Day: December 25, 2021

25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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Ashwin took Shastri’s comment in wrong way: Former Team India selector Sarandeep Singh | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former Team India selector Sarandeep Singh said that spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took ex-head coach Ravi Shastri's comment on Kuldeep Yadav in a wrong way. Kuldeep had bagged a five-wicket haul in the Sydney Test in 2019 and Shastri had termed the leg spinner as "India's No. 1 overseas spinner". While the game ended in a draw, India won the series Down Under. Ashwin later expressed his disappointment on Shastri's comment and said that he felt 'crushed'. "I hold Ravi Bhai in high esteem. We all do. And I understand we all can say things and then retract them. In that moment, though, I felt crushed. Absolutely crushed. We all talk about how important it is to enjoy your team-mates' success," ESPNcricinfo had quoted Ashwin as saying. Meanwhile talking to ANI, Sarandeep Singh sai...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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PKL: UP Yoddha beat Patna Pirates with last raid of match | Pro-Kabaddi-League News – Times of India

BENGALURU: UP Yoddha edged Patna Pirates 36-35 in the final move of the match to clinch much-needed five points in their Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) contest on Saturday. Patna thought they had managed to claw their way back into a tie in the last move of the match when they tackled Surender Gill but the UP raider ensured he got a bonus point in the process to keep that one-point lead alive. Pardeep Narwal, former Patna raider, was the highest point scorer for UP Yoddha with 12 points. As expected Pardeep Narwal got off to a flier, picking up two bonus points in his first two raids and then following it up with a two-point raid. Patna struggled in the initial stages with their raiders Monu Goyat and Prashant Kumar Rai struggling. A tree-point Super Raid in the 10th minute by UP Yoddha's Shr...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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Indian hockey team needs to be ‘psychologically strong’ to win crunch games, says former skipper Dilip Tirkey | Hockey News – Times of India

BHUBANESWAR (Odisha): Former hockey captain Dilip Tirkey feels the Indian team have to work on mental toughness to become "psychologically" strong in order to win the crunch encounters in the big tournaments. Earlier this week, India came back from behind to beat arch-rivals Pakistan in the third-place match in the Men's Asian Champions Trophy in Dhaka. However, India, the defending champions had lost the intensely-fought semi-final match against Japan days after thrashing the Asian side 6-0 in the continental tournament. Dilip Tirkey said India might have been a little casual after a resounding win against Japan and weren't able to unleash their true potential in the must-win clash. "The Indian team needs to be psychologically strong. In the league match, we defeated Japan, and then to...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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Mirabai Chanu receives Rs 1.50 crore reward by UP govt, says she is grateful to receive such respect | More sports News – Times of India

LUCKNOW (Uttar Pradesh): Olympics silver medallist weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu received a cash reward of Rs 1.50 crore by the Uttar Pradesh government presented by the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on winning a silver medal for India in weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics. "I'm grateful to receive such respect. We never got such recognition earlier, so it's a proud moment for us," Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu told ANI at the event after receiving the reward. I'm grateful to receive such respect. We never got such recognition earlier, so it's a proud moment for us: Olympic… https://t.co/N3JZoOKBm4— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) 1640430955000Mirabai Chanu had won India's first medal of the Tokyo Olympics...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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Former England cricket captain Ray Illingworth dies aged 89 | Cricket News – Times of India

LONDON: Ray Illingworth, a former England cricket captain, has died. He was 89. Illingworth, who led England to a Test series victory in Australia in 1970-71, had been undergoing radiotherapy for esophageal cancer. Yorkshire, the English county Illingworth played for, announced his death. "Our thoughts are with Ray's family and the wider Yorkshire family who held Ray so dear to their hearts," Yorkshire tweeted. We are deeply saddened to learn that Ray Illingworth has passed away.Our thoughts are with Ray’s family and the w… https://t.co/uXBwfGuUDW— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) 1640438066000Illingworth played 61 Test matches for England between 1958 and 1973, scoring 1,836 runs at an average of 23.24 and he claimed 122 wickets. He captained England 31 times, winning 12 of those matches....

