Karnataka retain Irani Cup title
Manish Pandey’s scintillating century and leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal’s sterling bowling effort helped Ranji champions Karnataka retain the Irani Cup after beating Rest of India by a massive 246 runs on the fourth and penultimate day. The moment of celebration came for the hosts after Pandey managed to uproot a stump as a souvenir after running out Varun Aaron. Karnataka became only the second team to bag back-to-back Irani Cup titles. Mumbai had won back-to-back Irani title thrice.
With this win, Karnataka rounded off the season with a grand treble just as they did a year ago by retaining the Ranji Trophy and winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy earlier in the season. Gopal returned with impressive figures of four for 39 runs in six overs, while pacer Abhimanyu Mithun scalped three for 40 in his 10 overs to bowl out Rest of India for 156 in their second innings in 43.3 overs while chasing a mammoth target of 403 runs at the Chinnaswamy stadium.
Mithun bowled his heart out in both Rest of India innings, ending with impressive match figures of six for 86. Resuming their second innings at 341 for six, Karnataka added another 81 runs before ending at 422, thereby setting a target of 403 to win before Rest of India.
Rest of India struggled throughout their innings as five batsmen — Unmukt Chand (1), Paras Dogra (0), Naman Ojha (0), Thakur (5) and Pragyan Ojha (0) — failed to reach double digits.
The platform for Karnataka’s victory was set up by their batsmen. Mayank Agarwal (68) and Karun Nair (59) to help Karnataka reach a respectable 244 all out. In reply, the visitors made 264 all out.
DDCA wants to felicitate Indian team
The Delhi & District Cricket Association on Friday requested the BCCI to allow them to organize a felicitation programme for the Indian cricket team on its return from the World Cup. On the back of a seven successive wins, in-form India sailed into the semifinals of the cricket World Cup, setting up blockbuster clash with co-hosts Australia in the last-four clash. While congratulating the Men in Blue for their astounding performance in the ongoing quadrennial extravaganza, the association’s vice-president C K Khanna said, “DDCA proposes that, if BCCI agrees then DDCA along with BCCI would like to organise felicitation function at Feroz Shah Kotla ground in honour of Indian cricket team after their return from Australia.”
Saina, Carolina to fight it out for World No.1
In a departure from the norm, it’s not going to be the Chinese but Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal and All England champion Carolina Marin who will be fighting it out for the numero uno ranking in badminton, in the India Super Series starting next week.
The last time a non-chinese achieved the World No. 1 status was in December, 2010 when Denmark’s Tine Baun had claimed the honour and it would also be a historic first for both India or Spain as no woman from either country has ever achieved this distinction.
Currently world No.2 with 74,381 points behind China’s li Xuerui (79,214 points), Saina has everything in her favour to become the new queen of shuttle sport.