Sports

Patna (Bihar), Jan 23 (IANS) The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) president Rakesh Tiwari on Thursday lauded the gutsy knock played by 21-year-old Ayush Loharuka, who slammed a century against Uttar Pradesh in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match being played here. Loharuka scored 101, his maiden century in the First-Class season.

In the key clash between Bihar and Uttar Pradesh played here at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, the visitors won the toss and chose to bowl first. By the end of the first day's play, Bihar managed to score 248 runs in their first innings, while Uttar Pradesh, in reply, scored 4 runs without any loss in 1 over.

When Bihar was struggling at 35/3, Ayush Loharuka steadied the innings with a composed and determined knock. Coming in under pressure, the youngster scored 101 runs off 227 balls, hitting 13 boundaries and 1 six. His maiden First-Class century proved to be the backbone of Bihar's innings.

Praising the young batter’s brilliant innings, BCA president Rakesh Tiwari said, "Ayush Loharuka has shown immense maturity and determination today in difficult circumstances. His century against a Uttar Pradesh bowling lineup demonstrates his talent and potential. I'm looking forward to seeing how the game pans out in the next three days."

For Bihar, Loharuka scored 101 runs, Sarman Nogrodh contributed 44 runs, Sachin Kumar added 38 runs, and Nawaz remained unbeaten on 14 runs. Despite no other batsman reaching double digits, Bihar still managed to post a respectable total of 248 runs.

Loharuka is playing his maiden First-Class season in the Ranji Trophy and scored a fine century on his home ground, Moin-ul-Haq Stadium. Earlier this season, he had already scored two half-centuries, one against Madhya Pradesh and the other against Punjab, and on Thursday, he achieved his first century against Uttar Pradesh.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Jan 22 (IANS) Left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma, who smashed a scintillating 79 to help India thrash England by seven wickets in the T20I series opener at the Eden Gardens, has credited the freedom given to youngsters by captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir propelling him to come good.

In India chasing down 133 inside 13 overs, Abhishek provided an absolute masterclass to a full house crowd on opening the batting by hitting five boundaries and eight sixes in his 34-ball stay, including getting his fifty in 20 deliveries.

He mixed finesse and brute force in getting a whopping 68 out of 79 runs from boundaries, and play a leading role in getting a comprehensive win for India to go 1-0 up in the five-match series. "I wanted to express myself, special mention to the captain and coach, the freedom they have given us as youngsters is tremendous. It was sticking a bit, double-paced, but the way our bowlers bowled was good, thought we'd chase 160-170. Sanju and I talk as partners, I enjoy at the other end.”

“When I came for the first time in the India team, my plan was simple, play like I played in IPL. But never seen an environment like this, express yourself, hit your shots, even from the first ball. I practice my trigger movements before the match, I knew they'd bowl short and check my patience," said Abhishek after the match ended.

The Player of the Match award, though, went to wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who spun a vicious spin web to pick 3-23 at a venue where he regularly plays for his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders.

"I'm used to seeing such pitches in the IPL, it is for the seamers but the length I bowl it's helpful too. Keep it from their arc, holding a bit. Every over, bowling to a batsman like Jos is definitely challenging, but with God's grace, I was successful. The plan was to extract more bounce because I cannot beat batsmen with side spin, only bounce. Still more work to do. Only 7 out of 10."

--IANS

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Dubai, Jan 22 (IANS) The Desert Vipers got back to winning ways in Season 3 of ILT20 Season 3 as they put up a scintillating performance to outclass the Sharjah Warriorz and clinch a massive 10-wicket victory at the Dubai International Stadium here on Wednesday. The Desert Vipers rode on Fakhar Zaman’s unbeaten 71 and Mohammad Amir’s four-wicket haul to cruise to an emphatic win which consolidated their position atop the standings.

The Desert Vipers wasted no time in their chase as Alex Hales got them off to a flyer with a flurry of boundaries. He clobbered Tim Southee for three fours and then smashed Adam Milne for a maximum as the side raced to 20/0 inside the first two overs. Zaman joined in on the action with some clean hitting as he went after Bangladeshi pacer Junaid Siddique in his first over. He went across the stump and cut him away for a boundary and then struck a beautiful pull shot for four more.

Zaman was in his groove and seemed to have a simple target - to not let the bowlers settle in. He went after Ashton Agar, hitting him for a massive six with a massive slog sweep. The Pakistani batter darted down the track for the next delivery and hit it straight past the bowler as the Desert Vipers put up 47 runs after five overs. At the same stage in the first innings, the Sharjah Warriorz were 18/4. The gulf in batting was evident as the required run rate dipped below three runs an over and the Desert Vipers’ batsmen made merry in the middle. Hales was happy to play the supporting role while Zaman fired on all cylinders.

