Illegal Migration Threatens to Overwhelm, Warns UK PM Sunak

Sunak has made stop the boats a government pledge on the domestic front and has faced several hurdles in efforts to control the large numbers of migrants crossing the English Channel to enter the UK illegally

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US military leaders head to Israel and will offer advice on shifting to the war's next phase in Gaza

The top two U.S. military leaders are traveling to Tel Aviv to advise the Israeli government on how to transition from major combat operations against Hamas in Gaza to a more limited and precise campaign the kind of strategic shift they both have considerable expertise in.

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Indian Men's Hockey Team Goes Down Against Belgium In 5 Nations Tournament

The Indian men's hockey team produced a listless show to go down 2-7 against Olympic champions Belgium in their second match of the 5 Nations Tournament in Valencia, Spain on Saturday. Abhishek and Jugraj Singh were the two goal scorers for India. The first quarter saw Belgium off the blocks and running in no time scoring three quick goals, courtesy Cedric Charlier (1'), Alexander Hendrickx (10') and Thibeau Stockbroekx (13') to put India on the backfoot. Belgium further extended the lead after another goal from Thibeau Stockbroekx (16') early in the second quarter. Abhishek (18') scored a field goal for India but it was followed by another goal from Tom Boon (26') as India were left trailing 1-5.

Close to the end of the second quarter, Jugraj Singh (27') converted a penalty corner for India as the score read 5-2 in favour of Belgium at half-time.

No goals were scored in the third quarter despite both the teams applying constant pressure on each other.

Boon (46') converted a penalty corner early in the fourth quarter to extend the lead for Belgium by four goals before Hendrickx (53') followed it up later on with another goal.

The Indians were unable to convert the two penalty corners they were awarded in the final quarter as the match ended with them losing 2-7.

India will next play Germany on December 19.

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Harshal Patel Bowls Haryana To Vijay Hazare Trophy Title

Harshal Patel bowled a game-changing spell with the old ball as Haryana beat Rajasthan by 30 runs in a well-contested final to lift the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Saturday. Having scored 287 for 8 in 50 overs, Haryana were given a tough fight by Rajasthan, who were cruising at 201 for 4 with opener Abhijeet Tomar (106 off 129 balls) along with Kunal Singh Rathore (79 off 65 balls) slowly taking the team towards the target. However, Harshal (3/47 in 9 overs) showed his wares by varying the pace of his deliveries in a game changing second five-over spell in which he gave away only 16 runs but picked both set batters to snuff out any chance that Rajasthan had. They were all-out for 257 in 48 overs.

No praise is enough for all-rounder Sumit Kumar (3/34 in 6 overs), who ran through Rajasthan top-order after scoring a quickfire 28 not out off 16 balls and also took a blinder inside the circle to win the 'Player of Match' as well as 'Player of Series'.

He scored 183 runs in lower-order at over 100 strike-rate and took 18 wickets in 10 games.

Credit must also be given to Haryana skipper Ashok Menaria, who had a good game with the bat and then marshalled his resources well, including bringing in Harshal, which turned out to be master-stroke.

Menaria, who had once been a Rajasthan skipper, didn't indulge in any overt celebrations, after leading his adopted state to first senior national trophy in 32 years (after Ranji Trophy 1991).

At the start of the innings, all-rounder Sumit Kumar, who opens the bowling, was lethal in his first spell as Rajasthan were quickly reduced to 12 for 3, which included wickets of two IPL regulars in Mahipal Lomror (2) and skipper Deepak Hooda (0).

However, opener Tomar did found an ally in Karan Lamba (20) as they added 68 runs for the fourth wicket but Haryana still had the upper-hand when the latter was dismissed.

But it was left-hander Kunal Singh Rathore, who smashed 79 off 65 balls, with some mighty heaves on the on-side to keep them in the hunt. He added 121 with Tomar and dominated the stand with five maximums.

