The Indian Panorama

Tag: Sports news

  • US Cricket targets a million players by 2028 Olympic Games

    By Prabhjot Singh

    Imagine one million cricket players in the US by the time Los Angeles hosts its third summer Olympic Games in 2028! This is a target the US cricket has set for itself to mark 100 days of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 legacy since the final of the mega event that the US and West Indies jointly organized early this year.
    Captivating the glory of the revival of cricket in the Americas, the US cricket has initiated a strong “Playground to Podium” programme to get one million school children playing the bat and ball game in the country by the time the summer Olympic Games return to Los Angeles for the third time in the history.
    The ambitious programme opens numerous avenues for budding cricket players and those who have expertise in training and coaching new inductions with basic skills of the game.
    Cricket took not only the US but also Canada by storm early this year when the World’s top teams, including the new champions India, Australia, England, Pakistan, New Zealand, West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and South Africa, descended on the US soil to showcase some of the top batters, including Rohit Sharma, Jos Butler and Babar Azam, and the bowlers like Jaspreet Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.
    Till then, the Americans had New York Yankers slogger Aaron Judge as a hero batter in baseball. Now focus has started moving from baseball to cricket, especially in the younger generation of the South Asian migrant community.
    It was not only a first-time host of the mega event of the latest and shortest version of cricket, but also the stunning display of its team that shocked the likes of Pakistan in the tournament that captivated the nation.
    Just as important was the impact off the field in engaging the next generation and the legacy of the competition would continue to be rolled out in the coming months and years.
    In a recent Press communique, the ICC held that the Playground to Podium initiative aims to ensure one million school children are playing cricket by the time the sport returns to the Olympic programme at LA 2028, and over 4500 youngsters are already participating following various activations across the summer, showcasing the importance of this year’s World Cup.
    The ICC’s entry-level programme, criiio has partnered with over 200 elementary, middle and high schools to target over 4000 students and educators across Men’s T20 World Cup host locations, Dallas, New York, and Florida. Schools have incorporated criiio into their Physical Education sessions, fostering a new generation of cricket enthusiasts and integrating the sport into the youth’s sporting experience. Criiio cricket festivals have also been delivered throughout summer camps in Dallas and Florida, giving a fun, first experience to more than 500 youngsters, including participants working on their throwing, catching and ball striking skills.
    Upskilling teachers to provide essential knowledge and skills to introduce and sustain cricket activities within their schools has been identified as a key area of legacy in the USA. Over 260 teachers participated in ICC criiio teacher training days where they were equipped with a comprehensive criiio curriculum and toolkits, ensuring effective delivery of cricket sessions.
    The development of coaches and umpires is important to the sustainability of the game and the introduction of ICC Training and Education programmes, resulting in an increase in over 100 qualified coaches and umpires through various Level 1 and Tutor Level certification programmes.
    There has also been a focus on supporting an equipment drive by DP World where cricket kits have been delivered to hundreds of aspiring cricketers, resulting in breaking down barriers to participation and ensuring all children have access to the sport.
    The World Cup has also boosted the sport further across the Americas region with a series of High-Performance and Development workshops attended by representatives from the USA, Bermuda, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, and Belize. The workshops focused on key topics like high-performance ecosystems, talent identification, and team culture. Workshops were conducted by ex-cricketers Lisa Sthalekar and Robin Singh.
    ICC General Manager, Development, William Glenwright said: “The success of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup legacy project in the first 100 days has exceeded our expectations, as we continue to use the event as a catalyst to deliver transformative growth in the USA – with our eyes now firmly on maintaining this momentum in partnership with USA Cricket as we head towards cricket’s Olympic return at LA 2028.
    “The launch of the criiio programme in the USA has got off to a strong start with cricket rolled out in over 200 schools with more than 260 teachers trained and over 4,000 students participating in cricket for the first time. Further online and face-to-face training is being delivered to 1,700 additional teachers between now and the end of the year. Together with the hosting of various coach and umpire education courses, our focus on cricket in schools is not only introducing thousands of new kids in the USA to cricket but also improving the playing experience by enhancing the standard of coaching and umpiring in the USA and the wider Americas Region.
    “We are excited to see how this progresses in collaboration with USA Cricket in making our game more accessible and encouraging more people to pick up a bat and ball and enjoy the game of cricket.”
    The ambitious programme of a million cricket players also offers numerous opportunities for those who can impart training to budding players. The programme would boost the Indian sports goods industry by supplying cricket playing equipment to the Americas.

  • ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

    ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

    India beaten in opener as Pak, Bangladesh make a winning start

    By Prabhjot Singh

    Dubai (TIP)- The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 has started on a mixed note for the Asian teams as India was humbled in its opener while Pakistan and Bangladesh made winning starts in the tournament that got underway in UAE after it was shifted from strife-torn Bangladesh.India, who lost to New Zealand by 58 runs, will have to come back strongly in its next assignment against Pakistan to stay in the hunt for a place in the knockout round. New Zealand, buoyed by this win will enter with a lot of confidence against six-time champion Australia in its next encounter.
    Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 31 runs while Bangladesh recorded its first-ever win in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup since 2014 defeating Scotland by 16 runs. In another match, South Africa recorded an impressive 10-wicket win over West Indies.
    After opting to bat first, the Kiwis started strong, with openers Bates and Plimmer laying a solid foundation in the first six overs. They played cautiously yet effectively, setting the stage for a competitive total. However, the game’s momentum shifted when India claimed a couple of quick wickets, turning the match into a tactical contest. India’s spinners took control, effectively slowing the run rate during the middle overs. Despite these challenges, New Zealand forced its way back in the death overs. Sophie Devine’s unbeaten half-century, along with crucial partnerships with Kerr and Halliday, propelled the team forward. The Kiwis finished strong, scoring 51 runs in the final five overs and posting a challenging total for India to chase. Following an impressive performance by its batters, New Zealand bowlers, too, stepped in capitalizing on the advantages with no apparent dew and the ball moving both in the air and off the pitch. Their disciplined attack yielded quick wickets in the early stages, effectively tearing apart the Indian batting order. Young Eden Carson delivered an impressive performance, while the seasoned Lea Tahuhu claimed three wickets but it was Rosemary Mair who chipped in with a spectacular 4-fer. The Kiwi bowlers worked together effectively, thwarting any potential partnerships from flourishing. Their disciplined bowling was complemented by outstanding fielding, leaving no Indian batter able to score more than 20 runs. To make matters worse, no partnership managed to exceed 20 runs either.
    This pressure to accelerate certainly got the better of them as Jemimah Rodrigues too fell early in her innings in an attempt to counterattack. In stark contrast to their opponents, the Indian innings got off to a disastrous start. The Powerplay proved brutal as it lost its top three batters – Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Harmanpreet Kaur – cheaply. With the score at a precarious 43/3 in 6 overs, India found itself in deep trouble already.
    As a result, with too many wickets down, India crawled through the mid-overs and could only get to 63 at the halfway stage versus New Zealand 72/2 at this very stage. They never found the momentum and the asking rate zoomed up massively and it was a matter of time before a procession of wickets which further depleted their hopes. And in the end, they were bowled out with an over to spare.
    New Zealand 160 for four in 20 overs (Sophie Devine 57 not out, Georgia Plimmer 34; Renuka Singh Thakur 2/27)
    India 102 all out in 19 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 15, Jemimah Rodrigues 13; Rosemary Mair 4/19, Lea Tahuhu 3/15)
    New Zealand won by 58 runs.
    (Prabhjot Singh, is a Toronto-based award-winning independent journalist, He was celebrated by AIPS, the international body of sports journalists, for covering ten Olympics at its centennial celebrations held at UNESCO Centre in Paris during the 2024 Olympic Games. Besides, he has written extensively about business and the financial markets, the health industry, the public and private sectors, and aviation. He has worked as a political reporter besides covering Sikh and Punjab politics. He is particularly interested in Indian Diaspora and Sikh Diaspora in particular. His work has also appeared in various international and national newspapers, magazines and journals.)

