Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel should control the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and that the conflict in the Palestinian enclave and other regional fronts will likely endure for several months.
Netanyahu reaffirmed his pledge to destroy Hamas and repatriate all Israelis detained in Gaza during a press conference on Saturday as Israel began the 13th week of its campaign in Gaza.
Demilitarising the area and eliminating Hamas in Gaza are two of Israel’s stated goals in an effort to stop the terrorist group from carrying out another murderous and kidnapping rampage over international borders on October 7.
“The war is at its height. We are fighting on all of the fronts. Achieving victory will require time. As the chief of staff has said, the war will continue for many more months,” Netanyahu told the media.
In addition to increasing tensions with other Iranian-aligned factions in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, the fight has sparked fears of a regional conflagration.
Since October 7, Israel has been bombing and attacking Gaza nonstop. At least 21,672 Palestinians have died, mostly women and children, and thousands more are trapped beneath the debris.
Nearly all 2.3 million people living in the besieged zone have also been forced to flee due to the military action.
Hamas killed almost 1,140 persons in Israel during the strikes on October 7.
(With agency inputs)
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Sydney: Veteran Australian batter Cameron Bancroft staked a claim to the vacant opener’s slot post David Warner’s Test retirement, saying a specialist’ should be considered for the position. Warner is all set to retire from Test cricket after the third match against Pakistan, beginning at his home ground Sydney from 3 January, 2024.
In the post Warner-era, Bancroft is in contention to fill the opening role along with Marcus Harris, Matt Renshaw and Cameron Green.
“I’ve opened the batting in Shield cricket for over 10 years. It’s not an easy place to bat. It comes with challenges, and my whole career I’ve problem-solved trying to find ways to flourish in those sorts of circumstances.
“Some players have switched and gone and opened the batting and done really well. But not everyone puts their hand up to go and open the batting,” Bancroft was quoted as saying by AAP.
I feel like it probably is a specialist position and it’s certainly a really challenging one. But a very rewarding one as well.
Bancroft was the leading run-scorer in last season’s Sheffield Shield with 945 runs at an average of 59.06, and he again tops the current season’s charts with 512 at 56.88.
I’ve had some conversations (with selectors) over the last 12 months or so and asked some questions about what I can do to improve, Bancroft said.
I’m always looking to improve and get better. I wanted that feedback from them. But I guess it always comes down to scoring runs.
So, I’ve just tried to go out and do the best I can no matter what format of the game that I’ve been playing, he added.
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The senior national championships for wrestling will be held from February 2 to 5 in Jaipur, the ad-hoc committee governing the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said on Saturday.
Competitions will be held for top honours in senior free style, Greco Roman and the women’s section, the Bhupinder Singh Bajwa-led committee said in a press release.
The release also stated that “all correspondence should be done with ad-hoc panel”, making it clear that no stakeholder should be in touch with members of the suspended federation.
The tournament will be organised by Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) at Railway Stadium in Ganpati Nagar.
Earlier, a three-member ad-hoc committee was formed by the Indian Olympic Association to oversee the WFI after the newly-elected body was suspended by the sports ministry for violating its own constitution.
Last Sunday, the wrestling body was suspended for not making decisions in accordance with the provisions of its constitution.
In order to manage the day-to-day operations of the WFI, the IOA designated Wushu federation chief Bajwa as the committee’s head. The other members of the panel are 1998 Commonwealth Games badminton medallist Manjusha Kanwar and 1980 Olympic gold medallist hockey player MM Somaya.
After Sanjay Singh, a close aide of former WFI boss Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was elected as the president of the national wrestling body on December 24, he declared that the nationals for the Under-15 and Under-20 age groups would be held in the Nandini Nagar region of the Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh before the year ended.
The region is a stronghold of BJP MP Brij Bhushan.
The ministry claimed that the wrestlers who were going to compete in the national championships were not given enough notice and that the announcement was made in a hurry and without taking into confidence secretary general Prem Chand Lochab.
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The final weekend of 2023 is already underway. The New Year is already upon us, and this only means one thing — more sporting extravaganza. While a majority of international cricket takes a break for the New Year, teams like New Zealand and Afghanistan will still be in action over the weekend. Apart from cricket, European domestic football resumes with its festive fixtures, with Premier League and Serie A primarily the leagues in action.
There’s tennis too over the weekend with the United Cup having begun in Australia on Friday.
We now take a look at what’s in store over the weekend and on New Year’s Day as far as sporting competitions are concerned:
Cricket
New Zealand vs Bangladesh (Amazon Prime Video): The third and final T20I between hosts New Zealand and Bangladesh will take place at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday (31 December). Bangladesh clinched the first T20I in Napier by five wickets, with Mahedi Hasan doing the star turn before the second T20I in Mount Maunganui was washed out due to rain.
India Women vs Australia Women (Sports18/JioCinema): The second ODI between India Women and Australia Women is currently taking place at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Aussies won the first ODI by six wickets at the same venue on 28 December and will look to finish the year by sealing the series.
United Arab Emirates vs Afghanistan (FanCode): Afghanistan clinched a convincing 72-run win over UAE in the first T20I in Sharjah, and would look to seal the series with another stupendous showing at the same venue in the second T20I on Sunday.
Big Bash League (Star Sports): The Big Bash League continues with its busy round of fixtures over the weekend and on New Year’s Day. Adelaide Strikers host Melbourne Stars on Sunday. On 1 January, there’s a double header with Hobart Hurricanes taking on Sydney Thunder before Brisbane Heat host Sydney Sixers.
Football
While the likes of LaLiga and Ligue 1 takes a break for the New Year, business continues as usual in the Premier League and Serie A. The weekend in the Premier League begins with Luton Town hosting Chelsea on Saturday. Manchester United travel to Nottingham Forest, whereas Fulham welcome Arsenal in the weekend’s other matches. In Serie A, Juventus face AS Roma in a blockbuster clash on Saturday night.
Premier League (Star Sports/Disney + Hotstar)
Luton Town vs Chelsea (Saturday, 6 pm)
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United (Saturday, 11 pm)
Fulham vs Arsenal (Sunday, 7.30 pm)
Serie A (Sports18/JioCinema)
AC Milan vs Sassoulo (Saturday, 10.30 pm)
Juventus vs Inter Milan (Sunday, 1.15 am)
Tennis
United Cup (United Cup YouTube)
The United Cup tennis tournament continues in Australia. The tournament began in Perth with Spain and Great Britain clinching wins over Brazil and Australia respectively. Lorenzo Sonego and Alexander Zverev will be in action in Sydney on Saturday when Italy take on Germany. Poland will also be on action against Brazil in Perth on the same day with Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz taking part.
Poland will once again be in action on New Year’s Day when they face Spain outfit that has Davidovich Fokina.
Zverev and Angelique Kerber will be in action in their respective singles’ categories when Germany face France in Sydney on 1 January.
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David Warner might have endorsed Marcus Harris as his successor for opening slot in Tests, but Australia head coach Andrew McDonald said they are considering a lot more options and Cameron Green is also in contention. Warner will retire from Test cricket after the third match against Pakistan at Sydney beginning on January 3.
There have been a lot of debates as to who should replace Warner at pole position with the names of Harris, Green, Matt Renshaw and Cameron Bancroft doing the rounds.
“Davey’s not a selector. I remember back to when Davey endorsed Matt Renshaw so I think the next one will probably be Cam Bancroft and then Cameron Green and he’ll have all bases covered.
