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Ahmedabad, May 27 (IANS) After his third century of the IPL 2023 season, a majestic 129 off 60 balls, helped Gujarat Titans reach the title clash with a 62-run win over Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2, opener Shubman Gill said hitting three sixes in the 12th over off Akash Madhwal gave him a feeling that the day was for him to thrive at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

In that 21-run 12th over of Gujarat's batting, Gill picked up a flick beautifully and muscled a pull for back-to-back sixes off Madhwal, and followed it up with a flick off the wrists to collect third six of the over.

"For me, it's all about playing ball to ball, assessing the situation over by over. Maybe the over in which I hit three sixes, that's when I got the momentum to go big and I realised maybe this is my day and I have to make it big, because it is a good wicket to bat on," said Gill after the match ended.

In the process of hitting 129 with the help of ten sixes and seven fours while taking Mumbai's bowlers to cleaners all over the park as Gujarat posted 223/3, Gill overtook Faf du Plessis to be the highest run-getter of the ongoing season. His sixes tally is at 33 this year, tied with Shivam Dube and just behind du Plessis, the most for him in an IPL season.

"(Six-hitting) is not a conscious decision. Obviously, you keep practicing, you want to keep growing, want to keep evolving as a batsman. But I feel the belief is more important and that's what I have had this year and the last year as well," he added on the reasoning behind hitting more sixes this year.

Gill is in the middle of a big purple patch, scoring one century in Tests and T20Is, three ODI tons, including 208 against New Zealand in Hyderabad and three IPL centuries in his last four innings of the ongoing season.

He credited the phase post tour of West Indies last year for making an evolution in his batting. "It helps when you are coming off a good international season with runs under the belt. With me, I know it's about starting (well); I know once I start, I can keep going."

"Last year, from the West Indies tour, that's when I shifted gears. I got injured in 2021 leading up to the IPL and I was out for a couple of months. That's when I started realising the areas to work on and made some technical changes in my batting around December, when I was called up for the New Zealand series just after the T20 World Cup."

Gill signed off by terming Friday's knock as his best innings in IPL till now. "It doesn't matter when you make your way into the playing field. This is my best innings so far in the IPL."

Veteran pacer Mohit Sharma, who took a quick 5/10 in the fag end of the match, said there was relief in the camp when he took out Suryakumar Yadav, who was leading Mumbai's charge with a quick 61.

"I was lucky to have taken a quick five-for. Ball was skidding well even in the chase, looked like game will slip when SKY and Tilak got going. I thought I wouldn't experiment when SKY's batting as that's what we studied ahead of the game."

"We were okay being hit for six sixes off length balls as that's more difficult. Match wasn't over after SKY was out but there was relief and we were at comfort. The game wasn't over till the last ball, we've learned in the past that it's not over till then."

--IANS
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Ahmedabad, May 27 (IANS) After Mumbai Indians' campaign in IPL 2023 came to an end with a 62-run defeat to Gujarat Titans in 2 Qualifier at Ahmedabad, captain Rohit Sharma stated the youngsters coming through the batting department has been the biggest positive for them from the season.

During the tournament, youngsters like left-handed batters Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera stepped up to play crucial knocks apart from others like Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Cameron Green and Tim David as Mumbai went past 200-mark six times, the most by any side in the competition.

"Playing this game, qualifying as third in the tournament, it gives us a lot of confidence. Our batting actually was the biggest positive. Some of the younger players who have come through this tournament really well is a big positive for us, something that we can take into the next season and see what we can do with the squad," said Rohit after the match ended.

Varma's attacking 14-ball 43 and Suryakumar quick 61 kept Mumbai afloat in an uphill chase of 234 after Shubman Gill majestic 129 took Gujarat to 233/3. But the five-time champions were eventually bowled out for 171 in 18.2 overs.

"Look, it was a great total. Shubman batted really well. The wicket was really good. We thought, you know they got 20-25 runs extra. But with the batting line-up we had, we were quite positive once we went inside after the first half. Couldn't stitch long partnerships though. Greeny and Surya batted well in the middle, but we just lost our way there a little bit," added Rohit.

He also rued the inability of his batters to produce a big knock like what Shubman did for Gujarat. "We thought about giving it a good crack. We wanted to be positive. You've got to make full use of the powerplay as well, which didn't go well for us. We lost a couple of wickets there and then, couldn't get that momentum which you actually want when you're chasing a target like that."

