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Coronavirus: Yuvraj Singh Contributes Rs 50 Lakh In Fight Against COVID-19 Pandemic

Singh took to Twitter to write: "We are stronger when we stand united. I will be lighting a candle tonight at 9 pm for 9 minutes. Are you with me? On this great day of solidarity, I pledge Rs 50 lakhs to the #PMCaresFunds. Please do your bit too! @narendramodi #9pm9minutes #IndiaFightsCorona." We are stronger when we stand united.I will be lighting a candle tonight at 9pm for 9 minutes. Are you with me?On this great day of solidarity, I pledge Rs. 50 Lakhs to the #PMCaresFunds. Please do your bit too!@narendramodi#9pm9minutes #IndiaFightsCorona — yuvraj singh (@YUVSTRONG12) April 5, 2020 After the establishment of the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund by Prime Minister Modi, several athletes have come forward to contribute and help the country combat COVID-19.In a video message, Prime Minister Modi on Friday asked citizens to turn all lights off in their houses at 9 pm on Sunday (April 5) and stand at their doors or windows with a candle, diya and torch for 9 minutes to show solidarity with each other in the battle against the COVID-19.This is in follow up to the ''Taali, Thali'' event held on March 22, the day when ''Janata curfew'' was observed throughout the country. PM Modi had reminded the people to be on their terrace and balconies and clap to express their gratitude for all those who were ''working 24/7'' to fight the COVID-19.The total number of COVID-19 positive cases rose to 3,374 in India on Sunday, as per the data provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Out of these cases, 3030 are active cases, 267 have been cured or discharged, while 77 deaths have been reported so far in the country. Read the full article

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Can Only Battle Coronavirus By Staying Indoors: Cheteshwar Pujara

"Most of us are following the government guidelines on lockdown but there are still some who are taking the virus casually. They don't realise that they could too be affected."Every single person is a soldier at the moment. If you stay indoors, you are fighting the battle for your own country. There has to be a collective effort else we can't win this," said India's Test batting mainstay.After helping Saurashtra win their maiden Ranji Trophy title last month, little did he know that he would be spending all his time at home.Pujara is enjoying the "forced" break and most of his time goes into entertaining his two-year-old daughter.The closest he has got to a "hit in the nets" is by playing with a plastic bat."That is also for entertaining my daughter. No serious stuff. All of that can wait at the moment," he said.But a gym at home means he is not compromising on his fitness."I usually take everything in a positive way. Sometimes you need to take a break as a sportsperson and there can't be a better time. We just won the Ranji and it is the right time to take three to four weeks off."Luckily I have a gym at home. Being a small town guy, I can't go out to the gym and train there (because he will be mobbed). With gym at home, I can still do my strength sessions, cycling and running. I also do yoga which helps a lot," said Pujara.He was supposed to play county cricket in the UK but that too has been postponed at least till May 28 and faces cancellation.Considering the current circumstances, Pujara might have to wait till the Australia tour starting November to play his first competitive game since the Ranji Trophy final.But he is prepared for any eventuality."I would still have some first-class games before the Australia tour. I am prepared for anything. This is the time when we can't just be thinking about sporting events. First, we have to win this battle against coronavirus," he said."A person's life is much more important than a sporting event. All the sporting events (including Olympics) have been postponed. One has to be prepared as we are going through rare times."We just need to make sure the virus is contained and things get back to normal. After that we can talk about the game."Pujara has fond memories of the previous Australia tour in 2018-19 when India won their maiden Test series Down Under.He was named the player of the series for scoring 521 runs at 74.42, including three hundreds.His long hours in the middle and pacers' stellar performances made all the difference."I would still say it was a collective effort. Yes, I did perform exceptionally well. I am happy about that, no doubt, but when we go back again you have to start from the scratch. It (past performance) will help me for sure but one has to prepare again. You can't take your past glories to the current series," he signed off. Read the full article

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Natasa Stankovic Posts Loved-Up Picture With Hardik Pandya, Urges Fans To "Stay Home, Stay Safe"