“But it’s great when a fellow player endorses someone else internally. It means that they’ve probably excluded other players as well, but he was asked his opinion and we’re happy with him expressing that,” McDonald was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Australia’s next Test assignment is against West Indies and McDonald said a decision on Warner’s successor will be taken well in time for that series.
“All options will be considered. We’re not going to make the decision until the deadline, which will be the West Indies game.
“Cameron Green, as a discussion around who are the best six batters, has definitely been in the conversation,” McDonald said.
McDonald also confirmed that Warner will miss the ODIs and T20Is against the Windies in early February in order to play for the Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 in the UAE.
He said Cricket Australia has been looking into the NOC (No-Objection Certificate) request of Warner.
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Ravindra Jadeja trained before the third day of the first Test between India and South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion. Amid the doom and gloom that followed, the development would come as welcome news for the beleaguered travelling party. It raises hopes of his availability for the New Year’s Test in Cape Town.
During the warm-ups, the all-rounder reportedly didn’t look in any discomfort as he ran multiple 30 to 40 metre short strides during the morning session. He also did a few fitness drills.
During the lunch break, he bowled on the practice track alongside reserve pacer Mukesh Kumar. He indulged in spot-bowling under the eye of team’s strength and conditioning coach Rajnikant.
On a surface that was destined to help the seamers, R Ashwin didn’t look threatening. The off-spinner took 1/40 in 19 overs accounting for Gerald Coetzee’s wicket.
The England cricket team, led by Ben Stokes, will face one of their toughest challenges when they embark on a five-Test series against India next month. England were the last team to beat India in India back in 2012, but have since struggled in the country.
England’s Test team have been in brilliant form in recent times and can expect to excel against India in the upcoming series. However, former England fast bowler Steve Harmison was not too happy with the team’s preparations and lambasted the apparent lack of planning. He even called the side underprepared for the India tour. England’s most recent Test series was the drawn Ashes in July, and Harmison, in a candid conversation, said that he would not rule out a 0-5 whitewash for the Stokes-led side.
Harmison was not very happy with the fact that the side is expected to arrive in India on January 21, merely four days before the first Test in Hyderabad.
“You cannot go into India underprepared. [In fact], you cannot go into India over-prepared. You could be in India six weeks before and still not be prepared for that first Test and the emotion of that. To be honest, I love this new approach. I love Ben Stokes, the Brendon McCullum approach, obviously Rob Key, and everything that they have done, ECB have done. But I’m sorry, going in three days before [the India series]. You would never do that for an Ashes Test series,” Harmison said on talkSPORT cricket.
❎ “If England go in 3 days before, they deserve to get beat 5-0. You can’t go into India underprepared!”
π “You’d never do that for an Ashes series. It stinks!”
Steve Harmison launches an EXPLOSIVE rant about England’s preparation for the tour of India
Responding to this, Stokes issued a sarcastic comment on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, where he spoke about England’s training camp in Abu Dhabi before heading to India.
“Good job we’re going to Abu Dhabi for a training camp before we go to India for even more training before that 1st Test then isn’t it,” he replied to a post shared by TalkSPORT on X handle.
Good job we’re going to Abu Dhabi for a training camp before we go to India for even more training before that 1st test then isn’t it. https://t.co/2Q0qCOEbFO
As far as the England squad is concerned, the team management has added the uncapped spin duo of Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir, along with fast bowler Gus Atkinson, to the squad. The series will be played across Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamsala.
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Mitchell Marsh hit a counter-attacking 96 in a fighting rescue mission with a dogged Steve Smith Thursday to help Australia build a 241-run lead and regain control of the second Test against Pakistan.
The hosts were reeling at 16-4 after dismissing Pakistan for 264 in reply to their first innings 318 in Melbourne.
But Marsh and Smith put their heads down to compile what could be a match-saving 153-run partnership.
At stumps on day three, the hosts were 187-6 with Smith out for 50, off 176 balls, in the last over of the day, leaving Alex Carey unbeaten on 16.
Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mir Hamza both took three wickets.
It could have been a different story but Abdullah Shafique spilled a regulation catch in the slips when Marsh was on 20.
Marsh eventually fell four runs short of a deserved century, but it took a superb one-handed diving catch at slip from Agha Salman to remove him.
After Cummins took 5-48 and Nathan Lyon 4-73 to dismiss Pakistan, Australia needed to negotiate a tricky 15 minutes of the morning session.
But Usman Khawaja was out for a duck second ball, caught behind by Mohammad Rizwan off bowling spearhead Afridi.
The same combination struck again when Marnus Labuschagne edged down the legside on five as the hosts slumped to 6-2 at lunch.
When they returned, David Warner let rip with a drive to the boundary off Afridi, but he didn’t last, dragging a Mir Hamza ball on to his stumps on six.
He received a standing ovation as he walked off for the last time as a batsman at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the third Test in Sydney set to be the last of his long career.
Things got worse for the hosts when Travis Head was bowled by Hamza’s inswinging yorker next delivery to leave Australia in disarray at 16-4.
But Marsh saw off the hat-trick ball and along with Smith dug in to take the sting out of the attack.
– Cummins takes five –
When Aamer Jamal came on, Marsh slammed three boundaries in four balls to further relieve the pressure before the missed chance by Abdullah.
Smith played a crucial supporting role, taking 101 balls for his first boundary before reaching a gritty 40th Test half-century.
Pakistan had begun the day on 194-6, after an electric spell from Cummins in the final session on Wednesday saw a collapse from 124-1, and the Australia skipper was again in the thick of the action.
Rizwan made a confident start, adding 13 to his overnight 29.
But he was no match for a canny Cummins, who tempted him into a drive that flew straight to Warner who had just been moved to cover from slip.
It broke a 45-run partnership with Jamal who began to play his shots.
New partner Afridi crunched four boundaries before he was undone by Lyon’s spin, trapped lbw for 21.
Jamal was in good touch, finding the ropes three times in six balls at one point in his 33 not out.
Cummins grabbed his fifth wicket by bowling Hasan Ali for two before Lyon had Hamza stumped for the same score.
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India women vs Australia women: India women’s cricket team have won the toss and decided to bat against Australia in the first ODI at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Saika Ishaque makes her ODI debut.
Preview: After clinching back-to-back Test wins, India will shift focus to the ODI format with a three-match series against a formidable Australia. The series will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
With focus on 2024 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh and 2025 ODI World Cup in India, India women’s team coach Amol Muzumdar stressed on the need for taking a long-term approach. This strategic change stems from the team’s tendency to falter in key situations, forcing a concentrated effort.
“I will not shy away from saying that we have not had a look at the bigger picture. But at the same time, do not lose focus on the current happenings,” Muzumdar said in a pre-match press conference in Mumbai.
“Yes, they (Australia) are a good team. They have been doing well in the past, but the message is very clear to the team – we would look inwards. We would look to improve on every given opportunity on every single day. If we can do that, I will be happy,” he said.
India’s record against Australia doesn’t help the team’s morale. India have registered just 10 wins and 40 losses from 50 ODIs against Australia. At home, India have won just four and lost 17 with the Aussies winning the last seven in a row.
In fact, the last time India and Australia played at this venue in a 50-over match, the home team suffered heavy defeats in March 2012, losing by 221 runs and five wickets.
Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon put Australia in the driving seat of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday to leave Pakistan tottering at 194-6, still 124 runs behind on day two.
At stumps, Mohammad Rizwan was on 29 and Aamer Jamal not out two after Cummins took the crucial wickets of Abdullah Shafique (62) and Babar Azam (one), then Agha Salman (five).
