Category: Sports

The Indian cricket team pay tribute to the victims of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad ahead of the start of play on the first of day of a four-match intra-squad match at the Kent Cricket Ground in Beckenham.

The Indian cricket team paid tribute to the victims of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad on Thursday (June 12) during their intra-squad match in England. Ahead of the start of the fixture at the Kent Cricket Ground in Beckenham on Friday (June 13), the players and support staff of the national team observed a minute’s silence and also wore a black armband.
“The players and members of the support staff involved in the intra-squad game in Beckenham are wearing black armbands. A minute’s silence was also observed today to pay homage to the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash, as a mark of respect for the lives lost and solidarity with the affected families,” wrote BCCI in a post on X.

The four-day fixture, which is India’s sole warm-up game ahead of the Test series against England is a closed doors event and is not being telecasted or live streamed as cameras are barred from the venue.

Meanwhile, the Australian and South African players also observed a minute’s silence and wore black armbands at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on the third day of play in the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final.

For those unversed, Air India Flight A171, which was travelling from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport to London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed seconds after it took off from a campus building of the BJ Medical College in the city.
The plane had 242 people on board, which included Passengers and crew members, including 169 Indian citizens, 53 British Nationals, seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian. 241 people lost their lives while one survivor emerged.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/indian-team-pays-tribute-to-ahmedabad-plane-crash-victims-during-intra-squad-match-in-england-article-151907924

India have named a youthful squad for the high-profile series following the Test retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

England vice-captain Ollie Pope believes the young Indian side, led by a “fantastic” Shubman Gill, has plenty of depth and talent, but it will miss the aura of Virat Kohli during the upcoming five-Test series starting in Leeds on June 20.

India have named a youthful squad for the high-profile series following the Test retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

“It’s a young team, but these Indian players they have got so much depth and talent,” Pope told talkSPORT Cricket.

“So they’ve got a lot of young guys coming through; a lot of good players. Shubman Gill, their new captain, is a fantastic player. They will miss the aura of Virat Kohli standing at slips and chirping away.

“But they have got some good talent, so they will feel confident. But our players are ready for it.” India have not won a Test series in England since 2007, having lost in 2011, 2014 and 2018, while the 2021-22 series ended in a draw.

“It’s a great time for us to play India”

Pope emphasised the importance of the upcoming India series for England, calling it vital preparation in the lead-up to the Ashes later this year.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/india-have-depth-and-talent-but-will-miss-kohlis-aura-ollie-pope-3581638

Shreyas Iyer opened up about captaincy, and the thrills and joy that leadership brings him.

Shreyas Iyer, despite making his India debut in 2017, remains an enigma. The guy’s got everything: charisma, talent and the right attitude. The one factor he lacks, however, is luck. Every time Iyer is destined to do anything good, something comes along the way that derails his progress. Iyer was India’s marathon man in the 2023 World Cup. You thought he would be there forever. But a back injury, followed by BCCI’s decision to strip him from the Central Contracts, spiralled him down in the pecking order. This, when he’s hardly put a foot wrong. Yes, short balls seemed to be his undoing, but he’s worked hard on that aspect and looks a lot more assured against them.

Nonetheless, as always, Shreyas Iyer has once again risen from the ashes. So much so that if a senior BCCI official is to be believed, he has joined India’s captaincy race, officially challenging Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill as India’s next in command in white-ball formats. Iyer is hot on the heels of a mighty successful season with Punjab Kings, and with Rohit pushing 40, Iyer could well replace him as India’s next ODI captain. In 2020, he led Delhi Capitals to the final of the IPL for the first time, and four years later, shepherded Kolkata Knight Riders’ third title win before taking PBKS one step short of glory.

Such is Iyer’s form that he is likely to be part of India’s T20I and Test set-up, and once he does, the leadership group promises to become that much stronger. Currently captaining in the Mumbai T20 League, Iyer is on the money right away, leading his team, Sobo Mumbai Falcons, to the semi-final of the tournament. Opening up on the importance of captaincy and what it means to him, Iyer went candid, saying he loves the challenge.

“It (captaincy) brings in a lot of maturity and responsibility. You are always expected to perform and contribute in the best way possible for the team because whenever there is a hurdle or some kind of adversity you face as a team, they always come to the captain. I think I have got a lot of experience as I have been captaining since I was 22. I have enjoyed the moments and also embraced it. I love the fact to come out and lead, ” Iyer said on the sidelines of the T20 Mumbai League.

“I just keep telling myself…”

Shreyas, 30, has joined Indian stars such as Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube in the T20 Mumbai League, a prominent domestic franchise-based tournament. Iyer shared that he thrives in high-pressure situations, drawing motivation to deliver his best performances and also expressed joy in playing alongside familiar teammates from his childhood cricketing days, which adds a special sense of camaraderie to the tournament.

The referee awarded Hong Kong the penalty after India custodian Vishal Kaith came out of the goalline and tried to palm the ball to safety, only to end up hitting Michael Udebuluzor.

Kowloon (Hong Kong): A profligate Indian football team suffered a calamitous 0-1 defeat to hosts Hong Kong after an injury-time goal by Stefan Pereira in a crucial 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier match here on Tuesday.

The referee awarded Hong Kong the penalty after India custodian Vishal Kaith came out of the goalline and tried to palm the ball to safety, only to end up hitting Michael Udebuluzor.

Pereira (90+4) stepped up to take the spot kick and shot the ball to the right of Kaith, who was also shown a yellow card for his injury-time foul.

Earlier, India coach Manolo Marquez kept out veteran striker Sunil Chhetri from the starting XI.

A sea of red packed the stands at the newly built Kai Tak Stadium but despite the strong home support, India did pretty well to create a few chances in the first half, even though Hong Kong enjoyed more possession.

But, as has been the trend with them in recent times, the lack of finishing has again let the Blue Tigers down in the first 45 minutes.

Among the opportunities that came their way before the half time break, the Indians came closest in the 35th minute but Ashique Kuruniyan shot the ball wide from a close range after Liston Colaco ran down the left to provide him a nice cross.

Meanwhile, after having received medical attention after getting injured, Colaco unleashed a powerful long-range shot but it went straight into the keeper’s gloves.

Hong Kong also grew in confidence as the game approached the half time. The home team could have taken the lead from a free-kick had it not been for a timely clearance by Asish Rai from goal-mouth after custodian Vishal Kaith was beaten.

Both India and Hong Kong have had their moments but neither side could convert in a tightly contested first half of this crucial 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier.

Kuruniyan, who has otherwise performed his job admirably on the flanks, looked to have got another chance to break the deadlock some minutes into the second half, but could not.

Soon after, coach Manolo Marquez brought on India’s all-time highest goal-scorer Sunil Chhetri alongside Naorem Singh in place of Kuruniyan and Brandon Fernandes.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/football/india-go-down-0-1-to-hong-kong-in-crucial-2027-asian-cup-qualifier-match-3579567

The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments kick off with high-stakes matches, and John Cena makes his final appearance in Phoenix on his farewell tour. Plus, WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella returns, and Jey Uso defends the World Heavyweight Championship against the dominant Gunther

Tonight’s RAW features the return of R-Truth, now reborn as Ron Killings, in a powerful new persona. The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments kick off with high-stakes matches, and John Cena makes his final appearance in Phoenix on his farewell tour. Plus, WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella returns, and Jey Uso defends the World Heavyweight Championship against the dominant Gunther.Let’s check out the results

Gunther defeats Jey Uso WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Despite the early fire, Jey’s injured ribs slowed him down. Gunther relentlessly targeted the injury and eventually made Jey pass out in a submission hold to become the new champion.

R-Truth Reinvents Himself as Ron Killings

Indian cricketer Rinku Singh officially got engaged to Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj in Lucknow on Sunday. The couple held an engagement ceremony that was attended by some of the biggest names in the cricketing and political spectrum. Some beautiful videos and pictures have surfaced on social media in which Priya and Rinku are flaunting their engagement rings. Rinku, who plays for the Indian cricket team in the T20I format and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL, couldn’t have many of his international teammates at the ceremony due to cricketing commitments.

In the pictures that have surfaced on social media, politician Akhilesh Yadav and the BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla could also be seen. Here are some other videos and pictures form the ceremony:

A few months ago, Priya’s father, Tufani Saroj, had made the relationship status of the two clear. Tufani, who’s also a sitting MLA from the Samajwadi Party, spoke to ANI and said that both Rinku Singh and Priya Saroj sought their parents’ permission. He also confirmed that the engagement has not taken place yet, and only the initial talks have taken place.

“Both the children have expressed their desire to get married and have sought our permission for the same. The engagement has not taken place yet. Initial talks have taken place in this regard,” Tufani Saroj had told ANI.

Rinku had quite an ordinary IPL 2025 campaign with KKR, scoring 206 runs at an average of 29.42 and a strike-rate of 153.73. The Knight Riders had a forgettable season that saw them finish eighth in the table with 12 points and a net run rate of -0.305, winning just 5 out of 14 matches.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/rinku-singh-gets-engaged-to-politician-priya-saroj-pictures-and-videos-out-8617091

Carlos Alcaraz saved three championship points and became the ninth man in the Open Era to rally from two sets down in a major final.

Carlos Alcaraz saved three championship points as he produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday. Reigning champion Alcaraz rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome world number one Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) to clinch his fifth Grand Slam title after five hours and 29 minutes. The 22-year-old Spaniard is now unbeaten in five Grand Slam finals after snapping Sinner’s 20-match winning run at the majors.

Alcaraz pulled off his first ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history. It easily eclipsed the 1982 final in Paris when Mats Wilander triumphed in four sets over Guillermo Vilas in 4hr 42min.

Alcaraz becomes the third youngest man to win five Grand Slams — after Bjorn Borg and compatriot Rafael Nadal — following an incredible duel between the two stars of a new generation.

Sinner fell agonisingly short of a third successive Grand Slam crown after last year’s US Open title and back-to-back Australian Open triumphs.

He suffered his fifth straight loss to Alcaraz in what was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final — and the first championship match at a major between two men born in the 2000s.

Alcaraz leads 8-5 overall having also beaten Sinner to win in Rome, where the Italian returned to competition in May after a three-month doping ban.

Alcaraz put the pressure on Sinner by carving out three break points to start Saturday’s final, but the Italian resisted and soon had a chance of his own.

He couldn’t take advantage and found himself having to fend off two more break points at 1-1, producing clutch serves to grind out another tough hold.

Alcaraz’s persistence paid off in the fifth game when he broke to nudge 3-2 ahead, only for the Spaniard to immediately hand the lead back.

The unshakeable Sinner threatened to break again at 4-3, with a brief lapse from Alcaraz eventually enabling Sinner to snatch the first set.

Sinner hit the accelerator to start the second set, surging 3-0 in front. After facing seven break points in the opener, he tightened up considerably on serve.

But Alcaraz brought up his first break point of the second set with Sinner serving for a two-set lead, duly pouncing on the opportunity to check his rival’s momentum.

With the swagger back in his step at a crucial juncture, Alcaraz sought to bring the crowd into the contest but Sinner remained unflustered in the tie-break.

The first five points went with serve before Sinner whipped a forehand down the line and Alcaraz then steered an attempted drop-shot wide.

A tame return into the net presented Sinner with four set points. Alcaraz saved two before Sinner unleashed a blistering cross-court forehand to move to within a set of the trophy.

Alcaraz pulls off miraculous comeback

It all looked to be going his way when he broke Alcaraz to begin the third set, but the Spaniard refused to surrender his title quietly and rattled off four games on the bounce to lead 4-1.

Alcaraz lost serve at 5-3 but promptly broke to love to force a fourth set, lapping up the roars of the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd.

That ended Sinner’s run of 31 consecutive sets won at Grand Slams.

Alcaraz saved a break point in the third game amid a series of holds as Sinner doubled down. The Italian appeared to be closing in on victory when he broke at 3-3 as the finish line neared.

But Alcaraz had other ideas as he staved off three championship points at 3-5 and then broke Sinner when he tried to seal the title on his serve.

Successive aces spurred a reinvigorated Alcaraz on in the tie-break and into a decisive fifth set.

A despairing Sinner lost his serve right away and his gloom deepened as Alcaraz saved two break points to pull 3-1 ahead, but incredibly there was another twist.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/french-open-2025/carlos-alcaraz-saves-three-match-points-against-jannik-sinner-to-win-french-open-8620325

The Aragon Grand Prix has historically been a favorable track for Honda riders, with the manufacturer securing multiple victories since the circuit’s introduction to the MotoGP calendar in 2010. Mir’s familiarity with the track and past performances had set expectations for a strong showing this weekend.

Honda HRC Castrol rider Joan Mir experienced a crash at Turn 2 of the Ciudad del Motor de Aragon circuit in Spain during the free practice session for the Aragon Grand Prix. The incident occurred as Mir was navigating the early stages of the session, leading to a temporary halt in proceedings while marshals ensured the track was safe for continuation.

Mir was able to walk away from the crash unaided, and initial assessments suggest that he did not sustain any serious injuries. This crash adds to a challenging season for the 2020 MotoGP World Champion, who has faced multiple setbacks, including a recent incident at the French Grand Prix where he suffered a fracture to his right hand following a collision with Francesco Bagnaia. Despite these hurdles, Mir has shown resilience, aiming to capitalize on circuits like Aragon, where he has previously enjoyed success.

The Aragon Grand Prix has historically been a favorable track for Honda riders, with the manufacturer securing multiple victories since the circuit’s introduction to the MotoGP calendar in 2010. Mir’s familiarity with the track and past performances had set expectations for a strong showing this weekend.

Australian MotoGP rider Jack Miller suffered a setback at the Thailand Grand Prix, crashing in the Tissot Sprint. The Prima Pramac Yamaha rider’s impressive qualifying effort was undone when he suffered a disappointing crash on lap seven, forcing him to retire from sixth position.

In a previous crash at the Valencia Grand Prix, Miller slid off while leading the race, ultimately losing control of his bike. He also had a close call at the Malaysian Grand Prix, where he was involved in a scary crash with Brad Binder and Fabio Quartararo.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/motogp-joan-mir-walks-away-unhurt-after-high-speed-crash-ahead-of-aragon-gp-qualifying-video

KL Rahul started the England tour on a high by scoring a century for India A against England Lions on the first day of the second unofficial Test. Rahul justified his special request to the BCCI after not being named in the squad.

KL Rahul kick-started his England tour on a high by scoring a century on the first day of the second unofficial Test between India A and England Lions on Friday (June 6) at the County Ground in Northampton.
Rahul replaced Sarfaraz Khan in the playing XI despite the latter scoring a fine knock of 92 in the first game, which ended in a draw. Skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran demoted himself as Rahul walked out to open the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
After the Lions won toss and chose to bowl first, Rahul looked at ease despite a green pitch and cloudy conditions. The home team fielded a strong bowling unit consisting of Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue, who will play for England in the Test series against India.

Rahul made a knock of 111 in 168 balls before being dismissed by George Hill. No other Indian player in the top six managed a half-century.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/kl-rahul-justifies-special-request-to-bcci-ends-gautam-gambhirs-headache-sends-england-big-warning-article-151805021

This comes in the wake of heightened emotions across Bengaluru, following both the team’s iconic victory and the tragic stampede that marred the celebrations outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The chilling video highlights a darker side of fanaticism, where admiration for cricketers crosses into self-harm and ceremonial extremes.

A disturbing video has surfaced online showing an overly zealous Virat Kohli fan applying a blood tilak on the cricketer’s poster to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) long-awaited IPL 2025 title win. The video, which has gone viral, has left netizens both stunned and concerned, with many questioning the extremes of fan devotion in modern sports culture.

The footage depicts a visibly distressed fan slicing his wrist and using the blood to ceremonially mark Kohli’s forehead on a poster he’s clutching. Social media users questioned whether such extreme acts of devotion are prompted by Kohli’s influence or the broader fan culture at RCB.

This comes in the wake of heightened emotions across Bengaluru, following both the team’s iconic victory and the tragic stampede that marred the celebrations outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The chilling video highlights a darker side of fanaticism, where admiration for cricketers crosses into self-harm and ceremonial extremes.

Here’s how the netizens reacted to the video:

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/ajeeb-pagalpan-hai-netizens-react-as-fanatic-virat-kohli-fan-applies-blood-tilak-on-his-poster-after-ipl-2025-triumph-video 

Gautam Gambhir, Indian cricket team head coach, has said that Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 title celebration victory parade road show should never have taken place

Gautam Gambhir, Indian cricket team head coach, has said that Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 title celebration victory parade should never have taken place. He added that such events must take place in a closed-door environment. Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s joy of winning a first IPL title in 18 years turned tragic as 11 people lost their lives in stampede at a planned victory parade on Wednesday. The RCB team members, including Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar, were felicitated at the Vidhan Soudha by Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah at around 5 PM IST after which there was a planned open bus parade. Lakhs of people gathered around the area where it was supposed to take place. It turned tragic as 11 died and close to 50 people got injured in the event.

“I was never a believer that we need to have roadshows. Never. When I was playing, I had the same statement, even after winning the 2007 T20 World Cup that we should not have road shows. The lives of people are far more important and I will continue to say that. In future we can be little bit aware about not holding these kind of road shows and probably have it in a closed door environment. What has happened is very tragic. My heart goes out to the families who have lost their loved ones,” Gautam Gambhir said at a pre-departure press conference ahead of India vs England Test series.

Asked if the nature of fandom had changed over the years, Gambhir spoke about being responsible in every aspect of life.

“I can’t say whether the fan base has increased or all that kind of stuff. All I can say is that we need to be responsible. We need to be responsible in every aspect of whether being a franchise or everything (else) because every life matters.” Gambhir also questioned the need to hold a road show when they were simply not prepared.

“If you were not ready to hold a road show, you shouldn’t have done that. (It is) as simple as it can get,” he couldn’t be more blunt.

He said he understands the excitement of fans but what happened in Bengaluru was beyond tragic.

“I know fans do get excited. Everyone gets excited. The fan base gets excited. But nothing compared to what has happened recently. You cannot at any point of time lose 11 people,

Earlier, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia talked to NDTV and admitted ‘some lapses’ were there on the part of the organisers.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2025/lives-of-people-far-more-important-than-roadshows-gautam-gambhir-attacks-rcb-title-celebration-organisers-8596591

Second seed Coco Gauff beats Lois Boisson 6-1, 6-2 to set up French Open women’s singles final against No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka

For the first time in over a decade, the French Open women’s final will feature the top two players in the world, as World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and World No. 2 Coco Gauff set up a blockbuster clash for the Roland Garros title. Sabalenka and Gauff are set to clash for the Roland Garros title after Sabalenka defeated Swiatek and Gauff beat Lois Boisson in the semifinals. Gauff eyes her second Grand Slam title after reaching the final for the second time.

Sabalenka booked her spot in the final by ending Iga Swiatek’s reign in Paris. In a gripping semifinal showdown, the Belarusian defeated the three-time defending champion in three sets, halting Swiatek’s dominance on clay and securing her first-ever appearance in a French Open final.

Shortly after, Gauff kept her dream run alive with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 win over French wildcard Lois Boisson, whose surprise journey to the semifinals had captured hearts across the tennis world. For Gauff, this will be her second Roland Garros final, having reached the title match in 2022, where she lost to Swiatek.

Now, two years later, the American returns more experienced and with a Grand Slam title already under her belt—her breakthrough win at the 2023 US Open, where she defeated Sabalenka in a memorable three-set final.

The upcoming championship clash marks the 11th meeting between Sabalenka and Gauff. Since Gauff’s US Open triumph, the two have split their last four encounters, setting the stage for an evenly matched and high-stakes battle.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/french-open-2025/coco-gauff-beats-lois-boisson-to-set-up-french-open-final-against-aryna-sabalenka-8597828

18 years in the making. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Virat Kohli overcame years of heartbreak to finally lift the Indian Premier League (IPL) title on Tuesday. In a final of close margins, RCB edged out Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 6 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. For Kohli, however, meant a lot much more. After all, he gave every ounce of his energy for the franchise. Friends and former colleagues were in attendance to witness Kohli finally get his hands on the trophy.

