KL Rahul shines as Lucknow Super Giants beat Chennai Super Kings in IPL

Chennai Super Kings’ Ravindra Jadeja, left, and his batting partner Shivam Dube run between the wickets during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. (AP)
Chennai Super Kings’ Ravindra Jadeja, left, and his batting partner Shivam Dube run between the wickets during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. (AP)
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Updated 20 April 2024
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KL Rahul shines as Lucknow Super Giants beat Chennai Super Kings in IPL

KL Rahul shines as Lucknow Super Giants beat Chennai Super Kings in IPL
  • Innings played key role in pushing Lucknow past Chennai’s 176-6 with six balls to spare.

LUCKNOW: KL Rahul’s solid 82 runs off 53 balls helped Lucknow Super Giants comfortably beat Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in the IPL on Friday.
Rahul’s time at the crease, which saw him smash nine fours and three sixes, played a key role in pushing Lucknow past Chennai’s 176-6 with six balls to spare.
“I felt that if we bat well, we could chase it down... when your partnership goes on, you can take a few more chances. Glad that it happened,” said Rahul.
Chennai got off to a slightly jittery start after being invited to bat first, losing Rachin Ravindra (zero) and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (17) in the first five overs. Ajinkya Rahane looked to steady the side, with the help of Ravindra Jadeja, but fell in the ninth over after racking up a respectable 36 runs off 24 balls.
Lucknow’s clinical bowling restricted Chennai in the middle overs, with Shivam Dube (three) not being able to pop off.
But Jadeja soldiered on for the rest of the game, getting his half-century in the seventeenth over.
Reliable warhorse M.S. Dhoni, who smacked 28 runs off 9 balls, helped Chennai turn up the heat in the last three overs and pushed the team to 176-6.
Lucknow openers Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul set up the chase with a superb 134-run partnership, before de Kock, who hit five fours in his 43-ball 54, fell in the fifteenth over.
Rahul went onto smash an incredible 82 runs off 53 balls before being dismissed in the eighteenth over. A final push by Nicholas Pooran (23) helped seal the victory for Lucknow.
“We lost wickets regularly and were 10-15 short,” said Gaikwad.
“Good to play them again soon, will come back with homework done.”


Ludvig Aberg rallies down the stretch at Torrey Pines to win the Genesis Invitational

Ludvig Aberg rallies down the stretch at Torrey Pines to win the Genesis Invitational
Updated 7 sec ago
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Ludvig Aberg rallies down the stretch at Torrey Pines to win the Genesis Invitational

Ludvig Aberg rallies down the stretch at Torrey Pines to win the Genesis Invitational
  • The Genesis Invitational relocated to Torrey from Riviera because of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, and Aberg made good on another chance at one of his favorite courses
  • Aberg, who finished at 12-under 276, won $4 million for his third victory worldwide since turning pro in June 2023 as the top-ranked college player out of Texas Tech

SAN DIEGO: Ludvig Aberg returned to Torrey Pines in far better health and showed it Sunday when he birdied four of the last six holes, including a 7-foot birdie on the 18th, for a 6-under 66 and a one-shot victory over Maverick McNealy in the Genesis Invitational.

Aberg shared the 36-hole lead at Torrey Pines in the Farmers Insurance Open three weeks ago until getting so sick he barely made it through the tournament and had to withdraw the following week, a nasty illness that caused him to lose 10 pounds.

The Genesis Invitational relocated to Torrey from Riviera because of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, and Aberg made good on another chance at one of his favorite courses.

The Swede said he turned to caddie Joe Skovron on one of the final holes and said, “This Sunday is a lot more fun than the last one we had.”

“It was a great fight,” Aberg said. “I’m really proud of the way I finished. It was really cool.”

This took all he had. McNealy birdied eight of his opening 11 holes and led by three shots when he stood on the 17th tee. He finished with a pair of pars for a 64.

Tournament host Tiger Woods watched a lot of the action unfold from the broadcast booth. Woods withdrew from the tournament on Monday as he coped with the death of his mother, Kultida, last week. Players wore a red button that had the Thai symbol of love to honor her.

Aberg two-putted from 50 feet for birdie on the 13th, attacked a daunting back pin on the 14th to 5 feet for birdie and rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the 15th to tie for the lead. From the middle of the fairway on the par-5 18th, he hit 7-wood long, some 70 feet away, rolled that down to just under 7 feet and calmly holed the putt.

“It’s more than I could have asked for at the start of the day,” said McNealy, who started five shots behind. “Ludvig played awesome. I knew with that leaderboard it was going to take some great golf to get it done.”

