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Showing posts from March, 2021

Virat Kohli is perfect for No. 4 spot: AB de Villiers

India has struggled to find a suitable No.4 ever since Yuvraj Singh retired from cricket from | The Hindu https://ift.tt/gQTYZn4

IPL is best league in world, making a comeback means a lot to me, says Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara is making his Indian Premier League (IPL) comeback in the upcoming edition after a gap of seven years. The 'Test expert' last featured in IPL in 2014 when he played for the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). After repetitively going unsold in the auctions, Pujara was snapped up by MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2021 auction for his base price of Rs 50 lakh. The Indian cricketer is delighted on being given the opportunity to return to the IPL. "To make a comeback to the IPL means a lot to me. It is the best league in the world and I have missed out on being part of it for quite some time," Pujara told Cricbuzz . His purchase at the auction led to a round of applause from the remaining seven franchises at the auction. "I could not have been more pleased. I am really proud and happy about that gesture by the franchises. It is the respect one gets for representing the country. I thank the franchise, Mr Srinivasan and Mahi (MS Dh

England midfielder Declan Rice calls for action over social media abuse of footballers

London: Declan Rice on Tuesday said England players could consider boycotting social media in the future if the current abuse of Premier League stars is not resolved. Former Arsenal and France star Thierry Henry left all of his platforms earlier this week after saying enough had not been done to tackle racist abuse across social media sites. A host of Premier League players including Manchester United duo Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial and Chelsea's Reece James have been subjected to vile online taunts. Calls for social media companies to take stronger action against internet trolls have so far produced an underwhelming response in the eyes of many Premier League players. Ahead of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Poland, West Ham midfielder Rice said the England team had yet to discuss the issue as a group but he hinted they could be forced to take action if the situation doesn't improve. "I think something definitely has to be done. There has been wa

IPL 2021: DC head coach Ricky Ponting feels captaincy will make Rishabh Pant an even better player

Mumbai : Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting is convinced that leading the side in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League will make swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant an even better player. Pant was named the captain of Delhi Capitals for the upcoming IPL after regular skipper Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the tournament after he injured his left shoulder during the recently-concluded England's tour of India. "Unfortunate that Shreyas will miss the tournament, but looking forward to seeing @RishabhPant17 grab his opportunity. It's well deserved for his recent performances and he's coming in with a lot of confidence. I'm convinced captaincy will make him an even better player," Ponting tweeted. Unfortunate that Shreyas will miss the tournament, but looking forward to seeing @RishabhPant17 grab his opportunity. It's well deserved for his recent performances and he's coming in with a lot of confidence. I'm convinced cap

Sushmita Sen talks about unhealthy relationship patterns and the need to break them

Sushmita Sen talks about unhealthy relationship patterns and the need to break them from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/3fwTwqK

Old - Official Trailer

Old - Official Trailer from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/3m57tNO

Hollow Point - Official Trailer

Hollow Point - Official Trailer from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/3dr7SGK

Tokyo Olympics 2020: Xinjiang link prompts concerns over Australian athletes' uniforms

Sydney : Australian Olympians became embroiled in the global row over Chinese forced-labour cotton on Wednesday as the country revealed its uniforms for the upcoming Tokyo Games.  The Australian Olympic committee faced criticism as they rolled out ASICS-branded sportswear, with the company facing questions over their use of cotton from the Xinjiang region. "We've been assured that none of the cotton for the Australian Olympic team comes from that region," said Ian Chesterman, Australian Olympic Committee vice president. "I think athletes at the moment need to focus on what their job is, which is to get out there and compete for Australia," he said during a press conference. At least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim groups are believed to have been held in camps in Xinjiang, in China's northwest.  Human rights groups, independent media and foreign governments have found evidence that the local authorities have carried out mass dete

FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers: England, Italy, Germany seek to maintain winning momentum

A look at what’s happening in 2022 World Cup qualifying in Europe on Wednesday: Group B Spain host Kosovo looking to improve after disappointing performances in a home draw against Greece and a late win at Georgia. Coach Luis Enrique said he was worried because he expected Spain to face more difficulties getting through the tight defensive scheme that Kosovo will likely use. There was controversy ahead of the match as the Spanish football federation referred to Kosovo as a “territory.” Spain does not recognize Kosovo’s 2008 independence from Serbia. The Kosovo federation warned it wouldn’t play the match unless Spain pledged to respect the Balkan country’s sovereignty, including their anthem and flag. It said Spanish officials promised the game would “be held in line with the FIFA and UEFA rules and protocol.” Greece host Georgia in the other group match. Both teams are yet to win. Group C Italy can put pressure on group rival Switzerland with a win in Lithuania. That would move th

