HYDERABAD, India: Ishan Kishan scored 106 not out off 47 balls as Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan Royals by 44 runs in their season-opening encounter in the 2025 Indian Premier League on Sunday.
Kishan smacked 11 fours and six sixes in his first IPL hundred on debut for his new franchise, which notched up its second-highest total in tournament history.
Travis Head scored 67 off 31 balls as the Sunrisers picked up where they left off in 2024 to reach a mammoth 286-6 in 20 overs.
Hyderabad’s previous highest score was 287-3 — the highest IPL total — against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last season.
In the evening game, Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by four wickets with five balls remaining in a high-profile clash.
Afghanistan’s left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad took 4-18 in four overs for Chennai as Mumbai was restricted to 155-9 after losing the toss. Tilak Varma top-scored with 31 off 25 balls.
Rachin Ravindra’s unbeaten 65 off 45 balls, along with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s quick-fire 53 off 26, helped Chennai score 158-6 in 19.1 overs.
Royals fall short despite reaching 242-6
Rajasthan Royals fought well to post 242-6 (20 overs) in reply to Hyderabad’s huge target. Dhruv Jurel led with 70 off 35 balls, while Sanju Samson scored 66 off 37 balls.
Put into bat, Hyderabad ran away at the start with Head and Abhishek Sharma’s (24) explosive opening pairing putting on 45 off 19 balls.
Kishan found another gear as he reached 50 off 25 balls. Hyderabad, which bought him at the season’s auction earlier, found immediate returns as the young batter smacked his way to an attacking hundred on debut for his new franchise.
He put on 85 off 39 balls with Head, who also hit nine fours and three sixes. The latter fell just prior to the halfway mark.
Kishan – and Hyderabad – did not let up the scoring rate. He found able company in Nitish Reddy who hit 30 off 15 balls and Heinrich Klaasen, who added 34 off 14 balls.
Kishan’s next 50 came off 22 balls, as he raced to his century, helping Hyderabad to a statement total in its first outing.
Rough day for Rajasthan’s English pacer Jofra Archer
England pacer Jofra Archer finished with 0-76 from four overs – the most expensive spell in IPL history.
Rajasthan faltered early in its chase. Yashasvi Jaiswal was out caught for one, while Riyan Parag was dismissed for four — both in the second over. It became 50-3 as Nitish Rana was dismissed for 11.
Samson, coming in as an impact substitute, did start off the season in style. He scored 50 off 26 balls, and put on 111 off 60 balls with Jurel as Rajasthan fought back on a good batting surface.
Jurel reached 50 off 28 balls at the other end, hitting six sixes and five fours as the chase revolved around him. Adam Zampa dismissed him in the 15th over, while Samson was out caught in the previous over.
It was too tall an ask for Rajasthan thereafter to chase down the mammoth target successfully despite fruitful cameos from Shimron Hetmyer (42 off 23 balls) and Shubham Dubey (34 not out off 11 balls).
Mumbai’s spin woes in Chennai
Ahmad sprung into action after left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed took 3-29, including the dismissal of Rohit Sharma for a four-ball duck.
Spin did the trick on a slow Chepauk track as Mumbai never got into third gear in its opening game. It missed skipper Hardik Pandya, who was on the bench serving a slow over-rate suspension from 2024.
Stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav only managed 29 off 26 balls. Mumbai was down to 96-6 in 13 overs and then 118-7 in 16.1 overs.
Deepak Chahar, a former Chennai player making his Mumbai debut, scored 28 not out off 15 balls including two sixes to push the score past 150.
Chasing 156, Chennai was boosted by a 67-run partnership for the second wicket off only 37 balls between Gaikwad and Ravindra.
Gaikwad hit three sixes and six fours, reaching 50 off 22 balls. Mumbai struck back through 24-year-old left-arm wrist spinner Vignesh Puthur (3-32).
Chennai lost regular wickets to Puthur and Will Jacks but Ravindra helped his team reach the target in the 20th over.
Season-opening wins for Hyderabad and Chennai in IPL
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Season-opening wins for Hyderabad and Chennai in IPL
- Rough day for Rajasthan’s English pacer Jofra Archer
- Mumbai had spin woes in Chennai
Pakistan set New Zealand 129-run target in final T20
- Captain Salman Agha scores half-century in fifth T20 in Wellington
- New Zealand team has 3-1 lead in the series against Pakistan so far
Wellington: A half-century by captain Salman Agha lifted Pakistan to 128-9 in the fifth and final Twenty20 against New Zealand in Wellington on Wednesday.
Salman was eventually dismissed in the penultimate over for 51 after he and Shadab Khan rescued Pakistan from 52-5 in the 10th over.
Jimmy Neesham, who removed both Salman and Shadab, was the most successful New Zealand bowler with 5-22.
New Zealand, with an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the series, need 129 to win.
After another poor start by Pakistan, Salman and Shadab shared a 54-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Shadab was caught behind off Neesham for 28.B
Pakistan again had problems with the top order.
