Rajasthan Royals (ANI photo)

Jaipur: with Rajasthan High Court A major hurdle in the state cricket administration has been removed with the suspension of the ad-hoc committee of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). The High Court has appointed Bhaskar A Sawant, Additional Chief Secretary in the state Home Department, as the sole administrator and directed him to complete the long-pending democratic elections within three months.The ad-hoc setup was hanging fire for more than two and a half years after the exit of former chairman Vaibhav Gehlot in February 2024. Despite seeing a revolving door of political coordinators and multiple extensions, the temporary panel completely failed in its original mandate of conducting the elections.The immediate outcome of judicial realignment is positive for the sports scenario of the state. A stable, constitutionally elected leadership will eventually be able to resume work on the association’s half-built Premier Chonup Stadium project and resolve other long-pending issues. Over the years, local cricket development has been held hostage by disputes over exorbitant rental fees and access to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.Importantly, the HC order also strengthens the prospects Indian Premier League (IPL) continues in Jaipur. Relations between the RCA and the Rajasthan State Sports Council (RSSC) had broken down in early 2024, when the Sports Council sealed the stadium and the RCA headquarters over the expiry of its MOU and outstanding dues of around Rs 8 crore.With the RCA transformed into an unelected ad-hoc committee, the apex cricket board (BCCI) made an extraordinary, one-time arrangement to allow the sports council to host IPL matches in Jaipur for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Rajasthan Royals Under this special arrangement match operations are coordinated directly with the sports department, although the BCCI generally prefers to deal with the appropriately elected member association. However, the BCCI has repeatedly clarified that such temporary reforms cannot continue. IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal has said that IPL matches can be held in Jaipur only if the RCA conducts proper elections and forms a democratically elected body, as well as ensuring that the venue is up to IPL standards. The franchise is also assessing the readiness of the facility.By appointing a professional administrator with a clear mandate to conduct elections within three months, the HC has directly addressed BCCI’s key condition. This significantly improves the chances of the Royals continuing to play their home matches in Jaipur without any administrative uncertainty.Long running questions: Now questions are being raised over the fate of the actions taken by the outgoing ad-hoc panel, including the recently initiated internal inquiry against Bharatpur DCA secretary Shatrughan Tiwari over harassment complaints by women players.People familiar with the matter say the new administrator may investigate such matters if the affected players approach RCA again.Additionally, some players have expressed concerns over whether their performances in the recently concluded Colwyn Shield, which serves as a major selection criteria for the senior men’s team, will be considered by the elected body in the future. They are hoping that their efforts will not go in vain.

Defending champion Iga Swiatek put her early-round wobble firmly behind her by reaching the third round of Wimbledon 2026 with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win over former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova on Thursday, July 2.

After being trailed by three sets to Taylor Townsend in her opening match, the Polish star produced her best performance on center court. Swiatek dominated from the start, breaking Pliskova repeatedly with her trademark aggressive baseline game and giving the Czech player little chance to settle down.

Although Pliskova offered more resistance in the second set, Swiatek maintained control, serving efficiently and directing rallies to finish in straight sets.

wimbledon 2026 day 4 updates

The six-time Grand Slam champion displayed the grass-court confidence that led her to the Wimbledon title last year, hitting hard on both wings and moving fluently around the court.

The win extended her successful title defense and set up a third-round clash with Filipina star Alexandra Ella, who advanced after defeating Australia’s Maya Joyce.

De Minaur, Fritz continue to dominate

Fifth seed Alex de Minaur also enjoyed an easy passage into the third round after beating France’s Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in a superb all-round performance.

The Australian needed just over 90 minutes to dismiss the experienced left-hander, using his exceptional pace and counter-punching ability to neutralize Mannarino’s flat groundstrokes.

De Minaur was clinical on serve, relentless in defense and sharp on returns, extending her run in the tournament without losing a single set. He will next face Zachary Swajda or Kamil Majchrzak as he bids to progress beyond the Grand Slam quarter-final stage for the first time.

Taylor Fritz was equally impressive as the sixth seed defeated fellow American Patrick Kipson 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 to continue his strong Wimbledon campaign.

Last year’s semi-finalist dominated the opening two sets with powerful serving and aggressive first-strike tennis, giving Kipson few opportunities to dictate the game.

