Over the past week, Tamil Nadu has been witnessing massive protests over the Centre’s alleged failure to form the Cauvery Management Board. On Thursday, thousands of workers from opposition parties stormed Kamaraj Salai, which faces Chennai’s Marina Beach to make their displeasure with the AIADMK and the BJP clear.

But just minutes away from the agitation, at the MA Chidambaram stadium preparations have been underway in full swing for the first match of the Chennai Super Kings on home ground. With even practice sessions of the team witnessing a full house, the ticket prices have been notched up to a minimum of Rs 1300 for the upcoming games. While the suspended team will return to the IPL with its first match against the Mumbai Indians on Saturday, CSK’s first home game will be against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 10.

But just days ahead of this highly anticipated event, opposition parties and farmer groups in Tamil Nadu have united to demand that all IPL matches in Chennai be cancelled.

The clarion call against the league had so far emerged from smaller political parties such as Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK), Viduthalai Thamizh Puligal Katchi, Thamizhar Vidiyal Katchi and Social Democratic Party of India.

But on Friday, DMK working President MK Stalin and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam chief TTV Dhinakaran endorsed the idea of boycotting the IPL as well.

Talking to the media, after the all-party meeting, Stalin diplomatically said, “As far as we are concerned, we are not saying it shouldn’t happen. Those who are conducting it should realise the feelings of the people.”

TTV Dhinakaran, meanwhile, did not mince words. In a tweet addressing the people of Tamil Nadu, he said, “Till the voice of farmers in the formation of the Cauvery Management Board gets stronger, I ask fans to boycott IPL matches.”

TVK too had offered a similar narrative. Its leader Panruti T Velmurugan said, “In order to condemn the Centre which shows no regard for the livelihood and the identity of the Tamils, we request that IPL should not take place here – at a time when Tamilians are bursting with anger. If the BCCI conducts the IPL here, and the Tamil Nadu government and the Tamil Nadu police support it, then all those who eat the food produced by farmers will buy tickets and go inside the stadium and protest in a democratic way. Tamil Nadu government, BCCI and the IPL management should not push us to that level. If all our notifications on this matter are ignored, we are ready to come to the streets (to protest).”

Organisers, however, claim that cricket has once again become a punching bag in a political fight.

“What does IPL have to do with the Cauvery issue?” asks IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla. “We also want the Cauvery dispute to be sorted out but why harm IPL for that? This is not a government event, it is conducted by the BCCI. It can’t become a punching bag every time a problem arises,” he adds.

When TNM contacted farmer association over this proposed boycott, they expressed their support and questioned the need for celebration when the ‘state is in mourning’.

“This boycott is being called for in order to make it clear to the Centre that Tamil Nadu is in mourning,” says PK Deivasigamani, TN Farmers Association.

But how is the Centre in anyway connected to the Indian Premier League which is conducted by the BCCI?

“We agree that it is not connected but this is more of a symbolic gesture to show that Tamil Nadu is focussed on the Cauvery issue and has no time for entertainment,” says the farmer leader. “When farmers are suffering without water, how can people want to go watch these matches?” he asks.

And what if the matches, which have already been scheduled are conducted?

“We will go there and create problems. What will they do if 500 people run into the ground? There will definitely be commotion,” he warns.

Political analyst RK Radhakrishnan says it is only natural for political parties to demand that the state not allow the tournament to be conducted.

“In 2009, the IPL was shifted out of India due to security concerns as it clashed with the general election. The same argument holds now, as protests are erupting everyday over the Cauvery issue. Deployment of police will be a matter of concern,” says the analyst. “While it may seem like parties are attempting to politicise the matter, the reality is that the state is not in the mood for this kind of celebration when farmers are going to suffer this summer,” he adds.

But can the matches be stopped now?

“No, the planning is done and not much can be done now. That is unless, there is some incidence of violence,” he explains.