Lyon chipped in by removing Imam-ul-Haq (10) and Shan Masood (54), while Josh Hazlewood bowled Saud Shakeel for nine as Pakistan’s dream of a first Test win in Australia since 1995 faded.
The visitors had claimed seven wickets in the morning session on a pitch offering seam and swing, restricting the hosts to 318.
Aamer Jamal spearheaded Pakistan’s charge with 3-64 after Australia resumed on 187-3 after being sent into bat, with Marnus Labuschagne top-scoring on 63.
Openers Haq and Shafique made a positive start in reply, surviving a series of loud appeals.
Undeterred, Pakistan upped the run rate after tea with Masood hitting Lyon for six and Shafique reaching his first Test 50 in Australia, and fifth overall, with a four off Mitchell Starc.
But their 90-run partnership was broken by Cummins, who showed sharp reflexes to stick out his left hand for a catch off his own bowling to end Shafique’s stay.
Fired up, he then clean bowled danger man Azam before Lyon returned to claim his second wicket when Masood miscued and Mitchell Marsh did well to hold a catch with the sun in his eyes.
Hazlewood took care of Shakeel before Cummins brought himself back and accounted for Salman, caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey to leave Pakistan in trouble.
– Jamal strikes –
Labuschagne had been a rock on day one, digging in for an overnight 44 off 120 balls.
He padded up again alongside Travis Head on nine with the sun shining, smacking a boundary off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the opening over to signal Australia’s intent.
The explosive Head drove Hasan Ali to the ropes off his first ball and followed it up with another in the same over to quickly get in the groove.
But his flair cost him on 17, lashing at a wide Afridi delivery that took a thick edge and was well collected by Salman in the slips.
At the other end, Labuschagne kept plugging away to bring up his 17th Test half-century.
Marsh was given out twice in successive balls during a fiery Ali over while on seven by West Indian umpire Joel Wilson. He reviewed both decisions — for lbw and caught behind — and survived.
But just as the match appeared to be slipping away from Pakistan, Jamal bagged the wicket of Labuschagne, who edged to Shafique at slip.
Carey and Starc quickly followed as Pakistan cashed in with a new ball, before Marsh holed out to Jamal off Mir Hamza on 41 and the tail folded.
Australia won the first Test of the three-match series in Perth by 360 runs.
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Tabraiz Shamsi likes a big, expressive celebration whenever he takes a wicket, but his celebratory act, after the dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav during the recent India-South Africa T20I, really got plenty of attention. Surya’s wicket, which is always a big one in T20Is, saw the left-arm spinner face online abuse post-match due to the exuberant celebration.
Shamsi, adhering to his customary wicket-celebration routine, took off his boot and mimicked speaking into it after picking up Suryakumar Yadav’s wicket on 12 December. The left-arm spinner has spoken about it and revealed that he received a barrage of negative online reactions from a section of the Indian fans since they perceived the gesture as disrespectful.
“People took it in a negative way; they thought it was disrespectful,” Shamsi told Cricbuzz.
Shamsi said that all the abuse he received was the worst he had ever experienced. He also said that there were comments directed towards his wife and called the behaviour uncalled for.
“There was also abuse hurled at my wife. I didn’t appreciate that. It’s uncalled for. It’s fine if you want to have a dig at the players, but to involve family and say nasty things, that pushes it to another level,” he further added.
Shamsi said that he wants more people to stand up and call out such behaviour. He emphasised the importance of always being civil and not resorting to behaviour resembling that of an animal.
“I feel that if players don’t say anything about it, then people think they have free license. More people need to speak up and say it’s not OK. Yes, we’re all trying our best. Yes, your team might not win or you might not agree with certain things. But you need to behave like a human being. You can’t carry on like an animal,” the spinner said.
Shamsi, on his part, clarified about his celebration and issued a strongly worded statement. “It’s just a fun celebration which a lot of kids enjoy and means no disrespect towards the batter… I’ve mentioned that countless times before. All you guys hurling abuse are just giving other genuine cricket loving fans from your country a bad name.. cheers.”
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IND vs SA Day 2: The start time for the day's proceedings is 1.30 PM IST unless there's a rain delay. The match is being broadcast on Start Sports Network and LIVE streaming is available on Disney+ Hotstar.
13:01 (IST)
IND vs SA: Rain threat looms
Day 2 at Centurion can also be impacted by rain as the probability of precipitation in the day is as high as 84%. "Considerable cloudiness with a couple of showers" is how AccuWeather describes the weather forecast for Wednesday at Centurion. Day 2 starts at 10.30 AM local time and the propbability fo prcipitations at that time is 48%. There's higher prediction of rain at 12 PM, 2 PM and 4 PM.
12:51 (IST)
Rabada the star for SA
India could have had a better day in the field on Day 1 of the first Test if not for Rabada. The pacer took a five-wicket haul that included top names like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ravichandran Ashwin and Shardul Thakur. Effectively the backbone of Indian batting order. He finished Day 1 with figures of 5/44.
12:47 (IST)
KL Rahul fights for India
KL Rahul's gritty 70 not out is the reason India have managed to reach a respectable total in the first innings. Team India were reduced to 24/3 at one stage and while Virat Kohli (38) and Shreyas (31) put up a brief resistance, it was South African bowlers who ruled the roost on Day 1. But Rahul was India's saving grace. His fighting 70 not out from 105 balls has given India a glimmer of hope in the Test that will continue to be impacted by rain.
12:42 (IST)
Welcome to LIVE coverage of the Day 2 of the first Test between India and South Africa. India finished Day 1 on 208/8 with KL Rahul unbeaten on 70. Team India will look to add crucial runs to their total as we bring you the latest updates.
India vs South Africa Test Live: India will look to consolidate their first innings scores on Day 2 of the first Test against South Africa after a tough Day 1 that saw them reach 208/8 at Stumps. Only 59 overs of play was possible on Day of the Boxing Day Test at the SuperSPorts Park in Centurion and South Africa bowlers had a dream start with Nandre Burger picking two wickets as India were reduced to 24/3. Virat Kohli (38) and Shreyas Iyer (31) then forged a 68-run partnership to stabilise the innings Rabada cleaned up the latter. The next man in, KL Rahul, played a fighting knock of 70 not out to help India 200-run mark. He, however, lacked support from the other end after Kohli was dismissed by Rabada. Shardul Thakur’s 24 off 33 was the only real contribution from the lower order.
Mohammed Siraj was on 0 not out at Sumps on Day 1 and Prasidh Krishna is still to bat. The tar for South Africa on Day 1 was pacer Kagiso Rabada who skipped the white-ball assignment to rest and recover. Rabada made a comeback with a fifer on Day 1 and ended with figures of 5/44. The fast bowler dismissed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer among the batters and also got rid of Ravichandran Ashwin and Shardul Thakur. His five wickets effectively neutralised India’s batting prowess.
Rahul, however, was the only Indian batter who managed to cross the 50-run mark as his reputation kept growing. He had a successful World Cup as a keeper-batter and is the wicket-keeper for the first Test as well. Rahul lost his spot in the Test side as an opener but showed that he had a lot to offer as the middle-order batter.
As far as the weather is concerned, the probability of precipitation is as high as 84%. The match starts at 10.30 AM local time and the chances of rain for start of the Day 2 is 48%. It rises to over 50% at 12 PM, 2 PM and 4 PM. We can see rain playing a major role on Day 2 with multiple interruptions expected.
Match Details
Start time: 1.30 PM IST
Venue: SuperSport Park, Centurion
LIVE streaming and TV broadcast in India: Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports Network
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Female athletes have come a long way. However, major challenges remain for women who wish to pursue sport, especially the matter of equal pay.
