Asianet Newsable

ISL 2025-26: Bengaluru FC end Jamshedpur's home run with 1-0 win

Asianet News Central — Sun, 10 May 2026 03:30:32 +0530

Bengaluru FC secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, handing the hosts their first home defeat of Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 on Saturday. Ryan Williams' first-half strike proved decisive in a contest where Jamshedpur dominated large spells, but failed to find a breakthrough.

The result sees Bengaluru FC climb to fourth in the table with 20 points from 12 matches, while Jamshedpur FC remain third on 21 points, level with East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who are the top two in the standings. Williams was named the Player of the Match for his match-winning contribution, according to a press release.

Blues take first-half lead

Bengaluru began brightly, winning a string of early corners and testing the Jamshedpur defence, where Sarthak Golui and Pratik Chaudhari stood firm under pressure. The visitors continued to probe, with Braian Sanchez and Sirojiddin Kuziev both attempting efforts from distance, though neither troubled Albino Gomes.

Jamshedpur gradually grew into the contest, with Madih Talal at the heart of their attacking play. The midfielder combined effectively with Nikola Stankovic and Sanan Mohammed, creating the Red Miners' first real opportunity in the 15th minute when Raphael Messi Bouli's long-range effort forced Gurpreet Singh Sandhu into action.

The game opened up into an end-to-end contest, with both sides showing intent in the final third but lacking precision. Jamshedpur thought they had taken the lead midway through the half when Pratik Chaudhari guided the ball home from a set-piece, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

Bengaluru, however, made their dominance count in the 38th minute. A well-weighted long ball from Rahul Bheke found Lalremtluanga Fanai, who cushioned it into the path of Ryan Williams. The midfielder fired a low shot through a crowded defender's legs inside the box and into the bottom corner to give the Blues a 1-0 lead.

Jamshedpur responded before the break, with Nikola Stojanovic forcing a sharp save from Gurpreet, while Messi Bouli headed narrowly wide. Despite their late push, the hosts went into half-time trailing by a single goal.

Jamshedpur's second-half push falls short

The second half saw Jamshedpur take control, committing more bodies forward in search of an equaliser. Madih Talal and Stankovic dictated play in midfield, while Sanan continued to threaten down the left. Messi Bouli came close early on, but Gurpreet made himself big to deny the striker in a one-on-one situation.

As the pressure mounted, Jamshedpur created several half-chances, with Stankovic and later Vincy Barretto both missing narrowly from distance. Bengaluru, meanwhile, looked to hit on the counter, with Fanai testing Albino Gomes from range. Owen Coyle introduced fresh legs in the final quarter, as Jamshedpur intensified their attacking efforts. However, Bengaluru's defensive unit, led by Rahul Bheke and Chinglensana Singh, held their shape well and executed their offside trap effectively.

Sunil Chhetri makes ISL history

History was created in the 85th minute, when Bengaluru brought on striker Sunil Chhetri in place of Namgyal Bhutia, making the former the most-capped player in Indian Super League history, with 195 appearances.

In the closing stages, Jamshedpur pushed relentlessly, with Stephen Eze and Messi Bouli both coming close, but Gurpreet produced a series of composed interventions to preserve his side's lead. Bouli had a golden chance late on, but the Bengaluru goalkeeper stood his ground to clear the danger.

Despite a final surge deep into stoppage time, Jamshedpur were unable to break through as Bengaluru held on for a crucial away victory and handed Jamshedpur FC their first defeat of the season at the Furnace. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL: Jaiswal credits GT batters for RR's loss, backs Jofra Archer

Asianet News Central — Sun, 10 May 2026 02:30:38 +0530

Rajasthan Royals (RR) stand-in captain Yashasvi Jaiswal credited Gujarat Titans' (GT) batters after his team suffered a massive 77-run defeat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Saturday at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. Jaiswal also backed teammate Jofra Archer, who had a bad outing with the ball for RR. After Jaiswal, standing in for injured Riyan Parag, chose to bowl first, RR conceded 229 runs in the first innings after fifties from GT captain Shubman Gill (84) and Sai Sudharsan (55). Chasing 230, RR succumbed to 152/10 in 16.3 overs, losing the contest by 77 runs.

Jaiswal Credits GT Batters

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Yashasvi Jaiswal said Rajasthan Royals were focused on restricting boundaries and maintaining disciplined bowling, but credited Gujarat Titans batters for executing their shots well and putting pressure on the bowlers. "I think we were just thinking to bowl in good areas, and they were batting pretty well. So we were just thinking how we can cut down the boundaries or big shots. So I think it was pretty good from them," he said.

'He'll be coming back very strongly'

For RR, their pace spearhead Jofra Archer had an expensive outing with the ball as he conceded 46 runs in three overs and failed to claim a single wicket. Speaking on Archer, Yashasvi Jaiswal backed the speedster despite his expensive spell, saying that off-days are part of cricket and expressed confidence that Archer will bounce back strongly. He added that the team will review their performance, focus on improvements, and take lessons forward for the next match.

Backing Archer, he said, "We all know that there are some days when you are in, there are some days when you cannot bowl how you want. So I think he'll be coming back very strongly. We are going to look at what we can do better and just look for the next game, what we can do and learn from this game."

RR Collapse in Chase

Chasing 230, RR got off to an aggressive start through 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who smashed 36 off 16 balls, but their innings collapsed after early wickets. Rashid Khan starred with a four-wicket haul, while Jason Holder claimed three wickets to bowl RR out cheaply.

Gill, Sudharsan Power GT to Formidable Total

Batting first, GT posted a formidable 229/4 riding on captain Shubman Gill's 84 off 44 balls and Sai Sudharsan's 55. Washington Sundar added an unbeaten 37 off 20 balls, while Rahul Tewatia provided a late flourish as GT smashed 21 runs in the final over. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

ISL 2025-26: FC Goa, Mohun Bagan play out 1-1 draw in Fatorda

Asianet News Central — Sun, 10 May 2026 02:00:45 +0530

FC Goa and Mohun Bagan Super Giant played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in the Gaurs' final home game of the 2025-26 Indian Super League season at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Saturday evening.

Following the result, FC Goa remain in fifth place in the league standings, while Mohun Bagan Super Giant stays second as both teams continue their push in the closing stages of the campaign, according to a press release.

An Evenly Fought Contest

The first half was a tightly contested affair, with both sides showing attacking intent but finding it difficult to carve out clear-cut opportunities. FC Goa enjoyed promising spells of possession and looked to make the most of home advantage, while Mohun Bagan posed a threat on the break. Despite the intensity and tempo of the encounter, neither side was able to break the deadlock before halftime.

The visitors struck first in the 55th minute when Jamie Maclaren found space inside the penalty area and produced a composed finish to give Mohun Bagan the lead.

FC Goa responded positively and continued to press forward in search of an equaliser. Their persistence paid off in the 67th minute when Ronney Willson Kharbudon unleashed a stunning effort into the top corner to restore parity and bring the home crowd to its feet.

Both teams pushed hard for a winner in the final stages, with the contest opening up as the two sides chased all three points. FC Goa looked dangerous in attack, while Mohun Bagan continued to threaten with their movement and quality in the final third, but resolute defending at both ends ensured the scores remained level.

The final whistle confirmed a point apiece after a fiercely competitive encounter in Fatorda, bringing FC Goa's final home game of the season to a close on an encouraging note.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

WFI issues notice to Vinesh Phogat, wrestler posts cryptic message

Asianet News Central — Sun, 10 May 2026 01:30:26 +0530

Amid rising tensions between the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and wrestler Vinesh Phogat, the Indian wrestler posted a cryptic post on social media after the federation issued a show cause notice to the three-time Olympian on Saturday, accusing her of multiple acts of indiscipline and anti-doping violations, while also declaring her ineligible to compete in the upcoming National Open Ranking Tournament 2026 in Gonda.

Vinesh Phogat's Cryptic Post

Vinesh posted on X, "Life is caught in some deep whirlpool's midst. The world seeks flaws in my character, persists. Life has always held your head held high. No sword has the power to make it bow."

WFI's Charges Against Phogat

In the detailed 15-page notice on Saturday, the federation levelled four major charges against the wrestler, including her failure to make weight at the 2024 Paris Olympics, alleged anti-doping rule violations, breach of return-to-competition procedures following retirement, and violations during selection trials held in March 2024. The federation has also barred Vinesh from participating in all sanctioned events until at least June 26.

Connection to Brij Bhushan Case

Notably, WFI's show-cause notice came after Vinesh revealed that she is one of the six women wrestlers who had filed sexual harassment complaints against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. She also questioned the lack of action against Brij Bhushan, her safety in Gonda, which happens to be his birthplace.

Phogat's Derailed Comeback

Vinesh's revelation came after she announced that she has registered for the 2026 Senior Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda, set to be held from May 10 to May 12. Vinesh was eyeing her comeback to professional wrestling with the Gonda event.

Vinesh, who had announced her retirement from wrestling in 2024, announced her return in December 2025, after an 18-month hiatus to chase her Olympic dream, confirming that she has come out of retirement from professional wrestling.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL Match Today, 10th May 2026: RCB vs MI Predicted Winner, Playing XI, Pitch Report & Weather Update

Vaishnav Akash — Sun, 10 May 2026 01:30:00 +0530

The Indian Premier League 2026 action shifts to Raipur as Royal Challengers Bengaluru host Mumbai Indians in Match No. 54 on Sunday, May 10, at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium. The contest begins at 7:30 PM IST, with live coverage on JioStar Network channels and streaming available on JioHotstar.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been in strong form, playing like true defending champions. With ten matches completed, RCB have secured six wins and sit fourth on the points table with 12 points. A victory in Raipur would further solidify their playoff position and potentially push them higher up the standings.

Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, face a critical juncture in their campaign. With four matches left in the league stage, they cannot afford defeats if they wish to secure a playoff berth. Every game from here on is a must-win scenario for the five-time champions.

Pitch Report At Raipur

The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium returns to IPL action after nearly a decade. Historically, six IPL matches have been played here, with chasing sides enjoying more success. The pitch tends to ease for batting as the match progresses, while spinners are expected to find assistance from the surface.

RCB vs MI Head-to-Head Record

Matches Played: 35
RCB Wins: 16
MI Wins: 19
Tied/No Result: 0
First Fixture: April 20, 2008
Most Recent Fixture: April 12, 2026

Probable Playing XIs

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (capt), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar, Impact Player: Jacob Bethell

Mumbai Indians (MI): Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Raj Bawa, Hardik Pandya (capt), Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Raghu Sharma, Impact Player: Rohit Sharma

Key Players To Watch

Probable Best Batter: Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has been in superb touch this season, scoring 379 runs at a strike rate of 164.06. His ability to dominate attacks and maintain consistency makes him the key batter for RCB in this clash.

Probable Best Bowler: AM Ghazanfar

The Raipur pitch is expected to favor spinners, bringing AM Ghazanfar into focus for MI. Despite a higher economy rate of 9.92, the Afghanistan spinner has delivered crucial breakthroughs and remains a vital asset against RCB’s strong batting lineup.

Predicted Winner

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, with their current form and balanced squad, appear better placed to secure victory. However, Mumbai Indians’ desperation to stay alive in the playoff race could inspire a spirited performance, making this a tightly contested encounter.

RR vs GT, IPL 2026: Who Won Yesterday’s Match? Results, Highlights, and Key Performances

Vaishnav Akash — Sun, 10 May 2026 01:00:00 +0530

Gujarat Titans have climbed to the second spot on the IPL points table after a massive victory against Rajasthan Royals. Playing at Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Gujarat completely crushed Rajasthan by 77 runs.

Rajasthan were chasing a huge target of 230 but got all out for just 152 in 16.3 overs. For Rajasthan, Ravindra Jadeja was the highest scorer with 38 runs off 25 balls. Opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gave a quick start with 36 from 16 balls, and Dhruv Jurel chipped in with 24 from 10 balls.

Sounds of Timber Vintage Rashid Khan on display Crucial wickets for @gujarat_titans ✌️Updates ▶️ https://t.co/t7CEEL9Bzp#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #RRvGT pic.twitter.com/oDsof07b2I

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2026

Rashid Khan was the star bowler for Gujarat, taking four wickets for 33 runs. Jason Holder was also brilliant, picking up three wickets for just 12 runs, while Kagiso Rabada got two wickets for 33 runs. This huge win also boosted Gujarat's net run rate to +0.228. They now have 14 points and are second on the table. Rajasthan, on the other hand, has dropped to the fifth spot.

Final Score: Gujarat Titans 229/4 in 20 overs, Rajasthan Royals 152 all out in 16.3 overs.

Explosive Start, Then a Collapse

Rajasthan started their chase of 230 with a bang, thanks to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He even hit the very first ball from Mohammed Siraj for a six and didn't spare Kagiso Rabada either. But after reaching 38 runs in just 2.5 overs, the wickets started to fall. Siraj got the first breakthrough, dismissing Vaibhav for 36 off 16 balls with a bouncer.

Soon after, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was captaining the team instead of Riyan Parag, was out for just 3 runs, caught off a short ball from Rabada. Shimron Hetmyer (6) also fell to the same short-ball trap by Rabada. Then, Rashid Khan completely broke the back of Rajasthan's batting. He sent Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Donovan Ferreira (4), and Shubham Dubey (15) back to the pavilion. Jason Holder then cleaned up the tail, dismissing Dasun Shanaka (16), Jofra Archer (5), and Tushar Deshpande (1) to end the match.

A by 7⃣7⃣ runs✌️4⃣th consecutive win for @gujarat_titans as they move to no.2⃣ in the Points Table This is also #GT's biggest #TATAIPL win (by runs) Scoreboard ▶️ https://t.co/t7CEEL9Bzp#KhelBindaas | #RRvGT pic.twitter.com/jXKWcdBfru

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2026

Earlier in the match, Gujarat Titans were put in to bat after losing the toss. They put up a massive total of 229 for 4 in their 20 overs. Captain Shubman Gill led from the front, scoring a brilliant 84 runs from just 44 balls.

He was well-supported by Sai Sudharsan, who made 55 off 36 balls. Washington Sundar (37*) and Rahul Tewatia (14*) provided the fireworks in the final overs to push the score even higher. For Rajasthan, Brijesh Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets.

IPL: Rashid Khan credits consistency for four-wicket haul vs Royals

Asianet News Central — Sun, 10 May 2026 00:30:29 +0530

Gujarat Titans (GT) star spinner Rashid Khan, following a superb four-wicket haul against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), expressed satisfaction with his improved consistency in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). He was named Player of the Match. He said his focus was on bowling in the right areas and maintaining the correct length, which ultimately helped him pick up wickets. Rashid also highlighted the importance of sharing knowledge within the team, praising the experienced players around him for their understanding of Indian conditions while adding that he enjoys passing on his international experience to teammates. He further noted that modern cricket requires bowlers to constantly develop new variations and lauded GT's spinner Sai Kishore for working on expanding his skill set. Khan turned the game decisively with a brilliant four-wicket haul, ripping through RR's middle order as wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals, which helped his side to register an emphatic win of 77 runs.

'Happy With My Consistency': Rashid Khan

"Quite happy. It was unusual for me the last two seasons. This year, I have been more consistent. So happy with that. I had a good Hundred competition. Just tried to hit the right areas in this match. That was the most important thing, hit the right length. I feel if I pitched it in the right areas, I would get wickets," Rashid Khan said after the match.

"It's so good, it's important to have players around you. They have played a lot in India, so they have good information. At the same time, I share my experience of playing international cricket. Modern cricket demands more variations. Sai Kishore is working on various skills, he's working on the wrong 'un, I'm excited to see that," he added.

Gill Hails 'Complete Team Performance'

GT skipper Shubman Gill hailed Titans' emphatic victory over the Royals as a complete team performance, saying the side managed to post 10-15 runs above par despite facing difficulties against the spinners. Gill said GT's aggressive approach in the powerplay and their ability to keep the bowlers under pressure proved decisive, while early wickets allowed the bowling unit to attack relentlessly during the chase. He also expressed satisfaction with the team's overall display heading into their next home fixture.

"Very happy, this was a clean win for us. We got 10-15 runs extra on the board. It wasn't easy against the spinners. We got 230 runs, we always knew we were going to have a good game after that power play. That's what we thought as well, just keep the bowlers under pressure. It wasn't easy against spinners. There were a few overs where we didn't get boundaries, but we covered it well in the last over. Taking wickets upfront gives our bowlers a chance to attack. That's the thought process, always keep attacking and keep taking wickets. Very happy. Our next game is at home," Gill said.

It was a dominant all-round performance from the Titans, who thoroughly outplayed the Royals in Jaipur to climb to second place on the IPL points table. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL Match Today, 10th May 2026: CSK vs LSG Predicted Winner, Playing XI, Pitch Report & Weather Update

Vaishnav Akash — Sun, 10 May 2026 00:30:00 +0530

Chennai Super Kings will face Lucknow Super Giants in Match No. 53 of the Indian Premier League 2026 on Sunday, May 10, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The contest begins at 3:30 PM IST, with live coverage on JioStar Network channels and streaming available on JioHotstar.

CSK currently sit sixth on the points table with five wins from ten matches. The five-time champions enter this fixture on the back of a confidence-boosting victory against Delhi Capitals. With momentum on their side, they will aim to secure their sixth win of the season and strengthen their playoff chances.

Lucknow Super Giants, meanwhile, returned to winning ways after enduring six defeats. Their thrilling triumph against Royal Challengers Bengaluru has kept their slim playoff hopes alive. To remain in contention, LSG must secure convincing wins in the remaining fixtures.

Pitch Report At Chepauk

The surface at MA Chidambaram Stadium is traditionally known to assist spinners, offering significant turn when bowlers hit the right areas. Batters who settle in and time the ball well can score freely, making it a balanced venue where both departments have equal opportunities to dominate.