Hardik Pandya and his fiancee Natasa Stankovic took to Instagram to request their fans to stay at home during the ongoing nationwide lockdown to prevent the spreading of the coronavirus pandemic. Actress Natasa Stankovic posted a loved-up picture with Hardik Pandya on Instagram, urging fans to "stay home and stay safe" with two trending hashtags. All-rounder Hardik Pandya responded with a red heart emoji, while his India teammate KL Rahul joined in with a red heart emoji in the comments section. On the new year's day, Pandya had announced his engagement with Serbian actress Stankovic on social media.Pandya had shared the news with a few pictures and a video on Instagram, saying: "Mai tera, Tu meri jaane, saara Hindustan. 01.01.2020 #engaged." The cricketer-actor pair never fails to charm their fans with lovable pictures and wishes for each other on social media.The nation went into a complete lockdown for 21 days, starting on Wednesday, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the preventive step to stop the spreading of the deadly COVID-19.Many cricketers and other athletes from across the country extended their support to the lockdown, urging their fans to stay at home amid the coronavirus crisis.On Wednesday, Team India captain Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma requested their fans to stay at home during the lockdown in a video message on Twitter."These are testing times and we need to wake up to the seriousness of this situation. Please let us all follow what's been told to us and stand united, please. It's a plea to everyone," Kohli captioned the 51-second-long video. These are testing times and we need to wake up to the seriousness of this situation. Please let us all follow what's been told to us and stand united please. It's a plea to everyone pic.twitter.com/75dDlzT6tX — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) March 25, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has brought the world sports to a grinding halt. India's three-match One-day International home series against South Africa was called off amid the COVID-19 scare.The 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been postponed until April 15 due to the deadly virus. Read the full article

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Coronavirus: India's Olympic Bound Athletes Welcome Tokyo Games Postponement

"I think this was a welcome decision for us athletes in the circumstances and not something that came as a surprise. While we were looking forward to Tokyo2020, the environment wouldn't have been appropriate for the event to be celebrated the way it should be," the Commonwealth and Asian Games champion said in a statement."I would say we should look at this positively as it would allow us a year more to plan and train for the Olympics, which is the biggest sporting event for many athletes."There will be some impact on preparations over the next few months till the situation is brought under control, but that is something that all athletes are facing equally," he added.Two-time Olympian boxer Vikas Krishan Yadav (69kg), who is also an Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold-medallist, also felt the same.Yadav has returned to amateur boxing after an unbeaten stint in the pro circuit."At the end of the day, humanity has to trump sport, so I'm happy that the decision was made to postpone the Olympics amidst the coronavirus situation," he said referring to the outbreak which has claimed close to 19,000 deaths the world over."Obviously, the postponement will affect our preparation, but I think the extra time can help me prepare even better for my goal to win an Olympic Gold for India," he addedOn Tuesday several top Indian athletes such as MC Mary Kom and Saina Nehwal had welcomed the move and lauded the International Olympic Committee for prioritising athletes' health and well-being.The Olympics was scheduled from July 24 to August 9 this year.The IOC took the decision after its head Thomas Bach spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over a telephone call. Before this, Canada and Australia had announced pullouts if the showpiece went ahead as originally scheduled.  Read the full article

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Coronavirus: UFC Postpones Next Three Events

The Ultimate Fighting Championship said Monday it is postponing its next three events with officials unable to find venues to stage bouts amid global restrictions being put in place to combat the coronavirus pandemic. UFC president Dana White, who had previously defended the circuit's decision to press ahead with a card in Brazil on Saturday, confirmed the news in a message to employees later posted on Twitter. The decision affects fight cards in London on March 21, Columbus on March 28 and Portland on April 11.The move comes as authorities around the world impose restrictions of gatherings of large numbers of people."We did everything we could to relocate our next three events, London, Columbus, and Portland," White told employees in his email."But every day, there are new restrictions put in place on travel and large public gatherings that are making it impossible to stay on schedule."The UFC has also been prevented from holding events in its Las Vegas home because of a ban on combat sports by Nevada state officials which runs until at least March 25."I've been in the fight game for 20 years, and this is what we do - we find a way to keep our events going no matter what," White said. "But this is different. The whole world is being affected right now, and nothing is more important than the health and safety of you and your families."The UFC is also closing all offices with immediate effect and asking employees to work from home. Read the full article

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AUS vs SA: Australia Beat South Africa By 5 Runs To Book Final Showdown Against India

