Category: Sports

Munich, April 16 (IANS) Alexander Zverev delivered a strong performance to defeat Gabriel Diallo 6-1, 6-2 and move on to the quarter-finals in Munich. He now faces a crucial match against Francisco Cerundolo.

The World No. 3 completely controlled the match against Diallo, quickly winning the first set and maintaining his advantage in the second. The Canadian needed treatment for a back issue late in the first set. As the match progressed, his struggles became more apparent. Zverev took advantage, breaking Diallo in the sixth game of the second set after the Canadian sent a routine forehand long.

After the match, Zverev recognized Diallo’s physical problems but felt pleased with his own performance. “I think he had some issues with the back and was not serving fully in the second set,” he said during his on-court interview. “But I am happy with the win and happy to get an easier match today.”

This victory marks Zverev’s 113th tour-level quarter-final, putting him among the most reliable players on the circuit. A three-time champion in Munich, he is aiming for his first title since winning this event last year.

However, the upcoming match against Cerundolo poses a serious challenge. The Argentine has a 3-0 record against Zverev on clay, including victories in Madrid and Buenos Aires. Still, Zverev leads their overall head-to-head 4-3. Cerundolo reached the quarter-finals with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 win over Botic van de Zandschulp and has shown strong form on clay this season.

Off the court, Zverev had a memorable night supporting his favorite football club, Bayern Munich, as they won their European quarter-final against Real Madrid. Several Bayern players reciprocated by attending his match in Munich.

“It is great for the stars to come out,” Zverev said. “Amazing for them to get the win at home and I was there watching. It was very, very special. I took the kids down to the locker room after, and they were very nice to the kids, signing autographs.”

In other news, Alex Molcan reached his first ATP 500 quarter-final since 2022 with a tough 6-4, 7-6(10) win over Daniel Altmaier, saving three set points in a tense second set. He will next play Denis Shapovalov, who advanced with a 7-6(4), 6-2 victory against Fabian Marozsan.

–IANS

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Ludhiana, April 16 (IANS) Fighting to avoid relegation, Namdhari FC will host Chanmari FC in a pivotal bottom-half encounter in the Indian Football League (IFL) 2025-26 season at the Namdhari Stadium in Sri Bhaini Sahib on Friday.

With both sides striving to climb up from the relegation zone, the fixture assumes significance as the league enters a decisive phase. Chanmari currently occupies seventh place in the standings with eight points from as many matches, just one ahead of ninth-placed Namdhari, who have played the same number of games.

Chanmari have registered two wins so far this season, while Namdhari have managed one, underscoring the evenly-poised nature of the contest. Recent form, however, tilts marginally in favour of the hosts. Namdhari have collected points in three of their last five matches, including one win and two draws, whereas Chanmari have endured a difficult run, managing just one positive result in their last five outings, with the other four ending in defeats.

Defensive vulnerabilities have plagued both teams, with each conceding 14 goals so far. In attack, Namdhari holds a slender advantage, having scored 11 goals, one more than their opponents, despite being lower in the standings.

Both sides head into the clash on the back of defeats and will be keen to respond. Chanmari went down 1-3 against Diamond Harbour FC in their previous outing, while Namdhari suffered a 0-2 loss to Shillong Lajong FC.

As it stands, both teams remain entrenched in the relegation battle, but a victory on Friday could significantly reshape their prospects, contingent, in part, on favourable results elsewhere. A win for Chanmari would take them to 11 points and potentially lift them into the top six, ahead of Dempo SC and Aizawl FC, who are currently on nine points. Should both those sides drop points in their respective final game week fixtures against Rajasthan FC and Shillong Lajong, Chanmari could secure a place in the Championship phase.

Namdhari, too, have a pathway into the top six. A victory would take the Punjab-based side to 10 points, which could see them leapfrog the teams above them, depending on other results, and move into contention for a Championship phase berth.

With only the top six teams progressing to the Championship phase and the bottom four entering a relegation battle, every point assumes critical importance at this juncture. Friday’s encounter could prove decisive in shaping the trajectory of both teams as they look to climb the standings and steer clear of danger.

