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Showing posts from May, 2016

Arjun Tendulkar Selection Row: 'No injustice done'

With cricket fans across social media rising in anger over Pranav Dhanawade's (The Kalyan boy who set a World Record with his 1009*) non-inclusion in the U-16 West Zone squad, while questioning the selection of Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun for the inter-zonal cricket tournament, the young boy's family and coach, Mubin Sheikh, don't seem to be complaining. "I heard there is a lot of talk about Pranav's non selection in the West Zone U-16 squad, but we are not sad and not even thinking about it. In cricket, you cannot talk about things that are not is our control," Sheikh reportedly said according to a report on DNA India. Arjun Tendulkar, selected for West Zone U16 team, fails to impress Meanwhile, the Mumbai Cricket Association joint secretary PV Shetty has said it is difficult to pick Dhanawade now, "I cannot say about the zonal selection but we cannot pick him in the Mumbai probables too unless he scores runs. We haven't heard about him after ...
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Mystery surrounds Kaneria's sudden departure to India

Karachi: Mystery surrounds the sudden departure of Pakistan's banned Test leg-spinner, Danish Kaneria and his family to India although his brother claims they have gone to perform some religious rituals. Kaneria, his wife, children and his mother flew out to India on Sunday night and are presently said to be in Kochi but speculations are rampant that the banned player might have gone to India to seek a livelihood and settle down there. "My family is in India to perform some religious rituals which will take around 10 days. Our return dates are not confirmed as yet," Kaneria told a television channel from India. His brother, Vicky Kaneria, who is in Karachi and employed with an oil company also insisted it was a personal trip for religious purposes. But he was unwilling to speak further on the issue. Speculations have been rife over the real purpose of the visit to India as Danish Kaneria had earlier this year reportedly said he would have got more justice in India b...
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Malinga & Pietersen could've regaled crowds in IPL, if only...

IPL players lose between 20-35 percent of their salaries due to injuries Big Data Analytics can help prevent sports injuries Mumbai Indians were in for a shock when they discovered that Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lankan fast bowler, was ruled out of the IPL. He had been battling a persistent knee injury. Ditto Kevin Petersen, who left his fans disappointed due to a calf injury—breaking the hearts of millions of his supporters. Thedamage is most seriously inflicted on teams, who lose out on the match-winning and crowd-pulling factor of their star players and are forced to re-strategize. It is a financial setback for sponsors too who paid tons of money to sign the player. According to a survey conducted by Deskera, a Cloud-based Analytics company, players lose between 20 and 35 percent of their salaries due to injuries, with 10% of these injuries being serious, causing long-term harm. And it is not only the big league players who fall prey to the vicissitudes of physical competition. ...
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Video showing Vijay Mallya watching IPL final goes viral

New Delhi: Industrialist Vijay Mallya, wanted by investigating agencies for alleged financial fraud, enjoyed watching from London the Indian Premier League (IPL) final between his team, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday. A video posted on Facebook by his son Siddharth Mallya (Sid) showing the father-son duo enjoying the cricket match has gone viral. Sunrisers Hyderabad won the final. In the video, making a brief appearance with his son, Mallya, on whose name the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have sought Red Corner notice from Interpol, is also heard exhorting his team Royal Challengers Bangalore. "Go RCB," says Mallya, sporting his trademark goatee and appearing in a joyful mood, in the video. He is seen along with his son and other acquaintances in the video. His son appearing in the footage says, "Here we go, time for the final. Very very excited, just had the most amazing result in Formula one. It do...
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Shastri, Bangar set to re-apply for India coaching jobs

