FIFA Slaves Banned From Attending Relatives' Funerals

<p><strong>Qatar(theguardian):</strong> The 2022 Qatar World Cup will be brought to you by Coca-Cola on the backs of slave workers, many of whom hail from Nepal. These workers live in filth and work in terrifyingly dangerous conditions; their efforts to build the McDonald’s-funded event will result in one dead worker for every 90 seconds of every Budweiser-sponsored match.Nepalese minister says Fifa must pressure the Gulf state for better treatment of 1.5 million south Asian migrants</p><p><img alt="A Nepalese worker takes a break during a government-organised media tour of World Cup construction p" src="http://i.guim.co.uk/static/w-300/h--/q-95/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2015/5/23/1432372952242/A-Nepalese-worker-takes-a-003.jpg" width="600" /><br /> A Nepalese worker takes a break during a government-organised media tour of World Cup construction projects. Photograph: Maya Alleruzzo/AP</p><p>(If every player, coach, and referee at the World Cup wore a black Adidas armband in memory of one worker ... there’d be hundreds of leftover armbands.) Journalists who attempt to report on FIFA’s human rights abuses in Qatar end up in jail.</p><p><img alt="FIFA Slaves Banned From Attending Relatives' Funerals" src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s---HNXIoAn--/1269238102666926512.png" /></p><p>And now, we’ve learned, FIFA (and its corporate sponsor Hyundai) is depriving these workers yet another basic human dignity: the right to bury their loved ones. Nepal’s government is publicly criticizing FIFA for human rights abuses because Nepalese workers are banned from leaving the country to return home for funerals after the devastating earthquake last month. (They’re generally banned from leaving the country, period, or quitting their jobs, or traveling anywhere in a FIFA-branded Kia, because they are slaves.)</p><p>Sony, Castrol, Continental Tires, and Johnson & Johnson have all said “enough” and pulled their sponsorship of upcoming World Cups. The others have had more than enough time to speak with their wallets; six months later, we can unequivocally state that Coca-Cola, like McDonalds, Anheuser-Busch, and other familiar brands, still supports slavery.</p><p>If this is all still too opaque for you, perhaps this diagram will make things more clear:Qatar’s labour minister, Abdullah bin Saleh al-Khulaifi, visited Kathmandu last month and promised to introduce a series of changes. He also revealed that his nation would need even more Nepalese workers as it strives to complete World Cup stadiums and infrastructure projects in time for 2022.</p><p><strong>Read more : <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/24/qatar-denies-nepalese-world-cup-workers-leave-after-earthquakes">The Guardian</a></strong></p>

FIFA Slaves Banned From Attending Relatives' Funerals

Qatar(theguardian): The 2022 Qatar World Cup will be brought to you by Coca-Cola on the backs of slave workers, many of whom hail from Nepa...

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Don't try to cheat yourself: Kapil Dev to youngsters

<p>Unlike the wild celebrations that current players display at the fall of a wicket, players of yesteryear were composed in expressing their happiness on the field.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/26/339875-kapil.jpg" /></p><p>Images of Kapil Dev raising his arms in exultation after dismissing a batsman or just a hugging wicketkeeper before taking the ball and shining it for the next delivery were how players of the past went about.</p><p>After accepting the CEAT International Lifetime Achievement Award here on Monday, legendary all-rounder Dev, quoting Bishen Singh Bedi, said, "They don't believe they can take wickets. I don't understand why they jump around when they take wickets. You are a bowler, just go and do your job."</p><p>The 1983 World Cup-winning captain added: "When I see such reactions, I wish I could do that but I never could do that."</p><p>On who should coach the Indian team, Kapil did not take any names. Even as names like Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are doing rounds, Kapil said: "The best person should get it. It is not important whether he is an Indian or a foreigner. If a foreigner can do a better job, then why not?"</p><p>Kapil, who was briefly coach of the Indian team in 1999-2000, said, "the comfort level" that the coach has with the players is important.</p><p>"Cricket is much more open now than what used to be. I am not saying someone from Australia or England cannot do the job. Indian players are very talented but not matured. In our culture, a 50-year-old still looks up to his father. If the manager (read coach) does not give you the comfort factor, your performances will be affected."</p><p>Present among the audience were Ajinkya Rahane, who won the CEAT Indian Cricketer of the Year award and Deepak Hooda, the Young Player of the Year award. Kapil's advice to the youngsters was: "Believe in yourself. Don't try to cheat yourself."</p><p>Rahane has been consistent for India in Tests in England and Australia with a century each on both the trips. He said, "Spending four months in Australia gave me confidence to play well in IPL." He rated his 103 at Lord's last year high.</p><p>"Scoring runs in both England and Australia is special. But winning is very important. Scoring a century at Lord's and winning the Test will remain very special to me," said Rahane.</p><p>Rohit Sharma, the victorious Mumbai Indians captain, was honoured for his 264 in an ODI against Sri Lanka last November with the Special Award. Speaking on the IPL success, Sharma said: "Am certainly enjoying captaincy. It is a challenge to lead any team, not just in IPL. Ricky Ponting (head coach) and the support staff laid out a plan on how to go about. It is important to hold the team together and have a positive approach throughout the tournament," said Sharma.</p><p>Perhaps what was said in good humour by former Australian batsman and master of ceremonies for the evening, Dean Jones, left R Vinay Kumar, Ranji Trophy-winning Karnataka captain embarrassed. After Vinay received the Domestic Player of the Year award, Jones asked Vinay if he sent a crate of wine to the chairman of selectors, Sandeep Patil. Not knowing what to say, Jones quickly added, leaving the hall in splits: "You have to suck up to the chairman of selectors. I used to do that to the chairman of selectors to get into the Australian side."</p><p>THE CEAT CRICKET RATING AWARD WINNERS FOR 2014-15:<br /> International Cricketer of the Year: Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)<br /> Indian Cricketer of the Year: Ajinkya Rahane<br /> International Batsman of the Year: Hashim Amla (South Africa)<br /> International Bowler of the Year: Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)<br /> T20 Player of the Year: Dwayne Bravo (West Indies and Chennai Super Kings)<br /> Popular Choice Award: Kieron Pollard (West Indies and Mumbai Indians)<br /> Special Award: Rohit Sharma (India)<br /> Domestic Cricketer of the Year: R Vinay Kumar (Karnataka)<br /> Young Player of the Year: Deepak Hooda (Baroda and Rajasthan Royals)<br /> International Lifetime Achievement Award: Kapil Dev</p>

Don't try to cheat yourself: Kapil Dev to youngsters

Unlike the wild celebrations that current players display at the fall of a wicket, players of yesteryear were composed in expressing their h...

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IPL 8 Final: Mumbai Indians' gun down CSK by 41 runs to claim second title victory

<p>Mumbai Indians' love affair with Eden Gardens continued as they clinched their second IPL title following a crushing 41-run win over Chennai Super Kings in a lop-sided summit clash, at Eden Gardens on Sunday.</p><p><img alt="Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma receives trophy from BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmia after winning IPL8 final against Chennai Super Kings at Eden Garden in Kolkata on Sunday. PTI" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/25/339533-mumbai-indians-trophy.jpg" /><br /> Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma receives trophy from BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmia after winning IPL8 final against Chennai Super Kings at Eden Garden in Kolkata on Sunday. PTI</p><p>MI posted an imposing 202 for five skipper Rohit Sharma (50) and Lendl Simmons (68) rattled up a 119-run stand off just from 67 balls after being invited to bat.</p><p>The captain, who has an ODI world record of 264 and also a debut Test hundred at the Eden Gardens, yet again exploded at his favourite venue Sharma (6 fours, 2 sixes) and Simmons (8 fours 3 sixes) plundered 19 boundaries in their partnership.</p><p>After Sharma and Pollard's dismissal in consecutive balls, burly West Indies batsman Kieron Pollard (36) in the company of Ambati Rayudu (36 not out) led the side past 200. Mumbai's bowlers complimented the good work of the batsmen as they took the fizz out of the Chennai's chase with a very disciplined effort.</p><p>They strait jacketed the Chennai batsmen, restricting them to 161 for eight as seasoned spinner Harbhajan Singh took key wickets of Dwayne Smith (57) and Suresh Raina (28) in two overs. Kiwi paceman Mitchell McClenaghan (3/25) took three wickets while his pace colleague Lasith Malinga (2/25) scalped two batsmen.</p><p>Mumbai had won their first title in 2013 at this very venue, defeating the same rivals. Chennai have now lost four finals (2008, 2012, 2013, 2015) in six appearances. Chasing the huge target, CSK opted to have it easy and concentrated on building a platform after losing Michael Hussey (4) early.</p><p>Smith and Raina bided their time and looked to consolidate but it meant that they managed only 31 runs from the first six overs. The required run-rate kept on going up and shot past 13 at the midway mark. Smith completed his half-century in 45 balls but only to be trapped leg-before by Harbhajan in his penultimate over.</p><p>Having made a grand comeback into the Bangladesh-bound Test side, Harbhajan completed his spell in style dismissing Raina. Looking to step out, Raina was brilliantly deceived by the veteran off-spinner who bowled a wide ball and Parthiv Patel did the rest behind the stumps.</p><p>With Hussey, Smith and Raina back in pavilion, and skipper Dhoni not looking in his usual elements it looked as good as over for the yellow brigade who choked in an IPL final for a fourth time.</p><p>Talk about Sharma and his sizzling love-affair at Eden Gardens, and he has done nothing wrong here. A stunning 177 on Test debut, an ODI world record of mind boggling 264, an IPL century (60-ball 109) against Kolkata Knight Riders and an unbeaten 98 in the opening match of this season.</p>

IPL 8 Final: Mumbai Indians' gun down CSK by 41 runs to claim second title victory

Mumbai Indians' love affair with Eden Gardens continued as they clinched their second IPL title following a crushing 41-run win over Che...

