Parag, Burger Have A Huge Role To Play For RR In IPL 2024: Boult

Rajasthan Royals' seasoned campaigner Trent Boult on Sunday picked Riyan Parag and Nandre Burger as the two players in his side who would have a key role to play in the ongoing IPL season for the 2008 winners. With two consecutive wins in the bag, the Sanju Samson-led side will take on a struggling Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday looking to build on their momentum. With knocks of 43 and 84 not out, Parag has showed his penchant for accumulating runs at a fast clip, signalling a heavy shift from someone who would struggle to harness his talent to one who seems to have come of age.

On the other hand, the young left-arm South African quick Burger has flourished sharing the new ball with Boult, grabbing three wickets so far to make a dent on his IPL debut.

"The first experience I had with him (Parag) was (at) a warm-up game here in the bubble when the IPL was based in Mumbai, a couple of years ago. He got 85 off probably 30 balls and I just thought he was the most amazing player," Boult recalled while talking to the media ahead of Royals' training session.

"Obviously, everyone is very happy to see him have some success early in the tournament this year. He's always been pinned as an exciting player to watch, so of course, it's always very satisfying to see a guy go out and his game come off," he said.

"One hundred per cent he's got a huge role to play for us in this tournament," Boult added.

Boult praised Burger for showing no struggles while playing a challenging white-ball tournament such as the IPL without much experience.

"Nandre is a guy that I've only just met, but bowls with good pace, good skills and comes from South Africa where conditions are very different," Boult said.

"He's brought his game in nicely and delivered very nicely for us so far, so another guy who should play a huge role in our tournament," he added.

Coming off a successful Test series against England wherein he smacked more than 700 runs, Yashasvi Jaiswal is yet to make his presence felt in this IPL. But Boult, on his part, was full of praise for his young teammate.

"(He is) a phenomenal player. Obviously (I have) played with him for a couple of years. I don't want to say last year was his breakout season but he's had brilliant 15-or-so months," Boult said.

"The guy is hungry for runs; he's desperate to get better. You can see it from the way he trains. He takes that game from the nets straight into the middle. There's no wonder why he is one of India's up-and-coming talents with the bat. A very exciting future (is) ahead for him," Boult added.

Boult, however, declined any suggestions that Rajasthan Royals are concerned with the form of opening batter Jos Buttler, who has had his struggle for runs of late.

"Jos Butler is a player whose record speaks for itself. You can't keep (scoring) runs every day but I know he's very eager to make a contribution and get his tournament underway. I don't think we have anything to worry about there," Boult said.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians' senior spin bowler Piyush Chawla confirmed that the five-time champions are still waiting to hear from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) over the status of world No 1 T20 batter Suryakumar Yadav.

Suryakumar has been sidelined since January this year as he has been stationed at NCA in Bengaluru while he recovers from injuries to his ankle and groin.

"NCA still has to look after that and coaches know more about it rather than us players," Chawla replied when asked about Suryakumar's progress.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Cristhian Stuani Boosts Girona European Dream With Late Betis Winner

Cristhian Stuani's last-gasp strike earned Girona an entertaining 3-2 win over Real Betis on Sunday, keeping the minnows on track for Champions League qualification. Michel Sanchez's side had fallen badly out of form after running leaders Real Madrid close in the title race for most of the season, but Stuani's goal clinched their third win in eight matches. Two David Lopez errors gifted Betis forward Willian Jose two goals to twice equalise goals from Girona forward Artem Dovbyk but veteran Uruguayan forward Stuani had the final say.

Girona, third, lead fourth place Athletic Bilbao by nine points before the Basque side visit Real Madrid later Sunday, while Atletico Madrid are 10 points behind in fifth and face Villarreal Monday.

With eight matches remaining Girona are seven points behind Los Blancos and two behind second-place Barcelona, who beat Las Palmas on Saturday.

"Until (qualification) is mathematically sealed, we'll keep working and preparing for matches as if they were the last," Stuani told DAZN.

"We're on a good path, living through a historic year and let's finish it in the best way we can."

At a rainy Montilivi stadium, the two sides tussled intensely without creating much in the opening stages.

Eventually, the hosts were handed an opportunity to break the deadlock when Chadi Riad handled Dovbyk's header.

The Ukrainian calmly slotted home from the spot to send his side ahead after 36 minutes, although they did not keep the lead for long.

In stoppage time, Lopez gave the ball way with a careless pass and Jose quickly lobbed home from over 30 yards out with Paulo Gazzaniga out of his goal.

Girona moved back in front after a good move, finished by Dovbyk. The striker slid home after Portu played him in on goal after 65 minutes, his 16th goal, putting him level with Madrid's Jude Bellingham as La Liga's top scorer.

Betis were soon back level after another Lopez mistake. Jose was again the beneficiary.

The defender stuck out a leg behind him to try and hook clear a cross but missed it and Jose controlled before firing home.

It seemed Girona were set to drop more points until Stuani finished acrobatically from close range in stoppage time after his first effort was saved.

"Luckily this goal at the end gave us the points," added Stuani.

"It's a unique feeling, difficult to explain, but the most important thing of all is three points for the team."

Fans celebrated wildly in the pouring rain at the end as their European dream took one more step towards becoming a reality. It would be a remarkable achievement for a club only in the top flight for the fourth season in their history.

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Pant Thrashes CSK Bowlers For First Fifty Following Horrific Car Crash

Rishabh Pant was on top of his game on Sunday night as he took the Chennai Super Kings bowlers to the cleaners with his sensational strokes. During the Delhi Capitals' IPL 2024 match vs CSK in Visakhapatnam, Pant scored 51 off only 32 ball with the help of 4 fours and 3 sixes. That also happened to be Pant's first fifty in competitive cricket ever since his return from a horrific car crash he met with in December 2022. Pant made his comeback to competitive cricket with IPL 2024 but he failed to spread his magic with the bat in the first two games. However, the third game saw a change in fortunes for Pant.

That iconic one-handed six is back #DCvCSK #JioCinemaSports #TATAIPL #IPLonJioCinema pic.twitter.com/N01gOlTLRM

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) March 31, 2024

Comeback man Pant announced his arrival with a superb fifty after opening duo of David Warner and Prithvi Shaw provided the foundation as Delhi Capitals posted a competitive 191 for 5 against Chennai Super Kings in their IPL game on Sunday.

Opting to bat, Warner and Shaw shared a 93-run opening stand but the highlight of the day was Pant's sensational knock, which gave them the impetus in the end.

Pant, who came into the tournament after recovering from a life-threatening road mishap in December 2022, scored his first fifty in 15 months.

The in-form Warner slammed five boundaries and three maximums during his 35-ball 52, his 110th T20 fifty, which equalled Chris Gayle's record of most fifty-plus scores in T20s.

Playing his first game this season, Shaw, who hasn't been able to live up to his immense talent, once again reminded everyone of his boundary-hitting skills, smashing two sixes and four boundaries in his 27-ball 43.

However, pacer Matheesha Pathirana produced a sensational catch to dismiss Warner and then returned to strike twice in three balls to bring CSK back into the game.

But Pant, who has looked good in his two earlier innings, bide his time initially and then exploded to take them close to a 200-total.

Mitchell Marsh too blasted two fours and a six in his 12-ball 18 cameo.

Earlier, while Tushar Deshpande used his variations to good use to gave just eight in his first two overs, Deepak Chahar, who bowled his 3 overs in the powerplay, was milked by the DC openers.

It was mainly Warner who picked Chahar for the special treatment, depositing him twice into the stands on the leg side, punishing him for bowling into his pads.

He was particularly harsh on Chahar in the 5th over, as after a second six, he hit two fours on the off side to accumulate 18 off the over as DC made 42 in 5 overs.

Bowling the last over before powerplay, Mustafizur Rahman too was taken to the cleaners with Shaw hitting three successive fours as DC posted their highest powerplay score of 62-0 of this IPL.

Ravindra Jadeja was next welcomed with a six by Shaw before Warner pulled one across deep backward square leg for a boundary as 13 runs came off the over.

Pathirana bowled a good first over, hitting 145-plus consistently with his sling action.

However, Warner smacked Jadeja next over long-on before completing his fifty off 32 balls.

