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‘Thiru…varam…putnam’, ‘Thiru…vantram…pitrum’, ‘Tarum…param…pum’: Watch South Africa cricketers struggling to say Thiruvananthapuram

The South Africa team is currently located in Thiruvananthapuram where they are scheduled to take on New Zealand in the second World Cup Warm-up match. However, a hilarious video has surfaced on social media where the men in green can be seen struggling to pronounce Thiruvananthapuram. A clip of the same was also shared by the senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday. Earlier, their first match against Afghanistan was abadoned due to the rain. The South African have arrived in Thiruvananthapuram ! But can they tell anyone where they are? pic.twitter.com/N9LnyVLVH9 — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 1, 2023 The Proteas are taking their practice matches with utmost seriousness, according to head coach Rob Walter. “From our point of view, it’s really important to put warm-up...
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Pune prepares for World Cup: Facelift for Gahunje stadium, trophy parade

EXCITEMENT IS in the air at Maharashtra Cricket Association’s stadium in Gahunje as Pune will host ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup after a long gap of 27 years.When India faces Bangladesh on October 19, it will be the first ever world cup contest involving India played at a Pune stadium. And then there will be four more matches — Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka on October 30, New Zealand vs South Africa on November 1, England vs Netherlands on November 8 and Australia vs Bangladesh on November 12. “We have hosted 60 major events including IPL but this is a mega event. We are very excited,” said Ajinkya Joshi, Chief Operating Officer, MCA. In preparation for the matches the stadium is getting a face-lift for the first time since its opening in April 2012. “Gahunje stadium is well-maintained. But si...
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Pune prepares for World Cup: Facelift for Gahunje stadium, trophy parade

EXCITEMENT IS in the air at Maharashtra Cricket Association’s stadium in Gahunje as Pune will host ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup after a long gap of 27 years.When India faces Bangladesh on October 19, it will be the first ever world cup contest involving India played at a Pune stadium. And then there will be four more matches — Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka on October 30, New Zealand vs South Africa on November 1, England vs Netherlands on November 8 and Australia vs Bangladesh on November 12. “We have hosted 60 major events including IPL but this is a mega event. We are very excited,” said Ajinkya Joshi, Chief Operating Officer, MCA. In preparation for the matches the stadium is getting a face-lift for the first time since its opening in April 2012. “Gahunje stadium is well-maintained. But si...
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Hockey Rankings: India men climb to third spot, women placed 7th in latest FIH list

The Indian men’s hockey team has climbed to the third spot in the latest world rankings issued by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Monday. India (2771) are back into the top-3, after more than year since dropping out in May 2022. The elevation happened due to their undefeated run in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 in Chennai last month. The Indians have won six and drew one of their seven matches. England (2745), who fell just short of winning the EuroHockey title with a 1-2 loss to the Netherlands in the final, are out of top three. Despite their strong run to the finals, an earlier loss in the tournament against Belgium and the loss in the final, coupled with India’s run of wins, saw England slip to fourth. Netherlands (3113) continue to lead the way with a strong defence ...
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IND vs NEP Asia Cup 2023 report card: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill star as India down game Nepal by 10 wickets

India vs Nepal Asia Cup 2023 report card: India qualified for the Super 4 stages of the Asia Cup when they defeated Nepal by 10 wickets in a rain curtailed match on Saturday. The match, which was interrupted again and again due to incessant rain, had India chase down a revised total of 145 in 23 overs due to the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method after Nepal had initially made 230 runs in the first innings. India will now go again on Sunday where they will take on arch-rivals Pakistan for the second time in the tournament after their first tie was washed out on September 2 Rohit Sharma After a shaky start in the first over by Karan KC, Rohit would soon find his feet in the rain-affected match and score an unbeaten 74 runs. Shubman Gill After a disappointing start to the tournament when he was...
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IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2023 report card: Pakistan bowlers sizzle, Indian top order fizzles as rain washes out match

India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 report card: The rain played spoilsport as the high voltage clash between India and Pakistan was called off on Saturday. There was a forecast of rain in this match and ultimately that came true as Pakistan did not get a chance to chase India’s set target of 266 runs. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf rained fire on the Indian batting lineup as the Men in Blue were reduced to 66/4 at one point. From there, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya rebuilt the innings and a late flurry by Jasprit Bumrah helped India post a decent total. Here’s a quick form-check of Team India after the game: Rohit Sharma (11 runs) The Indian skipper looked to have luck on his side when he was dropped in the first over of the match and got a boundary off it to boot. He wo...
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SL all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga retires from Test cricket

Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga on Tuesday announced his retirement from Test cricket as he seeks to prolong his career in limited-over format of the game. The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said it has accepted the decision of the 26-year-old Hasaranga. “We will accept his decision and are confident that Hasaranga will be a vital part of our white-ball programme going forward,” said SLC CEO Ashley De Silva. Hasaranga made his Test debut against South Africa at Centurion in 2020, and played three more Tests thereafter. From four Tests, he took four wickets with his leg-spin. His last Test was against Bangladesh in Pallekele in 2021. However, Hasaranga continues to be a prominent figure for Sri Lanka in white ball formats as the spin spearhead and a handy lower-order batsman. From 48 O...
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Neymar joins exodus from Europe for ‘greener’ pastures in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Pro League managed to snag another superstar from Europe when it was announced that Al-Hilal would be signing Brazil’s leading goal-scorer Neymar from French club Paris Saint-Germain.Neymar, as recently as last year, almost single-handedly took Brazil to the World Cup quarter-finals before a penalty shootout saw Croatia going through. From that moment, to now a transfer to Saudi Arabia at the age of 31 has seen the world of football alter itself in unimaginable ways. Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar were considered elite entities in European football; now they reside in the Saudi Pro League.The movement of football’s stars to lower leagues than those in Europe is not unheard of – especially when they head to the Chinese Super League or Major League Soccer. But there...
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Middle-order blues: Who will play the boring middle overs for India at World Cup?

In the 2011 World Cup, as the eighth-highest runscorer with a strike rate of just over 86, having hit only three sixes in nine innings, Yuvraj Singh won the Player of the Tournament award, heralded as the man that won India the game’s biggest honour at home.Six-hitting and strokeplay were not what got Yuvraj his plaudits, instead, it was his match-winning feats in pressure situations, playing the situation by smartly handling the middle overs, manipulating fields and milking bowlers, delaying the attack for a final flourish or setting the stage for finishers.Exactly two months prior to their opening game in the upcoming 50-over World Cup, the Indian think tank must ask itself, following untimely injuries to KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Shreyas Iyer, whether they have any batsmen who may ...
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Watch: Before UFC cage fight against Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg earns blue belt

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, two of the world’s most famous and powerful tech billionaires, have continued to trade barbs on social media after Musk challenged Zuckerberg to a cage fight. The idea of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg fighting in the UFC has been dubbed as ‘the biggest ever in the history of the world’ by UFC president Dana White. The two tech giants have both spoken to White after a conversation via their social media platforms. While Musk has been busy rebranding Twitter as X, Zuckerberg has been prepping up and in the latest development has received his blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. “Congrats @davecamarillo on your 5th degree black belt, Zuckerberg wrote. “You’re a great coach, and I’ve learned so much about fighting and life from training with you. Also honored to ...
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Extremist attacks wounded Paris: Here’s why the city turned to the 2024 Olympics to heal

For the mayor of Paris, the city’s journey to next year’s Olympic Games included an epiphany born of brutality: the slaughter of 17 people by gunmen acting in the names of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.Anne Hidalgo says the 2015 attacks at a provocative satirical newspaper and a kosher Parisian supermarket were “truly fundamental” in steering her to the idea of bringing the Games back to the French capital for the first time since 1924. With the country outraged and hurting from the bloodshed, she saw the Olympics as an opportunity for France to rebound and heal.“What really scared me at that moment was to hear young people, even children, explain that the terrorists were heroes and that Charlie was guilty of having pushed freedom of expression too far,” Hidalgo says, referring t...
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Lionel Messi surprises team mate in group chat ahead of grand unveiling

Lionel Messi has already proved to be a team player at his new club Inter Miami as the Argentine forward surprised a team mate in the players’ group chat by providing a timely assist with tickets to his presentation on Sunday. Not even the pouring rain could spoil Messi’s welcome party last weekend in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the new face of Major League Soccer (MLS) was introduced to a packed stadium of adoring fans. The new team mates of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner did not want to miss the event either, and forward Leonardo Campana turned to Inter’s WhatsApp group for spare passes. “On Sunday, Campana was looking for tickets and he put in the group chat if anybody has any,” Inter defender DeAndre Yedlin told the reporters. “I didn’t even know whether Messi was in the grou...
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Indian lifters set for rich medal haul despite absence of Mirabai

Hosts India are expected to win a bagful of medals despite the absence of star lifters, including Mirabai Chanu, when the Commonwealth Championships get underway on Wednesday. The Commonwealth tournaments — Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth Championships — are a happy hunting ground for Indian weightlifters, who make the most of the absence of traditional powerhouses like China and North Korea. Since the 2011 edition of the Commonwealth Championships, India have finished as the best-performing nation every time barring in 2013 and 2021. In the last edition, Indian lifters reigned supreme, bringing back a haul of 16 medals – the most by a country in 2021 – but lost the top spot to Canada owing to an inferior gold medal tally. And this year, the lifters will be keen to rectify the m...
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India, R Ashwin continue to be No1 in Test rankings; Kane Williamson topples Root

