DailyWorld News - The First International Newspaper From India https://dailyworld.in/ Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:47:02 +0530 en https://dailyworld.in/sports/robinson-sears-among-9-intl-players-named-in-nz-a-squads-for-sl-tour-667325.html Christchurch March 31 Nine players with international experience have been named across the New Zealand A NZ A squads to tour Sri Lanka later this month The tour comprises three 50over matches and two fourday matches across Galle and Hambantota starting April 5 Eight BlackCaps feature in the NZ A 50over squad in Muhammad Abbas Adithya Ashok Kristian Clarke Mitch Hay Ben Lister Rhys Mariu Ben Sears and Tim Robinson Abbas Ashok Clarke and Sears will depart the A tour to join the ODI squad in Bangladesh with Robinson also departing after the first redball game to join the BlackCaps T20I squad The redball squad will be bolstered by four pacebowlers in New Zealands latest Test debutant Michael Rae Otagoâs Jarrod McKay and Canterburyâs Fraser Sheat along with allrounders Auckland Acesâ RyanâHarrison and Wellington Firebirdsâ Peter Younghusband Maiden NZ A callups have been earned by Harrison McKay Sheat and Younghusband as well as Auckland Acesâ Rohit Gulati after impressive performances for their provinces throughout the season Selection Manager Gavin Larsen said it was exciting to reward players with opportunities to continue their development âBeing able to offer some of our best performing domestic players opportunities to work on their game overseas is crucial to the success of ourâhighâperformanceâprogramme âWeâve seen some incredible successes during the summer with series wins against England the West Indies India away and South Africa all while relying heavily on our stocks in our domestic system he saidThe 50Over squad depart to Sri Lanka on Friday 3 April followed by the fourday squad members on 10 April SquadsNZ A to Sri Lanka 50over Muhammad Abbas Adithya Ashok Matthew Boyle Max Chu Kristian Clarke Rohit Gulati Mitch Hay Curtis Heaphy Simon Keene Ben Lister Rhys Mariu Dale Phillips Tim Pringle Tim Robinson Ben SearsNZ A to Sri Lanka fourday Matthew Boyle Max Chu Rohit Gulati Ryan Harrison Mitch Hay Curtis Heaphy Simon Keene Ben Lister Rhys Mariu Jarrod McKay Dale Phillips Tim Pringle Michael Rae Tim Robinson Fraser Sheat Peter Younghusband IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/robinson-sears-among-9-intl-players-named-in-nz-a-squads-for-sl-tour-667325.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/sinner-wins-miami-open-becomes-first-man-since-federer-to-complete-sunshine-double-667174.html Miami March 30 Jannik Sinner defeated Jiri Lehecka 64 64 to win the Miami Open and complete the âSunshine Doubleâ The Italian defeated Jiri Lehecka 64 64 in the final to become the first male since Roger Federer in 2017 to win Indian Wells and Miami in the same season Moreover Sinner is the first player to achieve the feat without dropping a set across the two eventsThe 24yearold won Indian Wells for the first time in his career and became the eighth different male player to win the âSunshine Doubleâ Novak Djokovic and Federer have completed the feat on multiple occasionsEigth different men who have completed the Sunshine Double at least once Jim Courier 1991 Michael Chang 1992 Pete Sampras 1994 Marcelo Rios 1998 Andre Agassi 2001 Roger Federer 200506 and Novak Djokovic 2011 201416Double for the first time itâs incredibleâ Sinner said in his oncourt interview âItâs something I never wouldâve thought to win because itâs difficult to achieve We made it somehow so Iâm very happyâSinner also extended his record to 34 consecutive sets won at ATP Masters 1000 level dating back to the start of last years Paris Masters He improved to 192 this season according to the ATP WinLoss IndexOn Sturday Aryna Sabalenka completed the Sunshine Double After Sinners triumph it marked the fourth time that an ATP player and a WTA player have completed the Sunshine Double in the same yearThe first time it happened was in 1994 when Sampras and Steffi Graf each triumphed in Indian Wells and Miami In 2005 Federer and Kim Clijsters each won both events while in 2016 Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka both secured Sunshine Double gloryA seventime ATP Masters 1000 champion Sinner now trails World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz by 1190 points in the ATP Live Rankings after making a statement this monthLehecka 24 was competing in his maiden ATP Masters 1000 final The Czech is set for a new careerhigh No 14 in Mondayâs ATP Rankings IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/sinner-wins-miami-open-becomes-first-man-since-federer-to-complete-sunshine-double-667174.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/psl-ball-tampering-scandal-rocks-lahore-karachi-clash-shaheen-fumbles-for-answers-667176.html New Delhi March 30 In another controversial turn of events the Pakistan Super League 2026 match between Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings was rocked by a balltampering scandal Lahore skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi appeared to struggle for answers when questioned about the incident during the postmatch presentation ceremony The incident took place at the start of the last over of the Kings chase when onfield umpire Faisal Afridi took the ball from Haris Rauf for inspection after it had exchanged hands between Shaheen Shah Afridi and FakharFaisal indulged in a lengthy discussion with Sharfuddoula the other onfield umpire and the two decided to bring in a replacement ball deeming it to have been tampered withDuring the postmatch presentation Pakistan great Ramiz Raja questioned Afridi about the events leading up to the final over The Lahore skipper looked visibly unsettled and struggled to provide a clear explanationI dont know about this and well see if its there in the camera and discuss what it is Actually five runs taken and we cant do anything Shaheen said at the postmatch presentationRamiz however continued to probe Shaheen on the balltampering allegations You have to ask the umpires why they changed the ball When we asked them why they changed the ball they told us to go away When they were making the decision the umpires requested us even the captain to return to our fielding positions he explainedTo this Afridi replied I can only speak about myself There was never any attempt on my part to change the condition of the ball or even to try All I remember is that when I was trying to dry the ball and make it shine the umpires asked us not to dry it under the shirt Who they are accusing unless we dont see the proof I think its a big decision I have not been called for an enquiryAs a result of the incident Kings were awarded five penalty runs and their batters Khushdil Shah and Azam Khan were allowed to select the replacement ballPCB further said that Fakhar Zaman has been charged with a levelIII offence which carries a minimum ban of one match and a maximum of two for a first violation in a PSL season Match referee Roshan Mahanama will conduct a hearing in the next two days and Fakhar will contest the charge IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/psl-ball-tampering-scandal-rocks-lahore-karachi-clash-shaheen-fumbles-for-answers-667176.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/hockey-india-names-31-player-senior-womens-national-coaching-camp-667200.html New Delhi March 30 Hockey India announced the womenâs national coaching camp scheduled from April 1 to 9 2026 as India begins preparations for a crucial international season Coming off a strong performance at the recently held FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers in Hyderabad Telangana where they won a silver medal the team has successfully qualified for the upcoming FIH Hockey Womenâs World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands in 2026 The camp will concentrate on developing combinations enhancing fitness and honing tactical skills as the team starts to form under new coach Sjoerd MarijneThe camp takes place at a key moment as India prepares for the FIH Hockey Womenâs Nations Cup 2026 in June the FIH Hockey Womenâs World Cup 2026 in Belgium and the Netherlands in August and the 2026 Asian Games from September 19 to October 4 in Japan The goalkeeping unit consists of Savita Madhuri Kindo Bansari Solanki and Bichu Devi Kharibam who received the Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year at the recent Hockey India 8th Annual Awards 2025 The defensive lineup features experienced players like Nikki Pradhan and Udita along with Ishika Chaudhary Jyoti Singh Lalthantluangi Jyoti and Shilpi Dabas providing substantial depth at the back The midfield featured Captain Salima Tete Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam Manisha Chauhan Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke and Neha supported by rising talents such as Sakshi Rana recipient of the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year along with Sunelita Toppo and Ishika The forward line offers a strong attacking lineup including Navneet Kaur who won the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr Award for Player of the Year Women as well as Deepika Lalremsiami Mumtaz Khan Deepika Soreng Rutaja Dadaso Pisal Baljeet Kaur Annu Beauty Dungdung Hina Bano Sonam and Sangita Kumari RehabSpeaking about the camp Coach Sjoerd Marijne said âThis camp is the next step in our preparations for a very competitive season ahead Our focus will be on improving consistency refining our structures and ensuring that we are physically and mentally ready for the challenges ahead We want to build a squad that can perform under pressure and deliver in key moments during major tournaments like the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup and Asian Gamesâ SqaudGoalkeepers Savita Madhuri Kindo Bichu Devi Kharibam Bansari SolankiDefenders Nikki Pradhan Ishika Chaudhary Jyoti Singh Lalthantluangi Jyoti Udita Shilpi DabasMidfielders Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam Manisha Chauhan Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke Sakshi Rana Sunelita Toppo Salima Tete Neha IshikaForwards Deepika Soreng Rutaja Dadaso Pisal Baljeet Kaur Navneet Kaur Deepika Annu Beauty Dungdung Hina Bano Sonam Lalremsiami Mumtaz Khan Sangita Kumari Rehab IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/hockey-india-names-31-player-senior-womens-national-coaching-camp-667200.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/csk-players-dont-roam-as-5-time-champions-happy-to-be-a-part-of-that-culture-samson-667201.html New Delhi March 30 Sanju Samson is stepping into unfamiliar territory this IPL season but the transition to the Chennai Super Kings already appears to have settled him On the eve of their 2026 campaign opener against his former side the Rajasthan Royals Samson offered an unfiltered glimpse into his early days with the fivetime champions touching on culture transition and what lies ahead âFeels really good feels really excited to be a part of a champion franchise Lots to learn lots to observe and really excited really very calm I think this is something which I relate to very much I think I am a very chilledout person very calm but when it comes to business I think we give our everythingâ he said in a video shared by the franchiseFor Samson the appeal lies not in the weight of CSKâs legacy but in how lightly it is worn Despite the franchiseâs success he pointed to a dressing room environment that mirrors his own temperament calm composed and quietly focusedâI can see in the dressing room people are calm people are chilled out They dont roam around as 5time IPL champions I think they dont roam around as the greatest cricketers the world has ever seen But thats what I really like to be a part of and I am very happy that I am part of that kind of culture And still early days still looking forward to a lot of exciting thingsâ he saidHe also hinted at a broader transition underway within the squad suggesting that the current phase is part of a carefully thoughtout rebuild as he said âI think I would like to call it very well planned actually So yeah very excited to play RR looking forward to itâThe immediate test however comes against familiar opposition Facing Rajasthan Royals straight away adds an emotional subplot and Samson expects the crowd dynamic particularly in Guwahati to once again tilt heavily in CSKâs favourâI think last time when we played RR vs CSK in Guwahati it didnt feel like an RR home game It was yellow all over the stadium So thats what we can expect again this time And also I think the passion of the crowds â I think they bring up a lot of energy I think very passionate crowds in Guwahati are what I expect And I think hopefully the wicket also plays well and we get a good game of cricketâ he mentionedBeyond the occasion Samson shed light on the squad composition emphasising the influx of young attacking talent brought in through the auction stating âOur management and all the staff including Stephen and a lot of people have done really great work for the auction We have picked up some really exciting talents from the auction âCSK is definitely in a building phase and thats what our recruitment has also been So the number definitely the age is definitely much less But in the amount of sixes these guys are hitting they dont actually look like youngsters anymore So I think thats what the character of the mindset is its required in this format and in this hype Just be free and go out there and express yourself with a lot of fearlessness I think thats what youngsters bring in and we all are very excited to play with themâWhile CSKâs identity has long been associated with experience Samsonâs remarks point toward a shift one that blends youth with an aggressive fearless approach suited to the modern T20 game Yet as much as the cricketing aspects matter Samson framed the IPL as something larger particularly for CSKâs expansive fanbaseâI think we all are ready for another festival season So I dont have to say that we are going to do this or we are going to do that I think definitely two months of IPL cricket for Chennai fans all over the world Its a great festival So let us all come together and enjoy a great festival season of cricket And we will try our best to put some smiles on your faces by winning a few gamesâ he concludedCSK are set to face RR on Monday in the third match of the tournament in Guwahati IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/csk-players-dont-roam-as-5-time-champions-happy-to-be-a-part-of-that-culture-samson-667201.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/sabalenka-completes-the-sunshine-double-with-miami-open-title-666974.html Miami March 29 Aryna Sabalenka registered an emphatic 62 46 63 victory over World No 4 Coco Gauff to lift the Miami Open trophy becoming the first player to complete the Sunshine Double since Iga Swiatek in 2022 This is Sabalenkas second straight Miami Open title the first time that has been done since Aussie Ash Barty did it in 2019 and â21 no tournament held in 2020 due to the pandemic Moreover she is the first to do so in consecutive years since Serena Williams from 2013 to 2015Sabalenka became the fifth woman to win Indian Wells and Miami in the same season for the Sunshine Double joining Steffi Graf 1994 â96 Kim Clijsters 2005 Victoria Azarenka 2016 and Iga Swiatek 2022She is the fourth player since 2000 to reach the finals in her first four tournaments of the year Martina Hingis 2001 Serena Williams 2003 and Victoria Azarenka 2012 all on hard court She won three of them including Brisbane and the Sunshine DoubleâIt means a lotââ said Sabalenka âMy goal always has been to put my name in the history and I just did it It just sounds so unreal I donât know how I was able to achieve that but Iâm super proud right now Of course super happy with this beautiful trophyThe win marks the 24th WTA singles title of her career and her 30th overall including six in doubles Among them four Grand Slam singles titles two in doubles 11 WTA 1000 singles titles and two more in doubles one of which came in Miami in 2019She has compiled those totals while spending 83 weeks at World No 1 including an active streak that has reached 75 weeks On Monday she will hold the top spot for the 76th consecutive week surpassing Swiatekâs longest streak and giving her the longest run at No 1 since Bartyâs 114week stretch from September 2019 to March 2022 including the rankings freeze during the Covid19 pandemic IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/sabalenka-completes-the-sunshine-double-with-miami-open-title-666974.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/deep-down-he-knows-what-the-right-answers-are-hussey-on-dhonis-unmatched-cricketing-instinct-667023.html New Delhi March 29 Chennai Super Kings batting coach Michael Hussey who once shared the dressing room with MS Dhoni and now works alongside him believes that the veteran wicketkeeperbatterâs greatest strength lies not in experience alone but in his refusal to stand still At 44 and deep into a legendary T20 career Dhoni continues to defy the passage of time not just with his presence but with an unrelenting desire to evolve a trait that still shapes the culture of CSK Even after years of success and a return from a competitive break Dhoni remains deeply invested in finetuning his game engaging in detailed conversations exploring subtle technical adjustments and constantly searching for marginal gains It is this rare blend of instinct and curiosity Hussey revealed that continues to set Dhoni apart in a league increasingly dominated by youth and powerhittingâHe knows his game so well So we dont have to have a lot of conversations But one thing Ive really admired about MS over the years and probably talks to his longevity is that hes always looking to improve or just sort of improve his game a little bit all the time And the conversations weve been having are just around little adjustments âWhether its a little bit of a foot movement here or a little bit of a swing change here But he has a great feel for the game So its more just him bouncing different ideas off But I think deep down he knows what the right answers are most of the time anyway So hes awesome to work with and what a legendary player hes been for such a long timeâ Hussey said in a video shared by the franchiseHussey who has seamlessly transitioned from a decorated player to a key member of CSKâs coaching setup spoke enthusiastically about his current role particularly the opportunity to shape emerging talentâI absolutely love it Its a fantastic experience to be able to work with different players from all around the world whether theyre West Indians Kiwis South Africans and of course lots of Indians as well Im particularly enjoying this year because weve got a few younger players new to the team not that experienced yet so to be able to sit with them talk to them about how they see the game work with their game not just for this season but hopefully for the rest of their careers is really excitingâ Hussey saidThis season marks a subtle shift in CSKâs traditional template from a core of seasoned campaigners to a more dynamic mix featuring youth and explosivenessHussey highlighted the refreshing attitude of younger players like Karthik Sharma and Ayush Mathre noting their ability to embrace the IPL stage without intimidationâIm just loving their fearless attitude towards the game You know theyre not daunted by the bright lights of the IPL the big crowds you know who theyre playing against you know some of these worldclass bowlers from around the world You know theyre excited for the opportunity to get out thereâ Hussey statedAt the same time he acknowledged the practical challenges of integrating a diverse groupâSometimes the language barrier is challenging and so we need to speak very slowly or sometimes need to get someone to come in and interpret our conversations to make sure theyre fully understanding each otherâ he added What excites Hussey most however is the balance within the squad pairing youth with experience across the batting orderâIm really looking forward What Im excited about with this batting order that weve got is we have got a nice blend of experience and youth So yeah its going to be exciting for the future But also I feel as though having you know experienced players like Rutu and Sanju Samson Dubey MSD of course some overseas players like Abrevis in there as well will offer a lot of help as well to these younger players We can have some experience with a youngster experience with a youngster all the way down and I think thatll help their development as players as wellâ he mentionedAs T20 cricket continues to evolve into a highscoring spectacle Hussey made it clear that CSKâs approach remains grounded in clarity rather than chasing arbitrary targetsâWe dont like to put any targets in place or ceilings on what they you know should be trying to get to or whatever because I think sometimes that can cloud the players mind For me its about trying to help the player learn about adapting to the situation adapting to the conditions What does the team need now And then theyve all got the shots Theyve been playing such aggressive shots since they were young young players Theyve been growing up watching T20 cricket so theyve already got that natural sort of attacking ability in their gameâ Hussey saidInstead the emphasis is on situational awareness blending aggression with game senseâBut then its about okay whats the situation need now There might be times when we need to go really hard and try and get the score up as high as possible but there might be a time when we need to be a little bit smarter and just work the ball and get through a good spell or if the pitch isnt as flat as maybe other pitches around the country So its about sort of learning about those batsmanship skills as well as having the power game as wellâBut I dont like to put too much in their minds in terms of numbers and targets because most people play their best when theyre clearminded and theyre free and they can just react to whats coming in front of them So sometimes if we put too much in their mind it clouds their mind and they dont play their bestâ he noted IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/deep-down-he-knows-what-the-right-answers-are-hussey-on-dhonis-unmatched-cricketing-instinct-667023.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 15:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/anahat-has-the-potential-to-make-it-to-the-top-10-in-rankings-joshna-chinappa-667034.html Mumbai March 29 Been there done that Joshna Chinappa can quite relate to Indias teen squash queen Anahat Singh who just like her found early success and has now made it to the top echelons of the sport Joshna became the youngest National Champion at age 14 and has so far won two World Championship gold medals in doubles 2022 2024 a gold medal each in the World Cup and Commonwealth Games doubles and medals at the Asian Games and Asian Championships in the last two decades Anahat started at the same age and at the age of 18 has won 16 titles gold medals in the World Cup and Asian Championships and medals at Asian and Commonwealth Games She is currently ranked in the top 20 in world rankings and is expected to be a medal contender when squash makes its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028Having witnessed Anahats meteoric rise Joshna feels the prodigy from Delhi can tread the path opened by the likes of Indian womens squash legends like Bhuveneshwari Kumari Dipika Pallikal and herself and reach the top 10 in the world soonJoshna talked about her career plans for LA28 and the Indian squash scene in an exclusive interview facilitated by Asics India with which she is associated since the COVID times ExcerpstIANS How do you analyse the current squash scene in the country Joshna I think its on the upward you know I think all these guys are playing really well They are beating some of the top players in the world They are winning big championships And of course we have the Asian Games which we are a very strong contender to win gold at So I think its just exciting times for squash right nowIANS Womens squash has undergone changes and nowadays we dont have dominant stars like Heather McKay Michelle Martin or Nicol David Do you think the game has become more competitive Joshna Absolutely I think the way the Egyptians are playing and dominating the sport and you have many other countries like US Belgium England Malaysia all having such strong players coming out of there Definitely the competition has gone up a lot IANS Two years from now squash will be making its Olympics debut in LA Is it one of the events you are aiming for now before retirement Joshna Well right now I am just aiming for the Asian Games And lets see I want to make the Indian team for thatIANS What do you think squash will have to do to secure a place in the next Olympics after LA28 Joshna I mean lets see right now its going to happen in LA 28 and its such a fantastic sport I am sure they are going to showcase it as beautifully as it actually is And I am sure it will be there in the Olympics for a long timeIANS How difficult is it now being part of the trainingtournamentstravel routine compared to when you did it in your career Joshna I mean when you are younger its easier to bounce from one city to another And as you get older it does get a little tiring the travelling and packing bags staying out of suitcase being in one hotel room every other day But now its a little bit more relaxed Relaxed in the sense that I choose my tournaments a lot carefully I play once every 45 weeks its not like every week that I go before And yeah I am getting a bit of playing competitive still but still also having a normal life as wellIANS How do you see Anahats growth as a player Like you she also started at a young age and is now in the top 20 in the world Joshna Yeah I think her growth has been fantastic You know in such a short time she has accomplished quite a bit And to be top 20 in the world is amazing at age 18 And I am sure she will break into the top 10 soon IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/anahat-has-the-potential-to-make-it-to-the-top-10-in-rankings-joshna-chinappa-667034.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 16:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/orphaned-at-young-age-mizoram-teenager-isak-malsawmtluanga-overcomes-injury-worries-to-win-kitg-title-667041.html Raipur March 29 Isak Malsawmtluanga was nearly ready to give up weightlifting after losing both parents before turning 16 The tragedy deeply affected the Mizo teenager but support from his childhood coach and his aunt and uncle helped save his sporting career At 18 he made everyone proud by winning the menâs 60kg gold medal at the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 here Battling a troublesome back Isak delivered a strong performance in the clean and jerk placing second after the snatch He secured the gold medal with a total of 235kg and was immediately embraced by his uncle who has been a guiding influence on the teenagerIsakâs father Heming Malsawmtluanga died in a bike accident in 2018 the same year he started training as a weightlifter This left Isak the familys only son uncertain whether to persevere with his training or to prioritise earning money to support his familyâAt that time my childhood coach Soma motivated me a lot and asked me to continue weightliftingâ Isak told SAI Media Just as Isakâs performance started to improve winning a silver medal in the 60kg category at the 2024 Youth National Championships in Himachal Pradesh he faced another personal challenge His mother was diagnosed with cancer putting the family under significant emotional and financial stressDuring this challenging time Isakâs uncle and aunt stepped in to support him They work at a small restaurant in Aizawlâs Ramhlun Vengthar area and took him in making sure he could keep up with his studies and continue weightlifting without disruption However later that year Isakâs mother passed away due to illness leaving him deeply distressed For a while the sport that had once given him hope started to seem pointless as loneliness and grief overwhelmed him âLosing both my parents broke me completely from insideâ he said âI had almost decided that I would quit weightlifting but my uncle and coach once again persuaded me to continueSince 2024 Isak has been training at the Sports Authority of Indiaâs National Centre of Excellence NCOE in Imphal while studying for his Class 12 through the Indira Gandhi National Open School in AizawlOver time his efforts paid off He earned another silver medal at a junior event in Modinagar in 2025 and later won a bronze at the National Weightlifting Championships the same yearEven leading up to the Khelo India Tribal Games he faced several challenges During training Isak sustained a back injury and his coach advised him to skip the tournament to prevent further damageNevertheless resolute to avoid any further setbacks Isak stepped onto the Raipur platform and gave the best performance of his lifeâMy uncle always travels with me for competitions since my father passed awayâ he said âHe was here with me as well As soon as I won the medal he lifted me in his arms At that moment I realised how happy he wasâ he said before heading off to once again join his family members for extended celebrations IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/orphaned-at-young-age-mizoram-teenager-isak-malsawmtluanga-overcomes-injury-worries-to-win-kitg-title-667041.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 16:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/peace-prosperity-enabling-conditions-made-jk-a-world-class-destination-l-g-sinha-667045.html Jammu March 29 IANS Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor LG Manoj Sinha said on Sunday that peace prosperity and enabling conditions have made the Union Territory a destination for world class eventsnbspLG Sinha said that the Jammu Marathon symbolises the profound transformation which Jammu and Kashmir has embraced since 2019Peace prosperity and enabling conditions have made the Union Territory a destination for worldclass events Its dream realised at last as after seven decades Jammu and Kashmir claims its rightful place on the global stage he addednbspHe was speaking at the felicitation ceremony of Jammu Marathon at the Maulana Azad Stadium in JammuThe firstever International Half Marathon in Jammu organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism department featuring 21 km 10 km and 5 km race categories witnessed the participation of more than 3000 runners from across the country and abroadnbspTerming the Jammu Marathon as a historic milestone the LG said that Jammu has firmly established itself on the global running mapHe added that the success of the mega event promises a surge in tourism to the enchanting city of Jammu benefiting trade and businesses and heralding an era of comprehensive developmentnbspI see the marathon as the one event where runners dont worry about trophies rankings or medals They just think about the next step And thats the biggest lesson from a marathon Jammu and Kashmir itself embodies this principle Since 2019 we have advanced one step at a time crafting a new identity for this Union TerritorynbspWe have transformed it into a hub of peace and prosperity now capable of hosting international marathons cricket tournaments and even international events LG Sinha saidHe recalled that when the Union government first conceived the Kashmir Marathon in December 2023 meeting the goal wasnt just to organise a race but it envisioned a new Jammu and Kashmir announcing its arrival on the global sporting stagenbspUnder the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji Jammu and Kashmir is now showcasing its boundless tourism potential on the world map the LG addednbspHe said that longawaited dreams and aspirations are becoming a realityThrough Jammu Marathon the participants have not only discovered new experiences within themselves but also witnessed the profound changes sweeping Jammu and Kashmir he addednbspHe said that furled by the citizens unyielding resolve Jammu and Kashmir is setting new benchmarks in developmentnbspThe renewed resolve taking root in our sporting arena I am especially delighted that in pursuit of Fit India we are also igniting a new sporting revolution in Jammu and Kashmir LG Sinha addedSatish Sharma Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Youth Services and Sports Atal Dulloo Chief Secretary Ashish Chandra Verma Additional Chief Secretary of Tourism Department Ramesh Kumar Divisional Commissioner Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti IGP Jammu and senior officials of civil and police administration were presentnbspFilm actors Milind Soman and Gul Panag prominent citizens sportspersons and youth in large number also attended the felicitation ceremonyIANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/peace-prosperity-enabling-conditions-made-jk-a-world-class-destination-l-g-sinha-667045.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/bcci-hosts-fielding-coaches-workshop-at-coe-laxman-dilip-address-participants--667071.html New Delhi March 29 The Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI said on Sunday that it conducted a comprehensive fielding coaches workshop at its Centre of Excellence CoE facility in Bengaluru The programme combined inclass sessions and onfield modules offering participation coaches a holistic view of modern fielding techniques from both technical and tactical aspectsâHere is a round up from the Fielding Coaches Workshop conducted at the BCCI CoE The sessions included inclass and onfield modules The participants had the opportunity to upskill themselves by hearing from some of the top fielding professionals who delivered the modulesâ wrote the BCCI on its âXâ account The BCCI also posted pictures of head of cricket VVS Laxman current India menâs team fielding coach T Dilip womenâs side fielding coach Munish Bali and U19 Menâs World Cup winning team fielding coach Shubhadeep Ghosh addressing the participants in the workshop Earlier this month former India leftarm pacer Zaheer Khan and offspinner Harbhajan Singh had conducted specialist camps at the CoE The threeday Zaheerled highperformance camp held at the start of March was for fast bowlers who featured at India A and U19 levels and was centered around readiness to play redball cricketThe Harbhajanled camp which happened last week was all about sharpening skills and sharing tactical insights with the pool of offspinners in the country Mumbaiâs offspin allrounder Tanush Kotian his teammate Himanshu Singh and Madhya Pradesh offspinner Saransh Jain were a part of the specialized camp led by Harbhajan Zaheer was part of the Indian team winning the 2002 Champions Trophy jointly with Sri Lanka and the 2011 ODI World Cup where he was also the joint highest wickettaker Harbhajan meanwhile was a member of the Indian team winning the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/bcci-hosts-fielding-coaches-workshop-at-coe-laxman-dilip-address-participants--667071.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 19:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/debutante-reyneke-hits-last-ball-six-to-seal-thrilling-odi-win-for-sa-over-nz-667074.html Christchurch March 29 Kayla Reyneke struck a lastball six on her ODI debut to seal a dramatic twowicket victory for South Africa over New Zealand in the series opener at the Hagley Oval on Sunday Player of the Match Kayla finished unbeaten on 42 off 32 balls and guided the Proteas home after Ayabonga Khakaâs careerbest 656 had restricted the hosts to 268 Annerie Dercksen topscored with 72 from 93 deliveries while Sune Luus added 53 which kept the chase alive before Kayla took them home New Zealand asked to bat first under overcast skies were being led to safety by Georgia Plimmer 28 and Amelia Kerr 36 before Khaka and Chloe Tryon struck in quick succession to reduce the home side to 1124 after 28 overs Maddy Green anchored the innings with her 10th halfcentury sharing an 80run stand with Izzy Gaze 37 and later adding 92 runs with Jess Kerr 24 in the final overs Khaka returned to claim four late wickets as the White Ferns were bowled out in the 50th overSouth Africaâs reply faltered early as Jess Kerr and Bree Illing removed Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt to leave the visitors at 302 in six overs Annerie and Sune rebuilt with a 123run partnership but New Zealand hit back through Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr who dismissed the set batters in successive overs along with Sinalo Jafta and Chloe falling cheaplyAt 1906 the chase looked in trouble but Nadine de Klerk 39 combined with Kayla to add 48 runs before Rosemary Mairâs late strikes left the match finely poised With 22 needed off the final 13 balls Kayla along with Tumi Sekhukhune six not out cleared the ropes twice in the last over including on the final delivery to hand South Africa a thrilling win and a 10 lead in the threegame seriesBrief Scores New Zealand 268 Maddy Green 85 Izzy Gaze 37 Ayabonga Khaka 656 lost to South Africa 2698 Annerie Dercksen 72 Sune Luus 53 Amelia Kerr 231 by two wickets IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/debutante-reyneke-hits-last-ball-six-to-seal-thrilling-odi-win-for-sa-over-nz-667074.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 19:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/peace-prosperity-amp-enabling-conditions-made-jampk-world-class-destination-l-g-sinha-667080.html Jammu March 29 Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor LG Manoj Sinha said on Sunday that peace prosperity and enabling conditions have made the Union Territory a destination for world class events LG Sinha said that the Jammu Marathon symbolises the profound transformation which Jammu and Kashmir has embraced since 2019Peace prosperity and enabling conditions have made the Union Territory a destination for worldclass events Its dream realised at last as after seven decades Jammu and Kashmir claims its rightful place on the global stage he addedHe was speaking at the felicitation ceremony of Jammu Marathon at the Maulana Azad Stadium in JammuThe firstever International Half Marathon in Jammu organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism department featuring 21 km 10 km and 5 km race categories witnessed the participation of more than 3000 runners from across the country and abroadTerming the Jammu Marathon as a historic milestone the LG said that Jammu has firmly established itself on the global running map He added that the success of the mega event promises a surge in tourism to the enchanting city of Jammu benefiting trade and businesses and heralding an era of comprehensive developmentI see the marathon as the one event where runners dont worry about trophies rankings or medals They just think about the next step And thats the biggest lesson from a marathon Jammu and Kashmir itself embodies this principle Since 2019 we have advanced one step at a time crafting a new identity for this Union TerritoryWe have transformed it into a hub of peace and prosperity now capable of hosting international marathons cricket tournaments and even international events LG Sinha saidHe recalled that when the Union government first conceived the Kashmir Marathon in December 2023 meeting the goal wasnt just to organise a race but it envisioned a new Jammu and Kashmir announcing its arrival on the global sporting stageUnder the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji Jammu and Kashmir is now showcasing its boundless tourism potential on the world map the LG addedHe said that longawaited dreams and aspirations are becoming a realityThrough Jammu Marathon the participants have not only discovered new experiences within themselves but also witnessed the profound changes sweeping Jammu and Kashmir he addedHe said that furled by the citizens unyielding resolve Jammu and Kashmir is setting new benchmarks in developmentThe renewed resolve taking root in our sporting arena I am especially delighted that in pursuit of Fit India we are also igniting a new sporting revolution in Jammu and Kashmir LG Sinha addedSatish Sharma Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Youth Services and Sports Atal Dulloo Chief Secretary Ashish Chandra Verma Additional Chief Secretary of Tourism Department Ramesh Kumar Divisional Commissioner Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti IGP Jammu and senior officials of civil and police administration were presentFilm actors Milind Soman and Gul Panag prominent citizens sportspersons and youth in large number also attended the felicitation ceremony IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/peace-prosperity-amp-enabling-conditions-made-jampk-world-class-destination-l-g-sinha-667080.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 19:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/peace-prosperity-amp-enabling-conditions-made-jampk-a-world-class-destination-l-g-sinha-667081.html Jammu March 29 Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor LG Manoj Sinha said on Sunday that peace prosperity and enabling conditions have made the Union Territory a destination for world class events LG Sinha said that the Jammu Marathon symbolises the profound transformation which Jammu and Kashmir has embraced since 2019Peace prosperity and enabling conditions have made the Union Territory a destination for worldclass events Its dream realised at last as after seven decades Jammu and Kashmir claims its rightful place on the global stage he addedHe was speaking at the felicitation ceremony of Jammu Marathon at the Maulana Azad Stadium in JammuThe firstever International Half Marathon in Jammu organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism department featuring 21 km 10 km and 5 km race categories witnessed the participation of more than 3000 runners from across the country and abroadTerming the Jammu Marathon as a historic milestone the LG said that Jammu has firmly established itself on the global running mapHe added that the success of the mega event promises a surge in tourism to the enchanting city of Jammu benefiting trade and businesses and heralding an era of comprehensive developmentI see the marathon as the one event where runners dont worry about trophies rankings or medals They just think about the next step And thats the biggest lesson from a marathon Jammu and Kashmir itself embodies this principle Since 2019 we have advanced one step at a time crafting a new identity for this Union TerritoryWe have transformed it into a hub of peace and prosperity now capable of hosting international marathons cricket tournaments and even international events LG Sinha saidHe recalled that when the Union government first conceived the Kashmir Marathon in December 2023 meeting the goal wasnt just to organise a race but it envisioned a new Jammu and Kashmir announcing its arrival on the global sporting stageUnder the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji Jammu and Kashmir is now showcasing its boundless tourism potential on the world map the LG addedHe said that longawaited dreams and aspirations are becoming a realityThrough Jammu Marathon the participants have not only discovered new experiences within themselves but also witnessed the profound changes sweeping Jammu and Kashmir he addedHe said that furled by the citizens unyielding resolve Jammu and Kashmir is setting new benchmarks in developmentThe renewed resolve taking root in our sporting arena I am especially delighted that in pursuit of Fit India we are also igniting a new sporting revolution in Jammu and Kashmir LG Sinha addedSatish Sharma Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Youth Services and Sports Atal Dulloo Chief Secretary Ashish Chandra Verma Additional Chief Secretary of Tourism Department Ramesh Kumar Divisional Commissioner Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti IGP Jammu and senior officials of civil and police administration were presentFilm actors Milind Soman and Gul Panag prominent citizens sportspersons and youth in large number also attended the felicitation ceremony IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/peace-prosperity-amp-enabling-conditions-made-jampk-a-world-class-destination-l-g-sinha-667081.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 19:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/basketball-nba-seeks-to-tackle-tanking-problem-with-draft-lottery-changes-666938.html Los Angeles March 28 The National Basketball Association NBA is weighing significant changes to its draft lottery system amid growing concern that some teams are intentionally losing games to improve their chances of securing top picks a practice known as tanking that the league believes undermines competitive integrity and erodes fan trust According to reports from local news outlets on Friday the NBAs Board of Governors was presented this week with three draft lottery reform proposals All three concepts would expand the number of teams eligible for the lottery and flatten the odds thereby reducing the advantage of finishing at the bottom of the standingsNone of the proposals has been finalised and team owners are expected to debate and potentially combine elements before a vote anticipated in May the reports said noting the leagues commitment to addressing the tanking problem reports XinhuaWe are going to fix it NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told reporters earlier this month adding that distinguishing between deliberate losing and legitimate rebuilding has become increasingly difficultThe issue has gained urgency as league executives project the 2026 draft class to be one of the strongest in recent years increasing the incentive for struggling teams to finish with the worst possible recordUnder the current system teams with poorer records are assigned higher odds in the draft lottery a structure designed to help weaker franchises rebuild but one that critics say encourages noncompetitive play late in the seasonThe proposals disclosed by several media outlets on Friday are described as significant complex and potentially controversialThe first proposal would expand the lottery to include 18 teams the 10 teams that miss the postseason and the eight teams that qualify for the PlayIn Tournament Under this plan the bottom 10 teams would receive equal odds while PlayIn teams would share the remaining chances in descending order All 18 draft positions would be determined by lottery rather than regularseason recordLeague officials said the approach would make finishing last less advantageous and reduce incentives for extreme losing Critics however warned that it could allow midtier teams to benefit nearly as much as genuinely struggling franchises potentially leaving some teams without a clear path to improvementThe second proposal would further expand the lottery to 22 teams by including four teams eliminated in the first round of the playoffs It would also rank teams based on their combined win totals over the previous two seasons rather than a single year A minimum win threshold would be introduced to prevent teams from being rewarded for severe declinesSupporters argued that such a system would discourage longterm tanking strategies Opponents countered that playoffcalibre teams affected by injuries or shortterm downturns could still be rewarded with high picks raising concerns about fairness and competitive balanceThe third concept known internally as the fivebyfive double lottery would retain an 18team field but alter how odds are distributed The five worst teams would share identical odds for the top pick with one lottery determining the top five selections and a second lottery sorting the remaining teams No bottomfive team could fall lower than 10th overallThe proposal is intended to discourage a race to the bottom while protecting weaker teams from dramatic draft declines However some executives have expressed concern that consistently underperforming teams could struggle to rebuild if they repeatedly miss out on toptier selectionsSilver has said the league must strike a balance between discouraging intentional losing and preserving legitimate rebuilding efforts particularly for smallmarket teams He also acknowledged that increasing the systems complexity could create new challenges if fans find it difficult to understand how draft positions are determined If the lottery becomes too complicated the league risks solving one problem while creating anotherMeanwhile some observers believe that no changes to the draft lottery rules can fully eliminate the tanking problem noting that more than maybe any other team sport one elite basketball player can change everything making it worthwhile for teams to do whatever it takes to secure a top prospectUltimately none of these proposals will completely stop tanking The next time there is a Cade Cunningham or Anthony Edwards or Cooper Flagg or especially a generational player like Victor Wembanyama in a draft teams will do anything and everything to maximise their chances in that lottery NBC Sports said Friday IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/basketball-nba-seeks-to-tackle-tanking-problem-with-draft-lottery-changes-666938.html Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/wiaa-womens-car-rally-to-valley-2026-flags-off-from-mumbai-with-over-200-participants-666941.html Mumbai March 28 The WIAA Womens Car Rally to Valley 2026 was flagged off from NSCI Mumbai on Saturday in a ceremony that blended the energy of a carnival with the conviction of a movement Over 200 women participants were part of the rally with vehicles decorated around themes such as womens empowerment cancer awareness gender equality and many more before setting off on the route towards KhopoliThe rally was flagged off by Nitin Dossa Chairman Western India Automobile Association WIAA along with JK Tyre officials with the atmosphere at NSCI alive well before engines firedParticipants arrived in themed attire vehicles adorned to match their chosen causes and families and supporters lining the start giving the occasion the feel of a festivalThe rally follows the TimeSpeedDistance TSD format where precision consistency and teamwork take precedence over speed Unlike conventional races the TSD format rewards accuracy and strategic pacing as contestants navigate out of Mumbai onto the hilly roads covering approximately 125 km before reaching the Novotel Imagicaa hotel making it as much a test of strategy and precision as of driving skillSrinivasu Allaphan Director Sales amp Marketing JK Tyre amp Industries said âFor over a decade we have been committed to encouraging womenâs participation in motorsport and the JK TyreâWIAA Womenâs Car Rally to Valley stands as a testament to that vision Now a marquee event the rally celebrates the spirit of motorsport while championing important social causes We are encouraged by the strong enthusiasm of the participants as we continue to build greater awareness around road safetyâOrganised by the Western India Automobile Association WIAA a 107yearold nonprofit organisation committed to safe mobility road safety awareness environmental sustainability and policy advocacy the rally has evolved beyond a competitive motorsport event into a vibrant platform celebrating womanhood and resilience while amplifying the urgent need for womens safety on roads This years edition carried forward those values with renewed force echoing the global road safety campaigns of CommitToLife and BeSafeBeStrongOver the years JK Tyre has built a strong and consistent presence in Indian motorsport and has championed the cause of promoting women in motorsport through their various initiatives curated specially for women The companys association with the WIAA Womens Car Rally to Valley reflects its belief that motorsport can be a powerful platform for change both on and off the road IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/wiaa-womens-car-rally-to-valley-2026-flags-off-from-mumbai-with-over-200-participants-666941.html Sat, 28 Mar 2026 15:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ben-stokes-return-to-cricket-delayed-further-after-cheekbone-injury-surgery-666958.html New Delhi March 28 England captain Ben Stokes has confirmed that his return to competitive cricket has been delayed until May due to complications from a cheekbone injury The 34yearold allrounder who was hit by a ball during a training session with Durhamâs academy players in early February underwent surgery a week later to repair the fractured cheekbone Stokes had originally intended to return during Durhamâs County Championship opening game against Kent this Friday However the club is still waiting for final medical approval from specialists Durhams head coach Ryan Campbell suggested that Stokes probably wont play until the matches against Worcestershire on May 8 and then against Kent at Beckenham on May 15 If Stokes is unable to return before then those games could represent his only redball action before Englands first Test of the summer against New Zealand which begins on June 4Campbell described the injury as a close call âThe incident could have been horrific So so much worse than what you think A couple of centimetres a different way it hits him in the eye and it could have been different The ball was hit so hard We are just lucky he got away with itâ he was quoted by the BBCStokes has not played since Englands disappointing Ashes campaign during which he was hindered by an adductor injury that he sustained in the penultimate Test in Sydney Despite the series loss Stokes remains Englandâs captain and both coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key have retained their positionsReflecting on his leadership Stokes described the last few months as âthe hardest periodâ of his tenure but voiced confidence in the current coaching regime backing them to steer the team forwardâHe has been training so hard to be ready He has a lot to prove You dont have to be a rocket scientist to know the Ashes didnt go so well and he is a proud man who wants England to be the best team in the world He as a professional is working at getting it right and ready to goâ he added In addition to his redball duties Stokes has expressed his intention to play in this summers OneDay Cup for Durham While the competition runs concurrently with The Hundredâwhere county sides typically field secondstring playersâStokes decision to opt out of the T20 tournament and his absence from Englands whiteball squad means that the OneDay Cup will offer him a chance to play limitedovers cricket between the Test seriesStokes has not participated in 50over cricket since Englands 2023 World Cup campaign in India and has not featured in the OneDay Cup for Durham since 2014 Following the conclusion of the New Zealand Test series in late June England will take on Pakistan in a threematch Test series starting on August 19 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ben-stokes-return-to-cricket-delayed-further-after-cheekbone-injury-surgery-666958.html Sat, 28 Mar 2026 17:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/late-goals-send-bolivia-into-fifa-wc-playoff-final-666783.html Mexico City March 27 Moises Paniagua and Miguel Terceros struck late as Bolivia edged closer to its first World Cup appearance in 32 years with a 21 victory over Suriname in their interconfederation playoff semifinal Liam van Gelderen had given Suriname the lead just after halftime at BBVA Stadium when he toepoked home after a scramble inside the sixyard boxBolivia equalised in the 72nd minute through Paniagua who pounced on a loose ball and finished clinically into the bottomright cornerTerceros completed the turnaround seven minutes later by converting from the penalty spot after Juan Godoy was brought down by Myenty AbenaThe result means Bolivia will meet Iraq in Tuesdays decisive playoff at the same venue Iraq has not qualified for the World Cup finals since 1986 while Bolivia is bidding for its first appearance since the 1994 edition in the United StatesFootballs showpiece tournament will be played in the United States Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19 Meanwhile Bosnia and Herzegovina and Czechia rallied to win dramatic shootouts and move one step closer to FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification Both trailed in normal time and on penalties against Wales and Ireland respectivelyBosnia and Herzegovina will play Italy who sunk Northern Ireland in Zenica for a ticket to North America while Czechia will welcome rampant Denmark to PragueElsewhere Viktor Gyokeres hit a hattrick as Sweden saw off Ukraine in their Path B semifinal They will now host Poland who came from behind to see off Albania Kosovo and Turkiye for their part will collide in Pristina in the Path C deciderElsewhere Viktor Gyokeres hit a hattrick as Sweden saw off Ukraine in their Path B semifinal They will now host Poland who came from behind to see off Albania Kosovo and Turkiye for their part will collide in Pristina in the Path C decider IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/late-goals-send-bolivia-into-fifa-wc-playoff-final-666783.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/sabalenka-sets-summit-clash-with-home-favourite-gauff-in-miami-666787.html Miami March 27 Aryna Sabalenka scored a dominant straightsets 64 63 victory in Miami semifinal against Elena Rybakina and moved one win away from the coveted Sunshine Double The win her 10th in their tourleading 17 WTA Tour sends her to a second straight final in Miami Coincidentally Sabalenka is the first player to reach consecutive Miami Open finals since Rybakina in 2023 and 2024 and the first to do so as World No 1 since Serena Williams from 2013 to 2015At 45 in the opening set Sabalenka as champions do broke Rybakina with a combination punch of a crosscourt backhand followed by a ferocious overheadSet two was more routine with a dominant 40 start until Sabalenka eventually served it out at love ending with a Tserve followed with a howitzer crosscourt forehand Sabalenka roared and signed the camera lens with her nickname âTigerâSabalenka is the fourth player this century to reach the final at her first four WTA events of a season joining Martina Hingis 2001 Serena Williams 2003 and Victoria Azarenka 2012Sabalenka will face anlther prominent rival Coco Gauff who after conceding an early break went on to win 12 of the final 13 games against Karolina Muchova 61 61 to enter firstever Miami Open finalIf she wants to go one step further and claim backtoback titles at the event while becoming the first player to complete the Sunshine Double since Iga Swiatek in 2022 Sabalenka will look to replicate what she did against RybakinaGauff has faced Sabalenka 12 times most recently at the Madrid final Roland Garros final and WTA Finals Riyadh group stage all in 2025 with the American winning in France Sabalenka and Gauff are level at six wins apiece IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/sabalenka-sets-summit-clash-with-home-favourite-gauff-in-miami-666787.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/focus-will-be-on-virat-aakash-chopra-backs-kohli-for-stellar-ipl-season-over-dhoni-and-rohit-666798.html New Delhi March 27 Former India opener Aakash Chopra has backed Virat Kohli to be the standout performer in IPL 2026 ahead of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma citing the righthanded batterâs fitness and consistency as decisive factors Kohli played a pivotal role in RCBs titlewinning campaign last year scoring 657 runs at a strike rate of 14471 and an average of 5475 including eight fifties âThe focus will be on Virat Kohli again because the guy is so fit Yes there are gaps between series and he felt the pinch of those gaps in Australia but once he started scoring runs he found a way to be super consistent for monthsâSo the kind of fitness that he has achieved over a period of time makes him the best suited also because he is an opener So he has more time to work himself into form The same is true for Rohit Sharma as well but between the two of them I still feel Virat Kohli has it a little easier just because of himself That is the price he has to pay for the kind of fitness and legacy he has builtâ said Chopra on JioStarHe also explained why Dhoni may find it tough to hit the ground running in IPL 2026 âIt is a little difficult for Dhoni as well because he is on the wrong side of 40 For him to not play anything for 10 months turn up for the IPL and switch on and also play at a number where he gets only 1012 balls is the toughest thing to do Then there are also 20 overs of keeping so his job is perhaps the toughestâChopra further noted that Rohit is expected to continue his aggressive approach at the top of the order and set the tone for other Mumbai Indians batters to get going âWhen you are part of the batting order that the Mumbai Indians have it is mandatory to set the tone for Rohit Sharma Rohit does want to bat a certain way He has already made his opinion very publicBut if you are part of a setup where there is Quinton de Kock at the other end followed by Tilak Surya Hardik Will Jacks or Sherfane Rutherford and then Naman Dhir what else is the option You need to maximise the 20 overs which basically means maximising the first six oversSo yes Rohit would be expected to bat the same way see the ball hit the ball that is what I am thinking for the entire Mumbai Indians setup unless the pitch is asking you to play a slightly different brand of cricket he concluded IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/focus-will-be-on-virat-aakash-chopra-backs-kohli-for-stellar-ipl-season-over-dhoni-and-rohit-666798.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/every-day-is-embarrassing-day-for-indian-football-fans-explode-after-disrespectful-kochi-stadium-standoff-666800.html Kochi March 27 In a move that has left fans and stakeholders reeling Indian football has stumbled into yet another administrative nightmare On Thursday an embarrassing standoff unfolded at Kochis Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium JLN when Indian mens football team head coach Khalid Jamil and several players were reportedly denied entry to the premises The sight of a national team coach being turned away from the venue has ignited a firestorm of criticism across social media with fans labelling the incident a national disgraceThe incident which occurred ahead of Indiaâs AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong saw Jamil and a few players turned away from the stadium due to an alleged payment dispute between the Kerala Football Association and stadium authorities forcing the prematch press conference to be called off Indian football fans reacted strongly to the incident with many calling the episode a new low for Indian football One user wrote Football is a global sport we need to fix our footballing ecosystemâ look at the revenue it generates globally and at the country levelâ highlighting the contrast between Indiaâs potential and its administrative lapsesAnother fan termed the situation disrespectful One user wrote âEvery day is an embarrassing day for Indian footballâ on X reflecting growing frustration among supportersThe strongest reactions came from Keralabased fans traditionally considered among the most passionate football followers in the country âAs a Keralite this is shameful hurting For the love we give to the game this is not what we deserveâ you shouldnât play with the pride of the nationâ read one post on X directly calling out the authorities involved According to reports the Greater Cochin Development Authority GCDA demanded a security deposit of Rs 2025 lakh and an additional Rs 3 lakh as rent to make the stadium accessible again GCDA officials refused entry without full payment while the KFA requested more timeAll India Football Federation AIFF had issued a statement on the incident and confirmed that the match will go as scheduled The All India Football Federation AIFF would like to clarify that the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Final Round match between India and Hong Kong China scheduled to be played in Kochi will proceed as planned it saidWe remain in constant coordination with the Kerala Football Association KFA regarding the arrangements for the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium We have full faith that the formalities will be completed by the Kerala Football Association with the local authoritiesAs per the operational timeline the stadium is required to come under the control of the match operations team from Matchday2 March 29 and we are confident that all necessary procedures will be completed within the stipulated timeframeThe AIFF appreciates the cooperation of all stakeholders and looks forward to successfully hosting the match in Kochi it addedIndia has already been ruled out of the qualification for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 The final round match against Hong Kong will serve as preparation for the future IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/every-day-is-embarrassing-day-for-indian-football-fans-explode-after-disrespectful-kochi-stadium-standoff-666800.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/nicola-carey-aims-for-womens-t20-wc-spot-after-return-to-australian-set-up-666806.html St Kitts March 27 Australiaâs seambowling allrounder Nicola Carey is aiming to seal a place in the squad for the 2026 ICC Womenâs T20 World Cup to be played in England from June 12 to July 5 after making a return to the national side on the ongoing tour of West Indies Nicola played key roles in Australiaâs triumphs at the 2020 T20 World Cup and 2022 ODI World Cup before turning down a Cricket Australia CA contract due to lack of game time Three years after that Nicola was recalled during the recent home series against India and was retained for the tour to the CaribbeanI obviously havent been here for a while but coming back in theres a lot of familiar faces which is always nice When youâre out of it you sit back and think I donât know how they do it not being at home that often But when youâre in it you just do it Itâs quite fun being around the group Nicola was quoted as saying by ICC on FridayWith the T20 World Cup looming Nicola admitted playing in the tournament is a major motivational factor for her Itâs a massive tournament Everyone here would want to be a part of that Thatâs the carrot dangling at the end of this Everyoneâs trying to put their best foot forward Iâm sure weâll find out soonâ she saidAustralia won the T20I series 30 and now turn their attention to the ODIs against the West Indies their final assignment before the T20 World Cup takes place The absence of Annabel Sutherland rested to manage her workload has opened opportunities for others including NicolaBelsey is massive for this team and when you take her out that sort of leaves a couple of gaps both batting and bowling Thereâs that many allrounders floating around so I guess thatâs opportunities for different people to step upâIts been nice to sort of try different things and open the bowling You havent done a lot of that even back home so its been cool to experience different things within this teamâ said NicolaReflecting on the teamâs transition from T20Is to ODIs Nicola signed off by saying Australiaâs plans were coming together Itâs nice to change up the location here in St Kitts obviously coming off the back of those three T20IsThereâs a fair bit we can take out of that We had a lot of discussion around how we wanted to go about it I think we saw that come to fruition which was really pleasing to seeâ she concluded IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/nicola-carey-aims-for-womens-t20-wc-spot-after-return-to-australian-set-up-666806.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 14:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/slc-to-hold-egm-in-april-with-new-playing-conditions-for-domestic-competition-as-key-agenda-report-666821.html New Delhi March 27 Sri Lanka Cricket SLC will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting EGM on April 6 with a set of resolutions set to be tabled before members for approval said a report According to SLC Secretary Bandula Dissanayake a few tweaks to the constitution will be up for discussion at the EGM The headline item on the agenda will be the introduction of new playing conditions for SLCconducted domestic tournamentsAt present promotion and relegation in the top two domestic competitions are decided purely on performances in the threeday format But SLC is now looking to level the playing field aiming to give all three formats equal relevanceWe want to make whiteball cricket more competitive Dissanayake told Telecom Asia Sport What we have seen is teams loading up for the threeday competition and then taking their foot off the pedal when the oneday tournament comes around By June several players head to England for league cricket which leaves the whiteball competitions shortchangedââThis is part of a longterm blueprint to ensure we are producing players who can hold their own in whiteball cricketâ he addedUnder the proposed system performances across all three formats will count towards promotion and relegation rather than just the redball gameHowever the longer format will still carry the most weight 51 per cent while the oneday competition will account for 25 per cent and T20s for 24 per centIn whiteball tournaments where knockout stages come into play quarterfinalists and semifinalists will earn equal points â a move aimed at rewarding consistency and reducing format biasAt the business end the side finishing with the lowest tally will be relegated In the event of a tie on points threeday performances will serve as the tiebreaker underlining the continued importance of the traditional formatSLC has been actively working to streamline domestic cricket in recent years The FirstClass scene resembled an overcrowded outfield with 24 teams holding status The introduction of a relegation system has since reduced the number of teams with underperforming sides losing FirstClass statusEven traditional heavyweights like SSC boasting a squad full of Sri Lanka internationals found themselves relegated last season However they bounced back immediately to regain their FirstClass status IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/slc-to-hold-egm-in-april-with-new-playing-conditions-for-domestic-competition-as-key-agenda-report-666821.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/kitg-2026-monikha-sonowal-a-masons-daughter-overcame-pain-barrier-self-doubts-to-clinch-weightlifting-gold-666823.html Raipur March 27 âPerhaps heâs busy at the construction siteâ Monikha Sonowal quipped as she tried calling her father again Moments earlier Monikha had clinched the gold medal in the womenâs 48kg weightlifting category at the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 here and wanted to convey the news to her father Padmadhar Sonowal a mason who spends long days at construction sites to support his family of four and has been the 19yearoldâs biggest supporter in her sporting journey Elder of the two siblings Monikha hails from Batghoria Penbeni Chowk a small and largely unnoticed locality in Assamâs Dhemaji district located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River and situated approximately 425 kms away from Guwahati Life there moves at a quiet unhurried pace and for most families in the village dreams rarely stretch beyond family responsibilities and making ends meet But for Monikha the sound of barbells inside a weightlifting hall became the soundtrack of a dream that refused to stay small Despite limited resources her curiosity towards the sport gradually transformed into a passion inspired by the global success of Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu from neighbouring ManipurAnd on Thursday that dream transformed into a moment of national glory as she battled a knee injury to clinch the first weightlifting gold medal of the Games capping off the hard work she had been putting ever since she took up the sport a few years agoA major turning point in her journey came two years ago when she joined Sports Authority of Indiaâs National Centre of Excellence NCOE in Itanagar âThe NCOE Itanagar gave me everything an athlete from a small village like mine could only dream of Proper training nutrition and guidance along with injury management Without that support reaching this level would have been very difficultâ said Monikha who belongs to the Kachari TribeHer progress since then has been steady Monikha won gold at the School Nationals in 2023 followed by a silver medal at the Khelo India ASMITA League in Sambalpur Odisha in 2024 In 2025 she secured a bronze medal at the State Championships in Tezpur and finished eighth at the InterUniversity Championships in ChandigarhBut the road to her latest triumph was far from smooth For the past three months Monikha a BA secondsemester student at Dhemaji City College had been struggling with a right knee injury sustained during training Concerned about aggravating the problem her coaches advised her to skip the Khelo India Tribal Games But the 19yearold weightlifter could not bring herself to stay away Monika chose to compete and fight through the painâMy coaches were worried about my knee and told me it might be better to restâ she recalled âBut opportunities like the Khelo India Tribal Games donât come often I didnât want to miss competing on such a big stageâI want to keep improving and represent India one day This gold is just the beginningâ Monikha added IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/kitg-2026-monikha-sonowal-a-masons-daughter-overcame-pain-barrier-self-doubts-to-clinch-weightlifting-gold-666823.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/psl-turns-into-a-colour-chaos-akmal-says-kits-dyed-at-dupatta-gali-fans-upset-with-poor-quality-broadcast-666827.html New Delhi March 27 As the 2026 Pakistan Super League PSL opening match between the Lahore Qalandars and the Hyderabad Kingsmen unfolded at Gaddafi Stadium all eyes briefly shifted from the players to the ball itself which mysteriously began to take on a pink hue It appeared when fielders were polishing the ball against their clothing to preserve its shine it led to an unusual complication the maroon pigment from the Hyderabad Kingsmenâs jerseys began transferring onto the white ball turning it into pinkThe clips from the incident quickly made social media light up with jokes memes and playful theories as former cricketer Kamran Akmal poked fun at the bizarre sight saying it looked like the kits had been dyed at some local dupatta colouring shopI genuinely thought Hyderabad Kingsmen got their kits dyed at some dupatta lane back home the kind where they recolour white clothes for bargain rates Kamran Akmal on a YouTube channelA fan said Did they get knockoff kits instead of authentic ones International league or gullylevel experimentA user said Spent all the money on buying the team i think A fan even raised serious concerns and said that the dye could cause skin cancer after making contact with players skin Think about the players skin Gonna contract skin cancer and getting treated with the PSL moneyAnother user wrote Very tough competition between third class quality of bowling and kitFollowing the Lahore Qalandars victory the Hyderabad Kingsmen took to X to offer a witty acknowledgement of the days mishap The franchise congratulated their opponents on winning what they jokingly dubbed the first pinkball game in PSLCongratulations to the opposition on winning their first pinkball game the franchises official account postedNot only that but after 4K video resolution was promoted many viewers expressed dissatisfaction over the broadcasts poor quality citing shaky cameras and fuzzy footage Additionally a lot of people complained about the audio and video being out of syncAfter watching the opening match of the Pakistan Super League the fan experience feels really disappointing Poor camera quality weak branding and subpar audio production it just doesnât match the standard fans expect We deserve better a fan saidCamera work is very ordinary Stream should be bit brighter very dull colour a fan wrote on X IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/psl-turns-into-a-colour-chaos-akmal-says-kits-dyed-at-dupatta-gali-fans-upset-with-poor-quality-broadcast-666827.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/two-time-olympic-bronze-medallist-gurjant-singh-announces-retirement-from-international-hockey-666829.html New Delhi March 27 Indian mens team forward Gurjant Singh has announced his retirement from international hockey at the Hockey India Awards ceremony held in New Delhi on Friday The 31yearold striker brings to a close a decorated career spanning nearly a decade 130 international caps and 33 goals leaving behind a legacy as a key figure in Indias modernday hockey revivalBorn on 26 January 1995 in Khailara Amritsar Gurjant rose through the junior ranks quickly catching the eye with his pace and sharp instincts He played a central role in one of Indian hockeys most celebrated moments the Junior World Cup triumph in Lucknow in 2016 After scoring in the final to secure the gold he made his senior international debut in 2017 and became a mainstay in the Indian attacking lineHis greatest achievements came on the Olympic stage where he was a vital part of the bronze medalwinning teams at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Away from the Olympics Gurjant helped India claim gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games gold at the 2017 Asia Cup and multiple Asian Champions Trophy titles In 2021 he was honoured with the Arjuna Award one of Indias highest sporting honoursAnnouncing his retirement Gurjant said It is with a mix of pride and deep emotion that I announce my retirement today I started my hockey journey by looking up to the seniors sitting in this room and to have fulfilled my dream of playing for India alongside them is something I will always treasureI feel incredibly satisfied to have been part of the historical revival of Indian hockey and to have achieved two Olympic medals Beyond the trophies the biggest memory I take with me is the time spent with my teammates We lived like a family supporting each other through all the ups and downs I want to thank Hockey India for giving me such a respectful farewell I leave the international stage a very happy and proud manHockey India president Dilip Tirkey paid tribute to Gurjants contribution saying Gurjant Singh has been a vital part of Indias hockey story for nearly a decade His pace his energy and his ability to score in big moments made him a player opponents always feared He represented his country with great pride and we thank him for everything he has given to Indian hockeyHockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh added Gurjants journey from the fields of Punjab to two Olympic podiums is an inspiration for every young player in this country His dedication over so many years is a testament to his character and his legacy will inspire generations to comeGurjant leaves the international stage with two Olympic bronze medals an Asian Games gold and a place among Indias finest modernday forwards His story from a small village in Amritsar to the worlds biggest stages is one that Indian hockey will not forget IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/two-time-olympic-bronze-medallist-gurjant-singh-announces-retirement-from-international-hockey-666829.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/miami-open-fils-lehecka-secure-thrilling-victories-to-reach-sf-666671.html Miami March 26 Rising French star Arthur Fils delivered a stunning comeback to edge past American Tommy Paul in a quarterfinal at the Miami Open saving four match points to win 673 764 766 and secure his place in his first ATP Masters 1000 semifinal In a contest lasting two hours and 47 minutes the 21yearold Frenchman showed composure under pressure rallying from 26 in the finalset tiebreak by winning six straight points to produce one of the most dramatic wins of the season But Fils managed to prevail without breaking Paulâs serve at any pointSeeded 28th Fils maintained an aggressive style throughout hitting the ball with increasing power as the match wore on This victory marked a major breakthrough for the young player who had previously lost all four of his ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal matches including a recent exit at Indian Wells With this win he became the youngest French semifinalist at this level since Richard Gasquet reached the semifinals in Paris in 2007 at the age of 21Fils will next face the Czech player Jiri Lehecka whom he leads 21 in their headtohead record Their most recent encounter was in Doha earlier this year where the Frenchman won in straight setsLehecka advanced to the last four with a 761 75 victory over Spainâs Martin Landaluce ending the impressive run of the 20yearold qualifier Landaluce the lowestranked quarterfinalist at the tournament since 1994 also became the first player born in 2006 or later to reach the last eight of a Masters 1000 eventDespite a spirited effort Landaluce struggled to convert opportunities while Lehecka elevated his level in key moments especially in the final stages of both sets The Czech created 10 breakpoint chances compared to just one for his opponent eventually taking advantage late in the second set to seal victory in two hours and two minutesThis run at Miami marks Leheckaâs second Masters 1000 semifinal he previously reached the same stage in Madrid in 2024 before retiring due to injury against Felix AugerAliassimeWith his performances this week Lehecka has climbed six spots to World No 16 in the live rankings matching his careerhigh Meanwhile Landaluce is set to rise 48 places to No 103 following a breakthrough campaign that included wins over three Top50 players IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/miami-open-fils-lehecka-secure-thrilling-victories-to-reach-sf-666671.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/keen-to-play-all-three-formats-we-can-make-it-work-says-cummins-on-workload-and-commitments-666678.html New Delhi March 26 Australia captain Pat Cummins has acknowledged the growing strain between international commitments and franchise cricket warning that the balance may become harder to sustain for future players even as he remains determined to represent Australia across all formats for as long as possible Several of Cumminsâ longtime teammates including Steve Smith Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis have already stepped away from ODIs while Mitchell Starc has given up T20Is in an effort to extend their careers Cummins however is still committed to playing all three formats even if that requires carefully managed rest periodsStill very keen to play all three formats and at the moment I think we can make it work I love Test cricket Hopefully Im in a cadence where I can keep doing that for three four five years and dont have to forgo Test cricket Cummins told the Business of Sport podcastDespite ongoing back concerns Cummins has maintained a strong presence in Test cricket missing just two matches in a packed schedule between mid2023 and the start of the recent home summer At the same time he has largely stepped back from whiteball internationals since Australiaâs recent World Cup campaignsBeyond the IPL Cumminsâ global franchise footprint is expanding He has already signed a longterm deal with a Major League Cricket team and expressed interest in eventually featuring in Englandâs Hundred competition These commitments highlight the financial and professional pull of franchise leagues worldwideReflecting on the broader landscape Cummins admitted the sport is approaching a critical junctureI think its at a tension point It has been for a while but I think its only growing As each of these franchise leagues get well capitalised get more sophisticated â some of these Indian franchise owners are now branching out and owning different leaguesâsHe noted that while countries like Australia and England continue to draw strong crowds and attention for Test cricket the same cannot be said universally creating uneven pressures across the global gameWhat we experience in Australia and in England is Test cricket is very well supported the Test summer has big crowds and a lot of attention Thats not the same for every other international side Every country has slightly different challenges As Australian captain something we speak about is how do we make sure weve got our best Australian guys to choose from when were picking a Test side or an ODI side because there is so much demand for them elsewhereEven the way we contract players and talk about whether we let players go or not has evolved a lot in the last five or so years because we donât want to lose them so youve got to give them a little more leash than maybe you did previouslyâ he addedCummins also pointed to a telling example later this year Australiaâs twoTest series against Bangladesh scheduled during the Hundred window Several Australian players are expected to forgo significant earnings to prioritise national duty a decision he believes may not always be the case in the futureThe interesting point is big Ashes series all the main guys want to play that series But for example during the Hundred this season weve got two Test matches against Bangladesh All our guys that will play in that Test series have opted out of going into the Hundred auction â but thats not going to be the case foreverSome of our guys are saying no to a half a million pounds for 20 days work to go and play those two Tests matches against Bangladesh â so I think it is a tension point This is the essence our guys are so keen to play for Australia that theyre happy to forgo that but I dont think we can just accept thats always going to be the case foreverâ he notedWhile acknowledging the financial rewards available to Australian internationals Cummins cautioned against assuming that loyalty to national teams will indefinitely outweigh the appeal of global leaguesIf youre playing all three formats in Australia youre very well compensatedâ he mentioned IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/keen-to-play-all-three-formats-we-can-make-it-work-says-cummins-on-workload-and-commitments-666678.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/read-the-speculations-and-smiled-lsg-owner-goenka-debunks-rumours-around-pants-captaincy-666684.html New Delhi March 26 Sanjiv Goenka owner of Lucknow Super Giants LSG dismissed rumours about Rishabh Pantâs captaincy following âfake reportsâ that suggested the wicketkeeperbatter was losing his leadership role at the franchise ahead of the Indian Premier League IPL 2026 season and wished the 28yearold luck for the tournament The LSG captain faced intense scrutiny for his subpar performances during IPL 2025 There were high hopes for the lefthanded player after he was bought for an impressive Rs 27 crores in last years mega auction but he could not rise to the occasion Ahead of the 19th edition of the tournament rumours about replacing him as captain began to circulateHowever Goenka debunked all such speculations and lauded his âcharacter and commitmentâ before wishing for him to have âa great seasonââHeading into the season I had read the speculations around RishabhPant17s captaincy and smiled Weâve spent enough time together to know his character and commitment Have a great season Capâ Goenka wrote in an X post on Thursday A similar news story surfaced during the IPL 2025 when Pant took control of the situation An X user suggested that Pant might be dropped before the 2026 IPL season because LSG owners believe his price is unjustified The LSG skipper responded to this user urging them to exercise some sensibility and credibility before spreading false narrativesI understand fake News gives more traction to content but letâs not build everything around it Little sense and credible news will help more rather making fake news with agenda Thanks have a good day Letâs be responsible and sensible what we put out on social mediaâ he had written on XPant scored only 269 runs in the 13 matches he played last season at a poor average of 2445 His form will be observed closely when LSG start their IPL 2026 campaign against the Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow their home ground on April 1 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/read-the-speculations-and-smiled-lsg-owner-goenka-debunks-rumours-around-pants-captaincy-666684.