New Delhi: Mumbai Indians beat UP Warriorz by 42 runs in their Women’s Premier League match here on Thursday.

Batting first, Mumbai Indians rode on Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 45 and Amelia Kerr’s 39 to post 160 for six after being 17 for two in the fourth over.

In reply, UP Warriorz were stopped at 118 for nine by a disciplined MI bowling unit to help the side register a clinical win.

Deepti Sharma waged a lone battle with a 36-ball 53.

Brief scores:

Mumbai Indians: 160/6 in 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 45, Amelia Kerr 39; Chamari Athapaththu 2/27).

UP Warriorz: 118/9 in 20 overs overs (Deepti Sharma 53; Saika Ishaque 3/27).

Dharamsala: Skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill struck sublime hundreds as India pressed the advantage in the fifth Test against England by reaching 264 for one at lunch on day two, here on Friday.

Rohit (102 batting off 160 balls) and Gill (101 batting off 142 balls) walked out in the middle in bright sunshine and milked the conditions to take India well past England’s first innings total of 218 after resuming the innings at 135 for one.

At the break, they led the visitors by 46 runs and were on course for a massive first innings total.

England tried everything to contain them, whether it was employing the leg-slip for Rohit when Shoaib Bashir was in operation or Mark Wood using the odd short ball against the opening duo with as many as six fielders on the leg side.

However, nothing worked for the visitors despite the Barmy Army making a lot more noise than the Indian fans at the stunning HPCA stadium. Rohit and Gill collected 129 runs from 30 overs in the two hours of play.

Rohit and Gill, who were batting on 52 and 26 overnight, gave themselves an over each after start of play before going for their strokes.

Off-spinner Bashir opened the bowling alongside veteran pacer James Anderson and was put under immense pressure by Rohit, who deposited him for a straight six and a four in his second over to set the tone.

Gill, who played some audacious strokes on the opening day, carried on in the same vein as he took two steps forward against the great Anderson for a straight six, which was followed by a square cut.

The only real chance that England had in the session went begging when Zak Crawley could not latch on to a sharp catch offered by Rohit at leg-slip. Mark Wood replaced Anderson and Gill put him under the pump with a square cut and a beautiful cover drive. Sixty runs in 15 overs in the first hour of play summed up India’s intent.

Wood resorted to the short ball tactic against the well-set duo but that did not work either. Stokes first put five fielders on the leg side before adding another one.

The mid-off was left vacant, prompting Rohit to make room and slap Wood in the region for a boundary.

Bashir returned for his second spell but Gill ensured he did not settle down by smashing for a maximum over the bowler’s head. The off-spinner then decided to go round the wicket but to no avail.

Rohit completed his 12th Test hundred and second of the series by flicking Tom Hartley for a single.

Two ball later, Gill followed him into three digits by slog-sweeping Bashir for a four. After completing his second ton of the series, Gill took his helmet off and bowed to the spectators in the stands including his proud father.

Young India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal on Wednesday broke into the top-10 of the ICC rankings for Test batters for the first time in his career on the back of his tremendous form in the ongoing home series against England.

Jaiswal, who made his Test debut in 2023, jumped two places to be at 10th spot with 727 rating points to his kitty.

In red-hot form with the bat against England, Jaiswal has already created history by joining an exclusive club of Indian batters to have scored 600 and more runs in a Test series. He is the lone left-handed batter to have achieved the feat.

The 22-year-old is only the fifth Indian ever to have crossed the 600-run mark in a Test series with others being Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Sardesai, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli.

With 655 runs in four Tests at 93.57 which includes two fifties and as many centuries — both converted into double hundreds — Jaiswal could well be targeting the legendary Sunil Gavaskar’s record of most runs (774) for any Indian batter in a Test series.

Meanwhile, a fine knock of 131 in Rajkot in the third Test against England has propelled Rohit Sharma to the 11th spot with the Indian skipper moving up two positions.

Star batter Virat Kohli, who has missed the entire five-Test series against England, also moved up one spot to be at eighth.

Among the top three batters, Joe Root replaced Steve Smith at the second spot after the English batter scored a quality century in the fourth Test in Ranchi but the Australian’s struggle persisting for big scores at the opening slot.