It took the brilliance of Pathirana to send him back as the Sri Lankan plucked the ball from thin air to complete a sensational catch, leaving Warner stunned as Mustafizur earned first blood.

Shaw smashed another six to take DC past the 100-run mark but Jadeja dismissed him next ball, inducing an edge as MS Dhoni did the rest for his 300th dismissal -- the highest by a keeper in T20s.

With the two openers gone, the scoring rate dropped as skipper Pant struggled.

Pathirana then put up a show, uprooting the middle-stump of Marsh and then disturbing the timbers of Tristan Stubbs in a space of three balls to leave DC at 134 for 4 in 15 overs.

Pant then stepped up, plundering a four and a six off Mustafizur and then launched into Pathirana, clobbering him for a six and two fours in the 19th over before holing out in the deep.

(With PTI Inputs)

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Bundesliga: Andrich And Schick Late Show Keeps Bayer Leverkusen Unbeaten

Last-gasp goals from Robert Andrich and Patrik Schick kept Bayer Leverkusen's undefeated record this season alive with a 2-1 home win over Hoffenheim on Saturday. 

A first-half Maximilian Baier strike had Hoffenheim on track to break Leverkusen's unbeaten streak, which now stands at 39 matches, just one day after in-demand manager Xabi Alonso pledged his future to the club.

But as they have done regularly this season, Leverkusen fought back late as Andrich levelled the scores in the 88th minute before an injury-time Schick volley sealed another remarkable comeback win. 

The victory sends title-bound Leverkusen 13 points clear of Bayern Munich, who face Borussia Dortmund later on Saturday, with seven matches remaining this season. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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"Faf At No. 3, Drop...": IND Great Suggests Huge Changes In RCB Playing XI

Former Indian cricket team batter Krishnamachari Srikkanth suggested massive changes to the Royal Challengers Bangalore playing XI in the IPL 2024 after their loss to Kolkata Knight Riders. During a discussion on Star Sports, Srikkanth said that Will Jacks should be given a chance as an opener with Virat Kohli while Faf du Plessis should come out to play at No. 3. He also suggested that RCB should drop Alzarri Joseph as well as Rajat Patidar and include an Indian fast bowler like Akash Deep.

"Will Jacks is a brilliant off-spinner, I think we can push him for 2 overs. The line-up according to me should be, if I was the captain. Will Jacks, Virat Kohli opening. Faf du Plessis at No. 3, Cameron Green at 4, Glenn Maxwell, and then you drop Alzarri Joseph, drop Patidar and play an Indian fast bowler - Akash Deep," Srikkanth said on Star Sports.

"Then what happens is that you have good balance with both bat and ball. Otherwise, you will be struggling while bowling. Yesterday I was surprised that RCB did not bowl a single bouncer to the throat. Come on, you let Sunil Narine score a fifty (47 off 22 balls)," Srikkanth added.

 Three matches might be too small a sample size to form an opinion but going by the lack of variety that has been on show in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's bowling attack, they might just be staring at a long, tiring IPL season this year.

The match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday offered the latest and the largest footprint of this particular weakness as the RCB bowlers failed to check a set of free-hitting batters while defending 183.

The immediate defence will be to project the presence of dew and an improved M Chinnaswamy pitch during the second innings. But a deep dive will give a different picture.

Defending a total, even a competitive one like 183, demands a tight beginning, however, the RCB bowlers were profligate.

Mohammed Siraj's length ball was walloped over mid-wicket for a six by Phil Salt, and the Englishman was served with two more juicy offerings on the fifth stump which were carted for a six and four each. The first over produced 18 runs.

Alzarri Joseph was introduced in the third over. But the pacer gave Sunil Narine a length ball on leg-stump which was dispatched for a six over long-on and two balls later a short-pitched delivery was sent in the same direction for a maximum.

These are the balls that will be punished at this level -- dew or no dew, whether it is easy pitch or tough pitch.

There was an exception in Vysakh Vijayakumar who used knuckle balls and pace-off deliveries to good effect to return with excellent figures of 1/23, but the more experienced names were reluctant to bring in those variations – at least consistently.

"The second innings was slightly better to bat because the ball came on to the bat a bit quicker because of the dew. I was trying to use hard-length balls and short balls banged into the pitch to contain batters," Vijaykumar said in the post-match press conference.

"But it was still gripping from both the ends. We did try to mix it up but they (KKR batters) got away with it." There's some truth in his words. The stats show that KKR bowlers used 22 balls under 120 kmph and conceded just 20 runs off them to pick up three wickets.

Meanwhile, the RCB bowlers bowled 19 balls under 120 kmph, but gave away 40 runs and could bag only a wicket.

(With PTI inputs)

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PV Sindhu Goes Down Fighting, Sikki-Sumeeth Enter Semis Of Spain Masters

India's PV Sindhu fought her heart out before going down narrowly to Thailand's Supanida Katethong in the women's singles quarterfinals of the Madrid Spain Masters Super 300 badminton tournament on Friday. Sindhu, who had finished runner-up in 2023, recovered from an early 4-8 deficit and saved multiple game points to grab the opening game, but she couldn't go the distance as the sixth seeded Thai registered a 24-26 21-17 22-20 win after a see-saw battle.

However, India's husband-wife combo of N Sikki Reddy and B Sumeeth Reddy had a lot to cheer about as they notched up a 14-21 21-11 21-17 win over Indonesia's fourth seed Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Lisa Ayu Kusumawati to enter the mixed doubles semifinals.

The women's doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa, seeded third, lost 13-21 19-21 to sixth seeded Chinese Taipei's Lee Chia Hsin and Teng Chun Hsun in the quarterfinals.

Sindhu had a 5-3 record against the world no. 17 Supanida with the two having played some exciting matches in the last two years.

It was as much a physical battle as of skills for Sindhu, who didn't face much resistance in the initial rounds.

The start was slow for Sindhu as she found herself 3-7 behind at one stage but she rallied to pocket a three-point advantage with a body smash and a fine net shot.

The rallies started getting tighter after resumption as Sindhu kept ahead at 14-10, but thereafter, momentum kept changing with Supanida grabbing two game points when Sindhu found the net.

However, Sindhu unleashed two timely smashes to draw level. The Indian sent one long before producing a body smash as it was 21-21. Sindhu grabbed a game point when Supanida erred during a net dribble but she wasted it with a net error.

Sindhu's net error was cancelled with Supanida missing the backline and it was 23-23 next. The Thai grabbed another game point by pushing one to the back but sent a forehand to net next as it was 24-24.

An excruciating rally ended with Supanida sending one wide as Sindhu had another advantage and this time the Thai again faltered at the net as the Indian pumped her fist.

The change of ends didn't lower the intensity as the two fought tooth and nail during some exciting rallies till Sindhu opened up a 10-8 lead.

However, Supanida was quick to grab three points to enter the break with a three-point cushion.

As the match wore on, Sindhu looked a bit tired as Supanida made her run with angled returns and extended the rallies. Two power-packed smashes helped Sindhu to make it 17-18.

With two steep returns on her rival's body, Supanida took three game points and roared back into the contest, when Sindhu dumped another one at the net.

In the decider, Sindhu recovered to take a 10-5 lead but she let it slip as Supanida reeled off five points to go 14-12 up and then grabbed five match points.

A rearguard action from Sindhu, which included two cross court and a straight smash, conjured up hopes of another reversal as she drew parity at 20-20, but two unforced errors from the Indian dashed her hopes.

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SRH's 277/3 Is Not The Highest In T20 Format - A Look At Top Team Totals

Records tumbled left-right and centre as Sunrisers Hyderabad smashed 277 for three, the highest total in IPL history, to leave Mumbai Indians shell shocked on Wednesday. Travis Head (62 off 24) and Abhishek Sharma (63 off 23) came up with a sensational display of power-hitting, that saw the latter snatching the franchise record for fastest fifty from the Australian within minutes. Heinrich Klaasen (80 not out off 34 balls) provided the fireworks in the end to help SRH break an 11-year-old record. The previous highest total in IPL was 263 for five achieved by Royal Challengers Bangalore back in 2013.

