Month: December 2023

As we enter the new year, the Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid talks are once again heating up, with the French superstar set to become a free agent at the end of the ongoing campaign.
While PSG remain optimistic about tying him down to a new contract, Real Madrid are also planning on presenting him with a new contract very early in January.
Considering that he will be free to negotiate with the club of his desire starting from tomorrow, Los Blancos do not wish to waste any time and send a lucrative contract offer worth 26 million per year to him right away.
However, at the same time, Real Madrid are expecting a swift response from the French international, ideally before January 15, if reports are to be believed.
As such, AS is now reporting that if Mbappe does not agree to join Real Madrid within the January 15 deadline set by the club, they will swiftly move on to their Plan B, which happens to be Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland.
It is well-established by this point that Los Blancos are huge admirers of the Norwegian hitman and hold a strong interest in acquiring his services.
However, as things stand, Mbappe continues to be their main target. But if the Frenchman does not respond positively to their contract offer, within the stipulated deadline, Real Madrid will quickly turn their focus to Haaland.
After all, the Merengues will need a lot of time to negotiate a deal for the 23-year-old striker, considering he is an indispensable commodity for Manchester City.
The rumoured presence of a release clause in his contract might help matters, but even then, the operation will not be straightforward, with the Cityzens already trying to tie Haaland down to a new deal.
So, the next couple of weeks might be pivotal for both Mbappe and Real Madrid and whether the two parties end up uniting or not.

Dr. Ali Bacher, former South Africa Captain, recently shared his profound admiration for cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, emphasizing not only his on-field prowess but also his exceptional human qualities. Bacher marveled at Tendulkar’s persona, describing him as someone from another world, attributing his greatness not just to cricketing skills but also to his demeanor.
In a recent conversation, Bacher highlighted Tendulkar’s outstanding character, emphasizing his apparent conflict-free nature and his embodiment of greatness and joy. Addressing comparisons between Tendulkar and Brian Lara, Bacher dismissed the notion, underscoring the unparalleled pressure Tendulkar faced as he represented a nation of 1.4 billion people, a challenge he deemed unmatched even by Lara.
“I must say, there are two individuals. One of them is Sachin, and we still keep in touch. I mean, he is extraordinary, like he’s from another world. I’ve witnessed numerous outstanding innings from him, but what truly stands out for me is his personality. Honestly, has he ever been in a disagreement? I doubt it. He embodies greatness and happiness,” Bacher said to Hindustan Times.
“You know, Australians argue that Brian Lara was superior to him. Absolute nonsense. I strongly disagree. Brian Lara played before an audience of four million people. Now, think about this guy, he had the pressure of 1.4 billion people. Can you even imagine the magnitude of pressure he faced? Don’t even mention that comparison to me,” he added.
In conclusion, Dr. Ali Bacher’s reflections on Sachin Tendulkar shed light not only on the cricketing maestro’s on-field brilliance but also on his exceptional character.

Roma manager Jose Mourinho was asked to share his thoughts on Roma’s calendar year of 2023.
In his post-match presser following the narrow 1-0 defeat to Juventus, the Portuguese technician summed up an eventful year with the Giallorossi, his third in the Italian capital.
“Under normal conditions it would have been a historic year for Roma; Roma winning a European competition for two years in a row, playing a European Super Cup, playing the Champions League as winners of the Europa League. Under normal conditions it would have been a historic year for Roma.”
“The god of football didn’t want it, but it wasn’t him – it was a poor evening for a group of top level referees. Roma did something extraordinary to reach the Europa League final that they deserved to win.”
“We are now five points away from fourth place, we will do everything we can to stay close to the top of the table. At this moment it is natural to move away from that ultra-ambitious target given the calendar. However, we end up with a defeat that gives me joy in certain things: Ndicka, Cristante, Bove.”

