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Nabi, Omarzai lift Afghanistan to 158/5

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The start of the game was delayed by a few minutes as a flickering blue light around the sightscreen distracted Gurbaz.

Published Date – 11 January 2024, 09:03 PM


Nabi, Omarzai lift Afghanistan to 158/5


Mohali: A lively 68-run partnership off 43 balls between the seasoned Mohammad Nabi and youthful Azmatullah Omarzai lifted Afghanistan to 158 for five after India dominated the powerplay in the first T20 here on Thursday.

A stroke-filled partnership between Nabi (42 off 27) and Omarzai (29 off 22) was just what Afghanistan needed after India reduced the visitors to 57 for three in 10 overs amid chilly conditions at the PCA Stadium. Openers Rahamanullah Gurbaz (23 off 28) and skipper Ibrahim Zadran (25 off 22) could only find four boundaries in the powerplay.

The start of the game was delayed by a few minutes as a flickering blue light around the sightscreen distracted Gurbaz. Pacer Arshdeep Singh opened the innings with a maiden before the spinners got into the game as early as the fourth over.

Axar Patel, who ended up as the stand out bowler for India with figures of 4-0-23-2, had Gurbaz stumped with a fast and straight delivery after the opener slog swept him for a six. Zadran was the next to depart as he smashed an innocuous ball from Shivam Dube straight to India skipper Rohit Sharma at cover. It was only the second ball of his opening spell.

Rahmat Shah, making his T20 debut after playing 106 ODIs for Afghanistan, chopped on to stumps a flatter one from Axar. Afghanistan badly needed a move on and that came via the experience of Nabi and Omarzai, who had impressed with his all-round abilities in the ODI World Cup in India.

While the top-order struggled to rotate strike, Omarzai and Nabi showed their teammates how to build a T20 innings.

Both targeted Ravi Bishnoi and Mukesh Kumar in the middle overs. Nabi’s back to back sixes off Mukesh stood out in his quickfire knock. He first made room to smash him over extra cover and waited still for the second ball to dispatch it over mid-wicket.

Najibullah Zadran (19 not out off 11) and Karim Janat (9 not out off 5) took the total past 150. India dropped three catches in the biting cold of Mohali. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was unavailable for selection due to a sore right groin.

Sports

Natura emerges champion at HCC 4th Max-16 In-House Chess Tournament

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Natura claimed 5 points from 6 rounds to seal top spot over Vakcheri Mohitha and Kandi Santosh Sai Karthik who amassed 4.5 and 4 points respectively to finish second and third

Published Date – 11 January 2024, 08:45 PM


Natura emerges champion at HCC 4th Max-16 In-House Chess Tournament

Natura Bethi

Hyderabad: Natura Bethi emerged victorious to clinch the HCC 4th Max-16 In-House Chess Tournament in Hyderabad on Thursday.

She claimed 5 points from 6 rounds to seal top spot over Vakcheri Mohitha and Kandi Santosh Sai Karthik who amassed 4.5 and 4 points respectively to finish second and third.

Results: Final Round: Natura Bethi (5) drew with Vakcheri Mohitha (4.5), DN Vijayendrakumar (4) bt Sanikommu Jaideep Reddy (3.5), Arka Ram Mahankali (3) lost to Kandi Santosh Sai Karthik (4), Andabatla Satvik (4) bt Adithya Akula (3), Kushi Soma Srivatsa (2) lost to Rishi Pallagani (3.5), Uday Akula (2) lost to Kashyap Abhay Srivatsa (3), Sri Ganesh Sanyasi Chavali (2) drew with Manda Rama Mohan Rao (1.5), Raja Gopal (1.5) drew with S Rajasekhar Reddy (1.5); Top 10 positions: 1. Natura Bethi (5), 2. Vakcheri Mohitha (4.5), 3. Kandi Santosh Sai Karthik (4), 4. Andabatla Satvik (4), 5. DN Vijayendrakumar (4), 6. Sanikommu Jaideep Reddy (3.5), 7. Rishi Pallagani (3.5), 8. Arka Ram Mahankali (3), 9. Adithya Akula (3), 10. Kashyap Abhay Srivatsa (3).

Sports

Iran’s Abouzari seizes silver at Zagreb Open

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Jason Nolf from the US defended his 74kg gold medal with an impressive show throughout the day.

Abouzari was the second Iranian wrestler who tried to stop Nolf from winning the gold medal. Yones Emami was in the final last year but Abouzari defeated him 4-4 in the quarterfinals to advance.

The Ranking Series event started on January 10 in Zagreb, Croatia with Freestyle, followed by Women’s Wrestling, and end with Greco-Roman.

MP/TSN

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India vs Afghanistan T20 Series: Virat Kohli In And Ishan Kishan Out | Cricket News Today

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The BCCI is silent. Selectors choose alternatives. Curiosity surrounds Kishan’s situation.

