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Varun Aaron to focus on coaching budding fast bowlers after ending first-class career

Varun Aaron, a pace bowler who never delivered on his promise during his nine-Test career, has gone into coaching after playing his last First-class game.After eight back stress breakdowns and three foot fractures during his nearly-15-year First-Class career, Aaron, who still clocks high 140kph, will team up with the legendary Glenn McGrath at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai. It’s a comeback of sorts having started as a tearaway quick at the institute as a teenager. “I have been at the MRF foundation for the past 15 years, more in the capacity of a player. Considering I was going to call time on one format, the company MD (Rahul Mammen Mappillai) and I had a chat last year. I suggested that we upgrade our facilities and start a hunt for raw fast bowlers, which we did recently to feed...
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What made Smriti Mandhana says ‘Ee Sala Cup Namdu’ after famous WPL triumph

Ee Sala Cup Namde- Every year when the Indian Premier League and more recently, the Women’s Premier League rolls out, this cheer or slogan can be heard around the internet as well as packed stadiums in the country whenever Royal Challengers Bangalore take to the field. It’s the war cry that the RCB faithful have adapted in order to cheer their team in thick and thin. The chant ultimately bore fruit on Sunday when after a long wait, the women’s team of RCB managed to get their hands on the WPL trophy, something that their men’s counterparts haven’t been able to do in 16 tries. What does Ee Sala Cup Namde mean? The viral chant which is in the Kannada language can be loosely translated to “This year the cup will be ours.” Before collecting the WPL trophy, RCB captain Smriti Mandhana change...
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Hard to believe: Neeraj Chopra on Arshad Nadeem’s struggles to acquire new javelin

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra on Monday expressed astonishment when he found out that his on field rival and friend from Pakistan Arshad Nadeem was struggling to acquire a new javelin. “It has now got to a stage where the javelin is damaged and I have asked the national federation and my coach to do something about it before the Paris Olympics. When I started off in 2015, competing in international events I got this javelin … for an international athlete aiming to win a medal in the Olympic Games, you need proper equipment and training facilities,” Nadeem had said a few weeks back. Chopra, who shares a great bond with Nadeem off the field said that it was really hard to believe that the Pakistan athlete was facing such a struggle for a new javelin. “It is hard to believe that he has be...
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WATCH: Mushfiqur Rahim takes dig at Angelo Mathews timed out dismissal at 2023 WC after BAN win ODI series vs SL

The Bangladesh and Sri Lanka rivalry added a new wrinkle on Monday when after defeating Sri Lanka in the 3rd ODI of their ongoing series, Bangla player Mushfiqur Rahim took a dig at Angelo Mathews’ timed out dismissal at the 2023 ODI World Cup. After winning the series 2-1, the Bangladesh players were posing with the trophy when Mushfiqur took his helmet and mimicked Mathews’ dismissal in last year’s showpiece event. The incident had led to a lot of bad blood between the two teams which already had a heated rivalry surrounding the Naagin dance celebrations. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will meet in the field once again when they face each other in a 2-match Test series, staring on March 22. Before the ODI series, both teams had met each other in a 3-match T20I series which was won by Sri La...
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Sanjay Singh, Brij Bhushan’s close aide, gets control of Wrestling Federation of India as ad-hoc committee dissolved

Sanjay Singh – a close aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the BJP MP accused of sexually harassing women athletes – will assume full charge of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) starting Monday.This comes after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced it would dissolve ‘with immediate effect’ the three-member ad-hoc committee, formed under the instructions of the government after it suspended the Sanjay-led WFI executive committee. The development means the rules that could make or break the Paris Olympics ambitions of Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, the two wrestlers at the forefront of protests against the WFI and its former president Brij Bhushan, will be taken by Sanjay, whose election they opposed. The IOA said the decision was taken in response to the United World Wres...
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IPL 2024: KL Rahul declared fit for Lucknow Super Giants but there is a catch

