Page 1588 - Sports
Upbeat KKR ready for Sunrisers battle
Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be aiming to exploit Sunrisers Hyderabad's recent run of poor form when the two teams square off in what promises to be a high-octane second Qualifier of the Indian Premier League, here tomorrow. While KKR ticked all the boxes during the business end of the tournament with four wins on the trot, table-toppers Sunrisers have slipped after finishing on top of the league table. Call it complacency or the lack of performance from their middle-order, Sunrisers have lost four straight games, something that will be a cause of concern for Kane Williamson's brigade. Arguably the best bowling attack in the tournament with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma delivering consistently along with the immensely talented Rashid Khan, Sunrisers will like to extract whatever juice is available from the Eden Gardens track. But with the momentum strongly in favour of Dinesh Karthik and Co who will also heavily bank on home advantage, it will ...
KKR banking on home advantage against SRH, says Kuldeep
Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders will relish home advantage when it takes on a struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 of the ongoing Indian Premier League, said the team's left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. KKR are lucky to play the two knock-out playoff matches at the Eden Gardens. The two-time champions ousted Rajasthan Royals last night here en route to its fourth win on the trot. Next up is Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have lost four matches in a row -- the latest defeat coming against Chennai Super Kings in the Qualifier 1 in Mumbai -- and the visitors will have to quickly adjust to the conditions at Eden Gardens to stop KKR from entering its third IPL final. "Obviously it will be difficult for them (Sunrisers) to come from Mumbai and play here. Mumbai wicket has true bounce whereas the Eden track aids spin. It's our home ground, so it's very easy for us to play here," Kuldeep, who returned with a tidy 1/18 from his four overs, said after KKR's win last night. KKR, .
Deeply sorry for RCB's forgettable IPL season: Kohli
India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli today said he was "deeply sorry" for RCB's failure to make the ongoing Indian Premier League's knockout stage and vowed to turn things around next season. RCB finished third from bottom after losing eight of their 14 matches, let down by a weak bowling attack and inconsistent batting which was heavily reliant on Kohli and A B de Villiers. "We could not pull our way and we are not very proud of how the season went for us. (I'm) deeply hurt by how we played... deeply sorry for not living up to the expectations of the fans," Kohli said in a video posted on his Twitter page. "Having said that, it is all a part of life and you cannot always get what you want. It's upto the players to understand what to do about this the next season, really want to turn things around next season," he added. RCB did show some late spark in the round-robin stage but the turnaround came a little too late for them to have any chance. "Next year, we will .
Quarter-miler Jisna Mathew in Indian squad for Asian Junior C'ship
Quarter miler Jisna Mathew, triple jumper Kamalraj Kanagraj, shot putter Ashish Bhalothiaand Ashish Jhakharare are some of the top names included in the 51-member Indian contingent for 18th Asian Junior Athletics Championships to be held at Gifu, Japan, which is to be held from June 7 to June 10.The Indian team consists of 30 junior men and 21 junior women athletes.Having finished overall third with 17 medals that included seven gold, four silver and six bronze medals at the last edition of the championships in Vietnam two years ago, India is hopeful of improving its ranking this year as a result of rising number of talented athletes at junior level."We have a good number of upcoming junior athletes. A lot of these juniors are part of our core group and they train in senior camps.Sreeshankar, Jisnaand Kamalraj have also competed at senior level and performed well. We are expecting a good show from our athletes in Gifu," said CK Valson, Secretary AFI.Jisna Mathew, a PT Usha trainee ...
No slip disc injury but Kohli's County stint to be curtailed: officials
Fatigue and niggles could curtail India captain Virat Kohli's much-hyped county stint to just a couple of first-class matches for Surrey after a hospital visit by him raised injury concerns. While Kohli had visited a hospital in Mumbai for a check-up, it has been reported that he is suffering from a slip disc injury and will not be playing for Surrey ahead of the UK tour starting with two T20 Internationals against Ireland in June. However, a top BCCI official, who is privy to Kohli's county engagements, clarified that it is a case of "neck sprain" and not a "slip disc injury" as reported. "Yes, Virat has had fatigue issues and this is a case of workload management rather than injury management. But it isn't a case of slip disc. As of now, we will be monitoring his workload," the senior official told PTI on condition of anonymity. "We are chalking a plan wherein his county stint will be curtailed. He will play two four-day matches as per the original plan and not the five Royal London
IPL-Playoffs: Hyderabad will find Eden wicket difficult, Kuldeep
Hot on the heels of making the Indian Premier League (IPL) Qualifier 2 after posting a 25-run win over Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator, Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav said their next opponents Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will not find it easy to adjust to the Eden Gardens strip.
