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Rishabh Pant returns as Punjab opens season with win over Delhi in IPL
Star Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant returned to action as Punjab Kings beat Delhi Capitals by four wickets in their opening encounter of the Indian Premier League season on Saturday.
Pant, injured in a car accident in December 2022, marked his return to high-profile cricket by leading out the Capitals. He scored 18 off 13 balls in his comeback innings.
Delhi reached 174-9 in 20 overs after Shai Hope top scored with 33 off 25 balls, while impact batter Abishek Porel smashed 32 not out off 10.
Punjab relied on Sam Curran’s 63 off 47 balls to scale the target in 19.2 overs and finished with 177-6 in reply.
Put into bat, the Capitals got a speedy start from David Warner (29) and Mitchell Marsh (20) as the duo put on 39 off 20 balls for the first wicket.
Police arrest Mariners' winning run in Premier Div Hockey
Punjab struck back through its pacers — Marsh was out caught off Arshdeep Singh, while Harshal Patel bounced out Warner.
Pant walked in to a rousing reception but played a scratchy knock even as Hope smacked two fours and two sixes off 25 balls.
Patel picked his second as Pant was out caught in the 13th over. With Hope gone as well, Delhi was down to 111-4.
It became 111-5 as Ricky Bhui only managed three runs, out caught behind to spinner Harpreet Brar (1-14). South Africa's Tristan Stubbs also fell for just five runs.
Axar Patel scored 21 off 13 balls before he was run out. Porel was then subbed in at 138-7 and played a rescuing hand for the Capitals.
Porel smacked four fours and two sixes off the 10 balls faced as Delhi finished with an unlikely par-score in its first outing this season.
In response, Punjab was down to 42-2 as Ishant Sharma inflicted a double blow. He bowled skipper Shikhar Dhawan for 22 runs.
Then, Jonny Bairstow was run out for nine at the non-striker’s end. Sharma just managed to get his fingers onto the ball as the English batter was backing out too far.
Sylhet Test: Sri Lanka lead after Bangladesh's 188 in 1st Innings
Curran then added 42 off 33 balls with Prabhsimran Mann for the third wicket. The latter took the lead, scoring 26 off 17 balls, before he was caught at long on off Kuldeep Yadav (2-20).
Yadav picked his second as Jitesh Sharma was out stumped for nine.
It left Punjab at 100-4 in 11.3 overs, but Curran and Liam Livingstone came together to save the day.
Curran hit six fours and a six in his 39-ball 50, while Livingstone smacked three sixes and two fours in a 21-ball 38-run knock.
The duo added 67 runs off 42 balls, before Khaleel Ahmed (2-43) bowled Curran in the penultimate over. Livingstone though stayed on to the end.
Delhi dropped a couple catches which allowed Punjab to scale the target with ease.
Kolkata Knight Riders host Sunrisers Hyderabad later.
Police arrest Mariners' winning run in Premier Div Hockey
Bangladesh Police SC forced defending champions Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club to play 5-5 draw in a crucial match of the 11-team Green Delta Insurance Premier Division Hockey League at the Moulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium here on Saturday.
With the day's debacle, Dhaka Mariner Youngs Club went down in the league securing 13 points from six matches to share the 2nd slot with Mohammedan SC, who also bagged 13 points, playing one match less than the Mariners.
Mariner Youngs Club, which made a frustrating start after suffering a shocking 1-5 goals defeat against Usha KC in the league opener, today (Saturday) again lost important points against a mediocre Police team in their sixth match.
Earlier, Mariners Youngs strongly came back in the race in their 2nd match outplaying Azad SC 13-2, crushing Dilkusha SC 18-1, defeating Victoria SC 11-2, beat Ajax SC 4-3, apart from the day's 5-5 draw against Police SC.
Dhaka Abahani Ltd dominated the league table with all-win record securing full 18 points from straight six matches after beating Dilkusha SC 10-1 goals, Usha KC by 2-1 goals, Azad SC by 10-1 goals, Sadharan Bima KS by 3-0 goals, Victoria SC by 16-0 goals and Ajax SC by 7-1 goals.
In the day's match, league's top scorer Shohanur Rahman Sabuj struck twice while Fazle Hossain Rabbi, Moinul Islam Koushik and Indian, Rajender Singh scored one each for the Mariners.
On the other hand, Indian recruit Gurjit Singh and Abdul Malek struck twice each while Rezaul Ahmed Ratul scored the other goal for Police SC.
In the day's other league match, a brilliant hattrick by Indian player Mohammad Shariq guided the old Dhaka outfit Usha SC to outplay Sadharan Bima KS by 5-1 goals at the same venue Saturday afternoon.
Mohammad Shariq made a hattrick scoring three goals while Taiyub Ali and another Indian player Aniket Gurav scored one goal each for Usha KC.
