Sports

Los Angeles, Sep 25 (IANS) Julia Roberts was able to break the glass ceiling for A-list female movie stars only in 2000 when she commanded $20 million for the biographical legal drama 'Erin Brockovich', reports 'Variety'.

Until then, no woman actor had been getting as much pay as their male counterparts such as Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks, who ruled the 1990s box office alongside Roberts.

At Saturday's A+E Networks and History Channel's History Talks in Washington D.C., moderator Gayle King (co-moderator 'CBS Mornings' and editor-at-large 'O, The Oprah Magazine') asked Roberts about the negotiation tactics she employed to gain equal pay.

"I didn't feel so boxish about it, but I felt like, 'Come on'," Roberts said. "Which is my nature -- not to be all up-in-arms about something, but to say, 'Let's get real. Let's be fair'."

Roberts acknowledged, according to 'Variety', that she'd earned her paycheck, having carried such culture-defining hits as 'Pretty Woman', 'Notting Hill' and 'My Best Friend's Wedding'.

"When I'm working, I work very hard," Roberts said. "I'm ready. I'm on time. I'm prepared. I'm happy. I'm all-in. So, show me the money," Roberts said.

During their conversation, Roberts and King also discussed the challenges of speaking out. Often for women, King said, "taking the high road" -- in agreements about salary among other things -- means "shutting up". But Roberts maintained she was never worried about getting penalised for standing up for herself.

--IANS
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London, Sep 25 (IANS) The cricketing world has been left divided after off-spin all-rounder Deepti Sharma ran out England's Charlie Dean in the 44th over at the non-striker's end to get a 16-run victory for India over England at Lord's to complete a 3-0 sweep.

Only last week, in the changes made by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the method of effecting a run out from the non-striker's end was moved from Law 41 of 'Unfair Play' to Law 38 of 'Run out' section, making it no longer an unfair mode of dismissal.

With a majority of England cricketers, both men's and women's, disagreeing over the mode of dismissal, Deepti has found people speaking in her favour of running out Charlie from non-striker's end on Saturday.

Ace India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who had famously ran out England white-ball skipper Jos Buttler in the same manner during the 2019 IPL, backed Deepti. "Why the hell are you trending, Ashwin? Tonight is about another bowling hero @Deepti_Sharma06," wrote Ashwin on Twitter.

When England wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billing pointed out that veteran pacer James Anderson could have got more wickets with this mode of dismissal, Ashwin joined the debate by tweeting that a bravery award be constituted for the bowlers for effecting the run-out from non-striker's end.

"In fact that's a great idea. How about awarding that wicket to the bowler for "presence of mind" under immense pressure and of course knowing the social stigma that he/she would have to deal with post doing it. How about a bravery award to go with it too @ICC."

England opener Alex Hales, currently featuring in the T20I series against Pakistan, replied to Billings tweet by typing, "It shouldn't be difficult for the non striker to stay in their crease til (till) the ball has left the hand."

In his other tweet, Hales further said, "The ball didn't leave the hand though...I'm not talking necessarily about this incident, but just the 'mankad' issue in general. It wouldn't be an issue if batters simply remained in the crease until the ball has left the hand."

Former India batter Virender Sehwag lashed out at England cricketers showing their anger towards Deepti. "Funny to see so many English guys being poor losers. #Runout," wrote Sehwag on Twitter.

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer commented in Deepti's favour on Twitter. "It's actually quite simple. Ball comes into play when bowler starts run up. From that moment on as a batter or non striker you've to keep your eyes on the ball, if you're a bit careless, opposition will get you out. And you can get out at either ends."

The wording of MCC Law 41.16.1 says, "If the non-striker is out of his/her ground at any time from the moment the ball comes into play until the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the non-striker is liable to be Run out."

"In these circumstances, the non-striker will be out Run out if he/she is out of his/her ground when his/her wicket is put down by the bowler throwing the ball at the stumps or by the bowler's hand holding the ball, whether or not the ball is subsequently delivered."


--IANS

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London, Sep 24 (IANS) Taylor Fritz delivered for Team World on Saturday at the Laver Cup, moving past Team Europe's Cameron Norrie 6-1, 4-6, 10-8 to level the competition at 4-4, here.

In the latest chapter of their rivalry, Fritz flew out of the blocks to storm ahead. The World No. 12 stepped inside the baseline to dictate the baseline exchanges, striking 11 winners in an impressive first-set performance. Norrie refused to go away, though, flattening out his forehand as he changed up the chess board to level.

However, Fritz would not be denied, edging a tight Match Tie-break to triumph after 89 minutes. Four of the six matches at the Laver Cup have gone to a deciding set at this year's event.

