Left-arm spinner M Siddharth proved to be Tamil Nadu’s trump card as they defeated Baroda by seven wickets to clinch their second Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 crown at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad last week. Siddharth’s show with the ball restricted Baroda to a modest total of 120-9 and TN chased down the target - scoring 123-3 - in 18 overs. Opener C Hari Nishanth (35) and B Aparajith (29) led with the bat but the evening belonged to Siddharth. Siddharth, who last played a T20 game in the previous edition of the tournament against Karnataka in Surat, broke through Baroda’s top-order in the first half of play. Siddharth failed to get a game for Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous edition of the IPL and wasn’t even retained by them for the upcoming season.
Consolation win for Sindhu, Srikanth loses
Reigning badminton world champion PV Sindhu ended her campaign at the BWF World Tour Finals with a consolation win, but Kidambi Srikanth, the only other Indian to have qualified for the competition, ended at the bottom of his group with a third consecutive defeat and crashed out. Sindhu, after losing her first two Group B matches, scored a 21-18, 21-15 win over Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong, when she was already out of running for a spot in the semi-finals having lost her both matches. Srikanth, a former world number one, lost to Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long 21-12, 18-21, 19-21.
Boxer seeks help to pay personal coach
India's leading boxer, Amit Panghal, has been forced to request an Indian multinational conglomerate to help him pay the salary of his personal coach, Anil Dhankar, who was recently allowed to join the pugilist in his preparations for the Tokyo Olympics. Panghal, one of country's leading medal prospects in men's boxing at the Olympics, has put in a formal request with the corporate group to pay a coaching fee of approx Rs 500,000 to Dhankar for the period between Janaury 2021 till Tokyo Games in July-August this year. Dhankar has joined Panghal as his coach without pay at the boxing national camp currently underway at IIS, Bellary. Dhankar was appointed Panghal's coach after the boxer had placed requests with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Boxing Federation of India (BFI) to appoint him as his personal trainer till the Olympic Games.
Messi signs biggest deal
Lionel Messi’s most recent contract with Barcelona is worth up to 555 million euros ($673 million) over four seasons, the El Mundo newspaper reported. The Spanish daily said it had access to the document Messi signed with the Catalan club in 2017, which included fixed incomes and variables that could reach nearly 138 million euros ($167 million) each season. The newspaper said it is the most expensive contract ever agreed with an athlete in any sport. Messi would have to pay about half of that in taxes in Spain. The report said the 33-year-old player has already secured more than 510 million euros ($619 million) of the total. Barcelona denied responsibility for leaking the document and said it would take legal action against the newspaper.
