Al-Nassr overcome Al-Kholood to top Saudi Pro League
RIYADH: Al-Nassr defeated Al-Kholood 2-0 at Al-Awwal Park on Sunday night to maintain their 100 percent record at the start of the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season.
Asia Cup Sport News
No Pakistan handshake aligned with government, says India captain
DUBAI: India’s victorious captain Suryakumar Yadav defended his team’s decision not to shake hands with the defeated Pakistan players on Sunday, saying that it was taken in alignment with their government and cricket board. India thumped Pakistan by seven wickets in a Group A Asia Cup clash in Dubai which ended on a bitter note as Indian players headed into their dressing room without a customary handshake. Pakistan, in protest, refused to attend the post match ceremony as tensions flared in a match which was the first between the bitter rivals since May’s military action. The cross border clashes were sparked after an attack in Pahalgam in Indian Kashmir in April which killed 26 people, with India blaming Pakistan. New Delhi resisted the calls to boycott the match and cleared the team to play Pakistan only in multi-national events. “We are aligned with the government and Board of Control for Cricket in India,” said Suryakumar after scoring 47 not out as India chased down a modest Pakistan target of 128 in 15.5 overs. Left-armer Kuldeep Yadav led India’s spin rout with 3-18 as Pakistan were restricted to a below-par 127-9 in 20 overs. Pakistan’s head coach Mike Hesson termed said he was disappointed with the Indian players’ refusal to shake hands. “We were ready to shake hands at the end of the game,” said Hesson.
Haaland-inspired Man City inflict derby demolition on Man Utd
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Erling Haaland struck twice as Manchester City inflicted another damaging defeat on Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim with a comprehensive 3-0 win on Sunday. Phil Foden opened the scoring before Haaland took center stage with a second-half double, either side of an incredible miss from the Norwegian, as City bounced back from two consecutive Premier League defeats. United went into a derby ahead of City in the Premier League table for the first time in five years. But that owed more to City’s early season struggles than signs of progress for Amorim’s men, who have taken just four points from their opening four games and been dumped out of the League Cup by fourth-tier Grimsby. “In these kind of games we need to be perfect and in this game we were not perfect,” said Amorim. “The frustration is always the same because with the amount of chances (we create), we need to score goals.” To cap a fine City display, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma marked his debut with a stunning save from Bryan Mbeumo to deny United a foothold in the game at 2-0. City remain six points adrift of leaders Liverpool, but victory is a huge confidence boost for Pep Guardiola’s side ahead of facing Serie A champions Napoli and Premier League title rivals Arsenal next week. “We needed this,” said Haaland. “You always want to win the derby but you could feel it extra today. “I’m so relieved, so happy we managed to do it altogether.
Germany crowned EuroBasket champions after thrilling win over Turkiye
RIGA: Germany pulled off a stunning 88-83 victory over Turkiye on Sunday to win the EuroBasket title for the first time since 1993, with point guard Dennis Schroeder draining a late jump shot and then adding a pair of high-pressure free throws in a thrilling climax. The reigning World Cup champions put in a gritty defensive display, with Isaac Bonga coming up with key plays down the stretch before Schroeder put the team on his back and carried them over the line with a late-game point-guard masterclass. Both sides began with a barrage of three-point attempts, blocks and bruising challenges in a high-octane first half that saw Turkiye take a six-point lead into the break, but that lead was quickly erased at the start of the third period as the Germans roared back. Hampered after collecting three fouls over the first three periods, Turkiye’s Alperen Sengun came back into the game early in the fourth quarter and made a tough hook shot before taking a charge on the defensive end to preserve a slender three-point lead. Cedi Osman went back up the floor and hit his sixth three of the night to double their lead as the momentum swung, but they could not shake the Germans off and when Sengun picked up his fourth foul with just under four minutes remaining, Bonga gave Germany a one-point lead on the next play. With the game reaching boiling point, Schroeder scored with a driving layup before Bonga grabbed an offensive rebound and Schroeder made the most of it, hitting a pull-up jumper with 19 seconds left to give the Germans a three-point lead. Sengun tried to level, heaving a three-pointer with Daniel Theis’s hand in his face, but the shot kissed the front of the rim, and Osman fouled Schroeder after the rebound, with the
