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New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) India head into Super Eights with an unbeaten record after beating Netherlands by 17 runs in their last Group A fixture.

In their final group game, India overcame a cagey start against Netherlands to finish at 193/6 in Ahmedabad after opting to bat first.

Netherlands got off to a steady start to their chase. But they were staring down the barrel after being reduced to 125/6 after 16 overs before Zach Lion-Cachet and Noah Croes counter-attacked with a flurry of big hits to narrow the gap.

Croes smashed three boundaries off four balls – two off the last two balls of Washington Sundar’s spell and one off Arshdeep Singh – before Lion-Cachet too got in on the act with a boundary and a six.

Two more boundaries from Croes off Hardik Pandya trimmed the equation to 28 off the final over. But Shivam Dube held his nerve at the death, conceding little and removing Lion-Cachet to seal a 17-run win, as India wrapped up the group stage unbeaten.

All the stats from India's win

7: India captain Suryakumar Yadav used 7 bowlers. It was the fifth instance when India used seven or more bowlers during an innings of a T20 WC match.

12: Till date, India have so far used 12 bowlers in the current edition of the WC which are the maximum in a single edition of the T20WC. Earlier, they used 11 bowlers in the 2009 edition.

13: Hardik Pandya has become the 13th all-rounder and first from the India to complete the double of 6000+plus runs and 200+ wickets in the T20 format.

3: Opener Abhishek Sharma who failed to score a single run in the current T20 WC is now the 3rd opener to get three ducks in a T20 World Cup. Previously, Andrew Fletcher of West Indies in 2009 and Tanzid Hasan of Bangladesh in 2024 had this dubious distinction.

12: India registered their 12th successive victory in the T20 WCs which is a World record. They started their winning campaign from June 5, 2024 and it is still running till date.

66: Is the highest score of Shivam Dube in T20Is,eclipsing his previous best of 65 v New Zealand at Vizag on Jan 28, 2026. Overall, it was his sixth fifty-plus score in his 59th match.

176/7: Is Netherland's highest team total without an individual fifty, surpassing 174/4 against Nepal at Lord's in 2018.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Feb 19 (IANS) Italy have won the toss and opted to bowl against West Indies in their final group stage match of the T20 World Cup 2026 here at the Eden Gardens Stadium on Thursday.

After winning the toss, Italy skipper Harry Manenti said, "We’re going to have a bowl today. We get caught - there’s a touch in the wicket early, hopefully this morning — and give ourselves the best crack to try and swing a few up front and take some early wickets. We take some confidence out of our last game against England, I think, against a really strong side."

"Obviously, we play West Indies today, who are another really powerful team and have had success in this format for a long time. So we look forward to the challenge and hopefully we can step it up and really compete with them today. It’s obviously a focus point ever since Scotland, to try and take wickets in that front half of the game and try and conserve as well, like we did in Nepal. So if we can do that today, hopefully it’s a good step towards having a successful game and winning," he added

The West Indies skipper Shai Hope said, "Well, it’s not my decision though, but yeah, we have to set it this time around. The process is still in place. It’s important for us to make sure we don’t change that mindset that we want to put out there. Make sure, you know, final changes, any little activity that we want to do as a team - it’s really about playing the cricket we want to play going into this phase. No changes."

Playing XIs

West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope (wk/c), Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph

Italy: Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, Syed Naqvi, JJ Smuts, Harry Manenti (c), Ben Manenti, Grant Stewart, Gian Meade (wk), Crishan Kalugamage, Thomas Draca, Ali Hasan

--IANS

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Doha, Feb 19 (IANS) Carlos Alcaraz progressed to Qatar Open quarterfinal with a straight sets 6-2, 7-5 win over Valentin Royer.

Alcaraz reeled off five consecutive games from 2-5 in the second set, raising his level in typically classy fashion to round out a 96-minute second-round triumph.

"There were some moments when I thought about a third set, I’m not going to lie, but obviously it was just a small place in my mind that was thinking that. The rest was working to find solutions, to find the right way again.

