GT look to continue winning run, RCB need big victory to remain in play-off race

19/05/2022
Mumbai, may 18: Runaway leaders Gujarat Titans would look to continue their winning momentum ahead of the play-offs while Royal Challengers Bangalore need a big victory to keep their last-four stage hopes alive when the two teams face each other in their final IPL league match here on Thursday. Newcomers GT have so far had a dream opening season as they are already assured of a top spot in the standings with 20 points from 13 games. RCB, on the other hand, have had a mixed bag this season, re...

Wriddhiman Saha may not play for Bengal anymore; asks for NoC to change states

19/05/2022
Kolkata, may 18: Wriddhiman Saha is adamant about not turning up for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy and only an apology from a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) official, who had questioned the player’s commitment, can help melt the ice. This is according to people in the know, who are closely following the development. Saha has asked for an NoC or No-Objection Certificate from the CAB that would allow him to play for a different state from the next season. It is learnt that the state associat...

Medvedev loses to Gasquet in Geneva in return from injury

19/05/2022
Geneva, may 18: Second-ranked Daniil Medvedev lost his comeback match after a six-week injury layoff, beaten 6-2, 7-6 (5) by Richard Gasquet in the second round at the Geneva Open. Medvedev, who underwent hernia surgery last month, cautioned Sunday he was often a slow starter on clay courts. So it proved in his first match on the surface this season, in the last tournament before the French Open. Medvedev double-faulted for the seventh time on Gasquet's first match point, as the Frenchman ende...

Srikanth enters second round of Thailand Open

19/05/2022
Bangkok, may 18: Fresh from playing a major role in India's historic Thomas Cup triumph, ace shuttler Kidambi Srikanth advanced to the men's singles second round of the Thailand Open with a tough three-game win over Brice Leverdez of France here on Wednesday. Srikanth, seeded eighth in the BWF Super 500 tournament, won the first round match 18-21 21-10 21-16 in 49 minutes. He next faces qualifier Nhat Nguyen of Ireland, who defeated Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus of Denmark 21-12 23-21 in t...

Tiger Woods says he’s all about majors, a Mickelson rebuke

19/05/2022
Tulsa, may 18: Tiger Woods is all about majors and legacy, a point he drove home in a sharp rebuke of Phil Mickelson and his support of a Saudi-funded golf venture that led to Lefty not defending his title at the PGA Championship. Even as Woods resumes a remarkable return from a car crash 15 months ago that nearly led to his right leg being amputated, the PGA Championship cannot escape the absence of Mickelson and speculation about who might sign up for Greg Norman's new Saudi-backed golf seri...

Umran will be a great bowler for India: Vaas

19/05/2022
Mumbai, may 18: Former Sri Lankan pacer Chaminda Vaas reckons rookie speedster Umran Malik, who has thrilled everyone with his pace in the IPL, will become a "great bowler" for India. Playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL-15, the fast bowler from Jammu has been impressive with his pace and consistently clocked above 150 kmph in the speed gun. He has so far taken 21 wickets, with best figures of 5/25 and is the fourth highest wicket-taker in the tournament. "I think he (Umran) is getting...

Even biggest of players can struggle: Ishan Kishan on his below-par IPL season

19/05/2022
Mumbai, may 18: Ishan Kishan has failed to live up to the most expensive player tag in this IPL but the Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper batter is not unduly worried about his form, saying even the best of cricketers "struggle" at some point. The 23-year-old was bought by MI for a whopping Rs 15.25 crore at the IPL auction earlier this year. He scored 370 runs from 13 matches at an average of 30.83, with the help of three half-centuries. He is, though, MI's second-highest run-getter in this IPL, a...

Defender Gurinder Singh to lead nine-member Indian team at inaugural FIH Hockey 5s

19/05/2022
new delhi, may 18: Defender Gurinder Singh will lead a nine-member Indian men’s hockey team at the inaugural edition of the FIH Hockey 5s, to be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, next month. The Indian men’s team will play Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland and hosts Switzerland in the event, which will be held on June 5 and 6. Midfielder Sumit, who was a member of the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal winning team, will be Gurinder’s deputy in the two-day event. The team is a mix of players from the Olympic ...

England recall Anderson, Broad for first two NZ Tests

19/05/2022
england, may 18: Veteran seamers James Anderson and Stuart Broad returned to the England test squad on Wednesday for the first two Tests against New Zealand next month. The three-match home series will mark the beginning of Ben Stokes’ tenure as England’s test captain and will be the first assignment of their newly-appointed red-ball coach and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum. Anderson and Broad, first and second on England’s all-time list of Test wicket-takers with 1,177 between ...

Liverpool title win ‘not likely but possible’: Klopp

19/05/2022
SOUTHAMPTON, may 18: Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said it was "not likely but possible" that his team could pip Manchester City to the Premier League title in Sunday's final round of games. Klopp's side beat Southampton 2-1 on Tuesday to leave them a point behind City with one game left to play for both teams. Liverpool would need City to fail to beat Aston Villa at home on Sunday while winning their own game against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield. Villa, managed by former Liverpool c...