The world number six faced a tough challenge in the third set as Kipson fought back to level at 4–4, but Fritz quickly regained control and took a break at a crucial stage before going out of the match. The American will next face either Gabriel Diallo or Lorenzo Sonego for a place in the fourth round.

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England’s Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum watch from the dressing room balcony (Getty Images)

Former England captain michael vaughn Has launched a scathing attack on England’s leadership while demanding a head coach Brendon McCullum And Managing Director of Cricket Rob Key will have to step down after this ben stokes The curtain came down on his international career.Stokes, 35, announced his retirement from international cricket and stepped down from captaincy of England after the team’s crushing 160-run defeat to New Zealand in the third Test at Trent Bridge on Sunday. The result sealed a 2–1 series defeat and extended England’s disappointing performance in the longest format.England have now managed only two wins from their last 10 Test matches, a sequence that includes losses to Australia and New Zealand as well as a home series draw against India.Responding to the team’s recent performances, Vaughan said that he has reached a point where he cannot accept England’s standards.“When I saw it on the fourth evening last week, I was like, ‘No, we can’t accept this’ as former players of the game,” Vaughan said on the Stick to Cricket podcast.“And it was that period that I looked at and I said ‘No, enough is enough’. English cricket has got to be better than this.”Vaughan believes the time has come for sweeping change at the top, questioning whether McCullum is the right man to take England forward despite his popularity.“I think Baz McCullum is a great person but he is not a great coach and for England, as former players and fans of English cricket, we should be aiming to be the number one team in the world and at the moment we are seventh.“We have won two games out of 10 matches, and those two wins came at the cesspit at Lord’s and at the MCG, which was a two-dayer, so the only two games we have won have been at the Farmers Ground.“This can’t be right.”The former captain said England supporters deserved much better and insisted the current state of the team was unacceptable.Vaughan said, “I want change. I’ve seen a lot. I care a lot about English cricket and I hate watching it and you can’t tell me that 20,000 people aren’t thinking the same thing.”“Enough when the opposition is laughing at you in your own backyard. We need to move forward.”Vaughan also raised questions over the future of Rob Key, who has been overseeing England’s cricket operations since replacing him ashley giles As Managing Director in 2022. Key appointed McCullum as Test coach later that year before expanding his responsibilities across all three international formats in September 2024.According to Vaughan, England’s struggles are not limited to Test cricket only, with the team’s white-ball performance also declining under the current structure.“I’m very disappointed to see this, it’s ridiculous,” Vaughn said. “You have to say that Rob Key’s job is at risk. He’s got to be on the hook. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rob Key goes.“They’re not being coached well. You’re telling me that if Andy Flowers had been in charge… this team would have got the same results they’re getting? Not a chance.”With Stokes’ retirement bringing an end to one of England’s most impressive eras, Vaughan believes the team must now use this moment to reset its leadership and direction after a long period of disappointing results.

In a significant effort towards cricket’s global expansion, the Knight Riders group has officially opened the doors to their brand new international stadium in the United States. The new Knight Riders Cricket Ground in Los Angeles marked its historic unveiling on Wednesday by hosting its inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) match between the Los Angeles Knight Riders and Washington Freedom.

The purpose-built venue at Fairplex Pomona represents a major infrastructure milestone, making the Knight Riders the first global franchise brand to set up their own international-standard cricket stadium abroad.

Taking to social media to celebrate this historic occasion, Bollywood megastar and Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan expressed his immense gratitude towards the key administrators of the game for helping turn the long-cherished dream into reality. Khan clearly acknowledged the institutional support that facilitated the ambitious transatlantic project, offering special appreciation to BCCI secretary Jay Shah and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Shah Rukh Khan said in his Instagram post, “What started as a dream has turned into a reality today.”

“A place that is built not only for sports but also for entertainment and families and memories that last forever.

“Special thanks to Jaibhai who has been so kind during this journey @JayShah220988, and to @ICC and Sanjog Gupta for being so supportive. This is for LA, for cricket fans around the world and for the Knight Riders family. Believe in the Purple and Gold.”

special feature

Built to specific international dimensions, the stadium features eight natural turf wickets, six massive 120-foot floodlight towers for night broadcasts and a massive main concourse engineered by removing over 32,000 metric tonnes of soil.

