Ajinkya Rahane steps down as Mumbai captain ahead of new domestic season
Under his leadership, Mumbai ended a seven-year title drought by clinching the Ranji Trophy in 2023-24, defeating Vidarbha in the final. He also led the team to victories in the Irani Cup (2024-25) and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (2022-23), cementing his legacy as one of the most successful captains in Indian domestic cricket.Despite relinquishing the captaincy, the 37-year-old, who has amassed over 14,000 runs in 201 first-class matches, made it clear he is not retiring. He will continue to represent Mumbai as a batter across all formats.Mumbai's squad is well-stocked with experienced leaders such as Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sarfaraz Khan. Except for Jaiswal and Sarfaraz, the others boast impressive captaincy credentials- Iyer has led three IPL franchises, while Suryakumar is the current T20I captain of India. Given Jaiswal's Test commitments, selectors may favour a captain available for most of the domestic season. Both Iyer and Suryakumar, currently not in consideration for Test cricket, are strong candidates to succeed Rahane as Mumbai captain.Rahane, who last played competitive cricket in IPL 2025, scored 390 runs from 13 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). With his decision to step down from Mumbai's captaincy, questions arise over whether KKR will retain him as captain for the next season.The upcoming Ranji Trophy season begins on October 15, with Mumbai set to face Jammu and Kashmir in their opening match.- EndsYou May Also Like
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First Post
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- First Post
11 ISL clubs urge senior lawyers assisting Supreme Court to bring attention to their crisis ahead of AIFF-FSDL hearing
The letter from the ISL clubs came a day before an Supreme Court hearing of the case on Friday. Amici curiae Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Samar Bansal had earlier mentioned the matter on Monday before the SC which posted the matter for Friday. Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC are among the 11 clubs that have written to the two senior lawyers assisting the Supreme Court in the ongoing AIFF-FSDL hearing. PTI Eleven Indian Super League clubs on Thursday urged the two senior lawyers assisting the Supreme Court in a pending case to bring to its notice the existential crisis they are facing due to uncertainty over the ISL's future and the 'urgency of pronouncing judgment at the earliest'. The letter from the ISL clubs came a day before an SC hearing of the case on Friday. Amici curiae Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Samar Bansal had earlier mentioned the matter on Monday before the SC which posted the matter for Friday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Given that football clubs (across entire pyramid), their players, employees, and stakeholders are the most directly and immediately affected by the current standstill in Indian football, we have no option but to approach your good selves, as officers of the Hon'ble Court, to humbly request that our concerns be placed before the Ld. Bench,' the letter stated. More from Football 'The urgency of pronouncing judgment at the earliest, given football calendar is at a standstill across pyramid; any consequential directions flowing from the judgment be directed to be completed in a time-bound (15–30 days), to restore certainty at the earliest,' the clubs wrote. 'In the event the present proceedings are to go on beyond August 22, 2025, the processes related to conducting the leagues and any ancillary operations may be allowed and expedited so that a long-term constructive solution for all parties may be obtained at the earliest,' the clubs wrote, while mentioning that they are not parties to the case. The eleven ISL clubs which signed the letter are Bengaluru FC, Hyderabad FC, Odisha FC, Chennaiyin FC, Jamshedpur FC, FC Goa, Kerala Blasters FC, Punjab FC, NorthEast United FC, Mumbai City FC and Mohammedan Sporting. The same 11 clubs had earlier warned All India Football Federation (AIFF) that they face the possibility of shutting down entirely due to uncertainty over the ISL's future. The crisis surfaced after FSDL, the ISL organisers as well as AIFF's commercial partner, put the 2025-26 season 'on hold' on July 11 due to uncertainty over the renewal of Master Rights Agreement (MRA), prompting at least three clubs to either pause first-team operations or suspend player and staff salaries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The current MRA, signed in 2010 between FSDL and AIFF, ends on December 8. The AIFF gets Rs 50 crore annually from FSDL under the MRA. In the letter, the clubs said with no clarity on the ISL, the revenues of the clubs have been severely affected and their survival faced immediate threat, jeopardising the livelihoods of thousands engaged in the football ecosystem – players, staff, vendors, service providers. 'Even one season's disruption would erode the trust of fans, sponsors, investors, and international federations, undoing more than a decade's progress.' The ISL clubs said they have invested hundreds of crores of rupees into youth academies, training facilities, stadium upgrades, and professional squads, creating a robust footballing structure. 'The ISL now sustains the majority of professional football players in India, providing more than 400 full-time player contracts annually, besides developmental pathways for youth and grassroots players. 'It is respectfully submitted that a league of this calibre cannot be assembled at the last minute and requires long-term buy-in to obtain best possible deals. Broadcast agreements, sponsorship deals, player registrations, and logistical arrangements ideally require long-term buy-in and stability, and even thereafter approximately 6–8 weeks of advance certainty to implement every season. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Therefore, the current delay has already placed us in a situation where any further delays may cause irreparable harm and there is an urgent need for certainty in the greater interest of the entire football ecosystem, including clubs, players, staff, and all other stakeholders.' They said that the loss of even a single ISL season would have catastrophic and irreversible consequences for Indian football as a whole – including the well-being of the players and staff associated with the sport, the professional league structure including the I-League and lower divisions, grassroots academies, and other football competitions – all of which depend on the stability of the top-tier competition. Current deadlock The clubs also submitted that 'this deadlock has indirectly arisen in the present case because there is, as we understand, a verbal stay/injunction on any discussions in relation to the MRA effective April 30, 2025'. 'This has created an anomalous situation where no resolution or forward planning for the 2025–26 season and beyond can take place. As matters stand, there is no certainty beyond 8 December 2025, when the current commercial partner demits its term. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'At that point in the calendar, ordinarily less than a quarter of the season would have been completed, leaving the league and, by extension, the wider pyramid in complete limbo. For the entire footballing system, it is also crucial that a long-term, stable solution is arrived at urgently. 'Clubs have multi-year sponsorships and contractual commitments, and several sponsors have already withdrawn due to the prevailing uncertainty. 'No commercial partner can be expected to invest or commit resources under an interim arrangement or for short term, given sheer scale and complexity of organizing a tournament like ISL and securing long-term broadcast and sponsorship partnerships. Therefore, it is imperative the current proceedings be expedited to provide necessary certainty for the league.'