Legendary Australian cricket team opener Justin Langer compared the Indian Premier League (IPL) to the Olympic Games and said that every game in the competition is a spectacle. Langer became the head coach of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ahead of the IPL 2024 season as the franchise moved away from the management of Andy Flower and Gautam Gambhir. Langer mentioned his conversations with Ricky Ponting and Tom Moody as the ex-Australia coach got ready for his stint in the IPL.
“Having sat with Ricky for so long and he talked about his time with the Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. How much he loves the tournament. And Tom Moody, one of my best friends, he’s been so involved in the IPL and just to hear them talking about it,” Langer said on a video uploaded by the LSG.
“The IPL is like the Olympic Games. It is so big. Every game is a spectacle, it is so well received, it is so well supported, not just at the stadiums, all through India and around the world. To have the opportunity to be a part of that is something I am very, very excited about,” he further added.
Langer also heaped praises on his franchise skipper and Indian middle-order batter KL Rahul, calling him a “beautiful, elegant-looking player”.
In a video posted by the LSG’s official X (former Twitter) handle, Langer praised KL and said that he is blessed to have him as a captain.
“When I was an Australian coach and we had a series against India, I never used to relax until Virat Kohli and KL Rahul got out. Because he is (Rahul) so dangerous player and he is such a beautiful elegant looking player,” said Langer.
Langer noted that Rahul is equally good against spin and pace.
“He has experience. He can play to both sides of the ground. He plays spin and quick bowling well. I feel really grateful and I feel blessed to have a captain like KL Rahul. I am excited about that (teaming with KL Rahul),” he added.
KL had a nice 2023 with the bat as he found a new identity for himself as a middle-order wicketkeeper-batter. In 30 matches this year, KL scored 1,203 runs at an average of 57.28, with the best score of 111*. He scored three centuries and seven fifties this year.
ODIs were KL’s strongest format, scoring 1,060 runs in 27 matches and 24 innings at an average of 66.25, with two centuries and seven fifties. His best score was 111*.
KL was not very consistent in three Tests he played, scoring 143 runs across five innings at an average of 28.60, with the best score of 101, a century that he struck in his comeback Test against South Africa in Centurion.
The batter has been associated with LSG since 2022. His season with LSG this year was cut short due to injury and in nine matches he played, he scored 274 runs in nine matches at an average of 34.25, with two half-centuries and a sub-par strike rate of over 113.
His first season with LSG though was great, scoring 616 runs in 15 innings at an average of 51.33 and a strike rate of over 135, with two centuries and four fifties.
KL, who has also played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings in the IPL, has scored 4,163 runs at an average of 46.78 and a strike rate of over 134.42, with four centuries and 33 fifties in his career as an IPL player.
(With ANI inputs)

India’s dreams of winning a Test series in South Africa for the first time went up in smoke after an innings defeat in the first match in Centurion. However, they are still chasing a piece of history as they prepare for the second and final Test in Cape Town. Only once have India managed to get out of a Test tour of South Africa with a draw and they are looking to do the same when the teams meet again in the second Test starting on January 3.
Jaiswal and Krishna struggled in the first Test (BCCI)
The team is in Cape Town already and are sweating it out in the nets in preparation for the series. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released a video of the team’s net session on Sunday and there were a number of key takeaways from it. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s return seems confirmed with the 35-year-old spending a number of hours with the bat and the ball. Jadeja had sat out the first Test due to an upper back spasm that he felt just before Day 1 in Centurion.
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Head coach Rahul Dravid and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey also had a lengthy session with fast bowler Prasidh Krishna. Krishna made his Test debut in the first match and was pummeled all around the ground by the South African batters, particularly Dean Elgar. Dravid and Mhambrey were getting Krishna to work on the lines and lengths that they wanted him to bowl. It indicates that India could give Krishna another go in the second Test instead of playing Mukesh Kumar.
Dravid had a lengthy chat with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal as well. Jaiswal scored just 17 and five runs in the first Test as India’s top order failed to fire in both innings. Captain Rohit Sharma also had a hard time also faced a number of deliveries in the session. Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a lot of deliveries to Rohit. Rohit also interacted a lot with the younger players in the team and kept an eye on Jaiswal while the latter was facing deliveries. India’s three all-rounders – Ashwin, Jadeja and Shardul Thakur, all faced a number of deliveries in addition to rolling their arms.

