Sports World, January 11, 2024: Virat Kohli-Less India Beat Afghanistan; Sumit Nagal One Win Away From Australian Open Main Draw - As It Happened

In cricket, it was a key match day as India kick-started their last T20I tournament before the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, taking on Afghanistan in the 1st T20I at Mohali. Despite being without the services of Virat Kohli, the Men in Blue beat Afghanistan by six wickets, courtesy of a man-of-the-match display from Shivam Dube. Elsewhere, Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe in the third ODI, chasing down 97 runs after the DLS method had kicked into play. Later in the night, the Spanish Super Cup will roll on at its business end as Barcelona take on Osasuna in the second semi-final. Here are all the highlights from the sports world on January 11, 2024. (Cricket News | Football News)

11:00pm: Shivam Dube's Match-Winning Knock Earns Praise From CSK Support 

The Indian all-rounder scored 60-off-40 in his team's victory over Afghanistan in the first of three T20Is. Dube had also claimed a wicked at the expense of nine runs while bowling. Man of the match by a country mile, Dube earned praise from all corners of the Indian cricketing fraternity, but no section was as jubilant with his performance as the one filled with Chennai Super Kings fans, whose team he represents in the Indian Premier League. 

Read more here. 

10:00pm: India vs Australia On The Horizon 

India will play Australia in their first AFC Asian Cup 2023 game on January 13, 2024, before facing Uzbekistan and Syria. This is not the first time the two sporting rivals are meeting each other on the football field; they have contested eight games, with Australia leading the head-to-head, five to two. 

For more information about the match, read here. 

8:45pm: India vs Afghanistan Update 

Afghanistan have set India a target of 159 after 20 overs. The AfghanAtalan lost five wickets while attempting to set a mammoth target for the hosts, with Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar scalping two apiece. Mohammad Nabi was the highest scorer for the visitors, adding a modest 42 runs to the board to help his team cross the 150-run mark. 

7:30pm: Barcelona, Osasuna Set For Supercopa Bout 

FC Barcelona will meet CA Osasuna in the second semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup, with the victor joining Real Madrid in the final later. Barcelona previously beat Osasuna 2-1 in La Liga earlier this season and are nine places above them in the table, despite coming under criticism of late regarding their inconsistent form. 

Here's all you need to know about the tie. 

6:30pm: Jena To Train In Australia; Mirabai Flies To US

Asian Games 2023 medallist Kishore Kumar Jena will train in Australia ahead of the Paris Olympics after receiving permission from the sports ministry to do the same. MYAS, under its Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), will fund Jena and his team for his 78-day stay in Gold Coast as he prepares to follow in the footsteps of Neeraj Chopra in the upcoming event. 

Meanwhile, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu will be flying to the United States of America to continue her recovery and rehab training. 

5:20pm: Sri Lanka Vs Zimbabwe, 3rd ODI

The match has been reduced to 43 overs per side due to rain. Zimbabwe were 43/1 in nine overs with Wanindu Hasaranga removing Takudzwanashe Kaitano for 17 runs in the ninth over. The revised playing conditions are: three bowlers can bowl a maximum of nine overs each and two can bowl a maximum of eight each.

5:00pm: Tendulkar's Birthday Wish For Dravid

India men's cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid turned 51 today. In a career spanning more than 15 years, the middle-order batter had scored 13288 in 164 Tests, 10889 in 344 ODIs and 31 in lone T20I.

4:21pm: Nole In Melbourne

Novak Djokovic takes centre stage in Melbourne even before the start of the Australia Open 2024. The Serbian great was seen playing cricket and basketball.

3:55pm: Nagal One Win Away From Aus Open Main Draw

Sumit Nagal defeated Aussie wild card Edward Winter in straight sets to enter the final round of Australian Open 2024 qualifying. Another win will confirm a fourth main draw appearance in a Grand Slam for the Indian tennis star.

3:31pm: India Vs Afghanistan, 1st T20I

Rohit Sharma & Co. have reached the venue for the first of three T20Is against Afghanistan. India are without Virat Kohli, who has taken leave for personal reasons. The match in Mohali starts 7:00pm.

