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IPL 2025: Kolkata Knight Riders survive last-ball thriller to stay alive in top four race

Published

11 months ago

2025/05/5

Priyan

Andre Russell scored a smashing half-century [Cricinfo]

One run was all that separated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a rollercoaster of a game that could have gone either way until the last ball.Riyan Parag hit six sixes in six balls, five of which came in a 32-run over against Mooen Ali, and Shubham Dubey tonked Vaibhav Arora for two fours and a six with 22 needed in the final over.

With three needed off the final ball, Dubey drilled the yorker from Arora to long-off and took off to try and force a Super Over. Jofra Archer, the non-striker at the other end, got a head start but was found well short thanks to a sharp throw from Rinku Singh.

The win keeps KKR’s playoffs hope alive in IPL 2025, It was built on Andre Rusell’s 25-ball 57 that helped them score 85 in their last five overs after a slowdown against spin. Mooen and Varun Chakravarthy had RR on the ropes in the chase but Parag almost turned things around with a take down of his own.

Disappointment was written all over Parag’s face, however, when Varun flattened Wanindu Hasaranga’s off stump. RR were nearly out needing 136 off 73 balls at the time and the required rate touched 13 with only three fours coming in the next four overs. But the last two of those helped Parag get into a rhythm.

Then came the 32-run over against Moeen. Four of those sixes came over square leg or midwicket. When Moeen went wide, the ball sailed over long-off. Parag’s next ball was from Varun and reverse-swept for six more.

Shimron Hetmyer played within himself and was going at just over a run a ball for the majority of his innings but his presence was reassuring as proved by the two boundary-less overs after his dismissal.

Harshit Rana returned with figures of 0 for 28 off two overs and conceded a boundary off the first ball. He then bowled three full balls and peppered in two short ones to dry up the runs. The second bouncer went off Hetmyer’s bat into the hands of the keeper.

KKR brought Narine back with RR 43 needing off 24. He went for just five and nearly had Parag caught at deep midwicket.

Rana built on the pressure despite bowling a no-ball with yorkers and slower ones. Parag was nearly run out on the third legal ball. He holed out to long-on slapping a wide cutter very next ball and RR slipped to 173 for 7.

Russell was introduced in the penultimate over and, like he did in the last game, tried to land six yorkers. He didn’t nail all but went for just 11.

Arora’s wide-yorker plan started the final over with three runs. Shubham went 6-4-6 when Arora went short and wide before faltering with back-to-back yorkers. Arora, nonetheless, stuck with it last ball and it paid off.

The day started with Sunil Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz stepping down the leg side quite often. Narine fell cheaply and Gurbaz mistimed a few but picked up four boundaries and a six, with the majority on the leg side. Yudhvir Singh, who conceded boundaries against all top-order batters, was the costliest bowler in the 56-run powerplay.

Rahane started well, as he drove and flicked Madhwal for four and six. But he slowed down considerably – from 18 off 8 to 30 off 24 – mainly due to RR’s spin choke.

Theekshana dismissed Gurbaz slog sweeping but it was Hasaranga who first denied batters pace and forced them to apply power. Parag then brought himself on and bowled three overs straight. He got Rahane with a 76kph side-arm ball.

Meanwhile, Angkrish Raghuvanshi kept KKR going with conventional shots. He slashed, pulled and drove to pick up boundaries. He got a reprieve off Theekshana before Russell took him down, but fell next over to Archer for a 31-ball 44.

KKR had needed a late push in their own innings and got it from Russell, who said he felt like a 27-year-old, and was hitting like one after coming in at 111 for 3 in the 13th over. He started slow – 2 off 9 balls – but blasted off once spin made way for pace. He hit all of his six fours and four sixes in the last five overs, in which KKR scored 70.

Madhwal was the first bowler to be taken down, first on the leg side, with a six and a four and then a slap through cover point in a 15-run over. Archer then missed two yorkers, overpitching and bowling in the slot next, and was hit downtown for a six and a four.

Theekshana’s spin was brought back in the 18th. He created a chance that Parag dropped at long-off and then had a mistimed slice land safely at mid-off. The strike then rotated from Raghuvanshi to Russell and it led to a hat-trick of sixes. Theekshana went wide all three balls, short on the first two and full on the third, but was hit in the arc between cow corner and long-off.

Archer created two more chances next over. Raghuvanshi was was caught at deep square leg but Russell got a reprieve from Parag at long-off again. That was just before Russell capitalised on a missed yorker from Archer to bring up a 22-ball fifty and belt a slower bouncer down the ground.

The final over started with three wides and an edge that landed safely at deep extra cover. The wide yorker was then abandoned for bouncers, till Rinku pulled one in front of midwicket. Two missed yorkers then went for sixes, as both the 18th and 20th overs went for 20-plus runs.

Brief scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 206 for 4 in 20 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 35, Sunil Narine 11, Ajinkya Rahane 30, Andre Russell 57*, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 44, Rinku Singh 19*; Jofra Archer 1-30, Yudgvir Singh 1-26, Maheesh Theekshana 1-41, Riyan Parag 1-21) beat Rajasthan Royals 205 for 8 in 20 overs (Riyan Parag 95, Yashasvi Jaiswal 34, Shimron Hetmyer 29, Shubhman Dubey 25*, Jofra Archer 12*; Vaibhav Arora 1-50, Vaun Chakravarthy 2-32, Harshit Rana 2-41, Moeen Ali 2-43) by one run

[Cricinfo]

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Three Lebanese journalists killed in Israeli strike, say broadcasters

Published

3 hours ago

2026/03/29

Priyan

An Al Mayadeen journalist holds a press vest at the scene of the strike (BBC)

Three Lebanese journalists were killed in a targeted Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on Saturday, their employers have said.

Ali Shoeib, a reporter for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar TV, was killed in the town of Jezzine alongside reporter Fatima Ftouni and her brother, cameraman Mohamed Ftouni, both from the channel Al Mayadeen, according to the stations.

The strike reportedly hit the journalists’ car just before noon local time (10:00 GMT).

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had killed Shoeib, describing him as a “terrorist” from Iranian-backed Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force who had “operated for years under the guise of a journalist”.

It said he had worked to “expose the locations of IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon and along the border”, including during the current fighting, and had used his position “to disseminate Hezbollah propaganda materials”.

The IDF provided no evidence to support its claim that Shoeib had a military role. It did not comment on the deaths of Fatima or Mohamed Ftouni.

Hezbollah denounced the strike as the “deliberate criminal targeting of journalists”.

(BBC)

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Heat Index likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district

Published

7 hours ago

2026/03/29

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 28 March 2026, valid for 29March 2026.

Heat index, the temperature felt on the human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Eastern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Monaragala district.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

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Tharanga shatters national javelin record again ‎

Published

7 hours ago

2026/03/29

Priyan

(File pic)

Rumesh Tharanga created history with yet another world leading throw that shattered his own national javelin record at the Champions Track and Field event at Diyagama on Saturday.

‎The massive 89.37 metres throw, when recognized by World Athletics is set to become the fourth furthest throw in the history of the Asian region.

‎Despite little competion from his rivals, Tharanga rose like a champion of an entirely different league when he delivered the record breaking feat in his final attempt.

‎Tharanga had a world leading mark of 83.07 metres for the year coming into this meet. His national record of 86.50 metres was from August 2025. (RF)