Month: July 2023

It has been two months since the enthralling IPL 2023 had ended. And even as world cricket went through the WTC final thereafter and is presently being entertained by the riveting Ashes contest which is down to the final day on London, discussions on the last IPL season and its impact will continue before being overtaken by debates around the impending 2023 World Cup. But there will be one topic that will remain in conversations for long, and for all the wrong reasons – the infamous fight between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir.
Kapil Dev recalled the infamous fight between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli in IPL 2023
In the first week of May, when Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had visited Ekana Stadium to take on Lucknow Super Giants, and while it was expected to be significant battle with playoffs qualification on the line, the match gained fame for off-field reasons.
Kohli had entered into a heated argument with LSG player Naveen-ul-Haq during the match which later continued after RCB’s win with both sharing an intense handshake. It was then that Lucknow mentor Gambhir got involved in the fight, resulting into an ugly scene where other players had to jump in to separate the two former India teammates.
More than three months since that infamous incident, former India captain Kapil Dev made a painful admission while making a striking request to BCCI in being involved in grooming the players during their U-19 days as well.
They have to groom players to be good citizens also. What happened between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli in the IPL, it was painful for me. My two most important peopleVirat Kohli, one of the top batters in the world; Gambhir is now member of Parliamenthow can they behave in such a manner? But sportsmen do lose their mind, from Pelé to Don Bradman to all people, he said in his interview with The Week.
Kohli never spoke about that incident again although for a few days after that match there were cryptic posts on his Instagram handle hinting towards that spat.
Meanwhile, Gambhir, in an interview with News 18 last month, had broken silence on that ugly argument with Kohli. He said: My relationship with MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli is the same. If there is an argument between us, it stays only on the field, not off field. Theres nothing personal. They want to win as much as I do.”

It was Galle Titans skipper Shakib Al Hasan who spotted the snake and alerted the on-field umpires
Published: Mon 31 Jul 2023, 5:48 PM
The Lanka Premier League had an unexpected visitor during the thrilling opening match in Colombo on Monday.
Galle Titans and Dambulla Aura were locked in a pulsating battle in the tournament opener which ended in a tie.
The Titans eventually won the riveting contest in the Super Over.
But the most dramatic moment in the match came during during the second innings.
As Dambulla were chasing 181 for victory, a snake entered the ground, halting the game for a few minutes.
It was Galle Titans skipper Shakib Al Hasan who first spotted the snake and alerted the on-field umpires.
The play was stopped until the snake slithered away.
“Hello, stranger. Where is your accreditation card? Even the Sri Lankan wildlife can’t resist the action at the LPL!,” the Lanka Premier League tweeted while sharing the video.
Five teams are competing in the 2023 edition of the Lanka Premier.
Bangladesh superstar Shakib, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, speedster Naseem Shah and South Africa’s David Miller are the biggest stars in the T20 tournament.
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Watch: Ben Stokes dropped Steve Smith at leg gully off Moeen Ali’s bowling in the last over before Lunch on Day Five of the fifth Ashes Test, just as he was about to throw the ball in the air to celebrate taking the catch.
Australia started the final day of the 2023 Ashes at the Kia Oval on 135-0, needing another 249 runs to complete a 3-1 series victory. However, their top order was wrecked by Chris Woakes and Mark Wood early in the morning. Woakes got rid of both openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja, and Wood accounted for Marnus Labuschagne, getting him to edge one behind to second slip.
From 140-0, Australia slipped to 169-3. However, Steve Smith and Travis Head joined-up for the fourth wicket and counter-attacked. They punished anything even slightly loose to get the scoreboard ticking over again. In the 17 overs they faced before Lunch, they added 69 unbeaten runs to take Australia to 238-3 at the end of the morning session.
England came extremely close to breaking the partnership in the last over before the break, when Moeen got Smith to glove one to leg gully where Stokes had stationed himself. He leapt full stretch in the air to grab the ball with his right hand, swinging it back behind him. As he continued the movement to throw the ball up in the air, the ball popped out of his hand in a similar manner to the famous Herschelle Gibbs dropped-catch of Steve Waugh in the 1999 World Cup.
