Sports
Most of our auction purse went into putting together first eleven, reveals Royals coach Sangakkara
Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara has credited the team’s performance this season to the painstaking effort put in by his support team during the IPL mega auction earlier this year, saying 90-95 per cent of the purse was spent on putting together the first eleven.
The Sri Lankan legend added that the entire focus was on “experience”, given the high-pressure IPL environment, and added that while the side had a “spattering of youngsters”, they were being groomed to become future stars.
Sankakkara also said that it was very difficult to overcome the big loss to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at the Eden Gardens and credited the boys for staging a fine comeback to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore in Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday night.
RR defeated RCB by seven wickets with 11 deliveries to spare as the Sanju Samson-led side overhauled the modest target of 157 in 18.1 overs. England’s charismatic batter Jos Buttler hit a stroke-filled unbeaten 106, while Prasidh Krishna and Obed McCoy grabbed three wickets each to lead the Royals into the final for only the second time in the history of the tournament.
“Very satisfying (win). All the planning, all the hard work. Really tough with the close defeat to Gujarat Titans but the guys got back up and came back strongly. Jos Buttler backs his strengths and manoeuvres the bowling to bowl more and more to his strengths. The great thing is he can accelerate anytime. Overall he is a wonderful guy who thinks deeply about his game and himself. The entire bowling unit was outstanding.
“Special mention to Prasidh (Krishna). We had 16 to defend in the last game. Then Trent Boult. And Obed McCoy, his mother has been quite ill back home, but he has been able to put that aside. She is recovering well. And Ashwin and Yuzi (Chahal) have run the show. At the auction table,” said Sangakkara.
Sangakkara also revealed how, before the auction, his team compiled date on players in order to help build a winning unit.
“We spent 90-95 per cent of our purse on putting together our first XI. We worked hard on data to work on the players we wanted. We put emphasis on experience at the moment. We have a spattering of youngsters who will become stars later, but our first XI has a strong share of seasoned internationals. Full credit to Giles Lindsay, our analyst, Zubin Barucha and the rest of the staff. Wins don’t just happen. It takes a lot of planning, hard work, execution on the field,” added the Sri Lankan.
National
Market volatility over Greenland issue to continue due to ‘few sticking points’: Report

New Delhi, Jan 24 : Investors are likely to remain on edge over the proposed US framework on Greenland, and near-term volatility related to this issue can continue, a report has said.
The report from Bank of Baroda said that market participants are awaiting more details that could determine whether negotiations succeed or unravel.
“Going ahead, investors are likely to await more details of the deal, as there are a few sticking points which can derail the negotiations. Hence, some volatility can be expected,” the report said.
Several analysts expect the arrangement to resemble an update of the existing security agreement between the US and Denmark, which was signed in 1951, the report noted.
Further negotiations will follow in due course which will cover areas such as US military presence in Greenland, as well as use of its mineral resources and sovereignty, said Aditi Gupta, Economist, Bank of Baroda.
US President Donald Trump has framed Washington’s interest in Greenland as driven by national security concerns, but the island’s largely unexplored mineral wealth including oil, gas and rare earth elements is of interest to US, the report said.
“The announcement of a framework deal between the US and NATO has helped to soothe investors’ nerves, however the details of the deal are still fuzzy,” it added.
Geo-political tensions escalated and markets went into turmoil after the US President intensified rhetoric to annex Greenland and threatened economic measures against European countries that oppose US plans. In response, several European nations, including France, Germany, Sweden amongst others increased military deployment in Greenland, further escalating tensions.
Trump had announced a 10 per cent additional tariff on goods from the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Netherlands and Finland from February 1, 2026. The rate was expected to increase to 25 per cent by June 1, 2026.
Later, he backed off from his threat of imposing tariffs on European countries along the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.
Sports
‘Journey of going against assumptions, opinions and perceptions continues’: Bumrah on completing 10 years in int’l cricket

New Delhi, Jan 23: India’s fast bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah marked a decade in international cricket on Friday and reflected by saying it’s a continuation of ‘going against assumptions, opinions and perceptions’.
Bumrah made his debut in international cricket in the ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 2016 and returned with figures of 2-40. He was the highest wicket-taker in the T20I leg of the tour, where India won the series 3-0.
Since then, Bumrah has become one of the world’s greatest fast bowlers across formats. “10 years of living the dream of the child who fell in love with the sport that made him feel alive like nothing in this world ever could. The journey of going against assumptions, opinions and perceptions and keeping the belief alive continues, with the love and support of family and God. Waheguruji da shukr eda he baba ji mehraan bhariyaan hath rakheen. Satnam Waheguru,” Bumrah posted on his Instagram on Friday.
So far, Bumrah has picked 234 Test wickets in 52 matches at an average of 19.79. In 89 ODIs, he has claimed 149 wickets at an average of 23.55, while in 83 T20I, he has taken 103 wickets at an average of 18.17.
Bumrah’s best Test innings figures are 9-86, and he has 16 five-wicket hauls in Tests, while picking two five-fors in ODIs. He also became the first Indian fast bowler to reach the number one spot in the ICC Test bowling rankings.
Bumrah is also the recipient of the ICC Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, awarded to the Men’s Cricketer of the Year, for his exceptional performances in 2024. He also won the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year in 2024 for picking 71 wickets in 13 matches. Bumrah also won the Player of the Tournament award in India for winning the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup for picking 15 wickets at an average of 8.26.
Sports
Kohli is tied to the job of scoring runs, not to an image: Gavaskar

Indore, Jan 19: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes Virat Kohli’s greatest strength lies in his ability to remain unshackled by expectations and play purely according to the situation after the talismanic batter scored a century in the third ODI against New Zealand.
While Virat Kohli scored his 54th ODI hundred, continuing his rich vein of form, India fell short against New Zealand, who were powered by centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips.
“The thing about Virat is that he’s not tied down to an image. Many players feel pressured to play the way people expect them to. Virat isn’t like that. He’s tied to the job at hand, and that job is to score runs.” Gavaskar told Jio Star
“Sometimes he starts watchfully and then opens up; sometimes he attacks early and then spreads the field. He’s not governed by expectations of how he should play. He plays according to the situation. That temperament is the key,” Gavaskar said.
Gavaskar also shed light on the Men in Blue’s loss. He felt India’s problems began with a poor start throughout the series. “Once New Zealand crossed 300, it was always going to be difficult. If the target had been around 290, it might have been possible. But India kept losing early wickets, including KL Rahul, who was in good form.
“Unless Virat got substantial support, it was always going to be tough, and he got very little of it. As they say, well begun is half done. India never began well, and that’s one of the main reasons they couldn’t chase these scores,” he added.
Praising allrounder Harshit Rana for his late contribution, Gavaskar said the youngster showed clarity in his role. “He batted exactly like a lower-order batter should, without worry and without expectations. He knew his job was to swing the bat. If it came off, great. If not, no worries,” he said.
He also highlighted the learning opportunity for young players batting alongside a legend like Kohli. “To bat with someone like Virat Kohli is a privilege. When such players talk to you at the end of an over and say, ‘keep going’ or ‘good shot’, those are memories you carry for life,” Gavaskar said.
Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull lauded the visitors for their composure and depth, calling the series win a reflection of New Zealand’s strong development system.
“This is a special performance. Players like Jayden Lennox and Kristian Clarke came in on their first tour and stood tall in tough conditions. It shows how strong New Zealand’s pathway system is. To lose seven ODI series in a row in India shows how hard it is to win here. These players have managed to do what no one else has. It’s a brilliant achievement,” he added.
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