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Samson, Boult star as Royals overpower Lucknow Super Giants
Sanju Samson led from the front with an unbeaten 82 from 52 balls as Rajasthan Royals opened their IPL campaign with a hard-earned 20-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur.
After winning the toss for his team, Samson’s knock was the mainstay of Royals’ imposing 193 for 4, and a tight contest hadn’t seemed remotely likely when Trent Boult and Nandre Burger reduced LSG to 11 for 3 in the first four overs of their reply.
However, KL Rahul – on his return from injury – teamed up with Nicholas Pooran to take the chase deep in a fifth-wicket stand of 85 from 52 balls that ended from the first ball of the 17th over, as Sandeep Sharma popped up with a priceless spell of death bowling that left LSG with too much to do.
With 38 still needed from 12 balls, Sandeep’s penultimate over was arguably even more important, as he limited the hard-swinging Pooran to just a brace of boundaries in an 11-run over, allowing Avesh Khan to close out the contest with ease. Pooran finished unbeaten on 64 from 41 balls.
Samson certainly knows how to launch an IPL campaign in style. For the fifth consecutive IPL campaign, dating back to 2020, he opened Royals’ account with a half-century, this time in an innings featuring three fours and six sixes, the best of which – from the penultimate ball of the innings – was a formidable inside-out drill over extra cover from Mohsin Khan.
The bulk of Samson’s work was done in the course of a 93-run stand with Riyan Parag that spanned 62 balls and bridged a potentially tricky period at the end of the powerplay, in which Jos Buttler’s streaky 11 from nine balls, and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s more focussed cameo of 24 from 12, had telegraphed a potentially tricky pitch for comfortable strokeplay.
Certainly, LSG’s spinners found some purchase on the cracked, dry surface. Krunal Pandya, on his 33rd birthday, wheeled through his four boundary-less overs for 19, and could have dismissed Parag for a golden duck when he induced a leading edge back down the pitch, only for Samson at the non-striker’s end to get in the way, completely inadvertently, as he stood his ground with the ball lobbing towards his helmet.
Both men, however, stepped up their intensity after the strategic time-out, when the extra pace of Yash Thakur entered the fray. Three sixes poured forth in a 21-run over, including back-to-back pulls from Samson off undercooked bouncers, and after bringing up Royals’ 100 with another six off Ravi Bishnoi in the 11th over, Samson marched onto his fifty from 33 balls – by which stage Parag should have been removed for 29, only for Mohsin at square leg to make a hash of a top-edged sweep.
Boult and first-over wickets are a staple of the IPL experience. This time, it was Quinton de Kock in his sights at the top of the powerplay, his 24th such victim – second only to Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 27 – and it set in motion a catastrophic top-order implosion for LSG.
De Kock’s only scoring shot was a classy punch down the ground to a full-length outswinger, but when Boult fired one into his legs in the same over, he lured a loose flick in the air to Burger at backward fine leg.
Two balls into his second, Boult struck again, delivering a merciless one-two to Devdutt Padikkal, to ensure his reunion with his former Royals team-mates was a miserable one. A sharp bouncer pinged Padikkal’s helmet and sent his neck-guard spinning; Boult’s follow-up skidded through low and pegged back his middle and leg stumps as he flapped loosely across the line from deep in the crease.
And LSG reached their nadir one ball into the fourth over, as Burger – the most literal impact sub imaginable – fired down a 147kph delivery that Ayush Badoni could only spoon to Buttler at mid-off. At 11 for 3, the fightback would have to be a remarkable one.
It’s a tricky time for Rahul across formats. In the absence of Virat Kohli, he had looked set to be the wise old head in India’s Test team, until his untimely injury against England opened the door for the same generation of young guns who are pushing him to the fringes in the white-ball set-up too.
And so, his innings of 58 from 44 balls was an important reminder of his enduring class, albeit his dismissal at the start of the 17th over, caught at deep cover moments after the strategic time-out, effectively spelt the end of LSG’s challenge, with first Marcus Stoinis and then Pandya unable to find their timing from the get-go. The fact that he took the gloves, ahead of both Quinton de Kock and Pooran, was arguably a sign of his desire to remind the India selectors of his enduring versatility.
Either way, while it lasted, Rahul’s knock provided, first, the stability his team so desperately needed, and latterly the power to stay in touch with a run rate that was pushing two a ball by the tenth over. His own contribution at that point had been a run-a-ball 26, but in crashing the dangerous Burger for 6, 4, 4 from his next three deliveries, he rushed towards a 35-ball fifty, and signalled a charge that would not fizzle until his departure.
Deepak Hooda, LSG’s impact sub, has come and gone with a degree of purpose too, making 26 from 13 balls before taking on Yuzvendra Chahal, into the breeze, and holing out at deep midwicket. But it took Pooran’s more focussed power to truly ignite his team’s belief.
