PKL 2018, Day 16 highlights: UP claim 2nd win in PKL 6, beat Pune 29-23

A terrific second-half performance by the Bengaluru Bulls saw them register a comfortable 42-34 victory over Haryana Steelers in the Inter-Zone Challenge Week of Vivo Pro Kabaddi League Season six.

In the second match on day 16 of VIVO Pro Kabaddi League (PKL 2018) season six, Rishank Devadiga UP Yoddha came victorious against Puneri Paltan as they defeated them by the score line 29-23. This was the only second win for UP in the Pro Kabaddi 2018. For UP Yoddha, Prashanth Kumar Rai scored 8 raid points in 16 attempted raids while their top defender was Nitesh Kumar who scored 3 tackle points in 6 attempted tackle. Meanwhile for Puneri Paltan Monu scored 7 raid points in 13 attempted raid.

In the first match, a terrific second-half performance by the Bengaluru Bulls saw them register a comfortable 42-34 victory over Haryana Steelers in theInter-Zonee Challenge Week of Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season VI. The architect of their win was raider Pawan Sehrawat who scored 21 raid points and single-handedly tormented the Steelers' defence. For Haryana Steelers, Vikas Kandola got 14 points while Monu Goyat scored nine points but it wasn't enough as they suffer their sixth defeat of the season. In the first few minutes of the match, it was the raiders who got their teams going.

Pawan Sehrawat, Monu Goyat scored points as Haryana Steelers led 3-2 after three minutes. Rohit Kumar got his first raid point of the match in the fourth minute as Bengaluru Bulls trailed 3-5. Another raid by Rohit leveled the scored at 5-5 for Bengaluru Bulls in the sixth minute. It was the battle of the raiders in the first half with both defences having a hard time to get tackle points. Bengaluru Bulls scored just two tackle points in the first half while Haryana Steelers got three. Monu Goyat scored with a two-point raid in the 18th minute. Haryana Steelers went into the break holding a slender two-point lead with the score 15-13 in their favour.

Bengaluru Bulls started the second half strongly as first Pawan Sehrawat came up with a super raid in the 24th minute. The Bulls then inflicted the first all out of the match in the 25th minute to lead 21-17. Pawan Sehrawat came up with another super raid in the 28th minute as Bengaluru Bulls led 26-18. Vikas Kandola scored with four points with two raids an saved his team from two all outs. Bengaluru, however, inflicted an all out in the 32nd minute to lead 32-23. Bengaluru Bulls were in a commanding position as they led by eight points with less than five minutes to go. Vikas Kandola got another raid point for the Steelers in the 37th minute as Haryana were left to reduce the margin of defeat.

TOP PERFORMERS OF THE MATCH

India Vs West Indies 1st ODI Highlights: Kohli, Rohit help India crush WI

Kohli scored his 36th ODI century while Rohit Sharma smashed his 20th ODI century.

They came, They saw, they scored centuries. If today's match description was to be squeezed into a small pararaph, this is how it would look.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma left no area on the field whre they did not score runs. It was raining runs and West Indies bowlers unfortunately had no cover. The just saw the ball clear the fence, race past them for boundaries and all they could do was witness the spectacle that both the batsmen put.

Kohli scored his 36th ODI century while Rohit Sharma smashed his 20th ODI century.

India crushed West Indies by 8 wickets, chasing a huge target of 323 runs with 47 balls to spare. With this, India lead 1-0 in the 5-match ODI series.

India cptain Virat Kohli was adjudged man of the match for his prolific 140 runs in 107 balls including 21 fours and 2 sixes.

Kohli also completed his 2000 plus runs in third successive year and is 81 runs away from his 10,000 runs.

Rohit Sharma scored 152 off 117 balls including 15 fours and 8 sixes, but his innings was mostly eclipsed by Virat Kohli's rampage, who showed no mercy right from the start and punished West Indies bowlers left, right adnd centre.

Earlier, West Indies did not have a good start with three of their batsmen back into the pavilion without contributing much including senior most player in the side Marlon Samuels who was out for a duck. But their innings caught momentum after being catalysed by Keiron Powell who scored half century and then it all revolved around Hetmyer who went on to score his 9th ODI century.

