HYDERABAD, India: Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 277-3 for the highest-ever Indian Premier League total and went on to beat Mumbai Indians by 31 runs in a six-hitting festival on Wednesday.
Australia’s Travis Head made a 24-ball 62 and Abhishek Sharma, inspired by talking to West Indies legend Brian Lara, smashed 63 after Hyderabad batted first and went past the previous IPL best of 263-5 by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2013.
It rained boundaries in Hyderabad’s innings with 18 sixes and 19 fours as the South African pair of Heinrich Klaasen (80 not out in 34 balls) and Aiden Markram, who hit 42, posted an unbeaten stand of 116.
“Head is one of my favorite batters, I really admire his batting. Had a great time with him,” said Abhishek.
Mumbai replied strongly in the match which witnessed 38 sixes for another IPL record, bettering the 33 hits over the fence clubbed three times in earlier seasons.
“The wicket was good but, no matter how good or bad you bowl, if the opposition get 277 that means they batted very well,” Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya said.
He added: “The bowlers were good. It was tough out there. Close to 500 runs were scored so the wicket was helping the batters.”
Left-handed Tilak Varma stood out with his 64 in 34 balls for Mumbai but the effort was not enough on a batting-friendly pitch in veteran batsman Rohit Sharma’s 200th IPL match.
Rohit smashed a 12-ball 26 and fellow opener Ishan Kishan made 34 to give Mumbai a flying start but the innings lost momentum after 10 overs due to the ever-increasing asking rate.
Tim David smashed an unbeaten 42 in a late charge but the chase was beyond reach as Mumbai ended on 246-5 — the team’s highest IPL total.
It was records galore as the match also featured the highest run aggregate of 523 runs in 17 years of the IPL.
Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins was the best of the bowlers with 2-35 in his four overs of pace, leading his side to their first win of the season and said “it was an amazing game.”
Earlier the left-handed Head, dropped on five by David off Pandya, reached his fifty in 18 balls and after his departure Abhishek reached his half-century off just 16.
The team’s 100 came up in only seven overs and Hyderabad posted the tournament’s highest ever total in the first 10 overs of 148-2.
Abhishek, a left-hand batsman, fell after his 23-ball blitz but there was no respite for the bowlers who were at the receiving end of some punishing batting.
“I had a chance to talk to Brian Lara (West Indies batting great and IPL commentator) last night, that really helped me,” he revealed.
Mumbai’s South African import Kwena Maphaka had a bruising introduction to IPL when the 17-year-old left-arm quick went for 66 runs in his four overs.
Five-time winners Mumbai, who had a change in captaincy after Pandya took over from the experienced Rohit, and Hyderabad started this edition with a loss each.
Hyderabad beat Mumbai after highest-ever IPL total on record-breaking day
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Hyderabad beat Mumbai after highest-ever IPL total on record-breaking day
- It rained boundaries in Hyderabad’s innings with 18 sixes and 19 fours as the South African pair of Heinrich Klaasen (80 not out) and Aiden Markram, who hit 42, posted an unbeaten stand of 116
- Tim David smashed an unbeaten 42 in a late charge but the chase was beyond reach as Mumbai ended on 246-5 — the team’s highest IPL total
Daniil Medvedev latest to crash out of Italian Open after loss to Tommy Paul
- The second-seeded Medvedev has never successfully defended a title and he failed again as he lost to American Tommy Paul
- In the women’s tournament, top-ranked Iga Swiatek reached the final four when she swept aside former finalist Madison
ROME: The curse of the defending champion struck again for Daniil Medvedev.
The second-seeded Medvedev has never successfully defended a title and he failed again on Tuesday as he lost 6-1, 6-4 to American Tommy Paul to become the latest top player to crash out of the Italian Open.
“It’s disappointing, to be honest,” said Medvedev, who has won 20 tour-level titles. “I wanted to do better here. I was not even close. What can I say? The more titles I win, the more chances I have to defend.