Aberg, who finished at 12-under 276, won $4 million for his third victory worldwide since turning pro in June 2023 as the top-ranked college player out of Texas Tech. He moves to No. 4 in the world.

Scottie Scheffler was 10 shots better than the third round with a 66 and tied for third with Patrick Rodgers (71).

Scheffler fell five shots behind with a 76 on Saturday, his highest score in nearly three years. That didn’t stop him from making a brief run. He went out in 31 with five birdies, including a chip-in on the fifth hole, and got to within one shot.

But he couldn’t afford many mistakes, and he made two of them. He left a delicate, downhill chip in the rough on the par-3 11th and made bogey, and after holing a bunker shot for birdie on the 15th to stay in the game, failed to save par from a bunker on the 16th.

He closed with a 66 and finished alone in third.

Scheffler played with Rory McIlroy and put five shots between them on the front nine. McIlroy couldn’t buy a putt and could only laugh at one point during the round. He finished with a bogey from the water on the 18th for a 72.

Rodgers and Denny McCarthy, playing in the final group, also took their turns in the lead during the final round until the tough back nine on the South course caught up with them.

Rodgers fell back with bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes and never caught up. McCarthy had the lead when he made eagle on the par-5 sixth and didn’t make another birdie until the final hole for a 71 to tie for fifth.


Inter miss chance to go top of Serie A after losing at Juventus in Derby d’Italia

Inter miss chance to go top of Serie A after losing at Juventus in Derby d’Italia
Updated 43 min 35 sec ago
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Inter miss chance to go top of Serie A after losing at Juventus in Derby d’Italia

Inter miss chance to go top of Serie A after losing at Juventus in Derby d’Italia
  • Francisco Conceiçao scored the only goal in the 74th minute of a high-tempo Derby d’Italia, or Italy’s derby as matches between the two fierce rivals have come to be known
  • Roma were without injured star forward Paulo Dybala but managed to win 1-0 at 10-man Parma

MILAN: Defending champions Inter Milan missed their chance to move top of Serie A on Sunday after losing 1-0 at Juventus, who boosted thir hopes of a top-four finish.

Francisco Conceiçao scored the only goal in the 74th minute of a high-tempo Derby d’Italia, or Italy’s derby as matches between the two fierce rivals have come to be known.

Inter wasted a number of chances and remained two points behind league leader Napoli, who were held to a 2-2 draw at Lazio on Saturday. Juventus are fourth.

“There’s certainly great regret and disappointment — clearly we should have been better at finishing and scoring goals,” Inter coach Simone Inzaghi said. “Because after a first half like that we should have gone in at the break ahead.

“Then we didn’t approach the second half like the first … we need to work even harder because what we’re doing isn’t enough for what we want to achieve.”

Inter visit Napoli in a potential title-deciding match in two weeks.

“We’ll try to do our best, or at least better than tonight,” Inzaghi said.

Inter had the better of the chances in the first half, with Lautaro Martinez uncharacteristically blazing over the bar from close range when completely unmarked. However, visiting goalkeeper Yann Sommer had to make the most important saves.

Nerazzurri defender Denzel Dumfries also hit the post twice.

But it was Juventus who broke the deadlock with a fantastic assist from new signing Randal Kolo Muani.

The France forward, who had scored five goals in three league matches for Juventus, gathered the ball on the edge of the area and made his way through a crowd of players before tripping. The ball came to Conceiçao, who drove it into the bottom left corner.

Juventus almost doubled their lead two minutes later but Dumfries did brilliantly to clear Teun Koopmeiners’ effort off the line.

Three Thurams

The match had also been dubbed “the Thuram derby” with Marcus Thuram playing for Inter and younger brother Khephren for Juventus.

However, Marcus was recovering from an ankle problem and was only brought on in the 62nd minute, 15 minutes before Khephren was substituted off.

Their dad, Lilian Thuram — who starred as a defender for Juventus and won the World Cup with France in 1998 — was watching from the stands.

Teenage hero

Teenager Assane Diao could very well prove to be Como’s savior.

The 19-year-old scored again on Sunday to set relegation-threatened Como on their way to a 2-0 win at Fiorentina.

It was Diao’s fourth goal in his seven matches since joining from Real Betis last month and the win lifted Cesc Fabregas’ team five points above the drop zone.

Fiorentina were four points below Juventus.

Como broke the deadlock four minutes before halftime with a rapid counterattack. A Fiorentina free kick was headed out of the area when Diao gathered the ball deep inside his own half and raced forward to beat home goalkeeper David De Gea one-on-one.