New Delhi: Former Team India Director Ravi Shastri along with his support staff which include Sanjay Bangar, Bharath Arun and R Sridhar are all set to re-apply after BCCI advertises national coaching positions in the next couple of days. A senior BCCI official confirmed that Shastri, along with batting coach Bangar, bowling coach Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar will send their applications. "All the three coaches (Arun, Bangar, Sridhar) along with Shastri are applying as they have got positive feelers from the top brass of the BCCI. Since there will be a format of application that each applicant will have to follow, they are waiting for the advertisement to be published," a senior BCCI official privy to the development, told PTI on the condition of anonymity. According to the BCCI source, just days before Anurag Thakur was elected as the President, the support staff had met him in Delhi and the discussions were said to be "positive" as he had praised their work...
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Kohli a special blend of consistency and power: Hayden

Former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden on Monday heaped praise on Virat Kohli, saying that the current India Test skipper is a special blend of consistency and power while batting. "Virat is a special blend of consistency, power, his presence of mind, and his passion for the game. I think those elements are addictive in a personality," Hayden said. Kohli, who is in his form of life, scored over 900 runs in the recently concluded IPL, which included four hundreds, but ended on the losing side on Sunday night after the Royal Challengers Bangalore lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the summit clash. Hayden, known for his aggression during his playing days, was present for the Ceat Cricket Rating awards function. "The game needs to have big personalities, big characters that allow the game and followers to almost polarise an audience. Cricket lovers like Kohli arguing with the umpires and engaging in sort of more combative style which is appropriate to Australian cricket,...
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Kohli should take over from Dhoni as captain: Shastri

Former Team Director of the Indian cricket team Ravi Shastri made it clear that had he been the chairman of selectors, he would have thought about making 'Virat Kohli the captain in all three formats' and let Mahendra Singh Dhoni 'enjoy his game.' Asked if he feels that Kohli is ready for leading across all formats, Shastri told India Today channel: "If I am the chairman of selectors, I would be thinking in that fashion, absolutely. It is it time to start thinking. You have to see India has no major event in three years till 2019 World Cup. This is your best chance to think and build." Shastri also made it clear that Dhoni can still contribute as a player. "By no stretch of imagination, you are taking anything away from MS. He can still contribute massively as a player. Time has come to allow him to enjoy himself, enjoy the game. It also depends on how much hungry MS is, how passionate he is, whether the juices are still flowing. It's a Catch-22 sit...
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French Open: First washout since 2000

Persistent rain accompanied by a flood warning washed out an entire day's play at the French Open on Monday for the first time since 2000, throwing an unwelcome spotlight on delayed plans to build a retractable roof over Centre Court. The abandonment also created a scheduling headache for organisers, who called off play shortly before 2pm local time, pushing 10 fourth round singles matches, including those featuring world number ones Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, back to Tuesday. While the three other grand slams -- Wimbledon, U.S. and Australian Opens -- all have at least one showcourt with a roof, Roland Garros fans will have to wait till 2020 or later before any covering appears. French Open director Guy Forget said Monday's non-event -- coming on top of four rain-affected days earlier in the tournament -- proved that installing a roof as soon as possible was essential. Roland Garros's redevelopment plans have been put on hold by environmental activists looking ...
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Sri Lanka paceman Eranga reported for suspect action

Sri Lanka fast bowler Shaminda Eranga has been reported for a suspect action during the second test defeat against England in Durham, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday. "The match officials' report, which was handed over to the Sri Lanka team management, cited concerns about the legality of the 29-year-old's bowling action," the ICC said in a statement. "He is required to undergo testing within 14 days, and, during this period, Eranga is permitted to continue bowling in international cricket until the results of the testing are known." Eranga has taken 53 wickets in 18 tests for Sri Lanka but could not add to his tally at Chester-le-Street on Monday, where his team lost to England by nine wickets, allowing the hosts to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-test series. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/1sp2af8
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No comparison with legend Warne: Zampa

Australian spinner Adam Zampa has dismissed his constant comparison with Shane Warne, saying he is not clone of one of the greatest bowlers to play the game. Zampa's casual approach to wicket and his bowling style has been considered as similar to Warne, with broadcasters using the split-screen technology to highlight the similarity between the pair. Recently, Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also likened Zampa to the Test cricket's second highest wicket-taker. Quashing the comparison, the 24-year-old Australian leggie insisted that there could only be one strong and big player like Warne. "There's only one Shane Warne and there's probably only ever going to one guy like him who can bowl as many strong leg breaks all day for five days straight. It's pretty unheard of," Zampa was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. Zampa further described Warne as 'unbelievable' and admitted he still has a long way to go to reach the legend's level. "I...
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Want to be part of India's No.1 Test team: Rohit

