BENGALURU: Skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru hammer Gujarat Titans by four wickets for their third successive IPL win on Saturday.
Chasing a modest 148 for victory, Du Plessis, who hit 64, and Kohli, who made 42, laid the foundations with a stand of 92 in 35 balls as the target was achieved with 6.2 overs to spare at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Du Plessis’ departure triggered a collapse as Gujarat hit back with wickets from Joshua Little and Noor Ahmad to have the opposition in trouble at 117-6 when Kohli was dismissed.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, who hit 21, and Swapnil Singh, who made 15, made sure there was no more drama as they steered the team home in an unbeaten stand of 35.
“It was important we didn’t look at the scoreboard when we went out to bat and try and play the way we play,” said Du Plessis.
“It was a bit nerve-wracking, another wicket, another wicket. Probably not the best but you’re trying to be positive, get your net run-rate up.”
Bowlers set up victory after pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj removed the openers including skipper Shubman Gill early and Gujarat lost regular wickets to be bowled out for 147 in 19.3 overs.
Siraj returned figures of 2-29 to be named man of the match but the pace bowler said he nearly missed the game after being “sick since last night.”
It was Bengaluru’s fourth win and third on the bounce in 11 matches as they jumped from the bottom of the table to seventh and keep their slim play-off hopes alive.
Gujarat’s hopes are also hanging by a thread as they slumped to their seventh loss in 11 matches.
“Very important to start from zero in our next match and move on from this game,” Gill said. “Learn from mistakes and not repeat them. All about winning from here on.”
Kohli, who reclaimed the top batting spot with 542 runs, came out roaring as he hit Mohit Sharma for two sixes in the opening over of the chase and Du Plessis soon joined in and moved ahead to raise his fifty in 18 balls.
The South African veteran smashed 10 fours and three sixes in his 23-ball blitz before being dismissed by Ireland left-arm quick Little.
Little took two more wickets including Glenn Maxwell for four as Bengaluru slipped to 107-4.
Little sent back Cameron Green and then Noor’s left-arm wrist spin silenced the home crowd when he had Kohli caught behind, but the hosts had the last laugh when Singh hit the winning six.
Earlier put into bat, Gujarat went three down for 19 inside six over before big-hitter Shahrukh Khan, who top-scored with 37, stood strong in a 61-run stand with David Miller, who hit 30 off 20 balls.
Left-handed Rahul Tewatia hit a 21-ball 35 and put on another key stand with Rashid Khan to add respect to the total.
Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli help Bengaluru stay in IPL play-off race
https://arab.news/yjxxr
Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli help Bengaluru stay in IPL play-off race
Pakistan announces probable players for AFC Asian Cup qualifying match against Syria
- Pakistan have been placed in Group E alongside Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar in the Asian Cup qualifiers
- Stephen Constantine has been reappointed as Pakistan head coach for the match against Syria on March 25
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) on Tuesday announced the list of probable players for the forthcoming AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers away match against Syria.
The development came a day after the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) lifted its international suspension against the South Asian country.
FIFA hit Pakistan on Feb. 6 with a third international suspension in less than eight years after the federation rejected its electoral reforms. Following the suspension, the PFF unanimously approved FIFA’s proposed constitutional amendments in an extraordinary meeting in Lahore last Thursday.
The lifting of the suspension will enable Pakistan to take part in the AFC Asian Cup. The green shirts will kick off their AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying campaign with an away match against Syria.
“The [Pakistan-Syria] match will be played on March 25, 2025 in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia,” the PFF said in a statement.
Stephen Constantine, who previously served as the Pakistan head coach from late 2023 until mid-2024, has been reappointed as head coach for the match against Syria, according to the PFF.
The AFC Asian Cup qualifiers will be played on a home-and-away basis, with Pakistan placed in Group E alongside Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar.
