Noted badminton player Kidambi Shrikanth on Tuesday said that he was surprised when he got a call from the government about his selection for the Padma Shri.

“I am really happy and excited at getting the Padma Shri this evening. In fact, I was surprised when I was informed that I have been shortlisted for the award,” Shrikanth told IANS.

“I had applied thinking that I was eligible for this award. Glad that even the screening committee thought as much. This is really motivating,” he added with a smile.

At 25, Shrikanth is the second youngest sportsperson in India to have got the Padma Shri. Earlier, P.V. Sindhu got it at the age of 19.

Shrikanth, an Arjuna awardee, was the first male badminton player to win gold at the 2015 Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold.

(IANS)

Wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Karthik (29 runs off eight balls) played a brilliant cameo towards the end as India beat Bangladesh by four wickets in the final of the Nidahas Trophy T20 tri-series at the R.Premadasa Stadium here on Sunday.

Coming in the second last over with scoreboard reading 133/5, Karthik announced his arrival at the crease through two sixes and a four in first three balls which narrowed the gap between remaining balls and required runs.

The drama unfolded in the last over when India needed five runs in the last ball. Kathik slammed a flat six over extra cover to clinch the issue.

Chasing 167, skipper Rohit Sharma (56) once again led from the front with his classy knock but failed to finish off the proceedings. Middle-order batsman Manish Pandey (28) played sensible innings but was dismissed when needed the most. Then came Karthik who took India to victory.

India started off on a steady note as openers Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan (10) scored 32 runs in three overs but then Dhawan was dismissed by Shakib Al Hasan.

Suresh Raina (0), who also played a crucial role along with Rohit in the last match could not disturb his score this time as the Uttar Pradesh batsman was dismissed in the very next over by Rubel Hossain.

But incoming batsman Lokesh Rahul (24) and Rohit forged a crucial 51-run partnership before Rahul was sent packing by Hossain in the 10th over.

Just when things seemed good in the middle, Rohit departed with Nazmul Islam picking up the crucial wicket in the 14th over. His 42-balls innings was laced with four boundaries and three sixes.

Needing 69 runs in 40 balls, it was all on new two new batsmen Pandey and Vijay Shankar (17). Pandey displayed some superb shots while Shankar also supported handsomely at the other end.

But with 37 needed in last three overs, Shankar played four dot balls which mounted the pressure and as a result, Pandey, while trying for a big one, was caught by Sabbir Rahman off Mustafizur Rahman. Pandey played 27 balls and slammed three boundaries.

Experienced batsman Karthik then joined Shankar and guided India to victory.

For Bangladesh, Hossain picked up two wickets.

Earlier, top-order batsman Sabbir Rahman dragged Bangladesh out of a hole with a well paced 50-ball 77 to help his team post a fighting 166/8.

After spinners Yuzvendra Chahal (3/18) and Washington Sundar (1/20) took four wickets between them to leave their rivals reeling at 68/4 at one stage, Sabbir mixed caution with aggression to hit seven fours and four sixes before Jaydev Unadkat (2/33) took his wicket.

In the last over, Mehidy Hasan (19 not out) took 18 runs off Shardul Thakur (0/45) who had a forgettable outing.

Openers Tamim Iqbal (15) and Liton Das (11) got off to a steady start but just when they looked to step on the gas, in-form Sundar put a spanner in their works, stretching his purple patch with the ball.

Sundar bowled a slower one just outside off stump, forcing Das into a slog sweep which went straight up in the air to Raina who completed an easy catch near short fine leg.

In the next over, the dangerous Iqbal followed suit thanks to an acrobatic catch by Thakur on the very edge of the long-on boundary off Chahal’s bowling.

Chahal removed Soumya Sarkar (1) in the same over, the batsman sweeping straigh to Dhawan at square leg, as Bangladesh looked in disarray inside the Powerplay tottering at 40/3 in six overs.

At the halfway stage, Bangladesh were 68/3 with Rahman and Mushfiqur Rahim (9) trying to stem the rot.

In the very first ball of the 11th over, Chahal grabbed his third wicket as Rahim miscued a widish googly, skying the ball over backward point where Shankar took a fine diving catch running to his right. The pair added 35 runs for the fourth wicket.

Mahmudullah (21), who hit the winning six in the last do-or-die game against hosts Sri Lanka, took time to get going and along with Sabbir looked to build a partnership.

Bangladesh struggled to find the boundary with Mahmudullah breaking a four-over drought with a sublime shot between backward point and short third man off Unadkat in the 13th over.