Others who came to bat did cameos but West Indies put up a 300-plus total largely because of Hetmyer's brilliant knock and a much needed one on the day.

For India, Umesh Yadav and Khaleel Ahmed picked 3 wickets each, conceding 64 runs each in their 10 overs and Mohammed Shami had a tough day as he splurged 81 runs in his 10 overs picking 2 wickets.

For West Indies, Devender Bishoo picked 2 wickets and Oshane Thomas was the other successful bowler, picking a wicket for 83 runs in 9 overs.

Ashley Nurse, who made his debut today, lacked the sharpness as he conceded 63 runs in 7 overs.(more)

Star's Rs 2-bn ad revenue target to take a hit over Virat Kohli's absence

Asia Cup is being held in the United Arab Emirates this year, since India and Pakistan have severed bilateral cricketing ties

The absence of Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli is expected to put a dent in broadcaster Star India’s advertisement revenue projections from the ongoing Asia Cup 2018. Media buyers in the know say that while it is difficult to put a number on how much the impact on the ad sales tally could be, it is quite possible the broadcaster will not be able to make its Rs 2-billion target.

The broadcaster holds the television (TV) and digital media rights to the tournament and was targeting a total of Rs 2.5 billion in ad sales revenues — Rs 2 billion from TV and Rs 500 million from digital ad sales. It had sold 60-70 per cent of its total advertising inventory before the start of the tournament, amounting to around Rs 1.2 billion in ad revenues. The broadcaster was hoping to cash in on the higher spot (last-minute buys) rates to complete its target of Rs 2 billion in TV ad sales.

However, with Kohli missing in action, the spot rates for the remaining 40 per cent inventory will be affected. “There is evidence that when Kohli comes to bat, viewership moves up and when he gets out, it comes down. The fence sitters may have one more reason to stay out because of the news,” says Vineet Sodhani, chief executive officer, Spatial Access, a media audit agency. He explains that while people will still watch the matches in the tournament, especially the India matches, the incremental reach that Kohli brings when he is on the field, will not be achieved. This may give the fence sitters reason to not pay big bucks for the remaining inventory. Existing advertisers however, have no option but to go ahead with their investment, so no advertiser is pulling out of the tournament as such.

ALSO READ: As Comcast, Disney face possible Fox bidding war, spotlight on Star India

Sponsors on the Asia Cup include Hero, Byju’s, Google, Britannia, Gra-Do, Droom, Coca-Cola, USL, Domino’s, Unimoni, GSK, Dell, Eureka Forbes, MP Birla, UltraTech, Apollo Tyres, Vini Cosmetics, Parle Agro, and Nerolac.

Star India was hoping to make up to Rs 600,000 per 10-second ad spot during the series and anywhere between Rs 1 million and Rs 1.3 million for the India-Pakistan tie.

However, this will need to be revised, and it is more likely to make Rs 400,000 to Rs 450,000 per 10 seconds on an average for the tournament, while the India-Pakistan tie would fetch them Rs 800,000 to Rs 900,000 for 10 seconds. “India is yet to play a single match in the series and its first match is against Hong Kong.

Sprint queen Hima Das: Is she the next big thing in brand endorsements?

Will brands line-up to sign her up or will she go the Dipa Karmakar way?

Last week was crazy. My WhatsApp was inundated with forwards on the FIFA World Cup. All kinds of stats, stories, anecdotes, jokes and footage on England, Belgium, Croatia and France were coming in from friends and acquaintances without too many filters or discretion being exercised. So, in the middle of all that chaos, I almost missed the first message on Hima Das winning a gold medal at the IAAF World U-20 Athletics Championship 2018 in the 400 metres at Tampere in Finland. But then in the space of the next couple of hours I received (I counted) 22 forwards of the video showing Hima Das’s dash to victory and glory. It was as if India had finally found its own hero amongst all the noise and hype of the FIFA being played by everyone else, but us. And, the forwards did not stop. Almost out of nowhere background stories about Hima started to fill up my inbox. Again, I counted. 31 of them over the next 4 hours. Finally, a video of Hima Das on the victory podium started to pour in. A video of the young champion, India’s national anthem playing in the background, and Hima with tears hesitantly rolling down her cheeks. The video actually brought tears to my eyes too. This time the count on the forwards exceeded 50. Overnight, Hima Das had become the darling of the nation, a sensation recognized the very next day by Amul with a hoarding headline that said, “Das pe dus!”.

