Page 381 - Sports
Pinki Rani, Sakshi assure India of two more medals at Cologne World Cup
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Pinki Rani (51kg) and reigning youth world champion Sakshi (57kg) assured India of two more medals at the Cologne Boxing World Cup by entering the semifinals here on Thursday. Continuing her impeccable form, the India Open gold medallist Pinki Rani put up yet another dominating performance to blank Thailand's Phunsang Cahiranchaya 5-0 in the quarter-final bout. The 18-year-old Sakshi won in contrasting fashion as she faced some stiff resistance from Cecille Kelle of Denmark. The Indian had to dig deep to stave off the Dane's challenge before she won by a split decision on points. The Indian contingent is already confirmed of at least a silver and a bronze after Meena Kumari Maisnam and Pwilao Basumatary reached the final and semi-finals in the 54kg and 64kg respectively. With only three boxers in the fray in the 54kg category, the Strandja Memorial gold medallist Maisnam was directly placed in the final. Similarly, due to the 64kg category having ...
KKR mentor Nayar backs Karthik to make World Cup squad
Ahead of India's World Cup squad announcement, Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Abhishek Nayar Thursday backed Dinesh Karthik to make the UK-bound team, saying he is a versatile player who can also bat at number four. Karthik had found himself out of favour as the selectors dropped him for India's final five ODIs before the World Cup. "I think in the past two years he has showed us how versatile he is. He is not only a finisher but even batting up the order. I think he gives you that versatility also being a wicketkeeper and a very good fielder," Nayar said of Karthik. It is well known that Nayar has put his 'friend' Karthik through a rigorous training program, leading to a turnaround that was reflected in the last-ball six during the Nidahas Trophy final. "He is not only a keeper backup but also a batsman backup who can come and field. We've seen how well he fields and the kind of catches he has taken. He is also ideal to bat at number four because of the kind batsman he's you can use ...
Russell kills it with his fashion sense too: Karthik
Andre Russell is not only making headlines for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on the field with his explosive displays, off the field too the West Indies all-rounder is killing it with his style statement, skipper Dinesh Karthik revealed on Thursday.
Raju Kulkarni, Mokashi quit MCA's cricket improvement panel
Former India pacer Raju Kulkarni and ex-Mumbai off-spinner Kiran Mokashi Thursday resigned from the Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). Both Kulkarni and Mokashi have conveyed to the MCA of their decision, it was learnt here. "I wish to resign from the cricket Improvement Committee with immediate effect. "Since my appointment was made by Honourable judges as COA, I did not want to let them down and leave it in the middle of the season in spite of several disturbing issues in Mumbai cricket," Kulkarni, who played three Tests and 10 ODIs, wrote in an email addressed to MCA's ad-hoc committee. Kulkarni was the chairman of the CIC. "I thank Mumbai cricket association for giving a chance to serve my passion for the last 9 months and over 300 hours of discussions," further wrote Kulkarni in the e-mail accessed by PTI. Mokashi said he was resigning as he was the lone member left in the CIC and he did not see any benefit in continuing. "I
Me and Sourav have got similar ideas: Ponting
They were once part of one of the biggest rivalries in world cricket, but Ricky Ponting now enjoys Sourav Ganguly's company and is more often than not on the same page as the former India captain, as they try to end Delhi Capitals' dry run and help them capture their first Indian Premier League title.
Ganguly conducts Delhi Capitals training, to sit in dugout
Facing conflict of interest allegations, Delhi Capitals advisor Sourav Ganguly was seen conducting the team's training session and made it clear that he would sit in the visitors' dugout in the IPL match against KKR here Friday. Sporting the Delhi Capitals jersey, Ganguly, who is also the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, arrived at the Eden Gardens before the team and inspected the pitch which wore a greenish look. He was later seen in a lengthy discussion with team head coach Ricky Ponting who said at the press conference that they may go for an all pace attack against KKR. "If we still see a little bit of grass on it tomorrow then we have got some good fast bowling options and they all might play tomorrow," Ponting said. Ponting also spoke very high of Ganguly and said the former India captain is very passionate about the Delhi franchise. "We have got very similar ideas and views on the game which has made us work well together. We've always gone on well since our ...
