Month: September 2023

New Delhi: A last minute change in the rule which allowed only one team from each country in the mixed team shooting events forced India to not field country’s best bet – Rudrankksh Patil and Mehuli Ghosh- in the 10m mixed air rifle event.
Rudrankksh and Mehuli have already secured quota places for Paris Olympics and were supposed to be India’s second team in the event.
But in the last moments, the Asian Games organisers decided to allow only one team per country.
The decision to field Divyansh Singh Panwar and Ramita Jindal was taken under the policy of National Rifle Association of India, which states that only the top-ranked shooter in the discipline can be part of the mixed team at the time of selection.
Divyansh and Ramita made the cut on the basis of the rankings.Divyansh and Ramita, however, missed the 10m mixed air rifle bronze medal by a whisker, finishing fourth.
On the sidelines of a feliciation ceremony, Rudrankksh told The Bridge,” I didn’t participate in the mixed team event cause NRAI’s policy directs the top ranked shooters to play in mixed team events.”
Rudrankksh, who is ranked number 14 in the world in 10m air rifle, saw his ranking dip at the national level as he didn’t participate in the trials as he had secured Asian Games berth by winning the 2022 World Championships.
Mehuli and Rudrankksh were named as the second team for the event but the last-minute change meant that they couldn’t participate.
Usually in mixed team events two teams participate at the tournaments like World Cups and World Championships but the Asian Games organizers decided to allow only one team.
Rudrankksh won the gold medal in the men’s 10m air rifle team event while Mehuli won the silver medal in women’s 10m air rifle team event. Both shooters finished at fourth in the individual final missing podium by a whisker.
In mixed team 10m air rifle event, Divyansh and Ramita registered a fourth place finishing missing out on another shooting medal for India.

Veteran Bangladesh players Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal have been at loggerheads verbally over the past week. Things got tense after Tamim Iqbal was ignored for the 15-man 2023 World Cup squad of Bangladesh.
In a video shared on his Facebook account, Tamim revealed that a senior BCB official asked him to play in the middle order during the World Cup. The suggestion did not sit well with the opener, who does not have much experience playing down the order.
The southpaw felt that he was being forced to do things and then expressed his reluctance to be part of the dirty game.
Shakib Al Hasan was upset with Tamim’s comments and termed his behaviour childish. He felt that the veteran opening batsman was being selfish and not acting in the best interests of the team. Referencing the career trajectory of Rohit Sharma to explain his stance, Shakib Al Hasan was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo:
“Someone like Rohit Sharma built his career from No. 7 to opener, scored 10,000-plus runs. If he sometimes bats at No. 3 or 4, would it be a big problem? It is totally childish. It is my bat, I will play. No one else can play.
“A player should bat at any position for the team. Team first. It doesn’t make any difference if you have made 100 or 200, and the team loses. What can you do with personal achievement? You want to make a name for yourself? You are not thinking about the team at all.”
Fans took note of the bad blood between the two Bangladesh superstars ahead of the World Cup. They expressed their reactions by sharing intriguing memes on social media platforms. Here are some of the best ones:
Match 3: October 7 – Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Dharamsala, 10.30 am IST
Match 7: October 10 – Bangladesh vs England, Dharamsala, 10.30 am IST
Match 11: October 13 – Bangladesh vs New Zealand, Chennai, 10.30 am IST
Match 17: October 19 – Bangladesh vs India, Pune, 2.00 pm IST
Match 23: October 24 – Bangladesh vs South Africa, Mumbai, 2.00 pm IST
Match 28: October 28 – Bangladesh vs Netherlands, Kolkata, 2.00 pm IST
Match 31: October 31 – Bangladesh vs Pakistan, Kolkata, 2.00 pm IST
Match 38: November 6 – Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Delhi, 2.00 pm IST
Match 43: November 11 – Bangladesh vs Australia, Pune, 10.30 am IST
Bangladesh’s World Cup 2023 squad:Shakib Al Hasan (c), Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mehidy Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzim Sakib, Nasum Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman.
