Celebrated Virat Kohli says he and his teammates are ready to give their best in the upcoming ODI World Cup at home to make the dreams of Indian fans come true once again.

The Men in Blue won the World Cup twice, with their last success coming in 2011 when the competition was jointly hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. But, Kohli is now eager to end their 12-year-long wait for the title, having missed out on winning the 2015 and 2019 editions in Australia-New Zealand and England, respectively.

"The passion and unwavering support of our fans is what fuels our determination to win the World Cup," Kohli told Star Sports. "The memories of past World Cup victories, especially the iconic 2011 win, are etched in our hearts, and we want to create new memories for our fans. I am thrilled to be a part of this incredible campaign, which perfectly captures the emotions of our fans, and we're ready to give it our all to make their dreams come true," he added.

Kohli's thoughts were echoed by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. "As a cricketer, there's nothing more motivating than knowing that millions of fans are standing behind you, cheering for your success," he said.

"This campaign reflects the deep passion and obsession of our fans to see Team India win. It's a journey we're embarking on together with the entire nation, and we're determined to make our fans proud with our performances on the field," Jadeja said.

India will begin their World Cup campaign against Australia in Chennai on October 8.

Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj on Sunday donated his Man of the Series prize money of $5,000 to the ground staff at Colombo. Billionaire businessman Anand Mahindra applauded the gesture. “Just one word: CLASS. It doesn’t come from your wealth or your background. It comes from within,” he wrote on social media platform X.

Siraj, at the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka on Sunday, took six wickets for just 21 runs, setting up India's win. India triumphed over the host team with a 10-wicket victory. This makes Siraj the fourth bowler in ODI history to take four wickets in an over. 

"This cash prize goes to the groundsmen. If they weren't there, this tournament wouldn't have been possible. They deserve all the credit," Siraj said. The ground staff worked hard during the tournament, that was affected by rains.

Apart from Anand Mahindra, director SS Rajamouli, Anushka Sharma, Shraddha Kapoor, Mahesh Babu and Vicky Kaushal lauded the cricketer for his stellar performance. 
 

“Siraj Miyan, Our Tolichowki boy shines at the Asia Cup final with 6 wickets… And has a big heart, running to long-on to stop the boundary off his own bowling,” Rajamouli wrote on X. “Ab Siraj se hi pucho ki iss free time ke saath kya karein,” Shraddha Kapoor jested; which translates to, “Now ask Siraj what to do in all this free time.” She posted the message on Instagram.

Rohan Bopanna brought the curtains down on his Davis Cup career with a comfortable straight set win alongside Yuki Bhambri before Sumit Nagal won his reverse singles as India sealed the World Group II tie against Morocco 3-1, here Sunday.

The 43-year-old Bopanna, coming out to play his 33rd and final tie, and Bhambri raced to a 6-2 6-1 win over Elliot Benchetrit and Younes Lalami Laaroussi in one hour and 11 minutes at the Mini Stadium.

India's number one singles player Sumit Nagal outgunned Yassine Dlimi 6-3 6-3 in the first reverse singles to seal the home tie. The inconsequential fifth rubber was not played.

It is only the second time that Nagal has won both his singles matches in a Davis Cup tie. He had achieved a similar result against Pakistan in 2019 in Kazakhstan. Nagal earned early breaks in both the sets, leaving Dlimi playing catch-up. The win takes India to next year's World Group I play-offs.

An emotional Bopanna rested his India shirt on the court, marking the end of his Davis Cup career in which he played 50 matches in 33 ties, winning 23 rubbers, including 13 in doubles.

Watched by his family and friends, Bopanna acknowledged their and fans' appreciation and blew kisses towards the stands.

About 50 of Bopanna's family and friends flew to Lucknow to watch the Coorg player in action one last time in the Davis Cup. They were wearing T-shirts that had a tri-colour-waving Bopanna picture printed.

Younes could not hold his serve even once in the match while the Indians faced just one break point when Bhambri served and saved that too.

The Indians drew the first blood when they broke Younes. On a Bhambri backhand return at 30-15, Younes netted the volley. Bhambri smashed a volley-winner on Younes' return to earn the first breakpoint.

Benchetrit went for an angled volley winner on a Bhambri return but the ball went out as Indians led 3-1. Bopanna came out serving the next game at love to make it 4-1.