Speaking at the launch, Knight Riders Sports CEO Venky Mysore underlined that the facility serves as a definitive statement of intent for the future of the sport in the United States. The venue is set to host a blockbuster week of MLC matches from July 1 to July 5, establishing Southern California as a major cricket hub ahead of the sport’s inclusion in the LA28 Olympic Games.

While the results on the field will be up and down, with the home team suffering a tough six-wicket defeat against a disciplined Washington Freedom unit in the opening encounter, the structural foundation laid by the franchise promises long-term dividends.

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Mark Chapman (Photo by @WSHFreedom on X)

Washington Freedom produced a brilliant all-round performance to beat Los Angeles Knight Riders by six wickets and move up to fourth from bottom in the Major League Cricket 2026 points table. Their bowlers and fielders sealed the win by restricting LAKR to just 108 runs in 17.5 overs on a sluggish surface.After electing to bat, Knight Riders struggled to build momentum. Colin Munro Scored 25 runs, while Matthew Tromp scored 21 runs. rovman powell Contributed to the battle of 30. However, Washington’s disciplined bowling attack continued to take wickets at regular intervals. -Saurabh Netrawalkar And Mitchell Owen took three wickets each, while Ben Dwarshuis and Ian Holland took two wickets each. Washington’s fast fielding and excellent catching also played a key role in dismantling the LAKR batting line-up.Chasing a modest target of 109, Washington suffered two early setbacks as Sunil Narine dismissed Mitchell Owen and Andries Ghouse to give the Knight Riders hope of a comeback. However, Captain steven smith He remained calm even under pressure and found the ideal partner in Mark Chapman.The pair made a vital partnership of 62 runs and took the game away from LAKR. Chapman played an aggressive innings of 34 runs in 30 balls before getting out. andre russellBut by then Washington was firmly in control. Smith chased the target brilliantly, remaining unbeaten on 40 off 44 balls and leading his team to victory with almost three overs to spare.The comprehensive win not only boosted Washington Freedom’s net run rate but also took them into the top four of the standings. Despite Narine’s impressive spell of 2 for 25, the Knight Riders were unable to defend their low score as Washington secured a comfortable win.

The United States kept their World Cup dream alive with a thrilling 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, securing a place in the round of 16 despite playing the final leg with 10 men. Folarin Balogun gave the co-hosts the lead before being sent off, but Malik Tillman put the result beyond doubt with a spectacular free-kick as the Americans mustered their courage to see the game out.

The win sends the Americans to the Round of 16, where Belgium awaits in Seattle on July 6, and keeps alive hopes of equaling or bettering their memorable quarterfinal performance in 2002.

USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, FIFA World Cup: Highlights

The United States earned its first World Cup knockout win since 2002, but it was not going to be easy after Balogun, who broke the deadlock just before halftime, was shown a straight red card in the 64th minute.

Matt Freese made three saves to record his second clean sheet of the tournament as the home visitors held the co-hosts over the line.

Bosnia and Herzegovina were playing in the World Cup knockout stage for the first time and made a great start. Following the early corner, Frij was forced to make back-to-back saves from Ermedin Demirovic and Kerim Alajbegovic as the visitors threatened to take the lead.

The Americans gradually joined the competition and began to gain possession. Christian Pulisic thought he had broken the deadlock in the 78th minute, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Earlier, the hosts finally eased their pressure in first-half stoppage time. Tarik Muharemovic’s ball into the defensive mix-up headed into Balogun’s path, and the striker reacted quickly, stopped, turned on his left foot and calmly slipped the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs for his third goal of the tournament.

Balogun almost doubled the advantage later when he crashed Sergino Dest’s pass against the crossbar.

The game changed in the 64th minute when Balogun was sent off after a challenge on Muharremovic. Referee Raphael Clowes initially allowed the game to continue, but was called to the pitchside monitor, where he changed the decision to a straight red card after seeing the defender being caught above the ankle by Balogun’s studs.

With just over 25 minutes remaining, Bosnia and Herzegovina sensed an opportunity and committed to pushing more players forward. The United States were forced to penetrate deep into their own half, but defended with discipline, limiting the visitors to few clear openings despite the numerical disadvantage.

