Emery glad to see Rashford make landmark appearance

LUCKNOW: Skipper Jitesh Sharma hammered an unbeaten 85 and Virat Kohli hit 54 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru stormed into qualifier one of IPL playoffs with a six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday.

Bengaluru chased down 228 to go second in the 10-team table in the last league match of this season and set up a meeting with table-toppers Punjab Kings on Thursday.

The result pushed Gujarat Titans into third spot. They will face Mumbai Indians in the eliminator on Friday.

The top two teams have two shots at reaching the final on June 3 as the loser of qualifier one will face the winner of eliminator in qualifier two to decide the second finalist.

Lucknow skipper Rishabh Pant signed off with an unbeaten 118 off 61 balls in his team’s 227-3, but in reply Bengaluru achieved victory with eight balls to spare.

Kohli set up the chase with his 30-ball knock and after his departure stand-in-skipper Jitesh put on an unbeaten stand of 107 with Mayank Agarwal, who hit 41, to trump Lucknow, who were already out of the playoffs.

The 36-year-old Kohli, who earlier this month announced his Test retirement alongside Rohit Sharma, went past 9,000 runs for Bengaluru — the most by a batsman for one team in men’s T20 cricket. The next is Rohit for Mumbai with 6,060.

Kohli put on 61 runs with opening partners Phil Salt, who made 30, but the chase wobbled after Lucknow hit back with wickets. New Zealand quick Will O’Rourke took two in two.

Jitesh turned things around with his first IPL fifty. He hit eight fours and six sixes, including the winning hit over the fence, in his 33-ball knock.

Earlier Pant, who struggled for runs after being brought by Lucknow for a record $3.21 million in the auction, saved his best for last as he hit his season-best score.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant, a swashbuckling left-hander, reached his 100 in 54 balls and celebrated with a somersault. He had scored only 151 runs from 12 previous innings and averaged just 13.72.

Pant led the charge in a 152-run second-wicket stand with Mitchell Marsh, who hit 67 off 37 balls, after the captain promoted himself to number three in the batting order.

Pant, who hit 11 fours and eight sixes in his 61-ball knock, went past his previous best of 63 this season but Bengaluru and Kohli had the last laugh as they hunt for their first IPL title.

PARIS: Tunisian player Ons Jabeur slammed French Open organizers and broadcaster Amazon on Tuesday for sidelining women’s matches from the coveted night sessions, with none featured at the claycourt Grand Slam in almost two years.

The last women’s singles match to be played under the lights of Court Philippe Chatrier was a fourth-round encounter between Aryna Sabalenka and Sloane Stephens on June 4, 2023.

The French Open has one evening match, this year starting not before 2015 local time (1815GMT) and in France is exclusively broadcast by Amazon’s Prime service.

“In Europe, in general, it’s unfortunate for women’s sports in general. Not for tennis but for in general,” Jabeur said after losing her first-round match at Roland Garros.

“I hope whoever is making the decision, I don’t think they have daughters, because I don’t think they want to treat their daughters like this.

“It’s a bit ironic. They don’t show women’s sport, they don’t show women’s tennis, and then they ask the question, yeah, but mostly they (viewers) watch men. Of course they watch men more because you show men more. Everything goes together.”

French federation President Gilles Moretton defended the tournament’s choices, saying on Monday the ‘best match’ was scheduled at night.

“Sometimes ... for the night session, we need to put the better match, we think could be for the spectators,” Moretton told a press conference on Monday.

“Maybe we will have a few, I have no idea, a few female matches on the night sessions. We’ll see. Depends on the schedule, who is playing who, which will be the best match.”

Reuters has asked Amazon Prime for comment.

Wednesday’s night session was scheduled to feature France’s Hugo Gaston against Ben Shelton before the American withdrew from their second-round meeting.

Organizers revised the schedule and the night match will now pitch 10th seed Holger Rune v
American Emilio Nava.

DAYTIME MATCH
In the women’s draw, four-times winner and defending champion Iga Swiatek is taking on 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu during the day.

“Every year we talk about it. My position didn’t change. I like playing days, so I’m happy that I’m done and I can have a longer rest,” Swiatek said on Monday.

“But, on the other hand, people just try to look to even things between men and women. You can find that in the schedule a little bit, and you can ask us all the time but, honestly, my answers are not going to change, so I don’t mind.”

The WTA addressed the topic of unequal distribution of matches in the evening session last year by saying that fans wanted to see the excitement and thrill of women’s tennis on the biggest stage and in premium time slots.

“To continue building the value of our combined product, a balanced match schedule that features both the best in men’s and women’s tennis is critical,” the elite women’s body said then.

Jabeur remains disappointed with the scheduling, however.

“It’s a shame from the federation, a shame from Prime, that they made such a contract like this,” she said.

“A lot of great players, they deserve to be there (in the night session). One of the matches was Naomi (Osaka) and Paula (Badosa on Monday). Such an unbelievable match. They were supposed to be there.

“Like last year, Iga and Naomi (Osaka) was supposed to be there. A lot of great matches, they should have been there.

“I’m not sure what kind of fans (Moretton is) talking about. I know I’m a fan. I will watch that match.”