Page 404 - Sports
I would sit alone and cry during rehab: Mirabai Chanu
For Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, the upcoming Asian weightlifting championship starting April 18 will be more than just an international competition.
Hero MotoSports team continues strong show at Merzouga Rally
Hero MotoSports team drivers Oriol Mena and Joaquim Rodrigues finished the penultimate stage of the 2019 Merzouga Rally at sixth and 11th places respectively on Friday. With just one more stage to go, Mena was at third place while Rodrigues stood at fourth in the provisional overall rankings. The riders lost some time initially in trying to find the right way into the stage but managed to get on to the right path with each other's help. Later, Rodrigues broke his GPS while negotiating a tricky downhill section, forcing him to stop a few times to fix it, losing more time in the process. Even with these difficulties, the duo made good time to finish the stage reasonably well. The second part of the marathon stage was another long day, with 219km route to be run under the sun, before the riders could get back to the comforts of the Rally bivouac, and get reunited with their assistance teams. Now with the toughest of the stages behind them, the main focus of the competitors will be to ...
Did Delhi Capitals pitch coordinator 'mislead' Ponting on Kotla track?
Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting might have blamed the Feroz Shah Kotla groundsmen for providing the team with the "worst pitch" but the head coach may not have been properly briefed about the nature of the track by his team's support staff. Sunrisers Hyderabad won the match by five wickets on a low and slow Kotla track, which suited the visiting team's slow bowlers more than the home attack, prompting criticism from Ponting. "I think it is fair to say that the wicket surprised us a lot. Talking to the groundsmen before the match, we thought this would be the best pitch that we had by far but it was the worst. You saw how little it bounced and how slow it was," an angry Ponting told reporters after the match. However, a senior Delhi & Districts Cricket Association Official (DDCA) official said that neither did Ponting speak to any of the groundsmen, nor was he promised a fast and fast track. "To the best of my knowledge, Ricky Ponting only takes inputs from Delhi Capitals' ...
Pandit will assess future as Vidarbha coach, says has received feelers from others
Two-time Ranji Trophy-winning Chandrakant Pandit's hugely successful tenure at Vidarbha has attracted interest from other state associations and the sough-after coach Friday said he will "assess" his future. The former India wicketkeeper, who also guided Vidarbha to back-to-back Irani Trophy triumphs, added that he wants to spend more time with his family. "I have come to Nagpur to speak to Vidarbha Cricket Association officials. I will take a call about my future in a day or two. I am having some discussions with them. Let's see how it turns out," Pandit told PTI. "It is true that I want to spend some more time with my family but I have not taken any decision yet. "I have received feelers through indirect sources. Therefore I don't know if these are offers unless I am officially contacted by state associations. But yes, there has been some interest shown to avail my services," the former Mumbai stumper added. Pandit has played five Tests and 36 ODIs for India from 1986 to 1992. Under
Not having venue to host AFC Cup match, Minerva Punjab contemplates to shut shop
Minerva Punjab owner Ranjt Bajaj Friday said he was contemplating "shutting" down his club as he could not find a venue to host the I-League side's AFC Cup home match on May 1. Minerva is scheduled to play against Manang Marshyangdi Club of Nepal in a Group E match on May 1 and Bajaj claimed that the Odisha government has withdrawn its earlier permission to allow to use Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar under pressure from All India Football Federation. The AIFF, however, rejected the allegation, saying that it has nothing to do with the issue as the stadium is owned by the Odisha government. Bajaj said that the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier given clearance to use the stadium for the match. "Yes, we are thinking of shutting the club. What is the point of playing in a country where the national federation is trying to sabotage the clubs. Even after getting permission from the Odisha Chief Minister Mr Naveen Patnaik, who has retweeted my old post, the AIFF denied us ...