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/gulveer-singh-to-lead-indian-elite-field-at-world-10k-bengaluru-666686.html Bengaluru March 26 Gulveer Singh 10000m amp 5000m national record holder will lead the Indian elite field at the 18th edition of the World 10K Bengaluru scheduled to take place April 26 A World Athletics Gold Label Race carries a total prize purse of USD 210000 with USD 26000 awarded to the winners in the menâs and womenâs categories Indian elite athletes will also compete for top honours with Rs 3 lakh on offer for the top finishers with an additional Rs 1 lakh awarded for setting an event recordGulveer heads into the race in redhot form having finished third at the New York City Half Marathon earlier this month where he clocked 5942 which is the best timing for any Indian halfmarathon runner The national record holder in both the 10000m 270022 and 5000m 125977 Gulveer enjoyed a standout 2025 season winning both events at the Asian Athletics Championships He also set an event record of 11206 at the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata 2025âThe TCS World 10K Bengaluru is one of the most competitive road races in the country and Iâm excited to line up this year It will be a great opportunity to test myself again on the roads in Bengaluruâ said GulveerEarlier in the month organisers also announced a strong international elite lineup for the 18th edition of the race including the likes of Harbert Kibet of Uganda Kenyaâs Vincent Langat Ethiopiaâs Gemechu Dida and Eritreaâs Samuel HabteSpeaking about the quality of the field Gulveer said âThe TCS World 10K Bengaluru attracts some of the best international athletes every year Competing against such a strong field motivates Indian runners to push themselves harder and it can also inspire many young athletes in the country to take up runningâEvents like this are very important for the ecosystem especially in a year where we are focusing on the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games he added IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/gulveer-singh-to-lead-indian-elite-field-at-world-10k-bengaluru-666686.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/odisha-teenager-anjali-munda-turns-chance-selection-into-historic-gold-at-kitg-2026-666702.html Raipur March 26 In 2022 during a regular class when a sports teacher asked students to select different sports 11yearold Anjali Munda quietly raised her hand and chose swimming the only sport she knew Anjali comes from Gahiragadiya village in Odishaâs Jajpur district about 100 kilometres from Bhubaneswar She knew swimming as a fun activity that involved splashing water but she never received any formal training Anjali the youngest of four siblings whose father is a van driver at a local factory moved to the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences KISS at age 10 There tribal students from across the state receive free education and boarding She was initially inspired by her elder sister an archer However when the opportunity arose Anjali selected swimming as her preferred sport trusting her innate ease in the water Although it took her some time to develop the confidence to compete she has never looked back after winning a silver medal at a local club tournament a year laterâThe silver medal was the first in my life and is very special It gave me the confidence that I could do well in the sport I have to thank my coaches for believing in me and the effort that they put during my training sessionsâ said the 15yearold Anjali who became the first female gold medallist on the opening day of the inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games here on WednesdayIn fact if Anjali had not clocked 23902 to win the gold in the 200m freestyle Karnataka Indiaâs swimming powerhouse would have claimed all six gold medals available on the opening day Anjali emphasises that her upward trend is due to the Union Sports Ministryâs targeted initiatives such as the ASMITA League Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through ActionâIn 2024 I won two silver medals in the Khelo India ASMITA League held in Sambalpur I had finished within striking distances of the podium in the other two events The medals boosted my confidence further and I believed I could do well in the bigger tournamentsâ she addedAnjali continued to excel at the recent Khelo India ASMITA U15 amp U18 Swimming League East Zone held on March 21 and 22 in Guwahati where she won a couple of silver medals A few days afterwards Anjali brought that form to the first Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 in Raipur and secured her first national gold medal Although she achieved a landmark victory the Odisha teenager admitted she was not completely happy with her performance as she had hoped to surpass her personal best of 225 The young athlete is now aiming to beat her personal bests in the upcoming events specifically the womenâs 50m backstroke 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/odisha-teenager-anjali-munda-turns-chance-selection-into-historic-gold-at-kitg-2026-666702.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/where-talent-meets-opportunity-uncapped-debutants-who-are-ready-to-seize-ipl-2026-spotlight-666704.html New Delhi March 26 Since its inception in 2008 the Indian Premier League IPL has evolved into more than just a cricket tournament it embodies the intersection of talent ambition and opportunity The IPL trophy has an inscription on it in Sanskrit Yatra Pratibha Avsara Prapnotihi which translates to where talent meets opportunity The motto represents the tournaments purpose of providing a platform for talent to thrive The tournament throws up new talents every season IANS takes a look at uncapped debutants who are expected to make a mark in the leagueAuqib Nabi Dar Delhi CapitalsA swing bowler with impeccable line and length and the ability to move the ball both ways Aquib Nabi became the toast of the nation after two breathtaking Ranji Trophy seasons where he picked up 104 wickets across the 202425 and 202526 seasons He was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 840 crore at the auction his first bid at the IPL In the 202526 Ranji Trophy he finished as the seasons highest wickettaker 60 wickets in 17 innings at 1265 as Jammu and Kashmir won a historic maiden Ranji title Nabi was the architect of JampKs season and was named the player of the tournament Kartik Sharma Chennai Super KingsA serial sixhitter and wicketkeeper from Bharatpur in Rajasthan Kartik Sharma became the jointmost expensive uncapped Indian player at an IPL auction when Chennai Super Kings CSK scooped him up for Rs 142 crore He was the jointhighest sixhitter in the first phase of the 202526 Ranji season and the highest sixhitter in the 202425 Vijay Hazare Trophy After training with CSKs wider squad during IPL 2025 he broke into their main side for IPL 2026 Mangesh Yadav Royal Challengers BengaluruThe pivotal moment in his career occurred during the Madhya Pradesh T20 League when Mangesh took 14 wickets in six matches with an impressive average of 1200 After playing for Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket alongside RCB captain Rajat Patidar he finally received the longawaited call from Royal Challengers Bangalore when he was identified as a likeforlike replacement for Yash DayalMangesh can also pitch in with the bat down the order and though the sample size in domestic cricket is small RCBs scouting network believes that he is good enough to slot into RCBs XIIPrashant Veer Chennai Super KingsA leftarm spinner who can hit sixes down the order Prashant Veer caused a stir in the IPL 2026 auction and joined Kartik Sharma as the jointmost expensive uncapped Indian player when CSK snapped him up for Rs 142 croreAfter impressing at a CSK trial in Chennai and in the BCCI Under23 tournament Veer was picked by the franchise as a potential replacement for Ravindra Jadeja who was traded to Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2026He finished the UPT20 league with 320 runs at a strike rate of 155 and pitched in with eight wickets IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/where-talent-meets-opportunity-uncapped-debutants-who-are-ready-to-seize-ipl-2026-spotlight-666704.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-irfan-pathan-picks-lsg-playing-xi-slots-pant-at-no-3-spot-666716.html New Delhi March 26 Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has picked his playing 12 for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League IPL which is set to commence on March 28 LSG which finished in seventh position last season made a lot of changes to their squad ahead of IPL 2026 LSG improved their bowling which was under attack in IPL 2025 by adding Mohammad Shami and Arjun Tendulkar through trade and purchasing Wanindu Hasaranga and Anrich Nortje in the Auction Despite reports claiming that captain Rishabh Pant can open the innings for the team Pathan suggested that LSG should not alter the Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh opening pair who performed well in the last yearAccording to the former allrounder Pant is best suited for the number 3 position as it will give him the opportunity to assess the wicket before coming into play and he can also stabilise the innings if one of the openers falls early Pathan has put Nicholas Pooran at number 4 and also raised concerns about his poor form He has gone with all the Indian lower batting lineup with Ayush Badoni Himmat Singh Shahbaz Ahmed and Abdul SamadMarkram and Marsh are very important because both of them are overseas openers For this reason I wish Lucknow put up some good seaming wickets in home matches so that the overseas openers find it comparatively easier to play A refreshed Rishabh Pant at No 3 Nicholas Poorans graph has gone downwards he has not really performed well in the last year but he loves playing for Lucknow Pathan said on his YouTube channelAyush Badonis graph has gone up he got an Indian callup as well You then have Abdul Samad Himmat Singh and Shahbaz Ahmed in the lower middleorder You can also consider M Siddharth as well if you feel that seven batters are enough he addedThe 2007 T20 World Cup champion has selected Mohammad Shami and Avesh Khan as fast bowlers and Digvesh Rathi as the spinner Ahmad and Badoni could also support the bowling Pathan has gone with five options for impact player which include Mayank YadavAnrich NortjeMohsin KhanNaman Tiwari and Prince YadavIrfan Pathans playing XIAiden Markram Mitchell Marsh Rishabh Pant Nicholas Pooran Ayush Badoni Abdul Samad Himmat Singh Shahbaz Ahmed M Siddharth Mohammad Shami Avesh Khan Digvesh RathiImpact Player Mayank YadavAnrich NortjeMohsin KhanNaman Tiwari Prince Yadav IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-irfan-pathan-picks-lsg-playing-xi-slots-pant-at-no-3-spot-666716.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-delhi-capitals-aim-for-breaking-title-drought-through-familiar-and-new-faces-666717.html New Delhi March 26 Banking on a mix of familiar players and fresh recruits Delhi Capitals look stronger than ever to end their long wait for an Indian Premier League IPL title Despite a strong start last year by winning their first four matches DC faltered in the second half of the campaign and finished fifth to miss out on the playoffs for the fourth successive time When the 2026 season gets underway on March 28 DC will be aiming to finally break their playoffs hoodoo and go all the way to that elusive silverware IANS does a SWOT analysis of DC one of IPLâs perennial trophy contenders who have often promised much but fallen short when it mattered mostStrength DC has the most formidable spin bowling attack in IPL 2026 At the heart of that confidence is Kuldeep Yadav The wristspinner finished IPL 2025 as DCs leading wickettaker with 15 wickets and alongside captain Axar Patel who will be on top of his bowling game after a finger injury prevented him from doing so last year as well as legspin bowling allrounder Vipraj Nigam present DC have spinners that most rivals would envyDCâs batting story centers on KL Rahul whose 539 runs in IPL 2025 made him the sideâs top runscorer and a permanent return to the opening slot where his numbers have historically been most authoritative is of great advantage Below him Tristan Stubbs provides the sort of midinnings acceleration that changes while Ashutosh Sharma offers the chance to finish off games well in DCâs favourWeakness In IPL 2025 DCs seamers took the fewest wickets of any side in the competition with their powerplay and death overs bowling being their weak links Whether new additions in the seambowling department can address it especially with Mitchell Starc yet to get the NoC remains to be seenAt the top of the order DC had the lowest opening partnership average and cycled through seven different opening combinations in search of stability that never arrived While Rahuls return alleviates some of that anxiety his partner and an ideal settled top three needs to be figured out before last yearâs script repeats it Opportunity DCâs management moved decisively to enhance their batting strength by adding David Miller Nitish Rana Ben Duckett and Pathum Nissanka ahead of the upcoming season All four batting options provide flexibility and the capacity to absorb pressure at different points of an innings which in turn can make DCâs batting returns brighterIPL 2026 is also a huge platform for Jammu amp Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi to firmly etch himself into the minds of cricket fans Being the lead star of Jammu amp Kashmirâs Ranji Trophy winning campaign via taking 60 scalps consistent good showings from Nabi could help him nail a regular spot in DCs lineupThreat With only four overseas slots available DC faces a selection puzzle that has no easy solution deploying Miller and Stubbs alongside Starc and Lungi Ngidi leaves DC with a potentially thin Indian bowling lineup while prioritising batting depth means sacrificing an overseas pace bowling optionDC is one of only âOGâ IPL sides to have competed in every season of the competition without lifting the trophy Whether that history brings motivation or add psychological weight on the players and team thinktank is something to keep a watch out for Moreover DCs winning rate at the Arun Jaitley Stadium stands at 441 percent and if they want to enter the playoffs and go all the way to the trophy they need to have more wins at home IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-delhi-capitals-aim-for-breaking-title-drought-through-familiar-and-new-faces-666717.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-players-returning-after-missing-2025-season-666732.html March 26 The Indian Premier League IPL has been pivotal in transforming modern franchise cricket influencing not only India but also the international scene Besides its commercial achievements it serves as a significant platform for showcasing new talent enhancing the reputation of domestic players and making many of them wellknown worldwide Every season a few highprofile players are absent due to injuries or dips in form This year too many players have been ruled out before the start of the tournament due to injury or availability concerns forcing the franchises to look for replacements But several players will be returning to the highintense setup after having missed the previous edition With this in mind here are five players who missed IPL 2025 but are expected to return in the 2026 tournament which starts on Saturday Cameron Green Kolkata Knight RidersFastbowling allrounders continue to be among the most soughtafter assets in the IPL and this season marks the return of one of Australiaâs finest Cameron Green After missing the previous edition due to a back injury Green is back in the spotlight as the most expensive overseas signing in IPL history having been bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a staggering Rs 2520 croreGreen made his IPL debut with the Mumbai Indians in 2023 playing a key role in their playoff run He scored 452 runs across 16 matches at an impressive strike rate of 16028 highlighted by a commanding unbeaten century against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final league match at the Wankhede StadiumHe followed that with another strong season at Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2024 further cementing his reputation as a dependable performer in the league However injury concerns kept him out of the 2025 campaign and he did not participate in that yearâs mega auction Now 26 Green joins Eden Gardens as a marquee signing for Kolkata with high expectations despite a tough recent Ashes series His return not only bolsters KKRâs squad but also provides a potential gamechanger capable of affecting matches with both bat and ballSarfaraz Khan Chennai Super KingsSarfaraz Khans career has been marked by sharp turns from early promise to times on the fringes He first gained notice during his stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru where his performances were good enough to secure retention ahead of the 2018 megaauction However maintaining consistency proved difficult in the following years and subsequent spells with Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Capitals did little to secure his place ultimately leading to his release before the 2024 season and a couple of years without an IPL contractDespite his absence from the league Sarfaraz continued to build an impressive reputation in domestic cricket His outstanding performance in the 2025â26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy highlighted his T20 skills as he scored 329 runs at an average of 6520 and an exceptional strike rate of 2038 A blazing 73 off just 22 balls on the morning of the auction further emphasised his valueThose performances earned him a return to the IPL with Chennai Super Kings securing his services for Rs 75 lakh While competition for places in a crowded batting lineup may limit immediate opportunities conditions at Chepauk could play to his strengths against spin and his inventive strokeplay adds depth to the sideHaving already achieved a longawaited Test debut for India before slipping out of contention again Sarfaraz now faces another crucial moment A strong IPL campaign could not only restore his credentials in the format but also rekindle hopes of a return to the national teamJason Holder Gujarat TitansJason Holder has long been a familiar figure in the IPL representing multiple franchises with his most recent appearance for the Rajasthan Royals in 2023 Despite his experience and allround capabilities he remained unsold in the following two seasons and instead participated in franchise cricket elsewhere including a stint with Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League in 2025Since then Holder has regained strong form on the international stage delivering impactful performances for the West Indies He also impressed as captain of the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League demonstrating both leadership and consistencyHis resurgence did not go unnoticed as the Gujarat Titans secured his services for Rs 7 crore ahead of the 2026 season Backed by a strong performance in the recent World Cup Holder now returns to the IPL with renewed energy and the potential to play a vital allround role for the TitansPrithvi Shaw Delhi CapitalsPrithvi Shaw burst onto the IPL scene as an exciting teenager in 2018 showcasing his attacking flair while representing Delhi Daredevils He soon became a key figure in the sideâs resurgence after they transitioned into the Delhi Capitals with his rise reflected in his rapid elevation to Indiaâs national team across formatsHowever that early momentum proved difficult to maintain A prolonged decline in form combined with fitness and discipline issues caused Shaw to fall out of favour After two disappointing IPL seasons Delhi released him and his struggles worsened when he lost his place in Mumbaiâs domestic teamA fresh start with Maharashtra seems to have reignited his game Consistent performances across formats in domestic cricket signal a return to form prompting Delhi Capitals to resign him for Rs 75 lakh ahead of the 2026 season Returning to a franchise where he previously thrived forming effective opening partnerships with players like Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner Shaw now has an opportunity to rebuild his reputationAt 26 he faces a pivotal moment A successful run at the top of the order could signal a major resurgence potentially realigning his career and sparking renewed debates about his role in Indian cricketUmran Malik Kolkata Knight RidersUmran Malik made an immediate impact when he emerged for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2021 attracting attention with raw pace that often exceeded 150 kmph His breakthrough season reached its peak in 2022 when he took 22 wickets and received a callup to the Indian team highlighting his potential as one of the countryâs fastest bowlersSince then injuries have hindered his progress affecting both his appearances and effectiveness After being released before the 2025 auction Malik was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders but another injury setback ruled him out of the seasonNow fully fit and having completed a full domestic campaign with Jammu and Kashmir in the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Malik returns with renewed purpose With Kolkataâs pace attack depleted following the exits of key bowlers he has a clear opportunity to reestablish himselfMalikâs focus will now be on rediscovering the form and rhythm that once made him one of the most exciting fastbowling prospects in the league A strong showing this season could not only strengthen his role at KKR but also revive his chances of making a comeback to the national sideFinn Allen Kolkata Knight RidersFinn Allen had a quiet start to his IPL journey spending time with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2021 and 2022 without making an appearance despite being regarded as a promising hardhitting openerSince then his reputation in T20 cricket has risen considerably Known for his explosive style at the top of the order Allen has become one of the most dangerous batters in the format demonstrated by a remarkable strike rate of 1966 in 2025His rise was further cemented on the global stage when he scored a breathtaking 33ball century against South Africa in the semifinal of the 2026 T20 World Cup the fastest hundred in the tournamentâs history Now returning to the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders Allen brings with him a reputation built on fearless strokeplay and even a glimpse of that form could make him a gamechanging presence this season IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-players-returning-after-missing-2025-season-666732.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/my-path-in-professional-badminton-has-ended-olympic-gold-medallist-carolina-marin-announces-retirement-666743.html Madrid March 26 The 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist Carolina Marin of Spain announced her retirement from professional badminton on Thursday bringing an end to a brilliant career during which she won the World Championships thrice The Spaniard shared an emotional message on social media confirming she will not take part in the upcoming European Championships in her hometown Huelva where she got a wild card entry âToday I want to be direct My path in professional badminton has ended and therefore I will not participate in the European Championships of Huelvaâ Marin said in a video released on InstagramThe 31yearold revealed that injuries played a key role in her decision saying she did not want to âput my body at riskâ just to have one final appearance on court âI wanted us to see each other for the last time on a track but I dont want to put my body at risk for it I said it many times and I am consistent with my decisionâ she addedMarin who won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics defeating Indian great PV Sindhu in the final is widely regarded as one of the most successful players in badminton history She is a threetime world champion and a multipletime European champion and became the first Spanish player to win Olympic badminton goldReflecting on her journey Marin said her final match unknowingly came at the Paris 2024 Olympics where she retired hurt in the semifinal after suffering a knee injury âIn the end I did retire on a track in Paris in 2024 only then we did not knowâ she saidâThank you for never letting me fall for being by my side and for supporting me in the hardest moments Thank you for your unconditional loveâ Marin addedDespite not being able to end her career on court in Huelva she said the city will still mark the closing chapter of her journeyâI wanted the road to end in Huelva and so it will be Not with the racket in my hand but in the city where I was born to close a circle of many yearsâ she saidLooking ahead Marin said she is ready for a new chapter in life and also feels grateful for what she was able to achieve in her careerâI leave my passion being very proud of everything I have achieved but more than for the titles for having earned the respect of the world of sportâ she saidâNow I start a new path in which I will try to return all the support I have received and continue defending the values of sportâ the former champion concluded IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/my-path-in-professional-badminton-has-ended-olympic-gold-medallist-carolina-marin-announces-retirement-666743.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/leg-spinner-rahul-chahar-to-rejoin-surrey-for-final-eight-county-championship-games-666749.html London March 26 India legspinner Rahul Chahar will return to Surrey for their final eight matches in the upcoming County Championship season the club said on Thursday Chahar 26 made a stunning debut for Surrey last year claiming 10 wickets in a victory over Hampshire including secondinnings figures of 851 They are also the best figures by a debutant bowler in the clubâs history breaking William Mudieâs 166yearold record of figures of 761 in 1859 Chahar has represented India seven times in whiteball cricket and will be available from June 7 when Surrey face Hampshire at The Oval after his commitments with fivetime champions Chennai Super Kings CSK in IPL 2026 are overâIâm so excited to be coming back to Surrey this season I really enjoyed my short spell in 2025 and jumped at the opportunity to come back this season when I spoke to Alec Stewart Surrey is a successful club and I want to help the team achieve its goals in 2026â said Chahar in a statementChahar has taken 101 wickets in 27 firstclass matches and was part of the Mumbai Indiansâ IPLwinning squads in 2019 and 2020 He previously played for Rising Pune Supergiants Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL before being acquired by CSK at last yearâs auction in Abu DhabiSurreyâs director of cricket Alec Stewart said âRahul came in last year and did an excellent job at Hampshire showing his qualities Weâre looking forward to welcoming him back to the group and seeing how he can contribute to winning games of cricket for SurreyâSurrey won the County Championship Division One title from 2022 to 2024 and finished as runnersup last season behind champions Nottinghamshire They will open their 2026 campaign against Warwickshire in Birmingham on April 3 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/leg-spinner-rahul-chahar-to-rejoin-surrey-for-final-eight-county-championship-games-666749.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/kitg-day-2-manikanta-seals-hat-trick-of-gold-medals-anjali-munda-shines-again-666752.html Raipur March 26 Karnataka swimmer Manikanta L continued his golden run by clinching his third successive gold medal while Odishaâs Anjali Munda secured her second gold on Day 2 of the Khelo India Tribal Games KITG here on Thursday Manikanta dominated the menâs 200m Individual Medley IM clocking 22593s to complete a hattrick of gold medals having earlier won the 100m breaststroke and 50m butterfly events Tripuraâs Riyaj Tripura 23404s claimed silver while Odishaâs Kanhu Soren 23621s settled for bronzeIn the womenâs 200m IM Anjali Munda who had already won gold in the 200m freestyle on Wednesday added another top podium finish with a timing of 25382s Chhattisgarhâs Anushka Bhagat provided the home crowd a reason to cheer by winning silver in 25933s her second medal of the Games while Odishaâs Anjali Mallick took bronze with 30613sThe inaugural edition of the Games has drawn participation from 30 states and Union Territories featuring close to 3800 athletes competing across nine disciplines A total of 106 gold medals are on offer in archery athletics football hockey swimming weightlifting and wrestling while Mallakhamb and Kabaddi are being held as demonstration sportsKarnataka currently leads the medals tally with six gold and two silver medals followed by Odisha with three gold one silver and four bronze medalsIn weightlifting Assamâs Monikha Sonowal and Mizoramâs Isak Malsawmtluanga overcame injury concerns to deliver goldwinning performancesCompeting in the womenâs 48kg category Monikha lifted 57kg in snatch and 75kg in clean and jerk for a total of 132kg to secure gold Odishaâs Deepa Rani Mallik 120kg and Alaaska Aleena of Andaman and Nicobar Islands 115kg won silver and bronze respectivelyMonikha who hails from Assamâs Dhemaji district had been struggling with a knee injury sustained three months ago and was nearly withdrawn from the GamesâI was clear that I did not want to miss this event because I wanted to make a mark on the national stage and I am happy that I could perform under pressureâ said the 19yearoldIn the menâs 60kg category Malsawmtluanga battled a back injury to clinch gold with a total lift of 235kg Despite trailing after the snatch where he struggled to lift 108kg in his third attempt he made a strong comeback in the clean and jerk with a successful 130kg liftJharkhandâs Babulal Hembrom secured silver with a total of 230kg while Odishaâs Subrat Naik finished third with 228kgResultsFootball MenGroup A Chhattisgarh drew with West Bengal 11Group B Arunachal Pradesh beat Goa 20SwimmingWomenâs 200m IMGold â Anjali Munda Odisha 25382sSilver â Anushka Bhagat Chhattisgarh 25933sBronze â Anjali Mallick Odisha 30613sMenâs 200m IMGold â Manikanta L Karnataka 22593sSilver â Riyaj Tripura Tripura 23404sBronze â Kanhu Soren Odisha 23621sWeightliftingWomenâs 48kgGold â Monikha Sonowal Assam 132kgSilver â Deepa Rani Mallik Odisha 120kgBronze â Alaaska Aleena Andaman and Nicobar Islands 115kgWomenâs 53kgGold â Jhilli Dalabehera Odisha 160kgSilver â Kiuchangliu Gangmei Manipur 160kgBronze â Larityngkai Lawriniang Meghalaya 132kgMenâs 60kgGold â Isak Malsawmtluanga Mizoram 235kgSilver â Babulal Hembrom Jharkhand 230kgBronze â Subrat Naik Odisha 228kg IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/kitg-day-2-manikanta-seals-hat-trick-of-gold-medals-anjali-munda-shines-again-666752.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/unfortunately-the-day-has-come-mo-salah-to-leave-liverpool-at-the-end-of-the-season-666490.html London March 25 Mohamed Salah has announced that he will leave Liverpool FC at the end of the 202526 season The Egyptian forwards departure will mark the end of a remarkably successful nineyear career with the Reds Salah is Liverpools alltime top goalscorer in the Premier League and has helped them to win two Premier League titles the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup among other trophiesThe forward has reached an agreement with the Reds that will see him close a remarkable nineyear chapter at Anfield Liverpool said in a statementSalah expressed his wish to make this announcement to the supporters at the earliest possible opportunity to provide transparency about his future due to his respect and gratitude for themSalah has posted a video message to Liverpool supporters following the clubs announcement that he will leave at the end of the current seasonIn the video Salah said Unfortunately the day has come This is the first part of my farewell I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season I wanted to start by saying I never imagined how deeply this club this city these people would become part of my lifeLiverpool is not just a football club It is a passion a history a spirit that I cant explain in words to anyone not part of this club We celebrated victory We won the most important trophies and we fought together through the hardest time in our livesI want to thank everyone who was part of this club during my time here especially my teammates past and presentAnd to the fans I dont have enough words The support you showed me through the best time of my career is something I will never forget and something I will always take with meLeaving is never easy You gave me the best time of my life I will always be one of you This club will always be my home to me and my family Thank you for everythingBecause of all of you I will never walk alone he addedSigned from AS Roma in the summer of 2017 yhe Egyptian has firmly established himself as one of the greatest players in Liverpoolâs history helping the club to two Premier League titles the Champions League FIFA Club World Cup UEFA Super Cup FA Cup and two League Cups as well as an FA Community ShieldHis tally of 255 goals in 435 appearances to date has the Egyptian sitting third on the Redsâ alltime leading goalscorers chart winning the Premier League Golden Boot on four occasions in addition to a host of personal accolades IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/unfortunately-the-day-has-come-mo-salah-to-leave-liverpool-at-the-end-of-the-season-666490.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/tiafoe-sets-sinner-miami-qf-showdown-zverev-prevails-in-two-tie-breaks-666508.html Miami March 25 Frances Tiafoe entered his fifth ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal and his first since Cincinnati in 2024 after beating Terence Atmane 64 16 64 at the Miami Open For the second straight match Tiafoe 28 pulled a Houdini On Monday he saved two match points in his threeset victory over defending champion Jakub Mensik and on Tuesday he was down serving 040 44 in the third set against Atmane before achieving the critical break of serve at 45I did a lot of work in being comfortable being uncomfortable and I put myself in those positions often Tiafoe said of his late escape Its like when youre running a bunch of sprints youre not thinking about the 15 more youve got to do You think about the one ahead And so thats kind of where I was atDown 040 worry about 040 down 1540 worry about 1540 and so on and so forth Ultimately just be where your feet are he addedThe victory set up a quarterfinal showdown on home soil against Jannik Sinner for Tiafoe who holds a 14 ATP HeadtoHead record against the ItalianElsewhere Alexander Zverev disposed of the Frenchman Quentin Halys with a victory after a pair of tiebreakers 764 761The 2018 Miami finalist has now reached the quarterfinals or better in six of the past seven ATP Masters 1000s hes also advanced to the quarters at both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season for the second time 2024 ATP reportsBy beating the world No111 Halys the German extended his winning streak against players outside the Top 100 to 16 matches dating back to 2024Next up for Zverev is Francisco Cerundolo who advanced to his fourth Miami quarterfinal in five tries with a 64 63 win against Ugo Humbert IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/tiafoe-sets-sinner-miami-qf-showdown-zverev-prevails-in-two-tie-breaks-666508.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/5th-t20i-amelias-century-powers-nz-to-4-1-series-win-over-sa-666512.html Christchurch March 25 A brilliant allround display led by Amelia Kerrâs 105run knock and a twowicket haul guided New Zealand to a commanding 92run victory over South Africa in the fifth WT20I here at Hagley Oval sealing the fivegame series 41 Batting first riding on Amelias 105 off 55 the hosts posted 1946 in their allotted 20 overs their fourthhighest team total In response the Proteas were restricted to 1029 in front of sensational New Zealand bowling suffering their thirdworst loss in T20Is by runsOpting to bat first New Zealand were powered by a sensational innings from Kerr who struck 105 off just 55 balls Her knock laced with 19 fours and a six formed the backbone of the innings and ensured the hosts maintained a high scoring rate throughoutShe found support from Georgia Plimmer 27 and Brooke Halliday 26 while late contributions from Maddy Green and others helped push the total close to the 200run mark Despite picking up three wickets Ayabonga Khaka could not prevent New Zealand from finishing stronglyIn reply South Africaâs chase never gained momentum as wickets fell at regular intervals The visitors were reduced to 404 inside the powerplay putting them firmly on the back footAnnerie Dercksen topscored with 23 while Sune Luus 13 and Laura Wolvaardt 9 failed to convert their starts The lack of substantial partnerships hurt South Africa as they struggled to cope with New Zealandâs disciplined bowling attackKerr capped off an outstanding outing by claiming two wickets while Sophie Devine also struck twice to dent the middle order Lea Tahuhu and Flora Devonshire chipped in with crucial breakthroughs as New Zealand maintained control throughout the inningsSouth Africa eventually limped to 1029 in 20 overs falling well short of the target as New Zealand completed a comprehensive victoryBrief Scores New Zealand 1946 in 20 overs Amelia Kerr 105 Georgia Plimmer 27 Ayabonga Khaka 332 Tumi Sekhukhune 332 beat South Africa 1029 in 20 overs Annerie Dercksen 23 Sune Luus 13 Lea Tahuhu 326 Amelia Kerr 26 by 92 runs IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/5th-t20i-amelias-century-powers-nz-to-4-1-series-win-over-sa-666512.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-pant-is-a-prisoner-of-his-own-reputation-says-aakash-chopra-666515.html New Delhi March 25 Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra believes that Indias wicketkeeper batter and Lucknow Super Giants LSG captain Rishabh Pant is a prisoner of his own reputation of playing unorthodox shots and needs to reassess his approach especially in the whiteball format as he gears up for the 19th season of the Indian Premier League IPL which will commence on March 28 Chopra pointed out that Pantâs tendency to play risky shots has often worked against him and recommended that he should return to fundamental techniques in order to regain his position in the Indian T20I setupâThe scrutiny around Rishabh Pant is justified He is a prisoner of his own reputation for playing unorthodox shots and rarely looks to grind out runs when the situation demands it Last season despite opportunities to take time and rebuild his form he continued to play risky shots which drew criticism Chopra said on JioHotstarHaving been part of Indiaâs T20 World Cupwinning squad in Barbados he is now completely out of the conversation for the national side The selectors and management went from selecting a middleorder keeper to an opener keeper and a keeper who can bat at three While the IPL is massive representing India remains the ultimate priority and losing that spot means itâs time for him to go back to the drawing board he addedChopra also highlighted that Pants unique way of viewing the game has set him apart He also revealed that Pants batting approach despite bringing good results in test was not liked by former Indian coach Rahul DravidâWe sometimes fail to understand what Rishabh Pant brings to the table and how he sees the game unfold In Test cricket he had conversations with Rahul Dravid when he was the Head Coach Rahul bhai was not very happy with Pantâs batting approach To give credit where itâs due Pant sees the game very differently from most of us who see it conventionally he saidChopra added that Pants willingness to seek guidance from former all rounder Yuvraj Singh is a positive sign indicating his intent to evolve and improve the gameThe most heartening thing for me is his acceptance that he needs to change something in his game He needs to look for a blueprint Something is not going right He knows he is that good The fact that he has approached Yuvraj Singh for help shows he acknowledges that he needs guidance help and assistance That is a great sign With the quality talent and skills he has it is a travesty that he is not killing it in whiteball cricketâ he notedPant scored just 269 runs in the 13 matches he played last season at an poor average of 2445 His form will be in focus when LSG begin their campaign in IPL 2026 against Delhi Capitals at their home ground Ekana Stadium on April 1 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-pant-is-a-prisoner-of-his-own-reputation-says-aakash-chopra-666515.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/nz-pacers-surge-in-t20i-rankings-after-sa-series-shake-up-666532.html Dubai March 25 A strong showing from New Zealandâs pace attack has headlined the latest update to the ICC Menâs T20I Bowling Rankings with four seamers from New Zealand making notable gains The ongoing T20I series between New Zealand and South Africa has delivered fluctuating results and performances across the first four matches have led to significant movement in the rankings for players from both sidesExperienced quick Lockie Ferguson was one of the biggest beneficiaries His matchwinning spell of 19 in Auckland which earned him the Player of the Match award propelled him up 12 places to joint 39th among T20I bowlersHe was not alone as fellow pacers Ben Sears who jumped 20 spots to 59th Kyle Jamieson rising five places to 76th and Zakary Foulkes up eight spots to 81st also climbed the ladder following consistent displaysSouth Africaâs bowlers also made gains with standin skipper Keshav Maharaj rising five spots to 47th Teammates Ottneil Baartman up seven places to 66th and Gerald Coetzee up 46 places to 88th were rewarded for their efforts during the seriesAmong allrounders George Linde continued his impressive run edging up one position to 22nd after valuable contributions with both bat and ballAt the top of the T20I allrounder rankings Sikandar Raza retained his place while the batting charts saw minimal changesIndiaâs Abhishek Sharma continues to lead the T20I batting rankings staying ahead of compatriot Ishan Kishan Indiaâs T20I World Cupwinning captain Suryakumar Yadav however climbed two places to move up to seventhElsewhere Tim Seifert and Dewald Brevis slipped down the order after missing matches in the ongoing seriesNew Zealand opener Tim Robinson was among the few batters to make progress rising two spots to 34th following his knock of 32 in Wellington IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/nz-pacers-surge-in-t20i-rankings-after-sa-series-shake-up-666532.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/miami-open-sinner-breaks-djokovics-masters-1000-record-with-third-round-win-666201.html Miami March 24 Jannik Sinner made ATP Masters 1000 history on at the Miami Open with his commanding 61 64 victory against Corentin Moutet as he moved past Serbian great Novak Djokovic to win 26 consecutive sets at the Masters 1000 level With his straightforward thirdround triumph inside Hard Rock Stadium the Italian has now won 26 consecutive sets at the Masters 1000 level moving clear of Djokovics record of 24 Sinner had equalled that mark with his secondround win on Saturday in Miami before surpassing it in the third roundI am very happy Sinner said following his victory This sport is unpredictable so we try to keep attention as much as we can and well see what is coming in the next roundSinnerâs streak traces back to last November at the Paris Masters where he clinched the title without dropping a set He carried that form into March repeating the feat at the Paribas Open Thanks to his two victories in Miami Sinner has now won 13 consecutive Masters 1000 matches ATP reportsThe Italian will now face Alex Michelsen who defeated Alejandro Tabilo 36 63 64 continuing his bid to become the first man to complete the âSunshine Doubleâ since Roger Federer achieved the feat in 2017 Sinner who is not defending any ATP Rankings points in Miami is now in a prime position to close the gap in his World No 1 battle with Carlos Alcaraz who lost to Sebastian Korda on Sunday in the third roundEarlier Frances Tiafoe overcame defending champion Jakub Mensik when he saved two match points and then converted on his seventh opportunity to earn a dramatic 764 46 7611 winMensik defeated Novak Djokovic in the final in Florida 12 months ago to clinch his maiden tourlevel trophy The 20yearold moved past Adam Walton in his opener this fortnight but could not find a way past TiafoeTiafoe 28 is into the fourth round in Miami for the fifth time and first since 2022 The world No 20 will next play Terence Atmane after the Frenchman upset Top 10 star Felix AugerAliassime 63 16 63 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/miami-open-sinner-breaks-djokovics-masters-1000-record-with-third-round-win-666201.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/nz-hand-maiden-call-up-to-knight-for-south-africa-wodis-666206.html Christchurch Mach 24 Kayley Knight has been included in the 13strong squad to take on South Africa in the ODI series starting on Sunday Amelia Kerr will lead a similar looking squad with the exception of Suzie Bates Flora Devonshire and Georgia Plimmer who have each returned from injury and will replace Emma McLeod Polly Inglis and Bella James while Knight comes in for Molly Penfold Knight made her T20 international debut last month against Zimbabwe taking 225 on debut just a week after she claimed 220 for Northern Brave in the domestic oneday finalThe 22yearold helped the Brave claim their maiden Hallyburton Johnstone HBJ Shield title and finished as the teamâs secondhighest wickettaker of the competitionKnight made her T201 debut during the recently concluded home series against Zimbabwe picking up two wickets in two games She isnt part of New Zealands squad for the ongoing T20ls against the Proteas women but got a call up for hlthe ODI legHead coach Ben Sawyer said he was excited to call Knight into the squad Itâs great to call Kayley up for her first ODI series Kayleys got good pace and control and a short ball that regularly challenges battersâShe was an integral part of the Braveâs titlewinning HBJ campaign and has shown she has the tools to hold her in good stead in the international game Sawyer was quoted as saying in NZC releaseCaptain Melie heads into the series on the back of a dominant performance against Zimbabwe where she claimed 16 wickets across three matches including two fivewicket hauls and the White Fwrns best ODI figures in history 734The series marks the White Ferns final home summer matches for the 202526 season with the first game kicking off at Hagley Oval on March 29 followed by the final two outings at Cello Basin Reserve on April 1 and 4Saywer said the team were keen to finish the season on a highâComing off the back of a T20s series win I know the team are eager to back it up in the ODIs Itâs been a packed backend to the summer for the White Ferns and weâre looking forward to wrapping the season up with another competitive seriesNew Zealand squad Amelia Kerr c Suzie Bates Flora Devonshire Izzy Gaze Maddy Green Brooke Halliday Bree Illing Jess Kerr Kayley Knight Rosemary Mair Nensi Patel Georgia Plimmer lzzy Sharp IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/nz-hand-maiden-call-up-to-knight-for-south-africa-wodis-666206.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/pegula-rybakina-power-into-miami-open-qf-with-dominant-wins-666207.html Miami March 24 Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina delivered commanding performances to book their places in the Miami Open quarterfinals each cruising through their matches in straight sets at Hard Rock Stadium Fifth seed Pegula was first on court and produced a highly efficient display against Jaqueline Cristian The American dominated on serve not facing a single break point while capitalising on four of her 13 break chances to secure a 64 61 victory in just over an hourThe win not only improved Pegulaâs headtohead record against Cristian to 20 but also marked her fifth consecutive appearance in the Miami quarterfinals In doing so she became the first player to achieve that feat since Agnieszka Radwanska 2010â2014 and just the third American woman to reach five straight Miami quarterfinals joining Chris Evert and Serena WilliamsâI thought I played really well today I thought I served well especially in the first set Then I was able to return really well in the second set and I was able to get that early break and just kind of hold on to that I feel like I freed up a bit to return a little bit better going into the second and I just kind of pressured her and I felt like the last couple games went pretty quick It seems like I was able to just keep that pressure on so Im happy with that todayâ Pegula said after her winLater in the day third seed Rybakina matched that level of control in her clash with Australian qualifier Talia Gibson The reigning Australian Open champion was never under serious threat on serve and powered to a 62 62 win in one hour and four minutesDespite the defeat Gibsonâs campaign capped an impressive run across the Sunshine Double She became only the third player to reach the round of 16 at both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season as a qualifier or lucky loser following Gisela Dulko and Varvara GrachevaRybakina now holds a 53 edge over Pegula in their WTA Tour rivalry having won their last four meetings over the past seven monthsâI think overall I served well all the matches I played here and also all these important moments I was staying aggressive and was winning these key moments during the matches So for now it has been working wellâ Rybakina said of her run to the last eightLooking ahead to the quarterfinal showdown she added âDefinitely I need to serve well Thats my biggest weapon and try to be fresh move well because here its a little bit faster than last match we played in Indian Wells The ball doesnt bounce as much So its a bit challenging I would say but I will try to do my best and hopefully win this matchâ IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/pegula-rybakina-power-into-miami-open-qf-with-dominant-wins-666207.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/3rd-t20i-australia-seal-series-whitewash-with-40-run-dls-win-over-west-indies-666208.html St Vincent March 24 Australia completed clean sweep in the threematch T20I series with a rainaffected 40run victory over the West Indies in the third anf final match at Kingstown powered by a stunning century from Georgia Voll Asked to bat Australia piled up an imposing 2117 built almost entirely around Vollâs explosive maiden T20I hundred The 22yearold opener produced a fearless display reaching the triplefigure mark in just 52 deliveries one of the fastest centuries by an Australian in the formatHer innings studded with nine fours and six towering sixes set the tone early as she took on both pace and spin with authorityVoll signalled her intent from the outset using her footwork to dismantle the spinners and repeatedly targeting the boundary straight down the ground She brought up her landmark with a boundary in the 17th over before falling shortly after bowled by Hayley Matthews who was the standout performer for the hosts with her spell of 329While Australiaâs top order struggled to build partnerships around her late acceleration ensured the total crossed the 200run markCaptain Sophie Molineux provided the finishing push with a brisk cameo striking crucial boundaries and a pair of sixes in the closing overs Contributions from Nicola Carey further strengthened the total helping Australia post one of their highest T20I scoresIn reply the West Indiesâ chase never gained momentum Megan Schutt struck with the second ball to remove Qiana Joseph setting the tone for a disciplined bowling effort The hosts slipped to 333 inside the Powerplay with debutant Lucy Hamilton also impressing with key breakthroughsMatthews and Deandra Dottin attempted to stabilise the innings briefly counterattacking with a couple of sixes but sustained pressure and regular wickets left the Windies struggling at 613 after 10 oversRain then intervened and with no further play possible the result was decided by the DLS method sealing a comprehensive 30 series win for AustraliaBrief Scores Australia 2117 in 20 overs Georgia Voll 101 Sophie Molineux 25 Hayley Matthews 329 Jahzara Claxton 237 beat West Indies 613 in 10 overs Hayley Matthews 30 Eboni Brathwaite 18 Ellyse Perry 11 Megan Schutt 111 by 40 runs DLS method IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/3rd-t20i-australia-seal-series-whitewash-with-40-run-dls-win-over-west-indies-666208.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/nz-batter-latham-ruled-out-of-fifth-t20i-vs-south-africa-with-thumb-injury-666265.html Christchurch March 24 New Zealand batter Tom Latham has been ruled out of the fifth and final T20I against South Africa at the Hagley Oval on Wednesday with a thumb injury Latham was struck on his left thumb by South African fast bowler Nqobani Mokoena during the third T20I at Eden Park on Friday NZC said that scans revealed a minor fracture to the tip of his thumb and he is expected to return to training in twotothree weeks timeTom Blundell who came into the squad as toporder battingwicketkeeper cover in the third T20I after Latham injured his finger will remain with the squad as coverLatham struck in the fourth over of the New Zealand chase continued batting finishing with 63 not out as the Black Caps won by eight wickets Medical staff at the ground assessed Lathamâs thumb postmatch and he was subsequently flown to Christchurch the morning after the match for scansIn Lathamâs absence James Neesham took charge of the team at Eden Park marking the first time in his decadelong international career that the allrounder captains New Zealand in T20Is making him the countryâs 12th player to do soEarlier in the series Ish Sodhi and Bevon Jacobs were ruled out owing to a broken thumb and a left knee injury respectively Jacobs left the ground on Sunday during the first T20I after falling on his left knee while fielding Subsequent scans revealed bone bruising on the side of his knee and Katene Clarke joined the squad for the second T20I in Hamilton as coverOn the other hand Sodhi was hit on the thumb while bowling at team training at Bay Oval ahead of the series opener and a subsequent scan revealed a break which will require at least four weeks of rehabilitationLockie Ferguson was added to the squad for the second and third matches in Hamilton and Auckland The fivematch series is currently 31 in favour of the hosts IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/nz-batter-latham-ruled-out-of-fifth-t20i-vs-south-africa-with-thumb-injury-666265.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/11-seats-at-chinnaswamy-stadium-to-remain-empty-forever-rcb-ceo-rajesh-menon-666292.html Bengaluru March 24 Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru RCB CEO Rajesh Menon said that throughout all domestic and internationals games at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium 11 seats will be kept empty to honour the lives of those who died in the stampede following their title victory last season Menon also said that players will wear jersey No 11 in practice matches throughout the season and don black armbands in all their matches in this editionâIn memory of the 11 fans who we lost on June 4 the players will be wearing jersey number 11 for the practice on the game day on the practice time before the match So all the players will have jersey number 11 on the back not for the game but for the practice Apart from that they will be also wearing a black armband on that day We are also looking at having 11 permanent seats empty in Chinnaswamy Stadium forever This is for the 11 fans who will be with us forever Thatâs a quick update on what we are doing this yearâ Menon told the media during a press conference on TuesdayHe further stated that several changes have been made this season as part of precautionary measures and necessary safety steps are being implemented and discussions will be held on what more can be done for the victims families in the futureOn June 4 2025 a tragic stampede took place outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru amid RCBâs victory celebrations The disaster resulted in 11 fans losing their lives and over 50 sustaining injuries caused by severe overcrowding with approximately 300000 people present The Karnataka government held RCB the Karnataka State Cricket Association and event partners responsible for not obtaining the required approvals and for creating a disturbance The franchise subsequently announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the families of each deceased individualChinnaswamy Stadium has not hosted any RCB games since the tragic stampede Now with government approval RCB will play five matches at Chinnaswamy while two home games will be held in Raipur as previously announced by the franchise IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/11-seats-at-chinnaswamy-stadium-to-remain-empty-forever-rcb-ceo-rajesh-menon-666292.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-this-feels-really-good-have-been-waiting-for-this-for-a-long-time-says-dubey-after-being-included-by-kkr-666309.html New Delhi March 24 For Vidarbha pacer Saurabh Dubey the wait has finally been worth it Dubey the leftarm fast bowler with a height of six feet and five inches arrived at the Kolkata Knight Riders KKR camp as a net bowler when the threetime champions began their preparations for the tenteam competition Cut to now he now finds himself in the main squad as a replacement for injured India pacer Akash Deep who has been ruled out of IPL 2026 with a stress reaction in his lower back âThis feeling is really good Like I came here as a net bowler After that I got to know late on Saturday that they have chosen me as a replacement for Akash Deep I have been waiting for this chance for a long time So it feels really good I will give my best and do wellâ Dubey told IANSThe callup caps is a remarkable turnaround for Dubey who went unsold at last years IPL miniauction in Abu Dhabi and had no expectation of earning a contract when he first reported to the KKR camp in a netbowling capacityâI didnt come with any expectations I just wanted an opportunity to go somewhere and play Like wherever I go I wanted to get an opportunity to play and thats why I came here as they called me for being a net bowlerâPreviously I bowled in their preseason camp in Mumbai for two days Then I got to bowl more in practice sessions here in Kolkata one intrasquad match and two net sessions So they saw what I did and decided to rope me in based on thatâ he saidIt is Dubeys second shot at playing in IPL cricket after the first chance came to an abrupt end Signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad SRH for IPL 2022 after having an impressive time in the 2021 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy a back injury cut short his stint before he could even be in the frame for making his debutThe irony that he now replaces a player sidelined by a back complaint is not lost on those who have followed his journey in Vidarbhaâs cricketing circles which got a big push after being spotted by former India pacer and national selector Subroto BanerjeeâIts quite rare to get a chance to be in an IPL team again My journey started with tennis ball and my elder brother Gaurav was the main reason behind me going from tennis to leather ball bowling I think many people in Vidarbha know that my journey started with tennis ball before moving to leather ball in 2016âThere was a tournament in Wardha city where I played and many seniors were attracted to my height and the way I was bowling There is a coach in Wardha named Ravi Lunga he sent my videos to Prashant Vaidya the VCA ChairmanâHe sent me to Nagpur to see Subu sir I was practicing in Nagpur at a ground called SBCA Subu sir saw and picked me up for Vidarbhaâs residential academy programme From there I came to represent the stateâ recalled Dubey who has played eight List A games and three T20 matchesDubey went on to represent India A at the 2019 ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup where current India menâs batting coach Sitanshu Kotak served as head coach of that side Despite making whiteball appearances for Vidarbha Dubey remained on the fringes of being on the big stage till the news of him being drafted by KKR for IPL 2026 changed that notionDubey knows the opportunity he has been chasing for years is finally in his hands and now time is ripe for him to shine for KKR âYes now it will get better Hopefully I will perform to the best of my abilities and this is what I want to do for the rest of the seasonâ he signed off IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-this-feels-really-good-have-been-waiting-for-this-for-a-long-time-says-dubey-after-being-included-by-kkr-666309.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/kal-somani-led-consortium-buys-rajasthan-royals-for-usd-163-billion-666342.html New Delhi March 24 Indian Premier Leagues IPL inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals RR have been sold to the Kal Somaniled consortium for USD 163 billion Renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle shared a post on X Rajasthan Royals is sold for 163 billion USD Purely for comparison London Spirit the most expensive team was valued at USD 370 million when there was a stake sale in The 100Somani is a USbased entrepreneur who has held a minority stake in Rajasthan Royals Over the past 15plus years hes founded and led ventures focused on edtech data privacy AI governance and sports tech His association with sport also includes coownership of Motor City Golf Club and earlystage investment in ventures such as TMRW Sports and the TGL Golf LeagueAs per NDTV Profit report the deal has been signed and is expected to be closed after the 2026 IPL season The takeover will be completed after the 2026 tournament The consortium is also backed by Rob Walton of the Walmart family and the Hamp family which holds majority ownership of the Detroit Lions Additionally Sheila Ford Hamp a member of the Ford family is also associated with the groupThe report further claimed that defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru RCB who are also officially on sale are close to their deal being completed The parties interested are a consortium of Blackstone Aditya Birla Group and David Blitzer a Ranjan Pailed Manipal Consortium including Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Temasek and Swedish private equity firm EQTEarlier the report by the State of Play claimed that nine parties have submitted bids ranging from USD 1 billion to USD 18 billion indicating serious interest in RCB with Manchester Utds Glazer brothers bid positioning them among the highest bidders for the franchiseIn January pharma tycoon Adar Poonawalla said he would make a strong and competitive bid for securing the ownership of RCB IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/kal-somani-led-consortium-buys-rajasthan-royals-for-usd-163-billion-666342.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-shotgun-shooters-gear-up-for-issf-world-cup-2026-in-morocco-666345.html Tangier March 24 Indiaâs top shotgun shooters are all set to compete for podium places at the ISSF World Cup 2026 in Tangier Morocco starting on Thursday The event signifies the opening stage of a fourpart ISSF World Cup series focused on shotgun disciplines this year The 20member Indian team features notable athletes including Olympians Maheshwari Chauhan Kynan Chenai and Prithviraj Tondaiman all aiming to make a strong start to the international seasonChauhan will spearhead Indiaâs challenge in the womenâs skeet event She came close to securing an Olympic medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the mixed skeet category alongside Anantjeet Singh Naruka though Naruka will not be part of the squad for this competitionIn the menâs trap event India has fielded an experienced lineup The team includes Bhowneesh Mendiratta who clinched silver at the 2025 Asian Championships along with seasoned Olympians Chenai and Tondaiman strengthening the countryâs medal prospectsThe womenâs trap team also boasts strong contenders led by Rajeshwari Kumari an Asian Games team silver medallist and Aashima Ahlawat who secured bronze at the Asian ChampionshipsThe Tangier World Cup will see participation from 271 shooters representing 43 National Olympic Committees making it a highly competitive field Winners in individual events will earn coveted qualification spots for the ISSF World Cup Final scheduled to be held in Rome in December Indian shooting squad for ISSF World Cup 2026 TangierMenâs skeet Parampal Singh Guron Sukhbir Singh Harika Harmehar Singh Lally Man Singh Jyotiraditya Singh SisodiyaMenâs trap Kynan Chenai Sharan Susheel Gyanchand Bhowneesh Mendiratta Mohammad Asad Sultan Prithviraj TondaimanWomenâs trap Aashima Ahlawat Kirti Gupta Rajeshwari Kumari Preeti Rajak Shreshtha SisodiyaWomenâs skeet Maheshwari Chauhan Areeba Khan Mansi Raghuwanshi Darshna Rathore Yashasvi RathoreMixed team trap Kirti Gupta Rajeshwari Kumari Kynan Chenai Prithviraj TondaimanISSF World Cup 2026 Tangier schedule All timings in ISTMarch 28 SaturdayWomenâs skeet 830 PMMenâs skeet 1000 PMApril 1 WednesdayWomenâs trap 830âPMMenâs trap 1000 PMApril 2 ThursdayTrap mixed team 900 PM IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-shotgun-shooters-gear-up-for-issf-world-cup-2026-in-morocco-666345.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/i-do-not-feel-fully-secure-gm-koneru-humpy-withdraws-from-fide-womens-candidates-due-to-iran-israel-war-665991.html New Delhi March 22 Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy has withdrawn from the upcoming FIDE Womenâs Candidates Tournament due to security concerns amid rising tensions in West Asia Humpy shared her decision in a social media statement on Sunday emphasizing that personal safety is more important than competitive commitments âAfter deep reflection I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the FIDE Womenâs Candidates Tournament No event no matter how important can come before personal safety and wellbeing Despite the assurances provided I do not feel fully secure under the current circumstances This is a painful but necessary decision and I stand by itâ she wrote on XThe tournament will take place in Cyprus which has recently faced increased security issues Earlier this month a British air base on the island was hit in a drone attack This incident raised concerns about the impact of the ongoing conflict in West Asia which has been fueled by US and Israeli strikes on Iran spreading into the regionAccording to FIDE regulations if there is a vacancy in the Womenâs Candidates field the next eligible player from the FIDE Womenâs Events 2024â25 cycle will fill it Based on this rule Ukraineâs Anna Muzychuk will replace Humpy in the tournamentThe Womenâs Candidates starting March 28 in Paphos will determine the challenger for the world championship title currently held by Chinaâs Ju Wenjun Meanwhile the menâs title is held by Indiaâs D GukeshEarlier American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has expressed serious concerns about the playing conditions in Cyprus before the 2026 Candidates Tournament which starts in just a weekCurrently ranked World No 2 Nakamura has reportedly been in Cyprus for nearly two months as part of his pretournament preparations However he has highlighted ongoing and lengthy power outages on the island as a troubling issue leading up to one of chessâs most prestigious eventsâItâs not a good sign when power goes out completely in parts of Cyprus and doesnât come back for an extended period of timeâ Nakamura posted on his social media account on X IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/i-do-not-feel-fully-secure-gm-koneru-humpy-withdraws-from-fide-womens-candidates-due-to-iran-israel-war-665991.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/barca-maintain-la-liga-lead-as-madrid-edge-atletico-in-derby-thriller-666032.html Madrid March 23 Barcelona took a fourpoint lead over Real Madrid into the international break after grinding out a 10 home win over Rayo Vallecano while Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 32 in a lively derby Atletico struck first at the Santiago Bernabeu when Giuliano Simeone combined neatly with Ademola Lookman who opened the scoring in the 33rd minuteVinicius Junior leveled from the penalty spot 10 minutes after halftime after David Hancko fouled Brahim Diaz and poor defending from Jose Gimenez allowed Fede Valverde to put Madrid ahead three minutes laterNahuel Molina equalized with a superb longrange effort but Vinicius restored Madrids lead in the 72nd minute cutting inside before curling a shot into the far cornerValverde was later sent off for a late challenge on Alex Baena and Julian Alvarez rattled the post from distance but Atletico could not find a second equalizerBarcelona was far from convincing in its 10 win over Rayo Vallecano needing Ronald Araujos firsthalf goal and an outstanding display from goalkeeper Joan Garcia to secure the pointsGarcia who received his first callup to the Spain squad on Friday made several fine saves in the second half as Rayo repeatedly exposed gaps in Barcelonas defense The home side looked tired and sloppy in possession for long spellsAthletic Club beat Real Betis 21 at home after firsthalf goals from Dani Vivian and Oihan Sancet two days after Ernesto Valverde announced he would step down as coach at the end of the seasonAthletic controlled the first half but Betis improved after the break and Pablo Fornals free kick in the 75th minute set up a tense finishAlaves produced one of the comebacks of the season recovering from 30 down away to Celta Vigo to win 43 and move further clear of the relegation zoneCelta appeared to be cruising after two goals from Ferran Jutgla and one from Hugo Alvarez put the home side 30 ahead after 37 minutes Toni Martinez pulled a goal back in firsthalf stoppage time and Angel Perez scored again five minutes into the second half to revive AlavesMartinez made it 33 in the 74th minute and Abde Rebbach completed the comeback four minutes later IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/barca-maintain-la-liga-lead-as-madrid-edge-atletico-in-derby-thriller-666032.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/mls-messi-scores-as-inter-miami-beat-new-york-city-3-2-666036.html New York March 23 Inter Miami CF secured a 32 win on the road over New York City FC to extend its unbeaten run to four this MLS regular season The first goals from defenders Gonzalo Lujan and Micael in Inter Miami colors as well as a strike from captain Leo Messi powered Inter Miami to victory at Yankee Stadium in New York CityInter Miami pulled ahead early in the 4th minute with center back LujÃn taking advantage of a rebound after an initial attempt from Segovia that was blocked and striking from the center of the box Notably Lujanâs goal was the first of his careerNew York City FC equalized in the 17th minute with a goal from NicolÃs FernandezMessi came close to reclaiming the lead for Inter Miami rattling the left post in the 31st and 42nd minutes with curlers from outside the box but the 11 scoreline held through the first half The home side took the lead in the 59th minute with a goal from Agustin OjedaMessi struck shortly after to equalise for Inter Miami in the 61st minute scoring from a free kick to take his tally to four this 2026 regular seasonInter Miami reclaimed its lead in the 74th minute with a towering header from Micael from the right end of the box to capitalize on a pinpoint cross from Allen from the left side of the pitch The goal was Micaelâs first as an Inter Miami player while the assist was the second for Allen this league campaignOn the other end of the pitch Inter Miami was rock solid at the back to preserve the lead Notably Ayala made a key block to deny an attempt from NYCFCâs Talles Magno from inside the box in the 90th minute while St Clair saved a header from Aiden OâNeill in the fifth minute of stoppage time The 23 scoreline ultimately remained unchanged and Inter Miami claimed all three points at Yankee Stadium Inter Miami will play its first home game of the season when it hosts Austin FC on April 4 for the historic inaugural match at Nu Stadium IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/mls-messi-scores-as-inter-miami-beat-new-york-city-3-2-666036.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/nzc-to-pursue-nz20-franchise-league-as-preferred-option-for-domestic-t20-competition-666057.html Auckland March 23 New Zealand Cricket NZC will pursue the proposed NZ20 franchise league as the preferred option for its domestic T20 competition to revitalise its 21yearold Super Smash tournament The NZC Board said it has made an inprinciple decision to support the establishment of the new league subject to the satisfactory resolution of key commercial structural and governance mattersWhile not a final commitment the decision allows NZC to focus resources on advancing discussions toward a potential licence and a binding commercial arrangement with the NZ20 league it said NZC Board chair Diana PuketapuLyndon said recognising NZ20 as the preferred option was a significant step in a process that carefully weighed the pros and cons of the two main opportunities She said the board thoroughly debated the choice between potential expansion into Australias WBBL and the NZ20 concept addressing all central issues involvedThere was extensive discussion on the merits of these proposals but the Board concluded that nowâs the right time to revitalise our 21yearold Super Smash competition This followed broad consultation particularly within our cricket network and careful consideration of a wide range of information and advice including the Deloitte Report The next steps include working with NZ20 to agree on terms and seeking support from our membersâSeveral changes to the original NZ20 proposal needed to be negotiated before a final decision was made In particular we want to work with NZ20 to ensure it incorporates and supports the womenâs domestic T20 competition and that it maintains a level of prominence and visibility consistent with NZCâs strategic commitment to the womenâs game Ensuring regional representation of NZ20 teams so fans and aspiring young cricketers can see their heroes in action is also very important to the Board as is the question of ownership and control including equity in the competitionShe noted that the NZC brand carried significant global value bolstered by the impressive performances of its national teams in ICC events The White Ferns are the current T20 World Cup Champions and the BLACKCAPS were recent finalists in the menâs versionThis is an exciting time for cricket in New Zealandâ said PuketapuLyndon We owe it to everyone to negotiate an outcome that best serves the interests of the game here and were confident weâre heading in the right direction IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/nzc-to-pursue-nz20-franchise-league-as-preferred-option-for-domestic-t20-competition-666057.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/salima-hardik-among-player-of-the-year-nominees-as-hockey-india-unveils-annual-awards-nominations-666069.html New Delhi March 23 Hockey India announced the nominees for the Annual Awards 2025 on Monday with the event scheduled for March 27 These awards will honour exceptional performances and contributions to Indian hockey throughout the 2025 season One of the evenings most esteemed honours is the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr Award for Player of the Year presented to the best male and female players The ceremony will also showcase emerging talent with the Hockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year Men â Under21 and the Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year Women â Under21Excellence in various playing positions will be honoured with specific awards the Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year the Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year the Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year and the Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the YearA total of 32 nominees from these eight categories have been selected for the final shortlistThe ceremony will feature additional recognitions including the Hockey India President Award for Outstanding Achievement and the Hockey India Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution Officials will be honoured with awards such as the Hockey India President Award for UmpireUmpire Manager of the Year the Hockey India President Award for Technical Official of the Year and the Best Member Unit AwardA ceremony will honour the Indian Menâs Hockey Team that won the gold medal at the Asia Cup in Rajgir Bihar 2025 as well as the Indian Junior Menâs Hockey Team that secured bronze at the FIH Hockey Menâs Junior World Cup in Tamil Nadu 2025 Additionally the Member Units will be recognised for their achievements in the 15th Hockey India National ChampionshipsHockey India President Dilip Tirkey said âAs we enter a crucial year for Indian hockey its important that we recognise the standout performers and contributions made in the last year The Hockey India Annual Awards recognise the dedication and achievements of players and officials who continue to elevate the standard of Indian hockey We look forward to celebrating their efforts and the progress Indian hockey has madeâHockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh added âThese awards acknowledge the collective efforts of everyone involved in the sport including players coaches officials and member units Their commitment has played a vital role in strengthening the hockey ecosystem in India We are looking forward to come together and celebrate the accomplishments of our hockey fraternityâNominees for the Hockey India Eighth Annual Awards 2025Hockey India Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year 2025 Prince Deep Singh Krishan Bahadur Pathak Bichu Devi Kharibam Suraj KarkeraHockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year 2025 Sanjay Amit Rohidas Jugraj Singh Harmanpreet SinghHockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year 2025 Hardik Singh SumitRaj Kumar Pal Nilakanta SharmaHockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year 2025 Sukhjeet Singh Abhishek Navneet Kaur Shilanand LakraHockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2025 Women â Under 21 Sakshi Rana Jyoti Singh Sunelita Toppo Kanika SiwachHockey India Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year 2025 Men â Under 21 Prince Deep Singh Manmeet Singh Anmol Ekka Arshdeep SinghHockey India Balbir Singh Sr Award for Player of the Year 2025 Women Navneet Kaur Salima Tete Lalremsiami SavitaHockey India Balbir Singh Sr Award for Player of the Year 2025 Men Hardik Singh Sukhjeet Singh Sanjay Abhishek IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/salima-hardik-among-player-of-the-year-nominees-as-hockey-india-unveils-annual-awards-nominations-666069.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/brighton-beat-liverpool-as-everton-piles-misery-on-chelsea-in-premier-league-665917.html London March 22 Two goals from veteran striker Danny Welbeck earned Brighton a 21 home win over Liverpool denting the visitors hopes of a topfour finish Welbecks 11th and 12th Premier League goals of the season proved vital He opened the scoring after 14 minutes and although Milos Kerkez leveled on the halfhour after a poor defensive error from Lewis Dunk Welbecks second after the break settled the game Liverpool has now lost 10 of their 31 league matches this campaignEverton deepened Chelseas misery with a 30 win at home moving up to eighth in the table just two places and two points behind Liam Roseniors sideEverton produced arguably their finest performance at Hill Dickinson so far to boost their European bid with a superb win over ChelseaTwo goals from Norberto Beto and one from Iliman Ndiaye gave Everton consecutive home wins while adding the pain to Chelsea who have slumped after heavy defeats to Paris SaintGermain and a home loss to Newcastle UnitedBeto gave his side a deserved lead just past the half hour when he raced onto James Garnerâs sublime through ball to lift a delicate finish over Robert SanchezJordan Pickford kept Chelseaâs array of attacking talent at bay with impressive stops either side of halftime from Enzo Fernandez efforts â helping him to his 100th clean sheet for the Club in the processAnd that proved crucial as Beto grabbed his and Evertonâs second on 62 minutes Idrissa Gana Gueye intercepting on halfway zooming down the right channel and passing inside to the striker whose firsttime shot squeezed under Sanchez and over the lineBeto then turned provider to wrap up three points with 14 minutes remaining feeding Iliman Ndiaye who cut inside 14 yards out and curled a sumptuous finish into the top righthand cornerIt sealed a vital win that lifted the Blues up to seventh in the Premier League table three points off their Merseyside rivals in fifth ahead of a threeweek breakLeeds United and Brentford play out a 00 draw with the hosts guilty of leaving their push for a winning goal too late as they seek to pull clear of the relegation zoneBurnley slipped closer to relegation after a 31 defeat away to Fulham Zian Flemming put Burnley ahead but Josh King and Harry Wilson turned the game around before Raul Jimenezs stoppagetime penalty sealed the win IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/brighton-beat-liverpool-as-everton-piles-misery-on-chelsea-in-premier-league-665917.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/sinner-equals-djokovics-record-with-straight-set-win-in-miami-opener-665919.html Miami March 22 World No 2 Jannik Sinner raced past Damir Dzumhur 63 63 in the Miami Open firstround match at the Hard Rock Stadium After lifting his maiden trophy for 2026 at Indian Wells the Italian is bidding to become the first man to complete the coveted âSunshine Doubleâ since Roger Federer in 2017In his Miami opening win Sinner dropped just eight points behind his delivery in the match Now on a 12match winning streak at ATP Masters 1000 events following his title runs at the Paris Masters in November and in Indian Wells Sinner has tied Novak Djokovicâs record for the most consecutive sets won at that level 24 according to ATP StatsHe will have the chance to move clear of the Serbian great by winning the opening set of his thirdround encounter against 30th seed Corentin Moutet who defeated Tomas Machac 60 16 64I feel like the scoreboard matters at times For me I try to improve as a player and put myself in the position to play as many matches as possible I always treat every opponent in the same way trying to come on court and do my best with a great attitude and trying to go for it said Sinner about his streak of Masters 1000 straightsets winsSinner is chasing his second title in Miami where he triumphed in 2024 The Italian has no ATP Rankings points to defend in South Florida giving him the opportunity to build further momentum in his battle with Carlos Alcaraz for World No 1Elsewhere Alexander Shevchenko sent Ben Shelton to another early exit at the Miami Open with a comeback victory at the ATP Masters 1000 eventWith his 673 763 63 upset the Kazakhstani picked up his third Top 10 win and dropped Shelton to 14 at the biggest tournament in his adopted home state of Florida IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/sinner-equals-djokovics-record-with-straight-set-win-in-miami-opener-665919.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/neesham-to-lead-nz-against-sa-after-thumb-injury-rules-out-tom-latham-665922.html Wellington March 22 New Zealand have been dealt another setback ahead of the fourth T20I against South Africa with Tom Latham ruled out due to injury NZC said on Sunday Tom Blundell has been drafted into the squad as Lathams replacement marking his return to T20I cricket for the first time since April 2025 for the Wellington matchLatham sustained a blow to his thumb from South African fast bowler Nqobani Mokoena during the third T20I at Eden Park on Friday Despite the injury he carried on batting and produced an unbeaten 63 guiding New Zealand to a comfortable eightwicket victoryAccording to New Zealand Cricket Lathamâs thumb was examined by medical staff immediately after the game He was then flown to Christchurch the following morning for further scans His availability for the fifth T20I will depend on the outcome of those assessmentsâTom Latham has been ruled out of the fourth T20I against South Africa starting this Sunday 22 March in Wellington Latham was struck on the thumb by South African fastbowler Nqobani Mokoena during the third T20I at Eden Park on Friday night Wellington Firebirds wicketkeeper Tom Blundell comes into the squad as top order battingwicketkeeper coverâ NZC said in an X postIn Lathamâs absence James Neesham will take charge of the team This will be the first time in his decadelong international career that the allrounder captains New Zealand in T20Is making him the countryâs 12th player to do soâAllrounder James Neesham will captain the BLACKCAPS for the first time in his career this evening in the fourth KFC T20I against South Africa Neesham becomes the 12th man to lead the BLACKCAPS in T20Isâ the board wrote in another X postEarlier in the series Ish Sodhi and Bevon Jacobs were ruled out owing to a broken thumb and a left knee injury respectively The fivematch series is currently 21 in favour of the hosts IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/neesham-to-lead-nz-against-sa-after-thumb-injury-rules-out-tom-latham-665922.