Now that the salaries of IPL players are confirmed, Rishabh Pant has emerged as the highest-earning Indian cricketer, purely from a cricketing earnings point of view. The wicket-keeper batter earns a total of Rs. 32 crore annually from his cricketing commitments, dethroning Virat Kohli who now earns INR Rs. 28 crore annually.

Both Pant and Kohli have two sources of income - BCCI and IPL contracts. Pant slots in the A category in the BCCI central contracts, earning Rs. 5 crore annually while his IPL earning is Rs. 27 crore annually, hence taking the overall amount to Rs. 32 crore.

For Kohli, the earning through the BCCI central contract comes to be Rs. 7 crore since he is part of the A+ category of players. RCB pays him Rs. 21 crore annually for playing in the IPL (as per the new contract), hence taking the overall earnings to Rs. 28 crore.

Pant's earnings, however, can increase when the new BCCI central contracts are announced in March next year. In all likeliness, Pant can be promoted to the A+ category, considering he is key to Team India's plans in all three formats. Such a move by the board would see him increase the lead of Kohli further.

Kohli, who is no longer a part of India's T20 squad, could see himself being demoted to the A category of players, hence taking a pay cut.

When it comes to Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer, the next top earners from the auction, neither of the two is a part of the BCCI central contracts at the moment. However, Shreyas still stands the chance of being included if he makes a return to the Indian team.

"At this point, the hybrid format is the best option. We hope that all the parties involved will take a wise call for the sake of the tournament. It's not good for the tournament to have it without India and Pakistan," a source close to the development told PTI.

The ICC members are trying to sell the point to the PCB that without the blue riband India vs Pakistan fixture, the Champions Trophy will lose all its sheen and, more importantly, there will be massive financial implications.

The host broadcaster — Jio Star — has already contacted the ICC top brass to convey its dismay at the delay in arriving at a final decision regarding the schedule.

As per the contract between the ICC and the broadcaster, the governing body was expected to give it the schedule of the tournament at least 90 days in advance and that deadline has already been breached.

So, will the members discuss the possibility of placing India and Pakistan in different groups in the league stage of the tournament to avoid Men in Blue's travel to the neighbouring country? "I don't think the television rights holders will agree to that. They will demand an India vs Pakistan match in the group stage itself as an assured way to raise the profile and monetary income, and it will be a bonus if the teams then meet in the knockouts," the source said.

"Even otherwise, if India enters the knockout stage, it will have to be taken out of Pakistan as BCCI has already made its stand clear. So, the discussion will be around the hybrid model." India have not toured Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which killed more than 150 people. The latest refusal to travel has been blamed on security concerns and the ICC has stated more than once that it does not expect any member board to go against government advice.

Political unrest puts PCB on sticky wicket

The Sri Lanka A team's tour to Pakistan had to be cut short a couple of days ago due to intense political protests in Islamabad.

The turmoil is because of a protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party, which belongs to former captain and prime minister Imran Khan. There were incidents of clashes and violence reported between protestors and forces of law enforcement and security.

PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, also the federal interior minister, had announced that the army was called in to quell the unrest.

But when it comes to the Champions Trophy, the PCB has remained firm on having the event there.

"All I can assure is whatever happens in the meeting we will come out with good news and decisions which will be accepted by our people," Naqvi told reporters at Karachi on Wednesday night.

So, the primary target of the ICC members will be to make PCB embrace the 'Hybrid' model, at least for the league stage, in all likelihood, in the UAE and the knockouts in Pakistan.

But if India advance further in the event, then the knockouts, the matches in which India feature, too might have to be shifted back to the venue of the league matches.

However, what if the PCB remains rigid and decides to pull out of the Champions Trophy in the event of ICC deciding to take it to a neutral venue? "It's a very unlikely scenario. It can have very far reaching consequences for Pakistan cricket, which is not at its best in terms of financial health. India is set to host a few tournaments in the next couple of years.

"If Pakistan decides to boycott the Champions Trophy, then they will also have to boycott tournaments to be held in India, which in turn, can bring a lot of financial liabilities to PCB," he added.

India are set to play host to the Asia Cup (2025), the women's World Cup (2025) and the men's T20 World Cup (2026), this event jointly with Sri Lanka.

Du Plessis made a long chase to stop the ball but failed to do so. However, du Plessis couldn't apply the brakes in time as the follow through took him beyond the ropes.

While the two were about to collide, the ball boy, who had crouched to collect the ball, unintentionally tossed du Plessis over the hoardings. The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain landed awkwardly on the other side.

Luckily for him, du Plessis came out of the situation unharmed. A video of the same incident has gone viral on social media.

- Criket Mania
- Faf Du Plessis....pic.twitter.com/cooNOcZWpz

— Criket Mania (@criketmania) November 29, 2024

Meanwhile, Morrisville Samp Army continued their winning ways as they rode on Charith Asalanka's fiery innings and a tremendous bowling effort to script a three-run win over Delhi Bulls.

On a slow-turning track, Morrisville made the most of the dropped catches from the Bulls. Charith Asalanka's 25-ball 51-run innings further helped Samp Army post 112/5 in 10 overs.

Tom Banton gave a good start to Delhi in the chase, scoring 25 runs in 11 balls. But after Mohammad Zahid cleaned up his stumps with his first ball, the momentum began shifting towards Morrisville. With a few tight overs from Mohammad Zahid, Qais Ahmad and Karim Janat, Morrisville shackled the Delhi Bulls until Tim David started turning things around once again.

Zahid bowled two wide balls in the final over, turning the contest into a nail-biting thriller. With Delhi needing five runs to win on the final ball, David was run out and Samp Army won the match by 3 runs.

(With ANI Inputs)

While speaking on Sky Sports, Hussain also called out the bias surrounding the batters, who according to him get more headlines even when bowlers like Bumrah outperform them on the pitch.

"He has that slower ball, the yorker, the bouncer... I was thinking before the game, he was doing the press conference and I was watching, that all of the focus was on Kohli, and Rohit Sharma not being there, balance of the Indian side, Steve Smith, whether these great players will get runs. And I thought, they don't really talk about Bumrah. Maybe it's (because) he is a bowler. Batters are highlighted so much more," said Hussain.

Bumrah's current career average of 20.06 is the second-best among bowlers who have taken at least 150 Test wickets, only behing former England pacer Sydney Barnes, who played between 1901 and 1914 and took 189 wickets at an average of 16.43.

"Bumrah's stats, he is up there with Sydney Barnes isn't he? He has popped under 20 over quite a long period of time, it is incredible. He is the best all-format bowler in the world bar none," he added.

Meanwhile, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma started practising in the nets as he joined the team in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the birth of his second child.

He is all set to feature in the pink-ball practice match in Canberra, before officially resuming his duties as captain in the Adelaide Day-Night Test.

(With ANI Inputs)

Representatives from 12 ICC full member countries, three from associate nations, an independent director along with the ICC chairman and CEO are likely to be part of the meeting.

Meanwhile, a report in news agency PTI said that the emergency meeting of the International Cricket Council's executive board could not achieve a consensus on the much-awaited Champions Trophy schedule and will reconvene on Saturday after Pakistan once again rejected the 'Hybrid' model of hosting the event.

The meeting was brief after Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi made it clear that the 'hybrid' model won't be acceptable despite India's firm refusal to travel to his country owing to a lack of government clearance.

"The Board did meet briefly today. All parties continue to work towards a positive resolution for the Champions Trophy 2025 and it is expected that the Board will reconvene on Saturday and continue to meet over the next few days," a senior administrator of an ICC full member nation, who is also a part of the Board, told PTI.

Naqvi attended the meeting in person as he has been in Dubai since Thursday to push Pakistan's stance. BCCI secretary Jay Shah attended the meeting online. Shah will take charge of ICC on December 1. 

According to a report in the Indian Express, the ICC may place two plans in front of the panel. The first one is to hold three of India's group stage games, one semi-final and the final in a neutral country - with UAE a likely choice due to its geographical proximity to Pakistan (making it easier for other teams to travel to and fro rom the country). The second plan is that if Indian cricket team does not qualify for knockouts, both semi-finals and final take place in Pakistan.

A voting may also take place among the member boards. The majority's decision will be the final one and then PCB will have to decide its course. According to reports, the 19-day window for the tournament is February 19 to March 9.

Pakistan have the hosting rights for the Champions Trophy 2025 and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is adamant on staging the tournament completely. With India refusing to travel across the border to play in Pakistan, the likely format available to conduct the tournament is a 'hybrid model' with Pakistan hosting a majority of matches in the country while India plays its matches elsewhere.

Last year, the PCB hosted the Asia Cup in a hybrid model after India refused to travel to Pakistan. India played all its matches in the tournament in Colombo including the semifinal and final.

Earlier this month, the PCB wrote to the sport's global body seeking clarification and details regarding BCCI's decision, which had been communicated to the sport's World governing body.

The PCB has sought a written response from the BCCI, along with the date it officially informed the ICC of its position. Amid the ongoing uncertainty around the tournament, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has expressed confidence in hosting the first ICC event in Pakistan since 1996.

"We have sent them (ICC) the questions we had. We are still waiting for their response. I believe that sports and politics are separate and no country should mix the two. Even now I still have positive expectations about the Champions Trophy," Naqvi had said at a press interaction at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan, who got the Champions Trophy hosting rights in November 2021, have not hosted an ICC event since the 1996 World Cup.

With IANS  and PTI inputs 

Pant scripted history when he scored a ton on his debut for India. His early days in international cricket painted quite a promising picture. But, not a lot has gone right for him since then. The batter isn't even a regular in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy team anymore. Out of an IPL contract, Shaw truly has his back against the wall. But, Jindal feels that is a good thing.

"Prithvi is a great kid, but is misunderstood in many ways. I think, once in a while, we all need a jolt, and need to be shaken up from our slump. But when all your life you grow up hearing that you are the special open, the most talented, and is the only other batsman in the world other than Sachin and Kohli to own an MRF bat, that tells you a lot.

"Somebody called him Lara, somebody called him Sachin, or the next big thing...so grew up in that environment. Everyone from Mumbai cricket was talking about him. Mumbai has given us Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar, and now they were talking about him. So, this is that one jolt Prithvi needed. Till now he was on a fat IPL contract and playing across formats for Mumbai and was starting for Delhi," he said in a chat with India Today.

Jindal is keeping his fingers crossed for Shaw, hoping he would shrug off the disappointments and work on his fitness in a disciplined manner to bounce back.

"He needs to work hard and get back to loving the game again, and work on his fitness and discipline. I hope he comes back and becomes the Prithvi Shaw he had known," he added.

They would be aiming to put behind the horrors of 36 all out during the Adelaide pink ball Test during their previous tour Down Under and continue with their positive and attacking cricket after a morale-shattering defeat handed to Australia by 295 runs at Perth's Optus Stadium.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Edwards said, "Excited to go out there. Hopefully, the rains stays away. Prepared really well this morning in the nets. The group is young, with some old guys in the mix. We are all excited."

"It is an amazing opportunity for both young and old stars to come up against the likes of Rohit and Virat and some of the world's best. Being around them was exciting for a lot of youngsters (at the Parliament House during interaction with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese). It is going to be awesome," he added.

Edwards, who has played 36 first-class matches and scored 1,550 runs at an average of 28.18 with two centuries and three fifties, said that any chance to pick the brains of superstar Indian players would be "unreal.".

Talking about the pitch at Manuka Oval, where the match is happening, Edwards said that the pitch has nice coverage of grass and looks hard. "It would be a challenge for the batters to start out the innings with the new ball," he added.

On the idea of Indian players facing pacer Scott Boland, the 10-Test-old star who haunted Team India during the ICC World Test Championship final last year in the UK, Edwards said that it is a difficult task to face the bowler.

"An ultimate professional. With a pink ball under the lights, he could be dangerous to face for anyone. Hopefully, he could get two of the top-order batters out and put some dent in them ahead of the Adelaide Test," he concluded.

Meanwhile, in a positive development ahead of the pink-ball, day-night Test at Adelaide Oval against Australia, young Indian batting sensation Shubman Gill was seen batting in the nets at Canberra.

In the nets, Gill was seen refining his solid defence. After missing out on the first Test due to a thumb injury, there were positive signs as not only did Gill seem to handle his bat well, but his defence also looked pretty solid.

Meanwhile, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma started practicing in the nets as he joined the team in Australia during the Perth Test after the birth of his second child.

On the other hand, India head coach Gautam Gambhir flew back home amidst the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025 and will miss the two-day tour game against the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra, according to ESPNcricinfo.

The report stated that Gambhir had left the squad to be in India for personal reasons.

A Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) spokesperson confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the India head coach will be back with the squad before the Adelaide Test, which will be starting on December 6.

Prime Minister XI squad for the match: Jack Edwards (c), Charlie Anderson, Mahli Beardman, Scott Boland, Jack Clayton, Aidan O'Connor, Ollie Davies, Jayden Goodwin, Sam Harper, Hanno Jacobs, Sam Konstas, Lloyd Pope, Matthew Renshaw, Jem Ryan.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

"I was just trying to get a feel to be honest, see how the injury is reacting, if any kind of soreness is there but it went much better than what I and Kamlesh bhai (Kamlesh Jain, physio) expected. Very happy with that," Gill said in a video posted by BCCI on X after the training session here.

Gill was naturally disappointed about getting injured ahead of the first Test but India's special performance put him back in a positive frame of mind.

"Any ball when it hits the middle of the bat, the feeling that you get, that is the feeling I play for. When I got to know about my injury, first couple of days I was quite low and disappointed.

"Perth is the only venue we did not play last time around (2020-21). It is such an iconic venue. But the way we played at the end of it, I was very happy," the batter added.

In Gill's absence, Devdutt Padikkal came at number three for India but could not deliver.

However, it is not a given that Gill will return to his usual batting position as K L Rahul excelled as an opener in Perth in skipper Rohit Sharma''s absence.

While Rohit is expected to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rahul could come in at three pushing Gill to number 5.

It remains to be seen if India experiment in the batting order in the warm-up game as all batters would be allowed a hit in the middle considering it is not a first-class game.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

After missing out on the first Test due to a thumb injury, there were positive signs as not only did Gill seem to handle his bat really well, but his defence also looked pretty solid.

Speaking in a press conference in Canberra, Nayar said about Gill, "He is batting and the evaluation will be done by physios. He looked comfortable while batting. I do not know if he will feature (in the warm-up match)."

Team India is currently in Canberra, where they will take on the Prime Minister's XI in a two-day pink-ball warm-up fixture at Manuka Oval from Saturday. Through this match, Indian stars will be able to get used to the pink ball and its various tricks before taking on Australia in Adelaide for the second Test.

On being questioned about the practice session, which faced interruptions due to rain, Nayar said, "When we came here, the overcast conditions were there. It was raining as well. But players were keen to bat. There is not much difference in pink and red ball, it is a cricket ball after all. But you have to adapt to the lacquer and colour differences. We are trying to do it."

While Australia has played more pink-ball matches, 12 as of now as compared to India's four, Abhishek is not bothered about the vast experience his opponents have with the ball. For him, the key difference still remains the mindset with which teams go.

"While discussing, we think about ourselves more than the other. We think about what we have to do. The key difference is mindset, be it against red-ball or pink-ball. We are lucky to have so many days for preparation. We were practicing with a pink ball in Perth too," he said.

On the arrival of skipper Rohit Sharma to the Indian team following the birth of his second child, Abhishek said that the coming of Rohit brings "fun" to the team.

"The atmosphere is nice and was nice. Even though he was not here physically, he was still there for us. There was not much difference," he added.

On workload management of players in this long, five-Test series, Abhishek said, "We have got some rest as well. Th game got over in four days at Perth. There were three days after it, where we rested. Today, guys did not get to practice that much because of rain. We have had enough rest. The mindset is about workload management but also about honing your skills and putting your body through paces."

While India won the first Test at Perth by 295 runs to take a 1-0 series lead and gain a massive mental edge over the Aussies, the bitter and haunting memories of the 2020 Adelaide pink-ball Test, which saw India get bundled out for just 36 runs, will serve as a reminder to the players and fans alike that a lot of work still needs to be done and a remarkable Australian fightback could just be around the corner. Fans would be anticipating that Team India avenges that humiliation in Adelaide four years back and strengthens its hold over the trophy.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The policy also prevents players from participating in two parallel leagues. For instance, earlier, players could participate in another event after their teams were eliminated from the first. However, this would no longer be a possibility.

