June 16, 2025
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EC vs Rahul Gandhi: Poll Rigging Allegations Escalate

Coco Gauff vs Aryna Sabalenka controversy: Belarusian offers fresh statement after fan backlash

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French Open 2025 runner-up Aryna Sabalenka has offered an apology to champion Coco Gauff for her emotional tiredness. Sabalenka landed in the mud after insinuating that Gauff did not win the French Open; rather, it was she who lost it by making too many unforced errors. After getting slammed on social media for her comments, Sabalenka has clarified her remarks and said that she was not trying to take away Gauff’s credit for winning the French Open 2025. Sabalenka said that she was tired after Saturday’s final and agreed that she could have handled herself better mentally and emotionally. “Yesterday was a tough one. Coco handled the conditions much better than I did and fully deserved the win. She was the better player yesterday, and I want to give her the credit she earned. You all know me… I’m always going to be honest and human in how I process these moments. I made over 70 unforced errors, so I can’t pretend it was a great day for me. But both things can be true: I didn’t play my best, and Coco stepped up and played with poise and purpose. She earned that title. Respect. Time to rest, learn, and come back stronger,” Sabalenka said in an Instagram post on Sunday, June 8. Follow French Open Live Gauff-Sabalenka Controversy Top seed for the French Open, Aryna Sabalenka was criticised by fans after her emotional outburst after the final of the tournament. Sabalenka lost her final against Coco Gauff at Court Philippe-Chatrier on Saturday, June 7, 7-6, 2-6, 4-6. After losing her second successive Grand Slam final this year, Sabalenka had a rather bizarre take on her loss. The three-time Grand Slam winner said that her coming second in the encounter was more due to her own mistakes rather than Gauff’s brilliance. “I think it was more windy. Also I think I was over emotional. Today I didn’t handle myself quite well mentally. Basically that’s it. I was just making unforced errors. I don’t know. I have to check the statistics. I think she won the match not because she played incredible. Just because I made all of those mistakes, if you look from the outside, from kind of easy balls,” said Sabalenka in the post-match press conference. She then proceeded to belittle Gauff’s victory, stating that Iga Swiatek, who lost to Sabalenka in the semi-final of the tournament, would have beaten her in the final. “If Iga had beaten me the other day, I think she’d come out today and get the win. It just hurts. I’ve been playing really well, and then in the last match, to go out there and do what I did, it hurts,” she added. Sabalenka was just one step away from winning her maiden title on clay when she outclassed Gauff in the first set winning in a hard-fought tie breaker. However, her American rival came out strongly in the second and third sets, winning by a comfortable margin and claimed her first major title on clay. Meanwhile, Sabalenka’s reaction to her loss didn’t go down well with fans as people slammed her for not respecting her opponent. Coco Gauff Hits Back Gauff also commented on Sabalenka’s remarks and said that it wasn’t a right thing to say but she would’ve preferred playing Swiatek in the final as Sabalenka was in top form. “I don’t agree with that. I mean, I’m sitting here. No shade to Iga or anything, but I played her and I won in straight sets. I don’t think that’s a fair thing to say. Anything can really happen. Honestly, the way Aryna was playing the last few weeks, she was the favorite to win. I think she was the best person I could’ve played in the final. Her being no 1 in the world, she was the best person to play. I think I got the hardest matchup just if you go off stats alone. Obviously Iga being a champion here, it was gonna be a tough match either way. But yeah, regardless of who I played, I think I had a good shot to win and I definitely had that belief,” said Gauff in the post-match press conference Published By: Kingshuk Kusari Published On: Jun 8, 2025

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TNPL | Nidhish, Kavin power Spartans past Panthers

