Category: Top News

Tottenham’s Premier League plight deepened with a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland on Sunday in Roberto De Zerbi’s first match in charge before Manchester City tried to close the gap on leaders Arsenal.

Spurs brought in the former Brighton and Marseille boss at the end of last month in a last-ditch bid to save themselves from a catastrophic relegation.

But the Italian failed to inspire his team in a tricky baptism at Sunderland and his team remain in the drop zone.

Tottenham, playing under their third manager this season, are without a Premier League win since late December as they contemplate the nightmare of a first relegation from the English top flight since 1977.

The visitors looked bright in the opening stages and were awarded a penalty that was subsequently overturned by VAR.

De Zerbi’s team were grateful to goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who was out quickly to smother a Brian Brobbey shot at point-blank range shortly before half-time while Robin Roefs denied Dominic Solanke at the other end.

Sunderland took the lead courtesy of a huge slice of luck on the hour, when Nordi Mukiele’s shot took a massive deflection off Micky van de Ven and looped into the goal.

De Zerbi made three changes, bringing on Joao Palhinha, Pape Matar Sarr and Mathys Tel and then lost captain Cristian Romero to injury.

Spurs pushed hard for an equaliser late on but Roefs tipped over a powerful Pedro Porro effort in stoppage time to ensure the win for Sunderland.

Tottenham, who parted ways with interim boss Igor Tudor at the end of last month, are two points behind 17th-placed West Ham and have six games left to save themselves from an almost unthinkable relegation.

They are the ninth-wealthiest club in the world, according to Deloitte’s latest rankings, underlining the extraordinary nature of their predicament.

Relegation rivals Nottingham Forest held Aston Villa to a 1-1 draw at the City Ground and remain one point above the Hammers.

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Unai Emery’s Villa, chasing a Champions League spot next season, took the lead courtesy of a Murillo own goal.

Forest were level later in the first half when Neco Williams finished smartly from outside the box.

Jean-Philippe Mateta scored twice, including a stoppage-time penalty, as Crystal Palace came from behind to beat Newcastle 2-1 at Selhurst Park.

Pep Guardiola’s City travel to face inconsistent Chelsea in the late afternoon kick-off, aiming to move six points behind Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners slipped to a 2-1 defeat at home by Bournemouth on Saturday following a toothless display.

It means City, denied a fifth straight Premier League title by Liverpool last season, now have matters in their own hands again.

A win at Stamford Bridge and at home to Arsenal next week would reduce the gap to just three points, with a game in hand.

Chelsea themselves need a victory to close the four-point gap to fifth-placed Liverpool, with the top five qualifying for Champions League football next season.

READ: Nahid Rana, Shoriful Islam receive PSL NOC extension

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday extended the No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for the pace duo of Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam, currently taking part in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

Rana and Islam both are representing Peshawar Zalmi in the tournament.

The one-match extension was announced by the BCB in a press release statement.

“The decision has been made following a request from their PSL franchise Peshawar Zalmi, as well as the Pakistan Cricket Board,” the BCB statement read.

“Shoriful Islam and Nahid Rana were originally granted NOCs valid until 12 April 2026. Under the revised arrangement, both players have been permitted to remain in Pakistan for Peshawar Zalmi’s scheduled PSL fixture on 13 April 2026,” it further added.

The announcement comes upon the request of the Peshawar Zalmi and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

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Initially, the BCB had issued NOCs to both players until April 12. However, they will now be permitted to stay in Pakistan until Peshawar Zalmi’s match on April 13.

A day earlier, Bangladesh announced the squad for the first two ODIs against New Zealand, set to begin on April 17 in Dhaka.

Both Nahid Rana and Shoriful Islam are named in the squad and will join the team after featuring in the Peshawar Zalmi’s upcoming match against Multan Sultans on April 13.

Bangladesh squad for ODI series against New Zealand:

Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Soumya Sarkar, Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das (wk), Afif Hossain, Mahidul Islam, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, and Nahid Rana.

