Page 962 - Sports
Rayudu, Khaleel biggest gains from series: Kohli, Shastri
India skipper Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri said on Thursday Ambati Rayudu's batting at number four and Khaleel Ahmed's rise as the third seamer were the two biggest gains from the just-concluded ODI series against the West Indies.
Azhar Ali bids adieu to ODI cricket
Former Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali on Thursday announced his retirement from the One-Day International (ODI) cricket.Reflecting on the same, the 33-year-old said that he made the decision so that he could focus on the betterment of his career in Test format."I just want to focus on Test cricket only. I made this decision for the betterment of my career. I never played T20 cricket, so it makes sense to hang my boots in the shorter formats of the game," the Express Tribune quoted Ali, as saying.Ali, who led the Pakistan side in 31 ODIs, expressed his desire to serve the team as long as his body allows. He further added that he would continue playing domestic One-Day and T20 matches."I feel honoured that I represented the country in 53 ODIs -31 as captain. I am fully committed to Test cricket and would want to serve the country for as long as I can maintain my form and fitness. I would continue to play Domestic One Day and T20 matches," he added.The right-hand batsman also wished his team
E Padmaja to lead India Blue in U-19 Women's T20 Challenger Trophy
E Padmaja will lead the India U-19 Blue team in the upcoming U-19 Women's T20 Challenger Trophy.The India Blue team will also comprise of Latika Inamdar (wicketkeeper), Shobha Devi, Gayatri Gurang, Ankita Chakrabarti, S.B. Kirtana, Kajal Jena, Hrutvisha Patel, Anjali Singh, Suman Meena, Tarana Pradhan, Mouli Mandal, Aditi Gaikwad.Meanwhile, the India Red team will be led by wicketkeeper Neetu Gaud, with G Sindhuja, Muskaan Malik, Shivani Singh, V Pushpalata, Manpreet Kaur, Richa, K Dhatri, Anagha M, Taniya Rao, Sayali Satghare, Simran, Tejaswini Duragad making up the rest of the team.Ayushi Soni has been named as the skipper of the India Green team, which will also include M Durga (WK), Chitra Singh Jamwal, Drishya I V, Sejal Raut, Shefali Verma, Sayoojya Salilan, G Trisha, Amanjyot Kaur, Pragya Rawat, Nitya Tiwari, Saranya Gadwal, Poonam Soni.The Women's Selection Committee on Thursday met in Hyderabad to pick the teams for the tournament.The U-19 Women's T20 Challenger Trophy is ...
Dhoni only wanted to make way for Pant in T20s: Kohli
India captain Virat Kohli on Thursday reiterated that Mahendra Singh Dhoni remains an integral part of the ODI team and the veteran wicket-keeper batsman decided not to play the upcoming T20s only to make way for the much younger Rishabh Pant. "I think the selectors have already addressed this if I'm not wrong. And he's been spoken to, firstly... So, I don't see any reason why I should be sitting here and explaining that. I think the selectors have come out and explained exactly what happened," said Kohli at the post-match press conference after guiding India to another series win at home. "I was not part of that conversation so... It is what the selectors explained. I think people are putting too much variables into the situation, which is not the case I can assure you of that. He's still a very integral part of this team and he just feels that in the T20 format, someone like Rishabh can get more chances." Dhoni has been dropped for the upcoming T20 series against the West Indies and
India can win in Australia: Sachin
India have always found the going tough whenever they have toured Australia, but batting legend Sachin Tendulkar feels that the men in Blue have a good chance of winning when the next series starts Down Under next month.
Jadeja powers India to ODI series win over Windies
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja scalped a four-wicket haul to help India register a massive nine-wicket victory over West Indies in the final ODI of the ongoing five-match series here at the Greenfield International Stadium on Thursday.With the win, India have also clinched the ODI series 3-1.Chasing a lowly target of 105 runs, it was a complete cakewalk for the Indian batsmen as they easily crossed the line at the loss of just one wicket.After left-hand batsman Shikhar Dhawan was dismissed cheaply for six, Indian opener Rohit Sharma (63) and skipper Virat Kohli (33) stitched a match-winning partnership of 99 runs to drive their side to a comfortable victory.Earlier, it was the Indian bowlers who had set the tone right for the team. Proving the decision of the Caribbean side to bowl first wrong, the Indian bowling attack led by left-arm bowler Ravindra Jadeja bowled out the entire opposition team inside 31.5 overs.The pitch, which had a bit of dampness in the surface, provided a solid ...
