Warner’s heroics lead Dubai Capitals to ILT20 playoffs with 26-run victory over Knight Riders

David Warner delivered a masterclass in power-hitting to propel the Dubai Capitals into the playoffs of the DP World ILT20, as they secured a commanding 26-run victory over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. (Supplied/ILT20)
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Updated 03 February 2025
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Warner’s heroics lead Dubai Capitals to ILT20 playoffs with 26-run victory over Knight Riders

  • Win confirms Capitals as fourth and final team to reach knockout stage of the tournament

DUBAI: David Warner delivered a masterclass in power hitting to propel the Dubai Capitals into the playoffs of the DP World ILT20 on Sunday, as they secured a commanding 26-run victory over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The win confirmed the Capitals as the fourth and final team to reach the knockout stage of the tournament.

Warner, playing his first match of the season, was the game changer with an unbeaten 93, guiding his team to their sixth win in seven encounters against the Knight Riders. He helped the Capitals post a formidable 217 for four — the highest score in the tournament’s history at the venue.

Chasing 218 to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Knight Riders started cautiously before Andries Gous injected momentum with a rapid-fire knock.

Gous smashed six boundaries in his first 11 deliveries, propelling his side to 50/0 at the end of the powerplay. Partnered by Kyle Mayers, the duo laid a strong foundation, reaching 89/0 at the halfway stage of the innings.

However, a crucial bowling change swung the match in the Capitals’ favor. Afghan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib deceived Mayers with a clever slower ball, dismissing him for a well-made 42 off 29.

Gous, undeterred, continued to attack, reaching 55 before teaming up with Joe Clarke, who unleashed a stunning 91-meter six before retiring hurt. The introduction of Andre Russell was expected to shift the game back in the Knight Riders’ favor, but the strategy backfired.

Gous departed for 78 off 47 after mistiming a shot to mid-wicket, while Russell lasted just one ball before being dismissed. David Willey also fell cheaply, leaving the Knight Riders reeling at 153 for five and needing an improbable 65 runs from the final three overs.

Dushmantha Chameera’s outstanding 17th over sealed the result, ensuring the Capitals held on for a crucial victory — marking the first time in seven games at the stadium that a team batting first emerged victorious.

Opting to bat first, the Dubai Capitals made a strong start, with openers Shai Hope and Warner setting the tone early. Despite Willey’s tight spell, which saw him concede just 11 runs in three overs, the Capitals reached 43/0 inside the powerplay.

Warner had an early scare in the seventh over when he holed out to Russell, but the catch was dropped. He capitalized on the lifeline, smashing four boundaries in an over off Gudakesh Motie. Hope contributed with two sixes before being bowled by Roston Chase, ending an 82-run opening partnership.

Warner reached his half-century off 33 deliveries, marking his 116th 50-plus score in T20 cricket — an all-time record. The veteran Australian then shifted gears, dispatching Sunil Narine for a massive six as the Capitals surpassed 100 in 12 overs.

Naib provided further impetus with a brisk 47 off 25 balls, punishing Jason Holder’s wayward deliveries. Despite Narine dismissing Naib, Dasun Shanaka’s late cameo (17 off seven balls) ensured the Capitals surged past 200.

Warner remained unbeaten on 93, anchoring the innings with a mix of calculated aggression and experience. “(The innings) took me back to when I was 21 again. You need to have that positive attitude.

“Shai made my job easier. We got off to a positive start and put up a competitive total. I tried to hit straight. I am still learning. I love this game. I owe this game a lot. Hopefully, I can get one better next game.”

The Knight Riders’ captain Narine acknowledged his team’s effort but admitted the Capitals were the better side on the night. “It was a decent season. We gave it all we could, but it’s not the result we wanted.

“In a must-win game, you don’t want to chase 217. We had a decent start and tried to take it deep, but they bowled brilliantly, and that was the key factor,” he said.