Younes' serve came under attack once again in game eight. Bopanna found a winner at 15-15 and the Morocco player served a double fault to be down by two break points. Yuki converted the set point with a volley winner on a feeble Younes return. The first set ended in a jiffy, just 34 minutes as the Indians lost five points on their serve.

Bopanna's big serve was at work in the second set too as he began the proceedings with a comfortable hold but Bhambri's serve came under pressure in the third game when at 30-all, his half-volley pick up flew out of the court. The Indians, though, saved the break point.

Younes was up 40-0 on his serve in game four but lost his way, serving double fault and making a lot of unforced errors to lose his serve for the third time in the match. Bhambri served out the match.

Mohammed Siraj produced a sensational spell as India thrashed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets to win the Asia Cup here on Sunday.

Siraj helped India dismiss Sri Lanka for a paltry 50 with a six-wicket haul in the final.

After winning the toss, Sri Lanka found themselves in an embarrassing situation losing their first six wickets for 12 runs. Their innings ended in just 15.2 overs. Siraj ended with dream figures of six for 21 in seven overs while Hardik Pandya chipped in with three wickets.

India raced to the 51-run target in 6.1 overs with Shubman Gill (27 not out) and Ishan Kishan (23 not out) in the middle.

Talking to presspersons, Siraj said, “Last time, I did the same against Sri Lanka at Trivandrum. Got four wickets early, couldn't get the five-for. I did not try too much today. I have always looked for swing in white-ball cricket and did not find much in the previous games.”

 "But today it was swinging, and I got more wickets with the outswinger. Such was the swing I was getting on this wicket that I tried to entice the batter to go on the front foot and make them drive. If you are not going for wickets, you will be successful on this pitch. It was about sticking to one line and hitting the same area. I'm so happy with my performance and this is a dream come true for me," he added.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 50 all out in 15.2 overs (Kusal Mendis 17; Mohammed Siraj 6/21, Hardik Pandya 3/3). India 51 for no loss in 6.1 overs (Shubman Gill 27 not out, Ishan Kishan 23 not out).

Mohammed Siraj produced a sensational spell helping India skittle out Sri Lanka for a paltry 50 in the Asia Cup final here on Sunday.

After winning the toss, Sri Lanka found themselves in an embarrassing situation losing their first six wickets for 12 runs. Their innings ended in just 15.2 overs. Kusal Mendis was the top scorer for Sri Lanka with 17 runs off 34 balls.

Siraj ended with dream figures of 6 for 21 in seven overs while Hardik Pandya chipped and took three wickets.

For India, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav were back in the playing eleven after being rested for one game, while Washington Sundar came in for injured Axar Patel. The start of play was delayed by 40 minutes due to rain.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 50 all out in 15.2 overs (Kusal Mendis 17; Mohammed Siraj 6/21, Hardik Pandya 3/3).

Sri Lanka have won the toss and elected to bat first against India in the Asia Cup 2023 Final at Colombo's R Premadasa Stadium. 

The game witnessed a delayed start due to rains. 

Washinton Sundar, who was added to the squad after Axar Patel received multiple blows during the Men in Blue's final Super Four match against Bangladesh made playing eleven.

Similarly, it was earlier confirmed that Sri Lanka spinner Maheesh Theekshana will miss the summit clash due to a hamstring injury that he suffered during their victory over Pakistan.

India has won the most number of seven Asia Cup while defending champion Sri Lanka have bagged six titles.

"We'll bat first. Seems like a good wicket, there will be some turn in the afternoon. Last year, we weren't able to get these crowds but this time we are really fortunate. I'm very pleased with the youngsters - Wellalage, Pathirana, Samarawickrama. It is a good team and the results are there, this is a good boost for the WC. One change - Theekshana out, Hemantha in," Sri Laka skipper Dasun Sanaka said after the toss.

Team India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Kl Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (Vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj

Team Sri Lanka: P Nissanka, K Perera, K Mendis (WK), S Samarawickrama, C Asalanka, D de Silva, D Shanaka (C), D Wellalage, D Hemantha, P Madushan, M Pathirana

More details will follow.  

Never before in the Premier League era had Manchester United lost three of its first five games at the start of a season.

Losing 3-1 to Brighton on Saturday, Erik ten Hag's team wrote its name into the club's history books for the wrong reasons.

It was no surprise then that the United manager was asked afterward if this losing run represented a crisis.

"No," was his response. "But we have to be very disappointed and we have to be very annoyed with ourselves. Because at United the demand is you win games."