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/gauff-reaches-miami-open-fourth-round-with-comeback-win-over-parks-665928.html Miami March 22 Coco Gauff staged a comeback to defeat fellow American Alycia Parks in three sets to advance to the Miami Open round of 16 Despite early struggles Gauff dominated the match and saved numerous break points It marks her fourth appearance in the last 16 in Miami as the 22yearold continues to chase her first quarterfinal at the WTA 1000 eventGauff opened with an early break to take a 20 lead but Parks responded by winning six straight games to claim the first set 62 From there Gauff dominated winning 12 of the next 13 games to secure a 26 60 61 victory in 1 hour 50 minutes WTA reportsIt was really difficult She was playing really well and shes one of those people whos hit or miss sometimes So youre stuck in the fine line of being aggressive but also maybe just making her play And I think I got too stuck on the other end of it And then the second and third I just tried to be aggressive when I could I made some adjustments on the return and I think that made a difference Gauff said after her winThis was the Americans 11th win at the WTA level after losing the first set since the start of the 2025 season tying with Madison Keys and Anastasia Potapova on this stat The only player with more wins from a set down in the same span is Jessica Pegula 13 Moreover among players born since 2000 Gauffâs 104 wins at WTA 1000 events rank second behind Iga Swiateks 130 wins She will now face Sorana Cirstea in the next round aiming for her first quarterfinal at the WTA 1000 eventThe Romanian veteran Cirstea playing her final season on tour defeated 21st seed Elise Mertens 63 62 Gauff won their only previous meeting a threeset match in the second round of the 2022 Australian Open IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/gauff-reaches-miami-open-fourth-round-with-comeback-win-over-parks-665928.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-dc-have-enough-backups-for-every-slot-except-for-axar-amp-kuldeep-opines-chopra-665954.html New Delhi March 22 Former India opener Aakash Chopra has backed Delhi Capitals DC to end their long wait for an IPL title adding the franchises 2026 squad look as a very strong unit and that he would keep his fingers crossed for them to win the trophy this year DC are one of only two franchises to have never won the IPL title despite featuring in every season since the leagueâs inception in 2008 âAnybody who has won multiple trophies even Gujarat Titans who reached the finals twice and won a trophy in their first two years you will find that consistency and stability allowed them to succeedâIPL is designed in a way that gives you the chance to reboot After every three years there is a big auction coming up Kudos to Delhi because since 2019 they have consistently been there or thereabouts and made the final in 2020âThe womenâs team has reached the final in all four WPL seasons They have got their auctions right and this year I feel they have a very strong unit So fingers crossed that this could be their yearâ said Chopra on JioStarHe also pointed out the importance of stability in leadership and team selection pointing to DCâs improved auction strategy last year as a key factor âAnybody who has won multiple trophies even Gujarat Titans who reached the finals twice and won a trophy in their first two years you will find that consistency and stability allowed them to succeedâWhere there is no success teams keep chopping and changing in a bid to find it thinking that once they succeed they will become stable Then it becomes a chickenandegg situation That has been the issue with both PBKS and DC One team has had 15 captains the other has had 17âSo if you want to change your present stability is nonnegotiable We have often seen that the better teams arrive at their best combination in the first or second match itself while teams that keep chopping and changing using around 22 out of 25 players finish closer to the bottom than the topâ he saidAssessing DC and PBKS Chopra added âOn paper I think Delhi is a more complete unit with enough backups for almost every slot except the two spinners but you wonât find backups for Axar Patel and Kuldeep even in the entire countryâFormer India leftarm pacer Irfan Pathan spoke about the challenge DC faced with identifying talent during the early 2010s âI was with Punjab and Delhi for three years each When I was at Delhi Eric Simmons who is now with CSK as the bowling coach was the coach and there was an effort to bring stabilityâBut when you let go of players like AB de Villiers and you had Andre Russell starting from scratch is not easy I played alongside Russell in the same dressing room and there were a lot of discussions about giving him more opportunities But they just couldnât find a place for him consistently in the XI So identification of talent is very important and I feel Delhi used to fall short in that areaâPathan also spoke about how the leadership of captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting has been the key difference for PBKS from IPL 2025 âLeadership has played a huge role in Punjabâs turnaround You win half the IPL at the auction table Big purses donât necessarily mean you will always get what you want but they did and they reached the finalâEven in the miniauction they took bold but important calls like letting go of players who were not performing such as Glenn Maxwell They were a bit unfortunate with the Josh Inglis situation given he would miss most of the season but then you see another team going after him for a huge price In that respect they are taking a lot of right decisionsâLook at the backup players in the past Punjab struggled with that when the focus was entirely on building the first XI but now you see allrounders like Azmatullah Omarzai Marco Jansen and Marcus Stoinis along with a young Indian batting core Apart from that they went allout for Shreyas Iyer after deciding he would be the captain So there is clarity of thought and I feel Punjab have started to move in the right directionâ he concluded IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-dc-have-enough-backups-for-every-slot-except-for-axar-amp-kuldeep-opines-chopra-665954.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 16:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/forest-guards-lead-guardians-of-nature-fit-india-sundays-on-cycle-event-in-delhi-665956.html New Delhi March 22 A sea of Forest Guards in uniform sitting on their cycles and passing through India Gate was the highlight of Sunday morning at the 66th Fit India Sundays on Cycle event The flagoff at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium became a proud moment as the army band played patriotic tunes and conch shells were blown The latest edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Jal Shakti It combined purpose and participation by bringing together citizens athletes forest officials and fitness enthusiasts in a distinctive homage to nature and healthy livingMore than 750 cyclists participated in a special âGuardians of Natureâ edition honouring World Forest Day and World Water Day as well as celebrating Indiaâs upcoming role as host of the Commonwealth Games 2030 The early morning air was filled with enthusiasm as participants of all ages gathered before sunrise engaging in lively Zumba sessions yoga routines and rope skipping activities before the cycling races commenced The first PSPB Fit India Cyclothon was held with all attendees taking part and winners being selectedAmong the distinguished dignitaries honoured was P Viswakannan serving as Chief Conservator of Forests highlighting the crucial connection between environmental conservation and sustainable livingâaligned with this editionâs âGuardians of Natureâ theme Also recognised were Bibhuti Pradhan of Indian Oil Corporation Limited IOCL and Nishant Kumar of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation ONGC representing key publicsector partners Their awards acknowledge the vital support from corporate and institutional entities in expanding the movement across the countryKey officials from the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board PSPB including Sabeena Chowdhary Lalit Kumar Watts and Sandeep Sarkaria were honoured for their ongoing efforts in promoting sports and fitness through organised initiatives and partnerships Their recognition highlighted the collaborative ecosystem behind Fit India Sundays on Cycle where government agencies publicsector organisations and sports institutions unite to turn a weekly cycling event into a national movement that promotes health fitness and environmental awareness The 66th edition took place simultaneously in over 5000 locations across India from the North East hills to the tribal areas of Odisha and the pristine shores of the AndamansA significant moment of the morning was the recognition of forest guards and distinguished former athletes who were acknowledged for their efforts in both sports and environmental conservation Honorees included Arjuna Awardwinning shooter Shilpi Bisht international basketball player Mohit Bhandari hockey player Kushmeet Singh carrom player Rashmi Kumari and MTB freestyle cyclist and Fit India Ambassador Rahul Pradhan Their participation inspired everyone emphasising that fitness and environmental responsibility are interconnectedThe earlymorning competitive segment featured enthusiastic participation across categories with riders striving along the 5km route In the results SK Prajapati from IOCL secured first place in the menâs below 45 years category while Kushmeet Singh also of IOCL took victory in the above 45 years category Among women Preeti Mane of BPCL won the below45years category and Ranjana Anand of IOCL finished first in the above45years category highlighting strong participation from various sectorsAfter the competitive races the larger community cycling ride commenced transforming the venue into a lively procession of cyclists riding for a purpose Simultaneous activity zones kept participants engaged with yoga music recreational games and interactive spaces fostering a festivallike atmosphere that went beyond just cycling A Yogasana Bharat camp offered guidance on health tips for a better life covering stress relief improved digestion and other agerelated ailments The support from partners such as the Cycling Federation of India and Rope Skipping led by Dr Shikha Gupta added to the mornings activities and excitementThe edition also marked further progress in the rapid expansion of the Sundays on Cycle movement which has developed into a nationwide grassroots campaign advocating for fitness as a daily routine and supporting environmentally sustainable practices Incorporating themes such as carbon reduction and conservation the initiative continues to broaden its influence beyond health raising awareness of broader societal issuesLaunched in December 2024 under the leadership of Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Fit India Sundays on Cycle has evolved into a prominent community wellness initiative With millions participating weekly across thousands of sites it upholds Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modis vision of embedding fitness in daily life and tackling issues like obesity and pollution IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/forest-guards-lead-guardians-of-nature-fit-india-sundays-on-cycle-event-in-delhi-665956.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 16:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/maharashtra-crowned-champions-of-bcci-womens-under-23-one-day-trophy-elite-202526-title-665978.html Ranchi March 22 Maharashtra Women delivered a dominant allround performance to clinch the BCCI Womenâs Under23 One Day Trophy Elite 2025â26 title defeating Karnataka by a comprehensive margin of 75 runs in the final held at Ranchi After losing the toss and being put in to bat Maharashtra posted a formidable total of 2868 in their allotted 50 overs The innings was brilliantly anchored by Bhavika Ahire who played a matchwinning knock of 109 runs off 100 balls She was ably supported by Ishwari Sawkar 61 and Ishwari Awasare 36 ensuring a strong foundation for the teamIn reply Karnataka were bowled out for 211 as Maharashtraâs bowlers delivered a disciplined and clinical performance Akshaya Jadhav starred with the ball returning figures of 439 in 9 overs while Isha Pathare 343 and Khushi Mulla 222 provided crucial breakthroughs to seal a convincing victoryFor her outstanding performance Bhavika Ahire was adjudged both Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament This victory marks a historic milestone for Maharashtra Women as it is their third title in the current season This triumph further underlines Maharashtraâs dominance in the current BCCI domestic seasonIn the 2025â26 season Maharashtra has emerged as one of the topperforming state associations in the country having won three BCCI tournaments and finishing as runnersup on three occasions This is the highest overall performance record achieved by any State Cricket Association in India this season reflecting the depth consistency and excellence of Maharashtra cricket across formatsThis is also the first instance of any state association womenâs team in India winning three titles in a singleseason Maharashtraâs exceptional performance throughout the season reflects the growing strength depth and bright future of womenâs cricket in the stateMCA administrator Justice G A Sanap said This is the third title won by the Maharashtra Womenâs team in a single season which is a matter of immense pride for the entire state The consistent efforts taken by the Maharashtra Cricket Association towards the development of womenâs cricket along with the introduction of the Maharashtra Womenâs Premier League WMPL are now clearly yielding results Every player member of the support staff and the selection committee has contributed significantly to this achievement I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of themâ IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/maharashtra-crowned-champions-of-bcci-womens-under-23-one-day-trophy-elite-202526-title-665978.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 22:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/pramod-bhagat-shines-with-double-gold-and-silver-sukant-kadam-clinches-singles-title-and-doubles-silver-at-spanish-para-badminton-international-2026-665981.html Vitoria Spain March 22 India delivered an exceptional performance at the Spanish Para Badminton International 2026 â Level 2 held from March 16â22 in Vitoria Spain led by standout performances from Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat and Sukant Kadam Bhagat secured two gold medals and one silver while Kadam added one gold and one silver to Indiaâs tally underlining the nationâs dominance on the global para badminton stage Bhagat produced a thrilling performance in the Menâs Singles SL3 final overcoming compatriot Nitesh Kumar in a hardfought threeset encounter lasting 51 minutes Bhagat claimed the first set 2117 before Nitesh responded strongly to take the second 2110 In a tense decider Bhagat showcased his experience and composure to seal the match 2118He continued his golden run in the Mixed Doubles SL3SU5 partnering with Manisha Ramdass The Indian duo staged a remarkable comeback after losing the opening set 1321 to defeat Brazilâs Rogerio Junior Xavier de Oliveira and Edwarda De Oliveira Dias They bounced back 2112 in the second set and edged a closely contested third set 2119 to clinch goldBhagat also secured a silver medal in Menâs Doubles SL3SU5 alongside Sukant Kadam finishing runnersup to fellow Indians Nitesh Kumar and Ruthick RagupathiSpeaking after his performance Pramod Bhagat said This tournament was a true test of patience and resilience The singles final was very intense and I had to dig deep after losing the second set Iâm happy with the way I stayed composed in crucial moments Winning two golds here gives me great confidence moving forwardMeanwhile Sukant Kadam delivered a commanding performance in the Menâs Singles SL4 final defeating Koreaâs Cho Nadan in straight sets Kadam controlled the match from the outset winning 2116 2117 to secure gold in convincing fashion Kadam said I felt in control throughout the match and was able to execute my game plan well This gold reflects the hard work Iâve been putting in and Iâm motivated to build on this momentum in the upcoming tournamentsIndiaâs strong showing extended across multiple categories Nitesh Kumar secured silver and Jagdish Dilli won bronze in Menâs Singles SL3 Neeraj claimed bronze in Womenâs Singles SL3 In Menâs Doubles SL3SU5 Deep Ranjan Bisoyee and Kuldeep Mahkul earned bronzeIn Mixed Doubles SL3SU5 pairs of Shivam Yadav amp Neeraj and Nitesh Kumar amp Thulasimathi Murugesan both secured bronze medalsRuthick Ragupathi silver and Shivam Yadav bronze delivered strong performances in Menâs Singles SU5 In Womenâs Singles SU5 Manisha Ramdass clinched gold while Thulasimathi Murugesan secured silver Jatin Azad and Shivam Yadav won bronze in Menâs Doubles SU5 and Manisha Patel added another bronze in Womenâs Singles SH6 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/pramod-bhagat-shines-with-double-gold-and-silver-sukant-kadam-clinches-singles-title-and-doubles-silver-at-spanish-para-badminton-international-2026-665981.html Sun, 22 Mar 2026 22:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/world-gymnastics-cancels-doha-world-cup-due-to-middle-east-situation-665845.html Geneva March 21 The artistic gymnastics World Cup scheduled to take place in Doha in April has been canceled in light of the current situation in the Middle East the sports world governing body has said World Gymnastics reports that following an urgent online vote and in light of the current situation in the Middle East its executive committee has decided to cancel the 2026 edition of the Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus World Cup in Doha scheduled to take place from April 15 to 18 World Gymnastics said in a statement late on Friday nightThe event will not be rescheduled it addedSince the USIsraeli strikes on Iran began many teams had cancelled their application for the competitions held in the Middle East reports XinhuaNo penalties will be applied to late applications for the last two Apparatus World Cups in Cairo and Osijek in April World Gymnastics saidWorld Gymnastics expresses its support to all those impacted by recent developments and hopes for a swift return to stability in the Middle EastFurthermore the World Gymnastics meeting approved several exceptional adjustments to the rules including the number of highest results to be taken into account for ranking calculationsThe Apparatus World Cup Ranking list and the World Championships qualification pathway for Apparatus Specialists will be determined by the three highest scores on each apparatus in five competitions regardless of the number of competitions the gymnasts participated inDue to the exceptional nature of this decision the official regulations in relation to the above will not be amended stated the World GymnasticsThe Middle East crisis has impacted many sports events including the Formula One calendar as two races had to be cancelled Formula 1 has cancelled next months Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix because of the escalating conflict leaving the 2026 season with a reduced 22race calendar and a lengthy spring breakThe sport confirmed Sunday that the races in Sakhir on April 12 and Jeddah on April 19 will not take place because of security concerns and logistical constraints linked to the ongoing conflict in the regionThe decision comes after weeks of uncertainty following the outbreak of hostilities on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran triggering a wider regional conflict that has disrupted travel and raised security risks reported XinhuaSeveral countries in the region closed their airspace in the aftermath of the strikes IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/world-gymnastics-cancels-doha-world-cup-due-to-middle-east-situation-665845.html Sat, 21 Mar 2026 09:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ifl-2025-26-phrangki-buams-brace-powers-shillong-lajong-to-top-of-table-665700.html Aizawl March 19 Shillong Lajong FC rode a brace by Phrangki Buam to defeat Chanmari FC 21 in Indian Football League 202526 at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Thursday The win takes them to the top of the table with seven points from four games ahead of Rajasthan United on goal difference Chanmari are sixth with five points from as many games Chanmari had taken the lead early on through Christo Kamei 16â before Buam 452â p 905â scored in the injury times of both halves to win it for the away teamIt was a frantic start with chances at both ends bringing out memorable saves from both keepers Shillongâs Siwel Rymbai being the busier of the two saved shots from Suamsawnga and the second Brazilian on the side Jota earlyHis goal was breached in the 16th minute however by a stunning leftfooted curler over the wall by Kamei The freekick earned by Aaron drew a foul from Shillong skipper Kenstar Kharshong who was also booked in the processChanmari continued to dominate possession and were the more attacking of the sides with Jota initiating most of the attacks from the left wing and giving Muasang a torrid timeLajong equalised against the run of play in the firsthalf injurytime Everbrightson Sana managed to get behind Papuia getting onto the end of a long ball Though the danger seemed to have been averted Chanmari goalkeeper Zothanmawia lunged in with both feet forcing the referee to point to the spot Buam hit the underside of the crossbar with a powerful spotkick and saw the ball fall inside the line Both sides went into the dressing rooms on level termsChanmari began the second half in a similar attacking fashion Amuana and Jota were guilty of missed chances which could have put the game beyond ShillongWith the introduction of Tremeiki alongside Buam Lajong injected a bit more pace in attack and started creating more chances as the game reached its end stagesTheir efforts bore fruit when with six minutes added on yet another substitute Jakob made a run on the left flank before finding Buam with a perfectlyweighted cross The latter made no mistake with the finish past Zothanmawia The clock showed a minute more of added time left and Shillong had pulled off a heist IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ifl-2025-26-phrangki-buams-brace-powers-shillong-lajong-to-top-of-table-665700.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 08:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/europa-league-real-betis-celta-vigo-porto-advance-to-quarterfinals-665741.html Madrid March 20 Real Betis overturned a firstleg deficit to reach the Europa League quarterfinals with a 40 home win over Panathinaikos advancing 41 on aggregate Betis which lost 10 in Athens last week drew level in the tie early on when Cucho Hernandez struck the crossbar with a powerful effort and Aitor Ruibal reacted quickest to convert the reboundThe Spanish side dominated possession for long spells with Antony going close before Betis doubled the lead just before halftime in bizarre fashionWinger Ezzalzouli appeared to assume he had been caught offside and lashed the ball high into the air in frustration but play continued The loose ball eventually fell to Sofyan Amrabat whose shot from outside the area took a slight deflection and wrongfooted Panathinaikos goalkeeper Alban LafontBetis extended its advantage in the 54th minute when Ruibal turned provider for Hernandez and Antony added a fourth in the 66th after another strong run down the left by EzzalzouliCelta Vigo also advanced to the last eight with a 20 win at Lyon sealing a 31 aggregate victoryLyon were on the back foot following Moussa NiakhatÃâs 19thminute dismissal and fell behind soon after the hour mark when Javi Rueda who netted the opener in the 11 draw in Vigo seven days ago steered in Hugo Ãlvarezs cutback Substitute Ferran Jutgla made sure of the victory late on via a composed effort before NicolÃs Tagliaficos lastgasp dismissal left Lyon with just nine menElsewhere a Victor Froholdt screamer and Diogo Costaâs goalkeeping helped Porto reach quarterfinals with a 41 aggregate win over Stuttgart Diogo Costa had already made several big saves â including two from Chris Fuhrich â when William Gomes tapped in against the run of play After more Diogo Costa interventions Froholdt arrowed brilliantly into the top corner Nikolas Narteys late dismissal adding to Stuttgarts frustration IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/europa-league-real-betis-celta-vigo-porto-advance-to-quarterfinals-665741.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/3rd-t20i-devines-allround-effort-takes-nz-to-2-1-series-lead-over-sa-665753.html Auckland March 20 Sophie Devines 55 not out after her brilliant bowling effort powered New Zealand to a sixwicket win over South Africa in the third T20I here at Eden Park on Friday and took a 21 series lead in the fivematch series with two games to go After opting to bat first the Proteas women were restricted to 1497 with Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates picking up a couple of wickets each In response Devineâs halfcentury led the chase with support from Amelia Kerr 30 and Maddy Green 34 as the hosts chased down the target in 184 overs to take a 21 lead in the seriesBatting first South Africa got off to a disastrous start as they were reduced to 92 within three overs when Rosemary Mair removed opener Tazmin Brits in the second over and Jess Kerr joined the party in the next over to dismiss Sune LuusAnnerie Dercksen and skipper Laura Wolvaardt stitched together a crucial 51run stand for the third wicket to steady the innings after early setbacks The partnership however was broken by Sophie Devine who dismissed Dercksen for 27 Then Suzie Bates removed Chloe Tryon before Sophie Devine struck again dismissing Nadine de Klerk as the visitors slipped to 1015 in 15 overs leaving them in a spot of botherKayla Reyneke 34 not out off 20 provided late momentum in the death overs smashing two sixes and a four straight down the ground in the last over to lift South Africa to 1497Chasing 150 New Zealand lost their openers Georgia Plimmer 4 and Isabella Gaze 17 in the powerplay The Devine and Amelia stitched a 30run stand for the third wicket But South Africa tightened up though and the wickets of Amelia Kerr and Brooke Halliday in the 10th over left the chase in a tense situation New Zealand needed 82 off 60 with six wickets in hand Devine was 13 off 10 But Sophie Devine and Maddy Green signalled the shift in momentum with an unbeaten 84run stand for the fifth wicket When the partnership brought up its fifty Green had contributed just 12 off 15 balls with Devine doing the bulk of the scoring from the other end She carried that dominance through to the finish as New Zealand wrapped up the chase with six wickets in hand and eight balls to spare IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/3rd-t20i-devines-allround-effort-takes-nz-to-2-1-series-lead-over-sa-665753.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-team-arrives-in-thailand-for-afc-u20-womens-asian-cup--665757.html Bangkok March 20 The India U20 womenâs team of 24 players arrived in Thailand on Friday for the AFC U20 Womenâs Asian Cup to acclimatise to the local conditions before their first Group C match next month India women who qualified for the Asian Cup after 20 years will have 13 days to acclimatise to the local conditions in Bangkok before their first Group C match against Japan on April 2 India will then take on Australia on April 5 and Chinese Taipei on April 8 The top two teams in the group and the two best thirdplaced teams among all three groups will make it to the quarterfinals Further the four quarterfinal winners will qualify for the FIFA U20 Womens World Cup Poland 2026India under Swedish head coach Joakim Alexandersson had begun their current training camp in Bengaluru in January after the conclusion of the first phase of the IWL Later they had a onemonth camp in Sweden where they played five friendly matches against the senior teams of Swedish club sidesAfter their return from Scandinavia the young Tigresses continued training in Kolkata from where they departed for the Thailand capital in the wee hours of FridayAlexandersson will announce the final 23member squad closer to the tournamentAlexandersson will announce the final 23member squad closer to the tournamentIndias 24member travelling squad to Thailand for AFC U20 Womens Asian Cup 2026Goalkeepers Monalisha Devi Moirangthem Nandini Ribansi JamuDefenders Alka Indwar Cindy Remruatpuii Colney Nishima Kumari Remi Thokchom Ruchi Yadav Sahena TH Shubhangi Singh Thoibisana Chanu ToijamMidfielders Anju Chanu Kayenpaibam Arina Devi Nameirakpam Bhumika Devi Khumukcham Monisha Singha Neha Pooja Shruti KumariForwards Babita Kumari Deepika Pal Lhingdeikim Shilji Shaji Sibani Devi Nongmeikapam Sulanjana RaulHead coach Joakim AlexanderssonAssistant coach Paromita SitGoalkeeping coach Hameed KK IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-team-arrives-in-thailand-for-afc-u20-womens-asian-cup--665757.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/osullivan-makes-snookers-highest-ever-break-with-historic-153-665791.html Yushan March 20 Seventime world champion Ronnie OSullivan once again made snooker history after crafting the sports highest ever break a stunning 153 in his quarterfinal with Ryan Day at the World Open The 50yearold Englishman set the new record in the opening frame of his quarterfinal with Ryan Day Also known as The Rocket Sullivan has achieved a perfect 147 break a record 17 times previously On Friday he was aided by a free ball and included 14 blacks with two pinks before he deposited all of the colours to end on 153 that left the Englishman two points shy of the highest possible run of 155 Just want to say a big shoutout to all the people that have been messaging me congratulating me on the 153 OSullivan said in a video posted on X It was a pretty cool moment really happy to do it Thank you to everyone out there that has supported meThe only ever break to have exceeded 147 prior to this was a 148 made by Jamie Burnett at 2004 UK Championship qualifying OSullivans incredible run on Friday eclipses that and puts him in line for the 5000pound high break prize OSullivan will face Chinas Wu Yize in the semifinals after the Chinese stormed past Northern Irelands Mark Allen with a 51 winEarlier this season the seventime world champion became only the second player in snooker history to make two maximum 147 breaks in a single match achieving the feat in his Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters semifinal with Chris Wakelin He followed on from Jackson Page who made two maximums in the penultimate round of 2025 World Championship qualifyingOSullivan has recently embarked on a quest to rebuild his game in a bid to rediscover his top form before his career is over Earlier he admitted that his one remaining goal in snooker is to win a recordbreaking eighth World Championship IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/osullivan-makes-snookers-highest-ever-break-with-historic-153-665791.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 17:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/barcelona-thrash-newcastle-to-reach-champions-league-quarterfinal-665649.html Madrid March 19 FC Barcelona stormed into the Champions League quarterfinals after routing Newcastle United 72 at Camp Nou for an 83 aggregate victory After last weeks 11 draw in Newcastle left the tie finely poised Barcelona blew it open with a ruthless secondhalf display Fermin Lopez Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha led the way as the Spanish side overwhelmed Newcastle after the breakThe first half had been a breathless affair in front of 60000 fans with five goals and chances at both ends reports XinhuaRaphinha gave Barcelona the lead in the sixth minute after being played through by Fermin Lopez but Newcastle responded quickly when Anthony Elanga finished from an angle after a diagonal pass from leftback Lewis HallBarcelona restored its advantage in the 18th minute Marc Bernal poking home from close range after Gerard Martin knocked down a free kick to expose slack Newcastle markingNewcastle hit back again as Elanga grabbed his second of the night turning in after Harvey Barnes cross took a slight deflection and fell kindly for a simple finishThe game continued at a furious pace Dan Burn produced a vital block to deny Lewandowski while Lamine Yamal missed from close range when he looked certain to scoreYamal made up for that miss in firsthalf stoppage time converting a penalty after Kieran Trippier pulled back RaphinhaIf the opening period had been evenly contested the second half belonged entirely to BarcelonaFermin Lopez made it 42 after Lewandowskis flick sent him clear on goal Lewandowski then added a fifth with a header from Raphinhas corner while Newcastle was briefly down to 10 men after Sandro Tonali went off with a thigh injuryLewandowski struck again on the hour mark finishing from a fine pass by Yamal before Raphinha completed the scoring after Joe Willocks costly errorWith the result beyond doubt Barcelona coach Hansi Flick was able to make changes and rest key players ahead of the weekend IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/barcelona-thrash-newcastle-to-reach-champions-league-quarterfinal-665649.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/champions-league-liverpool-set-up-qf-with-psg-atletico-secure-barca-showdown-665654.html New Delhi March 19 Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai Hugo Ekitike Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah at Anfield saw Liverpool overturn a firstleg deficit to secire a a 41 aggregate victory over Galatasaray and booked a champions League quarterfinal versus Paris SaintGermain Liverpool produced a performance of authority and class to emphatically overturn a 10 deficit from last weekâs first meeting in Istanbul with Dominik Szoboszlai Hugo Ekitike Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah getting the goalsSzoboszlai opened the scoring midway through a first half that ended with Salah seeing a penalty saved before Ekitike and Gravenberch struck in a twominute spell soon after the restartWith just over an hour gone Salah did get on the scoresheet â this after a Wilfried Singo own goal had been disallowed for offside against Jeremie Frimpong â with a trademark curler for his 50th Champions League goalThe Egyptian then hit the crossbar before being substituted due to injury in the only negative to emerge from an otherwise wholly positive evening for Arne Slot and his team who can now look forward to a lasteight showdown with PSGElsewhere Atletico Madrid beat Tottenham Hotspur on aggregate in the round of 16 and made it to the quarterfinals of Europeâs premier competition for the 13th time from a total of 20 participations Furthermore it is the eighth time under the tenure of Diego Pablo SimeoneAtletico twice came back to stifle Tottenham and reach the quarterfinals despite eventually losing in London The home side had the better of the first half and led at the break through Randal Kolo Muanis header only for JuliÃn Alvarezs 14th Champions League goal in 17 appearances to cancel it out after the restartSpurs offered a quick response through a curling Xavi Simons strike but DÃvid Hanckos header all but ended their hopes A Simons penalty in added time gave the hosts victory on the night but Atleti progressed 75 on aggregateThey will take on FC Barcelona in the lasteight with the first leg at Camp Nou and the second at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/champions-league-liverpool-set-up-qf-with-psg-atletico-secure-barca-showdown-665654.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/dinesh-karthik-and-wife-dipika-pallikal-welcome-baby-girl-raaha-665657.html New Delhi March 19 Former India wicketkeeperbatter Dinesh Karthik and celebrated squash star Dipika Pallikal have announced the arrival of their baby girl Raaha Pallikal Karthik marking a heartwarming expansion of their family The couple shared the news in a social media announcement that expressed their gratitude and joy as they introduced their baby girl as the younger sister of their twin sons Kabir and ZianâWith blessings in our hearts and gratitude beyond words we joyfully welcome our precious girl into this world Kabir and Zian are thrilled to introduce their baby sister Raaha Pallikal Karthik Love Dipika amp DineshâThe couple tied the knot on August 25 2015 in traditional Hindu and Christian ceremonies and welcomed their twins in 2021 Karthik a former Indian international cricketer enjoyed a distinguished career behind the stumps and with the bat before transitioning into coaching and commentary roles following his retirement from competitive play Over more than two decades he featured in Tests ODIs and T20 Internationals and later served as a mentor and batting coach for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League IPLDipika meanwhile etched her name in Indian squash history as the first Indian woman to break into the worldâs topâ10 rankings A recipient of the Padma Shri and multiple medals at Commonwealth and Asian Games she remains one of the countryâs most decorated athletesShe last competed at the Hangzhou Asian Games in October 2023 where she secured a gold medal in mixed doubles After returning from maternity leave in early 2022 she made a successful comeback capturing two titles at the World Doubles Squash Championships and earning a bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth GamesKarthik is currently part of RCBâs coaching staff He serves as the teamâs batting coach and is part of a highly experienced team that includes Andy Flower as head coach and Omkar Salvi as bowling coach The support staff also features Richard Halsall as assistant coach Malolan Rangarajan as spin bowling coach and player identification manager Basu Shanker as strength and conditioning coach Evan Speechly and James Pipe as the team physios Navnita Gautam as the athletic therapist and Dr Shikha Dhaundiyal as the team doctor IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/dinesh-karthik-and-wife-dipika-pallikal-welcome-baby-girl-raaha-665657.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/senegal-stripped-off-title-morocco-declared-2025-afcon-champions-as-caf-overturns-final-result-665486.html Rabat March 18 Morocco have been awarded the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title after the Confederation of African Football CAF overturned the result of the final following Senegals walkoff Senegal had beaten Morocco 10 in the January 18 final but the match was marred by controversy when Senegals players refused to continue after Morocco was awarded a stoppagetime penalty with the score levelPlay resumed after a 17minute delay Brahim Diazs penalty was saved before Pape Gueye scored the winner for Senegal in extra timeCAF said an appeals board had since ruled that Senegal forfeited the match The result was recorded as a 30 victory for MoroccoIn a statement CAF said Senegal breached Article 82 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations triggering the application of Article 84The CAF Appeal Board decided that in application of Article 84 of the Regulations of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations AFCON the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations AFCON Morocco 2025 âthe Matchâ with the result of the Match being recorded as 3â0 in favour of the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football FRMFArticle 82 states that a team that refuses to play or leaves the field without the referees authorization is considered to have lost and is eliminated from the competition Article 84 adds that such a violation results in a 30 defeat and permanent eliminationThe CAF Appeal Board also ruled that âThe appeal lodged in respect of Mr IsmaÃl Saibari Player No 11 of the Morocco National Team is partially upheld The CAF Appeal Board confirms the finding that Mr Ismael Saibari Player No 11 of the Morocco National Team committed misconduct in violation of Articles 82 and 831 of the CAF Disciplinary CodeIt said thatThe sanction imposed on Ismael Saibari is amended to a suspension of two 2 official CAF matches of which one 1 match is suspended The fine of USD 100000 imposed on him is set asideThe CAF Appeal Board confirms the finding that the FÃdÃration Royale Marocaine de Football FRMF is responsible for the conduct of the ball boys during the aforementioned match it addedThe ruling board further said The fine imposed on the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football FRMF in respect of the ball boys incident is reduced to USD 50000The appeal lodged in respect of the interference around the OFRVAR review area is dismissedThe fine of USD 100000 imposed on the FÃdÃration Royale Marocaine de Football FRMF in respect of the interference around the OFRVAR review area is confirmedThe appeal lodged in respect of the laser incident is partially upheldThe fine imposed on the FÃdÃration Royale Marocaine de Football FRMF in respect of the laser incident is reduced to USD 10000 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/senegal-stripped-off-title-morocco-declared-2025-afcon-champions-as-caf-overturns-final-result-665486.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/available-and-looking-forward-says-australia-captain-molinuex-gives-fitness-update-ahead-of-wi-t20is-665494.html St Vincent March 18 Australia skipper Sophie Molineux has confirmed she is fit and eager to return to action ahead of the teamâs upcoming whiteball tour of the Caribbean against the West Indies but the exact nature of her involvement has yet to be confirmed as she continues to manage a back injury The allrounder had been sidelined recently due to a back injury which forced her to miss the latter part of Australiaâs ODI series at home against India However she is now nearing full fitness and is expected to feature in the threematch T20I series starting this weekWith the ICC Womenâs T20 World Cup in England just under three months away Molineux shared an encouraging update on her recovery while speaking to the media in St Vincent But she did not clarify what role she would play beyond her availability saying she would be assessed across the sixgame whiteball tourIm looking forward to playing a role and getting back out there â well see how we go especially towards that back end with the onedayers well just keep assessing Im looking forward to getting back out there again with the girls it was hard to watch that Test especially not being a part of Alyssa Healys last game for AustraliaTo be able to get my feet in behind the desk and lead the group Im looking forward to making the most of those opportunities and especially just getting away and jumping on a plane together and connecting as a group again after whats been a big few months in Australia Molineux told reportersAlthough she is set to participate in the T20Is it remains uncertain whether she will play all six matches on the tour The leftarm spinner indicated she could sit out the subsequent ODI fixtures to carefully manage her workload and ensure she is fully prepared for the World CupThere is also some uncertainty about her bowling readiness even though she has already resumed batting and fielding during training sessionsAustraliaâs tour of the West Indies represents their final international assignment before the T20 World Cup making it a crucial phase of preparation Molineux emphasised the importance of maximising this opportunity to build momentum and strengthen team cohesionâIts an important series for all of us as we havent got a whole lot of games before that T20 World Cup Each game we have together is really important and make sure were building towards that And I suppose to be able to get my feet in behind the desk and lead the group âIm looking forward to making the most of those opportunities and especially just getting away and jumping on a plane together and connecting as a group again after whats been a few months in Australia Its going to be really good for usâ Molineux added IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/available-and-looking-forward-says-australia-captain-molinuex-gives-fitness-update-ahead-of-wi-t20is-665494.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/available-and-looking-forward-australia-captain-molinuex-gives-fitness-update-ahead-of-wi-t20is-665496.html St Vincent March 18 Australia skipper Sophie Molineux has confirmed she is fit and eager to return to action ahead of the teamâs upcoming whiteball tour of the Caribbean against the West Indies but the exact nature of her involvement has yet to be confirmed as she continues to manage a back injury The allrounder had been sidelined recently due to a back injury which forced her to miss the latter part of Australiaâs ODI series at home against India However she is now nearing full fitness and is expected to feature in the threematch T20I series starting this weekWith the ICC Womenâs T20 World Cup in England just under three months away Molineux shared an encouraging update on her recovery while speaking to the media in St Vincent But she did not clarify what role she would play beyond her availability saying she would be assessed across the sixgame whiteball tourIm looking forward to playing a role and getting back out there â well see how we go especially towards that back end with the onedayers well just keep assessing Im looking forward to getting back out there again with the girls it was hard to watch that Test especially not being a part of Alyssa Healys last game for AustraliaTo be able to get my feet in behind the desk and lead the group Im looking forward to making the most of those opportunities and especially just getting away and jumping on a plane together and connecting as a group again after whats been a big few months in Australia Molineux told reportersAlthough she is set to participate in the T20Is it remains uncertain whether she will play all six matches on the tour The leftarm spinner indicated she could sit out the subsequent ODI fixtures to carefully manage her workload and ensure she is fully prepared for the World CupThere is also some uncertainty about her bowling readiness even though she has already resumed batting and fielding during training sessionsAustraliaâs tour of the West Indies represents their final international assignment before the T20 World Cup making it a crucial phase of preparation Molineux emphasised the importance of maximising this opportunity to build momentum and strengthen team cohesionâIts an important series for all of us as we havent got a whole lot of games before that T20 World Cup Each game we have together is really important and make sure were building towards that And I suppose to be able to get my feet in behind the desk and lead the groupâIm looking forward to making the most of those opportunities and especially just getting away and jumping on a plane together and connecting as a group again after whats been a few months in Australia Its going to be really good for usâ Molineux added IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/available-and-looking-forward-australia-captain-molinuex-gives-fitness-update-ahead-of-wi-t20is-665496.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/nsw-rope-in-ex-australia-wicketkeeper-brad-haddin-as-new-mens-head-coach-665498.html New Delhi March 18 Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has been named the new head coach of New South Wales NSW The 48yearold replaces Greg Shipperd whose stint ended early despite having a year remaining on his contract Haddin whose decorated career as a wicketkeeper batter for Australia NSW and the Sydney Sixers earned him Cricket NSW Life Member status in 2024 will commence in the role in June His appointment signifies a return to the state setup more than ten years after his last appearance for the Blues in November 2014Haddin brings international coaching experience having served as an assistant and fielding coach for Australia under Darren Lehmann and Justin Langer will oversee all aspects of the Blues program building on the strong foundations in place to embed a distinctive playing style develop FirstClass and Australian players and challenge for further titlesâNSW cricket has been an integral part of my life and to rejoin the fold as Blues head coach is a proud moment for myself and my family I am looking forward to working with our current crop of talented players to bring back an aura to NSW cricket and to have a team with a formidable and distinctive style of play we can all be proud of Wearing the baggy blue was incredibly special and gave me some of the greatest memories of my careerâ Haddin said in an NSW statementHaddinâs appointment as NSW Head Coach will see him pull on a Blues uniform for the first time in almost 12 years having last represented the state in November 2014 during his final summer of FirstClass and ListA cricketLee Germon Cricket NSW CEO said âI am delighted to welcome Brad Haddin back to Cricket NSW to drive our Blues program forward and challenge for further titles Brad is a highly regarded coach with experience at international and franchise level plus a deep understanding of the NSW way of playingHaddin is currently part of Ricky Pontingâs coaching staff at Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League IPL and has also worked with Sunrisers Hyderabad alongside maintaining a presence in the media as a punditWhile Haddin will lead the Blues his duties will not extend to the Big Bash League sides Sydney Sixers or Sydney Thunder Both franchises are in the process of appointing new head coaches after parting ways with Greg Shipperd and Trevor Bayliss with James Hopes and Shane Watson among those linked to the vacancies IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/nsw-rope-in-ex-australia-wicketkeeper-brad-haddin-as-new-mens-head-coach-665498.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/if-i-were-with-kkr-id-ask-for-a-spin-friendly-eden-pitch-for-varun-amp-narine-faf--665501.html New Delhi March 18 Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru RCB skipper Faf du Plessis has weighed in on Kolkata Knight Ridersâ prospects for the Indian Premier League IPL 2026 season highlighting the crucial role their spin attack could play after a disappointing campaign last year KKR threetime IPL champions are looking to regroup and rediscover their winning formula According to du Plessis much of that success will hinge on how effectively they utilise their two premier spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine particularly in home conditions at Eden GardensâIf I was part of the KKR team management I would ask the groundsman at Eden Gardens to make the wicket spinfriendly KKR are blessed to have two absolute cannons in Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine They are two of the best T20 spinners in the game right nowâ du Plessis told JioStarâBoth Varun and Narine have to be in the game If they play on surfaces where they are not in contention then you are losing those two cannons and your superpower Yes they can bowl well on any wicket and trouble batters But for KKR to be successful this IPL Varun and Narine need to fire The pitch should be prepared keeping those two players in mindâ he addedBeyond spin du Plessis also turned his attention to KKRâs squad composition particularly the inclusion of Cameron Green who has been brought in as a highprofile allround optionâCameron Green is a highly talented guy who has a lot of potential in him to succeed He is the multiskilled marquee buy for KKR and the replacement for Andre Russell Green is sixfoot tall a massive guy he bowls well has a good bouncer and yorker can hit the ball out of the stadium easily and is a proper batter he saidHowever he also pointed out that expectations will be high especially given the players price tag In short he is a complete package He balances KKRâs team very well In terms of IPL cricket Green has a lot of potential But form has not been on his side recently With a price tag of INR 252 crores there is a big price tag pressure he will carry There is a lot of weight on his shoulders The team will expect a lot from him It will be interesting to see how he goesâ he addedDu Plessis further assessed KKRâs potential opening combination suggesting a dynamic pairing at the top could strengthen their batting lineup He pointed to Finn Allen and Tim Seifert who have opened together for New Zealand in T20Is noting that their aggressive approach aligns well with modern T20 demandsâIf KKR can find a way to fit Finn Allen and Tim Seifert together in the playing XI as openers it will be really good for them It will make their batting very strong Allen and Seifert know each other quite well and have an established opening partnership between each other since they open for New Zealand in T20Is We all saw the carnage they displayed in the T20 World Cup That counts as a massive factorHaving both of them opening the innings is perfect for the way T20 cricket is played now They both go hard from the first ball and attack in different ways So if KKR can fit them together at the top it will be really nice for the team said du PlessisHe did however flag concerns around the teamâs bowling depth particularly in light of injury issues But the question mark is their bowling With the injuries they have they almost need to pick an experienced player from the unsold list and bring that required experience into their bowling attack IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/if-i-were-with-kkr-id-ask-for-a-spin-friendly-eden-pitch-for-varun-amp-narine-faf--665501.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/those-who-dont-understand-the-sensitivity-koneru-humpy-stresses-safety-concerns-in-cyprus-ahead-of-candidates--665525.html New Delhi March 18 Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy is still undecided about her participation in the FIDE Candidates Tournament in Cyprus citing safety concerns amid the conflict in West Asia A recent drone attack and regional tensions have raised fears though FIDE says the venue is safe The FIDE Candidates Tournaments which will take place from 28 March to 16 April 2026 will determine the challengers for the World Championship and Womenâs World Championship titles currently held by D Gukesh men and Ju Wenjun womenThe FIDE Womenâs Candidates Tournament is scheduled to begin on March 28 at the Cap St Georges Hotel amp Resort located on the western side of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus Over fourteen rounds of classical play the tournament will determine who advances to contest the crown in the final stage of the World Championship cycleâI know that alone I may not be able to change anything But regardless of whether I play in the Candidates or not I felt it was important to express what I genuinely feel Iâm truly grateful to everyone who has shown their support For those who cannot understand the sensitivity of this situation I choose to leave it at thatâ Humpy wrote on XThe 2026 field blends experienced Candidates veterans such as Humpy Tan Zhongyi Kateryna Lagno and Aleksandra Goryachkina with nextgeneration contenders like Zhu Jiner Divya Deshmukh Vaishali Rameshbabu and Bibisara Assaubayeva making for a dynamic tournament narrativeHumpy is one of the most experienced players in the field with multiple prior Candidates appearances to her name One of Indiaâs alltime great female players a former World Championship contender and a staple of the Indian team at Chess Olympiads she qualified as runnerup in the 2025 Womenâs World Cup held in BatumiShe only conceded to her teammate Divya in the final â a performance underscoring her continued competitiveness at the elite level Koneruâs calm and resourceful style coupled with profound positional understanding often gives her an edge in long technical battlesEarlier this week FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky reassured fans that the 2026 Candidates tournament in Cyprus was sure to go ahead indicating that the war in Iran and the chaos it has spread across the region will be monitored but it is unlikely to affect the flagship eventBut the twotime Womens World Rapid Champion and former womens world title challenger Humpy had said that she was hesitant to travel and was considering withdrawing from the tournamentThis came after a British airbase in Cyprus endured a drone attack earlier this month raising fears that the conflict which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran could seriously affect the security on the island as wellI am not sure if I will play at the Candidates It depends upon the situation Right now I am a bit concerned about safety with the drone attacks and warships deployed in the Mediterranean Sea coming into the picture And very recently there has been bombing happening between Israel and Lebanon because of Hezbollah So I am a bit hesitant to travel because of this If the situation continues like this I am really doubtful of my participationâ Humpy had told the mediaâAt the end of the day you should be in a position to play the game in a peaceful and good atmosphere Not surrounded by bomb or missile sirens I think that should not be the stage for a worldclass tournament You donât need to be desperate to hold events in such environmentsâ she added IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/those-who-dont-understand-the-sensitivity-koneru-humpy-stresses-safety-concerns-in-cyprus-ahead-of-candidates--665525.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-aim-is-to-maintain-my-mindset-and-win-as-many-games-as-i-can-for-kkr-says-angkrish-raghuvanshi-665533.html New Delhi March 18 Angkrish Raghuvanshi is wellaware the T20 game is rapidly evolving Since entering the Kolkata Knight Riders KKR camp in their triumphant 2024 season where he wowed everyone with his ramp reversesweep and scoop shots to make 163 runs in ten matches Raghuvanshi had a productive IPL 2025 â making 300 runs in 12 games With IPL 2026 now 10 days away the element of surprise that served Raghuvanshi who hit a rapid 54 off 27 balls on his tournament debut so well will be replaced by something more demanding â expectation of stepping up more frequently with the bat when the season begins Ask Raghuvanshi about his goal heading into IPL 2026 and the answer from the softspoken righthanded batter is very simpleI think my mindset is still the same Its always to win games for my team and it will always continue to be that As for the role Im asked to play that Ill find out during this IPL and I will give my 100 percent for it But my aim is to maintain my mindset and win as many games as I can for the team said Raghuvanshi in an exclusive conversation with IANS facilitated by JSW SportsLife after IPL 2025 hasnât been straightforward for Raghuvanshi â he was absent from Mumbaiâs Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign in the recent domestic season But in the Vijay Hazare Trophy he underlined his worth finishing as Mumbaiâs secondhighest runscorer behind Sarfaraz Khan with 280 runs in seven outingsHis redball opportunities with Mumbai have been scarce just four firstclass appearances so far and is coming off playing for the U23 team in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy But Raghuvanshi the leading rungetter in Indiaâs 2022 U19 World Cup triumph has nothing but gratitude for the chance to constantly play the sport he loves the mostI think I love this sport and Im just grateful for the opportunity that I get to play this sport So I dont take too much pressure on myself Im just enjoying the journey and trying to do as well as I can he saidIf there is one relationship that has shaped Raghuvanshiâs life and career it is with Abhishek Nayar who is taking charge as KKRâs head coach after being in an assistant role for a long timeRaghuvanshi first encountered Nayar at his academy as an 11yearold at Wilson College Gymkhana in Mumbai after coming from New Delhi and that bond has just gone stronger with every passing year That famous post IPL 2024 trophy photograph with Nayar pinned on his Instagram profile says it all It was a dream come true for me I got an opportunity to practice at his academy and Id been practicing there for a month Then he showed up and he started coaching me I guess he felt that I was dedicated and I wanted to learn as much as I could He could see how much love I had for the sport I guess he decided to take me on thenHes taught me how to be a better cricketer and a better person Just everything Ive learned in life Ive learned from him So I think hes a great cricketing mind and a great person and we will have a great season under him Raghuvanshi saidOn the technical front Nayars influence shows up clearly in Raghuvanshis willingness to play the usual and unorthodox shots that require both skill and nerve The methodology behind it is straightforward as per RaghuvanshiIts because Abhishek sir makes me practice as hard as anyone can His main motto is that if you practice very hard put yourself under pressure in practice and you train as hard as you can then matches become easy and thats what I also felt worked for me he saidAsk Raghuvanshi on what is the secret behind the dynamic environment in KKR and he points not to the stars in the dressing room or coaching staff but to the franchiseâs academy that keeps players connected through the yearIts largely because of the KKR academy as well because we practice with each other throughout the year So I think when the tournament finally comes around we all know each other very well I think its one of the environments where everyone wants each other to do well Its a very rare environment and its a great amazing atmosphere to be a part ofâEveryones motivated and want to do well this season In every game we just try to do as well as we can Every game we give it our all and obviously its different outcomes for every game But for every game the mindset is the same that is to try to help the team to win and whatever the team needsâ he saidThe biggest takeaway from Raghuvanshiâs IPL experiences has been about not stagnating as a player My biggest learning is that everyone is growing and learning all the time so you always have to improve Every day you go out to play or go out to practice you just always learn and try to get better because everyone around you is always getting better he saidIPL 2026 will bring new international teammates for Raghuvanshi at KKR and he has already identified the people he wants to learn from a lot about cricket Finn Allen Rachin Ravindra and assistant coach Shane Watson are all on his radarIm just looking forward to working with every one of them so I can pick their brains as to how they go about their cricket and I can learn from them and get better Theyve done well a lot of times and thats why theyre one of the best players in the world he saidThrough all of this the support structure at home remains a constant for Raghuvanshi â his father Avneesh played tennis while mother Mallika represented India in basketball Add to it his brother Krishang dabbled into professional tennisI think my parents are both very supportive and I cant thank them enough for it Im very grateful for it They just know that I enjoy the sport and they motivate me to work hard and just continue loving the game he saidRaghuvanshi draws inspiration from Shubman Gill and AB de Villiers but itâs Cristiano Ronaldoâs work ethic that fuels him the most Ive been a big Cristiano Ronaldo fan growing up because Im also a Manchester United fan So I love Cristiano Ronaldo and I love how motivated he is always to do well just his offthefield habits is something that every youngster like myself can learnTime will tell if KKR who still face questions over their fastbowling resources are able to bounce back after a subdued 2025 season For now the IPL spotlight on Raghuvanshi will become brighter if runs keep coming for him if he continues to follow his mantra of staying grounded always improving and helping KKR win matches IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-aim-is-to-maintain-my-mindset-and-win-as-many-games-as-i-can-for-kkr-says-angkrish-raghuvanshi-665533.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/icc-rankings-mehidy-climbs-to-no-2-among-odi-all-rounders-santner-gains-big-in-t20i-665549.html New Delhi March 18 Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz has made significant gains in the ODI charts following a string of impressive performances against Pakistan in the recently concluded threematch ODI series at home Mehidy climbed nine places to move to joint seventh in the ODI bowlersâ rankings while also improving two spots to rise to second in the ODI allroundersâ listMehidy was among Bangladeshs best performers during the recent threegame ODI series against Pakistan at home with the allrounder collecting five wickets across three matchesBangladeshs prime batter Tanzid Hasan who scored his maiden century against Pakistan also surged 31 places to 55th while Litton Das moved up 10 spots to 82nd Among bowlers Taskin Ahmed climbed 12 places to 28th and Mustafizur Rahman gained 13 positions to reach 47thDespite losing the series Pakistan batter Salman Ali Agha jumped nine places to joint ninth in the ODI batting rankings He also improved three spots to be placed joint 10th among ODI allrounders Shaheen Shah Afridi advanced four places to be tied for 25th in the ODI allroundersâ list after contributing with the ballIn T20Is New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner registered the biggest gains continuing his strong form from the ICC Menâs T20 World Cup into the ongoing home series against South AfricaSantner who has picked up three wickets and scored 35 runs in the opening two matches of the fivegame series climbed 11 places to 13th in the T20I bowlersâ rankings He also moved up two spots to joint seventh in the T20I allroundersâ list achieving a careerbest ratingAmong his teammates Lockie Ferguson rose 18 places to 51st in the T20I bowling rankings while Devon Conway gained four spots to reach 70th among batters Indiaâs Abhishek Sharma continues to lead the T20I batting rankingsSouth Africa also saw movement with George Linde climbing 11 places to 23rd in the T20I allroundersâ list after his contribution of 33 runs in the second match Fellow pacer Ottneil Baartman jumped 23 places to 73rd in the T20I bowlersâ rankingsIndian opener Abhishek Sharma maintained his top spot in the T20I batters rankings with Varun Chakaravarthy also continuing in the second spot in the T20I bowling chart IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/icc-rankings-mehidy-climbs-to-no-2-among-odi-all-rounders-santner-gains-big-in-t20i-665549.html Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ish-sodhi-ruled-out-of-remainder-of-t20i-series-against-sa-665345.html Hamilton March 16 New Zealand have suffered a blow with spinner Ish Sodhi being ruled out of the remainder of T20I series against South Africa due to a broken thumb Sodhi hurt his thumb while bowling at training on Saturday and scans have since revealed a break in the affected area and a rehabilitation period of up to four weeksThat will see the rightarmer that played three matches at the recent ICC Mens T20 World Cup miss the remainder of the home series against South AfricaHowever New Zealand havent named a replacement for Sodhi with speedster Lockie Ferguson to join the team for the second and third matches of the series following an easy sevenwicket victory for the Spith Africa in the opening fixture in Mount Maunganui on SundayIt will leave Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie as the main spin options in New Zealands squad and head coach Rob Walter believes they have enough depth to cover the loss of SodhiâIsh is very passionate about playing for New Zealand and we know he was looking forward to turning out in front of home fans after the T20 World Cup campaignâ Walter saidâHe is hugely experienced in the T20 format and so will be a big miss for the remainder of the seriesâWeâre confident with Lockie coming in as well as Mitch Santner and Cole McConchie that we have appropriate cover for the next two matches before the squad transitions for the last two matchesâOn Saturday in the first T20I a clinical bowling display followed by a measured chase helped South Africa secure a comfortable sevenwicket win over New Zealand in the opening T20I of the fivematch seriesChasing a modest target of 92 South Africa reached 923 in 164 overs with Connor Esterhuizen anchoring the innings with a composed 35 not out off 44 balls The righthander fittingly sealed the win with a six off Kyle Jamieson giving the visitors a 10 lead in the seriesNew Zealand squadMitchell Santner c Katene Clarke Josh Clarkson Dane Cleaver wk Devon Conway wk Lockie Ferguson Zak Foulkes Bevon Jacobs Kyle Jamieson Nick Kelly Tom Latham wk Jayden Lennox Cole McConchie Jimmy Neesham Tim Robinson Ben Sears Nathan Smith IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ish-sodhi-ruled-out-of-remainder-of-t20i-series-against-sa-665345.html Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-mumbai-indians-begin-training-session-ahead-of-season-opener-665356.html New Delhi March 16 Fivetime champions Mumbai Indians have begun preparing for the upcoming Indian Premier League IPL 2026 season Head coach Mahela Jayawardene led the first training session as the team gets ready for its opening match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the famous Wankhede Stadium on March 29 The franchise shared glimpses of the early preparations on social media The first batch of players attending the camp includes Shardul Thakur Mayank Markande Allah Ghazanfar Dhir Raja Angad Bawa Robin Minz Sharma Mayank Rawat Malewar Mohammad Izhar and Ashwani KumarJayawardene oversaw the onfield session with a strong support staff that included bowling coaches Paras Mhambrey and Lasith Malinga along with fielding coach Carl Hopkinson The teamâs strength and conditioning and physiotherapy staff were also present as the squad began organized preparations for the new campaignâThereâs always something special about the first day of preseason You see the players walk in the energy builds and the objective is to start strongâ Jayawardene said âWeâve got the boys who know this franchise inside out and we have got some exciting new faces coming in Day one sets the tone for the entire campaign We wanted everyone to feel the intent from the very first session in how we train how we prepare and how we show up for each otherâHe added that the opening session marks the beginning of serious work ahead of the tournament âThe first session is always exciting but itâs also the start of something serious and we know what weâre building towardsâ he saidThe session began with a structured fitness and conditioning block as the strength and conditioning staff put the players through movement drills agility routines and fitness assessments to gauge readiness ahead of the demanding seasonThe remainder of the squad is expected to join the camp in the coming days as preparations intensify ahead of the new IPL campaign IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-mumbai-indians-begin-training-session-ahead-of-season-opener-665356.html Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-open-to-become-first-indian-pickleball-association-affiliated-pwr-1000-event-665378.html New Delhi March 16 The Indian Open 2026 will now be a PWR 1000 event sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association marking a significant partnership between IPA and Global Sports The tournament is scheduled from April 1 to 5 2026 at Crosscourts in Hyderabad featuring over 1500 participants competing across 56 categories for a USD 50000 prize pool This is the fourth edition of the Indian Open which has attracted over 4000 pickleball players from 19 countries across all categories in previous editions Securing IPA sanctioning legitimises the previously unstructured Indian Pickleball scene The collaboration between Global Sports and the Indian Pickleball Association integrates the countrys largest private tournament series into the official national governance frameworkThis milestone marks the start of future Global Sports events being officially overseen by the Indian Pickleball Association Recognised as the sole official governing body of Pickleball in India the Indian Pickleball Association achieved its National Sports Federation status from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and SportsThis partnership is a milestone for Indian sports By bringing Global Sports into the IPA fold we are ensuring that every volley played in the Indian Open contributes to a single unified vision for the country We are committed to providing our athletes with a worldclass platform that is governed by the highest standards of integrity and excellence said Suryaveersingh Bhullar President Indian Pickleball Association IPAGlobal Sports has played a vital role in hosting major events in India featuring the largest prize pools and the highest participation nationwide Events like the Monsoon Pickleball Championship and the recently finished Grand Slam demonstrate their dedication to elevating pickleball in IndiaThe Indian Opens move to a PWR 1000 event significantly impacts athletes Implementing a standard ranking system along with centralised management provides important advantages including clear player development routes consistent governance high competition standards and reliable data integrity IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-open-to-become-first-indian-pickleball-association-affiliated-pwr-1000-event-665378.html Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-open-jumps-rising-female-long-jumper-mubassina-mohammed-wins-long-jump-gold-665328.html Bengaluru March 15 Rising female long jumper Mubassina Mohammed won the long jump gold at the Fifth Indian Open Jumps Competition held at the Anju Bobby George Foundation Campus in Bengaluru on Sunday On her way to winning gold with a jump of 638m the 20yearold representing the Anju Bobby George Sports Foundation also improved her personal best of 636m Mubassina was steady in her performance on Sunday She had a series of 618m 624m 629m 581m 615m and 638mBhavani Yadav Railway won silver with a distance of 627m Kusuma Ravada Anju Bobby George Sports Foundation won bronze with a distance of 608m Earlier on the first day of the competition Abdulla Aboobacker and Praveen Chithravel battled for the gold medal in the menâs triple jump event on SaturdayBut Aboobacker had the upper hand in an exciting contest The international jumper representing the Air Force got his rhythm right in his third attempt to take home the gold medal with a distance of 1683m His opening jump was 1605m and he recorded a jump of 1657m in his second attempt However he didnât attempt the last three jumpsPraveen Chithravel settled for silver with a jump of 1678m in the seasonopening competitionResults Day 2 Men Long jump Purushotham Karnataka 787m Suran Payasingh Odisha 778m Saran S Tamil Nadu 777m Men Long jump U20 Yuvraj K NCOE Trivandrum 763m Ayush Yadav Delhi 726m Dhanush Raj M Kerala 706m Men Long jump U18 Rajeev Roy NCOE Trivandrum 745m Sagar Parjapati Uttar Pradesh 707m Aaron S Karnataka 689mMen Pole vault U20 R Hariharan Ramesh Tamil Nadu 455m Ajeet Kumar Rajasthan 450m Ashish Kumar Yadav Madhya Pradesh 440mWomen Triple jump Mallala Anusha Andhra Pradesh 1318m Aleena T Saji Kerala 1312m Nimisha Dayma JSW 1308mWomen Long jump Mubassina Mohammed Anju Bobby Sports Foundation 638m Bhavani Yadav Railway 627m Kusuma Ravada Anju Bobby Sports Foundation 608m Women Long jump U20 Tamanna Haryana 593m Priya Anju Bobby George Foundation 559m Sharda Bhardwaj Uttar Pradesh 540mWomen Long jump U18 Kashish Haryana 558m M Jenista Shanu Tamil Nadu 547m Skashi Christina Karnataka 534Women High jump Pooja JSW 176m Kevinna Ashwine Railway 174m Pallavi Patil Railway 171m Women High jump U18 Harshini Rajasekar Tamil Nadu 150m Dixita Rajesh Gujarat 145mWomen Pole vault Baranica Elangovan Tamil Nadu 410m Sindhushree G NCOE Bengaluru 395m Babita Patel CISF 390m IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-open-jumps-rising-female-long-jumper-mubassina-mohammed-wins-long-jump-gold-665328.html Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/manchester-united-strengthens-position-in-third-place-as-tottenham-takes-anfield-point-665340.html London March 16 Manchester United strengthened its grip on a topfour finish on Sunday with a 31 win at home to Aston Villa The win leaves Michael Carricks side third in the table ahead of Aston Villa which has now lost its last three Premier League gamesCasemiro opened the scoring in Old Trafford with a powerful 53rd minute header following Bruno Fernandes cross although Ross Barkley drilled home a leftfoot shot to make it 11 after an assist from Lucas Digne after 65 minutesMatheus Cunha took advantage of another Fernandes assist seven minutes later to slide the ball home and reestablish Manchester Uniteds lead and Benjamin Sesko assured the points nine minutes from time reported XinhuaRicharlison hit a 90thminute equalizing goal to give Tottenham a 11 draw away to Liverpool which could lift some of the pressure off coach Igor Tudor who was heading for his fifth defeat since taking overLiverpool had taken an 18thminute free kick thanks to Dominik Szoboszlais free kick that Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario might have done better withThe draw leaves Tottenham a point above the relegation zone after the two other games involving teams battling to avoid relegation both ended in 00 draws as Nottingham Forest was held at home to Fulham while Leeds United took a point away to Crystal PalaceLeeds played for all of the second half with 10 men after Gabriel Gudmundsson was sent off for two yellow cards but could have taken all three points if Dominic CalvertLewin hadnt dragged a firsthalf penalty well wideSaturdays results look to have tilted the title race definitively Arsenals way after Mikel Artetas side beat Everton 20 while Manchester City could only draw 11 away to West HamViktor Gyokeres put Arsenal ahead in the 89th minute before Max Dowman made it 20 in the 97th minute with a goal that made history as he became the youngest player to ever score in the Premier League aged just 16 years and 73 daysBernardo Silva put Manchester City ahead away to West Ham with a clever chip but Konstantinos Mavropanoss powerful header quickly made it 11 with West Hams only effort on target all game while Manchester City wasted chances for a vital win and are now nine points behind ArsenalAnthony Gordon scored the only goal after 18 minutes as Newcastle United won 10 away to Chelsea which was guilty of wayward finishing and missed chancesYankuba Minteh scored the only goal as Brighton won 10 away to Sunderland while Burnley and Bournemouth drew a dull match 00 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/manchester-united-strengthens-position-in-third-place-as-tottenham-takes-anfield-point-665340.html Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/real-madrid-beats-elche-as-atletico-and-girona-also-win-in-la-liga-665235.html Madrid March 15 Real Madrid enjoyed a comfortable 41 win at home to Elche to move to within a point of FC Barcelona at the top of La Liga on Saturday night Antonio Rudiger opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a powerful shot after Elche failed to clear a free kick into its area reported XinhuaFede Valverde followed his midweek hattrick against Manchester City with another goal as he doubled his sides lead from the edge of the area to make it 20 with an impressive shot and Dean Huijsen added the third with a powerful header in the 66th minuteReal Madrid youngster Manuel Angel was unfortunate to put the ball in his own net to give Elche a consolation goal but it was 41 when Arda Guler scored from inside his own half after spotting Elche goalkeeper Matias Dituro out of his areaElche will drop into the bottom three if Mallorca beats Espanyol on SundayNahuel Molinas stunning seventh minute goal was enough to give Atletico Madrid three points with a 10 win in a tough derby at home to GetafeGetafe defender Abdel Abqar was sent off for an incident with Atletico striker Alexander Sorloth in the 54th minute where he appeared to touch Sorloths genital region with Sorloth seeing a yellow card after hauling the Getafe player to the ground afterwardsOviedo captain David Costas scored the only goal of the game with a powerful shot to keep Oviedos hopes of survival intact with a 10 win at home to ValenciaCostas scored following a corner as his side showed it is not ready to resign itself to relegation just yetGirona moved comfortably clear of the bottom three with a 30 win at home to an inept Athletic BilbaoHugo Rincon who is on loan at Girona from Athletic opened the scoring with an angled drive in the third minute and after the visitors wasted two good chances to level in the second half AzzEddine Ounahi and Claudio Echeverri sealed an important win for GironaOn Friday night Alaves was frustrated again by a late goal in a 11 draw at home to VillarrealIt looked as if an own goal from Villarreals Rafa Marin would give the home side a vital win but Nicolas Pepes turn and curling shot in the 98th minute denied Alaves three points just a week after they conceded two late goals to go from 21 ahead to lose 32 in ValenciaBarcelona is at home to Sevilla on Sunday on the same day the club holds elections for a new club President IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/real-madrid-beats-elche-as-atletico-and-girona-also-win-in-la-liga-665235.html Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/formula-1-bahrain-saudi-arabian-grands-prix-canceled-665272.html Shanghai March 15 Formula 1 has canceled next months Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix because of the escalating conflict in the Middle East leaving the 2026 season with a reduced 22race calendar and a lengthy spring break The sport confirmed Sunday that the races in Sakhir on April 12 and Jeddah on April 19 will not take place because of security concerns and logistical constraints linked to the ongoing conflict in the regionThe decision comes after weeks of uncertainty following the outbreak of hostilities on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran triggering a wider regional conflict that has disrupted travel and raised security risks reported XinhuaSeveral countries in the region closed their airspace in the aftermath of the strikesFormula 1 and the FIA the sports governing body had been monitoring the situation closely but faced mounting pressure to make a final call as freight deadlines approached Teams would have needed to ship equipment to the Middle East in the coming days for the races to go aheadThe cancellation leaves a 35day gap between the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the Miami Grand Prix on May 3 meaning there will be no F1 racing in AprilFormula 1 evaluated several potential replacement venues including Portimao in Portugal Imola in Italy and Istanbul Park in Türkiye all of which staged replacement races during the Coviddisrupted 2020 seasonHowever the short timeframe to organize an event and the difficulty of securing hosting fees meant the options were deemed impractical With the championship already scheduled for 24 rounds there was also limited incentive to add replacement races at short noticeThe loss of the two Middle Eastern races will also have financial implications Bahrain and Saudi Arabia pay among the highest hosting fees on the calendar and the cancellation is expected to cost Formula 1 and its teams well over 130 million US dollars in lost revenueTeams receive a share of the sports commercial income meaning the financial impact will be spread across the gridWith the Bahrain and Saudi races removed the championship will resume in Miami after the extended break following Japan with the remainder of the season expected to proceed as scheduled IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/formula-1-bahrain-saudi-arabian-grands-prix-canceled-665272.html Sun, 15 Mar 2026 17:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-open-medvedev-ends-alcarazs-run-to-set-up-blockbuster-final-with-sinner-665278.html Indian Wells March 15 Daniil Medvedev produced a commanding performance to halt the blistering start to the season of World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz defeating the Spaniard 63 763 in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Open and ending his 16match unbeaten run in 2026 The victory not only stopped Alcarazâs flawless start to the year but also propelled Medvedev into his first ATP Masters 1000 final since the 2024 Indian Wells championship match The Russian will now face World No 2 Jannik Sinner who secured his place in the final with a straightsets win against Alexander Zverev earlier in the dayMedvedev approached the contest with controlled aggression dictating rallies with precise groundstrokes and consistent serving The former world No 1 seized the initiative early breaking Alcaraz in the opening set and maintaining pressure with deep returns and solid baseline playAlcaraz who had defeated Medvedev in the Indian Wells finals in both 2023 and 2024 attempted to mount a comeback in the second set However Medvedevâs composure under pressure proved decisive Facing two set points at 45 the Russian delivered strong serves and forced errors from the Spaniard to stay alive before eventually taking the set to a tiebreakOnce there Medvedev maintained his momentum producing a clean and clinical finish to seal the match in one hour and 37 minutes His efficiency was evident in the numbers he converted both break opportunities he created and won four of the five break points he faced He also dominated behind his second serve winning 74 per cent of those pointsReflecting on the win Medvedev acknowledged the challenge of facing Alcaraz widely regarded as one of the most complete players on tourThe result gives Medvedev his tourleading 18th victory of the season and sends him into his third final of the year The 30yearold has already captured titles at the Brisbane International and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in 2026 and he will now look to extend his perfect record in finals this seasonAwaiting him in Sundayâs title clash is Sinner who advanced after defeating fourth seed Zverev 62 64 in a dominant semifinal display The Italian produced a polished performance striking confidently from the baseline and winning 83 per cent of points behind his first serveThe win marked Sinnerâs sixth consecutive tourlevel victory over Zverev and secured his first appearance in the Indian Wells final making him the first Italian man to reach the tournamentâs championship matchSundayâs showdown will also renew the competitive rivalry between Medvedev and Sinner with the Italian holding a narrow 87 edge in their headtohead meetings Both players arrive in the final in exceptional form each yet to drop a set during the tournamentWith Alcarazâs winning streak now snapped Medvedev will attempt to cap his impressive run in the California desert by lifting the title against a confident and historymaking Sinner IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-open-medvedev-ends-alcarazs-run-to-set-up-blockbuster-final-with-sinner-665278.html Sun, 15 Mar 2026 17:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-masters-i-realized-that-i-had-to-do-something-different-says-alcaraz-on-defeat-vs-medvedev-665280.html Indian Wells March 15 World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz admitted he felt the pressure of always having a target on his back after suffering his first loss of the season to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters on Saturday Medvedev delivered a strong