An emotional Kohli was thronged by his teammates after the final ball was bowled. Kohli’s wife, Anushka Sharma, was also present inside the stadium to support her husband and RCB. After bathing in glory, alongside his teammates, Kohli went to hug Anushka, who was seen wiping her husband’s tears.

After embracing each other for a few seconds, Kohli planted a kiss on the forehead of Anushka, who has been coming to support the team even before the two got married. Since 2014, to be precise.

After the match, Kohli spoke candidly about his loyalty to the team and his motivation to keep pushing himself even at this stage of his career.

“I’ve stayed loyal to this team, and they’ve stayed loyal to me. My heart is with Bangalore, my soul is with Bangalore. There were other moments, but I stuck with RCB because it means everything to me,” he added.

Kohli also hinted at the approaching end of his career but made it clear that he intends to give his all until the very last day.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2025/anushka-sharma-wipes-virat-kohlis-tears-after-he-hugs-her-post-ipl-triumph-rcb-icon-then-does-this-8580746

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 6 runs in the final to clinch their first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) title. The Rajat Patidar-led side, that has cricketing icon Virat Kohli, ended its 18-year long wait for a maiden IPL trophy. Opting to bowl first, PBKS restricted RCB to 190 for 9, with Arshdeep Singh (3 for 40) and Kyle Jamieson (3 for 48) being the major contributors. Virat Kohli was top-scorer for RCB with 43 off 35. RCB never got going in the innings and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. In reply, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2 for 38) and Krunal Pandya (2 for 17) bowled magical spells to stop PBKS at 184 for 7 in 20 overs.

RCB vs PBKS : Thank you!

IPL 2025 comes to an end. The festival will come again next year. That’s a wrap for our coverage. 74 matches, a week’s break in between, and at the end, history made by RCB. Thank you for joining us along the way on NDTV Sports.

Stay tuned, as we bring you live coverage of the French Open, the Club World Cup, and very soon, India’s tour of England!

Thank you! Goodnight.

RCB vs PBKS LIVE: RCB LIFT IPL 2025 TROPHY!

Three-times champion Novak Djokovic reached a century of wins at the French Open in a straight sets victory against Cameron Norrie on Monday and top seed Jannik Sinner produced another masterclass to also blaze into the quarter-finals.
Men’s fifth seed Jack Draper bowed out though, as did women’s third seed Jessica Pegula who was stunned by world France’s world number 361 Lois Boisson.

Serbian Djokovic, the sixth seed, looked serene in outclassing Britain’s Norrie 6-2 6-3 6-2 to edge closer to a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic became the second man to win 100 matches at the Paris Grand Slam after retired 14-times champion Rafael Nadal (112), to set up a last-eight clash against Alexander Zverev.
“It’s a number which is very good and nice, but a 101st win is even better,” Djokovic, who won the Olympic gold medal last year in Paris to complete his trophy cabinet, told the appreciative crowd in fluent French.
“It’s not finished for me here the tournament and I feel very good and good to make history here. I hope there will be another win here in two days.”
His German opponent in the last eight spent even less time on the court, third seed Zverev punching his ticket when Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor retired midway through the second set with an abdominal injury.

Zverev has reached his seventh French Open quarter-final in the last eight years and is still looking to secure a maiden Grand Slam title.
“From now on I have the toughest draw in the tournament,” Zverev said. “I’m looking forward to the battles ahead, and I’m looking forward to playing the best in the world.”

SUBLIME SINNER

World number one Sinner lit up the night session with a sublime display to beat Andrey Rublev 6-1 6-3 6-4 and stretch his winning streak in Grand Slam play to 18 matches.
Italian Sinner, the U.S. and Australian Open champion, has won all 12 sets he has played this year on Parisian clay and looks in ominous form as he closes on a first French Open title.
While Djokovic, Sinner and Zverev were all smiles, Britain’s dark horse Draper was heading for home after succumbing to a mesmeric display by Kazakh Alexander Bublik , who a few months ago questioned his future having dropped down the pecking order.

The 27-year-old, among the most naturally gifted players on tour who has admitted to lacking the commitment of other top professionals, seized his moment to drop shot his way past young gun Draper to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Bublik, who had never got past the second round in Paris, hit a staggering 37 drop shots in his 5-7 6-3 6-2 6-4 win.
“Standing here is the best moment of my life, period,”, Bublik, in tears, told the crowd.
“I’m standing here like I won the thing. I can’t cry here, let me be in peace, I’m a professional tennis player, I’ve got one more match, I’ve got to get ready.”
Bublik’s victory was the second upset of the day after unheralded Boisson shook up the women’s draw with a shock 3-6 6-4 6-4 win over Pegula .
Wild card Boisson outplayed the American favourite with the aid of a fierce forehand that had the Chatrier crowd on their feet.

As if that was not enough for the home crowd, they also got to see the Champions League soccer trophy minutes later, after Paris St Germain’s victory over Inter Milan on Saturday.
PSG forward Ousmane Dembele carried it onto the court to ear-splitting cheers as his team became the second French outfit to lift the European Cup after Olympique de Marseille in 1993.
Second seed Coco Gauff was in no mood for surprises, however, as she brushed aside Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0 7-5 to stay on course for her first title in Paris.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/gauff-speeds-past-alexandrova-book-french-open-last-eight-spot-2025-06-02/

A video of when D Gukesh sealed a win against Magnus Carlsen is going viral on social media. It shows the moment Carlsen banged a table in frustration after losing to the 18-year-old Indian in Norway Chess 2025. However, some social media users, instead of just celebrating the Indian champion, have flooded the comments section with racist remarks. Many users targeted Gukesh’s nationality with xenophobic and derogatory comments, sparking outrage online.

An NRI pointed it out in an X post and wrote, “Can I ask why isn’t @NorwayChess moderating its TikTok account, despite repeated racist comments targeting Gukesh? These comments are visible, liked by thousands, and consistently appear at the top.” The individual further shared a screenshot of a remark under the video that reads, “Magnus was distracted by the curry scent (sic).”

How did social media react?

People had a lot to say about this post. An individual remarked, “West hates Indians, they always did.” Another added, “They encourage racism against Indians.”

A third expressed, “No worries. The whole world hates India’s rise. Who cares about trolls? Let them waste their time and mind.” A fourth wrote, “They can’t accept the fact an Indian talent got over the top. Nobody from the West is complaining about Magnus’ attitude, saying it’s all. It’s pure jealousy.”

The 18-year-old sealed a surprising win against the World No. 1 in their Round 6 face-off. Initially, Gukesh was in a losing position. However, after a blunder by Carlsen, the Indian clinched a win against the Norwegian.

Gukesh’s grandfather on Carlsen’s table banging:

Gukesh’s grandfather, Shankar Rajesh, defended Carlsen by saying, “That is natural.” He continued, “He will be relaxed, and he will be practising.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/magnus-was-distracted-by-curry-scent-instead-of-applause-d-gukesh-s-win-video-draws-racist-hate-on-tiktok-101748913292494.html

Shreyas Iyer is leading Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, and he played a match-winning knock for the Mohali-based franchise in Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians.

Shreyas Iyer is leading Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, and on Sunday (June 1), he entered his name in the history books by becoming the first captain in the world to lead three different teams to the IPL final.

Iyer played a super knock for the Mohali-based franchise in the second qualifier of IPL 2025 against Mumbai Indians at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. He remained unbeaten on 87 runs from 41 balls and, during his stay at the crease, hammered five fours and eight sixes.

His memorable knock helped PBKS chase down the 204-run target in 19 overs for the loss of five wickets and book a place in the IPL 2025 final.

Iyer made his captaincy debut in the IPL for Delhi Capitals during the 2018 edition and led them to the IPL final in the 2020 edition, where they finished as runner-up. He captained Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2022 and 2024 and won his maiden IPL title as captain with the Kolkata-based franchise last year.

By leading PBKS to the IPL 2025 final, Iyer also becomes the fourth captain in the world after MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya to play back-to-back IPL finals and the first captain to play back-to-back finals with two different teams.

Captains to play back-to-back IPL finals

• MS Dhoni – Chennai Super Kings (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and (2018, 2019)
• Rohit Sharma – Mumbai Indians (2019 2020)
• Hardik Pandya – Gujarat Titans (2022 2023)
• Shreyas Iyer – Kolkata Knight Riders (2024) and Punjab Kings (2025)

Shreyas Iyer’s record as captain

• 2019: Delhi Capitals (Playoffs)
• 2020: Delhi Capitals (Final)
• 2022: Kolkata Knight Riders (7th)
• 2024: Kolkata Knight Riders (Champion)
• 2025: Punjab Kings (Final*)

In the Qualifier 2 of IPL 2025, Iyer came out to bat at No. 4 and added 84 runs for the fourth wicket with Nehal Wadhera (48 runs) and 38 runs for the sixth wicket with Marcus Stoinis (2 runs).

Iyer’s super knock with the bat also helped Punjab Kings become the first team in IPL history to chase down a target of more than 200 runs against Mumbai Indians.

Source : https://www.news18.com/cricket/shreyas-iyer-creates-history-becomes-1st-captain-in-the-world-to-ws-l-9363386.html

It looked like Magnus Carlsen would extend his lead in Norway Chess 2025 by another three points, with a second win against reigning World Champion D Gukesh. But the 18-year-old, who was in a losing position in the endgame, scripted a massive comeback, taking advantage of a blunder by the World No. 1 and sealing his first classical win against Carlsen.

Such was the style in which Gukesh won, that fans and experts are calling it the ‘turnaround of the year’. Carlsen was equally shellshocked by the win, and banged the table in frustration as the pieces also fell off. It also left the commentators and fans in shock, with the video going viral online. After Carlsen slammed the table, he also shook hands with Gukesh, who was also shocked that he finally bagged his first classical win vs the Norwegian, and the Indian GM stood up, looking dazed and confused. Carlsen then on his way back, patted Gukesh on his back, and walked off.

For Gukesh, it was the perfect revenge, as he had lost to Carlsen in the opening round. Gukesh has now climbed to third spot with 8.5 points and is behind Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana by just one point. It was also a big comeback by Gukesh, who didn’t look like he was in good form in the opening round loss to Carlsen. But on Sunday, he turned things around to seal a win against Carlsen, in 62 moves and over four hours.

Full video of Magnus Carlsen’s reaction to D Gukesh’s epic revenge:

With this victory, MI advances to face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2, vying for a spot in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. As the tournament progresses, moments like Pandya’s serenade underscore the team’s cohesion and the spirited environment that fuels their pursuit of the title.

In a delightful post-match moment that captured the camaraderie within the Mumbai Indians (MI) camp, captain Hardik Pandya serenaded teammate Jonny Bairstow following their victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2025 Eliminator. The light-hearted gesture not only showcased the team’s unity but also highlighted Bairstow’s impactful debut performance for MI.

Following the match, MI’s official X handle shared a video capturing Pandya’s playful tribute to Bairstow. In the clip, Pandya is seen singing, “Jonny! Jonny! Jonny baby! teri meri… hai kahani!” The unexpected serenade left Bairstow momentarily puzzled before both players burst into laughter, reflecting the joyous atmosphere within the team.

Jonny Bairstow, recently acquired by MI as a replacement for Will Jacks, made an immediate impression by scoring a rapid 47 off 22 balls. His explosive innings, featuring a formidable opening partnership with Rohit Sharma, propelled MI to a commanding total of 228-5. This formidable score laid the foundation for MI’s 20-run victory, keeping their championship aspirations alive.

With this victory, MI advances to face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2, vying for a spot in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. As the tournament progresses, moments like Pandya’s serenade underscore the team’s cohesion and the spirited environment that fuels their pursuit of the title.

The IPL 2025 Eliminator clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT) featured tense interactions between former teammates Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill.

Before a ball was even bowled, the spotlight was on the captains. At the toss, MI skipper Hardik Pandya and GT captain Shubman Gill shared a visibly awkward moment. After winning the toss, Pandya appeared to move toward Gill, perhaps to shake hands. Gill, simultaneously unsure, mirrored the motion. Both then pulled back in a split second of hesitation, resulting in an odd exchange.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/teri-meri-hai-kahani-hardik-pandyas-funny-song-leaves-jonny-bairstow-confused-after-ipl-2025-eliminator-win-video 

In a recent incident that has garnered significant attention, former Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam was involved in a heated confrontation with fans on the streets. A video capturing the altercation has gone viral, showing Azam visibly agitated, gesturing aggressively, and pushing a young fan aside as he attempted to navigate through a crowd of onlookers.

While the exact cause of the confrontation remains unclear, it’s speculated that the fans’ taunts may have been related to Azam’s recent exclusion from Pakistan’s T20I squad following the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

This is not the first time Azam has found himself at odds with fans. Earlier in Cardiff, he was seen asking security to disperse a crowd of fans seeking selfies, expressing his frustration over the invasion of personal space.

These incidents highlight the growing tension between public figures and fan expectations. While fans play a crucial role in an athlete’s career, maintaining boundaries is essential for the well-being of both parties.

In a humorous turn of events during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025, England’s Sam Billings playfully teased Pakistan’s Babar Azam over their contrasting half-century performances. Billings, representing Lahore Qalandars, achieved the fastest fifty of the tournament, reaching the milestone in just 19 balls against Quetta Gladiators. Conversely, Babar Azam, leading Peshawar Zalmi, recorded the slowest fifty, taking 47 balls to reach the mark.

Billings shared an Instagram story juxtaposing their innings. This light-hearted jab highlighted the stark difference in their scoring rates while acknowledging that both innings contributed to their respective teams’ victories.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/babar-azam-engages-in-physical-fight-with-fans-on-street-was-seen-shoving-a-man-video

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) won the Champions League for the first time by beating Inter Milan 5-0 on Saturday (local time). Luis Enrique’s young team dominated the match, with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in what became the biggest winning margin in the history of the final of the tournament, which began in 1956.

Achraf Hakimi, facing his former club, scored the opening goal early in the game. Doue’s shot took a deflection and gave PSG a 2-0 lead in the 20th minute. He scored again just after the hour mark, making the result certain. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added the fourth goal, and substitute Senny Mayulu made it five.

Inter struggled throughout the match. PSG’s victory is the biggest in a final since the European Cup and Champions League began 70 years ago.

This win comes after years of investment by PSG’s Qatari owners. It also follows their 2020 loss to Bayern Munich in their only other final. PSG had already won the French league and cup this season. They are now only the second French club to win the Champions League, after Marseille, who beat AC Milan in 1993, also in Munich.

PSG coach Luis Enrique has now won the Champions League twice. He previously won it with Barcelona 10 years ago.

The current PSG squad was built over the last two years and came together after Kylian Mbappe left the club.

Doue, who turns 20 on Tuesday, was the standout player in the final.

Inter Milan could not add a fourth Champions League title. Their last win was in 2010. Coach Simone Inzaghi has now taken Inter to the final twice in three years and lost both times. They also missed out on the Serie A title this season and end the campaign without a trophy.

Match summary: 

PSG took the lead in the 12th minute. Vitinha passed to Doue, who squared the ball to Hakimi. Hakimi scored into an empty net and did not celebrate against his old club.

This was the earliest goal in a Champions League final since 2019. Inter had little hope after conceding early. The last time both teams scored in a final was in 2018. The last team to concede first and still win was Real Madrid in 2014.

PSG scored again on a counterattack. Willian Pacho stopped Inter from getting a corner. His clearance went to Kvaratskhelia, who passed to Ousmane Dembele. Dembele found Doue, who shot past goalkeeper Yann Sommer with a deflection off Federico Dimarco.

Inter had one chance in the first half when Marcus Thuram’s header went wide. Things got worse in the second half. Defender Yann Bisseck came on for Benjamin Pavard but had to go off injured after 10 minutes.

PSG scored a third in the 63rd minute. Dembele flicked the ball to Vitinha, who passed to Doue. Doue beat Sommer at the near post. He was then substituted and applauded by the crowd.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/champions-league-final-psg-hammer-inter-milan-5-0-to-win-first-ever-title/articleshow/121542273.cms

Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill and Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya had an awkward moment during the toss in the Eliminator match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Friday. Right after the coin landed in favour of MI, Gill walked back to let Hardik come to the front. As per the custom, the captain that wins the toss has to speak first and announce his decision whether to bat or bowl first. When Gill was going away from the scene after the toss, Hardik offered his hand to shake with Gill, but the latter failed to notice it, giving rise to an awkward moment.

Toss @mipaltan won the toss and elected to bat first against @gujarat_titans

Updates https://t.co/R4RTzjQfph #TATAIPL | #GTvMI | #Eliminator | #TheLastMile pic.twitter.com/E3G3NU0FXK

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 30, 2025
Some fans felt that Gill deliberately missed the handshake and they claimed it a matter of “ego clash”.

The ego clash between Hardik and Gill in eliminator pic.twitter.com/IlEdgDg3lY

— Bosmin (@bas_you_hi) May 30, 2025

Gill refused to shake hands with Hardik Pandya. pic.twitter.com/DNlwykaIWU

— (@Ro45Aryan) May 30, 2025

Shubman gill involved in ego war with Hardik Pandya Hardik tried to shake his hands but Shubman didn’t because of his fragile ego that too in front of the one who made his t20 career.

pic.twitter.com/MletxWmTyu

— Crasher (@lmao_crx3r) May 30, 2025
Rohit Sharma rode his luck to make a stroke-filled 81 after Jonny Bairstow made instant impact on his MI debut, propelling the five-time champions to a daunting 228 for 5 in Mullanpur.

On a surface which had less grass compared to the one used on Thursday, Mumbai Indians decided to bat first and the batters ensured the team goes into the break with an upper-hand. Titans dropped three crucial catches — two of Rohit (81 off 50 ) and one of Suryakumar Yadav (33 off 20) – and produced another ordinary effort with the ball in the knock-out fixture.

Rohit was dropped twice in the powerplay before veteran made the opposition pay dearly for their on-field errors. On the first occasion, Gerald Coetzee dropped him in the deep and Kusal Mendis’ GT debut went all awry when he bungled a regulation take behind stumps off Mohammed Siraj. It was Bairstow (47 off 22), who gave Mumbai Indians the momentum in the powerplay with some sublime hitting.

The out of favour England batter, who joined the mighty Mumbai Indians days after collecting back-to-back fifties in county cricket for Yorkshire, took his chances early on and was well rewarded.

He targeted Titans’ best pacer of the season, Prasidh Krishna, plundering him for 26 runs in the fourth over of the innings that included three sixes. The first hit was a pull that comfortably sailed over square leg fence before picking the pacer for a clean hit down the ground.

Rohit too got into the act when spinner Sai Kishore was introduced inside the powerplay. The former MI captain employed the sweep shot to perfection to collect two fours and a massive six to take his team to 79 for no loss in six overs, the team’s best powerplay of the season.

Most batters prefer to see out Rashid Khan but having found his rhythm, Rohit even went after the star Afghanistan spinner. He first went for the inside out aerial drive before slog sweeping Rashid for a six. At 113 for one in 10 overs, Mumbai Indians looked unstoppable.

When Suryakumar joined Rohit in the middle, boundaries continued to flow. India’s T20 captain welcome Gerald Coetzee into the attack with couple of sixes, one a pull shot while the other was cut that just about cleared the ropes.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2025/ego-clash-fans-react-to-shubman-gill-hardik-pandya-awkward-moment-during-gt-mi-game-watch-8549178

The internet can’t stop talking about Anushka’s celebratory reaction from the stands. Dressed in a crisp white shirt, she stood up, clapping and beaming with pride.

Anushka Sharma couldn’t hold back her joy as Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru sealed their place in the IPL 2025 final. In a high-stakes Qualifier 1, RCB decimated Preity Zinta’s Punjab Kings by restricting them to just 101 runs and comfortably chasing the target.

The internet can’t stop talking about Anushka’s celebratory reaction from the stands. Dressed in a crisp white shirt, she stood up, clapping and beaming with pride, as Kohli’s team clinched the win. In one frame that’s now all over social media, Anushka is seen laughing and hugging a friend beside her in delight.