United's fans certainly seemed annoyed. First they jeered when $82 million striker Rasmus Hojlund was replaced by substitute Anthony Martial in the second half. And there were more boos after the final whistle blew on a latest defeat.

Goals from Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross and Joao Pedro secured Brighton's fourth-straight win against United in the league, with Hannibal Mejbri scoring a consolation for the home team.

The result left United 13th in the standings with six points, while Brighton moved up to fourth, just three points behind leader Manchester City.

United could drop further down the table if Chelsea beats Bournemouth on Sunday and a season that had begun with hopes of a title challenge is already in danger of unraveling.

Ten Hag had led the club back into the Champions League in his first year in charge and also won the League Cup. But off-field issues involving Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and Antony have cast an unwanted shadow over the club, while performances on the field have also been disappointing.

That form continued against a Brighton team that saw late chances for Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson and Ansu Fati saved by goalkeeper Andre Onana.

"We could score more goals, especially in the last 25 minutes," said manager Roberto De Zerbi, who added: "the result, I think, is true."

Ten Hag is now preparing for a crucial week when United plays at Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday before a trip to Burnley on Saturday.

"There are things from the team and individuals who have to step up," he said.

"Sometimes you are in bad period, difficult periods, and you have to face that and deal with that. In this moment we don't deal too well with it, but we can do like we showed last year.

"We can't blame anyone else, we have to do better and be more determined, more resilient."

"Why should we apologize to the fans? Do you think we lost on purpose? Do you think we wanted to lose the derby? Do you think we wanted to concede five goals to Inter?" an irate Stefano Pioli said after his AC Milan was hammered 5-1 by bitter rivals Inter Milan on Saturday.

"We're disappointed. We wanted to give something else to our fans, we didn't manage that. I think you have to apologize when you've done something wrong, we tried to do everything we could."

The Milan teams were the only ones with maximum points in Serie A coming into the Derby della Madonnina. However, Inter found a new star player with a familiar name in Serie A as Marcus Thuram helped the Nerazzurri triumph over its fierce rival. The victory also helped Inter to maintain their perfect start to the season.

Thuram's father Lilian, who won the World Cup with France in 1998, played as a defender for Parma and Juventus.

Inter is now the only team to have won its four opening matches and the Nerazzurri moved two points ahead of Juventus, which beat Lazio 3-1 earlier. Milan is three points behind Inter.

AC Milan, on the other hand, lost its last five derbies with the latest being the heaviest in 14 years. 

Marcus Thuram scored a superb goal on Saturday to double Inter's lead shortly before halftime, having had a significant hand in the fifth-minute opener. That was netted by Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who also scored Inter's third after Rafael Leo had got Milan back into the game amid a torrential downpour at San Siro.

Former Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu added a penalty 11 minutes from time and Davide Frattesi capped a great night for Inter in stoppage time.

It was Thuram's second Inter goal in as many matches. He also has three assists in his four matches since joining on a free transfer from Borussia Mnchengladbach.

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi was asked if Thuram could become a better player than former Nerazzurri star Romelu Lukaku.

"This is clearly a comparison that time will tell," Inzaghi responded with a laugh. "I don't think it's right to talk about individuals.

"Thuram was really good, he has to continue like this, he's fitting in very well, he's always ready but it's reductive to talk about individuals tonight after we saw the whole squad working so well."

Defending champion Napoli is five points behind Inter after coming back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Genoa.

Inter got off to a great start as Thuram used his strength to hold off Milan defender Malick Thiaw and put in a low cross for Federico Dimarco, whose attempt at a shot was volleyed in by Mkhitaryan.

Thuram got on the scoresheet himself in the 38th minute when collected an overhit pass from Denzel Dumfries on the left side of the area and he was perhaps expected to cross but instead he cut past Thiaw and curled a sensational strike into the top right corner.

The rain began to fall heavily in the second half and Milan managed to get back into the match 12 minutes after the break as Leo slotted home an inspired pass from Olivier Giroud. It was the first time Inter had conceded this season.

However, Inter restored its two-goal advantage in the 69th when Mkhitaryan finished off a good team move and the Nerazzurri sealed the result when alhanoglu blasted home a penalty after Tho Hernandez tripped Lautaro Martnez.

Frattesi, who scored two goals for Italy against Ukraine in the same stadium on Tuesday, capped a great week with his first Inter goal.

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi did not dress for Saturday's match at Atlanta United, the second match he missed this week.