The American now leads Norrie 6-5 in their ATP head-to-head series, avenging his defeat against the Briton at last week's Davis Cup Finals. Fritz is making his second appearance at the three-day event, having gone 1-1 in 2019.

Serbian Novak Djokovic, who has not played since he won Wimbledon in July, will do double duty this evening for Team Europe. The 35-year-old will face American Frances Tiafoe in singles and then will team up with Matteo Berrettini in doubles.

Earlier, Berrettini fired Team Europe in front against Team World, edging Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(11), 4-6, 10-7.

In a hard-fought battle, the Italian caused damage with his aggressive forehand, while he hit his backhand slice with great depth to keep the Canadian at bay. The World No. 15 saved one break point in the first set, before raising his level on serve in the Match Tie-break to seal his victory after two hours and 15 minutes.

"It is always a great fight against Felix. We played for two hours and 15 minutes and he is a hell of a player. I had to play my best tennis in the [Match] Tie-break to win. I am really happy because I didn't win just for me but for the team," Berrettini said in his on-court interview.

Berrettini now leads Auger-Aliassime 4-1 in their ATP Head to Head series, having defeated the 22-year-old at the Laver Cup last year.

Captain Bjorn Borg is aiming to guide Team Europe to its fifth consecutive Laver Cup title against John McEnroe's Team World this week in the UK capital.

The sides ended the first day level after Jack Sock and Tiafoe clawed past Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Swiss star's final tour-level match on Friday night. Each victory on Saturday is worth two points.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Sep 24 (IANS) Two-time Olympic Games medallist PV Sindhu will attend the Opening Ceremony of the 36th National Games in Ahmedabad on September 29, despite pulling out of the Games because of an injury.

"It is unfortunate that I will not be competing in the Games due to my injury. Had I been fit, I would have definitely represented my State (Telangana)," Sindhu was quoted as saying by the organising committee of the Games in a release on Saturday.

"The National Games is a great opportunity for all the athletes and everyone I have spoken to is excited about it. I am sure the badminton matches will be very exciting," she said.

Sindhu, who is on the path to recovery after sustaining an ankle injury during the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August, is however going to be in person in Gujarat for the Opening Ceremony on September 29 along with other mega sports stars. Badminton action begins in Surat on October 2.

Winner of silver in the 2016 Rio Games and of bronze in the Tokyo Olympics last year, Sindhu said she decided to pull out of the Games to take care of her health ahead of the Asian Games and Olympic qualifying period next year. "It is important that I take care of myself and focus on the challenges ahead in 2023 (Asian Games) and 2024 (Paris Olympics)," she explained.

Sindhu's father PV Ramana, himself a volleyball international, said it was unfortunate that she could not compete in the National Games. "She was very keen to compete. Unfortunately, she cannot do so as her next review with the doctors and MRI will be in the first week of October," he was quoted as saying in the release.

The injury on her left ankle has been described as a stress fracture. The treatment protocol revolves around affording the ankle rest. "I will be part of her rehab programme. Having been a volleyball player, I know what it is to make heavy landings. I will pass on my experience to Sindhu once she resumes training," said Ramana.

Not many knew Sindhu had actually got injured in Birmingham. "She did not talk about the injury and used conservative treatment to continue playing in the Commonwealth Games. It included icing, strapping the area on the advice of her coach, physios and doctors," said Ramana.

Sindhu could not compete in the World Championship in Japan recently as she was resting. As per her latest consultation with orthopedic experts in Hyderabad, she has been further advised to rest.

--IANS

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Surat, Sep 24 (IANS) Gujarat's Harmeet Desai and West Bengal's Sutirtha Mukherjee clinched the men's and women's singles table tennis titles at the 36th National Games, here on Saturday.

Local hero Harmeet thrashed Haryana's Soumyajit Ghosh 4-0 while Sutirtha proved too good for national champion Sreeja Akula, with the Olympian winning 4-1 in the women's final.

Sutirtha ended the Games on a high with three gold medals -- women's singles, doubles and team -- while Harmeet and another Gujarat paddler Manush Shah now have two gold medals to show for their efforts.

Gujarat men had won the team gold, with Harmeet and Manush playing stellar roles in front of adoring crowds. The latter also clinched the mixed doubles title, partnering wife Krittwika Sinha Roy.

West Bengal emerged as the overall champions from the table tennis arena bagging four gold medals, one silver and three bronze. Gujarat finished second with three gold and three bronze. Maharashtra finished third with one silver and four bronze medals.