"But I thought Surya and Greeny batted well in the middle, got something for us there. But we wanted one batter just like what Gujarat did, Shubman batted till the end. We wanted someone to go and bat and take the game till deep and you never know, anything can happen."

Mumbai's chase was also affected by Ishan Kishan suffering a concussion after an accidental collision with team-mate Chris Jordan during Mumbai's bowling innings. The side then drafted in Vishnu Vinod, who became the IPL's first concussion substitute, as Kishan's replacement, while Wadhera opened the batting with Rohit.

"It's something that we didn't expect. He had a bit of a concussion there. I don't know how that happened, but it was a last-minute change. As a team you've got to adapt. That is something that we've been talking about since the start of the tournament."

"You've got to adapt to different conditions, different situations of the game. But I'm not going to look at that. We just didn't play well to win the game," concluded Rohit.

--IANS
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New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) Gujarat Titans have qualified for the 2023 IPL Final after beating the Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 by 62 runs at the Narendra Modi stadium in Mumbai.

The Titans put in a stunning performance with the bat, scoring 233 runs in the first innings. Shubman Gill had a spectacular 129-run knock (60b, 7x4, 10x6) that opened the floodgates for GT.

Mumbai tried hard with several batters getting a good start but were eventually bowled out with 10 deliveries remaining, scoring 171 runs. Suryakumar Yadav top-scored with 61 runs (38b, 7x4, 2x6). A rematch against the Chennai Super Kings beckons, as CSK beat Gujarat in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday to solidify their spot in the Finals.

Shubman Gill set the ground ablaze with his electric 129-run performance in the first inning that helped the Titans put up a formidable total.

JioCinema IPL expert Suresh Raina heaped high praise on the young opener.

"The calmness we saw. In such a big match, body language is very important. The sixes he hit later in the match, ones we call pick-up shots. He hit one off Kartikeya, and after that, he realized that he can come into the line and just hit pick-up shots. I loved his body language, his self-confidence, self-belief, and he's gotten a habit of playing in big matches. Just look at Virat Kohli, as we saw last year with Jos Buttler. But the performance we saw tonight, whenever we have big games, he will perform as Virat, Rohit, and MS Dhoni have.

The Titans are on the verge of retaining their crown as IPL Champions after their win last season in their debut as a franchise.

JioCinema IPL expert Anil Kumble lauded the continuity of the Gujarat side from last season to this.

"This season, they have just continued from where they left off last year. In that sense, credit to Hardik, credit to Ashish, and the rest of the players as well. The players have done really well. The addition of Josh Little, the addition of Noor Ahmed, I think these two have really helped them and the impact player rule as well, with the addition of Sai Sudarshan and Vijay Shankar coming in and doing their respective roles. Mohit Sharma was brilliant in the back-end, he'll take the five-wicket haul, but Suryakumar Yadav's wicket was the critical one."

Mohit Sharma's bowling has enabled great success for Gujarat all season and he stepped up big today, ending the game with 5/10 figures in just 2.2 overs.

Parthiv Patel called Sharma one of the best comeback stories of the season, "He bowled really well. We were discussing whether 233 runs can be chased on this wicket. The man didn't even complete his four-over spell but took five wickets. This is a massive day for Mohit Sharma because of the way he was selected this year, last year he was a net bowler with this very team, so getting picked after that is a big deal. We have seen many comeback stories this year and Mohit Sharma's name should be there as well."

--IANS
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Ahmedabad, May 27 (IANS) After reaching the final of IPL 2023 with a 62-run win over Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2, Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya said Shubman Gill's sensational 129 off 60 balls is one of the finest knocks he has ever witnessed in a T20 game.

Gill slammed a majestic 129 with the help of ten sixes and seven fours while taking Mumbai's bowlers to cleaners all over the park as Gujarat posted 223/3, which is also his third century of the ongoing season.

A significant moment in Friday's match was Gill being dropped by Tim David in the last over of the powerplay when on 30 off 19 balls. It proved to be a very costly drop as he made 99 runs off 40 balls post that, including getting his century in 49 balls at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

"The clarity this year he has. The confidence which he is carrying is amazing. The innings which I saw (in the game) was one of the finest innings I have seen in a T20 game. At no point of time he looked rushed, at no point he looked like he was not in control."

"It looked as if someone was throwing down the balls and he was just hitting. He is a superstar and is going to do big things to franchise cricket and Indian cricket," said Hardik after the match ended.

In reply, Tilak Varma's 14-ball 43 and Suryakumar Yadav's quick 61 kept Mumbai afloat. But Rashid Khan castling Varma and taking two more scalps meant Mumbai were bowled out for 171 in 18.2 overs.

