Sports

Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) Mumbai City FC will look to return to winning ways, while East Bengal FC aim to sustain their attacking momentum when the two sides meet in Indian Super League 2025-26 at the Mumbai Football Arena in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Mumbai come into the contest following a goalless draw against Bengaluru FC, a result that highlighted their ongoing issues in the final third. East Bengal, in contrast, arrive on the back of a commanding 3-0 victory against Odisha FC.

That context has not been lost on East Bengal head coach Óscar Bruzón, who expects a finely-balanced contest between two direct rivals in the title race.

“Mumbai are in a similar situation to us. They are in a do-or-die game. When they play in their home ground, they try to be a dominant force. They base their game on possession football and central areas, and try to find the speed of their wingers. They are a team with a lot of quality, but they also have weaknesses. For example, if you hold them in transitions, instead of just waiting in a low block, I think they make mistakes in their build-up phase,” Bruzón said.

The stakes are significant for both teams at this juncture. Mumbai City, currently on 19 points, can climb to the top of the table with a victory. Meanwhile, East Bengal, who are just a point behind, could move to 21 and draw level with Jamshedpur FC at the top, albeit remaining second on head-to-head record.

Historically, Mumbai City have held the upper hand in this fixture, winning six of the 10 ISL meetings, against East Bengal, registering just one victory, while three matches ended in draws. Mumbai have also outscored their opponents 12 to 3 across those encounters. However, the most recent meeting between the sides, played at the Mumbai Football Arena on January 31, 2025, ended in a goalless stalemate, offering East Bengal a rare instance of defensive resilience against the Islanders.

Beyond form and history, the contest presents a compelling tactical narrative. It is often framed as East Bengal’s attack against Mumbai’s defence, but the numbers suggest a more nuanced duel. East Bengal have been the most prolific side in the league with 25 goals, powered by the clinical form of Ezzejjari, who leads the scoring charts with nine strikes.

Mumbai, meanwhile, have managed just 10 goals, among the lowest tallies in the competition. Yet the gap is minimal in defence; Mumbai have conceded only seven goals, the second-best record in the league, while East Bengal are close behind with eight. The contest, therefore, is not simply attack-versus-defence, but efficiency versus balance.

For Mumbai, the priority will be sharpening their output in the final third, a theme also echoed by head coach Petr Krátký, who acknowledged the scale of the challenge posed by East Bengal’s attacking unit.

“We are preparing accordingly because for me they are one of the best teams in the competition, as everyone knows. Again, we are fully aware of their power forward...we prepare accordingly, but I believe in our team. If they deliver how they trained and they put everything on the park, I have full confidence in the team to give us the result,” he said.

Lallianzuala Chhangte, deployed centrally in the previous outing, is expected to lead the line again, with Noufal PN and Vikram Partap Singh providing width. The Islanders will rely on deliveries into the box and improved decision-making in key moments. Brandon Fernandes, operating as the primary playmaker, will shoulder the creative burden, supported by the midfield pairing of Joni Kauko and Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia, who will be crucial in transition and ball progression.

There is also a strong sense of belief within the Mumbai dressing room heading into their final home fixture of the campaign. Chhangte emphasised the collective mindset and energy within the squad as they prepare for a decisive encounter. “I genuinely believe we can end the season on a very good note. The atmosphere in the team is really good right now, full of positivity. The mentality, the approach to the game, the last few sessions that we had were our intention to win. I can see, and we can feel a lot of energy because this is going to be our last home game, and we are fully prepared,” he said.

Meanwhile, East Bengal will also take confidence from the seamless integration of new faces within the squad. Reflecting on his debut in the win over Odisha FC, Jerry Mawia underlined his intent to contribute consistently going forward. “First and foremost, I would like to thank all the coaching staff, all the management and all the team for welcoming me here. I had my debut, and I feel blessed. For the upcoming matches, I want to give everything for the team, where I can help them. So I would love to give my best for the team to help achieve great things.”

With both sides separated by fine margins in defence but starkly contrasting in attack, this fixture could ultimately hinge on which team better imposes its strength. Whether Mumbai rediscover their finishing touch or East Bengal’s firepower continues to dictate terms may well shape the outcome of a contest with significant implications in the title race.

--IANS

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New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) India will field a strong 16-member squad led by experienced archers Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Deepika Kumari at the Archery World Cup 2026 Stage 2. This event begins in Shanghai on Tuesday.