The final day of the table tennis event well and truly belonged to Harmeet and Sutirtha as they vanquished top seeds G Sathiyan and Manika Batra in their respective semifinals before dominating the gold medal matches.

Harmeet, who had won the silver medal in Kerala seven years ago, wasn't going to let go of another chance of standing atop the podium and began the match with an aggressive mindset. He kept Ghosh on the defensive by finding angles from both forehand and backhand shots to win 11-8, 11-4, 11-7, 11-8.

Sutirtha was equally clinical in quelling the attacking instinct of 2022 Commonwealth Games mixed doubles champion Sreeja, who had thrashed the likes of Ayhika Mukherjee and Diya Chitale on her way to the final.

Sreeja also ended up on the losing side in the mixed doubles final as she and partner FR Snehit were beaten in straight sets by Shah and Krittwika.

Earlier, Sutirtha had teamed up with Ayhika to defeat Karnataka's Yashaswini Ghorpade and Kushi V in straight sets in the women's doubles final.

West Bengal's Jeet Chandra and Ronit Bhanja clinched the men's doubles gold, beating statemates Arjun Ghosh and Anirban Ghosh in straight sets.

--IANS

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Tokyo, Sep 24 (IANS) Chinese teenager Zheng Qinwen extended her rapid rise up the rankings by claiming a spot in her first WTA Tour singles final at the Pan Pacific Open with a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(3) win over 13th-ranked Veronika Kudermetova in a 3 hours and 4 minutes long semi-final, here on Saturday.

The victory over No 4 seed Kudermetova marks Zheng's fifth win over a Top 20 player in her career, all coming this season.

"After the match when I won the last point, the feeling was incredible. The opponent, she's playing unbelievable tennis. She has a really good serve and hits the ball hard, she moves well," Zheng said.

"I'm so glad in the tiebreak I sometimes choose the right ball and make a good effort to win the match. It's my first time in the final. I'm so happy," he added.

In Sunday's final, Zheng will meet Liudmila Samsonova, whose surge through the second half of the season continues unabated with a trip to her third WTA singles final of the year.

World No.30 Samsonova defeated 28th-ranked Zhang Shuai 7-6(4), 6-2 in a hard-hitting semifinal to reach Sunday's championship match in Tokyo. Samsonova is currently undefeated 3-0 in WTA singles finals in her career.

This time last year, Zheng was ranked outside of the Top 150, but the 19-year-old has repeatedly proven over the last 12 months that she can contend with the elite players on tour. This week has been no exception, as she ousted No.1 seed Paula Badosa in straight sets in the second round.

Zheng was severely tested on Saturday by Kudermetova, who is in the Top 10 in the Race to this season's WTA Finals. Kudermetova came back from 4-1 down in the first set to take it, after holding break points in each of Zheng's service games.

However, Zheng leapt to another 4-1 lead in the second set and she held onto that advantage this time around, leveling the match at one set apiece. The pair moved into an intense third set, which was settled by a tiebreak after both players held serve all the way through.

In the decisive tiebreak, a volley winner gave Zheng the first mini-break at 3-2, which she followed up with two commanding service winners to lead 5-2. On Zheng's second match point at 6-3, Kudermetova fired a return long, and Zheng was into her first final.

Zheng is the second teenager to reach a final at WTA 500-level or higher this season, joining Coco Gauff, who reached the Roland Garros final at age 18.

As for Samsonova, she has won 17 of her last 18 matches, including two consecutive titles in Washington, D.C. and Cleveland. Her only loss since July came in the Round of 16 at the US Open, where she saw a 13-match winning streak snapped by Ajla Tomljanovic.

Samsonova fired 40 winners in Saturday's 1-hour and 27-minute semifinal, well outpacing her 25 unforced errors. 13 of those winners were aces, which gives her a total of 34 in her four victories this week.

After an early exchange of breaks, Samsonova and Zhang settled into a rhythm of fast-paced groundstrokes as they moved inexorably into a first-set tiebreak. Samsonova took command with fiery forehands down the stretch of the breaker to reach set point at 6-4, which the powerful server converted with her seventh ace of the set.

Zhang had three game points for a 2-0 lead in the second set, but Samsonova returned to top gear from there, with her high-octane game garnering her an immediate break back. Samsonova cruised through the rest of the affair, winning the final four games of the clash.

Looking ahead to the final, Zheng leads Samsonova 1-0 in their head-to-head. As a qualifier, Zheng surprised second-seeded Samsonova in the first round of Palermo on clay last year.

