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There are captains on the cricket field, and then there are leaders. Virat Kohli is a leader. And the superman batter’s resignation from Test captaincy will not impair the side that bloomed under him.

In this issue

05-02-202215 STORIES

Shockwaves: Akash stunned Rio Olympics silver medallist Yoel Finol Rivas of Venezuela in the World Championship quarterfinals. “I enjoyed the bout and boxed according to a strategy. He was a very good boxer and an Olympic medallist, but I dominated him with my attacks in the first round,” Akash says.

Akash Kumar keen to win Olympic medal to fulfill mother’s dream

“I am happy that I won the medal for the country but at the same time, I am sad because if I could have shown this to her and put it around her neck,

Mandar Roa Desai of Mumbai City FC and Anirudh Thapa of Chennaiyin FC in action during the Indian Super League. ““I think all payers are helpful to each other and that in turn helps the young players to get motivated, to perform well — not only on the pitch, but also off the pitch,” Mandar says.

Mandar Rao Dessai: ‘We are there for the youngsters’

“I think all payers are helpful to each other and that in turn helps the young players to get motivated, to perform well — not only on the pitch, but

Neeladri Bhattacharjee

Neeladri Bhattacharjee

“The Himachal Pradesh players are on cloud nine after winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

HP's Vijay Hazare triumph a just reward for years of hard work

“We are now confident of beating any team on the circuit,” avers Himachal Pradesh captain Rishi Dhawan. This confidence is the best reward for HP that

Vijay Lokapally

Match Point: Grit and determination of a shuttler

Be it writing for the media while playing for the country or being suspended and given a life ban by the then Badminton Association of India for writi

Tamed: Teams seem to have figured out the tricks of seasoned warhorses like Pardeep Narwal who has found little to no success with his trademark dubki so far this season.

PKL: Newcomers share limelight; teams risk burnout

55 games down, PKL 8 has been one of the closest tournaments yet. Old stars and promising newcomers have taken turns to prove their mettle but do team

Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan

Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan

Change at the helm: Juan Ferrando, new head coach of ATK Mohun Bagan has a word with his players during the ISL.

ISL roundup: Transfers and sackings galore

The Indian Super League finished its first half of the season, welcomed new players and saw several head coaches being shown the door. As the league e

Neeladri Bhattacharjee

Neeladri Bhattacharjee

In the 2019-20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Sai Kishore had an economy rate of 4.63 — the best among bowlers with at least 20 overs under their belt.

Sai Kishore: Keeping ego aside and bowling for the team

The 25-year-old left-arm ﬁnger-spinner has played a stellar role in Tamil Nadu becoming the most dominant force in white-ball cricket in the past thre

Ayan Acharya

Top form: India's Lakshya Sen who shared a 2-2 head-to-head record against world champion Loh Kean Yew before the final, nosed ahead with a straight game victory.

India Open: All’s well that ends well

The home fans are going to remember this edition of India Open for the two first-time Indian winners. Pushed firmly in the background was the huge ris

Serene surroundings: The view from top is awesome; you get a panoramic view of Cape Town and its famous harbour.

South Africa Tour Diary: Cricket in paradise

Newlands is among the great cricket venues in the world. From the ground, the sight of the Table Mountain can lift the spirit of the cricketers.

Losing the plot: The flare-up over Dean Elgar winning a leg-before review in the South African second innings at Newlands was a needless show of temper by the Indians.

IND vs SA Test series: Faltering in the Final Frontier

India could blame its batters, but the bowlers cannot escape responsibility for the defeat in South Africa. Given the conditions, at least one of the

Virat Kohli bows out as India’s most successful Test captain.

Virat Kohli: The captain of all captains

Virat Kohli has been the most successful Test skipper of India with 40 wins, and though he did not win the World Cup, the ODI numbers are at par with

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

Natarajan, India’s 300th Test cricketer, would be forever part of the cricketing folklore for his role in a depleted India’s historic victory over Australia in the Brisbane Test last year.

Gabba Test one year after: Natarajan recalls Brisbane thriller

"I have never been part of such a thrilling chase even in ﬁrst-class cricket," recalls T. Natarajan, one of the heroes of India’s historic win over Au

Bigger responsibilities: Thomas Dennerby was promoted from the U-17 role to the senior team by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) last August.

Thomas Dennerby aspires to inspire women’s team for Asian Cup challenge

Thomas Dennerby, the Indian women’s senior national team coach, says the target is to reach the quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup.

Aashin Prasad

Optimistic: Indian skipper Ashalata Devi is excited about playing in the Asian Cup at the senior level. “It was always a dream to represent India in such big tournaments and we are aiming to qualify for the quarterfinals and create history by reaching the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup,” the 28-year-old centre-back says.

AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022: India dreams big, Japan bids for supremacy

While host India aims to reach the last eight, champion Japan will look to reaffirm its status as the continent’s best for the third successive time.

Aashin Prasad

Rahane and Pujara's places in the Test side have come under severe scrutiny in recent times.

What next for Pujara-Rahane as Kohli quits Test captaincy

The way the series took off with India finishing the first day at 272 for three, should have set the trend. The performance was so emphatic in the Cen

Vijay Lokapally

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