The guidelines, however, allow white-ball-only contracts, like Saqib Mahmood to play in PSL and similar leagues. But, those with contracts with the board that include first-class cricket will not be given the NoC required to participate in such leagues. Permission to miss any domestic white-ball games to compete in overseas tournaments would also not be given, as per The Telegraph.

"This policy gives clarity to players and professional counties around our approach to issuing No Objection Certificates. It will enable us to strike the right balance between supporting players who want to take up opportunities to earn and gain experience, while also protecting the integrity of cricket globally," Richard Gould, ECB chief executive, said on the policy.

T20 and T20 leagues have been growing rapidly all across the globe over the last couple of years. Almost every major cricket playing nation across the globe now has a league of its own. A number of 10-over format leagues have also cropped up in the Middle East.

It has also been reported that 74 England-qualified players appeared in franchise tournaments worldwide last year. But the ECB is now keen to change that and encourage domestic cricket participation in its own tournaments.

It also has to be noted that there' once exception in the rule. The English players are still allowed to participate in the Indian Premier League, which takes place in April-May every year.

"He's really got to find a way to turn it around," Ponting said, as quoted by ICC.

"Marnus looked the most tentative out of all the batters in Perth. Yes, it was high-quality bowling on a difficult wicket, but he needs to find a way to turn it around," he added.

Ponting acknowledged the vital role Labuschagne played in securing Australia's first World Test Championship title at The Oval last year. However, he emphasized the mental challenges that Labuschagne and his fellow batters face in trying to rediscover their best form.

Ponting stressed the importance of adopting an aggressive mindset, especially against world-class bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, who dismantled the Australian lineup with a crucial five-wicket haul in the first innings and eight wickets in the game.

"You have to find a way to take risks and put it back on those guys because you know Bumrahs of the world they're not going to give you too many easy scoring opportunities and when they do you've got to be ready to pounce on it and put it away and try and put some pressure back on them," Ponting explained, as quoted by ICC.

As Australia prepares for the second Test in Adelaide, all eyes will be on Labuschagne to see if he can rise to the challenge and help his team bounce back in the series.

Ponting's advice underlines the necessity for Australia's batters to combine mental resilience with strategic aggression to counter India's formidable bowling attack.

The second Test, scheduled from December 6 to 10 at the Adelaide Oval, will feature the exciting day-night format under lights. The third Test will take place at The Gabba in Brisbane from December 14 to 18.

The iconic Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will run from December 26 to 30, marking the penultimate match of the series.

The fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, set for January 3 to 7, will bring the series to an exciting conclusion.

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Hardik has had a fantastic Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament so far with contributions in all four wins for Baroda. His sequence of scores read 74 not out, 41 not out, 69 and 47, and he has also picked up a couple of wickets along the way.

Brief Scores: Tripura 109/9 in 20 overs (Mandeep Singh 50, Krunal Pandya 2/22). Baroda 115/3 in 11.2 overs (Hardik Pandya 47). Baroda won by 7 wickets.

Shardul Thakur records worst bowling figures

Snubbed at the IPL auction, Shardul Thakur recorded the worst bowling figures in the history of SMAT T20 by going for 69 runs in four overs in Mumbai's 43-run defeat in a Group E match against Kerala in Hyderabad.

Shardul was hit for six sixes and five fours even as he got Sanju Samson's (4) wicket early in the game.

Unheralded Salman Nizar blitzed his way to an unbeaten 99 off 49 balls, which completely overshadowed Ajinkya Rahane's stroke-filled 68 off 35 balls in this high-scoring game.

Batting first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Kerala piled up 234 for 5 riding on Salman and Rohan Kunnummal's (87 off 48 balls) 140-run stand for the third wicket in just 13.2 overs. Salman hit eight sixes and Kunnummal had seven maximums to his credit.

In reply, Mumbai were restricted to 191 for 9 despite Rahane's efforts. Prithvi Shaw started well with two fours and two sixes but could only contribute 23 off 13 balls, while skipper Shreyas Iyer, despite a good beginning, could contribute only 32 off 18 balls. Pacer MD Nidheesh took 4 for 30.

Brief Scores: Kerala 234/5 in 20 overs (Rohan Kunnummal 87, Salman Nizar 99 not out). Mumbai 191/9 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 68, Shreyas Iyer 32, Prithvi Shaw 23, MD Nidheesh 4/30). Kerala won by 43 runs.

Delhi use 11 bowlers vs Manipur

A confident Delhi used all their 11 players, including regular wicketkeeper Anuj Rawat, for bowling during an easy four-wicket victory over Manipur headlined by opener Yash Dhull's patient 59 off 51 balls in a Group C game in Mumbai.

Opting to bat, inexperienced Manipur could manage only 120 for 8 in their 20 overs with keeper-batter Ahmed Shah scoring 32. Shah's 52-run stand with skipper Rex Singh (23) helped Manipur get past 100-run mark after being reduced to 41 for 6 in the 10th over.

Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni, in an unusual move, even used his keeper Rawat for an over while donning the big gloves himself. This was after he got a wicket with his off-breaks.

Left-arm spinner Harsh Tyagi (2/11) and off-spinner Digvesh Singh (2/8) got a couple of wickets apiece.

Delhi took 18.3 overs to compete the chase with Dhull anchoring it with eight boundaries and a six over deep mid-wicket off Kishan Singha. However, seasoned T20 players like Badoni and Priyansh Arya fell cheaply. Himmat Singh's poor run of form also continued.

Brief Scores: Manipur 120/8 in 20 overs (Ahmed Shah 32, Digvesh Singh 2/8, Harsh Tyagi 2/11).

Delhi 124/6 in 18.3 overs (Yash Dhull 59 not out). Delhi won by 4 wickets. PTI KHS KHS AH AH

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“Today's match was important. Even though she is a low-ranked player, it doesn't matter. I have rectified my mistakes from yesterday, what went wrong I have not made those again today. I was aggressive from the beginning. Overall, I am happy with my game compared to yesterday,” Sindhu said.

Sindhu is ranked 18th in the world while Wang is at 118th.

"Yesterday, it was a rough patch at some point of time. But I think today I did not give her a chance. I am happy with the result and my game. I would like to finish the year on a very good note,” she said.

Sindhu will face fellow Indian Unnati Hooda in the semifinals, while Lakshya is set to meet Japan's Shogo Ogawa.

“It was a good match. Overall, happy with the way I started. The second game was tough at some moments but I am happy I could pull out the match,” Lakshya said.

Hooda, who won the Odisha Open title in 2022, earned a commanding 21-16, 21-9 victory over USA's Ishika Jaiswal in her quarterfinal match.

“I took time to adjust to the court conditions, but I stuck to my game plan and it became better with time,” said Hooda, who missed six months earlier this year due to injury.

“It is very different to make the transition from Junior to international circuit, and I need to improve on a lot of aspects to do well in international events, which is extremely competitive.” Second-seeded women's doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who have qualified for the season-ending World Tour Finals in China, continued their fine run with a 21-8, 21-15 win over sixth seeds Go Pei Kee and Teoh Mei Xing to enter the semifinals.

In the mixed doubles, fifth-seeded pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto defeated Malaysia's Loo Bing Kun and Ho Lo Ee 21-16, 21-13 to advance to the semifinals.

However, eighth-seeded Ayush Shetty, a bronze medallist at the 2023 World Junior Championships, bowed out after a 7-21, 14-21 loss to Ogawa in the men's singles.

In the women's singles, Tasnim Mir and Shriyanshi Valishetty also ended their campaigns after losing in the quarterfinals.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

"Batting three and opening is slightly different but it's not… Nathan is well equipped to do that.

"Obviously, he didn't have a great start, but he copped two pretty good balls in Perth." Harris suggested that while McSweeney is a good fit for the opener's role now, his long-term position might be at number three.

"Ultimately, he probably slots back into three at some stage depending on what happens over the next couple of years with 'Uzzie' (Usman Khawaja)," Harris said.

"He's the right person for that position right now but again, long-term, if Uzzie was to keep going and play well, then they probably stay with that combination.

"If Uzzie was to finish next summer...then probably Sam Konstas comes into it, and there's a new batting pair from there."

Haven't experienced anything like it: McSweeney

McSweeney, who usually bats at No. 3 or No. 4 for South Australia, has shown promise with 291 runs in his last four innings, including a century in the Sheffield Shield and the One-Day Cup.

Reflecting on his experience facing Indian bowlers, particularly Jasprit Bumrah, the 25-year-old acknowledged the challenge.

"In Shield cricket, we get to see guys day in, day out, get used to facing them, and when you play the international guys, we haven't experienced anything like it," he told '9News Adelaide'.

McSweeney, who scored 166 runs in four innings, including an unbeaten 88, against India A in the unofficial Tests, admitted Bumrah's unique action posed difficulties.

"It's just a little bit different, unique action, and it's a little bit tricky to pick up some cues, but I'll be better for the run. I'm really looking forward to getting another chance out here in Adelaide." Australia will next face India in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide starting December 6.

"Everyone's really hungry to get back in the nets, train well, and prepare really well," McSweeney said.

"As an opening batter, or batter, you've got to make runs, so it's important for me to nail my preparation this week. Go out there and try and make some runs for my country, and if I do that, I'll be no worries.

"I'm super excited. Everyone talks about the Adelaide Test, and I can't wait to hopefully get out there and put on a really good performance for us."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Speaking to ANI, Shukla said, "Our discussions are going on. A decision will be taken after looking at the situation. Our top priority is the safety of the players. Hybrid mode is also an option, there are other options too. Discussions are going on."

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to hold a virtual meeting on Friday (November 29) to determine the fate of the 2025 Champions Trophy, providing clarity on whether the tournament will take place in Pakistan.

#WATCH | Delhi: On Champions Trophy in Pakistan, BCCI vice president & Congress leader Rajeev Shukla says, "Our discussions are going on. A decision will be taken after looking at the situation. Our top priority is the safety of the players. Hybrid mode is also an option,… pic.twitter.com/daIaqIEyZ2

— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2024

According to ESPNcricinfo, the ICC Board will aim to reach a consensus during the meeting before making a final decision. The tournament is scheduled to take place between February 19 and March, but the ICC has yet to release the official schedule.

The report also highlighted that the meeting will address whether the tournament will be hosted solely in Pakistan or under a hybrid model, where Pakistan shares hosting responsibilities with another, yet-to-be-decided, country.

The meeting was convened following a written communication from the ICC to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), stating that India would not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in early 2025. The PCB, after consulting the Pakistan government, is preparing to present its stance during the discussions.

Due to strained political relations, India has not toured Pakistan since 2008, when they participated in the Asia Cup. The two archrivals last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 in India, comprising white-ball matches. Currently, they primarily face each other in ICC tournaments and Asia Cups.

India has consistently maintained its position of not travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, citing security concerns. BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla recently reiterated this stance, stating that the team would visit Pakistan only if the Indian government granted permission.

It is worth noting that Pakistan hosted last year's Asia Cup in a hybrid model, where India's matches were played in Sri Lanka while the rest of the tournament was held in Pakistan.

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Messi, who plays his football with Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer at present, has scored a total of 30 goals this year (for club and country) in 38 games. He also has 19 assists to his name this year.

As far as the period of award consideration is concerned, Messi's only significant achievement came in the form of the Copa America 2024 which Argentina won. Other than, Messi doesn't have any significant achievements to his name with his club Inter Miami in this period.

#TheBest FIFA Men's Player 2024 nominees.

Let the voting begin...

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 28, 2024

Messi's long-term rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, doesn't feature in the list at all. In 49 appearances for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr this year, Ronaldo managed to score 49 goals and give 7 assists. But, just like Messi, Ronaldo didn't win any significant title with his club during the period of The Best FIFA Men's Player Award consideration.

The Best FIFA Men's Player nominees:

1. Dani Carvajal - Real Madrid
2. Erling Haaland - Manchester City
3. Federico Valverde - Real Madrid
4. Florian Wirtz - Bayer Leverkusen
5. Jude Bellingham - Real Madrid
6. Toni Kroos - Real Madrid
7. Kylian Mbappe - PSG/Real Madrid
8. Lamine Yamal - Barcelona
9. Lionel Messi - Inter Miami
10. Rodri - Manchester City
11. Vinicius Jr. - Real Madrid

While Messi has shockingly made the shortlist, it is unlikely that he will finish among the top three players when the name of the winner is announced. Rodri, who has already won the Ballon d'Or title, along with Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid are the top candidates.

Speaking about Virat's ton on the latest episode of ICC Review, Ponting said, as quoted by ICC, "Virat went back to trusting his game and he looked like a different player in the second innings than he did in the first innings."

Now, Virat has scored his 81st international century and continues his chase for his idol Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 international centuries. This is also his 30th Test century. Now in 119 matches, Virat has scored 9,145 runs at an average of 48.13, with 30 centuries and 31 fifties. His best score is 254*.

Also, with 54 List A centuries, nine T20 centuries, and 37 first-class centuries, Virat has completed 100 centuries in professional cricket.

Virat has also become the seventh player to complete 2,000 runs in Border-Gavaskar Trophy history. In 26 BGT matches, he has scored 2,147 centuries at an average of 48.79, with nine centuries and five fifties. His best score is 186.

This was Virat's seventh Test century in Australia, the most by an Indian batter, as he has now overtaken Sachin Tendulkar, who has scored six Test tons in Australia. He has also equalled England's Wally Hammond for the second-most centuries in Tests in Australia. The most Test centuries in Australia are by England's Jack Hobbs, with nine tons. In Tests in Australia, Virat has scored 1,457 runs at an average of 56.03, with seven centuries and four fifties. His best score is 169.

This is Virat's 12th international century in Australia, the most by any visiting batter. He has scored 3,531 runs in 43 matches and 55 innings at an average of 56.95 in Australia, with 12 centuries and 19 fifties and a best score of 169.

In 35 Tests since the start of 2020, Virat has scored 1,943 runs at an average of 32.93 with three centuries and nine fifties. His best score is 186 in this phase.

Ponting also had a word of advice for struggling senior Australian batters Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne as he urged them to be more intent-driven.

"He got away from trying to combat the opposition and focused on his strengths. That is what Marnus and (Steve) Smith need to do - find their own way and show great intent," he said.

With a pink ball in action, the Adelaide Test offers a big chance for Australia to stage a comeback, and Ponting believes that a shift in mindset could be the key to unlocking their potential.

"Think about scoring runs first and not think about getting out first. That is always a challenge for a batter, especially when you are not in great form. There is only one way to change it and that is to be positive and show great intent," Ponting suggested.

Labuschagne's horror run in Tests continued at Perth's Optus Stadium against India. In the first innings, Labuschagne had a block-a-thon as he could score just two runs in 52 balls. In the next innings, he made just three runs. Australia lost the Test by 295 runs, and Labuschagne's form came under scrutiny, having not made a century since July last year against England.

In 13 ICC World Test Championship (2023-25) matches, the batter has managed just 658 runs at an average of 27.41, with barely a century and five fifties to show in 26 innings. His best score is 111.

This year in six Tests, Labuschagne has scored just 245 runs in six Tests at a subpar average of 24.50, with two half-centuries. Since his last Test century, he has scored just 352 runs in nine matches, averaging a poor 22.00, with four fifties to his name. His best score is 90.

Smith, after a consistent run in the mid to late 2010s, has been facing a downfall as well. In 13 Tests of the ongoing WTC cycle, he has managed 755 runs at an average of 32.82, with just a century and four fifties in 32 innings to show. His best score is 110.

Since his last Test century last year in Ashes against England, Smith has scored 589 runs in 11 matches, averaging a disappointing 31.00, with just four half-centuries in 22 innings and a best score of 91*.

This year, in six Tests and 12 innings, Smith has made 230 runs, averaging a poor 25.55, with just one fifty to his name.

The second Test at Adelaide starts from December 6 onwards.

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“The way he runs in is different to pretty much anyone else, then the last bit of his action is different. I've faced him a reasonable amount now, and each time you face him it takes a few balls just to get the rhythm of it in a way." Smith was among Bumrah's victims during a devastating opening spell in the first innings, where the pacer tore through the Australian top-order.

Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram explained how Bumrah's release point is at least a foot closer to the batters than any other bowler making it that much difficult to pick the length.

“He releases the ball closer to you than any other bowler, just the way he does it. So maybe it rushes you a bit more than you think, and it's just an awkward action,” said the 35-year-old Smith, who was trapped by Bumrah for a duck.

“Put that together with his skill set—he swings it both ways, he can nip it off the seam, he can reverse it, got a good slower ball, a good bouncer—he's pretty much the complete package as a bowler.”

