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Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain Ajinkya Rahane plays a shot during the match against Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League 2025, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Following the loss against Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane shared his thoughts on the Eden Gardens pitch where almost 480 runs were scored during the 21st encounter of this season.

LSG outsmarted KKR by four runs in the last-over thriller at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday (April 8, 2025). Batting first, Lucknow Super Giants slammed 238 runs with the magnificent half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran (87*) and Mitchell Marsh (81).

The Kolkata Knight Riders were able to score 234 runs with the help of knocks from Ajinkya Rahane (61), Venkatesh Iyer (45), Rinku Singh (38*), and Sunil Narine (30)With this victory, the Super Giants team jumped to the fourth spot (six points) whereas Knight Riders slipped to the sixth spot (four points) in the IPL 2025 points table.

“A really tight one (game). As I said at the toss, the wicket remained good throughout the 40 overs. We gave our best, it was a great game, in the end we were just 4 runs short. When you are chasing 230-plus, you will lose wickets in the chase. This was one of the best wickets to bat on. Batters had to take a little time to get in. The bowling attack we have, we control our middle-overs really well. Sunil (Narine) was struggling with the ball. Sunil and Varun usually dominate the middle overs, but it was tough for the bowlers today,” Ajinkya Rahane said in the post-match presentation.

Ajinkya Rahane completed 7,000 T20 runs. The veteran achieved this milestone during his side’s Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

During the match, Rahane made 61 in 35 balls, with eight fours and two sixes. His runs have come at a strike rate of over 174.29. In 276 international matches, Rahane has made 7,036 runs at an average of 29.81 and a strike rate of just over 124, with two centuries and 50 fifties. His best score is 105*.

During the ongoing season, Rahane has made 184 runs at an average of 36.80, with a strike rate of over 160, with two half-centuries. His best score is 61 and he is the fifth-highest run-getter this season.The top run-getter in T20s is West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who has made 14,562 runs at an average of 36.22 and a strike rate of 144.75, with 22 centuries and 88 fifties. His best score is 175*.

Inter’s Davide Frattesi, center celebrates with teammates after scoring during the Champions League quarterfinals first leg soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
| Photo Credit: AP

Inter Milan scored an 88th minute winner through Davide Frattesi to snatch a 2-1 victory over stunned hosts Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday (April 8, 2025).

Frattesi tapped in from close range to stun the Bavarians, who levelled three minutes earlier through substitute Thomas Mueller, a player leaving the club at the end of the season after 25 years as Bayern did not offer him a new contract.

Inter captain Lautaro Martinez had put the visitors in the driving seat after 38 minutes, drilling the ball into the net from a superb Marcus Thuram backheel after Bayern had earlier hit the post through Harry Kane.

The treble-chasing Italians, who have conceded three goals in their 11 Champions League matches so far this season, host Bayern in the return leg on April 16.

“Tonight wasn’t a walk in the park and we were not expecting one,” said Mueller. “The chances converted were the key.

“We had a fair few chances but unfortunately the last counter makes it 2-1. Otherwise it would be 1-1, a good fightback and the Mueller story would have played out,” he said.

The Germans, who were missing several key players to injury including goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala along with a trio of defenders, had two chances through Michael Olise and Kane in the opening 15 minutes.

They came even closer in the 26th after Olise outplayed almost the entire Inter defence to lay the ball off for Kane whose curled shot hit the post.

The Italians gradually grew bolder with Carlos Augusto firing into the side netting and Martinez charging into the box but slipping just before shooting.

The Inter captain, however, made no mistake when Thuram found him with a backheel flick from a Carlos Augusto cut-back and the Argentine completed the swift move with a deft finish.

He came close to adding another in 55th but Bayern keeper Jonas Urbig stopped his powerful drive from a tight angle.

Bayern then pinned Inter in their own half but neither Konrad Laimer, Raphael Guerreiro nor Kane with his low drive in the 80th could find an equaliser until crowd favourite Mueller was in the right place to score with five minutes left.

Their joy, however, only lasted three minutes with Frattesi tapping in the winner in a heartbreaking finale for the Bayern fans in the Allianz Arena, site of this year’s final.

