Sports
Chennai Test against South Africa now a very memorable match for me, says Sneh Rana
New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) Sneh Rana breaks into laughter when told that it has been over ten years since she made her international cricket debut for India in January 2014, on the back of two impressive domestic seasons for Punjab. At 30, Sneh has played 27 ODIs and 23 T20Is but is now more of an integral figure for India in Test matches.
Even as the white-ball side is turning out in Sri Lanka for the Women’s Asia Cup, Sneh’s figures of 8-77 and 2-111 in the ten-wicket win over South Africa are still fresh in memory. Her spell of 8-77 in the first innings made Sneh only the third bowler to bag an eight-wicket haul in women’s Tests.
Two more wickets in the second innings fetched her another record, apart from the Player of the Match honour: to become just the second Indian bowler to take a ten-wicket match haul in women’s Tests after Jhulan Goswami.
In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Sneh talks about Chennai Test a part of her special memory, her international career, how doing her best in Mumbai Test against Australia gave her satisfaction, bouncing back after being on the sidelines and more.
Q. Has your excellent performance from Chennai Test sunk in or are you still processing it?
A. The Chennai Test against South Africa has now become a very memorable match for me. After a gap of 6-7 months, I got a chance to play Test match cricket, and for me to then put out a performance like that for my team, it was a dream come true moment for any bowler. As a spinner, I am very happy that I achieved all these feats. When so much of hard work yields great results, it feels awesome.
Q. There was this situation where Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus made impressive fightback for South Africa in a tough situation. Can you talk about how India fought back with the ball in the second innings?
A. No doubt, when they came to play in the second innings, their partnership was building. So, credit also goes to their batters, as although they don’t play so much Test cricket in their country, they made such a good comeback in the second innings. When that partnership was building, we bowlers were continuously talking about how to break it, because we were trying to get them all out.
So, it wasn’t difficult, as such. Plus, there was no pressure either, because we believed in each other that, ‘Yes, we can do it’. During the breaks, we were talking to our coach (Amol Muzumdar), who was giving us such positive feedback that we were getting more motivation to do it. As such, it wasn’t that difficult, and we were very confident (to win the game).
Q. You have completed ten years of playing international cricket. How has been this journey for you?
A. Frankly speaking, my journey has been a roller coaster. I made my international debut in 2014, then in 2016, I was out due to (knee) injury. Then after five years, I came back into international cricket. It was not an easy task for me. There were ups and downs in my journey. But I am happy that I have got the opportunity to represent India.
In my mind, there is always that India jersey, and when that flag goes high, that is my motivation to play for the country. When I made my debut in 2014, that was in my mind. When I came back in 2021, that was my motivation, as it was the only thing in mind. I always think that whenever I get an opportunity, I should do my best for my country, and by God’s grace, it happens.
Q. Can you talk about a match which made you feel like you belonged to playing cricket at the international level?
A. Till now, there are many memorable moments – like when you make your debut, that is the most priceless moment. But I would like to talk about the Test match we played against Australia in December 2023 (where she picked seven wickets and played a handy knock as a nightwatcher). Australia is one of the strongest teams in the world, and when you play against the strongest competitor, you want to do your best against that best team.
So, that was the best moment for me. That performance gave me another kind of confidence, and very great satisfaction because when you fight against yourself and face a lot of challenges, you always get that feeling to do well for your team and country. When your best comes against the best team in the world, that is the biggest satisfaction ever and nothing comes close to it.
Q. What has been the biggest source of joy for you while playing Test cricket for India?
A. The best thing for me is that you always have time to make a comeback in the game. As a spinner, I am always aware that you have to bowl your spells without a break, which brings more opportunities to pick wickets by showcasing your talent, effort and variations. Plus, there is enough time for thinking and reading the game of your opponent well.
On that basis, you can make certain plans. In Test cricket, the good thing is you get a lot of think about the game, and can always change your plans, apart from your patience being tested. Like, if plan A is not working, you can go to plan B. If plan B is not working, then you can go to plan C.
Q. Can you talk about the influence Nooshin Al Khadeer has on you, especially in your resurgence when away from international cricket?
A. Nooshin di is a person who has supported me when I was at my lowest point. So when I made a comeback for the railways team, I was fortunate enough that she was there. She has guided me in such a way that I can sit in front and talk to you. Also, she has been one of the best spinners of her time, and an off-spinner too. I got to learn a lot of skills from her, as she knows my specifics.
She tells me very well how I can use my skills against any batter, whoever it is. She has helped me over the years with my consistency. However, my performances have come out and whatever consistency I’m getting, she has played a very big role in my journey. She’s my go-to person whenever I need a pump or right guidance in my life.
