Cricket

Mumbai's Siddesh Lad and Angkrish Raghuvanshi guided their team to a comfortable nine-wicket victory over Services in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match in New Delhi. Resuming on 24 for one, Mumbai chased down the target of 135 in just 35.4 overs.Lad remained unbeaten on 73, hitting eight fours and two sixes, while Raghuvanshi contributed an unbeaten 55 with six boundaries. The duo shared an unbroken 128-run partnership for the second wicket, ensuring Mumbai's dominance.This victory keeps Mumbai in third place in the group standings with 22 points, behind Baroda and Jammu and Kashmir. Services remain in fifth place with 13 points.In another Ranji Trophy Group B match, Gujarat managed to salvage a draw against Vidarbha despite the latter posting a formidable total of 545-9. Vidarbha's innings was highlighted by three centuries from Danish Malewar (115), Karun Nair (123), and Akshay Wadkar (114 not out).Gujarat responded with a strong batting performance, led by Het Patel's 77. However, they lost wickets at regular intervals and were unable to build substantial partnerships. With time running out, the two teams agreed to a draw.Vidarbha remains atop the Group B table, followed by Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, renowned for his mastery of the pull shot, recently shared his expertise with uncapped Indian batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi. The encounter occurred after the IPL 2024 match between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.Ponting, now the head coach of DC, took time out to guide Raghuvanshi on the intricacies of playing the pull shot. The video of their interaction, shared by the IPL on social media, has garnered widespread attention."Making the most out of the opportunities. Young Angkrish Raghuvanshi receives some valuable post-match lessons from the @DelhiCapitals Head Coach @RickyPonting," the IPL captioned the video.Raghuvanshi has made a significant impact in this year's IPL, earning a place in the playing XI after an injury to Nitish Rana. In five innings, he has played crucial knocks of 54, 24, and 30.On Monday, he did not get the chance to bat as an impact substitute, as KKR secured an easy victory.After DC opted to bat, mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy led KKR's disciplined bowling attack, restricting the hosts to 153-9. In reply, Phil Salt led the chase with an opening stand of 79 with Sunil Narine, guiding the two-time champions to victory with 3.3 overs to spare.Ponting's guidance to Raghuvanshi highlights the importance of mentorship and knowledge sharing in sports. The former Australian captain's insights can help the young Indian batter refine his technique and improve his performance.