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Aged 9, Mumbai boy Musheer Khan takes 9/9

<p><strong>Mumbai,Taus Rizvi:</strong> On Saturday, nine-year-old wonderkid Musheer Khan stepped out of his Kurla home with a simple goal: play well. The little boy did just that. In fact, he came tantalisingly close to achieving a Perfect 10.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/24/339258-musheer.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>The left-arm spinner took nine wickets in an innings (including a hat-trick) and 12 in the match as Dadar Union beat Virar in a two-day match of the Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) Summer Vacation Under-14 camp (selection trials) at Young Mohammedan Sports Club, Azad Maidan.</p><p>Not just that, Musheer also played an important knock of 48, off 152 balls, to help his team enter the semifinal.</p><p>Musheer was born eight years after Anil Kumble stunned Pakistan with that mind-boggling 10/74 in New Delhi in 1999. "I have never seen that video. In fact, I have heard about it once," said Musheer, who was born in 2007.</p><p>"I had a chance to pick up 10 wickets, but the ball fell short of the fielder. My teammate managed to pick up that wicket from the other end. However, I am satisfied with what I have got," he added.</p><p>A nine-wicket haul would have left any other youngster thrilled, but for Musheer it was just another day in the office. "I am happy. I just focus on bowling good line and length," said Musheer.</p><p>Dadar Union coach Gopal Pardeshi was happy with Musheer's performance. "It is a big achievement. His spell of 14-9-9-9 was impressive. He also did well with the bat. It's because of him that we have entered the semis. He was down with an injured hand, but he has now made a great comeback," said Pardeshi.</p><p>The other day, Musheer met his idol Daniel Vettori at the Wankhede. That Musheer's brother, Sarfaraz Khan, plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore only helped. "We did not have a long chat but he asked me what I do. I am very happy to meet him," said an elated Musheer.</p><p>Brief Scores: Dadar Union 239 all out in 71.5 overs (Musheer Khan 48, Shree Om 44; Durvesh 4/52, Tushar Singh 3/26) beat Virar 34 all out (Musheer Khan 9/9) & 114/7 (Aditya Varang 33*; Musheer Khan 3/43) on first innings</p>

Aged 9, Mumbai boy Musheer Khan takes 9/9

Mumbai,Taus Rizvi: On Saturday, nine-year-old wonderkid Musheer Khan stepped out of his Kurla home with a simple goal: play well. The littl...

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No immediate revival of Indo-Pak cricket: IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla

<p>Amid speculation over the fate of the proposed India-Pakistan series, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla on Friday said there are 'no immediate chances' of revival of cricketing ties between the two countries.</p><p><img alt="Rajeev-Shukla" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/22/338850-rajeev-shukla.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan had recently met his Indian counterpart Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata and then BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur in New Delhi to host a bilateral series in December in UAE.</p><p>According to an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) signed between the two boards, India and Pakistan had agreed to play six bilateral series until 2022, but Shukla said that a number things need to be worked out before giving the go-ahead to the proposed series by PCB.</p><p>Also Read: India pay Bangladesh a huge compliment by naming full strength ODI, Test squads</p><p>"Though talks between the boards of two countries have held recently, but there are no immediate chances of revival of cricketing ties between India and Pakistan," Shukla said. "But there are two to three issues which need to be sought before taking a final decision on resuming India-Pakistan cricketing ties," he added.</p><p>India suspended all bilateral series with Pakistan in the wake of the 2008 attacks and Shukla clarified that they are not in favour of playing at a neutral venue. "As per itinerary, India will have to play in Pakistan, but at present its not possible and we are also not in favour of playing at a neutral venue," he said. Shukla asserted that the series can only happen after a 'government clearance'.</p><p>"There is no final decision yet taken on resumption of ties," he said. Shukla also informed that the Pakistan board had desired to play in India, but there are revenue problems involved.</p>

No immediate revival of Indo-Pak cricket: IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla

Amid speculation over the fate of the proposed India-Pakistan series, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla on Friday said there are 'no immediate ...

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LIVE IPL 8: Qualifier 2 - CSK v/s RCB - Du Plessis, Hussey fire for Chennai