In another moment that melted hearts, Virat Kohli looked up at the stands and pointed one finger to Anushka. The gesture, fans believe, was his way of saying “just one more win to go” before they can lift the long-elusive IPL trophy.

The image of Kohli with his arm raised, intense focus in his eyes, and Anushka watching from the stands with visible pride, quickly went viral.

“The happiness of Anushka Sharma when RCB qualify for the final,” wrote a user on X (formerly Twitter). Another fan added, “Virat Kohli saying to Anushka Sharma that we are one more win away from the IPL trophy.”

Kohli’s passion on the field and Anushka’s unwavering support off it has always been a highlight for fans, and Thursday night was no different.

Source : https://www.news18.com/movies/bollywood/anushka-cheers-as-virat-shows-one-more-win-gesture-after-rcb-reaches-ipl-2025-final-watch-9358796.html

Many wondered how much winning the Conference League would mean to Chelsea – but there were few doubts at the final whistle.

Nearly all season the Blues have walked over their opposition in Uefa’s third-rated tournament, but they were really tested by Real Betis in Wroclaw, especially in the first half.

However, four second-half goals were all wildly celebrated – and the players then partied after the 4-1 win as much as if they had won any other major trophy.

Cole Palmer, the man of the match, set up goals for Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson, with Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo also netting.

“Winning this trophy is massive,” said former Blues keeper Mark Schwarzer, a BBC Radio 5 Live summariser for the game.

“You can see what it means to them and how important it is to win it.

“This is what it’s about. It’s about creating that bond and that experience of winning a trophy.”

It was Chelsea’s first trophy since the Fifa Club World Cup in February 2022 and their first considered a major prize since the 2021 Champions League.

The club’s former midfielder Joe Cole, watching for TNT Sports, said: “People turn their noses up at it but look at all the smiling faces among the players, the staff, the fans. This is what it is all about.”

Fellow pundit Lucy Ward added: “People mock this trophy but this will mean a lot to this set of Chelsea players because it is a platform to move on into the Champions League this season.”

BBC Sport takes a look at the story of Chelsea’s Conference League campaign.

Virat Kohli has made history for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025. Playing against Lucknow Super Giants, Virat Kohli reached 9000 runs for RCB when he reached the score of 24. The former Indian cricket team captain is the first player to do so. He also slammed a half-century in 27 balls. Kohli achieved another big feat. Kohi is now the first batter to cross 600 five times in IPL. Virat is RCB’s highest-ever run-getter in history, combining statistics from IPL and now-defunct Champions League T20. Kohli ultimately fell on 54.

Most runs for a team in Men’s T20s
9004 – Virat Kohli for RCB
6060 – Rohit Sharma for MI
5934 – James Vince for Hampshire
5528 – Suresh Raina for CSK
5314 – MS Dhoni for CSK

600-plus aggregate in an IPL edition most often
5 – Virat Kohli (2013, 2016, 2023, 2024, 2025)
4 – KL Rahul (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022)
3 – Chris Gayle (2011, 2012, 2013)
3 – David Warner (2016, 2017, 2019)

Before Tuesday’s match, in 279 matches and 270 innings, he has scored 8,970 runs at an average of 39.54 and a strike rate of 133.49. He has scored eight centuries and 64 fifties. His best score is 113*.

He is the highest run-getter in IPL history, with 8,552 runs in 264 matches and 256 innings at an average of 39.59, with eight centuries and 62 fifties. His best score is 113*.

In 15 matches for RCB in CLT20, he has made 424 runs at an average of 38.54 and a strike rate of 150.35, with two half-centuries. His best score is 84*. He is the franchise’s top run-getter in the competition.

Virat has been sensational this season, top-scoring for the franchise with 548 runs in 12 innings at an average of 60.88 and a strike rate of 145.35. He has scored seven fifties, with the best score of 73*. He is the sixth-highest run-getter in the tournament currently.

Rishabh Pant produced his best batting of the season in the last league match, scoring a scintillating unbeaten century to propel Lucknow Super Giants to 226/3 in 20 overs in Match 70 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Ekana Stadium here on Tuesday. Pant, who has struggled throughout the season, moving up and down the order but managing only one half-century, found his mojo in the last match and put up a brilliant display of power-hitting as he hammered his second century in IPL history to help LSG set the biggest chase ever at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The previous highest chase here is 206 and RCB will not have to set a new record for the venue if they have to win this match.

Pant remained unbeaten on 118 off 61 balls while Mitchell Marsh continued with his superb form for the season with 67 off 37 balls as LSG reached a massive total.

RCB, who need to win this match to finish among the top two and secure a place in Qualifier 1, faltered with their team selection, leaving out skipper Rajat Patidar on the bench.

Asked to bat first, Lucknow Super Giants were off to a poor start as debutant Matthew Breetzke (14 off 12, 1×4, 1×6), who was struck on his head by Nuwan Thushara, departed with 25 runs on the board, Thushara castling him with a beauty. However, skipper Rishabh Pant showed a welcome return to form in their last match of the season as he joined Mitchell Marsh in raising 142 runs for the second wicket, propelling the side towards a huge total.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), needing to win the match to finish among the top two, looked a bit off-colour on the field as their bowlers proved a bit ineffective against Pant and Marsh.

Pant looked in his element as he started with a 2,6,2,4,0,4 blitz against Yash Dayal in the fourth over and went from strength to strength from there as LSG reached 55/1 in the power-play.

Pant continued to flourish with a six and four off successive balls against Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the fifth over, a six followed by two fours in the 10th off Suyash Sharma, and a four and six off successive balls against the same bowler in the 10th as he raced to his half-century in 29 balls.

Marsh, who has been the top scorer for LSG this season, was equally good at the other end as he raced past the 600-run mark for the season, scoring his half-century in 31 balls as they reached the 150-run mark in their partnership in 85 balls.

Desperate to stem the run flow, RCB skipper Jitesh Sharma brought Bhuvneshwar Kumar into the attack but Marsh treated his return with sixes off successive balls — the first over the bowler’s head, while the second was a loft off a fullish delivery bowled wide, went high into the sky but landed way beyond the long-off boundary. However, the bowler had the last laugh as he induced an outside edge on a scrambled seam delivery that landed full on sixth stump. Marsh attempted a loft again but edged it behind. He was out for 67 off 37 balls studded with four fours and five sixes.

Pant continued to thrive and reached his second century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in seven years as he blasted boundaries at will, reaching the three-figure mark off 54 balls.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2025/virat-kohli-reaches-historic-high-becomes-1st-ever-batter-in-ipl-history-to-8522923

The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) will see a closing ceremony before the final at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are planning a special tribute to the Indian Armed Forces (IAF) to honour their work during Operation Sindoor. Top chiefs of the IAF have been invited for the summit clash.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will give a special tribute to the Indian Armed Forces (IAF) and honour their extraordinary services to the national during the 2025 Indian Premier League’s (IPL) Closing ceremony which will be held before the tournament’s final starts on June 3 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia revealed that the Indian cricket governing body has invited the chief of the defense staff as well the chief of the army, navy, and air staff.
“The Board salutes the bravery, courage, and selfless service of our armed forces, whose heroic efforts under Operation Sindoor continue to protect and inspire the nation. As a tribute, we have decided to dedicate the closing ceremony to the armed forces,” said BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia in an interaction with Sportstar.

The same publication also reported that the event will feature a performance by the military band before a musical ceremony is held.

For those unversed, India launched a counter-strike on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, following the barbaric Terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam.
Later, the IAF retaliated strongly to the offensive action by Pakistan before a ceasefire was announced on May 10.
The 2025 IPL was suspended for a week before the tournament resumed on May 17. The league’s final was originally scheduled to be played on May 25 in Kolkata. However, it was moved to Ahmedabad in the revised schedule due to concerns over weather and a major rain threat with the early onset of monsoon in various parts of the country.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/bcci-plan-special-tribute-to-operation-sindoor-in-ipl-2025-closing-ceremony-iaf-chiefs-invited-article-151726097

Even as the spotlight was firmly on the match between India’s teenage world champion Gukesh and world No.1 Magnus Carlsen, Erigaisi, ranked No.4 in the world, was the first to take the opening points by beating China’s No.1 player Wei in Armageddon after the two had agreed to a draw after 54 moves.

Stavanger, Norway: Magnus Carlsen showed why he is the best player in the world in all formats of the game, beating world champion D Gukesh of India in the opening round of Norway Chess to take three full points here on Monday.

It was a day when Carlsen tried to unnerve Gukesh, playing his first Classical game against the Norwegian since winning the world title last year in Singapore, by employing the Jobava London, a rarely-used opening move.

But Gukesh, playing with black pieces, did not fall into the trap and instead neutralised the white’s advantage by the 11th move and had Carlsen in a bit of a trouble.

But the Norwegian, a five-time world champion, who has since moved to shorter formats, such as Rapid and Blitz and more recently Freestyle chess, showed he has not lost his touch with the Classical format, winning a contest which lasted for over four hours and 56 moves.

Earlier, Arjun Erigaisi, the other Indian in the six-player round-robin Open category, impressed in the first round beating his Chinese opponent Wei Yi in Armageddon after the two had agreed to a draw.

Even as the spotlight was firmly on the match between India’s teenage world champion Gukesh and world No.1 Magnus Carlsen, Erigaisi, ranked No.4 in the world, was the first to take the opening points by beating China’s No.1 player Wei in Armageddon after the two had agreed to a draw after 54 moves.

Erigaisi, playing black, played aggressively to take the match to a draw and then beat his opponent on time in Armageddon.

In Armageddon, the white gets 10 minutes, while the black gets only seven, still Erigasi overcame the disadvantage to beat Wei.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/carlsen-beats-gukesh-in-nerve-wracking-opening-round-of-norway-chess-3558375

Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly’s brother Snehasish Ganguly and his wife Arpita had a narrow escape in Odisha on Sunday after their speedboat capsized in the sea. The couple was on a holiday in Puri and were enjoying water sports activity when the incident happened. Snehasish Ganguly is a former Bengal cricketer and current president of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Both Snehashish and Arpita are safe and have returned to Kolkata.

“I thank Lord Jagannath. This is sort of a second life for us,” Snehashish told Cricbuzz on Monday. “It was a life-threatening accident. Our boat capsized inside the sea and we were saved by the local people and lifeguards.”

Snehasish added that visiting Puri has been sort of a tradition for them.

“I visit Puri every year – it has been a tradition for the past 31 years. I perform puja at the Jagannath Temple annually. On Saturday, we suddenly decided to go into the sea. I don’t know why I chose to do it – it was a last-minute decision,” he said.

“It was around 5:30 in the evening when we boarded the boat along with another couple. There were lifeguards on board. Suddenly, a powerful wave struck the boat, and it capsized instantly, turning [it] upside down. We were trapped beneath the capsized boat, inside the water.

“Before we could even realise what had happened, another wave struck, and the boat flipped upright. That gave us a chance to wriggle free from the trapped situation. Around that time, some lifeguards also reached and rescued us. I can’t express the relief – I just thank Lord Jagannath.”

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sourav-gangulys-brother-snehashish-recalls-near-death-experience-in-puri-at-sea-trapped-beneath-8513672

Gukesh and Carlsen will be playing the classical format for the first time after the Indian became the world champion late last year and the opening match will be crucial for both going deeper into the tournament.

Stavanger, Norway: World champion D Gukesh acknowledged that starting with black pieces is a tricky proposition against Magnus Carlsen after he was drawn against the World No.1 in the Norway Chess tournament beginning on Monday.

Gukesh and Carlsen will be playing the classical format for the first time after the Indian became the world champion late last year and the opening match will be crucial for both going deeper into the tournament.

“For sure, it’s (match against Carlsen) a special game to start the tournament with. But also, I mean, you play all the players with both colours, so it really doesn’t make a difference,” said Gukesh when asked how he felt starting with black pieces against the five-time world champion in his backyard.

“Since it’s the start of the tournament, I guess we’ll both try to be as sharp as possible and get into the tournament as quickly as possible as it’s the first round.

“It’s always kind of tricky to get your best shape in the first round, so, it’ll be a fun challenge,” added Gukesh, whose form has slumped following the world title triumph last year.

Carlsen too kept his cards close to his chest, saying he wasn’t “quite sure what to expect” in the opening round, as he had played very little classical chess of late.

“Honestly, I haven’t really played a proper classical tournament since last year. Classical chess that I have played, it’s mostly been against somewhat lower-rated players. So, whether it’s against Gukesh or somebody else, I’m not really quite sure what to expect,” he said.

“I think, I certainly want to do well in those games and he (Gukesh) does as well. I mean, I cannot speak for him, but I wouldn’t imagine otherwise,” added Carlsen, the six-time Norway Chess champion who is defending his title here.

The 18-year-old Gukesh said he has been trying to work his back to top form ahead of the event.

“I guess after the world championship, I mean, all of the tournaments that I played, Wijik Aan Zee was really good, after that none of the tournaments have been actually good.

“I am back to working, I am back to playing, training apps, so it’s just that if I continue to do it, continue doing the right things and stay consistent, then the results will improve. So, this (Norway Chess) will be one opportunity to bring back (my form),” he added.

The Indian prodigy said he has started training more seriously now, following the world championship triumph against Ding Liren of China.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/its-tricky-to-get-your-best-shape-in-first-round-with-black-pieces-gukesh-3556859

Rafa Nadal said the presence of his friends and rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray during a celebration of his glorious career at the French Open made an emotional Sunday evening all the more special.
Thousands of fans including defending men’s and women’s champions Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek wore brick-red ‘Merci Rafa’ shirts before 14-times Roland Garros champion Nadal was immortalised on Court Philippe Chatrier with a plaque.

The loudest cheers, however, came when Federer, Djokovic and Murray stepped onto the hallowed clay court to share a few words and laughs with Nadal after the Spaniard had welled up watching a video of his greatest moments.
“I didn’t know, but I imagined they would come. The agendas of people sometimes are difficult. But of course, they knew that they were going to make the day very special,” Nadal told a packed press conference.
“Novak is playing here, so it’s easier. But Andy and Roger coming meant a lot to me because they represent a very important part of my tennis career. In some ways we pushed each other to the limits. That’s the truth.

“We were four of the best rivals. In some way when you’re only two, you can lose a bit the motivation because the other starts losing or gets injured. Here, you never had to imagine, because always one of the four was winning the tournament.

“We achieved our dreams. And probably because of that kind of rivalry we raised the numbers of the history of tennis to the next level. That helps to the next generation to try to improve them. I’m sure that’s going to happen.”
Nadal, who ended his career after representing Spain in the Davis Cup in November, said he had “infinite gratitude” for the people who ensured his name was permanently etched on the main showcourt at Roland Garros.
“I never thought about becoming one of the best players of all time or winning Grand Slams. I just worried about trying to improve every single day,” he added.

“I felt that way during all my career. Probably step by step, that’s why I was able to build my career, this successful career. Because I always had doubts, and I never considered myself that good.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/nadal-touched-by-presence-great-rivals-during-french-open-tribute-2025-05-25/

The Ferrari driven to victory by Formula One legend Michael Schumacher at the 2001 Monaco Grand Prix has been sold for 15.98m euros (£13.43m) at auction.

He also raced in the F2001 to win the Hungarian Grand Prix and clinch the fourth of his seven world titles in that year.

The car was sold by RM Sotheby’s before qualifying for this year’s Monaco Grand Prix and became the most expensive car driven by the German, 56, to be sold at auction.

It was also the fourth most expensive F1 car ever sold – the world record was set in February when a Mercedes ‘streamliner’ raced by Sir Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio went for £42.75m.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/articles/cz0dyj3993po

The BCCI on Saturday (May 24) announced the Test squad for the five-match series against England. Barring Arshdeep Singh’s selection, there were no surprises in the Test team. Shubman Gill was appointed the new Test captain of Team India.

The Indian selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, announced the Test squad for the England tour on Saturday (May 24). Shubman Gill, who was the frontrunner for the top job, was appointed the Test captain while Rishabh Pant was made his deputy. The selectors showed faith in many players who were part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Arshdeep Singh and Sai Sudharsan are only two new faces in the Test format. Arshdeep’s selection comes as a surprise as he wasn’t named in the India A squad while Sudharsan seemed to be an automatic selection following Rohit Sharma’s retirement.
The selectors have named as many as 9 players in Team India and India A squads for the England tour. Here’s a look at them –

Shubman Gill: The India Test captain will join the India A team before the second unofficial Test match. He could take over the charge from Abhimanyu Easwaran for the second game.

Red-and-white streamers exploded into the air as Arsenal lifted its second Women’s Champions League trophy after stunning defending champion Barcelona 1-0 in the final on Saturday.

Tough defense and a goal by Stina Blackstenius in the 75th minute from a pass by fellow second-half substitute Beth Mead powered Arsenal to glory at Estádio José Alvalade.

Arsenal’s title came 18 years after it became the first — and still the only — English club to win the top club title in women’s soccer.

Arsenal’s players embraced on the final whistle and ran to celebrate in front of the corner of the stands where their supporters reveled in the shock result.

“We had to be basically perfect to beat Barcelona,” Arsenal captain Kim Little said. “Our players who came on today had an incredible impact.”

Little and Leah Williamson raised the trophy and streamers and glittering confetti shot over the podium. Meanwhile, Arsenal forward Mariona Caldentey, who played for Barcelona until this season, consoled Barcelona star Aitana Bonmatí before she stepped up to collect her fourth Champions League winner’s medal.

Barcelona was the heavy favorite. It was aiming for a fourth title in five years and to become the only team other than Lyon to win three consecutive titles. The team led by two-time Ballon d’Or winners Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas won nine straight in the competition and blew out Wolfsburg and English champion Chelsea in the knockout rounds.

But Arsenal locked down in defense — except for early in the second half — and created the best chances. Only two superb saves by Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll to deny Frida Maanum and Blackstenius kept it scoreless until Blackstenius finally beat her.

Defense wins championships

The victory marks an incredible finish to a rocky season for Arsenal, which included coach Jonas Eidevall resigning and being replaced by assistant Renée Seglers.

Since taking over, Seglers steered the team through a spectacular European campaign. Arsenal built its confidence from come-from-behind wins over Real Madrid and eight-time champion Lyon in the knockout rounds before laying low the almighty Barcelona.

Seglers delivered a masterful coaching performance in the final, getting her substitutions right and devising a way to stop the highest scoring team in the tournament.

“What we did so well was using all possible tools to speed the game up, to disrupt it, but to stay true to who we are. This was key to why we won today,” Seglers said. “Barcelona are so good, but we tried to exploit weaknesses where we could. We said beforehand that the midfield of Barcelona was the engine. So we wanted to stop them.”

Arsenal defender Katie McCabe said it was all about the work rate the entire side put in. That started up front, where England striker Alessia Russo was a rock for Arsenal, using her size to win balls and keep the attack going.

“We respect them but we can’t give them too much respect either,” McCabe told The Associated Press. “We needed to put pressure on them and we know we are a really good pressing team and our frontline and the midfield really worked their socks off today.”

Barcelona falls short on biggest stage

The loss was a huge disappointment for the more than 15,000 Barcelona fans who filled the stadium that is home to Sporting Lisbon. Blue-and-burgundy shirts and flags outnumbered the red-and-white section, but their calls of “Yes we can!” in the final minutes weren’t enough to inspire a comeback by the Catalan club.

The closest Barcelona came to a goal was a shot by Claudia Pina that hit the crossbar just after halftime when the Spanish team had its best period. Otherwise, the game was to Arsenal’s liking.

Source :https://apnews.com/article/barcelona-arsenal-womens-champions-league-final-54f013e34c2c546d4240149beac2178a

It has been a fascinating 18th edition at the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a lot of drama, both, on and off the field. The tournament resumed again on the 17th of May after a 10-day hiatus due to political tensions between India and Pakistan. While the season has witnessed some memorable performances, there have been a few big players who haven’t lived up to their reputation and failed miserably this year. From Rishabh Pant to Glenn Maxwell to Jake Fraser-McGurk, from Mohammed Shami to Rachin Ravindra – we look at five stars who haven’t quite twinkled in this edition.