He targetted Siddique again in the seventh over, using all his might to muscle the ball over long on and into the stands. Zaman brought up his half-century soon after, his second of the season, in 30 balls.

It was a matter of time before the Desert Vipers chased down the target and Zaman accelerated that process by executing a textbook slog-sweep to hit Agar for six and followed that up with a lovely six over long-on to wrap up the contest in style. Zaman finished on an impressive 71* in 39 balls while the Desert Vipers clinched a commanding 10-wicket victory.

Earlier, the Desert Vipers won the toss and chose to bowl. That proved to be a brilliant decision as Amir weaved his magic with the new ball. The Pakistani pacer needed just four deliveries to make his intentions clear as Johnson Charles flicked it off his pads straight to Dan Lawrence along the ropes at deep backward square. Amir would pick up two wickets in his first over as he sent Avishka Fernando back to the pavilion too.

Amir came back to haunt the Sharjah Warriorz batting line-up as he made full use of the pitch. A slightly shorter delivery undid Rohan Mustafa, who tried to flick it away on the leg side, but only got a leading edge and Sam Curran took a simple catch. The Sharjah Warriorz were in a precarious position at this point, struggling at 15/3 after three overs The Desert Vipers were relentless in their attacking bowling and were rewarded with another wicket in the fourth over when Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s miss-timed shot earned David Payne his first.

With the batting crumbling, Luke Wells took the onus to steady the ship. The Englishman struck back-to-back boundaries and just when it seemed like he’d found his footing, Wanindu Hasaranga knocked over his stumps with a peach of a delivery. Wells was playing for the googly, but Hasaranga spun the ball in as it sneaked in between bat and pad to crash onto the leg stump. Reeling at 30/5, the Sharjah Warriorz brought Jason Roy on as an Impact Sub to replace Fernando.

Typically an opening batsman, Roy found himself in an unfamiliar position batting at number seven, for the first time in his career, but did well to slow things down. The runs didn’t flow off his bat, but Roy and Tim Seifert held things together in the middle. That was until Hasaranga struck again with a stunning over.

Seifert was the first to depart as a Hasaranga googly stayed low and struck him on the pads for a plumb lbw. Some lightning-quick skills from Tanish Suri behind the stumps saw Hasaranga pick up his second of the over as Agar was beaten by a length ball and subsequently stumped. That marked Hasaranga’s 300th wicket in T20s, making him the first Sri Lankan spinner to achieve the feat.

The Sharjah Warriorz were down to 45/7 and the Desert Vipers were in complete control of the contest but suffered a setback when their skipper Lockie Ferguson hobbled off the pitch after twisting his ankle. Curran assumed the captaincy responsibilities, while Roy held his bat for the Warriorz. He was their last batting hope but lacked support from the other end as Curran accounted for Harmeet Singh and Tim Southee.

Amir came back to claim a fourth and with it, the Sharjah Warriorz were bundled out for 91 in 19.1 overs. Amir finished with an impressive 4/24, which is the best bowling performance in the Desert Vipers’ history. Hasaranga also claimed a piece of history as his 3/10 was the most economical four-over spell in DP World ILT20.

Brief scores:

Sharjah Warriorz 91 all out in 19.1 overs (Jason Roy 30 not out, Mohammad Amir 4-24, Wanindu Hasaranga 3-10, Sam Curran 2-14) lost to Desert Vipers 95 fornot loss in 10 overs (Fakhar Zaman 71 not out, Alex Hales 23 not out) by 10 wickets.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Jan 22 (IANS) Defending champions Shardashram Vidyamandir made a winning start as Mumbai Indians launched the fifth edition of MI Junior, its inter-school cricket tournament, on Wednesday in their home city under their Education and Sports for All (ESA) initiative. The tournament is being organised in association with the Mumbai Cricket Association and the Vidarbha Cricket Association, with the Nagpur leg scheduled to start next week.

On the opening day of action, Shardashram Vidyamandir triumphed over Sister Nivedita in the U-15 Girls’ category. Shardashram Vidyamandir (Dadar) showcased a commanding performance to defeat Sister Nivedita School (Dombivli) at the Matunga Gymkhana Ground. Chasing a target of 81 runs, Shardashram achieved victory in just 8 overs.

Vaidai Tanavade was the standout batter, scoring a brisk 38 laced with seven boundaries. Kartika Poojary delivered a stellar all-round performance, contributing 20 runs and multiple wickets. Earlier, Sister Nivedita struggled with the bat, managing just 80 runs. Swara Surve top-scored for the Dombivli side with a fighting 28.

