Page 1627 - Sports
KKR, RR face off in battle for survival
A buoyant Kolkata Knight Riders will lock horns with a charged up Rajasthan Royals in a battle for survival at the Indian Premier League T20 tournament here tomorrow. Their fate hanging in balance, a loss in the penultimate league round match may virtually sound the death knell for one of the two teams. It's a mad scramble for the two available play-off berths with five teams including KKR and RR, who are tied on 12 points, remaining in the hunt. To make the competition stiffer, both the teams have picked up late momentum in the business end of the tournament. Down after back-to-back defeats, KKR bounced back with a bang, posting the fourth highest total of the IPL -- 245/6 -- to down Kings XI Punjab by 31 runs in their last match. From being on the verge of elimination, RR too have returned to the reckoning with a hat-trick of wins, thanks to the imperious form shown by Jos Buttler who was adjudged man-of-the-match in all the three victories. The RR opener struck an unbeaten 94 to ...
Familiarity with Wankhede wicket helped me: Butter
Brimming with confidence after smashing his fifth successive half-century, in-form Jos Buttler said familiarity of the Wankhede track helped him score runs as Rajasthan Royals beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets to keep play-off holes alive. Buttler's unbeaten 94 helped Rajasthan defeat defending champions Mumbai Indians with two overs to spare keeping them firmly in contention of reaching the Play-offs. "Nice to come back here, I enjoyed my time at Mumbai and it properly helped to know the conditions. The familiarity of the ground and the wicket helped me today. I'm in a good head-space and looking forward to the next game," Buttler said at the post-match presentation ceremony Buttler, who played for Mumbai Indians in 2016 and 2017, has been in tremendous form scoring five consecutive half centuries, including unbeaten knocks of 94 and 95 in the previous two games against Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings respectively. He also scored 82 against Kings XI Punjab. "I'm really ...
Knee injury revives Amir's workload concerns
Bowling coach Azhar Mahmood has admitted that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) needs to reconsider star fast bowler Mohammad Amir's workload if they want to save him from severe physical exertion that might cause injuries in future.The 43-year-old's comments came after Amir was laid low by a chronic knee problem and was forced off the field late on the third day of the lone Test match against Ireland in Dublin on Sunday.Amir was first forced to leave the field after bowling just three overs with the new ball during Ireland's second innings, following what appeared to be a slight limp.He, however, came to bowl once again in the 21st over before eventually making his way back to the pavilion due to a pain in his left knee.Though Mahmood confirmed Amir's injury, he remained hopeful that the pace spearhead would be fine soon as Pakistan not only look forward to the end of the one-off Test but also to two more matches against England."He has got a chronic knee problem which has slightly ...
Rahane fined Rs 12 lakhs for slow-over rate against MI
Rajasthan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane has been fined Rs 12 lakh after his team maintained slow-over rate during their Indian Premier League match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium here. Last night, the Rahane-led side outclassed the depending champions Mumbai Indians by seven wickets, courtesy a whirlwind unbeaten 94 by opener Jos Buttler who stuck his fifth consecutive fifty in the tournament. "Rajasthan Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during their IPL match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on May 13," an IPL release said today. "As it was his team's first offence of the season under the IPL's Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Mr. Rahane was fined Rs 12 lakh," the release said. Rajasthan Royals will play Kolkata Knight Riders at Edens Gardens tomorrow.
Kiwi boxer Nyika's Commonwealth gold medal stolen
New Zealand boxer David Nyika appealed today for the return of the heavyweight gold medal he won at last month's Commonwealth Games after it was stolen from his car in Auckland. Nyika said he was taking the medal to show a young fan at a school in the city when he realised thieves had snatched it from his vehicle. "At first I was quite embarrassed about it, but now I'm just angry," the 22-year-old told TVNZ. "I just want the medal back. It's almost worthless to anyone but me, you know, so I really hope I can get it back." Detective Sergeant Paul Slater said police were reviewing CCTV footage from locations around Auckland to catch the culprits. "Obviously a Commonwealth Games medal is very distinctive and of high sentimental value to the victim and his family," he said. "Our priority is to return this medal to its rightful owner." Nyika won light-heavyweight gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, then followed up with gold in the heavyweight division this year on Australia's .