–IANS

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Mumbai, April 16 (IANS) Playing his first match for the Mumbai Indians, Quinton de Kock smashed a brilliant century and shared a 123-run partnership with Naman Dhir (50) as the hosts posted a challenging 195/6 against the Punjab Kings in Match 24 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.

De Kock, who was left on the bench for the first four matches of the season as Mumbai decided to got with the younger wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton, made the most of the opportunity to score 112 not out, becoming only the third player to score centuries for three different IPL teams. He joined KL Rahul and Sanju Samson when he reached the three-figure mark in 53 balls on Thursday.

With Rohit Sharma missing the match after failing to fully recover from a hamstring injury he suffered in the previous match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the Mumbai Indians went in with a new opening pair as Quinton de Kock partnered his South African compatriot, Rickelton.

But the move did not work, and the Mumbai Indians soon got into trouble at 12/2 with Arshdeep Singh landing twin blows off successive balls, sending back Rickelton and India T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav for a first-ball duck. Rickelton (2) was the first to go, smashing a length-ball on his pads straight down the throat of Shashing Singh at deep backward square leg. He was Arshdeep Singh’s 100th victim in the IPL 87th match.

The lanky left-arm medium pacer made it 101 wickets when he swung one off the length, and Suryakuamr Yadav drove it straight to Yuzvendra Chahal.

Quinton de Kock and Naman Dhir then changed the complexion of the match with the South African opener smashing a brilliant century off 53 balls, hitting seven boundaries and as many sixes, reaching his century in his first match for the Mumbai Indians.

De Kock found a good partner in Naman Dhir as they raised 123 runs for the third wicket partnership, helping the Mumbai Indians recover from a precarious s12/2.

De Kock was the more adventurous and made the most of the run-out opportunity that Shreyas Iyer missed, unable to execute a direct hit. QDK, who started with a superb six off the first ball he aced, reached his fifty off 28 balls. He was quite severe on Chahal, smashing him for a couple of sixes off the mystery spinner.

Naman Dhir, who was promoted to No.4 and enjoyed a slice of luck, put down by Chahal early in his knock, hammered a half-century, making the most of his chance. He smashed Vijaykumar Vyshak for the two fours and a six off the last over of Power-play. They then smashed Chahal for two sixes and a four as they raised 100 runs off their partnership. Dhir completed his fifty off.

De Kock continued to prosper; he stepped up a gear after completing his half-century, smashing Shashank Singh for back-to-back sixes and reaching the three-figure mark in 53 balls, smashing seven fours and as many sixes in his superb knock.

Mumbai lost skipper Hardik Pandya (14 of 12), to a spectacular catch orchestrated by PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer, who leapt into the air, caught the ball with the tip of his left hand, exchanged it to his throwing arm and lobbed it in inside the field while in air outside the rope for Xavier Bartlett to complete the catch. The sensation catch, which he celebrated in front of his home crowd animatedly, would be listed among the best of this season and helped PBKS restrict Mumbai Indians to below 200..

While trying to force the pace, Sherfane Rutherford fell cheaply for one, as Arshdeep Singh disturbed his stumps for his third wicket of the night.

De Kock continued to hold one end up and, despite losing Tilak Varma in the final over to a runout, helped the team finish close to the 200-run mark.

Brief scores:

Mumbai Indians 195/6 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 112 not out, Naman Dhir 50; Arshdeep Singh 3-22) against Punjab Kings

–IANS

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New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) The chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Jay Shah has been named to the Young Global Leaders Class of 2026 by the World Economic Forum.

This recognition shows his growing influence in shaping the future of global cricket.

Shah, who was the youngest secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has played an important role in various aspects of the sport’s development.

He has overseen key parts of the Indian Premier League, promoted the growth of women’s cricket, and secured major media rights deals. His work has significantly impacted the game. He has also been a key figure in getting cricket included in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

A press release that announced his selection highlighted his influence on the global stage.

It stated, “Shah’s selection underscores his growing influence in international cricket administration. As ICC Chairman, he has focused on expanding the sport’s global footprint, strengthening international partnerships, and positioning cricket for long-term growth across established and emerging markets.”

