QPlay: Gambhir Returns After Two Years; England Sacks Allardyce

All the latest sports news in The Quint’s morning wrap.

Gautam Gambhir is back after two years. (Photo: The Quint/Liju Joseph) 

1. Gautam Gambhir Returns After Two Years, Replaces KL Rahul in Test Squad

The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday officially confirmed that Gautam Gambhir is set to make a comeback to the Indian dressing room after two long years.

In the official statement, the BCCI medical team declared that KL Rahul’s hamstring injury has ruled him out of the remainder of the Paytm Test series against New Zealand and the Delhi opener has been called up to replace him for the next two Test matches. Ishant Sharma will also be staying out of the dressing room in Kolkata due to chikungunya. Off spinner Jayant Yadav has been called up to take his spot in the team.

Read the full report on The Quint.

Also Read: ‘Never Stop Believing,’ Twitter Celebrates Gambhir’s India Recall

2. Sindhu Bags Rs 50 Crore Deal, Biggest for Non-Cricket Sports Star

Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu has signed a three-year deal that could be worth up to Rs 50 crore with sports management company Baseline, reported The Times of India. The deal will be the biggest ever for any non-cricket sportsperson, said the report.

Baseline managing director and co-founder Tuhin Mishra told TOI:

Her (Sindhu’s) soaring popularity has attracted the attention of so many companies. In the next three years, we will work to maximise her value. Even after achieving stupendous success, her humility and the value she brings to women power is remarkable.

While the company refused to reveal the exact figure Sindhu would be earning, Mishra said the deal, which is the best a “non-cricket star can get” guaranteed her a certain amount of annual payment, while the rest would depend on her endorsements.

Read the full report on The Quint.

Source: Times of India

3. Sam Allardyce Sacked After Newspaper Sting

England’s manager Sam Allardyce has been sacked. (Photo: AP)

Within 24 hours of a Daily Telegraph sting being published, the English Football Association decided on Tuesday to fire manager Sam Allardyce after his hubris and indiscretions involving undercover journalists posing as businessmen.

It was a great honour for me to be appointed back in July and I am deeply disappointed at this outcome. Although it was made clear during the recorded conversations that any proposed arrangements would need the FA’s full approval, I recognise I made some comments which have caused embarrassment.

Sam Allardyce, Former Manager, English Football Team

A covert video showed Allardyce appearing to offer advice to fictitious businessmen on how to sidestep an outlawed player transfer practice and also to negotiate a 400,000-pound public-speaking contract to top up an annual England salary of 3 million pounds.

A further video showed Allardyce mocking predecessor Roy Hodgson, questioning the FA’s financial strategy and talking dismissively about the organisation’s president, Prince William.

Allardyce issued a “sincere and wholehearted apology” to the FA, but it wasn’t enough to save one of the most high-profile jobs in world sport.

Source: AP

4. Schuerrle’s 87th Minute Goal Denies Real Madrid Win Against Borussia Dortmund

Ronaldo scored one goal. (Photo: AP)

Borussia Dortmund scored a late equaliser to earn a 2-2 draw against Real Madrid in a compelling Group F encounter in the Champions League on Tuesday, the latest setback for the 11-time winners.

After two consecutive draws in the Spanish league, Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to have ended the win-less run by scoring one goal and helping to set up the other. But substitute Andre Schuerrle struck in the 87th minute to earn Dortmund a point.

The players played a great match, the result is a difficult one to accept because we deserved a bit more, but it is not a bad result.

Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid Coach

Ronaldo put Madrid ahead in the 17th and provided the cross that led to Raphael Varane’s goal in the 68th after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had leveled for Dortmund in the 43rd.

Madrid and Dortmund now have four points each from two matches in Group F, while Ronaldo has now scored 95 goals in the Champions League and 98 in all UEFA competitions.

Source: AP

5. Islam Slimani Helps Leicester City Defeat FC Porto 1-0

Leicester City’s Islam Slimani during the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and FC Porto.

Leicester City forgot their domestic struggles to secure a second successive Champions League victory as Islam Slimani tormented a familiar foe by grabbing the only goal in a 1-0 win over Porto on Tuesday.

Leicester sit top of Group G with six points after Slimani headed powerfully home from a Riyad Mahrez cross in the first half for his sixth goal in his last four matches against Porto, having joined Leicester from Sporting Lisbon in August.

As his team stayed two points clear of FC Copenhagen at the top of the group, Leicester’s manager Claudio Ranieri said:

We played with our spirit tonight.

Leicester may be Champions League novices but in Slimani, the English side had a player who knew their experienced Portuguese opponents well and had enjoyed remarkable success against them.

Despite having more possession, Porto created little until the 84th minute when a rifled effort from substitute Corona was deflected against the post and away to safety.

Source: Reuters