According to the Law 33.3: “The act of making a catch shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with a fielders person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control over both the ball and his own movement.”
In this case, Stokes did not have complete control over his movement as his motion from the catch was not complete by the time the ball popped out of his hand. As a result, despite the England captain reviewing the decision, the not-out verdict was upheld.
There have been a couple of similar controversial catches in this English summer that have brought law 33.3 into focus. Cameron Green’s catch of Shubman Gill in the 2023 WTC Final was controversial at the time, as was Mitchell Starc’s catch of Ben Duckett in the second Test of the Ashes series at Lord’s.
England also lost their review in the process, something that Stokes and his teammates were seen arguing about with the umpires after Lunch was called.
Watch Stokes drop Steve Smith just as he is about to throw the ball to celebrate:
Out or not out? #EnglandCricket| #Ashespic.twitter.com/q2XCJuUpxM
England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 31, 2023
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According to a report from Sport (as captured by Barca Universal), FC Barcelona is assembling a group of potential replacements for Ousmane Dembélé, who is expected to leave for Paris Saint-Germain.
One of the names on Barcas list to replace the Frenchman is Bayern Munich star Leroy Sané:
With talks of Ousmane Dembele moving to Paris Saint-Germain gaining weight, Barcelona appear to be already looking at possible candidates to replace the 26-year-old winger. Dembele has reportedly agreed a five-year contract with PSG and Barça have been notified of the same already. Should the French champions pay his 50 million release clause by the end of the day, he will be on the move.
As per the report, one of the names Barcelona could potentially look at to replace Dembele is Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane. Sane, whose current market value stands at 65 million, is a versatile player with plenty of experience at the highest level from his time at Manchester City and Bayern Munich. Furthermore, his time at City under Pep Guardiola might help him get familiar with Barças system fairly easily and a reunion with former teammates Ilkay Gundogan and Eric Garcia should also help with his adaptation.
Sané, however, is just one of the names on the list, which includes Manchester Citys Bernardo Silva, Juventus Federico Chiesa, Tottenham Hotspurs Giovani Lo Celso, Borussia Dortmunds Gio Reyna, and Celta Vigos Gabri Veiga.
As of now, Silva is considered the top choice given the long-term rumors linking him to FC Barcelona, but Sané would present an interesting selection for the Catalans.
Looking for more thoughts on Bayern Munichs winger situation? Check out our Weekend Warm-up Podcast on Spotify or below:

Star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has made a comeback into the Indian cricket team after a long injury hiatus and will be leading the side in a three-match T20I series against Ireland, starting August 18. Bumrah last played for India in a T20I in September 2022 before his injury flared up. He missed the 2022 T20 World Cup due to injury and all eyes were him regarding his comeback, especially with the ODI World Cup set to be played in India from October 5. The BCCI secretary Jay Shah recently said that star pacer Jasprit Bumrah has made rapid strides on road to recovery from injury.
Shah had clearly indicated that Bumrah is fit and is ready to play in the T20I series in Ireland in August. Bumrah, who underwent a surgery in New Zealand for a back injury, has been undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy for a while now, and the pace spearhead had recently bowled his full quota of 10 overs against visiting Mumbai side here at the Alur grounds.
While, several reports have claimed that Bumrah has been bowling with good intensity in the nets, recently former India batter Wasim Jaffer was skeptical over the fact that whether Bumrah will be able to bowl with the same intensity.
“He is a huge part of the bowling attack. I feel he will have an extremely important role in the World Cup. We are missing him in death bowling. We have missed him this entire year. However, he needs to come back to fitness, and there will be a question mark whether he will be able to bowl the same way, at the same pace,” Jaffer said on Jio Cinema.
Apart from Bumrah, the other members in the side for the T20I series are mostly youngsters. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh form the young batting line-up while Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi are the spinners.  Prasidh Krishna (back after long injury lay-off), Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan form the pace line-up. Ruturaj Gaikwad is the vice captain of the squad.