KL Rahul has been declared fit for the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League, scheduled to start on Friday. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper was awarded the fitness certificate by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and will join the team in the next two days. LSG will open their campaign against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Sunday. It is understood that the medical team of the BCCI has advised Rahul not to keep wicket in the initial stages of the tournament, and play as a specialist batsman. “He is fit and can join the IPL franchise in the coming days. He suffered pain in the quadriceps and got an injection too. He went through his rehabilitation and the NCA has now declared him fit. However, he has been advised not to take on the wicket-keeping role immediately,”...
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Virat Kohli joins Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of IPL clash with Chennai Super Kings

Virat Kohli made his first public appearance after the birth of his son when he returned to Bengaluru to join the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League season. “It’s really good to be back, firstly playing cricket and just starting off the IPL. Always exciting to come back to Bangalore for the start of the IPL season. So similar emotions, similar feelings and I haven’t been off the media radar. I have been into the normalcy, you can say for 2 months. So, yeah, I am pretty happy and excited to be back and I hope all the fans are excited and happy as well,” Kohli said in a video shared by RCB. Kohli, who was out of the country for the birth of his second child, arrived in India on Sunday. The former India and RCB captain was seen taking rounds of the...
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Hardik Pandya kya chaand se utar ke aaya hai?: Praveen Kumar rips into Mumbai Indians captain for skipping domestic red ball cricket

Former India player Praveen Kumar ripped into Hardik Pandya on Thursday, saying that the all rounder should be pulled up for skipping the domestic red ball tournaments and be meted out the same treatment that BCCI did to Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan. “Hardik Pandya kya chaand se utar ke aaya hai? Khelna padega isko bhi. Kyun iske liye alag niyaam hain? Osko bhi board ko dhamkaana chahiye. Kyun khel lega? Teeno format khel na. Ya tu abhi 60-70 Test matches khekl chuka hain ki abhi sirf T20s khelega. Country ko tumhari zaroorat hain (Has Hardik Pandya descended from the moon? He has to play too. Why are there different rules for him? The BCCI should threaten him. Why would you play just the domestic T20 tournament? Play all three formats. Or have you played 60-70 Test matches that you wi...
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Ranji Trophy final | What went behind Mumbai’s 42nd title: Songs, dance, 15-day camp in Alur, 46 review meetings and flashback videos

Mumbai’s 42nd title was not made in a day. It was the result of meticulous planning, strategizing and hard work over the last ten months. From 46 review meetings and a pre-season residential camp in Alur near Bangalore to dance and songs competitions and storytelling exercises before the final against Vidarbha, the journey was mixed with fun, sweat and brainstorming, with heroes sprouting in every step.The seasoned Ajinkya Rahane was the face of their campaign. But there were others too. Like coach Omkar Salvi. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) wanted to hire his brother Avishkar, the former fast bowler, as coach, but in the end it turned out to be his brother, a former Railways player and the assistant bowling coach of Kolkata Knight Riders. He had never played a first-class game—fe...
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Vinesh Phogat clears air surrounding selection trials controversy for Asian Olympic qualifiers and Asian C’ships

Vinesh Phogat on Thursday took to social media and cleared the air on certain issues as well as the controversy on her participating in the both the 50 kg category and the 53 kg category in the selection trials for the Asian Olympic qualifiers and Asian Championships. “There have been claims circulating that I did not undergo a doping test after the trials. I want to clarify that I, along with all other finalists, have undergone doping tests after both the senior nationals held in the previous month and following the recent trials,” she said in the statement. “Regarding my participation in the 53kg category, it is crucial to understand that Article 7 of the UWW regulations, which stipulates that each contestant may compete in only one weight category corresponding to their official weig...
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Why Round 2 is best time for PV Sindhu to beat An Se Young at All England badminton

