Devon Conway scores double hundred on debut

The players who have scored a double century on Test debut, emphasising on two men who managed it in 2021 - West Indies Kyle Mayers and New Zealand opener Devon Conway.

Conway, in fact, became just the seventh player ever to score a double hundred on Test debut when he achieved the feat in the first Test between England and New Zealand that was played at the Lord's, London, England from June 2-6, 2021.

In Test cricket's long and storied history, there have now been only seven occasions when a debutant has scored 200 or more. While the first such knock came in 1903, the fifth came in 2003! And then, in 2021, there have been two such instances.

With a magical unbeaten 210 against Bangladesh in Chattogram in February, Mayers led West Indies' epic chase of 395 in the fourth innings to win the Test match. Conway's 200 came in a draw as rain wiped out a day's play in the game. Both Mayers and Conway were named the player of the match in the respective games.

While six of the seven players to score a double ton on debut did it in their very first Test innings, West Indies Kyle Mayers was the first player to score a double century in the second innings of their Test debut.

Devon Conway was 29 years and 329 days old at the start of his Test debut against England. This makes him the oldest player ever to score a double hundred on Test debut.

Players with double hundred on debut

England's Tip Foster - 287 against Australia in 1903

West Indies Lawrence Rowe - 214 against New Zealand in 1972

Sri Lanka's Brendon Kuruppu - 201 not out against New Zealand in 1987

New Zealand's Mathew Sinclair - 214 against West Indies in 1999

South Africa's Jacques Rudolph-222 not out against Bangladesh in 2003

West Indies Kyle Mayers - 210 not out against Bangladesh in 2021

New Zealand's Devon Conway 200 against England in 2021

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Why do badminton players change their racquets?

Racquet changes are common in all racquet sports, be it badminton, tennis, or squash. The most probable reasons why players go for a racquet change is to replace an older one that has undergone wear and tear while playing, with a brand new one.

Did you know that badminton is the only sport in which a racquet change can be done during a point? Yes, you read that right. While playing a rally, a badminton player can change their racquet and continue playing.

Considering that badminton is among the fastest sports played, changing a racquet during the rally needs a lot of practice. It is difficult, but not impossible, and is done even in the highest level of the game.

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Who was named as the player of the series in the 2016 T20 World Cup?

Virat Kohli was named Player of the Tournament for his sensational run during the ICC World Twenty20. Even though India were handed a six-wicket defeat by eventual champions West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium, Kohli stood out with 273 runs from five matches.

The run of scores were 23, 55 not out, 24, 82 not out and 89 not out. But more than the quantity of runs, what stood out was the circumstances in which he played the big knocks. The under-pressure batting performances have not only made the spectators wonderstruck, but also earned plaudits from the experts. Kohli though was not present to receive the award. The crowd at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata chanted ‘Kohli…Kohli’ after Virat Kohli’s name was announced by Nasser Hussain as the Player of the Series.

During their deliberations, the members of the panel discussed several names, highlighting such players as England’s Joe Root and Tamin Iqbal of Bangladesh, who scored more runs than any other player. But the panel decided Kohli’s crucial contributions to his team’s run in the tournament were deserving of the player-of-the-tournament award.

Kohli is the fifth man named as the player of the tournament at an ICC World Twenty20 event. Previous winners include Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan (2007), Shahid Afridi of Pakistan (2009), Kevin Pietersen of England (2010) and Australia’s Shane Watson (2012).

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How many runs did West Indies require in the last over to win their final against England in 2016?

Chasing 156, Windies required 19 runs off last over. Carlos Brathwaite amassed four consecutive sixes in Ben Stokes' over and put his team over the line.

He scored 34 unbeaten off 10 balls with a strike rate of 340. On the other end, Marlon Samuels anchored the run-chase as he played a vital knock of 85* runs in 66 balls. His inning was studded with nine fours and two sixes.

Samuels was awarded the Player of the Match for his spectacular batting performance. The spirited team performance guided them to bag their second title after winning the fist in 2012.

Earlier, Windies won the toss and asked England to bat first. Despite having a bad start, Joe Root's 54 runs and Jos Buttler's 36-run knock enabled them to post a respectable total of 155/9 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

For the Caribbean side, Dwayne Bravo scalped three wickets while Samuel Badree picked two scalps. Indian skipper won the Player of the Tournament award as he was the second-highest run-getter of the tournament, with 273 runs in five innings at a breathtaking average of 136.50.