Parvez Mosharraf scored the consolation goal for the Insurance men's team.
END/UNB/MMK/ssk
FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Palestine team arrive in Dhaka
Palestine national football team arrived Dhaka Saturday morning to play their Group I away match of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against hosts Bangladesh on March 26 at 3:30 pm local time at the Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka.
Bangladesh team also returned home from Kuwait Friday night to play their home match against Palestine here.
After returned from Kuwait, Bangladesh team made their first practice session Saturday afternoon at the practice ground of the Basundhara Kings Arena here.
Earlier on Thursday night, Bangladesh National Football team suffered a huge 0-5 goals defeat against war-torn Arab nation Palestine in their 3nd Group I match of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers at the Jaber Al Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait city.
FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Bangladesh to play Palestine in their away match Thursday night
It was the biggest defeat for Bangladesh against their much superior Arabian rivals Palestine in seven matches since their first meeting in Dhaka in 2006.
Bangladesh conceded defeat in every match except making 1-1 draw in their first meeting in the AFC Challenge Cup held in Dhaka in 2006.
Palestine is 86 steps ahead of Bangladesh in the current FIFA men's world ranking with a ranking of 97 against the Bangladesh ranking 183.
In Thursday's match, striker Oday Dabbagh made a hattrick for Palestine scoring three goals in the 43rd, 53rd and 77th minutes while another forward Shehab Qumbor netted twice in the 45+2 and 49th minutes respectively.
Bangladesh Football team to play Palestine March 21 in World Cup Qualifiers
Bangladesh boldly faced Palestine till the 40th minute of the first half to restrict their stronger opponents goalless, but, made some mistakes in the dying moments of the first half.
In the 2nd half, Bangladesh were totally off-colour, specially the defense line up, suffering a huge defeat.
Bangladesh custodian Mitul Marma made some good saves to deprive Palestine from more goals.
Ahead of the World Cup Qualifying match against Palestine, Bangladesh national team conducted an intensive two-week long preparatory camp at the King Fahd Sports City Stadium in the Saudi Arabian City of Al Taif from March 3 to 17 and also played two preparatory matches there against Sudan, but all of their efforts went in vain.
Bangladesh football team leaves Saudi Arabia for Kuwait on Sunday to play FIFA World Cup Qualifier
Earlier, Bangladesh suffered a 0-7 goals defeat against Australia in their first away match on November 16 and drew 1-1 with another Arabian nation Lebanon in their home match in Dhaka on Nov 21.
In the remaining two FIFA World Cup Qualifying round group matches, Bangladesh will play World Cup playing Australia in a home match on June 6 and will play Lebanon in the away match on June 11.
Sylhet Test: Sri Lanka lead after Bangladesh's 188 in 1st Innings
Sri Lanka has seized control of the ongoing Sylhet Test against Bangladesh. At the close of day two, they hold a commanding lead of 211 runs with five wickets in hand.
Batting first after losing the toss, Sri Lanka posted 280 runs, buoyed by centuries from Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis. Bangladesh's Khaled Ahmed and debutant Nahid Rana impressed with three wickets each.
Sri Lanka lost half of their wickets before first day lunch, but from there, de Silva and Kamindu put up a partnership of 202 runs—that remarkable comeback guided Sri Lanka to a fighting score of 280 runs.
In response, Bangladesh faltered for 188 in their first innings, losing wickets at regular intervals. Taijul Islam, coming in after three wickets fell on day one, top-scored with 47, while Litton Das contributed 25. Sri Lanka secured a significant 92-run lead.
Vishwa Fernando led Sri Lanka's bowling attack with four wickets, supported by Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara with three apiece.
In their second innings by day two's end, Sri Lanka reached 119 for five, extending their lead to 211 runs with five wickets intact. Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne notched a half-century.
Nahid Rana starred for Bangladesh with two crucial wickets, dismissing Nishan Madushka and Kusal Mendis, both caught behind. Shoriful Islam, Taijul, and Mehdiy Hasan Miraz chipped in with a wicket each.
Sylhet Test: Bangladesh lose quick wickets after Dhananjaya, Kamindu help Sri Lanka post 280
Bangladesh stumbled to 32 runs for the loss of three wickets at the conclusion of day one of the Sylhet Test on Friday. This came after Sri Lanka posted 280 runs in their first innings, with Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis orchestrating a remarkable recovery from 57 for five.
In response to Sri Lanka's total, Bangladesh lost Zakir Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, and Mominul Haque. Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Taijul Islam remained unbeaten on 9 and 0 respectively. Vishwa Fernando claimed two wickets, while Kasun Rajitha took one.
For Sri Lanka, Captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis displayed exceptional resilience, forging a formidable partnership of 202 runs for the sixth wicket, with both batters notching up centuries.