At 102 for 4 in the 12th over, Boult returned for his final over as Royals strove for the partnership-breaking wicket. Pooran was waiting to take him down in a 20-run over that finished with a low full-toss being smashed over wide long-on for six.
Sandeep, however, was still lurking up Samson’s sleeve, and his introduction proved pivotal. His first over, in the 15th of the innings, stemmed the flow of boundaries with just five singles, one of which could have been a direct-hit run-out. And when, in his second, Rahul chased his wide line to pick out Dhruv Jurel in the deep, Royals had seized back control.
Brief scores:
Rajasthan Royals 193 for 4 in 20 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 24, Sanju Samson 82*, Riyan Parag 43, Dhruv Jurel 20*; Mohsin Khan 1-45, Naveen-ul-Haq 2-45, Ravi Bishnoi 1-38 ) beat Lucknow Super Giants 173 for 6 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 64*, KL Rahul 58, Seepak Hooda 26, Trent Boult 2-35, Nandre Burger 1-30, Ravichandran Ashwin 1-35, Yuzvendra Chahal 1-25, Sandeep Sharma 1-22 ) by 20 runs
(Cricinfo)
Clashes between football fans and police across France have led to more than 400 arrests following the victory of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Champions League final against Arsenal.
Thousands of officers were deployed to curb unrest that disrupted bus, train and rail services in the capital Paris.
Fireworks and flares were set off, while several police officers were injured in the fray. Police fired tear gas to disperse crowds in the city centre.
There was similar violence when PSG won the same trophy last year, with celebrations turning deadly. This time, the authorities were better prepared with a “very robust, very solid system in place”, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
Paris’s iconic Champs-Élysées was swarmed by fans shortly after the French team won in a penalty shootout.
Footage from the city shows flares being set off, electric bikes burning on roads and revellers smashing the glass of at least one shopfront.
Earlier in the day there were clashes between police and supporters who showed up to watch the final on giant screens at PSG’s Parc des Princes.
Police said six vehicles, two businesses and a bus shelter were damaged during the unrest.
According to the authorities. 416 had been arrested in the early hours of Sunday, including 280 people in Paris.
Nuñez said seven officers had been injured and called the unrest “absolutely unacceptable”.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen wrote on X: “Only in France does a football club’s victory spark riots.”
“Only in France does everyone feel compelled to lock themselves in their homes on the evening of a victory to avoid being confronted with violence,” she said.
Players are due to take part in a victory parade on Sunday afternoon, which includes touring the Champ-de-Mars next to the Eiffel Tower and a reception held by French President Emmanuel Macron.
[BBC]
Paris Saint-Germain held their nerve in a cagey Champions League final to retain the title by beating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties as Saturday’s nail-biting showdown ended 1-1 after extra time, cementing the French side’s status among Europe’s modern greats.
Arsenal defender Gabriel blasted his spot kick over Matvey Safonov’s crossbar at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, his miss confirming PSG as the first club to retain the trophy since Real Madrid completed their three-year reign from 2016 to 2018.
Long dismissed as glamorous underachievers despite vast resources, the Ligue 1 champions have now forged a dynasty under Luis Enrique, marrying attacking brilliance with resilience to establish themselves as the dominant force in European football.
“It’s stronger than last year because we knew before the match just how difficult it would be to play against Arsenal,” said Enrique, whose side had thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 a year ago to claim Europe’s elite trophy for the first time.
“As a club and a city, it’s incredible to win, and I think we deserved it over the course of the season. The final was a real battle,” added the Spanish coach.
The outcome left Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice devastated but proud as his side finished their European campaign without losing a match, aside from the shootout defeat in the final.
“It’s gutting. It’s devastating to lose a Champions League final on penalties,” he said. “But we try to take a lot of perspective from how far we’ve come as a group.
“An incredible season. Given it absolutely everything up until this point. We took the game to penalties. It’s a lottery.”
Eleven days after celebrating their first Premier League title in 22 years, Arsenal looked set for a maiden triumph on Europe’s biggest stage after Kai Havertz’s sixth-minute opener and a first hour spent smothering PSG’s vaunted attack.
However, the final in the Hungarian capital became chaotic, once PSG’s Ousmane Dembele equalised with a penalty in the 65th minute, the pace turning frantic before exhaustion took the match to a shootout.
Under Enrique, PSG have won the six shootouts they have contested, with the 56-year-old winning 12 of the 13 one-off club finals as coach.
After brushing aside Premier League opposition on their way to the final by eliminating Chelsea and Liverpool, PSG were facing a much sterner test against an Arsenal team playing their second Champions League final after losing to Barcelona in 2006.
Mikel Arteta’s side took the lead when Marquinhos’ clearance bounced off Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard into the path of Havertz, who raced into the box and fired into the roof of the net.
He is the fourth player to score in two different European Cup or Champions League finals with two different clubs.
It was the nightmare scenario for PSG – trailing so early against the best defence in the competition.