“I’m just really pleased and really happy I was able to find good rhythm again, and good tennis. It’s just about fighting. I know tennis. It’s just about one point, and sometimes it is really difficult to close out the set or the match. I just had to stay there, and I’m happy I turned it around and got the win in straight sets," Alcaraz said after the win.

Alcaraz is on a nine-match winning streak after backing up his Australian Open title run by reaching the quarter-finals in Doha. He will on Thursday take on Karen Khachanov for a last-four spot.

The seventh-seeded Khachanov, who downed Marton Fucsovics 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 earlier on Wednesday, was the 2024 champion in the Qatari capital.

Alcaraz is now on a 27-match winning streak on outdoor hard courts, dating back to his title run at the Cincinnati Open last August. The 22-year-old is chasing his maiden trophy in Doha, where he fell at the quarter-final stage to Jiri Lehecka on event debut a year ago, ATP reports.

The other quarter-final in Alcaraz’s half of the draw will feature fifth seed and defending champion Andrey Rublev taking on Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Rublev brushed aside Fabian Marozsan 6-2, 6-4, while former World No. 3 Tsitsipas advanced to his first tour-level quarter-final for 10 months by downing fourth seed Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-4.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) Leverkusen, Newcastle and Bodo/Glimt all picked up wins in the first legs of their UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs.

Patrik Schick scored twice in four second-half minutes as Leverkusen avenged their defeat in Piraeus during the league phase with 2-0 win over Olympiacos.

Olympiacos' Kostas Tzolakis made two exceptional first-half saves, repelling Schick's shot and tipping Ibrahim Maza's volley over. Opposite number Janis Blaswich also pushed Gelson Martins' curling effort behind before the break, UEFA reports.

Schick broke the deadlock by completing a counterattack with a composed finish on the hour. The forward soon headed in Alejandro Grimaldo's corner for his second, leaving Die Werkself strongly placed in the tie.

Anthony Gordon's four-goal first-half haul set up an emphatic 6-1 victory for the English visitors Newcastle United against Qarabag FK.

The 24-year-old opened the scoring after just three minutes, Malick Thiaw's header swiftly extending the lead.

A quickfire double just after the half-hour secured Gordon the match ball, the winger converting a penalty before soon dinking in a third. There was still time before the interval for the Magpies' No. 10 to grab another, slotting his second spot kick of the night to the other side.

Elvin Jafarguliyev pulled one back with a fierce strike, but visiting substitute Jacob Murphy restored the five-goal advantage with a deflected effort.

Bodo/Glimt scored two goals in four second-half minutes to beat Inter Milan 3-1, claiming their third memorable Champions League victory in a row, following their league phase triumphs against Manchester City and Atleti.

A clever back-heel from Kasper Hogh played in Sondre Brunstad Fet to slot in a clinical 20th-minute opener for the hosts, before Inter levelled when Pio Esposito powered in on the turn.

Bodo/Glimt took control with two goals just past the hour. First Jens Petter Hauge fired in an unstoppable effort from Høgh's pass, the latter sealing the win with a strike of his own from close range.

Meanwhile, Christos Tzolis struck a minute from time as Club Brugge twice came back to preserve their unbeaten record in five home meetings with Atleti with 3-3 draw.

Julian Alvarez's penalty and an Ademola Lookman tap-in had the visitors in a healthy position at the break, but the hosts responded brilliantly.

Raphael Onyedika pulled one back after Jan Oblak saved from Nicolo Tresoldi, who the got on the end of Mamadou Diakhon's cross to level. Joel Ordonez's own goal looked to have given Atleti the win, but Tzolis' late intervention leaves the tiein the balance.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS) India’s top 20 shooters in 10m Air Rifle will compete for the honours in the 16th Lakshya Cup at the Lakshya Shooting Club, Karnala Sports Academy, in Navi Mumbai, hoping to continue their buildup for the trials for the teams for this year's mega event -- the Asian Games in Japan.

