Friday, May 30, 2008

Bangladesh tour: Senior cricketers deserve fair deal

Performance alone should be the yardstick for selection for the national side and not age. You can have strong legs in a 20-year-old youngster but how could you match the class and temperament of a genius like Sachin or Dravid?.

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Indian team for Bangladesh, Asia cup announced

A15 member squad for the upcoming Tri-series in Bangladesh has been announced. As expected the players who have performed considerably well in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament have been picked for the series..

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Thursday, May 29, 2008

IPL: It is all about captaincy

Captaincy is all about integration with individuals in the team – that is why Shane Warne is the most successful of the lot. He eggs his boys on to keep performing; he has a pat for the good player as well as for the one who flounders..

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IPL could make India a sports loving nation

Indian Premier League had the potential to convert India into a true sports loving nation. But the brains behind IPL made the catastrophic blunder of positioning the league as the next big reality show, downgrading the core value of cricket..

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008

IPL the new India 'power' league

Indian Premier League (IPL) shows India's strength in the world of cricket. One should be extremely happy to see that our country can now dictate terms and conditions as far as cricket is concerned. This is a new turning point for sports in India..

More on IPL the new India 'power' league

IPL could make India a sports loving nation

Indian Premier League had the potential to convert India into a true sports loving nation. But the brains behind IPL made the catastrophic blunder of positioning the league as the next big reality show, downgrading the core value of cricket..

More on IPL could make India a sports loving nation

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

IPL: It is all about captaincy

Captaincy is all about integration with individuals in the team – that is why Shane Warne is the most successful of the lot. He eggs his boys on to keep performing; he has a pat for the good player as well as for the one who flounders..

More on IPL: It is all about captaincy

Monday, May 26, 2008

IPL could make India a sports loving nation

Indian Premier League had the potential to convert India into a true sports loving nation. But the brains behind IPL made the catastrophic blunder of positioning the league as the next big reality show, downgrading the core value of cricket..

More on IPL could make India a sports loving nation

IPL the new India 'power' league

Indian Premier League (IPL) shows India's strength in the world of cricket. One should be extremely happy to see that our country can now dictate terms and conditions as far as cricket is concerned. This is a new turning point for sports in India..

More on IPL the new India 'power' league

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Marsh, Sangakkara help Kings XI beat Deccan Chargers

The Kings XI won an inconsequential match against the Deccan Chargers. Though Mohali’s bowling attack was inconsistent but their batsmen did the job. Mohali managed to overhaul the target in the final over with three balls to spare.

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Houston Dynamos clueless in 2008

The Houston Dynamos have shown that they do not have the potential to win the Major League Soccer Cup, USA, of 2008 a third time in a row. The lack of discipline, co-ordination and will might push them to the last place in the championship.

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Friday, May 23, 2008

Paes-Bhupathi cold war: Threat for Beijing Olympics

Paes and Bhupati's personal differences have yet again taken on to the headlines because of the coming Beijing Olympics. Need of the hour is that they must bridge the differences, practice hard and play as a team to win the medal for the country.

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Paes-Bhupathi cold war: Threat for Beijing Olympics

Paes and Bhupati's personal differences have yet again taken on to the headlines because of the coming Beijing Olympics. Need of the hour is that they must bridge the differences, practice hard and play as a team to win the medal for the country.

More on Paes-Bhupathi cold war: Threat for Beijing Olympics

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Obituary of national cricket icons!

The BCCI has countered the ICL move by upping the scale and encompassing national icons around the world in the IPL. The IPL has turned out to be a commercial success, but it will leave two major side effects, especially for India cricket.

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IPL franchisees' ego harming the game of cricket

Apart from clashes between the competing teams, the IPL has also witnessed franchisees' king sized egos. The free hand given to franchisees has put cricket on the back-burner. There is a need to fix the problem before it gets out of hand.

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

After Azlan Shah, Kalmadi eyes World Cup

Suresh Kalmadi is a happy man. Indian hockey team's performance in the Azlan Shah cup has given some relief to the IOA president. The team was felicitated by Kalmadi for its silver medal triumph at the tournament in Malaysia.

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Kashmir, cricket and national cause

The law and order situation in J&K is the major issue, which does not allow international cricket matches to be played in the Valley under the prevailing conditions. If the problem is worked out the game can continue round the year.

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Monday, May 19, 2008

Indian Football in ruins

It is high time that the sports ministry disbands the AIFF and appoints a competent panel of eminent past players, headed by a competent individual in order to ensure that India attains a respectable position in the global football community.

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IPL franchisees' ego harming the game of cricket

Apart from clashes between the competing teams, the IPL has also witnessed franchisees' king sized egos. The free hand given to franchisees has put cricket on the back-burner. There is a need to fix the problem before it gets out of hand.

More on IPL franchisees' ego harming the game of cricket

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Argentina lifts Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament

Argentina lifted the Azlan Shah Hockey cup by defeating India 2-1, which was played in Malaysia. Mario Almanda scored in the first minute of the extra time, thrashing India’s dream of winning the tournament. India reached the finals after 12 years.

More on Argentina lifts Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament

IPL : Chennai Super Kings beat Knight Riders

The race for a semi-final spot in the IPL is getting hotter. In a must-win match, the Kolkata Night Riders lost to Chennai Super Kings by three runs. The weather gods played spoilsport and the match was decided by D/L method.