We have momentum to win next game: Kulkarni
Having secured a hat-trick of wins, Rajasthan Royals will look to carry the winning momentum against Kolkata Knight Riders in their next IPL fixture and inch closer to a play-off berth, said RR seamer Dhawal Kulkarni. Rajasthan kept alive their play-off hopes by beating defending champions Mumbai Indians by seven wickets with two overs to spare last night. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side will face two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders tomorrow at Edens Gardens. All the games are crucial for us. Maybe, in the next game we've got a good chance to beat Kolkata Knight Riders. With the momentum that we've got, I'm sure we'll be able to do that, said Kulkarni after the Royals' victory at the Wankhede Stadium last night. Rajasthan Royals climbed up to the fifth spot with 12 points in as many games following their third victory on the trot achieved riding on opener Jos Buttler's blistering unbeaten knock of 94 in 53 balls his second successive, unconquered 90-plus score in the competition. On
4-nation football tourney: India U-16 crowned champions
The Indian U-16 national football team was crowned champions of the Four-Nation Tournament after they defeated Tajikistan 4-2 in the finals in Serbia last evening.The Four-Nation tournament saw the Indian U-16 team face hosts Serbia, Jordan, and Tajikistan and while the Indian colts drew 0-0 against the hosts, they defeated Jordan 2-1 and Tajikistan 4-2.In what was a stellar start for the Indian U-16s against Tajikistan, the young colts took the lead as early as in the fifth minute when Gibson lobbed the ball over the opposing custodian.Two minutes later, Sailo took advantage of a scramble inside the opposition box and scored to double India's lead.India tripled their lead in the ninth minute when Shabaj slotted the ball home to make the scoreline read 3-0 in less than ten minutes. Tajikistan started to fight back and in the 12th minute pulled a goal back courtesy of a penalty kick.In the 15th minute, Tajikistan minimized their deficiency and found the Indian net once again to make ...
Simpson wins PLAYERS by four strokes, Woods signs off 11th
American golfer Webb Simpson, starting the final round with a seven-shot advantage, could afford a double bogey on his closing hole and still win the PLAYERS Championships by four shots. His final round of one-over 73 gave him a total of 18-under 268, but it was four clear of runners-up Charl Schwartzel (67), Xander Schauffele (67) and Jimmy Walker (67). It was Simpson's first win since 2013. Tiger Woods (69) finished T-11, while Justin Thomas, who like Woods came up from the cutline, carded 66 and finished T-11. With World No. 1 Dustin Johnson (72) finishing T-17, Thomas also became the new World No. 1. Jordan Spieth (74) quadruple bogeyed the 18th and tumbled to T-41. Simpson said, It means everything to me. I feel like it's my first win. I feel so similar to how I felt in Greensboro back in 2011. You know, to win a major championship and a few other TOUR events. I guess it's over four years without a win, you know, I never doubted myself, but at the same time, that's a long ...
Heartbroken Italians prepare for World Cup without Azzurri
For the first time since 1958, football-mad Italy will follow a World Cup finals from the sidelines without their national team. Four-time winners Italy have been in chaos since their shock elimination in the play-offs last November to Sweden. But on a club level Italy have had a good season, with Roma reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League and Juventus the quarter-finals, with Lazio going as far as the Europa League last eight. In Serie A, there was a gripping battle until the end for the title with Juventus securing a seventh Scudetto in succession on Sunday. But as the season draws to a close, Italy will be braced for a sad run up to a World Cup from June 14 to July 15 in which they will have no role. Over the next four weeks, while the world of football will be buzzing with news of pre-tournament friendlies, team selections and training camps, Italy will be just a sparring partner, playing pre-tournament warm-ups against France and Saudi Arabia. "I'm going to regret it ..
Barcelona's unbeaten season ended by five-star Levante
Philippe Coutinho hit a hat-trick but could not save Barcelona's unbeaten season as the Catalans were left stunned by an extraordinary 5-4 defeat to Levante. Ernesto Valverde rested Lionel Messi for his team's penultimate match of the campaign but it was a defensive horror-show that allowed Emmanuel Boateng to score three times and Enis Bardhi twice at the City of Valencia Stadium. The La Liga and Copa del Rey champions trailed 5-1 after an hour and still came within a whisker of a sensational comeback as Coutinho's second and third goals, and a Luis Suarez penalty, set up a grandstand finish. But Levante held on for a thrilling victory, which ends their opponents' hopes of becoming the first ever club to finish a 38-game La Liga season as invincibles. After drawing at home to Real Madrid last weekend, despite playing the second half with 10 men, and thrashing Villarreal, Barcelona sat just two games away from the historical feat. It was 1932 when the last side, Real Madrid, went ...
Neymar wins French player of the year prize, rejects transfer talk
Neymar was named as France's player of the year at an awards ceremony in Paris, and later brushed away questions over his future. The Paris Saint-Germain superstar took the prize despite missing the last three months of the season due to injury. The world's most expensive player scored 19 goals in just 20 league games for PSG before suffering a foot injury in February that required surgery in his native Brazil. He has not played since, and only returned to France from his homeland at the start of this month, fuelling speculation that he could seek to leave the club after just one season. "I am very touched and very happy with our season. It is an honour. Without my teammates, I would never have received this award," said the 26-year-old, who collected the prize from his illustrious compatriot Ronaldo. Neymar, who joined in PSG's Ligue 1 title celebrations on Saturday night, refused to discuss his future after collecting his award. "We talk about these things every time the transfer ...
