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Amiya Mallick topped the field but the 32-year-old was far from his best, clocking 10.66 seconds to win the 100m at the third Indian Open athletics meet at the Birsa Munda Stadium here on Thursday.

The former National record holder, with a personal best of 10.26s, was returning to action after 2023 and although he has not slipped since then — he clocked the same at the Open Nationals back then — Indian men’s sprint has quickened a lot and Amiya has work to do.

It was a similar story among the women with Srabani Nanda completing the sprint double but in relatively slow timings — 12.33s for 100m and 24.75s for 200 — that were still good enough to beat the field in overcast conditions.

Storm and delay

This was followed by a heavy downpour and storm that forced the organisers to stop the competition for more than two hours.

Things remained bleak on resumption with the lights going off midway through the competition. The tough conditions meant several sub-par performances, including Sachin Yadav’s in javelin who made only two attempts and had a best of 70.62m to place second.

The results (winners only): Men: 100m: 1. Amiya Mallick (Odi, 10.66s), 2. Abhinash Sahu (Odi, 10.71s), 3. Dharambir (Har, 10.74s); 200m: 1. Raja Babu Alam (Del, 21.63s), 2. Astik Pradhan (Odi, 21.78s), 3. Arjit Kumar Yadav (Bih, 22.05s); 400m: 1. Rahul Kumar Githala (Raj, 47.73s), 2. Sarthak Bhambri (UP, 47.93s), 3. Mohd. Sinan (Rel, 47.93s); 800m: 1. Shyam Milan Bind (MP, 1:52.46), 2. Sumit Kharab (Har, 1:55.92), 3. Md. Sarwar (Jha, 1:59.19); 1500m: 1. Ashok Dandasena (Odi, 3:53.07), 2. Navdeep (Har, 3:53.65), 3. Prakash Kumar (Del, 3:54.19).

5000m: 1. Abhishek Pal (RSPB, 14:07.17), 2. Saurabh Kumar (Del, 14:07.96), 3. Kiran Matre (Army, 14:14.91); 10000m: 1. Sawan Barwal (Rel, 29:55.50), 2. Ajay (Army, 30:11.90), 3. Shubham Sindhu (Har, 30:12.69); Long jump: 1. Mohd. Muhassin (Ker, 7.06m), 2. Prince Latiyan (UP, 6.95m), 3. Karan Yadav (MP, 6.05m); Triple jump: 1. Sebastian V.S. (JSW, 15.82m), 2. Mohd. Muhassin (Ker, 15.49m), 3. Vishal Bahadur (15.15m); Javelin: 1. Shivam Lohakare (SSCB, 71.52m), 2. Sachin Yadav (PSCB, 70.62m), 3. Parmod (Har, 67.27m); Shot put: 1. Chetan Kapoor (Har, 16.99m), 2. Sahib Singh (Del, 16.51m), 3. Arjun (Chd, 15.98m); Hammer throw: 1. Praveen Kumar (Raj, 62.61m), 2. Shankar Nagarajan (TN, 56.63m), 3. Nitish Tomar (Pun, 52.88m).

Women: 100m: 1. Srabani Nanda (Odi, 12.33s), 2. Jyoti (Del, 12.86s), 3. Sukhi Baskey (Odi, 13.10s); 200m: 1. Srabani Nanda (Odi, 24.75s), Bidisha Kundu (WB, 25.10s), 3. Swathi Rongali (AP, 25.21s); 400m: 1. Kumari Dipti (Bih, 1:12.27); 800m: 1. Aarti Dhillon (Har, 2:17.51), 2. Mahima Choudhary (Raj, 2:18.04); 1500m: 1. Vineeta Gurjar (UP, 4:26.62), 2. Nikita Sharma (HP, 4:28.23), 3. Laxita Sandilea (Guj, 4:43.03).

5000m: 1. Sanjivani Jadhav (Mah, 16:44.26), 2. Kavita Yadav (RSPB, 16:49.27), 3. Anjali Devi (Har, 16:52.14); 10000m: 1. Jyoti (UP, 34:40.37), 2. Bharti (Har, 34:50.71), 3. Yashi Sachan (UP, 36:21.40); Long jump: 1. Priya Rathore (Raj, 5.87m), 2. Priti Lakra (Jha, 5.58m), 3. Daliya Parvin (WB, 5.55m); Triple jump: 1. Mallal Anusha (JSW, 13.03m), Sandra Babu (JSW, 12.55m), Priti Lakra (Jha, 11.68m); Discus: 1. Amanat Kamboj (Pun, 47.18m).

