Archives December 2024

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka shared his thoughts on KL Rahul after the wicketkeeper-batter was released by the franchise following the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Rahul, who was LSG’s first signing in 2022, also served as the team’s captain during their first three seasons.

A Promising Start, But Challenges in 2024

Under Rahul’s captaincy, LSG had a strong start, reaching the playoffs in both 2022 and 2023. However, the 2024 season was tough for the team as they struggled to keep up with the changes in T20 cricket. Rahul’s performance as both a player and captain came under heavy criticism.

The situation worsened when Rahul and Goenka were seen arguing publicly after LSG’s 10-wicket loss to SunRisers Hyderabad. Although they resolved their differences during the off-season, LSG decided not to retain Rahul for the 2025 season. He was later signed by the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL auction.

Goenka’s Thoughts on Rahul

Despite the split, Goenka had nothing but good wishes for Rahul. Speaking on the TRS podcast, he said:

“KL Rahul is like family to me and always will be. He led Lucknow for three years and achieved good results. I sincerely hope he does well in the future, no matter what.”

Goenka praised Rahul’s character and talent, saying, “He is a good person, very honest and decent. I wish only good things for someone like him. He is also very talented, and I am sure he will show his skills to the world. My best wishes are with him.”

KL Rahul’s next chapter with Delhi Capitals will be closely watched by fans as he looks to make a strong comeback in the IPL.

Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju has made history by becoming the youngest-ever chess world champion. The 18-year-old from Chennai defeated China’s Ding Liren, the defending champion, in a thrilling final game on Thursday.

Gukesh broke a 39-year-old record held by Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov, who became world champion at 22 in 1985.

A Rising Star from Chennai

Chennai, known as India’s chess capital, is where Gukesh’s journey began. Unlike many chess stars, Gukesh didn’t come from a family of professional players. His father, a surgeon, and mother, a medical professor, enrolled him in after-school chess classes to keep him busy. Coaches quickly noticed his talent and urged his family to support his training.

At just 12 years and 7 months, Gukesh became a grandmaster in 2019, the third-youngest in history.

The Championship Battle

The FIDE World Chess Championship took place in Singapore and lasted 14 games over two weeks. Going into the final match, Gukesh and Ding were tied, each with two wins and eight draws. The pressure was high, as Gukesh needed one more win to claim the title.

In the final game, Gukesh played with black pieces and stayed calm even when Ding seemed to have a stronger position. However, on the 55th move, Ding made a big mistake, losing his rook. This allowed Gukesh to turn the game in his favor. Three moves later, Ding resigned, handing Gukesh the victory.

A Historic Win for India

Gukesh became only the second Indian to win the world chess championship, after Viswanathan Anand, who won five times, with his last title in 2012.

“It’s a proud moment for chess and for India,” said Gukesh, who became emotional after the win.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised him, calling his achievement “historic and exemplary” on social media.

The championship also came with a prize fund of $2.5 million, further cementing Gukesh’s place among the greats of chess.

Ding, who won the championship in 2023, struggled with mental health challenges throughout the year. Despite showing moments of brilliance during the tournament, he couldn’t hold his nerve in the final game.

With this win, Gukesh has inspired millions and brought pride to his country, marking the start of what could be a long and successful career in chess.

Kandy, Dec 11: The Galle Marvels secured a convincing seven-wicket victory over the Kandy Bolts in the Lanka T10 Super League at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Chasing a modest target of 101 runs, the Marvels reached the finish line comfortably in just eight overs.

The Marvels got off to a steady start but faced a mini-collapse when they lost quick wickets, leaving them at 39/3. However, Andre Fletcher and Shakib Al Hasan took control and guided the team to victory with a solid unbeaten partnership of 63 runs for the fourth wicket.

Fletcher was the star of the chase, smashing an unbeaten 41 off just 21 balls. His entertaining knock featured four sixes and three boundaries. Shakib played a crucial supporting role, scoring 20 not out off only eight deliveries, ensuring there were no further hiccups in the chase.

Earlier, the Kandy Bolts had a tough start after losing two wickets with just five runs on the board. Despite the poor start, wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Chandimal stood tall for the team. Chandimal’s brilliant knock of 66 off 25 balls, including several boundaries and sixes, helped the Bolts post a total of 100/5 in their 10 overs.

