Sports

Dubai, Sep 3 (IANS) India head coach Rahul Dravid on Saturday refused to rule injured Ravindra Jadeja out of the 2022 T20 World Cup, saying that the mega event in Australia is still six or seven weeks away from now and he doesn't want to jump to any conclusions so early.

Dravid's comments come in the wake of reports that Jadeja, who has sustained a right knee injury, may undergo major surgery and will miss the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played in October-November.

The coach said that he would like to wait and watch as the medical team comes up with its prognosis.

"Jadeja has injured his knee; he is obviously ruled out of the Asia Cup. He is under the care of the medical team, he is going to see the doctors, see the experts. The World Cup is still a fair bit away, and we don't want to jump to any conclusions and rule him out or rule him in. We'll see how it goes," Dravid said during a press conference ahead of India's Super 4 match against Pakistan.

"Injuries are a part of the sport; it is part of our job to try to manage them. A lot will depend on rehab and the severity of the injury. I don't want to rule him out or don't want to make too many comments until we have a much clearer picture and a better idea, especially because the World Cup is six or seven weeks away from now," he added.

The 33-year-old Jadeja played the first two games of the ongoing Asia Cup against Pakistan and Hong Kong before he was on Friday ruled out of the tournament. He provides the team with much-needed balance -- along with Hardik Pandya, with his all-round abilities and played a crucial role in India's win over Pakistan.

Against Pakistan, Jadeja first gave away just 11 runs in the two overs he bowled, before being promoted to No. 4 in India's chase of 148, specifically since he was the only left-hand batter in India's top seven. He scored a crucial 35 off 29 balls in a 52-run partnership with Hardik Pandya that put India on the brink of victory. Pandya then finished it off after Jadeja fell to Mohammad Nawaz in the first ball of the last over.

On the other hand, the left-handed batter didn't get an opportunity to bat against Hong Kong. During bowling, he dismissed top-scorer Babar Hayat and only gave away 15 runs in his four overs.

Apart from Jadeja, fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel are also missing the Asia Cup for India. As per Dravid, the current situation doesn't stop them from using this tournament as an opportunity to build and grow the team for the World Cup.

"There are a few key players missing from this team. But it's probably true of one or two other teams as well, who are probably missing one or two key players. That can happen, but it doesn't stop us from using this tournament as a really good opportunity to build and grow our team for the World Cup," the coach said.

"And of course, it gives us the opportunity, I guess, in a lot of ways to look at other players who are potentially vying for spots, who are in contention and are looking for one or two spots, see how they perform and to give other people some opportunities as well. And of course, we know that once hopefully guys like Bumrah, Harshal and Jadeja are back then, as and when, we can respond to that and react to that," he added.

The former India captain also mentioned that the team management has always been trying to build a pool of players who can step in when key players get injured.

"But if for some reason unfortunately if they have to miss out then we've developed some other players, we've tried to build a back-up, we've tried to build a group and that's really been our endeavour right through...we're trying to build a bigger pool of players that can step in because as we've seen obviously with the kind of challenges we've had with Covid as well, and with injuries you've got to have back-up, you've got to have people who can step in any given situation," he said.

"When people miss out due to injuries, it gives us the chance to build that squad and grow that squad. Of course, we'd love to have our guys with experience and our best players playing all the time but it might not happen," he added.

--IANS

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Pune, Sep 3 (IANS) Unseeded Darshan Pujari stormed into the men's singles final and likewise earned the distinction of being the first-ever Puneite to make the singles (men or women) final in the eleven-year history of the India Junior International Grand Prix 2022 and played in memory of the Late Sushant Chipalkatti.

The 18-year-old Darshan defeated qualifier Dhruv Negi 21-12, 21-17 victory that took 39 minutes at the P. E. Society's Modern PDMBA Sports Complex, on Saturday. The clash between India No. 10 Darshan and Uttrakhand's Dhruv was the first ever.

For Darshan, a Khelo India winner, the title clash on Sunday will be his second in an international tourney having played the Indian Junior International Series at Hyderabad where he exits early losing to Malaysian world No. 1 Justin Ho.

"It was a learning experience… I learnt a lot from that game and this time around I was determined to do well," said the Pune lad.