Djokovic all set to attain number one ATP rank
Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic is all set to attain the top position in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings after a gap of almost two years.The 31-year-old, who is going to be the world number one on November 5, will become the first player to reach the top position after being ranked outside the Top 20 in the same season since Russia's Marat Safin who achieved the same in the year 2000.The development comes after current world number one Rafael Nadal pulled out of the ongoing Paris Maters owing to an abdominal injury.Giving details about the injury, Nadal said that he was completely fine while training for the competition before he realised about the injury. The doctors recommended me not to play as the same can lead to further damage, he continued."It was great to be here in Paris for a couple of days and practise with the guys. I enjoyed it [and] I felt in terms of tennis better than one week ago. But in the past few days, I started to feel a little bit [of ...
BCCI reschedules domestic calendar owing to dearth of umpires
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) rescheduled elimination and round-robin matches of domestic Cooch Behar Trophy tournament, and senior women's one-day tourney in the wake of non-availability of umpires.In a letter, issued by BCCI general manager (GM) of operations Syed Saba Karim to all its affiliated units, on Wednesday, the national cricket body conveyed that the calendar has been pushed ahead by a month in case of Cooch Behar and by a couple of days in case of women's championship.The units include the newly-accredited state teams of Uttarakhand, Mizoram and Puducherry. Karim stated, in the letter, that non-availability of umpires is the reason for the reshuffling of schedule.The third round matches of Cooch Behar Trophy, which were earlier slated to be held from December 17 to 20 have been revised to January 21 to 24. The elimination matches of the same tournament have been shifted from January 29, 2019, to February 18, 2019.The senior women's one-day elimination .
Comprehensive plan to develop sports infrastructure: DyCM
Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein has said that a comprehensive plan must be formulated to develop sports infrastructure in the state so that sports gain momentum and achieve new greater heights in days to come. Felicitating the medal winners of the First North East Olympic Games here Wednesday Mein congratulated them and urged them to remain focused to achieve even greater heights, an official release said here Thursday. Arunachal Pradesh registered its best-ever medal haul to finish third in ranking after Manipur and Assam with 18 Gold, 22 Silver and 39 Bronze. Altogether 182 players participated and took part in the 12 discipline of sports in the NE Olympic Games which was held at Imphal from October 24 to 28 last. "It is a matter of great satisfaction that we are celebrating the success of our medal winners who have brought laurels to the state by proving their mettle in first Northeast Olympic Games held in Manipur," he said adding that sports ...
Mary trades punches with Rathore in 'fun session'
Five-time world champion M C Mary Kom had an unlikely training partner on Thursday when Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore donned the punching mitts and sparred with her. The diminutive 35-year-old was seen playfully aiming for the Olympic silver-medallist former shooter outside the ring in a one-minute video she posted after training at the IG Stadium. The 48-year-old Rathore had a smile on his face as he successfully dodged the attacks launched by the Manipuri, at the end of which the two shared an embrace. "Today, he came to the national camp and it was great for all of us. All the boxers in the camp felt motivated by his presence at the training. It was a nice gesture by him," Mary Kom, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, told PTI about the "fun session". While Mary Kom had her gloves on, Rathore wore the punching mitts, padded gloves that are generally donned by trainers to provide boxers with the counter-force while training. The audience included Boxing Federation of India ...
I-League: Justin brace helps East Bengal sink Lajong 3-1
East Bengal recorded their second straight win beating Shillong Lajong 3-1 in an I-League football tie at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here on Thursday.
India thrash West Indies in 5th ODI, clinch series 3-1
India thrashed the West Indies by nine wickets in the fifth and final One-Day International to clinch the series 3-1 here on Thursday.
PSG superstars need more teamwork, says striker Cavani
Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani says Paris Saint-Germain's team of dazzling individuals including Neymar and Kylian Mbappe need to work more as a team if they are to win the Champions League. In an exclusive interview with AFP, Cavani said the importance of winning the Champions League for the French club was drummed into him even before he signed from Napoli in 2013. "It's an objective that the club discussed with me before I signed the contract," said ahead of Tuesday's Champions League Group C clash in Naples. "It is in my head. It flows through my veins. I want to win it because that is the job that was presented to me when I came (to PSG)." PSG's domination of Ligue 1 -- they have won five of the past six championship titles -- allows them to prepare well for their ultimate goal of winning Europe's premier club competition. But the Champions League has produced nothing but heartbreak for PSG and their Qatari owners, who have plunged millions in the club in the hope of creating ..
