Kolkata Knight Riders thrash Pune Warriors India by 7 wickets

NAVI MUMBAI: A challenging wicket provides a gripping contest. Not necessarily between the teams but at least between the bat and ball. This was on display when Pune Warriors tried to spoil Kolkata Knight Riders' party at the DY Patil stadium on Thursday night.


The 'contest' was largely limited to first innings only. And it meant Pune's aspiration to beat the Big Brother remained just a wish.
Kolkata Knight Riders hammered them by seven wickets with more than three overs to spare. The win gives them a remote chance to finish in the top-two and qualify for the 'soft' semifinal (winner goes to final, loser plays the quarters) if Mumbai lose to Rajasthan.

Pune will visit Delhi for the Saturday game in a match to avoid wooden-spoon while Adam Gilchrist's Kings XI Punjab are almost out of play-off contention due to their inferior net run rate.

Yusuf Pathan made use getting promotion despite being clueless on many occasions. Batting at No. 4, he made 29 off 25. Surprisingly, the fours came behind point before a trademark six off Bhuvnesh Kumar over long-on.

Captain Gambhir (54, 46b, 7x4s) was his usual self: crafty yet quiet; effective but not belligerent. The target of 119 was a child's play for his team. Pune's sloppy fielding came as unwanted bonus and without enough runs on the board, leggie Rahul Shrama wasn't a big weapon.

Kolkata won the toss, opted to bowl and restricted Pune Warriors to 118 for seven. Yuvraj Singh batted at No. 6 and top scored with 24 off 26 with two fours.

The wicket unexpectedly behaved a bit differently and assisted the spinners more. And that led to some odd happenings. The spin troika of Yusuf, Shakib Al Hasan and Iqbal Abdulla bowled 11 overs between them and conceded 51 runs for five wickets.

KKR's specialist paceman L. Balaji was 'introduced' to the attack in the 20th and last over and took two wickets. Gambhir, who rotated his bowlers superbly, gave two overs on a trot to his pacemen just once despite having the likes of Balaji, Brett Lee and Jacques Kallis in his ranks.

When Robin Uthappa came in to bat, he faced a slip and silly point. Even his 'dot' ball (immediately after Balaji failed to judge his catch at deep mid-wicket) was applauded by non-striker and former KKR captain Sourav Ganguly.

Ganguly took 19 balls before hitting his first boundary. He ran 12 singles of his own and ran his partners' 12 runs too.

During the drinks break, KKR bowling coach Wasim Akram was seen inside the ropes having a chat with his wards.

Though off-spinner Yusuf gave KKR the first wicket (Jesse Ryder playing amateur dolly to long-off), it was the 'visitors' left-arm spinners Abdulla and Shakib who were a treat to watch.

Abdulla's first ball turned sharply as Manish Pandey tried to search for it. A ball in the same over held its line and had him lbw. Shakib bowled tight line and had Calum Ferguson stumped with a ball that dipped in and turned away sharply. Despite all this, the batsmen had their moments.

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Indian Grand Prix could be moved to December

NEW DELHI: If Bernie Ecclestone manages to have his way, the Indian Grand Prix, scheduled for October 30 as the second-last race of the 2011 season, might be moved to December 4, the Formula One season's finale.

Keen to let Bahrain Grand Prix back into the schedule after protests in the kingdom made racing action impossible earlier in the year, F1 boss Ecclestone, world body FIA and Bahrain officials are in discussions and according to Autosport, a motorsports website, Indian officials have been asked to look at a race date change to help accommodate the race at Sakhir.

Jay Pee Sports International, which is developing the 5.14 km-long Buddh International Race Circuit, has not been informed officially. "We've also just read online reports regarding this development.

"We haven't heard anything from the FIA till now. As far as JPSI is concerned our homologation is on August 1 and race is on Oct 30," said the spokesperson.

A decision on Sakhir race will be taken on June 3 but the big bosses want the end of season schedule reshuffle sorted out before that.