Nico Paz doubled Como’s lead in the 66th with a shot that took a slight deflection to curl in off the top of the left post.

Game-changing moment

Roma were without injured star forward Paulo Dybala but managed to win 1-0 at 10-man Parma.

The match changed in the 29th minute when teenage Parma defender Giovanni Leoni fouled Roma’s Matías Soule. The referee initially awarded a penalty to the visitors and showed Leoni a yellow card.

However, the video assistant referee confirmed that contact was outside the area so the penalty was rescinded but Leoni’s card was changed to a red as the 18-year-old had prevented a clear scoring opportunity.

To make matters worse for Parma, Soule dinked the resulting free kick over the wall and into the top right corner.

Roma was nine points below the top four, while Parma remained a point from safety.

Empoli occupy that last place of safety despite losing 3-0 at Udinese for their eighth defeat in their past 10 matches.

Alessandro Nesta returned as coach of bottom club Monza last week — two months after he was fired — and managed to end his team’s four-match losing streak with a 0-0 draw against Lecce.
 


Salah scores, Diaz ends goal drought as Liverpool move seven points clear

Salah scores, Diaz ends goal drought as Liverpool move seven points clear
Updated 16 February 2025
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Salah scores, Diaz ends goal drought as Liverpool move seven points clear

Salah scores, Diaz ends goal drought as Liverpool move seven points clear
  • While Diaz has struggled to find the net, Salah is in red-hot form

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League as Luis Diaz ended his goal drought to spark a tense 2-1 win against struggling Wolves on Sunday.
Arne Slot’s side got back on track after an unexpectedly poor week thanks to Diaz’s first goal in 2025 and yet another Mohamed Salah strike.
Diaz opened the scoring early in the first half at Anfield as the Colombian forward finally scored for the 13th time this term after 10 games without a goal.
While Diaz has struggled to find the net, Salah is in red-hot form and his penalty before the interval took the Egypt star to 28 goals in all competitions this season.
Matheus Cunha netted in the second half for fourth-bottom Wolves, but although Liverpool looked tired in a disjointed, nervous, climax, they held on for a valuable victory.
Liverpool had gone two games without a win: an embarrassing FA Cup fourth round loss at second tier Plymouth last weekend and the stormy 2-2 draw at Everton on Wednesday.
Arsenal’s 2-0 win at Leicester on Saturday had applied a little more pressure on Liverpool.
The Reds responded to Arsenal’s challenge as they moved a step closer to a record-equalling 20th English title.
Liverpool, who last won the Premier League in 2020, will be within touching distance of the crown if they take maximum points from trips to Aston Villa and Manchester City before hosting Newcastle over the course of the next 10 days.
Liverpool boss Slot was in the dug-out despite being charged with abusive behavior after angrily approaching referee Michael Oliver on the pitch following the Merseyside derby.
Slot was furious that James Tarkowski’s stoppage-time equalizer was not disallowed because of a possible push by Toffees striker Beto on Reds defender Ibrahima Konate.
Slot had urged Liverpool to use their “anger” from the painful end to the Everton game as fuel to get back on track against Wolves.
They didn’t have to wait long to light the fuse as Diaz bagged his first league goal at Anfield since September.
In the 15th minute, Diaz picked out Salah and his return pass took a wicked deflection off Toti Gomes.
Diaz stumbled forward to chest the ball past Wolves keeper Jose Sa as it barely trickled over the line.
It was hardly a work of art but Diaz wasn’t complaining about the scruffy nature of the strike.
Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai nearly netted with a more eye-catching effort, striding forward with purpose before drilling a low shot just wide.
The Reds were rampant and Sa repelled Jota’s drive at the near post after Robertson’s cross caused panic in the Wolves defense.
Wolves couldn’t stem the tide as Liverpool went further ahead in the 37th minute.
Wolves claimed Emmanuel Agbadou was pushed by Diaz before he raced into the area and was tripped by Sa.
But VAR ignored their protests and Salah flicked the penalty down the middle with a flamboyant flourish.
Salah has seven goals in his last six games, underlining his immense value to Liverpool as his contract winds toward its conclusion at the end of the season.
Wolves debutant Marshall Munetsi wasted a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit early in the second half.
Munetsi was sent clean through by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, but Alisson Becker raced off his line to make a fine save.
Jota appeared to have won a penalty when Agbadou’s challenge sent him sprawling, but VAR overturned the decision as replays showed he had dived.
Liverpool had lost their momentum and Cunha took advantage, evading Ryan Gravenberch and curling a superb finish into the far corner in the 67th minute.
That set up a fraught finale for Liverpool, who had to dig deep to secure a fourth win in their last five league games.