The second leg of the four-stage World Cup circuit will feature over 300 archers from 44 countries, all competing for vital qualification spots for the season-ending World Cup Final in Saltillo later this year.

India heads into the Shanghai leg trying to improve on a modest start to the season, having secured just one medal at Stage 1 in Puebla, where the women’s compound trio of Jyothi, Madhura Dhamangaonkar, and Pragati won gold.

The same squad, chosen through national trials in Kolkata in February, will compete in Shanghai, a location that holds good memories for the Indian team. Last year, India achieved a seven-medal haul, including two golds. Madhura was the standout performer, winning individual gold and a mixed team bronze with Abhishek Verma, while the women’s compound team earned silver.

India’s men’s compound team, which won gold in Shanghai last year, returns with a solid lineup that includes Kushal Dalal, former world champion Ojas Deotale, Sahil Jadhav, and Abhishek Verma, bringing depth and experience.

In the recurve events, Deepika Kumari will once again be the focal point, aiming to add to her impressive total of 38 World Cup medals. The four-time Olympian had won an individual bronze in Shanghai last year and will be eager to improve this time. The men’s recurve challenge will be led by Olympians Atanu Das and Tarundeep Rai, along with promising young talents.

The competition will run from May 5 to 10. The finals, set for May 9 (compound) and May 10 (recurve), will be streamed live in India on Archery+, but there will be no television broadcast.

--IANS

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Tashkent, May 4 (IANS) India’s young boxers continued their campaign at the Asian Boxing U15 & U17 Championships 2026 with a series of strong performances across U-15 and U-17 categories in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

In the U-17 boys’ competition, Yadav Yash (50kg) secured a commanding 5:0 victory over Turkmenistan’s Suleyman Ahmedov, while Karuna Albertson Kom (60kg) impressed with a 4:1 win against Tajikistan’s Ali Nazarov.

Gopal Rameshwar Ganeshe (52kg) was involved in a closely fought contest but went down narrowly 2:3 against Tajikistan’s Nazarov Damir. Mishra Prashant (57kg) faced a tough opponent in China’s Tangjie Liu and lost 0:5.

In the U-15 girls’ quarterfinals, Khushi Rana (49kg) delivered a dominant performance, winning by RSC in Round 1 against Vietnam’s Thi Ngoc Truc Nguyen, while Hanshika Attri (46kg) secured a convincing 5:0 victory over Uzbekistan’s Visola Bakhtiyorova. Nitya Pandey (55kg) put up a strong fight but was defeated by Kazakhstan’s Aruna Shalman.

Among the U-15 boys, Samir Bohra (43kg) registered a convincing 5:0 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Hao-Ting Chang in the preliminary round.

Earlier, India’s U-17 girls’ boxers delivered a dominant start to their campaign at the Asian Boxing U17 Championships 2026, registering five impressive victories on Day 1.

India’s U-17 girls’ boxers delivered a dominant start to their campaign at the Asian Boxing U17 Championships 2026, registering five impressive victories on Day 1.

In the boys’ category, Neela Narendra Kumar (46kg) impressed with a powerful showing, clinching a first-round RSC victory over Saudi Arabia’s Khalid Alhossah. Meanwhile, Daksh Pawar (48kg) faced a tough challenge and went down 0–5 against Tajikistan’s Firuzjon Boymatov.

With a mix of commanding wins and closely contested bouts, the Indian contingent continues to showcase promising talent across age groups, as the tournament progresses in Tashkent.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, May 4 (IANS) Bengaluru FC’s clash against Odisha FC was a tale of territorial dominance punctuated by moments of clinical opportunism and agonizing near-misses.

Forced to adapt due to injuries to Ashique Kuruniyan and Nikhil Poojary, head coach Pep Muñoz handed starts to Sivasakthi Narayanan and Ricky Meetei, and the reshuffled Blues immediately took control. The opening 20 minutes was a masterclass in possession, with Bengaluru hogging over 80% of the ball, yet the breakthrough remained elusive as Braian Sanchez miscued a Ryan Williams lay-off and Sivasakthi fired a promising effort over the crossbar.

As the half progressed, Odisha began to find their teeth on the counterattack. A goal-saving intervention arrived in the 23rd minute when Siroj Kuziev produced a stunning recovery run and tackle to deny Thoiba in a dangerous position.

