KOLKATA: Jos Buttler smashed an unbeaten 107 to trump Sunil Narine’s first T20 century as Rajasthan Royals pulled off a joint record IPL chase against Kolkata Knight Riders off the final ball on Tuesday.
Chasing 224 for victory, Rajasthan looked in trouble at 121-6 in the 13th over but Buttler moved through the gears in his 60-ball blitz to achieve the target with two wickets to spare at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.
Rajasthan equalled their own record from 2020 when they chased down 224 against Kings XI Punjab in Sharjah.
Buttler, who came in as an impact substitute, reached his second ton of the season in 55 balls with a six off Varun Chakravarthy at the start of the last over.
Buttler, struggling with cramp, then played out three dot balls before a two and a single on the final delivery ensured Rajasthan held on to top spot in the table with six wins in seven matches.
England’s Buttler, who hit nine fours and six sixes, moved ahead of Chris Gayle with seven IPL tons and is only behind Virat Kohli’s eight in the T20 tournament.
Buttler built key partnerships including 50 runs with Riyan Parag (34), 57 with Rovman Powell (26) and then an unbeaten 38-run stand with Avesh Khan (0 not out).
Spinners Narine, Chakravarthy and fast bowler Harshit Rana took two wickets each for KKR.
Narine hammered 109 off 56 balls to guide Kolkata, who stay second in the 10-team standings, to 223-6.
Narine put on 85 runs for the second wicket with Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who hit 30, and got together for a 51-run stand with Andre Russell.
Narine, playing his 504th T20 match, reached his ton from 49 balls with a six and a four off Yuzvendra Chahal for Kolkata’s third hundred in the IPL as he jumped for joy.
He was finally bowled by a Trent Boult yorker before he returned to a standing ovation.
Narine moved into the top three in the batting charts led by Royal Challengers Benguluru’s Kohli (361) with 276 runs.
Rinku Singh finished off the innings on a high with his unbeaten nine-ball 20 including a four and two sixes.
Buttler ton powers Rajasthan to record IPL chase of 224
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Buttler ton powers Rajasthan to record IPL chase of 224
- Chasing 224 for victory, Rajasthan looked in trouble at 121-6 in the 13th over but Buttler moved through the gears in his 60-ball blitz to achieve the target
- Narine hammered 109 off 56 balls to guide Kolkata, who stay second in the 10-team standings, to 223-6
Gauff inspires Team USA to United Cup triumph
- Gauff opened with a statement 6-4, 6-4 win over Swiatek in 1hr 51min of hard-hitting tennis to fire a warning shot ahead of the Australian Open
SYDNEY: Coco Gauff roared past Iga Swiatek to inspire Team USA on Sunday before Taylor Fritz sealed the United Cup title with victory over Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in Sydney.
Gauff opened with a statement 6-4, 6-4 win over Swiatek in 1hr 51min of hard-hitting tennis to fire a warning shot ahead of the Australian Open.
Big-serving Fritz then battled through against Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7/4) to spark wild celebrations as the Americans won the mixed-teams cup for the second time in three years after winning the inaugural event in 2023.
For Poland it meant falling at the final hurdle again after losing to Germany 12 months ago.
Gauff set the ball rolling with a second victory in a row over Swiatek after beating the former world No. 1 at the WTA Finals in Riyadh on her way to the title.
Gauff had won all six of her previous singles and doubles matches this week and continued her streak when Swiatek double-faulted on match point at 4-5, 30-40 in the second set. “I have the belief that I am one of the best players in the world, and when I play good tennis, it’s hard for me to be beaten,” said Gauff, who won the award as player of the tournament.
The 20-year-old will go into the first Grand Slam of the year next Sunday unbeaten in singles since losing to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Wuhan semifinals in October, and brimming with confidence. “Today I think I played great tennis, and I’m happy to get a point,” she said. “It was tough today. I’m not gonna lie.”