Atlanta is among five MLS stadiums with artificial turf surfaces. Messi and defender Jordi Alba did not dress for Atlanta United's 5-2 win. Inter Miami coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino said the decision to hold out Messi was "because he has muscular fatigue and it was prudent to leave him."

Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank said he believes the FieldTurf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a surface viewed by some players as more taxing on their bodies than grass, was not the reason Messi remained in Miami.

Blank referred to Messi's statement after signing with Inter Miami that he wouldn't avoid playing on an artificial surface.

"I think he made that decision," Blank said.

"I don't really have an opinion on that. I'd just repeat what he said in his press conference, that he has competed on artificial turf since he was a youngster and to some extent as a professional. I don't think it had anything to do with his decision. I think he suffered some sort of injury, however minor it might be."

Atlanta United coach Gonzalo Pineda said he learned about Messi's decision on social media.

"I checked the Twitter account to know he was not coming," Pineda said, adding he encouraged his players to remain focused despite the attention given Messi's status.

"Honestly, I told the players, there are a lot of things out there in the atmosphere and everything seems to be about Inter Miami. We have to turn that to about us."

Blank spoke at a news conference before the match to discuss details of Friday's announcement that the U.S. Soccer Federation plans to build a national training center in Atlanta. The project is backed by a USD 50 million donation from Blank.

Blank said NFL research since 2021 showed injuries on FieldTurf and natural grass to be "about the same."

Falcons CEO Rich McKay, a member of the NFL competition committee who also attended the news conference, also said research showed injuries on FieldTurf and grass to be similarly common.

Messi's absence for the Major League Soccer match was a disappointment for a crowd of 71,635 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Many fans wore pink Inter Miami shirts with Messi's name on the back. Flozel Marriott, a native of Jamaica and Atlanta resident who previously lived in Miami, attended the game with his wife, daughters and nephew. All wore Messi jerseys, though he said he otherwise supports Atlanta United.

"I was an Argentina fan growing up and I've always been a fan of Messi," Marriott said.

"I'm an Atlanta fan as well, but today I'm here supporting Messi. I want my children to see a legend."

Marriott was surprised to hear Messi would not attend the game. "No, I did not know that," Marriott said, looking at his family.

"If he's not, they're going to be disappointed. That's where we spent all the money, just to see him."

Messi watched from the bench on Tuesday in Argentina's World Cup qualifying win at Bolivia. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said Messi was not feeling well.

Miami coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino said on Friday he will avoid overworking the 36-year-old Messi during a busy portion of the team's schedule.

"We will be careful with him because we have a lot of important games in a short span," said Martino, the former Atlanta coach.

Miami has matches at home against Toronto on Wednesday and at Orlando on September 24.

"This is something that we knew would happen at some point," Martino said.

Brace yourself as the first-ever MotoGP race in India is scheduled to be held at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida from September 22 to 24. MotoGP Bharat, which was earlier titled IndianOil Grand Prix will be the 13th race in the 2023 season.

Buddh International Circuit

BIC is a fast-flowing track with eight right turns and five left turns. The circuit has a 1.06km-long back straight which is divided into two parts. The first is downhill, helping the riders achieve maximum acceleration, while the latter is uphill and allows them to brake late while maintaining top speed.

The parabola or the stadium section on turn 9 and 10, is the perfect camber for riders to slingshot out of the turns and permits them to push their bikes to the limit.

How to watch MotoGP Bharat?

The much-anticipated event will be broadcast on Sports 18. It can be livestreamed on Jio Cinema too.

How to book tickets?

All-day passes for MotoGP Bharat can be bought on BookMyShow. They are vaild for three days of the event. Prices range from Rs 800 to Rs 1,80,000. When this report was updated previously, Rs 800 and Rs 10,000 tickets were sold out.

Rs 2,500 passes will give fans a view of the Turn 1 on the circuit while Rs 6,000 tickets offer a view of the 1.06km-long straight. Easy access to the MotoGP Fan Zone costs Rs 15,000 and the Main Grandstand tickets cost Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000. The Platinum Corporate Boxes cost Rs 40,000 and the air-conditioned VIP Village Lounge with free food and drinks are priced at a whopping Rs 1,80,000.

How to reach venue?