performance to defeat the Spaniard 63 763 ending Alcarazâs impressive 16match winning streak at the start of the season This streak included the Australian Open title where Alcaraz became the youngest player to complete the career Grand SlamReflecting on the loss Alcaraz acknowledged that the weight of being the player everyone wants to beat can sometimes affect himâWhat Im just getting tired a little bit is to get that target on my back all the timeâThe Spaniard also praised Medvedevâs level on the day saying he was surprised by the Russianâs aggressive and nearflawless displayâI have never seen Daniil playing like this I knew at the beginning that he was going to play aggressive but how the way he did it surprised me a lot He didnt even missâAlcaraz explained that despite trying to adjust his approach during the match Medvedev seemed to have answers to everythingâI realized that I had to do something differentâ and he was finding every solution and every answer to my shotsâDespite the setback the 22yearold remained positive about his form and insisted that his opponents must produce their best tennis to challenge himâI have been playing great tennis and I just show the players and show the people that if they want to beat me they have to play at their best level one hour and a half two hours in every matchâAlcaraz also said he preferred to view the loss as motivation rather than disappointmentâI have to see the good things about this loss It is about the people and the players thinking that they need to play like this level if they want to beat meâLooking ahead the Spaniard said he is not focused on starting another winning streak but rather on achieving the goals he sets for himself at each tournamentâIm not thinking about I need to win or I have to win Its just about chasing my goals chasing what I just set up before every tournament Thats my mindsetâ IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-masters-i-realized-that-i-had-to-do-something-different-says-alcaraz-on-defeat-vs-medvedev-665280.html Sun, 15 Mar 2026 17:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/sabalenka-tops-noskova-to-reach-her-third-final-at-indian-wells-665164.html Indian Wells March 14 The twotime runnerup and world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka will compete for the Indian Wells title for the third time in four years after powering past No 14 seed Linda Noskova 63 64 into the final Sabalenkas semifinal win over Noskova is her 20th career win at Indian Wells Sheâs now the first world No 1 in the WTA Rankings to reach the final in consecutive years since the tournamentâs inception in 1989 and joins Victoria Azarenka as the only two active players to reach the Indian Wells final three separate timesSabalenka looked comfortable from start to finish against the 21yearold firsttime Indian Wells semifinalist and she quickly took control of her second career meeting with the Czech racing out to a doublebreak 51 lead and claiming the set in relatively short orderHowever the rising Czech sank her teeth into the match late in the second setShe put her serving prowess on display as she saved a pair of break points to hold for 32 keeping the deficit to a single break Noskova even managed a break point with Sabalenka serving at 43 3040 in set two but three consecutive giant serves brought the world No 1 to the brink of victory at 63 53Sabalenka finished the job two games later cracking a forehand winner into the open court to close the match in one hour and 28 minutesâIt feels great but I lost my last couple of finals hereâ Sabalenka told the crowd âIâll make sure that Iâm more than ready on Sunday Iâll bring my best tennis to make sure that this is the yearâSundays final will mark Sabalenkas 43rd at the tourlevel and shes now reached three consecutive finals at the Sunshine Double Indian Wells and Miami joining Monica Seles and Steffi Graf IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/sabalenka-tops-noskova-to-reach-her-third-final-at-indian-wells-665164.html Sat, 14 Mar 2026 09:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/rybakina-beats-svitolina-to-set-indian-wells-final-rematch-with-sabalenka-665166.html Indian Wells March 14 Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina added another milestone by reaching her second Indian Wells final with a 75 64 win over World No 9 Elina Svitolina in 1 hour and 46 minutes The win marked her 12th straight victory over Top 10 opponents a streak that began last October in Ningbo where she also lifted the trophyContesting her seventh career meeting with Svitolina the world No 3 was broken in her opening service game but countered with a pair of breaks to claim an opening set in which she won 19 of 21 firstserve pointsRybakina raced out to a 40 doublebreak lead in the second set and handled a bit of turbulence before closing out the win The always scrappy Svitolina saved match points in two consecutive games to close within a break then held to force Rybakina to serve it out Indian Wells reportsThe third match point was the charm for the 26yearold who improved to 163 lifetime at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden and 173 overall in 2026 I cannot be super happy with my performance today I definitely need to get better before the final said RybakinaSheâll now faces world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka whom she beat in both the Australian Open final earlier this year and the 2023 Indian Wells championship matchRybakina and Sabalenka have met 16 times with Sabalenka holding a slim 87 edgeZoom in on their finals however and things look completely different The pair have previously met in five finals with Rybakina winning four of them â including a fourmatch winning streak in title matches that began in the 2023 final here in Stadium 1Im so done losing these big finals Sabalenka said It felt like even though players were playing incredible tennis in those finals I had so many opportunities that I didnt use IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/rybakina-beats-svitolina-to-set-indian-wells-final-rematch-with-sabalenka-665166.html Sat, 14 Mar 2026 10:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/bhambri-goransson-fall-in-indian-wells-mens-doubles-semifinal-665169.html Indian Wells March 14 Indiaâs Yuki Bhambri and his Swedish partner Andre Goranssons campaign at the Indian Wells Open ended in the mens doubles semifinal after losing to Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot The cousins Rinderknech and Vacherot who rose to fame last year when they played the third unseeded final in Masters 1000 history in Shanghai advanced to their first career doubles final with a 75 673 105 victory over Bhambri and Goransson inside Stadium 1After dropping the first set 57 Bhambri and Goransson found themselves on the brink of elimination in the second Trailing 45 and down 030 on serve they were just two points away from defeat before staging a gritty comeback to forceâand eventually winâa tiebreakAfter a difficult second set Rinderknech and Vacherot regrouped and played their best tennis in their first match tiebreak of the week With Goransson serving Vacherot ripped a return that screamed into the doubles alley for a clean winner and an 84 lead Rinderknech followed with a backhand return winner after the changeover to make it 94 eventually taking the tiebreak 105 to secure their spot in the finalThis was Bhambris maiden semifinal at the ATP Masters 1000 level having made the doubles quarterfinal at the Masters 1000 level twice His previous two quarterfinal appearances were at Indian Wells came in 2025 with Goransson and Miami Masters 2025 with Nuno BorgesLast month Bhambri climbed to a careerhigh ranking of world No 20 in the latest ATP Rankings making him the first Indian mens doubles player to break into the Top 20 after Rohan BopannaPartnering with Goransson Bhambri produced an excellent showing at the first Grand Slam of the year the Australian Open in Melbourne reaching the third round to collect the ranking points necessary to push him past the thresholdBhambri has been steadily progressing since the 2025 season when he reached the US Open semifinals alongside New Zealands Michael Venus where they were narrowly edged out by the fourthseeded British duo of Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski after holding a set and break advantageIn March 2025 Bhambri claimed his first ATP 500 title at the Dubai Tennis Championships partnering Australias Alexei Popyrin The pair came from a set down and saved four match points to defeat reigning US Open and Australian Open doubles champions Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten 36 76 12 108 in a thrilling final IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/bhambri-goransson-fall-in-indian-wells-mens-doubles-semifinal-665169.html Sat, 14 Mar 2026 11:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/jaipur-polo-team-reaches-final-of-shree-cement-cup-665173.html Jaipur March 14 Jaipur Polo Team produced a commanding performance to defeat Jaigarh 62 in the semifinal of the Shree Cement Cup Dominating the early stages with clinical finishing Jaipur built a decisive lead in the first half and then managed the game effectively despite a brief resurgence from Jaigarh in the third chukker In the first chukker Jaipurâs riding and positioning dominated the opening exchanges leaving Jaigarh struggling to settle By the end of the first chukker Jaipur had a commanding 3â0 lead setting the tone for the match with goals from Kr Pratap Singh Kanota who opened the scoring followed by two goals by Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh The second chukker was a similar story Jaipurâs teamwork and passing created repeated openings and Jaigarh struggled to break their defensive press By halftime Jaipur had stretched the lead to 5â0 effectively putting one foot in the finalJaigarh came out post halftime facing an uphill task and this chukker saw the most competitive exchanges of the match with Jaigarh showing urgency and better coordination However Jaipur maintained a comfortable 6â2 lead going into the final period The final chukker was more controlled with Jaipur focusing on maintaining possession and defending their lead No significant scoring changed the result and Jaipur comfortably secured the 6â2 victoryWith the semifinal win Jaipur Polo Team urges towards their 10th trophy of the season The match saw Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur ending with four goals taking his tally to 10 goals from two matches on the other hand Kr Pratap Singh Kanota added two to complete the 62 score lineEarlier this week Jaipur Polo Team secured their ninth title of the season with a narrow 6â55 win over Krishna Polo in a closely contested final of the prestigious SMS Gold Vase IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/jaipur-polo-team-reaches-final-of-shree-cement-cup-665173.html Sat, 14 Mar 2026 11:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/lines-of-legacy-kkr-unveils-new-jersey-ahead-of-ipl-2026-665188.html Kolkata March 14 Threetime champions Kolkata Knight Riders KKR have unveiled their new jersey ahead of the Indian Premier League IPL 2026 designed in the theme of Lines of Legacy At the heart of the design are the defining moments that have shaped KKRâs journey over the years From the unforgettable opening night when Brendon McCullum smashed 158 back in 2008 to Rinku Singhâs five sixes in the final over KKR have produced many such moments that have become part of IPL folklore Each iconic moment forms a line in the franchiseâs starstudded story and when these lines come together they create the initials K K R in the style of abstract linear art This season those lines are not just remembered they are woven into the jersey itself allowing fans to wear a piece of the teamâs story KKR said in a statementSpeaking on the jersey reveal Venky Mysore Chief Executive Officer Knight Riders Sports said The Lines of Legacy captures the essence of KKRs storied history and celebrates the journey of the team over the years Each line represents a pivotal moment of brilliance reflecting the energy and spirit that weaves together to form our identity We are proud of this legacy that we have built and want to carry it into the upcoming season while creating more memories for our fans to cherishâAs per the first 20match schedule released by the BCCI Kolkata Knight Riders will start their campaign in an away game against the fivetime champions Mumbai Indians to be played at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29 Their first home game is against Sunrisers Hyderabad SRH on April 2 The iconic Eden Gardens can be expected to be painted purple with tons of fans pouring in with their jerseys to show their supportThe team will play their third match against the 2025 IPL runner ups Punjab Kings at the same venue on April 6 The team will play their third consecutive home match against Lucknow Super Giants on April 9KKR have strengthened their squad during the IPL 2026 auction The team secured marquee players including Cameron Green Matheesha Pathirana and Finn Allen while also signing West Indies allrounder Rovman Powell to fill the gap left by Andre Russell IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/lines-of-legacy-kkr-unveils-new-jersey-ahead-of-ipl-2026-665188.html Sat, 14 Mar 2026 13:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/celta-held-at-home-betis-loses-away-in-europa-league-665001.html Madrid March 13 Celta Vigo and Olympique Lyonnais drew 11 in the first leg of their Europa League last16 tie at Balaidos Stadium Celta took the lead in the 24th minute through Javi Rueda who took advantage of an excellent assist from Williot Swedberg to guide the ball homeThe home side was content to sit deep and concede possession to its rival which went close on a couple of occasions with Endrick firing a powerful shot into the side nettingCelta were reduced to 10 men in the 54th minute when Borja Iglesias was sent off for a second yellow card after the referee judged that he had raised his arm in a challengeEndrick who is on loan at Lyon from Real Madrid equalised in the 87th minute with a leftfoot shot that Celta goalkeeper Radu might have done better with although the result was fair given that the visitors enjoyed well over 70 percent of possessionElsewhere Vicente Tabordas 88thminute penalty left Betis with plenty of work to do in the return leg at home to Panathinaikos after a 10 defeat in AthensPanathinaikos played for more than half an hour with 10 men after Anass Zaroury was sent off for a second yellow card while Diego Llorente was dismissed for the foul that led to the penalty In another match Bologna and Roma played out 11 draw Denied by a brilliant Mile Svilar save before the break Federico Bernardeschi put Bologna ahead in the 50th minute The Roma goalkeeper intervened again as Tommaso Pobega bore down on his goal and the visitors then equalised through substitute Lorenzo Pellegrini Donyell Malen might have won it for Gian Piero Gasperinis men but Jhon Lucani nudged his shot on to the post and Martin VitÃk then rattled the crossbar with a header at the other end IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/celta-held-at-home-betis-loses-away-in-europa-league-665001.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/wi-name-unchanged-squad-for-womens-t20is-against-australia-665038.html St Johns Antigua March 13 Cricket West Indies CWI has announced womenâs squad for the T20I series against Australia set to take place from March 19â23 at Arnos Vale Cricket Ground in St Vincent and the Grenadines The West Indies will use the same 15 players that were in action during their recent T20I series against Sri LankaThe squad blends proven matchwinners with exciting young talent Senior stars Stafanie Taylor Deandra Dottin and captain Hayley Matthews bring experience and firepower while wicketkeeperbatter Shemaine Campbelle stands on the verge of a milestone expected to earn her 150th T20 International cap during the series Emerging prospects Eboni Brathwaite 17 and Jahzara Claxton 19 add youthful energy as the West Indies look to challenge Australiaâs dominance and build momentum in a pivotal year of whiteball cricketThe series forms a key part of the teamâs buildup to the ICC Womens T20 World Cup later this year in the United Kingdom offering the perfect opportunity for the regional side to test their strength against one of the gameâs most dominant teamsHead Coach Shane Deitz welcomed the opportunity to face the worldâs best in Caribbean conditionsâWere really excited about the opportunity to play the number one ranked ODI and T20 team in the world Its just before the World Cup so its a great opportunity to see where we are in our preparation Playing against the best team in the world we can see where our deficiencies are and where things are working well as we look forward to the tournament in June in England Deitz saidâIts going to be a very tough series but the players are up for the challenge We havent played them in a competitive match since October 2023 so itll be good to see the progression of the team since that last meeting namely in how much weve improved in certain areas and where we still need to improve moving forward he addedFollowing the T20Is the teams will travel to Warner Park in St Kitts and Nevis for a threematch ODI seriesWest Indies squad Hayley Matthews c Chinelle Henry Aaliyah Alleyne Eboni Brathwaite Shemaine Campbelle Jahzara Claxton Deandra Dottin Afy Fletcher Jannillea Glasgow Shawnisha Hector Zaida James Qiana Joseph Mandy Mangru Karishma Ramharack Stafanie Taylor IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/wi-name-unchanged-squad-for-womens-t20is-against-australia-665038.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/alcaraz-storms-into-fifth-straight-indian-wells-semifinal-665040.html Indian Wells March 13 World No1 Carlos Alcaraz reached his fifth consecutive Indian Wells semifinal on Friday advancing with a 63 64 victory against Cameron Norrie With a win the Spanird earned revenge on the Briton who beat him last November in Paris Moreover extended his winning streak to 16 matches in 2026With his win Alcaraz became the third man to reach five consecutive Indian Wells semifinals alongside countryman Rafael Nadal 200613 and rival Novak Djokovic 201116Alcaraz and Norrie traded momentum shifts throughout the clash but the Spaniard largely maintained the upper hand The first set ended with three breaks of serve across the final four games Norrie then raced to a 20 lead in the second set before Alcaraz responded by tallying four consecutive games ATP reportsProducing a mix of baseline hitting with delicate drop shots and superb net play the World No 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings converted his fourth match point to advance after one hour and 33 minutesâEvery time I play against him itâs always really tough for me Itâs a little bit confusing with his style his heavy topspin forehand super high And then the backhand really flat and really low Sometimes itâs tricky to play against him Iâm finding the right shot I played well I played solid I played aggressive when I could Iâm happy to play this level said AlcarazAlcaraz won the Indian Wells title in 2023 and 2024 defeating Medvedev in both finalsMedvedev cruised past defending champion Jack Draper 61 75 where the 11th seed is into the semifinals for the fourth consecutive yearIn pursuit of his first Indian Wells trophy Medvedev is on an eightmatch winning streak having arrived in California following a title run in DubaiShould Medvedev advance to the championship match he will return to the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time since JulyMedvedev leads the ATP Tour this season with 17 wins He is the fourth man to reach the Indian Wells semifinals in four consecutive years alongside Rafael Nadal 200613 Djokovic 201116 and Alcaraz 202225 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/alcaraz-storms-into-fifth-straight-indian-wells-semifinal-665040.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-open-svitolina-stuns-swiatek-rybakina-tops-pegula-to-enter-sfs-665045.html Indian Wells March 13 Elina Svitolina earned a 62 46 64 win in 2 hours and 9 minutes to send World No 2 Iga Swiatek packing and reach her second Indian Wells semifinal and first since 2019 After splitting sets with Swiatek the third set was a tightly contested shootout that went with serve until the No 9seeded Ukrainian broke for 54 She swiftly served out the match to earn her second win against the Pole in six meetingsThe victory was Svitolinaâs 11th career win against players ranked inside the Top 2 and her first such triumph since defeating Swiatek at Wimbledon in 2023With the victory Svitolina earned just her second win over the current World No 2 in six meetings at the WTA Tour level having last defeated her at Wimbledon in 2023 Since 2016 when she upset Serena Williams at the Rio OlympicsOnly Elena Rybakina 14 has earned more wins over Top 2 players than Svitolina 11 The result also marks her tourleading 19th win of 2026 WTA reportsIn the semifinals shell face Rybakina who ended Jessica Pegulas run of seven straight semifinals with a 61 76 4 victory Svitolina is 33 against Rybakina and won their most recent meeting in Madrid last season in straight setsWith Rybakina joining a semifinal quartet that also includes Aryna Sabalenka in the top half a rematch of this years Australian Open final is still in playEarlier No 1 seed Sabalenka came through a marquee encounter with No 10 seed Victoria Mboko advancing 760 64 to her third career semifinal at the tournamentThe World No 1 has now reached six consecutive semifinals on the WTA Tour her last loss before that round was in the Cincinnati quarterfinals last August to RybakinaSabalenkas quest for a first Indian Wells title will continue against No 14 seed Linda Noskova who defeated qualifier Talia Gibson 62 46 62 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-open-svitolina-stuns-swiatek-rybakina-tops-pegula-to-enter-sfs-665045.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/rajasthan-royals-to-begin-pre-season-training-camp-in-jaipur-from-march-17-665046.html Jaipur March 13 Rajasthan Royals will commence their first preseason training camp in Jaipur from March 17 for the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 season The squad will assemble at Pink City kicking off the camp with training fitness and nets sessions at Sawai Mansingh Stadium marking the first time the Royals full squad including new recruits like Jadeja and Sam Curran coming together ahead of the seasonUnder the guidance of Head Coach and Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara the camp will focus on fostering team bonding intensive training and planning along with strength and training sessionsEarlier a smaller group of players including Ravi Bishnoi Vaibhav Sooryavanshi SandeepSharma and recently Ravindra Jadeja had attended a short camp cum fitness assessment session at franchiseâs High Performance Centre in NagpurInaugural champions Rajasthan Royals who will be led by captain Riyan Parag in the upcoming season will play their first three home matches of the IPL 2026 season at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati their alternate home groundThe franchise is likely to travel to Guwahati on March 26 for its season opening matchup against CSK on March 30 as per the fixtures announced by the IPL Governing CouncilRoyals will then travel to Ahmedabad for their second match where they will face the Gujarat Titans on April 4 at the Narendra Modi Stadium The clash against the Titans will be the Royalsâ first away game of the seasonThey will return to Guwahati for their third and fourth matches of the season where they will take on the Mumbai Indians and reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 7 and 10 respectivelyOnly 20 fixtures till April 12 have been revealed on account of the upcoming elections The rest of the 2026 Indian Premier League schedule will be announced laterRoyalsâ fixtures at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur will be announced with the next trench of the schedule IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/rajasthan-royals-to-begin-pre-season-training-camp-in-jaipur-from-march-17-665046.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/sunrisers-leeds-x-account-suspended-amid-backlash-over-abrar-ahmed-signing-for-the-hundred-665060.html New Delhi March 13 Sunrisers Leeds X account has been suspended hours after the franchise completed the signing of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed during The Hundred 2026 auction held on Thursday Abrar became the first Pakistani player signed by an Indianowned franchise in the tournament The move to sign Abrar didnt go down well with fans who took to X to criticise the teams owner and the franchise terming them antinational Just hours after the team signed Abrar for 190000 pounds Rs 23 crore Sunrisers Leedsâ official X formerly Twitter account was suspended While the platform hasnât provided a specific reason users attempting to access the account are met with a popup message stating âAccount suspended X suspends accounts that violate the X rulesSun TV completed its acquisition of The Hundred franchise previously known as Northern Superchargers by buying a 49 per cent stake from the England and Wales Cricket Board ECB and the remaining 51 per cent from Yorkshire for about 100 million poundsEarlier reports suggested IPL franchiseowned teams would avoid bidding for Pakistan players and the early stages of Thursdayâs auction appeared to support that expectation till Abrar was pickedNo Pakistan player has featured in the Indian Premier League IPL since 2009 and IPL franchise owners who have invested in franchise T20 leagues worldwide have generally avoided signing cricketers from the countryThe ECB said last month that selections in the auction would be based solely on âcricketing performance availability and the needs of each team Nine Pakistan players have appeared across the competitionâs first five seasons though none of the female cricketers from the country were picked in the womenâs auction on WednesdayAbrar was the second Pakistan player sold in the auction on Thursday after mystery spinner Usman Tariq was bought by Birmingham Phoenix for 140000 pounds Several other Pakistan players like Saim Ayub Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan went unsoldSunrisers Leeds captained by Harry Brook and coached by Daniel Vettori also picked up South Africaâs Ryan Rickelton Englandâs Zak Crawley Matt Potts and Dan Lawrence in the early stages of the auction The squad already includes Brydon Carse Mitchell Marsh and Nathan Ellis The 2026 Hundred will run from July 21 to August 16 and will feature 34 menâs and 34 womenâs matches IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/sunrisers-leeds-x-account-suspended-amid-backlash-over-abrar-ahmed-signing-for-the-hundred-665060.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 16:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/champions-league-havertz-converts-late-penalty-to-draw-1-1-with-bayer-leverkusen-664844.html Berlin March 12 Bayer Leverkusen were denied a firstleg win when Kai Havertz converted a late penalty to earn Arsenal a 11 draw in their UEFA Champions League last16 tie at the BayArena The opening exchanges were tense with both sides relying on disciplined defending and leaving little space in the final third Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich was involved early receiving a yellow card after holding Viktor Gyokeres outside the area before drawing another warning from referee Halil Umut Meler moments laterAlthough Arsenal saw more of the ball clear chances were rare against a compact Leverkusen defense The visitors came closest midway through the half when Gabriel Martinelli finished a swift move with a curling effort that struck the underside of the crossbar reports XinhuaAt the other end Ibrahim Maza threatened sporadically as Leverkusen gradually gained a slight edge in attempts but neither side was able to break the deadlock before halftimeLeverkusen needed only seconds after the restart to move in front Martin Terrier forced David Raya into a sharp save with a header and the resulting corner from Alejandro Grimaldo reached the far post where Andrich headed home from a tight angleArsenal struggled to change the pattern of the match as the hosts remained compact and difficult to break down Occasional aerial deliveries posed some danger including moments involving Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber but sustained pressure never developed as Leverkusen continued to defend with composureAs the game entered its closing minutes Arsenal finally found a decisive moment Malik Tillman stretched to challenge Noni Madueke inside the area and after a video review the referee upheld the penalty decision Havertz introduced from the bench stepped up against his former club and converted from the spot in the 89th minute to make it 11The late equalizer leaves the tie finely balanced before next weeks second leg in LondonI have mixed emotions We produced a top performance against a top team and allowed very few chances so its frustrating that it ended 11 Now we travel to London with high hopes and the belief that we can cause an upset said Leverkusen coach Kasper HjulmandElsewhere in the last16 ties Federico Valverde scored a firsthalf hattrick as Real Madrid beat Manchester City 30 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck twice late on to give Paris SaintGermain a commanding 52 advantage ahead of the second leg against Chelsea while BodoGlimt extended their impressive run with a fifth straight Champions League win after beating Sporting CP 30 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/champions-league-havertz-converts-late-penalty-to-draw-1-1-with-bayer-leverkusen-664844.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/alcaraz-takes-out-ruud-to-enter-indian-wells-qf-for-fifth-straight-year-664849.html Indian Wells March 12 The twotime champion Carlos Alcaraz remained perfect in 2026 with his fourthround win over 61 762 and advanced to the quarterfinals at Indian Wells Open for the fifth straight year The 22yearold seventime major champion is bidding to become one of four players to have won three or more Indian Wells singles titles this century and he is now one of four players to have reached five consecutive quarterfinals in the California desertAdditionally he is the first man to reach five quarterfinals here before turning 23Alcaraz set the tone with a break in the first game of the match then further excited the crowd with a quintessential Alcaraz moment a devilish topspin lob taken out of the air that had Ruud scratching his head just over ten minutes into the matchThe Norwegian netted a forehand moments later and took a dejected walk to his chair now trailing 30 in the first set The rest of the opening set went without resistanceRuud rose to the challenge in the second The threetime major finalist brought some of his own electricity to the big stage on Wednesday He rifled a jawdropping forehand passing shot to level the set at threeallThe Norwegian made it all the way through the set without facing a break point but Alcaraz turned on the style in the tiebreak making several winners for the highlight reel as he raced to victoryAlcaraz will face 2021 champion Cam Norrie in the quarterfinals on ThursdayMeanwhile twotime finalist Daniil Medvedev also continued his winning ways in Tennis Paradise notching a 62 64 win over 21yearold American Alex Michelsen to reach the quarterfinals Medvedev who fell to Alcaraz in the 2023 and 2024 finals will face either Novak Djokovic or Jack Draper in the quarterfinals The 29yearold fresh off winning the Dubai title stretched his current winning streak to seven with an imperious performance in Stadium 2 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/alcaraz-takes-out-ruud-to-enter-indian-wells-qf-for-fifth-straight-year-664849.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/draper-downs-djokovic-to-reach-indian-wells-qfs-664854.html Indian Wells March 12 Jack Draper earned one of the best wins of his career at the Indian Wells Open as he overcame fivetime champion Novak Djokovic to enter the quarterfinals of the ATP Masters 1000 event Draper absorbed all of the fivetime championâs punches and threw a flurry of his own to rally past Djokovic in one of the matches of the tournament 46 64 765Draper now riding a ninematch winning streak in the California desert will face twotime finalist Daniil Medvedev in quarterfinalIn an opening set that went with serve for the first nine games it was 24time major champion Djokovic who drew first blood breaking for 64After a trade of breaks early in the second it was Draper who took the initiative A break to love in the ninth game set the table and gave the Brit a chance to serve for the set at 54 He didnât miss and with the slate wiped clean the best was yet to come in the deciderThe point of the match occurred at 30all in the first game of the decider Djokovic ran the length of the court three time and finally won the point with a drop shot that clipped the tape Djokovic earned a 040 lead when Draper served for the match at 54 in the decider eventually earning a break but the 24yearold quickly rebounded and held his nerve in the decidingset tiebreakExhibiting the same steely form that carried him to the title last year Draper continued to apply pressure and scored a break for 21 But the break disappeared when Draper failed to serve out the match broken for 5allThe twohour 35minute test of wills finally came to an end two points later with Draper holding steady from the baseline with the legend for two consecutive points to lock up the victory IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/draper-downs-djokovic-to-reach-indian-wells-qfs-664854.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/everything-thats-positive-also-has-negative-to-it-ramit-tandon-on-pressure-home-advantage-and-peaking-for-the-asian-games-664863.html New Delhi March 12 As the 2026 Indian Open approaches Indiaâs squash star Ramit Tandon is gearing up to showcase his skills on home soil Scheduled from March 18 to 22 at Mumbaiâs Brabourne Stadium the tournament is crucial in Tandonâs busy year which also includes preparing for the 2026 Asian Games a major event that doubles as a pathway to the Olympics In an exclusive interview with IANS Tandon reflected on the current state of Indian squash the pressures and perks of playing at home and what success looks like for him at this stage of his career With a unique perspective bridging past and future generations of Indian squash Tandonâs insights highlight not only his personal journey but also the growing ecosystem of support that is propelling Indian squash to new heightsWith just over a week to go before the Indian Open Tandon is in his taper phase where training intensity decreases to allow peak performance during the tournamentâPreparations have been good so far I have another week and a half before the event so Im kind of in my taper phase But yeah its been a good few weeks Its been good to be home Normally Im competing in different parts of the world so my training camps are also in those countries But the few times we get to play in India we get to be home and be pampered So its been good so farâ Tandon told IANSThe home environment allows Tandon to focus on recovery minimise travel stress and finetune his game with his full support team by his side The Asian Games is Tandonâs main target this year offering both prestige and a chance to qualify for the OlympicsâIt is the most important event of the year Firstly it is the Asian Games that garners its own respect But apart from that obviously its the qualification for the Olympics which is an addition for squash because we have not been in the Olympics before So not only for me for every Asian player in the top four top eight in Asia we are looking at that as an entry into the Olympics So its definitely the most ambitious not ambitious but the most important goal for the year And obviously my team is aware of it I have a team when I talk about my plans and my training plans Im just a follower The orders come to me from my coaching team So we are aware of it as a team We have made it a point that the goal would be to peak at the Asian Games and everything else is designed around thatâEvery tournament including the Indian Open is part of a carefully mapped plan to ensure Tandon is at his best when it matters most Tandon believes that he belongs to the generation that bridges past legends and rising stars Squash has beenâevery phase we have had strong players Im kind of stuck in between The previous phase was obviously a sort of Ghoshal Harinder Sandhu phase but those guys are a good five six years older than I am And then Im the one in between that is part you know I didnt see their complete journey but I was towards the end of their journey and towards the start of this journeyBut having said that its a very unfair way to look at it to compare generations In cricket when you look at it when you look at Virat Kohli you say Sachin Tendulkar has played a big role in making Virat Kohli And Virat Kohli is playing a big role in making maybe a Shubman Gill or someone else So you know as a sport we work as one teamIf there were no Saurav Ghosal there probably would not be a pipeline of players below that If there were no Joshna or Deepika there probably would not be an Anahat today So youve got to give them credit Credit is due when it is right in these situations And having said that we are at a good As a country today we are at a very strong phase You know we have four men in the worlds top 50 which is not the norm for Indian squashAnahat is doing extremely well Joshna is still around And youve got to also be aware of the support systems today right Like what Saurav and Harinder Sandhu or Joshna and Deepika didnt receive back in the day we are receiving today So fair enough we should be better and we should outperform the previous generations Because if we dont then its not on us Its showing the support system that the country is not working well enough for us to outperform So Indian squash is in a good placeâCorporate firms are backing squash which is a big step forward for us as squash players Squash making the Olympics we have like tops the government scheme we have been included in that which again is a big boost So Im very hopeful that in the years to come the current generation and future generations will outperform what our ancestors left behind for us I dont think ancestors would be a bad term Im not counting Saurav as an ancestor laughs Im talking about like the generations of squash playersâTandon believes that Indian squash today has stronger infrastructure funding and visibility than ever before which is a vital factor in nurturing future championsThe Indian Open offers the rare opportunity to compete in front of a home crowd For Tandon this is both comforting and challengingâIts extremely important Two reasons obviously as I mentioned before you have like the most number of players in the top 50 of the world More Indian players in the top 50 in the world today than we have ever had before which means you need to also step up the level of competition and bring international competitions of this magnitude to the countryâGives us home advantage gives us advantage of the conditions gives us a month of being home with our families and competing in our own country in front of the people who have supported us So also means fewer flights the one two times a year we get to play at home which is a big thing with the Asian Games coming about its not only about competing its also about being rested and being injuryfree As you mentioned at the 2022 Asian Games I had a hamstring issue and couldnt make it right So similarly like having events at home obviously gives me the sense that my team is home I have physios at my service at home which is hard to do when youre on the roadâHe added that international tournaments at home inspire the next generation showing young players the level of competition they can aspire toâBeyond me and beyond the top players in the country in terms of creating a culture for the upcoming generations for the eightyear 10yearolds who are going to be watching and looking at squash at the international level its just creating a level where they would see beyond what we used to when we were kidsâPlaying at home brings expectations but the 33yearold sees it as a test of resilienceâEverything thats positive also has a negative to it right And playing at home obviously youre comfortable The climate favours you a little bit but at the same time theres a lot of pressure Youre around people who want you to do really well Theres a lot of expectation and youve got to deal with that as well which is important as an athlete You know you cant run away from pressureâYou need to deal with and breathe through these situations And it just makes you tougher as a squash player right Every competition the way we look at it as Indians we are very resultoriented you know Like when we talk to someone about the board exams the first thing we ask is how much did you get right And its the same thing in our sport you know We only look at the result and we ask like Oh are you going to win or loseâBut what you also have to look at is like whats making you better as a sports person Whats making you better as an individual And going through these situations definitely adds value you know And you might not see the benefit of it in this tournament but that mental toughness might come through in the Asian games you know And so overall its good to put yourself through these situationsâSquashâs inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is historic and Tandon sees it as a major milestone for Indian squashâIts the biggest thing for world squash as a whole you know Like weve tried a bunch of times and havent made it And then finally making it to the Olympics for LA 2028 is probably the biggest achievement my sport has had as a whole And Indian squash being part of world squash as a byproduct I being a squash player IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/everything-thats-positive-also-has-negative-to-it-ramit-tandon-on-pressure-home-advantage-and-peaking-for-the-asian-games-664863.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/pakistan-media-fans-slam-team-after-humiliating-defeat-to-bangladesh-664828.html Dhaka March 12 Pakistanâs cricket team faced sharp criticism from fans and media after suffering a humiliating eightwicket defeat against Bangladesh in the first ODI here Chasing a modest target of 115 Bangladesh comfortably reached 1152 in just 151 overs Opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim led the charge with an unbeaten 67 while Najmul Hossain Shanto contributed 27 as the hosts sealed an emphatic victoryPakistan did get an early breakthrough when captain Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed opener Saif Hassan for 4 in the third over offering a brief moment of hope for the visitors However Tamim and Shanto stitched together a solid partnership that ensured Bangladesh chased down the target with easeEarlier Pakistanâs batting lineup collapsed for just 114 in 304 overs after Bangladesh won the toss and opted to field first Fast bowler Nahid Rana produced a sensational spell claiming a fivewicket haul to dismantle Pakistanâs batting orderPakistanâs innings began steadily with debutants Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat adding 41 runs for the opening wicket Rana then triggered the collapse by dismissing Farhan before removing Shamyl Hussain for 4 with the score at 47The pacer continued his dominance dismissing Sadaqat 18 Mohammad Rizwan 10 and Salman Agha 5 to complete his fivewicket haulMehidy Hasan Miraz also played a crucial role with the ball picking up three wickets including Abdul Samad for a duck Hussain Talat 4 and Shaheen Afridi 4Faheem Ashraf showed some resistance with a fighting 37 off 47 balls to help Pakistan cross the 100run mark but he was eventually dismissed by Mustafizur Rahman Taskin Ahmed wrapped up the innings by removing Mohammad Wasim Jr for a duckFollowing the defeat Pakistani fans took to social media to express frustration over the teamâs poor batting performance and lack of fightâ114 all out against Bangladesh is simply unacceptable This team has no consistencyâ one fan wrote on XAnother supporter criticised the batting lineup saying âExcept for one or two players no one looks capable of building an innings This is embarrassingâSome fans also questioned the selection decisions and the inclusion of several inexperienced players in the playing XIâExperimenting is fine but the team still needs basic batting discipline This collapse shows serious problemsâ another fan postedPakistani media outlets also described the defeat as a âshocking collapseâ and highlighted the dominance of Bangladeshâs bowling attack led by Nahid Rana IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/pakistan-media-fans-slam-team-after-humiliating-defeat-to-bangladesh-664828.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 06:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/atletico-madrid-claim-big-champions-league-win-at-home-against-tottenham-664749.html Madrid March 11 Atletico Madrid took a big step toward the Champions League quarterfinals with a 52 home win over Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their last16 tie at the Metropolitano Stadium Tottenham coach Igor Tudor said before the match that he was prioritizing Premier League survival over European progress and his side made a disastrous start as Atletico led 40 after 22 minutesTudor started with Antonin Kinsky in goal even though the 22yearold had not played a minute in either the Champions League or the Premier League this season A mistake from Kinsky gifted Atletico the lead in the sixth minute when he slipped while trying to play the ball out from the back allowing Marcos Llorente a simple finishAnother slip this time from Micky van de Ven left Antoine Griezmann with a clear run on goal in the 14th minute and the Frenchman made no mistake to double Atleticos lead A further error from Kinsky then left Julian Alvarez with a tapin a minute laterTudor replaced Kinsky with Guglielmo Vicario in the 17th minute with the visibly upset goalkeeper heading straight down the tunnel as teammates followed to console himVicario reacted quickly when Griezmanns free kick was flicked on in the 22nd minute but Robin Le Normand headed in the rebound to make it 40 Pablo Porro pulled a goal back for Tottenham four minutes laterAtletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak made a fine save to stop Richarlison making it 42 in the 55th minute and Atletico then restored its fourgoal cushion as Griezmann released Alvarez who outran the Tottenham defense and finished to make it 51Oblak then misplayed the ball at his feet allowing Dominic Solanke to lash home Tottenhams second but Tottenham will need a much improved performance to have any chance of turning the tie around IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/atletico-madrid-claim-big-champions-league-win-at-home-against-tottenham-664749.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 09:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/champions-league-bayern-claim-big-win-in-round-of-16-first-leg-galatasaray-edge-out-liverpool-664751.html New Delhi March 11 FC Bayern claimed a 61 firstleg win away at Atalanta on Tuesday night to put themselves in a promising position to reach the Champions League quarterfinals Josip Stanisic Michael Olise and Serge Gnabry handed Bayern a comfortable 30 lead before halftime Nicolas Jackson Olise and Jamal Musiala rounded off the half dozen before Mario PaÅaliÄâs addedtime consolation for the hostsBayerns incessant pressure paid off handsomely as the German champions took firm control of their tie with AtalantaJosip StaniÅiÄs tapin set the visitors on their way before a quickfire double from Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise made it 30 inside 25 minutes There was no letup thoughNicolas Jackson added a fine counterattacking goal after the restart before Olise bent in his second with a similar effort to his first Substitute Jamal Musiala struck a sixth midway through the second half but it was Atalantas Mario Pasalic who had the final word pulling one back in added timeMeanwhile Galatasaray head to Anfield next Wednesday with a narrow advantage after Mario Leminas seventhminute header ultimately decided a fastpaced encounter in Istanbul Lemina converted after Victor Osimhen redirected Gabriel Saras corner into his path the only goal of a frenetic first half that could have featured several more â Florian Wirtz and Davinson SÃnchez among those to threaten It was more of the same in the second period Liverpool coming closest when Alexis Mac Allister shot just wide before Hugo Ekitike was brilliantly denied by Ugurcan CakÄrIn another match Lamine Yamal converted a lastgasp penalty to earn Barcelona a draw at Newcastle to take into next Wednesdays second legsYamals addedtime penalty with the last kick of the contest denied Newcastle another famous win the Barcelona winger holding his nerve to send Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way after Malick Thiaw had fouled Dani OlmoThe Magpies beaten 21 at St James Park by Barca on Matchday 1 were on course for a narrow firstleg victory after Harvey Barnes firsttime effort following Jacob Murphys pinpoint cross with four minutes to goThe hosts always appeared the likelier of the two sides to open the scoring a Barnes curler smacking the inside of the upright in the second half before the England international got the late breakthrough Yamal had the last word though IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/champions-league-bayern-claim-big-win-in-round-of-16-first-leg-galatasaray-edge-out-liverpool-664751.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-open-sinner-edges-fonseca-in-thriller-to-reach-qf-664752.html Indian Wells March 11 World No 2 Jannik Sinner overcame a spirited challenge from rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca to secure a hardfought win and reach the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Open In their muchanticipated first meeting the 24yearold Italian held his nerve in two tight tiebreaks to defeat the 19yearold Fonseca 766 764 in front of a packed evening crowd The highquality contest offered a glimpse of what could develop into a compelling rivalry on the ATP TourWith the win Sinner reached the quarterfinals in 11 of the 12 ATP Masters 1000 tournaments he has played since the beginning of 2024 It also marked his 97th Masters 1000 match victory moving him past fellow Italian Fabio Fognini for the most wins by an Italian player at that levelSinner showed remarkable composure in the opening set tiebreak saving three set points before turning the momentum in his favour Although he later squandered a chance to serve out the match after leading 52 in the second set the Italian again produced his best tennis in the decisive moments of the tiebreak to seal the victoryJoao is an incredible player incredible talent very powerful from both sides He was serving very well Sinner said after the close win I felt like trying to be as aggressive as possible was the key I dropped a bit of intensity at the end of the second set but he played incredible tennis out there The atmosphere has been amazing so Im very happy about todays matchThe opening set was closely contested with both players struggling to convert limited break opportunities Fonseca appeared in control in the tiebreak when he surged to a 52 lead with a series of aggressive winners However Sinner responded with a crucial minibreak using a delicate dropvolley and went on to claim the set after winning five consecutive pointsSinner seemed set for a smoother path in the second set after breaking for a 42 lead But Fonseca mounted a strong comeback breaking the Italian to love when Sinner served for the match at 53 and winning 12 of the next 14 points to force another tiebreakThe Italian however regained control at the right moment winning the final four points of the breaker and sealing the match with a powerful forehand returnSinner will next face American youngster Learner Tien in the quarterfinals The 20yearold had earlier saved two match points to defeat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and book his place in the last eight IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-open-sinner-edges-fonseca-in-thriller-to-reach-qf-664752.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/pkl-gujarat-giants-appoint-randhir-singh-sehrawat-as-head-coach-664793.html Ahmedabad March 11 Gujarat Giants have appointed seasoned kabaddi tactician Randhir Singh Sehrawat as their new head coach ahead of the upcoming season of the Pro Kabaddi League PKL Sehrawat widely regarded as one of the most experienced figures in professional kabaddi brings more than a decade of PKL coaching experience to the franchise Since the leagueâs inception in 2014 he has been a constant presence on the sidelines guiding teams to consistent success including a championship in Season 6 and six playoff appearancesFondly known as the âChanakya of Kabaddiâ for his strategic acumen Sehrawatâs career in the sport spans several decades A recipient of the prestigious Arjuna Award he has built a reputation not only in the PKL but also in the domestic circuit particularly with the Indian Railways kabaddi setupDuring his time with Indian Railways Sehrawat coached both the menâs and womenâs teams leading them to multiple national championship victories and cementing his standing as one of the countryâs most accomplished kabaddi mentorsBefore transitioning into coaching Sehrawat also enjoyed a distinguished playing career with the Indian national team He represented the country in several major tournaments including the 1988 Asian Kabaddi Championship and the 1989 South Asian Games His international career peaked at the 1990 Asian Games where he served as vicecaptain of the Indian side that secured the gold medalExpressing his enthusiasm about the new role Sehrawat said âIâm delighted to return to the Pro Kabaddi League and grateful to Adani Sportsline for this opportunity Gujarat Giants has a strong mix of young talent and experienced players and I look forward to working with the team as we aim for the titleâAdani Sportsline officials also welcomed the appointment highlighting the value Sehrawatâs experience will bring to the squadMr Sanjay Adesara Chief Business Officer Adani Sportsline said âWe are pleased to welcome Randhir Singh Sehrawat as Head Coach of Gujarat Giants His experience and deep understanding of the sport will be invaluable in developing the squad and strengthening our campaign for the upcoming PKL seasonâThe appointment reflects Adani Sportslineâs commitment to building a competitive team as Gujarat Giants prepare for the next edition of the Pro Kabaddi League IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/pkl-gujarat-giants-appoint-randhir-singh-sehrawat-as-head-coach-664793.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/cwg-2030-will-be-organised-on-grand-scale-india-also-preparing-for-2036-olympics-anurag-thakur--664794.html New Delhi March 11 IANS Former Sports Minister and BJP MP Anurag Thakur asserted that India are not only set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games CWG on a magnificent scale but is also pursuing the hosting rights for the 2036 Summer OlympicsnbspIndia was formally ratified as the host of the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030 last November India presented a compelling vision for the 2030 Games centred in Ahmedabad which will build on foundations laid by Glasgow 2026 enabling India to celebrate the centenary in styleSpeaking about Indias preparations in the lead to the multisport event in 2030 Thakur told IANS The staging of sporting events in India is becoming larger and better than before The 2030 Commonwealth Games are expected to be organised on a very grand scale and India is also preparing to host the 2036 OlympicsAs India also making strong and sustained efforts to host the 2036 Olympic Games Thakur added It is hoped that India will get the hosting rights for the 2036 Olympics as well after which the country will witness a series of major international sporting events one after anotherLast year Ashwini Kumar Principal Secretary for Ports and Transport in Gujarat said Indias preparations for the 2030 Commonwealth Games were meticulous confident and driven by a solid team and the state expected to complete all major preparations by the end of 2028 or early 2029Reflecting on Indias previous experience with CWG in 2010 Thakur drew a sharp contrast between the past and the present noting that while the 2010 Delhi Games were marred by allegations of largescale corruption under the thenUPA government the current administration has built a foundation of transparency and worldclass infrastructureThere was a time when the Commonwealth Games were held in India during the UPA government and at that time the discussion was more about corruption allegations than about the games themselves he saidIndia had won a total of 101 medals including 38 gold medals in the 2010 CWG in New Delhi with 30 medals coming from shooting alone In the 2022 edition India bagged 61 medals including 22 gold Shooting was not included in the Birmingham edition IANSnbsp https://dailyworld.in/sports/cwg-2030-will-be-organised-on-grand-scale-india-also-preparing-for-2036-olympics-anurag-thakur--664794.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-open-djokovic-survives-kovacevic-scare-norrie-stuns-de-minaur-664676.html Indian Wells March 10 Former world No1 Novak Djokovic was put to the test by rising American Aleksandar Kovacevic but the fivetime champion relied on his grace under pressure to oust the World No 72 64 16 64 to book his place in the fourth round of the Indian Wells Open It is the second consecutive match this week in which Djokovic has need three sets having battled through a tough opener against Kamil Majchrzak to begin his campaignBy reaching his 113th round of 16 at Masters 1000 events Djokovic passes Rafael Nadal and sits alone atop the alltime list He is into the fourth round at Indian Wells for the first time since 2017 and will face defending champion Jack Draper nextKovacevic fired 16 aces past the Serbian great but couldnât hold serve to stay alive in the match in the final gameâHuge credit to Aleksâ Djokovic said âHe played at a really high level Hes had a tremendous serving day Iâve faced him only once earlier I dont think weve ever faced each other on hard courts For someone who is not extremely tall to serve this well and find the spots in the box it was just really phenomenal serving so huge credit to him2021 champion Cameron Norrie earned his 13th career Top 10 win â and second in the California desert â by defeating Australiaâs Alex de Minaur 64 64 in Stadium 3 The British southpaw improves to 32 against No 6ranked De Minaur and will face either Alexander Bublik or Rinky Hijikata nextMeanwhile Cameron Norrie also mived into the fourth round in the California desert for the fourth timeHe earned his 13th career Top 10 win and second in the California desert by defeating Australiaâs Alex de Minaur 64 64 in Stadium 3 The British southpaw improved to 32 against No 6ranked De Minaur and will face either Alexander Bublik or Rinky Hijikata next IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-open-djokovic-survives-kovacevic-scare-norrie-stuns-de-minaur-664676.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-matthew-hayden-joins-gujarat-titans-as-batting-coach-664689.html Ahmedabad March 10 The Gujarat Titans have appointed former Australian opener Matthew Hayden as their batting coach ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season the franchise confirmed on Tuesday A twotime ICC Cricket World Cup winner and one of the most formidable openers of his generation Hayden brings extensive international experience and a deep understanding of modern T20 batting to the Titansâ coaching setup His addition strengthens the teamâs support staff as the 2022 champions prepare for the new seasonDirector of Cricket Vikram Solanki said the former Australian starâs appointment comes at an important moment for the franchiseMatthewâs appointment comes at a pivotal phase in our journey As a franchise committed to excellence and longterm success we are constantly focused on strengthening our cricketing ecosystem His experience at the highest level coupled with his ability to mentor emerging talent will be instrumental in shaping our batting identity for the seasons aheadâ Solanki saidHayden meanwhile expressed his excitement about taking on the role and outlined the standard he hopes to instil within the sideâs batting unit Commenting on his appointment the Aussie great said âGood batting applies pressure Great batting owns the game Thatâs the standard we want to set at Gujarat TitansâDuring an illustrious international career with Australia Hayden featured in 273 matches across formats and scored more than 15000 runs Renowned for his aggressive yet technically sound approach he played a significant role in shaping the powerplay dominance that defines modern whiteball cricketHayden also left a notable mark on the IPL during his stint with Chennai Super Kings between 2008 and 2010 Across 32 appearances he scored 1107 runs at an average of 3690 and a strike rate of 13752His standout season came in 2009 when he claimed the Orange Cap after amassing 572 runs Known for his imposing presence at the crease Hayden famously wielded the distinctive âMongooseâ bat in 2010 including during a blistering 93 off 43 deliveries against Delhi Daredevils now Delhi CapitalsHe capped his IPL journey on a high by helping Chennai Super Kings secure their maiden league title in 2010 leaving a lasting legacy through both his performances and his fearless approach to T20 batting IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ipl-2026-matthew-hayden-joins-gujarat-titans-as-batting-coach-664689.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/jess-jonassen-steps-down-as-queensland-and-brisbane-heat-captain-664693.html New Delhi March 10 Australian allrounder Jess Jonassen has stepped down from her leadership roles with Queensland Fire and Brisbane Heat Women bringing to an end a fiveyear stint as captain across domestic competitions Jonassen who informed Queensland Cricket chief executive Terry Svenson of her decision last month is set to reach another milestone this week when she plays her 100th match in the Womens National Cricket League on Saturday at Allan Border FieldThe experienced spinner had led both sides since taking over from Kirby Short in 2020 captaining Brisbane in 81 matches in the Womens Big Bash League and Queensland in 30 WNCL fixturesJonassen recently returned to competitive action against New South Wales Breakers after recovering from shoulder surgery that prematurely ended her WBBL campaign in December During her absence wicketkeeper Georgia Redmayne stepped in as standin captain and will continue to lead the Fire for the remainder of the WNCL season while Jonassen focuses solely on her playing responsibilitiesExplaining her decision Jonassen said the choice followed a period of reflection in recent weeksâI did have every intention of wanting to lead again this season but the NSW trip helped open my eyes to a number of things and has helped me come to this decision I am very grateful for the past five years and to those who showed faith in me being the person to help lead these teams forwardâ she was quoted as saying by Queensland CricketâWhen I sat down and thought hard about what was best for the future I realised I could no longer give my all in the role I know this is the best decision for both me and the team Iâm very much looking forward to finishing my career as a senior player who leads from within and will support whoever gets the opportunity to lead these teams next We have some impressive leaders in our group and I will give them whatever assistance they needâ she addedThe veteran allrounder also expressed gratitude to the coaching staff and administrators who supported her during her captaincyâA huge thank you to the coaches Mark Sorell and Jeff Thomas and all their support staff for the past few seasons And similarly our CEO Terry Svenson and the Board and Staff of Queensland Cricket for backing me and supporting the team throughout My wife Sarah and my family helped me arrive at this decision when I was wrestling with what I wanted to do and their love and support means I know I have made the right callâLooking back as a kid I never thought Iâd ever call myself a captain of Queensland but itâs something Iâm proud of and I hope Iâve made a difference somewhere in my timeââ Jonassen saidMeanwhile the Fire are preparing for a crucial pair of WNCL fixtures against Victoria Women at Allan Border Field on Thursday and Saturday The results could determine whether Queensland secure a place in the final against the New South Wales Breakers in Sydney later this month IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/jess-jonassen-steps-down-as-queensland-and-brisbane-heat-captain-664693.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-open-alcaraz-rallies-past-rinderknech-medvedev-through-to-rd-4-664699.html Indian Wells March 10 World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz staged a strong comeback to defeat Franceâs Arthur Rinderknech and moved into the next round of the Indian Wells Open overcoming an early setback to secure a 676 63 62 victory The Spaniard faced a tough challenge early in the contest dropping the opening set and falling behind by a break in the second as Rinderknechâs powerful serve and aggressive approach put him under sustained pressure However Alcaraz gradually wrested control of the match turning the tide with improved consistency and composure to maintain his flawless start to the 2026 season now standing at 140âHe was playing his best tennis I would say in the first the beginning of the second For me it was really really difficult I got in trouble to be honest but just really happy with the way that I dealt with everything that was happening I accepted it kept going stayed strong mentally and then tried to do a little bit different I think I just started to play more solid waiting for my chancesâ said Alcaraz who was challenged early on by Rinderknechs aggressive startThe opening set proved tightly contested with Alcaraz nearly snatching it after recovering from a 25 deficit in the tiebreak However a mistimed forehand on set point at 65 allowed Rinderknech to capitalise and claim the set before breaking early in the second to strengthen his advantageDespite that momentum the Frenchman was unable to consolidate the break as Alcaraz found his rhythm The Spaniard converted four of his ten breakpoint opportunities across the final two sets gradually overpowering his opponent once he settled into his game on the stadium courtAlcaraz also overcame a brief scare when he appeared to twist his ankle early in the second set Although the moment raised concerns the top seed showed no lasting effects as he closed out the match stronglyI moved in the third set perfectly so hopefully tomorrow is going to be like nothing at all he saidThe win not only extended Alcarazâs unbeaten start to the season following title triumphs at the Australian Open and the Qatar Open in Doha but also marked his 32nd consecutive victory on outdoor hard courts a run stretching back to the Miami Open last year It also improved his headtohead record against Rinderknech to 60Alcaraz will next face Casper Ruud in the round of 16 holding a 51 advantage in their previous meetings The Norwegian seeded 13th also fought back from a set down to defeat Valentin Vacherot 36 63 64 earlier in the dayIn another result Daniil Medvedev wrapped up the menâs evening session with a dominant 64 60 win over Sebastian Baez on Stadium 2 Both players entered the match tied for the most wins on tour this season with 14 but the victory pushed Medvedev ahead as the first player to reach 15 singles wins in 2026The Russian is currently riding a sixmatch winning streak a run that began during his successful title campaign at the Dubai Tennis Championships last month IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-open-alcaraz-rallies-past-rinderknech-medvedev-through-to-rd-4-664699.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/bcci-to-announce-ipl-2026-schedule-for-first-20-days-by-march-12-saikia-664701.html New Delhi March 10 The Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI will release the schedule for the first 20 days of the Indian Premier League IPL 2026 by March 12 said secretary Devajit Saikia The 19th edition of the IPL will run from March 28 to May 31 after the initial window was between March 26 and May 30 We plan to announce the IPL 2026 schedule by March 12 For now we are going to announce the IPL schedule for the first 20 days Saikia told IANS on Tuesday It is understood the remainder of the tournamentâs schedule will come later as the BCCI aims to avoid a clash with assembly elections in West Bengal Assam and Tamil NaduNevertheless teams have already begun their preseason preparations Fivetime champions Chennai Super Kings started their training on March 1 at their HighPerformance Centre in Navalur with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni among those presentDefending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru held a small preparation camp at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on February 10 while 2022 champions Gujarat Titans held practice sessions twice at the Miraj International Cricket Stadium in NathdwaraPunjab Kings trained in Abu Dhabi in early February and are currently running a practice camp in Dharamsala while 2016 winners Sunrisers Hyderabad began their camp on March 1 with their domestic players Fivetime winners Mumbai Indians have also started their training for the upcoming season2008 winners Rajasthan Royals are expected to assemble for a practice camp in Jaipur from March 15 while threetime champions Kolkata Knight Riders will begin their preseason camp on March 18 Delhi Capitals recently did one in Hyderabad and are expected to have one in New Delhi while Lucknow Super Giants had held a preparatory session in Lucknow IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/bcci-to-announce-ipl-2026-schedule-for-first-20-days-by-march-12-saikia-664701.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/icc-calls-off-board-meetings-in-doha-amid-west-asia-conflict-report-664708.html New Delhi March 10 The International Cricket Council ICC has reportedly called off its board and committee meetings in Doha due to the ongoing tensions in West Asia that have disrupted travel in the region The meetings were scheduled to take place from March 25 to 27 bringing together ICC Board Directors Chief Executives committee members and senior leadership as part of the organisationâs ongoing governance calendar providing an important opportunity to deliberate over key matters pertaining to the present and future of the global gameAccording to ESPNcricinfo the ICC is still keeping the option open to hold inperson meetings in April although that will depend on normal functioning of regional airspace to allow safe travel for board membersThe report said that that among the major topics expected to be discussed were the future of global broadcast rights after the current deal expires in 2027 early talks regarding the next Future Tours Programme FTP and the qualification process for cricket at the Los Angeles 2028 OlympicsThe Doha gathering would have marked the first time the ICC planned to host its board meetings in Qatar a country that has recently reported a significant rise in cricket participationSince 2020 overall participation in cricket in Qatar has grown by an impressive 447 per cent driven largely by initiatives aimed at introducing the sport to new and younger audiences Central to this growth has been cricketâs inclusion in the Qatar Olympic Committeeâs School Olympic Programme which has helped embed the game within schools across the country Meanwhile the ongoing crisis in West Asia has also begun to affect international cricket schedules The limitedovers series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka which was scheduled to take place in the UAE from March 13 to 25 is now likely to be postponed indefinitelyAn earlier series between Pakistan Shaheens and England Lions was also cancelled midway due to the same crisis IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/icc-calls-off-board-meetings-in-doha-amid-west-asia-conflict-report-664708.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/vaishnavi-adkar-credits-bopanna-after-breakthrough-run-in-itf-w35-kalaburagi-664713.html Kalaburagi March 10 Just after winning the ITF W35 Kalaburagi title completing an impressive run in Karnataka that included finishing as runnerup at the ITF Womenâs Open W100 Bengaluru in February Indiaâs Vaishnavi Adkar attributed her improved performances to the guidance of Grand Slam champion Rohan Bopanna âWe spoke about a few things and that made me realise that the move could be the right one for me Having someone with that level of experience someone who has been world number one and competed at the highest level for so many years is really valuable Getting inputs from him and learning from that experience along with working with the team at the academy has been very helpful for me as I look to improve and move forward in my careerâ she saidAdkar also thanked the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association KSLTA for giving her a wildcard entry at the ITF Womenâs Open W100 Bengaluru 2026 There she became the first Indian woman to reach the final of a W100 or higherlevel tournament since Sania Mirza in 2009 This achievement boosted her ranking from No 690 to a careerhigh of No 466 and she is expected to enter the top 400 next week once the points from her victory in Kalaburagi are added âIâm really grateful to KSLTA for giving me the wildcard opportunities I wasnât really expecting it so it meant a lot that they showed that belief in me Iâm happy that I was able to make the most of the opportunity and it really helped my ranking as wellâAdkar has been named to Indiaâs team for the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup AsiaOceania tournament scheduled for next month in New Delhi âTennis is mostly an individual sport so getting the chance to be part of a team event like the Billie Jean King Cup and representing India is very special Iâm really looking forward to it and I hope I can contribute to the team in whatever way possibleâ she said of her selectionIn recent months Adkar has focused on improving important elements of her game âTwo of the main things we have been working on are the serve and the return because those are the shots that start every point At the same time the physical aspect of the game has become very important in modern tennis so Iâve been focusing a lot on improving that as wellâ she notedShe also emphasised that her approach to the game has significantly changed saying âThis year I told myself that I just want to enjoy playing more and have fun on court because thatâs the reason I started playing this sport in the first place When I was able to play with that mindset and not put too much pressure on myself the results started comingâ She attributed her early development to her parents who gave her the freedom to pursue the sport without feeling pressured âMy parents have been supportive throughout Even when the results werenât coming early on they never put any pressure on me They always told me that as long as I was enjoying what I was doing that was the most important thingâ Her junior career faced a major setback when an injury temporarily interrupted her progress Speaking of the same Adkar said âI had an ACL tear right after winning my first ITF juniors title It happened the very next week in another tournament I had to undergo surgery and was out for about eight months and that was a very tough period mentally because it came at a time when I needed to keep earning points and progressingâ However Adkar believes that the recovery period ultimately helped her come back stronger âComing back from surgery is always difficult psychologically because that fear is there But during my recovery we worked a lot on my strength and fitness and when I returned to competition I was physically stronger than before In a way it turned out to be a blessing in disguiseâ she concluded IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/vaishnavi-adkar-credits-bopanna-after-breakthrough-run-in-itf-w35-kalaburagi-664713.