Thursday, July 4TRUSTED FEARLESS,FAIR,FRESH,FIRST NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL NEWS PORTAL

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Rohit Sharma’s mother skips visit to doctor to attend special day on victorious son’s return

It was an emotional moment when Rohit Sharma walked up to the president’s box at the Wankhede Stadium to meet his parents, with his mother having skipped an appointment with the doctor to be present at the special moment. Being surrounded by hordes of selfie-hunters, Sharma had to request them for some privacy as he was meeting his parents after a long time. For his mother Poornima, it was a moment not to be missed. The family had waited for this day and she revealed how she skipped a visit to the doctor to come and see her son. “I have never thought I would see this day. Before going to the World Cup, he had come to meet us and said that he wanted to quit T20Is after this. I just said try to win. I was not feeling well today and had a doctor’s appointment, but I still came as I wanted ...
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Wheelchair-bound Maithili joins sea of cricket lovers at parade to celebrate Rohit, Virat, Bumrah and Co

With cricket stadia in India being largely inaccessible to wheelchair-bound people, 27-year-old Maithili Gaikwad knew that the one time she could fulfill her dream of seeing Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and the other Indian cricket stars up close would be during the T20 World Cup bus parade at Marine Drive on Thursday.Maithili suffers from Spina Bifida, a condition where the spinal cord does not develop properly in the womb. She does not have any sensation from waist down and had to depend on her colleagues — she’s an HR at Tata Power — to bring her to the Marine Drive promenade. With the roads being cordoned off because of the parade, Maithili and her colleagues just couldn’t arrange transport to get to Marine Drive. She remained undeterred though. Having faced countless obstacles all th...
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Hats off to Hardik Pandya for bowling last over, says Rohit Sharma as a packed Wankhede erupts

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was all praise for his deputy Hardik Pandya, who bowled the last over in India’s nail-biting triumph against South Africa in the T20 World Cup final last week. Speaking at the team’s felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Rohit said, “Hats off to him to bowl that last over. No matter how many runs you need, there’s always so much pressure to bowl that over. Hats off to him.” Taking the cue from the skipper, as the giant screen showed Pandya on screen, a packed Wankhede crowd started chanting the all-rounder’s name. India, you mean the world to me! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all the love.. these are moments that I will never ever forget! Thank you for coming out to celebrate with us, despite the rains! We love you so much! Ce...
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Euro 2024: Dutch show glimpses of Total Football in charge to quarterfinal

It was gorgeously simple football — the hardest thing there is, to reproduce Johan Cruyff. From the Dutch side of the centre circle, Jerdy Schouten rolled a pass to Xavi Simons. A pass with neither power nor pace, but it immaculately split two Romanian shirts, the referee and found Xavi Simons in the space.The playmaker cushioned the ball on his left instep, spun to his right, took a couple touches, and released Cody Gakpo, ferreting on the left flank. He cut away, then cut in, leaving his marker in the wake, took a touch to gather himself and slammed the ball net-wards, a low and ferocious shot inside goalkeeper Florin Nita’s near post. It was a throwback goal from a throwback display, bursting with a blend of flair and finesse (except in front of the goal), pace and precision, transpo...
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Why Lakshya Sen brought back two-time Olympic men’s doubles medallist Yoo Yong Sung to his coaching team

Sometime after the Indian Open in January, where he suffered his latest in a series of first-round exits, Lakshya Sen sat down for a chat with former All England champion and his mentor Prakash Padukone. Trying to get out of the slump in form dating back to the backend of 2023, Lakshya’s chances of going to Paris for the Olympics were hanging by the proverbial thread. Padukone asked then, “Are you just looking for a place in the Olympics, or are you trying to have a realistic chance of winning a medal?” Lakshya responded: “I want to win a medal. So Prakash sir said, ‘then first you have to show us that you can win a tournament. You don’t have to go everywhere and try to reach the quarterfinals’. Even though I didn’t win a tournament in Europe, I managed to pull off two really good weeks...
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Euro 2024: Germany condemn Turkey’s Merih Demiral’s racist celebration in win over Austria