Do you think Bangladesh can cause some upsets during the upcoming World Cup? Let us know your views in the comments section.
Check out India Squad for World Cup 2023 & South Africa Squad for World Cup 2023. Follow Sportskeeda for latest News.

Napoli said they “never intended to offend” Victor Osimhen after the club posted a social media post that appeared to mock their star striker for missing a penalty.
The video that was posted and then deleted from Napoli’s official TikTok on Tuesday and was followed by Osimhen deleting almost all pictures of himself in the team’s shirt from his social media accounts and his agent saying he was considering taking legal action.
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“To avoid any potential exploitation of the matter, SSC Napoli would like to explicitly state that the club never intended to offend or make fun of Victor Osimhen, who is an asset to the club,” Napoli said in a statement on Thursday.
“Over the course of the summer Napoli rejected all offers to sign the striker — firm proof of the club’s appreciation of him.
“On social media, and TikTok particularly, expressive language is used in a light-hearted and playful manner. In this case involving Victor there was no intention of mockery or derision.
“If Victor was in any way offended, this was not at all in the club’s intentions.”
Victor Osimhen scored for Napoli in Wednesday’s win over Udinese. Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
Speaking after Wednesday’s 4-1 Serie A win over Udinese, in which Osimhen scored, Napoli head coach Rudi Garcia called the post “clumsy” but added the player is committed to playing for the Italian champions.
Nigeria international Osimhen scored 31 goals for Napoli last season as they ended their three-decade wait for another Serie A title and also reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Despite talks over a new contract opening months ago, the 24-year-old is yet to sign a new deal to replace his current agreement which runs until 2025.
“I can assure you he loves this jersey and that he will give his all this year,” Garcia said in a postmatch interview with DAZN.
“Nobody wanted to do harm, neither TikTok nor Victor on their social networks. No harm was intended but there were instinctive reactions. I don’t know if now Osimhen will publish his photos on social media again with the [Napoli] shirt.”
There appeared to be tension between Garcia and Osimhen during Sunday’s draw in Bologna, with the forward looking visibly upset after being substituted. However, Garcia praised Osimhen’s attitude in Wednesday’s game.
“In Bologna, we were all frustrated and angry for not having won,” Garcia said. “Victor in particular because he missed the penalty. We clarified things and everything returned to sporting normality. Then there were two days to manage due to a clumsy episode [the posting of the video].”
Osimhen scored Napoli’s second goal against Udinese but did not celebrate as his teammates ran over to congratulate him.
He had earlier let teammate Piotr Zielinski take a penalty that broke the deadlock.
“I complimented him,” Garcia said of Osimhen, who is Napoli’s designated penalty taker. “I’ve had an excellent relationship with Victor since I arrived and I’m happy because he scored, a centre-forward always wants to score goals.”
Osimhen and Napoli are back in action on Saturday at Lecce before the Serie A giants host Real Madrid in the Champions League on Oct. 3.

As the countdown to the ICC World Cup 2023 begins, former Indian cricket captain and one of the country’s most successful leaders on the pitch, Sourav Ganguly, has expressed his optimism about Team India’s performance in the upcoming tournament. Known as the ‘Prince of Kolkata’ and the ‘God of the Offside’, Ganguly’s words carry significant weight in the cricketing world.
Ganguly, who led the Indian team to the final of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, recently shared his thoughts on India’s campaign for the World Cup 2023. “This is going to be a big World Cup. The World Cup is a big tournament. India has been playing very well, so it is a matter of delight. We hope that they continue to play the same good Cricket for the next 45 days,” Ganguly was quoted as saying to the reporters.
His comments come at a time when the Indian cricket team, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, is preparing to enter the World Cup as the No.1 ranked ODI Team. The team’s recent victories, including winning the Asia Cup and a successful ODI series against five-time World Champions Australia, have boosted their confidence.
Ganguly’s faith in the team is not unfounded. The current squad boasts of players like Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul, who are in top form. Their performances will be crucial in determining India’s fate in the tournament.