1. Glenn Maxwell (Punjab Kings)

Glenn Maxwell’s IPL stock took a big hit and continued to spiral down for a second successive season after the Australian T20 superstar could muster just 48 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 97.95 before a finger injury ruled him out of the tournament. Maxwell registered four single-digit scores and looked all at sea against the spinners this season – he scored just 30 runs off 29 deliveries getting dismissed 5 out of 6 times by the slower bowlers.

Maxwell had a horrendous run in IPL 2024 too, scoring just 52 runs in nine innings at a paltry average of 5.77 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. A change in franchise did not change the fortunes of the Australian all-rounder.

2. Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants)

Rishabh Pant was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for a whopping INR 27 crore making him the most expensive player in IPL Auction history! The LSG skipper, however, has failed to deliver and been a patch of the T20 batter he was between 2017-2019 – his peak in the IPL. Pant has managed to score just 128 runs in 11 matches at a shocking strike rate of 99.22 – it is the lowest strike rate amongst the 67 batters who have scored a minimum of 100 runs in the season!

Pant has registered 6 single-digit scores this season while also failing in two other outings. He has produced just one substantial knock (63 off 49 balls) – that too in a losing cause against Chennai Super Kings. Pant’s sluggish rate of scoring has put enormous pressure on the LSG middle-order and is one of the prime reasons for their reversal of fortunes after a blistering start to the season.

3. Mohammed Shami (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Mohammed Shami has been an IPL great and one of the most prolific wicket-takers in the last five editions of the tournament. In fact, Shami was the highest wicket-taker in the IPL between 2019 and 2023 and bagged a total of 106 wickets in 75 outings at a sensational strike rate of 16.2 in these five seasons.

Shami’s dramatic drop in form in IPL 2025 has been one of the major reasons for the poor showing by his new franchise – Sunrisers Hyderabad – the finalists from last season. The veteran Indian pacer has just picked 6 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 56.17 in the competition while also being very expensive – Shami has been hit around the park and has an economy rate of 11.23 runs per over. The pacer has been so under-par that he was dropped from the SRH playing XI for a couple of matches.

4. Jake Fraser-McGurk (Delhi Capitals)

Jake Fraser McGurk was one of the shining lights of the revolutionary IPL season last year when he blasted 330 runs in just nine innings at a startling strike rate of 234.04 – it was the highest strike rate in the tournament amongst all batters who scored a minimum of 100 runs!

However, cricket is a great leveller and Fraser-McGurk has learnt that the hard way in IPL 2025. He mustered just 55 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 105.76 for the Delhi Capitals before being dropped from the XI. Interestingly, the young Australian sensation struggled against pace this season with fast bowlers accounting for five of his six dismissals.

5. Rachin Ravindra (Chennai Super Kings)

IPL 2025 was supposed to be the big breakthrough season for Rachin Ravindra – the T20 batter. Unfortunately, the New Zealand star would need to wait a little longer after a disappointing season with the bat for Chennai Super Kings. Ravindra had an aggregate of just 191 runs in 8 innings with just one fifty-plus score to his credit. With the exception of his unbeaten 65 off 45 deliveries in CSK’s opening encounter against Mumbai Indians at Chepauk, the left-hander had nothing much to write home about.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2025/big-name-no-game-the-five-biggest-flops-of-ipl-2025-8492121

Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was not at his best but managed a second-place finish behind Julian Weber of Germany at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet on Friday.

Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra was not at his best but managed a second-place finish behind Julian Weber of Germany at the Janusz Kusocinski Memorial meet on Friday. The 27-year-old Chopra was at third place till the penultimate round but sent his spear to a distance of 84.14m in his sixth and final attempt to move to second. He had 81.28m and 81.80m in his second and fifth throws respectively. The other three were foul attempts. The competition was held under overcast conditions after rain at the Silesian Stadium earlier in the day..

German Julian Weber, who beat Chopra for the top spot in the Doha Diamond League on May 16 in a 90m duel, again emerged victorious with his second round throw of 86.12m.

Two-time world champions Anderson Peters of Grenada was third with a best throw of 83.24m. He was third in Doha also.

This was the first time Chopra had recorded a best throw of less than 85m in an event after the 82.27m while winning gold at the 2024 Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/athletics/neeraj-chopra-finishes-2nd-in-poland-event-behind-julian-weber-8491634

But Wrestlenomics claim the extravaganza is ready to depart from New Orleans.

And wrestling fans across the UK have gone wild with excitement at the possibility of a switch across the pond.

WWE enthusiasts are already at fever pitch – as a cryptic post from John Cena suggested the legend might NOT retire this year.

The undisputed champ and Hollywood star shared a Leonardo DiCaprio picture from The Wolf of Wall Street on Instagram – showing the movie’s famous “I’m not leaving” scene.

There’s even talk now that Cena could peak his feud with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson by taking on his biggest rival once more.

SunSport revealed earlier this month that London was hoping to hold WrestleMania within the next decade.

It’s been held every March or April since 1985, with the top performers from RAW and SmackDown on stage in front of millions.

Most of the greatest names ever in wrestling have taken part – like Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, The Undertaker, Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK

WrestleMania 42 was in Las Vegas last month, attracting 125,000 fans to the Allegiant Stadium.

Caesars Superdome in New Orleans is booked for April 11-12 next year – although that now seems to be in doubt.

Indianapolis has also been lined up to host it at some point too.

But as speculation grows that London might have a future role, British fans are drooling.

One posted: “If Wrestlemania comes to London I will do laps around my house bro.”

Another WWE follower’s response to that was “After your laps you’re gonna have to sell your house to afford the tickets.”

But the first fan replied: “I will sell my KIDNEYS.”

Another enthusiast wrote: “WrestleMania needs to be in the UK, I’d love that.”

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/sport/14303183/wrestlemania-wwe-london-cena-cryptic-post/

Delhi Capitals hit a historical low after failing to make the playoffs in the 2025 Indian Premier League. The Capitals were beaten by the Mumbai Indians by 59 runs in a virtual knockout at the Wankhede Stadium. DC have achieved an embarrassing feat which no team in IPL’s history has managed before

The Delhi Capitals (DC) hit a historic low after losing to the Mumbai Indians (MI) by 59 runs on Wednesday (May 21) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The result ended their hopes of reaching the playoffs. MI confirmed the spot in the second round and joined Gujarat Titans (GT), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Punjab Kings (PBKS).
DC had a dramatic decline as they started the season as the trend-setters by winning their first four matches in the ongoing campaign in what were Axar Patel’s first four games as captain. Later, they won two of their next games and found themselves in a comfortable position with six victories in eight matches.
However, the Capitals are now winless in their last five matches, with four defeats and one washout. It is with pointing that they shared points against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a game they found themselves in a losing position in.

The IPL 2025’s new venues for playoffs and final have been announced. Hyderabad and Kolkata were initially supposed to host the last four games before the one week suspension of the tournament. Now, Mullanpur and Ahmedabad will be hosting the playoff stage matches. “After 70 action-packed league-stage matches filled with energy, drama, thrill, and entertainment; the spotlight will shift to the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh as it gears up to host the much-awaited Qualifier 1 – featuring the top-two ranked sides on Thursday, May 29th followed by an engrossing Eliminator clash on Friday, 30th May,” the BCCI said in a press stament.

“The excitement will elevate further as Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket stadium in the world will host an electrifying Qualifier 2 and the grand Final. The Qualifier 2, to be played between the loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator, will take place on Sunday, June 1st. The highly-anticipated summit clash, which will crown the winner of the 18th Season of TATA IPL, is set to be played on Tuesday, June 3rd.”

The BCCI also divulged the reason behind changing the IPL playoff venues. “The new venues for the Playoffs were decided by the IPL Governing Council keeping in mind the weather conditions and other parameters,” it said.

There was another shift in venue in one of the IPL 2025 matches. “The TATA IPL Match No. 65 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) has been relocated to the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, due to unfavourable weather conditions in Bengaluru,” the BCCI statement said.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2025/bcci-breaks-silence-on-moving-ipl-2025-final-from-kolkata-to-ahmedabad-keeping-in-mind-8462595

The 29-year-old, who competed at the Tokyo Olympics, is learnt to have returned positive for a banned substance when his urine sample taken out of competition earlier this year was tested

Olympian javelin thrower Shivpal Singh has failed a dope test for the second time in his career, a development which may see him being banned for a maximum period of eight years if found guilty. The 29-year-old, who competed at the Tokyo Olympics, is learnt to have returned positive for a banned substance when his urine sample taken out of competition earlier this year was tested. He was training at the NIS Patiala then. He has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

“Yes, he has tested positive for a banned substance. It’s his second dope offence,” a source privy to the development told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

If proven guilty and handed a lengthy ban, Shivpal’s career will be as good as over.

Under the NADA and WADA rules, an athlete can be banned for a maximum eight years for a second doping offence.

Shivpal’s best achievement in his career is the silver medal he had won at the 2019 Asian Championships in Doha, where he had thrown his personal best of 86.23m.

Earlier in 2021, Shivpal’s dope sample had tested positive for a steroid in an out-of-competition test. The Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel of NADA, in August 2022, had handed him a four-year ban beginning from 2021, holding him guilty of committing a doping offence.

He was to serve the ban till 2025 but was able to argue successfully before the Appeal Panel of the NADA that “contaminated supplements” were behind his flunked dope test.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/indias-star-javelin-thrower-at-tokyo-olympics-shivpal-singh-fails-dope-test-stares-at-8-year-ban-8462128

Vaibhav Suryavanshi touched MS Dhoni’s feet after the Rajasthan Royals’ victory over Chennai Super Kings in a moment that quickly went viral on social media. The 14-year-old was RR’s top scorer as they registered a six-wicket victory in their final match of the season. Suryavanshi is the youngest player in IPL’s history.

In a moment that won the hearts of cricket fan around the world, Vaibhav Suryavanshi took MS Dhoni’s blessing with the ultimate gesture of respect by touching the feet of the Indian cricket legend after Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday (May 20).
The 14-year-old was the star of the show for the Royals in their six-wicket victory over the five-time champions. Suryavanshi hit a 33-ball 57 as he hit his second 50+ score in the IPL and shattered the record books once again.

For those unversed, in many cultures, especially in India, touching the feet of elders is considered a gesture of respect as well as a means of taking their blessing.

Suryavanshi (aged 14) and Dhoni (aged 43) are the youngest and oldest players in the 2025 IPL. The Royals’ batter is the youngest player in the league’s history, while Dhoni is the third-oldest player to feature since the league’s inception in 2008.

Talking about the match, RR skipper Sanju Samson won the toss and chose to bowl first in their final game of the season. CSK put up a score of 186 on the board with mid-season signings Ayush Mhatre (43 of 20) and Dewald Brevis (42 of 25) finishing as the top scorers. Akash Madhwal was the pick of the bowlers for RR with a three-wicket haul in which he gave away just 29 runs.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/vaibhav-suryavanshi-takes-ms-dhonis-blessing-touches-feet-of-csk-skipper-in-heartwarming-moment-watch-article-151684264

BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla was seen intervening between Lucknow Super Giants’ spinner Digvesh Rathi and SunRisers Hyderabad opener Abhishek Sharma as the fallout from the heated exchange continued. In a video surfaced on social media, Shukla seemingly tried to calm both Rathi and Abhishek from stretching the matter further.

The heated exchange between Rathi and Abhishek came after the leg-spinner dismissed the opener in the eighth over. With the wicket coming at a crucial juncture for the Super Giants, the leg-spinner gestured the left-handed batter to go back to the pavilion along with performing the notebook celebration. Although Abhishek was walking back to the pavilion, he returned to exchange some words with Rathi and the umpires had to intervene to break the fight up.

Meanwhile, below is the video of Rajiv Shukla intervening to break up the argument between the two cricketers:

Abhishek Sharma’s 20-ball 59 helps SunRisers Hyderabad knock out Lucknow Super Giants

Nevertheless, Abhishek had done nearly half the job for the SunRisers by the time he had lost his wicket. The 82-run partnership off 35 deliveries with Ishan Kishan helped the SunRisers march ahead in the run-chase of 206 massively. Ishan Kishan (35), Heinrich Klaasen (35) and Kamindu Mendis (32*) also chipped in with useful contributions to help the Orange Army register a six-wicket victory.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/ipl-2025-bcci-vp-rajiv-shukla-tries-to-settle-argument-between-digvesh-rathi-abhishek-sharma-after-lsg-vs-srh-match-video

The recent hostilities between India and Pakistan on the border areas are set to have a long and lasting impact on the cricketing relations between the two countries. While India and Pakistan were already against playing bilateral cricket, the worsened political relations between the two nations have jeopardized multi-team events between the two teams too. With a Pakistan minister heading the Asian Cricket Council – the body governing cricketing affairs in the continent – the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to pull out of this year’s Asia Cup, in a bid to further isolate the neighbouring country.

The Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled to be held in India, but with a match against Pakistan all but out of the picture, the contest doesn’t hold much significance from a financial standpoint. While countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan also earn revenues from the tournament, the biggest attraction unarguably remains an India vs Pakistan clash.

However, considering the current political climate, the BCCI doesn’t seem to be keen on continuing with the Asia Cup plan. Such a scenario would hurt the financials of the Asian body, led by Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Naqvi assumed the role after Jay Shah, former secretary of the BCCI, vacated the role after being named the chairman of the International Cricket Council.

“The Indian team can’t play in a tournament that is organised by the ACC, whose chief is a Pakistani minister. That’s the sentiment of the nation. We have verbally communicated to ACC about our withdrawal from the upcoming Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, and our future participation in their events too is on hold. We are in constant touch with the Indian government,” Indian Express quoted a BCCI source as saying.

With most of the sponsors for the Asia Cup coming from India, the current anti-Pakistan sentiment in the country makes it quite tricky for the BCCI to go ahead with the tournament’s plans.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/bcci-adopts-bold-move-to-isolate-pakistan-set-to-pull-out-of-asia-cup-report-8449794

Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh struck fluent half-centuries, while left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar picked up three crucial wickets as Punjab Kings defeated Rajasthan Royals by 10 runs on Sunday to seal a spot in the IPL 2025 playoffs. The win took Punjab to 17 points — level with Royal Challengers Bengaluru — but RCB retained second place thanks to a better net run rate.

Leading PBKS in his debut season with the franchise, Shreyas Iyer etched his name in the IPL record books by becoming the first player to captain three different teams into the playoffs. He had earlier led Delhi Capitals in 2019 and 2020, and Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, before repeating the feat with Punjab this season.

Overall, Iyer is only the fifth player to lead three different IPL franchises, joining the likes of Steve Smith (Rajasthan Royals, Pune Warriors India, Rising Pune Supergiant), Kumar Sangakkara (Punjab Kings, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad), Mahela Jayawardene (Punjab Kings, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Delhi Capitals), and Ajinkya Rahane (Rajasthan Royals, Rising Pune Supergiant, Kolkata Knight Riders).

Among them, only Iyer and Sangakkara have led all three sides on a full-time basis.

Batting first, Punjab piled up a daunting 219 for 5, powered by Wadhera’s blistering 70 off 37 balls, Shashank’s unbeaten 59, and a handy 30 from captain Iyer.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/shreyas-iyer-creates-ipl-history-no-captain-has-ever-done-this-before/articleshow/121256497.cms

Due to the abandoned match, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) can reach a maximum of 14 points, which would not be enough for qualification.

Reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have crashed out of the playoffs race in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 after their game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) was washed out due to rain. Not a single ball was bowled in the first game following the resumption of IPL 2025, as heavy and persistent rain kept the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium under covers throughout Saturday evening. As a result, both RCB and KKR get one point each. This means that KKR can reach a maximum of 14 points, which won’t be enough to secure them a playoffs spot.

With fourth-placed Mumbai Indians (MI) and fifth-placed Delhi Capitals (DC) facing each other later in the season, it ensures that at least one of those two teams will definitely finish above KKR.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, meanwhile, edge closer to a playoffs spot. The no result takes RCB to 17 points and provisionally on top of the IPL 2025 table. However, a mathematical miracle could still see them eliminated.

If RCB lose their remaining two matches, DC win two matches, PBKS win one and MI win both, it would leave three teams on 17 points, and qualification would come down to net-run-rate.

KKR have endured a disappointing season. After romping to a dominant title win in 2024, the men in purple lost three crucial cogs at the mega auction, in the form of captain Shreyas Iyer, pacer Mitchell Starc and opener Phil Salt. KKR have suffered from inconsistency throughout the season. They lost five of their first eight matches under new captain Ajinkya Rahane.

An abandoned home match against Punjab Kings dealt a huge blow to KKR earlier in the season, and now it is yet another abandoned match that has seen them get knocked out.

Source: https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2025/ipl-2025-playoffs-scenario-kkr-crash-out-fail-to-defend-title-rcb-not-yet-through-8440220

Coach Ajith Markose suggests that Afsal’s quality of being ‘a hybrid runner’ is what makes him distinct from the other Indian athletes in the event.

At 29, Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath realises the clock is ticking. This doesn’t, in any way, suggest that the clam middle distance runner from Palakkad in Kerala is panicking. If anything, Afsal has now reached a time zone in his life where erasing seconds off his runs feels exciting.

This positive emotion arises from correcting years of mistakes in training methods and better understanding of injecting tactics. Knowing when to chase or when to accelerate and when to push or when to relax, has taken Afsal to a place he has long desired.

A big star in school athletics, someone who went through his share of troughs, had his second biggest moment after winning silver at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games when he shattered Jinson Johnson’s 7-year-old national record in the 800m last weekend. Afsal clinched silver after clocking 1 minute 45.61 seconds at the UAE Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai to erase Johnson’s 1:45.65 that was set in 2018 at the National Inter-State Championships in Guwahati.

“He (Johnson) was one of the first persons to congratulate me. I have always looked up to him and it feels great to have broken his record,” expressed Afsal, a Junior Warrant Officer in the Indian Air Force.

“Since there were athletes from Kenya and South Africa, I knew it was going to be a fast race. I was feeling good before the start and I stuck to the strategy until the end.”

Trailing at the back of the pack at the end of the first lap (400m), Afsal hit the speed button at the 550m mark before overtaking competitors ahead of him at the final bend. The Indian’s final kick came 30 metres from the finish line that helped Afsal surpass South Africa’s Christopher Swart (1:45.84), who took bronze, but ended a tad bit short of Kenya’s Nicholas Kiplagat (1:45.38) who won the gold.

While Johnson has been India’s flag-bearer of middle-distance events for years, Afsal has now added his name by finding his footing in the two-lapped 800m race. And coach Ajith Markose suggests that Afsal’s quality of being ‘a hybrid runner’ is what makes him distinct from the other Indian athletes in the event.

“800m athletes are classified based on endurance and speed. Usually one aspect will be more dominant than the other. But Afsal is what we call a hybrid,” said Markose, the middle and long distance coach at the Reliance Foundation, who has been training Afsal since 2021.

“He responds well to and tolerates both endurance and speed training. This is the best kind of a combination in an 800m runner.”

The high in Dubai came after the setback at the Federation Cup in Kochi in April. After clocking 1:46.70 in heat 2, Afsal failed to bring out his best in the final where he finished fourth with a time of 1:48.33. The under-performance saw the Kerala man missing an opportunity to book a ticket to the Asian Athletics Championships starting on May 27 in Gumi, South Korea.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/making-the-two-lapped-race-his-own-the-afsal-way-3544486

Head coach Gautam Gambhir’s presence in Mumbai, for offering puja at the Siddhivinayak Temple on Thursday, had the rumour mills working overtime

The India captaincy was his for the taking, but since that fateful January 4 morning in Sydney, the peerless Jasprit Bumrah has gradually fallen behind in the race, and it will be difficult for him to avoid the feeling of being shortchanged. The leadership role was meant for him until he quietly left the Sydney Cricket Ground for a scan while holding his back few months ago. In Bumrah’s absence, any hopes of India winning the final Test against Australia went up in smoke, but that particular injury also dealt a telling blow to his chances of becoming India’s long-term Test captain.

“I am shocked that we are looking at option other than Bumrah as Test captain. Worried about his injuries? Then choose your vice-captain carefully,” former India Test player and noted pundit Sanjay Manjrekar wrote on his official ‘X’ handle.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir’s presence in Mumbai, for offering puja at the Siddhivinayak Temple, had the rumour mills working overtime that Shubman Gill is still not a done deal for the leadership role.