Turkey centre-back Merih Demiral has coped flak from German Interior Minister Nancy Faesar over his goal celebration in his team’s win over Austria in the Euro 2024 Round of 16 fixture on Tuesday. Demiral’s gesturing the shape of a wolf’s head is linked to ‘Grey Wolves’, an ultra-nationalist youth branch of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), an ally of President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party. “The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums,” the German minister Faeser wrote in a post on X. “Using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable.” The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said it would look into “the alleged inappropriate behaviour” of Demiral. Speaking on his celebration, player of the...
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David Miller opens up on the heartbreak of losing T20 World Cup final to India: ‘We have endured pain’

South Africa batter David Miller, whose dismissal in the last over of the T20 World Cup final turned the tide in India’s favor, has opened up for the first time since the loss. Taking to his Instagram, Miller wrote, “I am gutted!! Really tough pill to swalllow after what transpired 2 days ago. Words don’t explain how I am feeling. One thing I do know is how proud I am of this unit.” It was only the first time that South Africa men’s team had made it to a World Cup final, but not the first heartbreak time they’d suffered a loss in the knockout stages of a big tournament. The Proteas have made it to seven ICC tournament semifinals before. Miller himself was part of the team that lost to Australia in the ODI World Cup semifinal last year in India, as well as the side that was bested by New...
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Cristiano Ronaldo reveals why he cried after missed penalty in Euro 2024: ‘I was at rock bottom when my team needed me the most’

Portugal may have progressed through to the quarterfinals of the Euros but it wasn’t a cakewalk for the 2016 winners. In fact, in the lead up to the penalty shootout, they looked lost for answers – unable to score against Slovenia, who were playing in their first European Championships in 24 years. A critical moment in the contest came late in the first half of the extra time when Cristiano Ronaldo was denied from the penalty spot by Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Shortly after, the Portuguese captain was seen in tears as the team huddled ahead of the second half of the extra time. Opening up on his emotions, Ronaldo conceded afterwards, “Even the strongest people have their bad days. I was at rock bottom when the team needed me most. I was sad at first but now I’m happy. That’s what f...
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Virat Kohli responds to PM Modi’s tribute on T20I retirement after World Cup win: ‘A privilege to be a part of this team’

Former India skipper Virat Kohli on Monday responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tribute to him. After Kohli announced his T20I retirement after India’s World Cup win on Saturday, PM Modi took to his social media to congratulate the second-highest run scorer in the format’s history. “Glad to have spoken to you. Like the innings in the Finals, you have anchored Indian batting splendidly. You’ve shone in all forms of the game. T20 Cricket will miss you but I am confident you’ll continue to motivate the new generation of players,” Modi wrote. Dear @narendramodi sir, thank you so much for your very kind words and your support and encouragement always. It has been a privilege to be a part of this team which has brought the cup home. We are deeply touched & overwhelmed with the hap...
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After Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma also announces retirement from T20Is: ‘No better time to say goodbye’

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has announced that the T20 World Cup final triumph against South Africa was his last in the format. Rohit confirmed the same in the post-match press conference. “This is my last game as well, no better time to say goodbye to this format. I’ve loved every moment of this. I started my career for India playing this format and this is what I wanted, I wanted to win the World Cup,” Rohit said. Emotional on the back of India’s first ICC tournament win in 11 years, Rohit added, “I am completely lost and can’t say what kind of emotions I am going through. Can’t explain it in words. Let this sink in. Last night, I couldn’t sleep as I was desperate and wanted it so badly. But I managed myself well inside the ground.” The 37-year-old becomes only the third Indian capta...
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How Rohit Sharma re-tuned his batting strategy to make a gem of a half-century in big win over England