  • Alcaraz bounces back to outlast Jannik Sinner

    Carlos Alcaraz roared back from a set down to beat world number one Jannik Sinner in a thriller and win his first China Open title on October 2. The four-time Grand Slam champion from Spain edged a captivating final 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) for his fourth ATP crown of the year and 16th overall.
    Alcaraz, who is set to return to number two in the world behind Sinner, was 3-0 down in the final-set tie break only to fight back and win in three hours, 21 minutes. The dramatic triumph ended Sinner’s run of 14 victories in a row and saw him deposed as the Beijing champion after an almighty fight.
    In front of a packed house in Beijing, the early exchanges were nervy with both players under immediate pressure on their service games. Sinner, 23, was the first to blink, with second-seeded Alcaraz breaking for a 3-1 lead and celebrating with a pump of the fist. The Spaniard held easily for 4-1 and had his opponent uncharacteristically rattled.

  • Bumrah back on top in Test ranking, Yashasvi Jaiswal up to No. 3

    Bumrah back on top in Test ranking, Yashasvi Jaiswal up to No. 3

    India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is back at the summit of the ICC Test bowling rankings following his match haul of six wickets in the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur.
    The 30-year-old replaced his India team-mate Ravichandran Ashwin – Player of the Series against Bangladesh – at the top of the chart. Spinner Ravindra Jadeja maintained his sixth place, while fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav stayed in 16th.
    In batting, Player of the Match from the Kanpur Test, Yashasvi Jaiswal, moved to a career-high third position after just 11 Tests. Jaiswal played scintillating knocks of 72 and 51 and helped India win the rain-marred match by seven wickets.
    With 792 rating points, the 22-year-old is behind second-placed Kane Williamson (829) and Joe Root (899).
    Also, veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli is back in the top 10, gaining six places to rise to the sixth position after knocks of 47 and 29 in Kanpur.
    Rishabh Pant, too, remained in the top 10, dropping three spots to ninth, with skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill on 15th and 16th, respectively. Source: PTI

  • India defeat Bangladesh, make clean sweep of two-Test series

    Kanpur (TIP)- Yashasvi Jaiswal scored another half-century as India defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets in the weather-hit second Test to make a clean sweep of the two-Test series.
    India, after dismissing Bangladesh for 146 runs in the second innings, thanks to three-wicket hauls by Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah, achieved the victory target of 95 runs in 17.2 overs, with Jaiswal and Kohli scoring 51 and unbeaten 29 runs, respectively.
    Earlier, Ashwin (3/50), Jadeja (3/34) and Bumrah (3/17) broke the back of Bangladesh batting, allowing them an addition of just 120 runs to their overnight total of 26/2.
    Overnight batter Shadman Islam was the highest scorer for Bangladesh in the second innings, scoring 50 runs.The lunch session was extended by nearly an hour to complete Bangladesh’s innings. Bangladesh were bundled out for 233 in their first innings before India scored a quick-fire 285/9 and declared their innings on Monday in a match in which two days were completely lost due to a wet outfield.

  • Tamim Iqbal questions DRS decision that went in India’s favor

    Tamim Iqbal questions DRS decision that went in India’s favor

    Kanpur (TIP)- Former Bangladesh cricket team captain Tamim Iqbal questioned the DRS decision that led to Shadman Islam’s dismissal on Day 1 of the second Test match against India in Kanpur on Friday, September 27. The dismissal led to a debate between Tamim and former Indian cricketers Ravi Shastri and Dinesh Karthik. The ball-tracking technology decided that it was a dismissal but Tamim was of the opinion that it was sliding down the leg-side. Akash Deep was convinced that it was a dismissal and after the successful review, even Rohit was left stunned. It was a very important wicket for India in that situation but Tamim was not convinced and he raised questions about the DRS technology used in that particular delivery.
    “I thought that was sliding down the leg stump but DRS had other ideas,” Tamim said in commentary.
    Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who was in the commentary box with Tamim, disagreed to his statement and said that the camera angles can sometimes create an illusion.
    “DK spoke about the camera angles. It’s not always absolutely straight, so it can give the impression that it is sliding down. Bounce was never going to be an issue in Kanpur. The Indian team was also surprised. There was only one member who believed it was out and that was Akash Deep,” said Shastri.
    Akash Deep was impressive in a probing opening spell while Ravichandran Ashwin removed the dangerous Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto before rain halted India’s progress in the second Test on the opening day on Friday.
    Given the forecast, it was expected to be a weather-hit contest from the beginning. Only 35 overs could be bowled after Rohit Sharma invited Bangladesh to bat in overcast conditions as visitors struggled to 107 for three after a brief resistance through Shanto (31).
    Mominul Haque (40 batting) and veteran Mushfiqur Rahim (6) were at the crease when heavens opened up.
    Overnight rain had delayed the start of the match by an hour. Heavy overcast conditions influenced India’s team selection as the hosts kept all three pacers from the Chennai Test, which meant that local boy Kuldeep Yadav missed out on another Test match. Akash (2/14 in 10 overs), who bowled round the wicket to the left-handers, consistently hit the good length areas and got the ball to either shape away or come in with the angle.
    Shanto (57 balls, 4×6), though, batted with positive intent, if not combative, to ensure Bangladesh don’t lose way from the start.

  • How India came to dominate the chessboard

    How India came to dominate the chessboard

    Hulunbuir (TIP)- At the felicitation function for the Indian chess contingent, back from the Budapest Olympiad with four individual golds and the team golds, grandmaster Abhijit Kunte had an anecdote to share from his first Olympiad. The year was 1998, and the scene was set in Elista, a city in Russia’s Kalmykia republic.
    “Garry Kasparov was playing in the Elista Olympiad. We used to go before the games started to take his autograph. Kasparov would give autographs only on chess books written by him,” recounts Kunte. “This time, when I went to the Olympiad in Budapest, I saw children running for autographs of our Indian players. We are no more seeking autographs, we are giving them,” said Kunte, captain of the women’s team.
    Over the course of a heady fortnight in Budapest, the axis of the world of chess had tilted decisively — towards India. At this year’s Chess Olympiad in the Hungarian capital, the Indian chess contingent swept the three team gold medals on offer — the ‘Hamilton-Russell Cup’ for the open section, the ‘Vera Menchik Cup’ for the women’s section and the ‘Nona Gaprindashvili Trophy’ for the overall title. To add to those three team golds, there were also four individual golds won by Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Divya Deshmukh and Vantika Agrawal.
    The Indian team in the open section of the Olympiad — a biennial team event where over 180 nations participated — was so dominant that it finished four points ahead of five other teams who ended second, the United States of America, Uzbekistan, China, Serbia and Armenia. At the last Olympiad in Chennai in 2022, the Indian chess contingent came close to winning two gold medals, but stumbled at the final hurdle. But this time, there was no stopping the Indians. “If this success had come in the Chennai Olympiad two years ago, it would have had the sense of a slight accident. A pleasant surprise. At the Budapest Olympiad, very quickly, by the fourth round itself, I had the feeling, ‘which team is going to stop them?’ And we know the answer. They won by a four-point gap,” five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand said at an event in Mumbai.
    On the live world rankings, which are updated in real-time, there are currently three Indians in the top 10 — Gukesh, Arjun and Anand — with Praggnanandhaa just outside. Three Indian men and two women also qualified for the Candidates tournament in April. Held in Toronto this year, the tournament – which accommodates only eight players in each category and is held to find a challenger to the world champion — saw 17-year-old Gukesh becoming the youngest player to qualify for the World Championship.
    After Gukesh won the Candidates, the legendary Garry Kasparov had remarked: “The Indian earthquake in Toronto is the culmination of the shifting tectonic plates in the chess world… The children of Vishy Anand are on the loose.”
    “You can have a lot of trophies but the Olympiad gold is special. It establishes your dominance as a team and as a country,” Indian team captain Srinath Narayanan told The Indian Express.
    Source: The Indian Express