With the new captain-in-waiting having an extended meeting with the head coach in the national capital few days back, there is little chance for the selectors or Gambhir to retract from their original stand.

There were rumours that influential people running Indian cricket aren’t exactly happy with Gill’s sudden elevation but it would be completely foolhardy to believe that those powerful men weren’t taken into confidence before the Punjab batter was zeroed in as the next Test leader.

That leaves Bumrah, now 31, in a situation where permanent India captaincy might just look like a distant dream and, based on informed opinion, it will be difficult for him to play five Tests on the trot.

In the past, Ravi Shastri was bypassed during his best days, first by contemporary Kris Srikkanth and then by a younger Mohammed Azharuddin.

Down Under, the late Shane Warne was the best captain never to have led Australia, but that had a lot to do with the legendary leg-spinner’s off-field antics.

In case of Bumrah, the selectors had a very sharp, intuitive hands-on leader, but their worry is also understandable. What happens in case of a breakdown?

Freak on-field injuries can’t be controlled, but stress fractures (back), side strain, knee, and hamstring-related troubles that fast bowlers face are part of fitness-related issues.

One injury on a January morning in Sydney, and Bumrah was out for three months. Before that, he missed 11 months of action due to an on-field breakdown just before the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022.

Going ahead, how the dressing room atmosphere will be depends on how Bumrah eventually takes this decision in his stride.

Needless to say, it will require a lot of man management from young skipper Gill and the seasoned dressing room figurehead Gambhir to ensure that Bumrah is accorded the respect and space he deserves.

It is an open secret that Gambhir is not a fan of star culture and believes that in a team environment, everyone is equal. But, even if that notion holds true, there would always be someone who is more than equal, and that person would need a bit of extra leeway going forward.

If one looks at the current Indian Test team, there are only two genuine match winners across conditions — Bumrah and Rishabh Pant.

Champions are a rare species, and they need to be mollycoddled at times to get the best out of them.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/indias-new-captain-has-extended-meeting-with-gautam-gambhir-both-need-to-tackle-jasprit-bumrah-question-report-8424849

A report states that Gautam Gambhir has conveyed to the team management that he wants full control in the dressing room as he does not want a repeat of the 0-3 Test series whitewash at home against New Zealand. Choosing Shubman Gill as the captain might just be a step in that direction.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket within the span of a week, leading to a tectonic shift in the Indian team. This comes with just a month to go before Team India begin their World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign with a five-match Test series in England. Many, including Ravichandran Ashwin, have predicted it to be the start of the Gautam Gambhir era in Test cricket. It looks like the Team India head coach might now want a big change in the dressing room post the retirements.
Gautam Gambhir has conveyed to the team management that he wants full control in the dressing room as he does not want a repeat of the 0-3 Test series whitewash at home against New Zealand. Choosing Shubman Gill as the captain might just be a step in that direction.
According to a report by Dainik Jagran, Gautam Gambhir has conveyed to the team management that he wants full control in the dressing room as he does not want a repeat of the 0-3 Test series whitewash at home against New Zealand. Choosing Shubman Gill as the captain might just be a step in that direction. This is because Gill is a fairly young captain and might not have the authority to question any of Gambhir’s decisions.

Jasprit Bumrah was the only player in the dressing room whose stature allowed him to question Gambhir, the report states. However, the fast bowler’s questionable injury record might be a deterrent to him becoming the next captain of the Indian team.

Mohammad Kaif claimed Virat Kohli had his plans intact for the England series, but lacked support from the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee

Virat Kohli’s Instagram post on Monday (May 12), which garnered close to 18 million engagements in the last 48 hours, did not provide any information on why he suddenly decided to retire from Test cricket. The BCCI and its selectors, too, are numb. Hence, the announcement, which happened just days before the scheduled selection meeting for the England Test tour, sparked a plethora of speculations.

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif reckoned Kohli had his plans intact for the England series, which will begin on June 20, and his claim was based on Kohli’s commitment to play in the Ranji Trophy after returning from the Australia tour. However, he felt that Kohli lacked support from the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, who expressed concerns around his recent form and questioned his place in the Test line-up.

“I think he wanted to continue in the format. There must have been some internal talks with the BCCI, the selectors may have cited his form in the past 5-6 years and told him his spot in the team may no longer be there. We will never find out what happened, it is very difficult to guess what actually took place behind the scenes.”

“But given the last minute decision, having played the Ranji trophy, I definitely think he wanted to come back in the upcoming Tests. The developments in the last few weeks, he may have not gotten the support he thought he will get from BCCI and selectors which he may not have gotten,” Kaif was quoted by NDTV.

‘Kohli looked in a hurry to score runs in Australia’

The 36-year-old did experience a dip in form in the last five years, managing just 2028 runs in 68 innings with three centuries. The struggle even saw his career average drop to 46. Kohli showed signs of a comeback in the tour of Australia, where he scored a smashing ton in the Perth opener last November, but managed just 90 runs more in the rest of the tour as India lost 1-3.

Kaif felt Kohli’s uncharacteristic approach in Australia was a sure indication that he was done with the format.

“In the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, he looked in a hurry to score runs. You have to stay out for hours and grind in Test cricket, which he has done in the past but the constant edging of the ball moving away from him while attempting to drive, made me feel his patience was a bit less,” he added.

“Maybe he was thinking ‘I am in the last phase of my career what’s the point of scoring a gritty century, there used to be a different level of patience on display from him before, he used to leave the balls, take his time, tire the bowlers and then took them down but I did not see that from him in Australia’.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/virat-kohli-got-no-support-from-bcci-selectors-was-told-his-spot-is-no-longer-there-they-cited-his-form-in-last-5-years-101747238375497.html

While Rohit took his game to another level since being recalibrated into an opener from the 2019 series against South Africa, Kohli made the coveted No. 4 slot his own, bringing the same sense of security and confidence his predecessor, the great Sachin Tendulkar, brought to the Indian team.

The back to back retirement of two Indian legends — Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — from Test cricket just ahead of the all-important five-game series against England has left a massive void that is certain to force the selectors and team management into deep thought on how to fill it.

While Rohit took his game to another level since being recalibrated into an opener from the 2019 series against South Africa, Kohli made the coveted No. 4 slot his own, bringing the same sense of security and confidence his predecessor, the great Sachin Tendulkar, brought to the Indian team. Now with both gone in quick succession, DH takes a look at the possible contenders for the two key slots as well as the middle order.

KL Rahul

The immensely-gifted but under-achieving Rahul is the odds-on favourite to partner Yashasvi Jaiswal. A natural opener since age-group cricket for Karnataka, the elegant and technically sound 33-year-old was shunted down to No. 6 since the away series against South Africa in December where he doubled up as a wicket-keeper too. The pattern continued even after Rishabh Pant returned as the management felt Rahul could add solidity down the order. Rahul, however, has made no bones about the fact that his intention is to play as an opener and he got to do that job during the previous away series against Australia, where he made a decent impression with two half-centuries.

Shubman Gill

Gill, the front-runner to take the Test captain’s role, started his career as an opener but the 25-year-old has always maintained that he’s a natural fit at No. 3. He got his wish fulfilled when veteran Cheteshwar Pujara, who occupied that position for a long time, was ignored before the series against West Indies last July. He has averaged 37.74 in 30 innings in his chosen position — almost 2.5 more than his career average — but can the 25-year-old take one for the team and drop a slot below to No. 4? It’s a position he has never batted in top-flight cricket, always occupying the top three slots. But with Kohli gone, India needs someone with similar talent and mindset to take over and who better than Gill, considered the heir to the King’s throne since his age-group days.

B Sai Sudharsan

There is no denying the fact that Sudharsan is one of the most talented batters in the country now. The 23-year-old has been one of the standout players in the IPL over the last three seasons, often getting Gujarat Titans to blazing starts with his easy-on-the-eye stroke play. The stylish southpaw, in fact, has been making waves since age-group cricket and the retirement of two legends could finally pave the way for his entry. Sudharsan, again, is a natural opener which means either Rahul or Jaiswal may have to drop down. If Sudharsan is handed a debut, then Rahul could bat at No. 4 considering he’s more experienced at handling various challenges. That would also ensure Gill bats at No. 3.

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer, who returned from a year-long exile due to form and disciplinary issues during the three-match ODI series against England in February, could potentially be recalled for the England series. The 30-year-old Iyer, a gifted stroke-maker who was marked for bigger things as a youngster but couldn’t achieve them, could be an ideal fit for the No. 4 slot. Having struggled to find a permanent place in the Indian team owing to the presence of some stalwarts, this could be the door that Iyer has been waiting all his life. Although he’s highly vulnerable against short-pitched bowling, there’s no harm in handing him a lifeline.

Karun Nair

Not very long ago, Nair seemed lost to cricket itself that forced him to go on social media and plead for a second chance. The cricketing gods answered his call when he was signed up by Vidarbha from the 2023-24 season onwards and since then Nair has been a man on a mission. He’s batted better than he has ever, he has looked fitter than he has ever been and that fire and determination to prove that he is still got it is burning ever so passionately. Nair will mostly get picked for the India A series and if he performs there, then there’s every chance he could return to the national fold. If he does, it would be a natural justice for India’s only other triple-centurion considering England is where he was left a tad humiliated when India summoned Hanuma Vihari and played him instead during the 2018 series. And what better if he bats at No. 4, a slot that he’s comfortable at.

Devdutt Padikkal

Padikkal is another of those young turks hoping to make a name if selected. A tall elegant batter, the 24-year-old Padikkal has featured in two Tests where he has made a reasonable impression. Padikkal can play as an opener or slot himself in the middle order too.

Sarfaraz Khan

In the 6 Tests he’s played so far, Sarfaraz has given an indication of what he’s capable of and what he’s vulnerable against. A high-risk high-reward type of batter, Sarfaraz can demolish any attack on his day but that ploy, while highly successful for him in domestic cricket, can backfire in international cricket. England, where the ball talks a lot, could be a tough place for such a type of batter but given how pitches have changed since Bazball, Sarfaraz could be the crack addition to the line-up.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/who-can-fill-the-big-shoes-of-kohli-rohit-kl-rahul-test-cricket-team-india-karun-nair-3538821

The Indian cricket team will be looking for a new Test captain after the retirement of Rohit Sharma. Former skipper Virat Kohli has also bid adieu to the longest format of the game. With the national team looking for a new red-ball captain, here is a look at who the fans favour –

After the retirements of current and former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India will head into the marquee five-match Test series against England as well as the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with a new captain.
Unlike in the past, when Kohli took over MS Dhoni or Rohit replaced Kohli, the Indian team does not have a clear-cut transition plan so far. Ajit Agarkar, Gautam Gambhir, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) face a tough choice to name a replacement, and a unanimous choice is unlikely.

Virat Kohli, who ends his Test career as one of the modern greats with over 9000 runs and 30 centuries, has often spoken of drawing inspiration from athletes across disciplines — and Djokovic stands high among them. Likewise, Djokovic has previously expressed admiration for Kohli’s mental toughness and fitness standards, making this tribute all the more meaningful.

As the cricketing world reflects on the legacy of Virat Kohli following his retirement from Test cricket, tributes have poured in from across sports — including from tennis legend Novak Djokovic. The Serbian star took to Instagram to honor Kohli, sharing a photo of the Indian cricket icon with a simple yet powerful caption: “Incredible Innings.”

The Instagram Story, posted shortly after Kohli made his retirement from Test cricket official, has gone viral across both tennis and cricket communities. Djokovic’s gesture reflects the immense global respect Kohli commands, not only within cricket but among the broader fraternity of elite athletes.

Kohli, who ends his Test career as one of the modern greats with over 9000 runs and 30 centuries, has often spoken of drawing inspiration from athletes across disciplines — and Djokovic stands high among them. Likewise, Djokovic has previously expressed admiration for Kohli’s mental toughness and fitness standards, making this tribute all the more meaningful.

Novak Djokovic’s tribute highlights the mutual admiration between two of the fiercest competitors in their respective sports, and serves as a reminder of how sporting greatness transcends boundaries.

Jay Shah Commends Virat Kohli’s Stellar Test Career After Retirement

The IPL was halted on May 8 after the match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals were called off after Pakistan tried to invade Indian air space near Chandigarh, forcing a blackout in the stadium.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Monday decided on resume the IPL season across six venues from May17 with the final scheduled to be held on June 3.

The IPL was halted on May 8 after the match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals were called off after Pakistan tried to invade Indian air space near Chandigarh, forcing a blackout in the stadium.

“BCCI is pleased to announce the resumption of the TATA IPL 2025. After extensive consultations with government and security agencies, and with all the key stakeholders, the Board has decided to proceed with the remainder of the season,” the board said in a statement.

The first match upon the resumption of the league will be between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders in Bengaluru on May 17.

The six venues for league matches as per revised schedule will be: Bengaluru, Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/ipl-2025-to-resume-on-may-17-3537199

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif urged Virat Kohli to not retire from Tests and board the plane for the upcoming Test series against England.

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif urged Virat Kohli to not retire from Tests and board the plane for the upcoming Test series against England. The rumours mills are rife that Kohli has decided to bring the curtain down on his Test career as he no longer wants to play the longest format. However, as per reports, the BCCI top brass are constantly in touch with the maverick batter, asking him to reconsider his decision and make the trip to the UK for the five-match series, beginning June 20.

The 36-year-old has been having a torrid time in Tests. In the last five years, the right-hander has scored just four centuries. In the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, the former India captain managed 190 runs in nine innings.

His numbers would have looked all the more horrible had he not scored a century in the series opener in Perth. Kohli kept on chasing deliveries bowled well outside off and all of his eight dismissals happened in identical fashion.

“Virat Kohli, India’s Babbar Sher wants to relax. He is thinking about retirement. I think he should go to England, prove his point and end his career on a high note. Because of the work he did in the T20 World Cup, he should end his career on a good note. Is he thinking about retirement out of helplessness? Because there is one kind of delivery that has been troubling him for many years. The ball bowled outside the off stump,” Kaif said in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter).

“When the ball was bowled in the fourth-stump channel, he got out many times. It was such a trouble that he couldn’t get over it. In his career, he went to England and got out there. In Australia, he got out here. At home, against New Zealand, he got out to spin. He tried a lot,” he added.

‘Kohli tried very hard’

Kaif said that Kohli has been trying his best, but he has been unable to get the better of his weakness – the deliveries bowled outside the off stump. However, he reckons the talisman should make a trip to the UK and look to end his career on a high.

“He tried very hard. His effort was 200 per cent. He always comes to play every match. But it didn’t happen. I saw for the first time that Virat Kohli was out of form after scoring 100 in Australia. This has never happened,” said Kaif.

He scores in every match if he gets a century in the series opener. He keeps scoring. You won’t be able to dismiss him. He has been such a hero of India. Go to England, play well and end your career on a high note. This is my prayer for him. His fans will also pray for him,” he added.

The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) will resume next week after what is likely to be a week’s break. The tournament is set to be extended with the date for the final likely to be changed. The summit clash, which was originally scheduled to take place on May 25 could also be shited out of Kolkata.

The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to resume next week following the announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. The league will re-start with a match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), which was originally set to take place on Friday (May 9).
As things stand, the playoffs and venue are scheduled to take place in the same venues with Hyderabad hosting the qualifier 1 and eliminator, while the second qualifier and final will take place in Kolkata. However, the venue of the summit clash could be shifted to Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium if there is a rain threat at the Eden Gardens.
The final is now set to take place either on May 30 (Friday) or June 1 (Sunday).

For those unversed, the league was brought to a stop on Thursday (May 8) as the game between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) was brought to a halt after 10.1 overs in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor as the Indian armed forces launched a counter-strike on multiple terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in the aftermath of the barbaric terror attacks in Pahalgam, India on April 22.

So far, PBKS and DC have not been handed one point each, hinting that the match will be played again between both teams, although more details on that are still awaited.
At the stoppage of the league, the 2025 IPL playoff race was heading towards a heated ending. Gujarat Titans (GT) and RCB are currently in the top spot ,with both teams having 16 points each, while PBKS are third with 15 points. Mumbai Indians (MI) currently occupy the 4th spot with 14 points, while Delhi Capitals (DC) are fifth with 13 points.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/ipl-2025-set-to-re-start-rcb-vs-lsg-match-new-date-for-final-final-could-be-shifted-from-kolkata-to-ahmedabad-article-151610493

Afsal had won a silver in 800m at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games with a time of 1:48.43s.

Asian Games silver medallist Mohammed Afsal on Friday broke the seven-year-old 800m national record while finishing second at the UAE Athletics Grand Prix event here.

The 29-year-old Afsal clocked 1 minute and 45.61 seconds to erase the earlier national record of 1:45.65s set by Jinson Johnson in 2018.

Afsal finished behind Kenya’s Nicholas Kiplagat, who clocked 1:45.38s to win the race in the World Athletics Continental Tour bronze-level competition held at Dubai Police Stadium.

He, however, could not breach the 2025 World Championships automatic qualification time of 1.44.50s.

Afsal had won a silver in 800m at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games with a time of 1:48.43s.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/mohammed-afsal-breaks-800m-national-record-in-uae-event-3533726

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has reportedly offered to host the remainder of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Notably, the season has been suspended for a week as the tensions between India and Pakistan escalate. The contest between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals on Thursday, that happened to be the 58th match of IPL 2025, was called off midway due to security reasons and the crowd at the venue was evacuated. The following day saw the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) postponing IPL 2025. The tournament has 16 more matches to be played, including the playoffs.

As uncertainity looms over the future of IPL 2025, The Guardian has reported that ECB chief executive Richard Gould has already contacted his equivalents at the BCCI regarding the proposal of ECB hosting the remainder of the season.

“Should India be unable to restart the IPL after this week-long hiatus, one suggestion is for England to host the remaining fixtures later in the year,” the report said.

“A senior ECB source has confirmed this could be possible in September, albeit adding that no ‘active discussions’ are currently taking place,” it added.

The report further said that a similar offer was made by the ECB when IPL 2021 was postponed due to the threat of COVID-19. At that time, the tournament was suspended following multiple bio-bubble breaches and rising COVID cases among players and staff in India. However, the season was resumed and completed in the United Arab Emirates around four months later.

Less than a day after deciding to relocate the Pakistan Super League to Dubai in the wake of the conflict with India, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made a U-turn and decided to postpone the 10th edition of the franchise-based T20 league for an indefinite period.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announces the postponement of the remaining eight matches of the HBL PSL X,” said PCB in a statement on Friday.

The PCB made the announcement in a press release on its official website and said it has taken the decision because of increased aerial attacks by India and following advice received from the Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif.

“The last 24 hours have seen a worsening of the situation on the LOC, increased incursion of 78 drones, and the firing of surface-to-surface missiles from India.

“The decision to postpone has been taken pursuant to advice received from the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif who has kept in view the reckless aggression from India that has escalated to a point where national attention and sentiments are rightly focused on the courageous efforts of the Armed Forces of Pakistan who are vociferously upholding the sovereignty of our beloved Pakistan,” the PCB said in its statement.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2025/ecb-makes-huge-offer-to-bcci-after-ipl-2025-postponement-report-8374725

The Emirates Cricket Board is likely to reject PCB’s request to host PSL 2025 matches in UAE because it doesn’t want to be perceived as an ‘ally’ of the Pakistani board.

UAE’s cricketing body, Emirates Cricket Board, is likely to reject Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s request to host Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 matches in the country. If it materialises, it’d be a major blow to the PCB, which has already announced that the second half of its T20 league will be hosted in the West-Asian nation.

According to a report in PTI, the UAE board has cited ‘security concerns potentially emanating from the rising tension between India and Pakistan’ as the reason. The report said the Emirates Cricket Board is ‘wary of being perceived as an ally of PCB’, which it believes hosting the PSL may suggest.

