Pallekele (Sri Lanka): India defeated Sri Lanka via the Super Over in the inconsequential third and final T20I at Pallekele here on Tuesday to sweep the series 3-0.

Kusal Perera (46, 34b) and Kusal Mendis (43, 41b) guided Lanka’s chase of 138 before their innings fell apart in the familiar fashion at the business end. SL ended up at 137/8 after stipulated 20 overs, taking the match to Super Over.

For India, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Rinku Singh and skipper Suryakumar Yadav took two wickets apiece. India needed just three runs to win in Super Over. 

Earlier, SL bowlers produced a tidy effort to restrict India to a modest 137/9.

Spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana led the hosts’ bowling, sharing five wickets between them, as only Shubman Gill showed some spunk with a 39 in the company of Riyan Parag (26).

Brief scores:

India: 137/9 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 39, Riyan Parag 26, Washington Sundar 25; Wanindu Hasaranga 2/29, Maheesh Theekshana 3/28).

Sri Lanka: 137/ 8 in 20 overs (Kusal Perera 46, Kusal Mendis 43; Washington Sundar 2/23, Rinku Singh 2/3, Suryakumar Yadav 2/5).

India’s Nikhat Zareen (blue) after winning the Women’s 50kg Boxing event against Germany’s Maxi Karina Kloetzer

Paris: Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen powered into the women’s 50kg Olympics pre-quarterfinals with a tenacious victory over Germany’s Maxi Carina Kloetzer here on Sunday.

Trailing on three cards after the first round, the 28-year-old Indian prevailed by a 5-0 margin against the German in a rather messy round of 32 contest at the North Paris Arena here.

The unseeded Zareen, who is making her Games debut and is a strong medal contender, did not have the best of starts as the German closed the ring on her with aggressive attacking.

But Zareen expertly forced her way back to the centre of the ring, connecting some lusty blows. Both boxers tried to work on each other’s bodies.

The German, who was at a height disadvantage, used her jab to good effect, taking the first round via a 3-2 split verdict.

The second round was off to a frantic start with both boxers trading punches. But Zareen found her rhythm and connected some lethal hooks on Kloetzer. Both pugilists were trying to impress the judges but Zareen showcased her tactical prowess.

Kloetzer had a point deducted for not keeping her head up but Zareen immediately lost the point advantage as she was penalised for holding a few seconds later.

After the two energy sapping rounds, Zareen continued to land accurate blows, while Kloetzer looked exhausted and resorted to grappling. She was warned by the referee a couple of times as Zareen took the round and the win.

Zareen, who has been handed a tough draw, will take on top-seeded Asian Games and reigning flyweight world champion Wu Yu of China, who received a first round bye, on Thursday.

Zareen is the second Indian boxer to take the ring. Late on Saturday, Asian Games bronze medallist Preeti Pawar too began her campaign on a rousing note, as she picked an unanimous decision win over Vietnam’s Vo Thi Kim Anh to move to the pre-quarterfinals in the women’s 54kg category.

Pallekele (Sri Lanka): India beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in a rain-affected second T20I of the three-match series to take an unassailable 2-0 lead here on Sunday.

Chasing a revised target of 78 in eight overs, skipper Suryakumar Yadav (26, 12b, 4×4, 1×6) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (30, 15b, 3×4, 2×6) batted well as India romped home in 6.3 overs under DLS method.

Earlier, Kusal Perera made an aggressive fifty but leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi struck three crucial blows as India restricted Sri Lanka to a below-par 161 for nine before rain interrupted India’s chase at 6 for no loss in 0.3 overs.

Perera (53, 34b, 6×4, 2×6) led Lanka’s charge in the company of Pathum Nissanka (32, 24b, 5×4).

But Bishnoi (3/26) took three wickets, two in as many balls, as India snapped the hosts’ charge in the middle and end overs.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka: 161/9 in 20 overs (Kusal Perera 53, Pathum Nissanka 32; Ravi Bishnoi 3/26, Hardik Pandya 2/24, Arshdeep Singh 2/24)

India: 81/3 in 6.3 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 26, Yashasvi Jaiswal 30).