Former world chess champion Viswanathan Anand. File
| Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B

He has participated in the prestigious Norway Chess Tournament’s eight of 12 editions so far. While Viswanathan Anand is set to return to Norway next month as a commentator, his most favourite memory of an event that is being billed as the Champions League of the chess world is not with black or white pieces on the board. In fact, it came on a rest day.

“It would have to be the time I won. the cooking… the chef’s competition. I was the most surprised of all, but my wife might top me. These rest day activities are often lots and lots of fun, so that’s a good memory,” Anand said via videoconferencing during an event that saw the Norway Chess organisers interact with the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai members.

What did Anand cook, though? The legendary chess player remembered every bit of his just like any of his famous faceoffs against his arch-rivals. “We were given some ingredients. It was Halibut sauce, plus Halibut plus Hollandaise sauce, which we had to make and we were supposed to cut some greens as well to go along with it,” Anand recalled.

“My team member was Ding, who had injured himself in a cycling accident, so he was only able to cut vegetables. And he just cut them so finely, because there’s nothing else he could contribute for one hour or a bit more, so he was just very methodical. I thought when I put the dish into the oven and I forgot to turn it on and I realized I forgotten to turn it on, I thought I must have messed up any chances I had. But luckily it was only a few minutes and then it turned out a bit okay. But my Hollandaise sauce was the winning ingredient.”

Also Read | Viswanathan Anand: World title is just reward for Gukesh’s perseverance

While Anand used to be the lone flagbearer of India’s challenge during the tournament’s early years, Norway Chess has witnessed increasing Indian participation. While three of the 12 participants last year were Indians, this year will witness D. Gukesh, Arjun Eragaisi, Koneru Humpy and R. Vaishali taking on the best of the best chess players in the world for a whopping prize money.

Anand was confident that Gukesh will be ready to a repeat of the World Championship title match against Magnus Carlsen’s on the latter’s home turf. “I expect a very exciting battle. Gukesh will not lack motivation or the determination to go after Magnus. But Magnus is also highly motivated by the challenge of playing against our young players,” Anand said.

“I have seen him in multiple tournaments whether it’s Kolkata or the World Rapid Blitz, he eagerly looks forward to these match-ups and so we have the perfect storm. I think we have the right to expect some great battles.”

Norway Chess will host its 13th edition from May 26 to June 6. Having emerged as one of the most sought-after events in the chess calendar by the Grandmasters and enthusiasts alike, Norway Chess has introduced multiple engaging innovations that offers a sneak peek into a player’s match-day proceedings during a match.

Kjell Madland, the Managing Director and the brain behind Norway Chess, hoped that the event will not only generate partnership from the Indian chess ecosystem but could well expand into hosting a leg of the event in India soon.

Vaidehi Chaudhari laid the foundation for India’s dominant performance.
| Photo Credit: Kamesh Srinivasan

Shrivalli Bhamidipaty starred in India’s victory.
| Photo Credit:
Kamesh Srinivasan

Shrivalli Bhamidipaty played a spell-binding game for more than two hours and a half to beat Hong Yi Cody Wong 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-3 to clinch the tie for India against Hong Kong in the Asia-Oceania Billie Jean King Cup women’s tennis championship at the Balewadi Stadium on Thursday.

Playing without the services of the top player Sahaja Yamalapalli, the team was on shaky ground. Shrivalli had to step up as the No.1 player and she did so in style, taking her explosive game to a different level, much to the delight of the cheering fans.

Earlier, Vaidehi Chaudhari playing her first rubber in the event, overcame spells of nervous play to beat Ho Ching Wu 7-6(8), 6-1 in a contest that also spanned more than two hours.

Cody Wong was a much superior opponent and had the athleticism, craft and drop shots that teased Shrivalli right through the match.

It was courage backed by a superior game that helped Shrivalli win her third match in the current championship, from which the top two teams will qualify for the play-off.

India will play Taiwan on Friday and Korea thereafter.

Even though India won the tie against Hong Kong by clinching both the singles matches, the doubles had to be played, as every rubber, set and game would count towards ranking the teams eventually in the round robin league format.

