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4th Khelo India Youth Games launched in Panchkula

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The countdown for the 4th Khelo India Youth Games began on a high note, with the unveiling of its logo, mascot, jersey and anthem at a spectacular launch ceremony in Panchkula on Saturday.

Attended by a power-packed audience, led by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal and Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur, the captivating show set the stage for the biggest and grandest Games ever.

“We are proud and honoured to host this edition of the Khelo Games. We can’t wait to welcome the country’s youngest sporting talent to our beloved state,” Manohar Lal said.

The chief minister pointed out Haryana’s proud tradition of sending the maximum number of athletes to represent India in international competitions. “More importantly, we have won one-third of the medals won by India in the Olympics and other major world events,” he added.

The KIYG will begin on June 4. Over 8,000 students from across the country will compete in 25 disciplines, including five traditional games — Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta, Mallakhamba and Yogasana — that will feature as demonstration sports.

Tau Devi Lal Stadium in picturesque Panchkula will be the hub of all action while Chandigarh, Ambala, Shahbad and Delhi will host some of the competitions.

“In the recent past, our athletes have been doing very well on the world stage. It’s heartening that several youngsters who represent the country internationally are emerging from the Khelo Youth and University Games,” Anurag Thakur said. “PM Modi ji’s vision of Young India will surely see India finishing in the Top 10 of the Olympic Games in the not too distant future,” he added.

Among the several dignitaries present at the Launch Ceremony were Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Gianchand Gupta, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Sandeep Singh, a hockey legend himself.

The KIYG logo sports the now popular line-drawing of a running athlete in saffron and green colours. It also has a few other elements that signify the essence and glory of the state of Haryana. It includes two iconic images from the Mahabharata, the bow wielded by Arjuna and the chariot commandeered by Lord Krisha, and five sports that Haryana has dominated over the years.

The mascot, named Dhaakad, is the bull that is not only revered in these parts of the country but is also believed to be the secret behind the superhuman strength of Haryana’s sons and daughters.

The Games anthem, penned and performed by rap star Raftaar, proved to be an instant hit, with the gathering unable to stop tapping its feet or clapping to the glorious beat. The song cleverly glorifies almost every sports star of the state, including hockey legend Sandeep Singh, India’s first Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra, wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya, Kapil Dev and Sakshi Malik.

For the first time, the government has envisaged a KIYG torch relay which will be carried to every corner of Haryana to promote the Games and encourage every kid to take up sports.

Haryana is all geared up for the Games, having built several world-class multipurpose sports venues, synthetic tracks and artificial turfs. Among the new infrastructure are a Badminton Hall in Government Women’s College, Panchkula. State-of-the-art hockey stadiums are also ready in Panchkula and Shahbad while an all-weather swimming pool has come up in Ambala.

The Games are being organised jointly by the State Government, Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

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IPL 2025: Virat Kohli joins RCB squad after lifting Champions Trophy title

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New Delhi, March 15: Star batter and former captain Virat Kohli joined the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad on Saturday ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.

In a video shared by the franchise on social media, Kohli can be seen posing in an RCB jersey with the caption reading, “The King is here and like always, he’s 2 steps (sometimes a LOT more) ahead of everyone.”

Kohli was in sublime touch during India’s title-winning campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai last week. Rohit Sharma-led side defeated New Zealand in the final to claim their third tournament title.

The 36-year-old amassed 218 runs from five matches at an average of 54.50. He scored a match-winning unbeaten century against arch-rivals Pakistan before scoring a crucial 84 against Australia in the semi-final.

For the IPL 2025 season, RCB have appointed Rajat Patidar as their skipper after revamping their squad in last year’s mega auction.

“Rajat, firstly, I want to congratulate you and wish you all the very best. The way you have grown in the franchise and the way you have performed, you have really made a place in the hearts of all the fans of RCB, all over India,” Kohli had said on Patidar’s appointment.

“They get excited to watch you play. So, this is very well deserved. Myself and the other team members will be right behind you, and you’ll have all our support.”

Patidar takes over from Faf du Plessis, who led RCB for the last few seasons but was not retained ahead of the 2025 auction. The 31-year-old batter’s rise in RCB’s ranks has been nothing short of remarkable.

After his breakthrough performance in the 2022 season – where he smashed a scintillating century in the playoffs – Patidar has evolved into a key figure for the franchise.