 Explosive opener Shafali Verma slammed a career-best 48-ball 81 as defending champions India thrashed minnows Nepal by 82 runs in their final group match to confirm their semifinal spot at the Women’s Asia Cup T20 tournament here on Tuesday.

With India shuffling the batting order, Shafali and Dayalan Hemalatha (47) opened the innings and gave India a flying start after stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana won the toss and opted to bat.

The opening duo smashed its way to 122 in 14 overs to lay the foundation.

Jemimah Rodrigues then hit unbeaten 28 off 15 balls, including three fours in the final over, to take India to a solid 178 for three.

Nepal needed to achieve the target in or under 10 overs to surpass Pakistan on net run rate and qualify for the semifinals but they could only manage 96 for nine in their 20 overs, thanks to some superb bowling from the in-form Indian attack.

Deepti Sharma (3/13) was the most successful bowler for India as she snapped three wickets, while her spin colleague Radha Yadav (2/12) and seamer Arundhati Reddy (2/18), playing in place of a rested Pooja Vastrakar, snapped two each.

Pakistan, thus, became the second team to qualify for the semifinals from group A.

It proved to be a tough chase for Nepal as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals to slip to 52 for 4 in 10.2 overs with seamer Arundhati cleaning up both the openers — Samjhana Khadka (7) and Sita Rana Magar (18).

Renuka Singh (1/15) then dismissed Kabita Kunwar (6), while Radha removed Indu Barma (14).

Deepti then got into the act, getting rid of Rubina Chhetry (15) and Kabita Joshi (0) and then removed Puja Mahato (2) with a direct throw.

Dolly Bhatta (5) became the second victim of Radha, while a caught and bowl effort helped Deepti dismiss Kajal Shrestha (3) to claim her third wicket.

Earlier, Shafali literally toyed with the bowlers, using her flicks to good use as 12 fours and a maximum flew from her blade.

Hemalatha struggled a bit but chugged along with her experienced partner as the Nepalese bowlers toiled in vain.

The openers racked up 50 in the powerplay and continued to make the bowlers pay.

Shafali was particularly harsh on medium pacer Kabita Joshi (1/36), smashing her for five boundaries, while off-spinner Sabnam Rai (0/41) too was sent across the line a couple of times.

The dashing opener smacked spinner Rubina Chhetry (0/14) over deep mid-wicket for her first six in the seventh over before picking up another four with a slog-sweep. She completed her fifty in 26 balls in the eighth over.

Hemalatha, who was finding it difficult to get the middle of the bat, then clobbered Joshi for a straight six as India reached 91 for no loss at the halfway stage.

Nepal had an opportunity to break the stand in the 12th over by left-arm spinner Sita Rana Magar (2/25) but seamer Indu Barma (0/29) spilled a regulation catch off Hemalatha at the boundary line.

The batter, however, was caught by Rubina after a bit of a juggle off the same bowler as India lost their first wicket with the team at 122 in 14 overs.

Hemalatha struck five fours and a six in her 42-ball innings.

Shafali continued to punish the bowlers, slamming two more fours off Barma but Sita Rana finally got rid of the opener with a tossed up delivery as the keeper did the rest.

Joshi then trapped S Sajana (10) but Rodrigues swelled the innings with a little cameo.

New Delhi: A police complaint has been filed against former cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and Gurkeerat Mann for allegedly mocking people with disabilities in a video that was uploaded on Instagram.

Following an uproar over the video, Harbhajan Singh posted a clarification on ‘X’, saying there was no intention to insult anyone.

The complaint was lodged by Arman Ali, the executive director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), with the SHO of the Amar Colony police station here.

Besides the cricketers, the complaint has also been filed against Sandhya Devanathan, the vice president and managing director of Meta India.

In the complaint, social media platform Instagram, which is owned by Meta, has been accused of violating the Information Technology Act, 2000, by allowing such content to be posted.

A police officer said the complaint was received at the Amar Colony police station and it will be shared with the cyber cell of the district for further probe into the matter.

The former cricketers shared the video on Instagram after India Champions beat Pakistan Champions by five wickets in the World Championship of Legends final.