After loss to New Zealand 1-2, India had done well to beat Thailand 2-1 on Wednesday.

The results (league): India bt Hong Kong 3-0 (Vaidehi Chaudhari bt Ho Ching Wu 7-6(8), 6-1; Shrivalli Bhamidipaty bt Hong Yi Cody Wong 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-3; Ankita Raina & Prarthana Thombare lost to Eudice Chong & Hong Yi Cody Wong 7-6(2), 3-6, [11-13]).).

Shree Charani of Delhi Capitals bowling during final of the Women’s Premier League 2025 (WPL) against Mumbai Indians at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, India on the 15th March 2025.
| Photo Credit: Sportzpics/WPL

Nallapureddy Shree Charani burst onto the Women’s Premier League scene as a relatively unknown entity roped in by Delhi Capitals. In two games — against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians (in the final) — Charani’s ability to control the run flow and attack batters in crucial phases made heads turn.

She continued in the same vein in the recently concluded Senior Women’s Multi-Day Challenger Trophy in Dehradun, finishing with nine wickets from three games. This was enough to earn a call-up to the Indian senior side for the Women’s Tri-Nation ODI tournament against Sri Lanka and South Africa later this month.

“I was feeling proud at getting the call-up. I am looking forward to playing with Harman (skipper Harmanpreet Kaur) di, Smriti (Mandhana) di, Jemi (Jemimah Rodrigues) di. They are legends,” the pacer-turned-left-arm spinner told The Hindu.

Delhi Capitals’ Shree Charani during a training session ahead of the Women’s Premier League 2025 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara, on 17th February 2025.
| Photo Credit:
Sportzpics/WPL

Being the first woman from the YSR-Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh to be selected for the Indian cricket team is no mean feat, and the 20-year-old received the news from India regulars Harleen Deol and Yastika Bhatia during the Multi-Day Challenger.

Charani’s father tried to enroll her in multiple sports, but she always found herself drawn to cricket.

“My dad first put me into badminton when I was in class six. I would play there, come home and immediately play cricket. Even when I played kho kho in school, I would go early to play cricket before going to play kho kho. I was constantly into cricket only.”

Shree Charani.
| Photo Credit:
Sportzpics/WPL

Charani’s uncle, Kishore Kumar Reddy, had a huge hand in her taking to the sport, often training for long hours with his niece.

“One constant coach for me from childhood, when I was around seven or eight years old, is my uncle, he was the reason I started playing cricket,” she stated.

Kishore has only one piece of advice for her. “I told her only one thing after she got the call-up. The most important thing is to make sure that India does not lose a match, how she plays and performs is up to her, but India should not lose a match.”

Indian grandmasters D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi will not lack any motivation to go after Magnus Carlsen who too will look forward to such confrontations in Norway Chess beginning next month, feels the legendary Viswanathan Anand. A total of four Indian players – Gukesh, Erigaisi, R Vaishali and Koneru Humpy – will take part in the Norway Chess event which will be held in Stavanger City from May 26 to June 6. “I expect a very exciting battle,” Anand said during a chat organised by the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai.

“Both Gukesh and Arjun will not lack motivation or the determination to go after Magnus. But Magnus is highly motivated by our youngsters if I can still call them that.” “He is highly motivated by the challenge. I mean I’ve seen him in multiple tournaments whether it’s Kolkata or the World Rapid Blitz. He eagerly looks forward to these confrontations and so we have the perfect storm,” he added.

Anand said the presence of four Indians in the event tells about the growth of chess in the country.

“Certainly on the men’s side, Indian chess is as strong as it’s ever been, even more so obviously due to the depth we have. But it’s great that Humpy is still competing so successfully and that she’ll be joined by Vaishali as well.” Talking about innovations such as confession booth and armageddon – a tie breaker after the classical game ends in a draw – Anand said there must not be many innovations apart from two of these.

“If you have too many in one tournament, it gets distracting also and there’s kind of overload. Armageddon is good because it gives a little something to look forward to at the end of a game in case the game is ending to a draw.

“I don’t know that we have found the perfect value of an armageddon game. It used to be what, 2-1 and then it’s a bit more, we’re still tweaking the number. “There might be some formula which will give the armageddon a bit more importance towards the overall score.” He continued, “But armageddon plus confessional both is a good enough combination and if they’re going to have more innovations, probably they should move one or two as well because too many at the same time is going to be tough.” Anand said being not used to the confessional booth in a way prevented him from using it.

