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Cricket Canada appoints Monty Desai as men’s team head coach
Toronto [Canada], May 1 (ANI): Cricket Canada has appointed Monty Desai as Head Coach of the Men’s National Team, announced the country’s governing body of cricket on Friday.
Following Canada’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and ahead of key upcoming ICC pathway competitions, this appointment is being seen as a strategic step toward building momentum and achieving greater international consistency. cat-cross.com
“Our foremost priority is to restore Cricket Canada’s prominence through performance, professionalism, and a renewed and vitalised sense of purpose," said Arvinder Khosa, President of Cricket Canada, as quoted by a press release.
“Appointing Monty Desai reflects this vision. His experience with Associate nations, most notably Nepal and Afghanistan, demonstrates his ability to transform teams through effective leadership, discipline, and a clear long-term plan. As we build on our recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup appearance, this year marks a pivotal moment, and we are confident that under his leadership, the team will make significant progress," he added.
Desai brings over 20 years of international coaching experience, including leading Nepal to regain ODI status and qualify for multiple ICC global events. He is widely respected for instilling belief, structure, and competitive discipline in emerging cricket nations.
“I am honoured to take on this responsibility and thank Cricket Canada for their trust," said Monty Desai. “My previous experience in Canada has given me a clear understanding of the system’s potential and the passion that exists for the game. Associate cricket is an important driver in the global growth of cricket today, and teams like Nepal and Afghanistan have demonstrated what belief, discipline, and fearlessness can unlock. Canada has a similar opportunity, and my focus will be on building a culture that translates this potential into consistent performances on the international stage."
This appointment aligns with Cricket Canada’s broader commitment to strengthening the foundations of the sport through renewed accountability, enhanced player development pathways, and an environment that supports long-term growth.
“We warmly welcome Monty to Cricket Canada," said Paramjit Saini, Secretary, Cricket Canada. “His track record with teams such as Nepal and Afghanistan speaks for itself. He has helped Associate nations become competitive forces, and we are committed to providing full support as we work together to elevate Canadian cricket."
With crucial international fixtures ahead, Canada aims to build consistency, credibility, and a stronger reputation on the world stage. (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.)
Thomas Cup: India to lock horns with Chinese Taipei in quarterfinals
Horsens [Denmark], May 1 (ANI): The Indian men’s badminton team will be in action against Chinese Taipei for the quarterfinals of the Thomas Cup, being held in Horsens, Denmark, on Friday.
Team India finished as the runners-up of Group A behind China, and their next challenge, Chinese Taipei, is the winner of Group C, as per Olympics.com.
Chinese Taipei kick-started their campaign with a dominating 5-0 win over Sweden before losing 3-2 to South Korea. Their final Group C tie saw them beat Denmark 3-2.
On the other hand, the 2022 Thomas Cup champions made their mark in the ongoing tournament with thumping 4-1 and 5-0 wins against Canada and Australia before succumbing to a 3-2 loss to China in their final group game.
The Group A winners, China, will take on the Group B runners-up, Malaysia. While Group D table-toppers Thailand will be playing Denmark. The Group B winners, Japan, will lock horns against France in the other quarterfinal matches.
Group A winners China will take on Group B runners-up Malaysia in their quarter-final encounter.
If India manages to outclass Chinese Taipei, their next challenge will be the winner of the France-Japan quarterfinal match.
The semifinals of the Thomas Cup will take place on Saturday, with the tournament set for a Sunday finish.
In this 34th edition of the tournament, Indonesia are the most successful team, with 14 titles, behind the defending champions China, who have 11 titles.
Earlier, the Indian women’s badminton side could not make it to the Uber Cup knockout stage, with a loss to China in their final group stage tie on Tuesday. India had lost their first group game against Denmark 2-3 and then blanked Ukraine 5-0. (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.)