IPL-Playoffs: Needed someone to bat through the chase, Rahane
Stressing that they needed one of the top four batsmen to stay at the crease till the end, skipper Ajinkya Rahane said with so many wickets in hand, Rajasthan Royals should have won against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Eliminator here.
Germany's Merkel says China's investments in Germany are in order
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's investments in Germany are in order and favourable to Germans, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday at Beijing's Great Hall of the People during a two-day visit to China.
Quiet man Zidane bringing stability from the shadows at Real
Cristiano Ronaldo was asked earlier this season to sum up Zinedine Zidane in a word and the one he picked was "winner". At a Real Madrid media day on Tuesday, half a dozen players were rolled out to answer questions ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against Liverpool, and one journalist made a point of quizzing each of them about their coach. "Zidane is one of the best I have ever had," said Marcelo, who has played under a few, including Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez. "He was one of the greatest ever to play football," Isco said. "Anything Zidane tells you, it stays with you." "We never get the impression he's nervous," Dani Carvajal said. "Whenever he speaks, your eyes are like saucers." So why is a coach, backed by the most high-maintenance squad in the world and on the brink of a third consecutive European success, still not considered much good? After two and a half years, Zidane owns as many Champions League titles as Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola and ...
Napoli eyeing Balotelli after Ancelotti deal - reports
Nice striker Mario Balotelli has been linked with a move to Napoli after Wednesday's appointment of new coach Carlo Ancelotti. The 27-year-old's contract with his French Ligue 1 club expires next month and he has been targeting a move away. Italian Serie A runners-up Napoli are reported to be interested as they could lose forwards Dries Mertens and captain Marek Hamsik next season. And the club fuelled speculation by starting to follow Balotelli on Instragram. Balotelli has often been linked with a move to southern Italy as his daughter Pia lives in Naples with his ex-girlfriend Raffaella Fico. Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, French club Marseille, and Serie A outfit Roma are also said to be interested, according to Italian press reports. Balotelli has resurrected his career since joining Nice in 2016 after less successful spells with AC Milan and Liverpool, scoring 26 goals in all competitions this season. He received his first call up to the national side in four years by Italy ..
After two decades, Roland Garros conquers greenhouse effect
After almost two decades of growing pains, Roland Garros, the historic but claustrophobic home of the French Open, can finally breathe easy -- thanks to the 'greenhouse effect'. Players and fans who make the annual pilgrimage to the clay court showpiece, which gets underway on Sunday, will notice radical changes this year as the tournament plays catch-up with its Grand Slam big brothers at Wimbledon and the US and Australian Opens. Where those three have expanded effortlessly, embracing 21st century technology with modern stadia and retractable roofs, Roland Garros planners have spent their time in legal wrangles, fighting opposition to plans to extend from their well-heeled and powerful neighbours in one of Paris's plushest suburbs. Roland Garros was "in danger of asphyxiation", said former French Tennis Federation president Christian Bimes in 2007. That was when earlier plans were dropped after Paris lost out to London in its bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. Always at the heart of ...
Beckham's Miami MLS club could have name soon: report
David Beckham's Major League Soccer expansion club isn't expected to debut until at least 2020, but it could soon have a name, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday. The newspaper's online search of the United States Patent and Trademark office found a company calling itself Miami Freedom LLC applied on May 17, 2018 to trademark four names: Miami Freedom Football Club, Miami Freedom United, Miami Freedom FC and Miami Freedom. The goods and services the trademark application lists include "soccer exhibitions live in a stadium" along with posters, decals, trading cards, stickers and media guides relating to a "professional soccer team" and a wide range of apparel. There were also patent applications on May 18, 2018 for variations of "Miami Futbol Club" and "Miami Mundial Futbol Club." Those listings included the same items as the Miami Freedom listing. English football superstar Beckham was officially awarded an MLS franchise in Miami in January, the glitzy announcement capping a ...
