Sports News: T20 World Cup Upsets and Euro 2024 Insights: Nepal's Near-Historic Win, New Zealand's Domination, USA's Qualification, and Football's Rising Stars

Nepal came very close to creating a historic T20 World Cup upset over South Africa, with 8 runs required off the last six deliveries. A boundary from Gulsan Jha took the equation down to 2 off the last 2, but Nepal couldn't quite get those remaining runs in. A run-out of Jha by Heinrich Klaasen off the last delivery saw the Proteas home by 1 run and Nepali players along with fans were heartbroken. Done although South Africa ran riot it was Nepal's spirited performance which won hearts on social media, even in defeat.

New Zealand thrashed Uganda by nine wickets in the T20 World Cup having bowled out the Ugandan side for 40 - with Boult and Tim Southee returning 2/7 and 3/4, respectively. New Zealand chased this target down in 5.2 overs. Devon Conway endured unbeaten on 22. Uganda at least avoided the lowest-ever T20 World Cup score. This win was, however, not enough to take New Zealand through to the next round as they had lost earlier matches and thus packed their bags pretty early in the tournament. Uganda, debutants in this competition, ended with three losses and one win- a good experience gained by them in such tournaments.

The resignation of hope opened the doors for the ouster of Pakistan from the T20 World Cup 2024, whose confirmation comes with the abandonment of the match between hosts the USA and Ireland, due to rain, placing the former, for the first time, in the Super Eight round. Co-hosts along with the West Indies, it has already delivered its share of surprises by winning against, first of all, Canada and then, Pakistan. Despite the fact that Pakistan remained at third position in Group A with 2 points due to the washout, they were caught up to that and thus their campaign was ended prematurely.

At 34, Toni Kroos remains one of the finest midfielders in the game. After missing Germany's disastrous World Cup campaign in 2022, coach Julian Nagelsmann persuaded Kroos to reverse his decision to retire from international football. Kroos quit in 2021 after the Euro Round of 16 defeat by England and made Nagelsmann spell out guarantees of changes before committing. Happy with what Nagelsmann laid before him, he agreed to come back and bring his experience to the fold afresh. "Let's rock," Kroos told Nagelsmann, "and that means starting with the game against Scotland in Euro 2024.

Spain's new sensation, right-wing attacker Lamine Yamal, only seventeen years old, has electrified the team's style. The son of Moroccan and Equatorial Guinean immigrants, he jubilantly signals "304" every time he scores-a nod to his Rocafonda neighborhood in Mataro. At age six, he entered Barcelona's La Masia Academy, perfecting the club's imperatives-umpkt teamwork, positioning, off-the-ball movement-while not losing his street-bred charm, sleight of hand, and raw physicality. What makes Yamal one of the most skilful young football players in the entire world is the combination of different skills.

For 18-year-old Divya Deshmukh, who became the world junior girls' champion recently in Gandhinagar, it meant breaking into the live ratings list at No. 20 among women. Divya revealed that bringing her ornate four-foot-tall trophy from Gandhinagar to Nagpur was almost as tough as the tournament. She went through 11 rounds without losing a single game despite being the pre-tournament favorite. She was especially thankful for the very helpful airline staff who enabled her to bring her trophy home in the most memorable and smooth experience.