Despite Bangladesh's initial dominance, Sri Lanka proved resilient, surviving numerous attempts to break the partnership. The early stages of the match hinted at Bangladesh's fortunes favoring them, especially with the overcast conditions providing assistance to their pacers.
Sylhet Test: Khaled takes three wickets as Bangladesh make impressive start
Sri Lanka suffered early setbacks, losing their first wicket in the second over when Mehidy Hasan Miraz took a stunning catch at third slip. Even before posting 50 runs on the board, they lost four wickets. They lost the veteran Angelo Mathews before lunch too.
However, the partnership between Dhananjaya and Kamindu thwarted Bangladesh's hopes of a swift conclusion to Sri Lanka's innings. The breakthrough eventually came from Nahid Rana, the debutant pacer, who dismissed both centurions with his pace and bounce.
Kamindu fell to a back-of-length delivery outside off, edging it to wicketkeeper Litton Das, while Dhananjaya's innings ended with a catch at square leg by Mehidy off short ball. Both batters scored 102 runs each before Nahid claimed his third wicket by removing Prabath Jayasuriya.
Sri Lanka finished their innings at 280 runs. Despite their recovery from a precarious position at 57 for 5, they might rue missed opportunities to score more, considering their score of 259 for 5.
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Khaled Ahmed and Nahid Rana were the standout performers for Bangladesh, claiming three wickets each, while Shoriful Islam and Taijul Islam contributed with two wickets apiece, with two dismissals coming from run-outs.
Sylhet Test: Dhananjaya, Kamindu Stage Remarkable Comeback with Centuries
Bangladesh failed to capitalize on their early advantage in the Sylhet Test against Sri Lanka, with the visitors managing to post a total of 280 runs in their first innings after finding themselves struggling at 57 for 5 on Friday.
Captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis displayed exceptional resilience, forging a formidable partnership of 202 runs for the sixth wicket, with both batters notching up centuries.
Despite Bangladesh's initial dominance, Sri Lanka proved resilient, surviving numerous attempts to break the partnership. The early stages of the match hinted at Bangladesh's fortunes favoring them, especially with the overcast conditions providing assistance to their pacers.
Sri Lanka suffered early setbacks, losing their first wicket in the second over when Mehidy Hasan Miraz took a stunning catch at third slip. Even before posting 50 runs on the board, they lost four wickets. They lost the veteran Angelo Mathews before lunch too.
Sylhet Test: Bangladesh lose quick wickets after Dhananjaya, Kamindu help Sri Lanka post 280
However, the partnership between Dhananjaya and Kamindu thwarted Bangladesh's hopes of a swift conclusion to Sri Lanka's innings. The breakthrough eventually came from Nahid Rana, the debutant pacer, who dismissed both centurions with his pace and bounce.
Kamindu fell to a back-of-length delivery outside off, edging it to wicketkeeper Litton Das, while Dhananjaya's innings ended with a catch at square leg by Mehidy off short ball. Both batters scored 102 runs each before Nahid claimed his third wicket by removing Prabath Jayasuriya.
Sri Lanka finished their innings at 280 runs. Despite their recovery from a precarious position at 57 for 5, they might rue missed opportunities to score more, considering their score of 259 for 5.
Sylhet Test: Khaled takes three wickets as Bangladesh make impressive start
Khaled Ahmed and Nahid Rana were the standout performers for Bangladesh, claiming three wickets each, while Shoriful Islam and Taijul Islam contributed with two wickets apiece, with two dismissals coming from run-outs.
Sylhet Test: Khaled takes three wickets as Bangladesh make impressive start
Bangladesh made an impressive start to the Sylhet Test against Sri Lanka, claiming five wickets in the first session under slightly overcast conditions on Friday.
Sri Lanka's top and middle order struggled against Bangladesh's pace attack early in the innings.
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Khaled Ahmed took three wickets, while Shoriful Islam got one. Another wicket fell due to a run-out. Debutant pacer Nahid Rana bowled with an average speed of over 140 km/h, causing trouble for the Sri Lankan batsmen.
Having won the toss, Bangladesh chose to bowl first, considering the conditions and the potential for their pacers to perform well.
Young blood injected as BCB announces squad for first Test against Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka lost their opener, Nishan Madushka, in the second over. Khaled bowled a delivery outside off, and Madushka's attempted drive resulted in a thick edge to the third slip, where Mehidy Hasan Miraz took a stunning catch.
Despite losing an early wicket, Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis tried to settle in. However, Khaled continued to take wickets.
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In the 12th over, Khaled dismissed both Karunaratne and Mendis. Mendis faced a wide short ball with extra bounce, hesitated in his shot selection, and eventually gave a catch to Zakir Hasan at gully.