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How many times have West Indies won the T20 World Cup?

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup (earlier known as ICC World Twenty20) is the international championship of Twenty20 International cricket. Organised by cricket's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), the tournament currently consists of 16 teams, comprising the top ten teams from the rankings at the given deadline and six other teams chosen through the T20 World Cup Qualifier. All matches are played as Twenty20 Internationals.

Six tournaments have so far been played, and only the West Indies, who currently hold the title, has won the tournament on multiple occasions. The inaugural 2007 World Twenty20, was staged in South Africa, and won by India, who defeated Pakistan in the final at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. The 2009 tournament took place in England, and was won by the previous runner-up, Pakistan, who defeated Sri Lanka in the final at Lord's. The third tournament was held in 2010, hosted by the countries making up the West Indies cricket team. England defeated Australia in the final in Barbados, which was played at Kensington Oval, winning their first international tournament. The fourth tournament, the 2012 World Twenty20, was held in Asia for the first time, with all matches played in Sri Lanka. The West Indies won the tournament by defeating Sri Lanka in the final, winning its first international tournament since the 2004 Champions Trophy. The fifth tournament, the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, was hosted by Bangladesh, and was won by Sri Lanka defeating India, Sri Lanka being the first team to play in three finals. West Indies are the current T20 World Cup holders, beating England in the 2016 final, winning their second title.

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West Indies wins its second T20 World Cup

The 2016 T20 World Cup that was held in India was contested by 16 teams. The eight lowest ranked teams first competed to qualify for the Super 10, which included the top eight teams. The Super 10 stage of the competition saw the teams split into two groups of five each.

West Indies were part of Group 1 and they got off their campaign with a victory against England. Wins against Sri Lanka and South Africa put them through to the knock-out stage. Despite losing their last game against Afghanistan, West Indies topped their group.

This earned them a semi-final against hosts India and they chased down the huge target of 193 with two balls to spare.

West Indies chased in the final against England as well and despite restricting them for 155 for nine, found themselves in trouble at 11 for three. Marlon Samuels steadied the ship and steered them close before Carlos Brathwaite's last over heroics sealed the victory.

Did you know?

West Indies needed 19 to win off the last over, to chase down the target of 156 and win the final. With top-scorer Marlon Samuels (85 not out) at the non striker's end, Carlos Brathwaite took up the mantle.

He struck four sixes off the four balls bowled by Ben Stokes, delivering West Indies the title in stunning fashion.

India's Virat Kohli was named as the player of the series.

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Iheanacho scores a premier league goal for every day of the week

In the recently concluded Premier League season, Kelechi Iheanacho became the first player ever to score a goal on all seven days of the week within a single season in the competition.

MONDAY

Iheanacho had a goal and an assist in their 2-1 win against Crystal Palace on Monday, April 26, 2021. After providing the assist for the equaliser, Iheanacho's 80th minute goal was the winner for this game.

TUESDAY

Iheanacho pulled a goal back for Leicester after Chelsea had gone 2-0 up in their match on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. While the goal didn't help Leicester earn points, it let theanacho create the record of scoring on every day of the week within a season.

WEDNESDAY

Iheanacho's first two goals of this season came on Wednesdays. After going goalless from the start of the season in September 2020 till the end of January 2021, he picked up his first goal in the 2-0 win against Fulham on February 3, 2021. A month later, on March 3, 2021, Iheanacho scored the equaliser in the 34th minute in their 1-1 draw away against Burnley.

THURSDAY

Leicester City scored three first half goals in their dominant 3-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion on Thursday, April 22, 2021. The third of those, in the 36th minute, was scored by Iheanacho.

FRIDAY

Leicester City lost three of their last four league encounters and it cost them their place in next season's Champions League. That slide started from their 2-4 defeat to Newcastle on Friday, May 7, 2021. Iheanacho scored the final goal of the game.

SATURDAY

The Foxes came from behind to secure all three points in their away game against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, March 6, 2021. Iheanacho had scored their equaliser before they went on to win 2-1.

SUNDAY

Sundays were the only occasions when Iheanacho scored more than a goal in a single Premier League game this season. He scored a hat-trick in their 5-0 win against Sheffield United  on March 14, 2021. His brace against West Ham on April 11, 2021 came in a 3-2 defeat.

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When did Leicester City win the first Premier League title?

This is the history of Leicester City Football Club, based in Leicester, England, the United Kingdom. Having been founded over 100 years ago, for the first time, in the 2015–16 season, Leicester City won the Premier League, with Claudio Ranieri being the manager. Also, in the same season, the team qualified for the UEFA Champions League.

