Sports

Mumbai, Sep 16 (IANS) Stylish wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson will lead India A team in the upcoming three-match one-day series against New Zealand A, scheduled to be played in Chennai between September 22 and 27.

The 16-member squad have a decent amount of international experience, with Kuldeep Yadav, Prithvi Shaw, Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini, among others, also in the mix.

Young seam-bowling allrounder Raj Bawa, who was one of India's star performers in the U-19 World Cup, earlier this year, has also been picked in the squad. He was named Player of the Match for his 5 for 31 in the final against England.

The 19-year-old is just at the beginning of his senior-team career and has played two Ranji Trophy games for Chandigarh and two IPL matches for Punjab Kings.

Meanwhile, Samson last represented the senior India team during their ODI series in Zimbabwe in late August and has for company in the India A side five others from that touring party: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Kuldeep, Shahbaz Ahmed, Thakur and Rahul Tripathi.

The squad also has the likes of Shaw, Rahul Chahar and Umran Malik, who have all played for their country in one or more formats.

India A squad: Prithvi Shaw, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Rajat Patidar, Sanju Samson (c), KS Bharat (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Shabhaz Ahmed, Rahul Chahar, Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Sen, Shardul Thakur, Umran Malik, Navdeep Saini, Raj Angad Bawa

--IANS

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Mumbai, Sep 16 (IANS) Badminton champion P.V. Sindhu talked about the legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar presenting her car after she won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics (Rio).

She recalled how Sachin called her and congratulated her on the victory: "He called and congratulated me. Last time I remember when I participated in Commonwealth Games, 2014 for the first time, he told me that if I get a medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics then he will come and give me a car again. So after getting the medal, he ensured he came and presented me with the car, and I am really thankful to him as this gesture really made me happy."

She further added praising Tendulkar for the support he gives to sports personalities.

"It's very kind of him because along with him many people contributed to it. He supported a lot of sports people and this kind of support needs to be there for sports personalities so that it's like a motivation for them to go much further and do well. These kinds of awards and rewards will give a lot more confidence to all sportspersons. I really like cars and I'm very thankful to him that he gave me a car."

In a conversation with Kapil Sharma, she told him about getting injured during the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in which she won the gold medal in women's singles.

"Yes, during the quarter-finals there was a little pain. The pain was happening in between the match and I was like I have to complete this match. So after the match, my physio team and my trainer were also there so I told them I don't know what happened but it's a lot. My heart and mind were focused on winning the medal. So, during the semi-final and final, I was only thinking that I have to give my best and I gave my hundred per cent and won the gold," she concluded.

P.V. Sindhu, boxing Champion Nikhat Zareen, lawn bowl team - Rupa Rani Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, Pinki Singh, and Nayanmoni Saikia are appearing on 'The Kapil Sharma Show' this weekend.

The show airs on Sony Entertainment Television.

--IANS
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London, Sep 16 (IANS) England's limited-overs skipper Jos Buttler could miss the entire seven-match away T20I series against Pakistan beginning on September 20 due to a calf injury, with reports suggesting he could at best be considered for the last two games.

The series is crucial for England with the ICC T20 World Cup commencing in Australia next month and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) wants to give as much time as possible to ensure the captain's fitness ahead of the mega event.

A report in Daily Mail said the charismatic batter had been advised by his medical team to take things slowly, which means all-rounder Moeen Ali will lead the side for four T20 matches in Karachi, following which the action will shift to Lahore.

The 32-year-old Buttler revealed on Thursday he could at best play the final two fixtures following the medical advice. He added the reason he was on the historic tour of the sub-continent was because he wanted to develop his relationship with new England white-ball coach Matthew Mott, the report said.

"Speaking to the physios, it is an injury that is not bad, but one that has a risk of recurrence. You don't want to push it too soon, especially with what we have ahead," Buttler was quoted as saying.

"We have warm-up games in Australia (ahead of the T20 World Cup) so there is no desperate need to get as fit as possible. We've just got to take it as it comes. If I was available for the last couple (of games), that would be the best-case scenario at the minute. It might come earlier than that, it might not at all, but the picture will become clearer in a week or so," added Buttler.

"As captain, coming back to Pakistan after a long time, I felt like it was important, whether I played the games or not."

This is England's first tour of Pakistan since 2005.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Sep 16 (IANS) The most successful team in IPL, Mumbai Indians have appointed former South African wicketkeeper-batter Mark Boucher as their head coach for the 2023 season.

Boucher had recently decided to leave his role as head coach of South Africa men's team after the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia next month.

Mumbai Indians, the winners of five IPL trophies, said in a statement on Friday that, "Mark Boucher has had a long and illustrious career as a wicket-keeper, batsman and holds the record for the most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper. Post-retirement he took over as coach for Titans, a top-level cricket franchise in South Africa, and led them to five domestic titles. In 2019, Cricket South Africa appointed Mark Boucher as the head coach where he crafted 11 Test wins, 12 in ODIs and 23 T20I victories."