Not since Dipa Karmakar attained the 4th position in the Women’s Vault Gymnastics event at the Rio Olympics in 2016, had I witnessed such mass adulation and euphoria. There were many similarities in the Dipa-Hima stories. Underprivileged backgrounds. Both from the North East. Almost no formal coaching. No facilities. Just a lot of grit, determination and loads and loads of hardwork. Entirely self-driven, supported by poor families, unsung heroes no one had expected to win on the global stage. So, in all the WhatsApp messages (I am not very active on Twitter, hence did not keep track on that) there was surprise (in fact wonder would be a more appropriate word to use). There was the usual lament about lack of support and encouragement to these emerging heroes and many many hopes that these newly minted champions would make India proud many more times in the future.

Das will soon be back home, I am sure to a hero’s welcome. I am sure the Minister of Sports will escort her to meet the Hon’ble President and the Hon’ble Prime Minister. It is after all the done thing. There will be lots of media coverage. Lots of social media commentary too. More stories will emerge about her impoverished past. A couple of stories on her coach for sure.

ARTICLE SOURCE : BS

Fifa World Cup 2018: Five things we learned from pre-quarterfinals

Spain went out after losing a penalty shootout to hosts Russia after 120 minutes in which they completed over 1,000 passes -- a new World Cup record

The Round-of -16 in the FIFA World Cup 2018 finished on Tuesday night and with two days without football before the first of the quarterfinals, here are a few things the past four frantic and entertaining days have taught us, says Xinhua news agency.

1. Passing isn't everything

Spain went out after losing a penalty shootout to hosts Russia after 120 minutes in which they completed over 1,000 passes -- a new World Cup record made in Russia 2018. Yet the only goal the Spanish scored was an own goal following a set piece. Possession at times seemed to be an end in itself, rather than a means to an end. Way too often a Spanish player would check and move horizontally rather than look to move into space, making it easy for a brave but limited Russia side to pack their defence and hang on for a penalty shootout which had a feeling of inevitability about it.

2. Belgium: It pays to be positive

There were 30 seconds left on the clock when Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois caught the ball in his area. Most keepers would have been happy to clutch it to their chest to let a few seconds pass to ensure extra time. Courtois had other thoughts, however, rolling the ball out to Kevin de Bruyne who ran almost the full length of the pitch to start the move which led to Nacer Chadli scoring the goal that beat Japan 3-2. Maybe the Spanish should take note; sometimes speed and speed of thought are important, and it pays to be positive.

3. Mbappe: New world number one?

This World Cup is now without Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo; the two players who have dominated world football for over a decade now. With Messi now 31 and Ronaldo 33, this World Cup could show us who will pick up the torch. Harry Kane's goals and leadership make him a candidate, but for sheer footballing thrills the torch may be headed for France's 19-year-old Kylian M'bappe, who won a penalty in France's 4-3 victory against Argentina and became the first teenager to score twice in a World Cup finals game. It was a breathtaking display of pace and skill that implies he could just be the next great superstar

4. Messi: No man can be an island at the World Cup

Argentina flirted with disaster in the group stage and although hopes were high that they could improve after beating Nigeria in the group stage, it was not to be. An impressive France side made Argentina's weaknesses all too clear and with Messi out of form and surrounded by players who are simply not good enough to win a World Cup, defeat seemed inevitable. A great player can carry a team some of the time, but against the best in the world, reality is going to hit you sooner rather than later.

On display in IPL 2018: The brutal beauty of Mahendra Singh Dhoni

The CSK skipper's knock against KXIP on Sunday night wasn't about answering the brickbats; it was about him and his fans

There are things in sports that genuinely cheer you up. One such is the sight of Mahendra Singh Dhoni swinging through the arc, head down, knees slightly bent, kinetic energy from those baseball-bat-sized arms powering through the ball, and the crowd exploding. It is a thing of brutal beauty. There were many around the world who woke up on Monday morning with that very image still fresh in their minds. The bowler missing, Dhoni pouncing. The ball soaring, the stadium erupting.

