Delhi Capitals (DC) fast bowler Anrich Nortje smashed the IPL speed records in a fiery opening spell against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday. His fastest delivery was timed 156.2 kmph that shattered an eight-year-old record of Dale Steyn (154.4 kmph).
The South African bowled DC’s third over, which was also his first of the day, and started off with a delivery that clocked 148.2 kmph. It was hit by Jos Buttler for a six. He then bowled two deliveries that were timed 152.3 kmph and 152.1 kmph, after which came his slowest ball of the over at 146.4 kmph.
Nortje, 26, then sent the fifth ball at a scarcely believable 156.2 kmph that shattered the record for the fastest ball of all time in the IPL, held by his illustrious compatriot Steyn. The veteran fast bowler had set the record while playing for Deccan Chargers in 2012. Buttler, however, ramped the delivery fine for a four.
Playing in his first IPL season, Nortje then bowled a 155.4 kmph delivery, which pushed Steyn’s 2012 ball to third on the list of all-time fastest balls in the tournament history. Buttler went for a more orthodox shot down the ground and the ball ended up flashing past him and hit the middle stump.
The opening overs of the RR innings, who were chasing a target of 162, featured an engrossing contest in which openers Ben Stokes and Buttler got their team off to a quick start. Buttler had scored 22 of nine balls while Stokes made 15 off as many when Nortje provided DC the breakthrough.
Nortje then pushed Steyn down to fourth by starting the fifth over with a full delivery that clocked 154.74 kmph.
South African Kagiso Rabada, who was in the XI along with Nortje on Wednesday, had come closest to breaking Steyn’s record in the 2019 season when he sent in a delivery that clocked 154.23 kmph.
Delhi Capitals (DC) on Wednesday beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 13 runs at the Dubai International Stadium and climbed back to the top of the IPL points table, even as the winning team’s fast bowler Anrich Nortje bowled the fastest ball of the tournament history.
Defending a total of 161/7 wickets in 20 overs, DC looked off the pace for much of the second innings but the bowlers led by South African duo Nortje (2/33) and Kagiso Rabada (1/28) stifled the batting side for runs in the ‘death’ overs to take the game away from them.
DC conceded just 26 runs in the last five overs, started off by Ravichandran Ashwin (1/17) conceding just two in the 16th. He finished his four overs with an economy of 4.25. Rabada then bowled the 17th and conceded just eight after which Nortje dismissed Robin Uthappa (32) in the next and conceded just four.
Rabada then conceded three in the 19th over and took the wicket of Jofra Archer (1) after which debutant Tushar Deshpande (2/37) was handed the ball for the last over by Shikhar Dhawan, who captained DC for much of the innings after Shreyas Iyer sustained a shoulder injury during the powerplay.
RR needed 22 to win from the last over and Deshpande gave just four off the first four, which included a brilliant fielding effort from Ajinkya Rahane, to seal the game in DC’s favour.
RR openers Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler got them off to a quick start and their rampage was stopped by the fiery Nortje, who broke the record for the fastest ball in the tournament’s history twice – his fastest delivery was timed 156.2 kmph – and the second of the two deliveries yielded Buttler’s wicket.
Earlier, Dhawan (57) and Shreyas (53) scored half-centuries as DC made 161/7 wickets.
Brief scores: DC 161/7 wkts in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 57, Shreyas Iyer 53; Jofra Archer 3/19) beat RR 148/8 in 20 overs (Ben Stokes 41, Robin Uthappa 32; Anrich Nortje 2/33) by 13 runs
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni was all praise for all rounder Sam Curran after their 20-run win over SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Tuesday at the Dubai International Stadium. Curran was sent out to open the innings with Faf du Plessis and scored 31 off 21 balls.
He later returned with figures of 1/18 in three overs, accounting for the wicket of SRH captain David Warner and thus providing CSK with their first wicket.
“He is a complete cricketer for us. You need a seaming all-rounder. He strikes the ball nicely, he can bat up the order, plays the spinners well,” said Dhoni in the post-match presentation ceremony.
“He can give us those quick 15-40 runs. You can push him up if you need that momentum and he is eager to do it. A good left armer is always good to have in the side. Especially with the new ball, which the batsman is always worried about.”
Curran has been a regular for CSK in the death overs but on Tuesday, they opted to use Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma and Shardul Thakur. “As the tournament progresses we’ll get more comfortable with the death bowling, which is why we kept Sam away from the death and Thakur and Bravo took over. We’ll get better,” he said.
India head coach Ravi Shastri has urged former South Africa captain AB de Villiers to come out of retirement and again play international cricket.
On Monday evening, de Villiers played a scintillating knock of 73 runs for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 match against Kolkata Knight Riders. His 33-ball inning was studded with five 4s and six 6s and it helped RCB post 194/2 which they defended quite comfortably in the end at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
“Now, that the penny has dropped. What one saw last night was unreal. And the feeling is the same waking up. AB de Villiers, the game in these trying times or otherwise needs you back in the international arena and out of retirement. The game will be better off,” Shastri tweeted on Tuesday.