But once he started developing cramps and when Harshal came back for his second spell, things changed. Tomar failed to clear Sumit while trying to loft the seamer over mid-off, while Rathore was holed out in the deep at long-off.

Earlier, after opting to bat, it was in-form Ankit Kumar (88 off 91 balls) and his veteran skipper Ashok Menaria (70 off 96 balls), who put up 124 for the third wicket to lay the foundation for a competitive score.

Ankit, who had hit a century in the quarter-final against Bengal, was once again in his element, hitting 12 crisp boundaries and a six off Ajay Singh Kukna.

Menaria, on the other hand, was patient as he hit eight fours, which also included some drives through on-side.

It was all-rounders Nishant Sindhu (29 off 22 balls), Rahul Tewatia (24 off 18 balls) and Sumit Kumar (28 off 16 balls), all of whom used long handle to good effect to take Haryana pass the 285-run mark.

Save veteran left-arm seamer Aniket Chaudhary (4/49 in 10 overs), the only other bowler, who impressed was out of favour leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (1/39 in 9 overs).

Brief Scores: Haryana 287/8 (Ankit Kumar 88, Ashok Menaria 70, Aniket Chaudhary 4/49) beat Rajasthan 257 in 48 overs (Abhijit Tomar 106, Kunal Singh Rathore 79, Harshal Patel 3/49, Sumit Kumar 3/34). PTI KHS KHS ATK ATK

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Indian-origin Hotel Owners Arrested in US for Hiding Two Fugitives 'Hide Out Room'

Two officers had been conducting surveillance on the rear of the hotel due to "high drug transition" in the area and spotted two individuals on a balcony, police said.

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IPL 2024: Debutant Gerald Coetzee In The Big Leagues

Gerald Coetzee is all set to make his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in 2024. The South African had been a talisman for his side in the 2023 ODI World Cup, rattling sides with his raw pace. He has the ability to pick up regular wickets and surprise batters with his bouncers. Many franchises are still looking to bolster their pace attack, particularly with genuinely fast bowlers. This ensures that Coetzee will be a franchise favourite at the mini-auction. Coetzee knows his value in a competitive tournament like the IPL. He has set his base price in the highest possible price bracket of Rs 2 crore in just his debut season.

Raw pace with discipline

Coetzee's pace is only second to his aggressive celebrations on the field. Not one to shy away from showing emotions, Coetzee wears his heart on his sleeve. He is a genuine wicket-taker. This often prompted skipper Temba Bavuma to bring him on in the middle overs to get a breakthrough when the game was cruising along in the opposition's favour. Coetzee delivered on most occasions, breaking vital partnerships.

The energetic South African can bowl consistently above 145 kmph. He can also bend his back to extract extra bounce off the pitch. This makes him a dangerous bowler to face even when the pitch doesn't offer much to the fast bowlers.

International debut

Coetzee was one of the finds of the year for South Africa. The young pacer was brought into a team known for producing fast-bowling legends like Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and Dale Steyn. He was replacing one of the team's most lethal pacers, Anrich Nortje. South Africa had a well-rounded pace attack and Nortje's absence looked like it could upset the balance of the side. Coetzee did not allow this to happen.

The pressure was on from the start of his international career and he delivered on the biggest stage picking up three wickets in his Test debut. This earned him a white-ball call-up as well in the same series. There he finished with figures of 2/53 on a pitch where the pacers were taken to the cleaners.

His impressive performances earned him a spot in the team's playing eleven at the World Cup. This is where he truly came into his own, ending the tournament with 20 wickets to his name. He even surpassed experienced pacers from his side like Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi to emerge as the team's most successful bowler in the tournament.

T20I record

Coetzee has played four T20I matches so far and has six wickets to his name. He is yet to make a mark for the team in the shortest format of the game. However, he has been improving. In his T20I debut series against Australia, he has just three wickets to his name in as many matches. He even proved to be expensive, consistently going for above 10 runs an over.

In the recent home series against India, Coetzee picked up three wickets to halt the visitors' momentum. He bowled in the right areas in the death overs to keep the Indian team from getting to an overwhelming score.