The World Cup 2023 is set to begin on October 5th, with India hosting the tournament. The Pakistan team, led by Babar Azam, arrived in India on September 27th, marking their first visit to the country in seven years. The tournament will feature a total of 10 teams, including India, Afghanistan, Australia, England, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa.
As the cricketing world eagerly awaits the start of the World Cup, Ganguly’s words serve as a reminder of the high stakes involved and the hopes pinned on Team India. His optimism and faith in the team’s abilities are sure to boost their morale as they gear up for the big tournament.

Exactly 10 days later, Team India will begin their 2023 ODI World Cup campaign. With the tournament being held at home, the Rohit Sharma-led side is touted to lift the coveted trophy for the third time in history, adding to their 1983 and 2011 glory. India have ticked all the right boxes as well heading into the 50-over event, having ended their five-year trophy drought to lift the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka less than a fortnight ago before beating Australia 2-1 at home. However, with a variety of in-form options in the 15-member squad, all peaking at the right time, India have been troubled by selection headache. But Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan have given their verdict on the playing XI for India’s opener in Chennai.
Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan give their verdict on the playing XI for India’s opener in Chennai.
Team India will play two warm-up matches prior to the start of their World Cup campaign. They will face England on September 30 followed by a match against Netherlands on October 3. The Men in Blue will eventually begin their campaign against Australia on October 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Ahead of the match, India have been troubled by a few selection headaches which primarily pertain to the middle-order with four batters Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan competing for two slots – No. 4 and 5. The other one is on the bowling line-up, of whether India should pick three fast bowlers or as many spinners.
Speaking to Star Sports on their YouTube channel, Gavaskar backed Iyer, who scored a stellar 105 against Australia in Indore and Rahul, who smashed a ton against Pakistan in Asia Cup and followed it up two fifties against Australia, for the spot. Suryakumar, who smashed back-to-back half-centuries against the Aussies, including a career-best 72* off 37, and Ishan, who scored a valiant 82 against Pakistan earlier this month in Sri Lanka following a top-order collapse, hence missed out.
Gavaskar picks India’s XI for first match in World Cup 2023 vs Australia
Gavaskar’s India XI for World Cup opener against Australia: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah.
The batting legend further added that Ashwin, who was added to the India squad on Thursday after Axar Patel failed to recover from an injury, could be added to the XI if India pick three spinners. He said: “You can pick three fast bowlers in Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah or else can pick two fast bowlers because you also have Hardik Pandya then Ashwin will definitely be there.”
Irfan Pathan’s pick for India XI in World Cup 2023
Irfan, who was part of the same panel, agreed with the top-7 in Gavaskar’s team, but explained that India need to bring in wicket-taking bowling options in the line-up in a bid to counter dew factor which will affect the matches in the country early on in the tournament.
“I completely agree with the top 7. But it boils down to the bowling department. I want India to play five proper bowlers. Since you have Hardik as the sixth bowler you should go with bowlers having wicket-taking abilities. It is because the pitches India will get now will have dew factor involved so then you need to have a solid bowling line-up. So you either pick three pacers or if you feel like you want to get someone to accompany Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja…on a turning track, and if Ashwin is good enough the pick him,” he said.

Suryakumar Yadav had a brilliant run of form for the Indian cricket team during the recently concluded ODI series against Australia. It came as a relief for the explosive batter whose selection for the Cricket World Cup 2023 was met with some doubt from both experts and fans. However, he was back at his explosive best as he scored two half-centuries to guide his team to a series win. While his form has improved in the recent past, legendary India opener Sunil Gavaskar was not convinced with his showing in the ODI format and he had a blunt verdict over his inclusion in the World Cup playing XI.
Suryakumar hasn’t done anything big yet in ODI cricket. He only bats in those final 15-20 overs where he utilises his T20 abilities which undoubtedly is important as well. But Hardik, Ishan and Rahul can all do that same job as well. So Iyer is confirmed for No. 4. Suryakumar will have to wait and if he does get a chance at No. 4 he has to score a big hundred and show that he can also score a ton as well.
