Month: September 2023

Former South African pacer Dale Steyn has named five fast bowlers to watch out for in the upcoming ICC Mens World Cup 2023. He picked Indias Mohammed Siraj along with Proteas pacer Kagiso Rabada, Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi, New Zealand’s Trent Boult, and England’s Mark Wood. Steyn also predicted that Boult is likely to finish as the leading wicket-taker in the competition.
The 2023 ODI World Cup gets underway on October 5 with a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad. The teams are currently featuring in some warm-up matches. India will take on defending champions England in their first practice clash in Guwahati on Saturday, September 30.
In a video on ICCs Instagram handle, Steyn shared his thoughts on the five fast bowlers who could dominate the 2023 World Cup.
He said about Siraj:
[He] swings the ball upfront, knock over the big batters, key player for India.
On South African pacer Rabada, Steyn described him as one of his favorite bowlers to watch.
Big bounce, lots of pace, familiar with Indian conditions, he added.
While sharing his thoughts on Pakistans left-arm pacer Afridi, the former Proteas pacer cheekily warned Indian captain Rohit Sharma to be wary of his threat.
New Zealands left-arm pacer Boult was the fourth name in Steyns list. He said about the seasoned fast bowler:
Boult swings the ball upfront for New Zealand, big wicket-taker.
The 40-year-old went on to make a big prediction and added:
I think he is going to be the leading wicket-taker in this World Cup.
England speedster Wood completed Steyns list of five fast bowlers to watch out for during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
Mark Wood has extreme pace. I think hes going to take a lot of wickets for England. His fear factor, his pace alone is going to give him tons of wickets, he opined.
While England are the defending champions in the ODI World Cup, hosts India and five-time champions Australia are being touted among the favorites to lift the trophy.
Siraj has had an exceptional 2023 in ODIs. In 14 matches, he has picked up 30 wickets at an average of 14.70 and an economy rate of 4.91, with a best of 6/21 in the Asia Cup final.
As for Rabada, he has played five ODIs this year, claiming nine wickets at an average of 27.44.
Pakistans Afridi has featured in 12 ODIs this year, picking up 24 wickets at an average of 22.04. Boult has played five ODIs in 2023 and has claimed 10 scalps, including a five-fer.
As for Wood, the injury-prone pacer has only featured in two one-dayers this year, picking up two wickets at an average of 24.
Check out India Squad for World Cup 2023 & South Africa Squad for World Cup 2023. Follow Sportskeeda for latest News.

Sports bridges gaps. Sports knows no boundaries. Sports is the ultimate unifier. These may seem superfluous or overused phrases at times but on most occasions, they turn out to be true. Just in the case of the 10m air pistol mixed team event final between India and China at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou. The final was a nail-biter. Shooters of both teams did not give an inch during the tense gold medal match but the moment it finished – in China’s favour – the pistols gave way to clap, the deep breaths were overtaken by a cheerful chorus as sportsman spirit took over. The shooting arena and then the Chinese shooters celebrated India’s Sarabjot Singh’s 21st birthday together.
Sarabjot Singh’s birthday being celebrated at the Asian Games
It all started with the DJ at the shooting arena in Hangzhou playing “Happy Birthday To You” for Sarabjot after the medals were awarded to China (gold), India (silver), South Korea and Pakistan (bronze). It was a lovely gesture as the packed arena filled with Chinese fans clapped and wished happy birthday to the Indian shooter, who was still far from getting over the shock of coming second in the final.
Barely a few minutes ago, disappointment was written all over Sarabjot’s face. He had won silver in the 10m air pistol mixed team event with partner Divya TS but he knew the colour of the medal could easily have been gold if he had given his best effort in the final against China. With India and China squared at 14-all, it boiled down to the last series where Divya shot a brilliant 10.5 compared to the female Chinese shooter, Ranxin Jiang’s 10.3. Sarabjot had a 0.2 advantage but he shot a disappointing 9.9 in his last attempt. World champion and two-time Olympic medallist, Bowen Zhang showed his class by shooting a 10.7 to win the series and gold for China.
Sarabjot hung his head. The top shooter, who topped the qualification round, had shot 7 out of his 15 shots in the 9-series in the final, which ultimately cost India the gold medal. But little did he know that there was a surprise in store for him.
The entire shooting arena celebrating the ‘Happy Birthday To You’ tune during the medal ceremony was not the only grand gesture reserved for the Indian shooter. When they returned to the changing room, the Chinese shooters along with their coach joined in to celebrate his birthday with the Indian team.
The gold medal-winning Chinese shooters were seen singing ‘Happy Birthday To You’ in full pomp as Sarabjot finally had a smile on his face.
This was both Sarabjot and Divya’s second medal at this Games. Sarabjot had won gold in the men’s 10m air pistol team event while Divya had got silver in the women’s event. Their silver medal on the mixed team even was India’s first on Saturday. This also took India’s shooting medal tally at the Games to 19, of which six are gold, eight silver and five bronze.