  • Shakib retires from T20Is, says Kanpur Test could be his last

    Shakib retires from T20Is, says Kanpur Test could be his last

    The second Test against India this week could be Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan’s last in this format if he is denied a home farewell next month, the under-pressure player said in an abrupt announcement. Shakib was a member of parliament for the Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina, whose 15-year rule as prime minister ended in August with her fleeing to India following deadly protests. Shakib is considered the greatest cricketer Bangladesh has produced but his political past places the former captain in a tricky position as an interim government supervises a power transition. Shakib has not been home since protests erupted in July but the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has assured him he will not be harassed on his return.
    “I am available for the South Africa series but since there’s a lot happening back home, naturally not everything depends on me,” Shakib said. “I have discussed my plans about Test cricket with the BCB…” he said while also announcing his retirement from T20 Internationals with immediate effect.

  • Chess Olympiad: Indian teams seal seventh successive wins

    Chess Olympiad: Indian teams seal seventh successive wins

    Budapest (TIP)- Grandmaster R Vaishali and Vantika Agrawal came up with splendid efforts to down Lela Javakhishvili and Bella Khotenashvili, respectively, as Indian women’s team continued its unbeaten run with a thumping 3-1 victory over Georgia at the 45th Chess Olympiad here on Wednesday, September 18. The Indian women have now all their seven rounds.
    On a day that saw D Harika settling for a draw with Nana Dzagnidze, Divya Deshmukh held by Nino Batsiashvili from a better position, it was Vantika who handled her time pressure extremely well to play almost 20 moves with just about a minute on her clock to win her game. It was finally left to Vaishali to record a fine technical win. The Indian women took their tally to 14 points and stayed ahead of nearest rival Poland.
    In the open section, the Indian men drew on the last three boards after some intense games and World Championship finalist D Gukesh won a drawn endgame against Wei Yi of China to give the team its seventh successive victory.
    Speculation was rife about a possible clash between Gukesh and Ding Liren — the two contestants in the next World Championship — but the Chinese think tank decided to rest the reigning world champion. R Praggnanandhaa played out a quick draw as black against Yangyi Yu of China while P Harikrishna pressed for some time before the position petered out to be equal in the ensuing rook and pawns endgame against Wang Yue. Earlier, Arjun went for the kill against an alert Bu Xiangzhi and the latter found a nice piece sacrifice to force a draw through repetition.

  • India beat China 1-0 in Asian Champions Trophy final to claim record 5th title

    Hulunbuir (TIP)- India edged past hosts China and registered a narrow 1-0 win to win a record-extending fifth Asian Champions Trophy title on Tuesday. The Indian team fought hard in the summit clash against a spirited Chinese side who put everything on the line to make a statement. Jugraj Singh, who entered the field as a substitute player, broke the Chinese deadlock in the final quarter to help India prove their supremacy in Asia. Although a rare field goal, Jugraj finding the back of the net came at a crucial time when the other Indian stars were finding it tough to get past China’s goalkeeper Wang Weihao.
    Meanwhile, China, ranked 23rd, put up an incredible fight against India, the top-ranked Asian team. The players didn’t disappoint the home fans and produced solid defensive efforts to keep India at bay for the first three quarters. China showed immense promise and dominated the possession, but failed to get past the Indian defensive line.
    China looked a bit shaky in the initial minutes of the match, but India couldn’t take advantage of it. The home crowd also put some pressure on Harmanpreet Singh and Co. as the fans came in big numbers to support the hosts. However, as the clock ticked, China started to look more comfortable with the ball, even though they lacked the intensity off the ball and allowed the Indian players to breach their defence and take shots at the goalkeeper. Sumit took the first clear aim on target in the sixth minute but was denied a goal by Weihao.
    India’s first penalty corner came in the 10th minute of the match, but Harmanpreet Singh failed to breach the Chinese defence. As the ball hit the defender’s foot, India and Harmanpreet were awarded another PC, only this time for the ball to fly wide of the post. The Indian team got another chance to open the scoring in the 14th minute, but Weihao made another sensational save, leaving Sukhjeet stunned. The Chinese goalkeeper stood tall as a rock-solid wall for his side to deny India a goal in the first quarter.
    India continued to play with a high-line press in the second quarter and took control of the possession to frustrate the Chinese players. Jarmanpreet Singh did make a couple of in-behind runs to exploit the defensive line, but China remained compact and didn’t give much space. Skipper Harmanpreet, who scored a brace against South Korea in the semi-final, missed opportunities to score from penalty corners in the first half. He was very close to putting India ahead in the final minutes of the second-half but the closest he came was hitting the goalpost.

  • Champions League: Mbappe leads Real to victory

    Champions League: Mbappe leads Real to victory

    Kylian Mbappe renewed his quest to win a European title by scoring for Real Madrid in his first Champions League match with the club. Mbappe found the open net after a cross by Rodrygo just seconds into the second half of Madrid’s 3-1 win over Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
    “It was a great night,” Mbappe said. “It was a tough match, as they always are in the Champions League, but it was important to start with the win at home.”
    Mbappe celebrated with a gesture in which he appeared to blow candles and sending a kiss. Spanish media said it was to honor his mother’s 50th birthday.
    The goal gave defending champions Madrid a 1-0 lead before Stuttgart equalised with Deniz Undav in the 68th. Antonio Rudiger put Madrid back in front in the 83rd and substitute Endrick closed the scoring deep into stoppage time to seal the victory for the defending champions.
    It was Mbappe’s 49th Champions League goal, putting him in the top-10 of top scorers all time in the competition. He has scored in three consecutive matches and has five goals in seven games with Madrid so far in all competitions.
    Ponting joins Punjab Kings as head coach
    Ricky Ponting, the former Australian captain, has signed a deal with Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League.
    Punjab Kings have been searching for a new coach and a fresh direction after parting ways with Trevor Bayliss. With a mega IPL auction on the horizon, the franchise, which has struggled to find consistency in the league, has been looking for a leader/mentor/head coach who can guide them in this new cycle and help shape their future.
    “I am grateful to Punjab Kings for presenting me with the opportunity to be the new Head Coach. I am excited to take up the new challenge. I had great conversations with the owners and the management about the way forward and was truly elated to see the alignment of our visions for the team. We all want to repay the fans who have stayed with the franchise over the years and we promise that they will see a much different Punjab Kings going forward,” Ponting was quoted as saying in a media release.