"When things are not going the way I like, he (Rashid) is someone who comes and changes momentum and makes sure we keep getting wickets. That's the beauty. We have spoken enough about Rashid but sometimes I am short of words for what he does," added Hardik.

Gujarat will now take on Chennai Super Kings in the title clash at Ahmedabad on Sunday, with a bright chance of defending their title. Hardik expressed gratitude for his team-mates for putting in the effort every day for entering the finals in the second successive year of participating in the competition.

"My job is simple in the team - I make sure that the boys are in the right frame of mind and it starts from me. If I lead with example in my energy, it feeds off to the boys and that is something I look forward to. Every individual takes ownership."

"A lot of hard work has gone behind it. Irrelevant of the result, if we put our 100% and try our level best, the knockouts are fun, it can go here or there," he concluded.

--IANS
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Beijing, May 27 (IANS) Zeng Liqi earned the third China LPGA Tour title of her young career, as the Nanchang teenager beat rookie pro Ji Yuai in a second-hole playoff to win the Beijing Women's Challenge title.

The win was a surprise for Zeng, who closed with a two-under 70 in the sunny and warm conditions at Beijing Orient Pearl Golf Club, as Ji, the overnight co-leader, looked to have had the title in hand with a two-stroke lead going into the final hole of regulation.

After hitting into the lip of a fairway bunker on the 499-yard, par-five 18th, Ji, playing in her maiden tournament as a professional, had to hit sideways to get her ball on the fairway. She then missed an eight-foot bogey putt and closed with a two-over 74.

Zeng, who was playing one group ahead of the leaders, finished strongly with birdies over the final two holes to move up the leaderboard. Both players finished the 54 holes of regulation in six-under 210.

In the first hole of sudden-death at the 18th hole, both players found the green in three shots and made two putts for par. In the second extra hole, also at the 18th, Ji put her third shot to within 12 feet of the pin.

Zeng, in contrast, had to scramble after driving into a hazard on the right of the fairway.

After putting her second shot left and close to the treeline, Zeng hit an approach shot from 248 yard out with a hybrid to within 40 feet of the pin. She then converted her long birdie putt. Ji then missed her birdie putt.

"It's the most unexpected win I've ever had. After the final round, I was preparing a bottle of mineral water to celebrate Ji winning on her professional debut. Who could have expected such a dramatic finish and that I would have another chance in the playoff," Zeng said.

"In regulation, I attempted to make a chip-in eagle and force Ji into a playoff. I failed and just made a four-foot birdie. I felt that I was runner-up at best. At the second extra hole, I didn't lose hope, even if someone might think I was at a disadvantage. I had a couple of tricky lies but I made it, finally. I should say that everything went my way."

For Ji, the playoff loss was "heartbreaking," considering her "big advantage".

"The worst part of my game is putting. I missed too many putts, long or short. But I still had a great chance on the last hole [in regulation]. Unfortunately, I hit it into the bunker. After that, I had three putts for a double bogey," lamented Ji from Dalian, winner of last year's National Junior Golf Championship.

"But Zeng's play was amazing. At the second extra hole, she hit one of the best approach shots onto the green. It's 90 out of 100. I would say it's a stressful round. I didn't feel pressure. I just missed too many putts."

Cai Danlin, the other overnight co-leader, was equal third a stroke back after struggling to a three-over 75, tied with Shi Yuli (72). Chinese Taipei's Chang Ya-chi finished three shots back in fifth after a 69.

The Thai trio of Patcharajutar Kongkraphan (66), Dussavi Soopimjit (68) and Pakin Kawinpakorn (73) were equal sixth at four strokes back. Zhang Yahui (72) was the low amateur as the teenager finished on even par in equal 11th.

Patcharajutar, a former US LPGA Tour regular, demonstrated she still had game after consecutive rounds of 74 to start the tournament in wet and windy conditions. The 31-year-old, who won the WPG Ladies Open last week on the TLPGA Tour, closed with a bogey-free 66 for the low round of the day.

--IANS
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Durban, South Africa, May 27 (IANS) With one day to go before the historic 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC) Finals concluded in Durban, South Africa, the table tennis governing body highly praised the event.

Discussing her impression of the tournament, ITTF president Petra Sorling said, "Proud."

"I'm actually extremely proud," the ITTF chief was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

"I'm proud of what table tennis can do. I'm proud of the whole table tennis family that entrusted South Africa to have this event. I'm very proud of the way South Africa took this challenge. Hopefully this can also bring in many new table tennis players here in South Africa," the Swede added.