CSK vs LSG Head-to-Head Record

Matches Played: 06
CSK Wins: 02
LSG Wins: 03
No Result: 01
First Fixture: March 31, 2022 (LSG won)
Most Recent Fixture: April 14, 2025 (CSK won)

Probable Playing XIs

Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, Impact Player: Shivam Dube

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG): Mitchell Marsh, Arshin Kulkarni, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), Akshat Raghuwanshi, Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvesh Rathi, Mohammed Shami, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Impact Player: Himmat Singh

Key Players To Watch

Ruturaj Gaikwad has scored 251 runs in 10 matches this season, including two half-centuries. His calm approach at the crease allows him to anchor innings, build partnerships, and control the tempo with composed stroke play.

Prince Yadav has been the standout bowler for LSG, claiming 16 wickets in 10 matches. His disciplined spells and knack for breakthroughs at crucial junctures have consistently troubled opposition batters, making him a vital weapon in their bowling attack.

Predicted Winner

With home advantage and recent form, Chennai Super Kings appear slightly better placed to edge past Lucknow Super Giants. However, LSG’s spirited win against Bengaluru shows they remain dangerous opponents capable of upsetting CSK’s plans.

IPL: Rashid Khan's 4-wicket haul helps GT crush RR by 77 runs

Asianet News Central — Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:40 +0530

A superb four-wicket haul from Rashid Khan and a crucial spell from seamer Jason Holder dismantled the Rajasthan Royals batting line-up, powering Gujarat Titans to a commanding 77-run victory in Jaipur on Saturday in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

Rashid turned the contest decisively in GT's favour with a brilliant spell that tore through the middle order, while Holder provided excellent support with three key wickets as RR suffered a dramatic collapse. It was a dominant all-round performance from the Gujarat Titans, who thoroughly outplayed the Royals in Jaipur to climb to second place on the IPL points table.

RR crumble in 230-run chase

Chasing a massive target of 230, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi opened the innings for RR. Sooryavanshi got the innings underway, smashing a six on the second ball of the innings. He continued his attack in the following over, smashing Kagiso Rabada for two massive sixes. In the following over, Sooryavanshi slammed Siraj for three boundaries before the veteran seamer got the better of RR's 15-year-old prodigy for 36 off just 16 balls, bringing Dhruv Jurel to the crease.

Rabada, in the next over, got the better of Jaiswal for 3 off 4 balls, bringing Shimron Hetmyer to the crease. Jurel tried to keep RR in the chase, smashing 22 runs off Siraj in the 5th overs. Rabada in the following over, sent back Hetmyer for just 6, who has struggled to get runs under his belt throughout the season, bringing Ravindra Jadeja to the crease. Jadeja started well, hitting a six and four off his first two balls.

GT's star spinner Rashid Khan, right after the power-play in the 8th over, got the better of Jurel for 24, who had a promising start. In the same over, Khan cleaned up Donovan Ferreira for just 4, bringing Shubham Dubey to the crease.

After 10 overs, RR reached 99-5, needing 131 in balls. Khan struck again, removing Dubey for 15 in the 12th over, bringing Dasun Shanaka to the crease.

RR seemed off during the chase, losing wickets at regular intervals. Khan, in the 14th over, struck again, removing Jadeja 38 off 25 balls. In the following over, Jason Holder sent back Jofra Archer for just 5, and Tushar Deshpande joined Shanaka at the crease.

Holder, in his follow-up over, got the better of Shanaka for 16 off 11 balls, bringing Brijesh Sharma to the crease. In the same over, Holder removed Deshpande for 1 to square off the match for his side to register an emphatic win.

Gill, Sudharsan's fifties set up massive total

Earlier in the match, fifties from captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, along with a late flourish from Washington Sundar, guided GT to a 229/4 in 20 overs against RR.

Put in to bat by RR's stand-in captain Yashasvi Jaiswal, stepping in for the injured Riyan Parag, the Titans were propelled to a 200+ total by fifties from captain Gill (84 off 44 balls), Sudharsan (55 off 36 balls) and a late cameo of 37* off 20 balls from Sundar.

Gujarat Titans capped off their innings in style, with Sundar and Rahul Tewatia smashing 21 runs in the final over bowled by Tushar Deshpande, who was struck for three sixes. The Gujarat Titans openers, Gill and Sudharsan, started with a clear intent to exploit the powerplay overs, helped by an 18-run over bowled by RR's Jofra Archer, who conceded nine extras in the opening over.

Both Gill and Sudharsan dealt in boundaries at regular intervals and guided GT's score after the Powerplay to 82/0. While Sudharsan completed his fifty off 30 balls in the ninth over, captain Gill brought up the fourth fifty of this IPL season in the 11th over, also off 30 balls. However, RR's Yash Raj Punja broke the 118-run opening stand in the same over as he claimed Sudharsan's wicket.

After 11 overs, GT's score was 119/1. Gill upped the ante in the very next over as he slammed RR all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for a six and a four in the 12th over. New batter Jos Buttler could not contribute much as he scored 13 runs off 10 balls before being dismissed by Jadeja in the 14th over. GT were 155/2 after 14 overs.

Gill continued to deal in boundaries at regular intervals and looked set for his first century of the season, but was dismissed by Brijesh Sharma in the 17th over, after scoring 84 runs off 44 balls, including nine fours and three sixes.

GT breached the 200-run mark soon after Gill's wicket as they reached 204/3 in 18 overs. While Brijesh Sharma picked up another wicket by dismissing Jason Holder, Washington Sundar took charge of the innings after Shubman Gill's departure. Sundar remained unbeaten on 37 off 20 balls, while Rahul Tewatia provided a late flourish with a rapid 14* from just four deliveries, including two sixes, as Gujarat Titans finished on an imposing 229/4 in 20 overs.

For RR, Ravindra Jadeja (1/34 in 4 overs) and Yash Raj Punja (1/37 in 4 overs) were the decent performers, while Archer (0/46 in 3 overs), Brijesh Sharma (2/47 in 4 overs) and Tushar Deshpande (0/52 in 4 overs) had expensive outings. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL 2026: RR's Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, fastest to 100 T20 sixes

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 23:30:32 +0530

Sooryavanshi's Record-Breaking Feat

Rajasthan Royals (RR) 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scripted history in men's T20 history, shattering records by becoming the fastest and youngest player to reach 100 sixes, in just 29 innings. He also set a record for the fastest player to reach the milestone in terms of balls faced, getting there in just 514 deliveries.

RR's young batting sensation achieved this feat in his side's Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Jaipur on Saturday night. Facing Mohammed Siraj, Sooryavanshi began aggressively, launching the very first delivery he faced for a massive six over long-on. He maintained his attacking intent throughout the powerplay, racing to 36 off just 16 balls with three fours and three sixes in a blistering cameo at the top of the order. However, Siraj eventually struck back to have the final word in an entertaining duel.

Sooryavanshi has been the leading run-scorer for Rajasthan Royals in the 2026 IPL season, amassing 440 runs in 11 innings at an impressive average of 40.00 and a blistering strike rate of 236.55. His tally includes one century and two half-centuries.

Match Summary: RR vs GT

Coming to the match, fluent fifties from captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, along with a late flourish from Washington Sundar, guided GT to a massive 229/4 in 20 overs against RR at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Asian Boxing: 9 Indian U-15 girls storm into finals in Tashkent

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 23:30:23 +0530

Indian girls delivered a commanding performance in the semifinals at the Asian Boxing U15 & U17 Championships 2026 on Saturday. Nine Indian boxers of the U-15 category advanced to the finals following dominant displays in Tashkent.

Semifinal Bout Results

In the 30-33kg category, Akshita registered an emphatic win by Referee Stops Contest (RSC) in the second round against Ayazhan Marat of Kazakhstan (KAZ), according to a release.

In 35kg, Jiya fought a close bout but went down 1:4 by split decision against Malika Moldogazieva of Kyrgyzstan (KGZ).

Anzee (37kg) continued India's strong run with a convincing 5:0 victory over Sarvinoz Riskulova of Uzbekistan (UZB), while Soniya (40kg) also secured a dominant 5:0 win against Diana Mendigarayeva of Kazakhstan (KAZ).

In the 43kg category, Tanvi clinched a win by RSC in the second round against Sezim Nurlubek of Kazakhstan (KAZ).

Hanshika Attri (46kg) followed up with an impressive RSC victory in the first round over Yuhui Cheon of Korea (KOR).

In 49kg, Khushi Rana lost 0:5 to Zebiniso Abdullayeva of Uzbekistan (UZB), while Knishka (52kg)also went down 0:5 against Samal Tolepbergen of Kazakhstan (KAZ).

Sunaina (58kg) delivered a strong performance, winning by RSC in the first round against Ardak Abdikhan of Kazakhstan (KAZ).

In the 61kg category, Bhumika secured a win by RSC in the second round against Chiao-Ying Chang of Chinese Taipei (TPE).

Tannvi (64kg) registered a hard-fought 4:1 victory over Yasmin Jautkhanova of Kazakhstan (KAZ) to progress to the finals.

In the higher weight categories, Aashvi (67kg) lost by RSC in the second round against Nurgul Sakhi of Kazakhstan (KAZ), while Manvi (70+kg) went down 0:5 against Zahro Daniyorova of Uzbekistan (UZB).

With nine finalists confirmed, the Indian U-15 girls team will now look to convert this strong showing into gold medals. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Young Tigresses make history, reach AFC U17 Asian Cup quarters

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 22:30:34 +0530

The final whistle had barely faded when Pamela Conti found herself surrounded by her players. One after another, the Young Tigresses rushed towards their head coach, hugging her, chanting around her, and even trying to lift her into the air in celebration after India scripted history by reaching the quarter-finals of the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup for the first time ever.

In that moment, as the emotions of months of hard work and belief came pouring out from the group around her, tears filled the Italian's eyes. For a team that had continuously spent more than three months training together, often twice a day, the 4-0 victory against Lebanon was more than just three points.

It placed India among the top eight teams in Asia and moved the Young Tigresses to within one match of a place in the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup Morocco 2026. No Indian women's team has ever been one win away from qualifying for a FIFA World Cup on merit.

'An Incredible Achievement'

"It is an incredible achievement," Conti told aiff.com after the historic result. "Nobody believed it was possible, but from the very first moment, I believed that if we trained differently, we could achieve what we have done. I am very happy. There are hardly enough words to describe it. I am only grateful to these players, who from day one have always followed everything we asked of them," she said, according to a release.

India's qualification came after a commanding performance against Lebanon, where the Young Tigresses attacked with confidence and clarity from the opening whistle. Pritika Barman scored twice, while Alva Devi Senjam and Joya added the other goals in a dominant display.

Reward for Demanding Preparation

Conti was particularly pleased with the intent her side showed throughout the contest. "We played an incredible match. Honestly, 4-0 is even a narrow result because we could have scored more goals. What I really liked was the team's desire to press high, to keep looking for goals, and the very important tactical organisation we showed. "But the most important thing was qualifying for the knockout stage, and I am extremely happy about that."

The achievement also represented the reward for months of demanding preparation under the Italian coach, who took charge in January and immediately set high standards within the camp. "From the first day I arrived, I told the players that we had to work, work, and work," Conti said. "I do not know any other path to success apart from hard work. "Nobody complained, nobody got tired of it. We trained for almost three and a half months, twice a day, to achieve this."

Quarter-final Challenge Against China

India entered the tournament after a 21-year absence from the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup and were drawn alongside Australia, Japan and Lebanon in a difficult Group B. While defeats against the former two left their qualification hopes hanging in the balance, the Young Tigresses responded emphatically in the decisive final group game.

"For me, the most important thing is that we have given happiness to India, a country that welcomed me so warmly from the beginning. Now we can say that we are among the top eight teams in Asia. If someone had told me this a few months ago, I would not have believed it," Conti said.

India will now face hosts China in the quarter-final on Monday, with a place in the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup at stake. China finished Group A as toppers, scoring 15 goals against Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand, and conceding none.

"China are a very strong team," Conti said. "They have many technically gifted players, they are good tactically, and they have the advantage of playing at home with a lot of crowd support."

At the same time, the Young Tigresses' head coach made it clear that India will approach the occasion with the same belief that has defined their campaign so far. "Now we know we will face China, who are a very strong team. We will try to achieve qualification for the World Cup, knowing how difficult it will be," said Conti. "But I already said before the tournament that we would play against every team with dignity, and that is exactly what this team is doing. Playing with dignity gives you something extra, not only in football, but also in life. "We will go there to play our game, to make things difficult for them, and hopefully we can win and achieve the World Cup qualification that we all want so much."

The quarter-final between India and China will kick off at 17:00 IST on May 11. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL: Gill, Sudharsan shine as Gujarat Titans post 229/4 vs Royals

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 22:00:44 +0530

Fifties from captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, along with a late flourish from Washington Sundar, guided Gujarat Titans (GT) to 229/4 in 20 overs against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their Indian Premier League match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday.

Put in to bat by RR's stand-in captain Yashasvi Jaiswal--stepping in for the injured Riyan Parag--the Titans were propelled to a 200+ total by fifties from captain Gill (84 off 44 balls), Sudharsan (55 off 36 balls) and a late cameo of 37* off 20 balls from Sundar. Gujarat Titans capped off their innings in style, with Sundar and Rahul Tewatia smashing 21 runs in the final over bowled by Tushar Deshpande, who was struck for three sixes.

Gill, Sudharsan Lay Strong Foundation

The Gujarat Titans openers, Gill and Sudharsan, started with a clear intent to exploit the powerplay overs, helped by an 18-run over bowled by RR's Jofra Archer, who conceded nine extras in the opening over. Both Gill and Sudharsan dealt in boundaries at regular intervals and guided GT's score after the Powerplay to 82/0.

While Sudharsan completed his fifty off 30 balls in the ninth over, captain Gill brought up the fourth fifty of this IPL season in the 11th over, also off 30 balls. However, RR's Yash Raj Punja broke the 118-run opening stand in the same over as he claimed Sudharsan's wicket. After 11 overs, GT's score was 119/1.

Royals Get Key Breakthroughs

Gill upped the ante in the very next over as he slammed RR all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for a six and a four in the 12th over. New batter Jos Buttler could not contribute much as he scored 13 runs off 10 balls before being dismissed by Jadeja in the 14th over. GT were 155/2 after 14 overs.

Sundar Provides Late Flourish

While Brijesh Sharma picked up another wicket by dismissing Jason Holder, Washington Sundar took charge of the innings after Shubman Gill's departure. Sundar remained unbeaten on 37 off 20 balls, while Rahul Tewatia provided a late flourish with a rapid 14* from just four deliveries, including two sixes, as Gujarat Titans finished on an imposing 229/4 in 20 overs.

Bowling Analysis

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pukhraj Singh Gill wins ADT Players Championship in tense play-off

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 22:00:34 +0530

Pukhraj Singh Gill, who held at least a share of the lead since the end of the first round, ultimately won the ADT Players Championship after a tense three-way play-off. Gill overcame a two-shot deficit over the last two holes and then finished off the job in extra holes at Saujana's Palm Course, according to a press release from Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL).

Gill, who plays for the team Honer Homes Gurugram in the IGPL, totalled 13-under as did Thanawin Lee (68) and Sean Ramos (68). It took Gill two extra holes to secure the title and a cheque of $ 19,250 at the Saujana Golf and Country Club.

The win puts Gill in a good position to make a bid for the ADT Order of Merit, and next he will play at the AM Green IGPL Morocco Rising Stars event at the Mazagan Beach Golf Resort. After four events on the schedule, Gill is third on the Order of Merit. Another Indian, Kartik Singh, who played in the IGPL in 2025, shot the day's lowest round of 65 and finished T-30, and Khalin Joshi (77) was T-46.

'It's Going to Take a While to Sink In'

Gill sealed his win with a six-foot putt in the second play-off hole. Even as the ball disappeared into the cup, he threw his hands up and let out a roar of relief. He was immediately besieged by his fellow Indian players, including Aman Raj and Aryan Roopa Anand, who were also playing this week. Gill said, "It took a long time coming. This feels surreal. I think it's going to take a while to sink in, but I'm just so pumped right now. It's been a great week in Malaysia. I was very happy with the course design, playing it for the first time - it just really suits my eye, I am glad I could play the game I did. I made it a lot more 'interesting' than I would have liked to towards the end."

"It went into a play-off. And to have won after that, I feel I am on Cloud 9. It is going to take some time to sink in. But it is only onwards and upwards from here. A big thank you to all the people back in India. I am so grateful for all your messages and support. I can't wait to get back to the party and celebrate. I wish to thank IGPL for providing us a great Tour back home and to my team Honer Homes Gurugram for whom I play on the IGPL," he added.

How the Final Day Unfolded

It was Gill's first international title, and it came within months of his maiden pro title on the 2025 IGPL Tour. Gill had a share of the lead after the first round and was the sole leader by two after two rounds and held a one-shot advantage after the third round.

Taking a one-shot lead over Ramos into the final round, Gill started hot with three birdies over his first four holes to extend his advantage to five shots. However, dropped shots on the sixth and the ninth, and some great play by Ramos and Lee saw his advantage cut back to one.

The tense affair continued into the final stretch. Lee took the lead with a four-foot birdie at the par-three 12th hole, while Gill responded with his own birdie at the par-five 13th after finding the green in two. The Indian player made three straight bogeys from Hole 14, but neither Lee nor Ramos managed to pull away.

Gill made use of his length again at the dogleg-left par-four 17th, hitting a monster drive over the green and almost chipping in. The three players reached the par-five 18th with Lee holding a one-stroke lead on 14-under-par. Lee looked like he had the title in the bag when his third shot rolled just off the green, but he hit a poor chip and missed a 10-foot par-saver, carding a closing 68. Both Gill (72) and Ramos (71) made par to draw level and force extra time.

The playoff, contested at the 18th, saw Gill and Ramos nail birdies from 10 and three feet respectively on the first extra hole, while Lee dropped out after finding a bunker with his third shot.