Lakshya Cup, the Invitation-only tournament, is scheduled to be played from February 21 to 22 and will bring together leading junior and senior athletes in a professionally run competition aligned with international standards, offering equal podium opportunities for men and women, as well as prize money and equipment awards for top finishers.

The top-contenders like Kiran Jadhav (reigning National Champion and World Championship medalist), Sonam Maskar (ISSF World Cup medalist), Parth Mane (reigning National Games Champion and Junior World Champion), Rajshree Sancheti (international shooter and former National Champion), and Ojasvi Thakur (Asian Championships Youth gold medalist) will compete, where the Senior Champion will receive ₹1.5 lakh and the rotating Silver Trophy, currently held by Kiran Jadhav of the Navy.

The Junior Champion will receive ₹75,000, with additional cash prizes for other podium finishers. Athletes will also be eligible to win shooting equipment and accessories.

Founded in 2006, Lakshya Shooting Club introduced the Lakshya Cup in 2009 as an intra-club event. The tournament was conceptualised by Olympian, Arjuna Awardee, and Dronacharya Awardee Suma Shirur, Founder and High-Performance Director of Lakshya Shooting Club. Since 2016, it has developed into one of India’s most respected invitation-only rifle competitions, designed to provide structured exposure and competitive pressure for emerging and elite shooters.

Speaking ahead of the 16th edition, Suma Shirur, Founder and High-Performance Director of Lakshya Shooting Club, said, “The Lakshya Cup was created to prepare Indian rifle shooters for the demands of international sport. High performance is built through structure, discipline, and exposure to competitive pressure. This platform challenges athletes to perform with composure and consistency at the highest level.”

Finals will be held on February 22, with the Junior 10m Air Rifle Final at 2:00 PM followed by the Senior 10m Air Rifle Final at 3:30 PM. The Prize Distribution Ceremony will commence at 5:30 PM.

A defining feature of the Lakshya Cup since 2009 has been gender parity. Women and men in the senior category, and girls and boys in the junior category, compete together for the same podium positions, reflecting the belief that shooting performance is determined by skill, focus, and temperament, and aligning with the sport’s global direction, including Olympic mixed team events.

The 16th RR Lakshya Cup 2025 acknowledges the support of the Maharashtra Rifle Association and the National Rifle Association of India, along with partners: Capapie Sports (Equipment Partner), Tiro Sports (Accessories Partner), Karnala Sports Academy (Venue Partner), Munoth Group (Realty Partner), Tara Chand Infralogistic Solutions Ltd. (Logistics Partner), and Texon Corporation (Technology Partner).

--IANS

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Ahmedabad, Feb 18 (IANS) Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav was pleased with the decision to bat first and lauded his team’s all-round effort after India defended 193/6 to register a hard-fought 17-run win over the Netherlands in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

“We wanted to bat first, and went on to score 190. There was a bit of dew, a little challenging for the bowlers, but all in all, very happy,” Suryakumar said after the match.

India’s innings had its share of early setbacks. Abhishek Sharma fell for his third consecutive duck of the tournament, while Aryan Dutt struck twice in the Power-play to remove both Abhishek and Ishan Kishan (18). Tilak Varma (31) steadied the innings before the middle order shifted gears dramatically.

Shivam Dube was the standout performer, smashing a breathtaking 66 off just 31 balls, bringing up a 25-ball half-century and taking the attack to both spin and pace. India plundered 15 runs in the 16th over and 20 in the next to surge past 150, before Rinku Singh added the finishing touches to push the total to 193/6. “When he (Dube) played at Vizag (against NZ), he had another knock. He wanted to get the POTM award that day too, but to get to 190 (tonight), it was amazing,” Suryakumar said in praise of the all-rounder.

Reflecting on the team’s overall performance, he added, “We might be in a similar situation (losing early wickets), but it is important for the batters to understand what the responsibility is. We have firepower (later). We have ticked a lot of boxes. Even when you win, you learn a lot of things, and we did today.”