<p>CSK lock horns with RCB at Ranchi in a do-or-die match which will see the winner advancing to the final<br /> CSK clash with RCB at Ranchi in Qualifier 2</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/22/338930-dhoni-kohli.jpg" /><br /> Over 7</p><p>CSK - 39 for 0</p><p>5 off it.</p><p>Runs coming in ones and twos aplenty.</p><p>CSK are on cruise-control mode.</p><p>Wiese is the bowler.</p><p>Over 6</p><p>CSK - 34 for 1</p><p>6 off the over.</p><p>Aravind is the bowler.</p><p>BRILLIANT! Wiese makes a superb diving stop near the boundary which means only three runs taken.</p><p>Over 5</p><p>CSK- 28 for 1</p><p>5 off the over.</p><p>SUPERB HOOK! That one flies away to deep-fine leg...Mr Cricket gets in groove!</p><p>Harshal to bowl this over.</p><p>Over 4</p><p>CSK - 23 for 1</p><p>2 off it.</p><p>Bad news for RCB as Du Plessis is the dangerman now...he can easily win this one on his own.</p><p>DROPPED! Du Plessis' edge is spilled by Gayle at slip...life-line for CSK.</p><p>CSK - 21 for 1</p><p>Aravind gets the breakthrough.</p><p>Whips it straight into Starc's hands at deep-fine leg.</p><p>WICKET! Smith goes for 17...is the fightback starting for RCB?</p><p>Over 3</p><p>CSK - 21 for 0</p><p>11 off a good over for CSK.</p><p>RCB look demoralized already...they need to pull up their socks and fight back.</p><p>Smith times that beautifully through deep-cover....two fielders in chase...but the ball beats them to the boundary.</p><p>Over 2</p><p>CSK - 10 for 0</p><p>7 off the over.</p><p>And Smith hits the first boundary of the innings...cuts it past the bowler to long-off.</p><p>Aravind is the bowler.</p><p>Over 1</p><p>CSK - 3 for 0</p><p>3 off it.</p><p>By the looks of it RCB need a massive bowling effort tonight.</p><p>Single.</p><p>Starc is the bowler.</p><p>Cake walk for CSK tonight?</p><p>Smith and Hussey have walked in to bat.</p><p>21:49 IST Friday, 22 May 2015</p><p>A terrific bowling effort from CSK which has seen them peg RCB to a modest 139 for 8.</p><p>Nehra's three-wicket haul proved to be vital especially his two wicket burst which sent off Kohli and De Villiers.</p><p>Apart from Gayle's fighting 41, Karthik's 28 and Sarfaraz's fine 31, RCB never stood up to the occassion and finished with a whimper.</p><p>Easy work for CSK now?</p><hr /><p>Over 20</p><p>RCB - 139 for 8</p><p>End of Innings.</p><p>Swing and Miss by Aravind.</p><p>Last ball.</p><p>RCB - 139 for 8</p><p>GONE! Sarfaraz goes after a fine 31...scopps it to the man at point.</p><p>Two to go.</p><p>Single by Starc.</p><p>RCB - 137 for 7</p><p>RUN-OUT! And Dhoni's throws shatters the stumps....Harshal is dismissed off a wide ball.</p><p>Single...an audacious switch-hit by Sarfaraaz...innovative.</p><p>GREAT SHOT!</p><p>Whipped away through covers....the fielder at the boundary could only watch is rocket away.</p><p>Sarfaraz on strike.</p><p>Bravo is bowling the final over.</p><p>Over 19</p><p>RCB - 131 for 6</p><p>One over to go.</p><p>Flicked away over mid-wicket by Sarfaraz...terrific timing for the boundary.</p><p>Harshal Patel is the new batsman....RCB definitely have a huge task come the CSK innings.</p><p>RCB - 125 for 6</p><p>GONE! Wiese's top-edge falls safely in Bravo's hands...another wicket falls.</p><p>Mohit is the bowler...RCB will defintely go all out now!</p><p>Over 18</p><p>RCB - 124 for 5</p><p>SPILLED! Du Plessis makes a meal of a simple catch offered by Sarfaraz.</p><p>SIX! Wiese smashes that into the deep-mid wicket crowd....88 meters.</p><p>He is taking pace off the ball to deny RCB the big hits.</p><p>Bravo is the bowler.</p><p>It has been a battle between Bravo and Nehra for the Purple Cap.</p><p>Over 17</p><p>RCB - 113 for 5</p><p>6 off the over.</p><p>David Wiese is the new batsman in.</p><p>A three-wicket haul for Nehrajee tonight..superb!</p><p>RCB - 107 for 5</p><p>GONE! And Karthik's shoots that full-toss into deep-mid wicket's hands....he goes for 28.</p><p>Whacked down the track off Nehra...amazing timing.</p><p>Karthik has the ability to pile on runs from now on.</p><p>Over 16</p><p>RCB - 103 for 4</p><p>13 off a good over for RCB.</p><p>And RCB cross 100....can they hammer big ones in the closing stages?</p><p>FOUR AGAIN! Smacked down the track off Jadeja...Sarfaraz is fighting back!</p><p>Makes room and hammers that over off by Sarfaraz...good shot for four.</p><p>Over 15</p><p>RCB - 90 for 4</p><p>4 off the over.</p><p>Negi is the bowler.</p><p>Quick thinking by Sarfaraz...two runs scrambled off.</p><p>Over 14</p><p>RCB - 86 for 4</p><p>Single to end the over.</p><p>Sarafaraz Khan is the new batsman...can the young lad play out a great knock?</p><p>RCB - 80 for 4</p><p>And his luck runs out...Gayle departs after a fighting 41....skied it into Raina's hands...easy take.</p><p>92 meters.</p><p>SIX AGAIN! This one is carted over long-off...Gayle is firing big time now.</p><p>Raina is the bowler.</p><p>A comeback on cards here? 86 meters that one by Gayle over mid-wicket.</p><p>Over 13</p><p>RCB - 67 for 3</p><p>Good over by Bravo...only two off it</p><p>23 wickets for him so far in IPL 8....kudos!</p><p>The Purple Cap holder is in to bowl...Dwayne Bravo.</p><p>Over 12</p><p>RCB - 65 for 3</p><p>13 off a good over for RCB.</p><p>RCB need to mix caution with aggression and play out the full 20 overs.</p><p>FOUR AGAIN! And Karthik's shot rockets past the diving fielder at cover...superb shot.</p><p>Good shot.</p><p>FOUR! Karthik releases some pressure with one smacked away through mid-wicket.</p><p>Over 11</p><p>RCB - 52 for 3</p><p>Single to end the over.</p><p>He has adapted superbly to the situation.</p><p>Gayle is on 25 from 34 balls.</p><p>RCB reach 50...they have a long way to go tonight.</p><p>And we have Danny Morrison at his energetic tone as usual...an interview with Kumar Sangakkara in the commentary box.</p><p>Over 10</p><p>RCB - 46 for 3</p><p>Single to end the over.</p><p>RCB are motoring on.</p><p>He probably wants to save overs for Ashwin for the latter part of the match.</p><p>Suresh Raina is in to bowl...surprising choice by Dhoni?</p><p>TIME OUT.</p><p>Over 9</p><p>RCB - 41 for 3</p><p>Only 3 off Mohit's over.</p><p>Meanwhile Gayle has lowered down to first gear...slow and steady.</p><p>A good mix of pace and spin by CSK...has proved to be a lethal concotion as for now!</p><p>Over 8</p><p>RCB - 38 for 3</p><p>Only 2 off the over.</p><p>CSK are looking dangerous.</p><p>He has a mission at hand now..to rescue RCB's sinking ship.</p><p>DK is in...Dinesh Karthik.</p><p>RCB - 36 for 3</p><p>He departs for 4...superb catch by Hussey.</p><p>Why was that sweep ever required by Mandeep?</p><p>Ashwin strikes...Mandeep's sweep falls into Hussey's hands near fine-leg.</p><p>Over 7</p><p>RCB - 36 for 2</p><p>And he ends the over with a well hit boundary.</p><p>Gayle is getting runs by singles...he needs to stabilize the innings.</p><p>It will be interesting to see as to how Gayle plays under pressure now.</p><p>Mohit is the new bowler in the attack.</p><p>Over 6</p><p>RCB - 29 for 2</p><p>4 off the over.</p><p>Good ball..Ashwin is turning the ball unusually tonight.</p><p>Ashwin is in to bowl.</p><p>New man Mandeep Singh and Gayle have some taske at hand to ressurect RCB.</p><p>Over 5</p><p>RCB - 25 for 2</p><p>De Villiers is trapped leg-before and departs for 1.</p><p>BIG WICKET! And this time Nehra gets his man...that one angled in sharply and rapped De Villiers on his pads.</p><p>Nehra has been excellent so far...good line and length.</p><p>Close...Nehra shouts hoarse for a leg-before appeal against AB De Villiers...but it is turned down.</p><p>RCB - 23 for 1</p><p>Kohli walks off after cursing himself for a soft dismissal....he goes for 12</p><p>This is a big breakthrough for CSK...Kohli spoons a catch to Mohit at short-fine leg.</p><p>Nehrajee stirkes...snaps up Kohli!</p><p>Over 4</p><p>RCB - 23 for 0</p><p>End of Over.</p><p>Good turn by Ashwin...Gayle leaves a brilliant off-break alone to the keeper.</p><p>Gayle is on 11 and Kohli is on 12.</p><p>He is playing him off sedately.</p><p>And Gayle is having some problems reading Ashwin here.</p><p>Ashwin is back...will spin work against RCB?</p><p>Over 3</p><p>RCB - 21 for 0</p><p>Dot ball to end a great over for RCB.</p><p>SUPER VIRAT!</p><p>Smacked away by Kohli...This one flies away for a 83 meter six over long-on.</p><p>Kohli lets rip here...whacks that through mid-wicket for a boundary...superb shot.</p><p>19 wickets for Nehrajee so far in IPL 8.</p><p>Slow start so far by RCB standards.</p><p>Nehra is back.</p><p>Over 2</p><p>RCB - 11 for 0</p><p>Five off the over.</p><p>Just short of the fielder at Gully...good reverse flick by Gayle which trickles to the boundary.</p><p>Good turn by Ashwin who is looking good for a wicket.</p><p>Can he stop a potential 'Gayle Storm' tonight?</p><p>R Ashwin is brought in to negotiate the Gayle threat.</p><p>Over 1</p><p>RCB - 6 for 0</p><p>Dot ball to end the over.</p><p>Smacked by Gayle but the ball rebounds off his foot...No run.</p><p>The umpire finally confirms it after a referral.</p><p>Edged away for a six by Gayle...that one flew off his blade over covers.</p><p>Dot ball.</p><p>Nehra to Gayle.</p><p>Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli have strode in...can they unleash themselves tonight?</p><p>20:04 IST Friday, 22 May 2015</p><p>Matt Henry had a terrific day in the Lords test against England...a four-wicket haul for the Kiwi pacer...a missed chance for CSK?</p><p>19:58 IST Friday, 22 May 2015</p><p>Trivia - Yuzvendra Chahal of RCB has also represented India in World Youth Chess Championships and has a FIDE rating of 1900+.</p><p>Mind boggling!</p><p>19:45 IST Friday, 22 May 2015</p><p>Home game?</p><p>By the looks of a not so full stadium, it certainly does not look like one for CSK.</p><p>19:43 IST Friday, 22 May 2015</p><p>CSK - DR Smith, MEK Hussey, F du Plessis, SK Raina, MS Dhoni*†, DJ Bravo, RA Jadeja, P Negi, R Ashwin, MM Sharma, A Nehra</p><p>RCB - CH Gayle, V Kohli*, AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, KD Karthik†, SN Khan, D Wiese, MA Starc, HV Patel, YS Chahal, S Aravind</p><p>19:40 IST Friday, 22 May 2015</p><p>And MS Dhoni has won the toss and choses to bowl first...why did not he opt to bat considering it is a home game for them tonight?</p><hr /><p>Welcome to LIVE coverage of Qualifier 2 of IPL 8 which has CSK facing RCB at Ranchi.</p><p>Here is the Match Preview of the game which is essentially a do-or-die contest for both sides.</p><p>CSK will aim to bounce back from their loss to MI in Qualifier 1 and have the home support to boot for.</p><p>RCB on the other hand virtually gunned down RR in their Eliminator tie recently which has given MS Dhoni's side a lot to ponder about before the big game.</p><p>CSK coach Stephen Fleming has called for his side's top-order to fire and it would be interesting to see as to whether Dhoni's side can manage to ward off the strong RCB attack.</p><p>The loss to MI has severely dented CSK's momentum and it will take a strong effort from them tonight to beat RCB and set up another date with MI in the final at Eden Gardens.</p><p>Of course the highlight of the game will be as to how RCB's world-class batting line-up play tonight and it will be a virtual treat to watch Virat Kohli and co. taking the game to CSK's bowlers.</p><p>Do expect Mr 360 degrees...AB De Villiers to put on another batting masterclass tonight and getting him out will be of utmost importance for CSK's bowlers.</p><p>So with the action all set to unfold...the winner qualifies for the final at Eden Gardens whereas the loser goes home!</p>

LIVE IPL 8: Qualifier 2 - CSK v/s RCB - Du Plessis, Hussey fire for Chennai

CSK lock horns with RCB at Ranchi in a do-or-die match which will see the winner advancing to the final CSK clash with RCB at Ranchi in Qua...