In Mohali on Sunday night, a Colosseum-like crowd found itself paying obeisance to a gladiator whose time many thought had come. The willingness to carry on, as admirable as it was, was proving to be too stifling. The performance was no longer backing the obduracy. That still may hold true, but we will leave that for another day.

Instead, this was about celebrating the gifts of a man whose show we have feasted on for 15 years and still cannot seem to feel content. This was about him and his fanatical band of followers, the kind who still look up to him like an eternal demigod. This was about him telling us why he still remains indispensable. This was about him showing us what we have been terribly missing. This, in a boxing sense, was like a seasoned heavyweight fighter absorbing the early blows and then unleashing a savage combination of jabs and hooks to leave his opponent sprawled on the canvas. Well, almost.

The critics have made their peace with Dhoni’s scrappiness. Dhoni is justified in believing that he doesn’t have anything to prove to them, and they don’t bother too much with arraigning him, either. Anyway, this wasn’t about answering the brickbats — Dhoni just doesn’t play his cricket that way. For long, the Indian public has lionised him for his capacity to put on a show, for his mastery that allows him to elevate his game to a whole new level when the chips are down. The performance against Kings XI Punjab was just about the Indian cricket fan. It was Dhoni’s way of thanking thousands of them for sticking by him so loyally, despite his very apparent decline. After all, this is what fandom often triggers; a belief that your heroes can never be spent forces. Acceptance isn’t something that is part of the fan lexicon. And Dhoni on Sunday night competently displayed why it mustn’t be.

This wasn’t so much about Dhoni rolling back the years as it was about him exhibiting what he can do when he’s afforded time at the crease. Dhoni is no longer the furious sprinter of his youth, he is now the canny middle-distance runner who knows exactly when to make his move. He perhaps left it too late in Mohali, but he was clearly hampered — in addition to a back problem — by Ravindra Jadeja’s sluggishness at the other end. Even then, this was a calculated assault that would have culminated in an unlikely win on another day. (more)

Kohli snatches ICC top spot from A B de Villiers, surpasses Sachin's points

Kohli scored 263 runs in the series and has reached 889 points, which is the best ever by an India batsman

Indian captain Virat Kohli on Monday returned to the top of the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen after logging career-high rating points, going past the iconic Sachin Tendulkar in the process.

Kohli has moved back to the top within 10 days of losing it to South Africa batsman AB de Villiers after the rankings were updated following India's 2-1 home series win over against New Zealand.

The 28-year-old Delhi batsman, who scored 263 runs in the series, has reached 889 points, which is the best ever by an India batsman.

"The previous highest points tally of 887 was managed by Sachin Tendulkar in 1998 and by Kohli earlier this year," the ICC said in a statement.

India opener Rohit Sharma's 174 runs in the series has seen him reach a career-high rating of 799 points, even though he remains in seventh position.

Former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has risen one place to 11th in the latest rankings.

The list for bowlers continues to be led by Pakistan pace bowler Hasan Ali while India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has reached a career-best third after finishing with six wickets in the series against New Zealand. (more)

'Sachin: A Billion Dreams': Informative, inspirational (IANS Review, Rating: ***)

Film: "Sachin: A Billion Dreams"; Director: James Erskine; Cast: Sachin Tendulkar, Anjali Tendulkar, Ajit Tendulkar, Sara Tendulkar, Mayuresh Pem, Mayur More; Rating: ***

"Sachin: A Billion Dreams" is a biopic that gives a holistic view of Sachin Tendulkar's life, who is revered as "the God" of cricket by his fans.

Structurally, the film is designed as a documentary. While the film encapsulates the life of the master blaster right from his birth till date, it also gives an insight into the socio-economic situation of the country, making it feel like heavy-duty stuff.

Also Read : Want my children to be judged as individuals: Sachin Tendulkar

This may not be the first documentary on Tendulkar, but probably it is the only one endorsed by him. So, you have him as the narrator sharing his personal moments along with his views and fears in a sincere and heartfelt manner.

