Rohit Sharma calls KL Rahul his crisis man!
Rohit Sharma has termed KL Rahul as his crisis man! Rohit says the 33-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has been an important player for him over the last few years. Rahul was a vital player for Rohit in ODIs during his captaincy as the right-handed batter stepped up in the middle-order and acted as the wicketkeeper during the ODI World Cup in 2023. The Indian captain when asked by India Today about the criticism he faced, Rohit said that whenever the team needed something, Rahul always steps up and raises his hand. The India captain pointed out that the 33-year-old never shies away from responsibility and is ready to bat anywhere and keep wickets if needed. “In the last two-three years, he has been an important player for me. I look at him as a crisis man. Wherever we needed KL to do something, he raised his hand. He has to do the keeping, he will do it. Have to bat anywhere, he will do it,” said Rohit. Rohit said that criticism doesn’t affect him or the players anymore. The Indian captain said that if it did affect someone, then that player would be sitting at home. “I am tired of this. If it affected, then the player would be sitting at home. He would be on his bed thinking I am being criticized, I cannot play with all this is happening with me. The whole world is against me. Being thick-skinned is inbuilt in players.” “I cannot say that it does not affect at all. It may affect some, and it may not affect others. Nothing happens to me. It has been a long time since I have been playing,” said Rohit.
Fijian Olympic medalist Raisuqe killed after car hit by train
Fijian wing Josaia Raisuqe, who won Olympic rugby sevens silver in Paris last year, has died after the 30-year-old’s car was hit by a train on Thursday, his Top 14 club Castres said. Raisuqe was on his way to training when the train collided with his car on a level crossing. None of the passengers nor the driver or conductor was injured, although they were suffering from shock, according to the firemen who attended the scene in southwest France. “Castres Olympique is grieving,” Raisuqe said in a statement. “He was a wonderful team-mate, appreciated by everyone, and Castres’ supporters who had taken him to their hearts.” Raisuqe had played seven times this season for Castres, his last appearance in the 52-6 thrashing by Toulouse on April 27. Raisuqe, who was fired by Stade Francais in 2017 for gross misconduct, was set to play for tier-two side Brive for the next two seasons. “He was a shining light of a boy on and off the pitch,” said Castres owner Pierre-Yves Revol. “He was a pillar of the Fijian community, which we have at the club (there are three other Fijians) and to whom we are very attached. “It is difficult also at this time not to evoke the faith of all the players and Josaia. “That, aside from the grief, will help them in this very difficult time for everyone.”
Los Angeles Olympics 2028: Venues revealed for opening, closing ceremonies
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood will serve as the venues for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, LA28 announced on Thursday. The July 14, 2028, opening ceremony will be shared between the historic Coliseum, which will become the first venue to host events for three Olympic Games, and the state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium, in an unprecedented dual-venue celebration. “The venues selected for the 2028 opening and closing ceremonies will highlight Los Angeles’s rich sporting history and cutting-edge future, showcasing the very best that L.A. has to offer on the world stage,” LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman said in a statement. “These two extraordinary venues will create an unforgettable experience, welcoming fans from across the globe to an Olympic and Paralympic Games like never before and concluding what will go down as one of the most incredible Games in history.”
Drone damages Rawalpindi stadium hours before Pakistan Super League match: Sources
The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium was hit by a drone hours before a match of the Pakistan Super League scheduled at 8 pm today, sources told India Today TV on Thursday. A match between PSL teams Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings was scheduled for today at the stadium. The development came hours after Islamabad attempted to strike 15 military targets in India, and in response, India destroyed the air defense radar systems in Lahore on Thursday. Pakistan Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry earlier claimed that some drones were neutralised in Lahore, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Karachi, Chhor, Rawalpindi, and Attock, news agency PTI reported. According to sources, Pakistan’s HQ-9 missile defence system units, developed by China, were hit by Israeli-made HAROP drones, effectively rendering the Pakistani army defenceless in Lahore. In a statement on India foiling Pakistan’s bid to escalate tensions, the Army said, “India’s response has been in the same domain with the same intensity as Pakistan.” According to the Army, Pakistan has increased the intensity of its unprovoked firing across the Line of Control in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar, and Rajouri sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rajasthan Royals replace injured Nitish Rana with promising South African wicketkeeper batsman
Rajasthan Royals have registered Lhuan Pretorius, the South African wicketkeeper- batsman replacing injured Nitish Rana for the remaining part of the ongoing IPL. The 20-year promising cricketer is yet to make international debut for his country. He has so far scored 911 runs in 33 T-20 matches. His highest score is 97. Nitish has been in outstanding form for the under fire Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing IPL. The left handed batsman had already scored 217 run in 11 matches. RR has only two matches left to play this season. They are scheduled to play against Chennai Super Kings before returning home to Punjab Kings. The powerful left-handed batsman scored 287 runs for Paarl Royals in the South African T-20 league.
Lautaro Martinez, disobeying his mother, kept his promise to the kids to play against Barcelona in a Champions League thriller
Lautaro Martinez scored the opener and paved the way for the second goal by winning a penalty in the thriller against Barcelona, but he was crying for two days at home in the buildup to the Champions League game. He was hit by an injury to his leg, and he feared the worst. “I was struggling a bit—I couldn’t even lift my leg. I spent the first two days after the injury in Barcelona crying at home,” Martinez told Sky Sports. He began to train, doing double training sessions all week as he pursued a miraculous recovery. But he had promised his wife and kids that he would play the second leg game. ” I cried with my wife and kids at home, but I promised them I’d play. Even my mom was worried – she called me all morning, but I didn’t answer because she suffers so much.” On the day of the game, he didn’t answer his mother’s calls. “I wore a tight bandage and entered straight onto the field. That’s just how I am. In games like this, you have to be there.” There’s a reason why Martinez is referred to as El Toro (The Bull) in the Argentine dressing room. He was only 15 when one of the biggest clubs in South America, Boca Juniors, came knocking. The club that was home to Diego Maradona, Juan Román Riquelme, and Carlos Tevez, among others, well before they became global icons for the sport. Despite the initial interest, the talks fizzled out as Boca ultimately rejected the forward, apprehensive over his ability to ultimately make the cut into their first team.
‘The better team lost, PSG told us’: Arsenal manager Arteta after UCL semis loss; Enrique disagrees
Trophy-hungry Arsenal will end one more season without any silverware after losing 2-1 and 3-1 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League at Parc des Princes on Thursday, failing in their bid to become only the third team in the tournament’s history to reach the Champions League final after losing the first leg of its semifinal at home. Although Arsenal’s play was good throughout the semifinal in both legs, they lost both matches to a rock-solid PSG. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believed Arsenal were the better side. “I think so (the better team lost). Especially for 160 minutes. They (PSG) told us,” he said, referring to PSG admitting it, too. “It was a case of most of the performance was there, but just the finishing of the chances wasn’t.” Arsenal enjoyed most of the possession in the second leg in Paris. The Gunners had 61 attacks compared to PSG’s 26, including 19 attempts at goal. However, PSG manager Luis Enrique said Arteta is his great friend, but he disagreed with his point of view and believed PSG deserved to proceed to the finals. Arteta also pointed out that PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had been the best player in both legs with his decisive saves. “He has won the game for them,” Arteta said. “We know that, to win a competition, someone in one of the two boxes has to do something special, to win it for you and make it happen.” Arsenal have not won major silverware since lifting the FA Cup nearly five years ago in manager Mikel Arteta’s first season in charge. They lost the Champions League final to Barcelona in 2006 and the semi-finals to Manchester United in 2009 and have not been back to the last four since.
