Weekly Digest (Dec 16-21): From the IPL 2020 auction to Liverpool's Club World Cup title

A round-up of all that happened in the world of sport over the last week.

Royal Challengers Bangalore at the IPL 2020 auction (left) and Liverpool lifts its maiden FIFA Club World Cup title.

CRICKET

Top five buys in the IPL 2020 auction. Clockwise (from left): Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Sheldon Cottrell, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Chris Morris.

 

• After an intense bidding battle, Pat Cummins emerged as the top buy with Rs. 15.5 crore while among Indian capped players Piyush Chawla and Robin Uthappa were the top picks in IPL 2020 auction in Kolkata on Thursday. ( Report )
   
• The humongous growth in the Indian Premier League is reflected in the central revenue generated through media rights (TV and Digital) and sponsorships. From a modest Rs. 236 crore in 2008, the media rights touched a phenomenal Rs. 4087 crore in 2019. The consolidated sum for 2019-2022 is estimated to be around Rs. 3065 crore. ( Report )
   
• Robin Uthappa became the first Indian capped player to be sold at the IPL 2020 auction with Rajasthan Royals acquiring him for Rs. 3 crore, while Piyush Chawla became the most expensive Indian player after being bought by Chennai Super Kings. ( Report )
   
• Shantha Rangaswamy, a member of the now defunct Cricket Advisory Committee, has been asked to depose before the BCCI ethics officer, Justice (retired) D. K. Jain in Mumbai on December 28 to explain the conflict of interest allegations levelled against her. ( Report )
   
• South African captain Faf du Plessis said talks had begun aimed at getting star batsman AB de Villiers back into international cricket ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia in October next year. ( Report )
   
• Faf du Plessis admitted on Friday that off-field dramas in South African cricket had taken a toll on him in the past six months. ( Report )
   
• The Delhi and District Cricket Association added another messy chapter to its administrative history when it sacked two senior selectors and the entire junior selection committee on Wednesday. ( Report )
   
• Former West Indies batsman Basil Fitzherbert Butcher passed away on Monday evening in South Florida after a long period of illness. He was 86. ( Report )
   
• Marylebone Cricket Club has confirmed it would send a touring squad to Pakistan next year under the captaincy of president Kumar Sangakkara after the recent return of Test cricket to the country. ( Report )
   
• Ranji Trophy: Kerala’s batting imploded for the second time, but it was more dramatic in the second innings, as Bengal registered an eight-wicket win inside three days. ( Report )
   
• Ranji Trophy: Debutant Digvijay Deshmukh displayed grit in his knock of 83 but ended up on the losing side as Jammu & Kashmir defeated Maharashtra by 54 runs in a Group C contest at the MCA stadium here on Friday. ( Report )
   
• England off-spinner Laura Marsh has announced her international retirement after a 13-year career that saw her win three World Cups. ( Report )
   
• In-form Australia star Marnus Labuschagne is in line to make his ODI debut as part of seven changes for next month's tour of India. ( Report )
   
• Indian skipper Virat Kohli retained his top spot among batsmen while the injured bowler Jasprit Bumrah slipped a rung to sixth in the latest ICC Test rankings. ( Report )
   
• Odisha emerged as the champion of the first-ever Women’s National T20 Tournament for Blind after registering a comprehensive 87-run victory over Karnataka in the final at DDA Sports Complex Siri Fort here on Thursday. ( Report )
   
• Former India captain Rahul Dravid’s son Samit scored a brilliant double century in an Under-14 Karnataka state inter-zonal cricket match. ( Report )
   

FOOTBALL

 

• Mikel Arteta to the rescue. The Spaniard has left the assistant coach role at Premier League champion Manchester City to take over as head coach at struggling Arsenal. ( REPORT )
  
  

  

  Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino and goalkeeper Alisson celebrate the side's maiden FIFA Club World Cup title.
  
