Sports Highlights

The following are the top/expected stories at 2130 hours: EXPECTED STORIES: *Report ISL semifinal between ATK and Bengaluru FC. *Report I-League match between Churchill Brothers and Gokulam.

STORIES ON THE WIRE: SPO-CRI-RANJI-FINAL-PREVIEW Saurashtra poised for Ranji Trophy glory at home By Bharat Sharma Rajkot, Mar 8 (PTI) Saurashtra, led by the inspirational Jaydev Unadkat, will back themselves to win an elusive Ranji Trophy title at home but a buoyant Bengal will be no pushovers in what promises to be an absorbing final beginning here on Monday. SPO-CRI-WC-WOM-2ND LD FINAL Southern Stars do a 'high five' on Women's Day: Australia outclass India in T20 World Cup final Melbourne, Mar 8 (PTI) India saved their worst for the last as a brutal Australian side outclassed them by 85 runs for an unprecedented fifth T20 World Cup triumph in a final that promised much but delivered very little here Sunday.

SPO-BOX-OLY-2NDLD QUALIFIERS Boxing: Pooja Rani, Vikas Krishan book Olympic berths; enter semis of Asian qualifiers Amman (Jordan), Mar 8 (PTI) Asian champion Pooja Rani (75kg) and the seasoned Vikas Krishan (69kg) on Sunday became the first set of Indian boxers to qualify for this year's Tokyo Olympics by advancing to the semifinals of the continental qualifiers here. SPO-CRI-WC-WOM-FINAL-LD COMMENTS I have full faith in my team, India skipper Harmapreet Kaur Melbourne, Mar 8 (PTI) India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur on Sunday said she has full faith in her team to do well in future even after Australia outclassed her side by 85 runs in the summit clash of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup here.

SPO-CRI-IND-LD TEAM SA ODI series: Fit-again Hardik, Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar back, end of road for Kedar? Ahmedabad, Mar 8 (PTI) Bruised and battered in New Zealand, India's ODI squad on Sunday got a major boost as a fit-again Hardik Pandya returned for the three-match series against South Africa, having successfully recuperated from a back surgery. SPO-CRI-WC-WOM-FINAL-KAUR We can't blame Shafali for defeat, says India captain Kaur Melbourne, Mar 8 (PTI) Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur on Sunday backed beleaguered 16-year-old Shafali Verma after her dropped catch of Alyssa Healy cost India dear in the Women's T20 World Cup final against Australia here on Sunday.

SPO-CRI-WC-WOM-MANDHANA Team needs to be left alone, time to introspect: Mandhana Melbourne, Mar 8 (PTI) Senior India player Smriti Mandhana called for the team to be left alone after its 85-run mauling by Australia in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup final here on Sunday. SPO-CRI-WOM-WC-SHANTHA-DIANA Shantha says time for Kaur to review captaincy, Diana calls for introspection By Bharat Sharma Rajkot, Mar 8 (PTI) Former skipper Shantha Rangaswamy feels the time has come for Harmanpreet Kaur to take a call on her captaincy future as she is much more important to the Indian women's team as a batter than a leader.

SPO-CRI-WT20-JHULAN Not the time for post-mortem, they are all heroes: Jhulan Goswami By Tapan Mohanta Kolkata, Mar 8 (PTI) Former India captain Jhulan Goswami is certainly disappointed with India's World T20 final defeat in the hands of Australia but feels that this is not the right time to do a "post-mortem" of the abject surrender. SPO-CRI-WC-WOM-TWEETS Kohli, Tendulkar say women's team will bounce back stronger New Delhi, Mar 8 (PTI) Indian men's team captain Virat Kohli and the legendary Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday praised the national team's performance in the Women's T20 World Cup, saying they will bounce back stronger from the defeat to Australia in the final.

SPO-CHESS-WOM-HARIKA FIDE Women's Grand Prix: Harika loses to Kosteniuk; slips to third spot Lausanne, Mar 8 (PTI) Indian Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika went down to former world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk in the sixth round of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix chess tournament here to slip to third spot. SPO-FED-IND-COMMENTS It's surreal, dream come true for Fed Cup team By Amanpreet Singh New Delhi, Mar 8 (PTI) The Indian women's tennis team was in a state of disbelief long after it had entered a territory never explored by its predecessors -- a place in the Fed Cup playoffs.

SPO-CRI-ICC-WOM-CAMPAIGN ICC launches campaign to promote women's cricket Melbourne, Mar 8 (PTI) The International Cricket Council on Sunday launched a 12-month campaign dedicated to the promotion of women's cricket to build on the momentum of the ongoing T20 World Cup here. SPO-CRI-WC-WOM-TURNOUT 86,174 fans turn up at MCG, create record in women's cricket Melbourne, Mar 8 (PTI) Women's cricket changed forever on Sunday as a record 86,174 fans checked into the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to watch India take on Australia in the final of T20 World Cup.

SPO-HOCK-AWARDS Manpreet, Rani bag Player of Year awards at Hockey India Annual Awards New Delhi, Mar 8 (PTI) National team captains Manpreet Singh and Rani Rampal on Sunday won the Dhruv Batra Player of the Year Award 2019 in the men's and women's categories respectively at the third Hockey India Annual Awards here. SPO-ILEAGUE-TRAU TRAU rise to fourth with 1-0 win over Indian Arrows Imphal, Mar 8 (PTI) Tiddim Road Athletic Union (TRAU) FC scored a last-gasp goal to beat All India Football Federation's developmental side Indian Arrows 1-0 at the Khuman Lumpak Stadium here on Sunday.

SPO-HOCK-CHARLESWORTH Charlesworth wants India-Australia men's hockey final in Tokyo Olympics By Saumojyoti S Choudhury New Delhi, Mar 8 (PTI) Visibly impressed by the progress made by India over the last decade, hockey legend Ric Charlesworth on Sunday said that an India-Australia summit clash is a possibility in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. SPO-RANJI-WRIDDHIMAN Our guys know how to get Pujara out, says Wriddhiman By Bharat Sharma Rajkot, Mar 8 (PTI) Wriddhiman Saha is confident that Bengal's unheralded bunch of bowlers have seen enough of Cheteshwar Pujara on television to plot his dismissal when they take on Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy final..