Political tensions in India often spill on to its cricket pitches. This was witnessed when matches between Sri Lanka and India or Pakistan and India were cancelled. Radhakrishnan, however, denies that this demand falls under the same bracket.

An example that does fall within the same arena is from Maharashtra in 2016. Following a water crisis in Latur, protests from the residents of the state led to some matches being shifted out from Maharashtra.

Veteran Indian woman boxer L. Sarita Devi stormed into the quarter-finals of the 60kg category with a 5-0 unanimous verdict over Barbados’ Kimberly Gittens at the 21st Commonwealth Games here on Saturday.

Sarita, 36, brought her experience to the fore against the 26-year-old Kimberly. The Indian got identical 30-25 verdicts from each of the five judges.

Sarita, the silver medallist at the 2014 Glasgow CWG, played her trademark counter-attacking game, waiting for the opponent to open up in launching an attack. Kimberly also lacked compactness and composure while defending. Sarita stood in distance, waiting for Kimberly to come to her and initiate attack.

Sarita was quick enough to make the most of the opportunities in landing combination of jabs and hooks. Kimberly’s positioning at the moment of defending was also called into question.

After the first round, Sarita had dealt a psychological blow on the opponent, forcing Kimberly to come out with a different strategy. Kimberly opened up less in the second round but Sarita still managed to dominate. The pattern was a left hook followed up by straight punches.

The blows from Sarita were so accurate and stinging that the ring judge even gave a three count to Kimberly to end the contest. But the Barbadian pugilist refused to surrender.

In the final round, Sarita slightly dropped her game but her know-how and tactical acumen were enough to come out convincing winner.

Sarita will take on Anja Stridsman of Australia in the quarter-final.

India blanked Malaysia 3-0 in the quarter-finals of the women’s team table tennis competition at the 21st Commonwealth Games (CWG) here on Saturday.

Manika Batra started off the proceedings with a comfortable 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 win over Malaysia’s Ying Ho in the opening match.

Madhurika Patkar slipped up a bit when she lost the opening game of the second match to Karen Lyne.

But the Indian recovered by claiming hard fought wins in the next two games before blowing away her opponent in the deciding game to claim a 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-3 verdict.

Madhurika then paired up with Mouma Das to beat the Malaysian pair of Ying Ho and Ai Xin Tee to complete the Indian win.

At least 14 people have been killed and another 14 injured in a collision involving a junior hockey team’s bus in Saskatchewan, Canada, according to the police.

There were 28 people in the vehicle at the time of the accident that took place on Friday when a semi-trailer collided with the bus, reports CBC News. Rescue efforts continued till late evening.

Three of the people are in critical state. However, the police would not confirm whether the deceased were players or coaches.

The Nipawin Hawks of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League said the crash involved the team bus of the Humboldt Broncos, who were on their way to Nipawin.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his condolences on Twitter: “I cannot imagine what these parents are going through, and my heart goes out to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy, in the Humboldt community and beyond.”

If Mirabai Chanu was the toast of the nation on Day 1, it was the turn of Sanjita Chanu to hog the limelight Day 2, claiming a gold and a Games’ snatch record in the 53kg category. The diminutive Manipuri lifted a total of 192kg (84kg+108kg) to claim the gold and broke down in tears on the podium. Ensuring that the men also had a share in the day’s exploits, Lather became the youngest Indian weightlifter to claim a CWG medal with his bronze in the 69kg category. While Lather had luck on his side as his nearest rival fouled the all-important final clean and jerk lift, Chanu had her fortitude to thank as she claimed her second successive CWG gold despite nursing a nagging back problem

Veteran Leander Paes on Saturday created a world record for most doubles wins in the Davus Cup history ever. Peas combined with Rohan Bopanna to not only grab a record 43rd win but also bring India back in tie against China.

Forced to play together by AITA, 44-year-old Paes and Bopanna downed a fighting Chinese pair of Mo Xin Gong and Ze Zhang 5-7 7-6(5) 7-6(3) in the do-or-die doubles rubber of the Asia/Oceania Group I tie.