Star batsman Rohit Sharma, who was on Monday named the CEAT Indian Cricketer of the Year, wished to be a part of the country's World No.1 Test team. India is scheduled to play four away Test matches against the West Indies followed by three home Test series later on in the year and Rohit is hopeful that the team will perform well. "India has lot of Test matches coming up. We will travel to West Indies and then will play a couple of Test series at home," Rohit said here. "We will aim to regain the No.1 spot in Tests. I want to be part of the No.1 Test team," he added. Hailing the team's last season's performance, Rohit said he was disappointed to not win the ICC World T20 in India. "We had a wonderful year in 2015-16. We created history in Sri Lanka in Test series after winning it and then against South Africa at home. Then we had the limited overs series in Australia, followed by a good series against Lanka, then Asia Cup," he said. "...
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Don't expect Shehzad, Akmal to be like Kohli, AB: Afridi

Don't Shehzad, Akmal to be like Kohli, AB: Afridi Karachi: Flamboyant all-rounder and former captain, Shahid Afridi believes that Pakistan cricket think-tank has erred by having too many expectations from out of favor batsmen, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal. "I don't know but it was wrong to expect them to be like Virat Kohli or AB de Villiers and perform like them," Afridi said on Geo News channel on Monday. Shehzad and Umar, who are considered to be two of the country's best young batting talent, have been axed for the tour to England on disciplinary grounds and were not called for the training and skills camps set up by the cricket board. PCB Chairman, Shaharyar Khan made it clear on Sunday that it was the decision of the new selection committee to sideline the two youngsters. Afridi said there was no doubt that Shehzad and Umar needed to work hard on their cricket and approach."I also agree there should be no compromise on discipline. But I think it is b...
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'A technical knock-out for RCB, SRH deserving winners'

The most deserving team won the IPL 2016 trophy. Led from the front by David Warner, the team lived up to its name and rose to the occasion in the finals. Even before that despite some setbacks they never seemed to lose their focus and their single-minded dedication to win the trophy was exemplified by their skipper David Warner who literally left everything on the field for each game he played. His batting and his athletic fielding lifted the team to glory and he did that without too much help from the others. In the bowling he of course had Ashish Nehra, who unfortunately got injured and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, who won the purple cap for being the best bowler of the tournament and then there was Mustafizur. The 'Fizz' as the Bangladeshi was nicknamed, bowled the yorker to perfection and in his company Bhuvaneshwar Kumar also learnt and towards the end was bowling even better yorkers than the lanky left-hander. Above all, the fielding, despite the odd dropped catch, was always to...
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Cook overtakes Tendulkar as youngest to 10000 Test runs

Captain Alastair Cook savoured a special moment in his glittering career after becoming the first England cricketer to reach 10,000 Test runs during the second Test against Sri Lanka in Durham on Monday. Durham Test - Scorecard The left-handed opener was the youngest player and 12th overall to reach the landmark as he helped England secure a nine-wicket victory on the fourth day that gave the hosts an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Allan Border, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Jacques Kallis are the other batsmen on the list. "It's a very special moment," the 31-year-old told the presentation ceremony after making 47 not out to guide England to a meagre victory target of 79. "The game is not about personal milestone...it's about winning games for England and scoring runs to do that. "Second to that there are little mil...
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Bhuvi is a world-class bowler, praises Warner