A day’s extra rest and preparation. Good carry-over vibes from last week’s French Open. And nothing to lose. It’s not exactly what aligning of stars reads like, but a second-round face-off against the unstoppable Korean An Se Young might well be the best-timed challenge for PV Sindhu. She’s not likely to be particularly exerted from her first round quick progress ahead of Thursday’s clash, and Se Young, 22, invariably gets difficult to dislodge deep into tournaments. The Korean World No.1 is a difficult proposition for Sindhu, but viewed from the other end, Se Young will find herself up against a tough cookie in the Indian so early in the week while defending her title. Sindhu has lost all six times they’ve played, and nicked just the one game, 21-18 off Se Young at the Asian Champions...
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Tejaswin Shankar, CWG high jump medallist, then Asiad medallist decathlete, now aims for Paris in his original event

After his first career decathlon event in 2022, high jump national record holder Tejaswin Shankar wrote to the Sports Authority of India seeking funds to procure equipment for the 10-event discipline.For athletes, including Tejaswin, who are part of the sports ministry’s TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), such requests are swiftly approved. But the TOPS panel was a little flummoxed as to why India’s first and only high jump Commonwealth Games medallist would need equipment for a multisport event. “After I sent the mail, I got a call from the TOPS panel that I needed to attend a meeting. They had so many questions. Some said okay, some said no, and a few said this was the stupidest thing. But ultimately, they took the gamble. They were shocked and probably thought I had gone a little c...
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All England: Aakarshi Kashyap lacks strength, firepower in tame, straight-set opening match loss

Aakarshi Kashyap thought she was in the game till 13-14 in her first round against Pai Yu Po. Then on the most prestigious stage of the All England, came the most predictable ending – a 21-16, 21-11 loss in 37 minutes. The World No 43, technically India’s No 2 in women’s singles, knew how the 37 minutes looked – forgettable. “People see us only on court. They don’t know how tough it is before and after the match,” she says about the struggle to raise her game to match the biggest competitive stages and most scorching spotlights.The new grey courts of the All England get a fine mauve hue, looking quite fetching. The winning performances and splash of colour of international stars gleams in stark relief. PV Sindhu hurried through a first set win before Yvonne Li conceded at 21-10. HS Pran...
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Do you get any runs outside India?: James Anderson reveals on-field exchange with Shubman Gill in IND vs ENG 5th Test

Shubman Gill and James Anderson exchanged some words in the middle on the second day of the 5th Test the contents of which the Indian batter declined to share with the broadcasters in an interview at day’s end. However, on Tuesday, Anderson opened up about the exchange on BBC’s Tailenders podcast. Anderson who took his 700th Test wicket in the match, made Gill his 699th victim when he dismissed the batter for 110. “I said something to him like, ‘Do you get any runs outside India?’ and he said, ‘It’s time to retire. Then two balls later, I got him out,” the England veteran revealed. Anderson joined the 700-club when he dismissed India’s Kuldeep Yadav on Saturday at Dharamshala. The England veteran achieved the feat in his 187th test and is the first pace bowler to reach the milestone. An...
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Ranji Trophy final: Rohit Sharma spends 20 minutes with Mumbai players, Sachin Tendulkar also in attendance at Wankhede

India captain and home boy Rohit Sharma, three days after wrapping up a 4-1 series win over England, landed at the Wankhede and gave a pep talk to Mumbai players during their Ranji Trophy final against Vidarbha. Also present at the venue was the legendary Sachin Tendulkar who had come to watch the proceedings. “He (Rohit) came and met players during the Ranji Trophy finals and spent 20 minutes with them. The MCA had taken permission from the anti corruption officer and he was allowed to meet the Mumbai players,” MCA honorary secretary Ajinkya Naik told The Indian Express. Over the last few days, a host of Mumbai stalwarts, including Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar had come to watch the game unfold. The record champions have been on a trophy drought, having last won the premier domesti...
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Deepti Sharma plays an inspired knock but UP Warriorz let down again by poor fielding in defeat against Gujarat Giants