It was raining fours and sixes throughout the innings as Head and Sharma toyed with the Mumbai Indians attack.

Head, who was surprisingly left out of the playing eleven for the opening game, reinforced his status as one of the most dangerous batters in the game with a whirlwind effort.

He broke David Warner's record of the fastest fifty by a SRH batter with a 18-ball half-century before Sharma surpassed Head's feat 20 balls later by reaching the milestone in 16 balls.

Head, who was dropped by compatriot Tim David at the start of his innings, opened his front leg and hit boundaries at will, collecting nine fours and three sixes in total.

The southpaw completed his fifty with an inside out four wide of mid-off before dispatching a bouncer from Gerald Coetzee for a six over deep midwicket, prompting opposition skipper Hardik Pandya to acknowledge the Australian's brutal assault.

When Head departed, Sharma went hammer and tongs, mostly targeting the cow corner region for his seven sixes and three boundaries.

It was a nightmarish start to the IPL for the 17-year-old South Africa pacer Kwena Maphaka, who made the Mumbai Indians squad at the back of his exploits in the U-19 World Cup.

He leaked as many as 66 runs in his four overs. The left-arm pacer could not recover from Head's onslaught in his second over in which he conceded 22 runs.

With the majority of the Mumbai bowlers taken to the cleaners, it was surprising that Mumbai Indians skipper Pandya waited till the 13th over to give Jasprit Bumrah his second over.

Following Sharma's dismissal, the in-form Klaasen ensured there was no stopping to the SRH's six hitting spree. Klaasen ended up with seven sixes with the maximum off a Bumrah bouncer standing out.

Klaasen had almost taken SRH over the line with his breathtaking knock against KKR at the Eden Gardens.

Former skipper Aiden Markram chipped in 42 off 28 balls. 

However, SunRisers Hyderabad's 277/3 is not the highest score in the shortest format. 

Highest team totals in the format (T20I and T20 combined)
1. Nepal 314/3 vs Mongolia, 2023
2. Afghanistan 278/3 vs Ireland, 2019
3. Czech Rep. 278/4 vs Turkey, 2019
4. SunRisers Hyderabad 277/3 vs Mumbai Indians, 2024
5. Punjab 275/6 vs Andhra, 2023

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Big Security Breach As Virat Kohli Is Stunned By Fan Who Hoodwinked All

Virat Kohli brought out his classy form at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Punjab Kings on Monday. The former RCB and Indian cricket team skipper struck a 31-ball half century to boost RCB's chase against Punjab Kings in the teams' second match of the IPL 2024. However, he was also stunned by a massive security breach as a fan tricked all to enter the ground. The person also managed to touch Kohli's feet before he was nabbed.

A fan breached the security to meet Virat Kohli at the Chinnaswamy Stadium#RCBvsPBKS #IPL2024 #ViratKohli? pic.twitter.com/cwmbioGp8d

— Vathan Ballal (@VathanBallal) March 25, 2024

Earlier, the pragmatism of captain Shikhar Dhawan was the bedrock on which Punjab Kings built their 176 for six as Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers found their bearings on a Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch that offered them springboard bounce on Monday.

Dhawan (45, 37b), Jitesh Sharma (27, 20b) and Prabhsimran Singh (25, 17b) were the main contributors for the Kings after Royal Challengers opted to bowl first on a track that had a smattering of green.

For RCB, Mohammed Siraj and Glenn Maxwell took wickets apiece.

The Kings made a shaky beginning as Jonny Bairstow got out early as his outings on these shores, which is stretched back to last year's World Cup, has now become more barren than the Indian summer.

In the latest instance, the Englishman's poorly-executed close-to-the-body pull of pacer Siraj was taken by Virat Kohli inside the covers.

But from 17 for one, the visitors found some runs through Dhawan and Prabhsimran who tackled the pitch and the RCB bowlers with aplomb, milking 55 runs off 38 balls.

Dhawan was not precisely smooth during his stay but showed enough pluck to cash in on the loose deliveries, such as a length ball on the off-stump from left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar which he lofted over long-on for a six.

In fact, the RCB bowlers, especially impressive left-arm seamer Yash Dayal (1/23), did well to tie him down with deliveries that darted in to him from just short of good length.

Prabhsimran also occasionally vented his aggressive instincts, and the most telling piece was his flicked six off Cameron Green that sailed 90 meters over mid-wicket for a maximum.

But just as the alliance was blossoming, Prabhsimran tried to pull Maxwell but a feeble top edge was easily grabbed by stumper Anuj Rawat.

Rawat soon doubled the number of his catches when he latched on to a wild heave outside the off-stump by Liam Livingstone off Alzarri Joseph in the last ball of the 12th over.

But the Punjab side suffered a heavier blow as Dhawan got in the very next ball.

The left-hander's attempt to hoist Maxwell out of the ground ended in the hands of Kohli at long-on as the Kings slipped to 98 for four in 12.1 overs.

It wasn't an ideal situation for Kings as they needed a few more runs on the board to give a meaningful challenge to the home side.

They found those from Jitesh, who hammered Dagar for two sixes in a row, and Sam Curran, who added 52 runs for the fifth wicket off 34 balls to push the PBKS past the 150-run mark, that was swelled by a couple of beefy hits by Shashank Singh, who carted Joseph for 20 runs in the final over.

But they would have liked a heavier looking scoreboard in pursuance of their second successive victory.

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Ishan Kishan's Horror Run Continues, Departs For Four-Ball Duck Against GT

Ishan Kishan's horrible run of form continued as he was dismissed for a four-ball duck during Mumbai Indians' IPL 2024 match against Gujarat Titans on Sunday. Kishan, who was snubbed from the BCCI central contracts list, has struggled to score runs in the past few matches and once again, he was not able to score big. Kishan faced just four balls in the match before he was dismissed by Azmatullah Omarzai in the first over of the Mumbai Indians innings. Kishan ended up playing away from his body while tackling an out-swinger from Omarzai and Wriddhiman Saha completed the catch comfortably.

Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah (3/14) was at his absolute best in his first IPL game in two years, firing in his express yorkers at will to help Mumbai Indians restrict Gujarat Titans to 168/6.

Young left-hander B Sai Sudharsan top-scored with a 45 off 39 balls, while Rahul Tewatia made 22 off 15 balls down the order.

But the evening, without an iota of doubt, belonged to Bumrah, who missed the whole of last edition due to a lower back stress fracture.

He dismissed David Miller and Sudharsan in the 17th over in a space of three deliveries in what could be a potential game-changer.

Assuming that there could be dew later in the evening, MI's new skipper Hardik Pandya invited GT to bat first, and Shubman Gill in his first game as captain was up to the task.

Looking to make an impact against his former team, Pandya opened the bowling and Wriddhiman Saha (19) slapped a wide ball through the off-side to begin GT's campaign with a boundary.

Up against Gill, Pandya erred in line and the stylish batter used his wrists to whip him off his pads for a four, as the MI captain conceded 11 runs after his surprise move to start the proceedings at the expense of one of the world's best bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah.

As Saha got a few useful boundaries, Gill found the fence with consummate ease as GT were off to a flyer.

However, Bumrah's introduction in the fourth over brought MI instant success as the lead pacer sent back Saha with an express yorker, hitting the base of the middle stump. The former India stumper couldn't bring his bat down in quick time.

Spin was brought on in Shams Mulani and Gill rocked back to cut the left-arm spinner through covers for a four. The GT captain then got down on one leg to slog-sweep Mulani for a huge six over deep square-leg.

Piyush Chawla bowled an economical first over, even as GT managed 47 runs for the loss of one wicket in the powerplay.

Chawla continued and Gill tried to disturb his rhythm, but failed. He danced down the ground to hoick him but did not get the necessary elevation, as Rohit Sharma, who is normally not seen fielding in such positions, judged it well to complete a neat catch in the deep.

The experienced Chawla snared the big fish with a googly as Gill (31 off 22 balls) walked back after getting his eye in, much to the relief of the hordes of Mumbai supporters at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

However, with Sai Sudharsan determined to start from where he left in the title clash against CSK last season with a magnificent 96, MI knew they had their task cut out.