Bumrah is an instinct-driven bowler, a Terminator: Fleming

Former Australian seamer Damien Fleming also heaped praise on India's vice-captain, likening him to a “Terminator” and calling him a “very instinct-driven bowler.” “He's just the Terminator, isn't he?” Fleming said. “He knows his strengths and he's always sniffing to find that weakness. I think he does that instinctively, and it's not a long run-up, but I can see he's reviewed that ball, and then he's planning the next one." Fleming cited Bumrah's iconic slower ball to Shaun Marsh during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy as a prime example of his tactical brilliance.

“There's that famous dismissal of Shaun Marsh [at the MCG in 2018] in the over before lunch. I was commentating at the time, and I could almost pick what was going to happen, just driving him back, so his weight's on the back foot, and then he bowls that superb slower ball and knocks him over.

“It was either going to be that slower ball or a fast yorker. So I think he is so astute, but he also now has all the skills—outswingers, inswingers, off-cutters, slower balls, excellent yorker, bouncer.

“So when you've got more skills, you've got more options. Like the Terminator, he's always stalking the batsmen. And the batsmen know that, but they're still unsure what's coming. Not only does he have a wide skill set, but he executes it better than anyone in world cricket.” India will next face Australia in the Pink-ball Test in Adelaide starting December 6. 

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Coming from their most dominant win in Australia in the opening Test in Perth, the Indian dressing room is in high spirits.

However, the arrival of Rohit Sharma, who missed the first Test due to the birth of his second child and expected return of a fit again Shubman Gill will force the think tank to rejig the batting order for the match beginning December 6.

Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the designated openers but with the latter and K L Rahul excelling at the top in Perth, there is a case for the Indian skipper to drop himself down the order.

If that does happen, Gill's position will also need to be adjusted. India will have to make those calls in the practice game before reaching Adelaide with full clarity.

As it is only a two-day game, India would be hoping to get a lot more time with the bat than the ball. The likes of Sarfaraz Khan, who are unlikely to be considered unless there is an injury, would also be hoping for some game time.

The team is in a relaxed mood and had its first net session on Friday where Gill took guard, indicating that his recovery is well on course.

India have been reluctant to play tour games as they are often not competitive enough.

With Test players like Matt Renshaw and Scott Boland in the line-up, the visitors can hope for some decent match practice.

The PM's XI will be led by all-rounder Jack Edwards and will also have Australia U-19 stars including Charlie Anderson, Mahli Beardman, Aidan O'Connor and Sam Konstas.

Fast bowling all-rounder Hanno Jacobs will be another player to watch out for.

The Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.

PM's XI: Jack Edwards (C), Charlie Anderson, Mahli Beardman, Scott Boland, Jack Clayton, Aidan O'Connor, Ollie Davies, Jayden Goodwin, Sam Harper, Hanno Jacobs, Sam Konstas, Lloyd Pope, Matthew Renshaw, Jem Ryan.

Match starts: 9.10 am IST.

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Mohammedan SC had spring in their steps from the start of the match as they pressed Bengaluru FC as a whole unit. They were even winning the second ball, and Manzoki, pairing up with Mirjalol Kasimov and Carlos Franca, caused many problems for the Blues, who started the game with an all-Indian backline.

The positive start bore fruit for the home team as they opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Manzoki rose highest to head the ball home from Kasimov's beautiful corner. It was a goal straight out of the training ground as the marksman repaid Andrey Chernyshov's faith in him by netting his first goal of the season.

In the first 20 minutes, Bengaluru FC failed to make penetrative runs with nothing to show for their lion's share of possession. However, the Blues finished the first half strongly, with Ryan Williams causing some problems for the Mohammedan SC defence. However, the Florent Ogier-led backline of Mohammedan SC held their fort brilliantly to enter the break with a slender lead.

The second half started with a golden opportunity for the hosts to double their lead. Manzoki controlled a long ball with aplomb, setting up play for Franca in the penalty box. However, the Brazilian's effort was way off target.

In the 53rd minute, Gerard Zaragoza decided to bring on Sunil Chhetri to add more attacking impetus. The move allowed Jorge Pereyra Diaz to switch to a wider role, with Chhetri taking the central position.

While the Blues dominated possession, they failed to create openings even with Chhetri on the field. Williams caused some trouble with his crosses, but the Australian was not on the same wavelength as Diaz.

In the 70th minute, Chernyshov decided to freshen things up by bringing Alexis Gomez in place of Franca. The Argentine almost made an instant impact for the hosts when Remsanga released him on the left flank following a fast break. Gomez composed himself and struck the ball low to the left, but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu denied him with a fantastic save.

In the 82nd minute, Manzoki brought down Capo in the penalty box to reward the Blues with a perfect opportunity to equalize. Chhetri stepped up and hammered the ball into the extreme left corner to bring Bengaluru FC back into the game. With that goal, he became the first player to score against all the 15 ISL teams. He has also scored eight goals after coming on as a substitute, a record only bettered by Diego Mauricio (10).

Mohammedan SC almost had the perfect reaction after conceding. Gomez won the possession and released Remsanga on the right, who found Manzoki in the box. The lanky forward lost his marker with his smart movement, but his header struck the post on its way out.

In the end, despite all odds, Bengaluru FC eventually took the lead in the dying moments of the match when Chhetri stepped up from Lalremtluanga Fanai's cross to head the ball home past Bhaskar in goal. The move saw the Blues secure the maximum points from the match.

The 40-year-old Chhetri was the difference between the two teams on the night. He added that extra bit of energy to Bengaluru FC's attack and scored a crucial penalty to equalise. He later notched the winner with a thumping header to wrap up the match on a high too.

Mohammedan SC will travel to Jamshedpur to face the Men of Steel on December 2, while Bengaluru FC will face Odisha FC on December 1 at the Kalinga Stadium.

Brief Scores: Bengaluru FC 2 (Sunil Chhetri 82', 90 9')- Mohammedan SC 1 (Cesar Manzoki 8').

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It was to be Lin's first international competition since Paris, but she withdrew after World Boxing questioned her eligibility, Taiwan's Sports Administration said in a statement.

"She is female, meets all eligibility criteria, and successfully participated in the women's boxing event (in Paris), winning a gold medal," the statement said.

"Unfortunately, as World Boxing is newly established and still navigating the development of its operational mechanisms, it lacks the clear regulatory policies of the IOC that ensure the protection of athletes' rights," it said, referring to the International Olympic Committee.

"Additionally, World Boxing's medical committee has yet to establish robust confidentiality procedures to safeguard the medical information submitted by Taiwan regarding Lin Yu-ting."

Lin, 28, had offered to undergo a "comprehensive medical examination locally" in Britain but World Boxing did not agree, the statement said.

To avoid further "harm" to Lin, her coach and Taiwanese sports officials "decided to withdraw from this event proactively".

Lin had arrived in Britain a few days ago and pulled out of the event on Tuesday, Hsieh Chi-ying from the Sports Administration told AFP.

Safety first

But World Boxing said later Wednesday that its current eligibility policy does not prevent Lu from taking part in the World Boxing Cup.

"Selection decisions are made by national federations and the boxer was not entered in the event," said a spokesman for the organisation.

The spokesman added: "At World Boxing we put boxers first and the safety of athletes is absolutely paramount.

"We have recognised for some time that gender clarity is an extremely complex issue with significant welfare concerns and our medical committee has a dedicated working group committed to examining every aspect of this area so that we can strengthen our policy."

Lin and Khelif were thrown out of last year's world championships -- which were run by the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA)-- but they were cleared by the IOC to compete in Paris.

The IBA's Kremlin-linked president Umar Kremlev claimed in a chaotic press conference that the two women had undergone "genetic testing that show that these are men".

The IOC leapt to the defence of both boxers, with president Thomas Bach saying they were born and raised as women, and have passports saying that. Neither is known to identify as transgender.

World Boxing is in talks with the IOC to take over running the sport at the Games after the damaging gender controversy.

Lin, who went on to win the gold in her women's final, was dubbed "Taiwan's daughter" by both local media and President Lai Ching-te.

Taiwan premier Cho Jung-tai said Wednesday that the government would "actively strive to protect and secure" Lin's rights to take part in future international competitions.

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The 48-year-old Dutchman has previous managerial experience from one year in charge of PSV Eindhoven in 2022/23.

Sky Sports reported that he could even be appointed in time to lead Leicester in their next game away at Brentford on Saturday.

A prolific goalscorer, Van Nistelrooy enjoyed a glorious playing career, most notably at PSV, Man United and Real Madrid.

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Liverpool had a score to settle with Madrid, who were unbeaten in eight previous meetings between the sides, including Champions League finals against Klopp's men in 2018 and 2022.

"You know how special it is to play against a club that won this Champions League so many times, are the reigning champions and were a pain in the ass for Liverpool many times as well," said Slot.

Defeat sends Carlo Ancelotti's side tumbling down to 24th in the table.

Only the top 24 progress to the knockout stage with the top eight advancing directly to the last 16.

Liverpool are well on course to do just that and the confidence coursing through a side also eight points clear at the top of the Premier League was in evidence throughout in front of a highly-charged Anfield crowd.

Madrid were hamstrung by a lengthy injury list and made the trip to England without Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni and David Alaba.

Young centre-back Raul Asencio has been pressed into action by those absences and he made a vital goal-line clearance on four minutes.

Darwin Nunez was sent in behind the Madrid defence by Salah and after his shot produced a fine save from Thibaut Courtois, Asencio reacted smartly to prevent the rebound bouncing off him and into his own net.

Courtois was Liverpool's scourge with a man-of-the-match performance in the final two years ago as Madrid prevailed 1-0 in Paris.

The Belgian was at his best again as he blocked another big Nunez chance from point-blank range as the Liverpool pressure built without reward before the break.

'Difficult time' for Mbappe

Courtois produced another brilliant stop at the start of the second period to parry Conor Bradley's downward header.

But Liverpool were not to be denied as Bradley was this time the provider for Mac Allister, who manufactured the space for a shot into the far corner on 52 minutes.

The visitors were relying on Mbappe for a moment of magic in the absence of Vinicius, but the Frenchman was well-marshalled by his international team-mate Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk.

His chance to silence his critics arrived on the hour mark when Andy Robertson was adjudged to have tripped Lucas Vazquez inside the area.

Caoimhin Kelleher has excelled in the absence of the injured Alisson Becker and leapt to his left to save Mbappe's spot-kick.

"It is a difficult time for Kylian," said Ancelotti. "We have to be patient with him, he is an exceptional player."

Salah sparked a furore ahead of the game by declaring his disappointment with Liverpool's failure to offer him a contract renewal.

The Egyptian has been in sparkling form this season and his pace and trickery fooled Ferland Mendy into a mistimed challenge.

Salah, though, gave Madrid a lifeline by firing his penalty off the outside of the post.

Liverpool had to wait just six more minutes for the cushion of a second goal as substitute Gakpo rose highest from Robertson's cross to power a header past Courtois.

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Kylian Mbappe endured a frustrating night and squandered a chance to equalise for Madrid after an hour when his penalty was saved.

Mohamed Salah then missed from the spot at the other end but substitute Cody Gakpo headed in Liverpool's second goal on 76 minutes.

They are the sole side with five wins from five in this new-look Champions League, and are now guaranteed to advance at least to the knockout phase play-offs in February.

"You know how special it is to play against a club that won this Champions League so many times, are the reigning champions and were a pain in the ass for Liverpool many times as well," said Slot.

Real have lost three of their five matches and with six points they are currently 24th, the very last qualifying spot for the knockout phase.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had words of comfort for their star French striker, saying: "This is a difficult moment for Mbappe. We will support him and give him love."

Inter Milan sit second on 13 points, followed by Barcelona and Dortmund each on 12, with the Germans winning 3-0 against Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.

A great goal by English youngster Jamie Gittens gave Dortmund a first-half lead, before Ramy Bensebaini headed in on 56 minutes and substitute Serhou Guirassy sealed the win late on.

Villa, Juventus draw

Aston Villa started with three straight victories in the Champions League but were six matches without a win in all competitions before hosting Juventus.

The game ended 0-0, with the English side denied in stoppage time when a Morgan Rogers goal was disallowed for a foul on goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.

Villa are just outside the top eight places offering direct access to the last 16, as one of seven teams on 10 points with three fixtures remaining.

Monaco missed the chance to cement their top-eight spot as they went down 3-2 at home to Benfica in a dramatic game.

Eliesse Ben Seghir gave Monaco an early lead but the visitors were level just after the break as Vangelis Pavlidis profited from a defensive error to score.

Monaco were reduced to 10 men when defender Wilfried Singo was sent off for a second yellow, but they still retook the lead as Soungoutou Magassa fired in.

However, Benfica's numerical superiority made the difference late on as Arthur Cabral headed in on 84 minutes and Zeki Amdouni snatched the winner.

Lille closed in on securing at least a play-off spot as they won 2-1 in Italy against Bologna, who remain winless.

Belgian-born midfielder Ngal'ayel Mukau was the French side's hero with a brace, including the opener before half-time.

Colombian defender Jhon Lucumi equalised for Bologna, but Mukau struck again on 66 minutes to secure Lille's third win in five matches.

PSV comeback

Celtic and Club Brugge remain on course for the play-offs after drawing 1-1 in Glasgow, Daizen Maeda's superb strike earning the Scottish champions a point after they had fallen behind to a farcical Cameron Carter-Vickers own goal.

The comeback of the night came from PSV Eindhoven, with the Dutch champions recovering from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Goals by Danylo Sikan and Oleksandr Zubkov had the Ukrainians 2-0 ahead at half-time at the Philips Stadion.

However, they had Brazilian full-back Pedro Henrique sent off on 69 minutes and fell apart late on.

Malik Tillman's free-kick was carried over the line by the goalkeeper on 87 minutes and the same player equalised with a superb long-range strike in the 90th minute.

Tillman's fellow American Ricardo Pepi then got the winner in the fifth added minute.

Red Star Belgrade got their first points by coming from behind to hammer Stuttgart 5-1 in Serbia.

Ermedin Demirovic gave the Germans an early lead, but Silas Katompa Mvumpa, on loan from Stuttgart, equalised before goals by Rade Krunic and Mirko Ivanic, and a Nemanja Radonjic brace.

Austrian champions Sturm Graz are also off the mark after beating Girona 1-0 with a Mika Biereth goal.

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The downward spiral started in 1992 when he was convicted of rape and spent three years in jail. But Mike being Mike, he showed a resurgence in the mid-nineties regaining WBC and WBA titles. Though in the late 90s and early 2000s, two fights against Evander Holyfield (whose lost part of his ear due to Tyson's biting) and Lennox Lewis all but sealed the end of his controversial but glorious career. Though he had a few inconsequential fights after that, those were nowhere near his heydays. His last officially sanctioned professional bout, a defeat to Irish journeyman Kevin McBride, happened in 2005.

Then came the announcement that Mike Tyson, now 58, would be making a comeback against YouTuber-turned-Boxer Jake Paul. The possibility of the fight rang the classic 'yesterday once more' theme. The carefully curated pre-fight videos and interviews gave the impression that Tyson meant business. But reality was something else. 

For someone who is 58, playing someone 21 years younger is always a challenge. Still, the man who was taking on the challenge was Mike Tyson. A boxing legend, a 'Kid Dynamite' from Brooklyn. Expectations rose when Tyson slapped Paul in the pre-bout weigh-in. The 'old' Mike was back, so was his 'bad man' aura. 

On the fight day, however, the fizz had evaporated. Barring the first two rounds, Tyson barely landed a solid punch. The once undisputed heavyweight champion was not match for his younger rivals speed and movement. According to news agency AFP, statistics showed Tyson connected with just 18 of 97 punches thrown while Paul threw some 278 punches and landed 78 of them.

The situation was such that Paul managed to even show respect to Tyson by bowing to him mid-match. In the 90s, it would have been an insult to Tyson, now he nodded in acknowledgement. Even he must have realised that age had caught up. More than Jake Paul, he had lost to time. 

He singlehandedly made the hosts bite the dust by removing Reeza Hendricks, skipper Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen within the first six overs of the second innings. He ended his spell with figures of 3/20 in three overs.

"Arshdeep has been an important part of this team. He has delivered in crunch situations every time, and today was no different. We were actually, we came here last time, and it was the same wicket and same conditions," Suryakumar said in the post-match press conference.

The 25-year-old went over the wicket to deliver a peach to dismiss Hendricks. He then lured Markram into mistiming his shot and pinned Klassen in front of the stumps with another inswinging beauty.

Notably, there was a striking contrast in the way both sides batted. While India adopted a free-flowing approach, South Africa struggled to get going right from the first delivery.