The club's previous highest ever league finish was second place in the top flight, in 1928–29, then known as the First Division. Leicester holds a joint-record of seven second-tier titles and have competed in the FA Cup final five times, winning their first title in 2021. They have also won the League Cup three times and played in five European competitions to date.

Leicester won the Premier League on 2 May 2016 after Tottenham threw away a 2–0 lead against Chelsea, drawing 2–2 at the "Battle of Stamford Bridge". This completed the fastest seven-year rise to the title except for Ipswich Town in 1962. Bookmakers thought Leicester's victory was so unlikely that Ladbrokes and William Hill offered odds of 5,000–1 for it at the start of the season. Neither bookmaker had ever paid out such long odds, and the trophy resulted in the largest payout in British sporting history with total winnings of £25 million. The scale of the surprise attracted global attention for the club and the city of Leicester. The Economist declared it would be "pored over for management lessons". Several commentators have viewed it as an inspiration to other clubs and fundamentally transforming the expectations similar sized clubs face in English football.

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How Leicester City’s five-year fairytale unfolded

The Premier League is the most watched sports league in the world with a potential TV audience in the billions. While it caters to the cliche that anyone can beat anyone in a particular match, it doesn't often happen through an entire season. That's the reason why Leicester City's title-winning feat in 2015-16 is seen as a fairytale run as they started out as underdogs against some of the biggest clubs, worldwide.

The fact that they were staring at relegation to a lower division with less than 10 games to go in the previous season puts in context Leicesters achievement. Italian journeyman Claudio Ranieri was appointed as the club's manager and he steered the club to safety.

That was, perhaps, the beginning of something sensational as they moved from strength to strength in the next season. In the 38 matches that were played by Leicester in the 2015-16 season, they lost just three of them, winning 23 matches and drawing the remaining 12.

As a result, Leicester finished top of the table with 81 points, 10-points clear of second-placed Arsenal at the end of the season. For the first time in the club's history, Leicester City finished champions of England's highest league.

Did you know?

Before the season started, Leicester City was 5000-1 odds with the gambling bookmakers to win the title. They were given such poor odds because no one expect them to win the Premier League and the Leicester City faithfuls who did go ahead and put some money on it made a lot in return.

Leicester City's title win enabled them to play in the Champions league the next season, a first for the club.

Striker Jamie Vardy scored a goal in 11 consecutive Premier League games during this season, a record for the longest such streak.

Winger Riyad Mahrez became the first African and first Algerian player to win the PFA Player of the Year award in this season.

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In which year did Keke Rosberg become F1 champion?

Keijo Erik Rosberg (born 6 December 1948), known as "Keke" is a Finnish former racing driver and winner of the 1982 Formula One World Championship. He was the first Finnish driver to compete regularly in the series. He is the father of 2016 Formula One World Champion Nico Rosberg.

Rosberg was born on 6 December 1948 in Solna, Stockholm County in Sweden, where his father studied veterinary science. Rosberg's father Lars Rosberg and mother Lea Lautala were both natives of Hamina, Finland. The family moved back to Finland in the spring of 1950, originally settling in Lapinjärvi and later moving to Hamina, Oulu and Iisalmi.

In November 1984 following the F1 season, Rosberg, along with fellow F1 drivers Niki Lauda (the 1984 World Champion), Andrea de Cesaris and François Hesnault, travelled to Australia for the non-championship 1984 Australian Grand Prix at the Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne. Rosberg managed to qualify 4th in his Ralt RT4 Ford despite spending most of the day with fellow aviation enthusiast Lauda (his teammate for the race) attending an air show at the nearby Essendon Airport. After an early race dice with Lauda and a clash with Terry Ryan while lapping the young Australian which put him off the short 1.609 km (1.000 mi) circuit, Rosberg went on to finish 2nd behind the Ralt RT4 Ford of Brazilian driver Roberto Moreno who won his 3rd Australian Grand Prix in 4 years (having also won in 1981 and 1983).

