The team under the guidance of coach cum manager V Shivananda Reddy of Postal Department, Hyderabad.
Published Date – 25 March 2024, 10:03 PM
Hyderabad: S Sushanth of Prakasham Vidyanikethan High School, Anandnagar Colony, Hyderabad and V Aini Reddy of All Saints High School, Hyderabad to lead Telangana Under-14 boys and girls teams respectively in the 46th Sub-Junior National & Inter-State Carrom Championship to be held at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh starting March 28.
The team under the guidance of coach cum manager V Shivananda Reddy of Postal Department, Hyderabad.
Squads: U-14: Boys: S Sushanth (C), Sri Kirti Vetsa, D Aashrith, Sai Akshay Mudiraj, J Sandeep; Girls: V Aini Reddy (C), G Kavya, D Mounika, C Sanjana, R Ritika, K Geetika; U-12: Boys: Taksheel Jain, Sri Karthy Ishwak Vetsa; Girls: T Sreeja, G Swetha; Coach cum manager: V Shivananda Reddy.
But just as the alliance was blossoming, Prabhsimran tried to pull Maxwell but a feeble top edge was easily grabbed by stumper Anuj Rawat.
Published Date – 25 March 2024, 09:49 PM
Bengaluru: The pragmatism of captain Shikhar Dhawan was the bedrock on which Punjab Kings built their 176 for six as Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers found their bearings on a Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch that offered them springboard bounce here on Monday.
Dhawan (45, 37b), Jitesh Sharma (27, 20b) and Prabhsimran Singh (25, 17b) were the main contributors for the Kings after Royal Challengers opted to bowl first on a track that had a smattering of green.
For RCB, Mohammed Siraj and Glenn Maxwell took wickets apiece.
The Kings made a shaky beginning as Jonny Bairstow got out early as his outings on these shores, which is stretched back to last year’s World Cup, has now become more barren than the Indian summer.
In the latest instance, the Englishman’s poorly-executed close-to-the-body pull of pacer Siraj was taken by Virat Kohli inside the covers.
But from 17 for one, the visitors found some runs through Dhawan and Prabhsimran who tackled the pitch and the RCB bowlers with aplomb, milking 55 runs off 38 balls.
Dhawan was not precisely smooth during his stay but showed enough pluck to cash in on the loose deliveries, such as a length ball on the off-stump from left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar which he lofted over long-on for a six.
In fact, the RCB bowlers, especially impressive left-arm seamer Yash Dayal (1/23), did well to tie him down with deliveries that darted in to him from just short of good length.
Prabhsimran also occasionally vented his aggressive instincts, and the most telling piece was his flicked six off Cameron Green that sailed 90 meters over mid-wicket for a maximum.
But just as the alliance was blossoming, Prabhsimran tried to pull Maxwell but a feeble top edge was easily grabbed by stumper Anuj Rawat.
Rawat soon doubled the number of his catches when he latched on to a wild heave outside the off-stump by Liam Livingstone off Alzarri Joseph in the last ball of the 12th over.
But the Punjab side suffered a heavier blow as Dhawan got in the very next ball.
The left-hander’s attempt to hoist Maxwell out of the ground ended in the hands of Kohli at long-on as the Kings slipped to 98 for four in 12.1 overs.
It wasn’t an ideal situation for Kings as they needed a few more runs on the board to give a meaningful challenge to the home side.
They found those from Jitesh, who hammered Dagar for two sixes in a row, and Sam Curran, who added 52 runs for the fifth wicket off 34 balls to push the PBKS past the 150-run mark, that was swelled by a couple of beefy hits by Shashank Singh, who carted Joseph for 20 runs in the final over.
But they would have liked a heavier looking scoreboard in pursuance of their second successive victory.
Anwar conveyed his best wishes to Chhetri during a press interaction, ahead of Chhetri’s 150th match for India against Afghanistan in Guwahati. Anwar also expressed his desire for Chhetri to continue playing more matches.
Published Date – 25 March 2024, 11:00 AM
Guwahati: Ahead of Sunil Chhetri’s 150th senior international match, India defender Anwar Ali called the skipper a “legend”.
While speaking to the press, Anwar sent his best wishes to Chhetri, who will play his 150th match for India in the upcoming encounter against Afghanistan in Guwahati. He also wanted Chhetri to play more matches.