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/arsenal-manchester-city-liverpool-and-chelsea-quality-for-fa-cup-quarters-664325.html London March 8 Premier League leader Arsenal had to work hard to qualify for the quarterfinals of the FA Cup edging League One side Mansfield Town 21 away in a tight contest Mansfield beat Premier League struggler Burnley in the previous round and defended solidly for 40 minutes before Noni Madueke opened the scoring with a neatly placed leftfooted shotMansfield brought on Will Evans at halftime and this proved to be a good move when he equalised in the 50th minute running onto a loose ball and scoring with his left footMansfield remained very much in the game until Eberechi Eze on the pitch only a few minutes sealed the win with a powerful strike into the roof of the netOmar Marmoush scored twice as Manchester City also advanced to the last eight after coming back from behind to win 31 away to Newcastle UnitedHarvey Barnes opened the scoring in the 18th minute before Savinho levelled 21 minutes laterMarmoush put Manchester City ahead from close range two minutes into the second half and nailed the win with a thundering shot from the edge of the Newcastle penalty area with 25 minutes left to playChelsea was taken to extra time by Championship side Wrexham who twice led before eventually falling 42 Sam Smith opened the scoring in the 18th minute but Chelsea levelled with a stroke of luck just before halftime with an own goal from goalkeeper Arthur OkonkwoCallum Doyle restored Wrexhams lead with a clever flick in the 79th minute raising real hopes of an upset but Josh Acheampong made it 22 almost immediatelyWrexham was then reduced to 10 men after George Dobson was sent off for a high challenge Chelsea finally went in front through Alejandro Garnacho in the seventh minute of extra time and Joao Pedro wrapped up the win in the final minuteLiverpool was the first team to book a quarterfinal place with a 31 win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night which avenged a 21 league defeat at Molineux earlier in the week IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/arsenal-manchester-city-liverpool-and-chelsea-quality-for-fa-cup-quarters-664325.html Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/mls-messi-scores-as-inter-miami-cf-beat-dc-united-1-2-664327.html Baltimore March 8 Inter Miami CF grabbed three points with a 12 win on the road against DC United Goals from midfield engine Rodrigo De Paul and captain Leo Messi led Inter Miami to victory this afternoon at MampT Bank Stadium in front of a recordbreaking home crowd for DC United of 72026 fans Miami pulled ahead in the 17th minute through De Paulâs first goal of the season Berterame applied pressure down the left and recovered possession near the endline before cutting a pass back for Segovia inside the box Segovia then found De Paul on the right end of the box where El Motorcito took a touch before unleashing a rightfooted hit to the topleft corner The assist was Segoviaâs third this regular seasonMessi added a second in the 27th minute to extend Inter Miamiâs advantage to 20 A fantastic threaded pass delivered by Silvetti from the left flank found Messi in space down the left inside the box where our captain sent the ball to the back of the net with a tidy chip over the keeper The strike took Messis tally to three this regular season while the assist was Silvettiâs first Notably the goal was Messiâs 80th in Inter Miami coloursThe hosts shortened the deficit in the second half through a goal from Tai Baribo in the 75th minute The 21 scoreline would hold through the final whistle for Inter Miami to earn a second consecutive win in MLS regular season actionâI think the first half was very good We controlled the game we made the difference we created chances Perhaps in the second half we struggled moreââ said head coach Javier Mascherano I think we have to value the positives Three away games weve managed two wins Theres a lot to improve on but its always better to improve coming from a victory he addedInter Miami will next face Nashville SC on Wednesday in the first leg of Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/mls-messi-scores-as-inter-miami-cf-beat-dc-united-1-2-664327.html Sun, 08 Mar 2026 10:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/la-liga-lamine-yamal-gives-barcelona-vital-win-664328.html Madrid March 8 Lamine Yamal scored the only goal of the match midway through the second half to give FC Barcelona a 10 win away to Athletic Bilbao that keeps it four points clear at the top of La Liga Yamal took a pass from Pedri on the right side of the penalty area and curled an unstoppable shot in off the inside of the postThe result was harsh on Athletic Bilbao who gave one of its best displays of the season just three days after losing in the Copa del Rey semifinal to Real SociedadThe home side lost midfielder Unai Gomez with a bad knee injury shortly but kept on battling and had Barcelona pinned back in the closing stage Pedris entry at halftime however proved decisiveNico Gonzalez scored twice as Atletico Madrid beat Real Sociedad in a dress rehearsal for next months Copa del Rey finalBoth teams made several changes after their midweek matches and Alexander Sorloth continued his excellent 2026 form by opening the scoring against his former club in the fifth minuteCarlos Soler equalised in the ninth minute and it remained 11 until Gonzalez put Atletico back ahead in the 67th minute only for Real Sociedad captain Mikel Oyarzabal to level just a minute laterGonzalez netted the decisive goal with nine minutes left to play forcing the ball in after Alex Remiros save was not clearedElsewhere Levante suffered late heartbreak after Carlos Espis 50thminute header looked set to give them a vital 10 home win over GironaLevante had to play the final halfhour with 10 men after Jon Ander Olasagasti was shown a straight red card in the 58th minute for a heavy challenge and held out until the 94th minute when Joel Rocas longrange shot took a deflection to beat the impressive Matt RyanIn another match Osasuna scored two late goals to snatch a 22 draw at home to Mallorca who had led 20 at El Sadar on Martin Demichelis debut as coachMallorcas top scorer Vedat Muriqi put his side 20 up first heading in after a calamitous error by Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera and then finishing off a counterattackJan Virgili was sent off for a bad challenge leaving Mallorca with 10 men for the final minutes but parity in numbers was quickly restored when Osasunas Raul Garcia was also dismissedOsasuna then rescued a point through Kike Barjas 89thminute strike and a 94thminute equalizer from leading scorer Ante Budimir leaving Mallorca in the relegation zoneOn Friday night Real Madrid kept its title hopes alive with a 21 win away to Celta Vigo Fede Valverdes deflected shot in the last minute earned the victory in a game that had seemed destined for a draw after Borja Iglesias firsthalf goal for Celta cancelled out Aurelien Tchouamenis 11thminute opener IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/la-liga-lamine-yamal-gives-barcelona-vital-win-664328.html Sun, 08 Mar 2026 10:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/nz-seamer-lea-tahuhu-retires-from-odi-cricket-664336.html Wellington March 8 New Zealand seamer Lea Tahuhu has announced her retirement from Womens ODIs drawing curtains on her 15year career in the format She will continue to be available for selection in T20Is NZC said Tahuhu will be part of the White Ferns squad for the T20I series against South Africa which will be named on TuesdaySince making her ODI debut as a 20yearold against Australia in Brisbane in the 2011 Rose Bowl series Tahuhu has gone on to represent New Zealand in 103 ODIs and steps away from the format as New Zealands alltime leading ODI wickettaker with 125 wicketsâItâs always been a privilege and honour to pull on the WHITE FERNS shirt in ODI cricket To get one game was an amazing feeling To have been able to wear the shirt and represent my country and my family over 100 times in ODI cricket is something I never could have dreamt of âIâll treasure every moment and walk away from the ODI game incredibly proud of what Iâve been able to achieve in the format Tahuhu said in a statement shared by NZCTahuhu who made what was her final ODI appearance for New Zealand against England at the 2025 ICC Womenâs Cricket World Cup in India said she was excited for what was to come in the T20 formatâThereâs plenty of exciting things ahead and Iâm looking forward to continuing to contribute to this team in the T20 format Winning the T20 World Cup in 2024 was a huge achievement and Iâm really motivated to be over in England later this year to help this team defend our title she saidThe 35yearold pacer is one of 12 players to have played over 100 ODI matches for the White Ferns and featured at four World Cups including the 2022 Womenâs Cricket World Cup on home soil in New Zealand She has consistently been ranked inside the top ten ODI bowlers was widely regarded at her peak as the worldâs fastest bowler and in 2023 was named in the ICC Womenâs ODI Team of the Year after a stellar seasonHead coach Ben Sawyer said Tahuhuâs contributions to the ODI game had been significantâLea has operated at the top of the womenâs ODI game for 15 years which is a huge achievement for a pace bowler Leaâs pace has always been a strength but her competitiveness and drive to push this team forward have stood out and that has rubbed off on the younger bowlers who are now coming through and learning their craft in the ODI gameâLea has been the senior member of the ODI bowling group for some time and leaves the group in a great place moving into the next fouryear cycle which is a testament to her leadership said SawyerSawyer said Tahuhuâs ODI numbers speak for themselves âStepping down from a format as your countryâs alltime leading wickettaker is some achievement that Lea should be very proud of Lea has scaled the heights of the ODI game and has set new bowling standards in the format for the White Fernsâ he added IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/nz-seamer-lea-tahuhu-retires-from-odi-cricket-664336.html Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/pink-ball-test-fitting-farewell-for-healy-as-australia-crush-india-by-10-wickets-seal-multi-format-series-12-4-664368.html Perth March 8 Alyssa Healy didnt get a chance to bat one final time but Australia women ensured her international career ended on a winning note as they beat India to register a commanding 10wicket win on Day 3 of the oneoff Test at the WACA Ground on Sunday With this victory Australia also clinched the multiformat series with an unassailable 124 lead over India India had started the tour on a positive note by winning the T20I series 21 However the hosts bounced back strongly with a clean sweep in the ODI series They then extended their lead and sealed the overall series by winning the oneoff Test With this result India finished their tour of Australia with just two winsIndia resumed their second innings at 1056 at the start of Day 3 Pratika Rawal and Sneh Rana looked in good touch and were striking the ball wellPratika brought up her maiden halfcentury on debut in the 34th over reaching the milestone in 105 balls Australia finally got the breakthrough in the 41st over when Ashley Gardner bowled Sneh Rana who scored 30 runs off 54 ballsIndia suffered another setback in the next over when Alana King dismissed Kashvee Gautam With the team struggling at 1348 Pratika continued to attack from the other end and helped take the total close to the 150 markAustralia wrapped up Indiaâs innings with the wickets of Sayali and Pratika within three deliveries India were bowled out for 149 Thanks to Pratikaâs fighting knock of 63 runs India reduced the deficit and set a small target of 25 runs for AustraliaAustralia chased down the target in just 43 overs without losing a wicket Georgia Voll remained unbeaten on 16 while Phoebe Litchfield stayed not out on 11 as Australia completed an easy winEarlier after losing the toss India scored 198 in their first innings with the help of a halfcentury from Jemimah and a knock of 35 from Shafali Annabel Sutherland was the top wickettaker for Australia with four wickets while Lucy Hamilton picked up threeIn reply Australia posted 323 in their first innings powered by a matchdefining knock of 129 from Sutherland Allrounder Ellyse Perry also scored 76 as the hosts took a 125run lead which proved too much for the struggling Indian sideBrief Scores India women 198 amp 149 Pratika Rawal 63 Sneh Rana 30 Lucy Hamilton 332 Ashleigh Gardner 28 lost to Australia 323 amp 28 Georgia Voll 16 Phoebe Litchfield 11 by 10 wickets IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/pink-ball-test-fitting-farewell-for-healy-as-australia-crush-india-by-10-wickets-seal-multi-format-series-12-4-664368.html Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/great-initiative-to-empower-women-kalari-professional-s-mahesh-hails-nari-to-narayani-meet-664369.html New Delhi March 8 The twoday National Convention Nari to Narayani on the occassion of International Womens Day is a great initiative to empower women said Kalari professional S Mahesh who was part of panel at the twoday meet that celebrate womenâs success also acted as a catalyst for new ideas and partnerships that will shape the India of tomorrow The Convention being held at the Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital is a strong base for the initiatives of the Government of India such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Mission Shakti Sakhi Centres Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana and many others Speaking to IANS on the sidelines of the convention Mahesh who is a fifth generation Kalari Gurukul of Agastyam Kalari said It is a very great initiative and I was talking about how to empower women with the martial art skills So basically whenever we are talking about Shakti means the power It comes from the warrior spirit So all over India the spirit of warriorship is missing Warrior means a man or woman who is standing for the society and giving a good protection caring the society So that warrior spirit we are missing We should bring back the spirit and we started associating with Bharati and till now we trained 15000 girls through our Shakti initiative So we announced Bharati Shakti It is kind of a movement which where we can train girls through our Kalari martial arts at the same time empowering girls through the martial art skills he addedThe twoday National Convention provide a collaborative forum for women thought leaders to deliberate discuss and develop transformative approaches and solutions for selfreliance and holistic development By empowering and connecting women this Convention contributes significantly to the realisation of the Prime Ministerâs vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 with women at the forefront of inclusive growth and national development IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/great-initiative-to-empower-women-kalari-professional-s-mahesh-hails-nari-to-narayani-meet-664369.html Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/womens-asian-cup-dominant-japan-advance-to-the-knockout-stage-chinese-taipei-win-664317.html Sydney March 7 Twotime champion Japan advanced to the knockout stage of the 2026 AFC Womens Asian Cup after thrashing India 110 in their second group stage match on Saturday night Riko Ueki and Hinata Miyazawa each scored hattricks and Kiko Seike scored twice as Japan recorded the biggest win of the tournament so far at the Perth Rectangular Stadium in Western Australia to guarantee progression to the quarterfinalsJapan controlled the match from the start scoring three times in the first 20 minutes including a superb strike from Yuzuki Yamamoto in the fourth minute as she fired a shot into the top left corner reports XinhuaUeki scored her first goal and Japans sixth within two minutes of being substituted on at halftime and completed her hattrick in the 65th minute with a headerThe win leaves Japan clear in first place of Group C ahead of Chinese Taipei and Vietnam by three points and with a significant goal difference advantageJapan next play Vietnam in the final round of Group C on Tuesday night while India take on Chinese TaipeiChinese Taipei edge past VietnamSu Yuhsuan scored the decisive goal as Chinese Taipei edged Vietnam 10 in a tense AFC Womens Asian Cup match played in fierce heat at the Perth Rectangular Stadium on SaturdayVietnam which reached the quarterfinals for the first time at the 2022 Asian Cup struggled to produce its renowned speed and indefatigable running amid sweltering weatherThe result means Vietnam and Chinese Taipei are locked on three points apiece in Group C with powerhouse Japan to face India later on SaturdayChinese Taipei played a completely defensive style in its 20 opening loss to Japan But it changed tactics started aggressively in the Vietnam gameChinese Taipei took the lead in the 26th minute when Su headed into the netVietnam which beat India 21 in its opener tried to level the scores but Chinese Taipei held onto its lead at halftimeThere were frantic moments in the second half but Chinese Taipei hung on to keep alive its hopes of progressing to the knockouts IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/womens-asian-cup-dominant-japan-advance-to-the-knockout-stage-chinese-taipei-win-664317.html Sun, 08 Mar 2026 08:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/all-england-open-2026-lakshya-sen-upsets-sixth-seed-li-shi-feng-to-reach-semis-664175.html Birmingham March 7 Indiaâs top ranked menâs singles player Lakshya Sen continued his dream run at the All England Open 2026 as he packed off sixth seed and former champion Li Shi Feng in straights games to reach the semifinals here on Friday night Sen the 2022 All England finalist defeated Li 2113 2116 in exactly an hour to set up a last four clash against Canadaâs Victor Lai who got the better of Japanâs Koki Watanabe 1821 2117 2115 in the other quarterfinalsThe 24yearold Sen the only Indian left in the fray had begun his campaign with an upset win over top seed and defending champion Shi Yu Qi and then accounted for the experienced NG Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong in the second roundThe Indian was clearly high on confidence going into the quarterfinals against Li with whom he had a head to head record of 77 before the matchThe world no 12 adopted an aggressive approach and opened up a 104 lead in the opening game before the Chinese closed the gap at 1513 But Sen responded by winning six consecutive points to wrap up the gameThe second game was a close affair as Li began on a strong note and even hand a one point advantage going into the mid game intervalBut Sen bagged four straight points from 1413 to open up a lead and then ensured that Li had no chances of a comeback to seal the semifinals berthLater speaking about the match Sen said he was only focused not making mistakes in the long rallies as both of them were getting quite tired âThere were a lot of long rallies and I was getting tired But the coach told me that he is also getting tired and I just ensured that I didnât make mistakesâ he saidSen also refused to look ahead and think about the title and said his focus would only be to recover well ahead of the semifinals and just âtake it one match at a timeâ IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/all-england-open-2026-lakshya-sen-upsets-sixth-seed-li-shi-feng-to-reach-semis-664175.html Sat, 07 Mar 2026 09:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/real-madrid-stays-in-title-race-as-deflected-goal-gives-late-win-in-vigo-664177.html Madrid March 7 Real Madrid stayed in the La Liga title race on Friday night thanks to a stroke of luck that earned a 21 win away to Celta Vigo The game looked to be heading for a 11 draw a result that would have given FC Barcelona the chance to move six points clear at the top of La Liga But Federico Valverdes 94thminute shot from outside the Celta penalty area took a huge deflection off Marcos Alonso leaving home goalkeeper Ionut Radu helpless reported XinhuaReal Madrid missing Kylian Mbappe Eder Militao Jude Bellingham and David Alaba took the lead in the 11th minute with an excellent goal from Aurelien Tchouameni who curled a spectacular shot in from distanceThe lead didnt last long In the 25th minute Borja Iglesias leveled for Celta with his first goal against Real Madrid Williot Swedberg found space behind Trent AlexanderArnold turned the fullback and pulled the ball back for Iglesias to sweep past goalkeeper Thibaut CourtoisTchouameni was Real Madrids best player in the first half as he broke up play and set his side on the front foot but Celta was sitting deep and denying Brahim Diaz and Vinicius Jr spaceCourtois made a flying save to stop Swedberg giving the hosts the lead shortly before the breakReal Madrid thought they had a penalty late on when Ferran Jutgla handled a cross in the Celta box but the incident was ruled out for an earlier push on Ilaix MoribaIago Aspas got the ball past Courtois in the closing minutes but the ball came back off the post before fortune again smiled on Madrid with Valverdes deflected winner IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/real-madrid-stays-in-title-race-as-deflected-goal-gives-late-win-in-vigo-664177.html Sat, 07 Mar 2026 09:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/bayern-cruises-past-monchengladbach-despite-heavy-rotation-664178.html Berlin March 7 Bayern Munich eased to a 41 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga at the Allianz Arena on Friday overcoming several absences and heavy rotation to take control of the match Bayern entered without top scorer Harry Kane who was rested because of a calf issue Coach Vincent Kompany also left several regular starters on the bench Despite the rotation the hosts quickly settled and began to dictate possession reported XinhuaAn early attempt from Rocco Reitz tested goalkeeper Manuel Neuer but Bayern soon pushed the visitors back Lennart Karl briefly thought he had broken the deadlock after finishing from a Leon Goretzka pass only for the goal to be ruled out for offsideThe breakthrough finally arrived in the 33rd minute when Goretzka lifted a precise ball toward Luis Diaz who met it first time to score Bayern struck again just before halftime as a swift counterattack ended with Diaz setting up Konrad Laimer to drive the ball under the crossbarNeuer did not return after the break with Jonas Urbig taking his place yet the pattern of play remained unchanged as Bayern continued to press forwardThe decisive moment followed in the 55th minute when Reitz fouled Nicolas Jackson in the penalty area The referee showed a red card and Jamal Musiala calmly converted from the spot to make it 30Bayern maintained its pressure and created further chances Jackson added the fourth goal in the 79th minute after meeting a cross from KarlGladbach managed a late response when Wael Mohya scored in the 89th minute after a rebound becoming the youngest Bundesliga scorer for the clubWith the win Bayern consolidates its position at the top of the standings with 66 points from 25 matches 14 points ahead of secondplaced Borussia Dortmund while Monchengladbach remains 12th with 25 pointsWe were very solid today and controlled the game for long stretches The late goal we conceded is frustrating though that is something we simply must manage better and it is something we will address said Goretzka IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/bayern-cruises-past-monchengladbach-despite-heavy-rotation-664178.html Sat, 07 Mar 2026 09:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-sabalenka-powers-into-rd-2-gauff-osaka-advance-after-tense-battles-664199.html California March 7 World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka made a confident start to her campaign at the Indian Wells defeating Japanese qualifier Himeno Sakatsume 64 62 in the opener The Belarusian returning to competition after finishing runnerup to Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open looked sharp despite the break from tournament play Sabalenka dictated the tempo with her aggressive serving and powerful groundstrokes against the 136thranked Sakatsume who was contesting her first match against a top20 opponentSakatsume struggled with nerves early surrendering her serve in the opening game Although she settled briefly saving four break points to hold in the fifth game Sabalenkaâs power proved decisive The Belarusian secured the only break she needed to claim the first set before tightening her grip on the contestAfter Sakatsume opened the second set with a hold Sabalenka surged ahead reeling off five straight games and wrapping up the match in 72 minutes without facing a single break pointElsewhere fourth seed Coco Gauff overcame a stern challenge from Russian qualifier Kamilla Rakhimova to secure a 63 76 75 victory Rakhimova ranked 88th in the world threatened to push the match to a decider after building a twobreak lead in the second set and serving for it three times She even held a set point before the American ralliedGauff forced a tiebreak and held her nerve winning the final three points after trailing 54 âI felt like if I could get into the tiebreaker I have a pretty good tiebreak record she said âI knew the odds were in my favour when the tiebreaker startedFormer champion Naomi Osaka also progressed beating Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva 75 62 in one hour and 27 minutes Osaka relied on her powerful baseline game to pull away after a tight opening set and will next face Colombiaâs Camila OsorioOsorio booked her place after a dramatic comeback against American teenager Iva Jovic The Colombian fought back from a set down and saved three match points before sealing a 46 76 4 63 victory in a gruelling two hours and 39 minutes in front of a partisan home crowd IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/indian-wells-sabalenka-powers-into-rd-2-gauff-osaka-advance-after-tense-battles-664199.html Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/pink-ball-test-sutherland-unbeaten-on-93-perry-hits-76-as-australia-take-the-lead-664219.html Perth March 7 Annabel Sutherlandâs unbeaten 93 and Ellyse Perryâs composed 76 steered Australia into ascendancy on day two of the oneoff pinkball Test against India as the hosts reached 2174 in 58 overs at tea with their lead sitting at 19 runs at the WACA Ground on Saturday Resuming from 963 Australia controlled the morning session as Ellyse and Annabel consolidated their overnight stand Both raised their respective halfcenturies with authority and kept the scoreboard moving against Indiaâs attack under searing heatEllyse who last passed fifty in July 2023 looked set for a hundred before falling lbw to Deepti Sharma on review Her dismissal came after she crossed 1000 career Test runs overtaking Karen Rolton to become Australiaâs leading runscorer in the format and the first woman to achieve the double of 1000 runs and 30 wickets in TestsAnnabel dropped on 90 by wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh pressed on with confidence and is closing in on her fourth Test century Beth Mooney reprieved twice early in her innings â once at silly point and again in the slips â dug in to provide support and remained not out on 19Their 128run partnership ensured Australia not only go past Indiaâs firstinnings score of 198 but move ahead in the game with six wickets still in hand Indiaâs spinners struggled to extract turn from the surface while the seamers laboured without penetrationMissed chances in the field added to their frustration as India now find themselves under pressure to strike regularly in the second session and prevent Australia from taking a commanding leadBrief Scores India 198 in 624 overs Jemimah Rodrigues 52 Annabel Sutherland 446 trail Australia 2174 in 58 overs Annabel Sutherland 93 not out Ellyse Perry 76 Sayali Satghare 238 Deepti Sharma by 19 runs IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/pink-ball-test-sutherland-unbeaten-on-93-perry-hits-76-as-australia-take-the-lead-664219.html Sat, 07 Mar 2026 14:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-a-look-at-new-zealands-record-in-ahmedabad-ahead-of-final-664226.html Ahmedabad March 7 New Zealand are now just one win away from completing a remarkable turnaround After suffering a disappointing groupstage exit in the 2024 edition the BlackCaps have staged an impressive comeback at the ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2026 Recording five victories and only two defeats so far New Zealand have surged into the final and stand on the brink of securing their firstever title Standing between them and that historic triumph is Team India the very side that denied them silverware in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final exactly a year ago As the two teams prepare to meet once again on the biggest stage New Zealand will be eager to turn the tables and complete their redemption storyIn front of hundreds of thousands of people two teams India and New Zealand will cross swords with history beckoning for both sides Before the summit clash letâs dissect the Kiwisâ history at the worldâs largest stadiumNew Zealand have played only two matches at the venue in the T20I format and are still in search of their firstever win in Ahmedabad having lost both the previous encounters Of their two T20I games at the venue one came during the T20 World Cup this season when they faced South Africa in a group stage clash where they faced their first major test against an unbeaten Proteas sideEarly aggressive plays by Marco Jansen caused problems for the opposition reducing their score to 583 within the powerplay Mark Chapmanâs smooth 48 off 26 balls combined with Daryl Mitchellâs reliable 32 from 24 deliveries enabled the Black Caps to regain control and reach a total of 1757New Zealand played their firstever T20I at this venue in February 2023 against the hosts India produced a commanding allround display to crush the Kiwis by 168 runs after piling up an imposing 2344 in 20 oversAfter losing Ishan Kishan early India were powered by a superb unbeaten century from Shubman Gill Gill smashed 126 off just 63 balls striking 12 fours and seven sixes at a blistering strike rate of 200 He received strong support from Rahul Tripathi who made a quickfire 44 off 22 balls as the pair helped India race along in the powerplay Contributions from Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya further boosted the total with Gill sharing a crucial 103run partnership with PandyaChasing a daunting target New Zealandâs innings never recovered after a disastrous start that saw them slump to 74 inside three overs Daryl Mitchell topscored with 36 but wickets kept falling Pandya led the bowling effort with 416 while Arshdeep Singh and Umran Malik claimed two wickets each as New Zealand were bowled out for 66 in 121 oversNew Zealandâs record in Ahmedabad in T20IsPlayed 2Won 0Lost 2New Zealadâs record in Ahmedabad at T20 World Cup 2026Played 1Won 0Lost 1 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-a-look-at-new-zealands-record-in-ahmedabad-ahead-of-final-664226.html Sat, 07 Mar 2026 15:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/pink-ball-test-it-was-just-really-nice-to-be-out-there-says-perry-on-becoming-australias-highest-test-run-scorer-664227.html Perth March 7 Veteran seambowling allrounder Ellyse Perry said she was relishing her time in the middle after becoming Australiaâs leading runscorer in womenâs Tests during day two of the oneoff pinkball match against India at the WACA Ground on Saturday Ellyse 35 overtook Karen Roltonâs tally of 1002 Test runs by crossing the 1000run milestone with a single before driving a boundary to claim the record She was eventually dismissed lbw by Deepti Sharma for 76 leaving her with 1006 runs in the longer formatâIt feels like Iâve been around for a long time now But it was a really enjoyable session out there batting with Annabel Sutherland Sheâs just so classy Being at the other end watching her do her thing was absolutely awesomeâIn the bigger scheme of the match it was a really good session for us to put ourselves in a strong position Hopefully the rest of the day goes really well for us It was just really nice to be out thereâ said Ellyse in a chat with broadcasters at tea breakEllyse and Annabel added 128 for the third wicket a stand that shifted momentum firmly towards Australia as they got a 19run lead at the end of the first session âI think last night there was a tricky patch and I felt like we just started to build a little bit of momentum towards the back end of the eveningâWe knew this morning it might be tough to start but then it could get a bit nicer to score runs The quicks bowled a lot of overs last night so it felt like we might get more chances today to settle into the rhythm of the innings As I said Annabel was phenomenal in that partnership It was really nice to build that stand together and we had a lot of fun out thereâConditions Ellyse noted were more forgiving than what it was on day one âIt probably didnât seam around quite as much today The odd ball still nipped a bit but last night it felt like every single ball was going one way or the other â it was almost impossible to pickâToday it just felt a little bit truer You could trust your shots a bit more Thereâs also a bit more spin in the wicket now which is great because it should set up a good contest for the rest of the match But overall it just felt a bit more reliable to play your shotsâEllyse who has 39 Test wickets to her name is now the only woman to have scored more than 1000 runs and taken more than 30 wickets in the format Looking ahead Ellyse said Australiaâs batting depth could help them press home their advantageâWeâve got such a deep batting order as well Itâll be interesting to see how we set this up Hopefully over the next couple of sessions we can put down a really strong marker that gives us a good chance to be attacking with the ball later on But exciting times for Annabel â and hopefully the next session goes really well for usâ IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/pink-ball-test-it-was-just-really-nice-to-be-out-there-says-perry-on-becoming-australias-highest-test-run-scorer-664227.html Sat, 07 Mar 2026 15:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-ahmedabad-braces-for-historic-showdown-as-ind-nz-cross-swords-664250.html New Delhi March 7 Two cricketing giants one historic final India stand on the cusp of a record third T20 World Cup title while New Zealand eye their maiden crown After a thrilling and unpredictable campaign both teams have reached the ultimate showdown at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad a venue that promises a grand stage for whatâs set to be an epic contest Indiaâs lethal pacers will go headtohead with New Zealandâs explosive openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen Allen the fastest T20 World Cup centurion has been in blistering form boasting the highest strike rate of the tournament Meanwhile Seifert has piled up 425 T20I runs against India the secondbest tally for a BlackCaps batter But they will face their biggest challenge yet in the form of Indiaâs bowling attack Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh have dominated the powerplay and death overs with India boasting the best economy rate 75 in the first six overs of this campaignIndiaâs allrounder Hardik Pandya has been in scintillating form with 199 runs and eight wickets He is on the verge of becoming the first Indian to score 200 runs and take 10 wickets in a single T20 World Cup edition His allround brilliance could prove vital in this highstakes finalSanju Samson has been on a roll delivering matchwinning performances against the West Indies and England With backtoback Player of the Match awards heâs played a key role in Indiaâs run to the final However New Zealandâs Matt Henry will be hoping to stop Indiaâs inform No 9 with his deadly bowlingSuryakumar Yadav Indiaâs captain is one win away from defending the title he helped secure in 2024 With 526 runs at an average of 5844 he has been Indiaâs standout batter against New Zealand and heâll be keen to deliver one more big innings against the team he relishes facingOn the other hand New Zealand may look to bring back Ish Sodhi who has been a key figure in their T20I success against India with 30 wickets to his nameIndia have never beaten New Zealand in T20 World Cups and the recent history of ICC events in Ahmedabad hasnât been kind to the Men in Blue Can India become the first team to win backtoback titles Can they make history by lifting the T20 World Cup on home soil Or will the BlackCaps end their long wait for a T20 titleThe stage is set for a thrilling final and Ahmedabad braces for a showdown that promises to be one for the agesWhen Sunday March 8 700 PM ISTWhere Narendra Modi Stadium AhmedabadWhere to watch Star Sports Network for Live TV broadcast and JioHotstar for live streamingSquads India Suryakumar Yadav c Ishan Kishan wk Abhishek Sharma Tilak Varma Hardik Pandya Shivam Dube Rinku Singh Washington Sundar Arshdeep Singh Varun Chakaravarthy Jasprit Bumrah Sanju Samson wk Mohammed Siraj Kuldeep Yadav Axar PatelNew Zealand Tim Seifert wk Finn Allen Rachin Ravindra Glenn Phillips Mark Chapman Daryl Mitchell Mitchell Santner c Cole McConchie Matt Henry Ish Sodhi Lockie Ferguson Jacob Duffy James Neesham Kyle Jamieson Devon Conway IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-ahmedabad-braces-for-historic-showdown-as-ind-nz-cross-swords-664250.html Sat, 07 Mar 2026 17:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-back-the-player-or-chase-the-title-indias-abhishek-sharma-dilemma--664123.html New Delhi March 6 When the stakes are at their highest every selection decision becomes a talking point As India prepare for the ICC T20 World Cup finale a heated debate has taken over the cricketing world should the team continue backing Abhishek Sharma despite his lean run or make a bold change by bringing in Rinku Singh With the trophy on the line the question has split fans and experts alikeAbhisheks numbers in the tournament make for uncomfortable reading In seven matches the lefthander has managed scores of 0 0 0 15 55 10 and 9 a total of just 89 runs at an average of 1271 Apart from one halfcentury vs Zimbabwe consistency has eluded him raising doubts about whether India can afford to persist with him in the finalThe debate has exploded across social media platforms particularly on X where fans are fiercely divided over what the team management should doâYou canât take risks with a person who is consistently flopping This is the final and we must go with full strength without any weak linkâ wrote one fanAnother supporter argued that opposition teams have already figured out a way to dismiss the youngster âAbhishek has become so predictable New Zealand will make sure he doesnât score either Rinku should come inâYet there is another school of thought that believes the young batter could still produce something special when it matters the most âAbhishek can be our X factor in the final There is a big inning due from him He might deliver big in the finaleâ another fan commentedFor team management this is a classic dilemma trust the process and back a player through tough times or take a pragmatic call in pursuit of the titleAll eyes are now on head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav Will they stick to the combination that carried India to the final or opt for a lastminute change by drafting in RinkuWhile the chances of a change appear slim the final decision will reveal whether India values continuity over caution or if the pressure of a finale forces a rethink India vs New Zealand finalDate amp Time India will face New Zealand in the ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2026 final on Sunday March 8 The match will begin at 700 PM ISTVenueNarendra Modi Stadium AhmedabadLive Telecast Star Sports NetworkLive Streaming JioHotstar app IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-back-the-player-or-chase-the-title-indias-abhishek-sharma-dilemma--664123.html Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/dravid-ashwin-to-acquire-scottish-t20-franchise-in-etpl-reports-664135.html New Delhi March 6 Former India cricketers Rahul Dravid and Ravichandran Ashwin are reportedly among the investors to acquire a franchise in the European T20 Premier League In January this year ETPL announced Amsterdam Edinburgh and Belfast as the first franchise cities to join the competition which is scheduled to begin at the end of August this year According to a BCC report Dravid and Ashwin are part of an Indian consortium who have agreed a deal to buy the Glasgowbased franchise in the sixteam tournament taking place this summerThe ETPL are also poised to sell the second Dutch franchise based in Rotterdam to a group of South Africa investors fronted by exProteas players Faf du Plessis Heinrich Klaasen and Jonty Rhodes the report addedAmsterdam will be owned by a group led by Australian cricket great Steve Waugh alongside fivetime World Player of the Year and Olympic gold medallist Jamie Dwyer and by former CEO of the Centre for AustraliaIndia Relations and former Partner at KPMG Australia Tim ThomasEdinburgh will be owned by former New Zealand internationals Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills a former New Zealand fast bowler and former ICC No1 ODI bowler Meanwhile Belfast will be owned by Australian allrounder Glenn Maxwell with Rohan Lund a former Group CEO of NRMAThe report further claimed that ETPL are also poised to sell the second Dutch franchise based in Rotterdam to a group of South Africa investors fronted by exProteas players Faf du Plessis Heinrich Klaasen and Jonty Rhodes Moreover rhe only ETPL city franchise yet be sold is the one based out of Dublin for which there has been interest from the owners of at least two teams in The HundredThe ETPL is being run in collaboration with the cricket boards of Ireland Scotland and the NetherlandsBollywood actor and film producer Abhishek Bachchan is a partowner of the league in conjunction with Rules Sport Tech a private Indian company IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/dravid-ashwin-to-acquire-scottish-t20-franchise-in-etpl-reports-664135.html Fri, 06 Mar 2026 18:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/pink-ball-test-hamilton-picks-three-on-stunning-debut-as-australia-keep-india-to-1848-664138.html Perth March 6 Australia debutant pacer Lucy Hamilton claimed three wickets on a memorable first day as India were restricted to 1848 in 57 overs at the dinner break in the oneoff pinkball Test at the WACA Ground on Friday India resuming at 994 in the first session lost Deepti Sharma early to Annabel Sutherland before Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh stitched together a promising 23run stand off 62 ballsTheir resistance was shortlived however as Richa fell to Ashleigh Gardner and Jemimah who looked at ease while hitting 52 â her fourth fifty in Tests and second against Australia flicked off Lucy to square leg and gave the teenager her second scalpLucy struck again to remove Sneh Rana cheaply and complete a threewicket haul on debut Indiaâs lower order survived nervy moments with Kashvee Gautam dropped by Beth Mooney on 16 sparing the visitors from deeper trouble Kashvee is unbeaten on 22 while Sayali Satghare is not out on sevenBut the session was all about how Australiaâs bowlers maintained relentless pressure with the pink ball exploiting bounce and seam movement on the lively WACA surface leaving the hosts firmly in command heading into the final sessionPreviously Australiaâs pace attack ripped through Indiaâs top order in the opening session and reduced the visitors to 994 in 27 overs at tea Annabel Lucy Hamilton and Darcie Brown kept the hosts firmly in control in what is also Australia skipper Alyssa Healyâs final international gameIndia are trailing 84 in the multiformat series and are playing Tests for the first time since mid2024 They handed debut caps to Kashvee Sayali Pratika Rawal and Kranti Gaud Brief scores India 1848 in 57 overs Jemimah Rodrigues 52 Shafali Verma 35 Lucy Hamilton 331 Annabel Sutherland 338 against Australia IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/pink-ball-test-hamilton-picks-three-on-stunning-debut-as-australia-keep-india-to-1848-664138.html Fri, 06 Mar 2026 18:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/shooting-bhavesh-shekhawat-leads-after-stage-1-of-25m-rapid-fire-pistol-at-national-selection-trials-t3-664146.html New Delhi March 6 Bhavesh Shekhawat took the early lead after Stage 1 in the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event at the National Selection Trials T3 which got underway at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges in the National Capital Region on Friday The shooter from Rajasthan compiled a total of 294 â 11x 999996 in the three series of the first stage to take the leadOlympian Anish Bhanwala shot 29111x 979896 to take second place while Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu also shot 291 969897 to place in third National Champion Suraj Sharma followed with a score of 2909x 989597Ahead of a packed international and domestic calendar beginning next month almost all of Indiaâs top guns are competing in 10 events of the National Selection Trials 3 Group A which include all eight Olympic events plus the rifle prone competitions for men and women Athletes will be aiming to secure scores to make their case for selection in the national squad for international competitions in the second half of the yearRiflePistol Selection Trials 3 and 4 for Group B athletes also commenced on Friday and will be conducted at the MP State Shooting Academy in Bhopal till March 22 2026 Following the completion of the selection trials the national squad athletes will commence their coaching camp in New Delhi from March 10 to 21 2026The National Squad camp for shotgun athletes commenced in New Delhi on Thursday with the skeet shooters reporting first The Trap shooters will report for the national camp on the 8th of March 2026 The national squad camp will be followed by the preevent camp before the ISSF World Cup Shotgun the first World Cup of the calendar year which will be held in Tangier Morocco from March 21April 3 2026Indian teams for the first two RiflePistol Granada and Munich and Shotgun Tangier and Almaty ISSF World Cup stages of the year have already been announced earlierMeanwhile in the National Selection Trials T3 the 10m rifle athletes will be in action on Saturday with the qualification and finals scheduled along with Stage 2 and the finals of the 25m Rapid Fire Pistol eventOther Results in T3 trialsAnkur Goel 28912x 999694Mukesh Nelavalli 2897x 999397Vijayveer Sidhu 2896x 1009891Adarsh Singh 2894x 959797Pradeep Singh 2869x 979792Omkar Singh 2866x 9810088Udhayveer Sidhu 2847x 979691Neeraj Kumar 2846x 989888Mandeep Singh 2817x 969689 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/shooting-bhavesh-shekhawat-leads-after-stage-1-of-25m-rapid-fire-pistol-at-national-selection-trials-t3-664146.html Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/dy-patil-t20-cup-mandals-all-round-show-leads-canara-bank-into-final-against-mumbai-customs-664152.html Navi Mumbai March 6 Ajay Mandalâs allround show helped Canara Bank beat DY Patil Red by three runs in the semifinal of the 20th DY Patil T20 Cup at the DY Patil Stadium on Friday Mandalâs impressive showing meant Canara Bank will take on Mumbai Customs in the final after the latter sealed a fivewicket win over DY Patil Blue Mandal anchored Canara Bankâs innings by hitting 46 as they posted 1819 in 20 overs DY Patil Redâs leftarm pacer Naman Tiwari 433 grabbed a hattrick in the final over dismissing Mandal Lavish Kaushal and KB PawanChasing 182 DY Patil Red looked well placed at 1323 but the dismissal of skipper Krunal Pandya triggered a collapse and they finished three runs short Mandal 322 Kaushal 220 and Shreesha Achar 230 were the standout bowlers for Canara BankMeanwhile at the DY Patil University Ground Chinmay Sutar powered Mumbai Customs with a 44ball 74 including six fours and five sixes to chase down DY Patil Blueâs 1569 in just 153 oversFast bowler Mayank Yadav 229 bowled well for DY Patil Blue but Customs were never in trouble Earlier veteran pacer Sandeep Warrier 428 was the standout for Customs with the ball Mumbai Customs will face Canara Bank in the final to be held later on Friday nightBrief scoresAt DY Patil Stadium Canara Bank 1819 in 20 overs Ajay Mandal 46 MG Naveen 36 Naman Tiwari 433 Suyash Sharma 222 beat DY Patil Red 1789 in 20 overs Atharva Kale 47 Aman Khan 35 Ajay Mandal 322 Shreesha Achar 230 by three runsAt DY Patil University DY Patil Blue 1569 in 20 overs Shashank Singh 42 Anand Bais 31 Sandeep Warrier 428 Daksh Kamra 223 lost to Mumbai Customs 1575 in 153 overs Chinmay Sutar 74 Prasad Pawar 38 Mayank Yadav 229 by five wickets IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/dy-patil-t20-cup-mandals-all-round-show-leads-canara-bank-into-final-against-mumbai-customs-664152.html Fri, 06 Mar 2026 21:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/pink-ball-test-perry-sutherland-take-australia-to-963-trail-india-by-102-runs-at-stumps-664157.html Perth March 6 Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland shared an unbroken stand of 38 to guide Australia to 963 in 27 overs at stumps and trail India by 102 runs on day one of the oneoff pinkball Test at the WACA Ground on Friday After bowling out India for 198 Australia were forced to negotiate a tricky session under lights Phoebe Litchfield fell cheaply to debutant pacer Kranti Gaud while skipper Alyssa Healy managed only 13 in what could be her penultimate international inningsDebutant pacer Sayali Satghare struck to remove Alyssa and Georgia Voll as India managed to make early inroads Ellyse and Annabel then steadied the innings by looking increasingly assured against the Indian bowlersEllyse barely put a foot wrong since arriving at the crease to be unbeaten on 43 off 62 balls laced with seven boundaries while Annabel made 20 not out off 29 balls studded with three boundaries India will need to be at their best on Saturday to prevent Australia from taking a significant firstinnings leadThe final session began with Australia not conceding a boundary in four overs before Annabel had Sayali topedging a pull to Beth Mooney while Darcie Brown ended Indiaâs innings two runs short of 200 when Krantiâs halfhearted pull was caught by first slipIn response to Indiaâs 198 Australia lost Georgia early Sayali produced a sharp inswinger that breached her defence and bowled her for two Ellyse joined Phoebe Litchfield and looked fluent in driving Sayali through cover for four but India struck again when Phoebeâs scratchy stay ended at nine as Jemimah Rodrigues took a brilliant low catch at backward point off KrantiSkipper Alyssa Healy playing in her final international game received a standing ovation from the Perth crowd but could not make it count as she edged away from the body of Sayali to Jemimah at backward point for 13 At 583 Indiaâs seamers had their tails up with Sayali and Kranti making the ball talkEllyse however grew in confidence cutting and driving with authority while Annabel shone from the outset with her crisp drive through extra cover and a pull behind square being the standout shotsIndia went allpace until the final over when Sneh Rana was introduced but Annabel and Ellyse negotiated her comfortably Despite the early breakthroughs India will rue not making deeper inroads leaving Australia well placed to push for a firstinnings lead on SaturdayBrief scores India 198 all out in 624 overs Jemimah Rodrigues 52 Shafali Verma 35 Annabel Sutherland 446 Lucy Hamilton 331 lead Australia 963 in 27 overs Ellyse Perry 43 not out Annabel Sutherland 20 not out Sayali Satghare 224 Kranti Gaud 128 by 102 runs IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/pink-ball-test-perry-sutherland-take-australia-to-963-trail-india-by-102-runs-at-stumps-664157.html Fri, 06 Mar 2026 21:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/pink-ball-test-sutherland-hamilton-help-australia-seize-upper-hand-against-india-664163.html Perth March 6 Australia seized the upper hand in the oneoff pinkball Test against India at the WACA Ground in Perth by ending day one at 963 and trailing by 102 runs after debutant Lucy Hamilton and Annabel Sutherland starred with the ball on Friday Skipper Alyssa Healy in her farewell international game won the toss and sent India in to bat first under scorching heat That decision paid off as Annabel found magnificent swing and seam to pick 446 while Lucy was accurate and found movement in taking 331 as India were bowled out for 198Darcie Brown 241 and Ashleigh Gardner 139 also chipped in to tighten the screws on Indiaâs batting lineup For India Jemimah Rodrigues scored a composed 52 and that was the only notable contribution while debutant Kashvee Gautam added a useful 34 not out off 54 ballsIndiaâs innings was marked by them being unable to adapt to the rigours of Test match cricket especially this being their first game in the longer format after June 2024 Australiaâs reply was tested under lights as Sayali Satghare and Kranti Gaud reduced them to 583 But Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland steadied things by sharing an unbroken stand of 38 and looking increasingly assured against the Indian bowlers Ellyse barely put a foot wrong since arriving at the crease to be unbeaten on 43 off 62 balls laced with seven boundariesAnnabel backed up her stellar bowling show by making 20 not out off 29 balls studded with three boundaries India will need to be at their best on Saturday to prevent Australia from taking a significant firstinnings leadThe final session began with Australia not conceding a boundary in four overs before Annabel had Sayali topedging a pull to Beth Mooney while Darcie Brown ended Indiaâs innings two runs short of 200 when Krantiâs halfhearted pull was caught by first slipIn response to Indiaâs 198 Australia lost Georgia early Sayali produced a sharp inswinger that breached her defence and bowled her for two Ellyse joined Phoebe Litchfield and looked fluent in driving Sayali through cover for four but India struck again when Phoebeâs scratchy stay ended at nine as Jemimah Rodrigues took a brilliant low catch at backward point off KrantiSkipper Alyssa Healy playing in her final international game received a standing ovation from the Perth crowd but could not make it count as she edged away from the body off Sayali to Jemimah at backward point for 13 At 583 Indiaâs seamers had their tails up with Sayali and Kranti making the ball talkEllyse however grew in confidence cutting and driving with authority while Annabel shone from the outset with her crisp drive through extra cover and a pull behind square being the standout shotsIndia went allpace until the final over when Sneh Rana was introduced but Annabel and Ellyse negotiated her comfortably Previously Indiaâs innings began shakily after Smriti Mandhana survived a probing first over from Darcie Brown She looked shaky before being undone in the sixth over by Lucy who claimed her maiden Test wicket with a sharp nipbacker that castled the India vicecaptain through the gateShafali Verma looked positive by hitting six boundaries in making 35 off 48 balls before edging Annabel behind to Beth Mooney while playing a drive sans footwork Debutant Pratika Rawal looked scratchy in her 18 off 43 balls and was dismissed after drinks when she slashed at a wide delivery from Sutherland only to be caught at gullyIndia skipper Harmanpreet Kaur attempted to counterattack with four boundaries but was beaten by late movement from Dracie that breached her defence and bowled her for 19Jemimah got a thick edge off Lucy for four to begin her stay at the crease before presenting the full face of the bat past midon to get a boundary and end a session where India failed to show the patience needed for surviving the rigours of Test match cricketThe second session began with India losing Deepti Sharma early to Annabel Sutherland before Jemimah and Richa Ghosh stitched together a promising 23run stand off 62 ballsTheir resistance was shortlived however as Richa fell to Ashleigh and Jemimah who looked at ease while hitting 52 â her fourth fifty in Tests and second against Australia edged off Lucy to square leg and gave the teenager her second scalpLucy struck again to remove Sneh Rana cheaply and completed a threewicket haul on debut Indiaâs lower order survived nervy moments with Kashvee dropped by Beth Mooney on 16 before she and Sayali stayed unbeaten till dinner break arrivedAfter that though Indiaâs innings ended swiftly and they took out three Australian wickets the hosts ensured they did enough to maintain their upper hand in the final game of the multiformat seriesBrief scores India 198 all out in 624 overs Jemimah Rodrigues 52 Shafali Verma 35 Annabel Sutherland 446 Lucy Hamilton 331 lead Australia 963 in 27 overs Ellyse Perry 43 not out Annabel Sutherland 20 not out Sayali Satghare 224 Kranti Gaud 128 by 102 runs IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/pink-ball-test-sutherland-hamilton-help-australia-seize-upper-hand-against-india-664163.html Fri, 06 Mar 2026 21:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-you-can-measure-runsbut-the-real-stat-here-is-intent-says-sachin-after-india-edge-out-england-in-sf-664028.html New Delhi March 6 After defending champions India edged past England by seven runs to advance to the T20 World Cup final legendary batter Sachin hailed the Men in Blues intent in the highscoring thriller and said its the mindset they needed in the knockout matches After Sanju Samson led the charge to take India to 2537 the home team survived a spirited challenge from England to register a sevenrun win in a highscoring semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday The two teams scored 499 runs between them the most in a mens T20 World Cup matchYou can measure runs partnerships and strike rates but the real stat here is intent Loved the positive approach with the bat and the cool heads in the field Thatâs the mindset you want in knockout cricket Sachin shared on XSamson was adjudged Player of the Match for his explosive batting Tendulkar hailed the wicketkeeperbatters impressive show with the bat Great to see Sanju Samson carry his form into this match and set the tempo early Eyes on the final he addedIndia 2537 is the fourthhighest by a team in T20 World Cup history and the highest ever in a knockout game in the tournament The only other instance of a team scoring 200 in a knockout game before today was West Indies 2054 against Australia at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo in the 2012 semifinal In Sundays title clash India are chasing a few firsts as they take on New Zealand in Ahmedabad They are aiming to become the first host team to win the T20 World Cup the first team to defend the title and the first to lift three T20 World Cup trophiesIndia have made it to the final for the fourth time in T20 WCs the most for any team Moreover India is the first team to enter the final as defending champions IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-you-can-measure-runsbut-the-real-stat-here-is-intent-says-sachin-after-india-edge-out-england-in-sf-664028.html Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/barcelona-confirm-hamstring-injuries-to-kounde-balde-after-copa-del-rey-win-663886.html Barcelona March 4 FC Barcelona have confirmed hamstring injuries to defenders Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde on Wednesday following their 30 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey In an official medical statement the club clarified the nature of both injuries Barcelona announced that Kounde has sustained a midbelly hamstring biceps femoris injury in his left thigh adding that his availability will depend on how his recovery progresses The club did not specify a definite timeline for his returnâFirstteam player Jules Kounde has suffered a midbelly hamstring biceps femoris injury in his left thigh His recovery progress will determine his availability Barcelona said in a statement on WednesdayRegarding Balde Barcelona stated that the leftback has suffered a distal hamstring biceps femoris injury in his left thigh Medical examinations indicate that his recovery is expected to take approximately four weeks effectively ruling him out for a significant stretch of crucial fixturesâFirstteam player Alejandro Balde has suffered a distal hamstring biceps femoris injury in his left thigh Examinations indicate that the recovery process will take approximately four weeksâ the club informedKoundeâs injury occurred early in the contest with the French defender forced to leave the pitch just 11 minutes after kickoff Balde who featured during the match was also unable to complete the game after experiencing discomfortBarÃa have now lost three players to hamstring injuries in the last week after Frenkie de Jong was also ruled out until AprilCoach Hansi Flick is unhappy with the continuous injury concerns and also said that he will talk to the medical team about the fitness of the playersWe have two injuries more I am not happy its not good Barca coach Flick told TV3With Frenkie its now three in a week all the same injuries This cannot happen We have to speak about thatWe have to speak about it with the medical staff and with the fitness coaches to avoid losing three players to injury in a week he addedThe double setback comes at a challenging point in the campaign Barcelona are set to face Athletic Club Sevilla FC and Rayo Vallecano in upcoming La Liga fixtures Additionally the champion side are preparing for a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Newcastle United which will happen on March 11 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/barcelona-confirm-hamstring-injuries-to-kounde-balde-after-copa-del-rey-win-663886.html Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/pgti-nexgen-2026-sukhraj-gill-rajesh-gautam-share-lead-after-round-2-in-phillaur-open-663889.html Phillaur Punjab March 4 Sukhraj Singh Gill and Rajesh Kumar Gautam held the joint lead at a total of fiveunder 137 after round two of the DP World PGTI NexGen Phillaur Open 2026 which will be played at the Ranjitgarh Golf Club in Phillaur Punjab Sukhraj 7067 and Rajesh 7067 who were both overnight tied ninth followed up their firstround scores of oneunder 70 with scores of fourunder 67 in round two to move into the joint leadAditya Raj Singh Chahal Pankaj Maandiya Shaurya Sharma and Md Muaj were all placed tied third at a total of fourunder 138 The cut went at threeover 145 The top 42 professionals made the cut for the third and final roundTeenager Sukhraj Singh Gill who hails from Canada made an eagle four birdies and two bogeys during Round Two while Lucknowbased Rajesh Kumar Gautam a winner on the NexGen last year made an eagle three birdies and a bogey on WednesdayRajesh Kumar Gautam said âMy hitting was exceptional today I landed three shots within three feet of the pin that all produced birdies I also holed an eagle from the bunker on the 10th However the focus in the final round will be on my putting as I missed a lot of putts today especially on the front nine I donât want to repeat that come the last roundâPhillaurbased professional Swatanter Kumar made the cut as he totalled threeover 145 after two roundsThe 2026 NexGen season will continue with the next three events to be played at Lucknow Golf Club March 10â12 Golden Greens Golf amp Country Club Gurugram March 17â19 and Patna Golf Club March 24â26The NexGen Tour was launched by the PGTI last year to provide equal playing opportunities to all professional golfers of India and to increase the bench strength in Indian golf which in turn increases competition and the level of golf The NexGen also aims to take professional golf to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India thus expanding the reach of the sport within the country IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/pgti-nexgen-2026-sukhraj-gill-rajesh-gautam-share-lead-after-round-2-in-phillaur-open-663889.html Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/arsenal-moves-seven-points-clear-at-top-of-premier-league-663919.html London March 5 Arsenal moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 10 win away to Brighton on Wednesday while Manchester City was held to a 22 draw at home to Nottingham Forest Bukayo Saka scored in the ninth minute and Arsenal controlled the game after the goal reported XinhuaNottingham Forests Elliot Anderson scored a goal that could decide the title race with the England midfielder hitting a 76thminute equalizerManchester City twice led through Antoine Semenyos volley his seventh goal in 12 games since joining from Bournemouth and Rodri who headed in his first goal in 22 monthsHowever Morgan GibbsWhite cancelled out Semenyos opener with a slick backheel before Anderson saved a vital point with a curling finishCrysencio Summerville scored the only goal to give West Ham a 10 win away to FulhamNewcastle United played for over 45 minutes with 10 men to beat Manchester United 21 with a dramatic lastminute winning goal from William OsulaJacob Ramsey was sent off at the end of the first half after seeing two yellow cards but Anthony Gordon put Newcastle ahead from the penalty spot before Casemiro made it 11 in the ninth minute of first half injury time with a free kickNewcastle held on after the break and Osula scored a 90thminute wonder goal to win the match for his side exchanging passes cutting inside and unleashing a curling shot to sent St James Park into rapturesJoao Pedro scored a hattrick as Chelsea recovered from Douglas Luizs early goal to beat Aston Villa 41 with Cole Palmer hitting Chelseas other goalMeanwhile Real Sociedad will play Atletico Madrid in the final of the Copa del Rey after a 10 home win over Athletic Bilbao in the second leg of their semifinal on Wednesday and a 20 win on aggregateMikel Oyarzabal scored an 87thminute penalty given by the VAR after a shirt pull on Yangel HerreraAt the beginning Real Sociedad looked to pressure high up and deny Athletic Bilbao space in midfield and then used the pace of Goncalo Guedes and Ander Barrenetxea on the breakGuedes forced two corners and Barrenetxea won a free kick from which Carlos Soler forced a flying save from goalkeeper Alex PadillaGuedes pace was a constant threat as he pulled the ball back from a tight angle in the 33rd minute while the visiting defense scrambled the ball awayHe was then close to setting up Soler after Aitor Paredes lost possession only for Paredes to redeem himself with a lastditch challengeAthletic Bilbao looked to get on the front foot in the second half with Oihan Sancet almost through on goal only to be denied with a late challenge from Sergio Gomez while Alex Berenguer also fired wideThe decisive moment came when the VAR called the referee over after spotting a shirt pull on Herrera After a long delay Oyarzabal slotted the ball homeThe final will be held on April 18 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/arsenal-moves-seven-points-clear-at-top-of-premier-league-663919.html Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/austria-arrive-in-hyderabad-for-fih-world-cup-2026-qualifiers-hyderabad-telangana-663932.html Hyderabad March 5 The Austrian womenâs hockey team touched down in Hyderabad ahead of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Hyderabad Telangana The tournament will witness eight nations compete for three crucial qualification spots for the marquee event in Belgium and the Netherlands in August later this year Austria have a rich history at the FIH Hockey Womenâs World Cup having appeared in three of the first four editions of the competition However they havenât qualified for the premier event since 1981Led by Johanna Czech Austria will compete against England Italy and Korea in Pool A as they look to script history and secure a qualification spot for the first time in 45 yearsLooking forward to the competition the Captain stated â This is the first time in India for all of us So we are excited and we want to play really good hockey Our preparation ahead of the tournament was short we had only one training session but weâre going to give our best Weâve got some training sessions here before our games and we are going to leave everything on the pitchâEarlier on Thursday The Italy womenâs national hockey team arrived in HyderabadScheduled from March 8 to 14 eight nations will compete for three crucial berths for the muchanticipated tournament in Belgium and the Netherlands later this year in AugustItaly have been placed in Pool A where they will face England Korea and Austria The European side has previously qualified for the FIH Hockey World Cup twice first in 1976 and most recently in 2018 where they recorded their bestever finish of ninth placeItaly will open their campaign with a clash against England on 8th March followed by matches against Austria and Korea on 9th and 11th March respectively IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/austria-arrive-in-hyderabad-for-fih-world-cup-2026-qualifiers-hyderabad-telangana-663932.html Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/womens-asian-cup-japan-beat-chinese-taipei-in-group-c-opener-663824.html Perth March 4 Former champions Japan opened their campaign in the AFC Womens Asian Cup with an easy 20 win over Chinese Taipei in Western Australia on Wednesday After failing to capitalise on repeated chances to open the scoring in the first hour Japan got the breakthrough in the 61st minute when midfielder Momoko Tanikawa controlled the ball with her chest in the penalty area before finishing with her right footForward Kiko Seike sealed the win for the 2014 and 2018 champion in the 92nd minute when she headed a cross from fellow substitute Remina Chiba into the bottom left corner reports XinhuaDespite conceding twice Chinese Taipei goalkeeper Wang Yuting made nine saves throughout the match as Japan registered 30 shotsIt was Japans fourth straight win over Chinese Taipei in the tournamentJapan who have won the title twice and finished runnersup on four occasions are the highestranked team in this group and is expected to top the standings In Group C Japan will play India at the Perth Rectangular Stadium on Saturday while Chinese Taipei will face VietnamOn Wednesday twotime runnersup India will open their campaign in Group C against Vietnam at the same Perth Rectangular Stadium hoping to start their campaign on a winning note The top two finishers in the group and the two best thirdplaced teams will qualify for the quarterfinals The AFC Womens Asian Cup presents an opportunity for the 12 participating nations as the four semifinalists will gain direct entry to the FIFA Womenâs World Cup Brazil 2027 Two out of the four losing quarterfinalists will compete to determine the two remaining direct qualifiers from Asia The remaining two teams will proceed to the Playoff Tournament which can also afford them an entry to the worlds biggest competition IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/womens-asian-cup-japan-beat-chinese-taipei-in-group-c-opener-663824.html Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/abhishek-continues-reign-at-no-1-ishan-bumrah-rise-663836.html New Delhi March 4 Abhishek Sharmas position as the top T20I batter has weakened as Pakistans Sahibzada Farhan advanced in the latest ICC Mens T20I Player rankings inching closer to the top spot However Ishan Kishan has jumped another spot to rise to fourth place Farhan made history as the first player to score two centuries in a single ICC Mens T20 World Cup achieving a superb hundred against Sri Lanka in Pallekele This performance helped him climb one spot in the T20I batting rankings to second position reaching a new careerhigh rating in the latest updateAbhishek now leads Farhan by 26 points at the top of the batter rankings The Pakistan opener moved ahead of Englands Phil Salt and narrowed the gap with his Indian counterpart after scoring a total of 383 runs at the T20 World CupThe latest rankings show significant changes after the Super Eights stage of the T20 World Cup Indiaâs Ishan Kishan moved up to fourth and Tilak Varma rose to sixth among T20I batters Additionally South Africaâs Dewald Brevis gained one spot now ranked eighthZimbabwes star performer Brian Bennett climbs six spots to 11th overall tallying 292 runs in the tournament Meanwhile South Africans Ryan Rickelton advances two places to 13th and Aiden Markram moves up four spots to 16th as both continue to improve their standingsIts a similar story at the top of the T20I bowler rankings with India spinner Varun Chakravarthys lead now reduced to just 18 rating points as the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup approachChakravarthy has taken 12 wickets so far in the tournament and maintains a narrow lead at the top of the rankings Meanwhile Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed moves up two spots to third overall closing the gapIndia celebrates progress with Jasprit Bumrah moving up one spot to seventh and Arshdeep Singh climbing six places to 13th Englandâs Liam Dawson advances nine positions to tie for 14th while South Africas Lungi Ngidi improves six spots to reach 20thZimbabwes Sikandar Raza continues to lead the T20I allrounders rankings with Indian star Hardik Pandya now his nearest rival after moving up one position to surpass Pakistans Saim Ayub and secure second placeAnother significant rise among T20I allrounders was Jason Holder the West Indies veteran who climbed eight spots to reach 11th after a strong T20 World Cup with both bat and ball IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/abhishek-continues-reign-at-no-1-ishan-bumrah-rise-663836.html Wed, 04 Mar 2026 18:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/dy-patil-t20-cup-atharva-taide-luvnith-sisodia-take-canara-bank-into-semi-finals-663845.html Navi Mumbai March 4 Atharva Taide and Luvnith Sisodia shared a 122run opening stand as Canara Bank beat Reliance by six wickets to reach the semifinals of the 20th DY Patil T20 Cup on Wednesday Reliance put in to bat at the DY Patil Stadium made 1519 with Mayank Rawat topscoring via 54 off 41 balls laced with five fours and two sixes He also got decent support from seambowling allrounder Raj Angad Bawa who made 30 not outIn the chase Vidarbha batter Taide replied with a blistering 76 off 37 deliveries with 12 boundaries and two sixes while Karnataka wicketkeeperbatter Sisodia finished unbeaten on 53 off 41 balls laced with eight boundariesSkipper KV Siddharth added 21 not out to see Canara Bank home after a brief wobble happened post the TaideSisodia stand Rawat also impressed with the ball taking 423 though it ended in vainMeanwhile at the DY Patil University Ground Rugved More struck 64 off 35 balls laced with seven fours and three sixes as Mumbai Customs defeated Jain Irrigation by six wickets Jain Irrigation posted 1818 in their 20 overs as Jay Bista topscored with 38 but Customs chased down the target in 184 oversBrief ScoresAt DY Patil Stadium Reliance 1519 in 20 overs Mayank Rawat 54 Raj Angad Bawa 30 not out Shrestha Achar 316 Lavish Kaushal 330 lost to Canara Bank 1554 in 17 overs Atharva Taide 76 Luvnith Sisodia 53 not out Mayank Rawat 423 by six wicketsAt DY Patil University Ground Jain Irrigation 1818 in 20 overs Jay Bista 38 Madhav Tiwari 34 not out Aishwarya Surve 338 lost to Mumbai Customs 1824 in 184 overs Rugved More 64 Parag Khanapurkar 41 Madhav Tiwari 229 by six wickets IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/dy-patil-t20-cup-atharva-taide-luvnith-sisodia-take-canara-bank-into-semi-finals-663845.html Wed, 04 Mar 2026 19:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/man-utds-jack-fletcher-apologises-after-six-game-ban-over-discriminatory-comment-663867.html Manchester March 4 Manchester United youngster Jack Fletcher has issued a public apology on Wednesday after being handed a sixmatch suspension for using homophobic language during an EFL Trophy fixture against Barnsley FC in October last year The incident occurred during United Under21sâ 52 defeat a match in which the teenager scored before being sent offFollowing an investigation the Football Association FA charged Fletcher with acting in an improper manner and using abusive andor insulting words constituting a breach of FA Rule E31 The offence was deemed an aggravated breach as it included a reference to sexual orientationFletcher admitted the charge and opted for a paper hearing In addition to the sixmatch ban he has been fined Â1500 and ordered to complete an education programme The suspension includes the automatic twomatch ban for his red card which has already been served while the remaining four matches apply to nonfirstteam competitive fixturesIn a statement Fletcher apologised for his actions I am truly sorry for the offensive word that I used in the heat of the moment Fletcher saidDespite the fact that I had no intention to use the term as a homophobic insult I completely understand that such language is unacceptable and immediately apologised after the gameI want to be clear that this momentary lapse of character absolutely does not reflect my beliefs or values he addedFletcher the son of former United midfielder Darren Fletcher made his senior debut under manager Ruben Amorim in December and has made three substitute appearances for the first team this season His twin brother Tyler has also featured at the youth level for the clubThe suspension means Fletcher will miss the majority of Unitedâs remaining Premier League 2 fixtures though he will be eligible for firstteam selection once the ban has been fully served IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/man-utds-jack-fletcher-apologises-after-six-game-ban-over-discriminatory-comment-663867.html Wed, 04 Mar 2026 21:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/atp-tour-top-seed-alcaraz-faces-tricky-start-in-indian-wells-663762.html Indian Wells USA March 3 Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz the reigning Australian Open winner and top seed will face a tricky test when he steps onto the court for his opening match of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells The No 1 player in the ATP Rankings will open the seasons first ATP Masters 1000 event against former World No 3 Grigor Dimitrov or surging lefty Terence Atmane with fivetime Indian Wells champion Novak Djokovic looming in his half of the draw Alcaraz played Dimitrov in the California desert last year losing just two games to the Bulgarian in the fourth round But Dimitrov has shown comfort at Indian Wells reaching the semifinals in 2021 and the quarterfinals in 2022Atmane on the other hand will be making his main draw debut at Indian Wells after previously competing in qualifying The Frenchman broke through last year in Cincinnati with a dream run to the semifinals and is at a careerhigh No 52 in the ATP Rankings The 24yearold has split two previous ATP headtohead meetings with Dimitrov including a straightsets victory last week in AcapulcoIts amazing Ill have hopefully two very good matches going on Were going to stay focused on the first one Atmane told ATP Tour on Tuesday Its always fun We played with Grigor last week so we play again Its very funny The winner of one of us is going to be able to play Carlitos Its going to be very much up in the air for both of us so its going to be very interestingDjokovic who is tied with Roger Federer for the most titles in tournament history 5 will play Kamil Majchrzak or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his first match since the Australian Open final The Serbian suffered a stunning opening defeat here to Botic van de Zandschulp last year and will try to make a good start on his chase to a 102nd tourlevel titleSeventh seed Taylor Fritz the 2022 Indian Wells champion is also in Djokovics quarter of the draw The topranked American opens against Damir Dzumhur or Jacob FearnleySecond seed Jannik Sinner is chasing his first title in the desert and is in the same quarter as eighth seed Ben Shelton who brings momentum to California after winning the Dallas title Sinner takes on James Duckworth or a qualifier in the second round IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/atp-tour-top-seed-alcaraz-faces-tricky-start-in-indian-wells-663762.html Wed, 04 Mar 2026 07:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/tarkowski-dewsbury-hall-score-as-everton-breeze-past-burnley-663782.html Liverpool March 4 Everton made it two wins from two on Tuesday evening easing past Burnley with a comfortable 20 Premier League victory at Hill Dickinson Stadium David Moyes had challenged his team to replicate their outstanding away performances at their new ground â and the Blues did just that finding a firsthalf lead when James Tarkowski â skippering the side â powered home a header from a James Garner set piece on 32 minutes Despite a dominant half Everton had to wait until the 60minute mark for their second Kiernan DewsburyHall cleverly finishing from a wellworked Everton move in which Dwight McNeil â terrific on the night â had been integral Former Clarets defender James Tarkowski came back to haunt his old club while Kiernan DewsburyHall was also on target for the Toffees in a dominant performance as David Moyesâ side claimed their first home win since 6 December 2025Tarkowski who spent sixandahalf years at Burnley scored his first Premier League goal in over a year when he nodded home from James Garnerâs cross in the 32nd minuteDewsburyHall rounded off a neat move on the hour mark to seal a victory that boosted the Toffeesâ European hopes with Idrissa Gueye going close to scoring a sensational third goal when he hit the crossbarEverton who needed goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to make a big save to preserve their clean sheet late on remain eighth but are within two points of the top six while Burnley stay 19th and eight points from safetyDwightâs performance at Newcastle was very good He built on that and took that into tonightâs game and weâre seeing a muchimproved Ili and Gana after they come back from the Africa Cup of Nations and also Kiernan DewsburyHall improving greatly because heâs just beginning to get back to where he was before the hamstring injury Everton boss David Moyes said IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/tarkowski-dewsbury-hall-score-as-everton-breeze-past-burnley-663782.html Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/experience-of-being-around-seniors-changes-mindset-says-yash-dhull-on-transition-from-age-group-to-senior-level-663789.html New Delhi March 4 For India U19 2022 World Cupwinning captain Yash Dhull the jump from agegroup cricket to the senior domestic circuit has been as much about mental growth as onfield performance The young Delhi batter believes that sharing a dressing room with seasoned professionals has significantly reshaped his approach to the game helping him evolve both as a player and as a person The transition from agegroup cricket to senior domestic cricket including the Ranji Trophy brought new challenges and perspectivesâYour mindset definitely changes a bit When you lead as a captain and then move into senior domestic cricket where youâre sharing a dressing room with experienced players itâs a completely different environment Being around seniors gives you confidence and that experience changes your game and your mindsetâ Dhull told IANS in an exclusive interviewWith India on the brink of another T20 World Cup final Dhull backed the teamâs balance and confidenceâThe match against West Indies was crucial and they won it very well Sanju Samson played brilliantly Right now the team is in a very good mindset Iâm confident that India will win the final this timeâ he saidHe singled out Ishan Kishan for special praise âThe way he made a comeback and is now performing in the World Cup is impressive And the way Sanju made a comeback and won the match for India both of them can help India even moreâThe 23yearold believes that his matchwinning hundred in the U19 World Cup 2022 semifinal remains a defining moment of his young career one that reshaped his mindset as both a batter and a leaderâScoring a hundred in the semifinal was like a dream for me because thatâs such a crucial stage First of all I never even thought I would become captain Then to score 100 in a semifinal of such an important match maybe it was Godâs plan and Iâm grateful for thatâ he saidHis seamless switch to the senior circuit highlighted by a century on his Ranji debut came during what he describes as a special phaseâThereâs a phase in everyoneâs life when things just fall into place When you keep playing and performing everywhere thereâs a certain vibe wherever you play youâre enjoying yourself and performing consistently At that time in my life everything was going wellâ he saidHaving opened and also batted in the middle order Dhull made it clear where he sees himself long term saying âI see myself as a team member first It depends on what the team needs and where I can contribute the most I prepare according to thatâBut when pressed on his preferred slot the Delhi batter was candid âIâve been batting at onedown for Delhi and that position suits me a lot I enjoy playing the new ball So for me number three is good one down is my preferenceâDhull impressed in both formats last season striking at 167 in the DPL while also finishing as Delhiâs secondhighest runscorer in the Ranji TrophyAsked about it he said âYou just have to stay mentally prepared because sometimes youâre playing redball cricket and sometimes whiteball cricket During practice we switch between red ball and white ball sessions Itâs all about mental adjustmentâHe believes each format offers a unique thrill âIn T20 the game can change in just one over In oneday cricket momentum keeps shifting In Tests sometimes you donât even know until the fourth day what the result will be Every format has its own funâThe Delhi batter also opened up about the heart condition and surgery he underwent as a child a phase he describes as transformativeâThat phase was tough but it helped me a lot in life I understood myself better what mistakes I was making how I could become mentally stronger Things were going smoothly and suddenly there was a setback My motivation was to recover quickly and come back in better formâ he saidReassuringly he added âTouchwood everything is fine I stopped taking medicines more than a year ago I live a completely normal life like any other personâDhull who harbours his own India ambitions believes comeback stories carry lessons beyond cricket as he said âWhen you interact with people who have made such comebacks you understand how tough life can be And when someone makes a comeback after that the feeling is something different you canât really describe it Only the person who has gone through it can truly feel itâFor Dhull the journey from U19 glory to senior ambition is still unfolding but clarity of role adaptability and resilience already define the road ahead IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/experience-of-being-around-seniors-changes-mindset-says-yash-dhull-on-transition-from-age-group-to-senior-level-663789.html Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-what-will-happen-if-eng-vs-ind-semi-final-is-washed-out-663799.html New Delhi March 4 India will face England in the T20 World Cup 2026 semifinals at Mumbais Wankhede Stadium on Thursday Led by Suryakumar Yadav India secured a commanding victory over the West Indies to advance despite starting their Super 8 campaign with a loss to South Africa In the other semifinal South Africa will compete against New Zealand at Kolkatas Eden Gardens As fans eagerly anticipate the matches concerns about the weather persist leaving many wondering what will occur if the games are cancelled due to rainIf the India vs England match is washed out the International Cricket Council ICC has scheduled a reserve day If there is a delay officials have an additional 90 minutes on Thursday and 120 minutes on Friday to ensure at least a fiveover match is playedIf the match is abandoned the outcome will be determined depending on the teamsâ position in their respective groupâs Super 8 points tableIn that scenario England will advance to the final since they finished higher than India in their Super 8 group England topped their group with 3 wins remaining unbeaten with six points to their name while India finished second with 2 wins and four pointsIf both semifinals are cancelled South Africa and England will advance to the T20 World Cup final having topped their respective Super Eights tableThe upcoming match in Mumbai continues an exciting semifinal sequence In 2022 England stopped Indias run in the penultimate stage before defeating Pakistan to win the trophyTwo years later the script flipped Led by Rohit Sharma India beat England in the 2024 semifinal and carried that momentum into the final where they defeated South Africa in Barbados to win the titleNotably in recent editions the team that wins the IndiaEngland semifinal has subsequently become the world champion a pattern that makes Thursdays match even more interesting to watch out for IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-what-will-happen-if-eng-vs-ind-semi-final-is-washed-out-663799.html Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/mbappe-doubtful-for-ucl-clash-against-man-city-due-to-knee-injury-663653.html Madrid March 3 Real Madrid published a medical report on striker Kylian Mbappe confirming the French international has suffered a left knee sprain The club posted the report on its website five days after Mbappe missed the 21 home win over Benfica in the UEFA Champions League and just hours before Mondays La Liga home game against Getafe for which he was also left out of the squadFollowing the tests conducted on our player Kylian Mbappe by French specialist doctors under the supervision of Real Madrids Medical Services the diagnosis of a sprain in the left knee and the suitability of the conservative treatment being followed are confirmed Real Madrid said in the reportThe club did not give a return date for Mbappe only saying it was pending evolutionThe injury has been troubling Mbappe for around three months with the forward playing through pain before deciding to rest after his form dipped in recent matches Mbappe has scored 38 goals in 33 games for Real Madrid and another eight goals for France Only Bayern Munichâs Harry Kane has scored more goals for club and country in one of Europeâs top leagues this season 60He has scored 23 goals in La Liga and 13 in the Champions League this season and his availability is now uncertain for Fridays league visit to Celta Vigo and the twolegged Champions League tie against Manchester CityReal Madrid will face Manchester City in the Round of 16 of the Champions League The first leg will take place at the BernabÃu on March 10 or 11 and the return leg at the Etihad Stadium on March 17 or 18If they advance the team managed by Arbeloa would face the winner of AtalantaBayern in the quarterfinals The first leg will be played on April 7 or 8 and the return leg on April 14 or 15 The semifinals are scheduled for April 28 or 29 and May 5 or 6 The final will take place on May 30 at the PuskÃs Arena in Budapest IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/mbappe-doubtful-for-ucl-clash-against-man-city-due-to-knee-injury-663653.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/alcaraz-gets-tricky-draw-in-indian-wells-with-djokovic-in-his-half-663656.html Indian Wells March 3 Top seed Carlos Alcaraz will open the Indian Wells Open seasons first ATP Masters 1000 event against former World No 3 Grigor Dimitrov or Terence Atmane with fivetime champion Novak Djokovic also looming in his half of the draw Alcaraz played Dimitrov in the California desert last year losing just two games to the Bulgarian in the fourth round But Dimitrov has shown comfort at Indian Wells reaching the semifinals in 2021 and the quarterfinals in 2022 according to ATP statsAtmane will be making his main draw debut at Indian Wells after previously competing in qualifying The Frenchman broke through last year in Cincinnati with a dream run to the semifinals and is at a careerhigh No 52 in the ATP RankingsDjokovic who is tied with Roger Federer for the most titles in tournament history 5 will play Kamil Majchrzak or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his first match since the Australian Open finalThe Serbian suffered a stunning opening defeat here to Botic van de Zandschulp last year and will try to make a good start on his chase to a 102nd tourlevel titleSeventh seed Taylor Fritz the 2022 Indian Wells champion is also in Djokovics quarter of the draw The topranked American opens against Damir Dzumhur or Jacob FearnleySecond seed Jannik Sinner is chasing his first title in the desert and is in the same quarter as eighth seed Ben Shelton who brings momentum to California after winning the Dallas titleThe Italian opens his Indian Wells campaign against James Duckworth or a qualifier and could face Tomas Martin Etcheverry Denis Shapovalov or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round He will meet Shelton if both men reach the quarterfinalsSinner reached backtoback Indian Wells semifinals in 202324 losing to Carlos Alcaraz on both occasions IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/alcaraz-gets-tricky-draw-in-indian-wells-with-djokovic-in-his-half-663656.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 10:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/plimmer-ruled-out-of-zimbabwe-wodis-nz-name-bella-james-as-replacement-663661.html Wellington March 3 New Zealand batter Georgia Plimmer has been ruled out of the WODI series against Zimbabwe with a shoulder injury She sustained the injury while training during the T20I series which the White Ferns won 30 against Zimbabwe and subsequently missed the second and third T20IsNew Zealand Cricket said Bella James who was called in as injury cover for Plimmer before the third T20I last Sunday will remain with the squad as Plimmerâs replacement for the ODI seriesâGeorgia is a key player for us at the top of the order and the energy she brings into the group is something we really value so itâs a shame to have her miss this next series head coach Ben Sawyer saidJames made her ODI debut against Australia in December 2024 and played two matches against them She was also part of the ODI World Cup last year but didnt feature in playing XISawyer believes James is a natural fit to come into the side âBella is a great cricketer whoâs played nearly 100 ListA matches in her career so far That experience is extremely valuable and sheâll fit straight back into the side seamlesslyâNensi Patel and Izzy Sharp have also been named in the group and will make their respective ODI debuts should they be selectedNensi starred with five wickets in the T20Is against Zimbabwe while Sharp made 18 not out and 22 not outThe three ODIs from March 5 are part of the 2025â2029 ICC Womens Championship cycleNew Zealand ODI squad v ZimbabweMelie Kerr Izzy Gaze Maddy Green Brooke Halliday Bree Illing Polly Inglis Bella James Jess Kerr Emma McLeod Rosemary Mair Nensi Patel Molly Penfold Izzy Sharp IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/plimmer-ruled-out-of-zimbabwe-wodis-nz-name-bella-james-as-replacement-663661.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 10:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-we-werent-good-enough-says-head-on-australias-poor-performance-663710.html Adelaide March 3 Australias T20I vicecaptain Travis Head has admitted that the team werent good enough at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 Heads admission comes after Australias poor stint in the tournament where the 2021 champions were eliminated from the group stage for the first time in the history of the multiformat tournament After an early exit from the World Cup Head will now take part in the Sheffield Shield for South Australia Head spoke to the reporters ahead of the tournament where he again asserted that Australia is fully committed to the T20I formatI think there are a lot of people who draw long bows when Australian cricket teams dont win There needs to be a reason People want a reason Sometimes there is and sometimes its a bit harder to explain than that he told reporters ahead of the Sheffield Shield startWe werent good enough so everyone can draw their own conclusions but we know as a team that were fully committed and they come around pretty quickly he addedHead also explained that like tests Australias preparation for any big tournament starts very early and they are already gearing up for the upcoming 2027 World Cup in South AfricaWe have a oneday World Cup next year They come around too quickly And weve already been talking about that World Cup for probably the last 12 months So a lot of planning goes into them as weve seen in the Test format Theres a lot of commitment to win everything Head explainedAustralia were placed in Group B at the T20 World Cup with Zimbabwe Sri Lanka Ireland and Oman but they won only two games against Ireland and Oman At the same time losses to Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe paved the way for their exit from the T20 World Cup IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-we-werent-good-enough-says-head-on-australias-poor-performance-663710.