On the eve of Qualifier 2 at the DP World ILT20 Season 3, batting legend and commentator Virender Sehwag vouched to witness thrilling contest between Sharjah Warriorz and Desert Vipers on Friday, at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The winner of this match will take on Dubai Capitals in the final on Sunday, 9th February to be played at the Dubai International Stadium.
Emphasising on the wickets here in UAE that are tailor-made for scoring big runs, Sehwag said, “UAE stadiums have some of the best batting tracks. Though I didn’t have the opportunity to play a lot here, I did play a couple of games for India and during the Indian Premier League (IPL) and I absolutely enjoyed batting here in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.”
“Hopefully the next two games (Qualifier 2 and Final) will be a cracker. The match between Dubai Capitals and Desert Vipers went down to the last ball and I am sure the next two games will be thrilling contest too.”
Having been part of the DP World ILT20 as a commentator since its inception, Sehwag highlighted the growth of this league and factors that makes it one of the top cricket leagues in the world. “I think the DP World ILT20 is one of the best leagues. Like IPL is good for the development of Indian cricket, similarly, DP World ILT20 is good for UAE players and the Middle East. But the good part is that you can’t see nine international players playing in one team in any other league.”
He further added, “This is the third year for me in DP World ILT20 as a commentator. And I’m seeing that a lot of good international players are coming and playing this league, which is benefitting UAE’s youngsters. They’re getting good experience with international players. And this year, if you look at all the matches, they have been very close and very interesting and there were a lot of games that saw 200-plus runs being scored too.”
On being asked if there was any batter, he would love to have a partnership going here in the DP World ILT20, Sehwag named Australia’s David Warner who scored a blistering 93 unbeaten against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to put the Dubai Capitals in the play-offs.
When asked if he would like to see Indian players in this league, he said, “I would love to see Indian players here. If any Indian player who has just retired from International cricket or IPL and if they want to play, like Dinesh Karthik is playing right now, it would be great, I would love to see Indian cricketers play here and if there was one player I would have particularly liked to watch here is the sixer-man Yuvraj Singh,” he signed off.
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In a dramatic twist from the chessboard to the Wild West, the world’s top chess players swapped pawns for pistols, sieves, and lassos in this year’s edition of Norway Chess Games.
Held on a tournament rest day, the tradition of light-hearted competition continued in unforgettable fashion with the “Chess Cowboy Challenge”, a high-spirited showdown in Westernbyen, a Western-themed village in Ålgård, just outside Stavanger.
This year’s participants was -the star-studded lineup from Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh was unfortunately not able to join, and stepping in was Ella Carlsen, wife of Magnus, proving to be quite the sharpshooter in more ways than one.
Adopting their new Western personas, the players embraced the theme wholeheartedly:
Magnus “The Lone GOAT” Carlsen Caruana “The Sicilian Sniper” Hikaru “The Blitz Bandit” Nakamura Arjun “No Slip” Erigaisi Wei “The Quiet Storm” Yi Gukesh “The Chennai Sharpshooter” D
Vaishali “The Rising Rider” Rameshbabu Anna “Ice Veins” Muzychuk Humpy “The Hammer” Koneru Lei “The Lockdown” Tingjie Ju “No-Loss” Wenjun Ella Carlsen (stepping in as an honorary cowgirl)
With nicknames as fierce as their over-the-board styles, the competitors were more than ready to tackle the cowboy gauntlet ahead.
The Chess Cowboy Challenge took them through a series of wild tasks. They faced the Sheriff’s memory test in a jail escape, sought enlightenment by solving the priest’s riddle in the chapel, mined for gold, and tried their hand at axe throwing beside the church. Air rifles, lasso tosses, cowboy quizzes at the pleasure house, and classic horseshoe throws added to the flavor of the day, with real horses roaming the scene for that authentic atmosphere.
Each team, made up of one male and one female player, competed across all stations as they worked their way through the village.