MI Junior’s previous seasons have played an integral role in providing quality competition at iconic venues to Maharashtra’s budding cricketers in the cities of Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur.

The tournament will feature participation from boys and girls across the Boys U14, Girls U15, and Boys U16 categories. The opening ceremony took place at the Matunga Gymkhana on Wednesday in the presence of officials from the Mumbai Cricket Association.

Among the key highlights and new additions for this edition is the ‘MI Junior Rising Stars’ phase, which will follow the regular competition stage. After the regular season concludes, the best talent from both the boys’ categories and the girls’ category will participate in the MI Junior Rising Stars phase. The second phase of the competition will feature four teams in the boys’ category and 2 teams in the girls’ category, which will be formed based on the performances of players in the MI Junior 2025 season.

Like every year, winners of the tournament will get an opportunity to participate in a training session designed to provide exposure, hone skills, and prepare them for the next level of their cricketing journey with Mumbai Indians support staff. MI Junior is one of the many initiatives undertaken by Reliance Foundation (CSR arm of RIL) for grassroots development under the Education and Sports for All (ESA) initiative, which aims to create opportunities and inspire the youth through sports and education.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Jan 22 (IANS) During the T20I series opener between India and England, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) officially unveiled a spectator stand named after legendary fast-bowler Jhulan Goswami at the iconic Eden Gardens here on Wednesday.

The CAB added that it has named another stand at the venue after valiant military war hero Col N.J. Nair, with both unveilings done by President Snehasish Ganguly. With this, Jhulan has become the first prominent women’s cricketer to have a stand named after her in a stadium. She also rang the customary Eden bell before the start of the match, which India won by seven wickets.

“On behalf of CAB, I take the opportunity to unveil the Col N.J Nair and Jhulan Goswami stands. It is an honour for me to be a part of this memorable evening as we salute the bravery and achievements of these two iconic personalities,” said Ganguly in a CAB statement.

Jhulan, a Padma Shri, and Arjuna Awardee, is often regarded as one of the fastest bowlers to have played women’s cricket. She represented India in 12 Tests, 204 ODIs, and 68 T20Is from 2002 to 2022, picking 355 wickets across formats, the most by any bowler in women’s international cricket.

She also won the ICC Women's Player of the Year Award in 2007 and rose to number one in the ICC Women's ODI bowling rankings in January 2016. Jhulan was also the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team from 2008 to 2011. In ODIs, she picked 255 wickets, which is a record in women's international cricket.

Jhulan played for India in five Women’s ODI World Cups – 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2022. She remains the leading wicket-taker in the history of the Women’s Cricket World Cups with 43 scalps and was made an Honorary Life Member of MCC in April this year. She now serves as Bengal women’s team mentor in domestic cricket, and Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach-cum-mentor in WPL.

“As a young girl, I always dreamt of playing cricket at Eden Gardens. Today, standing in front of a stand with my name on it feels like a dream I never dared to imagine. Thank you to everyone who’s been part of my cricketing journey @cabcricket,” wrote Jhulan on her Instagram account.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Jan 22 (IANS) After thrashing England by seven wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav praised the enthusiasm shown by his team for being bang on in all aspects of the game. At the Eden Gardens on Wednesday, led by Varun Chakaravarthy’s 3-23, the bowlers put in a magnificent performance to bowl out England for 132. In reply, Abhishek Sharma’s 79 helped India complete the chase of 133 inside 13 overs.

"The energy after we won the toss set the benchmark. Bowlers had plans and executed (them), and the way we batted was icing on the cake. We did the same in South Africa, Hardik had a responsibility to bowl new ball so cushion to play the extra spinner.”

“Varun's preparations are on point, and Arshdeep is taking the extra responsibility. There's a lot of freedom given, we want to play a bit different. The fielding is one area we've been working really hard. Let's take those half chances and make a difference," said Suryakumar after the match ended.

For England, this was the start of their new white-ball era under Brendon McCullum’s coaching, but it ended on a tepid note. Captain Jos Buttler admitted the batting performance didn’t turn out to be the way they expected. “There was a little bit in the wicket early on, probably didn't expect that. It looked like a really good wicket, they found a little bit of movement and we lost a couple of wickets. But if you come through that phase, it's a pretty good pitch and obviously a fast-scoring ground.”

“Some really good players in there, we wanted to enforce the game that we want to play and we weren't quite capable of doing that today against some good bowlers but we're better for the run-out and we're looking forward to the next one.”