The former Proteas skipper played 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is for the national side before his retirement in 2018.
de Villiers has been in great form in the ongoing IPL, having so far scored 228 runs in seven matches for the RCB.
Courtesy their 82-run win over KKR, RCB are currently placed at the third spot in the points table and will next face Kings XI Punjab on Thursday.
Government of Odisha and Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) signed an agreement, today, to sponsor the Indian national rugby teams for the next three years …. Reports Asian Lite News
Indian rugby gets a booster dose as the Government of Odisha has agreed to sponsor the Indian national rugby teams for the next three years.
The state government has signed an agreement with the Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to facilitate high performance training and conditioning of the players till 2023.
Mr R Vineel Krishna, Director- cum-Additional Secretary, Odisha, and Mr. Maneck Unwala, President, IRFU, signed the agreement on behalf of the two parties, in the presence of State Minister of Sports and Youth Services, Odisha, Mr Tusharkanti Behera, Secretary Sports, Mr Vishal K Dev, , CEO, IRFU, Mr. Naseer Hussain, actor, director and former Rugby International player, Shri Rahul Bose, Mr U K Mohanty, IRFU Board Member and Head, Odisha Rugby and senior officials of Sports and Youth Services Department, at the Kalinga Stadium.
Mr R Vineel Krishna, Director- cum-Additional Secretary, Odisha, and Mr. Maneck Unwala, President, IRFU, signing the agreement in the presence of State Minister of Sports and Youth Services, Odisha, Mr Tusharkanti Behera
The Sponsorship will be extended towards training, conditioning and incentivising the Indian national rugby teams (men & women) participating in international rugby events.
“This is a significant partnership for us,” said Mr Behera, the state sports minister. “In recent years, we have seen a steady rise of Rugby in terms of popularity and participation, particularly the participation of young players due to the commendable efforts of Rugby India. And this partnership between Govt. of Odisha and Rugby India will not only help develop the sport of rugby further in Odisha and India, but also support and strengthen the high performance training of Indian National Rugby Teams. “
Odisha, which has produced some famous names in Indian Rugby, has been promoting Rugby amongst other sports disciplines.
“This association is a natural fit since our core objective aligns perfectly with promotion of the sport, which is already gaining grounds in several States. We hope this initiative will help nurture young talent, create a pathway from grassroots to elite and produce more players who can bring laurels to the country” he said.
This association with Rugby India is expected to further build the brand image of Odisha which has emerged as an important cog in the National Sporting ecosystem in recent years.
The partnership is based on Odisha Government’s mission to develop, promote and expand the Sports ecosystem beyond Hockey and Football. After sponsoring the National Hockey teams in 2018 for a period of five years, and later supporting the ISL team -Odisha FC, State of Odisha has set another benchmark today by sponsoring the National Rugby Teams.
“We thank the Government of Odisha with special mention to the Department of Sports & Youth Services (DSYS) for their continued support,” said Rugby India President, Mr Maneck Unwala. “On behalf of Rugby India, I am pleased to welcome them as Associate Sponsors of the Indian National Rugby teams. I am confident that the shared core values and vision of Odisha and Rugby India will ensure that this partnership thrives and is beneficial for our rugby athletes.”
“The Odisha Government is dedicatedly working towards their vision of ‘Sports, a priority for Odisha’, by developing the state as a hub for major sporting events and creating international standard high-performance training centres in multiple sports for the country,” he added.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr Rahul Bose said: “This is a historic day for Indian Rugby. Thanks to this sponsorship from the Govt of Odisha, national rugby players (women and men) will, for the first time ever, be paid for their services to the Indian rugby teams. This marks a first, solid step towards making rugby a professional sport in the country. I am eternally grateful to the Sport and Youth Services department, Government of Odisha, for what they have done for not only rugby but sport as a whole in our country. They have been one of the most proactive, diligent and excellence-focused state sports departments in India. Their vision of holistically developing sport is unparalleled and I salute their efforts in putting India on the global sporting map. Today we celebrate the long-standing partnership we have with Odisha as we pave the way for a bright future for our athletes.”
Kings XI Punjab opening batsman Chris Gayle is back on the training ground, having recovered from his stomach bug and is likely to be available for their next IPL 2020 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore to be played on Thursday.
Gayle was spotted back on the training ground on Monday, the franchise said on their official website.
The veteran West Indian batsman had suffered a stomach infection that kept him out of the competition in the past week, and was also temporarily admitted to the hospital, but has now made a full recovery and is back to the cricket field, it added.
“Chris looks very much ready and is keen to get on to the park, he has been training really well and has looked really good in the nets,” batting coach Wasim Jaffer had mentioned to Kings XI Punjab a while back prior to the stomach infection.
Gayle, who is yet to feature in the ongoing Indian Premier League, was initially set to make his debut against SunRisers Hyderabad, but couldn’t due to the stomach infection. He also missed the subsequent game against Kolkata Knight Riders due to the same stomach infection, but has now recovered and deemed fit to attend training sessions with the rest of the team.
His return to fitness will be a big boost for Kings XI who are currently lying at the bottom of the points table, having registered just one win out of the seven matches they have played so far.