Indian women's hockey team beat Malaysia, win series 4-0
The Indian women's hockey team beat Malaysia by a solitary goal to complete a 4-0 win in the five-match bilateral series here Thursday. It was Navjot Kaur's fine field goal in the 35th minute and a good defensive display that helped India win. India did well to create scoring opportunities with substantial circle entries but could not convert enough chances. "We need to work on converting goals," stated Indian team chief coach Sjoerd Marijne who was not very pleased with the margin of victory in the final game. "I am happy with the number of times we entered the opponent's circle. We created enough opportunities with shots and PCs but we have to keep working on converting in small space," he said. Speaking about the tour which saw India win 3-0, 5-0, draw 4-4 and win the last two matches 1-0 respectively, Marijne said, "This tour gave us more insight on how to play against a very defensive team like Malaysia. Also it was good that some of our young players experienced what it takes at
Chennai opt to bowl against Rajasthan
Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl against Rajasthan Royals in an Indian Premier League (IPL) tie at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Thursday.
Robben admits he may never play for Bayern again
Veteran Dutch winger Arjen Robben fears that he has played his last game for Bayern Munich as he struggles to return from injury before he leaves the club this summer. Robben, 35, will end a glittering 10-year spell at Bayern when his contract ends this summer, and had hoped to return to fitness in time for a fitting send-off. Yet on Thursday, Robben admitted that his hopes of playing a final competitive game for Bayern are fading. "I have my concerns, and I am not sure if I can play for Bayern again this season," he told Sky Sport News in Germany. The Dutchman has not played for Bayern since their 5-1 Champions League victory over Benfica last November. After an initial thigh injury, Robben was set to return to action in January, but remained sidelined after further problems with his calf. In February, he had an operation to remove two infected teeth, which were reportedly identified as the root cause of his injuries. Yet six weeks on, the Dutchman is still not fit to play. "It is ...
Barca show their ugly side to leave United on the ropes
Lionel Messi finished with a bloody nose and swollen cheek but Barcelona left unscathed, with one foot in the semi-finals and Manchester United hoping for another Champions League miracle. Chris Smalling's clattering challenge in the first half could mean Messi is spared Barca's visit to Huesca on Saturday, their 11-point lead in La Liga affording Ernesto Valverde the luxury of preserving his captain for next week's second leg. "He was certainly not comfortable, that's obvious," Valverde said after his team's gritty 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Wednesday. A fresher and sharper Messi would hardly make United's task any easier. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was keen to invoke memories of their comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round but it will be an altogether different task winning at Camp Nou, where Barca have lost only once in 52 matches and not in the Champions League since 2013. They faced pressure at Old Trafford but few genuine moments of discomfort, demonstrated by ...
Manoj Tiwary, Tushar Deshpande attend DC trials; no decision taken
Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary was a prominent face in the Delhi Capitals trials along with bustling Mumbai fast bowler Tushar Deshpande at the Eden Gardens here on Thursday. The other notable face during the trials was Punjab pacer Manpreet Singh Gony. However DC management has not yet taken any decision on replacements as there is another round of trials set to be held on Friday morning. "Manoj will travel with the team to our next match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 14. He will continue training and then we will take a final call," DC advisor Sourav Ganguly said. With pacer Harshal Patel ruled out with a hand fracture and batsman Manjot Kalra also likely to sit out, DC will be needing at least two replacements. Tiwary, who has been a part of past 11 IPL editions, missed out at the auction and was doing Bengali commentary for the host broadcaster when he was summoned for the trials. "Yes, I attended the trials. I felt that it went off well. I had a chat with DC advisor Sourav ...
Ponting wants big three pacemen to play every game at World Cup, Ashes
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting on Wednesday suggested the big three pacemen Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood should play every match at the World Cup and the Ashes.The three bowlers have reduced their workloads going into the June-July tournament in the UK. Hazlewood has not played since the home series against India, while Starc last appeared in the Tests against Sri Lanka.Both of them since then have been nursing injuries. While Cummins was included in the limited-overs series in India and the UAE, where he played in just one of the five ODIs against Pakistan."They (Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins) have all had reasonable lay-offs now. I know some of them got through the summer and had injuries with Josh and Starcy of late, but that should mean they go into a World Cup very fresh," cricket.com.au quoted Ponting, as saying.Ponting, who will join as the assistant coach for the World Cup, added: "None of those guys will be in the IPL either, so they need to just ...