Suryakumar revealed that bowlers had a word with the batters to find out which length to bowl on a surface where batters looked hard to contain.

"It was cold a little bit after the lights got on, and we just went back to basics. All the fast bowlers spoke to the batters. How was the wicket? What were the lengths which were good on the track and we just wear ourself and the way they delivered with the ball in the first six overs. I think the game was almost over at that time," he added.

With the series done and dusted, India's young faces will return home to refine their game in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season.

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Australia vs Pakistan LIVE Streaming 2nd T20I Live Telecast, Check Where And How To Watch

When will the Australia vs Pakistan 2nd T20I match take place?

The Australia vs Pakistan 2nd T20I match will take place on Saturday, November 16 (IST).

Where will the Australia vs Pakistan 2nd T20I match be held?

The Australia vs Pakistan 2nd T20I match will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney.

What time will the Australia vs Pakistan 2nd T20I match start?

The Australia vs Pakistan 2nd T20I match will start at 1:30 PM IST.

Which TV channels will live telecast the Australia vs Pakistan 2nd T20I match?

The Australia vs Pakistan 2nd T20I match will be televised live on the Star Sports network in India.

Where to follow the live streaming of the Australia vs Pakistan 2nd T20I match?

The Australia vs Pakistan 2nd T20I match will be live streamed on the Disney+ Hotstar website and app.

(All details are as per information provided by the broadcaster)

The first round was a one-way traffic, with Goyat overwhelming Nunes with his explosiveness. He connected with a counter left hook and effortlessly slipped in punches to impose his dominance.

In the second round, Goyat continued to overwhelm Nunes with a multi-punch combo on Nunes's head. The aggression came at a cost, with Goyat seemingly running out of gas and leaving his mount open. He tried to overcome the weariness by making Nunes back up against the ropes and then unleashing a flurry to end the second round.

In the next round, Goyat saw through Nunes's approach and dodged his punches without breaking a sweat. He landed a big body shot, forcing the Brazilian to seek reprieve in the corner.

The intensity from Goyat didn't drop as he connected with a 1-2 punch combination and then varied the pace of the barrage of blows he landed on Nunes.

The Brazilian retaliated with a quick jab but in reply, Goyat landed multiple punches to Nunes's head, marking the end of the fourth round.

In the penultimate round, Goyat tried to bait Nunes by inviting him to engage in an attack. The 33-year-old was successful in his approach and unleashed a flurry to push Nunes back onto the ropes.

Nunes caught Goyat with an uppercut, but the Indian fired back with an uppercut of his own. The Indian boxer took control towards the end with a barrage of attacking manoeuvres to conclude the fifth round.

In the final round, it was clear Goyat stood well ahead of Nunes. The only way for the Brazilian to turn the tides around was to pull off a knockout.

But Goyat, with his aggression, didn't let Nunes get off the hook. Before Nunes could think of creating an opportunity to pull off a knockout, Goyat went for the finishing blow himself.

With a combination of punches in bulk, Goyat tried to knock Nunes out before the bell but failed to pull it off in time.

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Tyson, 58, barely landed a punch during the eight-round bout at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, with Paul winning by big margins on all three cards -- 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73.

Paul, 27, used his superior speed and movement to dominate the ageing Tyson with ease, and had the former undisputed heavyweight champion in trouble after landing a flurry of punches in the third round.

Tyson, however, looked every bit of his 58 years, managing to land only a handful of meaningful punches during the fight.

Final statistics showed Tyson connected with just 18 of 97 punches thrown while Paul threw some 278 punches and landed 78 of them.

As the final seconds of the eighth round counted down, Paul could even afford to bow in respect to Tyson before the bell sounded.

Now, a major talking point ahead of the match was how much money the boxers would make from the fight. According to several reports, the total prize money of the match was $60 million. According to Forbes, Jake Paul will get $40 million (approximately Rs 338 crore) and Mike Tyson will get $20 million (approximately Rs 169 crore).  

With AFP inputs 

He subsequently transported his knack for creating viral content to YouTube in 2014, launching his own channel which became renowned for controversies, practical jokes and hip-hop.

In 2015 he made a foray into television, signing for the Disney Channel in the teen series "Bizaardvark."

That relationship ended in 2017 amid increasing media attention on some of Paul's Youtube stunts such as setting furniture on fire in an empty swimming pool at his luxury home in Los Angeles.

Paul gained wider attention however when he turned his hand to celebrity boxing, a trend started by his elder brother Logan Paul who fought English influencer KSI in a pay-per-view amateur contest in Manchester in 2018.

Though ridiculed by the traditional boxing world, that fight -- where Jake Paul appeared on the undercard against English influencer Deji Olatunji -- gained attention from the sport's moneymen for selling some 1.3 million pay-per-view buys.

'A strange one'

Two years later, Jake Paul made his professional debut in a fight against English Youtuber AnEsonGib, appearing as part of the undercard alongside a bona-fide world middleweight title bout.

Paul has continued to fight sporadically in the years since, earning grudging respect from the boxing world after a split-decision loss to Briton Tommy Fury last year.

Paul's success in rebranding himself as a legitimate boxer has been driven by the millions of followers he already has via social media, guaranteeing eyeballs on events he takes part in and making him an attractive proposition for promoters.

"He's in a position that most young boxers are never in," said former welterweight world champion Shawn Porter, who now works as a television analyst.

"He has hundreds of thousands to millions of people watching him, where most even Olympians, when we have our first 5-10 fights, there's nobody in the stadium, we don't have the same sort of audience.

"I think that's the main thing - he's a rookie who is getting true professional exposure."

Paul's brash style though is not to everyone's liking. Press conferences promoting Friday's fight against Tyson in Texas were invariably laced with profanities, while Paul appeared for an open workout on Tuesday wearing a bizarre feather head-dress in the form of a rooster.

"Jake Paul is a strange one, but I like what he's doing for boxing," British fight promoter Eddie Hearn said in a 2022 interview.

"He's putting the work in and he's not terrible. But it'll be a pleasant day when someone chins him."

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Sixes pelted down at the Wanderers Stadium, leaving South Africa shell-shocked.

The duo didn't spare any part of the ground as they brought thunder to the field with their sheer aggression. The effort from Samson and Tilak, laced with Abhishek Sharma's quick-fire 36, propelled India to a gigantic score of 283/1, the fifth-highest total in men's T20I.

Samson and Tilak became just the third pair with hundreds in the same men's T20I innings. Czech Republic's Sabawoon Davizi and Dylan Steyn became the first to achieve the feat against Bulgaria in 2022.

Japan's Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming and Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake replicated the elusive record against China earlier this year.

India has hammered three 250-plus totals in men's T20Is, the most by any team in the history of the format. India eclipsed the Czech Republic, Japan and Zimbabwe, who have two 250-plus totals each.

The unbeaten 210-run partnership forged by Samson and Tilak for the second wicket is the first-ever double-century stand for India in T20Is.

On a record-breaking night in Johannesburg, India smoked 23 sixes, the joint-third-highest by any team in a men's T20I innings. Zimbabwe holds the record with a whopping 27 sixes against Gambia last month.

India's memorable 283/1 is the highest total by any team in South Africa in the T20 format. The previous highest registered was 271/3 by Titans against Knights in Potchefstroom in 2022.

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“Looking back at it, it must have been something that was decided a long way out because with a series being 1-1, Australian cricket teams don't like losing,” said Ponting on the ICC Review.

“The Australian public doesn't like to see their team lose, and I think that's been highlighted over the last few days."

Prior to this series win, Pakistan's last ODI series triumph on Australian soil came in 2002. Since then, they played 10 ODIs across two tours (2009/10 & 2016/17) and won just once.

Given the long interval between the final ODI and the start of the Test series, questions were raised about the decision to rest key players.

“The thing that the public probably found most frustrating was how big that gap was between the third one-dayer and the first Test,” said Ponting.

"But the other side to look at it is that these boys have now got to get through five straight Test matches in quite a short, compressed amount of time,” said Ponting. “And certainly, for the fast bowlers, that's never an easy thing to do.

“So I'm sure the plan was to give those guys that break ensures them of getting through to the end of the Test series a little bit fresher and healthier than they might have been if they had to travel to Perth and play that one-day game.”

Ponting noted that rest alone might not be enough to address the physical and mental toll of a lengthy Test series. He cited India's previous tour of Australia as an example, where they battled through numerous injuries to claim victory in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“We saw last time that India were here, they were battling more than Australia,” he said. “They had all sorts of injuries on the way through and still found a way to get up and win.

"They (Australia) lost that (ODIs vs Pakistan) series, the first time they lost a series to Pakistan in Australia for 22 years. And now they've got to turn up ready to play that first Test match and look to find ways to win the series."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Renowned sports journalist Ariel Helwani asked Tyson about his plans in boxing after this match. "I don't know. It depends on the situation," said the 58-year-old American. When prodded further on the same topic, he said, "I don't think so?"

When asked about who is going to could be his next opponent, Tyson straight away said that he would love to fight against Jake Paul's brother Logan. Hearing this, Logan said, "I'll kill you Mike."

Jake Paul, 27, used his superior speed and movement to dominate the ageing Tyson with ease, and had the former undisputed heavyweight champion in trouble after landing a flurry of punches in the third round.

Yet the younger fighter was unable to land the knockout blow he had promised to deliver during Thursday's ill-tempered weigh-in, where Tyson slapped him across the face.

Tyson, however, looked every bit of his 58 years, managing to land only a handful of meaningful punches during the fight.

Final statistics showed Tyson connected with just 18 of 97 punches thrown while Paul threw some 278 punches and landed 78 of them.

As the final seconds of the eighth round counted down, Paul could even afford to bow in respect to Tyson before the bell sounded.

(With AFP Inputs)

McSweeney, who usually features in the number three spot, will walk into an unknown territory when he steps up in Perth to open alongside Khawaja. Before giving his take on McSweeney's selection, Hayden opened up about promoting Smith to the opening slot.

After David Warner had his last dance in Test cricket in January, Smith took the brunt on his shoulder and made his case to open for Australia. In his short-lived stint, Smtih could only garner 171 runs at 28.50, making it much more of a forgettable run.

"This is exactly my point and why I disagreed with Steve Smith opening the batting. It wasn't a slight on Steve Smith's career. It was more of a plea and call to action around the [domestic] system itself," he said, as quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald.

With McSweeney entering the fray, at least for the series opener, Hayden was quick to point out the lack of first-class cricket.

"Now the Australian selectors have done exactly what I thought was going to happen, and that was back themselves into a corner, knowing that you had T20s and one-dayers right through the early part of 2024 and zero Test match cricket," he noted.

During the buildup to the BGT series, India A and Australia A played two unofficial Tests, allowing both sides to look at probable in case of an unwanted situation.

In both games, Australia A opener failed to put up a stand big in number. McSweeney was among those players who were asked to take a swing at the opening slot.

After hammering an unbeaten 88 in his usual spot, the youngster was promoted to the top of the order in the second unofficial Test. But the decision was up to no avail.

He failed to replicate the success he had during the first outing. During his time as an opener, McSweeney could only post 14 and 25 across both innings.

"There has been very little first-class cricket and two Australia A games where they chopped and changed the opening batters. There wasn't one [sizeable] opening partnership.

"Can you imagine how Marcus Harris is feeling right now? He's carried the drinks forever and been the incumbent opening batsman, and Bancroft is the same. We just didn't allow ourselves the luxury of enough time to select on the basis of weight of runs. It's something which, if you want to quote [my situation], banging down the door was almost an understatement. They were record-breaking years," he said.

As questions continue to linger about Australia's new-looking opening pair, Hayden only hopes that McSweeney delivers in one of the most challenging Test series.

"I wouldn't have had it any other way because I became a better player. It's fantastic that Nathan gets his opportunity, and God I hope he bangs down the door at Test match level," Hayden added.

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After promising fans a "vicious win," Tyson walked away from the camera - only to expose his naked butt.

Netflix quickly shared the moment on social media, captioning it, "Mike Tyson's pre-fight interview got real cheeky. #PaulTyson."

Tyson became the butt of jokes as fans reacted with disbelief. "I'll be having nightmares tonight," quipped one user.

A close friend of Tyson revealed why the legendary boxer slapped his opponent Jake Paul ahead of their much-anticipated boxing match.

The incident happened during the weigh-in ceremony where both boxers faced off ahead of their bout. Videos showed that Paul stepped on Tyson's right foot at the weigh-in and that angered the 58-year-old boxer.

Tyson then went on to slap Paul across the face and pointed towards the ground before the two of them were pulled apart. "Jake stepped on Mike's foot, that prompted the reaction,'' Tom Patti, one of Tyson's close friends, told USA TODAY Sports.

"I was there and Mike just told me.''

(With AFP Inputs)

In fact, Netflix live streamed the entire event, including the undercards. However, Netflix witnessed global outage on their app and website, with fans complaining of multiple issues, especially during the main event which saw Paul winning by big margins on all three cards -- 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73.

Here's how internet reacted to Netflix's global outage:

If Netflix doesn't fix this buffering issue, this will go down as one of the biggest fails in all of tv/streaming history #TysonPaul #NetflixFight #PaulTyson
pic.twitter.com/WYeWk1xvWP

— (@WhoDybala_) November 16, 2024

Anybody else's @netflix service crashing constantly during #PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/jfw4KmMKVs

— Yared Vazquez, M.D. (Octagon Doctor) (@dryared) November 16, 2024

"omg did you see what just happened at Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul's fight"

Netflix: pic.twitter.com/MRNrY9H0BF

— Timothy (@timontherocks) November 16, 2024

Netflix servers tonight pic.twitter.com/3QNl5BQ3ld

— Dallas Texas TV (@DallasTexasTV) November 16, 2024

Seriously @netflix should be embarrassed right now. As soon as people actually want to use their service, THIS IS WHAT WE GET. pic.twitter.com/cVoKkRd5aX

— The Older Millennial (@teameffujoe) November 16, 2024

Despite the defeat, Tyson was reportedly paid $20 million to sign up for Friday's contest, which came 19 years after his last officially sanctioned professional bout, a defeat to Irish journeyman Kevin McBride in 2005.

The former heavyweight champion's return to the ring had been greeted with dismay across the boxing world, which had dismissed Friday's contest as a macabre circus that risked injuring the boxing icon.

Those concerns deepened in May when the fight -- initially set for July -- was postponed after Tyson suffered a medical scare during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles. Tyson later revealed he had vomited blood caused by an "ulcer flare-up."

Tyson, though, brushed off the concerns for his health, insisting that his critics were mostly jealous that he remains a box-office draw decades after his 1980s peak when he terrorised the heavyweight division.

Tyson tried to recall that era of dominance in his ring walk on Friday, marching into the arena in his signature black trunks with a black poncho draped over his body.

Yet that was as close as Tyson came to reflecting the fighter he once was, with Paul comfortably keeping him at arm's length throughout the contest.

(With AFP Inputs)

Rohit had not travelled with the Indian team to Perth for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia. It led to a lot of speculation about whether he would be able to lead in the initial Tests.

The first Test of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia will start in Perth on November 22.

The highly-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test between India and Australia will kick-start in Perth from November 22. During the pre-departure press conference, India head coach Gautam Gambhir had stated that there's still no official confirmation regarding Rohit's absence.

"At the moment there's no confirmation. Hopefully he will be available. We'll let you know," Gambhir told the press.

The head coach also stated that if Rohit misses the first match, then vice-captain and star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be donning the captain's hat.

Not just captaincy, Rohit's absence will also open a gate for a new opener in the team. Regarding that role, Gambhir said, "If Rohit is not available, we have got (Abhimanyu) Easwaran and KL (Rahul) in Australia. We will take a call."

"I will never forget it. He was in terrible shape. I went to see him in hospital a month after he was injured. He was battered and bruised, scarred all over.

"He had a massive operation and had stitches all over the place. From there to simply recover and play cricket was a miracle. To then go on and play in a World Cup-winning team and be a part of the Test team is a truly remarkable achievement," he added.

Pant averaged 62 on his two tours of Australia and has been in incredible form since his return to the game.

"He returns to Australia for this tour in form and a man Australia fears, an unthinkable prospect when he was bailed up in hospital unable to walk," Shastri said.

"When you speak to him now the respect he has for the game is even more. He was nowhere.

"Suddenly he is back and he values that. But I have seen him work really, really hard over the past few months to get in to the shape he is to play Test cricket." Pant had a horrific car accident in December 2022 while returning to his home town Roorkee from New Delhi.