   

• Champion of the world! Liverpool had to work hard to lift its third title of the year when it beat Flamengo in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup. ( REPORT )
   
• Less than two weeks after being sacked by Napoli, Carlo Ancelotti signed on to become the manager at Everton. ( REPORT )
   
• After a superb run to the final, India’s U-17 girls succumbed 0-4 to Sweden in the title clash of the tri-nation tournament in Mumbai. ( REPORT )
   
• La Liga's top two - Barcelona and Real Madrid - went into the contest level on points this season and with 72 wins each from previous league meetings, and there was nothing to separate them in a tense clash in Catalonia. ( REPORT )
   
• The Kolkata derby between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in the I-League has been postponed owing to the fragile political situation in the state. ( REPORT )
   
• Red Bull Salzburg's winger Takumi Minamino has agreed to join Premier League leader Liverpool from January 1, the club has announced. ( REPORT )
   
• Real Madrid vs Manchester City headlines the Champions League round-of-16 fixtures. ( REPORT )

HOCKEY

• India men’s hockey team will open its Tokyo 2020 Olympics campaign against New Zealand on June 25 while the women’s team will face world no 1 Netherlands in its opening match on the same. ( Full Schedule )

BOXING

• Gujarat Giants, led by skipper Amit Panghal, pulled off a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Punjab Panthers in a high-voltage final to win the inaugural Big Bout Indian Boxing League in New Delhi on Saturday. (Report)
   
• The Boxing Federation of India (BFI), on Saturday, selected Nikhat Zareen as the fourth boxer for the women's 51kg selection trials for the Olympics qualifier. (Report)
   
• Tyson Fury has appointed Javan 'Sugar' Hill as his trainer ahead of an anticipated rematch with heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. (Report)

TABLE TENNIS

• Over the next nine days the entire Indian men’s table tennis team will be training at the Hall of TT, Nehru Stadium, in Chennai, in preparation for the World Team Qualification team (men & women) tournament to be held in Gondomar (Portugal) from January 22 to 26. (Report)
   
• Indian table tennis ace Sharath Kamal has organised a 10-day preparatory camp in Chennai ahead of the World Team Qualification tournament in January. (Report)
   
• Indian paddler Mudit Dani secured his first-ever International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) senior medal after progressing into the men's doubles semifinals of the US Open Championships at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Texas on Wednesday. (Report)
   
• Top Indian paddler G. Sathiyan has welcomed the introduction of the Table Tennis Review (TTR) system, which was used for the first time at the recently concluded ITTF Grand World Tour Finals in China. (Report)

SHOOTING

• Host Madhya Pradesh had a lot to cheer as Bandhvi Singh won the women’s and junior gold medals for the State in 50-metre rifle prone event in the 63rd National Shooting Championship on Saturday. (Report) Zeena Khitta, meanwhile, on Thursday, underlined the overwhelming depth of talent in Indian women’s air rifle as she won the gold ahead of three of the world’s best shooters - Mehuli Ghosh, Apurvi Chandela and Anjum Moudgil. (Report)   Asian Games gold medallist Rahi Sarnobat and young sensation Manu Bhaker asserted themselves as two of the best in women’s 25-metre sports pistol on Wednesday. (Report)

TENNIS

Rafael Nadal has won the Mubadala World Tennis Championship

 

• Rafael Nadal became the first player to win the Mubadala World Tennis Championship five times as he overcame Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 7-6 (7-3) in an enthralling final. (Report)
   
• Pune Warriors came back from a 10-point deficit to defeat table topper Punjab Bulls 46-44 in the final match of the second edition of Tennis Premier League, played at the Celebration Club, Andheri. (Report)

ATHLETICS

• According to the organisers, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is expected to cost some 1.35 trillion yen ($12.6 billion), as it unveiled a final budget showing increased revenue by balancing out extra costs. ( Report )
   
• The supervisory board of RUSADA will hold a meeting and is widely expected to announce its formal rejection of the December 9 decision by WADA to ban Russia for four years for non-compliance. ( Report )

WRESTLING

• Shortly after resuming his training following a bout with dengue, Deepak Punia was pleasantly surprised to know that he has been named ‘Junior Wrestler of the Year’ by United World Wrestling (UWW ). (Report)