  • Olympic Games-2024: A Curtain Raiser

    Olympic Games-2024: A Curtain Raiser

    • When age fails to come in the way of sports rivalries!
    • Will Rohan Bopanna break Rajeev Ram’s winning streak
    By Prabhjot Singh

    Prabhjot Singh, a senior sports journalist, in his career spanning 40 years, has witnessed, and reported on six summer Olympic games, one winter Olympic games, seven World Cups in Hockey, FIFA World Cup in 2006, besides three World Cups in Cricket, and two editions of Pan Am Games (Toronto and Lima). He has also covered Asian Games (New Delhi and Jakarta) and Commonwealth games in Melbourne and New Delhi.
    He will be in Paris from July 23, 2024 till August 13, 2024 to cover the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris which has the distinction of hosting the Olympic Games for a third time. Earlier , Paris hosted the Olympic Games in 1900 and 1924. The only other city to host Olympic Games three times is London which hosted Olympic Games in 1908, 1948 and 2012.
    Readers of The Indian Panorama will get to read Prabhjot Singh’s special reports on Olympic Games 24 straight from Paris on a daily basis at www.theindianpanorama.news besides selected reports in the weekly editions. Prabhjot Singh can be reached at prabhjot416@gmail.com

    Rohan Bopanna, one of the oldest players on the tennis circuit, may still be hopeful of ending his career with a medal in tennis. He may again run into Rajeev Ram in the men’s doubles event. This time, Rohan Bopanna will be paired with Sriram Balaji. Rohan, now 44, is the oldest while Rajeev is not far behind as he crossed 40 in March this year. Photo: Reuters file

    Rivalries, traditional or otherwise, enliven sports competitions. Suppose the fight for Ashes between Australia and England enthuses cricket followers worldwide. In that case, the India-Pakistan game in hockey gets the South Asian community on the edge of their seats. Have you ever wondered about the tennis rivalry that has been growing between India and the United States since the 1996 Atlanta Olympic GamesRs
    Individual rivalries apart, they become so exciting and animated that they get linked to national pride and honor.
    In the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Indian ace Leander Paes made the medal round in men’s singles. In the semi-finals, he was drawn to meet the challenge of Andre Agassi of the hosts, USA.
    Though Leander lost to his much-fancied opponent, he made amends by winning the bronze medal, the first individual medal for an Indian athlete since the 1952 Helsinki Olympic games.
    The defeat of Leander set in motion a rivalry that has since then been growing steadily. The USA has been triumphant in most of the prestigious events against its Indian opponents. Twenty years later, when the Indian mixed doubles pair of Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza faced Rajeev Ram and Venus Williams in the semi-finals in the Rio Olympic games, the Americans were unstoppable.
    It was a golden opportunity for the Indian pair to end the 20-year drought in tennis, but it went down fighting to a Czech Republic pair in the bronze medal game.
    The rivalry did not end with the second successive reverse for India in Olympic tennis, it got extended to one of the grand slams, the US Open. In the 2023 US Open, Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner lost the men’s doubles title to Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.
    Rohan Bopanna, one of the oldest players on the tennis circuit, may still be hopeful of ending his career with a medal in tennis. He may again run into Rajeev Ram in the men’s doubles event. This time, Rohan Bopanna will be paired with Sriram Balaji. The tennis competition will be held from July 27. Rohan, now 44, is the oldest while Rajeev is not far behind as he crossed 40 in March this year.
    Rajeev Ram is one of the illustrious members of the Indian Diaspora who has won several honors for the US in Grand Slams and even a silver medal in the Olympic Games (2016). Rohan lost a chance to become the second Indian player after Leander to win an Olympic medal in Tennis in Rio. Paris may be his last chance.
    Other than Rajeev Ram, Kanak Jha is another player of Indian origin who will be donning US colors for the third consecutive Olympic Games. Kanak plays Table Tennis but has never progressed to the medal round in his previous Olympic participations.
    When the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced its 592-member 2024 Olympic team to compete at the 2024 edition of the Games, it included both Rajeev Ram and Kanak Jha. Before Rajeev Ram won a silver medal in 2016, cyclist Alexi Singh Grewal held aloft the US flag with a gold medal triumph in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Alexi Singh has been the torch-bearer of sportspersons of Indian origin representing the US in various major international sporting events.
    Paris returns as the host nation of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, which is taking place exactly 100 years since Paris hosted the Olympic Games back in 1924. Paris joins London as the only two cities to host the Olympic Games three times. Paris hosted in 1900, 1924 and now 2024, while London hosted in 1908, 1948 and 2012.
    An estimated 10,500 athletes from more than 200 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team will take to Paris to compete on the world stage. Thirty-two sports will be contested during the Olympic Games Paris 2024, with 329 medal events in total.
    The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will make history by achieving numerical gender parity on the field of play, ensuring equal representation of male and female athletes. For the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, the roster comprises of 314 females and 278 males.
    “It is with immense pride and excitement that we announce the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team and the exceptional athletes that embody the spirit of dedication, resilience, and excellence, continuing the proud history of Team USA at the Olympic Games,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “As they prepare to represent our nation on the greatest stage in all of sports, we honor their personal achievements and celebrate the unwavering support of the people that make it possible — their families, teammates, National Governing Bodies, coaches, and communities around the country. In the true spirit of ‘One for All,’ we join a proud nation of fans in cheering them on through inspiring performances and unforgettable moments.”
    The 2024 U.S. Olympic Team has over 250 returning Olympians – including three five-time, four four-time, 16 three-time and more than 50 two-time Olympians. The slate of veterans features 122 Olympic medalists, including 66 Olympic champions who have won 110 gold medals. Forty-five athletes have won multiple Olympic medals, while 23 have won multiple Olympic gold medals.
    The multiple medalists are led by Katie Ledecky (swimming) who leads the team with 10 Olympic medals, including seven golds and three silvers. Simone Biles (artistic gymnastics) and Caeleb Dressel (swimming) enter Paris 2024 with seven medals each, while Ryan Murphy (swimming) has six, and Diana Taurasi (basketball), Lilly King (swimming) and Simone Manuel (swimming) have five each.
    The three five-time Olympians on the roster include Taurasi, Steffen Peters and McLain Ward (equestrian). The four four-time Olympians feature Brady Ellison (archery), Gerek Meinhardt (fencing), Stu McNay (sailing) and Vincent Hancock (shooting).
    “These athletes of Team USA have demonstrated unparalleled dedication and passion in their pursuit of excellence on their road to earning a place on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team and representing the United States in Paris,” said Rocky Harris, USOPC chief of sport and athlete services, and Chef de Mission for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. “Their journey to the Games exemplifies the Olympic spirit-pushing boundaries, breaking records, and captivating millions around the country and the world, and I am so proud to be a part of a team of colleagues at the USOPC and across the National Governing Bodies who support them. This summer, Team USA athletes will amaze us with extraordinary talent and indomitable spirit – and they will undoubtedly inspire the next generation.”
    Of the collective of 592 U.S. athletes competing in Paris, 75% (444 athletes) competed collegiately at 169 schools. Twenty-one teams have at least 80% collegiate participation on their U.S. Olympic rosters, including 15 teams that are comprised of 100% college athletes: women’s basketball, men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s indoor volleyball, diving, fencing, women’s field hockey, women’s rugby, modern pentathlon, men’s and women’s water polo, rowing and triathlon. College athlete representation on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team spans all three NCAA Divisions (I, II and III), as well as junior colleges and collegiate club programs.
    Forty-six states are represented on the U.S. roster, with California (120), Florida (42), Texas (41), Illinois and Pennsylvania (27) leading the way. Three athletes identify international hometowns, including Ian Barrows (sailing) from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Maximilian Dietz (soccer) from Frankfurt, Germany, and Luca Cupido (water polo) from Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy.