This year's World Championships marks the first time that the tournament has been staged in Africa for 84 years. On Thursday, Egypt's Omar Assar became the second African player to reach the World Championships quarterfinals, following Nigeria's Quadri Aruna's historic achievement two years ago in Houston.

For Sorling, the championships "hold a historical significance. Undoubtedly this will inspire a new generation of table tennis enthusiasts. We hope that many kids saw this yesterday and will be inspired to play table tennis."

"Hosting the World Championships here in Durban is not just a celebration of our spot. It's a testament to our dedication to spreading the love of table tennis across different continents and cultures," she said.

"We sincerely hope that this event has served as an inspiration to all, spreading the positive influence of table tennis far and wide," the ITTF head added.

Yusuf Carrim, president of the South African Table Tennis Board, revealed that all tickets for the last two competition days have been sold out, which is "unbelievable."

"I need to pay tribute to the table tennis family for taking this massive journey to our shores. We are on a way to positioning our sport as a major sport in our country," he commented.

ITTF Group CEO Steve Dainton said Assar's breakthrough in the tournament was "awesome."

"That's what we need in our sport. More players from different parts of the world competing at the highest level," said Dainton.

"We are super proud. We are super excited. What they have done is to showcase our strength, and they've also shown that anything is possible, and the possibility of an African player winning the World Championships is around the corner," Carrim assured.

The historic Durban table tennis worlds and Assar's achievements coincide with the ITTF's vision of making table tennis a truly global sport.

"Everywhere we take our event, especially now as we are going to markets that we were not before, will make people aware of our sport, because when you make our sport more visible, that is also how we can grow table tennis," explained Sorling.

"Our vision is to have more spectators. At the same time, we are aware when you take your sport to a new market, it takes time to create awareness on how beautiful the sport is," she added.

"For the 2027 individual World Championships, we would love to be able to go to another new market, whether that's South America or Oceania, because it's a wonderful opportunity to spread the sport. We want to be truly global as a sport," said Dainton.

--IANS
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New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 gears up for yet another high-voltage encounter as Lucknow Super Giants take on Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator at MA Chidambaram Stadium.

When the two teams met last time in IPL 2023, the newcomers, Lucknow, triumphed over five-time champions, Mumbai. Mumbai Indians will be aiming to return the favour this time around and settle the score.

The Chepauk track is traditionally known for aiding spinners, hence the focus in the Eliminator will be on the tweakers of both teams. LSG and MI have quality spin bowlers in their ranks and all eyes will be on the veteran MI spinner Piyush Chawla. Chawla - who was sitting in the Star Sports Studio as an expert - showed his hunger for taking wickets and feasted on opposition batters.

Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has hailed the 34-year-old leg-spinner who has been nothing short of a revelation in the ongoing season due to his penchant for outfoxing even the best of batters in the competition.

Speaking on Star Sports Studio, Harbhajan Singh said, "Piyush Chawla's wicket-taking software is amazing. This guy is awesome. He has troubled the veterans of every team with his spin. I am very happy for this player because, in the last season, he was not considered useful by any team. This season it has told every team that there is no replacement for experience. There is no match for this player."

Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif also lavished praise upon the leg-spinner from Uttar Pradesh for doing the bulk of the damage for his team in this competition.

"Chawla has taken half of the wickets that Mumbai has taken so far. This is a champion bowler. As if taking wickets on the very first ball in every match has become his habit. Chawla has proved that there is no substitute for experience. He has stability in his deliveries and has been impressive on all types of wickets. His impact this season has been solid."

The attention of spectators will also be on Mr 360-degree Suryakumar Yadav - who has set TATA IPL on fire with his electrifying performances with the bat.

Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar praised the Mumbaikar for his batting effort this season but also cautioned him to make those subtle changes in his batting to prevail on the spin-friendly Chennai track.

"SKY is outstanding. Look at the big stride he takes when it comes to playing such agricultural shots. However, he needs to plan his game better on slow and turning pitches. He's going to be crucial for MI in the Playoffs games. Remember, the first couple of playoff games are going to be played on a slow Chennai track."

In the absence of regular captain KL Rahul, senior cricketer Krunal Pandya has done well for LSG and made good use of the conditions and players at his disposal. Harbhajan Singh claimed the way the senior of the Pandya Brothers rotated the spinners will bode LSG well on slow Chepauk tracks.

