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IPL 2022: How Rohit Sharma boosted team-mate Ramandeep’s confidence

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When Ramandeep Singh was picked up in the IPL 2022 mega auction by Mumbai Indians, he had played only 13 T20 matches for his state Punjab, apart from 10 List A games and one appearance in first-class cricket. But it was his skill-set, a seam bowling all-rounder, which caught the eye of the five-time champions. The real gamechanger for Ramandeep, though, was a talk with captain Rohit Sharma that boosted his confidence, something which he will never forget.

“What he’s spoken to me and explained to me is that the main thing is confidence, which will take you to the next level. And that confidence can’t be given by someone else, I have to bring it within myself. And through my performances, through my hard work, that confidence will get built up over time. I feel the X-factor is confidence, that is what will make the difference,” said Ramandeep in a video on Mumbai’s social media accounts.

Ramandeep made his IPL debut against Royal Challengers Bangalore and was understandably unable to sleep on the eve of the match after being informed of the same. When he walked on the field to bat, his heart was racing but the feeling of enjoying the moment calmed him down.

“MJ (Mahela Jayawardene) told me at the nets that I’ll probably be playing the next match. At night, there was obviously the feeling of, ‘I’m going to play the IPL’. It’s a platform I’ve been seeing since childhood and I’ll get to be there. Obviously, there was no chance of sleep coming. Everyone told me that this moment will not come again, so don’t take the tension of it, just live it and enjoy the moment. And that’s what I tried to do, to enjoy the moment as much as I could.

“My heart was racing before I had to go and bat, in front of such a large crowd. But as soon as I went in, everything calmed down. My focus was just on playing the bowler. There was Virat Kohli at slip, Glenn Maxwell at midwicket, and Dinesh Karthik as the wicketkeeper…but in the middle, I didn’t feel it.

“I was like, ‘I also have a bat in hand, and at the end of the day, the game is one of bat and ball.’ I felt proud of myself that I didn’t get flustered by whoever was standing around me and could tell myself I just have to play. That was a very good feeling.”

Though Ramandeep was left out of the eleven after the match against Bangalore, he never got the feeling of being left in the cold and credits Sharma as well as head coach Mahela Jayawardene for not letting him feel like that.

“The franchise didn’t let me feel down. MJ came to me and said, ‘This is a tactical change, nothing to do with your performance. We don’t judge people on one match here.’ And the main thing was, Rohit paaji used to tell me, ‘We are preparing you for this level and guiding you’.

“So obviously, if a legend like Rohit Sharma is coming and explaining things to you, half of the pressure is released automatically, just like that. Rohit paaji would give me tasks in the nets, that ‘You have to do this today. While bowling, bowl these slower balls and yorkers. Dominate while batting’.”

Ramandeep’s time of reckoning came in Mumbai’s last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, when he picked 3/20 with the ball. But he has set his sights on dishing out all-round performances like the hard-hitting Andre Russell does for Kolkata Knight Riders. “For me it would be Andre Russell (to look up to). The way he’s playing for his team, I want to play for MI. I want to win games for MI like he does. He’s a 100 per cent perfect allrounder in batting and bowling. I want to be that cricketer.”

Apart from stalwarts like Sharma and Jayawardene, Ramandeep also has valuable support from his cousin brother Anmolpreet Singh in the same franchise. “You can’t ask for better than a brother to support you. He was always like, ‘This platform is such that you get to know what’s what only after playing. So even if there is a failure or two, you have to not let your guard down. Don’t worry’.

“I was also telling him the same! Obviously, support between brothers is really important. But MI is such a franchise that it’s really a family. Everyone is coming to you all the time, and everyone is there to support you. I would say everyone are brothers here.”

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Asian Games: ‘Past is past, focus on next match,’ Suruchi/Kamaljeet reveal coach’s message before triumph

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Nagoya (Japan), Sep 25: India’s Suruchi Inder Singh and Kamal jeet revealed how coach Samaresh Jung helped them put the disappointment of missing out on the individual 10m air pistol final behind them as they combined to win the mixed team gold with an Asian record at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Friday.