Gauff’s victory left the US one win away from lifting the title for the second time, and Fritz delivered after edging a third-set tiebreak to seal a tense encounter.
“It’s been a great week,” said Fritz. “They’re an incredibly tough team and the margins are very small,” he added after a serve-dominated match that featured 30 aces and just three break points.
“I feel like it could have always gone either way. Just want to say thanks to my whole team.”
Earlier, Swiatek took a medical timeout at 5-4 down in the second set to have strapping put on her niggling left thigh which has bothered her all week in Sydney.
After losing to Gauff, Swiatek left the court in tears, walking gingerly, but returned laughing and joking during the trophy presentations.
Red-hot Gauff, who did not drop a set in five singles matches, goes into the Australian Open as world number three.
She enjoyed United Cup singles wins over Leylah Fernandez, Donna Vekic, Zhang Shuai, Karolina Muchova and Swiatek.
Fritz, who is at career-best number four in the rankings, dropped his opening United Cup match to Felix Auger-Aliassime but then won four straight.
Dakar Rally defending champ Sainz flips in the dunes and is an hour behind
Local driver Yazeed Al Rajhi led the race at the mandatory evening rest stop north of Bisha on the nearly 1,000-kilometer second stage, which started early Sunday and finishes late Monday.
But his lead was only 79 seconds over five-time champion Nasser Al-Attiyah.
Sainz was within five minutes of the leaders after more than 200 kilometers, but his Ford Raptor turned upside down in the dunes at 327 kilometers. Teammate Mitch Guthrie helped Sainz right the car after 20 minutes but broken rear parts were left behind and Sainz limped to the rest area at 620 kilometers, more than 59 minutes behind.
Another title contender who suffered was Sebastien Loeb, who won this stage last year. The Frenchman broke down with fan issues at 409 kilometers and arrived more than 32 minutes back.
Al-Attiyah led Al Rajhi by four minutes in the early going but Al Rajhi turned the tables about 350 kilometers in and held on.
Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom was running third, nine minutes back. He was the only driver within 10 minutes of Al Rajhi.
First stage winner Seth Quintero was 48 minutes back.
Australian rider Daniel Sanders continued to set the pace in the motorbike class, even after starting at the back from winning the first stage.
Racing a different course to the cars, Sanders was only 40 seconds ahead of American titleholder Ricky Brabec.
Ross Branch, second last year, lost some time but was still third.
The 48-hour chrono stage was introduced last year, sending racers into the desert overnight with minimal team help. What organizers call “the quintessential rally-raid experience” was the stage in which Al Rajhi’s car somersaulted and he was forced to abandon the 2024 race.
The stage resumes at dawn on Monday.
Manchester United hold Liverpool in Premier League thriller to end losing streak
Liverpool move six points clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand to come, over second-placed Arsenal.
But this was an opportunity lost for Arne Slot’s men after they came from behind to lead 2-1 through Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah’s penalty.
United broke their six-year goal drought at Anfield to open the scoring in spectacular fashion through Lisandro Martinez and got the point a much-improved performance deserved when Amad Diallo levelled on 80 minutes.
A point edges the Red Devils up to 13th in the table and seven clear of the relegation zone.
Liverpool boss Slot warned that United were “much better” than their shocking league position suggested ahead of the game and so it proved.
United had been carved open at will by Newcastle in a dismal 2-0 defeat on Monday that left manager Ruben Amorim declaring they were in a relegation battle.
Amorim’s hand was strengthened by the return of captain Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte from suspension, while Kobbie Mainoo also returned to the starting line-up.
The Portuguese’s plan to frustrate Liverpool worked but the home side did have the chances early on to make the breakthrough.
Gakpo prodded past the far post from Ryan Gravenberch’s through ball.
Moments later Salah picked out Alexis Mac Allister with a sumptuous pass that the Argentine caught flush and forced Andre Onana into a fine save with his feet.
