Category: Sports

  • Varun Chakaravarthy: From Struggles to Champions Trophy Glory

    Varun Chakaravarthy: From Struggles to Champions Trophy Glory

    India’s cricket star, Varun Chakaravarthy, has come back strong after facing tough times. In the 2021 T20 World Cup, he didn’t perform well and didn’t take any wickets, which made him feel very low. After the tournament, he received threatening messages from fans saying he shouldn’t come back to India. He even had people following him home on bikes, which was scary for him.

    Varun shared how he struggled with depression after the World Cup because he felt he let everyone down. It took him three years to get picked again for the team, and he worked hard during that time to improve his skills. Recently, he showed everyone how much he has grown by taking nine wickets in the Champions Trophy. In this important tournament, he helped the team win the title by playing really well, including getting five wickets against New Zealand.

    Varun said he changed his daily routine and practiced a lot more after the World Cup. He used to practice hitting 50 balls during each session but began practicing double that amount. He felt happy when he finally got the call to join the team again. Varun wants to keep growing and improving, and he feels thankful for the positive attention he is now receiving compared to the past. Former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin believes Varun was the best player in the tournament and deserved a special award.

  • Introducing the Exciting Captains of IPL 2025

    Introducing the Exciting Captains of IPL 2025

    Gone are the days when famous players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni would show up for the toss in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 18th season of this exciting T20 tournament is bringing in a lot of new and young captains.

    On March 14, Axar Patel was chosen to be the captain of the Delhi Capitals. Now, all ten captains for IPL 2025 have been decided! Pat Cummins is the only captain from outside India, while the other nine are Indian players. Rajat Patidar will lead the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and he was named captain in February 2025.

    Ajinkya Rahane will be the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), with Venkatesh Iyer helping him as vice-captain. Rishabh Pant will be in charge of the Lucknow Super Giants, while Shreyas Iyer, who led KKR to victory last year, will now captivate the Punjab Kings as they try to win their first IPL title.

    The IPL 2025 season begins on March 22 and will end with the final match on May 25, 2025. There will be 74 matches held at 13 different venues, with 12 double-header days. The day games will kick off at 3:30 PM IST, and the evening games at 7:30 PM IST.

    The opening match will see KKR face off against RCB at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The same place will host the second Qualifier and the final match. The first double-header day will happen on March 23, 2025, where the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) play against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the afternoon match. In the evening, the legendary teams Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) will compete at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

    After the league phase, the Playoffs will take place in Hyderabad and Kolkata. Hyderabad will host the first Qualifier and the Eliminator on May 20 and 21, 2025. Then, the action moves to Kolkata for Qualifier 2 on May 23, 2025.

    Here’s the list of IPL 2025 captains:
    – Kolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane
    – Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins
    – Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson
    – Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar
    – Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad
    – Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel
    – Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant
    – Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer
    – Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill
    – Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya

  • Swiatek Triumphs Over Zheng, Advances to Indian Wells Semi-Finals

    Swiatek Triumphs Over Zheng, Advances to Indian Wells Semi-Finals

    Iga Swiatek showed her strength by easily beating her rival Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells tournament on Friday. Swiatek won the match 6-3, 6-3. Last year, Zheng beat Swiatek in the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics, making this victory even sweeter for her.

    After the match, someone asked Swiatek if winning a bronze medal in the 2024 Olympics pushed her to win against Zheng. Swiatek replied that losing in the past motivated her to do better this time. “For sure it does,” she said. “It’s always tough to lose, and you want to prove that you can win.”

    Swiatek is the defending champion at Indian Wells and is now the first player ever to reach the semi-finals for four years in a row. With this win, she has now achieved ten straight victories at Indian Wells.

    Talking about the match, Swiatek mentioned that the wind made things tricky towards the end. “You need to adjust quickly, and it’s not easy,” she explained. “But I’m really happy that I stayed focused and composed.”

    By reaching the semi-finals, Swiatek joined the elite group of players who have won all their first four quarter-final matches at WTA 1000 tournaments. So far in this tournament, she has only lost 12 games, which is one of the fewest by any player reaching this stage in recent years.

  • Nadal on His Rivals: Why Federer Was Different from Djokovic

    Nadal on His Rivals: Why Federer Was Different from Djokovic

    Rafael Nadal opened up about his exciting tennis career and rivalries in a recent podcast. Last year, he announced his retirement after winning 22 major titles, including a record 14 French Open trophies. With Nadal stepping away from the game, only Novak Djokovic remains from the famous “Big Three” of men’s tennis.

