Category: Sports

Chennai, March 29 (IANS) Phil Salt has opened up about his partnership with Virat Kohli at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), revealing that the franchise was very clear about his role when they secured him in the IPL 2025 auction.

Following the departure of former captain Faf du Plessis, RCB needed a new opening partner for Kohli, and Salt was identified as the ideal fit. The English wicketkeeper-batter has played a crucial role in RCB’s opening two matches, adopting an aggressive approach to allow Kohli to settle into his innings. During their win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk on Friday, the duo added 45 runs in just five overs, setting a strong foundation. Despite Kohli struggling to accelerate early on, Salt took charge, executing his role to perfection.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Salt emphasised that his job is to take the pressure off the rest of the lineup by making the most of the powerplay. “Yeah, that’s definitely part of it. It’s been made very clear to me why I’m here at RCB and what they were looking for in the auction to partner with Virat. The dynamics of the partnership. I’m very aware of. It’s to be aggressive and to sort of take the pressure off the rest of the guys. Especially when you come somewhere like here. If you don’t take advantage of those early seam overs, then you can be left up against it when the spin comes on, and they can really take control of the game. Yeah, it was very key here and that was spoken about,” said Salt.

RCB’s victory at Chepauk was particularly special, marking their first win at the venue since 2008. Salt shared an amusing moment with his teammates when he came across an article listing all the significant events that had taken place since RCB’s last triumph in Chennai.

“Yeah, it was actually at breakfast. Some sort of an article came up on my phone, and it was all the things that have happened since RCB beat CSK here. (We had) a pretty light-hearted conversation. There wasn’t too much in it. But yeah, it’s a good win.

“To beat the champions in their home ground, and then come here, which is a very, very tough place to come and get a win, we’re really happy with the fact that we’re sitting two games, four points, obviously with a boost in the net run rate as well. But we’re very aware of how good a side CSK are, especially at home, so we’re pleased,” said Salt.

With two consecutive wins under their belt, RCB currently sits atop the points table. Their next challenge will be against Gujarat Titans at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on April 2, where Salt and Kohli will look to continue their strong opening partnership.

–IANS

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Ahmedabad, March 29 (IANS) Former champions Gujarat Titans (GT) will face off against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) match 9 at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.

Both teams started their IPL 2025 campaign with a defeat and will be determined to bounce back in this crucial encounter.

Shubman Gill’s side fell short against Punjab Kings in their last outing, despite valiant knocks from Sai Sudharsan (74 off 41) and Jos Buttler (54 off 33) while chasing 244. Their bowlers, including Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada, struggled to contain PBKS’ onslaught led by Shreyas Iyer (97 off 42).

Meanwhile, MI had a tough start, managing just 155/9 against Chennai Super Kings. Though their bowlers fought hard, CSK secured victory with five balls to spare. However, MI will be bolstered by the return of skipper Hardik Pandya, who will face his former team for the first time since leading them to the 2022 title.

Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians have faced each other five times in the IPL, with Gujarat holding a slight advantage, having won three matches compared to Mumbai’s two victories. Their rivalry began on May 6, 2022, and has since produced thrilling encounters. The most recent clash took place on March 24, 2024, where Gujarat emerged victorious.

When will the GT vs MI match take place?

The match will take place on Saturday. The match will begin at 7:30 PM IST, with the toss scheduled for 7 PM IST.

Where will the GT vs MI match take place?

The match will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

Where will the live broadcast for GT vs MI match be available?

The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network.

Where will live streaming for GT vs MI match be available?

The match will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app.

Squads:

Gujarat Titans squad: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Glenn Phillips, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Nishant Sindhu, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Gerald Coetzee, Jayant Yadav, Arshad Khan, Karim Janat, Sherfane Rutherford, Mahipal Lomror, Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Kulwant Khejroliya, Mohammed Siraj

Mumbai Indians squad: Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Bevon Jacobs, Ryan Rickelton, Robin Minz, Krishnan Shrijith, Hardik Pandya, Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Vignesh Puthur, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Arjun Tendulkar, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, Lizaad Williams, Karn Sharma, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Satyanarayana Raju, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

–IANS

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Berlin, March 29 (IANS) Bayer Leverkusen kept their Bundesliga title hopes alive after closing the gap on leaders Bayern Munich to three points with a 3-1 victory over VfL Bochum on Saturday.

