Zak ready for the fire-and-ice routine

It will be the second year in succession that Zaheer Khan will lead Delhi Daredevils. For starters, the left-arm pacer hasn’t rolled his arm over in any competitive game since the last IPL. But it is his acumen and ability to nurture pacers that influenced Delhi’s decision to hand over the reins to him, without taking his wavering fitness into consideration.

On Friday, the 38-year-old looked fit and eager to take up the challenge again, though, by his own admission, the next few weeks will test him.

“Very difficult to not play any match and turn up here and play all season. I take it up as a challenge. I have my routines and I stick to that along with discussions with trainers and physios which have gone on through my career.

“I pick the ball around December, and get into it slowly. Here I am ready to take on another season of IPL Very confident as well time. Get back to the field and the excitement comes back. It’s like a perfect dose of cricket for me in my career.”

Last season with DD, he bowled well with the new and old ball, and even picked a few important wickets. But his best came as captain when he set innovative fields to get opposition batsmen out. This time too, he prefers to steer from behind, letting the express pacers take the lead as Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris and Mohammed Shami are available. “I have supreme pacers with me who are going to take the pressure off me, so that I play the supporting role and not the lead

HARIKRISHNA, GIRI DRAW AT SHENZHEN

Indias Grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna produced a creditable performance to earn a draw against top seed Anish Giri from the Netherlands in the Shenzhen Longgang Masters chess tournament here on Friday. World No 14 Harikrishna was determined to make something of this contest as the tournament entered its final stages and held Hari at bay, to make it one of the longest games of the day.

At the end of it, both had to settle for half a point each. The draw left Harikrishna at the same position on the points table, fourth, with just two more rounds to go. Harikrishna will take on the tournament’s current leader Liren Ding of China

ADITI ASHOK OPENS WITH EVEN PAR 72

India’s Aditi Ashok made a creditable start with an even par 72 that provisionally placed her tied-42 in the first round of the ANA Inspiration golf here.

Aditi had three each of birdies and bogeys in her round. The ANA Inspiration is one of the five Majors for women’s golf, and after her maiden appearance at Women’s British Open last year, this is Aditi’s second career Major.

Aditi, who turned 19 a day before the start of the year’s first women’s Major, had a rough start with two bogeys in her first three holes after starting from the tenth on a very windy day.

One of the early starters on the first day, Aditi did very well to recover from that start as she birdied 13th and 15th to get back to even par. But another bogey on par-4 16th meant she turned in one-over. Ladies European Tour member Karine Icher from France took the early lead on day one, going out in the morning wave ahead of the forecasted

I have supreme pacers with me who are going to take the pressure off me, so that I play the supporting role and not the lead anymore

B’DESH EYE FIRST AWAY ODI SERIES WIN IN SL

Bangladesh will be eyeing their first away series win when they take on Sri Lanka in the third and final One Day