Jacob Duffy claimed the first wicket in the second over when he removed Hasan Nawaz for his third duck in the series.
He added Omair Yousuf in his following over as Pakistan struggled to cope with Duffy’s swing and seam movement, as well as the bounce generated by Will O’Rourke and Ben Sears.
New Zealand, who won the toss, made one change for the match with Sears coming in for Zak Foulkes.
Pakistan made five changes with Omair, Usman Khan, Jahandad Khan, Sufyan Moqim and Mohammad Ali all coming in.
Paulo Bento fired as head coach of the UAE national football team
- Sacking announced just hours after a UAE win on Tuesday over North Korea
- UAE’s next qualifier is against Uzbekistan at home on June 5
Paulo Bento has been fired as head coach of the United Arab Emirates football team just hours after a 2-1 win Tuesday over North Korea kept alive its slim automatic hopes of qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
That victory, which came with a goal in the 98th minute, puts the UAE four points behind second-place Uzbekistan in Group A with two games remaining. The top two teams from each of the three Asian groups are guaranteed a place in the tournament to be hosted next year by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“The UAE Football Association has decided to dismiss the head coach of the national team, Paulo Bento, along with his coaching staff,” the UAE football association posted on social media.
The 55-year-old Portuguese coach led South Korea to the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup, 10 years after he took Portugal to the last four of the European Championships. He was appointed in July 2023 to succeed Rodolfo Arruabarrena.
If the UAE misses out on second place, then there is another round of qualification as the teams that finish third and fourth in their respective groups play off for two remaining World Cup places.
UAE’s next qualifier is against Uzbekistan at home on June 5.
Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying hopes dealt major late blow; Egypt, Morocco move closer
- Zimbabwe’s Tawanda Chirewa scored in the final minute to silence the home fans in Uyo, Nigeria as the visitors claimed a 1-1 draw
- South Africa defeated Benin 2-0 to consolidate the top spot
Nigeria conceded a last-minute goal in a major blow to its World Cup qualifying hopes on Tuesday, when Egypt and Morocco all but booked their places at next year’s tournament.
Zizo’s goal was enough for unbeaten Egypt’s 1-0 win over Sierra Leone in Cairo, while Morocco looks assured of qualifying with a nine-point lead over its rivals after a 2-0 win over Tanzania.
Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz scored a penalty after Nayef Aguerd broke the deadlock on a rebound for Morocco’s fifth win from five games in Group E.
Zizo struck just before the break for Egypt to maintain a five-point lead over Burkina Faso, which had defeated Guinea-Bissau 2-1 on Monday in Group A.
Nigeria’s nightmare
Zimbabwe’s Tawanda Chirewa scored in the final minute to silence the home fans in Uyo, Nigeria as the visitors claimed a 1-1 draw.
Nigeria star Victor Osimhen put the Super Eagles on course to claim just their second win in Group C after Friday’s 2-0 victory over Rwanda had rekindled Nigeria’s qualification hopes.
But the 21-year-old Chirewa, a late substitute, equalized in the 90th to earn Zimbabwe’s draw.
Meanwhile, South Africa defeated Benin 2-0 to consolidate the top spot. Bafana Bafana leads with 13 points from six rounds, five clear of Rwanda (which drew with Lesotho 1-1) and Benin. Nigeria stayed fourth in the group with just seven points.
Only the nine group winners secure automatic qualification. The four best-placed runners-up will compete to be the African contender in FIFA’s six-country playoff for the last two qualification spots at the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Algeria makes a statement
Wolfsburg forward Mohammed Amoura scored a hat trick as Algeria defeated Mozambique 5-1 to open a three-point lead over the visitors in Group G. Guinea’s qualification hopes are all but over after a 1-0 loss to Uganda, the team’s third defeat leaving it eight points behind Algeria in fifth.
Cape Verde remained top of Group D with a 2-1 win in Angola, though Cameroon responded with Vincent Aboubakar scoring twice in a 3-1 win over Libya. Cape Verde stayed a point ahead of Cameroon.
Sudan’s missed chance
Sudan lost control of Group B with David Sebit scoring in stoppage time to earn South Sudan a 1-1 draw.
It allowed both Congo and Senegal to take advantage, which they did with 2-0 wins over Mauritania and Togo, respectively.
Congo moved top of Group B on 13 points, one ahead of unbeaten Senegal and Sudan. Sudan dropped to third on goal difference.
Black Stars twinkling
Ghana moved atop Group I by scoring a total of eight goals in back-to-back wins over Chad and Madagascar, helping ease the disappointment of failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in November.
Otto Addo’s team eased to a 5-0 rout of Chad in Accra on Friday, then enjoyed a 3-0 win over Madagascar on Monday to seize control of the group.
Comoros, the surprise early leader, stayed three points behind Ghana on Tuesday with a 1-0 win over Chad.
Elephants hold on
Ivory Coast needed goalkeeper Yahia Fofana at his best as they held on for a 1-0 win over Gambia on Monday to stay a point above Gabon atop Group F.