South African pacer Gerald Coetzee accounted for Azmatullah Omarzai (17), while the brilliant Bumrah sent back David Miller and Sudharsan in one over before Rahul Tewatia lifted GT with his lusty hits. 

(With PTI inputs)

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Jasprit Bumrah's masterclass spell and Gerald Coetzee's two-wicket haul helped Mumbai Indians (MI) restrict Gujarat Titans (GT) to 168/6 in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match at Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. Bumrah conceded just 7 runs in his final over and ended his quota of four overs with figures of 3 for 14 while Coetzee bagged two wickets. For GT, Sai Sudharsan scored the highest 45 off 39 and Shubman Gill scored 31. Opting to field first, skipper Hardik Pandya opened MI's bowling, conceding 20 runs in his first two overs. In the fourth over of the game, Jasprit Bumrah drew first blood as he provided his team with a big breakthrough. MI started to feel a bit of pressure after GT got off to a flying start, however, Bumrah came to the rescue of the five-time champions with a toe-crushing yorker as Wriddhiman Saha (19 off 15) missed the ball that rattled his stumps.

pic.twitter.com/J4Yhzvv0t8

— Grahman (@Grahman326048) March 24, 2024

Piyush Chawla then produced a fine delivery to remove GT sipper Shubman Gill for 31. Sai Sudharsan then handled the charge as he hammered Naman Dhir courtesy of two boundaries, gathering 13 runs off the over.

pic.twitter.com/3zeDiiUVy2

— Grahman (@Grahman326048) March 24, 2024

Azmatullah Omarzai smoked Chawla for two sixes taking 17 runs in the 11th over of the game.

Gerald Coetzee then joined the wicket-taking party as he bagged his maiden IPL wicket, removing Azmatullah Omarzai for 17. Omarzai was beaten by pace as he hit the ball high in the air before Tilak Varma took the catch at backward square leg.

Sai Sudharsan and David Miller then rebuild GT's innings. In the 17th over of the game, Bumrah gave GT back-to-back blows as he outfoxed Miller for 12 and well-set batter Sudharsan for 45.

Rahul Tewatia came out all-gun blazing as he slammed Luke Wood for 19 runs with the help of two boundaries and one six.

In the last over of the game, Coetzee then removed Tewatia for 22 and helped MI restrict GT to 168/6 in 20 overs.

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"Rohit Will Have Best Strike Rate But Virat...": Vaughan's Big Prediction

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has backed Virat Kohli to be the leading run-scorer in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), starting March 22. IPL 2024 marks the return of Virat Kohli on the cricket field after the star batter decided to skip the England Test series, citing personal issues. Kohli's wife and bollywood actress Anushka Sharma gave birth to the couple's second child last month in London, and the former India captain decided to be with his wife during the period.

Speaking on Club Prairie Fire podcast, Vaughan said while Rohit Sharma, who will be playing under Hardik Pandya's captaincy in IPL 2024, will have the highest strike rate in the season, he tipped Kohli to bag the 'Orange Cap' which is awarded to the leading run-scorer of IPL.

"Rohit Sharma will have the best strike rate in IPL 2024 but Virat Kohli will be the leading run-scorer," Vaughan said.

However, former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist didn't agree with Vaughan, and backed Rajasthan Royals' Yashasvi Jaiswal to bag the top honours among the batters.

Virat has not played any competitive cricket since the two T20I matches of the three-match series against Afghanistan in January. With the IPL just a few days away, the fans are no doubt excited to see Virat back on the cricketing field, wearing the Red and Gold colours of the franchise.

Virat is the highest run-getter in IPL of all time. In 237 matches and 229 innings, Virat has scored 7.263 runs at an average of 37.24, with a strike rate of 130.02. His best score is 113. He has scored seven centuries, most by a batter and 50 fifties in his IPL career.

Last season, Virat was the fourth-highest run-getter, piling up 639 runs at an average of 53.25 and at a strike rate of 139.82. His best score was 101*. The 35-year-old scored two centuries and six fifties but could not take his side to the playoffs.

RCB open their campaign on Friday against the Chennai Super Kings on the road.

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"Thala Never Misses": Vintage Dhoni On Show With Trademark Run Out. Watch

Mustafizur Rahman brought back memories of his rookie days with his cerebral variations but an impressive rear-guard action from Anuj Rawat took Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a respectable 173 for six in the IPL opener on Friday. However on a good batting track, the total might not be enough to stop CSK.

Pacer Tushar Deshpande (0/47 in 4 overs) was smashed for 25 runs by southpaw Rawat (48 off 25 balls), who added invaluable 95 runs for the sixth wicket off 50 balls with veteran Dinesh Karthik (38 not out off 25 balls).

Rawat, who initially was cautious, launched into Deshpande, whose natural length is on the shorter side. Three sixes and a four turned the course as RCB knocked 83 runs in their last 6 overs. Rawat hit four fours and three sixes in his innings before being run out by Dhoni on the last ball of the innings.

Just a reminder: #CSKvsRCB #TATAIPL #IPLonJioCinema #IPL2024 #JioCinemaSports pic.twitter.com/KMhidAc9Sp

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) March 22, 2024

This was after Mustafizur took four wickets in his first two overs to reduce RCB to 78 for five.

'Fizz' as he is known in the cricketing fraternity wouldn't have got a first eleven nod had Matheesha Pathirana been fit to represent the 'Yellow Brigade'.

Brought in the Powerplay to stop a rampaging Faf du Plessis (35 off 23), Mustafizur, gauging the pace of the track, didn't keep it too full and bowled between the 7-8 metre length to extract enough bounce to get a couple of dismissals.

Virat Kohli made 21 off 20 balls in his first competitive game in more than two months.

Having got to face only six deliveries in the Powerplay, Kohli's first attacking stroke was a pull six off Maheesh Theekshana (0/36 in 4 overs) but he never looked in rhythm after a two-month paternity break as a mistimed pull led to his dismissal. Ajinkya Rahane had catched it at deep mid-wicket but as he was about slide out, he flicked it inside for Rachin Ravindra to complete the relay catch.

Rahaman's best delivery however was one that cleaned up Green when he rolled his wrists to bowl a cutter with a wobbly seam.

At the onset, Deepak Chahar (1/37 in 4 overs) did look woefully short of match practice, as his loopy outswingers got harsh treatment first up from Du Plessis. But RCB's joy was short-lived as the skipper was caught in the deep after a brisk knock.

Rajat Patidar's (0) wretched run since England Tests continued as he nicked one to Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind stumps.

The break in momentum for RCB worked in Chahar's favour as a change of ends saw him bowl one that pitched on back of length and moved a shade to have Glenn Maxwell caught behind

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"I've Been On The Opposition When He...": Smith On Kohli's T20 WC Spot

Does Virat Kohli have a future in India's T20 World Cup team? While experts may differ over the batting stalwart's future in the shortest format of the game, veteran Australia batter Steve Smith only had good things to say. Sharing his own experience of being in the opponent teams as Virat Kohli produced some of his finest performances, Smith revealed how Kohli tends to excel under pressure and deliver masterclass performances time and again. For Smith, there's no doubt that Kohli remains one of the finest batters in the world.

"He plays the situation. Some wickets you play on, your strike rate doesn't need to be high. You play according to what's in front of you. We have seen Virat play some masterclass innings and get his team over the line, whether it has been RCB or India. I've been on the opposition in the Australian team when he has done this against us on numerous occasions," Smith told Star Sports.

For Smith, there's no doubt that Kohli should be a part of India's T20 World Cup team as he is the sort of player who knows how to handle pressure situations.

"What we know is that he plays extremely well under pressure. He loves that. It's those players who you want in your team when you go into the World Cup and face pressure situations. You want the experienced players who stand up in those situations, and Virat is certainly one of those," said the Australian batter further.

Having not played much T20 cricket since the conclusion of the last World Cup, Kohli would need to prove his worth to the selectors with a superlative show for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. With the opening slots in the Indian team already sealed, it would be interesting to see if Virat reinvents himself in another role for RCB.

