September 16, 2023 – https://bhartiyanews24x7.com

16Sep

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In last year’s crisis, Lanka cricketers went all out to help; fans are returning the love

It’s almost 1:30 on Friday night and roughly 25 minutes since Charith Asalanka scored the winning runs against Pakistan, propelling Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup final against India. The presentation ceremony is over and the commentary crew are packing up.However, at the spectator stands inside R Premadasa Stadium, no one is ready to leave. As chants of ‘Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka’ continue to reverberate around, for many, Sunday’s final against India can’t come any sooner.There is something unmistakable that swells in from the stands along with the ‘Papare’ soundtrack, grown from Sinhala Baila music: it’s the sound of people falling in love again with the national cricket team, the single unifying force in a country that suffered through an economic turmoil in 2022. India’s captain Rohit Sharma...

16Sep

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Neeraj Chopra fails to retain Diamond League title, ends second at Eugene

Neeraj Chopra has set such lofty standards for himself that even a respectable second-place finish in the prestigious Diamond League seems like a disappointment. It wasn’t Neeraj Chopra’s day at Eugene on Saturday as he failed to retain his Diamond League title (with a best effort of 83.80m), finishing second behind Czech power thrower Jakub Vadlejch (84.24m). Vadlejch took the lead in his very first throw before finishing off with an 84.24m as the rest of the field, including Neeraj, never threatened him. Neeraj’s best attempt of 83.80m came in the second round. Although Neeraj would be disappointed on not retaining his Diamond League title, he will still take home a second-place cheque of approx Rs 10 lakh. Two-time world champion Anderson Peters looked like a pale shadow of himself i...

16Sep

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Asian Games 2023: Despite adding Jhingan, Chinglensana, midfield remains a concern for football team

After days of confusion over the composition of the squad and whether the national team coach would accompany it to Hangzhou, the All India Football Federation was able to prise players like Sandesh Jhingan and Chinglensana Singh away from their clubs to make up a customary 22-member squad for the Asian Games. The AIFF was also able to confirm that head coach Igor Stimac would indeed be heading to China with the players after initially being reluctant to go with the hastily-assembled 17-member squad led by Sunil Chhetri that had been announced earlier. The federation also announced that East Bengal attacker Naorem Mahesh Singh will undergo a medical test before any decision to induct him into the squad will be taken. All this has only added to the uncertainty with India’s opening group ...

16Sep

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Asia Cup 2023 Final: India and Sri Lanka to battle it out for continental supremacy

Rohit Sharma and Co. will have to come up with a near-perfect show against a Sri Lankan outfit - backed by a 35,000-strong home crowd. | Photo Credit: ANI The curse of the Asia Cup has persisted. It’s not going to be India versus Pakistan, in sync with the tournament’s 39-year history. Nevertheless, with the World Cup less than three weeks away, there will be much more at stake than bragging about the continental supremacy when India take on Sri Lanka in what is expected to be a scintillating Sunday. Injury concerns While both the teams are dealing with injury concerns, Rohit Sharma and Co. will have to come up with a near-perfect show against a Sri Lankan outfit — backed by a 35,000-strong home crowd — that has nothing to lose at the R. Premadasa Stadium. Contrary to most of the las...

16Sep

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Neeraj Chopra Diamond League 2023 Final Live Updates: Neeraj Chopra looking to defend his title

Neeraj Chopra looking at Diamond League title to cap a golden season Neeraj Chopra will be defending his Diamond League title in Eugene at the Hayward Field stadium. (PHOTO: @SAI_Media/X) Usually, reams of praise on top athletes get written at the fag-end of their careers, but Neeraj Chopra is an exception. At 25 he has virtually won every global title possible – with the most recent being India’s first World Championship gold. But despite achieving what most athletes dream of in such a short time, Neeraj seems as hungry as ever. At the post-Worlds press conference, he summed up his mindset when he said, “Throwers don’t have a finishing line.” “So I can push myself, it is motivation to see how many medals one can win. Winning medals does not mean we have done everything. There are so m...

16Sep

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Travis Head’s World Cup participation in doubt after fracturing left hand

Australia’s Travis Head leaves the field after receiving medical attention during the fourth ODI cricket match between South Africa and Australia in Pretoria, South Africa, on September 15, 2023. | Photo Credit: AP Travis Head's participation at next month's World Cup has been thrown into uncertainty after the Australian opener fractured his left hand during the fourth ODI against South Africa.Head was struck on the on the left glove by a short delivery from Proteas seamer Gerald Coetzee in the seventh over in the fourth ODI here on Friday.The 29-year-old faced three more deliveries but looked in discomfort and was forced to retire hurt in Australia's massive 164-run loss."It's a confirmed fracture," Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said at the post match conference."As to the natu...

