEO Satish Menon said in an official statement.The player sustained a finger injury during his visit to Chennai earlier in the month.Chakravarthy made his IPL debut against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) late last month and since then the player has been absent from the team for the following matches.The 27-year-old spinner finished with the figures of 1-34 in his debut match.Varun Chakravarthy, Kings XI Punjab's mystery spinner was picked up at a price of 8.4 crore rupees which is 42 times more than his base price of 20 lakh rupees at the auction in December.Kings XI Punjab are currently placed at the fifth position in the league standings with 8 points.The team next takes on Rajasthan Royals ..
Samuel Eto'o joins Qatar's 'Supreme Committee' as global ambassador
Samuel Eto'o, the former Barcelona player has been roped in by Qatar's Supreme Committee, as the global ambassador for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.Eto'o has joined the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) as a global ambassador, as Qatar step up their preparation for the 2022 World Cup, goal.com reported."It's a great honour for me to be an ambassador for the SC and hope I am able to deliver what is expected of me. The World Cup is the biggest competition in football - there is nothing bigger - and I think that for the players who have had the chance to play in the World Cup there is nothing more beautiful," goal.com quoted Eto'o as saying."Football goes much farther than politics and it's important that football travels the world because it's everywhere - it's an incredible social force," he added.Eto'o will work closely with the SC on a various number of projects including workers' welfare projects, legacy programmes and event experience for the 2022 World Cup.The SC is ...
2020 and 2021 FIH PRO League match schedule principles approved by Executive Board
The Federation Internationale de Hockey's (FIH) Executive Board on Monday approved the principles of the match schedule for the 2020 and 2021 season.The board approved the principles of match schedule based on the recommendation from the 'National Associations' participating in the FIH PRO League.As per the new principles, the League competition will be maintained within the first six months of every year and all the games will remain "home games".As per the new recommendation, the home and away principle is kept too but this principle will now be split over two consecutive seasons and work according to the following example:In 2020, Team A will host Team B twice within a couple of days.In 2021, Team B will host Team A twice within a couple of days.This scheme reduces half the travel of the teams compared to the current format, therefore decreasing costs for teams, benefitting athletes' welfare and reducing the impact on the environment.The Executive Board also confirmed that India's .
No issue with return of Smith, Warner, says Finch
Australian skipper Aaron Finch believes there will be no issue with the inclusion of David Warner and Steve Smith in the team.After a year-long ban by Cricket Australia for their involvement in ball-tampering incident, Smith and Warner were named in Australia's 15-man squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 that was announced on April 15.The World Cup is scheduled to be played in England from May 30 to July 14. Australia will play against England and Sri Lanka in the warm-ups before opening its title defence against Afghanistan at the Bristol County Ground on June 1."As far as I'm concerned, they've done everything they've been asked (to) in these last 12 months. They were very good around the group and continuing to do everything they can that's in the best interests of the side, and that's a real key," ICC quoted Finch, as saying."Knowing them both personally as well as I do, I don't think that will be any kind of issue whatsoever. They're both great guys and I can't see there ...
La Liga conducts training for Indian coaches
Spain's premier football league, LaLiga, conducted a three-day training workshop 'Train the Trainer' for Indian coaches from April 13 to 15th here. In association with India On Track (IOT), 48 LaLiga Football Schools' India coaches from across the nation were brought here with an objective of increasing their knowledge and showing them the LaLiga systems and methodology. The workshops were conducted by LaLiga Football Schools Technical Director, Javier Cabrera, Spanish coordinator Saul Vazquez with the support of LaLiga Sports Coordinator, Juan Florit. The training was delivered to provide Indian coaches with theoretical and practical understanding of maximising the potential of aspiring footballers in the country. The coaches also got an opportunity to interact one-on-one with the LaLiga trainers and gain a valuable experience which will be translated to the grounds and increase the level of training of students. "Through the LaLiga Football Schools initiative, we want to see ...