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T20I Rankings: Suryakumar Yadav Maintains Pole Position In Batting List

Suryakumar Yadav maintained his numero uno position among batters despite being out of competitive cricket for past three months while ace spinner Rashid Khan, back in Afghan jersey after an injury lay-off, is back among top-10 in bowlers' list in the latest ICC T20I rankings published on Wednesday. Surya, who will make a comeback for Mumbai Indians in the upcoming IPL, is way ahead of the pack with 861 points under his belt. Phil Salt is a distant number two with 802 points. Surya hadn't played any cricket since December, having undergone sports hernia surgery.

Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid re-entered the elite list of the ICC men's T20I bowler rankings following his contribution in team's 2-1 series victory over Ireland.

The 25-year-old spinner returned from injury in style, claiming eight wickets and his exploits saw him jump four places to ninth in the latest rankings.

The Afghanistan ace collected a series-high eight wickets over the three matches at an average of 5.62 in what was his first series since he injured his back during last year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

Rashid, who first held the No.1 ranking for T20I bowlers at the start of 2018 and has consistently remained near the top, only slipped out of the top 10 recently and will be keen to maintain his position within the premier spots in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in USA and the Caribbean.

Rashid's Afghanistan teammate Naveen-ul-Haq (up two places to 55th) made some ground following his three wickets during the Ireland series, while Irish trio of Josh Little (up seven spots to 39th), Mark Adair (up two places to 56th) and Barry McCarthy (up 15 spots to 77th) also boosted their T20I bowler ranking that is still being led by England spinner Adil Rashid.

In T20I batting rankings, Bangladesh veteran Shakib Al Hasan maintained his place at the top of the rankings for T20I all-rounders, with Ireland's Gareth Delany (up four places to 18th) the biggest mover in this category following his 76 runs and a wicket against Afghanistan.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rishabh Pant Appointed Delhi Capitals Captain For IPL 2024

Rishabh Pant was on Tuesday appointed as the captain of Delhi Capitals for the upcoming edition of the IPL, marking a wonderful chapter in his miraculous comeback saga. The keeper-batter missed cricketing action for 14 months after suffering a horrific car accident in December 2022. "We are delighted to welcome Rishabh back as our captain. Grit and fearlessness have always dictated his brand of cricket, and not surprisingly, even his road to recovery.

"I can't wait to see him walk our team out once again as we look forward to a new season with renewed passion, vigour and enthusiasm," said DC chairman and co-owner Parth Jindal in a media release.

The left-hander has been a part of the Capitals pre-season preparatory camp in Visakhapatnam, ahead of their first IPL 2024 match against Punjab Kings in Chandigarh on March 23.

The IPL begins on March 22.

Earlier, Pant was given clearance by the BCCI to play as a wicketkeeper batter in this year's IPL.

"After undergoing an extensive 14-month rehab and recovery process, following a life-threatening road mishap on December 30, 2022, near Roorkee, Uttarakhand, Rishabh Pant has now been declared fit as a wicket-keeper batter for the upcoming IPL 2024," the board had stated in a medical update.

Delhi head coach Ricky Ponting too had given a thumbs-up for the way Pant was playing at nets during the team's camp.

"We missed him incredibly last year. The whole tournament missed him. Rishabh brings so much energy to the team. He's got that smile on his face, he's hitting the ball as good as ever and he tends to lift all of his teammates around him," said Ponting.

Last year's Australian veteran David Warner had led the Capitals and they finished ninth in the 10-team league with five wins and nine loses ahead of Sunrisers Hyderabad.

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Chelsea Survive Leicester City Scare To Reach FA Cup Semi-Finals

Carney Chukwuemeka rescued Chelsea with a stoppage-time strike that inspired a 4-2 win over 10-man Leicester in an FA Cup quarter-final thriller on Sunday. Mauricio Pochettino's side were fortunate to survive a stirring fightback from Championship promotion chasers Leicester amid a mutinous atmosphere at Stamford Bridge. Chukwuemeka netted in the closing minutes to save Chelsea from the embarrassment of being forced into extra-time. Noni Madueke added Chelsea's fourth to ensure the angry fans who booed Pochettino in the second half were silenced, at least for now.

For the sixth time in the last eight years, the Blues have advanced to the last four in the FA Cup.

But this was hardly a triumphant afternoon for Blues boss Pochettino, whose inconsistent team blew the two-goal half-time lead given to them by Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer.

In between those strikes, Raheem Sterling missed a penalty and Axel Disasi gave Leicester hope with a farcical own goal early in the second half.

When Stephy Mavididi scored an eye-catching equaliser, Chelsea were in turmoil once again as the hapless Sterling earned the wrath of the home support.

But Leicester's Callum Doyle was sent off for a professional foul on Nicolas Jackson, setting the stage for the Blues' late revival.

Chelsea have failed to win a single domestic trophy since their most recent FA Cup triumph six years ago.

The west Londoners are languishing in 11th place in the Premier League and former Tottenham and Southampton boss Pochettino is yet to win silverware in England.

Under mounting pressure amid a troubled first season in charge, Pochettino revealed this week that some of Chelsea's young players endured a sleepless night before their League Cup final defeat against Liverpool in February.

Making amends by winning the FA Cup would buy Pochettino some much-needed breathing space.

Chelsea jeers

Chelsea had taken the lead in the 13th minute when Nicolas Jackson accelerated past Jannik Vestergaard into the Leicester area before whipping over a low cross that Cucurella converted from close-range.

It was the Spanish defender's first goal since joining Chelsea from Brighton in August 2022.

In the 25th minute, Cole Palmer surged down the right flank and crossed to the edge of area, where Sterling was clattered by Abdul Fatawu as he prepared to shoot.

Palmer has been taking Chelsea's penalties this season and Sterling's decision to grab the ball proved misguided.

A frustrating season for the 29-year-old, who was left out of the England squad again this week, showed no signs of abating as he fluffed his lines with a weak penalty that was easily saved by Jakub Stolarczyk.

To his credit, Sterling didn't hide and he set up Palmer's goal on the stroke of half-time.

Sterling raced into the area and delivered a low cross that Palmer deftly slotted home from close-range.

Disasi gave Leicester a lifeline in the 51st minute as the centre-back panicked under pressure from Daka and hacked a misjudged backpass past stunned keeper Robert Sanchez into his own net from 30 yards.

Weaving into the Chelsea area as the anxious Blues defence backed off, Mavididi curled a blistering finish into the top corner in the 62nd minute.

Chelsea thought they had been given a penalty in the 73rd minute when Doyle tripped Jackson.

VAR ruled the offense was just outside the area, but that didn't save Doyle from a red card.

Sterling was booed by Chelsea fans after a woeful free-kick, while Pochettino also copped it with chants of "you don't know what you're doing" when he substituted Mudryk. 

Sterling was jeered again when he was taken off, so it was no surprise to see Pochettino punching the air in relief in stoppage-time.

Chukwuemeka produced a cool finish after Palmer's sublime back-heel teed up the young midfielder.

Madueke put a flattering gloss on the scoreline when his deflected strike dipped under the bar in the final seconds.

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BCCI Physio Reveals Reason Behind Pant's Earlier Than Anticipated Recovery

Rishabh Pant's mental strength and his background in gymnastics has helped the dashing wicketkeeper-batter to make an early recovery. Fifteen months after Pant was involved in a horrific car accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway in December 2022, the wicketkeeper-batter received a green signal to play in the IPL, starting March 22.

"The mental strength and confidence inside him made us give our 100 per cent in doing the rehab part for him," Thulasi Yuvraj, a physiotherapist at the National Cricket Academy told 'bcci.tv' "The doctors believed that he may take up to two years. Once he came to NCA, it was like a progressive phase for him," he added.

Pant had dabbled in gymnastics at a young age and that served as an asset in his recovery, according to Nishanta Bordoloi, the strength and conditioning coach at NCA, "One thing was that Rishabh has a background for gymnastic which was a very very big asset for us because there are a few things that come naturally to him," Bordoloi said.

"Anytime he would feel he couldn't move, he could tumble or roll over back to his feet again. Which was so much of an added advantage for him.

"The beginning phase was to get foundational strength in him, making his body understand what the movements are like.

"It's completely reconstructed thing and once it's reconstructed it takes a lot of mind and body connection. The neural system need to understand, the muscle, tendons have to function," he added.