A loss in form with the bat for Marnus Labuschagne meant the right-handed Australian batter slipped as many as five positions after twin failures in the Wellington Test against New Zealand.

Among bowlers, India’s Ravindra Jadeja slipped one spot to be at seventh but Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon both moved up in the rankings to get to fourth and sixth respectively, following Australia’s huge win by 172 runs over New Zealand.

Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated UP Warriorz by 23 runs in the Women’s Premier League here on Monday.

Skipper Smriti Mandhana (80) and Ellyse Perry (58) scored blistering fifties to take RCB to 198 for 3.

The two added 95 runs off just 64 balls for the second wicket.

The RCB bowlers then fired as a unit, taking wickets at regular intervals to restrict the Warriorz to 175 for 8 despite the best efforts of skipper Alyssa Healy (55), allrounder Deepti Sharma (33) and Poonam Khemnar (31).

Sophie Devine, Georgine Wareham, Sophie Molineux and Asha Sobhana picked two wickets each for RCB.

Brief Scores:

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 198 for 3 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 80, Ellyse Perry 58; Sophie Ecclestone 1/22).

UP Warriorz: 175 for 8 in 20 overs (Alyssa Healy 55, Deepti Sharma 33; Sophie Devine 2/37).

Bengaluru: Mumbai Indians defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets in a Women’s Premier League match here on Saturday.

Opting to field, MI bowlers rose to the occasion to restrict RCB to a modest 131 for six in 20 overs.

Ellyse Perry top-scored for RCB with an unbeaten 44 off 38 balls.

Pooja Vastrakar (2/14) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (2/27) picked up two wickets each for MI.

Amelia Kerr (40 not out), Yastika Bhatia (31), skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (27) and Hayley Matthews (27) stood out with the bat for MI to overhaul the target in 15.1 overs.

Shreyanka Patil (1/15), Sophie Devine (1/16) and Georgia Wareham (1/18) were the wicket-takers for RCB.

Brief Scores:

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 131 for 6 in 20 overs (Ellyse Perry 44 not out; Pooja Vastrakar 2/14).

Mumbai Indians: 133 for 3 in 15.1 overs (Amelia Kerr 40 not out; Shreyanka Patil 1/15).

India’s latest batting sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal advanced towards a top-10 spot in the ICC rankings for Test batters by climbing three spots to 12th while his compatriot Dhruv Jurel leapfrogged 31 places to 69th on Wednesday.

Jaiswal, who started the series in 69th position, continues his ascent to the top after scores of 73 and 37 in the fourth match of India’s ICC World Test Championship series against England in Ranchi.

Player of the Match Jurel’s scores of 90 and 39 has jumped a whopping 31 places while former England captain Joe Root is back in the top three.

Root, a formerly top-ranked batter, struck an unbeaten 122 in the first innings in Ranchi to move up two places to third position. He also moved up three spots to fourth among all-rounders.

Senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s five-wicket haul in the second innings has helped him narrow the gap with top-ranked Jasprit Bumrah to 21 rating points at 846 after the fast bowler was rested for the Ranchi Test.

Wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved up 10 places to the 32nd spot and England’s Shoaib Bashir, who climbed 38 places to 80th, have also attained career bests.

Opener Zak Crawley entered the top 20 for the first time after scores of 42 and 60, while a bunch of spinners have also prospered in the latest weekly update.

The T20I Rankings see Australia batter Travis Head move into the top 20 for the first time after scores of 24, 45 and 33 in the series against New Zealand.

Tim David’s quickfire 31 off just 10 balls in the first match see him move up six places to 22nd and past the 600-point barrier for the first time in his career.

The top six bowlers are unchanged, with Josh Hazlewood the only new one in the top 10 after finishing with figures of 4-1-12-1 in Auckland.

In the ODI rankings, the biggest mover has been Namibia’s Bernard Scholtz, whose hauls of four for 31 against Nepal and two for 15 against the Netherlands in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 Tri-Series in Kirtipur have lifted him to 11th position and 642 ratings points, the highest position and points tally ever achieved by a Namibia player in ODI cricket.