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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U-19 Asia Cup: Pakistan beat India by 2 wickets in thriller | Cricket News – Times of India

DUBAI: Pakistan edged out a mediocre Indian side by two wickets in a last-ball thriller in the U-19 Asia Cup here on Saturday. Pakistan rode on a stroke-filled 81 by one-down Muhammad Shehzad and a late cameo by Ahmad Khan (29 not out) to chase down a target of 238. Ahmad hit Ravi Kumar for a boundary in the game's final delivery to seal the game for his side. Earlier in the day, the Pakistan U-19 bowlers, led by right-arm medium pacer Zeeshan Zameer (5/60), wreaked havoc as they bundled out the opposition for a sub-par 237. After a spirited fightback that saw them recover from 14/3 to post 237, India U19 lost to Pakistan U19 on the final… https://t.co/nmFEhY2RYV— BCCI (@BCCI) 1640439724000India lost opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi (0), Shaik Rasheed (6) and skipper Yash Dhull (0) cheaply, ...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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Djokovic ‘won’t go’ to pre-Australian Open ATP Cup | Tennis News – Times of India

BELGRADE: Novak Djokovic will not play in the ATP Cup ahead of the Australian Open, where his participation is in doubt because he refuses to say if he has been vaccinated against Covid-19, his team have told Serbian newspaper Blic. "It is 99 percent sure that Novak won't go to the ATP Cup. He is training here (in Belgrade) but he has decided to give that tournament a miss," an unnamed member of his team said. The ATP Cup in Sydney is a team tournament that traditionally kicks off the men's season. World number one Djokovic could win a record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, which starts on January 17, but to enter Australia he and members of his entourage will have to be vaccinated and the 34-year-old has previously expressed his opposition to the vaccine. His father Srdja...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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BCCI to rope in KPMG for media rights bid process

The BCCI has hired accounting firm KPMG to advice them on the IPL media rights. It is learnt that this has been decided by Board secretary Jay Shah’s office. The BCCI, according to an official, expects around Rs 30,000 crore from media rights for the next five-year cycle from 2023-2027, while KPMG would guide them on tender process. The current IPL media rights with Star India, TV and digital, is worth Rs 16,347.50 crore. The current deal expires next year. The IPL media rights tender is expected to be put out soon, although the BCCI at the moment is weighing up options about whether to go for e-auction or choose closed bid. The IPL governing council meeting on Sunday is set to make KPMG’s name official. In its press release after the IPL governing council meeting on Septem...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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How trainer Rajamani helped Ashwin beat his body into shape

“In India, we think that we have to do Olympic lifting, we have to do squats, we have to do this or that exercise. But the number one goal is that you have to be available for all games and net sessions,” says AT Rajamani Prabhu, who trains the Rajasthan Royals and the Karnataka teams but has been in the news after R Ashwin credited him for reviving his flagging body. So what had Ashwin been missing? “I am not against Olympic lifting,” Rajamani tells The Indian Express. “It is a very good tool to develop vertical force. But if you are not doing it properly… it is from a completely different sport after all. If you do normal exercise with emphasis on explosiveness and safe movements, you will get better result. That is one thing I changed in him.” Ashwin’s fitness had let hi...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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Virat Kohli will be back in form in this series, feels coach Rajkumar Sharma | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Indian skipper Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma feels that the batter will be back in his original form in the Test series against South Africa. The Indian team will lock horns against South Africa in the 'Boxing Day' Test match as the three-match Test series kick starts in Centurion. "Last time, Virat played an amazing innings in the Centurion and I hope he will play that once again. All his fans are eagerly waiting to see him perform just like before. He is a mature person. He has been captaining for a long time now and he is passionate about team India's performance. This time the fans will get to see the original Virat back in form," Rajkumar Sharma told ANI. "It will be a tough call for team India that should be included in the Playing XI among Rahane, Pujar...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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Internal conversation about captaincy is not for media: Rahul Dravid | Cricket News – Times of India

