indian express sports news – Page 3

11Jun

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EXPLAINED: How a “sh**ty” survey brings to light Germany’s racism problem ahead of Euro 2024

With Germany set to host its biggest football summer since the 2006 World Cup, dark clouds loom over the three time European Championship-winning nation. A large number of fans arriving may find themselves in a very different county than the one that welcomed the football world 18 years ago. One more particular about who its inhabitants are and how they look. Why the noise? Last Wednesday, an ARD documentary that aired in Germany revealed a shocking statistic. In a survey conducted by the network, 1,304 Germans were asked if they preferred to have more “white players” in the German national football team. While the majority answered against it (65 percent), 21 percent of the respondents agreed. This, a week before the country hosts its biggest football summer since the 2006 World Cup. H...

11Jun

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T20 World Cup: In another low-scoring game in New York, Bangladesh batsmen freeze with finish line in sight

Mahmudullah’s facepalm summed up the mood. Needing six off the last two balls to post their first-ever win over South Africa in T20 Internationals, Mahmudullah couldn’t have asked for a better delivery. With all his pacers bowled out, South Africa skipper Aiden Markram had no choice but to turn to left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj for the last over with 11 needed.Off the fifth, Maharaj’s full-toss arrived, just the right line for Mahmuduallah — outside off, coming down at a good height — to deposit anywhere he wanted. Instead, Mahmudullah got only the elevation as Markram pouched the offering at long-on. Having taken grip of the game, at the most crucial moment, Bangladesh froze. After the India versus Pakistan nail-bitter on Sunday, the spicy nature of the pitches in New York managed to ...

10Jun

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‘Rizwan has no game awareness’ ‘Horrible’ ‘Pseudo-allrounders’ – Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mudassar Nazar slam Pakistan team after India loss

After their bowlers restricted India to a below average total of 119, and they had six wickets in hand while chasing 40 runs from 35 balls even after their trusted anchor Mohammad Rizwan departed, Pakistan’s extraordinary collapse in the run chase drew the ire of some of the former cricketers. Much of the criticism has been directed at the faltering batting department as their hopes to advance through the group stages hang by a thread. Akram tears into batting Former captain Wasim Akram did not hold back in his assessment of Pakistan’s batting performance. “They have been playing cricket for 10 years, and I can’t teach them. Rizwan has no game awareness… Iftikhar Ahmed knows one shot on the leg side. He has been a part of the team for years but doesn’t know how to bat… I can’t go and te...

10Jun

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FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Lacklustre India start life after Sunil Chhetri with must-win encounter at Asian champs Qatar with progression to Round 3 at stake

What’s life after Sunil Chhetri going to look like? How about a do-or-die World Cup qualifier against reigning Asian champions Qatar in Doha to find out?It’s a tall order for India head coach Igor Stimac and his team – win and the country qualifies for its first-ever World Cup Round 3 appearance. Draw, and the result of the match between Kuwait and Afghanistan dictates their fate. Lose, and crash out of the World Cup qualifiers, with very little as viable excuse as to what went wrong. The three scenarios have come about after some catastrophic, yet predictable, performances by the national team in these World Cup qualifiers. India would have felt disappointed at their AFC Asian Cup group, being lumped with Australia and Uzbekistan – two teams that consistently rank among Asia’s top-eigh...

10Jun

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Paris Olympics: India’s hockey team lost half of its matches in Europe but there’s no reason to panic

Few things in Indian sport are as secretly guarded these days as the Paris preparation of the hockey team. Back in SAI Bangalore, their Olympics training base, cameras are prohibited during training, the entry of outsiders is regulated and players are careful what they reveal – more importantly, what they don’t.The hush-hush nature of Craig Fulton’s preparations for next month’s Games extended to London. Last Saturday, when asked in a mid-game interview against Germany why he hadn’t used one of his substitutes, Jarmanpreet Singh, for the entire first half – a rarity in hockey given the luxury of rolling subs – Fulton smiled and replied: “Top secret”. By all accounts, it is evident that the chief coach is holding a few cards close to his chest, hoping to reveal them only in Paris. Going ...