Mahmudullah’s run out brought an end to their patient association of 36 runs for the fifth wicket but Sabbir lived up to his reputation of a promising young player by smacking Shankar for two sixes in the 17th over and Sundar for one in the previous over.

In the 18th over, Rahman showed deft skills to and place the ball behind the wicket with exploit both third man and fine leg inside the ring for consecutive boundaries.

Trying to go for one too many, Rahman’s brilliant innings came to end with Unadkat ruffling his wickets to get his first wicket.

In the same over, Unadkat castled Hossain (0) and gave away just three runs to underline his potential as a death bowler.

Brief scores: Bangladesh 166/8 in 20 overs (Sabbir Rahman 77, Yuzvendra Chahal 3/18, Jaydev Unadkat 2/33) against India: 168/6 ( Rohit Sharma 52, Dinesh Karthik 29, Rubel Hossain 2/35)

Breda (Netherlands): India will take on Pakistan in the opening match of the Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy 2018 which will be held here from June 23 to July 1.

That match will be followed by another eye-catching fixture, with home favourites and European champions Netherlands taking on Olympic and Pan American champions Argentina.

A sensational opening day of action will be rounded off by the meeting between Australia and Belgium who will meet in what is certain to be a hugely competitive fixture between two of the best attacking sides in the world.

Other schedule highlights include a showdown between European neighbours Netherlands and Belgium on June 24, while a rerun of the 2016 Olympics final between Argentina and Belgium is slated for June 26.

Argentina will be looking to reverse their loss to Australia in December’s Men’s Odisha Hockey World League Final on the last day of the round-robin on June 30.

The Netherlands and India, the champions of Europe and Asia respectively, will clash on June 30.

(IANS)

Vadodara: A 76-run partnership for the eighth wicket saved India the blushes before being bowled out for 200 against Australia in the first One-day International of the ICC Women’s Championship here today. Electing to bat after winning the toss, India lost wickets at regular intervals before the duo of Pooja Vastrakar (51) and Sushma Verma (41) steadied the ship with sensible batting.

This was the 18-year-old Vastrakar’s maiden half century, and she laced her crucial knock with seven boundaries and a six, while Verma found the fence three times during her 71-ball innings. The total looked a far cry when Shikha Pandey was dismissed in the 32nd over with the score reading 113 for seven. That was the time when Verma and Vastrakar joined hands to bail India out of a precarious situation.

The hosts were off to a steady start with openers, Punam Raut (37) and Smriti Mandhana (12), putting on 38 runs in nine overs. However, Mandhana was trapped in front of the wicket by Amanda-Jade Wellington in the first ball of the 10th over, giving the leg-spinner the first of her three wickets. The most successful Australian bowler, though, was Jess Jonassen, who returned impressive figures of 4/30.

Jemimah Rodrigues and Raut were also dismissed in quick succession as India were left struggling at 60 for three, which became 83 for four in the 23rd over. While facing 50 deliveries, Raut struck six boundaries and a six. With skipper Harmanpreet Singh falling to Alyssa Healy’s work behind the stumps off Megan Schutt’s bowling an over later, hosts India slumped to 87 for five.

The Australians were disciplined with the ball with the spinners taking eight wickets. Had they held on to their chances, Meg Lanning’s side could have restricted the hosts to a much lower score.

(Agencies)

Ipoh: India finished fifth at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament with a 4-1 thrashing of Ireland here on Saturday.

Varun Kumar scored twice from penalty corners while Shilanand Lakra and Gurjant Singh got the other goals for India.

Julian Dale exploited some poor marking by the Indian defenders to get a consolation goal for the European minnows in the final quarter.

India thus avenged the 2-3 loss to Ireland in their last league stage match on Friday which had eliminated their already slim chances of qualifying for the medal rounds.

Ireland finished sixth in the tournament.

Saturday’s match capped a rather insipid campaign for India during which the only positive results were a 5-1 rout of hosts Malaysia and a 1-1 draw with European powerhouse England.

(IANS)

India remained winless in the 27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament after losing 2-4 to Australia in their third match here on Tuesday.

Ramandeep Singh (52nd and 53rd minutes) scored twice after Australia were 4-0 up, thanks to Mark Knowles 28th minute, penalty stroke), Aran Zalewski (35th), Daniel Beale (41st) and Blake Govers (43rd, penalty corner).

(IANS)

Mumbai: With dedicated 2 hours of daily time bands for VIVO IPL 2018 programming, Star Sports will now offer KKR and VIVO IPL fans a chance to witness Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announcing their new captain live for the first time on television.

