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Jaspal Rana, shooting great and Manu Bhaker’s coach, dies at 49
Jaspal Rana, one of India’s finest pistol shooters who made a hugely successful transition to coaching and guided Manu Bhaker to epoch-making twin bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, has shockingly died at a mere 49 years of age after battling cardiac complications.
Rana is survived by his wife, Reena Rana, daughter Devanshi, son Yuvraj, father Narayan Singh Rana, and his two siblings, Sushma Singh and Subhash Rana.
According to National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, Rana breathed his last at a Delhi hospital on Thursday night. Sources said he died of complications related to heart. forumteam.blog
Rana’s untimely death has left the shooting fraternity in a state of shock.
He recently underwent a medical procedure after falling ill during the Indian contingent’s return flight from the ISSF World Cup in Munich, Germany.
Upon landing in New Delhi, he was immediately hospitalised and had a stent installed to clear a cardiac blockage. According to sources, despite initial reports of him being stable, his condition deteriorated.
Rana was serving as the high-performance coach for Indian pistol shooters.
The former shooter, who was considered a maverick in Indian shooting circles for his outspoken demeanour and passion for the sport, was a prodigal talent and won his first national level gold at just 12 years of age.
His international breakthrough were the 25m gold medals at the 1994 Commonwealth and Asian Games.
In fact, the Asiad gold was India’s first in 16 years after Raja Randhir Singh opened the account in 1978. Randhir had passed away recently after battling age-related ailments.
Rana’s biggest moment as a shooter came in the 2006 Asian Games when he snared three gold medals and a silver in a sensational performance that included equalling the world record of the time.
After a decorated career as an elite shooter, Rana transformed Indian shooting through his roles as a junior national team coach and high-performance trainer.
His most significant coaching contribution was mentoring Manu Bhaker and helping her secure two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, making her the first Indian to achieve such a feat.
As a junior pistol coach since 2012, he also groomed teen sensations such as Saurabh Chaudhary, Anish Bhanwala, and Chinki Yadav.
His work with the junior programme created a massive pipeline of international talent, creating a lasting impact on the sport.
The NRAI had officially appointed him as the High-Performance coach for the 25m pistol discipline in February last year.
A tough task-master, Rana is credited with instituting rigorous training routines that perfectly replicated the pressure of actual Olympic matches.
For his immense contributions to the sport and the development of the next generation of shooters, the government conferred on him the prestigious Dronacharya Award in 2020.
He also remains India’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete with 15 medals (including nine golds) across four editions.
ENG vs NZ: Conway to Rejoin Squad as Injury Concern Lingers Over Henry
Top-order batter Devon Conway has been released from the squad after being granted a short period of paternity leave by New Zealand Cricket (NZC), but he is expected to return in time for the second Test against England, which begins on June 17.
Conway requested leave between the two Tests for the birth of his second child. NZC confirmed that while his request had been approved, the left-handed batter would rejoin the squad in London ahead of the Oval Test.
New Zealand said in a statement on Wednesday: “BLACKCAPS batter Devon Conway has briefly returned home to New Zealand to welcome the birth of his second child. Conway will spend some time at home with family before flying back to London ahead of the second Test against England at The Oval, starting Wednesday 17 June.”
In the first Test, which New Zealand lost by 115 runs at Lord’s, Conway scored 1 and 41 in a low-scoring contest.
Meanwhile, Matt Henry, the most experienced pace bowler in New Zealand’s current squad, remains under an injury cloud. Although the right-arm seamer was declared fit for the first Test, he struggled with back spasms and could be a doubt for the next match.
“I think it’s a day-by-day case with Henners,” Tom Latham said before the match. “Fingers crossed, he keeps progressing the way he has from day one to where he is now [on day four]. We’ve got a little bit of extra time now to hopefully get him right and then, fingers crossed, we’ll have a full bowling attack to pick from again.”
