‘Jadeja will definitely play’: Ashwin backs three-spinner strategy for SL Tests

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Chennai, July 29 (IANS) Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed India to field three specialist spinners in the opening Test against Sri Lanka, saying Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav should all feature in the playing XI as the visitors prepare for the two-match World Test Championship series beginning in Galle on August 15.

“Jadeja will definitely play. Manav Suthar took seven wickets in the last game – he’ll play. And Kuldeep Yadav should also play. That makes three spinners. I think they should go with Saransh Jain at No. 7, which leaves – No. 5 Rishabh Pant, No. 4 Shubman Gill, No. 3 Devdutt Padikkal or Sai Sudharsan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and KL Rahul. That leaves two fast-bowler spots,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

India’s squad marks the return of Ravindra Jadeja to the Test set-up after recovering from the tennis elbow injury that had sidelined him since the IPL earlier this year. Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar has retained his place after an impressive outing, while wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav is also available, giving the team management multiple spin options for conditions expected to favour slow bowlers in Sri Lanka.

Ashwin also highlighted the importance of Sai Sudharsan’s fitness, believing the young left-hander could play a crucial role if declared fit before the opening Test.

“First, I think India’s biggest loss here could be Sai Sudharsan’s fitness because he scored two centuries recently in the India ‘A’ series – one of them was at Galle, which has unique conditions. The wind, how the ball turns, the angles – it takes time to learn all that. But he made a hundred there. If he stays fit, it could be an advantage for India. His confidence will be high. And Sri Lanka always depend on spin – Sai Sudharsan is a good player of spin. So he could be useful. I hope he’s fit, and it shouldn’t be a setback,” Ashwin added.

The 23-year-old featured prominently on the recent India A tour of Sri Lanka, where he adapted well to local conditions, strengthening his case for a Test debut. However, his fitness remains under scrutiny after sustaining a niggle ahead of the senior squad’s departure.

Ashwin added that while Devdutt Padikkal would be a worthy replacement if required, his preference would still be for Sudharsan to carry his recent form into the longest format. “Devdutt Padikkal getting a chance in his place is not a bad thing. He has been a brilliant performer in domestic cricket. But I’d prefer Sudharsan to take his form into Test cricket,” he stated.

–IANS

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Seasoned thrower Tajinderpal Singh Toor wins shot put title at Sangrur-leg of Indian Athletics Series

Sangrur, May 9 (IANS) Punjab’s 31 years old seasoned thrower dominated the men’s shot put at the fifth-leg of the Indian Athletics Series in Sangrur, Punjab on Saturday. His best throw was 19.97m.

Asian Games champion in men’s shot put, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, is gearing up for upcoming major domestic competition later this month in Ranchi.

“Main goal this season is to peak in major international meets,” says the national record holder.

Toor’s season best of 21.03m was recorded earlier in April at the Delhi-leg of Indian Athletics Series.

The Sangrur leg of one-day Indian Athletics Series was also a good chance for two-time Olympian and Asian Games champion in women’s javelin throw, Annu Rani, to test her preparation for the challenging season ahead. The 33 years old finished third with a throw of 55.78m on Saturday.

In an exciting women’s javelin throw event, Haryana’s Shilpa Rani was first (57.65m) while Rashmi K of Andhra Pradesh took the second spot (56.15m).

Harjit Singh of Air Force and Fatema Begam of Tripura emerged as fastest and female runners of the one-day meet in Sangrur, respectively. Fatema also won the women’s 200m dash.

Haryana’s Kiran Pahal was comfortable winner (54.07 seconds) of women’s 400m race.

Results:

Men:100m: Harjit Singh (Air Force) 10.32 secs, Sam Vasanth S (Tamil Nadu) 10.48 secs, Adesh Garsa (All India Police) 10.51 secs.

Men: U20: 100m: Tipan Das (West Bengal) 10.68 secs, Yuvraj Singh Chib (Jammu and Kashmir) 10.70 secs, Jamil Ali (Uttar Pradesh) 10.78 secs.

200m: Dharambir (Haryana) 21.49 seconds, Raja Babu (Haryana) 21.67 secs, Sonu Chaudhary (Uttar Pradesh) 21.80 secs.

400m: Prakhar Sharma (Uttarakhand) 46.90 secs, Yashwant Singh (Rajasthan) 46.92 secs, Tarandeep Singh (Punjab) 47.04 secs.

800m: Vinod Kumar (Telangana) 1:49.62, Amit Kumar (Haryana) 1:50.68, Shakeel (Rajasthan) 1:50.81.

Men: U20: 800m: Suraj Singh (Uttarakhand) 1:53.48, Dev (Haryana) 1:53.57, Harmandeep Singh (Punjab) 1:53.67.