The winners of the quarter-final will face either Borussia Dortmund or Barcelona, who play their first leg on Wednesday. 

Arsenal’s Declan Rice, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Arsenal and Real Madrid at the Emirates Stadium in London.
| Photo Credit: AP

Declan Rice’s two fantastic freekicks and a striker’s finish from Mikel Merino gave Arsenal an emphatic 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday (April 8, 2025).

The hosts had the better of the first half as Real began slowly, with Eduardo Camavinga almost conceding a calamitous own goal when he blocked Antonio Rudiger’s clearance before Thomas Partey shot straight at Thibault Courtois.

Real grew into the contest and threatened on the break, but Courtois was by far the busier goalkeeper and produced a stunning double save on the stroke of halftime to keep the game level.

There was no stopping Rice’s opener, though, a fierce shot around the wall and beyond Courtois in the 58th minute for the midfielder’s first senior goal from a direct freekick.

Arsenal could have been two-up shortly after, but for more heroics from Courtois, who produced a diving stop from Gabriel Martinelli followed by another from Merino in between David Alaba’s goalline block.

Rice’s second freekick was even better than the first, curled straight into the top corner in the 70th minute, to leave the 15-time European champions looking stunned.

Merino then coolly fired substitute Leandro Trossard’s pull-back into the bottom corner 15 minutes from time to give Arsenal a sizeable lead to take to Madrid next week.

Real will have to try and overhaul that lead without Camavinga, who was shown a second yellow card in the closing seconds for kicking the ball away.

The winner of the tie will face either Aston Villa or Paris St Germain in the semi-finals. 

After winning the clash against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter Nicholas Pooran opened up on slamming long sixes on regular basis during the game. Pooran played an explosive inning of 87 runs from just 36 balls which was laced with eight maximums and seven boundaries. The left-hand batter scored these runs at a staggering strike rate of 241.67 where he remained unbeaten till the end in the first innings.

“I have been asked this question a million times (how does he hit sixes so frequently), I practise a lot and after a time everything comes naturally. You understand what is needed in a game, you know what the bowlers are going to bowl and you work according to that. They (Marsh and Markram) have been brilliant for us right through the tournament. Both of them have been batting so well in partnerships, they have been gritty against the new ball and doing what the team exactly needs from them. What is my role? Get a start, try to capitalise and win the matchups,” Nicholas Pooran said in the post-match presentation.

Lucknow Super Giants’ batters Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh’s magnificent fifties outsmarted the hosts Kolkata Knight Riders by four runs in the last over thriller at their home, Eden Gardens on Tuesday.

LSG has climbed to the fourth spot with three wins and two losses, giving them six points. KKR has sunk to sixth with two wins, three losses and four points to their name.

Coming to the match, LSG was put to bat first by KKR, who won the toss and opted to field. After a 99-run stand between Aiden Markram (47 in 28 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Mitchell Marsh and later a 71-run stand between Pooran and Marsh (81 in 48 balls, with six fours and five sixes), Pooran went berserk in the final few overs, compiling 87* in 36 balls, taking his side to 238/3 in 20 overs.

Harshit Rana proved expensive with figures 2/51. Spencer Johnson was taken to the cleaners, giving away 46 runs in three overs. Russell took 2/32 in his two overs. The spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy did not work as they went wicketless with 0/38 in three overs and 0/31 in four overs respectively.

During the run-chase of 239 runs, KKR got off to a fine start and 54-run stand between Sunil Narine (30 in 13 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and skipper Rahane and a 71-run stand between Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer (45 in 28 balls, with six fours and a six) kept KKR afloat. However, they sunk to 185/7 within no time and despite the best efforts of Rinku Singh (38* in 15 balls, with six fours and two sixes) and Harshit Rana (10* in nine balls, with two fours), KKR fell short by four runs and they could make 234/7 in 20 overs.

Akash Deep (2/55) and Shardul Thakur (2/52) were top wicket-takers for LSG.

