Sports Highlights

The following are the top stories at 2130 hours: STORIES ON THE WIRE: SPO-CRI-IND-NZ-FATIGUE With bubble fatigue creeping in, most seniors could be rested for NZ T20s By Kushan Sarkar New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) India are likely to rest most of their senior players during the T20 series against New Zealand that starts less than a week after the final of the T20 World Cup.

SPO-CRI-IPL-FINAL-PREVIEW IPL Final: KKR spinners hold aces as world awaits Dhoni 'Magic' one last time Dubai, Oct 14 (PTI) Mahendra Singh Dhoni's astute captaincy in canary yellow will be Chennai Super Kings' biggest weapon against a clinical Kolkata Knight Riders, whose troika of top-notch spinners promise to hold the aces in the high-octane Indian Premier League final here on Friday.

SPO-CRI-ANDERSON-KOHLI This year was my favourite contest with Virat: Anderson London, Oct 14 (PTI) England fast bowler James Anderson says he enjoyed the ''well-spirited'' manner in which he and India captain Virat Kohli had a go at each other during the home Test series this summer and described the contest as his favourite of the many duels with the star batter.

SPO-FOOT-LD CHHETRI It's going to end soon but not for next few years: Chhetri talks about career Male, Oct 14 (PTI) Indian football's torch-bearer for the last 10 years and talismanic skipper Sunil Chhetri on Thursday said ''it is going to end soon'' while reflecting on his career but at the same time, also asserted that he is ''not going anywhere for the next few years.'' SPO-CRI-IPL-PANT Ended in heartbreak but Delhi Capitals is team of exceptional warriors: Pant after IPL ouster Sharjah, Oct 14 (PTI) Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant on Thursday said he is proud of his side despite its ouster from the IPL after a close loss to Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2 and described his teammates as ''exceptional warriors''.

SPO-CRI-T20WC-AUS-FINCH Aus captain Finch to be available for T20 WC warm-up game against India Dubai, Oct 14 (PTI) Australia captain Aaron Finch's recovery from a knee surgery in August has been ahead of schedule and he will be available for the T20 World Cup warm-up game against India on October 20.

SPO-BAD-2NDLD IND Indian women bow out of Uber Cup badminton after losing to Japan in quarters Aarhus (Denmark), Oct 14 (PTI) The Indian women's badminton team crashed out of the Uber Cup after losing to Japan in the quarterfinals here on Thursday while the men completed their group engagements in the Thomas Cup with a defeat to China.

SPO-CRI-T20WC-LEE-IND T20 WC: India should build around Rahul, it will ease pressure off Kohli, says Lee Sydney, Oct 14 (PTI) Former Australia pacer Brett Lee feels the Indian team should make in-form batter KL Rahul the ''pillar'' around whom its innings is built to ease the pressure on skipper Virat Kohli during this month's T20 World Cup in the UAE.

SPO-CRI-T20WC-WILLIAMSON It's a minor one, progressing fine: Williamson on hamstring injury Dubai, Oct 14 (PTI) New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on Thursday described his hamstring injury a ''minor'' one, playing down concerns over his fitness ahead of the Black Caps' T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan on October 26.

SPO-CRI-PAK-FIXING-PLAYER Pakistan player suspended for not reporting 'spot-fixing' approach to PCB during National T20 Karachi, Oct 14 (PTI) A Pakistan U-19 player and first class batter Zeeshan Malik was on Thursday provisionally suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board for not reporting a spot-fixing approach made during the just-concluded National T20 Championship.

SPO-CRI-PUCOVSKI-CONCUSSION Pucovski suffers another concussion during training session Melbourne, Oct, 14 (PTI) Australia Test opener Will Pucovski is recovering from concussion symptoms after he was struck on the head during a training session last week, Cricket Victoria said on Thursday.

SPO-CRI-T20WC-AZAM Azam confident of win over India in T20 WC opener, says Pak more familiar with UAE conditions Dubai, Oct 14 (PTI) Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is confident that his side will defeat arch-rivals India in its opening clash of the T20 World Cup as it is more familiar with the conditions, having played mostly in the UAE for the past three-four years.

SPO-CRI-IPL-HUSSEY Hussey not worried about collapse, says Russell ''might be in mix'' for final Sharjah, Oct 14 (PTI) Looking ahead instead of losing his sleep over the team's middle-order collapse in second qualifier, Kolkata Knight Riders chief mentor David Hussey said Andre Russell is recovering from his injury and ''might be in the mix'' for the IPL final against Chennai Super Kings.

SPO-CRI-IPL-PONTING We were outplayed, but would love to have most players back next season: Ponting Sharjah, Oct 14 (PTI) Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting ''knows'' that only three-four players would be retained by his franchise before IPL's mega auction but given a chance, he wouldn't mind entering the next season with almost the same team that he has at his disposal now.

SPO-CRI-IPL-KARTHIK-REPRIMAND Karthik reprimanded for breaching IPL code of conduct Sharjah, Oct 14 (PTI) Kolkata-Knight Riders wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik has been reprimanded for breaching the Indian Premier League's code of conduct during his team's second Qualifier against Delhi Capitals, which it won by three wickets here.

SPO-CRI-T20WC-MIANDAD Pakistan will have to be fearless against India in T20 WC opener: Miandad Karachi, Oct 14 (PTI) Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad believes a fearless approach would be crucial to his country's chances of upstaging a star-studded India when the two arch-rivals clash in their highly-anticipated T20 World Cup opener on October 24.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)