Former pacer Rudra Pratap Singh announces his retirement on Twitter

Former India pacer R P Singh on Tuesday announced his retirement from the game.

The 32-year-old Singh, a left arm speedster, took to Twitter to announce his decision.

"13 years ago today, on 4th September 2005 was the first time I donned the Indian jersey. It was the stepping-stone to what would become the most cherished moments of my life," Singh wrote on his Twitter account.

"Today as I hang my boots and call it a day, I wish to remember and give thanks to each and everyone who made this journey possible," he said.

His international career spanned six years and the pacer played 82 matches across all three formats and picked up over 100 wickets.

IPL 2018: Dhawan's unbeaten 77 helps Sunrisers crush Royals by 9 wickets

Opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan capitalised on a reprieve when on nought as he smashed his way to an unbeaten 77 to help Sunrisers Hyderabad thrash Rajasthan Royals by nine wickets in their opening match of the IPL-11 here today.

Chasing 126 for a win after the Sunrisers' bowlers had produced a disciplined display to restrict the Royals to a paltry total, Dhawan was dropped in the first over by captain Ajinkya Rahane and that blunder cost the visiting side dear in the end.

Dhawan (77 not out off 57 balls) later grew into confidence and in the company of his captain Kane Williamson (36 not out off 35 balls), he tore apart the Royals bowling attack as the Sunrisers overhauled the target with 4.1 overs to spare.

The absence of the disgraced Australian batsman David Warner at the top of the order was not felt as Dhawan and Williamson stitched 121 runs for the unbroken second wicket from 14.2 overs.

It's Lalit Modi again! BCCI domain name almost sold for $270 on non-renewal

BCCI, the richest cricket board in the world, has not been able to renew the domain of its official website www.bcci.tv in time.
Website registrars register.com and namejet.com have put the domain name up for public bidding, receiving seven bids so far with the highest of USD 270.
The The domain was valid from 2-2-2006 to 2-2-2019.

The updation date, however, happened to be February 3, 2018.
According to a Times of India report, the glitch occured because BCCI’s internet domain is still owned by former IPL czar Lalit Modi, who had not paid for the renewal in time. BCCI and Modi estranged ties in 2010 after the former Rajasthan Cricket Association chief was suspended on 22 charges. He was subsequently banned for life in 2013.

T-20 International series: Pakistan welcomes Sri Lanka after 8 long years

Pakistan marked a historical moment on Sunday as it will welcomed Sri Lanka on its soil after almost eight years, since they were targeted in a terrorist attack in 2009.

According to Geo news, the Sri Lanka team arrived Lahore in the wee hours of Sunday morning and reached safely to their hotel from Allama Iqbal International Airport.

Amid tight security at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, the two will play their third and final match of the Twenty-20 International (T20I) series.

The Men in Green are leading the T-20I series with 2-0, having emerged victorious against Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the first game and winning the second in a last-ball suspense match in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Lahore T-20I match will be Sri Lanka's first match in Pakistan since March 2009 militant attack on the team bus during a test match, killing six Pakistani policemen and injuring some of the visiting players.

Pakistan has only hosted Zimbabwe for a short limited-overs series two years ago since the 2009 terrorist attack.

However, last month it successfully hosted three-match T-20 Independence Cup against a World XI at Lahore, featuring high-profile international players.
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India to play Champions Trophy, confirms BCCI

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday ended the speculations surrounding India's participation in the upcoming Champions Trophy, and confirmed that the Men in Blue would participate in the 50-over pinnacle event, beginning January 1st in England and Wales.

The decision comes unanimously after the BCCI's Special General Meeting held in the national capital today (May 7).

The board unanimously also authorised acting BCCI Secretary Amitabh Choudhary to continue negotiations with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in the best interest of the country's cricket board while keeping its legal options open.

The All-India Senior Selection Meeting will now be held on Monday, May 8, in New Delhi to pick the team for the Champions Trophy.

Earlier, a day ahead of the SGM, acting BCCI president C. K. Khanna had said that the team would not withdraw from the tournament.

"The meeting may be called on Monday. The BCCI secretary is going to take the call after the SGM. My view is that India must take part in the Champions Trophy," Khanna told ANI.

In the wake of the ICC proposing a new financial model which reduces the BCCI's revenues from $570 million to $293 million, the latter had deliberately missed the April 25 deadline for submission of the squad and that there were speculations that they might pull out of the tournament.

On Friday, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), in a strongly worded statement, ordered the BCCI to refrain from taking any decision that might harm the interests of Indian cricket.
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Rooter, a sport social network to connect with fans of your favourite team

BREAKING NEWS - There is something unique about all sports – a spirit of unity that brings people together to cheer for what they support. We often get a glimpse of it among friends or strangers at workplaces, eateries, clubs, or any other place where a live match is being screened.

Ever wondered how it would be if common interests and sport fandom were to unite random people separated by distance or want of acquaintance? How about some ‘social sports networking’? After all, sitting alone curled in a couch as you watch a match of your favourite team or player can be boring!

You can use social sports app Rooter to get yourself in touch with sports enthusiasts around the world with similar interests and liking. Apart from basic features like real-time updates and event facts, the app offers a 360-degree engagement experience to fans, giving them the opportunity to immerse themselves in their most ardent passion – sports!

Once you have downloaded the app from Play Store, you can log in using your Facebook, Twitter or Google accounts. The app requires permissions to access contacts and user profile, so user discretion is required. Once logged in, the app offers you the option to customise your experience in accordance with the sports of your liking. (READ MORE)