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/mandhana-king-attain-top-spot-in-odi-rankings-663731.html Dubai March 3 India batter Smriti Mandhana and Australia spinner have climbed to the top of the Womens ODI bowling and batting rankings respectively in the latest update released by the ICC on Tuesday The pair made the move in the three ODIs within the week of action with Mandhana making notable scores of 58 and 31 in the week which was enough to move past Laura Wolvaardt 790 who will have the opportunity to reclaim the spot when the Proteas take on New Zealand across March and AprilMeanwhile King 775 ended Englands Sophie Ecclestones near fouryear reign at the top of the bowlers rankings Across the week King claimed seven wickets at an average of 1671 claiming 433 from 10 overs in the third ODI helping the hosts to a 185run victory It propelled her to her first No 1 rating with her rating of 775 also a career highKing is joined by four Australian bowlers in the top eight â Ash Gardner third Annabel Sutherland fifth Megan Schutt seventh and Kim Garth eighthThere were a number of other performers from the series to enjoy rankings boostsAfter losing two of the three T20Is on home soil Australia bounced back to claim the three ODIs as part of the multiformat series and found success through Beth Mooney Ash Gardner and Alyssa Healy the latter calling time on her ODI careerMaking a century in her final match in the format Healy signs off in fourth place on the rankings 744 wedged between Mooney 749 and Gardner 724 Despite losing all three matches there was joy for India skippper Harmanpreet Kaur 652 who moved four spots back into the top 10 for batters ninth thanks to scores of 53 54 and 25Gardner 516 meanwhile holds the No 1 spot in the ODI AllRounder Rankings almost 100 rating points ahead of the West Indies Hayley Matthews 418 in secondAnnabel Sutherland 408 made a twospot move on the AllRounder Rankings while youngster Georgia Voll 534 made a 23spot jump to 34th in the Batting Rankings after averaging 54 in the three ODIsAnnabel Sutherland 408 made a twospot move on the AllRounder Rankings while youngster Georgia Voll 534 made a 23spot jump to 34th in the Batting Rankings after averaging 54 in the three ODIs IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/mandhana-king-attain-top-spot-in-odi-rankings-663731.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/india-to-host-afghanistan-for-one-off-test-three-odis-in-june-bcci-663545.html New Delhi March 2 Afghanistan will tour India for a oneoff Test and three ODIs in June said the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI on Monday The series to be held soon after the 2026 Indian Premier League IPL ends will mark Afghanistanâs first bilateral series against India after their last faceoff happened via a threegame T20I series in January 2024 As per a statement by secretary Devajit Saikia the Test match will be played at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh from June 6 to June 10 The ODI series will commence on June 14 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala with the subsequent matches scheduled to happen at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow and MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on June 17 and 20 respectively The last time Afghanistan played a Test against India it marked their debut in Test cricket in June 2018 In that match Afghanistan lost to India by an innings and 262 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in BengaluruThe threegame ODI series will see batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma return to action for India with both former captains now featuring only in 50over international games after retiring from Tests and T20Is In the 50over format India and Afghanistan have met four times with the former winning three games while the other meeting ended in a tie in the 2018 Asia CupAfter the series against Afghanistan Kohli and Rohit will be seen in action in the whiteball tour of England which comprises five T20Is and three ODIs starting from July 1 The ODI leg of the series will commence on July 14Recently Afghanistan appointed Richard Pybus as their new head coach for all formats and he will join the team ahead of the whiteball series against Sri Lanka happening in the UAE next month Pybus who coached Pakistan and Bangladesh previously has taken over from Jonathan Trott who left once their T20 World Cup campaign ended in the league stage IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/india-to-host-afghanistan-for-one-off-test-three-odis-in-june-bcci-663545.html Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ind-v-aus-india-opt-to-bowl-against-australia-in-3rd-odiw-663317.html Hobart Mar 1 India Women won the toss and elect to bowl first against Australia in the third ODI of the multiformat series here at Bellerive Oval on Sunday India made three changes in the line up with Kranti Goud Vaishnavi Sharma and Amanjot Kaur making way for Harleen Deol Renuka Singh and Sneh Rana Australia meanwhile have made two changes with 19yearold leftarm quick Lucy Hamilton set to make her ODI debut while legspinner Georgia Wareham also comes into the XIMegan Schutt has been ruled out due to illness and Darcie Brown also misses out Tasmania opener Rachel Trenaman has joined the group for the day as a subfielder After winning the toss India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said The pitch looks a bit drier so three spinners think they will do the job for usOn the other hand Australia captain Alyssa Healy said Weve got a lovely debutant today so lets make it more about her and sort of a nice little peek into the future Yeah obviously Lucy Hamilton is coming into the side and Georgia Wareham as well But Im really excited for Hamo Its been a whirlwind couple of weeks for her sort of coming in late but getting an opportunity Im really thrilled for her and looking forward to seeing what she can do laterThe multiformat series hangs in the balance as Australia leads India 64 heading into this final ODl at Bellerive Oval After Indias strong start in the T20ls Australia has roared back with two clinical wins in the 50over formatFor lndia it is a vital opportunity to level the overall points at 66 and keep their hopes of a series victory alive before the final Test match in PerthPlaying XIsAustralia Alyssa Healyc Phoebe Litchfield Georgia Voll Beth Mooneyw Annabel Sutherland Ashleigh Gardner Tahlia McGrath Georgia Wareham Nicola Carey Alana King Lucy HamiltonIndia Smriti Mandhana Pratika Rawal Harleen Deol Harmanpreet Kaurc Jemimah Rodrigues Richa Ghoshw Deepti Sharma Sneh Rana Kashvee Gautam Shree Charani Renuka Singh Thakur IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ind-v-aus-india-opt-to-bowl-against-australia-in-3rd-odiw-663317.html Sun, 01 Mar 2026 09:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/all-new-and-all-for-you-csk-unveil-new-jersey-ahead-of-ipl-2026-663352.html New Delhi Mar 1 The fivetime champions Chennai Super Kings CSK have unveiled their new jersey ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League IPL 2026 which is likely to commence on March 28 CSK set social media abuzz on Saturday with a cryptic post teasing a major announcement at 707 AM IST on Sunday a time and number deeply associated with the franchise and its talisman MS Dhoni The anticipation was soon rewarded as CSK released a slick hype video that delivered a double surprise for fansThe video confirmed Dhoniâs arrival at the CSK camp ahead of the new season and also offered the first look at the franchiseâs IPL 2026 jerseyThe 2026 jersey has maintained CSKâs identity while introducing subtle design updates the camouflage pattern which was earlier seen on the sleeves but now been reimagined as bold stripes across the front giving the kit a refreshed and distinctive lookAbove the CSK crest sit five stars symbolising the franchiseâs five Indian Premier League titles 2010 2011 2018 2021 and 2023Meanwhile CSK had a poor run in the last season In 14 matches CSK lost 10 and finished last in the IPL 2025 points table Ahead of the 2026 season CSK made some big changes in their squad for the upcoming season with the most notable one being the trade of allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran for the wicketkeeper batter Sanju SamsonCSK has also roped in youngsters like Prashant Veer and Karthik Sharma Ruturaj Gaikwad will continue to lead the team as they aim for their sixth title CSK will kick start their IPL preparation from Sunday About 15 players all Indians are expected to attend the preparatory camp that will be held at the franchises highperformance centre in Chennai India internationals like Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube who are part of the Indian team and currently competing in the T20 World Cup will join the camp after the completion of the marquee event Shreyas Gopal who was part of the Karnataka team that played in the justconcluded Ranji Trophy final will also report later IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/all-new-and-all-for-you-csk-unveil-new-jersey-ahead-of-ipl-2026-663352.html Sun, 01 Mar 2026 13:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/pm-modi-congratulates-jampk-team-for-first-ever-ranji-trophy-win-663229.html Srinagar Feb 28 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the JampK cricket team for its firstever Ranji Trophy win and hoped that this feat would inspire many young athletes to dream big and play moreâ The PM said on X today âCongratulations to the Jammu and Kashmir team for their firstever Ranji Trophy win This historic triumph reflects the remarkable grit discipline and passion of the teamââIt is a proud moment for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and it highlights the growing sporting passion and talent there âMay this feat inspire many young athletes to dream big and play moreââChief Minister Omar Abdullah who was in Hubballi to witness the historic moment has sanctioned a Rs 2 crore reward for the team and also offered government jobs to those among the team members who desire to join the government serviceâOmar Abdullah on Saturday announced a cash reward of Rs 2 crore for the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team following its maiden Ranji Trophy triumphâCalling it a watershed moment for Jammu and Kashmir cricket he said the landmark win has filled the entire region with pride and inspirationâIn a post on X Abdullah announced a cash reward of Rs 2 crore for the players and support staff after their emphatic victory over Karnataka on their home turf Cheer for the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team which had taken a massive firstinnings lead and was almost certain of lifting the trophy for the first timeâThe players will also be entitled to government appointments under the recently notified rules for outstanding sportspersons Omar saidâOmar cheered for the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team which had taken a massive firstinnings lead and was almost certain of lifting the trophy for the first timeâThere was jubilation throughout JampK immediately after the victory of its cricket team and the youth were in the forefront of those celebrationsâ IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/pm-modi-congratulates-jampk-team-for-first-ever-ranji-trophy-win-663229.html Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/i-am-safe-says-sindhu-left-stranded-in-dubai-as-flights-are-cancelled-due-to-middle-east-crisis-663295.html New Delhi Feb 28 Twotime Olympic medallist shuttler PV Sindhu who was left stranded at the Dubai Airport on Saturday en route to Birmingham in England as flight operations were suspended owing to escalating tensions between Iran and the USIsrael is safe and hoping for things to settle down soon Sindhu who is travelling to Birmingham to participate in the prestigious AllEngland badminton championship from March 38 communicated with her fans via story on her Instagram page thanking her wellwishers for their messagesI am safe right now Thanks you to everyone who has been messaging and checking in it really means a lot Sindhu said in her Insta storyHearing interceptions overhead and watching everything unfold in real time is hard to process Dubai Airport is extremely chaotic with many families stranded all of us just hoping we get past this soonPraying for calm and safety for everone affected said Sindhu in her post on Instagram said Sindhu in her post on her Instagram handleSindhus flight was returned to Dubai Airport because of threats of attack by Iran over American and Israeli assets in the region Earlier Sindhu put out a video on her Instagram story showing a crowded airport as people wait for an update from the authorities in the United Arab Emirates on when flights will resume The former World No1 in womens singles put out the Insta story on her official handle with the caption âAll flights suspended until further noticeââPV Sindhu was set to travel to the All England but got stuck in Dubai The Badminton Association of India BAI is in touch with her as well as Emirates Other players have already reached but Sindhu insisted on travelling today and took a morning flight The issue is expected to be resolved soonâ BAI sources told IANSMeanwhile reports said the menâs doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty however have reached Birmingham for the event to be held at the Utilita Arena Birmingham King Edwards Road from March 38The crisis in the Middle East has escalated after Israel and the US launched air strikes on Iran following which Tehran has threatened to attack ships and shipping interests in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden The possibility of attacks has disrupted air travel across the region to reach Europe and AfricaDubai Airport has already suspended all operations till further notice while there have been Largescale flight cancellations in flights leaving from India to Europe and Africa as they transit via Dubai and the Gulf region IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/i-am-safe-says-sindhu-left-stranded-in-dubai-as-flights-are-cancelled-due-to-middle-east-crisis-663295.html Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/prague-masters-gukesh-loses-to-van-foreest-aravindh-draws-to-parham-663065.html Prague Feb 28 World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju suffered a shock defeat to Grand Master Jorden van Foreest on Saturday in round three of the 2026 Prague Chess Festival Masters After the other games ended in draws van Foreest moved into a fourway tie for first place with GMs Nodirbek Abdusattorov Nodirbek Yakubboev and David NavaraVan Foreest now shares the lead while Gukesh has fallen into a fourway tie for last place However there are still six rounds left so itâs very early in the tournament Van Foreest suffered a tough loss to Anton in round two but he can now celebrate victories over both topseed GM Vincent Keymer and the world champion within just three roundsThe Dutchman stated Of course Iâm superhappy Not only is it my first win against a world champion but also my first win against Gukesh Even before he was world champion I played him a couple of times but I never won against him and he won against me several times Van Foreest shared his thought process during the match He was looking rather calm and I was like am I missing something I didnât see it so I thought I had to go for itAs Gukesh took time to think van Foreestâs confidence grew He noted Iâm up a pawn thereâs really no riskâin the worst case itâs a draw and for him the defense will always be very difficult even with best play so I was happy With this win van Foreest regained all the rating points he lost a day earlier while Gukesh dropped to world number 13 now tied with GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu after finishing Wijk aan Zee still in the world top 10The remaining games ended in draws GM Aravindh Chithambaram faced GM Parham Maghsoodloo finishing in a quiet 30move draw by repetition The match between Navara and GM David Anton also ended quickly in a draw as both had previously won Game of the Day prizes in rounds one and two The last two games were more competitive Abdusattorov and Yakubboev both from Uzbekistan had real chances against Keymer and GM Hans Niemann respectively Keymer settled for a poor pawn structure to trade queens which soon put Abdusattorov on the edge of victory IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/prague-masters-gukesh-loses-to-van-foreest-aravindh-draws-to-parham-663065.html Sat, 28 Feb 2026 12:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/with-sports-in-her-blood-jyoti-singh-daughter-of-an-international-athlete-aims-to-forge-a-legacy-of-her-own-663083.html Bengaluru Feb 28 Born in Jhansi 21yearold Jyoti Singh is already making waves in Indian hockey The youngster has already shown her credentials in her brief career so far captaining India at the FIH Hockey Womens Junior World Cup City of Santiago 2025 She also made her senior debut last year featuring in four matches of the FIH Hockey Pro League 202425 Women including a remarkable win against World No 1 the Netherlands a performance that highlighted her readiness for the biggest stage Jyotiâs journey with sports started at a very young age when she visited training grounds with her father who was an international long distance runner However it was her cousin sister who inspired her to pick up the hockey stick at the age of 11Reflecting on her journey so far Jyoti shared âSports runs in my family My father was an international athlete so Iâd go to the ground with him to do some running and also play some badminton However it was my cousin sister who inspired me to play hockey She was part of the senior academy Whenever she would come home for summer vacations I would spend time with her and want to be like herâHighlighting the role her family played throughout her career Jyoti shared âMy family and my coaches always supported me there was never any pressure Itâs a privilege for me to come from a family of sports people because they have gone through similar experiences My father has been an athlete so he guides me from his learnings Even my mom although sheâs not from a sports background supports me a lot and pushes me especially mentallyâTaking the first steps towards fulfilling her dream of becoming a professional hockey player Jyoti moved to Madhya Pradesh where she further honed her skills at the Madhya Pradesh Womenâs Hockey Academy in GwaliorSince then achievements have followed her throughout her short career thus far She led the junior Indian team to a Gold medal in the Womenâs Junior Asia Cup 2024 More recently she also played a key role in helping SG Pipers clinch the Womenâs Hero Hockey India League title in the second edition of the tournament earlier this yearDespite her young age itâs not difficult to see why Jyoti has flourished and already made her mark on the big stage Itâs her maturity and clarity of thought especially in the face of weighing expectations that stand out as key features of her gameâSometimes when you expect more from yourself but arenât able to perform at that level that can be difficult Itâs challenging when youâre in the learning stage of your career and are playing alongside or competing with the senior players but you canât match up to that competition because youâre not at that level yetâThat is the time when you need to understand that the difference is down to the experience In these situations itâs important for me to go back to the basics and then gradually rebuild to a level where I can perform to the best of my abilitiesâ Jyoti notedAs she trains in the national camp with a crucial period ahead for Indian womenâs hockey starting with the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Hyderabad Telangana Jyotiâs focus remains on finetuning her game and making the most of her opportunitiesâThis year is very crucial for India We have the World Cup Qualifiers and the Asian Games coming up So my focus is on being the best player that I can be and giving it my all on the field whenever I get a chance to play for the countryâ she concluded IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/with-sports-in-her-blood-jyoti-singh-daughter-of-an-international-athlete-aims-to-forge-a-legacy-of-her-own-663083.html Sat, 28 Feb 2026 13:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/kiwg-2026-countrys-new-generation-of-winter-sports-athletes-rises-in-gulmarg-663104.html Gulmarg JampK Feb 28 From February 23 to 26 the meadowturnedarena in Gulmarg hosted the 6th edition of the Khelo India Winter Games and while the usual heavyweights carved their familiar arcs across the slopes something else something quieter but far more electric was unfolding A new generation was arriving They came with borrowed skis southern accents paramilitary grit and dreams too large to fit inside Kashmirâs white silence and by the time the flags were lowered they had left tracks no snowfall could eraseIf there was a face that talent scouts kept circling back to it belonged to Jiah Aryan a 17yearold from Bengaluru who skis like she was born in the Alps instead of under palm trees In the Alpine events Jiah clinched two bronze medals one in Slalom the other in Giant Slalom These performances were less about podium colour and more about poise She didnât ski defensively She attacked the courseâI have been into winter sports since I was 10â she said her voice steady almost analytical Her journey began at the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports JIMampWS where she first learned to trust her edges on snow Soon after her parents made a decision few in tropical India would dare They sent her to train abroad at the Kron Platz Racing Centre in Italy a cradle of European ski excellenceBeing from Bengaluru she jokes she was drawn to winter sports because âthe grass is greener on the other sideâ Except in her case the grass was snow and it was callingThe countryâs talent scouts have already tipped Jiah as one of Indiaâs next big winter prospects That momentum carried her along with five other female winter athletes into a sponsorship with the Reliance Foundation âThe Reliance Foundation provides us with a physiotherapist a sports psychologist and a nutritionist besides equipment training and financial supportâ she saysIn elite sport infrastructure is oxygen And for the first time Indian winter athletes are breathing easier Jiah is currently in 12th grade at National Institute of Open Schooling NIOS Regional Centre Bengaluru balancing textbooks with timed runs She is the only child of Aryan I C who runs an oldage home and Janvi Aryan an IBM professionalJiahâs mother says they have simply done what parents are supposed to do â encourage Jiahâs own ambition is not simpleâI want to be the first Indian female winter sports athlete to win a gold medalâ she says âI will train hard and do whatever it takesâItâs not teenage bravado Itâs blueprint thinking If Jiah represents longterm grooming Renu Danu represents velocityThe CRPF athlete saw snow for the first time just two years ago This week she stood on the podium thrice Renu captured three silver medals in Nordic 15km Nordic 15km Sprint and the Ski Mountaineering Relay In enduranceheavy Nordic disciplines that punish inefficiency she looked composed almost surgical Progress in winter sport is usually measured in Olympic cycles Renu compressed hers into 24 monthsThen came Kaamya Karthikeyan 19 who delivered a moment that rippled far beyond her own celebration The Maharashtra athlete won gold in Ski Mountaineering marking a historic first for her state in the discipline at Khelo India Winter GamesWinter sports in India have long been geographically predictable â Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh But Kaamyaâs ascent signals something else the democratisation of snow Talent is no longer altitudebound The CRPFâs Kajal Kumari Rai 25 from Meghalaya turned Nordic tracks into a personal showcase winning two gold medals in the womenâs 15km and 10km sprint events power and pacing the Nordic double signatureVeteran Aanchal Thakur 29 of Himachal Pradesh added her own chapter claiming her first gold in Giant Slalom in Alpine Skiing a victory that blended experience with unfinished businessAnd for the host region Zubair Ahmad Lone delivered Jammu and Kashmir its solitary gold of the edition topping the podium in Snowboarding Giant Slalom On home snow the statement felt heavierMinister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya framed the games within a larger national arc He said that by 2047 India aims to become a âViksit Bharatâ â a developed nation and sport will be one of its engines âThe young athletes competing here will carry that mission forwardâ Dr Mandaviya saidPrime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed intent to bring the Olympic Games to India in 2036 Under the proposed âKhelo Bharat Nitiâ sports infrastructure and athlete development are being positioned as strategic investments not seasonal indulgencesWinter sports once niche and underfunded are now inching toward legitimacy In countries like Norway and Austria winter sport is tradition In India it is still rebellion That is why the Khelo India Winter Games matter They are not yet an Olympic pipeline not yet a medal factory but they are a proving ground a surfboard before the wave For four days in Gulmarg youth from Bengaluru raced alongside soldiers who discovered snow as adults Athletes from Meghalaya Maharashtra and Kashmir stood on the same podium Physiotherapists and sports psychologists replaced guesswork and gritalone survival And somewhere between the Slalom gates and the Nordic tracks a pattern emerged India is no longer just participating in winter sports it is preparing IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/kiwg-2026-countrys-new-generation-of-winter-sports-athletes-rises-in-gulmarg-663104.html Sat, 28 Feb 2026 14:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/golf-pgtis-2026-season-off-to-a-cracking-start-663192.html New Delhi Feb 28 The opening month of the 2026 season has provided clear signs that the DP World PGTI is growing in scale and strength In quick succession the tour staged three highvalue events in Naya Raipur Delhi and Kolkata and then added a fresh dimension with the announcement of 72 The League Together these developments show a tour that is expanding not only in reach but also in substance A key measure of that progress is prize money In the early domestic phase of the season DP World PGTI staged three events carrying prize purses of â¹15 crore each creating a combined purse pool of â¹45 crore That marks an important rise in the financial scale of Indian professional golf The SECL Chhattisgarh Open for example saw its purse increase from â¹1 crore to â¹15 crore yearonyear For players that means stronger incentives and more competitive weeks For sponsors and partners it reflects a tour with increasing value and credibilityThe season began in Naya Raipur with the SECL Chhattisgarh Open Golf Championship from February 3 to 6 The event stood out not only because of its â¹15 crore purse but also because it was staged in an emerging market rather than a traditional metro It showed that professional golf can attract attention and deliver strong competition outside its established centres American golfer Jhared Hack underlined that with a memorable win including a brilliant finalround 59 as he finished five shots clear in the season openerThe tour then moved to Delhi where the inaugural DP World Players Championship was held at Qutub Golf Course from February 10 to 13 The tournament again offered â¹15 crore in prize money and was won by Honey Baisoya who collected â¹2250000 for his victory A successful event in the capital carries added importance because Delhi brings together administrators sponsors policymakers and national media In that context the tournament added weight to DP World PGTIâs position in the Indian sporting landscapeThe third major stop came in Kolkata where the DP World Players Championship 2026 Powered by Urbana was played at Tollygunge Club from February 17 to 20 Once again the purse stood at â¹15 crore and once again the winner earned â¹2250000 Om Prakash Chouhan emerged champion after a strong closing effort The Kolkata event reinforced an important point DP World PGTI is beginning to build consistency in the size and quality of its tournaments rather than depending on isolated big weeksAnother notable step was the launch of 72 The League which adds a teambased and more broadcastfriendly format to the larger golf calendar The new league has the potential to bring in fresh audiences and commercial interest while existing alongside the meritbased structure of the main tour It also reflects a willingness to experiment with formats that are better suited to television and digital platformsAt the development level the DP World PGTI NexGen Tour has also got underway beginning with its opening event in Faridabad The tour remains important for expanding playing opportunities for emerging professionals and for taking competitive golf into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities This year each NexGen event has seen its prize purse rise from â¹20 lakh to â¹25 lakh Abhishek Kumar who won the opening event is an example of the kind of young talent the platform is designed to supportTaken together the opening month of the season suggests that DP World PGTI is building steady momentum Stronger execution across cities higher prize money a clearer development pathway and format innovation are beginning to work together If that continues Indian professional golf could see stronger fields wider attention and a broader presence in new markets IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/golf-pgtis-2026-season-off-to-a-cracking-start-663192.html Sat, 28 Feb 2026 22:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/atletico-closes-door-on-possible-griezmann-us-move-663026.html Madrid Feb 28 Atletico Madrids Director of Sport Mateu Alemany has closed the door on speculation that French international Antoine Griezmann is on the verge of leaving the club to sign for MLS side Orlando City The 34yearold forward who will be 35 in March is reported to have a lucrative offer from the US side with French sports newpaper LEquipe reporting the deal has allbut been agreed reported XinhuaHowever with the transfer window in the MLS closing on March 26th if Griezmann who has scored 202 goals in 445 appearances for the club wants to leave Atletico Madrid he would have to do so two months before the end of the Spanish season and with his side possibly still in the Champions League and also with the chance of playing the Copa del Rey final if it defends a 40 semifinal advantage against FC Barcelona in the Camp Nou next TuesdayWhen asked about Griezmanns future on Friday following the draw for the last16 of the Champions League Alemany said the question was just speculationAntoine has two more seasons left on his contract and he is focused on what lies ahead His form has been very good and we think he can help us a lot on what lies ahead commented AlemanyReal Madrid central defender Raul Asencio has been diagnosed with a cervical strain after falling badly in his sides 21 win at home to Benfica in the Champions LeagueAsencio landed awkwardly on his face after colliding with teammate Eduardo Camavinga in the 77th minute of the game and had to be carried off the pitch on a stretcher wearing a neck brace before being taken to hospital for testsAlthough the defender posted on social media early on Thursday that the incident was just a scare Real Madrid confirmed his injury in its official website on FridayAfter the tests carried out on our player Raul Asencio by the Real Madrid Medical Services he has been diagnosed with a cervical strain reads the communique which doesnt say how long Asencio will be out of action merely saying his return to action is awaiting evolutionThe news means Asencio will certainly miss Mondays La Liga game at home to Getafe on Monday and is a doubt for the following weekends visit to Celta Vigo and the first leg of the last16 Champions League tie which is at home to Manchester City on March 10With Eder Militao a longterm injury Asencios absence means Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa has to choose either David Alaba or Aurelien Tchouameni as Asencios replacement although he will be loathe to drop Tchouameni back into defense after his recent positive displays in the middle of the pitch IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/atletico-closes-door-on-possible-griezmann-us-move-663026.html Sat, 28 Feb 2026 10:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/england-womens-hockey-team-reaches-hyderabad-for-fih-world-cup-2026-qualifiers-663034.html Hyderabad Feb 28 The England womenâs national hockey team has arrived in Hyderabad to participate in the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers taking place in Hyderabad Telangana from March 8 to 14 The event offers the final chance for teams to reach the 16nation World Cup in Wavre and Amstelveen August 1530 2026 Eight teams compete in two pools Pool A features Austria England Italy and Korea Pool B includes India Scotland Uruguay and Wales The top two from each pool advance to the semifinals The two semifinal winners and bronze medalist qualify plus the highestranked fourthplace finisher across both qualifier events Matches run at the G M C Balayogi Hockey Ground with semifinals on March 13 and finals on March 14England enter the eightnation tournament with a proud legacy Having participated in 11 past FIH World Cups the team is eager to earn their spot in Belgium and the Netherlands Their ultimate goal is to improve upon their highest finish winning a Bronze medal in 2010 The squad arrives with high energy and a welldefined focus Upon their arrival Captain Flora Peel voiced her confidence in the teams current form Weve had a really good training block in England and before that we were out in China for the Pro League with some very competitive games The team is in a great place right now and were really looking forward to getting startedTalking about familiarity with the Indian condition Lili Walker shared the groupâs excitement and their unique way of acclimating to the Indian climate A lot of the group has been to India before and were really excited for the crowds and the atmosphere during the games To prepare for the heat weve even been getting in the sauna doing as much as we can to ensure we are fully ready for the conditionsâ she saidTo secure one of the three coveted World Cup spots England must navigate Pool A Their campaign begins against Italy on March 8 continues with the Republic of Korea on March 9 and concludes the group stage versus Austria on March 11 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/england-womens-hockey-team-reaches-hyderabad-for-fih-world-cup-2026-qualifiers-663034.html Sat, 28 Feb 2026 11:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/2nd-odi-vaishnavi-handed-debut-as-india-elect-to-bat-against-australia-molineux-ruled-out-662993.html Hobart Feb 27 India have won the toss and elected to bat first against Australia in the second ODI at the Bellerive Oval on Friday The multiformat scoreline is currently tied at 44 after Australia won the first ODI at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane India have opted to rest Shafali Verma and Renuka Singh Thakur with Amanjot Kaur included and leftarm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma handed her ODI debut in a bid to bolster their bowling stocksFor India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur who won her fifth straight toss in ODIs is fit to take the field after sitting out for Indias entire fielding innings in Brisbane due to a left knee issue Im fine now my left kneewhile playing I just got a niggle she saidAustralia made one change bringing in Nicola Carey who is based in Hobart for Sophie Molineux who has been ruled out of the series due to a lower back injury A statement from Cricket Australia CA said Sophie will be monitored ahead of Australias tour of the West Indies next monthIt comes as a worrying aspect for Australia as the injuryprone Sophie is set to take over as fulltime skipper across all formats in the West Indies Getting first crack with the ball on a wicket with a little bit of live grass might help us out We know if we get it right we can restrict them and its not an easy place to defend scores said skipper Alyssa HealyPlaying XIsIndia Smriti Mandhana Pratika Rawal Harmanpreet Kaur captain Jemimah Rodrigues Amanjot Kaur Richa Ghosh wk Deepti Sharma Kashvee Gautam N Sree Charani Kranti Gaud and Vaishnavi SharmaAustralia Alyssa Healy captain Phoebe Litchfield Georgia Voll Beth Mooney wk Annabel Sutherland Ashleigh Gardner Tahlia McGrath Nicola Carey Alana King Megan Schutt and Darcie Brown IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/2nd-odi-vaishnavi-handed-debut-as-india-elect-to-bat-against-australia-molineux-ruled-out-662993.html Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/champions-league-vinicius-scores-winner-as-real-madrid-reaches-last-16-atalanta-eliminate-dortmund-662824.html Madrid Feb 26 Real Madrid advanced to the Champions League last 16 with a 21 home win over Benfica sealing a 31 aggregate victory Vinicius Jr scored the decisive goal in the 80th minute to settle an anxious night at the Santiago Bernabeu where the tie was level on the evening and the hosts struggled for long spellsBenfica missing suspended coach Jose Mourinho began with urgency and drew level on aggregate when Rafa Silva finished from close range after a sharp move down the right Real responded almost immediately as Federico Valverde pulled the ball back for Aurelien Tchouameni who curled in the equalizerThe game remained open Arda Guler had a goal ruled out for offside midway through the first half and the second period was played at a high tempo but with little precision as Madrid mislaid simple passes and the crowd grew restlessReal was without Kylian Mbappe because of a knee injury Benfica also missed forward Gianluca Prestianni who was provisionally suspended following an alleged racist insult aimed at Vinicius in last weeks first legMadrid suffered a scare in the 77th minute when Raul Asencio was carried off after a heavy fall As Benfica pushed forward in search of a goal Valverde released Vinicius down the insideleft channel and the Brazilian angled his finish past goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin to secure qualificationReal Madrid will face either Manchester City or Sporting CP in the round of 16 Elsewhere Atalanta eliminate Borussia Dortmund with 43 aggregate win Lazar Samardzic sealed Atalantas progress with the last kick of the game on a remarkable evening in Bergamo La Dea wiped out a 20 firstleg deficit before the break Gianluca Scamacca tapping in the fifthminute opener before Davide Zappacostas deflected shot wrongfooted Gregor Kobel late in the halfIt got even better for the hosts when Mario PaÅaliÄ met Marten de Roons cross but Dortmund replied through substitute Karim Adeyemis sublime curler on 75 minutes Extra time loomed until Atalanta won a penalty deep in added time an incident that brought red cards for Ramy Bensebaini Nico Schlotterbeck and Giorgio Scalvini SamardžiÄ made no mistake from the spot IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/champions-league-vinicius-scores-winner-as-real-madrid-reaches-last-16-atalanta-eliminate-dortmund-662824.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/kecmanovic-upsets-zverev-in-mexican-open-round-of-16-662830.html Acapulco Feb 26 Top sed Alexander Zverev bowed out of the Mexican Open after losing to Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 63 367 764 This is the second time Zverev has been knocked out in the round of 16 in Acapulco after winning the title in the 2021 edition Kecmanovic took advantage of Zverevâs 34 unforced errors to clinch the match with a tiebreak in the third set after the Serbian took the lead by winning the first set however the German evened the score in the second set I guess I was more aggressive when it mattered I served a lot better than my usual standards so Im happy that things went well today Kecmanovic said Obviously hes the big favourite so I didnt have any pressure there but you still have to play well when it matters close out the match and thankfully it went my wayThis was Kecmanovics first Top 5 win of his career He has improved to 22 in his ATP HeadtoHead series with the 24time tourlevel titlist Into the last eight at the hardcourt ATP 500 Kecmanovic will face Franceâs Terence Atmane in the quarterfinals In other action fifth seed Flavio Cobolli downed Dalibor Svrcina 64 64 Cobolli won 86 per cent 3743 of his firstserve points and saved all six break points he faced according to ATP StatsâI love playing in Mexico Iâve been coming here for three years now The Mexican fans bring a lot of color to the court and on social media Iâm very happy with the match I played I donât know who Iâll be playing next but Iâm sure it will be a tough match It doesnât matter what my opponentâs ranking isâ said Cobolli In another match of the day Spainâs Rafael Jódar was eliminated from the tournament after losing 62 46 61 to Franceâs Terence Atmane No 163 The Madrid native lost the first set by committing 14 unforced errors and leaving many balls in the net However in the second set the Spanish player recovered but he was unable to overcome the Frenchman in the third set who showed his power with his left hand IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/kecmanovic-upsets-zverev-in-mexican-open-round-of-16-662830.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/india-need-to-play-their-natural-aggressive-brand-of-cricket-against-zimbabwe-kumble-662863.html New Delhi Feb 26 Ahead of Indias mustwin Super 8 fixture against Zimbabwe former India spinner Anil Kumble suggested the Suryakumar Yadavled side not take the African nation lightly and play their natural aggressive brand of cricket With the defeat to South Africa in their first Super 8 game India found themselves in a tricky situation They will be looking to beat West Indies and Zimbabwe to have some control over their chances of making the knockoutsIndia need to play their natural aggressive brand of cricket against Zimbabwe But Zimbabwe are going to be a tough opponent and they must be respected They have delivered some strong performances They beat Australia They chased down 179 against Sri Lanka on Sri Lankan soil They have convincingly beaten Australia Their top four batters have been in excellent form Their tall fast bowlers Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans have been outstanding with the ball especially in the powerplay Kumble said on JioHotstarZimbabwe had a dream run in the ongoing tournament and were unbeaten in their group stage fixtures But their campaign hit a major hurdle after their brutal loss to the Windies in the first Super 8 match which leaves them further behind India on net runrate To now have any chance of progressing past the Super Eight stage they must now beat both India and South Africa convincinglyIndia cannot take them lightly They need to be at the top of their game Any individual who gets going must make it count You cannot assume the next batter will do the job In the T20 World Cup there are no ifs and buts You have to go out and deliver as an individual So yes you hope for the right result but India must focus on doing what they need to do he added IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/india-need-to-play-their-natural-aggressive-brand-of-cricket-against-zimbabwe-kumble-662863.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/sujeet-kalkal-clinches-gold-at-uww-ranking-series-in-albania-662870.html Tirana Albania Feb 26 U23 world champion Sujeet Kalkal clinched the gold medal in the menâs 65kg freestyle category at the Muhamet Malo 2026 wrestling tournament He topped the podium with four straight wins on technical superiority The 23yearold Indian dominated Azerbaijanâs Rashid Babazade 100 in the final He had a convincing 110 win over USAâs twotime Pan American champion Joseph McKenna in the semifinal after beating Nika Zakashvili of Georgia 100 in the quarterfinals and starting his campaign with a 164 victory over Endrio Avdyli of Albania This is his second straight gold medal in the 2026 UWW Ranking Series following his Zagreb Open victory in Croatia earlier this month Sujeet warmed up with a 164 victory over Endrio Avdyli who tossed the Indian for a four at the start of the bout Nika Zakashvili Georgia fell next 100 before Sujeet defeated Joseph McKenna USA 110 the same scoreline as the one in the semifinals of the Zagreb OpenRashid who pulled off an incredible buzzerbeating fourpointer in the semifinals against Vitali Arujau USA to win 1613 failed to put up a fight in the final Sujeet laced him to win 100 to capture a second straight Ranking Series gold medalOverall this was Sujeetâs fourth gold medal in the UWW circuit having clinched the top spot at the 2022 Zouhaier Sghaier and the 2025 Polyak Imre amp Varga Janos MemorialIndiaâs Mohit Kumar competing in the same category could not make it past the qualifying roundIn the 57kg division Ankush and Atish Todkar battled through repechage to reach the bronze medal bouts but faltered in their respective matches Meanwhile Sumit 57kg Rahul 61kg Siddharth 70kg Parvinder 74kg and Aryan 86kg failed to reach the medal rounds in their respective weight divisionsIndia sent a 48member wrestling team for the Muhamet Malo 2026 with 16 each entered across the menâs freestyle the womenâs divisions and the GrecoRoman category IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/sujeet-kalkal-clinches-gold-at-uww-ranking-series-in-albania-662870.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/purani-dilli-6-trials-for-delhi-premier-league-2026-on-march-5-amp-6-662880.html New Delhi Feb 26 Purani Dilli 6 have announced open trials ahead of the upcoming Delhi Premier League DPL 2026 The trials will be conducted on March 5 and March 6 at St Stephenâs Ground Mori Gate After an impressive showing in Season 1 Purani Dilli 6 experienced a challenging Season 2 Determined to bounce back stronger the franchise is now focused on identifying fresh talent and rebuilding momentum for DPL 2026The trials are open to aspiring cricketers aiming to showcase their abilities and earn a chance to represent Purani Dilli 6 in the Delhi Premier League 2026 The reporting time is 800 AM Trials are the foundation of every successful team We are looking for players with skill discipline and the hunger to perform under pressure Purani Dilli 6 is committed to providing a platform where talent meets opportunity said head coach Vijay Dahiya Akash Nangia owner of Purani Dilli 6 expressed confidence ahead of the trials and said Season 1 showcased the potential and fighting spirit of Purani Dilli 6 While Season 2 did not go as planned it has only strengthened our resolve These trials are an opportunity to discover new matchwinners and build a squad that reflects the pride and passion of Purani DilliThis trial will be conducted under the guidance of Vijay Dahiya a veteran coach who is an IPL franchise coach too and former Indian cricketer whose experience and leadership continue to inspire young talents IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/purani-dilli-6-trials-for-delhi-premier-league-2026-on-march-5-amp-6-662880.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-all-the-stats-from-englands-two-wicket-win-over-pakistan-in-super-8s-662625.html New Delhi Feb 24 Skipper Harry Brook pulled off a remarkable rescue act with a breathtaking 100 off 51 deliveries batting for the first time at No 3 as England qualified for the semifinals of the T20 World Cup after beating Pakistan by wickets in the Group 2 match of the Super 8s at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy Sri Lanka on Tuesday Promoted up the order for the first time in his T20I career Brook responded with authority smashing 41 of Englandâs 53 Powerplay runs and keeping the contest alive almost singlehandedly becoming the first skipper in T20 WC history to score a centuryWith this Brook became the first captain to score a T20 World Cup century and with that has lifted England to their fifth consecutive semifinal a feat no one has achieved beforeEngland restricted Pakistan to 1649 in 20 overs built on Sahibzada Farhans 63 and Fakhar Zamans 25 Liam Dawson claimed 324 while Jamie Overton picked 226 for England Chasing the modest total England rode on Brooks 100 and Will Jacks 28 to reach 1668 in 191 overs and win the match Shaheen Shah Afridi kept Pakistan in the hunt with 430 while Usman Tariq took 231 But in the end their effort was not enoughNumbers game from the Pakistan vs England match2 Sahibzada Farhan 63 became the second batter after Babar Azam to have three or more 50plus scores in a World Cup edition Babar Azam scored four fiftyplus scores in the 2021 edition10 The number of halfcenturies scored by Sahibzada Farhan 63 in 45 T20Is It was his second in 6 T20WC matches13 The number of sixes hit by Sahibzada Farhan in this T20 World Cup 2026 This is the most for Pakistan in a single edition of the T20 WC Farhan bettered the record of Mohammad Rizwan who hit 12 sixes in the 2021 edition62 The number of runs scored by Jos Buttler at an avg of 1033 in the current WCHis worst performance in an ICC tournament6 Phil Salt recorded his 6th duck in 58T20Is It was his first against Pakistan in 11 matches1st Shaheen Afridi became the first Pakistani bowler to pick a wicket off the first ball of a T20WC inningsIst In the history of T20WCs Harry Brook 100 became the first captain to hit a century Earlier Chris Gayle set the record when he scored 98 v India at Bridgetown in the 2010 edition100 Playing in his 61st T20Is Harry Brook 100 recorded his highest score bettering his previous best of 81 also against Pakistan in Karachi in Sep 2022Compiled by Manoj Kumar IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-all-the-stats-from-englands-two-wicket-win-over-pakistan-in-super-8s-662625.html Wed, 25 Feb 2026 08:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-skipper-brooks-century-guides-england-to-semifinals-edge-pakistan-by-two-wickets-662627.html Pallekele Feb 24 Skipper Harry Brook pulled off a remarkable rescue act with a breathtaking 100 off 51 deliveries batting for the first time at No 3 as England qualified for the semifinals of the T20 World Cup after beating Pakistan by two wickets in the Group 2 match of the Super 8s at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on Tuesday Promoted up the order for the first time in his T20I career Brook responded with authority smashing 41 of Englandâs 53 Powerplay runs and keeping the contest alive almost singlehandedly becoming only the first skipper in T20 WC history to score a centuryDrama unfolded with the very first delivery of the chase Shaheen Shah Afridi with the new ball got the desired inswing ending Phil Saltâs stay who edged inside the line to Usman Khan for a golden duckShaheen struck again with an outswinging delivery to Jos Buttler who underedged it for 2 runs continuing his poor run of form 26 21 3 3 7 2 through this tournament during which he has not scored a boundary since he left MumbaiJacob Bethell briefly threatened Shaheen but was dropped by Usman Tariq at short fine leg on the 6run only to be bowled out by Shaheen as he took a total of 3 wickets in the Powerplay Despite limited swing the hard length and relentless accuracy that Shaheen produced were vital in his success and he had now taken eight wickets in his first over throughout the T20 World Cup equalling that of Angelo MathewsBrook however flourished against spin He launched Mohammad Nawaz for four four and six in a single over and later hammered Shadab Khan for a 96metre straight six followed by a boundary over longon At one stage he appeared to be winning the game on his ownEarlier choosing to bat first Pakistan had a terrible start in the powerplay as they lost two early wickets Saim Ayub who has been out of form in the tournament yet again failed to impress with the bat After being tested with multiple bouncers early Jofra Archer got rid of him on a runaball sevenSkipper Salman Ali Agha 5 got out in the third over as Liam Dawson struck in his first over Despite the setbacks Pakistan remained in the contest at 462 thanks to a fluent start from Sahibzada Farhan who found the fence four times while Babar Azam signalled positive intent with two crisp boundaries before the breakThe introduction of spin was key in slowing things down Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson worked together getting grip and variation from the pitch Their disciplined lines and slight changes in pace forced the batters to play cautiously Pakistan found themselves stalled and needed to accelerate in the second half of the inningsFakhar Zaman shifted gears dramatically using his feet to Will Jacks and launching him straight back over his head for a towering six Farhan piled on the pressure in the same over smashing a massive 100metre hit over midwicket as the 14th over yielded 16 runs Farhan backed his century in the last match with a gritty and hardfought fifty in 37 deliveries but was undone by Overton for a 45ball 63Dawson made an impressive play to dismiss Fakhar Zaman at a key moment Fakhar misjudged consecutive googlies from Rashid and sent the second one high towards the leg side off a thick top edge Dawson dashed to his right from short fine leg and executed a fantastic tumbling catch on his backUsman Khan took advantage of another England misfield to get off the mark with two runs before confidently slogsweeping over midwicket for six Dawson returning for his second spell got rid of Usman after being hit for a four off a misfield and then followed it with the wicket of Mohammad Nawaz on the next delivery ending his spell at 3 for 24Usman Tariqs double strike in the middle overs left England struggling at 58 for 4 and later at 103 for 5 However Brook would not give up He tore apart Pakistans bowling attack scoring a remarkable hundred in just 50 balls He hit Afridi for six over cover and then followed it up with a four through midoff Although he was bowled by a precise yorker he left the field to a standing ovation with only 10 runs neededEngland almost threw away their advantage by losing two wickets to Mohammad Nawaz dragging the game into the final over Jofra Archer then powered Salman Mirza through midwicket to secure the win This victory guaranteed England a spot in the semifinals with a game left to play making it their fifth consecutive mens T20 World Cup semifinalPakistan despite Sahibzada Farhans impressive 63 needed to beat Sri Lanka and hope for favourable results elsewhereBrief scoresPakistan 1649 in 20 overs Sahibzada Farhan 63 Fakhar Zaman 25 Liam Dawson 324 Jamie Overton 226 lost to England 1668 in 191 overs Harry Brook 100 Will Jacks 28 Shaheen Afridi 430 Usman Tariq 231 by two wickets IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-skipper-brooks-century-guides-england-to-semifinals-edge-pakistan-by-two-wickets-662627.html Wed, 25 Feb 2026 08:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/leverkusen-advance-to-champions-league-last-16-after-controlling-olympiacos-662657.html Berlin Feb 25 Leverkusen progressed to the Champions League round of 16 after a goalless draw with Olympiacos comfortably protecting its firstleg cushion at home The German side entered the return match holding a twogoal advantage thanks to Patrik Schicks earlier brace allowing coach Kasper Hjulmand to prioritize control over attacking urgencyLeverkusen dominated the opening minutes and fashioned the first clear chances yet their finishing lacked precision reports XinhuaSchick was twice involved early first sending a header narrowly wide and then failing to lift the ball cleanly over goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis Jonas Hofmann had already tested the Greek keeper from a tight angle but the hosts gradually eased off the tempo as they focused on game managementOlympiacos struggled to inject intensity despite brief spells of pressure Their best opportunity arrived shortly after the restart when Gelson Martins forced Janis Blaswich into a sharp save from a narrow angle Leverkusen responded calmly and nearly struck themselvesA quick exchange between Ernest Poku and Alejandro Grimaldo opened space in the 62nd minute but the Spaniards effort rattled the crossbar instead of sealing the tie From there the contest faded into a lowkey finish with the visitors unable to break through Leverkusens wellorganized back lineSchick almost added a late winner deep in stoppage time but his attempted chip drifted off target The stalemate nevertheless comfortably sent Leverkusen into the last 16 where they will face either Bayern Munich or Arsenal Olympiacos by contrast exited the competitionThe only thing we can take as positive is that we are through We were far too sluggish and didnt play at all the way we wanted so we can be grateful that we are one round further Fortunately the opponent did not punish us said Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/leverkusen-advance-to-champions-league-last-16-after-controlling-olympiacos-662657.html Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/australia-to-host-bangladesh-for-test-series-after-23-years-in-august-662662.html Sydney Feb 25 Australia will host Bangladesh for a Test series for the first time since 2003 from August 13 22 Cricket Australia said on Wednesday The opening Test will commence on August 13 at Marrara Stadium in Darwin It will be the first time a Test has been held in Darwin since Australia hosted Sri Lanka in 2004 Darwin hosted Bangladesh in 2003 and Sri Lanka in 2004 but Australia had not played an international there since 2008 until South Africa played two T20Is there on a dropin pitch in August last yearThe twoTest series to close from August 22 at Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay Notably Mackay will host a Test for the first time becoming the 12th venue to do so in Australia Bangladesh have not played Australia in longform cricket since notching their maiden Test win over them in Dhaka in 2017 The series will be part of the World Test Championship 2025 to 27 cycle in which Australia are leading with seven wins in eight matchesâWeâre delighted to bring Test cricket to northern Australia and look forward to a fantastic series against BangladeshIt is no secret the international calendar is now crowded and we are fortunate to have world class facilities available in August ensuring we have another window for Test cricket outside summer Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg saidMarrara Stadium and Great Barrier Reef Arena have been outstanding venues for international cricket in recent seasons he addedAfter the Bangladesh series Australia will move to South Africa for a threematch Test series Pat Cummins team will then host New Zealand for four match test series at the end of the yearSeries scheduleFirst Test August 1317 Marrara Stadium DarwinSecond Test August 2226 Great Barrier Reef Arena Mackay IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/australia-to-host-bangladesh-for-test-series-after-23-years-in-august-662662.html Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/abhishek-maintains-no-1-spot-ishan-enters-top-5-in-t20i-batter-rankings-662717.html Dubai Feb 25 Indiaâs T20I contingent has made a strong statement in the latest International Cricket Council ICC Menâs T20I Player Rankings with opener Abhishek Sharma maintaining his top spot AND wicketkeeperbatter Ishan Kishan breaking into the top five At the top of the batting rankings Abhishek retained his No1 position despite a relatively quiet start to the T20 World Cup He maintains a comfortable 62point lead over Englandâs Phil Salt Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan currently the tournamentâs leading runscorer jumped two spots to third achieving a careerbest ratingKishan climbed three places to move to fifth in the T20I batter rankings continuing his impressive run in the shortest format His surge headlines a productive week for India with multiple players making gains in the updated chartsIndiaâs presence in the top 10 has grown stronger with Kishanâs rise complemented by notable gains from other international performers South Africaâs Dewald Brevis vaulted 10 places to ninth while Afghanistanâs Ibrahim Zadran 13th West Indies skipper Shai Hope 14th and England captain Harry Brook 18th also registered significant progressIn the allroundersâ list Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza reclaimed the No1 spot after playing a key role in guiding his team into the Super Eights He overtook Pakistanâs Saim Ayub in what has become an increasingly competitive race at the top Indiaâs Shivam Dube also made gains rising two places to seventh while Afghanistan veteran Mohammad Nabi moved up to eighthIndians continue to feature prominently in the bowling rankings as well Spinner Varun Chakravarthy held on to the No1 position despite a costly outing against South Africa at the World Cup Meanwhile Proteas pacer Corbin Bosch surged 21 places to third after standout performances including a threewicket haul against the UAE and figures of 212 versus IndiaFurther down the list West Indies quick Matthew Forde seventh and India spearhead Jasprit Bumrah eighth made notable advances South Africaâs Marco Jansen West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie and England leftarm spinner Liam Dawson also enjoyed upward movement after productive weeks IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/abhishek-maintains-no-1-spot-ishan-enters-top-5-in-t20i-batter-rankings-662717.html Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/isl-2025-26-odisha-to-host-inter-kashi-in-their-first-match-of-season-662438.html Bhubaneswar Feb 23 Odisha FC will host newlypromoted Inter Kashi FC in their first match of Indian Super League ISL 202526 which will be played at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday This will be Odishas first match of the season at home after their opening fixture against Punjab FC on February 16 was postponed Meanwhile Inter Kashi showed immense resilience to secure a 11 draw against AIFF Super Cup champions FC Goa in their league debut last week and will be hoping to build on their fine startSpeaking ahead of their first match of the season Odisha FC head coach TG Purushottaman said âWe are not focused on the results We are concentrating on the performances the results will come automatically We will stick to our strengths and look to exploit their weaknesses We will take the challenges however they comeâSpeaking about the teamâs goals this season Odisha FC captain Carlos Delgado said âThe most important thing is to stay together be compact ambitious and enjoy the training We donât have much time so we must become a strong and united team quickly We will fight and give everything to winâBoth teams have met each other once in the AIFF Super Cup 2024 when Odisha emerged victorious 30 with Lalthathanga Diego MaurÃcio and Puitea scoring the goalsDiscussing Tuesdayâs match Inter Kashi Head Coach Antonio López Habas said âThe fundamental plan for us is to build the team in this category and grow every single day The target is always the next match now it is Odisha We are not the favourites to win the league but we want to be competitive throughout the season My model of play depends on the players I have A coach cannot say âThis is my system and it will never change No You must adapt to the qualities and conditions of your players That is my philosophyâWe have to do things well from the first moment because the league is very short But there is no pressure This is Inter Kashiâs first time in the ISL and if we follow the coachâs ideas and execute our plans properly we will be competitive in every game We must focus only on the things that depend on usâ said Inter Kashi forward Alfred PlanasOdisha FC will aim to ignite their campaign with a strong home performance while Inter Kashi FC will be eager to build on the positive start to their season IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/isl-2025-26-odisha-to-host-inter-kashi-in-their-first-match-of-season-662438.html Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/1st-odi-pratika-returns-healy-back-at-helm-for-australia-as-india-opt-to-bat-662455.html Brisbane Feb 24 India won the toss and elected to bat first against Australia in the first ODI of the threegame series here at The Gabba on Tuesday The stage changes but the focus stays on the same marquee names as the two sides square off India head into the 50over contest on the back of a 21 T20I series win powered by standout individual displays Smriti Mandhana topped the run charts with 129 runs while Georgia Voll impressed for Australia with 116 With the ball India enjoyed the upper hand as Arundhati Reddy claimed eight wickets to lead the tally and Shree Charani added five crucial scalpsThe spotlight now shifts to the ODI arena a format where Australiaâs legacy looms large Seventime world champions with a commanding headtohead record over India they have traditionally set the benchmark in oneday cricket India however will aim to carry forward the momentum and belief gained from their T20I successThis series also marks Australian skipper Alyssa Healys last of her career with the ace wicketkeeperbatter set to bow out of international cricket after the conclusion of the home series Winning the toss India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said â I think batting first will be a better option for us today So thatâs why as a group we decided that letâs bat first I feel opportunity because last day when we played the World Cup we all had really a lot of fun and hopefully today also weâll have fun We do have a few changes Kashvee is back in the side And Iâll give you my playing list so you can just go through itâMeanwhile Healy said âHappy days I would have loved to bowl first So weâve got a desired result but weâve obviously got to start really well and make use of this fresh wicket Itâs been very very unusual I will say that but also really enjoyable to sort of you know watch whatâs going to unfold in a couple of gamesâ time anyway So itâs nice to be back nice to be put under the pressure by the Indian side Theyâve started really well in the series so you know weâre going to have to fight really well in this ODI series to wrestle back some momentum I just think starting really well in this series Weâve prided ourselves on our oneday game We like these conditions and we play really well in these conditions So hopefully we can remain consistent to that in what we do really well and hopefully that throws the first punch No Perry no Garth Got some injuries picked up in the third T20 Thatâs probably the two notable changesâPlaying XIs India Smriti Mandhana Pratika Rawal Shafali Verma Harmanpreet Kaur c Jemimah Rodrigues Richa Ghosh wk Deepti Sharma Kashvee Gautam Sree Charani Kranti Gaud Renuka SinghAustralia Alyssa Healy c Phoebe Litchfield Georgia Voll Beth Mooney wk Annabel Sutherland Ashleigh Gardner Tahlia McGrath Sophie Molienux Alana King Megan Schutt Darcie Brown IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/1st-odi-pratika-returns-healy-back-at-helm-for-australia-as-india-opt-to-bat-662455.html Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ranji-trophy-final-jampk-opt-to-bat-first-against-karnataka-662459.html Hubli Feb 24 Jammu and Kashmir have won the toss and opted to bat first against eighttime champions Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy final here at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground on Tuesday Jammu amp Kashmir have qualified for their maiden Ranji Trophy Notably the last team to win their maiden Ranji Trophy title was MP in the 202122 seasonWhile Paras Dogracaptained JampK have a maiden title up for grabs Devdutt Padikkalled Karnataka are chasing their first crown in well over a decade JampKâs only defeat in this season came in a 35run loss to Mumbai in October and they have not looked back since thenKarnataka endured a campaign filled with twists and turns They were in a strong position before the tournament paused for the whiteball leg but the restart brought a significant setback in the form of a heavy defeat to Madhya Pradesh That result left them with little room for error and with weather interruptions and resistance from Punjab adding to the tension their path to qualification grew increasingly narrowStepping up when it mattered most newly appointed captain Padikkal produced an unbeaten 120 steering his side into the quarterfinals as daylight ebbed away From there momentum gathered pace a strong victory over Mumbai was followed by a dominant display against Uttarakhand securing their place as hosts for the finalPlaying XIsJammu and Kashmir Paras Dogra c Qamran Iqbal Yawer Hassan Shubham Singh Pundir Abdul Samad Kanhaiya Wadhawan wk Abid Mushtaq Auqib Nabi Yudhvir Singh Sahil Lotra Sunil KumarKarnataka KL Rahul Mayank Agarwal Devdutt Padikkal c Karun Nair Smaran Ravichandran Shreyas Gopal Kruthik Krishna wk Vidyadhar Patil Vijaykumar Vyshak Shikhar Shetty Prasidh Krishna IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ranji-trophy-final-jampk-opt-to-bat-first-against-karnataka-662459.html Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/aus-vs-ind-ellyse-perry-kim-garth-ruled-out-of-odi-series-due-to-quad-injuries-662465.html Brisbane Feb 24 Australia allrounder Ellyse Perry and ace pacer Kim Garth have been ruled out of the threematch ODI series against India owing to the quad injuries that they picked up during the third and final T20I in Adelaide on Saturday Their availability for the Test match will be determined after the ODI series depending on their rehab progress Garth underwent scans on Monday and was officially ruled out on Tuesday with skipper Alyssa Healy confirming during the toss that the two players had been sidelined âNo Perry no Garth Got some injuries picked up in the third T20â Healy said after India won the toss and elected to bat Megan Schutt and Lucy Hamilton have been drafted into the ODI squad strengthening Australiaâs options ahead of the series Schuttâs return adds experience and firepower to the pace unit while Healy is set to partner Phoebe Litchfield at the top of the order as she begins her farewell tour Meanwhile T20 opener Georgia Voll has been slotted into a middleorder role for the 50over formatSchuttâs addition to the XI worked wonders for the home team as the veteran pacer dismissed India opener Pratika Rawal who was making her first international appearance since the injury that she picked up during the sideâs victorious ODI World Cup campaign Schutt struck off just the second delivery of the game and trapped Rawal lbw to send her back to the dugout for a twoball duck Seventime World Cup champions Australia have long set the pace in oneday cricket and maintain a strong overall record against India Meanwhile India playing their first ODI since winning the Womenâs ODI World Cup in November 2025 aim to transfer the confidence gained in the T20Is into the longer format The first ODI at The Gabba will set the tone for the series influenced by recent form tested reputations and the subtle reminder that in 50over cricket patience and precision remain crucial IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/aus-vs-ind-ellyse-perry-kim-garth-ruled-out-of-odi-series-due-to-quad-injuries-662465.html Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/squash-brabourne-stadium-to-host-indian-open-from-march-18-22-662481.html Mumbai Feb 24 The Indian Open a PSA Copper events is scheduled to be be held from March 18 to 22 at the historic CCI Brabourne Stadium for its second edition tickets for which are now live Recognised by the Professional Squash Association PSA the tournament continues to build on the success of its 2025 edition which was named one of the Top 10 Iconic PSA Events of the year The 2026 edition will feature defending womenâs champion Anahat Singh returning to headline the event The lineup also includes Indiaâs top players such as Ramit Tandon Abhay Singh Veer Chotrani Velavan Senthilkumar and Joshna Chinappa as well as international contenders such as Yahya Elnawasany Hana Moataz Mazen Hesham and others This promises a highly competitive week of worldclass squash Additionally the tournament will award a USD 44500 prize purse for both the menâs and womenâs events marking a first for an Indian tournamentCyrus Poncha Secretary General of the Squash Rackets Federation of India said âThe Indian Open has quickly become a key stop on the PSA calendar giving Indian players exposure to worldclass competition while raising the profile of squash nationally For 2026 weâre excited to continue growing the tournamentâs international significance and see fans experience highlevel matches live supporting the sportâs longterm development in IndiaâThe quarterfinals semifinals and finals will take place on a fully glass court creating an arenastyle squash venue optimised for energetic closeup viewing Featuring a bigger stage equal prize money and a lineup of top Indian and international players the 2026 Indian Open is set to strengthen Indiaâs position in the global squash scene IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/squash-brabourne-stadium-to-host-indian-open-from-march-18-22-662481.html Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/four-day-khelo-india-winter-games-begin-in-jampks-gulmarg-today-662272.html Gulmarg Feb 23 All arrangements were in place on Monday for the inauguration of the 6th Khelo India Winter Games KIWG at this picturesque snowclad ski resort of Jammu and Kashmir The fourday event will be flagged off by JampK Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and 400 athletes from 30 states and union territories are participatingNuzhat Gul Secretary JampK Sports Council told IANS â400 participants from 30 states and union territories have registered for the games God willing the event is going to be a great success as Gulmarg has a good snow cover this timeâThe 4day event is being held from February 23 to 26 The first leg of KIWG was held at Leh town in Ladakh from January 20 to 26The second edition of the games for snow events is being held in Gulmarg All six editions of KIWG have been held in JampK and LadakhGulmarg features four medal disciplines including ski mountaineering alpine skiing Nordic skiing cross country and snowboarding The highest participation registration has taken place for alpine skiingAt the end of KIWG 2026 in LadakhLeh Haryana led the medal tally with four gold medals won by its figure and ice skaters This was followed by Ladakh Maharashtra and TelanganaThe mascot of KIWG is SheenEShe Shan the Snow Leopard Shan represents the spirit of Indian winter sports resilient agile and adaptable carrying the legacy of the Himalayas to a national stage through the Khelo India Winter GamesSpecial arrangements have been made for the event with all senior officers of civil administration and security taking stock of arrangements in detailKashmir is all braced up to receive the Vice President of the country CP Radhakrishnan on February 26 The vice president will be the chief guest at the 21st convocation of Kashmir University being held on February 26 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/four-day-khelo-india-winter-games-begin-in-jampks-gulmarg-today-662272.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/sebastian-korda-claims-third-atp-tour-title-with-delray-beach-open-crown-662283.html Florida Feb 23 Sebastian Korda captured the third ATP Tour title of his career producing a composed performance to defeat fellow American Tommy Paul 64 63 in the final of the Delray Beach Open Having fallen just short as runnerup at the same tournament in 2021 Korda returned to lift the trophy this time becoming the ninth American man to triumph at the Florida event The 25yearoldâs victory propels him to No 40 in the ATP Live RankingsâIt means a lot Iâve been through some stuff the past couple of months years Iâve lost a lot of finals and now to get one here in Delray â this is where I made my first ATP final â so itâs like a fullcircle day Iâm just happyâ Korda saidBattling gusty afternoon winds Korda played assertive tennis from the baseline controlling rallies with clean confident ballstriking He seized the opening set with a timely break at 54 and was especially effective behind his first serve claiming 83 per cent of those points ATP reportsThe second set brought late drama Serving for the championship Korda fell behind 040 but refused to yield saving four break points in the game before sealing the win after one hour and 22 minutesâIt was tricky We were both struggling out there it was super windy I was just trying to put the ball in the court I was born and raised in Florida so Iâm used to the wind a little bit but this was extreme for sureâ Korda said Kordaâs path to the title was anything but straightforward He eliminated three of the tournamentâs top five seeds including second seed Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals and third seed Flavio Cobolli in the semifinalsThe championship clash marked the second allAmerican final of the season following the showdown in Dallas With the win Korda improved his ATP Head2Head record against Paul to 52 The two had not met in nearly 20 months since their encounter at Queens Club Championships in 2024For Paul 28 the defeat denied him a fifth career ATP Tour title Kordaâs triumph represents a significant milestone in his resurgence Last season he was sidelined from Roland Garros through WinstonSalem while recovering from a stress fracture in his right shin a setback that required the use of a protective boot and crutches Now healthy again Kordaâs breakthrough in Delray Beach signals a return to form and perhaps the start of another upward climb IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/sebastian-korda-claims-third-atp-tour-title-with-delray-beach-open-crown-662283.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ferrari-mercedes-a-step-ahead-says-mclaren-boss-andrea-stella-after-pre-season-testing-662318.html New Delhi Feb 23 McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has suggested that Ferrari and Mercedes currently hold a slight edge heading into the 2026 Formula 1 season following the conclusion of last weekâs final preseason test The assessment comes after a strong showing from Ferrari with Charles Leclerc finishing more than eight tenths of a second clear of Lando Norris on the final day of running Leclerc also completed a competitive race simulation during the hotter part of the day underlining Ferrariâs apparent paceWhile McLaren completed its planned programme ahead of the seasonopening Australian Grand Prix on March 68 Stella admitted it remains difficult to draw firm conclusions about the competitive orderVery difficult to say There is a race simulation that I was I think was on Thursday between Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen It happened at a similar time of the day and it was a similar paceâ Stella was quoted as saying by Sky Sports when asked about the pecking orderOften the race simulation is actually where you can more accurately see what the genuine performance of cars is The reason why I think we have to be careful is that depending on the time of the day then the race simulation may be quite a lot fasterLike now on the last day Lando he was performing pretty strongly in a race simulation but at the same time probably the end of day three was the fastest time the track has been across the six days So difficult to say I think McLaren and Red Bull are probably very similar Ferrari and Mercedes are a step aheadThe early indications suggest that the leading quartet could be separated by fine margins with performance likely to fluctuate depending on circuit layout and prevailing conditionsRed Bull Racing impressed during testing with its energydeployment efficiency a potentially decisive factor under the 2026 regulations which allow electrical harvesting when drivers are off the throttle Stella noted that circuit characteristics will significantly influence how effectively teams can balance harvesting and deploymentI think in 2026 we will have to look at the characteristics of the circuits including this feature related to how easy it is as a circuit for the power unit requirement he saidSo Barcelona was actually relatively demanding in terms of balance between deployment and harvesting In Bahrain it was relatively easier because you spend enough time in braking that basically you do all the harvesting braking You dont need to do anything special in terms of lifting off for instance in order to add the time at which you harvest your power unitNow we go to Australia In Australia we go back to one circuit in which it will be a bit more difficult So in Australia it will be a little bit more difficult I think we will see the drivers will be busier in terms of their driving style to make sure that the power unit is exploited in terms of harvesting energy and deployment of energy in a way that is efficient And when we say efficient it means efficient for a long timeMcLaren which runs customer engines supplied by MercedesAMG Petronas Formula One Team continues to work closely with Mercedesâ High Performance Powertrains division Stella acknowledged the benefits of the partnership but admitted there is scope to further refine how the power unit is integrated and managedWe are very grateful for the efforts that HPP have pulled off to make sure that we are making progress every single day But I do see that theres still quite a lot to learn and definitely more work to do in terms of engine control power unit control and power unit exploitationâ the Italian said One thing we needed to learn is also how to use the features available in the power unit and what kind of new features you need to have available under the drivers control such that the power unit is not only competitive from a lap time point of view but also from a raceability point of view like when you have to compete with your rivals on trackWith the new regulatory cycle approaching and competitive gaps appearing marginal Stellaâs comments point to a tightly contested start to 2026 one where technical execution and circuitspecific strengths could prove decisive from race to race IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ferrari-mercedes-a-step-ahead-says-mclaren-boss-andrea-stella-after-pre-season-testing-662318.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/india-didnt-realise-the-new-ball-would-be-the-biggest-challenge-pollocks-view-on-what-went-wrong-for-india-662353.html New Delhi Feb 23 Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock gave his analysis of Indias Super 8 stage loss to the Proteas and stated that the cohost didnt adapt well to the conditions in Ahmedabad and failed to realise the new ball challenge with the seam moving around South Africa snapped Indias 12match unbeaten streak at the ICC Mens T20 World Cup as they handed the defending champions a 76run defeat at the Narendra Modi Stadium on SundayAfter India dominated early as Jasprit Bumrah produced a stellar opening spell of 27 the Proteas scripted a comeback through a 97run partnership off 51 balls between David Miller and Dewald Brevis A late charge from Tristan Stubbs who knocked off an unbeaten 44 off 24 balls took South Africa past the 180markâIndia didnt adapt well to the conditions in Ahmedabad South Africa had played three matches here already so they knew what to expect Yes they struggled at first when they lost the wickets of Quinton de Kock Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton early but they did not stop adjusting as per the conditions It was only when Brevis and Miller batted together that things worked for them Tristan Stubbs put his batting power to good use in the end to help South Africa reach 187 Indiaâs chase would have been simple had they played carefully in the beginning Pollock In response India failed to launch in the first six overs and were already in trouble at 313 after the powerplay South Africa kept a lid on the explosive and deeprunning Indian batting lineup as the Men in Blue were bundled out for 111 in 185 oversThe first six overs was the toughest because the ball wasnt coming onto the bat nicely Instead they went after the bowlers from the very first over You cant do that on this kind of a pitch while chasing a big total They lost two early wickets and were under pressure right away Sometimes you have to be smart and patient India didnt change their approach They didnt realise that the new ball would be the biggest challenge with the seam moving around he addedThe defending champions will now have to win their remaining matches against Zimbabwe and the West Indies to stay in contention for the semifinals especially with their net run rate now at 38 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/india-didnt-realise-the-new-ball-would-be-the-biggest-challenge-pollocks-view-on-what-went-wrong-for-india-662353.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/jk-l-g-manoj-sinha-inaugurates-6th-edition-of-khelo-india-winter-games-662366.html Gulmarg Feb 23 IANS Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor LG Manoj Sinha on Monday while inaugurating the sixth edition of Khelo India Winter Games here said that from a simple sporting event these games have evolved into a true national festivalnbspLG Sinha welcomed and conveyed his best wishes to all participating athletes and team officialsnbspKhelo India Winter Games revive the sporting spirits ideals of peace equality and camaraderie In our vibrant diverse nation of myriad languages cultures and traditions the Winter Games at Gulmarg is serving as a universal language and shared heritageWinter Games at Gulmarg mirror lifes raw challenges building the resilience that propels future triumphs Falling analysing errors rising improved these are sports true lessons ones Skiers will live here the LG addedHe emphasised that the broader aim of Khelo India Winter Games is strengthening national unityThe LG said that the mega winter sports event is a celebration of our nations sporting legacy its unity and the transformative power of sports that binds every citizen and athlete igniting their drive and forging unbreakable characterIntense rivalry yields shared conversations and lasting friendships proving healthy competition and mutual respect coexist Our people need this ethos now more than ever As you race these Ski slopes remember diversity is our strength not division Khelo India reminds us our language may differ but our goals and values unite usWhen athletes from diverse states train together compete fiercely and cheer one another barriers of language culture and region dissolve before the sporting spirit LG Sinha addedHe said that Winter Games pit skiers against nature itself where excelling demands extraordinary prowess and over the coming days we will witness that prowess alongside technical mastery the poise from years of practice unyielding resolve and superhuman enduranceHe urged the participating athletes to uphold the highest standards of sportsmanship and encouraged them to give their best throughout the tournamentOn these Ski slopes of Gulmarg athletes identity hinges solely on performance every result reflects your skills discipline and grit crafting new championsIn disciplines like alpine skiing Nordic skiing snowboarding and ski mountaineering athletes rigorous training and unwavering dedication will shine through the LG addedLG Sinha also spoke on the transformation in the sporting sector across Jammu and Kashmir over the past few years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra ModiHe said that the establishment of stateoftheart sports infrastructure under the Prime Ministers Development Package PMDP and 100 Khelo India Centres have redefined the sporting landscapeHe emphasised that modern infrastructure coupled with the talent and dedication of Jammu and Kashmirs youth and the proactive support of dedicated officials has provided a massive impetus to the sectorLG Sinha said the true character reveals itself not just in victory but in adversity and a real athlete remains humble in triumph and dignified in defeatOn February 26 at the closing ceremony of sixth Khelo India Winter Games success wont be measured by medals alone but by the spirit of unity mutual respect and relentless pursuit of excellence he addedThe fourday Khelo India Winter Games at Indias premier winter sports destination will witness the participation of around 1000 athletes and officials from various states and Union Territories in different disciplinesOmar Abdullah Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Satish Sharma Minister for Youth Services ampamp Sports Nasir Aslam Wani Advisor to Chief Minister Farooq Ahmed Shah Member of Legislative Assembly from Gulmarg Atal Dulloo Chief Secretary Shahid Iqbal Choudhary Commissioner Secretary to the government Youth Services and Sports VK Birdi IGP Kashmir Anshul Garg Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Major General Puneet Doval Commandant High Altitude Warfare School Minga Sherpa Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Nuzhat Gul Secretary JampampK Sports Council senior officials representatives of Sports Authority of India and various sports organisations prominent sports personalities and sports enthusiasts in large numbers attended the inaugural ceremonyIANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/jk-l-g-manoj-sinha-inaugurates-6th-edition-of-khelo-india-winter-games-662366.