Those who don't have their own vehicle can travel by shuttle buses and cab services to the venue. These too can be booked on BookMyShow. Parking is available at fee on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Schedule

• September 22

Practice 1: 4pm to 5:10pm

• September 23

Practice 2: 10:40am to 11:10am

Qualifying 1: 11:20am to 11:35am

Qualifying 2: 11:45am to 12pm

Tissot Sprint: 3:30pm

• September 24

Warm-up: 11:10am to 11:20am

Race: 3:30pm

Modifications in the track

• Track has been modified to meet the MotoGP standards

• Asphalt has been reduced and gravel has been increased to make the track safe for bike racing.

• Gravel work is done in various turns to absorb the speeding bikes in case of accidents.

• Installations of safety devices.

• Type A air fence, Type A foam safety barriers along with Type C foam barriers imported from Austria and Italy were installed at the corners which are high impact zones.

• Track kerbs were marked in red and white.

Sponsors and partners

Indian Oil is the title sponsor for MotoGP Bharat. Industry partners like KTM India, Ducati India, Honda Racing India, Yamaha Motor India and Aprilia India are supplying the engines while Michelin is supplying the tyres.

Red Bull India, OLA, 24seven, Radio Mirchi 98.3 and R.E. Rogers India are the event partners while the medical partners are Apollo Hospitals, MeduLance, Jaypee Hospital. Bushmills India is the celebrations partner.

Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra failed to defend his Diamond League champion's title, finishing second with a modest effort of 83.80m in the grand finale here.

The 25-year-old Chopra, who clinched his maiden World Championships gold last month, struggled to produce his best in the winner-takes-all Finals of the 13-leg one-day meeting series at the Hayward Field on Saturday night.

He fouled his two attempts and his best effort of the day came in the second throw, with the series reading foul, 83.80m, 81.37m, foul, 80.74 and 80.90m.

This was Chopra's first below-85m throw of the season. He had qualified for the DL Finals at the third spot. He had won the 2022 DL Finals in Zurich with a throw of 88.44m.

No competitor could touch 85m under 25 degree Celsius temperature and 45 per cent humidity. Other field events held simultaneously showed wide variation in wind speed readings, though they are not known for javelin throw.

Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic became the Diamond League champion for the third time with a best throw of 84.24m which came in his sixth and final attempt. He was leading the six-man field from the beginning following his first round effort of 84.01m.

Vadlejch, who won bronze in Budapest World Championships in August and silver in Tokyo Olympics behind Chopra, had also clinched the DL title in 2017 and 2018.

Oliver Helander of Finland took the third spot with a best throw of 83.74m.

Two-time world champion Anderson Peters' wretched season continued as he finished last with a throw of 74.71m.

Vadlejch won the DL Trophy and USD 32,000 while Chopra pocketed USD 12,000 prize money for finishing second.

Asked about his influence in Indian athletics, Chopra said, "After Olympic gold, they (Indian's) also believe that we can also win.

"I was there in Budapest (World Championships), I won gold there, and it will also change something in Indian athletics."

This was the same venue where Chopra had finished second in the 2022 World Championships.

The Indian, who has a personal best of 89.94m and season's best of 88.77m, won two individual DL meetings in Doha on May 5 and Lausanne on June 30 before clinching a historic gold in the World Championships last month.

He had become only the third javelin thrower in history to hold both the Olympic and World Championships crowns after winning the world title in Budapest with a throw of 88.17m.

Just a few days after winning the World Championships title, he competed in the Zurich DL leg on August 31 where he finished second behind Vadlejch, who has beaten the Indian in their last two meetings.

Chopra will now head to the Hangzhou Asian Games beginning later this month, where he will defend the gold he had won in 2018 in Indonesia.

"I still have one more competition, Asian Games in China," Chopra said.

"In big competition, it's about mindset, we don't need to prepare ourself. When we enter into the stadium, our mind is ready and body will be ready for the competition."

On his bonding with his competitors, he said, "I really like to compete with these guys, all are good friends and we're all competing in a very good way." 

Olympic bronze medal-winning Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal is set to win uncontested from the South Asia Zone in the first-ever Athletes Committee poll of the upcoming Asian Games.

For the first time in history, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is conducting a poll among athletes to elect 10 members of the Athletes' Committee. The London 2012 Olympics bronze medalist's name was on Saturday chosen as the sole nominee from among 26 nominations to compete for 10 positions.

"The athletes will be voting for 10 members of the Athletes' Committee -- one female and one male from each of the five OCA zones: West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, South East Asia and East Asia," the OCA stated.

By virtue of being the sole nominee, the 33-year-old is expected to win uncontested.