If the race at Sakhir happens, there would be a two-week gap before the Abu Dhabi GP on November 13, after which the young driver test would take place from November 15-17. Brazil would then keep its current November 27 date, with India hosting the race on December 4.

FIA president Jean Todt said at the Turkish Grand Prix two weeks ago that he was happy to give Bahrain more time.

"We completely sympathise with the problems that are happening, and we all understand that it would not have been possible to keep the Sakhir Grand Prix as the first race of the championship," he said.

"I think if you are in a difficult situation, you need support. That is our responsibility. We need to give some support and it will penalize nobody to have a final answer by June 3."

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Tiger Woods still remains biggest sports celebrity: Forbes

MIAMI: Tiger Woods has not finished a tournament atop the leaderboard in 18 months. Nonetheless, Forbes says the world's former No. 1 golfer remains the biggest celebrity in the sports world.

Woods is No. 6 on Forbes' annual "Celebrity 100" compilation of the most powerful people or groups in the entertainment business, the highest rank of any of the 19 athletes who made the list.

Miami Heat star LeBron James is 10th, up 18 spots from a year ago, and the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant was at No. 14 for the second straight year.

Lady Gaga tops Forbes' overall rankings, followed by Oprah Winfrey, Justin Bieber, U2 and Elton John.

Woods will fall out of the top 10 in golf's world ranking next week, the first time he'll be 11th or lower since 1997. His last tournament win was at the 2009 Australian Masters.

His star power apparently remains nearly as bright as ever.

Woods was No. 5 on Forbes' list in 2010, when the magazine estimated his annual earnings at $105 million - $30 million less than what it estimated him to make over the most recent 12-month period. Even after taking major endorsement hits following the scandal that ended his marriage, Woods still made $22 million more than Bryant in the past year, Forbes said.

Forbes listed James' earnings at $48 million, up $5 million from the previous year, and ranked him No. 2 behind only Winfrey in terms of media visibility. Forbes said its formula includes pretax income for the year ending May 1, media visibility and social media power through Facebook and Twitter.

Tennis star Roger Federer was 25th on the list, placing him fourth among athletes.

The Heat had two of the top 100, with Dwyane Wade (No. 57) joining James. And the New York Yankees also had two mentions, with Alex Rodriguez at No. 49 and Derek Jeter at No. 69, tying him with actress Julia Roberts.

Other sports figures on the list: David Beckham and Phil Mickelson (tied at No. 35), Cristiano Ronaldo (No. 43), Rafael Nadal (No. 46), Tom Brady (No. 55), Dwight Howard (No. 59), Lionel Messi (No. 62), Peyton Manning (No. 72), Maria Sharapova (No. 80), Serena Williams (No. 84), Venus Williams (No. 86) and Danica Patrick (No. 96).

Combined, Forbes said the 19 athletes on the list this year earned a combined $647 million.

Among those from the sports world who were ranked in 2010 but fell off the most recent Forbes celebrity list were Michael Jordan (20th in 2010), Floyd Mayweather (31st), Shaquille O'Neal (52nd), Manny Pacquiao (55th) and Lance Armstrong (65th).

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Vijender to tie the knot with Delhi girl Archana

CHANDIGARH: This is one news likely to break a million hearts. Olympic bronze medallist boxer Vijender Singh, known as much for his powerful punches as for being a heartthrob, has been knocked out by love. After a series of denials, Vijender has finally admitted he is all set to marry "long-time friend" Archana Singh, who is Delhi-based, at his village Kaluwas in Bhiwani on May 17. Arrangements for the wedding are already underway and the reception is scheduled for May 18.

The 25-year-old Vijender, known as 'India's David Beckham' abroad, returned on Sunday after winning a bronze in the Arafura Games, and says he and Archana, 23, decided to take the plunge just a few days back. "It's a new chapter of my life and I am obviously excited. It's a bout in which loss is victory. After thinking over it for a long time, both of us decided to get married. It is a private occasion and I hope my privacy is respected," Vijender told TOI on Sunday. His father Mahi Pal Singh, agreeing that the match was a "hush-hush" affair, added: "Both have been friends for quite some time now. In keeping with his wishes we have given our consent to the love marriage."