    On Andy Roddick’s YouTube podcast, Nadal talked about his big rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. He believes his matches against Federer were more interesting for fans. Nadal explained, “My rivalry with Roger was more exciting because it had clear strategies.” He liked battling against Federer’s strong forehand while trying to break down his backhand.

    Nadal said, “When Roger was hitting well, he would beat me. When I played well, I won.” He mentioned that he had more success against Federer on clay courts, while it was tougher on hard courts.

    When it comes to playing Djokovic, Nadal felt differently. He said their games are not the same, and there’s no clear plan when he plays against Djokovic. “Against Novak, I have to play my best for a long time,” he explained. Nadal praised Djokovic’s incredible ball control, calling him “the best” at handling the ball. He had to change his tactics against Djokovic, like using more slices and playing to the middle of the court instead of giving Djokovic too many angles.

  • Yuzvendra Chahal Rejoins Northamptonshire for 2025 Cricket Season

    Yuzvendra Chahal Rejoins Northamptonshire for 2025 Cricket Season

    Yuzvendra Chahal, the talented leg-spinner from India, is coming back to play for Northamptonshire in 2025. After playing with the Punjab Kings in the IPL, Chahal will join the English county team once again. Northamptonshire announced this exciting news on Thursday.

    Chahal will start playing for Northamptonshire on June 22, with a home game against Middlesex. However, he will miss the first seven matches of the season, which begins on April 4. Before heading to England, he will lead the Punjab Kings’ bowling team in the IPL from March 22 to May 25.

    His return comes just as India is gearing up for an important five-Test series in England that starts on June 20, but Chahal is not currently part of India’s Test plans. He had a great time with Northamptonshire in 2024, taking 19 wickets in just four County Championship matches. He also made a mark in the One-Day Cup with a memorable five-wicket haul against Kent and a career-best performance of 9 for 99 against Derbyshire.

    “I’m very happy to be coming back because I loved my time here last season,” Chahal said. “There are amazing people in the team, and I can’t wait to play with them again. We played very well towards the end of the last season, and I hope we can win some matches this time.”

    Darren Lehmann, the head coach of Northamptonshire, welcomed Chahal back, saying, “I am really excited that one of the best leg-spinners in the world is returning. He brings a lot of experience and is a great person who loves the game. Having him with us from mid-June onwards will be fantastic.”

    Chahal will return to play on March 25 for the Punjab Kings, after making history by becoming the most expensive spinner ever in the IPL with a bid of ₹18 crore.

  • Zheng Qinwen’s Bizarre Warm-Up Stunner at Indian Wells Open!

    Zheng Qinwen’s Bizarre Warm-Up Stunner at Indian Wells Open!

    Zheng Qinwen’s fourth round match against Marta Kostyuk at the Indian Wells Open didn’t go as smoothly as expected on Wednesday. During the warm-up, Kostyuk was practicing her volleys, but Zheng suddenly stopped and wanted to start serving, even though there was still time left. This surprised Kostyuk, leaving her confused and a bit rattled. In the end, Kostyuk lost the match with a score of 3-6, 2-6.

    The strange warm-up moment happened with one minute and 40 seconds still on the clock. Zheng began sending lob shots to Kostyuk, but then abruptly decided to start serving instead. Kostyuk didn’t understand what was happening and asked the chair umpire for help. The umpire reset the warm-up clock and told Zheng to finish warming up.

    Tennis legend Boris Becker was taken aback by the incident and simply tweeted, “What ?!?” in response to the news.

    Now, Zheng is set to play against Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals. Swiatek is a two-time champion at Indian Wells and has been performing very well this tournament. She has only lost six games so far, beating tough players like Caroline Garcia, Dayana Yastremska, and Karolina Muchova.

    Zheng is excited about reaching her first quarter-final this year. She hasn’t lost a single set during the tournament, having defeated Victoria Azarenka, Lulu Sun, and now Kostyuk. A big reason for her great performance is the return of her coach, Pere Riba, who just had hip surgery in November. He couldn’t train with her during recovery, but he was there when she won gold at the Paris Olympics last year and even beat Swiatek in the semi-finals back then. However, Swiatek still has a strong advantage over Zheng, leading their head-to-head record 6-1.

  • PCB Files Complaint Over Trophy Ceremony Snub in Champions Trophy Final

    PCB Files Complaint Over Trophy Ceremony Snub in Champions Trophy Final

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially complained to the International Cricket Council (ICC). This happened after there was a problem during the final of the Champions Trophy, where their COO, Sumair Ahmed, was not invited to the trophy presentation ceremony.

    In the final match held in Dubai, India beat New Zealand to win the Champions Trophy for the third time. Since PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was not at the match, Sumair went instead as their representative. However, the ICC did not call him to the stage, ignoring his presence completely.