Team India (Senior Men) squad for T20I series against Ireland: Jasprit Bumrah (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan
With PTI inputs

Ashes 5th Test Live score: Hello and welcome!
The Test is poised perfectly in the balance between the three competitors. Yes, you read that right, three. Australia, England and rain. It was the third that ended up decisively winning Day 4, with Australia coming a close second. Today, though, England would be desperate to come out on top. For once, they would like to prevent falling to a first series defeat to Australia at home in over two decades after all that jazz about the way they play bringing Test cricket back to life. Secondly, they wouldn’t like Stuart Broad to bow out with a win for sure.

In a little less than two months from now, the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida will host the first-ever MotoGP Bharat race, thus making India the 31st country to host a motorcycle grand prix. While the Buddh circuit has hosted Formula 1 races in the past, this will be the first time that the premier race for motorcycles will be held in India.For MotoGP, the race will break new ground.In the 30 years that Dorna has been managing MotoGP, there have been a lot of countries coming in and a lot of countries going out. Every single first event is special. But nothing has ever been like India. Its the biggest two-wheeler market in the world, Carlos Ezpeleta, chief sporting officer of Dorna Sports (the commercial rights holder for MotoGP), told The Indian Express earlier this month.Ahead of the MotoGP caravan coming to town, heres what goes on behind the scenes logistically to make the race happen:
Did the track have to be remade to host a MotoGP race?
According to organisers, not too much work had to be put in to make the circuit which has hosted three F1 races between 2011 and 2013 fit to host a MotoGP race.
Gautam Buddh Nagar Zone IG, Lakshmi Singh and other senior police officials visited the BIC on Saturday. (Express photo)Currently, there are only four circuits around the world that host both F1 and MotoGP races.
A circuit can host both MotoGP and Formula 1 races. But we have higher demands in terms of safety because we need a lot of space for runoff areas for riders to be able to slide and not get hurt, said Carlos.
Nothing major had to be changed at the track. We had to move certain portions of the fences back on some corners and the gravel had to be increased. The track is actually in very good shape, except for maybe one or two areas where we need to do resurfacing like the back straight, which is about a one-km patch. It had some bumps in it. The back straight has to be perfectly smooth as the MotoGP machine suspensions are extremely stiff and unforgiving, Amit Sandill, who is Director of Racing at Fairstreet Sports, which is the local organiser for the race in India, told The Indian Express.
Special foam barriers and air fences are being imported for the race. While the track already had barriers, the reason why special ones are being brought in is because the old ones, used for cars, were installed over a decade back.
The FIAs homologation rules state that we need to have the latest version of barriers, which are safer than previous versions, said Sandill, whose job it is to coordinate changes in the track, the homologation process, and communicating with bodies like Dorna Sports and FIM. FIA or the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile is a global organisation whose stated aim is to promote motorsport and is also its governing body.
Homologation is the process of certifying if a track meets certain quality parameters and safety standards to host a MotoGP race. There are multiple checks run on the circuit by the FIM, which is the governing body for MotoGP, in the months leading up to a race before certifying the track.
The FIM, which takes care of the homologation, have visited the BIC a couple of times along with the Dorna Sports team. They will visit again in the summer to see how the works are going, said Carlos. At the start of the season, MotoGP organisers had to cancel the ninth race of the season at Kazakhstan as the homologation process for the track outside Almaty was not completed in time.
Last year, Finlands return to the MotoGP circuit was deferred by a season after the KymiRing circuit was not homologated in time.
Is there a final inspection to decide about the track being race-worthy?
The FIM, Dorna Sports and the IRTA (the riders association) have been doing constant inspections of the race track since late last year. This ensures that there are no last-minute surprises for the local organisers or the governing bodies.
Theres no such thing as a final inspection. Inspections happen almost every few days, said Sandill.
The IRTA takes care of everything that has to do with the paddock since thats where the teams live and work out of, said Carlos. The IRTA checks if the paddocks have things like good water supply, energy supply, and that theyre clean.
The reason why these checks are so extensive is because we dash in from one country to another and then dash out. Everything has to be in place, said Carlos.