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Japan demolish Mongolia 14-0; Saudi Arabia beat Palestine

Tokyo: Japan stayed perfect in World Cup qualifying by routing Mongolia 14-0 on Tuesday, their fifth win of the second stage coming 16 months after the fourth. The Japanese scored five goals in the first half, added nine more in the second and now lead Group F with 15 points. A victory over Myanmar on June 3 will secure first place in the group and a spot in the third round of Asian qualifying. The eight group winners and four best second-place teams will advance to the next stage, which is scheduled to start in September. Takumi Minamino, Yuya Osako, Daichi Kamada and Hidemasa Morita all scored in the first half, along with an own-goal from Mongolia defender Khash-Erdene Tuyaa. Osako ended up with a hat trick, while Sho Inagaki, Junya Ito and Kyogo Furuhashi scored two goals each. Takuma Asano also scored. Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said a big winning margin against Mongolia wasn’t the priority. “Rather than focusing on their opponents, our players concentrated on what they wa

'No-one cares about us': India's forgotten African tribe seeks sporting glory

Rohit Majgul has weathered racism and rejection in India as part of a marginalised community tracing its roots back to Africa — but he still dreams of bringing sporting glory to his country. The 16-year-old is part of a group of teens practising martial arts in an overgrown and sun-baked field near the remote hamlet where his family ekes out a precarious living on manual labour. Growing up around open drains and swarms of flies in Jambur village, he and other members of the local Siddi community were abused for their distinctive dark features and curly hair. Majgul, a school dropout, sees his judo training as the only way to escape a life riddled with gruelling poverty and discrimination. "No-one believes me when I say I am Indian," he told AFP. "They think I am African, they call me by different abusive names, they tease me." "I have also been thrown off the bus because of my colour, but I quietly endure everything because I want to do well in sports and

Akshay Kumar kick starts shooting for 'Ram Setu', shares first look

Akshay Kumar kick starts shooting for 'Ram Setu', shares first look from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/3u9CAL3

Fatima Sana Shaikh tests COVID-19 positive, quarantines at home

Fatima Sana Shaikh tests COVID-19 positive, quarantines at home from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/3rCHFKe

Malaika Arora nails this balancing yoga pose

Malaika Arora nails this balancing yoga pose from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/3meydf6

Sonu Sood shares extreme ‘plank’ exercise video on Instagram, fans say 'unbelievable'

Sonu Sood shares extreme ‘plank’ exercise video on Instagram, fans say 'unbelievable' from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/39vmsvr

Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers 2021: Benin refuse to play Sierra Leone amid COVID-19 controversy

Benin refused to play a key Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Sierra Leone Tuesday after challenging positive COVID-19 tests for five of their players. A dramatic final day of qualifying for the 2021 tournament in Cameroon also saw a referee collapse, leading to a match between the Ivory Coast and Ethiopia being abandoned 10 minutes from time. There were five qualifying places up for grabs and Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania took four with Benin or Sierra Leone set to join them. Rows over COVID-19 tests have plagued African football since last year with host national teams and clubs accused of producing false positive results to deprive opponents of stars. Talks between Sierra Leone, Benin and Confederation of African Football (CAF) officials in Freetown failed to resolve the standoff as both squads remained in their hotels. Benin hold a three-point lead over Sierra Leone in Group L and both teams have a chance of finishing runners-up to Nigeria. The referee

West Indies vs Sri Lanka: Brathwaite completes ton before Thirimanne's fifty guides visitors to 136/3 at stumps

Antigua and Barbuda: Captain Kraigg Brathwaite was last out in the West Indies' first innings of 354 before the visitors rallied behind Lahiru Thirimanne's third consecutive half-century to reach 136 for three at stumps on the second day of the second and final Test in Antigua on Tuesday. After scores of 70 and 76 in the drawn first Test, Thirimanne's run of good scores – going back to the series in South Africa last December – continued with another composed innings of 55. However, his dismissal to Kemar Roach in the day's final session necessitated consolidation which the unbroken fourth-wicket pair of Dinesh Chandimal (34 not out) and Dhananjaya de Silva (23 not out) provided on an increasingly placid surface with an unbroken stand of 59. Earlier, Brathwaite extended his occupation of the crease to eight-and-a-half hours which brought him 126 off 311 deliveries with 13 fours, a ninth Test century in which he fulfilled the role of anchor of the innings. Triple f

