Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - India survived some final-over drama to beat England by eight runs in the fourth Twenty20 International in Ahmedabad and level the five-match series at 2-2.

Suryakumar Yadav smashed 57 to help the hosts to 185-8, their highest total of the series, after being put into bat.

Ben Stokes and Jason Roy then came up with entertaining cameos but it was not enough to stop India from levelling the series for the second time.

Shardul Thakur (3-42) looked a bundle of nerves bowling the eventful final over with England needing 23 runs for an unassailable lead.

Jofra Archer hit a four and a six, which seemed to rattle Thakur who followed it with two wides.

However Thakur regained his composure and dismissed Jordan before finishing with a dot ball.

The teams play the deciding final Twenty20 International at the same venue on Saturday before moving to Pune for a three-match one-day series beginning on Tuesday.

Eels pip Storm

Parramatta turned in an impressive display of wet-weather football to beat Melbourne 16-12 in the National Rugby League.

Despite the rain both sides managed to produced some quality football as the eels scored three tries to two after the scores were locked at six-all at half time.

Maika Sivo was the difference, touching down twice for Parramatta, with the second coming four minutes from time when both sides were thinking about a drop goal to win.

The Eels are two from two and top of the table while the defending champion Storm have a win and a loss.

The Warriors play Newcastle in Gosford tonight.

Allen gets Lancashire contract

The Wellington batsman Finn Allen has been signed by Lancashire for this year's English County T20 competition.

The 21-year-old made headlines during his breakthrough season when he powered the Wellington Firebirds to the Super Smash title, scoring 512 runs at a strike rate of almost 194.

Allen was on standby as injury cover for the Black Caps in their T20 series against Australia but didn't play.

Earlier this month Allen was picked up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for next month's IPL.

The T20 Blast in England starts in June.

-RNZ

Disruptions for World Cup qualifiers

Next week's World Cup qualifying games in Europe and beyond are set to be heavily affected by clubs refusing to release players for international duty, Covid-19 quarantines and travel restrictions.

Inter Milan has announced that all of their players will be pulled out of international duty after two more positive Covid-19 cases at the club.

German Bundesliga clubs are unlikely to release Austrian players for their country's qualifier in Scotland on March 25 although the game is scheduled to go ahead with the visitors fielding a weakened side.

French Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs will not release foreign players called up for their national sides if the teams are playing outside the European Union due to the strict Covid-19 quarantine rules.

FIFA has relaxed its normal rules, which oblige clubs to release players for international duty, if there are travel restrictions to or from a location or if the player would be affected by quarantine rules at either their home base or the hosting city.

-Reuters

New World Rugby boss

World Rugby has appointed interim chief executive Alan Gilpin as its new CEO to replace Brett Gosper.

Gilpin, who joined World Rugby in 2014, had previously been the organisation's COO as well as managing director of the Rugby World Cup since 2016.

Gosper left his role in January after nearly nine years to take over as the head of the National Football League in Europe and the United Kingdom.

Englishman Gilpin said he was "immensely proud" to take up the role and recognised the biggest challenge was to navigate the sport through the Covid-19 pandemic as well as furthering welfare and injury prevention for players at all levels of the game.

He added that the governing body was talking to potential World Cup hosts to ensure long-term hosting certainty.

"We are already in discussions with potential hosts for the men's and women's World Cups in 2025, 2027, 2029 and 2031," he said.

-Reuters

Lin was hesitant to speak out about violence

Former New York Knicks basketball star Jeremy Lin said he feared that calling out racially motivated violence in the United States could fuel further attacks on Asian-Americans.

Taiwanese-American Lin's comments come after a shooting spree at three spas in and around Atlanta this week left eight people dead, including six Asian women.

"What we're seeing is a lot of physical, actual violence, lives being taken, lot of Asian-Americans looking over their shoulders when they go outside," Lin, who was one of the most prominent Asian-Americans in the NBA, told CNN.