The OCA has announced that athletes will be able to vote at one of six voting stations from September 18 to October 6. The voting stations are located in the Athletes' Village in Hangzhou and at the sub-athletes' villages in the five co-host cities. The results will be announced on the eve of the Games' closing on October 7, and the OCA is determined to attract as many athletes as possible to the voting stations, it stated.

The Athletes' Dining Hall in the main Asian Games Village is already decorated with colourful voting booths, slogans such as 'Your Vote, Your Voice' and the all-important QR code on which the athletes can complete the voting process.

In addition to this, the OCA has produced informative posters with photos of the 26 candidates nominated by the National Olympic Committees for the 10 positions.

These posters will attract more attention to the elections and allow athletes to check who has been nominated from their own zone. An attractive pin badge dedicated to the Athletes' Committee election will also add to the occasion.

Former WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexual harassment of several women wrestlers, was not exonerated by the oversight committee constituted by the government to investigate the allegations against him, Delhi police told a city court on Saturday.

The police made the submission before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal during the argument on whether to frame charges against Singh in the case.

“Singh was not exonerated by the oversight committee. The committee had given the recommendations, not the decision. Nowhere has it stated that these allegations are not substantiated or are false,” special public prosecutor Atul Srivastava told the court.

He urged the court to frame the charges against Singh, saying even a mere gesture can constitute a crime under section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code.

The Delhi police had filed a charge sheet against the six-time MP on June 15 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Singh appeared before the court during the proceedings of the case on Saturday. Delhi police will resume its arguments on September 23 on the charges against Singh.

The Union Sports Ministry had constituted an oversight committee headed by Indian boxing great M.C. Mary Kom to investigate the allegations levelled by women wrestlers against Singh after their protest in the national capital.

Its report was not made public but a copy was given to the Delhi police who are probing the allegations against Singh. The court had on July 20 granted bail to Singh and suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) assistant secretary Vinod Tomar. They were never arrested in the case.

Rohit Sharma's Indian team will be firm favourites to end its five-year trophy draught in multi-nation events, when it squares off against Sri Lanka in the final of the Asia Cup in Colombo on Sunday.

A glance at India's trophy cabinet will reveal the uncomfortable truth of them not winning any titles in the last five years, and Sunday will be a good opportunity for them to snap that unhappy streak.

Not to forget a win before getting into the World Cup mode will be the ideal boost for a side which hasn't yet fully ticked all boxes but is showing wy more solidity than one would have thought a few months back.

India's last title, across the three formats, came in 2018 when the Rohit's side beat Bangladesh in the Asia Cup by three wickets in Dubai.

Since that victory, India's inability to master crunch matches and occasions has been startling.

India reached semifinals of the 50-over World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2022, besides losing against New Zealand and Australia in the WTC finals in 2019 and 2023 respectively.

The Men in Blue also failed to make their presence felt in last year's Asia Cup, which was won by Sri Lanka. That event was played in T20 format.

Any whichever one looks at it, this is a seriously underwhelming record for a team that prides in its cricketing tradition and wants to set some new trends under head coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit.

However, India will believe that they have a brilliant chance to add a trophy to their glittering collection come Sunday.

India are certain to recall the five players who were rested for the Super Four match against Bangladesh on Friday, which they eventually lost by six runs.

The return of Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya for the summit clash will certainly add meat to their batting unit, which struggled against the array of Bangladesh spinners.

Opener Shubman Gill made a top class hundred, but the rest of the batsmen could not rotate strike effectively in the middle overs, leaving the late order with a tall task.

The match also revealed another area India needed to address the lack of consistency in bundling out a side after making early inroads.

India had reduced Bangladesh to 59 for 4, but the bowlers gave away too many runs in the death overs, allowing their neighbours to post a healthy 265.

But India will hope that the issue will be solved once pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav make their comeback for tomorrow's game.

India will keep a watch on Axar's right hand which received multiple beatings in the match against Bangladesh, suffering niggles on his little finger and forearm along with hamstring injury.

Even though the team management informed that they are still monitoring the progress of the left-arm spinner, they have roped in off-spinner Washington Sundar as cover for him for the final.

Washington was training in Bengaluru with India's Asian Games-bound squad, and is expected to link with the team in Colombo by this evening.

But these are India's immediate concerns pertaining to the Asia Cup final. But they cannot be unmindful of the larger picture as well.