Sahil, Murad and Satish to represent India at MercedesTrophy World Final
Indian golfers Sahil Jain, Murad Talib and Satish Cheeti booked their spots in the World Finals of the MercedesTrophy, scheduled to be held in Stuttgart, Germany in October this year. Playing at the National Finals at Pune's Oxford Golf Resort, Sahil in handicap CAT A (3-10) won with a score of 39 points in his category. Murad carded a score of 37 points in CAT B (11-17) to book the second Stuttgart spot while Satish playing in CAT C (18-24) scored 36 points to complete the troika of India qualifiers. Sahil made the trip to Pune after becoming one of four National Final qualifiers from the Noida leg of the tournament. Murad qualified from Mumbai, while Satish made it from Hyderabad. A total of 41 qualifiers and two wild card entry from across 11 cities participated in the National Finals of the largest amateur golf tournament in the India. Hemant Goenka from Kolkata won the Straightest Drive Grand Lucky and will travel to the British Open Championship. He will get a chance to play ...
My conscience is clear: Ashwin on 'Mankading' Buttler
A day after Rajasthan Royals batsman Jos Buttler said that the rules of 'Mankading' needed clarity, Kings XI Punjab skipper R. Ashwin reiterated his decision to 'Mankad' Buttler, adding that his 'conscience was clear'.
India physio Farhart tracking players' workload in IPL
Team India skipper Virat Kohli recently emphasised the need for players to be smart during the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the World Cup is round the corner. So while the players are busy plying their trade for various franchises, national physio Patrick Farhart keeps a close watch on their fitness and workload.
Srikanth loses to Chen Long at Malaysia Open
A fighting Kidambi Srikanth suffered a straight-game loss to Olympic champion Chen Long of China to bow out of the men's singles quarterfinals at the Malaysia Open here Friday. The eighth seeded Indian, who had reached the finals of India Open last week, blew a huge advantage in the opening game to eventually lose the quarterfinal match 18-21 19-21. This was Srikanth's fourth quarterfinal of the season. Srikanth blew a 16-11 advantage in the opening game, while in the second game he fought back from 7-11 down to level scores at 19-19 before ending up on the losing side. The 26-year-old had a 1-5 head-to-head record against Chen Long, whom he had defeated in their last meeting at the 2017 Australian Open. The Chinese showed great defence, playing some exceptional shots like a between-the-legs return to keep the spectators entertained at the Kuala Lumpur Sports City. In the first game, the Indian opened up a 11-7 lead at the first break. He kept his nose ahead till 16-11 before Chen ...
Malaysia Open: Indian challenge over, Srikanth exits
The Indian challenge came to an end in the Malaysia Open 2019 as Kidambi Srikanth lost his quarter-final match to Olympic champion Chen Long of China here on Friday.
Pakistan announce 23 Probables for World Cup 2019
Experienced Pakistan cricketers Wahab Riaz, Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad are likely to miss the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 as they have not been included in the list of 23 probables for the 15-member squad.
'It was the worst pitch', Ponting after defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad
Delhi Capitals coach, Ricky Ponting has expressed his anger at the Feroz Shah Kotla pitch curator after his side faced third defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) against Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets here on Thursday."I think it's fair to say that that wicket surprised us a lot. Talking to the groundsman before that game, he (groundsman) expected that to be our best pitch that we've had out of the three wickets so far. By far and away, it was the worst. You saw how little it bounced and how slow it was," Ponting said during the post-match conference.Delhi has won only one match out of three on their home ground and that lone win also came in after the match was dragged to the super over against Kolkata Knight Riders.The 44-year old praised the adaptability of Hyderabad bowlers, saying that he thought "their bowlers adapted to the conditions really well. They have got very skilful bowler in those conditions."Ponting also emphasised on the need to improve their game ..
Battle of equals as SRH face resurgent MI (Preview)
Having conquered Delhi in their own backyard, a high on confidence Sunrisers Hyderabad will now take on Mumbai Indians in the second header on Saturday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Mumbai too will be wearing a confident look after beating defending champions Chennai Super Kings in their last encounter.