Although Pant left no stone unturned, ticking all the boxes, the 26-year found the rehab mundane.

"Rehab is very irritating, have to do same thing again and again. But you have to do it because you don't have any other choice. It's boring but the more you do the better you get," said Pant.

But returning to the cricket field has made him love the sport more than he could imagine.

"I feel so happy when I go to the ground. The love of cricket has gone up, I used to love it more than anything before but still there is an increase." His treating doctor, renowned orthopedic surgeon Dinshaw Pardiwala has credited the NCA staff and the cricketer's extreme motivation for his comeback.

"NCA keeping a physio with him daily. Making sure the determination and intensity was there each an every day. He has returned so quickly, six months earlier than anticipated. It is because of his drive, his extreme motivation and also he expertise in rehab aspect," Pardiwal said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Kolkata Is Like My Second Home": Gambhir Joins KKR Ahead Of IPL 2024

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir received a warm welcome from the fans at the NSCBI Airport in Kolkata and he asserted that Kolkata is his second home. The former India opener stated that KKR is an emotion to him and thanked the fans for giving such a warm welcome. "Thank You for standing here and giving me a warm welcome. Kolkata is like my second home and KKR is an emotion," Gambhir told the media on Thursday. The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will start on March 22, with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) set to clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in a South Indian derby at their home arena--MA Chidambaram Stadium.

KKR will play their opening game of the IPL 2024 against Pat Cummins-led SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, March 23. The match will start at 7:30 pm.

Earlier on Sunday, KKR named Phil Salt as Jason's replacement for the upcoming season of the IPL 2024.

With star overseas players like Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Phil Salt, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Mitchell Starc available along with a strong Indian core in Nitish Rana, skipper Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Charkavarthy, KKR will be aiming to do well in IPL 2024.

Last season, they finished seventh with six wins and eight losses. 12 points were not enough to earn them a spot in playoffs.

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL 2024 squad: Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, KS Bharat, Chetan Sakariya, Mitchell Starc, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Dushmantha Chameera, Sakib Hussain.

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Korean Footballer's Relative Releases His Explicit Videos, Jailed

The sister-in-law of South Korean international Hwang Ui-jo was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday for posting private explicit videos of the footballer online and trying to blackmail him. The defendant, who has not been named, was accused of sharing the videos on social media while pretending to be an ex-girlfriend accusing him of infidelity. The release of the videos sparked a separate police investigation into the Nottingham Forest striker over whether the sexual encounters were filmed illegally without consent. Hwang has denied the allegations and prosecutors have yet to clear or formally charge him. 

The sister-in-law posted the videos "knowing it would be disseminated indiscriminately", the Seoul Central District Court said in a verdict, Yonhap news agency reported. 

"The content has been widely distributed in and out of South Korea... the nature of her crime is very serious," the court said. 

The three-year sentence was a year less than prosecutors had demanded. 

The defendant's acknowledgement of the crime and Hwang's plea for leniency were taken into consideration, the court said. 

"I have caused great harm to the victims and I sincerely regret what I have done," the defendant said in her final testimony.

The 31-year-old Hwang, who is on loan from Forest at Turkish club Alanyaspor, scored in a World Cup qualifier against Singapore in November.

But the Korea Football Association have since suspended him from the national squad pending the outcome of the investigation into the alleged illegal filming.

The suspension kept him out of the Asian Cup in Qatar.  

Hwang has scored 19 goals in 62 appearances for South Korea.

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Water Crisis To Affect 1st Leg Of IPL? Karnataka Cricket CEO Says This

The acute water shortage in the city might not pose any immediate threat to the three IPL first-leg matches to be played in Bengaluru, as KSCA, the host association, is confident of meeting the demand for water from the in-house sewage treatment plant. Bengaluru is reeling under a severe water crisis, the worst in the last four decades, and there have been calls from several quarters to shift the IPL games, beginning on March 25, out of the city.

"We are facing no crisis - at the moment that is. We have received the state government pertaining to water usage and we (the KSCA office-bearers) are in constant meetings about following the guidelines," Shubendu Ghosh, the CEO of Karnataka State Cricket Association, told PTI.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) had issued a notice, barring the usage of potable water for any other purpose such as gardening or washing vehicles.

Ghosh exuded confidence that water from the sewage treatment plant inside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium will suffice for purposes like watering the outfield and pitch.

"We are already using water from the STP plant for watering outfield and pitch and other in-stadium purposes. We may require 10000-15000 litres of water for match purposes, and we are certain that it can be generated from the STP plant.

"We don't need to use groundwater (for any watering purpose). Yes, we are having a closer look at the government's new policy on water usage, but we are confident of meeting all the points in the order," said Ghosh.

In the first IPL match of this season, local franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore will take on Punjab Kings on March 25, and four days later they will face Kolkata Knight Riders.

In the third match at home, RCB will be up against Lucknow SuperGiants on April 2.

The officials of Royal Challengers, a pioneer in green initiatives like reviving the city's lakes, also sounded confident of conducting the matches despite the water scarcity in the city.

"We are aware of the situation and are in touch with the KSCA office-bearers. But we have another two weeks in hand before the first match here. So, we are confident of a smooth conduct of matches.

"The venue also complies with the norms of National Green Tribunal, so a system is already in place to tackle such scenarios," said an official on conditions of anonymity.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Suryakumar To Miss First Two Games Of IPL 2024? Report Makes Big Claim

India's ace T20 batter Suryakumar Yadav is currently undergoing rehabilitation at Bengaluru's National Cricket Academy post an ankle surgery but it is still not clear whether he will be available for the first two games of the Mumbai Indians in the upcoming Indian Premier League. Mumbai Indians will start its campaign on Sunday, March 24, against last year's runners-up Gujarat Titans, and it is a race against time for the world No. 1 T20 batter, who is working hard at the NCA to get back to peak match fitness. "Surya's rehabilitation is on track and he will certainly 'Return to Play' in the IPL itself. However it is still not clear whether the NCA's Sports Science and Medical Team will give clearance to play in the first two away games against Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad (March 27)," a BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity.

If one goes by Surya's Instagram handle, he has been seen doing a lot of Strength and Conditioning (S&C) routines but he hasn't yet uploaded any of his batting videos, which will give a fair indication of how he is shaping up.

"There are still 12 days to go before MI play their first game but it could be a race against time to get fit by the first match itself," the source said.

Surya is the most vital player in India's T20 set-up with a strike-rate of 171-plus and 2,141 runs in 60 T20 games. He has four T20I hundreds to his credit.

Much of India's chances in the T20 World Cup in the Americas (USA and West Indies) will depend on how Surya plays. And even for MI to have a successful campaign, Surya's availability from the start is paramount.

Surya last played in South Africa, where he led the national team in the T20 format.

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Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty Win French Open Men's Doubles Title

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty enjoyed another memorable 'Evening in Paris', lifting the French Open badminton crown for the second time with a dominating straight-game victory over Chinese Taipei's Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in the men's doubles final in Paris on Sunday. The world No. 1 Indian pair had finished runners-up in the French Open in 2019 before winning the title in 2022. On Sunday, the Asian Games champions outwitted Lee and Yang 21-11 21-17 in 37 minutes to regain the Super 750 tournament title and also win their first crown of the season after reaching the summit clash for the third time in 2023.

The Indian duo had finished second best at Malaysia Super 1000, India Super 750 this year, while signing off as runners-up at China Masters Super 750 as well last year.

Satwik and Chirag proved third time lucky and their stellar show this week only reconfirmed chief coach Pullela Gopichand's assertion that the duo will be the favourites to win Paris Olympics gold.

"It feels really sweet. Paris has always been special for us and we have always played good badminton here and it has been a second home for us. It is a test venue for Olympics but that is still some months away," Chirag said.

"I would be lying if I say that I am not enjoying that (winning at Olympic venue) but we have won this final. There is another tournament next week, so looking forward to that." This was the Indians' seventh BWF World Tour title (Super 300 events and above) and they won it without dropping a single game this week.

Soon after the win, the Indians celebrated in their traditional style with Satwik lifting Chirag in his lap as he had his hands eyeing towards the sky. Satwik also broke into a dance with his racquet.