Moments later, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu proved why he remains indispensable, diving full-stretch to keep out a thunderous near-post strike from Thoiba. Despite Gurpreet's heroics, which included a sharp save from a Rahim Ali long-range effort, a momentary lapse in concentration proved costly. In the 34th minute, an errant throw-in from Naorem Roshan Singh resulted in a turnover that allowed Rahim Ali to pounce and fire Odisha into a lead that ran contrary to the early run of play.

The complexion of the game shifted again at the interval with the introduction of Soham Varshneya for Sunil Chhetri. The substitution paid immediate dividends; Soham’s energetic burst into the box drew a foul within minutes of the restart, earning a penalty that Braian Sanchez calmly converted to restore parity. This ignited a frantic period of Bengaluru pressure where the woodwork became Odisha’s best defender. A 55th-minute scramble saw Soham’s effort parried into the path of Sivasakthi, who could only watch in frustration as his shot rattled the post.

The frame of the goal denied the Blues once more in the 64th minute when Rahul Bheke rose highest to meet a Siroj set-piece, only to see his header bounce off the upright. While Gurpreet was called upon once more to deny Kartik from point-blank range, the final whistle blew following a barrage of late attempts from Kelvin, Sanchez, and Roshan. Despite Bengaluru’s relentless pursuit of a winner, Odisha FC’s resolute backline held firm to ensure a high-octane encounter ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

--IANS

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Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) Nicholas Pooran blazed to a 16-ball half-century and shared a 94-run partnership with opener Mitchell Marsh (44) as Lucknow Super Giants managed to score 228/5 against Mumbai Indians in Match 47 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday.

Pooran smashed 63 runs off 21 balls, and Marsh blasted 44 off 25 as LSG survived a middle-order collapse to post a challenging total in what is a must-win match for both sides, who are scraping the bottom of the points table with four points each from two wins.

Asked to bat first by Suryakumar Yadav, who was leading the Mumbai Indians in the absence of Hardik Pandya, who was out with back spasms, LSG made a brisk start but lost debutant Josh Inglis for a five-ball 13 with the score reading 29, offering a catch to Yadav off spinner AM Ghazanfar.

But Mitchell Marsh, who handed Inglis his debut cap, along with Nicholas Pooran, restored to the No.3 spot, rescued LSG with a 94-run partnership in double quick time.

It all started in the fourth over when Marsh struck Jasprit Bumrah for one six and two fours, including one off a no-ball. Pooran got going in the next over, smashing back-to-back sixes and a four as they scored 20 runs off him. The sixth over went for 19 runs as Pooran smashed Ghazanfar for two sixes and a four as LSG reached 90/1 in the Power-play.

Pooran and Marsh hammered 94 runs in five overs starting from the fourth, as the West Indian dasher blazed to his half-century off 16 balls, smashing one four and seven sixes.

Things turned for the Mumbai Indians in the 9th over when Corbin Bosch struck two crucial blows in his second over of the spell. He first snapped up the rampaging Pooran for 63 (21 balls, 1x4, 8x6) and then sent back Marsh for a 25-ball 44 (25 balls, 4x4, 3x6).

It was an eventful over as Bosch got Pooran with a short one that climbed a bit more than what the batter expected and took the glove to keeper Ryan Rickelton. Two balls later, Rishabh Pant survived a huge appeal for caught-behind as the TV umpire ruled in his favour, as the ball dropped just short of the keeper.

But two balls later, there was no such luck for Marsh as the Aussie hit flat and straight to Naman Dhir at deep midwicket off another short one by Bosch. LSG lost both set batters in that one over, and things became quiet for the next couple of overs.

LSG's troubles continued as skipper Pant edged back to Rickelton off Will Jacks for a 10-ball 15 (1x4, 1x6) and Akshat Raghuwanshi was caught by leggie Raghu Sharma off his own bowling for a 7-ball 11. Lucknow Super Giants, who were cruising at 123/1 at the end of the eighth over, slumped to 160/5 in the 13th over.

Bumrah had Himmat Singh caught behind off a no-ball, and MI followed up with a couple of quiet overs. However, Aiden Markram, who lost his top-order slot to Pooran, held the innings together with Himmat Singh, who was put down by Suryakumar Yadav. They broke the shackles with the former smashing Ghazanfar for a four in the first ball of the 16th over before Himmat stepped down to wallop him for a six and followed it up with a four off the next delivery.