Guwahati: The lack of a certified coach did not deter discus thrower Oinam Alson Singh’s confidence of becoming the first gold medallist from Manipur University at the 4th edition of the Khelo India University Games 2023, Ashtalakshmi

.

Alson, who took up the sport seriously towards the end of 2021 has so far been competing without a coach and banks on the advice of his uncles, who guide him about weight training and techniques of throwing.

“This is my first Khelo India University Games appearance and I’m delighted to win a gold here. I didn’t know that I’m the first from Manipur University to win gold. I have been supported by a lot of people but never had a professional coach, so it feels all the more fulfilling”, he said.

An injury in 2022 almost kept him out of action for nearly the entire season but he came back strongly at the AFI Open Nationals in Bengaluru last year. Alson’s performance in the tournament also earned him an offer from the Indian Navy for a sports officer’s post.

“I was confident of a good performance at the KIUG as I have been part of podium finishes recently. In the AFI Open Nationals in Bengaluru, I got my personal best of 53.99m but finished fourth, then I came up with 53.55m to bag a silver at last year’s Under-23 national championship followed by the National Games in Goa, where I threw 52m”, he said.

Hailing from Thoubal district in the state, Alson came up with a best effort of 51.24m to take the top spot on the KIUG podium. But the thrower conceded that he doesn’t posses the best of technical skills needed to succeed in the discipline.

“I’m not that skilful as I don’t have a certified coach. All I depend on is the guidance received from my uncles. They tip me on weight training and some basics, but there’s none to work and focus on my technique and those little adjustments needed in my game”, he said.

Alson received his initial training in the sport during his stint in Kerala, where he spent three years to complete his 10th before moving to Bengaluru for the next two years. He then moved to Guwahati to complete his graduation and finally started taking the sport seriously. On completion of his graduation, he moved back home but there were no proper coaches to take his game forward and despite that Alson never stopped.

“When I started off, I failed in my first three-four competitions, would miss out after the first three throws. In the inter-university competition, I couldn’t reach the final. I took that as a positive to improve, and learn from those throwers, implement those learnings during my training sessions.”

“My uncles monitor my throwing sessions. They don’t have certificates but they know a bit about the game. I used to throw with power only, my technique is not so good. It’s very hard to stay consistent”, the 22-year-old said.

Guwahati: Following a methodical performance at the ongoing Khelo India University Games 2023 Ashtalakshmi that helped Arjun Singh Cheema secure a gold medal in the 10m Air Pistol, the 22-year-old rifle shooter has set his target on bagging a berth for Paris Olympics in July-August this year.

Currently third in the pecking order to represent India in the 10m Air Pistol, behind Sarabjot Singh and Varun Tomar, Cheema is vying to capitalise on the momentum gained here in Guwahati to make the cut.
Having featured in the Indian shooting team that won the 10m air pistol team gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, Arjun Singh Cheema expressed his determination. “My goal for this year has been the Paris Olympics and this victory at the Khelo India University Games gives me confidence ahead of the selections. Now my focus is on making the qualifying mark,” said Cheema, who represented Lovely Professional University.
Interestingly, Cheema finished fourth in the 10m Air Pistol in the previous edition of the Khelo India University Games held in Uttar Pradesh. However at the Kahilpara Shooting Range on Sunday, Cheema showed a marked improvement, displaying his resolve to top the field of shooters. Despite a seventh-place finish in the qualification rounds, Cheema showcased great mental aptitude to lead the finals from the first round and registered a total score of 242.5 to bag the top honours.

With Guru Nanak Dev University’s Amit in close pursuit and only a two-point difference between the shooters before the final round, Cheema said, “It was a good competition and got tight towards the end. There are a million thoughts that come into your mind, but it is about staying calm and steady.”
The Asian Games gold medallist attributed the uptick in this performance, particularly since his Asian Games success, to a combination of factors.

“The previous edition of KIUG was a very good experience for me, and there has been a lot of learning since then. Mentally I am more focused, determined and I have come to realise that the sport is not just result-oriented but one must also be consistent with the approach and there has to be constant learning.”
Cheema further emphasised on the support system he has which has helped him elevate his performance. “It is all about teamwork, it is not just me who is working hard, but also the support of my parents, friends, my sports psychologist, and the support from the government,” he said.