Sourav Ganguly, Former Captain, Indian Cricket Team and icon player for KKR in the inaugural season of IPL speaking exclusively on the Star Sports Network, the official broadcaster of VIVO IPL has put his faith on Robin Uthappa as a prime captaincy contender for the top job at the Kolkata based franchise.

Here is sneak peak of what the fans can expect on Sunday:

Fans will be able to watch the entire episode of Knight Club featuring Sourav Ganguly and KKR assistant coach Simon Katich as they talk about the qualities they are seeking in KKR’s next captain on Sunday February 25, 2018 on Star Sports Hindi 1, Star Sports Hindi HD 1 and Star Sports First at 10 pm along with the announcement on Sunday, March 04, 2018 at 9 am.

Speaking exclusively on the Knight Club show on Star Sports the former KKR and India captain Sourav Ganguly said, “It is important for KKR to entrust their new captain with the kind of faith and stability they showed in Gautam Gambhir. When I look at the current KKR squad, I feel Robin Uthappa is the best player to lead the team. Though, the team has experienced campaigners in Dinesh Karthik and Chris Lynn but Uthappa has been with the team for over 4 years now and he’s had considerable experience in dealing with the dynamics of the side, not to mention that he’s a fan favourite as well. An aggressive batsman himself, he will be the right successor to the legacy that KKR has come to build over the last decade.”

Kolkata Knight Riders will also offer their fans to nominate their choices for the captain via fan poll starting tomorrow on their website before Star Sports and KKR answer one question on everybody’s minds ‘KKR ka Captain Kaun?’ on March 04, 2018.

Speaking on the qualities KKR is seeking in their next captain, KKR Assistant Coach Simon Katich said, “While on-field characteristics play an important role, we are also looking at someone who can be a big part of the camp off the field. It is important how the captain goes around and creates a friendly atmosphere in the camp by not always talking cricket and also getting to know the players and their characteristics.”

The 11th edition of VIVO IPL starts on Saturday, April 07, 2018 with defending champions Mumbai Indians hosting two-time winners Chennai Super Kings.

Kolkata Knight Riders will begin their VIVO IPL 2018 journey at Eden Gardens against Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday, April 08, 2018.

In addition to watching VIVO IPL in Hindi and English, fans will enjoy a deeply local experience by the addition of four regional languages – Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bengali in this edition of VIVO IPL 2018.

About Star Sports:
Home to a number of leading domestic and International sports, the Star Sports network with twelve channels broadcasts premier sporting events which include cricket coverage under the purview of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC); Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL); Karnataka Premier League (KPL); VIVO Pro Kabaddi; Football under Hero Indian Super League (ISL), Premier League, Bundesliga; Badminton under Badminton World Federation (BWF) events, Premier Badminton League (PBL); including the recently launched Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT); and other premium sports such as Formula 1; Wimbledon, The French Open and US Open.

Mumbai: To reimagine the 11th edition of VIVO IPL and bring fans closer to their favourite cricket tournament, Star Sports has joined hands with Rajasthan Royals to announce their new captain on the Star Sports Network. This is the first time an IPL franchisee will announce their captain on television.

Rajasthan Royals, who etched their name in IPL history by becoming the first ever champions, will now under the mantle of Shane Warne take on the challenge to find the perfect captain for the team. The Royals at this point are extremely well positioned with strong players including Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith and Ben Stokes, this makes the decision a tough one!

Ahead of the captain announcement, Shane Warne, Mentor – Rajasthan Royals spoke exclusively on the Star Sports network, “The captain plays an important role as there are players coming from different countries and he needs to bring them all together. A captain is instrumental to create a culture within the team wherein every one gels with each other on and off the field. We indeed have some great choices- the likes of Ben Stokes, Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith who bring leadership values with them. Jos Buttler too has capabilities to lead a team.”

Fans will be able to watch the entire episode of PHIR HALLA BOL- RETURN OF THE ROYALS featuring Shane Warne along with Mr. Manoj Badale, co-owner – Rajasthan Royals as they unveil their new captain for VIVO IPL 2018 on Star Sports 1, Star Sports HD 1, Star Sports Hindi 1, Star Sports Hindi 1 HD and Star Sports First tomorrow at 7 pm.

“We really appreciate Star Sports’ efforts to create a six-month buzz around the VIVO IPL 2018. Indians love cricket and such programming innovations are bound to win a million hearts. We are extremely delighted to have partnered with the Star Sports network to announce our captain for the upcoming season.” said, Mr. Manoj Badale, co-owner, Rajasthan Royals.