In the final, Darshan takes on No. 7 seed Muhammad Halim As Sidiq (Indonesia), who defeated No. 8 Ayush Shetty 21-15, 21-15.

While Darshan basked in glory, it was not the same for local lass and No.7 seed Tara Shah who went down tamely to No.3 seed Haryana-lass Unnati Hooda in the first semifinal of the women's singles.

Unnati all through was in the driver's seat which eventually ended in her favour in straight games 21-9, 21-17.

The first game was a breeze for World No. 23 Unnati, who won seven points in a row and lead 7-0. Local favourite, Tara, ranked 64 ranks below her rival, found the gap too hard to narrow as Unnati thereafter upped the tempo to win three points in a row and swell the lead to 14-6, which eventually led to the end of the first 'ame in Unnati's favour.

In the second Unnati led 2-0, which Tara cut to 2-1, but then again like the first game the Haryana shuttler pulled away winning six points in a row to take an 8-1 lead. Tara, thereafter, got as close as 6-10 and then 17-19 but eventually it was a day out for the in-form player Unnati who was consistent all through the 27 minutes they were on the court.

RESULTS (All Indians unless mentioned otherwise):

Men's Singles (semis): Darshan Pujari bt Q- Dhruv Negi 21-12, 21-17; 7-Muhammad Halim As Sidiq (Indonesia) Bt 8-Ayush Shetty 21-15, 21-15.

Men's Doubles (semis): 4-Choi Jian Sheng/Bryan Jeremy Goonting (Malaysia) Bt Nicholas Raj/Tushar Suveer 21-14, 21-19

Women's Singles (semis): 9-Sarunrak Vitidsarn (Thailand) bt 1-Anupama Upadhyaya 21-17, 21-16; 3-Unnati Hooda Bt 7-Tara Shah 21-9, 21-17 - 27 mins

Women's Doubles (semis): Vennala Kalagotla/Shriyanshi Valishetty bt Navya Kanderi/Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj 22-20, 21-12; Nardhana Ravishankar/Ridhi Kaur Toor Bt Neysa Cariappa. A/Taneesha Singh

Mixed Doubles (semis): Prem Kumar Prabhu Raj Mohan/ Kanishka Ganesan Bt Sathwik Reddy Kanapuram/Vaishnavi Khadkekar 21-15, 21-12; Divyam Arora/ Ridhi Kaur Toor bt Samarveer/Radhika Sharma 22-20, 24-22.

--IANS

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Imphal (Manipur), Sep 3 (IANS) After three back-to-back victories in the group stage of the Durand Cup 2022 campaign, Manolo Marquez's Hyderabad FC tasted their first defeat, as they lost 1-0 to Army Red FT, in their final group game at the Khuman Lampak Stadium here on Saturday.

Suresh Methei, the skipper of the Services' side scored with a glancing header in the 33rd minute, which turned out to be the only goal on a tough evening in Imphal.

Manolo Marquez made plenty of changes to the Starting XI but Hyderabad managed to create plenty of chances throughout the game.

The likes of Halicharan Narzary, Lalchungnunga Chhangte, Borja Herrera, Aaren D'Silva and Javi Siverio, coming off the bench, all came close on fair few occasions, but HFC failed to find the back of the net for the first time in this campaign.

Bhabindra Sureshi, the shot-stopper for Army Red was at the top of his game, as he made five superb saves to deny HFC throughout the evening. His contribution to helping Army Red to their first win of the campaign, saw him named the 'Player of the Match' on the evening, the club informed in a release on Saturday.

Even with the loss, Hyderabad remain atop Group C with nine points from their four games while Army Red move up to 2nd in the table as of now, with five points from their four games. The result of the final group game between Chennaiyin and NEORCA will decide the second qualifier from the group.

HFC are back in action in the Durand Cup quarterfinals, the dates and venues yet to be announced.

--IANS

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Dubai, Sep 3 (IANS) Pakistan pacer Shahnawaz Dahani on Saturday was declared unavailable for Sunday's Super Four match in Asia Cup 2022 against India due to a suspected side strain, said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Dahani is the third pacer from Pakistan to be down with an injury in the recent times after Shaheen Shah Afridi (right knee ligament injury) and Mohammad Wasim Jr. (side strain).