Apart from the practice games, India have four more ODIs Asia Cup final and three matches against Australia prior to the World Cup to tick the desired boxes.

A victory here in the Asia Cup will boost their confidence ahead of the quadrennial big bash next month, as they also seek to end a 10-year-long ICC trophy drought.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka will feel quietly confident of their chances against India, as the home side is also on a 15-match winning streak in ODIs.

Teams (India): Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar (cover for injured Axar Patel).

Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (captain), Pathum Nissanaka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Janith Perera, Kusal Mendis (vc), Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Matheesha Pathirana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushan Hemantha, Binura Fernando, Pramod Madushan.

Brazil dropped Manchester United winger Antony from its squad for two upcoming World Cup qualifiers after Brazilian media on Monday published details of alleged domestic abuse against his ex-girlfriend.

The Brazilian football confederation said Antony will not be part of the team for games against Bolivia and Peru due to the facts that became public on Monday.

Antony's ex-girlfriend reported him to police on May 20 over alleged domestic violence, accusations that he denied in June and again on Monday.

Brazilian media published alleged exchanges between the two, in which the player appears to threaten and intimidate the woman on several occasions.

Brazil's football body said the case needs to be investigated and that the player's removal was aimed at protecting him, the alleged victim and the national team.

Sao Paulo police confirmed to The Associated Press that an investigation is ongoing, but did not provide details.

The 23-year-old Antony posted a statement on Instagram earlier Monday, before he was removed from the team, saying "I vehemently deny the accusations".

He said his relationship with the woman had been tumultuous but that he never physically attacked her.

Every moment, in testimonies or in interviews, she brings a different version of the accusations, Antony wrote.

Antony played for Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar and has scored two goals in 16 games for the national team.

Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus was called up to the national team as a replacement for the two games.

Unfazed by a bland bowling effort, India hit the top gear through Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, who made polished unbeaten fifties, to post a 10-wicket win over Nepal that also ensured them an Asia Cup Super Four berth here on Monday.

Amidst frequent rain interruptions, Nepal posted an impressive 230 after being asked to bat first.

India, required to score 145 from 23 overs as per DLS calculations, went past the line as Rohit (74 not out off 59 balls) and Gill (67 not out off 62 balls) gave power to their chase.

Hence, India finished their Group A engagements with three points, while Pakistan had already entered the Super Four having logged three points.

Nepal bowed out of the Asia Cup without any points. But they had some special moments in the match both with ball and bat.

Nepal pacers K.C. Karan and Sompal Kami worked up some good pace to trouble Indian openers Rohit and Gill early on.

Karan pinged Rohit's pads twice in the first over, with one resulting in Nepal resorting to DRS review, and beat him all ends up once with a lovely outswinger.

But Gill, though got beaten once by Kami outside the off-stump, played three super smooth shots to find the boundary rope, a testament to his inherent timing.

Though he made a bit of a stuttering beginning to his innings, Rohit came into his own after the rain break with a series of fluent shots, including his archetypal pulls.

Once they upshifted, Nepal bowlers did not have the experience to pull things back.

Though the victory might be treated as a solid step, the Indian think-tank would not have liked the way their bowlers performed against Nepal, who were expected to get rolled over.

Their day was also not made easier by fielders who were quite shabby on the field. India dropped three catches inside the first five overs, and there were several misfields and overthrows.

But that should not be held against the gutsy Nepalese batsmen.

Aasif Sheikh (58 off 97 balls), Kushal Bhurtel (38 off 25 balls) and Kami (48 off 55 balls) gave some tight moments to the Indian attack.

Nepal who were bundled out for 104 by Pakistan in their opening match, went off the blocks in a cracking style, reaching 65 for 1 in the first 10 overs.

Bhurtel was the engine room of that initial charge in their first international match against India.

However, India would soon regret the two reprieves they gave to Bhurtel.

Shreyas Iyer dropped Bhurtel on 1 off Shami in the very first over. A little later Ishan Kishan spilled a chance behind the stumps off the same bowler when the batter was on 7.

Exploiting the chance given to him, the Nepal opener slammed pacer Mohammed Siraj over square leg for a six, and followed it with another maximum off Shardul Thakur over fine leg.

But Thakur brought India the first breakthrough when he induced an edge from Bhurtel and this time Kishan did not commit any mistake.

Ravindra Jadeja joined the act with three wickets between the 16th and 21st overs to reduce Nepal to 101 for 4.