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain DavidWarner says just-concluded IPL's highest wicket takerBhuvneshwar Kumar is a world-class bowler and he can't wait totake on the seamer as an opposition batsman. IPL 2016 - Complete Coverage "Obviously Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar) is in and out of theIndian team, but he is a world-class bowler. With the new ballas an opening batsman I would like to come up against him on awicket like this because he sets the tone from ball one," saidWarner at the post-match press conference after leadingSunrisers to their maiden IPL title at the Chinnaswamy stadiumhere last night.. Warner said as a captain he has utmost faith inBhuvneshwar's abilities and passion for the game. "I have got utmost faith in him (Bhuvneshwar) and the wayhe plays his cricket. He is passionate. He loves the game and,I always rely on him towards the end," the Australian said. Warner led from the front with a sparkling 69 off 38balls before Bhuvneshwar and Mustafizur R...
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Mirza-Hingis crash out of French Open

Paris: Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza made a shock exit from the women's doubles competition while compatriots Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna entered the men's doubles quarterfinals along with their respective partners in the French Open in Paris on Sunday. Sania and Martina Hingis of Switzerland, seeded number one in the women's doubles, lost to unseeded Czech Republic duo of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova 3-6 2-6 in a third round match. Earlier in the day, the sixth seeded Indo-Romanian pair of Bopanna and Florin Mergea defeated Marcus Daniell and Brian Baker 6-2 6-7 (4) 6-1, while 16th seeds Paes and Marcin Matkowski stunned fourth seeded combination of Bruno Soares and Jamie Murray 7-6 (5) 7-6 (4). But, Bopanna and his partner Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia crashed out of the mixed doubles competition with a 6-2 3-6 8-10 loss at the hands of top seeded combine of Hao-Ching Chan of Chinese Taipei and Jamie Murray of Great Britain in a second round match. In th...
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Proud of the way we played: Kohli

Losing skipper Virat Kohli said that he was proud the way Bangalore played and thanked the crowd for their support. "I am really proud of the way we played this evening. The support was great from the crowd. I feel gutted that we didn't do it for them. We were walking around to thank the crowd. Dan mentioned that scored 200 and we lost, it was just 8 runs but it matters. They capitalized" Kohli who was the Orange Cap winner said that he was disappointed to stand on the losing side but was happy in collecting the award. "It's a nice incentive for the way we've got about this season, but not that nice to be standing on the other side of the result." Sunrisers successfully defended their total of 208 to clinch maiden IPL title and the Bangalore skipper acknowledged the fact that their opponents had a strong bowling attack. "The reason why Hyderabad won was because they had a strong bowling attack. I knew I was hitting the ball well, lucky that I w...
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SRH beat RCB to clinch IPL title

Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers putup an incredible performance to ruin Virat Kohli's fairytaleseason beating Royal Challengers Bangalore by 8 runs in ahigh-octane summit clash walking away with their maiden IndianPremier League trophy. In a battle between IPL's best batting and bowlingline-ups, the Orange Army came up trumps despite initialblitzkrieg from Chris Gayle and Kohli, defending their totalof 208 for seven by restricting the home team to 200 forseven. It was David Warner's batting and astute captaincycomplemented by some inspirational death overs bowling byMustafizur Rahaman (1/37 in 4 overs) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar(0/25 in 4 overs) that clinched the issue. Warner, who hit 68, finished second in run-getters' listwith 848 runs. The turning point certainly would be the 24 runs that BenCutting (39 no and 2/35) got in the final over off ShaneWatson's bowling during Sunrisers innings and then came backto dismiss a rampaging Gayle. With 18 needed off last over, B...
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There are no superstars in SRH camp: Laxman

Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Royal Challengers Bangalore to clinch the IPL for the first time. Defending 209, the Sunrisers bowlers executed their plans to perfection to deny Virat Kohli a glorious finish. Check out who said what from the winner's dugout. Muttiah Muralitharan: Nobody rated we will win when we started the tournament. We worked very hard. Every game was tough for us. We regrouped and won. Tom Moody: They are off the chain. By the end of the night, everybody will know the team song. VVS Laxman: Under pressure when Gayle and Virat had the partnership he [Warner] was cool. Captaining the way he did was fantastic. As Tom said, each one of us enjoy each other's company. There are no superstars in the Sunrisers camp. Everybody is an important member. Kane Williamson: Special performance from the guys to get across the line. It was a very special game. Eoin Morgan: It was a privilege to be here and we all rave about it. Great experience Trent Boult: I think it wa...
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Guitarist de Villiers sweeps his wife off her feet

