‘Gleeful Cruelty’: The Plight of Federal Workers

By Unknown Author from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/NxrlRDe

Judge Allows C.I.A. to Fire Officers Who Worked on Diversity Issues

By Julian E. Barnes from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/RAkKYLI

Ex-Ind Star Brings Out Dance Moves After Afghanistan's Huge Win. Video Viral

Afghanistan continued their meteoric rise in the world of cricket as they beat 2019 World Cup winners England in their second Group B game of Champions Trophy 2025. With the match being a virtual knockout game, Afghanistan defeated England by eight runs in a thriller. This was Afghanistan's second successive win over England in a 50-over ICC tournament, having beaten them in the 2023 World Cup as well. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan then won hearts by doing his signature dance steps to celebrate Afghanistan's win.

Taking to social media, Irfan Pathan posted a video of him dancing to the tunes of Bollywood song 'Afghan Jalebi'. "Another ICC win against England from Afghanistan. Well done!" is how Pathan captioned his Instagram post.

The dance has become somewhat of a custom in recent years, with Pathan having done the same in 2023 when Afghanistan beat England in the World Cup.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Irfan Pathan (@irfanpathan_official)

On that occasion, Pathan had danced with Afghanistan's talisman Rashid Khan. This time, Rashid was quick to jokingly point out why they weren't dancing together.

"Bhai jan mere baghair dance haha (Brother, dancing without me?). Thank you bhai always for support and love," replied Rashid Khan to Pathan's post.

Pathan's dance went viral on Instagram, racking up over 600,000 likes within the first 10 hours of being posted.

Afghanistan vs England, Champions Trophy 2025: As it happened

With both sides needing a win to stay alive in the semi-final race, Afghanistan once again proved why a victory for them should now not be considered an upset.

Batting first, Afghanistan recovered from a shaky start to pile on 325 in 50 overs. Opener Ibrahim Zadran played a mighty knock of 177 off just 146 balls. The innings is now the highest individual score by a batter in Champions Trophy history.

In response, England always appeared to be in the run chase, but could not get over the line in the end, with Afghanistan taking wickets at crucial intervals.

Joe Root played a masterful 111-ball 120, and was aided by handy knocks from Jos Buttler (38), Ben Duckett (38) and Jamie Overton. However, it wasn't enough.

Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai starred with the ball in hand. Having earlier slammed a 31-ball 41, Omarzai then scalped five wickets, including the crucial ones of Root, Overton and Adil Rashid in the final five overs.

Afghanistan face Australia on February 28, in what will be another virtual knockout game in Group B.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/DqYptrN

Siddhant Banthia-Parikshit Somani Storm Into Bengaluru Open Doubles Semis

India's Siddhant Banthia and Parikshit Somani secured a straight-set win over Nicolas Mejia and Bernard Tomic to reach the doubles semifinals at the Bengaluru Open, an ATP Challenger 125 tournament in Bengaluru on Thursday. The unseeded Indian duo dismantled Nicolas and Bernard 7-5, 6-0 to set up a fight with Australia's Blake Bayldon and Mattew Christopher Romios for a place in the title clash. Earlier, Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni took a step closer to a successful title defence with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Hynek Barton and Eric Vanshelboim.

After an even first set both Banthia-Somani and Mejia-Tomic went toe-to-toe for the upper hand, which the latter nearly seized in game seven.

However, after saving a crucial break point, the Indian pair swept through games nine and 11 on their serve, before breaking in game 12 for the lead.

Carrying the momentum with them into the second set, Banthia and Somani then wrapped up matters in just 20 minutes.

Earlier, Ramkumar and Saketh broke their opponents early in the first set before smoothly sailing into a lead. They then achieved crucial breaks in games five and nine of the second set for the win.

The most successful doubles players in the tournament, Ramkumar and Myneni will square up against the winner of the tie between Anirudh Chandrasekar/Ray Ho and SD Prajwal Dev/Aryan Shah for a spot in the final.

Joining the two Indian pairs in the semi-finals were second-seeded Bayldon and Romios, who defeated India's Adil Kalyanpur and Karan Singh. In the singles event, Hynek Barton continued his dream run, registering a 7-6(5), 6-3 victory over Denmark's August Holmgren to reach the quarterfinals.

Third seed Brandon Holt came from a set down to overcome former World No. 17 Bernard Tomic in a hard-fought 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 battle, booking his place in the last eight.

The third singles match of the day saw seventh seed Shintaro Mochizuki defeat Jay Clarke 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/PKgC1rZ

"There Is Some IPL Cricket...": Starc Breaks Silence On CT 2025 Withdrawal

Australia left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc on Thursday revealed the reason behind pulling out from the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is taking place in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Starc was originally named in Australia's preliminary squad for the eight-team event but was a notable absentee when the two-time champions revealed their final group of 15 players earlier this month. Australia said at the time that Starc had withdrawn from the tournament due to personal reasons and they supported the move.

The experienced quick has provided further clarity on why he isn't part of the Aussies' Champions Trophy campaign.

Starc elaborated on the topic when speaking on the Willow Talk podcast in Australia and the left-armer suggested that the main reason he decided not to play at the Champions Trophy was to ensure he would be available to feature in the ICC World Test Championship Final against South Africa in London in June.

"There are a few different reasons, some personal views. I had a bit of ankle pain through the Test series, so I just need to get that one right. Obviously, we have the Test final coming up and a West Indies tour after that. There is some IPL cricket as well. The main one at the top of my mind is the Test final. Get my body right, play some cricket in the next couple of months, and then ready to go for the Test final," Starc said as quoted by ICC.

Starc's absence at the Champions Trophy hasn't been felt just yet, with the likes of Spencer Johnson, Ben Dwarshuis, and Nathan Ellis performing well as the Aussies commenced their tournament with a stirring victory over arch-rival England.

A washout against South Africa has left Australia needing a win against Afghanistan in their final group match to reach the knockout stage of the event and allow Starc further time to rest ahead of a hectic upcoming schedule.

Starc played a major role in helping Australia to their first World Test Championship title against India at The Oval in 2023 and has formed a formidable partnership with fellow quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood in helping them qualify for this year's decider at Lord's.

"I remember (when the World Test Championship was introduced) thinking it doesn't mean much. But we got close to it and missed out, and watching it on TV we wanted to be part of it. Now we find ourselves sitting with a chance to win it for the second time on the trot," the fast bowler said.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/ULG8eEa

Kohli Spends Extra Time With Spinners Ahead Of Champions Trophy Semi-Finals

The Indian cricket team had a strenuous training session on Wednesday with talismanic batter Virat Kohli spending a lot of time facing spinners even as bowling coach Morne Morkel rejoined the side after attending to a personal emergency back home. Virat not only faced the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja during the training session but also spent more than half an hour plying the net bowlers ahead of the clash against New Zealand on Sunday. Pace bowling stalwart Mohammed Shami too was seen bowling at full tilt, swinging the ball both ways and rapping Kohli twice on his pads, while Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh too looked determined to give their best during the session.

Under the watchful eyes of Morkel, all bowlers looked sharp and geared up to take up the New Zealand challenge.

Morkel had to leave the Indian camp a couple of days before the team's Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh on February 20.

The former South Africa pacer was seen having a long chat with head coach Gautam Gambhir as the players did their warm-up drills at the ICC Academy here.

Shubman Gill, who has been India's stand out batter in the tournament, was the only one who did not turn up for practice.

The BCCI media manager said there was no need to get worried about Gill.

Rishabh Pant has recovered from an illness and trained on Wednesday with the rest of the squad.

India enjoyed a couple of days off after outplaying Pakistan in their second group game. They have already reached the semifinals from Group A alongside New Zealand.

Both teams will face each other in their last group match here on March 2.

India, who last won the Champions Trophy in 2013, are favourites to lift the title considering their spin-heavy squad combination and the way they have played thus far in the tournament.

India play all their games in Dubai where the pitch has been slow and aided the spinners so far.

Considering the hybrid model of the tournament, India are the only side which is playing at one venue and that has been questioned by the likes of former England skipper Michael Atherton, who sees it as an undeniable advantage to Rohit Sharma and Co.

While the tournament hosts are Pakistan, India will also play the final in Dubai if they qualify.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/oJ68BRV

What They Took

By Isabelle Taft from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/LZG8KEt

Pakistan Set Embarrassing Records With Early Champions Trophy 2025 Exit

New Zealand's victory over Bangladesh in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group A match on Monday proved to be the final nail in the coffin for hosts Pakistan. After defeats against New Zealand and India in their first two matches, Pakistan's campaign was on the brink. As the Kiwis outscored the Bangla Tigers in Rawalpindi, Pakistan's elimination was confirmed. Courtesy of their early exit from the tournament, Mohammad Rizwan's men went on to register a few embarrassing records to their name.

