DUBAI: India play New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday in what could be a last hurrah for veteran stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
The 36-year-old Kohli and skipper Rohit, 37, came into the 50-over tournament with speculation swirling over when they will retire following lean patches in Test cricket.
Mainstays of a formidable India side for more than 15 years, the duo retired from T20 internationals after winning the World Cup last year.
This weekend could be the end for them in ODIs, with the next 50-over World Cup not until 2027.
"I am sure Rohit will lead India to a title. He will have another ICC trophy soon," former seam bowler Praveen Kumar told The Times of India.
"I will only say that Virat and Rohit, give us one more ICC trophy before you retire," he added.
India go into the final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium as favourites and with their confidence sky-high.
They have won all four of their matches at the eight-nation tournament, including beating New Zealand by 44 runs in the group phase, although both teams had already reached the semi-finals by then.
Rohit's side have played all their games in Dubai after refusing to visit Champions Trophy hosts Pakistan because of political tensions.
Rohit and Kohli came into the competition under pressure.
Master batsman Kohli silenced his critics with an unbeaten 100 against arch-rivals Pakistan, then hit a match-winning 84 against world champions Australia in the semi-finals.
Rohit's highest score has been 41 in their opening win over Bangladesh but the opener has been lauded for handing the team quick starts to build totals on at a venue where batting is tough.
India, who are looking to win the Champions Trophy for a record third time, also boast a world-class spin attack.
They unleashed four spinners in beating New Zealand with Varun Chakravarthy returning figures of 5-42 to help bowl out the Black Caps for 205 in their chase of 250.
India were unchanged against Australia as the spin-heavy selection came up trumps again, albeit on a Dubai pitch that turned a little less that time around.
In front of them lies a New Zealand team hoping to win the tournament for the second time, having done so in 2000 in what was the second edition of a competition likened to a mini World Cup.
The Black Caps powered into the final by beating South Africa by 50 runs in Lahore.
But the victory came at a price with an injury to pace bowler Matt Henry after he landed on his shoulder awkwardly while taking a catch.
Henry, who took 5-42 against India in the group phase, is in a race to be fit for Sunday.
"Still a little bit unknown at this stage," head coach Gary Stead said.
"He's obviously pretty sore just from landing on the point of his shoulder. Hopeful he will be okay."
Batsman Rachin Ravindra hammered 108 in New Zealand's Champions Trophy record total of 362 against South Africa at the batting-friendly Gaddafi Stadium.
Ravindra put together 164 runs with veteran batsman Kane Williamson, who hit 102.
The left-handed Ravindra, who also bowls left-arm spin, has amassed 226 from three matches after he returned from a nasty hit to his forehead in a tri-series match in Pakistan.
The Wellington-born Ravindra is of Indian origin with his parents hailing from Bengaluru.
"We don't quite know how the Dubai pitch is like," said Ravindra.
"I think we pride ourselves in adapting and playing the situation in front of us, so will see what happens in the next couple of days and hope it's a good cricket wicket."
India might be favourites and will have much of the crowd at the 25,000-capacity Dubai stadium roaring them on, but recent history is actually with New Zealand.
They registered a surprise 3-0 Test whitewash in India in October and November last year.
The Black Caps also hold a clear advantage over India with nine wins, six losses and one no-result at global white-ball tournaments.
Unbeaten India to face record-setting New Zealand for glory in Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy
https://arab.news/nu56k
Unbeaten India to face record-setting New Zealand for glory in Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy
- 36-year-old Kohli and skipper Rohit, 37, came into the 50-over tournament with speculation swirling over when they will retire
- Mainstays of a formidable India side for over 15 years, the duo retired from T20 internationals after winning the World Cup 2024
Son, Kim and Lee tasting success in Europe despite South Korea’s soccer struggles
- Kim Min-jae helped German giant Bayern Munich lift the Bundesliga title
- “I think this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something I may never have again,” Son said
SEOUL: South Korea’s national soccer team may be stumbling toward 2026 World Cup qualification and its clubs may have struggled in the Asian Champions League, but three of its biggest stars have been finding success in Europe.
