Afghan pacer Farooqi fined for dissent at umpire during Zimbabwe ODI

Pune, Dec 26 (IANS) The dominance displayed by Haryana Steelers in the ongoing edition of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) have pegged the JSW Sports-owned franchise as the title favourites going into the playoffs. With 16 wins in 22 games and a score difference of 112, the Steelers ran through the competition to finish on top in the league stage and were also the first team to book a spot in the playoffs.

With head coach Manpreet Singh and skipper Jaideep Dahiya at the helm, the defensive prowess of the side was displayed thoroughly in a season where the Steelers were one of the top defensive units of the season. Steelers also attained 246 successful tackles, and earned 265 team tackle points, the second-highest only after Tamil Thalaivas.

Bringing on Mohammad Reza Shadloui, who played for defending Champions Puneri Paltan last season, proved to be a masterstroke for Haryana, as the Iranian made an immediate impact in both defensive and raiding departments, establishing himself as a true allrounder of the highest calibre.

Shadloui earned 76 total tackle points, the second-highest in the league stage, attaining multiple orange sleeve exchanges. Throughout the season, Steelers also conflicted a total of 28 All Outs. Meanwhile, Vinay and Shivam were on top form in the attacking department, finishing in the top 10 raiders of the season in the league stage.

There also have been a few surprise packages for the team. “Our key players have been Shadloui, Rahul Sethpal, Jaideep Dahiya and Sanjay. Their combination and coordination have contributed to the team’s performance. The left-right combination of Vinay and Shivam Patare in the raiding department has also surprised the opposition,” Manpreet said.

Being the first team to qualify for the knockouts also allowed Haryana to test out their bench strength, and Manpreet praised the players for taking the opportunities given to them.

“We have rotated players quite effectively, and several players including Vishal Tate, Jaya Soorya, Naveen, Sanskar Mishra made the most of the changes. Sanjay has proven to be a surprise package for us as well and hence has grown up to be a mainstay for our team. He meshed well with our defensive unit and proved his worth. We will surely see a few of them in the knockout games as well,” he said.

Meanwhile, skipper Jaideep is confident after guiding his team to the playoffs in style. He opened up on his communication practices with the team and praised his side for following the plans laid out by him and the coaches.

“I keep on speaking to players about whether we should attack from left or right, depending on the defenders on the other end. We have switched our raiders well. With our defence, we strategise quickly depending on whether we think the opposition’s raider would go for a kick, or touch or a bonus point. Outside the mat, we continue to discuss the importance of getting a win, which keeps us motivated. All the players heed to the plans and we stick to them,” he explained.

But Jaideep is not feeling the pressure of the knockout and knows the onus to get to the title will be dependent on how Haryana Steelers play as a unit.

“There is no pressure for knockouts. We are playing with a free mind. We will give our 100 per cent and try to win. My role is to fix the gaps wherever needed. But we need to play as a team to win the upcoming matches. We lost the title last year, so we know how important the trophy is for us,” he said.

Manpreet echoed similar sentiments and highlighted the importance of a title win for Haryana. “This year’s trophy is ours to win. We have prepared the team keeping the trophy in mind. Haryana is the hub of Kabaddi and many players come from this state. I want Haryana to lift the cup so that we can inspire new kids to pick up the sport,” he signed off.

Steelers will next play in the first semifinal on Friday at Badminton Hall in Balewadi Sports Complex, Pune.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said the only way a struggling Rohit Sharma can assert himself in the upcoming Brisbane Test is by throwing the first punch towards Australia as an opener.

Rohit could only make nine runs in two innings as a number six batter in India’s ten-wicket defeat to Australia at the Adelaide Oval, as the hosts’ squared the five-match series 1-1. Those two scores meant Rohit is now averaging just 11.83 in his last six Tests.

“That’s where he’s been at his best over the last eight or nine years. It’s not that he’s going to set the world on fire – he could – but that’s the place that’s best for him. To lead from the front. If he has to do damage, if he has to throw the first punch, that’s the best place from where he can do it.

“And it is important that India get their judgement right here, because 1-1 in the series, this is the moving Test match. I feel whichever team wins this Test match will win the series. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind. So it is very, very important that India get the balance right, because Australia have got the confidence back,” Shastri was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.

Shastri, who coached India to successive 2-1 Test series victories in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21, recalled about how Shubman Gill advised Rishabh Pant, who remained 89 not out, in scripting a memorable chase of 328 at the Gabba, to seal an unforgettable series win.

“I’ll never forget it. Last session, 140 runs to get. We had two different change rooms because of Covid. I went down from the coaches’ room to have a chat with either Rishabh or (Cheteshwar) Pujara. When I was about to reach the toilet, I heard a conversation between Gill and Pant.

“Seventy-one overs bowled; Gill had got out for 91, and they were the two youngest players in the side, 21 and 22. ‘Nine overs left, they need the new ball, they’ll bring (Marnus) Labuschagne on with his leg spin, you’ve got to score 45-50 runs there’.

