Sports World, December 20, 2023: Mumbai City FC Beat Mohun Bagan Super Giant In ISL, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty To Receive Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna; Manchester City Enter Club World Cup Final - As It Happened

In today's updates, New Zealand sealed the ODI series against Bangladesh as they beat the Bangla Tigers in the 2nd ODI. Manchester City entered the final of Club World Cup final by beating Urawa Reds 3-0 in the semis. In 5 Nations Hockey Tournament, Harmanpreet Singh-led India managed to beat France 5-4 in a high-scoring encounter. Follow all the scores and updates of all the action on Tuesday, December 20, 2023 here. (NZ vs BAN, 2nd ODI Scorecard | Cricket News | Football News | IPL Auction Highlights | December 19 Highlights)

11:47pm: And We Call It A Wrap
And thus ends today's updates on the sporting action. Lots of action awaits us tomorrow as India men's cricket team take on South Africa in third and final ODI whereas India women's cricket team take on Australia in a one-off Test match.

10:15pm: Jaipur Pink Panthers Beat UP Yoddhas In PKL
Riding on Arjun Deswal's 13 points, defending champions Jaipur Pink Panthers scored an emphatic 41-24 win over UP Yoddhas in their Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 match on Wednesday. This was Deswal's third 'Super 10' of the season and gave the Panthers a massive 17-point victory. 

Read the match report here

8:06pm: KKR's Gautam Gambhir Calls Mitchell Starc An 'X-Factor'
Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir has justified his franchise bidding for Mitchell Starc for a record-breaking amount, saying that the Australia quick will be the X-factor and the leader of the bowling pack. KKR shelled out a jaw-dropping Rs 24.75 crore to get the services of Starc in the IPL auction in Dubai on Tuesday.

Read more about it here.

7:06pm: 5 Nations Hockey Tournament - India Beat France 5-4
Captain Harmanpreet Singh and Jugraj Singh struck a brace each as the Indian men's hockey team beat France 5-4 in its fourth and final match to notch up its lone win in the five-nation tournament. Jugraj scored in the 20th and 60th minutes while Harmanpreet found the target in the 25th and 56th minutes. Vivek Sagar Prasad (16th) struck once in the match that went back and forth throughout its duration.

5:41pm: National Sports Awards - Full List Announced
Indian men's doubles badminton pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty will receive the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna at the National Sports Awards 2023. Check out the full list of recipients right here

4:40pm: Nottingham Forest Hire Nuno Espírito Santo To Replace Sacked Steve Cooper
Nottingham Forest have hired Nuno Espírito Santo as their new manager on Wednesday with the Premier League club moving quickly to replace Steve Cooper. Santo, who previously managed Wolves and Tottenham in England's top division, has signed a 2 1/2-year contract.

2:50pm: Khelo India Para Games - Rising Against Odds
A quadriplegic cerebral palsy patient, Jeetu Kanwar has encountered adversity at every stage of her life. From a troubled childhood to pursuing a PhD, the international para athlete has conquered all obstacles to rise in both, academics and sports. Read her story here.

1:40pm: Savita Punia World's Best GK For 3rd Year Running
India women's team captain Savita Punia and men's team vice-captain Hardik Singh have bagged FIH Hockey Star Awards 2023. While Savita has won the women's goalkeeper of the year award for the third time in a row, Hardik has been named the men’s player of the year. Watch their celebrations here. 

12:30pm: Will Rohit Stay With MI?
After Mumbai Indians snapped up ex-Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya and made him the new MI captain, it remains to be seen whether Rohit Sharma will stick around with the franchise or explore other options. But a comment by owner Akash Ambani might offer fans some solace. Read our report to know more. 

11am: NZ Beat BAN In 2nd ODI, Seal Series
New Zealand have won the second ODI in Nelson, chasing down the 292-run target with utmost ease (seven wickets and 22 balls to spare). With that, the Kiwis have sealed the series 2-0 and rendered the third and final ODI a dead rubber.

9:25am: BBC Sports Personality Of The Year
Mary Earps, the England goalkeeper, has been named the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year for 2023 after 12 months of success both on and off the field. The World Cup star described her prize as the “ultimate all-round sporting accolade” as she accepted the trophy in front of an audience of sporting stars in Salford’s Media City. Earps is the third woman in three years to win the prize, the first time there has been such a sequence in the long-running competition since the 1960s. The cricketer Stuart Broad finished as runner-up, with the heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson third.

9:10am: BAN Vs NZ Update
New Zealand are chasing Bangladesh's 292-run target in the second ODI in Nelson. The hosts have lost just one wicket and have scored 118 runs in 19.4 overs so far, so the chase is very much on.

8:35am: Exclusive Pardeep Narwal Interview
Indian kabaddi's most famous face, Pardeep Narwal recently scripted a record in Pro Kabaddi League's 2023-24 season, as he became the first player to amass 1,600 career raid points. In an exclusive interview with Outlook, he discussed his feat and other aspects of the sport.

Read the interview here.

8:15am: Manchester City Enter Club World Cup Final
Manchester City set aside struggles at home to ease past Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 in the Club World Cup semifinals on Tuesday and are just one game away from a fifth title in 2023.

8am: ENG Beat WI In 4th T20I
England have levelled the five-match T20I series with a massive 75-run win in Tarouba. The visitors posted a mammoth 268-run target and then restricted the Windies to 192, bowling them out in under 16 overs to record the thumping win. England's 267 for 3 was the second-highest score by a Full Member nation in T20Is. It was powered by Phil Salt's 119 - the highest individual score by an Englishman in T20Is. This was Salt's second consecutive century in the format, making him only the third cricketer in history after Gustav McKeon (France) and Rilee Roussow (South Africa) to achieve the feat. 

7:55am: Recap
The IPL 2024 player auction took centrestage. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc went for record-breaking INR 20 crore-plus deals. In international cricket, Team India lost to South Africa by eight wickets in the 2nd ODI in Gqeberha. In Pro Kabaddi League, Haryana Steelers dished out a splendid all-around show to earn a gritty 31-29 victory over Gujarat Giants and became the first team in season 10 to register four successive wins.

Preview!

Hello and welcome to our live blog coverage of today's sports news and events. The IPL 2024 player auction concluded in Dubai but top names in cricket made millions as the likes of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc went for record deals. Meanwhile in the Indian Super League, Mumbai City FC take on Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Liverpool In EFL Cup action against West Ham United