“He’s our legend. I just want to send him my best wishes. He’s a legend for anyone in India. I want him to play more matches,” Anwar said.
Before the start of India’s upcoming match against Afghanistan in Guwahati, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has decided to felicitate Sunil Chhetri.
Talking about the first round qualifier match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 against Afghanistan, he said that the Blue Tigers performed well in the game. He added that for the upcoming round, the hosts are ready to take on the Afghan side.
“In the previous game, our performance was good, but we could not score. But for the next match, we are fully prepared and we will do well,” he added.
The India defender said that in the previous round, even though they failed to score, but the team managed to keep a clean sheet. He added that the Blue Tigers’ main goal will be to clinch three points in the upcoming match.
“Every match is friendly, does not matter if it’s friendly or a competitive game. There’s a learning process. In the last match, we failed to get three points but we managed to keep a cleansheet and bagged one point. For us, that’s a good thing. For the next game, our goal will be to get three games,” he added.
India are set to face Afghanistan at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on March 26, in their fourth match of the qualifiers in Group A. The Blue Tigers currently stand second in the group with four points from three games, one ahead of Kuwait, who are on three points from as many matches.
Australia and India will compete in a five-Test series this summer, marking the first time since 1991-92. The extended Border-Gavaskar Trophy series will be a highlight of the 2024-25 home summer schedule, set to be released soon
Updated On – 25 March 2024, 10:12 AM
New Delhi: The Test rivalry between India and Australia will get bigger next summer as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket Australia (CA) announced the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be played as a five-Test series.
For the first time since 1991-92, Australia and India will compete across a five-Test series this summer. The extended series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be a headline of the 2024-25 home summer schedule set to be released in the coming days.
Jay Shah, BCCI secretary, said, “The BCCI remains steadfast in its dedication to preserving the rich heritage of Test Cricket, a format we hold in the highest esteem.
“Our ongoing collaboration with Cricket Australia in extending the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to five Tests underscores our collective commitment to nurturing and elevating Test cricket’s significance.
“This extension echoes our shared vision to amplify the essence of Test cricket and uphold its legacy. As India and Australia, come together, we anticipate an enthralling spectacle that will captivate fans worldwide with its intensity and excitement.”
Mike Baird, CA Chair, added, “We are absolutely delighted the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been extended to five Tests given the intense rivalry between our two great cricketing nations and the excitement this creates.
“The eyes of the cricket world will be on Australia and I’m confident Pat Cummins’ World Champion team can overcome the skill and depth of the Indian team who played so brilliantly to win the last two series here and reclaim the trophy.
“We’re grateful for the collaboration with the BCCI and I echo Mr Shah’s sentiments about the pre-eminence of Test cricket. We look forward to hosting their team, officials and fans throughout what will be a tremendous series and a highlight of a packed summer of cricket.”
In the last four Test series between the two teams, India has been the more dominant team, winning each time. This includes winning the Test series in Australia in back-to-back years, from 2018–19 and 2020–21 (both by identical 2-1 margins).
In 2018-19, India became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia.
The extension of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for this and future series recognises the standing of the nations which contested the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final as well as their enduring commitment to the game’s preeminent international format.
Speaking on JioCinema, De Villiers said that SRH will be upset with their loss and should have won the match. “I think SRH will be upset with how they started (the tournament).
Published Date – 24 March 2024, 11:55 PM
Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Heinrich Klaasen plays a shot during the IPL 2023 cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad, at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Monday, May 15, 2023. (PTI Photo)
Mumbai: Legendary South African batter AB de Villiers lauded compatriot and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter Heinrich Klaasen, saying that he is one of the “best in the world” right now.
Despite an all-round show by Russell, SRH’s Heinrich Klaasen threatened to ruin KKR’s party and dented the over Rs 24-crore price-tagged Mitchell Starc’s IPL comeback with some massive sixes during a run-chase of 209 runs.
But a win was not meant to be for SRH as Harshit managed to keep his composure and defended 13 runs in the last over despite Klaasen hitting him for a massive six early on.