If not for some good Samaritans and his own presence of mind which prompted him to break the windshield of his car, the accident could have turned fatal for him.

"First time in my life I had that feeling of letting it go. I felt my time in this world was over," Pant had told Star Sports.

"When my accident happened I felt something spiritual saved me. I can't even imagine how much worse it could have been. Doctors even spoke to me about amputation." Pant was later airlifted to Mumbai where he underwent reconstruction in three knee ligaments.

"I asked the doctor how long it would take for me to recover. He said it would take 16 to 18 months," Pant said.

"I told the doctor that whatever timeline he gave me, I would reduce six months from it."

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The five Tests in Australia could potentially dictate the fate of the World Test Championship final next year in London.

With the run of form against India following a historic series whitewash on home turf against New Zealand, India would need to pull four victories out of the five games to seal a trip to London.

"For the squad in Australia, I wish them all the luck. I know they're well prepared going into the series, and I know it'll be a challenging one, but at the same time, I wish them all the luck," Suryakumar said in the post-match press conference.

For the past two days, India ramped up its preparations for the gruelling Test series that lies ahead of them. India held an intra-squad match simulation where batters tried to bolster their preparations for the Perth Test, a place where bounce is a constant theme for the pacers.

Due to the minimal gap between the two series, India took a couple of young faces to the tour and delivered a series win, even with the available prospects. With the series done and dusted, players will return to India to take part in the ongoing Ranji Trophy for their respective states.

Impressed by the youngsters' hunger and drive to play domestic cricket, Suryakumar believes this depicts the strong base of Indian cricket.

"I think it says a lot about how strong the base of Indian cricket is. Guys playing a lot of domestic cricket going back home. Even before this game, I realised I know these guys are talking about going back and playing a lot of domestic cricket for the respective state," Suryakumar said.

"So that speaks a lot about their urge to go back play for the street and do well deliver there as well and keep that run so," he added.

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Suryakumar Yadav-led side bounced back in the final two T20Is to stamp their authority with a 3-1 win.

In the final T20I, Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma sent the fans into a frenzy by pelting down sixes in Johannesburg. The duo didn't spare any part of the ground as they brought thunder to the field with their sheer aggression.

With the ball, left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh left South Africa's top order rattled with his fiery spell in the powerplay. He singlehandedly reduced the Proteas to Reeza Hendricks, skipper Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen within the first six overs.

"A wonderful end to this series, and kudos to our boys for sealing it 3-1! The fearless approach to batting has been the major highlight of the series, and the batters have delivered beautifully! A spectacular show of clean hitting by @IamSanjuSamson and @TilakV9 as both the batters brought up their stunning tons! A special appreciation for @arshdeepsinghh for running through the South African top order and providing India a fiery start! Waiting for this young team to display their force with more series to come!" Shah wrote on X.

Samson's 109* and Tilak's 120* propelled India to a mammoth total of 283/1, the fifth-highest total in men's T20I. South Africa collectively failed to chase down the target and succumbed to a 135-run defeat.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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A post shared by Rohit Sharma (@rohitsharma45)

With less than a week left in the commencement of the series, it is still unclear if Rohit will feature in the opening Test against Australia.

Rhot's compatriot KL Rahul and actress Athiya Shetty will also soon embark on the journey of parenthood. Recently, the couple took to their respective Instagram handles and announced their pregnancy.

They dropped a note which read, "Our beautiful blessing is coming soon. 2025 (baby feet emojis)." The beautiful note also features a clip art of the evil eye.

The duo have been included in India's squad for the series. The much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia kicks off on November 22, with the first Test at Perth.

The second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.

The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne's iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series' penultimate stage.

The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.

India squad for Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.

Travelling reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed.

Australia's squad for BGT series opener: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.

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The Proteas skipper accepted that India put India under pressure and it was tough for them to make a comeback.

"Completely outplayed in all three aspects of the game. Have to give them credit, bat and ball they put us under pressure and it was tough for us to come back. Some good honest reflections need to be done. As a team we will have a good reflection, as a white-ball team we have some time off, get stuck into some work and ultimately come back better players with better skills and better execution," Markram said.

After winning the toss, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav opted to bat first. The decision proved fruitful as the team delivered an exceptional performance.

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opened for India, forging a solid 73-run partnership. Abhishek displayed an impressive knock, hitting 2 fours and 4 sixes, but his innings ended in the sixth over when Lutho Sipamla dismissed him.

As the innings entered the death overs, the partnership of Tilak Varma and Samson showed no signs of slowing down. In the 18th over, Sanju Samson brought up his century in just 51 balls, followed by Tilak Varma scoring his second T20I hundred in the very next over.

The record-breaking 210-run partnership between Samson and Tilak lifted India to a formidable 283/1. Samson contributed an explosive 109 runs off 51 balls, while Tilak smashed an unbeaten 120 off just 47 deliveries.

The South African bowling unit appeared lacklustre, with Lutho Sipamla being the only bowler to take a wicket. However, Sipamla also conceded the most runs, allowing the Indian batters to capitalise.

During the run chase, Tristan Stubbs (43 runs from 29 balls, 3 fours and 2 sixes) and David Miller (36 runs from 27 balls, 2 fours and 3 sixes) were the only top batter for the Proteas, apart from the rest failed to put up a show in Johannesburg.

Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy led the Indian bowling attack as the visitors were successful in restricting South Africa to 148 with one over remaining and won the match by 135 runs in the fourth T20I.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

"I just wanted to hold my shape and follow my basics, just like I did in the last game. I remained calm throughout," he added.

The young batter described the feeling of scoring two centuries in South Africa as "unbelievable" and something he never imagined.

"I never imagined I'd score two hundreds in South Africa in such challenging conditions," he said.

Tilak also expressed his gratitude towards captain Suryakumar Yadav for his support, saying, "Thanks to our captain Surya for this."

Reflecting on his recent injury struggles, he shared how his belief in God and his process helped him recover and perform at his best.

"As I said last match, I was injured in the last few games. I believe in God and my process, that's why I celebrated like that to God," he added.

His performances not only helped India secure the series but also earned him recognition as one of the standout players of the series.

Coming to the match, after winning the toss, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav opted to bat first. The decision proved fruitful as the team delivered an exceptional performance.

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opened for India, forging a solid 73-run partnership. Abhishek displayed an impressive knock, hitting 2 fours and 4 sixes, but his innings ended in the sixth over when Lutho Sipamla dismissed him.

As the innings entered the death overs, the partnership of Tilak Varma and Samson showed no signs of slowing down. In the 18th over, Sanju Samson brought up his century in just 51 balls, followed by Tilak Varma scoring his second T20I hundred in the very next over.

The record-breaking 210-run partnership between Samson and Tilak lifted India to a formidable 283/1. Samson contributed an explosive 109 runs off 51 balls, while Tilak smashed an unbeaten 120 off just 47 deliveries.

The South African bowling unit appeared lacklustre, with Lutho Sipamla being the only bowler to take a wicket. However, Sipamla also conceded the most runs, allowing the Indian batters to capitalise.

During the run chase, Tristan Stubbs (43 runs from 29 balls, 3 fours and 2 sixes) and David Miller (36 runs from 27 balls, 2 fours and 3 sixes) were the only top batter for the Proteas, apart from them rest failed put up a show in Johannesburg .

Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy led the Indian bowling attack as the visitors were successful in restricting South Africa at 148 with one over remaining.

With the massive 135-run victory over the Proteas in the fourth match, India clinched a 3-1 series win.

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Williams did not have the cyst removed immediately but after it grew in size and she had multiple tests and a biopsy, she underwent surgery to remove it.

"I found this big mass on my neck. I was mortified by it," she said in the video. "I got tests done. Everything you could imagine. Everything was negative. Turns out I had what they call a cyst, a brachial cyst to be exact.

"So I ended up having to get it removed. It was so big. It was the size of a grapefruit and it kind of hurt coming out."

"They had to put a drain in it because it was so much but everything worked out and I feel really happy to have worked with some great doctors.

"A little scared here but excited to move on to the next steps of healing and getting well."

The end of her video showed Williams with daughter Olympia on a promised shopping trip after the operation.

"I'm feeling so grateful and fortunate everything worked out and most of all I'm healthy," Williams wrote in a caption to the video. "I still made it to American doll with Olympia as promised.

"And yes all is ok."

Williams won her first Grand Slam title at the 1999 US Open and her last at the 2017 Australian Open.

She captured seven Australian Opens, seven Wimbledons, six US Opens and three French Open titles before retiring after the 2022 US Open.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

"A really important person for my life, for my career and he was one of the reasons that I wanted to become a professional tennis player. Knowing he is going to retire is pretty tough for everyone, for me."

Alcaraz, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, added: "I will try to enjoy sharing the court with him once again, but I think it is really difficult for everyone."

Nadal and Alcaraz have met three times on the main ATP Tour with the soon-to-be retired veteran holding a 2-1 advantage.

The Spanish pair played doubles together at the Paris Olympics this year and they are expected to team-up again at the Davis Cup Finals.

Nadal also made his last singles appearance at the Games on the same Roland Garros courts where he won 14 French Open titles.

His Olympic singles campaign was ended by old rival Novak Djokovic in the second round.

Thursday's other semi-final in Riyadh sees Djokovic tackle Australian Open and US Open champion Jannik Sinner.

World number one Sinner eased past Daniil Medvedev 6-0, 6-3 on Wednesday.

"The semi-final against Novak will be a different match than the ones we played in the past," said Sinner who defeated the 24-time Grand Slam title winner in the Shanghai Masters final last Sunday.

"We know each other quite well and we know what to expect from each other.

"I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but I am just trying to play the best possible tennis, and we will see how it goes."

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During his ongoing suspension, the midfielder receives only the minimum salary stipulated in the Serie A collective agreement -- just over €2,000 a month.

However, since Pogba's ban was reduced, Italian press have reported that Juventus are nonetheless seeking to terminate his contract.

"It will be a new Pogba, a hungrier, wiser and stronger one... I just want to play football," added the former Manchester United star.

"I want to be ready to train and play for Juve, I'm a Juve player, in my mind, that's all there is at the moment."

Pogba had his four-year ban for doping reduced to 18 months earlier in October by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and can return to action from March 11 next year, four days before his 32nd birthday.

Pogba tested positive for testosterone in August 2023 after a match between Juventus and Udinese in Italy. 

He was provisionally suspended in September of the same year, and then banned for four years by the Italian National Anti-Doping Tribunal the following February.

Pogba's representatives said the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

"I know that there are some trophies missing in the federation and, of course, I want to help to make it happen," he told a press conference at Wembley.

Tuchel, who has also coached Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, has the trophy-winning pedigree that the FA is seeking to help end a 58-year wait to win a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup on home soil.

The highlight of the German's career to date came during his spell in English football when he won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021.

However, the FA's move has drawn criticism over their unwillingness to trust an Englishman with its top job, overseeing a richly-talented generation of players including Jude Bellingham who will be among the favourites for the 2026 World Cup.

"There are some serious questions for the FA to answer in respect of English coaching," said former Manchester United captain and England defender Gary Neville.

Southgate resigned shortly after losing the Euro 2024 final to Spain in July, following an eight-year reign that made England a force again on the international stage.

"We will build on everything that Gareth and the FA built and hopefully we can add a little bit of extra to get it over the line," added Tuchel.

"We will try to install values and principles and rules as quickly as possible to make the dream come true."

Tuchel will be assisted by English coach Anthony Barry, who worked alongside him at Bayern.

'Top coach'

FA CEO Mark Bullingham said English candidates were among 10 interviewees but that Tuchel represented the best chance of delivering success.

"We wanted the very best person for the job and we feel like we owe it to the players and the country to give them that support, that leadership in tournaments that will help to get them over the line," said Bullingham.

"Thomas gives us the best chance of winning a trophy in the men's World Cup, so we feel we've done that."

Tuchel won league titles at PSG and Bayern and the German Cup with Dortmund, but his greatest success came during his time at Chelsea.

On top of leading the Blues to Champions League glory just months after taking charge, he also won the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup with the London club.

But he was sacked in September 2022 in a bold early move by Chelsea's new ownership group that did not pay off.

Just six months later he was appointed Bayern boss and led them to an 11th consecutive Bundesliga title.

However, Tuchel also oversaw the demise of Bayern's dominance of German football in a first trophyless campaign for 12 years last season.

England captain Harry Kane was signed by Tuchel for Bayern last year and scored 44 goals in 45 matches under his tutelage.

"I think it's a really great appointment. I worked closely with him last season and think he's a really top, top coach and also a great person," said Kane.

Tuchel added that he was happy to delay the start to his new job until January.

"It was important for me to narrow it down into a project and not lose the focus, to start in another competition, the Nations League, then go into qualification and the tournament," he said.

"I wanted to have a clean start and a bit of time to recharge fully and start in January and start the first camp in March."

Lee Carsley was put in temporary charge of England in August following Southgate's resignation and will remain in place for Nations League fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Greece next month.

However, the FA were keen to stress a shock 2-1 defeat by Greece last week played no part in their decision as Tuchel signed his contract on October 8, two days before that match.

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"The car felt better in Singapore," said Verstappen. "It was already a good step for us in Baku and I think we are going in the right direction now, but it takes time. You can't change something like this in one or two weeks."

The Dutchman admitted that Red Bull struggled to match the speed of their main competitors, McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull, during much of the mid-part of the 24-race season, but with six races remaining, three including additional sprints, he hopes his 52-point lead will be enough for him to hang on.

Verstappen has not won since the Spanish Grand Prix and Norris, despite some inconsistency, has beaten him in the last five races, igniting a late bid for the drivers' title to add to McLaren's takeover of the constructors' championship.

An extra eight points are on offer this weekend thanks to Saturday's sprint as the F1 circus begins a triple-header with races in Austin, Mexico and Brazil on successive weekends before the final events in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

In all, a total of 180 points are still available to be won and the various permutations all end up suggesting that Norris needs to stay on top and hope Verstappen has a few low or non-scoring races.

"It's going to be incredibly busy, but also exciting, in the next two months," said Norris. "I'm ready to get back in the car, so let's show Texas what we can do."

'More competitive'

Verstappen has won all three sprints this season so far and will hope he can continue that vein of form to make the difference as the season moves to a rousing finale.

His Austrian sprint win was his last success and he said he hopes further updates for Austin will "suit this circuit and see if we are more competitive when we head out on track."

Both leading teams will turn to their second drivers Sergio Perez of Red Bull and Oscar Piastri for McLaren for critical support as their battle for the titles.

McLaren lead Red Bull by 41 points in the teams' title race with Perez in acute need of a change of form and fortunes before his home event in Mexico.

Mercedes' seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who is the most successful driver at the US Grand Prix with six wins, could also be a factor at one of his favourite circuits.

Daniel Ricciardo will be replaced by New Zealand's Liam Lawson in the RB team, a move that gives him a chance to make a claim to replace Perez next year, while at Williams Alex Albon will make his 100th race start.

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On Tuesday, Real were accused of deleting 25-year-old Mbappe from photos it published in a promotional campaign with its jersey manufacturer Adidas.

Real told journalists the reason was simply because Mbappe's boot sponsor is Adidas's bitter rivals Nike.

That explanation was questioned on social media though, with many people pointing out that several players in the photos are also under contract with Nike, like Mbappe's French international teammate Eduardo Camavinga.

In the midst of the media storm -- and on the day his lawyer spoke to AFP and other French media to insist her client was "shocked" to be linked to a rape investigation -- Mbappe trained with his teammates in Madrid on Tuesday.

This time, the club had no hesitation in posting photos and videos of the Frenchman, who should be available for selection on Saturday for the visit of Celta Vigo to the Bernabeu as he is said to have recovered from discomfort in his left thigh that kept him out of France's squad for Nations League games.

With a rare few free days on his hands, Mbappe chose to go to Stockholm with a group of friends, arriving on October 9 and departing on October 11.

Reports in several Swedish media say they visited a restaurant and a nightclub. Once the group had left Sweden, a woman went to police to allege she was the victim of a rape.

On Monday, after Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet became the first media outlet to reveal that a rape probe had been opened, Mbappe slammed the report as "fake news" on his social media and alleged there was a link between the accusations and his financial dispute with his former club Paris Saint-Germain. A hearing into the case was held on Tuesday.

"It's becoming so predictable, the day before the hearing as if by chance," Mbappe said on X, formerly Twitter.

A Swedish prosecutor has only confirmed that an investigation has been opened, without naming Mbappe.

His lawyer Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard told AFP on Tuesday the 2018 World Cup winner was "at ease" because "he has done nothing wrong".