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Cristiano Ronaldo scores as Portugal beat Luxembourg; Belgium, Dutch score big wins

Paris : Cristiano Ronaldo helped Portugal to a hard-fought 3-1 win over Luxembourg on Tuesday with his first goal of the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign, while Belgium became the latest team to join the protests over human rights in Qatar before hitting eight past Belarus. Juventus forward Ronaldo bagged his 103rd international goal five minutes after the break to stop his side falling foul of a Luxembourg team whose recent performances have defied their small status and tiny population. Ronaldo had been controversially denied what looked to have been an added-time winner in Saturday's draw against Serbia in Belgrade, but he was not to be denied when he tapped home Joao Cancelo's cross. Luxembourg beat the Republic of Ireland last time out and another shock result looked possible when Gerson Rodrigues put the hosts in the lead with a glancing header half an hour into the Group A contest at the Stade Josy Barthel. Diogo Jota put the European champions back on level terms

Miami Open: Ashleigh Barty reaches semis after hard-fought win over Aryna Sabalenka; Daniil Medvedev into last eight

World number one Ashleigh Barty advanced to the semi-finals of the Miami Open on Tuesday as Russian top seed Daniil Medvedev booked his place in the quarter-finals of the men's tournament. Barty battled through her third three-setter of the fortnight to oust seventh seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in 2hr 16min on the Grandstand Court. The Australian will face either Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova or Elina Svitolina of Ukraine following her gruelling 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 win. After taking a close first set, Barty appeared to be on the brink of victory after grabbing a 3-1 lead in the second set tie-break. Sabalenka staged a superb recovery however to snatch the tie-break 7-5, forcing a decisive third set. Barty regrouped in the third though and with Sabalenka clearly in pain clutching her stomach, rammed home her advantage to complete a deserved win. The victory leaves Barty one semi-final win away from retaining her world number one ranking, though the Australian insisted

IPL 2021: Rishabh Pant named Delhi Capitals captain for upcoming season

New Delhi: Star India batsman Rishabh Pant was on Tuesday named captain of Delhi Capitals in place of an injured Shreyas Iyer for the upcoming Indian Premier League season beginning on 9 April. Iyer has been ruled out of the IPL after injuring his left shoulder during the recently-concluded India-England ODI series. "Under Shreyas' captaincy, our team reached newer heights, and he is going to be missed immensely. In his absence, the franchise has collectively picked Rishabh to lead the team this year," DC Chairman and co-owner Kiran Kumar Gandhi said in a release. "While it has come under unfortunate circumstances, it is a tremendous opportunity for him to grow further. I wish him all the best in his new role." This will be 23-year-old Pant's debut as IPL captain. The wicketkeeper-batsman has captained Delhi's state team in the past. A dream come true moment for @RishabhPant17 Ready to roar with you in #IPL2021 , Captain Pantastic #YehHaiNayiDill

LIVE Cricket Score, New Zealand vs Bangladesh, 2nd T20I at Napier

Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah won the toss in the second T20I against New Zealand in Napier and decided to bowl first. Hosts New Zealand already won the first match of the series by 66 runs so they will be looking to earn a positive result today and seal the series. In the previous match, an unbeaten 92 from Devon Conway and a four-wicket haul from Ish Sodhi ensured New Zealand romped to victory in Hamilton. Conway took his runs from only 52 balls and combined in a 105-run third wicket partnership with Will Young who made a half century from 28 balls in his T20 international debut. The pair lifted New Zealand to 210-3 as it batted first after winning the toss. Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi then took four wickets in the space of eight balls — three bowled — as Bangladesh managed only 144-8 in reply. Conway’s innings — his fourth T20 international half century in only his 12th match — followed his 126 in the third one-day international against Bangladesh on Friday which helped New Zealand

Delhi pub brawl: 'Some doppelganger of mine seems to have got into trouble', clarifies Ajay Devgn

Delhi pub brawl: 'Some doppelganger of mine seems to have got into trouble', clarifies Ajay Devgn from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/39sw4XP

Head coach Chris Silverwood says England players gained valuable experience in India

