Page 416 - Sports

Bernardo Silva: from bit-part player to Man City mainstay

Pep Guardiola must decide how to shuffle his Manchester City line-up for Wednesday's visit of struggling Cardiff to the Etihad, with an eye on the weekend FA Cup semi-final against Brighton. But Portuguese playmaker Bernardo Silva has emerged as the one player who is an almost automatic selection, despite the embarrassment of riches and depth Guardiola possesses in his first-team squad. Signed from Monaco for USD 56 million two years ago, the 24-year-old took his time to adapt to life in the Premier League, in one of the most expensively assembled squads in the history of the game. In his debut season Bernardo started just 15 league games, coming on as a substitute no fewer than 20 times in 38 matches as Guardiola allowed him to gradually get used to a different style of football. But that approach and handling has proved, not for the first time in Guardiola's managerial career, to have been a masterstroke. With Kevin De Bruyne's season badly curtailed by injuries, Silva has stepped ..

I am speechless, Punjab outplayed us: Shreyas Iyer

To lose a game is a part of sports. But to end up on the losing side in a T20 game when the team needed 23 runs off 21 balls with seven wickets in the bag is anything but disappointing. And Delhi Capitals skipper Shreyas Iyer made his displeasure known after losing to Kings XI Punjab in Mohali.

Arsenal up to third as Ramsey, Lacazette sink Newcastle

Unai Emery challenged revitalised Arsenal to write their own history after they climbed to third place in the Premier League with a 2-0 win against Newcastle. Aaron Ramsey's first half strike was followed by Alexandre Lacazette's killer second in the closing stages at the Emirates Stadium, maintaining Arsenal's impressive progress under Emery. Emery's side climbed two points above fourth placed Tottenham and fifth placed Manchester United to bolster their chance of qualifying for the Champions League via a top-four finish with seven games to go. It is the first time Arsenal have been as high as third place since April 2017, highlighting their improvement since former Paris Saint Germain boss Emery replaced Arsene Wenger at the end of last season. Ramsey's fifth goal of the season was only the Wales midfielder's second since he signed a lucrative pre-contract agreement to join Juventus at the end of the current campaign. But, while Ramsey won't be part of Emery's long-term plans, the ..

Pogba wants to stay at Man Utd, says Solskjaer

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he has been assured by star midfielder Paul Pogba that the Frenchman does not want to leave Manchester United despite mounting speculation over a switch to Real Madrid. United midfielder Pogba last week described Madrid, managed by France great Zinedine Zidane, as a "dream club for every player" while on international duty. Fuel was then poured on the fire ahead of Madrid's game at the weekend when the Real boss admitted that Pogba would be welcome at the Bernabeu if and when he decides to call time on his United career. Zidane is expected to have a big transfer budget this summer to shake things up. Real crashed out of the Champions League to Ajax at the last-16 stage and trail Barcelona by 12 points in La Liga. Solskjaer was only appointed permanent manager at Old Trafford last week but the future of United's most high-profile player is once again in the spotlight. Madrid have a track record of taking some of United's star names, with both David Beckham and

Credit to Shami, Curran, we were 25 short: Ashwin

Needing 23 off 21 balls, it looked like the Delhi Capitals (DC) were set to cruise to their third win of this edition of the Indian Premier League when Mohammed Shami dismissed Rishabh Pant. After that, the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) picked 7 wickets for just 8 runs as the won a nail-biting encounter by 14 runs in Mohali.

IPL 2019: Curran four-for helps Punjab beat Delhi

Sam Curran bowled a dream second spell to snare four wickets as Kings XI Punjab recorded a 14-run victory over Delhi Capitals in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Monday.

I am speechless, says DC captain Shreyas Iyer

A gutted Delhi Capitals captain Shreyas Iyer said that he was "speechless" after his team lost seven wickets for eight runs in their 14-run defeat to Kings XI Punjab in an IPL encounter here Monday. DC were chasing 144 for 3 in the 17th over, chasing 167 and were subsequently bowled out for 152 in 19.2 overs. "I am really speechless. It is a crucial match and losing such matches is not going to benefit us," Iyer said at the post-match presentation ceremony. "Really disappointing. With the way we were going, we came to run-a-ball and to lose from there, really disappointing. We didn't play smart cricket and Punjab outplayed us in all the departments. They were really cool and calm in that situation. Our batsmen did not taking initiative to win the game," the skipper said. A delighted KXIP skipper Ravichandran Ashwin said that they were waiting for Rishabh Pant to make a mistake and cash in from thereon. "Not may times, you defend. When Rishabh hit the six, we just needed to hang in ...