On rollercoaster ride, SRH meet MI in must-win game

17/05/2022
Mumbai, may 16: Their play-off chances hanging by a thread, Sunrisers Hyderabad will need to snap their five-match losing streak when they take on an already eliminated Mumbai Indians in the IPL here on Tuesday. It has been a rollercoaster ride for SRH who won five games in a row before losing the next five. SRH, if they win their two remaining games including the one against MI, will jump to 14 points and then be left hoping that the other results go their way to have an outside chance of mak...

Our top-order should set up games for us: Rahul

17/05/2022
Mumbai, may 16: Lucknow Super Giants skipper K L Rahul wants his top-order batters to up their game following their second consecutive loss in the Indian Premier League. The 24-run loss to Rajasthan Royals on Sunday was LSG's first back-to-back defeat in the competition, denting their chances of finishing in the top-two. They need to win their remaining game against Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday to finish in the top-two and get two shots at reaching the final. "I won't lie, yes, there is ...

Late goal gives Sevilla final Champions League spot in Spain

17/05/2022
madrid, may 16: Sevilla needed a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid to clinch the final Champions League spot in the Spanish league. Barcelona secured second place, and a spot in the lucrative Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, after a 0-0 draw at Getafe, which escaped relegation. A header by Youssef En-Nesyri in the 85th minute secured the point that gave Sevilla a place in Europe’s top club competition for a third straight season. Third-place Atlético, which had already qualif...

Mandhana, Harmanpreet, Deepti to captain in Women’s T20 Challenge

17/05/2022
new delhi, may 16: Star Indian players Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma were on Monday named captains of the three teams for the Women's T20 Challenge to be played in Pune from May 23. Mandhana will lead Trailblazers while Harmanpreet is the captain of Supernovas. Velocity, which was led by Mithali Raj until the previous edition, will have a new skipper in Deepti Sharma. Trailblazers had won the previous edition held in 2020. Veteran India cricketers Mithali, Jhulan Goswam...

Medvedev still hopeful of playing in Wimbledon

17/05/2022
Geneva, may 16: World number two Daniil Medvedev has not given up hope of competing at Wimbledon next month even though tournament organisers have banned Russians and Belarusians from playing at the grasscourt Grand Slam due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The decision was swiftly condemned by the men's and women's tours and a number of players, with Rafa Nadal calling the ruling "unfair". Over the past week, there have also been suggestions that Wimbledon could be stripped of its ranking poi...

Title wait nearly over for Milan after 2-0 win over Atalanta

17/05/2022
milan, may 16: AC Milan's lengthy wait for the Italian league title will last another week at least. Second-half goals from Rafael Le o and Theo Hern ndez saw Milan beat Atalanta 2-0 on Sunday and it now only needs one point from its final match to secure its first Serie A title since 2011. The Rossoneri could even have clinched the title on Sunday but defending champion and fierce rival Inter Milan won 3-1 at relegation-threatened Cagliari to keep its fading title hopes alive. Milan was two ...

‘I’ve gotten a lot stronger’ ahead of PGA Championship: Tiger Woods

17/05/2022
Mumbai, may 16: Tiger Woods played a nine-hole practice round Sunday afternoon at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., ahead of this week's PGA Championship. The 15-time major winner told reporters on site that he felt his surgically repaired leg and foot were feeling stronger than when he played the Masters a month ago. "I've gotten a lot stronger since the Masters," Woods told reporters. "We went back to work on Tuesday (after the Masters). Monday was awful. I did nothing and Tuesda...

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe wins Ligue 1’s best player award for third time

17/05/2022
new delhi, may 16: Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe won the French Ligue 1’s best player award for the third time in his career, then diplomatically swerved a question about his future. Mbappe is out of contract at PSG next month and touted to join Karim Benzema at Real Madrid in what would be a formidable attack force. Mbappe said he didn't want to announce his decision during the ceremony but added “Yes, pretty much” when asked if he's made his mind up over whether to stay or go. ...

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe wins Ligue 1’s best player award for third time

17/05/2022

Bremen joins Schalke back in Bundesliga; playoff for Hamburg

17/05/2022
Berlin, may 16: Werder Bremen secured promotion back to the Bundesliga along with Schalke thanks to a 2-0 win over Jahn Regensburg in Germany's second division. Hamburger SV came from behind to beat Hansa Rostock 3-2 away to clinch a two-leg playoff against Hertha Berlin on May 19 and 23 to see which club plays in the Bundesliga next season. Hertha finished third from bottom in the top division on Saturday. Goals in either half from Niclas F llkrug and Marvin Ducksch on Sunday ensured Bremen ...