In the video, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Raina are seen limping and holding their backs to show the physical toll taken by the matches on their bodies.

Disability activists have found the video to be in poor taste. The National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled called the video “totally disgraceful”.

The complaint stated that Instagram failed to adhere to its user guidelines, thus enabling the dissemination of derogatory content.

“This video is a blatant violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which guarantees every person the right to life with dignity.

“It also breaches Section 92 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and contravenes the Supreme Court’s guidelines established in the case of Nipun Malhotra v. Sony Pictures Films India Private Limited (2004 SCC Online SC 1639),” Arman Ali said in the complaint.

He urged the authorities to take immediate and appropriate action against the individuals involved and emphasised the need to hold public figures accountable for their actions, especially when they undermine the dignity of vulnerable communities.

Speaking to PTI after lodging the complaint, Ali said a simple apology from these cricketers would not do. “They must be penalised for their actions,” he said.

In a post on ‘X’, Harbhajan Singh said, “Just wanted to clear to our people who are complaining about our recent videos of ‘Tauba Tauba’ on social media after winning the championship here in England. We didn’t want to hurt anyone’s sentiments. We respect every individual and community and this video was just to reflect to our bodies after playing continuous cricket for 15 days.

“SORE bodies.. we are not trying to insult or offend anyone… still if people think we have done something wrong.. all I can say from my side SORRY to everyone… please let’s stop this here and move forward. Stay happy and healthy (sic),” he said in the post.

Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting and mentor Sourav Ganguly

New Delhi: Delhi Capitals on Saturday parted ways with head coach Ricky Ponting after seven unsuccessful years in their quest for an elusive IPL silverware, the franchise announced on social media.

While it is still early days, there is every possibility that Sourav Ganguly, the current Team Director of DC, could double up as the head coach next season.

“As you move on as our head coach, we are finding it incredibly difficult to put it down in words. The four things that you told us about in every huddle — care, commitment, attitude and effort, they sum up our seven years together,” DC posted on their official ‘X’ handle.

While the franchise waxed eloquent in that emotional post about their long association with the Australian, it is learnt that Ponting was told in no uncertain terms that his performance hasn’t pleased the management after being given seven years — unheard of at franchise level without results.

Ponting, a two-time World Cup winning captain of Australia, came on board in 2019 and while the team reached its maiden final in 2021, the performance in the following years have not matched that early promise.

“The top brass of Delhi Capitals has intimated Ricky that they aren’t happy that the team didn’t win a championship in seven years and they are trying to look at rejigging the support staff. He won’t be continuing next year,” a source close to DC management told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

It is understood that those who are in charge wanted Ponting to be more involved in the auction process and team building, rather than joining a couple of weeks before the start of IPL.

It remains to be seen whether DC will hire a new head coach or ask Ganguly to take up the gaffer’s role.

Praveen Amre, the hardworking assistant coach, is set to continue.

The DC co-owners – JSW and GMR group – are scheduled to have a meeting either at the end of this month or early next month to discuss the road ahead.

The players’ retention is another issue that will be up for discussion and if the number stays at four, then DC will have to let go either Australia’s Jake-Fraser McGurk or South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs with only one overseas slot available.

As far as the Indian core is concerned, the retention choices are pretty straight forward as skipper Rishabh Pant, all-rounder Axar Patel and wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav lead that chart.

A mega auction is on cards ahead of the IPL 2025, and there is every possibility that a few retainable stars from each franchise would want to enter the auction pool to check their real market rates.

Harare: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s flair was complemented by skipper Shubman Gill’s poise as young Indian team cantered to a 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the fourth T20 International, taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

This is the second time that India beat Zimbabwe by 10 wickets after a similar-margin win at the same venue in 2016.

Jaiswal and Gill’s approach was in complete contrast as the Mumbai southpaw went hammer and tongs during his unbeaten 93-run knock while the skipper (58 not out) was ready to play the second fiddle in a chase of 153 which was completed in 15.2 overs.

The target was made to look way easier than it should have been on a track that had good bounce and carry.

Jaiswal, who had to sit out during the T20 World Cup campaign hardly looked rusty, playing shots all around the wicket.