The Marvels’ bowlers were impressive, with Binura Fernando delivering a standout performance. Fernando bowled a tight spell, picking up 3/9 in his two overs and stifling the Bolts’ batting lineup. His excellent bowling earned him the Player of the Match award.

*Rain Halts Second Match*

 

The second match of the day between the Nuwara Eliya Kings and Colombo Jaguars was disrupted by rain. The Kings were off to a strong start, scoring 79/1 in just six overs before the rain arrived. Opener Avishka Fernando was in sublime form, remaining unbeaten on 50 off just 18 balls.

Unfortunately, the rain persisted, forcing the match to be called off without a result. Both teams had to settle for a point each due to the no-result.

The Lanka T10 Super League continues to entertain fans with exciting cricket, despite the rain interruptions. The tournament promises more thrilling encounters in the coming days as teams battle for supremacy.

Indian challenger D Gukesh and reigning champion Ding Liren of China played out a tense draw in the 13th game of the World Chess Championship on Wednesday, December 11, 2024. The match, which ended after 69 moves, keeps the two players tied at 6.5 points each. Both are now just one point away from claiming the prestigious title.

The 18-year-old Gukesh, playing with the white pieces in this game, tried to press for a win but could not break through Liren’s solid defenses. The 32-year-old Chinese Grandmaster handled the pressure well, ensuring that the match remained even going into the final game of the championship.

The battle between Gukesh and Liren has been intense throughout the tournament. Liren took an early lead by winning the opening game, showing why he is the defending champion. However, Gukesh fought back in the third game to level the score, proving that he is a serious contender for the title.

What followed was a series of seven draws, showcasing the incredible skill and resilience of both players. Neither gave the other a chance to pull ahead, as they tested each other’s strategies and mental strength.

The turning point came in the 11th game when Gukesh finally managed to break the deadlock. He played a brilliant game to take the lead at 6-5, putting Liren under immense pressure. But the Chinese Grandmaster, known for his calmness and ability to bounce back, delivered a stunning performance in the 12th game to equalize the score once again.

Now, with just one game left in the championship, the stakes could not be higher. Both players need a win to secure the title outright, while another draw would likely push the match into tiebreakers.

The final game promises to be a thrilling conclusion to what has been a closely contested championship. Gukesh, one of India’s brightest young chess stars, is aiming to become the youngest World Chess Champion in history. Meanwhile, Liren is determined to retain his crown and solidify his legacy as one of the game’s greats.

As the chess world watches with bated breath, all eyes are now on the 14th and final game of this gripping championship.

Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana has made history by becoming the first woman to score four ODI centuries in a single calendar year. The 27-year-old achieved this incredible milestone during the third and final ODI against Australia at the WACA in Perth on Wednesday.

Mandhana’s fourth century of the year came in an innings full of class and determination. She reached her half-century in exactly 50 balls and converted it into a century in 103 deliveries. Her innings included 14 boundaries and a six, showcasing her ability to find gaps and dominate bowlers. This knock took her overall tally of ODI centuries to nine, placing her in joint fourth position alongside Nat Sciver-Brunt, Chamari Athapaththu, and Charlotte Edwards.

The left-handed opener has been in outstanding form this year, with centuries against South Africa in June (two back-to-back centuries), New Zealand in October, and now Australia in December. This consistent run of form has been crucial for India’s batting lineup, as Mandhana has anchored innings while also accelerating when needed.

With this achievement, Mandhana broke the previous record of three centuries in a calendar year, which was jointly held by seven players. South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, who has also scored three centuries this year, is the latest to share that spot. Others on the list include Meg Lanning (2016), Nat Sciver-Brunt (2023), Sophie Devine (2018), Sidra Amin (2022), Amy Satterthwaite (2016), and Belinda Clark (1997).

While Mandhana’s knock was remarkable, it unfortunately came in a losing cause. India fell short by 83 runs as they chased Australia’s total at the WACA. Despite her valiant effort, India couldn’t build partnerships to support her innings, leading to their defeat.

This latest century has put Mandhana in the race to climb higher on the list of most ODI centuries in women’s cricket. She now trails Tammy Beaumont, who has 10 centuries, and former Australian captain Meg Lanning, who holds the record with 15 centuries. Given Mandhana’s current form and ability to perform under pressure, she is well on her way to closing this gap in the near future.

