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Women’s World Cup: South Africa Set to Face India Tomorrow – SUCH TV

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Women’s World Cup: South Africa Set to Face India Tomorrow – SUCH TV



It was a regular net session at a cricket academy in New Delhi, but the excitement among the young girls in their colourful jerseys was unmistakable. They now have a sparkling new source of inspiration after the Indian women’s team stunned favourites Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-final on Thursday.

Batter Jemimah Rodrigues delivered an unbeaten 127 as India chased down a record 339 at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, securing a spot in Sunday’s final against South Africa.

“There is always that one moment that inspires a generation,” said 19-year-old Armeet Kaur, a batting all-rounder for the Delhi state team. “Jemmy’s innings yesterday was exactly that. It’s going to change things.”

Twelve-year-old Ridhima Chaudhary was star-struck. “It made me feel like I have to play like them,” she said.

The sixth-grade student revealed that she’s already training towards that goal — three hours a day, five days a week. “My parents also say that the cricket academy is as important as school,” she added.

Coach Sumit Poria described the victory as a “turning point” for women’s cricket in India. “The way the crowd cheered for the team — it’s a boost like nothing else before,” he said.

While infrastructure has improved over the years, a win like Thursday’s “will go a long way in convincing parents” to support their daughters pursuing cricket seriously, Poria noted.

Prize purse exceeds men’s

The eight-nation tournament, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, has already broken records.

Data released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and streaming platform JioHotstar showed the first 13 matches drew more than 60 million viewers — five times higher than the 2022 edition.

The India–Pakistan clash earlier this month became the most-watched women’s international match ever, with 28.4 million viewers.

That’s still a small figure for the world’s most populous nation, but it shows the rise in popularity of women’s cricket.

India, twice runners-up, are chasing a maiden title in the 50-over World Cup that now boasts a record $13.88 million prize purse — eclipsing even the men’s total from two years ago.

In New Delhi, the excitement is tangible. Replica women’s team jerseys sold out online just hours after India secured their final berth.

The popularity is being matched by economic clout.

The wider sports market is booming in India, with its estimated value to surge to $130 billion by 2030, according to a 2024 report by Deloitte and Google.

The 2023 launch of the Women’s Premier League generated about $700 million in franchise and media rights for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The move toward pay parity, pushed by then-BCCI secretary and now ICC chairman Jay Shah, has further boosted the women’s game.

Very big moment

“The rise of digital platforms has transformed sports consumption… occurring alongside a growing diversification of India’s sports fans,” the Deloitte report said.

And women are a key part of that.

“Women’s sports are on the rise,” it said. “Fans are increasingly interested in women’s sports.”

Whether or not India lift the trophy on Sunday, the young cricketers at Delhi’s training nets say the impact is already beyond measure.

“When I started playing six years ago, there were only the men to get inspired by,” said 18-year-old Ishita Singh. “But now there’s the women’s team too.”

Veteran Indian sports journalist Sharda Ugra called the win “a very big moment”.

“It will make the game leapfrog another level in India in terms of attention and being a viable career option for so many girls who want to take part in sport,” she said.

“Already there is a mass of talent burgeoning in women’s cricket in India. This will make that five times bigger, whatever happens in the final.”

India’s women cricketing stars, including Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, have become household names, attracting major sponsorships and wide media coverage.

There is a big market to tap into.

“Women now comprise 236 million fans — or 36 precent — of the fanbase,” the study estimated.

“This debunks the notion of a male-only fanbase — and (shows) women’s fast-growing influence in sports.”



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Pakistan Shaheens announce squad for T20’s, ODI’s – SUCH TV

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Pakistan Shaheens announce squad for T20’s, ODI’s – SUCH TV



Pakistan Shaheens have announced their squad for the upcoming T20 and ODI series against England Lions to be played in the United Arab Emirates, with Shamil Hussain named captain for both formats.

All matches of the series will be held at the Oval Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

The three-match T20 series will begin on February 20, followed by a five-match ODI series from February 27 to March 9.

Abdul Samad, Hassan Nawaz, Moaz Sadaqat and Saad Khan have been included in the squad, along with Sameer Minhas and Arafat Minhas.

Rohail Nazir and Saad Baig will share wicketkeeping duties.

Spin bowlers Saad Masood and Sufyan Muqim are also part of the team, while the fast bowling unit includes Ali Raza, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Muhammad Salman and Shahid Aziz.

Pakistan Shaheens will hold a seven-day training camp in Karachi from February 11 to February 17.

Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has been appointed mentor and manager of the Shaheens.

Ijaz Ahmed will serve as head coach, with Mansoor Amjad named fielding coach and Aizaz Cheema as bowling coach.



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NHL outdoor game sees its 1st goalie fight between Vasilevskiy, Swayman

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NHL outdoor game sees its 1st goalie fight between Vasilevskiy, Swayman


TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning credited the first goalie fight in an NHL outdoor game for helping to spark their historic Stadium Series comeback win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

With 8:59 left in the second period and the Bruins leading 5-2, Lightning forward Brandon Hagel tried to poke the puck from under Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman after a save. Swayman then jumped on top of Hagel next to his crease, leading to a melee between the teams while the Lightning were on a power play. Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy skated from his crease to the opposite blue line during the chaos.