Wedding cards have already been sent out to "very few near and dear ones". Vijender's coaches and fellow campers at NIS Patiala got the invite only on Sunday after Vijender's return from Australia, where he won in the 81kg category for the first time.

Presently working in the British Embassy in Delhi, Archana is the daughter of a Congress activist, Surinder Singh, from Muzaffarnagar in UP. Coach Gurbax Singh said, "Vijender called up today morning to invite me for the wedding. His friends and fellow boxers are eagerly waiting for the party. I wish him all the best in a new phase of his life."

"We want to keep it a low-key affair," Vijender's father said.

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Olympic marathon champion Wanjiru dies after jumping from balcony

NYAHURURU: Kenyan Olympic marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru was killed when he jumped off the balcony of his home late on Sunday, police said on Monday.

Police said they were trying to ascertain whether the 24-year-old - the first Kenyan to win the Olympic gold in the marathon at Beijing in 2008 - had deliberately killed himself by jumping off the balcony at his home in Nyahururu, a town in the Rift Valley, some 150 km (94 miles) northwest of the capital Nairobi.

Jaspher Ombati, the regional police chief for the area, said Wanjiru appeared to have suffered internal injuries after the fall and was confirmed dead by doctors at a nearby hospital.

"I can confirm that Wanjiru is dead. It is not yet clear whether it was a suicide or if he jumped out of rage, or what caused him to fall to the ground," Ombati said.

"He jumped from his first floor balcony to the ground. He was bleeding from the nose and the mouth, and may have suffered internal injuries," the police chief said.

Ombati said police were investigating a possible love triangle that could have been behind the death of Wanjiru, a former winner of the Chicago and London marathons.

Ombati said the athlete's wife Triza Njeri had come home to find Wanjiru in bed with another woman, had locked the couple in the bedroom and ran outside.

Wanjiru then leapt from the balcony, he said. Ombati said Njeri and Wanjiru's female companion are assisting police in investigating the death.

Last December, Wanjiru was charged in court with threatening to kill Njeri and illegal possession of an AK-47 assault rifle.

Njeri later withdrew her accusation of attempted murder against him in court, saying the couple had reconciled.

He also suffered minor injuries from a car crash in January when he swerved to avoid an oncoming truck, hit a pot hole and rolled his car.

Wanjiru defied the heat of Beijing in 2008 to triumph in an Olympic record time at the games held in China.

As a young man, Wanjiru moved to Japan in 2002 to attend high school after winning a cross country selection trial in Kenya.

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Swapnali Yadav makes swimming history

MUMBAI: Twelve-year-old Andheri girl Swapnali Yadav created history yet again when she became the youngest-ever to win the women's category in the Kimberley National Lake Argyle Swim in Kununurra, Western Australia. Besides being the youngest, she's also the first Indian to win the event.

The Andheri lass had won the first Kimberley National Lake Argyle Swim that was held on April 30 in Australia's second-biggest artificial lake.

Swapnali was a special invitee for the 20km Open swim in the 80km picturesque lake, which is infested by about 35,000 crocodiles. She took 7 hours, 7 minutes and 24 seconds to finish overall second. "It was a real challenge," said Swapnali of Bombay Cambridge school, Andheri. "But I was confident of completing the swim. My dream is to represent India in the Olympics and swim the English Channel." The feat also earned her a place in the Limca Book of Records. She is being trained by Raju Palkar.

TOI

Injury-hit India chase hat-trick of Azlan Shah titles

IPOH (Malaysia): Battling with a spate of injuries and non-selection of two star players - Sandeep Singh and Sardara Singh - double defending champions India will seek to complete a hat-trick of titles at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament that begins on Thursday.

Five-time gold medallists at the Azlan Shah Cup, India were adjudged joint winners along with South Korea last year when the final was disrupted by bad weather.