READ: Charith Asalanka replaces Parvez Hossain Emon at Lahore Qalandars

Charith Asalanka has replaced the injured Parvez Hossain Emon at Lahore Qalandars for the remainder of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11.

The replacement comes in after Parvez Hossain was ruled out of the event due to a shoulder injury that occurred during Lahore Qalandars’ fixture against Multan Sultans in Lahore.

The opener was involved in an on-field collision with Asif Ali, resulting in a ligament tear.

Subsequent MRI scans revealed a ligament tear, forcing the medical staff to recommend a period of rest and rehabilitation.

Despite his brief stint, Emon made a notable impact at the top of the order. He featured in three matches, scoring 71 runs at an impressive strike rate of 161.36, including a fluent 45-run knock against Multan Sultans that highlighted his attacking intent.

Lahore Qalandars announced the replacement in a social media post.

“Charith joins us as the replacement for Parvez Hossain Emon, who’s been ruled out due to an injury sustained in the field during our rain-shortened match vs Multan Sultans in Lahore,” the caption of the post read.

 

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“Asalanka, it’s your time. Can’t wait to see that fearless flair in Qalandars’ colours at the HBL PSL 11,” it added.

The former Sri Lanka captain is set to join the squad ahead of Lahore Qalandars’ upcoming match against Quetta Gladiators on 17 April.

For the unversed, Lahore Qalandars have a topsy-turvy campaign in PSL 11 so far, where they have managed to win two out of three games while losing three. The defending champions now sit sixth on the points table.

READ: Moeen Ali rues powerplay bowling after loss to Hyderabad Kingsmen

KARACHI: Stand-in captain Moeen Ali lamented Karachi Kings powerplay bowling after a four-wicket defeat against Hyderabad Kingsmen in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash here at the National Bank Stadium.

Karachi Kings posted a strong total of 188 on the board, thanks to a composed half-century from Saad Baig.

The late impetus to the innings was provided by captain Moeen Ali, who hit five sixes in his 44 from 16 balls.

In reply, Kingsmen capitalized on a strong start and chased down the 189-run target on the first ball of the final over.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

Speaking after the match, Moeen hailed the team’s fighting spirit while highlighting the shortcomings during the fixture.

“We did well to get that score. Our powerplay bowling was not great, starting with me. Positive for tonight was that we showed a fight which was missing last few games. You just go with your gut feel,” he said.

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Moeen said that such situations can happen, adding that winning three matches in a row does not automatically guarantee qualification.

He also cited a seven-day break as a possible factor that may not have worked in the team’s favour.

“It can happen. You win three in a row, which doesn’t automatically mean you’ll qualify. We had a break of 7 days, which probably wasn’t great for us,” the captain explained.

For the unversed, this was Karachi Kings second consecutive defeat after winning the first three games.

The 2020 champions will face Islamabad United on 16 April at the same venue.

READ: Saad Baig becomes first player to be retired out in PSL

Arsenal’s 2-1 home defeat by Bournemouth on Saturday blew the Premier League title race wide open, as Brentford and Everton missed the chance to close in on Champions League qualification after a 2-2 draw.

The Gunners could have opened up a 12-point lead at the top of the table, but a third defeat in four games for Mikel Arteta’s men has put the destiny of the title back in Manchester City’s hands.

City have two games in hand on the leaders, starting with Sunday’s trip to Chelsea, and host Arsenal next weekend.

Just a few weeks ago, Arsenal were dreaming of an unprecedented quadruple.

But after losing to City in the League Cup final and being dumped out the FA Cup by second-tier Southampton, a first league title in 22 years may also now be slipping away.

“We were very far from the standards that we’ve shown all season, so it’s a big punch in the face because we wanted to win this game so badly,” said Arteta.

“We didn’t cope with the situations when they didn’t go our way.”

