Category: Sports

Vinay Ojha, the father of former Indian cricketer Naman Ojha, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for stealing a lot of money from a bank. Vinay was the manager at the Bank of Maharashtra in Betul, Madhya Pradesh, and he was involved in a case where ₹1.25 crore (about $150,000) was embezzled 11 years ago.

A court recently found him guilty along with three others, who were also sentenced. Vinay has to pay a fine of ₹7 lakhs (about $8,400). The main person behind this crime was Abhishek Ratnam, who got 10 years in prison and a fine of ₹10 lakhs. They used fake accounts and stolen passwords to take the money out of the bank.

Two others involved, Dhanraj Pawar and Lakhan Hingwe, also received seven years in prison and a fine of ₹7 lakhs. One of the six people in this case, a bank cashier named Dinanath Rathore, has passed away, while another, trainee manager Nilesh Chatrole, was let go.

Naman Ojha, who stopped playing cricket in 2021, played in four international matches for India. He made his debut in 2010 in an ODI against Sri Lanka. He also played two T20 matches and made his Test debut in 2015. Over his cricket career, he played in many first-class games and scored impressive runs.

In a great display of skill, India beat West Indies by 115 runs in the second women’s ODI match, taking a 2-0 lead in the three-match series at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.

Harleen Deol made a fantastic century, scoring 115 runs off 103 balls. Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, and Jemimah Rodrigues supported her with fifties, helping India to a huge total of 358 runs for 5 wickets— their highest ever in ODIs!

Mandhana (53 runs) and Rawal (76 runs) began strong with a 110-run partnership before Mandhana was run out. Rawal, who played very well in her second ODI, couldn’t get a century as she was out for 76. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur scored 22 runs quickly, but it was Rodrigues who helped keep the momentum going with her quick 52 runs alongside Deol.

After the game, Kaur said, “We did well as we planned. I’m glad the openers gave us a 100-run start and that Harleen and Jemimah helped too. Our bowlers did their job perfectly, so we believed we would win.”

West Indies had a tough time in the field, misfielding several balls and giving away 23 extras. All bowlers—Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, Deandra Dottin, and Zaida James—each took one wicket.

Needing a big score to win, West Indies struggled again despite a better performance compared to their last game. Hayley Matthews scored a counter-attacking century but lost partners quickly, which hurt their chances. Matthews and Shermaine Campbelle worked together for a 112-run partnership, but losing Matthews tilted the game in India’s favor.

Rawal, who played well with the bat, also helped in bowling, dismissing Matthews. “I felt more confident today than in the last game. I was excited to bowl in the match, and I’m happy I helped the team,” said Rawal.

The Indian spin attack, including Priya Mishra (3 wickets for 49 runs), Deepti Sharma (2 for 40), and Rawal (2 for 37), stopped West Indies at 243 runs in 46.2 overs.

The World Championship of Legends (WCL) T20 League has been a huge hit with fans, and now it’s coming back for its exciting Season 2! The tournament will run from July 18 to August 2, 2025, and promises even more thrilling cricket action.

This year, top players from six great cricket countries – India, Pakistan, England, Australia, South Africa, and West Indies – will compete in matches at different locations. The opening game will be on July 18, featuring the champions from England and Pakistan at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham.

One of the most exciting matches will be the India-Pakistan game on July 20, also at Edgbaston. The knockout matches, including two semi-finals on July 31 and the final match on August 2, will take place at the same stadium.

Harshit Tomar, the CEO of WCL, shared, “Season 1 was amazing, and we want to make Season 2 even better. We want to give fans unforgettable moments.” Ajay Devgn, a co-owner, added, “I’m thrilled to see the league grow bigger every year, and we believe Season 2 will get even more viewers.”

WCL Season 2 is sure to be a fantastic show, full of skill and competition that cricket fans will love!

Tournament Schedule:

– July 18 (Friday): England Champions vs. Pakistan Champions
– July 19 (Saturday): West Indies Champions vs. South Africa Champions
– July 19 (Saturday): England Champions vs. Australia Champions
– July 20 (Sunday): India Champions vs. Pakistan Champions
– July 22 (Tuesday): England Champions vs. West Indies Champions
– July 22 (Tuesday): India Champions vs. South Africa Champions
– July 23 (Wednesday): Australia Champions vs. West Indies Champions
– July 24 (Thursday): South Africa Champions vs. England Champions
– July 25 (Friday): Pakistan Champions vs. South Africa Champions
– July 26 (Saturday): India Champions vs. Australia Champions
– July 26 (Saturday): Pakistan Champions vs. West Indies Champions
– July 27 (Sunday): South Africa Champions vs. Australia Champions
– July 27 (Sunday): India Champions vs. England Champions
– July 29 (Tuesday): Australia Champions vs. Pakistan Champions
– July 29 (Tuesday): India Champions vs. West Indies Champions

Knockout Stage:
– July 31 (Thursday): Semi-Final 1 & 2 at Edgbaston Stadium
– August 2 (Saturday): Final at Edgbaston Stadium

Get ready for an incredible cricket tournament!

Imagine how great it would be to have Jasprit Bumrah ready to help when a cricket team is in trouble. You’d feel confident he won’t let you down. But it’s also frustrating if he’s your only option, making you wonder if other players can step up too. That’s what Rohit Sharma is feeling right now as the Indian cricket team takes on Australia. Instead of seeing a match between India’s bowlers and Australia’s batsmen, it’s turned into a showcase of Bumrah’s incredible skills.