The Indian then sealed victory with a superb birdie on the second sudden-death decider, hitting his third shot from a greenside bunker to six feet and sinking the putt. Ramos missed a long par putt after driving into the left rough and pushing his second shot right, behind two palm trees.

Gill is the second IGPL player to find success on the Asian Development Tour. The earlier one was Karandeep Kochhar, who won an ADT event in Egypt. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jadeja’s Intense Pocket Gesture At Buttler Sets Social Media Ablaze During Royals vs Titans IPL Thriller (WATCH)

Vaishnav Akash — Sat, 09 May 2026 21:56:54 +0530

Ravindra Jadeja’s fiery celebration became the talking point of Rajasthan Royals’ high-stakes encounter against Gujarat Titans. The left-arm spinner dismissed Jos Buttler in the 14th over, just as the England batter was gearing up to accelerate.

Attempting a big shot off the second ball of the over, Buttler found Donovan Ferreira in the deep. What followed was Jadeja’s now-familiar “pocket” gesture — hand inside his pocket, eyes locked on the departing batter — a symbolic send-off suggesting Buttler was “in his pocket.”

Sir Jadeja gets Jos Buttler and celebrates in style✍️Momentum shift incoming?#TATAIPL Revenge Week 2026 ➡️ #RRvGT | LIVE NOW https://t.co/4f0xDg7EfO pic.twitter.com/6f9yCsOCWA

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 9, 2026

Jadeja’s Gesture and Its Context

This was not the first time Jadeja showcased the gesture this season. Earlier, he celebrated Nicholas Pooran’s dismissal against Lucknow Super Giants in the same manner.

The intensity Jadeja brought against his former franchise star Buttler added extra drama to the contest. His celebration underscored his confidence in controlling one of the most dangerous batters in T20 cricket.

Jadeja has consistently managed to keep Buttler in check across formats. In T20 cricket, Buttler has scored 82 runs off 66 balls against Jadeja, dismissed three times, striking at 124.24. The spinner’s ability to slow Buttler down in the middle overs has been a recurring theme, preventing the England batter from dominating him consistently.

Leadership Change for Rajasthan Royals

The match also marked a leadership shift for Rajasthan Royals. With regular skipper Riyan Parag sidelined due to a hamstring injury sustained in the previous game, Yashasvi Jaiswal stepped in as captain.

Leading the side for the first time in the IPL, Jaiswal won the toss and opted to bowl first, expressing optimism despite the setback.

At the toss, Jaiswal confirmed Parag’s absence and announced two changes to the playing XI: Shimron Hetmyer and Yash Raj Punja came in. “We are going to bowl first. I think the wicket is pretty good and we want to chase it.

Riyan pulled his hamstring last game, so I feel he'll be coming back soon. Shimron Hetmyer comes in and Yash Raj Punja comes in. That’s the two guys who are coming in. I’m really excited, looking forward to the game,” Jaiswal said

IPL 2026: Bharat Arun backs LSG's Prince, Mohsin to play for India

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 21:30:47 +0530

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowling coach Bharat Arun backed pacers Prince Yadav and Mohsin Khan to play for India and lauded their form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.

Both Prince and Mohsin have impressed for LSG in the IPL 2026. While Prince has been amongst the leading wicket-takers in the tournament with 16 wickets in 10 matches so far at an average of 18.69, Mohsin has claimed 10 wickets in five matches at an average of 14.90.

'They have it in them to play for India'

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of LSG's clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday, Bharat Arun said that both Prince Yadav and Mohsin Khan have the potential to play for India. He added that the key challenge lies in how the national team management identifies and utilises such talent effectively to bring out their best. "If you ask me a question, can they [Prince Yadav and Mohsin Khan] play for India? Yes, they have it in them to play. It's how well they [India's team management] bring together the talent and getting the best out of it is a challenge for them," Arun said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

While Prince has consistently bagged wickets for LSG in this season, Mohsin's most notable performance came against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 26 when he registered figures of 5/23 in 4 overs.

LSG's exciting fast-bowling unit

Bharat Arun said one of the reasons he joined LSG was the quality of their fast-bowling unit. He highlighted the presence of promising bowlers such as Prince and Mohsin, along with strong performances from Mohammed Shami and the improving form of Mayank Yadav. "See, one reason me joining Lucknow Super Giants is due to the fact they were really exciting bowlers. If you look at Prince, Mohsin [Khan], [Mohammed] Shami is doing well and even now Mayank Yadav bowled pretty well in the last game. Okay, he is a little short of match practice, I would say, but he is getting there. And also, we have a few other exciting prospects on hand," Bharat Arun said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

World Squash C'ships: Veer Chotrani sole Indian after two first-round exits

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 21:31:08 +0530

India's challenge at the World Squash Championships 2026 has been reduced to just Veer Chotrani after Velavan Senthilkumar and Ramit Tandon were knocked out in their opening-round matches in Giza, Egypt, on Saturday.

Senthilkumar, Tandon bow out in opening round

Senthilkumar, ranked 50th in the world, went down 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-3) to France's sixth seed and world No. 5 Victor Crouin in his opening-round match at the Palm Hills Club and PGC Golf Central Mall.

This was the 33-year-old Indian squash player's third loss against his French opponent in as many meetings on the squash court, as per Olympics.com.

Tandon lost to Egypt's Kareem El Torkey, a player ranked 19 places better off - by a 3-1 (11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 11-0) margin.

This was the first-ever meeting between the two players on the PSA circuit.

Chotrani remains lone Indian hope

The two defeats on Saturday have left Veer Chotrani as the sole remaining Indian contender at the Giza event.

Chotrani had earlier produced an upset in the opening round, rallying from behind to defeat compatriot and India's top-ranked men's singles player Abhay Singh (world No. 22) 3-2 on Friday.

The world No. 45, however, faces a daunting challenge in the second round against Egypt's world No. 1 Mostafa Asal on Sunday.

India had fielded a four-member squad for the World Squash Championships.

Squash is set to make its Olympic debut at LA 2028. (ANI)

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IPL is more than a competition, a learning hub: Karun Nair

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 21:00:54 +0530

IPL A Valuable Learning Environment: Nair

Delhi Capitals (DC) batter Karun Nair described the Indian Premier League (IPL) as more than just a competition, calling it a valuable learning environment where players get the opportunity to interact and share dressing room space with some of the finest cricketers from around the world. He said that constant interactions with teammates and observing their approach towards the game and professional life help him evolve both as a cricketer and as an individual.

"I think that's the beauty of the IPL, where you get to spend two months with legends of the game from different countries and from our own country as well. It's always a learning experience, every single day, try and learn something from someone and try and spend time with a lot of the team members that we have, talk to them and learn things that they do in their life, in their careers and try and inculcate that into the game," Nair told ANI.

DC are currently placed eighth in the IPL points table with four wins from 11 matches and are now desperate to win the remaining three games to end their IPL season on a positive note.

Gratitude for Fan Support

Nair also expressed gratitude for the strong support shown by fans throughout the tournament, saying the encouragement received every day is special for the team. He added that meeting supporters and engaging with them through photographs and autographs strengthens the bond between players and fans.

"I think it's amazing to see the support that we have and the support we get every single day, and really thankful to everyone who has turned up here to see us and the time that they've spent to get here and just to get a chance to have a signature or a photo with us," he added.

Nair's Return and Performance

Karun Nair returned to the Delhi-based franchise for Rs 50 lakh at the IPL 2025 auction after enjoying a prolific domestic campaign, where he played a pivotal role in guiding the Vidarbha cricket team to the Ranji Trophy title. Following a promising 2025 season, Delhi Capitals retained Nair for IPL 2026. However, the batter has endured a slow start to the ongoing campaign, managing just 18 runs in two matches so far.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL 2026: RCB explores Chhattisgarh culture ahead of Raipur home game

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 20:31:00 +0530

Ahead of their much-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 'home' fixture against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Raipur on Sunday, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad took time away from the field to immerse themselves in the rich culture and traditions of Chhattisgarh, experiencing the region's local food, music, art and heritage in an expo that brought the team closer to the spirit of the state.

RCB, who played their first five home matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, are going to have the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur as their venue for the remaining two 'home' games in the IPL 2026, as per prior commitment.

A Memorable Cultural Experience

RCB captain Rajat Patidar said he enjoyed the cultural experience in Chhattisgarh. He highlighted the traditional music, drum performances and dances as memorable, and added that learning about the region's tribal communities and their history made the visit especially meaningful.

"I really liked it, especially when we entered and they played traditional music with drums while people were dancing. We also got to learn about the tribal communities here and their history, which was really special," said Rajat Patidar.

Discovering Godna Art

One of the highlights of the Saturday evening for the players was discovering the famed Godna art form, a traditional tattoo practice deeply rooted in tribal culture that has now evolved into textile and clothing designs to preserve the art across generations.

Krunal Pandya was particularly fascinated by the craftsmanship and storytelling behind the artwork. "This is the first time I am coming to Raipur and it's been pretty amazing. I explored the rich heritage and culture that Chhattisgarh and Raipur offer us. People are so skillful over here, the handicraft the l art and how they have preserved it was something really unique to learn about. It's amazing to see how culture and traditions are being carried forward," he said.

Tasting Local Delicacies

The RCB players also sampled a wide range of local delicacies from the region, including Charota Bhaji, Kanda Bhaji, Tikur Sherbet and traditional ragi-based dishes, giving them a taste of the local flavours of Bastar and Chhattisgarh.

Connecting Beyond the Game

"Cricket has always created opportunities to connect beyond the game, and for our players, experiences like these make every visit even more meaningful. From experiencing the local cuisine to learning about the Godna art form and the communities preserving it, it was an authentic and enriching experience for the team. Raipur has welcomed us with tremendous warmth and support, and we're excited to bring RCB to a city that has truly made us feel at home," said Rajesh Menon, CEO, Royal Challengers Bengaluru. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Asian Games champ Tajinderpal Toor dominates at Sangrur athletics meet

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 20:31:19 +0530

Toor and Rani Gear Up at Indian Athletics Series

Two-time Asian Games gold medallist in men's shot put, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, delivered a commanding performance at the fifth leg of the Indian Athletics Series held in Sangrur, Punjab, on Saturday. He recorded his best throw of 19.97 metres to secure a dominant showing in the event, as per a release from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

Punjab's 31-year-old seasoned thrower is gearing up for the upcoming major domestic competition later this month in Ranchi. "Main goal this season is to peak in major international meets," said Tajinderpal Singh Toor, who won gold at the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games. Toor's season best of 21.03m was recorded earlier in April at the Delhi leg of the Indian Athletics Series.

The Sangrur leg of the one-day Indian Athletics Series was also a good chance for two-time Olympian and Asian Games champion in women's javelin throw, Annu Rani, to test her preparation for the challenging season ahead. The 33-year-old finished third with a throw of 55.78m on Saturday.

In an exciting women's javelin throw event, Haryana's Shilpa Rani was first (57.65m) while Rashmi K of Andhra Pradesh took the second spot (56.15m).

Harjit Singh of the Air Force and Fatema Begam of Tripura emerged as the fastest and female runners of the one-day meet in Sangrur, respectively. Fatema also won the women's 200m dash.

Haryana's Kiran Pahal was a comfortable winner (54.07 seconds) of the women's 400m race.

Full Meet Results

Men's Events

Results: Men:100m: Harjit Singh (Air Force) 10.32 secs, Sam Vasanth S (Tamil Nadu) 10.48 secs, Adesh Garsa (All India Police) 10.51 secs.

Men: U20: 100m: Tipan Das (West Bengal) 10.68 secs, Yuvraj Singh Chib (Jammu and Kashmir) 10.70 secs, Jamil Ali (Uttar Pradesh) 10.78 secs.

200m: Dharambir (Haryana) 21.49 seconds, Raja Babu (Haryana) 21.67 secs, Sonu Chaudhary (Uttar Pradesh) 21.80 secs.

400m: Prakhar Sharma (Uttarakhand) 46.90 secs, Yashwant Singh (Rajasthan) 46.92 secs, Tarandeep Singh (Punjab) 47.04 secs.

800m: Vinod Kumar (Telangana) 1:49.62, Amit Kumar (Haryana) 1:50.68, Shakeel (Rajasthan) 1:50.81.

Men: U20: 800m: Suraj Singh (Uttarakhand) 1:53.48, Dev (Haryana) 1:53.57, Harmandeep Singh (Punjab) 1:53.67.

1500m: Vinod Singh (Madhya Pradesh) 3:48.46 secs, Rahul Yadav (Madhya Pradesh) 3:51.69, Sumit Kumar (Army) 3:52.36.

Men: U20: 1500m: Rahul Sarnaliya (Uttarakhand) 3:58.88, Rahul Godara (Rajasthan) 3:59.05, Priyanshu (Uttarakhand) 3:50.20.

5,000m: Sharashank M (Madhya Pradesh) 14:54.36 secs, Rajesh Manmya (Rajasthan) 15:02.74, Sandeep Pal (Uttar Pradesh) 15:02.84.

10,000m: Pankaj Kumar (All India Police) 30:04.77, Satish Kumar Verma (Uttar Pradesh) 30:06.88, Rajesh Manmya (Rajasthan) 30:12.13.

3000m steeplechase: Prince Raj Mishra (Railway Sports) 9:04.26 secs, Gurlal Singh (Army) 9:04.43 secs, Hemant (Haryana) 9:09.54 secs.

Triple jump: Jagseer Singh (Rajasthan) 15.11m, Akarshit Pratap Singh (Punjab) 14.99m, Ajay (Haryana) 14.90m.

Long jump: Amitra Ghosh (Railway Sports) 7.85m, Avinash Kumar (Haryana) 7.80m, Rajat (Uttar Pradesh) 7.55m.

Men: U20: Long jump: Dinesh Tanwar (Haryana) 7.11m, Harshdeep Singh (Rajasthan) 6.88m, Abhay Singh (BSF) 6.63m.

High jump: Gurjeet S (Haryana) 2.12m, Rohit (Haryana) 2.05m, Sunil Kumar (Rajasthan) 2.00m.

Pole vault: Aayush Tanwar (Haryana) 4.50m, Anshu Patel (Madhya Pradesh) 4.50m, Dinesh Dalal (Haryana) 4.50m.

Hammer throw: Damneet Singh (Reliance) 68.37m, Praveen Kumar (Rajasthan) 64.98m, Ajay Kumar (Haryana) 62.54m.

Shot put: Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Punjab) 19.97m, Sanyam (Haryana) 19.09m, Karanveer Singh (Punjab) 18.79m.

Javelin throw: Rohit Yadav (Railway Sports) 78.82m, Vipul Yadav (Rajasthan) 76.31m, Arshdeep Singh (Punjab) 76.29m.

Women's Events

Women: 100m: Fatema Begam (Tripura) 11.98 seconds, Preet Kaur (Punjab) 12.30 secs, Dona Dhaked (Rajasthan) 12.31 secs.

Women: U20: 100m: Lovejot Kaur (Punjab) 12.35 secs, Shubhneet Kaur (Punjab) 12.67 secs, Vandana Kumari (Rajasthan) 13.12 secs.

200m: Fatema Begam (Tripura) 23.97 seconds, Kusum Thakur (Himachal Pradesh) 24.08 secs, Rishita Kaur (Rajasthan) 24.36 secs.

400m: Kiran Pahal (Haryana) 54.07 seconds, Rama Tanwar (Rajasthan) 55.71 secs, Kiranpal Kaur (Punjab) 55.98 secs.

Women: U20: 800m: Sehnoor Bawa (Punjab) 2:13.03, Deepika (Rajasthan) 2:14.76, Harpreet Kaur (Punjab) 2:21.66.

Women: U20: 1500m: Snehal Kharat (Maharashtra) 4:32.63, Nancy Choudhary (Himachal Pradesh) 4:52.82, Anney Toppo (Delhi) 5:18.68.

1500m: Preeti Yadav (Madhya Pradesh) 4:37.53 secs, Shivani Hudda (All India Police) 4:42.61 secs, Sangam (Delhi) 5:21.50 secs.

5,000m: Anita (Haryana) 17:49.56 secs, Chatru (Rajasthan) 17:52.40 secs, Shraddha Rajanikant (Gujarat) 18:02.42.

10,000m: Sonam (Delhi) 35:54.70, Shreya (Uttar Pradesh) 36:03,59, KM Mamta (All India Police) 36:08.54.

3,000m steeplechase: Rebi Pal (Railway Sports) 11:10.08 secs, Khushbu Gupta (Uttar Pradesh) 11:10.76 secs, Bhagyashree L (Gujarat) 11:20.33 secs.

Triple jump: Niharika Vashist (Punjab) 13.13m, Arshdeep Kaur (Punjab) 12.53m, Martina Ilisiyus (Madhya Pradesh) 12.29m.

High jump: Reet Rathor (Uttar Pradesh) 1.80m, Khyati Mathur (Uttar Pradesh) 1.78m, Manshi (Railway Sports) 1.70m.

Long jump: Nidhi (All India Police) 5.85m, Soniya (Uttar Pradesh) 5.74m, Anjali (Haryana) 5.58m.

Pole vault: Nidhi (Haryana) 3.20m, Shabnam (Haryana) 3.00m, Rajni (Haryana) 3.00m.

Hammer throw: Kulvinder Kaur (Railway Sports) 57.42m, Nithya B (Tamil Nadu) 55.39m, Haqikat Grewal (Punjab) 53.89m.

Shot put: Manpreet Kaur (Railway Sports) 17.33m, Vidhi (Uttar Pradesh) 16.35m, Yogita (NCOE Patiala) 16.18m.

Women: U20: Javelin throw: Bhavya Pilania (Haryana) 47.36m, Navpreet Kaur (Punjab) 43.11m, Arya Mohite (Maharashtra) 42.48m.

