Sports

New Delhi, Dec 25: The Indian Premier League governing council on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to a new plan that is expected to give the rich franchises an advantage over the not-so-rich ones. Under the revised player regulations issued by the IPL, to be implemented for the 2014 season, each team will be allowed to retain five players from its 2013 squad, including those who were ruled out due to

Dubai, Dec 24: Star Indian batsman Virat Kohli jumped nine places to achieve his career-best 11th spot in the latest Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen issued on Monday. Kohli, who stroked 119 and 96 in the two innings in the first Test against South Africa, was the second highest-ranked Indian after Cheteshwar Pujara, another centurion in the same match in Johannesburg, who remained on

Dubai, Dec 23: Pakistani opener Ahmed Shehzad has been fined 50 percent of his match fee for pushing Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan during the third one-day game, the sport's governing body said on Monday. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 113 runs on Sunday to go 2-1 up in the five-match series, with the last two games in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Friday. The International Cricket Council (ICC)

Johannesburg, Dec 23: His team abandoned plans to go for a win after coming extremely close to upstaging India but South African cricket captain Graeme Smith insisted that the last-minute change in strategy was not prompted by the fear of loss. In a pulsating finish to the first Test here yesterday, South Africa fell short by only eight runs in what could have been the highest ever fourth innings'

Johannesburg, Dec 23: In the end, there were no upsets. Neither team lost. The first Test, the dying moments of which can only be described as nerve-jangling, ended with South Africa staring at the finish line. But they chose not to cross it. India didn’t mind that. And they will go into the series decider in Durban with a sense of one-upmanship. Talk of historic contests and the one played out at

Melbourne, Dec 22: England spinner Graeme Swann announced his retirement from international and first-class cricket with immediate effect on Sunday, just days before the beleaguered tourists meet Australia in the fourth Ashes Test. Swann, who took 255 wickets in 60 Tests and is sixth on the list of Test wicket-takers for England, said defeat in Perth last week, which saw Australia seal the Ashes

Johannesburg, Dec 22: It took one Test for India to realise there is life - and runs - after the great Sachin Tendulkar. Virat Kohli made 119 from Tendulkar's former No.4 spot in the first innings of the first Test against South Africa. Cheteshwar Pujara stroked a superb 153 from No.3 in the second innings. And Kohli added another 96 in their double-century partnership on Saturday, only just

New Delhi, Dec 22: Doping shame and administrative goof-ups dominated the Indian athletics scene with the hosting of Asian Championships for only the second time in its history providing the only silver lining in an otherwise disappointing year. Athletics remained one of the top two disciplines which produced the most number of dope cheats in the tests conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency

Karachi, Dec 20: The Pakistani cricket authorities might be maintaining a diplomatic stance on their national team's participation in the forthcoming Asia Cup and World T20 events in Bangladesh, to be held early next year, but chances of a pullout are looming large. A source told PTI that there are concerns in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about the situation in Bangladesh and the growing anti

Johannesburg, Dec 20: Indian pacers Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma struck early as South Africa folded for 244 in their first innings on the third morning of the first Test here on Friday. At the Wanderers stadium, Zaheer and Ishant picked up the last four wickets for just 31 runs, as the Proteas crashed from their overnight score of 213/6 to be bowled out for 244 in less than an hour of the