Updated On – 11 January 2024, 09:41 AM


India vs Afghanistan T20 Series: Virat Kohli In And Ishan Kishan Out | Cricket News Today


Ishan Kishan, absent since the World Cup, sparks speculation. Omitted from T20I series; reasons unclear. Rumors include disciplinary actions, lack of communication. The BCCI is silent. Selectors choose alternatives. Curiosity surrounds Kishan’s situation.

Sports

ECDG wins Pongal Trophy Junior Cricket Championship

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MA Adnan returned with an impressive 6/17 bowling figures as his side Emerging Cricketers Development Group (ECDG) registered a massive 125-run win over Muchkunda CA in final of 8th edition of Pongal Trophy Junior Cricket Championship

Published Date – 10 January 2024, 10:30 PM


ECDG wins Pongal Trophy Junior Cricket Championship

Victorious ECDG team members with the winners trophy on Wednesday.

Hyderabad: MA Adnan returned with an impressive 6/17 bowling figures as his side Emerging Cricketers Development Group (ECDG) registered a massive 125-run win over Muchkunda CA in final of 8th edition of Pongal Trophy Junior Cricket Championship organised by ECDG at HotSpot Cricket Grounds, Chilkur, Hyderabad.

Batting first, ECDG posted 286/7 in 30 overs thanks to Tabrez and Harsh Dev who scored 71 and 72 runs respectively. Rehan also joined them with a fine 57. V Ajay was the star bowler for Muchkunda picking up 6 wickets.

Later, Adnan wreaked havoc to bundle out Muchkunda CA for 161 in 26.3 overs to seal the title. Abhinav top-scored with 82 runs for the losing outfit.

Brief Scores: Final: ECDG: 286/7 in 30 overs ( Tabrez 71, Harsh Dev 72, Rehan 57; V Ajay 6/32) bt Muchkunda CA: 161 in 26.3 overs (Abhinav 82; MA Adnan 6/17); Awards: Man of the Match (Final): MA Adnan, Most Valuable Player: Abhinav, Player of the Tournament: Harsh Dev, Best Batsman: Tabrez, Best Bowler: V Ajay, Best Fielder: Ameer Shaikh, Game Changer Award: Rehan, Emerging Player: Zameer, Nihal.

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Hyderabad draw with Karnataka in Col CK Nayudu Trophy

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Captain K Himateja hit an unbeaten 166 while P Aman Rao scored 105 as Hyderabad took three points by virtue of first innings lead after drawing their match against Karnataka on the fourth day in the BCCI Men’s Under-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy

Published Date – 10 January 2024, 10:15 PM


Hyderabad draw with Karnataka in Col CK Nayudu Trophy

K Himateja and P Aman Rao.

Hyderabad: Captain K Himateja hit an unbeaten 166 while P Aman Rao scored 105 as Hyderabad took three points by virtue of first innings lead after drawing their match against Karnataka on the fourth day in the BCCI Men’s Under-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy at SDNRW Ground in Mysuru, on Wednesday.

After taking a slender first innings lead, Hyderabad declared their innings after posting 353/5 in 96.2 overs. Himateja remained unbeaten in his 272-ball essay which was laced with 16 boundaries and three sixes. Opener Aman Rao hit 14 boundaries and a six as he and Himateja added 139 runs for the third wicket. First-innings centurion Ilyaan Sathani scored a 93-ball unbeaten 50. Later, Karnataka were at 29/1 when the captains agreed a draw.

Brief Scores: Hyderabad 294 & 353/5 in 96.2 overs (P Aman Rao 105, K Himateja 166 no, Ilyaan Sathani 50no; Paras Gurbax Arya 2/117) drew with Karnataka 281 & 29/1 in 18 overs.

Sports

Female shooter Amini secures 2024 Olympics berth

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The shooter stood in sixth place in the 10m air rifle with a score of 628.02 points in the Asian Championship 2024 Rifle / Pistol Jakarta.

Indian shooters Nancy and Elavenil Valarivan won gold and silver respectively and the bronze medal went to China’s Yufan Shen.

The Asian championship started on Jan. 5 and will run until Jan. 17 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

This edition is the 17th edition of the continental championship, and a total of 16 quotas for the Paris Olympic Games are up for grabs.

Amini’s berth is Iran’s 13th berth in the Olympics so far.

This is the penultimate Paris Olympic qualification tournament which will offer quotas.

SD/TT

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Ultimate Kho Kho: Telugu Yoddhas look to beat Chennai Quick Guns to reach final

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After looking like a good bet to top the league table all season, Telugu Yoddhas suffered heavy defeats in their last two matches, including a huge 20-point reverse in the last game against Gujarat Giants

Published Date – 10 January 2024, 08:30 PM


Ultimate Kho Kho: Telugu Yoddhas look to beat Chennai Quick Guns to reach final


Hyderabad: Telugu Yoddhas will aspire to keep their dominant run going when they take on Chennai Quick Guns in the second semifinal of Ultimate Kho Kho Season 2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack on Thursday.