Harshit went on to pick up two wickets, including that off Klaasen. KKR won a thrilling match by four runs, but Klaasen came out of the match as a star, scoring 63* in 29 balls, with eight sixes. JioCinema IPL expert de Villiers discussed the impressive performances by Heinrich Klaasen (63 runs), and KKR all-rounder Andre Russell (64* runs in 25 balls, with three fours and seven sixes and 2/25), on ‘Match Centre Live’.
Speaking on JioCinema, De Villiers said that SRH will be upset with their loss and should have won the match. “I think SRH will be upset with how they started (the tournament).
They had KKR in trouble and should have pushed through. One more wicket and this game would have been over. We know 200 is an average score at the Eden Gardens, but the batting performance showed really nice composure and set it up nicely.
Maybe they left it a little bit too late and asked too much of the batters like Klaasen, but the form the man is in, he is possibly the best player in the world right now.
Why? He can go from gears one to five and five to one. He plays around and that is why I think he’s one of the best in the world right now.”
Klaasen has delivered some fine performances for South Africa in international T20 games, but the franchise T20 cricket is where he thrives the most. In his T20 career, he has scored 4,043 runs in 180 matches at an average of 32.34 and a strike rate of 151.08, with two centuries and 25 fifties.
His best score is 104*. Klaasen carried SRH’s inconsistent batting last season, scoring 448 runs at an average of 49.77 and a strike rate of 177.08, with a century and two fifties in 11 innings.
Speaking about Russell, de Villiers said that the all-rounder often gets criticised for inconsistency, but he wins games for his franchise when he steps up. “You have to give him a lot of credit for how he played tonight. I did not see him much last year and it must be tough for him.
He does not play a lot of cricket these days, but to rock up to the IPL with a lot of pressure on him, he still has a price tag on his name. Every season, he does not play well and there is a lot of criticism. It is easy to criticize but when the man steps up there and does what he does best, he wins games for KKR.
That’s what it comes down to. If he didn’t play tonight, they would not have won,” said de Villiers. Put to bat first by SRH, KKR was reduced to 51/4 in 7.3 overs.
However, a half-century by Phil Salt (54 in 40 balls, with three fours and three sixes) and an explosive knock by Ramandeep Singh (35 in 17 balls, with a four and four sixes) kept the team’s run rate just fine, but still they were struggling at 119/6 in 13.5 overs.
An explosive 67-run partnership followed between Andre Rusell (64* in 25 balls, with three fours and seven sixes) and Rinku Singh (23 in 15 balls, with three fours), powering KKR to 208/7 in 20 overs. T Natrajan (3/32) and Mayank Markande (2/32) were the top bowlers for SRH.
In the chase of 209 runs, SRH started off well with a 60-run opening stand between Mayank Agarwal (32 in 21 balls with four boundaries and a six) and Abhishek Sharma (32 in 19 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes). The team lost their way and was soon 145/5 in 16.5 overs.
However, Heinrich Klaasen (63 in 29 balls with eight sixes) and Shahbaz Ahmed (16 in five balls, with a four and two sixes) unreleased a barrage of sixes towards the end, torching pacer Mitchell Starc with a prize tag of over Rs 24 crore for 26 runs in his over, ending his first figures for KKR at 0/53 in four overs. 13 runs were needed in final over, but Harshit Rana (3/33) held his nerves, taking two wickets and defending the remaining runs.
Andre Russell secured the ‘Player of the Match’ for his half-century and figures of 2/25.
Looking to make an impact against his former team, Pandya opened the bowling and Wriddhiman Saha (19) slapped a wide ball through the off-side to begin GT’s campaign with a boundary.
Published Date – 24 March 2024, 09:54 PM
Ahmedabad: Jasprit Bumrah (3/14) was at his absolute best in his first IPL game in two years, firing in his express yorkers at will to help Mumbai Indians restrict Gujarat Titans to 168/6 here on Sunday.
Young left-hander B Sai Sudharsan top-scored with a 45 off 39 balls, while Rahul Tewatia made 22 off 15 balls down the order. But the evening, without an iota of doubt, belonged to Bumrah, who missed the whole of last edition due to a lower back stress fracture.
He dismissed David Miller and Sudharsan in the 17th over in a space of three deliveries in what could be a potential game-changer. Assuming that there could be dew later in the evening, MI’s new skipper Hardik Pandya invited GT to bat first, and Shubman Gill in his first game as captain was up to the task.