Let me share one such incident – After 2016, when I got out of the India team due to a knee injury, I was going through a rough phase. Because I had to come back to the India team, she was the one who called me and guided me so well at that time.
She used to say that I should work on my fitness more, what I should improve in my bowling run-up and told me some technical things. It was all because she wanted me to see again in India colours. So she was the one who motivated me a lot to don it again. I followed and took a lot of help from her, and here I am. So I want to thank her.
Q. What have been the changes you have seen in and towards women’s cricket from the time you debuted for India to now?
A. There’s been very vast changes in women’s cricket. If you talk about 10 years ago, a lot of people didn’t even know the names of many women’s cricketers – like who Sneh Rana is? I mean, at that time, everyone only knew of Mithali (Raj) di, Jhulan (Goswami) di and Harmanpreet Kaur. But the change came after the 2017 World Cup, when India played the World Cup final.
We can see now that when we go to play in any part of the world, so many people come to motivate us. So many spectators come, who know everyone’s name, and know everything about each and every player’s skills, which is the biggest change.
The second change is pay equality, which wasn’t there before. We are so thankful to the BCCI that they have equalised our pay with the men’s team – so that’s also a big change. Now you’ll see that parents allow their kids to go and pursue this game.
Previously, parents were afraid to send their kids to sports. It’s something we’ve heard and have been through this. If you talk about 10-12 years ago, parents would say, ‘No, there’s nothing in sports’. Now they say, ‘Go, you have a career in sports’, which shows that changing their mentality has also been a major change.
Q. How do you feel when people recognise her as an India player, either in person or via social media?
A. Everyone likes it when you have someone who knows about you. When you work so hard and reach this level after so many struggles, it becomes a very good moment when someone comes to you and say, ‘Oh, are you Sneh Rana?’ or ‘Oh, are you this or that?’ for a particular player.
So it feels really great, and in this, the media has a very big role, as all of this is happening because of them. If the media doesn’t promote us or any sport, then I don’t think so much promotion of women’s cricket would have been possible.
Q. How would you like to be remembered once playing days are over?
A. I have always wanted to be remembered and known as a cricketer. But I also want to be remembered for how were you as a human being at that time. Like, how did you help your teammates or how was your behaviour with all the people around you in the team? I want to be remembered for that.
–IANS
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Bengaluru, Aug 22 (IANS) Shivamogga Lions’ woes continued as they suffered a 28-run defeat to the Mysore Warriors in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.
Mysore Warriors delivered a well-rounded performance, anchored by Karun Nair’s (45) swift knock, supported by a few other good contributions in the middle order, and highlighted by late-innings fireworks from J Suchith (22*) and Manoj Bhandage (23).
On the bowling front, Vidyadhar Patil (3/29) and Karthik CA (3/31) played crucial roles in restricting the Shivamogga Lions. Sharath HS’ (4/29) lethal spell with the ball and valiant efforts from Abhinav Manohar (46) and Nihal Ullal (46) with the bat couldn’t turn the tide in Shivamogga’s favour.
Chasing 180, Shivamogga Lions got off to a disastrous start, with Vidyadhar Patil’s lethal first over leading to the dismissals of Mohith Bangalore (2) and Dheeraj Mohan (0) in consecutive deliveries. Skipper Nihal Ullal (46) managed to crack a few early boundaries, but Hardik Raj (17) was also removed by Krishnappa Gowtham, leaving the Lions reeling at 41/3 by the end of the powerplay.
K Gowtham then engineered the run out of Rohan Naveen (11), further denting the chase. The in-form Abhinav Manohar (Impact Player) joined Ullal, and the duo breathed life into the innings, putting together a 70-run partnership in just 43 balls.
However, Ullal fell short of his first half-century of the season, leaving the Shivamogga Lions at 123/5 in 15.1 overs. Manohar also narrowly missed his milestone, holing out to K Gowtham off Karthik CA. Manohar’s 26-ball knock included four sixes and three fours, adding valuable runs to the total.
Karthik CA struck again two deliveries later, dismissing Shivraj S and leaving the Lions in deep trouble. With 47 runs needed from the final 18 balls, Ashok D tried to keep the chase alive by smashing a six and a four off Vidyadhar Patil, but perished in the same over, effectively ending Shivamogga’s prospects. Shivamogga Lions finished at 151/9 in 20 overs, enduring their sixth consecutive loss.
Batting first, Mysore Warriors faced an early challenge as Sharath HS unleashed a menacing spell. He struck in the powerplay, dismissing Karthik SU (8), and then returned in the seventh over to remove CA Karthik (30), who smashed three sixes in a 34-run stand with Karun Nair (45) and Harshil Dharmani (0).
Nair continued in fine touch and peppered the boundary with six fours and two sixes during his 23-ball stay before falling to Ashok D in the 11th over.
