World No.1 Rafael Nadal of Spain on Monday defeated Maximilian Marterer of Germany 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), earning his career’s 900th win and advancing to the French Open quarter-finals.

Nadal, who turned 32 on Sunday, needed two hours and 30 minutes to get rid of Marterer, world No. 70, setting up a quarter-final clash with Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman, reported Efe.

The 10-time French Open champion got his 224th Grand Slam win, surpassing Jimmy Connors of the US, but is still far behind record holder Roger Federer of Switzerland (332) and second-placed Novak Djokovic of Serbia (244).

He also tied Djokovic’s record for the most quarter-finals appearances at Ronald Garros, reaching that stage for the 12th time.

Nadal extended his straight-set winning streak at the French Open to 37, just four sets shy of the record set by Sweden’s Bjorn Borg.

But that streak seemed to be in danger, as Nadal conceded his service game in the early stages of the first and third sets, but managed to keep his momentum.

Debutant Marterer stormed into a 2-0 lead in the first set, but Nadal turned up the heat, winning five straight games, and went on to clinch the set.

Nadal continued to build momentum in the second set, racking up a 2-0 lead and earning one more service break at 4-2 to double his lead.

Marterer, however, broke Nadal’s serve for 3-1 in the third set, but Nadal restored order, drawing level at 3-3.

The set then went with serve, heading to a tiebreak that Nadal won through superior consistency in the key moments.

Bollywood celebrities like Abhishek Bachchan, Arjun Kapoor and Varun Dhawan have celebrated India’s victory over Kenya at the 2018 International Cup.

They showered praise on skipper Sunil Chhetri for his performance in his 100th international game on Monday where he scored twice, calling him a “legend” and a “leader”.

Chhetri scored a brace on a rain-soaked Monday night at the Mumbai Football Arena, as Jeje Lalpekhlua also scored to help India beat Kenya 3-0 keeping its hopes alive for the final of the Intercontinental Cup on June 10.

Here’s what they have tweeted:

Arjun Kapoor: “Way to go boys! That was a spectacular match team India! Sunil Chetri, scoring twice in your 100th match is no simple feat…what a performance!”

Varun Dhawan: “Great win for team India and that beautiful goal by the captain Sunil Chhetri. Well done team India, proud.”

Abhishek Bachchan: “And you know he had to score! Sunil Chhetri captain, leader, legend. Great win by team India 3:0 Kenya. Super brace by the captain and an unbeatable goal by the sniper Jeje who kept his promise to me that he’d score. Back the blue… Onto the next one boys.”

Ayushmann Khurrana: “Congrats Indian football for the amazing victory against Kenya 3-0. Super proud of Sunil. You guys deserve all the love, applause, respect and yes, packed stadiums.”

Armaan Malik: “Congrats captain Sunil and Indian football team for the big win against Kenya. Your 100th international match will always be etched in Indian Sporting History. Thank you for bringing awareness to a sport that is so loved but not noticed in our country as much as cricket.”

Chitrangda Singh: “We surely need heroes like you! Sunil Chhetri, Indian football.”

Adnan Sami: “You called, Mumbai answered… Keep calling! Congratulations! What an emotional moment and brilliant victory! Sunil Chhetri.”

Aadar Jain: “What a fabulous victory for India! You are a rockstar Sunil Chhetri! So well deserved!”

Boman Irani: “Your appeal is so honest and sincere, Sunil. There will be a day. Soon enough. It wont be necessary. You are a true leader.”

Karanvir Bohra: “Won 3-0. What an exciting match…. Sunil Chhetri your heartfelt message was enough to have the entire stadium to a maximum capacity and thank you Bunty Walia… for making this happen for all of us. Bachchan captain… Sikandar Kher remember I didn’t post ther other picture for you only.”

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha has been ruled out of the historic Test against Afghanistan that is scheduled to be played in Bengaluru, starting June 14.

Dinesh Karthik — who last played in the longest format of the game against Bangladesh in 2010 — has been called in as a replacement for injured Saha.

“Wriddhiman Saha has been ruled out of the one-off Test against Afghanistan to be held in Bengaluru from the 14th of June, 2018. Saha suffered an injury to his right thumb while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL Qualifier 2 against Kolkata Knight Riders on 25th May 2018 at the Eden Gardens,” the BCCI statement read.

