Asian Games Live: 2 Wickets In 1st Over For India In Women's Cricket Semis

Asian Games 2023 Live Updates: It's a Super Sunday for the Indian contingent at the Asian Games 2023. Indian stars have the chance to win several medals with shooters, rowers and cricketers in action. All eyes will be on the Indian women's cricket team, which faces Bangladesh in the semi-final. A win will assure Smriti Mandhana and Co. of at least a silver medal at the Asian Games 2023. Shooters will be expected to deliver more medals in the women's 10m air rifle. Apart from them, rowers have great chance to increase the medals tally. India men's hockey team and the football teams (men's and women's) will also be in action. (LIVE Cricket Scorecard | Asian Games 2023 medals tally | Asian Games 2023 Full Schedule)

Here are the LIVE Updates of Asian Games 2023 Today, Straight from Hangzhou:

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/Wwmyg2T

Asian Games 2023: Vishnu Sarvanan Slips To 2nd Spot, Neha 3rd In Standings

Former Olympian Vishnu Sarvanan slipped to second spot, while Neha Thakur was ranked third in the overall standings of their respective events at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday. Leading in the 13-member men's dinghy event on Friday, Sarvanan was ranked fifth in the seventh race to go down to second spot with five more races lined up in the Olympic Qualifying Event. Olympic quota places are also available in three more events in sailing men's kite, IQFoil and Laser radial.

(Asian Games 2023 Medals Tally | Asian Games 2023 Full Schedule)

Nethra Kumanan ended the day on fifth position after a third-place finish in race seven of the women's single dinghy-ILCA6.

Jerome Savarimuthu had a seventh-place finish in men's windsurfing-IQFOIL.

In men's kite, Chitresh Tatha was seventh in the standings.

The men's skiff-49er pair of KC Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar won the race-7 to end the day at fourth place.

Adhvait Menon finished the day on seventh position in men's dinghy-ILCA4.

The women's skiff-49er pair of Shital Verma and Harshita Tomar were in fourth position with four more races left in their category.

The mixed dinghy-470 pair of Preethi Kongara and Sudhanshu Shekhar finished the day at fifth place.

Nethra Kumanan finished the day on fifth position in women's single dinghy-ILCA6.

The mixed Multihull- NARCA17 pair of Indar Doiphade and Ramya Saravanan were third.

Aabad Ali had a successive fourth-place finish in two races as he was fourth in the standings with four more races left in men's windsurfer:RS:X.

In women's Windsurfer: RS:X, Ishwariya Ganesan ended the day at fourth spot.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/57jvaG4

MotoGP: Jorge Martin Wins 11-Lap Sprint Ahead Of Sunday's Main Race

MotoGP championship contender Jorge Martin on Saturday topped the 11-lap sprint race ahead of the Indian Grand Prix. The Mooney VR46 Racing Team rider and Martin's rival Marco Bezzecchi had set the qualifying time at one minute, 43.9470 becoming the clear favourite for the sprint race and the marque event at the Buddh International Circuit here on Sunday.

Rain delayed the start of the sprint race by close to an hour.

Martin, however, had predicted the scenario after Saturday's practice sessions. “First lap at the sprint will be interesting,” he commented.

“Turn one is a really tight corner. It looks a bit wider. The first gear corner we arrive is not easy. It's difficult to find the reference, maybe I found mine so I'm quite confident,” he added.

And it turned out as he predicted. Starting number one on the grid, Bezzecchi's teammate Luca Marini's erroneous braking on Turn 1, pushed the Italian off the track, and five others out of the race.

While Bezzecchi was pushed down to the 17th position, Martin sped away maintaining the lead throughout the sprint.

“I didn't need to put my 100% today. I was just trying to concentrate on the turn. My main target was to increase the gap and understand the conditions. We have some margin to fight back with Marco tomorrow,” Martin said after winning the sprint.

Martin, who is second in the championship, took 12 points for the sprint while leader Francesco Bagnaia finished second with nine points and eight-time world champion Marc Marquez rode to third spot on the podium. This was Marquez's second podium of the season.

However, it was Bezzecchi who defined the exhilarating speed associated with the sport. He rode like there was no tomorrow.

From being pushed to 17th on the opening lap, he was fighting for the fifth place on lap 10. He successfully pipped Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo for the position.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/zJe6wFI

ISL: Defending Champions Mohun Bagan Thrash Punjab FC 3-1

Mohun Bagan Super Giant kicked off their title defence with a 3-1 thrashing of Punjab FC in the Indian Super League in Kolkata on Saturday. Following a delayed start, Mohun Bagan dominated the proceedings against the I-League promoted side and had a 2-0 cushion going into the halftime with goals from Jason Cummings (ninth) and Dimitri Petratos (34th).

After the changeover, Luka Majcen (53rd) pulled one back from a sloppy back pass by Glan Martins.

But it was not enough as Mohun Bagan pumped in another through India forward Manvir Singh (63rd) to start the season on an emphatic note.

Set up by India midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad, Cummings took a left-footed strike from the right side of the six-yard box to give the Mariners an early lead, which was doubled through Petratos, who utilised a pass from Liston Colaco before launching his left-footed shot into the bottom right corner.

Minutes after he was brought in as a replacement for Subhasish Bose, Manvir used a Petratos cross to shoot to the top left corner with his powerful right-footed strike.

The match was delayed by 35 minutes to avoid broadcasting issues as the first match of the day between Odisha FC and Chennaiyin FC was interrupted due to bad weather.

To avoid a clash of telecast, the second match of the Saturday double-header was deferred by 35 minutes.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/LISQ2oR

Dravid's Son Walks Illustrious Dad's Path, Picked For Vinoo Mankad Trophy

Rahul Dravid, Indian cricket team head coach, is under focus ahead of the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup. India have not won the marquee event since the 2011 Cricket World Cup, when MS Dhoni's men won the trophy after a great title clash against Sri Lanka. Rahul Dravid, who himsekd has been part of several Cricket World Cups as a player, is in charge of guiding the Rohit Sharma-led team to the ultimate glory. If Rahul Dravid can help the Indian cricket team win the 2023 Cricket World Cup as a coach, it will add another glorious chapter to his already illustrious career. 

Ahead of the Cricket World Cup, Dravid family household had a good news. Dravid's son Samit has been selected for Karnataka's 15-member squad for the upcoming Vinoo Mankad Trophy, according to Sportstar. The U-19 tournament will be held in Hyderabad from October 12 to 20.

Recently, Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid said that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been rested as the team wanted them to be fresh mentally and physically for the Cricket World Cup 2023. India will take on Australia in a three-match ODI series, starting from the first ODI at Mohali on Thursday. It will be India's final assignment before the ICC Cricket World Cup at home from October 5 onwards. "It is one of those series, where you have seen that some of our boys are not playing the first two games. We will rotate our pacers a bit. It will be nice for some other guys that they are given this opportunity to play three tough games before the World Cup," said Dravid in a pre-match press conference.

"I think with people like Rohit and Virat, from our perspective, it is important that they reach the first game of the World Cup with the physical and mental headspace they want to be in. With the amount of cricket they have played, they know how to prepare themselves for these big games. A lot of these decisions are discussed with them. We discuss with them how they would like to prepare leading up to big events. Based on these discussions, we come up with these mutual decisions," he added.

On the return of spin-bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin to the ODI set-up after a year, Dravid clarified that the spinner was always in the plans.

"Having someone of Ashwin's experience is always good for us. He gives you experience, the ability to contribute with the bat at number eight. He is someone we taught about in case of an injury or an opportunity opened up. He was always in our plans. He has not played much ODI cricket for a while, but someone of his experience can deal with that," said the coach.

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/ThptBjG
via IFTTT

2nd ODI: Ish Sodhi Shines In New Zealand's 86-Run Win Over Bangladesh

Bangladesh vs New Zealand 2nd ODI Highlights: Ish Sodhi claimed a career-best 6 for 39 as New Zealand registered a first victory in Bangladesh in nearly 15 years on Saturday in a dramatic ODI where he was also reprieved from a run-out dismissal at the non-striker's end. Sodhi's maiden five-wicket haul helped New Zealand clinch an 86-run win, bowling out Bangladesh for 168 in 41.1 overs after Tom Blundell's 68 had guided the visitors to 254 in the second ODI of the three-match series. The Kiwis last beat Bangladesh in their own backyard in October 2008. They then lost the next two series in 2010 and 2013, respectively, by 4-0 and 3-0. (Scorecard)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/i7yVvX2
via IFTTT

"Dhoni Didn't Sacrifice His Position": Ex-India Star Counters Gambhir

Former Indian cricket team fast bowler S Sreesanth believes that MS Dhoni did not sacrifice his batting position for the sake of the team and it was a decision taken consciously by the former skipper in order to completely utilise his talents as a finisher. Sreesanth's comments came in connection to claims made by former teammate Gautam Gambhir who said that Dhoni would have scored more runs if he batted at No. 3. The former pacer added that Dhoni was well aware about the positions that suited all the batters and it was his finishing ability that helped India in winning two World Cup titles.