Suryakumar also highlighted India’s bowling depth. “Sometimes it is a good headache to have. Have a lot of options. On a given day, whatever the wicket demands, they can chip in. Happy with the way things are moving. Contributions coming from every batter. One or two might have a beautiful day, but we need contributions from each and every one.”

The Netherlands began their chase confidently, adding 35 for the opening stand before India struck. Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede stitched together a brisk 43-run partnership to keep the contest alive, capitalising on a few missed chances.

Dutch captain Scott Edwards acknowledged his team’s strong phases but admitted key moments slipped away. “We started really well. A lot of credit to Aryan. He has been sensational for us for a few years. We felt right in the game (for a while). We know they have firepower all the way down. To keep them under control for 14-15 overs was sensational.”

However, he conceded that lapses proved costly. “A couple of missed chances, missed execution, and these guys will make you pay. They had wickets in hand and took down a few overs at the end.”

Looking at the bigger picture, Edwards reflected on the learning curve. “Any time you come here, you learn a lot. Grounds are smaller, pitches are flatter, crowds are bigger, and there is so much hype. As a group, we pride ourselves on playing well in the big moments. Played well, but in those moments, we have to make those moments count.”

--IANS

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Ahmedabad, Feb 18 (IANS) After powering India to a 17-run win over the Netherlands in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, Player of the Match Shivam Dube said he relished batting under pressure on a challenging surface and was pleased to deliver his career-best knock while fulfilling the team’s mandate of maintaining a high strike rate in the middle overs.

Varun Chakravarthy 3-14 and an all-round performance from Shivam Dube (66 & 2-35) helped India continue their winning run and extend it to 12 matches at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Dube’s 66 against the Netherlands now stands as his highest T20I score, surpassing his 65 against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam earlier in 2026 and the unbeaten 63 against Afghanistan in Indore in 2024.

“It was a little tough; this is the situation I love to bat. I was enjoying it, although I was under pressure. It was skidding and keeping low. One of the balls spun as well. For me, I knew I could hit, but the situation demanded something different. I try to hit boundaries and enjoy hitting sixes. I know all the bowlers are going to bluff me and are going to bowl slower balls, so I prepared myself.

“As the captain and coach have told me, I have to keep the strike rate high. But it also depends on the situation. Today, I could not keep the strike rate high (immediately). There was something, and I thought it was time I could go now. Working hard towards bowling. Results are coming. You are going to get hit sometimes, but you will also pick wickets,” he said.

Batting first on a red-soil surface, India was shaken early when Abhishek Sharma recorded his third consecutive duck of the tournament. Aryan Dutt dealt another blow during the Power-play by getting rid of both Abhishek and Ishan Kishan, who scored 18 and had shared a 39-run stand with Tilak Varma, who made 31. However, India accelerated in the middle overs, scoring 15 runs in the 16th over and 20 in the next, as the Netherlands’ spin gamble failed.

Shivam Dube changed the game with an impressive 66 off 31 balls, hitting two fours and five sixes, including a quick fifty off 25 balls. Rinku Singh provided a late boost with a six off his second ball as India finished with a total of 193 for 6.

In response, the Netherlands started well with Michael Levitt and Max O’Dowd putting together 35 runs before Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed O’Dowd. Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede bounced back with a rapid 43-run stand, targeting the Indian bowlers. But India struck at key moments to slow down the scoring and ultimately defended their total comfortably, achieving an important win.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) Amandeep Singh Johl and Kapil Dev, the CEO and President respectively of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), met Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to discuss the development of golf and tourism in the country.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Amandeep Singh informed that it was a "fruitful discussion" with the minister.

"Indeed an honour to meet Hon'ble Minister of Tourism @gssjodhpur, @tourismgoi, @incredibleindia, along with President @pgtofindia, @therealkapildev. A fruitful discussion on Golf and Tourism in India #viksitbharat," said Johl.