“He was under observation by the medical staff of the BCCI and the management has decided to give him adequate rest before the start of the England Test series. Saha’s recovery period is expected to be around five to six weeks,” the statement added.

Karthik has only played 23 Tests for India till date, in which he has scored 1000 runs, including one century and seven half-centuries. However, it must be mentioned that Karthik was a surprise success when he played Test cricket in England in 2007, where he slammed three half-centuries — 60 at Lord’s, 77 at Nottingham and 91 at the Oval.

Karthik has gone from strength to strength since returning to the Indian set-up last year. The swashbuckling wicket-keeper’s last-over heroics in the Nidahas Trophy final helped India clinch the trophy against Bangladesh in March.

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday said it has slapped a penalty of Rs 121 crore on BCCI, its former Chairman N. Srinivasan, former Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner Lalit Modi and others for alleged violation of the FEMA during second edition of the cash-rich Twenty-20 cricket tournament in South Africa.

An official said that the ED has levied a fine of Rs 121.56 crore in connection with its ongoing investigation into the alleged contravention of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in transferring Rs 243 crore to South Africa to host the second edition of the IPL in 2009.

The official said that the agency has levied a penalty of Rs 82.66 crore on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Rs 11.53 crore on its former boss Srinivasan, Rs 10.65 crore on Modi, Rs 9.72 crore on former BCCI treasurer M.P. Pandove, Rs 7 crore on the State Bank of Travancore and Rs 10 lakh penalty on then Chief Manager.

According to the agency officials, the investigation revealed that Rs 243 crore was transferred to the Cricket South Africa (CSA) in 2009 and this money was routed into another dedicated bank account opened by CSA in the name of CSA-IPL.

“Thereafter, by virtue of an agreement between BCCI and CSA, BCCI exercised full control over the operation of this foreign bank account thereby avoided scrutiny of these expenses by any Indian authority,” the official said.

Hero Intercontinental Cup to begin at Mumbai Football Arena on June

India will take on Chinese Taipei in the opening match of the tournament

Indian national football team head coach, Stephen Constantine said on Thursday that he has “broken things down and have set the plans to win each of these three games” in the Hero Intercontinental Cup.

India will take on Chinese Taipei in the opening match of the Hero Intercontinental Cup at the Mumbai Football Arena on Friday (June 1), the kick-off of which is slated for 8 PM.

Speaking at the official pre-tournament press conference in Mumbai, Constantine said, “We will use this tournament as a preparation for the AFC Asian Cup. I am aware of the quality of the players whom Kenya and New Zealand have brought in and they are playing all across Europe.”

“The quality of those leagues matter. We are using this game to develop and improve,” the Coach added. “Kenya and New Zealand will be giving us different problems and we need them in our developmental process. Physically we are prepared and we need to now prepare tactically,” he added.

Team Captain Sunil Chhetri, also present on the occasion mentioned about the “desire to win among the players is 100 percent.”

“It’s an absolute honour for me to have played for my country. I have been involved with many coaches, players, physios and staff. I love playing for India and will give my best what I can. I am fully fit.” “It was mixed bag when he first arrived for the Camp. There were players some of whom hadn’t played for almost a month while there were some who joined the Camp straight from an AFC Cup match. But we are ready,” he added.

Chhetri who stays two matches short of becoming the second-ever Indian player to play 100 International matches after Bhaichung Bhutia opined there is a lot of “awareness” among the players since he first started off.

“The present generation is much more aware. The boys have more knowledge of what to do and what not to. They are willing to take care of themselves and their nutrition,” he stated. Constantine made a mention of the two new support staff – Joel Carter and Claus Peeterson.

“Claus works with individual players who are not quite ready. He is a rehab specialist and the players really enjoy and need the session,” Constantine informed.

“Carter is doing match analysis and is a coach in his own right. We have broken down our opponents. We have had separate sessions with individual players and are looking at the video clips both from matches and training sessions to get better. I need to thank AIFF for allowing me to do this,” he said. Referring to the “programme coming up” Constantine felt there is a “lot of Football to be played between now and the Asian Cup.”

“We have quite a programme coming up. We have the Asian Games, the SAFF Championships, the October and November windows. It’s quite a busy schedule. There is a lot of Football to be played between now and the Asian Cup. “I have 11 U-23 players in the squad but we also need the senior players lead, guide and mentor these players,” he pronounced.

