Page 403 - Sports
Flexibility is key to my IPL success, says Suryakumar
Suryakumar Yadav is enjoying his new role at number three for Mumbai Indians after having batted in the lower-order for Kolkata Knight Riders in the past, saying his ability to be flexible has kept him in good stead. The 28-year-old had played the role of a finisher for Kolkata from 2014 to 2017, but since last year Mumbai Indians have asked him to bat at the top-order, and he said he is happy to carry the responsibility on his shoulders. "I have always enjoyed batting anywhere because I have kept myself flexible," said Suryakumar, who had scored a 43-ball 59 to set up MI's win over Chennai Super Kings in their last match. "As you know, when I was with other franchises I have batted at all numbers. It is a different role but at number three it is close to opening as well, so I don't see it any differently. "Rather I look at it in a way like I have a good responsibility on my shoulders, to play a grinding innings, give a good platform for the lower order and provide firepower." Mumbai .
Malinga will again start service for MI, says Suryakumar Yadav
Mumbai Indians batter Suryakumar Yadav has dropped a hint that Lasith Malinga will return to Mumbai Indians soon, as the Sri Lankan bowler flew back to his country to play in the Super Provincial One Day tournament."I do not think we are missing him for [the] whole season, not to our notice. He has done well and whenever we get him back, he will again start his service," Yadav told media.Malinga has been showing a great form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) as he took three wickets against Chennai Super Kings helping his side dominate and defeat the team which was unbeaten till then.Yadav, while praising his side, said: "I think it was really important because I think they won all their games and they were top of the table, so winning against one of the best side in the tournament, I think the brand of cricket which the MI is known to play, I think we showed that in the last game."Mumbai Indians will face Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 5.
Making a name in cricket is tougher now: Sehwag
More and more players are emerging from the smaller towns now unlike in the 1980s and 90s and making it big in cricket has become tougher, says former India opener Virender Sehwag. "A lot of kids today are playing and taking cricket as a professional career choice. Making a name isn't easy in this environment, it is not just about being good, but one also needs to be talented and have the ability to convert their talent to performance, Sehwag said. "If a youngster who has made it to the big league can continuously convert his talent to performances only then they can have a secure future and hope to play 10-12 years and earn a lot of money," the swashbuckling batsman added. TV channel Discovery will unravel the trials and tribulations of aspiring cricketers in a new show called 'All Access: The Contenders'. The upcoming cricketers whose journey has been covered as a part of the show include Shivam Dube (all-rounder from Mumbai), Kamlesh Nagarkoti (fast bowler from Rajasthan), Ishan ...
Streetwear brand co-owned by KL Rahul collaborates with KKR and DC
India opener KL Rahul's co-owned streetwear brand GullyLiveFast Friday announced its association with IPL teams- Kolkata Knight Riders & Delhi Capitals. The brand will offer fans of the respective IPL teams a wide range of fashionable streetwear collection during the season. It is a joint collaboration between GullyLiveFast, Zeko Online Pvt Ltd & Cornerstone Sport. "Getting an opportunity to associate with teams in one of the largest sports platforms in the world is extremely exciting. Gully as a brand is known for creating unique jacket designs that are never repeated and this is another opportunity for us to expand on the range. I am sure the fans are going to love them!" said Jogesh Lulla, COO, Cornerstone Sport.
Afghanistan sack captain Asghar ahead of World Cup, senior players unhappy
Asghar Afghan was on Friday sacked as Afghanistan skipper with its cricket board splitting the leadership role across three formats, a move that has not gone down well with senior players Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi. The development comes with less than two months to go for the World Cup. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) removed Asghar from captaincy in all three formats, naming Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid as skippers of Test, ODI and T20 teams respectively. The 31-year-old Asghar had replaced Nabi as captain in 2015. Under his leadership, Afghanistan became a Full Member of the International Cricket Council and secured their maiden Test win against Ireland in Dehradun last month. He also led the team to victory in the ICC World Cup Qualifier 2018 when they beat the West Indies in the final. Across formats, Afghanistan won 37 out of 59 games under Asghar's captaincy. The ACB's announcement was not taken well by Rashid and Nabi, who are currently playing in the ...
'Yes Man' syndrome a captain's dilemma (Column: Close-in)
In cricket, more than in any other team sport, the captain plays a significant role. The onus of all the field placements, bowling changes and behaviour of the players solely rest on his/her shoulder.
