Page 446 - Sports
David Warner creates record in IPL comeback
Sunrisers Hyderabad's David Warner, made a scintillating record-breaking comeback to the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday as he smashed 85 runs off 53 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).With 37 half centuries, Warner has overtaken former cricketer Gautam Gambhir with whom he had till now jointly held the record of the most number of 36 half-centuries.Interestingly, Warner did not participate in the last edition of IPL along with Steve Smith as both players were banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to play in the last edition of IPL because of their involvement in the ball-tampering case.Sunrisers Hyderabad will next compete with Rajasthan Royal on March 29.
IPL: Russell's blitzkrieg helps KKR beat Sunrisers
Andre Russell spoilt David Warner's dream return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a 19-ball 49 as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets in their campaign opener at the Eden Gardens, here on Sunday.
Top seeds Chen Yufei, Shi Yuqi pull out of India Open
Chinese top seeds Chen Yufei and Shi Yuqi Sunday pulled out of the India Open on medical grounds, taking some sheen off the USD 350,000 World Tour Super 500 tournament beginning Tuesday. Chen recently broke a five-year title draught for China at the All England Championship and Shi Yuqi is the defending champion. With the top seeds withdrawing, India's P V Sindhu will receive the top billing and is firm favourite to lift the trophy for the second time after claiming the crown in 2017 and reaching the finals in the last edition. China will be fielding its biggest contingent at the India Open this season with as many as 25 shuttlers competing in the tournament, which concludes on March 31. World No 7 He Bingjiao will now lead the Chinese challenge in women's singles and she is looking forward to some exciting duel with Olympic silver medallist Sindhu. "A lot of elite Indian players are playing around the world and they got good results. The likes of Saina and Sindhu are quality players.
Kohli's coach Rajkumar Sharma in charge of Malta National team
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has been appointed the head coach of the Malta national cricket team for an ICC qualifying tournament. Confirming the development to PTI, Sharma said, "There is a three-nation divisional tournament of the ICC from March 29 to 31 in Spain. Malta, Estonia and hosts Spain will take part. As of now, I will be in charge of the team for this tournament." The Dronacharya awardee didn't hide his disappointment about not being handed Delhi Ranji team's assignment during the 2018-19 season. "Having served a junior coach and selector for past 18 years, I had expected that DDCA would give me a chance to work with senior Ranji team. But the panel of Virender Sehwag, Aakash Chopra, Rahul Sanghvi and Gautam Gambhir didn't find me good enough. This is after Delhi Under-23 team won CK Nayudu under my coaching." The former first class cricketer is well aware that standard won't be very high but he is taking it up as a challenge. "I didn't think about money .
Promoted Pretorious fires South Africa into healthy Sri Lanka lead
Dwaine Pretorius took advantage of a promotion in the South African batting order with a power-packed innings in the third and final Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday. All-rounder Pretorius hit 77 not out off 42 balls at number three as South Africa made 198 for two after being sent in. Reeza Hendricks made 66, his second straight half-century, and captain JP Duminy hit 34 not out off 14 deliveries as South Africa finished the innings strongly. South Africa have already taken the series after winning the first two matches. Duminy said at the toss that Pretorius had been moved up three because of limited opportunities to bat in previous matches. "It was a good surprise and I am just happy it came off," Pretorius told SuperSport television as he left the field. Pretorius, who hit seven fours and three sixes, shared a second-wicket stand of 90 with Hendricks and a rapid unbeaten 71 in the last five overs with Duminy. Hendricks, who made 65 in the
Ton-up Rizwan guides Pakistan to 284-7 in second ODI
Wicket-keeping batsman Mohammad Rizwan hit a maiden hundred to guide Pakistan to 284-7 in the second one-day international against Australia in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. The 30-year-old knocked 11 boundaries in his 115 total as Pakistan -- who won the toss and batted -- once again failed to crack the 300-mark on a flat Sharjah stadium pitch. Rizwan, only playing because regular keeper and skipper Sarfraz Ahmed has been rested for the series -- added 52 for the third wicket with Haris Sohail (34) and an invaluable 127 for the fifth wicket with stand-in captain Shoaib Malik. Australia lead the five-match series 1-0 after winning the first game, played at the same venue, by eight wickets on Friday. Pakistan lost opener Imam-ul-Haq without scoring off the fifth ball of the innings from fast bowler Jhye Richardson. Shan Masood (19) and Sohail -- who scored his maiden hundred in the first game on Friday -- took the total to 35 when Richardson struck again, getting Masood caught at
JK's Rasikh Salam makes his IPL debut; 2nd from state
Young right-arm medium pacer Rasikh Salam became only the second player from Jammu and Kashmir to play in the Indian Premier League. Salam, 17, turned up for Mumbai Indians in their lung-opener against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium here Sunday and also opened the bowling for the hosts. Rasikh, who got his cap from former India pacer Zaheer Khan, is the youngest player to make the debut for Mumbai Indians. Salam, who hails from Kulgaam district, was picked up by Mumbai Indians for his base price of Rs 20 lakh. Parvez Rasool, an off-break bowler, was the first one from the northern state, to play in the cash-rich tournament. Rasool represented two IPL teams Pune Warriors India and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Another player from Jammu and Kashmir, Manzoor Dar was picked up by IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab last year, but did not feature in any game.
