Dhaka, Jan 16 (UNB) – Winning the toss on Wednesday, Rajshahi Kings decided to bat first against table-topper Dhaka Dynamites at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in their sixth match of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). 

In the previous five matches, Kings lost three and came up victorious in two matches. In the most recent match against Khulna Titans, Kings lost by 25 runs which was Titans’ first triumph in the contest. 

On the other hand, Dynamites won all of their first four matches. The current runners-up of BPL are performing well since the start of the contest.

In the first meeting of these two teams, Dhaka Dynamites won by a big margin of 83 runs. Hazratullah Zazai and Sunil Narine hit 116-run in the opening partnership which proved to be the main pillar of Dynamites’ win. 

While Dynamite’ success heavily relies on their captain Shakib Al Hasan, all-rounder Sunil Narine and opening batsman Hazratullah, Kings’ good run depends on their captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz, pace-bowler Mustafizur Rahman and batsmen Mominul Haque and Soumya Sarkar. 

Bogota, Jan 16 (AP/UNB) — Iran coach Carlos Queiroz is in talks about taking over Colombia's national team after the Asian Cup.

Alvaro Gonzalez, who is vice president of the Colombian football federation, told a local radio station on Monday that an agreement with Queiroz is close and could be wrapped up by the end of the week.

The Portuguese coach has been in charge of Iran since 2011 and is currently at the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates, where his team faces Iraq on Wednesday. He managed Real Madrid in 2003-04 after Vicente del Bosque left.

Gonzalez said "we have met him twice (in Lisbon and Madrid) and he gave me a very good impression."

"I was thinking of a Colombian, but those we had (Juan Carlos Osorio and Reinaldo Rueda) were not available. I think this will be decided by Friday," Gonzalez.

Newspaper El Tiempo reported Tuesday that Colombian soccer executives will travel to the UAE on Wednesday to sign Queiroz.

London, Jan 16 (AP/UNB) — Tottenham striker Harry Kane was ruled out for around two months on Tuesday because of ligament damage in his left ankle, dealing a huge blow to the English team's chances of winning a first piece of silverware under Mauricio Pochettino.

The England captain was not expected to return to training until early March, Tottenham said , after getting injured in the last seconds of the 1-0 loss to Manchester United on Sunday.

That rules Kane out of at least seven Premier League games, and probably both legs of Tottenham's Champions League last-16 match against Borussia Dortmund.

Kane also is sure to miss the second leg of Tottenham's English League Cup semifinal against Chelsea, as well as the Feb. 24 final should his team advance. Tottenham has a 1-0 lead from the first leg, courtesy of a penalty from Kane.

That was one of his 21 goals for club and country this season, with Kane continuing his remarkable scoring form since bursting into Tottenham's senior team in the 2014-15 campaign.

He has twice finished a season as the Premier League's top scorer, and won the Golden Boot at last year's World Cup in Russia with six goals as England reached the semifinals.

Since Pochettino became Tottenham manager in 2014, Kane has scored 36 percent of the team's league goals, according to data supplier Opta.

"Injuries are part of the game," Kane said in a tweet, "but no one will be working harder to get back fit."

Tottenham's other main source of goals in recent months has been Son Heung-min, but the South Korea forward has just left the club to join up with his national team at the Asian Cup. Son isn't expected back until early February, meaning he will miss at least five games in all competitions.

Tottenham is in third place in the Premier League, nine points behind leader Liverpool. It is also through to the fourth round of the FA Cup, with Pochettino's side away to Crystal Palace on Jan. 27.

In the absence of Kane and Son, Pochettino could turn to either Fernando Llorente, who has mainly been used as a late impact substitute in matches this season, or attacking midfielder Dele Alli as the main striker.

The coach has already said Vincent Jansson, who hasn't played for Tottenham since August 2017 but is still at the club, will not be called on.

Dhaka, Jan 16 (AP/UNB) -Newcastle advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup on Tuesday, though coach Rafa Benitez doesn't seem too keen on making a deep run in the competition.

By beating second-tier Blackburn 4-2 after extra time in a third-round replay, Newcastle earned only a fifth FA Cup victory in the past 11 seasons and set up a home match against fellow top-flight side Watford on Jan. 26.

Benitez might see that as more of a distraction than an opportunity, with Newcastle currently fighting a relegation battle in the Premier League. And he has suggested that, like in both games against Blackburn, he will play his reserves in the FA Cup going forward.

"We have a squad that is trying to get through," Benitez said pointedly, "and if we can do it the same way in the next round we will be pleased with that."

Benitez has acknowledged the FA Cup is not a priority because he feels a heavyweight team with a deeper squad, like Manchester City, Chelsea or Manchester United, will win it. A run in the famous knockout competition clogs up the schedule, in Benitez's opinion, and jeopardizes the top-flight status for a team like Newcastle.

So the sight of two defenders — Ciaran Clark and the player he replaced, Jamaal Lascelles — getting injured at Ewood Park will be a big concern for Benitez days before a much bigger game in his eyes, a home league match against fellow relegation contender Cardiff. Newcastle is in third-to-last place, one spot behind Cardiff.

Spanish forwards Joselu and Ayoze Perez scored extra-time goals to finally push Newcastle past Blackburn, which drew 1-1 at the start of the month to earn a replay.

The visitors had gone 2-0 ahead thanks to goals by 21-year-old local players, with Sean Longstaff scoring off a deflected shot inside the first minute and Callum Roberts adding a second in the 22nd. They were the players' first goals for the club.

Blackburn went into halftime on level terms through goals by Adam Armstrong, a former Newcastle player, and Darragh Lenihan.

Newcastle will look to get beyond the fourth round for the first time since 2006, a year before divisive owner Mike Ashley bought the club.

The northeast team avoided becoming the fifth team — after Fulham, Leicester, Cardiff and Huddersfield — to lose to a side from a lower division in the third round.

In other replays Tuesday, third-tier Shrewsbury scored three goals from the 71st minute to rally to a 3-2 win over second-tier Stoke and set up a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the team that knocked out Liverpool.

Sheffield Wednesday won 1-0 at Luton and will next play titleholder Chelsea.

There is one more replay on Wednesday, with Southampton hosting second-tier Derby County.

Dhaka, Jan 15 (UNB) - Faisal Ahmed, student of Physics Department, emerged champion in the Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall Sports competition of Dhaka University (DU) at its central playground on Tuesday. 

Fahim Ahmed, student of Soil, Water and Environment Department finished as runner-up.

DU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman inaugurated the competition in the morning as chief guest.

Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Prof. Dr Muhammad Samad was chief guest at the day’s closing function who later distributed prizes among the winners.

Provost of Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall Prof. Dr Md Mizanur Rahman was also present on the occasion.