Sport

Brilliant Madhwal takes 5-5 as Mumbai knock Lucknow out of IPL

Published

11 months ago

May 25, 2023

(Last Updated On: May 25, 2023)

Akash Madhwal took five wickets for as many runs to lead Mumbai Indians to a crushing 81-run win in the second IPL playoff game and knock Lucknow Super Giants out of the tournament on Wednesday.

Australia’s Cameron Green (41) and Suryakumar Yadav (33) put on 66 to help guide five-time champions Mumbai to 182-8 after they elected to bat first in the knockout contest in Chennai.

Madhwal then returned figures of 5-5 in 3.3 overs to dismiss Lucknow for 101 as Mumbai booked a meeting with holders and regular season table-toppers Gujarat Titans in the next play-off encounter on Friday in Ahmedabad.

The winners of that clash will meet Chennai Super Kings in the final on Sunday.

“It’s nice that it’s going well at the moment,” Green said.

“Our batting’s been really good. Madhwal has been the game changer for us; five today, and got four-for the other day.”

Green, who was the second-most expensive player bought in the auction at $2.11 million, added: “Gujarat are the best team. It’s going to be a tough challenge, especially on their home turf.”

Lucknow’s innings imploded as they collapsed from 69-2 to be bowled out in 16.3 overs, losing three key wickets to run outs.

Green, who hit his maiden T20 century in Mumbai’s previous win, looked in control during a 23-ball knock laced with six fours and one six until his departure, AFP reported.

Naveen-ul-Haq, who took four wickets for Lucknow, sent back Suryakumar and Green, bowled by a slower off-cutter from the Afghanistan pace bowler, in the space of three deliveries to push Mumbai onto the back foot.

Tilak Varma hit back with a quickfire 26 and a 43-run stand with Tim David, who was out caught for 13 after unsuccessfully reviewing a full toss for being over waist-height.

Naveen finished with 4-38 and Yash Thakur took three wickets but despite their efforts Mumbai’s impact sub Nehal Wadhera boosted the total with his 12-ball 23.

Lucknow lost their openers early including impact player Kyle Mayers for 18 before Australia’s Marcus Stoinis attempted to pull the chase together in his 27-ball 40.

But Madhwal struck with successive balls, including getting the dangerous Nicholas Pooran caught behind for a golden duck.

An engineer by profession, Madhwal learned the game while playing tennis-ball cricket in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand but is filling in for Mumbai’s injured pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.

“Bumrah bhai (brother) has his own place, and I’m just trying to play the role assigned to me,” said the 29-year-old Madhwal.

Stoinis, who crossed 400 runs this season to be his team’s standout performer, was run out after a mid-pitch collision with non-striker Deepak Hooda with both batsmen watching the ball.

The innings fell further apart with two more run outs sending back Krishnappa Gowtham and Hooda.

Lucknow, who made their IPL debut last season with Gujarat Titans as the league grew to 10 teams, fell at the same hurdle in the previous edition.

The neutral venue for both teams had many empty seats, in contrast to the nearly full stadium on Tuesday when home hero M.S. Dhoni’s Chennai made the final with a win over Gujarat.

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Afghanistan beat Iraq 5-3, inch closer to Futsal World Cup berth

Published

3 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: April 26, 2024)

Afghanistan defeated Iraq 5-3 on Friday and moved closer to the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup qualification.

Afghanistan’s goals were scored by Akbar Kazemi (1), Farzad Mahmoodi (1), Mehran Ghulami (1), and Jawad Safari (2).

In the other match of playoff in Thailand on Friday, Kyrgyzstan beat Vietnam 3-2.

Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan will face off for a spot at the Futsal World Cup on Sunday at the Playoff final.

Sport

India’s Pant boosts World Cup hopes with IPL batting blitz

Published

1 day ago

April 25, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: April 25, 2024)

Rishabh Pant smashed an unbeaten 88 as he led Delhi Capitals to a tense IPL win over Gujarat Titans on Wednesday, boosting his chances of playing for India at the T20 World Cup.

Delhi posted 224-4 courtesy of a 113-run stand between Pant and fellow left-hander Axar Patel, who hit 66, after they slipped to 44-3 inside six overs at their home Arun Jaitley Stadium, AFP reported.

The hosts kept Gujarat down to 220-8 to win by four runs after David Miller’s 23-ball 55 and an unbeaten 21 off 11 deliveries by Rashid Khan.

Mukesh Kumar kept his nerve in the final over for Delhi’s fourth win in nine matches as they kept their playoff hopes alive in the T20 tournament.

Pant, 26, struck his third half-century of this season after 14 months away from top level cricket following a frightening car accident when his Mercedes rammed into a barrier, flipped and caught fire in December 2022.

Pant, a wicketkeeper-batsman, suffered multiple injuries and was rushed to hospital before being airlifted to Mumbai for further treatment and surgery.

“Everyday that I’m in the middle, I feel better,” man of the match Pant said after his 43-ball blitz studded with five fours and eight sixes.

“Every hour on the field matters, I love being on the field. I try to give it my 100 percent. I think the first six in the match gives me the confidence in a game.”

Pant has not only fired with the bat in the IPL but his sharp work behind the stumps prompted Delhi’s director of cricket Sourav Ganguly and coach Ricky Ponting to back the India star for making the national team for the World Cup in June, AFP reported.

– ‘Great fight’ –

Up and coming Australian batsman Jake Fraser-McGurk gave Delhi a strong start with his 14-ball 23 but medium-pace bowler Sandeep Warrier took three wickets including two in one over.

Patel, a bowling all-rounder promoted to number three in the batting, brought up his fifty with a boundary off Rashid before another Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad had him caught at long-on.

Pant reached his fifty in style with a six off Mohit Sharma and then hammered the medium-pace bowler in a 31-run 20th over when he finished with a six, four and three hits over the fence to raise the roof.

South African Tristan Stubbs watched the blitz from the other end after he smashed Sai Kishore in the 19th over, which went for 22 runs, for his unbeaten seven-ball 26.

In reply, Gujarat lost skipper Shubman Gill for six off Anrich Nortje before impact substitute Sai Sudarshan smashed 65 off 39 balls.

Gujarat lost regular wickets but the left-handed Miller smashed Nortje for three sixes and a four to give Delhi a scare before his departure in the 18th over.

Rashid kept up the fight till the end as Gujarat needed 19 off the final over and five on the last ball.

“I think we played some really good cricket, disappointing to lose in the end, but great character shown by everyone,” said Gill. “Great fight till the end and we never thought we were out of the game at any point.”

Sport

Attack Energy and Istiqlal Kabul secure wins in respective ACL matches

Published

1 day ago

April 25, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: April 25, 2024)

Attack Energy FC defeated Sorkh Poshan Khafi 1-0 in the 9th match of Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) in Kabul on Wednesday.

Hasib Ahadi scored the only goal and was named man of the match.

“I congratulate this victory to the Attack Energy team. It was a good game. There were some problems that, unfortunately, we couldn’t score in the first half of the match. Thank god we finally won the game,” said Ahadi.

In the 10th ACL match, played on Wednesday, Istiqlal Kabul FC beat Mawj Sahil FC 2-1.

Shadab Malikzada was named man of the match and awarded the trophy.

Tomorrow’s matches will see Khadim FC take on Maiwand FC at 1:00 PM, while Jawanan Wahedi FC face Adalat Farah FC at 3:30 PM.

The matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television every day.