Srikkanth names the right replacement for MS Dhoni in CSK
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NDTV
13 minutes ago
- NDTV
India Clinch Bronze, China And Hong Kong China Win Women's And Men's Asia Rugby U20 Sevens Crown
India's U20 Women's team capped off a memorable return to the Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Championship with a bronze medal, defeating Uzbekistan in the third-place playoff on home soil in Rajgir, Bihar. After an impressive run in the pool stage, the hosts faced a tough semi-final against China, falling 7-28 despite a determined effort. In the bronze medal match, India wasted no time in seizing control. Bhumika opened the scoring to make it 7-0 before Guriya Kumari crossed the line to extend the lead to 12-0. Uzbekistan rallied with a try of their own, but India's defence - roared on by a passionate Rajgir crowd - held firm to secure the victory and the podium finish. Remarkably, throughout the tournament, India's only defeats came against the eventual finalists - China and Hong Kong China - underlining the team's exceptional performance against Asia's top sides. This medal also marks a historic moment for Indian rugby, as it is the first time the country has hosted the Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Sevens Championship, and the first time the U20 Women have won a medal on home soil. The side led by head coach Kiano Fourie showcased skill, resilience, and teamwork, with standout performances from both seasoned leaders and emerging talent. Rugby India President Rahul Bose hailed this momentous achievement saying, "Winning a medal in front of our home fans is a proud moment for Indian rugby. Our Indian women were in a very difficult pool and to make the semi-finals was an achievement tin itself. The team showed tremendous spirit, and this performance will inspire the next generation of players." The top gong in the women's category went to China, who overcame Hong Kong China 29-21 in a hard-fought contest. In the Men's category, Hong Kong China thrashed Sri Lanka 33-0 to clinch the title. With this result, the U20 Women's team add another milestone to India's growing rugby story, while setting a strong foundation for future success at the continental level.
Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Sreeshankar Murali saves best for last, wins dramatic long jump at Indian Open World Athletics Continental Tour event in Bhubaneswar
It ain't over till it's over. It is one of the oldest sporting cliches. At the very end of the Indian Open World Athletics Continental Tour event in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, Sreeshankar Murali brought that sentiment to life in men's long jump, as he took a huge leap and landed with 8.13m from takeoff, recording his own season best and the top attempt by any Indian this year in the discipline. On an evening where Indian performances didn't quite get the juices flowing, Sreeshankar provided a final flourish in style. 'This is my lucky ground. I crossed my 8m mark here and then achieved my personal best of 8.41m at the same ground during the 2023 Federation Cup. I think this is Bhubaneswar magic, whenever I come here, I do well,' Sreeshankar said after his win. Until his last jump, it had looked like Sreeshankar would lose to teenager Shahnavaz Khan, who jumped a new personal best of 8.04m. But the experienced Indian brought all his might in the last jump. Sreeshankar tipped his hat to Shahnavaz for pushing him. 'I'm very happy for Shahnavaz also, he did above 8 meters. He's very young and he has a long way to go. We train together in Trivandrum, we push each other, fight with each other. And we have a very good rapport,' he said in praise of the youngster who was on the brink of pulling off a big upset. While the event crew had already started wrapping up the logistics, Sreeshankar's competitors and the crowd stayed back for his last jump. 'I knew he would do it. His mindset is different than others, and I was cheering for his last jump,' said Sunny Kumar, one of the participants watching on in the long jump. For a moment after the last jump, everyone thought that Sreeshankar might have achieved the World Championships qualification mark. He believed so as well, but it wasn't to be. 'I think in the last jump, I took off early. Like way before the foul board and that is why I gained elevation and lost out on distance,' he explained. 'However, I am happy with the fact that I was consistent throughout the competition. I did three jumps above 7.90m and didn't lose my rhythm.' In the very last jump! Sreeshankar jumps 8.13m to win the title at the Indian Open World Continental Tour. A crazy finish to be honest.@IExpressSports — Pritish Raj (@befikramusafir) August 10, 2025 Sreeshankar was appreciative of the crowd that stayed till the end. 'It is not always that we see such a crowd in an Athletics event here. I am happy to see an enthusiastic crowd and we need more of it,' he added as he continues his good form after returning from a career-threatening injury. That injury resulted in him missing the 2024 Paris Olympics. On his return to action, Sreeshankar is having a solid season, winning all four tournaments he has featured in. However, his return in April means that he has had very little time to qualify for the World Championships. Which is why he has become a globetrotter to play in as many high-ranking tournaments as he can. 