Afghanistan announces 23-man squad for World Cup training camp
The Afghanistan Cricket Board on Friday announced a 23-man squad for the training camp in South Africa ahead of the upcoming World Cup next month.The squad includes Asghar Afghan, who was removed as the team's captain across all formats. Gulbadin Naib will take over the reins from him in the ODI format and Rashid Khan will act as his deputy.The training squad will participate in six practice matches during their time in South Africa before returning to Kabul where the 15-member squad will be announced for the World Cup."Asghar Afghan, who captained team Afghanistan for a period of around four years, achieved a lot and made the country proud, and I hope Gulbadin Naib will be able to continue his legacy at the helm of the team's affairs," Dawalt Ahmadzai, Afghanistan Cricket Board's chief selector said in a statement released by the Cricket Board."Gulbadin Naib is a senior player who has also led the Mis-e-Ainak regional team on many occasions and we hope that he will play a vital role .
I help Rashid to set field, says Nabi
Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler, Mohammad Nabi revealed that he helps Rashid Khan in determining what the batsman is thinking and setting the felicitous fielding arrangement."When Rashid and I play together, either in the national team or any other team, that is when I have to help him a little bit in terms of what the batsman is thinking or what kind of fields to set," Nabi said during the post-match conference."Most of our (Nabi and Rashid) discussions is about placing the correct fielding positions," he added.Nabi has been powering Hyderabad since he was included in the playing XI as he took four wickets in his first match and continued with his form in his second match as well. Nabi took 2 wickets and gave away just 21 runs in his four overs and helped his side defeat Delhi Capitals at home in the ongoing Indian Premier League on Thursday.The 34-year old also elucidated his gameplan saying that he does not chase wickets, "if you bowl a lot of dot balls, then the batsman will definitely
Goa, Jamshedpur renew rivalry in Super Cup quarter-final tie
An enthralling contest is on the cards as FC Goa clash with Jamshedpur FC in the third quarter-final match of the Super Cup football tournament here on Saturday. An intense rivalry has been brewing between the two sides over the last two seasons. They met at the same stage of the competition last year in an ill-tempered match which saw six red cards being brandished by the referee before the Gaurs emerged 5-1 winners. FC Goa will come into this encounter with plenty of confidence. They had a stellar Indian Super League campaign, reaching the final, and easily subdued Indian Arrows in their pre-quarterfinal tie of the Super Cup. Ferran Corominas, Edu Bedia and Hugo Boumous looked to be in fine touch against the Arrows and will look to impress again against Jamshedpur to ensure progression to the semi-finals. During the 2018 edition of the tournament, Sergio Lobera's side did make it to the semi-finals before being knocked out by East Bengal. This time around, the Gaurs will look to go .
Vijay Kumar, Urwashi Joshi top seeds in PSA Satellite event
Vijay Kumar, the Chennai-based player from Services, and Urwashi Joshi of Maharashtra have been seeded number one in the men's and women's categories respectively in the Otters Club Vedanta Squash Open, a PSA Satellite event, to be held here from April 9-13. India no 7 Vijay Kumar is followed by his Services teammate and no 9 Ranjit Singh in the men's seedings while Abhishek Agarwal of Maharashtra is seeded in the 3/4 bracket. In the women's seedings, India no 3 Urvashi is followed by no 5 Sachika Balvani of Maharashtra in second place. Number 12 Aradhana Kasturiraj is the 3rd seed. Concurrently, an all India three star tournament for juniors is also being held, according to 5 Sports, the organisers, who announced the details at a media conference on Friday. Both the events are being held under the aegis of Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI), Maharashtra Squash Rackets Association (MSRA) and Professional Squash Association (PSA). The two events have attracted 446
Minerva shut shop, I-League CEO yet to be informed
Minerva Punjab owner Ranjit Bajaj, on Friday announced the closure of his I-League club after he was denied permission to host the team's home matches of the AFC Cup in Bhubaneswar.
IPL 2019: KKR to aim for 5th consecutive win over RCB
Royal Challengers Bangalore is ready to host Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday and interestingly, KKR have won all four recent matches they played against the hosts.In all the previous four encounters, KKR overpowered the hosts and today, KKR will be aiming to get their fifth consecutive victory against RCB.On top of that, the hosts even have a lower winning percentage than KKR in Bangalore, who have a winning percentage of 58.30%. Also, KKR have the second most number of victories, seven, by a visiting side in Bangalore after Mumbai Indians.KKR have played three matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) and faced only one defeat, that too in a super over against Delhi Capitals. While RCB have played four matches and is placed bottom in this season's points table as they have not won even a single match.Therefore, it will be interestingly to see who will change the on-going trend, KKR or RCB.