Bumrah has been amazing, taking 21 wickets at a super low average of 10.90. While his numbers are fantastic, the team isn’t just about him. Mohammed Siraj has done well too, with 13 wickets from three matches. Normally, his average of 23.92 would be impressive, but Bumrah’s numbers are so extraordinary that Siraj seems overshadowed.

India misses Mohammed Shami, who hasn’t played since November 19, 2023, due to knee problems that won’t allow him to join the team in Australia. Shami used to be the perfect partner for Bumrah, but now India finds itself in a tough spot. Once, India had many strong bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, and even Hardik Pandya. But time has changed things.

Injuries have hit many key players hard. Jofra Archer hasn’t played much in five years, and Ben Stokes is often injured. India’s fast bowlers have struggled too. Rohit Sharma and coaches like Rahul Dravid and Gautam Gambhir haven’t been able to create a strong pace attack since Bumrah’s arrival completed the previous one.

While India has tried new bowlers like Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana, only Akash Deep has shown promise. Together, these bowlers have played just seven Tests. Mukesh is 31, Prasidh is 28, and the youngest, Rana, is only 23. Deep has played six Tests at 28, but India’s Test bowling strength looks weak without Bumrah.

Bumrah, like legends Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, is a once-in-a-lifetime player, but he’s also 31 and has been playing for nearly ten years. He’s now Rohit’s deputy and is key for India in Test matches, not just as a top bowler but as a mentor for the next generation. However, don’t expect a quick fix for India’s bowling problems anytime soon.

Rangana Herath, a famous cricketer from Sri Lanka, played two Test series in India but had a tough time. Out of five matches, two ended in draws, and Sri Lanka lost three by an innings. Since 1982, Sri Lanka has played 22 Test matches in India, winning only 9 and losing 13. Despite having similar pitches, Sri Lanka has struggled to compete in India—this is a mystery.

However, under new captain Tom Latham, New Zealand achieved an incredible feat by beating India 3-0 in a Test series in India. This was India’s first series loss at home in 12 years and the first time they were swept in a long series.

Herath served as a spin consultant for New Zealand during this tour after previously losing 0-2 against Sri Lanka. He was thrilled to see the Kiwi bowlers perform well, especially spin bowlers Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel, in areas like Pune and Mumbai. Herath, who retired in November 2018 with 433 wickets, is the only left-arm bowler to take over 400 Test wickets. He began performing brilliantly only after Muttiah Muralitharan, another Sri Lankan great, retired in 2010.

Reflecting on New Zealand’s success in India, Herath said, “Winning a series 3-0 in their soil is very special.” He noted that they focused on the challenges of the game rather than just winning and that hard work paid off when they bowled India out for just 46 runs in the first Test. Instead of looking at the overall series, they took it one game at a time, which was key to their victory.

Herath believes that the experience of losing in Sri Lanka helped New Zealand understand how to bowl on subcontinental pitches. He has great respect for R Ashwin, the recently retired Indian spinner, praising his brilliant career.

Now, with Ashwin gone, the pressure shifts to Ravindra Jadeja, another left-arm spinner. Although both are left-arm spinners, they have different styles; Herath relies on flight and drift, while Jadeja focuses on speed and accuracy.

Even during his breaks, Herath enjoys coaching and admires the talented spinners in Australia. He believes that Nathan Lyon, an Australian off-spinner, has achieved great success by relying on accuracy rather than fancy tricks.

Finally, Herath is proud of Sri Lanka’s recent performances and their chance to make it to the World Test Championship final. He credits this turnaround to former captain Sanath Jayasuriya, who has been guiding the players to make smart decisions. Herath feels that with this newfound confidence, Sri Lanka can perform well in their upcoming matches.

New Delhi: Renuka Thakur wanted to do really well in her game, and she felt a chat with the cricket legend Jhulan Goswami would help her. The last time an Indian woman bowler took five wickets in an ODI was in 2011, thanks to Jhulan. Now, Renuka made history by taking 5 wickets for just 29 runs against West Indies in Vadodara on Sunday. She said, “I’ve been playing a lot of T20s, but now it’s all ODIs. Jhulan di told me that bowling in the same area helps a lot.”

Pressure was high on Thakur and her teammates after India lost to Australia in ODIs and with the ODI World Cup coming up soon. But Renuka was simply joyful after her achievement, saying, “This is my first five-wicket haul, and it makes me really happy. ODIs can be tough for taking wickets.”

India scored 314 runs in their innings, with all the main players doing well. In response, the West Indies struggled to score, and Thakur’s amazing bowling quickly put them in trouble, reducing them to 11/4 and then 26/5. To win, players like Deandra Dottin or captain Hayley Matthews had to perform amazingly. But Thakur ended those hopes with her sharp bowling, getting Matthews out early and then clean-bowling Dottin, sealing the match.

Thakur mentioned that her fitness had been a big issue in the past, as she had a stress injury that slowed her down. “I’ve worked hard on my fitness, which let me bowl eight overs straight. It shows I’m fit,” she shared. Renuka is known for her inswinger deliveries and is especially strong with the new ball. If the pitch helps her, like it did on Sunday, she shines even more.

Coach Amol Muzumdar noted the cool evening temperatures could add dew, which is something they had prepared for. Renuka explained, “We planned to bowl accurately, and the conditions helped us.” In the last year, she has taken 12 wickets in 10 ODIs and 22 in 29 T20Is. With some less experienced players joining the team and Pooja Vastrakar missing, Thakur is expected to lead the group as they prepare for the World Cup in September-October next year.