Page 998 - Sports
Dicka upbeat at Norde's return to Mohun Bagan
Mohun Bagan striker Aser Dipanda Dicka is upbeat at the return of Sony Norde, saying the Haitian international would play a crucial role in the club's title quest in the I-League this season. Norde, who was with Mohun Bagan since 2014, left the club midway last season after suffering a knee injury. He returned to Kolkata on Monday after signing a new contract. Norde, who was instrumental in Mohun Bagan's first I-League title in 2014, was received by fans in Kolkata with fanfare, and Dicka said that he was looking to play with the Haitian as a strike partner. "We have a very good side, it is a balanced one. The club has signed two new foreigners who are strikers. We won the Kolkata League and we are a serious contender for the I-League title," Dicka, who was named the best I-League striker for the last two seasons, told PTI at the sidelines of the launch of this season's I-League. "With Sony coming back, our team has even got stronger, he is the crucial man for winning the title this ..
Big Bash: Melbourne Stars sign Nepal leggie Lamichhane
Promising leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane on Tuesday became Nepal's first cricketer to be signed up for the Big Bash League in Australia. He will represent the Melbourne Stars in the 2018-19 edition of the BBL.
Batting in middle-order is not new for me, so no pressure: Rayudu
Anointed as India's number four in the ODI format with the World Cup in mind, Ambati Rayudu Tuesday said the responsibility does not pressurise him at all, as he preferred to stay in the present. India and West Indies are locked in a five-match ODI series, with the home team leading 1-0 on the eve of the second match here. "Not really," Rayudu said when asked if he is feeling any pressure three days after skipper Virat Kohli backed him for a position for which the team management has tried as many as seven batsmen since the tour of Sri Lanka in 2017. The 33-year-old began his first-class career way back in 2001-02 but had to wait till 2013 to make his international debut, against Zimbabwe, aged 28. The Hyderabad batsman added, "To be very honest, I am just focused on this series at the moment and not really thinking too far ahead. "I don't think it is new for me as I have been batting in the middle order for long. There is nothing new that they have asked me to do. Rayudu was dropped .
Prajnesh makes winning start at Liuzhou; Ramkumar, Nagal exit
Carrying forward his good form, Prajnesh Gunneswaran made a winning start at the Liuzhou Challenger tournament in China but it was curtains for Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sumit Nagal, who yet again fell at the first hurdle. Prajnesh, who ended runners-up at the Ningbo Challenger last week, downed Frenchman Johan Tatlot 6-4 7-5 in his opening round of the USD 50,000 hard court event. The seventh seed Indian will now clash with Egypt's Mohammed Safwat for a place in the quarterfinals. Prajnesh has beaten Swafwat thrice this season. However, bad results continue to chase Ramkumar and Nagal. Ramkumar, who has been struggling after his breakthrough performance at the Hall of Fame Open, where he reached the final for the first time in an ATP250 event, lost his opening round to Spanish qualifier Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-7(3) 3-6. Qualifier Nagal lost his first round 2-6 3-6 to Japanese eighth seed Tatsuma Ito. In the doubles, Arjun Kadhe and Yaraslav Shyla moved to the quarterfinals with a
India to host 1 of 3 men's Hockey Series Finals from June 6 to 16
India will host one of the men's FIH Hockey Series Finals from June 6 to 16, a tournament from where two teams will make the cut for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers. The top two teams from each FIH Series Finals will secure a place in the Tokyo Olympics' qualification events to be held in November next year. Besides hosts India, other teams in the event are Asian Games champions Japan, Mexico, Polland, Russia, South Africa, USA. One more team is yet to be confirmed. The venue for the India-leg of Hockey Series Final is also be finalised later. Three pools of eight teams each for men as well as women will compete in these events, which will gather the best-ranked teams not involved in the FIH Pro League. The Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur and Le Touquet (France) will host the other two legs of the men's competition. The Malaysian leg will be held from April 26 to May 4 and will be contested by Malaysia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Italy, Vanuatu and Wales while Chile, France,
Kohli doesn't seem human sometimes: Tamim Iqbal
In awe of Virat Kohli's batting prowess, Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal Tuesday said the prolific Indian captain does not seem human sometimes. "I sometimes feel he is not human because of the way he performs, my goodness, the moment he comes out to bat, it looks like he is going to score a hundred every game," Iqbal was quoted as saying by 'Khaleej Times' here. "The way he looks after himself, the way he works on his game, it's unbelievable. He is probably the number one in all three formats. He is someone to watch and admire and also learn from. I think he has been fantastic," he added. Kohli is the world's No.1 batsman in both the Test and one-day formats and is just 81 runs short of becoming the fastest to reach 10,000 ODI runs. The record currently stands in the name of the iconic Sachin Tendulkar, who took 259 innings to get there, while Kohli has so far played 204 innings. "...I have seen all the great players that have played the game in the past 12 years. They have their own ..