“Gautam Bhai said recently that Dhoni would have scored more runs had he batted at No.3. But for Dhoni it was always about more victories than more runs. He always had the ability to finish games when the team needed him and he won two World Cups as well,” Sreesanth said in an interview with Sportskeeda.

“Credit should go to Dhoni, but he didn't sacrifice his batting position. He worked a way to find out which players would do well for the team in which position and then slot them in those positions accordingly. His captaincy had the ability to bring the best out of his players. He has always thought about the team first,” the former India fast bowler added. 

Earlier, Gambhir said that Dhoni somewhere 'sacrificed' his batting position for the team.

"MS (Dhoni) was the first wicketkeeper of India who could change the game with his batting. Earlier, they were keepers first and batters later, but MS was batter first and then was a wicketkeeper. It was a blessing for Indian cricket that in MS Dhoni, we got a wicketkeeper-batter who can win you matches from No 7, because he had that power game. If MS would have batted at No 3, I am sure he could have broken several ODI records," said Gambhir on Star Sports.

"People always talk about MS Dhoni and his achievements as a captain, which is absolutely true. But I feel due to captaincy, he sacrificed the batter in him, and he could have achieved much more with his bat which he didn't. And this happens when you are a captain because then you put the team ahead, and you forget about yourself. He started batting at No 6 or 7. If he had not been captain, he would have been India's No 3, and I think he could have scored more than what he has scored and could have scored more hundreds also," he added.

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/karTdsV
via IFTTT

"Dhoni Didn't Sacrifice His Position": Ex-India Star Counters Gambhir

Former Indian cricket team fast bowler S Sreesanth believes that MS Dhoni did not sacrifice his batting position for the sake of the team and it was a decision taken consciously by the former skipper in order to completely utilise his talents as a finisher. Sreesanth's comments came in connection to claims made by former teammate Gautam Gambhir who said that Dhoni would have scored more runs if he batted at No. 3. The former pacer added that Dhoni was well aware about the positions that suited all the batters and it was his finishing ability that helped India in winning two World Cup titles.

“Gautam Bhai said recently that Dhoni would have scored more runs had he batted at No.3. But for Dhoni it was always about more victories than more runs. He always had the ability to finish games when the team needed him and he won two World Cups as well,” Sreesanth said in an interview with Sportskeeda.

“Credit should go to Dhoni, but he didn't sacrifice his batting position. He worked a way to find out which players would do well for the team in which position and then slot them in those positions accordingly. His captaincy had the ability to bring the best out of his players. He has always thought about the team first,” the former India fast bowler added. 

Earlier, Gambhir said that Dhoni somewhere 'sacrificed' his batting position for the team.

"MS (Dhoni) was the first wicketkeeper of India who could change the game with his batting. Earlier, they were keepers first and batters later, but MS was batter first and then was a wicketkeeper. It was a blessing for Indian cricket that in MS Dhoni, we got a wicketkeeper-batter who can win you matches from No 7, because he had that power game. If MS would have batted at No 3, I am sure he could have broken several ODI records," said Gambhir on Star Sports.

"People always talk about MS Dhoni and his achievements as a captain, which is absolutely true. But I feel due to captaincy, he sacrificed the batter in him, and he could have achieved much more with his bat which he didn't. And this happens when you are a captain because then you put the team ahead, and you forget about yourself. He started batting at No 6 or 7. If he had not been captain, he would have been India's No 3, and I think he could have scored more than what he has scored and could have scored more hundreds also," he added.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/karTdsV

Asian Games Opening Ceremony Live Streaming: When And Where To Watch Live

The Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony is set to take place at Hangzhou on September 23. Hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and Olympic medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain will be the flag-bearers of the Indian contingent during the opening ceremony. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) took the decision to have joint flag-bearers for the continental showpiece. A total of 655 Indian athletes are competing in the Asian Games this time, which is the largest contingent ever. Here are the details of the Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony -

When is the Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony?

The Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony will take place on Saturday, 23 September 2023.

At what time will the Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony take place?

The Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony is scheduled to start at 5:30 PM IST.

Where will the Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony take place?

The opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2023 will take place at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium.

Where to watch live streaming of the Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony in India?

The opening ceremony for the Asian Games 2023 will be streamed live on the SonyLIV app and website in India.

When and where to watch the live telecast of the Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony in India?

The live telecast of the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2023 will be available on the Sony Sports Ten 2 SD and HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD and HD (Hindi) TV channels in India.

Who are India's flag-bearers at the Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony?

Indian men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and female boxer Lovlina Borgohain are the flag-bearers for India at the opening ceremony of Asian Games 2023.

Lovlina had won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the 69kg category. This year, she won gold in 75kg category at the World Women's Boxing Championship in New Delhi. On the other hand, Harmanpreet is one of the best drag-flickers in the world and was part of the team that won the historic bronze at the Tokyo Games, breaking the more than four-decade-long Indian hockey team's medal drought in the Olympics.

(All telecast and streaming timings are as per the information received from the host broadcasters)

With PTI Inputs

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/05ot38N

ICC Announces Schedule Of U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2024

The match schedule for the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2024 has been revealed as hosts Sri Lanka prepare to welcome the future stars of world cricket to the island nation for the first time since 2006. Five venues in Colombo are set to stage the action from January 13, with the final on February 4 at R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, as per ICC press release. Hosts Sri Lanka play Zimbabwe on opening day while defending champions India open up a day later against 2020 champions Bangladesh. 

Sixteen teams are set to compete for the trophy across 41 matches from January 13 to  February 4, comprising the 11 best-placed Full Member teams at the last edition and five teams who earned their World Cup spot through regional qualification pathways - Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Scotland and USA.

Five venues located in Colombo will stage the 15th edition of the celebrated event; the P. Sara Oval, Colombo Cricket Club, Nondescripts Cricket Club, Singhalese Sports Club and the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, the arena chosen to host both semifinals on January 30 and February 1 and the Ffnal on February 4.

The action starts on January 13 with three fixtures taking place on opening day. Hosts Sri Lanka take on Zimbabwe at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, while 2022 finalists England play Scotland at Colombo Cricket Club and New Zealand face off against Nepal at the P. Sara Oval.

India, who triumphed in the 2022 edition in the West Indies, commence the defence of their crown against 2020 winners Bangladesh a day later on January 14 at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium.

In a revised format that has been introduced for the upcoming edition, teams progressing from the group stages will enter a new Super Six stage, starting January 24, where two groups of six teams will clash to determine the semi-finalists and the subsequent finalists.

In the group listings, holders India are joined by Bangladesh, Ireland and the US in Group A. Group B consists of England, South Africa, West Indies and Scotland. Group C features Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Namibia while Group D is made up of Afghanistan, Pakistan, New Zealand and Nepal.

Speaking on the announcement of the schedule, ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley remarked, “The ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup has a long-standing history of introducing global audiences to future stars of the sport.

“Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Angelo Mathews are some of the names that made their entrance onto the world stage at this event, and we are certain to see this tradition continue as the drama unfolds across the 41 tournament fixtures.

“We are thrilled to see the competition return to Sri Lanka for the first time since 2006, in what promises to be a festival of cricket with no shortage of entertainment, and we are proud to offer fans the chance to witness the action for free once more.”

Tournament Director, Samantha Dodanwela added, “Sri Lanka Cricket is delighted to be welcoming this prestigious event back to Sri Lanka after 18 years. 

“Sri Lanka is renowned for its passionate, cricket-loving fans, and we are looking forward to giving them the opportunity to watch some of the most promising young cricketers in the world over 23 days of competition. The five venues selected to host the event in January and February next year have been graced by many exceptionally talented cricketers over the years, and it will be fitting for these historic grounds to host the future stars of the game.

“With so much to look forward to, we have no doubt that the event will help showcase Sri Lanka as an ideal destination for cricket.”

Ahead of the event, each competing team will play two warm-up matches. These will take place across four of the five tournament venues.

The hosts will be hoping to go one better than their previous best finish, when they were runners-up to India at the final of the competition back in 2000.