It was the first occasion since 2009 that saw the host nation failing to make it out of the group stages of the Champions Trophy. In the 2009 campaign, South Africa failed to qualify for the knockouts after winning just one and losing 2 matches in the group stage of the tournament.

Already out of the semi-finals race, Pakistan became only the 4th team to enter the Champions Trophy as defending champions and exit in the group stages. In the 2004 edition of the tournament, India and Sri Lanka were eliminated from in the group stages. India and Sri Lanka were crowned the joint-winners in the 2002 edition. Even in the 2013 campaign, defending champions Australia failed to win even a single match and were eliminated in the group stage itself.

On Sunday, India rode on a clinical performance to outclass traditional rivals Pakistan with plenty to spare at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Batting first, Pakistan were bowled out for 241. Virat Kohli then regained his glorious touch with his 51st ODI hundred, and was ably supported by Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, as India completed the chase with 45 balls to spare to inch closer to the semifinals.

As per a PTI report, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that head coach Aaqib Javed will be relieved of his duties after the Champions Trophy.

“Obviously there is backlash over the team's performance in the CT. The Board hasn't decided as yet on whether the team will have separate head coaches (for red and white ball teams) but one thing is certain the current support staff will be overhauled now after the poor show in the Champions Trophy,” the source told PTI.

"But the way the Board has been changing coaches and selectors since last year, it will be a challenge to find other candidates for these positions,” he said.

This is the first time Pakistan were given the hosting right of an ICC tournament since the 1996 World Cup.

With PTI Inputs

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/HNvwf42

Algunos funcionarios nombrados por Trump ponen resistencia al ultimátum de Musk a los trabajadores federales

By Chris Cameron and Maggie Haberman from NYT En español https://ift.tt/dQcvhTU

In a city shaken by a killing, voters on all sides were upset.

By Sam Gurwitt from NYT World https://ift.tt/LRiXbcC

How Can Pak Reach CT 2025 Semis Despite Big Loss Against India - Explained

Pakistan's chances of reaching the semi-finals were dealt a massive blow after they were defeated comprehensively by India in their Champions Trophy 2025 Group A encounter in Dubai on Sunday. Pakistan were outplayed completely as Virat Kohli slammed a brilliant century off 111 deliveries to guide India to a comfortable six-wicket victory. This was Pakistan's second loss in a row after they were beaten by New Zealand in the tournament opener. While the route to the semi-finals look quite difficult for Mohammad Rizwan and Co, their chances are not completely over. Pakistan will need to win their final game against Bangladesh and depend on other results to reach the knockout stage.

If New Zealand lose both of their remaining matches against Bangladesh and India, a win for Pakistan in the final game will mean that they will have 2 points from 3 matches along with New Zealand and Bangladesh. In that case, they will be able to reach the semifinals with the help of a better net run-rate.

India beat Pakistan by six wickets in a one-sided Champions Trophy clash on Sunday to all but seal a spot in the semifinals.

India dismissed Pakistan for 241 after Saud Shakeel struck 62 off 76 balls while skipper Mohammad Rizwan made a laborious 46 from 77 deliveries.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav (3/40) picked up three wickets and all-rounder Hardik Pandya (2/31) removed Babar Azam (23) and Shakeel.

India completed the chase in 42.3 overs thanks to Virat Kohli (100 not out off 111), Shubman Gill (46 off 52) and Shreyas Iyer (56 off 67).

Skipper Rohit Sharma (20 off 15) too played a few audacious strokes before falling to a beauty from Shaheen Afridi.

With two wins in as many games, India are all but through to the semifinals. Pakistan, on the other hand, are on the brink of elimination after losing their first two group games.

(With PTI inputs)

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/AdcjOMk

East Bengal Beat Punjab FC 3-1 In ISL, But Playoffs Berth Looks Tough

East Bengal maintained their newfound form with a 3-1 thumping of Punjab FC in their Indian Super League (ISL) match on Saturday. Dimitrios Diamantakos (15th minute) set the tone for the visitors with an early strike before Naorem Mahesh Singh (47th) and Lalchungnunga (54th) found the back of the net. Later, Punjab FC scored the consolation goal in the 62nd minute, courtesy of a fantastic strike from Ezequiel Vidal. East Bengal are now unbeaten in their last three away games this campaign as they kept their hopes for playoffs alive albeit mathematically.

They are 10th in the table with 24 points from 21 games now, whereas Punjab FC have dropped to the 11th place.

With three games left to play, both East Bengal and Punjab FC are eight points behind the sixth-placed Mumbai City.

East Bengal made some promising moves from the left flank to start the game, while Punjab FC's backline were alert to the danger in the early exchanges.

The Red and Gold brigade took the lead when their Greek forward hammered a shot on goal from the left, more in hope than conviction but it went through Ravi Kumar's legs into the goal.

Diamantakos had another opportunity to double the lead in the 44th minute when Raphael Messi Bouli found him with a low cross after beating his marker.

However, before the 31-year-old could get his shot away, Ivan Novoselec stole the ball from his path and averted the danger.

Panagiotis Dilmperis made two attacking changes at the start of the second half. He introduced Luka Majcen and Nihal Sudeesh, replacing Asmir Suljic and Asish Pradhan respectively.

However, Punjab FC were caught ball-watching as Mahesh slotted the ball past Ravi in the goal to extend the lead for the visitors.

It all started from a long throw for East Bengal where Messi Bouli shrugged off his marker and released a cross to Vishnu in space. His shot was blocked by Novoselec but it landed kindly for Mahesh, who calmly nestled it into the back of the net.

The Red and Gold found the third goal from Mahesh's corner which was initially punched away by Ravi but Punjab FC defenders were unable to clear their lines.

Lalchungnunga showed great awareness in finding the bottom corner with a thunderous strike.

In the 61st minute, Punjab FC almost scored when Khaiminthang Lhungdim found Majcen with a long pass and the Slovenian headed it towards goal.

But Prabhsukhan Gill was alert to the danger and showed great reflexes to keep out the header.

A minute later, the hosts eventually scored when a scrappy cross from the right bounced near East Bengal's final third.

It was Vidal, who reacted first and volleyed the ball into the top corner, leaving Gill and the defenders in awe.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/RatfNYc

Premier League: Fernandes Inspires Man Utd Fightback For Everton Draw

Bruno Fernandes inspired a Manchester United rally from two goals down to avoid another damaging defeat for Ruben Amorim in a 2-2 draw at Everton on Saturday. United were headed for a ninth defeat in their last 13 league games as goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure put the Toffees 2-0 up inside 33 minutes. The visitors had not mustered a shot on target until Fernandes' free-kick pulled a goal back 18 minutes from time before Manuel Ugarte's equaliser salvaged a point for United. More late drama was to come as Everton were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time, only for referee Andy Madley to overturn his decision after a VAR review.

A point edges Everton up to 12th, while United remain in 15th.

"We start the game too late," said Fernandes.

"Every time we concede a goal and are down it is the only time we start to take a little bit more risk and pass forward.

"We need to start games like that because we are in a situation where we need to win games and create chances to score goals."

Everton were in a battle for survival when David Moyes returned for his second spell in charge last month, but they have taken 14 points from a possible 18 in their last six games to ensure their 71-year stay in the top flight will not come to an end.

"I know they're not in a great position but we're still up against a side who have a tradition of winning games and being very successful," said Moyes. "So getting a point today is not the worst result, but it feels disappointing after being 2-0 up."

Amorim conceded before the game that Moyes, who himself was sacked after less than a season in charge of United in 2014, was doing a better job than he has managed since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in November.

When the sides last met in Amorim's first home league game, United cruised to a 4-0 win at Old Trafford, but he has managed just three victories in 13 Premier League games since.

Everton have just five more matches to come at Goodison Park before they move to a new 53,000-capacity stadium next season.

The home fans and team are determined to make the most of what is left at the club's home since 1892 and put a United side lacking in confidence under pressure from the off.

But when Everton did take the lead on 19 minutes it was thanks to comedic United defending.

The Red Devils had multiple chances to deal with a corner into the box before the ball eventually broke for Beto to fire into the ground and over Andre Onana.

The striker has been transformed since Moyes' return, scoring five times in his last four Premier League appearances after netting just four times in his first 44 for the club.

Beto also had a big part to play in the second as his cross fed Jack Harrison when Onana could only parry the winger's shot, Doucoure outmuscled Harry Maguire to head in the loose ball.

Not for the first time, Fernandes was United's one source of inspiration.

The Portugal international's free-kick wrong-footed Jordan Pickford to kickstart the fightback.

Another Fernandes free-kick was the source of the equaliser as this time Ugarte pounced on Beto's headed clearance to fire in his first goal for the club.

Both sides had chances to win it in a thrilling finale.

Beto planted a header from close range too close to Onana, while Pickford tipped over Fernandes' dipping effort from the edge of the box.

United, though, were fortunate to escape in added time when Ashley Young looked to have been pulled down by a combination of Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt.