While the film tells us of his growth as a cricketer which is common knowledge, it also reveals his personal life bringing to the fore his close-knit family and friends. How he got the name Sachin, how he met his wife, got married and how he spends his free moments, are a few of the interesting nuggets shared. So apart from Sachin you actually get to see his family and friends. Read more

IPL 10 eliminator: KKR beats Hyderabad by 7 wickets, will face MI next

As Duckworth-Lewis method came into play, KKR had to chase 48 in six overs

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Gautam Gambhir led from the front to knock defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a seven-wicket win and made to Qualifier 2 in a rain-interrupted eliminator clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday.

KKR will take on Mumbai Indians on Friday at the same venue.

Chasing 48 to win in six overs after rain and wet outfield ate up a large chunk of playing time, forcing Duckworth-Lewis method to come into play, Gambhir steadied the ship after KKR were 12/3 at one stage with an unbeaten 19-ball 32.

Ishank Jaggi, playing his first match, was not out on five.

Read more : Vivo V5s: An iPhone lookalike that justifies its 'selfie king' label

At the start, Chris Lynn was on the money right away, smacking Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six in the first ball he faced.

But the second ball saw the destructive Australian get out after replays showed Lynn had edged to wicketkeeper Naman OJha off a Bhuveshwar near-yorker.

Yusuf Pathan, promoted up the order to score at a brisk pace, lasted just one delivery before he was run out. Robin Uthappa did not last long too, holing out to Shikhar Dhawan at deep mid wicket off Chris Jordan's bowling.

Earlier, KKR rode on a superlative show by their bowlers to restrict Sunrisers Hyderabad to 128/7 in 20 overs. Read more

Pune beats Mumbai by seven wickets; Smith, Rahane seal win

Chasing a target of 185, Pune crossed the line with just one ball to spare

Rising Pune Supergiants rode on superb batting by captain Steve Smith and Ajinkya Rahane to defeat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in the second game of the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Thursday.

Chasing a target of 185, Pune crossed the line with just one ball to spare.

The hosts had started their chase on a strong note, scoring at more than 10 runs an over in the initial stages before Mayank Agarwal was dismissed by Mitchell McClenaghan.

Also Read : Reliance Jio stops Summer Surprise scheme: 5 things to know

Smith then joined Rahane in the middle and the duo added 58 runs in the space of seven overs to lay the foundation of a successful run chase.

Rahane scored 60 runs off 34 balls with six boundaries and three hits into the stands. He was finally dismissed when Nitish Rana pulled off an excellent catch at deep square leg off the bowling of Tim Southee.

Smith, however, continued in the same vein and remained unbeaten on 84 runs off a mere 54 deliveries. His innings included seven boundaries and three sixes.

Fittingly, it was he only who brought up the winning runs with two consecutive sixes off Kieron Pollard in the final over.

For Mumbai, Southee, Hardik Pandya and McClenaghan bagged a wicket each. (more)

P V Sindhu to face Saina Nehwal in India Open quarterfinals

This will be 2nd time that they will compete at international level after 2014 Syed Modi Grand Prix

Rio Olympics silver-medallist PV Sindhu and ace badminton shuttler Saina Nehwal are all set to face each other in the quarter-final clash of the India Open World Super Series here at the Siri Fort Sports Complex later on Friday.

Sindhu booked her place in the last eight of the tournament after brushing aside Saena Kawakami of Japan 21-16, 23-21 in a thrilling second round clash that lasted 40 minutes.

Sixth-seed Saina, on the other hand, took just half an hour to outplay 19-year-old Pompawee Chochuwong of Thailand 21-14, 21-11 to storm into the quarter-finals.

This will be the second time that Saina and Sindhu would face each other at the international level. The duo last met during the final of the 2014 Syed Modi Grand Prix, where the London Olympics bronze-medallist prevailed in straight games.

In the men's singles event, Sameer Verma continued his good run of form as he registered a comfortable 21-17, 21-15 win over Yu Hu of Hong Kong to reach quarter-finals.

Also Read : Saina, Sindhu & Sameer reach quarterfinals at India Open

Ashwin and Virat Kohli honoured in BCCI Awards 2017

Virat Kohli with team mates during the BCCI Annual awards in Bengaluru

Kohli won the Polly Umrigar award for best international player of 2015/16, becoming the first player to get the award three times.