Indian badminton team creates history, wins maiden Thomas Cup title

16/05/2022
new delhi, may 15: Kidambi Srikanth was mobbed by teammates seconds after he secured a 3-0 win to hand India' its first ever Thomas Cup title. Srikanth beat Jonathan Christie 22-15, 23-21. The result means that Srikanth and his team created history after they won The Thomas Cup title for the first time in 73 years. India's maiden title was set up by two back to back gritty performances by Lakshya Sen and the doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy. Sen outsmarted Anthony ...

Gujarat Titans beat CSK by seven wickets

16/05/2022
Mumbai, may 15: Chennai Super Kings beat Gujarat Titans by seven wickets in the Indian Premier League here on Sunday. CSK made 133 for five against Gujarat Titans with opener Ruturaj Gaikwad making 53 off 49 balls. In response, Titans got home in 19.2 overs after a fine 67 not out off 57 balls from Wriddhiman Saha. Wriddhiman Saha completed a brilliant half-century as he guided GT to an emphatic 7-wicket win vs CSK. Moeen Ali got Matthew Wade for 20 runs as GT lost their second wicket in the...

Shaw discharged from hospital after being treated for typhoid

16/05/2022
Mumbai, may 15: Delhi Capitals opener Prithvi Shaw has been discharged from the hospital after undergoing treatment for a bout of typhoid, the franchise said on Sunday. The 22-year-old had been admitted to a hospital due to high fever earlier this month. "Delhi Capitals opener Prithvi Shaw has been discharged from the hospital where he was being treated for a bout of typhoid," DC said in a statement. The opener is being monitored by the Capitals' medical team. "Shaw has returned to the team...

Iga Swiatek defends Italian Open title with 28th straight win

16/05/2022
rome, may 15: Iga Swiatek is going into the French Open on quite a run. The top-ranked Swiatek overwhelmed Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-2 to defend her Italian Open title on Sunday and extend her winning streak to 28 matches. Swiatek was a surprise champion at the French Open in 2020 when she was ranked No. 54. Now the 20-year-old Polish player is the favorite to add a second title at Roland Garros when the year’s second Grand Slam starts next Sunday. Swiatek has won five straight titles during her run...

Parul Chaudhary and Abhishek Pal crowned Indian Champions at TCS World 10K 2022

16/05/2022
bengaluru, may 15: Two new champions Parul Chaudhary and Abhishek Pal were crowned champions in the Indian men’s and women’s field respectively at the TCS World 10K Bengaluru 2022 on Sunday. It was an easy win for Parul who hardly strayed away from the lead role in the pack, though Sanjivani the 2019 champion who was looking to defend her title kept pace with her until the pack entered the Kanteerava stadium for the final stretch. “The route was a little hilly," said Parul of the course where ...

Former Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds dies in car crash

16/05/2022
Sydney, May 15: Former Australia cricketer Andrew Symonds, one of the finest all-rounders and a two-time World Cup winner, has died in a tragic car accident, leaving the cricketing world in shock. He was 46 and is survived by his wife and two young children. Cricket Australia has now lost three prominent figures in the past two months. Spin legend Shane Warne and former wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh had died within hours of each other in March. According to a statement issued by Queensland polic...

Djokovic back in a big final at Italian Open, vs. Tsitsipas

16/05/2022
Rome, May 15: This is just what Novak Djokovic needed a week before the French Open. The top-ranked Serb beat Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-3 at the Italian Open on Saturday to reach his biggest final of the year. Having missed a big portion of the season because he wasn't vaccinated against the coronavirus, Djokovic will attempt to extend his five-match winning streak over Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday's final. I can expect a big battle, Djokovic said. But I'm ready for it. Tsitsipas reached his firs...

“Will be happy if he breaks my record”: Shoaib Akhtar on Umran Malik

16/05/2022
new delhi, may 15: SunRisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik has impressed the cricketing fraternity with his pace in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Umran has clocked speeds in excess of 150kmph on a consistent basis and once, crossed the 157 kmph barrier as well. Speaking ahead of SRH's game against Kolkata Knight Riders, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar said that he wants the youngster to break his record of bowling the fastest delivery (161.3 kmph), adding that Umr...

Kimeli, Cheptai smash course records to win TCS World10K

16/05/2022
Bengaluru, May 15: Kenya's Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli and Irene Cheptai smashed the course records to win top honours at the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) World 10K Bengaluru here on Sunday. Kimeli, fourth in the Tokyo Olympics 5000m event, and Cheptai ran course records of 27:38 and 30:35, in men's and women's category respectively at the World Athletics Elite Label Race. Kimeli reduce the record by six seconds from the previous mark set by his compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor in 2014. The race...

Espanyol held by Valencia to 1-1 day after firing coach

16/05/2022
Barcelona, May 15: Espanyol was held by Valencia to 1-1 at home, a day after the club fired its coach and sports director with two games remaining in the Spanish league. The result was somewhat meaningless to both sides, who are destined to finish near the middle of the table and out of both the relegation battle and the berths for European competition. Espanyol striker Ra l de Tom s equalized in first-half injury time after the opener from Maxi G mez. De Tom s took his league tally to 17 goa...