Arsenal lived up to their reputation as the best team without the ball and looked perfectly content with the script, doubling up on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and suffocating the usual danger posed by the Georgian magician on the left flank.
PSG’s Fabian Ruiz was unable to impose his usual rhythm in midfield and, despite monopolising possession for long spells, the French side struggled to carve out clear-cut chances.
By half-time, PSG had attacked 32 times, Arsenal three.
Arsenal, however, were flirting with the boundaries with their challenges and Cristhian Mosquera brought down Kvaratskhelia in the area, with Dembele converting the penalty to equalise with his eighth goal in the competition.
The momentum had shifted.
Jurrien Timber and Viktor Gyokeres replaced Mosquera and Martin Odegaard. Arsenal had a more attacking mindset but were exposed to PSG’s counter attacks and at the end of one of them, Kvaratskhelia sped into the box, only for his left-footed effort to crash onto the outside of David Raya’s post.
After controlling the tempo in the first half, Arsenal played into PSG’s hands as the pace increased significantly, giving too much space to Kvaratskhelia or Bradley Barcola, who replaced the Georgian winger with seven minutes remaining.
In the 89th minute, PSG came close to giving the final an abrupt end as Vitinha’s shot grazed the top of the net. Barcola also shot over the bar after a counter attack, with what would have been the last kick of the game.
With both teams having run out of steam, extra time was a cautious affair and when referee Daniel Siebert blew his whistle, Arsenal had only managed one shot on target.
Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze missed his penalty before Raya saved Nuno Mendes’ attempt. Gabriel had to score to keep the Gunners’ hopes alive but, facing PSG’s end, he fired over.
The French side were left to celebrate being European champions once again, with extra-time substitute Lucas Beraldo’s goal in the shootout proving to be the winner.
[Aljazeera]
United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been discussing key foreign policy issues for Washington at a defence summit in Singapore.
On Saturday at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Hegseth commented on America’s main rival, China, as well as Iran, NATO and Taiwan — a major point of contention between Washington and Beijing.
The US and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February, rattling global markets, triggering an energy crisis and causing shortages of critical US munitions, including Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors, which cost about $12m each.
In a report published on Wednesday, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said it would take two years — and in some cases more than three — to replenish four critical munitions used heavily during the war.
Here are Hegseth’s most important comments.
Beijing is widely seen as Washington’s greatest geopolitical challenge, and Hegseth expressed alarm about China’s growing military presence in the Asia Pacific.
“There is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” Hegseth said.
Washington’s latest National Defense Strategy describes China as the world’s second-most powerful country after the US.
Hegseth used his speech to call on US allies in the region to increase defence spending in an attempt to offset China’s growing power.
The defence secretary, who said relations with Beijing were “better” than they had been in many years, warned that unless action was taken, China would become the regional hegemon.
“A Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power,” Hegseth said.
“No state, including China, can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question.”
Taiwan has been improving its defence capabilities in response to concerns about a potential Chinese invasion. Taiwan, which has never officially declared independence from China, has de facto functioned as a separate country since 1949, despite Beijing viewing the island as its territory.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump travelled to China to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, who sees Taiwan as the most important issue in China–US relations. Xi told Trump that “clashes and even conflicts” between the two countries could occur if the Taiwan situation is mishandled.
Since then, Trump has cautioned Taipei against formally declaring independence from China, prompting the island to issue a statement saying it was “sovereign and independent” but planned to maintain the status quo.
Following the meeting, Trump said he was not sure whether he would approve an arms sale to Taiwan worth up to $14bn. On Saturday, Hegseth suggested Washington’s commitment to Taiwan remained, but that Trump would ultimately decide whether the weapons deal is finalised.
“Those decisions will depend on the president and the nature of that relationship. There’s been no change in our status,” Hegseth said.
Trump has long pressured allies to increase their military budgets and become less dependent on US firepower under his America First doctrine.
Trump has recently confused European allies after announcing he would deploy a further 5,000 troops to Poland, despite having recently pledged to reduce the number of American soldiers on the continent.
It remains unclear whether the deployment to Poland includes the same troops the Pentagon said would no longer be stationed in Germany.
“The era of the United States subsidising the defence of wealthy nations is over,” Hegseth said.
“We need partners, not protectorates. We don’t have a strong alliance unless everyone has skin in the game. No freeloading.”
Hegseth also discussed Iran — a key issue for much of the world as well as the US. Tehran and Washington are believed to be close to signing a memorandum of understanding to bring the war to a permanent end.
Hegseth, who has played a key role in the US-Israeli war on Iran as defence secretary, warned that the US would resume attacks on Iran if a satisfactory deal isn’t reached.
His comments come as Washington seeks to reassure allies that the Strait of Hormuz — which Iran closed at the start of the war in a bid to deter US and Israeli attacks — will soon be reopened, helping to bring down energy prices. About 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flowed through the crucial waterway prior to the conflict.
[Aljazeera]
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