    (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images for World Athletics)

    At a glance
    – It also includes 314 women and 278 men, marking the fourth straight Olympic Games with more women on the U.S. roster than men.
    – Artistic gymnast Hezly Rivera is the youngest of three athletes who are age 16, while equestrian Steffen Peters will be competing at age 59.
    – The 2024 team features more than 250 returning Olympians and 122 Olympic medalists, including 66 Olympic champions.
    – Three five-time Olympians decorate the roster, including Diana Taurasi (basketball), Steffen Peters (equestrian) and McLain Ward (equestrian). The four four-time Olympians include Brady Ellison (archery), Gerek Meinhardt (fencing), Stu McNay (sailing) and Vincent Hancock (shooting).
    – The United States will be represented in 44 sports in Paris. Of the 329 medal events contested in Paris, Team USA will have at least one entry (athlete/team) in 253 of these events.
    – There are at least six sets of siblings on the team, including twins Annie and Kerry Xu (badminton), Brooke and Emma DeBerdine (field hockey), Alex and Aaron Shackell (swimming), Gretchen and Alex Walsh (swimming), Juliette and Isabella Whittaker (track and field) and Chase and Ryder Dood (water polo).
    – Twelve athletes on the roster self-identify ties to the military, including 10 with the Army, one with the Navy and one with the Marines.
    – Forty-six athletes on the roster self-identify as parents, including 34 dads and 12 moms.
    – March is the most popular birthday month with 59 athletes.

  • Ind-SL cricket series : Suryakumar takes over from Rohit, Shubman named vice-captain

    Ind-SL cricket series : Suryakumar takes over from Rohit, Shubman named vice-captain

    New Delhi (TIP)- Big-hitting batter Suryakumar Yadav was on July 18 named captain of the Indian T20 team for this month’s three-match series against Sri Lanka, while ODI skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made themselves available for the 50-overs series against the same team next month.
    Shubman Gill has been named vice-captain for both the formats. The team will depart early next week for the tour which will mark the beginning of new head coach Gautam Gambhir’s three-year tenure.
    Riyan Parag, who scored seven half-centuries in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Delhi speedster Harshit Rana are the two new faces in the ODI squad.
    Seasoned all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who retired from T20Is along with Rohit and Kohli after India’s World Cup triumph in the Caribbean last month, did not find a place in the ODI squad. Having shouldered the team’s pace-bowling responsibility for a prolonged period, lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah was rested on expected lines.
    The first T20 International will be held on July 27, followed by games on July 28 and 30. All the ties will be played at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The ODIs will be held on August 2, 4 and 7 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
    Suryakumar, 33, was chosen as skipper for the T20 series over Hardik Pandya, the designated vice-captain during India’s title run in the Americas. Star all-rounder Pandya is three years younger to the Mumbai swashbuckler but was not the preferred choice of both chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and Gambhir.
    It is learnt that the two had a word with Pandya on this issue on Tuesday and conveyed to him that a long-term option in Suryakumar was being considered. Pandya is expectedly there in the T20 squad and has opted out of ODIs due to personal reasons.
    Previously, Suryakumar led India to a 4-1 win over Australia in a T20I series last November and followed it up with a 1-1 draw in South Africa.
    Shreyas Iyer, despite losing his national contract for missing domestic cricket, made a comeback to the ODI squad alongside KL Rahul, who performed the dual role of wicketkeeper-batter during the 50-overs World Cup last year at home.
    Iyer was captain of this year’s IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders, for whom Gambhir was the team mentor
    Indian squads for SL tour
    T20I
    Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj
    ODI
    Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
    Source: PTI

  • PARIS 2024: Indian sports ministry clears 117-member contingent

    PARIS 2024: Indian sports ministry clears 117-member contingent

    New Delhi (TIP)- India will be represented by 117 athletes at this month’s Paris Olympics after the Sports Ministry cleared the final contingent that also features 140 support staff and officials, of which 72 have been approved at “cost to the government” to meet the “requirements” of the travelling sportspersons. The Games will run from July 26 to August 11.
    The contingent is on expected lines with London Olympics bronze medal winning former shooter Gagan Narang as the chef-de-mission. Narang is also a vice-president in the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
    “The permissible limit for stay of support personnel in the Games Village against accreditation as per norms of the Paris Organising Committee for the 2024 Olympic Games is 67 including 11 1OA Contingent Officials, which includes five Medical Team Members,” stated a letter from the Ministry to IOA president PT Usha, explaining the ratio of support staff allowed as per the size of the contingent.“For catering to the requirements of the athletes, additional coaches and other support staff numbering 72 have been approved at cost to the Government and arrangements for their stay have been made in Hotels/in locations outside the Games Village,” it added. Athletics will make for the biggest group in the contingent with 29 names (11 women and 18 men), followed by shooting (21) and hockey (19). The shooting contingent consists of 11 women and 10 men
    Table tennis will be represented by eight players, while badminton (7) will feature seven competitors, including two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu.
    Wrestling, archery and boxing will have six representatives each, followed by golf (4), tennis (3), swimming (2), sailing (2) and one each for equestrian, judo, rowing and weightlifting.
    Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu is the lone weightlifter in the contingent and will compete in women’s 49kg category.
    In Tokyo Olympics, India was represented by a 119-member contingent, and the country logged its best-ever performance of seven medals, including the historic javelin throw gold by Neeraj Chopra. Chopra will be there in Paris to defend his medal.
    In a bid to avoid doping embarrassment in Paris, the government has asked the IOA and concerned federations to take appropriate measures. Source: PTI

  • Women’s Asia Cup: Fight for Asian dominance

    Women’s Asia Cup: Fight for Asian dominance

    The Women’s Asia Cup is set for a blockbuster start when defending champions India take on arch-foes Pakistan in a primetime clash at Dambulla on July 19, with the eight competing teams hoping to firm up their combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup in October.
    Harmanpreet Kaur’s India are the side to beat going into this iteration of the Asia Cup, having won the competition three out of four times in the T20 version and each of the four times in the 50-overs format.
    Additionally, India are also the most successful team in the Women’s Asia Cup T20 with 17 wins in 20 matches. They beat Bangladesh in the final of the last edition in 2022.
    India’s record against Pakistan has also been stellar in the shortest format with 11 wins against three defeats in 14 matches so far and Kaur’s team will lean on it in addition to the rich form shown in recent outings to clinch the Group A clash.
    While India are coming off a 1-1 draw against South Africa earlier this month with the second of the three T20Is being washed out, Pakistan will be short on game-time as well as confidence since their last outing was in England in May when the hosts blanked them 3-0.
    Smriti Mandhana’s rich form with the bat will be India’s greatest weapon at the top of the order but the biggest gain from recent all-format outings has been the way their bowling has shaped up, with pacers and spinners putting on a combined show.
    Source: PTI

  • Paris-bound wrestler Anshu advised two-week rest

    Paris-bound wrestler Anshu advised two-week rest

    CHENNAI (TIP): Anshu Malik, a strong medal contender in the 57kg women’s wrestling at the 2024 Paris Olympics, submitted a status report on her injury to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on July 2. Anshu had recently sustained the said injury during training and had been forced to be admitted to a hospital in New Delhi a few days later. The hospital discharge summary, submitted by her to the WFI, advises her to ‘rest with no wrestling practice for the next two weeks.’ To add context to the development, the competition in the former World Championships silver medallist’s weight category will begin on August 8 with the medal rounds scheduled the next day.
    Despite concerns surrounding her health, the WFI and Anshu’s father, Dharamveer Malik, were optimistic about her participation at the Games with the latter claiming the wrestler has even started training and is expected to leave for Japan for further training ahead of the quadrennial event. “She, along with me, and a physiotherapist will leave for Japan next week. She has started training at her academy,” the father told this daily.
    Speaking on the issue, a WFI source said, “As was announced by the federation, Anshu is the official entry for the 57kg. The WFI has received her medical case report today (Tuesday). She is expected to go for follow-up with treating doctors on Wednesday and update the federation,” added the source.
    Anshu, who booked her Paris ticket during the Asian Olympic Games Qualifier, got injured while training at a wrestling academy in Hisar, Haryana on June 19. She had pain in the neck, radiating to the left shoulder. (PTI)

  • 14-year-old swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu to represent India at the Paris Olympics