“So the more tournaments in a year I’m going to play where I already won, maybe not defend, but at least win twice the same tournament, that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
The opener lasted just 28 minutes as the 14th-seeded Paul broke Medvedev on all three of his service games and then served out the set to love.
“Was a tough one. Mentally I had to be much better,” Medvedev said. “I started to calm myself down and focus on the match only at the end of the match, and it was too late. I had to do better. I was expecting myself to play better.”
Medvedev improved slightly in the second set when he broke immediately but Paul broke straight back and never looked back, securing his spot in the quarterfinals when Medvedev sent a backhand long.
The second-seeded Medvedev followed 10-time champion Rafael Nadal and top-ranked Novak Djokovic with early exits in Rome.
The only other players to have won the men’s tournament at the Foro Italico in the past 19 years are Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev.
The third-seeded Zverev, who won in 2017, eased past Nuno Borges 6-2, 7-5 and will face Taylor Fritz.
Fritz reached the men’s quarterfinals for the first time after recovering from losing a lengthy second-set tiebreaker — during which he let slip match point — to see off Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-7 (11), 6-1.
Alejandro Tabilo backed up his stunning third-round win against Djokovic by edging Karen Khachanov 7-6 (5), 7-6 (10) to reach a Masters quarterfinal for the first time. He will face Zhang Zhizhen, who ousted Thiago Monteiro 7-6 (4), 6-3.
Paul will play Hubert Hurkacz after the seventh seed — who eliminated Nadal in the second round — beat Sebastian Baez 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-4. The other quarterfinal pits Stefanos Tsitsipas against Nicolas Jarry.
In the women’s tournament, top-ranked Iga Swiatek reached the final four when she swept aside former finalist Madison Keys 6-1, 6-3 with the same score she achieved against the American in the Madrid semifinals two weeks ago.
The 16th-ranked Keys grew more frustrated at her inability to convert break points — racking up 10 without converting a single one — and at one point hit her racket against the clay.
Swiatek won the Madrid Open and is attempting to become the first player to win the “dirt double” since Serena Williams and Nadal both did so in 2013.
The two-time champion will next face third-seeded Coco Gauff after the American beat Qinwen Zheng 7-6 (4), 6-1.
Real Madrid present Spanish league trophy to fans and then rout Alaves 5-0
- Coach Carlo Ancelotti used the regular starters again after giving them some rest in a 4-0 win at Granada
- It was the ninth straight league win for Madrid and sixth in their last seven matches in all competitions
MADRID: Real Madrid presented their 36th Spanish league trophy to their fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Tuesday, then followed up the celebrations with a 5-0 rout of Alaves that featured a pair of goals by Vinicius Junior and another by Jude Bellingham.
Federico Valverde and Arda Guler also scored for Madrid, who were yet to play at the Bernabeu since clinching the league two rounds ago. The club celebrated the title on Sunday through the streets of Madrid, but it couldn’t go through its traditional celebration at the Bernabeu because of a concert at the stadium.
They couldn’t celebrate when they clinched the title in advance with a win against Cadiz on May 4 because it had to play Bayern Munich a few days later in the semifinals of the Champions League, a game they won 2-1 to make it to the June 1 final against Borussia Dortmund in London.
“I’m really pleased with the team’s performance, we need to get into a good rhythm. We have a very important game left to crown our season,” Vinicius said. “We always enjoy wearing this shirt and playing for these fans at this stadium. My dream since I was a child was to play here and now we have the opportunity to deliver this victory for many kids who want to be here but can’t.”
Alaves’ players gave Madrid a guard of honor before the match, lining up near the sideline and applauding Madrid players as they entered the field. Madrid captain Nacho Fernandez stepped onto the field carrying the league trophy.
The other 35 league trophies were represented in images placed around the midfield circle.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti used the regular starters again after giving them some rest in a 4-0 win at Granada on Saturday.
