Page 1662 - Sports
IPL: CSK desperate to regain form against below par RCB (Preview)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will aim to improve their bowling and fielding and return to their winning ways when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (IPL) in a crunch Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter here on Saturday.
Gayle has made my life easier, says opening partner Rahul
Kings XI Punjab batsman KL Rahul says opening the batting along side an in-form Chris Gayle has made his life easier as opposition bowlers are always focussed on the big-hitting West Indian, which gives him time to build his innings. Rahul said he is enjoying his cricket now and learning from his flamboyant teammate Gayle, who "always plays with a big smile on his face and is a complete entertainer." "He is the most destructive T20 opener in the world. It is a privilege to open the batting with him and it makes my life so much easier," Rahul told PTI during an interaction. "When the opposition bowling is focusing on him, that takes a little bit pressure out of me. I can just take my time and I can enjoy my cricket," he added. The stylish India batsman, who has so far scored 268 runs from seven IPL games at a strike rate of 170.70, said he is used to Gayle's company as they have played together for a few years at Royal Challengers Bangalore previously. "We have played together for a ...
Jr Men National Hockey C'ship: Odisha, Punjab reach semis
Odisha booked their spot in the semi-finals of the 8th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2018 (A Division) after sweeping aside Madhya Pradesh 3-1 in penalty shootout in their first quarter-final clash here last evening.After the scores remained tied at 1-1 after regulation time, the match went to penalty shootout.The goal for Odisha was scored by Sudhir Kujur (39') while Mohd Talib (64') scored the only goal for Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy.Whereas, in the Penalty Shootout, Odisha's shot were converted by Ashwin Kujur, Sudhir Kujur and Krishna Tirkey while Madhya Pradesh's only shot was converted by Harshdeep Kapoor.In the second quarter-final, Punjab defeated Sports Authority of India 3-2 to secure a berth in the Semi-finals. Goals for Punjab were scored by Parampreet Singh (28', 44') and Varinder Singh (70') while Rohit (18') and Deepak (54') scored the goals for Sports Authority of India.In the third quarter-final, Haryana beat Chandigarh 4-0 to register a place in ..
Ex-England batsman Trott to retire at end of 2018 season
Former England batsman Jonathan Trott has announced that he will bid adieu to his cricketing career at the end of the current English county season.The 37-year-old, who made his first-class debut for Warwickshire in 2003 and notched up 17,750 first-class runs including 44 centuries, insisted that he has been thinking about this for quite a long time and that he feels that it is a correct time to retire."Choosing to retire at the end of the season is something that I have spoken about at length with my family and this is now the right time to look at the next chapter of my career," ESPNcricinfo quoted Trott, as saying.Trott said that he feels proud to have played for Warwickshire throughout his career, adding that he is looking forward to contribute well in his final year."Warwickshire is a very special club and I've been immensely proud to have worn the Bear & Ragged Staff throughout my career. We've made a strong start to the 2018 season and I hope that I can make a major ...
India may not play pink-ball Test on Australia tour
India will not be playing day-night Test in Adelaide during the upcoming tour to Australia later this year, according to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sources.Recently, Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri also met the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) and informed them that the management and the team need more time to prepare for the Test matches under lights.As per the decision of CoA, BCCI acting secretary has reportedly conveyed the board's decision to not play pink-ball Test to the Cricket Australia.Earlier, Cricket Australia (CA) had confirmed that their opening match of the series against India will be held at the Adelaide Oval, adding that they were still trying to convince the BCCI to play it under lights.The statement came after CA released its entire 2018-19 international fixture, comprising of 22 matches across the formats, without confirming whether it would continue its recent tradition of hosting a pink-ball match at ...
Jr Women National Hockey C'ship: Haryana, Jharkand reach finals
Haryana cemented their spot in the finals of the 8th Hockey India Junior Women National Championship 2018 (A Division) after they brushed aside Uttar Pradesh 5-0 in their last-four clash here on Friday.In the first semi-final clash of the day, Haryana scored four goals in the first half to take a comprehensive lead.Deepika opened the account for the winners in the third minute. In the ninth minute, Amrinder Kaur doubled the lead. Reet scored two goals through penalty corners in a space of five minutes for Haryana as the first half ended at 4-0. Skipper Navneet Kaur's 43rd minute goal was the last of the match, the one that sealed the deal for her side at 5-0.In the second semi-final clash, Gangpur-Odisha lost to Jharkhand 0-2. The winners dominated right from the start and were superior with their defence as they ensured Gangpur-Odisha scored no goal in the match.In-form Salima Tete, who recently took part in the Youth Olympic Games Qualifiers in Bangkok where India finished second, ..