United took time to begin to impose themselves as an attacking threat but should have been in front before the break.
Diallo miscued his header with the goal gaping from Diogo Dalot’s cross.
Rasmus Hojlund then had the best chance of the first half when he raced in behind the Liverpool defense but could not beat Alisson Becker.
However, confidence was suddenly coursing back into United players who have looked bereft in recent weeks.
The visitors’ breakthrough came from an unlikely source as Martinez showed his strikers how to finish with a blistering hit in off the underside of the bar for just his second goal for the club.
The Anfield crowd were beginning to get restless as the league leaders were briefly at sixes and sevens.
However, Liverpool’s position at the top of the table owes much to the depth of firepower they possess.
Even on a quiet day for Salah, they had an in-form forward to come up with the moment of magic required to turn the game.
Gakpo turned inside his Dutch international colleague Matthijs de Ligt and blasted high past Onana for his 10th goal in 15 games on the hour mark.
Despite the equalizer Slot immediately made two offensive changes, as Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez were introduced, and got his reward.
MacAllister’s header flicked off De Ligt’s outstretched arm inside the penalty area and a VAR review resulted in the awarding of a spot-kick.
Salah smashed low and hard beyond Onana for his 18th Premier League goal in 19 games.
However, United’s spirited display got the point it merited to halt an alarming losing streak for Amorim so early in his reign.
Alejandro Garnacho’s attitude has been questioned by his new boss but the Argentine came off the bench to make the equalizer as his low cross was turned in by Diallo.
And it should have been even better for United when Harry Maguire spooned Joshua Zirkzee’s pass over the bar with the goal gaping deep into stoppage time.
Inter Milan eye historic Italian Super Cup triumph in Riyadh showdown with rivals AC Milan
- Both sides aiming to secure early-season silverware
RIYADH: Inter Milan and AC Milan meet on Monday in the Italian Super Cup final at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, with both sides aiming to secure early-season silverware in what promises to be a competitive Milan derby.
Inter head into the match looking to extend their recent dominance in the competition, having won the past three Super Cups, including two in Riyadh.
Victory would see them claim a record fourth consecutive title. AC Milan, however, are seeking to end their own trophy drought and derail Inter’s impressive run.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Sunday, Inter captain Lautaro Martinez highlighted the significance of playing in Saudi Arabia, where he scored in both of his team’s previous Super Cup finals in Riyadh.
He said: “For us, playing here has been important in the past finals because we won the trophy and because I scored.
“This is a derby and a final, and we all know how important it is. The goal is to win and bring the trophy home.”
Inter secured their place in the final with a 2-0 victory over Atalanta on Thursday, thanks to two goals from Denzel Dumfries.
Manager Simone Inzaghi, who has overseen all of Inter’s recent Super Cup wins, acknowledged the challenge of competing in a derby final.
He said: “It would be very special to win the Super Cup for the fourth time with Inter.
“We face a strong opponent with the same hunger to win. We need to stay focused and deliver a strong performance.”
AC Milan earned their spot in the final by defeating Juventus 2-1 in their semifinal. New manager Sergio Conceicao, who took charge only last week, faces a significant test in his second match with the club.
He said: “The match will be difficult, but we have to focus on ourselves.
“My goal is to prepare the team as best as possible and ensure we approach the game with ambition and hunger to win.”
Conceicao’s plans could hinge on the fitness of key forward Rafael Leao, who is being assessed after missing the semifinal.
Midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, who joined the club in the summer, is eager to seize the opportunity to win his first trophy.
He said: “It’s a great chance for us as a group to win something. We have to play with confidence and take this opportunity.”
Monday’s match marks the fifth time the Italian Super Cup has been staged in Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh hosting for the fourth time.
Inter’s previous successes in Riyadh have given them an edge in the tournament, but AC will be determined to change the narrative and claim their first Super Cup since 2016.
