Sundar's triple strike and Dhoni's cameo take Pune into final

May 17, 2017

Mumbai, May 17: When it was decided that R Ashwin would not be able to participate in the IPL after the sports hernia he suffered as a result of bowling endless overs in India's grand Test home season, Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) were wondering who could replace him.

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Little did they realise that a 17-year-old kid from Chennai, who answers to the unique name of Washington Sundar, would perform that role with the same poise that the star Indian off-spinner usually shows. Sundar has been a phenomenon for RPS as skipper Steve Smith has trusted him with the difficult job of bowling in the powerplays.

He entrusted him with that role again on Tuesday as RPS took on Mumbai Indians in the first Qualifier of IPL 10. Sundar vindicated his skipper's faith and broke the back of MI's top-order as he prised out the wickets of skipper Rohit Sharma (2), Ambati Rayudu (0) and Kieron Pollard (7) to rock the hosts in their chase of 162. Sundar's figures were a surreal 4-0-16-3.

Rohit was out lbw attempting a sweep to a straight delivery and Rayudu and Pollard were caught at mid-wicket by Steve Smith.

Those three strikes and a hectic finish by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who rediscovered his six-appeal while belting 40 (26 balls, 5x6) and useful half-centuries by Manoj Tiwary 58 (48 balls, 4x4, 2x6) and Ajinkya Rahane 56 (43 balls, 5x4, 1x6) enabled RPS to beat MI by 20 runs and score their third win over MI this season and advance to the final in Hyderabad to be played on May 21.

RPS will meet the winners of the second qualifier and it could well be MI again. The two-time champs, who ended with 142/9, chasing RPS' 162/4, will travel to Bengaluru now and get another crack at the final and get a chance to avenge their three losses to RPS if they manage to win the game against the winner of the eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders today.

MI play their second Qualifier on Friday.

Rohit may be third on the list of highest scorers in the IPL with 4157 runs. But in the play-offs, he has scored just 130 runs in ten games. Rayudu, Pollard and the two Pandya brothers played forgettable strokes after Lendl Simmons was run out in an unfortunate fashion at the non-striker's end while backing up too far and Shardul Thakur's deflection off a Parthiv Patel straight drive hit the stumps.

Thakur also bowled well, using the slower ones to good effect to dismiss Krunal Pandya and Patel in the 15th over to snuff out any hopes of a revival. Patel though showed his value at the top by playing a lone but classy hand of 52 (40 balls, 3x4, 3x6).

MI would be excused in thinking that Tuesday's was a contest that got away from them. Their bowlers had kept things in check till the 18th over despite the polish shown by Rahane.

At the end of the 18th over, RPS were 121 for 3 with Dhoni struggling to middle the ball and Tiwary unable to find the boundaries consistently but Mitchell McClenaghan's fourth over and the 19th of the innings went for 26 as Dhoni hit him for two sixes and Tiwary hit him for another. McClenaghan also bowled a no ball and two wides in the same over.

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Agencies
April 12,2020

London, Apr 12: Former Formula 1 legendary driver Stirling Moss died at the age of 90 on Sunday.

"All at F1 send our heartfelt condolences to Lady Susie and Sir Stirling's family and friends," Formula 1 said in a statement.

Often referred to as the greatest driver never to win the world championship, Moss contested 66 Grands Prix from 1951 to 1961, driving for the likes of Vanwall, Maserati and Mercedes, where he famously formed a contented and ruthlessly effective partnership with lead driver Juan Manuel Fangio.

In his 10-year-long stint at the tracks, Moss took 16 wins, some of which rank among the truly iconic drives in the sport's history - his 1961 victories in Monaco and Germany in particular often held up as all-time classics.

Moss won the 1955 Mille Miglia on public roads for Mercedes at an average speed of close to 100mph, while he also competed in rallies and land-speed attempts.

Following an enforced retirement from racing (barring a brief comeback in saloon cars in the 1980s) after a major crash at Goodwood in 1962, Moss maintained a presence in Formula 1 as both a sports correspondent and an interested observer, before retiring from public life in January of 2018.

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News Network
May 14,2020

May 14: Veteran South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis has proposed a two-week isolation period for players before and after the T20 World Cup as a way to stage the event as per schedule later this year.

Like other sports, cricketing action too has come to a complete halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. The fate of the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia in October-November is shrouded in uncertainty.

Talking to Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal, du Plessis said travel was going to be an issue despite Australia being less affected by the deadly contagion.

"I am not sure... reading that travelling is going to be an issue for lot of countries and they are talking about December or January. Even if Australia is not affected like other countries, to get people from Bangladesh, South Africa or India where there is more danger, obviously it's a health risk to them," du Plessis said.

"But you can go in before the tournament (for) two weeks isolation and then play the tournament and afterwards two weeks isolation," said the former captain.

Several countries across the globe, including South Africa, Australia and India, have travel restrictions in place and the veteran Proteas batsman joked travelling by boat is not an option.

"But I don't know when South Africa will open their travel ban because we can't go there like old days on boats," du Plessis said.

In March, South Africa's ODI series against India was called off after the first match in view of the pandemic.

The coronavirus outbreak, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has infected more than 44 lakh people worldwide while causing close to 3 lakh deaths.

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News Network
June 13,2020

Islamabad, Jun 13: Pakistan cricket team’s former captain Shahid Afridi, who has tested positive for coronavirus,  appears to have contracted the virus during his recent visit to Muzaffarabad city of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) where Pakistan has been sending its corona positive patients.

The former Pakistan cricketer was seen attending gatherings in Muzaffarabad last month without wearing a mask and not maintaining social distancing. He spewed venom against India during his rallies. 

Afridi visited PoK to also express his solidarity with the people there who have been left to fend for themselves in combating COVID-19 as Pakistan has refused to provide any COVID fighting equipment like PPE kits and ventilators to the area’s handful of hospitals. 

In fact, Pakistan has been using the PoK as a “dumping ground” for COVID-19 affected persons from all across the country as authorities want to keep Punjab province free of corona positive persons. 

The locals held massive protests against Pakistan for setting up quarantine centres and shifting patients from parts of Pakistan to PoK. 

People are immensely suffering in Pakistan occupied Kashmir due to spread of coronavirus as the region lacks proper medical facilities and has a handful of COVID-19 testing labs. There is also lack of expert medical staff to conduct COVID-19 tests. 

A large number of people here are presumed asymptomatic and they are fast spreading the virus because of lack of medical care. 

Pakistan has reported over 1,25,000 coronavirus cases and 2,463 casualties. In Pakistan occupied Kashmir, the COVID-19 cases have increased to 534, whereas in Gilgit-Baltistan 1,030 have been  reported. 

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