Sports
Chennai comes to standstill as World Champion D Gukesh participates in ceremonial parade | Chess News
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will honor World Chess Champion D. Gukesh on Tuesday with a felicitation ceremony and a cheque for ₹5 crore. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and chess legend Viswanathan Anand will also be present.
Gukesh arrived in Chennai on Monday with his parents after securing the World Championship title in Singapore.
At Chennai International Airport, he was greeted by Atulya Misra, Additional Chief Secretary (Youth Affairs and Sports Development), and Meghanath Reddy, Member-Secretary of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT).
Watch: D Gukesh’s participation in ceremonial parade brings Chennai to a standstill
A specially decorated vehicle, showcasing Gukesh’s accomplishments, transported the new champion and his parents.
The Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) recognizes Gukesh as an “elite sportsperson,” providing him with continued financial support under the high-incentive category.
In 2023, the Tamil Nadu government organized the Chennai Grand Masters event specifically to assist Gukesh in accumulating FIDE circuit points.
Gukesh’s victory in the Chennai event was crucial for his qualification for the Candidates Tournament 2024.
His success in the Candidates Tournament subsequently secured his place in the World Chess Championship held in Singapore.
The Tamil Nadu government’s intervention in hosting the Chennai event was instrumental, as Gukesh lacked the necessary circuit points to qualify for the Candidates Tournament initially.
Last week in Singapore, 18-year-old Gukesh triumphed over China’s Ding Liren with a score of 7.5-6.5, becoming the youngest World Chess Champion and surpassing Garry Kasparov’s long-held record.
In 1985, at the age of 22, Kasparov claimed the World Chess Championship title by defeating the then-champion Anatoly Karpov.
Gukesh is set to compete against Magnus Carlsen, the world’s highest-rated player, at the Norway Chess Tournament next year.
The Norway Chess Tournament, scheduled from May 26 to June 6, 2025, in Stavanger, Norway, is expected to be a major event for chess enthusiasts worldwide.
In the 2023 Stavanger tournament, Gukesh achieved a third-place finish.
This time, he returns as World Champion, poised to challenge the top players, including Carlsen.
Sports
Tanush Kotian added to India’s squad for the last two Tests against Australia | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the addition of all-rounder Tanush Kotian to the Indian cricket squad for the fourth and fifth Tests of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The decision comes ahead of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
Kotian, an off-spinner from Mumbai, has been rewarded for his impressive performances in domestic cricket. In his 33 first-class matches, he has taken 101 wickets at an average of 25.70, including three five-wicket hauls.
Additionally, he has scored two centuries and 13 half-centuries, showcasing his batting abilities.
The 24-year-old was part of the India A squad and played in the second first-class game against Australia A at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, providing him with valuable experience on Australian soil.
Kotian’s selection is justified after his outstanding all-round performance in the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season, where he played a pivotal role in Mumbai’s triumph.
He was named the Player of the Tournament for his remarkable contributions, scoring 502 runs at an average of 41.83 and taking 29 wickets at an average of 16.96.
Kotian’s inclusion in the Indian squad comes as a replacement for the experienced R Ashwin, who announced his sudden retirement at the conclusion of the third Test in Brisbane.
This left the team with only two spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, in the squad.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series is currently tied at 1-1 after three Tests, with the crucial matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) remaining.
Kotian’s addition provides the Indian team with an additional spin-bowling option and batting depth as they aim to clinch the series against the formidable Australian side.
Sports
Ashwin clears the air about popular misconception, says ‘I was never after numbers’ | Cricket News
R Ashwin, after retiring from Test cricket, envisions a broader role on the cricket field in the coming years. His retirement announcement after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy surprised many.
He returned to his hometown, Chennai, to a warm welcome.
In a Sky Sports interview with former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain, Ashwin explained that a lack of creative satisfaction contributed to his decision.
“One line I have always said when people ask me ‘what is next?’ I have said the day I wake up and feel that creative side doesn’t have a future or direction is when I would probably give it up.
“I certainly think that creative side did not have a lot of upside to explore. There are laboratories available in world cricket today. So I thought okay if this is not the lab, I can find another one,” said the second highest wicket taker for India in Test cricket.
He plans to continue playing club cricket, including the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Ashwin, currently seventh on the all-time leading wicket-takers list, acknowledges Nathan Lyon is close behind. He expresses contentment with any eventual ranking.
“I won’t be seventh on the list for a long time. Nathan Lyon is breathing down my neck. Glad to be number 8, glad to be whatever number I happen to become eventually.
“One tag that have always come behind me, that people have tended to say that I am a numbers man, I know my numbers, probably gave the impression that I went after number, that was never the case.
“It was all about getting excited to be something else the very next day that I played the game. The game gave me so much to a point where it allowed me to be creative and explore the best inside me. So grateful to the game for giving me all those avenues.
“The cricketer in me is yet to be done. I do visualise myself doing a lot more in the next few years, that tag of being an Indian cricketer can be overwhelming. Now that is off my back, I do have an avenue to explore much more as long as my body is allowing me to do so,” he said.
Ashwin’s retirement decision was somewhat unique. He doesn’t dwell on decisions and avoids attachment.
“There is always that question lies inside you. You keep asking yourself, am I really making this decision the right way? In my case it was slightly different. I don’t know how to position this. But I have never been the kind to hold on to things. I have never felt insecure in life.
“I don’t believe what I have today is probably going to be mine tomorrow. Probably that has been one of my elevating factors. I always wanted to leave things behind as nonchalantly as I can because I do not believe in people celebrating me, I don’t believe in the kind of attention we get sometimes in India. It is always the game that is always stood ahead of me,” said Ashwin.
The outpouring of support after his retirement surprised him. He received calls from his childhood idols, Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev.
“I went to bed one night thinking what the hell have I done? People like Sachin and Kapil Dev. Growing up to me Sachin was everything. I didn’t want him to get out. To get a call from him, he spoke to me at depth about how he felt when he hung up his boots.
“Then Kapil Dev calling me and speaking about what he felt and thought of me was (overwhelming). I have a massive amount of gratitude (for the love that I have received),” he added.
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