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SRI LANKA’S Mahela Jayawardene is under no illusions about the scale of the task confronting his side when they face India in a Champions Trophy semi-final in Cardiff on Thursday (June 20).   The latest high-profile one-day international contest between the teams is a repeat of the 2011 World Cup final in Mumbai.   That clash saw the 36-year-old Jayawardene make unwanted history by becoming the first man to score a century in a World Cup final yet finish on the]]>
          INDIA defeated a disappointing Pakistan side on the Duckworth-Lewis method on Saturday (June 15) in front of a sellout crowd at Edgbaston in Birmingham after a series of rain interruptions resulted in three revised victory targets.   The Indians reached their final target of 102 from 22 overs with 17 balls to spare in bright evening sunshine after dismissing Pakistan for 165 from 39.4 of their allotted 40 overs.   ]]>
INDIA and Pakistan clash in a Champions Trophy match in Edgbaston on Saturday (June 15) that promises high-voltage action despite the academic nature of the contest.   What was expected to be the marquee battle of the eight-nation tournament - tickets for the match were sold out within hours of going on sale last November - has been reduced to a dead rubber.   World Cup champions India are already through to the semi-finals after winning both group B matches so far, ]]>
  A SECOND disciplinary hearing in three weeks for explosive opener David Warner has raised concerns about the culture of the Australian cricketteam heading into next month’s Ashes series in England. Warner was dropped for the Champions Trophy match against New Zealand in Birmingham on Wednesday (June 12) and made to carry the drinks, after England reported an “unprovoked physical attack” in a bar on batsman Joe Root. CricketAustralia said Warner had been re]]>
THE co-owner of Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals which is at the heart of a betting and spot-fixing scandal has been suspended from the game pending an inquiry, a top Indian official said on Monday (June 10).   The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) called an emergency meeting at a luxury hotel in New Delhi on Monday to discuss the Rajasthan Royals and their co-owner Raj Kundra.   Kundra, the businessman husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty]]>
IAN BELL starred as England drew first blood in a marathon sequence of matches against Australia with a 48-run victory over the title-holders in their Champions Trophy opener at Edgbaston on Saturday (June 8).   Bell made 91 on his Warwickshire home ground, to the delight of a capacity 25,000 crowd, as England posted 269 for six after captain Alastair Cook won the toss.   Bell also shared a second-wicket stand of 111 with county colleague Jonathan Trott (43) in the f]]>
HONG Kong will likely host one of the teams in an elite new tennis league featuring many of the world’s top players, the man behind the competition has said, according to a report.   The International Premier Tennis League, inspired by the television-friendly format of cricket’s IPL in India, will see teams of six to 10 players compete for six franchises dotted across Asia.   It is the brainchild of India’s 12-time Grand Slam doubles champion Mahesh]]>
SHIKHAR Dhawan struck a maiden one-day international century to help India beat injury-hit South Africa by 26 runs and leave the Champions Trophy favourites on the back foot after the opening game on Thursday (June 6).   India, hurt by spot-fixing allegations in their home Twenty20 tournament, forgot their worries to seize the initiative in Group B after smacking 331 for seven off their 50 overs and watching South Africa fail to get close.   The gamble to open with C]]>
FORMER Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Rajasthan Royals faced suspension from the cash-rich tournament on Friday (June 7) after its co-owner admitted to betting on the Twenty20 matches.   The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has called an emergency meeting of its working committee in New Delhi on Monday (June 10) to discuss the fate of the team which is captained by Rahul Dravid.   “We have taken cognisance of the Raj Kundra issue. We are goin]]>
A CO-OWNER of an Indian Premier League team on Thursday (June 6) became the latest person embroiled in a growing spot-fixing and betting scandal after he admitted illegal gambling, police said.   Raj Kundra, co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals franchise and husband of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, has been ordered to hand over his passport to police probing illegal betting and alleged corrupt links between players and organised crime syndicates.   “He (Kundra) ]]>
A COURT granted bail on Tuesday (June 4) to the son-in-law of India’s cricket chief and a Bollywood actor who were arrested last month over an illegal betting scandal.   Gurunath Meiyappan and Vindu Dara Singh Randhawa had both been remanded in custody until June 14, but a court in Mumbai granted their appeal for bail on condition that they report to police every other day.   “They were held under India’s Gambling Act which is a bailable offence,&rd]]>
POLICE in New Delhi on Wednesday (June 5) questioned the owner of an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team as part of a widening investigation into fixing in the domestic tournament, a report said.   Investigators summoned Raj Kundra to seek information on three players from his Rajasthan Royals team, who have been arrested over allegations of spot-fixing during the Twenty20 tournament.   Details of the outcome of the questioning were not immediately known but pol]]>