The release also pointed out his vital role in a major recent event for cricket. “He has also played a key role in cricket’s re-induction into the Olympics for the LA 2028 Summer Olympics. Through this recognition, Shah joins a global network of leaders driving impact across sectors, reinforcing India’s presence on influential international platforms while lending further momentum to the growth of the game,” it added.

The Young Global Leaders (YGL) community includes 118 leaders under 40 from 55 countries. They come from fields such as public service, science, business, civil society, and culture. This cohort reflects a diverse group of individuals contributing to global progress and innovation.

“This year’s cohort includes global figures such as Tomas Okmanas, Co-Founder and CEO of Nord Security; Thea LaFond; Jennifer Zhang, Co-Founder and CEO of WIZ.AI; and Professor Sally Nuamah, among others,” the release noted.

–IANS

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Mumbai, April 16 (IANS) Talismanic opener Rohit Sharma is likely to miss the next couple of matches as the Mumbai Indians attempt to haul themselves back on the rails after suffering three successive defeats in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

That Rohit was not fully fit after suffering an injury to his right hamstring in the match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 12 was confirmed on Thursday, just before the start of MI’s match with Punjab Kings.

At the toss, skipper Hardik Pandya confirmed that Rohit Sharma will miss the next couple of matches at least.

“Rohit misses out; he’ll take a couple of games to see where he is,” said Pandya at the toss, indicating that Rohit has maybe not fully recovered from the injury and MI would not take a risk by rushing him into the middle.

Rohit had suffered an injury to his right hamstring during the match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the same venue on April 12 and retired hurt after scoring 19 runs. He reportedly underwent scans and had light training and batting practice on the eve of the Mumbai Indians’ match against the Punjab Kings.

On Wednesday, the franchise informed that Rohit was still under “assessment” by the medical staff and team management. Rohit missed the practice session on Tuesday and made a brief appearance towards the end of their pre-match training session. He had his right leg strapped and did some short sprints and batted in the nets for some time just before the session ended.

On Thursday, the 38-year-old winner of six IPL titles did not come out for the pre-match warmup routine with other members of the squad and only came out just before the toss, and that too in his joggers, confirming that he would not take the field.

His absence proved a blessing in disguise as Quinton de Kock made it to the playing XI and scored a half-century to help the team recover from a poor start against the Punjab Kings.

–IANS

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New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) The second phase of the Indian Women’s League 2025-26 will kick off on Monday, April 27, 2026, in Kolkata.

The proceedings will start with East Bengal FC versus Sribhumi FC, a fixture rescheduled from Phase 1, at the East Bengal Ground on April 27 at 19:00 IST.

Phase 1, which was held from December 20, 2025, to January 9, 2026, saw 27 matches. The league took a hiatus of more than three months to allow player availability for the senior and U20 women’s national teams camps and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in March and the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup in April.

A further 29 matches will be played in Phase 2 from April 27 to May 18, with the eight teams playing each other in the second leg of the double round-robin format of the league. The matches will be played in two venues — AIFF National Centre of Excellence and the East Bengal Ground. All matches will kick off at 15:00 and 19:00 IST.

Defending champions East Bengal FC are currently at the top of the table with 18 points from six games, while Sesa FA and Kickstart FC occupy the relegation spots with one and six points, respectively. The team with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned champions.

On the other hand, the seventh and eighth-placed sides will be relegated to IWL 2 next season. The top two teams from IWL 2 2025-26 final round will be promoted to IWL 2026-27.

–IANS

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Mumbai, April 16 (IANS) One man’s loss turns out to be another man’s gain as Delhi all-rounder Mayank Rawat will vouch on Thursday. An upset stomach for New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner paved the way for an opportunity, allowing the five-time champions to hand Rawat his Indian Premier League debut against the Punjab Kings in Match 24 at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

The Delhi-based all-rounder, who bowls off-spin, has come up through the ranks, impressing the MI talent scouts with consistent performances in the Delhi Premier League.

Rawat was picked by the Mumbai Indians in the last IPL Auction at a base price of INR 30 lakh and is now sharing the dressing room with some of India’s leading players. He also has the opportunity to learn from the words of wisdom from international stars like Santner and AM Ghazanfar, besides batting greats like Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav, the India T20 captain who led the country to victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2006 a few weeks back.

