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Promote Richa Ghosh to No. 3 for fearless approach: Reema Malhotra
[popcorn number="153.84" desc="Richa Ghosh’s strike-rate in the T20 Women’s World Cup last month — the second best for India after all-rounder Deepti Sharma (171.42)" class="Default"]
Though Sri Lanka are the defending Women’s T20 Asia Cup champions, Harmanpreet Kaur-led India are strong contenders to win their fourth title, reckons former India all-rounder Reema Malhotra. The sixth edition of the tournament, to be held in Dubai from August 28 to September 13, begins today.
However, Malhotra wants India to adopt a fearless approach, and for this, she believes the team management should promote attacking batter Richa Ghosh to No. 3. Wicketkeeper-batter Ghosh has scored 1,333 runs at a strike rate of 144.57 in 88 T20Is, mostly batting at Nos. 5 to 7. forumteam.blog
Reema Malhotra
“If you want to play fearless cricket, you must send a fearless batter up. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana should be our openers. We should go with Richa Ghosh at No. 3. Harman will bat at No. 4, then we have Deepti Sharma at No. 5, followed by Bharti Fulmali. Our batting order will look good when you have two power-hitters on top, Richa and Shafali, and Bharti at the bottom. Why does Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner come in at No. 3? Because she can change the scenario of a match. Currently, Richa’s mindset is, ‘I want to play 10-15 balls.’ The day her mindset changes to that of a No. 3 batter, her scores of 15, 20 and 25 will convert to 70, 80 and 100. Before going to this Asia Cup, Harman and [head coach] Amol Muzumdar’s role will be to give role clarity to their players. I didn’t see that in the recent T20 World Cup [where India failed to make the last four] in England,” Malhotra, 45, told mid-day on Thursday, during an interaction organised by Sony Sports Network.
India begin their campaign against Thailand on Sunday and play arch-rivals Pakistan on September 5.
Malhotra, who played one Test, 41 ODIs, and 22 T20Is between 2003 and 2013, admitted that the intensity always rises when playing against Pakistan. “I won’t lie. There’s always a bit of anger inside that you have to defeat them. When you play Sri Lanka or China, people say ‘all the best,’ but when you play Pakistan, everyone says, ‘you have to defeat them’. So, the body language changes and when the intensity is high, it’s fun to defeat Pakistan,” said Malhotra, a former middle-order batter and leg-spinner, who played her last ODI and T20I against Pakistan.
Malhotra believes India’s spin attack, led by Deepti Sharma, will be a big plus in the UAE.
“Sri Lanka won the 2024 Asia Cup, but we’re playing better cricket than Sri Lanka. In the T20 World Cup too, our performance was better. We should look to dominate,” she signed off.
Tata Steel to honour all Jamshedpur FC player and staff contracts despite club shutdown
Rohan Chowdhury, Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur FC may be winding up its operations, but Tata Steel has assured that players, coaches and technical staff under contract with the club will have their agreements honoured, including those on multi-year deals.
In a significant development for Indian football, Tata Steel has agreed to transfer its equity shares in Jamshedpur Football & Sporting Private Limited (JFSPL) to Churchill Brothers Football Club for a token consideration. The proposed transfer includes the club’s Indian Super League sporting licence as well as the transfer of 12 players and two coaches.
However, the paperwork surrounding the transition is still to be completed, while clarity is also awaited on whether Churchill Brothers will be permitted to compete in the Indian Super League under their existing name.
Following the initial announcement, several Jamshedpur FC players took to social media seeking clarity over their futures. With uncertainty surrounding the club’s transition, the status of players and staff under existing contracts became a major point of concern.
However, in an exclusive conversation with D.B. Sundara Ramam, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, it was learnt that the company would adhere to its contractual commitments towards players, coaches and other technical staff.
Those under contract, including individuals with multi-year agreements, will continue to receive their full salaries and have their contracts honoured, even as Jamshedpur FC ceases to function in its present form.
In its official release, Tata Steel had earlier stated: “Tata Steel has agreed to transfer its equity shares in ‘Jamshedpur Football & Sporting Private Limited’ (JFSPL) to Churchill Brothers Football Club for a token consideration. This transfer, made in accordance with All India Football Federation (AIFF) regulations, includes the transfer of the Club’s Indian Super League (ISL) sporting licence, and the transfer of 12 players & 2 coaches.”
The release further stated that Tata Steel Limited and Churchill Brothers Football Club had signed an agreement to this effect on August 14.
“Churchill Brothers will take over the contracts of all JFC players and coaching staff with effect from September 2026, offering them the opportunity to continue their professional football careers in the ISL,” the statement said.
The transition, however, has raised several questions, particularly regarding the future identity of the club, the completion of regulatory formalities and the eventual status of the players who are not part of the initial transfer.
For Tata Steel, the decision to step away from operating an ISL club does not signal an end to its association with the sport. It was learnt that the company will continue to invest in grassroots sports, an area in which Tata Steel has played a significant role for several decades.
Its sporting initiatives are expected to continue not just in football but across disciplines as it has always been, with the company remaining committed to the development of young athletes and grassroots sporting ecosystems.
