SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates: Chennai Super Kings moved to the top of the Indian Premier League points table on Friday with a convincing six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Chennai won a sandstorm-delayed toss and chose to field at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, restricting Bangalore to 156-6 despite a promising start for Virat Kohli’s team.
In reply, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai reached 157-4 in 18.1 overs.
Kohli hit a 41-ball 53 and shared an opening stand of 111 with Devdutt Padikkal (70 in 50). That partnership ended in the 14th over and no other Bangalore batter lasted more than 11 balls.
Padikkal said his team had been looking to reach 170-180 runs “but unfortunately it just didn’t work out today toward the end of the innings.”
West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo did much of the damage with 3-24 in his four overs, including the wicket of Kohli, who almost hit a six but instead was caught by Ravindra Jadeja on the boundary.
Ruturaj Gaikwad top-scored for Chennai with 38 off 26, ahead of opening partner Faf du Plessis (31) and Ambati Rayudu (32). Harshal Patel took 2-25.
Chennai is level on 14 points with Delhi Capitals after nine matches with Chennai having the better net run rate. Bangalore stays on 10 points in third place.
Chennai top of IPL after 6-wicket win against Bangalore
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Chennai top of IPL after 6-wicket win against Bangalore
- Bangalore stays on 10 points in third place
Dubai Basketball with statement win in Paris
- A dominant 99-79 win sealed a strong 3-match stint on the road
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball capped off a demanding three-game road stretch in emphatic fashion, delivering a dominant 99-79 victory over Paris Basketball in Round 24 of the EuroLeague last night. The win marked Dubai’s second victory from three away fixtures across EuroLeague and ABA League play, while also preserving the club’s unbeaten record in the ABA League.
Facing Paris at Adidas Arena, Dubai produced one of its most complete performances of the season. From the opening minutes, the visitors imposed their authority at both ends of the floor, controlling tempo, disrupting Paris offensively, and steadily extending their advantage as the game progressed. The victory improved Dubai Basketball’s EuroLeague record to 11–13.
The Paris result followed a narrow EuroLeague defeat just days earlier in Barcelona, where Dubai pushed one of Europe’s elite sides to the final seconds in a thrilling 91:89 loss at Palau Blaugrana. Despite trailing entering the fourth quarter, Dubai mounted a remarkable comeback to level the game late, showcasing resilience in a hostile environment. McKinley Wright IV delivered a career-high 29 points in that contest, while the game also marked the EuroLeague return of Dzanan Musa following injury.
Dubai’s road trip began on Jan. 17 with a commanding 110-93 win over U-BT Cluj-Napoca in Round 15 of the ABA League. In front of a packed arena, Dubai pulled away late to secure the victory and maintain a perfect league record. Kabengele and Wright led the scoring with 24 points apiece, while Musa made a timely impact in the fourth quarter during his return from a three-month absence.
Across three challenging away fixtures in six days, Dubai Basketball claimed two road victories, remained unbeaten in ABA League competition, and reinforced its ability to compete consistently across multiple fronts, closing the stretch with a statement performance in Paris that highlighted the team’s growing presence on the European stage.
On Jan. 26, the team will take on Serbian side FMP in front of home fans at Coca-Cola Arena as their “invincible” attempt continues with a 13-0 run.