AB de Villiers is just not super on the field but also off it. De Villiers posted a video on youtube where he played guitar and performed Ronan Keating's famous song 'When you say nothing at all' with his wife Danielle de Villiers. Take a look at how de Villiers impressed his better half. via Sify.com http://ift.tt/25uc6We
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Djokovic races into French Open fourth round

Novak Djokovic won his race against the clock, performing in a "night show" as he beat Briton Aljaz Bedene 6-2 6-3 6-3 to reach the French Open last 16 on Saturday. After rain cut two-and-a-half hours from the day at Roland Garros, the world number one did not even get on court until 7:25pm local time and had a small window of opportunity to ensure he got a day off on Sunday. Hurrying the ball boys between points, Djokovic, aiming to win the only grand slam title missing from his collection, struck the ball with aggression throughout but Slovenian-born Bedene was in no mood to oblige and capitulate. Djokovic even dropped serve in the third set but wrapped up the match on his first match point to set up a meeting with Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, the 14th seed. "I played very well, 6-2, 5-1, 30-Love, and a couple of long games where I didn't use my opportunities. But I closed out two sets pretty well. Started the third great," Djokovic, beaten in the final ...
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Ronaldo helps Real hand Atletico another final defeat

Real Madrid handed Atletico Madrid another cruel Champions League final defeat when Cristiano Ronaldo's spot kick saw them beat their neighbours on penalties to win Europe's top club trophy for a record 11th time on Saturday. The match ended 1-1 after extra time as Atletico, giving their usual never-say-die performance, conceded an early goal, missed a penalty, clung on by the skin of their teeth and then found the strength to equalise at the San Siro. But it was all in vain as Juanfran struck their fourth penalty against the post, allowing a previously subdued Ronaldo to stride up and coolly blast home the decisive penalty for a 5-3 shootout win -- his third European Cup success. Real's former playmaker Zinedine Zidane was left to celebrate winning Europe's elite club competition five months after starting his first coaching job and become the seventh man to claim the trophy as both a player and a manager. But it was another demoralising end for Diego Simeone's ...
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It's going to be a cracking final: Gavaskar

The two Southern neighbours will be fighting out for the coveted IPL Trophy at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore. The Bangalore team having had a few days to rest tired limbs and minds will be just that bit fresher than the Hyderabad boys who will have travelled on the day before the finals and so would be not just battle weary but travel tired too. It will be thus incumbent on Tom Moody to lift his team for one final tilt that will be the one that they will remember all their lives. David Warner, their skipper needs no such lifting as he has played well beyond the call of duty in shepherding his team into the finals. The way he has marshalled his troops, the manner in which he has kept his cool even when some of his players have made errors that even school kids wouldn’t, has been remarkable indeed. His batting has been exceptional too and but for the fact that his counterpart in the finals Virat Kohli has had an even better season of the IPL with the bat, Warner would have been ...
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Sunny praise for Dwayne Smith

Immediately after the IPL ends the CEAT International Cricket Awards to honour performances throughout the year will be held in Mumbai and will bring the curtains down on what has been a riveting cricketing year. These awards are given to overseas players as well as India players. Some overseas players have moved franchises so many times in the last several seasons that its tough to know where their loyalties lie. However being professional cricketers they go out and do the best they can. Dwayne Smith is an example of a player who has played in different colours over the years and has invariably won them games with either bat or ball. Smith is the kind of low profile player who is happy to stay under the radar but when needed come out with a stunning performance that will make those who let him go wonder why they did that. Most times of course it is because franchises can play only 4 players in the eleven and can have no more than 10 players in their squad. He used the little grass...
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IPL final will be competitive, qualitative: Kohli