Looking to make an impact against his former team, Pandya opened the bowling and Wriddhiman Saha (19) slapped a wide ball through the off-side to begin GT’s campaign with a boundary.
Up against Gill, Pandya erred in line and the stylish batter used his wrists to whip him off his pads for a four, as the MI captain conceded 11 runs after his surprise move to start the proceedings at the expense of one of the world’s best bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah.
As Saha got a few useful boundaries, Gill found the fence with consummate ease as GT were off to a flyer. However, Bumrah’s introduction in the fourth over brought MI instant success as the lead pacer sent back Saha with an express yorker, hitting the base of the middle stump.
The former India stumper couldn’t bring his bat down in quick time. Spin was brought on in Shams Mulani and Gill rocked back to cut the left-arm spinner through covers for a four.
The GT captain then got down on one leg to slog-sweep Mulani for a huge six over deep square-leg. Piyush Chawla bowled an economical first over, even as GT managed 47 runs for the loss of one wicket in the powerplay. Chawla continued and Gill tried to disturb his rhythm, but failed.
He danced down the ground to hoick him but did not get the necessary elevation, as Rohit Sharma, who is normally not seen fielding in such positions, judged it well to complete a neat catch in the deep.
The experienced Chawla snared the big fish with a googly as Gill (31 off 22 balls) walked back after getting his eye in, much to the relief of the hordes of Mumbai supporters at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
However, with Sai Sudharsan determined to start from where he left in the title clash against CSK last season with a magnificent 96, MI knew they had their task cut out.
South African pacer Gerald Coetzee accounted for Azmatullah Omarzai (17), while the brilliant Bumrah sent back David Miller and Sudharsan in one over before Rahul Tewatia lifted GT with his lusty hits.
The Deccan Warriors were in a comfortable lead at half time but late goals from Stendly Fernandes and Lamgoulen, the former helped by a mistake from Sreenidi Deccan goalkeeper Albino Gomes, helped the Red Machines steal a point and derail the hosts’ title challenge.
Updated On – 24 March 2024, 09:32 PM
Hyderabad: Sreenidi Deccan Football Club suffered a setback in their quest for the I-League championship as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Churchill Brothers in a Matchweek 20 clash here at the Deccan Arena on Sunday.
The Deccan Warriors were in a comfortable lead at half time but late goals from Stendly Fernandes and Lamgoulen, the former helped by a mistake from Sreenidi Deccan goalkeeper Albino Gomes, helped the Red Machines steal a point and derail the hosts’ title challenge.
Sreenidi Deccan made a quick start as forward William Alves opened the scoring in the 5th minute after latching on to a ball from Lalromawia from the right. Mizo midfielder Lalromawia then got on the scoresheet himself five minutes before half time as he headed in Rilwan Hassan’s cross from close range. The 2-0 scoreline was a fair reflection of the hosts’ control of the game but the second half had surprises in store.
The Deccan Warriors started the second half on the front foot like they had ended the first but their failure to convert any chances and put the game beyond doubt came back to haunt them. In the 82nd minute, Stendly drove forward and fired a speculative effort at goal which spilled from Albino’s hands into the back of the net.
Seven minutes later, right-back Lamgoulen got forward after the referee failed to award a foul to Sreenidi Deccan on the halfway line and lashed home into the top corner to equalise. Sreenidi Deccan remain in second place with 40 points from 20 matches, eight points behind league leaders Mohammedan SC who have 48 from 21 matches.
In the third-place match, Adilabad dominated Hanmakonda with a thumping 11-0 win in the one-sided encounter.
Published Date – 24 March 2024, 09:34 PM
Hyderabad: Nizamabad continued their good run of form, to beat Medak 3-0 in the final of the 8th Telangana State Sub-Junior Inter-District Softball Championship at CSI High School Ground, Alair, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri on Sunday.
In the third-place match, Adilabad dominated Hanmakonda with a thumping 11-0 win in the one-sided encounter.
Buttler is the third-highest run-getter for RR, scoring 2,707 runs at an average of 41.64, with a strike rate of over 148.
Published Date – 24 March 2024, 09:12 PM
Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson equalled batters Jos Buttler and Ajinkya Rahane for most fifty-plus scores for the franchise on Sunday.