Pune: England may have suffered series defeats across all formats but head coach Chris Silverwood feels his team has learnt valuable lessons from the tour of India that will come in handy when it returns here for the T20 World Cup later this year. India completed triumphs in all three formats against England, with a seven-run win in the series-deciding third ODI on Sunday. Silverwood, in an interaction with the British media on Monday before the side headed home, reflected on the long tour with pride and said the English will be stronger when they come back here for the T20 World in the last quarter of the year. "It was a good, competitive game and a good, competitive series throughout. I'm very proud of them, I'm proud of each and every player who has been out here," Silverwood said in the series-ending presser. "I'm proud of the effort and the attitude that's been shown towards the game. I think we've learned a lot and from that point of view

NBA: Triple-doubles for Harden, Westbrook deliver wins for Wizards, Nets; Rudy Gobert helps Jazz beat Cleveland

Washington's Russell Westbrook and Brooklyn's James Harden delivered impressive triple-doubles on Monday, sparking their clubs to NBA victories and making some personal history for themselves. Westbrook unleashed 35 points, a career-best 21 assists and 14 rebounds to power the Wizards over the visiting Indiana Pacers 132-124 for the 162nd triple-double of his career. It was the first triple-double in NBA history with 35 or more points and 20 or more rebounds. Only Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson had previously produced triple-doubles of 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. "I take pride as a leader in making my teammates better. Tonight the guys helped me out making shots and keeping it moving," Westbrook said. It was Westbrook's 16th triple-double with the Wizards, the 32-year-old US guard setting a club one-season record in only his 38th appearance for Washington. "Mindset was to go out and be aggressive and make sure I set the table for my teammat

IPL 2021: BCCI revises on-field soft signal rule for upcoming season, says report

The upcoming season of Indian Premier League (IPL) will see revised playing conditions with focus on two key elements – the on-field soft signal and playing time for each innings. According to Cricbuzz , BCCI have removed the soft signal rule and also said teams should finish the 20th over in 90 minutes as a measure to control the duration of the matches. Earlier, the rule was that the 20th over was supposed to start by the 90th minute. The report quoted a circular which has been sent to all the teams informing them about the changes. "As a measure to control the match timings, the 20th over in each innings is now included in 90 minutes, earlier the 20th over was to start on or before the 90th minute," BCCI said in the circular. With regard to the soft signal rule, BCCI said the on-field umpire's signal will not have any bearing on the decision of the third umpire. "The third umpire shall determine whether the batsman has been caught, whether the delivery was a

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Gareth Bale says campaign could be his last for Wales

Gareth Bale admits his international career could be drawing to a close, with the current World Cup qualifying campaign possibly his last in a Wales shirt. Wales play the Czech Republic in Cardiff on Tuesday seeking their first points in Group E after an opening defeat to Belgium. Wales still have the delayed Euro 2020 to look forward to, starting in June, but Tottenham's Wales captain will be 33 by the time of the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar. "I haven't really thought too much past this campaign," Bale said on Monday. "Obviously, there's no hiding we are getting older and possibly it is the last campaign. "If it is, then it won't change my mindset. I'm going to be 100 percent committed like always. "We still have a big tournament to play in the summer and then continue with these qualifiers after. "I'm purely focused on the present and what is happening now. Whatever will happen in the future will happen." Bale had a

Miami Open: Naomi Osaka, Ashleigh Barty, Bianca Andreescu in quarter-finals; Stefanos Tsitsipas into last-16

Miami: Ashleigh Barty is tough to beat under any circumstances, especially when she's on the ropes. She proved that again Monday. The world's top-ranked player has reached the Miami Open quarter-finals, getting there by holding off 14th-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-1, 1-6, 6-2. It was Barty's 17th win in her last 20 three-set matches, two of those victories for the Australian coming so far in this tournament. "That's a cool stat," Barty said. This, too, was cool: The match lived up to its showdown potential, with the reigning Miami Open champion and current world No 1 in Barty facing someone who has won the Miami title three times and a previous world No 1 in Azarenka. Barty rolled in the first set, Azarenka in the second. But the third — as they tend to be — was all Barty, who was never in trouble in the deciding set. "It's just about staying in the fight," Barty said. "It's about not relenting, not giving up regardless

Prabhas buys a swanky car worth Rs 6 crore, goes on a ride in Hyderabad

Prabhas buys a swanky car worth Rs 6 crore, goes on a ride in Hyderabad from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/31wW3sM

WWE removes racist moments from its history as episodes move to streaming service