Mandhana’s achievement is a testament to her consistency and skill at the highest level of the game. Over the years, she has established herself as one of the most dependable batters in women’s cricket. Her ability to adapt to different conditions, play long innings, and score against strong teams has made her a key player for India.

This record-breaking milestone is another feather in Mandhana’s cap and highlights her contribution to the growth of women’s cricket. As she continues to achieve new milestones, she inspires young cricketers around the world to dream big and aim high.

Mandhana’s performances this year have not only been memorable but have also set a new benchmark in women’s cricket. Her journey as a cricketer is a source of pride for India and a reminder of her immense talent and dedication to the game.

FIFA has officially chosen Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. This will be the second time a Middle Eastern country hosts the tournament, following Qatar in 2022.

The decision was made during an extraordinary FIFA Congress meeting on Wednesday. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also confirmed that the 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, with celebratory matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to honor the tournament’s 100-year history.

The 2030 World Cup will be unique, taking place across six countries and three continents. Uruguay, which hosted the first-ever World Cup in 1930, will hold a special opening game, alongside Argentina and Paraguay. While Spain and Argentina have hosted before, this will be the first time Morocco, Portugal, and Paraguay welcome the tournament.

For the 2034 World Cup, Saudi Arabia will host the first-ever 48-team tournament in a single country. Matches will take place in 15 stadiums across five cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha, and Neom. Riyadh’s new King Salman Stadium, which will hold 92,000 spectators, is expected to host the opening and final games.

Saudi Arabia’s bid was approved unanimously, with no competing bids. Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal al Saud, the Saudi Sports Minister, expressed pride in the decision, promising an “extraordinary World Cup” in the kingdom.

FIFA’s move to expand the tournament and take it to new regions reflects its goal of bringing football to more countries while maintaining the quality of the competition, Infantino said.

South Africa defeated Pakistan by 11 runs in the first T20I at Kingsmead, Durban, thanks to a remarkable all-round performance by George Linde. Returning to the team after three years, Linde smashed 48 off just 24 balls and took 4-21 with the ball, earning the Player-of-the-Match award. His efforts helped South Africa defend a total of 183 against a fighting Pakistan.

South Africa, fielding a relatively inexperienced side, won the toss and opted to bat. Despite early breakthroughs by Shaheen Afridi (3-22) and Abrar Ahmed (3-37), David Miller turned the game around with a stunning 82 off 40 balls. He came in at a tricky stage but dominated Pakistan’s bowlers, ensuring South Africa posted a challenging total.

Pakistan’s chase began poorly, with captain Babar Azam falling for a duck. Saim Ayub gave them some momentum, but the team struggled during the middle overs. Mohammad Rizwan, despite being the anchor, was too slow early in his innings. He scored only 36 off his first 44 balls before accelerating to finish with 74 off 62. His late surge, along with a 17th-over blitz that brought Pakistan 24 runs, gave the visitors hope.

However, South Africa’s young pacer Kwena Maphaka kept his cool in the final over, dismissing Rizwan and sealing the win. Pakistan needed 19 runs from the last over but fell short, ending on 172 for 8.

South Africa showed excellent discipline with both bat and ball. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s poor start, inconsistent middle order, and slow scoring early on cost them the game. Rizwan’s struggles in the first half of his innings proved costly, and Pakistan’s think tank must rethink their batting strategy if they want to succeed in this series.

This match highlighted South Africa’s resilience and Pakistan’s need for a more aggressive and consistent batting approach.

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed his disappointment with Rohit Sharma’s captaincy during the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Adelaide, which India lost by 10 wickets. Aakash criticized Rohit’s defensive approach and questioned his usage of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the match.

Travis Head once again proved to be India’s biggest challenge, smashing a brilliant 140 off 141 balls in front of his home crowd. His innings helped Australia post a commanding total of 337, giving them a lead of 157 runs. In reply, India managed only 175 in their second innings, leaving Australia with a target of just 19 runs, which the hosts chased down in just 20 balls.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Aakash pointed out that Rohit seemed to lack a clear plan against Head. He also felt that Bumrah, who was effective in his initial four-over spell, was underutilized.

“Why didn’t we bowl short balls to Travis Head? You have to target him with bouncers. Until you do that, he won’t get out and will keep troubling us. He’s done it before, including in the World Cup final and the WTC final,” Aakash said.

