New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) There were eyebrows raised when Tushar Deshpande’s name was spotted in India ‘A’ squad set to face England Lions in a red-ball series starting in Canterbury on May 30. At a time when Ranji Trophy performances have been considered in ‘A’ team selection, Deshpande’s name in the squad took everyone by surprise.
The surprise is justified, considering Deshpande had missed the entirety of the last domestic season due to an ankle injury needing surgery, shortly after he made his India debut on the T20I tour of Zimbabwe in July 2024.If people aware of the developments are to be believed, then Deshpande’s skillsets – brisk pace and wicket-taking abilities, which were in display while picking 15 scalps in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy win in 2023/24 season – along with the national set-up aiming to have fast bowlers of every kind in the pool, have resulted in him being with the India ‘A’ team in Canterbury.“I think it’s been a long break since Tushar has come back. He was out for the entire season and whatever IPL games that he has played, he has really done well. So, I think it is a positive for him that selectors have shown faith on him, even after being injured in the last season.“But he has really come back well in the IPL matches that he has played. So, I think it’s going to be very important for him to do well in the tour which will happen now to England. I’m sure with the way he has come back this season in the IPL, he is going to do well,” said Dhawal Kulkarni, former India fast-bowler, to IANS.IPL 2025 marked Deshpande’s return to competitive cricket and though he took only nine wickets in ten games at an economy rate of 10.63, the seasoned campaigner is backed by Kulkarni, Mumbai’s bowling consultant in the recent domestic season, to come good in England, where conditions will be to his liking with the Dukes ball in hand.“The skill aspect, if I speak about him, he has got a decent pace at which he bowls, and also, swings the ball at that pace. So, he has got that skill set which is required when you bowl with the red-ball. Bowling with the Dukes ball is a little different as compared to bowling with the Kookaburra or the SG ball.“But it does swing more than these two balls. Also, the conditions there are pretty much favourable for the guys who try and swing the ball. So, I think it is going to be a good tour for Tushar,” he added.Deshpande made his first-class debut in 2016, but it wasn’t until till the 2018/19 season, when he became a regular figure in the Mumbai set-up. Kulkarni, who played 12 ODIs and two T20Is for India, witnessed Deshpande’s growth from close quarters and feels the pacer’s eagerness to gain experience by playing domestic games has helped him grow maturely.“I think with the experience he has grown and matured as a cricketer, and a bowler. There is no substitute for experience. I mean, if you want to succeed at the highest level, you have to gain that experience by playing domestic cricket. Tushar Deshpande is someone who has always been eager and keen to explore playing domestic cricket, and that’s why he succeeded, which is a big positive if you look at things.“I think over a period of time, he has been one of those bowlers Mumbai has really relied on for pace and consistency. So, he has matured as a bowler, as he keeps thinking about his own bowling and how to go about his fitness. He has been very much disciplined in the last few years, and the results can be seen,” he concluded.–IANSnr/bc

Adelaide, May 29 (IANS) The Adelaide Strikers have announced the pre-draft signing of English fast-bowling allrounder Jamie Overton for his third consecutive season for the Big Bash League (BBL) 15.
Despite a challenging BBL 14 campaign for the team, Overton was a standout performer. He claimed 11 wickets throughout the season, including a crucial 2-27 in a tense 11-run loss to the Hobart Hurricanes at Adelaide Oval.His contributions were not limited to the ball; Overton also proved destructive with the bat, amassing 191 runs at an extraordinary average of 95.40, with a top score of 45 not out.”I’m absolutely thrilled to be coming back to Adelaide for another season. I’ve loved my time with the Strikers and the incredible support we get from the fans at Adelaide Oval. It’s a fantastic Club with a great bunch of lads, and I’m determined to help us push for finals and ultimately, the BBL title in BBL 15,” said Overton in a statement.Overall, Overton has 27 BBL wickets in 18 matches at an economy rate of 8.81 and has been an excellent finisher with the bat, scoring 276 runs at 69 with a strike-rate of 150.81.Adelaide Strikers head coach Tim Paine reflected on the re-signing as a significant move for the club heading into BBL 15. “Securing Jamie as a pre-draft signing was a top priority for us. His last two seasons with the Strikers have been outstanding, not just with his individual performances with both bat and ball, but also with his competitive spirit and energy he brings to the group.”Jamie has such a big impact on the game; he can change the course of a match in just a few overs. This signing is a fantastic first step in building our squad for a successful BBL 15 campaign, and we know our members and fans will be delighted to see him back in blue,” Paine stated.The BBL introduced a new rule prior to last season that allowed for one overseas player to be pre-signed ahead of the draft. That player must be available for the entire season plus the finals under league rules to mitigate against the mass exodus of overseas players in the latter stages of the BBL to other leagues in late January.–IANSbc/