PAKISTAN PROBABLES
Goal-Keepers: Yousuf Butt, Saqib Hanif, Abdul Basit and Adam Khan
Defenders: Abdullah Iqbal, Easah Suliman, Haseeb Khan, Junaid Shah, Mamoon Moosa, Mohammad Fazal, Abdul Rehman and Waqar Ihtisam
Midfielders: Alamgir Ghazi, Ali Uzair, Ali Zafar, Muhammad Umar Hayat, Rahis Nabi, Toqeer ul Hassan, Umair Ali and Moin Ahmed
Forwards: Fareedullah, Harun Hamid, Imran Kayani, Mckeal Abdullah, Abdul Samad, Shayak Dost and Muhammad Adeel Younas
Over 400 athletes set for Ramadan jiu-jitsu tournament in Dubai
- NAS Sports Jiu-Jitsu Tournament 2025 will take place March 5-6 at Nad Al-Sheba Sports Complex
- Yousef Abdullah Al-Batran: The NAS Sports Tournament continues to solidify its position as a leading platform for supporting and developing jiu-jitsu
ABU DHABI: The NAS Sports Jiu-Jitsu Tournament 2025, as part of the 12th edition of the NAS Sports Tournament, is set to take place March 5-6 at Nad Al-Sheba Sports Complex in Dubai.
Organized by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, in cooperation with Dubai Sports Council, the NAS Sports Tournament has become fixture in the Ramadan sports calendar in the UAE.
The event is one of the country’s largest multi-sport events held during the holy month, featuring 11 disciplines and drawing top athletes across different age groups. This year’s jiu-jitsu competition will see over 400 men and women competing, highlighting the sport’s growing popularity in the Emirates.
Taking to the mats will be athletes from leading clubs and academies, with competitors across three divisions: teens (14–15 years), youth (16–17 years), and adults (18+).
The action kicks off on Wednesday with the teen and youth divisions, followed by the adult category the following day.
Yousef Abdullah Al-Batran, board member of the UAEJJF, said: “The NAS Sports Tournament continues to solidify its position as a leading platform for supporting and developing jiu-jitsu by attracting athletes from various clubs and academies to compete in a distinguished competitive environment. The strong turnout for this year’s competition reflects the sport’s increasing popularity within the community, and we expect this year’s edition to be strong in every aspect.”
Smith, Carey help Australia to 264 against India in Champions Trophy semifinal in Dubai
- Smith hit 73 and the left-handed Carey smashed 61 to put on the highest total at the Dubai Cricket Stadium
- India pace spearhead Mohammed Shami stood out with figures of 3-48 as Australia’s innings lasted 49.3 overs
DUBAI: Skipper Steve Smith and Alex Carey hit half-centuries as Australia made 264 all out against India in the first semifinal of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Tuesday.
After choosing to bat, Smith hit 73 and the left-handed Carey smashed 61 to put on the highest total at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in the ongoing 50-over tournament.
India pace spearhead Mohammed Shami stood out with figures of 3-48 as Australia’s innings lasted 49.3 overs. Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets each.
India’s new-ball bowlers tested the Australian openers with a disciplined line and consistently beat the bat before Cooper Connolly finally edged one to wicketkeeper KL Rahul off Shami.
The decision was denied by the on-field umpire but successfully reviewed by India and the left-handed Connolly, a replacement for injured Matthew Short, trudged back to the pavilion for a nine-ball duck.
The left-handed Travis Head hit back with a flurry of fours and two sixes to raise memories of his onslaught against India in the 2023 World Cup final won by Australia.
But wrist spinner Chakravarthy struck on his second ball to get Head caught out at long-off for 39 off 33 balls as India celebrated a big wicket, leaving Australia 54-2.
Smith and Marnus Labuschagne got to the grind and chipped away against the spinners. Labuschagne finally got a boundary after 50 balls.
He brought up 100 for Australia with a six off Axar Patel, prompting India skipper Rohit Sharma to change him next over with Shami.
Shami nearly got a quick breakthrough but failed to hang on to a return catch by Smith on 36.