Bosnian captain Edin Dzeko’s evening ended early in the second half when the 40-year-old limped off the field with a leg injury. Asmir Bajraktarević, who was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, and made one appearance for the United States in 2024 before switching allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina, came up against his former national team.

All the nervousness inside the stadium disappeared when Tillman produced the decisive moment in the 82nd minute. After Stjepan Radeljic was booked for fouling Dest just outside the area, Tillman doubled the lead and sealed the result by firing a superb free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.

Pochettino named the same starting eleven that defeated Paraguay 4–1 in the opening match, with Pulisic retaining his place after recovering from the calf injury that had ruled him out against Australia and limited him to a substitute appearance against Turkey in the Group D final.

The United States will now face Belgium for a place in the quarter-finals, although they will be without Balogun, whose suspension is the only disappointment on an otherwise memorable night for the co-hosts.

FIFA World Cup | fifa world cup schedule | fifa world cup points table | football news

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England vs India 1st T20 match abandoned due to rain (Image: BCCI)

India’s opening T20 match against England at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street was abandoned without a single ball being bowled in the second innings as the outfield was unfit for play due to persistent rain.Winning the toss, India chose to bat first and recovered from a poor start to post a competitive score of 189/7 in the allotted 20 overs thanks to an explosive half-century from Abhishek Sharma and a captaincy innings from Shreyas Iyer. However, the final say was the weather as England could not start chasing the target of 190 runs due to continuous rain.India’s innings got off to a bad start as Saqib Mahmood struck early to dismiss Sanju Samson, while Ishan Kishan was run out due to a mix-up, leaving the visitors struggling at 6/2.With India under pressure, Abhishek Sharma launched a breathtaking counterattack. The left-handed batsman shattered England’s fast bowlers with a fearless display of strokeplay and completed his half-century in just 20 balls. Additionally, he also became the fastest batsman from a full member country to complete 100 sixes in T20 Internationals.

Partnership for Abhishek and Shreyas

Abhishek and Iyer added 82 runs for the third wicket to take control of the innings. The opener was eventually dismissed after scoring a brilliant 59 off 24 balls, which included six fours and four sixes, before being dismissed LBW by Sam Curran.After Abhishek was out, captain Shreyas Iyer took the responsibility in the middle overs. Combining calculated aggression with sensible strike rotation, the right-handed batsman scored 68 runs from 47 balls, which included six fours and a six. During his innings, Iyer also crossed the 5,000 international runs mark and became the latest Indian batsman to achieve the feat.Although Saqib Mahmood dismissed Iyer and returned with impressive figures of 3/33, India got valuable runs late through Shivam Dubey. The all-rounder remained unbeaten on 42 off just 21 balls, hitting three sixes and two fours to take the visitors to 189/7.

rain spoiled the game

England never got the opportunity to start their reply. Heavy rain fell immediately after the innings break and continued throughout the evening, leaving the ground staff unable to prepare the playing surface before the cut-off time. As a result, the match was officially abandoned without a single ball being bowled in England’s innings, leaving both teams to settle for no result.Brief Score: India 189/7 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 68, Abhishek Sharma 59, Shivam Dubey 42*; Saqib Mahmood 3/33).

England vs India, 1st T20I: Match abandoned due to rain in Durham. India (189/7 in 20 overs). Shreyas (68), Abhishek (59).

highlight | Achievement:

Despite impressive innings from Abhishek Sharma and Shreyas Iyer, the opening T20 match between India and England at the Riverside Ground in Durham on Wednesday was abandoned without a single ball being bowled in England’s chase as rain took the final call.

The washout also means Shreyas Iyer is still looking for his first win as India’s T20I captain. Having started his tenure with a 0-2 series defeat to Lorcan Tucker’s Ireland, the captain would have hoped to start the England series with a win before the weather intervened.

When invited to bat, India made a competitive score of 189 runs for 7 wickets, in which Abhishek scored 59 runs in 24 balls and Iyer played an inning of 68 runs. Shivam Dubey’s late cameo provided the finishing touches, while Saqib Mahmood was England’s standout bowler, taking three wickets.