“The Emirates Cricket Board has enjoyed a strong relationship with BCCI in recent years having hosted the ‘India’ edition of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, editions of the IPL as well as India matches during ICC Champions Trophy 2025,” the mentioned source further stated in the report. “The UAE has a diverse South Asian population which enjoys cricket. Hosting a tournament like the PSL in the midst of such tense circumstances could vitiate harmony, pose security risks and stir unnecessary friction between communities,” the quoted source added.

The remaining matches in PSL 2025 include four league-stage games and playoffs, scheduled to be held in Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore. According to top intelligence sources, the decision was taken after India unleashed a drone attack on Pakistan on Thursday, in retaliation for its targeting of military bases on the border, one of which struck the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

“The PCB has always stood by the position that politics and sports need to be kept apart,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the Interior Minister in the Pakistan government, said in a statement.

“As a responsible organisation that has overcome adversities repeatedly and ensured that the game of cricket flourishes, it was important for us to ensure the mental well-being of all players participating in the HBL PSL. I regret that our domestic audience and cricket lovers will not be able to watch these matches in Pakistan’s stadiums,” he added.

Source : https://www.news18.com/cricket/embarrassment-for-pakistan-uae-to-decline-request-to-hold-psl-matches-because-ws-l-9330521.html

A STAR student has tragically died after a freak accident while playing lacrosse.

Dylan Veselic, 16, was taken to hospital in a critical condition after being struck by a ball in the back of his head.

Veselic, a sophomore at Bay Village High School in Ohio, died yesterday, two days after a shot from an opponent struck the back of his head underneath his helmet, reported Fox News.

His family confirmed the teen’s death in a statement on Thursday, which said, “With heavy hearts, the Veselic family shares the news that Dylan has passed away from injuries suffered during a lacrosse game.

“We are deeply touched by the overwhelming support and kindness shown by our community and beyond.

“We ask that you continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

The Bay High School team had been playing Olmsted Falls High School at Olmsted Falls when Dylan was hurt, said Cleveland 19.

Dylan had reportedly been rushed to hospital by ambulance on Tuesday night.

He was then transferred by air ambulance to another hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.

With heavy hearts, the Veselic family shares the news that Dylan has passed away from injuries suffered during a lacrosse game

The Daily Mail reported that he had remained in a critical condition throughout Wednesday before his family confirmed his death.

Fr. Dan Schlegel of St. Raphael’s in Bay Village where the Veselic family belongs told Cleveland 19, “Dylan was a great kid.”

He anointed Dylan in hospital on Wednesday before he died.

Schlegel added, “He was a teammate and that was really important for us to note that he wasn’t about himself – he was really a team player.

“Our important part right now is to support and comfort with his family in the days ahead and figure out the way that each of us can honor Dylan in our own lives so that his memory stays in our hearts and stays in our thoughts forever.”

Jason Martin, the principal of Bay High School, also paid tribute to Dylan.

He said, “Dylan was a well-liked and respected young man who touched the lives of many with his kindness, character and spirit.”

Only 10.1 overs were possible during the game in Dharamsala as a floodlight failure occurred and only one of them was functioning at the venue.

A cheerleader at the Dharamsala Stadium expressed her fear amid the escalating situation between India and Pakistan in the border as it affected the IPL 2025 match between the Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings on Thursday. In a video surfaced on social media, her voice kept breaking as she was terrified of the situation that occurred suddenly in the stadium.

Only 10.1 overs were possible during the game in Dharamsala as a floodlight failure occurred and only one of them was functioning at the venue. After a prolonged wait, the officials decided to call off the contest, with the spectators and officials quickly evacuating the stadium. With India launching Operation Sindoor on May 7, Wednesday, to take down several terrorist camps, Pakistan have also retaliated and things escalated massively on Thursday.

Speaking in a video that surfaced on social media, the cheerleader said:

“So basically the whole stadium in the middle of the match was evacuated and it was very scary. Everyone was just screaming and it was very scary, it’s still very very scary. We want to really go out of Dharamsala and I hope the IPL people will look after us. So yeah, this is very very scary. I don’t know why I’m not crying. I think I’m still in shock.”

The toss also happened after a lengthy delay in Dharamsala

The IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at Dharamshala was called off on Thursday after air raid alerts in neighbouring states due to Pakistan’s unprovoked attack.

The 58th league of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals at Dharamshala was called off on Thursday after 10.1 overs of play following air raid alerts in neighbouring Indian cities of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.

A video went viral showing one of the IPL cheerleaders describing the panic and chaos at the stadium as the players and spectators were being evacuated. “The whole stadium was evacuated in the middle of the game. It was very scary. Everyone was screaming that the bombs are coming,” she said in the video.

“It is still very, very scary. We want to really go out of Dharamshala. I hope the IPL people are gonna look after us. It was very, very scary. I do not know why I’m not crying, I think I’m just in shock,” she said in the video as the stadium went dark.

Punjab was cruising at 122 for the loss of one wicket with Priyansh Arya scoring 70 from 34 balls and Prabhsimran Singh scoring 50 off 28. However, as skipper Shreyas Iyer, the lights went off, and a floodlight failure was reported.

However, the team and the assembled fans at the 23,000-capacity stadium in Dharamshala were eventually evacuated from the stadium under tight security as Pakistan launched drone strikes at Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan. The teams will be brought to Delhi aboard a special flight from Pathankot, which is 85 km away from Dharamshala.

The cancellation of the match has now also put the entire league at the risk of being called off as India’s military standoff with Pakistan escalates. Foreign players participating in the IPL have expressed a desire to head home at the earliest, sources told news agency PTI.

PL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal, while speaking to reporters, said the situation was being reviewed. “It is an evolving situation. We haven’t received any directive from the government. Obviously the decision will be taken keeping all the logistics in mind,” he said.

India Strikes Islamabad, Lahore In Retaliation

India struck Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, as well as Lahore and Sialkot, late on Thursday after thwarting multiple attacks on Indian cities, including Jammu, Jaisalmer and Pathankot, which reported intense artillery shelling. India also downed a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet in Rajasthan

Following the unprovoked and unsuccessful attack by Pakistan on Indian cities, blackouts were imposed in Srinagar, Jammu and Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, Amritsar and Jalandhar in Punjab, Bhuj in Gujarat and other cities key areas along the border.

This came after India foiled Pakistan military’s attempts to target military installations in 15 cities in the northern and western parts of the country using missiles and drones as tensions between the two neighbours mounted amid fears of a wider conflict.

Source : https://www.news18.com/cricket/ipl-cheerleader-recalls-panic-as-pbks-dc-match-called-off-dharamshala-pakistan-attack-ws-kl-9329394.html

Cristiano’s Ronaldo’s eldest son has been called up to the Portugal Under-15s squad for the first time.

The 14-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo Jr is at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia with his father, who signed for the Pro League club in December 2022.

Portugal great Ronaldo, 40, posted a picture on social media of his son’s name on the national team squad list along with the message, “Proud of you, son”.

Ronaldo Jr has been called up for a youth tournament, external in Croatia between 13-18 May, with Portugal scheduled to play Japan, Greece and England.

Gautam Gambhir minced no words and hit back at former Indian cricketers, who are currently doing commentary, as he responded to the contestant criticism he has faced since taking charge of the Indian team as head coach last year. Gambhir pointed out that he was criticised by a renowned name over the prize money he received post India’s Champions Trophy win.

Two months after India won the 2025 Champions Trophy, Gautam Gambhir lashed out at former cricketers and cricket commentators over criticism against him over various issues, including the prize money he received after the triumph from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Gambhir replaced Dravid in the top job last year, and his tenure got off to a rocky start as India lost a home Test series for the first time in 12 years after an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand. Later, Australia beat India 3-0 to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) after a decade before a dramatic turnaround to win the Champions Trophy.
Speaking on the ABP India 2047 summit, Gamhir claimed that he was fine with criticism against him if the team is not producing results, but slammed the commentators for treating the Indian team as their family fiefdom. The Indian head coach did not takes names but slammed the former Indian cricketers over becoming Non-Resident Indians (NRI) to avoid taxes.

“It has only been eight months since I took over. I am fine with criticism. It is people’s job to do that. However, there are some people who are sitting in the commentatory box for 25 years. They question everything I do. They think Indian cricket is their personal property. Indian cricket is the identity of 140 crore Indian,”

“They questioned my coaching, records, concussion as well as the prize money I got for winning Champions Trophy. I do not need to tell this country where I left money and where I put it. This country needs to know that these people have been NRI for so many years. They work and earn money from the country but take it outside. I am an Indian and will be an Indian till my last breath. I will not become an NRI to save tax,” said Gambhir.
“I will not take names. It is your job. You search and tell people who is an NRI for how many years. Those whose houses are not even made of glass but of leaves should think a lakh times before throwing stones at someone else’s houses,” Gambhir added.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/tax-bachane-ke-liye-nri-bane-hui-hai-gautam-gambhir-hits-back-at-ex-indian-cricketers-in-unfiltered-rant-article-151575724

Zhao Xintong was hailed as snooker’s “new superstar” after winning the World Championship with an 18-12 victory against Mark Williams that heralded a Chinese revolution in the sport.

Zhao’s fairytale triumph at Sheffield’s Crucible on Monday (May 5) was a watershed moment for snooker – becoming the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship.

The sport’s popularity in China has grown exponentially over the past two decades, helped by the success of Ding Junhui, who served as an inspiration for Zhao.

Ding lost the 2016 World Championship final to Mark Selby, but Zhao ended the wait for a first Asian male world snooker champion with a sublime display against three-time winner Williams.

The country now has reigning male and female champions after Bai Yulu won the 2024 World Women’s Snooker Championship.

Zhao is just the third qualifier to win the title since the World Championship moved to the Crucible in 1977.

He is the youngest world champion since Shaun Murphy, who won at the age of 22 in 2005.

He is the first amateur player to win the world title, having lost his tour card in January 2023 for his part in a match-fixing scandal.

That controversy threatened to derail Zhao’s promising career when he was hit with a 20-month ban.

Zhao accepted charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself in a controversy that led to 10 Chinese players being punished, with life bans for Liang Wenbo and Li Hang.

But his road to redemption reached an emotional climax at the Crucible, just a 10-minute walk from his home in Sheffield.

Williams first won the tournament 25 years ago and was bidding to become snooker’s oldest world champion, aged 50.

With that wealth of experience, he is better placed than most to rank Zhao against the current generation, and he believes the left-hander could be set to dominate for years to come.

“There’s a new superstar of the game. He just strolls around the table and pots balls from anywhere as if he doesn’t have a care in the world,” Williams said.

“Xintong is going to be a national hero now. He’ll be on the front page of every news outlet going and I’m sure there are Chinese companies ready to throw zillions at him.

“It’s great for our sport to have someone at the top who is so attacking and so young.”

“IT’S LIKE A DREAM”

Nicknamed “The Cyclone”, Zhao had been touted as Ding’s heir apparent since winning the UK Championship in 2021, with Ronnie O’Sullivan and Jimmy White singling him out as a future star.

He has come of age in spectacular style.

Zhao crushed O’Sullivan in the semi-finals and his win over Williams was his 47th in 49 matches since he returned from suspension in the inauspicious surroundings of a Q Tour event in Sofia in September.

“It’s like a dream. I can’t believe it,” Zhao said.

“There was big pressure and I was a bit nervous because I knew I couldn’t miss.

“I knew he could come back so quickly so I had to concentrate and be very careful.”

Zhao will start next season at number 11 in the world rankings.

He has joined nine other Chinese players in the world’s top 32, with England the only nation with more ranked in the top echelons.

John Parrott, who won the world title in 1991, believes Zhao’s win will serve as the spark for a golden era for Chinese snooker.

China already has a national snooker academy in Beijing, training the country’s best young players.

Millions of Chinese fans were said to have tuned into the final to witness Zhao’s coronation.

“You think about how many snooker clubs they’ve got in China, clubs with hundreds of tables, and the population in general. He’s going to inspire another wave of players in China and all over Asia,” Parrott said.

“There will be more to come. Whether they will be as talented as him, I don’t know, because this boy is very talented.”

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/zhao-xintong-china-first-world-snooker-champion-5109916

Punjab Kings (PBKS) bolstered their chances of making it to the IPL 2025 playoffs with a 37-run win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Dharamsala on Sunday (May 4). The Shreyas Iyer-led side was at the fourth spot before the start of the fixture. They now have 15 points in their account at an NRR of +0.376. PBKS have 7 wins in their account from 11 matches.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) bolstered their chances of making it to the IPL 2025 playoffs with a 37-run win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Dharamsala on Sunday (May 4). The Shreyas Iyer-led side was at the fourth spot before the start of the fixture. They now have 15 points in their account at an NRR of +0.376. PBKS have 7 wins in their account from 11 matches.
Rishabh Pant-led LSG suffered their sixth defeat of the season and they sit at the seventh spot. They aren’t officially out of the tournament yet but have bleak chances. They only have 10 points in their account at a below-par NRR of -0.469.
LSG failed to chase a big target of 237. Rishabh’s decision to bowl first cost them and their bowlers leaked a big score. The captain managed to score 18 off 17 balls in the huge chase.

IPL 2025, RCB vs CSK: MS Dhoni took the blame as Chennai Super Kings suffered a heartbreaking loss against RCB.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni took the blame on himself after the five-time champions suffered a narrow two-run loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. CSK failed to chase down 214 despite being 172/2 at one stage. Dhoni scored 12 runs off 8 balls but he was not able to get the job done.

Ayush Mhatre and Ravindra Jadeja played knocks of 94 and 77* but CSK were unable to chase down 15 runs off the final as MS Dhoni lost his wicket on the third ball of the over. Shivam Dube hit a six off the no-ball but this wasn’t enough as CSK fell two runs short.

Dhoni’s innings included one six, but he was unable to get his timing right, and in the end, CSK turned out on the wrong end of the result.

“When I went into that with the kind of deliveries and the runs needed, I felt I should have converted maybe a couple of more shots, and that would have eased the pressure. So, I would take the blame for it. Other than that, I thought they got off to a good start in between, but we pulled it back,” MS Dhoni told the host broadcaster.

“Romario Shephard in the death over was brilliant. Whatever our bowlers were bowling, he was able to get maximum runs. And that was crucial, you know, that final onslaught from him,” he added.

‘Need to practice more yorkers’

Batting first, RCB posted 213/5 in the allotted twenty overs owing to half-centuries by Virat Kohli, Jacob Bethell and Romario Shephard.

Shephard smashed 53 runs off 14 balls, including 4 fours and 6 sixes, as RCB passed the 200-run mark. Dhoni saidhis bowlers need to practice bowling more yorkers to keep the batters in check.

“You need to practise more yorkers, you know, because if you see more often than not, when the batman starts to connect then you have to rely on yorkers and the margin of error. So, if you’re looking for a perfect yorker, if that doesn’t happen, a low full toss is the next best thing because it’s one of the most difficult balls to hit,” said Dhoni.

“I think that’s where we need to improve. And somebody like a Pathirana, if the yorkers are not happening, he has got pace, he can bowl a bouncer at the same time. Because at times, if he’s looking for yorker, batsman try to line the map and if he misses, the batsman has a chance of hitting,” he added.

Dhoni also reserved high praise for right-handed batter Ayush Mhatre, who missed out on a well-deserved century. “He batted really well and it’s one of those games, where we batted really well as a unit, It was very good when it comes to the batting department. Bowling, we know, even if we go for runs, we can pull it back. One way or the other, somebody will have a good day, we’ll pull it back.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ms-dhoni-takes-the-blame-as-csk-suffer-heartbreaking-loss-against-rcb-when-i-went-into-bat-101746288390633.html

In a power-packed encounter at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat Titans outclassed Sunrisers Hyderabad by 38 runs on May 2, 2025, continuing their strong campaign in IPL 2025. A fiery opening partnership and clinical bowling helped the Titans secure a comprehensive win in front of a roaring home crowd.

Gujarat Titans posted a formidable total of 224/6 in 20 overs, riding on stellar knocks from their top-order batters. Skipper Shubman Gill led from the front, smashing a blistering 76 off 38 balls, laced with 10 boundaries and 2 sixes. He found excellent support in Jos Buttler, who played with flair and aggression, scoring 64 off 37 balls, which included 3 fours and 4 towering sixes.

Despite the onslaught, Jaydev Unadkat stood out for Sunrisers Hyderabad with a remarkable bowling effort. He returned figures of 3/35 in 4 overs. His performance helped stem the flow of runs in the death overs and prevented GT from pushing past the 230 mark.

In reply, Sunrisers Hyderabad could manage only 186/6 in 20 overs, falling short by 38 runs. Abhishek Sharma played a valiant knock at the top, hammering 74 off 41 balls with 4 boundaries and 6 sixes, keeping SRH in the hunt during the first half of the chase. However, the lack of substantial partnerships and disciplined bowling from GT derailed their momentum. Heinrich Klaasen added 23 off 18 balls, but the mounting required run rate proved too much for the SRH middle order to overcome.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/ipl-2025-gujarat-titans-trump-sunrisers-hyderabad-by-38-runs-in-high-scoring-thriller-at-ahmedabad 

Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians Highlights, IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians crushed Rajasthan Royals by 100 runs to end the home team’s playoffs hopes in the IPL in Jaipur on Thursday. Batting first, MI scored 217/2. In reply, RR were all out for 117 in 16.1 overs as MI closed in on securing a playoffs berth. MI rode on brisk half-centuries from Rohit Sharma (53) and Ryan Rickelton (61) to post a formidable total. Skipper Hardik Pandya (48*) and Suryakumar Yadav (48*) gave finishing touches to MI’s innings with their whirlwind knocks. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah (2/15) and Trent Boult (3/28) then rattled the RR batting before leg-spinner Karn Sharma (3/23) wrapped up a big win for the visitors.

Here are the Highlights of IPL 2025 match between RR and MI –

RR vs MI: Mumbai Indians win by 100 runs
AND THEY HAVE DONE IT!!!! Mumbai Indians (217/2) defeated Rajasthan Royals (117 all out) by 100 runs. For MI, Trent Boult and Karn Sharma scalped three wickets each. Apart from them, Jasprit Bumrah also scalped two wickets each. Earlier, Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma scored 61 and 53 runs respectively. With this win, MI have climbed to the top of the points table while RR have been knocked out of the Playoffs race.

RR vs MI : 13 runs off the over
On the verge of a big defeat, Jofra Archer gives a slight ray of hope to Rajasthan Royals as he hits two sixes in the previous over of Corbin Bosch.

The FA’s policy had allowed transgender women to participate in the women’s game, but this will change from June 1.

Transgender women will no longer be allowed to compete in women’s soccer in England after a policy change prompted by a UK Supreme Court ruling on the matter, the FA said on Thursday.

Britain’s highest court ruled on April 16 that only biological and not trans women meet the definition of a woman under equality laws, a landmark decision greeted with concern by trans supporters but welcomed by the government as bringing clarity.

The FA’s policy had allowed transgender women to participate in the women’s game but this will change from June 1.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling on the 16th April means that we will be changing our policy,” the soccer governing body said in a statement.

“Transgender women will no longer be able to play in women’s football in England, and this policy will be implemented from 1 June 2025.”

The FA said the policy allowing transgender women to play was rooted in making the sport accessible to as many people as possible, “supported by expert legal advice” and aligned with international rules set by UEFA and FIFA.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/football/transgender-women-cant-play-womens-football-in-the-uk-after-top-court-ruling-3520122

Khushi Chand (46kg) edged past Mongolia’s Altanzul Altangadas in a hard-fought 3:2 win, while Ahaana Sharma (50 kg) and Jannat (54kg) delivered dominant 5:0 victories over opponents from Uzbekistan.

Amman (Jordan): Indian boxers wrapped up their campaign at the inaugural Asian U-15 & U-17 Championships in style, adding four gold medals on the final day to finish second overall.

India’s tally included 15 gold, 6 silver, and 22 bronze medals, placing them behind table-toppers Kazakhstan. Uzbekistan finished third.

The final day of the tournament saw the Indian U-17 contingent bag four more gold medals — all from the girls’ division.

Khushi Chand (46kg) edged past Mongolia’s Altanzul Altangadas in a hard-fought 3:2 win, while Ahaana Sharma (50 kg) and Jannat (54kg) delivered dominant 5:0 victories over opponents from Uzbekistan.

