Page 318 - Sports

Bismah Maroof confident of Pak's success against SA

Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof expressed confidence that her side will win the three ICC Women's Championship ODIs and five T20Is against South Africa, beginning May 6."We have worked hard in the (two-week) training camp, which has been a great success since we spent considerable time on our all-round (batting and bowling) skills," Bismah said.The 27-year-old further said that the main target, both for her and the team management led by head coach Mark Coles, is winning the ODI series and improving the team's chances of securing a direct berth in the ICC Women's World Cup 2021, which will be held in New Zealand.The host and top four placed sides in the point table will gain direct qualification for the World Cup. Pakistan are currently ranked sixth with 12 points from as many matches, while South Africa are placed a spot above with 13 points.Bismah felt the standings of the two teams will make the series even more competitive."Both South Africa and Pakistan are going to fight hard for

Rohit fined 15 percent of match fee for hitting stumps after dismissal

Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma has been fined 15 percent of his match fee for hitting the stumps with his bat after his dismissal during their IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders here. Expressing his frustration after being given out leg before wicket, the batsman hit the stumps with his bat at the non-striker's end, violating the Indian Premier League's code of conduct at the Eden Gardens Sunday night. Mumbai Indians lost the high-scoring match by 34-runs, helping the hosts snap a six-match losing streak. Rohit admitted to the Level 1 offence 2.2 of the IPL's code of conduct and accepted the sanction. "Mr. Sharma admitted to the Level 1 offence 2.2 of the IPL's Code of Conduct and accepted the sanction," an IPL release said. With MI chasing an imposing target of 233 to win and ensure a play-offs berth, Rohit looked in good touch before misreading a Harry Gurney delivery which hit his back leg. While the umpire had no hesitation in ruling the batsman out, Rohit opted for DRS,

Happy with the underdog tag, says Shreyas Iyer

After Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Delhi Capitals have become the second team to secure a berth in the playoffs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Rohit Sharma fined for breach of conduct

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma has been fined 15 per cent of his match fees for breach of code of conduct during a match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), here.

IPL 2019: KKR beat MI by 34 runs

Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Mumbai Indians by 34 runs in the ongoing Indian Premier League here on Sunday after they posted this season's highest total, 232 runs.Chasing a mammoth target of 233 runs, Mumbai had a substandard start as they lost wickets of both of their openers, Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock, in the first four overs.Then Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat and formed a 20-run partnership before Lewis gave away his wicket. Soon after Lewis Yadav too followed him back to the pavilion.Keiron Pollard and Hardik Pandya then took the field and gave their side a crucial momentum. Hardik Pandya scored the fastest half-century in this season of IPL as he scored his half-century in just 17 balls and both the players formed a 63-run partnership.Sunil Narine got hold of Pollard (20) which brought Krunal Pandya to the field. Hardik Pandya, however, kept on smashing regular boundaries and sixes and formed a 64-run partnership with Krunal Pandya,As Mumbai was getting

KKR stay alive as Hardik blitzkrieg goes in vain

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kept their playoff hopes alive with a 34-run win over old nemesis Mumbai Indians (MI) despite Hardik Pandya's fireworks in an Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday.

Russell roars again as KKR snap losing streak

Kolkata Knight Riders snapped their six-match losing streak with a 34-run win over Mumbai Indians in a high-scoring IPL game that saw brutal stroke play from power-hitters of both teams. Kolkata Knight Riders batsmen fired on all cylinders to post the season's highest total, 232 for two, after sensational knocks from Shubman Gill (75 off 45) and Andre Russell (80 not out off 40). At 58 for four, Mumbai were down and out but Hardik Pandya reignited their hopes with a breathtaking 91 off 34 balls. In the end, Pandya's dismissal in the 18th over sealed the game in KKR's favour as Mumbai ended at 198 for seven. The Indian all-rounder's cracking innings comprised nine sixes and six fours. The much needed win keeps KKR alive in the tournament as they now have 10 points from 12 matches. Mumbai remain in third spot with 14 points from 12 games. Staring at elimination, the embattled KKR got off to a fiery start with Shubman Gill (76) and Chris Lynn (54) putting on a 96-run opening stand, their

Asian Wrestling Championship 2019: Gurpreet Singh bags silver while Gyanender secures bronze medal

India's Greco-Roman wrestlers Harpreet Singh and Gyanender added two more medals -- silver and bronze respectively to India's medal tally on the final day of Asian Wrestling Championship here.Harpreet Singh (82kg) won his first ever silver medal after winning three consecutive bronze medals from this prestigious tournament. Singh overpowered Burgo Beishaliev of Kyrgyzstan in the quarter-finals and continued to shine against China's Haitao Qian in a commanding 10-1 victory in the semi-finals.However, Singh had to settle for the silver as he faced an 8-0 defeat from Iran's Saeid Morad Abdvali in the final."I gave my all but it wasn't my day; especially an opponent who is a former world champion and Olympic medallist, was too strong. I am still happy to have bettered the colour of my medal from last year and hopefully will be able to bring more laurels for India in the future," Singh said after securing silver medal.Gyanender (60kg), earlier defeated Ali Abed Alnaser Ali Abuseif of ...