Once the covers came off after a rain-delayed start to reveal a dry low-skidding track, it was clear that India were favourites. Nothing changed during the entire course of the game as India trounced defending champions England by 68 runs. As easy as it appeared, especially during the chase when England capitulated meekly, the win was set up by a crafty knock from Rohit Sharma, skilful exhibition from Suryakumar Yadav, and momentum-seizing cameos from Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja.Above all, it was Rohit who led the way. With his thought and skill. For a short while, say the first four overs, Rohit Sharma hadn’t got used to the pace and (low) bounce of the pitch. Or rather he was trying to see if he can get away batting in his usual attacking manner. An intended cut burst through th...
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Fight with family, financial struggles and injuries: Quartermiler Kiran Pahal overcomes hurdles to qualify for Paris Olympics

There was almost a sense of disbelief on Kiran Pahal’s face as her 400m timing flashed on the big screen at the Tau Lal Devi Stadium, Panchkula, where the Interstate Athletics Meet is underway. Kiran’s reaction was fully justified. The Haryana athlete, competing in her first competition after a break of over a year, clocked a solid 50.92s – the second-best quarter-mile run ever by an Indian after Hima Das’s 50.79s. “I was nervous since I was competing after a long break but a good performance in the heats (52.33s) definitely eased my nerves a bit. I wasn’t really expecting to clock such a good time. It’s a surprise for me as well. But I am really happy to earn a spot for Paris,” said Kiran, whose previous best was 51.84s. Kiran was head and shoulders above the rest, finishing almost thr...
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Rohit Sharma becomes fifth Indian to score 5000 international runs as captain

Indian captain Rohit Sharma on Thursday became only the fifth Indian captain to score 5000 international runs while leading the side across formats. Rohit, who already has over 19,000 runs to his name across the three formats, has now scored 5013 runs from 122 matches he’s led India in. He crossed the milestone while batting against England in the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal. The 37-year-old joins the Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Mohammed Azharuddin, and Sourav Ganguly in the exclusive club. Kohli, who leads the charts, scored 12883 runs from the 213 games he had skippered India in. This, to go with another 13926 runs he has from when he hasn’t captained the side account for a mammoth 26808 runs across formats. MS Dhoni is the only other Indian skipper to have crossed the five-digit run mark...
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IND vs SA, one-off Test: Harmanpreet Kaur looks forward to the Chennai experience as international women’s cricket returns to city

Since December 2022, the Indian women’s cricket team’s home assignments were largely in and around Mumbai. All 11 T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests at home in that period were played across DY Patil, Brabourne, and Wankhede. The WPL’s inaugural edition in 2023 was played entirely in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. But slowly but surely, “home” is starting to take on a wider meaning for Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. Bengaluru and Delhi witnessed packed stands during WPL 2024, and the former hosted the recent ODI series against South Africa. And starting Friday, the Indian women will add another iconic name to that list: Chennai. They may be playing one Test and three T20Is at Chepauk over the next few days, but the importance of experiencing different venues before the ODI World Cup athome next year is...
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Paris Olympics: Mixed Relay team hoping against hope at Interstate Athletics Meet

It’s literally a race against time for the country’s elite track and field athletes who are still hoping to make the cut for the Paris Olympics. The Interstate Athletics Meet, which kicks off on Wednesday in Panchkula, Haryana, will be the last major competition for athletes to attempt to make the cut for the mega event before the qualification cycle closes at the end of this month. As things stand, 18 athletes have achieved the direct qualification marks from various events including the relay and race walk and 16 will finally board the flight to Paris. The tally is expected to reach at least 31 considering the current ranking placement.This Interstate meet, being a B-level tournament, gives an opportunity for those on the fence to accumulate some valuable ranking points before this mo...
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‘Find it hard to let my children win,’ says Lionel Messi on his fierce competitiveness