5 things we learned from 26th Gulf Cup in Kuwait
- Bahrain are an emerging force, but Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar will hope to move on from disappointing campaigns when World Cup qualification returns
LONDON: The 26th Arabian Gulf Cup ended on Saturday with Bahrain coming from behind to defeat Oman 2-1 in the final in Kuwait City. Here are five takeaways from the latest edition of the biennial tournament.
More questions than answers for Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s semi-final exit after a 2-1 loss to Oman ended a disappointing 10 days or so. The positives were that the team managed to score in all four games, which will be welcome after four World Cup qualifiers without a goal in October and November.
But Herve Renard’s men were deservedly beaten by Bahrain, needed a last-minute goal to defeat Yemen in a game they could easily have lost and, a good spell against Iraq apart, struggled to find rhythm and fluency. At least they made it to the semi-finals but then losing to Oman, who played with 10 men for two-thirds of the game, was a poor way to end the competition.
The coach may now know more about what his team needs but does not look any closer to finding the solutions, especially when star Salem Al-Dawsari does not provide them. Renard, less than three months back in the job, starts 2025 under more pressure with a team that is low on confidence and looking leaky at the back.
Bahrain, an emerging force
The Reds had a good 2024 and 2025 has started perfectly. As Croatian coach Dragan Talajic comes up to his first anniversary in Manama, he has helped to fashion a tough-to-beat Bahrain that have real team spirit, work hard and are growing in confidence going forward. They deserved to win their group and then dug deep in the knockout stage. Mohamed Marhoon sums it all up. The midfielder scored the only goal against Kuwait in the last-four clash and then in the final against Oman, his energy, skill and willingness to run at defenders created both goals and delivered the trophy.
There is a resilience about this Bahrain team and the champions can look forward to 2025 with confidence and even dreams of a first World Cup appearance.
No new-coach bounce for Qatar, UAE inconsistent
Go back a year and Qatar were just about to start a successful, and slightly surprising, defence of the Asian Cup. As they lifted the trophy and celebrated, it was assumed that the Maroons were going to qualify for the World Cup for the first time. But a poor start to the third round cost “Tintin” Marquez his job in December and he was replaced by fellow Spaniard Luis Garcia. There was no new-coach bounce however as Qatar ended up bottom of Group A without a win. Garcia and his men will look back at missed chances proving costly.
Although the UAE had exactly the same record, goals scored and conceded, coach Paulo Bento will be a little happier. There were some new faces who made the trip to Kuwait but the Portuguese boss needs to get to grips with the team’s inconsistency.
Iraq the biggest losers
The holders made the short trip to Kuwait in decent form. They were the only one of the seven teams involved in World Cup qualification to be sitting in the automatic spots in their group. A win at the Gulf Cup would really have put a spring in their step. Yet, it all went wrong and coach Jesus Casas, linked with the vacant South Korea job in the summer, is under pressure.
The Spanish boss talked of having the chance to look at some young players but there were few positives. Star striker Aymen Hussein scored to give a hard-fought win over Yemen in the opening game. It was not great but a potential platform to challenge for the trophy. It didn’t happen. There was a 2-0 loss to Bahrain when the Lions of Mesopotamia were outfought and outthought by the eventual winners. It was followed by a 3-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia. The usually strong backline looked flimsy, which is a problem when there is a lack of creativity going forward.
Bigger challenges await
Even when the celebrations die down in Manama, fans, players and media in Bahrain would swap it all for a place at the 2026 World Cup. Seven of the eight teams had an eye or more on the resumption of qualification in March and with four of the 10 games remaining in the third round, this really is a crucial time.
For the likes of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iraq, their disappointing results will quickly be forgotten if they hit the ground running in the coming months and get the wins to take them to North America. If so, they will point out that the Gulf Cup counted as vital preparation that was more important than results. Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait will be looking to build on their positive performances and results to make strides towards North America.
It remains to be seen what the legacy of this tournament turns out to be.