"Shahnawaz Dahani will not be available for Sunday's ACC T20 Asia Cup Super-4 match against India due to a suspected side strain. The injury happened while bowling in the match against Hong Kong in Sharjah on Friday," said the PCB in an official update.

In Pakistan's 155-run thrashing of Hong Kong on Friday, Dahani had figures of 1/7 in two overs. In an earlier match against India in Group A held last Sunday, Dahani had hit 16 runs apart from figures of 0/29 in four overs.

"As is the case with any suspected side strain injury, the medical team will monitor him for the next 48-72 hours, following which they will make decisions, including carrying out a scan and further participation in the tournament," added the PCB.

In four T20Is, right-arm pacer Dahani had picked three wickets while in two ODIs, he has one scalp. Pakistan's other pace bowling options ahead of their Super Four match against India at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday include Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali and Mohammad Hasnain.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) The defending champions, the Indian Senior Women's National Team departed for Kathmandu, on Saturday for the SAFF Women's Championship which kicks off on September 6. The Blue Tigresses have been clubbed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Maldives and Bangladesh.

"The players are aware of the challenges and we hope to put up a strong performance. The mix of seniors and the younger ones will surely help us to achieve the target", said Head Coach Suren Chettri.

India face Pakistan on September 7, followed by the Maldives on September 10 and Bangladesh on September 13, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said in a release on Saturday.

All matches will be played at the Dashrath Stadium, Kathmandu, Nepal.

The 23-player squad headed to Kathmandu after a brief camp in Pune. Dangmei Grace has also joined the team from her recent club (Nasaf Qarshi) in Uzbekistan.

The squad:

Goalkeepers: Aditi Chauhan, Maibam Linthoingambi Devi, Sowmiya Narayanasamy. Defenders: Sweety Devi, Ritu Rani, Ashalata Devi, Ranjana Chanu, Manisa Panna, Michel Castanha, Juli Kishan, Santosh. Midfielders: Anju Tamang, Priyangka Devi, Martina Thokchom, Sandhiya Ranganathan, Kashmina, Ratanbala Devi. Forwards: Dular Marandi, Apurna Narzary, Soumya Guguloth, Renu, Kiran Pisda, Dangmei Grace.

Head coach: Suren Chettri.

India's fixtures in Group A follow below:
Sep 7: India vs Pakistan
Sep 10: Maldives vs India
Sep 13: India vs Bangladesh

--IANS

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Sharjah, Sep 3 (IANS) Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan feels that whoever is able to remain brave and keeps a calm head will be the winner of the marquee Super Four clash against India in Dubai on Sunday.

After losing to India by five wickets in their opening Group A clash last week on Sunday, Pakistan will return to Dubai International Stadium this Sunday to take on their arch-rivals again. Pakistan managed to grab the final Super Four spot after thrashing Hong Kong by 155 runs at Sharjah on Friday to set up another showdown with India in the tournament.

"Playing against India is always a pressure game. The whole world, even beyond Asia, wait for it. Playing against India feels like a final as people in both countries are eager to watch the game. It helps in keeping things as normal as possible. The pressure will be equally on India and us, but the result will be with whoever remains brave and keeps calm," said Rizwan after the match against Hong Kong ended.

Rizwan, who was adjudged 'Player of the Match' for his unbeaten 78 off 57 balls against Hong Kong and carried his bat throughout the match, insisted that his team is trying to keep things simple ahead of the clash against India in order to reach the final.

"I tell players, whether you play India or Hong Kong, it's a game of bat and ball. So keep it simple. Yes, it's a big game and our confidence is high but only hard work is in our hands, as the result is from God. We have to play good cricket and make the final. Our fans demand that we give our best and it is visible this time that the boys are giving it their all."

In the match against Hong Kong, pacers Naseem Shah and Shahnawaz Dahani were amongst the wickets. Rizwan felt that in absence of premier pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan have got a chance to unearth a new-ball pace combination.

"I've talked to the bowlers before. I will be very honest here, no bowler from this group can replace Shaheen or fill in for his loss. This is my honest answer. The way Shaheen has performed in the past 1-2 years, no bowler can come into the side and fill his shoes."