'It is a very hectic schedule for me. This is my third country in ten days and I have to travel more,' he said with a sheepish smile. Sreeshankar will have another chance at the Inter-State Athletics Championships this month in Chennai. 'I am happy with his performance, and the best thing is that he is pain-free and his knee is feeling good,' his father Murali said. Even otherwise, Sreeshankar is not losing sleep. 'I am going to give my best shot at the qualification, but if it doesn't happen, I will take a break and move on to the next season.' Neeraj Chopra, India's foremost track and field star, was not part of the event. But it still wasn't a surprise that men's javelin throw drew solid attention from the fans. There was some exciting local talent in the fray, including India's number 2 Sachin Yadav, Yashvir Singh, Rohit Yadav and the latest entrant to 80m club, Shivam Lohakare. But it was Rumesh Pathirage who stunned a partisan crowd and turned it in his favour with his theatrics after he broke the Sri Lankan National Record with a throw of 86.50m. The Sri Lankan duo of Rumesh and Sumedha Ranasinghe ramped up the atmosphere, constantly conversing with each other and involving the crowd with every throw. Despite throwing just twice, both finished in the top three with Sumedha recording 80.65m as his best throw. When Sri Lanka were heading for a 1-2, Shivam's fifth throw increased the decibel level as he managed 80.73m and denied the neighbours. Returning from an injury, Rohit Yadav looked in decent shape, finishing fourth with 80.35m. Interestingly, the podium had been arranged for not just the regular 1-2-3 spots. There was an additional room for fourth-place finishers too. The Indian Athletics caravan will move to Chennai, where athletes will have another chance to get a crack at the World Athletics qualification from 20th August.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Telecom content spends rise in FY25 with Jio in lead
Mumbai: Cumulative content spending by India's private telecom operators rose in FY25, after falling in FY24, driven by Jio Platforms ' sharp ramp-up, even as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea reduced their budgets. Collectively, the three companies spent ₹1,676 crore on content in FY25, compared with ₹1,335 crore in FY24 and ₹1,516 crore in FY23. According to its annual filing, Jio Platforms' content costs surged 153% to ₹915 crore in FY25 from ₹362 crore in FY24. Reliance Jio Infocomm , a subsidiary of Jio Platforms, had struck a content deal with JioHotstar to launch cricket packs around the Champions Trophy and Indian Premier League (IPL). Airtel's standalone content costs fell to ₹529 crore in FY25 from ₹636 crore the previous year, while Vodafone Idea cut its spend to ₹232 crore from ₹337 crore. In FY24, content investments had fallen 12% year-on-year to ₹1,335 crore, largely because Vodafone Idea's spend fell 49% to ₹337 crore. Jio Platforms' content costs had risen 74% to ₹362 crore in FY24, while Airtel's declined 2.3% to ₹636 crore. Experts said telecom companies are recalibrating their content strategies, with over-the-top (OTT) services continuing to play a key role in customer acquisition and retention. The variation in spending points to a two-track approach in the sector, they said. Reliance Jio, with its integrated content offering through JioHotstar under Reliance Industries' JioStar, is focusing on premium sports and entertainment to enhance subscriber engagement and encourage data usage. The company aggregates content in India through partnerships with several platforms. Airtel and Vodafone Idea, meanwhile, appear to be prioritising cost management through performance-linked agreements. Airtel continues to bundle third-party OTTs through its postpaid, broadband, and prepaid plans, hosting more than 22 platforms on its OTT aggregation service Airtel Xstream. The company has strengthened its partnerships with Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar, ZEE5, Sun NXT, and Apple TV+ to expand premium and regional offerings. Airtel Xstream now has more than five million paid customers. During the recent Q1 earnings call, Bharti Airtel vice-chairman Gopal Vittal said the company had "strengthened the entertainment experience for our prepaid customers by launching (an) all-in-one OTT entertainment pack with access to over 25 OTT platforms." "We have a partnership with Amazon, we have a partnership with Disney, we have a partnership with Netflix, we have a partnership with Zee and we are exclusively available on Apple," he added. In its annual report, Vodafone Idea said it had relaunched Vi Movies & TV as a paid subscription service, targeting Smart TV users, integrating 17 OTT partners, including Disney+ Hotstar, SonyLiv, ZEE5, and regional players like Chaupal and Klikk, along with 350+ TV channels. It also offers bundled plans with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Zee. "During the year, the company continued to steadily build a long-term competitive edge by deepening customer engagement and enabling a rich digital ecosystem that includes Vi Movies & TV, Vi Games, eSports, CloudPlay, and a growing digital marketplace," non-executive chairman Ravinder Takkar said in the company's annual report. "These offerings not only cater to the evolving digital consumption patterns but also strengthen brand stickiness and loyalty."