Javelin throw: Shilpa Rani (Haryana) 57.65m, Rashmi K (Andhra Pradesh) 56.15m, Annu Rani (Railway Sports) 55.78m.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India Basketball League reveals 8 foundation cities for 2027 launch

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 20:30:26 +0530

The India Basketball League (IBL) on Saturday revealed the eight foundation cities for India's first professional basketball league, with six cities to compete in the inaugural season tipping off in early 2027. The announcement was made at the BUDx NBA House in New Delhi, where IBL players took to the stage to reveal the foundation cities alongside NBA legends DeMarcus Cousins, Isiah Thomas, and Vlade Divac, according to a press release.

The eight cities, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Pune, were selected for their strong ties to basketball culture through participation, fandom and well-established basketball communities. Six will compete in the inaugural season; two will join in subsequent seasons as the league expands. Fans will have the opportunity to play an active role in shaping the league from the outset, initially by influencing the decision as to which six of the eight foundation cities will compete in the IBL's inaugural season in 2027.

ACG's Vision for Indian Basketball

"The India Basketball League will be the next step of what has already been a decade-long commitment by ACG to the sport of basketball in India. Within five months of the announcement of the IBL, we opened our High-Performance Centre in Bengaluru, which is now home to the best basketball coaching framework and the best talent pipeline anywhere in the country. And the players who are training there are going to form the foundation of the talent that you are all going to see on court when we tip off in 2027. The announcement of our foundation cities represents the next step towards bringing to life the stage on which they are going to entertain Indian basketball fans for many years to come," said Karan Singh, Managing Director of ACG.

A Pathway to the Olympics

Basketball is one of the most-watched sports at the Olympic Games, and India's dream of being part of the global spectacle starts with the IBL. With a clear talent pathway from state-level scouting through the High-Performance Centre to professional competition, the IBL is designed to be India's route to the FIBA Asia Cup, the Asian Games, and ultimately the Olympics.

Fan Engagement at the Forefront

"The success of any professional sporting league is dependent on its fans, which is why we want the voices of India's basketball fans to be heard right from the outset. They will be our barometer for all decision-making, and so we intend to engage with them every step of the way," said Jeremy Loeliger, Commissioner, IBL. (ANI)

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IPL 2026: RR win toss, bowl first vs GT; Riyan Parag injured

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 20:01:02 +0530

Rajasthan Royals (RR) have won the toss and opted to bowl first in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Saturday. RR are missing the services of designated captain Riyan Parag, who is sitting the fixture out after having pulled his hamstring in the team's last game. Yashasvi Jaiswal is standing in as the skipper for RR.

'We want to chase': Yashasvi Jaiswal

Jaiswal, after winning the toss, said that Rajasthan Royals chose to bowl first as they expect the pitch to be good for chasing. He also mentioned that regular captain Riyan Parag is recovering from a hamstring injury but is expected to return soon. Jaiswal confirmed that Shimron Hetmyer and Yash Raj Punja have been included in the playing 11, and expressed excitement ahead of the match. "We are going to bowl first. I think the wicket is pretty good and we want to chase it. Riyan pulled his hamstring last game, so I feel he'll be coming back soon. Shimron Hetmyer comes in and Yash Raj Punja comes in. That's the two guys who have been coming in. I'm really excited, looking forward to the game," Jaiswal said at the toss presentations.

Crucial Points at Stake

RR made a strong start to their IPL 2026 campaign but have recently lost momentum, winning only two of their last five matches. They currently sit fourth on the points table and remain in the playoff race, though they will need improved consistency to avoid slipping further.

Meanwhile, GT arrive on a strong run of three consecutive wins. They are fifth on the IPL 2026 standings and will look to overtake RR with a win in this contest. With both teams fighting for crucial points, the match is expected to be a closely contested encounter, as a win for either side is set to significantly impact their position in the standings.

RR vs GT playing 11s

Rajasthan Royals

Yashasvi Jaiswal(c), Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubham Dubey, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja

RR Impact Sub options: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Adam Milne, Ravi Singh, Sushant Mishra, Ravi Bishnoi

Gujarat Titans

Shubman Gill(c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler(w), Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Arshad Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj

GT Impact Sub options: Prasidh Krishna, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Kumar Kushagra. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins sees 'strong potential' in Indian basketball

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 20:01:49 +0530

NBA Star Praises Indian Talent

Four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins praised the talent he has seen in India, stating that Indian basketball has strong potential for growth. DeMarcus Cousins, along with another legendary basketball figure, Isiah Thomas, is in India for the BUDX NBA House event, taking place on May 9 and 10, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

Speaking to ANI, DeMarcus Cousins, who won an Olympic gold at the Rio Games in 2016, said he is excited to contribute to the growth of basketball in India by sharing his experience and knowledge. The American NBA star also praised the talent he has witnessed in India firsthand and expressed confidence in the sport's strong potential for the future. "I'm honoured to be here and excited about sharing my knowledge, my experience, and helping to grow the game in India. I'm eager to see where we can take the game. I have had the opportunity to see some of the talent firsthand, and the potential is definitely there," Cousins told ANI.

'Access to top-level training key for growth'

Cousins, who featured for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA from 2010 to 2017, said Indian players need greater exposure to high-level coaching, training, and competitive experience to fully develop their basketball potential. He added that the natural qualities and fundamentals required to succeed in the sport are already present. "Of course, it's about learning the game, gaining experience through practice and play. They need access to top-level training and development to maximise their growth in the game. As for the intangibles, they are certainly there, all the key elements for basketball," he added.

An NBA All-Star honour is given to a player who is selected as one of the top performers in the NBA for a given season. Each year, the NBA hosts the All-Star Game, featuring the top players selected based on fan voting, player performance, and media or coach input.

About BUDX NBA House

Coming to the BUDX NBA House, the event is a high-energy, immersive fan experience celebrating the intersection of basketball, music, style, and culture. The event includes basketball-themed activities, a slate of music performances by names like NAV, Oppidan, Yashraj, Reble, Fijiana, The Bausa, and Chor Bazaar.

Celebrity Games and Masterclasses

The 3-on-3 celebrity game will feature Shanaya Kapoor, Rannvijay Singha, Arvind Krishna, Varun Sood, Sonia Rathee, Simran Kaur, Harman Singha, Shireen Limaye, Lalrina Renthlei, Dhruv Barman, and Anant Ahuja. BUDX NBA House 2026 also features BUDX Masterclasses - expert-led workshops and panel discussions to educate and engage emerging artists, DJs and fans, streetwear showcases, an array of food and beverage experiences, and more. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL 2026: Batting with Kohli is cool, he takes the pressure off: Bethell

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 20:00:26 +0530

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Jacob Bethell spoke about the team's mindset, his own form, and the confidence within the dressing room ahead of RCB's key clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Raipur on Sunday. Reflecting on the experience of batting alongside Virat Kohli, Bethell said playing alongside Kohli is a special experience and described the star batter's presence in the dressing room as reassuring rather than pressurising. Bethell added that having a player of Kohli's stature in the team allows others to play with greater freedom, as much of the attention and pressure naturally shifts towards the former India captain.

'Kohli's presence allows you to play freely'

"It is cool. I have said it multiple times, how cool it is to bat with him and be involved in the dressing room with him. I don't think it adds any more pressure. It is just nice to have someone of that calibre in your team. You can count on him, and a lot of the time, people are only watching him, so a lot of the pressure is off. It is not something that burdens you; it is something that allows you to play freely, I guess," Bethell said.

'Home away from home'

On RCB's transition from Bengaluru to Raipur, Bethell added, "This is our home away from home now. We had a great welcome yesterday at the hotel, and the transition to Raipur has been seamless. Training today is going to be very important because we have to adapt quickly. Mumbai has had a couple of days here, but I don't really think that makes a huge difference. We are a confident team, and I think we are going to adapt pretty well."

RCB, who played their first five home matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, are going to have the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur as their venue for the remaining two home games in the IPL 2026, as per prior commitment.

'Our best is very good'

Speaking about RCB's approach after back-to-back losses, he said, "There is no shying away from the fact that we have lost two games in a row. We have reflected on them, and there are areas where we were not at our best. But the only thing that matters now is being present for that first ball in the next game. If we can do that and adapt quickly, our best is very good, and we have got more than enough in the dressing room to walk away with four points here."

On personal form and desire to contribute

Bethell also opened up on his personal form. Bethell admitted he has not enjoyed the start to the tournament he had hoped for, but stressed that his focus remains on making an impact in the next game. He said his motivation comes from a strong desire to contribute to the team's success rather than concerns over his place in the side, adding that he is eager to deliver a match-winning performance.

"I have not got off to the start that I would have wanted in this tournament, but the only game that matters is the one tomorrow. I never really feel like I am fighting for a spot. It is more of a hunger to contribute to this team. It does not feel good when you are not contributing to wins, and there is definitely a burning desire to go out there and put in a match-winning performance tomorrow," he added.

'IPL is the marquee tournament'

On the decision between the IPL and domestic cricket commitments, Bethell defended his decision to prioritise the IPL over domestic cricket commitments, saying he believes it is the right move for his career. He described the IPL as the premier tournament featuring the world's best players and expressed confidence that the experience would help his development rather than hinder it.

"Everyone is allowed to have their opinions, and that is absolutely fine. But from a personal point of view, I think I have made the right decision. This is the marquee tournament of the year, with pretty much all of the best cricketers in the world playing in it. I definitely do not think it is going to hurt my career. I think it is going to do the opposite," he concluded.

Defending champions RCB will look to bounce back after back-to-back defeats in their highly anticipated clash against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday, 10 May 10 2026 in Raipur. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pakistan names 15-member squad for T20I series against Zimbabwe

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 19:00:28 +0530

Pakistan have named a 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, set to be played in Karachi from May 12 to 15.

Pakistan currently hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ongoing ODI series against Zimbabwe, with the third and final ODI currently underway in Karachi, according to the ICC website.

Squad Highlights and World Cup Prep

Fatima Sana will continue to captain the T20I side. Among the notable inclusions are uncapped players Amber Kainat and Saira Jabeen. Right-arm seamer Amber impressed in the recently concluded National Women's T20 Tournament, claiming 11 wickets in eight matches, while Saira was previously part of Pakistan's T20I squad during the tour of South Africa. The squad also features experienced names, including Aliya Riaz, Muneeba Ali, and Sadia Iqbal, as Pakistan continues preparations for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, set to begin on June 12. Notably, experienced campaigners Sidra Amin and Diana Baig have been named among the reserves. Sadaf Shamas, Pakistan's leading run-scorer in the ongoing ODI series following scores of 99 and 101, also features in the reserve list.

Pakistan Squad and Reserves

Squad: Fatima Sana (C), Amber Kainat, Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Eyman Fatima, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Saira Jabeen, Tasmia Rubab and Tuba Hassan.

Reserves: Diana Baig, Momina Riasat, Sadaf Shamas, Sidra Amin and Syeda Aroob Shah. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL 2026: Aditya Tare lauds KKR's resurgence after poor start

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 17:31:24 +0530

Aditya Tare lauds KKR's stunning comeback

Former Mumbai Indians batter Aditya Tare has lauded Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) resurgence in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season as the team has now won back-to-back four matches after enduring a five-match losing streak in the tournament.

KKR's latest win on Friday came in their clash against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. KKR handed DC a heavy eight-wicket defeat after Finn Allen's brilliant unbeaten 47-ball 100 helped the visitors chase down the target of 143 in just 14.2 overs.

However, the team's start to the tournament was disastrous, losing five consecutive matches, including a no-result. However, under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane, the team has now won four matches on the bounce and are positioned seventh in the IPL 2026 points table with four wins and nine points in 10 matches.

Speaking on Star Sports, JioStar expert Aditya Tare praised KKR for regaining momentum at a crucial stage of the Indian Premier League. He credited the team's comeback to their collective performances, improved spin and pace bowling attacks, and the strong batting form of Finn Allen and Cameron Green.

Despite their poor start with five straight losses, Tare believes KKR are now strong contenders for a top-four finish. "The IPL is won by teams that build momentum at the business end and KKR with back-to-back victories, have turned their season around when it mattered the most. They have some great match-winners, and now they have started to fire together as a unit. Their spin attack has come back to life, which has given them an edge. Their pace attack is picking up regular wickets. The form of Finn Allen and Cameron Green with the bat is looking good. They lost five games in a row at the start, but now they have turned it around and will fancy their chances of getting into the race for the top four," Tare said.

Tare criticises DC's 'lack of intent'

While KKR found their rhythm, things have been completely opposite for the Delhi-based franchise. The Axar Patel-led side has won just one match in their last six fixtures and are languishing at the eighth spot in the points table with just four wins and seven losses in 11 matches.

Coming to their loss against KKR, DC, after being sent in to bat, were restricted to 142/8 despite a half-century from Pathum Nissanka and a late 39 from Ashutosh Sharma. Their innings unravelled in the middle overs as they lost wickets in clusters and struggled against KKR's spinners. DC lost KL Rahul, Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Pathum Nissanka and Tristan Stubbs in quick succession.

For KKR, Kartik Tyagi and Anukul Roy took two wickets each, while disciplined bowling by the spinners kept DC's scoring in check. Chasing 143, KKR cruised home with 34 balls to spare, led by a stunning unbeaten 100 off 47 balls from Finn Allen, who struck 10 sixes and five fours. He was well supported by Cameron Green, who finished unbeaten on 33.

Speaking on DC's show against KKR, Aditya Tare criticised their lack of intent during the middle overs, saying their batting collapse put excessive pressure on the team. He pointed out that DC failed to counterattack after scoring just 11 runs in five overs in the middle overs (11-16), allowing KKR's spinners to dominate the game. Tare, however, praised Ashutosh Sharma for his late cameo, which helped Delhi post a more respectable total.

"Delhi's middle-order collapse put them under too much pressure. Their batters failed to shift the momentum back onto the bowlers. There was a clear lack of intent. You rarely see such a passive stretch of play in T20 cricket, where a team manages to score only 10 runs off 30 balls in the middle overs, you might as well be bowled out for 120. But at least try to attack and put the pressure back on the bowling side. That was completely missing from DC's batting. Credit to Ashutosh Sharma for his late blinder, which helped Delhi salvage some respectability," Tare said.

(ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Archery World Cup: Sahil Jadhav clinches maiden bronze in Shanghai

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 17:31:48 +0530

India's Sahil Jadhav clinched the bronze medal in the men's individual compound event at the Archery World Cup 2026 Stage 2 in Shanghai on Saturday. The 25-year-old Indian archer defeated Denmark's Martin Damsbo 147-144 in the bronze-medal playoff to claim his maiden Archery World Cup medal.

Jadhav's Path to Bronze

Trailing 30-29 after the opening end, Jadhav staged a steady comeback over the next four ends to seal an impressive victory.

Earlier in the quarter-finals, the eighth-seeded Indian edged Austria's Nico Wiener, the 2021 world champion, in a shoot-off after both archers were tied at 147, as per the Olympics.com. However, Jadhav suffered a narrow 147-145 defeat to France's reigning world champion Nicolas Girard in the semi-finals, which relegated him to the bronze-medal playoff.

Lone Medal in Compound Events

Jadhav's bronze medal was India's lone podium finish in the compound events at the Archery World Cup 2026 Stage 2 in Shanghai. India had enjoyed a dominant outing at the same venue last year, returning with five medals in compound archery.

Disappointment for Other Indian Archers

Kushal Dalal's campaign ended in the quarter-finals while former world champion Ojas Deotale lost in the round of 16.

India's campaign in the women's team compound event ended in the quarter-finals after a 233-227 defeat to Turkiye at the Archery World Cup 2026 Stage 2.

Madhura Dhamangaonkar, who won the gold medal in Shanghai last year, lost to Alexis Ruiz 148-144 in the round of 32. Aditi Swami was the top-performing Indian archer in the women's individual category but lost in the quarter-final to Lisell Jaatma. Earlier, Lisell Jaatma had knocked out India's top-ranked archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam with a narrow 148-147 win in the round of 16.

In the mixed compound team event, which is set to make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, India's Aditi Swami and Ojas Deotale bowed out in the quarter-finals after losing to the American duo of Alexis Ruiz and James Lutz.

Hopes Pinned on Recurve Events

India, however, remains in contention for medals in the recurve events on Sunday, with Simranjeet Kaur advancing to the women's individual semi-finals, while the Indian women's recurve team will take on China in the gold-medal clash.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hardik Pandya Injury Update: What Happened to the MI Captain & Will He Miss the IPL Clash vs. RCB?

Vaishnav Akash — Sat, 09 May 2026 17:09:42 +0530

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya’s availability for the upcoming IPL 2026 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Raipur remains uncertain. Pandya missed the previous fixture against Lucknow Super Giants in Mumbai due to spasms, with Suryakumar Yadav leading the side in his absence.

Although Pandya did not initially travel with the team to Raipur, the franchise later confirmed his arrival. According to reports, his participation will depend on the advice of the medical staff.

Mumbai Indians Struggle For Playoff Spot

Hardik Pandya has scored 146 runs in eight matches this season at an average of 20.85 and a strike rate of 136.44, alongside four wickets. Despite his contributions, Mumbai Indians have managed only three wins from ten matches, leaving their playoff chances hanging by a thread.

After a promising start with victory against Kolkata Knight Riders, hopes of a strong campaign faded as MI secured just two wins in their next nine games.

IPL Playoff Qualification Hopes Narrowing

The team’s recent six-wicket defeat further dented their prospects. Even if Mumbai Indians win all remaining matches, they will finish with 14 points from 14 games. Typically, 16 points are required to secure playoff qualification, meaning MI’s fate now depends on other results.

If they lose any of their remaining fixtures, their playoff hopes will end completely.

KKR dominate DC by eight wickets, stay in hunt for IPL playoffs

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 17:01:11 +0530

Kolkata Knight Riders remain in the race for the playoffs after a dominant eight-wicket win against Delhi Capitals in the India Premier League (IPL) on Friday. Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live', Mark Boucher and Piyush Chawla analysed KL Rahul's dismissal and DC's road ahead in the IPL 2026.