Bellingham opened the scoring in the 10th minute, Vinicius scored his first goal in the 27th and Valverde found the net in first-half stoppage time. Vinícius got his second in the 70th and Guler sealed the result in the 81st.
It was the ninth straight league win for Madrid and sixth in their last seven matches in all competitions. They reached 93 points from 36 matches, 17 points more than second-place Barcelona.
Earlier, relegation-threatened Mallorca drew 1-1 at Osasuna, moving to 15th place and staying seven points from the demotion zone.
Girona missed a chance to overcome Barcelona for second place after a 1-0 loss to mid-table Villarreal at home. Girona stayed in third place after the loss, one point from Barcelona and five ahead of fourth-place Atletico Madrid.
Atletico visit mid-table Getafe on Wednesday, while Barcelona are at last-place Almeria on Thursday.
France’s Paret-Peintre claims Giro 10th stage, Pogacar holds lead
- The 23-year-old follows in the footsteps of his elder brother Aurelien, who won a stage on the Giro last year
- Wednesday’s 11th stage takes the peloton 207km from Foiano di Val Fortore to Francavilla al Mare on the Adriatic coast
BOCCA DELLA SELVA, Italy: Valentin Paret-Peintre won the 10th stage of the Giro d’Italia on Tuesday, claiming the honors on the Bocca della Selva summit finish while Tadej Pogacar maintained his overall lead.
Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale rider Paret-Peintre earned on the Italian Grand Tour his first ever professional win, finishing the 142 kilometer stage from Pompei ahead of fellow Frenchman Romain Bardet and Visma rider Jan Tratnik.
The 23-year-old follows in the footsteps of his elder brother Aurelien, who won a stage on the Giro last year and finished fifth on Tuesday, one minute and 25 seconds behind his sibling.
The pair shared a brotherly hug after the stage before the younger Paret-Peintre spoke to media.
“I can’t describe what I feel now, it’s just amazing. I was there to get a good result in the stage and why not win?” he said.
Paret-Peintre finished 29 seconds ahead of Bardet who has jumped up the general classification after gaining nearly three minutes on the day.
Bardet now stands in seventh at 4min 57sec, which is two minutes adrift of Geraint Thomas in third.
Bardet, who is 10 years Paret-Peintre’s senior, is just under five minutes behind pink jersey wearer Pogacar, who had a relatively quiet day and maintained his healthy lead over main rivals Dani Martinez and Thomas.
“I watched him [Bardet] when I was young, when he finished on the podium of the Tour de France,” added Paret-Peintre.
“I dreamed of seeing him one day, and today I battled with him and I beat him.”
Paret-Peintre won the stage after being part of the day’s big breakaway which at its height was some 30 riders strong.
He worked with Bardet on the final climb before attacking 3km from the finish to blaze past Visma-Lease a Bike rider Tratnik, who had tried to go it alone some time before but run out of legs just as the race came to its climax.
“I think 4km to go, 3km to go, I started to feel a bit of weakness in my legs,” said Tratnik.
“I look behind and they pass me with double speed and then for me it was just a battle to the finish line. In the end, third place we can be happy.”
Wednesday’s 11th stage takes the peloton 207km from Foiano di Val Fortore to Francavilla al Mare on the Adriatic coast, where the sprinters should have a chance to shine.
Babar and Rizwan lead Pakistan smash-and-grab T20 series win over Ireland
- The Pakistani captain calls the match ‘good practice’ ahead of the T20 World Cup next month
- Shaheen Shah Afridi finished with 3-14 off four overs while Mohammad Amir contributed 1-32
DUBLIN: Pakistan blew away Ireland by six wickets and won its Twenty20 series 2-1 on Tuesday.
The Pakistanis chased down 193 with 3.1 overs to spare on Sunday to level the series and had no problems overhauling Ireland’s 178 on Tuesday with three overs remaining.
Captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan crushed the home bowling in a second-wicket stand of 139 runs.