WI skipper Holder wants discipline from his bowlers
West Indies skipper Jason Holder Tuesday demanded discipline from his bowlers in the remaining four ODIs of the five-match series against India, saying picking up wickets upfront would be crucial. West Indies notched up what seemed a stiff 323-run target in the series opener, but India made short work of the chase and reached the target with almost eight overs to spare, with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma slamming big hundreds. "In limited overs cricket, in these conditions you need to utilise the new ball. This is an area every team targets. We want to take few more wickets with the new ball," Holder said at the pre-match press conference. "We got one wicket in the last game and if we can get two or three wickets upfront, it will help us put pressure on their (India's) middle order." Holder felt the 320-odd runs his team scored at the Barsapara Stadium was below par, and given the way Kohli and Sharma made mince meat of the bowlers on a featherbed, he is not way off the mark. "Getting .
ITW Consulting Associates With Cricket South Africa for the Commercial Syndication of the MSL T20 League
/ -- ~ Will manage the commercial and sales business through rights acquired by Global Sports Commerce ITW Consulting, India-based Sports management company through Global Sports Commerce (GSC), has acquired On-ground Rights, Sponsorships and Broadcast Production from Cricket South Africa (CSA) for the Mzansi Super League T20 (MSL T20), and will be official International Commercial and Broadcast partner for the next five years. The agreement runs from 2018 to 2022. GSC has bought the marketing rights and the commercial sales business of the MSL T20 in India and the rest of the global platforms along with handling the commercial syndication of the league. Mr. Thabang Moroe, CSA Chief Executive said, "It gives me great pleasure to welcome GSC & its affiliates on board as yet another global brand that has put its faith in our administration, our governance and our players for a considerable period of time." "As their name indicates, GSC have a global sporting presence as a major ...
I play domestic cricket with same intensity: Rahane
Standing at the crossroads in his international career, Ajinkya Rahane won't let intensity drop when he comes back to bump and grind of domestic cricket. The Test vice-captain, who has not played an ODI since February, needs something special to draw attention of the selectors as he leads India C in the Deodhar Trophy. Time is is running out fast with India left with just 17 ODI matches before it plays its first World Cup match in England. "After coming from international cricket, you've got to have the same attitude and the same intensity when you go on to the field," Rahane told reporters after a training session, ahead of clash against India 'B'. Rahane, who has represented India in 52 Tests, still considers himself a student of the game. "I always believe that you are always a student. When you step on to the field, you learn something or the other each and every day. The attitude which I bring in international cricket, I want to continue with that and help my team always because .
Lahiri, Kapur to lead strong Indian field in Panasonic Open India
Leading Indian golfers Anirban Lahiri, Shiv Kapur and SSP Chawrasia will vie for top honours at the the eighth Panasonic Open India, which will tee-off at the Delhi Golf Club here from Thursday. The highly-rated event will also see a strong international field comprising players from 17 other countries. Sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the Panasonic Open India will once again offer a prize purse of USD 400,000 when it returns to its regular venue. "The Asian Tour is pleased to work alongside Panasonic, PGTI and the Delhi Golf Club once again to ensure another successful week of golf at the Panasonic Open India," said Cho Minn Thant, Asian Tour Chief Operating Officer. Kapur, who is the defending champion, topped the inaugural Panasonic Swing ranking with total points of 2922.90 last year, thanks largely to his victory at the Panasonic Open India, which was his first Asian Tour victory on home soil and second win in 2017. The Panasonic Swing
Dominant India look to extend winning streak against hapless Windies (Preview)
Their batting in red hot form, hosts India will look to extend their dominance and take a 2-0 lead against the West Indies when the two sides lock horns in the second One-day International (ODI) here on Wednesday.
India announce unchanged 12-member squad for second ODI
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that they have shortlisted the same 12-member squad, as in the first match, for their second ODI against West Indies beginning here at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.In the last match, the Virat Kohli-led side had played three pacers and two spinners, leaving left-arm bowler Kuldeep Yadav out of the playing eleven.Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, had made his ODI debut in the opener of the five-match series but he did not get the chance to play.Indian skipper Virat Kohli and hitman Rohit Sharma had stitched a huge 246-run stand to guide their side to a comfortable eight-wicket win over West Indies in the first ODI. In the process, Kohli had reached his 36th ODI century in 204 innings.Earlier, the home side had thumped the West Indies comprehensively in the Test series, registering a 2-0 win over the visitors.Full Indian squad for the second ODI:Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh ...
Pak coach lauds India ahead of AFC U-19 C'ship qualifiers
Pakistan head coach Mohammed Siddique Sheikh has lauded the Indian U-19 women's football team ahead of the opening match of the crucial AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers between the two arch-rivals.On the eve of the high-intensity fixture between the two sides, Sheikh opined that though India and the other two sides provide them with a stiff challenge, the qualifiers would surely provide his players with good exposure."These qualifiers are going to give our girls good exposure. I've seen the Indian team, and they play really good football. Thailand and Nepal are also quite good, so we have to bring our best cards to the table. We are playing here for the first time, so things are going to be new for us. Let's hope for the best," said Sheikh.He further went on to say that his team are at a bit of a disadvantage due to the weather conditions in Chonburi, where sporadic rains are expected throughout the week."We have not been able to prepare for the conditions here as much as we would ...