"Credit to Krunal Pandya for rotating his bowlers well. It was the highest quality of spin bowling from LSG against KKR. Hat's off to the spinners for bowling with courage in the middle overs and under tough situations. Good signs for them ahead of Playoffs as Chepauk is good for spinners."

Former India cricketer Yusuf Pathan also praised LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir for showing faith in Nicholas Pooran despite his initial struggles and the senior West Indies batter is returning the favour with consistent performances this season.

"Gautam Gambhir showed his faith in Nicholas Pooran's potential. Nicholas Pooran is finally proving his mettle in IPL in this tournament because of the backing and support from LSG team management."

--IANS
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Chennai, May 24 (IANS) Ruturaj Gaikwad's 60 off 44 followed by a commanding display by the bowlers guided Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their 10th final with a 15-run win over defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 Qualifier 1 at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, here on Tuesday.

Opener Devon Conway was struggling for rhythm but his partner Gaikwad was fluent as usual and stroked to his fourth fifty of the season. GT pulled things back nicely during the middle overs and seemed to have control of the proceedings. Towards the end, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali chipped in with cameos as CSK managed to reach 172/7 in their 20 overs.

In reply, GT couldn't manage to build up any significant partnerships as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Rashid Khan's 30-run cameo did give GT a glimmer of hope but CSK bowlers were at their best and bowled out the Titans for 157 in 20 overs to book the ticket to finale.

Chasing 173, the Titans had a shaky start, losing two wickets in the Power-play. Deepak Chahar drew the first blood by dismissing Wriddhiman Saha. Then Maheesh Theekshana struck in the sixth over and got the big wicket of skipper Hardik Pandya. Shubman Gill's couple of lovely shots took GT to 41 for the loss of two wickets at the end of Power-Play.

The spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Theekshana kept things tight in the next three overs before Shanaka hit a back-to-back boundary and a maximum in the 10th over, taking GT to 72/2.

In the next over, Jadeja removed Dasun Shanaka, who looked to reverse sweep over the point fielder but didn't get it off the middle of the bat. Theekshana at short third man moved to his right and took a fine catch.

After Matheesha Pathirana's 10-ball over, Jadeja struck again in the 13th over and cleaned up David Miller, finishing his spell with 2-18. In the next over, Deepak Chahar got the big fish Gill for 42, making the chase tougher as Titans were reduced GT to 88/5 and the asking run rate was over 12 runs per over.

Theekshana bowled the carrom ball and Rahul Tewatia was caught flat-footed deep inside the crease and was unable to tuck it away. The ball beat the bat and crashed into the stumps and, Gujarat lost their sixth wicket and 71 was needed in the next 30 balls.

Then, Rashid Khan and Vijay Shankar went for a few big hits and collected 19 runs in the 17th over to shift some momentum. But momentum again turned in CSK's favour with two successive wickets. First Pathirana dismissed Shankar on the third ball of the 18th over, then Subhranshu Senapati's direct hit sent Darshan Nalkande back to the hut.

With 35 needing in 12 balls, Rashid Khan smashed a boundary on the first ball of the penultimate over but, a moment later, Tushar Deshpande dismissed GT's only hope, Rashid.

When 27 needed off 6, Pathirana conceded a boundary and picked up a wicket of Shami as GT was bowled out for 157 and CSK walked away with 15 runs.

Earlier, batting first, Chennai had a steady yet dramatic start as Gaikwad got caught at mid-wicket in the second over but was lucky to survive as Darshan Nalkande overstepped and the hooter went up. He then smoked over long-on for a six on a free hit and hit a boundary on the next ball.

With some cracking shots from Gaikwad and Conway, CSK reached 49 for no loss at the end of the Power-play. Soon, Gaikwad completed his fifty off 36 balls as CSK reached 85 for no loss at the halfway mark.

When the Titans were looking for a breakthrough, Mohit Sharma struck gold for Gujarat the next over and sent Gaikwad back, ending the 87-run opening stand.

After Gaikwad's dismissal, the boundaries dried up for Chennai but Conway broke the shackles as he got an outside edge for a four. Then, Ajinkya Rahane whipped one over deep mid-wicket for a six but fell on the next ball.

Piling further miseries, Shami came back on and picked up a wicket right away, dismissing the set batter Conway for 40. Then, Rayudu used the depth of the crease and pulled it a long way over the mid-wicket fence for a maximum before falling on the last ball of the 18th over.