TNPL | Nidhish, Kavin power Spartans past Panthers

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Nidhish en route his sparkling fifty. | Photo Credit: M. PERIASAMY Nidhish S. Rajagopal’s sparkling half-century (60, 41b, 7×4, 2×6) and R. Kavin’s steady hand guided SKM Salem Spartans to a six-wicket win over Siechem Madurai Panthers in the afternoon game of the TNPL-9 at the Sri Ramakrishna College ground here on Sunday. In pursuit of 165, Spartans lost their openers cheaply, but Nidhish ensured his side got 48 in the PowerPlay. The left-hander, who has a strong off-side game, smashed K. Gowtham Thamarai Kannan for three boundaries in the third over to get going. Nidhish showed great composure in finding the boundaries, including two maximums, at a time when his partner, Kavin (48 n.o., 39b, 1×4, 4×6), couldn’t get going. Once Nidhish got out, Kavin took charge and hit three huge sixes, including two consecutive ones off M. Ashwin in the 17th over to hasten the end. In the first innings, a late flourish from Atheeq Ur Rahman (38, 21b, 1×4, 3×6) helped Panthers get to 164 for six. Left-arm spinner S. Ajith Ram and Rahil Shah bowled a tight spell in the middle phase of the innings as R. Ram Arvindh and skipper N.S. Chaturved struggled to find the boundaries despite adding 50 for the second wicket. The left-handed Atheeq broke the shackles by flicking and lofting medium-pacer S. Harish Kumar for a four and a six respectively. He then collected two more sixes before he was dismissed. Medium-pacers M. Mohammed and M. Poiyamozhi utilised their slower deliveries effectively, as Panthers failed to score a boundary in the last two overs. The runs left on the table cost the former champion dearly. Dream performance In the second match of the day, debutant pacer A. Esakkimuthu produced a sensational performance (4-0-26-4) to help his side IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans bundle out Dindigul Dragons for 93 and cruise to a thumping nine-wicket win. Dragons raced to 59 for one in the PowerPlay before Esakkimuthu ran through the middle-order and triggered a collapse. Tushar Raheja (65 n.o., 6×4, 5×6) then completed the formalities in quick time, sending the Dragons’ bowlers on a leather hunt. The left-hander took down R. Ashwin for three sixes and followed it up by smashing Varun for two fours and a six en route his second half-century of the season. The scores: Siechem Madurai Panthers 164/6 in 20 overs (R. Ram Arvindh 37, N.S. Chaturved 32, Atheeq Ur Rahman 38, Mohammed 2/27) lost to SKM Salem Spartans 167/4 in 18.4 overs (Nidhish S. Rajagopal 60, R. Kavin 48 n.o., Gurjapneet Singh 2/28, M. Ashwin 2/35). Toss: Spartans. Dindigul Dragons 93 in 16.2 overs (Shivam Singh 30, Sai Kishore 2/9, Esakkimuthu 4/26, Mathivannan 3/12) lost to IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans 94/1 in 11.5 overs (Tushar Raheja 65 n.o.). Toss: Tamizhans. Monday’s match: Chepauk Super Gillies vs Nellai Royal Kings (7.15 p.m.). Published – June 08, 2025 09:19 pm IST

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WTC Final: ‘We’ve Buried the Past,’ says Aiden Markram as South Africa dream big ahead of Lord’s encounter | Cricket News

WTC Final: ‘We’ve Buried the Past,’ says Aiden Markram as South Africa dream big ahead of Lord’s encounter | Cricket News

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Aiden Markram (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images) South African batsman Aiden Markram expressed confidence that his team will overcome past tournament failures when they face Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters at Lord’s on Sunday, Markram addressed concerns about previous defeats, including last year’s T20 World Cup final loss to India in Barbados.South Africa’s previous heartbreak in the T20 World Cup final saw them fall short despite needing just 30 runs from 30 balls with six wickets in hand against India.Markram, who captained the T20 team and is one of five players from that match in the current WTC final squad, believes the Test team under Temba Bavuma’s leadership will approach this challenge differently.“This team is a bit different. The few of us that have been a part of previous events that didn’t go our way have dealt with it, have obviously chatted to each other and made sure we’ve buried it nicely and taken some good lessons from it. But besides from that now, it’s more about the excitement of having another opportunity to actually do the job. So that’s pretty much where the mind is at the moment.” Bombay Sport Exchange Ep. 6: Harish Thawani on cricket’s TV market and the watershed moments As an opener, Markram will face Australia’s formidable bowling attack, while South Africa counters with their own impressive pace attack led by Kagiso Rabada.“When you’re opening the batting, obviously your responsibility is to get the team off to a good start and get us ahead of the game. So that’s the challenge, that’s what excites us. But when you’re preparing against your bowlers, who are world-class, it can only help you as a batter, as uncomfortable as it can be at times.”South Africa’s qualification for the final came after winning seven consecutive Tests, mostly in short series formats. Major League Cricket: Liam Plunkett on how cricket can boom in the USA “A lot of our series have been two-game series. So in order to win that series, you can’t start slow. There’s no second dip at it, so we’re going to have to make sure we hit the ground running and are nice and sharp come day one.”The 30-year-old Markram, with 45 Test matches under his belt, anticipates the historic opportunity to play at Lord’s.“To play in a Test match here is really special and then obviously for it to be a final is probably the cherry on top.”When asked about what makes Lord’s memorable, Markram responded: “Probably just the history…You know how many of the greats of the game have played here. For us to have that opportunity to play on the same field and share that changing room that they once sat in is quite a cool thought.”