Fans would see a competitive and qualitative game of cricket when two top teams clash in the Indian Premiere League (IPL-9) final here on Sunday, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kholi said on Saturday. "I can assure fans that they would see quality cricket in the final, which would be competitive, as both teams have such players. It will be a close game," Kohli told reporters ahead of a high-octane match between RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SH) at a packed Chinnaswamy stadium here under floodlights. Lauding the support and sympathy of frenzied fans for the home team since the IPL season began here on April 12, Kohli said they have been wonderful even when RCB lost a few games (four). "It's great to see fans enjoy watching us play, even at the nets (practice sessions) and coming to the stadium in droves for every game irrespective of a win or loss. They cheer us and give energy to play quality cricket in the final," Kohli said. Though an IPL fi...
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Getting the RCB top-order out is a big task: Bhuvneshwar

Their pace attack has been the most fearsome this IPL season but Sunrisers Hyderabad swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar feels it would be a tough task for his team to counter the marauding Royal Challengers Bangalore batsmen when the two teams clash in the final on Sunday. Hyderabad edged out Gujarat Lions by four wickets here last night in Qualifier 2 to set up a summit clash with Bangalore, who had beaten the same opponents in Qualifier 1. “We will definitely strategise because I read somewhere the other day that Virat Kohli has scored 35 per cent of RCB’s runs. It’ll be a big task for us to get (Chris) Gayle, Virat (Kohli) and AB (De Villers) and later, (Shane) Watson, out. We are hoping for a good contest,” Bhuvneshwar said at the post match press conference here. “We’ll enjoy for now because we know there’s a pressure match coming up,” he said. Bhuvneshwar said losing Mustafizur Rahman in the Qualifier 2 was not an ideal situation for them but backed Kiwi paceman Trent Boult, who r...
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RCB, SRH in hunt for maiden IPL crown

With just over 24 hours to go for the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) summit clash, all eyes will be on the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium which will host the exciting battle between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Led by an inspirational Virat Kohli, RCB will be hoping to get the monkey off their back after failing to win in both their previous attempts -- 2009 and 2011 -- and also relish the opportunity of bagging their maiden IPL trophy in front of a vociferous home crowd. On the other hand, having managed to reach the play-offs just once in their debut season in 2013, Hyderabad will bank on their bowling prowess and skipper David Warner, who single-handedly pulled off an improbable four-wicket victory against Gujarat Lions in the second qualifier at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium on Friday. Struggling to find consistency in the league phase, Bangalore made a stunning comeback to register five consecutive wins before reaching their third final. RCB ...
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Finch pays glowing tribute to 'amazing' Warner

Gujarat Lions batsman Aaron Finch said he and his teammates could only stand and appreciate the match-winning knock of David Warner, who single-handedly crushed their hopes and took Sunrisers Hyderabad to the Indian Premier League (IPL) summit clash with his majestic 93 in Qualifier 2 on Friday night. In the Qualifier 1 also, Lions were inches away from the final but for a gritty knock from AB de Villiers. After scoring 162 for seven , Lions had Hyderabad at 84 for five and then 117 for six but skipper Warner carried his bat and saw his side through to the final where his team will face the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore. "Tonight, I think that we had a very competitive total, it was around par. 170 would have been nice as it turns out, but two (De Villiers and Warner) of the best players in the world have both got big scores against us in the last two games. Sometimes you just have to take your hat off and appreciate how good cricketers the two are. And say well pl...
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Cook misses Tendulkar's record yet again