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Royal Challengers Bangalore look to spoil MS Dhoni's house party

<p>Royal Challengers Bangalore will be favourties to beat Chennai Super Kings in MS Dhoni's backyard in Qualifier 2 on Friday and meet Mumbai Indians in the final on Sunday.</p><p><img alt="Fans take pictures of Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli on his arrival in Ranchi on Thursday on the eve of their match against Chennai Super Kings, (below) CSK’s Dwayne Bravo (C) and Ravindra Jadeja (R) during training at JSCA stadium in Ranchi on Thursday. PTI" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/22/338612-jsca.jpg" /><br /> Fans take pictures of Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli on his arrival in Ranchi on Thursday on the eve of their match against Chennai Super Kings, (below) CSK’s Dwayne Bravo (C) and Ravindra Jadeja (R) during training at JSCA stadium in Ranchi on Thursday. PTI</p><p>New Test captain Virat Kohli will lead a pumped-up side who posted an authoritative 71-run win over Rajasthan Royals in Wednesday night's Eliminator in Pune. It was a win that showed the tremendous character of the RCB batsmen, especially AB de Villiers and young talent Mandeep Singh.</p><p>Kohli & Co. enter the fortress of the player he has taken over the reins of Indian Test cricket from. RCB are one of only two teams to have beaten CSK in Ranchi (Sunrisers Hyderabad being the other) in the IPL. RCB will take confidence from that five-wicket win in 2014 even though they must be aware that the crowd will be cheering for Dhoni and his yellow brigade.</p><p>As Mandeep said on Wednesday night, "Obviously Chennai will have more support than us in Ranchi, but I think if we play to our strengths, we can win there too."</p><p>Bangalore have nothing to lose. They are on a roll and have a well-balanced unit. It has been quite a while since openers Kohli and Chris Gayle came up with a big score in a full game. Friday may well be it. Along with de Villiers, the top three have done the bulk of scoring, each amassing 450 and above. That de Villiers and Mandeep still managed to take RCB to a healthy total after the openers failed on a low and slow Pune pitch indicated that they have all their bases covered. And, if it is a batting-friendly pitch that Ranchi usually is, then CSK bowlers will have to run for cover.</p><p>Their bowlers, apart from Dwayne Bravo, have shone in patches but succumbed when it mattered most against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 1. Bravo may be the man with the golden arm, having more chances of picking up wickets in the death when the opposition goes for big shots in an attempt to accelerate.</p><p>CSK batting has been weakened by the return of Brendon McCullum and his replacement, the 39-year-old Mike Hussey is short on match experience, having only played two games and done little of note.</p><p>Glimpses of AB in Mandy<br /> The momentum is with RCB, for sure. And one RCB batsman who would want to carry on the momentum from the Eliminator win will be 23-year-old exciting batsman Mandeep. The manner in which he batted against Rajasthan Royals eased the pressure off the usually-dangerous AB de Villiers in the initial stages. There may have been glimpses of AB de Villiers in the way Mandeep batted, though it is highly unfair on both to make comparisons.</p><p>Paddy Upton, head coach of Rajasthan Royals, who were at the receiving end of the AB-Mandeep 113-run third-wicket partnership, praised the Punjab batsman. Upton said on Wednesday night, "Mandeep Singh came in and he was the only player to be able to take the game on from ball one. If you look at Virat, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, Mandeep came in and in the first 15 balls, he clearly outshone them. On Wednesday, he was definitely the player who brought in an injection into the RCB side. And only after did AB catch up with him. He was definitely the player to turn the tide for RCB and full credit to him."</p><p>Upton saw some similarities between Mandeep and AB in the way they dominated the bowling. "AB is a freak and I have not seen too many people anywhere looking close to him. I would not say if Mandeep has shades of AB but he really played confident front foot-back foot game all around the wicket on a very difficult pitch. In terms of the way he (Mandeep) dominated, there were some similarities (with AB)."</p>

Royal Challengers Bangalore look to spoil MS Dhoni's house party

Royal Challengers Bangalore will be favourties to beat Chennai Super Kings in MS Dhoni's backyard in Qualifier 2 on Friday and meet Mumb...

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Mohammed Azharuddin's biopic to include controversial match-fixing episode

<p>Mumbai(web team): Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin's biopic 'Azhar' will have a touch of the controversial subject of match-fixing issue that rocked world cricket in 2000. It was revealed at the teaser launch of the film here on Thursday.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/22/338613-azharuddin.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Dressed in grey shirt and black pant, Azhar was his usual self with his collar up and chewing gum while he walked up to the stage alongside lead actor of the movie Emraan Hashmi, director Tony D'Souza and producer Ekta Kapoor while son Asaddudin sat in the audience.</p><p>In the teaser, Emraan, donning blue colour India jersey, as 'Azhar' reveals three aspects of his life. 'God, his two marriages and match-fixing' while leaving the dressing room donning his trademark white helmet, with collar up and pads on, on way to take the crease.</p><p>"These three aspects of my life have been very important to me. I think they will show all the three aspects very nicely and I would like to revisit them because it is attached to my life," the 52-year-old Azhar said.</p><p>Asked what element of match-fixing will be added to the movie, Azhar said: "It is very hard for me to say about it right now. Once you watch the film after it is made, you will get a better perspective. At this point I can't say much."</p><p>Azhar revealed that it took time for him to be convinced on whether to give a go ahead for the biopic. "My first reaction was like I didn't understand what to say. It took some time for me to be convinced. Being a close friend of Ekta's father Jeetendra sir I kept thinking about it. Then I finally said yes. I think the decision is right and that's why I am here."</p><p>Did he find anything objectionable in the script? "If I would find something objectionable, then I would not have done it. The writers have written the script after talking to me and with my inputs hence I have no objections," he added.</p><p>In the teaser, Emraan is seen wearing the famous black talisman (taveez) around his neck that the India captain used to wear while batting. Revealing the secret behind the talisman, Azhar said: "It was gifted to me by my grandfather. He asked me never to open it. I don't know what is there inside since I did not open. Since it was given to me by him, it remains close to me and is the same."</p><p>Meanwhile, Hashmi said he's working hard to get Azhar's favourite flick shot right. "I was an average gully cricketer who would swing the bat without any footwork. When Azharbhai started to teach me, I got better after a month. We have been practicing for three months and playing around 50 overs every day and knocking the ball. I want to perfect the leg glance. It was my favourite shot for which you need a wrist like rubber. Since I was doing weight training, I could not move my wrist but now I am doing yoga to get there."</p><p>With speculations going around who would play Azhar's two wives – Naureen and Sangeeta, Kapoor said they have not finalised any and would decide soon.</p>

Mohammed Azharuddin's biopic to include controversial match-fixing episode

Mumbai(web team): Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin's biopic 'Azhar' will have a touch of the controversial subject of ma...

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Yuki Bhambri, No. 1 among Indian men

<p>Yuki Bhambri has a lot to celebrate. For the first time ever, the 22-year-old Delhi lad played the final of a clay court Challenger. The effort helped him reach 158 in the latest world rankings, the best for an Indian at the moment, ahead of Somdev Devvarman (172) and Saketh Myneni (196). Also, Yuki is inching closer to his career-best rank of 143 that he had reached in February last year.</p><p><img alt="Ranked 414 in February, Yuki Bhambri has leapfrogged to world No. 158 in the latest list." src="http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/02411/TH20YUKI_2411176f.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>This is a rare occasion that three players figure in the top-200 of world rankings. This projects a healthy image of Indian tennis, especially in the light of the Davis Cup tie scheduled against New Zealand in Christchurch in July.</p><p>Qualifying for the Australian Open and playing a good match against Olympic champion Andy Murray had set the tempo for Yuki this season and he did well to notch the big points from the two finals of Challengers in Delhi and Samarkand.</p><p>Fabulous sail<br /> From being ranked 414 in February, it has been a fabulous sail for Yuki, who had affixed his stamp of class in the Asian Games last year in Incheon with bronze medals in singles and doubles with Divij Sharan. Despite the favourable winds, Yuki was in no mood to celebrate, as he conceded that he was just happy to be consistent.</p><p>Having lost a lot of time to a string of ankle, knee and foot injuries over the years after having made it to the top-200 for the first time in July 2012, Yuki said that he appreciated good health more than anything else, and that he was basically looking forward to playing the whole season.</p><p>“There were no targets for me. Of course, the goal is to reach the top-100. But other than that, I just try and play as much as I can,” said Yuki, before getting ready for his first round qualifying event at Roland Garros in Paris on Tuesday.</p><p>Despite the fine run on clay in the Samarkand Challenger in Uzbekistan when he was beaten only by the top seed Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia, Yuki had no qualms about conceding that clay in Paris was tough for him.</p><p>Yuki said that he was looking forward to playing more tournaments in Korea before moving to the grass events in the UK in preparation for Wimbledon.</p><p>For sure, Yuki has a healthy attitude and a stable head on his strong shoulders, as he goads his legs to take him into the top-100 in singles, a milestone achieved only by Leander Paes and Somdev Devvarman among the Indian men in the last two decades.</p>

Yuki Bhambri, No. 1 among Indian men

Yuki Bhambri has a lot to celebrate. For the first time ever, the 22-year-old Delhi lad played the final of a clay court Challenger. The eff...

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Justin Langer opts for WACA extension over India coaching job

<p>London(PTI): Former Australia opener Justin Langer has extended his WACA coaching contract for two years, ruling out the possibility of him taking up an assignment as Indian cricket team's chief coach.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/19/337770-justin-langer.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Langer's name had suddenly cropped up as one of the possible candidates for the India job, a position that is lying vacant after Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher completed his tenure at the end of the World Cup.</p><p>The left-handed batsman, who was touted as a possible candidate for the vacant India and England coaching jobs, today said that he was flattered to have been associated with such high-profile roles but that his commitment to his family came ahead of the demands of travelling with an international team.</p><p>The Western Australian Cricket Association confirmed today Langer's tenure at the helm of Warriors in the Bupa Sheffield Shield and Matador Cup, and reigning KFC T20 Bash League champions the Perth Scorchers has been extended to the end of the 2017-18 season.</p><p>The 44-year-old player, who represented Australia in 105 Tests and 8 ODIs, though did admit that his name being linked to big teams like India and England have certainly helped to galvanise his coaching position.</p><p>"I am flattered to be associated with potential international coaching opportunities, but the timing isn't right for my family and I still feel there is much work to be done here in Western Australian and Australian cricket," Langer was quoted as saying in the Cricket Australia website.</p><p>"Having spent nearly 20 years on the road with the Australian team as a player and then coach, I respect what an enormous commitment it is to be away from your family for almost 12 months of the year.</p><p>"There is no doubt I have aspirations to coach internationally, but that will depend upon timing and opportunity in the future.</p><p>"I look forward to continuing my work at the WACA and I am excited by this challenge," he added.</p>

Justin Langer opts for WACA extension over India coaching job

London(PTI): Former Australia opener Justin Langer has extended his WACA coaching contract for two years, ruling out the possibility of him ...

