Sports World Today, January 9, 2024: Australia Women Beat India Women By 7 Wickets In T20I Series Decider; Sreenidi Deccan Beaten By Mohun Bagan In Kalinga Super Cup; LFC's Trent Alexander-Arnold Suffers Injury - As It Happened

11:54 PM: Good Night!

And with that, we call it a night! Goodnight!

11:41 PM: Thierry Henry's Battle With Depression

Thierry Henry, who won the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship with France and is?Arsenal's?all-time highest scorer, has opened up about the fact he “must have been in depression” during his football career.

Read more about it here.

11:23 PM: Luke Littler Grows Popular On Instagram

World Championship honours might have evaded him but runners-up Luke Littler but the youngster is?winning the social media race. Littler becomes the first darter ever to surpass one million?followers on Instagram

10:56 PM:?Pro Kabaddi League 2023-24 Update

Defender Vaibhav Garje and captain Pawan Sehrawat came up with fine efforts as Bengal Warriors beat Telugu Titans 46-26 to snap their four-game winless streak in Pro Kabaddi League on Tuesday.

Read more about it here

10:14 PM: Rugby News

Fiji rugby player Api Ratuniyarawa has been sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison for sexual offences.

10:10 PM: AUS-W Beat IND-W By 7 Wickets In Series Decider

Australia Women's supremacy in the T20Is continues to rise as they beat India Women by 7 wickets in the final T20I to take the series 2-1. Despite winning the first T20I, the visitors came back strongly in the second and now, in the final T20I to reclaim their numero uno status in the world cricket.

9:38 PM: Kalinga Super Cup

Mohun Bagan made a comeback from being a goal down to beat Sreenidi Deccan FC 2-1 in their opening game of 2024 Kalinga Super Cup.

9:35?PM: AUS-W 97/1?Vs IND-W, 7-12 Overs Highlights

Despite the wicket of Alyssa Healy (55), the visitors are in the driving seat to chase down the target of 148 against India in the third and final T20I in Navi Mumbai. Beth Mooney (34 not out) is joined by Tahila McGrath who need 51 runs with nine wickets in hand.

9:10?PM: AUS-W 54/0?Vs IND-W, 1-6?Overs Highlights

After a slow start, Australia women's Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney blugeoned the Indian bowlers to all corners of the stadium as they look to chase down the target of 148 and seal the series 2-1. Healy has been brilliant with the bat as she scored 37 runs in this phase.

8:30 PM: Kalinga Super Cup Update

Mohun Bagan Super Giant are level at the break against Sreenidhi Deccan FC in their Kalinga Super Cup fixture.William Alves' penalty was bettered by Jason Cummings' strike for Bagan.

8:28?PM:?IND-W 147/6?Vs AUS-W, 13-20 Overs Highlights

Thanks to Richa Ghosh's electric 33 and contributions from Amanjot Kaur (17) down the order as India women posted a reasonable 147 on the board in the third and final T20I against Australia women in Navi Mumbai. Put into bat, India women started strongly but a cluster of wickets in-between overs saw them spiral down the run-rate.

8:00 PM:?Shreyas Iyer Added To Mumbai Squad For Ranji Trophy

India batter Shreyas Iyer was on Tuesday added to the Mumbai squad for their next Ranji Trophy game against Andhra to be played from January 12-15. Having struggled with the bat largely during India’s two-match Test series in South Africa in challenging conditions, the right-handed batter would be looking to regain form and bolster preparations for the Tests against England beginning January 25.?

7:54 PM:?IND-W 77/4?Vs AUS-W, 7-12?Overs Highlights

After a great Powerplay, India women's lost wickets in a heap as they lost Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. Australian bowlers struck in regular intervals as they kept the hosts on their feet in the third and final T20I in Navi Mumbai.

7:51 PM: Mohammad?Rizwan Appointed As Pakistan Cricket Team T20I Vice-Captain

Mohammad?Rizwan is appointed as Pakistan Cricket team's T20I vice-captain and will act as a deputy to captain Shaheen Shah Afridi.

7:24?PM: IND-W 51/1 Vs AUS-W, 1-6 Overs Highlights

India started strongly against the reigning T20 champions Australia with Shafali Varma dealing in boundaries. However, Megan Schutt's?slower delivery done the trick as Varma's explosive innings was ended by a neat catch by Alyssa Healy. India have ended the powerplay in a strong position with 51 runs on the board.

7:11 PM:?Trent Alexander-Arnold Out With An 'Extended' Injury

Sad news Liverpool FC fans!?Full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold (25) will be out injured for a few weeks after knee injury in game vs Arsenal. Liverpool are in the semis of the English League Cup as well as the other three competitions. A big loss for the Reds!