3:16pm: Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe, 3rd ODI

Rain has stopped play in Colombo. Batting first in their must-win game, visiting Zimbabwe were 40/0 in 7.4 overs with openers Joylord Gumbie and Takudzwanashe Kaitano unbeaten on 26 off 30 and 14 off 16, respectively. The first match was declared a no result due to rain.

3:11pm: Sandeep Lamichhane Update

Sandeep Lamichhane has been suspended by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN). The spinner was sentenced to eight years in prison for raping an 18-year-old woman. CAN issued a statement today, saying "We inform you that Sandeep Lamichhane has been suspended from any kind of domestic and international cricket activities as he has been convicted and sentenced."

2:36pm: Sri Lanka Vs Zimbabwe, 3rd ODI

Zimbabwe have opted to bat first against Sri Lanka in the third and final ODI at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. Sri Lanka lead the series 1-0 after their nervy win in the second match. The series opener was declared 'no result' due to persistent rain.

Sri Lanka XI: Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (c & wk), Shevon Daniel, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Janith Liyanage, Charith Asalanka, Sahan Arachchige, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka;

Zimbabwe XI: Joylord Gumbie (wk), Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Craig Ervine (c), Milton Shumba, Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, Clive Madande, Wellington Masakadza, Luke Jongwe, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani.

2:33pm: Eriksson Diagnosed With Terminal Cancer

Former England men's national football team manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has said that he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and has about a year left to live "in the best case".

2:10pm: Malaysia Open Update

Indian pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated France's Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar 21-11, 21-18 to enter the men's doubles quarterfinals of the BWF Super 1000 badminton tournament. But in men's singles, Kidambi Srikanth suffered a 13-21, 17-21 defeat against Ng Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong in the second round.

10am: Hetmeyer Not In WI Squads For Oz Tour

Shimron Hetmyer has been left out of both the ODI and a full-strength West Indies T20I squad for their series against Australia next month after he was dropped against England late last year. Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers have been included for the T20Is after they had made themselves unavailable for the Test tour to take up T20 franchise contracts. Holder and Mayers are not part of the ODI squad for the three matches which precede the T20Is while batters Brandon King and Sherfane Rutherford have been allowed to play franchise cricket before returning for the T20Is.

9:13am: FIFA Sanctions Argentina For 'Discrimination'

World football body FIFA has sanctioned the Argentina Football Association for “misconduct,” “discrimination,” and “order and security” in their World Cup qualifying games against Ecuador, Uruguay, and Brazil. As a result, Argentina will have 50% of the stadium’s capacity at their next home game, and they will have to pay a total of CHF 120,000 (Swiss Franc).

8:45am: IND Vs AFG - Weather In Mohali

The city of Mohali is currently undergoing a cold wave, with the mercury expected to drop below five degrees Celsius on Thursday night. The chilly conditions could present a challenge to both India and Afghanistan in the first T20I. Read our report on the weather and likely playing XIs for the match here.

7:30am: Carabao Cup Update

Liverpool staged a second-half turnaround to beat Fulham 2-1 at Anfield in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie. The visitors had taken the lead in the first half when Willian showed great control inside the area to slot in. It was no less than Fulham deserved after an impressive first half, but Liverpool stepped it up after the break and fought back with two goals in three minutes. First, Curtis Jones equalised when his 68th-minute strike from distance took a big deflection off Tosin Adarabioyo to wrong-foot Bernd Leno in the Fulham goal. Substitute Cody Gakpo then drove in a Darwin Nunez pull-back to send the home crowd wild.

7:15am: Spanish Super Cup - Goalfest In Riyadh

After own-goals, goalkeeping blunders and a milestone by Antoine Griezmann, Real Madrid have outlasted Atletico Madrid in a thrilling extra time victory in the first semi-final of Spanish Super Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Two late goals gave Madrid a 5-3 win over their rivals in a match in which Griezmann surpassed Luis Aragones as Atletico’s all-time top scorer with 174 goals. Madrid will play the final against either Barcelona or Osasuna, who meet tonight in Riyadh.