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JEDDAH: Al-Ahli defeated Al-Hilal 3-2 on Friday, with Ivan Toney blasting a big hole in the hosts’ Saudi Pro League title ambitions with a stunning second-half hat-trick in a thrilling game.
TOKYO: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr travel to Iran in the Asian Champions League next week with his side one of three from Saudi Arabia in the last 16 of the region’s top club competition. Saudi teams dominated the tournament’s West zone league stage, with four-time Asian champions Al-Hilal leading Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr in the top three in the final table. Saudi Arabia has shaken up football by spending heavily on stars from Europe, starting with Ronaldo’s move in late 2022, and the desert nation will host the World Cup in 2034. Al-Hilal, the last side from Saudi Arabia to win the Champions League in 2021, topped the league stage on goal difference from Al-Ahli with both unbeaten in eight matches. Al-Nassr finished five points clear of fourth-placed Al-Sadd of Qatar and Ronaldo’s side take on Iran’s Esteghlal over two legs, the first in Tehran on Monday. Former Real Madrid and Manchester United star Ronaldo scored six goals in the league stage and is still going strong at the age of 40. A first Asian crown would add to a bulging trophy haul that already includes five UEFA Champions League titles. The Portuguese has been joined at Al-Nassr by Colombian striker Jhon Duran, although the big-money signing from Aston Villa was sent off during a Saudi league game last week. The red card infuriated Ronaldo, who lashed out at the referee and booted the ball into the stands before continuing to remonstrate with the officials. Coach Stefano Pioli will need his players to keep their heads against Esteghlal, who Al-Nassr beat 1-0 in the league stage thanks to a late goal from former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte. “We must try to improve every day as we have not yet reached the level where we can compare ourselves with the
Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar on Friday lauded Virat Kohli for his brilliant century in the high-stakes Champions Trophy match against Pakistan, saying the star batter was bound to shine as he has got a "big match temperament". Kohli's unbeaten century (100 not out) was a key factor in India's dominant six-wicket win over their arch-rivals. The win also booked a semifinal spot for India with a game to spare. "Virat is an outstanding cricketer -- one of the best in the world. Although he hadn't been scoring runs of late, I knew he would come through in a big match because of his ability to rise to the occasion. He's got a big match temperament," said Vengsarkar.
Wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul found it hard to express in words how great a servant of Indian cricket Virat Kohli has been and further affirmed hope that many more "games and centuries" are left for the stalwart in international cricket. Virat's much-awaited resurgence finally unravelled in the high-stakes clash against arch-rival Pakistan in Dubai at the ongoing Champions Trophy. The atmosphere reverberated with the echoes of his famous T20 World Cup 2022 heist in Melbourne against the Men in Green.
LAHORE, Pakistan : Australia sailed into the Champions Trophy semi-finals after their final Group B match against Afghanistan was abandoned at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has thrown his weight behind star batter Babar Azam, who has come under heavy scutiny for his poor outing in the Champions Trophy. Babar scored 87 runs in two matches as as hosts Pakistan failed to qualify for the semi-final of the Champions Trophy. Several current and former Pakistan players were critical of Babar and accused him of not performing in big games. However, Butt feels Babar is the best batter Pakistan has produced, by a country mile, in the last 20 years.
After both Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami had left the ground with respective fitness issues during their win against Pakistan, wicket-keeper batter KL Rahul confirmed there are no concerns fitness-wise heading into the final group clash against New Zealand on Sunday. Both India and New Zealand have qualified for the semifinals from Group A, with hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh set to make early exits after consecutive defeats in the tournament. The two sides last faced each other in an ODI in the 2023 World Cup semifinal, where Men in Blue sealed the tie by 70 runs at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to qualify for the summit clash. "Fitness-wise, everything seems pretty okay. There are no real concerns about anyone missing, as far as I know. Everyone has been at the gym; everyone has been in training," said KL Rahul.
Former India cricketer and coach Lalchand Rajput is confident that the Indian team will lift the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy for the first time since 2013 because the team is performing in unison and ticking all the boxes. Indian players have performed in harmony in the ongoing marquee event. The Rohit Sharma-led side exuded dominance over Bangladesh and bamboozled arch-rival Pakistan to extend their unbeaten streak in the tournament. The star-studded batters have been firing on all cylinders, and the bowling unit has stuck to consistency, leading to India's back-to-back triumphs in Dubai.