On the last ball of the 12th over, Khaled removed Karunaratne with a delivery shaping into the stumps. Karunaratne's attempted drive left a gap between bat and pad, allowing the ball to sneak through and shatter the stumps.
By the time Sri Lanka reached 50 runs, they had lost four wickets, with Angelo Mathews being run out by Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. Just before lunch on day one, they also lost Dinesh Chandimal to Shoriful Islam, caught in a leg slip by Mehidy.
Captain Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis then formed a sixth-wicket partnership to stabilise Sri Lanka's innings. However, they still have a lot of work to do to post a decent total in the first innings of the Sylhet Test.
Bangladesh capitalised on the overcast conditions in Sylhet, with Khaled getting extra movement. Shoriful also found his rhythm, while Nahid Rana had an impressive debut, bowling faster than any other Bangladesh bowler in this innings, as expected. Nahid had played 15 first-class matches before his Test debut, claiming 63 wickets.
Premier Div Hockey: Mohammedan SC maintain unbeaten run beating Sadharan Bima by 5-1 goals
Dhaka Mohammedan SC maintained their unbeaten run in the 11-team Green Delta Insurance Premier Division Hockey League outplaying Sadharan Bima KS by 5-1 goals in their 5th match at the Moulana Bashani National Stadium on Thursday.
Indian recruit Dipu Singha struck two, Malaysian player Faizal Bin Sarri, experienced local foward Rashel Mahmud Jimmy and Shahidul Haque Saikat scored one goal each for the traditional black and whites Mohammedans.
Indian player Ravi scored the consolation for the Insurance men's team.
Hanoi GM Chess: Bangladeshi IM Fahad Rahman shares points with IM Quizon Quang of Philippines
With the day's feat, Mohammedan SC advanced to the 2nd slot in the league table with unbeaten run securing 13 points from five matches after beating Victoria SC 10-1, Azad SC 4-0, drew 3-3 draw with Usha KC and crushing Dilkusha SC by 11-1 goals, apart from day's 5-1 victory against S Bima
Dhaka Abahani Ltd dominated the league table with all-win record securing full 15 points from straight five matches after beating Dilkusha SC 10-1 goals, Usha KC by 2-1 goals, Azad SC by 10-1 goals, Sadharan Bima KS by 3-0 goals and Victoria SC by 16-0 goals.
In the day's other league match, Bangkadesh Police SC, riding on a hattrick by Pakistani Aslam, earned a huge 10-2 goals win over Victoria Sporting Club at the same venue Thursday afternoon.
Police SC dominated the first quarter by 6-0 goals.
Premier Div Hockey: Holders Mariner Youngs Club manage hard-fought 4-3 victory over Ajax SC
Pakistani national midfielder Ihtisam Aslam made a hattrick scoring four goals while captain Abdul Makek, Indian players Gurjit Singh and Manpreet Singh scored two goals each for Police team.
Forward Shahidul Islam scored both the goals for Victoria SC
Hanoi GM Chess: Bangladeshi IM Fahad Rahman shares points with IM Quizon Quang of Philippines
Bangladeshi IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman drew with IM Quizon Quang of Philippines in the 3rd round match of the Hanoi Grandmaster-2 Chess Tournament'2024 held in Hanoi, Vietnam on Wednesday.
IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman played with white pieces against Sicilian Defense of IM Quizon Quang and settled for a draw after 31 moves.
The 4th round game between IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman and FM Tran Dang Minh Quang of Vietnam was in progress on Thursday till last report received.
Women's cricket: Bangladesh suffers a heavy defeat to Australia in series opener
Bangladesh Women's Cricket Team suffered a big defeat to Australia on Thursday in the opening match of the three-match ODI series.
Chasing a target of 214, Bangladesh were all out for 95, resulting in an Australian victory by 118 runs.
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Despite a promising start at 70 for two wickets, Bangladesh's batting collapsed, losing their last eight wickets for just 25 runs.
Earlier, Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field. Australia posted a challenging 213/7 in their 50 overs. Captain Alyssa Healy led early with 24, but two quick wickets kept the scoring in check.
Women's Cricket: BCB Announces Schedule for Bangladesh-Australia Series
Annabel Sutherland's unbeaten 58 and contributions from Ashleigh Gardner and Alana King propelled Australia to a competitive total.
In reply, Bangladesh struggled against Australia's disciplined bowling. Megan Schutt and Kim Garth caused early damage, and wickets fell regularly. Despite a fighting 27 from captain Nigar Sultana, Bangladesh couldn't forge significant partnerships and were bowled out for 95 in 36 overs.
Bangladesh Women's Cricket team due to fly South Africa Saturday
The second and third matches of the series will take place on March 24 and 27, respectively, at the same venue.