
Himachal Chief Minister announces new CBSE school, special leave policy for athletes
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister also assessed the damage caused by recent heavy rainfall in the region. He directed the deputy commissioner to speed up relief and rehabilitation efforts for the affected families.The visit highlighted the state government's dual focus on expanding educational infrastructure and supporting students both academically and athletically.(With PTI inputs)- EndsMust Watch

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News18
17 minutes ago
- News18
30 teams to compete in Junior Mens Hockey Nationals
Agency: PTI Last Updated: New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI) Thirty teams will compete in the 15th Hockey India Junior Men's National Championships, which will be held in the new division-based format in Jalandhar from Tuesday. The new format has already been introduced and implemented in the senior and sub junior men's and women's and the junior women's national championships earlier this year. The 30 participating teams are split into Division 'A', Division 'B' and Division 'C', with promotion and relegation adding an extra edge to the competition. The teams in Division 'A' will be fighting for the title while the top two teams from Divisions 'B' and 'C' will earn promotion to the next tier. The bottom two sides in Divisions 'A' and 'B' will face relegation to the next division for 2026. Division 'A' features the country's 12 best junior men's sides, including defending champions Punjab, runners-up Uttar Pradesh and third-placed Haryana. Pool matches begin on August 16, leading to the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final from August 20 to 23. Division 'B' will feature league matches only, with the top two ranked teams being promoted to Division 'A' and the last two relegated to Division 'C'. Matches will run from August 12 to 16. Division 'C' will also be played in a league-format with teams divided into two pools of four teams each, with the top two ranked teams being promoted to Division 'B'. Across all three divisions, teams will earn 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw. Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey said, 'Junior tournaments are extremely crucial for the future of Indian hockey." 'The young players will learn a lot playing in this format as we will see a different level of competitiveness among teams across all divisions as they battle for promotion and the championship title," he added. PTI APA AH AH view comments First Published: August 11, 2025, 13:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
'Not many can touch even 135 kph': India staring at a big, black fast-bowling hole after Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
Not too long ago, India bragged of an enviable fast bowling set-up. The five-prong pace-attack comprising Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj had even surpassed the Australian trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood as the most dominating fast-bowling arsenal seen in world cricket since the legendary West Indian quartet from the 1980s. Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri's plan was simple yet straightforward. To make picking 20 wickets a norm for India in Test matches, home or abroad. Barring Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, is any other Indian pacer fully ready for the grind of Test cricket?(PTI) But ever since Kohli stepped down as India's Test captain and Bharat Arun called time on his tenure as bowling coach, despite the promise shown by bowlers, Indian pace bowling lacks depth, with injuries and a drop in pace being the biggest concerns. Akash Deep missed the fourth Test in Manchester due to a groin injury, while all-rounder Nitish Reddy, more than a handy right-arm medium pacer, pulled up his hamstring. Harshit Rana, for some reason, was picked last-minute in India's squad but was mysteriously released ahead of the start of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, while Arshdeep Singh, like Abhimanyu Easwaran, never got a game either. Which brings us to the question: Who are in India's fast-bowling reserves? Given the frequency of Shami's injuries, his career is all but over, unless a miracle saves it. Harshit is capable of cracking in the 140s, and even mid-140s – but his knack for erring is a bit too much. It is only a matter of time before Arshdeep breaks into the Playing XI, but besides him, the options are limited. Bowling with pacer, considered an essential element of being a fast bowler, is an area the India team is likely to sweat over the most. "Not many in domestic cricket could touch even 135 kph, the minimum you need in Test cricket," an Indian support staff member told The Indian Express. Where is India's next stock of fast bowlers? No one exemplifies this confession more than Anshul Kamboj. The Haryana pacer, picked on the back of a stellar show in India's domestic circuit, proved to be a massive failure of the team management. Sure, he picked up a wicket, but as the England batters began pummelling India, Kamboj's pace and shoulders both dropped. Even hitting 130 kph became a rarity for the 24-year-old, his struggles bringing back memories of Pankaj Singh's woeful outing in England more than a decade ago. Akash showed a lot of promise, right from his Test debut against England last February. He was making the ball zip and ping in Birmingham. But the moment England switched on their Bazball mode, Akash became a pale shadow of his free-flowing self. Prasidh Krishna, despite his wicket-taking ability, bleeds runs more often than he keeps it quiet. While there is no shortage of promise, they are far from being a finished product. A look at India's fast-bowling options outside the players mentioned above cuts a grim picture. Umran Malik, after an outstanding IPL 2022, has faded, and how? Khaleel Ahmed last played for India in July 2024. Mukesh Kumar, for reasons known only to the selectors and the management, never played a match for India after last year's T20I. One can count the names on the tip of the fingers. And yet, none of them is ready for the same grind that Siraj or Bumrah go through.


Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
2027 ODI World Cup: Will Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma feature? Ex-selector's blunt take – ‘Time doesn't wait for anybody'
Dubai: India's Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final cricket match between India and New Zealand, in Dubai, UAE. (PTI Photo/Arun Sharma) Former India opener and ex-selector Devang Gandhi believes the younger crop has shown they are ready for all challenges, casting doubt on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's ODI futures. 'How will you make players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, among others, sit out when they have shown how well they can adapt? The bigger transition is from T20s to Tests. Once a player has done well in Test cricket and has the power game, ODIs should come easier to them. It is very important that the selectors and the team management sit together and take a call,' Gandhi told TOI. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Gandhi stressed that regular game-time is crucial and urged the selectors to honestly assess whether Virat and Rohit can remain at their peak over the next two years. 'If, say, in a year's time, we come to a situation where one of them is not firing and we need a replacement, the team management may not have enough time to prepare a player for the job,' Gandhi said. The captaincy question is equally important, and the selectors must make a decision. Gill has already proven himself ready to lead in Tests and, given his current form, is arguably India's best ODI batsman, averaging 59.04 with a strike rate of 99.56. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo His performances have earned him the team's respect, making the ODI captaincy a natural fit. Poll Should Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continue playing ODIs? Yes, they should continue No, it's time for younger players Only if they perform well Undecided 'There's absolutely no doubt about the contribution of Rohit and Virat. But time doesn't wait for anybody,' Gandhi added. With Rohit and Virat — who retired from T20Is in 2024 and stepped away from Test cricket earlier this year — the speculation about their ODI future has been rife. For now, though, it appears they may give one final push to the format they dominated for over 15 years. If they wish to extend their ODI careers beyond October, both may need to feature in domestic one-day competitions like the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December, as well as the 'A' series against Australia and South Africa, in addition to international fixtures. At this stage of their careers, however, there remains uncertainty over whether these legends would be willing to endure the grind of domestic one-day cricket in far-flung venues once again. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!