--IANS
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By B. Shrikant
Nagpur, Sep 24 (IANS) At times, even Rohit Sharma is surprised by the way Rohit Sharma bats! Friday night was one such occasion as the India captain helped his team defeat Australia by six wickets in a truncated eight-over-a-side match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA), Jamtha near here.



Sharma blasted a scintillating unbeaten 46 off 20 deliveries as India chased a target of 91 off eight overs, helping his side reach 92/4 with four balls to spare and helped the home side level the three-match series 1-1 ahead of Sunday's final encounter at Hyderabad.

On a pitch that was two-paced and against a world-class bowling attack that included the likes of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Sean Abbott and Adam Zampa and conditions that were not easy to bat in, Sharma came out with an aggressive intent and took control of the match easily.

He smashed Hazlewood for back-to-back sixes in the opening over of India's chase and then struck two more sixes and four boundaries as he blazed his way to 46 off 20 balls to keep India ahead on run rate. India did lose its way a bit with Zampa claiming back-to-back wickets to dismiss Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav, but the target was still achievable thanks to the early assault.

Sharma, who was adjudged Player of the Match, said he was surprised to see that his shots came off well and helped the team chase a difficult target.

"I was quite surprised as well. I didn't expect it to go quite as well as that. For the last 8-9 months I have been playing like that so it didn't change much. But when you are playing a game like that you can't plan too much. You just have to play the situation and use conditions to your advantage," Sharma said after the match.

He complimented his bowlers for using the conditions pretty well and restricting Australia to 90/5. He said he wants his players to learn how to tackle the dew.

"I felt when we were bowling the bowlers had something to bowl to. We used the conditions pretty well. But then at the back end, dew started coming in. That is where we want guys to learn how tough it is," Sharma said.

--IANS

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By Tanya Banon
New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANSlife) Perched on a hilltop with spectacular views of the sea beyond, international cricket icon, Yuvraj Singh's holiday home in Goa pays homage to the town's rich cultural heritage.



"My Goa home has always been extremely special to me. While my work takes me across the world, this villa is where my wife and I come together to spend quality time with our friends and family," shares the cricketer.

Singh is offering his Goa home on travel platform Airbnb for an exclusive one-time-only stay for a group of six. "I am looking forward to being an Airbnb Host and opening the doors of my home to a lucky group of six," adds Yuvraj. The sports icon has delivered outstanding performances and career-defining knocks throughout his career; he is now setting another milestone by becoming the first international cricketer from India to host on Airbnb.

IANSlife speaks to Yuvraj to get all the details about his home:

Cricket Icon Yuvraj Singh. Picture credit: Prabhat Shetty

Tell us about your the home's design and what aesthetics of your own have been included in it?

Yuvraj Singh: Casa Singh offers a serene setting from which to explore the colourful charms of Goa's sun-kissed villages. The house is laden with expansive decks and terraces burst with potted plants and greenery, dotted by pops of color from bougainvillea and flowers. A luxurious pool and several nooks for lazy afternoons spent reading or enjoying leisurely meals alfresco.

The upper floor of Casa Singh houses a master bedroom with a balcony yielding views of the Arabian Sea and a guest bedroom with a small private terrace. Vibrant blues, yellows, and whites are interlaced with plush textiles and local handicrafts such as hand-woven grass baskets. The third bedroom is on the ground floor with direct access to the sundowner deck. The room also has a cozy niche, which is a perfect spot to unwind or read a book.

The spacious living area includes a cozy lounge on one side and a dining area on the other. Local Goan dishes will be served by the home's personal chef in the dining room just off the main mezzanine area.

The house is also filled with photos of my family and cricket memorabilia - including my very first ODI 150 - abounds.

Share with us two memories in your Goa you cherish forever.

Yuvraj Singh: I have many fond memories from our home in Goa. In fact, we hosted our wedding reception brunch at Casa Singh where our close family members and friends gathered to congratulate us and give us their blessings. Another fond memory of mine at Casa Singh is of celebrating my fortieth birthday with my loved ones. That day truly holds a very special place in my heart. I often visit the villa with my friends to unwind from the daily hustle. This home has a very peaceful vibe to it, so the days when we lazed around the pool, and spent some quality time together at the sundowner deck, are memories I still cherish.

How did the collaboration with Airbnb come about?

Yuvraj Singh: I have always loved interacting with my fans, and this collaboration was the perfect opportunity for me to do so in a way that has hardly ever been done before. Casa Singh is an extremely personal space for me, a second home where I share so many memories with my friends and family. To open the doors of such a private space for my fans, for them to experience a day in my life would not be possible without Airbnb. Airbnb's success has always been in fostering human connections and making experiences more authentic, and I feel such collaborations are a testament to that, so, I am extremely excited to be a part of one such iconic campaign.