6:45 PM: Pitch Report For IND-W Vs AUS-W 3rd T20I

Pitch report:?It's a good chasing ground. There's a tinge of green. Bowlers can prove to be expensive if they bowl short on this wicket. Bowlers need to stick around the good length area in order to pick wickets..

6:35 PM: IND-W Vs AUS-W 3rd T20I Playing XIs

India Women?(Playing XI): Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Amanjot Kaur, Shreyanka Patil, Titas Sadhu, Renuka Thakur Singh

Australia Women?(Playing XI): Alyssa Healy(w/c), Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Phoebe Litchfield, Grace Harris, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt

6:32 PM: Toss Update
Australia Women have won the toss and have opted to field first. Both teams are unchanged from the last T20I.?

Harmanpreet:?We were looking to bowl. We have to work on our batting. 10-15 runs extra with the bat would have made a huge difference. We have an opportunity to beat them, we'll give our best. Playing with the same team.

Alyssa Healy:?We are going to bowl first. Want to get the best of the conditions with the new ball early. I have been googling dew. It's been one hell of a ride. It's about getting better. Want to get a couple of things right tonight. It has been an enjoyable month for us. Unchanged tonight.

6:18 PM: IND-W Vs AUS-W 3rd T20I Toss Is Minutes Away

The third and final T20I between India Women and Australia Women is just minutes away from the toss.

5:00 PM:?Rohit Sharma Earns Don Bradman Comparison From Retired England Cricket Star

The England national cricket team are scheduled to visit India in January 2024 for a five-game Test series against the Men in Blue, who have been in fine form of late, especially at home. Speaking about his team's prospects, former England bowler Monty Panesar pinpointed one significant strength in the Indian batting line-up at present, while heralding Rohit Sharma as the "key man".

Read more about it here

4:30 PM:?MS Dhoni's Latest Viral Video Has Fans Divided

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former Indian cricket captain, is always a topic of discussion on social media platforms. Whether it's his honest opinions, his actions in remote villages, or his Indian Premier League (IPL) advertisements,?Dhoni?is always in the limelight.

Read more about it here

3:47 PM:?How Bad Was Newlands Pitch?

The International Cricket Council has termed the pitch that was used for the second South Africa vs India at Newlands in Cape Town "unsatisfactory”. under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

“The pitch in Newlands was very difficult to bat on. The ball bounced quickly and sometimes alarmingly throughout the match, making it difficult to play shots," ICC Match Referee Chris Broad said in the report. "Several batters were hit on the gloves and many wickets also fell due to the awkward bounce."

Well, the match lasted for only 642 deliveries with India winning by seven wickets to level the series.

3:15 PM:?Latest On Kylian Mbappe?

No Real Madrid yet! Mbappe’s representatives have dismissed reports that the French forward will leave Paris Saint-Germain for Madrid. "There is no agreement around Kylian’s future, especially since there are no discussions started about it,” his representatives said in a statement to RMC Sport. “No type of influence could dictate the timing of Kylian’s discussions, reflections or decision.”

Earlier, reports claimed a deal with Real Madrid had been completed.

2:53 PM: Spanish Super Cup Is here

Madrid derby will kick off the 2024 edition of the Spanish Super Cup (Supercopa de Espana) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Barcelona and Osasuna are the other two teams.

2:41 PM:?Raducanu Opts To Rest

Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from a charity match on Tuesday that was part of her Australian Open build-up. The Briton, who won the 2021 US Open, is bidding to make her Grand Slam return next week in Melbourne. According to reports, she woke up a "little sore" after a two-hour practice session on Monday, and decided to take rest. Naomi Osaka, her original opponent, had also pulled out and was replaced by Donna Vekic for the match at Melbourne Park. Now, the match has been cancelled.

1:48?PM: New Boss

Hockey India appoints Herman Kruis as the high performance director. The Dutchman will oversee the national junior and senior programmes of HI, including the coaches' education pathway among other tasks.

1:16 PM: More Medals For Indian Shooters

The Indian pair of Rudrankksh Patil and Mehuli Ghosh gave the country its fifth gold medal at the Asia Olympic Qualifiers, winning the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event in Jakarta, Indonesia. Yesterday, Varun Tomar and Esha Singh secured two Olympic quota places with gold medals in the men's and women's 10m Air Pistol events, respectively. The duo's qualification took the total number of Indian shooters bound for the Paris Olympic Games to 15, equalling the highest-ever tally that was achieved in the Tokyo Games.

1:00 PM: Busy Afghanistan

Afghanistan confirmed dates for their all-formats tour of Sri Lanka. The tour starts with one-off Test at the SSC in Colombo from February 2 to 6. The R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will host the three ODIs on February 9, 11 and 14, followed by three T20Is on February 17, 19 and 21. The team will then leave for the United Arab Emirates where they will host Ireland for a full series which includes one Test, three ODIs and three T20Is.