As we draw closer to the end of the year, we take a look at how women athletes have earned and what can be expected next. According to a Forbes report, 22-year-old tennis star Iga ΕwiΔ tek from Poland topped the list with an estimated $23.9 million in 2023 (before taxes and agents’ fees).
Another interesting insight from the analysis showed that of the 20 highest-paid female athletes 12 came from the field of tennis, while golf and football each had two athletes.
And for Indian fans, there was a reason to smile. PV Sindhu appeared on the list at the 16th position.
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South Africa decided to field in the opening Test against India at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. After a delayed toss due to wet patches in the outfield, Temba Bavuma won the toss and put India in to bat.
“Wicket has been under covers, we want to use the moisture and make early inroads,” said Bavuma on the decision.
Rohit Sharma, the Indian skipper, meanwhile said he wasn’t too sure of what to do with the toss. “Wasn’t too sure (on batting or bowling). We are quite aware of the conditions, we have been here a few times. We need to put runs on the board and the bowlers will do the job for us. We do understand the challenge of batting first with the overhead conditions and the grass, but the guys are up for the challenge,” he said at the toss.
In terms of team composition, India handed Prasidh Krishna his Test debut just couple of months after he played his first for India in the T20I format. For South Africa there will be two debutants with Nandre Burger and David Bedingham making their first Test appearances.
Expectedly, the Indian team went with a four seamer and one spinner approach with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Krishna the seam bowling options. R Ashwin was the only spinner in the lineup. Rohit Sharma revealed Ravindra Jadeja suffered neck spasm in the morning of the Test which ruled him out.
India are looking to end their winless run in Test series in South Africa. Men in Blue have toured South Africa eight times since the maiden trip in 1992 and have never been able to go back with the trophy.
“Everytime we come here, we come with high hopes. We’ve come close in the last 2 tours. We are pretty confident with our squad and the make-up of our squad,” said Rohit on dealing with expectations.
South Africa XI: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Temba Bavuma (c), Keegan Petersen, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada, Nandre Burger
Another year has flown by in quick time, and in less than a week, the world will get ready to welcome 2024. The sporting world, in particular, has a lot in store for next year with several multinational tournaments and competitions scheduled to be held. There’s the 2024 Paris Olympics, the European football Championships, the Copa America, the 2024 T20 World Cup, and a lot more sporting events that one can look forward to in the New Year.
We now take a look at the complete list of major sporting events scheduled for 2024:
Cricket
England tour of India: Five-match Test series (25 January-11 March)
Men’s 2024 T20 World Cup (4-30 June)
Indian Premier League (Schedule and dates yet to be announced)
Football
European football Championships (14 June-14 July)
Copa America 2024 (20 June-14 July)
Premier League (17 August-25 May)
UEFA Champions League (17 September-31 May)
Tennis
Australian Open 2024 (14-28 January)
French Open (26 May-9 June)
Wimbledon (1-14 July)
US Open (26 August-8 September)
ATP Finals (10-17 November)
WTA Finals (3-10 November)
Badminton
India Open (16-21 January)
Syed Modi International (26 November-1 December)
Thomas and Uber (27 April-5 May)
BWF World Tour Finals ((11-15 December)
Hockey
FIH Hockey 5s (Men, 24-27 January)
FIH Hockey 5s (Women, 28-31 January)
FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers (Women, 13-19 January)
FIH Olympic Qualifiers (Men, 13-21 January)
Other sports
2024 Paris Summer Olympics (26 July-11 August)
Formula 1 2024 (29 February-9 December)
MotoGP 2024 (10 March-17 November)
Tour de France (29 June-21 July)
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India skipper Rohit Sharma believes that winning the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa in South Africa would be a “big thing” his team would have achieved, but was unsure if it would be able to ease the pain of the ODI World Cup final defeat to Australia.
Rohit gave his first press conference since India’s six-wicket defeat to Australia in the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad on 19 November. India were on a winning rampage in that tournament on home soil, having won 11 consecutive matches to enter the final unbeaten. However, the Men in Blue fell in the final hurdle with a century from Travis Head (137) and a fifty from Marnus Labuschagne (58*) helping them chase a total of 241.
“We have never won a series here and it’ll be a big thing if we do it here. I don’t know whether it’ll be able to take away the pain of World Cup defeat. If we are able to achieve it then it’ll be a good thing. Itna mehnat kiya hai toh kuch toh kitna banta hai (Since we have worked so hard, we deserve this at least),” Rohit said at the pre-match press conference on Monday.
Rohit said that the Men in Blue worked hard in their bid to win the World Cup, but after a point, it was important to move on.
“The way we played in the World Cup, you expect to go all the way. We worked hard for the cup. There are certain things we didn’t do well in the final. It is hard after a loss like that. But you got to find a way to move on and look forward,” said Rohit.
“We got a lot of encouragement from the outside world. That motivated me personally. As a batter, I am batting as well I could. Whatever is in front of me, I’ll look forward to it,” he added.
Mohammed Shami has failed to regain full fitness after sustaining an ankle injury during the World Cup and Rohit said his absence will be a big miss.
“Very important Test series. We have never won a series here. It’s a big opportunity for us. We came close the last two times. That gives us a lot of excitement and encouragement to do our best. Our seamers have done well in Australia, England and South Africa. The seamers have actually pull their weight in. Shami will be a big miss,” said the 36-year-old.
“He will do well”
Ishan Kishan pulling out of the Test series against South Africa means KL Rahul becomes the favourite to don the wicketkeepers’ gloves in the upcoming series. While there’s KS Bharat as well, his lack of playing experience in Tests for India makes Rahul an ideal candidate for the keepers’ slot.
“I felt the way he (Rahul) kept in the World Cup, he worked really hard and was impressive. It gives us the option to play a solid batter in the middle order. He does most of things right when he bats in the middle order in ODIs. He knows the situation and how to bat. I am not sure how long he wants to keep but as long as he does, he’ll do well,” said Rohit.
KL Rahul, though, has not kept wickets for a full Test match but Rohit said that it was important every player goes through the transformation phase.
“Every cricketer has to go through some kind of transformation or a different sort of role in their career. There are a very few players who have just stuck to one position to play throughout their career on that position.”
“He bats really well, understands the game really well, and obviously an experienced player. KL Rahul exactly knows what is required at different stages of the game. It gives us a solid balance with an experienced player in the middle. I’m not sure how long he wants to keep, but as of now he is quite keen to take up that role,” added Rohit.
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With limited-overs leg of their tour of South Africa done and dusted, Team India’s focus next shifts towards a two-match Test series against the Proteas, starting with the Boxing Day Test in Centurion from Tuesday. Several senior players like skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will make their competitive return, having last played in the ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad on 19 November.
In the 31 years of touring South Africa, India have never won a Test series in the country and with veterans Rohit and Kohli possibly entering their final phase of their cricket playing career, the visitors would be keen to put up a spirted performance.
The first Test will take place at SuperSport Park in Centurion. Some enticing player battles could be on the cards with both teams featuring some star-studded lineups. However, the weather for the first Test does not look promising.
What’s the weather forecast for the South Africa-India Boxing Day Test?
The weather in Centurion as far as the first Test is concerned does not look good for cricket fans. According to AccuWeather, Tuesday’s forecast is going to be occasionally cloudy with occasional rain and thunderstorm with 92 per cent precipitation. On 27 December, a couple of showers have been predicted for earlier in the day with 90 percent probability of rain.