Spinners power India to win over Pakistan in Asia Cup
DUBAI: Spinners led by Kuldeep Yadav helped India thrash Pakistan by seven wickets in the Asia Cup on Sunday as the neighbors met on the cricket pitch for the first time since a military conflict between them in May. Kuldeep returned figures of 3-18 and along with fellow spinner Axar Patel kept Pakistan down to 127-9 in a key Group A T20 clash in Dubai. India lost two wickets after a fiery 31 off 13 balls from opener Abhishek Sharma, but skipper Suryakumar Yadav hit an unbeaten 47 to achieve the target with 25 balls to spare. Suryakumar put on 56 runs with left-hander Tilak Varma, who hit 31 before being bowled by Saim Ayub. The captain stood firm and hit the winning six as Indian fans celebrated at a stadium, which had alot of empty seats, and the players from both teams went off without handshakes. Abhishek came out roaring as he hit Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi for a four and a six and, despite the fall of Shubman Gill in the next over, kept up the charge. Swashbuckling Abhishek cracked four boundaries and two sixes before he mistimed another attempt for a maximum to be caught at long-off off spinner Ayub. India’s bowlers set up the dominant win as Axar, who took 2-18, and Kuldeep combined to rattle the opposition batting, which suffered from a lack of partnerships. Hardik Pandya struck in the first over to dismiss opener Ayub for a golden duck and fellow quick Jasprit Bumrah sent back wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Haris for three. Sahibzada Farhan, who top-scored with 40, attempted to rebuild the innings along with Fakhar Zaman, who made 17, in a partnership of 39. Axar broke the stand with his left-arm spin as he got Zaman caught out and in his next over had skipper Salman Agha out for three. Left-ar
Emotions run high as India and Pakistan face off after May clashes
DUBAI: An India-Pakistan cricket match is always a blockbuster but emotions will run even higher in Sunday’s Asia Cup clash between the nuclear-armed neighbors, who engaged in a four-day military conflict earlier this year. Even before the clashes in May, which nearly escalated into a full-blown war, bilateral cricket ties had been suspended. The arch-rivals now play each other only in multi-team tournaments. Political relations have deteriorated further since the clashes, with several former Indian players urging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to boycott what will be the first meeting between the teams since the recent hostilities. While the threat of a boycott is over, sparks may fly with India captain Suryakumar Yadav and his Pakistan counterpart Salman Agha ruling out dialing down aggression in the much-anticipated Group A fixture. India, the reigning 20-overs world champions, are firm favorites to retain their Asia Cup title and are determined not to let geopolitics derail their campaign. “Once the BCCI said they are aligned with the government, we are here to play,” India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak told reporters on Friday. “Once we are here to play, I think players are focused on playing cricket.
Sri Lanka sprints to six-wicket win over Bangladesh for crucial Asia Cup T20 win
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates: Pathum Nissanka became the quickest Sri Lankan batter to reach 2,000 T20 runs as the opener sprinted his team to a six-wicket win over Bangladesh in a crucial Asia Cup match on Saturday. Nissanka perfectly manipulated the line and lengths of the Bangladeshi bowlers to score 50 off 34 balls and Sri Lanka breezed to 140-4 in a strong start to its campaign. Bangladesh, which handed Hong Kong a seven-wicket drubbing in its first Group B game, recovered from a horror start to score 139-5 after it lost both openers to fast bowler Nuwan Thushara and Dushmantha Chameera’s successive wicket maidens with the new ball. Nissanka batted fluently and scored six fours and a six as he reached the 2,000-run landmark in his 68th T20 innings when he completed his half century. Kusal Perera had the previous Sri Lanka record, achieving the feat in 76 innings. Nissanka fell soon after his entertaining 95-run stand with Kamil Mishara (46 not out) had all but sealed the game, when Shoriful Islam held on to a spectacular two-handed catch at deep backward square leg. Bangladesh had to pay a heavy price of dropping Mishra on 1 when Mahedi Hassan couldn’t hold on to a two-handed catch close to the 30-meter circle at wide mid-on.
Matsuyama leads BMW PGA Championship ahead of 3 Europe Ryder Cup stars
VIRGINIA WATER, England: Hideki Matsuyama made two eagles in shooting 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over a trio of European Ryder Cup players after the second round of the BMW PGA Championship on Friday.