The landmark event has been the springboard for some of the most recognisable stars of the global game. Through the history of the event, India are the most decorated with five U19 Men's Cricket World Cup titles, Australia have won the event three times, Pakistan twice, while England, Bangladesh, South Africa and West Indies have each been crowned once.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/gY24uNz
via IFTTT

India Become No.1 Team Across Formats With Win Over Australia In First ODI

Mohammed Shami's crafty bowling performance was beautifully complemented by the grace and poise of Shubman Gill as India defeated Australia by five wickets in the opening ODI of the three-match series in Mohali on Friday. The victory helped India go top of ICC Men's ODI Rankings replacing Pakistan. India is now the number one team across all the three formats - ODI, T20I and Test cricket. Shami displayed his artistry with impressive figures of 5 for 51, reminding all and sundry of his skills while helping India restrict Australia to 276 after asking the visitors to make first use of the strip.

In reply, Gill once again stamped his authority with a 63-ball 74 and added 142 for the opening stand with the Asian Games-bound Ruturaj Gaikwad (71 off 77 balls) to set the foundation for victory, which, on paper, might have looked a bit more stretched than it actually was.

Victory was achieved in 48.4 overs as Suryakumar Yadav (50 off 49 balls) and skipper KL Rahul (58 not out off 63 balls) also played their part with only Shreyas Iyer (3) and Ishan Kishan (18) missing out on a batting party.

Surya would especially be happy with his effort as he came in when India still needed 92 runs to win. It could have been a bit tricky but along with his skipper, the Mumbai batter showed calmness and also earned confidence with a much-needed half-century.

Gill, who hit his ninth half-century in ODIs, was undoubtedly the batting star of the day. He had six fours and two sixes in his knock but the short-arm pick-up pull off Marcus Stoinis left everyone stunned.

Off-spinner spinner Matthew Short was at the receiving end when he was lofted over long-off for the other six.

Gaikwad, who would have to switch on to the T20 mode in another two weeks' time, had 10 boundaries to his credit. He hit cover drives and square drives and was especially severe on Sean Abbott.

For Australia, the only bright spot was leg-spinner Adam Zampa finding some bowling form with figures of 2/57 off 10 overs.

But the game-changer on the day was Shami, who doesn't seem to feature in India's first XI plans for the World Cup. He literally made a statement with his second five-wicket haul in ODIs.

His performance also put tremendous pressure on the weakest link among pacers Shardul Thakur (0/78 in 10 overs), who has been selected in the 15, primarily due to his batting skills.

Shami was literally unplayable in his opening spell, and then came back to remove a set Steve Smith (41 off 60 balls) in a short second stint, to disturb the visiting team's momentum.

Stockily built wicketkeeper Jos Inglis (45 off 45 balls) and Marcus Stoinis (29 off 21 balls) added 62 runs for the sixth wicket to take Australia past the 250-run mark but it was certainly below par as Shami got Stoinis in the nick of time to put the brakes on their scoring.

Warner (52 off 53 balls), Smith and Marnus Labuschagne (39 off 49 balls) all got starts but the lack of conversion did hurt the Aussies on a day when the Indian bowling unit was supremely effective without being exceptional.

All eyes were trained on Ravichandran Ashwin (1/47 in 10 overs) and he did find his rhythm in the second spell after looking rusty during the first spell. He went for 36 in his first six overs from the 'Harbhajan Singh End' but Rahul changed his end during the second spell and it read 4-0-11-1.

The Australian team also suffered due to freak dismissals, first when Labuschagne missed an Ashwin delivery while trying to play a reverse sweep and the ball ricocheted off Rahul's pads with the batter out of his ground.

Then it was Cameron Green (31 off 52 balls), who was slowly but steadily setting it up with Inglis before a miscommunication led to his run-out.

But no praise will be enough for Shami, probably the most versatile seam and swing bowler of his generation, who has magic in those fingers and wrists.

In his very first over, Shami bowled one that moved in the air and just deviated away after pitching. It was full and pitched at a length where Mitchell Marsh had to press forward and the thickish outside edge was a regulation catch for Shubman Gill.

But the turning point was Shami's second spell, where he bowled a sharp in-cutter that jagged back enough and Smith, who was late in reacting, inside edged onto the stumps.

In his third spell, he bowled one stumps and Stoinis' heave across the line saw his stumps uprooted. It was difficult for India to lose after Shami's efforts.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/7mWLs9D

Watch: "You're A Joke" - Cook's Expression At Stokes' Golf Skills Is Viral

Former England cricket team captain Alastair Cook and Ben Stokes visited the venue of Ryder Cup and showed off their golfing skills. In a video posted on YouTube, both of them tried their hand at the sport and even had a hilarious exchange. Stokes, one of the most explosive batters in cricket right now, smashed the golf ball on his very first shot leaving Cook surprised. “Oh my God! No way. You're a joke," Alastair Cook commented as Ben Stokes seemed satisfied with his shot.

Stokes will be a massive asset for England at the Cricket World Cup 2023 starting in October. He played a huge part in the 2019 success and his all-round ability once again provides an edge.

England's opening one-day international against Ireland was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Wednesday, denying Joe Root a World Cup warm-up.

With the rest of England's first-choice squad rested ahead of next week's departure for India, Root requested to be included for the first of a three-match series after a lean return with the bat in four matches against New Zealand.

However, he never got on the field at his home ground as heavy rain prevented even the possibility of a 20-over-a-side game at Headingley.

Even after the rain subsided, the umpires were concerned for the players' safety on saturated areas of the outfield and the bowlers' run-ups.

The sides will try again at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

England begin their defence of the World Cup against New Zealand on October 5 in Ahmedabad.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/PV4ZF3g

"Mental Headspace...": Dravid On Resting Virat, Rohit For Australia ODIs

Ahead of the first ODI against Australia, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid on Thursday said that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been rested as the team wanted them to be fresh mentally and physically for the Cricket World Cup 2023. India will take on Australia in a three-match ODI series, starting from the first ODI at Mohali on Thursday. It will be India's final assignment before the ICC Cricket World Cup at home from October 5 onwards. "It is one of those series, where you have seen that some of our boys are not playing the first two games. We will rotate our pacers a bit. It will be nice for some other guys that they are given this opportunity to play three tough games before the World Cup," said Dravid in a pre-match press conference. 

"I think with people like Rohit and Virat, from our perspective, it is important that they reach the first game of the World Cup with the physical and mental headspace they want to be in. With the amount of cricket they have played, they know how to prepare themselves for these big games. A lot of these decisions are discussed with them. We discuss with them how they would like to prepare leading up to big events. Based on these discussions, we come up with these mutual decisions," he added. 

On the return of spin-bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin to the ODI set-up after a year, Dravid clarified that the spinner was always in the plans. 

"Having someone of Ashwin's experience is always good for us. He gives you experience, the ability to contribute with the bat at number eight. He is someone we taught about in case of an injury or an opportunity opened up. He was always in our plans. He has not played much ODI cricket for a while, but someone of his experience can deal with that," said the coach. 

India squad for first 2 ODI: KL Rahul (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

India squad for final ODI: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, (Vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel (subject to fitness), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/B96aeGM

PCB Reviews Asia Cup Performance Ahead Of World Cup Squad Announcement

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday held a review meeting of their woeful Asia Cup show in the wake of their World Cup squad announcement. All teams must finalise their 15-player squads for the cricket showpiece before the September 28 deadline, with any replacements after this date requiring approval from the ICC. "The philosophy behind this review was to create an atmosphere of open discussion and develop consensus," PCB chairman of the management committee Zaka Ashraf said in a statement. "The idea is to have everyone on board and debate about performances, identifying the problems and their solutions.” The review meeting was also attended by head coach Mickey Arthur, captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan and former skippers Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez.

Chief selector and former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq could not attend the meeting due to a 'medical emergency' but shared his inputs with the PCB chief on Thursday.

The other members of the men's national coaching staff including head coach Grant Bradburn, batting coach Andrew Puttick and bowling coach Morne Morkel “were also invited to report on the team's recent performance".

“We have to debate strengths and weaknesses so that we are clear about what and where we need to invest for the betterment of our team,” he added.

Pakistan failed to make the final of the Asia Cup after losing to India and Sri Lanka in the 'Super Four'. They managed wins only against Nepal and Bangladesh.

In fact, Pakistan, who have won the Asia Cup only twice in 2000 and 2012, suffered their heaviest defeat to arch-rivals India by 228 runs in the ODI format, ahead of their mega clash in the World Cup in Ahmedabad on October 14.

Dr Sohail Saleem briefed about the players' injuries and "the way forward for players' rehabilitation programs," the PCB said.

Pakistan pacers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf both suffered injuries during their rain-marred clash against India in Colombo, with the former under doubt to play the World Cup.