Defending champions Australia powered into their sixth Women's T20 World Cup final Thursday to meet India after ending South Africa's dreams in a rain-hit semi-final. Set a revised 98 from 13 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after Australia made 134 for five off their 20 overs, the South Africans managed 92 for five to just miss out on a first-ever final. The Proteas won the toss and put Australia in to bat at the Sydney Cricket Ground after rain that soaked the city all day finally cleared.Their total was spearheaded by skipper Meg Lanning's 49, while Nadine de Klerk took three wickets for just 19 runs.Set a revised chase, big-hitting South Africa opener Lizelle Lee smacked a huge six off spinner Sophie Molineux to get the run chase underway, but then holed out to Ashleigh Gardner on the boundary ropes.Skipper Dane van Niekerk looked dangerous but pace spearhead Megan Schutt clean-bowled her for 12, then Lanning took a difficult catch to remove Mignon du Preez and leave South Africa struggling at 26 for three after five overs.  Laura Wolvaardt (41 not out) and Sune Luus (21) got them back on track with some power-hitting to set up an exciting finale with 32 runs needed off the last three overs -- only to fall five runs short.Earlier, Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy aggressively set about building a big total for Australia.Healy was dropped in the fourth over by wicket-keeper Trisha Chetty after smacking two successive fours from Nonkululeko Mlaba.But she didn't make the most of her second life, falling in the next over after a quickfire 18 off 13 balls.In-form fellow opener Mooney blasted 28 and looked in fine fettle until she was clean-bowled by Nadine de Klerk.South Africa successfully put the brakes on the run rate with Jess Jonassen gone after three balls as Australia reached 70 for three at the halfway mark.Ashleigh Gardner then went without scoring to de Klerk, getting an outside edge as the collapse continued.Rachael Haynes made a battling 17 in a 32-run stand with Lanning before she too departed to de Klerk, as the captain was left to carry her team to what became a winning total. Read the full article

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Everton vs Manchester United: David De Gea Blunder, VAR Controversy In Focus As Everton Hold Manchester United

The goal, however, was ruled out by the video assistant referee with the offside Gylfi Sigurdsson, lying in the path of De Gea, deemed to have obstructed the view of the keeper.Veteran Italian manager Ancelotti was as unhappy as the home crowd on Merseyside, with the Toffees boss sent off after approaching referee Chris Kavanagh on the field.The draw saw fifth-placed United miss the chance to cut the gap to Chelsea in fourth to a single point in the Premier League table as Everton stayed in 11th position.Anthony Martial returned to the United line-up in one of five changes to the side made by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following the Europa League victory over Club Brugge in midweek.Ancelotti made five changes as well, with Andre Gomes starting in midfield for the first time since early November following a severe ankle injury.It took Everton just three minutes to break the deadlock with a bizarre goal that delighted the Goodison Park faithful.There seemed little danger as De Gea dwelt on a clearance.But his eventual kick downfield was blocked by the charging Calvert-Lewin, with the rebound flying into the unguarded United net.De Gea did make amends in part by denying Calvert-Lewin a second goal by tipping a shot wide while, at the other end of the pitch, Nemanja Matic hit the crossbar as United sought an equaliser.Another goalkeeping error helped United draw level in the 31st minute when England number one Pickford, with national manager Gareth Southgate watching from the stands, failed to cover Bruno Fernandes' speculative, if well-struck, effort from long range.Everton midfielder Sigurdsson went close to making it 2-1 to the Toffees early in the second half.United's Victor Lindelof carelessly gave away a free-kick on the edge of the box and Sigurdsson saw his curling strike come back off the post, with Richarlison unable to get the rebound on target as he followed up.Pickford, as De Gea had done earlier in the game, then atoned for a costly mistake to keep his side in the match.In the closing moments of normal time, he blocked Fernandes' initial shot and then acrobatically dashed across his goal to keep out Odion Ighalo's follow-up. Read the full article

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Italian Sport In Quarantine Over Coronavirus Outbreak

