Sports

NexGen Gurugram: Rajesh Kumar Delivers Impressive 66 to Secure Three-Shot Lead After Round 2

Published

11 months ago

March 13, 2025

Rajesh Kumar Gautam from Lucknow improved on his first-round score of three-under 69 with an impressive six-under 66, taking a commanding lead at nine-under 135 after the second round of the PGTI NexGen Gurugram 2025 at Golden Greens Golf & Polo Club on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old rookie Rajesh (69-66) recorded six birdies without any bogeys, moving up two positions from his tied third place after the first round of the NexGen season opener.

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Chandigarh’s Rajiv Kumar Jatiwal (65-73), who led the first round by three shots, fell to second place at six-under 138 after carding a 73 on day two. Aniket Sawant from Ahmedabad (69-70) is in third place at five-under 139. The cut was set at two-over 146, allowing the top 36 professionals to advance to the final round.

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Rajesh Kumar Gautam, who turned professional this year and secured a partial card on the PGTI main tour through the PGTI Qualifying School, demonstrated exceptional skill in round two by hitting 16 greens in regulation. His round included an impressive 30-foot birdie putt.

“I believe my position reflects my consistency over these two days. I’ve made very few mistakes—just two bogeys in the first round and none today. I was able to play close to the pin and made a couple of long putts as well,” Rajesh commented.

“In the final round, my focus will be on hitting as many greens as possible and maintaining steady play. It’s now up to the others to catch me,” he added.

In the opening round, Chandigarh’s Rajiv Kumar Jatiwal started strong with a seven-under 65, taking the early lead. He notched an eagle and five birdies during his first-round performance on Tuesday.

The seasoned player, who won his only title in his professional debut back in 1998, made significant gains early in his round, scoring five birdies from the first hole to the 10th. He followed that up with an eagle on the 11th, converting a 10-footer. Rajiv’s round showcased all facets of his game, including sinking two additional long birdie putts and placing his wedge shots within four feet on two occasions for birdies. He also narrowly missed a hole-in-one on the eighth, where he secured another birdie.

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Sports

Pakistan Sets 3 Conditions to Play against India in T20 World Cup

Published

3 days ago

February 9, 2026

Namma Kudla

Dubai: Pakistan has placed three conditions before the International Cricket Council (ICC) to agree to play against India in the T20 World Cup.

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) planned to boycott the match scheduled on February 15 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The ICC warned Pakistan about possible consequences after this decision.

Now, PCB is willing to consider playing the match but has made key demands. It has asked the ICC to increase compensation for Bangladesh, pay participation fees even if Bangladesh is left out of the tournament, and grant Bangladesh hosting rights for a future ICC event.

Some PCB officials support playing against India, but PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has not agreed yet. He is expected to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday before making a final decision.

So far, PCB has not officially confirmed whether Pakistan will play the match.

Sports

T20 World Cup | Pakistan Edge Past Netherlands in a Close Contest

Published

5 days ago

February 7, 2026

Namma Kudla

Colombo: The T20 World Cup began today with an exciting match between Pakistan and the Netherlands. Pakistan secured a narrow three-wicket victory despite a strong bowling performance. However, the top-order batters failed to deliver. With this win, Pakistan made a positive start to the 10th edition of the tournament.

After losing the toss, the Netherlands batted first at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo. The team was bowled out for 147 runs in 19.5 overs. Pakistan chased the modest target and scored 148 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 19.3 overs.

Pakistan started aggressively, but the Netherlands slowed their progress. Pakistan lost four wickets for 98 runs. Soon, they were in trouble at 114 for seven. Faheem Ashraf played a crucial role at the end and guided the team to victory.

For Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan scored 47 runs, while Saim Ayub added 24 runs. Faheem Ashraf contributed an important 29 runs. The rest of the batters failed to score big. Star batter Babar Azam disappointed fans by scoring only 15 runs off 18 balls.

Earlier, Netherlands captain Scott Edwards scored 37 runs. Bas de Leede made 30 runs, Colin Ackermann added 20, and Michael Levitt scored 24 runs. The remaining batters were dismissed for low scores.

Sports

India Clinch Record Sixth Under-19 World Cup Title

Published

5 days ago

February 7, 2026

Namma Kudla

Sports: India defeated England by 100 runs to win the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 final at the Harare Sports Club. The victory marked India’s sixth title, making them the most successful team in the tournament’s history.

India batted first and posted a massive total of 411 for 9 in 50 overs. The innings was powered by 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who smashed a record-breaking 175 runs off just 80 balls. His knock included 15 fours and 15 sixes and became the highest individual score ever in an Under-19 World Cup final.

Suryavanshi also shared a crucial 142-run partnership with captain Ayush Mhatre, who scored 53 runs. Their strong batting display helped India set a daunting target of 412 for England.

England tried to fight back in the chase, with Caleb Falconer scoring 115 and Ben Dawkins adding 66. However, the team was eventually bowled out for 311, handing India a comfortable victory.

Suryavanshi was named Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament for his historic performance. The triumph once again highlighted India’s dominance in youth cricket on the global stage.