Suryakumar Yadav clears most fitness tests, to play either on Apr 7 or 11
New Delhi, Apr 3: Mumbai Indians will soon get the much required batting boost as the world's No.1 ranked T20 batter Suryakumar Yadav has cleared almost all the fitness tests at National Cricket Academy and is very close to playing his first IPL game of the season.
Suryakumar had undergone multiple surgeries -- one for grade 2 ankle tear and another for sports hernia -- and he last played in the T20 series in South Africa.
"Surya has cleared all but one routine tests which are mandatory to get RTP (Return To Play) certificate from the NCA. There is one more test left to be conducted on Thursday, after which a clearer picture would emerge," a senior BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
"He is batting comfortably and has done all simulations," he added.
Asked if Suryakumar will be able to play the Mumbai Indians' home game on April 7 against Delhi Capitals, the source said: "The clearer picture will emerge after tomorrow's tests. There's still three days before the next game but since it's a comeback after a long time, it could also be April 11 at home against RCB."
The swashbuckling batter has been MI's most prolific performer for the past four to five seasons and his absence from the playing XI has been felt by the team that has lost its first three matches this season.
His replacement Naman Dhir, the player from Punjab, is yet to measure up and beleaguered skipper Hardik Pandya would certainly need 'Mr 360 degree' to stem the rot.
As far as the BCCI's medical team is concerned, the clear mandate was to ensure that India's premier T20 batter is completely fit for the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies, and also make sure that there are no premature breakdowns during the IPL.
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Israel's military says it has fully disabled Yemen's main airport with airstrikes
Jerusalem, May 6 (AP): Israel's military said Tuesday it launched airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, fully disabling the country's international airport in the capital, Sanaa, and striking several power plants.
The strikes, the second in two days, came after Israel launched airstrikes in retaliation for a Houthi missile strike the previous day on Israel's international airport.
The Houthis' satellite news channel al-Masirah reported the strikes, confirming the airport had been hit.
Footage aired on Israeli television showed thick black plumes of smoke rising above the skyline of Sanaa. Social media video purported to show multiple strikes around Sanaa, with black smoke rising as the thumps of the blast echoed against the surrounding mountains.
There was no immediate information on any casualties.
Tuesday's strike came shortly after the military issued a warning on social media for people to evacuate the area of Yemen's international airport.
“We urge you to immediately evacuate the area of the airport and to warn anyone nearby to distance themselves immediately,” spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on social media, attaching a map of Sanaa International Airport. “Failure to evacuate the area endangers your lives.”
On Monday night, Israel targeted the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen's Red Sea province of Hodeida, killing at least one person and wounding 35.
The rebels' media office said at least six strikes hit the crucial Hodeida port. Others hit a cement factory in the district of Bajil, 55 kilometres northeast of Hodeida, the rebels said. The Houthi-run Health Ministry said the strikes killed at least four people and wounded 39 others.
The Houthis on Sunday launched a missile that struck an access road near Israel's main airport near Tel Aviv, briefly halting flights and commuter traffic. Four people were lightly injured.
It was the first time a missile struck the grounds of Israel's main airport, Ben Gurion, since the October 2023 start of the war in Gaza. It prompted a flurry of flight cancellations. While most missiles launched by the Houthis have been intercepted, some have penetrated Israel's missile defence systems, causing damage.
The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, raising their profile as the last member of Iran's self-described “Axis of Resistance” capable of launching regular attacks on Israel.
The US military under President Donald Trump has launched an intensified campaign of airstrikes targeting the Houthis since March 15.
Israel has repeatedly struck against the rebels in Yemen. It struck Hodeida and its oil infrastructure in July after a Houthi drone attack killed one person and wounded 10 in Tel Aviv.
In September, Israel struck Hodeida again, killing at least four people after a missile targeted Ben Gurion airport as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was returning to the country. In December, Israeli strikes killed at least nine people in Hodeida.
