Sports Highlights March 12: Mirra Andreeva Beats Elena Rybakina At Indian Wells; Shubman Gill Wins ICC Player Of The Month For February

Some big results in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd leg ties - Liverpool crashed out after losing on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain, elsewhere Bayern Munich beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0, to advance to quarter-finals via a 5-0 aggregate score. Barcelona beat Benfica whereas Inter Milan too progressed to the quarter-finals.

American Golfer Tiger Woods has had a surgery after suffering a ruptured Achilles during training at home. The 15-time major champion has not put any timescale on his return but his participation at the Masters, which begins on 10 April, must be in doubt.

Boxing great Mike Tyson has got a reprieve after a woman who had accused the former of raping her in a limousine in 1991, has dropped her lawsuit against the former heavyweight boxing champion, according to a letter filed in U.S. District Court.

Hours after withdrawing from the tour of New Zealand, Pakistan's batting coach Mohammad Yousuf has changed his mind and now travel with the team for the white-ball matches.

"Yousuf has informed the board that his daughter is now in better health so he is available to go with the team to New Zealand," a PCB official said.

Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac has held a “very clear and direct” conversation with his players in a meeting to address yet another Bundesliga loss ahead of the second leg against Lille in the Champions League round of 16.

“I was very clear and direct,” Kovac said, “and I think that was necessary after the game against Augsburg, because four days later, that is tomorrow, we have an important game in the Champions League. And it's important to sharpen the senses and to focus on the sport.”

Former World Cup winner Ricky Ponting is of the opinion that Indian Test and ODI cricket captain Rohit Sharma has some unfinished business behind his decision to continue playing and leading India in the 50-over format until the 2027 ODI World Cup to be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

On this day in 2006, South Africa recorded the highest successful run chase in ODI history, by chasing down 435 runs against Australia in Johannesburg.

India drivers Naveen Pulligilla and Musa Sherif will become the first from the country to compete in the World Rally Championships, when they take part in the iconic Safari Rally Kenya 2025, a round of the WRC from March 20 to 23. The duo will be competing for Africa Eco Motorsport team, and will take part in the WRC3 ARC3 class (African Rally Championship).

The West Indies Masters secured a spot in the semifinals of the International Masters League (IML) in Raipur by defeating the South Africa Masters by 29 runs. The victory was driven by Lendl Simmons' brilliant century and Ravi Rampaul's impressive five-wicket haul. After being asked to bat first by the South Africa Masters on Tuesday night, the West Indies posted 200 runs for 5 wickets. Simmons led the charge with a standout performance, scoring 108 runs, while skipper Brian Lara contributed 29 runs off 34 balls, and Chadwick Walton added an unbeaten 38. Although the innings got off to a rocky start with early dismissals of Dwayne Smith (5) and William Perkins (5) at the hands of Garnett Kruger, Simmons and Lara formed a remarkable partnership. They recovered the innings with a crucial 125-run stand for the third wicket.

Football legends from Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, including Luís Figo, Carles Puyol, Fernando Morientes, and Ricardo Quaresma, have confirmed their participation in the Legends Faceoff taking place at DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on April 6. This event marks the first time India will host an El Clásico featuring the legends of Real Madrid and Barcelona. The exhibition match is organized by Sports Front, a leader in global sports entertainment.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has regained its status as a National Sports Federation (NSF) and has announced that the selection trials for the upcoming Asian Championship will take place at Delhi's Indira Gandhi Sports Complex on March 15. This will be the first official trial conducted under the new WFI administration, which was established after elections were held on December 21, 2023. The trials aim to identify the top wrestlers who will represent the country in Amman, Jordan, from March 25 to 30.

Australia cricket legend Ricky Ponting believes that Rohit Sharma is still performing exceptionally well and feels a strong sense of unfinished business, which has motivated him to continue playing and leading India in the 50-over format until the 2027 ODI World Cup. This tournament will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Aside from the ODI World Cup, Rohit has led India to victory in all ICC titles. He came agonizingly close to winning the 50-over world title at home in 2023 but ultimately lost to Australia in the final.

The start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season is just a week away, and Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has expressed that parting ways with wicketkeeper-opener Jos Buttler was the hardest decision he had to make.

Samson mentioned that if he could change the rules of the IPL, he would eliminate the option of releasing players from the franchise.

"The IPL allows you to lead a team and compete at the highest level, but it also fosters close friendships," he said. "Jos Buttler is one of my closest friends. We played together for seven years, developing a strong batting partnership. We understood each other well and maintained regular contact. He felt like an elder brother to me."

Mumbai will host a PSA squash event from March 24 to 28, featuring India's top players, including Ramit Tandon and Anahat Singh, competing against international rivals. The tournament, known as the Indian Open, will offer a prize purse of USD 40,000 and will be held at the indoor courts of Bombay Gymkhana. Players from countries such as Egypt, Canada, Malaysia, and Japan will also participate. In addition to Tandon and Anahat, other Indian players taking part include Velavan Senthilkumar, Veer Chotrani, and Akanksha Salunkhe. This event marks the return of a prominent squash tournament in India after a hiatus since 2018 when Mumbai hosted the CCI International, a PSA World Tour Silver tournament, according to a release from title sponsors JSW Sports.

Marcus Thuram has emerged as one of Serie A's standout players this season, and he is now making an impact on the international stage as well. In a recent Champions League match, Thuram scored a brilliant early goal, helping Inter Milan secure a 2-1 victory over Feyenoord in the second leg of the round of 16. With this win, Inter advanced 4-1 on aggregate, thanks in part to Thuram's goal in the first leg. They will now face Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.

Star India opener Shubman Gill was named the ICC Men's Player of the Month for February due to his outstanding performances, including his contributions to his team's title-winning Champions Trophy campaign. He received the award after outperforming Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand's Glenn Phillips. During the five One Day Internationals (ODIs) he played in February, Gill scored a total of 406 runs, averaging 101.50 with a strike rate of 94.19. Notably, in the 3-0 series victory over England, he achieved three consecutive scores of over fifty.

Indian shuttler PV Sindhu is up against GE Kim in the opening round of the women's singles at the All England Open Championship 2025 in Birmingham. She need to win this round to proceed in the next round.

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) announced on Wednesday that it has rejected Anurag Thakur's nomination for inclusion in the electoral college for the upcoming elections on March 28. The BFI stated that the former Sports Minister is not eligible to represent Himachal Pradesh. The Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association had submitted the names of Thakur and Vice President Rajesh Bhandari for consideration. After thorough scrutiny, the BFI finalized a 60-member electoral college. In their explanation, the BFI noted, "Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur (Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association) was nominated by the state unit; however, he has been deemed ineligible due to a violation of the Boxing Federation of India notice dated March 7, 2025, and the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011."

That's all from our side for today's sports world news. Join us tomorrow for more interesting updates and scores. Until then, goodbye and take care!