Final Standings:
1st place: Magnus & Ella Carlsen — crowned Chess Sheriffs
2nd place: Hikaru Nakamura & Anna Muzychuk
3rd place: Fabiano Caruana & Vaishali Rameshbabu
4th place: Gukesh D & Ju Wenjun
5th place: Wei Yi & Lei Tingjie
6th place: Arjun Erigaisi & Humpy Koneru
About Norway Chess Games
Norway Chess Games is an annual tradition held during the tournament’s rest day. It gives the world’s best players a break from intense competition and a chance to connect in creative, unexpected ways. Previous editions have included:
Chess Chefs– a culinary battle where players cooked for top chefs
Cake Decorating Challenge– full of icing, sprinkles, and strategy
Farmer for a Day– featuring hand-milking cows and driving tractors
Design Your Own Knit Sweater– where players designed patterns later hand-knitted into real sweaters as unique keepsakes
India’s cricket superstar Virat Kohli has become an investor in the World Bowling League (WBL), a Dubai-founded initiative set to reinvent bowling as a fast-paced, global spectator sport.
Kohli joins Major League Baseball (MLB) icon Mookie Betts as a high-profile partner in the WBL, which was launched by Dubai-based entrepreneur Adi K. Mishra. The league is reimagining the traditional game with a dynamic format featuring mixed-gender teams, international tournaments, and a modern media-first approach aimed at younger audiences.
With franchises expected in Dubai and other global cities, the WBL plans to host 12 to 15 tournaments annually across the United States, Europe, and Asia, as part of its ambitious five-year growth plan.
“When I discovered Virat is also a bowler, it was exciting to align with this new-age vision for the sport,” said Mishra, founder and CEO of League Sports Co.
Kohli, one of the most followed athletes in the world on social media, revealed a long-standing personal connection to the sport.
“I started bowling when I was 11 years old,” Kohli said. “It’s clear how popular the sport is, yet it remains underappreciated as a business.”
The 36-year-old’s global influence and passion for sport are expected to significantly boost the league’s visibility and credibility as it enters its debut season. The WBL aims to position bowling not just as a recreational activity but as an engaging, competitive, and commercially viable sport with global appeal.
After a difficult season that saw Manchester City fall short of their lofty standards, Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has assured fans the team will bounce back in 2025 with renewed hunger and ambition.
Speaking in his annual end-of-season interview, published on the club’s website, Al Mubarak acknowledged that the recently concluded campaign was below par by City’s expectations. The team, which previously captured a historic Treble in 2022/23 and a record fourth consecutive Premier League title in 2023/24, ended this season with only the Community Shield to show.
“This season is now behind us,” Al Mubarak said. “Today is a new day. We’ve already started preparing for next season – in fact, we’ve been doing that since January.”
Transfer plans in motion
With the FIFA Club World Cup in June fast approaching, Al Mubarak confirmed that City are targeting new signings this summer to strengthen Pep Guardiola’s squad.
“We will take all the good things and the not-so-good things from this season, learn from them, and come back stronger,” he said.
“The club will do everything possible to return to the standards we know we can achieve.”
He also revealed that top-level discussions were already underway, with Director of Football Txiki Begiristain, CEO Ferran Soriano, manager Pep Guardiola, and Football Partnerships Director Hugo Viana all working closely on transfer strategy.
“I just got off the phone with Ferran. He spent the day with Txiki, Pep, and Hugo today. We finished our last game yesterday, and today we’re working. Nobody’s going on vacation yet,” he added.
Hunger in the squad
Despite the underwhelming season, the mood in the dressing room remains determined and focused. Al Mubarak attended City’s final game of the campaign, a 2-0 win at Fulham, and noted a strong sense of motivation among the players.
“Everyone I saw after the Fulham game was excited about coming back,” he said.
“They’re hungry. Rodri is already looking for games. Erling [Haaland] didn’t want to go on vacation, he wanted to stay with the physios and prepare for next season. That’s the attitude you want.”
Al Mubarak’s confidence in the club’s future stems from this player-driven determination and the leadership’s proactive approach to the upcoming transfer window.
“We’re going to come back strong, with a lot of positivity,” he said. “And I can assure you – we will be back competing for the biggest prizes next season.”