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Predicted India playing XI for IND vs AFG 1st ODI: No Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan in, Prince Yadav to make debut
India cricket team will commence their preparations for the 2027 World Cup by taking on Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series that starts from June 13. Shubman Gill and co. who were prolific in the 50-over format of the game last year, lost 1-2 to New Zealand at the start of 2026 following which they have only played T20Is and a Test. With a host of big names including Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya being ruled out of the series due to injuries, India will be aiming to start their WC preparations on the right foot by testing their bench strength.
Predicted India playing XI for IND vs AFG 1st ODI
| Position | Player | Role |
| 1. | Rohit Sharma | Opener |
| 2. | Shubman Gill (C) | Opener |
| 3. | Ishan Kishan | Batter |
| 4. | Shreyas Iyer (VC) | Batter |
| 5. | KL Rahul (WK) | Wicketkeeper-Batter |
| 6. | Nitish Kumar Reddy | All-rounder |
| 7. | Washington Sundar | All-rounder |
| 8. | Kuldeep Yadav | Spinner |
| 9. | Prasidh Krishna | Pacer |
| 10. | Prince Yadav | Pacer |
| 11. | Arshdeep Singh | Pacer |
No room for Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal was named as Virat Kohli’s replacement for the ODI series against Afghanistan after the latter was ruled out due to a leg injury. The southpaw, who has been knocking on the doors of the selectors for a spot in the ODIs over the years, last featured in a 50-over format game against South Africa in December 2025. However, despite being named Kohli’s replacement, Yashasvi is unlikely to find a spot in India’s playing XI for IND vs AFG 1st ODI.
Now, India’s opening combination in ODIs are fixed – Rohit and captain Gill. Jaiswal cannot essay any other role than that of an opener. With the Hitman cleared by the BCCI’s CoE to take part in the Afghanistan series, there remains very liitle chance for Jaiswal to make it to the playing XI. After all, that can only happen if the team decides to rest Rohit Sharma.
Ishan Kishan to replace Kohli at no.3?
Kishan last featured in an ODI way back in October 2023 against Afghanistan. Now, he is all set to return from exile to face the same opposition after working hard in the domestic circuit and impressing the selectors to earn his comeback. The southpaw has played 27 ODIs in which he has amassed 933 runs at an average of 42.40, including a highest score of 210.
Kishan is the best option for India to replace an injued Virat Kohli at number 3. While batting at that position, Ishan has scored 163 runs in 4 matches at an average of 40.75 and has two fifties to his name. Given the way he has performed at number 3 in the shortest format of the game in the recent past, he is the frontrunner to find a spot in India’s playing XI against Afghanistan.
Vice-captain Shreyas will bat at number 4 while Rahul, who will serve as the wicketkeeper as well, will essay his usual role as number 5. India will also want to have two all-rounders in the playing XI to increase their batting depth. With Hardik Pandya being ruled out of the series with a quadrecips injury, NKR will be expected to fullfill his quota of 10 overs. The other all-rounder in the line-up will be Sundar.
Prince Yadav to make India debut
Prince Yadav, who plays for LSG, has seemingly impressed the selectors by bagging 16 wickets from 12 matches in IPL 2026. In List A cricket, he has 29 wickets from 14 matches since making his debut in the format in 2024. He is likely to make his ODI debut in the IND vs AFG 1st ODI. While Siraj has been rested, India will want to have an more experienced Krishna along with Arshdeep to comprise of the pace department.
In the absence of Siraj and Bumrah, Arshdeep will spearhead the pace attack in the series, with Krishna serving as second fiddle.
India squad for AFG ODIs
The post Predicted India playing XI for IND vs AFG 1st ODI: No Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan in, Prince Yadav to make debut appeared first on Inside Sport India.
Why Is Sports Infrastructure Important for Schools in India?
Sports infrastructure for schools in India has become one of the most important factors in modern education. Schools today are realizing that quality sports facilities are not just about playing games-they directly impact students’ physical health, mental well-being, confidence, discipline, and overall development. As education continues to evolve, investing in sports infrastructure is becoming a […]
The post Why Is Sports Infrastructure Important for Schools in India? appeared first on Gallant Sports.