Gayle-powered RCB hang on to snatch a win

April 5, 2013

Gayle-powered_RCB

Bangalore, Apr 5: Harbhajan Singh grinned broadly as Chris Gayle lay on the ground writhing in pain. The two had collided after the Mumbai Indians spinner had tried to field on his follow-through but only managed to bring the big Jamaican down.

Gayle went down clutching his left leg and

Harbhajan, unaware of the seriousness of the injury, could only see the lighter side of the incident. But Gayle didn't. It only brought out the kind of aggressive streak he is renowned for.

Until then, the Royal Challengers Bangalore opener was quiet, almost submissive, as Mumbai Indians' surprise package Jaspreet Bumrah hogged the limelight. The rookie Gujarat pacer with an unorthodox action had removed the dangerous-looking rival skipper Virat Kohli and Mayank Agarwal to leave the hosts stuttering at 31-3 in 6.1 overs, after being sent in by Mumbai skipper Ricky Ponting.

HOBBLING AWAY

It only seemed to get worse for RCB at the half-way mark after Gayle ran into Harbhajan. But Gayle held on. Up after quick treatment, the Jamaican was ready to pull his team out of trouble like he has done on many occasions.

What followed was a brutal assault that would have surprised even the staunchest Gayle fan. The left-hander, on 23 off 22 balls at that time, took off, smashing 69 off 36 balls. He finally ended with a buccaneering 92 (58b, 11x4, 5x6) as RCB again owed it to Gayle, finishing at 156/5 on a spicy wicket.

Such was the Gayle storm that swept the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, one was left wondering what would have happened had he not been injured. On Thursday, he stayed mostly rooted to the crease, taking advantage of his wide reach and ability to pick the length quickly.

Post the injury, Gayle first took on his West Indies team mate Keiron Pollard, launching a 95-metre six between two fours. While wickets fell regularly at the other end, Gayle, like a wounded solider, battled on.

LATE ASSAULT

The arrival of Arun Karthik — one of three surname namesakes in action on the night, the other two being Murali and Dinesh — helped Gayle. The opener stayed on, hobbling to the other end when there was a single to be had and coming down with brutal force when given width.

Gayle was severe on Munaf Patel's last two overs, hitting four fours and two sixes.

It was dream come true for fans when the batting greats, Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar, opened the batting. They started well but both showed signs that their athletic best was behind them. Tendulkar was run out, failing to return to the crease in time and Ponting then pulled his back foot back too late to be stumped against spinner Murali Kartik. That set the tone for a close finish.

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News Network
March 13,2020

Mar 13: The start of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world's most lucrative cricket competition, has been postponed from March 29 until April 15 over the coronavirus, the Indian cricket board said Friday.

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to suspend IPL 2020 till 15th April 2020, as a precautionary measure against the ongoing Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation," the BCCI said in a statement.

The two-month Twenty20 competition is estimated to generate more than $11 billion for the Indian economy and involves cricket's top international stars.

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News Network
July 23,2020

New Delhi, Jul 23: With one year to go for the Olympic Games to begin in Tokyo on July 23, 2021, Indian women's hockey team skipper Rani Rampal on Thursday said the side has performed well against top teams in recent times and can do the same at the Olympics.

The Indian team has competed well against top teams in the recent past and has registered memorable victories at the FIH Series Finals and the FIH Olympic Qualifiers last year.

"We have competed against top teams in the recent past and we have shown that our team has the capability of winning a medal and making our country proud at the Olympics. We have a good group of experienced players, who are guiding the junior players very well. Our team has been getting better with each tournament we have played and we will definitely improve our game even further in the next one year," said the 25-year-old said in a statement.

Speaking about her participation at the Olympics, Rani said that the experience will help her make better decisions at the Tokyo Olympics.

"It was great to be a part of the Olympics in Rio. We made history by qualifying for the tournament after 36 years. It was a great feeling to be playing at the biggest of stages. Even though we didn't register the best of results, I have certainly learned a lot by playing the Olympic Games matches in 2016. I am sure all the players, who played in the 2016 Olympics, will make much better decisions on the pitch at the Tokyo Olympics, based on their experience in Rio," she said.

The Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021, while the Paralympics will take place from August 24 to September 5, 2021.  

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Agencies
January 11,2020

London, Jan 11: Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's famous lap around the Wankhede Stadium after the World Cup 2011 win has been nominated in Laureas's list for the most inspiring sporting event in the last twenty years.

The moment featuring Tendulkar has been described as "Carried on the shoulders by a nation".

On his sixth attempt at the World Cup and with India not having won the competition since 1983, Tendulkar finally became a part of the team that lifted the coveted trophy. Carried on the shoulders of the Indian team, he made a lap of honour, shedding tears of joy after the victory was sealed in his home city.

The 2011 World Cup was also the first time, in which a host nation ended up winning the trophy.

Apart from Tendulkar, England's Andrew Flintoff is the only other cricketer to feature in the list. In 2005, England managed to defeat Australia in an Ashes Test, but Flintoff chose to first shake hands with Brett Lee rather than celebrate with his side.

Matthias Steiner (weightlifting), Natalie du Toit (swimming), Sky Brown (skateboarding), Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee (triathlon), Xia Boyu (mountaineering) have been nominated in the list.

Female tennis stars also feature in the list for coming up with an equal play, equal pay campaign. After pressure from Venus Williams and others, Wimbledon announced that female tennis players would receive prize money equal to the men's.

German international footballer Miroslav Klose was playing for Lazio in Italy's Serie A in 2012 against Napoli when he rose for a ball in the early moments of the game.

The ball came spiraling off his hand and skirted into the back of the net and a goal was awarded. While most players would carry on as if nothing had happened, Klose was honest with the referee and admitted that he handled the ball.

As a result, he also finds a place on the list.

The Laureus Sporting Moment Award celebrates the moments where the sport has unified people in the most extraordinary way.

This campaign has shortlisted 20 sporting stories from the last 20 years that have left their mark on the world.

The winner will be decided on the basis of public voting. It has already started, and the final date to cast the vote is February 16.

Finally, the result will be declared on February 17.
With three knock-out rounds, the top-20 moments will be whittled down to ten then five, with the top-five moments going head-to-head.

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