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Sinquefield Cup: Gukesh held by Sevian, Praggnanandhaa draws with Abdusattorov
World champion D Gukesh was held to a draw by the lone wild card Samuel Sevian of United States, while fellow Indian R Praggnanandhaa also split the point with Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in the third round of the Sinquefield Cup here. With his second draw in as many days, Praggnanadhaa remained in the leading group of three players that now include Fabiano Caruana of United States besides the overnight co-leader Armenian-turned-American Levon Aronian. Caruana handed Alireza Firouzja of France his first loss in the tournament in the lone decisive game of the day. Aronian was held to a draw by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France, while another American Wesley So split the point with Duda Jan-Kryzsztof of Poland. With six rounds still to come in the $3,75,000 prize money tournament, Praggnanadhaa, Aronian and Caruana share the lead on two points each and they are now followed by Wesley, Firouzja, Vachier-Lagrave, Sevian and Gukesh -- who all stand a half point behind. Duda is next in line on one point, while Abdusattorov opened his account to be on a half point from his first three outings here. For Gukesh, first draw in the tournament was rather easy with black pieces. Samuel Sevian tried his hands at the Rosslimo variation against the Sicilian defense but Gukesh was always in control. The middle game arrived and passed smoothly as both players exchanged pieces at regular intervals leading to a drawn endgame. Praggnanandhaa played his first black after two white games and chose the Nimzo-Indian defence wherein Abdusattorov, struggling to find his form, could not get much. The players reached an opposite coloured Bishops endgame where the draw was a just result. It could have been an uneventful day but for Caruana who played a fine positional game to outwit Firouzja. The Fianchetto variation against the Nimzo gave Caruana a spatial advantage as his pieces stood better in the middle game and after a fine grind the American pushed his central passed pawn to the seventh rank for the desired effect. With the top four places in the Grand chess tour at stake for the grand finale later this year, Caruana seemed pleased with his victory. The American observed that Vachier-Lagrave has almost qualified and the rest of the bunch is fighting for the last spots. Results round 3: Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb, 0.5) drew with R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 2) Fabiano Caruana (Usa, 2) beat Alireza Firouzja (Fra, 1.5); Duda Jan Kryzstof (Pol, 1) drew with Wesley So (Usa, 1.5); Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra, 1.5) drew with Levon Aronian (Usa, 1.5) Samuel Sevian (Usa, 1.5) drew with D Gukesh (Ind, 1.5).
Time of India
2 hours ago
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru planned victory parade 4 days before IPL final: Home minister
Bengaluru: Amid calls from the opposition that the govt apologise for the June 4 stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) victory celebrations, home minister G Parameshwara said the franchise had planned the team's victory parade four days ahead of the IPL final. "Our magisterial inquiry prima facie found RCB finalised victory celebrations on May 29. A team met with Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) officials and sought police clearance," Parameshwara told the assembly. He said the govt had taken all possible action against those responsible for lapses that led to the death of 11 people. He also said the govt has been pressing KSCA to shift to a larger stadium in Tumakuru and to develop a sports city in Devanahalli. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Gold Rates Today in Bengaluru | Silver Rates Today in Bengaluru "From filing FIRs against RCB and DNA networks to suspending senior police officers, transferring the chief of intelligence and removing the political secretary to CM, K Govindraj, we have taken action against all those who were found wanting," he said. Parameshwara called June 4 "a black day" for sports in Karnataka and said FIRs were filed against RCB and DNA Networks because they bore "greater responsibility". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Do you have a mouse? Desert Order Undo "While the govt gave permission, organisers had to be more responsible, and thus action was initiated against them. No one anticipated such an incident and there have been many of them in the country in the past," he said, citing the Maha Kumbh Mela stampede earlier this year that killed 39 people. He said the govt was drafting new legislation for crowd control and preparing SOPs for political, religious, and sporting gatherings. However, deputy CM DK Shivakumar struck a different note, saying police should not be blamed, adding: "I ask the opposition to recognise the swift action initiated by the govt, unlike other states where stampede incidents occurred." Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he would reply to debate on Friday. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
