From Rural Trails to National Triumphs

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TIRUPATI, Andhra Pradesh : Etimarpu Rajani a name now etched in Indian hockey — is returning to her roots with a powerful mission: turn Andhra Pradesh into a thriving hockey hub and nurture the next generation of champions. newssport.cv

Born in a small village in Tirupati district, Rajani’s journey from walking 12 km daily to school to defending India’s goal at the Olympics is nothing short of inspirational. Her early exposure to sports came from a school Physical Education Teacher who spotted her potential and pointed her toward hockey.

“I didn’t grow up with many opportunities… but my father believed in me and supported my hockey dreams despite hardships,” Rajani reflected, highlighting the grit that took her to the international stage.

A Distinguished Career Worth Celebrating

National Debut: 2008

Senior Indian Team Member: Since 2009

Part of India’s journey to 2016 Rio Olympics qualification and the Tokyo Olympics — where the team finished a historic 4th place.

Silver Medalist, FIH Hockey5s World Cup as team captain.

Retired: Mid-2024 after a remarkable career spanning over a decade.

Her story includes injuries, long commutes, and even a break to focus on family and motherhood — yet she returned to the field with undiminished passion.

A Vision Beyond Personal Glory

Now, Rajani is channeling her experience into uplifting underprivileged talent. Starting June 2026, she plans to train 60–70 girls from government welfare hostels across Tirupati and Chandragiri.

“I don’t want these children to face the same struggles I went through. In the next 10 years, I want to see players from AP competing internationally.” — Etimarpu Rajani

Her long-term goal includes:

Expanding the initiative to include both girls and boys

Building infrastructure like Astroturf facilities

Organizing talent-scouting camps at district levels

Government Support & Recognition

The Andhra Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, has acknowledged Rajani’s contribution, granting ₹25 lakh financial assistance and a residential plot. She also met with IT Minister Nara Lokesh, who promised support for her hockey development plans.

What This Means for Hockey in AP

What started in a humble village now has the potential to ripple across Andhra Pradesh. Rajani’s dedication — from rural fields to world stages — is a testament to resilience, ambition, and the transformative power of sports .

The post From Rural Trails to National Triumphs appeared first on SSI FANZINE.

A huge controversy unfolded during the final over of the IPL 2026 clash between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 26, when fast bowler Kartik Tyagi bowled two waist-high full toss deliveries in a row at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

The situation created confusion both on and off the field, as everyone expected Kartik Tyagi to be taken off the attack immediately. But in a surprising turn, the match officials allowed him to continue bowling, which later played a big role in sending the match down to a Super Over.

Kartik Tyagi’s waist-high full toss deliveries create confusion in the LSG vs KKR IPL 2026 clash

It all happened when KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane trusted Kartik Tyagi to defend 16 runs in the final over against LSG at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The young pacer’s over started in the worst possible way for KKR.

Read Also: "Rinku's innings was amazing": Ajinkya Rahane lauds Rinku Singh after Super Over win against LSG in IPL 2026

Tyagi bowled two back-to-back full tosses that went above waist height to the LSG batter Himmat Singh. Both deliveries were immediately called no-balls, but the bowler was not convinced about the second delivery, so the review was taken, and the replay showed the ball was well above waist height.

As a result, it was called a no-ball. Meanwhile, Rahane and the KKR team management even started discussing a possible change in bowlers, thinking Tyagi might be removed for safety reasons. Even the commentators expected the bowler to be removed.

Umpires make a rare decision to let Tyagi continue

Normally, such repeated dangerous full tosses can lead to a bowler being taken out of the attack under cricket laws. But the umpires took an unusual decision and allowed Kartik Tyagi to continue the over even after two waist-high full tosses, which shocked players and fans.

Read Also: "Need to take accountability": Rishabh Pant slams entire LSG team after super over loss vs KKR in IPL 2026

The key reason behind this call was that the second delivery was not considered aimed at the batter’s body in his original position, while deeming the first one dangerous. Given that, the officials decided Tyagi could continue bowling the remaining balls.

What says the rule?