Asked about Jofra Archer’s 2-21, Buttler said, “He (Jofra Archer) always looks good, he's a superstar, he looked threatening. Thought he could have had a few more wickets there. Mark Wood was bowling fast as well. To see two of them operate in tandem is exciting.” Buttler signed off by promising England will show their aggressive side in coming matches. “We want to be aggressive, we want to be watchable. We are up against a team who are ultra-aggressive as well, so it's really exciting.”

“Venue to venue, you got to assess the conditions and play well. I am really enjoying the environment. I am a big McCullum fan, I always was when he was playing, so great to be working with him in the dressing room now.”

--IANS

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Patna (Bihar), Jan 21 (IANS) The Bihar cricket team is all set to face Uttar Pradesh in their next match of the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25 at the iconic Moin-ul-Haq Stadium here from January 23 to 26. The Moin-ul-Haq Stadium successfully hosted two Ranji Trophy matches in October and November 2025 as the 2024-25 season began. The Bihar cricket team gave a tough fight to their opponents in the initial matches.

The Uttar Pradesh cricket team, led by Aryan Juyal, arrived in Patna on Monday. Notable players like Shivam Mavi, Saurabh Kumar, and Priyam Garg are part of their squad, alongside the coaching staff led by Sunil Joshi, a former Indian cricketer. Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) president, Rakesh Tiwari said, "This match is a significant opportunity for the Bihar team to showcase its talent against Uttar Pradesh. With the recent developments and long-term plans, Bihar is on its way to becoming a prominent destination for cricket in India."

Meanwhile, the BCA on Monday also announced the squad which will play against Uttar Pradesh. Veera Pratap Singh will captain the squad while Sakibul Gani will be his deputy.

Last month, the Bihar Government transferred the registry of the land for Moin-ul-Haq Stadium to the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) on a long-term 30-year lease. This is a major step taken by the Bihar Government and the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) to host international cricket matches in Patna and to provide state cricketers with a state-of-the-art international cricket stadium.

The Moin-ul-Haq Stadium will now be developed into an international-level stadium and sports complex. The stadium will have a seating capacity of 40,000 spectators, along with 76 corporate boxes and arrangements for 250 VIPs.

Additionally, the sports complex will feature a badminton court, volleyball court, swimming pool, a five-star hotel, a fully-equipped hostel for players, restaurants, a clubhouse, and other modern amenities.

--IANS

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London, Jan 21 (IANS) With only two match weeks remaining, the preliminary league stage of the Champions League is getting to the business end, and a win for Arsenal against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday could prove pivotal. The Gunners currently sit third in the 36-team league table, behind only Liverpool and Barcelona, having amassed 13 points from the six group games so far to put them firmly in contention for a spot in the coveted top eight.

And those spots could prove crucial in the season’s final shakeup. As well as receiving a bye into the round of 16 and avoiding two extra play-off round games involving the clubs finishing ninth to 24th, the elite eight will receive home advantage in the second legs of those ties in March.

Mikel Arteta emphasised the importance of capitalizing on their home advantage and hopes his side puts on a strong performance in the penultimate UCL league stage game. "So far we have done really well. We are in a strong position and now it's time to capitalise at home. The work that we have done for many months, we need a strong performance against a really good side and we'll try to do that,” said Arteta in a press conference.

Dinamo Zagreb began their UCL campaign with a humiliating 9-2 loss against Bayern Munich - the club’s heaviest-ever defeat, following which the then head coach Sergej Jakirovic was dismissed.

Nenad Bjelica returned as manager four years after departing, but he would only last until December after only winning five of 15 matches, and one of his final seven, which was their last competitive match back on December 22 - a 3-2 success over Varazdin. The winter break saw former Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro installed as his successor, and he has overseen two friendly matches to prepare for their trip to north London.

Despite that mauling in Munich, Dinamo head into this match week clinging onto the 24th and final qualifying spot in the table with eight points to their name. Only a last-minute penalty denied them a win against Monaco, before victories on their travels to Salzburg and Slovan Bratislava. A 3-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund followed, before holding Celtic to a goalless draw in their last continental outing.

If Arsenal do secure a top-eight berth, it would be a huge relief as it will result in two fewer games that the club will have to play in between heavy fixture congestion. The Gunners’ elimination from the FA Cup means Arteta’s side will get a much-needed break in their schedule. The Spaniard acknowledged the need for a break and recalled how a break helped his side in the long run last season.

"Let's do what we have to do first, which is always difficult because we are talking about the Champions League. If we manage to do that obviously we will have the best ideas on the table to make the right decision.

"Yeah, it was very helpful [a break last season] with the schedule that we have for the last three months. You can have a break and reset a little bit, work on things and rest some people but some people are back. That would be great,” he added.