Thakkar’s extensive use of AI
Manav Thakkar partnering Manush Shah came very close to upsetting the Korean top pairing in TT at the Asian Games. The 23-year-old Thakkar who hails from Surat has been one of the earliest users of AI analytics in India to aid his training, after application of digital data swept the TT world. 
The 23-year-old first emerged at the 2019 Senior Nationals semis, playing against G Sathiyan. Deepak Malik, experimenting TT coach and brains of Stupa Analytics who brought AI into TT had recalled the match when he would take Thakkar to the venue at 6.30 a.m, and in the next four hours use freshly culled data from earlier matches, to arm him with a surprise weapon. Playing closer to the table, when trailing 5-9 in the decider, Thakkar would blitz the next 6 points on a bounce changing strategy, to win the match. ‘He’d never taken even a game off Sathiyan before. But data helped us devise the strategy,’ Malik had said. 
Two analysts at Stupa are now completely into AI based data for TT – a plugin camera records the match, video goes on Cloud, and results are delivered within minutes. Work on an angle agnostic software was underway. And videos could make way for sensor-based analysis. A simple practice video shot on a telephone can throw up multitude of data – from nature of points won on service, long & short length conversions, types of errors & winners, clusters using Ball heat maps, trend of Ball speed, Video Highlights backing data, stroke and hand type analysis.
Indians might have fallen just short but the data-mining, tech-savvy Thakkar and Shah had their chances against the top Koreans. (By Shivani Naik)

IND vs ENG, ICC World Cup Warm-up, Live Updates:The start of the ODI World Cup 2023 warm-up match between India and England has been delayed due to rain in Guwahati. Earlier, India skipper Rohit Sharma waon the toss and opted to bat. The Indian team management will try to keep cards close and assess defending champions England’s batting depth. It will be a good opportunity for Kuldeep Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to test themselves and it is expected that all bowlers will be taking turns to bowl a few overs. It will be an interesting clash as both the teams will be putting their best foot forward. (Live Scorecard)

As the excitement builds for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, the warm-up fixtures officially commenced on September 29, providing teams with a crucial opportunity to adapt to the Indian conditions and refine their game plans ahead of the highly anticipated tournament.
These practice encounters are of paramount significance as they afford teams the chance to evaluate their strengths, experiment with various player combinations, and acquaint themselves with the unique challenges presented by Indian pitches.
The fifth warm-up match of the series is scheduled to take place at the renowned Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. In this exciting clash, Australia will face off against the Netherlands. Both teams are expected to put their best foot forward, aiming to gain momentum and confidence ahead of the World Cup’s official start.
ODI Stats and Records at Greenfield International Stadium:

• Total matches: 2
• Matches won batting first: 1
• Matches won bowling first: 1
• Average first innings score: 247
• Average second innings score: 89
• Highest total recorded: 390/5 (50 Ov) by India
• Lowest total recorded: 73/10 (22 Ov) by Sri Lanka
• Highest score chased: 105/1 (14.5 Ov) by India
• Lowest score defended: 390/5 (50 Ov) by India

Greenfield International Stadium Pitch report:
The pitch at Greenfield International Stadium is well-known for favouring bowlers, especially spinners, who tend to excel, especially in the second innings when the pitch dries out even more. Thus far, this venue has only witnessed two ODIs. This venue also hosted South Africa and Afghanistan for the 2nd warm-up game but it was abandoned without a ball bowled due to bad weather.
Thiruvananthapuram Weather Forecast:
(Image Source: Twitter)
Just like the previous game, the conditions in Thiruvananthapuram are not playing friendly at all. Expect consistent thunderstorms throughout the day with a 100% likelihood of rain. The temperature is expected to hover around 28 degrees Celsius, and humidity levels will be high, reaching approximately 86%. The wind is also anticipated to be blowing at a speed of 14 kilometres per hour.
AUS vs NED, probable playing XI, 5th warm-up game:
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, David Warner, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
Netherlands: Scott Edwards (c and wk), Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Sybrand Engelbrecht
Also READ: ODI World Cup 2023 Warm-up fixtures full schedule; When and Where to watch in India, US, UK, and other countries

The 19th Asian Games have ignited the passion of sports fans globally. India, in particular, has become a prominent contender, amassing an impressive medal count, which now stands at 33. What distinguishes this achievement is the remarkable excellence displayed by Indian shooters, who have become the focal point of attention in Hangzhou, China. India’s shooting team has put on a truly breathtaking performance, making a substantial contribution to the nation’s medal haul.
3 things you need to know

• India have fielded a total of 655 athletes across 40 sporting disciplines
• The Indian contingent has thus far won 33 medals at the event
• India’s most medals have come in the discipline of shooting (18)

Also Read: Indian Shooters Sizzle, Record Best-ever Medals Haul At 19th Asian Games
Asian Games 2023: Medals tally