The referee pointed to the spot but was instructed to take a second look and overturned his decision to save Amorim from further embarrassment.

"I thought the on-field decision looked the correct decision," added Moyes. "I'm a bit surprised he was asked to go to VAR because I thought that it looked difficult to change your mind on that."

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/PpNUhLs

Who Comes After Trump? As Vance Establishes Himself, the Right Cheers.

By Michael C. Bender from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/tcjk2dX

SA Thrash AFG By 107 Runs To Begin CT 2025 Campaign On Rousing Note

Opening batter Ryan Rickelton struck a flawless maiden century before a clinical display by the bowlers as South Africa began their Champions Trophy campaign with a comprehensive 107-run win over Afghanistan in Karachi on Friday. Rickleton smashed 103 off 106 balls with the help of seven fours and one six while captain Temba Bavuma (58 off 76 balls), Rassie van der Dussen (52 off 46 balls) and Aiden Markram (52 not out off 36 balls) scored half centuries as South Africa posted 315 for 6 after opting to bat. Rickleton's ton was the tournament's fifth in three day's time and the third at the National Stadium here.

Chasing a big target of 316, Afghanistan couldn't repeat their series-winning performance of late last year against South Africa when they won the series 2-1 in Sharjah.

They were bowled out for 208 in 43.3 overs with South Africa pacers Kagiso Rabada (3/36), Lungi Ngidi (2/56), Wiaan Mulder (2/36) and Marco Jansen (1/32) sharing eight wickets among them as they never allowed Afghanistan to get going in the first 15 overs.

The Afghans slipped to 50 for 4 and then to 89 for 5 in the 23rd over. They never recovered from there.

Rahmat Shah played a lone hand with a 92-ball 90 while Rashid Khan (18) and Azmatullah Omarzai (18) were the second highest scorers for Afghanistan who were never in the game after conceding a big total.

Ngidi set the pace when he got rid of danger man Rehmanullah Gurbaz in the fourth over for 10 when the batsman couldn't play down a short ball which got big on him and Maharaj took a fine catch at short leg.

After five overs, Rabada, bowling with fire on a batting track, clean-bowled Ibrahim Zadran with a beauty.

To make matters worse, Afghanistan lost Sediqullah Atal (16) to a run out in the 14th over while trying a suicidal single and the next over, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (0) pulled Mulder straight to his opposite number Bavuma at wide mid-on to derail the innings.

Rabada and Jansen went through Azmatullah Omarzai (18) and Muhammad Nabi (8) to make it 120 for 6 and more or less settle the matter even though Rehmat Shah stood out with his fighting 90 from 92 balls before he was the last man out, edging Rabada to the keeper.

Even though Tristan Stubbs was dropped and Heinrich Klassen was ruled out with an elbow tissue injury, South Africa had enough firepower to subdue the Afghans whose deadly three pronged spin attack was nullified on a flat pitch.

There was a period when South Africa struggled to get boundaries with seven overs going without a four at one stage in their innings, overall their batting performance was clinical.

South Africa, after winning the inaugural Champions Trophy event in 1998 (held in knockout format), have never been able to win an ICC title held in proper league group format.

South Africa came close to breaking their jinx when they lost in the final of the World T20 Cup last year to India while they have already qualified for the final of the ICC World Test Championship to be held in June in England.

The South African innings was spearheaded by Rickleton who played a flawless innings to reach his maiden hundred before he found himself run out in unfortunate circumstances.

The southpaw led a disciplined batting display for South Africa with Bavuma, Van Der Dussen and Markram also scoring half centuries to set up the big total.

Rickleton, who hit seven fours and a six, was run out in the 36th over when he flicked back to Rashid Khan whose throw was picked up by the wicketkeeper before whipping off the bails. The batter dived full length but found his bat in the air when the bails came off.

Rickelton displayed great footwork against spinners Rashid and Muhammad Nabi and chinaman Noor Ahmed, not allowing them to dictate terms on him as he was also very strong off his back foot with his cuts and pulls.

The left-hander shared a strong second wicket partnership of 129 runs with Bavuma who batted smoothly for his 58 off 76 balls.

Once the two were separated with Bavuma holing out into the deep, Rickleton found another able partner in van der Dussen who helped himself to a 52 from 46 balls.

Van Dussen made sure South Africa didn't feel the absence of Heinrich Klassen who was out of the match with an elbow soft tissue injury and the dropped Tristan Stubbs as he batted very well against pace and spin.

Markram then smashed a quick-fire 52 from 36 balls with six fours and a six but even then South Africa just got 70 in their final 10 overs.

His 52 not out from 36 balls is the fastest by a South African in the tournament.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/mvQWJdz

Pakistan Face India In Champions Trophy Clash With No Room For Error

Pakistan face arch-rivals India in a Champions Trophy blockbuster on Sunday in front of a sell-out Dubai crowd knowing that another defeat will virtually end their title defence. The neighbours only meet in multi-nation events because of political tensions and the match is taking place in Dubai after India refused to travel to tournament hosts Pakistan. In front of what is expected to be a full house at the 25,000-capacity Dubai International Stadium, and with hundreds of millions more watching glued to their televisions, Pakistan are under pressure.

Mohammad Rizwan's side were well beaten by New Zealand by 60 runs in the opening game of the ODI competition in Karachi and realistically need to beat favourites India to stay in the hunt for a semi-final spot in the eight-nation tournament.

New Zealand top Group A ahead of India -- who beat Bangladesh on Thursday by six wickets -- on a better run-rate. Pakistan are fourth and bottom of the group.

The top two teams from each of the two groups make the semi-finals.

"If we want to win against the great teams of the world and be one of the great teams of the world we will have to bring consistency," Pakistan batsman Salman Ali Agha said.

"We can't play well in one game and bad in another."

Pakistan chased down a record 353 against South Africa last week in a tri-nation tournament at home but in the final crashed to 242 all out in a defeat to New Zealand.

They suffered a big blow in the loss on Wednesday when their premier batsman Fakhar Zaman suffered a muscle injury. He has been ruled out of the tournament.

Imam-ul-Haq came in as replacement for a team that hammered India in the final of the previous Champions Trophy, in 2017.

That was India's last defeat to Pakistan in an ODI match and Rohit Sharma's men have since won five of the last six games against their greatest rivals, with one rained off.

They last met in a one-day game at the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad, with hosts India winning by seven wickets.

Confident India

Another loss and an early exit for the hosts would take the gloss off the tournament, Pakistan's first ICC event since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.

In contrast, India lived up to their favourites tag against Bangladesh, chasing down a tricky 229 with 21 balls to spare in Dubai.

In-form Shubman Gill hit an unbeaten 101 for his second successive ODI century after pace spearhead Mohammed Shami returned bowling figures of 5-53.

Victory for India would put them on the cusp of the last four.

"After winning there is no point in having a mindset," a confident-looking Shami said in response to a question on facing Pakistan next.

"You should stay in the same frame (habit) when you win a match and when you perform well. I don't think you need to think too much about the ICC tournament or any international match."

Fellow pace bowler Harshit Rana claimed three wickets in his team's win and exuded the same confidence.

"It's great to perform ahead of the Pakistan match and hopefully I can take this momentum forward," said Rana. "But the Pakistan match is just another game for us."

Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent's partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field.

Deteriorating political ties have meant the bitter rivals have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade.

India last visited Pakistan in 2008, for the Asia Cup.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/kPEJGfx

CT 2025 Table After India's Win vs Ban: Semis Qualification Scenarios

The first round of matches in Group A of the Champions Trophy 2025 are over. After New Zealand's comprehensive win over Pakistan in Karachi on Wednesday, India overcame a gritty Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday. Currently, New Zealand lead the table (2 points, NRR +1.200) followed by India (2 points, NRR +0.408). Bangladesh are third in the table from Group A (0 points, NRR -0.408) while Pakistan are fourth (0 points, NRR - 1.200).  India's next round of matches are on February 23 (vs Pakistan) and March 2 (vs New Zealand). Apart from the India fixture, Pakistan face Bangladesh on February 27 in Rawalpindi. For New Zealand, apart from the India clash, the other match is against Bangladesh on February 24. 

The equation is simple for India and New Zealand. If they win their next matches against Pakistan and Bangladesh respectively, they will be through to the semi-finals. Even if they lose the next match, they will still have a chance to enter the semi-finals by winning the last game where they will face each other. 

For Pakistan and Bangladesh, the equation is tricky. Their next matches are almost do-or-die. A loss could knock them out, while a win will only take them to two points. It will not take them to the semi-finals but will keep them alive. If Pakistan win their next match (vs India) and Bangladesh win vs New Zealand, then the matches between the two teams on February 27 will be virtual quarter-final.

There is another possibility, three of the four teams can remain on one win each too. E.g. New Zealand lose to India and Bangladesh. Then, Pakistan lose to India but win against Bangladesh. In that scenario, India will be on six points but New Zealand, Bangladesh and Pakistan will be on two points each. In such a scenario, the second semi-finalist will be decided via run-rate.   