“Jasprit Bumrah picked up a wicket in his four-over spell but didn’t bowl again in the same session. That was a clear miss in captaincy. Rohit’s approach looked defensive, and the match was allowed to drift away,” he added.

‘Rohit’s captaincy has been underwhelming’

Aakash also highlighted Rohit’s worrying record as a captain, noting that he has now lost four consecutive Test matches. While MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli also endured similar losing streaks, what makes Rohit’s case concerning is that three of these defeats came at home, something that rarely happens to Indian captains.

“In the past, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi lost six consecutive matches in 1967, and Sachin Tendulkar lost four in 1999. In the modern era, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli had similar four-match losing streaks, but Rohit’s case stands out because three of these losses were at home,” Aakash explained.

He concluded by saying, “Rohit’s leadership has been below par in recent matches. Even though the team won in Perth, he wasn’t the captain for that match. This run of defeats, especially at home, is worrying.

In Sunday’s match, Gukesh secured a crucial win against defending champion Ding Liren, giving him a 6-5 lead with only three games left in the 14-match series. Playing with the white pieces, Gukesh capitalized on a mistake by Ding, who was under time pressure, forcing him to resign. This victory broke a streak of seven consecutive draws and gave the 18-year-old a significant psychological edge as the competition nears its end.

“This is a very important win for me,” Gukesh said after the game. However, he stayed grounded, adding, “There are still three more crucial games to play.”

Ding, 32, acknowledged the challenges of the match, describing it as “very difficult.” Despite the setback, he expressed determination to bounce back in the next game, where he will play with the white pieces.

Gukesh’s win sparked celebrations among his fans, who gathered at the Resorts World Sentosa hotel in Singapore. Supporters applauded and chanted his name, showing overwhelming enthusiasm.

“Indian fans are the best. I’m truly grateful for all the support,” Gukesh said, adding that the encouragement gives him the extra energy needed to perform.

The batters could not capitalise on the good job done by the bowlers as India suffered a massive 59-run defeat to Bangladesh in U19 Asia Cup title clash.

The batters could not capitalise on the good job done by the bowlers as India suffered a massive 59-run defeat to Bangladesh in the low-scoring U19 Asia Cup title clash in Dubai on Sunday. After India produced a fine performance with the ball to keep Bangladesh to a mere 198 in 49.1 overs, it looked like the job was half done since the batters had played their roles to perfection since defeat in the tournament-opener to Pakistan. However, in the crunch final, India lost wickets in a flurry on two occasions which broke the back of their chase, with Bangladesh bowlers and fielders doing their part well in exerting further pressure.

Chasing 199, India were bundled out for 139 in 35.2 overs as none of their specialist batters could play an impact knock, including the youngest IPL star Vaibhav Suryavanshi who managed a mere 9 (7 balls, 2 fours).

India suffered early blows in form of Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre (1) to stumble to 24 for two inside five overs.

With the summit clash placed precariously, Bangladesh edged ahead by keeping the rest of the Indian batters largely quiet, drying up the boundaries and even the singles.

C Andre Siddarth’s (20 off 35 balls) charge was ended by Rizan Hossan in the 12th over, which was another crucial point in the game as the balance tilted heavily in favour of Bangladesh.

But it was Iqbal Hossain Emon who made the most of the situation as he snaffled three vital wickets to severely dent India’s hopes, accounting for KP Karthikeya (21), Nikhil Kumar (0) and Harvansh Pangalia (6) in quick succession.

Mohamed Amaan resisted for long, scoring a 65-ball 26 but his effort and Hardik Raj’s late 21-ball 24 also was not enough for India to turn the tables. The end came swiftly for India as Azizul Hakim took 3/8 from his 2.2 overs towards the end.

Earlier in the first half, Rizan Hossain’s 47, Mohammad Shihab James’ 40 and Farid Hasan’s 39 proved to be the difference in a contest wherein batters mostly struggled for fluency in the middle.

India dominated the Bangladeshi batters for the entirety of the first half as they could only get near the 200-run mark while consuming most of their allotted overs.

Yudhajit Guha (2/29) was the pick among the performers from India as Chetan Sharma (2/48) and Raj (2/41) also chipped in with a couple of wickets each.

Kiran Chormale returned a measly 7-0-19-1 while Karthikeya (1/37) and Mhatre (1/9) also chipped in with a wicket each.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)