Smriti Mandhana’s special Sangli support system
India women’s cricket star Smriti Mandhana, 29, is the cynosure of the country when she dons the blue jersey. Being one of the premier batters in women’s cricket isn’t easy, considering she carries the weight of over a billion people on her shoulders. But friends help ease this pressure. In a recent interview, appearing in Vogue India magazine’s May-June edition, the southpaw revealed how her close friends back home in Sangli help her stay grounded.
“I’m not cricketer Smriti Mandhana anymore [when in Sangli]. I’m just Smriti. The moment I cross that bridge back home, something just switches. My friends don’t even follow cricket closely; they’ll see something on Instagram and joke, ‘Lagta hai aaj tune kuch kiya hai?’ [Looks like you played well today?] That’s what keeps me real,” Mandhana told Vogue India.
Mandhana has also made peace with the up and down nature of competitive sport. “When we started playing, this is what we wanted; people supporting us. So, we have to accept the downside too. One day you’re criticised, the next day you score and everything changes,” added Mandhana, who has played 120 WODIs, 163 WT20Is and eight Tests.
IPL 2026 | ‘Batters don’t need to go slam bang all the time’: Gopal Koli
Long before the IPL, New Hind Sporting Club’s (Matunga) Gopal Koli scored a mammoth 188 in a day, during a Kanga League ‘A’ Division match against United Cricketers in 1972.
The feat figures in the list of the league’s ‘A’ Division records of highest scores. However, what’s most interesting about this knock is that Koli achieved it without hitting a single six.
Koli, now 86, clearly remembers the innings.
“I was batting with my brother Chandu [Chandrakant Koli] and we were both working very hard for our runs. Most of my runs came from singles and twos. I hit just 14 fours, but not a single six. Today, I see in the IPL, all batters are only looking to hit fours and sixes, but running between the wickets is equally important. If you mix things up with singles and twos in an over, you can easily score at over 10 per over. That’s good enough, even by today’s IPL scoring rates,” Koli told mid-day on the sidelines of the announcement of the 34th edition of the LIC Kalpesh Govind Koli Memorial cricket tournament, a Mumbai Cricket Association U-16 selection event for boys, to be held at various venues from May 2 to 23.
Not many know this, but Koli played another big knock before this 188. “I don’t remember the exact year or the opponent, but I had scored 154 in a single day, much before this 188-run knock. But in those days, the Kanga League was not split in different divisions so my score probably did not get a proper mention,” said Koli, who played two Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai in the 1970-71 and also became a noted coach later.
Coming back to the 188, Koli has another special memory — his dismissal: “I was playing steadily, but just after tea, there was a small crowd that gathered to watch the match and they started shouting “sixer, sixer” so I tried to go for a big shot and rather embarrassingly, the ball hit the edge of my bat, ballooned up in the air and fell on the stumps behind me.”
Adding insult to injury was the fact that the last-wicket stand between the two brothers ended at 97, one run short of the existing record then, which was 98. “That match ended in a draw, but that didn’t hurt as much. What hurt was… toh record gela [that last-wicket record was missed],” concluded Koli.
IPL 2026: Delhi Capitals set for Starc attack!
Delhi Capitals have little time to dwell on what has been a bruising stretch of results as they gear up to face a confident Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League match here on Friday.
It has been a difficult run for the Axar Patel-led side this season. They have swung between extremes in the last two games. From posting a 250-plus total only to concede a world-record chase, to being bowled out for 75 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
With three wins and four losses, they are seventh on the table. There is some good news on the bowling front. Pace ace Mitchell Starc is set to return after getting clearance from Cricket Australia to play from May 1. With Lungi Ngidi still unavailable, Starc’s inclusion comes as a timely boost. He is likely to replace either Kyle Jamieson or Dushmantha Chameera.
Delhi’s bowlers couldn’t do much while defending 75 in the previous game, but they will need to be sharper against a strong Rajasthan batting line-up.
Their top order has been aggressive, with fearless Vaibhav Sooryavanshi taking on world class bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins from the outset and Yashasvi Jaiswal showing good touch.
14
No. of wickets for Mitchell Starc across 11 matches for DC in IPL 2025
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