The Indian duo delivered a stunning performance in the 10m air pistol mixed team final, scoring 484.6 to set a new Asian record and claim gold. South Korea’s Choo Gaeun and Hong Suhyeon won silver with 478.0, while Iran’s Rostamyan Haniyeh and Golkhandan Vahid took bronze with 415.8.

The result came after both Suruchi and Kamaljeet failed to qualify for the individual 10m air pistol final, but Jung urged them to treat it as the past and focus on the opportunity ahead.

“The coach told me before the match that yesterday’s match was already over. What’s the point of thinking about it now? Focus on the next day. It’s not like you only have to win the gold. Everyone is here to play. You just have faith in yourself and follow your technique. You will get the gold,” Kamaljeet replied to an media query during a media interaction.

Suruchi said the coach’s message was simple: dwelling on the past would only affect their next opportunity.

“He said the setback is past. If we think about it, we will ruin our future. That match is over. If we think about it and ruin the next, we won’t get a medal,” Suruchi said.

The duo also rewrote the Asian record on the way to the gold. Suruchi said neither shooter was thinking about the record during the final as they remained focused on their own screens and technique.

“Nothing happens during the match. During the match, we don’t look at the screen. We don’t look at the scoreboard or anything else. We don’t look at anyone else’s screen. We focus on what comes on our screen,” she said in a media interaction.

“There was no such thing as coming behind the record or coming on the record. There was no such thing. After the match, it was on the scoreboard that I scored a new record. So, it was a good thing that I scored a new record,” she added.

Earlier in qualification, the Indian pair had broken the Asian Games Qualification Record with a score of 587 (29 inner 10s), surpassing the previous mark of 577 set by fellow Indians Sarabjot Singh and Divya Subbaraju at Hangzhou 2023. Their qualification score also equalled the Asian record of 587 set by Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker in 2021.

For Kamaljeet, the gold medal was also a tribute to his family, particularly his father, whose support helped him continue shooting through difficult financial circumstances. “His role is the most important in my life. If he didn’t support me, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Kamaljeet said.

“I don’t have a good family situation. I had an accident and had to spend four to five lakh. It was on loan. He didn’t tell me where the money would come from. He supported me and told me to focus on my shooting,” he added. “My family is my biggest support. They supported me. That’s how I got my medal. Otherwise, I would have quit shooting four years ago.”

Suruchi also credited her parents, particularly her father, who served in the army and introduced her to shooting. “My father’s role is very important. He served in the army. Then he started helping with my shooting. My younger brother also shoots. He was always with me. He helped me a lot. He never left me alone. He was always with me. My parents supported me a lot,” Suruchi said.

The families of both shooters were quick to celebrate the achievement after the final. “We talked to them at home first. We had a few interviews after the match. When we got free from there, we talked to them at home first. My family was very happy. They were enjoying it,” Kamaljeet said.

The gold added another major medal to India’s shooting campaign at the Asian Games and gave Suruchi and Kamaljeet a memorable response to their individual disappointment, with their 484.6 score ensuring they returned to the podium in record-breaking fashion.

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UCL matchweek 1 records: Yamal surpasses Mbappe, Bayern touch 900-goal mark

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Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal impressed again as bigwigs kicked off their Champions League 2026-27 campaign with wins.

Yamal scored and provided two assists as Barcelona defeated Feyenoord 5-1 in their UCL opener. Paris Saint-Germain hold the top spot in the 36-team table after matchweek 1 in Europe’s top-flight, while Bayern brushed aside Bodo/Glimt 5-0. Returning to the UCL after a two-year absence, Manchester United handed debutants Sabah a 4-0 drubbing in their opener. Here, take a look at some of the top stats from matchweek 1.

Yamal breaks Mbappe’s record for most goal contributions as a teenager in Champions League history after a goal and two assists. The 19-year-old now has 23 goal contributions in the UCL (12 goals and 11 assists) after contributing to three goals in the UCL opener. Mbappe had 20 contributions as a teenager.

