Rohit comes back, Samson dropped from T20I squad
Mumbai
Vice-captain Rohit Sharma returned to India’s 16-member T20 squad for the tour of New Zealand as the selectors dropped Kerala batsman Sanju Samson. The five-man selection panel also brought back pacer Mohammed Shami, who was also rested for the T20 series against Sri Lanka. Wicketkeeper-batsman Samson had played the third T20 against Sri Lanka in Pune, scoring six runs. The five-match T20 series against New Zealand will begin on January 24 in Auckland. The selection committee under outgoing chairman MSK Prasad kept the ODI and Test squads on hold for the time being. Interestingly, the Test and the ODI squads were not announced and it is believed that Hardik Pandya’s latest fitness drama could be the reason. A BCCI press release mentioned that Pandya’s rehabilitation process is taking “longer than expected”. Vijay Shankar had replaced Pandya in the India A squad for the New Zealand shadow tour. T20 squad for tour of New Zealand: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Manish Pandey, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami.
New Delhi
BCCI set to appoint Lal, Gambhir as CAC members
BCCI is all set to appoint World Cup-winning former India players Madan Lal and Gautam Gambhir as members of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) which will pick the selection committees for the next four-year cycle starting 2020. The third member of the panel is likely to be Mumbai-based woman international Sulakshana Naik, who has played two Tests and 46 ODIs for the country. Lal, by virtue of being the senior-most member, will head the committee.
Port Elizabeth
Buttler questions use of stump microphones
England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler has apologised for his foul-mouthed verbal volley in the second Test against South Africa, but questioned whether television viewers should have access to the audio from stump microphones. Buttler was fined 15 percent of his match fee and handed one demerit point after swearing repeatedly at South Africa all-rounder Vernon Philander late on the final day as England sought the wickets that would take them to a 189-run win. “It was the heat of the moment and a bit of red mist. But it is all done and can now be swept under the carpet so we can move on,” he said. Agencies
Kolkata
ISL: Kerala Blasters snap ATK’s unbeaten run
Halicharan Narzary scored the all-important goal as Kerala Blasters made a two-in-two against ATK, bringing an end to the home side’s unbeaten run, in their second leg Indian Super League match at the Saltlake Stadium here on Sunday. With consecutive wins, Kerala now have 14 points from 12 matches. ATK have 21 points from 12, in the top-3 of the standings.
Vasco (Goa)
I-League: TRAU FC defeat Indian Arrows 2-0
Debutants Tiddim Road Athletic Union Football Club (TRAU FC) of Manipur registered a 2-0 victory over All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) developmental side Indian Arrows in their I-League match here on Sunday. Naocha Singh scored in the 44th minute before Princewill Emeka made it 2-0 in the 79th minute.
London
Kipruto sets 10km road world record in Valencia
Kenya’s Rhonex Kipruto set a new 10km road world record as compatriot Sheila Chepkirui won the women’s race at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja in Spain on Sunday. Kipruto clocked 26 minutes 24 seconds to shave 14 seconds off the yet-to-be-ratified mark set by Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei six weeks ago at a different course.
London
NBA: Harden crosses 20,000-point mark
James Harden became the 45th player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points, as the Houston Rockets rolled to a 139-109 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Meanwhile, LA Lakers Oklahoma City Thunder in a 125-110 win. Agencies