--IANS

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Rourkela, Jan 21 (IANS) Goals by Tanguy Cosyns and Kane Russell helped the UP Rudras put up a clinical display to cruise to a 2-0 win against Team Gonasika and climb to the top of the Hockey India League (HIL) standings here on Tuesday. Cosyns scored the opening goal in the 37th minute while Russell struck in the 40th minute and did the trick for the UP Rudras at the Birsa Munda Stadium here on Tuesday.

The first quarter was a cagey affair as neither team created a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Both teams made numerous circle entries but neither found the finishing touch as the quarter ended on a goalless note.

Team Gonasika won the first penalty corner of the match in the 18th minute when Araijeet Hundal found an opposition defender’s foot with some clever stickwork. However, James Mazarelo made a fine save to fend off Victor Charlet’s drag-flick and thwart away the danger.

The UP Rudras, led by Indian forward Hardik Singh, found their footing in the second quarter as they won four penalty corners. The first one came after Gurjot Singh raced into the circle and looked for a pass, but won a penalty corner in the process. Russel took the drag-flicking duties but found no way past a determined Oliver Payne in the Team Gonasika goal.

Payne remained a force to reckon with between the sticks as the scoreline remained 0-0 at the halfway mark. The UP Rudras had three more penalty corners than Team Gonasika, while the latter made more circle penetrations, but neither team found the elusive goal.

Team Gonasika had a chance to find the opener in the 33rd minute when Charlet threaded a brilliant pass into the circle for Amir Ali, who won a penalty corner after being tripped. However, Charlet simply couldn’t get his stick on the ball as he miss-hit the drag-flick.

The UP Rudras finally broke the deadlock in the 37th minute via a well-worked penalty corner variation. Russel received the push and slipped it backward for Cosyns, who had ample time before unleashing a powerful strike that gave the UP Rudras a 1-0 lead.

Team Gonasika came within inches of equalizing in the next minute but were undone by a superb goal-line save from Floris Wortelboer.

The UP Rudras won back-to-back penalty corners soon after at the other end and the second of those saw them propel to a 2-0 lead. Russell’s fiery drag-flick in the 40th minute took a touch off goalkeeper Suraj Karkera’s left glove before landing up in the net. With a second goal to their name, the UP Rudras were firmly in control of the game.

They nearly had three on the board as James Albery found himself in a 1v1 position with just the goalkeeper to beat in the 57th minute, but Suraj was up to the mark this time and did well to close down the angle. The UP Rudras’ defence held on for the final 15 minutes to seal a comfortable 2-0 win, which propelled them to the top of the points table.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Jan 21 (IANS) Dropped from the Indian squad for the upcoming white-ball series against England and the subsequent Champions Trophy 2025, pacer Mohammed Siraj will be taking to domestic cricket to gain back his spot in the national team. With this in mind, Siraj has started gearing up for the upcoming Group B Ranji Trophy match for Hyderabad against another former champion Vidarbha to be played in Nagpur from January 30 to February 2.

Siraj started his preparation with a training session at the Gymkhana Grounds in Hyderabad on Tuesday. ‌

India skipper Rohit Sharma said the 30-year-old right-handed pacer lost his effectiveness with the old ball and was thus dropped from the team following India's poor performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia.

"Mohammed Siraj gets into gear for the upcoming #RanjiTrophy match between Hyderabad and Vidarbha! He kicked off his prep with an intense session at Gymkhana grounds TODAY!" the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) said in a post on X on Tuesday.

The HCA also put out a video on X, formerly Twitter, which showed Siraj bowling at full steam in nets to local batters.

Siraj will get into action in Hyderabad's next Ranji Trophy match after they meet Himachal Pradesh in Hyderabad from January 23 to 26.

Vidarbha are currently leading the points table in Group B with 28 points from five matches with Himachal Pradesh at second with 21 points. Hyderabad are presently sitting in sixth position with nine points from five matches with one win, two losses, and two draws.

Siraj has recently confirmed his availability for Hyderabad's match match against Vidarbha. Jagan Mohan Rao, the President of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), told IANS that he didn’t know the reason behind Siraj not being available for the game against Himachal Pradesh on January 23. Rao added that there’s a likely chance of Siraj playing the next Ranji Trophy game for Hyderabad, where they will be up against table-toppers Vidarbha, starting on January 30 in Nagpur.

Siraj wasn't picked in India’s squad for the three ODIs against England and the ICC Champions Trophy. In ODI matches from 2022 to 2024, Siraj has picked 71 wickets at an average of just 22.97, the most by an Indian pacer in this period.

--IANS

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