Durham: An untidy shot prevented captain Alastair Cook from grabbing a place in cricketing history on Friday when he was caught at slip for 15 as England reached 83-2 at lunch on the first day of the second test against Sri Lanka. Scorecard Cook needed 20 runs to become the youngest player -- and the first Englishman - to reach 10,000 runs in tests at the age of 31 years, five months and two days but the opener jabbed at a wide delivery from Suranga Lakmal outside the off stump and was caught by Dimuth Karunaratne diving low with England at 39-1. Cook would have beaten Indian Sachin Tendulkar's record of 31 years, 10 months and 20 days, which has stood since 2005. Only 11 batsmen have achieved the feat. England, who won the first Test at Headingley by an innings, won the toss. Cook's opening partner Alex Hales had made an unbeaten 45 at lunch after losing Nick Compton for nine just before the interval, caught spectacularly on the boundary by Lakmal off the bowling of Nuwan...
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I will be worried to bowl at Virat Kohli: Wasim Akram

Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram had surely terrorized many batsmen during his playing days, but the former Pakistan skipper has admitted that he would have been worried to bowl against Indian batting star Virat Kohli. The 49-year-old was arguably one of the best fast bowlers of his era, having scalped a total of 916 wickets in both Tests and ODIs combined. Lavishing praise on Kohli's technique and ability to play shots, Wasim said that the Indian prolific batsman has been really consistent with his performance and has always played proper shots which makes him a difficult opponent to deal with. Wasim further likened Kohli with Sachin Tendulkar, saying that it would have been equally difficult to bowl against the current batting star as it was against the Indian legend, the Express Tribune reported. Highlighting Kohli's tally of 36 sixes in this IPL season, Wasim insisted that his current record clearly depicts how strong and powerful he is as a batsman. Earlier, Kohli ha...
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Virat Kohli is a special talent: Tendulkar

Image Courtesy: BCCI Dubai: The iconic Sachin Tendulkar feels that India's current No.1 batsman Virat Kohli's secret of success is playing with a "straight bat" and "visualising all three formats without ever compromising on his technique". "Virat presents the straight bat and scores with good cricketing shots. He is a special talent and he works hard on his game. His discipline and commitment has to be emulated. He visualises different formats without ever compromising on his technique. In addition, he is very strong mentally and thrives in pressure situations," Tendulkar told 'Gulf News' in an interview. Tendulkar was all praise for the quality of cricket in the Indian Premier League, which he believes is on an upswing in recent times. "The level of competition in the IPL has been steadily growing. We have had last couple of seasons, where the last match of the pool has decided the final standings and the teams for the knockout ...
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Virat plays straight, doesn't compromise technique: Sachin

Dubai: The iconic Sachin Tendulkar feels that India's current No.1 batsman Virat Kohli's secret of success is playing with a "straight bat" and "visualising all three formats without ever compromising on his technique". "Virat presents the straight bat and scores with good cricketing shots. He is a special talent and he works hard on his game. His discipline and commitment has to be emulated. He visualises different formats without ever compromising on his technique. In addition, he is very strong mentally and thrives in pressure situations," Tendulkar told 'Gulf News' in an interview. Tendulkar was all praise for the quality of cricket in the Indian Premier League, which he believes is on an upswing in recent times. "The level of competition in the IPL has been steadily growing. We have had last couple of seasons, where the last match of the pool has decided the final standings and the teams for the knockout phase. It is great for ...
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NZ announces bumper cricket schedule for 2017-18

Wellington: New Zealand Cricket has announced a domestic schedule for the next two summers which includes 12 Test matches and a total of 98 days of international cricket. The schedule for the 2016-2017 season includes seven Tests — two each against Pakistan and Bangladesh and three against South Africa — along with 11 one-day internationals and four Twenty20 internationals. New Zealand will also play a three-match Chappell-Hadlee one-day series against Australia with matches in Auckland, Napier and Hamilton. South Africa's tour comprises three tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match. The 2017-2018 domestic season, which will contain five Tests, 17 one-day internationals and five T20s, will be one of New Zealand's busiest on record. The West Indies will arrive in November, 2017 for a tour incorporating three tests, five ODIs and one T20 internatonal. Pakistan will play three Twenty20 and five one-day internationals while Australia will play a Chappell-Hadlee...
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Mourinho returns for more drama in the global village