    14-year-old swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu to represent India at the Paris Olympics

    BENGALURU (TIP): At just 14 years old, swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu is set to be the youngest member of the Indian contingent at the Paris Olympics later this month. Despite missing out on the carefree pleasures her peers enjoy and occasionally feeling a sense of solitude, Dhinidhi believes that all her sacrifices have been worth it as she prepares to fulfill her dream of competing on the world’s biggest stage.
    “Sometimes I miss the fun generally kids of my age have. I do not go out much with friends and feel lonely. But then I wanted to swim and I wanted to go to the Olympics,” Dhinidhi told PTI Bhasha in an exclusive interview at her residence. “I am the one who chose this path for me. With that comes a lot of sacrifices, but I do feel different, extraordinary, and proud. At 14, I am going to the Olympics, so all the sacrifices are worth it.”
    Dhinidhi, who studies in the ninth grade, has made a significant mark in Indian swimming by winning medals at the National Games and the senior National championships last year. Her impressive performances this season have made her the top-ranked Indian female swimmer. The Swimming Federation of India recognized her potential and awarded her one of the two Universality places, giving her an opportunity of a lifetime.
    “I knew that I had a chance (of making the Olympics) because I have been working very hard, but it was surprising that I got this chance so early in my career. Being the youngest one in the Indian contingent is a big honor. I am super excited to be a part of the Indian Olympic contingent as I will get a chance to meet the greatest athletes,” said Dhinidhi, who will compete in the women’s 200m freestyle event.
    Having got the opportunity to compete at the Olympics at such a young age, Dhinidhi wants to soak in everything and gain experience. “This is just the beginning and I have a long, long way to go. I am really excited to know what more I can do in 2028 and 2032. (PTI)

  • PM Modi shares hearty laugh with Rohit, Kohli, Dravid, poses for photos with India’s T20 World Cup champions

    PM Modi shares hearty laugh with Rohit, Kohli, Dravid, poses for photos with India’s T20 World Cup champions

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team returned to the country here on July 4 aboard a specially-arranged charter flight with scores of fans lining up outside the airport to welcome the players despite a steady drizzle and heavy security deployment that kept them at a distance from their heroes.
    Hundreds of supporters, holding placards congratulating their favourites and waving the national flag, braved the weather to welcome the victorious side, which defeated South Africa by seven runs in the final in Bridgetown on Saturday last week.
    “We have waited for this moment for the past 13 years. The team has made us proud by winning the World Cup,” a fan, who claimed to have been waiting since 4:30am in the morning said, referring to India’s last World Cup triumph which came back in 2011.
    The side was unable to head back home immediately after the title win due to a shutdown forced by hurricane Beryl in Barbados.
    They were cocooned in their hotel before the BCCI made arrangements for the special charter flight.
    The Air India special charter flight AIC24WC — Air India Champions 24 World Cup — which left Barbados around 4:50am local time on Wednesday arrived in Delhi at 6am (IST) on Thursday after a 16-hour non-stop journey.
    The Indian squad, its support staff, the players’ families and some BCCI officials were aboard the flight along with members of the travelling media contingent. Heavy security was deployed to keep the crowd in check at the Indira Gandhi International airport but that did little to dampen the spirits as fans cheered enthusiastically holding up posters of star batter Virat Kohli, skipper Rohit Sharma and outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid. Two buses were stationed outside the T3 Terminal to ferry the players to their hotel, from where they will head to the Prime Minister’s residence at 9am tentatively for a reception.
    They trickled out in ones and twos after completing immigration formalities.
    Tired but excited, the players acknowledged the waiting fans by waving at them and flashing warm smiles.
    Suryakumar Yadav, who took the sensational match-winning catch of David Miller in the final, was the most enthusiastic in responding to the cheering.
    Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant saluted the gathered crowd, while pacer Mohammed Siraj blew flying kisses in their direction.
    Rohit and Player of the Final Virat Kohli, both of whom retired from T20Is at the end of India’s campaign, were among the last to come out of the VIP exit.
    Rohit, who held the coveted trophy in his hands, raised it for the fans to catch a glimpse before boarding the bus.
    Kohli gave a thumbs up to acknowledge the support before taking his place in the bus.
    In their excitement to see their heroes in person, some fans claimed that they had been waiting outside the airport since last night.
    “We have been here since last night. It was very important for us to win this World Cup after losing the ODI World Cup last year,” a group of fans said.
    The squad won the country its second T20 world title, ending an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy, on Saturday.
    India’s previous ICC title was in 2013 when it won the Champions Trophy under Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
    From the airport, Team India reached the ITC Maurya hotel, where they stayed before their meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Notably, Virat, Rohit, Hardik, head coach Rahul Dravid and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny were spotted at the hotel.
    A special cake featuring the T20 World Cup trophy was cut at the hotel to celebrate the win. Rohit, Virat, Dravid and all-rounder Hardik Pandya were among the stars who took part in the cake-cutting. The cake featured the trophy and some pictures of Indian stars. (PTI)

  • USA cause an all-time great upset, defeating Pakistan in super over

    USA cause an all-time great upset, defeating Pakistan in super over

    By Prabhjot Singh

    The USA could not have asked for more. After a winning start in the first-ever T20 World Cup on its soil, the home team continues to produce historic moments as it stunned Pakistan with a splendid nail-biting finish in the super over. Earlier, a boundary of the last ball had helped the home team to extend the game to the super over. The decisive super-over saw the USA batsmen put up 18 runs on the board before taking a wicket and restricting Pakistani batsmen to 13 in one of the major upsets in instant cricket.

    Pertinently, the USA had defeated its neighbor and arch-rival Canada in the opener in what was termed the revival of the 188-year-old cricket rivalry between two North American nations.

    With two wins from as many matches, the USA now stands at the top of the pool.

    Once again, Grand Prairie Stadium has proved lucky for the US team. Two games played at a 7,000-capacity stadium have ended in impressive wins for the hosts.

    The USA owes its triumphs – both against Canada and Pakistan today – to kits players of Indian origin as skipper Monank Patel made a well-deserved 50 in a game that saw Pakistan put up 159 for seven. The USA responded well finishing at the same total with a boundary coming off the last ball of their 20 overs innings.

    While the USA is playing its first-ever T20 World Cup, Pakistan has reached at least the semi-finals in six of the eight editions of the T20 World Cups, including a runners-up finish in the 2022 edition. But today, it was not the day of one of the Asian cricket giants. They were up against a USA team that did everything right on the day to pull off one of the biggest results in the history of the game.

    Pakistan relied on Mohammed Amir for the super over. Three wides and a couple of overthrows saw the home team put up an impressive score of 18 with Aaron Jones contributing the only boundary in the decisive over. And when Pakistan returned to bat, Netravalkar, also a player of South Asian origin, held his nerve and verve to restrict Pakistan to 13 for one. It was another migrant of South Asian descent, Nitin Kumar, who scored a boundary of the last ball to force the game to the super over.

    The match would go down in the annals of US cricket as the most stunning win ever recorded on American soil in this ancient game seeking a comeback.

    Chasing 160 for an outright win, the US lost its opener for 12. It brought in skipper Monank Patel who chipped in with a classy 50 and stood like a rock as the Pakistani bowlers toiled hard to keep the Americans from reaching anywhere near the victory target. He put in 68 with Gaus in a game-changing partnership.

    Set 160 to win in regulation time, the USA very nearly won the game in their initial allocated overs as their top order dealt well with a high-caliber Pakistan attack.

    Opener Steven Taylor departed for 12 (16) in the final over of the Powerplay, but Monank Patel and Andries Gous put Pakistan on the back foot with a brilliant partnership that moved the tournament co-hosts into treble figures and seemingly in control of the run chase.