Kim Min-jae helped German giant Bayern Munich lift the Bundesliga title, the 28-year-old defender’s second major prize in Europe after winning the Italian championship with Napoli two years earlier.
While Kim has two European trophies, the biggest star in Korean soccer is Son Heung-min and the 32-year-old forward is yet to win a major title. That could change next week with the Tottenham captain preparing to lead the London-based Spurs in the Europa League final against Premier League rival Manchester United.
“To complete the puzzle, you need every piece. Ultimately, I think, the most important final piece is still missing,” Son, who joined Tottenham in 2015, told South Korea media in London on Monday.
“I think I’ve been chasing that piece for 10 years. I’d love to finish that puzzle this time.”
Son was part of the Tottenham team that lost the 2019 UEFA Champions League final to Liverpool. Now, as the senior player, he’s determined to end what has been a difficult season for club — Tottenham are currently 17th out of 20 teams in the Premier League — and country, on a high.
“I think this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something I may never have again,” Son said. “I hope I won’t have regrets afterward. When I return to Korea after the season, I’d like to give my Korean fans and our Tottenham supporters the biggest smile I can bring.”
Son returned to action last weekend after an absence through injury but is set to start against Manchester United. The same is not automatically the case for Lee Kang-in.
The 24-year-old Lee, an attacking midfielder has been struggling for playing time of late for Paris Saint-Germain. He has appeared in 11 UEFA Champions League games this season but was on the bench as the French club beat Arsenal in the semifinals to book a final against Inter Milan on May 31 in Munich.
That game will marks the end of the European season and the start of transfer speculation. Lee has been linked with clubs elsewhere in Europe. So has Kim, whose season at Munich has been affected by injuries.
“I want to keep playing for Munich,” Kim said last month. “There’s no reason why I should leave this team. I like playing for Munich. I want to continue playing for this team next season. It’s one thing that’s important to me right now.”
It remains to be seen where the three biggest stars in Korean football are in August but the focus is currently on winning three prizes in European club football and bringing some good news for fans at home.
Cycling great Wiggins admits cocaine addiction after retiring
- Wiggins, who won the Tour de France in 2012, said he attends regular therapy sessions
- “There were times my son thought I was going to be found dead in the morning“
LONDON: Five-time Olympic champion and Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins says he became a cocaine addict following his retirement from cycling and is “lucky to be here.”
The British father of two, who quit his addiction a year ago, said his children wanted to put him in rehab, fearing the issue could prove fatal.
Wiggins, who won the Tour de France in 2012, said he attends regular therapy sessions, and feels “a lot more at peace” with himself.
“There were times my son thought I was going to be found dead in the morning,” he told The Observer. “I was a functioning addict. People wouldn’t realize. I was high most of the time for many years.”
He added: “I was walking a tightrope. I realized I had a huge problem. I had to stop. I’m lucky to be here.
“I was a victim of all my own choices, for many years.
“I already had a lot of self-hatred, but I was amplifying it. It was a form of self-harm and self-sabotage. It was not the person I wanted to be. I realized I was hurting a lot of people around me.”
Since ending his career in 2016, Wiggins has spoken about his father’s jealousy and being groomed by a coach as a child.
The 45-year-old, last year declared bankrupt, said disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, who confessed to doping in 2013, had helped his recovery, including offering to pay for therapy.
“My addiction was a way of easing that pain that I lived with,” said Wiggins, according to Cycling Weekly.
“I’m still figuring a lot of this out but what I have got is a lot more control of myself and my triggers. I’m a lot more at peace with myself now which is a really big thing.”
Tennis Coach Murray and Djokovic part ways ahead of French Open
BENGALURU: Andy Murray will no longer coach 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, with the pair’s high-profile partnership coming to an end after only six months, the Briton’s team announced on Tuesday.