"Now more than ever we have a duty to be prudent and responsible," Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora said."It is necessary to act seriously and determinedly, while maintaining calm and not taking any unnecessary risks."For this reason, we have suspended sports competitions in areas where there may be even the possibility of spreading the virus."AC Milan also announced on Sunday the postponement of their women's team's match against Fiorentina, while five Serie C games programmed for next Wednesday have been postponed.Juventus confirmed that the museum within their Allianz Stadium would remain closed until February 29.Other sports were also hit with the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) confirming that in line with government instructions, all events in the Lombardy and Veneto regions would be postponed.These two regions in the north of the country are those where the majority of new infections have been identified."We agree and align with the government's provisions," said CONI president Giovanni Malago."I believe that at this moment the world of sport should not go its own way. Health is the primary concern."Tennis, rugby hitIn tennis, the final of the Bergamo Challenger event was cancelled with Ukraine's Illya Marchenko and Enzo Couacaud of France splitting honours, with both receiving finalist points and prize money for the week, organisers confirmed.The women's Six Nations rugby clash between Italy and Scotland, scheduled to take place in Legnano, north of Milan, was been postponed to a later date.On Saturday more than 40 amateur and youth matches in the regions were called off because of virus fears with the Serie B game between Ascoli and Cremonese also postponed.Italian football chiefs face a scheduling headache in an already congested calendar, in particular for Inter Milan.FIGC president Gabriele Gravina has convened a task force of federation doctors for Monday morning to advise on the situation.Inter's home Europa League match scheduled for Thursday against Bulgarian club Ludogorets could be played behind closed doors, according to Italian media reports.The Chinese-owned club also have an Italian Cup match while the season cannot be pushed beyond May 24 because of the start of Euro 2020.Juventus also host Inter Milan next weekend with AC Milan and Genoa scheduled to play in the San Siro.Next week's Champions League games are not at risk for now as the game between Napoli and Barcelona takes place in southern Italy.Eleven towns -- 10 in Lombardy and 1 in neighbouring Veneto -- are under lockdown, with some 50,000 residents prohibited from leaving. Regional authorities have ordered gathering spots, such as bars, restaurants and discos to close.  Schools throughout the affected areas are to remain closed next week. Read the full article

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Karolina Pliskova, Garbine Muguruza Restore Order, Reach Dubai Quarters

Karolina Pliskova and Garbine Muguruza re-established order among seeds on Wednesday as both reached the quarter finals of the WTA Dubai Championships. While number two Czech Pliskova strolled in barely an hour to a 6-1, 6-2 defeat of qualifier Kristina Mladenovic, it took number nine Muguruza almost two and a half hours to get past Russian Veronika Kudermetova 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. The pair of victories came a day after three major names made exits, with holder Belinda Bencic, third seed Elina Svitolina and Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin all going out. Tournament number one Simona Halep was making her start later, facing sentimental fan favourite Ons Jabeur of Tunisia. Pliskova pegged back Mladenovic after the Frenchwoman earned only her first main draw win of the season in the first round. "It's always a tough one against her. We played in Australia, so I knew what to expect," Pliskova said. "I was not playing amazing but still, even with a couple of mistakes, I didn't give up. "The score looked a little bit easier than it really was, we had a couple of tough games." Muguruza had to struggle two days after ending the current comeback of Kim Clijsters as Spain's double grand Slam champion grappled with her world number 39 opponent. "There's a lot of things that I could have done better," Muguruza, quarter-finalist in 2015 and 2018, said. "But I'm excited that I gave myself another opportunity to be in the quarters." Last month's Australian Open finalist added: "I'm just happy that I get these tough matches. "Honestly, the difference is very, very small, I'm just pleased to go through." Muguruza secured her place with a break in the final game as she converted on her first match point. The ninth-seeded Spaniard will bid for the semi-finals on Thursday, taking on Jennifer Brady, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-21 winner against Marketa Vondrousova.  Read the full article

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Rohan Bopanna Danis Shapovalov pair enters semifinals in Rotterdam - tennis

India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Canadian partner Denis Shapovalov advanced to the men’s doubles semifinals of the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament with an impressive win over fourth seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau at Rotterdam.The unseeded Indo-Canadian combine beat the Romanian-Dutch pairing of Tecau and Rojer 6-2, 3-6, 10-7 in a quarterfinal played on Thursday.Bopanna and Shapovalov had a decent first serve percentage of 67 and won three of the seven break points on offer. They next meet the winners of the quarterfinal between Henri Kontinen and Jan-Lennard Struff, and, Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski. Read the full article

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Osaka endures surprise Fed Cup loss as Spain lead Japan - tennis