India were trailing 0-2 in the tie after Ramkumar Ramanathan and Sumit Nagal suffered surprise tame defeats on Friday and needed a win in the doubles to stay alive in the tie.

The Indian youngsters will now have to win both the reverse singles to advance to the World Group Play-offs.

Paes, India’s Davis Cup hero for years, was tied on 42 wins with Italian great Nicola Pietrangeli for long but finally surpassed him, albeit, in a foreign land.

Paes had made his Davis Cup debut in 1990 along side Zeeshan Ali, who is now coach of the side, and grew into a legend in company of Mahesh Bhupathi, who is now the captain of the side.

Paes and Bhupathi, who together ruled the ATP circuit in late 90s with their incredibly successful partnership, weaved the longest unbeaten winning streak of 24 matches.

“Playing China in China will be tough. They have got a junior who won the US Open, plus they have a tough doubles team, which beat a good New Zealand side. It’s going to be tough. The Chinese play well together as a team. It’s wonderful after 29 years to go for a world record for India. I am happy to be back in the Indian team. But for me it’s important for the team to win the tie,” Paes had earlier told PTI in an interaction.

India’s weightlifting contingent has extended its superb showing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, with Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu winning gold in the women’s 53kg event and teenaged debutant Deepak Lather claiming bronze in the men’s 69kg event.

Weightlifter Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu has delivered India its second gold medal of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast City, Australia by dominating the women’s 53kg event at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre on Friday.

Teenager Deepak Lather has extended India’s weightlifting medal tally at the 2018 Commonwealth Games to four by winning bronze in the men’s 69kg event. In his first appearance at the quadrennial games, the 18-year-old from the village of Shadipur in Haryana – who was once enrolled at Pune’s Army Sports Institute as a diver – finished with a combined effort of 295kg (136 in snatch and 159 in clean & jerk) at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre on Friday.

Defender Gurjit Kaur struck twice as the Indian women’s hockey team brought its Commonwealth Games campaign back on track with a 4-1 thrashing of Malaysia in its second pool A match here today.

Kaur’s two penalty corner conversions (6th and 39th minutes), out of the three chances she got, along with skipper Rani Pampal and Lalremsiami’s field goals in the 56th and 59th minute respectively helped India post a comprehensive victory and recover from the shock of their opening 2-3 loss to lower-ranked Wales.

Malaysia’s lone goal, in the 38th minute, also came from a defender’s stick with Nuraini Rashid converting a penalty corner chance.

The Indian team, which finished fifth in the last two editions of the Games, will play England on April 8 next.

India were defeated 2-3 by lowly Wales on the first day of the women’s hockey competition at the Commonwealth Games here on Thursday.

Lisa Daley (7th minute) scored a field goal to hand Wales an early lead before Sian French (26th) converted a penalty stroke in the second quarter to double the advantage.

The Indians struck back with skipper Rani (34th, 41st) scoring a couple of goals in the third quarter.

Rani struck shortly after half time off a penalty corner.

She found the equaliser shortly before the end of the quarter with a field goal.

The fourth quarter was a hard-fought, end to end affair as both teams pushed for the winning goal.

Wales clinched the issue in the closing minutes when Natasha (57th) scored a field goal.

Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu (48kg) went on a record-crushing binge to secure India’s first gold medal at the 21st Commonwealth Games.

Chanu crushed the Commonwealth and the Games record in grab, pulling off clean lifts in all her three attempts (80kg, 84kg and 86kg). She at that point lifted more than twofold her body weight (103kg, 107kg and 110kg) in three fruitful attempts to guarantee the quick lift and the over all Games record.

The demonstrating helped her better the silver she had won in the 2014 Glasgow CWG. The Indian finished with a score of 196kg (86kg+110kg), acquiring a massive applause from the fans at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Center.