Junior Kroupi reacted quickest to Adrien Truffert’s deflected cross to give Bournemouth an early lead.

Viktor Gyokeres levelled before the break from the penalty spot, but a lack of creative spark in the final third was again Arsenal’s undoing.

It is their defensive record that has put Arteta’s men in pole position for the title, but they were cut open with ease when Alex Scott finished off a fine team move for the winner on 74 minutes.

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The result was also huge in Bournemouth’s charge towards the European places as they move up to 10th on the back of an 11-game unbeaten run.

Five English sides will qualify directly for next season’s Champions League, and both Brentford and Everton missed the chance to move level on points with fifth-placed Liverpool.

Twice the Bees led through Igor Thiago, who took his tally for the season to 21 Premier League goals and within one of Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.

Beto levelled midway through the first half for the visitors and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall struck in stoppage time to salvage a point.

Brighton are also well in the mix for their first ever taste of Champions League football.

Mats Wieffer scored twice as the Seagulls beat relegation-bound Burnley 2-0.

A fifth win in six games for Fabian Hurzeler’s men takes them up to ninth and within three points of the top five.

Liverpool can solidify their place in the top five when they host Fulham later at Anfield, looking to snap a three-game losing streak.

Heavy defeats by Manchester City in the FA Cup and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League have ramped up the pressure on Arne Slot’s position as Liverpool boss, less than a year he led the club to the Premier League title.

Mohamed Salah returns to the Liverpool starting line-up among five changes made by Slot from the chastening 2-0 loss to PSG in midweek.

READ: Saad Baig becomes first player to be retired out in PSL

Carlos Alcaraz lined up a blockbuster Monte Carlo Masters final with chief rival Jannik Sinner after the Spaniard ended the run of local boy Valentin Vacherot in the last four on Saturday.

Alcaraz saw off Vacherot 6-4, 6-4 to stay on track to defend his title and set up a Sunday showdown with Sinner for the world number one ranking.

It will be the first meeting this season between the world’s top two players and will decide who will be world No.1 come Monday when the new ATP rankings are released.

“I think it’s the dream spot for everyone I would say. I’m fighting for a second Monte Carlo title, he’s fighting for his first one,” said Alcaraz of Sunday’s final.

“It’s going to be a really special one. The No.1 is on the line, which will make tomorrow even more special.”

The 22-year-old Alcaraz is trying to keep hold of top spot and holds a 10-6 lead over Sinner in the head-to-head series.

Alcaraz broke Vacherot three times to wrap up victory in 84 minutes and is bidding for his third title of the season after winning the Australian Open and in Doha.

“I’m just happy to win this really difficult match against Valentin,” said Alcaraz.

“He’s playing great tennis with a lot of confidence right now, playing in his hometown. It was really tough to get the win, but I’m really excited about my first meeting with Jannik in 2026.”

Sinner eased his way into the Monte Carlo final for the first time with a clinical 6-1, 6-4 semi-final win over Alexander Zverev earlier on Saturday.

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The 24-year-old Italian becomes the first player to reach all three finals of the season’s first three Masters 1000 events since Novak Djokovic in 2015.

Roger Federer, in 2006, and Rafael Nadal, 2011, are the only two other players to achieve the feat.

“I’m very happy,” said Sinner.

“We came here trying to give myself some feedback (on clay) and now finding myself in the final means a lot to me.”

Sinner said he had felt in top form right from the outset of the match against his German opponent, ranked third in the world.

“Obviously every match, every day is different, so I’m very happy about today’s performance. I felt really solid from the beginning.

“When you are a break up straight away, it changes the dynamic of the match, so very happy and let’s see what’s coming in the final.”

As in Indian Wells and Miami, Sinner, 24, had the measure of Zverev who has not prevailed in their meetings since the round of 16 at the US Open in September 2023.

Extremely aggressive from the start, Sinner blew the German away in the opening set, breaking him three times and wrapping it up in 34 minutes.