“In a robust analysis, every aspect of recent team performance, player fitness, and future plans came into discussion with a view to bringing improvement to the side,” the release said.

“There was an agreement on making a better approach and strategy on players' workload. The importance of strengthening the bench was also emphasized,” it added. PTI DDV TAP

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/FT453rJ
via IFTTT

PCB Reviews Asia Cup Performance Ahead Of World Cup Squad Announcement

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Thursday held a review meeting of their woeful Asia Cup show in the wake of their World Cup squad announcement. All teams must finalise their 15-player squads for the cricket showpiece before the September 28 deadline, with any replacements after this date requiring approval from the ICC. "The philosophy behind this review was to create an atmosphere of open discussion and develop consensus," PCB chairman of the management committee Zaka Ashraf said in a statement. "The idea is to have everyone on board and debate about performances, identifying the problems and their solutions.” The review meeting was also attended by head coach Mickey Arthur, captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan and former skippers Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez.

Chief selector and former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq could not attend the meeting due to a 'medical emergency' but shared his inputs with the PCB chief on Thursday.

The other members of the men's national coaching staff including head coach Grant Bradburn, batting coach Andrew Puttick and bowling coach Morne Morkel “were also invited to report on the team's recent performance".

“We have to debate strengths and weaknesses so that we are clear about what and where we need to invest for the betterment of our team,” he added.

Pakistan failed to make the final of the Asia Cup after losing to India and Sri Lanka in the 'Super Four'. They managed wins only against Nepal and Bangladesh.

In fact, Pakistan, who have won the Asia Cup only twice in 2000 and 2012, suffered their heaviest defeat to arch-rivals India by 228 runs in the ODI format, ahead of their mega clash in the World Cup in Ahmedabad on October 14.

Dr Sohail Saleem briefed about the players' injuries and "the way forward for players' rehabilitation programs," the PCB said.

Pakistan pacers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf both suffered injuries during their rain-marred clash against India in Colombo, with the former under doubt to play the World Cup.

“In a robust analysis, every aspect of recent team performance, player fitness, and future plans came into discussion with a view to bringing improvement to the side,” the release said.

“There was an agreement on making a better approach and strategy on players' workload. The importance of strengthening the bench was also emphasized,” it added. PTI DDV TAP

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/FT453rJ

Bengaluru FC Suffer Opening Day Defeat To Kerala Blasters FC In ISL

It was a season-opener to forget for the former champions Bengaluru FC who suffered a 1-2 defeat to Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League, on Thursday. Two defensive errors from Bengaluru (Veendorp OG 52', Luna 70') is what consigned Simon Grayson's men to defeat. New signing Curtis Main, who was a second half substitute, scored a late goal (90'), but the Blues couldn't stage the comeback they needed. The Blasters kicked off proceedings with Bengaluru fielding as many as four debutants in their eleven. Slavko Damjanovic, Jessel Carneiro, Keziah Veendorp and Ryan Williams got their first competitive minutes in a BFC shirt. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu led Bengaluru out in the absence of Sunil Chhetri, who is away on national duty to the Asian Games.

The Blues' closest chance came in the 35th minute, when Naorem Roshan Singh's long-distance effort caught Sachin Suresh off guard.

But the Kerala goalkeeper managed to parry it away for a corner, as both teams walked down the tunnel at half time with no goals to show for.

The start of the second half saw the momentum shift back Kerala's way.

Peprah came close to scoring in the 52nd minute but Gurpreet managed to fist the ball out.

It was from the resulting corner that the hosts found the lead, with the ball coming off Veendorp's head and past Gurpreet.

Grayson turned to his bench in the 65th minute to try and change things as Curtis Main, Javi Hernandez and Parag Shrivas came on for Aleksandar Jovanovic, Keziah Veendorp and Namgyal Bhutia.

Just when Bengaluru looked to brush away the setback, another error in defence — this time from Gurpreet — gifted Kerala their second goal of the night.

Picking up a pass from Damjanovic, the Bengaluru goalkeeper got a heavier touch to the ball than he would have liked. An onrushing Luna got to the ball in a flash, before rolling it into an empty net and making it 2-0.

Monirul Molla and Harsh Patre came on for Sivasakthi Narayanan and Rohit Kumar in the 77th minute of the game as Bengaluru looked to find a way back.

Main ate into Kerala's lead late into the game with a simple finish, sparking some hope of a revival.

The fourth official added on seven minutes as Bengaluru continued their search for an equaliser, but it wasn't to be for the Blues who now travel to Kolkata where they play Mohun Bagan Super Giant on Wednesday. 

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/g5QZyEG

"Because Of Fielding...": On Ashwin Missing ODIs, India Star's Unique Take

The India vs Australia ODI series narrative has been dominated by the inclusion of one player - Ravichandran Ashwin. The off-spinner is set to play his first ODI since 2022 when the India vs Australia series starts on Friday. The India vs Australia ODI cricket series is being seen as the final dress rehearsal ahead of the Cricket World Cup. The 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup starts from October 5 while the Indian cricket plays it first match on October 8. The much-awaited India vs Pakistan match at the Cricket World Cup will be played on October 14. But much before that, Ravichandran Ashwin will be in focus. 

India star spinner Amit Mishra had an interesting observation on why Ravichandran Ashwin was missing from ODIs for a long time.

"Ravichandran Ashwin is undoubtedly a quality bowler and a wicket-taker, but remember this is not a 20-over game. It is of 50 overs. You have to bowl for 10 overs and field for 40 overs and might have to bat as well. No doubt he has been around for so long, has been a wicket-taker as well, but there is that matter of fielding as well and that is why a young player might be picked," Amit Mishra was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

"The only reason he has been picked is because if a spinner gets injured, then the team needs to have a wicket-taking option, which Ashwin brings. Ashwin has got an edge as an off-spin option, as India already has two left-arm spinners and a wrist-spinner in Kuldeep Yadav,"

"Indian team will be looking at how Ashwin will be bowling against Australia, and to assess if he still has the wicket-taking abilities in this format. The only reason why he is not in the team is because of his fielding and right-handed batting ability.

"Jadeja and Axar are both lefties. Washington is a young player and has shown wicket-taking abilities apart from being a batting option. Plus, he provides an advantage with his fielding, something which holds importance in ODIs," he added.

A month and half back, Ravichandran Ashwin was eloquently explaining on his Tamil YouTube channel, why a talent like Tilak Varma should be seriously considered for the ODI Cricket World Cup. One of India's greatest match-winners in Test cricket wouldn't possibly have envisaged that in six weeks time he would be summoned for a two-match trial against Washington Sundar -- nearly a decade and half junior to him. Close selection calls are par for course when it comes to Cricket World Cup squads. But just two weeks before the mega event, the Indian team management has called the two off-spinners for the three-match series against Australia to keep a ready back-up option in case Axar Patel's quadriceps tear doesn't heal on time.

It will be a virtual shoot-out and their performances on flat decks of Mohali and Rajkot will be monitored by Ajit Agarkar's selection committee.

"I think Ashwin will be slightly ahead now that a bowler of his stature has been called into the mix. I have always felt that Ashwin should have been in the mix from the time the team got into the ODI Cricket World Cup mode," said former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad, who was at helm when the 2019 squad was selected.

With PTI inputs

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/SJ2Devm
via IFTTT

"Cricket's For Everyone": Barmy Army's Post Proves It Again. Watch

Cricket is a game loved by all, especially in the Indian sub continent. The game is more than just a sport from many. Cricket's popularity is on the rise. Though it is still not as widely followed as football at a global level, cricket is making its presence felt in countries like USA among other countries. The fans of cricket are many and so are those who practise. Cricket is literally for everyone and that was the message the the X handle of 'Barmy Army' proved once again. A video posted from it's handle, with the caption: "How amazing is this guy batting on one  AN INSPIRATION", shows a differently-abled man playing cricket. 

The video was widely shared and one handle, gave a nice caption: "Cricket is for EVERYONE Inspirational!" 

How amazing is this guy batting on one

AN INSPIRATION pic.twitter.com/PboTaixI4g

— England's Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) September 20, 2023

Meanwhile, recently, the Indian women's blind cricket team scripted history as they won a gold medal after defeating Australia in the rain-curtailed finals of the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games 2023 on the back of their scintillating show in Birmingham. The Indian women's blind cricket team has won everyone's hearts with their spectacular show in the World Games. The Women In Blue remain undefeated, having won all their league games in the tournament. India restricted Australia at 114/8 in the allotted 20 overs and then chased down the revised target of 42 in the fourth over.

Blind cricket in IBSA World Games made a debut last week with England and Australia playing the first match. This was the first final in the World Games and India won the ultimate showdown beating Australia by 9 wickets.