Clause 41.7 of the IPL 2026 Playing Conditions clearly states the difference between an "unfair" and a "dangerous" delivery, and a bowler can be suspended only upon bowling a second "dangerous" delivery, and Kartik Tyagi’s second delivery was deemed not dangerous. And that’s how the KKR pacer was allowed to complete his over against the LSG.

Clause 41.7.1 states: “Any delivery which passes, or would have passed, without pitching above the waist height of the striker standing upright at the popping crease is to be deemed unfair, whether or not it is likely to inflict physical injury. If the bowler bowls such a delivery, the umpire shall immediately call and signal No ball.”

Clause 41.7.2 further states: “The bowling of a delivery as defined in 41.7.1 is also dangerous if the bowler's-end umpire considers that there is a risk of injury to the striker. In making that judgment, the umpire shall disregard any protective equipment worn by the striker and be mindful of the speed, height, and direction of the delivery; the skill of the striker; and the repeated nature of such deliveries.”

Amidst an underwhelming IPL campaign (two wins in seven games), Mumbai Indians’s players took a much-needed mid-season break to recharge their batteries in order to try and revitalise their push for a Playoff berth.

MI Instagrammed a series of pictures, which included the likes of skipper Hardik Pandya, star opener Rohit Sharma, and ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah enjoying a fun-filled evening featuring music, food and dance. The post received a whopping 1 million ‘likes.’

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has earned a “new fan” with his amazing pyrotechnics and Australian skipper Pat Cummins loves the way the 15-year-old bats.

Sooryavanshi, Rajasthan Royals’s chubby-cheeked batting sensation who has taken the cricket world by storm, scored his second IPL ton — 103 off 37 balls — albeit it came in a losing cause against the Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Pat Cummins

“Yeah, I think he’s my new favourite player. He hits the ball so hard, it’s great to watch. It’s good fun,” Cummins, the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup-winning Australian skipper said after SRH’s five-wicket win on Saturday.

Cummins is impressed with the kind of start Sooryavanshi has had to his career. “You’ve got to be right on the money as a bowler, because if you’re not, it’s going a long way. So he’s impressive. Yeah, he’s had a great start to his career and yeah, I love the way he plays,” Cummins said.

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Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before chasing down the target through a Sai Sudharsan masterclass to win the IPL contest by eight wickets.

If the first half belonged to the bowlers, the chase was all about calculated aggression as Sudharsan produced a shining tutorial in adapting to conditions, smashing 87 off 46 balls to anchor GT’s chase of 159. The win moved GT to fifth position from seventh with eight points. Earlier, on a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability.

GT’s Sai Sudharsan after scoring his half-century on Sunday

Instead, CSK often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals, managing 158-7. CSK never found rhythm, but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (74 not out off 60 balls) lent a semblance of respectability to the total. The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj (1-23), who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.

Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada (3-25). However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely. That triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.

On his combination with Siraj and other seamers, Rabada said, “Yeah, a lot of fast bowlers, that’s been a clear tactic of Gujarat over the years, playing at Ahmedabad. So it’s nice to see the fast bowlers union coming together and it’s been working thus far.

Arshad Khan

“I think we’ve been taking a lot of wickets, but at the same time, we need to find ways to contain too. So it’s been a really lovely journey that we’ve had so far,” the South African pacer said. Left-arm pacer Arshad Khan (2-43) and spinner Manav Suthar (1-22) were the other wicket-takers for GT.

Brief scores
CSK 158-7 in 20 overs (R Gaikwad 74*; K Rabada 3-25, A Khan 2-43) lost to GT 162-2 in 16.4 overs (S Sudharsan 87, J Buttler 39*, S Gill 33) by eight wickets

16.4
No of overs taken by GT to chase down the 159-run target against CSK on Sunday — their joint-fastest for targets over 150

49
No of balls taken by Ruturaj Gaikwad to score his half-century on Sunday — the sixth-slowest for CSK in IPL

12
No of overs CSK took to reach 50 on Sunday — their second-slowest in IPL; also the slowest 50 by any team this season

43-4
CSK’s score after the first 10 overs — their second-lowest at Chepauk in IPL

Kagiso Rabada
3-25 off four overs

Mohammed Siraj
1-23 off four overs

Arshad Khan
2-43 off four overs

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