1985 would prove better for both Rosberg and Williams. The Finn had a new teammate in Nigel Mansell and the all carbon fibre Williams FW10 chassis was a big improvement over the FW09B. For the first few races the team used the 1984 engines until Honda introduced an upgraded version which improved power delivery, fuel economy and most importantly, reliability. Rosberg used the new engine to good effect, winning the Detroit Grand Prix and claiming pole in the next two races in France at the Paul Ricard Circuit and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Rosberg's pole-winning lap at Silverstone created history when he lapped the 4.719 km (2.932 mi) circuit in 1:05.591 for an average speed of 259.01 km/h (160.94 mph). This would remain the single fastest lap of a circuit in Formula One until broken by Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya at the 2002 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Keke Rosberg's fifth and final Grand Prix victory came at the 1985 Australian Grand Prix on the brand new Adelaide Street Circuit. As it was the final race of the season, it was also Rosberg's final race for Williams. Keke gave the winners trophy to his race engineer, Frank Dernie. The win enhanced Rosberg's reputation as a "street fighter" as four of his five championship Grand Prix wins (Monaco, Dallas, Detroit and Adelaide) had all come on street circuits. Rosberg handled the 35°C heat better than most and won by 43 seconds from the Ligier Renaults of Jacques Laffite and Philippe Streiff.

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Who becomes the first father-son duo to be F1 world champions?

Perhaps the most famous father-son pairing in F1. Graham Hill's F1 career spanned 17 years, during which he was crowned world champion twice; once in 1962 driving for BRM and again in 1968 for Lotus. To date he is the only driver to win the triple crown, winning the Indy 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix as a driver. He won the latter of these five times in the 1960s, earning him the nickname 'Mr Monaco'.

Graham Hill died in a plane crash when son Damon was still a teenager, and several years passed before the younger Hill took up motor racing. Initially racing motorbikes, Damon Hill eventually found his way into F1 as a test driver for Brabham. He then moved to Williams, where he earned all but one of his 22 grand prix victories and sole world title in 1996.

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Lewandowski scores 41st Bundesliga goal of season to break Müller’s record

On Saturday, May 22, 2021, Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski scored their fifth goal in their 5-2 win against Augsburg.

That goal was Lewandowski's 41st goal of the Bundesliga season, helping him break Gerd Muller's 49-year-old record dating back to the 1971-72 season for scoring the maximum number of goals in a single season.

Having drawn level with the great Gerd Muller's single season record tally of 40 goals with a penalty in Bayern Munich's 2-2 draw against SC Freiburg, Robert Lewandowski was aware that he was in with a shot at glory. All he needed was a single goal against Augsburg in their final game of the Bundesliga season.

Even though Bayern had wrapped up a ninth consecutive league title, their final game thus had added significance because of the possibility of Lewandowski creating a new record.

Lewandowski had an agonising wait through the game and it even looked like he had to be content with sharing the record with Muller as full-time drew nearer. But when Augsburg's goalkeeper spilled the ball following a low shot from Leroy Sane in the 90th minute, Lewandowski was quickest to pounce on the ball (above) and score the goal that gave him the record. It was, in fact, the final play of the game and Bayern Munich's 2020-21 Bundesliga season.

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Devdutt Padikkal becomes fourth uncapped player to hit hundred in IPL

On April 22, 2021, the Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Rajasthan Royals by 10 wickets in an Indian Premier league game that was played in Mumbai.

RCB opener Devdutt Padikkal who was the architect of their win, became just the fourth uncapped player to score a century in the competition‘s history.

Chasing 178 for victory against Rajasthan Royals, Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli carried Royal Challengers Bangalore to 181 in 16.3 overs, without the fall of a single wicket. It was the fourth 10-wicket win for RCB, the highest for any team in IPL history. While Padikkal did the bulk of the scoring, remaining unbeaten on 101 from 52 deliveries, Kohli was 72 not out from 47 balls, Kohli‘s knock saw him become the first player in IPL history to cross the 6000 run mark.

Shaun Marsh

Four Kings XI Punjab

Against Rajasthan Royals on May 28, 2008 at Chhattisgarh

Marsh scored a 69-ball 115 against the eventual champions in the last match of the group stages to set up their 41-run victory. Marsh’s knock included 11 fours and 7 sixes. Marsh went on to play for Australia in the same year, making his T20 debut in June and ODI debut days later. He also earned his test cap for the Aussies in September 2011.

Manish Pandey

For Royal Challengers Bangalore Against Deccan Chargers on May 21, 2009 at Centurion, South Africa

Like in 2008, the final match of the league stage of 2009 also saw an uncapped players score a century. It was Manish Pandey this time around as he hit a 73-ball 114 not out including 10 fours and 4 sixes to set up RCB‘s 12 run victory. Manish Pandey has earned his India cap, making his ODI debut in July 2015 and T20 debut days later.