"It feels like it's happening more and it's getting worse. I'm starting to question: 'If I speak out more, am I encouraging more people to have even more hate?'," said Lin, who in 2019 became the first Asian-American to win an NBA Championship, doing so with the Toronto Raptors.

"By other people seeing these headlines, are we encouraging more people to do more crazy things and to hurt more Asian-Americans?"

Lin, who last month alleged he was called "coronavirus" on the court, said the rhetoric of former President Donald Trump had fuelled growing violence against Asian-Americans.

-Reuters

NBA loosens Covid requirements

NBA players and staff who become fully vaccinated against Covid-19 are being granted freedoms from quarantine, permitted to host family and friends, and allowed to dine outdoors at restaurants.

The NBA has outlined changes to its health and safety protocol related to the coronavirus pandemic. The new rules would go into full effect for individuals two weeks after a final dose of the vaccine is received.

The changes include the lifting of mask requirements in practice, eliminating quarantine following exposure to Covid-19, allowing visitors at home or on the road without testing, and scheduling in-person sponsorship and marketing events.

Players and staff who receive the required doses of the Covid-19 vaccine also can work with a trainer or therapist -- who also must be fully vaccinated -- and no longer must submit to daily point-of-care testing.

The league announcement comes as additional teams are clearing the way for fans to return to arenas.

The Nuggets confirmed fans could attend home games in Denver as of April 2.

Yankees to allow fans

The New York Yankees have announced that Yankee Stadium will open the 2021 season at 20 percent capacity.

The Yankees' first 11 games of the season are subject to limited capacity restrictions with the hope they can expand and welcome more fans in May, subject to improving health conditions.

In order to attend a game, every fan will be required to take a PCR or antigen COVID-19 test and test negative or provide proof of having received the vaccination.

"The entire Yankees organization -- and especially our players on the field -- feed off the energy that our loyal and dedicated fans bring to Yankee Stadium," said Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner. "Our fans have made our home a preeminent worldwide attraction, and their excitement is the catalyst for the championship goals we set every season. We are thrilled to be able to have them back in 2021 and promise them the highest standards for health and safety this season and beyond."

In addition to testing negative, fans will be required to wear a mask at all times and have their temperature taken to gain entry.

-Reuters

No queues at SW19

Wimbledon's famous ticket queue will not operate this year and the number of fans inside the grounds at the grasscourt Grand Slam is likely to be reduced.

The queue, which has become part of Wimbledon folklore, with fans lining up from the early hours and even camping overnight to snap up tickets for the showcourts and grounds, will be abandoned for this year's tournament in favour of online sales.

The Wimbledon Championships were cancelled last year for the first time in the Open era due to the Covid-19 pandemic but the All England Lawn Tennis Club board hopes to welcome fans back in June-July.

The board also said those who were successful in the public ballot last year will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2022 edition for the same day and court.

The AELTC also said that any players who wish to participate at the Championships this year must stay at the official hotels to minimise risk and curb the spread of the virus.

-Reuters

Longest F1 circuit unveiled

Formula One has unveiled its longest and fastest street circuit, predicting top speeds of 322kph and wheel-to-wheel racing when Saudi Arabia hosts a race for the first time in Jeddah in December.

Organisers said the Dec. 5 night race in the Corniche area of the Red Sea port city will be over a 6.175km layout, making it the sport's second longest track after Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps.

Largely using existing roads, and encircling a lagoon, the floodlit circuit will feature 27 corners with cars lapping at average speeds of 252.8kph, according to Formula One's simulations.

That would put it behind Italy's Monza, the fastest of any circuit, but ahead of Britain's Silverstone in terms of outright speed.

The fastest street circuit at the moment, for average speeds, is Melbourne's Albert Park at 237.2kph. The longest is Azerbaijan's Baku at 6.003km.

The Saudi race is due to be the penultimate round on a record 23 race calendar.

-Reuters