A tearful Naomi Osaka followed up her Australian Open disappointment with another surprise defeat when she was beaten 6-0, 6-3 by world number 78 Sara Sorribes Tormo in the Fed Cup.Spain took an unexpected lead over Japan in the tie in Cartagena after Sorribes Tormo capitalised on a careless performance from Osaka, who made an astonishing 50 unforced errors in the 15 games.Carla Suarez Navarro then made it 2-0 to the hosts after she eased past Misaki Doi 6-3, 6-4.Sorribes Tormo enjoyed the backing of a sizeable home crowd at La Manga Club and her consistency proved too much for Osaka, who has never played her best on clay.“We knew that Sara had the game to make it very uncomfortable for Naomi,” Spain captain Anabel Medina Garrigues said. “She stuck to the game plan perfectly.” The winners of the eight qualifying ties will join four automatic entries, holders France, Australia, Czech Republic and hosts Hungary, in the inaugural Fed Cup Finals in Budapest in April.Osaka, a two-time Grand Slam champion, has endured a shaky start to the year after being knocked out by 15-year-old American sensation Coco Gauff last month in Melbourne, where she had lifted the trophy in 2019.Since claiming her second consecutive major triumph, Osaka has dipped, failing to go past the fourth round in any of the four Grand Slams since.The 22-year-old, who has dropped to number 10 in the world, surrendered the first set to Sorribes Tormo in a swift 27 minutes before putting up more of a fight in the second.But after Osaka led 2-0, Sorribes Tormo came back and a break midway through proved decisive, with a clearly disappointed Osaka struggling to contain her emotions at the finish.Sorribes Tormo’s second career singles win in Fed Cup gave Spain the perfect start, which was extended by Suarez Navarro’s comfortable victory over Doi.Osaka will now have to beat Suarez Navarro in the reverse singles on Saturday to prevent Spain booking their place in the finals in Budapest in April.Elsewhere, world number five Belinda Bencic thrashed Gabriela Dabrowski 6-1, 6-2 to give Switzerland a commanding 2-0 advantage over Canada, while Britain slipped 2-0 behind against Slovakia in Bratislava.The ties between Belgium and Kazakhstan, Romania and Russia, and the Netherlands and Belarus, were all level at 1-1 after the opening day.Later on Friday, Serena Williams will play in the tournament for a fourth decade as the United States host Latvia in Everett, Washington.It will be the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s first appearance in the event since 2018. Read the full article

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Winning Champions League would salvage Man City’s season: Wright - football

With Liverpool set to take over as Premier League champions, Manchester City should prioritise Europe and can still have a “great season” if they win the Champions League, former England striker Ian Wright has said.City’s 2-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday was their sixth league defeat of the season, two more than in the whole of the previous campaign, and left them 22 points behind Liverpool, who are set to end a 30-year wait for a league title.But Wright said City, who meet Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League this month, can still salvage their season.“You feel if they don’t win the Champions League then it’s not a good season. But if they do win it, it’s a great season,” Wright told BBC Radio 5 Live.“I would start saving players for it because that’s what City have got to start focusing on.”Pep Guardiola, who won two Champions League titles at Barcelona, has not managed to take City beyond the quarter-finals of the competition.“With the team he assembled, we thought it would happen in his tenure,” Wright added.“He’s three years in with a team that has played at a really high intensity and City have not been able to stay up with a Liverpool side that have kicked on.”City return to league action on Sunday against 18th-placed West Ham United. Read the full article

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Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin breaks into top 10 - tennis

Sofia Kenin’s rise to a career-high seventh in the world after her surprise Australian Open triumph was confirmed Monday with the publication of the latest WTA rankings.The unheralded American jumped eight places into a top 10 headed by Ashleigh Barty following Saturday’s stunning 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over Garbine Muguruza in Melbourne.Australian Barty, who fell to 21-year-old Kenin in the semi-finals, retained her position as world number one ahead of Simona Halep, who replaced Karolina Pliskova, ousted in the third round.Latest WTA rankings published on Monday:1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 8367 pts2. Simona Halep (ROU) 6101 (+1)3. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5290 (-1)4. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 4775 (+1)5. Belinda Bencic (SUI) 4675 (+2)6. Bianca Andreescu (CAN) 46657. Sofia Kenin (USA) 4495 (+8)8. Kiki Bertens (NED) 3965 (+2)9. Serena Williams (USA) 391510. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 3626 (-6)11. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 3466 (-3)12. Madison Keys (USA) 2962 (-1)13. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 2820 (-1)14. Johanna Konta (GBR) 2753 (-1)15. Petra Martic (CRO) 2586 (-1)16. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 2527 (+16)17. Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 2430 (-1)18. Alison Riske (USA) 2360 (+1)19. Elise Mertens (BEL) 2360 (-2)20. Angelique Kerber (GER) 2175 (-2) Read the full article