Fans of the WWE Network have seen and heard racist tropes in the ring for years. In 1990, during a showdown between Roddy Piper and Bad News Brown, a Black wrestler, Piper, who is white, showed up to the match with half his face painted black. In 2005, Vince McMahon, the Chief Executive Officer of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), used a racial slur repeatedly in a prepared skit before he was taken down by Dwayne Johnson, then known as the Rock. Until recently, those segments were available to watch on the WWE Network, which allowed subscribers to revisit old episodes and seasons of WrestleMania going back to the 1980s. But this month, after WWE episodes began moving to Peacock, NBCUniversal’s fledgling streaming service, longtime viewers of wrestling noticed they could not find either segment. “The whole match is gone,” said Christopher Jeter, 30, who has watched professional wrestling since he was 10 and now writes about it for Daily DDT , a news and opinion site about WWE. “I

Formula 1 2021: Bahrain GP race director clarifies ruling for Max Verstappen penalty

Sakhir, Bahrain: Race director Michael Masi on Monday clarified his application of the rules that led to Max Verstappen being penalised after exceeding track limits to pass Lewis Hamilton during the final laps of Sunday's dramatic Bahrain Grand Prix. Masi, who denied all claims of inconsistency, pointed out the Red Bull driver was asked to hand back the race lead because he 'gained an advantage' in running off track, not only because he had crossed the white lines. He rejected suggestions that Hamilton had done the same – running wide at Turn Four - many times and yet escaped a penalty, saying that Mercedes' defending champion had not gained a lasting advantage by doing so. Masi explained that "with regard to tolerance given with people running outside of the track limits during the race, it was mentioned very clearly in the (drivers') meeting and the notes that it would not be monitored with regard to setting the lap time, so to speak, but it will always b

India T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur tests positive for COVID-19, says report

Patiala: The Indian women's T20 team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms. Kaur, who did not play in the T20 series against South Africa in Lucknow after injuring herself in the fifth ODI on March 17, got herself tested on Monday after developing mild fever. "She is self-isolating at home. She got tested yesterday and the report came positive today morning. She had mild fever since four days so thought it was best to get tested. She is doing fine otherwise and should recover soon," a source close to the player told PTI. "She was getting tested regularly during the South Africa series so she must have caught the virus after that only," the source added. Kaur had shown decent form in the ODIs scoring a half-century and a 40. India, who returned to international cricket after 12 months, lost both the ODI and T20 series. from Firstpost Sports Latest News https://ift.tt/2PIUTaR

English Football League secures $160M in funding for Championship clubs amid coronavirus-led financial crisis

England’s second-tier Championship secured a funding package worth more than $160 million on Monday that will enable clubs to meet their tax liabilities amid a downturn in revenues during the pandemic. There have been no spectators for matches in the division for the equivalent of a full season since the coronavirus outbreak, meaning clubs in the 24-team league have lost around $200 million in gate receipts as well as other matchday revenue streams. “The support will be pivotal to clubs being able to re-evaluate their financial position,” said Rick Parry, chairman of the English Football League, which runs the three divisions below the Premier League, “and help them start to plot their way out of the pandemic and plan with greater certainty for 2021/22 when we are hoping for the return of fans in large numbers.” The Premier League committed to paying up to $20 million in support of the EFL securing the loan facility, the EFL said. The top-flight has previously made up to nearly $70

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Spain fixture against Kosovo overshadowed by diplomatic row

Madrid: Spain's 2022 World Cup qualifier against Kosovo on Wednesday is more than a simple game of football, with the meeting in Seville also at the centre of a diplomatic row. The controversy stems from the description of Kosovo as a "territory" by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) when it published Spain's opening World Cup qualifying fixtures in a group also containing Sweden, Greece and Georgia. The description was not appreciated in Kosovo, the former Serbian province of 1.8 million people which declared its independence in 2008. In response, the Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK), said in a statement that "Kosovo is an independent state" and threatened not to play the match if it was not allowed to use its national anthem and flag. "We were prepared not to go to Spain due to the political context of this decision," FFK secretary general Eroll Salihu told AFP . Kosovo were granted full membership of UEFA and FIFA in 2016 and first

Steve Smith 'keen' to regain Australia captaincy if opportunity comes up one day

Australia batsman Steve Smith has admitted for the first time he wants to regain the captaincy role that was stripped from him in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal. Smith skippered his country until 2018, when he was banned from the leadership for two years over 'sandpaper-gate' - which involved his teammates attempting to illegally alter the ball during a Test against South Africa in Cape Town. The sanction expired in March last year and Smith said he was ready to wear the captain's armband again if asked. "I've certainly had a lot of time to think about it and I guess now I've got to a point where if the opportunity did come up again I would be keen," he told News Corp in remarks published Tuesday. Until now, Smith has been coy about his captaincy ambitions, saying only that he was happy to do what was best for the team. The cheating scandal rocked Australian cricket, resulting in the departure of a string of top coaches and administrators, a