Thursday, though, could witness a little bit better weather forecast with periods of cloud and sun, and just two per cent precipitation. There is no rain forecast for Day four either, whereas a couple of showers and a thunderstorm have been predicted for Day 5 on Saturday.
If the weather forecast is to go by, the probability of play happening in the first two days looks grim, and should no play happen during this time period, it remains to be seen if this match would produce a result.
“Temperature will be super low, like 20 degrees. The temperature is now 34 and it will drop to 20. I don’t know what conditions will be like, whether we will get play on Day 1,” pitch curator Brian Bloy was quoted as saying by PTI.
“I can’t guarantee the forecast but if it remains under cover for the better part of the two days then that might be tricky to bat first, because it has been covered for so long and hasn’t been rolled for so long, we don’t know how long we will have to get the field ready for play in current situation.”
“So if it’s a Day-3, 10 am start, it doesn’t give us much time, because it’s in the morning and you start playing at 10 and really three hours of cool weather and early morning will be tricky. If its covered for two days, I would presume bowlers would benefit from it.” he had added.
The first Test in Centurion will be followed by the second and final Test in Newlands, Cape Town starting from 3 January. The Indian squad features youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill. Ruturaj Gaikwad, however, will miss the Test series after sustaining a finger injury while fielding in the second ODI against South Africa on 19 December.
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The BCCI women’s selection committee on Monday announced the squads of India’s upcoming ODI and T20I series against Australia that starts from 28 December in Mumbai. Harmanpreet Kaur will lead both the sides whereas Smriti Mandhana will be her deputy. Yastika Bhatia and Richa Ghosh have been named the two designated wicketkeepers in the team.
The first ODI at the Wankhede Stadium will be followed by the second and third matches at the same venue 30 December and 2 January. The three T20Is will be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on 5 January, 7 January and 9 January.
India are coming on the back of Test wins over England and Australia and now the focus shifts to the limited-overs formats. Eight players from the team that toured Bangladesh in July are not part of this squad. This squad features Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Mannat Kashyap, Renuka Thakur and Titas Sadhu. Devika Vaidya, Uma Chhetry, Meghna Singh, B Anusha, Priya Punia, Anjali Sarvani, Monica Patel and Rashi Kanojiya have gone out from the squad.
A crafty left-arm-spinner, the Patiala-born Kashyap, 20, was earlier called up for the T20I series against England but did not get a game.
Shreyanka earned her maiden ODI call-up after she made her debut in the T20I series against England earlier this month.
In three matches against Heather Knight’s women, Shreyanka picked up five wickets and won the Player of the Match award in the third and final T20I of the series.
Kashyap was part of India’s victorious women’s Under-19 World Cup winning squad in February, and so was Titas Sadhu.
Saika Ishaque was one of the top bowlers for the Mumbai franchise in the inaugural Women’s Premier League.
India are ready to conquer their ‘final frontier’ but as always South Africa are not going to be an easy team to defeat. Team India have never won a Test series in the Rainbow Nation and the upcoming Test series gives them another opportunity to change that dubious record.
They will have Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah returning. These players missed the white-ball assignments on the tour to rest, recover and prepare for the Test series. India, however, will be without Mohammed Shami who is out due to an ankle injury and Ruturaj Gaikwad was replaced by Abhimanyu Easwaran, Gaikwad is suffering a finger injury.
Ishan Kishan has pulled out of the Test series due to ‘mental fatigue’.
For South Africa, pacers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi will be back after missing the T20Is and ODIs.
Dean Elgar has announced that he will retire after the Test series against India.
Let’s check out all the details about the upcoming Test series.
India vs South Africa Head-to-Head in Tests
South Africa have a slight edge over India in Tests, having won 17 out of 42 Tests as compared to India’s record of 15 victories. India, however, have a horrible record in South Africa. Since 1992, India have played 23 Tests in South Africa, winning just four, losing 12 and drawing seven.
India vs South Africa Test Series Schedule
1st Test: 26-30 December, SuperSport Park, Centurion
India vs South Africa Test Series Broadcast And Live Streaming Details:
The Test series between India and South Africa will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network in India. The live streaming of the Test series will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.
The India women’s cricket team ended the year 2023 on a historic note by registering their first-ever Test victory over Australia in Mumbai on Sunday. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side have now won two successive Tests against two of the oldest and most accomplished teams in women’s cricket in a space of 10 days, beating England and Australia by 347 runs and eight wickets respectively.
Spin-bowling all-rounder Deepti Sharma who starred in the victory over England with a knock of 67 and a match-haul of 9/39, with three other Indians bringing up their half-centuries and Pooja Vastrakar collecting 3/23 in the second essay.
It was a similar story against Australia over the weekend where spinner Sneh Rana played a central role with figures of 3/56 and 4/63 while the likes of Smriti Mandhana (74 and 38 not out), Jemimah Rodrigues (73) and Deepti (78) starred with the bat as India hammered the mighty Aussies by eight wickets at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Reacting to her team’s exceptional performances over the past two weeks, India skipper Kaur said that the victories were the reward for their hard work over the years.
“Reward for all the hard work we have done for so many years. Credit to the team and the support staff. Reward for the hard work and patience,” Kaur said after the match.
For batter Rodrigues, Christmas had indeed come early.
“I think Test cricket is something I always wanted to play. Wearing the blue was the obvious dream, we did not play a lot of Test cricket then, but just wearing these whites was a dream. Nothing like getting two back to back fifties and getting two Test wins. Christmas has come early,” the Mumbai batter said.
For Rana, who won the Player of the Match award for her seven wickets across the two innings, the victory is an “amazing” feeling.
“Feels amazing, standing here and receiving this award. And a great Test win… Have always wanted to take wickets and stand up for my team. The captain has given me a chance and I have to do well,” Rana said in the post-match presentation.
3⃣ wickets in the first innings π
4⃣ wickets in the second! π
Congratulations to @SnehRana15 who is adjudged the Player of the Match in the #INDvAUS Test ππ
As for Mandhana, who steered India to victory in their chase of the modest 75-run target with an unbeaten 38, the Wankhede surface wasn’t as tough as it initially appeared to be and it was about applying oneself in these conditions.
“Definitely it wasn’t that tough. We thought it was rank turner when we saw the pitch, but if you applied yourself and showed patience, think batting wasn’t that hard. Credit to all the batters. The way Deepti and Pooja got us back in the game in the first innings, that won us the game.
“I told Shafali that we should bat the way we batted in the first innings. Nothing too fancy, nothing too defensive, just react to the ball. That is when we bat the best,” the opening batter added.
As for Australia captain Alyssa Healy, who only recently succeeded the legendary Meg Lanning as the skipper, things would have been even more interesting had this been a multiple-Test series.
“What an experience to come and play Test cricket. Not easy and we found out. Two or three more Tests could have been interesting. Except for the first day, we showed a lot of fight. It’s the first time we are playing red-ball cricket here, and we are learning on our feet.
“The girls have adjusted and performed well. Full credit to the Indian team, they just put too many runs on us. If we would have batted the first full day, we could have been in the game,” Healy, a captain not very used to discussing a defeat in post-match presentations, said after the match.
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The Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) till further orders after the newly-elected body made a “hasty announcement” and showed disregard for existing rules and regulations. The WFI got a new president only on 21 December when former head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s loyalist, Sanjay Singh, swept the polls by big margins.
After winning the elections, Sanjay Singh announced that U-15 and U-20 nationals would take place in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) before the end of 2023.
The Sports Ministry has said that the announcement was against the rules.