“I was not used to that, and because I had competed more than what 40 plus… 38 years or something without a confessional booth, when it was finally introduced I never remembered to go there.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to go; I actually thought it was fun and I should make the effort but I got caught up in my game and I never went there.” “I don’t know if it’s the same thing happening with Prag (R Praggnanandhaa) and Gukesh and Arjun. Again, perhaps someone just needs to remind them before the game or something and they might do it as well.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

MS Dhoni is set to lead the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season following Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s exclusion due to an injury. Stephen Fleming, CSK Coach, said: “Due to injury, Ruturaj Gaikwad is out of the IPL tournament, and Dhoni will take over as captain for the rest of the game,” Stephen Fleming said in the pre-match press conference. Chennai Super Kings have encountered a significant setback before their upcoming match in the IPL 2025,scheduled to be held on Friday. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was sidelined from the league due to an elbow injury.

During his absence, the legendary wicketkeeper-batter will again assume the team leader role. This highlights his comeback as captain for the first time since he led the team to victory in the final of the IPL 2023 against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Social media went berserk after CSK announced Dhoni’s return as skipper.

STAR SPORTS POSTER FOR CAPTAIN MS DHONI. pic.twitter.com/iD6KHNTDnX

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 10, 2025

*MS Dhoni to return as CSK captain*

Ambati Rayudu right now: pic.twitter.com/RyMwRveoWK

— Sagar (@sagarcasm) April 10, 2025

Then. Now. Forever!

THALA OF THE PRIDE! #WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/yA9uNVMdqo

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 10, 2025

Fleming announced that Dhoni, an uncapped player, will be the team’s new captain for the rest of the IPL season. Dhoni readily agreed to take on the leadership role and help guide the team.

“We have an uncapped player, MS Dhoni, who will take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL. Dhoni had no hesitation to step up and help guide us out of this if we can,” Stephen Fleming said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Dhoni possesses an impressive record as an IPL captain. He has guided CSK and Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) to 133 victories out of 226 games, achieving a win percentage of 58. 84, and he has steered CSK to five IPL championships in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023.

He is also the sixth-highest run-getter in the tournament’s history, with 5,346 runs at an average of 39.31 and a strike rate of over 137, with 24 fifties and a best score of 84. In IPL 2025, Dhoni has made 103 runs in five innings at an average of 51.50 and a strike rate of over 153.73; his best score is 30.

CSK is placed in the ninth position. This injury is a significant setback for the five-time champions, who have lost four out of their initial five matches this season and will now be missing their captain and crucial batsman in the top order.

It is worth mentioning that Gaikwad has been CSK’s leading run scorer in three of the past four seasons. CSK will now play defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

Chennai Super Kings Squad: Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Gopal, Sam Curran, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Andre Siddarth C, Vansh Bedi.

Chennai Super Kings during the match against Punjab Kings. File
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders have eight IPL titles between them.

However, their form in 2025 has been well below the usual high standards.

With time running out, both teams will desperately seek a return to winning ways when they meet at the MAC Stadium on Friday (April 11, 2025).

CSK has had a nightmarish start so far, lying ninth on the table and is on a four-match losing streak. Only a miraculous turnaround can salvage the season, and it has to start now.

Can M.S. Dhoni’s return as captain be that magic bullet? But the five-time champion’s list of woes is huge, encompassing all three facets of the game.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury has further dented a struggling batting unit. The think-tank has a task on its hands to decide who replaces him in the starting line-up.

Also Read | IPL 2025: Chennai Super Kings failed to capitalise on chances against PBKS

Meanwhile, KKR — which has four points from five games — is searching for consistency, having alternated between losses and wins.

The three-time champion, though, has the resources to turn around its fortunes. Despite the four-run loss to Lucknow Super Giants a few days ago, Ajinkya Rahane’s men can take confidence that they nearly chased down 238 with key batters finding form.

Trial by spin

Spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine should enjoy the conditions at Chepauk, and their eight overs could be the key against a misfiring CSK batting attack.

Knight Riders have fond memories of this venue and will look to reignite their title defence at the place where they had their crowning moment a year ago.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer has emphasised the team’s adaptability ahead of their crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash against Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday. Despite coming off a narrow four-run defeat in their previous outing against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Iyer remained positive about the team’s performance. “We played some very good cricket even the last game. We lost only by four runs, which goes on to show that it was an evenly contested game,” he noted during Thursday’s pre-match press conference.

