Sports

Seventh seed Australia beat India 3-0 in the second league match of the Asia-Oceania World Junior Tennis under-14 boys championship in Kuching, Malaysia, on Thursday.

It was the second defeat for India, following the one against top seed Korea. India will play its last league match against Pakistan on Friday.

The top two teams from each of the four groups qualify for the knock-out stage.

The results (league): Australia bt India 3-0 (Novak Palombo bt Paranjay Siwach 6-2, 6-2; Aidan Chan bt Viraj Choudhary 6-1, 6-1; Christian Joseph & Novak bt Paranjay & Kaustubh Singh7-6(5), 5-7, [10-5].

Yashasvi Jaiswal pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss Rashid Khan during Rajasthan Royal (RR)’s IPL 2025 match against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. With GT aiming to cross the 220-run mark at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Rashid attempted an audacious no-look flick off Tushar Deshpande in the penultimate over of the innings. However, he didn’t get the desired elevation. Jaiswal, who was stationed at backward square leg, leapt at full stretch to his right and grabbed the ball with both hands.

The incident took place on the final ball of the 19th over and a video of the same has gone viral on social media.

No-look shot from Rashid but Jaiswal saw that coming

Yashasvi Jaiswal pulls off a blinder to cut short Rashid Khan’s cameo

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Meanwhile, GT climbed to the top of the IPL 2025 table with a 58-run thrashing of RR. GT registered their fourth successive victory in five matches to lead the 10-team table, while RR slipped to their 3rd straight loss.

Sai Sudharsan smashed 82 off 53 balls as Gujarat posted 217-6 after being invited to bat first at their home at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

Pace bowler Prasidh Krishna then stood out with figures of 3-24 to help bowl out Rajasthan for 159 in 19.2 overs after Shimron Hetmyer top-scored with 52.

GT had a disappointing start when Rajasthan’s England import bowler Jofra Archer bowled skipper Shubman Gill with a 147 kph (91.34 mph) delivery that rattled the off stump.

But Sudharsan after a cautious start put on key stands, including a 80-run second-wicket partnership with England’s Jos Buttler, who hit 36, to lay the foundations for the mammoth total.

“I always try to see what I can do better, trying to improve my awareness and skill,” Sudharsan said after being named player of the match.

“I feel I work a lot on basics that is helping me be a versatile batter.”

“When you lose games, we also feel should we have chased?,” said Samson. “But we want to be a team that wins games while chasing, not just win batting first.”

(With AFP Inputs)

Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson rued that his side gave away 15-20 runs extra while bowling against Gujarat Titans. Rajasthan Royals failed to chase a 218-run target set by Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. “We planned something but they executed something else. We will have to look at that tomorrow,” said Samson who made 41 from 28 balls.

“When we needed momentum we lost wickets. With Hettie (Shimron Hetmyer), sixes and four kept coming. But I lost my wicket and that’s where we lost the game. The way Jofra started was good, he picked up Shubman’s wicket. Then we went off plan.” 

Asked about him choosing to bowl after winning the toss earlier in the day, he said, “When you lose games, we also feel should we have chased. Should we have done something else. But we want to be a team that wins games while chasing, not just win batting first.”

A delighted Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill credited his team’s strong start to the season with four wins in five matches to a collective effort, with everyone chipping in. Gujarat Titans notch a commanding 58-run win over Rajasthan Royals in their IPL clash here on Wednesday, riding on Sai Sudharsan‘s classy fifty combined with a collective bowling effort.

GT piled on 217 for 6 after being asked to bat and then bowled RR out for 159 in 19.2 overs to win the match.

“Good total put up. It was not easy, the first three fours overs, it was nipping. Sai and Jos batted tremendously. We’d take 220 any day,” Gill said at the post-match presentation.

“Our fast bowlers are doing a tremendous job. Everyone is chipping in. If you are having difficulties in choosing the Player of the Match, that is the hallmark of a great team.

“When you have bowlers like we do, captaincy becomes easy. Whosoever I bring in, they are happy to contribute,” he added.

Asked if it’s difficult to lead the team with senior players in it, the 25-year-old said, “We have Ishi bhai (Ishant Sharma), who has played 100 Tests for us, everyone is nice.” 