“This announcement is hasty, without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers who are to take part in the said nationals and without following the provisions of the constitution of WFI. As per clause 3 (e) of the preamble of the constitution of WFI, the object of the WFI, among others, is to arrange the holding of Senior, Junior and Sub Junior National Championships as per UWW Rules at places selected by the Executive Committee,” the Sports Ministry was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
“Such decisions are to be taken by the Executive Committee, before which agendas are required to be placed for consideration. As per Article XI of the WFI constitution under the Heading ‘Notices and Quorum for Meetings’, the minimum notice period for EC meetings is 15 clear days and the quorum is of 1/3rd of representatives. Even for Emergency EC meetings, the minimum notice period is 7 clear days with a quorum requirement of 1/3rd of representatives,” the ministry added.
The Sports Ministry further added that the Secretary General was not involved in the decision-making and that the functioning of the newly elected executive violates National Sports Code as it seems to be in “complete control of the former office bearers”.
“Further, in terms of Article X (d) of the Constitution of WFI, it is the Secretary General of WFI, who has been made responsible for carrying out the general business of the Federation, keeping the minutes of the meetings, maintaining all the records of the Federation, calling the meetings of the General Council and the Executive Committee. It seems the Secretary-General has not been involved in the said meeting of EC, which was held without any notice or quorum,” it stated.
“The decisions made by the newly elected executive body of the WFI demonstrate a blatant disregard for the established legal and procedural norms, violating both the WFI’s constitutional provisions and the National Sports Development Code. The newly elected body appeared to be in complete control of former office bearers in complete disregard to the Sports Code. The business of the Federation is being run from the premises controlled by former office bearers,” the ministry said.
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PV Sindhu has once again made it to the Forbes’ list of highest-paid women athletes. In the list for 2023, Sindhu is joint-16th with Simone Biles with a total earning of $7.1 million. The Indian badminton star was 12th last year with the same earnings of $7.1 million.
In 2018, the two-time Olympic medal winner was part of the top 10 in the 7th sport with a total earning of $8.5 million.
“Although virtually unknown in the U.S., Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist and the 2019 badminton world champion, is a stalwart of the women’s earnings ranking thanks to her marketing prowess in her native India. This year, she added partnerships with Centuary Mattress and American Pistachio Growers” — this is how Forbes introduced her in their list of the highest-paid female athletes in 2023.
The list of the 20 athletes is dominated by tennis players which underlines the sport’s capability to market itself and its athletes. In tennis, both men and women athletes earn equivalent prize money at Grand Slam events.
So it’s no surprise that Iga Swiatek is No. 1 on the list with a total earning of $23.9 million. This is the first time the Polish tennis star has occupied the top rank. She won the French Open this year, clinched the WTA Finals and year-end No. 1 ranking.
Switake is also only the fourth athlete overall to occupy the No. 1 rank since the ranking was introduced in 2008. The other three are Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka. All four are tennis players.
Nine out of the first 10 in the list of 20 highest-paid female athletes for 2023 are tennis players. Overall there are 11 tennis athletes. Football and golf have two athletes each and badminton, basketball, gymnastics and freestyle skiing have one each.
Sindhu is the fifth Asian on the list with Eileen Gu from China being the highest at 2nd with an earning of $22.1 million.
There’s only one African on the list — Tunisia’s tennis star Ons Jabeur at the 18th spot ($5.7 million).
Beth Mooney became a victim of one of the most bizarre runouts on the cricket field on Saturday as Australia continued to struggle against India in the Only Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Australia were bowled out for 219 in the first innings of the Women’s Test and India replied by taking a 187-run lead.
Australia needed a strong reply and openers Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney did exactly that by scoring 49 runs quickly before the tragedy struck. Mooney played a defensive shot to the silly point where Richa Ghosh was positioned. Mooney had stepped out after playing the shot and forgot that there was a danger of a runout as Ghosh was quick with her return, causing a direct hit.
By the time Mooney realised the danger, she was out.
Soon after Phoebe Litchfield was cleaned up as India took two crucial wickets.
Australia were 140/2 at the time of writing thsi report and trailed India by 47 runs.
India’s first innings total of 406 is their highest-ever total against Australia and Harmanpreet Kaur and Co are aiming to secure their second successive Test win.
Last week they defeated England in the Only Test to make a new record. The 337-run win was India’s biggest victory in women’s Test history.
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Former South Africa captain Dean Elgar on Friday announced that he would retire from international cricket following the upcoming two-match Test series against India at home. Elgar will play his final international match for the Proteas when they take on India in the second Test in Cape Town starting from 3 January.
“Playing the game of cricket has always been a dream of mine but having the opportunity to represent your country is the ultimate! Having had the privilege to do it for 12 years internationally is simply beyond my wildest dreams,” Elgar said in a statement.
“It has been an incredible journey that I have been fortunate enough to have. The Cape Town Test will be my last. My favourite stadium in the world. A place I scored my first Test run against New Zealand and hopefully my last too,” Elgar added.
The Dean
πPure Class
π€Pure Elegance
πͺPure Grit
You left it all on the field and for that we SALUTE you π―π
Elgar made his international debut for South Africa against England in an ODI in Cardiff in August 2012. He would go onto make his Test debut later that year against Australia in Perth, where he endured ducks in both innings.
Elgar has scored 5146 runs from 84 Test matches at an average of 37.28, scoring 13 centuries and 23 fifties. Elgar has also played eight ODIs, scoring 104 runs.
“Elgar will fittingly end his international career with the two Test matches — the first to be played at his home ground in Centurion from 26–30 December and the second at the venue where he scored his first Test runs, Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, from 03–07 January,” Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a statement.
Elgar also had a successful stint as South Africa’s Test captain, winning nine out of 19 matches, while losing seven and drawing four.
South Africa’s director of cricket, Enoch Nkwe, said, “He is a real old-school cricketer that can dig in, absorb and fight. I have no doubt the game will dearly miss him.
“He has always given everything for his country and never showed any fear, no matter the opposition. He was always there to take on the challenge, leading as captain when the country needed him most,” Nkwe added.
With PTI inputs
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England star Tom Curran has been banned for four Big Bash League games after intimidating an umpire, but his club Sydney Sixers said Friday it was not intentional and vowed to appeal. The slick fast bowler, who has played 30 T20 games for England, was slapped with the punishment after being charged under Cricket Australia’s code of conduct.
It stemmed from a pre-match incident against the Hobart Hurricanes this month in which the umpire had to move to avoid a collision with him during a practice run.
He was charged for “intimidation or attempted intimidation of an umpire, match referee or medical personnel whether by language or conduct (including gestures) during a match”.
“Curran contested the charge, and the matter was heard by Code of Conduct Commissioner, Adrian Anderson,” Cricket Australia said in a statement.
“The Commissioner found that Curran committed the offence and imposed a penalty of four suspension points, equating to four BBL matches.”
Head of the Sixers Rachael Haynes said the club would “vigorously” appeal the sanction.
“Tom and the club maintain that Tom did not knowingly or intentionally intimidate a match official, and on legal advice, we will exercise our right to appeal the decision,” she said.
“We will support Tom during this period and look forward to him returning to the field.”
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Sanjay Singh became the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) with his panel comfortably winning bulk of the posts in the delayed polls. Singh is considered to be outgoing chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s loyalist in the sports body.
Sanjay, who is UP Wrestling Association Vice President, bagged 40 votes while his rival Anita Sheoran earned seven votes.
“It’s a triumph for the thousands of wrestlers in the country who suffered in the past 7-8 months,” he said after winning the elections.