Warclaw, May 29 (IANS) Enzo Maresca praised Chelsea’s emphatic comeback against Real Betis to win the Conference League final and said their European triumph can be a starting point toward further success.Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo all scored in the second half as the Premier League club came from behind to beat Real Betis 4-1 at Stadion Wrocław in Poland. The result means Chelsea are the first team in history to win all five European club trophies.For the majority of players within the Blues squad, the Conference League trophy is the first piece of silverware won at club level. Maresca said there is more to come from his squad.”Hopefully, it can be a starting point (toward further success in the future). To build a winning mentality, you need to win games and competitions. For sure, the trophy we won tonight will make us better,” Maresca was quoted by Chelsea website.”But also, I’m very proud of the path, the journey, we have done in the Premier League. That is the most difficult competition in the world, you need to be consistent over 38 games, and these players showed that. It’s why, after Nottingham Forest, my outburst was exaggerated. But over 38 games, you have to be consistent and with the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League, it is something unbelievable,” he added.Speaking about the match, Maresca said Maresca suggested his side’s sluggish start could be down to his players over-celebrating their success in clinching a UEFA Champions League place on the final day of the Premier League season.”I was a little bit frustrated in the first half because I think we approached the game in the wrong way. I expected [this] a little bit, the happiness was a bit too much after Nottingham Forest because you go all season waiting and waiting. So we struggled a bit in the first half. In the second half, we were much better and now we are very happy.”The message after Nottingham Forest was, ‘Guys, if we want to be an important team, then what we have done is done and we have to win the final.’ But it’s the happiness, the tiredness because we had 48 hours less (time to prepare) than them (Real Betis). We played on Sunday for a big, big target. So I expected it a little bit. In the second half we played much better,” he said.–IANSbc/

Wroclaw, May 29 (IANS) Chelsea have become the first team in history to win all five European club trophies after coming from behind to beat Real Betis 4-1 at Stadion Wroclaw in Poland, courtesy of a magnificent second-half display from Cole Palmer.
This is Chelsea’s first Conference League success following two UEFA Champions League triumphs, two in the UEFA Europa League, two in the UEFA Super Cup and two in the now defunct UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.Chelsea’s total of 42 goals in the UEFA Conference League this season (league phase onwards) is a record for the competition, beating Fiorentina’s total of 37 in the 2022/23 season.Betis strove to break up Chelsea’s play high up the field and were rewarded. After nine minutes, Isco pulled the ball across the box for Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, and the Moroccan took a touch before firing a low shot into the bottom corner of Filip Jørgensen’s net.The goalkeeper was at full stretch to deny Marc Bartra as the Betis No5 tried to catch him off balance with a shot from distance a few minutes later, and Benoît Badiashile delivered a crucial diving interception to block a Johnny Cardoso effort after the busy Ezzalzouli had battled his way into the box to set him up, UEFA reports.Possession stats had Chelsea on 65 per cent at the break, but Enzo Maresca’s side had created little in terms of tangible chances, outstretched Betis legs repeatedly stifling their approach play. Captain Reece James came on at half-time, a limping Ezzalzouli was taken off after 53 minutes, and all of a sudden it was Betis who were being hustled off the ball, and looking like a side that had not kept a clean sheet in their previous 11 games.James thumped a shot straight at defender Natan as Betis struggled to clear a corner, and there was no let-up for Manuel Pellegrini’s side, Cole Palmer’s splendid lofted ball into the box invited Enzo Fernández to nod the equaliser past the exposed Adrián on 65 minutes, and five minutes later Palmer produced another superb assist, turning a defender and lifting a ball across the box for Nicolas Jackson to force in at the near post.A wall of green noise throughout, Betis’ fans did their best to reinflate their side, but there was no way back. First, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall picked out fellow substitute Jadon Sancho, with the Manchester United loanee calmly curling the ball in from an angle, before the masked Moises Caicedo made it 4-1 in added time with a low shot from the edge of the box.–IANSbc/

Paris, May 28 (IANS) Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante caused an upset at the French Open…

