Rasmus Hojlund of Manchester United had a touching moment with a little fan after the Red Devils’ 2-0 FA Cup victory against Wigan Athletic on January 8. The Danish international was unable to add to Diogo Dalot’s (22′) and Bruno Fernandes’ (74′) goals. However, he came close, even hitting the crossbar with a close-range header in the first half of this third-round clash. Manchester United players came over to thank the traveling fans after the game. At this time, Hojlund saw a young admirer holding a Denmark-themed banner and begging for the 20-year-old’s shirt. The former Atalanta striker brightened the…
Author: Kapil Kumawat
Following the conclusion of his leadership tenure, Babar Azam will take on a new position in the T20I setup, reporting to Shaheen Afridi. In the shortest format, the ace batsman will allegedly bat at No.3, with youngster Saim Ayub slated to partner Mohammad Rizwan at the top of the order in the next series against New Zealand away from home. Although the run-scoring partnership of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan proved profitable, there was significant criticism of the pair’s approach in the critical overs of the game, which piled pressure on an already frail middle order. According to sources in…
Australia’s chair of selectors, George Bailey, has dismissed speculation that Cameron Bancroft’s exclusion from the Test team was related to the 2018 ball-tampering controversy. Bancroft was the leading Sheffield Shield hitter last season and is again at the top of the run-scoring rankings this summer. But he was unable to get a spot against the West Indies when David Warner retired, with Steven Smith elevated to open and Matt Renshaw appointed the spare batter. Bancroft has played two Tests against England since his ban, but the statement he made in an interview in 2021. How the fast bowlers could have…
Aakash Chopra has questioned the Delhi Capitals’ (DC) decision to release Rovman Powell and sign Shai Hope in the IPL 2024 auction. Powell was one of 11 Capitals players dismissed before the auction. In the auction, the Delhi-based club bought nine players, including Hope, to form a full-strength 25-man roster. Chopra expressed his confusion at the Delhi Capitals’ choice to let Powell go and instead sign Hope in a video posted to his YouTube channel. They’ve made some fascinating modifications. They let Rovman Powell go but took Shai Hope. What are the authorities in Delhi thinking? Shai Hope strikes me…
Alyssa Healy, the Australian captain, stated that she had “no animosity” against her Indian colleague Harmanpreet Kaur. Harmanpreet Kaur also stated that she is eager to take send-offs from Indian players since she isn’t silent on the pitch. Healy’s comments came after Australia won the ODI series 2-1 on Tuesday. They lost the one-off Test but won the T20I series 3-0. Throughout the tour, Harmanpreet Kaur cut a furious figure on the pitch, with subtly heated exchanges between the two leaders frequent, especially when the Indian bowled to the Aussie. https://twitter.com/The_kafir_boy_2/status/1738548170416877782?s=20 Harmanpreet Kaur gave the latter an angry send-off after…
Saba Karim cites India’s improved seam-bowling pool as one of the team’s takeaways from the home series against England and Australia. In the recently finished T20I series against Australia, India featured four seamers in their playing XI: Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Titas Sadhu, and Amanjot Kaur. While Sadhu and Singh performed admirably in parts, Vastrakar was a standout with both bat and ball throughout the home season. During a Sports 18 discussion, Karim was asked about the benefits of India’s home season. He said, “We’re seeing a lot of good cricketers.” I also believe the pool of fast bowlers is…
Steve Smith of Australia has been confirmed to open the batting in the first Test of the forthcoming two-match series against the West Indies. Smith indicated his desire to ascend to the top of the order following the retirement of David Warner. Finally, George Bailey, the chairman of selectors, affirmed the same when he picked the 13-man squad for the inaugural West Indies Test. The only change from the lineup that just thrashed Pakistan 3-0 is Matt Renshaw replacing David Warner. With Smith beginning the batting, all-rounder Cameron Green will move into the middle order. Smith’s departure comes at the…
George Bailey, Australia’s head selector, has announced that Steve Smith would open the batting in the first Test against the West Indies in Adelaide. The elevation of the customary No. 4 hitter resolves the huge problem for the Australians in their quest to replace David Warner, who just resigned from Tests. Smith will bat first alongside Usman Khawaja, with all-rounder Cameron Green batting at No. 4. With a tongue in cheek when questioned if it was an experiment, Bailey said, “Everything is an experiment.” That has been discussed with Steve Smith, and I believe he wants this to be a…