Opting to bat first, Australia got off to a bad start as the side lost the first wicket in the 4th over. Feeling the pressure of finals, Australia carried their innings slowly, scoring 29 runs in the powerplay.

India picked two wickets in the eighth and ninth over as Australia were left reeling at 39/3. C Lewis and C Webeck then carried Australia's innings stitching a 54-run partnership.

However, India came back in the game picking wickets at regular intervals and reduced Australia to 109/8 in just 3 overs. In the end, the team from down under was just able to score 114/8 in the allotted 20 overs.

Chasing a paltry target of 42 runs, India came all guns blazing on Australia bowlers. The Women In Blue never looked out of form as the side chased down the target in just 3.3 overs.

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/9RACoTv
via IFTTT

Asian Games Live: Smriti, Shafali Eye Great Start vs Malaysia In QF

Asian Games 2023 Live Updates: The Indian women's cricket team will be batting first against Malaysia in the quarter-final of the AsianGames. Malaysia had won the toss. India had a somewhat good start to Asian Games 2023 after a brilliant show in rowing and a win over South Korea in men's volleyball. There will be more Indians in action. The Indian women's football team will also look to start their campaign with a win as they take on Taipei. On the other hand, it will be a chance for redemption when it comes to the Indian men's football team as they take on Bangladesh in their second group stage encounter following a devastating 1-5 defeat against China in the opener. The men's and women's rowing teams will also look to build on their performance in the Repechage round.

Complete Asian Games 2023 Medals Tally | Full Asian Games 2023 schedule

Here at the Asian Games 2023 Live Updates on September 21, straight from Hangzhou, China:

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/mq8t0IU

Asian Games 2023, September 21, Full Schedule Of All Indians In Action

The Indian contingent started their Asian Games 2023 campaign on a somewhat positive note with good results in rowing and a brilliant win over by South Korea in the men's volleyball match. It is now turn of the Indian women's cricket team as they will play their first match against Malaysia on Thursday. This is the first time that cricket was included in Asian Games and the fans will be excited to see the team in action. The men's Indian football team will aim to bounce back from their heavy loss against China when they face Bangladesh in the second group stage match. The women's football team, on the other hand, will play their first game against Taipei.

Complete Asian Games 2023 Medals Tally

Here's India's full schedule at Asian Games on September 21 -

Women's Cricket Quarterfinal: India vs Malaysia (6:30 am)

Rowing Repechage Round (Lightweight Women's Doubles Sculls): Kiran & Bharti Anshika (6:40 am)

Rowing Repechage Round (Lightweight Men's Doubles Sculls): Arjun Lal Jat & Arvind Singh (6:50 am)

Rowing Repechage Round (Men's Doubles Sculls) - Satnam Singh & Parminder Singh (7:20 am)

Rowing Repechage Round (Men's Singles Sculls) - Bairaj Panwar (12:40 pm)

Rowing Repechage Round (Men's Quadruple Sculls) - Satnam Singh, Parminder Singh, Jakar Khan & Sukhmeet Singh (1 pm)

Sailing (Day 1): Chitresh Tatha, Adhvait Menon, Vishnu Saravanan, Jerome Kumar, K. C. Ganapathy, and Varun Thakkar, Ishwariya Ganesh, Neha Thakur, Nethra Kumanan, Harshita Tomar, and Shital Verma, Preethi Kongara, Sudhanshu Shekhar, Siddheshwar Doiphode, and Ramya Saravanan (9 am)

Men's Football: India vs Bangladesh (1:30 pm) 

Women's Football: India vs Taipei (5 pm)

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/YFiS5JR

"After WC Win..." Rohit Sharma To Fans Bursting Crackers On Asia cup Win

Team India bagged their eighth Asia Cup title with a remarkable victory over Sri Lanka in the final match on Sunday. Asked to bowl first, the Rohit Sharma-led side bundled out Sri Lanka for just 50 runs, with pacer Mohammed Siraj stealing the show with his impressive six-wicket haul. Later, Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan chased down the target in just 6.1 overs and took Team India across the line with ten wickets in hand. After the final match, skipper Rohit attended a press conference, where his one comment left all the media persons in splits. 

During the interaction, Rohit was answering a question but he got interrupted by the sound of firecrackers, which were being burst by the fans to celebrate India's victory. The right-handed batter waited for a minute and said that the fans should wait for India to win the ODI World Cup 2023. 

"It gives us a lot of confidence to come here and win a tournament like this. Through the tournament we saw a lot of.." said Rohit when the noise of the bursting crackers interrupted him.

Video pic.twitter.com/t7pcQGKEt8

— Shivani (@shivani_45D) September 17, 2023

"Arey World Cup jeetne ke baad phodo ye sab..(burst crackers once we win the world cup)", said Rohit with a smile as the media persons burst out in laughter. 

Talking about the match, Sri Lanka opted to bat first but Siraj soon made them regret this decision as they were reduced to 13/6 after he took four wickets in the 6th over. 

Kusal Mendis (17) and Dushan Hemantha (13*) swung their bats for a while, offering tiny moments of respite. Siraj ended with 6/21 in his seven overs while Pandya took 3/3 in 2.2 overs. Bumrah also got 1/23 in five overs as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 50 in 15.2 overs.

Ishan Kishan (23*) and Shubman Gill (27*) chased down the target in 6.1 overs without any loss of wicket.

India captured its eighth Asia Cup title and Siraj took home the 'Player of the Match' award. Kuldeep Yadav (nine wickets) was given the 'Player of the Series' award for his bamboozling spin bowling in the tournament. Shubman Gill with 302 runs in six games and one century and two fifties, scored the most runs in the tournament.

(With ANI Inputs)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/8t5rkwd
via IFTTT

"After WC Win..." Rohit Sharma To Fans Bursting Crackers On Asia cup Win

Team India bagged their eighth Asia Cup title with a remarkable victory over Sri Lanka in the final match on Sunday. Asked to bowl first, the Rohit Sharma-led side bundled out Sri Lanka for just 50 runs, with pacer Mohammed Siraj stealing the show with his impressive six-wicket haul. Later, Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan chased down the target in just 6.1 overs and took Team India across the line with ten wickets in hand. After the final match, skipper Rohit attended a press conference, where his one comment left all the media persons in splits. 

During the interaction, Rohit was answering a question but he got interrupted by the sound of firecrackers, which were being burst by the fans to celebrate India's victory. The right-handed batter waited for a minute and said that the fans should wait for India to win the ODI World Cup 2023. 

"It gives us a lot of confidence to come here and win a tournament like this. Through the tournament we saw a lot of.." said Rohit when the noise of the bursting crackers interrupted him.

Video pic.twitter.com/t7pcQGKEt8

— Shivani (@shivani_45D) September 17, 2023

"Arey World Cup jeetne ke baad phodo ye sab..(burst crackers once we win the world cup)", said Rohit with a smile as the media persons burst out in laughter. 

Talking about the match, Sri Lanka opted to bat first but Siraj soon made them regret this decision as they were reduced to 13/6 after he took four wickets in the 6th over. 

Kusal Mendis (17) and Dushan Hemantha (13*) swung their bats for a while, offering tiny moments of respite. Siraj ended with 6/21 in his seven overs while Pandya took 3/3 in 2.2 overs. Bumrah also got 1/23 in five overs as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 50 in 15.2 overs.

Ishan Kishan (23*) and Shubman Gill (27*) chased down the target in 6.1 overs without any loss of wicket.

India captured its eighth Asia Cup title and Siraj took home the 'Player of the Match' award. Kuldeep Yadav (nine wickets) was given the 'Player of the Series' award for his bamboozling spin bowling in the tournament. Shubman Gill with 302 runs in six games and one century and two fifties, scored the most runs in the tournament.

(With ANI Inputs)

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/8t5rkwd

Watch: Rohit Returns Home In Mercedes, Obliges Police Officers For Selfies

The Indian cricket team management on Monday announced the squad for the three-ODI series against Australia. The contest is being seen as a dress rehearsal ahead of the World Cup. Senior players including skipper Rohit Sharma, senior batter Virat Kohli, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and in-form spinner Kuldeep Yadav were rested from the first two games, giving them a chance to get mentally fresh for the mega event. KL Rahul will lead the side in the first two games against Australia before Rohit returns to lead a full-strength squad in the third and final ODI ahead of the World Cup beginning October 5.

The squad for the third game is effectively the 15 picked for World Cup, along with Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar.

Meanwhile, the Indian cricket team returned from Sri Lanka from Asia Cup early on Monday morning. India captain Rohit Sharma returned home in a Mercedes and even obliged police officers fans for selfies.