Rawat’s journey to the Indian Premier League reflects years of persistence through the domestic cricket system.

The 26-year-old Rawat started his cricketing journey in Delhi under coach Rajesh Nagar, who has mentored him since 2011. A product of structured grassroots development, Rawat trained consistently through school and academy cricket, receiving strong support from his coaching setup during his formative years.

He showed early promise in age-group cricket, notably scoring 220 runs against Haryana at the Under-14 level and later producing another remarkable innings of 244 runs. However, he did not get enough chances to play early on, as despite these performances, consistent selection opportunities did not immediately follow. Rawat faced several years of limited chances and fluctuating form. However, he continued to work on his skills during this period, trying to improve his all-round game.

His resurgence came through strong performances in domestic competitions, particularly the Delhi Premier League, where his contributions brought him back into the spotlight and attracted the attention of IPL scouts.

On Thursday, he finally got his time under the arch lights at the Wankhede Stadium against PBKS. Will be able to make his mark on debut, just like Praful Hinge and Sakib Hossain of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Ashok Sharma of Gujarat Titans.

–IANS

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New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) In a landmark move, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Thursday announced the introduction of a central contract system for its players, with an aim to provide financial security and a professional structure to emerging talent.

With this initiative, MCA has become the first state unit in the country to formalise a player contract system. According to its framework, the contracts will be divided into three categories based on performance, fitness benchmarks, and recommendations from the senior selection committee.

The Grade A bracket will offer an annual retainer between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 20 lakh, while Grade B is set at Rs 8 lakh to Rs 12 lakh. Players in Grade C will receive a flat retainer of Rs 8 lakh.

“This initiative marks a new era for Mumbai cricket. We are proud to be the first association to implement a player contract system – a progressive step that will provide greater security, structure, and growth opportunities for our Mumbai players. It reflects our vision to strengthen the foundation of Mumbai cricket and empower the next generation of cricketers,” said MCA President Ajinkya Naik in a statement.

The key objectives of this initiative are to provide financial stability to Mumbai players, establish a structured professional environment, encourage performance consistency and fitness standards, create a strong pipeline for higher-level cricket and retain and nurture emerging talent within the Mumbai cricket ecosystem.

These retainers are in addition to the standard match fees, daily allowances, and performance-based incentives already provided under MCA’s policy. The MCA, though, did not mention whether the contracts would cover both men and women cricketers.

“This initiative ushers in a new era by providing financial security, professional structure, and long-term development pathways for emerging cricketers. The system is designed to support players who are on the cusp of higher honours, ensuring stability and motivation to perform consistently at the domestic level,” further said the MCA.

–IANS

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New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Delhi Capitals spinner Vipraj Nigam said the time between last year’s IPL and the ongoing season has been transformative for his development as a cricketer, where he featured in a full domestic campaign for Uttar Pradesh and had exposure to India A matches.

Nigam had a mixed time in his first IPL stint with Delhi Capitals last year – starting brightly with seven wickets in his first five innings at an economy rate of 8.9 before having a dip by picking six wickets in his next nine games at 9.4 runs per over.

With his leg-spin, Nigam was notably more effective against left‑handers, striking every 16 balls compared to 25.7 against right‑handers, with five of his 11 wickets coming against the southpaws.

Nigam has impressed in domestic T20s since the IPL, finishing as the second‑highest wicket‑taker in the UP T20 League 2025 with 20 wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 7.8. He also led Uttar Pradesh’s bowling in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, claiming 13 wickets in seven games at an economy rate of 7.4.

In between, he played for India A in the 50-over games against Australia A, picking up 2-17 in the T20 World Cup warm-up game against Namibia. “Actually, there have been a lot of changes. Like you said, I have played the entire domestic season for Uttar Pradesh. I have played matches for the India A team.

“So, somewhere or the other, all the things that I had learnt in IPL last year, I learnt a lot more from being there. Like, new dressing room, new players who were with me in India A, and they were India’s top players who were already representing the Indian team.