Satish Kaushik tests negative for COVID-19, daughter Vanshika is still at the hospital; actor says ‘please pray for her’

Satish Kaushik tests negative for COVID-19, daughter Vanshika is still at the hospital; actor says ‘please pray for her’ from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/3w9PUkh

Now, Vikrant Massey tests positive for COVID-19

Now, Vikrant Massey tests positive for COVID-19 from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/3waTjQ1

Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Neha Sharma encourage playing Holi with social distancing

Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Neha Sharma encourage playing Holi with social distancing from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/39qsz4k

From Sara Ali Khan to Prachi Desai, Bollywood divas spotted in and around Mumbai

From Sara Ali Khan to Prachi Desai, Bollywood divas spotted in and around Mumbai from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/3sAGcFC

Sergio Aguero confirms he will leave Manchester City at end of season after 10 years

Sergio Aguero, Manchester City’s record scorer, will leave the English club after 10 years when his contract expires at the end of the season. The 32-year-old Argentina striker has 257 goals for City, the most famous being his stoppage-time winner against Queens Parks Rangers on the final day of the 2011-12 season that clinched the team its first league title in 44 years. A key player in the growth of the Abu Dhabi-owned club as a major force in England and Europe, Aguero has struggled with injuries over the past year and been restricted to just 14 appearances in all competitions this season. The penalty he converted against Fulham on 13 March was his 181st goal in the Premier League but his first in the division since January 2020. In a Twitter post on Monday to his 14 million followers, Aguero said he had a “huge sense of satisfaction and pride” about playing for City for a decade and is ready to “continue competing at the highest level.” “Sergio’s contribution to Manchester City

Irfan Pathan fourth player to test positive for COVID-19 after playing in Road Safety World Series

New Delhi: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan on Monday became the fourth Indian cricketer to test COVID-19 positive, having recently taken part in the veteran's Road Safety World Series tournament in Raipur, which is fast turning out to be a super spreader. Before Irfan, his elder brother Yusuf, legendary Sachin Tendulkar and S Badrinath have all taken to twitter to announce that they have tested positive for COVID-19. "I have tested positive for COVID-19 with no symptoms and have isolated myself and quarantined at home. I would request those who came in contact with me in recent past to please get themselves tested," Irfan tweeted. "Urging all to wear masks and maintain social distancing. Wishing you all good health," he further wrote. Road Safety World Series is a private tournament that didn't have BCCI approval as it was only meant for retired cricketers. The worst part was that the organisers didn't restrict crowd movement even when BCCI m

Miami Open: Naomi Osaka, Ashleigh Barty reach quarter-finals; Stefanos Tsitsipas into last 16 after beating Kei Nishikori

Reigning US and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the Miami Open quarter-finals on Monday, stretching her win streak to 23 matches by defeating Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3. The second-ranked Japanese star will next face Greek 23rd seed Maria Sakkari, who outlasted US 29th seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8/6) at the WTA and ATP Masters Series event. "I started off really well and then for some reason I became a little sluggish. My speed didn't really feel the same," Osaka said. "I thought it was really mental from then on. In the end, it was who fought the hardest." Four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka broke at love for a 2-0 lead and broke again for a 5-1 edge but Mertens broke Osaka at love in the seventh game and denied four set points for Osaka to hold in an eighth game that lasted almost 10 minutes. Osaka, seeking her first Miami crown, saved a break point with her third ace and finally finished off the first set on her sev

West Indies vs Sri Lanka: Kraigg Brathwaite's unbeaten 99 steady hosts as teams share honours on Day 1

Antigua and Barbuda: Kraigg Brathwaite batted through the day for an unbeaten 99 as the West Indies reached a respectable 287 for seven at stumps on the opening day of the second and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Monday. Personifying patience and perseverance in a manner so typical of the right-handed opening batsman, Brathwaite did all he could to defy a bowling attack in which senior seamer Suranga Lakmal again led the line. Put in on a pitch which offered some assistance to the seam bowlers, Brathwaite's gritty defiance was necessary after Lakmal had claimed the early honours for the visitors with two early wickets and added the scalp of the struggling Jermaine Blackwood in the afternoon session to end the day with three for 71 from 20 overs. With opening partner John Campbell gone along with first Test century-maker Nkrumah Bonner within the space of a few deliveries to Lakmal in the first hour, West Indies captain Brathwaite