Iniesta off to 'new home' Japan with 'friend' Vissel Kobe owner
Andres Iniesta looks poised to join Japan's Vissel Kobe after tweeting on Wednesday that he was going to his "new home" with his "friend" Hiroshi Mikitani, owner of the J-League club. The 34-year-old Barcelona icon posted a photo of himself and Mikitani in what appeared to be a private jet, along with emojis of the Japanese flag and a football. Iniesta, who famously scored the winning goal for Spain against the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final, was top of Mikitani's wishlist. The billionaire businessman is also the founder and CEO of Rakuten, Barcelona's main sponsor, and had been personally involved in securing Iniesta's services, according to local media. Iniesta announced last month that he would be leaving Barca at the end of the season, bringing an end to a 22-year association with the club. The midfielder has enjoyed a glittering career, winning eight La Liga and four Champions League titles. Social media lit up after Iniesta's tweet. Many Japanese fans retweeted the ...
Rahane disappointed with batting as RR crash out
Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain Ajinkya Rahane lamented his team's loss to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Eliminator on Wednesday, saying that he was disappointed with the result as they looked good initially."Really disappointed. The way we started with the ball, especially after that. Dropped catch of Russell hurts. But when you start your chase so well, you generally win the game, but KKR bowled really well. Definitely gettable (the target)," he said.Reflecting on his side's batting performance, he said, "Me and Rahul then me and Sanju got partnerships but we couldn't get it in the end. Credit to the KKR bowlers for that. When Sanju and me were batting we were looking to play positively. Overall, we played really good cricket. The bowling unit was fantastic with how the fast bowlers bowled and even the spinners. Our batting needs to improve."KKR's Kuldeep Yadav reveled in his team's victory and subsequent progress to the Qualifier 2 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), saying that .
Cricket fraternity bids adieu to ABD
In a shocking move, South Africa's swashbuckling batsman AB de Villiers on Wednesday bid adieu to all forms of international cricket with immediate effect, putting an end to his 14-year-long illustrious career.Announcing the news, the 34-year-old posted a video of himself on Twitter and said that he was 'tired' and 'running out of gas'. De Villiers, however, said that it was an extremely tough decision for him to make, and he believes that it is the right time for other talented players to take over.Here is how his former teammates and other international cricketers bid him adieu:"Like your on-field game, may you have 360-degree success off the field as well. You will definitely be missed, @ABdeVilliers17. My best wishes to you," wrote Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar.ABD's former teammate and captain Jacques Kallis said that it was a pleasure to watch him grow as a batsman."Congrats on an awesome career @ABdeVilliers17 Enjoy retirement and the extra time with your family. Was a ...
IPL '18: KKR edge past RR to book Qualifier 2 berth
Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) knocked out Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator match as they successfully defended their 169-run total on Wednesday to set up a clash with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the second Qualifier, scheduled for Friday.Winning the toss, RR selected to field first at the Eden Gardens with the dew factor likely to help the chasing team's cause. The pitch had also retained some moisture from rains last night, thus likely to be an added incentive for the spinners.These factors gave RR just the kind of start they needed, as the KKR top order crumbled to 51-4, with the 20-year-old off-break bowler, K. Gowtham scalping opener Sunil Narine and Robin Uthappa.Captain Dinesh Karthik had to dig deep and scored a gritty 52 from 38 balls, including two sixes and four fours. Along with Shubham Gill, who chipped in with a handy 17-ball 28, he steered the ship away from danger and took KKR past the 100-run mark.A quick-fire 49 from 25 deliveries, including ..
We were under pressure in this game: Karthik
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Dinesh Karthik said they were under pressure in the Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals but eventually came up trumps to win by 25 runs and make Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) here on Wednesday.
Bolivar to face Delfin in critical Copa Libertadores tie
Bolivar, the two-time defending Bolivian league champion, and Ecuador's Delfin are preparing to square off this week in La Paz, with a spot in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores, South America's premier club soccer competition, on the line.
South Korea may use new tactics at World Cup
South Korean national football team head coach Shin Tae-yong said on Wednesday that his side may use new tactics at next month's 2018 FIFA World Cup.
IPL Playoffs: All-round KKR see off Royals to make Qualifiers 2
Skipper Dinesh Karthik (52) led from the front as Andre Russell (49 not out), Piyush Chawla (2/24) and Kuldeep Yadav (1/18) starred with bat and ball to help Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) see off Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 25 runs and reach Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) here on Wednesday.