In this quiz, you need to name the top 25 Test run-scorers in 2023.
The list is heavily dominated by Australia and England players, who played the most Tests in the year.
You have five minutes to name the top 25 run-scorers in the format in 2023.
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In the Boxing Day Test against India, South Africa put in about as dominant a performance as is possible.
Up against a team containing several greats of the game, finalists in each of the first two World Test Championships, competitive in all conditions unlike Indian team before them, the Proteas were clinical. KL Rahuls first innings fightback was quickly put into perspective by Dean Elgar putting on a show in his farewell series. The quicks were quick, and the movement they found was devastating. India were razed for 131 in the second innings and lost by an innings.
And how have South Africa responded? By leaving out nine of those 11 players for their next Test tour, of New Zealand. The squad includes seven uncapped players, including uncapped captain Neil Brand. Calling it second-string would be generous.
However, this isnt the selection call to make Darren Pattinson, Shoaib Bashir and the rest pale into insignificance. It is a choice, but there are reasons behind it. Cricket South Africa have taken a look at the balance books and at the World Test Championship table and reasoned that, if they dont prioritise the former, they wont be around much longer to contest the latter.
Last year, CSA chief executive Pholetsi Moseki made the situation clear while speaking to ESPNcricinfo: We still want bilateral cricket to be supreme but the reality for countries like us is that you only make money when you play India. In the pre-Covid year, in 2019, we hosted England and Australia and we still made a loss. So we have to look at other options.
Then, he was defending the decision that should be considered the precursor to this one: South Africa forfeiting an ODI series against Australia. Like this time, doing so significantly dented their chances in an international event. Back then it was World Cup qualification, and this time its the World Test Championship. And like this time, CSA did so to prioritise their new franchise T20 competition, the SA20. As soon as the fixture clash became clear, Moseki made clear which way South Africa would lean. Protea players in the SA20 will not be going to New Zealand and that is a directive from CSA, he said. If South African cricket is to survive, SA20 needs to thrive.
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT
CSA has today announced a 14-player squad for the Proteas two-match Test tour of New Zealand next month#WozaNawe#BePartOfIt#SAvINDpic.twitter.com/pLBxCrNvJF
Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 30, 2023
This is not the players decision, many of whom have been adamant in their desire to play more Test matches. I see Test cricket as the pinnacle of the game, and a lot of the players in the change-room, if not all, would see that, Kagiso Rabada said earlier this year.
And while it is CSAs call, its hardly their fault. They are not world crickets powerbrokers, who have accrued the games global revenue for themselves and left the rest to wither. The Big Three and the ICC share culpability for the situation. That all of the six SA20 franchises were snapped up by Indian Premier League team owners shows who most stands to benefit.
South Africa may yet prove competitive against New Zealand, against whom they have never lost a Test series. The emergence of Nandre Burger, who overcame injury after injury to hurl down 92mph left-arm rockets on international debut, shows the resilience both of South Africas talent pools and the cricketers who rise from them. And even if they do lose, they may still make the WTC final, with home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan and away tours to West Indies and Bangladesh representing about as easy a schedule as is possible.
But this, as Ian Bishop, as clued-in a pundit as it is possible to find, has said this is another indication of the changing landscape of the game. Cricketers dream of playing for their countries and governing bodies are charged with ensuring their success. Now, a governing body is preventing its cricketers from playing for their country, hurting their chances, and its hard to criticise either too harshly. The blame lies elsewhere.
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Srinagar Dec 3: Real Kashmir Football Club, (RKFC) owner Sandeep Chatoo died on Sunday due to a cardiac arrest in New Delhi.
Sandeep, a Kashmiri Pandit, was in New Delhi for work when he suffered a massive heart attack. He was promptly rushed to the hospital but, unfortunately, could not survive.
Manager of RKFC Senior team, Umer while confirming the death told the news agencyKashmir News Observer (KNO), his body will be brought to Jammu for the final rites.
Sandeep, survived by his wife, son, and daughter, also owned CH2 Hotel, located in India Nagar.
Formed in 2016 by Sandeep, RKFC has transcended its role as just a football club, becoming a significant platform for valley youth.
It is worth mentioning that RKFC is the only club from J&K participating in the I League.