Telugu Yoddhas will be looking to arrest their worrying dip in form. After looking like a good bet to top the league table all season, they suffered heavy defeats in their last two matches, including a huge 20-point reverse in the last game against Gujarat Giants.

They will however take solace from the fact that they did convincingly beat Chennai Quick Guns the last time these two teams met. They will look for inspiration from their captain Pratik Waikar, who is not only the top Wazir in the league this season, but has the most number of pole dives as well.

Chennai Quick Guns have arguably been the best team of the season so far. The team with the most attacking and defensive points, they also have the player of the season within their ranks in Ramji Kashyap. Ramji is both the top attacker and the top defender of this season, has the most number of skydives as well as the most dive points.

What makes their season all the more impressive is how Chennai Quick Guns have been fuelled by some young players who are just at the start of their careers. Ramji himself is just 20. All-rounder Madan, who has put in some superb defensive displays, is just 19. Attacker Vijay Shinde is just 21 while Akash Kadam is 22.

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Spotlight only on Rohit after Kohli pulls out of first T20I on match eve

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The team, having returned from South Africa last week, only assembled on Wednesday evening for the series.

Published Date – 10 January 2024, 06:29 PM


Spotlight only on Rohit after Kohli pulls out of first T20I on match eve


Mohali: The spotlight will be only on the returning Rohit Sharma as his long-time colleague Virat Kohli pulled out of the opening T20I against Afghanistan due to “personal reasons” ahead of the first ever white-ball series between the two teams, beginning here on Thursday.

Kohli, though, will be available for the second and third T20 International. India head coach Rahul Dravid attributed Kohli’s pull-out to “family reasons” before he addressed media.

Both the stalwarts are returning to the shortest format after 14 months and will be keenly observed in the three-match rubber, which will be India’s last before the T20 World Cup in June, giving the team more clarity on where it stands ahead of the ICC event in Americas. However, the final 15 will be picked on the basis of core group’s performance in the IPL, which precedes the World Cup.

Dravid said Rohit will open the batting with young Yashasvi Jaiswal against Afghanistan. Rohit and Kohli, after he returns, are a certainty in this squad but the accomplished duo would first like to get the most out of the games against Afghanistan, who would be without their star spinner Rashid Khan. Khan underwent a back surgery in November last year and is still recuperating.

“He is not totally fit. We will miss him in the series. We will struggle without Rashid but one should be ready for any kind of situation,” Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran said on the eve of the series-opener, hoping that others in the side would step up.

The focus, however, will firmly be on Rohit, easily among the biggest crowd-puller. His presence on the field would be a big reason for the Mohali crowd to brave the prevailing cold wave. Rohit, who will also captain the side, will be expected to carry on with his ultra aggressive approach in the powerplay like he showed in the ODI World Cup.

The team, having returned from South Africa last week, only assembled on Wednesday evening for the series. The likes of Jaiswal and Tilak Varma remain in the squad after performing top-order duties in the drawn series against South Africa, and so is Shubman Gill.

Across formats, Gill did not have the easiest of times in the Rainbow nation and will be looking to pile on the runs against Afghanistan with the others breathing down his neck. In his toughest test yet in a blossoming T20 career, Rinku Singh proved his worth in the South African conditions and will be a key player for India in the middle-order, especially in the absence of the injured duo of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya.

With Ishan Kishan interestingly left out, Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson are the two wicket-keeping options for the squad.

Having donned the gloves in the previous two series, Jitesh is expected to start ahead of Samson, who finds himself back in the fold after the short series in Ireland last August.

Shivam Dube too is back and can feature in the eleven as a pace bowling all-rounder while three specialist pace options are Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar. Kuldeep Yadav will lead the spin attack and other options to choose from are Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar.

India would be expected to win comfortably in their own conditions but Afghanistan will give them a run for their money. Having recently exceeded all expectations in their giant-killing run during the ODI World Cup in India, Afghanistan will be high on confidence in a format that suits them the most.

Barring Rashid’s injury-forced absence, the team is at full strength after the likes Mujeeb Zadran, Naveen-Ul Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi sorted their contractual issues with the country’s cricket board.

Squads: India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar. Aghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen Ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Saleem, Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan. Match starts at 7pm (local time).

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Iran’s Alamian downed by Hong Kong rival in 2024 Qatar WTT

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Alamian was defeated by Hong Kong opponent Kwan Kit 2-3 in the third round of the preliminary stage and was eliminated from the tournament.

The Iranian table tennis player is in 208th place, while his rival ranks 58th in the world.

Earlier in the tournament, Alamian earned a win over contestants from India Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 3-1, and Japan Maharu Yoshimura 3-1.

Other Iranian players including Noshad Alamian and Amir-Hossein Hodaei accepted defeat against their rivals and were eliminated in the preliminary stage.

The 2024 WTT Star Contender is underway at Lusail Sports Arena in Doha, Qatar from January 8-13, 2024.

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