Argentina’s World Cup winning captain, who turned 37 earlier this week, still finds it hard to tone down his competitiveness, even within the confines of his home. Speaking to Clank in a sit down interview, Lionel Messi called his competing nature a ‘gift’ he was born with. “My competitiveness will never go away, it’s a gift. That’s just who I am, I was born this way, and it’s very difficult for it to fade. I even find it hard to let my children win,” Messi said. Messi, who is currently leading Argentina at the 2024 Copa America in the USA, also opened about his perception of data in football and why it doesn’t bother him. This, despite his otherworldly numbers, for club and country. “I don’t pay attention to statistics, data, assists, or goals. And sorry to the coaches, but even less ...
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Afghanistan vs Bangladesh: Moments of incredible drama, from Gulbadin Naib playacting to Rashid Khan doing a Pollard

The Super 8 match, a virtual knockout, between Afghanistan and Bangladesh transcended beyond a game of cricket and entered the realm of supreme entertainment, worthy of blockbuster cinema. Right from the moment Rahmanullah Gurbaz put in a full-length dive off the first ball of the night at Arnos Vale Ground in St Vincent, just to complete a single, this match had all the elements of an all-time classic. Over 15.4: Craziest single of the tournament How much are you willing to work for a single? Gurbaz tapped the ball to backward point and set off, then stopped halfway to turn back. But at this point, Omarzai also decided to keep going and both batters ended up running together towards the striker’s end. Rishad Hossain, however, missed the direct hit, and then both batters start to run – ...
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2024 Women’s T20 Asia Cup schedule announced, India to play Pakistan in first match

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Tuesday announced the schedule for this year’s Women’s T20 Asia Cup set to begin on July 19 and to be played in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. India will embark on their defence of the Asia Cup title against Pakistan in their first game. While UAE will play Nepal in the tournament opener. The tournament will feature top eight teams of the continent divided into two groups of four. While India – in Group B – are slotted alongside Pakistan, UAE and Nepal, hosts Sri Lanka are in Group A with Bangladesh, Thailand and Malaysia. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals, subsequently setting up the summit clash. The final shall be played on July 28. India, the most successful team in the competition’s history with seven titles, had got the bett...
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T20 World Cup: Bumrah’s big wicket of Head, Axar’s all-round brilliance, Kuldeep’s spin – how India broke Australia’s chase

A broad smile spread over Jasprit Bumrah’s face when his teammates gathered around him after India scored a 24-run win over Australia and push them to the brink of elimination. It’s an unusual spot of bother for Australia — wait and watch the Afghanistan-Bangladesh game with sweaty fingers, and pray the latter defeat the Rashid Khan-led history makers (but not too heavily). This seemed the destiny once Rohit Sharma reeled out an otherworldly 92 off 41 balls to set up a target of 206.Bumrah was not the only star performer among India’s bowlers — Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh all put in spirited shifts — but as is often the case Bumrah stole the thunder. Bumrah delivers In several junctures of the game, hope teased and trickled the champions of 2021, but they couldn’t de...
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Quick comment: When Rohit Sharma smashed Mitchell Starc for four sixes in an over in the T20 World Cup

Coming in to the match against Australia at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 on Monday, Rohit Sharma had been dismissed by Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saurabh Netravalkar, and Fazalhaq Farooqi (along with Shakib al Hasan). All of them left-arm bowlers, three of those pacers. It was no secret that Rohit – in his quest to be aggressive at the top of the order – was perishing going after what has been a long-term weakness. But the difference from his dismissals in the past, and his dismissals in this tournament, was the intent. He wasn’t necessarily getting beaten by lateral movement or failing to read the left-arms pacers. It was mostly good intent but poor shot execution. At the Darren Sammy Stadium, though, he converted that intent into an extraordinary passage of play against Mitchell Starc. ...
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Germany’s saviour Fullkrug: A late bloomer and a late substitute with goal-scoring prowess