CENTURION: India head coach Rahul Dravid on Saturday refused to divulge details of any internal conversation he might have had with the selectors on Virat Kohli's white-ball captaincy, saying it is not for public consumption. It has been a convention that the Indian captain addresses the media ahead of the opening Test match of a series but it was Dravid, who took the questions ahead of the 'Boxing Day' Test against South Africa. Kohli had decided to give up the leadership role in Twenty20 format and later he was replaced by Rohit Sharma in the One-day format too. "To be honest that's the role of the selectors and I am not going to get into conversations that I might or might not have had," when asked if he had given his opinion on change of white ball captaincy. "It's not the place and...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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India vs South Africa: Ajinkya Rahane in ‘good space’ ahead of 1st Test, says Rahul Dravid | Cricket News – Times of India

CENTURION (South Africa): Indian men's cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid said that batter Ajinkya Rahane is in good space ahead of the first Test match against South Africa on Sunday. The Indian team will lock horns against South Africa in the 'Boxing Day' Test match as the three-match Test series kick starts in Centurion. India's major concern in SA is likely going to be their batting as their middle-order batters like Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara are struggling to perform with the bat. Rahane has lost his Test vice-captaincy recently and will be under pressure to perform if given a chance as Shreyas Iyer who made a Test ton on his debut in Kanpur is eyeing a place in playing elven. "Conversation with Ajinkya Rahane has been very positive and very good. He has trained very g...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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India vs South Africa: Dravid urges India to seize their moment in history | Cricket News – Times of India

PRETORIA: India coach Rahul Dravid has urged his players to seize the chance to claim a first ever Test series win in South Africa, a moment that could be career defining for many in the team as they prepare for the first Test in Pretoria on Sunday. India have enjoyed recent success in Australia and England, but South Africa remains a mighty challenge for the top ranked Test side, though they will arguably never have had a better chance against a home team going through a transition period and with far less experience than in the past. "It is a great challenge and a great opportunity for everyone," Dravid told reporters on Saturday. "It is something you look forward to as a batsman, the chance to play away from home and test yourself against some really good opposition in their home con...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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‘Not the place, time:’ Dravid deadbats questions about Kohli-Ganguly saga

Two expected events happened at the India’s pre-game press conference in South Africa. The absence of Virat Kohli and the ability of Rahul Dravid to wriggle out of a tight spot. In a departure from the conventions of pre-Test media interactions where the captain usually attends with the coach, Kohli chose not to attend. Perhaps, because the last time he fronted up the media, he had had his say against Sourav Ganguly led BCCI over the way he was dethroned from the ODI captaincy, and since there has been no official response yet from the board, it would have been more of the same. Last time around, he was urging the media manager, who was intent on ending the conference, to carry on and read out questions from the chat window on the Zoom. Unsurprisingly, Dravid didn’t bite ...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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Tokyo Paralympics bronze is a gold medal for me, says Manoj Sarkar | Badminton News – Times of India

BHUBANESWAR: Indian shuttler Manoj Sarkar might have won bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics but the medal is no less than gold for the athlete. Manoj had won a bronze medal after defeating Japan's Daisuke Fujihara in the men's singles SL3 event at the Paralympics Games in Tokyo. "To be honest, the Tokyo Bronze medal is a Gold for me because winning a medal for India at such a level is no mean feat. But this is also true that my dream hasn't been fulfilled and I'll try to do that in Paris 2024," Manoj Sarkar told ANI after winning his first game in the ongoing Para-Badminton National championship here in Bhubaneswar. The Indian shuttler feels people's view towards the para-athletes and the specially-abled person has changed due to a remarkable show by the Indian contingent in the Tokyo...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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ireland: USA vs Ireland ODI cancelled due to Covid | Cricket News – Times of India