Piyush Chawla on DC's path forward

Piyush Chawla, a former Indian spinner, spoke about DC's upcoming fixtures. "Delhi Capitals still have a mathematical chance. So, there is definitely something left to play for. At this stage, it's important for the team to stay together, play with freedom, and focus on building momentum rather than worrying about other results."

"Instead of looking for faults or blaming each other, they need to back themselves, play good cricket, and take pride in the remaining games. A couple of wins can quickly change the atmosphere around the side," he added.

DC shifted to the eighth place after the defeat and now desperately need to win the remaining three games with a good margin to put their case for the playoffs.

Boucher on KL Rahul's crucial dismissal

Boucher, a former South African wicket-keeper said KL Rahul's wicket was a crucial moment because he's the batter Delhi Capitals build their innings around. "Ideally, you want him batting beyond the Powerplay so he can control the tempo through the middle overs. This is now the second time he has fallen around that phase while trying to take the game on."

KL Rahul made 23 off 14 balls with the help of four boundaries before Kartik Tyagi got rid of him to provide his side with the first breakthrough in the match. Rahul has made 468 runs this season and is the third leading run-scorer.

"The aggressive role can be taken up by others around him, but Rahul's value lies in going deep into the innings and managing momentum. From a team perspective, his wicket carries huge importance, and they would want him to place even greater value on it going forward," he concluded.

KKR's resurgence and next fixture

KKR have moved to seventh place on the back of four consecutive wins after starting their campaign by remaining winless in the first six matches. The three-time champions will face the RCB in their next fixture in Raipur on Wednesday. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Vinesh Phogat faces WFI action for indiscipline, doping violations

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 17:01:04 +0530

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has issued a detailed show cause notice to three-time Olympian Vinesh Phogat, accusing her of multiple acts of indiscipline and anti-doping violations, while also declaring her ineligible to compete in the upcoming National Open Ranking Tournament 2026 in Gonda.

WFI Outlines Four Major Charges

In the detailed 15-page notice dated May 9, 2026, the federation levelled four major charges against the wrestler, including her failure to make weight at the Paris Olympics, alleged anti-doping rule violations, breach of return-to-competition procedures following retirement, and violations during selection trials held in March 2024.

The WFI described Phogat's disqualification from the women's 50kg gold medal bout at the Paris 2024 Olympics as a "national embarrassment", stating that she was "duty-bound" to remain compliant with the prescribed weight throughout the competition. According to the federation, her failure to do so caused "lasting damage to the reputation of Indian wrestling".

The notice further referred to a "Recorded Missed Test" dated December 18, 2025, notified by the International Testing Agency (ITA), and alleged that Phogat had demonstrated a "cumulative pattern" of whereabouts failures. The WFI also cited another alleged whereabouts failure from September 9, 2024, as part of its case against the wrestler.

The federation additionally accused Phogat of violating Article 5.7 of the United World Wrestling (UWW) Anti-Doping Rules by failing to provide the mandatory six-month notice before returning to competition after retirement. Another allegation concerns the March 2024 selection trials, where the WFI claimed Phogat participated in two separate weight categories, 50kg and 53kg, which it described as a "direct and manifest violation" of UWW regulations.

Pending her response, the federation has barred Phogat from participating in all sanctioned events until at least June 26, 2026. "It is unsafe and contrary to the integrity of doping control... to permit your participation" until compliance with anti-doping and retirement protocols is fully established, the notice stated.

Dispute Over Gonda Tournament Venue

The development comes amid a public dispute over the venue of the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. Phogat had recently expressed concerns regarding her safety, noting that Gonda is considered a stronghold of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, against whom she is a complainant in an ongoing sexual harassment case.

In a video message, Phogat questioned how she could compete freely in such an environment. "Imagine if I go to his house and to his college... where every person would be related to him. I don't think I will be able to give my 100 per cent there," she said.

After her video message, the WFI President Sanjay Singh dismissed the concerns and assured that the wrestler's safety would be ensured during the event. "We have UWW-approved referees who officiate and all trial bouts are recorded, so there is no chance of any bias," Singh had said in a statement.

WFI Sets 14-Day Deadline for Response

The federation has given Phogat 14 days to respond to the allegations and specifically asked her to explain the alleged "unsportsmanlike behaviour" and "grave acts of indiscipline" mentioned in the notice. The WFI also warned that failure to submit a reply within the stipulated period would result in the matter proceeding ex parte, following which the federation would pass "such order(s) as it may deem fit." (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL 2026: Finn Allen's century keeps KKR's playoff hopes alive

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 15:30:35 +0530

Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a dominant eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in the India Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Friday. Finn Allen made an unbeaten century to help his team chase down a modest 143-run target at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

Boucher, Chawla analyse Allen's masterclass

Speaking on JioHotstar's 'Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live', Mark Boucher and Piyush Chawla analysed Finn Allen's unbeaten century. Former South African cricketer, Boucher lauded Allen's extraordinary century and said, "Once Finn Allen gets past 20 or 30, there are very few players in world cricket who strike the ball with the kind of power he does. What makes him special is not just the strength, but the range and cleanliness of his hitting."

"Whether it was the pick-up shot over fine leg against Mitchell Starc or the straight hits back over the bowler's head, everything looked effortless. Anything in his arc or under his eyeline, he was striking beautifully. At one stage, it almost looked like he was batting against a bowling machine. It was an incredible innings to watch," he added.

It was Allen's maiden IPL century, and he took just 47 balls to reach the milestone with the help of 10 sixes and five fours.

Former India spinner Piyush Chawla also spoke about Allen's knock and his approach against spin. "This was probably the toughest surface Finn Allen has batted on in the tournament, but what stood out was how well he used the crease. Against anything short, he went deep in the crease, and whenever the ball was in his zone, he capitalised immediately. His reach also allows him to access different areas of the ground comfortably. Having said that, the spinners didn't consistently bowl the right lengths to trouble him and ended up offering too many scoring opportunities. Once a player of his quality gets into rhythm, he becomes extremely difficult to contain, and this innings showed exactly why he's rated so highly in T20 cricket," Chawla said.

KKR's playoff push

With this win, KKR have moved to seventh place on the back of four consecutive wins after starting their campaign by remaining winless in the first six matches. The three-time champions will face the RCB in their next fixture in Raipur on Wednesday. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NBA's Isiah Thomas in India, says nation's basketball future is bright

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 14:30:22 +0530

Legendary NBA player and two-time NBA champion Isiah Thomas believes India's basketball future is "very bright" as the Hall of Famer prepares to headline the second edition of BUDX NBA House at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on May 9 and 10.

Thomas, one of the greatest point guards in NBA history, arrived in India alongside four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins for the immersive fan festival that celebrates the intersection of basketball, music, fashion and culture.

A Bright Future for Indian Basketball

Speaking to ANI ahead of the event, Thomas expressed excitement about engaging directly with Indian fans and young players through the unique format of BUDX NBA House. "I am excited to be a coach, looking forward to coaching at the game, coaching the celebrities and hoping everyone can have fun and enjoy the music and the culture," Thomas said.

The former Detroit Pistons icon, who won back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990, said he was encouraged by the growth of basketball infrastructure and participation among Indian youngsters. "The most impressive thing right now is that at the grade school and high school level, they already have gymnasiums, they already are playing outside on the court. So you have a lot of interest in sports. From a coaching standpoint, we would try to teach some of the fundamentals of the game. The do's and the don'ts and how you can improve your game and how you can become a better teammate," he said.

Thomas also backed India to eventually produce elite-level basketball talent capable of making an impact globally, pointing to the country's growing player base and enthusiasm for the sport. "The future of India in Basketball is very bright. You have a lot of young people now playing the game. You have a lot of young people following the game, and it is just a matter of time until someone breaks through because the sheer amount of people that you have and the talent is already here, budding and growing. It's just a matter of time for one or two breakthroughs," Thomas added.

Connecting Through Culture and Sport

BUDX NBA House 2026 will feature celebrity games, live entertainment, BUDX Masterclasses, streetwear showcases and fan engagement activities aimed at connecting basketball with youth culture in India.

The NBA's continued push in India reflects the league's long-term commitment to expanding the sport's footprint in the country through on-ground experiences and grassroots engagement. Thomas underlined basketball's wider social impact, saying the sport has the power to unite people across cultures and generations while teaching values such as teamwork and discipline. He added that bringing basketball to India can create opportunities for young people and foster stronger communities through sport. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

4 Key WWE SmackDown Moves Triple H Masterminded Before Backlash Showdown

Vaishnav Akash — Sat, 09 May 2026 14:25:00 +0530

Triple H reshaped WWE SmackDown ahead of Backlash. From Cody Rhodes’ clash with Gunther to Fatal Influence’s rise, plus a shocking Gingerbread Man twist, the episode delivered fresh angles and momentum without relying on tired storylines.

After weeks of ambushes, Cody Rhodes finally turned the tables on Gunther. The American Nightmare evaded multiple sleeper hold attempts and knocked the Austrian down several times, embarrassing the so‑called Career Killer. While not full revenge, it humbled Gunther and set the stage for their Undisputed WWE Championship clash in Italy.

The faction of Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid continued their surge. They defeated Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss in a six‑woman tag match, then confronted Women’s Tag Team Champions Paige and Brie Bella. Triple H’s booking gave them momentum and credibility, ensuring the group remains a major threat in the division.

SmackDown closed with Trick Williams mourning the Gingerbread Man, only for Sami Zayn to interrupt. The shock came when Lil Yachty revealed himself under the costume, ambushing Zayn. The crowd erupted, and Williams stood tall, signaling his rise as he heads into Backlash against the Canadian star.

The six‑woman tag bout wasn’t just filler, it was a highlight. Fatal Influence and the trio of Ripley, Flair, and Bliss delivered a fast‑paced contest filled with near‑falls and charisma. Triple H ensured the women’s division had prime time, proving its depth and entertainment value ahead of Backlash.

Rohit Sharma SHOCKING Video: Fans Try To Snatch His Rs 3.25 Crore Watch, Hitman Fumes

Richa Barua — Sat, 09 May 2026 13:46:36 +0530

Mumbai: In a shocking incident, some fans tried to snatch former Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma's expensive watch. This happened while he was greeting a crowd from his car.

A video of the incident is now going viral. It shows Rohit sitting in the back seat of his car and waving to the fans who had gathered outside. Suddenly, two young men rushed towards the car and forcefully grabbed his hand. One of them can be clearly seen trying to pull the watch off Rohit's wrist.

Realising the danger, Rohit immediately snatched his hand back and rolled up the car window. The video shows him angrily pointing a finger and telling the men to move away. However, it is not clear when this incident actually took place.

WATCH HERE

Rohit Sharma Fans tried to snatch his 3.25 Cr "Giraffe" watch from his wrist. And suddenly he close the mirror. pic.twitter.com/vMIQFxcdxt

— Aman (@Proteinkohli) May 8, 2026

According to reports, Rohit was wearing a high-end Rolex 'Giraffe' model watch. This watch is said to be worth around ₹3.25 crore.

On the cricket front, Rohit recently made a comeback after a long injury break. He played a crucial role in his team's victory against Lucknow Super Giants, scoring a brilliant 84 runs from just 44 balls. Thanks to his powerful batting, Mumbai easily chased down a massive target of 229 runs.

But even with this win against Lucknow, Mumbai Indians' chances for the playoffs look very slim. The team is currently in ninth place on the points table, having lost 7 out of their 10 matches. Their upcoming match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday is a do-or-die game for them.

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Inside Prithvi Shaw’s ₹10.5 Crore Bandra Apartment With Private Pool, Sea Views & Luxury Interiors [PHOTOS]

Vaishnav Akash — Sat, 09 May 2026 13:40:55 +0530

Step into Prithvi Shaw’s ultra-luxurious Bandra residence. From panoramic sea views to a private pool, his home redefines elite living in Mumbai’s most coveted neighborhood.

Prithvi Shaw’s residence sits in Bandra’s prestigious 81 Aureate Tower, perched on the eighth floor. The location offers uninterrupted views of the Arabian Sea, making sunsets a daily spectacle. Bandra itself is known for its celebrity residents, chic cafes, and upscale vibe, adding to the exclusivity of his address.

The apartment boasts a carpet area of 2,209 square feet, designed with a blend of wooden and marble flooring. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with natural light, while soft-toned furnishings create a calming atmosphere. Every corner reflects understated luxury, balancing comfort with elegance.

One of the standout features is the 1,654-square-foot terrace. It’s not just expansive but also functional, offering space for outdoor lounging, entertaining guests, or simply soaking in the sea breeze. The terrace transforms into a personal retreat, away from the buzz of Mumbai’s fast-paced life.

Adding to the grandeur, Shaw’s terrace includes a private pool. This amenity elevates the home into a resort-like experience, allowing him to unwind in complete privacy. Few apartments in Mumbai offer such luxury, making this feature a rare indulgence.

Bandra is home to Bollywood stars, business tycoons, and sports icons. Living here means access to high-end restaurants, designer boutiques, and vibrant nightlife. Shaw’s choice of residence places him among Mumbai’s most influential circles, reinforcing his status both on and off the field.

Reportedly valued at Rs 10.5 crore, the apartment is more than just a home, it’s a statement of success. The combination of prime location, lavish amenities, and architectural finesse makes it one of the most desirable properties in the city. For Shaw, it’s a lifestyle upgrade that mirrors his rising career.

Nora Fatehi to perform at FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 13:31:16 +0530

Nora Fatehi is set to perform and sing at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony, which will take place on 12th June 2026 at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, marking another major milestone in her international journey. The appearance further cements her growing presence on one of the world's biggest and most-watched entertainment and sporting platforms.

Star-Studded Global Lineup

Nora will join an exciting global lineup featuring Alanis Morissette, Alessia Cara, Elyanna, Jessie Reyez, Michael Buble, Sanjoy, Vegedream, and William Prince, according to a press release from FIFA. Meanwhile, the USA opening ceremony lineup includes global music icons Anitta, Future, Katy Perry, Lisa, Rema, and Tyla, making FIFA World Cup 2026 a spectacular blend of international music, culture, and entertainment. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gianni Infantino - FIFA President (@gianni_infantino)

Nora Fatehi's Global Rise

Her inclusion in the lineup highlights her rising stature as an internationally recognised performer with a strong cross-cultural appeal. Having previously delivered a memorable showcase during FIFA World Cup celebrations in 2022, Nora's return to the global stage reflects the increasing demand for her as a performer who seamlessly blends music, dance, and stage spectacle.

This moment also stands out because of her dual role as both singer and performer, reinforcing her identity as a multifaceted global entertainer. Over the years, Nora Fatehi has built a strong association with international stages and global sporting events, including appearances linked to the T20 World Cup.

With every performance, she has continued to strengthen her reputation as a dynamic artist capable of connecting with audiences across the world. Her upcoming act at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony is expected to be another defining moment in her global career. As she takes the stage in Toronto alongside internationally celebrated artists, all eyes will be on Nora Fatehi as she brings her signature energy, music, and performance power to one of the grandest spectacles in the world.

New Music on the Horizon

Meanwhile, Nora Fatehi is also gearing up for the release of her I-Pop track 'Body Roll' featuring Honey Singh, dropping Saturday. With its global appeal, the track has already created massive anticipation among audiences worldwide. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ajinkya Rahane hails spinners, centurion Finn Allen after win vs DC

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 03:30:39 +0530

Following his side's win over Delhi Capitals (DC), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane expressed happiness with the performances of his team's spinners and centurion Finn Allen. With four matches left before the playoffs, the Knight Riders' skipper said that he is taking it one game at a time.

KKR continue to drag themselves from the bottom to the race for the playoffs, with a thumping win over the Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday. A spin choke from Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and Anukul Roy in the middle-overs stopped DC's run-flow, allowing them to score just 142/8 in 20 overs, with Ashutosh Sharma's quickfire 39 in the end providing some momentum long after Pathum Nissanka had scored a half-century. During an easy chase, Allen's 47-ball 100* made sure KKR registered its fourth successive win of the season after six winless matches and handed its fifth successive home loss to DC.

'Happy for Finn Allen': Rahane

Speaking during the post-match presentation, Rahane expressed happiness with Allen's knock, the spinners and said that the fielding department is where the team is putting in some strict work. "I'm really happy for Finn Allen. He was struggling in the first four or five games, working really hard, but the way he batted tonight was fantastic. But I want to praise our bowlers again. We did well because of them. And they've been doing it so well consistently, especially those middle overs and the death overs. Our spinners, Sunil Narine, Varun and Anukul Roy, have been fantastic. Fielding-wise, yes, we are working really hard. Our fielding coach has been really strict with us. And that is what has been helping us," he said.

'Leave him alone'

On Narine, he said that he likes to "leave him alone". "As a captain, I'm so lucky to have Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy in our side. You do not have to tell them too much," he said.

'Staying in the moment'

Rahane also said that for their side, it is about "staying in the moment". "It is always about being in the moment. We've been playing very good cricket in the first five games. Those crucial moments in this format are really important. If you are attentive, if you are proactive, and then being in the moment, that is what helped us. But I want to give credit to our bowling coaches, Tim Southee and Dwayne Bravo. They have been working really hard with our bowlers. It's been fantastic," he said.

Praise for domestic talent

Speaking of his two domestic talents, Anukul (eight wickets in 10 matches at an average of over 22) and Kartik (13 wickets in 10 matches at an average of over 24, the side's highest wicket-taker), he said, "I am really happy for Anukul Roy, who had a fantastic domestic season. Kartik Tyagi has been really good, very clear in his mindset, and a very confident guy. These two guys have been really good. But overall, as a bowling unit, we are doing really well," he signed off.