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Saturday, May 17, 2008

Mumbai Indians and KKR to clash in IPL today

The prospect of a calm Tendulkar facing a rampaging Akhtar, is cricket's equivalent of George Foreman and Muhammad Ali's 'rumble in the jungle'. This will come true when Mumbai and Kolkata face each other in the IPL today.
More on Mumbai Indians and KKR to clash in IPL today

Tommy Burns: A Tribute

Tommy Burns, the world famous soccer player, whose name is synonymous with the Celtic FC in Scotland has lost his battle with skin cancer. The entire sports scenario including the football (soccer) world will miss him.

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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Tendulkar effect observed in Mumbai Indians win

The return of 'the little master' surely proved its point. His dynamic presence was enough for the Mumbai Indians to demolished the Chennai Super Kings. With similar performance in the future matches, Mumbai Indians can fix its place in the semis.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

BCCI should rein the erring franchisees

BCCI's brainchild, IPL, if not reined now, runs the risk of damaging the very things, for which it was launched in the first place. The franchisees, out of their inexperience and enthusiasm, are treating the domestic players shabbily.
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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

SRK's Kolkata Knight Riders axes five players

It seems that the League's honeymoon with domestic players is coming to an end. Most of the team owners feel that they are excess baggage. And in a bid to shed the flab and cut costs, Shahrukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders has axed five domestic players.

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Monday, May 12, 2008

Watson guided Rajasthan Royals to victory

Rajasthan Royals registered another win in the IPL, with Shane Watson stealing the show, playing a brilliant inning of 74 in 40 balls. Even without the presence of star players, they have made a record winning of seven out of nine matches.

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Sunday, May 11, 2008

Balaji's hat-trick shapes Chennai win

In a match billed as the battle of brands (read Yuvraj and Dhoni), it was L Balaji, who emerged victorious. After spending two years in oblivion, the Kerala pacer claimed the first hat-trick of the IPL and shaped Chennai's win over Kings XI.

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Victory at last for the Indian Hockey Team

India’s win against Canada helped them to lift the points from the bottom table, after facing successive defeats against New Zealand and Argentina. The stars of the match were Sardara Singh, Diwakar Ram and Shivendra Singh.

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Friday, May 9, 2008

Khali: Celebrity No 1

India is a country where, when it comes to sports, cricket basically rules. Cricketers are idolised by their fans and are considered celebrities. Defying the norm, Khali – a wrestler from WWE – has become cynosure of all eyes.

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IPL: A bane for cricket

IPL success is perhaps what is bad for cricket. It follows the T20 format of the game. The game finishes in a matter of three hours, which is good for the viewers, sponsors and cricketers, but cricket as a game is loosing its essence in the process.
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Thursday, May 8, 2008

BCCIs tough gesture add to Harbhajans woes

Harbhajan Singh is perturbed with the 13-match ban. Though he has sent a letter of apology to the BCCI, it seems all set to punish him. However, the board awaits the Nanavati committee's verdict, after which it will take necessary action against him.

More on BCCI's tough gesture add to Harbhajan's woes

Black takes on red at Eden Gardens tonight

It is Indian Premier League time again in Eden Gardens today. After two wins and four losses King Khan's men in black are raring to go and post a win over the Bangalore Royal Challengers. SRK, Juhi and the fans are here to cheer them on to a win.

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Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Can Singapore win World Cup 2010?

According to the web page of FIFA, Singapore is in 129th position in world soccer ranking with 237 points as of April 2008. In continental ranking, Singapore is currently in second place behind Uzbekistan with three points and ahead of Saudi Arabia.
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Tuesday, May 6, 2008

English Premier League: Entering the final stretch

The English Premier League matches are on. Be it Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United, players have given their fans more than they expected. But wait, the end may turn out to be as incredible as the current scenario is on-screen.

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Puebla - Atlante match ends in draw

Puebla and Atlante were able to play a game that thrilled, surprised and entertained everyone. Atlante deserves praise for overcoming all odds and for bringing the game to a draw. Puebla, on the other hand, was undone by overconfidence.

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Monday, May 5, 2008

Narain Karthikeyan wins second A1GP of the season

Narain Karthikeyan, who took his maiden A1GP win at Zhuhai, China last year has won the Feature race at Brands Hatch circuit on Sunday. In the dramatic race it was Karthikeyan versus Robbie Kerr and Karthikeyan won through a superb second pit stop.
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Friday, May 2, 2008

An open letter to Thaksin Shinawatra

People have come to support Sven Goren Eriksson, Manchester city manager on Shinawatra's announcement of sacking him. How can Shinawatra have a football team in his heart when he does not even have a heart and soul for the country of his birth?
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Thursday, May 1, 2008

Too much hype can kill

The much hyped match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians did not actually showcase any extraordinary cricket. Sourav's method of gifting away his wicket, however, does not change. He still struggles to master the nuances of a T-20 game.

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IPL and ICL: Future of cricket?

With IPL's popularity and the chartbuster performances being given in the T-20 matches, the history of cricket is heading towards a shift from long ODIs and test matches to short, adrenaline rushing IPL and ICLs. Is it here to stay?

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