Sport
Conway, Gaikwad power Chennai into IPL play-offs
New Zealand’s Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad smashed half-centuries to fire Chennai Super Kings into the IPL play-offs with a thumping 77-run win over Delhi Capitals on Saturday.
The left-handed Conway (87) and Gaikwad (79) put on a blazing opening stand of 141 to steer Chennai to a mammoth 223-3 after electing to bat first in Delhi, AFP reported.
Skipper David Warner hit a valiant 86 but Chennai kept down Delhi, who are coached by Ricky Ponting, to 146-9 and book their spot in the top four.
They join holders and table-toppers Gujarat Titans, who are assured of a top-two finish.
Four-time winners Chennai have finished the group stage with eight wins and can stay as the second-ranked team in the table, depending on the day’s second result between Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants.
The season remains special for Chennai skipper M.S. Dhoni, who is believed to be playing his last season and has attracted huge crowds wearing the teams’ yellow as a tribute to the legendary cricketer.
Dhoni, 41, though has kept the fans guessing and still not clarified on his swansong.
Delhi, who were the first team to get eliminated from the play-off race, bowed out with nine losses and five wins.
Batsmen set up victory for Chennai after Gaikwad and Conway, in his 52-ball blitz, got cracking on the opposition bowlers with fours and sixes.
Chetan Sakariya sent back Gaikwad, who hit seven sixes in his 50-ball knock, but Conway kept up the charge in another attacking partnership of 54 with Shivam Dube, who hit 22.
Dube’s wicket raised the noise as Dhoni walked in with thunderous applause and stood unbeaten with Ravindra Jadeja, who hit a seven-ball 20.
Delhi were never in the chase as Warner played a lone hand in his attempt to drive the teams’ reply in his 58-ball knock but got little support from the other end.
Pace spearhead Deepak Chahar took three wickets while Sri Lankan duo of Matheesha Pathirana (fast bowler) and Maheesh Theekshana (off-spinner) took two each.
Abu Muslim Farah defeated Khurasan Faryab 2-0 in the 25th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan.
The match was played on Saturday at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium in Kabul.
Both teams pushed for an opening goal in the first half, but neither side managed to find the net, and the teams went into the break goalless.
Just two minutes into the second half, Abu Muslim Farah broke the deadlock to take a 1-0 lead.
Alireza Panahi later doubled Abu Muslim Farah’s advantage, sealing a 2-0 victory for the Farah side.
Abu Muslim Farah committed 13 fouls and received two yellow cards, while Khorasan Faryab committed seven fouls and received one yellow card.
Matches from the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League are being broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television.
Omar Zawak Herat secured a 1-0 victory over Toofan Herat in the 24th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul.
The match was played on Saturday at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium.
Both sides created scoring opportunities in the first half, but neither team managed to find the net before the break.
Omar Zawak Herat broke the deadlock in the 86th minute when Shadab Malikzadah scored with a fine strike to give his side the lead.
Toofan Herat committed eight fouls and received two yellow cards, while Omar Zawak Herat recorded six fouls and received one yellow card and one red card.
Toofan Herat will face Aino Mina Kandahar on September 29, while Omar Zawak Herat will take on Abu Muslim Farah on September 30.
Matches from the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League are being broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Afghanistan are set to face India in the Asian Games cricket quarter-finals after Saturday’s rain-hit match between Nepal and Japan confirmed the Pool A standings.
The quarter-final between India and Afghanistan is scheduled to take place on September 28 in Nisshin, Japan.
Nepal secured first place in the group after Japan’s chase was washed out. Nepal had scored 149 runs for four wickets in 15 overs after being sent in to bat, but persistent rain prevented Japan from starting its innings.
The result saw Nepal advance as Pool A winners, with Afghanistan joining them in the quarter-finals as the other qualifying team. Nepal will face Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals.
Japan have been eliminated from the tournament.
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