Neymar unhappy with his younger team-mates

Paris Saint-Germain's loss to Rennes, in the final of Coupe de France, has exasperated Neymar so much so that he lashed out at his younger team-mates saying they should listen more than they talk."We need to be more like men in the dressing room, we must be more united. I see a lot of young players who are, not lost exactly, but they lack more ear than mouth," Goal.com quoted Neymar as saying."They must listen more than they talk. Sometimes a more experienced guy speaks, and they answer back. The coach himself speaks, and they retort. This is not how a team goes far," he added.The match witnessed a 2-2 tie before the Neymar's side was beaten by Rennes in the penalty shootouts.Neymar admitted that he too used to listen to experienced players when he was starting out, so urged his younger team-mates should do the same."We are more experienced, so they must respect us a bit more, listen a bit more. I had to do the same when I was starting out," he said.

Man City edge past Burnley to return top of Premier League

Manchester City remain in control of the Premier League title race as the finest of margins earned Pep Guardiola's men a 1-0 win at Burnley on Sunday. Sergio Aguero's 31st goal of the season crossed the line by millimetres before being hacked clear by Matthew Lowton, but goal-line technology awarded the goal and kept City a point clear of Liverpool with two games left for both sides to play. For the first time in months, City's elimination from the Champions League means they will crucially have a free midweek to prepare for their final two games at home to Leicester next Monday and away to Brighton on the final day of the season. Liverpool must travel to Newcastle next weekend, either side of the two legs of their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona, before hosting Wolves on May 12th. City have now won 12 consecutive Premier League games and were worthy winners for a dominant second-half display after a lacklustre first 45 minutes. Tom Heaton made a series of saves, most ...

Kipchoge runs second-fastest marathon for fourth London win

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge stormed to a record-breaking fourth victory in the London Marathon on Sunday with the second-fastest time ever seen over the distance. Olympic champion Kipchoge's time of two hours two minutes and 37 seconds was second only to the 2:01:39 he ran in Berlin last year. The 34-year-old, whose previous London triumphs came in the 2015, 2016 and 2018 editions, was in imperious form as he powered ahead from the 14-mile mark, with Ethiopia's Mosinet Geremew and Mule Wasihun second and third respectively. "I'm happy to win on the streets of London for the fourth time and to make history, on a day that the event has raised ?1 billion (for charity)," Kipchoge told the BBC. "The crowd in London is wonderful and that spirit pushed," added Kipchoge, who has now won 11 of the 12 marathons he's contested. Asked where he would run next, he replied: "As usual, I do not chase two rabbits, I only chase one and that was London. I have caught that rabbit so I will discuss with my ...

Messi makes history by outshining Iniesta's record

As Barcelona vanquished Levante 1-0 on Sunday, Barcelona star Lionel Messi achieved another milestone of winning the most number of La Liga titles, 10, with the club.After Messi won his 10th La Liga title with Barcelona, he surpassed the previous record, which was held by Andres Iniesta (9).Messi goal helped his side beat Levante, who managed to defend well in the first-half as Messi did not feature in the first half.However, when the Argentine international took the field in the second half, the 31-year old took just 16 minutes to score the opening goal for his side which helped his side clinch the La Liga title.Messi has the most number of goals in this season of La Liga and with this goal, his tally has reached 34 goals, 13 goals ahead of the second-positioned, Karim Benzema.After securing La Liga title, Barcelona will be now aiming to clinch the Champions League title as they have reached in the semi-finals where they will compete with Liverpool on May 2.

Russell blitzkrieg helps KKR post 232/2 against MI

Promoted to No. 3 for the first time this season, Andre Russell bludgeoned a typically whirlwind 80* while Shubman Gill and Chris Lynn also slammed half-centuries to help Kolkata Knight Riders post an imposing 232/2 -- the highest total in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) -- against Mumbai Indians at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday.

'Proud' Bottas wins as Mercedes sweep home one-two again

A determined Valtteri Bottas resisted an attacking final charge by his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to win Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix and regain the lead in the 2019 drivers title race. In a thrilling, closely-fought and dramatic race, the Finn came home 1.5 seconds ahead of Hamilton as Mercedes swept to a fourth successive season-opening one-two finish, the first team to do so since Ferrari in 1952. It was Bottas' second win this year and delivered some redemption after leading last year on the streets of Baku until his car suffered a puncture with three laps remaining. "Yes, ha!" said the delighted Bottas. "Amazing job guys -- really, really strong. I am so proud to be part of this team." The two Mercedes men came home ahead of Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari, Max Verstappen who was fourth for Red Bull and, after a storming effort, Ferrari new boy Charles Leclerc, who started eighth on the grid and scored the fastest lap after a late pit stop. "We are all performing really, ...

