Sports Highlights

SPO-CRI-SHAKIB-MAHMUDULLAH Bangladesh team gets ready to welcome Shakib as his ban ends on Thursday Dhaka, Oct 28 (PTI) Bangladesh's cricket establishment is waiting eagerly to welcome Shakib Al Hasan with open arms as he completes his one-year anti-corruption rule violation ban on Thursday. SPO-VIRUS-BAD-LAKSHYA Lakshya pulls out of SaarLorlux after father tests positive for COVID-19 Saarbrucken (Germany), Oct 28 (PTI) Defending champion Lakshya Sen on Wednesday pulled out of the SaarLorLux Open Super 100 tournament after his father-cum-coach D K Sen tested positive for COVID-19 here.

The following are the top/expected stories at 2130 hours: EXPECTED STORIES: *Report of IPL match Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi. STORIES ON THE WIRE: SPO-CRI-IPL-CSK-PREVIEW CSK ready to play spoilsport as desperate KKR eye victory Dubai, Oct 28 (PTI) Already out of play-offs reckoning, a relaxed Chennai Super Kings are ready to play party-poopers with an aim to foil Kolkata Knight Riders' desperate bid for a victory in an Indian Premier League game on Thursday.

SPO-CRI-IND-AUS-SCHEDULE India's Tour of Australia: CA arranges D/N warm-up game ahead of 1st Test Melbourne, Oct 28 (PTI) The Indian cricket team will get an additional Day/Night warm-up game in Sydney as a tune-up to the series-opening Pink Ball Test against Australia in Adelaide from December 17, the host board announced on Wednesday unveiling the full schedule of the 69-day engagement. SPO-CRI-IPL-PONTING Chasing is a concern, we've to reset right now: Ponting Dubai, Oct 28 (PTI) Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting conceded that chasing is an area of concern for his team and it needs to hit the "reset" button to seal an IPL play-off spot in the remaining two league games after enduring a third straight loss.

SPO-CRI-IPL-TENDULKAR-SAHA Tendulkar, Shastri praise Saha's knock against Delhi Capitals New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) The legendary Sachin Tendulkar lauded Wriddhiman Saha's "under-rated" shot-making while the national team's head coach Ravi Shastri found his 45-ball-87 simply "outstanding" as they lavished praise on the Test specialist's IPL performance for Sunrisers Hyderabad. SPO-CRI-IPL-DC-COMMENTS Going with clear mind is my biggest strength, focussed on dot balls against DC: Rashid Dubai, Oct 28 (PTI) Sunrisers Hyderabad leg-spinner Rashid Khan says a clear mind is his biggest strength and he reaped the rewards for focussing on bowling more dot balls against Delhi Capitals in their IPL match here.

SPO-CRI-ROHIT-BRAND Rohit Sharma named brand ambassador of Dr Trust Mumbai, Oct 28 (PTI) Senior India cricketer Rohit Sharma was on Wednesday named brand ambassador of healthcare company Dr Trust. SPO-FOOT-CFC Chennaiyin FC sign Balaji, Aqib; promote 'B' team goalkeeper Revanth to senior team Chennai, Oct 28 (PTI) Two-time ISL champion Chennaiyin FC on Wednesday announced the signing of youngsters Ganesan Balaji and Aqib Nawab after the duo graduated from the Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) setup recently.

SPO-NADA-JUDOKA Panel exonerates junior judoka after NADA DCO fails to establish dope test evasion New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) The National Anti-Doping Agency's Disciplinary Panel (ADDP) has exonerated junior judoka Jitesh Dagar of the charge that he evaded a dope test during a selection trial last year after NADA's Dope Control Officer failed to produce any clinching evidence against him. SPO-CRI-WRIDDHIMAN-INJURY SRH likely to "wait and watch" on Wriddhiman Saha's groin niggle Dubai, Oct 28 (PTI) Wriddhiman Saha's groin injury is "not serious" but his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad is expected to adopt a cautious approach after consultation with the BCCI's medical team as the senior wicketkeeper-batsman is Australia-bound after the T20 event.

SPO-TT-CAMP National TT camp gets underway; Sharath Kamal, Anusha to join on Thursday New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) With focus firmly on qualifying for next year's Tokyo Olympics, the Indian table tennis players on Wednesday resumed their training after almost seven months at the national camp, which got underway at Sonepat with nine paddlers. SPO-CRI-SHAKIB-MAHMUDULLAH Bangladesh team gets ready to welcome Shakib as his ban ends on Thursday Dhaka, Oct 28 (PTI) Bangladesh's cricket establishment is waiting eagerly to welcome Shakib Al Hasan with open arms as he completes his one-year anti-corruption rule violation ban on Thursday.

SPO-VIRUS-BAD-LAKSHYA Lakshya pulls out of SaarLorlux after father tests positive for COVID-19 Saarbrucken (Germany), Oct 28 (PTI) Defending champion Lakshya Sen on Wednesday pulled out of the SaarLorLux Open Super 100 tournament after his father-cum-coach D K Sen tested positive for COVID-19 here. SPO-BAD-IND Malvika knocked out of SaarLorLux Open Saarbrücken (Germany), Oct 28 (PTI) Indian shuttler Malvika Bansod suffered a straight-game loss to Kristin Kuuba of Estonia in the women's singles opening round of the SaarLorLux Open Super 100 tournament here on Wednesday.

SPO-GOLF-LAHIRI Lahiri eyeing to make up for last year's disappointment at Bermuda Champs Bermuda, Oct 28 (PTI) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri will be among the early starters as he tries to make up for last year's disappointment at the Bermuda Championships which begins here on Thursday. SPO-GOLF-IND Chawrasia, Shubhankar set for inaugural Cyprus Open Kouklia (Cyprus), Oct 28 (PTI) India's Shubhankar Sharma will be back in action for the inaugural Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open, starting here on Thursday, and he will have for company, SSP Chawrasia.

SPO-ATP-IND Divij and his partner Bambridge enter Astana Open quarters Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan), Oct 28 (PTI) India's Divij Sharan and his partner Luke Bambridge of the United Kingdom advanced to the men's doubles quarterfinals of the Astana Open after beating the pair of Ariel Behar of Uruguay and Gonzalo Escobar of Ecuador here on Wednesday..