A fighting partnership, inspired knock from Deepti Sharma, misfields, and high drama – which dragged the match deeper and deeper even as the run rate continued to climb – may not have been enough to win the game for the UP Warriorz. But it was enough to ensure a fourth successive thriller in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) as the Gujarat Giants crawled to an eight-run win in New Delhi on Monday. A well-paced, fortunate knock from Beth Mooney and a fiery spell from 16-year-old Shabnam Shakil would put the Gujarat Giants in an unassailable-looking position before Deepti’s unbeaten 60-ball 88 and a 109-run partnership with Poonam Khemnar took the game to the penultimate ball. Ultimately Gujarat escaped with a win. Deepti came into bat in the second over, after Shabnam cleaned up the team’...
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All England 2024: All eyes on Satwik-Chirag as Indian contingent – with legendary coaches in their corner – look to end 23-year-wait

The prestigious All England Open starts in Birmingham on Tuesday and if you are an Indian badminton fan, you could be forgiven for thinking the stars are aligning. It’s an event steeped in history, but for India, one where success has been elusive for 23 years – even in the golden era of Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, and a plethora of men’s singles stars.This week, there is A New Hope. In the spirit of Leia’s message from the 1977 epic – ‘Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope’ – India’s top shuttlers will look to a collection of Jedi masters in their corners. Among the coaching group that will help them guide through tricky draws, are two of India’s only champions of this famous event. Prakash Padukone’s 1980 triumph was one of the pivotal moments in Indian badminton. Pullela Gopichan...
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Felt like they had gone too far: R Ashwin on James Anderson’s comments on chasing down 500 or 600 in 60 overs

After winning the 1st Test in Hyderabad, a pretty confident James Anderson had told the press that England will go all hell for leather when they come out to bat against India on Day 4 of the second Test at Vizag, saying that even if the target was 500 or 600, the Three Lions will be looking to reach it in 60 or 70 overs. Ultimately, England would fail to chase down 399 and lost the Test by 106 runs which tied the series at 1-1. Ravichandran Ashwin on Monday said on his YouTube channel that the comment by the England veteran almost felt like they had gone too far with their confidence. “James Anderson went into a press conference in the second Test after winning the first considerably well. Much respect to them for winning that. He told the press that even if the 4th innings target was...
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Harmanpreet Kaur turns the clock back with an epic 95*, Mumbai Indians qualify for WPL 2024 playoffs

On Saturday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Harmanpreet Kaur turned the clock back to 2017. In what is arguably the best knock of the Women’s Premier League so far, the India captain produced a chasing masterclass to help Mumbai Indians become the first team to qualify for the playoffs. The comparisons to her incredible 171* in the 2017 World Cup semifinal were unavoidable. A sedate start. A steady shifting of the gears. An explosive finish. Beth Mooney, the Gujarat Giants captain, would have had a sense of deja vu. She – along with Ash Gardner – witnessed an all-time great World Cup knockout innings in Australia’s colours that day in Derby. In orange this time, they were once again at the receiving end as MI chased down 191 with a ball to spare. On that day in 2017, she scored her 100 off...
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Are pre-arranged draws in chess same as match-fixing? World champion Vladimir Kramnik weighs in

Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik has opened a Pandora’s box after making a stunning revelation about pre-arranged draws in top-level chess games. The Russian grandmaster has claimed on social media that most top-level players have resorted to playing out draws at one point or another that were arranged between the opponents before the game started. Recently, at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship, Russian chess players Ian Nepomniachtchi and Daniil Dubov came under fire when they faced off in round 11 of the blitz portion. With Dubov playing as white, the game lasted all of 13 moves before the players shook hands and agreed to a draw. That cheeky little ‘dance of the knights’ had earned both players a forfeit from the tournament’s Chief Arbiter, Ivan Syrovy. In a thread ...