Olympic Qualifiers: India to take on Nepal next
The Indian Women's team will clash against Nepal in their second game of the Olympic qualifiers round two on Saturday. Maymol Rocky, the head coach of the Indian team recalled an incidence of the heart-warming bonding between the two teams on the eve of the match."A day prior to the final of the SAFF Championship in Biratnagar, Nepal, the Head Coach of the Nepal Team came over to celebrate Holi with us and smeared gulaal on me, Ashalata Devi and others in an impromptu celebration. It was really kind on his part, and we enjoyed the hospitality that Nepal provided," All India Football Federation quoted Rocky as saying.This will be the third time that India and Nepal would be taking on each other since February.In the Hero Gold Cup, Nepal had outclassed India 2-1, but the Indian team was able to take revenge in the SAFF Championship finals as they defeated Nepal 3-1 to win their fifth consecutive SAFF title."Off the field we are friends. But on the field, none among us spare anything for
India favourite to win World Cup under Virat Kohli: BCCI Acting President CK Khanna
BCCI Acting President CK Khanna on Friday said under the leadership of Virat Kohli and guidance of coach Ravi Shastri, team India is favourite to win the World Cup.The 50-over tournament will be hosted in England and Wales, starting May 30."Virat has gained so much confidence. India has achieved the number one Test ranking. India are favourites under Virat's leadership and Ravi's guidance. The team is preparing well and they will come stronger in this World Cup," Khanna told ANI."This young team has been consistently performing well. Winning series after series. If we leave one or two series in between, there is no lack of performance," he added.India will begin its World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 5 at the Hampshire Bowl, Southampton.
Steve Smith hails Bancroft appointment as Durham's captain
Australian cricketer, Steve Smith on Thursday hailed Cameron Bancroft's appointment as Durham's captain."Cam is a good choice for captain, he has got a good head on his shoulders and has shown great character in the way he has come back after his time out," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Smith as saying."It has been a tough time for him no doubt, but he's a good guy who will do his best for Durham and will lead them well. He gets the game pretty well and has a good understanding of strategy and players," he added.Bancroft, who recently returned from suspension for his role in the ball-tampering saga, had been appointed as the captain for Durham ahead of the 2019 country season. This decision raised eyebrows within the English quarters, with former England fast bowler Darren Gough labeling it as "disgraceful".Almost ten Australian players are likely to appear in the county championship in the coming weeks.Marcus North is the Durham's director of cricket and he has played with Bancroft at Western
Malaysia Open 2019: Kidambi Srikanth knocked out
Kidambi Srikanth suffered a defeat in the quarter-finals of Malaysia Open on Friday. China's Chen Long defeated him by 18-21, 19-21.Srikanth put up a spirited fight in both the games, but not for long as the reigning Olympic Champion, and a two-time world and all England champion proved too much for the 26-year old.The Indian had started off the match on a positive note as he was able to take a lead of 16-11 in the first game, but the Chinese Chen staged a remarkable comeback, playing longer games. Srikanth ended up making a few unforced errors which cost him the first game.In the second game, Chen was able to take a lead of 16-8, but Srikanth fought his way back and made it 18-18. But in the crucial juncture of the match, Chen was able to win the three of the next four points to take the second game as well.Srikanth, the India Open finalist had defeated Khosit Phetpradab 21-11, 21-15 on Thursday to enter the quarter-final stage.With this loss of Srikanth, all Indians have been ...
Sahil, Murad, Satish in MercedesTrophy World Final
Golfers Sahil Jain of Delhi NCR, Murad Talib of Mumbai and Satish Cheeti of Hyderabad booked their spots to represent the country in the World Finals of the MercedesTrophy 2019, scheduled to be held in Stuttgart, Germany, in October.
Messi is a one-club man: Barcelona President
FC Barcelona wants their star man Lionel Messi to stay with the club forever, its President Josep Maria Bartomeu has said.
Rashid lies second, Sandhu third in Dhaka
Indian golfer Rashid Khan fired a superb four-under 67 in the third round to stay in contention for a title at the Bangabandhu Cup Golf Open here Friday. Rashid, who has not won a tournament since 2014, took his total to 16-under 197 to stay two shots away from leader Sadom Kaewkanjana with just one more round to go. Overnight leader, the 20-year-old Sadom brought himself close to his Asian Tour breakthrough after signing for a three-under-par 68 to take a two-shot lead heading into the final round. Sadom, a former All India Amateur winner, is making his first start on Tour after coming through the Qualifying School last December. Sadom is now 18-under-par 195 total at the Kurmitola Golf Club at the USD 350,000 Asian Tour full-field event. India's Ajeetesh Sandhu returned with the day's best score of a 65, thanks to six birdies, including four in-a-row from the 11th hole, to trail by six shots in solo third in the tournament. Two other Indians doing well this week include Viraj ...
Rahmat, Naib, Rashid given leadership roles for Afghanistan
Ahead of the World Cup, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has handed leadership roles to Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan taking charge of the Test, ODI and T20I teams respectively on Friday.