    Monank was particularly impressive, hitting a classy half-century to give his side hope, putting on 68 in a crucial stand with Gous.

    Now, Pakistan faces India on Sunday. After its shock defeat at the hands of the USA, demand for tickets for the India-Pakistan game has dropped significantly.

    Though the ICC stated that all efforts are being made to make the drop in pitches at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium to produce some excellent cricket on Sunday, the US has put a spanner with its superb showing at Dallas, one of two other venues of the T20 World Cup.

  • When the T20 World Cup matches are played on “ghost” pitches

    When the T20 World Cup matches are played on “ghost” pitches

    India starts in style with an impressive win over Ireland

    By Prabhjot Singh

    After incurring few blows, including a hit on the shoulder of its skipper Rohit Sharma, India raced to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Ireland in its T20 World Cup opener at Nassau County Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. Wicketkeeper batsman, Rishabh Pant, who smashed McCarthy’s second ball of 13th over to the maximum, to hoist win for the 2007 Cup champions India, had also received a nasty hit on his elbow early in the innings.

    These blows apart, players and team officials, are making no secret of their feelings about the variable bounce of the “ghost” or “drop in” pitches on use here at County Cricket Stadium. None of the four innings played on this pitch in the two matches so far, any team would reach the triple figure mark.

    In the opener, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 77. Ireland innings folded up for 96. Indian bowlers cannot be denied their due as Hardik Pandya (three for 27), Jaspreet Bumrah (two for 6 ) and young Arshpreet Singh (two for 30) bowled extremely well on a pitch of uneven bounce.

    While the Indian batting coach Vikram Rathod said that playing conditions were the same for every team, Indian batsmen have quickly adapted themselves by trying to “control the controllable”. He admitted that the “drop in” pitch at Nassau County Cricket Stadium was a “challenging wicket”.

    Varying are opinions of players and team officials who have had a chance to train or play on this ground.

    “Toss is crucial on this ground and we are lucky, we won the toss and bowled first,” he said corroborating what the Springboks did in the first game against Sri Lanka. They won the toss and put in their opponents to bat first and bowled them out for 77.

    India saw its skipper Rohit Sharma hoisting milestone of completing 1000 T20 runs by clubbing successive balls from Joshua Little to the maximum to reach the mark in style. At that time, he had reached 42 from 33 balls to take India to 64 for one in 9 overs. Earlier, India lost its star batter Virat Kohli caught at third man off Mark Adair for . Rohit retired at 56 putting Rishabh Pant in command who closed the game with a six of McCarthy with eight wickets and 46 balls to spare.

    The sheen and glory of the big win has been partially taken away by the pitches, curated in Florida and brought in here the newly fabricated Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, the game’s first-of-its-kind modular playing arena that has got mired into controversies, less than a week of its commissioning.

    Its uneven bounce and behavior have been worrying teams. India, after winning the toss, put Ireland into bat first as pacers Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj exhibited speed and uneven bounce that saw Indian keeper both jumping high and bending low to gather dot balls in the power play. Arshdeep was first to meet with success as he had removed both Adam Balbirnie and Paul Stirling with impressive figures of two for four at one stage. Arshdeep came for severe punishment in his fourth and last over to end with figures of 2 for 30.

    Jaspreet Bumrah was virtually unplayable on this unplayable pitch after he came as a first change to end with two for six from three overs,.

    Paul Stirling was clueless to a sharply bouncing delivery that crept up from length and led to a top edge. Harry Tector was hit on the gloves by another Arshdeep delivery and shook his fingers in pain. Later, he was dismissed by a Jasprit Bumrah delivery that darted into him, taking an inside edge onto his helmet on the way to the cover fielder. The uneven and abrupt bounce continued as one of rising deliveries of Arshdeep flew over the head of Benjamin White.

    Great Little Master Sunil Gavaskar, who is one of the commentators, could not resist saying: “You can see the bounce. The ball is climbing over the stumps. LBWs will be a little difficult.”

    Determined Ireland batters waged a fight and managed to reach 96 even after being reduced to 50-8 at one stage.

    When India came to bat in chase of the winning target of 97, skipper Rohit Sharma had to retire hurt after he was hit on the shoulder by a Josh Little delivery. Rishabh Pant, too, received a blow to his elbow off the same bowler. He needed a check from the physio before resuming.

    As I mentioned in one of my previous dispatches, four main pitches and six drop-in surfaces were curated in Florida and transported to New York for the T20 World Cup. Some experts who support drop in pitches hold that it takes time for the surfaces to settle down before it starts supporting both batters and bowlers alike.

    It is not pitches alone that have come under severe criticism. Even outfields, too, have been drawing wrath of some players and officials. Some sandy patches were picked for mention.

    Since the match of the tournament – India-Pakistan encounter – is to be played on one of these four “ghost” or “drop in” pitches on June 9, it may also like earlier matches turn out to be a low scoring game to the disappointment of cricket crazy South Asian Diaspora here.

    “We want to see action, hits to the maximum and some entertaining cricket and not the ball playing the mischief,” remarked a veteran cricketer, Mr Yash Kapoor, who is long settled here.

  • Pragg claims maiden classical win over Carlsen to avenge World Cup final loss

    Pragg claims maiden classical win over Carlsen to avenge World Cup final loss

    Stavanger (TIP)- Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa crushed world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen for the first time in the classical format to emerge as the sole leader in the Norway Chess here. Having lost to him in the final of the last World Cup, Praggnanandhaa finally got past the home favourite in what would be known as a clear classical triumph. The Indian has also beaten him a few times at online and faster versions of the game in the past.
    Following the third-round win, the 18-year-old Indian now leads the men’s section with 5.5 points, half-a-point clear of American Fabiano Caruana who scored his first victory in classical against reigning world champion Ding Liren of China.
    Carlsen, on three points, is third in the updated standings but with each classical win worth three points, this might not hold for too long.
    Hikaru Nakamura of the United States, Firouzja Alireza of France and Liren are all joint fourth currently on 2.5 points in the six-player double round-robin contest.
    “I wish Magnus would take similar risks against us old folks,” said Nakamura on Carlsen’s choice of playing a risky battle against Praggnanandhaa.
    Classical chess, also known as slow chess, allows players significant amount of time to make their moves, usually at least one hour. Carlsen and Praggnanandhaa had drawn their previous three encounters in this format.
    In the women’s event, Praggnanandhaa’s elder sister R Vaishali maintained her sole lead after getting past Anna Muzychuk of Norway in the Armageddon game after drawing the classical one. Vaishali ensured a draw in Armageddon as black against Muzychuk.
    Vaishali rose to 5.5 points and enjoys a point’s lead over women’s world champion Wenjun Ju of China, who is sole second by half-a-point margin over compatriot Tingjie Lei.
    Muzychuk, Pia Cramling of Sweden and Koneru Humpy share the fourth spot on three points each.
    It was a Sicilian Kan, an opening that does not find many takers in the elite chess circles, wherein Praggnanandhaa got an advantage through better space control right from the beginning.
    The middle game saw Magnus’ king stuck in the centre and the Indian super-talent capitalised with some deft manoeuvres after the minor pieces were off the board.
    Eventually, the king’s vulnerability came to question as Praggnanandhaa posed some dangerous checkmate threats. The game lasted just 37 moves.
    Source: PTI