The thumping bowler’s back-drive off rival skipper Sikandar Raza was delightful and equally stylish was the pick-up pull off Richard Ngarava for a six.

The lack of pace in Zimbabwean attack on a good wicket became home team’s undoing as the dominant Jaiswal had reached his half-century with nine boundaries when the skipper was yet to reach 15.

There was no way that Zimbabwe could have stopped the run-feast as towards the end, the bigger interest was whether the two flag bearers of Indian batting into the next decade could reach their individual milestones of half-century and century.

It was Gill, who got his fifty and that didn’t leave Jaiswal with enough runs to complete his hundred.

Earlier India’s part-time bowlers Shivam Dube and Abhishek Sharma performed commendably in the middle overs to restrict Zimbabwe to a manageable 152 for seven after being put into bat by Gill.

Raza smashed 46 off 28 balls but India’s fifth bowler Abhishek (1/20 in 3 overs) and sixth option Dube (1/11 in 2 overs) produced a decent effort to keep the proceedings under control.

They removed the dangerous-looking opening duo of Wesley Madhevere (25 off 24 balls) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (32 off 31 balls) to put brakes in the middle overs.

However Raza with three sixes and two fours was the reason that Zimbabwe reached 150-plus target with almost all the Indian bowlers, save leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, entering their names in the wickets column. Medium fast bowler Tushar Deshpande (1/30 in 3 overs) was handed a debut cap but in his first spell he flattered to deceive, either pitching it too full or bowling too short.

More often than not he drifted on the pads allowing both openers Madhevere and Marumani to pick up easy boundaries.

Deshpande would feel good that he could get rid of Raza with a slower delivery in the slog overs to prevent Zimbabwe from surpassing 170 which would have been par on this track.

Zimbabwe’s best opening stand for the series in the first three games was 9 but Madhevere and Marumani added 63 in a solid stand even if it was not exactly spectacular.

However once the opening stand was broken by left-arm spinner Abhishek, who forced Marumani to mistime a pull-shot into Rinku Singh’s hands, Zimbabwe couldn’t press home advantage they had gained.

Madhevere was accounted for by Dube as he couldn’t get the required elevation and distance to a short ball. Rinku at deep mid-wicket completed formality.

Brian Bennett (9 off 14 balls), who was brilliant with the bat in the second game failed to get going before Washington sent him back. This was after Dube and Abhishek bowled wicket to wicket and kept a check on scoring.

New Delhi: Rahul Dravid, the outgoing head coach of the Indian cricket team, refused an additional ₹2.5 crore as bonus from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Dravid opted to take home only ₹2.5 crore, the same amount as the rest of his support staff.

“Rahul wanted the same bonus money (₹2.5 crore) as the rest of his support staff (bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, fielding coach T Dilip, and batting coach Vikram Rathore). We respect his sentiments,” a BCCI source stated.

According to the BCCI’s distribution formula, each of the 15 playing members of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad and Dravid were to receive ₹5 crore from the ₹125 crore prize money. The support staff were allocated ₹2.5 crore each, while the selectors and the traveling members of the squad were set to receive ₹1 crore each.

This is not the first time Dravid has upheld such principles. In 2018, as head coach of India’s U-19 World Cup-winning team, he rejected a proposed bonus distribution that would have given him ₹50 lakh while awarding ₹20 lakh each to the support staff and ₹30 lakh each to the players. Dravid insisted on equal bonuses for everyone, resulting in a revised award of ₹25 lakh for each coaching staff member, including himself.

Dravid’s tenure as head coach has been marked by consistency in selection and a deep connection with the players. Despite not winning a World Cup as a player, he achieved the milestone as a head coach with India’s T20 World Cup victory. His humility and leadership were evident when players, including captain Rohit Sharma and senior player Virat Kohli, celebrated Dravid’s contribution.

Rohit Sharma, who convinced Dravid to stay on for the T20 World Cup following India’s loss in the ODI World Cup finals last year, praised Dravid’s impact. “You are an absolute stalwart of this game, but you left all of your accolades and achievements at the door and walked in as our coach and came on a level where we all felt comfortable enough to say just about anything to you,” Rohit wrote on Tuesday.