After winning Asia Cup 2023 GREATEST CAPTAIN ROHIT SHARMA arrives in Mumbai.

Clicked pictures with fans and Police Officers#RohitSharma pic.twitter.com/hfBfOeekdV

— Immy (@BeingImRo45) September 18, 2023

Ashwin, who last played an ODI back in January 2022 in South Africa, could be a last minute addition to the World Cup side if Axar doesn't get fit before the September 28 deadline set by the International Cricket Council.

Axar had sustained a quadriceps tear during the recently held Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and missed the final against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said both Ashwin and Washington are in contention for the replacement slot if Axar doesn't recover in time.

"There are couple of guys anyways, him and Washington. Look basically, what is being made known to us about Axar's injury is that he should be okay and call we will make it once we know that but it leaves us with option to check these guys if they need to go that way," Agarkar told the media during a virtual session.

"If the need arises, we will look at that way but I don't think there is any need to speculate right now because we are hoping that Axar is fit," he added.

When the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel had picked the 15-man squad for the World Cup at home earlier this month, questions over nonselection of an off-spinner were raised with some of the opposition side's top order having multiple left-handers.

After the squad announcement on Monday, captain Rohit was asked why Ashwin was not part of the Asia Cup squad if he was in the scheme of things. The India skipper responded by saying that a proven performer like Ashwin can be straightaway drafted into the team if the need arises.

With PTI inputs

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/M94f3LA

"Mother A Woman": Bangladesh Star, Blasted For Misogynist Remark, Is Sorry

A Bangladeshi cricketer has apologised for social media posts condemning working women but denied he was a misogynist because "his mother is a woman", the country's cricket board said Tuesday. Tanzim Hasan Sakib took the wicket of India captain Rohit Sharma with only his fourth international delivery when the neighbours met in the Asia Cup last week before helping secure victory for Bangladesh. But the resulting adulation for the 20-year-old turned to scorn from women's rights activists and feminists after his misogynist social media posts came to light.

"He said he was sorry," Bangladesh Cricket Board cricket operations chief Jalal Yunus told reporters in Dhaka.

He added that Tanzim had been warned not to make similar social media posts in the future but also said the bowler had insisted he was "not misogynistic". "He said he is not against women, as his mother is a woman," Jalal said.

One of Tanzim Sakib's posts which is under the radar. pic.twitter.com/c58cZtCSLm

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) September 18, 2023

Tanzim's posts, dating back to last year, criticised women who joined the labour force and those who mixed with "male friends in a university". 

"If the wife works, her elegance is damaged," Tanzim wrote in one Facebook post.  "If the wife works, the family is ruined. If the wife works, the veil is ruined. If the wife works, society is ruined."

Women form the vast majority of the workforce of garment factories that have driven much of Bangladesh's economic growth in recent years. But conservative patriarchal attitudes remain widespread in the majority Muslim country. The comments provoked a backlash, with Paris-based feminist writer Jannatun Nayeem Prity pointing out that the Bangladesh team jerseys were made in factories mostly staffed by women.

"I feel sorry for you that you don't consider your mother a normal human being," she added.

Tanzim has played 12 first-class matches in his short senior career, after helping Bangladesh win the Under-19 World Cup in 2020.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/ZPuKTdq

Visa Issues Hit Inaugural MotoGP Race in India

Some of the riders and team officials bound for the inaugural MotoGP round in India, including six-time champion Marc Marquez, are awaiting their visas ahead of the race this weekend. Sources in Repsol Honda Team confirmed to PTI that the arrival of its riders Marquez and Joan Mir in India has been delayed due to visa issues. Both the Spanish drivers were scheduled to attend a promotional event near Delhi on Wednesday but now that visit stands cancelled.

"The riders are yet to reach India due to visa issues. So there was no option but to cancel tomorrow's event," a source told PTI.

Dorna Sports are the organisers and rights holders of the event. Fairstreet Sports are the local promoters of the event.

Sources in Fairstreet told PTI that around 1800 visas needed to be applied for personnel in the paddock but a technical glitch in the application system caused the delay. However, sources said, as of Tuesday, most of the visas have been issued barring a few lacking proper documentation.

"The visa were applied on September 5 but due to a technical glitch on the part of the travel agency, the delay happened. 600 visa applications were pending till yesterday, now most of them have been cleared including the visa of Marquez.

"Few individuals who have not filled up the form properly are left. You can't do anything about that as one has to follow law of the land. Majority of the team officials and riders are already here," said a source.

India is hosting an event of this magnitude for the first time since the now defunct Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix. The race was dropped from the calendar following the 2013 season due to financial, taxation and bureaucratic issues.

Dorna and Fairstreet have signed a seven-year MoU for the race in India but the event's future hugely depends on how this weekend unfolds.

Later in the day, the promoters have also officially said that they are hopeful of sorting out the matter at the earliest.

"We have been updated about the current issue of delays in the visa issuance process. We would like to share that we have been working relentlessly to resolve the same in the best possible manner. Close to 500 visas have been cleared and a large number will be done shortly," read a statement issued by the promoters.

"The dedicated teams are doing everything possible to ensure every rider, team, technical officials visa are issued at the earliest. This incident was unexpected and we are doing whatever is required to address the same immediately.

"We are confident that all pending visas will be processed and all race personnel required for the race would reach India timely and safely," the statement added.

The race promoters have also thanked all the concerned authorities involved for their support and cooperation.

"We understand the importance of a seamless experience for all participants and attendees and encourage everyone to be patient and cooperate with us and the teams. We are immensely grateful to the Indian Government, MEA, MHA and the UP Government for their continued support and coordination." Earlier this year, India hosted its first FIA World Championship status in 10 years when the Formula E race was held in Hyderabad. It is unlikely that the championships will return next year after not finding a place on the provisional calendar for 2024.

Formula E was not pleased with how the local organisers left the preparations to the very last minute.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/NpvC9U8

Pakistan No. 1 ODI Team Now, But India Can Displace Them Soon. Here's How

Indian cricket team is riding a high now. After a stupendous performance at the Asia Cup 2023, where the Rohit sharma-led side triumphed after a commanding 10-wicket win against hosts Sri Lanka in Colombo, the group will be feeling confident going into the cricket World Cup. Mohammed Siraj's fiery spell shot out the Lankans for a mere 50 in 15.2 overs, aided by fellow pacers Hardik Pandya (3 for 3) and Jasprit Bumrah (1 for 23), while the Indians got the job done with 10 wickets in hand in 6.1 overs.

On the same day, Pakistan were crowned world No. 1 in ICC ODI ranking with South Africa defeating Australia in the fifth ODI. However, Pakistan stay at the top may be short-lived with India replacing them at the top. For that to happen, certain factors need to fall in place. 

India next play an ODI on Friday against Australia. Before that, England play Ireland Bangladesh play New Zealand. The results of those matches won't affect India's ranking. If India defeat Australia in the first ODI, they will become the no. 1 side. Even if India win the series 2-1, they will still remain the no. 1 ODI side. 

Meanwhile, India's man of the moment Mohammed Siraj, has opened up on his magical spell of 6/21 in the Asia Cup final. Siraj dismissed Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samaraiwickrama, Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya De Silva in his second over before returning to clean up Lankan skipper Dasun Shanka with a peach of a delivery.

"I had practised a lot on generating out-swing deliveries from wide of the crease in West Indies. My outswingers were going well. So I tried from the wide of the crease to push for inswing (which will move away after pitching)," Siraj told bcci.tv.

"So what I planned, what I had in mind, it turned out to be absolutely perfect and it was my best wicket of the game," Siraj said in an interaction with Indian teammate Kuldeep Yadav.

With less than a month to go for the World Cup, Siraj said his spell in the Asia Cup Final would give him a lot of confidence heading into the mega event.

"It's a great achievement for me, especially since it's the final. It will help me gain a lot of confidence before the (ODI) World Cup," he said.

"To be honest, it was a magical spell, as I had never dreamt about it. I had to struggle hard to gain the fifth wicket in the last ODI against Lanka in Trivandrum, which never came. But, it all worked out today (Sunday).

"In my first spell, the moment I saw I was able to swing the ball, I realised that I didn't need to hit the wicket. I just intended on bowling at a particular spot and make the ball talk."