NZ Open: Shuttlers Praneeth, Sameer eye semi-final berths
Indian shuttlers B.Sai Praneeth and Sameer Verma will aim to book their place in the semi-finals of New Zealand Open Badminton Championship when they play their respective last-eight clash here on Friday.Yesterday, Praneeth had made it to the quarter-finals of the championship after easing past Daren Liew of Malaysia 21-18, 21-17 in a one-sided second-round match of the men's singles event that lasted 46 minutes.The 25-year-old will now lock horns with Niluka Karunaratne of Sri Lanka for a place in last-four.In another quarter-final clash, fifth-seed Verma will square off against top-seed Lin Dan.Verma had earlier thrashed Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong 21-17, 21-19 in the second round to cement his spot in the quarter-finals of the men's singles event.Meanwhile, the Indian pair of Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy will also play their quarter-final clash of the men's doubles event. They will take on Thailand duo of Bodin Isara and Nipitphon Phuangphuapet.Yesterday, Ajay Jayram and Lakshay .
2 IPL play-off matches shifted to Kolkata from Pune
The historic Eden Gardens will host two play-off matches that were originally scheduled in Pune, Indian Premier League governing council confirmed today. The GC has confirmed that Kolkata will host the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 on May 23 and 25 respectively, IPL GC chairman Rajeev Shukla told PTI. As per the original schedule, Pune was scheduled to host the Eliminator and Qualifier 2 but the venue became Chennai Super Kings' adopted home for six matches owing to security concerns for the Cauvery protests in Tamil Nadu. The 67,000 capacity Eden Gardens emerged as the frontrunner and was adequately compensated by the IPL GC. We are happy to host the play-off matches and are looking forward to it, Cricket Association of Bengal joint-secretary Avishek Dalmiya said. Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium will play host to the Qualifier 1 and the Final on May 22 and 27 respectively.
IPL: Fleming defends CSK players after KKR loss
Defending his players after the loss to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) game here, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming said the team has performed well so far and changes are not required after just one bad game.
Libertad enter Copa Libertadores 2nd round
Paraguayan club Libertad qualified for the second round of the Copa Libertadores football tournament with a 3-1 win over Bolivian side The Strongest at the Estadio Hernando Siles here.
Delhi face uphill task against in-form SRH
The young Delhi Daredevils batsmen, striving hard to keep the team afloat, face a stern test when they face formidable bowling attack of hosts Sunrsiers Hyderabad, in an IPL match here tomorrow. Just like previous editions, the Daredevils once again had a stop-start campaign in the ongoing IPL and are standing on the verge of yet another early elimination. The Delhi outfit is currently placed sixth with just three wins out of nine games and with five more matches remaining this season, the Daredevils cannot afford to slip any further if they wish to make it to the four-team play-offs. But having suffered a string of losses under Gautam Gambhir who stepped down from captaincy on his own, the Delhi side looked in a much better shape under young Shreyas Iyer's leadership. The Daredevils have a reason to smile after it got back to winning ways, beating fellow laggards Rajasthan Royals in their last game at home ground on Wednesday. Young Prithvi Shaw, skipper Iyer himself and Rishabh Pant
Palmeiras beat Alianza Lima in Copa Libertadore tie
Brazilian club Palmeiras eliminated Peruvian outfit Alianza Lima from its way to the round of 16 with a 3-1 win which cemented their leadership of Group H in the Copa Libertadores football tournament with 13 points.
Chopping and changing not required after one bad game: Fleming
Sloppy fielding and lacklustre bowling let Chennai Super Kings down against Kolkata Knight Riders but coach Stephen Fleming strongly backed the side, saying one bad game does not mean it's time for "chopping and changing" One of the best fielders of Indian cricket, Ravindra Jadeja, dropped Sunil Narine twice on six, off KM Asif's successive deliveries, last night. Narine was adjudged man-of-the-match with an all-round show -- 32 runs and 2/20 -- as KKR secured a handsome six-wicket win over CSK with 14 balls to spare. The loss also unsettled CSK from the top spot but Fleming hoped it's a one-off game as they hoped to get back to winning act quickly when they host Royal Challengers Bangalore at their adopted home Pune tomorrow. "We were exposed and I think sometimes it reflected on the bowling. Certainly we were on the backfoot with some good fielders making mistakes, it hit down a little bit," Fleming said referring to Jadeja's double blip. "Look, that can happen in a long ...