  • French Open: Top seeds blossom in Paris rain

    French Open: Top seeds blossom in Paris rain

    Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic soared into the third round of the French Open May 30 as tournament organisers stepped up their fight against unruly fans by announcing an alcohol ban in the stands while also dealing with the wet-weather backlog. Playing under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier even as Roland Garros officials were scratching their heads over what to do with the schedule after a fifth straight rain-hit day, second seed Sabalenka blew away qualifier Moyuka Uchijima 6-2 6-2. “That’s the little advantage we get as top players because we play in big stadiums with the roof,” Sabalenka said. “So I knew that no matter what the weather is going to be, I’m going to play my match. That’s really helpful.”
    Defending champion Djokovic then outclassed Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4 6-1 6-2.
    Djokovic has been some way from his convincing best in an erratic season where he is bidding to win a record 25th Grand Slam title and the top-seeded Serbian was dragged into a battle by Carballes Baena after recovering an early break.
    “There’s always conviction and belief inside of me that I can win a Grand Slam,” Djokovic said. “That’s the reason I’m still competing at this level. I still of course sense that I have the game and I have the goods to go far,” he added. Source: Reuters

  • Wearing India jersey is different feeling, hope to make it count: Pant

    Wearing India jersey is different feeling, hope to make it count: Pant

    New York (TIP)- It would be 527 days since his life-threatening accident when Rishabh Pant dons the India jersey on June 5 at the Nassau County ground for the opening T20 World Cup match against Ireland and he can’t wait for it. On March 23 this year, Pant wore the blue of Delhi Capitals while making an emotional comeback after the horrific car crash in 2022 but he is more eager to wear a different shade of blue — the ‘India Blue’ to be specific.
    “Getting back on the field with an Indian jersey on is a different feeling altogether. this is something I missed a lot…Hopefully I (can) make it count and make it better from here,” Pant told BCCI.TV on the sidelines of India’s first net session ahead of the warm-up game against Bangladesh on June 1.
    Pant, who underwent an intense 15-month rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy, had teammate Suryakumar Yadav for company during this interaction and recalled the time how his presence helped him cope with the loneliness of his injury management programme in the NCA.
    “Seeing the team here and meeting them again, spending time, having fun with them, having a conversation with them, I really enjoyed,” a beaming Pant said. Having scored 446 runs in 13 IPL games, Pant is slowly getting back into the groove. The leaner and fitter Pant looked in nice touch at the India nets at the Cantiague Park on the outskirts of New York City.
    Pant also spoke about the prospects of cricket gaining popularity in the USA going forward. He felt the T20 World Cup could be the start of an eventful chapter.
    “We are used to playing in certain countries but this is a different prospect. It has opened up a different channel for sport because I feel cricket is growing around the world and…getting the exposure here would be nice for cricket as well as USA cricket,” he said.
    He spoke about the drop-in pitches that will be used during the tournament and also the bright sunshine that he and the rest of the team is getting used to. “New pitches are there. I’m just getting used to the conditions. The sun is a little bit brighter here, so just getting used to the conditions over here. Let’s see how it goes,” Pant concluded.
    Source: PTI

  • Sunrisers’ face Royals’ for place in final

    Sunrisers’ face Royals’ for place in final

    Chennai (TIP)- The best power-hitters of the IPL — Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma — will face a very different challenge against wily spin twins Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin when Sunrisers Hyderabad take on Rajasthan Royals in a high-octane second Qualifier here on May 23. The duo have taken power-hitting to a new level — Head (533 runs at strike-rate of 199.62) and Abhishek (470 at 207.04) have hit 72 sixes apart from 96 boundaries between them.
    If that’s not enough, they have a swashbuckler in Heinrich Klaasen (413 runs at 180), who also has 34 sixes to his credit.
    But playing on a Chepauk strip, which is usually sticky in nature, will pose a completely different challenge than what is the case at the Kotla or Wankhede.
    Here, the ball stops and stroke-makers do have a tough time when it comes to hitting through the line.
    Ashwin, who has played all his cricket at this ground, knows the strip like the back of his hand and his form has improved towards the back-end of the tournament.
    With the country’s best leg-spinner Chahal for company, RR would be hoping that Head, Abhishek and Klaasen can be dispatched quickly to gain control of the proceedings.
    As for their bowling, the onus would once again be on T Natarajan, who has been SRH’s top wicket-taker this season, and playing on his home turf here, he would love to exploit the conditions.
    Also, the experienced duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Pat Cummins have a lot to deal with as the former has been wicket-less in his last two games.
    As for RR, the side finally ended their five-game winless streak, thanks to the all-round show against RCB.
    In batting, the top-order displayed some positive signs, especially Yashasvi Jaiswal who would love to continue the form ahead of the T20 World Cup in the Americas next month.
    However, skipper Sanju Samson will have to do better, given that he hasn’t crossed the 20-run mark in the last three contests.
    Source: PTI

  • Nadal, Djokovic and an unfamiliar tag at the French Open

    Nadal, Djokovic and an unfamiliar tag at the French Open

    When was the last time Rafael Nadal entered the French Open with an air of uncertainty around his first-round victory, no matter the form and ranking of his opponent (which, in this case, is world No. 4 Italian Open champion Alexander Zverev)? When was the last time Novak Djokovic entered any Grand Slam with his aura of indomitability breached to the extent that it has brought him down to among the pack of contenders rather than a potentially title-winning ace?
    Not in the last few years at the Slams he was allowed to set foot in.
    The two ageing giants, with 46 Grand Slam triumphs between them yet zero titles this season, find themselves with an unfamiliar tag in this Parisian summer — far from the favourites for the French Open. Which, for a 14-time Roland Garros champion who has held an unshakable grip on the clay-court Slam he first won in 2005 and lost just three matches in, is unheard-of. Which, for the record 24-time Slam champion who has won three of the previous five majors besides reaching a final and a semi-final, is unwonted.
    We’ll get to Nadal first, because this may well be his last sighting at the French Open. The 37-year-old hasn’t explicitly conveyed it yet, but everything he has done this season, which he’d said could be his last on the tour, has a farewell ring to it. Swansong or not, things haven’t gone per script for the Spaniard. Out injured for most of 2023 and the first three months of 2024 due to a muscle injury post his return, Nadal threw all his eggs in the clay basket.
    Barcelona (second round exit) was an early gentle tester, Madrid (Round of 16) was a slightly more feel-good outing but Rome, where he was given a three-set scare by unheralded Zizou Bergs before a straight-sets hiding by 8th-ranked Hubert Hurkacz, was a wake-up call. One that confined him to the reality that his current physical shape and level of play, though good enough to still test the best on clay, isn’t nearly enough to trouble them.
    It made Nadal doubt whether turning up for the French Open, a tournament he’s played every year since 2005 except the last, was even worth it. “If I feel ready, I’m going to try to be there and fight for the things that I have been fighting the last 15 years; (even) if now (it) seems impossible,” he said in Rome.
    Nadal will have to summon every bit of that fight while taking on Rome champion Zverev first up in a brutal draw for the bruised beast. If not, the fourth (and likely final) defeat on the red dirt of Paris could bring a speedy end to a surreal record that may last for an eternity.
    Djokovic’s 24 majors tally too will stand the test of time, although times right now are shaky for the Serb. Not in six years, since his injury-hit 2018 season, has Djokovic entered the French Open without a title to his name in the season. If the Australian Open semi-final defeat to Jannik Sinner was hard to take, the subsequent shock losses to 123rd-ranked Lucas Nardi (Indian Wells) and 32nd-ranked Alejandro Tabilo (Rome) were hard to explain.
    There’s been an abrupt and alarming drop in the world No. 1’s form, taking down his coach Goran Ivanisevic and fitness trainer along with it as Djokovic desperately searches for a spark to light things up again.
    He celebrated his 37th birthday on Wednesday playing (and winning) at the Geneva Open, a rare instance of Djokovic competing the week before a Slam. “I need more matches, even if it’s just one or two…I hope there are more,” he said.
    Come the French Open, he’d hope for the same.
    Source: HT