Match Recap

Coming to the match, KKR won the toss and opted to field first. After a 49-run stand between Pathum Nissanka (50 in 29 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and KL Rahul, DC sunk to 89/5, with Anukul Roy (2/31 in four overs) shaking up their middle-order. Spinners Varun Chakravarthy (0/28) and Sunil Narine (1/17) also unleashed a brutal spin choke in the middle overs, while Kartik Tyagi took two crucial wickets for 25 runs. Ashutosh Sharma (39 in 28 balls, with three fours and sixes each) took DC to 142/8 in 20 overs.

In the chase, KKR lost openers skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi early, reduced to 31/2, but a 116-run stand between Allen and Cam Green (33* in 27 balls, with two sixes) took KKR to a win in 14.2 overs, with eight wickets in hand.

KKR has climbed to seventh with their fourth successive win, with their playoff chances alive. DC has slipped to eighth, suffering its fifth successive loss at home and its seventh of the season. Their playoff chances are extinct. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL 2026: KKR's Finn Allen's Explosive Century vs DC Hailed as 'Finnsanity at Its Peak'

Hrishikesh Damodar — Sat, 09 May 2026 00:26:11 +0530

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) opener Finn Allen stole the spotlight with his explosive century knock in the IPL 2026 clash against the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Friday, May 8. KKR kept their hopes alive with their fourth successive win of the season following an 8-wicket win over DC.

With a modest 143-run target, the KKR chased it down in 14.2 overs, or with 34 balls to spare. Finn Allen led the run chase with an explosive knock of 100 off 47 balls, including 10 sixes and 5 fours, at an impressive strike rate of 212.77. He also formed a crucial unbeaten 116-run stand for the third wicket with Cameron Green, who scored 33 off 27 balls.

Earlier, Ankul Roy and Kartik Tyagi laid the foundation for the victory with their disciplined bowling, claiming two wickets apiece to effectively stifle the Delhi Capitals' momentum. The DC’s middle-order was stifled by KKR’s bowling, as the hosts were reduced from 77/2 in 9 overs to 142/8 in 20 overs.

Also Read: IPL: Finn Allen's ton makes him first Kiwi with 3 T20 100s in a year

Finn Allen’s Comeback Century Knock

Finn Allen was warming the bench for three matches due to his inconsistent batting performance, scoring just 110 runs in six outings. However, the New Zealand batter scripted a brilliant comeback to the playing XI, which is likely to secure his spot as KKR’s primary opener for the remainder of the season.

Chasing a 143-run target, Allen lost two batting partners quickly, skipper Ajinkya Rahane for 13 and Angkirsh Raghuvanshi for 1, and the KKR were at 31/2. Cameron Green joined Finn Allen at the crease to carry on the KKR’s run chase. The pair formed a crucial partnership, with the opener dominating the proceedings by launching a relentless assault on the Delhi Capitals' bowling attack.

Finn Allen completed his fifty in 32 balls at a strike rate of 162.50, registering his first half-century in his IPL career. From thereon, the explosive batter launched a brutal assault on DC’s bowling attack, including hat-trick sixes off Vipraj Nigam, allowing him to complete his maiden IPL century in 47 balls while simultaneously taking the team through the finish line by hitting a winning six.

A Finn-tastic night for KKR #FinnAllen smashes the fastest century for KKR in just 47 balls.4️⃣ matches 4️⃣ wins and the Knights are looking unstoppable #TATAIPL 2026 | #DCvKKR #FinnAllen #AxarPatel pic.twitter.com/EzEPVnUsjF

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 8, 2026

From 52 off 32 balls to 100 off 47 balls, Finn Allen played a blistering knock of 48 off 15 balls at an astonishing strike rate of 320.00 to dismantle the Delhi Capitals' hopes of a comeback. When KKR needed just 18 runs off 42 balls to win, Allen was batting on 80 off 41 balls, but he switched into an even higher gear to ensure he reached his milestone.

A century while chasing 143 in just 47 balls - the fastest for #KKR! He came. He saw. He Finn-ished. Take a bow, #FinnAllen #TATAIPL 2026 | #DCvKKR pic.twitter.com/k4axnGJ6TM

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 8, 2026

With Cameron Green playing a supporting role to Allen, the Kolkata Knight Riders ensured there were no further hiccups in the chase, comfortably reaching the target with 34 balls to spare, and handed the Delhi Capitals a crushing defeat in front of their home crowd.

Fans Go Berserk over Finn Allen’s Explosive

Finn Allen’s explosive performance on his return to KKR’s playing XI drew widespread praise and adulation on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), with fans and cricket enthusiasts hailing his carnage and unrelenting assault on the Delhi Capitals’ bowling attack.

Taking to their X handles, fans and cricket enthusiasts lauded Allen’s fearless strokplay and calculated aggression, and celebrated his innings as ‘brutal masterclass’ and ‘Finnsanity’, calling it one of the most entertaining and destructive knocks of the IPL season.

Many insisted that the New Zealand opener has now firmly established himself as KKR’s go-to T20 powerhouse at the top of the order.

Took a long while to come but Finn Allen did put on one crazy show tonight. @FinnAllen32 #DCvKKR

— Nikhil Ram (@Nikhil_Rams) May 8, 2026

Finn Allen has batted so responsibly on a pitch which is normally not to his liking.

— Prasanna (@prasannalara) May 8, 2026

Finn Allen's 100 man, I have backed him always & hyped him even when he was going unsold at every IPL auction & even the day he went in auction for base price of 2 crores, I said he should be going at base price.Any day, his minimum IPL value should have been 5 crores!! pic.twitter.com/TpVwDCyVSu

— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) May 8, 2026

Finn Allen has finally arrived That one proper Finnsanity innings KKR fans were waiting for is finally here.And this Allen-Green New Zealand-Australia partnership is pure cinema pic.twitter.com/TnruQEBzCr

— chettan (@RamSrivs) May 8, 2026

Excellent hundred that by Finn Allen . Showing the DC batsmen how batting should be done in T20s #IPL2026

— Cricket Tamizhan (@CricketTamizhan) May 8, 2026

Finn Allen is an absolute beast. What a mad knock. KKR gave up on him too early. Give him a long time and he would create havoc at Eden Gardens. pic.twitter.com/zcFT9Tx79C

— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) May 8, 2026

There was a method to Finn Allen's innings construction today, very cautious early in the innings, and the odd risk he was gonna take, he backed away after two successive unlucky dismissals. Stabilized the innings, then decimated Delhi like there's no tomorrow. ♥️#IPL#DCvsKKR

— NavyBlueStoic (@navybluestoic) May 8, 2026

Dropped for a few games… and this is how you make a comeback What a sensational hundred from Finn Allen in just 47 balls Pure fearless batting from start to finish.Once Finn Allen gets going, it becomes incredibly difficult to stop him or even create chances against… pic.twitter.com/An2fcwHepm

— FailedCricketer (@FailedCrickt) May 8, 2026

Finn Allen took the DC bowlers on a one-way flight to the stratosphere! What a destructive, well-deserved maiden IPL century for the Kiwi explosive opener! 100* off just 47 balls, laced with 5 fours and a monstrous 10 sixes pic.twitter.com/T9uzn8MTQ2

— Saurabh (@MR_CricAnalyst) May 8, 2026

THE MIGHTY Kolkata Knight Riders ARE ALIVE AND ROARING! A brutal masterclass from Finn Allen 100 runs in just 47 balls with 10 MONSTER sixes and 4 fours powered KKR to a massive win over Delhi Capitals! KKR are now sitting in 7th place with 9 points, but the playoff… pic.twitter.com/OG3kggfvlZ

— Vipul Dabgotra (@VipulAura) May 8, 2026

The day he is in good touch, no one can stop himFinn Allen pic.twitter.com/GKaJGJfenU

— Sagarika Dixit (@saga__r) May 8, 2026

Finn Allen is a monster. He has a great pace game as well as spin.

— Mustafa (@mustafamasood0) May 8, 2026

In the IPL 2026, Finn Allen has amassed 210 runs, including a century, at an average of 35.00 and an impressive strike rate of 205.88 in seven matches. His explosive century knock has significantly boosted both his season stats and team confidence.

Also Read: KL Rahul makes IPL history, first to score 1000+ runs for 3 teams

IPL 2026: Green ready to bowl 4 overs as KKR make strong comeback

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 11:00:25 +0530

Cameron Green said that is ready to bowl four overs and confident to bat at any position for his team, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), in the IPL 2026 as they bounce back into the competition by registering their fourth win on the trot.

On the back of Finn Allen's unbeaten century, KKR defeated DC by eight wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Friday, and despite starting their campaign winless in the first six matches, they find themselves at seventh place in the points table. Green, who took the wicket of Nitish Rana while bowling only one over in the match, contributed with 33 runs to take his side past the winning line. Green did not bowl in the first two matches for KKR due to a lower-back injury management plan. He played as a specialist batter in those initial games before returning to bowling.

'100% ready to bowl four overs'

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Green talked about his bowling role and batting position and also highlighted the pressure of his price tag in the auction. Talking about his bowling role, Green said, "I'm 100% ready to bowl four overs. I think just the makeup of our team, we have Anukul Roy, who has been exceptional for us, bowling one or two overs. That means I can only bowl two or three overs, which has been a really big help."

"Having a left-arm all-rounder to potentially bowl through the middle and I can bowl in the power play and potentially the death or through the middle as well. So, I think it's just the makeup of our team that we've got six guys that we can go to and, obviously, Anukul and I are the all-rounders there. So, we just help each other out and bowl our four overs," he added.

On batting position and team combination

Playing his third IPL season and first-ever for KKR, Green has made 232 runs so far this season and has also taken four wickets with the ball.

Speaking about his batting position, the all-rounder said, "Our team was probably just finding the right combination and where guys should bat to best suit the team. We obviously took a few games to work that out, where it was best for me, where it was best for the other guys in the team. So I think we've got to a really good place now."

On pressure of hefty price tag

He was bought for Rs 25.20 crore in the auction ahead of the season, but he denied any added pressure due to the hefty price tag and credited the franchise and staff for that. "I've never felt any pressure from the guys in the team and the coaching staff, especially if you haven't made any note of it, don't add any pressure. But also, I've done it three times now, so I think I'm pretty used to it now," Green concluded. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL 2026: Parthiv Patel backs local GT talent for RR clash in Jaipur

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 05:00:38 +0530

Gujarat Titans (GT) assistant coach Parthiv Patel said that he expects Rajasthan's local talents Ashok Sharma and Manav Suthar to draw advantage from the home conditions in the team's Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Saturday.

Patel Backs Local Talents Sharma and Suthar

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the game against RR, Parthiv Patel praised pacer Ashok Sharma, calling him a promising talent who has performed well in the IPL as well as domestic tournaments, including the Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy for Rajasthan. He added that local players often have an advantage due to familiarity with conditions and said Ashok is a strong prospect for the future. So far, 23-year-old Ashok has featured in six IPL 2026 matches for the Gujarat Titans and has taken six wickets. In the 2025/6 Ranji Trophy season, Ashok bagged 14 wickets in seven matches at an average of 29.71.

"He (Ashok Sharma) is a very good player in the way he bowls. He has played very well in the IPL. We have seen him play in the Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy. So he is a very good prospect in the way he plays. And as I said, when local players play, they have that advantage. Because they are very familiar with the game. He is definitely a very good prospect for the future," Parthiv said.

Parthiv Patel also praised the team's left-arm spinner Manav Suthar, saying he has been around for a while, regularly features for India A, and continues to perform consistently. He described Suthar as a mature player who has led Rajasthan well in domestic cricket and earned his opportunities through strong performances. Notably, in the Ranji Trophy 2025/26 season, Suthar claimed 18 wickets in just five innings at an average of 15.94. Parthiv also noted that several local players, including Kulwant Khejroliya, are part of the setup and emphasised that familiarity with home conditions can be an added advantage.

"Manav has been there for a long time. He has been around. He is constantly playing in the India A team. He is also performing well. And this time, he got a chance. Once again, the way he has led Rajasthan. Because we were watching a lot of matches of the Mushtaq Ali. So he is a very mature player. And hopefully, as you said, there are a couple of players here. Kulwant is also from Jaipur. So there are a lot of people here. But as I said, when you come to the home ground, you need that familiarity," Parthiv said.

'Important Game' for Playoff Race

Parthiv Patel called the upcoming match an important one, noting that most teams are closely placed on the points table, with only the top side having played an extra game. He added that while acknowledging Rajasthan's strong form, the focus for his team is to execute their plans well and aim for a win.

"Definitely an important game, like you rightly said. Almost everybody is on the same number of points. And one team, which is at the top, has played one game extra. So it is an important game without a doubt, just the way Rajasthan has played. But we would like to just go out there and execute our plans and see if we can be on the winning side," Parthiv said.

Gujarat Titans, currently fifth on the IPL points table, will take on fourth-placed Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Both sides have played 10 matches and registered six wins each, with net run rate being the only difference separating them in the standings. Whoever wins the clash will inch closer towards solidifying their place in the top four.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

KSS Memorial Shooting: Rudrankksh Patil clinches 10m Air Rifle gold

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 06:30:32 +0530

10m Air Rifle Finals

Men's 10m Air Rifle

Maharashtra's Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil clinched the gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle Men ISSF event at the 24th Kumar Surendra Singh Memorial Shooting Championship being held at the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy in Bhopal. Rudrankksh shot 252.9 in the final to finish on top of the podium. Haryana's Rohit Kanyan secured the silver medal with 251.9, while West Bengal's Baiduriya Biswas claimed bronze with 230.8. Uttar Pradesh's Karamjeet Singh finished fourth with 209.6.

In qualification, Delhi's Paarth Makhija topped the standings with a score of 633.4, followed by Railways' Shahu Tushar Mane with 630.0. Gujarat's Gajjar Krish Jigneshbhai qualified third with 627.8, while Rudrankksh Patil entered the final in fourth place with 627.7.

Junior Men's 10m Air Rifle

In the 10m Air Rifle Junior Men's classification, West Bengal's Ashmit Chatterjee clinched the title with a score of 251.0 in the final. Uttar Pradesh's Piyush Sharma secured the silver medal with 250.5, while Haryana's Rohit Kanyan claimed bronze with 229.1. Uttar Pradesh's Karamjeet Singh finished fourth with 207.9.

In the qualification, Piyush Sharma topped the field with an impressive score of 631.7. Ashmit Chatterjee qualified second with 631.1, while Rohit Kanyan shot 630.4 to finish third. Karamjeet Singh secured fourth place with 629.9.

Youth Men's 10m Air Rifle

In the 10m Air Rifle Youth Men, West Bengal's Abhinav Shaw clinched the youth men's title with a score of 254.4 in the final. Haryana's Priyanshu won the silver medal with 249.7, while Haryana's Jatin Lamba secured bronze with 228.1. Rohit Kanyan finished fourth with 207.1.

In qualification, Haryana's Pranav Jindal topped the standings with a score of 626.1, followed by Haryana's Krish Kumar with 626.0. Rajasthan's Nemi Chand Dudi qualified third with 625.9, while Uttar Pradesh's Jyotiraditya Gosain secured fourth place with 625.7.

Other Results

10m Rifle Men Team

1. Uttar Pradesh (Piyush Sharma, Pratham Bhadana, Harsh Surya) - 1885.6

2. West Bengal (Apurba Podder, Abhinav Shaw, Stotroraj Das) - 1884.9

3. Maharashtra (Rudranksh Patil, Gajanan Khandagale, Pritam Kendre) - 1884.5

10m Rifle Sub-Youth Men

1. Shishir Ambekallu Mahesh (Karnataka) - 626.9

2. Darsh Pruthvi (Karnataka) - 626.5

3. Ranvijay (Haryana) - 624.9

10m Rifle Master Men

1. Sameer Ramesh Ambekar (Railways) - 608.4

2. Sachin Pal Bhangalia (Himachal Pradesh) - 604.9

3. Yogesh B. Gadmale (Railways) - 603.2

10m Rifle Deaf Men

1. Pranav Tiwari (Uttar Pradesh) - 626.3

2. Shourya Saini (Uttarakhand) - 625.2

3. Arun Panchal (Haryana) - 623.8

50m Rifle Prone Men

Niraj Kumar (Navy) - 623.3

Sidharth Gaur (Army) - 622.5

Swapnil Suresh Kusale (Railways) - 621.7

50m Rifle Prone Youth Men

Karan Singh (Haryana) - 612.1

Satyajeet Deelip Mohite (Maharashtra) - 611.0

Yogesh B. Gadmale (Railways) - 606.5

50m Rifle Prone Senior Master Men

Kushagra Singh Rajawat (Madhya Pradesh) - 610.9

Bhupendra Pratap Singh (Uttar Pradesh) - 603.1

Arun Panchal (Haryana) - 599.9

50m Rifle Prone Men Team

Army (Chain Singh, Niraj Kumar, Adriyan Karmakar) - 1869.6

Railways (Swapnil Suresh Kusale, Akhil Sheoran, Arjun Babuta) - 1868.0

Haryana (Rohit Kanyan, Deepak Dalal, Nishant Rawat) - 1858.7

50m Rifle Prone Junior Men

Adriyan Karmakar (West Bengal) - 626.2

Rohit Kanyan (Haryana) - 625.3

Vedant Nitin Waghmare (Maharashtra) - 624.7

50m Rifle Prone Master Men

Chain Singh (Army) - 623.7

Deepak Sharma (Delhi) - 620.5

Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) - 619.8

50m Rifle Prone Deaf Men

Amit Kumar (Haryana) - 612.4

Ravi Kumar (Punjab) - 609.7

Manoj Kumar (Delhi) - 607.9. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

KKR vs DC Highlights: Finn Allen's Masterclass Crushes DC By 8 Wickets | IPL 2026

Asianet Newsable English — Sat, 09 May 2026 12:09:41 +0530

Witness Finn Allen's explosive unbeaten century as Kolkata Knight Riders chase down 143 against Delhi Capitals! Complete match highlights from Arun Jaitley Stadium with all key moments, wickets, and celebrations. 0:00 - KKR vs DC - IPL 2026 Epic Battle 1:00 - KKR's Powerplay Start 2:00 - Allen’s Masterclass

IPL 2026: Finn Allen's stunning ton guides KKR to big win over DC

Asianet News Central — Fri, 08 May 2026 23:30:58 +0530

Allen's century powers KKR to victory

Finn Allen's 47-ball 100* helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) drub Delhi Capitals (DC) by eight wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match on Friday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Chasing a modest target of 143, KKR's Finn Allen's brilliant unbeaten century, hitting 10 sixes and five boundaries, along with help from Cameron Green (33* off 27 balls), guided the team home with eight wickets and 34 balls remaining.