1500m: Vinod Singh (Madhya Pradesh) 3:48.46 secs, Rahul Yadav (Madhya Pradesh) 3:51.69, Sumit Kumar (Army) 3:52.36.

Men: U20: 1500m: Rahul Sarnaliya (Uttarakhand) 3:58.88, Rahul Godara (Rajasthan) 3:59.05, Priyanshu (Uttarakhand) 3:50.20.

5,000m: Sharashank M (Madhya Pradesh) 14:54.36 secs, Rajesh Manmya (Rajasthan) 15:02.74, Sandeep Pal (Uttar Pradesh) 15:02.84.

10,000m: Pankaj Kumar (All India Police) 30:04.77, Satish Kumar Verma (Uttar Pradesh) 30:06.88, Rajesh Manmya (Rajasthan) 30:12.13.

3000m steeplechase: Prince Raj Mishra (Railway Sports) 9:04.26 secs, Gurlal Singh (Army) 9:04.43 secs, Hemant (Haryana) 9:09.54 secs.

Triple jump: Jagseer Singh (Rajasthan) 15.11m, Akarshit Pratap Singh (Punjab) 14.99m, Ajay (Haryana) 14.90m.

Long jump: Amitra Ghosh (Railway Sports) 7.85m, Avinash Kumar (Haryana) 7.80m, Rajat (Uttar Pradesh) 7.55m.

Men: U20: Long jump: Dinesh Tanwar (Haryana) 7.11m, Harshdeep Singh (Rajasthan) 6.88m, Abhay Singh (BSF) 6.63m.

High jump: Gurjeet S (Haryana) 2.12m, Rohit (Haryana) 2.05m, Sunil Kumar (Rajasthan) 2.00m.

Pole vault: Aayush Tanwar (Haryana) 4.50m, Anshu Patel (Madhya Pradesh) 4.50m, Dinesh Dalal (Haryana) 4.50m.

Hammer throw: Damneet Singh (Reliance) 68.37m, Praveen Kumar (Rajasthan) 64.98m, Ajay Kumar (Haryana) 62.54m.

Shot put: Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Punjab) 19.97m, Sanyam (Haryana) 19.09m, Karanveer Singh (Punjab) 18.79m.

Javelin throw: Rohit Yadav (Railway Sports) 78.82m, Vipul Yadav (Rajasthan) 76.31m, Arshdeep Singh (Punjab) 76.29m.

Women: 100m: Fatema Begam (Tripura) 11.98 seconds, Preet Kaur (Punjab) 12.30 secs, Dona Dhaked (Rajasthan) 12.31 secs.

Women: U20: 100m: Lovejot Kaur (Punjab) 12.35 secs, Shubhneet Kaur (Punjab) 12.67 secs, Vandana Kumari (Rajasthan) 13.12 secs.

200m: Fatema Begam (Tripura) 23.97 seconds, Kusum Thakur (Himachal Pradesh) 24.08 secs, Rishita Kaur (Rajasthan) 24.36 secs.

400m: Kiran Pahal (Haryana) 54.07 seconds, Rama Tanwar (Rajasthan) 55.71 secs, Kiranpal Kaur (Punjab) 55.98 secs

Women: U20: 800m: Sehnoor Bawa (Punjab) 2:13.03, Deepika (Rajasthan) 2:14.76, Harpreet Kaur (Punjab) 2:21.66.

Women: U20: 1500m: Snehal Kharat (Maharashtra) 4:32.63, Nancy Choudhary (Himachal Pradesh) 4:52.82, Anney Toppo (Delhi) 5:18.68.

1500m: Preeti Yadav (Madhya Pradesh) 4:37.53 secs, Shivani Hudda (All India Police) 4:42.61 secs, Sangam (Delhi) 5:21.50 secs.

5,000m: Anita (Haryana) 17:49.56 secs, Chatru (Rajasthan) 17:52.40 secs, Shraddha Rajanikant (Gujarat) 18:02.42.

10,000m: Sonam (Delhi) 35:54.70, Shreya (Uttar Pradesh) 36:03,59, KM Mamta (All India Police) 36:08.54.

3,000m steeplechase: Rebi Pal (Railway Sports) 11:10.08 secs, Khushbu Gupta (Uttar Pradesh) 11:10.76 secs, Bhagyashree L (Gujarat) 11:20.33 secs.

Triple jump: Niharika Vashist (Punjab) 13.13m, Arshdeep Kaur (Punjab) 12.53m, Martina Ilisiyus (Madhya Pradesh) 12.29m.

High jump: Reet Rathor (Uttar Pradesh) 1.80m, Khyati Mathur (Uttar Pradesh) 1.78m, Manshi (Railway Sports) 1.70m.