India have predictably named veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as a replacement for injured spin bowling all-rounder Axar Patel in their 15-member squad for the upcoming Cricket World Cup.
Axar had sustained a quadriceps tear and is not expected to recover anytime soon, forcing the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to name the 37-year-old Ashwin, who took four wickets in the two ODIs during the recently concluded series against Australia, in the squad.
“Axar Patel has failed to recover in time for the World Cup after sustaining a left quadriceps strain during India’s Asia Cup Super Four encounter against Bangladesh. The spin-bowling all-rounder missed the final of the Asia Cup as a result,” ICC stated in a media release.
“Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been named his replacement, who was impressive on his return to ODI cricket in the recently concluded series against Australia where he picked up four wickets in two games,” the release further stated.
India’s Cricket World Cup squad:Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.

Considered one of the most unpredictable teams in showpiece events, former world champions Pakistan will still fancy their chances of lifting the famous trophy in the India edition of the ICC World Cup next month. Champions in the 1992 edition of the World Cup, Babar Azam’s Pakistan side will also be eager to end its long-standing losing streak against arch-rivals India in the 50-over World Cup.
Pakistan’s former cricket players Wasim Akram (L) and Waqar Younis inspect the ground before the start of a match(AFP)
Doing the unthinkable at the T20 World Cup in 2021, Pakistan stunned India with an unforgettable 10-wicket win over Virat Kohli and Co. to register its first-ever triumph against India in World Cup events. Under the leadership of superstar Babar, the Men In Green also made it to the final of the World Cup last year in Australia. Though the Green Army is the current No.2 side in One Day Internationals (ODIs), legendary Pakistani pacer Waqar Younis has branded Babar’s men a ‘miss-and-hit’ unit at the World Cup.
ALSO READ: Ravichandran Ashwin drafted in India’s World Cup squad as last-minute replacement for injured Axar Patel
‘Pakistan will be under pressure’
“As we all know, it (India vs Pakistan) will be the biggest game, mother of all the games. So, when you play in Ahmedabad, you will have to control your nerves, and not only Pakistan will be under pressure since it is a weaker team as compared to India. But India will also be under pressure because the crowd in the stadium will create pressure on both the teams,” Younis told Star Sports.
The former Pakistan skipper also claimed that Team India has an edge over Babar and Co. in the World Cup. Younis, who captained Pakistan in the 2003 edition of the World Cup, also admitted that the injury to pacer Naseem Shah was a huge loss for Pakistan. Speedster Shah suffered a shoulder injury in the Asia Cup. Pakistan will kickstart its World Cup campaign against the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on October 6.
Absence of Naseem Shah will be a big disadvantage
“However, if we judge purely based on the team’s performance, India definitely will be a better team,” he added. Younis was also mindful of the Pakistani’s unstable form, and said the injury-enforced absence of pacer Naseem Shah could put them in a significant disadvantage. If I talk about Pakistan, they are a miss and hit this time. The absence of Naseem Shah will be a big disadvantage because Naseem and Shaheen (Afridi) used to complement each other with new ball,” Younis added.

Media caption, ‘Putin hates Clinton’ and other things the FBI learned about Russia
FBI director James Comey has confirmed for the first time that the FBI is investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
However, Mr Comey said his agency had seen no evidence to back up President Trump’s claim that his phones had been tapped by the Obama administration.
He was giving evidence to the congressional intelligence committee.
The Trump administration said nothing had changed and there was “no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion”.
Russia has always denied attempting to influence the US presidential election.
The FBI investigation would examine possible links between individuals in the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was co-ordination between the Trump campaign and Russia, Mr Comey said.
The FBI would also assess whether crimes were committed, he said.
Mr Comey said the investigation was “very complex” and he could not give a timetable for its completion.
“We will follow the facts wherever they lead,” he said.