Resurgent RCB clash with CSK in IPL's South Derby
Their batsmen are in top form but Chennai Super Kings would look to plug the bowling loopholes when they take on a struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore in a key IPL game between the southern rivals, here tomorrow. The Virat-Kohli led RCB, who edged out Mumbai Indians by 14 runs in their last game, will be eager to avenge their five-wicket defeat at home against the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Super Kings, who too will be keen to swiftly get back into the winning mode after suffering two defeats in their last three games. For the star-studded RCB, the clash is a must-win encounter if it has to stay alive in the tournament and qualify for the play-offs. While RCB are in the fifth spot, having won three of their eight matches, CSK are still in a comfortable position in second position with six wins from nine games. The yellow brigade seems to have settled down well in its adopted home and has lost only to the Mumbai Indians here after shifting base after their first game in Chennai. But ..
IPL-2018: Gill is special talent: Piyush
Seasoned Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) wrist spinner Piyush Chawla feels Shubman Gill is a special talent following the young batsman's unbeaten 57 that helped the team beat the more-fancied Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets in an Indian Premier League (IPL) game here on Thursday.
Juventus host Bologna, Napoli tackle Torino in final Scudetto push
Juventus host Bologna in a final title push on Saturday which could see them crowned Serie A champions for a record-extending seventh straight time by the end of the weekend. Massimiliano Allegri's side need six points from their final three games to secure the Scudetto but could seal another crown if they beat Bologna and second-place Napoli lose at Torino on Sunday. Allegri has urged his players not to lose focus after last weekend's thrilling 3-2 comeback against Inter Milan put them in the driving seat as Napoli lost 3-0 to Fiorentina, just a week after the euphoria of beating the champions. "We've won nothing yet," warned Allegri. With home games against Bologna and Verona to come either side of a difficult trip to Rome, the title looks like Juventus's to lose with Napoli having no room to manoeuvre in their final three games against Torino, Sampdoria and Crotone. While Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Claudio Marchisio, stalwarts since Juventus began their dominant run in
De Grasse looks to 'off-year' to get back on track
Canadian sprinting hope Andre De Grasse has said he's looking forward to an "off-year" to get back on track after injury that kept him out of last year's world championships in London. De Grasse is in Doha to compete in the 200m at the opening Diamond League of the season on Friday, having finished fourth in the men's 100m at the Drake Relays last week in his return from a nine-month injury absence. De Grasse, whose three medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics included 200m silver and 100m bronze, suffered a hamstring injury that saw him deprived of a bid for world glory. The 23-year-old, long touted by Jamaican legend Usain Bolt as the sprinter most likely to take up his mantle, resumed training in December. He was targeting a return in time for the Commonwealth Games in Australia in early April, but opted out as a precaution. "I feel good, I'm pretty healthy. I'm just trying to get back to where I was before," De Grasse said. "Now it's all about getting race shape, my fitness is good, so .
In-form Tsitsipas beats Anderson in Estoril
Greek rising star Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his excellent form on clay by beating Estoril Open top seed Kevin Anderson 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals. The 19-year-old held the big-hitting South African to just four aces in a second-round match which lasted for more than two hours in windy conditions. World number 44 Tsitsipas beat three top-20 players, including Dominic Thiem, en route to the Barcelona Open final last week, where he lost to Rafael Nadal. Anderson, ranked eighth, sealed his fate as his first double-fault of the contest brought up two match points, with Tsitsipas quickly wrapping up victory at the first attempt. "It was really tough, with tricky conditions," world number eight Anderson said. "I've not played a match in a while. "It's a little disappointing, I would have preferred better conditions for my first match back, a more comfortable environment. "But he was just too good today." Tsitsipas, the first Greek man to break into the ...
Weary Liverpool face Champions League chase from Chelsea
Fresh from reaching a first Champions League final for 11 years, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp described Sunday's visit to Chelsea as "another Champions League semi-final" with their participation in next season's competition still not certain. Victory in any of Liverpool's three remaining games of the season at Stamford Bridge, home to Brighton on the final day of the Premier League season or against the might of Real Madrid in the Champions League final will secure qualification. But for Klopp's peace of mind and to rest a tiring squad with a growing injury list, getting the job done by securing at least a point this weekend is the ideal scenario. "Do we have the widest squad in world football in the moment? No, we don't have it," said Klopp. "That this group go to the final is exceptional. We get all the knocks over the season, all the injuries in the wrong moments and we still have to carry on." Liverpool's European exploits have undoubtedly hampered what seemed a comfortable ...
Atletico Madrid enter Europa League final
Atletico Madrid rode an inspired performance from Diego Costa in the second leg of the Europa League semi-finals to defeat Arsenal 1-0 (2-1 on aggregate) and enter the final.