Sport
IPL: Russell propels KKR to a thrilling 4-run win
Punjab Kings started off TATA IPL 2024 on a winning note as they edged Delhi Capitals by four wickets in Match 2 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur on Saturday.
This was the first of two matches played Saturday.
The second match of the day, saw Kolkata Knight Riders edge Sunrisers Hyderabad in a thrilling four-run win.
Heinrich Klaasen of Sunrisers Hyderabad very nearly stole victory away from Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Saturday, but the 22-year-old Harshit Rana successfully defended 12 off the final over to take KKR over the line in a last-ball thriller.
With momentum on their side, Sunrisers had a dream start to the 20th over when Klaasen pulled Harshit for six over square leg. But the seamer followed it up with two singles, two wickets and one dot in the next five balls to seal the deal, ESPNcricinfo reported.
Earlier, it was Sunil Narine’s 1 for 19 in four overs on a batting-friendly surface – the spell included zero boundaries – which kept Sunrisers quiet through the middle overs.
His economy of 4.75 was a complete outlier on a surface where bowlers, whether experienced or not, went for a lot.
KKR also had Andre Russell, Phil Salt and Ramandeep Singh to thank for their first-innings score of 208. From 51 for 4, the hosts rebuilt courtesy Salt’s 40-ball 54 on KKR debut and a 17-ball 35 from Ramandeep.
Russell put the finishing touches to the KKR innings by smacking seven sixes in his 25-ball, unbeaten 64.
Meanwhile, the early match of the day saw Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone spoiling Rishabh Pant’s comeback as Punjab Kings started their IPL 2024 campaign with a four-wicket win at their new home ground in Mullanpur.
After being sent in, Delhi Capitals were 137 for 7 in the 18th over when they decided to bring in Abishek Porel as the Impact Player. Porel smashed 32 off just ten balls to lift them to 174 for 9.
But that also meant Capitals were going to be a bowler light during the chase. Ishant Sharma’s injury – he hurt his ankle after bowling just two overs – set them back further.
Playing his first competitive game in 15 months, after a road accident, the Mullanpur crowd welcomed Pant with a standing ovation. Despite looking a bit rusty, he was given a life on 4 when Harshal lost the ball in the sun at deep midwicket and ended up gifting a four.
As if to rub it in, Pant then drove Harshal for his second boundary. Two balls later, though, Harshal bowled a slower bouncer; Pant failed to spot it and ended up popping it to backward point. His first outing with bat on comeback ended on 18 off 13 balls.
How to watch
This year’s IPL is now well underway and thanks to Ariana Television Network (ATN), fans across the country need not miss a game as all matches will be broadcast live on Ariana Television and streamed live on www.arianatelevision.com.
Once again, two matches will be played Sunday, March 24.
The first of the day, Match 4, starts at 2.3pm Kabul time when Rajasthan Royals take on Lucknow Super Giants.
The second match of the day, Match 5, starts at 6.30pm when Mumbai Indians come up against Gujarat Titans.
Make sure to watch this space for schedule updates and news on the event.
FIFA has approved the creation of an Afghanistan women’s refugee team that will compete in matches overseen by the world governing body.
According to FIFA, the team — composed of female players of Afghan nationality who obtained refugee status abroad — would first operate under a one-year pilot phase, which will help the organization determine the long-term viability of the program, Reuters reported.
The FIFA Council must approve the team’s establishment. Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, called the approval a “landmark” moment, adding that “FIFA is committed to giving every girl the possibility to play football.”
FIFA regulations require teams to receive recognition by a national federation in order to compete. The Afghan Football Federation, however, has not acknowledged its women’s teams, in fact banning all women’s sports across the country.
Afghanistan has not had a women’s side compete in an official match since 2018.
India’s cricket board has suspended the money-spinning Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 tournament amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, Reuters reported on Friday.
Thursday’s IPL match was abandoned midway after fighting began in India’s border regions, but the cricket board attributed the disruption to a power failure at the stadium in the hill city of Dharamsala.
The world’s richest cricket tournament began its current season on March 22, and the final fixture was scheduled to be played on May 25, with matches being spread over 13 venues across the country.
The nuclear-armed neighbours have been locked in conflict since Wednesday, when India targeted multiple locations in Pakistan, claiming they were “terrorist infrastructure” in response to a deadly attack in Kashmir last month.
New Delhi named two Pakistani nationals as suspects and accused Islamabad of being involved in the attack, a charge Pakistan denied and sought an independent probe.
India’s army said Pakistan’s armed forces carried out “multiple attacks” using drones and other munitions across the entire western border on Thursday night and early Friday, a claim Pakistan denied.
Thursday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings was called off mid-way through due to security reasons.
This was after the floodlights at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala were switched off and spectators asked to evacuate the stadium.
According to IANS, Arun Dhumal, IPL Chairman, said that the decision was taken as a precautionary measure, based on the red alert issued in Jammu.
Indian media reported the match was called off following air raid alerts in nearby areas, which forced a blackout in the hill town.
The Punjab side was 122 for 1 in 10.1 overs when the lights went out which at first was attributed to floodlight failure. But later the teams and the spectators were evacuated from the stadium for their security.
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