With PTI inputs

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/rYInN1b
via IFTTT

Mumbai City FC Lose To Nassaji Mazandaran Of Iran In AFC Champions League

Mumbai City FC began their AFC Champions League (ACL) campaign on a disappointing note as they suffered 0-2 defeat at the hands of debutants Nassaji Mazandaran of Iran in Pune on Monday. Ehsan Hosseini (34th minute) and Mohammadreza Azadi (62nd) scored for the visiting side. Mumbai made a bright start and almost opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Jorge Pereyra Diaz slipped the ball through to Lallianzuala Chhangte, who shot from a tight angle missed the target. With 11 minutes remaining in the half, Nassanji took the lead. Hossein Zamehran picked up possession 20 yards from goal, the playmaker turning swiftly to play Ehsan Hosseini in with a defence-splitting pass, and he slotted calmly into the bottom corner of the net to put the Iranians in front.

Bipin could have ensured Mumbai went into the break level a minute into first half injury time only to shoot off target after being found in space as Chhangte rolled the ball across the face of the goal.

The Iranian outfit rounded the tally when substitute Farshid Esmaeili robbed Akash Mishra deep inside his penalty area and had the presence of mind to roll the ball into the six yard box, where Azadi was left with the simplest of finishes.

Vikram Partap shot across the face of goal and Chhangte glanced his header wide as Mumbai sought a late lifeline but Nassaji saw out nine minutes of additional time to taste victory in their maiden AFC Champions League appearance.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/9rMsLvy

"Pant Has Inspired Lot Of Wicket-keeper Batters Around World": Gilchrist

Rishabh Pant isn't fit to play the upcoming World Cup but former Australian ace Adam Gilchrist is still fascinated by the kind of impact that the burly keeper-batter has had in his six years with the Indian team. Pant, who met with a horrific car accident last December, is currently doing his rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and is expected to make a comeback sometime next year. In his absence, KL Rahul will keep wickets for India and Ishan Kishan has a good chance of playing as a specialist middle-order batter.

"I think Rishabh has inspired a lot of wicket-keeper batters around the world to play that way (he does). It is fascinating for such a young man to have such an impact that Rishabh has had and others are responding and playing in that positive manner," Gilchrist, who is in India on a promotional visit, told PTI.

Gilchrist was impressed how Kishan has shaped up despite knowing that Rahul will be the first keeper.

"They (India) are well stocked. They have got a couple of options there, obviously when KL was out with his injury, Ishan Kishan took his opportunity and played really well and now they find themselves in the team together so that's a wonderful case of taking an opportunity," said the man who won three World Cups for Australia.

What Gilchrist found laudable was Kishan's ability to force the selectors to keep him in the mix with consistent performances.

"Being positive and then and forcing the selectors into keeping you in the team so it seems like KL is gonna be the one who is going to continue with the gloves but it does not seem to hinder Ishan Kishan's batting, he seems to be playing really well, carefree, attacking and dangerous," he explained.

The man, who played nearly 400 international games across three formats, with 15,000 plus runs and over 900 dismissals (catches and stumpings), however had straight forward choices as far as four potential semi-finalists were concerned.

"I think India and Pakistan could feature in the semi-finals, Australia and England are another two teams," opined Gilchrist.

Gilchrist is hopeful that five-time champions will do well in India, where they won a bilateral series 3-0 last time around.

"Australia will learn a lot from their efforts in South Africa when they come to India, they have got three games before the World Cup against India so they will have a bit more of a full strength squad there so that might tell us a bit about where they are at so its a bit hard who's gonna win it (World Cup) but I think there is probably four semi-finalists there." Adam Zampa recently was taken to cleaners by Heinrich Klaasen during an ODI in South Africa, having gone for 113 and 70 in his quota of overs. But Gilchrist has full faith in Zampa's quality and ability to bounce back.

"Adam Zampa, obviously in South Africa was at the receiving end a little bit but it's different conditions out here in India with different pitches and he is a world-class spin bowler and he has shown that particularly across T20 cricket and now he gets his chance in the 50 over World Cup," Gilchrist said.

Australia will bank on their experienced players.

"So its a very knowledgeable group and they are going to use and they are going to have to use all that experience against batting line ups now across the globe and play without fear, so that is a challenge for all the bowlers on how to take on aggressive batting line ups." There has been some suggestions about pushing veteran David Warner down the order but someone, who was a mega successful opener in the shorter formats, feels a move like that could well back-fire.

"He (Warner) looked really good in South Africa for the most part of what he did, I think he has got to bat at the top, there has been some sort of discussions that he bats down the middle order but I think he has got to open," he then gave his rationale.

"...and he (Warner) showed in South Africa a couple of times that he is aggressive and dominant at the top of the order as he has ever been so I think they bring with him a lot of experience and a lot of confidence and I think he should play at the top of the order for Australia and if he plays really well then our opposition will fear that."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/8ZGTgPU
via IFTTT

"Pant Has Inspired Lot Of Wicket-keeper Batters Around World": Gilchrist

Rishabh Pant isn't fit to play the upcoming World Cup but former Australian ace Adam Gilchrist is still fascinated by the kind of impact that the burly keeper-batter has had in his six years with the Indian team. Pant, who met with a horrific car accident last December, is currently doing his rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and is expected to make a comeback sometime next year. In his absence, KL Rahul will keep wickets for India and Ishan Kishan has a good chance of playing as a specialist middle-order batter.

"I think Rishabh has inspired a lot of wicket-keeper batters around the world to play that way (he does). It is fascinating for such a young man to have such an impact that Rishabh has had and others are responding and playing in that positive manner," Gilchrist, who is in India on a promotional visit, told PTI.

Gilchrist was impressed how Kishan has shaped up despite knowing that Rahul will be the first keeper.

"They (India) are well stocked. They have got a couple of options there, obviously when KL was out with his injury, Ishan Kishan took his opportunity and played really well and now they find themselves in the team together so that's a wonderful case of taking an opportunity," said the man who won three World Cups for Australia.

What Gilchrist found laudable was Kishan's ability to force the selectors to keep him in the mix with consistent performances.

"Being positive and then and forcing the selectors into keeping you in the team so it seems like KL is gonna be the one who is going to continue with the gloves but it does not seem to hinder Ishan Kishan's batting, he seems to be playing really well, carefree, attacking and dangerous," he explained.

The man, who played nearly 400 international games across three formats, with 15,000 plus runs and over 900 dismissals (catches and stumpings), however had straight forward choices as far as four potential semi-finalists were concerned.

"I think India and Pakistan could feature in the semi-finals, Australia and England are another two teams," opined Gilchrist.

Gilchrist is hopeful that five-time champions will do well in India, where they won a bilateral series 3-0 last time around.

"Australia will learn a lot from their efforts in South Africa when they come to India, they have got three games before the World Cup against India so they will have a bit more of a full strength squad there so that might tell us a bit about where they are at so its a bit hard who's gonna win it (World Cup) but I think there is probably four semi-finalists there." Adam Zampa recently was taken to cleaners by Heinrich Klaasen during an ODI in South Africa, having gone for 113 and 70 in his quota of overs. But Gilchrist has full faith in Zampa's quality and ability to bounce back.

"Adam Zampa, obviously in South Africa was at the receiving end a little bit but it's different conditions out here in India with different pitches and he is a world-class spin bowler and he has shown that particularly across T20 cricket and now he gets his chance in the 50 over World Cup," Gilchrist said.

Australia will bank on their experienced players.

"So its a very knowledgeable group and they are going to use and they are going to have to use all that experience against batting line ups now across the globe and play without fear, so that is a challenge for all the bowlers on how to take on aggressive batting line ups." There has been some suggestions about pushing veteran David Warner down the order but someone, who was a mega successful opener in the shorter formats, feels a move like that could well back-fire.

"He (Warner) looked really good in South Africa for the most part of what he did, I think he has got to bat at the top, there has been some sort of discussions that he bats down the middle order but I think he has got to open," he then gave his rationale.

"...and he (Warner) showed in South Africa a couple of times that he is aggressive and dominant at the top of the order as he has ever been so I think they bring with him a lot of experience and a lot of confidence and I think he should play at the top of the order for Australia and if he plays really well then our opposition will fear that."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/8ZGTgPU

Kohli, Rohit Rested Before 'Bharat Darshan' At WC. BCCI Explains Reason

A day after Indian cricket team's Asia Cup triumph, the squad for the Australia ODI series was announced on Monday. There were several surprises in the squad for the three-ODI series. The biggest one being the return of Ravichandran Ashwin, who last played an ODI in January, 2022. Another surprise was that the team management rested the star trio - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya - for a series that is being seen as the final dress rehearsal before the World Cup. 

The trio, along with Kuldeep Yadav, has been for the first two ODIs, while they will make a comeback in the third ODI. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar, who announced the squad, was asked by a journalist about the reason behind resting the stars ahead of 'Bharat Darshan' at the World Cup. The reference of 'Bharat Darshan' was given because India will be the most-travelled team in the ODI Cricket World Cup as it will be playing all it group stage matches in different cities.       