Meanwhile, FC Bayern Munich have become just the second club to register 900 goals in the UCL, becoming just the second team after Real Madrid (1139) to reach the mark. They beat Bodo/Glimt 5-0 to now tally 904 goals in the competition.

Harry Kane’s goal-scoring run continues as the England internarional netted once in the 5-0 win. He has now scored goals in eight consecutive UCL games, making him just the fourth player with eight or more straight games with goals. Only Cristiano Ronaldo (twice), Robert Lewandowski (twice) and Ruud van Nistelrooy have achieved the mark.

Azerbaijan club Sabah made their debut in the Champions League and lost to United 4-0. However, they have set a unique record as they have become the first-ever team to name a starting XI of players of 11 different nationalities in their first game at the UCL.

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde scored in Madrid’s 2-1 win over Inter Milan in their UCL opener. Although Real were not that impressive, Mbappe scored and has now become the joint fifth-highest goal-scorer in UCL history, levelling Raul Gonzalez. He is now behind only Ronaldo (140), Lionel Messi (129), Lewandowski (109) and Karim Benzema (90).

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Pandya included as Padikkal and Gaikwad to captain India A against Australia A

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New Delhi, Sep 9: Left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal and senior opener Ruturaj Gaikwad have been named captains of the India A multi-day and one-day squads, respectively, for the upcoming home series against Australia A, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Wednesday.

Seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has been out of action since IPL 2026 due to injuries to his quad and leg, has been included in the 50-over games, though his selection is subject to fitness. India A will play two four-day matches, followed by a three-match one-day series. All five fixtures will be hosted in Puducherry, beginning on September 22.

Padikkal, who was the player of the series in India’s 1-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka, amassing 328 runs at number three, will lead a 15-member multi-day side featuring prominent domestic performers. Left-handed top-order batter Sai Sudharsan, who missed the Test series against Sri Lanka due to a right toe injury, has been named as his vice-captain.

The squad includes top-order options Aman Mokhade, Ayush Pandey, Yash Rathod, and Shaik Rasheed, alongside wicketkeeping options Kumar Kushagra, who hit a century in the ongoing Duleep Trophy final against South Zone, and N Jagadeesan.

The spin department for the red-ball leg will be led by Mumbai all-rounders Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian, while the fast-bowling unit features Anshul Kamboj, Tushar Deshpande, Praful Hinge, Nachiket Bhute, and Vijaykumar Vyshak, whose inclusion remains subject to fitness clearance.

For the limited-overs series, Gaikwad takes over captaincy, with Padikkal serving as his deputy. The 50-over squad boasts significant international experience, highlighted by the inclusion of Pandya, provided he passes the fitness assessment at the BCCI CoE in Bengaluru.

The one-day batting unit features explosive batters Priyansh Arya, two-time IPL-winning captain and India batter Rajat Patidar, and versatile Punjab batter Naman Dhir, who has set the stage on fire in the ongoing Sher-e-Punjab T20 league.

Prabhsimran Singh joins Kushagra as a wicket-keeping option for the one-day series, while all-round support will be provided by Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Arshin Kulkarni, and Arshad Khan. The pace-bowling attack for the one-day games features Gurjapneet Singh and Yash Thakur, who made his T20I debut on the tour of Zimbabwe in July.

The series gets underway with the first red-ball game, to be held in Puducherry from September 22 to 25, followed by the second match from September 29 to October 2. The action then shifts to the white-ball format, with the three one-day matches scheduled for October 6, October 9, and October 11.

India A Multi-day squad: Devdutt Padikkal (captain), Sai Sudharsan (vice-captain), Aman Mokhade, Ayush Pandey, Yash Rathod, Shaik Rasheed, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Tushar Deshpande, Anshul Kamboj, Praful Hinge, N Jagadeesan (wk), Nachiket Bhute, and Vijaykumar Vyshak (subject to fitness).

India A One-Day squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Devdutt Padikkal (vice-captain), Priyansh Arya, Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Arshin Kulkarni, Arshad Khan, Naman Dhir, Hardik Pandya (subject to fitness), Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Gurjapneet Singh, and Yash Thakur.

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