"It all started from Thomas Cup and it became a habit and it has been a long time since we danced. It is after fourth finals. We just wanted to go and have fun and let them earn points and the match," Satwik said.

"We wanted to give our 100 percent and enjoy. Even Mathias (Boe) kept telling us to have fun and we got back our rhythm and the momentum changed." Satwik and Chirag enjoyed a 2-0 head-to-head record against Lee and Yang but the Taiwanese pair has been in the form of their life, having come into the tournament after winning the German Open last week.

"They had some good weeks, they have beaten some good oppositions, and we knew we can't take them lightly, their ranking might not be high but they have always been a formidable game. So we are happy that we could take that first game and after initial jittery take the second as well," Chirag said.

Satwik and Chirag were alert and kept a sharp attack and their defence was also rock solid during the short and snappy rallies which they dominated from the start.

Satwik and Chirag forced opponents to commit errors regularly as they sent the shuttle wide and dumped into net twice as the Indians led 11-6 at the break.

Lee and Yang also erred in their serve, while the Indians, mainly Chirag, made sound judgements on the lines. Soon the Indians were 14-6 when Yang sprayed a smash from Satwik to net.

The Indians sprayed a couple of shots to the net as Lee and Yang tried to extend the rallies. But the Indians curtailed their plans, leading 17-9 in a jiffy.

Satwik unleashed another precise smash and then another flat exchange ended with a superb smash from Satwik on the front-court as the Indians grabbed 10 game points.

The Commonwealth Games champions converted on the second chance with Satwik dishing out a cross court smash.

Lee and Yang started on an attacking note after the change of ends to open up a 4-1 lead.

With coach Mathias constantly giving instructions from the sidelines, Chirag and Satwik quickly regrouped and made it 3-4.

The Indians restored parity at 5-5 when the Taiwanese botched a flick serve and then dumped one to net.

A couple of smash on Satwik's body earned the Taiwanese a few points but the Indians kept their nose ahead at 8-7 with a barrage of steep smashes.

Lee made some good interceptions on the front court and managed to hold a 11-9 cushion at the interval after the Indians were called for a fault for a double-hit during a rally.

On resumption, Lee and Yang committed another service error as it was even-steven at 11-11.

Chirag made another good call, asking Satwik to leave the shuttle at the backline as it was 14-14.

The Indians then piled up the pressure, standing up a bit near the net and stepping up the pace to quickly move to 17-14.

Another body blow from Yang on Satwik gave them a point but the Indians were soon two point away from a win after Chirag produced another smash.

The Indians grabbed match points when the Taiwanese found the net. Lee and Yang saved one but then sent the next one wide as the Indians celebrated in unison.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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PCB Wants Champions Trophy 2025 'Participation Assurance' From BCCI: Report

Newly appointed PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi would be eyeing an assurance from BCCI secretary Jay Shah on India's participation in next year's Champions Trophy in Pakistan during next week's ICC Meeting in Dubai but is unlikely to make headway as of now. The ICC Executive board will meet in Dubai next week and Naqvi plans to speak to the global body's brass as well as Indian board's top boss Shah on the sidelines but for a tournament scheduled in February-March of 2025, there is no way that Indian board will right away make any commitments of travelling to Pakistan with nearly one year left. While Champions Trophy is an ICC tournament and with every other cricketing nation travelling to Pakistan, the BCCI will not entirely close its door but any clearance from the government of India will not come at least weeks before the tournament commences.

"The biggest worry for the PCB is whether India will send its team to Pakistan and there is no repeat of last year's Asia Cup issues," a PCB source said, citing the 'Hybrid Model' that was used last year. Last year, PCB was forced to agree to a sharing formula under which it hosted four games of the Asia Cup and the rest were held in Sri Lanka since the BCCI made it clear that it cannot send its team to Pakistan because of non-clearance from its government.

"This is an ICC event and Pakistan went last year to India for the World Cup. Naqvi will try to convince the ICC and BCCI that they need to confirm that India will be coming to Pakistan as early as possible as it will help promote the CT for them," the source added.

"Naqvi will try to assure the BCCI representatives that with elections (in Pakistan) completed and a new government in place, there will be no security or other concerns for them to play in Pakistan." The last time India toured Pakistan was back in 2008 when it played in the Asia Cup and since Pakistan has thrice been to India for the ICC World Cup events in 2011 (ODI World Cup), 2016 (T20 World Cup) and 2023 (ODI World Cup).

The source said Naqvi will also brief the ICC board about the upgradation of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi and the Pakistan government's stance on India playing in Pakistan.

When a BCCI source was asked, he gave a standard reply.

"Playing in Pakistan is something that only Indian government can decide and BCCI will have to follow the government diktat. Also it is too early to even ask for government's permission and if their new chairman is expecting some kind of assurance in March 2024 for a tournament in Feb-March 2025, he is mistaken," the BCCI source said. PTI CORR KHS KHS KHS

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New Zealand vs Australia 2nd Test Day 3 Live Score Updates

NZ vs AUS 2nd Test Day 3, Live Updates: New Zealand will be resuming their innings at 134/2 against Australia on Day 3 of the ongoing second Test. Tom Latham (65*) and Rachin Ravindra (11*), standing unbeaten at the crease as New Zealand lead by 40 runs. Earlier on Day 2, Kane Williamson scored 51 before getting dismissed by Pat Cummins. Apart from him, Mitchell Starc also scalped the wicket of Will Young for 1. Matt Henry's seven-wicket haul helped New Zealand bundle out Australia at 256 as the visitors took a lead by 94 runs. (Live Scorecard)

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Pressure At Paris 2024 Olympics Will Be Inevitable: Neeraj Chopra

World and Tokyo Olympics champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who will be training in Turkey from this week before returning to outdoor competition for the first time in 2024, said he was in "top physical shape" and "has never felt so good before." The build up to the Tokyo Games was a challenging one for the 26-year-old Chopra, who had missed an entire season due to injuries.

"I want to be in best possible shape before Paris," Chopra, who is on a short break after his training stint in South Africa, told SAI media.

"My training sessions have gone off really well so far. I always lay stress on fitness along with strength and technique.

"This is the best I have felt in a long time but I must add that training and competition are not the same. When you wear the India jersey, the feeling is different, the josh (energy) is unbelievable," Chopra added.

He also stated that time after his Tokyo Olympics success was "very different".

Chopra said his performance thereafter indicated that his preparation for global tournaments was going in the right direction.

"I have won medals in two World Championships, threw my personal best (89.94 metres at Stockholm), won a dream Diamond League title and even defended my gold at the Asian Games," he said.

"All in all, I have been in great space and want to carry forward that momentum from May onwards." On the elusive 90-metre magical mark, Chopra once again reiterated that "distance doesn't matter to him." German youngster Max Dehning recently threw the javelin to a distance of 90.20 metres at a German winter meet.

But Chopra said it "did not add any pressure" but only indicated that the level of competition this year will be stiff.

"What matters to me is staying 100 per cent fit, being consistent during the season and delivering on the day that matters," he said.

"I think there are mistakes to fix and looking at the increasing competition all around, one has to keep improving.

"The road will close if you think you have done it all," Chopra added.

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First Time In 92 Years: R Ashwin Achieves Massive Feat In 100th Test

It was a massive occasion for veteran Indian cricket team spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as he played his 100th Test match as India took on England in the final game of the five-match series in Dharamsala on Thursday. Ashwin recently became the second India bowler ever to take 500 wickets in the longest format of the sport and as he took the field for his 100th Test, he made history by becoming the oldest India cricketer to achieve the milestone. Overall, Ashwin became the 14th India cricketer to play 100 Tests but the first one to do it after celebrating his 37th birthday. The others were - Sunil Gavaskar (125), Dilip Vengsarkar (116), Kapil Dev (131), Sachin Tendulkar (200), Anil Kumble (132), Rahul Dravid (164), Sourav Ganguly (113), VVS Laxman (134), Harbhajan Singh (103), Virender Sehwag (104), Ishant Sharma (105), Virat Kohli (113) and Cheteshwar Pujara (103).