Russell steals thunder from Warner; leads KKR to dramatic win
Andre Russell smashed an explosive 49 to spoil David Warner's scintillating IPL comeback as Kolkata Knight Riders pulled off a dramatic six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, here Sunday. Needing 53 runs from last three overs, the powerful Jamaican changed the course of the match with his big-hitting against Siddharth Kaul, creaming off 19 runs from that over. He retained the strike by taking a smart single and continued his assault on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who too bled 19 runs in the penultimate over as KKR sealed the 182-run chase with two balls to spare. Russell hammered four sixes and an equal number of boundaries in run sequence that read 6-6-1-4-1-4-6-4-0-6-1. Youngster Shubman Gill (18 not out) completed the formalities with two sixes off Shakib-Al-Hasan. Promoted to open with Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana made full use of the opportunity and kept them in the hunt with a 47-ball 68. But he departed shortly after a 12-minute interruption caused by tower lights failure. The momentum .
India U-23 team bows out of AFC U-23 Championship Qualifiers
The Indian U-23 national team ended its AFC U-23 Championship qualifying campaign with a 2-0 loss to Tajikistan in its second match of the group stage here Sunday. Daler Yodgorov's 30th minute strike and Solehov's 85th minute goal proved to be the difference between the two sides as India succumbed to their second defeat of the qualifying campaign, ending without a point out of a maximum six. The opponents had mounted a barrage of attacks in the early minutes of the match, trying to unsettle the Indian defence but some astute goalkeeping by Dheeraj Singh kept them at bay. In the 10th minute, the custodian made a fine save to deny the opponents an early breakthrough at the Pakhtakor Stadium. India could have surged ahead into lead in the 12th minute but Sarthak Golui's header off a Komal Thatal free-kick failed to find the net, leaving the Tajik goalkeeper to scramble to clear his lines; courtesy of an onrushing Anwar Ali in pursuit of the rebound. After a nervy start, the Indian team .
When Sehwag played cricket with Emirates staff
Emirates revealed its ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 themed Emirates A380 livery in the build up to one of the world's most anticipated sporting events this year.
IPL 2019: Mumbai opt to field vs Delhi
Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 campaign opener against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium here on Sunday.
Russell steals dramatic win for KKR against Sunrisers Hyderabad
Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets to make a winning start to their IPL campaign at Eden Gardens, here Sunday. Comeback-man David Warner struck 85 off 53 balls and shared a 118-run stand for the first wicket with wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow (39). Vijay Shankar contributed unbeaten 40 in Sunrisers' total. Andre Russell played a whirlwind unbeaten knock of 49-runs to script his side's dramatic win after Nitish Rana scored 68 at top of the batting order. Brief Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad: 181 for 3 in 20 overs. (D Warner 85, V Shankar 40 not out, J Bairstow 39; A Russell 2/32, P Chawla 1/23). Kolkata Knight Riders: 183 for 4 in 19.4 overs.
Oman Open: Archana bags silver, Manav, Sathiyan exit
Rising Indian paddler Archana Kamath proved her mettle once again as she clinched the silver in the Under-21 womens singles category of Oman Open, a part of the ITTF Challenge Plus, on Sunday afternoon.