Indian women's football team faces tricky Nepal in Olympic Qualifiers Round 2 match
The Indian women's football team faces a stern test against a tricky Nepal in their Olympic Qualifiers Round 2 match here on Saturday. The two teams will be up against each other for the third time since February. In the Hero Gold Cup, Nepal had triumphed 2-1 in Bhubaneswar, while the Indians had a revenge of sorts in their 3-1 win in the SAFF Championship final. India head coach Maymol Rocky said her side would look to score first and put the opposition under pressure. "We need to take our chances. Nepal possess the ability to hurt us. That was on display in Bhubaneswar. We will try to score first," Maymol said. "Sabitra Bhandari is one of their (Nepal's) key players in attack, and we will try to neutralize her," she added. Maymol spoke about her players having a good relationship with the Nepalese but said on the field there will be no concessions. With only one team qualifying, and both India and Myanmar level on points, a win for Maymol-coached side will further boost their ...
CSK look to bounce back against KXIP (Preview)
After a disappointing loss to Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings will aim to return to winning ways when they take on Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League (IPL) contest at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Saturday.
Sterling K Brown to star in sports drama 'Rise'
"This Is Us" star Sterling K Brown has been tapped for the lead part in sports drama "Rise". To be directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan from a screenplay by Randy Brown and Gregory Allen Howard, the film is based on a true story, reported Deadline. Brown, 43, will essay the role of Coach Willie Davis, a junior high janitor-turned coach who made an impact on the lives of those around them in extraordinary ways. The project will be produced by Ari Pinchot, Stuart Avi Savitsky, Mike Karz and Bill Bindley. It is expected to start shooting in May in Louisiana with a release date of April 10, 2020.
Pakistan names 23 probables for World Cup
Pakistan national selection committee has invited 23 players to complete a fitness test ahead of the announcement of their squad for the World Cup, beginning May 30 in England.The probables will undertake tests at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore from April 15 to 16, with the squad to be announced on April 18, the statement said.Players who made their debuts against Australia in the recent whitewashed five-match series have found a place, including in-form Test cricketer Mohammad Abbas, Shan Masood, who registered a half-century during Australia series, and Mohammad Hasnain, whom Shane Watson considers fast teen he had ever batted against.Saad Ali, who scored a total of 11 runs across first two ODIs, Wahab Riaz, who has not played an ODI since 2017, and Umar Akmal, who crossed 30 three times against Australia, have all been left out.Following are the 23 probables: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Hassan Ali, Imad ...
Asghar Afghan sacked as Afghanistan announce split captaincy
Afghanistan Cricket Board on Friday removed Asghar Afghan as captain just over a month before the World Cup.Afghanistan have instead appointed three different captains across formats, with Gulbadin Naib to lead in one-day internationals and will captain the side in the 50-over tournament in England, beginning May 30.The Test side will be under the leadership of Rahmat Shah, while Rashid Khan will take Twenty20 International reins.Replacing Mohammad Nabi as the captain in 2015, Asghar played a successful role. Under his leadership, Afghanistan became a full member of the ICC and secured a historic maiden Test victory over Ireland in Dehradun recently.Afghanistan will tour Scotland and Ireland in May to play two ODIs each. They will then meet Pakistan and England in one-off ODI before beginning their World Cup campaign against Australia on June 1 at the Bristol County Ground.
Bairstow looks to continue run riot and SRH juggernaut
Jonny Bairstow will be keen to continue his run riot and keep the Sunrisers Hyderabad juggernaut rolling against a Mumbai Indians side that is getting into the groove after an up-and-down start, in their IPL match here on Saturday. Currently holding the top spot in the points table with three back-to-back victories, the confident Sunrisers would not like to spare an inch against Mumbai, lying at sixth place, with two wins and as many losses from four outings. However, Mumbai will take heart from the fact that they defeated defending champions Chennai Super Kings, their first loss in four games, in the last match. In contrast, the Sunrisers, after losing their opening game against Kolkata Knight Riders, went on the win against Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals. The Sunrisers, in fact, were without the services of their captain Kane Williamson during Thursday's match against Delhi because of an injury, but they did not let that have an impact. Bhuvneshwar .
DC want grass on Kotla pitch, DDCA says 'impossible'
Over the years, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen home teams preparing wickets to suit their strength. But Delhi Capitals' request for wickets with grass has not been met by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). In fact, even as head coach Ricky Ponting made his displeasure known after DC lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday, the DDCA has made it clear that it is impossible to provide pitches that will have grass at this stage of the season.