A brilliant century by Shubman Gill and five-wicket haul by Mohammed Shami were the highlights as India defeated Bangladesh by six wickets in their ICC Champions Trophy campaign opener at Dubai on Thursday.

Chasing 229 runs set thanks to a fighting 154-run stand by Towhid Hridoy, India got off to a fine start with a 69-run opening stand. They lost their way a bit, struggling at 144/4, but Gill and KL Rahul took India to the finishing line.

During the run-chase of 229 runs, openers skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill once again gave a fine start to India. In the sixth over by Mustafizur Rahman, Rohit hit three fours. At the end of eighth over, India was past 50-run mark thanks to a four by the captain.

Gill piled on some boundaries in the next over. But India's opening 69-run stand was ended by Taskin Ahmed as a mistimed loft by Rohit landed in Rishad Hossain's hands, ending his knock at 41 in 36 balls, with seven fours.

Virat Kohli was next up on the crease, but struggled against spinners. India reached the 100-run mark in 20 overs.

However, the 42-run stand between him and Gill was ended by Rishad, who removed Virat for a 38-ball 22 as a cut shot by him was caught by Soumya at backward point. India was 111/2 in 22.4 overs.

While Gill reached his fourth successive fifty-plus score in ODIs in 69 balls, with five fours and a six, India did struggle as they lost Shreyas Iyer (15 in 17 balls, with two fours) and Axar Patel (eight runs in 12 balls) quickly, reducing India to 144/4 in 30.1 overs.

KL and Gill continued the run-chase, bringing India closer to the target.

India reached the 200-run mark in 42.3 overs.

Gill reached his eighth ODI ton in 125 balls, with nine fours and two sixes.

With ANI inputs 

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/E3wQPIV

Environmentalists Sue to Block Trump’s Offshore Drilling Plans

By Karen Zraick from NYT Climate https://ift.tt/ZD3du6s

Rohit Reveals 'Secret To Succes' For Team India Ahead Of Champions Trophy

India's journey at the 2025 Champions Trophy will begin on Thursday with the 2013 winners set to take on Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium. Ahead of their first game Indian skipper Rohit Sharma revealed India's "secret to success" depends on their top order firing on full cylinders. Although India's campaign at the 2023 ICC World Cup ended in heartbreak, the host nation had completely dominated all opposition on their way to the final in Ahmedabad and much of that success relied on their heavy firing top order.

Virat Kohli and Rohit were the two highest scorers at the tournament with 765 and 597 runs respectively and Shreyas Iyer, with 530 runs in the tournament, perfectly complemented the Indian top order.

“Scoring hundreds at the top is the secret to success. Our top 4 is settled and experienced. They understand that between the top 4 one of them has to get a century. But in the World Cup we chipped and didn't have a lot of hundreds and still got big totals. Everyone wants to chip and not look at individual milestones and every batsman has to do the job. If 7-8 of us think like that we will be in a good position,”said Rohit in a press conference.

India will also be heavily relying on vice-captain Shubman Gill who claimed the No.1 spot on the latest ICC Men's ODI player rankings released on Wednesday. Gill has been in excellent form of late, with his century against England in Ahmedabad during the third ODI of the recently concluded series enough to catapult the 25-year-old to the top of the rankings.

Rohit also took the time to applaud his deputy for the "crazy numbers" being scored by the 25-year-old.

“Gill is a classy player and there was no doubt about him. We keep mixing formats, but he has been doing well in the format. His numbers are crazy. He has been superb for us. There is a reason why he is elevated to vice captain,” he added.

With India not with the services of their star pacer Jasprit Bumrah and questions being raised regarding the fitness of Mohammed Shami, a lot of focus falls on India's spin-heavy squad which includes five spin bowling options in Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Varun Chakravarthy.

Rohit also shut down any criticism on including five spinners by stating the team is playing to their strengths.

"We have two spinners and three all-rounders. I am not looking at them as five spinners. Jadeja, Axar, and Washi (Washington Sundar) give us a lot of depth. Many other teams carry six pacers when they have pace-bowling all-rounders. No one says they have one pacer too many. That's their strength, and we focus on our strengths.” Rohit said.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/B8c5Cwl

La CIA intensifica los vuelos secretos de drones sobre México

By Julian E. Barnes, Maria Abi-Habib, Edward Wong and Eric Schmitt from NYT En español https://ift.tt/zfB9jge

On Kohli vs Babar Comparisons, "Bewakoof Log" Dig By Ex-Pakistan Selector

Former Pakistan Kamran Akmal has rubbished the comparisons between star India batter Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. Akmal suggested that there is no comparison between Kohli and Babar, saying that the former is in a league of his own. Furthermore, Akmal also called out social media users for drawing parallels between the two, labelling such fans as "foolish". While both Kohli and Babar are going through a dip in form, Akmal feels that the former India captain has set a different benchmark, delivering top performances over the years.

"Bewakoof log hai (people who rate Babar Azam similar to Virat Kohli are foolish). Virat Kohli is such a big player. He has been a role model globally. He has played with so much passion. Such players are hard to come by. He has set such a high benchmark. There is no comparison between the two," said Akmal, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Speaking on Babar's recent struggles across the format, Akmal expressed confidence that his cousin will regain his form in the Champions Trophy, which will be held in Pakistan, barring India matches. Akmal said that the entire nation is rooting up for Babar to notch up his 20th ODI century, a feat achieved by only one Pakistan player (Saeed Anwar) in the past.

"Virat is such a big player but in the last few years, he has also been struggling for runs. He has just 3 Test tons in the last five years. Babar is also going through a lean run. He just needs to follow the process. The entire country is waiting for his 20th ODI ton. Maybe he gets back among the runs in the Champions Trophy. We want him to score at least 30-35 ODI centuries," he added.

Ahead of Pakistan's Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand, Babar said he is determined to guide his team to another triumph, this time in front of their passionate fans.

"I am very excited," Babar was quoted by ICC as saying "We are going to have an ICC tournament in Pakistan after a very long time. As a player, I am very excited, and all the fans are excited."

"When you have responsibility as a senior player and the team relies on you, I take it in a positive way," Babar said. "I try to give my best in every match so that Pakistan wins, and I enjoy my cricket."

"There is no pressure of anything. What has happened in the past is beyond us. We have discussed our mistakes and worked on them, and we will try not to repeat them," he added.

Kohili's record, on the other hand, speaks for itself. He has 50 ODI hundreds to his name, a feat achieved by none.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/c0Z2o7A

El equipo de Musk quiere acceder al sistema del Servicio de Impuestos Internos, que contiene información de los contribuyentes

By Alan Rappeport, Andrew Duehren and Maggie Haberman from NYT En español https://ift.tt/UwgbIr1

Manu Bhaker Beats Smriti Mandhana, Vinesh Phogat To Win Huge BBC Honour

Star Indian pistol shooter Manu Bhaker was named the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year on Monday, following her outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics. Manu was among five nominees for the award, alongside golfer Aditi Ashok, para shooter Avani Lekhara, India women's cricket vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, and wrestler Vinesh Phogat -- each recognised for their exceptional contributions to Indian sport. The nominees were shortlisted by an eminent jury of sports journalists and writers.

Now in its fifth edition, the ISWOTY Award celebrates and honours remarkable achievements of women athletes in India.

Manu, 22, won the award for winning two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first Indian athlete since Independence to win multiple medals at a single Games.

She secured bronze in the 10m air pistol individual event as well as the 10m air pistol mixed team event.

In 2018, Manu made history as the youngest Indian shooter to win a World Cup gold at just 16.

A recipient of the Arjuna Award, she previously won BBC's Emerging Player of the Year award in 2021.

Other award winners on the night included para archer Sheetal Devi (BBC Emerging Player of the Year), former India women's cricket captain Mithali Raj (BBC Lifetime Achievement Award), and para shooter Avani (BBC Para Sportswoman of the Year).

Chess player Tania Sachdev was conferred with the BBC Changemaker Award.

Manu expressed gratitude for the recognition and reflected on her journey to Olympic success.

"I thank BBC for honouring me. A few years ago, I won the Emerging Player award and now this year I got the big one. My journey was full of ups and downs," Manu said in her address.

"After Tokyo I struggled a lot, lost many events but journey didn't end, it continued. You can only write your own story and I did that in Paris. Now the journey will continue, and I would like to change the colour of the medal in Los Angeles (2028 Olympics)." 