In the lead-up to the tournament, Star Sports brings 60 hours of dedicated programming per month featuring a daily dose of proprietary shows such as Game Plan, Cricket Countdown and specially curated Franchise based episodes. The 11th edition of VIVO IPL starts on Saturday, April 07, 2018 with defending champions Mumbai Indians, who will host two-time winners Chennai Super Kings. Rajasthan Royals will kick-off their season with an away fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, April 09, 2018. In addition to watching VIVO IPL in Hindi and English, fans will enjoy a deeply local experience with the addition of four regional languages – Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bengali in this edition of VIVO IPL 2018.

About Star Sports:

Home to a number of leading domestic and International sports, the Star Sports network with twelve channels broadcasts premier sporting events which include cricket coverage under the purview of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC); Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL); Karnataka Premier League (KPL); VIVO Pro Kabaddi; Football under Hero Indian Super League (ISL), Premier League, Bundesliga; Badminton under Badminton World Federation (BWF) events, Premier Badminton League (PBL); including the recently launched Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT); and other premium sports such as Formula 1; Wimbledon, The French Open and US Open.

Cape Town: India would be eyeing a perfect end to what has been a thoroughly roller-coaster tour when they take on a depleted but not completely deflated South Africa in the decisive third Twenty20 International here tomorrow.

Having suffered a minor setback in the previous game, India will look to recover and close out this eight-week long tour with a series’ win.

The three-match series is level at 1-1 after the Men in Blue won the first T20I in Johannesburg by 28 runs. The Proteas bounced back in Centurion with a six-wicket win.

India have never played T20 cricket at Newlands. This will be their first such outing, while South Africa have a less than impressive record here. They have played 8 T20Is, and lost 5 of them here.

The two wins came in the 2007 World T20 and as such the hosts have only ever won a singular bilateral T20I game (against England in 2016) at Cape Town.

It doesn’t necessarily give the visitors an advantage. Through this limited-overs’ leg, South Africa have shown that they are more comfortable in the T20 setting, having won the rain-truncated Pink ODI as well as coming close while chasing 204 in the first match of this series, both at Wanderers.

Victory in the previous game will also be a reason for buoyancy in the Proteas’ dressing room. Stand-in skipper JP Duminy was adamant that they had well-set plans for Indian batsmen and bowlers since the start of this series but just needed proper execution as was showcased at Supersport Park.

It was seen in how the hosts made pointed changes in their bowling plans, and then took the attack to India s bowlers.

Duminy had named an unchanged eleven in the previous game, and it remains to be seen if they will bother breaking away from this consistency in the series-decider.

Jon-Jon Smuts hasn’t come good yet despite his big-hitting prowess, while David Miller’s poor form has spilled over from the ODIs. He was persisted with throughout that series, so there is no reason to doubt that the Proteas’ team management will back him to come good at a crucial juncture.

Jasprit Bumrah’s abdominal strain had forced India to make a change, but they will consider a couple spots for this finale. Bumrah’s fitness still remains a question mark.

Will the team management risk playing him given the shortened time-frame of this match? The fact that there is a two-week gap before the tri-series begins in Sri Lanka might coerce them into this gamble.

The bowling combination is the other concern. India have shown a propensity to field a left-arm pacer in this format, but Jaydev Unadkat has proven expensive so far.

He has picked up two wickets for 75 runs at an economy of 9.78. Yuzvendra Chahal has also been hammered (one wicket for 103 runs in 8 overs at economy 12.87) and Heinrich Klaasen eager to face him once again.

Given the scenario, Virat Kohli might just be inspired to change the look and shape of his bowling attack.

If Bumrah does play, Unadkat is likely to make way for him. Shardul Thakuar used clever change of pace at Centurion and picked 1/31 in his four-over spell.

The Newlands pitch had played slow during the ODI series, and citing the example of Supersport Park, there is every reason to expect another wicket on the slower side, if not dual-paced altogether.

Arguably, Chahal bowls a more consistent line than Kuldeep Yadav and this explains latter’s omission from the first two games.

However, with Chahal’s confidence hitting a bit low, Yadav could find himself in reckoning for this all-important game. Further, given South Africa’s frailty against change of pace, India might even be tempted to consider Axar Patel, thus increasing the onus on Hardik Pandya as the third-choice pacer.

India’s tour had gained momentum with victory in the Wanderers’ Test and then they carried it through the ODI series, romping home with a 5-1 margin.

The team management usually clubs all formats together and is celebrating ascendancy over South Africa since the last week of January. As such, they will be keen to fly out with an additional trophy to show for this run of form.

Teams (from):

India: Virat Kohli (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat, Shardul Thakur.

South Africa: JP Duminy (capt), Farhaan Behardien, Junior Dala, Reeza Hendricks, Christiaan Jonker, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Chris Morris, Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts.

(PTI)