For bikes to be brought into India for the MotoGP Bharat, theres still some breathing space as there is a 10-day gap between the testing at Misano to the race in India.
But the process of moving the bikes out will have to be very efficient because the MotoGP race in Japan will be on the next weekend itself, added Sandill.
Multiple teams, multiple lists
Each team competing across the three classes MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 has sent across their check list of things they require in their offices. These lists note down something as basic as the number of chairs and tables needed, in offices that the teams will operate from during the race.
How are the bikes transported to India?
Barely 10 days before the first-ever MotoGP Bharat race at the Buddh International Circuit, four 747 Jumbo freighter aircraft will do all the heavy lifting for Dorna Sports, the organisers of the MotoGP. These four aircraft, travelling from Italy to India, will have about 800 crates crammed with 400 tonnes of freight, including finely-tuned, high-end motorbikes for all the teams across MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3. The pit walls and equipment for all the riders will also be part of this.
Its a huge operation. It happens on a bigger scale than people imagine. The bikes will be flown from Italy (where teams will be undergoing testing at the Misano Adriático circuit just 10 days before the MotoGP Bharat race), Carlos said.
Earlier this month, about 20 containers carrying everything from special foam barriers to air fences were dispatched to India via sea freight along with other apparatus like broadcast equipment, tyres and fuel.

With the Durand Cup 2023 right around the corner, the competing teams are all ready to hit the ground running. Most clubs have had successful transfer windows and the tournament will prove to be a crucial period to integrate the newcomers into the squad. 
East Bengal underwent another upheaval as they brought in Carles Cuadrat at the helm after Stephen Constantines departure. The Torch-Bearers secured brilliant signings like Prabhsukhan Gill, Harmanjot Khabra, Javi Siverio, Saul Crespo, and Nandha Kumar.
However, their immediate arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant are not far off. The Mariners have added impressive attackers like Jason Cummings and Albanian national team and Euro 2016 hero Armando Sadiku. They have also snapped up Gills former teammate at Kerala Blasters, Sahal Abdul Samad.
Similarly, Mumbai City have made defensive reinforcements with the additions of starboy Akash Mishra and one of the ISLs most seasoned centre-backs in Spanish veteran Tiri. Odisha FC have undergone another turnaround, with former title winner Sergio Lobera reuniting with the likes of Ahmed Jahouh, Diego Mauricio, Mourtada Fall, Lenny Rodrigues, and Amey Ranawade. Accordingly, most of the clubs have generated shockwaves in the transfer market with bold moves hinting at their hunger for the trophy.
The Durand Cup has morphed into a pre-season tournament after its inception as an independent knockout tournament in 1888. It is now seen as a testing ground for various combinations to be later used in the leagues and Cups. Established by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, this competition has seen a varied number of winners. For clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, it could almost be considered one of the many stepping stones to their path-breaking success.
That said, the Mariners and the Red & Gold Brigade have a joint record of the most Durand Cup titles to their name with 16 each. Whats more interesting is that they were even declared joint winners once in 1982 as the scoreline stood at 0-0 after extra-time.