The Indians had earlier won the cup outright in 2009, and they currently share the tournament record of five titles with Australia, who are seeking to test their new crop of players ahead of next year's London Olympics.

The seven-nation round-robin tournament, which will end with a title showdown on May 15 between the top two placed teams, also feature Asian Games champions Pakistan, Asian Games silver medallists Malaysia, Great Britain, South Korea and New Zealand.

Pakistan and hosts Malaysia have retained the bulk of the Guangzhou Asian Games squad.

Last year's gold medal at the Asian Games has provided a new-found belief to the Pakistan side, which had not won any significant title since the 1994 World Cup, while Malaysia are now reaping the dividends of investing in young players over the past few years.

Injured former captain Rajpal Singh and Tushar Khandekar's absence could affect the Indian team's strike power, while the decision to keep out Sandeep and Sardara will put additional pressure on India's defence.

Sandeep and Sardara were not considered for selection as they did not secure sanction from the national federation before proceeding to play in the Belgian League. The duo also did not report for a preparatory camp in New Delhi ahead of the tournament.

Seasoned striker Arjun Halappa will lead the Indian team, which will be banking a lot on its midfield in the event, which is also seen as a preparatory tournament for next year's Olympic qualifiers to be held on its soil.

The shock semifinal loss to Malaysia in the Asian Games has forced India once again to play the Olympic qualifiers.

In 2008 Beijing Games, eight-time champions India had failed to feature in the starting line-up of the Olympics for the first time in 80 years.

India's chief coach Harendra Singh, expectedly, said the competition here would be tough as most of the teams are looking to fine-tune their line-ups in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics.

Incidentally, Harendra was deputy to former chief coach Jose Brasa at the Asian Games and was widely criticised for announcing his resignation in the middle of the event after India's semifinal defeat to Malaysia.

Even though Indian hockey officials were reported to be in favour of a foreign coach, Harendra was again put in charge as they could not find a replacement for Brasa.

Warming up for the tournament with a 5-3 victory over New Zealand on Tuesday, the Indians are bracing to take on South Korea in their tournament-opener on Thursday followed by a game against Britain 24 hours later.

Ahead of Thursday's match, the Indians will be taking heart from the fact that they had defeated South Korea to claim the Asian Games bronze in Guangzhou.

Much to the liking of India, the Koreans are persisting with a young team as they are presently in a transition phase with several established players set to fade away soon.

In the warm-up game against New Zealand, India scored from penalty corners through Dhananjay Mahadik (2), Rupinder Pal Singh (2) and Baljit Singh Chandi, while Matt L'Huiller slammed home a hat-trick in his debut game for the Black Sticks.

Among other teams in fray, Britain draws a majority of its players from the England line-up, which won the European Cup two years ago and made the semifinals of the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi.

It will be India's first encounter against the British side since the Commonwealth Games semifinals when the Indians fought back gallantly in the closing stages of the match to score a win.

Asian Games champions Pakistan, three-time Azlan Shah winners, are backing themselves to reclaim the title after eight years.

Hosts Malaysia, who have never won the tournament, are looking to improve upon their three silver medals, while Australian coach Ric Charlesworth is hoping to test his second-string side in the absence of half a dozen players from his 2010 squad that became the first team to clinch the World Cup, Champions Trophy and Commonwealth Games in the same year.

The Azlan Shah Cup was the only event last year where the Australians failed to emerge on top of the pedestal.

Tournament fixtures:

May 5: Pakistan vs New Zealand, India vs South Korea, Britain vs Malaysia.

May 6: Pakistan vs South Korea, India vs Britain, Australia vs Malaysia.

May 8: India vs Australia, Britain vs Pakistan, South Korea vs New Zealand.

May 9: Australia vs Pakistan, Britain vs New Zealand, India vs Malaysia.

May 11: New Zealand vs Malaysia, Australia vs South Korea, India vs Pakistan.

May 12: Australia vs Britain, India vs New Zealand, South Korea vs Malaysia.

May 14: Britian vs South Korea, Pakistan vs Malaysia, Australia vs New Zealand.

May 15: Final.