What we've achieved is historic, Sergio Busquets after winning La Liga title

Midfielder Sergio Busquets termed his team Barcelona's achievement 'historic' after they registered a narrow 1-0 victory over Levante which helped them clinch La Liga title."It'll be difficult for anyone to win eight out of 11 league titles again. La Liga has the best teams who fight for all the European trophies, so it's very difficult to win. What we've achieved is historic," Goal.com quoted Busquets as saying.Busquets also praised his team-mate Lionel Messi, who is the leading scorer in this season of La Liga with goal tally of 34."Barcelona is a great club but what we've achieved is even greater. It's true that having the best player in the world (Lionel Messi) makes it easier, but the credit belongs to everyone," Busquets said.He also expressed that after winning La Liga their focus will be on clinching the Champions League title as well."Closing out a league or any title is tough, and it was tough. But it was time to finish off the league and focus on the Champions League. If we

KKR set Mumbai 233-run target

Kolkata Knight Riders batsmen fired on all cylinders to post the season's highest total -- 232 for two -- in their Indian Premier League match against Mumbai Indians here Sunday. Staring at elimination following a six-match losing streak, the embattled KKR got off to a fiery start with Shubman Gill (76) and Chris Lynn (54) putting on a 96-run opening stand, their highest this season, after Rohit Sharma opted to bowl in his 100th match as captain. Andre Russell, KKR's biggest impact player of the season, was finally seen higher up the order at No 3. The West Indies power-hitter ensured that KKR finished on a high with an unbeaten 80 off 40 balls. Russell hammered six fours and eight sixes including one off the last ball after he denied a couple of singles to skipper Dinesh Karthik in the last over as KKR creamed 75 runs from the last five overs and scored 135 in the final 10. Fielding let down Mumbai Indians big time with both Lynn and Russell dropped early in their innings by Kieron ..

India can continue their winning streak over Pakistan in World Cup, says Shami

India bowler Mohammed Shami is of the view that India can continue their winning streak over Pakistan by securing victory against their traditional rival in the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's Cricket World Cup."Our efforts will be there to maintain the record. It is the game. It can turn to any side. As our records are there, we guess that we continue the record and win and you get the chance to see the match," Shami told ANI.on Sunday.Shami holds this belief as he is of the opinion that India has a 'good combination' of fast bowlers, spinners and batters, which will be beneficial for them in the quadrennial tournament."We are having a good team for the World Cup. It is a good combination because we are having fast bowlers, spinners, and batters. It is important to know each other in the team," he said."The team will be a benefit for us. Because everyone in the team knows each other's skills. So our unit is very good," Shami told ANI.Shami said that players who are

IPL 2019: Delhi Capitals storm into playoffs after beating RCB by 16 runs

Delhi Capitals made their way to the playoffs for the first time since 2012 as they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 16 runs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) here on Sunday.Chasing a total of 188 runs, RCB's openers, Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli, gave their side a brilliant start. Both formed a 63-run partnership before Kagiso Rabada got hold of Patel (39).AB de Villiers then joined Skipper Kolhi. However, their partnership did not last long as Kohli became a victim of Axar Patel.Shivam Dube then formed a 35-run partnership with De Villiers before the latter got out on 17 runs. Heinrich Klaasen then joined Dube. However, Amit Mishra sent both the batsmen back to the pavilion in the 13th over.The rest of the batsmen struggled a bit to form a good partnership as they kept on losing wickets. However, Marcus Stoinis and Gurkeerat Singh formed a 49-run partnership which helped their side get closer to the target.Singh scored 27 runs before he gave away his wicket which ...

Tendulkar says he receives no monetary benefit from Mumbai Indians, Laxman ready to quit CAC

Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday refuted all allegations of Conflict of Interest levelled against him as he claimed to have neither "received any compensation" nor holding any decision making role in the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians. However, Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor VVS Laxman, who is part of the team management, has expressed his desire to step down from the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) to clear himself of the allegations. The CAC comprising Tendulkar, Laxman and Sourav Ganguly are facing Conflict of Interest allegations. While Ganguly's advisory role with Delhi Capitals came under scanner earlier this month, Laxman and Tendulkar responded to the allegations on Sunday. Tendulkar filed a 14-point written response to a notice sent by BCCI Ombudsman D K Jain, following a Conflict of Interest complaint filed by the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) member Sanjeev Gupta. As per the complainant, Tendulkar and Laxman are allegedly performing dual roles, first of a

Umesh short on confidence, says Nehra

Former India pacer Ashish Nehra feels not playing regularly for the national team has dented Umesh Yadav's confidence and its impact can be seen in the ongoing IPL where he has conceded almost 10 runs per over in nine games. The 31-year-old fast bowler played his last Test for India against Australia in December while he dawned the national ODI jersey in October. He was also overlooked for the World Cup squad and even failed to make it in the list of standby players. "Umesh is short on confidence especially because of the way he has performed in the last 4-5 months. He hasn't been playing for India. He is not a part of the World Cup, it's not easy for any cricketer to take that. He is not even in the standby," Nehra said after RCB's 16-run loss to Delhi Capitals here on Sunday. "That definitely must be playing on his mind. He is someone who has always been good. He has plenty of skill and talent. He bowls really well with the new ball, last year that was the mantra of his success. He