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/australia-to-return-to-south-africa-for-first-test-tour-since-sandpaper-gate-662380.html New Delhi Feb 23 Australia will tour South Africa for a landmark threeTest series in 202627 marking their first redball visit to the country since the infamous 2018 balltampering episode in Cape Town Cricket South Africa unveiled their international schedule for the 202627 season confirming a marquee contest between the two most recent World Test Championship winners The series will culminate at Newlands in Cape Town the venue where the 2018 scandal unfolded and triggered one of the most turbulent chapters in Australian cricket historyThe tour will begin with a threematch ODI series in September with matches slated for Durban Johannesburg and Potchefstroom Australia will then shift focus to the longer format with Tests scheduled in Durban Gqeberha and Cape Town A warmup fixture in Potchefstroom is also part of the itinerary Australia are also expected to play limitedovers matches in neighbouring Zimbabwe before crossing into South AfricaSeveral members of the current Australian squad including captain Pat Cummins Steve Smith Mitchell Starc Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood were part of the 2018 touring party While some have since returned to Cape Town for whiteball fixtures Australia have not undertaken a full Test tour of South Africa in the eight years since that seriesDavid Warner who alongside Smith received a 12month ban for his involvement in the 2018 incident has since retired from international cricket as have former Test skipper Tim Paine and opener Usman Khawaja Cameron Bancroft who served a ninemonth suspension is unlikely to featureFor South Africa the series signals a renewed commitment to hosting Test cricket after a reduced home schedule in recent seasons due to financial pressures and the growing footprint of the SA20 league during the peak summer window The Proteas have not staged a home Test since January 2025 but are set to host Bangladesh and England in the upcoming southern summerThe Australia series could prove pivotal in shaping the next World Test Championship final Australia currently lead the standings with one defeat in eight matches but face demanding away tours of South Africa and India alongside a fourTest home series against New ZealandBefore heading to Africa Australia are scheduled to host Bangladesh in northern Australia in August rounding out a packed calendar that will test their depth across formatsODI SeriesFirst ODI September 24 Kingsmead Stadium DurbanSecond ODI September 27 Wanderers Stadium JohannesburgThird ODI September 30 JB Marks Oval Potchefstroom DNWarmup MatchOctober 34 JB Marks Oval PotchefstroomTest SeriesFirst Test October 913 Kingsmead Stadium DurbanSecond Test October 1822 St Georgeâs Park GqeberhaThird Test October 2731 Newlands Cricket Ground Cape Town IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/australia-to-return-to-south-africa-for-first-test-tour-since-sandpaper-gate-662380.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/healy-set-for-careers-final-odi-series-mooney-to-keep-wickets-662385.html Brisbane Feb 23 Australia have turned their attention to the 50over format as they seek a response in the multiformat contest against India with retiring captain Alyssa Healy set to headline several changes for Tuesdayâs first ODI in Brisbane After conceding the T20I leg 2â1 the hosts are poised to reshuffle their XI for the 50over games Healy will return to the top of the order replacing Georgia Voll and is expected to partner with regular opener Phoebe Litchfield Legspinner Alana King is also in line for her first appearance of the series likely coming in for fellow wristspinner Georgia Wareham while Grace Harris has not been included in the ODI squadIn a notable move Healy is not expected to resume wicketkeeping duties during her farewell series Instead Beth Mooney will continue with the gloves a decision understood to have been made for continuity after Mooney kept throughout the T20Is and with an eye on Australiaâs upcoming Caribbean tourHealy who holds a worldrecord 275 dismissals as a wicketkeeper and has been Australiaâs firstchoice glovewoman since 2014 has not kept since the end of WBBL11Speaking to reporters Monday at the Allan Border Field Healy reflected on her time away from the group during the T20I leg saying âIts already been a little bit weird watching to be completely honest I havent probably played as many of the T20 series over the last few seasons but being removed from the environment for the last couple of weeks and watching it all unfold has been a little bit weird and coming back in midway through a series has been a bit oddâThe 35yearold who will captain Australia through the three ODIs and the subsequent daynight Test in Perth before stepping away from international cricket insisted her focus is firmly on the team outcome rather than a personal sendoffâIm just really excited to play in what is a big series â its not so much about going out in in style its more about winning this seriesâ Healy saidAustralia trained on an optional basis at Allan Border Field as selectors weighed further decisions Vicecaptain Tahlia McGrath left out during the T20Is remains under consideration despite a lean ODI World Cup campaign earlier in the cycle Nicola Carey recalled after a threeyear absence is another option to bolster the XISophie Molineux who will assume the captaincy across formats following the series will serve as deputy during the onedayers and the TestFor Healy the Brisbane opener carries added personal significance Although she did not feature in Sydney her adopted home the Queensland fixture offers a different kind of homecoming Born on the Gold Coast she expects a strong turnout of family and friendsIts interesting how everything panned out she said I didnt get a game in Sydney but ironically to get a game here in Queensland where Ive got more family and friends from where we originated is a really special thingI think Uncle Ian Australia great Ian Healy has been in charge of roping them all together IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/healy-set-for-careers-final-odi-series-mooney-to-keep-wickets-662385.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/72nd-sr-nationals-mens-kabaddi-cships-to-be-held-in-vadodara-from-feb-24-662389.html New Delhi Feb 23 The 72nd Senior Nationals Menâs Kabaddi Championship 2026 is scheduled to be held at the Sama Indoor Complex in Vadodara from February 24 to 27 It will feature 31 teams from across India with approximately 400 players competing fiercely for the championship title The tournament organized by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India AKFI will showcase a blend of experienced players and emerging talents Participants who excelled in the Pro Kabaddi League PKL Season 12 will also be competingKey players to watch include the top three raiders from PKL Season 12 Ayan Lohchab Haryana with 316 raid points Devank Dalal with 271 and Bharat Hooda Services who scored 230 Ashu Malik who guided Dabang Delhi to victory last season will now represent Railways Meanwhile Arjun Deshwal will continue to lead Uttar PradeshThe tournament will highlight emerging talents like Deepak Sankar from Tamil Nadu who scored 64 tackle points for the Bengaluru Bulls and was named the New Young Player of the Season in PKL 12 Maharashtraâs representation includes Puneri Paltan raider Aditya Shinde who achieved 159 raid points featuring five super raids Haryanaâs defender Nitesh Kumar a rising star with 65 tackle points and five High 5s will also compete along with promising players Anil from Himachal Pradesh and Uday Parte from Madhya PradeshDefending champions Services with a starstudded team including Devank Dalal Naveen Kumar Bharat Hooda Ankit Jaglan and Jaideep Dahiya aim to defend their title in the upcoming tournament Railways Haryana and Maharashtra each supported by strong squads are expected to provide significant competition promising a highly competitive event This tournament will also act as an important platform for both top and emerging players where consistent performance can lead to selection for national camps the Indian team and professional leaguesThe Senior Nationals is jointly organised by the Gujarat Kabaddi Association and the Vadodara Kabaddi Association Collaborating closely with AKFI these associations have made thorough arrangements for athletes officials and teams further strengthening Gujaratâs reputation as a prominent host for major sporting events IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/72nd-sr-nationals-mens-kabaddi-cships-to-be-held-in-vadodara-from-feb-24-662389.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/judoka-rohit-majgul-secures-qualification-for-cwg-amp-asian-games-2026-662390.html Ahmedabad Feb 23 Gujaratâs rising judoka Rohit Majgul 66kg secured qualification for both the Commonwealth Games 2026 and the Asian Games 2026 after a stellar performance at the Judo Selection Trials in New Delhi In the bestofthree finals at the national judo trials Majgul faced Haryanaâs Garvit in a tense showdown The decisive bout went into golden score where Majgul executed a brilliant Ogoshi to score a wazaari and clinched victoryThe 23rd Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place in Glasgow Scotland from July 23 to August 2 while the Asian Games 2026 are scheduled to take place in AichiâNagoya Japan from September 19 onwardsPost his victory Majgul said âQualifying for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games is a dream come true for me Every bout at the trials tested my limits but I trusted my training and my coaches to guide me This victory is not just mineâitâs a reflection of the hard work and support of the Vijayi Bharat FoundationâHailing from a small tribal village Talala in Gir Somnath district in Gujarat Majgul trains at Vijayi Bharat Foundation His dominance is no flash in the pan as he has also remained undefeated in the last two Senior Nationals further proving his consistency and technical masteryUnder the guidance of VBFâs coaches and support staff Rohitâs composure finesse and competitive spirit have shone through reflecting both his individual excellence and the strength of the foundationâs training systemsGuided by VBFâs dedicated coaching staff Majgulâs success highlights the strength of the foundationâs training ecosystem His achievement adds to Gujaratâs growing presence in Indian judo and marks a proud moment for the stateâs sporting communityIndian judokas have clinched four bronze medals through Sandeep Byala menâs 65kg Cawas Billimoria menâs 95kg Shyam Singh Gurjar menâs 95kg and Bannu Singh menâs open weight in the first Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1951At the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima Poonam Chopra won the bronze medal in the womenâs 56kg event She is the only Indian woman to win a judo medal at a continental event It is also Indiaâs last medal in judo at the Asian Games IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/judoka-rohit-majgul-secures-qualification-for-cwg-amp-asian-games-2026-662390.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/kiwg-2026-meet-sahil-syed-and-faizan-the-new-indian-kids-on-skis-662392.html Gulmarg JampK Feb 23 The three athletes in focus Sahil Thakur Syed Zain and Faizan Ahmad Lone have a single mentor and a single dream What binds them together is not geography On a windcarved ridge above Gulmarg where the snow gleams with the promise of ambition these three young Indian alpine skiers are carving more than lines into ice They are carving a futureManaliâs towering slopes and Kashmirâs powder fields could not be more distinct but a shared lineage of belief was shaped under the watchful eye of Mohammad Arif Khan the trailblazer who became the first Indian to represent the country twice at the Winter Olympics Under Khanâs guidance the trio recently trained in Italyâs Sudtirol region absorbing the technical rigour and competitive mindset that define Europeâs alpine eliteFor 19yearold Sahil Thakur skiing is an inheritance and instinct Raised in Manali in a family where snow is both playground and profession his father Devi Chand and brothers Rajneesh and Rahul all skiers Sahil speaks of Italy with reverenceâWhen I returned I could feel the differenceâ says Sahil âThe coaching the attention to technique it changes how you see the mountainâA national gold and silver medallist and a competitor at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon South Korea Sahil now fixes his gaze on a singular horizon the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps His ambition is not tentative it is inevitableIf Sahilâs journey was written in his bloodline Syed Zainâs was carved from aspiration Raised in Humhama on Srinagarâs outskirts Zain 16 grew up far from the European epicentres of Alpine skiing Yet his rise has been emphatic two gold medals in Slalom and Giant Slalom at the inaugural Khelo India Winter Games KIWG in 2020 followed by two silver medals at the Junior Nationals in 2022âSkiing is a European sportâ Zain said âBut Olympians like Arif Khan showed us it can belong to India tooâHis foundation was laid at the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering IISM in Gulmarg refined by Khanâs mentorship and strengthened alongside 35 to 40 Indian athletes during the Italy training programme Zain also credits sixtime Olympian Shiva Keshavan whose legacy continues to anchor Indiaâs winter sports ecosystemFaizan Ahmad Loneâs story is one of perseverance sharpened by opportunity A fivetime national gold medallist and fourtime Khelo India champion the 19yearold Faizanâs ascent has been powered not only by talent but by crucial supportâSkiing is expensiveâ he says âArif didnât just coach me he helped me secure sponsorship That allowed me to compete internationallyâFaizan has since represented India at the 2025 Winter Asian Games in Harbin China and competed in FIS races across Dubai and Kazakhstan each race another step in Indiaâs slow but steady climb toward alpine relevanceYet beyond medals training camps and Olympic dreams there is a quieter symbol of their shared journeyEach of their helmets bears the signature of Federica Brignone the Italian Olympic champion and one of Alpine skiingâs modern greats It is ink on plastic but it carries the weight of possibilityâHer signature reminds us why we do thisâ they say âIt keeps us focused It keeps us dreamingâOn Gulmargâs slopes where cold air sharpens resolve and every descent demands courage Sahil Zain and Faizan are no longer just athletes in training They are standardbearers of a nation still learning to believe in winter And somewhere between gravity and glory they are finding their way down the mountain and toward history IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/kiwg-2026-meet-sahil-syed-and-faizan-the-new-indian-kids-on-skis-662392.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ranji-trophy-from-scenic-kathar-to-playing-final-in-hubbali-the-making-of-sunil-kumar-662394.html New Delhi Feb 23 On February 17 in Kalyani many felt Bengal were assured of entering the Ranji Trophy final after bagging a slender lead over Jammu amp Kashmir A big second innings score and that would have been enough for Bengal to get into the title clash against Karnataka But cricket is a great leveller and brings its own twists and turns beyond oneâs imagination The exact same thing happened when Bengal folded for 99 giving JampK a target of 126 which they chased down to get into the title clash starting in Hubbali on TuesdayApart from Auqib Nabi taking a sensational fourfer his new ball partner Sunil Kumar also grabbed four scalps to put JampK in the driverâs seat for entering their firstever Ranji Trophy final Now against Karnataka and a formidable batting lineup featuring KL Rahul Devdutt Padikkal Karun Nair and Mayank Agarwal leftarmer Sunil is ready for the biggest game of his life after having his comingofage moment in KalyaniIt has been very good to bowl with Nabi There is no pressure when bowling alongside him because all the pressure is coming through him The way he bowls it feels like he is bound to get a wicket on every delivery When that happens then your job is to not give runs from the other side as they will get out to him and you just have to contain the runs from your sideWhen Vanshe Vanshaj Sharma hit that sixer I was sitting at the back of the dugout It was a very good and unforgettable moment for all of us It was clear before that we were going to play the final but then that feeling of entering the title clash was just unbelievable We have now forgotten that victory since we reached Karnataka The entire focus is on the final said Sunil in an exclusive conversation with IANS from HubbaliThe bowling plan for Karnataka Sunil feels will be no different from the one that has worked all season and the one that dismantled Bengal inside two sessions in ways even the JampK camp hadnât anticipatedThe plan was simple we wanted to get them out as soon as possible But we didnt think that they would get out in one or two sessions We thought that even if they got out in three or four sessions we would get a day to chase whatever total they would postâBut as soon as we got the wickets quickly we thought it could be easily chased down The bowling plan was the same we wanted to hit our basic line and length again and again so that they would make a mistake But we didnt think that they would suddenly get out in one or two sessions he recalledSunil hails from Kathar a scenic village nestled 35 kilometres from Akhnoor district in the Jammu region The son of an Army man Sunil played with a cosco ball as he fared better in cricket than his peers in the village who believed he had the capabilities to make a career out of playing the sportThere are a lot of swing bowlers who I watched a lot When I started watching cricket I would take notice of India leftarm pacers Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan I really liked Irfan Pathans bowling action and I used to try to copy it So by copying him my action became like this I also used to like the bowling of Dale Steyn and James Anderson said SunilWhen Pathan played for JampK as playercummentor from 2018 to 2020 Sunil had a chance to meet him âI went for a trial and thats where I met him once He asked me for my age and told me that I bowl very well and that I have a lot of time in handâ he saidAn intercollege tournament first introduced him to leatherball cricket Trials followed and then a talent hunt around 202122 brought him to the attention of JampK head coach Ajay Sharma Before I came to college I used to play with a cosco ball The first time I played leatherball based cricket was through an intercollege tournament and thats where my journey started Gradually I came to know about trials and attended it There I came to know that yes I am fine and I can play cricket professionallyâLuckily I also did well in the talent hunt and we were called for a T20 camp and Ajay sir came there for the first time I was first picked by the selectors from the talent hunt When Ajay sir was there I was playing in the C or D team So the next team match was A or B team and they said to put me in either of the two teams and make me bowl with the new ball So thats how it started and where I am playing now its because of that talent hunt If it wasnt for that I wouldnt have been able to achieve anythingâ he saidThe commute from Kathar to JampK Sports Hostel and Science College ground where the JKCA camps were held was a daily test of commitment in itself I had to travel 65 to 70 kms via scooty and if the camp was set up for 10am then I had to leave at 815am so that I could reach by 945 to 950am If camp ran till 2pm I would then leave at 230pm and reach home by 4 or 430pm he saidHis family he says never stood in the way âI didnt take cricket just because I wanted to pursue it My family knew that I play cricket In terms of playing a game when you want to achieve something really good then its not that you want to get some return from it You play for the love of that thingâI started like that and Im still playing with the same mindset So their support was that they never stopped me for anything I was good in studies used to pass exams well and get good marks So I told them that Im studying and playing and they were okay with itBowling coach P Krishnakumar who has overseen JampKs pace attack for three seasons identified Kumar early as a project worth investing in Its a very very big thing for him He comes from Akhnoor which is a very small place He didnt have a pitch to bowl and what he has done was he has made a pitch in his own home In the offseason he calls and asks me on improving his bowlingâWe discuss and I tell him to do this and that When he started he was more of an outswing bowler He never had a good inswing and I have developed his inswing I have developed his bowling from down the stick So whatever I could do I have done with him He is very calm like Auqib and is ready to work hardâIn the first year only of me coming here in the lunch and tea sessions we used to do specific skill sessions and he also has picked up very quickly and that is why he is performing because a bowler can only perform if teer hai uske tarkash mein there are many arrows in his quiver Then only he can compete with that If a batsman has more arrows he will win but if you have more than him so you will win and its very simple he said to IANSSunil also acknowledged the role of Krishnakumar in his development as a bowler âThe coaching staff is very helpful Krishna Kumar has done a lot of hard work in getting a lot of basic things right that were previously bad for meâHe has worked a lot on my mental side as well He always says that the more you keep your basics right and the simpler you keep your plans the better it is He has helped me in the offseason a lot to become a lot better with my bowlingâIn eight matches of this season Sunil has claimed 29 wickets at an average of 151 including two fourwicket hauls and as many fivefors His first fifer came in Jammu against Hyderabad a moment he describes as the highlight of his first fullfledged domestic seasonPlaying in this season feels really good This is my first season of playing domestic cricket and the performances have been fine so I feel good about it It was a very special moment to get my first fifer at our home ground and then get the second fivewicket haul against Himachal Pradesh in Amtar he saidAt 28 Sunil speaks with the measured certainty of someone who has had to wait long enough to know what patience in sports really means If you really want to do well in this game then you have to work on yourself with small improvements to be made every dayâEven if you find it boring or basic and start to think what will even happen through it you have to keep doing it One day God will give you the result as he sees the hard work you put in every day he concluded IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ranji-trophy-from-scenic-kathar-to-playing-final-in-hubbali-the-making-of-sunil-kumar-662394.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/shubhankar-finishes-48thand-veer-is-53rdin-kenya-662405.html Nairobi Feb 23  Shubhankar Sharma carded a fine 3under 67 to finish Tied48th at the 2026 Magical Kenya Open Veer Ahlawat 69 finished T53rd Indiaâs third player in the field Yuvraj Sandhu had missed the cutCasey Jarvis claimed his maiden DP World Tour title rounding off a wiretowire success at the 2026 Magical Kenya OpenThe South African who had shared the lead after each of the first three rounds held off playing partner Davis Bryant in a Sunday that was twice interrupted by stormy conditions in NairobiSharma starting from the 10th had four birdies against one bogey in his first nine and turned in 3under and on his second nine he had an eagle bu also had three bogeys and another birdie His four rounds were Veer had six birdies but also gave away five bogeysJarvis made six birdies and topped off his eight under par round of 62 with a second eagle of the day to win by three strokes at Karen Country ClubThe 22yearold began his day with three birdies and a bogey in his first four holes to reach 19 under par still one clear of compatriot Hennie Du PlessisAt the Genesis Invitational Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala rounded off the week with solid final rounds that saw them finish Tied16th and Tied22ndMeanwhile Jacob Bridgeman 72 overcame strong challenges from Kurt Kitayama 64 and Rory McIlroy 67 to win The Genesis Invitational as the massive crowd filling the amphitheater roared for him around the 18th green at The Riviera Country ClubAs Bhatia shot a 68 with an eagle and three birdies against three bogeys Theegala also had an eagle on the first and three birdies against one bogey for his 67IndoBritish Aaron Rai who had a great start with 66 finished with 76 and was T28thBridgeman started with a sixshot lead He stretched it to seven with 12 holes to play And as the lead began to shrink with superb finishes by Adam Scott 63 Kurt Kitayama 64 and finally Rory McIlroy 67 he lost feeling in his hands on the putterBridgeman pulled it together with one last par making a nervy 3footer on the 18th for a 1over 72 and a oneshot victory over McIlroy and Kitayama for his first PGA TOUR titleBridgeman is the first player since Scott in 2005 to play Riviera for the first time and leave with the trophyWoods met him atop the steps overlooking the 18th green and as they walked toward the trophy presentation Bridgeman said the tournament host told him how cool it was to win at Riviera the one place Woods could never masterBridgeman finished at 18under 266 and didnt make a birdie over the final 15 holes He heard constant cheers for McIlroy one of golfs most popular figures who was never a threat until he holed a bunker shot for birdie on the 12th and finished birdiebirdie for a 67Scottie Scheffler who had to make a 7foot par putt on Friday to make the cut had a 6665 weekend and wound up tied for 12th his worst finish since he tied for 20th at THE PLAYERS Championship nearly a year ago He ended his streak of 18 consecutive top 10s IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/shubhankar-finishes-48thand-veer-is-53rdin-kenya-662405.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/omar-abdullah-calls-for-artificial-snow-to-boost-gulmarg-as-global-ski-destination-662416.html Gulmarg JampK Feb 23 JampK Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday stressed the urgent need for artificial snow generation in Gulmarg to safeguard winter sports and strengthen tourism Addressing the commencement of the Khelo India Winter Games 2026 Abdullah said climate variability poses a serious challenge to traditional winter games in the region and called for artificial snow generation to boost Gulmarg as an international ski resortWelcoming the participants the Chief Minister highlighted the importance of adapting to changing weather conditions as he noted that recent snowfall patterns have become unpredictable forcing authorities to rethink longterm planning for winter sports infrastructureThe government is committed to developing Gulmarg as an international skiing destination and ensuring consistent sporting activity despite climate challenges he saidAbdullah also underlined that reliance solely on natural snowfall is no longer sustainable and called for the introduction of artificial snow generation systems to secure the future of winter gamesHe further acknowledged that some concerns may arise over artificial snow projects but said such measures are necessary to prevent loss of tourism opportunities and protect livelihoods linked to winter tourismThousands of local stakeholders including hoteliers guides transport operators and small businesses depend on the winter season he saidThe Chief Minister said the administration will extend every possible support to athletes and sports infrastructure to nurture more internationallevel competitors from Jammu and KashmirCongratulating skier Arif Khan for bringing laurels to the region he expressed hope that more athletes would emerge from the gamesHe added that participation in sports remains as important as winning medals adding that sustained investment in winter sports and tourism will position Gulmarg among the leading global skiing destinations while ensuring economic stability for local communitiesAs many as 400 athletes from 30 states and Union Territories are participating in the Khelo India Winter Games The main events are ski mountaineering Nordic skiing alpine skiing and snowboardingMost of the participants have registered for alpine skiing IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/omar-abdullah-calls-for-artificial-snow-to-boost-gulmarg-as-global-ski-destination-662416.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 22:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/kiwg-2026-army-makes-rousing-start-himachal-crpf-also-among-gold-medals-on-day-1-662418.html Gulmarg JampK Feb 23 Army made an emphatic start to the Gulmarg leg of the Khelo India Winter Games KIWG 2026 winning three of the five gold medals at stake on Day 1 on Monday CRPF and Himachal Pradesh also finished with gold medals on Monday It was not a day for the favourites as veteran stars like Bhavani Thekkada Nanjunda of Karnataka and Aanchal Thakur of Himachal Pradesh were usurped by skiers who have been doing well in the national circuitYoung Jiah Aryan all of 17 and one of Indiaâs upcoming talents in Alpine skiing from Karnataka won a bronze in her second Khelo India Winter Games KIWG Jiah lined up against seniors like Aanchal and Sandhya Thakur who have represented India at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin China last February Himachal Pradeshâs Sandhya beat Aanchal in a tight race on the Kongdoori slopesIt was an emotional day for CRPFâs Kajal Kumari Rai who won the gold in the 15km Nordic skiing crosscountry for women at the Gulmarg Golf Course Kajal relegated hotfavourite Bhavani to the bronze in a brilliant finish The Meghalayaborn Kajal dedicated her gold to her father who died last year in February CRPFâs Renu Danu won the silver Bhavani has won a hattrick of gold medals in KIWG 2025Armyâs Sunny Singh won the dayâs first gold medal in the menâs sprint in Nordic skiing Sunny has been winning medals for the Army at the KIWGs regularly and on Monday the Kathua skier who has trained at the High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg led an Army 123 in the opening event before the inauguration ceremony took place on the Golf CourseIn his speech at the inauguration ceremony the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu amp Kashmir Shri Manoj Sinha said this edition of the Khelo India Winter Games has been like a ârelay raceâ since the Winter Olympics ended in Italy on Sunday and KIWG events started in Gulmarg on Monday âThe Games are a classic example of national integration and display the power of creativity through sportsâ he saidâOur athletes can take inspiration from Olympic legends like American Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin and Indian athletes like Olympian Arif Khan of JampK and Aanchal Thakur of Himachal Pradesh This edition is coming at the back of the Winter Olympics and is a great platform to showcase technical skills in challenging natural conditionsâ said Shri Sinha who added that âKIWG was a test of courage and characterâ Shiffrin is a threetime Olympic gold medallistChief Minister of JampK Shri Omar Abdullah urged athletes to perform better âWe want another Arif Khan to be born here We have had six editions of Khelo India Winter Games Now itâs time to think about how to win medals at least at the Asian level The onus is on us to create the infrastructure to make Gulmarg an allweather international ski destinationâ said Shri AbdullahGulmarg has been unnaturally warm this week with the sun blazing down and the snow melting Shri Abdullah mooted the idea of âartificial snow generationâ to combat global warming which has been impacting winter sports worldwide âGulmargâs bread and butter is linked with snow and tourism We cannot deny climate change and have to think of creating infrastructure where we are not entirely dependent on natural snowâ said Shri AbdullahResults Day 1 all finalsNORDIC SKIINGMen Sprint 15 km 1 Sunny Singh Army 30683 seconds 2 Shubam Parihar Army 30735 secs 3 Manjeet Army 30873 secsWomen 15 km 1 Kajal Kumari Rai CRPF 520829 secs 2 Renu Danu CRPF 531081 secs 3 Bhavani Thekkada Nanjunda Karnataka 532044 secsSNOWBOARDINGMen Slalom1 Vivek Rana Army 0101439 secs 2 Kulvinder Sharma Army 0102854 secs 3 Vikar Ahmad Lone JampK 0103174 secsALPINE GIANT SLALOMMen 1 Mayank Panwar Army 0106479 secs 2 Baqir Hussain Army 0107194 secs 3 Devendra Gurung Army 0109473 secsWomen1 Sandhya Thakur Himachal Pradesh 0123285 secs 2 Aanchal Thakur HP 0123985 secs 3 Jiah Aryan Karnataka 0131064 secs IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/kiwg-2026-army-makes-rousing-start-himachal-crpf-also-among-gold-medals-on-day-1-662418.html Mon, 23 Feb 2026 22:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/jemimah-rodrigues-completes-2500-t20i-runs-662182.html Adelaide Feb 21 India batter Jemimah Rodrigues completed 2500 runs in the T20 Internationals achieving the feat during her outing with the willow against Australia in the final and deciding T20I of the threegame series at the Adelaide Oval Before walking into the crease at No 3 for the third T20I Rodrigues had accumulated 2492 runs in 104 innings Playing her 118th T20 International the Delhi Capitals skipper went past the 2500run landmark with a boundary off Kim Garth in the fifth over of the first innings having opted to bat first Rodrigues became only the fourth female Indian cricketer to reach the landmark in womenâs T20Is after skipper Kaur vicecaptain Smriti Mandhana and opening batter Shafali Verma The India opener also Rodriguesâ teammate at Delhi in the Womenâs Premier League WPL reached 2500 T20I runs earlier this week while scoring a quick 29 off 23 balls at the top of the order in the Canberra T20I During the same match Kaur set an impressive record by becoming the mostcapped international player in womenâs cricket On February 19 in her 356th international game the Indian World Cupwinning captain overtook New Zealand legend Suzie Bates to secure the record for the most international appearances by a womanFollowing Kaur and Bates Ellyse Perry who made her historic 350th international appearance for Australia on Saturday ranks third among women cricketers with the most appearancesThe allrounder made history by becoming the first Australian woman to reach 350 international games celebrating her 20th year at the highest level Speaking of the series so far the visitors dismissed the Aussies for 133 at the SCG in the first match then quickly reached 501 in 51 overs before rain interrupted India were significantly ahead of the DLS par score and managed to seal a win to take a 10 lead in the series Australia made a strong comeback at the Manuka Oval in Canberra Sent in to bat again they achieved a higherthanaverage total thanks to Georgia Volls aggressive 88 They faltered slightly near the end of their innings but India responded with a quick start Nevertheless the Australian bowlers changed their pace effectively causing a collapse that allowed the hosts to defend their total convincingly and level the seriesThe two sides are currently locked in the third and final game of the T20I leg of Indiaâs tour with the Women in Blue reaching 1011 in 12 overs courtesy of Mandhanaâs powerful halfcentury and Rodriguesâ firepower IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/jemimah-rodrigues-completes-2500-t20i-runs-662182.html Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/gpkl-season-two-to-feature-international-players-from-europe-africa-and-asia-662184.html New Delhi Feb 21 The Global Pravasi Kabaddi League GPKL has confirmed participation from international players across multiple continents for its upcoming season two The upcoming season is expected to feature both male and female athletes from Europe Africa and Asia further strengthening GPKLâs positioning as a bridge between Indiaâs kabaddi heartland and the emerging global ecosystem of the sport Kabaddi players from Europe Africa and Asia to lit up GPKL season 2International participation for season 2 is anticipated from European nations including England the Netherlands Poland Hungary the Czech Republic and Germany In addition African representation is expected from Tanzania Kenya and Cameroon â regions where kabaddi has witnessed steady grassroots growth in recent yearsAsian participation will also expand with players from Hong Kong and Taiwan joining the Season 2 talent poolThe inclusion of athletes from these geographies reflects a broader trend of growing interest in kabaddi beyond traditional playing nations and highlights the increasing role of structured competitive platforms in accelerating the sportâs global developmentâImportantly Season 2 will continue to feature participation from both men and women athletes The leagueâs commitment to dualgender representation remains central to its longterm vision of inclusive growth and international engagementâ the tournament organisers said in a statementThe participation of international players also complements ongoing efforts to create meaningful pathways for overseas kabaddi athletes through exposure to structured competition coaching environments and interaction with experienced Indian playersWhat began as GIPKL in its launch season now evolves into the Global Pravasi Kabaddi League with a sharper global outlook and a stronger emphasis on structured developmentAs kabaddi continues to expand its international footprint platforms that enable crossborder participation are expected to play a critical role in strengthening the sportâs global competitiveness and longterm institutional growth IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/gpkl-season-two-to-feature-international-players-from-europe-africa-and-asia-662184.html Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/isl-2025-26-kerala-blasters-resolve-stadium-dispute-on-eve-of-home-match-with-mumbai-city-at-kochi-662190.html Kochi Feb 21 Kerala Blasters FC have acknowledged the States Minister of Industries and Law MLA Ernakulam and President Greater Cochin Development Authority GCDA for facilitating the organisation of their upcoming home match in the Indian Super League ISL 202526 season at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi Kerala Blasters FC will welcome former winner Mumbai City FC for a home match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Sunday There were some doubts over hosting the match at the JLN Stadium which is owned by the Greater Cochin Development Authority GCDA The match was facing uncertainty following a dispute between Kerala Blasters and GCDA over the rent for the stadium Earlier in the day the GCDA had stopped the club from hosting its scheduled prematch press conference at the stadium citing unresolved contractual and financial issues The intervention of P Rajeeve Minister for Industries and Law Government of Kerala P V Srinijin Honble MLA and President Ernakulam District Football Association and Chandran Pillai Chairman GCDA helped Kerala Blasters resolve the issues and host the match at the stadiumKerala Blasters FC acknowledges the efforts of Shri P Rajeeve Honble Minister for Industries and Law Government of Kerala Shri p v Srinijin Honble MLA and President Ernakulam District Football Association and Shri Chandran Pillai Chairman GCDA in facilitating a resolution regarding the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium and the upcoming fixture the club said in a statement on SaturdayWe would like to sincerely thank the fans of Kerala Blasters FC for the unwavering love and support shown to the club over the last few hours Your passion and belief continue to drive us forward every single day the club saidKerala Blasters FC also thanked AIFF officials vendors partners and club staff for continuing to support the clubWe also extend our appreciation to officials of the AIFF our vendors partners and the entire club staff many of whom went above and beyond and some even delayed breaking their fast while continuing to support the club â a gesture that truly meansthe world to usIn the end football is the winner We will take to the field against Mumbai City FC tomorrow for our first home game of the seasonSee you in the stands they said in the statementKerala Blasters FC return to Kochi after an openingweek defeat to Mohun Bagan SG and will be eager to register their first points of the season in front of their home supporters The hosts will look to show greater control and defensive cohesion as they attempt to find rhythm in the final third Mumbai City FC travel to Kochi aiming to build earlyseason momentum under Petr KrÃtký Known for their organised structure and ability to manage possession effectively Mumbai will seek to impose themselves and secure a positive result away from home IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/isl-2025-26-kerala-blasters-resolve-stadium-dispute-on-eve-of-home-match-with-mumbai-city-at-kochi-662190.html Sun, 22 Feb 2026 04:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/man-city-beat-newcastle-to-pressure-arsenal-as-leeds-hold-villa-662205.html London Feb 22 Nico OReilly scored two goals as Manchester City closed the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table to just two points with a 21 victory over Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium OâReilly bagged two goals in the firsthalf either side of a deflected equaliser from Lewis HallAnd City held firm in a tense secondhalf showing steel and determination to seal a vital three pointsOâReillyâs first goal in the match was the 500th home Premier League goal City have scored since the start of the start of the 201617 season â thatâs 67 more than next best Liverpool who have hit 433 in the same periodThe result extended Citys winning home record against Newcastle in the Premier League to a remarkable 17 gamesAston Villa was frustrated by Leeds United in a 11 draw at Villa Park which saw Anton Stach score an excellent free kick to put the battling visiting side aheadLeeds clung on until the 89th minute when January arrival Tammy Abraham netted a goal for Aston Villa whose slim title chances have probably now goneChelseas efforts to finish in the topfour were frustrated by a late goal as Burnley salvaged a 11 draw at Stamford BridgeJoao Pedro put Chelsea in front after just four minutes after sliding in Pedro Netos low cross but after Wesley Fofana was sent off for seeing the second of his two yellow cards in the 72nd minute Chelsea was guilty of sitting deep and Zian Flemming punished them with an injurytime header from James WardProwses pinpoint cornerJames Milner made history with a record 654th Premier League appearance as Brighton claimed a muchneeded 20 win away to Brentford with first half goals from Diego Gomez and Danny WelbeckWest Ham and Bournemouth took a point each in a 00 draw at the London Stadium which leaves West Ham still in the bottom three IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/man-city-beat-newcastle-to-pressure-arsenal-as-leeds-hold-villa-662205.html Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/alcaraz-sinks-fils-to-lift-qatar-open-trophy-662219.html Doha Feb 22 Carlos Alcaraz swept past resurgent Frenchman Arthur Fils 62 61 in just 50 minutes to secure the Qatar Open trophy just 20 days after becoming the youngest man in history to complete the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open The title triumph marked Alcarazâs ninth ATP 500 trophy drawing him level with former World No 1 Andy Murray for the fourthhighest tally in the category since its inception in 2009âI came this year hungry for more I think after every tournament we just have to set new goals Iâm just really happy and proud of everything I have done with my team on and off the courtâItâs been a really strong start to the year It wasnât easyâ I had to be strong mentally with my team Iâm just playing great tennis and Iâm really happy about this week This trophy means a lot to me Alcaraz said From the outset Alcaraz dictated terms striking early and defending with breathtaking athleticism Even after Fils raised his level and began trading blows from the baseline the Spaniard repeatedly produced spectacular retrievals and clutch shotmaking to extend his winning streak to 12 matches ATP reportsAlcaraz has also extended his outdoor hardcourt winning streak to 30 matches â a run that includes major triumphs at the Australian Open and US Open By clinching the title in Doha â his 26th tourlevel title The Spaniard now boast a 29265 record according to the ATP WinLoss IndexWith his run to a first tourlevel final since winning the title in Tokyo in 2024 Fils jumped seven spots to No 33 in the ATP Live Rankings The former World No 14 will next compete at the ATP 500 in Dubai where he faces a rematch with Jiri Lehecka whom the Frenchman beat in the Doha quarterfinals IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/alcaraz-sinks-fils-to-lift-qatar-open-trophy-662219.html Sun, 22 Feb 2026 11:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/mann-ki-baat-pm-modi-praises-indian-origin-cricketers-in-foreign-teams-highlights-speciality-of-bhartiyata-662222.html New Delhi Feb 22 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised Indianorigin cricketers playing in foreign teams and emphasised the significance of Bhartiyata and noted that wherever Indians travel they maintain a strong connection to their roots in their matrabhoomi motherland while also contributing to the development of their karmabhoomi place of duty He highlighted the importance of sports in everyones life stressing that One who plays blooms adding that sports unite usAddressing the 131st episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat PM Modi said Nowadays you must be watching T20 World Cup matches I am sure that while watching a match you must be eyeing a particular player The jersey may belong to another country but on hearing their name you realise that he is from our country The moment gives you a slight happiness because the player is of indian origin and is playing for the country where his family settled They step onto the field wearing the jersey of their country and wholeheartedly represent that nation he said The Prime Minister noted that the Canadian cricket team has the highest number of Indianorigin players He mentioned that the teams captain Dilpreet Bajwa was born in Punjabs Gurdaspur and Naveneet Dhaliwal is from Chandigarh He also mentioned the names of Harsh Thaker and Shreyas Movva and said that several players like these are making both Canada and India proudPM Modi also mentioned that the USA cricket team and said Americas team has many players from Indias domestic cricket The American teams captain Monank Patel has played for Gujarats U16 and U18 teams Mumbais Saurabh Harmeet Singh and Delhis Milind Kumar are all proud of the American teamHe also stated that several players in the Oman cricket team have played in different states of India and mentioned the names of Jatinder Singh Vinayak Shukla Karan Jai and AshishIndiaorigin players are also creating a place for themselves in the teams of New Zealand UAE and Italy too Many such Indianorigin players are bringing pride to their countries and becoming an inspiration for the youth there he said This is the speciality of Bhartiyata Wherever they go Indians remain connected to the roots of their motherland and they also contribute to the development of their karmabhoomi the Prime Minister added IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/mann-ki-baat-pm-modi-praises-indian-origin-cricketers-in-foreign-teams-highlights-speciality-of-bhartiyata-662222.html Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-jacks-rashid-shine-as-england-crush-sri-lanka-to-clinch-51-run-win-662255.html Colombo Feb 22 IANS England produced a clinical allround display to crush Sri Lanka by 51 runs in their ICC Mens T20 World Cup Super Eights clash bundling out the hosts for just 95 runs in 164 overs after posting 1469 in a gripping encounternbspDefending a modest total on a bowlerfriendly surface Englands spinners turned the contest into a onesided affair with a relentless middleovers squeeze that left Sri Lanka gasping The chase never recovered from a dramatic powerplay collapse as the hosts slumped to 345 their secondlowest powerplay score in this edition among full member sidesJofra Archer set the tone early dismissing Pathum Nissanka with a wellset trap at deep midwicket before removing Kamil Mishara But it was Will Jacks who broke the backbone of the inningsThe offspinner struck twice in the fourth over including the prized wicket of Kusal Mendis caught and bowled and then added Dunith Wellalage to finish with outstanding figures of 322 becoming the first England spinner to claim three wickets in the powerplay of a T20IWith spin operating from both ends Liam Dawson joined the act His drift and control accounted for Kamindu Mendis and later produced a sharp caughtandbowled dismissal A bizarre hitwicket from Dushan Hemantha further underlined Sri Lankas unravelling under pressureAt 536 the contest was effectively over despite a brief counterattack from skipper Dasun Shanaka The righthander struck two sixes in his 30 off 24 balls attempting to revive hopes with aggressive intent However Adil Rashids guile proved decisive The legspinner removed Shanaka with a stunning relay catch effort in the deep and then cleaned up the tail with his trademark wrong unRashid fittingly sealed the win bowling Dilshan Madushanka through the gate to trigger celebrations as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 95 their lowest total against England in T20 World CupsEarlier England themselves had struggled to build momentum after being sent in Phil Salts 62 off 40 balls anchored the innings but disciplined spells from Wellalage 326 and Maheesh Theekshana 221 restricted them to 1469That total however proved more than enough as Englands spinners suffocated the chase with precision and control extending their dominance over Sri Lanka with a 12th consecutive T20I victory in the headtohead rivalryBrief scores England 1469 in 20 overs Phil Salt 62 Dunith Wellalage 326 Maheesh Theekshana 221 beat Sri Lanka 9510 in 164 overs Dasun Shanaka 30 Will Jacks 322 Adil Rashid 213 Jofra Archer 220 by 51 runsIANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-jacks-rashid-shine-as-england-crush-sri-lanka-to-clinch-51-run-win-662255.html Sun, 22 Feb 2026 19:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/interim-phf-chief-lifts-2-year-ban-on-hockey-captain-butt-amid-pro-league-controversy-662060.html New Delhi Feb 20 The newly appointed interim president of the Pakistan Hockey Federation PHF Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani has lifted the twoyear ban on the national team captain Ammad Shakeel Butt Amid allegations of mismanagement during the national hockey teamâs participation in the second leg of the FIH Pro League in Hobart Australia outgoing PHF chief Tariq Hussain Bugti imposed a twoyear ban on captain Ammad Butt before stepping down from his postOn Thursday Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accepted Bugtis resignation and appointed the Ministry of InterProvincial Coordination IPC Federal Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani as adhoc president of the federationThe development came amid controversy over the Pakistan national teamâs tour of Australia where accommodation arrangements could not be secured on time forcing players to spend several hours on the roadHowever Pakistan captain Ammad Butt in a video statement had earlier refuted claims that the team was left without any hotel accommodation or forced onto the streets But players have expressed discomfort over their daily TADA allowance of USD 40 from the PSB which falls short of the USD 100 stipulated in PHF regulationsOn Friday the interim president of PHF Wani announced the revocation of Butts ban stating that transparency and fairness would guide all decisions under his tenure the Dawn reportedPakistan have lost all of their FIH Pro League so far and their overall performance also came under criticism The report further stated that after Bugtiâs resignation Pakistan Cricket Board PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met the hockey players including Ammad ButtSpeaking to the media after the meeting Butt said Naqvi told him there was no ban and that the same team that toured Australia would travel to Egypt IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/interim-phf-chief-lifts-2-year-ban-on-hockey-captain-butt-amid-pro-league-controversy-662060.html Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/la-liga-changes-likely-as-real-madrid-visit-in-form-osasuna-662061.html Madrid Feb 21 Tabletopper Real Madrid will travel to one of La Ligas most hostile grounds on Saturday to play Osasuna in the El Sadar Stadium in Pamplona Alvaro Arbeloas side travels to the north of Spain as the new La Liga leader after last weekends 41 win at home to Real Sociedad and FC Barcelonas 21 defeat in Girona saw the two teams swap places in the standingsMadrid also took a big step towards the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday with their 10 firstleg playoff round win away to Benfica in a game marred by alleged insults towards goalscorer Vinicius Jr reports XinhuaVinicius are almost certain to start in Pamplona although Arbeloa could be tempted to rest Kylian Mbappe for next weeks return leg at home to Benfica while Jude Bellingham is still out with a hamstring injuryBrahim Diaz Gonzalo Garcia and Dani Carvajal all have a chance of starting if Arbeloa decides to rotate his squadOsasuna have improved after a slow start to the season under coach Alessio Lisci and are currently 10th in La Liga after a fivegame unbeaten run Veteran striker Ante Budimir will be a constant threat to Real Madrid and the Croatian has 11 goals in La Liga this seasonWinger Victor Munoz has also been a big success for Osasuna this season after joining last summer from Real Madrid which retains 50 percent of the 22yearolds rightsThe pace of Munoz and the recent arrival of Raul Moro give Osasuna options on the wings and Munoz is likely to try and cause problems behind Trent AlexanderArnold or Carvajal down Real Madrids righthand side IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/la-liga-changes-likely-as-real-madrid-visit-in-form-osasuna-662061.html Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/neymar-to-retire-from-football-by-the-end-of-2026-662078.html New Delhi Feb 21 Following his clear and understandable statements regarding his next journey Neymar has made an announcement about the potential to conclude his successful football career in 2026 The 34yearold who renewed his contract with his boyhood club Santos last month said he is taking things year by year and did not rule out retirement at the end of the calendar year Neymar returned to Santos in January 2025 and played a key role in helping the team stay in Brazilâs top flight He scored five goals in the last five matches of the season which helped the club avoid relegationYet despite rediscovering form at home the forward remains uncertain about what lies aheadâI dont know what will happen from now on I dont know about next yearâ Neymar told Brazilian online channel Caze on Friday âIt may be that when December comes Ill want to retire Im living year to year nowâHis candid remarks come at a crucial juncture âThis year is a very important year not only for Santos but also for the Brazilian national team as its a World Cup year and for me tooâ Neymar said underlining the significance of the months aheadNeymar recently had successful knee surgery as he continues to deal with recurring injuries that have affected the later stages of his career As Brazilâs alltime leading scorer with 79 international goals he has not played for the national team since October 2023 This raises questions about his participation in the upcoming global tournamentBrazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has repeatedly stated over the past year that only fully fit players will be considered for selection for the 2026 World Cup which is set to take place from June 11 to July 19 in Canada Mexico and the United States IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/neymar-to-retire-from-football-by-the-end-of-2026-662078.html Sat, 21 Feb 2026 11:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/ben-shelton-withdraws-from-mexican-open-in-acapulco-662087.html Acapulco Feb 21 Ben Shelton will not compete at this yearâs Mexican Open with tournament organisers confirming that the American has opted to step aside in order to recover physically Ranked No 9 in the ATP standings Shelton has made three previous appearances in Acapulco His deepest run came in 2024 when he advanced to the last eight before falling in a threeset battle to Casper Ruud Event officials in Acapulco stated that Shelton has been dealing with quadriceps discomfort prompting his withdrawal from the Mexican tournamentThe 23yearold is coming off a title run in Dallas where he saved three championship points to defeat Taylor Fritz and capture his first title of the season and fourth ATP Tour titleShelton has enjoyed a strong opening stretch to his 2026 campaign He reached the quarterfinals in Auckland and again at the Australian Open before lifting the title in Dallas He currently holds a 102 record on the seasonThe American No 1 roared back from a set down to earn a 36 63 75 victory for his second ATP 500 trophy saving all three championship points in a nervy 10th game of the deciderWith the onehour 51minute victory Shelton improved to 21 in his headtohead series with Fritz Since the beginning of 2025 Shelton is 114 in decidingset matches including nine wins from a set down ATP reportsâIt feels amazing I thank God because I needed something super natural to end up winning this tournament with all the holes that I was in I feel grateful to play five matches out here with these crowds The energy was amazing said Shelton after the winâI had to fight until the last minute Fritz was playing very good tennis and I was struggling a lot with what he was throwing at me I tried to be a competitor through and through and I ended up coming out on top I think itâs a testament to the work me and my team put in he added IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/ben-shelton-withdraws-from-mexican-open-in-acapulco-662087.html Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/he-came-back-too-early-its-a-good-lesson-guardiola-on-rodris-return-from-injury-662114.html New Delhi Feb 21 Pep Guardiola admitted that Rodri might have returned from injury sooner than ideal yet believes the midfielder is slowly regaining his form The Spain international sustained a knee ligament injury in September 2024 a year following his Ballon dOr award and returned to play in May Since then Rodri has struggled to regain the level of influence he had at Manchester City Additionally he missed part of this season due to a hamstring injury which further affected his recovery and consistency Guardiola stays hopeful believing Rodri is on track to return to his best formâHe came back too early Our desire to get him back him especially he came back early thats why it was longer Its a good lessonâ Guardiola was quoted as saying by ESPNâHuman beings have a time for recovery There are players who can recover earlier like Bernardo Silva for example or Phil Foden and other ones need more time Still its not his best but every time his mood and his training and his playing is improving Hes a special playerâ he addedThe 29yearold Spaniards contract expires next summer and when asked if he wanted him to stay Guardiola replied âI would love that desperately Rodri is Rodri As much age as he has more wiser more understanding of the game There are players that are defined on the big stages in the difficulties and Rodris one of them like Bernie like Rúben Dias like many of them that I had in the past You cannot achieve what we achieved if you dont have huge personalitiesâRodri is expected to participate in Saturdays Premier League match against Newcastle with City awaiting the Football Associations decision on charges following his comments after the draw with Tottenham earlier this monthThe Newcastle match is scheduled to start at 8 pm 130 am IST on Feb 22 allowing the Magpies extra time to recover after their extensive journey to play Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday Guardiola a consistent critic of the busy fixture schedule faced by clubs hopes this will establish a precedentâBig compliment for the Premier League to put the game to 8 pm and not 3 pm after this trip It was a long one come back late and after one day you have to travel again Now they can travel tomorrow its a big difference At the end the Premier League think about the Premier League team what they need Hopefully the experience can be provided for the future for all the teams in England that play in Europe to have a proper rest to be readyâ he stated Newcastle are currently in 10th place and have not won in their last 12 visits to the Etihad However Guardiola anticipates a tough challenge drawing from the insights gained midweek âI saw the last game against Qarabag in the Champions League and it was exceptional It was 50 at halftime it could have been nine The rhythm and the intensity and the pace they are playing is the Newcastle I remember when they started this project Every team can drop points to everyone It happened to all the teamsâ he mentioned IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/he-came-back-too-early-its-a-good-lesson-guardiola-on-rodris-return-from-injury-662114.html Sat, 21 Feb 2026 14:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/rosenior-backs-joao-pedro-to-become-one-of-the-worlds-best-662116.html New Delhi Feb 21 Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior believes forward Joao Pedro has the potential to become one of the best strikers in world football â provided he sustains his current level of performance The Brazilian has been in electric form since Roseniorâs arrival at Chelsea FC last month scoring six goals and registering four assists in his last eight appearances His recent run has been pivotal to Chelseaâs momentum across competitions with Pedro rediscovering rhythm and confidence at a crucial stage of the seasonAmong the standout moments was his brilliant brace in Naples a performance that secured Chelsea a topeight berth in the UEFA Champions League Domestically he has delivered at key moments as well producing fine finishes against Brentford FC West Ham United FC and Leeds United FC at Stamford Bridge His opener in the 20 win over Brentford in particular underlined his sharp movement and clinical edge in front of goalPedro has primarily operated as a central number nine during this spell leading the line with maturity and composure However the 24yearold has also demonstrated tactical flexibility at times partnering Liam Delap â notably during the second half of the comeback victory over West HamâEvery player works on being the best player they can be regardless of the role theyâre asked to carry outâ Rosenior said ahead of Burnleyâs visit to Stamford Bridge in the Premier LeagueâFor Joao heâs had real rhythm Iâve asked him to do different things and heâs taken it on board and put it into practice Heâs been outstandingâThe Chelsea boss believes the next phase of Pedroâs development will determine just how far he can goâThe quality has never been in doubt The true test for Joao now â which is the exciting thing â is if he can maintain this level of intensity and this level of quality he can be one of the best strikers in world footballâI truly believe that Itâs a possibility at the moment if he maintains this levelâ IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/rosenior-backs-joao-pedro-to-become-one-of-the-worlds-best-662116.html Sat, 21 Feb 2026 14:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/gotten-not-better-at-all-bro-gauff-vents-out-at-coach-after-loss-to-svitolina-662118.html Dubai Feb 21 Tensions flared for Coco Gauff during a dramatic semifinal defeat at the Dubai Tennis Championships as the World No 4 appeared to vent her frustration toward her coaching team in the midst of a gruelling contest Gauff lost 46 76 46 to Ukraineâs Elina Svitolina in a marathon match that lasted three hours The game was full of momentum shifts but a key moment in the middle of the second set drew as much focus as the tennis itselfAfter striking one of her 12 double faults on the afternoon the 20yearold American visibly bristled Turning away from the court Gauff could be heard expressing her exasperation saying âIve been doing everything youve wanted for the last six monthsâ She then appeared to lower her voice before adding âAnd its gotten not better at all broâMany people saw the comments as aimed at her serving coach Gavin MacMillan who joined her team before last yearâs US Open MacMillan a biomechanics expert with experience in various sports notably collaborated with Aryna Sabalenka in 2022 to help improve her serve Gauff brought him in to tackle ongoing serving issues as she led the WTA Tour in double faults last season with over 300Despite making technical adjustments to her service motion the problem reemerged during crucial moments against Svitolina Gauff succeeded in saving four match points in a tense secondset tiebreak to push the match to a deciding set but she couldnt stop Svitolinaâs momentumThe Ukrainian player now 31 reached her first Dubai final in nearly a decade where she will compete against American Jessica Pegula Pegula earned her spot in the final by coming from behind to defeat her fellow American Amanda Anisimova 16 64 63For Gauff the defeat was a bitter end to an otherwise strong week underscored by visible frustration as she continues to search for greater consistency on serve IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/gotten-not-better-at-all-bro-gauff-vents-out-at-coach-after-loss-to-svitolina-662118.html Sat, 21 Feb 2026 14:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/dortmund-secure-brazilian-teenager-prates-on-long-term-deal-661942.html Berlin Feb 20 Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Brazilian leftback Kaua Prates from Brazilian topflight side Cruzeiro with the 17yearold set to join the Bundesliga club ahead of the 202627 season Dortmund confirmed that Prates has signed a longterm contract running until 2031 after successfully undergoing a medical this week The defender will remain under contract with Cruzeiro until the summer of 2026 before linking up with his new club in Germany reports XinhuaPrates who stands 184 meters tall moved to Cruzeiros youth academy in 2019 and made his professional debut in May 2025 at the age of 16 He has since featured in 17 matches for Cruzeiros first teamOn the international stage the junior international helped Brazils U17 side lift the South American U17 Championship last yearWith Kaua we have been able to secure an extremely exciting player for us He is still very young and is among the most talented players in South America We are convinced that with his abilities his ambition and his development potential he fits Borussia Dortmund very well said sporting managing director Lars RickenSporting director Sebastian Kehl also expressed his satisfaction at completing the deal We are delighted to have signed Kaua He is a highly talented player with a very versatile profile and is capable of playing in several defensive positions within various systems His tackling ability robustness and mentality will undoubtedly enrich our team next season Kehl saidPrates said he was eager to begin the next chapter of his career in Germany I am very proud to be able to play for this great club from the summer I am incredibly excited and I will give everything from day one in black and yellow to be successful with BVB he saidPrates is set to become Dortmunds 16th Brazilian player Only Germany has provided more players and combined appearances for the club The Brazilian connection began with Julio Cesar in 1994 while Dede holds the record for most appearances by a nonGerman with 398Borussia Dortmund remains in the Bundesliga title race sitting second and six points behind leader Bayern Munich while also keeping its Champions League hopes alive after a 20 firstleg win over Atalanta in the roundof16 tie IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/dortmund-secure-brazilian-teenager-prates-on-long-term-deal-661942.html Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/brazil-egypt-to-play-world-cup-fifa-wc-warmup-friendly-in-june-661945.html Rio de Janeiro Feb 20 Brazil to play Egypt in a friendly a week before FIFA World Cup 2026 begins in June as both teams finalise their preparations for the mega event the Brazilian Football Confederation CBF said The match will be played at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on June 6 five days before the start of footballs showpiece tournament in the United States Mexico and CanadaBrazil will play its last home preWorld Cup warmup a week earlier with a friendly against Panama at the Maracana Stadium on May 31Fivetime world champion Brazil will begin its Group C campaign against Morocco on June 13 before facing Haiti on June 19 and Scotland on June 24To conclude the preparation phase the Brazilian national team will face the oldest African team and one of the most successful on the continentThe most successful team in FIFA World Cup history with five titles 1958 1962 1970 1994 and 2002 Brazil is the only national team to have participated in every edition of the tournament and seeks to extend its dominance by winning its sixth titleEgypt is the most successful team in the Africa Cup of Nations with seven titles and has participated in three FIFA World Cups being the first African and Middle Eastern team to play in the tournament in 1934 in ItalyEgypt will start the FIFA World Cup campaign against Belgium on June 15 and will also face New Zealand on June 21 and Iran on June 26 in Group GThe North African team will look to to reaffirm its status as one of the greatest powers on the African continent and in the Arab world with millions of fans dreaming of a historic campaignThey rely on the talent and leadership of star player Mohamed Salah as well as a squad that combines experience and youth with names like Omar Marmoush Mahmoud TrÃzÃguet and Mostafa MohamedThere have been six matches since 1960 between Brazil and Egypt with Brazil winning all six Themost important was on June 15 2009 during that years Confederations Cup in Bloemfontein South Africa The Brazilians won 43 with goals from Kakà 2 LuÃs Fabiano and Juan The other matches were friendlies the last one in 2011 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/brazil-egypt-to-play-world-cup-fifa-wc-warmup-friendly-in-june-661945.html Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/mensik-upsets-sinner-in-doha-sets-sf-with-fils-661950.html Doha Feb 20 Jakub Mensik caused a major upset in the Qatar Open when the 20yearold stunned World No 2 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinal of the ATP 500 event Mensik beat Sinner 763 26 63 for the biggest win of his career by ATP rankingTwo years ago the Czech notched his maiden Top 5 victory against Andrey Rublev during his breakout run to the championship match in DohaThe 2025 Miami champion Mensik is now 42 against Top 5 opponents a tally that includes victories against ATP No 1 Club members Novak Djokovic and Sinner and he is up three spots to No 13 in the ATP Live Rankings as a result of his exploits in Doha so far ATP reportsâBefore the match I knew about Jannikâs quality A great guy a great champion Already what he has done in his young career itâs pretty impressive so I knew it was going to be a tough one But even with that thought I came to the match to win it and actually having a winning mindset Mensik saidHe will bid to reach the final in the Qatari capital for the second time on Friday when he faces the 21yearold FilsHaving made his return to action earlier this month after playing just two matches in the preceding eight months due to a back injury Frenchman Fils earned his first tourlevel semifinal appearance since last April by overcoming Jiri Lehecka 63 63âI didnt know that I was going to play that good that fast for sure You dont know what to expect when you are back from injury since what six to eight months So you dont really know what to expectâIâm pretty happy with the way Im playing now Its not my best tennis yet so far but were getting there I just need to fight every match to play a lot of balls to play a lot of games sets points to get again ready and getting better and better said Fils in his postmatch press conference IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/mensik-upsets-sinner-in-doha-sets-sf-with-fils-661950.html Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/gulmarg-set-to-showcase-real-impact-of-khelo-bharat-niti-during-kiwg-2026-661900.html Gulmarg Feb 19 The upcoming edition of the Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg is poised to become a realworld example of the governmentâs ambitious Khelo Bharat Niti with a visible surge in tourism local economic activity and national participation ahead of the February 2326 competition window Launched by the Union sports ministry in July last year the Khelo Bharat Niti aims to strengthen Indiaâs sporting ecosystem while leveraging major events to drive economic growth By promoting infrastructure development talent identification and international competitiveness the policy also seeks to boost allied sectors such as tourism manufacturing and sports technologyThat vision is already taking shape in Gulmarg one of Kashmirâs premier winter destinations where tourist interest has risen sharply in the leadup to the Games With Indiaâs top skiers including Winter Olympians set to compete the event has generated enthusiasm across the region particularly among those whose livelihoods depend on sports tourismLocal businesses have seen a clear uptick in activity Abeed a hotelier at Sheen Woods Tangmarg said bookings had surged weeks before the eventâFor us this is more than just tourism It is our identity When the Games happen Gulmarg feels like the heart of the countryâ he says pointing to a lobby filled with athletes from Madhya Pradesh Haryana Kerala Telangana and Jammu amp KashmirâYou hear different languages at breakfastâ he says âIt feels like a country in one roomâThe growth of the Winter Games in Gulmarg reflects a steady upward trajectory The inaugural edition in 2020 saw 1123 athletes compete across 13 disciplines with Jammu amp Kashmir topping the medal tally Participation rose to 1208 athletes in 2021 with the host region winning 18 gold medals The 2023 edition marked the peak with 1395 athletes as Jammu amp Kashmir secured 26 gold 25 silver and 25 bronze medals Though the 2024 and 2025 editions featured fewer events and participants competition intensified with teams such as the Army Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka delivering strong performancesNow as the sixth edition approaches the focus has shifted from experimentation to legacybuilding especially in reviving tourism after a challenging period Following the April 22 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam domestic tourist arrivals to Kashmir dropped significantly to around 1047 lakh in 2025 compared to approximately 26 lakh in 2024 However officials from the tourism department said visitor numbers have rebounded this year driven by the New Year rush and growing anticipation around the Winter Games Gulmargâs 2300 hotel and hut beds are already over 50 per cent booked for the event periodBeyond hotels and resorts the Games are also providing crucial income opportunities for seasonal workers On the slopes of Kongdoori sledge pullers Altaf Hussain and Muhammad Rafiq are preparing for the influx of visitorsâThis is our seasonâ Hussain says adjusting the ropes over his shoulders âWhen the games start Gulmarg comes aliveâThe duo typically earn between Rs 500 and Rs 1500 per tourist depending on distance and time with daily earnings ranging from Rs 1500 to Rs 3000 during peak periods a stark contrast to lean days when tourist footfall is minimalThe 2026 edition will feature four medal disciplines ski mountaineering alpine skiing Nordic skiing crosscountry and snowboarding attracting athletes and spectators from across the countryAs Gulmarg prepares to host another major winter sporting spectacle the Khelo India Winter Games are emerging as more than just a competition They represent a tangible demonstration of how sports policy can energise local economies strengthen national sporting culture and reaffirm Gulmargâs place as Indiaâs winter sports capital IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/gulmarg-set-to-showcase-real-impact-of-khelo-bharat-niti-during-kiwg-2026-661900.html Thu, 19 Feb 2026 16:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/i-manifested-this-moment-ever-since-canada-qualified-for-t20-wc-yuvraj-samra-on-record-ton-against-nz-661762.html Chennai Feb 17 At just 19 Yuvraj Samra announced himself on the biggest stage with a breathtaking 110 to power Canada to 1734 against New Zealand here at the M A Chidambaram Stadium on Monday Walking out for his very first T20 World Cup appearance the teenager played with poise beyond his years combining elegance with authority in a 58ball century that rewrote record books At 19 years and 141 days he became the youngest batter to score a fifty in T20 World Cup history and went on to register the first hundred by a player from an Associate nation in the tournament Moreover his 110run knock was the highest individual score for Associate teams in T20 World CupsReflecting on the milestone innings Samra speaking to the broadcasters after the first innings said âHonestly I manifested this moment ever since we qualified for the World Cup Every single day I dreamed about scoring a hundred on this stage To do it here in my first appearance and as the youngest player in this World Cup itâs truly a dream come trueâCanadaâs innings began cautiously against the newball pair of Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy but Samra quickly found his rhythm He pierced gaps with precision and launched an 87metre six to signal his intent while captain Dilpreet Bajwa provided steady support The duo stitched together a 116run opening stand the highest by an Associate team against a Full Member in T20 World Cup history laying the platform for a formidable totalSamraâs hundred studded with 11 fours and six sixes also carried emotional weight Named after Indian great Yuvraj Singh he surpassed his idolâs highest T20 World Cup score in the processâIt feels incredible There are so many emotions right now I canât really put them into words Yuvraj Singh is someone Iâve looked up to since I was a kid so to even be mentioned in the same breath is special I just wish my dad was here today watching me from back home this oneâs for himâ he notedSamra was equally measured in his assessment of the surface in Chennai âThe wicket was a bit slow and the ball was sticking slightly I felt it was important to pick the right deliveries to attack and not force shots Once I got set I focused on timing rather than power I think bowling into the pitch and mixing the pace will be key on this surface itâs not the easiest track for freeflowing strokeplay so youâve got to adaptâ he saidDespite late strikes from Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson quick contributions from Harsh Thaker and Dilon Heyliger ensured Canada finished strongly setting up a compelling contest under the Chennai lights IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/i-manifested-this-moment-ever-since-canada-qualified-for-t20-wc-yuvraj-samra-on-record-ton-against-nz-661762.html Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/india-pak-t20-clash-bjp-expresses-confidence-in-victory-cong-slams-match-with-terror-state-661644.html New Delhi Feb 15 IANS The muchanticipated IndiaPakistan T20 World Cup encounter scheduled for Sunday evening has once again ignited sharp political reactions across party linesnbspnbspWhile leaders from the BJP and its allies voiced confidence that India would secure a decisive victory the Congress questioned the very staging of the match in light of crossborder terrorism allegedly backed by PakistannbspIndia and Pakistan are set to face off in Colombo later in the day The atmosphere in the host city is already chargednbspStreets have been decked with flags hotel lounges are abuzz with animated discussions and crowds are expected to begin assembling outside the stadium hours before the tossBJP MP Praveen Khandelwal expressed strong confidence in Team Indias prospectsnbspSpeaking to IANS he said India has defeated Pakistan on the battlefield as well and now our cricket team will tear apart Pakistans team on the cricket field today which will show Pakistan that India is superior in every respect the very bestnbspLadakh Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta also expressed hope that India will win this matchnbspAs far as the IndiaPakistan match is concerned with 140 crore Indians standing behind our players Indias victory is certain Pakistan struggles against India in every field be it defence or other areas he told IANSBJP leader Ravindra Raina also conveyed optimism linking the match to the auspicious occasion of MahashivratrinbspAs we all know today India is set to face its archrival Pakistan on the cricket field On this sacred occasion of Mahashivratri we pray that the blessings of Lord Bholenath and Goddess Parvati remain with our Indian team Raina said in a conversation with IANSnbspUttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Nishad described sports as a matter closely tied to national pride saying that victories on the field resonate emotionally across the countryThe nations emotions are connected to the game with players as its heroes As for Pakistan dogs die on the streets because they cannot decide which way to go Similarly some countries are unable to make decisions about running the nation or managing relations Nishad told IANSnbspJDU national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad also anticipated a highvoltage contestnbspSpeaking to IANS he said This will prove to be a thrilling match and crores of Indian cricket fans hope that India can deliver a strong defeat to Pakistan on the cricket field and assert its dominance in the T20 World CupThe CPIM meanwhile welcomed the fixture and emphasised that sports should remain separate from political disputesnbspCPIM leader Hannan Mollah told IANS This is a welcome development after continuous quarrel and stopping and starting all these things At least as I always say sports should not be drawn into politics Sports are a different aspect of civilisation and lifeIn contrast Congress leaders strongly objected to India playing Pakistan citing the recent terror attack in Pahalgam which they said was carried out by The Resistance Front a wing of Pakistanbased LashkareTaiba In the attack 26 tourists were killednbspCongress leader Rashid Alvi voiced sharp opposition to the matchnbspNo match should be played with Pakistan How can we play a game of victory and defeat with those who come to our country and spread terrorism who kill our people A game whether cricket or any other is played with friends With enemies Holi is played and that too a Holi of blood he told IANSSenior Congress leader TS Singh Deo also questioned the logic behind the fixturenbspThe issue of India and Pakistan playing in the T20 World Cup seems to be a topic of discussion currently as to whether or not we should do that The larger issue is do we have any relationship with Pakistan Do we want to have any relationship with Pakistan Why should there be a cricket match if we are not having diplomatic talks with the terror state Pakistan he saidnbspAs the teams prepare to take the field in Colombo the match has once again become more than just a sporting contestIANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/india-pak-t20-clash-bjp-expresses-confidence-in-victory-cong-slams-match-with-terror-state-661644.html Sun, 15 Feb 2026 16:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/fritz-survives-injury-scare-to-enter-sf-in-dallas-661614.html Dallas Feb 14 Taylor Fritz survived an injury scare to beat Sebastian Korda 672 64 765 for a place in the Dallas Open semifinals At 45 3015 first set Fritz hit an awkward backhand flick that led to a sharp pain and a physio visit in the same game He had the injury worked on and was still feeling the pain but not as intensely He received multiple visits from the physio which he explained helped ATP reportsThat was a weird one He hit a really hard return and so I had to kind of hit a flick backhand and the way that I hit it just jammed my elbow I think It was a hardhit ball so I just think the way I hit it behind me and extended my elbow I instantly just felt this really sharp pain in my elbow Fritz said in his oncourt interview I went over to the towel box I was feeling it and I was like âIâll try to hit a serveâ Luckily I made it and it wasnât a bad serve because the ball came back and I couldnât hit the next ball It was such a sharp painFritz had to deal with Korda who served at 54 in the finalset tiebreak But the former No 15 player in the PIF ATP Rankings made backtoback forehand errors allowing Fritz to escape The top seed hit 22 aces and saved all four break points he faced according to ATP StatsFritz will next face former World No 3 Marin Cilic who stormed past breakthrough Briton Jack Pinnington Jones 61 64 in just 78 minutesThe Croatian a 21time tourlevel champion is pursuing his first ATP Tour title since Hangzhou in 2024 Fritz leads their ATP headtohead series 21 but they have not played since 2022 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/fritz-survives-injury-scare-to-enter-sf-in-dallas-661614.html Sat, 14 Feb 2026 15:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/dortmund-tighten-pressure-in-title-race-with-win-over-bayern-661617.html Berlin Feb 14 Borussia Dortmund strengthened its pursuit of leader Bayern Munich with a comprehensive 40 home victory over Mainz extending its unbeaten Bundesliga run and maintaining a threepoint gap at the summit The result stretched Dortmunds sequence without defeat to 15 league matches and halted Mainzs recent surge as the visitors winning streak came to an end in the opening fixture of the 22nd matchdayNiko Kovacs side asserted control early dominating possession and forcing Mainz deep Its first clear opportunity brought the breakthrough after 10 minutes From the right edge of the area Julian Ryerson delivered a precise cross and Serhou Guirassy rose above Dominik Kohr to head in from close rangeFive minutes later the pattern repeated Ryerson again found space to cross this time picking out Maximilian Beier at the far post His header from a tight angle struck Daniel Batz and crossed the line for 20Mainz briefly threatened a response when Silas ran clear following a defensive lapse but he steered his effort wide The miss proved costly Shortly before the interval Ryersons corner caused further problems and Guirassy powered home another header to make it 30 effectively deciding the contest before the breakAfter halftime Dortmund remained the more dangerous side Batz denied Julian Brandt and Guirassy in quick succession yet Mainz struggled to generate sustained pressure despite occasional approachesThe fourth goal arrived in the 84th minute Another Ryerson corner deflected off Dominik Kohr and rolled into his own net completing a night in which the Norwegian assisted all four goals Gregor Kobel preserved the clean sheet with a late save ensuring Mainz finished emptyhandedDortmund remain second and trim the gap to FC Bayern to three points increasing the pressure on the leaders before their next fixture while 14thplaced Mainz continue to hover above danger sitting just two points clear of the relegation playoff positionWe are happy and we are pleased with the win In the first half we were very efficient and directed the game the way we wanted After the break we controlled it A 40 is very good and above all keeping a clean sheet is important for us We are not looking at Bayern now We are looking behind us because our clear objective is to qualify for the Champions League Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/dortmund-tighten-pressure-in-title-race-with-win-over-bayern-661617.html Sat, 14 Feb 2026 16:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/united-rescue-point-at-west-ham-chelsea-held-at-home-by-leeds-661428.html London Feb 11 Tomas Souceks 50th goal for West Ham was not enough to secure a vital home win as a 96thminute strike from Benjamin Sesko earned Manchester United a 11 draw West Ham limited Uniteds attacking threat for much of the match and was seconds from a victory that would have pulled the London club level with Nottingham Forest But Bryan Mbeumo whipped a late ball into the area and Sesko squeezed his effort through a narrow gap and into the net The draw ended Uniteds fourgame winning run reports XinhuaChelsea was held to a 22 draw at home by Leeds United despite racing into a twogoal lead Joao Pedro opened the scoring and Cole Palmer doubled the advantage from the penalty spot after a handball in the Leeds areaLeeds fought back when Lukas Nmecha converted a penalty following a foul on Jayden Bogle Noah Okafor then tapped in the equalizer during a chaotic move that saw Chelsea appeal unsuccessfully for handball against Bogle as he chased a through ball Chelsea pushed for a late winner but Palmer missed a clear chance firing over from close rangeJacob Ramseys 68thminute strike gave Newcastle United a 21 win away to Tottenham Malick Thiaw had put Newcastle ahead in firsthalf stoppage time before Tottenham responded after the break with Archie Gray scoring from close range following a corner Ramseys goal proved decisive and leaves Tottenham mired in the relegation battleThe win lift Newcastle into the top half and within three points of Liverpool in sixth while Spurs drop one place to 16th with Leeds United overtaking themBournemouth came from behind to beat Everton 21 away Everton led through Iliman Ndiayes penalty after a foul on Jarrad Branthwaite but headers from Rayan and Amine Adli in the 61st and 64th minutes turned the match Evertons task became harder when Jake OBrien was sent off five minutes later for denying a clear scoring chanceOn Wednesday Manchester City hosts Fulham Aston Villa welcomes Brighton and Liverpool travels to Sunderland IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/united-rescue-point-at-west-ham-chelsea-held-at-home-by-leeds-661428.html Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-stoinis-renshaw-guide-australia-to-1826-against-ireland-661463.html Colombo Feb 11 A 61run partnership between Matthew Renshaw and Marcus Stoinis helped Australia reach 1826 in 20 overs against Ireland in their first match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday Coming to bat after winning the toss Australia were off to a bad start as their standin captain Travis Head was run out on the seventh ball of the innings after a mixup with his opening partner Josh Inglis Head scored just six runs off seven balls he played and hit one fourAfter an early wicket Inglis and Cameron Green played with positive intent and attacked Ireland bowlers fiercely The duo forged a partnership of 49 runs off just 23 balls before Green was out on the last ball of the fifth over trying to hit a six against Mark Adair Green scored 21 runs off just 11 balls and provided momentum to the batting side with two sixes and one fourInglis continued the attack by hitting two boundaries in the next two overs but was eventually caught by Paul Stirling at cover in the seventh over The wicketkeeper batter scored 37 runs off just 17 balls Inglis also hammered six boundaries and one sixAustralias experienced allrounder Glenn Maxwell tried to steer the innings but was dismissed cheaply in the tenth over after edging out against Lorcan Tucker Maxwell scored just 9 runs in nine ballsAustralia were at 904 during the midinnings interval and as Ireland were hoping to do more damage Renshaw and Stoinis forged a 61run partnership which was helped by Irelands sloppy fieldingThe duo adopted a boundaryless approach at the start as they were continuously rotating the strike putting pressure on the opposition who were looking for a wicketIreland finally got the breakthrough in the 17th over when Matthew Humphreys clean bowled Renshaw who departed after scoring 37 runs in 33 ballsStoinis who was dropped by Delany in the next over continued to attack but missed a welldeserved fifty when he was finally caught by Benjamin Calitz in the 18th over Stoinis scored 45 runs in just 29 balls and hammered two fours and one six which guided Australia to a challenging totalAdair was the most successful bowler for Ireland as he finished with good figures of 244 While Matthew Humphreys George Dockrell and Harry Tector took one wicket eachBrief Scores Australia 1826 in 20 overs Marcus Stoinis 45 Matt Renshaw 37 Mark Adair 244 Harry Tector 124 against Ireland IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-stoinis-renshaw-guide-australia-to-1826-against-ireland-661463.html Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-zimbabwe-choose-to-bowl-against-oman-in-campaign-opener-661277.html Colombo Feb 9 Zimbabwe have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Oman in their Group B clash of the 2026 T20 World Cup at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground SSC in Colombo on Monday After winning the toss Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza said Were going to have a bowl first We looked at the wicket as well and it looked like theres early movement as well and with the wind going on as well I think the wicket is going to look to get better from what I can see Give our seamers the best chance to make the ball talkZimbabwe and Sri Lanka share a very good relationship so they were very kind enough to allow us to come a week before and we were in Hambantota for a week And then we have been here for five odd days as well So certainly those 1012 days have certainly helped us to prepare And adjust to the conditions and we couldnt wait to get the show on the road he addedWhile after losing the toss Oman captain Jatinder Singh said Absolutely Itâs a good surface and it definitely settled down a bit in the second innings The preparation has been excellent We arrived in Sri Lanka quite early and had a really strong buildupWe played a couple of games and since the conditions here are very different it was important for us to get used to them Itâs also much more humid compared to Oman so overall the preparation has been spot on Based on the wicket I think around 160 to 165 would be ideal Anything in that range should be competitive he addedPlaying XIsZimbabwe Brian Bennett Tadiwanashe Marumani Dion Myers Brendan Taylor wk Sikandar Raza c Ryan Burl Tashinga Musekiwa Brad Evans Wellington Masakadza Richard Ngarava Blessing MuzarabaniOman Jatinder Singh c Aamir Kaleem Hammad Mirza Wasim Ali Karan Sonavale Jiten Ramanandi Vinayak Shukla wk Sufyan Mehmood Nadeem Khan Shah Faisal Shakeel Ahmed IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-zimbabwe-choose-to-bowl-against-oman-in-campaign-opener-661277.