Sports

Avirat Chauhan Stands Tall in Opening Round Draw at Mumbai Junior International

Published

7 months ago

June 17, 2025

The opening round of the Junior Section at the Aurionpro Mumbai International Chess Tournament brought an unexpected twist as fourth-seeded Avirat Chauhan (ELO 2168) settled for a draw against the lower-rated Tanmay R on Monday.

Starting as white, Avirat launched the game with 1.e4, while Tanmay countered with the aggressive Dragon Variation of the Sicilian Defence. The match maintained a delicate equilibrium with frequent material exchanges. Despite Avirat’s greater experience, Tanmay displayed remarkable poise, and the players ultimately agreed to a draw after 29 hard-fought moves.

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Aside from this notable result, the other top seeds advanced smoothly. Top-seed FM Aansh Nerurkar, second-seed Madhesh Kumar, and third-seed Advik Agarwal all secured convincing victories, moving on to the second round of this ₹15.00 lakh prize money tournament.

This tournament is organized by the Indian Chess School, in collaboration with the Maharashtra Chess Association and the All India Chess Federation.

Over 400 participants from 17 countries are set to compete in the Grandmaster section, featuring an impressive roster of 16 Grandmasters and 13 International Masters. With a total prize fund of ₹40.00 Lakhs, this event is poised to be one of India’s richest chess tournaments: ₹25.00 Lakhs are designated for the Grandmaster section, and ₹15.00 Lakhs for the Junior (Under-13) section, touted as the ‘Richest Tournament for Children’ in the world.

Key Results:

Round 1:

Vihaan, Ravi Rao 0 Lost to 1 Aansh Nerurkar

Madhesh, Kumar S 1 Beat 0 Ishaan, Bhansali

Krithik, Reddy N 0 Lost to 1 Advik, Amit Agrawal

Avirat, Chauhan ½ Drew ½ Tanmay, R

Tvesha, Ashish Jain 0 Lost to 1 Madhvendra Sharma

Krishay, Jain 1 Beat 0 Shlok, Vinay Kulkarni

Dev, Dharshan S 0 Lost to 1 Aadik Lenin

Samuel, Stephen Noble S 1 Beat 0 Ayaanraj, Kottapally

Agashe, Vyom Mandar 0 Lost to 1 Badole, Shaunak

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Sports

Storm in the First Over: RCB Create New WPL Record

Published

2 days ago

January 17, 2026

Namma Kudla

Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history in the Women’s Premier League by scoring the highest number of runs in the first over of a match. RCB scored a massive 23 runs in the opening over, setting a new WPL record.

This historic moment took place during the match against Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Gujarat Giants bowler Renuka Singh Thakur conceded 23 runs in the first over, making it the most expensive opening over in WPL history.

Renuka began the over with a wide delivery. The ball went past the wicketkeeper and crossed the boundary, resulting in five runs. RCB batter Grace Harris then took charge of the over. She smashed four consecutive boundaries, putting the Gujarat Giants under pressure.

During the over, Renuka Singh bowled two more wides, adding extra runs to the total. On the final delivery of the over, Grace Harris struck another boundary. This completed a dramatic and record-breaking first over for RCB.

With this, Renuka Singh Thakur recorded the most expensive first over ever bowled in the Women’s Premier League. The previous record was held by Tanuja Kanwar. She had conceded 21 runs in the first over while playing for Gujarat Giants against Mumbai Indians in the 2023 season.

In the same match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru batted first and put up a strong total. RCB scored 182 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. The team showed aggressive batting throughout the innings.

Gujarat Giants chased the target but failed to keep up with the required run rate. They were bowled out for 150 runs in 18.5 overs. As a result, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the match by 32 runs.

This victory strengthened RCB’s position in the tournament and added a historic achievement to the Women’s Premier League records.

Sports

Historic Test Debut in Guwahati as South Africa Reach 247/6 on Day 1

Published

2 months ago

November 23, 2025

Namma Kudla

On the first day of the second Test between India and South Africa at Barsapara Stadium, South Africa made a strong start, reaching 247 for 6 at stumps.The venue, Barsapara Cricket Stadium, hosted its very first Test match in history — making the day special for Guwahati and cricket in Assam.

South African skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to bat first.Their openers, Aiden Markram (38) and Ryan Rickelton (35), gave a solid start with a partnership of 82 runs.Later, Tristan Stubbs added 49 before getting out, while Bavuma made 41.

India fought back well thanks to a strong performance by spinner Kuldeep Yadav. He picked up 3 wickets and gave away only 48 runs in 17 overs.Ravindra Jadeja also chipped in with an important wicket, dismissing Bavuma. In the final over before stumps, Mohammed Siraj struck, getting Tony de Zorzi out.At the end of play, Senuran Muthusamy was unbeaten on 25, and Kyle Verreynne was 1 not out.

The light became a concern late in the day. As visibility dropped, play was stopped, and light issues forced the umpires to call it a day early.Overall, India ended Day 1 with a degree of satisfaction. The bowling attack showed discipline, especially through their spinners, and they managed to check the South African momentum.

Sports

India A Post 297/4 as Vaibhav Suryavanshi Smashes 144 Off 42 Balls

Published

2 months ago

November 14, 2025

Namma Kudla

India A began their Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 campaign with a huge total against the UAE in Doha. Captain Jitesh Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first. Vaibhav Suryavanshi then produced a stunning innings. He scored 144 runs from just 42 balls. His knock included 11 fours and 15 sixes.

Suryavanshi reached his fifty in 17 balls. He completed his century in only 32 balls. He added 163 runs for the second wicket with Naman Dhir, who made 34. Jitesh Sharma also played a quick innings and scored a fast fifty.

India A finished at 297 for 4 in 20 overs. The team now holds a strong position in the match.