Ordered 3d glasses to watch World Cup: Rayudu after exclusion
Ambati Rayudu has "ordered 3d glasses" to watch the World Cup, a day after he was pipped by the "three-dimensional" Vijay Shankar in the Indian squad for the showpiece. All-rounder Shankar was preferred over the 33-year-old Rayudu for the contentious number four spot in India's World Cup squad. "Just Ordered a new set of 3d glasses to watch the world cup," Rayudu wrote on his twitter handle Tuesday. Disappointment knocked on Rayudu's door when his name was left out of the squad just a few months after captain Virat Kohli had more or less earmarked him for the number four position. "We did give a few more chances to Rayudu but Vijay Shankar gives three dimensions. He can bat, if the conditions are overcast, he can bowl, plus he is a fielder. We are looking at Vijay Shankar as a No. 4," chief selector MSK Prasad said Tuesday, justifying his selection. Prasad's view was seconded by former captain Sunil Gavaskar, who called Shankar a "very handy cricketer". On the other hand, in his quest
Arjun Maini makes strong debut in European LeMans Series Opener
Indian racer Arjun Maini made a strong start to his highly-anticipated debut in the European LeMans Series, recording the second fastest laptime in the qualifying session of the race here. The laptime set by Arjun was a mere 0.3 slower than the fastest laptime overall. The RLR Msport team also made their debut in the hotly-contested LMP2 class and despite a damper issue preventing them from qualifying higher than 11th during the weekend's qualifying session, the team ended the weekend with a strong 8th overall. The 21-year-old from Bengaluru raced along side Bruno Senna, nephew of the late great Ayrton Senna and gentleman driver John Ferano. Arjun's pace throughout the weekend was quite remarkably as he managed an overall second during the weekend's free practice session. The opening race was run for a duration of four hours with over 40 cars present and the JK Tyre backed driver coped well with the steep learning curve. "It's the first time I've raced in this format (endurance ...
Minerva look for maiden AFC Cup win after sorting off-field issues
Issues related to the non-availability of their home match venues sorted for the time being, former I-league champions Minerva Punjab would look to notch up their maiden win in the AFC Cup when they take on Abahani Limited Dhaka here on Wednesday. Minerva qualified for the AFC Cup on the basis of winning the 2017-18 I-League but they had a forgettable outing in the just-concluded season, finishing second from bottom with only four wins from 19 matches. Their Group E match against the Bangladesh Premier League holders at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Wednesday will be their second match in the AFC Cup, following a goalless draw against Indian Super Cup champions Chennaiyin FC in their opening game. Not only they struggled on the pitch, Minerva also had issues off the field as they could not get venues to host their home matches. Odisha government withdrew its initial permission to allow Minerva to host their May 1 'home' match against Manang Marshyangdi Club of Nepal at Kalinga ..
La Liga conducts training for Indian coaches
La Liga, Spains football league, organised a three-day (April 13-15) training workshop for Indian coaches here.
Shami credits management for helping him rediscover confidence
Fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who has been named in India's 15-man squad for the World Cup, has credited the management for helping him rediscover his confidence.After the 2015 edition, where Shami was the second-highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps, the fast bowler subsequently suffered from weight gain and did not play one-day cricket for two years. Although new fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have emerged, Shami has successfully put the issues behind and is now a regular member in India's ODI squad."I'm very happy that I've got a second chance in a World Cup. As far as performance is concerned, the way I'd performed in 2015, how I approached it with confidence, I'm hoping that there's an increased confidence in me. And whatever confidence that I have, in terms of my performance in the last seven-eight months, I want to carry that confidence and put my best foot forward for my team," ICC quoted Shami, as saying."I was a bit heavy after my injury and didn't play ..
Boost ropes in Pant, Iyer as brand ambassadors
Boost, one of the leading brands in the health food/drinks category, on Tuesday announced appointment of cricketers Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer as brand ambassadors.
Dhawan praises Ganguly, Ponting for Delhi's success
A newly formed Indian Premier League franchise -- Delhi Capitals -- has performed exceptionally well in the IPL and have grabbed the second spot in the points-table. The Shreyas Iyer-led side looks to seal a play-off berth and also clinch the title.
Gambhir associates himself with gaming app CricPlay
Two-time World Cup winning opening batsman Gautam Gambhir has associated himself with new gaming app CricPlay where fans can pick their own fantasy teams. CricPlay lets users create their own free dream cricket team unlike some of the other gaming apps where one needs to pay and play. It features Fantasy Cricket Contests where users can pick their favourite 11 cricketers from both teams in an upcoming match to form their own fantasy team for free. CricPlay features five major formats --- Fantasy leagues, Super Leagues, Challenger Leagues, Daily Predictions and Star Contests. "There are hundreds of places where people can play fantasy cricket and they are very, very similar. They only make money. We are here to create experience that becomes a part of the daily lives of people," Gaurav Sarin, Business Head of CricPlay said on Tuesday. "Our contests are very different from Dream 11 and they are tuned very differently from industry standards. We wanted to redefine the space," said ...
Indian men's hockey team to join FIH Pro League next year
The Indian men's hockey team will join the FIH Pro League next year after pulling out of the inaugural edition, which began in January. Welcoming India back in the league, the international hockey federation (FIH) said the move has been supported by other participating countries. "...India's men team will join the FIH Pro League from 2020 on, as was unanimously supported by the other participating National Associations," the FIH said in a statement after its Executive Board meeting. In July 2017, Hockey India had decided to withdraw both the men's and women's national teams from the competition. HI never gave any official reason for the decision but it was speculated that the inferior ranking of the women's team prompted India to pullout from both the competitions as there was no option to take out just one team Hockey India also believed that the country had better chances of qualifying for the Olympics via the Hockey World League. In the inaugural Pro-League which began in January, .