There could also be more to come on the football front. A special announcement related to women’s football is understood to be in the pipeline, underlining Tata Steel’s intention to remain associated with the development of the game even after the Jamshedpur FC chapter comes to an end.
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Garry Kasparov, Vidit Gujarathi hail Praggnanandhaa after Grand Chess Tour title win
New Delhi [India], August 28 (ANI): Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov and Indian grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi congratulated R Praggnanandhaa after his Grand Chess Tour (GCT) title win.
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu staged a stunning comeback against GM Fabiano Caruana to win the final match and claim his maiden Grand Chess Tour Finals title, along with the $200,000 first prize on Thursday (local time) in St. Louis. With this win, Praggnanandhaa scripted history, becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour, as per Chess.com.
Following the win, Kasparov, a former world champion and world number one, congratulated the Indian grandmaster, posting clapping emojis on his X handle to a post announcing him as the winner.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) August 27, 2026
Vidit also posted on X, saying that he “could sense Pragg changing his style over the past two years."
“Incredible achievement! Amazing performance for the last couple of months. But the seeds were sown much earlier, I could sense Pragg changing his style over the past 2 years. Initially it wasn’t easy, but now we can see the results!," posted Vidit.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) August 27, 2026
He beat USA’s Fabiano Caruana in the title clash 15-13, despite trailing 3-9 by the end of two classical games.
In the first rapid game, the Indian won 0-4 and then followed it with a win in the second rapid game as well by 4-0, making it 11-9 in his favour.
The first blitz game was a draw, bringing the scores to 12-10, and the drama was heightened with Fabiano winning the second to level the scores.
Praggnanandhaa won the third rapid game, bringing back the lead 14-12, and drew the final game to make it 15-13 and to complete a memorable win.
Praggnanandhaa, USA’s Wesley So, USA’s Fabiano Caruana and Vincent Keymer were four players taking part in the Grand Chess Tour finale from August 22-27.
The Grand Chess Tour 2026 is a six-tournament affair, consisting of Super Rapid and Blitz Poland, Super Chess Classic Romania, Super Rapid and Blitz Croatia, St Louis Rapid and Blitz, Sinquefield Cup and finally the Grand Chess Tour Finals.
The Indian Grandmaster was the leading point-getter in the Sinquefield Cup alongside the US’s Wesley So, with 5.5 each. Praggnanandhaa’s excellent performances in the Sinquefield Cup and the win in the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz competition earned him a spot in the GCT Finals. (ANI)
(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)
ETPL: Edinburgh Castle Rockets start off with win over Glasgow Cosmic
The Hague [Netherlands], August 28 (ANI): Edinburgh Castle Rockers made a statement in the first Scottish derby of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), chasing down 116 in just 11.3 overs to defeat Glasgow Cosmic by seven wickets at Sportpark Westvliet.
Having won the toss, Edinburgh captain Mitchell Santner elected to bowl first, putting Glasgow under early pressure and backing his attack to make the most of the conditions. The decision quickly paid dividends as Glasgow struggled to build momentum, eventually bowled out for 115 in 20 overs, as per a press release.
Trent Boult was the standout performer with the ball, producing a superb spell of 5 for 24 from his four overs and repeatedly breaking Glasgow’s attempts to build momentum. JJ Smuts also contributed with two wickets, while the remaining wickets were shared among Jack Jarvis and Mitchell Santner. Boult’s spell proved decisive as Glasgow were bowled out for 115, leaving Edinburgh a modest target to chase.
Richie Berrington offered the resistance for Glasgow, scoring 28 from 27 balls, while Keshav Maharaj remained unbeaten on 29 from 27. Paul van Meekeren added a late burst of eight from four balls, including a six, but Glasgow could not generate the acceleration required to post a competitive total.
Edinburgh’s chase was a different story.
Ross Adair immediately put the Cosmic attack under pressure, smashing 28 from only 12 balls with three fours and two sixes. JJ Smuts continued the assault with 16 from nine, hitting four boundaries, before Andries Gous took charge of the chase.
Gous then took charge of the chase smashing 40 from 28 balls, including six fours and a six, with one of his blows travelling a massive 101 metres, a moment that underlined the authority with which the Castle Rockers attacked the target. Brandon McMullen then added an unbeaten 23 from 16 balls before Laurie Evans struck the winning boundary in the 12th over.
The chase was effectively decided during the powerplay, when Edinburgh raced away from Glasgow’s modest total. They reached 103 for two after nine overs and required only 12 more runs to seal victory.
Boult’s five-wicket haul was the foundation of the result, while the aggressive approach of Adair and Gous ensured Edinburgh finished the contest with remarkable efficiency.
For Glasgow, there were individual contributions from Berrington and Maharaj, but the early wickets left too much responsibility on the middle and lower order.
At Sportpark Westvliet, Edinburgh ultimately produced the more complete performance: disciplined with the ball, ruthless with the bat and clinical when the opportunity arose.
The seven-wicket victory gives the Castle Rockers an emphatic start to their ETPL campaign and, more importantly, puts them firmly on the front foot after the opening Scottish derby of the tournament. (ANI)
(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)