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/50bQAqM

In Moving to Stop Adams Case, Career Lawyer Sought to Stave Off Deeper Crisis

By Devlin Barrett, Adam Goldman, Glenn Thrush and William K. Rashbaum from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/tgurnlx

Indian Men Beat Spain 2-0 In FIH Pro League; Women Lose 1-2 In Shoot-Out vs England

The Indian men's hockey team made a brilliant comeback to down Spain 2-0 in a return leg match of the FIH Pro League in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. India lost to Spain 1-3 in the first match of the leg on Saturday despite taking the lead through Sukhjeet Singh's goal. On Sunday, however, it was a completely different looking Indian side as it dominated for most part of the match and scored two field goals through Mandeep Singh (32nd minute) and Dilpreet Singh (39th) to pocket full three points. India will next play Germany on Tuesday.

It was India who enjoyed the better share of ball possession and created more chances in the first two quarters but failed to capitalise those into goals.

India had the first chance in the fifth minute when Mandeep got a golden opportunity inside the circle, but the Spanish keeper Rafael Rivilla made a solid save to deny the Indian striker.

Seconds from the end of the first quarter, India earned back-to-back penalty corners, but Jugraj Singh faltered.

India custodian Krishan Bahadur Pathak made a fine save to deny Spain their first shot on goal in the 14th minute.

India dominated possession and pressed hard in the first two quarters, but failed to breach a resolute Spanish defence as both the teams failed to break the deadlock in the first half.

Two minutes after the change of ends, India secured another penalty corner but Spanish goalkeeper Revilla made double save to deny Jugraj.

But from the resultant free hit, Mandeep neatly deflected in Dilpreet's pass from close range to hand India the lead.

Seven minutes later, Dilpreet scored his 32nd goal for India with a brilliant deflection after being set up by Mandeep and Gurjant Singh.

In the 43rd minute, Spain earned a penalty corner but their dragflicker Pepe Cunill missed the target.

India also got a penalty corner soon but Jugraj misfired again.

Trailing by two goals, Spain pressed on the accelerator, earning a couple of penalty corners in the final quarter but the Indian defence stood tall in the absence of skipper Harmanpreet Singh, who was rested for the game.

Earlier in the day, the Indian women's hockey team fought back twice before going down 1-2 in shoot-out against England after both the teams finished 2-2 in regulation time.

Paige Gillot (40th minute) and Tessa Howard (56th) scored from two penalty corners for England in the regulation timer, while India's goals came from Navneet Kaur (53rd) and Rutuja Dadoso Pisal (57th). Kaur scored off a penalty stroke while Rutuja struck a field goal.

In the shoot-out, only Navneet scored for India while the likes of skipper Salima Tete, Sunelita Toppo and Lalremsiami faltered.

For England, Lily Walker and skipper Sophie Hamilton were on target in the shoot-out.

The win gave England a bonus point. India had earlier defeated England 3-2 in the first leg here on Saturday.

The Indian women will next play Spain on Tuesday.

England started on an aggressive note, dominating the early exchanges. They enjoyed the ball possession in the first quarter and secured the first penalty corner of the match in the ninth minute but failed to get past experienced Savita Punia in front of Indian goal.

England continued their domination and secured the second penalty corner in the 11th minute but once again failed to breach the Indian defence.

Kaur was by far the best player for India upfront, creating chances for her side with quick incisive runs.

Kaur secured India's first penalty corner in the 16th minute, which resulted in another set piece but England goalkeeper denied Manisha Chauhan from the second attempt.

In the 21st minute, Kaur was once again denied by the English keeper from close range.

A minute later, India earned another penalty corner, but Deepika's flick went wide as both the teams failed to break the deadlock in the first half.

After the change of ends, England had the first chance in the form of another penalty corner in the 38th minute and another two minutes later, which eventually broke the deadlock.

Gillot neatly deflected in a perfect slap shot from skipper Sophie Hamilton to hand England the 1-0 lead.

In the 53rd minute, India secured a penalty stroke for a stick tackle, and Kaur made no mistake from the spot.

Three minutes later, India goalkeeper Savita made a brilliant saved with her extended left leg from a set piece.

But minutes later, England secured another penalty corner and Howard deflected in Hamilton's slap hit.

Soon after the goal, India withdrew goalkeeper Savita for an extra field player and Rutuja scored a brilliant debut goal from Sunelita's pass to draw parity.

Seconds from the final hooter, England secured another penalty corner but India defended stoutly to take the match into the shoot-out.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/wHeh6B2

IPL 2025: LSG A Strong Contender For The Title, Says Zaheer Khan

Shortly after the BCCI announced the full schedule of IPL 2025 season, Zaheer Khan, the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), said the side shapes up as a strong contender for winning the title. The Rishabh Pant-led LSG will play its opening match of IPL 2025 against Delhi Capitals, a side the wicketkeeper-batter previously led, in an evening clash on March 24 at ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Pant became the most expensive player in IPL's history when LSG acquired him for INR 27 crore at the mega auction in Jeddah last year. LSG reached the playoffs of IPL 2022 and 2023 seasons, before exiting in the Eliminator twice. In IPL 2024, LSG finished at seventh place in the points table.

"Under the captaincy of Rishabh Pant, the team has many excellent players like David Miller, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Ayush Badoni, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, and Ravi Bishnoi. LSG is a strong contender for the IPL Cup. We will achieve this goal with the love and support of cricket lovers," said Zaheer in a statement issued by the franchise.

LSG will begin its run of playing seven home games at the Bharat Ratna Shree Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium when it faces Punjab Kings in an evening game on April 1. They will later play their home games against Mumbai Indians (April 4), Gujarat Titans (April 12), Chennai Super Kings (April 14), Delhi Capitals (April 22), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (May 9), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (May 18).

Apart from Zaheer, Justin Langer is the head coach, while Vijay Dahiya and Lance Klusener are assistant coaches. Each team in the IPL will play 14 matches during the league phase, with top four teams to feature in the playoffs.

The Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator will be held on May 20 and 21, respectively, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. It is followed by the Qualifier 2 and the final to be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 23 and 25 respectively.

LSG squad for IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant (Captain), Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Matthew Breetzke, Nicholas Pooran, Shamar Joseph, Ayush Badoni, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Aryan Juyal, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Arshin Kulkarni, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Akash Singh, Digvesh Singh, M Siddharth, and Prince Yadav.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/Aw30UoV

El canciller de Alemania critica a JD Vance por apoyar a un partido que minimiza a los nazis

By Jim Tankersley and Andrew E. Kramer from NYT En español https://ift.tt/EYGf7hU

India Outplayed By Spain In Men's Pro League Hockey Campaign Opener

Spain took sweet revenge for their defeat against India in the bronze-medal match at the Paris Olympics, overcoming Harmanpreet Singh's side 3-1 in a FIH men's Pro League game in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. India put up a lackluster show in their first Pro League match this season, even as Spain showed loads of determination with Borja Lacalle (28th), Ignacio Cobos (38th) and Bruno Avila (56th) slotting home the goals after the hosts had taken the lead in the 25th minute through Sukhjeet Singh.

The first quarter was all about gauging one another's strengths. Barring a run by Abhishek, who managed to create a chance for Lalit Upadhyay, the Spanish goalkeeper was hardly tested.

India goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur too was rarely tested with the ball just hitting the far post and getting deflected, that too from outside the striking circle.

India brought in keeper Suraj Karkera in the second quarter, and he was called into action almost immediately. He did well to thwart Spain from scoring the opening goal following a good move from the right.

Sukhjeet opened the scoring for the hosts in the 25th minute following a speedy run and circle penetration from the right by Jarmanpreet Singh. The defender relayed the ball to Sukhjeet, who failed to trap it cleanly in his first attempt, but recovered well to send a powerful reverse-hit flying past the Spanish goalkeeper.

Three minutes later, Spain slotted home the equaliser. The rival team forwards prised open the Indian defence with a couple of passes inside the circle before Borja Lacalle, at the far post, tapped the ball in.

With India lacking cohesion upfront and a defensive strategy, Ignacio doubled the lead in the third quarter.

Spain were awarded a penalty corner but a poor trap from Borja saw him let the ball through. He, however, rushed back to take the ball in control and relayed it to Cobos inside the circle, who made no mistake in putting it in.

Spain looked clearly the better side as India conceded multiple penalty corners in the third and fourth quarters.

The European side piled more misery on the hosts when Harmanpreet tried to get an aerial pass from Spain under control and ended up conceding a penalty corner.

Bruno Avila then slotted home his maiden international goal with a powerful drag flick.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/BUgSdPE

Rare February Downpours Expected in the Eastern U.S. This Weekend

By Judson Jones from NYT Weather https://ift.tt/nSVIxlw

In This Trump Presidency, the Domination Will Be Televised

By James Poniewozik from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2DWfs8g

Once White-Ball Kings, England Tackle Negatives Ahead Of Champions Trophy

England, not-so-long hailed as white-ball cricket revolutionaries for their game-changing performances across both ODI and T20I formats after the 2015 50-over World Cup that impacted scoring rates and statistics worldwide, have plenty of issues to address ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy. Be it the absence of some prominent players, dip in form of senior mainstays or their spin troubles, there is plenty of things currently holding back the team with skipper Jos Buttler and newly appointed coach Brendon McCullum at helm.