“It’s all about performance, work. It doesn’t matter whom we play. Whoever is in front of us is the team we need to beat. There is much more awareness about the game from the general public. But I think in the last 4 years we have taken it to a new level. We need to continue the momentum and qualify for tournaments like the Asian Cup on a regular basis.”

Hindusthan Samachar/Shri Ram Shaw

A galaxy of former and current stars will be in action at the iconic Lord’s on Thursday to play an exhibition match between the ICC World XI and the West Indies and help raise funds for the refurbishment of five cricket stadia in the Caribbean that were damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.

Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has finally been named to lead the World XI after England’s limited overs captain Eoin Morgan sustained a broken finger during a domestic match.

“It’s a great honour to be leading the ICC World XI side, that too for such a good cause. I’m sure all the players from either side are looking forward to the match with great enthusiasm and people will get to see some high-quality cricket on Thursday,” Afridi said on Twitter.

The World XI side, in fact, has had more than a few changes since being formally announced.

Morgan was the first name announced, followed by those of Afridi, his compatriot Shoaib Malik and Thisara Perera, the Sri Lanka T20I captain. Next came Rashid Khan, the Afghan leg-spin superstar, and Bangladesh stalwarts Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, followed by Indians Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya and New Zealanders Luke Ronchi and Mitchell McClenaghan.

That completed the XI, but Shakib opted out because of personal reasons and was replaced by the exciting teenaged Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane.

Pandya has also opted out since then, to be replaced by countrymate Mohammed Shami, who has also been swapped with Tymal Mills, while Sam Billings has filled in for Morgan.

English cricketers Adil Rashid and Sam Curran have also been late additions to the 13-man squad.

The squad still wears an extremely strong look. Iqbal, Billings, Karthik, Ronchi and Malik, with Afridi and Perera providing excellent options for a late burst, makes for a mouth-watering batting line-up.

Karthik, Ronchi and Billings are all wicket-keeping candidates, while in McClenaghan, Curran and Mills, there’s a good pace department.

But the most exciting is perhaps the spin attack, or the leg-spin attack, with the two Rashids and Lamichhane all available for selection, not to forget Afridi himself.

With Samuel Badree on the other side, this one could well be the greatest exhibition of T20 leg-spin bowling ever.

Whichever combination Afridi and Andy Flower, the World XI coach, decide to put out on the field should provide excellent competition to the defending ICC World T20 champions.

Carlos Brathwaite, who hit Ben Stokes for four successive sixes to win the Windies the last ICC World T20 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens in April 2016, is the captain of the Windies side, and the squad has some fantastic T20 talent in their midst.

T20 stars Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Evin Lewis and Badree are the big names in Brathwaite’s line-up, while in Marlon Samuels, Andre Fletcher, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Kesrick Williams and others, there’s a lot of firepower.

Six of those players were a part of the XI that won the World T20 2016 final.

Squads:

ICC World XI: Shahid Afridi (Captain), Sam Billings (WK), Sam Curran, Tamim Iqbal, Tymal Mills, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Rashid Khan, Sandeep Lamichhane, Mitchell McClenaghan, Shoaib Malik, Thisara Perera, Luke Ronchi (WK), Adil Rashid.

West Indies: Carlos Brathwaite (Captain), Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin (WK), Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Kesrick Williams.

The ruling BJP in Maharashtra is leading in Palghar but trailing in the Bhandara-Gondiya constituency as counting progresses in the May 28 Lok Sabha bypolls here on Thursday.

At 11 a.m., the BJP candidate in Palghar, Rajendra Gavit, notched up over 80,000 votes while his nearest Shiv Sena rival Shriniwas Vanga was trailing at around 62,000 votes.

They were followed by the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi’s Baliram Jadhav at 54,000 votes and Congress’s Damodar Shingada at 17,000 votes.

In Bhandara, the BJP candidate Hemant Patle, who was leading in the earlier rounds of counting, suddenly fell behind Nationalist Congress Party’s Madhukar Kukde, who surged ahead with a lead of over 17,000 votes.

Elections in both the constituencies were marred by large-scale incidents of malfunctioning EVM-VVPATs with all the opposition parties and ruling ally Shiv Sena hurling allegations of foul play and tampering of the machines.

The high-stakes elections in both the seats, came in the wake of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ vow, to win the elections “come what may” — and his subsequent controversial remarks of using “Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed” to bag the polls at all costs.

