Saturday, July 11
Fakhar Zaman's impressive 67 off 52 balls helped Desert Vipers secure a five-wicket win over MI Emirates at the Dubai International Stadium. Contributions from Alex Hales and Sam Curran were crucial in chasing down a target of 160. Despite a late effort from Kieron Pollard and Romario Shepherd, Zaman's performance was pivotal for the Vipers' victory.
Indian chess gears up for a historic participation at the 87th Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, from January 17 to February 2, 2025. Featuring five Indian Grandmasters for the first time, including the newly crowned World Chess champion D Gukesh, the tournament promises intense competition among top players.
Rohit Sharma is facing a tough phase with the bat, especially in Tests during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He aims to regain form in his favoured ODI format against England. Despite recent struggles, Rohit boasts an impressive record in white-ball cricket, including three double hundreds in ODIs.
India's assistant coach Abhishek Nayar faces uncertainty as the BCCI appoints Sitanshu Kotak as a batting coach. Nayar was fulfilling this role unofficially under head coach Gautam Gambhir. The BCCI made the change following lackluster batting performances and criticism from Sunil Gavaskar. Kotak's addition aims to address these issues.
Indian president Droupadi Murmu honoured D Gukesh, the youngest world chess champion, with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. At 18, Chennai-born Gukesh stunned everyone and won the World Chess Championship, besting defending champion Ding Liren. Gukesh's victory makes him the youngest world chess champion ever, surpassing Garry Kasparov's previous record.
Ace shooter Manu Bhaker, awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan, achieved historic success at the Paris Olympics 2024 by winning two bronze medals, becoming the first Indian to secure two Olympic medals in shooting post-Independence and the second Indian woman to win two Olympic medals.
Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar praised Karun Nair’s outstanding performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, noting his remarkable average of 752 runs in seven innings, with five centuries. Nair’s achievements have led Vidarbha to the tournament final, where they will face Karnataka.