Virat Kohli continues to script new records in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The star Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter added another feather to his illlustrious IPL career. Kohli, who is the leading run-scorer in IPL history and only player to go past the mark of 8000 runs, became the first-ever player to hit 1000 boundaries in the tournament. He got to the landmark during RCB’s IPL 2025 match vs Delhi Capitals at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Thursday.

Talking about the game, DC captain Axar Patel won the toss and elected to bowl against RCB in their IPL 2025 match.

Delhi Capitals are the only unbeaten side left in the tournament as they have won each of their three matches so far, and are placed second on the points table. RCB are placed third with three wins and one defeat.

While RCB retained their playing XI, Delhi Capitals brought back Faf du Plessis in place of Samir Rizvi.

RCB Playing XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.

DC Playing XI: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, KL Rahul (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel (c), Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar.

Meanwhile in IPL, Chennai Super Kings were dealt a severe blow on Thursday as regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the season due to an elbow injury, a development that has brought back Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the leadership role. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed the development.

“We have an uncapped player, MS Dhoni, who will take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL,” Fleming told mediapersons ahead of the match against KKR on Friday.

Dhoni had previously captained CSK from 2008 till 2023 and won five IPL titles. He handed over the captaincy to Gaikwad ahead of the 2024 season.

Gaikwad sustained the blow when he was hit by a short ball from Jofra Archer on March 30, and since then he has played two games.

“He got hit in Guwahati (vs RR). He’s been operating with an amount of pain. We got an X-ray, which was inconclusive, and we had an MRI, which revealed a fracture in his elbow, in the radial neck,” Fleming said.

While Gaikwad played through pain against Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, the CSK medical team could only get his MRI done after the swelling subsided.

“So we’re disappointed and feel for him. We appreciate the efforts that he’s gone to in terms of trying to play, but, he will be out of the tournament.” The head coach also said that Gaikwad wanted to “continue” but the call to replace him had to be made.

(With PTI Inputs)

Suruchi Singh and Saurabh Chaudhary beat compatriots Manu Bhaker and Ravinder Singh 16-8 to win the mixed air pistol bronze in the Shooting World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Thursday.

It was the second medal for Suruchi, who had earlier won the women’s air pistol gold. Suruchi and Saurabh had missed the chance to fight for the gold by one point, with their combined score of 581.

In the event, the second Chinese team beat the main team, after both had shot 582 in qualification, to fetch both gold and silver.

China thus climbed further up on top of the table (five gold, two silver and three bronze). India was a close second (four gold, two silver and two bronze).

The results: 1. Chn-2 (Ma Qianke, Zhang Yifan) 16 (582); 2. Chn (Yao Qianxun, Hu Kai) 10 (582); 3. India (Suruchi Singh, Saurabh Chaudhary) 16 (581); 4. Ind-2 (Manu Bhaker, Ravinder Singh) 8 (579).

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli, left, and batting partner Phil Salt celebrate scoring runs during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, April 10, 2025.
| Photo Credit: ap

Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel won the toss and elected to bowl against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their Indian Premier League match on Thursday (April 10, 2025).

Delhi Capitals are the only unbeaten side left in the tournament as they have won each of their three matches so far, and are placed second on the points table. RCB are placed third with three wins and one defeat.

While RCB retained their playing XI, Delhi Capitals brought back Faf du Plessis in place of Samir Rizvi.

Teams

RCB: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.

DC: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, KL Rahul (wk), Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel (c), Vipraj Nigam, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Mukesh Kumar.