Engineer urged everyone to know and respect the contributions made by Pataudi to Indian cricket, saying that the Tiger was "still a world-class player despite losing one eye".

Watch : Airbus showcases a concept car that can fly

Ashwin wins the CK Nayudu award for his performance in the West Indies in 2016. He picked up 17 wickets in four Tests, including a haul of 7/83 in North Sound.

Ajinkiya Rahane with wife during the BCCI Annual awards in Bengaluru

Sharmila Tagore with daughter Saba pose during the BCCI Annual awards in Bengaluru

More pics Click here

Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia wins gold at Paralympics

Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia wins gold at Paralympics

Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia scripted history by becoming the first Indian to clinch two gold medals at the Paralympics after he broke his own world record to clinch the top honours at the ongoing Rio Games here.

The 36-year-old, who won his previous gold in the 2004 Athens Games, bettered his own world record to finish on top in the men's F46 event.

Devendra, whose previous best was 62.15 metres (achieved in the 2004 Games), improved the mark with an attempt of 63.97 metres at the Olympic Stadium (Engenhao).

Another Indian Rinku Hooda, who also competed in the event, finished fifth with a personal best of 54.39 metres in six attempts, while Sundar Singh Gurjar didn't start the event.

The Rajasthan born athlete had lost his left hand when he was electrocuted while climbing a tree as an eight-year-old. But he continued to follow his dream and went on to achieve the Arjuna award in 2004 and the Padma Shri in 2012, becoming the first Paralympian to receive the honour. (more)

Virat Kohli set a new record by scoring his fourth century

ViratKohli set a new record by scoring his fourth century

Man-of-the-match Virat Kohli set a new record by scoring his fourth century (113 in 50 balls with 8 sixes and 12 fours) in this IPL season and Chris Gayle returned to form by hitting 73 in 32 balls with 8 sixes and four boundaries.

Desperate efforts by Vijay to break the partnership or get either of them out early failed as Kolhi and Gayle were in full cry and batted with disdain.

While the first 50 came in 4.4 overs of the six-over power play, the first 100 of RCB's innings came in 8.5 overs.

Though Vijay used as many as five bowlers to contain the openers, there was no respite for Kings till Gayle got caught by David Miller of Arshad Patel ball in 11 over when RCB score was 147 on the board.

After in-form AB de Villiers was bowled for a duck in 12th over, keeper K.L. Rahul joined Kohli to take the score to 199 when the skipper was caught by Miller off Sandeep Sharma ball at 113 comprising 8 sixes and 12 fours in just 50 balls.Ream more full article about Virat Kohli.

Chhattisgarh HC bats for IPL matches

 

The Chhattisgarh High Court (HC) has rejected pleas challenging the hosting of Indian Premier League (IPL)cricket matches in the state on the ground that it was reeling under serious drought.

The court has, however, put the condition that the event organisers, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Chhattisgarh State Cricket Association (CSCA), should arrange water for the matches including free drinking water to spectators. Neither the state government nor its agency would provide water for the event.

A five-member committee has been constituted to ensure that the court's order is implemented.Read more.

Virat Kohli shouldn't be compared to Sachin Tendulkar: Virender Sehwag

Former India batsman Virender Sehwag said on Wednesday it is unfair to compare batting legend Sachin Tendulkar with current run-machine Virat Kohli.

India Test skipper Kohli has been in sublime form over the past couple of months for his national side as well as his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The Delhi-born batsman after winning the Man of the Tournament award in the recent World Twenty20, has smashed two centuries in the ongoing ninth edition of the cash-rich IPL tournament and is the leading run-getter with 561 runs.

"No one should compare two individuals. People used to compare me with Tendulkar, me with Viv Richards, that's not fair. The era is not same. I don't think we should compare Virat Kohli with Tendulkar," Sehwag said here at the announcement of the final winner of the 92.7 Big FM Big Catch contest.

Sehwag, who is currently the mentor for IPL team Kings XI Punjab, also hailed Kohli as the most dangerous batsman at present.Read More.