Airbnb x Cricket Icon Yuvraj Singh. Picture credit: Fabien Charuau

You have inspired a generation. What advice would you give to budding cricketers beyond what they need to do on the field?

Yuvraj Singh: A cricketer needs to first understand his/her own strengths and then put in countless hours of practice to be their absolute best. I personally believe that learning never ends! From day 1 to the day you retire, you will keep evolving as a player and that is something everyone must accept.

For every sportsperson, the stakes are very high as they are representing their entire team every time they step on to the pitch. This can build immense pressure and even start affecting their performance. The key is to keep calm, stay focused, work hard, and always aim to give your best. Being passionate and sincere about achieving the aim can take you a long way.

You're the first ever Indian cricket Host on Airbnb, how does it feel to open up your home and also give a few fans the opportunity to share a bit of your personal space and get an insight into you?

Yuvraj Singh: This home is extremely close to my heart and holds so many memories with my family and friends. From birthdays and anniversaries to trips with friends, this home has been a part of many important occasions. My mother also loves this home as much as I do, and I love spending quality time here with her here, where we both disconnect from the world and cherish some quiet time with each other.

This home captures my personal and professional journey. For example, the house is filled with pictures of me and my family. We also have a memory wall with pictures of when I scored 150 runs. This one is really close to all of us, and we relive the special moment whenever we see it. I am excited to share this personal space with some special guests through Airbnb, and I hope they get to experience the love that this home embodies.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)

--IANS
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Nagpur, Sep 24 (IANS) Star India batter Virat Kohli is relishing the win against Australia in the second T20I which helped the hosts level the series against visitors on Friday.

India defeated Australia by six wickets in the rain-curtailed second T20I to clinch the match and remain alive in the three-match series.

Kohli, who scored 11 off six balls was visibly elated with the team's performance. The right-handed batter shared Team India's picture on the homegrown micro-blogging platform Koo app following the win.

"All square. See you in Hyderabad," Kohli captioned the post on Koo.

Australia had scored 90/5 in the 8 overs following Matthew Wade onslaught in the final few balls. However, Rohit Sharma played a captain knock as he smashed 46 off 20 balls to take India home.

India chased down the target in 7.2 overs with 4 balls to spare. Rohit's innings was studded with four fours and four glorious sixes.

The Indian skipper went past New Zealand's Martin Guptill to top the chart of batters with most sixes in T20Is.

Guptill with 172 sixes and former West Indies opener Chris Gayle with 124 sixes are behind Rohit. Meanwhile, Kohli is the only other Indian batter with more than 100 sixes in the shortest format of the game.

Coming back to the series, the third and final match also known as the decider will be played in Hyderabad on Sunday.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) Exactly 15 years ago, a young and relatively inexperienced Indian team led by MS Dhoni, held their nerve to beat Pakistan by five runs to win the inaugural T20 World Cup in front of a huge crowd at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, South Africa.

15 years on, the memories of the victorious day are still fresh in the minds of not only the fans but of the players as well, like former India cricketer Robin Uthappa, one of the major contributors in the title triumph.

"I can't believe that it has been 15 years since we won the T20 World Cup. For me, it feels as if it was just a few years ago. The fond memories from our first ever T20 world cup win are still fresh in my memory. I can still remember bowling in the bowl-out and tipping my hat in celebration as we won!" said Uthappa in a Star Sports release.

Former India pacer Irfan Pathan, whose spell of 3/16 in his four overs got him the 'Player of the Match' award in the tense final victory, still feels the adrenaline rush of the proceedings in the final over of the match bowled by Joginder Sharma.

"I still get goose bumps when I think about the finals and how we won it in the last over. We played our very best in that World Cup and to be rewarded in the end with the trophy was just one of the most special feelings in my life. I can still picture the team and the crowd celebrating for India as Sreesanth caught Misbah in that final over," said the former left-arm fast bowler.

With India all set to feature in the T20 World Cup next month in Australia, Uthappa is hopeful of the Rohit Sharma-led side doing an encore of what happened in 2007.

"I would like to wish the Men in Blue all the very best as they go Down Under to try and repeat history and get us back the ICC Men's T20 World Cup with 'Mission Melbourne'. It's a special experience to win the World Cup and I wish Rohit and the boys play their hearts out to repeat the feat we achieved 15 years ago!"

Pathan, too, agreed with Uthappa's views. "I hope that the Indian team is fully prepared for 'Mission Melbourne' and aiming to bring the trophy once again to India. I wish them all the very best!"

--IANS

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