Cheema has also been part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) for a little over a year now and is grateful for the support. “Whatever an athlete requires whether it is shooting equipment, support to compete internationally, or any kind of training you need, the government supports you from A to Z. It no longer a burden only on the parents and I think this is the biggest positive of participating in events like Khelo India Games as we get the platform to be recognised for government support,” he signed off.

Mumbai: Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer was on Tuesday named in Mumbai’s 16-member squad for the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Tamil Nadu starting on March 2.

Mumbai qualified for the semifinals after their quarterfinal clash against Baroda ended in a draw at the BKC Ground, with the 41-time champions making it to the final four on the basis of first-innings lead.

Lacking big runs and struggling with a back-related issue again, the 29-year-old Iyer was not named in India’s squad for the last three Tests against England.

Iyer, subsequently, also missed Mumbai’s quarterfinal match along with all-rounder Shivam Dube.

The timing of Iyer pulling out of the key Ranji clash coincided with BCCI secretary Jay Shah announcing that a directive will be issued to players to compulsorily play domestic matches.

While Dube is on the mend having suffered a side strain issue, Iyer has recovered completely and will be available for the semifinal against Tamil Nadu.

Mumbai squad: Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Prithvi Shaw, Bhupen Lalwani, Amogh Bhatkal, Musheer Khan, Prasad Pawar, Hardik Tamore, Shardul Thakur, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Aditya Dhumal, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Avasthi, Royston Dias, Dhawal Kulkarni.

Bengaluru: Captain Smriti Mandhana’s blitz and a disciplined effort by bowlers powered Royal Challengers Bangalore to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over sloppy Gujarat Giants in their Women’s Premier League match here on Tuesday.

Mandhana (43, 27b, 8×4, 1×6) and S Meghana (36, 28b, 5×4, 1×6), who added 40 runs for the second wicket, made light work of a 108-run target.

Royal Challengers finished their towelling of the Giants in a mere 12.3 overs for their second win on the bounce in this WPL.

They just had to build on the strong foundation laid by the RCB bowlers, who restricted Giants to 107 for 7. Pacer Renuka Singh (2/14) and left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux (3/25) did the star turn for the home side after it opted to bowl.

The RCB chase began with a bang as Mandhana slammed two fours in the first two balls off pacer Lea Tahuhu a drive past the point and a well-timed pull carrying the ball to the fence in a jiffy.

The graceful left-hander added another four through a pull a ball later as RCB amassed 13 runs in the first over.

With boundaries raining, the Bangalore outfit marched to 32 for no loss in the third over but lost Sophine Devine to Ashleigh Gardner in the fourth over.

But her dismissal did not slow down the scoring as Mandhana smoked a six over the head off Tahuhu to keep the momentum going.

A fifty was there for taking, but a tame push off left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar cut short her entertaining stint.

Her innings also put in perspective the early struggles of Giants’ batters, who limped without timing or power.

There was a certain tackiness on the pitch alright, but the RCB bowlers also hit the right length to keep the Giants batters on a tight leash.

The dismissal of Giants’ skipper Beth Mooney (8) was a perfect example for this.

Mooney had struck Renuka for two boundaries earlier, and she immediately changed the line coming around the wicket.

She was rewarded with the big wicket when Mooney failed to tackle a delivery that shaped in to beat her defensive prod.

Renuka soon ousted Phoebe Litchfield too when the Aussie batter failed to drag her feet back inside the crease before Richa Ghosh, standing up, completed her stumping.

The pacer bowled her full quota of four overs on the trot and returned with handsome numbers of 4-0-14-2.

From that point, the Giants kept on losing wickets, including generally quick scorers like Ashleigh Gardner, and it thwarted their attempts to give some steam to the innings.

Dayalan Hemalatha’s unbeaten 31 off 25 balls helped them go past the 100-run mark.

They ended the first 10 overs at 44 for two, and the back 10 too did not prove much different as RCB bowlers kept chipping away without conceding too many runs.

That the Giants managed a total of just 10 fours and two sixes in their entire innings underlined their tough time.