Team India and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin remained number one in the latest ICC Test Rankings even as New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson replaced Joe Root as the top-ranked batter. The Indian team, which lost the World Test Championship final to Australia last month, continues to hold on to its top spot. Ashwin also held on to his world No 1 spot among bowlers. The senior off-spinner has 860 points and is followed by Australia skipper Pat Cummins, who has moved two spots to second with 826 points. Another Indian who has remained static on number one is Ravindra Jadeja, who leads the all-rounders’ list with 434 points. While Ashwin too remains on the second spot, Akshar Patel has dropped to fifth among all-rounders. Rishabh Pant, who has been out of action since his car accident in...
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Jessica Pegula says potential Saudi deal can help WTA ensure equal prize money

American world number four Jessica Pegula said doing business with Saudi Arabia can help the WTA in its quest to ensure equal prize money but it will carefully evaluate following other sports to the Gulf state. Saudi Arabia has pumped huge amounts of money into soccer, Formula One and boxing in recent years while the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit recently ended its two-year dispute with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour by announcing a merger. WTA chairman Steve Simon said on Friday there were still “big issues” with Saudi Arabia as potential hosts for WTA events and the governing body of women’s tennis had not yet made any decisions or entered into negotiations with the country. “I’m sure we’ll talk and go about it,” WTA player council member Pegula told reporters ahead of Wimbledon. Men ...
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India head coach Stimac banned for 2 games, fined USD 500 for red card offence in Kuwait game

India head coach Igor Stimac was on Friday handed a two-match ban for his red-card offence after he argued with the match officials during the home side’s 1-1 draw against Kuwait in their last group match of the SAFF Championships football here. Stimac was also fined USD 500 as the SAFF Disciplinary Committee deemed it a fit case for suspending him for more than one match. He was also handed a red card against Pakistan in India’s campaign opener on June 21 but in that case the matter was not referred to the SAFF Disciplinary Committee as the offence was deemed “less serious” and he had to sit out of the subsequent match against Nepal on June 24. But in this case relating to the red card in the Kuwait game on June 27, the matter reached the SAFF Disciplinary Committee which imposed a mor...
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Top players who could be on the move during soccer’s transfer window

The transfer window in England opened on June 14 and for the major leagues in Europe it will open on July 1.Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema have already kicked off the window in spectacular fashion, and more of soccer’s biggest stars could also be on the move this off-season.Kylian Mbappe has told Paris Saint-Germain he will not sign a 12-month extension on his current contract, which is expected to spark an auction for the France striker, with Real Madrid likely to be at the head of the queue. The Spanish club is in need of a center forward following Benzema’s move to Saudi Arabian champion Al-Ittihad. Madrid, along with Manchester United, has also been linked with Harry Kane, who has a year to run on his deal at Tottenham. United is also trying to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount. M...
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‘Ricky Ponting put the needle in’: Ex-England player on verbal volleys between former Australia captain and Ollie Robinson

The verbal war of words between former Australia captain Ricky Ponting and current England bowler Ollie Robinson has attracted the attention of fans and pundits alike. Former England batter Mark Butcher is the latest to share his thoughts and according to the southpaw it is the Australians who pounce on any chance they get.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Wide World of Sports (@wwos) It all happened after Robinson gave Usman Khawaja a fiery send-off after dismissing him on Day 3 of the first Test at Edgbaston. Robinson then defended his actions and named Ponting in his statement. “We’ve all seen Ricky Ponting and other Aussies do the same to us, and just because the shoe is on the other foot it’s not received well,” Robinson had said. This caught the attenti...
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‘Just because they don’t play IPL…’: Wasim Jaffer expresses unhappiness with Indian team selection for West Indies tour

The Indian cricket team will tour the West Indies in July and August 2023 for a three-match ODI series and five-match T20I series. The Indian team for the West Indies tour has been selected, and it features a mix of experienced players and youngsters. The selection of the Indian team for the West Indies tour has been met with mixed reactions. Some people have praised the selection, while others have criticized it. Sharing his thoughts on Twitter, former India player Wasim Jaffer slammed the selection policy and made a number of observations. “What’s the need for four openers? (Rohit, Shubman Gill, Gaikwad and Jaiswal) Instead, they could have picked Sarfaraz as extra middle order bat to honour his consistent domestic performances. “Easwaran and Panchal have been doing the hard yards in ...
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Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo receives Guinness World Record award, scores late winner for Portugal in European qualifying

Incredible🙌#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/HJSnnXxOub — UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 20, 2023 The 38-year-old Ronaldo was honored by Guinness World Records before kickoff for reaching 200 games for Portugal almost 20 years after he made his debut. And he was celebrating at the end, too, after being on hand to score the later winner from close range and keep Portugal on track for Euro 2024 qualification with its fourth win from four games in Group J. Erling Haaland scored twice in Norway’s 3-1 win at home over Cyprus, as did Romelu Lukaku in Belgium’s 3-0 victory over Estonia. But another star forward – Robert Lewandowski – was left disappointed as his Poland team squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 away to Moldova. Euro 2024 host Germany lost 2-0 to Colombia in a friendly game. GROUP J...