Franchises will keep a keen eye on his performance in the final T20I to see how well he adapts to the format.

Teams that could target Gerald Coetzee

Mumbai Indians will be keen to add Gerald Coetzee to their ranks as a partner for Jasprit Bumrah. The team is left depleted with the exit of Jofra Archer, who they had heavily invested in. Bumrah can dry up the runs while Coetzee's wicket-taking ability will make him the perfect aggressor from the other end.

Coetzee's association with the Super Kings franchises in other leagues will also make him one of the front runners to be picked up by the Chennai Super Kings. They struggled with injuries to their key fast-bowling personnel last season. They will also look to add some young blood to their side, making Coetzee a perfect fit.

Royal Challengers Bangalore is another side that has a depleted pace attack this season. Releasing Josh Hazelwood has left them on the lookout for a replacement. The strong batting lineup needs a good bowling unit to back them up. Expect them to go big on Coetzee.

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India Star Slams Powerful Shot vs SA, Falls To Rare Dismissal Because...

The Indian cricket team batters came out all guns blazing in the third and final T20I against South Africa in Johannesburg on Sunday. With South Africa winning the second T20I and the first T20I being washed away, the match was a do-or-die one for the Suryakumar Yadav-led side. And they played with an attacking intent.  Captain Suryakumar Yadav struck a magnificent 100 off just 56 balls as India posted 201 for 7. Suryakumar struck seven fours and eight sixes for his 100 -- his fourth T20I century -- after India were invited to bat first.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal made 60 off 41 balls. For South Africa, spinner Keshav Maharaj and pacer Lizaad Williams took two wickets apiece while Tabraiz Shamsi got one.The match also witnessed a strange incident in the last over. On the penultimate ball of the innings, India's Jitesh Sharma hit a boundary off Lizaad Williams but, however, to everyone's surprise was given out as he had stepped on to the stumps to be hit wickets. 

Meanwhile, India's explosive batter Suryakumar Yadav has extended his lead at the summit of the ICC T20I batter rankings following his quick-fire half-century against South Africa in the second T20I clash.

The right-handed batter smashed 56 in just 36 balls in a losing cause as the 'Men in Blue' fell short in the exciting clash in Gqeberha on Tuesday.

According to the latest rankings released by ICC on Wednesday, the attacking batter gained a total of 10 rating points which has further increased his lead as the No.1 ranked batter in the shortest format of cricket.

His latest exploits took his total to 865 rating points, which takes him way ahead of his nearest rivals in Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan (787 rating points) and South Africa's Aiden Markram (758).

Surya became the top T20I batter during the last edition of the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022.

His current form suggests that the India batter is likely to hold that position as the T20 World Cup 2024 inches closer in the West Indies and the USA.

Youngster Tilak Varma moved 10 spots to 55th rank and Rinku Singh also progressed to 46 places to 59th.

The newly-crowned No.1 T20I bowler Ravi Bishnoi who missed selection for the tour of South Africa has paved the way for Afghanistan ace spinner Rashid Khan to join India youngster at the top of the rankings for T20I bowlers.

The Proteas spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has also made some eye-catching ground by moving up two places to 10th following an economical spell of 1/18 in the last match.

India's Chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav rose five places to 32nd place.

Among all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja is at the top in T20I rankings, while Markram improved two places to be in the second spot.

Coming to the latest Test rankings, there was some movement following the completion of the two-match Test series between Bangladesh and New Zealand that finished tied at 1-1.

All-rounder Glenn Phillips won the Player of the Match in the 2nd Test and moved from outside the top 100 to 55th in rankings for batters and improved 42 places to 24th on the list for all-rounders.

His fellow teammate Ajaz Patel jumped seven places to 33rd on the list for Test bowlers, while Bangladesh duo Mehidy Hasan (up two spots to 21st) and Nayeem Hasan (up five places to 44th) also made good ground on top-ranked bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.

With ANI and PTI inputs

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