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Rinku Singh engagement: India batter stands still as Priya Saroj breaks floor with her moves - Watch | Cricket News

Rinku Singh engagement: India batter stands still as Priya Saroj breaks floor with her moves – Watch | Cricket News

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Rinku Singh and Priya Saroj dance Team India cricketer Rinku Singh and Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj got married today in a grand ceremony at The Centrum, Lucknow — and a heartwarming video from their wedding has fans gushing online. The clip shows Priya Saroj dancing joyfully on stage, while Rinku, visibly shy, smiles and cheers her on. Although hesitant to join in at first, the Kolkata Knight Riders star was eventually seen swaying a little, clearly enjoying the moment with his new bride. The adorable contrast between the two as her infectious energy and his bashful charm, made for a perfect memory from the celebration. The wedding followed their high-profile engagement ceremony earlier in the day, which brought together over 300 guests from the worlds of cricket and politics. The couple made a stylish appearance in coordinated white and pink attire, drawing attention as they entered the beautifully decorated venue under soft lighting and floral décor. Major League Cricket: Liam Plunkett on how cricket can boom in the USA Among the guests were Akhilesh Yadav, Jaya Bachchan, Dimple Yadav, cricketers Praveen Kumar, Piyush Chawla, UP Ranji captain Aryan Juyal, and Congress leader Rajeev Shukla.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? Before the celebrations began, Rinku visited the Chaudhera Wali Vichitra Devi Temple in Bulandshahr with his family to seek blessings. Security was tight, with barcoded entry passes and police presence. Fifteen hotel rooms were reportedly booked for guests, including five for Rinku’s close friends. But it was Priya’s carefree dance and Rinku’s shy reactions that stole the spotlight, offering fans a real and relatable glimpse of the couple’s chemistry and a memorable moment to mark the beginning of their new journey together.

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EC vs Rahul Gandhi: Poll Rigging Allegations Escalate

WTC Final 2025: South Africa’s road to summit clash vs Australia

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Temba Bavuma-led South Africa have reached the final of the World Test Championship for the first time. The Proteas qualified for the final of the tournament on the back of heavy domination at home in the final months of the competition. Bavuma’s South Africa are set to face defending champions Australia, who dominated the competition this season. The pinnacle of their prowess was seen against India, where they hammered the Rohit Sharma-led side 3-1 at home. Australia would have won the 5-match series 4-1, if not for rain in the Brisbane Test match. However, we are focusing on South Africa at the moment, and we will recap the series that they have played in this edition of the tournament and check how they qualified for the final of the World Test Championship 2025. South Africa vs India [1-1, Home] Temba Bavuma’s side began their World Test Championship campaign with a two-match home series against India in December 2023. On pitches that were very difficult to bat on, the Proteas flexed their muscle in a convincing victory by an innings and 32 runs in the first Test at Centurion. Retiring Dean Elgar scored a tremendous 185 with the bat, while Kagiso Rabada and Nandre Burger ran through the Indian lineup. The second Test match, however, was full of controversies, majorly due to the nature of the pitch in Cape Town. This match lasted just one and a half days – 642 balls to be exact. India came back strongly to secure a commanding seven-wicket win as the Proteas witnessed back-to-back batting collapses. India levelled the series as long-time South Africa batter Elgar confirmed his retirement after an 86-Test career. South Africa vs New Zealand [0-2, Away] South Africa’s Test series against New Zealand created major controversy. This is the series where South Africa did not send its main players owing to the SA20 competition. This is the series that raised questions on the survivability of Test cricket as South Africa were ready to let go of the Test Championship to promote their homegrown T20 competition. Young Neil Brand took the reins and, as expected, lost both matches against the 2021 WTC champions. The Kiwis secured a massive win by 281 runs at Mount Maunganui, followed by a seven-wicket triumph at Hamilton in the second Test, securing their first-ever Test series victory against South Africa. The first Test at Port of Spain ended in a draw, extending South Africa’s winless run in Test matches to four. The second and final match of the series proved to be a tense, low-scoring contest. Chasing 263 runs for victory, West Indies pushed for a result but fell 40 runs short, thanks to a brilliant performance by Keshav Maharaj, handing South Africa a much-needed win. South Africa vs Bangladesh [2-0, Away] Aiden Markram took over as Test captain for the series in the absence of the injured Temba Bavuma. Dewald Brevis was called in as Bavuma’s replacement. In the first Test at Mirpur, South Africa cruised to a comfortable seven-wicket win, largely due to Kyle Verreynne’s impressive 114 off 144 deliveries in the first innings. The second Test at Chattogram saw an even more dominant South African performance, as they overwhelmed Bangladesh by an innings and 273 runs. Tony de Zorzi’s brilliant 177 laid the groundwork, while Kagiso Rabada shone with a five-wicket haul in the first innings. South Africa vs Sri Lanka [2-0, Home] With victories over West Indies and Bangladesh, South Africa had an outside chance of reaching the WTC Final 2025. By this time, India had been clean-swept by Australia at home, which meant that they had to do the unthinkable against Pat Cummins’ Australia away from home. At Durban, South Africa started strong and secured a convincing 233-run victory in the first Test. Although Sri Lanka showed signs of a fightback in the second Test at Gqeberha, the home side swiftly took control to complete another dominant series win. South Africa vs Pakistan [2-0, Home] South Africa’s final assignment of the 2023–25 World Test Championship cycle saw Pakistan visit for a two-Test series in December 2024. By this time, South Africa really believed, as India had shown telltale signs of faltering against Australia by a huge margin. The first Test at Centurion was a close affair. Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada’s heroics with the bat bailed the hosts out in the final innings of the match. Chasing 148 runs on a spicy wicket, South Africa clinched the match with just 2 wickets in hand. The win in the Boxing Day Test ensured that South Africa became the first team to qualify for this year’s WTC Final. Eyeing a seventh consecutive Test win and looking to conclude their campaign in style, the Proteas delivered a commanding performance in Cape Town. Ryan Rickelton enjoyed his finest outing as a red-ball international, scoring an unbeaten 259 off 343 deliveries, while Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne also notched centuries in the first innings. Their efforts powered South Africa to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory, ending their World Test Championship cycle with 100 points. Marco Jansen was named Player of the Series for his 10 wickets across the two Tests. Published By: Kingshuk Kusari Published On: Jun 8, 2025