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Ranji Trophy: Controversy Over Selection As Delhi Pick Unknown Pacer In Squad

Gujarat (26 points) are second in the table and all but through to quarter-finals. Their skipper Parthiv Patel is unlikely to play this game.The DDCA brass has indicated that a tainted former BCCI Vice President and his younger brother, who is now a top DDCA office bearer, have forced the selection committee to pick Beniwal."DDCA senior selection committee chairman Bantoo Singh and his colleague Anil Bhardwaj were party to this questionable decision. Nobody knows the credentials of this fellow. How has he made it or how many wickets he has taken. But we all know that the two brothers are pushing for inclusion of this guy," a senior DDCA office-bearer, present during the selection meeting, told PTI on condition of anonymity."The two brothers have been trying hard to keep this Beniwal fellow in the squad even if he doesn't play a game. I don't know why. We have to keep players like all-rounder Subodh Bhati and pacer Pawan Suyal out of the team," the official said.The selection panel head Bantoo defended the decision."It's not selectors alone, who picked Beniwal. It was a collective decision (of officials and selectors). Blaming selectors all the time is not right. We pick a lot of boys on merit but no one then praises the selectors. This guy has been a net bowler and with Subodh Bhati not performing, we thought of giving him a chance," he said.Incidentally, another questionable selection is Kshitij Sharma, who made his Delhi red-ball debut against Bengal. Himmat Singh, who last year was a part of India U-23 side has been kept out of the playing XI despite influential figures in Indian cricket wanting to track his progress.Currently, if a player is in the state squad for Ranji Trophy without being in the playing XI, he gets Rs 70,000. If someone is put in the squad for at least seven matches, the player pockets nearly five lakh.When DDCA's Director of Cricket Sanjay Bhardwaj was asked about Beniwal, he replied: "I don't know if there is any corruption or not. But I can tell you that every year this particular player (Beniwal) has been registered under the BCCI roster. Yes, this is the first time he has made it to the final 15."Asked what is Beniwal's performance that merited a place in the team and how many wickets he picked, Bhardwaj, who is also the convenor said: "I don't know."Rookie pacer Siddhanth Sharma is likely to make his first-class debut.Delhi Squad: Dhruv Shorey (captain), Nitish Rana (VC), Anuj Rawat (wk), Hiten Dalal, Jonty Sidhu, Kunwar Bidhuri, Vikas Mishra, Kulwant Khejroliya, Khsitij Sharma, Simarjeet Singh, Tejas Barokha, Priyansh Arya, Siddhant Sharma, Ankit Beniwal, Himmat Singh. Read the full article

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‘He did so in less than 30 minutes,’ John Cena picks WWE’s best in-ring performer of all time - other sports

WWE has seen some of the greatest in-ring performers in its illustrious history. Some of the biggest names in professional wrestling have stepped inside the WWE ring. Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, Ric Flair, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angle- all made their names in the WWE and have been involved in some of the greatest matches in the history of sport. However, there is another wrestler whose legacy we cannot forget about and that is John Cena. The ‘Champ’ is a 16-time WWE titleholder and has etched a long-standing legacy in professional wrestling. Even though he is a polarizing figure, Cena has always been a top superstar in the WWE. Cena has been a part of many iconic moments and matches in the WWE.READ | WWE ‘Super’ SmackDown Results: Loser Eats Dog Food, New Champion CrownedCena has firmly established himself in the Hollywood industry and has been missing from action for almost a year now. So who does Cena think is the best in-ring performer in the history of the WWE? There were a lot of choices but Cena chose a surprising name. Cena thinks Brock Lesnar is the best in-ring performer he has seen.“I thought the event was extra special. It was great to be able to watch it as a fan and not endure any fear of missing out and just enjoy the event,” Cena told Sports Illustrated about the Rumble.“And I can say with the utmost sincerity that I believe Brock Lesnar is best in-ring performer that I’ve seen and I know it’s an opinion, and if you want a cool quote, here it is: I think he’s the best in-ring performer of all time.“He did so in less than 30 minutes, and I certainly don’t have the skill set to do that, and it was awesome to be able to see a masterclass man put on a clinic on what to do and how to do it and I was really impressed with the Rumble.”Then Cena was asked if he really meant Lesnar was the best-ever and he reiterated his point.“I really do think so,” said Cena. I genuinely think he has a good understanding of who he is.“I think he’s the best at when he needs to be dominant, he’s the best in situations of jeopardy. He makes people better. He still has a mystique about him that will draw eyeballs to watch him and when he does he never disappoints.READ | Stocks plummeting, TV ratings falling: WWE in troubled waters“He believes so much in his presence, and he has such a definable presence you can’t ignore him and he never wastes anyone’s time and everything he does is special and everything he does meaningful and it’s not all selfish.“He’s one of the most giving performers in the WWE and that is the mark of a true craftsman and a true professional. It was awesome to watch. My jaw dropped when I watched the Rumble.”Lesnar eliminated 13 superstars in the Royal Rumble before being eliminated by the eventual winner Drew McIntyre. Read the full article