Canu-Bernard said Mbappe had "asked my office not to leave things as they are because it is impossible to allow yourself to be slandered and defamed in this way".

"This is why we are going to file a complaint for libel."

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Nagal match suspended owing to rain

Indian tennis ace Sumit Nagal was trailing in his second round men's singles match against Holger Rune of Denmark, when rain led to a suspension of the contest.

The unseeded Nagal lost the first set 3-6 and was behind 1-2 against seventh seed Rune, when the heavens opened up.

Holger was dominating the match until the rain interruption.

The 36-year-old Nagal entered the match having enjoyed an excellent run of form.

At the Roquebrune-Cap-Martin clay court, he first humbled the eight seeded Flavio Cobolli in the qualifier, and then third seeded Facundo Diaz Acosto to sail into the main draw of the prestigious tournament.

India's flagbearer in singles tennis, then, stunned Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the first round with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory.

On Monday, Nagal became the first Indian to win a main draw match at the Monte Carlo Masters after he defeated World No.38 Arnaldi of Italy in the opening round.

Nagal also became the first from the country to win a main draw match at one of the three Masters 1000 events - the series that started in 1990 - held on clay.

Having recently achieved a career-high ranking of No. 93 in the ATP rankings, Nagal has become only the third Indian to participate in the main draw at Monaco, joining the legendary Vijay Amritraj (in 1977) and Ramesh Krishnan (in 1982).

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Rajawat was no match for eight-seeded Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, losing 9-21 13-21 in 39 minutes.

It was also curtains for the Panda sisters -- Rutuparna and Swetaparna -- in the opening round of women's doubles, losing 8-21 13-21 against seventh seeds Zhang Shu Xian and Zheng Yu W of China.

Contrary to the final result, Sen gave his Chinese opponent a run for his money in the first game and didn't allow him an aggressive start.

Sen showcased brilliant court coverage and indulged the Chinese in long rallies before picking up points with his smashes and inch-perfect drop shots to lead 11-7 at the change of ends.

Sen kept his nose ahead till 14 points even as Qi started to claw back into the contest, tiring out Sen with long rallies and then finishing the points with cross-court smashes.

The world No. 2 Qi eventually took the lead at 16-14 by securing five points in a row.

But Sen was in no mood to give up without a fight as he drew level at 19-19 before Qi pocketed the first game.

The script was similar in the second game, as both the shuttlers were going neck and neck till the halfway break.

Sen worked hard to keep the rallies alive and made some brilliant diving saves to not allow easy points to his opponent, and at one point led 9-8.

Sen didn't give up and dived deep to save a point and then brought the equation down to 11-12.

But then unforced errors started to creep into the Indian's game. He lost steam and conceded easy points as Qi regained control and ran away with the second game.

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Sindhu, who had lost to Jin Wei the last time they meet in Sudirman Cup but has a overall 4-1 record against her opponent, almost blew away a five-point advantage in the decider before managing to come up trumps. Next up for Sindhu is China's Han Yue, against whom the Indian has a flawless 5-0 record.

It was, however, a difficult day for Olympic-bound Lakshya Sen, who lost 19-21 15-21 to local favourite and top seed Shi Yu Qi, and Kidambi Srikanth, who suffered a 14-21 13-21 loss against Indonesia's Anthony Ginting in the opening round.

Talented Priyanshu Rajawat also was no match for eight-seeded Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, losing 9-21 13-21 in 39 minutes.

MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila too was left heartbroken after losing 21-23 21-19 24-26 against seventh seeded Chinese pair of Liu Yu Chen and Ou Xuan Yi.

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand too went down 2-21 11-21 to fourth seeded Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning in women's doubles opener to dash their faint Paris Olympics qualification hopes.

Prannoy vs Lu ========== It was the fourth battle between Prannoy and Lu with the Chinese prevailing in all three meetings so far.

Prannoy, 31, who will be chasing Olympic glory in Paris, has been troubled by gut issues this season. He made first-round exits in all BWF events apart from India Open where he reached the semifinals.

Things were not looking up here either when he conceded the opening game and then gave up a 6-1 advantage in the second game. But a determined Prannoy found a way to wrest back control, taking a four-game point advantage after breaking off at 16-16.

The Indian, however, squandered it all as Lu held a match point at 21-20 but just in time Prannoy got back his bearing and reeled off the required three points to roar back into the contest.

The decider was another rollercoaster ride as Prannoy again fell 3-10 behind but he once again clawed back to take a 13-12 lead. With the clock racing over the 70 minutes mark, it became a battle of mind and battered bodies.

Lu managed to again grab match points at 20-19 and 21-20 but Prannoy again unleashed two powerful smashes and then punched the air when the Chinese dumped one at the net.

Sindhu vs Jin Wei

The two were neck-and-neck at the start before Sindhu committed three judgement errors at the backline and then sprayed one wide as Jin Wei took a slender 11-9 lead at the break.

Sindhu played some fine cross-court returns and also looked to add variation from the back but she committed too many unforced errors. A low return from front court went wide to hand five game points to Jin Wei.

Sindhu sent one to the corner and then unleashed an over-the-head drop to stay afloat before floating one out.

The Indian led 4-1 in second game but unforced errors again came back to haunt her as Jin Wei made it 5-5. Sindhu, however, managed to take a two-point cushion at the interval.

It became 13-13 but Sindhu soon came out with a flurry of smashes to grab six game points and sealed it with a forehand hand drive.

In the decider, Sindhu gave away a 1-5 lead at the start but she slowly started finding her mark again and moved to 5-7. A net error from Sindhu gave two-point cushion to the Malaysian at the interval but the Indian clawed back from 10-13 down with three points.

Then Indian took the lead when Jin Wei sent a cross-court return wide. Errors crept in the Malaysian's game as she found the net or sprayed wide, allowing Sindhu to move to 17-14.

A couple of brutal smash put Sindhu just two points away as she soon pocketed five match points. Just then, Jin Wei found the line twice with her returns and Sindhu too sprayed into the net as four points evaporated. But then Jin Wei sent her backhand drive to the net after another rally, leaving Sindhu relieved.

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The Paavo Nurmi Games are named after the legendary Finnish middle and long distance runner. It is a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series event, one of the most prestigious single-day competitions outside the Diamond League Meeting series.

"Javelin throw Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will return to Turku in June. Chopra will compete in the Paavo Nurmi Games after a year's break and will meet a high-quality group of competitors. The competition will take place in Turku on June 18," said Arttu Salonen, who is responsible for athlete procurement at Paavo Nurmi Games, on the official event website.

"In addition to Chopra, we already have a contract with German Julian Weber and spring's surprise Max Dehning.

"The goal is to throw the toughest javelin competition of the summer in Turku before the Paris Olympics. Negotiations with others continue. Naturally, we want top domestic names to cover Turku, led by Oliver Helander (who won gold in 2022 edition with 89.83)." In February, teenager Dehning threw a sensational 90.20m -- more than 11.07m more than his earlier best of 79.13 -- to become the youngest javelin thrower to breach the coveted 90m mark at the German Winter Throwing Championships in Halle. He, however, could produce a throw of 80.30m in the European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal on March 10.

Julian Weber is the reigning European champion, whose longest throw last season was 88.72. He had finished fourth in both the Tokyo Olympics and 2023 Budapest World Championships. He has a personal best of 89.54m.

The Paavo Nurmi Games website quoted Chopra's coach Klaus Bartonietz as saying that the Indian javelin superstar "threw 90.40 in training a year ago in spring in Turkey at the camp in Belek".

"90 meters could have already been broken in the Stockholm record throw (of 89.94m, Chopra's PB). In Stockholm, Chopra threw 20-30 centimeters from behind the line, so it was a 90-metre throw.

"90 metres is therefore only a matter of time. However, we say that it's just a number," Bartonietz was quoted as having stated at the World Javelin Conference at Kuortane Olympic Training Center ​in November last year, according to the Paavo Nurmi Games website.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

We are today mourning the loss of former Cricket Australia Board member, ICC delegate and loved figure at the @SACAnews, Jack Clarke.

Jack's leadership in Australian cricket was profound, and his loss will be felt across our community. May he Rest in Peace. pic.twitter.com/fFhdC9YR8e

— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) April 10, 2024

During his time as chair of the CA, the Big Bash League (BBL) was launched. Following the conclusion of the 2010-11 home Ashes series defeat, he commissioned the Argus review into the performance of the Baggy Greens.

Clarke played grade cricket in Adelaide for Glenelg and served as the director of the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) for 21 years. In 2012, he was also announced as the Honorary Life Member of the SACA.

Current CA chair Mike Baird hailed Clarke's contribution to Australian Cricket and said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo, "Jack was an outstanding contributor to Australian, South Australian and international cricket in his major roles with Cricket Australia and the SACA, and much-loved by all who knew him across the game."

"Jack's leadership in vital areas including governance and high performance was particularly important during a time when Australian cricket faced some significant challenges. Jack's passion for the game was immediately apparent to anyone who enjoyed a day at the cricket with him. On behalf of Cricket Australia, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to Jack's wife Sue, his daughters Georgie and Lucy, his extended family and many friends, and all those fortunate to have known him," he added.

SACA President Will Rayner added as quoted from a statement by SACA, "Jack's 21 years on the SACA Board is a testament to his unwavering commitment to South Australian Cricket and Cricket Australia and his passion for the game was evident to all who knew him."

"Jack was one of the true characters of the game. His laugh and zest for life was infectious, and we will miss him dearly. Our thoughts are with his wife Sue, and daughters Georgie and Lucy during this difficult time," he concluded.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Match: Punjab Kings vs SunRisers Hyderabad, Match 23

Date: April 9, 2024

Time: 07:30 PM IST

Venue: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Mohali

PBKS vs SRH, Match Preview

Punjab Kings have played four matches and are ranked sixth on the points table, while SunRisers Hyderabad have also played four matches and are ranked fifth on the points table.

In the last match played by Punjab Kings against Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings beat Gujarat Titans by three wickets. The top fantasy player for Punjab Kings was Shashank Singh who scored 93 fantasy points. The other top point-getters are Prabhsimran Singh with 52 match fantasy points and Kagiso Rabada with 52 match fantasy points.

In their last match in this series against Chennai Super Kings, SunRisers Hyderabad beat Chennai Super Kings by six wickets. The top fantasy player for SunRisers Hyderabad was Aiden Markram who scored 78 fantasy points. The other top point-getters are Abhishek Sharma with 62 match fantasy points and Shahbaz Ahmed with 49 match fantasy points.

PBKS vs SRH, Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

The pitch at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Mohali, will allow for good stroke play and the batters will find it easy to bat on the surface. It will only allow a little assistance to the bowlers and wicket-taking is going to take a lot of work. The average first-innings score at this venue in the last 20 matches is 144 runs. The pitch is a balanced one with decent assistance for both batters and bowlers on offer. The team winning the toss may decide to bat or bowl depending on the ground conditions.

Pace or Spin?
The venue is suited for both pacers and spinners alike.

Weather Report

The temperature will hover around 28C and humidity is expected to be around 10%. Winds at a speed of 3.13 m/s are expected. Cloudy weather is expected during the match, this may help pacers with movement.

PBKS vs SRH, Head-to-Head

In the 21 matches played between these two teams, the bowlers of both teams have earned the most fantasy points for their respective teams so far.

Both teams last played against each other in Match 14 of the Indian Premier League, 2023, where Shikhar Dhawan scored the highest fantasy points for Punjab Kings with 135 match fantasy points while Mayank Markande topped the fantasy points leaderboard for SunRisers Hyderabad with 142 match fantasy points.

PBKS vs SRH, Dream11 Top Captain and Vice-Captain Picks

Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma is an all-rounder with an average of 66 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.2 and is a good-to-have player for your Fantasy Team. He is a top-order, left-handed batter. In the recent four matches, Abhishek has scored 161 runs averaging 40.3 per match.

Heinrich Klaasen

Heinrich Klaasen can be a good pick for your Dream11 Team. He has an average of 59 match fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 7.9. He is a batter who bats right-handed and also keeps wickets. In the last four matches, Klaasen has scored 177 runs at an average of 88.5 per match.

Aiden Markram

Aiden Markram can be a good safe pick for your Dream11 Team. He has an average of 57 match fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8.3. He is a top-order, right-handed batter. In the last four matches, Markram has scored 127 runs at an average of 42.3 per match.

Sam Curran

Sam Curran is an all-rounder with an average of 56 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.3 and a safe bet for your Dream11 Fantasy Team. Sam is a batter who bats left-handed. In the recent four matches, he has scored 91 runs at an average of 22.8 per match. This player is also a handy bowler, bowling left-arm medium-fast and in recent matches, he has taken four wickets, averaging 21.5.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a bowler with an average of 52 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.1 and a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He bowls right-arm medium and in the last four matches, he has taken only one wicket.

Shashank Singh

Shashank Singh is a batter with an average of 52 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8 and is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He is a right-handed batter. In the recently played four matches, he has scored 91 runs at an average of 91 per match.

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan is a batter with an average of 43 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.3 and a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He is a left-handed opener. In recent four matches, he has scored 138 runs averaging 34.5 per match.

Harpreet Brar

Harpreet Brar can be a good pick for your Dream11 Team. He has an average of 44 match fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 7.9. He bowls slow left-arm orthodox and in the last four matches, Brar has taken four wickets at an average of 18.5.

PBKS vs SRH, Squad Information

Punjab Kings (PBKS) Squad: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Chris Woakes, Rilee Rossouw, Rishi Dhawan, Harpreet Singh, Harshal Patel, Tanay Thyagarajan, Jonny Bairstow, Sikandar Raza, Shashank Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Atharva Taide, Ashutosh Sharma, Vidwath Kaverappa, Prabhsimran Singh, Nathan Ellis, Harpreet Brar, Shivam Singh, Vishwanath Singh and Prince Choudhary.

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Heinrich Klaasen, Travis Head, Aiden Markram, Upendra Yadav, Wanindu Hasaranga, T Natarajan, Glenn Phillips, Anmolpreet Singh, Washington Sundar, Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Markande, Jhatavedh Subramanyan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Sanvir Singh, Marco Jansen, Akash Singh, Abdul Samad, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Umran Malik.

PBKS vs SRH, Dream11 Team

Wicket-Keepers: Heinrich Klaasen and Jitesh Sharma

Batters: Abhishek Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Shashank Singh and Mayank Agarwal

All-Rounders: Sam Curran, Aiden Markram and Sikandar Raza

Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harpreet Brar

Captain: Aiden Markram

Vice-Captain: Sam Curran

Ravindra Jadeja made optimum use of a tacky Chepauk surface as Chennai Super Kings were back to winning ways after they comfortably outclassed Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets.

It was CSK's third win in five games, all of which have come at Chepauk, having lost the last two matches away from home.

Jadeja, whose spin bowling has often taken a back-seat in past few seasons, took three wickets in a space of eight deliveries to clinically dismantle KKR, who could only manage 137 for 9 on a track where stroke-making became difficult.

The chase wasn't the problem as skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 58-ball-67 and was duly supported by Daryl Mitchell (25 off 19 balls) and in-form Shivam Dube (28 off 18 balls). The chase was completed in 17.4 overs.

Fittingly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was present in the middle when they finally got the winning runs.

The match was a typical one from the KKR playbook, where they always apply the choke with their spinners on a surface where the ball grips and then their top-order controls the chase which is within manageable limits like it was on Monday.

Earlier, Jadeja worked his magic, ripping the heart out of KKR's batting.

Having lost back to back games on the road, CSK were back in their element on a familiar Chepauk turf where the ball gripped and allowed Jadeja (3/18 in 4 overs) and Maheesh Theekshana (1/28 in 4 overs) were absolutely brilliant with both their line and length.

(With PTI inputs)

This is Nagal's third victory over a top-50 player and second time in the current season. The 26-year-old had toppled the then world number 27 Alexander Bublik in straight sets at the Australian Open in Melbourne at the start of the 2024 season.

He had also defeated then world No. 22 Chilean Cristian Garin in Argentina Open in March 2021.

Nagal, who qualified into the main draw with wins over higher-ranked players, has ensured himself a career-high rank of 80 on a day when he touched career-high rank of 93.

Nagal had also qualified for the Indian Wells Masters in March this year but fell to formidable Canadian Milos Raonic in the first round. He had also competed in the Qualifiers of the Miami Masters but could not make the main draw.

The first set was on even keel with both players breaking each other once. Serving to stay in the set, Nagal lost his serve in the 12th game with Arnaldi attacking the Indian's first serve.