When questioned about potential advantages in the upcoming match, particularly regarding their spin attack led by Varun Chakravarthy, Iyer downplayed the notion that KKR specifically seeks favorable conditions.

“We never look at what is the best condition for us. We prepare ourselves for good conditions of cricket, and that’s what professional sport is about,” Iyer stated. “If a team has to be a champion, then it has to understand that in all conditions, you have to have the combination that can do well.”

About his own form, Iyer emphasised his focus on mindset rather than statistics. “I am at my best when my mindset for the game is right. When my approach towards the game is right, that has got nothing to do with the runs that I scored,” he explained.

“The benchmark has always been the mindset that I carry, and I feel I am carrying a very good mindset towards the game.”

As KKR seek to strengthen their position in the IPL 2025 standings, their approach against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be crucial in what promises to be an exciting encounter at the Chepauk Stadium.

With four consecutive defeats behind them and just one win so far this season, five-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK) find themselves languishing in ninth place, with pressure mounting with every game.

Defending champions KKR are in a slightly better position in the table, placed sixth with two wins in five games and they too are in need of consistency. Their bowlers came under fire at Eden Gardens, and a better effort will be expected on the more spin-friendly surface in Chennai.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jolly again! Rovers’ consistent performances paid off.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

When Jolly Rovers left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt’s flighted delivery took the outside edge of P. Vignesh’s bat and flew straight into the hands of the first slip, the TNCA First Division League final was sealed at the A.M. Jain College ground here on Thursday.

By virtue of a slender 12-run first-innings lead over Vijay CC, Rovers won its title for the third year in a row.

After the final wicket fell, the Rovers squad charged across the field in joy. Vignesh and H. Trilok’s stubborn resistance — one that had lasted 49.4 overs and over 220 minutes — was broken.

A heartbroken Vignesh sank to his knees while at the other end Trilok stood devastated — as the 88-run last-wicket stand ended just before lunch.

Resuming the final day’s play at 275 for nine, the duo batted sensibly and with positive intent. They stood firm, fending off everything thrown at them, including the bowling and the chatter.

With close-in fielders crowding the bat, the pair remained composed and survived multiple appeals. Their resilience gradually reduced the deficit. The duo, though, could not give Vijay the first-innings advantage.

However, just five overs into Rovers’ second innings — which was just a formality — the match was officially called, confirming Jolly Rovers CC as champions for the 24th time.

The scores: Jolly Rovers 326 & 16/1 in five overs drew with Vijay 314 in 118 overs (P. Vignesh 52, H. Trilok Nag 31 n.o., B. Aparajith 3/38, Bhargav Bhatt 3/70); Rovers won on first-innings lead.

NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart Virat Kohli has added yet another feather to his already glittering cap.
The batting maestro became the first-ever player to hit 1,000 boundaries — including 721 fours and 280 sixes — in the Indian Premier League (IPL), reaching the historic milestone during RCB’s clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
Also See: RCB vs DC
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In front of a buzzing home crowd, Kohli stroked his way into the record books with a typically crisp six that brought up the moment fans had been waiting for.
Most boundaries in IPL:

With over 8,190 IPL runs to his name, Kohli’s landmark further cements his position as the undisputed king of consistency in the tournament’s history.
Although the joy was short-lived as Kohli was dismissed for 22 off 14 balls by young leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam, it was a knock that had enough flair to showcase why he remains a force at the top of the order.
Nigam’s delivery, a teasing leg-break, lured Kohli into a drive that resulted in a stunning catch by Mitchell Starc at long-off, momentarily silencing the electrified Chinnaswamy crowd.

Earlier, DC skipper Axar Patel had won the toss and opted to bowl first.
Delhi, unbeaten in the tournament so far, made a surprise change, bringing in Faf du Plessis for Samir Rizvi.
RCB, on the other hand, stuck with a consistent XI as captain Rajat Patidar emphasised the importance of home wins and building momentum.
“We would have loved to chase, but the surface looks hard, we’ll look to put up a good total and defend it. I always back my instincts, but I do plan as well. It’s important to win home matches as well, important to have the momentum going,” RCB batter Rajat Patidar said at the toss.