WPL: Ellyse Perry's record six-wicket haul decimates MI
New Delhi, Mar 12: Star Australian allrounder Ellyse Perry had a night to remember as she registered the best-ever bowling figures in the history of Women's Premier League, snapping six for 15 as Royal Challengers Bangalore dismissed Mumbai Indians for 113 here on Tuesday.
Perry got the ball to nip back from the crease consistently to clean up four batters and trap two in front of the wicket to drain the life out of defending champions Mumbai, leaving them tottering at 82 for 7 in 13 overs.
Sent in to bat, Hayley Matthews (26) and Sajeevan Sajana (30), who was promoted up the order, provided a blistering start to MI.
Matthew was the aggressor at the start, using her slog shots to blast two fours and two sixes. While Renuka Singh was on the line for Matthews in the third over, Sajana picked Sophie Molineux in the fifth over for special treatment.
However, Sophie Devine ended the powerplay dismissing Matthews, who holed out to Perry as MI were 43 for one in six overs.
Sajana then took over the reins and smashed Devine for a four and a six before Perry brought RCB back into the game.
Perry bowled outside off length deliveries and both Sajana and Harmanpreet Kaur fell for the trap as the ball rattled their stumps to leave MI at 65 for 3 in 9 overs.
The star allrounder returned to trap Amelia Kerr (2) in front before cleaning up Amanjot Kaur (4) in the 11th over.
In her final over, Perry flattened the off stumps of Pooja Vastrakar (6) first and then deceived Nat Sciver-Brunt (10) with another inward seam delivery to complete a record six-wicket haul.
Priyanka Bala, who replaced Yastika Bhatia in the XI, smashed two sixes in her 18-ball 19 before MI folded up for a paltry total in 19 overs.
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Young Zuhair sets high targets after 'trapping' gold at National Senior Shooting
New Delhi (PTI): Young shotgun shooter Zuhair Khan had been waiting for the moment when he would win the senior national title ever since he decided to pick up a gun after watching his father compete.
That day finally arrived earlier this month at the Karni Singh Shooting Range, when the 20-year-old clinched the trap gold at the National Championships, outshooting seasoned stalwarts and Olympians.
A third-year B.Tech student at Aligarh Muslim University, Zuhair took up the sport at 12 and had been relentlessly pursuing a senior national medal, only to miss it each time despite reaching the final on three previous occasions.
"This is my first senior national medal. I have two bronze medals in the junior category. I had reached the senior finals earlier as well, but this time I managed to convert it into a win," says Zuhair, whose father Babar Khan is also a national-level shotgun shooter.
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However, the youngster's professional journey has not been smooth. Zuhair suffered a collarbone fracture while playing football and missed his inaugural nationals at the age of 13. The COVID-19 pandemic break too hampered his progress.
"I started trap shooting at the age of 12 and have been competing ever since. I lost one year due to a collarbone injury and another because of COVID-19, but apart from that, I have trained consistently at the Karni Singh Ranges," he added.
With very few talented trap shooters coming through the ranks, Zuhair has emerged as an exciting new find. His journey began when he would tag along with his father to the shooting range.
"So, when I went to the range I was fascinated by the sport. I thought 'let's give it a try'."
Balancing academics with competitive sport is never easy, but the youngster has managed to carve out a workable middle path.
"I am pursuing a B.Tech degree at Aligarh Muslim University. There isn't a fixed schedule for shooting, but whenever I have exams, my focus is entirely on academics. And when there are shooting competitions, I am here in Delhi," he said.
The past couple of years have brought valuable experience for Zuhair, and he is pleased to be shooting consistently high scores now.
"I represented the country at the 2024 World Championship in Peru. This year, I competed twice internationally — first at the World Cup in Suhl, Germany, and then at the Asian Championships in Kazakhstan, where I participated in the junior category in both tournaments."
While he is yet to win an international medal, his success at the National Championships has significantly boosted his confidence.
"I shot 120 this time at the Nationals, and I had also shot 120 earlier in 2024 at the Khelo India Youth Games. On both occasions, I won the gold medal," said the youngster from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh.
He has already set his next target -- a strong showing at the ISSF World Cup in Cairo in April.
"The World Cup in Cairo is around April, and my long-term goal is, of course, the Olympics. I would love to get the opportunity to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Games," he says.
"My personal coach, Rehan Rizvi, has been instrumental in my progress," says Zuhair, who is based at the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) with the junior national squad.
He believes in having a fallback option in case a sporting career does not work out, and for that reason plans to pursue either an MBA or an M.Tech degree.
“I have no clarity right now about what I'll end up pursuing. But yes, an MBA or an M.Tech -- those are the two possibilities," said Zuhair, who divides his time between Aligarh and Delhi.
"Mostly, I train on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. On the remaining days, I have to be in Aligarh for college, so it gets a bit hectic travelling back and forth."
In between, he also finds time to play football -- his childhood passion and the sport that once caused him a collarbone injury.