The left-arm spinner dismissed captain Rohit Paudel, Kushal Malla and Bhim Sharki to slow down Nepal's progress.

Sheikh, however, kept his end going with a pragmatic approach.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was expected to pose a big threat to the Nepal batsmen.

But Sheikh played Kuldeep well, reading his googlies and the only time he looked in trouble was when the Indian bowled the deliveries that skidded away from him.

However, Siraj ended Sheikh's stay with a delivery that climbed on him which he jabbed uppishly to Virat Kohli.

Nepal were 132 for five at that stage and they soon slipped to 144 for six with the dismissal of Gulsan Jha by Siraj.

India might have hoped to put a quick end to Nepal's innings from that point but that proved futile.

Perhaps, the best bowling strategy against lower order batsmen is to adopt a stump-to-stump line. But the Jasprit Bumrah-less Indians rather opted for an outside the off-stump line.

Dipendra Airee (29 off 25 balls) and Kami were not complaining either.

The Nepal pair played some daring shots and added 50 runs for the seventh wicket to carry them past the 200-run mark, which on the day was not enough. 

UWW, the world governing body for wrestling, has suspended the WFI for not conducting its elections on time, a development which will not allow Indian grapplers to compete at the upcoming World Championships under the Indian flag.

The Indian wrestlers will have to compete as 'neutral athletes' at the Olympic-qualifying World Championships, starting September 16 as the ad-hoc panel, led by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, did not honour the 45-day deadline for conducting the elections.

The development has come a day before the ad-hoc panel conducts the World Championships trials in Patiala.

The IOA had appointed the ad-hoc panel on April 27 and the committee was supposed to hold elections within 45 days.

UWW had on April 28 warned that it could suspend the Indian federation if the deadline to hold elections is not honoured.

"The UWW communicated to the ad-hoc panel on Wednesday night that WFI has been suspended for not holding elections to its executive committee," an IOA source told PTI.

Meanwhile ad-hoc panel member Gian Singh told PTI that they are being kept in the dark by Bajwa on the related developments and that they are not part of decision making anymore.

"I have also heard that WFI has been suspended but I can't tell you what the ad-hoc panel will do now. Mr Bajwa does not call us for discussion any more. I did not even know how the criteria were finalised for the Worlds trials," Gian told PTI.

"Mr Bajwa is too busy, it seems," he added, indicating that the ad-hoc panel has failed to properly manage issues at hand.

Bajwa was contacted for a comment but he did not return calls or respond to text messages.

The Indian women's team at the recent U-20 World Championship in Amman had won the team title for the first time in the Indian wrestling history ahead of powerhouses like Japan and USA.

The wrestlers earned points because they were representing their country but now at the senior world championships in Serbia, the Indians will compete as 'neutral athletes' and their performances will not be counted as India's.

The wrestlers, though, can compete under the Indian flag the Asian Games, starting September 23 in Hangzhou, since it's the IOA which has sent entries and not the WFI.

At the Worlds, it is the WFI which has to send entries after selecting a team through trials.

Originally, the WFI was to hold elections on May 7 but the Sports Ministry had declared the process as null and void and subsequently IOA installed an ad-hoc panel to run the sport in the country.

The elections have been delayed several times after that with multiple disgruntled and disaffiliated state bodies moving the court, seeking the right to participate in the polls.

Multiple Delays

The Returning Officer had originally set July 11 as the date for WFI elections but the Assam association moved the Gauhati High Court and succeeded in getting a stay on the polls on June 25 and the next hearing was set for July 28.

However, the Andhra state association challenged the decision in the Supreme Court which quashed the Gauhati High Court decision on July 18, paving the way for the conduct of the polls.

The Returning officer then declared August 12 as the new poll date but a day before the elections, Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the process on an application moved by Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA), which was led by Deepinder Singh Hooda before being suspended by WFI.

HWA had challenged the move to allow Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association to cast votes in the WFI polls.

Now this case is also pending in the Supreme Court and is likely to be heard on Friday.

Livid UWW

The UWW in its letter on April 28, which was also marked to IOA and the Sports Ministry, had reminded that it has already taken "a measure in this situation by reallocating the Asian Championship planned in New Delhi earlier this year."

The Championship was moved out of the country due to the controversy surrounding the outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexually abusing several women wrestlers.

The case is already in a Delhi court.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen showed his class and temperament when it mattered, as he prevailed over Indian teen sensation R. Praggnanandhaa in the tie-breaker of the Chess World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan.