Saina Nehwal has learnt a lot of things over the course of her dozen year-long pro career. Putting on the mask of a smile after she loses a title is not one of those. So, the 27-year-old didn’t hold back her tears after being blitzed 21-9, 21-13 by Tai Tzu Ying in the final of the Indonesia Masters Super 500 in Jakarta on Sunday. She stood on the podium a little like a lost child, the spotlight of the medal ceremony prolonging her agony. That runner-up medal, cheque, trophy, the posing and accepting of commiserations – she looked like she wanted none of those at that moment. This could be ... Read More

Buffaloes have the status of thoroughbred horses elsewhere, womens hair is a billion-dollar industry, Amla has a bunch of merry loyalists and Gupta is the most scandalised Indian surname. A nerve-fraying series aside, SANDEEP DWIVEDI absorbs the sights and sounds on the tip of the continent. ... Read More

The King of Strong style Shinsuke Nakamura has won the 30-man Royal Rumble match. He eliminated Raws Roman Reigns to win the 30-man Royal Rumble. Nakamura, who lasted over 45 minutes in the Rumble match, made his debut at the Rumble this year. He has announced that he will take on the Phenomenal One AJ Styles at Wrestlemania for the WWE Title. Rey Mysterio returned to WWE and made a surprise entrant at Royal Rumble before he was eliminated by Finn Balor. There is still Womens Royal Rumble match to go which will feature the likes of Asuka, Bayley, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch, among others. Earl ... Read More

As evening slowly slips into dark, the mini-stadium in Bijapur is alive. The field has more dust than grass, and the running feet on it kick up a storm. The ground may not be green, but there is no shortage of colour. There are small cones, orange, red and blue, marking the playing area. And then there are the children wearing studs running around, each with a story of his own. Of poverty, of violence, and for every evening between 4 and 6.30 here, of hope. Nearly every district headquarters in Chhattisgarh has a mini-stadium,used for cricket and football. In May last year, the administration ... Read More

Back in 2016, Delhi Daredevils scouts looking out for a young spinner zeroed in on a Nepali leggie by the name of Sandeep Lamichhane, then not yet 16. Ahead of the IPL 2018 auction, the teen was put through a quiet trial in Delhi, and a video of his bowling was sent to team coach Ricky Ponting. The Australian legend was impressed. On Sunday, the Daredevils bought Lamichhane for Rs 20 lakh the culmination of a process that began a year-and-a-half ago, when the franchise first spotted him at the inaugural Hong Kong T20 Blitz. The young spinner has brought Nepal cricket its breakthrough moment, ... Read More

Shinsuke Nakamura eliminated Roman Reigns to win the Mens Royal Rumble Match to earn a World Title opportunity at WrestleMania. In a post-match interview, The King of Strong Style announced that he would challenge WWE Champion AJ Styles at Wrestlemania. The day after WrestleMania 33, Shinsuke Nakamura debuted as a SmackDown Superstar and hence this win makes it even more special for Nakamura. However, it was not before Nakamura had ward off a tough challenge by multiple superstars after entering the rumble at number-14. Early on Nakamura eliminated Sami Zayn and then fought his way amidst 29 ... Read More