Sports

Nur-Sutlan, Sept 20: Returning to the World Championship after eight years, double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar lost his opening round bout to Azerbaijan's Khadzhimurad Gadzhiyev on Friday. Using all his experience, the wily Indian had raced to a 9-4 lead but lost seven points in a row to lose the 74kg qualification bout. Sushil employed a four-point throw after trailing 0-2 to take lead and

Dubai, Sept 19: Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya was on Thursday banned from bowling for 12 months following an independent assessment of his action by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The 25-year-old was assessed after his bowling action came under scrutiny by the match officials in the first Test against New Zealand in Galle from August 14-18. First, his action was reported to the apex

New Delhi, Sept 19: Former Pakistan swashbuckling all-rounder Shahid Afridi praised Indian skipper Virat Kohli for his batting in the second T20I against South Africa and called him a 'great player'. The 30-year-old Kohli played an unbeaten knock of 72 runs to guide India to a comfortable win over Proteas by seven wickets and one over to spare. In his innings, he amassed four boundaries and three

Mohali, Sept 19: Skipper Virat Kohli led India to a resounding seven-wicket win over South Africa in the second T20 International with an unbeaten 72-run knock as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the short three-match series here on Wednesday. Kohli (72 not out off 52 balls), who made a memorable 82 not out in his last T20 on this ground more than three years ago, helped India chased down the modest

Nur Sultan, Sept 18: India's star wrestler Vinesh Phogat (53kg) qualified for the 2020 Olympics after beating fancied American Sarah Hildebrandt in the World Championships here on Wednesday. The 25-year-old scored an impressive 8-2 win over the world championship silver medallist to secure her place at the Tokyo Games. Vinesh will wrestle in the bronze-medal bout against Maria Prevolaraki of

New Delhi, Sept 17: Siddharth Desai grew up in humble surroundings but now he's living the life of a millionaire sportsman, driving a souped-up jeep and taking selfies with fans -- and it's all thanks to kabaddi. The ancient game has undergone a glitzy makeover through the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), creating a new group of sports stars in a country traditionally obsessed with cricket. Kabaddi --

Dubai, Sept 16: India captain Virat Kohli has managed to hold on to his second position behind Australia's Steve Smith in the ICC Test Rankings for batsmen released on Monday. Kohli, with 903 rating points, is 34 points behind Smith (937). Besides former Australia captain Smith, compatriot Pat Cummins has also retained his one position in the ICC Test bowlers' rankings. Both Smith and Cummins

New Delhi, Sept 16: The BCCI on Monday accepted Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik's unconditional apology for violating a clause of his central contract by watching a Caribbean Premier League match from a participating team's dressing room. India discard Karthik tendered an "unconditional apology" for violating BCCI's central contract clause by watching a Caribbean Premier League game

London, Sept 16: England crushed Australia by 135 runs in the fifth and final Ashes Test on September 15 to level the series at 2-2, ending their historic World Cup-winning season on a high. Victory for the home side at the Oval means the Ashes ends in a draw for the first time since 1972, although holders Australia retain the urn. The tourists, chasing an unlikely 399 to win in a shade under two

New Delhi, Sept 15: After clean-sweeping West Indies in the all-formats, the Indian team will lock horns with South Africa in the opening game of the three-match T20I series at Dharamshala on Sunday. Men in Blue will look to keep their momentum going in their second series after the semi-final exit in the ICC World Cup 2019 in July. India has not lost a single game after the World Cup semi-final