Veteran Australian opener David Warner has revealed plans to publish a book shortly, implying jokingly that it will be up to 2000 pages long. The swashbuckling left-handed hitter also indicated that his novel would be full of exciting twists and turns, which raised eyebrows. While David Warner has probably been one of Australia’s most prolific match-winners since his debut in 2009, He has also been a divisive character and is noted for his bravado on the pitch. The New South Welshman has been entangled in several issues, none more so than the ball-tampering scandal at Newlands in Cape Town. The…
Boris Becker, Holger Rune’s coach, has praised the youngster’s solid start to the new season. In the 2024 Brisbane International final, the Dane came up just short against Grigor Dimitrov. Rune has been dealing with a back issue on the main tour for the past three months. Despite working hard to improve his fitness, he was eliminated early from the Paris Masters and the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin. Boris Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion, became Rune’s full-time coach in October. He praised the Dane’s performance in Brisbane and wished Dimitrov a great week of tennis. @holgerrune2003 had a…
According to sources, covering Daria Kasatkina’s sexuality and connection with figure skater Natalia Zabiiako is frowned upon in Russia. Daria Kasatkina, ranked 15th in the WTA rankings, announced her homosexuality in June 2022. She then disclosed that she had started dating figure skater Natalia Zabiiako about the same period. Kasatkina and her girlfriend’s relationship has only grown since then. Despite the continual condemnation that the LGBT population endures in Russia, Zabiiako has been observed in the 26-year-old’s players’ box at events regularly. In light of this, a famous Russian journalist recently spoke to an Italian tabloid about Daria Kasatkina’s reception…
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell says Cameron Bancroft’s prospective comeback to the Test team should not be influenced by any ill blood between him and the bowlers. With David Warner’s retirement, Bancroft appears to be the favorite for his successor in the two-Test series against the West Indies. Despite outrunning his contenders for the position with his domestic accomplishments, the 31-year-old’s participation in the 2018 ball-tampering incident may jeopardize his selection. Bancroft’s connection with the Australian bowlers has also made headlines this week. The Western Australian batter claimed that the bowlers were aware of the changed ball condition, to which…
The 18th match of the Women’s Super Smash 2023-24 took place at Hagley Oval in Christchurch between Canterbury Magicians and Northern Brave. The game ended in a dramatic draw on the last pitch of the innings. Following the result, which earned them two points, the Magicians moved up a position on the points table. They are third in the standings with 12 points after winning two of their seven games. They now have the greatest NRR of the six teams at +0.73. Otago Sparks dropped to fourth place with three victories and three defeats, while Auckland Hearts remained in fifth…
Suryakumar Yadav of Team India and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan recently interacted on Instagram in a pleasant exchange. Rashid, who is presently on the sidelines recovering from minor lower-back surgery, shared a video of his net session with supporters. In the post’s caption, he wrote: Suryakumar responded to the post, saying he’ll miss Rashid Khan. The Afghan cricketer answered by claiming he was on his way to see Suryakumar. Later this month, India will welcome Afghanistan for a three-match Twenty20 International series. Suryakumar Kumar will miss the series owing to an injury sustained during the South Africa series. Rashid Khan,…
Monty Panesar, England’s left-arm spinner, dubbed Rohit Sharma the “Don Bradman of turning wickets” ahead of the five-match Test series between India and England. Panesar was the cornerstone for England’s previous series triumph in India in 2012-13, taking 17 wickets in five innings. Meanwhile, Rohit was the standout performer in the preceding home Test series against England in 2021. Even though he was playing on wickets that twisted fiercely from the first delivery, the 36-year-old displayed remarkable skill against the shifting ball. Panesar told the Hindustan Times that England must find a method to eliminate Rohit cheaply to win the…