However, Nagal remained unperturbed and broke his rival twice in the second set for a comfortable 4-1 lead. His serve came under pressure in game six but he held and closed the set force a decider.

After trading a break with Arnaldi, Nagal broke his rival's serve for the second time in the seventh game of the third set to take a 4-3 lead and that proved to be decisive in the final outcome of the match. He consolidated the lead by pocketing the eighth game and served out the match in game 10.

As Arnaldi hit his forehand over the basline on match point, Nagal let out a roar to celebrate his win.

Nagal had beaten world number 63 Flavio Cobolli of Italy 6-2 6-3 in the first round of qualifying event and followed that up with victory over Argentina's world number 55 Facundo Diaz Acosta.

Fittingly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was present in the middle when they finally got the winning runs.

The match was a typical one from the KKR playbook, where they always apply the choke with their spinners on a surface where the ball grips and then their top-order controls the chase which is within manageable limits like it was on Monday.

Earlier, Jadeja worked his magic, ripping the heart out of KKR's batting.

Having lost back to back games on the road, CSK were back in their element on a familiar Chepauk turf where the ball gripped and allowed Jadeja (3/18 in 4 overs) and Maheesh Theekshana (1/28 in 4 overs) were absolutely brilliant with both their line and length.

While KKR lost Phil Salt (0) cheaply off the very first delivery, Sunil Narine (27 off 20 balls) and young Angkrish Raghuvanshi (24 of 18 balls) continued from where they had left against DC, chancing their arms and adding 56 in Powerplay but once spinners came into operation it all fell apart.

With the ball gripping and not coming onto the bat, Narine's lofted shot was holed out in the deep and Raghuvanshi's inexperience became his undoing as he played an indiscreet reverse sweep to a straight delivery.

Venkatesh Iyer (3) was ill at ease against Theekshana, who got his mojo back after being hit for two sixes in his first over and then Jadeja got his man, who wanted to slog out of trouble.

With three wickets in eight balls, Jadeja seemed to snatch the momentum decisively in favour of CSK.

Shreyas Iyer (34 off 32 balls) never got going and Rinku Singh (9 off 14 balls) and Andre Russell (10 off 10 balls) couldn't up the ante as the canny Mustafizur Rahman (2/22) and Tushar Deshpande (3/33) were fantastic at the death.

The KKR batters tried going hammer and tongs but the moment Jadeja came in after Powerplay, suddenly it seemed that pace off the track had vanished.

Both took pace off the deliveries and bowled wide lines which was out of the hitting range of the two finishers. The catching in the deep was also top notch for CSK as KKR batters had a forgettable day in office.

When will the United States vs Canada 2nd T20I be played?

The United States vs Canada 2nd T20I will be played on Wednesday, April 10 (IST)

Where will the United States vs Canada 2nd T20I be played?

The United States vs Canada 2nd T20I will be played at the Prairie View Cricket Complex, Houston. 

What time will the United States vs Canada 2nd T20I start?

The United States vs Canada 2nd T20I will start at 1:30 AM IST (Toss at 1 AM IST).

Where to follow United States vs Canada 2nd T20I live streaming?

The United States vs Canada 2nd T20I will be streamed on USA' Cricket's YouTube Channel.

(All the details are as per the information provided by the broadcaster)

"Mayank felt soreness in lower abdominal area and as a precaution we are managing his workload over the next week. We hope to see him soon on the field," said Vinod Bisht, the CEO of the Super Giants in a statement.

However, the statement meant that Mayank might be a non-starter even in LSG's weekend game (April 14) against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.

With Bisht being non-committal about his possible return to action, things aren't exactly looking great for the injury prone speedster. While one match absence is safely on cards, lower abdominal injuries for fast bowlers does take more time to heal.

On Sunday night, Mayank walked off the field with LSG physio after bowling just one over against the Titans.

The ultra-quick pacer, who generally crosses the 150 kmph mark effortlessly, could barely go past 140 kmph in his lone over, fourth of the GT innings, in which he conceded 13 runs.

He did not return to the field for the rest of the night. At that time, his absence was attributed to a side strain.

After the match, LSG all-rounder Krunal Pandya had said that Mayank looked alright.

"I don't know what is happening. I had a brief chat and he seemed okay, which is a positive. Whatever conversation I have had, whatever we see, he has a good head on his shoulder. Really excited to see how his carer pans out," Krunal said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Mayank, who made his IPL debut against Punjab Kings in this IPL, had taken six wickets from two matches before limping out in the third game.

Legendary West Indian batter Brian Lara on Monday appreciated Mayank's abilities but said the young turk needed to work closely with a senior pace like Jasprit Bumrah.

"He has to stay a step ahead. He's got to learn. He's got to talk to big bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah. He's got to get as much information as possible, stay one step ahead. I think he's got all the goods to become a great fast bowler," Lara said in the Star Sports Press Room.

It must also be metioned that Mayank has been able to play only one first-class game in two seasons since his senior debut and this season missed the entire Ranji Trophy tournament due to a side strain developed while bowling to a senior India player during personal net session before the start of the first-class season.

Here are the Live Updates of CSK vs KKR, IPL 2024 match:

It happened in the 18th over of Mustafizur Rahman. The Bangladesh star bowled one slow off-cutter as KKR's Andre Rusell got a thick outside-edge. Dhoni was slow and leapt with to his right. The ball hit the gloves and went down. Mustafizur Rahman was not pleased while the commentator said: "Even sound effects could not produce so much silence."

In case that was taken, headlines :

"MAHAN THALA DHONI TOOK IMPOSSIBLE CATCH AT THE AGE OF 42 "pic.twitter.com/ep2dfrN4ub

— (@dyno_twee) April 8, 2024

Hosts Chennai Super Kings restricted Kolkata Knight Riders to paltry 137 for 9 in their Indian Premier League match in Chennai on Monday. Seasoned all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (3/18) led the charge with a three-wicket haul for CSK, who took wickets at regular intervals and did well to stem the flow of runs at the Chepauk.

Pacer Tushar Deshpande (3/33) also accounted for three batters while Mustafizur Rehman (2/22) picked two wickets.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer top scored for KKR with a 32-ball 34.

Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 137 for 9 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 34, Sunil Narine 27; Ravindra Jadeja 3/18, Tushar Deshpande 3/33). 

With PTI inputs

IPL posted a video of Dhoni smashing some massive sixes on their official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

"Chennai Sound Just MS Dhoni things #TATAIPL | #CSKvKKR," tweeted IPL.

Chennai

Sound

#TATAIPL | #CSKvKKR pic.twitter.com/7CPnrl9Ysa

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 8, 2024

Dhoni has batted twice in the IPL. In the match against DC, he played a fiery knock of 37* in 16 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes. He destroyed DC pacer Anrich Nortje in the final over, hitting him for 20 runs. In the next match against SRH, Dhoni scored an unbeaten 1*.

Kolkata Knight Riders Squad: Philip Salt(w), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Suyash Sharma, Manish Pandey, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Dushmantha Chameera, Srikar Bharat, Nitish Rana, Chetan Sakariya, Sherfane Rutherford, Sakib Hussain, Allah Ghazanfar

Chennai Super Kings Squad: Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Daryl Mitchell, MS Dhoni(w), Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Mukesh Choudhary, Shardul Thakur, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Sameer Rizvi, Devon Conway, Mustafizur Rahman, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, RS Hangargekar, Matheesha Pathirana, Nishant Sindhu, Aravelly Avanish.

"Firstly it was great to see him bowl that pace. Unfortunately last night his pace went down at 135 and he went off going injured. So, I think he has got a strain maybe on the side but that happens in sports sometimes. You get injured but I am wishing him a speedy recovery and hopefully getting back and bowling fast again but to see someone from India bowling over a 150 Ks was super exciting," said Brett Lee while speaking to ANI.

Mayank clocked 156.7 kmph during the game and bowled the fastest delivery in the ongoing edition and overall the fourth fastest in the history of the entire tournament.

During LSG's win over GT, Mayank's bowling was much-anticipated by fans, who were impressed with the bowler's pace, line and length. He was hitting 150 kmph consistently. But in the GT clash, Mayank looked a little off, barely able to touch 140 kmph and was hit for three boundaries. After delivering his only over, Mayank walked off the field.

"Definitely, I keep saying fast bowlers unfortunately get injured. Its part of the game I have been injured so many times playing sport but you have to take the good with the bad and you have to make sure that you take your body into a situation that you feel comfortable and you can play through pain. There is good pain and bad pain but my advice to him would be to keep doing what you are doing. Making sure that you action is as sound as possible and thats what has helped me carry through my career. I made sure I did the extra bit and work. Work on my body and the hardest thing you are doing is not the opponent that you are up against, it is your own body. So, he is only young and I don't want to put too much pressure on him. Let the guy relax. I keep saying Aaram se, aaram se, relax, take it easy. You will be fine," said Brett Lee.

Fans will soon see the Australian speedster in action once again when the 2003 World Cup-winning team member will compete in the World Championship Of Legends.

WCL is a premier cricket league approved by the England and Wales Cricket Board and co-owned by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn. The league's matches will be hosted at the Edgbaston ground in Birmingham, promising an exhilarating display of cricketing talent.

"Firstly it's great to be here. WCL is going to be a lot of fun. Ofcourse that adrenaline, that passion will still come out and that's a thing we are getting older. We still have that passion to play for our country and you know the names that we are going to come up against are absolutely incredible. Looking forward to get bowling again is going to be a lot of fun," said Brett Lee.

Puneet Singh has acquired the Australia Champions team in the World Championship Of Legends in which Brett Lee will be playing. The Aussie will be up against the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell and many other players against whom he has competed before.

"Its funny because when you play against these guys for 20 years you obviously have those battles on the field but the great thing I guess that I have been fortunate is that I have made a lot of friendships on the field. I think about guys from India who used to play against Yuvraj Singh obviously teammate when we used to play for Punjab Kings. I have played against Bhajji. So, looking forward to play against him as well, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell is going to be a lot of fun as well. So, as I say this there is that passion when you walk at the field and even though when we are now retired from this beautiful game cricket. Once we go at Edgbaston come July 3. Looks like its going to be a lot of fun," said Brett Lee.

"Sports has always been my greatest passion, which is why I took up the opportunity to be part of Punjab De Sher team in CCL. A similar passion was the drive behind being a part of WCL by owning Australia Champions. The concept of WCL is excellent, England as the venue is fantastic, our team is exceptionally strong, and our enthusiasm for cricket knows no bounds," quoted Australia Champions owner Puneet Singh.

"Definitely when we were planning WCL one thought process we had was to have the bestest of the stars. So, when we talk about star power. Obviously, they are the biggest but at the same time, we should have a squad that is very competitive. The concept that we have is that we don't have just retired players but the players that we have players that are not signed with the respective cricket boards as well. So, that gives the chance for making the team which is full of experience with someone like Brett who still have that thing of swinging in and out and getting some players who are still not signed with the board making a very strong squad," said WCL CEO Harshit Tomar.

Mitchell Starc who was bought for a staggering Rs 24.75 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders, the most expensive in the history of IPL auction till date, has managed to take only two wickets in three matches he has played so far this season putting the left arm pacer under pressure to excel with the amount he got. But Lee feels that pressure is on every athlete who is playing.

"I think everyone is under pressure. It depends on what you do. You are obviously under pressure to do your deadline and what you have to do with work. It is all relative to what you do. It is the same with WCL. We are going to go and play the best possible cricket and the best brand of cricket we possibly can because we showcase our talent and even though the guys are slightly older that competition and that camaraderie are still going to be there. We want to put on a spectacle to the crowd and the crowd is going to love it because they will know all the names and faces and that battle will still be there. Everyone is going to be under pressure but you have to enjoy and the reason why you are a professional athlete is because you are getting paid to be a professional athlete and do it to the best possibly you can," said Brett Lee.

LSG spinner Ravi Bishnoi catch's of GT batter Kane Williamson was one of the highlights of the game. It is already being hailed as the 'best catch' of 2024. Bishnoi caught Williamson off his own bowling as he leapt sideways to dismiss the New Zealand batter.

Jonty Rhodes, LSG fielding coach, decoded the catch and praised Bishnoi.  

"If you don't put your hands there, you never know. Someone like Ravi, he completely exhausts me and never misses a single day of practice. If we're at the ground, he will take catches every single day. So, he works hard on his bowling, not so hard on his batting. But when it comes to fielding, he is never sitting in the dug-out and never hiding in the dressing room," Rhodes said.

"You can have some difficulties when you're bowling and you have to react like that. The great thing about that catch was that he went backwards and gave himself time. Often when you see the ball, go you across with hard hands. So seeing that reaction in less than a second was great."

;

- Jonty Rhodes

The secret recipe to taking blinders, just like Ravi Bishnoi took one yesterday! #TATAIPL | #LSGvGT | @LucknowIPL | @JontyRhodes8 pic.twitter.com/pyCQ2XJOKT

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 8, 2024

Meanwhile, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pacer Yash Thakur on Sunday registered the second-best bowling figures for LSG in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 25-year-old pacer achieved this feat during the IPL match against Gujarat Titans (GT) at Lucknow's Ekana Stadium.

In the match, Yash ended up with figures of 5/30 in four overs at an economy rate of 7.82. He got the wickets of Shubman Gill, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed.

The best figures by an LSG bowler in IPL history is by England's Mark Wood, who registered 5/14 in four overs against Delhi Capitals (DC) last year.

Yash Thakur became the third bowler to bag a five-for against GT after Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) star Umran Malik (5/25) at Wankhede, 2022 and SRH veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5/30) in Ahmedabad, 2023.

LSG won the toss and opted to bat first. The hosts were reduced to 18/2 at one point. A 73-run partnership between skipper KL Rahul (33 in 31 balls, with three fours) and Marcus Stoinis (58 in 43 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) put LSG in a decent position again.

Later, knocks from Nicholas Pooran (32* in 22 balls, with three sixes) and Ayush Badoni (20 in 11 balls, with three fours) helped LSG put a moderate 163/5 in their 20 overs.

Umesh Yadav (2/22) and Rashid Khan (1/28) were among the wickets for GT.

Mumbai City FC, Pos: 1, Pl: 20, Pts: 44

Fixtures Remaining: Odisha FC (H), Mohun Bagan Super Giant (A)

With Odisha FC (42) and Mohun Bagan Super Giant (39) breathing down their neck, and Mumbai City FC facing them in their last two games, the Islanders won't have a guaranteed top-six place even if they beat Odisha FC at home. However, a draw against Odisha FC will secure them a top-two finish, thus guaranteeing them a semi-final appearance.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Pos: 2, Pl: 20, Pts: 42

Fixtures Remaining: Bengaluru FC (A), Mumbai City FC (H)

Mohun Bagan Super Giant need to keep their chase intact, and for that they first face the misfiring Bengaluru FC with the Blues out of the playoff hunt. The recent defeat to Chennaiyin FC didn't bide well for the chances of the Mariners and created a scenario such that their title fate would only be sealed in the final day of the league season on April 15. Regardless of that, they can book a semi-final berth by bagging four points out of their remaining two matches.

Odisha FC, Pos: 3, Pl: 20, Pts: 39

Fixtures Remaining: Mumbai City FC (A), NorthEast United FC (A)

Odisha FC's bid for the League Shield will fall with a loss to Mumbai City FC. However, victories in their rest two matches, along with Mohun Bagan Super Giant dropping four points from hereon can see them get in the race of the top-placed finish.

For the first two spots, the Juggernauts need to emerge victorious in their last two matches, and hope that the Islanders don't win against the Mariners, in addition to the Mohun Bagan Super Giant finishing below 46 points in the season. They also need FC Goa to drop points for the same.

FC Goa. Pos: 4, Pl: 20, Pts: 39

Fixtures Remaining: Jamshedpur FC (A), Chennaiyin FC (H)

For FC Goa to win the League Shield, they will have to win their last two games and hope that Mumbai City FC loses both its games, in addition to the Mohun Bagan Super Giant falling short of a victory against Bengaluru FC. The Gaurs have an arguably more realistic chance of finishing in the top-two, as six points in their next games coupled with the Islanders beating the Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Odisha FC will see them cap off the league campaign with a definite place in the semis.

Kerala Blasters FC, Pos: 5, Pl: 21, Pts: 30

Fixtures Remaining: Hyderabad FC (A)

Kerala Blasters FC cannot win the League Shield and neither can they end the league in the top-two. However, they are comfortably into the playoffs and will have to battle it out with their prospective opponents for a place in the final four.

One Spot, Three Contenders – A playoffs hunt like never before

The sixth place for the playoffs is seeing a closely-fought race and it's a three-way battle for that coveted position in the points table. The last week or so has seen Punjab FC, Bengaluru FC, and Jamshedpur FC crash out of the contest, but the likes of East Bengal FC, Chennaiyin FC, and NorthEast United FC remain firmly in the fray with decisive victories that see them hovering around the top-six despite setbacks at different phases of the current campaign. Chennaiyin FC are set to meet NorthEast United FC in one of their remaining two fixtures, and there's a massive lot to play for here for all three teams, especially since East Bengal FC beat Bengaluru FC by 2-1 last night.

East Bengal FC, Pos: 6, Pl: 21, Pts: 24

Fixtures Remaining: Punjab FC (A)

East Bengal FC has to win their last match of the league season against Punjab FC, and hope that Chennaiyin FC drops three points in the remaining two games of the Marina Machans. The Red & Gold Brigade also needs NorthEast United FC to lose points at least once in their rest of the two matches to seal a place in the top-six.

Chennaiyin FC, Pos: 7, Pl: 20, Pts: 24

Fixtures Remaining: NorthEast United FC (H), FC Goa (A)

Chennaiyin FC will qualify for the playoffs by bagging four points from the last two games of the Marina Machans. They can even finish fifth if they win their last two matches and Kerala Blasters FC loses their last match to Hyderabad FC.

NorthEast United FC, Pos: 8, Pl: 20, Pts: 23

Fixtures Remaining: Chennaiyin FC (A), Odisha FC (H)

NorthEast United FC needs to win their last two games to make it to the playoffs. Firstly, they need to get the better of Chennaiyin FC in their coming fixture, which will have a massive impact on the chances of all three teams in the contention for the sixth spot, i.e. East Bengal FC, the Marina Machans, and the Highlanders.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a press release)

The EC members also claimed that they had "terminated" Ajay Narang from the post of executive assistant to IOA president.

Usha acknowledged the receipt of the termination letter served to Narang by the EC members but rejected it as "absolute nullity".

"It is disheartening to see that we are still not able to work as a team and each of your acts is an attempt to sideline me," Usha said in her response sent to the revolting EC members.

"I am left with no option but to remind you all that the day-to-day administrative functions including hiring and firing of staff is not the job of the Executive Council. As the EC, we should be using our powers and right for much more important aspects of taking the IOA to heights," she said.

"It is directed to the IOA staff to remove any copies of the notice posted within the IOA Bhawan. Further, the IOA staff is instructed to follow guidance and directives from my office via my executive assistant." The internal feud in the IOA, which came out in public in January, is still continuing even as three months are left for the Paris Olympics to begin.

Usha said the continuation or termination of Narang, who was appointed on June 7, 2023, would only be based on her recommendation and not on the "whims and fancies of anybody else".

"The termination documents are an absolute nullity. The appointment of the executive assistant to the president is not within the jurisdiction of the Executive Council and thus the termination is non est and bad in law.

"I am satisfied with the work done by Captain Ajay Kumar Narang (Retd) and do not find any reason to terminate his services," said the legendary track athlete who is also a sitting Rajya Sabha member.

She requested all the EC members "to not act in excess of the powers and responsibilities granted by the IOA constitution and in direct violation of the provisions therein".

"I yet again implore you to start working as a team for the betterment of the athletes and the Olympic Movement in India," she said.

Just a few days after Iyer was made CEO on January 6, 12 out of 15 EC members alleged that Usha "exerted pressure" on them to pave the way for his appointment, a charge the legendary athlete described as "shameful".

Iyer and Narang, however, had been discharging their official duties since being brought on board by Usha, who asserted that she has full confidence in the newly-appointed CEO and there was no going back on the decision to hire him.

The salary of the CEO, which is Rs 20 lakh per month plus allowances (total CTC of around Rs 3 crore per annum), is learnt to be at the centre of the feud between Usha and a majority of the EC members, who have claimed that the IOA president "unilaterally" decided on the matter.

Replying to the charges, Usha said that the appointment of CEO was discussed at length in the EC meeting (in January) and a majority of the members present "ratified" it.

She said most of the EC members recommended a renegotiation of the remuneration fixed for the CEO citing lack of funding at the IOA and it "was reduced by over 30 per cent of the earlier agreed pay".

Usha had also warned the EC members that the International Olympic Committee may intervene and suspend India if they continue to act defiant. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Ahead of Pakistan's five-match T20I series against New Zealand, Naqvi confirmed that Usman is eligible to play for the Men in Green.

"[Usman] Khan is eligible for Pakistan and he will play [for the national side]," Naqvi said while speaking to the media as quoted from Geo News.

UAE released a statement to announce the five-year ban on Usman and stated that the top-order batter "misrepresented his intentions to the board".

"Usman was found to have misrepresented to ECB about his decision to play for the UAE team and has used the opportunities and development provided by the ECB to him to seek out other prospects and it was evident that he was no longer wanting to play for ECB nor complete the eligibility criteria which he was under an obligation to do," ECB said in a statement.

PCB are engaged in the pursuit of a head coach for the men's national team since Grant Bradburn parted ways with Pakistan after the end of last year's World Cup.

Naqvi addressed the recent development regarding the appointment of head coach and said, "The availability of foreign coaches for the series against New Zealand depends on the contract with them."

According to recent reports, former New Zealand cricketer Luke Ronchi and former Australia head coach Justin Langer have been approached by the PCB.

The T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand will kick off on April 18 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and will conclude on April 27 at the Gaddafi Stadium, in Lahore.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The fact that it is the last major event to award Olympic qualification ranking points adds another layer to the competition, which will see some high-octane battles between the top shuttlers this week.

Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, has shown signs of regaining her old touch when she dragged the likes of Tokyo Games gold medallist Chen Yufei to three games in French Open quarters.

On a comeback trail after recovering from injury, Sindhu's frustration of not being able to close out narrow matches was evident when she smashed her racquet following a razor-thin loss against Thailand's Supanida Katethong in Spain Masters.

Sindhu is still a work in progress and this week she will get another chance to test her game in a field which will have women's top seed An Seyoung, Olympic champion Chen Yufei, Tai Tzu-Ying, Akane Yamaguchi and He Bingjiao.

However, the former world champion will look to focus on her first-round clash against world No. 33 Goh Jin Wei of Malaysia.

Sindhu has a 4-1 record against the Malaysian and a favourable result might see her face sixth seed Chinese Han Yue, whom the Indian has recently beaten for the fifth time at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in February.

If she can cross the hurdle then it could be Japan's Yamaguchi or Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon next.

Aakarshi Kashyap will be the other Indian in women's singles and she will open against Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan.

In men's singles, there are plenty of match-ups with Lakshya Sen, who made two semifinal finishes at the French Open and All England Championships and is set to almost seal his Paris qualification, having the task of taming top seed Shi Yu Qi of China.

Lakshya will take inspiration from his performance at the Asian Games when he defeated the Chinese in the team championships.

Seventh seed HS Prannoy, a 2023 world championships bronze medallist, will take on China's Lu Guang Zu. The Indian has been troubled by a gut issue and hasn't been at his best this season. Prannoy doesn't have a good result against the Chinese and he will hope to avenge his three losses.

World No. 27 Kidambi Srikanth, who missed the Paris bus after being inconsistent for some time, will have a tough task at hand when he faces world No. 3 and second seed Anthony Ginting, who had reached the All England Championships final this year.

Young Indian shuttler Priyanshu Rajawat will meet Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in his opening round.

In Satwik-Chirag's absence, the Indian pair of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila will hope to go deep when they open against seventh-seeded Chinese Liu Yu Chen and Ou Xuan Yi. Krishna Prasad Garaga and Sai Pratheek K are also in the fray.

Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa, who are ahead in the fight for the Olympic race, will face Indonesian combination of Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand take on China's Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, seeded fourth.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

After the game, Thakur disclosed the names of two Indian stars who he considers his idols. GT's veteran pacer Umesh was the first name he mentioned and revealed that he started practising fast bowling because of him.

"My idol is Umesh Yadav, from my city. I started to practice fast bowling because of him. When I got to play against him, I got to learn a lot. He is very humble. Even if I call him at 12 at night, he will help me," Thakur said in a video posted by IPL.

He went on to name former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni as his idol. While drawing inspiration from Dhoni, Thakur stated his intention of finishing the game just like the veteran batter.

"Also, my other idol is MS Dhoni. The way he finishes his matches with the bat, I want to do it with the ball. He has a great game sense," he added.

In LSG's comprehensive win, Thakur picked up his maiden T20 five-wicket haul and was adjudged as the Player of the Match. He dedicated his five-fer to his late father and thanked his family for backing him over the years.

"I would like to dedicate this five-wicket haul to my father, who is no more. It was his dream to see me as the 'Player of the Match' and get a fifer. This is my first T20 fifer. He supported me and backed me so much in cricket. If it was not for my father and my family, I would not be here. Every one of them pushed me, and kept me motivated when I was down or injured," Thakur said.

In his initial games for the franchise, Thakur struggled to find his rhythm as he picked just one wicket in his first two games.

Thakur thanked the management for the faith they had in him and said, "Justin sir, Morne sir and KL supported me when my first two matches did not go well. Rahul asked me to stick to my plan and trust it. I stuck to it and trusted it."

LSG will play their next game against Delhi Capitals on Friday at the Ekana Sports City, Lucknow.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

The 150 wins accomplished by Mumbai Indians exclude wins that came in Super Over following tied matches. Including the matches played in the IPL and now-defunct Champions League T20, MI has played 273 matches, winning 150, losing 117. Two matches ended in no result. MI has won and lost two matches each in Super Over.

CSK is at the second place with 148 victories in its history. Overall in its history, CSK has played 253 T20 matches, winning 148, and losing 101, two matches have ended in no result and five-time champions have lost two matches in Super Over after a tied regular game.

At third place is the Indian team, which has 140 wins in 219 matches if excluding their four Super Over wins. Six of their matches have ended in a no result, one ended in a tie and 68 ended in defeats.

This win was also MI's 50th win at Wankhede Stadium (including Super Over wins), the most by an IPL franchise at a venue. The second place is Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), which has won 48 matches at their home arena of Eden Gardens, followed by 47 wins by CSK at Chepauk Stadium.

Notably, Mumbai Indians have won all 14 matches in which they defended totals of 200 runs or more.

Coming to the match, DC won the toss and put MI to bowl first. An explosive 80-run opening stand between Rohit Sharma (49 in 27 balls, with six fours and three sixes) and Ishan Kishan (42 in 23 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) set the tone for MI's innings. After a brief lull, which did not turn out to be even worse thanks to skipper Hardik Pandya's 39 in 33 balls, with three fours and a six, Tim David (45* in 21 balls, with two fours and four sixes) and Romario Shepherd (39* in 10 balls, with three fours and four sixes) helped MI make 234/5 in their 20 overs.

Axar Patel (2/35) and Anrich Nortje (2/65) were the pick of the bowlers for DC.

In the run-chase, DC was kept alive by knocks from Prithvi Shaw (66 in 40 balls, with eight fours and three sixes) and Abhishek Porel (41 in 31 balls, with five fours) after the early loss of David Warner. They put on an 88-run partnership for the second wicket.

But the scoring rate fell down and despite Tristan Stubbs's power-packed 71* in 25 balls, with three fours and seven sixes, DC was restricted to 205/8, losing by 29 runs.

Gerald Coetzee (4/34) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/22) were the best bowlers for MI.

Romario took home the 'Player of the Match' award for taking one wicket and his quickfire 39*.

MI is in the eighth place in the points table with a win and three losses, giving them two points. DC is at the bottom, with a win in five matches, giving them two points.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

He had some interesting conversations during the course of the show.   

Kapil Sharma said that whenever Shreyas Iyer hits a boundary, the cameraman focuses on girls who have poster of 'Shreyas Marry Me!' "He is also a bachelor," Kapil added. The comedian-cum-actor then asked the cricketer if he later checks with the cameraman where the girl was sitting

"During my first year in in IPL, I noticed a very beautiful girl sitting in the stands and I waved hello to her. This happened many years ago. At that time Facebook was very popular. I was hoping to get a message and kept checking. That is the only incident that happened to me," he replied.

During the episode, Rohit Sharma was about the loss in the 2023 World Cup final: "When the match began, we started good. Shubman Gill got out quickly but then Virat Kohli and I had a partnership. We were confident we could achieve a good score. I feel that in big matches if you can score runs and create pressure on the opposite team...because the opposite team has to make runs. But Australia played good cricket. We even managed to take three wickets for just 40 runs but they had a long partnership."

Kapil Sharma, asked Iyer to name a player he looked up to as a kid. Iyer revealed that Rohit has been his idol since childhood, and said that he learned his trait watchig the dynamic opener.

Iyer clarified that he didn't pick Rohit because of the camera or because of the Indian captain standing next him.

"Joke nahi kar raha hoon ya aise he butter up nahi kar raha hoon, but Rohit bhai chote se idol rahe hai. Kyuki vo bhi Mumbai se hai, mai bhi waha se hoon aur unko dekhte hue mai grow hua hoon," Iyer said after he was asked to name his idol by the host.

While Rohit did acknowledge Iyer's gesture, he went on to joke that the current crop of players say bad things about him, behind his back, in the dressing room.

"Dressing room mein bahut gaaliya dete hai. Ye saamne abhi log hai, camera hai. Aajkal ke youngsters dangerous hai bhai bahut," Rohit replied. His response left Kapil and Iyer in splits.

"Look, strike rate and building an innings, as well as winning a match, are distinct matters. When you win a match, both aspects are addressed. It's a gradual process, understanding how to approach the first six overs and the subsequent ones. I am well aware of my cricketing abilities, knowing precisely what adjustments I need to make. The critical factor is the situation; if it permits, I'll play freely."

Babar further explained that the approach cannot be similar for any batter and if the situation demands an aggressive innings, he will not hesitate to take that approach. Babar has come under a lot of fire during his career when it comes to his strike rate but he said that expectations will always keep rising.

"Sometimes, it's perplexing; critics will argue it should be 170 when it's 150, and if I play at 170, they'll demand 200. Every player has their unique style, and I refrain from comparisons," Babar said.

Virat Kohli reckoned that the Jaipur track was two-paced making strokeplay difficult but former India ODI skipper Ajay Jadeja felt that the manner in which the star batter batted, there seemed to be very little demons present in the 22-yard strip.

Kohli scored an unbeaten 113 off 72 balls with 12 fours and four sixes but RCB managed only 183/3 in 20 overs, a total that was surpassed by Rajasthan Royals with five balls to spare, courtesy Jos Buttler's 58-ball ton. Jadeja, an astute cricket brain, felt that there seemed to be some discrepancy in what Kohli observed and how in general the pitch behaved during the entire duration of the game.

"He (Kohli) started out so well. He hit a couple of boundaries in the first few overs, and you knew you were watching something special tonight. The only surprising thing was him speaking about how the deliveries were not carrying through on this pitch, but the way he batted, we didn't see any shortcomings in the pitch," Jadeja, a 'Jio Cinema' IPL expert said.

After scoring his eighth IPL hundred, Kohli had said the pitch was not a flat one “The wicket looks quite different from the outside. It feels like it's flat, but the ball is holding up in the pitch, that's when you realise the pace changes,” Kohli told the official broadcaster.

(With PTI inputs)

After receiving the award, Rohit also gave a speech, highlighting the effort the team put into the match as a unit, and put a whopping total of 234/5 on the board.

Here's how the speech unfolded:

Mark Boucher: Ro, we are going to give the award to you as you are the senior statesman in the batting line-up.

A surprised Rohit Sharma gave a cheeky smile before being given the pin by Kieron Pollard.

Rohit Sharma: "I thought it was a wonderful batting performance. It's something that we've all been striving for from game one. Goes to show that individual performances don't matter if the whole batting group can stand up and put their hand up. If we look at the team's goal, we can achieve that kind of a total.

"It is something that we've been talking about for a long time. It's something that the batting coach (Pollard), Mark (Boucher) and the captain (Hardik) want. Wonderful to see that, like you said, long may that continue."

A special at Wankhede. A special in the dressing room.#MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #MIvDC | @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/b555HUvVdE

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 8, 2024

Rohit hasn't yet spoken about the captaincy change saga at the franchise, having seen his role given to Hardik Pandya at the start of the season. As a result of the change, Hardik has, time and again, found himself to be booed by fans both in away games as well as home.

However, Hardik is hopeful of a change in fortunes if he continues to lead the Mumbai Indians to back-to-back triumphs. At present, MI are placed 8th in the points table with 1 win in 4 matches.