Page 48 - Sports

Afghanistan cricketers hit nets ahead of Test against India

Bengaluru (Karnataka), Jun 12 (ANI): The Afghanistan cricket team will be playing a Test against team India on June 14. The match will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahead of the face-off, the Afghani players were spotted hitting the nets. All eyes will be on the Afghani spin sensation, Rashid Khan who is currently in good form. In addition, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rahmat Shah, Zahir Khan and star all-rounder Mohammad Nabi completes the spin brigade which skipper Asghar Stanikzai is counting on.

Team India sweat at nets ahead of one-off Test against Afghanistan

Bengaluru (Karnataka), Jun 11 (ANI): The Indian cricket team is all set to play the one-off Test against Afghanistan starting from June 14 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahead of the game, the entire unit was spotted sweating at the nets. This is the first time that India is hosting Afghanistan for a face-off in whites. Since Virat Kohli will be missing the game due to a neck injury, Ajinkya Rahane will lead the side. On the other hand, wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has made a comeback in the Test squad after a long span of 10 years. He has replaced injured Wriddhiman Saha in the side, while Karun Nair is back after a year in place of Rohit Sharma.

Sunil Chhetri speaks up after lifting Intercontinental Cup

New Delhi, Jun 11 (ANI): The Indian Football Team lifted the Intercontinental Cup on June 10 after defeating Kenya by 2-0. The men in blue showcased an outstanding performance on the field which successfully restricted the opponents from scoring even a single goal. During the tournament, Indian Football Team captain Sunil Chhetri requested the Indian viewers on social media to gather at the stadium to cheer for the Indian team. Moved by people's support and a magnificent victory against Kenya, Sunil said, "Football is my life and I am living it. After 20 tough days we won the tournament. We had tough time as we lost match vs New Zealand. But we came back and sealed the victory. All of us have the determination for the game and for the country." Chhetri scored two goals in the finals and equaled Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi's international goal count of 64.

Former footballer Anadi Barua praises India's victory against Kenya

New Delhi, Jun 11 (ANI): Former Indian footballer Anadi Barua appreciated the victory of the Indian football team in the final of the Intercontinental Cup on Monday. Under the leadership of Sunil Chhetri, India beat Kenya by 2-0 to lift the trophy. Barua praised Indian footballers' game and their victory. He said, "Sunil a very good goal getter and plays with a motive of scoring goals all the time. If we get more players matching his abilities, it will be very good for Indian football."

Fans cheer up for India's victory in Intercontinental Cup 2018

Mumbai (Maharashtra), Jun 11 (ANI): Skipper Sunil Chhetri scored a brace to lead India to a 2-0 win over Kenya in the final match of the Hero Intercontinental Cup, on Sunday. In his 102nd international match, Chhetri struck in the eighth and 29th minutes to hand a dominant India the trophy to the wild celebration of the home fans at the Mumbai Football Arena. Fans were all praised and celebrated this major win. The audience went crazy and started cheering up for India as soon as the final whistle rang. Earlier, football fans were seen cheering for team India for the match against Kenya.

Ludhiana boy Nehal Wadhera secures place in India U-19 squad

Ludhiana (Punjab), Jun 08 (ANI): Nehal Wadhera, a southpaw from Ludhiana has been selected in India U-19 team and he will represent India in upcoming Sri Lanka tour. Trained under Ludhiana District Cricket Association, Wadhera came into limelight after his performance at Inter-Zonal Cricket Tournament in Una. "Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are my icons, I have learnt a lot from watching them play. Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun is also part of the Under-19 team for Sri Lanka tour. One has to work hard consistently", said Nehal Wadhera, while talking to ANI.

Gymnast Dipa Karmakar thanks SAI for support ahead of upcoming Asian Games

Gurugram (Haryana), Jun 07 (ANI): Gymnast Dipa Karmakar thanked Sports Authority of India (SAI) for support ahead of the Asian Games 2018. Asian Games 2018 will be held in Jakarta in the month of August. "I thank SAI for support for gymnastics. Without SAIs support we could not have been where we are", said Dipa. She said that she is positive about performing at their best in the upcoming Asian Games. Dipa Karmakar is the only Indian gymnast to participate in the Olympics. She secured fourth position in 2016 Rio Olympics.

World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2018: Virat Kohli the only Indian on Forbes list of 100 athletes

India cricket captain Virat Kohli is among the world's highest-paid athletes, according to a Forbes' compilation topped by American boxing champion Floyd Mayweather. Here are the top 10 on the Forbes list of 'World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2018'

I'll be back in the ring: Indian boxer Gaurav Bidhuri on upcoming Asian Games

New Delhi, June 5 (ANI): Indian boxer Gaurav Bidhuri was unable to participate in Common Wealth Games as he suffered from an injury. Instead of getting deterred he thoroughly prepared himself for the upcoming Asian Games in Russia. During an exclusive conversation with ANI, he said, "Due to an injury, I could not participate in the Commonwealth Games but now I am perfectly fine. I am back in the ring. I'll do my best in the Asian Games and will definitely win a medal for the country."

Boxer Gaurav Bidhuri eyes Asian Games after recovering from injury

New Delhi, Jun 04 (ANI): Indian boxer Gaurav Bidhuri is hopeful for his performance in the forthcoming Asian Games. He has recently recovered from his back injury which restricted him from participating in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018. He said, "While I missed the Commonwealth games, I attended rehabilitation camps and gave time to my body to recover. No I feel confident and look forward to the Asian games."

