New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant and their archrivals East Bengal FC, the two finalists from the previous edition, have been drawn together in the same group as the group stage draw for the upcoming Durand Cup 2024 was unveiled on Thursday.

The 24 teams from the ISL, I-League, international teams, and teams from the Armed Forces will fight it out in Asia’s oldest football tournament, scheduled to commence on July 27.

Notably, international teams will also feature with Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army FC and Bangladesh Army Football Team, both returning from the previous edition.

This year, Jamshedpur and Shillong join Kokrajhar and Kolkata as host cities, with each hosting group stage fixtures. Kolkata, the main venue, will host three groups, while Jamshedpur, Shillong, and Kokrajhar will each host one group.

The tournament will follow a round-robin league format with knockout stages, culminating in the final at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. In total, 43 matches will be played and the top teams from each group, along with the two best second-placed teams, will advance to the knockout phase.

Here are the groups for Durand Cup 2024:

Group A (Kolkata): Mohun Bagan SG, East Bengal FC, Indian Air Force FT, Downtown Heroes FC

Group B (Kolkata): Bengaluru FC, Inter Kashi FC, Indian Navy FT, Mohammedan SC

Group C (Kolkata): Kerala Blasters FC, Mumbai City FC, Punjab FC, CISF Protectors FT

Group D (Jamshedpur): Jamshedpur FC, Chennaiyin FC, Indian Army FT, Bangladesh Army FT

Group E (Kokrajhar): Odisha FC, NorthEast United FC, Bodoland FC, BSF FT

Group F (Shillong): FC Goa, Hyderabad FC, Shillong Lajong FC, Tribhuvan Army FC

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Pallekele and Colombo have been named as the venues to host the T20Is and ODIs during India’s upcoming tour, said Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) while announcing the itinerary of the white-ball series on Wednesday. As per the schedule, India will arrive in Sri Lanka on July 22. The tour begins with the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium hosting back-to-back T20Is on July 26 and 27, followed by the series-ending game on July 29.

The scene then shifts to Colombo with the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium hosting three ODIs on August 1, 4, and 7 respectively. India last toured Sri Lanka for a white-ball series in July 2021, where Rahul Dravid stepped in as the head coach, while Shikhar Dhawan was the captain.

Despite the absence of main players and support staff due to them being busy with preparation for the Test series in England, India won the ODI series 2-1 while Sri Lanka emerged victorious in T20Is by the same margin.

This will be the first series for both India and Sri Lanka with new head coaches at the helm. SLC had named Sanath Jayasuriya as the side’s interim head coach, following the exit of Chris Silverwood post a group-stage elimination from the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup.

India, on the other hand, have appointed Gautam Gambhir as India’s new head coach, following Dravid’s tenure ending with the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph in the West Indies last month. While Sri Lanka’s players have been playing LPL 2024, a youthful Indian team are currently in Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series ending on July 14.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) With Gautam Gambhir assuming the role of head coach, he inherits a formidable India men’s team that recently secured victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and made notable runners-up appearances in the 2023 ODI World Cup and World Test Championship. As he embarks on his stint until 2027, Gambhir faces a multitude of challenges.

The first challenge Gambhir faces is to find his footing and build camaraderie in a dressing room with players he was previously teammates with -– like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli among others. Rajat Bhatia, the former all-rounder for Delhi and Kolkata Knight Riders, believes Gambhir’s ability to support players and everyone associated with the team will be advantageous for him.

“He backs not only the players but also the coaching staff. That is one of the reasons why KKR won –- they had a good side and there is no doubt about that. Chandrakant Pandit and Abhishek Nayar are very good coaches and they already were doing their part in a very decent manner.”

“But I think Gautam Gambhir was one of the missing links which they required. He’s the kind of guy who normally can make decisions and back his own team. Before the start of IPL 2024, I predicted that he is going to make Sunil Narine open again because that is the same formula he used in 2014. So, he believes one of the formulas applied before can give him a correct answer, and that is what he is going to apply again and again,” says Bhatia to IANS.

Gambhir’s route to becoming the head coach of the Indian team has involved taking on mentorship roles in the IPL, despite lacking substantial coaching experience beforehand. This was also the case for Ravi Shastri and Anil Kumble when they were appointed to the top job in the Indian team.

Under Gambhir’s mentorship, Lucknow Super Giants entered playoffs in consecutive seasons. He then switched to mentoring Kolkata Knight Riders — the team he led to two IPL titles — and got them the trophy in May.

Though Bhatia admits to being a little bit concerned about Gambhir’s lack of coaching roles beyond being the mentor of LSG and KKR respectively, at the same time, he feels the two-time World Cup winner can switch seamlessly from a mentor to head coach.

“Now, a different name is being given to this kind of job. If you normally see, a mentor and coach are very similar now. You just need your staff – like a batting coach or an assistant coach. Already you get so much of staff and it would be right to call that he is a mentor plus coach of the Indian cricket team now.”

“He’s a guy who has already played for India for so many years and has really performed well in the two white-ball World Cup finals. I always feel he can make an optimistic transition to coaching, as it’s not like he is not having any kind of experience before.”

“He did this mentorship for two IPL teams. Just a few months back, KKR became an IPL champion. So, he’s in a positive frame of mind in going into the Indian team as a coach. It will definitely help him; so, let’s hope for the best, that’s what I can say.”

Gambhir’s tenure will also involve managing the transition between different formats of the game for the Indian team. The retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja mark the initiation of the transition in T20Is.

