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Samson’s frank response to the no-ball that cost RR victory over SRH: ‘Can’t step the line at that point’

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Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson expressed his disappointment over the no-ball that resulted in his team’s loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Samson acknowledged that in T20 cricket, it is crucial to avoid stepping over the line at critical moments.

Can’t be complacent

In the final over, Sandeep Sharma was defending 17 runs and seemed to have dismissed Abdul Samad on the last ball, prompting him to celebrate by looking up at the sky. However, to Sharma’s dismay, the ball was declared a no-ball. Samad took advantage of this error and hit a six over Sharma’s head, leading to a thrilling four-wicket victory for the Sunrisers. The match ended in a dramatic fashion.

“This is what IPL gives you, matches like these makes the IPL special. You can never feel like you have won the game. I knew any opponent can win it and they were batting well too, but I was confident with Sandeep (defending the final over).

“He has won us a game from a similar situation (against CSK). He did it again today but that no-ball ruined our result,” Samson said at the post-match presentation.

Matter of moments

When asked about his reaction to the last ball being called a no-ball, Samson calmly replied, “There isn’t much to feel about it. It’s just a no-ball, and we need to bowl it again. It’s as simple as that, and I don’t dwell on it too much.”

“Sandeep knows what to do. Maybe there might be a small change in mindset for a few seconds when you feel that the job is done, everyone was celebrating but I think that’s the nature of this game, you can’t step the line at that point of time.” It was RR’s fourth loss in last five matches.

When asked about his outlook for the rest of the tournament, he replied, “Playing this format is never easy, especially in this tournament. Every game demands our best performance. We will return and attempt to replicate our efforts.”

Staying calm and understanding strengths

Meanwhile, after Sunrisers Hyderabad successfully achieved the highest chase ever at that venue, their captain Aiden Markram was pleased with their performance.

“Emotions turned quite quickly, nice for us to get over the line. Chasing 215 isn’t easy, and guys contributed all along to chase a big target. We knew in a quick outfield like this we’ll score more than expected, but we had to be aggressive,” he said. “Abhishek started up off, and then Tripathi gave him company. Then those cameos from Phillips and Klaasy. (On Samad’s finishing skills) I think you got to train it, and put yourself under pressure. You are playing high risk cricket, so that’s where technique comes in.” Glenn Phillips was adjudged the Player of the Match for his 25 off 7 balls which included three successive sixes.

“It was a situation where it was going to go one of two ways. Happy to go out on top of this one. We are all here to do our job, this is what the team needed today. Fantastic for it to pay off,” he said.

“I felt I left a lot out there with 17 needed off the final over, but then Samad did what he did and obviously we got that little bit of luck with the no ball.”

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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.

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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.

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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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