Curran, Shami pull off an incredible win for Kings XI Punjab

Kings XI Punjab's costliest buy Sam Curran proved his worth with an incredible spell at the back end as the home team pulled off a miraculous 14-run victory against Delhi Capitals left stunned by an inexplicable batting collapse in Monday's IPL encounter. KXIP's 'million dollar man' Curran picked up 4 for 11 in 2.2 overs including a hat-trick and was ably supported by Mohammed Shami as Delhi Capitals were shot out for 152 in 19.2 overs in pursuit of 167. From 144 for 3, Delhi lost their last seven wickets for 8 runs, something that will haunt them for days to come especially after Rishabh Pant and Colin Ingram set up what looked like an easy win. Pant muscled a couple of sixes into dep mid-wicket stand during 39 off 26 balls as Ingram (38 off 29 balls) bisected the off-side field with some precision cut shots during their stand of 62 in 6.5 overs that took Capitals closer to victory. However there were more twists and turns than what Capitals had thought. In a space of 9 deliveries, ..

Yahoo launches Daily Fantasy Cricket Game

Yahoo has added a new game within its Cricket app to further entertain the cricket lovers in the country. Called Yahoo Cricket Daily Fantasy Game, it is based on the Indian T20 league and allows gamers to play daily matches.Users can customise their teams with real players. Players are awarded points based on the real player's performance during an actual match, the official release explained.The game comes with an immersive experience for cricket fans. One can create and manage their own game day cricket team, challenge friends for co-play, and keep a track of the leaderboard. There's also a 'corporate league' option for larger groups.Winners receive e-vouchers worth INR 7,500 per game day, whereas the ultimate Yahoo Cricket Daily Fantasy winner stands to win a tournament prize of e-vouchers worth INR 100,000.The Daily Fantasy experience is available on the Yahoo Cricket app on the Google Play Store. It is also available on both mobile and desktop browser.

No point resting Messi, says Valverde

Lionel Messi will probably play against Villarreal in La Liga this week, because "there's no suitable scenario for resting" the Argentine superstar, Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said on Monday. Barcelona are 10 points clear at the top of the Spanish League ahead of Tuesday's away game, followed by a home tie with second-place Atletico Madrid on Saturday and then Manchester United away in a Champions League quarterfinal next Wednesday. "We attach great importance to this game," Valverde said of the Villarreal game before acknowledging that "many people have their sights on the Champions League and also the Atletico game." "We'll see tomorrow about Leo," Valverde said of his 31-year-old forward who has 31 league goals so far this season. "The three points tomorrow are worth the same as those against Atletico," Valverde said. "It is a perfect match to win," he said, when asked about rotating his squad. "It does not escape me that our rivals are waiting for a slip to feed their hopes .

IPL: Delhi bowlers restrict Punjab to 166/9

David Miller missed a half-century as Kings XI Punjab were restricted to a chaseable 166/9 by Delhi Capitals in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash here on Monday.

Gayle-less KXIP manage 166/9 against Delhi Capitals

Chris Gayle's absence at the top of the order did have an impact as Kings XI Punjab could only manage a par-score of 166 for 9 against Delhi Capitals in an IPL encounter here Monday. With the 'Universe Boss' ruled out due to back injury (lat strain), KXIP batsmen despite being good at times could never really take the Delhi bowling apart. Save David Miller (43 off 30 balls) and Sarfaraz Khan (39 off 29 balls), other batsmen didn't have a good day against the trio of Chris Morris *(3/30), Kagiso Rabada (2/32) and young Sandeep Lamichhane (2/27 in 4 overs). Morris was the pick of the bowlers, removing KXIP's last-match hero KL Rahul (15) with an inswinger as he played across the line. Sam Curran (20, 10 balls) promoted up the order did hit a couple of lusty blows but Lamichhane got him with a flipper. Mayank Agarwal went for a non-existent single and couldn't beat Shikar Dhawan's direct throw at the non-striker's end. Miller and Sarfaraz however didn't get bogged down as they added 62 .

12 NCR districts, Agra switch to Euro-VI fuel

Supply of ultra-clean Euro-VI grade petrol and diesel has begun in cities adjoining the national capital from Monday, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) said. While Delhi in April 2018 became the first city in the country to leapfrog from Euro-IV grade petrol and diesel to Euro-VI fuels, cities in the national capital region like Noida and Ghaziabad switched over to the cleaner fuel from Monday. Rest of the country will follow suit from April 2020. "Oil companies keep up BS-VI (Euro-VI) promise! 12 NCR districts and city of Agra converted to BS-VI green fuels from today," IOC said in a series of tweets. In keeping with the implementation plan for BS-VI grade fuels in the national capital region (NCR), the oil industry Monday switched over to supply of BS-VI grade transportaiton fuels in 12 contiguous districts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh as well as the city of Agra, it said. Petrol and diesel containing 10 parts per million or ppm is now being supplied in Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli and ...