Markram and Himmat took LSG past the 200-run mark as they raised fifty of their partnership in 32 balls. They stayed together till the end, with Himmat Singh hitting some brave shots on his way to 40 not out (31 balls, 2x4, 2x6) and Markram staying unbeaten on 31 off 25 (1x4, 1x6), as they raised 68 runs for the unfinished sixth wicket partnership to help LSG post a challenging total.

Brief scores:

Lucknow Super Giants 228/5 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 63, Mitchell Marsh 44, Himmat Singh 40 not out, Aiden Markram 31 not out; Corbin Bosch 2-20, Raghu Sharma 1-36) against Mumbai Indians.

--IANS

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Charkhi Dadri, May 4 (IANS) Backing Vinesh Phogat, Dronacharya Awardee and veteran coach Mahavir Singh Phogat raised serious concerns over the state of wrestling infrastructure and administration in India, stressing the need for proper implementation of rules, better training facilities, and an end to internal conflicts among players

He emphasised that consistent development—not occasional success—along with access to quality coaching and equal opportunities, is crucial for the growth of the sport.

“The rules and provisions of the sport must be implemented properly. Performing well just once a year does not make much difference. Even today, there is neither proper training nor adequate facilities for players. Many athletes are still forced to practice in fields.

The biggest issue is the infighting and disputes among players—be it Vinesh, Sangeeta, or Vijender. Everyone wants to choose their own coach, but what’s important is the appointment of good and qualified coaches who can truly motivate players," Mahavir Singh told IANS.

"There are stadiums and grounds in Delhi and nearby regions, but it is important for players to access them and train regularly. Athletes should also perform well at the school and college level. We have participated at the national level multiple times, and our coach has also contributed to the national team.

Our stadiums in Bhalgarh and Delhi are also providing opportunities to players. What is needed is equal opportunity for everyone, and proper utilisation of the facilities and infrastructure that the government is building.”

Earlier, Vinesh Phogat revealed for the first time that she is one of the six women wrestlers who filed a formal complaint of sexual harassment against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Breaking her silence while the matter remains sub-judice, Phogat also issued a stern warning to the Central Government and the Sports Ministry regarding the upcoming National Open Ranking Tournament scheduled to be held in Gonda, which the stronghold of Brij Bhushan.

In a video she shared on social media, Vinesh stated that while Supreme Court guidelines protect the identity of victims to preserve their dignity, she felt compelled to speak out due to the current circumstances.

Addresing the issue, Wrestling Federation of India president Sanjay Singh assured that the federation is taking full responsibility while ruling out any last-minute changes to the tournament venue.

“If Vinesh is worried about her safety, let me assure her that I am taking personal guarantee of that. Also, we have UWW-approved referees who officiate and all trial bouts are recorded, so there is no chance of any bias,” Singh told in a statement.

“Do you think it is fair to change the venue and disturb the whole schedule when about 1500 wrestlers have entered the tournament and made their travel and stay arrangements and have not raised any objections regarding the venue and their safety. Why WFI should do it and put participating wrestlers to inconvenience.”

--IANS

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Madrid, May 4 (IANS) Villarreal has confirmed that coach Marcelino Garcia Toral will leave the club at the end of the current season after two and a half years in charge in his second spell, during which he twice led the club into the Champions League.

The news came in a statement published by the club after Saturday's 5-1 home win over Levante, which secured Villarreal's place in next season's Champions League and left the east-coast club third in La Liga with a five-point cushion over Atletico Madrid, reported Xinhua.

"Villarreal CF and the Asturian (region of northern Spain) coach will part ways at the end of the season. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Marce, for everything you have given to this club and these fans."

"We wish you all the best in your future sporting endeavors," the club confirmed on social media.

The news had been expected after the coach and club failed to reach an agreement on a new contract at the start of the year.

Marcelino returned to Villarreal as the club's third coach of the season in November 2023 after a brief spell at Olympique Marseille. His task that season was to steer the club to safety in La Liga, while last season Villarreal finished fifth and qualified for the Champions League.

The club's European campaign was a major disappointment, with Villarreal suffering seven defeats and managing only one draw in its eight group games to finish 35th out of 36 teams in the competition.