M.S. Dhoni came on to bat to a huge roar from the Chennai crowd. Ravindra Jadeja lofted it over cover for a boundary on the fourth ball of the penultimate over. The next delivery there was a deafening silence inside the ground as Dhoni walked back to the hut.

Jadeja got a boundary in the final before falling on the penultimate ball of the innings as Chennai racked up 172/7 in 20 overs.

Brief scores:

Chennai Super Kings 172/7 in 20 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 60, Devon Conway 40; Mohd Shami 2-28, Mohit Sharma 2-31) beat Gujarat Titans (Shubman Gill 42, Rashid Khan 30; Ravindra Jadeja 2-18, Maheesh Theekshana 2-28) by 15 runs

--IANS

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Gautam Buddha Nagar, May 23 (IANS) Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University, HP University, Shimla and Adamas University Kolkata won their respective matches on the opening day of kabaddi competitions that started a few days before the inauguration of the Khelo India University Games 2022.

While the whole of Uttar Pradesh and India await the official opening ceremony of the Games on May 25, Kabaddi kicked off the first competitive day of the games amidst much fanfare at the SVSP Sports Complex, Gautam Buddha Nagar.

The day began with a heartbreak for Atal Bihari Vajpayee Vishwavidyalaya University (ABVVU), Bilaspur as they lost 28-41 to Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University, Jind in their opening league match of the women's category at the Noida's Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Indoor Sports Complex.

For ABVVU, Sanju Devi did most of the work in the initial stages of the preliminary round match. However, her hard work couldn't help her snatch a victory for her team as they fell short of the overall match strategy. On the other hand, ABVVU's opponents from Jind changed their strategy to check Sanju Devi and were successful as both teams were neck to neck with three minutes left on board. At this crucial juncture, the team from Jind shifted gears to tighten their grip over the match and raced ahead to a 41-28 win.

In the second match in the women's category, HP University, Shimla beat HCY University, Durg 51-29.

The university from Shimla pressed hard from the start and raced to a 29-11 lead in the first half of the match. The team from Shimla added another 22 points in the second half, while the Durg side tried hard to close the gap but weren't able to recover the lost ground.

In the men's side, Adamas University Kolkata struggled hard against Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo as two of its players got injured halfway through the first-round match. Kolkata lost 29-35. The final match of the evening saw Kota University walk away with an easy 28-23 win over SRM University, Chennai.

--IANS

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Dubai, May 23 (IANS) The International Cricket Council (ICC) has charged West Indies international all-rounder/keeper Devon Thomas with seven counts under their anti-corruption codes and he has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect for his alleged involvement in attempts to fix matches in Lanka Premier League, Abu Dhabi T20 and Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The ICC has taken this action on behalf of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The ICC, in its capacity as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, has charged Thomas under the SLC Anti-Corruption Code for Participants (the SLC Code), the ECB Anti-Corruption Code for Participants of the T10 Cricket League (the ECB Code) and the CPL Anti-Corruption Code for Participants (the CPL Code), cricket's world governing body informed in a release on Tuesday.

Devon Thomas has been accused under Article 2.1.1 of the SLC Code of contriving or being party to an agreement to fix or attempt to fix, contrive or influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspects of matches in the Lanka Premier League 2021.

He has also been charged with failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, without unnecessary delay, full details of an approach or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct in the Lanka Premier League 2021.

Under Article 2.4.6 of the SLC Code, Thomas has been charged with failing or refusing, without compelling justification, to cooperate with the Designated Anti-Corruption Official's investigation by failing to provide accurately and completely any information and/or documentation requested by the Designated Anti-Corruption Official.

Under Article 2.4.7 of the SLC Code, he has been charged with obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official's investigation into Corrupt Conduct, including (without limitation) concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence of or may lead to the discovery of evidence of Corrupt Conduct.

Thomas has been charged, under Article 2.4.4 of the ECB Code, with failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, without unnecessary delay, full details of an approach or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct at the Abu Dhabi T10 2021.

As per Article 2.4.4 of the CPL Code, Thomas has been charged with failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, without unnecessary delay, full details of an approach or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct in CPL 2021.

Under Article 2.4.2 of the CPL Code, he has been accused of failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or benefit (a) that he knew or should have known was made to procure a breach of the CPL Code, or (b) could have brought the player or the game of cricket into disrepute.

Devon Thomas has 14 days, from May 23, 2023, to respond to the charges.

Devon Thomas has represented West Indies in one Test, 21 ODIs and 12 T20 Internationals.

--IANS

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