Sébastien Haller’s early goal was enough for the Elephants to win in Abidjan, keeping the team top after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had scored twice for Gabon to beat Kenya 2-1.
Ivory Coast, the reigning Africa Cup champion, had previously beaten Burundi 1-0 in Morocco on Friday, while Gabon had a 3-0 win over the Seychelles on Thursday.
Tunisia consolidated top spot in Group H on Monday with two late goals to beat Malawi 2-0.
Four rounds of qualifiers remain.
Argentina beat Brazil 4-1 after securing their place at the 2026 World Cup
- After Bolivia’s 0-0 draw with Uruguay at El Alto, Argentina beat Brazil 4-1 in front of 85,000 fans at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium despite the absence of Lionel Messi
- Brazil are in fourth place in South American qualifying with 21 points, 10 behind Argentina but only two behind second-place Ecuador, which were held to a 0-0 draw by Chile
BUENOS AIRES: Defending champion Argentina had to put the celebrations on hold for a while after securing a place at the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday before kickoff against archrival Brazil.
Bolivia’s failure to beat Uruguay meant Argentina had enough cushion in South American qualifying to secure one of the continent’s six direct spots for the 48-team World Cup set to be co-hosted next year by the US, Canada and Mexico.
After Bolivia’s 0-0 draw with Uruguay at El Alto, Argentina beat Brazil 4-1 in front of 85,000 fans at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium despite the absence of Lionel Messi.
Brazil’s worst deficit in South American World Cup qualifying history compounded pressure on coach Dorival Junior, who took over in January of last year.
Brazil are in fourth place in South American qualifying with 21 points, 10 behind Argentina but only two behind second-place Ecuador, which were held to a 0-0 draw by Chile. Third-place Uruguay and fifth-place Paraguay also have 21 points, and Colombia is one point behind them in sixth. Seventh-place Venezuela has 15 points after a 1-0 win over 9th-place Peru.
Brazil were missing three regular starters — goalkeeper Alisson, defender Gabriel Magalhaes and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes — and wasn’t really competitive from start to finish.
It’s the first time Argentina have won both matches against Brazil in a World Cup qualifying tournament. The home victory was also Argentina’s first against the Brazilians since qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.
Argentina have led South American qualifying from the start, with few hiccups and major away wins at Brazil and Uruguay. But coach Lionel Scaloni has not fielded 37-year-old Messi in several games, which still raises doubts on whether the star will play at the World Cup next year.
Messi has an injury to his adductor and was not included in Argentina’s squad for the two latest matches.
ARGENTINE FLAIR, BRAZILIAN DESPAIR
Argentina scored thir two first goals in only 12 minutes of play, both thanks to accurate passing and some clumsy Brazilian defending.
Julian Alvarez netted the first in the 4th minute after Marquinhos, Murillo and Guilherme Arana failed to reach the ball. The Argentina striker shot between the legs of goalkeeper Bento from close range.
Argentina scored again eight minutes later with Enzo Fernandez, once again from close range after a low cross by Gonzalo Molina.
Brazil got one back via Matheus Cunha in the 26th after a mistake by Cristian Romero, who lost the ball to the Brazilian by the edge of the box. Enzo Fernandez found Alexis Mac Allister bursting into the penalty box unmarked 11 minutes later to make it 3-1 to Argentina.
During the break, Brazil sought to get some grip by boosting their presence in the midfield with Joao Gomes and the substitution of Murillo and striker Rodrygo. But it was to no avail, with Giuliano Simeone scoring for Argentina in the 71st minute.
“All of us can do better than this. It isn’t only about Dorival,” Brazil’s captain Marquinhos said. “This is not only the coach’s fault, it is the players too. We need to have our heads in the right place. They (Argentina) also had tough times before and they overcame it. We can do it too.”
Swiatek gets extra security after harassment
- The issue comes after British player Emma Raducanu was targeted by a stalker during last month’s Dubai Open
- “Security is a top priority,” a spokesperson for Swiatek told AFP
MIAMI: World number two Iga Swiatek is receiving additional security at the Miami Open after she was harassed by a spectator during her practice.
The issue comes after British player Emma Raducanu was targeted by a stalker during last month’s Dubai Open.
Media reports said that Swiatek was verbally harassed by a spectator, who has a history of online attacks against the player, during practice on Sunday.
“Security is a top priority. We monitor the network to catch these types of issues. Constructive criticism is one thing, and threats, hate speech or even disturbance during training is another — this cannot be condoned,” a spokesperson for Swiatek told AFP.
“We reported the matter to the tournament organizer, as well as to the WTA, which reacted immediately and took additional precautions, such as additional security, for which we are very grateful.
“Ensuring the safety of the players is crucial, they are the ones at the center of the event, and it is our job to protect them,” the spokesperson added.
The WTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Raducanu was left distraught after a man later said to be displaying “fixated behavior” appeared at a courtside seat during her defeat to Karolina Muchova.
The man was escorted away by security, subsequently given a restraining order and banned from attending WTA Tour events.