Leverkusen made their intentions of staying in the title race clear early on. Dominating possession and controlling the tempo, the hosts were rewarded in the 20th minute when Aleix Garcia found space outside the area and curled a shot into the top corner, leaving Bochum goalkeeper Timo Horn with no chance, reported Xinhua

But the visitors, desperate for points in their relegation battle, made quick response. Six minutes later, Felix Passlack stunned the home crowd with a volley from the edge of the area to level the scores.

Despite enjoying over 70 percent of the possession in the first half, Leverkusen struggled to convert their dominance into further goals as Bochum defended well and looked dangerous on the counterattack.

Leverkusen regained momentum after the break and Victor Boniface found the back of the net on the hour mark. A free kick saw Garcia float the ball into the box, where Piero Hincapie flicked it on for Boniface to slot home from close range.

Substitute Amine Adli put the result beyond doubt with three minutes to play. After a swift counterattack, the winger raced clear and slotted home.

“Bochum put up a good fight. We dominated from the beginning and basically handed them their goal. But overall, we stayed confident and got the win we deserved,” said Leverkusen captain Lukas Hradecky.

Bayern Munich faces St Pauli on Saturday (8:00 PM).

–IANS

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New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) Brazilian football is once again in search of a leader after the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced the dismissal of head coach Dorival Junior on Friday. The decision comes after a series of underwhelming performances, culminating in a crushing 4-1 defeat to Argentina in Buenos Aires—Brazil’s worst loss in a World Cup qualifier.

CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues confirmed Junior’s departure at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, signaling the beginning of yet another coaching hunt.

“The confederation announces that Dorival Júnior’s cycle is over,” Rodrigues stated. “From now on, we will work in the search for a substitute. Much has been said about (the confederation) contacting A, B or C coach, but I should say that (comment) was never coming from this president or anyone that the president authorized.”

Junior, 62, took charge of the national team 14 months ago but failed to inspire confidence. Brazil has struggled in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, currently sitting in fifth place, with only the top six teams earning automatic qualification.

Under Junior’s reign, Brazil’s record stood at seven wins, seven draws, and two losses. The team’s form in recent matches, however, was concerning, with just one victory in its last four outings. Brazil has netted 25 goals but conceded 17, an uncharacteristically poor defensive record.

Adding to the disappointment, Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Copa America after a penalty shootout loss to Uruguay. The lack of progress and uninspired performances prompted the CBF to act before the situation deteriorated further.

Brazil has now cycled through three different head coaches since the 2022 World Cup—a scenario reminiscent of the tumultuous period before its last World Cup triumph in 2002, when Luiz Felipe Scolari took charge just a year before leading the team to glory in Japan and South Korea.

The CBF had initially placed its faith in Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, expecting him to take over in 2024. However, with Ancelotti extending his stay in Spain, Brazil was left scrambling for alternatives. Interim coach Ramon Menezes and then Fernando Diniz were given brief stints before Junior was appointed.

Now, with another change on the horizon, speculation is rife. Reports suggest the CBF will make another attempt to lure Ancelotti, despite his recent contract extension. Meanwhile, Al-Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is also in contention. If either were to take the role, it would mark the first time Brazil has appointed a foreign head coach.

Brazil’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers in June present an immediate challenge. The team will face Ecuador—currently second in the standings—on the road before hosting sixth-placed Paraguay.

Adding to the complexity of Brazil’s coaching search, both Ancelotti and Jesus are set to manage their respective clubs—Real Madrid and Al-Hilal—in the FIFA Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States that same month.

–IANS

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Chennai, March 29 (IANS) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming admitted that his team has been struggling to understand the conditions at Chepauk in recent years, following their crushing 50-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025.

Despite building a spin-heavy squad at the auction, CSK found themselves undone by a surface that favored seam bowling. RCB pacers Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar exploited the conditions brilliantly, combining for figures of 7-0-41-4 to derail CSK’s chase of 197.

“Well, as we’ve been telling you for a number of years, there was no home advantage at Chepauk,” Fleming said after CSK’s biggest defeat at home. “We’ve won away from home a couple of times. And we haven’t been able to read… we’ve been really honest with you. We haven’t been able to read the wickets here in the last couple of years. So, it’s not new. We are trying to come to grips each day with what we get, and we don’t know.”

Chepauk, once known for aiding spinners, has undergone a drastic shift in character. In IPL 2024, the venue saw pacers take 74 wickets, while spinners managed just 25. Despite CSK’s spin-heavy approach in squad selection, the conditions have not played to their strengths.