Amaan Sandhu eyes on playing NBA after selection in the Academy

Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Jun 01 (ANI): 14-year-old Amaan Sandhu from Punjab is positive that he will make it to the North America's major professional league, National Basketball Association (NBA) after being one among 21 to be selected between age group of 13-17 in the NBA Academy. With a staggering height on 6 feet 9 inches, Sandhu feels that the training would help him to achieve his dream to play in the NBA.

French Open 2018: Serena Williams beats Australia's Ashleigh Barty

New Delhi, Jun 01 (ANI): 23-time major champion Serena Williams defeated Australia's Ashleigh Barty in the French Open second round. Ashleigh Barty, leading in the first set 3-6, was overpowered Serena by 6-3 6-4 in next two sets. Williams will face America's Julia Goerges next. It was a remarkable comeback for Williams, who has seen significant drop in rankings after giving birth to HER daughter Olympia in September.

CSK's win was 'Dhoni impact', says head coach Stephen Fleming

New Delhi, May 29 (ANI): It was a dream comeback for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after a ban of two years. Under the leadership of MS Dhoni, the CSK won their 3rd IPL title by defeating the Sunrisers Hyaderabad by 8 wickets on May 27. Post victory, the entire unit arrived Chennai where the head coach, Stephen Fleming termed this victory as MS Dhoni impact. He said, "Dhoni does have a very strong influence and impact on players. He has a strong ability to bring the best out of players. Rayudu is a great example, being in and out of the team. It is about using the strength of a remarkable captain, with a strong franchise, with a good game plan."

Wriddhiman Saha likely to miss Afghanistan Test due to injury

New Delhi, May 29 (ANI): Indian wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha is likely to be ruled out of the one-off Test against Afghanistan due to a broken thumb. While playing against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the second qualifier of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 on May 25, he sustained injury which made him benched in the big final against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Saha has been advised to rest for 5-6 weeks to recover completely. His IPL team, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has already informed the BCCI about the injury. In his absence, either Parthiv Patel or Dinesh Karthik may get the chance to keep wickets for India against Afghanistan.

IPL '18: Who won what

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): After a long wait of six years, the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy went to the league's most consistent team - the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). While the CSK won the Cup and our hearts too, it was Delhi Daredevils (DD), the team which ended eighth on the points table that dominated the closing ceremony by winning three of the eight awards. DD's Rishabh Pant was named the Emerging Player of IPL 2018. Pant, who ended as the second highest run-getter in the tournament with 684 runs from 14 games, also won the most Stylish Player award. Meanwhile, DD's Trent Boult won the Perfect Catch award for his stunning one-handed catch of Royal Challenges Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli. Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI), who could not make it to the play offs also this season, were given the Fair play Award. Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) Sunil Narine struck twice as he grabbed the Super Striker and Valuable Player award. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Kane Will

IPL 2018: Chennai Super Kings reclaim throne

New Delhi, May 29 (ANI): Chennai Super Kings clinched the victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League 2018 final match in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Sunday. Shane Watson's117 (57), devastated the opponents and CSK chased the SRHs total (178), nine balls ahead of the final ball. Shane Watson become the second batsman to score a century in IPL finals. This was the third IPL victory for CSK. This is the biggest victory ever in finals in IPL history while chasing. SRHs Bhuvneshwar Kumar proved to be the only bowler to perform for the team with giving away just 17 runs in 4 overs.

IPL Final: Fans cheer for their favourite team as SRH and CSK battle it out

Mumbai, May 27 (ANI): Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium is all geared up to witness another cricketing extravaganza as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be looking forward to beat two-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League Final (IPL) on Sunday. Fans were seen cheering for their favourite team and all pinned hopes as the two teams fight it out today.

Will definitely win gold medal in upcoming Asian Games: Wrestlers Sushil Kumar

New Delhi, May 27 (ANI): Indian ace wrestler Sushil Kumar is all geared up to win gold medal in the upcoming Asian Games that will be held in Jakarta in September this year. He urged the nation for blessings and said, "I'll definitely win the gold medal in Asian Games. My coaches and team is doing their best to train me. I want my fitness to be on point". "I want youngsters to perform better than me in the upcoming Asian Games", he added.

IPL 2018: Rashid Khan is the best T20 spinner in the world, says Sachin Tendulkar

New Delhi, May 26 (ANI): Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar was amazed by the performance of Rashid Khan after he played the key role in winning the second qualifier for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday. Sachin termed Rashid as the 'best spinner in the world' in the T20 format. Rashid turned out to be the saviour for the SRH when they struggled while batting. Rashid Khan single-handedly ended SRH's four-match losing streak, scoring 34 from 10 balls. He also picked up three wickets in his designated four overs.

IPL 2018: Rashid Khan dedicates Man of the Match award to Afghanistan blast victims

New Delhi, May 26 (ANI): The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) heroically outclassed the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2nd qualifier of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 on Friday. Though SRH won the nail-biting affair by 14 runs, Afghani spinner Rashid Khan won a million hearts with his gestures. Rashid received the Man of the Match award for his match-winning performance which he dedicated to the blast victims in Afghanistan. During the post-match presentation, he said, "I want to dedicate my award to those people who lost their lives in a blast back home." Rashid exhibited an all-round performance during the match. With the bat, he scored 34 runs off just 10 balls. While bowling, he picked 3 wickets in his spell of 4 overs and conceded just 15 runs.