The Test setup underwent incremental changes after the series against the West Indies last year, and there are plans for more substantial transitions post the World Test Championship final in 2025. India’s ODI side will also undergo a transition once the 2025 Champions Trophy concludes.

Besides the transitions, Gambhir will also need to juggle the workload of several crucial players and effectively prepare for the five-match Test tours of Australia (later this year) and England (next year).

“He has to take these challenges head-on because we just won a T20 World Cup when Rahul Dravid was there. So, definitely, it is going to be a challenge for him to maintain that kind of standard and that is the most difficult part.”

“You can become a champion, but to stay like a champion is much more difficult, like how West Indies and Australia ruled international cricket. So, it is going to be a challenge for him to keep that standard on,” adds Bhatia.

There have been reports suggesting Abhishek Nayar, R. Vinay Kumar, Lakshmipathy Balaji, and Ryan ten Doeschate are in consideration for joining Gambhir’s support staff, something which doesn’t surprise Bhatia.

“There are many things that Gautam Gambhir would like to have. Like, he believes in his own people. He has that kind of trust in those guys and he will bring them into the system.”

“I am not too sure who all can get in, as BCCI will have theirs’ and his say too. But if he wants his own people into the system, then why not, because that’s what you want, right? That’s one reason why they have got a guy who normally believes in his system and theories,” stated Bhatia.

It remains to be seen how Gambhir will handle the various challenges as he begins a new chapter with the Indian team, this time as the head coach. How he overcomes these challenges during his tenure will heavily influence the future triumphs and destiny of the Indian team.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Indian Super League (ISL) Cup winners Mumbai City FC have signed Nikolaos Karelis on a one-year contract until the end of the 2024-25 season. Karelis began his journey with Greek side Ergotelis at age 16, making his debut on the final day of the 2007–08 Greek Super League season and becoming the youngest player ever fielded for Ergotelis in a league match. He has showcased his skills extensively and successfully for Greek clubs like Panathinaikos, PAOK, and, most recently, Panetolikos, whom he captained.

Outside Greece, Karelis has featured in other top European countries, including stints with Genk (Belgian Jupiler Pro League), ADO Den Haag (Netherlands Eredivisie), Brentford (English Championship), and Amkar Perm (Russian Premier League).

The 32-year-old has also made his mark in the UEFA Europa League group stages, featuring in the event for both Panathinaikos and Genk and scoring four goals in 12 appearances. Throughout his club career spanning 361 games, Karelis has been known for his all-round game and contributing in the final third, with 103 goals and 29 assists.

Before turning out for the Greece senior national team, Karelis regularly played and scored for the national youth teams, netting 15 times in 43 appearances. In his full international debut with the senior team, he scored against Finland in Helsinki during the UEFA Euro 2016 Qualifiers. He represented his country in 19 matches, scoring three goals.

Karelis will look to bring his leadership, distinctive playing style, and extensive experience, in his eagerness to contribute to Mumbai City’s ambitions for the upcoming season.

“I am thrilled to embark on this new journey in a culturally rich country. I have heard many wonderful things about Mumbai City FC and can’t wait to join the club. The team has achieved significant success over the past few years, and I am eager to contribute to its continued success in the upcoming season. I look forward to being part of this dynamic team and playing in front of their passionate fans,” Karelis said in a statement.

Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky said, “Nikos is a highly talented player who perfectly matches the requirements we expect from our forwards. He has experience playing in various European countries and has consistently proven his calibre in different leagues. We trust his capabilities greatly and are excited to have him with us at the club for the upcoming season. We believe his skills and experience will be valuable to our team.”

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Ahead of their second match against higher-ranked Myanmar, Indian women’s team head coach Chaoba Devi feels that her players need to focus on their finishing skills after missing plenty of scoring opportunities in the narrow 1-2 defeat in the opening match.

“Minimising our mistakes in the next match, and taking collective responsibility is the key to winning tomorrow’s match at any cost. We need to concentrate on our finishing. This is one area where we faced problems in the Turkish Women’s Cup and the tour of Uzbekistan, too,” the coach said.

“We did some serious work on this during the Kolkata camp, but I feel we need more time to improve this area,” she added.

On Tuesday, Myanmar took an early lead in the 14th minute with a header from Win Theingi Tun off a corner kick. Pyari Xaxa equalised for India in the 58th minute. However, San Thaw Thaw scored the decisive goal for Myanmar in the 74th minute through yet another set-piece, a free-kick this time. Despite India’s best efforts several chances created by Anju Tamang, Sangita Basfore, and Soumya Guguloth, India couldn’t break the Myanmar defence any further.

When asked about the opponents, Chaoba said, “Their strong point is their quality touches and penetrating passes. We need to block their penetrating runs and passes. They are technically a strong side. We had many good chances in the first half, but our lack of finishing cost us dear. We have to improve it in the next match.”

Pyari, who scored the lone goal for India, said the spirited effort of the team can shift the result of the match in their favour.

“We had a good game overall, but we committed some mistakes. But we are working very hard to rectify such mistakes for the next game. All the girls are focussed on getting the result in the second game. We need to play together and help each other. If we can do that, we can definitely win this match.

“The coaches have been extremely supportive of us. We all want to give our hundred per cent for our country and hopefully, we’ll get a good result tomorrow,” Pyari said.

The second and final FIFA friendly match between India and Myanmar will be played at Yangon’s Thuwunna Stadium on Friday. The match will be streamed live on the Pyone Play YouTube Channel.

–IANS

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