Jitesh Sharma and MS Dhoni (Photo Credits: Screengrab/BCCI)

NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star Jitesh Sharma credited former Australian legend Adam Gilchrist for his inclination towards wicketkeeping.
In a video posted by IPL on their social media platform, the 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter explained the importance of a strong technique with the gloves, including proper squatting and foot positioning.
Jitesh also admitted that he focuses on keeping his shoulder and knee aligned like a box, ensuring that his body is always in a defensive position.
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“I think this love for wicketkeeping is because of Adam Gilchrist. The way he used to keep the ball so easily, the way he used to catch the ball, I was very inspired by that. In wicket keeping, there are some basics like Squat position and ball of the feet. These are some thumb rules,” Jitesh Sharma said, as quoted by ANI.
“But for me, I always try that my shoulder and my knee should be like a box. Whenever I move, I should move like a box. If my head is near the ball, automatically my body will be behind it. So, my second line of defence will be active. I should be close to it. Like I am throwing the ball far away. So, I should go like this and catch the ball rather than like this.”
Initially bought by the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2016 auction, Jitesh was then retained in 2017.
However, he didn’t get a chance to play in a single match.
He was once again purchased in the IPL 2022 by Punjab Kings, where he made his name as a destructive finisher.
Jitesh scored 234 runs at a strike rate of 163.64 in IPL 2022 and continued with a remarkable season in 2023, scoring 309 runs at a strike rate of 156.06.

As a lower middle-order batter, his small match-winning performances during IPL earned him his T20I debut against Nepal in October at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Ahead of IPL 2025, RCB bought him for Rs 11 crore.
In four matches so far, he has aggregated 85 runs with an average of 42.50 and a strike rate of 184.
RCB will take on Delhi Capitals in the 24th match of the IPL 2025 on Thursday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

Chennai Super Kings’ Rachin Ravindra tries to take a catch during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match against Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Chandigarh, on April 8, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AFP

On the eve of his team’s IPL clash versus Kolkata Knight Riders here, Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming said that the team’s fielding has been “a little bit sloppy” and emphasized that the players have been working hard to improve it. ​

Referring to the Super Kings’ 18-run defeat to Punjab Kings on Tuesday, he said: “We had them five for, what, 100? And then, we had mishaps on the field, which I think let them off the hook. We saw a fine innings from a young player (Priyansh Arya’s 42-ball 103), who had the night of his life, but we had opportunities throughout.

“Fielding has been an issue throughout the season — the amount of catches dropped. So, we’re working hard on that.”

Knight Riders batter Venkatesh Iyer said that the likes of Varun Chakaravarthy, Ajinkya Rahane, and Moeen Ali having a good knowledge of the Chepauk ground will be an advantage for the team.

“Irrespective of the conditions, I think Varun is a world-class spinner now. Everywhere he goes, people look up to him. But yes, his playing in his home ground is going to be of huge importance. It’s going to be a huge factor as well.

“Also, considering that Ajinkya and Moeen Ali played here for two years, I think we’ve got a good think tank as well with regards to how this pitch will play.”

He also highlighted mentor Dwayne Bravo’s experience at Chepauk and said that Bravo will be aware of “how to bat and bowl on the ground and what tactics to use.”

MS Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad (Agency Photo)

NEW DELHI: The iconic yellow jersey will once again be led by its most beloved figure — none other than MS Dhoni.
Chennai Super Kings confirmed on Thursday that current skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025 due to a fractured elbow, paving the way for Dhoni’s dramatic return as captain.
The news broke a day ahead of CSK’s much-anticipated home clash against Kolkata Knight Riders, sending fans into an emotional whirlwind.
Head coach Stephen Fleming announced the development, stating, “Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the IPL with a fracture on his elbow. MS Dhoni will take over as captain for the rest of the season.”
ALSO READ: MS Dhoni to lead CSK for remainder of IPL; Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out with elbow fracture
Social media platforms lit up within minutes of the confirmation.
From nostalgic tributes to emotional throwbacks of Dhoni’s past glories, fans hailed the return of “Captain Cool” as nothing short of poetic.
Dhoni, who handed over the captaincy to Gaikwad ahead of the 2024 season, has led CSK to five IPL titles: in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023.
His leadership legacy is unmatched in IPL history, and his return injects a fresh wave of hope into CSK’s campaign.
This isn’t the first time Dhoni has returned to rescue the franchise.
In 2022, he reclaimed the captaincy mid-season from Ravindra Jadeja after a rough start.
Now, with Ruturaj sidelined, Dhoni once again steps into the spotlight—not just as a player, but as the leader fans swear by.
With the playoffs in sight, all eyes will be on “Thala” as he looks to script yet another legendary chapter in his already iconic CSK journey.

Representational image.© X (formerly Twitter)