INDIA’S interim cricket boss promised on Monday (June 3) to clean up the country’s national game and restore its “good name” amid a betting scandal that has engulfed the sport.   Speaking to his first news conference a day after the row forced Board of Control for  Cricket in India (BCCI) chief N Srinivasan to stand down until a probe into the alleged illegal betting is over, Jagmohan Dalmiya said he would make every effort to remove the taint from th]]>
INDIA’S cricket chief on Sunday (June 2) defied calls to quit over a betting scandal in the country’s top domestic competition but agreed to step aside to allow an investigation to take place, the board announced.   The move, a compromise negotiated by N Srinivasan at an emergency meeting in Chennai, appeared unlikely to quell the controversy which has seen the country’s sports ministry call on him to resign.   Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath]]>
SENIOR Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice president Arun Jaitley on Sundy (June 2) said N Srinivasan will maintain an “arms length distance” from the probe against his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 6 betting charges.   “There will be an enquiry which will be on, the charges being criminal will be investigated. There are no charges against him (Srinivasan). We are not going into t]]>
    INDIA’S cricket board chief faced mounting pressure on Sunday (June 2) to step down before an emergency meeting over a spot-fixing scandal that has already prompted three local administrators of the game to quit.   Officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were set to meet later on Sunday (June 2) in the city of Chennai over the scandal that has rocked the world’s richest cricket board.   Punjab Cricket Associatio]]>
THE sale of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings to an investment group headed by Indian software magnate Vivek Ranadive was finalized on Friday (May 31).   Ranadive becomes the first NBA owner of Indian heritage at a time when the league has made moves to try and grow interest in basketball among the 1.2 billion people in cricket-loving India.   The sale to his group ends a drawn-out saga in which the Maloof family’s desire to sell the franchise to a group that wo]]>
A BOWLER has turned witness for police probing a spot-fixing scandal in Indian cricket and his evidence could be used in a case against his teammates, an officer said on Friday (May 31).   Paceman Siddharth Trivedi has recorded testimony for police who are trying to link bookmakers to three of his teammates arrested as part of the corruption probe into the Indian Premier League (IPL), the unnamed officer said.   “His statement is important because he has told u]]>
INDIA captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni kept his own counsel on Thursday (May 30) when questioned on corruption claims regarding the Indian Premier League but promised to reveal his views at the “right time”.   Controversial accusations of ‘spot-fixing’ have engulfed the sixth edition of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament, with Indian police making several arrests in recent weeks.   The investigations started on May 16 when Delhi police arrested thr]]>
INDIAN batting great Sachin Tendulkar is shocked by the spot-fixing scandal swirling around the country’s popular Twenty20 league and urged authorities to get to the bottom of the controversy on Friday (May 31).   The May 16 arrest of three cricketers, including former Test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, have exposed Indian cricket’s soft underbelly.   Delhipolice have accused the trio of taking money from bookmakers to concede a pre-determined number o]]>
A ROW between India and the International Olympic Committee which has led to the suspension of the Asian nation from all Olympic activities is heading towards a possible resolution, the IOC said on Thursday (May 30).   The IOC banned India in December after refusing to recognise the results of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) elections due to government interference, which led to a tainted official being named its secretary general.   “We are optimistic that th]]>
FRUSTRATED with the spot-fixing scandal and a series of other controversies that have plagued the Indian Premier League, the event’s chairman Rajeev Shukla Wednesday (May 29) said he was not keen to take up the position again.   Shukla said his tenure was for a one-year period which is renewed every year and he was not willing to take up the high-profile post for a third consecutive term.   “IPL chief is a one-year post which gets renewed every year in th]]>
ROGER Federer was in no mood to hang around as he moved into the third round of the French Open with a 6-2 6-1 6-1 demolition of India’s Somdev Devvarman on Wednesday (May 29), but his title credentials were barely put to the test in a hopelessly one-sided match.   Federer, chasing a second French Open title, was never put under pressure and ruthlessly exploited his opponent’s frailties.   The Swiss did not lose a point against the 188th ranked qualifier ]]>
THE National Basketball Association approved the sale of the Sacramento Kings to a group headed by Indian business tycoon Vivek Ranadive, the league announced on Tuesday (May 28).   The NBA board of governors voted unanimously to allow the Maloof family to sell the franchise to Ranadive for a reported $347m (£228.71m). The Maloofs had controlling ownership of the Kings since 1999.   There was a competing bid from a group, headed by Microsoft chief executive Ste]]>
INDIAN Test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and his teammates will be sent to a New Delhi jail after they appeared in court on Tuesday (May 28) on spot-fixing charges as part of an ongoing corruption investigation.   The court ordered Sreesanth and teammate Ajit Chandila to be placed in judicial custody over allegations they deliberately bowled badly in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars during the Indian Premier League, a Twenty20 competition.   Bowler Ankeet]]>