Jadeja trapped Labuschagne lbw for 29 with his left-arm spin to end the 56-run stand.
Smith reached his 35th ODI half-century but Jadeja got another wicket when Josh Inglis gave away a catch to covers.
Smith stood firm and put on another solid stand of 54 with wicketkeeper Carey as the two found gaps and hit regular boundaries.
Shami finally had Smith bowled on a full toss and soon after Patel rattled the stumps of Glenn Maxwell after being hit for six as Australia lost their way.
Carey reached his fifty and with fellow left-hander Ben Dwarshuis, who hit 19, kept up the charge until Chakravarthy sent back Dwarshuis.
Carey was finally run out after a direct throw from Shreyas Iyer but the total went past the previous best at the venue at this tournament — when India made 249 in beating New Zealand in the last group match.
India have won all three of their games and are playing in Dubai after they refused to tour Champions Trophy hosts Pakistan for political reasons.
The match is the first ODI between India and Australia since the World Cup final.
The winner faces South Africa or New Zealand in Sunday’s final of the eight-nation 50-over tournament.
Gilgeous-Alexander strikes again for rumbling Thunder
- A contender for the league’s Most Valuable Player award this year, Gilgeous-Alexander shot 18 of 30 from the field including 5-of-9 on three-point attempts
- Stephen Curry returned to his hometown Charlotte and led the Golden State Warriors to a 119-101 win over the Hornets
MIAMI: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up his fourth 50-point game of the season as Western Conference leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder marched on with a 137-128 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.
NBA leading scorer Gilgeous-Alexander had 51 points with seven assists, making all 10 of his free throws as the Thunder moved to 50-11 on the season.
He made a dominant start to the game, making 20 of the Thunder’s 30 first-quarter points.
A contender for the league’s Most Valuable Player award this year, Gilgeous-Alexander shot 18 of 30 from the field including 5-of-9 on three-point attempts.
The Thunder didn’t have it all their own way however with Houston leading by nine in the second quarter before Oklahoma City went in a point up at the break.
The Thunder took control in the third quarter, breaking out to a 102-89 lead before the final quarter, when Houston battled back again to get within six.
But consecutive three-pointers from Luguentz Dort late in the fourth made sure of the 27th home win (against four losses) for the Thunder.
“It’s about us just being who we are and we didn’t have enough of it tonight, up to our standard, but we did enough to get the ‘W’,” said Gilgeous-Alexander.
“I’m just trying to be aggressive, trying to get my team energy, trying to make the right play. Whatever the ball and the game tells me to do, I do,” the Canadian added.
Cam Whitmore top-scored for Houston with 27 points and 11 rebounds while Reed Sheppard put up 25 points for the 37-24 Rockets.
The Memphis Grizzlies, now fourth in the West, continued their recent struggles, losing their sixth game in eight with a 132-130 defeat at home to the Atlanta Hawks.
The game went down to the wire with Caris LeVert making a last-second layup to secure the victory for the 28-33 Hawks. LeVert was crucial to the win with 16 points in the last quarter.
Zaccharie Risacher top-scored for Atlanta with 27 points while LeVert had 25 off the bench.
Desmond Bane had his first triple-double for the Grizzlies with 35 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said he had no doubt that his team would end their run of poor form and bounce back from the loss.
“We’ve done it every season that I’ve been here. I told the team afterwards that resilience is the best thing we have,” he said.
“There are injuries, there are obviously deficiencies on the defensive side. We just have to rally, stay together, our group is going to respond and we have to play at the level that we are capable of.”
Stephen Curry returned to his hometown Charlotte and led the Golden State Warriors to a 119-101 win over the Hornets. He had 21 points and 10 assists.
Miles Bridges led Charlotte with 35 points and nine rebounds but the Hornets fell to their seventh straight loss.
“We had some lows for sure,” said Curry of the Warriors’ performance, “We were convincing enough for stretches where we could get some stops but we can play better, for sure,” he added.