16Sep

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Akash Deep replaces injured Shivam Mavi in Asian Games squad – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday named Bengal fast bowler Akash Deep as the replacement for the injured Shivam Mavi in the men's squad for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.Shivam Mavi, who is currently nursing a back injury, has been declared unfit for the tournament.The men's cricket competition is scheduled to be held in a T20 format from September 28 to October 8.Meanwhile, the women's selection committee named Pooja Vastrakar as replacement for Anjali Sarvani.Vastrakar was a part of the standby list of players.Left-arm pacer Sarvani has been ruled out with a knee injury.The women's cricket competition will take place from September 19-28 in the T20 format.Indian men's squadRuturaj Gaikwad (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul Tripathi, Tilak Varma, Rink...

16Sep

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Bangladesh recalls Mahmudullah and Tamim for ODI series against New Zealand

Opening batter Tamim Iqbal, who stepped down as ODI captain last month, missed this month’s Asia Cup due to a recurring back injury. File | Photo Credit: AFP Mahmudullah and Tamim Iqbal were recalled on Saturday as Bangladesh announced a 15-man squad for the first two games in this month's three-match series of one-day internationals against New Zealand. All-rounder Mahmudullah was dropped after the England series in March following a poor run of form.Opening batter Tamim, who stepped down as ODI captain last month, missed this month's Asia Cup due to a recurring back injury.All-rounder Soumya Sarkar and wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan also returned to the squad but captain Shakib Al Hasan was rested along with Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan and the pace trio of Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud and ...

16Sep

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‘Virat Kohli’s form augurs well for India’: Coach Rajkumar Sharma ahead of Asia Cup final | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: As Team India prepares to take on Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final on Sunday, Virat Kohli's childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, has expressed optimism about the former India skipper's recent form and emphasised that Kohli's ability to consistently contribute, even without centuries, signifies his prowess.Kohli has once again showcased his cricketing mettle by achieving the milestone of becoming the fastest batter to score 13,000 runs in the ODI format during an exceptional innings against Pakistan in the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup.With this feat, Kohli joined an elite group of five players to reach this landmark in men's ODIs."Kohli is already in great form in the year 2023. There was a phase when he was not scoring big runs. It was not like he was out of form. He was scoring...

16Sep

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New Zealand’s Southee fractures bone to put World Cup in doubt

Tim Southee of New Zealand lies on the ground after injuring his thumb while attempting a catch during the 4th Metro Bank ODI between England and New Zealand at Lord’s Cricket Ground on September 15, 2023 in London, England. | Photo Credit: Getty Images New Zealand paceman Tim Southee faces a race against time to be fit for the World Cup after dislocating and fracturing a bone in his right thumb on Friday.Less than three weeks before the start of the World Cup in India, Southee suffered the injury while dropping a catch off England's Joe Root in the final one-day international of the four-match series.Root, who was on eight at the time, edged Ben Lister to Southee in the slips.He immediately looked to be in pain and left the field to go for a scan, failing to return."An X-ray has confi...

16Sep

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Injured Axar Patel ruled out of Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka – Times of India

NEW DELHI: All-rounder Axar Patel will not feature in the India-Sri Lanka Asia Cup final on Sunday due to a quadriceps strain, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed. Axar sustained the injury during India's Super Four match against Bangladesh on Friday.Earlier, all-rounder Washington Sundar, who is part of India's Asian Games squad was called up as a cover for the injured Axar.Along with the thigh injury, Axar also sustained injuries to his arms during India's six-run loss to Bangladesh."Axar Patel has been ruled out of the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka due to a left quadriceps strain sustained during India's Super Four match against Bangladesh on Friday. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Washington Sundar as a replacement. The all-rounder arrived in Co...

16Sep

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Premier League: Man United humbled at home by Brighton – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Manchester United's woes deepened as Brighton secured a surprising 3-1 victory at Old Trafford in Saturday's Premier League showdown.Erik ten Hag's team was rattled by a first-half strike from former United forward Danny Welbeck, followed by goals from Pascal Gross and Joao Pedro in the second half, extending Brighton's lead.Hannibal Mejbri's first goal for the club was no consolation for United, who were booed off at the final whistle.It was United's second successive defeat after their 3-1 loss at Arsenal before the international break.With three defeats in five league games already this season, United are languishing in 12th place and have the look of a club in turmoil on and off the pitch.Ten Hag appeared to have stabilised United last season when he ended the club's six-...

16Sep

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Premier League: Manchester City storm back to beat West Ham 3-1 | Football News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland found the net in the second half as Manchester City staged a comeback from a one-goal deficit to defeat West Ham United 3-1 at the London Stadium on Saturday, reclaiming the top spot in the Premier League table.Liverpool had briefly taken the lead with a 3-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Manchester City mounted a strong second-half performance in an exhilarating match to secure the crucial three points.City should have gone ahead in the seventh minute, but a goal-line clearance by Tomas Soucek and a good save from Alphonse Areola kept the game scoreless.The visitors spurned another great opportunity when Josko Gvardiol whipped a ball across the box but Haaland swept his effort wide of the goal, much to the relief of ...