Golf and Tourism have quite strong links as the sport brings a lot of revenue to the tourism sector. Golf Tourism is very big in Western countries, and the major golf tournaments do attract many participants and fans who then spend some time in the country enjoying the tourist places and the culture.

The Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) was formed in 2006 as the successor to the Indian PGA Golf Tour, which ran from 1997 to 2006. It serves as a feeder tour for higher-level tours such as the Asian and European Tours.

The PGTI is currently conducting the 19th season of the Professional Golf Tour of India. It currently hosts 10 events, including the Hero Indian Open, an event co-sanctioned by the Asian and European Tours.

The PGTI is currently hosting the DP World Players Championship 2026, being played at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata.

Shaurya Bhattacharya, the overnight leader, fired a tournament low score of eight-under 62 in the second round to extend his lead to four shots at the INR 1.5 crore DP World Players Championship 2026 Powered by Urbana, being played at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata.

Three-time DP World PGTI winner Shaurya (64-62), playing his first event of the 2026 DP World PGTI season, produced a bogey-free effort, including an eagle and six birdies on Wednesday, to move his total to 14-under 126. Kshitij Naveed Kaul (67-63) returned a 63 featuring an eagle, six birdies and a bogey to rise seven spots to second position at 10-under 130.

--IANS

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Ahmedabad, Feb 18 (IANS) Varun Chakravarthy's 3-14 and an all-round performance from Shivam Dube (66 & 2-35) helped India continue their winning run and extend it to 12 matches after beating the Netherlands by 17 runs in the 36th match of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Wednesday.

The Netherlands got off to a good start in the Group A clash, chasing 194 as openers Michael Levitt and Max O’ Dowd added 35 runs in the first five overs. India ended the steady 35-run opening partnership when Varun Chakaravarthy bowled a sharp delivery, hitting Max O’Dowd's leg stump. The Netherlands’ top run-scorer in T20Is faced another tough game, finishing a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign with only 45 runs in four matches.

Hardik Pandya then acted quickly to give India another breakthrough as Michael Levitt (24) fell while trying an ambitious pull. Bowling a 132.2 kph short-of-a-length delivery outside off and rolling his fingers over the seam, Pandya forced a mistimed shot that soared towards deep mid-wicket. Washington Sundar read it well near the boundary, timed his jump perfectly, caught it above his head, and kept his balance inside the rope to make a great play.

Earlier, after electing to bat on a red-soil wicket, India lost out-of-form Abhishek Sharma early as he departed on his third consecutive duck of the tournament. Aryan Dutt struck twice early to shake India during the Power-play. He dismissed both Sharma and Ishan Kishan (18 off 17) with three excellent overs of off-spin with the new ball. Ishan showed promise with a few solid hits and added 39 runs with Tilak Varma (31) before he got bowled in an unfortunate dismissal.

Varma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav took control of the Indian innings and then added 30-odd runs. Varma, looking to go big over long-off, placed it beside 41-year-old Roelof van der Merwe, who attempted a full-stretched dive to complete the catch.

Skipper Surykumar then opened his hand with a signature style ‘Supla’ shot off de Leede in the 12th over, and then all-rounder Shivam Dube took charge of power-hitting in the very next over.

Colin Ackermann, bowling the 13th over, was taken down by Dube with two maximums on the leg side and a boundary, carving the covers as 19 runs came off the over.

Just when it seemed like the hosts were gaining momentum with Suryakumar and Dube launching a counterattack, the Netherlands responded fiercely with the wicket of the skipper, who departed on 34 off 28.

India changed their approach dramatically in the middle overs. They scored 15 runs off the 16th over and hit another 20 in the next. The decision to bowl spin did not work out. Van der Merwe couldn’t stop the attack, so Bas de Leede had to return to the bowling lineup as India raced past 150 in 17 overs.