Pooran was given the ‘Player of the Match’ honour.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ruturaj Gaikwad reacts after getting out in PBKS vs CSK© AFP

Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer on Tuesday said he wants his batters to play with an aggressive, fearless, and free-flowing mindset, something young opener Priyansh Arya showcased during his sensational maiden IPL century against Chennai Super Kings. Arya rode on his luck and power-hitting to slam 103 off 42 balls — the fifth fastest century in IPL history as PBKS posted 219/6 despite half their side returning to the dugout in the first eight overs. “Absolutely. This is going to be the template, irrespective of the ground. We have variety in the batting line-up. Great hitters, great timers, scintillating to watch Priyansh bat from the outside.

“When I had a chat with him in the last game, he was a bit timid in his decision-making against Jofra (Archer). Tonight, he was backing his instincts,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation.

“It was free-flowing and that is the mindset I want in everyone. Today, he kept on going, he was fearless and it was basically one of the top knocks I have seen in the IPL so far.” Yuzvendra Chahal bowled just one over giving away nine runs and Iyer said it was a tactical move to hold back the experienced leg-spinner.

“That was a tactical call, because (Shivam) Dube had already played a few deliveries, and also Conway. With Yuzi coming in, we know how destructive he (Dube) can be. But Yuzi is a smart bowler. My instincts felt that pacers bowling slower balls into the wicket (would work), and we basically wanted pace against Dube.

“We delayed a bit but eventually, it worked out.” CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad lamented his side’s missed chances in the field, admitting that dropped catches have cost them dearly in recent games.

“I think the last four games, the only point of difference, it has been critical, the catches we have been dropping, the same batsman is scoring 15,20, 30 runs,” he said after CSK lost by 18 runs against Punjab Kings.

Gaikwad was full of praise for young PBKS opener Arya.

“Priyansh played well. High risk batting and it came off well. We were getting wickets at regular intervals but they kept the momentum going. 10-15 runs lesser would have helped us. But it comes down to dropped catches. It was spot on in the batting perspective,” he said.

Chasing an imposing 220-run target, CSK could manage 201 for 5.

“Two of our best batters who play pace well went at the top of the order. They had a good powerplay. Lot of positives in the batting department. We were two three hits away today, Devon is more of a timer of a ball. Very useful at the top of the order,” Gaikwad said.

On the desccion to retire Conway, the skipper said “He (Conway) is more of a timer of the ball, very useful up the order. When you have Jaddu, known for that (finishing) role particularly, you expect that. When you know the batter is struggling…initially he (Conway) was still timing it well. We waited and waited until (he started struggling).” 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In the middle of the IPL, the retirement of a one-Test player from distant shores might not have the impact it ought to. Will Pucovski was 26 last year when he suffered his 13th concussion. A medical panel advised retirement. He hasn’t played since, and now has formally retired.

There is sadness in a talent denied the chance to bloom. Part of the charm of sport lies in tracking the progress of a player from early promise to inevitable fulfilment.

Pucovski’s father has Czech roots and emigrated to Australia from Serbia. But the player is famous not just for his romantic origins. In 2019 he was, by all accounts, on the cusp of greatness. On his debut, against India two years later, he made 62, opening with David Warner in Sydney.

To be concussed 13 times might suggest a flaw in technique. Ian Chappell, former Australian captain said some years ago, “his technique against the short ball is sub-standard.” Tim Paine, who led in Pucovski’s Test thought he was merely unfortunate.

Harvey Hosein was 25 and on first class debut had eleven victims as wicketkeeper. He retired after four concussions. He explained how unease and anxiety would collide as training or a match approached. “Harvey acted professionally,” said his Derbyshire chief executive.

Pukovski’s mental struggles are well recorded. “Walking around the house was a struggle,” he said, “My fiancée was annoyed because I didn’t contribute to chores. I was sleeping a lot.”

Inner struggles

The inner struggles of a player are difficult for an outsider to fully comprehend. Language fails, efforts at precision and specificity fall short. A Stanford University study in 2019 said, “Concussion is a big, vague term and we need to start breaking it down.”

In their book Crickonomics:The Anatomy of Modern Cricket, authors Stefan Szymanski and Tim Wigmore speak of cricket’s concussion crisis. Three significant conclusions emerge from the studies quoted: one, there’s so much we don’t know about concussion, especially its long-term effects. Two, concussions are systematically under-reported. And three, since the advent of the helmet a lot more people are being hit on the head.