IF NOVAK Djokovic is to be believed then Mahesh Bhupathi has lit the touchpaper for a revolution in tennis.   The Indian doubles specialist is the driving force behind the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), launched earlier this week to great fanfare with a dazzling list of top-rank players already signed up.   World number one Djokovic will be joined in the inaugural edition, scheduled for December 2014, by 11-times grand slam winner Rafa Nadal and US Open ]]>
THE Indian sports ministry on Wednesday (May 29) demanded the resignation of Board of Control for Cricket in India president N Srinivasan pending inquiry into the ongoing Indian Premier League spot-fixing scandal.   After senior board officials such as Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Rajiv Shukla, vice-president Arun Jaitley and Jyotiraditya Scindia urged him to step aside, the ministry has also sought his ouster.   “BCCI is inquiring into allegations of m]]>
IT’S celebrations galore in Mumbai as their home team won the Indian Premier League (IPL)’s finals at Eden Gardens on Sunday (May 26) night by beating the Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs.   The win was way too easy for Mumbai as Chennai failed to perform even after they restricted Mumbai to a beatable 148 in the first innings.   Riding on a blitz 60 from Kieron Pollard, Mumbai posted a competitive 148/9 before restricting Chennai to 125/9 in a game played ]]>
INDIAN batting great Sachin Tendulkar has announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying it was the “right time” to stop playing the Twenty20 tournament.   “This is my last IPL. This has been a fantastic season,” Tendulkar said in a television interview after his team’s victory in the final on Sunday (May 26).   Tendulkar is the world’s leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket with an unprecedented 100]]>
THE son-in-law of India’s cricket board chief was on Sunday (May 26) suspended from “any involvement” in the sport pending an inquiry into his role in a spot-fixing scandal, officials said.   Gurunath Meiyappan, part of the management team of Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings, was arrested by police in Mumbai on Friday (May 24) for allegedly betting on matches in connivance with bookies and a Bollywood actor.   The Board of Control]]>
IT WASN’T a typical photo opportunity for Indian cricketer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth as he stood outside a New Delhi court in a pair of faded jeans and a dark blue full-sleeve tee-shirt.   Flanked by two policemen and his face covered with a black cloth, one of the most recognisable sportsmen in India kept his head bowed as newspaper photographers clicked away.   The slim, 30-year old, who can hurl the ball at speeds of up to 145 km per hour at opposing batsmen,]]>
THE SON-IN-LAW of India’s cricket board chief was on Sunday (May 26) suspended from “any involvement” in the sport pending an inquiry into his role in a spot-fixing scandal, officials said. Gurunath Meiyappan, part of the management team of Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings, was arrested by police in Mumbai on Friday (May 24) for allegedly betting on matches in connivance with bookies and a Bollywood actor. The Board of Control for Cricket in India ]]>
BOARD of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N Srinivasan remained defiant on Saturday (May 25) rejecting demands for his resignation but moves are afoot to oust him in the wake of arrest of his son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings team owner Gurunath Meiyappan on betting charges even as Sunday (May 26)’s Indian Premier League (IPL) final involving the team may be gone ahead with.   Arriving in Mumbai on Saturday, he made it clear that he has no intention of resigni]]>
THE growing scale of the Indian  Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing scam notwithstanding,  Sunday (May 26)’s final of the event would go ahead as per schedule  and the embattled Chennai Super Kings would also continue to be a part of the league despite the arrest of its top official on allegations of betting.   The final, between Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians, will go ahead at the Eden Gardens, a top Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sou]]>
A TOP Indian industry body has called for legalising sports betting amid a spot-fixing scandal in which cricketers were allegedly paid tens of thousands of dollars by bookmakers in underhand deals.   In a proposal submitted to the Indian sports ministry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said illegal betting to the tune of nearly $54bn (£35.69bn) was taking place annually in the country.   “India is continuing to lose bill]]>
MUMBAI police apprehended a key official of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) Chennai franchise late on Friday (May 24) in connection with a spot-fixing scandal that has also led to the arrest of three cricketers.   Former India Test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two other local cricketers were arrested last week on suspicion of taking money to concede a fixed number of runs and police have intensified investigations to discover the extent of the scandal.   ]]>
THE International Olympic Committee has set India a September 1 deadline for a new election to facilitate the country’s return to the Olympic fold.   The IOC banned the country in December after refusing to recognise the results of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) elections due to government interference, which led to a tainted official being named its secretary general.   During crucial meetings in Lausanne this month, India assured the IOC of the Olympic move]]>