Kishan Bedare (17) steered the innings, forming a 28-run partnership with Nair and adding another 29 runs with Sumit Kumar (28) before being caught and bowled by Bharath Dhuri, leaving the Warriors at 116/5 in 16.1 overs. The depth of Mysore’s batting lineup came to the fore as Manoj Bhandage and J Suchith launched a late assault.
Vasuki Koushik, tasked with the 18th over, began with a six and a four from Sumit Kumar. Bhandage then took charge, hammering three consecutive sixes off Koushik in the same over before falling as Sharath’s fourth wicket in the 19th ending a blistering 23-run cameo off just seven balls. J Suchith, carried on the momentum, smashing two sixes and a four in an 8-ball flurry, pushing the Mysore Warriors to a competitive 179/7 in their 20 overs.
Brief scores: Mysore Warriors 179 for 7 in 20 overs (Karthik CA 30, Karun Nair 45, Sumit Kumar 28; Sharath HS 4-29) beat Shivamogga Lions 151/9 in 20 overs (Nihal Ullal 46, Abhinav Manohar 46 runs; Vidyadhar Patil 3-29, Karthik CA 3-31) by 28 runs.
–IANS
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Castle Rock (Colorado), Aug 22 (IANS) Indian Americans Sahith Theegala and Akshay Bhatia who failed to make it to the Top-10 last week at the St Jude Championships, the first of the three Play-offs events, will be looking for a better showing as they move towards the finale at the Tour Championships after that.
Last week Hideki Matsuyama, after leading by five at one time, had to birdie the last two holes to win the St Jude Championships. He became the first Asian to win a Play-off event and it was his 10th PGA Tour win, the highest from the continent.
Last week Bhatia was T-12, Rai was T-16 and Theegala was way behind in T-46, but all three have entered the second of the three Play-offs events.
World No, 2 Xander Schauffele, a two-time Major winner in 2024, was tied second last week with Viktor Hovland, while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was fourth last week, though World No. 3 Rory McIlroy had a poor week in T-68 place.
Among Asians Korea’s Si Woo Kim has all to play for at the BMW Championship, the second of three FedExCup Playoffs events, in Colorado this week, with two big goals providing the drive for him to step up his game.
The four-time PGA TOUR winner tees up at Castle Pines Golf Club with the intention of breaking into the top-30 of the FedExCup points list and qualify for the Playoffs Finale, the TOUR Championship next week. Kim is presently ranked 44th after last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.
A strong week is also required for Kim to keep alive his hopes of earning a spot in the International Team to face the U.S. Team in the Presidents Cup in Royal Montreal next month. Currently 14th on the team roster, the top-6 after this week’s BMW Championship will secure automatic spots, with captain Mike Weir naming six more picks after the TOUR Championship.
Compatriots Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An, who are 10th and 15th respectively on the FedExCup rankings, are virtually assured of teeing up at the TOUR Championship, which will use a staggered-scoring format based on positions after this week.
Irrespective of how his week plays out, Kim is pleased to secure his top-50 status, which guarantees starts in all eight Signature tournaments next season.
–IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The packed schedule of men’s county cricket in 2025 will remain largely unchanged, despite concerns raised by the majority of players over the impact on their physical well-being.
According to a survey conducted by the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) earlier this season, more than 80 per cent of players expressed fears that the current schedule is too demanding and poses risks to their health.
However, despite these concerns, the 2025 schedule is set to continue as usual. Each county will still compete in a minimum of 14 County Championship matches, eight Metro Bank Cup fixtures, and 14 Vitality T20 Blast games. The changes for next season will be largely cosmetic, offering little relief for players concerned about the gruelling calendar.
The PCA has been advocating for adjustments that would spread out the T20 fixtures across the week, aiming to reduce tight turnarounds and introduce more consistent three-day breaks between Championship games.
“There’s definitely room for improvement in 2025 compared to 2024,” said Daryl Mitchell, the PCA’s interim chief executive, in an interview with ESPNcricinfo. “The schedule can definitely be managed better. Certainly, the Blast was very much looked at through a commercial lens, trying to squeeze as many games as possible into Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Utilizing the majority of the week is probably the way forward, trying to spread them out to give that time for recovery, travel, and preparation.”
The T20 Blast, in particular, has been the main point of debate when it comes to scheduling. The timing of the knockout stages has been a significant concern. In 2023, these stages were held immediately after the group matches in July, allowing counties to retain their overseas players. This year, however, the knockout stages will be pushed to September, giving clubs an extended six-week window to market and sell tickets for home quarter-finals.
While these adjustments offer slight improvements, the overall schedule remains packed, leaving many players apprehensive about how much more they can push themselves physically in the long term. Despite the calls for change, it appears that any significant reduction in the number of fixtures is unlikely in the future, with commercial considerations still driving much of the decision-making process around county cricket.