Abhishek, Iyer Power India

Abhishek continued his fine form with a breathtaking attack, changing gears brilliantly in the powerplay. The left-handed batsman attacked Saqib Mahmood in the fourth over and turned the momentum of the match firmly in India’s favor by hitting two sky-high sixes and a four in the 21-run over.

During his explosive innings he also became Fastest batsman to reach 100 sixes in T20 InternationalBroke the record of West Indies opener Evin Lewis.

Meanwhile, Iyer played a captain’s innings, cleverly rotating the strike before accelerating in the middle overs to keep the England bowlers under constant pressure.

Dubey then provided the finishing touch with some clean hitting in the death overs, however Mahmood and the experienced Adil Rashid pulled things back with disciplined spells and prevented India from crossing the 200-run mark.

rain is the last word

England never got a chance to chase the target as continuous rain continued in Durham. The umpires waited until the local cut-off time of 9 pm for a possible five-over contest, with England’s revised DLS target set at 64. The target will be 74 in six overs, 85 in seven overs and 94 in eight overs.

However, the weather showed no signs of relenting and the players eventually came out to shake hands as the match was officially abandoned.

England were also hurt when Phil Salt injured his shoulder while fielding, although the hosts later confirmed it was an external blow and the opening batsman was fit to bat.

With an unfavorable start to the series, both teams will now turn their attention to the second T20I at Old Trafford, Manchester on July 4, with four matches still left to determine the winner.

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Varun Chakraborty (Getty Images)

India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat first in the opening T20I of the five-match series against England at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street. The visitors have made one notable change from the squad that toured Ireland, with Varun Chakravarthy returning after recovering from a leg injury. Meanwhile, teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi will have to wait for his international debut as India have picked an experienced playing XI comprising three specialist spinners.Speaking after the toss, Iyer said the team has moved on from the disappointing Ireland series and is eager to make a fresh start.Shreyas Iyer (India captain): “We will bat first. This is a great opportunity for us. This is my second series as a captain, I am very excited.” We got what we wanted and yesterday there was a practice session for conditioning. Ireland series is history. There is a good amount of grass on the wicket, so it is difficult to predict how it will play, but our intentions will be high. We are going with three spinners.”England captain Harry Brook admitted that he would have preferred to bowl first but expressed confidence in his team’s balanced lineup.Harry Brook (England captain): “We would have bowled first, but we are happy with the way things have gone. It looks like a good wicket. The mood in the camp is really good and we are excited to start the series. We have a lot of experienced players like Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Sam Curran who I can always depend on.”England have rested Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue after being involved in the recent Trent Bridge Test, paving the way for Luke Wood and Saqib Mahmood to feature in the opening matches of the series.

playing eleven

England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethel, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood.India: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Verma, Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakraborty.

Serena Williams’ much-anticipated return to the All England Club has been plunged into uncertainty after a late injury scare. 44 year old tennis icon Suffered a heart-breaking defeat in three sets (6-3, 6-7, 6-3) over Australia’s rising star Maya Joyce in the first round of singles, but the bigger concern for fans in SW19 is her physical fitness for the remainder of the tournament.

The great American, who fought a grueling two hours and 22 minutes on center court, struggled with her movement in the latter stages of the match. The alarm bells then rang even louder Williams ignored her mandatory post-match press conferenceWhich led to immediate speculation about her status and the feasibility of her scheduled wild card appearance in the women’s doubles with her sister Venus.

However, his camp has moved quickly to clarify the situation, confirming the knee problem but leaving the door open for a Thursday appearance.

Williams’ agent Jill Smoller said, “Serena twisted her right knee at the end of the first set and so the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams released her from media obligations.”

“She walked off the site that night without assistance and is doing everything she can to get ready for her doubles match this weekend.”

The Williams sisters, who have won the Wimbledon doubles title together six times, were given a wild card entry, bringing back memories of the tournament. They are set to face the unseeded pair of Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra.

For Serena, the injury is a cruel blow after showing immense courage to push the joint into the deciding set. While her trademark power and fierce competitive spirit were on full display, the physical impact of the high-intensity return to grass was evident.

Wimbledon medical staff will continue to monitor the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion for the next 24 hours. Given their great flexibility, tennis fans are hopeful that the iconic brother-sister duo will get their moment under the British sun.

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