After Rafael Nadal equalled Roger Federer’s record for most number of Grand Slam titles – 20 – on Sunday night, the former world No.1 Swiss took to twitter to congratulate his long-time rival.
Nadal on Sunday won the French Open for the 13th time, his 20th Grand Slam title, to match Federer’s record. The Spaniard defeated Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 in the final.
“I have always had the utmost respect for my friend Rafa as a person and as a champion. As my greatest rival over many years, I believe we have pushed each other to become better players. Therefore, it is a true honour for me to congratulate him on his 20th Grand Slam victory. It is especially amazing that he has now won Roland Garros an incredible 13 times, which is one of the greatest achievements in sport. I also congratulate his team, because nobody can do this alone. I hope 20 is just another step on the continuing journey for both of us. Well done, Rafa. You deserve it,” wrote Federer on twitter.
Rafael Nadal
The victory at Roland Garros marked the Nadal’s domination on clay. He has a 100-2 win record at the tournament. No individual has dominated a single tournament as much as Nadal has dominated Paris.
French Open women’s champion Iga Swiatek, who won her maiden Grand Slam title, also congratulated Nadal. “Congratulations @RafaelNadal! It’s amazing to kind of share this experience with you. Am I even allowed to say this?” she tweeted.
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic. (File Photo: IANS)
Despite losing the French Open final to Rafael Nadal on Sunday, Novak Djokovic stayed ahead of his Spanish rival in the latest men’s tennis rankings released on Monday.
Djokovic (11,740 points) was 1,890 points ahead of Nadal (9,850) in the ATP rankings. Dominic Thiem retained the third spot with 9,125 points while Roger Federer stayed on fourth with 6,630. Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece moved a spot above, to fifth, with 5,925.
In the women’s rankings, newly-crowned French Open champion Iga Swiatek of Poland jumped 37 spots to move to 17th position with 2,960 points.
Australian Ashleigh Barty (8,717) retained the top spot and is followed by Simona Halep (7,255), Naomi Osaka (5,780), Sofia Kenin (5,760), and Elina Svitolina (5,260). Serena Williams (4,080) dropped one position but stayed among the top 10.
ATP rankings (men’s):
1. Novak Djokovic (Serbia); 2. Rafael Nadal (Spain); 3. Dominic Thiem (Australia), 4. Roger Federer (Switzerland), 5. Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece), 6. Daniil Medvedev (Russia), 7. Alexander Zverev (Germany), 8. Diego Schwartzman (Argentina), 9. Matteo Berrettini (Italy), 10. Andrey Rublev (Russia)
Vijay Sethupathi is a very talented actor and will nail the bowling expressions in my biopic ‘800’, says former Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan.
“800”, a fast-paced and funny biopic, is touted to be a moving portrayal of Muralitharan – one of cricket’s most brilliant characters. The film will be shot in Sri Lanka, UK, Australia and India. The shoot is slated to start at the beginning of 2021 and is set to release at the end of next year.
“Once the script was ready, we thought the best fit for this movie is non-other than Vijay Sethupathi,” said Muralitharan while speaking on Star Sports show Cricket Live.
“I think he is a very talented actor and he will nail the bowling expressions. I trust Vijay completely as he is one of the greatest actors and I have complete faith that he’ll definitely do wonders for the film.”
Speaking about Muralitharan, Sethupathi said, “It’s really nice to listen to his story and spend time with Murali sir. He is like a stamp, he makes a mark wherever he goes with his charming character and personality.”
“I love his real life, because fans have seen him in matches on the field, but very few have got a chance to know Murali sir’s personality off the field. He’s very adorable and lovable. He’s such a beautiful person and his story needs to be told,” he added.
The film will be made primarily in Tamil language. However, owing to Muralitharan and Sethupathi’s popularity, the film will also be dubbed in all South Indian languages as well as Hindi, Bengali and Sinhalese. An international version with English subtitles is also being planned.
Muralitharan is the only cricketer to have taken 800 wickets in Test cricket. Besides, he also picked up 534 and 13 wickets respectively in 350 ODIs and 12 T20Is.
Mumbai Indians (MI) climbed to the top of the table with their five-wicket win over Delhi Capitals (DC) on Sunday at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Skipper Rohit Sharma said that being top of the table gives the team confidence on the way they are approaching their matches.
“Means a lot (to be top of the table). The kind of cricket we are playing, gives us a lot of confidence. It’s important to have momentum with us, and it was a perfect day for us, getting those crucial two points,” said Rohit in the post-match presentation ceremony.
The defending champions first restricted DC to 162/4 despite their opener Shikhar Dhawan playing through the innings before chasing down the target with two balls to spare. Rohit said that they would like to make sure that one of the top order batsmen stays till the end in the death overs which did not happen for MI on Sunday.
“We were clinical with the bat, but not so much towards the end. We need one set batsman to finish off the game in general, and some set batsmen got out today. That is something we need to tighten up,” he said.
“But again, I don’t want to go too much into it because I think they batted really well. Chasing has not been so great in this tournament so looking at what we have done with the bat in the second half gives us that confidence we can chase any score.”
This was MI’s fourth consecutive win and they next face Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday.
