DUBAI: Virat Kohli remains a key player for India, said head coach Rahul Dravid, who is happy with the refreshed former captain’s Asia Cup form and said people should not get hung up with statistics.
The 33-year-old Kohli made an unbeaten 59 in India’s group win over Hong Kong and looks revitalized ahead of the Asia Cup holders’ Super Four clash with fierce rivals Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday night.
Kohli’s lean patch — he has not scored an international century in any format since 2019 — has been a constant talking point among fans and pundits.
But Dravid insisted the former captain was getting back to top form after a break from the game.
“It’s nice to see that he has come back fresh,” Dravid told reporters.
“He played very well in the last match, and we are happy with his performance. For us, it’s not really about how many runs he makes.
“Especially with Virat, people get a little bit obsessed with his statistics and his numbers. For us, it’s not really about that,” said Dravid.
Kohli revealed recently that he had tried to fake his intensity after suffering mental health issues, before taking a break from cricket and skipping India’s tours of the West Indies and Zimbabwe.
Kohli began the six-nation tournament, which is an important tune-up for the T20 World Cup next month, with a crucial 35 in the narrow win over Pakistan.
“For us, it’s about the contributions he can make in different phases of the game and what the contribution is. It doesn’t have to be in fifties or hundreds or a stat,” said Dravid.
“Even small contributions mean a lot in T20 cricket, what is the role of a player and what the team needs. Virat is pretty keen in putting in big performances. Hopefully he can keep doing that in the tournament.”
Kohli, who has struck 27 centuries in 102 Tests since making his debut in 2011, endured a torrid past 12 months that also saw him replaced as national captain.
He recently played his 100th Twenty20 international and has an average more than 50 including 31 half-centuries.
Indian coach calls Kohli ‘vital’ ahead of clash with Pakistan
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Indian coach calls Kohli ‘vital’ ahead of clash with Pakistan
- Kohli’s has not scored an international century since 2019, making his lean patch a constant talking point among fans and pundits
- Rahul Dravid says he is more interested in Kohli’s contribution in different phases of the game, not his fifties or hundreds
Chasing third Olympic gold: For Kipchoge, the road starts in Kenya’s Rift Valley
- Currently Kipchoge is one of only three marathon runners to have two Olympic titles (2016, 2021), alongside Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila (1960, 1964) and Waldemar Cierpinski of Germany (1976, 1980)
- Kipchoge has already checked out the hilly route in Paris, a course said to be unfavorable for him
KAPTAGAT, Kenya: Dawn has not yet broken over the highlands of Kenya’s Rift Valley when marathon great Eliud Kipchoge crosses through the gate of his training camp.
It’s barely 6:00 am.
Three months before the Olympic marathon on Aug. 10 in Paris — where he hopes to make history with a third gold medal — he is preparing to start the weekly “long run.”
Wearing a cap and gloves to protect himself from the drizzle and the cool morning air, the 39-year-old sets off at the front of the pack.
Joining him are other residents of the renowned Kaptagat training camp including Kenyan middle-distance star Faith Kipyegon but also local runners who come in the hope of being talent-spotted.
On the program that day: 30 kilometers (18 miles) pounding the local roads.
The athletes have abandoned the red dirt tracks that crisscross the surrounding forest, made muddy by the torrential rains which have been pelting Kenya for more than a month.
“Nature says no. And now it’s speaking very loud,” smiles Kipchoge’s longtime coach Patrick Sang.
Over the kilometers, the pack stretches out and splits apart.
Only the car carrying their coaches, Sang and 2008 Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Brimin Kipruto, protects the runners from the trucks and matatus (minibus taxis) which zoom past on the hilly course.
In the lead group, Kipchoge eats up kilometers at a steady pace. He will go on to complete the distance, with six other runners, in one hour 40 minutes.
“Everything is going well. I’m feeling good. But I think the next months will be more interesting,” Kipchoge tells AFP in an interview after the road session.
The former double world record holder is in the last stages of preparation which will lead him toward the goal of a lifetime — becoming the first person to win Olympic marathon gold three times in a row.
Currently he is one of only three marathon runners to have two Olympic titles (2016, 2021), alongside Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila (1960, 1964) and Waldemar Cierpinski of Germany (1976, 1980).
“The Olympic Games is crucial for me,” Kipchoge says.
For him, Olympic titles are “bigger than the major marathons,” the six races on the circuit where he has won 11 times since 2014 (five in Berlin, four in London, one each in Tokyo and Chicago).
His ambition remains intact despite two recent poor performances, in Boston in 2023 when he came in sixth and in Tokyo in March where he only finished 10th — arousing criticism and doubt about his future.
“I’m old enough to handle any setback. I know sport is not about performing every day,” he counters, saying he believed his low place in Tokyo was down to “fatigue.”
Kipchoge has already checked out the hilly route in Paris, a course said to be unfavorable for him.
“I prepare specifically on the hills and downhills but generally, I want to be fit enough.”
To reach his peak performance, Kipchoge sticks to an abstemious life and trains hard.