Chikka, Sharma end at T20, T30; Hend completes dramatic win
Shubhankar Sharma failed to defend his title at the Maybank Championships but his final round of two-under 70 that saw him finish T-30 will give him a boost ahead of the Hero Indian Open beginning in New Delhi on Thursday. Shubhankar aggregated five-under 283 but the best-placed Indian this week was S Chikkarangappa, whose final round of three-under 69 placed him T-20 at seven-under 281. It was his second successive Top-20 finish on the European Tour after last week's T-17 in Kenya. Among other Indians, SSP Chawrasia (72 and 3-under 285), twice- winner of Hero Indian Open in last three years, finished T-41, while Viraj Madappa (74 and 2-under 286) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (68 and two-under 286) were T-48. Ajeetesh Sandhu (74 and two-over 290) was T-66. Scott Hend, whose last win in True Thailand Classic came more than two years ago, also made up for his missed cut at the event last, by winning the Maybank Championships in a dramatic fashion. He played the final round in five-under 67 and
IPL: Royals to take on Punjab in Jaipur (Preview)
Boosted by the return of Steve Smith, Rajasthan Royals (RR) will take on Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) opener at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, here on Monday.
Indian shuttlers are dangerous opponents: Axelsen
Aiming to secure his second title at the India Open here, former world champion Viktor Axelsen Sunday praised the current crop of Indian shuttlers, describing them as highly competitive and dangerous. The former world no 1 from Denmark, who won a silver at the All England Championship this month, starts firm favourite to win the India Open crown, a feat he achieved in 2017, after reaching three back-to-back summit clashes from 2015 to 2017. "It is always really competitive, you have to always take care against them. I played Sameer at the All England, it was a tough match and it is always tough, they are always dangerous to face," Axelsen told reporters after a practice session at the IG stadium. The Yonex-Sunrise India Open will have Kidambi Srikanth, Sameer Verma and B Sai Praneeth in the top half, while HS Prannoy starts in the bottom part of the draw, which also features second seed Axelsen, who will receive the top billing following the withdrawal of top seed Shi Yuqi of ...
Faldo Series Asia Grand Final: Mishra wins Boy's U-21 category
City golferKeshav Mishra has won the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final in the Boy's Under 21 Category. He carded a total of 211 (69, 68, 74) over 54 holes to walk away with the Asian Champion's Trophy. The Grand Final of the Faldo Series Asia was being played at Hue, Vietnam and the three-day event was held from March 20-22, a media statement issued here said. The first runner's up in the Boys U21 Category was Japan's Yuta Karniya with a three-day total of 217 (70-75-72) while the second runners up for the category was Bryce Pickin from Australia who carded a total of 218 (78-74-66), the statement added. 13th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, Leading Final Round Scores Boys' Under-21: 211 Keshav Mishra (India) 69-68-74 217 YutaKamiya (Japan) 70-75-72 218 Bryce Pickin (Australia) 78-74-66 220 Paul Murphy (Ireland) 75-70-75.
Lahiri slips as Casey and Johnson set up a thriller at Valspar
Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri slid to Tied 57th after a birdie-less third round even as Paul Casey, bidding for back-to-back titles at the Valspar Championships, opened up a narrow one-shot lead. As a dramatic finish beckoned the tournament, Lahiri slipped on the third day. After grinding out 70-71 on first two days for a creditable T-23rd, he had no birdies on the third day and ended with a 4-over 75 that saw him fall to Tied-57th. Yet a solid and low final round could fetch him a finish in 30s. The world's best player, Dustin Johnson (67) playing two groups ahead of Casey, birdied the 18th, the last of the three-hole closing stretch called the Snake Pit', to get to eight-under. A little later Casey arriving at the same 18th, dropped a bogey and from 10-under came to nine-under despite three-under 68. As Casey seeks the tournament and his own first back-to-back success, Johnson is looking for a second win in three starts. Johnson reserved one of his best shots of the day coming out of
Warner makes roaring comeback as SRH post 181
David Warner made a roaring comeback to the Indian Premier League (IPL) by cracking a stroke-filled 85 as Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 181/3 in 20 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their campaign opener at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.
Women's football team better than men's: Chhetri
The world ranking says so and India football captain Sunil Chhetri too has no qualms in conceding that the national women's team is better than the men's side. The men's team is currently ranked 103rd out of 211 countries. It was in the top-100 last year. The women's side is currently at 62nd out of 152 nations. Chhetri, the poster boy of Indian football with second most goals among active international players, praised the national women's team for its fifth consecutive SAFF title win. "Extremely proud of all of you. I have always maintained that the women's team is much better than the men," Chhetri said in a release from the All India Football Federation. "Go there, and give your best in Myanmar. I have been keeping a track of all of you playing. Keep up the good work," Chhetri said. The women's team will feature in the round 2 of the Olympic qualifiers which which kick off in Mandalay, Myanmar from April 3. India have been clubbed with hosts Myanmar, Nepal and Indonesia. All India