Dubai, May 28 (IANS) A massive batting display against Zimbabwe helped three England top-order players make big gains in the ICC Men’s Test Batters Rankings, moving within striking distance of the top position.England veteran Joe Root remains in the No.1 spot on the updated rankings for Test batters, but teammate Harry Brook has closed the gap on him to just 15 rating points following his quickfire innings of 58 in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Nottingham.Root (888 rating points) managed innings of 34 in the same match to maintain his slender advantage at the top, though Brook (873), Kane Williamson (867), Yashasvi Jaiswal (847) and Steve Smith (823) all remain within touch ahead of a busy upcoming period of Test cricket, the ICC said in a report on its official website.The big winners on the Test batter rankings following the Trent Bridge contest were a trio of England players, with Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Zak Crawley all making giant strides up the list following impressive centuries against Zimbabwe.Duckett gains two places to improve to 13th overall, Pope jumps six spots to 22nd, and Crawley climbs eight rungs to move to equal 33rd ahead of England’s five-match series at home against India that will start their new ICC World Test Championship campaign.While Zimbabwe fell to an innings and 45-run defeat to England, they will be buoyed by the efforts of Sean Williams and Brian Bennett, who each made some ground on the rankings for Test batters following impressive knocks in the one-off Test.Pacer Gus Atkinson claimed three wickets for the match and duly jumped one place to 13th overall on the latest rankings for Test bowlers, with England teammate Shoaib Bashir gaining 14 spots to move to 43rd following nine scalps from the same match.India quick Jasprit Bumrah remains the No.1 ranked Test bowler in the world ahead of his side’s tour of England, while Atkinson also improves one spot to move to seventh overall on the list for Test all-rounders that is headed by Ravindra Jadeja.There is also some movement on the rankings in white-ball cricket, with West Indies dasher Keacy Carty the big mover up the latest list for ODI batters on the back of his brilliant innings of 170 in the third match of their recent series against Ireland.Carty improves 20 places to 16th mainly due to this knock, while Ireland’s counterpart, Andrew Balbirnie, gains eight spots to move to 48th following a century in the series opener in Dublin.There are also some gains on the list for ODI bowlers for USA quick Saurabh Netravalkar, who climbs four rungs to 22nd overall after some strong displays with the ball during the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 competition.–IANSbsk/

London, May 28 (IANS) English Premier League club Arsenal is close to completing a deal…

Mysuru, May 28 (IANS) Vani Kapoor, one of India’s most experienced players, is all set to continue from where she left off before the break in the schedule of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour. Vani won three times in a row before the WPGT took a pause in late March. The Tour now resumes at the Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club in Mysuru with the seventh leg.Vani has been most prolific this season. In five events, she has won three times in the fourth, fifth, and sixth legs and was runner-up in the second and the third. She did not play at the opening event, which means she has been in the Top two in each of the five starts she has had. Vani is now looking at a four-in-a-row feat at Mysuru.Sneha Singh, who has won twice, is not playing this week, but Rhea Purvi Saravanan, who won the season opener, will be back in action. Only three players have won this season.Some of the other well-known players who will tee up at JWGC include Amandeep Drall, Jasmine Shekar, Seher Atwal, Vidhatri Urs, Neha Tripathi, Ridhima Dilawari and Shweta Mansingh.Vani Kapoor, Amandeep Drall and Ridhima Dilawari are also hoping to prepare themselves ahead of possible starts on the Ladies European Tour and later the Hero Women’s Indian Open in the second half of the season.A total of 27 players, including two amateurs, are in the field this week for the event that carries a purse of Rs. 14 lakh. Currently, Vani leads the Hero Order of Merit with Sneha Singh and Amandeep Drall chasing her.Earlier, Vani Kapoor survived a bogey-bogey finish and still managed to complete a third straight win in the 2025 Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour. The in-form Vani shot 1-over 73 in the final round at the challenging DLF Golf and Country Club, which is also her home course, to win the sixth leg by three shots.Vani shot 72-72-73 for 1-over 217 even par while amateur Anvvi produced her best finish on the Hero WPGT with cards of 71-77-74 for a total of 220.–IANSbsk/

Paris, May 28 (IANS) Emma Raducanu’s struggles against World No. 1 Iga Swiatek continued on…

Greater Noida (UP), May 28 (IANS) American Strikers on Wednesday defeated Trans Titans by 35 runs in the ongoing Intercontinental Legends Championship at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida.Gaurav Tomar (65 in 28 balls) and Manpreet Gony (39 in 19 balls) starred with the bat. Winning the toss and opting to bat, the American Strikers’ opener Gaurav Tomar gave the team a blistering start.Building on this momentum, Ayan Khan (24), Manpreet Gony (39), and P. Mehra (35) helped the team reach a mammoth total of 214 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. Along with his stellar batting, Manpreet Gony also impressed with the ball, taking one wicket, earning him the “Man of the Match” award.In reply, the Trans Titans had a shaky start, losing openers Rishi Dhawan (1) and Athawale (5) early. Though V. Sood (21), P. Shah (33), Himang (31), and Awana (36) attempted to stabilise the innings, none could convert their starts into big innings.As a result, the team could only muster 179 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in the allotted 20 overs, falling short by 35 runs.The American Strikers will now face the Indian Warriors in their next match on Thursday. African Lions will meet Asian Kings in the evening match, which gets underway at 7:30 pm. Fans can catch the Live action on Sony Ten 5 and FanCode.The Intercontinental Legends Championship (ILC) features six teams from 6 continents. The 6 teams are African Lions, Trans Titans (Australia and New Zealand), Euro Gladiators, American Strikers, Asian Kings and Indian Warriors. The six iconic teams represent six global regions.The league stage concludes on June 3, paving the way for the semifinals scheduled for June 4 at 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM, respectively. The grand finale will be held on June 5 at 7:30 PM.–IANSbsk/