"But, we can get another Shaheen Shah and this is an opportunity for our other fast bowlers. The way Naseem and Dahani have performed, and Haris is already a part of the side, so we are hopeful to get one or two more Shaheen Shahs with us. We are famous for our solid fast bowlers. So if we get a new combination for the new ball, it will be very good for Pakistan."

--IANS

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Dubai, Sep 3 (IANS) Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria feels T20 is "anybody's" game and Pakistan can beat India on Sunday when the two sides meet for the second time in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.

Pakistan registered a 155-run win against Hong Kong on Friday. The Green Army had posted 193/2 in 20 overs and folded Hong Kong for just 38 runs.

As a result, Pakistan will now meet India on Sunday for the Super Four round match.

"The win against Hong Kong was an important one for Pakistan for the Sunday match. The Sunday match is 50-50, it's anybody's game, Pakistan can beat India on that day," said Danish Kaneria on live streaming organised by the Koo app.

The former Pakistan spinner also highlighted how there are too many players in the Indian team who can make it into the playing XI and this adds a good headache for the side.

"Team India is confused at the moment, they are with two wicketkeepers and are in a dilemma of playing either Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik. Deepak Hooda who had performed well is out of the team and there is a bowling concern for India too, especially Avesh Khan who leaks too many runs," said Kaneria.

"T20 is anybody's game, and on the given day if you have a good playing XI you can win," he added.

However, Kaneris was vary of the fact that India has good finishers which Pakistan is right now craving for. The former cricketer feels to compensate for the lower order, Pakistan openers need to score big.

"Babar Azam has been performing well but in a major tournament he is not been able to live up to the mark and that is a worrying sign. We cannot rely on Pakistan's middle order, Babar and Rizwan have to score. Pakistan need big runs from Babar Azam," said Kaneria.

"India has finisher like Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik but Pakistan doesn't have anyone with a capability of scoring big in the lower order," he added.

The Super Four round of the Asia Cup 2022 will begin on Saturday with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan facing off each other at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) Former India Skipper and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly on Saturday expressed his inability to actively participate as a cricketer for the Legends League Cricket (LLC) Benefit Match to be held on September 16 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Ganguly, who cited professional commitments, including his work as an administrator to not participate in LLC season two, will be watching the match between Indian Maharajas and Eoin Morgan-led World XI at the stadium.

In a letter addressed to the League, Ganguly wished his cricketing colleagues all the best for the benefit match as well as for the subsequent season two of the LLC. "I would like to convey my best wishes for your Legends League initiative. It's a wonderful idea of bringing retired cricketers back on the cricket field and engaging with fans across generations. I am thankful to you for offering me an opportunity to play in the one-off Legends League game at the Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata on September 16, 2022."

"However, due to my professional commitments and continuous work with cricket administration, I will not be able to take part in this game. I am sure the fans are eagerly looking forward to this league and there will be large crowds at the stadium. The league is bringing together the stalwarts of the game and I am sure there will be exciting cricket on display. I will be there at the Eden Gardens Stadium watching the match."

Through this benefit match, the league is aiming to celebrate the 75th Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and the entire proceeds of the match will be donated to Kapil Dev's Khushii Foundation; for supporting girl child and their education.

"We respect Sourav's decision and Legends League Cricket is here to celebrate the greatness of these cricketing greats in the best possible manner. And we are glad that Sourav even if he is not playing, will be an intrinsic part of this benefit match with his presence to cheer the Legends when they take the field for the cause on September 16, 2022," said Raman Raheja, CEO and Co-Founder, Legends League Cricket.

Cricketing greats from 10 nations will be part of this special benefit match between India Maharajas and World Giants to raise funds for the noble cause. The September 16 match will be followed by matches in Lucknow, New Delhi, Cuttack and Jodhpur. The Play-offs and finals venues are yet to be decided.

--IANS

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By Niharika Raina
Dubai, Sep 3 (IANS) Exactly a week ago, there was a lot of hype around India and Pakistan meeting each other in Dubai in the Group stages of the Asia Cup 2022. It was also one of those rare occasions where the pre-match hype of an India-Pakistan match matched with the on-field play.