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 03:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/asian-riflepistol-cship-manu-misses-gold-in-shoot-off-esha-wins-bronze-in-25m-pistol-661298.html New Delhi Feb 9 Manu Bhaker narrowly missed out on a gold as she went down to Vietnamâs Thuy Trang Nguyen in an exciting final of 25m Womenâs Pistol that was decided at the end of two shootoffs in the Asian RiflePistol Championship which is being held here at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range Esha Singh won her second individual medal of the championship winning bronze Naamya Kapoor clinched gold in the junior category in another tense shootoff while Anjali Bhagwat secured the bronze in the same event as India took their total medal tally to 60 medals including 37 gold 13 silver and 10 bronze In the finals Esha Singh started with a perfect five in the first series while Manu and Thuy Trang hit four All three shooters were trading the medal positions after each series in the tightly contested finals The Indians were putting pressure on the Vietnamese shooter but a perfect five shots in the sixth series saw her take a twopoint lead Manu and Esha took advantage of Nguyenâs oneshot seventh series to close the gapEsha who was leading with a score of 30 at the end of the eighth series missed all her shots in the ninth series to eventually be content with the bronze medal In the last series Manu hit three shots while Nguyen hit two shots to end the finals on 35 shots to take the finals to a shootoffIn the first shootoff both shooters hit two shots each and in the following shootoff Manu missed three shots to miss out on the gold medal The third Indian in the final Rhythm Sangwan finished in fourth placeIn the junior finals Naamya Kapoor survived a shootoff to clinch the gold The youngest Indian to win a World Championship medal hit 29 shots the same as Rihadatul Asyifa of Indonesia The young shooter held her nerve in the shootoff hitting three shots while Asyifa missed all her shots Anjali Bhagwat won bronze with a score of 24 Parisha Gupta who qualified for the finals in the top spot finished in fifth place with a score of 14The Indian teams also secured gold in both the senior and junior categories IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/asian-riflepistol-cship-manu-misses-gold-in-shoot-off-esha-wins-bronze-in-25m-pistol-661298.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 03:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-muzarbani-ngarava-and-evans-take-three-wickets-each-as-zimbabwe-bowl-out-oman-for-103-661302.html Colombo Feb 9 The fast bowling trio of Blessing Muzarabani Richard Ngarava and Brad Evans picked three wickets each as Zimbabwe bowled out Oman for 103 runs in 195 overs in their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign opener at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Monday Being put to bat after losing the toss Oman were off to a disastrous start as Muzarbani clean bowled skipper Jatinder Singh 5 with a good length ball on the first ball of the second overOmans experienced batter Hammad Mirza followed suit as he was dismissed in the next over by Richard NgaravaAs the pressure increased on the batting side Muzarbani came back for his second over and sent Aamir Kaleem who became the oldest player to feature in a T20 World Cup match At 44 years and 81 days of age Kaleem broke the record of Ryan Campbell who played at 44 years and 34 daysZimbabwes star bowler edged out Karan Sonavale who went for a duck in the same over Oman lost their fifth wicket at the score of 27 when Wasim Ali was clean bowled by the skipper Sikandar Raza after the powerplayAs the Oman team were heading towards an early allout wicketkeeper batter Vinayak Shukla and Sufiyan Mehmood showed some fightback The duo forged a 42run partnership the teams highest in the innings which helped the team cross their lowest total markHowever their resistance didnt last long as Vinayak was undone by Ngarava in the 15th over Vinayak scored 28 runs and hit four boundaries during his stay at the crease Ngarava took his third wicket in the same over as Jiten Ramanandi edged a shortpitched ball which was caught by wicketkeeper Dion MyersSufyan continued the charge but got out in the 17th over trying to pull a slower delivery He scored 25 runs off 39 balls and hit two foursNadeem Khan provided a late push with a brisk 20 off 18 but was dismissed by Evans in the last over putting an end to Omans inningsFor Zimbabwe Muzarbani Ngarava and Evans were the most successful bowlers Muzarbani finished with the figures of 3 for 16 while Ngarava finished with 317 Brad Evans also took three wickets while giving out 18 runs Skipper Raza took one wicket in his four oversBrief Scores Oman 10310 in 195 Vinayak Shukla 28 Sufyan Mehmood 25 Blessing Muzarbani 316 Richard Ngarava 317 Brad Evans 318 against Zimbabwe IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-muzarbani-ngarava-and-evans-take-three-wickets-each-as-zimbabwe-bowl-out-oman-for-103-661302.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 03:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-zimbabwe-register-dominant-eight-wicket-win-against-oman-in-campaign-opener-661314.html Colombo Feb 9 Zimbabwe began their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion registering a dominant eightwicket victory over Oman as they chased down a modest target of 103 in just 133 overs in the eighth match of the tournament at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground SSC in Colombo on Monday Coming in to chase an easy target Zimbabwe were off to a strong start as both openers struck the ball fluently with the team scoring at a run rate of over 10 runs per over in the first three oversOman finally got their breakthrough in the fourth over when Sufyan Mehmood dismissed Tadiwanashe Marumani who was looking in excellent touch and scored 21 runs off just 11 balls including five boundariesSufyan provided another wicket to Oman in the same over when he sent Dion Myers back to the pavilion for a duckAfter the backtoback wickets Zimbabwe wicketkeeper batter Brendan Taylor forged a matchwinning partnership with opener Brian Bennett who rotated the strike wellThe duo followed a boundaryless approach at the start and took singles and doubles as they gradually increased pressure on the oppositionBrian missed out on a welldeserved halfcentury as he remained unbeaten on 48 He hammered seven fours during his fine innings Taylor scored 31 runs off 30 balls including three boundaries before retiring hurt at the end of the 13th over Captain Sikandar Raza hit the winning runs as Zimbabwe chased down the total in just 133 overs For Oman Sufyan was the only bowler to pick up wickets finishing with figures of 3 for 12 in three oversEarlier the fast bowling trio of Blessing Muzarabani Richard Ngarava and Brad Evans picked up three wickets each as Zimbabwe bowled out Oman for 103 runs in 195 overs after choosing to bowl firstOman were off to a disastrous start as Muzarabani clean bowled skipper Jatinder Singh 5 with a goodlength delivery on the first ball of the second over Omanâs experienced batter Hammad Mirza followed suit as he was dismissed in the next over by Richard NgaravaAs pressure mounted on the batting side Muzarabani returned for his second over and sent Aamir Kaleem and Karan Sonavale back to the pavilion in the same over As Oman headed towards an early collapse wicketkeeper batter Vinayak Shukla and Sufiyan Mehmood showed some resistance The duo forged a 42run partnership the teamâs highest of the innings which helped Oman cross the 100run markBrief Scores Zimbabwe 1062 in 133 overs Brian Bennett 48 Brendan Taylor 31 Tadiwanashe Marumani 21 Sufyan Mehmood 212 beat Oman all out for 103 in 195 Vinayak Shukla 28 Sufyan Mehmood 25 Blessing Muzarbani 316 Richard Ngarava 317 Brad Evans 318 by eight wickets IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-zimbabwe-register-dominant-eight-wicket-win-against-oman-in-campaign-opener-661314.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/dp-world-players-championship-to-tee-off-on-tuesdat-at-qutab-golf-course-661328.html New Delhi Feb 9 DP World and the Professional Golf Tour of India PGTI have jointly launched the DP World Players Championship The first leg of the DP World Players Championship is scheduled to be held at the Qutab Golf Course in New Delhi from February 10 â 13 2026 The tournament offers a prize purse of INR 15 crore The tournament week teedoff with the ProAm event on February 8The second event of the 2026 DP World PGTI season will see participation of 126 players including 125 professionals and one amateur The strong field at the event boasts of top Indian professionals Veer Ahlawat Om Prakash Chouhan Manu Gandas all former DP World PGTI Order of Merit champions as well as Angad Cheema twotime winner on the DP World PGTI last year Ajeetesh Sandhu twotime international winner and Shubham Jaglan 2026 DP World PGTI Qualifying School Champion to name a few Sri Lankaâs N Thangaraja threetime winner on the DP World PGTI last year will be the leading foreign name in the fieldThe host city of Delhi will be represented by prominent names Arjun Prasad Kshitij Naveed Kaul Rashid Khan and Shamim Khan all winners on the DP World PGTIKapil Dev president Professional Golf Tour of India PGTI said âThe launch of the DP World Players Championship reflects DP World and PGTIâs joint commitment of elevating Indian golf and providing our players with maximum competitive opportunities We thank DP World for their support which will help accelerate the development of professional golf in India We look forward to a highly competitive and exciting 2026 DP World PGTI seasonâAmandeep Johl CEO Professional Golf Tour of India PGTI said âDP World and PGTI have jointly launched the DP World Players Championship with the objective to create a competitive platform that helps Indian players grow and progress Through our partnership with DP World we are positioning PGTI on a global platform attracting worldwide attention and reinforcing Indiaâs credentials as a premier destination for elite golf competition We extend our gratitude to MrYuvraj Narayan Group Deputy CEO amp Chief Financial Officer DP World Mr Rizwan Soomar CEO amp Managing Director MENA amp India Subcontinent DP World and the entire DP World team for partnering with PGTI DP Worldâs support is instrumental in driving the longterm development of Indian professional golf We also thank the Qutab Golf Course one of the top championship venues in the DelhiNCR region for partnering with us in staging the eventâ IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/dp-world-players-championship-to-tee-off-on-tuesdat-at-qutab-golf-course-661328.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/new-guard-new-grades-bcci-contracts-signal-indian-crickets-big-shift-661351.html New Delhi Feb 9 Indian cricket just got a glimpse of its future â and itâs wearing fresh names at the top The Board of Control for Cricket in Indiaâs 2025â26 annual player contracts arenât just about retainers and grades They tell a bigger story a generational handover is well and truly underwayFor years Indian cricket revolved around the twin pillars of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Now while both remain centrally contracted their move to Grade B underlines a shift from automatic leadership status to experienced support rolesTaking their place in Grade A are Shubman Gill â Now officially seen as the face of Indiaâs batting future Jasprit Bumrah â Still the attack leader and the only fast bowler in the top tier Ravindra Jadeja â The everreliable threedimensional assetGillâs promotion feels symbolic The stylish opener has moved from âpromisingâ to âpillarâ and the board has stamped that belief in inkBumrahâs presence in the top bracket once again proves Indiaâs pace plans still orbit around his fitness and skill Jadeja meanwhile continues to be cricketâs ultimate utility cricketer â bat ball field all eliteBeing in Grade B doesnât diminish the stature of Kohli or Rohit â it redefines itThey now sit alongside key multiformat players like KL Rahul Mohammed Siraj Hardik Pandya Rishabh PantThis tier now looks like the experienced engine room â players who can still win matches but are no longer the longterm blueprintThe longest list belongs to Grade C and thatâs exactly how selectors want itNames like Rinku Singh Tilak Varma Ruturaj Gaikwad and Arshdeep Singh highlight Indiaâs growing whiteball depth while youngsters such as Dhruv Jurel and Sai Sudharsan are being groomed as the next longterm investmentsThis isnât just a backup pool anymore â itâs a parallel production lineWomenâs contracts Stability at the top surge belowIn the womenâs setup the leadership core remains solid in Grade A Harmanpreet Kaur Smriti Mandhana Jemimah Rodrigues Deepti SharmaBut what stands out is the expanding middle tier Players like Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh reflect Indiaâs aggressive fearless new batting identity while several new names entering the contract list show how quickly the womenâs talent pool is wideningThis is less about transition and more about rapid expansionThis yearâs list isnât just administrative â itâs directional India is planning beyond legends Youth is no longer âemergingâ itâs âestablishedâ Depth is now a strategy not a luxuryThe message from the BCCI is crystal clear the next Indian era isnât comingItâs already here IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/new-guard-new-grades-bcci-contracts-signal-indian-crickets-big-shift-661351.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 07:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-all-the-stats-from-zimbabwes-dominant-8-wicket-win-over-oman-661352.html Colombo Feb 9 Zimbabwe began their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion registering a dominant eightwicket victory over Oman as they chased down a modest target of 103 in just 133 overs in the eighth match of the tournament at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground SSC in Colombo on Monday The fast bowling trio of Blessing Muzarabani Richard Ngarava and Brad Evans picked up three wickets each as Zimbabwe bowled out Oman for 103 runs in 195 overs after choosing to bowl firstComing in to chase an easy target Zimbabwe were off to a strong start as both openers struck the ball fluently with the team scoring at a run rate of over 10 runs per over in the first three oversOman finally got their breakthrough in the fourth over when Sufyan Mehmood dismissed Tadiwanashe Marumani and Dion MyersAfter the backtoback wickets Zimbabwe wicketkeeper batter Brendan Taylor forged a matchwinning 68run partnership with opener Brian Bennett who rotated the strike well With this Zimbabwe achieved the target easily in just 133 oversHeres a look at all the key stats from the Zimbabwe vs Oman Match9 Zimbabwe recorded their 9th win in the T20 World Cup matches To date they have played 21 matches won 9 and lost 11 while 1 match produced no result8 Oman suffered their 8th defeat in the 11th World Cup matches3 Brendan Taylor was retired hurt in the 13th over of the innings when he was playing In the last 5 T20 innings this was the 3rd instance when he was retired hurt103 103 in 195 overs is Omans 3rd lowest total in the T20 World Cup Before this they scored 47 v England in North Sound in 2024 and 65 for 9 v Bangladesh in Dharamsala in the 2016 World CupAamir Kaleem of Oman became the oldest player to feature in a T20 World Cup match At 44 years and 81 days age Kaleem broke the record of Ryan Campbell who played at 44 years and 34 daysLowest totals against Zimbabwe in the T20 World CupTotal Overs For Venue Year103 195 Oman Colombo 20261169 20 UAE Sylhet 20141298 20 Pakistan Perth 20221326 20 Scotland Hobart 2022136 194 Scotland Nagpur 20161389 20 Australia Cape Town 2007 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-all-the-stats-from-zimbabwes-dominant-8-wicket-win-over-oman-661352.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 07:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/no-penalty-or-sanction-for-bcb-icc-issues-statement-661358.html Dubai Feb 9 The International Cricket Council ICC Pakistan Cricket Board PCB and Bangladesh Cricket Board BCB have concluded an open constructive and congenial dialogue This dialogue covered several matters including but not limited to the ICC Menâs T20 World Cup 2026 and the broader outlook for cricket in South AsiaWhile reflecting on the Bangladesh cricket teamâs unfortunate absence from the ICC Menâs T20 World Cup the global governing body for cricket reaffirmed BCBs position as a valued Full Member with a proud cricketing history and a vital role in the growth of the global game The ICC also reiterated its continued facilitation of growth in one of cricketâs most vibrant markets with more than 200 million passionate fans to ensure that the national teams nonparticipation in ICC Mens T20 World Cup does not have any longterm effects on Cricket in the countryThe highlights of the dialogue set out below reflect a forwardlooking alignment reached in good faith and are intended to provide clarity on the current position of the stakeholders They do not alter qualify or detract from the ICCâs constitutional autonomy governance framework or established decisionmaking processes all of which remain fully applicableIt is agreed that no financial sporting or administrative penalty will be imposed on Bangladesh Cricket Board in relation to the current matterIt is acknowledged that BCB retains the right to approach the Dispute Resolution Committee DRC should it choose to do so This right exists under current ICC regulations and remains intactThe ICCâs approach is guided by its principles of neutrality and fairness and reflects the shared objective of facilitative support rather than punishmentAs part of this understanding an agreement has been reached that Bangladesh will host an ICC event prior to the ICC Menâs Cricket World Cup 2031 subject to the usual ICC hosting processes timelines and operational requirementsThis reflects confidence in Bangladeshâs capability as a host and reinforces the ICCâs commitment to providing meaningful hosting opportunities across its membership to develop cricket in the countryThe ICC PCB and BCB along with other Members remain committed to continued dialogue cooperation and constructive engagement in the best interests of the sport All stakeholders acknowledge that the spirit of this understanding is to protect the integrity of the game and preserve unity within the cricket fraternityICC Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta said âBangladeshâs absence from the ICC Menâs T20 World Cup is regrettable but it does not alter the ICCâs enduring commitment to Bangladesh as a core cricketing nation Our focus continues to be on working closely with key stakeholders including BCB to ensure the sport grows sustainably in the country and that future opportunities for its players and fans are strengthened Bangladesh remains a priority cricket ecosystem deserving of longterm investment in its development competitiveness and global integration and is not defined by shortterm disruptionsâ IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/no-penalty-or-sanction-for-bcb-icc-issues-statement-661358.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 07:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/premier-league-man-city-secure-dramatic-late-win-over-liverpool-661235.html London Feb 9 Manchester City rallied late to beat Liverpool 21 at Anfield keeping its Premier League title hopes alive with a dramatic comeback City kicked off nine points behind leader Arsenal which had beaten Sunderland 30 on Saturday and the gap appeared set to widen when Dominik Szoboszlai curled in a stunning free kick in the 75th minute to give Liverpool the leadBernardo Silva equalized in the 84th minute finishing after Erling Haaland headed the ball into his path before Haaland completed the turnaround from the penalty spot The spot kick was awarded after Matheus Nunes was brought down by goalkeeper Alisson Xinhua rperotsThe match ended in chaotic fashion when Szoboszlai hauled down Haaland as the striker broke clear on goal Haaland reacted and the ball ended up in the net but following a VAR review the referee ruled out the goal awarded City a free kick and sent off SzoboszlaiIt was a brilliant advert for the Premier League First half was really good and we lost a bit of momentum in the second half Anfield can feel like that After that we played more direct and after that we lost the ball and we were so passive What a strike from Szoboszlai and after that led by our captain Bernardo we come back The spirit has been there and in general the first half was really good and second half a bit of fatigue said GuardiolaElsewhere Ismaila Sarr scored the only goal as Crystal Palace ended a 13game winless run with a 10 victory away to Brighton moving nine points clear of the relegation zoneSarr struck in the 61st minute after Brighton failed to clear effectively running onto a through ball and slotting homeJames Milner was an unused substitute for Brighton leaving him one appearance short of equaling Gareth Barrys Premier League record of 653 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/premier-league-man-city-secure-dramatic-late-win-over-liverpool-661235.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/real-madrid-win-in-valencia-betis-take-copa-revenge-in-la-liga-661239.html Madrid Feb 9 Secondhalf goals from left back Alvaro Carreras and Kylian Mbappe gave Real Madrid a 20 win away to Valencia on Sunday night keeping the defending champion one point behind FC Barcelona in the La Liga title race Carreras opened the scoring in the 65th minute with an individual effort riding a pair of weak challenges before finishing Mbappe sealed the victory in injury time as Madrid largely subdued before the break steadily forced Valencia deeper in the second halfWhile Madrid stayed on Barcelonas heels Valencia slipped closer to the relegation zone in a difficult week that also saw the club eliminated from the Copa del ReyAntony scored in the 29th minute as Real Betis avenged its recent Copa del Rey quarterfinal loss to Atletico Madrid with a 10 league win at the Metropolitano StadiumBetis beaten 50 at home by Atletico just three days earlier tightened defensively and was fortunate when a potential secondhalf equalizer for the hosts was ruled out for offsideGorka Guruzeta scored twice in the first half as Athletic Club returned to winning ways with a 42 home victory over Levante in a match that descended into chaos late onGuruzeta headed home in the 29th minute and added a low finish five minutes later after Levante was reduced to 10 men when Alan Matturro was sent off for hauling down Inaki WilliamsAthletic missed chances to extend its lead and Unai Elgezabals overhead kick pulled a goal back for Levante in the 81st minute Nico Serrano restored a twogoal cushion five minutes later but Jon Ander Olasagasti struck in the 94th minute to make it 32 before Robert Navarro sealed the win in the ninth minute of added timeSevilla salvaged a 11 draw at home to Girona thanks to a late goal from Kike Salas and a stoppagetime penalty save by Odysseas Vlachodimos who denied Cristhian Stuani with the final kick of the matchGirona had taken the lead in the second minute through Thomas Lemar and was left frustrated after failing to secure all three points against a Sevilla side that struggled to create chancesGetafe ended a ninematch winless run with a 20 victory away to AlavesAlaves edged the first half but failed to respond after Luis Vazquez gave Getafe the lead in the 53rd minute with Mauro Arambarri adding a penalty in the 72nd IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/real-madrid-win-in-valencia-betis-take-copa-revenge-in-la-liga-661239.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-hopefully-uae-get-wins-this-time-and-go-a-long-way-says-sharafu-661243.html New Delhi Feb 9 The United Arab Emirates UAE are all set to make their third appearance in the 2026 Menâs T20 World Cup when they open their Group D campaign against New Zealand in Chennai on Tuesday evening The Gulf nation qualified for the mega event after finishing third in the AsiaEAP regional qualifiers and marked their return to the tournament for the first time since 2022 where they secured their maiden T20 World Cup victory over NamibiaRighthanded batter Alishan Sharafu has been in strong form since the last T20 World Cup in 2024 accumulating 1105 runs in 37 innings at an average of 325 and a strike rate of 134 In an exclusive conversation with IANS Sharafu talks about his batting the UAEâs aims in the tournament and the influence of captain Muhammad Waseem and head coach former India opener Lalchand RajputQ Youve been in exceptional form post2024 scoring over 1000 runs with 10 fiftyplus scores Whats clicked for you during this period and how do you maintain that consistencyA Im just glad that Ive been able to score a few runs and its been fun so far batting at the top for UAE in T20Is and Im glad that Ive had a couple of good games and helped the team in winning games especially in important tournaments like the Asia Cup qualifiers and the T20 World Cup qualifiers So thats been fun and hopefully it keeps going wellQ Your strike rate against pace 147 is significantly better than against spin 118 What specific work are you doing to improve your game against spinners ahead of playing in Indian conditionsA About the strike rate yes I do enjoy playing a bit of pace early on when I go in to bat in the innings and I fancy taking my chances against the fast bowlers in the power play and then obviously in the middle overs thats the time where you have to consolidate and play around with the other batters So I do enjoy playing spin and taking my chances against spin but if I have to say then Ill probably say that I enjoy playing pace a little bit moreQ Playing alongside and against some of the worlds best in the ILT20 â which players have you learnt the most from and what specific aspects of their game have you tried to incorporate into yoursA Yes ILT20 has been a massive platform for all of us UAE cricketers and Ive been especially lucky enough Ive been playing for the Knight Riders for the last three years and theyve fully trusted in what I do and Im grateful for the opportunities theyve givenIve played every single game for them and fortunately enough Ive done decently well for them So that experience has been invaluable and Ive fully enjoyed my time over there and the environment there and getting to spend quality time with the worldclass cricketers there has been quite a good experienceQ Youve always been a toporder batter but youre now adjusting to middleorder responsibilities as well How challenging has that transition been and whats the biggest difference in mindset between the two rolesA Yes Ive always batted at the top but it was in ILT20 where I first started batting in the middle order and I enjoyed that challenge quite a bit and something different and new But you have to learn to adapt to different situations and roles in the teamSo Im glad that I had a bit of experience doing that and in franchise cricket Now that Ive sort of started doing a similar role for the UAE I hope I can channel my batting in the same frequency and hopefully consolidate in the middle overs and try and bat as deep as possibleQ Can you talk us through how you developed your powerhitting game Was it natural ability or hours of specific trainingA Thats been the plan especially going into this World Cup and in recent times Power hitting yes Ive always tried to incorporate an aggressive brand of cricket Growing up like every other kid I loved watching people hit sixes and obviously hit sixes myself too So it was something that I dont know if it was natural or yes Ive worked a bit towards specifics for power hitting But Ive always enjoyed that brand of cricketQ Youve only batted once in your previous World Cup appearance How much are you looking forward to making a bigger impact this time aroundA Yes at the last World Cup I only played the last game which we won against Namibia and that was a special experience making my first appearance at a World Cup This time around its a different bunch of players a different team and a different role too Im quite looking forward to this one and wherever I can contribute to making the team win Id be glad and hopefully I can put my hand up and help the UAE win a few games hereQ The UAE have never progressed past the group stage Realistically what does success look like for this team at this World CupA Yes the last World Cup like I said was the first time we marked our first World Cup victory So you always want to do better than what you did last time Hopefully we win a few games this time and you never know if we win a couple of games we have a pretty good shot at making it into the next round So obviously the mindset has to be positive and thats what were going to collectively aim for as a teamSo hopefully we have a couple of good games and you never know on the day Its T20 cricket and if we go out there and express ourselves and play a positive brand of cricket Im pretty confident that if we do that we can change things and go a long way in the tournamentQ Whats it like being part of a UAE team with players from different cultural backgrounds How does that diversity strengthen the group Also a word on support from Captain Waseem and Coach RajputA Yes I think thats one thing about our team weve got people from different backgrounds weve got a diverse bunch of players and Im quite happy with how gelled we are as a team and I dont think theres ever been a time where weve thought that Oh this persons from here or This persons from this background because weve pretty much played with each other all our lives in the UAE and I think were really comfortable with each other and its a really good environmentYes our coach and captain have been really supportive and obviously Waseem Bhai has been phenomenal with performances and as a teammate so its quite fun being out there on the field with him and I quite enjoy batting with him myselfIts been fun so far and hopefully we have a few good knocks at this World Cup and obviously our coach too hes always been big on preparing really hard It becomes a lot easier when you go out there into a match Im really glad to have these people around and a huge thanks to both of them for all the support and I quite enjoy being around them IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-hopefully-uae-get-wins-this-time-and-go-a-long-way-says-sharafu-661243.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 17:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/hyderabad-superstar-seone-mendez-remains-unbeaten-at-the-wpbl-season-two-661122.html Mumbai Feb 7 One of the first picks for the Hyderabad Superstars Seone Mendez has completed her unbeaten streak during the league stage of the World Pickleball League Beating Katerina Stewart of the Bengaluru Jawans Seone stamped her authority in the womens singles category for the seasonâThe WPBL league has been an incredible experience so far Staying undefeated through the league stage has been really rewarding and a testament to the preparation and consistency Iâve been focused on bringing each match Iâve put a lot of emphasis on staying sharp physically and mentally treating every match with the same level of intensity regardless of the opponent Most importantly being part of the Hyderabad Superstars has made the journey even more special the energy support and professionalism around the group has been amazingâ said Seone Mendez Hyderabad SuperstarsSeone Mendez was touted as one of the players to watch out for at the start of the league and she has proven to be the only player to beat through her 6 league games Her formidable ground strokes and incredible court coverage have resulted in her dominating that event Throughout her games she never looked under the pump at any point and held a steady lead from the first minute of the game Her strong tennis foundation has been key for Seoneâs smooth transition into pickleball where she has steadily climbed up international ranks over the last six to eight months Touted to be one of the top ranked players in the world by the end of this year Seone has been instrumental for Hyderabad Superstarsâ rise to the top 4 on the leaderboard of the World Pickleball League Hyderabad Superstars are currently in the 4th position on the leader board with just two games remaining in the league stagesStarting strong the Superstars won their first two games on the trot and have been on the losing side of some extremely close matches giving them a fair chance for a spot in the finals The squad for Hyderabad Superstars boasts of international stars like Marcello Jardim Talia Saunders Kaitlynn Hart Pep Canyadell Lauren Mercado Louis Laville and Indian Superstar Mayur Patil along with Seone Mendez IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/hyderabad-superstar-seone-mendez-remains-unbeaten-at-the-wpbl-season-two-661122.html Sat, 07 Feb 2026 08:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/davis-cup-britain-beat-norway-to-reach-qualifiers-second-round-661135.html Oslo Feb 7 Great Britain are through to the Davis Cup Qualifiers 2nd Round after defeating Norway 30 in Oslo thanks to a 62 26 765 victory for Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool in the doubles match Great Britain will now face either Ecuador or Australia in the Davis Cup Qualifiers second round with the winner moving on to the Final 8 in November The Davis Cup Qualifiers secondround ties are set to take place in SeptemberLeon Smithâs team needed the minimum number of matches to overcome a depleted Norwegian side who were undoubtedly the underdogs after the withdrawal of world No 12 Casper Ruud on WednesdayCash and Glasspool the topranked doubles team in the whole of the sport were pushed all the way to a decisive tiebreak by a makeshift Norwegian pairing of Nicolai Budkov Kjaer and Viktor DurasovicAll eyes were on the opening rubber of this tie as British No 1 Jack Draper made his longawaited return to the match court his first match since August 2025Draper showed signs of the player who reached a careerhigh world No 4 last year as he dispatched Viktor Durasovic 62 62 in only 61 minutesIt was then over to Cam Norrie who came back from 41 down in the second set to secure a 64 64 victory over 19yearold Nicolai Budkov KjaerComing into day two with a twomatch lead the Brits only needed one more win to seal their place in the second roundUp stepped last yearâs No 1 doubles team on the ATP Tour Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool to face Budkov Kjaer and DurasovicThe Brits showed their quality in the pressure moments of a deciding set tiebreak silencing the crowd and completing Great Britainâs victory with a 62 26 765 winWith the tie already wrapped up Jacob Fearnley came in to play Budkov Kjaer in the final rubber and put on a strong performance against the ATP Next Gen semifinalistFearnley put the icing on the cake for the British team winning 36 63 107 in an hour and 16 minutesIn other Davis Cup action Japans twoday tie against Austria started on Friday Yosuke Watanuki beat Sebastian Ofner 63 64 to give Japan the lead before Jurij Rodionov downed Shintaro Mochizuki 64 75 to level for AustriaGermany eased to a 20 lead against Peru with straightsets singles wins from Yannick Hanfmann and JanLennard Struff in Dusseldorf while Denmark and hosts Croatia are knotted at 11 after the first day of play IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/davis-cup-britain-beat-norway-to-reach-qualifiers-second-round-661135.html Sat, 07 Feb 2026 10:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-2026-madushan-approved-as-replacement-for-malinga-in-sri-lanka-squad-661137.html Colombo Feb 6 The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Menâs T20 World Cup 2026 on Friday approved Pramod Madushan as a replacement for Eshan Malinga in the Sri Lanka squad Madushan a mediumfast bowler who has played 13 ODIs and eight T20Is was named as a replacement after Malinga was ruled out following a shoulder injury sustained during the bilateral T20I against England on 1 February ICC said in a statementThe replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee ETC before the player can be officially added to the squadMadushan 24 years old and previously played for the Sri Lanka national cricket team in eight T20Is has taken 12 wickets at an average of 863 runs per over Madushan last played in an international T20I on April 28 2023With the pace bowling attack of Madushan together with his team mates Matheesha Pathirana and Dushmantha Chameera Sri Lanka will compete against Ireland at the R Premadasa Stadium Colombo on February 8Sri Lanka squad Dasun Shanaka c Pathum Nissanka Kamil Mishara Kusal Mendis Kamindu Mendis Kusal Janith Perera Charith Asalanka Janith Liyanage Pavan Rathnayake Wanindu Hasaranga Dunith Wellalage Maheesh Theekshana Dushmantha Chameera Matheesha Pathirana Pramod Madushan IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-2026-madushan-approved-as-replacement-for-malinga-in-sri-lanka-squad-661137.html Sat, 07 Feb 2026 10:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/jemimah-joins-harmanpreet-smriti-deepti-in-womens-central-contracts-grade-a-report-661140.html New Delhi Feb 7 Allformat skipper Harmanpreet Kaur star batter Smriti Mandhana and allrounder Deepti Sharma have been retained in Grade A while Jemimah Rodrigues has been promoted from Grade B in the womens central contracts as per reports In the topmost category a player earns Rs 50 lakh annually while those in the B and C categories are paid Rs 30 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectivelyThe BCCI has awarded central contracts to 21 players in the womenâs category according to a Dainik Jagaran reportEight players Pratika Rawal Kranti Goud Shree Charani Harleen Deol Kashvee Gautam G Kamalini Vaishnavi Sharma and Tejal Hasabnis are the new entrants in the central contract listYastika Bhatia Radha Yadav Arundhati Reddy Amanjot Kaur Uma Chetry and Sneh Rana have all retained their central contractsThe report stated that Renuka Thakur Shafali Verma Richa Ghosh and Sneh Rana have all been slotted in grade B while grade C includes Radha Yadav Amanjot Kaur Pratika Rawal Kranti Goud Uma Chetry Arundhati Reddy Shree Charani Yastika Bhatia Harleen Deol Kashvee Gautam G Kamalini Vaishnavi Sharma and TejalAccording to the 202425 contracts list announced in March 2025 Renuka Singh Jemimah Rodrigues Richa Ghosh and Shafali Verma have all been retained in Grade B while Yastika Bhatia Radha Yadav Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar join them in Grade C in the central contracts list from the 202223 season Shreyanka Patil Titas Sadhu Arundathi Reddy Amanjot Kaur and Uma Chetry were the fresh faces who made the cut for the retainershipAfter their maiden ODI World Cup crown the Women in Blue are gearing up for the multiformat series against Australia starting from February 15Meanwhile the BCCI will discuss possible changes to the India menâs central contracts system at its next Apex Council meeting as per proposals from the Ajit Agarkarled selection committee IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/jemimah-joins-harmanpreet-smriti-deepti-in-womens-central-contracts-grade-a-report-661140.html Sat, 07 Feb 2026 12:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/bcci-announces-cash-award-of-rs-75-cr-for-u19-mens-wc-winning-team-661141.html New Delhi Feb 7 The BCCI have announced a total cash award of Rs 75 crore for the U20 Mens Cricket World Cup winning team technical staff and the selection committee the boards secretary Devajit Saikia told IANS on Saturday India beat England by 100 runs to win the ICC Under19 Mens Cricket World Cup final at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on Friday claiming a recordextending sixth U19 World Cup crownA cash award of Rs 75 crore will be given to the Indian team who won the U19 Mens Cricket World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia We are working on the details of the prize amount breakup for players technical staff and the selection committee but Rs 75 crore is the total reward for them from the BCCI Saikia told IANSA staggering century from 14yearold Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fired India to ICC U19 Menâs Cricket World Cup glory Captain Ayush Mhatre 53 and wicketkeeper Abhigyan Kundu 40 also made valuable contributions as India racked up 4119 England made a promising start in reply but a middleorder collapse proved costly with Caleb Falconerâs brilliant 115 in vain as India clinched their sixth U19 Menâs Cricket World Cup crownThis title triumph completed a rare double with India currently holding both the ICC Under19 Menâs and Womenâs World Cup titles Saikia further said that BCCI will soon announce the central contracts for senior men and women players Also an official statement will come out very soon on the central contracts for senior mens and womens players he addedEarlier Saikia congratulated Indian youth on their recordextending sixth U10 World Cup title This outstanding achievement is a testament to the strength of a robust system built on longterm player development competitive domestic structures quality coaching programmes supported by dedicated technical staff and a strong talent identification processAgegroup cricket remains a key priority and the BCCI will continue to invest in and strengthen these foundations for the future Well done boys The nation is immensely proud of you he posted on X IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/bcci-announces-cash-award-of-rs-75-cr-for-u19-mens-wc-winning-team-661141.html Sat, 07 Feb 2026 12:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/boxam-elite-12-indians-enter-finals-as-sachin-lovlina-lead-charge-on-penultimate-day-661155.html La Nucia Spain Feb 7 Twelve Indians including eight women and four men will compete for gold on the final day of BOXAM Elite International 2026 following another session full of assured performances Leading the mens charge was Sachin 60kg who extended his brilliant run with another dominant win over Englands Jack Dryden Over in the womenâs section Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain 75kg stormed through to the finals with a unanimous victory over Walesâ Rosie EcclesHeld in La Nucia Alicante Spain the BOXAM Elite 2026 has featured over 200 boxers from 20 nations India 12 is the most wellrepresented nation in Saturdayâs finals â ahead of heavyweights Kazakhstan 11 Ukraine 5 and hosts Spain 4 and is assured of at least one gold with the Elite Women 54kg final being an allIndian affair Indiaâs women continued their strong showing with commanding semifinal wins across divisions headlined by the confirmation of a gold in the 54kg category where Preeti and Poonam will face off for the title Elsewhere Manju Rani 48kg Nitu 51kg Priya 60kg Arundhati Choudhary 70kg and Naina 80kg all advanced to the finals with emphatic victories underlining Indiaâs depth and consistency across weight classesIn the menâs competition India added further finalists through dominant displays from Deepak 70kg Akash 75kg and Ankush 80kg Deepak produced one of the sessionâs standout moments by forcing a firstround RSC against Kazakhstanâs World Boxing Cup Finalsâ silver medallist Nurbek Mursal while Akash and Ankush negotiated tough bouts against Kazakh opponents to seal their places in Saturdayâs goldmedal contestsIndiaâs campaign also saw several boxers finish on the podium with bronze medals after falling at the semifinal stage including Pranjal Yadav 65kg Kajal 65kg Sanamacha Chanu 75kg and Mankirat Kaur 80kg in the womenâs competition Jadumani Singh 55kg Mohammed Hussam Uddin 60kg and Hitesh Gulia 70kg secured bronze finishes in the menâs draw IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/boxam-elite-12-indians-enter-finals-as-sachin-lovlina-lead-charge-on-penultimate-day-661155.html Sat, 07 Feb 2026 16:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-credit-to-faheem-he-batted-outstandingly-well-says-skipper-agha-hails-pakistans-win-over-netherlands-661172.html Colombo Feb 7 IANS Pakistan opened their T20 World Cup campaign with a narrow nerveshredding win over the Netherlands a result that underlined both their quality and their lingering vulnerabilities Skipper Salman Ali Agha credited Faheem Ashraf for his late cameo which helped the side cruise past the Dutch with three wickets to spareWhat should have been a routine chase of 148 turned into a lastover scramble rescued only by Ashrafs blistering knock After the match captain Salman Ali Agha admitted the team had made life unnecessarily difficult for themselves but praised the overall bowling effort that kept the Netherlands within reachnbspWe have to do it the hard way But I think it was when we bowled I think we really stuck down really well With 148 I can take that any day he saidPakistans bowlers had set the platform by dismissing the Netherlands for 147 despite a promising start from the Dutch batters The spinners tightened the screws through the middle overs and regular wickets prevented any batter from batting deepSalman was particularly pleased with the collective bowling display saying Theyve been bowling well for like the last six months now And they have done it today as well Its a complete bowling performance I can say thatIn contrast Pakistans chase lurched from comfort to chaos The first half of the innings went according to plan but a flurry of wickets shifted momentum sharply We batted well in the first 10 overs but you have five six bad overs like if its two or three bad overs you get so far away from the game Salman reflected I think the first 10 overs was very good We batted really well And then they managed to pull wickets down And then at that time the pressure came inAs the required rate ballooned and wickets continued to fall the Netherlands briefly looked set to pull off a famous upset That was until Faheem Ashraf dropped early in his innings launched a stunning counterattack to swing the game back in Pakistans favournbspSalman was quick to credit the allrounder for the escape But credit obviously to Faheem I think he batted outstandingly wellThe captain also highlighted the importance of better game awareness in tight contests And I think we need to absorb better when it comes to these kinds of games he said pointing to missed opportunities to close out the chase earlier on a surface that improved for batting Lovely batting conditions If you sum up the conditions of batting Its not easy to start but once you get in its a good wicket to bat on When someone gets in we need to make sure that person will finishIANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-credit-to-faheem-he-batted-outstandingly-well-says-skipper-agha-hails-pakistans-win-over-netherlands-661172.html Sat, 07 Feb 2026 16:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/atletico-madrid-thrash-betis-to-reach-copa-del-rey-semifinal-661076.html Madrid Feb 6 Atletico Madrid delivered a convincing performance to claim the semifinal spot in Spains Copa del Rey with a 50 rout of Real Betis Betis threatened early through Ez Abde but Atletico quickly seized control and dominated the first half David Hancko opened the scoring with a nearpost header from a Koke corner and the visitors never looked backNew signing Ademola Lookman was heavily involved from the outset missing one chance when sent through on goal and firing over after Hanckos knockdown as Atletico denied Betis possession and territory reports XinhuaGiuliano Simeone doubled the lead in the 30th minute after being set up by Matteo Ruggeri and Lookman made it 30 before halftime cutting inside two defenders from the left and beating goalkeeper Adrian with a composed finishAtletico suffered an early setback after the break when Pablo Barrios was forced off with a hamstring injury and replaced by Jose Gimenez a concern ahead of the clubs Champions League playoff against Club Brugge later this monthThe injury did little to halt Atleticos momentum Antoine Griezmann made it 40 in the 62nd minute finishing a counterattack started by Lookman before Thiago Almada completed the scoring late on by converting a rebound after Adrian had saved Griezmanns initial effortThe teams meet again on Sunday at Atleticos Metropolitano Stadium in La LigaPreviously Barcelona reached the semifinals on Tuesday with a 21 win at Albacete while Athletic Club beat Valencia 21 and Real Sociedad won 32 at Alaves on WednesdayThe draw for the twolegged semifinals will be held Friday with the first legs next week and the return matches in the first week of March The final is scheduled for April 18 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/atletico-madrid-thrash-betis-to-reach-copa-del-rey-semifinal-661076.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-shastri-smith-bishop-to-headline-star-studded-commentary-panel-661090.html Dubai Feb 6 Highlyrenowned commentators Ravi Shastri Nasser Hussain Ian Smith and Ian Bishop headline commentary panel during the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup that commences in India and Sri Lanka on February 7 An impressive list of former greats and current stars also features former T20 World Cup winners Aaron Finch Dinesh Karthik Kumar Sangakkara Samuel Badree Robin Uthappa Carlos BrathwaiteThe ICC said that current player and reigning ICC World Test Championshipwinning captain Temba Bavuma of South Africa will be heard on commentary while 2014 T20 World Cup winner Angelo Mathews is also included in an impressive list of commentators that will be utilised across the 55 matches at the tournamentTeam India is entering the tournament as defending champions and will aim to become the only team to win the trophy for the third time and also to defend the titleIndia are a popular pick as tournament favourites coming off scintillating form that has seen them win 48 of their last 56 T20I games dating back to October 2023 And more recently producing a dominant series win against New ZealandThe Men in Blue will kick off their campaign on February 7 with a groupstage match against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in MumbaiList of commentators for ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2026 Ravi Shastri Nasser Hussain Ian Smith Ian Bishop Aaron Finch Dinesh Karthik Kumar Sangakkara Samuel Badree Robin Uthappa Carlos Brathwaite Eoin Morgan Wasim Akram Sunil Gavaskar Matthew Hayden Ramiz Raja Dale Steyn Michael Atherton Waqar Younis Simon Doull Shaun Pollock Katey Martin Harsha Bhogle Mpumelelo Mbangwa Natalie Germanos Danny Morrison Alan Wilkins Ian Ward Mark Howard Nick Knight Athar Ali Khan Kass Naidoo Bazid Khan Raunak Kapoor Niall OâBrien Preston Mommsen Andrew Leonard Russel Arnold Roshan Abeysinghe Angelo Mathews Temba Bavuma IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-shastri-smith-bishop-to-headline-star-studded-commentary-panel-661090.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-batting-firepower-all-round-resources-spinners-hold-the-key-in-indias-title-defence--661095.html New Delhi Feb 6 India begin their Menâs T20 World Cup title defence on Saturday through a Group A clash against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai With unmatched batting depth enviable allround resources and spinners in their prime India has everything in their arsenal to become the first nation to win consecutive T20 World Cups and claim the trophy on home soil Captain Suryakumar Yadavs side are coming on the back of a commanding 41 series victory over New Zealand boasting of the best win percentage among the top ten teams since the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados IANS takes a closer look into Indiaâs title defence chances through an indepth SWOT analysisStrengths Ahead of the World Cup India are dominating all the rankings â they are the topranked T20I team as well as possess the number one batter and bowler in Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakaravarthy Their ultraaggressive batting approach has resulted in them having a great run rate and posting tall scores with immaculate easeAs per Cricket21 in the postWorld Cup 2024 phase India has the highest run rate of 99 In terms of balls per boundary BPB India are again leading the charts with an impressive 44 Indiaâs dominance is further highlighted in the tally of 200plus totals they have amassed 13plus such scores since 2024 Menâs T20 World Cup â 12 of which have come batting firstApart from Abhishek India also have destructive batters in Ishan Kishan skipper Suryakumar Yadav Tilak Varma Rinku Singh as well as allround trio of Hardik Pandya Axar Patel and Shivam Dube lending great balance Apart from Chakaravarthy Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh are making for a great fast bowling combinationWeaknesses Despite many brilliant performances Indias toporder remains fragile more so due to the side yet to figure out the opening partner for Abhishek Ishan Kishans recent good form is in contrast with Sanju Samsons struggles With the side still mum on their opening combination it can be a pocket of weakness for opposition to exploitIn terms of powerplay bowling India have been expensive at times while struggling to pick wickets in that phase as well as in death overs and that could bring about their downfall in highpressure games Who occupies the number eight spot is also a dicey one as it depends on the team management wanting either batting or bowling depthOpportunities After winning the Menâs T20 World Cup in 2007 India broke the long drought by winning it in 2024 and are the defending champions now With everyone calling them as overwhelming favourites India have the chance to get three historic feats defend the title win it for the third time and break the jinx of a team never winning a final at homeThreats Washington Sundar remains doubtful for the T20 World Cup participation after missing the entire New Zealand series due to side strain If Washington is not available for the tournament in time it means they will have one less allround player and that can affect their flexibility especially if someone from the firstchoice eleven picks up an injuryA fully fit Hardik Pandya is arguably a very precious asset for India going into the tournament and many will be hoping that heâs fit and firing on all cylinders in the tournament considering how his absence in the second half of the 2023 ODI World Cup affected the team balance IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-batting-firepower-all-round-resources-spinners-hold-the-key-in-indias-title-defence--661095.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-very-happy-with-indias-progress-hopes-are-really-very-high-to-retain-the-title-says-mhambrey-661097.html New Delhi Feb 6 Having lifted the Menâs T20 World Cup trophy for the first time in 2007 before breaking a long drought to clinch the crown in 2024 defending champions India are aiming to become the first team to achieve three milestones retain the crown win it three times and clinch a World Cup in the shortest format on home soil The cohosts enter the tournament as the topranked side and boast of the number one ranked batter and bowler in Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakaravarthy respectively With their ultraattacking batting template and pinpoint precision with the ball India have the best win percentage among the top 10 T20I teams since winning the 2024 editionParas Mhambrey Indiaâs former bowling coach was a part of the setup during the 2024 triumph under Rohit Sharma and believes the side has the depth and leadership to retain the title Before India launches its title defence against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday Mhambrey spoke exclusively to IANS on the sideâs chances of retaining the title Suryakumar Yadavs captaincy the influential factors in play when featuring in a mega event at home and more ExcerptsQ We are just a day away from the 2026 T20 World Cup commencing this time on home soil How do you analyse Indias chances of retaining the trophy won in 2024A Im very happy and sure of it In the way Ive seen in the last few years the way the team has progressed the kind of cricket theyre playing â thats fabulous Just to see the last series that we played and even the last game that we played the warmup game against South Africa â its fabulous to watch just the way everyones going about itHappy to know and see that the core is still there from the last two years Its so important to actually have that core playing the World Cup One is the experience bit â theres so much experience out here and just the skill sets that are available to us When youre entering a big tournament like this you want all your top players to be availableIts good to see that Tilak Varma is back in the team getting an opportunity and playing a fabulous innings out there Overall we are very happy with the way things have progressed for us Now its one day at a time But just the way the Indian team is playing I think hopes really are very highQ Take us back to June 2024 â what are the moments from that victorious 2024 World Cup campaign that give you goosebumps to dateA Its the tag of world champions I think any team that plays cricket and any individual that represents the country â I think the tag of being a world champion is always special Thats something that will stay with that individual and the team Im no different from anyone else out here As a player I know the value and the importance of representing your country and especially the World Cup is so special because it comes every four yearsWe didnt have the T20 tournament and we always kind of looked at the 50over tournament and the World Cup was special So getting an opportunity out there and then again just shifting it from one side of the rope to the other and getting an opportunity to be part of that dressing room â its something that as a player I always wanted to be and experience the whole journey if I can say thatIts so special because it takes a lot The tenure of the tournament is a week or so 15 days But there are a couple of years of real real hard work that went into it and when you see that finally bear fruit I cant explain that I think the tag of being world champions is specialQ That 2024 World Cupwinning squad had a special chemistry How much of that has carried forward into this 2026 team in your opinionA It is the case â you can see it on the ground Everyone is so professional in terms of being very clear about their roles Good to see that each and every individual has delivered at some point or other It was so important to go into the tournament and not only deliver I thought they won the game for the team and thats so important You are ticking the right boxes out here and everyone is fitSo good to see that they are coming and you have the best 15 available to choose from and its so important The core is always important because thats where your experience lies You have been through that situation and they have experienced that To a certain extent they are a little better prepared to deal with the tournament because some of the individuals have not played and not experienced thisThey played the bilaterals and other series but especially the World Cup is different I am sure by the time the first game comes â and much before it right now â I think everyone will get the hang and feel of what the World Cup is especially when its a domestic oneWherever you go they will be reminded There will be hoardings out there and billboards around People in the lift the watchmen also saying Jeetna hai jeetna hai You have to win you have to win So they will feel how important it is not only for the players but for the whole country aroundQ Suryakumar Yadav is leading this Indian side while also being one of the most destructive batters in world cricket and discovering form at the right time How do you see him balancing those dual responsibilities in this mega eventA He is doing it wonderfully I thought he had settled down well He is very well settled in his role right now Whatever you say that shift is a little different even though you dont want to think about it and feel it may not affect you But its always going to be at the back of your mind that you are captain and that adds a little bit of responsibility on your shoulders â not only for the others but also for yourselfYour expectations also are high up there because you want to deliver and then you are playing a dual role right You are also focusing on importantly your game So its difficult now He has to find the balance and I am very happy with the way he is shaped up because its very difficult to find the balance between yourself and the teamNow he has to look after all the 10 other players on the ground not only himself So it takes a little while but Im happy with the way he is shaped up as a captain â just the way others have warmed up to it and just that you can see on the ground for sureQ Playing a World Cup at home comes with its own pressures and advantages What do you think will be the biggest factor â the crowd support familiarity with conditions or just the form they are inA All three â you touched the right points You cant beat the home crowd You have that when you go in and know that everyone is going to be rooting for you When chips are down you still have people supporting you Its so important sometimes As an opponent you are not in a game and you dont really realise that you are on top of the game right now because of so much support that you haveSo thats incomparable anyway but conditions definitely because you play on these wickets you know exactly how the wickets behave â like the red soil and black soil â because you played out there and just generally from your past you can draw from your past experiences and then work on your gameThe most important bit is the form I thought it was important to have everyone contributing and its good to see that not only did everyone contribute but at some point they all won games Maybe on an individual basis â like a spell a knock or a few balls â its so important to do that In all three aspects I think you are really up there and I am happy because all three bases are covered for usQ Without asking for predictions which team do you think poses the biggest tactical challenge for India in this tournamentA Oh thats a mystery question you asked me You got me thinking about it Its just I feel in a tournament like this from past experiences I can tell you that whenever you go with the favourites I think people have got it wrong If you look at the way just look at the way the last game was the last World Cup final was against South AfricaIts just one scenario â they were favourites to win at one time We went in that didnt work and its just the way the game went and everyone thought This is going to be South Africa You have someone like you dont take away from Sri Lanka in these gamesIf you look at the last few games that theyve played theyve been playing decent cricket and with their home conditions youre going to play some games there similar to out here because a lot of these guys play in the IPL â the bowling bit So they would be competitive and maybe a couple of teams like this But as I said you really cant go in with the favourite side as sometimes youve got it wrongQ On a scale of cautiously optimistic to supremely confident where does this Indian team stand heading into the World CupA Ill put my neck out here and say supremely confident Its just the way theyre playing and what kind of cricket theyre playing â it gives you a lot of confidence Availability of players is again a big factor for me Variety is available as spinners and seamers â a big factor thats been touched We covered all our bases as well as we could and Im supremely confident in just the way they have played in the past â so fingers crossed IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-very-happy-with-indias-progress-hopes-are-really-very-high-to-retain-the-title-says-mhambrey-661097.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-2026-10-players-who-could-shape-the-tournament-661114.html New Delhi Feb 6 The ICC Menâs T20 World Cup 2026 is here with India and Sri Lanka cohosting The tournament will feature a strategic battle Indiaâs battingfriendly pitches are expected to encourage aggressive batting and high scores while Sri Lankaâs slower more challenging pitches will require patience adaptability and spinbowling skill T20 World Cups are seldom won solely through depth Instead they hinge on key moments such as an explosive powerplay a crucial spell that stifles the middle overs or a masterful performance in the death overs under intense pressureHistory shows that a few standout players often shape the tournaments story Here are 10 cricketers who look primed to leave a lasting imprint on the 2026 editionAbhishek Sharma IndiaIndiaâs evolution in T20 cricket has been driven by a clear intent exemplified by Abhishek Sharma As an opener he views the powerplay as an opportunity rather than a risk leveraging pace and true bounce conditions common in India His talent for breaking down bowling attacks early can give him the potential to disrupt entire tournaments With a string of confident performances he could make Indiaâs top order exceptionally formidableTravis Head AustraliaFew batters can push opposition teams on the back foot as quickly as Travis Head His aggressive scoring not only comes fast but also unsettles the bowlers often leading them to adopt defensive fields early and prompting captains to abandon plans sooner Headâs experience playing in subcontinental conditions enhances his versatility making him even more formidable In a format where maintaining momentum is crucial he continues to be one of Australiaâs most lethal weaponsWanindu Hasaranga Sri LankaIf the conditions favour Sri Lanka Hasaranga is likely to be a key player A wristspinner known for taking breakthroughs he is effective both with the new ball and during the middle overs which is exceptional in T20 cricket His sharp cricketing mind and subtle variations make him especially dangerous on slow pitchesPlus his improving ability to hit lowerorder shots makes Hasaranga a versatile matchwinner in home conditionsHardik Pandya IndiaBig tournaments require players who can manage chaos and Hardik Pandya has built his career on thriving in such environments Whether heâs finishing an inning bowling a key over or energising the fielding side his impact often extends beyond just statisticsFor India Hardikâs importance is in maintaining balance he offers versatility in team setup while taking on leadership roles during stressful moments In close knockout matches his calmness could be invaluableQuinton de Kock South AfricaFew batters combine elegance and brutality as effortlessly as Quinton de Kock His comeback to international cricket reestablishes authority at the top of South Africaâs batting lineup De Kockâs key strength is his capacity to control powerplays with composure making bowlers work hard for breakthroughs early on When he bats deep into an innings South Africaâs prospects of setting or chasing large totals improve significantlyVarun Chakaravarthy IndiaVarun Chakaravarthyâs comeback stands out as one of Indian cricketâs more understated successes Once labelled just a âmystery spinnerâ he now skilfully blends deception with control and strategy His distinctive strength lies in his performance during the powerplay a period when most spinners focus on damage control On turning wickets his variety of deliveries can be pivotal especially against aggressive openersRashid Khan AfghanistanRashid Khan continues to set the benchmark for T20 bowling His extensive experience in franchise cricket worldwide has enhanced his adaptability and his statistics reflect consistent excellence over time More than simply taking wickets Rashid manages the gameâs flow induces mistakes and excels under pressure For Afghanistan he is not only their top player but also their key pillar of strengthPhil Salt EnglandEnglandâs assertive T20 strategy is well exemplified by Phil Salt As an opener eager to take charge immediately Salt seldom gives bowlers a chance to settle Although slower Sri Lankan pitches might challenge his shot choices his bold style suits Englandâs game plan If he survives the initial overs the match can swiftly turn in Englandâs favorAzmatullah Omarzai AfghanistanAfghanistanâs success in global tournaments relies on versatile cricketers and Azmatullah Omarzai exemplifies this As a strong middleorder batsman and a capable pace bowler he provides both balance and strategic options When facing toptier teams players like Omarzai frequently make crucial impacts by contributing in various parts of the gameâan ability that could prove essential for Afghanistanâs ongoing campaignJasprit Bumrah IndiaEven in a format mostly centered around batters Jasprit Bumrah stands out as a master of control His ability to vary length angle and pace lets him command the game during both the powerplay and the death overs which are the most unpredictable parts of a T20 match When playing in familiar conditions his impact increases further As the game tightens and margins become thinner captains increasingly rely on Bumrah as their goto bowlerThe 2026 T20 World Cup promises to be a clash of contrasts featuring power against precision aggression versus adaptability Although teams will be filled with talented players these ten individuals emerge as possible creators of pivotal momentsIn a tournament where one over can alter the course of the game their performances could determine the eventual championsThe marquee event gets underway on Saturday and will run till March 8 IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/t20-wc-2026-10-players-who-could-shape-the-tournament-661114.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/boxam-elite-2026-nitu-preeti-atorm-into-sf-jadumani-shines-again-as-india-confirm-19-medals-661116.html La Nucia Spain Feb 6 The Indian contingent continued its impressive run at the BOXAM Elite International 2026 confirming 19 medals after a dominant showing on Day 3 of the tournament on Friday Nitu 51 kg and Preeti 54 kg led the charge by storming into the semifinals of their respective weight categories while Jadumani Singh 55 kg once again delivered a commanding performance in the menâs competitionThe Indian womenâs contingent under newly appointed head coach Santiago Nieva has guaranteed 12 medals while the menâs team has confirmed seven podium finishes heading into the semifinal stageNitu was in imperious form shutting out Canadaâs McKenzie Wright with a commanding 50 win to secure her place in the last four Preeti followed with a clinical showing against Spainâs Maria Gonzalez forcing an abandonment in Round 3 after dictating the contest with sustained pressure Poonam 54kg added another emphatic 50 victory over Thailandâs Natnicha Chongprongklang while Priya 60kg and Pranjal 65kg registered unanimous wins against Spainâs Laura Galano and Czech boxer Viktorie Jilkova respectively Kajal 65kg edged Kazakhstanâs Akbar Ichshanova 41 in a tightly contested boutIn the menâs competition Jadumani Singh continued his fine run outclassing Peng ChiaFeng of Chinese Taipei 50 in the 55kg category Mohammed Hussam Uddin 60kg produced a polished display to defeat Ukraineâs Ali Dahly unanimously while Sachin 60kg battled past Ukraineâs Aider Abduraimov in a tense 32 decision Akash 75kg also advanced with a solid 41 win over Spainâs Jose Luis CaneroSeveral Indian boxers bowed out after spirited efforts including Pawan Bartwal who went down narrowly 23 to Englandâs Ellis Trowbridge and Abhinash Jamwal who lost to Ukraineâs Elvin Aliiev Despite the exits Indiaâs growing medal tally underlined another strong day at the tournament with multiple semifinal spots secured as the competition heads into its decisive stages IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/boxam-elite-2026-nitu-preeti-atorm-into-sf-jadumani-shines-again-as-india-confirm-19-medals-661116.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/they-have-refused-our-flight-is-booked-sky-reflects-on-pakistan-boycotting-t20-wc-match-660995.html Mumbai Feb 5 Skipper Suryakumar Yadav broke silence on Pakistan boycotting the ICC Mens T20 World Cup match against India and stated that his team is ready to fly to Colombo on February 15 for the game at the R Premadasa Stadium Pakistan will not play India in their scheduled Menâs T20 World Cup match in Colombo on February 15 after their government approved the Men in Greens participation in the World Cup on the condition that they will not play the match against India India and Pakistan are in Group A alongside Namibia Netherlands and the United States of America USA All of Pakistans matches are scheduled in Sri Lanka which is cohosting the tournament with India India will open the campaign against the USA on February 7 the tournaments first day at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai Meanwhile Pakistan will kickstart their campaign against the Netherlands on the same dayWe havent refused to play against Pakistan They have refused I think mindset is pretty clear We have not said no to playing the match It came from the other side ICC has given the official fixtures BCCI and the government have decided on a neutral venue along with ICC Our flight is booked for Colombo So we are going for sure The team discussion is that we are playing first on February 7 then we will go there Suryakumar told reporters in the T20 World Cup 2026 Captains Day Press Conference on Thursday Pakistans stance of not playing India follows the ICCs decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland for the T20 World Cup Bangladesh were excluded after they refusing to play their matches in India citing security concernsThe Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif reaffirmed on Wednesday that their senior mens cricket team will not play India in the forthcoming Mens T20 World Cup which will be cohosted by Sri Lanka and India We have taken a very clear stand on the T20 World Cup that we wont play the match against India because there should be no politics on the sports field We have taken a very considered stance and we should completely stand by Bangladesh and I think this is a very appropriate decision We are with Bangladesh he addedEarlier the International Cricket Council ICC expressed serious concerns over the Pakistan governmentâs decision to instruct its cricket team to boycott its fixture against India saying This position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event scheduleâWhile the ICC respects the roles of governments in matters of national policy this decision is not in the interest of the global game or the welfare of fans worldwide including millions in Pakistan The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and longterm implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem which it is itself a member and beneficiary of it added IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/they-have-refused-our-flight-is-booked-sky-reflects-on-pakistan-boycotting-t20-wc-match-660995.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/sports/chhattisgarh-open-kabthiyal-baisoya-emerge-joint-leaders-in-round-3-660998.html Naya Raipur Chhattisgarh Feb 5 Anshul Kabthiyal and Honey Baisoya took the honours in the third round of the INR 15 crore Chhattisgarh Open 2026 after both golfers fired scores of sixunder 63 to move up one spot and emerge joint leaders at a total of 21under 186 at the Fairway Golf amp Lake Resort in Naya Raipur American Jhared Hack also produced a 63 on Thursday to gain one place and end the day in third position at 20under 187 at the DP World PGTIâs opening event of the season Veer Ahlawat 62 and Akshay Sharma 69 occupied tied fourth place at 18under 189The 21yearold Anshul Kabthiyal 626163 who was overnight tied second had an early break with his 45foot birdie conversion on the second After a dry spell till the 10th Kabthiyal yet to win a title got back to picking up birdies from the 11th hole onwards Kabthiyal then had a flurry of birdies on the 14th 15th 17th and 18th where he sank a 25footer and three other putts from a range of nine to 12 feetKabthiyal who posted seven top10s last year to finish inside the top30 of the PGTI Ranking said âI hit some great approach shots today Iâve kept the errors out this week having dropped just one bogey in the tournament so far and that too early in round oneâI hadnât fared too well at this course last year but this year Iâve adjusted to the course much better I have my game plan in place and a muchimproved mindset this time aroundâ he saidBaisoya a seventime winner on the DP World PGTI made five birdies over his first 11 holes which included three conversions from a range of 10 to 25 feet Honeyâs bogey on the 12th did not slow him down as he rallied with a 15foot eagle conversion on the 13th and a birdie on the 15th Baisoya who bagged eight top10s on the DP World PGTI last year including a runnerup finish then dropped his third bogey of the week on the 16thBaisoya who was overnight tied second along with Kabthiyal said âI had an up and down day today I worked hard on my chipping and putting during the New Year break and as a result those aspects of my game have been trending well this week Iâm now feeling more comfortable in the course and enjoying myself out thereâThe Professional Golf Tour of India PGTI serves as the official governing and sanctioning body for mens professional golf in India It is a recognised member of the International Golf Federation and the International Federation of PGA Tours PGTI also enjoys strategic alliances with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour European Tour PGTI events offer Official World Golf Ranking OWGR points The Tour is led by its President Padma Bhushan Kapil Dev who is an iconic sporting legend who continues to inspire athletes and audiences nationwide IANS https://dailyworld.in/sports/chhattisgarh-open-kabthiyal-baisoya-emerge-joint-leaders-in-round-3-660998.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:19:00 +0530