“It’s not the Chepauk [of old] where you can just go in and play four spinners,” Fleming acknowledged. “We’re having to work really hard to try and understand what the nature of each pitch is, and it’s quite different.”

CSK had banked on dew playing a role in the second innings, hoping it would aid their chase. However, the surface only got slower, making stroke play increasingly difficult.

“No, we didn’t get it right,” Fleming admitted. “It’s so hard to read, but we thought it was going to skid on with the dew, but it actually got a bit tacky. So, it certainly made it harder here.”

CSK’s methodical approach to batting, which relies on building innings rather than explosive starts, came under scrutiny once again. However, Fleming pushed back against criticisms that the team lacked firepower.

“We talk about firepower; we have firepower all the way through,” he asserted. “I don’t understand this question. Just because we don’t swing from ball one and have a little bit of luck go away, we’ll see at the end. Just see at the end who wins it. It’s a positive brand of cricket, no doubt about it, but don’t discount us.”

–IANS

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New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) Former Australian batter Stuart Law has been appointed as the head coach of Nepal’s men’s cricket team for the next two years. He replaces Monty Desai, whose tenure ended in February after two years at the helm.

Cricket Association of Nepal posted on X, “ Head coach appointed. Australian legend Stuart Law @SLaw365 takes charge of Nepal Men’s National Cricket Team for the next two years!”

Law brings with him a wealth of coaching experience, having worked with multiple international teams. His most recent role was with the USA men’s team, where he led them to a historic T20I series win over Bangladesh and a spot in the Super Eights of the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, his stint lasted just over seven months before he was let go in October 2024.

Law has also served as head coach for Bangladesh and West Indies, as well as interim coach for Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Under his leadership, Bangladesh reached their first-ever Asia Cup final in 2012. Additionally, he has held several coaching positions in Australia, including a role as batting coach for the national team and work with the Under-19 squad. As a player, Law represented Australia in 54 ODIs and a solitary Test match.

His predecessor, Monty Desai, oversaw a period of steady growth for Nepal. Under Desai, Nepal secured whitewash victories against the USA (T20Is) and Canada (ODIs) in early 2024. However, their campaigns in major tournaments remained challenging. Nepal made their second-ever T20 World Cup appearance in 2024 but failed to win a match. They also debuted in the ODI Asia Cup in 2023 but returned home winless.

Law’s first assignment with Nepal will be a crucial tri-series against Scotland and the Netherlands in June, as part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2. Nepal currently sits second-last in the League 2 table, making the upcoming series a vital opportunity for improvement.

With Law’s vast experience and Nepal’s young, ambitious squad, the next two years could be a defining period for the team as they aim to make strides in international cricket.

–IANS

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Chennai, March 29 (IANS) Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar hailed Josh Hazlewood’s twin strikes an hour early in Chennai Super Kings innings as a “game changer” that helped his team breach Fortress Chepauk for the first time since 2008 in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday.

“If I talk about this match, it was a good total on this surface because the ball was stopping a bit and it wasn’t easy for batters to hit fours and sixes. It’s always special playing in Chepauk because of the fans, the way they support their teams,” he said.

After Patidar, who was dropped thrice, contributed a vital half-century that helped RCB reach a challenging score of 196/7 in 20 overs, Hazlewood sent back Rahul Tripathi and Ruturaj Gaikwad in his first over to give his team a fine start. CSK failed to recover from those early blows and were soon down to 75/5 as Yash Dayal and Liam Livingstone struck a couple of blows each to add to CSK’s woes.

In the end, CSK could manage only 146/8 in with Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni hitting a couple of big ones in the death overs when everything looked over. They slumped to a 50-run defeat, their worst-ever at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. This was RCB’s first win at CSK’s home ground since the inaugural edition in 2008.

It was the first time in IPL history that RCB have won their first two matches and Patidar gave credit to his bowlers for making it possible.

Talking about Hazlewood’s early wickets, Patidar said, “It was game-changing because we got two-three wickets in the first six overs. Amazing to see how they kept it on the hard length because the ball wasn’t coming on to the bat easily.”

He said his spinners too bowled superbly and singled out Livingstone for praise. Patidar, who changed his bowlers regularly, said, “This track was pretty helpful for spinners so I was just keeping it in my mind that I could use my spinners at the early stage. Especially, Livingstone, the way he came in and bowled four overs was incredible.”