10Jun

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Australia’s Matthew Wade reprimanded by ICC for showing dissent at umpire’s decision vs England

Australia’s keeper-batter Matthew Wade has been reprimanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision” during his team’s T20 World Cup win against England on Saturday in Barbados. “Australia player Matthew Wade has been handed an official reprimand for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during a Group B match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 against England at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday,” read an ICC statement on Monday. Wade has been handed one demerit point to his disciplinary record since it is his first offence in a 24-month period. Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points. The particular inciden...

7Jun

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T20 World Cup: Saurabh Netravalkar’s composed Super Over helps USA beat Pakistan by 5 runs

In what was the first-ever game between them in international cricket, the USA managed to beat Pakistan in the Super Over in a Group A clash at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. Mohammad Amir took the ball for Pakistan in the Super Over and looked rusty spraying the ball all over the pitch and conceding 19 runs which included seven wides in the over. However, USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar kept his composure in the high-pressure over executed his skills to perfection picked the wicket of Iftikhar Ahmed, and helped the USA win by five runs. Winning the toss and opting to bowl first, USA bowlers managed to restrict Pakistan for 159/7 in their 20 overs quota. With five runs required off the last ball, Nitish Kumar scored a four over mid off to level the scores. Earlier, India-born American b...

6Jun

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PAK vs USA: Babar Azam overtakes Virat Kohli to become leading T20I run scorer

Pakistan captain Babar Azam on Thursday overtook Virat Kohli to become the all time T20I leading run scorer. Babar now has 4067 runs from 113 innings, as opposed to Kohli’s 4038 from 110 outings. At third in the all-time tally is the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who scored a fifty in India’s tournament opener on Wednesday, with 4026 runs from 144 innings. The trio will all feature come Sunday as India play Pakistan at the Nassau County Stadium in New York. Subsequently in the top-five tally are Ireland captain Paul Stirling and former New Zealand opener Martin Guptill. Opening the batting for Pakistan, Babar was the leading run getter against the USA in Pakistan’s opening Group A encounter against the USA in Dallas. Babar scored 44 off 43 balls, an innings that saw him clear the fence t...

6Jun

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India send Sunil Chhetri into retirement with dull draw with Kuwait, which puts passage to next round of World Cup qualifiers in great danger

An overcast sky over Salt Lake Stadium reflected the sullen mood in the Indian camp as their talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri laced up his boots for one final time in the World Cup qualifier against Kuwait – a match that ultimately ended in 0-0, with India’s dream of qualifying for the next round getting even harder to realise. As the departing skipper stepped onto the ground for warm-up an hour before the match, the steadily-filling stadium roared its approval. Chhetri, on his part, acknowledged the cheers before joining his teammates for the practice drills. Even though Chhetri had said the day before the match that of more significance was India’s chance to qualify for the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, something that hadn’t been done in the country’s history, the magn...

6Jun

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Indonesia Open: How Lakshya Sen’s well-honed defence came to the fore in quarterfinal win against world No 12 Nishimoto

Tasked with keeping his ward Lakshya Sen’s feet on the ground even as the Indonesian fans went hysterical over some of his stunning reflex shots, coach Vimal Kumar scythes the hype. “It’s not his trademark shot or anything,” he says, dismissing the spectacular body defense stroke that Sen hit against Kenta Nishimoto on 11-8 in the second set. It was the shot that deflated the Japanese completely as he went down 21-9, 21-15 in the pre-quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 in Jakarta.Vimal, the hard taskmaster, was quick to point out that the “real test” was in Friday’s quarters against Anders Antonsen. Father and co-coach DK Sen would gush and call it one of those things that Sen gets right when he’s in the flow. Both knew however that the gritty Nishimoto’s back was broken afte...