Kohli, who captained RCB for nearly a decade before stepping down in 2021, acknowledged the weight of responsibility that comes with the role but expressed confidence in Patidar’s leadership. Although this will be Patidar’s first time leading a team in the IPL, he has already captained Madhya Pradesh during the 2024-25 season in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (where they finished as runners-up) and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. These tournaments marked his first full-time leadership role in domestic cricket.

Meanwhile, Kohli has been associated with RCB since the inception of IPL in 2008. He has also led the franchise in 140 matches before leaving the leadership role. In 252 matches, the batting stalwart has amassed 8,004 runs, including eight centuries and 55 fifties at an impressive average of 38.67.

The 36-year-old is the leading run-scorer in the IPL, way ahead of Shikhar Dhawan’s tally of 6,769 runs – the second player on the list. Despite having such a decorated IPL career, Kohli has never won a title in the 17 editions of the tournament so far. RCB finished as runners-up on three occasions in 2009, 2011 and 2016.

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Nitish Reddy cleared for IPL 2025, set to join SRH camp

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New Delhi, March 15: Nitish Kumar Reddy has been given the green light by the BCCI’s medical team at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to take part in IPL 2025. He will be available for Sunrisers Hyderabad’s opening match on March 23, when they host Rajasthan Royals. Nitish is expected to join the SRH pre-season camp, which begins on Sunday.

The final step in his recovery was a yo-yo test on Saturday morning, where he recorded a score of 18 – comfortably surpassing the qualifying mark of 16.5, ESPNcricinfo reported. This milestone confirmed his readiness after undergoing the standard rehabilitation process for a side strain he sustained during last month’s T20I series against England.

On Friday, Nitish played in a practice match and bowled at full intensity without any discomfort. The BCCI’s medical panel took a cautious approach with his recovery, extending his rehab by two weeks beyond the initial three-week estimate. He remains a key part of India’s Test plans, with a tour of England scheduled shortly after the IPL concludes in late May.

SRH had retained five players ahead of last year’s mega auction, with Nitish among them. He enjoyed a breakthrough IPL 2024 season, scoring 303 runs at a strike rate of 142.92. His bowling, however, was less effective, managing just three wickets while conceding runs at an economy of 11.62.

Following his IPL success, Nitish made his international debut in the T20I series against Bangladesh at home. His reputation soared further when he played all five Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, highlighted by a maiden Test century in Melbourne.

After returning from the tour, Nitish had expressed interest in training with former India bowling coach Bharat Arun in Chennai. However, the plan did not materialise due to his side strain setback. Now fully fit, he is set to return to action and make an impact for SRH in IPL 2025.

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WPL 2025: Final between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, DC eyes first title

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Mumbai, March 15: The women’s cricket teams of Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians will face each other for the title clash on Saturday in the Women’s Premier League 2025. This match will be played at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. While the Delhi Capitals team made it to the final by topping the points table, Mumbai Indians defeated Gujarat Giants in the eliminator match.

The Delhi Capitals team would like to win any kind of title for the first time. This team has reached the final for the third consecutive time, but they have not yet won the trophy. At the same time, Mumbai Indians also seem to be in their form for the last phase of WPL 2025. They have also got good match practice before the final. In contrast, Delhi finished their group matches in Lucknow, celebrated a holiday, and have practiced only three times before the final.

These two teams have faced each other in the final of the first season of the Women’s Premier League. Mumbai Indians had won the match then. However, Delhi’s performance against Mumbai has been strong this season.

Talking about the pitch, there is a possibility of batting getting help here and slow bowlers will also benefit here. There is hope here, despite this, all the three matches played here in the current season have been won by the team batting first. Usually teams like to run-chase here, but the results of the last few matches have worked to change this perception. Therefore, it will be interesting to see what decision the captain takes after the toss in the final.

Delhi Capitals Women’s Team: Meg Lanning (Captain), Shafali Verma, Jess Jonassen, Jemimah Rodrigues, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Sarah Bryce (Wicketkeeper), Niki Prasad, Minnu Mani, Shikha Pandey, Titas Sadhu, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Alice Capsey, Tania Bhatia, Sneha Deepti, Nandini Kashyap, Nallapureddy Charani

Mumbai Indians Women’s Team: Yastika Bhatia (Wicketkeeper), Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Sajeevan Sajna, Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, G Kamalini, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Saiqa Ishak, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Jintimani Kalita, Parunika Sisodiya, Amandeep Kaur, Akshita Maheshwari

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