Shivam Dube led the way, blasting both spin and pace on his way to an explosive half-century off just 25 balls, featuring two fours and five sixes. Fourteen runs came from the final over, with Rinku Singh making his mark by hitting a six on just his second ball. India finished with a commanding total of 193/6.

For the Netherlands, Logan van Beek 3-56 and Aryan Dutt 2-19 were the key bowlers.

Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede were the main contributors for the Netherlands innings, adding 43 off 26 deliveries. First, they took down Pandya for 14 and then Abhishek Sharma for 10 runs—the only over he bowled. Carrying on with the momentum, both the batters capitalised on Shivam Dube’s first over for 12 runs after Ackerman was dropped by Washington Sundar.

Ackermann’s (23 off 15) quick cameo ended after he got out at deep mid-wicket. Rinku Singh made a secure catch, giving Varun Chakaravarthy his second wicket and ending the 43-run partnership. The Dutch soon faced more trouble as Chakaravarthy took another wicket, removing Aryan Dutt for a golden duck. Suddenly, on a hat-trick, the spinner was on fire, leaving the Netherlands in a tough spot.

Dube then struck back after getting smoked for a maximum and a boundary with a prized wicket of de Leede (33). The Netherlands were in trouble with the required rate rising with each ball as Bumrah, returning for his second spell, cleaned up skipper Scott Edwards.

The Netherlands showed some fightback in the end with Zach Lion-Cachet (26 off 16) and Noah Croes (25 off 12*), but the toll of runs was heavy as India continued their winning run and extended it to 12 unbeaten by beating the visitors by 17 runs.

Chakravarthy 3-14 and an all-round performance from Dube (66 & 2-35) were the key contributors in India’s win.

Brief scores:

India 193/6 in 20 overs (Shivam Dube 66, Suryakumar Yadav 34; Logan van Beek 3-56, Aryan Dutt 2-19) beat Netherlands 176/7 in 20 overs (Bas de Leede 33, Noah Croes 25; Varun Chakravarthy 3-14, Shivam Dube 2-25) by 17 runs

--IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) The ADCA T20I Asia Cup 2026, organised by the Asian Deaf Cricket Association (ADCA) in collaboration with the Indian Deaf Cricket Association (IDCA) and supported by the Odisha Deaf Cricket Association, will be held from February 19–25, 2026, at the iconic Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, Odisha.

The tournament will feature three competing nations — India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal — showcasing seasoned deaf cricket talent from across Asia.

Ahead of the championship, participating teams underwent preparatory practice sessions from February 14–16 at the KIIT Cricket Ground, Bhubaneswar, ensuring strong readiness for the competition.

The Opening Ceremony will commence at 10:00 AM on February 19, 2026, setting the stage for an exciting week of international cricket and inclusion.

India will be led by Virender Singh, while Sri Lanka will be captained by A. Kalep, and Nepal will be captained by Baidhanath Chaudhary.

Sumit Jain, President, ADCA, said, “This championship marks a milestone in ADCA’s journey of nurturing diversity and promoting world-class deaf cricket. We thank our partners for believing in our vision and supporting the ‘Dare to Dream’ movement to mainstream deaf cricket talent across Asia. Special thanks to all our partners for their support for this maiden tournament. We thank OCA & ODCA for their immense support.”

Roma Balwani, CEO, IDCA and Director, ADCA, added: “Playing in Cuttack, one of India’s most iconic cricket venues, is truly inspiring for our athletes. At IDCA, we believe in enabling inclusion through disability sport, especially cricket. We deeply appreciate the belief of our partners, state associations, and supporters. We salute every athlete here for their passion, resilience, and excellence on and off the field.”

She added, “IDCA has played a pivotal role in facilitating the ADCA tournament arrangements, with the visiting teams expressing gratitude for the support extended in IDCA hosting the championship in Cuttack. Special thanks to IDCA, Vice President & Gen. Sec. Sagarkanta Senapati & CEO, ODCA, Ms. Sharmila Subramanian making this a memorable tournament for our visiting teams from Sri Lanka & Nepal .”

--IANS

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