SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS AT 9PM

The following are the top/expected stories at 2100 hours:

EXPECTED STORIES: *Report of 'unofficial' 1st Test between India 'A' and West Indies 'A'.

*Story based on interaction with Baichung Bhutia. *Report of Pro Kabaddi League.

STORIES ON THE WIRE:

SPO-IND-DHONI-JERSEY

World Test C'ship: With no Dhoni in Test matches, will India use Jersey No 7? By Kushan Sarkar

New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) The upcoming World Test Championship will feature jersey numbers behind the white shirts for the first time but there are two numbers that the Indian team is unlikely to use during the Test series against the West Indies in Antigua starting August 22.

SPO-COA-WOM-COACH CoA finally asks BCCI Ombudsman to review Raman's appointment

New Delhi, July 24 (PTI) After much dilly-dallying, the Committee of Administrators (CoA), running the Indian cricket, has asked the BCCI Ombudsman and ethics officer D K Jain to review the appointment of national women's team head coach W V Raman.

SPO-GILL Disappointed but won't spend time thinking over it: Shubman Gill

New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) He was expecting an India recall after a stellar show in the A series and even though Shubman Gill is disappointed by the snub for the West Indies tour, the youngster is not ready to "spend time thinking over it."

SPO-TT-SHARATH Hope new coach Papic doesn't try to change existing system too much: Sharath

By Aparajita Upadhyay New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) India's seniormost paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal is hoping that new national coach Dejan Papic does not try to reinvent the wheel with just one year left for the Tokyo Olympics.

SPO-BAD-LD IND

Sindhu, Prannoy progress; Srikanth, Sameer bow out of Indonesia Open Tokyo, Jul 24 (PTI) Ace Indian shuttlers P V Sindhu and HS Prannoy moved into the second round of Japan Open with contrasting wins over their respective rivals in the women's and men's singles events here on Wednesday.

SPO-HOCK-MANPREET

We are on our toes to qualify for Olympics: hockey captain Manpreet Bengaluru, Jul 24 (PTI) The Indian men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh on Wednesday said the eight-time champions are focussed on qualifying for next year's Tokyo Olympics with just a year left for the start of the showpiece event.

SPO-DAVIS-PAK-ITF

ITF delegation to assess preparations ahead of Indo-Pak Davis Cup tie Karachi, Jul 24 (PTI) Ahead of the September Davis Cup tie between India and Pakistan, a two-member delegation of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) is in Islamabad to assess preparations and security for the Group-1 Asia-Oceania zone clash.

SPO-INZAMAM

Being chief selector most challenging job ever: Inzamam Karachi, Jul 24 (PTI) Pakistan's outgoing chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq says the tenure has been the most challenging of his professional career as he was subjected to "hurtful criticism" for picking his nephew Imam-ul-Haq in the team.

SPO-GANGULY-SELECTION

Selectors should be consistent, Shubman should have been in team: Ganguly New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday questioned the omission of veteran Ajinkya Rahane and young Shubman Gill from the ODI squad for the tour of West Indies, urging the selection committee to be consistent with their policies.

SPO-BOX-IND

Nikhat, Deepak storm into semis; India on a roll at Thai boxing tourney New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) and Asian silver-medallist Deepak Singh (49kg) were the prominent ones to assure themselves of medals on Wednesday as Indian boxers continued their commanding performance at the Thailand International Tournament in Bangkok.

SPO-EB-COACH

Durand Cup, CFL scheduling absolute disaster: EB coach Kolkata, July 24 (PTI) "It's an absolute diaster," fumed East Bengal coach Alejandro Menendez after his side was scheduled to play Durand Cup and Calcutta Football League matches without much gap.

SPO-ATP-PRAJNESH

Prajnesh bows out of Atlanta Open Atlanta (USA), July 24 (PTI) Making yet another first round exit, a 'cramping' Prajnesh Gunneswaran lost his opener at the ATP 250 Atlanta Open to South Korean qualifier Soonwoo Kwon, here.

SPO-COTTERELL-IND-BLIND

Cotterell 'salutes' Indian blind cricket team Jamaica, July 24 (PTI) West Indies pacer Sheldon Cotterell paid rich tribute to the Indian blind cricket team, the reigning world champions, when the cricketers visited him at his Army base camp in Jamaica.

SPO-GOLF-WOM

Diksha to make Major debut at Evian Championships Evian-Les-Bains (France), July 24 (PTI) Diksha Dagar will make her Major debut while Aditi Ashok will look to better her performance at the big-ticket events when they tees off at the Evian Championships, the first of the two back-to-back Majors in Europe.

SPO-AITA-SCHOLARASHIPS

AITA Trust awards 1-lakh scholarships to 16 players New Delhi, July 24 (PTI) The newly-formed AITA Trust on Wednesday awarded scholarships of Rs 1 lakh each to 16 players in the Under-14 category for the next one year.