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ICC panel wants to scrap powerplay, award more free hits

<p>Mumbai,Derek Abraham: As reported by dna on May 18, the Cricket Committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC) has recommended that the fielding captain be allowed the cushion of a fifth fielder outside the 30-yard circle for the last 10 overs of an ODI. The Anil Kumble-chaired panel, which met in Mumbai on May 16 and 17, has also suggested that the batting powerplay, usually taken between Overs 35 and 40, be done away it. Both decisions reflect the committee's desire to ensure balance between bat and ball.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/19/337649-powerplay.jpg" /></p><p>For the record, these recommendations have to be approved by the ICC Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) that will meet in Barbados during the ICC's Annual Conference from June 22-26.</p><p>The ICC will not introduce a regulation about the size of bats, but will provide inputs on this issue to the Marylebone Cricket Club, custodians of the Laws of Cricket. The world body will consult with ball manufacturers to see whether the characteristics of the ball, particularly the size and durability of the white-ball seam, could be altered to shift the balance between bat and ball. This paper had reported the possibility of the white ball having a "pronounced" seam helpful to both pacers and spinners alike. The Cricket Committee also reiterated that boundaries at international venues needed to be set up to the maximum size at each venue.</p><p>Another prominent recommendation is the removal of two compulsory catchers in the first 10 overs of an ODI. The committee was encouraged by the attacking captaincy displayed during the ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and believes these changes will allow fielding captains greater freedom to both attack and defend when required.<br /> There's some good news for the batsmen, too. The Cricket Committee has suggested that all no-balls in ODI and T20 International cricket result in a free hit. In other words, bowlers will be penalised for bowling beamers and captains will pay the price for not getting the field setting right. As always, front-foot no-balls will result in free hits.</p><p>The Cricket Committee discussed day/night Test matches at length. Reviewing the reports from the first-class matches played with pink balls, it asked Test-playing nations to identify opportunities and make provisions for play to extend later into the day. The idea of four-day Tests was rejected, but the panel acknowledged that the game will need to be open to considering proposals that look to enhance the public appeal of cricket's oldest format.</p><p>The committee supported the stronger stance being taken against inappropriate player behaviour and crass "send-offs". It also encouraged referees to apply suspensions rather than fines, more specifically for repeat offenders and for the more serious offences, such as physical contact. There was also strong support for the current practice of suspending captains for over-rate breaches.<br /> There was a discussion on the performance of the Decision Review System (DRS). As reported earlier, the ICC has engaged engineers from the Field Intelligence Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston to oversee the testing of the ball-tracking system, HotSpot and Snicko.<br /> The panel praised the ICC's anti-chucking drive. The five accredited testing centres saw over 100 bowlers tested in nine months.</p><p>IN A NUTSHELL<br /> Five fielders outside the circle for last 10 overs of an ODI</p><p>No need to have two compulsory catchers in the first 10 overs of an ODI</p><p>Scrap batting powerplay</p><p>Free hits for all no-balls, including beamers</p><p>Maximise boundary line at all venues</p><p>DRS review at MIT Boston</p><p>No four-day Tests</p>

ICC panel wants to scrap powerplay, award more free hits

Mumbai,Derek Abraham: As reported by dna on May 18, the Cricket Committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC) has recommended that th...

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IPL 8: As playoffs beckon, RR need more of Morris

<p>Chris Morris's 4/23 for Rajasthan Royals was completely overshadowed by Shane Watson's career-best T20 innings of 104 not out against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Brabourne Stadium on Saturday night.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/17/337286-rr.jpg" /></p><p>In a tall-scoring match in which 389 runs were aggregated in 40 overs at 9.725, Morris's average and economy rate of 5.75 speaks volumes of how effective the 28-year-old lanky right-arm medium-pacer from Pretoria can get.</p><p>The first ball he bowled to Robin Uthappa in KKR's pursuit of 200 was a beauty, beating the defence of the opener, just missing the outside edge en route to the wicketkeeper. That set the tone for Morris and RR as KKR struggled against the South African.</p><p>Morris managed to dismiss KKR captain Gautam Gambhir in the very first over, trapping him with a short-pitched delivery that the left-hander top-edged to square-leg. Morris took wickets at crucial juncture, dismissing the big-hitting Andre Russell and Suryakumar Yadav in the space of three deliveries just when KKR threatened to surge ahead.</p><p>KKR overtook RR in the 12th and 13th overs with the big-hitting Russell going berserk against Watson and IPL debutant Barinder Singh Sran. It required Morris to arrest Russell when he came for his third over, having the West Indian sky one to long off for Dhawal Kulkarni to take a smart catch. A ball later, Yadav edged Morris to the wicketkeeper. This vital 14th over that cost RR only two runs and fetched two wickets helped them regain control. In fact, they never looked behind.</p><p>And, when 16 were needed off the last over, Morris struck first up, having Shakib Al Hasan caught at long-on.</p><p>Morris was greatly supported by some good catching in the outfield. He has been RR's trump card this season, emerging as their highest wicket-taker with 12 scalps while also having the highest batting average (76), courtesy his 76 runs in six innings with five not outs and a strike rate of 176.74. This has given Rajasthan Royals the depth in batting. Morris, Deepak Hooda and James Faulkner have made the right noises at Nos 7, 8 and 9. With an economy rate of 7.07, Morris is also RR's most economical bowler this season.</p><p>Watson was named Man of the Match, but Morris's contribution with the ball was as significant as the Australian's century. In a match when bowlers went for as many as 12 and 13 an over, Morris's economy rate of less than six was worth a special award. He had just bowled his team into the playoffs.</p><p>Watson said, "A lot of moments in the game gave us a chance to defend 199. Obviously Dhawal Kulkarni's two catches (in the deep) were crucial but there were a couple of other moments. Chris Morris's over to be able to get Andre Russell, Ajinkya Rahane's catch to get rid of Azhar Mahmood and a lot of other moments were really important in giving us a chance to defend."</p><p>KKR mentor Jacques Kallis spoke of Watson and Morris in the same breath. "Obviously Watto is a world-class player and he proved that on Saturday. He played really well and put our bowlers under pressure. I felt our discipline was not as good as it should have been. When a guy scores a 100 in 50 balls and takes the score to 200, it is pretty tough to chase. Obviously Morris bowled well, picked up four wickets. Especially to finish off the game, he did well," the South African said.</p><p>Morris is not new to the IPL, though. In his first season in 2013 for Chennai Super Kings, he played in 16 matches, picking up 15 wickets at an economy rate of 8.02.</p>

IPL 8: As playoffs beckon, RR need more of Morris

Chris Morris's 4/23 for Rajasthan Royals was completely overshadowed by Shane Watson's career-best T20 innings of 104 not out agains...

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Indian squad for Bangladesh tour to be chosen on May 20

<p>New Delhi(PTI): The Indian squad for next month's tour of Bangladesh is to be picked by the national cricket selection panel headed by Sandeep Patil on May 20.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/15/336638-india-perth2-afp.jpg" /></p><p>"The meeting to select the Indian team for the tour of Bangladesh featuring one Test and three One-Day Internationals would be held at the Cricket Centre on May 20," Cricket Board sources told PTI on Friday.</p><p>India are to play a one-off Test at Fatullah from June 10-14 and then will engage hosts Bangladesh in a best-of-three ODI series from June 18-24. All the ODI matches are scheduled to be played at Mirpur on June 18,21 and 24 with a reserve day pencilled in.</p><p>With MS Dhoni having already announced his retirement from Test cricket, it was expected that Virat Kohli - who led the squad in Australia after Dhoni's announcement at the conclusion of the third Test at Melbourne - will be named as the Test captain.</p><p>However, there are news reports that Kohli, along with a a few other senior cricketers, have asked the BCCI to be rested for the tour.</p><p>Meanwhile, the BCCI's technical committee headed by Anil Kumble is to meet in Mumbai on May 19 to take a call on the proposed changes in the domestic circuit for the next season.</p><p>In its bid to push for more results in Ranji matches, the BCCI technical committee has proposed a few changes in the points format and the number of overs bowled per day in the premier domestic tournament.</p><p>The Kumble-led committee has suggested the number of overs to be increased from 90 to 95 per day in the four and five-day games of the Ranji Trophy and also do away with the single point for salvaging a draw after conceding a lead.</p><p>These proposals were discussed at the last working committee meeting of the Board held in Kolkata on April 26 and the all-powerful body of the BCCI has asked for a final proposal to be drafted by the technical committee for its approval at its next sitting.</p>

Indian squad for Bangladesh tour to be chosen on May 20

New Delhi(PTI): The Indian squad for next month's tour of Bangladesh is to be picked by the national cricket selection panel headed by S...

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MI bowler Mitchell McClenaghan reprimanded for showing dissent to umpire

<p>Mumbai Indians pacer Mitchell McClenaghan has been reprimanded for showing dissent to the umpire in his team's five-run win against Kolkata Knight Riders here.</p><p><img alt="Mumbai Indians bowler Mitchell McClenaghan celebrates wicket of Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Surya Kumar Yadav during an IPL T20 match in Mumbai on Thursday PTI" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/15/336596-mitchell-mcclenaghan-pti-crop.jpg" width="600" /><br /> Mumbai Indians bowler Mitchell McClenaghan celebrates wicket of Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Surya Kumar Yadav during an IPL T20 match in Mumbai on Thursday PTI</p><p>"In the Pepsi IPL match in Mumbai last evening, Mitchell McClenaghan of Mumbai Indians was reprimanded by the Match Referee for showing dissent at the umpire's decision," the IPL said in a statement.</p><p>"Mr. McClenaghan admitted to the level 1 offence (Article 2.1.3 of the IPL Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials) and accepted the sanction," it added.</p><p>The left-arm New Zealand pacer picked up a wicket in his side's crucial win against the defending champions to keep its hopes of booking a play-offs berth alive.</p>

MI bowler Mitchell McClenaghan reprimanded for showing dissent to umpire

Mumbai Indians pacer Mitchell McClenaghan has been reprimanded for showing dissent to the umpire in his team's five-run win against Kolk...