For all soccer's status as a global game, the pool of its top managers is relatively small and the world's leading clubs often have the feel of a tiny, gossiping village with a managerial merry-go-round on the central green. Manchester United are replacing Louis van Gaal with his former assistant Jose Mourinho, a man Chelsea no longer wanted who has frequently clashed with new Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Manchester's new double act will also have on their radar Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger -- who struggles to hide his disdain for Mourinho -- champions Leicester's Claudio Ranieri and Liverpool's Juergen Klopp, who was Guardiola's main adversary in Germany. Add in new Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, who has been called "the Italian Jose Mourinho", and the soap opera possibilities in soccer's village become endless. What all the central characters share, apart from a clear belief in their own ability, is an elite status which provides a ...
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Kohli more marketable player than Messi, Djokovic

New Delhi: India's Test captain and numero uno batsman Virat Kohli has been named as 'Third Most Marketable Sportsperson' in the world ahead of football superstar Lionel Messi , world No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic in a latest survey published by magazine 'SportsPro'. Kohli is ranked behind NBA's 'Most Valuable Player' Stephen Curry and Juventus' French international Paul Pogba.Incidentally, Kohli is just ahead of golfer Jordan Spieth. Djokovic is 23rd in the list, followed by Messi at 27th and 'Sprint King' Usain Bolt at 31. Notably another Indian in top-50 is tennis star Sania Mirza. According to SportsPro, which does extensive research on business of sports, the criteria of ranking athletes from across the world is marketing potential over a three-year period from this summer. The components they have been assessed are value for money, age, home market, charisma, willingness to be marketed and crossover appeal. Formula One world c...
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Bangar named head coach for Zimbabwe tour

New Delhi: Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar was on Thursday appointed national head coach for the limited overs tour of Zimbabwe, starting June 11 while ex-domestic cricketer Abhay Sharma was named fielding coach. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also announced that former cricketer Koka Ramesh will tour with the men in blue as administrative manager. India will play the first One-Day International (ODI) on June 11. The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led young Indian brigade will take on Zimbabwe in three ODIs and as many T20Is in Harare. "Sanjay Bangar has been appointed as the head coach of the Indian cricket team for the forthcoming tour to Zimbabwe, comprising three One-Day International matches and three T20 international matches to be played in Harare," BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke said in a statement. "Abhay Sharma has been appointed as the fielding coach of the team. "The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Koka Ramesh,...
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'IPL-9 has been the stories of the skippers'

The Gujarat Lions team that topped the league stage in the IPL has another chance to make it to the final when they take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Ferozeshah Kotla in Delhi. The Sunrisers came back strongly to beat the Kolkata team who had beaten them in both the league encounters and in doing so displayed that they can also win when their skipper David Warner has not made a huge contribution. Warner has been the lynchpin of the Hyderabad batting for the past several seasons now but it is his leadership that's been terrific too. He has led from the front and his energy on the field has been infectious. If anything, this year's IPL has been the stories of the skippers and how they have marshalled their troops. The three top skippers have their teams still left in this year's edition. It's not just their fabulous batting but the way they have handled the players under them that's been the feature of this tournament. It's never easy to handle superstars...
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'Rahul Dravid will do an incredible job as India coach'

New Delhi: Veteran Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has backed batting legend Rahul Dravid to step in as the Indian cricket team's head coach, should the former captain get the cricket board's nod for the vacant post. "At the starting point, there is no doubt about the quality of person Rahul Dravid is. I was very fortunate to know him well while working with him at Rajasthan Royals (first as the captain) and (later as the) mentor and then learning about his cricketing abilities," Watson told IANS on the phone from Bengaluru on the sidelines of P&G's flagship Corporate Social Responsibility programme, P&G Shiksha. "There is no doubt that he will do an incredible job if he gets the chance to coach India and also with Virat Kohli who is continuing to grow in this IPL as a leader. He is an incredible man. He has an amazing amount of experience to pass on to the youngsters," added the 34-year-old, who quit international cricket after the 2016 WT...
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