The RCB skipper said his knock was crucial in the final analysis. He said he attempted to stay at the crease for as long as possible.

“I think it was very important because we were targeting 200 because that wouldn’t be easy to chase. My goal was clear that as long as I was there, I would maximize every ball,” he added.

CSK will now rush to Guwahati for a clash with Rajasthan Royals on Sunday while RCB will return home to wait for a meeting with Gujarat Titans on April 2 at the M.Chinnasway Stadium.

–IANS

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Chennai, March 28 (IANS) Josh Hazlewood struck a couple of early blows after Rajat Patidar scored his first half-century as captain to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeat Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium after a gap of 17 years in Match 8 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 here on Friday.

RCB had defeated CSK at home in the inaugural edition in 2008 and since then suffered defeat every time they played the CSK den. On Friday, they came up with a fine all-round performance to beat CSK by 50 runs, handing the five-time champions their biggest defeat ever at Chepauk.

Patidar (51) capitalized on a couple of dropped chances when he was batting at 17 to hit some brilliant shots as he reached his half-century off 30 balls. He was out soon after and just when it looked like RCB would fall well short of the 200-run mark, Tim David hammered a hat-trick of sixes in the final over to pull them close to what looks like a par-score.

Most of the RCB batters got starts — Phil Salt contributed 32 off 16 balls, Virat Kohli scored 31 off 30, Devdutt Padikkal struck 27 off 14 and Tim David remained unbeaten on 22 off eight balls in a fine cameo — as RCB and CSK fought back each time the other was trying to take control of the proceedings.

Josh Hazlewood made the breakthrough for RCB in the second over by getting Rahul Tripathi (5) edge one behind to Salt, hitting the hard length, and extracting some bounce as Tripathi mistimed his pull shot.

One brought two for RCB as Hazlewood struck four balls later, getting CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (0) to sky one to deep fine leg.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal chipped in with wickets as Deepak Hooda (4), Sam Curran (8) and Rachin Ravindra (41 off 31) got out in quick succession as CSK slumped to 75/5 in the 12th over as the early wickets and scoreboard pressure thwarted Chennai. Ravindra had got a good start but could not capitalise on it as RCB bowlers kept a tight line and changed pace regularly on a pitch the ball was sticking a bit in the second innings.

Shivam Dube (19 off 15), Ravindra Jadeja (25 in 19), and Ravichandran Ashwin tried to hit out of trouble but failed. MS Dhoni blasted a couple of sixes in the final over as he remained unbeaten with 30 off 16 balls. In hitting his unbeaten 30, Dhoni became the top scorer for CSK in IPL with 4699 runs, going past Suresh Raina’s 4687. This along with Dhoni’s stumping of Phil Salt and Noor’s three-wicket haul were the only positives for CSK in this match.

For RCB, Hazlewood bagged 3-21, Yash Dayal 2-18, and Liam Livingstone 2-28 bowled beautifully to hamper CSK’s progress.

Earlier, asked to bat first, RCB made a brisk start thanks mainly to English opener Phil Salt who came out all guns blazing, hitting Khaleel Ahmed for back-to-back boundaries in the first over. He then pulled Ravichandran Ashwin over fine leg and followed that up with a cut through extra cover and another pull to the boundary for successive fours.

His belligerence ended when MS Dhoni effected a mesmerizing stumping off Noor Ahmad to end his knock for a 16-ball 32 studded with five boundaries and a six. Dhoni’s lightning-quick work behind the stumps left the fans swooning in pleasure.

Padikkal and Kohli got out just when they were looking dangerous and it looked like Patidar too would depart early but was dropped by Deepak Hooda off Ravindra Jadeja in the deep. He got another life as Rahul Tripathi put one down off Noor Ahmed. He blasted a six and four off Jadeja and treated Pathirana for a six and Khaleel Ahmed for a four before he was caught by Sam Curran off Pathirana.

RCB lost Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, and Krunal Pandya in search of quick runs before Tim David gave them the boost with his last-over heroics, hitting Sam Curran for a hat-trick of sixes.

For CSK, Noor Ahmad was on the ball once again, adding 3-36 to the 4-18 he claimed against Mumbai Indians in their opening match. Matheesha Pathirana claimed two wickets in one over in the brilliant effort in the death overs.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru 196/7 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 51, Phil Salt 32, Tim David 22 not out; Noor Ahmad 3-36, Matheesha Pathirana 2-36) beat Chennai Super Kings 146/8 in 20 overs (Rachin Ravindra 41, MS Dhoni 30 not out; Josh Hazlewood 3-21, Yash Dayal 2-18, Liam Livingstone 2-28) by 50 runs.

