National
IPL 2021: Kohli credits bowlers for comeback win against Rajasthan
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Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli praised his bowlers for their fine comeback to restrict Rajasthan Royals, after their good start, to a manageable total as they coasted to a seven-wicket win in IPL 2021.
All-rounder Glenn Maxwell starred for Bangalore on Wednesday’s win. He stitched an important stand with KS Bharat after Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal were dismissed. Bharat got out to Mustafizur Rahman for 44 but Maxwell smashed Chris Morris an unbeated 50 to seal victory.
But things would have looked difficult for RCB if their bowlers had not managed to stop the Rajasthan Royals batters. Evin Lewis and Yashasvi Jaiswal had raised 56 runs without a loss for RR in the Powerplay and were looking increasingly dangerous. Though Jaiswal got out with the team’s score of 77, Rajasthan were still in a strong position with 100 on the board in 11 overs. But the RCB bowlers came back strongly, allowing their opponents to score only 49 runs in the remaining nine overs, claiming eight wickets in the process.
Medium-pacer Harshal Patel was the star performer taking three wickets for 34 runs but it was the performance by spinners that would have pleased Kohli more. Yuzvendra Chahal took 2/18 while left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed claimed 2/10 off two overs.
In their previous match, RCB had restricted Mumbai Indians from 56/0 in the Powerplay to 111 all out in 18.1 overs.
“We have come back strongly in two games back-to-back with the ball. Which is a great sign. We know if you can hold your nerve with the ball you’re going in the right direction. In both games, the opponents were 56/0 in the powerplay, but in both games, we took wickets to ensure the opposition does not get away,” Kohli said after the match.
“We knew that with the kind of bowling attack we have, things can open up when we take wickets. As batters you can’t take too many risks when you’re searching for two points too, so we went to look for mistakes from their batters. Lewis hit a few sixes and it was courageous from Garton and the others. We’ve got the rewards because we’ve been fearless and confident in the moments that the game can go either way,” said Kohli.
He said that the Red Army is “slowly but surely getting in groove” in the UAE leg of IPL 2021. The win now strengthens Bangalore’s chances of making the IPL 2021 playoffs.
Kohli said a couple of things clicked for his team on Wednesday night and middle-overs bowling was one of them.
“Couple of important things are clicking: middle-overs bowling is one. If you take wickets you can change the game. And batting also, we’ve got a few good opening starts. Devdutt and I have focused on giving the team a good start so that the middle-order with AB, Bharat, and Maxwell can make more. Boys have stepped up, so that’s been key for us.”
The RCB, who had a good first-half of IPL 2021, took time to get going in the UAE leg. “The break was tough as you saw initially. We were blown away in Game 1. That defeat gave us confidence though. In the second game, we were not quite there either, left 25-30 out there with the bat. But last two games we are going in the right direction. Slowly but surely we are getting in the groove,” Kohli added.
National
Ex-Mumbai captain Milind Rege passes away; players wear black armbands in Ranji Trophy match
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New Delhi, Feb 19: Former Mumbai captain Milind Rege passed away on Wednesday in Mumbai due to cardiac arrest. He was 76. He is survived by his wife Raj and two sons.
The Mumbai Cricket Association took to X to share the condolence message: “Deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Milind Rege. A stalwart of Mumbai cricket, he served with dedication as Captain, Chairman of the Senior Selection Committee, Managing Committee Member, and Advisor. His legacy will forever be remembered. Heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.”
The stalwart of Mumbai cricket, Rege was part of five consecutive Ranji Trophy title-winning seasons. An off-spinning all-rounder claimed 126 wickets in 52 first-class matches between 1966-67 and 1977-78. He also amassed 1532 runs, averaging 23.56 in those games.
Following his playing career, Rege remained closely involved with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), holding various roles including selector and chief selector at different times. In 2020, he was appointed as an advisor to the MCA.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of Milind Rege Sir. A true stalwart of Mumbai cricket, his invaluable contributions as a player, selector, and mentor shaped generations of cricketers. His unwavering support and guidance will always be remembered, and his legacy will continue to inspire. He always stood by me, and I will forever be grateful. Heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. May his soul rest in peace,” said MCA chief Ajinkya Naik.