The Group A match was an absorbing affair between the two teams, which went into the final over before Hardik Pandya, after his spell of 3/25, took India home in a tense chase of 148 with a six over long-on. Many fans had manifested another India-Pakistan meeting to happen in the Super Four stage, and the cricketing gods made it come true.

Saturday will see Afghanistan play against Sri Lanka in first Super Four match at Sharjah. But there is another India-Pakistan showdown at Dubai on Sunday which the fans from both countries and around the world will be keenly keeping an eye on.

Amidst the scorching heat in the UAE, the atmosphere in the Dubai International Stadium will go a couple of notches high when the greatest rivalry in the world of cricket resumes yet again on Sunday.

From an Indian perspective, they will be pleased to see how Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Suryakumar Yadav, along with a returning Virat Kohli, have stepped up to lead the side to victory in matches against Pakistan and Hong Kong. But there are still some areas of concern for India ahead of Sunday's big game against Pakistan.

KL Rahul has been completely out of sorts since his return after a lengthy injury layoff. He got out for a first-ball duck against Pakistan and in the match against Hong Kong, he was struggling to time the ball, resulting in a painstaking 36 off 39 balls. India would also want for captain Rohit Sharma to get a big score after indifferent outings in two matches, which deviated from the side's ultra-attacking batting approach.

In the bowling attack, there will be question marks over Avesh Khan's inconsistency. Against Pakistan, he had figures of 1/19 in his two overs. But against Hong Kong, he was erratic while conceding 53 runs in his four overs.

Moreover, with no Ravindra Jadeja for the remainder of the tournament, whose promotion to number four against Pakistan worked well, India have a selection query to address. They need to see whether they will still retain Rishabh Pant in the playing eleven for his left-handedness or get either of Deepak Hooda or Axar Patel, a like-for-like replacement of Jadeja, in the playing eleven.

Pakistan, on the other side, cruised into Super Four stage with a 155-run thrashing of Hong Kong. Their pacers and spinners got wickets while Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman got fifties before Khushdil Shah applied finishing touches. But their concerns still remain about the top-order.

There's no doubt about Rizwan, Zaman and captain Babar Azam achieving a major chunk of success while chasing. But batting first is not their strongest suit, especially when the top three use a lot of deliveries, which leaves little time for someone like a Khushdil, Iftikhar Ahmed and Asif Ali to apply the finishing touches.

Asia Cup 2022 is now at a stage where no team is lightweight or can be underestimated. One loss and chances of getting into the finale on September 11 will be in trouble. India and Pakistan are well aware that even one false move in Super Four can jeopardise their well-laid plans for the finale.

As the tournament moves into the last four phase, excitement levels will be at a high when India and Pakistan take the field on Sunday. One would hope that this time as well, the hype matches the on-field action, once again, like it happened seven days ago.

Squads

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan.

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Hasan Ali, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir.


--IANS

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New York, Sep 3 (IANS) 23-time Grand Slam singles winner Serena Williams bowed out after the third round loss at the US Open on Friday as she was honoured by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) as one of "the greatest champions in the history of sports".

"The WTA today celebrates the extraordinary Serena Williams, who retires from professional tennis having secured her place among the greatest champions in the history of sports".

Williams thanked fans and family for support in an emotional post-match interview after she lost to Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday, reports Xinhua. "It's been the most incredible ride and journey I've ever been on in my life," she said.

"Thank you daddy, I know you're watching. Thanks mum. I want to thank everyone who's here, who has been on my side for so many years, literally decades. I wouldn't be Serena if there wasn't Venus, so thank you Venus. She's the only reason Serena Williams ever existed."

Turning 41 later this month, the record Grand Slam title holder in Open Era has 73 tournament wins, including 23 singles, 14 doubles and two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles as well as four Olympic gold medals representing the United States.

During her 27-year career after professional debut in Quebec City in 1995, she topped the world singles rankings for 319 weeks, including 186 consecutive weeks. She finished as WTA Year-End world No.1 for five times and became the oldest world No.1 at the age of 35 years and 230 days in May 2017.

"Congratulations to Serena on her historic career in tennis," said Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO. "She will be greatly missed by the WTA family, but her legacy will inspire generations to come for what she has stood for and accomplished both on and off the court. We wish her every success and happiness as she embarks upon the next chapter of her life."

--IANS

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