Barty beats Garcia to keep Elite Trophy hopes alive
- Australia's Ashleigh Barty beat an out-of-sorts French number one Caroline Garcia to keep her semi-final hopes alive at the WTA Elite Trophy on Thursday. Ninth seed Barty broke Garcia once in each set to win the round-robin tie 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 16 minutes in Zhuhai, southern China. Barty, who lost to Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday, now has to wait for the outcome of Garcia and Sabalenka's match to see if she will progress to the semi-finals on Saturday. "It's out of my hands," Barty said in her post-match press conference. "I just have to sit back and watch tomorrow. But I'm certainly pleased to have had the year we've had and really nice to finish on a positive note today." She said she was in a "win-win situation", being able to "play with freedom", but knowing that if she lost she could still go home at the end of the season. Garcia, 25, was crowned champion in Tianjin in October, but she was unable to bring that form into her opening match at the Hengqin International Tennis
'Legend' Buffon to start against Lille, Napoli: Tuchel
Italian goalkeeping "legend" Gianluigi Buffon will start for Paris Saint-Germain when they face Lille and Napoli in the coming days, PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said Thursday. Buffon, who joined the Ligue 1 giants in the summer from Juventus, last played for PSG in a 5-0 league win over Lyon on October 7 as he alternates with French shot-stopper Alphonse Areola. The 40-year-old World Cup winner was suspended for PSG's opening three Champions League group games. But he is set to replace Areola in Friday's league fixture with Lille and again in Naples on Tuesday when PSG will be battling for a win to salvage their flagging Champions League campaign. "He plays a very important role for us because he's a legend," Tuchel said. "He's had a great career and has a lot of experience. He's crucial for us thanks to his approach to the game. "It's very important that he's here and that he speaks to everyone to share his experience." PSG have won their opening 11 matches in Ligue 1 and sit top with an
India thrash West Indies by wickets in 5th ODI, clinch series 3-1
India thrashed the West Indies by nine wickets in the fifth and final One-Day International to clinch the series 3-1 here on Thursday.
India hammer West Indies for sixth straight series win at home
A ruthless India completed a nine-wicket demolition of the West Indies in the fifth and final ODI here Thursday for their sixth successive series win at home. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took four wickets to help India bundle out the West Indies for 104 in just 31.5 overs. Pacers Khaleel Ahmed and Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with two wickets each. The home team took just 14.5 overs to reach the paltry target, courtesy an unbeaten 99-run stand between Rohit Sharma (62 off 54) and captain Virat Kohli (33 off 29), following another low score from Shikhar Dhawan. It was a complete surrender from the West Indies, who let themselves down after competing hard in the first three ODIs. The previous game at Mumbai too was dominated by the hosts before they romped to a 3-1 series win here. India last a lost a series at home in 2015, when they went down 2-3 against South Africa. The hosts wasted in no time completing the 105-run target after the bowlers laid the foundation of a massive ...
Azhar Ali announces retirement from ODIs
Senior Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali Thursday announced his retirement from limited overs cricket in order to concentrate fully on Test cricket. Azhar, 33, said he had taken the decision to focus only on Test cricket and also because he felt the time was right. "I have spoken to the chief selector, captain and the chairman of PCB before announcing my decision. I took the decision after giving it a lot of thought," he told reporters in Lahore. A prolific player in the longest format, the 33-year-old played the last of his 53 ODIs against New Zealand in January, earlier this year. His orthodox batting style in ODIs at an average of 36.90 and strike-rate of 74.45 has often come up for criticism. "I just want to pay full attention to test cricket now and I think the young players now coming into the team are performing very well in one-day internationals," he added. Azhar, who had to step down as captain of the ODI team last year, however felt that he could have done more in 50-over ...
East Bengal beat Shillong Lajong 3-1, go top of table
Kolkata giants East Bengal produced a second successful professional performance away from home, emerging 3-1 winners over Shillong Lajong in the I-League here Thursday. In game eight of the 12th Hero I-League, EB rode on a first-half brace by Kerala striker Jobby Justin and a second-half strike from Bidyasagar Singh to thwart a spirited Shillong side, which got one back in the second half through left wing back Rakesh Pradhan. Shillong's football remained attractive, dominating and flowing, but the inexperience of having nine under-22 players in their XI showed up eventually, after a fluent 2-0 win against Aizawl FC at home last week in their opening game. EB go on top of the league standings with two crucial away wins to kick-start their campaign, after having beaten Neroca 2-0 in Game Week 1. Alison Kharsyntiew, the Shillong coach, began with an unchanged starting XI while EB's Spanish coach Alejandro Menendez Garcia chose to begin with Brandon Vanlalremdika in midfield in place of
India crush West Indies by 9 wickets, win series 3-1
India crushed the West Indies by nine wickets in the final One-day International to win the five-match series 3-1 here on Thursday. Batting first after winning the toss, West Indies were 104 all out in 31.5 overs. Chasing a paltry target of 105, India completed the task in 14.5 overs at the Greenfield Stadium. Brief scores: West Indies: 103 all out in 31.5 overs (Holder 25; Ahmed 2/29, Jadeja 4/33, Bumrah 2/11). India: 105/1 in 14.5 overs (Rohit Sharma not out 63, Virat Kohli not out 33).