Openers Ajinkya Rahane (13) and Allen gave the team a quick start as they reached 29/1 in 2.5 overs, but the visitors lost Rahane to a runout by Mitchell Starc on the last ball of the third over. Captain Axar Patel removed Angkrish Raghuvanshi in the very next over to reduce KKR to 32/2 in 4 overs.

However, that was all the DC bowlers managed as what followed was a proper onslaught by Allen. Once Finn Allen found his rhythm, he played with proper aggression. He targeted the spin of Vipraj Nigam and the pace of the DC attack with equal disdain. He reached his fifty off 32 balls with a six off Mitchell Starc's bowling in the 11th over. After 11 overs, KKR were 86/2.

Allen slammed three back-to-back sixes to Nigam in the 12th over and then smashed two in the very next over, bowled by Kuldeep Yadav, to enter the 90s. With just three runs needed for a win, Cameron Green took a single to let Allen take the strike. Allen, on 94*, slammed a massive six to reach his maiden IPL hundred off 47 balls and also took KKR to an eight-wicket win.

Coming to DC's bowling, Axar Patel (1/27 in 4 overs) and Lungi Ngidi (0/7 in 2 overs) were the only ones who shone. The win marked KKR's fourth consecutive victory in this season of the IPL. They now sit seventh on the points table with four wins in 10 matches.

DC batting collapses after good start

Earlier, after KKR put DC to bat first, openers KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka started well, collecting runs freely against spinners Anukul Roy and Sunil Narine. The duo was going at almost 10 runs per over. In the fifth over, KL tried to dominate pacer Kartik Tyagi with a couple of fours, but an attempt at going inside-out over covers went straight into the hands of Cameron Green, removing him for a 14-ball 23. DC was 49/1 in five overs.

DC reached the 50-run mark in 5.1 overs. At the end of the powerplay, DC was 55/1, with Nitish Rana (1*) and Nissanka (31*) unbeaten.

Nissanka continued to bat in a free-flow manner against spin, even hitting Green for a six and a four. But the Aussie all-rounder pushed DC back by removing Nitish for a 10-ball eight. DC was 74/2 in eight overs.

Spinners apply the choke

Spin started to dominate DC, as Narine removed Sameer Rizvi for seven-ball three, reducing DC to 80/3 in 10 overs. In the 11th over, Anukul snapped wickets of Nissanka, who had just reached his second-fifty of the competition, courtesy a stumping from keeper Angkrish Raghuvanshi for 29-ball 50 (with five fours and three sixes) and hit Tristan Stubbs' off-stump when he was at 2. DC sunk to 89/5 in 10.5 overs from a dominant position of 74/1.

Ashutosh Sharma and skipper Axar Patel were well contained by the spinners Varun, Anukul and Sunil in the middle-overs. The spinners put on an exceptional squeeze. From overs 11 to 15, DC could score just 18 runs and only one boundary came from the bat of Nissanka.

DC reached the 100-run mark in 16 overs. It took Ashutosh's six to break a boundary-less streak of 38 balls on the third ball of the 17th over and he further relieved pressure with two more fours, ending the over with 16 runs.

Vaibhav Arora ended skipper Axar's stay at the crease, courtesy a fine catch from Anukul. The captain played a poor knock of 11 in 22 balls, reducing DC to 128/6 in 18.3 overs. However, Ashutosh ended the over with a four and six.

With assistance from skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Kartik got his second wicket, removing Ashutosh for a 28-ball 39, with three fours and sixes each, bringing down DC to 140/7 in 19.2 overs. He also removed Mitchell Starc for a duck, reducing DC to 140/8 in 19.4 overs.

DC ended their innings at 142/8, with Lungi Ngidi (1*) and Vipraj Nigam (3*) unbeaten. Kartik (2/25 in four overs) and Anukul (2/31 in four overs) were the standout bowlers, while Varun (0/28 in four overs) and Narine (1/17 in four overs) also choked DC with their spin.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Finn Allen's ton keeps KKR's playoff hopes alive after win vs DC

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 03:30:28 +0530

Following his match-winning century for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), opener Finn Allen expressed happiness with his knock, saying that he tried backing himself to bat at least 40 balls and being left out for a few matches provided a change in perspective.

After some time away from the pitch, the Kiwi hitter unleashed his lethal best against the Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium with a 47-ball 100*, easily chasing down the target of 143 set by DC and giving the hosts their fifth successive home loss. KKR is still pretty much in the playoff hunt despite an early six-match winless run, as it won four matches in a row. After a string of low scores in the first half, Allen had to sit out in favour of Kiwi teammate Tim Seifert for three matches. After a 29 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Allen has finally produced a statement knock.

'Being left out changes your perspective'

Following his knock, during his post-match presentation, Allen said that he is focusing on diversifying his skillset in batting. "I have been working on having more strings in my bow. Had to be more responsible after a couple of early wickets. I tried to knuckle down early; it was challenging early on. Axar (Patel) bowled early. The strategy was to get in a good position and bat deep. That is my model: stay in when it is tough, give myself a chance. I have got a few starts, frustrating not to carry on, nice to have some personal success. When the situation comes, you forget about your batting and focus on the situation. I knew if I stayed out for a long time, 40 balls, which does not happen too often, I would score enough. Sometimes, being left out changes your perspective. Allows time for mental refresh. I was putting on too much pressure on myself," he said.

How the match unfolded

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Squash Worlds: Veer Chotrani stuns Abhay Singh in all-Indian clash

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 09:00:57 +0530

India's Veer Chotrani produced a stirring comeback to defeat compatriot Abhay Singh in an all-Indian opening-round clash at the 2026 World Squash Championships in Giza, Egypt, on Friday. World No. 45 Chotrani fought back from 2-1 down to overcome India's top-ranked men's player and world No. 22 Abhay 3-2 (14-12, 8-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-2) at the Palm Hills Club and PGC Golf Central Mall, according to Olympics.com.

The victory marked Chotrani's second win over Abhay in three meetings and secured him a place in the second round, where he will face defending champion and world No. 1 Mostafa Asal of Egypt.

A Five-Game Thriller

The match began with a fiercely contested opening game, with Chotrani edging the tie-break 14-12 to seize the early advantage. Abhay, an Asian Games medallist, responded strongly and took control of the contest by winning the next two games 11-8 and 11-5. With momentum firmly against him, Chotrani raised his intensity in the fourth game, tightening his control on rallies and forcing errors from Abhay to level the match with an 11-7 win. The decider, however, turned into a one-sided affair as Chotrani dominated from the outset and wrapped up the fifth game 11-2 to complete an impressive turnaround.

Indian Contingent in Giza

India have fielded a four-member men's contingent at this year's championships. Apart from Chotrani and Abhay, Ramit Tandon and Velavan Senthilkumar are also in action in Giza. Velavan Senthilkumar, the reigning World Cup gold medallist, is set to face France's sixth seed and world No. 5 Victor Crouin in his opening-round encounter on Saturday. World No. 40 Ramit Tandon will take on Egypt's Kareem El Torkey in another first-round match.

Quest for a Maiden Medal

India are still searching for their first singles medal at the World Squash Championships. The sport is scheduled to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IBL to give Indian players a pathway to pro career, NBA dream: Commr

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 01:30:29 +0530

Jeremy Loeliger, the commissioner of the Indian Basketball League (IBL), said that competition aims to give something to young Indian players "something to aspire for" and a proper pathway towards becoming a professional basketball player for India and in the National Basketball Association (NBA) of North America, the most prestigious basketball tournament in the world. Jeremy spoke to ANI at the BudX NBA House event in Delhi. The IBL, the country's first-ever professional basketball league, is supported by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and will take place this year.

Speaking about the competition, Jeremy noted that the league will be looking to fulfil the aspirations of young Indian players to be professionals and truly bring pro basketball to India in a professional, sustainable way. "The India Basketball League is launching early next year. It's all about bringing professional basketball to India, really, for the first time in a sustainable, long-term way. You asked about the vision. The vision is that we give young Indians something to aspire to in terms of being able to carve a profession out as a pro basketballer. That hasn't existed before. It is going to exist now," he said.

A Clear Pathway for Young Talent

Acknowledging the importance of pathways for any professional sport and for the strength of national teams in any sport, Jeremy said that the IBL aims to lay down a "clear pathway" for the young basketballers to fulfil their dream of representing the Indian flag. "Who knows, maybe going on to play in the NBA one day. That work is not something that happens overnight. What we are doing now is starting to put the tools in place to recognise talent young enough to then get them the coaching that they need early enough to transition into successful professionals," he said.

Jeremy said that so far in its journey, Indian basketball has missed the presence of experts training youngsters early in their lives, so that by the time they are 17 or 18 years of age, they are in a good place fundamentally and have to translate all the work put in their journey in a professional environment.

Developing Talent at High-Performance Centre

The IBL aims to do its work with a high-performance centre situated in Bengaluru, which is the nation's first HPC dedicated to developing elite-level basketball talent. At the helm is the head coach of the performance centre and league's technical director, Marty Clarke, a former player from Australia who won the National Basketball League (NBL) back in 1989 as a player.

"We have 88 players living there permanently. Marty is from Canberra, Australia, where he was the head coach of the NBA's Global Academy. You cannot find a better coach in terms of the development of young talent. He is currently working with the players who will form the first cohort of the professional players participating in the India Basketball League," he said.

"His next job is going to be working with us to identify and train those 14, 15, 16, 17-year-olds to be the next generation of pro players. Around him, we've got some of the best assistant coaches, strength and conditioning, nutritionists, physiotherapists, you name it, they are there," he added.

IBL is also targeting players in its eight listed foundation cities, and wants to give "young and growing populations" there a reward in the form of a team that they can support.

A 10-Year Journey

Jeremy is extremely optimistic about the talent which will come out of India, but says that it will be a "10-year journey" since young players will need time to develop. "We are going to see some really good talent coming out of here in the not-too-distant future, but I think it is a 10-year journey because you need to get those kids who are 14, 15 years old, and then you need to give them the opportunity to develop. But watch this space. There is going to be some really exciting talent coming out of India," he signed off.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL: Axar Patel slams Delhi Capitals' spinners after loss to KKR

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 00:30:31 +0530

Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Axar Patel criticised the team's spinners after it suffered a heavy eight-wicket defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Friday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

After DC could only manage 142/8 in 20 overs on the board batting first on the home turf, their spinners, including Axar, Vipraj Nigam and Kuldeep Yadav, gave away 102 runs in nine overs combined. While Axar impressed with figures of 1/27 in four overs, Kuldeep and Vipraj endured a tough outing as KKR opener Finn Allen smashed an unbeaten 100 off 47 balls to steer his side to victory. Kuldeep leaked 41 runs in his three overs, while Vipraj conceded 34 in two overs, with neither managing to take a wicket as KKR comfortably chased down DC's modest target in just 14.2 overs.

'Spinners made quite a few mistakes'

After the match, Axar Patel admitted DC's total was below par and said the spinners made several mistakes on a pitch that offered assistance. He also felt the game shifted when the team lost five wickets in a short span in the first innings, costing them momentum. "I think the runs were definitely below par, and at the same time, the spinners made quite a few mistakes. Looking at the way the pitch behaved, I feel the spinners did make errors. But at the same time, if you notice, we lost five wickets in two to three overs, and I think that's where the momentum slipped away from us," Axar said at the post-match presentation.

'Will plan for next year': Axar

Axar said the team will review their mistakes and begin planning for the future, including assessing strategies for next season and considering giving opportunities to players currently on the bench. "For now, we'll go back and think about the mistakes we made. After that, there's still a long journey ahead, and next year will come too. So we'll think about what plans we can make for next year and what approach we should take. Based on that, we can also look at the players sitting on the bench and decide who can be given opportunities and what changes we can make," he said.

KKR vs DC: Match recap

Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Delhi Capitals by eight wickets.

DC, after being sent in to bat, were restricted to 142/8 despite a half-century from Pathum Nissanka and a late 39 from Ashutosh Sharma. Their innings unravelled in the middle overs as they lost wickets in clusters and struggled against KKR's spinners. For KKR, Kartik Tyagi and Anukul Roy took two wickets each, while disciplined bowling by the spinners kept DC's scoring in check.

Chasing 143, KKR cruised home with 34 balls to spare, led by a stunning unbeaten 100 off 47 balls from Finn Allen, who struck 10 sixes and five fours. He was well supported by Cameron Green, who finished unbeaten on 33. The result marked KKR's fourth consecutive win of the season. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

IPL Match Today, 9th May 2026: RR vs GT Predicted Winner, Playing XI, Pitch Report & Weather Update

Vaishnav Akash — Sat, 09 May 2026 01:00:00 +0530

The Indian Premier League 2026 continues to deliver high-intensity battles, and Match 52 promises another gripping contest as Rajasthan Royals lock horns with Gujarat Titans at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, on May 9. With both sides tied on six wins and four losses, this fixture could prove decisive in shaping the playoff race.

Rajasthan Royals Current Form

Rajasthan Royals sit fourth on the points table, having endured a mixed run of results. Their campaign has been powered by Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who leads the batting charts for the side with 404 runs. Jofra Archer has spearheaded the bowling attack, claiming 15 wickets.

In their last outing against Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan posted a formidable 225 for 6. Despite early setbacks with Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal dismissed cheaply, Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag rebuilt the innings. Jurel struck 42 off 30 balls, while Parag’s explosive 90 off 50 deliveries set the tone. Donovan Ferreira’s late blitz of 47 from just 14 balls ensured a mammoth total.

However, their bowlers struggled to contain Delhi’s chase. Pathum Nissanka’s 62 and KL Rahul’s commanding 75 anchored the Capitals’ response. Nitish Rana and Ashutosh Sharma chipped in, guiding Delhi to victory in the final over with seven wickets in hand.

Gujarat Titans Current Form

Gujarat Titans, placed fifth, have mirrored Rajasthan’s record but boast strong individual performers. Sai Sudharsan has been their batting mainstay with 385 runs, while Kagiso Rabada has led the bowling with 16 wickets.

Their previous clash against Punjab Kings showcased resilience. Punjab managed 163 for 9, with Suryansh Shedge’s 57 off 29 balls the standout. Gujarat’s chase faltered early with Shubman Gill’s dismissal, but Sudharsan steadied the innings with 57. Jos Buttler added 26 before a mini-collapse threatened their pursuit. Washington Sundar’s composed 40 not out off 23 balls sealed the win in the final over, ensuring Gujarat stayed in contention.

RR vs GT: Pitch and Conditions at Jaipur

The Sawai Mansingh Stadium offers a balanced surface, favoring batsmen as the game progresses. Early movement assists pacers, but the true bounce and fast outfield reward stroke play.

Win Batting First: 35%
Win Bowling First: 65%
Average First Innings Score: 168
Average Second Innings Score: 158
Best Suited For: Pacers (58%)
Boundaries are relatively short, and totals often hover between 380-400 across both innings.

RR vs GT Weather Report

Jaipur is expected to host clear skies with a temperature around 34°C. Rain probability remains minimal at 1%, ensuring uninterrupted play. Conditions should favor fast bowlers, though batsmen will relish the pace and bounce. Recent Form Guide

Rajasthan Royals: L, W, L, W, L

Gujarat Titans: W, W, W, L, L

Head-to-head records tilt towards Gujarat, who have secured six wins compared to Rajasthan’s three.

Key Match Factors

Rajasthan’s batting depth, highlighted by Parag and Ferreira, makes them dangerous. Yet their bowling inconsistency remains a concern. Gujarat, meanwhile, rely heavily on Sudharsan’s form and Rabada’s breakthroughs. Sundar’s finishing ability adds balance to their lower order.

This clash is poised to test Rajasthan’s ability to defend totals and Gujarat’s knack for chasing under pressure. With playoff spots tightening, both teams will view this as a must-win encounter.

Gautam Gambhir seeks blessings after leading India to T20 WC glory

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 13:00:26 +0530

Former India cricketer and current head coach of the senior men's team, Gautam Gambhir, arrived in Katra with his family to offer prayers at the holy shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. After he arrived in Katra, Gambhir greeted fans and clicked photos with them. Then he joined his family to go to the temple.

Gautam Gambhir coached the Indian cricket team to victory in the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The Men in Blue defended their title and made it two back-to-back T20 World Cup titles. The T20 World Cup 2026 win made India the first team to successfully defend the trophy and win it at home.

India's upcoming schedule

Gautam Gambhir's next assignment as head coach will be an all-format home series against Afghanistan in June, where they will host the Asian counterparts for a one-off Test and three ODIs. They will then play two T20Is against Ireland in Belfast before beginning the highly anticipated England tour in July. India will face the Three Lions for a five-match T20I series and then play a three-match ODI series against them.

After the England tour, India will tour Zimbabwe for three T20Is before hosting West Indies for a multi-format series in September-October. They will face the West Indies in three ODIs and five T20Is.

IPL 2026 and Gambhir's KKR legacy

Coming to the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who Gambhir has been an integral part of in the past, have managed to find their rhythm and won four consecutive wins after starting the season winless in the first six matches. Currently, they are positioned seventh in the points table.