6Jun

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French Open 2024: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner renew feisty rivalry hoping to give a taste of tennis’s future

This week at the French Open, for just the third time in 20 years, none of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic got through to the quarterfinal of a Major.The triumvirate have loomed so large over men’s tennis that tracking their progress, and any potential face offs, through to the final stages of Grand Slam tournaments had become a habit. But with Federer out, Nadal’s long, drawn-out attempts of another miracle in Paris crushed in the very first round, and Djokovic’s problems with his form compounding with a latest injury setback, curtains for the era they defined seem like they have all but come down. Succession plans, however, often have a way of falling in place on their own. On Friday, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will take each other on for a place in the final at ...

6Jun

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Why 4-2-4-2 hero Nsubuga of Uganda changed from medium pace to off-spin

Four overs, two maidens, four runs conceded, and two wickets. Franco Nsubuga was only playing his second World Cup game when he eked out the most economical bowling figures in T20 World Cup history. This, to inspire a historic first win for Uganda on Thursday. But at the age of 43, the road to a World Cup debut for the second oldest player in the tournament’s history has taken much longer. Nsubuga may have been new to the World Cups but he’s been a constant name in Ugandan cricket over the past four decades. He made his professional debut in 1996. Or rather, here’s a more revelatory picture of the sport from back then: when Nsubuga went on his first tour, the term T20 was still half-a-decade away from being thrown in the ECB boardrooms. Uganda wasn’t even an ICC-recognized team back the...

6Jun

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T20 World Cup: Eyes on India vs Pakistan as matches in USA fail to fill stadiums due to sky-high rates

Barring indifferent pitches, half-filled stadiums and sky-high ticket prices have also become a massive issue for the International Cricket Council (ICC), which is trying to carve a space for the sport in the United States.Ahead of the tournament, USA Cricket chairman Venu Pisike had claimed great excitement and anticipation in the country around the India-Pakistan game in the T20 World Cup. “In terms of demand, it was huge. I think when ICC advertised for ticket registration, nearly 2 million requests just came for the India-Pakistan game. Unfortunately, it’s hard to accommodate everyone,” Pisike had told The Indian Express. However, the ground reality is that the game isn’t sold out with just over two days to go. India’s opening match against Ireland too received a subdued reception w...

6Jun

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Real Madrid maestro Luka Modric pays tribute to Indian captain Sunil Chhetri: ‘You are a legend of the game’

Real Madrid’s Champions League winner and Croatian football captain Luka Modric had a heartwarming message for the Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri ahead of his last international game on Thursday. Modric, who recently won his sixth UEFA Champions League title with Real Madrid, was all praise for Chhetri ahead of his final appearance for India. “Hi Sunil, I want to say congratulations and wish you all the best in your last game for the national team. You are a legend of this game. To your teammates, I hope you make his last game memorable. Good luck and win it for your captain,” Modric said in a video that was shared by Indian head coach Igor Stimac on his social media. “Thank you Luka. We will do everything in our power to make our country and our captain proud,” Stimac, himself a...

5Jun

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T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma becomes first batter to hit 600 sixes in international cricket

India captain Rohit Sharma hit another milestone during India’s 2024 World Cup opener against Ireland on Wednesday in New York. Finishing with four fours and three sixes in his innings of 52, Rohit became the first batter to hit 600 sixes in international cricket. Rohit’s tally has been constructed from a total of 499 games across formats. Behind him in the all-time list are Chris Gayle (553 maximums), Shahid Afridi (553), Brendon McCullum (478), and Martin Guptill (398). The Indian skipper’s innings was cut short after he was forced to retire hurt at 52 after coping a blow on his shoulder. In the 9th over of India’s chase, Rohit took a hit on the shoulder off a Joshua Little delivery. While the skipper didn’t walk off the field immediately, he was declared retired hurt a couple over...