The final gold came through Anshika (80+kg), who ended her bout against Jordan’s Jana Alalawneh with a first-round RSC to seal India’s 15th title of the championships.

“A proud and satisfying performance by our young boxers at the continental stage! These young boxers are the future of Indian boxing. With this foundation, I have no doubt we’ll see many of them on the Olympic stage in the years to come,” Indian Boxing’s Interim Committee Chairman Ajay Singh said.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/indian-boxers-add-4-more-gold-medals-finish-2nd-in-asian-under-15-under-17-championships-3519936

His rapid rise to fame has been overshadowed by a troubling wave of online harassment

At just 14 years old, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has become the talk of the nation following a stunning, record-breaking performance for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League. While his fearless gameplay has drawn admiration from cricket enthusiasts and analysts alike, his rapid rise to fame has been overshadowed by online harassment the young boy faced.

Inappropriate comments spark nationwide outrage

What began as celebration soon gave way to concern, as social media platforms were flooded with objectifying and indecent remarks targeting the young cricketer. Shockingly, a most of the offensive posts came from female users, initiating massive backlash from online users.

Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) season went from bad to worse after a defeat to the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. With eight defeats in 10 matches, both the franchise and MS Dhoni have hit never-seen-before lows. Here is a look at a few numbers that shed light on their poor campaign –

Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) became the first team to be officially knocked out of the qualification race as their miserable run in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) continued as they lost their eighth match in 10 outings after a four-wicket defeat to Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday (April 30).
The result means that the Super Kings have now won just two matches this season and seem headed towards a wooden spoon finish. The MS Dhoni-led side have lost each of their last five matches at Chepauk.
Although CSK still have four more matches left, the five-time champions and MS Dhoni have hit an unprecedented all-time low.

Yuzvendra Chahal produced a performance for the ages in the IPL 2025 as he became the first bowler this edition to pick a hat-trick. The Punjab Kings spinner finished with figures of 4/32 against Chennai Super Kings in Chennai on Wednesday. In fact, he is the first bowler since IPL 2023 to pick a hat-trick. After conceding 23 runs in his first two overs, Chahal was brought into the attack by PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer in the 19th over. Though he was hit for six off the first ball, he picked MS Dhoni’s wicket on the second ball. He went on to scalp Deepak Hooda, Anshul Kamboj and Noor Ahmad to complete his second hat-trick in the IPL.

Chahal is now the first player in history to take a hat-trick against CSK in the IPL. This is also the first instance of a bowler taking a hat-trick at Chepauk since 2008. That year CSK’s Laximipathy Balaji became the first to achieve the feat against Kings XI Punjab (now PBKS).

The first-ever hat-trick against #CSK in IPL history!

Hooda
Kamboj
Noor#YuzvendraChahal tops it up with his meme celebration. A moment for the ages in this epic clash!

Watch the LIVE action https://t.co/KXCjo6ka9g #IPLonJioStar #CSKvPBKS | LIVE NOW on… pic.twitter.com/ianjmSXjjF

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 30, 2025

Sam Curran braved testing conditions to produce an imperious 88 but a late four-wicket burst from Yuzvendra Chahal, including a hat-trick, kept Chennai Super Kings to 190 all out against Punjab Kings in their Indian Premier League match here on Wednesday.

Curran’s first fifty of the season (88 off 47 balls, 9×4 4×6) as he anchored the recovery process of his side from a precarious 48 for three in the power play.

With their backs against the wall, Curran teamed up with Dewald Brevis (32) to carefully plot CSK’s way back into the contest with a robust 78-run fourth-wicket stand and turned on the heat on PBKS bowling.

Until the 16th over, CSK coasted well at nearly nine runs an over when the England all-rounder picked Suryansh Shedge to attack.

The first two balls were struck for sixes over long-off and deep square leg, and on the third legitimate delivery it took a splendid diving effort from Shreyas Iyer to save a certain third six in the over.

But Curran wasn’t done yet as he pierced gaps on the next two deliveries to get as many boundaries, eventually collecting 26 off the PBKS novice.

Curran’s onslaught forced PBKS’ strike bowler Arshdeep to resort to wide full tosses, which resulted in a tidy over for four runs but for which he had to bowl eight deliveries as two were wide deliveries.

Curran eventually fell in the 18th over, getting an edge while attempting to duck under a Marco Jansen bouncer, but not before producing a knock of spunk and substance from any batter in the famed yellow jersey this season.

Chahal, who was wicketless until the penultimate over, was hit for a six by MS Dhoni (11) but the bowler had him caught at long off on the second delivery.

On the fourth, Deepak Hooda (2) played one meekly towards backward point while on the fifth, impact substitute Anshul Kamboj (0) was cleaned up.

Noor Ahmad (0) tried to put one away but ended up miscuing his shot and Jansen came in from long-on to complete the hat-trick, which was the lef-spinner’s second in the IPL.

It was once again a disappointing start to the innings for CSK in which their openers Shaik Rasheed (11) and Ayush Mhatre (7) fell without making a dent.

Rasheed hit a couple of attractive strokes before mistiming one and Shashank Singh collected an easy grab off Arshdeep in the third over.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2025/yuzvendra-chahal-picks-1st-hat-trick-of-ipl-2025-scalps-4-in-1-over-including-ms-dhoni-becomes-1st-bowler-to-8298112

The 42-year-old Olympic medallist’s legal representatives issued a legal notice to dispel grapevine talk of a relationship with a businessman, Hitesh Choudhary.

Legendary Indian boxer MC Mary Kom issued a legal notice following speculation surrounding her personal life as she confirmed her divorce from her former husband, Onkholer Kom, while also refuting rumours of a relationship with a businessman, Hitesh Choudhary, with whom she has a strictly professional relationship.

The 42-year-old Olympic medallist’s legal representatives’ notice was “issued in response to the Article published in the Hindustan Times EFL, on April 7, 2025 and subsequently engaging various media outlets in unwarranted speculation and unfounded claims regarding the personal life of Ms. M.C. Mary Kom.”

“Specifically, the following matters are addressed: Speculations regarding her divorce and separation from her husband, Mr. Onkholer (Onler) Kom, along with related news about him and his current state of affairs. And Claims suggesting that she is currently dating Mr. Hitesh Choudhary, who is identified as a business partner and chairman of the Ms. Mary Kom Boxing Foundation.”

The notice went on to assert that Mary and Onkholer had brought their marriage to an end with a divorce under Kom laws, and urged the public to refrain from discussing the same in order to afford privacy to the iconic pugilist.

“In the light of these speculative and incorrect media reports, I wish to issue the following clarifications: Ms. M.C. Mary Kom and Mr. Onkholer (Onler) Kom are no longer married and they have finalized their divorce by mutual consent under KOM CUSTOMARY LAW on December 20 2023, in the presence of both family members and leaders of the clan as the adjudicating authorities.”

“As for the details of their past marriage, my client states that the aforesaid speculations, assertions are denied being wrong and incorrect. Any further than this, my client does not wish to state or comment, as this is a matter of the past. She has since moved on with her life positively, in accordance with the mutual agreement signed thereof.”

The notice went on to clarify the strictly business relationship between the boxer and Choudhary and refuted claims of the 42-year-old being involved romantically with another boxer’s spouse.

“The rumours regarding my client’s relationship involvement with Mr. Hitesh Choudhary or being in a relationship with another boxer’s husband, are categorically denied and should not be propagated by any media platform.”

“It is further stated that Mr. Hitesh Choudhary is working with my client, Mary Kom strictly under business collaboration relationship and any & all speculations beyond it, are specifically denied.”

“Over the past two years, my client has been going through a deeply challenging time in her personal life, especially with her ex-husband. During this difficult hour, my client requests her friends, fans, and well-wishers to kindly give her the space and privacy she needs to navigate this difficult time. This notice serves as a formal request for all media entities, in all forms, to refrain from making baseless speculations about my client,” the directive continued.

Source : https://www.news18.com/sports/mc-mary-kom-legal-notice-speculation-personal-life-divorce-rumour-relationship-onkholer-kom-hitesh-choudhary-9318823.html

Rahul Dravid, secured his services in the IPL auction, reportedly at Laxman’s suggestion. The rest, as they say, is history

During the 2023-24 season of the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, BCCI junior selection committee chairman Thilak Naidu was in Chandigarh to watch young talent. However, Naidu’s plans were disrupted when the match he was assigned to watch was delayed due to a wet outfield following overnight rain. As he chatted with local match officials while waiting, a name kept cropping up — a gifted youngster from Bihar who, they said, was worth keeping an eye on.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/how-suryavanshi-came-into-national-reckoning-3516660

The left-handed Suryavanshi brought up his triple figure mark off 35 balls against Gujarat Titans here as injured head coach Rahul Dravid literally forgot his crutches in excitement and stood without ay support cheered the teenager vociferously.

Jaipur: Rajasthan Royals’ history-making boy wonder Vaibhav Suryavanshi, on Monday, said he only watches the ball and not the one delivering it after stroking his way to a record 38-ball-101 to become IPL’s youngest centurion at 14 years and 32 days.

The left-handed Suryavanshi brought up his triple figure mark off 35 balls against Gujarat Titans here as injured head coach Rahul Dravid literally forgot his crutches in excitement and stood without ay support cheered the teenager vociferously.

Suryavanshi smacked 11 sixes and seven fours in his stunning onslaught against an array of international bowlers including India’s Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and Karim Janat.

“I don’t see the name (of the bowler) much, I just see the ball and play,” he told the broadcaster after the match.

“It is a very good feeling, it is my first 100 in the IPL and in the third innings. It is a very good feeling, I had been practising for the IPL for the last three-four months and the results are now showing up.” “It was my dream to score a century in the IPL, as I said before I had been working hard for many days and the results were visible on the ground,” the soft-spoken Suryavanshi added.

Suryavanshi, who put on 166 runs inside 12 overs with Yashasvi Jaiswal (70 not out) credited the India player for his calming presence in the middle.

“I enjoy batting with him as he keeps talking positive things and keeps telling me what to do, so batting becomes easier,” he said.

RR’s stand-in skipper Riyan Parag said his side was able to execute with the bat better after felling short of targets in the last few games.

“It was incredible. We spent two months with him and seen what we can do and to do it against world-class bowlers against GT, words can’t express,” he said.

“We changed it from the last game, we were thinking how can we finish this a little earlier, bat with real intent. We practised a lot and we implemented it today (and) it came off.” “You can learn everyday watching the IPL. Learn how RCB do things, how Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) bhai does his stuff. (It is) a big one, we were searching for this win,” Riyan added.

Jaiswal termed Suryavanshi’s knock as “one of the best” he has ever seen.

“(It was an) incredible innings, one of the best I have seen. Hope he will do it for us for a long time. I was telling him to just keep going, incredible today,” he said.

“He just played amazing shots, he practises well, works hard in the hits. He has the game and temperament, wish him all the luck.” Talking about the game, Jaiswal said, “We were talking that somebody needs to stay and finish the game after the last three games, I was there luckily today and tried my best.” Gujarat Titans’ skipper Shubman Gill, who made a 50-ball 84 in the first half of the match said it was a day which belonged to Suryavanshi.

“It was Suryavanshi’s day, his hitting was tremendous and he made full use of it. I think they took the game away from us in the powerplay, credit to them for that,” Gill said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/cricket/ipl-2025-i-just-saw-the-ball-not-bowlers-suryavanshi-on-his-record-breaking-ton-3515101

In a high-scoring spectacle at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Rajasthan Royals (RR) produced a stunning run chase to defeat Gujarat Titans (GT) by 8 wickets in their IPL 2025 clash. The Royals, led by a breathtaking century from Vaibhav Suryavanshi, overhauled a massive target with remarkable ease.

Gujarat Titans posted an imposing total of 209/4 in their 20 overs. Captain Shubman Gill led from the front with a commanding innings, scoring 84 runs off 50 balls, laced with five boundaries and four sixes. Jos Buttler, playing a key supporting role, contributed a quickfire 50 off just 26 balls, striking three boundaries and four maximums.

However, Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers kept their nerves intact. Mahesh Theekshana emerged as the standout performer, finishing with figures of 2 for 35 in his four overs, ensuring the Titans didn’t run away with an even bigger total.

Chasing 210, Rajasthan Royals made their intentions clear from the outset. Young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi stole the show with a sensational knock of 101 runs off just 38 deliveries. His innings, studded with seven boundaries and an astonishing eleven sixes, left the Gujarat bowlers helpless. He found an able partner in Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was equally aggressive, hammering 70 runs off 40 balls, including nine boundaries and two sixes.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/rr-vs-gt-ipl-2025-match-47-vaibhav-suryavanshis-blazing-century-powers-rajasthan-royals-to-record-chase-against-gujarat-titans

A SINGLE regular Cheeto is usually worth pennies, but a rare one shaped like Michael Jordan has fetched a massive amount in an auction.

The rare Flamin’ Hot Cheeto that resembles Jordan’s legendary Jumpman logo has been sold.

Any memorabilia of the Chicago Bulls icon Jordan has a track record of receiving jaw-dropping amounts at auction.

But special Cheetos can receive bids too, as one shaped like a Pokémon character recently went for $87,840.

While it might seem like a stretch to call a Cheeto a piece of memorabilia, an item combining the corn-cheese puff and MJ’s brand got major interest.

The small replica of the six-time NBA Finals MVP’s logo was put up for auction at Goldin Auctions.

The Air Jordan Jumpman Hot Cheeto’ final price was $8,113 on March 29.

There were 32 bids as the price jumped from a start of $250 to the final $8,113 in two weeks.

The final bidder will receive the so-called Jumpan Cheeto, which is three inches long.

The bite-sized item can’t be bitten, though, as it comes inside a small case to protect it.

Flip the case, and one will see Jordan’s main basketball stats and career highlights from his rookie season.

The Cheeto resembles Jordan leaping in the air with his legs spread apart as he tries to dunk a basketball into a hoop.

Nike has used the 1980s image of Jordan going for a dunk as a logo for its Air Jordan athletic wear.

While the Air Jordan Jumpman Cheeto fetched $8,113, that number is nothing for Jordan himself.

The NBA great reportedly has a net worth of close to $3.5 billion.

Among his lavish purchases is a heavily customized Gulfstream 650ER private jet for $70 million.

And his Jumpman logo is on the aircraft in the rear.

Other than the Jordan-shaped Cheeto, the basketball icon has a track record of fetching crazy amounts at auction.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/sport/14097947/michael-jordan-cheeto-jumpan-logo/

J.B. Bickerstaff and the Pistons were apoplectic over a non-call on the final play of their crushing Game 4 loss Sunday to the Knicks.

Josh Hart appeared to make contact with Tim Hardaway Jr. while closing out on the former Knicks’ last-second 3-point heave from the left corner.

But no foul was called and the Knicks held on for a 94-93 victory for their second straight win in Detroit and a 3-1 series lead.

After the game, crew chief David Guthrie told a pool reporter that a foul should have been called on Hart.

“During live play, it was judged that Josh Hart made a legal defensive play,” the statement read. “After postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr. and a foul should have been called.”

After the buzzer sounded, Bickerstaff was livid and stormed onto the court to plead with the referees, who let a physical play go on both sides throughout the game, for a foul call.

Game 5 is Tuesday at the Garden.

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham came up short on a mid-range jump shot with 7.1 seconds left with a chance to take the lead, before the ball found its way to Hardaway in the corner following a loose-ball scramble beneath the basket.

A closing Hart appeared to bump Hardaway on the hip as he hoisted his double-clutch attempt.

Hart also looked like he was fouled under the basket while going for the initial rebound in that sequence.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/04/27/sports/pistons-livid-over-no-call-as-ref-admits-knicks-fouled-on-final-game-4-shot/

Arnaldi beat fourth seed Djokovic 6-3 6-4 to reach the third round. The result condemned the 37-year-old, who received a bye in the opening round, to his third consecutive defeat.

Three-time champion Novak Djokovic may have played at the Madrid Open for the last time after crashing out in the second round to Italian Matteo Arnaldi on Saturday, with the Serbian admitting he did not know if he would return.

Arnaldi beat fourth seed Djokovic 6-3 6-4 to reach the third round. The result condemned the 37-year-old, who received a bye in the opening round, to his third consecutive defeat.

Djokovic, who has been chasing a 100th tour-level title, was handed a shock defeat in Miami Open final in late March before his second-round Monte Carlo exit earlier this month.

All three defeats came in straight sets.

“Obviously after you lose a match you don’t feel good, but I’ve had a few of these this year where I lose in the first round, unfortunately,” Djokovic told a press conference.

“I think the positive thing is that I really enjoyed myself more than I have in the Monte-Carlo or some other tournament, so that’s a good thing.

“But obviously still level of tennis is not where I would like it to be. But it is what it is. I lost to a better player.”

Djokovic, who made his Madrid debut in 2006 and won the tournament in 2011, 2016 and 2019, was looking for his first win on clay since defeating Carlos Alcaraz to win gold at the Paris Olympics.

Asked whether he just played his last match in Madrid, Djokovic said: “It could be. It could be. I’m not sure if I will come back. So, I don’t know, I don’t know what to say.

“I mean, I’ll come back, maybe not as a player. I hope it’s not, but it could be.”

Djokovic won three out of the four major titles in 2023 but has not been able to reproduce that kind of form since, being shut out of the game’s biggest tournaments last year as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz claimed took majors apiece.

“(It’s) kind of new reality for me, I have to say. You know, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament,” Djokovic added.

“It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis, so it’s kind of a challenge for me mentally to really face these kind of sensations on the court, going out early now regularly in the tournaments.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/tennis/djokovic-hints-at-madrid-farewell-after-crashing-out-in-second-round-3512683

The Delhi Police has arrested a 21-year-old engineering student with alleged mental health issues for sending threat mails to the head coach of men’s cricket team and former BJP MP Gautam Gambhir, an official said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as Jigneshsinh Parmar from Gujarat, was arrested on Friday.

Police said Parmar sent threat mails to Gambhir on April 22 — the day terrorists gunned down 26 people in Kashmir’s Pahalgam — from a suspicious Gmail account.

In a statement, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harsha Vardhan said, “Parmar is an engineering student. His family claims that he is suffering from mental health issues. Further investigation is in progress.” The police had earlier stated that they have been informed about an alleged threat mail received on an email ID associated with Gautam Gambhir.

An email complaint was filed with Rajinder Nagar police station along with screenshots of the threat mails.

Gambhir received two threat mails reading “I Kill You” from a sender identifying as “ISIS Kashmir”, police sources said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/21-year-old-engineering-student-held-for-sending-threat-mails-to-gautam-gambhir-3512585

MS Dhoni, captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), expressed concerns about the team’s inability to adapt to the MA Chidambaram Stadium’s pitch conditions since its relaying in 2010. He clarified that his comments about the pitch do not solely indicate a preference for slower surfaces. In a recent match, CSK struggled with a total of 154 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, with Dewald Brevis contributing significantly. Harshal Patel’s impressive bowling for SRH helped secure their victory in this crucial match.

MS Dhoni, captain of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), candidly admitted that the franchise has not been able to read the wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium properly ever since the wicket was relayed in 2010. Stating that his team always wants the behaviour of pitches in Chennai, Dhoni added that his comment does not mean that CSK only wanted slower pitches.
“I’ve said that since 2010. Most people think that when I say I’m not sure about the wicket over here, we want a slower track, and we keep saying it. But that has been the case. Once the wicket was relayed after 2010, we returned to the Champions League, and it has not been the same. They’re trying their level best, but we are never sure this is how the wicket is,” Dhoni said during the toss.
“Sometimes batting first is a very good thing. Sometimes, batting second. So, the groundsmen are trying their best, but it’s a different science altogether. So I feel the old red soil wicket was very good. It suited the environment away,” he added.

Teams are often coined winners and losers after the 2025 NFL Draft, but what about the media personalities who covered the event?

Well, there seems to have been a clear-cut winner and loser from Thursday night’s draft coverage.

Many have raved about Peter Schrager, the former NFL Network star who was just hired by ESPN in the last month, for his analysis and coverage on Pat McAfee’s 2025 Draft Spectacular.