This last is easily explained. Batters take fast bowling head-on (literally), confident that protected body parts will not be affected by poor technique. Very few go back-and-across to allow the bouncer to sail by harmlessly, duck under it or hook it naturally. There is too the fact that fast bowlers — none of whom wishes to physically injure anyone — bowl more aggressively at the sight of a helmet.

In 2017, a study examined the brains of 111 NFL players; 110 of them showed signs of the degenerative disease CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). Despite the terrible cases of Philip Hughes and Raman Lamba, deaths in cricket as a result of being hit on the head are rare. But there is no guarantee, as Crickonomics says, that “bouncers will not have catastrophic repercussions later in life.”

A study of 197 head impacts on 130 players in elite men’s and women’s cricket between 2014 and 2019, indicated the likelihood of players suffering concussion when struck on the helmet could be reduced. New helmet standards reduced chances of a serious head or neck injury, it felt, but may have increased concussion risks because of less “give”.

All sport is involved in a continuous battle to make itself safe for its practitioners, amateur, professional and casual. Cricket’s concussion substitute rule is an example of common sense triumphing, pushed by scientific data.

Reasons for quitting

Pucovski, an articulate man with interests beyond cricket, said at his retirement, “In the couple of months post the last concussion I struggled to get anything done. The first few months were horrendous, but things didn’t leave me. When you have symptoms for over a year —- and I’ve had others for numerous years — it is difficult to see how I can play professional sport again when I’m struggling to live my life how I want to. I just don’t want to risk doing any more damage to my brain than I’ve already done.”

Any athlete’s forced goodbye is heart-breaking. Pucovski’s must lead to more investment in research and education. One-size-fits-all doesn’t work. Justin Langer also had 13 concussions. But he played 105 Tests.

Priyansh Arya set the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season on fire, slamming the fastest century by an uncapped player in IPL history as Punjab Kings (PBKS) beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 18 runs. Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fell short by 4 runs in their chase of 239 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Five teams now sit on 6 points each, with KKR the best team on 4 points. CSK continue to languish near the bottom after their fourth successive defeat in IPL 2025. They’re in ninth.

LSG’s overseas stars Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh are runaway leaders in the IPL Orange Cap race, after slamming 87* and 81 respectively against KKR. Noor Ahmad continues to lead the Purple Cap race, with Mitchell Starc and Khaleel Ahmed close behind.

Rookie opener Priyansh Arya delivered on his high promise with a sensational hundred before the bowlers survived M S Dhoni’s late onslaught to script an 18-run win for Punjab Kings over Chennai Super Kings in the IPL here on Tuesday.

Priyansh (103 off 42) powered Punjab Kings to 219 for six, the highest total at the venue, after the hosts lost half their side inside the first eight overs. CSK batters have not been good enough thus far in the season but the likes of Devon Conway (69 off 49 retired out), Rachin Ravindra (36 off 23) and Shivam Dube (42 off 27) were able to take the game deep on this occasion. However, CSK fell short and ended at 201 for five.

It was CSK’s fourth loss in five games while Punjab Kings recorded their third win in four matches.

The equation for CSK came down to 75 runs off the last 30 balls. Much to the delight of fans present at the venue, Dhoni (27 off 12) came to bat at number five after Dube’s fall in the 16th over.

It was Lockie Ferguson’s turn to bowl the 18th over and that was when Dhoni provided a glimmer of hope for CSK with two sixes off as many balls. However, 43 off the last 12 balls ended up being too much for the away team.

The night belonged to Priyansh, the 24-year-old from Delhi who rose to prominence with six sixes in an over in a local league last year.

He flaunted his special six-hitting skills on the national stage to lift Punjab Kings to an above par total. His knock included seven boundaries and nine hits over the fence.

Earlier in the day, explosive knocks from Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh set up a tense four-run win for Lucknow Super Giants in a high-scoring IPL clash against Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday.

Marsh smashed 81 for his fourth half-century of the tournament and Pooran an unbeaten 36-ball 87 to fire Lucknow to 238-3 at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

Kolkata mounted a strong reply as skipper Ajinkya Rahane struck 61 off 35 balls and Rinku Singh blasted an unbeaten 38 in a late blitz, but the home team finished on 234-7.