WASHINGTON: The United States' one-day cricket international match with Ireland due to be played on Sunday has been cancelled because one of the umpires has Covid-19, USA Cricket said. The positive case has left all four of the umpires unavailable for the first one-day international of the series in Florida as although the three other officials tested negative, they are considered close contacts. USA Cricket said in a statement the second and third ODIs in the series, currently scheduled for December 28 and December 30, "will go ahead as planned, with an alternative match official group if required". The USA and Ireland each won a T20 international in the opening two games of Ireland's tour. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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Vijay Hazare Trophy final: Tamil Nadu firm favourites against resurgent Himachal Pradesh | Cricket News – Times of India

JAIPUR: Formidable Tamil Nadu will start as overwhelming favourites against rank outsiders Himachal Pradesh, eyeing their maiden title, when the two teams lock horns in the Vijay Hazare Trophy summit clash here on Sunday. The two teams made it to the final in a contrasting manner. While former India player Rishi Dhawan-led Himachal stormed into the final crushing Services by 77 runs, Tamil Nadu won a last ball thriller to knock out Saurashtra by two wickets. Having won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this season, Tamil Nadu would be eyeing a double by annexing the Vijay Hazare Trophy too. Congratulations to Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for reaching the #VijayHazareTrophy #Final. 👏 👏How excited are… https://t.co/zIrEShAjNS— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) 1640356394000It has been an...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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India vs South Africa: Playing in our backyard gives us upper hand against India, says Dean Elgar | Cricket News – Times of India

CENTURION: South Africa are "wary" of India's overseas success but home conditions provide the hosts the edge going into the three-Test series beginning on Sunday, said Proteas skipper Dean Elgar. India had claimed a 2-1 win on Australian soil earlier this year to qualify for the World Test Championships final, which they lost to New Zealand. Virat Kohli's men also grabbed a 2-1 result in England before the fifth Test of the season was postponed to 2022 due to COVID-19. "I think it's pretty even-stevens. Us playing at home, obviously, gives us a little bit of an upper hand," Elgar said ahead of the Boxing Day Test in Centurion. "They are ranked No. 1 in the world; we can't not look at that. That's something they have been for quite some time, in my opinion - just my being a cricket watc...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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U-19 Asia Cup: Pakistan beat India by 2 wickets in thriller

Pakistan edged out a mediocre Indian side by two wickets in a last-ball thriller in the U-19 Asia Cup here on Saturday. Pakistan rode on a stroke-filled 81 by one-down Muhammad Shehzad and a late cameo by Ahmad Khan (29 not out) to chase down a target of 238. Ahmad hit Ravi Kumar for a boundary in the game’s final delivery to seal the game for his side. Earlier in the day, the Pakistan U-19 bowlers, led by right-arm medium pacer Zeeshan Zameer (5/60), wreaked havoc as they bundled out the opposition for a sub-par 237. After a spirited fightback that saw them recover from 14/3 to post 237, India U19 lost to Pakistan U19 on the final ball of the match by 2 wickets. #BoysInBlue #ACC #U19AsiaCup #INDvPAK Up next: Afghanistan U19 on Monday. 📸 📸: ACC Details ▶️ https://t.co/BKDy...

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25Dec By source belowNo Comments

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I-League: Stronger than before, Mohd Sporting hope to go the extra mile as the new season gets underway

The new I-League season kicks off in the same old bubble. For the second season running, the erstwhile top division of Indian football will be conducted in a bio-secure environment in Kolkata due to pandemic-related restrictions. In the last few years, the I-League has become truly pan-India, reaching places it never had before. The trend will continue this season, too, with a team from Rajasthan qualifying for the first time. While the league’s newest club, Rajasthan United, will hope to do a Real Kashmir or an Aizawl FC and begin their journey with a bang, the focus will also be on one of the oldest sides of the country, Mohammedan Sporting, who will start as one of the favourites to win the 13-team league. The I-League has thrown up riveting storylines and surprise winne...

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