Sports Highlights

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

EXPECTED STORIES: *Report of Ultimate Table Tennis League.

*Report of second day of 2nd unofficial Test between India A and West Indies A. *Report of Pro Kabaddi League match.

STORIES ON THE WIRE:

SPO-IND-PREVIEW 1st ODI: With Shikhar Dhawan back, KL Rahul could be back at No 4

Providence (Guyana), Aug 7 (PTI) With an air of invincibility, India return to the format that gave them a heartbreak in the not-too-distant past, facing West Indies in the first of three-match ODI series here on Thursday.

SPO-LD KOHLI Kohli praises Deepak Chahar for fine bowling performance (Eds: Recasting intro)

Providence (Guyana), Aug 7 (PTI) Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli feels Deepak Chahar is as good a seamer as the more experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar, lauding the rookie bowler for his "outstanding" three-wicket haul in the third and final T20 International against the West Indies here.

SPO-IND-KOHLI-COMMENTS Rishabh is future and we need to give him space: Kohli

Providence (Guyana), Aug 7 (PTI) Skipper Virat Kohli doesn't want to put undue pressure on young Rishabh Pant as he is the one for the future, who needs to be given some space to display his full potential.

SPO-IND-PANT Support from seniors, despite failures, helped: Rishabh

Providence (Guyana), Aug 7 (PTI) The lack of runs, at times, does "frustrate" Rishabh Pant, but unwavering support from his senior India teammates acts as confidence booster.

SPO-PAK-LD OVERHAUL PCB decides not to renew coach Arthur's contract

Lahore, Aug 7 (PTI) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday decided not to renew the contracts of head coach Mickey Arthur and his support staff, including batting coach Grant Flower, a move that was expected after the team's World Cup debacle.

SPO-BOX-TRIALS Mary Kom, Lovlina make world c'ships team; aggrieved Nikhat Zareen demands trial

New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) Six-time world champion M C Mary Kom and Lovlina Borgohain have been selected for the upcoming women's world boxing championships based on their recent performances, a decision that has been lambasted by former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen.

SPO-CONFLICT-GANGULY-BHAJJI 'God help Indian cricket', say Ganguly, Harbhajan on conflict of interest notice to Dravid

New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) "God help Indian cricket," said Sourav Ganguly, expressing his displeasure after Rahul Dravid was issued a notice from the BCCI's ethics officer on conflict of interest allegations against the legend.

SPO-FIFA-IND Complex issues but work closely with AIFF for solution: FIFA tells I-League clubs

By Abhishek Hore New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) World football's governing body FIFA has urged the agitating I-League clubs to work closely with the national federation, acknowledging that "complex issues" facing the sport here require a "prudent and measured approach".

SPO-LD MCGRATH

Smith showed kind of mental strength he has: McGrath By C Shyam Sundar

Chennai, Aug 7 (PTI) Steve Smith's twin hundreds in the opening Ashes Test was an example of what mental fortitude means after having gone through an extremely rough phase, Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath said on Wednesday.

Defying odds, Real Kashmir beat Chennai City FC 1-0 in Durand Cup By Tapan Mohanta

Kalyani (West Bengal), Aug 8 (PTI) Real Kashmir FC overcame the mental turmoil arising out of uncertain situations back home as they beat Chennai City FC 1-0 through a last minute goal in the 129th Durand Cup fixture here on Wednesday.

SPO-RKFC-TRAINING-VENUE Real Kashmir's pre-season may move out of Valley

Kalyani (West Bengal), Aug 7 (PTI) Srinagar-based I-League club Real Kashmir FC may hold its pre-season training at either Jamshedpur or Mumbai in the wake of tense situation in the state, said the team's co-owner and chairman Sandeep Chattoo.

SPO-SWARAJ- LD CONDOLENCE Sports fraternity condoles death of Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) India's sporting fraternity, led by cricket captain Virat Kohli, mourned the demise of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, on Wednesday.

SPO-ICC-DIGITAL ICC Men's World Cup: Digital content had 3.5 million views

Dubai, Aug 7 (PTI) The ICC in Wednesday released the digital content numbers with various platforms delivering cumulative 3.5 billion views with a further 1 billion from digital clips licensees making it one of the most watched global sporting event.

SPO-GOLF-INDIA New Asian Tour event at Classic Golf and Country Club

New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) The Asian Tour is set to welcome its newest tournament when the Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship makes its debut on the Tour's schedule from September 12 to 15.

SPO-HOCK-SAVITA Need to focus on defence to beat Australia in Olympic Test event: Savita

Bengaluru, Aug 7 (PTI) The Indian women's hockey team vice-captain Savita on Wednesday said they will have to defend as a unit if they wish to beat big teams like Australia and win the Olympic Test event, to be held in Tokyo from August 17 to 21.

SPO-SUBROTO Diamond jubilee edition of Subroto Cup to attract record participation

New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) The diamond jubilee edition of the Subroto Cup football tournament will attract a record participation of 112 school teams, including 16 from abroad, the organisers said on Wednesday.