Villarreal also disappointed in the Copa del Rey, losing to second-division Racing Santander in the round of 32, and those two setbacks could be factors in Marcelino's departure despite another excellent league campaign.

Speaking to the press on Saturday, Marcelino gave a strong indication that his departure was near.

"We have to follow certain timelines, and those timelines are determined by conversations and mutual agreement," said the coach.

"When we arrived here, we had several objectives: on a sporting level, to change a very negative dynamic, to eliminate the fear and uncertainty that the team had. We achieved that. We managed to rejuvenate the squad on the sporting side, and finally, we want to leave as friends when the time comes," he concluded.

Rayo Vallecano coach Inigo Perez is thought to be the club's preferred candidate to take over next season.

--IANS

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Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) Mumbai’s Kiaan Shah (Rayo Racing) produced his best result yet in International Karting, with a second place finish in Round 2 of the RMC Asia Trophy on Sunday in Pattaya, Thailand.

The 15-year-old delivered one of his best qualifying results, clocking 51.218 on the 1.2 km Bira circuit, just 0.118 seconds behind Thailand’s Pannu Stienmonkong who was fastest.

Kiaan started fourth in Heat 2, but lost a place at the start. He soon overtook Japanese racer Shun Sekiguchi and Eason Tseng of Chinese Taipei. Next, he got past Stienmonkong and finished second behind Thailand’s Toby Gale.

Disaster struck in Heat 3, when Kiaan’s engine shut off while running third. A quick-thinking Kiaan found the problem and fixed back a wire. But still finished last.

Kiaan started seventh in the Super Heat and drove a brilliant race to finish second. An accident caused a Full Course Yellow, allowing paramedics to attend an injured racer. Rain and chaos ensued, once the race resumed. Kiaan fell to sixth after a mistake, but recovered to finish fourth.

The result from all heats decided the starting grid for the Final. Kiaan had a bad start from fifth and lost a place. He made an extremely daring move and moved to fourth on Lap 1.

A series of quick laps saw him catch and get past Tseng to move into third. Next, he took down Krish Gupta to get behind the leader. Though he kept pace with the leader, Kiaan was unable to close the gap and eventually finished second, 3.8 seconds behind Gale. Stienmonkong was third. The same grid contested the Thailand Championship and therefore Kiaan won 2 trophies, one for the Asian Championship and one for the Thai.

“I am very happy how I drove this weekend. I had a bit of a pace deficit in Round 1, but now I am up there. The team did a fantastic job with the kart and I would like to thank everyone,” said Kiaan.

Coach and mentor Rayomand Banajee added, “The grid was close at the top and Kiaan has had impressive pace all weekend. He has improved his qualifying pace on new tyres and it’s good to see the progress he has made at this level.”

--IANS

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New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Rajasthan’s Anjali Shekhawat claimed the gold medal in the 10m air pistol women's event at the 24th Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Shooting Championship, being held at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in the national capital region on Monday.

Shekhawat, who had earlier qualified fourth with a score of 576-23x, stepped up impressively in the final to shoot 240.5 and finish on top of the podium. Haryana’s Kanak Budhwar clinched the silver medal with a score of 238.7, while Punjab’s Agam Ranjit Kaur Grewal secured the bronze with 216.

The qualification round saw Olympian Esha Singh of Telangana top the field with 582-20x, followed by Agam Ranjit Kaur Grewal (579-15x) and Muskan Chahal of Haryana (577-21x).

However, Esha Singh and Madhya Pradesh’s Mahima Turhi Agrawal, who had qualified seventh with 575-20x, did not start in the final. Kanak qualified for the final in sixth place with 576-13x.

In the final, Railways’ Yuvika Tomar finished fourth with 196.1 (576-15x), while Muskan Chahal placed fifth with 174.8. Another Haryana shooter, Muskan, ended sixth with 154.8 (575-19x).

Kanak Budhwar tops Junior Women section

Women’s event silver medallist Kanak Budhwar continued her fine form in the 10m air pistol junior women category, securing the gold medal with a score of 238.4. She was closely followed by Haryana’s Priyanshi Purva, who claimed silver with 237.5, while Ketan, also from Haryana, completed a clean sweep for the state by taking bronze with 216.8.

Kanak also shines in Youth Women

In the 10m air pistol youth women’s event, Kanak once again stood out with a dominant performance, clinching gold with an impressive 244.3. Haryana’s Navya secured the silver medal with 237.7, while Army’s Anjali Mahendra Bhagwat finished third with 215.3.