–IANS
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New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) After ending his T20I career with an elusive T20 World Cup title in Barbados, captain Rohit Sharma revealed that it was his dream to transform the team without thinking too much about the results.
Rohit-led Indian team ended the decade-long ICC title drought after beating South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 to lift their second title in the format. In 2023, the Men in Blue failed to win the World Test Championship and 2023 ODI World Cup under Rohit’s leadership after losing to Australia in the finals.
The swashbuckling opening batter also credited the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, former head coach Rahul Dravid and chief selector Ajit Agarkar for their support in transforming the team and creating a fearless culture in the squad.
“It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about stats and results and also to make sure that we create an environment where people can go out and play freely, without thinking too much. I got a lot of help from my three pillars Jay Shah, Rahul Dravid and chairman of selector Ajit Agarkar. That was critical for me to do what I did. Obviously, not to forget players who came in at different points in time and helped the team to achieve what we have achieved today,” Rohit said in a video posted by BCCI on X.
On Wednesday, Rohit was awarded ‘Men’s International Cricketer of the Year’ while Dravid was accorded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at Ceat Cricket Rating Awards 2023-24 in Mumbai. India’s batting stalwart Virat Kohli was named the ‘Men’s ODI Batter of the Year’ while on the bowling front, Mohammed Shami was awarded the ‘ODI Bowler of the Year’.
The 37-year-old batter finished as the second-highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup with 257 runs including three half-centuries and at a strike rate of 156.70. He played a major role in providing solid starts for the team on the slow pitches of the USA and the West Indies.
After lifting the title, Rohit joined Kohli to announce his retirement from the T20I. With 4,231 runs, Rohit is the leading run-getter in the format behind his teammate Kohli (4188 runs). Both batters will continue to play the other formats of the game. The duo last featured for India in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
–IANS
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Gotemba (Japan), Aug 22 (IANS) A year after being the youngest ever to make the cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Kartik Singh, now 14 years of age, is the highest ranked among the four Indians set to take part in the 15th AAC to be held in Japan.
As of date Kartik is the highest ranked Indian at 199 while the other three players to have received the invitation for this prestigious event are Krishnav Nikhil Chopra and Vedant Sirohi, both past participants in the event and Rakshit Dahiya will be in the four-player team.
Kartik Singh has also been named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup team. A regular winner in junior and amateur events, Kartik will spearhead the Indian challenge.
Apart from India’s Kartik Singh, there are seven others named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup International Team. They are Joshua Bai, Warut Boonrod, Xihuan Chang, Rayhan Latief, Khanh Hung Le, Thangwin Lee, Anh Minh Ngyuyen,
As many as 113 players have been confirmed for the Championship, which will be held October 3-6, 2024, at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Gotemba, Japan. A full list of confirmed players can be found. The field will be 120 with a few more names to be added by the Organisers.
India’s best ever placing has been second place by Rayhan Thomas, who was runner-up in Sentosa, Singapore in 2018. The Dubai-based Indian Rayhan has since turned professional, and last week won his first pro title on India’s Professional Tour of India Tour.
Krishnav, who plays college golf in the US, is the son of former India cricketer turned commentator, Nikhil Chopraa, who often takes the role of a caddie for his son.
Created in 2009, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship was established by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), The R&A and the Masters Tournament to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region.
The champion will receive an invitation to compete in the 2025 Masters Tournament and The 153rd Open, while the runner(s)-up will gain a place in Final Qualifying for The Open.
The confirmed list which has players from 38 APGC member organizations is highlighted by defending champion Jasper Stubbs of Australia and four players representing China inside the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking: Wenyi Ding (No. 4), Xihuan Chang (No. 36), Xiangyun Bai (No. 61) and Paul Chang (No. 97).
Ding finished runner-up to Stubbs in the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur while Xihuan Chang reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Junior Amateur in July.
Other top-100 participants include Vietnam’s Anh Minh Nguyen (No. 68) and Japan’s Rintaro Nakano (No. 78).
Notable past competitors include 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith. Over the Championship’s 14-year history, the Championship has served as a springboard to some of the world’s top players, including Matsuyama, Smith, Cameron Davis, Ryan Fox, Si Woo Kim, Satoshi Kodaira, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, Min Woo Lee, Keita Nakajima and C.T. Pan. Collectively, alumni of the Asia-Pacific Amateur have gone on to win 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour to date and more than 130 across the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
As the host nation, Japan will lead the list of up to 43 APGC member nations represented with 10 players in this year’s field. A player from Japan has won four of the 14 editions of the Championship (Matsuyama/2010, 2011; Takumi Kanaya/2018; Nakajima/2021).
–IANS
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