Both the Mumbai and Vidarbha teams in the ongoing Ranji Trophy semi-final in Nagpur observed a minute’s silence before the start of the third day’s play in Rege’s memory. The Mumbai players also wore black arm bands.
Former India cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri also condoled the demise of his friend. “Really sad to hear about the demise of a dear friend Milind Rege. A true champion in his contribution to Mumbai and Tata’s cricket all-round. A Mentor Par Excellence. Heartfelt condolences to Raj and family. God bless his soul,” he shared on X.
National
Air India Super League 2025: Travel High Titans Clinch Title In First-Ever Pan-India Cricket Tournament
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Travel High Titans won the first edition of Air India Super League 2025, Air India’s first-ever pan-India cricket tournament. The Air India Super League 2025 brought together over 500 participants from 48 leading travel partners spanning Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai strengthening its ties with the industry.
Designed as both a competitive sporting event and a dynamic networking platform, the Air India Super League 2025 aimed to foster camaraderie between Air India and its valued travel partners, including travel management companies and online travel agents.
During the tournament, teams from various cities competed in regional Round Robin matches, with winners advancing to the National Finale in New Delhi. Air India flew down qualifying teams to the capital for the grand finale, held on Sunday at Chanakyapuri in New Delhi. Team Travel High Titans won the first Air India Super League 2025 trophy by 62 runs, beating Tripjack Warriors in a thrilling final match.
The Round Robin Winner trophy was awarded to the top team from each of the four cities, while finalists competed for the ultimate championship title. Participants and winners were also recognized in multiple categories, including ‘Man of the Match’, ‘Best Fielder’, ‘Most Catches in Air India Super League 2025’, ‘Player of Air India Super League 2025’, among others.
“With the Air India Super League 2025, Air India aims to create engaging and memorable experiences for its travel partners while also offering them a platform for networking,” said an official from Air India.
National
Gukesh, Manu, Harmanpreet, Praveen picked for Khel Ratna Award
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New Delhi, Jan 2: World Chess champion Gukesh D and Paris Olympics and Paralympics medallists – Manu Bhaker (shooting), Harmanpreet Singh (hockey) and Praveen Kumar (para-athlete) are to be conferred with Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2024 by President of India Droupadi Murmu at a specially organised function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 17, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced on Thursday.
Gukesh recently became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion after outclassing China’s Ding Liren in the title battle in Singapore.
Manu became the first Indian athlete to win twin medals in a single edition of the Games in Paris, following a double bronze in the 10 m air pistol and 10 m air pistol mixed team event.
On the other hand, Harmanpreet led India to their second successive bronze medal in men’s hockey while Praveen bagged gold in the high jump T64 in the Paralympics.
Apart from the Khel Ratna, the Sports Ministry also named a 32-athlete list for the Arjuna Awards for outstanding performance in Sports and Games 2024. The list includes Jyothi Yarraji, Annu Rani, Nitu, Saweety, Vantika Agrawal, Salima Tete, Abhishek, Sanjay, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Rakesh Kumar, Preeti Pal, Jeevanji Deepthi, Ajeet Singh, Sachin Sarjerao Khilari, Dharambir, Pranav Soorma, H Hokato Sema, Simran, Navdeep, Nitesh Kumar, Thulasimathi Murugesan, Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan, Manisha Ramadass, Kapil Parmar, Mona Agarwal, Rubina Francis, Swapnil Suresh Kusale, Sarabjot Singh, Abhay Singh, Sajan Prakash and Aman.
Former cyclist Sucha Singh and former para-swimmer Murlikant Rajaram Petkar were awarded Arjuna Awards (Lifetime) for outstanding performance in Sports and Games.
Subhash Rana (para-shooter), Deepali Deshpande (shooting) and Sandeep Sangwan (hockey) were named Dronacharya Award 2024 recipients.
S Muralidharan (badminton) and Armando Agnelo Colaco (football) were awarded the Dronacharya Award in the lifetime category.
Physical Education Foundation of India was given the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar while Chandigarh University (overall winner), Lovely Professional University (first runner-up) and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (second runner-up) were awarded Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2024.
The overall top-performing university in Khelo India University Games is given the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy.
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