Gambhir is a defining figure for the KKR franchise, having reshaped the franchise with IPL title wins as captain in 2012 and 2014, and later returning as mentor to steer them to a third championship in 2024. Following his success as a mentor with the Knight Rider in 2024, Gambhir left the team to become the Head Coach of the Indian national team. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

DC vs KKR, IPL 2026: Who Won Yesterday’s Match? Results, Highlights, and Key Performances

Hrishikesh Damodar — Sat, 09 May 2026 02:25:29 +0530

The Kolkata Knight Riders kept their hopes alive for the playoffs with a fourth successive win of the IPL 2026, following a dominant 8-wicket win over the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Friday, May 8.

For DC, skipper Axar Patel picked a wicket while conceding 27 runs at an economy rate of 6.80 in his spell of four overs. The rest of the bowlers, including Mitchell Starc and Kuldeep Yadav, struggled to contain KKR’s batters, going for 31 and 41, respectively.

Also Read: IPL: Axar Patel slams Delhi Capitals' spinners after loss to KKR

Middle-Order Collapse Triggers DC Downfall

Delhi Capitals’ batting was rocked by a middle-order collapse after a promising start to their innings. The hosts were in a good position with 77/2 in 9 overs, significantly contributed by a brisk 49-run opening partnership between Pathum Nissanka (50) and KL Rahul (23), but failed to capitalize on the start as they collapsed to 89/5.

Nissanka’s wicket was a turning point, triggering a dramatic slide as DC slumped from a strong 74/1 to a precarious 89/5 in just three overs. Ankul Roy was instrumental in triggering the hosts’ batting collapse, which tilted the momentum towards the KKR.

Though Axar Patel and Ashutosh Sharma shared a 39-run partnership for the sixth wicket, the number of balls taken to stabilize the inning, 46 balls in total, meant the Capitals' scoring rate during this period was under a run a ball. Axar’s batting came under heavy scrutiny as he painstakingly scored 11 off 22 balls when the DC needed to accelerate.

From 74/1 to 89/5 Led by their spinners, @KKRiders wreaking havoc on the #DC batting line-up Updates ▶️ https://t.co/NaWLphmJKY#TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #DCvKKR pic.twitter.com/MdRt8UJImv

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 8, 2026

Anshutosh Sharma, who scored an unbeaten 39 off 28 balls, attempted to inject late momentum, but the damage was already done by the slow scoring during the middle-over recovery. With nine balls left for the DC’s innings, they were 128/6 and managed to add only 14 more runs, as Kartik Sharma’s clinical final over dashed any hopes of a competitive total.

That’s outrageous batting from Ashutosh Sharma A much-needed maximum for #DC to keep the scoreboard ticking.Lijiye Bhojpuri commentary ka mazaa, sirf JioHotstar par ️#TATAIPL Revenge Week 2026 ➡️ #DCvKKR | LIVE NOW https://t.co/Kg31E4o7KB pic.twitter.com/MjSZsfHCjM

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 8, 2026

Due to the collapse and slow scoring, the DC’s scoring rate went down from 8.55 runs per over to a dismal 5.90 runs per over during the latter half of the innings. Ankul Roy (2/31), Kartik (2/25), and Sunil Narine (1/17) were the architects of the strangulation, as they consistently hit the right lengths to ensure that DC was prevented from gaining any rhythm.

Finn Allen Dominated DC Bowling Attack

KKR’s 143-run chase was completely dominated by Finn Allen, who returned to the playing XI after three matches on the bench. Allen lost two partners early in the pursuit, skipper Ajinkya Rahane (13) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (1), leaving the visitors momentarily reeling at 31/2.

However, the New Zealand opener received able support from Cameron Green, who was instrumental in ensuring that he completed his century. Finn Allen was cautiously aggressive as he completed his first IPL fifty in 32 balls at a strike rate of 162.50 while maintaining the KKR’s scoring rate as high as 10 runs per over during the middle phase.

All-en control for KKR A superb half-century from Finn Allen puts KKR firmly on course for a commanding win #TATAIPL Revenge Week 2026 ➡️ #DCvKKR | LIVE NOW https://t.co/Kg31E4o7KB pic.twitter.com/lb9dLj0MbZ

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 8, 2026

After completing his fifty, Allen shifted his gears and launched a brutal assault on DC bowlers, including three sixes on the trot against Viprag Nigam, as he notched up his maiden IPL century in just 47 balls while simultaneously taking the team through the finish line by hitting a winning six.

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 8, 2026

Also Read: IPL: Finn Allen's ton makes him first Kiwi with 3 T20 100s in a year

IPL 2026: DC to 'try bench players' after another crushing defeat

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 12:01:14 +0530

DC mulls changes after another defeat

Delhi Capitals (DC) suffered yet another defeat in the IPL 2026 when they got dismantled by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), which handed them an eight-wicket defeat at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Friday. Speaking at the post-match press conference after the defeat, DC's Director of Cricket, Venugopal Rao, stressed making changes in the lineup for the next matches as DC find themselves at eighth place with four wins in 11 games. They desperately need to win their next three matches with a good margin to stay alive in the race for the playoffs.

On making changes in the lineup, Rao said, "The next three games we'll see how it goes, one game at a time. We'll try bench players. I think that is something we definitely want to try."

Batting collapse after explosive start

Asked to bat first, DC made 142/8 despite an explosive start from the openers. Pathum Nissanka made 50 off 29 balls with the help of three sixes and five fours, and KL Rahul made 23 off 14 balls. Axar Patel (11 off 22 balls) and Ashutosh Sharma (39 off 28 balls) took DC to a competitive total. No other batter made a two-digit score for DC.

Speaking about the areas of concern, Rao said, "Not one department, I think three departments failed today. After getting a good start, after seven or eight overs, we were in a good position, one wicket or something down. Then later in the next six to seven overs, we couldn't get a boundary. In this big beast of a tournament, you can't miss chances. We need to win patches, we need to win those small areas, not only in batting, but also in bowling or fielding, whatever it is."

KKR cruise to victory

KKR chased down the target with eight wickets and 5.4 overs to spare, thanks to the maiden IPL century by Finn Allen. After losing two consecutive matches, DC will take on Punjab Kings in their next match in Dharamsala on Monday, whereas KKR will clash with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Raipur on Wednesday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

S Jaishankar meets legendary cricketer Brian Lara in Trinidad and Tobago

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 08:30:23 +0530

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday (local time) met the legendary cricketer of the West Indies, Brian Lara, in Trinidad and Tobago during the final leg of his three-nation official tour in the Caribbean. He shared a post on X with photos of himself alongside the former batter and wrote, "With the one and only @BrianLara". Lara is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time and is bracketed alongside the elite company of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis. During his 17-year-long international career, he made 11,953 runs in 131 Tests at an average of 52.89 and 10,405 runs in 299 ODIs.

Jaishankar Holds Diplomatic Talks, Signs Agreements

EAM Jaishankar also met with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and joined her in presenting Made-in-India laptops to Trinbagonian school children, while both sides also concluded a series of agreements aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation. The External Affairs Minister also announced the conclusion of several agreements between India and Trinidad and Tobago covering tourism, renewable energy, development cooperation and traditional medicine.

Highlighting his meeting with the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Jaishankar said, "Such a pleasure to meet with PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Value her guidance on bilateral cooperation and insights on regional issues."

Jaishankar further expressed gratitude for the reception accorded to him at the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. "Privileged to be welcomed in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. Thank PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar for her gracious words," he stated.

Honoured at Flag-Raising Ceremony

The minister was also honoured at a flag-raising ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago. He was joined by legendary West Indian cricketer Brian Lara. "Honoured by the flag raising ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of Trinidad And Tobago. Thank Brian Lara, for joining us," Jaishankar posted.

Final Leg of Caribbean Tour

Earlier, the EAM arrived in Trinidad and Tobago, marking the final leg of his three-nation official tour in the Caribbean, following his engagement in Jamaica and Suriname. In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar stated that he was pleased to be back in the country. He was welcomed by the Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Sean Sobers. "Pleasure to be back in Trinidad and Tobago. Thank FM Sean Sobers, for the warm welcome. Look forward to a productive visit over the next two days," Jaishankar wrote in his post.

Jaishankar concluded his high-level visits to Jamaica and Suriname between May 2 and 7, marking a significant push in India's engagement with these countries. (ANI)

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Asian U17 Boxing: 5 Indian boxers reach semis, confirm 5 medals

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 08:00:45 +0530

India's young boxing contingent delivered a stellar performance at the Asian U17 Boxing Championships, with five boxers advancing to the semifinals and confirming at least five medals for the country.

Dominant Performances Secure Medals

In the quarterfinals, Yash Yadav (50kg) secured a hard-fought 4:1 victory over Kubanychbek Bolushov of Kyrgyzstan (KGZ). Nivesh Pal (54kg) continued the dominance, registering a unanimous 5:0 win against Shingen Kanai of Japan (JPN) to book his place in the semifinals, according to a release. In the 70kg category, Naman Kumar produced a commanding performance, defeating Ruzibek Miravotov of Tajikistan (TJK) with a 5:0 decision. Lakshay Phogat (75kg) also impressed, securing a clinical 5:0 victory over Cheng-En Li of Chinese Taipei (TPE) to progress to the last four.

Other Quarterfinal Results

In other results, Karung Albertson (60kg) went down 0:5 against Emir Mukhit of Kazakhstan (KAZ). Ranveer (66kg) suffered a 0:5 defeat against Islam Suleimanogly of Kazakhstan (KAZ), while Siddhant (+80kg) lost 0:5 to Sabyrzhan Sagym of Kazakhstan (KAZ), ending their campaigns.

With four more medals confirmed today, India's total tally in the U-17 boys category now stands at five. The Indian contingent will look to build on this momentum and push for top podium finishes in the semifinal stage.

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IPL 2026: Finn Allen's ton helps KKR thrash DC to stay in playoffs race

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 10:30:35 +0530

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) thrashed Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL 2026 match on Friday to register their fourth win of the season and stay alive in the race for the playoffs. The Ajinkya Rahane-led KKR comfortably chased down a 143-run target with eight wickets and 34 balls to spare, thanks to the unbeaten ton of Finn Allen in just 47 balls. This win helped in KKR's net run rate and took them to seventh place in the points table.

Green on Allen's 'exceptional' innings

Cameron Green, who made an unbeaten 33, praised Allen during the post-match press conference and said, "Finn was exceptional today. He's been really good for us. He's got off to amazing starts every single time he's been out there. That's exactly what we have got him in the team for. I think he's one of the best in the world at doing that and putting pressure back on."

"When he gets to 30 or 40, then he's very hard to get out because he just keeps going. I wasn't surprised by what he did tonight. He's been training really hard, and he's worked out a really good way to go about it. Happy for him and was so good to watch out down the other end," he added.

Allen hit 10 sixes and five fours while hitting his first IPL century, which took the game away from the hosts. He also hit the winning six and completed his century with that boundary.

'Belief was never gone': Green on KKR's comeback

KKR started their IPL 2026 campaign winless in the first six matches. But they have bounced back in the competition with four wins in a row.

Green, who was bought for Rs 25.20 crore in the auction, was under scrutiny for not bowling in the initial games, but he later started to bowl, and runs also came from his bat. Playing his third IPL season and first-ever for KKR, Green has made 232 runs this season and has also taken four wickets with the ball.

Speaking about the belief in the camp, Green said, "I didn't think the belief was ever gone. We've had like a really good culture this whole tournament. Even before we won a game, a few guys mentioned that. It hasn't felt like we've lost every game by how upbeat everyone's been. That's just a credit to the players and the support staff for keeping the vibes high because obviously it's a really big competition and it means a lot to us. So to lose those games meant a lot. We fought really hard to get back into it, and our bowlers have obviously been awesome in the competition."

KKR will face the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their next fixture in Raipur on Wednesday. (ANI)

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IPL: Finn Allen's ton makes him first Kiwi with 3 T20 100s in a year

Asianet News Central — Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:36 +0530

New Zealand batter Finn Allen, who smacked a match-winning ton for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Delhi Capitals (DC), became the first Kiwi batter to smash three T20 centuries in a calendar year.

During the IPL clash against DC, Allen single-handedly made an absolute meal of a modest 143-run chase, scoring an unbeaten 100* in 47 balls, with five fours and 10 sixes, striking at 212.77.

He is also the second Kiwi after Brendon McCullum (158* against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in opening match of inaugural IPL in 2008) to have a ton in the cash-rich competition.

Allen's Record-Breaking Year

Before this, he had smacked a 53-ball century for Perth Scorchers in Big Bash League (BBL) and a 33-ball century against South Africa in the T20 World Cup semifinals, the fastest-ever century in the history of both 50-over and T20 World Cups combined.

He has third most sixes by a KKR batter in an IPL innings, below 11 sixes by Andre Russell against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2018 at Chennai during his 88* in 36 balls and 13 maximums by McCullum during his explosive 158* in IPL's first-ever match that changed the landscape of the sport.

He joins McCullum, Venkatesh Iyer and Sunil Narine as the fourth batter to hit an IPL century for KKR.

In the ongoing season, he has scored 210 runs in seven innings at an average of 35.00 and a strike rate of 205.88, with a century.

This year, Allen has smashed 905 runs in 23 T20 innings at an average of 45.25 and a strike rate of 195.04, with three centuries and fifties each.

KKR vs DC Match Highlights

Coming to the match, KKR won the toss and opted to field first. After a 49-run stand between Pathum Nissanka (50 in 29 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and KL, DC sunk to 89/5, with Anukul Roy (2/31 in four overs) shaking up their middle-order. Spinners Varun Chakravarthy (0/28) and Sunil Narine (1/17) also unleashed a brutal spin choke in middle overs, while Kartik Tyayi also took two crucial wickets for 25 runs. Ashutosh Sharma (39 in 28 balls, with three fours and sixes each) took DC to 142/8 in 20 overs.

Impact on Standings

KKR has climbed to seventh with their fourth-successive win, with their playoff chances alive. DC has slipped to eighth, suffering fifth successive loss at home and their seventh of the season. Their playoff chances are extinct. (ANI)

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ISL 2025-26: Odisha FC boost survival hopes with 2-1 win over SC Delhi

Asianet News Central — Fri, 08 May 2026 23:01:37 +0530

Odisha FC secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Sporting Club Delhi in their Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Friday. Early first-half strikes from Suhair VP and K Lalrinfela (Mafela) gave Odisha FC a commanding lead, rendering Matija Babovic's second-half penalty for SC Delhi a mere consolation. Suhair VP had a wonderful game alongside K Lalrinfela, who was deservedly awarded the Player of the Match for his outstanding overall performance in midfield.

With this vital win, Odisha FC moved into 11th place, leapfrogging Chennaiyin FC and NorthEast United FC. They now have 10 points from 11 matches, while SC Delhi remain in 10th place with the same number of points from 11 matches, staying ahead courtesy of goal difference, as per an ISL press release. The victory provides a massive boost to Odisha FC's survival hopes as they continue to fight their way out of the looming relegation battle. Meanwhile, SC Delhi were left to rue their missed opportunities after completely dominating possession but failing to capitalise on their attacking metrics.

Early Strikes Give Odisha Commanding Lead

The match began with Odisha FC catching the hosts completely off guard in the opening exchanges. The Juggernauts broke the deadlock in just the four minutes when an unmarked Suhair VP met a perfect cross from Sanathoi Singh Heikrujam and found the back of the net with a header to go 1-0 up.

SC Delhi slowly began to claw their way back into the game, but the visitors struck again in the 13th minute after Delhi gave the ball away. Odisha midfielder Lalthathanga Khawlhring (Puitea) delivered a spot-on assist for Mafela, who produced a strong right-footed finish with a grounded shot that rolled into the bottom corner. The strike went past a diving Nora Fernandes to give Odisha FC a 2-0 lead.

Trailing by two goals early on, SC Delhi gradually found their footing and began dictating the tempo. The hosts created several chances before the interval, with Lamgoulen Gou and Matija Babovic both registering shots on target, but the Odisha FC defence held firm.

Another glorious opportunity came for the hosts just before half-time in the 44th minute when Mohammed Aimen received a brilliant assist from Babovic but failed to convert. The first half ended with Odisha FC maintaining their 2-0 advantage despite SC Delhi's continued pressure.

SC Delhi Fights Back but Odisha Holds On

SC Delhi began the second half with more aggressive intent, introducing Julio Rivas to bolster their attack, however, they were unable to create clear-cut chances initially.

Mohammed Aimen tested Odisha FC goalkeeper Anuj Kumar with an effort in the 58th minute, but the visitors managed to protect their two-goal cushion. As frustration grew, the match became increasingly physical, resulting in a flurry of tactical fouls and yellow cards. Odisha FC's Subham Bhattacharya and goalkeeper Anuj Kumar were both booked around the hour mark as they desperately tried to disrupt the hosts' rhythm.

The game went on without much incident until the 70th minute when Odisha FC conceded a clear penalty. Puitea handled the ball while attempting to clear it, resulting in a penalty for handball.

Matija Babovic stepped up to take the spot-kick in the 74th minute. The forward executed a well-placed penalty with power and precision to pull a goal back for the hosts.

Odisha FC found an opportunity to restore their two-goal advantage in the 79th minute. Substitute Kartik Hantal missed a massive one-on-one opportunity from point-blank range, keeping the home side in the contest.

The home side threw everything forward in the closing stages in search of an equaliser, with Julio Rivas and Sourav K both forcing late saves in the 83rd and 89th minutes.

As the clock ticked down, Odisha FC looked to retain possession and manage the game to protect their slender lead. Seven minutes of additional time were added, setting up a tense finale. However, Odisha FC withstood the late onslaught, maintaining their defensive discipline.

Tempers flared in stoppage time, resulting in late bookings for SC Delhi's Ousmane Fane and Clarence Fernandes.

SC Delhi earned a free-kick in the dying moments of the game; however, it posed no threat to the Juggernauts, who successfully saw out the victory. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)