Author: Soorya G

The structure of the Indian squad for their upcoming tour of South Africa has been the subject of a lot of scrutiny and speculations from fans and pundits alike. There were many issues to be addressed, such as the case of Hanuma Vihari, who had been excluded rather controversially for the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand, and also that of middle-order mainstay Ajinkya Rahane, who was subjected to a lot of criticism, for his lacklustre performances in recent times. The BCCI finally broke its silence regarding the matter, as they released the 18-man squad, which will travel to…

With the final matchday of the Champions League approaching, Manchester United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick has included six youth academy players in the travelling squad ahead of their final group stage game against Young Boys. The Red Devils, who have already sealed qualification into the knockout stages of the tournament, will look to give their youngsters some minutes in the limelight. United’s academy, known as Carrington to the football world, has produced prodigious talents in the past, including the famous Class of ‘92, featuring players such as Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, and more recently, Paul Pogba and Marcus…

England all-rounder Ben Stokes posted pictures of his father on the eve of the first Test, remembers him on the eve of his death anniversary. After a considerable hiatus from cricket due to a finger injury, England’s World Cup hero Ben Stokes, who was also addressing some mental health issues over the last year, will return to the cricketing circuit as he features in the England side for the first Ashes Test at the Gabba. One of England’s best and most important players, a lot will depend on how he does, as England look to regain the coveted urn from the…

In the spirit of the holidays, Russian side Zenit walked out with their canine friends in order to encourage adoption, and to help them find their forever home. The internet was extremely impressed with the kind gesture on the part of the Zenit players, and took to social media to express their feelings. Each player of the Zenit side walked onto the pitch at the Gazprom Arena with a dog in their arms to help them find a ‘forever home’. With the nation celebrating National Pet Day on November 30, the 2008 UEFA Cup winners partnered with the Russian Kynological Foundation to promote their…

In his first conversation since taking over as interim manager of Manchester United, German football mastermind Ralf Rangnick revealed that he had a 90-minute long discussion with ousted manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The tactician has agreed to take up the role of interim manager at United before moving to a consultancy role, also including a position on the Manchester United board, similar to his earlier roles at RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was removed from the managerial position on November 29, following a string of poor performances from the Red Devils under him, getting thrashed 5-0 at home by arch-rivals Liverpool, 2-0 to Pep…

India’s most senior fast bowler Ishant Sharma has recently been the topic of some discussion. A few commentators and pundits have opined that the speedster lacked rhythm in the Kanpur test match against New Zealand, which reflected in the pace and movement off the surface that he got. However, new Indian bowling coach Paras Mhambrey feels that it is just a matter of time until Ishanth gets going again, having not had a lot of Test cricket in recent times. According to Mhambrey, a couple of overs will help Ishanth regain his lost rhythm, and that will definitely make a difference in…

With the Indian Women’s team only scheduled to play one ODI series against New Zealand next year, questions have been raised as to the readiness of the Indian squad heading into the World Cup early next year. However, captain Mithali Raj dismissed any concerns, and felt that the Indian women were adequately prepared for the mega event next year. She said that the team had “good preparation” in 2021, as they played South Africa at home in a five-match series before heading to England and Australia for a couple of three-game bilateral series. Credit: ICC Although they lost all three series, the Indian women can take…

The Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, which were being played in Zimbabwe have been called off due to the new COVID-19 variant named Omicron that has recently caused panic in the southern parts of Africa. It was an eight-team event, and 12 games had been played so far. With the 2022 World Cup only three months away, the tournament cannot be staged at a later date and hence, it cannot be postponed or moved to another venue. Credit: Times of Sport Now that the Qualifiers have been called off, the teams that will progress to the Women’s World Cup, which will be…

On Day 3 of the ongoing first Test match between India and New Zealand, Wriddhiman Saha was not on the field. The veteran wicket-keeper batsman had a stiff neck which kept him out. Hence, it was KS Bharat who donned the gloves and he was brilliant behind the stumps. Credit: BCCI The 28-year-old Andhra cricketer was superb throughout the third day, which saw variable bounce and turns as well from the spinners. The ball was keeping quite low from time to time, and Bharat adjusted really well. He took a couple of catches and also affected a smart stumping. Hence,…

After waiting on the sidelines for a prolonged period of time, India’s left-handed all-rounder Axar Patel has made an instantaneous impact in the Test arena, recently claiming his fifth five-fer in the format in the first Test match against New Zealand, which is currently in progress. The left-armer bowled a disciplined spell of spin bowling as he helped India establish a crucial 49-run first-innings lead against the Black Caps, finishing with figures of 5/62. https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1464529699254648836 Patel could not have asked for a better start to his Test career, as he also did exceedingly well in the Test series against England earlier this year,…