–IANS

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Haridwar, March 28 (IANS) Sonipat Spartans, Chandigarh Chargers, Junior Steelers and Jaipur Pink Cubs bagged victories on Day 23 of the Yuva All Stars Championship 2025 in Haridwar.

Jaipur Pink Cubs defeated UP Falcons 49-29 to eliminate the latter from the qualification race. The Pink Cubs were leading 19-17 at half-time despite getting All Out once in the first half. They inflicted three All-outs on the Falcons to register a 20-point victory. Parvinder was the star performer with 11 points. The Pink Cubs and Falcons are first and fifth, respectively in Pool A.

Meanwhile, the Junior Steelers beat Kurukshetra Warriors 46-34 to qualify for the next round. The Steelers were off to a good start but conceded the lead to the Warriors following an All Out. However, they got the game back in their favour, inflicting an All Out on their opponent. Haryana were leading 23-21 at half-time. Despite the Warriors putting up a tough fight, the Steelers won the match by 12 points. Haryana’s Jaya Soorya was the top performer with 14 points (12 raid points and 2 tackle points). The Steelers are fourth in Pool A with 39 points.

Chandigarh Chargers defeated Vasco Vipers 56-31, riding on the back of Sandeep Saini’s 17 points and Paratp Singh’s 14 points. They were at the top of their game, getting the Vipers’ All out thrice in 40 minutes. The Chargers also registered four Super Tackles to register a comfortable 25-point victory. They have finished third in Pool B with 53 points.

Later in the day, the Sonipat Spartans registered a nine-point victory against Yuva Mumba. They inflicted two all-outs on Mumbai and took a massive 27-13 lead at the end of the first half. In the second half, Yuva Mumba inflicted an All-out on the Spartans and reduced the deficit to eight points, but Sonipat was quick enough to extend their lead and win the match with a score of 49-40.

Despite the loss, Yuva Mumba’s Umesh Panwar earned 12 points and Abhimanyu Raghuvanshi bagged 11. They are fourth in Pool B with 48 points, while the Spartans have moved to the top of the standings with 60 points.

–IANS

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Amman (Jordan), March 28 (IANS) Indian women wrestlers continued their good work as Manisha bagged the country’s first gold while Antim Panghal claimed a bronze on her return to competitions in the 2025 Senior Asian Wrestling Championship here on Friday.

The third day of the event in the Jordan capital proved to be a historic day for Indian wrestling, as the Indian women’s wrestling team secured a gold and a bronze medal, bringing India’s total medal count to 1 gold, 1 silver, and 4 bronze.

The highlight of the day was Manisha (62kg), who clinched India’s first gold medal of the championship with an outstanding performance. She dominated her way to the final, defeating some of the toughest opponents.

After defeating Kazakhstan’s Tynys Dubek (WR 9) 11-0, the World ranking number 10 Indian defeated Korea’s Hanbit Lee by fall, followed by a 5-1 victory over the 2023 Asian Champion Kalmira Bilimbekova 5-1. In a closely fought contest, Manisha edged past DPR Korea’s Ok J. Kim 8-7 to secure India’s first gold medal of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Antim Panghal (53kg), returning to international competition after the 2024 Paris Olympics, secured a bronze medal. She began strongly with a win over China’s Jin Zhang (2024 World Championship silver medallist), 10-6 in the quarterfinals.

However, she faced a tough challenge in the semifinals, losing to Japan’s Moe Kiyooka (World Champion) 10-0. Antim bounced back in the bronze medal bout, securing a dominant 10-0 victory over DPR Korea’s Meng Hsuan Hsieh.

“With the Freestyle Wrestling competition set to begin tomorrow, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) expects more medals and strong performances from the Indian contingent,” read the statement by Sanjay Kumar Singh, WFI President.

India’s Medal Tally So Far:

Gold Medal: 1 (Manisha – 62 kg)

Silver Medal: 1 (Reetika – 76 kg)

Bronze Medals: 4 (Antim- 53kg, Muskan- 59kg, Mansi Lather- 68kg, Sunil Kumar- 87 kg and Nitesh- 97kg)

–IANS

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