England will kickstart their Champions Trophy campaign against arch-rivals Australia from February 22 at Lahore, with matches against Afghanistan (February 26) and South Africa (March 1) coming later. Leading up to the series since the 2023 ODI World Cup, England's ODI form has been mostly average at best, with few glimpses of brilliance that led them to simultaneous world championship glory in ODIs and T20Is. Under their new head coach McCullum, they have failed to unleash his 'Bazball' school of cricket badly during the white-ball series against India.

*Bilateral series form: After the 2023 50-over World Cup, England has participated in four ODI series, out of which they have failed to win any. Since the 2023 World Cup end, England has played in 14 ODIs, out of which they have won just four. In these 14 ODIs, England has lost eight while defending a total, though twice it was as per the Duckworth-Lewis Method. They have won only once while defending. While chasing, England has won thrice (once as per Duckworth-Lewis Method) and lost twice. In nine matches away from home, they have won just two.

Their series records are: 1-2 loss to West Indies (away from home), a 2-3 loss to Australia (at home), 1-2 loss to West Indies (away from home) and a 3-0 loss to India (away from home).

*Positives:

-Clarity: One thing that England carries with itself is clarity in gameplay. The mantra of playing attacking and positive cricket given by former skipper Eoin Morgan which won them the 2019 World Cup, has been passed to the next generation of England players and leadership. While the execution has been missing plenty of times, the clarity being retained by this generation about their brand of cricket is a positive.

-Fine form of Adil Rashid: England's lead spinner, Adil Rashid has been in an excellent form. Since the 2023 World Cup, he has taken 13 wickets in 11 matches, averaging 41.30, with an economy rate of 5.69 and best figures of 4/64. While his bowling may not result in truckloads of wickets, the pressure he creates on batters makes things easy for other batters. He finished the ODI series against India as the top wicket-taker, with seven scalps in three matches at an average of over 27 and an economy rate of 6.36. He could be England's safe bet at the National Stadium in Karachi, where spinners like Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis (both Sri Lankans), Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik feature in the top 10 wicket-takers.

-Recent strong performances of Harry Brook, Ben Duckett in ODIs: In these 14 ODIs played, Duckett and Brook have put their hands up for England on many occasions. Duckett is England's leading ODI run-getter after the 2023 WC, with 530 runs in 11 innings at an average of 48.18, a strike rate of 108.60, with a century and four half-centuries. In the recent series against India, he emerged as top-run-getter with 131 runs in three innings at an average of 43.66, a strike rate of 122.42, with a half-century to his name.

Brook, despite his poor performances against India, has done well to become England's second-highest ODI run-getter after WC2023 till now, with 477 runs in 11 innings at an average of 53.00, a strike rate of 106.23, with a century and three fifties. His best score is 110*. During the series against Australia at home, he managed the burden of captaincy well, scoring 312 runs in five innings at an average of 78.00 and a strike rate of 127.86, with best score of 110*, a century and two fifties.

*Negatives:

-Lack of reliability in the opening: The opening pair of Phil Salt and Ben Duckett is extremely destructive on its day. Salt though explosive, has not proven to be a player who can stay long on the crease. Out of his 28 innings, Salt has faced more than 30 balls only six times, which shrinks down to three occasions against Test-playing nations.

After England's last massive white-ball reset following a premature group-stage World Cup exit in 2015, the prominent English opening pair of Jason Roy and Alex Hales faced up 1,413 balls in 42 innings and 1,454 balls in 35 innings leading up to the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, with their balls per innings average being 33.64 and 41.54 respectively. They together scored eight centuries and 17 fifties. The innings per century across their 77 combined innings was 9.6 innings per century and 3.08 innings per fifty-plus score.

Coming to Salt and Duckett, they have played 421 balls in 14 innings and 385 balls in eight innings respectively, with their balls per innings average being 30.07 and 48.12 respectively, with Duckett outclassing Salt by miles. Even Will Jacks, who played six innings as an opener, has played 164 balls, with balls per innings average of 27.33. In their 28 innings overall as a trio, they have scored a century and six fifties each, which means 28 innings per century and four innings per fifty-plus score, way poorer than Roy-Hales Salt has been the most underwhelming performer with just two fifties in 14 innings and a lot of England's opening woes come down to him throwing away his wicket.

The question is: Though these attractive 30s and 40s could look good in T20Is, are they truly needed in ODIs?

-Form of senior stalwarts Jos Buttler Joe Root: They say, a team is as good as its leadership. The team's senior-most batters, skipper Buttler and Root, have experienced a dip in form. Since the end of the 2023 WC, Buttler has scored 153 runs in six innings at an average of 30.60 and a strike rate of 90.00, with two half-century and three single-digit scores. Root, on the other hand, seems to have taken Test cricket to be his top priority. While his numbers in Tests have been astonishing for the last four years, same cannot be said for ODIs. In 31 ODIs after World Cup 2019, Root has made 778 runs at an underwhelming average of 29.92 and a rather disappointing strike rate of 82.24 by his standards. He has made just seven fifties in 28 innings with the best score of 86.

-Recent inability against spin: England's woes against spin were showcased during the recent tour of India, where the Three Lions would often stumble against spinners. In the ODI series, they lost 13 of their 30 wickets to spin, with 13 lost to pace as well. It was even worse in T20Is, where they lost 29 of their 48 wickets to spin.

Come the Champions Trophy, spinners like Adam Zampa, Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, Matt Short, Tabraiz Shamsi, Keshav Maharaj, Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed etc could create problems for England.

-Lack of prominent all-rounders: England is missing some prominent all-rounders this time around, with Sam Curran, Will Jacks and Ben Stokes being left out of the squad, Moeen Ali being retired and Jacob Bethell being ruled out due to injury.

*Top performers for England between the 2023 World Cup end to now:

Top run-getters: Ben Duckett (530 runs in 11 innings at an average of 48.18 and a strike rate of 108.60, with a century and four fifties), Harry Brook (477 runs in 11 innings at an average of 53.00, with a strike rate of 106.23, a century and three fifties), Phil Salt (409 runs in 14 innings at an average of 29.21, with two half-centuries), Liam Livingstone (403 runs in 13 innings at an average of 40.30, with a century and fifty) and Will Jacks (308 runs in 11 innings at an average of 28.00, with two half-centuries).

Top wicket-takers: Adil Rashid (13 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 41.30), Brydon Carse (nine wickets in eight matches at an average of 44.77), Livingstone (nine wickets in 14 matches at an average of 53.66), Gus Atkinson (eight wickets in five matches at an average of 35.87) and Matthew Potts (eight wickets in six matches at an average of 26.62).

England Champions Trophy squad: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/73Lfh5i

Focus On Indian Domestic Players As 3rd Edition Of WPL Begins

The Women's Premier League is set to continue nurturing India's emerging cricket talent while showcasing top-tier international players as the third edition kicks off with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Gujarat Giants in Vadodara on Friday. While the global superstars have brought immense value to the competition, the league's true success lies in the rise of domestic players. The first two seasons witnessed several domestic talents like Shreyanka Patil and Saika Ishaque thrive under pressure, earning national call-ups and making their India debuts.

With each WPL season, the list of emerging Indian players continues to grow. With overseas stars like Alyssa Healy, Sophie Molineux and Kate Cross missing this edition due to injuries, the upcoming season presents a golden opportunity for both experienced domestic players and fresh talent to shine.

"As India captain, I'm very excited for this season because a lot of domestic cricketers have prepared themselves for this tournament," Harmanpreet Kaur told PTI during the Star Sports Press Room - WPL Captain's Huddle.

"Even before the auctions, we discussed that a lot of domestic cricketers have done really well, and everyone had names in their minds to watch out for. We are really hoping they do well and that the Indian team becomes stronger." Out-of-favour India opener Shafali Verma, who has been in good form in the domestic circuit, will be eager to deliver for Delhi Capitals as she looks to make a comeback to the national team, with a tour of England in July and the ODI World Cup at home on the horizon.

Fast-bowling all-rounder Kashvee Gautam, who made headlines in domestic cricket, will have the chance to prove herself against the best.

The tournament has introduced two new venues, Vadodara and Lucknow, marking a step toward in implementing a full-fledged home-and-away format similar to the IPL.

Defending champions RCB face a tough challenge in retaining their title, with key players from last season such as Sophie Devine, who has taken a break from cricket to "prioritise her well-being", Molineux and Kate Cross (injuries), missing this edition.

Additionally, star all-rounder Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil and Asha Sobhana are also recovering from injuries. Their ability to overcome these setbacks will be crucial in determining whether they can successfully defend their crown.

"Most of our players who were in the XI last year are unavailable this season due to injuries. Sophie (Devine) is one of the best all-rounders in the world, so we will definitely miss her," RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana said.

