sports.ndtv.com - Eden Gardens Curator's U-Turn After Row Over Denying KKR Captain Ajinkya Rahane's Pitch Request

Eden Gardens Curator's U-Turn After Row Over Denying KKR Captain Ajinkya Rahane's Pitch Request

Sujan Mukherjee, a pitch curator at Eden Gardens, has been receiving a lot of backlash after denying Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane's request to prepare a spin-friendly track. Following KKR's big loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening match of IPL 2025, Rahane expressed his frustration over the pitch used for the game, and hoped to see spin-friendly track at the Eden Gardens. "We would love to see the pitch helping the spin bowlers but again, this wicket was under cover for the last one-and-a-half days. Both the spinners we have, the quality they have, they can bowl in any kind of wicket and I am sure they are confident as well," Rahane was quoted as saying after the match.

Novak Djokovic Becomes Oldest Masters Semi-Finalist In Miami; Jakub Mensik, Taylor Fritz Through

Novak Djokovic turned on the style to take his place in the last four of the Miami Open with an impressive 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) win over American Sebastian Korda, becoming the oldest man to reach a Masters 1000 semi-final. The 37-year-old Serb made a strong start against Korda, breaking early to get a first set advantage that he never let slip but Korda showed great resilience in the second set, taking the contest to a tie-break. But the fourth seed, looking for his seventh Miami Open title but first since 2016, again came up strong, sealing the win with a powerful ace.

After Confrontation Episode, LSG Owner's Special Gesture For Rishabh Pant

A dominant all-round display from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) saw them seal a five-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2025 on Thursday. Shardul Thakur bagged a four-wicket haul on a placid track as LSG restricted SRH to 190/9, before chasing down the target with 23 balls to spare, courtesy of Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh's fiery half-centuries. The win came as a big relief for LSG captain Rishabh Pant, especially after the crushing loss to Delhi Capitals earlier this week.

Watch: Virat Kohli's Big Gesture For Young Fan Ahead Of CSK vs RCB IPL 2025 Clash

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were too hot to handle during the IPL 2025 opener against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), storming to a seven-wicket win at the Eden Gardens. Virat Kohli was ever present at the top of the order, and his new opening partner Phil Salt also delivered a memorable performance on his RCB debut, that too against his former side. However, Kohli and Salt await their biggest test so far this season as RCB take on Southern rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Friday.

Ravichandran Ashwin Mocks Lop-Sided IPL Award Ceremonies: "The Day Is Not Far..."

The IPL 2025 has one high-scoring contest. Several teams like SunRisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings , Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Titans have breached the 230-run mark in this edition and its not even a fortnight into the IPL 2025. While batters often tend to have a bigger say in the T20 format, the lop-sided nature of the contest is often too stark. Chennai Super Kings bowler Ravichandran Ashwin feels the lop-sided nature makes itself very apparent in the award ceremonies too in the IPL.

Angry Nitish Kumar Reddy Vents Frustration On Helmet Failing To Score Big For SRH vs LSG In IPL 2025. Watch

While most experts expected SunRisers Hyderabad to easily beat Lucknow Super Giants, it was the latter who shone bright in the IPL 2025 on Friday. Nicholas Pooran struck 70 off just 26 balls while Shardul Thakur took a four wicket haul as LSG won by five wickets. SRH's famed batting order, which was touted to cross 300, could not even go past 190 in the match against LSG. No. 4 batter Nitish Kumar Reddy was expected to score big but returned with just 32 off 28 balls. He was frustrated man after getting out and it showed in his act after getting dismissed.

Barcelona Bolster La Liga Title Bid By Winning Match They Didn't Want To Play

Barcelona swept to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Osasuna to move three points clear at the top of La Liga despite their discontent at having to play their match on Thursday. The Catalans' appeal against the rescheduling of this game was rejected but Hansi Flick's side, unbeaten in 19 matches across all competitions, still made light work of Osasuna, 14th. Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo netted in the first half with Robert Lewandowski on target after the break. Barca were without key winger Raphinha as he played for Brazil on Wednesday in South America in World Cup qualifying but cruised at the Olympic stadium regardless.

Manchester City Eye FA Cup Success To Save Troubled Season

Manchester City face Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarter-finals aiming to keep alive their last chance of silverware in a turbulent season. City are the last of the Premier League's big guns still standing as Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Brighton headline the FA Cup's year of the underdog. AFP Sport looks at the key storylines ahead of the weekend's action:

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Eden Gardens Curator's U-Turn After Row Over Denying KKR Captain Ajinkya Rahane's Pitch Request

Novak Djokovic Becomes Oldest Masters Semi-Finalist In Miami; Jakub Mensik, Taylor Fritz Through

After Confrontation Episode, LSG Owner's Special Gesture For Rishabh Pant

Watch: Virat Kohli's Big Gesture For Young Fan Ahead Of CSK vs RCB IPL 2025 Clash

Ravichandran Ashwin Mocks Lop-Sided IPL Award Ceremonies: "The Day Is Not Far..."

Angry Nitish Kumar Reddy Vents Frustration On Helmet Failing To Score Big For SRH vs LSG In IPL 2025. Watch

Barcelona Bolster La Liga Title Bid By Winning Match They Didn't Want To Play

Manchester City Eye FA Cup Success To Save Troubled Season