Dhoni wins toss, asks Rajasthan Royals to bat first
Chennai Super Kings won the toss and opted to bowl in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Rajasthan Royals here on Thursday. CSK have made two changes from their last match playing eleven with Mitchell Santner and Shardul Thakur coming in for Harbhajan Singh and Scott Kuggeleijn. Rajasthan Royals made three changes, Sanju Sampson, debutant Riyan Parag and Jaydev Unadkat replace Prashant Chopra, Krishnappa Gowtham and Sudhesan Midhun. Teams: Chennai Super Kings: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(c), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir Rajasthan Royals: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Jos Buttler , Steven Smith, Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi, Ben Stokes, Riyan Parag, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni.
KKR sign Matthew Kelly to replace injured Anrich Nortje
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have signed Matthew Kelly, Australian fast-bowler as a replacement for the injured South African pacer Anrich Nortje for the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).Kelly, a right-arm pace bowler has played 16 first-class matches, five list-A games, and 12 T20s so far in his career.The 24-year-old Kelly has not featured in any previous editions of the IPL.As per tournament's rules the replacement player cannot exceed the amount that was being paid to the original player. So the price at which Kelly was acquired by the team cannot be more than 20 lakhs as Nortje was signed by KKR at the IPL auction for this amount.KKR have played six matches in this year's edition of the tournament so far, recording 4 wins and 2 losses.The team is currently placed on the second position in the league standings.KKR next takes on Delhi Capitals on April 12 at Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata.
We need Pant batting in last four overs of every game: Ponting
Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting is not worried about Rishabh Pant's inconsistency and just wants the dashing wicketkeeper batsman to play with complete freedom. Once the left-hander gets going, he becomes a nightmare for the bowlers but the 21-year-old often gets criticised for playing rash shots. "I am not going to curb the way he plays. I am not going to tell him to slow down and settle down because I know if he plays his best he wins games for us," Ponting said on the eve of their return leg match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. "I want him to go out there with pure freedom and with no other thought in the back of his head other than trying to hit the ball for six." Pant smashed a 27-ball 78 against Mumbai Indians in their opening game of IPL 2019 but since then he's been struggling for runs but the Aussie great hoped he would come good at the back end of the tournament. "You don't want to take that away from him but what we want from him is, he has to ...
Indian women's hockey team beat Malaysia to win series
Indian women's hockey team remained unbeaten through the five-match bi-lateral series, as they clinched the final match 1-0 against the host Malaysia, on Thursday.Navjot Kaur's fine field goal in the 35th minute and good hold on to the narrow lead till the end of regulation time helped the side seal the match.India created scoring opportunities with substantial circle entries but could not convert enough goals while penalty corner conversion remained a concern."We need to work on converting goals," said India chief coach Sjoerd Marijne, who was not very pleased with the margin the team defeated Malaysia."I am happy with the number of times we entered the opponent's circle. We created enough opportunities with shots and penalty corners but we have to keep working on converting in small space," he said.Speaking about the tour which saw India win 3-0, 5-0, draw 4-4 and win the last two matches 1-0 respectively in the five-match series, Marijne said, "This tour gave us more insight on how
Pant needs to play more responsibly: Ponting
Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting on Thursday said Rishabh Pant needs to play more responsibly and not throw his wicket away when the team needs him at crucial junctures.
Bone age tests of junior players set to dominate AIFF's League Committee meeting
Concerned at the number of junior players failing the bone age determination test recently, the All India Football Federation is open to exploring new ways to tackle the vexed issue. A large of junior players from all the northeast clubs, including former I-League champions Aizawl FC, Shillong Lajong and Neroca FC, failed the TW3 (Tanner-Whitehouse3) bone age determination test recently, prompting the AIFF to bar them from participating in the U-13 League with immediate effect. Also, most of the players from former I-League winners Minerva Punjab FC's U-13 team also failed the test. The federation's League Committee will deliberate on the issue when it meets in Bhabaneswar on Saturday. "The issue of bone age test will be discussed in the meeting, they could look at various ways so that situations surrounding this can be prevented in the future. Also, the clubs will be notified about the same so that they take the issue very seriously," a well-placed AIFF source told PTI. To be held on
Delhi's Harshal ruled out of IPL due to injury
Delhi Capitals will be without the services of medium pacer Harshal Patel who has been ruled out of the season due to hand injury, head coach Ricky Ponting said on the eve of their tie against Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday.
India eves beat Malaysia 1-0, win hockey series 5-0
The Indian Women's Hockey Team remained unbeaten through the 5-match bilateral series as they clinched the fifth match with a 1-0 win against Malaysia here on Thursday.