Lucknow have three wins from five matches. Kolkata, who won their third IPL title last year, have three defeats from their five outings.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Punjab Kings’ Priyansh Arya celebrates his century. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Young opener Priyansh Arya stamped his arrival on the big stage with a breathtaking maiden IPL century that powered Punjab Kings (PBKS) to a thrilling 18-run victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a high-octane clash on Tuesday.
Batting first, PBKS posted a commanding 219 for 6, thanks largely to a spectacular innings from 24-year-old Arya, who hammered 103 off just 42 balls. His audacious knock included seven boundaries and nine towering sixes, lighting up the Mullanpur stadium and lifting his team from a precarious position of 83/5 in just eight overs.
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Arya’s counter-attacking brilliance turned the momentum in Punjab’s favour. He displayed maturity beyond his years, especially against seasoned bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin, against whom he hit three sixes, and Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana, whose 13th over went for 24 runs. His hundred came off a mistimed edge over third man, but by then, he’d already done the damage.
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“He’s got raw power, and now he’s learning the angles. That’s the difference,” said PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting, who had backed Arya at the start of the season. “This knock was special, not just for the runs, but the way he built it under pressure.”
Shashank Singh (52 not out off 36) provided a composed finishing touch, while Marco Jansen chipped in with a late flourish (34 not out off 19), helping PBKS reach their highest-ever total at the venue.
In reply, CSK managed 201 for 5 despite Devon Conway’s 69, Shivam Dube’s 42 and late fireworks from MS Dhoni (27 off 12). However, Arya’s early onslaught had already defined the outcome. A flat bowling effort, especially from Pathirana (4-0-52-0) and Ashwin (4-0-48-2), left CSK chasing shadows.

With this win, PBKS snapped a losing streak, while Arya’s breakout century could be a turning point in both his IPL career and Punjab’s campaign.

Ajinkya Rahane (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane expressed dissatisfaction with the pitch at Eden Gardens, noting its lack of assistance for spinners following the team’s home defeat.
Rahane, while cautious in his remarks, hinted at the potential controversy surrounding discussions of ‘home advantage.’
The match against Lucknow Super Giants, which ended in a narrow four-run defeat for KKR, marked their second loss in three home games this season.
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Rahane highlighted the ineffective spin bowling conditions, contrasting with expectations for the match.
“Firstly, there was no help for the spinners, let me clear that,” Rahane said in the post-match press conference. “They used the boundary really well, you know, bowling to the longer end, I mean longer boundary, they did that really well, our bowlers tried as well, but again, (Nicholas) Pooran and Mitchell Marsh batted really well in between, they took their chances which came off really well for them.”

“It was a lovely wicket, we all saw that, scoring almost 500 runs on this track, hard for the bowlers, but again, they used the conditions and used the boundary really well.”
The game saw a high-scoring affair with LSG setting a formidable total of 238/3, and KKR falling short at 234/7.
Rahane’s strategy to bowl first did not yield the desired outcome as the opposition batters, notably Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh, capitalized on the conditions effectively.
KKR’s spin duo, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, struggled, failing to secure any wickets and conceding runs at a rate of over nine per over.

This performance led to questions about the relevance of ‘home advantage’ in the IPL, a topic Rahane approached with caution to avoid controversy.
“See, there’s been enough talk about the wicket. Aap logon ne bahut usko yeh kar diya hai. Toh agar main abhi kuch bolunga na, toh bawal ho jayega. (You people have already hyped it up a lot. So if I say anything now, it will create a big controversy),” Rahane added.
“Jo hamare curator hai, unko bahut publicity mila. I think he’s happy with that publicity. Home advantage ke baare mein aapko jo likhna hai, aap likh sakto, jo laga. (Our curator has got a lot of publicity. I think he’s happy with that publicity. You can write whatever you feel like about the home advantage). If I have any concern, I would probably convey it to the IPL rather than speaking about it here.”
Regarding his personal performance and aspirations for an India comeback, Rahane said, “I’m really enjoying my cricket at the moment, firstly playing for KKR and playing at the Eden. For me, it’s all about staying in the moment, enjoying my cricket, enjoying my batting, and that’s it. I don’t want to think far too ahead.”