5Jun

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Indian football: Sunil Chhetri is on everyone’s lips but on captain’s mind, the crucial match against Kuwait

Everyone is talking about Sunil Chhetri.Lallianzuala Chhangte, the speedy winger, ‘hopes and believes it would be me assisting Chhetri bhai’. Sahal Abdul Samad, the stylish midfielder, vowed to ‘fight for Sunil bhai.’ Defender Subhashish Bose wants the team to win, which would be ‘a farewell gift for Sunil bhai.’ And coach Igor Stimac couldn’t hide his emotions, saying how ‘sad’ he was that his – rather, Indian football’s Man Friday – will retire from international football after the 2026 World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Kuwait here on Thursday. Everyone’s talking about Chhetri. But the 39-year-old wants everyone to talk – and focus – about the match, which is crucial to India’s progression hopes and can make or break the campaign. A smile while entering a packed room for ...

4Jun

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Rohit Sharma says he tried to convince head coach Rahul Dravid to stay beyond T20 World Cup: ‘It’s been very fruitful’

A day after India head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed that the ongoing T20 World Cup will be his last assignment with the national team, skipper Rohit Sharma conceded that he had attempted to convince Dravid to stay. Lok Sabha Election Results 2024 “I tried convincing him to stay, but obviously there are a lot of things that he needs to look after as well. But yeah, I personally enjoyed my time with him,” Rohit told reporters in New York on Tuesday. Looking back at his tenure as captain alongside Dravid as head coach, Rohit shared that the experience of learning subtle leadership traits from his ‘role model’ – also his first India captain, coincidentally in a game vs Ireland – was ‘very fruitful’ “He was my first international captain when I made my debut in Ireland. Then I’ve seen him...

4Jun

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Rahul Dravid confirms T20 World Cup as his last assignment as India head coach: ‘No different than my first day’

India head coach Rahul Dravid on Monday confirmed that the ongoing T20 World Cup is his last dance with the national team, furthermore expressing his doubts over re-applying for the job owing to the schedule of the national team. “It is going to be the last one that I am in-charge of,” Dravid said ahead of India’s first game against Ireland in New York. “Yeah, just considering, unfortunately, the kind of schedules and where I find myself at this stage in my life, I don’t think I’ll be able to re-apply. So yeah, obviously it’ll be my last one.” Dravid took over as the India head coach in November 2021. His initial contract with the national side had come to an end after the 2023 ODI World Cup, and was extended to June 2024 after the team managed to produce a near-perfect campaign until ...

4Jun

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T20 World Cup: Anrich Nortje returns in style as South Africa blast out Sri Lanka to start campaign in style

Synopsis: The ball bounced and seamed. It also stopped and skidded. Neither Sri Lankan nor South African batsmen came to terms with the drop-in surface, but the Proteas eventually got past the 78-run target in the 17th over If the IPL was about teams trying to break the 300-run barrier, cricket at the Big Apple threatens to make 150 seem like a dream. On a drop-in pitch in New York that had its birth in Adelaide and growth in Florida, and played like a combination of Centurion and Colombo tracks – the ball often kicked up with seam movement and occasionally died down, bouncing in front of the wicketkeeper or stopping on the batsmen – the South African seamers bared their fangs. And Sri Lanka were shot out for 77. The islanders adapted to the conditions in the second innings by using med...

3Jun

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Kylian Mbappe completes transfer to Real Madrid, posts photo with boyhood hero Cristiano Ronaldo: ‘Club of my dream’

Two days after they sealed a 15th Champions League title, the party continues for Real Madrid as the Spanish club on Monday announced the much-anticipated signing of France captain Kylian Mbappe. Mbappe, who announced his departure from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint Germain last month, has joined the La Liga champions on a free transfer with an initial agreement for five seasons, the club confirmed. “A dream come true, So happy and proud to join the club of my dream, Real Madrid. Nobody can understand how excited I am right now. Can’t wait to see you, Madridistas, and thanks for your unbelievable support,” Mbappe wrote on his social media, posting his childhood photos wearing a Real Madrid kit, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at the club. #WelcomeMbappé pic.twitter.com/kAhx...