    During the ceremony, BCCI president Roger Binny gave white jackets to the Indian players and handed out medals. Meanwhile, ICC chairman Jay Shah presented the trophy to Indian captain Rohit Sharma and awarded the winning team.

    A PCB official said, “We’ve filed a complaint because what happened is unacceptable.” However, the ICC is unlikely to give a formal response to the PCB. According to ICC sources, protocols led to Sumair being left out. They explained that only certain high-ranking officials are usually invited on stage, and since Sumair is not a top office-holder, he was not included.

    The PCB finds this explanation unreasonable and has called for an official public clarification. They believe that being ignored was disrespectful to Pakistan, the host nation.

    They are waiting for an apology and assurance that such treatment won’t occur again, warning that they may take the matter to the Board of Governors if necessary.

  • Rishabh Pant: Play for India First, IPL Will Follow

    Rishabh Pant: Play for India First, IPL Will Follow

    Rishabh Pant, the famous Indian wicket-keeper, believes that while the Indian Premier League (IPL) is exciting, young cricketers should always aim to play for their country first. Pant, who was part of India’s Champions Trophy winning team but didn’t get to play, made his international debut in 2017.

    “When I was a kid, my only dream was to play for India. I never thought about the IPL. Now, everyone is focusing more on it. The IPL is great, but if you want to play for your country, everything else, including the IPL, will come later,” Pant shared in an interview with JioHotstar.

    He is grateful for his chance to play for India at just 18 years old. Pant is known for his exciting style of play, even hitting a one-handed six at times. He explained why his bat sometimes slips from his hands. “I hold my bottom hand lightly to keep it from taking control. I grip my top hand tightly. But when I might reach too far—like if the ball is too wide—I’m willing to take risks, even if it’s a 30-40% chance to succeed. In that moment, my goal is just to hit the ball as far as I can,” he explained.

    Pant also mentioned that doing gymnastics as a kid helped him in cricket. “My gymnastics coach always said it would be useful. Our fitness trainer once thanked him, saying what I learned still helps me today,” Pant said. He continues to practice and believes it has greatly improved his fitness for cricket.

  • 150th Australia vs England Test Match: Historic Day-Night Clash at MCG

    150th Australia vs England Test Match: Historic Day-Night Clash at MCG

    Get ready for a special cricket match! The 150th anniversary Test between Australia and England will happen at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from March 11-15, 2027. This exciting game will be the first day-night men’s Test at the MCG, meaning it will be played under lights!

    The MCG is famous because it hosted the very first Test match in 1877 and the centenary Test 100 years later in 1977, where Australia won both times by 45 runs. Todd Greenberg, the CEO of Cricket Australia, said this match will be an amazing way to celebrate cricket’s history and its future. More fans will have a chance to watch this important event.

    The centenary Test had many memorable moments, like David Hookes hitting five balls in a row for boundaries, Rick McCosker playing with a broken jaw, and Derek Randall scoring a strong century. The 150th Test is sure to create unforgettable memories, too!

    Before this big match, Australia will host the Ashes series against England starting in November 2025. Right now, the Australian men’s team is preparing to defend its World Test Championship title against South Africa in June. Australia has played 13 day-night Test matches at home since 2015 and has won 12 of them! Most of these games have been in Adelaide, and none started later than January 25.

  • Shahid Afridi Calls Out PCB Chairman for Lack of Cricket Knowledge

    Shahid Afridi Calls Out PCB Chairman for Lack of Cricket Knowledge

    Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi has raised important concerns about cricket in Pakistan. He claims that the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, admitted he doesn’t know much about cricket. This revelation comes after the Pakistani cricket team had a disappointing performance in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, where they lost to New Zealand and India. Their last game against Bangladesh was canceled due to rain, leaving Pakistan at the bottom of their group.

    People are criticizing everything about the team’s performance, including the coach Aaqib Javed and his choices for players. Notably, Pakistan only took one main spin bowler, Abrar Ahmed, to the tournament, which was hosted by Pakistan.

    Afridi urged Naqvi to work with experts in cricket instead of bureaucrats who don’t understand the game. He mentioned that he met Naqvi and appreciated the improvements made at the Gaddafi Stadium but emphasized that a lack of cricket knowledge among PCB officials could hurt the team.

    Afridi pointed out that many current members of the PCB’s selection committee have no real experience in cricket. He believes they should strengthen the domestic cricket system in Pakistan because a better foundation will lead to a stronger national team. Afridi stated, “If the guardian is good, the child will automatically be good,” suggesting that good leadership leads to better players.

    Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the caretaker minister of the Pakistan government, took over as PCB chairman last year. Under his leadership, Pakistan’s cricket team also failed to advance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.