Mohun Bagan, however, leads the pack for the most consecutive wins with a whopping three-year undefeated streak twice(1963, 1964, 1965 and 1984, 1985, 1986). Although East Bengal, alongside British pre-independence teams, Highland Light Infantry and Black Watch have accomplished this feat, none of them have done it twice like the Mariners. Royal Scots Fusiliers won the inaugural edition of this competition while Simon Graysons Bengaluru FC won the latest one after defeating favourites, Mumbai City, in the final. Here is the complete list of Durand Cup winners over the years:
1888 Royal Scots Fusiliers
1889 Highland Light Infantry
1890 Highland Light Infantry
1891 Kings Own Scottish Borderers
1892 Kings Own Scottish Borderers
1893 Highland Light Infantry
1894 Highland Light Infantry
1895 Highland Light Infantry
1896 Somerset Light Infantry
1897 Black Watch
1898 Black Watch
1899 Black Watch
1900 South Wales Borderers
1901 South Wales Borderers
1902 Hampshire Regiment
1903 Royal Irish Rifles
1904 North Staffordshire Regiment
1905 Royal Dragoons
1906 Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
1907 Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
1908 Lancashire Fusiliers
1909 Lancashire Fusiliers
1910 Royal Scots
1911 Black Watch
1912 Royal Scots
1913 Lancashire Fusiliers
1920 Black Watch
1921 Worcestershire Regiment
1922 Lancashire Fusiliers
1923 Cheshire Regiment
1924 Worcestershire Regiment
1925 Sherwood Foresters
1926 Durham Light Infantry
1927 York and Lancaster Regiment
1928 Sherwood Foresters
1929 York and Lancaster Regiment
1930 York and Lancaster Regiment
1931 Devonshire Regiment
1932 Kings Shropshire Light Infantry
1933 Kings Shropshire Light Infantry
1934 Royal Corps of Signals
1935 Border Regiment
1936 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
1937 Border Regiment
1938 South Wales Borderers
1940 Mohammedan
1950 Hyderabad City Police
1951 East Bengal
1952 East Bengal
1953 Mohun Bagan
1954 Hyderabad City Police
1955 Madras Regimental Centre
1956 East Bengal
1957 Hyderabad City Police
1958 Madras Regimental Centre
1959 Mohun Bagan
1961 Andhra Pradesh Police
1963 Mohun Bagan
1964 Mohun Bagan
1965 Mohun Bagan
1966 Gorkha Brigade
1967 East Bengal
1968 Border Security Force
1969 Gorkha Brigade
1970 East Bengal
1971 Border Security Force
1972 East Bengal
1973 Border Security Force
1974 Mohun Bagan
1975 Border Security Force
1976 Border Security Force and JCT (joint winners) 11 (after extra time/ a.e.t.), 00 (a.e.t.)
1977 Mohun Bagan
1978 East Bengal
1979 Mohun Bagan
1980 Mohun Bagan
1981 Border Security Force
1982 Mohun Bagan and East Bengal (joint winners) 00 (a.e.t.)
1983 JCT
1984 Mohun Bagan
1985 Mohun Bagan
1986 Mohun Bagan
1987 JCT
1988 Border Security Force
1989 East Bengal
1990 East Bengal
1991 East Bengal
1992 JCT
1993 East Bengal
1994 Mohun Bagan
1995 East Bengal
1996 JCT
1997 Kochin
1998 Mahindra & Mahindra
1999 Salgaocar
2000 Mohun Bagan 
2001 Mahindra United
2002 East Bengal
2003 Salgaocar
2004 East Bengal FC
2005 Army XI
2006 Dempo
2007 Churchill Brothers
2008 Mahindra United
2009Churchill Brothers
2010United FC
2011Churchill Brothers
2012Air India
2013Mohammedan SC 
2014Salgaocar FC
2016Army Green
2019Gokulam Kerala
2021   FC Goa
2022 Bengaluru FC
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Manchester United signed a £900 million ($1.1 billion) deal with Adidas on Monday to renew their partnership with the kit supplier for 10 more years.
The German sportswear giant became the club’s official kit sponsor in the 2015-16 season, reuniting after 23 years and taking over from Nike after sealing a £750m deal, which was a record at the time.
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“The new deal increases the focus on the Manchester United women’s team since their reintroduction in 2018,” United and Adidas said in a statement.
United return to the lucrative Champions League this season under manager Erik ten Hag, although their American owners, the Glazer family, continue to consider selling the club.
The Glazers launched a formal sale process late last year, with Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe among the potential suitors.
The new deal with Adidas will continue the partnership until June 2035.
The original agreement with Adidas links a part of the yearly payments to the club’s participation in the Champions League, according to the company’s latest annual report.
A failure by the club to play in the Champions League for two or more consecutive seasons reduces its annual payments by 30% of the applicable amount, according to the deal.
United did not immediately comment to Reuters on the terms of the new deal. Adidas declined to comment.
“We will combine tradition and innovation to please both the players and the fans,” Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden said.

AugusTROIDS: The Month of August to Begin with a Trio of Asteroids Racing Past Earth at a Whopping 64,800 KMPH!