Paul Valthaty

For Kings X I Punjab Against Chennai Super Kings on April 13, 2011 at Chandigarh

The next hundred by an uncapped player came in 2011. Batting first, CSK had posted a big total of 188 for four in their 20 overs. Paul Valthaty emerged as KXIP‘s hero as he led the chase from start to end. Valthaty’s 63-ball 120 not out, including 19 fours and 2 sixes, helped his team win by six wickets. Valthaty, however, did not play for India.

Devdutt Padikkal

For Royal Challengers Bangalore Against Rajasthan Royals on April 22, 2021 at Mumbai

While the first four IPLs saw three uncapped players scoring centuries, there was a 10 year gap before Devdutt Padikkal became the fourth one in the list. Opening with RCB and India captain Virat Kohli in their chase of 178 against RR, Padikkal went from strength to strength as RCB won convincingly. Particle was unbeaten on 101, his 52-ball knock including 11 fours and 6 sixes.

At 20 years and 289 days (on the day of the knock), Devdutt Padikkal became the third youngest centurion in IPL history. While Manish Pandey was 19 years old and 253 days old during his knock of 114 not out in 2009, Rishabh Pant scored 128 not out for Delhi Daredevils against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018 at the age of 20 years and 218 days.

Padikkal, however, is the youngest to score a century in the IPL during a chase. The previous best was held by South Africa’s Quinton de Kock. De Kock was 23 years and 112 days old when he scored 108 for Delhi Daredevils against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016.

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Nico Rosberg seals first F1 world title at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were teammates in the 2016 F1 season, both in driving for Mercedes. That didn’t stop them from going toe-to-toe for the world title that year, as the championship went down to the wire before being decided in the final race of the season.

Rosberg took the pole position on eight occasions that season, as opposed to Hamilton’s 12. Rosberg had the fastest lap six times, while Hamilton had it on three occasions. Rosberg won nine of the 21 races and Hamilton won 10 of them. Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo were the only others to win a race that season.

With seven other podium finishes in the season, Rosberg eventually emerged ahead of Hamilton at the end of the season. With 385 points as opposed to Hamilton’s 380 Rosberg was crowned F1 world champion for the first and only time in his career.

Did you know?

Nico followed in the footsteps of his father Keke, who was the F1 champion 1982.

The Rosbergs became the second father-son duo F1 world champions. The Hills were the 1st to achieve it as father Graham and son Damon were both F1 champions.

Rosberg shocked the entire sporting world by announcing his retirement five days after becoming the world champion.

“I have climbed my mountain, I am on the peak, so this feels right”, Rosberg said, after announcing his retirement.                                      

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Amit Mishra creates IPL record by dismissing Rohit again

On April 20, 2021 defending champions Mumbai Indians took on Delhi Capitals in Chennai in what was a repeat of last year’s. MI were restricted to 137 for nine in their 20 overs, a target DC were able to chase down with five balls and six wickets in hand.

Veteran spinner Amit Mishra was DC’s hero as he finished with figures of four 24 in his four overs. He accounted for the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard and Ishan Kishan to put the brakes on MI’s innings.

The wicket of Rohit Sharma in particular was special as it allowed him to joint Zaheer Khan and Sandeep Sharma as the only bowlers to have dismissed the same batsman for the maximum number of times in IPL history.

Amit Mishra has now dismissed Rohit Sharma 7 times, which is the record for any batsman being dismissed by the same bowler in IPL history.

Amit Mishra’s IPL Bowling Record

Matches Played: 152

Ball bowled: 3,203

Runs conceded: 3,922

Wickets: 164

Best bowling figures: 5/17

Average: 23.91

Economy: 7.34

Mishra’s 164 wickets makes him the second most successful wicket-taker in IPL history. Only Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, with 170 wickets, has more dismissals than Mishra.

Sandeep Sharma has dismissed Virat Kohli 7 times in IPL history

Sandeep Sharma’s IPL Bowling Record

Matches played: 93

Ball bowled: 2,075

Runs conceded: 2,681

Wickets: 109

Best bowling figures: 4/20

Average: 24.59

Economy: 7.75

Zaheer Khan has dismissed MS Dhoni 7 times in IPL history

Zaheer Khan’s Bowling Record

Matches played: 100

Ball bowled: 2,200

Runs conceded: 2,782

Wickets: 102

Best bowling figures: 4/17

Average: 27.27

Economy: 7.58

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