INTENSIFYING its probe into  the Indian Premier League betting racket, Mumbai police on Thursday (May 23) issued  summons to Chennai Super King’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gurunath Meiyappan asking  him to appear before it on Friday (May 24) for questioning after he was  found to be in “frequent touch” with actor Vindoo, arrested in  connection with the scandal.   A 4-member team of Mumbai police’s crime branch led by Deputy Co]]>
MUMBAI police will on Thursday (May 23) question Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N Srinivasan’s son-in-law and CEO of Chennai Super Kings Gurunath Meiyappan in connection with the Indian Premier League (IPL) betting  scandal.   A two-member team from Mumbai arrived in Chennai on Thursday morning  to question Meiyappan with whom arrested actor Vindoo Randhawa  was in touch, and Chennai Super King’s top executives, police said. ]]>
A LAWYER for one of the Indian cricketers accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars for spot-fixing said on Wednesday (May 22) that police were seeking to tarnish her client’s reputation.   Rebecca John said police involved in the corruption probe were “deliberately planting leaks” in the media against her client, Test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.   John’s comments came a day after Sreesanth, who has played 27 Tests for India, and ]]>
THE scandal-hit Indian Premier  League on Tuesday (May 21) suffered another blow with the Sahara Group-owned Pune Warriors Indians withdrawing from the event due to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s lackadaisical arbitration proceedings to lower the franchise fee and it’s decision to encash the team’s bank guarantee.   Sahara, which bought the franchise for Rs 1700crore ($305m/£202m) in 2010, said it was “disgusted” by the]]>
    INDIAN cricketer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth has insisted he is innocent of any wrongdoing in the ongoing spot-fixing scandal and is confident of emerging from the “tough period” with his dignity intact.   The 30-year-old bowler was one of three players, along with 11 bookmakers, arrested last week on suspicion of spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 competition, the allegations also earning him an immediate suspension from the cr]]>
    THREE cricketers were refused bail on Tuesday (May 21) after they appeared in court in New Delhi on spotfixing charges as senior judges rapped the Indian board’s “lackadaisical” approach over the scandal.   And in a sign of the growing fallout from the allegations, police in Mumbai announced the arrest of a Bollywood actor as part of the investigation which has caused outrage among fans in the cricket-mad nation.   A court in N]]>
INDIA’S Test paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two other bowlers were to appear on Tuesday (May 21) in court over allegations that they accepted tens of thousands of dollars for spot-fixing, police said.   Sreesanth, along with his Rajasthan Royals teammates Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, was arrested last week for deliberately bowling badly in specific overs during the ongoing Indian Premier League after striking deals with bookmakers.   “We will se]]>
INDIA is mulling a law to deal with the issue of spot-fixing in sport following last week’s arrest of cricketers and bookmakers, government officials said on Monday (May 20).   Former India Test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two other players were arrested along with 11 bookmakers on Thursday (May 16) on suspicion of spot-fixing in the country’s ongoing Twenty20 league.   The cricket board immediately suspended the trio, who have been accused of tak]]>
KINGS XI Punjab eked out a close seven-run win over Delhi Daredevils in Dharamsala on Thursday (May 16), to keep alive their slim chances of qualifying for the play-offs of the ongoing Pepsi Indian Premier League.   Kings XI first rode on David Miller and captain Adam Gilchrist’s whirlwind knocks to post a challenging 171 for four.   Miller scored an unbeaten 44 off just 24 balls towards the end, while Gilchrist made 42 off 26 balls upfront. Shaun Marsh also pl]]>
FORMER Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sharad Pawar on Thursday (May 16) demanded “strict action” against three cricketers allegedly involved in spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) if they are found guilty, saying such incidents bring “disrepute” to the game.   “Somebody who associates himself with match-fixing, I think strict action should be taken against these set of players. They bring disrepute to the game and t]]>
PUNE Warriors snapped their nine-match losing streak and knocked Kolkata Knight Riders out of the Pepsi Indian Premier League with a thrilling seven-run win, in Pune on Wednesday (May 15).   Manish Pandey (66), skipper Aaron Finch (48) and Yuvraj Singh (30) guided Pune to competitive 170 for four after being asked to bat.   Yusuf Pathan (72) cracked his first IPL half-century in three years and almost steered KKR home with splendid hitting but he got out in a bizarre]]>
HIS team will not get the home advantage in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff stage, but Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma is unfazed, insisting that his side is good  enough to be a winner anywhere.   “We will be playing out now. Each and every game from now (is away from home) We just want to play to our strengths and we have the potential to play anywhere and beat anyone. It is not just the home condition,” Sharma said after Mumbai’s 14-run win o]]>
THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday (May 15) said it had held successful meetings with exiled member India, following its suspension over claims of corruption and political meddling.   The Lausanne-based body said its representatives had held “fruitful” talks with India’s sports minister, Jitendra Singh, as well as members of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to discuss the country’s eventual return to the fold.   India&r]]>