Inter looking to power back up ahead of Champions League match at Barcelona

Updated 59 min 31 sec ago
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Inter looking to power back up ahead of Champions League match at Barcelona

  • Inter is hoping it won’t have to make a similarly arduous journey after an unprecedented blackout brought much of Spain to a standstill
  • Inter heads to Barcelona following a dire run of results that has seen its dreams of another treble evaporate

MILAN: Strange things happen when Inter Milan plays Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals.
The last time the two teams met in the final four of Europe’s elite club competition, in 2010, Barcelona had to make a 15-hour journey by bus to Milan after an ash cloud caused by the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull shut down air space.
Barcelona lost that first leg 3-1 and a stout defensive performance by Inter in the return match saw it advance to the final 3-2 on aggregate — where it beat Bayern Munich to clinch a historic treble under Jose Mourinho.
Inter is hoping it won’t have to make a similarly arduous journey after an unprecedented blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill Monday.
Power had almost fully returned to Spain early Tuesday morning and Inter’s charter flight was still scheduled to take off for Barcelona at 5 p.m. local time ahead of the first leg of their semifinal on Wednesday.
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi will be hoping his team can power back up for the game as well.
Inter heads to Barcelona following a dire run of results that has seen its dreams of another treble evaporate.
For the first time in more than 13 years, Inter has lost three straight matches without scoring a goal.
Since a 2-2 draw against Bayern in the Champions League quarterfinals, the Nerazzurri have lost to Bologna and Roma in Serie A and AC Milan in the Italian Cup — all by the same 1-0 scoreline.
That has also seen them been leapfrogged at the top of the Serie A table by Napoli, slipping three points behind the new league leader.
“The three defeats hurt and we’re not used to this, we have to look at ourselves and try to recover our physical and mental energy,” Inzaghi said.
Those three games, however, had something in common: Marcus Thuram was missing.
Thuram, who has been out with a left thigh issue, has scored 17 goals and provided nine assists across all competitions for Inter this season.
Without the France forward, Lautaro Martinez has appeared fatigued attempting to carry Inter’s attack. And Marko Arnautovic, Thuram’s replacement, has been ineffective.
Thuram has returned to training and could even start on Wednesday.
“We’ll head to Barcelona and we will play them with respect, not fear,” Inzaghi added.


Real Madrid defender Rüdiger expected to miss the rest of the season after knee surgery

Updated 29 April 2025
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Real Madrid defender Rüdiger expected to miss the rest of the season after knee surgery

  • The club did not give a timeline for his return. Rüdiger had to be replaced in extra time of Madrid 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday
  • He made headlines for shouting at the referee from the bench and for apparently throwing a small bag of ice onto the field

MADRID: Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger underwent knee surgery on Tuesday and is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Madrid said Rüdiger successfully underwent surgery on a meniscus tear in his left knee and will begin “his recovery process shortly.” The club did not give a timeline for his return.
Rüdiger had to be replaced in extra time of Madrid 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday.
He made headlines for shouting at the referee from the bench and for apparently throwing a small bag of ice onto the field.
Rüdiger apologized for his behavior but the incident prompted former Germany player Dietmar Hamann to call for the defender to be left out of Germany’s squad for the Nations League final four in June.
German national team sporting director Rudi Völler also criticized Rüdiger, saying he needed to show “class” and respect for others.
Germany plays Portugal in the Nations League semifinals in Munich on June 4.


Coach Stefano Pioli confident as Al-Nassr prepare for AFC Champions League Elite semi showdown

Updated 29 April 2025
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Coach Stefano Pioli confident as Al-Nassr prepare for AFC Champions League Elite semi showdown

  • Riyadh giant Al-Nassr are one of three Saudi Pro League sides in the semifinals
  • Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli have also advanced to the last four and will meet on Tuesday

JEDDAH: Al-Nassr coach Stefano Pioli declared his side injury-free ahead of Wednesday’s Asian Champions League Elite semifinal against Kawasaki Frontale in Jeddah as the Saudi Pro League side look to reach the final for the first time in almost 30 years.
The Riyadh-based outfit last made the decider in 1995, but a brace from Jhon Duran and strikes by Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a 4-1 win over Yokohama F Marinos on Saturday to move the Saudi side to the cusp of a first title.
“We are ready for the match, but in training we will decide which group is going to play,” Pioli said. “The team is ready to play the game with great spirit, high performance.”
Al-Nassr are one of three Saudi Pro League sides in the semifinals, the first time a single nation has dominated the latter stages of the competition to such an extent.
The huge injection of cash into the country’s leading clubs by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2023 which prompted the signing of numerous high-profile players from around the world is having a major impact on this year’s competition.
Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli have also advanced to the last four and will meet on Tuesday.
Japan’s Kawasaki are the only team from their half of the confederation left in the competition after their win over Qatar’s Al-Sadd, and the J-League side have been further disadvantaged by having one day less to recover than Al-Nassr.
Frontale needed extra-time to defeat Felix Sanchez’s side and coach Shigetoshi Hasebe admitted he was concerned about his players’ lack of freshness ahead of the Al-Nassr clash.
“All the players are tired because they played for 120 minutes, which is very difficult for us,” he said. “But we’ll be playing in a different stadium, so we can have a new feeling and I can imagine the players will play very well tomorrow night.”
Kawasaki midfielder Kento Tachibanada stressed it was important not to obsess over the reputations of their opponents.
“The key point is not to be afraid of the famous players and their big names,” he said. “Many people think the teams from Saudi will win, but I want to break that type of image tomorrow night.”