“Eliud is very consistent... but the way he is really focusing on Paris, it’s something else,” says Victor Chumo, a member of the team that helped him beat the mythical two-hour barrier in 2019, running 1:59:40 during an unsanctioned race in Vienna.
“He is more aggressive than in previous years. The way he trains, the way he rests, he is reporting to the camp earlier than before... That shows he is going for something special.”
“His mind is already in Paris,” adds Daniel Mateiko, a young Kenyan hopeful in long-distance running who trains alongside him in Kaptagat.
Kipchoge’s preparation is also punctuated by anti-doping controls, which the Kenyan athletics federation has reinforced under pressure from international authorities.
“This year, it has been more frequent,” he says, with a test for performance-enhancing drugs now every week compared to once or twice a month previously.
“There’s a lot of improvement, they have been doing a great job,” he says of the drug testing. “But consistency should be there.”
The countdown is on toward what could well be his last Olympics, but Kipchoge doesn’t want to talk about it: “I’m taking one step at a time.”
But his return to the French capital is rich with symbolism. It was there that in 2003, at the age of 18, he won his first international crown: becoming 5,000m world champion ahead of two legends, Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia.
“Paris is where my life started in athletics 20 years ago.”
Wilson survives Jones fightback to win World Snooker final
- A clearly emotional Wilson eventually triumphed 18-14 in the final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in northern England
- Jones was only the ninth qualifier in 47 years at the Crucible to reach the final
SHEFFIELD, United Kingdom: Kyren Wilson held his nerve on Monday as he overcame an impressive fightback from qualifier Zak Jones to win snooker’s World Championship title for the first time.
A clearly emotional Wilson eventually triumphed 18-14 in the final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre in northern England but only after Jones, who lost the first seven frames of the best of 35 contest, had won three frames in a row from 17-11 down to give himself hope of a remarkable rally.
But in the end the 12th-ranked Englishman regained his composure sufficiently to see off his Welsh opponent.
“Can you imagine how embarrassing it would have been if I’d lost and Bailey is dressed like that?” Wilson, pointing to his son, dressed in classic waistcoat and bow tie snooker attire, told the BBC.
The 32-year-old added: “I’d like to say sorry to Jak for that outburst (shouting ‘come on’ on match ball) but it does just mean so much to all of us.
“My mum and dad have remortgaged and sacrificed their whole lives to get me here. My brother and wife too. The list goes on and on, it’s a massive team effort.”
Wilson paid tribute to the resilient Jones by saying: “He was so tough and I don’t know if there’s many people left in Wales the amount that were cheering for him!
“Me and Jak have come through the junior ranks together. This is Jak’s first final, let alone a World final, and he’s conducted himself in an amazing fashion and I’m sure he’ll be back.”
A gracious Jones said: “I congratulate Kyren and family. They deserve it so much. If anyone deserves it, he does.”
Jones was only the ninth qualifier in 47 years at the Crucible to reach the final and he came within sight of emulating Terry Griffiths, his fellow Welshman, in 1979 and Shaun Murphy in 2005 in winning the title.
“It’s been an unbelievable tournament for me. About a month ago I was twitching in my first qualifying match. It’s been a long month but I’m happy with it.”
During his stirring recovery in Monday’s concluding evening session, Jones even threatened a maximum 147 break after potting the first 12 reds and blacks.
Jones had started Monday’s morning session five frames down at 11-6 behind but twice reduced Wilson’s lead to three frames.
Wilson, however, restored his advantage to lead 15-10 heading into the evening’s play.
Jones, who had defeated seeds Zhang Anda and Judd Trump en route to the final, hit back with his first century of the final to cut Wilson’s lead to 16-11.
The 28th frame saw Jones clear to the colors to force a re-spotted black only for Wilson to move within a frame of victory thanks to a stunning pot off three cushions.
Jones ensured there would be a mid-session interval with a break of 67 as he started to claw his way back after looking like he might become only the third player, after John Parrott in 1989 and Jimmy White in 1993, to lose the world final with a session to spare.
But in the end he had left himself with just too much to do as Wilson regained his composure.
Major League Soccer must attract best players to grow: Infantino
- Infantino said Inter Miami’s signing of Lionel Messi, and the club’s acquisition of other big-name players such as Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, had proven the demand for top talent among US fans
LOS ANGELES: FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Monday Major League Soccer needs to sign more top players in order to boost the profile of the sport in the US.
Infantino, speaking at a conference in Los Angeles, said he told MLS officials recently that bringing in the world’s best players would take football to the next level.
“I told them you have to be a bit more bold, a bit more in the game,” Infantino said at the Milken Institute Global Conference. “Bring in the best players.”
Infantino said Inter Miami’s signing of Lionel Messi, and the club’s acquisition of other big-name players such as Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, had proven the demand for top talent among US fans.
The FIFA chief alluded to the record 65,612 crowd who flocked to the New England Revolution’s recent home game against Miami at Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots.
“The ‘Messi effect’ if we want to call it that way, you see Messi and Inter Miami filling stadiums, and not MLS stadiums but NFL stadiums,” Infantino said.