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India tour of England: Former England cricketer hails Sai Sudharsan’s technique, calls him 'special talent' | Cricket News

India tour of England: Former England cricketer hails Sai Sudharsan’s technique, calls him ‘special talent’ | Cricket News

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Sai Sudarshan (ANI Photo) Former England cricketer Alec Stewart has praised young Indian batter Sai Sudharsan’s potential for Test cricket, highlighting his quick learning ability and diverse shot selection as key attributes that could help him succeed in the longer format following Virat Kohli’s retirement. Sudharsan, who has already represented India in ODIs and T20Is, is eyeing his Test debut during India’s upcoming five-Test tour of England starting June 20, which marks the beginning of India’s World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle under new captain Shubman Gill.Sudharsan’s first-class cricket record shows 1,957 runs in 29 games at an average of 39.93, including seven centuries and five fifties. His highest score stands at 213.His recent performance in the Indian Premier League strengthened his credentials, where he claimed the Orange Cap and Emerging Player of the Season award with 759 runs in 15 matches at an average of 54.21. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy Surrey’s association with Sudharsan began in 2023 when he had played fewer than 10 first-class games and was yet to make his international debut. Before his Surrey debut against Northamptonshire, he played for the team’s second XI at Guildford to familiarize himself with English conditions and the Dukes ball.“Sai came as an unknown, and his experience of the English game was very limited. Vikram Solanki was massive in recommending him to me, and I have so much respect for Vikram. From his first training session, you could see that he was a special talent, and he has not looked back. He loves to bat – whether in the nets or the middle – and just fitted into our set-up perfectly,” Stewart said.Stewart specifically noted Sudharsan’s technique in handling English conditions. “If you go too hard and get too far out in front of yourself, when the ball seams, you are not in control, then your bat can get outside of your eyeline, whereas he plays it under his eyeline, plays it under his eyes, and plays it late. And even if he does nick it a little bit, like Kane Williamson, for example – you can nick it, but it still falls short of slip and that again is a real attribute of Sai’s.“Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Regarding Sudharsan’s ability to play on English pitches, Stewart added: “The pitches are quicker here, certainly at The Oval, and to succeed, you have to be able to play off the back foot. You have got to be selective to pull, hook, cut or let go. He gets out of the line of the short ball well but can also play the uppercut over the slips. He has got a full array of shots, and he gets them in the right order.”Sudharsan’s dedication to improvement was evident when he took some Dukes balls back home after his county stint. Stewart commented on this, saying: “I did not charge him for them and just let him have them. But, no… he had that forward-thinking mindset and trained with those balls, so that when he comes back to us, or hopefully is picked for India on tour, he will have had nice practice against the Dukes cricket ball as well. Some of those will probably be worn out by now because I gave them to him last year, but he is a quick learner and he practises with a purpose. Yes, he likes volume, but he also likes to improve.” Major League Cricket: Liam Plunkett on how cricket can boom in the USA Stewart advised Sudharsan against trying to be the next Virat Kohli, suggesting instead that he focus on being the “best version of Sai Sudharsan.”The five-Test series in England will run from June to August 2025, with matches scheduled across Leeds, Birmingham, London, and Manchester.India’s Test squad for the England series includes Shubman Gill as captain, Rishabh Pant as vice-captain, and players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.

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