“They are planning how they can reach closer to the end score, and no way was I going to stop them; I don’t want to change that mindset. So I just walked past and said ‘do what you have to do’. In the end, we chased down nearly 150 in that last session,” he concluded.

Shastri also stated that the Indian team’s unity during the 2020/21 series, despite strict Covid-19 measures, was critical to their epic victory, especially after being 36 all out in the series opener in Adelaide.

“Being locked up and then having to give their best in the middle, and in a country like India where there’s 1.4 billion people, there’s no sympathy. ‘To hell with Covid, what’s Covid, jolly well win the Test match.’ That’s all they want. So there’s no hiding in our part of the world.

“In Covid, the first Test match you start with five bowlers and the same five bowlers don’t play the last Test. That says it all, it’s like Australia playing without these five bowlers in the last Test of the series; it’s a different ball game.

“Plus, you didn’t have quite a few batsmen as well. So it’s a tribute to the players. You can only do so much as a coach from behind the scenes. At the end of it, it’s the players who have to go out there and do their job and they were magnificent,” he concluded.

–IANS

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Hyderabad, Dec 25 (IANS) Out of the 36 states and two institutional sides jumping into the fray, eight teams remain in the “City of Pearls,” determined to grab the coveted Santosh Trophy, considered the jewel of the country’s National Football Championship since 1941. With eight teams ready to deliver the knock-out punch on each other, the quarterfinal stage will be played over two days from Thursday.

A meeting between defending champions Services and 2022-23 runners-up Meghalaya is a fascinating battle on the cards. Services, who are aiming to defend the title for the first time since 2015-16, didn’t start in the best possible manner as they went down 0-1 to Manipur.

However, three successive and convincing wins put them back on track for the knockout stages. But Monday’s defeat to West Bengal threw off that momentum and they had to settle for third place in Group A.

Meghalaya were also a slow starter, drawing with Tamil Nadu and losing to Kerala in the first two games. But they gradually picked up form and beat Delhi and Goa to ensure a quarterfinal spot. After crashing out in the final round group stage last season, it’s a much better showing from Hering Shangpliang’s side this time around.

A goalless draw with Odisha meant a third consecutive clean sheet for Meghalaya, which suggests a close contest for the fourth and final semifinal spot. That was also the case the last time these two teams met in 2023-24 when Services nicked a 1-0 win thanks to a 95th-minute penalty. Bengal and Odisha, two sides with contrasting fortunes in the ongoing final rounds of the 78th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy will cross swords at the Deccan Arena.

Bengal, the 32-time champions, on paper, appear favourites. While finishing top of Group A with 13 points, they have netted 20 goals in their eight matches in the 78th Santosh Trophy Group Stage and the Final Rounds, but have conceded only one. The one goal they conceded came in their first match of the Final Rounds, a 3-1 victory against Jammu and Kashmir in Group A. The side, coached by Sanjoy Sen, has not conceded a goal for 371 minutes so far. Attacker Robi Hansda currently leads the top scorers’ charts with eight goals to his name in the 2024-25 Santosh Trophy.

Odisha, on the other hand, have managed to scrape through as the fourth-best team in Group B with five points in their kitty and just one win against former champions Goa (2-0). Kartik Hantal has been among the goals for Odisha, having netted five in the competition so far.

The 2002-03 Santosh Trophy Champions, Manipur, have managed to maintain a certain level of consistency while remaining below the general radar so far in the Final Rounds. On the one hand, they left it late in their Group A match to beat bottom side Telangana, while on the other, they have managed positive results against defending champions Services (1-0), and eventual group toppers Bengal (0-0).

Delhi had a great start to their Final Rounds campaign, but seem to have somewhat lost their momentum since a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Meghalaya, which were followed by a defeat against Kerala (0-3), and a stalemate against Goa. In terms of their history, Delhi, who had won their only Santosh Trophy title eight decades ago in 1944. Since then, they have made the quarterfinals and semifinals on several occasions, but could never progress beyond it.

Jammu and Kashmir, who finished fourth in Group A, will face what looks like an uphill task against free-scoring and unbeaten Group B winners Kerala. Seven-time champions, last in 2021-22, Kerala have already scored a staggering 29 goals in eight matches this season. Naseeb Rahman and Muhammad Ajsal, especially, are in prolific form with six goals each.

Apart from West Bengal and Manipur, they are the only remaining unbeaten team. After securing the top spot with a game to spare, head coach Biby Thomas took the opportunity to rotate the squad for the last match against Tamil Nadu on Tuesday and will have the advantage of fresher legs for the quarter-final.

Jammu and Kashmir, playing the final round for the first time since 2015-16, will be happy to have come this far in 2024-25. Unlike Kerala, they only managed to seal their last eight berth on the final matchday with a win over Rajasthan. However, their ability to bounce back from heavy defeats in the first two games against West Bengal and Services has to be appreciated. Although Jammu and Kashmir have conceded just once in their last three games, it remains to be seen how they can keep this offensive Kerala side at bay.

–IANS

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