Former India captain Anup Kumar suffered a fall from grace as he commanded a mere Rs 30 lakh at the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 6 auction here on Wednesday.

Anup, who led India to a record third World Cup title in 2016, will represent the Jaipur Pink Panthers this season.

He had commanded a price of Rs 56.65 lakh last season, while being retained for the fifth consecutive time by the U Mumba franchise. However, he was not retained this season following a run of poor form.

Anup, who made his international debut at the 2010 Asian Games, won the title the same year and retained it in 2014.

Russia’s defensive weakness was on display as the 2018 FIFA World Cup hosts fell 1-0 to Austria, who failed to qualify for the tournament.

Playing their penultimate international friendly before the World Cup, the Russians started brightly in Wednesday night’s match at the Innsbruck’s Tivoli Stadium here, reports EFE news agency.

But the momentum shifted to the hosts in the 12th minute with a shot on goal by Robert Zulj in his first match as a starter for Austria.

With Marko Arnautovic taking the lead, the Austrians picked up the pace and started asking questions of the Russian defenders.

It was the West Ham United player who set up the only goal of the night, getting the ball to Alessandro Schöpf, who beat Akinfeev to make it 1-0 for Austria in the 28th minute.

The visitors, meanwhile, proved unable to pose any threat to the Austrian goal and were lucky not to go down a man when Granat brought down Arnautovic with a tackle that would have merited a red card under different circumstances.

Arnautovic had a chance to double the lead for Austria early in the second half, but his shot went over the cross-bar.

Both teams made changes in the second period, robbing the contest of rhythm and excitement.

Russia will visit Turkey next week for their final friendly before hosting Saudi Arabia in Moscow on June 14 in the World Cup kick-off.

The Karnataks State Cricket Association managing committee says it does not have money to increase the lunch allowance of active cricket clubs, but it holds a press conference to announce that KSCA wants to create rain-water harvesting system in all its centres.

Wow!

Where does this money come from for these projects?

When it can be done inhouse, why is an agency being entrusted with the works?

Approximately 70 to 80 crore has been spent on building infrastructure in Hubli, Belgaum, Shimoga and Alur. The MC gets the Finance Committee (FC) clearance without any hesitation.

But MC can’t convince the FC to raise the lunch allowance of clubs which are the backbone of the association and cricket ecosystem. A parsley Rs 2500 is doled out as allowance.

Clubs play matches as far away as 35 to 50km from the City. The facilities at these distant grounds are pathetic. The tarpaulin covers provided are often torn/ ripped apart by gusty winds and dogs. Matches get delayed often because of this issue. There is no medical aid (especially ice cubes/ packs) in these grounds. Hospitals are far away. But we don’t complain as we want Karnataka cricket to thrive!!!

We appreciate KSCA has created sub-air system at the M Chinnaswany stadium.

It doesn’t matter who made how much money from this project. The work cost KSCA over Rs 6 crore we are told.

But, we want to know how many league matches have been played at the main stadium? Dear MC, Please furnish the details of the number of local matches played after this humongously costly project was completed.

Instead of paying huge sums to private grounds, matches could very well be played at the home of Karnataka cricket. Cricketers would be happy to play in an environment where greats like GR Vishwanath, EAS Prasanna, B S Chandrashekar, Syed Kirmani, Brijesh Patel, Roger Binny, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath… Among others have played, mastered their skills and showcased their talent in international cricket.

Club secretaries met your nominated member Santosh Menon, at a meeting organised by KSCA, and requested him to take the grievances of cricket clubs to the MC/FC.

But when we asked Menon, he said the allowance has not been increased. It has remained Rs 2500 for the past several years, despite inflation and price rise.

But the costs of project works have escalated! There is no objections we presume when it relates to project works.

Somebody must be smiling all the way to the bank!

As an interim committee, which has long overstayed it’s tenure, it should not take up any projects. Let the new committee, which should be place in a couple of months time, take the decision to spend money on rain water harvesting system.

We wish to remind the MC that the primary duty, as in the preamble of the MOA, is to promote cricket. Sadly, cricket has been the last priority of this committee.

So before the MC takes up any more projects, let it care for its cricket clubs, cricketers, office staff, ground staff (who are paid measly salaries despite KSCA being one of the richest associations in the country) and the fans who have made cricket what it is today. In Cricket Service