They are already in India for a three-match T20I series, which starts??Thursday. Check live streaming and schedule details HERE.

12:42 PM:?Pochettino On VAR-less League Cup

"There’s no VAR. That is a thing we need to be careful of. Our normal attitude is to play with VAR. We need to be cautious of that," Mauricio Pochettino told reporters ahead of Chelsea's League Cup semi-final first leg against Middlesbrough tonight. There is no VAR technology at the Riverside Stadium, and the Blues are warned! Beat Boro, and they will face either Liverpool or Fulham in the final.

12:09 PM:?BATC 2024 Squads

India announced squads for the Badminton Asian Team Championships 2024, to be held in Shah Alam, Malaysia next month.

Men's team: HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, Chirag Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Dhruv Kapila, MR Arjun, Suraj Goala, Pruthvi Roy.

Women's Team: PV Sindhu, Anmol Khabb, Tanvi Sharma, Ashmita Chaliha, Tressa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand, Ashwini Ponnappa, Tanisha Crasto, Priya Konjengbam, Shruti Mishra.

Meanwhile, ace shuttler PV Sindhu has reportedly roped in Indonesian Agus Dwi Santoso as her new coach to prepare for the Paris Olympics. She was previously training with Malaysian Muhammad Hafiz Hashim

11:45 AM: Kidambi vs Christie Update

What a turnaround by Kidambi Srikanth! Trailing 1-0 and facing defeat in the second set, the Indian shuttler rallied around to beat Indonesia's Jonatan Christie in the Malaysia Open 2024 Round of 32.?In the next round, he will take on Angus Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong for a place in the quarter-finals

Final Score:?Srikanth beats Christie - 12-21, 21-18, 21-16

11:14 AM: National Sports Awards 2023 Ceremony

President of India, Droupadi Murmu is giving away awards. India cricketer Mohammed was bestowed with the Arjuna Award.

A total of 26 sports personalities will receive the second-highest sporting honour in the country. Badminton pair, Chirag Chandrashekhar Shetty and Rankireddy Satwik Sai Raj, who are in Kuala Lumpur to compete in the Malaysia Open,?were confirmed as the recipients of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the highest honour. Five coaches have been named for the Dronacharya Award.

11:00 AM: Kidambi Srikanth In Malaysia Open Action

The Indian shuttler is battling Indonesia Jonatan Christie at the time of writing, with the latter having claimed the first set. Srikanth, however, has fought back in the second and taken the match to the third and deciding set!?

Scores, as it stands: Christie vs Srikanth - 21-12, 18-21, ongoing

10:00 AM: Pujara Surpasses Laxman In FC Runs?

Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara had raced off the blocks in the new year, surpassing VVS Laxman in the list of all-time run-scorers in domestic First Class cricket. He has also registered his 17th double ton of the format, joining an elite list of individuals, including sir Don Bradman!?

Read more here.?

9:00 AM: FA Cup Recap?

Wigan Athletic 0-2 Manchester United -?Goals from Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes helped ease the pressure on Erik ten Hag's head, as Manchester United cruised to round four of the FA Cup 2023-24. The Red Devils dominated proceedings on Monday night, hoarding 67 per cent of the ball and out-shooting their opponents 33 to nine. Consequently, they joined their counterparts from the Premier League in the fourth-round draw, as most of the teams involved prevented a cup scalp.?

FA Cup fourth round draw -?

1 Watford v Southampton?
2 Blackburn Rovers v Wrexham
3 AFC Bournemouth v Swansea City
4 West Bromwich Albion v Brentford or Wolverhampton Wanderers
5 West Ham United or Bristol City v Nottingham Forest or Blackpool
6 Leicester City v Hull City or Birmingham City?
7 Sheffield Wednesday v Coventry City
8 Chelsea v Aston Villa
9 Ipswich Town v Maidstone United
10 Liverpool v Norwich City or Bristol Rovers
11 Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City
12 Leeds United v Plymouth Argyle
13 Crystal Palace or Everton v Luton Town or Bolton Wanderers
14 Newport County or Eastleigh v Manchester United
15 Sheffield United v Brighton & Hove Albion
16 Fulham v Newcastle United

Preview!

Hello and welcome to the sports world live blog on January 8, 2024. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led India women's cricket team will look to better their performance from the last game in the T20I series decider against Australia women in Navi Mumbai. In football, tributes and reactions continue at German football icon Franz Beckenbauer's passing away at 78. The transfer window is open and football rumours continue to swirl as questions remain over Kylian Mbappe's future. In tennis, Rafael Nadal will not feature in the season-opening Grand Slam, Australian Open 2024. In New Delhi, India's National Sports Awards 2023 ceremony is being hosted at the Rashtrapati Bhavan