Media caption, What FBI director Comey said on Trump, Russia and wiretaps
Image caption, Mr Putin “hated Mrs Clinton so much” that he had a strong preference for her rival, Mr Comey said
But White House press secretary Sean Spicer suggested the administration was not concerned, saying: “You can continue to look for something, but continuing to look for something that doesn’t exist doesn’t matter.”
National Security Agency (NSA) chief Admiral Mike Rogers also appeared before the committee.
He said the NSA stood by an intelligence community report published in January, which said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered a campaign to harm the campaign of Mr Trump’s rival, Hillary Clinton.
Mr Comey said he had no information on unsubstantiated claims tweeted by Mr Trump this month that former President Barack Obama had ordered a wiretap on Trump Tower.
This was despite looking carefully for such evidence, he said. The Department of Justice also had no information, he said.
What FBI director James Comey didn’t say during intelligence hearings today on possible Russian meddling in the 2016 US election was as important as what he did say.
Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who had ties to pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians? No comment. Long-time Trump adviser Roger Stone, who reportedly had communications with individuals who hacked the Democratic National Committee emails? No comment. Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who was forced to resign after leaked evidence surfaced that he had communicated with a Russian ambassador about US sanctions? No comment.
“I don’t want to answer any questions about a US person,” Mr Comey said.
All of this is evidence that the investigation isn’t just ongoing, it’s substantive and far-reaching.
While Democrats will likely be encouraged by this, it was telling that Republicans pursued the White House line – that the topic of greatest concern was the intelligence leaks that put this story in the headlines.
If Mr Trump can consolidate his party’s support, it will go a long way towards insulating the president against any fallout from this investigation.
Will FBI investigation ensnare Trump?
Meanwhile, Adm Rogers strongly denied that the NSA had asked Britain’s GCHQ intelligence agency to spy on Mr Trump – a claim that had been repeated by Sean Spicer.
The allegation “clearly frustrates a key ally of ours”, he added.
GCHQ had described the claim as “utterly ridiculous”.
Image caption, Mr Trump raised eyebrows after he suggested both he and Mrs Merkel had been wiretapped by Mr Obama
Mr Trump’s recent joke about how Mr Obama had wiretapped both German Chancellor Angela Merkel and him “complicates things” with an ally, Adm Rogers added.
However, Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said it was still possible that other surveillance activities had been used against Mr Trump and his associates.
In January, US intelligence agencies said Kremlin-backed hackers had broken into the email accounts of senior Democrats and released embarrassing messages in order to help Mr Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.
“That was a fairly easy judgement for the community,” Mr Comey said. “Putin hated Secretary Clinton so much that the flipside of that coin was he had a clear preference for the person running against the person he hated so much.”
However, late last summer the Russians concluded that Mr Trump had no chance of winning, based on polls at the time, and so focused on undermining Mrs Clinton, Mr Comey said.
Media caption, Trump’s wiretap saga explained in two minutes
Both intelligence chiefs said that Russia had made its intervention in last year’s election campaign unusually obvious, perhaps to further its aim of undermining US democracy.
Mr Comey said Russia had succeeded in this goal, by sowing chaos, division and discord.
Mr Trump has since faced allegations that his campaign team had links to Russian officials.
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said he saw no evidence of any collusion, up until the time he left his post in January.
Two senior officials in the Trump administration have been caught up in the allegations – former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and Attorney-General Jeff Sessions.
Mr Flynn was fired last month after he misled the White House about his conversations with the Russian ambassador before he was appointed national security adviser.
Image caption, Michael Flynn encouraged a softer policy on Russia and a harder line on Iran
He allegedly discussed US sanctions with ambassador Sergei Kislyak. It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy.
Meanwhile, Mr Sessions was accused by Democrats of lying under oath during his confirmation hearing in January.
He said he had “no communications with the Russians”, but it later emerged that he had met Mr Kislyak during the campaign.
Mr Sessions denied any wrongdoing, but removed himself from any FBI inquiry into Russia’s alleged interference.