Sports

Bengaluru, Jun 14: India skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to bat in the one-off Test against debutant Afghanistan at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday. Former India all-rounder Salim Durani, who was born in Kabul, performed the spin of the coin. He also handed a memento to Afghanistan skipper Stanikzai. India: Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (c

New Delhi, Jun 13: Chess player Soumya Swaminathan has been left a bit shaken by the storm triggered by her pullout from a tournament in Iran over the issue of compulsory headscarf but remains firm in her belief that religious diktats should not extend beyond places of worship. The 29-year-old woman grandmaster, who is also a former junior world champion, opted out of the Asian Team Chess

Krasnodar, Jun 13: Spain dramatically sacked coach Julen Lopetegui on Wednesday -- just two days before the team's opening game against Portugal at the World Cup. In a surprise announcement on Tuesday, Real Madrid appointed Lopetegui as Zinedine Zidane's successor to take over after the tournament in Russia, sparking outrage among the federation and Spanish fans at the timing of the announcement

Moscow, Jun 13: The United States, Mexico and Canada won the right to host the 2026 World Cup after easily beating Morocco in a vote by FIFA member nations on today. The North American bid received 134 of the 203 votes, while Morocco polled 65 in the ballot at a FIFA Congress held in Moscow on the eve of the 2018 World Cup. Football's showpiece event will return to the North American continent for

Jun 13: It wasn’t easy being Dinesh Karthik in an era where Mahendra Singh Dhoni redefined the role of a keeper-batsman. Having last played a Test match way back in 2010, Karthik, during all these years of soul searching, was honest in his analysis as to why he didn’t get a chance to wear the white flannels — “he was not good enough in presence of a special player like Dhoni”. “Look, I think I

Wellington, Jun 13: New Zealand's leading Test wicket taker Richard Hadlee has had surgery for bowel cancer and will have follow-up chemotherapy treatment, his family said on Wednesday. The 66-year-old Hadlee, who is considered one of the finest fast bowlers of all time having retired in 1990 with 431 Test wickets, had surgery after a routine checkup discovered a tumour. “This operation went

Dubai, Jun 12: India captain Ajinkya Rahane today termed it is a "privilege" to be a part of a historic first Test match against Afghanistan. It's a privilege to be playing in Afghanistan's first Test match. It's a historic moment for them and an opportunity for us to be part of the occasion," Rahane was quoted as saying in an ICC release. They have a fine team and some talented players, who have

Mohammed Shami failed the YoYo fitness test, prompting the selectors to summon rookie Delhi speedster Navdeep Saini for the one-off Test against Afghanistan starting June 14, reported PTI. Saini is currently one of the quickest red ball bowlers in domestic circuit and has been touted by many as one for the future after his consistent Ranji Trophy performance in the past two seasons. Saini is part

Kratovo, Jun 12: Portugalmidfielder Manuel Fernandessaid Cristiano Ronaldo "doesn't look at all worried about his future" as the Real Madrid superstar contemplates a possible exit from the Spanish giants this summer. There has been intense speculation over Ronaldo's future after the 33-year-old suggested he could have played his last game for Real following their 3-1 victory over Liverpool in last

Kuala Lumpur, Jun 11: Indian women faced abject humiliation after Bangladesh beat the six-time champions by three wickets to win their maiden Asia Cuptrophy today. The tournament turned out to be the most embarrassing for the 'Women in Blue' as they lost to the minnows twice inside a week. The tournament also raised a big question mark about the utility of two veterans Mithali Raj and Jhulan