Agarkar gave a deft reply to the query. "Rohit (Sharma) and Virat (Kohli) have been around forever and obviously Hardik is an important player for us, we want to manage him," he said. 

"Kuldeep is in great form. It also gives us a chance to look at some of the other guys. That's the thing. Luckily, we got a fair amount of cricket in the Asia Cup.

"If not we might have looked at it some other way. At some stage or the other, more than physical, guys sometimes need a mental break which is not such a bad thing, leading up the tournament (Cricket World Cup).

"But comes the third game, everyone will be available to play. We will play our World Cup squad. It does give us a chance to play some other guys who have been sitting outside and it has been a strong squad," said BCCI Chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

Squad for the first two ODIs: KL Rahul (captain), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

Squad for third ODI: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya, (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel (subject to fitness), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
 

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/8wtV4Yy
via IFTTT

Cricket WC: Archer Set To Travel With England Squad As Reserve Player

England speedster Jofra Archer will travel to India for the ODI World Cup with the Three Lions squad as a reserve player. Archer was a notable absentee from England's 15-man squad for the World Cup due to an elbow injury. However, on Monday England's national selector, Luke Wright confirmed that the 28-year-old pacer will travel with the squad as a reserve. "Jofra Archer will be travelling with the squad to India. He is one of the reserves but we also need to look after him, focus on his rehab," Wright said as quoted from Sky Sports.
Another eye-catching change in England's squad was the inclusion of youngster Harry Brook who continues to rise in each format with time.

Due to back spasms, Jason Roy missed the four-match series against New Zealand, and Brook made a return to the ODI squad in his place.

Ben Stokes who reversed his retirement has enhanced his reputation in the 50-over format with a stellar 182 off 124 balls against New Zealand, the highest score by an England men's player in ODIs.

Dawid Malan also cemented his place in the XI in the New Zealand series by topping the run charts, knocking off his fifth ODI hundred as well.

Spinner Adil Rashid, who played only one game in the New Zealand series, is also cleared to make the squad.

Rashid experienced cramps in his only match and did not play the remainder of the series. Meanwhile, seamer Mark Wood is recovering from a sore heel at the end of the Ashes and is yet to play any competitive cricket since the final Ashes Test.

England's squad for the World Cup: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/QiC7arU
via IFTTT

Premier League: Chelsea's Woes Mount After Bournemouth Stalemate

Troubled Chelsea had to settle for a disappointing 0-0 draw against Bournemouth on Sunday as their dismal start to the Premier League season showed no signs of improving. Mauricio Pochettino's side have won just once in five league games this term and they were booed off after lacking any semblance of a cutting edge at the Vitality Stadium. The Blues are without a goal in their last two matches and have scored only five times in the league this season. They are languishing in 14th place, closer to the relegation zone than the top four, as Pochettino comes to terms with the size of the task facing him at Stamford Bridge. "I cannot say that I am happy but it was a very competitive game. We should win 1-0 or 2-0 easily because in the first 30 minutes we had the chances," Pochettino said.

"With 12 injuries and only three players that started today who were with us for these two weeks I think I need only need to say it was a really good effort."

The former Tottenham and Paris Saint Germain boss was hired in the close-season to clean up the mess left by Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, who all had spells in charge of Chelsea during last season's wretched campaign.

But Pochettino has so far been unable to make an impact despite Chelsea's £350 million spending spree on new signings.

A rash of untimely injuries haven't helped but Chelsea's decision to largely sign younger players has left Pochettino with an inexperienced squad that lacks the maturity to close out games.

"We need to prove our efficiency in front of goal. We need to be calm also but these circumstances are not always easy for the players. We cannot blame anyone," Pochettino said.

"The fans are disappointed because of the situation but I am not worried about that because we really know what we are doing."

Challenging for a place in the Champions League was Pochettino's target this season, but that ambition already seems overly optimistic on the evidence of this drab display against winless Bournemouth.

While it is too soon to say Pochettino is in danger of the sack, he will be well aware Potter lasted less than seven months before being sacked by co-owner Todd Boehly.

Pochettino made two changes from the side that lost to Nottingham Forest in their previous game, with big-money summer signing Moises Caicedo left out of the squad and teenager Lesley Ugochukwu given his first Premier League start.

Chelsea tried to seize the initiative in the early stages, but Enzo Fernandez fired straight at Neto from the edge of the area before Raheem Sterling dragged his shot woefully wide from a dangerous position.

Nicolas Jackson went much closer when the Senegal striker drilled his shot against the post from 20 yards.

Despite their bright start, Chelsea were nearly undone by woeful defending as the unmarked Dango Ouattara reached a cross with a close-range effort that forced a fine save from Robert Sanchez.

Gallagher should have put Chelsea ahead with a shot on the turn from 10 yards, but Neto plunged to his right to make a good save.

Chelsea thought they had finally taken the lead early in the second when Sterling's free-kick bounced off the bar to Levi Colwill, who slotted into the empty net only to see his effort disallowed for offside.

But it was Bournemouth who finished stronger and Axel Disasi narrowly avoided conceding a penalty when his despairing lunge brought down Justin Kluivert just outside the area.

Sanchez came to Chelsea's rescue in the 80th minute, saving with his legs to keep out Dominic Solanke's strike.

Sterling could have won it with a close-range header that lacked the power to beat Neto, who also made a fine instinctive save to repel Cole Palmer's close-range volley.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/zjvU5rd

Siraj, Man Who Decimated Sri Lanka In Asia Cup With Fiery 6-For: 10 Facts

Mohammed Siraj - that name will be spoken about a lot in the coming days ahead of Cricket World Cup. There are enough reasons. In the India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2023 final in Colombo on Sunday, the 29-year-old right-arm pacer single-handedly broke the hosts' resistance with a fiery spell. At the end of the game, Siraj's figures read - 7-1-21-6. It was only the fourth time that an Indian bowler had taken a six-wicket haul in ODIs. Courtesy Siraj's bowling, India skittled out Sri Lanka for just 50 - the team's second-lowest score in ODIs. 

India chased down the 51-run target win just 6.1 overs. As India won with 263 balls remaining, this is India's biggest ODI win for India. This is also the biggest win in an ODI tournament final in terms of balls remaining. And Mohammed Siraj was the chief architect of it. 

Here are 10 facts about Mohammed Siraj: 

1. Born in 1994 in Hyderabad, Telangana, Mohammed Siraj had humble beginnings. His father was an auto rickshaw driver while his mother was a home-maker. Mohammed Siraj has often acknowledged the role of his father in his cricket journey. 

2. Mohammed Siraj first started getting notice from t he tennis ball cricket circle. His friends convinced him to train to become a professional cricketer. He joined the Charminar Cricket Club and played in the HCA League. 

3. Mohammed Siraj made some rapid progress. He made his first-class debut for Hyderabad on November 15, 2015, under the coaching of Karthik Udupa in the 2015–16 Ranji Trophy tournament. He made his T20 debut on January 2, 2016 in the 2015–16 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament. During the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy season, Siraj picked 41 wickets at an average of 18.92 - the highest that season for Hyderabad.

4. His big break came in February, 2017, when he was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad for that year's Indian Premier League for a whopping Rs 2.6 crore. Next Year, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he currently plays. 

5. In 2017, Siraj was named in India's T20I squad for their series against New Zealand. He made his debut for India against New Zealand on November 4, 2017, taking the wicket of Kane Williamson.

Siraj has so far played 21 Tests (59 wickets), 29 ODIs (53 wickets) and 8 T20Is (11 wickets). 

6. Siraj has ben a no. 1 ranked bowled in the past. On January 21, 2023 Siraj became No. 1 ODI Bowler in ICC Rankings. Currently, he is ranked 9th in ODIs. 

7. Mohammed Siraj Siraj is a great Cristiano Ronaldo fan. His celebration after taking a wicket is similar to what Ronaldo does after scoring a goal. 

8. With his 6/21 against Sri Lanka, the pacer became only the fourth bowler in ODI history to take four wickets in an over, and he matched former Lankan pacer Chaminda Vaas as the fastest to a five-wicket haul in one-dayers – in just 16 deliveries.

9. Siraj is the second bowler in the Asia Cup 50-over format to take a 6-wicket haul after Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis bagged the figure of 6/13 against India in 2008. 

10. Mohammed Siraj, who is also known as 'Miyan Magic' to his fans, won hearts at the R Premadasa stadium after the Asia Cup final match as he dedicated the 'Player of the Final' cash prize to the ground staff.

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/gDSRqTi
via IFTTT