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Premier League: Mohamed Salah scores twice as Liverpool power 22 points clear - football

Liverpool surged 22 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a dominant second-half display as Mohamed Salah scored twice in a 4-0 rout of Southampton on Saturday. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jordan Henderson also scored and the runaway leaders have collected an astonishing 100 league points from the last 102 available to them. A 24th victory in 25 league matches this season and ninth clean sheet in 10 games underlined how Jurgen Klopp’s side have turned the title race into a procession.Southampton’s spirited performance at Anfield was undone, in controversial fashion, two minutes into the second half after Danny Ings appealed that he had been tripped by Fabinho on his way into the home area. Liverpool broke immediately upfield, Oxlade-Chamberlain spearheading a counter-attack which ended in an exchange of passes with Roberto Firmino, and a brilliant finish into the bottom corner of the Southampton goal.The visitors appealed furiously that they should have been awarded the earlier penalty only to be met with an unfavourable decision from VAR. That proved to be a moot point eventually with Henderson and Salah adding goals in quick succession after the hour.Henderson doubled the lead from a move started when he closed down a clearance from keeper Alex McCarthy and Trent Alexander-Arnold returned it upfield. Firmino chased the pass down and laid the ball off for Henderson to drive in an unstoppable finish.Twelve minutes later Henderson himself set up the third, with a magnificent pass which just eluded Jan Bednarek and allowed Salah to chase through and lift the ball over the keeper. Firmino and substitute Takumi Minamino wasted glorious chances to add to the score before Salah did just that in the final minute to give Liverpool their 20th successive home league win.- Rampant Reds -It came from more strong play by Firmino, who held off defender Jack Stephens before squaring for his Egyptian team-mate to score with an untidy, deflected shot.Yet, despite the impressive weight of statistical form that Liverpool brought into the game, Southampton were themselves looking for a fifth consecutive league away win and could have been on course for it by the interval.The first period ended with the Saints actually out-performing the leaders and, with better finishing, they would have been in control.Instead, Liverpool could point to their best, and only real, chance of the first half and bemoan the fact they were denied what looked a strong penalty appeal on the half hour.Virgil van Dijk missed a good opportunity with only McCarthy to beat, back-heeling at the keeper who then did well to block Firmino’s follow-up effort.Liverpool retained possession and Jordan Henderson crossed into the six-yard area where Firmino appeared to be brought down on the goalline by Shane Long.Despite the vocal appeals from Liverpool players and crowd alike, VAR chose not to overrule referee Kevin Friend, a reprieve that Southampton looked in the mood to take advantage of before the half expired.They were helped by a series of uncharacteristic Liverpool errors, both forced and unforced, which gifted the visitors a series of chances.An Ings shot was well blocked by Joe Gomez, after Firmino gave the ball straight to him, a Gomez error allowed Long a strike which Alisson parried while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ings, again, had promising openings.It was all part of an enthralling, if goalless, first half, with Moussa Djenepo’s shot having been tipped over earlier by Alisson and McCarthy doing likewise at the other end to deny Oxlade-Chamberlain.But Liverpool’s strong start to the second half altered the dynamic of the game and moved the Reds another step closer to their first English title since 1990.str/smg/jc Read the full article