India win toss and bat in T20 World Cup final

Published at : 29 June 2024, 08:54 pm
India win toss and bat in T20 World Cup final
Photo: Collected

India captain Rohit Sharma  won the toss and opted to bat in the final of the T20 World Cup against South Africa at the Kensington Oval on Saturday, reports AFP.

The toss was held in bright sunshine and with a gusty wind blowing across the  28,000 capacity venue which is expected to be sold out for the game.

Rohit and his South African counterpart Aiden Markram both named unchanged  line-ups from the teams which won their respective semi-finals.

The possibility of stormy weather over the weekend, with some rain forecast  for Saturday, had raised concerns among organisers but as early arrivals began taking their seats there was no sign of rain.

The final concludes a near month-long tournament, held in the USA and the  Caribbean and features two teams who have yet to lose in the competition.

The event which has been a mixed bag in terms of quality, entertainment and  attendances has certainly succeeded in setting up a final between the two  best teams in the shortest format.

India crushed defending champions England by 68 runs in Guyana on Thursday,  the day after South Africa thrashed Afghanistan by nine wickets in Trinidad  to end a long and agonising wait for a title game.

Since their first appearance at a World Cup in 1992, following the end of  apartheid, South Africa had lost seven semi-finals in the two limited overs  formats.

This will be South Africa's first senior men's final since the inaugural  Champions Trophy in Bangladesh in 1998 when the Proteas beat the West Indies.

India experienced the double disappointment last year of defeat in the World Test Championship final and the 50-over World Cup -- losing both to Australia.

The country which more than any other popularised the shortest form with the hugely successful Indian Premier League now stands on the brink of their second T20 World Cup title and first since the inaugural edition in 2007.


MSH

Mushfiqur to play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024

Published at : 24 September 2023, 03:42 pm
Mushfiqur to play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024

Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim is set to feature for Fortune Barishal in the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

 

Mushfiqur had played for Sylhet Strikers in the last edition. His price was fixed at 80 lakhs in the players' draft according to the category. Which means he was in 'A' category.

The top category player will play along with other star players like Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Khaled Ahmed in Fortune Barishal.

Neymar quits PSG to sign for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:06 pm
Neymar quits PSG to sign for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal

Neymar said he was relishing “new challenges and opportunities in new places” after he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal Tuesday, becoming the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state.

The Brazil forward, 31, ends a six-year stay in the French capital and follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Middle East.

“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.

“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.

Neymar ‘in negotiations’ over Saudi move as Mbappe returns to PSG good books

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:05 pm
Neymar ‘in negotiations’ over Saudi move as Mbappe returns to PSG good books

Neymar was “in negotiations” on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions.

A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar “no longer figures in the club or manager’s plans” with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom.

Another source in Saudi Arabia said that “direct negotiations” between Neymar’s agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing.

PSG get better of Dortmund in Champions League opener

Published at : 20 September 2023, 05:03 pm
PSG get better of Dortmund in Champions League opener

Paris Saint-Germain got their Champions League campaign off to a winning start on Tuesday as a Kylian Mbappe penalty set them up for a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund at the Parc des Princes.

The French champions had dominated the first half without overly troubling the Dortmund defence, but they went ahead four minutes after the break when Mbappe scored a spot-kick awarded for a Niklas Suele handball.

Achraf Hakimi added a memorable second, and PSG could have won the Group F encounter by a far more handsome margin in the end.

The result immediately puts them in control of the group, after AC Milan and Newcastle United drew 0-0 earlier, and coach Luis Enrique will hope they can build on this performance when they visit the English side next in a fortnight.

"It was an almost perfect evening," said Luis Enrique.