At six feet, there is nothing that really separates Niklas Fullkrug from the average German footballer. At this edition of the European Championship, Fullkrug, a journeyman in German football, is heralding a return of the classic No.9 forward. The current top scorer of the Euro 2024 has conjured two archetypical striker goals. His first was in Germany’s opener against Switzerland. Brought on as a substitute, Fullkrug showed exactly what the Germans values in a player like him. Galloping into the box with a Scotsman at his arm, the German deftly pushed a ball, passed into him, slightly to the right with his left foot. He then unleashed a shot for the ages. A football dips, it curls and sometimes it swerves. Not when it’s been struck by Fullkrug. When he commands a ball to go goalwards – ...
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Rashid Khan on AUS not playing AFG in bilaterals: ‘If you take cricket away from Afghanistan, I don’t know what will remain’

After his team’s big win against Australia in T20 World Cup Super-8 fixture on Sunday, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan was asked if the win was even sweeter given the fact that Australia have held a firm stance on not playing his team in a bilateral series. “We the sportsmen, we love sports. People back home love sports. Cricket is the only source of happiness back home. That’s the only source in Afghanistan where people can celebrate. And if we keep that source away from us as well, I don’t know what will remain of Afghanistan. Now a days, all around the world, if you go anywhere and tell them if you are from Afghanistan, the first thing they will say is any of the cricketer’s name. But once you take that source of happiness as well from us, I think it will be very hard for us,” Rashid...
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Is it time to look beyond Shafali Verma, the ODI opener?

Generational talents can be hard to gauge by numbers, for their flair often overrides the question of selection with the skills they bring to the table. Shafali Verma’s rise to the top of India’s batting order was almost seamless. Her hard-hitting capabilities and manic scoring rates charmed a side that has lacked the same pomp and charisma of its larger opponents in Australia and England. However, three years since her ODI debut, the 20-year-old has featured in a World Cup and played 25 games as an opener but has yet to translate herself into a bonafide match-winner. India had run out of patience with Shafali’s lack of runs during the ODIs against Australia in December 2023 but the right-hander recently returned to the top of the order against South Africa with Yastika Bhatia out injur...
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Lionel Messi says the end is near, so this football summer, switch from Euros to Copa America when you can

Fellow football fanatics, we’ve been warned. And so, we must turn our attention from Euros to their less famous cousins on the other side of the Atlantic. Lionel Messi has said, the end is near.It wasn’t a bombshell, but rather a gentle reminder of the obvious — that even he won’t stick around forever. It’s only a matter of time now before the final trademark mazy run. Before the final line-splitting stab pass. Before the final feint of the ball. Before the final nutmeg. Before the final slick touch. Before the final free kick curled in the top bin. And before the final oohs and aahs. The nudge – without a date on it – comes ahead of Argentina’s Copa America campaign. It was the competition that set Messi and Co on their way to the big prize, wasn’t it? Cast your minds back to the summe...
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What’s behind the rise in long-range goals at Euro 2024

Arda Guler had done it before. His first-ever goal for Turkey was a delightful curler from outside the box. And so, when he let the ball fly on his Euros debut against Georgia, the ‘Turkish Messi’ had little doubt about the shot’s outcome — piercing through the crisp Dortmund air and bending beautifully to ruffle the top corner.The goal made Guler the youngest scorer at the Euros; the talk of the tournament’s early stages. More significantly, it put long-range goals in vogue. Guler’s isn’t the only one. Twelve out of the 42 goals scored so far in the Euros (until the Scotland-Switzerland match) were screamers from outside the box. This, the game’s stats-keepers said, is an anomaly. Everywhere else, the number of goals and shots from outside the box is decreasing. Long rangers, they arg...
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What’s next for India after T20 World Cup: BCCI announce dates, venues for Bangladesh, New Zealand and England home series

The cricket just keeps on coming. For Rohit Sharma and Co, there will be little respite after their T20 World Cup campaign in the Caribbean. A tour of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka was on the cards already. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced India’s 2024/25 home season schedule that includes series against Bangladesh, New Zealand and England. The season will commence from September 19 with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh, followed by three T20Is. New Zealand, who last toured India for bilaterals in 2021, will play a three-match Test series starting October 16 that will continue until the first week of November. Following the Black Caps series, India are scheduled to travel to Australia for a much anticipated five-match Test series. India will play...
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