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Champions League: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lauded Cristiano Ronaldo’s game awareness and mental strength after the Portugal star scored a stoppage-time winner to help Manchester United beat Villarreal and open their account in the tournament. This is what he has done all through his career: Solskjaer talks up Ronaldo’s mental strength (Reuters Photo)HIGHLIGHTSCristiano Ronaldo’s stoppage-time winner helped Manchester United beat Villarreal on WednesdayManchester United ended a poor run over the last week with their win over the Spanish sideIt is the true mark of a very, very good finisher that he keeps calm when the chance arrives: SolskjaerManchester United were in danger of dropping points yet again in the Champions League as they were on course to be held by Villarreal at home on Wednesday before Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and scored a brilliant stoppage-time winner for the Premier League side. Manchester United lost their Champions League opener during their trip to...

The SAI said it is holding discussions with the National Sports Federations to finalise the fresh list of athletes in the TOPS core group ahead of its meeting next month. The Developmental Group of TOPS was added last year to groom promising athletes for future Olympics (SAI Media Photo)HIGHLIGHTSInclusion of India’s elite athletes in TOPS core group is being discussed with NSFs: SAIIndia achieved unprecedented success in the Tokyo Olympics this year by winning 7 medalsTarget Olympic Podium Scheme was established in 2014 to funding and support to Olympic-bound athletesA new core group of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) for the next Olympic cycle will be drawn up from among the country”s elite athletes after the earlier one was dissolved at the end of Tokyo Games, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) said on Wednesday. India achieved unprecedented success in the Tokyo Games this year by winning seven medals, including a historic gold in athletics, mainly due to the fu...

The Marsh Sheffield Shield game scheduled to begin in Brisbane today has been postponed until later in the season after Tasmania decided to fly home following news that Queensland had recorded four locally-acquired cases of COVID-19. The match between Queensland and Tasmania was due to begin this morning at Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane at 10am local time, but Queensland Cricket announced the postponement on Twitter just before 9.30am, the scheduled toss time.Despite the new cases, the Queensland government has not enforced a lockdown and the only health measure to be re-introduced so far is a return to mandatory mask-wearing in indoor settings for those in the Brisbane and Moreton Bay Areas.While acknowledging the match could have proceeded under the current public health settings, Tasmania said they had taken a “cautious and considered approach” and opted to fly home.”Cricket Tasmania has made the decision to return their Tasmanian Tigers Marsh Sheffield Shield and One...

Roger Federer said that the sport should do more to help younger players deal with negative comments and that he couldn’t imagine going through the early part of his career with social media around. Federer said that he knows he has to act differently in front of the media even when he is feeling down. (Reuters Photo)HIGHLIGHTSIssue of players’ mental health came into the spotlight after Osaka withdrew from the French OpenFederer said the situation between players and media needed a rethinkFederer said that he couldn’t imagine going through the early stages of his career with social mediaSwiss tennis great Roger Federer said that the relationship between players and media needs a rethink and that the sport needs to do more to help young players deal with negative comments. The issue of players’ mental health came into the spotlight after Japan’s Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open in a row with tournament officials over media duties. “I think p...

Bengaluru FC winger Udanta Singh, who missed the two international friendly matches against Nepal earlier this year, made a comeback into the Indian football team as head coach Igor Stimac named a 23-member squad for the upcoming SAFF Championship to be held in Bengaluru. Chennaiyin FC’s Vishal Kaith was named among the three goalkeepers, while Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem was omitted.Defender Akash Mishra, midfielders Bipin Singh and Pronay Halder were the other players left out of the 25-member team that went to Kathmandu for the two international friendlies.The players and the support staff will assemble in Bengaluru on Monday and fly out to the Maldives the next day. Stimac, and other members of the technical staff, will join the squad directly in Maldives on the same day.Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and hosts Maldives are the other teams in the championship. Each team plays each other once with the top two teams qualifying for the final.”We are all looking forward to the ...

Despite being packed with excellent Indian and foreign talent, Punjab Kings have regularly messed up games and skipper KL Rahul will have to address their inconsistency. They will lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday, who are almost out of reckoning for a play-off berth.Team FormPunjab Kings: They found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against Rajasthan Royals and will be desperate to find an answer to their problems after being placed seventh with six points from nine matches. The Kings were well-placed to win their first IPL game of the UAE leg before committing harakari in the last over bowled by Kartik Tyagi. They lost two wickets and scored just one run while needing four to win against Rajasthan.Sunrisers Hyderabad: Sunrisers suffered their seventh defeat on Wednesday after being blown away by Delhi Capitals and their play-off chances look less than dim as they have managed just two points after eight games.Match DetailsMatch 38: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Pu...

T20 World Cup: Mumbai Indians’ successful head coach Mahela Jayawardene as the consultant for their qualifying campaign, starting October 17 in Oman. Mahela Jayawardene (L) will work with Sri Lanka during the qualifying stages of T20 World Cup (AFP Photo)HIGHLIGHTSMahela Jayawardene will work with Sri Lanka for 7 days during the T20 World CupSri Lanka will face Ireland, Namibia and Netherlands in the qualifying stageJayawardene roped in as consultant, keeping his track record with MI in mindSri Lanka’s batting great Mahela Jayawardene will join the senior national team as their consultant for the qualifying stages of the T20 World Cup in Oman. Sri Lanka have not been able to seal a direct berth in the Super 12 stages and have to play the qualifiers in Oman to make the cut to the tournament proper. The decision by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has been taken keeping in mind Jayawardene’s tremendous track record with Mumbai Indians and his ready-made inputs post Indian Premie...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) launched the T20 World Cup anthem on Thursday along with a film featuring ‘avatars’ of India captain Virat Kohli and West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard among others. The tournament will begin on October 17 in Oman and UAE, with the final to be played in Dubai on November 14.Composed by Bollywood music director Amit Trivedi, an animated film features young fans from all over the world engaged in T20I cricket and includes some of the sport’s biggest superstars.India captain Kohli leads the group of players brought to life as ‘avatars’ in the animation, that interact with each other throughout.Kohli is joined by fellow captain Pollard of the reigning champions, West Indies as well as Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan.Launched in collaboration with ICC’s global broadcast partner Star Sports, the film premiers worldwide on Thursday across ICC, BCCI, and Star Sports’ social media handles.The animation features a brand...

IPL 2021: Mumbai Indians pacer Trent Boult said both Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya are recovering well but he is not sure whether the two star players will be part of the playing XI in their next match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday. IPL 2021: Rohit and Hardik are recovering well, says MI pacer Boult (Courtesy of BCCI)HIGHLIGHTSRohit Sharma was rested for Mumbai Indians match against Chennai Super Kings on SundayA niggle ruled Hardik Pandya out of the big-ticket clash in DubaiBoth Rohit and Hardik are likely to return to the playing XI when MI take on KKR on ThursdayNew Zealand and Mumbai Indians pacer Trent Boult on Wednesday said Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya are recovering well from their niggles and that it was only a precautionary move that they were rested for the Indian Premier League 2021 match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. Rohit Sharma, who did not take the field during the 2nd innings of the Oval Test in London earlier this month, did not captain Mumbai...