The Dallas Mavericks lost star guard Kyrie Irving to a left knee sprain in the first quarter as they fell to a 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
The Mavericks, still reeling from the trade which saw them lose Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, have lost four of their last five games while the Kings have won four straight.
Irving suffered the injury driving to the basket and was carried off court --- he is the fourth Mavs starter now sidelined by injury. Jaden Hardy then turned his ankle in the third quarter and had to leave the game.
“It just seems every time we get close to get someone back, someone else goes down, we are running out of bodies here,” said Mavs head coach Jason Kidd.
Zach LaVine scored 22 points and DeMar DeRozan scored 20 for the Kings (32-28).
The Detroit Pistons continued their playoff push in the East with a 134-106 win over the Utah Jazz, with Cade Cunningham leading with 29 points and nine assists.
Paris return ‘too soon’ for Liverpool fans traumatized by 2022 Champions League final
- Liverpool’s return to Paris for the first time since the 2022 Champions League final comes too soon for many supporters still scarred by the traumatic events that marred European football’s showpiece
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s return to Paris for the first time since the 2022 Champions League final comes too soon for many supporters still scarred by the traumatic events that marred European football’s showpiece event.
The Premier League leaders take on Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of what should be a mouthwatering last 16 tie on Wednesday.
However, only 2,000 Liverpool fans are expected at the Parc des Princes, with many deciding against a return to the French capital after the treatment they suffered at the hands of the Parisian authorities just under three years ago.
“It’s too soon for a lot of people,” John Gibbons of Liverpool fan website The Anfield Wrap told AFP.
Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory at the Stade de France was overshadowed by a 37-minute delay to kick-off as fans struggled to access the stadium after being funnelled into overcrowded bottlenecks as they approached the stadium.
Police fired tear gas toward thousands of supporters locked behind metal fences on the perimeter of the stadium.
As if events on the night of May 28 were not painful enough, Liverpool fans had to suffer a series of false claims in the aftermath of the chaos.
European football’s governing body UEFA initially tried to pin the blame on supporters arriving late despite thousands having been held for hours outside the stadium before kick-off.
The French authorities then claimed an “industrial-scale fraud” of fake tickets was the problem.
A French Senate enquiry later concluded that poorly-executed security arrangements were the cause of the mayhem.
An independent report found UEFA bore “primary responsibility” for the failures which almost led to the match becoming a “mass fatality catastrophe.”
The report added it was “remarkable” that no one was killed on the night of the final.
But for many Liverpool fans the scenes brought back memories of a crush at Hillsborough Stadium in 1989 that resulted in the deaths of 97 supporters.
As a result, Gibbons said many fans were reluctant to return to the French capital.
“There is the psychological thing of not wanting to go back to somewhere where you have a bad experience but also the lack of accountability makes people think there is nothing to stop it happening again,” he said.
“It wasn’t left on the day. Lots happened afterwards. Most notably the government not taking much responsibility for what happened.”
The shocking scenes at the time sparked concerns over Paris’ suitability to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup and last year’s Olympics.
Those events passed off peacefully, but there remains resentment at the double standards often faced by football fans.
Liverpool fan and journalist Daniel Austin said: “Thankfully, the Olympics went off largely without incident, and that’s great. But I think it was quite clear that people were treated differently for that, because it was the biggest event in the world.”
Austin is one of those who is making the voyage to Paris, adding it would be admitting “defeat” to the lies spread in the aftermath of the 2022 final not to go.
He understands why there are others who will not put themselves at the mercy of the French police again.
“It wasn’t just the fact that they went through something that was really physically and mentally difficult, it was the fact that they were then lied about in what was quite a concerted campaign by the authorities for weeks and months,” he added.
“I’ve heard of people who are saying that because of all of that they’re not going to go.
“They don’t want to come across those same authorities again. They don’t trust the people who were responsible for that, a lot of whom remain in exactly the same positions, to look after them as visitors this time.”