PCB fines Umar Akmal for late night outing in Dubai during Australia ODIs

Pakistan cricket's enfant terrible Umar Akmal has been fined 20 per cent of his match fee and has also received an official reprimand following his late night outing in Dubai after the fourth ODI against Australia. The Pakistan Cricket Board said on Monday that team manager, Talat Ali had held a hearing at which Umar pleaded guilty and also apologised for his actions. A video clip emerged on social media showing Umar having a late night outing after Pakistan had lost the fourth ODI in Dubai, following which a debate stirred on whether the batsman had shown indiscipline or his personal life should be respected. The batsman, who has had a history of run-ins with the establishment and disciplinary issues, was recalled for the ODI series against Australia after showing good form in the Pakistan Super League after having spent nearly two-and-half years on the sidelines. Head coach Mickey Arthur, who had a run-in with Umar in Lahore last year, has said that while Umar's attitude has ...

Real Kashmir to have floodlights ready by mid-April

I-League outfit Real Kashmir, who finished an impressive third in its debut season, will have floodlights ready at its picturesque TRC Ground in Srinagar by mid-April, reliable sources said.

PCB Chairman rules out drastic changes after Australia drubbing

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani has ruled out any changes in the national selection committee and the team management before the upcoming World Cup, in the aftermath of the whitewash against Australia in the just-concluded ODI series. The selection committee and team management including head coach, Mickey Arthur is under fire after the disastrous five-match series against Australia, but Mani said the time was not right for making any changes. "We will assess the performance of the selectors and management after the World Cup," he said. "The team management is just not the head coach. It is about all the other coaches and the support staff. Their performances will be reviewed after the World Cup," he added. Asked if he was worried about the results against Australia, Mani said the selectors and management had solid reasons for resting six regular players against Australia. He said some of the players were carrying injuries and pacer, Hasan Ali himself had ...

ODI rankings: Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah retain top spots

Indian captain Virat Kohli and bowler Jasprit Bumrah on Monday consolidated their top two spots in the updated ICC Men's ODI player rankings.Kohli retained his number one spot in the batting rankings with 890 points whereas Rohit Sharma, the Indian opener is on the second position with 839 points. In the bowling rankings, Jasprit Bumrah holds the pole position with 774 points. Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are the other two Indians to feature in the top ten bowling rankings.Kuldeep holds the seventh position (689 points) whereas Chahal holds the eighth position (680 points).Australian captain Aaron Finch also moved into the top ten batsman rankings after a tremendous performance in the recently concluded series against Pakistan which his side won 5-0.Finch scored a total of 451 runs in the series with an average of 112.75. This performance allowed the batsmen to gain 12 slots to reach the joint ninth position with West Indies Shai Hope. Both Finch and Hope have 744 points ...

India to take part in Physical Disability World Cricket Series

An Indian team will represent the country in the first 2019 Physical Disability World Cricket Series which will be held in England. The tournament, organised by the England and the Wales Cricket Board, will be held at Worcestershire from August 3 to 13. The announcement was made by the All India Cricket Association For The Physically Challenged (AICAPC) in presence of BCCI General Manager (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim and legendary batsman Dilip Vengsarkar, on the birth anniversary of former India skipper Ajit Wadekar, who died last year. Karim clarified that the Board of Control in Cricket in India (BCCI) has only given recognition to the AICAPC. "We are not funding it right now. We (BCCI) have only given recognition to the All India Physically Challenged Organisation (Association) so that they can represent (the country) in the World Series Championship ," Karim told reporters. It was announced that a training camp for this team will be held in July and then practice

Marquez claims 45th MotoGP title

World champion Marc Marquez emerged triumphant at the Argentina MotoGP ahead of his rival Valentino Rossi here. Marquez put up an impressive show aboard his Honda RC213V as he claimed his 45th career victory in the elite class, finishing almost 10 seconds ahead of Rossi on a Yamaha. Andrea Dovizioso, who won the season-opener in Qatar, finished third on a Ducati. Marquez is currently leads the 2019 championship after two rounds with 45 points. "Today was a perfect day," he said. Marquez's teammate Jorge Lorenzo's race got off to a difficult start as he dropped down to 21st from 12th after trouble getting off the line. However, consistent pace saw him return to points scoring position. He managed to finish at 12th position, thereby collecting not only more points but also more race time on the Honda. Honda now moves to the top of the Constructor's Championship as a result of the victory. The MotoGP World Championship prepares to travel to Austin, Texas for round three of the ...

Sri Lanka captain apologises for 'unbecoming' behaviour

Sri Lanka's Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne apologised Monday for his "unbecoming behaviour" after being arrested for drink-driving in an accident that left a taxi driver injured. Karunaratne, 30, was taken before a magistrate who suspended his driving licence and fixed a trial for May 2. The cricket star was also asked to take a medical test. Police told the court that while driving under the influence of liquor, Karunaratne went through a red light and hit a taxi whose driver was hospitalised for minor injuries after the pre-dawn crash on Sunday. "My actions were utterly unbecoming of a Sri Lankan national cricketer and I do apologise to all of you for this incident," Karunaratne said in a statement. The incident came as Sri Lanka decides who will be captain for the national team at the World Cup starting in England on May 30. Karunaratne, who led Sri Lanka to a stunning Test series victory against South Africa last month, had been one of the favourites for the position. Sri Lanka's