DUBAI: New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips pulled off a stunning catch to dismiss India great Virat Kohli in the batsman’s landmark 300th ODI in the final group match of the Champions Trophy on Sunday.
Kohli fell for 11 off 14 balls after New Zealand invited India to bat first in Dubai with the result of the match to decide the semifinal line-up of the 50-over tournament.
But it was Phillips’ fielding marvel that brought the match alive as he dived full stretch to his right at backward point and held on to the ball traveling at a fast pace from Kohli’s bat off fast bowler Matt Henry.
Kohli, 36, stood in disbelief for a few seconds before trudging back to the pavilion as the fans went silent.
Social media, however, was soon abuzz with reactions to the catch: “The Superman of the tournament,” wrote one fan on X.
The winner of the match will play Australia in the semifinal, with the loser taking on South Africa.
Irrespective of the placing and opponent, India will play the first semifinal in Dubai on Tuesday after they refused to travel to hosts Pakistan because of political tensions.
New Zealand will leave for Lahore after the match, with the second semifinal to be played at the Qaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
Champions Trophy: Kohli falls to ‘superman’ Phillips’ catch in 300th ODI
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Champions Trophy: Kohli falls to ‘superman’ Phillips’ catch in 300th ODI
- Kohli fell for 11 runs off 14 balls after New Zealand invited India to bat first in Dubai
- The result of the match to decide the semifinal line-up of the 50-over tournament
Bayern Munich’s Luis Díaz gets Champions League ban cut after reckless foul on PSG’s Achraf Hakimi
- UEFA said Friday that Díaz’s appeal on the charge of “serious rough play” was upheld
- That means he still misses Bayern’s Champions League game at home to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday
NYON: Bayern Munich forward Luis Díaz has had his three-game Champions League ban reduced to two on appeal following his reckless foul on Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi.
UEFA said Friday that Díaz’s appeal on the charge of “serious rough play” was upheld, without specifying why.
That means he still misses Bayern’s Champions League game at home to Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday but he can return against Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise next month.
Díaz scored twice before being sent off in an eventful 2-1 win against PSG last month. He made a wild lunge from behind and Hakimi’s left leg appeared to be momentarily trapped before he fell.
Díaz still has to serve more than the mandatory minimum one-game sanction for a red card, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo.
In an unusual decision last month, FIFA gave the Portuguese superstar a three-game ban, but with two suspended for a probationary period, over a serious foul-play incident against Ireland last month. That means he will likely avoid missing any games at the start of his record sixth World Cup next year.