Overall, Ashwin is the sixth oldest cricketer to play his 100th Test match after Geoffrey Boycott (40y, 254d), Clive Lloyd (39y, 241d), Graham Gooch (39y, 190d), Gordon Greenidge (38y, 346d) and Younis Khan (37y, 208d).

Kuldeep Yadav took five wickets to bundle out England for 218, with India's batsmen starting strongly on a dominant opening day for the hosts in the fifth Test on Thursday.

Yadav returned figures of 5-72 and, along with fellow spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who took four wickets in his landmark 100th Test, bowled out the tourists in just 57.4 overs at the picturesque Dharamsala stadium.

India reached 135-1 at stumps, still trailing England by 83 runs.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, on 52, and Shubman Gill, on 26, were batting at the close of play after in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for 57.

The left-handed Jaiswal looked assured until his departure as he smashed spinner Shoaib Bashir for three sixes in an over, and consolidated his position at the top of the series batting with 712 runs.

Bashir, a rookie off-spinner, got Jaiswal stumped to end a 104-run opening stand.

Jaiswal, 22, went past 1,000 runs in just his 16th Test innings since his debut last year, becoming the second-quickest Indian to the mark after former batsman Vinod Kambli (14 innings).

(With AFP inputs)

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After 'Dhoni In Making' Comment On Star, Gavaskar Clarifies And Says This

MS Dhoni is the benchmark for any Indian cricket team 'finisher'. With his unique style of batting, he often pulled the Indian cricket team out of danger. Despite not being the most technically sound batter, in the traditional sense of the phrase, MS Dhoni was effective to the core both for the Indian cricket team and the Chennai Super Kings. HIs records speaks for itself. So, when a batter or player gets compared to him, one ought to take notice. And if that comparison is done by the great Sunil Gavaskar, then it holds extra significance.

During the first innings of the fourth Test in Ranchi, Jurel rescued India after most of the top order had gone back to the pavilion. The act was praised by Sunil Gavaskar. "Watching the presence of mind of Dhruv Jurel makes me think he's the next MS Dhoni in the making. I know it is a big claim to make but when Dhoni was young, he showed the same presence of mind," the legend said on air while commentating on the player.

The quote went viral. The former Indian cricket team wicketkeeper has now explained his comments in details.

"The way he thinks about the game, the way he assesses the situation and bats accordingly, gives me the MS Dhoni feels. He would hit a six in between and then look for ones and twos to rotate the strike... Even in keeping, the way he gathered that wayward throw and ran out Ben Duckett and then took a brilliant catch of Jimmy Anderson who went for the reverse sweep. When MS Dhoni was of his age, he too had the same situation awareness. And that is why I said, Jurel is like MS Dhoni. No one can become MS Dhoni. There is only one MS Dhoni. But if Jurel can manage to do even some portion of the things Dhoni did then it would be great for Indian cricket," Gavaskar was quoted as saying on Sports Tak.

"He is definitely an option. A lot will depend on his IPL form. Form is very important. But the ease with which he is hitting sixes shows that he has the game for shorter formats. If he gets a chance then he will bat at No.5 or 6 only, as a finisher. We've seen how Dhoni did coming in to bat that number in the last 4-5 overs of the innings. The same will be expected from him," Gavaskar said.

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"Thala' MS Dhoni Joins CSK In Chennai Ahead Of IPL 2024. Internet Explodes

Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni landed in Chennai on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The defending champions posted a picture of Dhoni, who led them to their fifth title last season, exiting a vehicle on social media, captioning it "#THA7A Dharisanam!" Speculation is rife that this season will be Dhoni's final one as a player. Last year, the 42-year-old mostly came out to bat towards the fag end of CSK innings. CSK began their pre-season training camp on Saturday with the first batch of CSK players landing here a day before.

The players who have arrived so far include Deepak Chahar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Simarjeet Singh, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki, Ajay Mandal, Shaik Rasheed and Nishant Sindhu (all-rounder).

#THA7A Dharisanam!#DenComing pic.twitter.com/dJbdsDd6wf

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 5, 2024

CSK will open their IPL 2024 campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 22. 

Barely two weeks before the start of the IPL, the enigmatic MS Dhoni sent speculation into overdrive by claiming that a "new role" awaits him in the "new season" in a viral social media post on Monday.

The former India captain, who led the Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title last season, however, neither mentioned the league nor elaborated on the new role, leaving everyone guessing.

"Can't wait for the new season and the new 'role'. Stay tuned!," Dhoni wrote in a rare social media post on Facebook. Speculation is rife that this season will be Dhoni's final one as a player.

ThalaiVanakkam!#DenComing pic.twitter.com/YYsyEXPAJY

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 5, 2024

Last year, the 42-year-old mostly came out to bat towards the fag end of CSK innings. He has not yet clarified on whether he will captain CSK in IPL 2024.

At the post-match ceremony after winning the final last year, Dhoni was asked if he will retire on a high, but the Ranchi dasher, in his inimitable style, deflected the query by saying that it would amount to taking an easy way out.

He went on to add that he would try to come back next season as CSK captain if his body allowed him.

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Kylian Mbappe Tension Overshadows PSG's Crunch Champions League Date

Paris Saint-Germain's preparations for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 second leg away to Real Sociedad have been overshadowed by coach Luis Enrique's handling of star man Kylian Mbappe. PSG have suffered numerous humiliating defeats at this stage of the Champions League in recent years but they are ideally placed to advance to the quarter-finals this time after winning 2-0 at home to the Basque side in last month's first leg.

Mbappe scored the opening goal in that game but the following day the superstar striker informed PSG of his intention to leave when his contract expires at the end of the campaign.

Luis Enrique might have been expected to make the most of being able to call on Mbappe until then, but instead he has made a point of reducing his top scorer's playing time.

Mbappe was left on the bench for PSG's next game at Nantes, although he came on to score a penalty in a 2-0 win.

A week later he started as captain at home against Rennes, but was substituted on 65 minutes. His replacement Goncalo Ramos went on to score the equaliser in a 1-1 draw.

Mbappe has made almost 300 appearances for PSG since arriving from Monaco in 2017, but he had only previously been taken off earlier in a game either due to injury or with PSG already winning.

Yet last Friday he was hooked at half-time in a 0-0 draw at Monaco, and once again there was no question of him being injured or even of Luis Enrique trying to save his superstar for the Champions League.

"Sooner or later we are going to have to play without him, so I am trying to find the best way of doing so," the coach said.

His comments came after he pointedly declared in a press conference last week that PSG would have "a much better team" next season, by which time Mbappe is expected to be playing for Real Madrid.

Punished?

Mbappe, who is PSG's all-time top scorer with 244 goals, appeared eager to make a point that there was nothing wrong with him in Monaco as he emerged from the dressing room after half-time. Having changed into a tracksuit, he walked around the pitch waving to fans and then took a seat in the stand beside his mother, rather than on the bench next to his teammates.

PSG can afford to experiment in Ligue 1 given they lead the table by nine points from Brest with 10 games left.

However, Luis Enrique's decision to handle Mbappe in this way ahead of such an important European date has been questioned.

"I don't understand. I get the impression that ever since he told the club he was leaving he has been punished by the coach, or maybe the punishment has been imposed by the directors," said Alain Roche, a former PSG defender and sporting director now working as a pundit for broadcaster Canal Plus.

"I think it is inappropriate to create such a controversy four days before a game as important as the second leg against La Real."

Mbappe has scored 32 goals in 33 games for his club this season, including four in the Champions League.

No other PSG player has reached double figures and Mbappe will surely start in San Sebastian as the French champions look to finish the job. They have a comfortable lead against opponents who lie seventh in La Liga and have won only once in nine games.

Then again the Parisians are all too familiar with dramatic collapses in Champions League knockout ties.

Two of their most notorious defeats came on Spanish soil in last-16 ties after they had won at home in the first leg.

Two years ago they beat Madrid 1-0 in Paris and then went ahead in the return thanks to Mbappe, only to concede three times in the second half and go out.

In 2017 they hammered Barcelona 4-0 at home only to cave in and lose 6-1 at the Camp Nou. Another exit this time, against weaker opposition and given Luis Enrique's handling of Mbappe, would be disastrous for coach and club.

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