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Judo body faces derecognition for going against Sports Code

<p>Judo Federation of India (JFI) president Mukesh Kumar has put his association on the brink of suspension by getting into direct confrontation with the sports ministry over the non-compliance of the National Sports Development Code.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/14/336427-judo-indiagetty.jpg" /></p><p>This is the result of the ministry's objection that Kumar, who was secretary general in JFI for two successive terms, has flouted tenure guidelines of the Sports Code by taking over as president, replacing Jagdish Tytler in August 2013.</p><p>According to sources, Kumar has now been summoned by the ministry for a personal hearing on May 27. JFI would be the second sports federation after the All India Tennis Association (AITA) that is facing de-recognition by the government for not following the guidelines.</p><p>As per the Sports Code, it is mandatory to have a cooling-off period of four years before a secretary seeks re-election after two successive terms. In Kumar's case, he was unanimously elected president of the JFI at its AGM in Imphal without serving the cooling-off period.</p><p>dna has reliably learnt that Kumar had sought a personal hearing from the ministry, requesting it to give the national federation an opportunity to present its case on the matter related to its 2013 election, for which JFI faces de-recognition.</p><p>"If Kumar refuses to step down as president or fail to provide a satisfactory explanation to the ministry, it would not only result in de-recognition of the JFI but also in his ouster as the secretary general of the Judo Union of Asia (JUA)," the source informed on Thursday.</p><p>The news has come at a time when Kumar was elected unopposed as the secretary general of the JUA at its Ordinary Congress in Kuwait earlier this week. JFI's de-recognition could also seriously impact the hosting of next year's Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Championships in Kochi as the Asian body will have no choice but to shift the meet outside India.</p><p>Decision on AITA likely after May 27</p><p>Meanwhile, the meeting between the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and the ministry to resolve the Sports Code issue has been rescheduled to May 27 following a request from its president Anil Khanna.</p><p>The ministry had asked Khanna to step down since he was required to serve a four-year cooling off period before being elected to the top job. It must be mentioned that Khanna held the post of secretary general in the AITA between 2000 and 2012, before taking over as president in October last year. The tennis body has threatened to move the court if the ministry goes ahead with its decision.</p>

Judo body faces derecognition for going against Sports Code

Judo Federation of India (JFI) president Mukesh Kumar has put his association on the brink of suspension by getting into direct confrontatio...

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Kevin Pietersen proved he was not a good team man, says Farokh Engineer

<p>Farokh Engineer was one of the most flamboyant cricketers of his time. The Manchester-based former India wicketkeeper talks G Krishnan on the Kevin Pietersen saga, MS Dhoni's successor, wicketkeeping and a lot more...</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/14/336462-kevin-pietersen-may-2015-getty-crop.jpg" /></p><p>As you stay in England for most part of the year, how serious is the Kevin Pietersen issue? Which side are you in, the KP side or the ECB?<br /> It is not the question of taking sides. KP is a great cricketer without a doubt. He has had an excellent track record, on merit. Of course, he should be in the team without a doubt. On performances, he should be in the team. But they have taken heed of off-the-field events like Tweeting the opposition captain about (then captain) Andrew Strauss, and his weaknesses in batting. You just don't do those things. He has proved (he was) not being a good team man and that is the only reason that has gone against him. A lot of people are divided. Even cricketers are divided. On merits, he should come to the team. Had England done well in the West Indies, had England won the series easily, I don't think he had a chance to come back into the side. But drawing the series against a weak West Indian team, the alarm bells are ringing for England cricket, that they need to bolster their batting. When you say bolster the batting, KP has got to come back to the team. But Andrew Strauss is the new director of England cricket and does not have a very good relationship with KP.</p><p>Strauss has said that that KP does not figure in the short-term plans but at the same time has not banned him. Is there a lack of clarity?<br /> English people are known to sit on the backside, not express their opinion properly. That's England. English people are never forthright in their things. That is the only thing I don't like about English people. They sit on the bench. Now, there is no time to sit on the bench. It is time to take decision. A 'Yes' or a 'No'. Is it good for English cricket? You ask that question. If they think it is good for English cricket... After all, the Tweet messages he sent, I don't think he will be welcome in the team anymore. He has made far too many enemies in the team. Against Broad, Anderson, Prior... He has made some vicious remarks in his book and people don't forget these things. While he is getting 200, 300 runs, it is OK. But the moment he starts failing, the fingers will start pointing at him.</p><p>Can you recollect any similar incident during your playing days, either with Indian cricket or elsewhere?<br /> No. I can't recall any. I have always considered myself as a team man. I have not come across any selfish cricketer. Sorry to use the word 'selfish' but that's what he (KP) was. Only a selfish person would Tweet about his own teammate. Since then, in his book, he has made fun of his fellow cricketers and after that, too much badness has gone on for him to come back into the team. Somehow, I don't feel he will come back to the team, but you never know. England need a batsman badly of KP's ability, surely on performance.</p><p>Having yourself played for Lancashire and settled down there, has the quality of county cricket come down?<br /> Yes. It has gone down terribly. In my time, we had overseas players oozing with Gary Sobers, Clive Lloyd, myself, Barry Richards, Viv Richards, Mike Procter, Rohan Kanhai, Michael Holding, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, you name it... Now-a-days, a handful of Test cricketers, that too second or third grade cricketers, play. Because people earn so much in IPL, BBL, Caribbean league. People play far too many cricket. If the guys keep on earning money, they play. But county cricket has certainly gone down in stature since my day. One would expect Cheteshwar Pujara to amass runs in county cricket for Yorkshire but all that he has managed to score is only one fifty (57) in 5 innings and (0 vs Worcestershire, 57 vs Nottinghamshire, 23, 33 vs Warwickshire, 18 v Hampshire – 131 runs @ 26.2. This before Wednesday's unbeaten 133 against Hampshire.</p><p>That's not good enough. Yorkshire are the champion county and they won't tolerate that. He could be dropped or be back here. Over there, if you are an overseas cricketer, you are expected to score runs, take wickets or keep wickets brilliantly because you are an outsider, they are paying you more to get you in the team.</p><p>What did you think of MS Dhoni's retirement from Tests?<br /> Surprise. Very surprised to have seen that. All the money that he has been making, I don't think his children or grandchildren or even great-grandchildren will ever have to work. He has made so much money. He is a lovely guy, I love him to bits. He has improved his wicketkeeping tremendously, been a very good captain both in One-dayers and Test cricket. He will be solely missed. But it gives an opportunity to younger players. There is Wriddhiman Saha, Parthiv Patel, Dinesh Karthik, all potential Test players. But the one I feel should really come is Sanju Samson because he has really impressed me with his maturity. He has got to learn a lot about wicket-keeping. They tell me he is not a regular wicketkeeper and he is just a batsman.</p><p>Is Saha the best to replace Dhoni in Tests?<br /> He is the most favoured at the moment. I can't say he is the best. He is not a great 'keeper. In this day and age, I don't think there is any excellent, great keeper. They are all batsman-wicketkeepers. They can score the runs and stop the ball. In Test cricket, you need specialist keepers.</p><p>Wicketkeeping is not a specialist role anymore...<br /> We were all-rounders. I reckon I was an all-rounder, scored loads of runs in Test and county cricket. Unfortunately, IPL was not there in my day. I wish it was there, then because I would have been the highest-paid cricketer.</p><p>Dhoni was not a wicketkeeper of the classical mould but still got his work done in his own effective way. How did you look at his keeping skills?<br /> Dhoni came in as a package. His weaknesses in wicketkeeping were more than covered by his attacking batting or his captaincy. I have seen him make a lot of blunders in captaincy and in wicketkeeping and everything. On the whole, you take Dhoni as a package, and you have got a very good package there, and it is the package that counts.</p><p>What do you make of Virat Kohli, the Test captain?<br /> A fantastic player, super guy as well. I think he is the right person to succeed Dhoni as captain in every format of the game without a doubt. He is a complete cricketer. He had a lean run in England and they were blaming his girlfriend for it. It was so ridiculous blaming a girlfriend for his bad form. He just had a bad run and we all knew he would come out of this and would come back stronger.</p><p>...which he did in Australia, didn't he?<br /> Australia, that's what we were all surprised when India came to the semifinals of the World Cup because we expected India to do so badly. But suddenly, one-day and T20 cricket is our forte. This is what we have been playing well. We are not a good Test-playing nation. We are a very good at limited-overs as we have got very attacking, good stroke-making and innovative players. I think to regain status as world No. 1 Test nation, we are far away from there.</p><p>What should India do to improve in Tests?<br /> They play better cricket internationally. Test cricket is a different animal. Test cricket is the pinnacle of cricket. You talk about records, Tendulkar scoring so many Test hundreds, Gavaskar getting hundreds, Murali getting so many wickets. They all adhere to Test cricket as the main thing. One-day cricket is great fun.</p><p>Is limited-overs cricket to be blamed for India not doing well in Tests?<br /> Could well be. They play certain shots in Tests that should never be played. You try and lift the ball with six balls to go for lunch, you are getting a fresh batsman in. These are the things you don't do. These are the things you can do in one-day cricket because every ball is important. It is a completely different thing. That is why India is very good in limited-overs and not in Tests.</p><p>You have been involved in IPL previously as referee. Did you enjoy it? Did you trust it?<br /> Yes, very first year. I enjoyed immensely. But I was not asked the next year, I could not believe it. After doing such a fantastic job the first year, getting Harbhajan and Sreesanth together for the sake of Indian cricket. A lot of people wanted me to ban Harbhajan for life, and I was not ready to do that. He is a young guy, he made a mistake, he slapped somebody in the fit of temper, but he has got a mother and father like anyone else, he has got a heart and soul. I punished him heavily. He did not play for the rest of the season. He was very happy with the decision. I would not mind if they got another cricketer or somebody, but you have a guy you have never even heard of. Some colonel is a match referee. Has he played any cricket? Does he know to govern cricket? Does he know how to handle a situation where two Test cricketers are fighting against each other? Colonel may be good in an India-Pakistan war. I can't understand these decisions that IPL makes sometimes. I can't understand the decisions the franchises make sometimes. Bidding stupid money, throwing away money. Yuvraj Singh Rs16 crore, Dinesh Karthik Rs12.5 crore, This is idiotic advice, franchises don't know about it. They are relying on their cricketers and mentors to give them right advice and if mentors give such ideas, they should be sacked straightaway. In business, this would happen but here they are getting away with it.</p><p>Do you think AB de Villiers would have been a success in any era?<br /> No. He would not have succeeded in any era. Now-a-days, they wear helmets and some of the shots that he plays, the scoop, for example, you can play only with a helmet. Otherwise, you can easily scoop the ball on your face and look like an idiot. Well, de Villiers has tremendous eye, tremendous talent, is very very entertaining and a fantastic cricketer. Hand-eye coordination, timing superb, he has got the gift, he sees the ball before anyone else does. He gives himself more time to play some very inventive shots. But only with the helmet, he can play certain scoop shots, otherwise, he will have a bloody nose.</p><p>In your days, the pre-equipment days, you still had some great stroke-makers...<br /> We had very bad equipment, very poor. The bats were made from a Booke Bond 'chai ka dabba'. No middle at all. You had to hit the ball on some very strong spots to hit the ball out of the ground, and I hit the ball out of the ground regularly. At Cricket Club of India, a clock was there. There was Rs 10 prize if you hit the clock. I hit all around the clock but never on the clock. Pads, we used to get horrible buckles, break your hair. Shoes, horrible spikes that would get into your feet. Now-a-days, tough equipment. Physios, masseurs, all those people to keep you well. They should take advantage of the same. They should consider themselves extremely lucky to be playing at this age. For me, I would like to think that my generation laid the foundation for these cricketers to succeed and enjoy the cricket more.</p><p>Who was the AB of your generation?<br /> I was the one. I used to hit the ball very hard. I am not blowing my own trumpet. It is with confidence that I am saying. I used to love hitting sixes and into the crowd. Salim Durrani and I, we hit sixes on demand.</p><p>Where do you see Indian cricket going?<br /> Indian cricket is in a very healthy situation because we have some very good young cricketers. Due to IPL, a lot of talent is being unearthed.</p><p>Is it time for an Indian coach to take over?<br /> Absolutely. There was a time for an Indian coach to take over five years ago, 10 years ago. Why now? Duncan Fletcher, in my opinion, was absolutely useless. He did not have anything to offer. I have spoken to some of the English boys and they also did not rate him. He has got some absolute admirers like Nasser Hussain or Michael Vaughan. He gave them captaincy. They are just repaying the debt there. On cricketing merit, as coach, he was not proactive. He was behind the scenes. If things went wrong, he should be there, supporting the team. I have spoken with the guys in the team and I don't think he was highly rated.</p><p>Could things have been different in your playing days?<br /> Of course, they could have been much better. I was deposed of captaincy for suggesting of flying from Bombay (Mumbai) to Calcutta (Kolkata). We used to go by AC train. But what really caught on my nerves was the Australians and English players would always fly, two-and-a-half hours flight would be a two-and-a-half days train journey. Did not make any logistical sense. I spoke up my mind and the chairman of selectors at that time thought of insubordination. So I was struck of captaincy. Next time when I was appointed captain, Mr Chidambaram was the board president. He harmed cricket more than anyone else. He suddenly appointed S Venkataraghavan as captain before a Test match (against the West Indies in Delhi, 1974) not consulting any of the selectors. It was a shambles. There was the incident when I hit Andy Roberts for two sixes and he said, “maan, why are you getting it out on me?” We all laughed but left a bitter taste in my mouth, that my country was not backing me. Here I am giving my life for my country and I expect little thing back from the cricket board. Politics was dreadful in our time. There is far less politics these days, believe me. People who did not know the game were controlling it. People who could not pronounce 'cricket' were controlling the game and that was the sad part. Clive Lloyd was the opposing captain and he came to the dressing room to say to me, come out, let's go out for the toss'. Raj Singh Dungarpur was the manager. He said, 'there is something very sinister going on behind your back”. I had been appointed captain by Ramprakash Mehra by senior vice-president the previous night and officially told, and suddenly the decision. These are the little things that have left me broken-hearted. The whole team was shocked.</p><p>Who among the present-day wicketkeepers has impressed you the most?<br /> Unfortunately, I cannot say I can see a top class wicketkeeper at the moment. Sangakkara at his age was perhaps one of the best around. Dhoni improved a lot in the later stages. I don't think any country has really (a world-class keeper). If the youngsters have the right coaching, right guidance.... nobody really coached us. We had to learn from mistakes. If I can help any player like Sanju Samson, if I can spend five minutes with him, I can make him a far better wicketkeeper because from experience you know exactly what to do.</p>