VIDEO | Sanjay Singh, a loyalist of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, receives a warm welcome from his supporters in Delhi after being elected as the new WFI president. pic.twitter.com/JBxxZr8gGN
Sheron’s, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, panel though managed to win the post of secretary general as Prem Chand Lochab beat Darshan Lal.
Brij Bhushan had backed Singh and was confident of his win as the president. “11 months later, today is the election. In the election, Sanjay Singh, in a way, can be described as a representative of the old federation. Sanjay Singh is sure to win the election, ensuring the formation of a new federation for the children. I urge them to create a conducive sports environment as soon as possible and compensate for any losses,” he had told news agency PTI.
The outcome of the polls would come as a blow to top wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik who had protested for months against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and sought his, and his loyalists’, exit from WFI. However, it is now clear that they failed to get the fraternity behind them despite aggressively pushing for a change of guard.
VIDEO | “Our entire panel (Sanjay Singh panel) has won, everyone has won with a good majority,” says Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s son-in-law Vishal Singh on WFI election results.
The wrestlers had accused Brij Bhushan, a BJP MP, of sexually harassing women wrestlers, including juniors, and mobilised huge support from different sections of society. However, the protest came to an end on the day they planned a march towards new Parliament building on 28 May when Delhi police removed all the protesters from Jantar Mantar for rioting.
The wrestlers officially called off their protest on 7 June when Sports Minister Anurag Thakur assured them that none of the family members or close associates of Brij Bhushan will be allowed to enter the WFI election fray.
“We stopped our protests after listening to the govt but now it is the time of the Govt to fulfil their promise that no one related to Brij Bhushan Singh should get a post in the federation. Anurag Thakur said that the govt will keep their promises and we hope the same,” Sakshi Malik had said on 11 December.
“Yes, we met with the sports minister today and reminded him of his promise that no one related to Brij Bhushan should contest the WFI elections,” Bajrang had said.
“Sanjay Singh is his close associate and he should withdraw from the elections or otherwise we will decide our future course of action soon. We told that to the minister,” added Punia.
RSS-affiliate Sanjay hails from Varanasi and is a very close associate of Brij Bhushan. Given the tremendous interest the outgoing chief has in the sport, it is expected that Sanjay will consult him in policy decisions.
Stage set for lifting UWW ban on WFI
The election of the new executive council will also pave the way for lifting the UWW ban on WFI. The world governing body of the game had banned WFI for not conducting election on time, forcing Indian wrestlers to compete as neutral athletes at the 2023 World Championships.
The election process was set in motion in July but was delayed because of court cases. The Supreme Court recently set aside the stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, paving the way for the process to elect the new WFI governing body.
(with inputs from PTI)
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It’s been a couple of days since the IPL 2024 Auction took place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, and while the dust is slowly beginning to settle, many an expert and fan will still be left dazed by the amount of money that had been splurged at the auction by the 10 franchises.
This year’s auction turned out to be a historic one and the recently-concluded ICC World Cup had something to do with it. Australia’s pace duo Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins not only ended up becoming the most expensive players in the history of the league, breaking the record set by Sam Curran’s Rs 18.5 crore sale to Punjab Kings last season, they ended up becoming the first players to breach the 20-crore barrier in IPL auctions.
Starc was picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 24.75 crore on his return to the IPL after years while Cummins joined Sunrisers Hyderabad at Rs 20.5 crore.
Another highlight of the auction was a number of uncapped Indian players becoming overnight millionaires, with Uttar Pradesh’s Sameer Rizvi striking gold with Chennai Super Kings paying Rs 8.4 crore to secure his services. Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra would join Delhi Capitals for Rs 7.2 crore.
Eight of the 10 franchises ended up filling all of their available slots to finish with a 25-player squad comprising eight overseas internationals. Only Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals were left with vacancies. While RR had three slots left to fill, KKR had two.
With the auction coming to an end, one would be inclined to believe that the squads that we have right now are the ones that will take part in next year’s IPL. That is unless a player happens to pull out due to injury or some other reason and the franchise gets a replacement.
That, however, isn’t necessarily the case and there are other ways franchises can make alterations to their side.
Can franchises buy players even after the IPL Auction?
In a way they can, through the IPL Trading Window that resumes a day after the auction. This year’s trading window witnessed one of the most important (and controversial for some) deals in the history of the league with Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya returning to the Mumbai Indians and then being named captain of the five-time champions, bringing Rohit Sharma’s tenure to an end.
The trading window, which starts a month after the final, had been put on hold a week before the auction, from 12 December to be more specific. And it springs back into action from 20 December, a day after the auction. So as of today, the franchises are free to approach each other for trades.
So it won’t be buying the player in the traditional sense as one would in the auction. The player has to be part of one of the franchises for him to be eligible for a trade, and the beneficiary franchise will have to shell out an amount matching the final price at which the player had been sold in the auction. The franchise intending to secure the player will have to pay the franchise in possession of the player that full amount, which then gets deducted from the latter’s team budget of Rs 100 crore.
Trades can be a one-way trade with only player involved in the trade, which is highly unlikely after the auction given the squads that have maxed out their player capacity wouldn’t want to enter the next season a player short. Trades can also involve two players which becomes something of an exchange, and is more likely after the auction.
The trading window ends a month before the start of the next season, meaning it will conclude sometime in the last week of February.
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Delhi Capitals, alongside Punjab Kings, are among the teams that are counted among the consistent underachievers in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Not only are they among the handful of franchises in the history of the league to have not lifted the trophy even once, they were also the last among the ‘Original 8’ to even reach the final, doing so in the 2020 edition where they would eventually lose against Mumbai Indians.
The name change ahead of the 2019 season appeared to have done the franchise some good with the team reaching the playoffs that year followed by their runner-up finish in 2020 and another appearance in the playoffs in 2021. DC narrowly missed out on a top-four finish in 2022, but appeared to have returned to their old ways this year, finishing ninth in the 10-team table under David Warner’s leadership after languishing at the bottom for a majority of the season.
There is hope of a comeback the following season with wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant set to return to action in IPL 2024. Pant will lead the side even if he has difficulty keeping wickets and is played purely as a batter, and it was under his leadership that Delhi finished top of the table in 2021 — only to suffer back-to-back defeats in the playoffs — and narrowly miss out on a top-four finish the next season.
DC had released as many as 11 players on Retention Day, including star names such as Rilee Rossouw and Rovman Powell — both of whom would fetch major bids in Tuesday’s player auction in Dubai. The franchise also parted ways with Indian batters Manish Pandey and Sarfaraz Khan. As for the bowling department, Bangladesh left-arm quick Mustafizur Rahman and Indian pacers Chetan Sakariya and Kamlesh Nagarkoti were released into the auction pool.
Pre-auction gaps
The released resulted in Delhi Capitals needing replacements in their middle-order, especially someone who could be counted on as a finisher in order to fill the void left behind by Powell and England’s Phil Salt. ‘Fizz’ and Nagarkoti’s releases meant they also needed back-up pace options. And even though Prithvi Shaw had been retained by the franchise despite a poor run of late in the IPL, DC would have been happy with having back-up options at the top of the order as well.
Strengths
Harry Brook’s inclusion in the Delhi Capitals squad at a price of Rs 4 crore could be described as the highlight of DC’s purchases in the auction and has added more firepower to Delhi’s batting lineup heading into next year’s auction.
Harry Brook smashed a 55-ball century during Sunrisers Hyderabad’s away game against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2023. Sportzpics
While Brook, who has been one of England’s fastest-rising stars of late, couldn’t quite achieve the level of consistency that was expected of him when he was part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad camp this year, he did show glimpses of the destruction that he can cause with his unbeaten ton against Kolkata Knight Riders. He could potentially play a defining role in DC’s campaign if he is able to make an impact on a regular basis instead of once in the entire season.