"It will be tough, but mental well-being is more important than anything. We respect that," she added.

Two-time runners-up Delhi Capitals have been the most consistent team in the tournament and will be eager to break their jinx of losing in the final.

DC have a strong batting lineup featuring Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning, Jemimah Rodrigues, Annabel Sutherland and Marizanne Kapp. Their bowling attack is equally formidable, with experienced players like Shikha Pandey, Arundhati Reddy, Titas Sadhu, Jess Jonassen and Radha Yadav in their ranks.

"We have improved our squad with the players we brought in. We feel like we are in a good spot to challenge again," Lanning said.

"Firstly, we need to give ourselves the opportunity to get to the final, and then hopefully win this time." First season winners Mumbai Indians saw their bid for a second consecutive title fall short last year due to an over-reliance on their top five of Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Amelia Kerr.

This time, they will be hoping for greater contributions from the rest of their batting lineup.

Meanwhile, both Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz will have new captains at the helm.

Senior India all-rounder Deepti Sharma takes over the UP Warriorz captaincy in the absence of Healy, who has opted out of the WPL to manage her injury.

"I don't think I am under pressure. She has played many matches and led her teams efficiently. She was there in the last two seasons, and we will feel her absence slightly," Deepti said.

For Gujarat Giants, Ashleigh Gardner has taken over leadership from fellow Australian Beth Mooney. The Giants have struggled in both the earlier editions, finishing at the bottom each time.

In a bid to turn their fortunes around, they have brought in the experienced Deandra Dottin, young batter Simran Shaikh, and fast bowler Danielle Gibson.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/D7Vj9OF

Austrian Coalition Talks Collapse, Averting a Far-Right Chancellor for Now

By Christopher F. Schuetze from NYT World https://ift.tt/aQZmIxX

There Is Freedom In The Squad To Play The Way You Want: Rohit Sharma

Using India's aggressive approach in the ODI series against England as a case in point, skipper Rohit Sharma said players have the "freedom" to adopt their own methods and the management is not overly worried about occasional failures. India rounded off their preparations for the upcoming Champions Trophy with 3-0 rout of England, and in the final match they demolished the visitors by a massive 142-run margin. "There is a bit of freedom in the squad to go out there and play the way you want. The World Cup (2023) was a perfect example of that. We want to continue to do that. There will be times it will not fall in place but that's okay," said Rohit in the post-match presentation.

He was very happy with team putting up a collective show and everyone putting up satisfactory performances.

"Very very pleasing (with the way the series went). We knew there would be challenges that we could face," he added.

Without going into specifics, Rohit said India will be looking to further improve their game with the Champions Trophy, beginning on February 19, in mind.

"Obviously, there are certain things we are looking at and I am not going to stand here and explain those. It is our job as well to keep some consistency within the squad and the communication is clear.

"Obviously a champion team wants to get better every game and move forward from there," he added.

Player of the match and series, Shubman Gill said the hundred was one of his better knocks because there was some help for fast bowlers initially.

"I was feeling good. I think this was one of the better knocks. The pitch was a bit tricky at the start so it's satisfying. There was a bit for the fast bowlers.

"It was seaming, so the chat was to rotate strike and not lose wickets in Power Play, build on the momentum and take it from there," he said.

Momentum for CT: Iyer

Shreyas Iyer said the team will take a lot of momentum from the series win to the upcoming Champions Trophy.

"The dressing-room is electrifying, a lot of energy, everyone in great form, momentum for the Champions Trophy," he said.

"You could see in the three games how every individual stepped up for the team. Getting those crucial runs and wickets at the right time was important. We have worked a lot on that and as a unit, we are trying to deliver and create that breakthrough that the team needs in imperative time," he added.

Shreyas, who made two fifties in the series including a 78 here, rued the fact that he could not get a hundred.

"I wish I could have got a hundred. In the first game, I wanted to take the momentum for our team. I played every ball on its merit. I backed my instincts in the second game before I got run out. But today I got the opportunity to go in on a good platform from Shubman and Rohit," he added.

We were outplayed: Buttler

England skipper Jos Buttler said his side was "outplayed" by India throughout the three-match series.

"We were outplayed by a fantastic team. Our approach is a right one, just that we haven't executed well. They (India) put a great score on the board. Shubman played a great innings," said Buttler.

"We got off to a great start again but familiar story again for us. Need to find a way to bat longer. We were up against a really good side that keeps challenging," he added.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/9Bypqlc

Russia Releases U.S. Prisoner After Talks With Trump Envoy

By Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman, Julian E. Barnes and Anton Troianovski from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/wfqtlkX

Elon Musk lidera una oferta para controlar OpenAI por 97.400 millones de dólares

By Mike Isaac, Cade Metz and David A. Fahrenthold from NYT En español https://ift.tt/xeVmXai

Chelsea Owner Beats SRK's KKR For Rs 420 Crore-Stake In This Franchise

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have reportedly been beaten to the acquisition of a team in England's The Hundred franchise league by Chelsea Football Club co-owner Todd Boehly. Real estate firm Cain International - which was co-founded by Boehly and Chelsea director Jonathan Goldstein - have acquired a 49 per cent stake of The Hundred side Trent Rockets. As per a report, Trent Rockets was acquired by Boehly and co. for a fee of around 39 million Great British Pounds (approx. Rs 420 crore). A Cricbuzz report added that the franchise's valuation was GBP 79 million. The report also states that Indian investor Amit Jain was in the running in conjunction with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

As per a report by ESPNcricinfo, KKR and Amit Jain were beaten to the stake by Cain International, who were earlier in the race for the acquisition of fellow Hundred side London Spirit.

KKR are owned by Red Chillies Entertainment, a conglomerate established by actor Shah Rukh Khan, as well as by businessman Jay Mehta and actor Juhi Chawla.

Had KKR won the bid for Trent Rockets, it would've added to the likes of KKR, Trinbago Knight Riders, LA Knight Riders and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders under the same ownership.

The Hundred has already seen IPL ownership take over two of the franchises. Mumbai Indians' owners, Reliance Industries, bought a 49 per cent stake in Oval Invincibles with a valuation reported at around 60 million GBP. Lucknow Super Giants owners RPSG Group bought a similar stake in Manchester Originals, whose valuation is reported at around 116 million GBP.

Delhi Capitals co-owners GMR Group are also likely to acquire a stake in Southern Brave, the report states.

However, KKR will not be joining them, as it stands.

Cain International will become one of four non-IPL owners with stakes in a Hundred team.

Based in Nottingham, Trent Rockets represent the counties of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire. The men's team of Trent Rockets won The Hundred tournament in 2022, while also finishing third the year before. The women's team have a best finish of third, also in 2022.

The Rockets featured some well known cricket stars such as Joe Root, Alex Hales and Rovman Powell in the 2024 season. The likes of Ashleigh Gardner and Nat Sciver-Brunt star for the women's team.

The investment further extends Boehly's empire in the world of sports. The 51-year-old American billionaire led a consortium named BlueCo that took over Chelsea in 2022 from Ukrainian businessman Roman Abramovich. BlueCo have since also taken over French Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg.

Chelsea sit fourth in the ongoing 2024-25 Premier League season, while Strasbourg are ninth in Ligue 1.

Boehly also co-owns Major League Baseball (MLB) team Los Angeles Dodgers.

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/SX4scWw

Trump Wants to Clear Bombs From Gaza. He’s Sidelined Groups That Would Do It.

By John Ismay from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/6pIvUso

Scientists Detect Shape-Shifting Along Earth’s Solid Inner Core

By Kenneth Chang from NYT Science https://ift.tt/3Ib4Jz1

Trump to Revoke Security Clearances for Prosecutors and Biden Officials

By Erica L. Green, Hurubie Meko and Alan Feuer from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/Cstf3mb

Three Men Convicted of Playing a Role in Ring That Preyed on U.S. Museums

By Christopher Kuo from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/ezmKba7

Elon Musk Brings His Playbook From Twitter to the Government

By Ryan Mac, Kate Conger, Christina Shaman, Gabriel Blanco, David Jouppi and Laura Salaberry from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/w3dtZgb

After Sensational Entry In ODIs, Rana's "Not Bothered" Remark For Trolls

After picking a three-wicket haul on debut, India pacer Harshit Rana said he is not bothered by outside noise around him, saying that his sole intention is to just play for the country at the international level. Harshit, 23, shined on his ODI debut against England at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, picking 3-33, as India eventually secured a four-wicket victory and grab a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. This comes just after he made his T20I debut against the same opposition in Pune, after coming as a like-for-like concussion replacement for Shivam Dube, a move which left the cricketing world fuming.

"I believe that people will keep on talking. I just want to play, good or bad. I'm not bothered, I just want to deliver for my country. I don't pay attention to those talks. You get to know only when you come to the ground. Mentally, I'm always prepared whenever I come onto the ground. I know that I can play anytime. So, mentally, I always keep myself prepared," said Rana at the end of the match.

