Sport
England ace Curran under fire as IPL record price tag weighs heavy
Sam Curran is the most expensive player in Indian Premier League history but England’s World Cup hero is drawing flak after failing to justify his price tag with bat or ball.
Punjab Kings shelled out $2.23 million on the all-rounder but they are eighth in the 10-team table and barring a miracle will not qualify for the knock-out phase, AFP reported.
With a week of the group phase left, Curran was languishing at 39th on the runs table as of early Monday, with 216 from 11 innings and only one half-century.
South African six-machine Faf du Plessis at Bangalore has almost three times as many runs and seven 50s to top the batting stats.
Left-arm quick Curran, who with his run-choking bowling at the death was player of the tournament at the T20 World Cup last winter, has been even less effective with the ball.
He has seven wickets (51st position) at an economy of over 10.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag was the latest commentator to lay into the 24-year-old’s sub-par performance, comparing him unfavorably with bargain-buy teammate Prabhsimran Singh after the Indian player’s century on Saturday.
“You bought Sam Curran for ($2.23 million), what has he done?” Sehwag told the website Cricbuzz.
Sehwag, known for his straight talk, also criticized Curran last month, saying “he doesn’t have that experience yet” despite the record-setting price tag.
Curran, who had a previous stint in the IPL with Chennai, started this edition of the competition well.
He captained Punjab in three matches in the absence of the injured Shikhar Dhawan and played match-winning roles in two of them.
Bowling figures of 3-31 — his best this season — helped Punjab down Lucknow and then his 29-ball 55 won him the player of the match award against the Mumbai Indians.
Curran tried to make light of the fee Punjab paid, telling Sky Sports last month: “They’ve put a lot of faith in me and I guess I’m the type of person try not to put too much pressure on myself.
“Hopefully I can show some good performances for the team. The price tag is what it is.”
But Curran has since struggled with the pitches and conditions, and on Saturday pundit Simon Doull picked him as his biggest disappointment of the current IPL season.
“Sorry Sam Curran. It’s you this season so far,” the former New Zealand paceman said.
“Hasn’t bowled well enough at the death, going at over 10 an over. You buy a big-priced all-rounder, you have to deliver.”
‘A little disappointed’
Curran is not the only big buy to disappoint.
Australian all-rounder Cameron Green has been decent if not spectacular, hitting 274 runs to help Mumbai to third in the table, but taking only six wickets.
Green was the second most expensive buy in the December auction after Mumbai Indians paid out 175 million rupees ($2.11 million) on him.
Several Englishmen have failed to live up to the hype — a worry for the country ahead of the Ashes and one-day World Cup, AFP reported.
England Test skipper Ben Stokes was bought by Chennai Super Kings for 162 million rupees but managed only two underwhelming performances before being benched with injury.
Harry Brook is another Englishman who has not been at his destructive best, despite hitting the first century of this edition last month.
Brook, who was snapped up by Sunrisers Hyderabad, has scored just 63 runs in eight matches.
The right-handed batsman is 51st in the runs table.
“I was very, very excited to see Harry Brook,” Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle said.
“I thought Brook and SKY (Suryakumar Yadav), these were the two players I thought, ‘Wow! Let’s see them go head to head.
“I saw (Brook’s) hundred in Kolkata but I am a little disappointed by what followed.”
Sport
ILT20: Nissanka fires Gulf Giants to four-wicket win over Dubai Capitals
Azmatullah Omarzai dented the innings at crucial moments, finishing with 3/46 and tightening his grip on the White Belt for leading wicket-taker.
Pathum Nissanka produced his second consecutive half-century of the season on Saturday to guide Gulf Giants to a convincing four-wicket victory over Dubai Capitals, taking them to the top of the DP World ILT20 Season 4 standings.
Nissanka smashed 67 off just 31 deliveries in a dominant display that included six fours and five sixes. His 97-run stand with James Vince (50* off 45) proved decisive in the Giants’ chase of 161, which they completed with seven balls to spare at Dubai International Stadium.
Earlier, the Capitals posted 160/6 thanks to useful contributions from Sediqullah Atal (35), David Willey (29) and Jordan Cox (31). Captain Dasun Shanaka added late impetus with an unbeaten 23 off 9 balls, including two sixes in the final over.
But Azmatullah Omarzai dented the innings at crucial moments, finishing with 3/46 and tightening his grip on the White Belt for leading wicket-taker.
The Giants’ reply wobbled briefly after the early loss of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (9) but Nissanka took charge, hammering James Neesham for three sixes in the fourth over as the Giants cruised to 60/1 by the end of the powerplay. He reached his half-century in just 23 balls.
Mustafizur Rahman and Shanaka struck in back-to-back overs to remove Nissanka and Moeen Ali, but Vince held the chase together with a composed knock. Cameos from Omarzai (14 off 12) and Tom Moores (13 off 8) ensured the required rate never spiralled out of reach, and Vince sealed victory with a well-paced fifty.
In the first innings, after Omarzai removed Shayan Jahangir early, Atal and Willey stabilised the Capitals with a 61-run partnership. But the middle overs proved costly, producing only 18 runs between the 10th and 14th overs as wickets fell to Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson and Aayan Afzal Khan. Cox and Neesham revived the innings before Omarzai returned to snuff out the momentum by dismissing Cox and Rovman Powell in the 18th over.
Speaking after the match, Giants captain Moeen Ali praised his side’s all-round display: “Getting the points while knowing we can still play better is a good sign. We squeezed them well in the middle with the ball. Nissanka is a brilliant player, and Vince controlled the chase perfectly.”
Dubai Capitals skipper Dasun Shanaka admitted his team lost control through the middle overs: “Nissanka is in the form of his life — small guy, massive hitting. We lacked intent in the middle period. We waited too long to rotate strike. Powell and I probably should have gone earlier.”
Brief Scores:
Gulf Giants beat Dubai Capitals by 4 wickets
Dubai Capitals 160/6 (20 overs): Sediqullah Atal 35, Jordan Cox 31, David Willey 29, Dasun Shanaka 23*; Azmatullah Omarzai 3/46, Aayan Afzal Khan 1/3, Moeen Ali 1/23
Gulf Giants 161/6 (18.5 overs): Pathum Nissanka 67, James Vince 50*, Azmatullah Omarzai 14; Dasun Shanaka 2/16, Mustafizur Rahman 2/26
Player of the Match: Pathum Nissanka
In the 27th match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Sorkh Poshan Khafi edged out Arman FC 1-0 in a tightly contested clash.
On Saturday, Sarafan Herat secured a 1-0 victory over Ettifaq Khanzadah, keeping the league race intense and unpredictable.
Looking ahead to Monday, Sarsabz Yashlar will face Sorkh Poshan Khafi at 2:00 p.m., promising another thrilling showdown for fans.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, allowing football enthusiasts across Afghanistan to follow the action and enjoy the excitement of the Champions League season.
The groups and match-ups for the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to be the biggest sporting event in history, were unveiled on Friday during a high-profile Final Draw ceremony held in the United States capital, Washington DC.
In front of nearly 2,000 international guests and millions of viewers worldwide, FIFA revealed the 12 groups of four teams for the expanded 23rd edition of the tournament. The draw marks a major milestone as excitement continues to build across the three host nations — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — and the 16 host cities preparing for the event.
FIFA announced that the full schedule, including match venues and kick-off times for the tournament’s 104 games, will be released during a live global broadcast on Saturday, 6 December.
With nearly two million tickets already sold, FIFA says anticipation for the 2026 World Cup is rapidly rising.
There are 48 teams in next year’s World Cup — an expansion from the 32 teams of previous tournaments.
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