India’s IPL to begin on March 22 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens

India’s IPL to begin on March 22 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens
Updated 16 February 2025
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India’s IPL to begin on March 22 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens

India’s IPL to begin on March 22 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens
  • The iconic Eden Gardens will be the venue for the tournament’s final on May 25, with 74 matches to be played across 13 venues
  • The IPL auction for this edition shattered records as Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player

NEW DELHI: The money-spinning Indian Premier League will begin on March 22 with holders Kolkata Knight Riders to host Royal Challengers Bengaluru, India’s cricket board said Sunday.
Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens will be the venue for the opener and the final on May 25 with 74 matches to be played across 13 venues in the 18th edition of the hugely popular T20 tournament.
Ten teams will compete for the title as the world’s top cricketers including Indian star Virat Kohli, Australia’s Pat Cummins and Jos Buttler of England will join their respective teams in India’s searing heat.
The IPL auction for this edition shattered records as Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player when he was sold for a record $3.2 million to Lucknow Super Giants, who later made him captain.
Shreyas Iyer, a title-winning skipper with Kolkata last season, was picked by Punjab Kings for 267.5 million rupees ($3.17 million) as the second-most expensive buy.
The IPL has generated billions in revenue since its inception in 2008, turning the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) into one of the richest governing bodies in sport.
The pioneering IPL helped make T20 cricket more popular, spawning copycat events worldwide.


Jessica Pegula criticizes ‘broken’ anti-doping process in wake of Sinner and Swiatek cases

Jessica Pegula criticizes ‘broken’ anti-doping process in wake of Sinner and Swiatek cases
Updated 16 February 2025
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Jessica Pegula criticizes ‘broken’ anti-doping process in wake of Sinner and Swiatek cases

Jessica Pegula criticizes ‘broken’ anti-doping process in wake of Sinner and Swiatek cases
  • Sinner was facing a potential ban of two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against his initial exoneration

DUBAI: World number five Jessica Pegula believes the handling of the recent high profile anti-doping cases of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek has shown that the “process is completely broken.”

Meanwhile, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka admits she cannot trust the tennis anti-doping system and has become “too scared” of it.

Sinner’s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis, admitting “partial responsibility” for team mistakes which led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year.

Sinner was facing a potential ban of two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency , announced in August.

In a surprising move, WADA withdrew its appeal and came to an agreement with Sinner to accept a three-month ban.

In a statement, WADA said “Sinner did not intend to cheat” but that he would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage.

Pegula, last year’s US Open finalist and a member of the WTA Player Council, said the inconsistencies in the way cases are being processed and judged is creating an unfair environment for all tennis players.

“I think my reaction is that, whether you think he did or you don’t, or whatever side you're on, the process just seems to be completely like not a process,” the American told reporters in Dubai on Sunday.

“It seems to just kind of be whatever decisions and factors they take into consideration, and they just kind of make up their own ruling. I don’t really understand how that’s fair for athletes, how it’s fair for players when there’s just so much inconsistency and you have no idea.”

Pegula added that any emails the players have been receiving regarding anti-doping cases contain explanations that are too easy to come with, and are just ways for anti-doping organizations to justify their inconsistent rulings and processes.

“If you’re clean or not, the process is completely broken,” she stated.

“I think it needs to be seriously looked at and considered.

“I feel like they have so much power to ruin someone's career, as well. I think there needs to be something done about that because it just seems really unfair.

“I don’t think any of the players trust the process at all right now. Zero. It’s just a horrible look for the sport.”

Sabalenka refused to comment on the outcome of the Sinner case but says she has become too wary of falling foul to the sport’s strict anti-doping rules.

“You just start to be more careful. For example, before I wouldn’t care to leave my glass of water and go to the bathroom in a restaurant and now, I’m not going to drink from the same glass of water,” said the Belarusian world number one.

“You just become a bit too much aware of stuff and this thing gets to your head that, like, if someone used a cream on you and you test positive, they’re going to go for you and they’re not going to believe you or anything.

“You just become too scared of the system. I don’t see how I can trust the system.”

American World No. 3 Coco Gauff has not paid much attention to the details of the recent anti-doping cases and is instead sticking to her strategy of avoiding taking any supplements to minimize the risk of testing positive for any banned substance.

“I trust that everyone is doing what they can to protect the sport. As a player, that’s all I can hope for,” said the former US Open champion.

“I just hope it’s more for the protection of the sport and not just out to, like, get players.”