“I just saw Sway was swinging the blocker on [Hagel] a bit, so it was just a reflex to go to the red line and challenge him. He accepted,” Vasilevskiy said.

Swayman spotted the Tampa Bay goalie, dropped his stick and skated out to meet Vasilevskiy as the two engaged near center ice. Swayman took off his gloves and mask and signaled to Vasilevskiy to remember to remove his mask before the fists flew.

“I don’t want to hit his helmet, so I’m glad we didn’t do that,” Swayman said.

The Lightning goalie nicknamed “The Big Cat” grabbed Swayman’s collar and started throwing left hands. The Boston goalie wasn’t able to get much offense in before Vasilevskiy wrestled him to the ice.

Did Swayman know that Vasilevskiy was a lefty before their fight?

“No,” the Bruins goalie said curtly, with a laugh. “Glad we both had our first gig against each other. Really worthy opponent.”

Vasilevskiy gave him a tap on the back and then tapped the back of Swayman’s head in appreciation of the moment, grinning widely as the fans roared inside Raymond James Stadium.

“When we both fell, we just kind of said to each other nice words. It was super nice. It’s one of the biggest moments for me, because I never fought in the NHL,” Vasilevskiy said. “Big thanks to him. He was great in the net all game and great in the fight as well.”

Swayman was also appreciative.

“He wanted to win, which is good. So did I. So that’s game respecting game,” he said. “I’m fighting the biggest, toughest goalie in the league. It wouldn’t be my first choice, but glad we got the first one out of the way. Probably retire after that.”

The crowd of nearly 65,000 fans stood and cheered during the confrontation, and then again when the referee announced the goalies had both received five-minute majors for fighting. Players on both benches were on their feet, too, slapping their sticks against the boards in appreciation and respect for their netminders.

“He was throwing lefts. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I didn’t want to be the other guy,” Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov said. “I was so happy. I was so fired up. I think the bench felt it. Everyone in the building felt it. Ever since that fight, the game was turned. Vasy had to do it, I guess. He had to wake us up.”

The Lightning would score twice on 5-on-3 power plays over the next 5:12, cutting the Bruins’ lead to 5-4 heading into the third period. Kucherov tied the score in the third period, and the Lightning eventually won 6-5 in a shootout.

Tampa Bay’s rally from a four-goal deficit to win marked the largest comeback victory in franchise history and the largest in an NHL outdoor game.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said he could feel the momentum starting to swing before the fight, but the goalie throwdown was an emotional high the Lightning needed at that moment.

“I was like, ‘Thank goodness something positive was going to happen to our game,'” he said. “I give Boston a lot of credit. They took it to us and we weren’t prepared for it. Vasy was pissed.”

Hagel said he felt the fight was “a big turning point in the game.”

So did Kucherov, who was also convinced that his goalie would win the fight.

“I knew he was going to beat the wheels off of Swayman right away,” Kucherov said. “We call him ‘White Tyson’ now.”



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Inter Milan extend Serie A lead | The Express Tribune

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Inter Milan extend Serie A lead  | The Express Tribune



MILAN:

Inter Milan moved eight points clear at the top of Serie A after a comfortable 2-0 victory over hosts Cremonese on Sunday, but the victory was marred by a flare thrown on to the pitch from the away end that narrowly missed home goalkeeper Emil Audero.

The win takes Inter to 55 points from 23 games, eight ahead of city rivals AC Milan, who have a game in hand. Cremonese lie in 16th with 23 points from the same number of games.

Lautaro Martinez and Piotr Zielinski scored first-half goals as the visitors took control of the contest and despite not finding the back of the net again, they never looked unduly troubled by their hosts.

“There’s a long way to go,” Martinez told DAZN. “We made mistakes, especially in the first half, but there’s also a lot to enjoy because the championship is very balanced.”

Early in the second half a flare was thrown from the stands and landed near Audero, who dropped to the floor but did not appear to be injured. The match continued following a short delay.

“These things must not happen, there’s a risk to a person,” Martinez said. “We’re putting on a show that can be seen all over the world. I apologise to Audero and all the Cremonese fans.”

Inter have won 10 of their last 11 Serie A games since losing to AC Milan in November, their only blemish in that run a 2-2 home draw with Napoli.

By contrast, Cremonese are winless in eight, with five defeats in that sequence, which leaves them six points above the relegation zone.

The visitors might have won by a greater margin given their dominance of possession and chances, but did more than enough to secure another three points.

Inter hit the front on 16 minutes thanks to a header from Martinez, who steered Federico Dimarco’s corner into the net. It was just reward for a bright start.

Cremonese had an excellent chance to equalise when Jamie Vardy was sent through on goal. However, a heavy touch allowed Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer to get to the ball ahead of him.

The ball swerved past Audero, who will feel he should have made the save, but the power and the movement through the air left him floundering.



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