Babar lashed 75 off 42 balls and Rizwan clobbered 56 off 38. They were out in consecutive overs on the verge of victory.
Successive sixes by Azam Khan wrapped it up 181-4 to 178-7.
“Big tournament coming up and this is good practice,” Babar said with the T20 World Cup next month.
Rizwan hardly saw the strike in the first three overs but once he lost his opening partner Saim Ayub, he opened up. Rizwan hit three sixes and four boundaries.
Babar struck four sixes in one Ben White over — the 14th — and finished with five maximums and six boundaries.
His 39th fifty-plus score broke Virat Kohli’s record in T20s.
Ireland were looking good for eclipsing its Sunday total halfway through its innings.
Captain Lorcan Tucker and opener Andy Balbirnie blazed 85 runs for the second wicket. Balbirnie made 35.
Tucker hit 73 off 41 with 13 boundaries but when he was caught at deep extra cover, Ireland folded in the face of outstanding death bowling.
Shaheen Shah Afridi finished with 3-14 off four overs, Mohammad Amir contributed 1-32 and Imad Wasim was an economical 1-23.
Pakistan move to England for a four-match T20 series starting on Tuesday.
‘Long live Saudi Arabia!’: Tyson Fury’s father hails Kingdom, promises sons will only fight in KSA
- John Fury: Only Saudi Arabia could have set up Tyson-Usyk fight
- Tells Arab News he expects a good fight from the veterans on Saturday
RIYADH: The father of British boxing champion Tyson Fury has promised his sons will only fight in Saudi Arabia going forward as he hailed the hospitality of the people of the Kingdom, and even said he wants to be like them.
“Tyson Fury and the Fury family will only fight again in Saudi Arabia,” John Fury said. “This is where our heart is, we love it, the people love us”.
“Long live Saudi Arabia!” he said lifting his hands to the sky, during a passionate press conference in Boulevard City in Riyadh.
Tyson Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight world title on Saturday at Kingdom Arena.
“I can’t express how much I enjoy this country and the people,” he said. “And I just want to be like them…because the worst man in Saudi Arabia is better than John Fury”.
“The Brits are traitors, aren’t they?’ Fury said, without elaborating on who he was referring to, and accused them of committing treason against ‘their King,’ a reference to Tyson’s nickname ‘Gypsy King’.
“Forget Great Britain, our heart, look here, beating in my body, is in Saudi Arabia because we get treated like proper people, how we deserve to be treated.”
He went on to say that Britain had never made him “feel well” and because “they could not get behind the champion,” they stand to miss out.
Saudi Arabia has become a hub for premier world boxing contests over the past few years with authorities investing heavily to bring the biggest bouts to local and international audiences.
Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh, the head of the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, has spearheaded this boxing revival.
Fury snr. had high praise for the authority’s chief, “he has done the best job in the world,” he said, adding that only Saudi Arabia could have set up the Tyson-Usyk fight.
“Nobody could ever have put this fight on except Turki Alalshikh and the great Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Previous bouts in the country have garnered the attention of fans globally and has marked the Kingdom as a new home of international boxing.
In March, British heavyweight Anthony Joshua knocked out Francis Ngannou in the second round.
Another member of the Fury family, Tommy, beat YouTuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul on points in a contest in Diriyah last year.
In 2022, Usyk successfully defended his belts in a rematch against Joshua in Jeddah on points, with the Londoner failing to win back his titles against the Ukrainian.
In 2019, Joshua defeated Andy Ruiz Jr. in a revenge match at Diriyah Arena in Riyadh after the American surprised the Brit with a defeat in New York.
George Groves was knocked out by Callum Smith in the seventh round in an all-British grudge match in Jeddah in 2018.
Tyson-Usyk was delayed in February after a freak cut to Tyson during sparring, but both spectators and organizers are glad that the boxing spectacle is set for this weekend.
Fury snr. told Arab News that both fighters are at the top of their game and are veterans of the sport.
“It’ll be a good fight”.