Meanwhile, on ESPN’s main stage, Mel Kiper Jr. ticked off just about every viewer aside from Shedeur Sanders and his friends and family.

“[Sanders is] my number one quarterback,” Kiper said before the draft.

Just before the Titans selected quarterback Cam Ward with the first pick, Kiper added, “Everything you want an NFL quarterback to be, [Sanders] has.”

He then went on to relentlessly compare Sanders to numerous legendary quarterbacks who had other quarterbacks, who turned out far less legendary, drafted ahead of them.

Sanders is set to be the next Tom Brady, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Lamar Jackson, Johnny Unitas, Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre or Matt Ryan — if Kiper’s prediction holds true that the Colorado star is the next iconic quarterback who got wrongfully passed over.

The culmination of Kiper’s campaigning for Sanders came when tasked with analyzing quarterback Jaxson Dart after he was selected by the Giants with the 25th overall pick instead of Sanders.

Kiper’s first note on Dart heading to New York: “Well, I’m surprised he went ahead of Shedeur.”

He then added, “I like Jaxson Dart, I love Shedeur,” before continuing his parade of great quarterbacks who were passed in favor of others who turned out worse — insinuating this would wind up being the case with Dart and Sanders.

Source: https://nypost.com/2025/04/25/sports/nfl-media-had-its-own-winner-and-loser-on-day-1-of-the-draft/

New Zealand Cricket will invest in a new franchise that will join Major League Cricket in the United States from 2027.

Chief executive Scott Weenink on Thursday said NZC will partner with U.S.-based True North Sports Ventures to form the new team, which could be based in Toronto or Atlanta.

The partnership is the first of its kind between a full member nation of the International Cricket Council and a franchise in a leading professional cricket league, Weenink said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India governs the lucrative Indian Premier League, which features players from all over the world, including stars from New Zealand, but the franchises are all independently owned.

New Zealand Cricket will provide financial equity and high-performance and operational support to the new MLC team, including coaching, management and support staff.

“It’s a reasonable investment but it’s fair to say we are still minority investors,” Weenink said. “Hopefully, we will also see a growth in capital but also dividends which will start to be spun out of that equity investment.

“We still see India as untapped from a New Zealand Cricket perspective so we are putting a significant amount of energy and resource into growing New Zealand Cricket and New Zealand cricket players’ brand in India and we see the same in the US. We see America as such a huge market from a sports perspective.”

Weenink said NZC sees cricket “really taking off” in the United States on the back of the T20 Cricket World Cup, which the U.S. co-hosted last year, as well as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“So we really want to tap into and jump on board the huge growth opportunity that Major League Cricket offers,” he said. “As franchise cricket grows globally, NZC needs to adapt to seize strategic opportunities that ensure the sustainability of our cricket network.

“This helps diversify our revenue streams, expands our global brand and fan base and creates new talent development and retention pathways for both our players and coaches.”

Several leading New Zealand players already have played in MLC and NZC hopes an association with the U.S. tournament will provide a new pathway for young and senior players.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/new-zealand-cricket-mlc-60279dfc49a178aa163a2cff4145fbc4

Ishan Kishan’s dismissal sparked controversy during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI). Kishan’s poor run of form continued after being dismissed for a knock of one against MI as SRH’s top order collapsed. Kishan walked off despite no appeal from the MI players.

Ishan Kishan left the cricketing fraternity perplexed with a rather bizarre sequence of events in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday (April 23) in Hyderabad.
Kishan’s poor run of form continued as he was dismissed for a single-digit score for the second time in a row against his former side. However, his dismissal sparked controversy as the left-handed batter departed despite no appeal from the MI.
For those unversed, Kishan was dismissed after seemingly edging a delivery by Deepak Chahar after making one run in four balls. However, there was no appeal from Mumbai players apart from a slight enquiry with each other, after which the umpire declared him not out. However, Kishan walked off on his own and did not wait to see if MI took a review, which indicated that he had edged the delivery.

MI player rushed to Ishan to hail for his sporting gesture, but the replays shocked everyone around the ground as ultra-edge did not show a spike of Kishan’s bat.

This left many to question Kishan for his decision to walk off, especially during a tough phase on a personal front, while his team is also struggling for results.
Talking about the match, SRH made a disastrous start as Trent Boult dismissed Travis Head for a duck in the second over of the game. SRH found themselves at 14-4 after Kishan’s dismissal was followed by Abhishek Sharma (8) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (2) with Boult and Chahar getting two wickets each.
At the half-way, SRH had 52 runs after losing five wickets as Hardik Pandya dismissed Aniket Verma (12). Heinrich Klaasen is the only hope of the 2024 runners-up to get a respectable total on the board.
SRH are playing for survival in the tournament with just two wins in seven matches so far. Last week, MI beat the Pat Cummins-led side by four wickets at the Wankhede Stadium.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/ishan-kishan-sparks-major-controversy-walks-off-despite-no-appeal-ultra-edge-shows-he-was-not-out-watch-article-151480990

After the dismissal, which took place on the final ball of the innings at the Ekana Stadium on Tuesday, Rishabh Pant was subject to criticism on social media.

Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant did not have a favourable reunion with his former team, Delhi Capitals, as he was dismissed for a two-ball duck, thus adding to his woes in the ongoing IPL 2025 season. After the dismissal, which took place on the final ball of the innings at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday, Pant was subject to criticism on social media.

Amid his poor season, in which he managed just 106 runs in nine innings at 13.25, Pant delayed his batting against Delhi as he walked out at No. 7. This was the first time in nine years that Pant batted at No. 7 or lower in his T20 career, the last being in IPL 2016, when he had done it twice.

Pant was dismissed on the second ball of his knock when he went for an audacious switch hit against Mukesh Kumar, but the pacer followed him and dished out a fuller delivery around the leg stump. The ball deflected off his pads and hit the stumps.

Besides the failure, Pant was shown no mercy on social media as fans accused him of “hiding” behind uncapped players Abdul Samad and Ayush Badoni. However, a dugout picture showed that his right hand was heavily taped, indicating a concern for injury. It was also seen at the time of the toss.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/rishabh-pant-return-27-crore-duck-lsg-vs-dc-fans-accuse-hiding-dugout-pic-hints-at-reason-for-batting-at-no-7-101745337670694.html

Many promotions and demotions took place as the BCCI announced annual central contracts for the 2024-25 season.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the annual retainership contracts across 4 categories for Indian players on Monday. India’s Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma and batting talisman Virat Kohli retained their place in the A+ bracket, while the previously axed duo of Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan returned to the fold in the list, consisting of a total of 34 players across categories. The A grade, which commands an annual retainership fee of Rs 7 crore, also features Ravindra Jadeja and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, much like the last few years.

India’s Champions Trophy hero Iyer has been a notable comeback in the list, inducted in group B, which comes with an annual remuneration of Rs 3 crore.

Iyer was dropped last season for allegedly ignoring domestic cricket for the  IPL. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan. dropped for the same reason, also made a comeback in category C, which is worth Rs 1 crore annually.

Players Promoted or Handed First-Time Contract:

1. Rishabh Pant (Grade B to Grade A)
2. Shreyas Iyer (None to Grade B, but was part of BCCI contracts before the 2023-24 season)
3. Ishan Kishan (None to Grade C, but was part of BCCI contracts before the 2023-24 season)
4. Sarfaraz Khan (None to Grade C)
5. Nitish Kumar Reddy (None to Grade C)
6. Abhishek Sharma (None to Grade C)
7. Akash Deep (None to Grade C)
8. Varun Chakaravarthy (None to Grade C)
9. Harshit Rana (None to Grade C)

Players Demoted or Axed:

1. Shardul Thakur (From Grade C to None)
2. Jitesh Sharma (From Grade C to None)
3. KS Bharat (From Grade C to None)
4. Avesh Khan (From Grade C to None)

Rishabh Pant, who was demoted to group B during the 2023-24 season as he didn’t due to his recovery from a life-threatening accident, is back in the A category in place of the retired Ravichandran Ashwin. Category A comes with a retainer of Rs 5 crore annually.

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/bcci-central-contracts-2024-25-full-list-of-players-promoted-and-demoted-8215865

For the sport to grow in the country, an entire ecosystem has to be created and this is the first step towards that

When Neeraj Chopra speaks about his Olympic medals, and giving back to the sport through Neeraj Chopra Classic, the big-ticket international event coming to India in Bengaluru next month, he speaks with a similar level of excitement and that is when you know how much the new project means to him. It is presumably as close to his heart as his two Olympic medal or the world title that made him a global athletics star.

Neeraj’s path-breaking moments on the field have put Indian athletics on the world map but he knows that for the sport to grow, an entire ecosystem has to be created and sustained. Bringing top-tier athletics events in India is the first step in that direction.

On May 24, he will be pumped up to compete in front of Indian fans at the Kanteerava Stadium and a full house to watch him and other international stars in action will be expected. There would be no shortage of stardust.

Two-time world champion Anderson Peters, American Curtis Thompson, the season leader (87.76m), 2016 Olympic champion Thomas Rohler of Germany, Rio Olympic silver medallist and 2015 world champion Julius Yego of Kenya, have all confirmed their participation. More big names are expected to be added in a few days. There will be more Indian names as well — four to five — who will get an opportunity to compete alongside global stars.

Undoubtedly, the biggest name in the elite field will be Neeraj Chopra himself. “Yes, count me in as well,” Neeraj said with a wide smile, having rattled off names of the participants with great pride.

An invitation has also gone out to Arshad Nadeem, the Paris Olympics champion from Pakistan, but he is yet to confirm participation. “I have spoken to Arshad and invited him as well, like other top throwers. He is in discussion with his coach. It will involve government (permission). Once it is confirmed, we will announce the final list,” said Neeraj during a video conference from his base in Potchefstroom, South Africa.

“I want parents to bring their children along to watch the world’s top athletes, see what it takes, how it feels to be there and see the world’s best stars competing. That experience is amazing. They need to have such experiences, only then athletics will grow in India,” he said. “There will be tickets but it will be kept to a minimum so that people can come and watch and have fun.”

Neeraj’s rising stature means World Athletics (WA) was prompt to mark it as a Gold level event and make it a qualifier for the world championships in September. The competition was earlier scheduled to take place in Neeraj’s home turf of Panchkula, Haryana, but had to shifted to Bengaluru due to some technical issue at the venue. WA recommended a change in venue.

“Though I wanted it to happen in Panchkula because it’s my native place, but the most important thing is that it’s happening in India. I have great memories of Bengaluru and it’s a very good venue to start this international competition. I am very excited to be part of this event and doing my bit (JSW and AFI are part of organisers) to bring a world class track and field event in India. It’s a dream come true for me,” said Neeraj.

Neeraj’s association with the project is at a personal level. He has reached out to the throwers, and convinced them to visit India. These days, he is on his toes. Not only during his training as he prepares for the Doha Diamond League (May 16), but he is in constant touch with his team taking every small detail to ensure smooth conduct of the tournament and to see that international athletes return with an experience to savour. He loves the city, having spent lot of time there training and competing in domestic meets. That makes his job easier.

“We are looking after everything — from the track to change rooms, seating arrangements. It should be a top-class facility and the participants should return with amazing experiences from here. We would want them to land in the new airport.”

“It is a new experience for me. Earlier it was all about getting up in the morning, going to train and then back to room. Now I have a responsibility, there is so much to look forward to and I am enjoying it.”

“I now know so many things need to fall in place and what it takes to organise an event. As competitors, we don’t get to know about these things”

At every step in his career, Neeraj has been a student. He has a vision for Indian athletics, much like he had for his career. There are several such events like Mondo Classic — after pole vault star Mondo Duplantis — at his home turf in Uppsala, Sweden — which allows international track and field stars to bring home big stars and top-quality action and popularise the sport in their country. Neeraj saw this when he was competing on the circuit and the idea stayed in his head.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/neeraj-chopra-classic-a-vision-for-indian-athletics-101745257316224.html

Mumbai Indians created history by defeating Chennai Super Kings by nine wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in the 2025 indian Premier League (IPL). The five-time champions won the game with 26 balls to spare and, as a result, shattered multiple records as they ended a four-match losing streak over their arch-rivals.

Mumbai Indians continued their upward curve in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) after thrashing arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by nine wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to register their third win in a row after a poor start to the season.
This victory marked MI’s first win over CSK since 2022, ending a four-match losing streak. The result means that the MS Dhoni-led side have only two victories in eight matches and their chances of reaching the playoffs are now hanging by a thread.

Rajasthan Royals vs Lucknow Super Giants Highlights, IPL 2025: Avesh Khan weaved his magic with the ball as LSG edged past RR by 2 runs in a last-ball thriller at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Saturday. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 74 off 52 for RR in the chase of 181 but Avesh’s 3 for 37 overshadowed it. Earlier, Aiden Markram scored 66 runs off 45 balls while Ayush Badoni hit 50 off 34 as LSG posted 180 for 5 after their captain Rishabh Pant won the toss and opted to bat first. Abdul Samad’s late blitzkrieg (30 not out off 10 balls) that included four sixes in the final over bowled by Sandeep Sharma also helped LSG’s cause. For RR, Wanindu Hasaranga was the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 2 for 31 in his quota of four overs. This was RR’s fourth consecutive defeat in IPL 2025. (Scorecard)

Source : https://sports.ndtv.com/ipl-2025/rajasthan-royals-vs-lucknow-super-giants-live-score-ipl-2025-rr-vs-lsg-live-updates-sanju-samson-rishabh-pant-8203280

Delhi Capitals secured their fifth victory in IPL 2025, defeating Rajasthan Royals in a thrilling match that ended in a Super Over for the first time this season. This win allowed DC to set a record, achieving four Super Over victories, surpassing Punjab Kings.

Delhi Capitals went top of the table with their fifth win in the IPL 2025 against Rajasthan Royals. The match was one of the most thrilling encounters this season as it marked the first time in IPL 2025 that a game was decided by Super Overs. With this momentous vitory at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, DC have managed to create history by achieving a unique record.
Delhi Capitals have now won four games via Super Over in the IPL. This is the most number of times that Super Overs that a team has won in the competition’s history. They thus overtake Punjab Kings, who have three Super Over victories in IPL history. The Capitals are also the first team to play five tied matches in the history of the IPL.

Olympic surfing is ready to grab the spotlight at the 2028 LA Olympics with a pristine venue in the heart of modern surf culture after thriving in a far-flung location for the Paris Games.

Paris earned rave reviews for its Olympic surfing venue halfway around the world in 2024, with Teahupo’o, Tahiti, praised for its days of perfect surf in the sport’s ancestral home of Polynesia.

But the 2028 venue announced on Tuesday, Trestles Beach, could give competitors a greater experience of being an Olympian, just a stone’s throw from their fellow athletes in Los Angeles.

“Tahiti was great because the waves were great but we were removed from ‘ground zero’ of the Paris Games,” said Fernando Aguerre, the president of the International Surfing Association.

Aguerre told Reuters he was delighted with the selection of Trestles Beach, which beat out the other finalist Huntington Beach, with its consistent, quality waves and point break.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sport/surfing-olympians-ready-take-sports-epicenter-southern-california-5068261

MS Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 26 runs from 11 balls in an innings studded with 4 fours and 1 six. He stood tall at the end, stitching an unbeaten 58-run partnership with Shivam Dube, as they chased down 166 in the final over of the match. Dhoni earned the Player of the Match for his short but impactful knock.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) finally ended their disastrous five-match losing streak on Monday (April 14) as they secured a win against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium. Captain MS Dhoni was the star of the run chase as he turned back the clock, showing everyone why he is regarded as one of the greatest finishers in the history of the game. With his whirlwind knock, he managed to break a massive IPL record that was 11 years old.
MS Dhoni smashed an unbeaten 26 runs from 11 balls in an innings studded with 4 fours and 1 six. He stood tall at the end, stitching an unbeaten 58-run partnership with Shivam Dube, as they chased down 166 in the final over of the match. Dhoni earned the Player of the Match for his short but impactful knock.

The CSK captain now becomes the oldest player to pick up a Player of the Match award in IPL history at 43 years and 280 days. He broke the record of Pravin Tambe who won the Player of the Match award in IPL 2014 vs KKR at an age of 42 years and 208 days.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/ipl-2025-ms-dhoni-breaks-11-year-old-world-record-becomes-first-player-in-the-world-to-win-player-of-the-match-award-after-turning-43-article-151424407

Abhishek Sharma created history for Sunrisers Hyderabad and etched his name in history books en route to his century against Punjab Kings. Abhishek and Travis Head added 171 runs for the first wicket in the chase to the target of 246.

Abhishek Sharma slammed a magnificent 141 off just 55 balls as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) chased down a huge target of 246 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their sixth game of the season. Abhishek and Travis Head provided a dream start to SRH and added 171 runs for the first wicket in just 12.2 overs. Head departed for 66 off 37 balls while Abhishek continued to bat.
Abhishek, who hadn’t even hit one six in his first 5 outings of the ongoing season, cleared the ropes 10 times against PBKS. He batted with a strike rate of 256.36 and completed his century off just 40 balls.
Abhishek Sharma created history and etched his name in history books as he breached the 100-run mark. He now holds the record for being the quickest Indian centurion for SRH. He is followed by Ishan Kishan, who took 45 balls to score a century in his debut game for SRH earlier in the season.

Overall, the record belongs to Head, Abhishek’s opening partner. He slammed a 39-ball ton against Royal Challengers Bengaluru during IPL 2024. David Warner sits at the third spot. SRH’s only IPL-winning captain so far, Warner scored his fastest century for them during IPL 2017.

Abhishek returned to form at the right time and SRH will hope that he performs regularly. Courtesy of this win, SRH finally left the last spot in the points table and moved to the 8th position. They are followed by Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, respectively. With 4 wins from as many matches, Delhi Capitals sit at the top spot.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/abhishek-sharma-creates-history-for-sunrisers-hyderabad-becomes-fastest-indian-to-score-century-for-them-article-151407090

MS Dhoni has said that CSK need “a bit more partnerships, a bit more runs” and “a bit more application” to get turn around a dwindling season.

MS Dhoni’s return as captain couldn’t break Chennai Super Kings out of their nosedive as they suffered an eight-wicket hiding at home to Kolkata Knight Riders and thus fell to a fifth consecutive defeat in the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Never before have CSK lost these many matches in a row and the defeat on Friday also made it the first time the five-time champions lost three consecutive games at home.

Dhoni in his post-match comments urged his teammates to “look deep down inside”.

“I think it’s quite a few nights haven’t gone our way,” Dhoni told the broadcaster after the loss. “What’s important is to look deep down inside. I feel the challenge was there, but it’s important to accept that challenge, figure out ways how you’ll tackle the difficult deliveries and then look to get runs on the board. Today I felt we didn’t really have enough runs on the board.”

Dhoni didn’t have too many problems with the conditions on offer at the Chepauk Stadium and said that it is the lack of partnerships that hurt them. “Yes it did [stop] but it has been the case over here,” Dhoni said about the surface. “Whenever we bowled first, even in the second innings it stopped a bit. But today in the first innings also it was stopping. But also if you lose too many wickets, it looks very different because it puts pressure on the batsman who is going in, and with quality spinners it becomes slightly difficult and we never really got any kind of partnerships going. So that also makes it tough. I feel overall a bit more partnerships, a bit more runs, a bit more application and we’ll be on track.”

‘If we target 60 in powerplay, it gets tough’
CSK have been easily the worst team this season in terms of batting in the powerplay. On Friday, they were limping at 18/2 at the start of the sixth over. Dhoni stated that CSK will still be trying to score as many runs as they think is required and possible according to the conditions on offer.

“[Powerplay batting] It is important to see the conditions. A couple of conditions where we have done well. We don’t want to match somebody else or some other team. We have quality openers and it is important not to get desperate seeing the scoreboard. A few boundaries and the score keeps moving, if we target 60, it gets tough. If we lose wickets, the middle order needs do heavy-lifting and the slog never comes,” said Dhoni.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ms-dhoni-urges-csk-teammates-to-look-deep-down-inside-in-urgent-call-to-action-after-kkr-drubbing-101744398479363.html