Long jump: Nidhi (All India Police) 5.85m, Soniya (Uttar Pradesh) 5.74m, Anjali (Haryana) 5.58m.

Pole vault: Nidhi (Haryana) 3.20m, Shabnam (Haryana) 3.00m, Rajni (Haryana) 3.00m.

Hammer throw: Kulvinder Kaur (Railway Sports) 57.42m, Nithya B (Tamil Nadu) 55.39m, Haqikat Grewal (Punjab) 53.89m.

Shot put: Manpreet Kaur (Railway Sports) 17.33m, Vidhi (Uttar Pradesh) 16.35m, Yogita (NCOE Patiala) 16.18m.

Women: U20: Javelin throw: Bhavya Pilania (Haryana) 47.36m, Navpreet Kaur (Punjab) 43.11m, Arya Mohite (Maharashtra) 42.48m.

Javelin throw: Shilpa Rani (Haryana) 57.65m, Rashmi K (Andhra Pradesh) 56.15m, Annu Rani (Railway Sports) 55.78m

–IANS

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Dharavi Chess Championship 2025 to unite over 200 young minds

Mumbai, Dec 11 (IANS) In the last many decades of its existence, Dharavi has produced many talented doctors, lawyers, artists, engineers, and sportspersons. It is the first time that one of Asia’s most densely populated informal settlements is gearing up for a vibrant showcase of strategy and youthful talent as the Dharavi Schools Chess Championship 2025.

Hosted by Nav Bharat Mega Developers Private Limited (NMDPL) and the Adani Group, the Dharavi Chess Championship 2025 is slated to be held on Friday (December 12, 2025) at the District Sports Club. Over 200 students from more than 30 schools will compete across Junior and Senior categories in a tournament that celebrates one of the world’s most intellectually enriching sports.

As part of its broader vision for community upliftment, NMDPL views the redevelopment of Dharavi not just as an infrastructure programme but as a long-term investment in human capital. The championship reflects this approach by nurturing cognitive skills, building confidence, and opening pathways for aspiration-driven growth among young learners.

Reinforcing the Adani Group’s strong focus on promoting sports at the grassroots level, the event will feature India’s chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa, who will lead interactive engagements, exhibition games, and conversations on discipline, resilience, and focused thinking—values that resonate both in competitive sport and in life.

The initiative underscores the transformative role intellectual sports can play in providing opportunities for children in high-density settlements, equipping them with problem-solving abilities, curiosity, and a mindset for lifelong learning. By creating such platforms, NMDPL continues to widen horizons for the next generation, helping them dream bigger and aim higher.

Organisers anticipate a lively and inspiring atmosphere as students, educators, and community members come together for a day dedicated to mental agility, strategic thinking, and holistic development.

The Adani Group secured the Dharavi redevelopment bid in November 2022, initiating one of India’s most ambitious urban transformation projects and setting the stage for sustained community-centric initiatives such as this championship.

On the occasion, selected players will also get a chance to compete against Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa in a simul on Friday.

–IANS

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Nitish Kumar congratulates Ishan Kishan after match-winning 77 against Pak in T20 World Cup

Patna, Feb 16 (IANS) A day after Indian opener Ishan Kishan produced a sensational performance against arch-rivals Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2026, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar congratulated the Patna-born cricketer for his decisive knock on a relatively slow pitch.

Playing at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Ishan Kishan scored a crucial 77 runs off 40 balls, laying a strong foundation for India’s comprehensive victory over Pakistan.

Following the match, Nitish Kumar shared a congratulatory message on social media, praising both the Indian team and Kishan’s performance.

“Hearty congratulations and best wishes to the Indian cricket team on their victory in the T20 World Cup 2026 match between India and Pakistan. Playing for the Indian cricket team in this match, Ishan Kishan from Bihar played a key role in India’s victory by scoring 77 runs in 40 balls with a brilliant performance, for which hearty congratulations and best wishes to him,” Kumar said in a post on X.

“Wishing Ishan Kishan a bright future. The entire country is happy and proud of this victory. My infinite best wishes to all the players of the Indian cricket team,” Kumar added.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary also congratulated the Indian team on its dominant performance.

“Heartiest congratulations to the Indian team on their spectacular 61-run victory against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. This victory is not just a match, but a moment of pride for the entire country,” Choudhary said.

India registered a 61-run win, defeating Pakistan for a record eighth time in T20 World Cup history.

After winning the toss, Pakistan asked India to bat first. The Indian team posted 175 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. In reply, Pakistan were bowled out for 114 runs in 18 overs.

India’s bowling attack proved too strong, with Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy picking up two wickets each. Kuldeep Yadav and Tilak Verma also chipped in with wickets.

With this emphatic victory, the Indian cricket team sealed its place in the Super 8 stage of the tournament.

–IANS

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