Two months ago, May 2, Major Anuj Sood made the supreme sacrifice for the motherland in a hostage-rescue mission in J&K. As his grieving family grapples with their immense loss, they graciously share memories of the young major -- a husband, brother and son -- whose only calling was the fauj.
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke said his body felt 15 years younger after a spell away from cricket as he prepared for a comeback at the Hong Kong T20 Blitz. Injury-plagued Clarke said nine months without cricket and its rigorous travel, as well as a revamped diet and training regime, had given him a new lease of life as he contemplates joining the lucrative Twenty20 bandwagon. The 35-year-old batsman played his last Twenty20 international in 2010 but he will test the waters for a stint in Australia's Big Bash League at the four-team Hong Kong event this weekend. Clarke, troubled by chronic back problems, retired after last year's Ashes series but less than a year later, he will make an experimental hit-out for Kowloon Cantons. "I'm going to play these couple of games and see how I go, see if I enjoy it and then assess after that," he said. "Right now it's about coming here and having some fun. If I enjoy it, I'll assess when I get home what my exact plan will be." He added: "My body's going really well. My body hasn't felt this good in 15 years. Let's hope I'm saying that on Sunday night after four games of cricket!"
Virat Kohli's hundred in the first Test against England provides just the kind of inspiration that a struggling Indian batting line-up needed, feels Chris Gayle.
India's premier Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara will play for Team Zalawad Royals in the inaugural Saurashtra Premier League.
Former Australian wicket-keeper Ian Healy has criticised the match officials in the ongoing Ashes series, branding them as ''insipid'' and saying that they do not take on their responsibilities seriously.
Mohammad Kaif made a breezy 31 in Derbyshire's first innings but was out for 7 in the second, against Durham.
Modi spoke to Sharif and conveyed best wishes for the showpiece event.
The rowdy but good-humoured camp followers have become a fixture on all England cricket tours over the last couple of decades but the tour of Australia is the one that attracts the biggest numbers.
'We can win against any team and that includes Australia,' the Pakistan coach said.
Asia's representatives are once again heading home before the business end of the World Cup gets going.
'India's preference today seems to be to exploit the deepening chill in relations with China to breathe new life into its meandering partnership with the US,' argues Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
- 'It's a matter of which team is more consistent during the World Cup' - 'This break would have definitely helped them to recharge their batteries'
'Our Lockdown Life has a sort of schizophrenic, Dr-Jekyll-and-Mr-Hyde personality about it,' says Vaihayasi Pande Daniel.
Mumbai Indians' consistency on the big day paid off again during a season where there were more than 30 last-over finishes.
Mumbai Indians have won three out of the four IPL finals they have been part of, including the two against CSK in 2013 and 2015.
Describing India as an "emerging democratic superpower", Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Thursday kicked off his two-day India visit during which the two countries are likely to clinch an elusive civil nuclear deal.
The function was attended by Hon Grant Robertson, Minister for Sports and Recreation of New Zealand, ICC Chief Executive David Richardson, New Zealand Cricket Chief Executive David White and Event Brand Ambassador Corey Anderson among others.
Domestic wineries have moved from creating predominantly sweet wines in their initial years to drier, complex blends now. They also seem to be investing more in wine tourism.
Strong, silent and one of cricket's quiet achievers, Trevor Bayliss may need that stoicism to accompany all his expertise when he becomes the first Australian coach to take charge of England in an Ashes series.
Brendon McCullum said he can only marvel at Daniel Vettori's contribution to the game.
Pompeo will travel to India, Sri Lanka, Japan and South Korea from June 24 to 30. His four-nation is aimed at deepening US partnerships in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.
Australia's Steve Smith, on Friday, felt Ajinkya Rahane will do a good job as skipper in the probable absence of Virat Kohli.
Harish Kotian/Rediff.com rates the Indian players in England.
From Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards, Imran Khan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, these cricketers, among others, etched their names in the annuls of cricketing history with heroic efforts that helped their teams clinch the big prize of One-day cricket. With the 2015 edition of the cricket World Cup starting on February 14, we bring you a brief history of finals from 1975-2011...
Demoralised Bangladesh will look to end their campaign on a high when they face a rampaging New Zealand.
India batting icons Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman tell Harish Kotian what opener Shikhar Dhawan must do to regain lost form.
A player guilty of ball-tampering could now be banned for up to six Tests or 12 Oone-dayers after the International Cricket Council introduced harsher sanctions at its five-day Annual Conference in Dublin.
There was some cheer for India after two barren days as the duo of Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu triumphed in the 10 metre mixed team air pistol event of the ISSF World Cup.
Former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody said the India opener first needs to be sure of his off-stump in order to convert his starts into big scores in Test cricket.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
Canadian teenager Eugenie Bouchard swatted aside an out-of-sorts Serena Williams 6-2, 6-1 at the Hopman Cup in Perth on Tuesday.
The Indian ladies are no longer bogged down by the timidity of the past and are more than willing to embrace the temerity of the present, says Dhruv Munjal.
Alastair Cook was never the most innovative England cricket captain, his batting was designed to soothe rather than stir the blood and his personality was so cautious that it was little wonder he never featured when flashy sports awards were being handed out.
Ryan Harris sent shudders through the home dressing room by grabbing three early wickets but Bell weathered the storm with a majestic unbeaten 105 that led England to 234 for five in their second innings at the close, an overall lead of 202 runs.
Mayank Agarwal and Manish Pandey smashed centuries to power India 'A' to a 34-run win over South Africa A and qualify for the tri-series final at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Australia's most successful wicketkeeper-batsman of all-time, Adam Gilchrist, is the latest name to be added to the growing list of stars taking part in the MCC versus Rest of the World match at Lord's on July 5. Gilchrist will be reunited with former teammate Shane Warne in the Rest of the World line-up, which the spin legend will captain.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 1st Test between England and Pakistan played at Lord's on Saturday
Battered and bruised after four successive defeats, India will make a last-gasp effort to avoid the embarrassment of being whitewashed by an unrelenting Australia when the two sides clash in the fifth and final One-Day International in Sydney, on Saturday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Rohan Bopanna and Daniel Nestor went through several anxious moments before making it to the second round, even as Mahesh Bhupathi and Jurgen Melzer failed to, in the men's doubles at the Australian Open, in Melbourne, on Thursday.
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