Kevin Pietersen proved he was not a good team man, says Farokh Engineer

Farokh Engineer was one of the most flamboyant cricketers of his time. The Manchester-based former India wicketkeeper talks G Krishnan on th...

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Cricket betting a key source of black money, Special Investigating Team tells Supreme Court

<p>New Delhi(PTI): A day after the Lok Sabha passed the Bill to deal with black money stashed abroad, the court-appointed Special Investigating Team (SIT) has raised concern over transaction of black money in cricket betting and also over the UP government's failure to conduct proper investigation into Rs 900 crore scam involving its employee Yadav Singh (former chief engineer of Noida) while seeking the Supreme Court's intervention.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/13/335764-money5.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Submitting its third report in a sealed cover in the court, the judicial panel suggested that top government employees and candidates seeking election should file an affidavit declaring that he or she does not hold any illegal money abroad and in the event of contrary findings, the persons be barred from electoral politics.</p><p>In addition, the SIT gave a detailed progress report about 628 Indian account holders who have parked the "ill gotten" money in Geneva's HSBC bank with net amount of Rs 6,400 crore as black money.</p><p>In May last year, SIT was set up by the Apex Court comprising two of its retired judges – Justice M B Shah, the chairman, and Justice Arijit Passayat, vice-chairman, to look into the issues related to black money.</p><p>Referring to a FICCI report on cricket betting, the SIT said, "A large amount of black money is transacted every year and it goes beyond Rs 3,00,000 crore. This is required to be controlled."</p><p>On recovery of huge amount cash from Noida Authority enginer-in-chief Yadav Singh, the SIT contended that the Akhilesh Yadav government in UP has failed to register case under IPC as well as under Prevention of Corruption case against him.</p><p>Seeking the top court's direction, the report said said a suggestion was sent to CBI to take over the probe but the premier agency had expressed its inability saying "without authorisation of state government, it would be difficult to carry out investigation."</p><p>Income Tax department has already seized huge cash and is in the process of scrutinising documents of real estate projects executed by Singh in the national capital region.</p><p>The department found documents relating to a number of companies with which his Yadav Singh's wife is believed to be associated in Noida and other areas.</p><p>From his Sector 51 residence, cash worth Rs 10 crore and diamond and gold jewellery worth Rs 100 crore was recovered. Over a dozen bank accounts of the couple and the company operated by them were seized.</p><p>It was alleged that Singh's scam runs over Rs 900 crore. He had got the money during his stints as the chief engineer of three authorities (Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway) during Mayawati's government and the current Akhilesh Yadav government in UP.</p><p>Suggesting that the top central government employees and candidates seeking elections should be asked to give declaration of not having black money, the report said, "Every electoral candidate should file affidavit before elections that he does not hold illegal money abroad."</p><p>Suggesting the enactment of legislation, the report said, "Similarly RBI governor, SEBI chairman, CBI director, RAW chief, CVC.... Persons who have accumulated finds abroad should be barred from holding any public office...."</p><p>Regarding HSBC foreign accounts, the report said there are 628 cases, out of which four cases are duplicate. In 289 cases, no amount is mentioned and in rest cases total balance is Rs 8,624 crore.</p><p>It said Rs 2,224 crore is the total amount that of repeated entries on accounts of joint account holders and assessed a net amount of Rs 6,400 crore.</p><p>In addition, the report said 403 cases are actionable. Tax demand of Rs 237 crore is also raised.</p>

Cricket betting a key source of black money, Special Investigating Team tells Supreme Court

New Delhi(PTI): A day after the Lok Sabha passed the Bill to deal with black money stashed abroad, the court-appointed Special Investigating...