"It's a pleasure to welcome Mark Boucher to Mumbai Indians. With his proven expertise on the field and off it as a coach guiding his team to numerous victories, Mark will add immense value to MI and take forward its legacy," said Akash. M. Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm.

"It is an honour and privilege to be appointed as Head Coach of MI. Their history and achievements as a franchise clearly put them up there as one of the most successful sporting franchises in all of world sport. I look forward to the challenge and respect the need for results. It's a strong unit with great leadership and players. I look forward to adding value to this dynamic unit," said Boucher.

Under Boucher, the Proteas are currently No. 2 on the ICC World Test Championship table. His last series at the helm will be a white-ball tour of India from September 28 to October 11 before heading to the T20 World Cup in Australia, where South Africa are grouped alongside Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The tournament will run from October 16 to November 13.

Recently, Mumbai Indians had announced that head coach Mahela Jayawardene and director of cricket operations Zaheer Khan were being elevated to new roles as part of the franchise's central team for its growing global cricket footprint.

Jayawardene, the former Sri Lanka skipper who became the head coach of the franchise in 2017 and under whom MI won three IPL titles, has been appointed as the Global Head of Performance. Zaheer, ex-India left-arm pacer, who joined the side as Director of Cricket Operations in 2018, has been appointed as Global Head of Cricket Development.

--IANS

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New York, Sep 15 (IANS) Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep announced on Thursday she will miss the rest of the season after undergoing nose surgery.

Halep said that she was unclear how long recovery would take, but won't participate in any more events in 2022.

"My 2022 season is over. 2022, you have been an interesting year full of everything! See you on court, 2023. I feel I still have a lot to do on a tennis court and still have the same goals," she wrote on social media.

In the same post, Halep, 30, also conceded she was "very close" to calling it a career back in February. Two months later, she announced Patrick Mouratoglou as her full time head coach after spending some time in his academy.

"Thanks to Patrick, I slowly started to believe that I still can play a good level of tennis. … I gave myself one year to get back into the Top 10."

In August, Halep won the National Bank Open, a WTA 1000-level event in Toronto, and returned to the Top 10 for the first time in more than a year, thus achieving that goal in only two months.

However, a first-round loss at the US Open to qualifier Daria Snigur followed, and Halep realized she needed a break.

"When I lost at the US Open, I realized that I'm completely exhausted mentally. Having problems with the breathing for many years already and becoming worse with the time, I decided to follow the advice of my doctors and do the needed surgery."

Halep has won two titles this season, taking her career total to 24.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) Former Indian captain Bala Devi has backed the host Indian football team to do well in the upcoming FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2022 and urged her fellow country persons to attend and support the event.

The 32-year old feels that the upcoming tournament, set to begin on October 11, is the ideal platform for the younger generations to showcase their talent and carve out a niche for themselves.

"The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup will feature our U-17 girls, and I want to take this opportunity to invite our friends, parents, and fellow citizens to come to stadiums to watch the World Cup and support our players," Bala Devi said in an AIFF release.

"Yes, of course, India hosting the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup is fantastic news for all of us. Furthermore, Indian players playing alongside some of the best young talents during the World Cup is significant because this event can serve as a springboard for their careers," she added.

The charismatic striker showed her confidence in the team, saying that one day these youngsters will become icons for many.

"I am confident that these girls will make us proud.This is a journey, when I was playing, I had players I looked up to; these players have their own favourites, and one day these U-17 players will be role models for the next generation," said Bala Devi.

The Indian women's team has been drawn in Group A, alongside Morocco, Brazil, and the United States of America (USA). The U-17 Women's World Cup India is scheduled to be held across three venues - Navi Mumbai, Bhubaneswar and Goa. However, the Indian team will play all their group games at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.


--IANS
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Lausanne, Sep 15 (IANS) The Spanish city in the Alicante region, La Nucía will host IBA Youth Men's and Women's World Boxing Championships 2022 at the Ciudad Deportiva Camilo Cano arena.

The dates are set for November 14-26.

"Many of the fans have witnessed our youth boxers at the various continental tournaments, and it's time they shined on the international stage. Some of the boxers might well become superstars of our sport, and this is a unique moment to see their first steps towards elite boxing. This is a great opportunity to discover new talents and show passion for our sport," IBA president Umar Kremlev said in a statement.

"Spain has many talented young boxers, and this IBA Youth World Boxing Championships will give an impetus to the boxing development in the country. I want to thank Spanish Boxing Federation for their hard work towards making this tournament a success," he added.

Spanish Boxing Federation turns 100 years in 2022, and this championships will become their first-ever world-class event. Before, Spain hosted only continental-level events.
President of the Spanish Boxing Federation Felipe Martinez awaits to welcome athletes from around the world to his home country.

"We are excited about the challenge of hosting such an important competition that has never been held in Spain before. We know that these are going to be intense months, but both my team and I are willing to put the best of ourselves to achieve success as hosts. It should become a great finishing touch for the 100 years of the life of our Federation," Martinez said.


