Sports Highlights, February 5: Ashleigh Gardner To Lead Gujarat Giants In WPL; Newcastle Take On Arsenal In EFL Cup

Welcome to the live coverage of all the sports action happening today i.e. Wednesday, February 5.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep announced her retirement from tennis at age 33 after a first-round loss at a tournament in her home country of Romania.

Atletico Madrid beat Getafe 5-0 in Copa del Rey to reach semis, whereas in Coppa Italia, Atalanta received a shock 0-1 defeat at the hands of Bologna.

Real Madrid has wished their former star player Cristiano Ronaldo on their X (formerly Twitter) account.

Kultida Woods, the Thai-born mother of Tiger Woods, died Tuesday morning, a week after being seen attending his indoor TMRW Golf League in Florida. Woods did not reveal how his 78-year-old mother died in his social media post announcing her death.

Former England cricket captain Kevin Pietersen has welcomed the investments made by IPL team owners in English domestic cricket, terming it as "amazing for English and world cricket.

Manchester City condemned the racist and misogynistic abuse directed at striker Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw after their Women's Super League loss to Arsenal, calling it "appalling." The club has reported the matter to the authorities, confirming an investigation will take place.

Shaw, 28, chose not to share the messages to deny publicity to the offenders. City emphasized that discrimination, whether in stadiums or online, has no place in football or society.

Afghanistan's spin wizard Rashid Khan has etched his name in history, overtaking West Indies great Dwayne Bravo as the highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket. Defending a 200-run total, Rashid picked up 2/34 in his four-over spell, dismissing Dunith Wellalage and Dinesh Karthik.

With this, his T20 tally now stands at 633 wickets in 461 matches at an average of 18.07, including best figures of 6/17 and four five-wicket hauls.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors named an updated ODI squad for the team's three-match series against England, starting from Thursday in Nagpur. Jasprit Bumrah's availability remains a doubt as the pacer faces a race against time to be fit for the third ODI as well as the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai.

Read the full story HERE.

MI Cape Town extended their stellar run in SA20, defeating Paarl Royals by 39 runs in the First Qualifier to secure their first-ever final berth. The title clash is set for Saturday at the Wanderers, while Paarl Royals get another shot in the Second Qualifier on Thursday, facing the winner of Wednesday라이브 바카라 Eliminator between two-time champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Joburg Super Kings.

Britain라이브 바카라 Emma Raducanu suffered a first-round exit at the Abu Dhabi Open, losing in straight sets to former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova. The 22-year-old, who entered the main draw as a late wildcard, was defeated 6-3, 6-4, struggling to make the most of her opportunity.

Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia has moved to PSV Eindhoven on loan until the end of the season. The 25-year-old returned to action for the Premier League side in November after a 17-month injury layoff.

A Netherlands international, Malacia joined United from Feyenoord in July 2022 for £13 million on a four-year deal.

South Africa winger Makazole Mapimpi has been suspended for three matches after admitting to making contact with the eye or eye area of a Cardiff player during a United Rugby Championship (URC) match in January.

The two-time World Cup winner was involved in a scuffle with Cardiff hooker Efan Daniel during the Sharks' 42-22 victory at Cardiff Arms Park on January 25.

The International Golf Federation (IGF) has strongly opposed the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) involvement in the Indian Golf Union elections, criticizing its recognition of the rival faction led by Harish Kumar Shetty. The IGF stated that the IOA has "no jurisdiction" over the federation's election process.

In a letter issued on December 30, the IOA recognized Shetty라이브 바카라 IGU faction while declaring the Brijinder Singh-led body void.

India have named a 17-member junior squad for the upcoming Dutch Junior International and German Junior badminton tournaments. National U-17 champion Gnana Dattu T will lead the team, which includes junior world number six Raunak Chouhan, Adarshini Shri, and doubles specialists Bhavya Chhabra and Param Chaudhary.

The Dutch Junior International will take place in Haarlem, Netherlands, from February 26 to March 2, while the German Junior will be held in Mulheim an der Ruhr from March 5-9.

Defending champions Mumbai's Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Haryana has been shifted from Lahli to Kolkata by the BCCI. All the quarterfinals will be five-day affairs, from February 8 to 12.

In-form India opener Abhishek Sharma made a significant leap in the ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings, rising 38 places to claim the second spot for batters. Meanwhile, his teammate Tilak Verma dropped one position to third.

Abhishek's remarkable rise came after an explosive 135-run knock in the fifth and final T20 against England in Mumbai, where his innings played a pivotal role in India's commanding 4-1 series victory. This innings marked the best performance of his young international career.

USA President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Wednesday aimed at preventing individuals who were assigned male at birth from participating in women's or girls' sports.

The order, expected to be signed during an afternoon ceremony, represents another shift in the federal government's stance on transgender rights under his second administration.

Haryana's Suruchi clinched gold in the women's 10m air pistol event at the National Games in Dehradun with a score of 245.7, while teammate Palak secured silver (243.6) and Punjab's Simranpreet Kaur Brar took bronze (218.8).

In the men's 50m rifle 3 positions event, Madhya Pradesh's Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar topped the qualification with 598 points, followed by SSCB's Chain Singh (594) and six others advancing to Thursday's final.

Mumbai City FC captain Lallianzuala Chhangte has expressed strong support for hosting Indian Super League (ISL) matches in Shillong, believing it will significantly enhance Meghalaya라이브 바카라 football culture.

The 27-year-old winger sees the move as a major step forward for the region, emphasizing the positive influence top-tier football can have on local talent and the sport라이브 바카라 growing popularity in the northeastern state.

England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith is likely to sit out the first two ODIs against India this week due to a calf injury sustained during the third T20 in Rajkot on January 28. The 24-year-old was forced off the field and subsequently missed the final two matches of the series, which India won 4-1.

However, Smith is expected to recover in time for the Champions Trophy.

That's a wrap. We'll be back with another live blog packed with action. Until then, goodbye.