Samson achieved this milestone during the side’s Indian Premier League (IPL) match-up against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
In the match, Samson made 82* in 52 balls, with three fours and six sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of over 157. This was Samson’s 23rd fifty-plus score for RR, including two hundreds. Buttler has five centuries and 18 fifties for RR while Rahane has two centuries and 21 fifties for the pink franchise.
Samson is the leading run-scorer for RR, scoring 3,485 runs at an average of 30.84 and a strike rate of over 139. He has scored two centuries and 21 fifties. His best score is 119.
At second place is Rahane, who has scored 3,098 runs at an average of 35.60 and a strike rate of 122.30, with two
centuries and 21 fifties. His best score is 105*. Buttler is the third-highest run-getter for RR, scoring 2,707 runs at an average of 41.64, with a strike rate of over 148.
He has scored five centuries and 18 fifties. His best score is 124.
Coming to the RR-LSG match, RR opted to bat first after winning the toss. Openers Jos Buttler (11) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (24 in 12 balls, with three fours and a six) departed without making much impact, reducing the team to 49/2.
Following that, a 93-run partnership happened between Riyan and skipper Sanju, who scored 82* in 52 balls, with three fours and six sixes. Dhruv Jurel (20* in 12 balls, with a four and six) finished off well to take RR to 193/4 in 20 overs.
Verstappen, aiming for a record-equalling 10th consecutive win, initially led from pole position. However, he encountered issues early in the race, allowing Sainz to seize the opportunity and challenge for the lead after a compromised second lap.
Updated On – 24 March 2024, 07:22 PM
Melbourne: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz raced to his first victory of the season with an impressive display during Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, taking advantage of technical trouble for Max Verstappen in the opening laps that forced the reigning world champion to retire.
Bidding for a record-equalling 10th victory in a row, Verstappen capitalised on his pole position advantage as the race got underway but soon reported issues behind the wheel, with a compromised second lap opening the door for Sainz to make a move for the lead.
From there, Verstappen’s brake-related woes got worse and, with plumes of smoke exiting the rear of his car, he pulled off the racing line to let the rest of the field overtake him before returning to the pits and retiring for the first time in two years.
Sainz went from strength to strength in Verstappen’s absence, building up a solid lead over Lando Norris, teammate Charles Leclerc, and home favourite Oscar Piastri, eventually taking the chequered flag for the third triumph of his F1 career.
Leclerc completed an undercut on Norris in the early stages of the race to rise to a net second and back up Sainz for Ferrari’s first one-two finish since the 2022 opener. Norris nonetheless recorded a breakthrough maiden podium of the season for himself and McLaren.
Piastri also got the jump on Norris during the initial round of pit stops, only to be asked to move aside for his teammate and then lose some more time with an off-track excursion, leaving him in a lonely fourth at the finish, followed by the Red Bull of Sergio Perez.
George Russell had been pushing to complete a late move on Fernando Alonso for sixth position when he dramatically crashed out at the high-speed Turn 6/7 complex, causing extensive damage to his Mercedes and bringing out a Virtual Safety Car to the finish.
The stewards later deemed that Alonso had played a “potentially dangerous” part in the incident, dropping the Spaniard from P6 to P8 with a post-race 20-second penalty, the Formula 1 published on its official website.
That decision moved his teammate Lance Stroll up to sixth and RB HOnda’s Yuki Tsunoda to P7 as Haas took a welcome clutch of points with Nico Hulkenberg in ninth and Kevin Magnussen in 10th.
Williams’ decision to put Alex Albon in Logan Sargeant’s car did not quite result in points as he took 11th, followed by the other home driver in action, RB’s Daniel Ricciardo, and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly, who was hit with a five-second penalty for a pit exit breach.
Sauber endured yet more pit stop problems on their way to 14th and 15th with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu respectively, while Esteban Ocon was the final finisher in the other Alpine after Verstappen’s early retirement, Russell’s late crash and a mid-race engine issue for Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton was watching from the Mercedes garage when teammate Russell suffered his crash, with the latter – whose car was pitched on its side in the middle of the track after the left front crumbled – quickly reporting over the radio that he was “okay”.
With the drivers aware of Russell’s condition, the celebrations started down at Ferrari as Sainz revelled in his journey from a hospital bed to the top step of the podium in just two weeks – shouting his trademark “smooth operator” line as he headed for parc ferme.