16Sep

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Formula 1: Carlos Sainz on pole in Singapore with Red Bull out of the top 10 | Racing News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: In a remarkable turn of events at the Singapore Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari secured pole position, ending Red Bull's astounding streak of 15 consecutive wins. Sainz's pole marks the second consecutive one for himself and Ferrari, and the Italian team's third in the past four races.Former Red Bull driver and now Ferrari sensation, Carlos Sainz, commented on his thrilling performance, saying, "It's an incredible feeling to secure pole position in Singapore. We've been working hard as a team, and it's paying off."Red Bull's championship leader, Max Verstappen, and his teammate Sergio Perez had a surprising and challenging day. Both drivers failed to make it into the top 10 shootout, a dramatic departure from their usual commanding performances.Max Verstappen, who was hop...

16Sep

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Former India opener Devang Gandhi appointed as head coach for Delhi Ranji team

Former India opener Devang Gandhi has been appointed as the head coach of the Delhi senior team. Gandhi, who has played four Tests and three ODIs for India, has replaced Abhay Sharma, who was sacked following Delhi’s underwhelming show in the last season. But a fresh controversy has erupted as the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) have reinstated Mayank Sidana as one of the selectors of the Delhi senior team, six months after he was sacked following an ugly in-fighting with the then chief selector Gagan Khoda. Sidana was accused by Khoda and DDCA Siddharth Sahib Singh for trying to push “dubious candidates” for the U-25 team for the Col CK Nayudu Trophy. The DDCA president Rohan Jaitely has passed the buck onto DDCA’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) chief Nikhil Chopra. ...

16Sep

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Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi get into a verbal spat after Pakistan’s Asia Cup exit: Report | Cricket News – Times of India

COLOMBO: A heated verbal argument erupted between Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi after their last-ball defeat to Sri Lanka in a low-scoring thriller in the Asia Cup.According to reports, both players indulged in a heated exchange of words after Babar’s comment ‘Players are not playing responsibly’ during the post-match presentation after the shocking last-over defeat on Thursday, knocked Pakistan out of the tournament.In response to Babar’s statement, Shaheen replied 'at least appreciate who bowled and batted well,' to which Babar replied 'I know who's performing well'.Reports also suggested that wicket-keeper batter, Mohammad Rizwan lined himself up to end the dispute between the two stars.In the Super Four round of the Asia Cup, the designated hosts...

16Sep

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PCB puts cap on T20 league participation for centrally contracted players | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Amid ongoing dispute between players and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding various contract clauses, the governing body has opted to impose restrictions on the participation of centrally contracted players in foreign T20 leagues. The decision comes in the wake of injuries suffered by fast bowlers such as Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Muhammad Hasnain, Ehsanaullah, and Hasan Ali just before the World Cup, even as the players have not yet finalized their new central contracts with the board.Zaka Ashraf, who heads the Cricket Management Committee currently running the PCB affairs, told the Pakistani media in Colombo that the players who have the A-Plus and A contracts would only be allowed to play one T20 league besides the Pakistan Super League.He said the board would also ...

16Sep

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‘It is not fair…’: Mohammad Hafeez calls for support and confidence in Babar Azam ahead of World Cup | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan captain and member of the cricket board's technical committee, Mohammad Hafeez, has made a fervent plea for unwavering support and a boost in confidence for skipper Babar Azam in the lead-up to the forthcoming World Cup in India. Addressing the media on Saturday, Hafeez addressed concerns regarding Babar's captaincy and stressed the importance of a collective effort."It is not fair to just blame him for not reaching the Asia Cup final. We are not willing to give credit alone to the captain for reaching a final, so why blame him alone for not reaching the Asia Cup final? Cricket is a team game," Hafeez said, underlining the collaborative nature of the sport.Hafeez further emphasised the need to stand by Babar Azam and the team during this crucial phase. "These ...

16Sep

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‘He had some setbacks but…’: Sanjay Bangar feels this all-rounder brings a lot of balance in Indian team | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: In the last couple of years, Hardik Pandya has significantly grown in stature as India's foremost all-rounder and according to former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar, the swashbuckling cricketer from Baroda provides the team with invaluable balance and will play a crucial role in the upcoming ODI World Cup. Hardik, who was rested for the Asia Cup Super Four clash against Bangladesh, will be returning for the final against Sri Lanka on Sunday. "He has matured a lot over the years. He had some setbacks in terms of his fitness but he has now worked hard to reach where he is now. He has shouldered the responsibilities very well, and is captaining India in T20s. He gives a lot of balance to the team being an all-rounder," Bangar, who is here as the 'Star Sports' expert, told PTI...

16Sep

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India is trying to improve on chasing on slow turners, says Shubman Gill

Full focus: Gill said a miscalculation on his part led to his dismissal at a crucial juncture in the chase against Bangladesh. | Photo Credit: AFP Washington Sundar’s addition as back-up to injured Axar Patel for the Asia Cup Final squad has an underlying message. The allrounder is ahead of his Tamil Nadu spinner, R. Ashwin, in India’s World Cup scheme of things. The left-handed batter, whose offspin prowess has come to the fore frequently, especially in T20 cricket, joined the squad on Saturday afternoon as the team management awaited Axar’s scan reports ahead of Sunday’s title clash against Sri Lanka. Batting depth Sundar’s addition is also in sync with the team management’s insistence on bolstering lower-order batting. On the slow turners in Sri Lanka, batting deep, especially in a m...