Top stars for Panasonic Open
The Panasonic Open India is set to deliver another exciting week of top-notch golfing action when it gets underway for its eighth consecutive edition on the Asian Tour starting Thursday.
CA to come up with dual review findings
Cricket Australia (CA) will publicly release the findings of the dual review panels which were formed in the wake of a massive ball-tampering scandal that sent shock waves through sporting world.The findings are likely to be out by next week, cricket.com.au reported.While one panel was formed to conduct players review, the other one was modelled to study the relationship between player behaviour and cultural, organisational and governance issues within Cricket Australia and team performance bodies nationwide.The aim behind forming the panels was to understand circumstances that led to the ball-tampering scandal and ensure there is no repeat of such incidents.Former skipper Steve Smith, along with former vice-captain David Warner, was barred from all international and domestic cricket for a year, while opening batsman Cameron Bancroft was suspended for nine months by Cricket Australia for their roles in an attempt to scuff the ball during the third Test of the four-match series against
Penarol sweat over fitness of Uruguay winger Rodriguez
Uruguay international winger Cristian Rodriguez faces a race against time to be fit for Penarol's decisive clash with Progreso in the Uruguayan top division on Sunday.
Looked up to Lara, says Hetmyer after regaining form
West Indian swashbuckler Shimron Hetmyer Tuesday said he looked up to the great Brian Lara and thanked his country's legends for backing youngsters like him to "keep trying" despite the fact that the islands' plummeting graph in cricket has refused to head north. The 21-year-old Hetmyer bludgeoned his way to a 78-ball 106 in the first ODI against India in Guwahati, redeeming himself after a disastrous Test series, in which he managed just 50 runs across four innings at 12.50. "I did look up to Brian Lara when I used to watch cricket, but most of it (shots) comes naturally to me. I am a natural stroke-player and try to play each ball on merit," Hetmyer said during a chat after a training session. "I have spoken to a few legends in the past, they are quite fun actually, easy going -- Lance Gibbs, Sir Viv Richards and Brian Lara, Some of the other stars, too. Knowing that they are backing you makes me feel good," he said. "They tell me to be 'just be yourself', they give suggestions like
Shubhankar eyes WGC-HSBC Champions title in debut appearance
Shubhankar Sharma is determined to become only the second Asian player ever to claim the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in just his debut appearance as he feels he has got the game to be counted among the best. The USD 10 million event starts at the Sheshan International Golf Club on Thursday. "I'm playing this event for the first time...It's obviously going to be a very exciting week as only the best players in the world will be here and I'm part of them," Sharma said in a release issued by the Asian Tour. "I've been lucky to be able to play in all the big tournaments this year so I would say I'm more comfortable playing against these guys than I was at the start of the year. I know I have the game to be among the best in the world," he added. The Indian believes he is close to rediscovering the form that led him to two wins on the Asian Tour and is capable of following the footsteps of Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, who lifted the coveted Old Tom Morris Cup in 2016. Sharma won ..
India vs Pakistan to open AFC Under-19 Women's Qualifiers
The Indian under-19 women's football team will be up against Pakistan in its opening match of the AFC Championship Qualifier here on Wednesday. India coach Alex Ambrose said his team would look to keep emotions at bay in the clash against the arch-rivals. "It may only make us lose focus on what our real objective is. All we want from our first game is three points. There is no special treatment as such for Pakistan. I want the girls to play to our plan and execute the ideas properly on the pitch, regardless of who we are playing," he said ahead of the match. Although both the teams played in the SAFF U-18 championships, they did not face each other in Bhutan earlier this month. While India topped their group and went on to clinch the bronze medal, Pakistan finished bottom of their pool, losing all their matches. On the eve of the fixture between the two rivals, Pakistan head coach Mohammed Siddique Sheikh lauded India and said the qualifiers will give his players good exposure. "These
India A look to seal series
On a roll, the upbeat India A women will look to seal the three-match T20 series when they take on their Australian counterparts in the second game here on Wednesday. India A began the rubber in style with a four-wicket win against the visitors at the Mumbai Cricket Association's Bandra Kurla Complex facility on Monday. A victory in the second game would help the home team capture a winning lead ahead of Friday's last match. The India A team is basically the national team that will represent the country at the World T20 to be hosted by the West Indies next month. The hosts would thus be keen to win the remaining two games to boost their morale ahead of the World Cup. All eyes would again be on youngster Smriti Mandhana, whose form will be crucial for the hosts. She made a match winning 72 in the first game and would surely like to build upon that going into the all-important ICC event. Same will be the case with experienced Harmanpreet Kaur, who also chipped in with a ...