Brook, like DC teammate Mitchell Marsh, is someone who can play both at the top of the order as well as in the middle-order, and can also finish games for his side.
DC also managed to get a couple of back-up wicket-keeping options in Tristan Stubbs and Kumar Kushagra in case Pant isn’t able to do so due to physical limitations.
Weaknesses
DC, however, couldn’t quite get hold of a back-up to Indian opener Shaw who, talented as he is, has been going through a mixed run with the bat lately. They bought West Indies’ Shai Hope specifically for that role and both Brook and Marsh are also handy options at the top of the order, but they’ll likely replace David Warner and not open alongside him.
Best buy
Getting Brook on board at a price of Rs 4 crore certainly is a bargain buy for the Capitals, given he had been sold to the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping Rs 13.25 crore last season.
Worst buy
Getting Jhye Richardson at Rs 5 crore might prove a questionable choice for the Capitals next year given he’s likely to be benched for a majority of the season if the likes of Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi remain fit. Delhi also have an able seam option in Marsh, who will be heavily favoured for an extended run in the 17th season.
On 21 December, Thursday, India women’s cricket team will take on Australia at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium in a one-off Test match.
India come into this match after a commanding 347-run win over England in their last match encounter. It was a dominant performance by the hosts as they piled up an impressive first-innings total of 428, powered by substantial contributions from Shubha Satheesh (69), Jemimah Rodrigues (68), Yastika Bhatia (66), and Deepti Sharma (67).
The bowlers then stepped up as England were knocked over for 131 in the second innings to seal India’s win. Deepti Sharma was the star with the ball as well for the hosts.
The last time these two sides met in a Test match was back in October 2021, during India’s tour of Australia amid various COVID bubbles and lockdowns. The one-off Test of that series took place as a day-night fixture at Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast. India were the dominant side for most of the game, but persistent rain during the first two days saw the match ending in a draw.
India Women vs Australia Women Head-to-head Record
India Women and Australia have clashed with one another in 50 matches in ODIs – India Women have won 10 games, while Australia Women have 40 wins.
As far T20Is are concerned, India have won 7 out of 31 matches played against Australia. Australia, on the other hand, have won 4 out of the 10 matches played between both the sides.
India women vs Australia women: Most Runs in Tests
Sandhya Agarwal: 430 runs
Peta Verco: 393 runs
Belinda Haggett: 339 runs
Belinda Clark: 322 runs
Jill Kennare: 278 runs
India women vs Australia women: Most Wickets in Tests
Reports on social media and elsewhere suggested problems in the Mumbai Indian camp – particularly after cryptic posts by Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah. These posts came after the franchise’s announcement of appointing Hardik Pandya as captain, thereby replacing Rohit Sharma.
There was speculation over discontent among key players with reports of Rohit Sharma being traded off to other teams. However, Mumbai Indians have refuted these rumours and dismissed claims that franchises, including the Chennai Super Kings, approached them for a trade.
Kasi Viswanathan, the CEO of Chennai Super Kings, also denied such talks, and said that CSK does not subscribe to the practice of trading players and lacks suitable assets for a trade with the five-time IPL champions.
Speaking with Cricbuzz on the sidelines of the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai, he said, “We don’t trade players as a principle and we also don’t have players to trade with Mumbai Indians. We have not approached them and we don’t intend to either.”
Mumbai Indians head coach Mark Boucher downplayed reports of internal discord within the team. Boucher conceded that there were emotions surrounding the decision but also said that the phase was “purely a transitional” one.
Boucher also mentioned that all relevant discussions had taken place with certain team members and the leadership within the group and that Mumbai Indians are moving forward. He also acknowledged Rohit’s contribution as a leader of the side.
“It’s the game of cricket. Mumbai Indians move forward. Rohit has been fantastic for us. He’s been a stalwart for Mumbai Indians, he has done really well. This is just a decision that is made by us to move forward and get into a transition phase with the new captain and it’s, you know, take all the motions aside and all that type of stuff. That’s simply what it is all about,” the coach said
The former South Africa wicket-keeper also said that he believed the side handled the situation effectively, since it was always going to be a transitional phase.
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A leaked audio recording has added fuel to the fire that Pakistani cricket finds itself engulfed in of late, allegedly revealing Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf’s plot to remove Babar Azam as captain from all formats.
According to a report on Dawn, the voice making the explosive claims in the clip allegedly belongs to PCB interim management chairman Ashraf, who is believed to be having a private discussion with a female member of his family. The discussion also touches upon the appointments of Shan Masood and Shaheen Shah Afridi as captains besides Babar’s removal from the job.
Babar had resigned as captain from all three formats of the game following a disappointing ICC World Cup campaign, where Pakistan suffered four defeats in a row and failed to reach the semi-finals. In the recording, however, Ashraf claims he had asked Babar to stay on as Test captain.
“I asked Babar to stay on as Test captain, but told him that I was thinking of removing him as the white-ball captain. Babar told me he would consult his family and then convey his decision,” the voice, believed to be that of Ashraf, is heard saying in the audio clip.
Ashraf would also touch upon the influence of player management company Saya Corporation, to which Babar and several other members of the current Pakistan team are signed to. The PCB chief believed that while Babar was claiming he would consult his family, he would actually be speaking with Saya Corporation CEO Talha Rehmani.
“Talha advised him to leave everything. I had a Plan-B prepared should such a situation arise and when Babar told me he was stepping down, I called him (Masood or Afridi) and told him that you’re the captain now.
“He (Talha) has controlled eight players of the national team. He has signed contracts with the players… He is such a smart guy that he has built a lot of relationships with the players’ families by going to the players’ houses, and the players can’t move without him,” Ashraf was heard telling his family member.
Babar was also accused of recruiting players he’s friends with, most of whom are also managed by Saya including spin-bowling all-rounder Shadab Khan. Shadab would end up having a below-par outing in the World Cup despite being rated highly going into the tournament.
The involvement of Saya Corporation in the Pakistan team is also believed to have led to the ouster of Inzamam-ul-Haq from the post of chief selector with the former captain reportedly having a stake in the firm.
from Firstpost Sports Latest News https://ift.tt/opAYWd1
Delhi Capitals have retained the core of their team ahead of the IPL Auction and subsequently the IPL 2024 season. Rishabh Pant, who missed the entire 2023 season due to injuries sustained in a car accident, has been retained. As have the likes of David Warner, Axar Patel, Prithvi Shaw, and Mitchell Marsh. Notable names released by DC include South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw, England’s Phil Salt, West Indian Rovman Powell, as well as Indian talents Chetan Sakariya and Priyam Garg.
Delhi Capitals have a maximum of nine slots to fill, four of which are designated for overseas players. They’ve spent Rs 71.05 crore so far leaving them with Rs 28.95 crore in total purse for further acquisitions.
Delhi Capitals need a massive rehaul after a dreadful campaign last season saw them finish second from bottom.
Players bought by DC at IPL 2024 Auction: Harry Brook (Rs 4 crore)
DC Released Players: Aman Khan, Chetan Sakariya, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Manish Pandey, Mustafizur Rahman, Phil Salt, Priyam Garg, Rilee Rossouw, Ripal Patel, Rovman Powell, Sarfaraz Khan
Remaining purse: Rs 24.95 crore
Slots remaining: 8
Overseas slots available: 3
from Firstpost Sports Latest News https://ift.tt/liQdzao