Amir injury 'concerns' Pakistan
Bowling coach Azhar Mahmood admitted Pakistan were "concerned" by Mohammad Amir's early exit from the third day's play against Ireland at Malahide just over a week before the start of a Test series with England. Left-arm quick Amir went off with what Mahmood said was a recurrence of a "chronic" left knee injury after a brief spell in Test debutants Ireland's second innings after Pakistan enforced the follow-on on Sunday. It was a frustrating end to the day for Amir, with the 25-year-old having both Ed Joyce (39 not out) and captain William Porterfield (23 not out) dropped off his bowling in that 3.2 over burst before the openers took Ireland to 64 without loss at the close -- still 116 runs behind Pakistan's 310 for nine declared. The first Test against England gets underway at Lord's on May 24. It was also at Lord's where the now 26-year-old Amir's cricket career almost came to an end following his involvement in a spot-fixing scandal during a 2010 Test against England. Amir was ...
Juventus earn record 7th straight Serie A title
Juventus became the first team to win seven consecutive Serie A titles and a record-extending 34th time in all after a 0-0 draw against AS Roma here, even as second-placed Napoli defeated Sampdoria 2-0 in Naples in the penultimate round on Sunday.
Lazio draw 2-2 against Crotone, give Inter hope for CL spot
Serb attacking midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic saved Lazio on Sunday after scoring a late equaliser, helping his side to draw 2-2 against Crotone in the penultimate round of the Serie A football championship.
Liverpool nab CL spot, Swansea relegated from EPL
Liverpool on Sunday thrashed Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 in the final round of the English Premier League, finishing fourth and securing a spot in the 2018-19 Champions League, while Swansea City were relegated from the top-tier English league.
Butler's 94 keeps RR alive in IPL
Just like Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals (RR), too, has managed to stay alive in the Indian Premier League (IPL), after they overcame Mumbai Indians (MI) and beat them by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night.In-form RR batsman Jos Buttler (94) struck his fifth successive half-century and enabled the RR to chase down the target of 169 with two overs to spare.The English cricketer, in partnership with captain Ajinkya Rahane (37), added 95 runs for the second wicket and took the team past the finishing line.Earlier, MI, who were asked to bat first, were restricted to 168/6, courtesy RR's disciplined bowling.Despite a steady opening partnership of 87 runs off 64 balls between openers Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav, the blue brigade could not capitalise much on it, as RR bowlers keep getting the wickets on regular intervals.The Rahane-led side has now reached the fifth spot, with 12 points in kitty.
Buttler guides Rajasthan to seven-wicket victory over Mumbai
English batsman Jos Buttler continued his red-hot form with a 94 not out as Rajasthan Royals thumped Mumbai Indians by seven wickets here on Sunday to boost their chance of qualifying for the Indian Premier League (IPL) play-offs.
Zverev beats Thiem to win Madrid Masters title
Alexander Zverev showed his clay-court class by blowing away Dominic Thiem to win the Madrid Masters on Sunday. Zverev has long been marked out as a future star of the men's game and his 6-4, 6-4 victory over Thiem suggests the German can be a major threat at the French Open later this month.
Ireland 64-0 following on, 116 runs behind Pakistan at stumps
Ireland were 64 without loss in their second innings, a deficit of 116 runs, at stumps on the third day of their inaugural Test after being made to follow-on by Pakistan at Malahide on Sunday. Ed Joyce was 39 not out and Ireland captain William Porterfield unbeaten on 23, with both openers dropped off Mohammad Amir. Ireland were batting again after being dismissed for just 130 in reply to Pakistan's first innings 310 for nine declared. It was the first time Pakistan had enforced the follow-on in a Test in 16 years -- they made New Zealand bat twice in a row on the way to an innings and 324-run win at Lahore in 2002. Mohammad Abbas did the initial damage as Ireland collapsed to five for three before lunch, the paceman finishing with figures of four wickets for 44 in 11 overs, while leg-spinner Shadab Khan took three for 31 in 13.2 overs. Kevin O'Brien top scored for Ireland with 40 and Gary Wilson, batting with an injured arm, made a gutsy 33 not out. Earlier, Pakistan took their score
Royal innings from Buttler keeps Rajasthan in Play-offs hunt
In-form Jos Buttler (94) hit his fifth successive half-century as Rajasthan Royals thrashed Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in a key Indian Premier League (IPL) clash to stay alive in the Play-offs race, here tonight. Royals Chased 169 on a difficult Wankhede wicket and Buttler batted with a lot of responsibility. The Briton added 95 runs for the second wicket with captain Ajinkya Rahane (37 off 36) as he carried his bat to steer his side past the finish line. While other batsmen struggled to time the ball, Buttler did it with remarkable ease as he punished the home bowlers with five sixes and nine fours in his entertaining 53-ball knock. Playing big shots is not Rahane's strength but he struggled to rotate the strike. Butter though, kept the asking rate under control with his tremendous hitting. After Rahane's dismissal, Buttler added 61 runs with Sanju Samson, who chipped in with a useful cameo of 26 runs as Royals overhauled the target with 12 balls to spare. Buttler finished the .