POS	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	China	105	63	32	200
2	Japan	27	35	37	99
3	South Korea	26	28	48	102
4	India	8	12	13	33
5	Thailand	8	3	9	20
6	Uzbekistan	7	10	15	32
7	Hong Kong	5	13	18	36
8	Chinese Taipei	5	6	9	20
9	Iran	3	10	10	23
10	North Korea	3	6	4	13

Also Read: Mirabai Chanu Eyes Elusive Asian Games Medal, Under Pressure To Lift 90kg Snatch
Asian Games 2023: List of medal winners
Shooting

1. Team India – Women’s 10m air rifle team – Silver
2. Ramita Jindal – Women’s 10m air rifle – Bronze
3. Team India – Men’s 10m air rifle team – Gold
4. Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar – Men’s 10m air rifle – Bronze
5. Team India – Men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol team – Bronze
6. Team India – Women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team – Silver
7. Team India – Women’s 25m pistol team – Gold
8. Sift Kaur Samra – Women’s 50m rifle 3 positions – Gold
9. Ashi Chouksey – Women’s 50m rifle 3 positions – Bronze
10. Team India – Men’s skeet team – Bronze
11. Esha Singh – Women’s 25m pistol – Silver
12. Anantjeet Singh Naruka – Men’s skeet – Silver
13. Team India – Men’s 10m air pistol team – Gold
14. Team India – Women’s 10m air pistol team – Silver
15. Team India – Men’s 50m rifle 3 positions team – Gold
16. Esha Singh – Women’s 10m air pistol – Silver
17. Palak Gulia – Women’s 10m air pistol – Gold
18. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar – Men’s 50m rifle 3 positions – Silver

Rowing

1. Team India – Men’s lightweight double sculls – Silver
2. Team India – Men’s pair – Bronze
3. Team India – Men’s eight – Silver
4. Team India – Men’s four – Bronze
5. Team India – Men’s quadruple – Bronze

Cricket

1. Team India – Women’s T20 cricket – Gold

Sailing

1. Neha Thakur – Girl’s Dinghy – ILCA4 – Silver
2. Eabad Ali – Men’s Windsurfer – RS:X – Bronze
3. Vishnu Saravanan – Men’s dinghy ICLA7 – Bronze

Equestrian

1. Anush Agarwalla – Dressage individual – Bronze
2. Team India – Dressage Team – Gold

Wushu

1. Naorem Roshibina Devi – Women’s 60kg sanda – Silver

Athletics

1. Kiran Baliyan – Women’s shot put – Bronze

Tennis

1. Team India – Men’s doubles – Silver

Squash

1. Team India – Women’s team – Bronze

Image: X/SAI_Media

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have found themselves embroiled in controversy following their announcement of the men’s cricket team for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023. Notably, the squad did not include Tamim Iqbal, one of Bangladesh’s top run-scorers and a seasoned campaigner.
Speculations among fans have suggested that a rift between Tamim and team captain Shakib Al Hasancould be the reason behind Tamim’s exclusion. The situation escalated when the star opener publicly accused the BCB of his non-selection, asserting that he was asked to bat down the ordera decision he vehemently disagreed with.
In response to Tamim’s claims, Shakib openly criticized Tamim, labeling him as ‘selfish’ for prioritizing his personal preferences over the team’s interests. This exchange of accusations further fueled the controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s ODI World Cup squad.
Mashrafe Mortaza shares his take
Amidst the turmoil, former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has stepped forward to share his perspective on the matter. Mortaza did not mince words when he criticized the BCB for their handling of the Tamim situation, which has now snowballed into a significant controversy.
Mortaza pointed out that captain Shakib had the opportunity to address the issue with Tamim directly, which could have potentially resolved the matter amicably. He emphasized that such instructions regarding batting positions should have originated from the team’s management rather than BCB officials.
“As the captain, Shakib could have messaged Tamim or spoken for a minute, saying, ‘I have this plan, I’ll discuss it with you later.’ I think that would have resolved the entire issue here. According to my cricket knowledge, this instruction of batting in the middle order or skipping the first game should have come from the coach, captain, or a selector who will go with the team. Not from any BCB official,” Mortaza expressed on his Facebook page.
Mortaza questions necessity of further discussions
Mortaza firmly believed that discussions about Tamim’s batting position should have taken place after the announcement of the World Cup squad. He noted that after Tamim announced his retirement, the matter escalated to involve the Prime Minister, who urged Tamim to participate in the World Cup. Given these circumstances, Mortaza questioned the necessity of further discussions, particularly from BCB officials, before naming the squad.
“After Tamim announced retirement, the issue went even to the prime minister. She said Tamim to play the World Cup and thats why Tamim agreed to it. I dont think any further discussion was needed for this especially from any BCB official. All these conversation with Tamim should have come after announcing the squad,” Mortaza added.