MLS salary and roster restrictions mean that teams are unable to spend freely when it comes to signing top players.
However the league has faced growing calls — not least from broadcast partner Apple TV — to relax those rules in order to enable clubs to target more top talent.
Infantino said bringing in top talent would ultimately reap dividends at grass roots level in North America, encouraging young players to believe they could forge a career in soccer.
“We want to see the best so we need to bring them the best players, but also the best game, and the best spectacle,” Infantino said.
“For this we need to invest in the players because we want to show to the kids who play soccer when they are at school or when they are very young, that there is a path in soccer to glory to become one of these world stars.
“This is what maybe they don’t see yet. They see it in basketball, American football, in baseball and ice hockey. But in soccer, it’s still kind of far away. You have to go to Europe. And is there really a great American soccer player?“
Man Utd rut ‘not good enough’ but Ten Hag vows to fight on
LONDON: Erik ten Hag took responsibility for Manchester United’s miserable showing in a 4-0 thrashing by Crystal Palace on Monday, but said he is still the right man to turn the club’s fortunes around.
Palace completed a first ever league double over United in style as Michael Olize scored twice, while Jean-Philippe Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell were also on target for the in-form Eagles.
Defeat left Ten Hag’s men eighth and at risk of both their worst ever Premier League finish and missing out on European competition next season.
The Dutchman’s future is in doubt with structural change ongoing at Old Trafford since British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe bought a minority stake and took sporting control of the club earlier this year.
“It’s clear and it’s obvious this is under-performing,” said Ten Hag. “We didn’t act how we want to do it and this is by far not good enough.”
Ten Hag’s options were again limited by a mounting injury list.
Captain Bruno Fernandes missed a club game through injury for the first time in his career, while England international duo Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire were also absent.
The makeshift center-back pairing of Casemiro and Jonny Evans were torn apart by Palace’s pace and invention.
“Absolutely,” added Ten Hag on whether believes he is the right man to lead United forward.
“If we have the right players available we have a good squad but we miss almost the whole back-line and then we have problems.
“I will keep fighting and I prepared the team in the best way I could do. It was not good enough, by far not good enough, so I have to take the responsibility for that but I will find the energy and I will prepare them for Sunday.”
Worse could be to come for Ten Hag when title-chasing Arsenal visit Old Trafford at the weekend.
United have never failed to finish in the top seven in the Premier League era and must do so or beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final to qualify for Europe.
But the embarassing scoreline at Selhurst Park is not unprecedented during Ten Hag’s reign.
United lost 4-0 at Brentford, 7-0 to Liverpool and 6-3 away to Manchester City during his first season in charge.
This season they have conceded 81 goals in all competitions, the club’s worst tally since 1976-77.
After a disappointing early exits from both the Champions League and League Cup, a FA Cup run has offered Ten Hag some relief.
But they booked their place in a second consecutive final only by surviving a penalty shootout against second-tier Coventry after blowing a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3.
“That was tough to watch,” said former United midfielder Paul Scholes of the Red Devils’ display at Palace. “That could have been 7-0.”
Ratcliffe’s INEOS group have already begun making appointments they hope will turn around a decade of decline at the 20-time English champions.
Jason Wilcox has been named the club’s new technical director, while Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth has been targeted as sporting director and former Manchester City executive Omar Berrada will take over as CEO.
Day three of Saudi Smash table tennis event serves up shocks, surprises
- Drama unfolded in the women’s and men’s singles
JEDDAH: Day three of the Saudi Smash tournament served up shocks and surprises as some of the pre-tournament favourites were eliminated.
In the women’s singles, Manika Batra ended Wang Manyu’s quest for successive Grand Smash titles.
A ranked outsider ahead of Saudi Smash, India’s Batra overcame the Chinese world number 2 and Singapore Smash 2024 champion in convincing fashion, sealing a last 16 place with a 3-1 victory – the tournament’s biggest upset so far.
Reflecting on her giant-killing win inside the Infinity Arena, Batra said: “I’m delighted with the win against Wang – this is a great moment for me. I’ve lost twice previously against her, but I was well-prepared, gave 100% and played at my highest level.
She continued: “For me, I’m enjoying the Saudi Smash and this is key. Enjoyment is helping me to embrace the atmosphere and win. I’m taking it one match at a time, but today was a great win and I’m happy to be in the next round.”
More drama unfolded shortly after in the Men’s Singles Round of 64 – as Jonathan Groth beat world number 6 Lin Gaoyuan.
The Danish star sealed his best-ever win on the World Table Tennis tour with a 3-1 win against China’s two-time World Team Championship gold medallist.
“I’m really happy to have won,” the world number 27 said after his match.
“Lin Gaoyuan played some of the best table tennis at the ITTF World Cup just a few weeks ago and maybe should have won the title, so I’m thrilled to play him and win when he’s in top shape.
“I’m happy with how I handled the crucial moments out there against a great player. I enjoyed myself today, I prepared well, and now I’m looking forward to the last 16 where another top players awaits.”