--IANS
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Mumbai, Sep 15 (IANS) The high-octane marquee clash between India and Pakistan on September 4 in 'Super 4' stage of Asia Cup 2022 has become the most watched T20I ever, outside of World Cups.

The official broadcaster of the tournament, Star Sports, had recently announced the India-Pakistan group stage match as the most watched T20I match, outside the World Cup. The record has been surpassed this week as the 'Super 4' stage match played on September 4, 2022, registered 57.4 million AMA- making it the most watched T20I, outside the World Cup.

It truly was one of the most competitive continental tournaments that kept cricket fans across the country engaged as 243 million viewers tuned in to watch the DP World Asia Cup 2022 (excluding the finals). The high-octane tournament clocked a total of 58.8 billion minutes (excluding the finals).

The overall exhilaration for cricket is back in the country, ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, as even the non-India matches through the tournament (excluding the finals) witnessed a massive viewership of 113 million.

With the preparations for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup underway, India now faces the challenge of a 3-T20I series against defending ICC T20 World Cup champions Australia, which gets underway on September 20, LIVE on the Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 15 (IANS) Experienced midfielder Namita Toppo on Thursday announced her retirement from international hockey, ending a decade-long career with the Indian women's hockey team.

The 27-year-old Namita was part of the Indian team that won a silver medal in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and the team that bagged a bronze medal in Incheon in 2014.

Hockey India on Thursday congratulated her on an illustrious career with the Indian women's hockey team during which she also won the gold medal in the 2017 Asia Cup in Gifu, Japan and bronze in the 2014 edition in Kuala Lumpur.

A product of the Sports Hostel, Panposh, Rourkela which is located in her native state of Odisha, Namita first represented her state team in 2007 and her performances in the domestic competitions helped her in getting selected for the Girls' U-18 Hockey Asia Cup in Bangkok, Thailand held in 2011 where the Indian team won the bronze medal.

Namita's hard work and dedication in the national camps and consistent performances in the domestic circuit saw her getting selected to represent the senior India team in 2012 when she participated in the FIH Champions Challenge I in Dublin, Hockey India informed in a release on Thursday.

The following year, she was part of the Indian junior women's hockey team, which won the bronze medal at the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup Women 2013 held in Mönchengladbach, Germany.

There was no looking back for Namita after that as she took part in major tournaments like FIH Women's World League Round 2 in 2013 where India won the gold medal, 3rd women's Asian Champions Trophy in 2013 where India won the silver medal, 8th Women's Asia Cup 2013, 20th Commonwealth Games 2014, 17th Asian Games 2014 where India won the bronze medal, 2016 Rio Olympics, the team's silver medal victory at the 9th Women's Asia Cup 2017 and the 18th Asian Games 2018 where the national team clinched the silver medal.

"The last 10 years have definitely been the best years of my life. I had a dream to play for my country at the biggest stages and I am so happy that I have been able to achieve my dreams. I hope I have made a huge impact and I am very thrilled to see the way the Indian Women's Hockey Team has progressed in the last decade," Namita Toppo was quoted as saying in a release by Hockey India.

"I will keep cheering and supporting for the team while I move on to a new chapter in my life. I could not have achieved this without the support of my teammates, and the Odisha State Government who have backed us unconditionally. They have recognised our achievements every step of the way," she added.

"I thank the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik sir and the Departments of Sports and Youth Services. I also thank Hockey India, SAI, and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for their unparalleled support for women's hockey. I also thank all the coaches I have trained under," said Namita Toppo.

Meanwhile, the Indian women's hockey team chief coach Janneke Schopman said, "Namita has made a humungous contribution to Indian hockey. Apart from giving everything on the field, Namita has also been a perfect role model for the youngsters in the team."

"Not many players get a chance to play 168 matches for their national teams and Namita has earned each one of those caps. Apart from being a great hockey player, Toppo is one of the kindest people I know. She is very thoughtful and she always put the team first. I would like to wish her all the very best for the future," said the chief coach.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) Former India captain Virat Kohli on Thursday walked down memory lane to recall funny street cricket slang used during his childhood time in a video uploaded on his social media accounts.

Cricket is full of offbeat terms and expressions and a successful player ought to know his game-glossary well. To prove this point and to provide some relief to the sport's fans ahead of the serious business of the T20 World Cup, Kohli brought out this video in association with PUMA.

The video, titled Do You Know Your Cricket Slang, put the spotlight on Kohli as the batting icon explained the meanings of popular local slang used in Indian street cricket such as 'Batta' and 'Baby Over'.

Kohli couldn't hold back the laughter as he narrated the instances in response to local cricket terms, according to a release by his sponsors.

"Batta is a desi and rugged word for chucking," Kohli said in his response to the term as he spent some light moments off-the-field in a short fun video clip made in association with sportswear brand PUMA, which is the official kit partner of IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The amusing video clip brings out the 33-year-old passionate cricketer's off-the-field personality.

Kohli performed exceedingly well in the recently-concluded Asia Cup 2022 in UAE, slamming a much-awaited 71st century as well as two half-centuries to conclude the tournament as the second-highest run-getter.

--IANS

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