“So, sharing the dressing room and learning new skills from them – all those things were very good, and I am trying to learn all those things. Even the tournaments that I have played here, the practice sessions before coming to IPL, I have tried to bring the same thing in all of them,” said Nigam to IANS on the ‘JioStar Press Room’ during TATA IPL 2026 Rivalry Week.

Nigam, who’s played three IPL 2026 games so far and picked just one wicket, showered rich praise for wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, whose ability to read the game from behind the stumps and communicate with younger bowlers in real time left a lasting impression on him.

“Actually, as everyone knows, KL bhaiya is the keeper in the game. So, behind the stumps, if anything happens, how the wicket is going, or if the batter is trying to do something specific, he always comes and shares with me if I am coming to bowl. Even in fielding time, he sees everything so well.

“He does everything because in such a crowd and so much noise around, Axar bhaiya can’t make changes all the time – so KL bhaiya’s role becomes the most important in this scenario as a wicket-keeper because he himself goes and talks to the bowlers. Like us youngsters, whoever is playing in the game, how to involve them and remove pressure from them, he does all these things very well,” he said.

DC, who are yet to win the IPL, have suffered back-to-back defeats after winning their first two games. But Nigam was emphatic that the mood inside the camp is still upbeat and that they can look to get back to winning ways when they take on defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

“Morale is still high. Yes, we are coming after losing the last two games. But whatever mistakes we have made, we have time to settle and work on them. Whatever mistakes we have made in the last few games, we have worked on them.

“Hopefully, we will make a comeback from this game. But the morale is still high as the team is in form. All the senior players and the coaching staff have given freedom to the team,” he said.

Asked about how the DC coaching staff stays in touch with players when IPL is not on, Nigam elaborated on how they have maintained consistent contact throughout the year and regularly check in on how they fare in various competitions.

“We get very little time in the off-season. But whatever time we get, our coaching staff is always in touch with the players. From last year to starting this year’s IPL, I think every week I talk to them about what we are doing, how we are performing in domestic games, and how bowling and batting are going.

“They even ask how we are training and if any problem is being faced, or if any aspect of the game needs work, or when we are free? The entire coaching staff is always in touch with you.

“From the beginning of the IPL to now, you will never feel that you want to ask, or you are in doubt, or you are not able to share certain things. The coaching staff has treated all the players so well that no one feels like that. Even after the IPL, I never felt like that,” he concluded.

Catch Delhi Capitals in action against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in TATA IPL 2026’s Rivalry Week, April 18, 3:30 PM onwards, LIVE and Exclusive on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network.

–IANS

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Mumbai, April 16 (IANS) Former Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma was rested after suffering a hamstring injury in the previous match, as Punjab Kings won the toss and elected to bowl first in Match 24 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.

There was much speculation about Rohit’s availability for the match, and the Mumbai Indians kept the cards under wraps, assessing the situation till Thursday. But they eventually decided not to take a risk and rested him for the match.

With Rohit rested. Quinton de Kock got the chance to partner his compatriot Ryan Rickelton at the top. At the toss, Hardik Pandya said New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner is unwell and has been rested, while his compatriot Trent Boult made way for Deepak Chahar.

MI also decided to blood Mayank Rawat, handing him his first cap, while PBKS decided to go with the same playing XI.

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer said he spoke to some players and said that with the dew coming in, the pitch will play better, which was why he opted to bowl first.

“So far, so good, we’ve got a brilliant start. That’s all a captain can ask for. Our combination has been splendid. I ask the team to be proactive throughout. It’s easy to become complacent; you have to stay in the zone. Pitch looks dry, but players have said it gets better with dew,” he said.

MI captain Hardik Pandya, too, would have bowled first. “We were looking to bowl first as well, but a good toss to lose. Time to play good cricket and get a win. We’ve played good cricket, but have lost big moments. Last game, we went for four 20-plus overs, which isn’t acceptable. We’ve spoken and planned about it,” said Hardik.

Playing XIs:

Mumbai Indians: Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (capt), Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Mayank Rawat, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah

Impact substitutes: AM Ghazanfar, Corbin Bosch, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz, Ashwani Kumar

Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

Impact substitutes: Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod, Harpreet Brar, Suyansh Shedge, Yash Thakur

–IANS

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