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Sudirman Cup: Indian shuttlers crash to 3-2 defeat against Malaysia

<p>The lack of quality doubles players came back to haunt Indian badminton team as they suffered a 2-3 loss to Malaysia in their opening tie of the prestigious Sudirman Cup on Monday at Dongguan (China).</p><p><img alt="Saina-Nehwal" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/12/335462-saina-nehwal-reuters-crop.jpg" /></p><p>Saina Nehwal and women's doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won their respective matches but K Srikanth failed to breach the defence of Lee Chong Wei. The men's and mixed doubles pairs also bit the dust as India began their campaign on a losing note. Saina brought India back in the contest with a narrow 24-22 21-13 win over world number 56 Tee Jing Yi.</p><p>India, who reached the knockout stage of the biennial tournament in 2011 edition, will next take on three-time champions Korea on Wednesday. Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy B started the proceedings for India but their fight ended with a 15-21 16-21 loss to Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong as Malaysia drew first blood.</p><p>Olympic bronze medallist Saina then brought India back in the contest with a narrow 24-22 21-13 win over world number 56 Tee Jing Yi in a 44-minute women's singles match.</p><p>The men's singles contest between world number four Srikanth and two-time Olympic silver medallist Lee, who is playing his first tournament after serving a backdated eight month ban for doping, was expected to be a mouth-watering affair but it ended with the former world number one notching up a 21-16 21-15 win to hand over the lead to Malaysia once again.</p><p>Commonwealth Games silver medallists Jwala and Ashwini the took the court and the duo avenged their Glasgow final loss to Vivian Kah Mun Hoo and Woon Khe Wei with a hard-fought 21-18 19-21 21-15 win over the world number 11 pair.</p><p>However, in the decider, N Sikki Reddy and Arun Vishnu could not get it across the world number 70 pair of Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying and went down 14-21 18-21 in a 40-minute match as India went down 2-3 in the end.</p><p>In the women's singles match, Saina seemed to take her own time to get into the groove as she led 12-9 at one stage. But Tee soon clawed her way back and managed to lead 16-15 after the Indian exhausted a video referral.</p><p>Tee then turned the tables to not only lead 19-17 but also moved into game point thrice at 20-19, 21-10 and 22-21. However, Saina saved the game point each time and with the help of a cross court dribble and a body smash moved to 23-22 before grabbing the game when Tee hit the net.</p><p>In the second game, Saina pulled up her socks as she looked sharper and it reflected on the scoreline as she led 11-5 at the break. Tee tried her best but she could not break the Indian, who wrapped up the match when Tee hit wide. In the men's singles match, Srikanth showed good fighting spirit but he failed to deal with the drift in the court and made too many unforced errors to see the match slip out of his hands.</p><p>Lee, on the other hand, shunned all extravagance, did not make too many errors, and played within himself to tame the Indian. Initially, Srikanth gave Lee a good fight as he retrieved everything thrown at him and also judged the shuttle well to move into a 8-7 lead.</p><p>Lee showed glimpses of his past self but despite making few errors, held the psychological edge at 11-10 going into the break. He maintained his dominance with a 16-11 lead but Srikanth narrowed it down to 13-16. After some exceptional rallies by the players, Srikanth came as close as 16-17. The Indian tried a couple of body smashes but both went long as Lee clinched the opening game without much ado.</p><p>The Olympic medallist's smooth movement helped him to play with ease as he defended well even as Srikanth in desperation kept hitting wide and long to allow the Malaysian lead 8-3 in the second game. Srikanth did not give up and brought the lead down to 7-8. But, Lee once again distanced himself to lead 11-7 at the break.</p><p>At 10-13, Srikanth played a back hand flick from an awkward position to give some cheers to the Indian fans but a series of errors from him not only allowed Lee to take a 17-11 lead but also to grab the match point at 20-14.</p><p>The Indian saved one before hitting long once again as Lee handed Malaysia a 2-1 lead after the third match. Jwala and Ashwini, who had lost to the same rivals during the finals of Glasgow Commonwealth Games, then took the court and straight away put pressure on the Malaysians, engaging in some fast rallies.</p><p>Jwala was good at the nets while Ashwini manned the back court well, troubling the opponents with her hard smashes as they combined well to lead 12-10 at one stage. Woon and Hoo kept breathing down their neck but eventually the Indian combo grabbed the first game when the Malaysians hit long.</p><p>The second game was yet another rollercoaster ride as Jwala and Ashwini led 11-10 at the break. However, after the interval, Woon and Hoo grabbed the lead at 15-13. The Indian pair reeled off four straight points to make it 17-15 but they committed a few errors at this crucial juncture to see Woon and Hoo roar back into the match.</p><p>In the decider, Jwala and Ashwini fought back from 2-6 down to eke out a slender 11-10 lead at the interval. The Indian combo led 15-12 but Woon and Hoo drew level with three straight points. At 18-15, Jwala won a point on serve and then produced two superb smashes to win the fourth match.</p>

Sudirman Cup: Indian shuttlers crash to 3-2 defeat against Malaysia

The lack of quality doubles players came back to haunt Indian badminton team as they suffered a 2-3 loss to Malaysia in their opening tie of...

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Rohan Bopanna-Florin Mergea pair lift Madrid Open doubles trophy

<p>Indian tennis ace Rohan Bopanna won his third title of the 2015 season and first with new partner Florin Mergea as they lifted the Madrid Open trophy with a tense win over Nenand Zimonjic and Martin Matkowski, in Madrid on Sunday.</p><p><img alt="" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/10/335181-mergea-bopanna.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>Bopanna and his Romanian partner saved a match point before overcoming the challenge of the fifth seeds 6-2 6-7(5) 11-9 in one hour and 24 minutes in the final of the euro 4,185,405 clay court Masters event.</p><p>Bopanna had won two titles with Daniel Nestor in Sydney and Dubai at the start of the season before splitting with the Canadian.</p><p>With Mergea it was his second final, having ended runners-up at the Casablanca event, last month.</p><p>They split euro 247,560 prize money and earned valuable 1000 ranking points each.</p><p>Bopanna and Mergea raced to a 4-1 lead with an early break and never allowed their rivals to come back in the opening set. They kept the pressure on and earned three set points in the eighth game, converting the third to take first set in a matter of just 23 minutes.</p><p>Matkowski and Zimonjic put up fight in the second set as they broke Mergea in the third game. However Bopanna and Mergea prevented them from building on that early lead with an immediate break-back effort.</p><p>Bopanna too faced a break chance in the fifth game after hitting an ace on the second serve but held after firing another service winner.</p><p>In the sixth game, the Indo-Romanian pair was 0-40 but managed to earn a breakpoint even as they could not convert it.</p><p>Nevertheless, it put Zimonjic and Matkowski under pressure as they never got easy points. The set went with serve after that, forcing a tie-breaker.</p><p>Bopanna and Mergea sprinted to a 4-1 lead but lost four points in a row to trail 4-5. They saved a set point but Zimonjic and Matkowski succeeded in taking the match to a Super Tie Breaker.</p><p>The Match tie breaker turned to be a tense affair even as Bopanna and Mergea had opened up a comfortable 6-1 lead.</p><p>However soon the score was 8-8. Bopanna and the Romanian saved a match point at 8-9 and reeled off the next three points to close the contest in their favour.</p>

Rohan Bopanna-Florin Mergea pair lift Madrid Open doubles trophy

Indian tennis ace Rohan Bopanna won his third title of the 2015 season and first with new partner Florin Mergea as they lifted the Madrid Op...

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IPL 8: SRH edge past DD to remain in hunt for playoff spot

<p>Moises Henriques' gritty fifty and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar's crafty bowling helped Sunrisers Hyderabad stay in the hunt for the playoffs as they beat Delhi Daredevils by 6 runs in a hard-fought IPL 8 match at Raipur on Saturday.</p><p><img alt="SRH" src="http://static.dnaindia.com/sites/default/files/2015/05/10/335004-sunrisers-hyderabad.jpg" /></p><p>SRH jumped to the fourth spot with their sixth win in 11 games, while seventh-placed DD suffered their eight loss in 12 matches to end their hopes of a final-four spot. Electing to bat at the Shaheed Veer Narayan International Stadium - DD's second home, SRH rode on an unbeaten 74 from Man-of-the-match Henriques to post 163 for four in 20 overs.</p><p>The David Warner-led side then defended its target after restricting DD to 157 for four as Kedar Jadhav (63 not out) and Saurabh Tiwary (26 not out) stood disappointed with a 91-run unbeaten stand. Bhuvneshwar (1-20) struck early as the medium-pacer got Shreyas Iyer caught and bowled for a naught in the third over of the innings.</p><p>IPL 8: DD v/s SRH - SRH win by 6 runs</p><p>Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock (50) then stitched a 47-run partnership with skipper Jean-Paul Duminy (12) to give the side some stability. But in came leg-spinner Karn Sharma (2-12) and he got dangerman De Kock stumped on a delivery that tossed and turned to draw the South African out of his crease. Off-spinner Parvez Rasool (1-20) got Yuvraj Singh (2) caught at long on in the very next over and Karn was the catcher.</p><p>The Meerut-born Karn continued to make his presence felt as he cleaned up Duminy in his very next over as DD kept losing control. Jadhav and Tiwary again raised hopes of a successful chase with a good-looking fifth wicket stand but just ran out of steam in the end.</p><p>Needing 22 of the final two overs, Bhuvneshwar bowled a near-perfect penultimate over to give away just 6 runs. Ishant Sharma then did the job as held his nerve to close out the match for SRH.</p>

IPL 8: SRH edge past DD to remain in hunt for playoff spot

Moises Henriques' gritty fifty and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar's crafty bowling helped Sunrisers Hyderabad stay in the hunt for the playoffs ...

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