In just the third over of his first spell, Harshit was taken away for 26 runs by Phil Salt. But he bounced back by picking scalps of crucial England players like Ben Duckett, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone.

"Cricket has ups and downs. I just focused on my length and got my rewards later. I didn't change anything in my second spell, just hit the right areas. This format is tough because it's long, and you need to play different roles at different times. But with proper practice, it becomes manageable," added Rana.

Both India and England will now travel to Bhubaneshwar to play the second match of the ODI series at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Sunday.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/eEtk9oD

OpenAI Close to Deal That Values Company at $300 Billion

By Cade Metz and Lauren Hirsch from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/ykN8sAn

Pakistan Opens Renovated Gaddafi Stadium Days Ahead Of Champions Trophy

Pakistan opened a renovated stadium for the Champions Trophy in Lahore on Friday, one of three to be used in its first major international cricket event in almost 30 years. The eight-team Champions Trophy will be staged from February 19 to March 9 in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi, although arch-rival India's matches will be staged in the United Arab Emirates after they refused to play in Pakistan. Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium was reopened after a 117-day renovation during which LED floodlights, larger score screens, new hospitality boxes and upgraded seating were installed.

A warm-up tri-nation series of matches between Pakistan New Zealand and South Africa begins at the stadium on Saturday.

"We are going to show the world that we are good hosts," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at the opening ceremony.

Pakistan last held a major tournament in 1996, when it co-hosted the World Cup with India and Sri Lanka, before a forced hiatus over security concerns.

Militants attacked Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore in 2009, killing eight people, wounding several touring players and extending Pakistan's break from hosting international matches.

The biggest concern for the Champions Trophy, however, has been whether the stadiums would be ready in time.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) first promised Lahore's stadium would be open by the end of January.

Karachi's National Bank Stadium will host the first Champions Trophy match between Pakistan and New Zealand in under two weeks.

Local media reported its renovation had run past three deadlines between December 15 and January 25, before a final pledge to finish by January 31 was settled upon.

However, work was still underway in Karachi on Thursday.

"The sounds of the hammers and the iron rods and drill machines still reverberated across the empty stands," the English-language Dawn newspaper said.

"It's true that the work isn't completed, but it's well in its finishing stages."

President Asif Ali Zardari is due to inaugurate the Karachi stadium on Tuesday.

Work also continued at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium as labourers spray-painted seats the green of Pakistan's flag and erected a scoreboard at the ground in the garrison city near the capital, Islamabad.

The sport has deep links with national pride and domestic politics in cricket-mad Pakistan.

PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi also serves as the interior minister, while former prime minister Imran Khan used his international cricket career as a springboard into politics.

"I want to congratulate everyone, this is a victory for the entire nation," Naqvi told reporters before the Lahore stadium opening.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/Tx1qkBD

La Liga Club Unveil Jersey Made Out Of Algae And Plastic. Reason Is...

Spanish La Liga club Real Betis launched a new kit made out of an invasive algae on Thursday to raise awareness of an ecological crisis on the Andalucian coast. The shirt is made with recycled plastic from the ocean as well as a textile fabric created from the brown algae. Named Rugulopteryx okamurae, the algae has spread rapidly in the Mediterranean impacting biodiversity, fishing and tourism, as well as proving expensive to remove. Betis, who presented the shirt in Tarifa, a town particularly affected by the issue, will wear it on February 16 against Real Sociedad in La Liga.

"The presence of invasive algae on our coasts is destroying our ecosystem," wrote Betis in a post on social media.

"To confront them, the first kit made with fibres created from these algae was born."

Marine biologist Candela Sanchez Atienzar told AFP the algae, native to the North Pacific, most likely arrived in Spanish waters in 2015 "through the ballast waters of merchant ships".

"When it arrived it started to spread out of control, there's no invasion in the history of science described on this scale," she said.

Rafael Muela Pastor, the director of Betis' social foundation, said it was a good opportunity to raise awareness of the problem.

"News was reaching us that the invasive Asian algae was causing many problems in all sectors in the area," he told AFP.

"We wanted to take advantage of this situation in some way to draw attention to the importance of caring for our oceans and seas."

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/zWD7fdE

Para Sport, Swimming And Track Cycling To Offer Highest Medals In CWG 2026

More than 200 gold medals will be up for grabs across 10 days of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, the 23rd edition of the event, with para sport, track cycling and swimming boasting highest medals. The competition will be held from July 23 to August 2 next year and will feature a "10-sport programme concentrated across four venues within an eight-mile corridor of the city". While mixed 4x400m relay has been added to the schedule, Commonwealth Mile will make a comeback for the first time since 1966.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said in a release, "The mile is the quintessential Commonwealth athletics event whose return to the Games in Glasgow 2026 I very much welcome." "From 1930 through to 1966, the mile was the blue riband event of each Games and the magic of the mile continues to resonate with sports fans," he added.

The para sport program will consist of six of the 10 sports and will have a record 47 medal events.

The Games will be held at the Commonwealth Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Scottish Exhibition Centre (SEC), Scotstoun Stadium and Tollcross International Swimming Centre.

The 10 sports on schedule of the CWG 2026 are artistic gymnastics, athletics and para athletics, 3x3 basketball and 3x3 wheelchair basketball, boxing, swimming and para swimming, bowls and para bowls (indoor), judo, netball, track and para track cycling, and weightlifting and para powerlifting.

"The track cycling programme will see 26 medal events in total across para and non para disciplines," the organisers said in a release.

"The para track cycling programme has doubled in size from Birmingham 2022, with eight medals available, including the C1-C3 (men) and C4-C5 (women) Time Trials and Individual Pursuits for the first time," it added.

The swimming competition in both para and non para categories will have 56 medal events.

"In a Games' first, the men's 800m Freestyle and women's 1500m Freestyle races will be included," the release said.

The para athletics will also have athletes competing in jumping, throwing and track events for the first time whereas the athletics programme will be held across "all 74 territories".

Chief Executive of Glasgow 2026 Phil Batty said, "The huge track cycling and swimming programmes, alongside the return of the Mile in athletics, a wealth of disciplines introduced across the para athletics, para track cycling and para swimming programmes makes the Glasgow 2026 sporting programme a really exciting prospect for fans and athletes alike."

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/o9MvlA4

"People Will Keep On Talking": India Star Gives Sharp Response After Debut

India pacer Harshit Rana on Thursday expressed he is not bothered by the outside noise and his only focus is to deliver for the country after taking a three-wicket haul on his ODI debut against England here. The 23-year-old right-arm quick made his T20I debut last week with another match-winning performance in Pune, coming on as a concussion substitute for all-rounder Shivam Dube. Rana took 3/33 to swing the game in India's favour after he was approved as a replacement for Dube, a decision which was later criticised by England.

"I believe that people will keep on talking. I just want to play, good or bad. I'm not bothered, I just want to deliver for my country. I don't pay attention to those talks," Rana said at the post match press conference after India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series with a four-wicket win.

Rana, who was named in the squad for this series as a cover for Jasprit Bumrah who remains on a comeback trail, said he was ready for being named in the playing XI.

"You get to know only when you come to the ground. Mentally, I'm always prepared whenever I come to the ground. I know that I can play anytime, anything can happen. So, mentally, I always keep myself prepared." Rana bowled a 26-run over in which his KKR teammate Phil Salt hit him for three sixes and two fours before the pacer turned things around by striking twice in an over to get rid of Ben Duckett and Harry Brook.

"There are always ups and downs in cricket, I only wanted to focus on my length, bowl where I have to and I got the reward for that later. I didn't do anything different in my second spell, just focussed on hitting the right areas," he said.

The Delhi quick feels the 50-over format is "difficult" given it requires a bowler to play different roles.

"This format is a bit difficult because it's a long format, you get (to bowl) 10 overs. You have to play different roles in different phases. But if you practice it (well), it's good."

Salt run-out turning point

England were off to a fiery start with Phil Salt going hammer and tongs against the Indian bowlers. However, a terrible mix up and an accurate throw by Shreyas Iyer brought an end to the opener's innings, which according to the losing skipper Jos Buttler was the turning point of the match.

"It can happen in cricket. We really had the momentum at that point and absolutely once we've got it, we need to continue to keep putting the opposition under pressure for longer," Buttler said.

"I think that's been the story for us so far — how can we keep that momentum going for a bit longer when we've got it? And when we've got it, hold on to it." he added.

The skipper was, however, lavish in his praise for the young Jacob Bethell, who scored a resolute fifty.

"I was watching him bat and saying 'I couldn't remember how to bat at 21', it took me till I was about 28, I think! I'm really pleased for him. He didn't find it easy at the start but he was very mature, measured, soaked up some pressure and came through it. It was a really mature innings from him. He'll learn a lot from this, it's a really good experience," Buttler said.

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

from NDTV Sports-Latest https://ift.tt/307wKVQ