Team Event

Haryana emerged victorious in the team event, with the trio of Priyanshi Purva, Navya, and Surbhi Rao combining for a gold medal-winning total of 1718.0-48x. Railways, represented by Yuvika Tomar, Sakshi Anil Suryavanshi, and Riya Shirish Thatte, claimed silver with 1710.0-40x, while Uttar Pradesh’s Vanshika Chaudhary, Sanskriti Bana, and Anjali Chaudhary secured bronze with 1709.0-50x.

--IANS

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Mumbai, May 4 (IANS) The Sports Authority of India and the Fit India Movement successfully hosted the “Fit India Hit India” Friendly Cricket Match at the Air India Ground, Vakola, bringing together public servants, film personalities, fitness enthusiasts, and sports lovers for an evening dedicated to promoting fitness, active living, and community participation.

The friendly encounter featured the GST & Customs Amateur Team taking on the Mumbai Heroes team in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Mumbai.

Organised under the Government of India’s Fit India Movement initiative, the match aimed to encourage physical and mental well-being through sports and active lifestyles.

The event was graced by Prachi Saroop, Principal Chief Commissioner (CGST), Mumbai, as the Chief Guest, while BB Gupta, Chief Commissioner of Customs, Mumbai Zone, attended as the Guest of Honour.

Pankaj Singh, Commissioner CGST, said, “Initiatives like ‘Fit India Hit India’ play a crucial role in encouraging a culture of fitness and well-being among citizens. It is inspiring to see public servants and artists come together on one platform to promote healthy living through sport.”

The Mumbai Heroes squad featured several prominent personalities including Suniel Shetty, Sohail Khan, Sharad Kelkar, Shabir Ahluwalia and Freddy Daruwala, along with actors, singers, and fitness influencers who came together to spread awareness about the importance of physical and mental health.

Other prominent personalities present included Sudesh Bhosale, Gulshan Grover, Karsan Ghavri (former Indian cricketer and former MLA), Vishwas Nagre Patil (IPS officer), Krishna Hegde (former MLA), and Nadim Memon (MCA Curator).

Winning the toss and electing to bat first, GST & Customs Amateur Team posted a competitive total of 170/5 in their allotted 20 overs. Akhilesh Kumar anchored the innings with a brilliant 57 off 55 balls, including seven boundaries and one six.

He was well supported by Parag Khanapurkar, who played an explosive knock of 45 runs off just 21 balls, smashing five fours and two sixes. Amit Dhaiya contributed 22 runs, while Aishwarya Surve remained unbeaten on 21.

For Mumbai Heroes, Freddy Daruwala emerged as the standout bowler with figures of 2/21 in his four overs, while Sharad Kelkar and Rohit Kharb chipped in with a wicket each.

Chasing 171, Mumbai Heroes suffered an early setback with Sohail Khan dismissed for 1 in the opening over. Captain Suniel Shetty also departed early after scoring 6 runs with one boundary. Navdeep Tomar attempted to steady the innings with a composed 42 off 41 deliveries, but regular wickets hampered the chase.

Sharad Kelkar scored 12 runs, while Shabir Ahluwalia added 17. Raja Bherwani and Rohit Kharb chipped in with 15 runs each, but Mumbai Heroes eventually finished at 131/9 in their 20 overs, handing GST & Customs Amateur Team a convincing 39-run victory.

Ajit Dan starred with the ball for GST & Customs Amateur Team, claiming three wickets and earning the Man of the Match award. Pandurang Chate Regional Director Sports authortiy of India also impressed with three wickets and was adjudged Best Bowler of the match. Akhilesh Kumar was awarded Best Batsman for his match-winning half-century

Speaking after the match, Mumbai Heroes captain Suniel Shetty said, “We have played so many games and lost very, very few. I don’t think it would be tough to digest this loss, but we will surely come back harder. I would also like to thank Mumbai Heroes for being here and giving their everything. We need to thank Jackie Dada for all the support he showed both teams, along with Gulshan Grover and everyone who came out and supported both the teams.”

The “Fit India Hit India” Friendly Cricket Match once again highlighted the unifying power of sport and reinforced the message of fitness, teamwork, and healthy living through an engaging evening of cricket and entertainment.

--IANS

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