05/03/2026

SPORTS THURSDAY | MAR 5, 2026

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TRAMLINES Alcaraz tames emotions at Indian Wells

India bidding to defend T20 World Cup title

INDIA, bidding to become the first team to successfully defend the Twenty20 World Cup title, face an England side building momentum in their semifinal at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium today. The teams are meeting in the last four of the tournament for the third time in a row, with one victory apiece, and the winners went on to lift the trophy on each occasion. India won it in 2024 without losing a match but they suffered a setback

their win over West Indies was a welcome boost, however, and India boast explosive firepower in the middle order with Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. There are fewer concerns over the hosts’ bowling unit led by top ranked leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, though the fielding needs to improve after 13 dropped catches. – AFP

the World Cups, it’s all about mental (toughness), not about skill.” India’s top order has struggled at the tournament with opener

in a Super Eight stage defeat by South Africa this time around, before responding well with victories over Zimbabwe and West Indies. “You’ve got to win every game in which you represent your country… you have to play your ‘A’ game every time,” coach Gautam Gambhir told reporters. “It comes down to experience as well and mental strength. Come the big games, the knockout games,

WORLD NO. 1 Carlos Alcaraz believes controlling his emotions has been the secret of his unbeaten start to 2026 as he chases a third title of the year at Indian Wells. The 22-year-old Spanish star made history in Melbourne last month with victory at the Australian Open, becom ing the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam. He followed that up by pocketing the Qatar Open and arrives in California on the back of 12 straight wins since the turn of the year. Alcaraz, who is targeting a third Indian Wells title after wins in 2023 and 2024, says he is not dwelling on Novak Djokovic’s record 41-match winning streak from 2011. “Obviously I know that 41, Novak holds the record,” Alcaraz told reporters yesterday. “You don’t realize how diffi cult it is until you’re chasing that. “When you’re on 12 wins, it’s like (winning) four or five more tourna ments, the biggest tournaments in the world. You realize… how impressive it is.” Alcaraz, who has already amassed seven Grand Slam titles, puts his recent success down to learning to keep his temperament in check. “I think on the court I just I control my emotions even better,” Alcaraz said. “I would say that was the key of, you know, the good level of tennis that I have been playing lately… I just control myself, and in a calm place I can find the solutions and I can go through. “When I was getting mad or when I was playing bad or whatever, I just found the right way again, because I was calm.” Sabalenka, Gauff all for ‘rage rooms’ ARYNA SABALENKA likes the idea of “rage rooms” at tournaments where players can vent their frustrations away from the cameras, though the world No. 1 said there would be nothing left to destroy after she uses it. Sabalenka’s comments came after the ATX Open in Austin, Texas launched a rage room in response to Coco Gauff’s racket-smashing incident at the Australian Open, where the American was unaware her frustrations at losing in the quarterfinals were being broadcast worldwide. Sabalenka, who has had her own moments of frustration, was enthusias tic about the concept. “Oh, that’s cool, let’s do that,”she told reporters yesterday in the buildup to the Indian Wells tournament.“But I think after me there will be nothing to destroy. I would be there the whole day.” When asked about the rage room concept in Austin, Gauff was stunned to learn it was not an AI-generated fake. “That was real? I thought it was an AI, my mom sent it to me, and I told her it was AI,” she said. “She believes so many AI things.” Gauff’s incident at Melbourne Park sparked debate about player privacy at tournaments, with Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek among those calling for greater protections for players away from the cameras. The 21-year-old American was on board with the rage room idea. “For sure it was inspired by me, I guess. So I’ll take it nicely,” she said. “If I felt like I needed to let go some frustration, I would definitely be in the rage room,” she said, adding that break ing plates would be probably more fun than smashing a racquet.

Abhishek Sharma, the top-ranked batter in the format, managing only 80 runs in six matches with three ducks to his name. Sanju S a m s o n ’ s unbeaten 97 in

No fear for England: Curran Three Lions back IPL experience to handle pressure and hush India’s home crowd

E NGLAND will go into their T20 World Cup semifinal against India with no fear, said all-rounder Sam Curran yesterday, adding that their first job would be to silence a raucous home crowd. England will take on the favourites and hosts in front of 35,000 fiercely partisan fans in Mumbai today (9.30pm Malaysian time), with a place in the final against South Africa or New Zealand at stake. The noise will be deafening at times in the cauldron-like confines of the Wankhede Stadium. But Curran said that because he and many of his England teammates – such as Will Jacks at Mumbai Indians – play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), they will not be fazed. “It’s an experience as a young cricketer you dream of – playing India in the semifinal of a World Cup,” left-arm seamer Curran told reporters. Curran was in the international wilderness a year ago but forced his way back into the England squad with eye catching performances in T20 franchise leagues, including the IPL. “India are a quality side but we’ve played a lot of cricket here. We know how to play on these grounds and we know what to expect,” he said. “The IPL, no question, has helped a lot. Having played in the ground many times, there’s not many unknowns.” England experienced a hostile crowd at the Wankhede in their first match of the tournament when they beat Nepal in a final-ball thriller. It was Curran who bowled the nerveless final “death” over, conceding just five runs when Nepal needed 10, to stave off an embarrassing defeat. He then repeated the feat against Italy and has contributed with the bat from No. 6, scoring 149 runs so far with a best of 43 not out. “We’re not fearing anything and I’m sure both teams are really excited by the challenge,” Curran said, adding England could judge how well they were playing by the volume of the fans. “If the crowd are silent, England are probably going to be doing well. That’s our positive way of looking at it,” said Curran. It is the third T20 World Cup in a row that England will have played India in the semifinals and each time the winners went on to lift the trophy. In 2022, England crushed India by 10 wickets in Adelaide and went on to beat Pakistan in the Melbourne final. – AFP

England’s Sam Curran in action during T20 WC match against West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Feb 11. – REUTERSPIC

Rahm refuses DP World Tour settlement over contract conditions JON RAHM accused the DP World Tour of “extorting players” yesterday as the Spaniard explained his refusal to join eight LIV Golf competitors who signed a settlement allowing them to play in tournaments on both Tours. around £2.5 million (RM13.1m) for playing LIV events without permis sion, withdraw all pending appeals and commit to playing stipulated DP World Tour tournaments. minimum of six events and they dic tate where two of those have to be, amongst other things that I don’t agree with,” said Rahm who is no longer a member of the PGA Tour. Rahm revealed he also offered a compromise, telling tour officials he would sign immediately if they low ered the requirement to a minimum of four events. cally played four DP World Tour events annually including the Spanish Open, accused the tour of double-dealing. “It just seems like in a way they’re using our impact in tournaments and fining us and trying to benefit both ways from what we have to offer,” Rahm said. “In a way they’re extorting play

But Rahm balked at the condi tions, even as he risks his participa tion in next year’s Ryder Cup. “I don’t like what they’re doing currently with the contract they’re having us sign. “I don’t like the conditions,”Rahm told reporters ahead of an LIV Golf event in Hong Kong. “They’re asking me to play a

Rahm, a twice-major champion and former world No. 1, was notably absent from the list of eight golfers given permission to play in conflict ing LIV tournaments this year while retaining their membership status. The settlement required Rahm to pay outstanding fines of reportedly

ers like myself and young players that have nothing to do with the politics of the game.” Reuters has contacted the DP World Tour for comment. – Reuters

“They haven’t agreed to that. I just refuse to play six events. I don’t want to and that’s not what the rules say,” he said. The 31-year-old, who has typi