Power outage still affecting Madrid Open tennis tournament. Opening of the gates delayed on Tuesday.

Updated 29 April 2025
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Power outage still affecting Madrid Open tennis tournament. Opening of the gates delayed on Tuesday.

  • They did not immediately announce any schedule change regarding the matches
  • The power went out at 12:34 p.m. local time (1034 GMT) on Monday and 22 matches had to be canceled for the day

MADRID: There was still no power at the Caja Magica tennis complex that is hosting the Madrid Open on Tuesday, putting in jeopardy the resumption of play a day after several matches had to be canceled.
Tournament organizers said the opening of the gates for fans was delayed until 11 a.m. local time (0900 GMT) because of the outage. They did not immediately announce any schedule change regarding the matches.
“Due to reasons beyond the organization’s control, the Caja Mágica is still without power supply as of this morning. As a result, the opening of the gates has been delayed, and we expect to open them at 11 a.m.,” they said.
The power went out at 12:34 p.m. local time (1034 GMT) on Monday, stopping two ATP singles matches and one doubles match that were underway. A total of 22 matches had to be canceled for the day.
Organizers said the games were called off “to guarantee the safety of the players, fans and personnel.” Spectators were told to leave the sports complex.
Power was restored at night through most parts of Madrid, and organizers had said late Monday that play would resume on Tuesday.
Among the matches expected for Tuesday included second-ranked Alexander Zverev facing Francisco Cerundolo. On the women’s side, the remaining six fourth-round matches were scheduled, including top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka facing Peyton Stearns and second-ranked Iga Swiatek taking on Diana Shnaider.
The blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill, knocking out subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights and ATM machines.


Australian doubles player Purcell accepts 18-month doping ban

Updated 29 April 2025
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Australian doubles player Purcell accepts 18-month doping ban

  • Max Purcell has admitted receiving intravenous vitamin infusions of more than 500ml on December 16 and 20, 2023
  • The limit under the World Anti-Doping Code is 100ml in a 12-hour period

SYDNEY: Australia’s two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Max Purcell has accepted an 18-month doping ban, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old in December took a voluntary suspension, describing himself at the time as “devastated” and saying he had not intended to break anti-doping rules.
Purcell has admitted receiving intravenous vitamin infusions of more than 500ml on December 16 and 20, 2023. The limit under the World Anti-Doping Code is 100ml in a 12-hour period.
His ban will end on June 11, 2026, taking into account time served out of the sport.
He will also forfeit results and prize money for the period between December 16, 2023 and February 3, 2024.
Purcell’s co-operation and information sharing with the ITIA allowed for a 25 percent reduction in sanction, it said.
ITIA chief executive Karen Moorhouse said: “This case does not involve a player testing positive for a prohibited substance but demonstrates that the anti-doping rules are broader than that.”
Writing on Instagram, Purcell said: “I have accepted the mistake I made and will make sure I’m even more diligent with everything regarding the integrity of the sport.”
Purcell won the 2022 Wimbledon doubles title alongside fellow Australian Matt Ebden and the US Open crown in 2024 with Jordan Thompson.
In his social media post, Purcell said he had been unable to sleep and eat properly because of his worries over the case.
“I’m so glad this is finally over for me and I can move on with my life,” he added.
It is the latest doping controversy in tennis.
Former women’s number one Iga Swiatek is back in action after last year accepting a one-month ban after testing positive for a banned substance.
Men’s number one Jannik Sinner has been out of action since accepting a three-month doping ban in February after twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March last year.
The three-time Grand Slam winner is due to return before the Rome Open, which runs from May 7-18.