The big story: Gujarat, Mumbai surge ahead in Ranji Trophy

Mumbai wrestled back advantage from Hyderabad on day three of the Ranji Trophy. The defending champions now lead by 116 runs. Mumbai’s batting has only sparkled in patches this season but with skipper Aditya Tare going strong at the crease, they stand every chance of making it through to the semi-finals. Hyderabad need their impressive pace attack to bail them out.

Gujarat, meanwhile, have taken complete control of proceedings, thwarting the inexperienced Odisha attack with complete disdain. Parthiv Patel’s men have all but sealed a spot in the last four. The same cannot be said about the Haryana-Jharkhand game, which currently hangs in the balance.

Other top stories:

Cricket:

  • Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has dismissed any talk of a farewell match, and made himself available for selection, “I don’t think my career is over and I am enjoying myself and I will continue to play at the highest level,” said the 36-year-old.
  • Bengal middle-order batsman Pankaj Shaw slammed 413 not out in a Cricket Association of Bengal three-day tournament. The 28-year-old, representing Barisha Sporting, cracked 44 fours and a whopping 23 sixes to bring up the highest-ever score in the CAB league.
  • Indian batting legend Rahul Dravid praised Test skipper Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble for the success of Jayant Yadav and Karun Nair in the five-day setup.  “It is a tribute to I think the environment created in the national set-up that they are coming through feeling comfortable and performing straightaway. Credit to Virat [Kohli] and Anil [Kumble] for the set-up and what they have been doing at the national level, Dravid was quoted as saying by bcci.tv.

Football:

  • Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp stated that English Premier League leaders Chelsea have been lucky with injuries during the season. Klopp pointed out that Blues stars Eden Hazard and Diego Costa have been fit through their recent run. 

Badminton:

  • Indian badminton legend Prakash Padukone lauded the Premier Badminton League experimenting with the game’s point-scoring system. “It will be an exciting experiment. In the 11-point scoring system, anybody can win the match. There will be a lot of uncertainty, that will bring more spectators to the stadium and more viewership,” Padukone said.

Golf:

  • Thailand’s Pariya Junhasavasdikul became the first foreign golfer to win the McLeod Russel Tour Championship on the final day at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club on Sunday.