Djokovic appointed fellow former world number one Murray ahead of this year’s Australian Open and the Serb said at the Qatar Open in February that he would continue working with Murray for an indefinite period.
However, the partnership will now end as Djokovic looks to arrest a dip in form during the clay season by competing in the Geneva Open next week, ahead of his quest for a fourth French Open title when Roland Garros gets underway on May 25.
“Thanks to Novak for the unbelievable opportunity to work together and thanks to his team for all their hard work over the past six months,” Murray said in a statement.
“I wish Novak all the best for the rest of the season.”
Djokovic, who won 25 of his 36 matches against Murray, said he was grateful for his former rival’s hard work and support in their short spell together.
“I really enjoyed deepening our friendship together,” Djokovic added.
Djokovic reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January before injury ended his campaign. He made the Miami Open final in March but his bid for a 100th tour-level title ended in a defeat by Jakub Mensik.
The Serb, who turns 38 three days before the year's second Grand Slam begins, has been woefully out of form since that Miami defeat and was beaten in his opening matches at Masters tournaments in Monte Carlo and Madrid last month.
He was expected to jumpstart his clay campaign in Rome before returning to Paris, where he won Olympic gold last year, but skipped the ongoing Italian Open without giving a reason.
Djokovic accepted a wildcard for the May 18-24 Geneva Open.
Cummins and Green set to return for Australia in cricket's World Test Championship final
BRISBANE: Pace bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood and allrounder Cameron Green have been recalled from injury and young batter Sam Konstas has been retained in Australia’s squad for the World Test Championship final against South Africa next month.
Australia is the defending WTC champion and finished the league stage with an away win over Sri Lanka after a home series victory against India.
“Those series capped a consistent performance across the two-year cycle and now presents us with the incredibly exciting opportunity to defend the World Test Championship,” Australia’s chief selector George Bailey said in a statement Tuesday. “It means a lot to the group to reach the final and they are very much looking forward to the challenge South Africa will present at Lord’s.”
The same squad will head to the Caribbean for a three-test series against the West Indies following the June 11-15 WTC final.
Green hasn't played international cricket since September because of back surgery, but the 25-year-old allrounder is making a graduated return and currently batting at county level in England.
Skipper Cummins missed the two-test series in Sri Lanka with an injured ankle and Hazlewood hasn't played a test since developing a side strain in November, early in the series against India.
Both veteran pacemen have been playing in the Indian Premier League, which was suspended last week because of the border tension between India and Pakistan but is set to resume this weekend.
“We are fortunate and looking forward to having Pat, Josh and Cam back in the squad,” Bailey said.
Opening batter Konstas made an impressive debut against India with a half-century in the Boxing Day test in Melbourne but was dropped ahead of the subsequent tour to Sri Lanka.
Knicks take a 3-1 lead over the Celtics with a 121-113 victory as Tatum is injured in final minutes
NEW YORK: Jalen Brunson had 39 points and 12 assists, and the New York Knicks moved a win away from their first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 25 years and pushed the defending champion Boston Celtics to the brink of elimination with a 121-113 victory Monday night in Game 4.
The Celtics will have to make the NBA’s 14th comeback from a 3-1 deficit to extend their title reign and may have to do it without All-Star Jayson Tatum, who was carried off the court with a right leg injury with 2:58 left.
Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 23 points and OG Anunoby bounced back from two poor performances by scoring 20 for the Knicks, who can win the series Wednesday night at Boston. If not, they would come back to Madison Square Garden to try to do it Friday night.
Tatum scored 42 points, his high in these playoffs, before he was hurt when the Celtics turned the ball over and his leg gave out as he tried to lunge forward toward the loose ball.
The Knicks had taken control just before that in front of a delirious crowd of fans who haven’t seen them play in the conference finals since they lost to Indiana in 2000.
Nobody has come from 3-1 down since Denver did it twice in 2020 at the Walt Disney World resort. It hasn’t happened when a team had to win a true road game since Cleveland rallied past Golden State in the 2016 NBA Finals.