In the second set, Zverev put up more resistance, finding his first serve again, but he still had to battle every time to hold.

He finally folded after 82 minutes on another blistering forehand from Sinner, who has lost only one set in his last 21 matches at Masters 1000 events.

READ: Saad Baig becomes first player to be retired out in PSL

Karachi Kings middle-order batter Saad Baig on Saturday became the first batter in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) history to be retired out for tactical reasons. 

The left-hander was instrumental in Karachi Kings strong total against Hyderabad Kingsmen here at the National Bank Stadium.

Baig came in when Kings were in trouble at 59-3 in 7.2 overs.

The left-hander was involved in multiple stands alongside Azam Khan and Moeen Ali, respectively. First, he added 63 with the former and then forged a 55-run partnership with the latter to put his side in a dominant position.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

He was eventually retired out after completing his half-century on the fifth ball of the 18th over. Baig made 53 from 37 balls with the aid of six boundaries.

However the decision to retire

With the help of his half-century, Karachi Kings finished strong with 188-8 at the end of their 20 overs.

For Hyderabad Kingsmen, Hunain Shah remained the pick of bowlers, taking three wickets in four over while giving away only 19 runs.

Playing XIs

Karachi Kings XI: Reeza Hendricks, Muhammad Waseem, Salman Ali Agha, Saad Baig, Moeen Ali (capt), Khushdil Shah, Azam Khan (wk), Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Adam Zampa, Ihsanullah

Hyderabad Kingsmen XI: Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Usman Khan (wk), Kusal Perera, Glenn M

READ: Baig’s fifty, Moeen’s blinder take Karachi Kings to strong total

KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam hailed the team’s all-around performance against Lahore Qalandars in the 19th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11. 

Zalmi dominated Qalandars, sealing a decisive 76-run victory here at the National Bank Stadium after posting 173-7 on the board at the end of the 20 overs.

Kusal Mendis starred again with the bat, scoring 74 from 48 balls, and earned the player of the match award.

Meanwhile, Babar anchored the innings with 43 off 40 balls, including a six and three fours.

In reply, Lahore Qalandars were bowled out cheaply for 97 in 17 overs, thanks to Sufyan Muqeem and Michael Bracewell’s spin bowling.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

During the post-match presentation, Babar commended Peshawar Zalmi for a strong performance and revealed the game plan in the first six overs.

“It was a strong performance, especially with the way we started with the bat. We recognized early on that the pitch was playing a little differently, so our primary plan was to fully utilize the first six overs while the ball was hard,” he said.

“Once the Powerplay ended, the conditions became significantly slower, so we made a conscious effort to consolidate and ensure we didn’t lose wickets in clusters. Kusal Mendis played exceptionally well during that phase to keep the pressure on,” he added.

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The right-hander also talked about his own form, noting that staying on the crease longer boosts his confidence.

“On a personal level, it always feels better the more time you spend out in the middle. When you stay at the crease, the runs start to come more naturally, and your confidence grows,” the skipper explained.

“My focus is always on doing what is best for the team—whether that’s rotating the strike to keep things moving or finding that odd boundary from time to time to keep the momentum in our favor,” he concluded.

READ: Here’s why David Warner is not playing against Hyderabad Kingsmen

KARACHI: Karachi Kings regular captain David Warner is not part of the playing XI against Hyderabad Kingsmen in the 20th fixture of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

During the toss, Moeen Ali came out to captain the side and revealed that Warner is missing today’s clash due to a back problem.

“He’s not playing. He has a bad back, so unfortunately, he misses out,” said Moeen Ali.

Earlier, Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne won the toss and decided to bowl first.

This will be the first time the two teams have played each other, with Kingsmen making its inaugural appearance in the tournament.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

Hyderabad Kingsmen have bolstered their batting lineup with the inclusion of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who will be featuring for the first time in the tournament.

Playing XIs

Karachi Kings XI: Reeza Hendricks, Muhammad Waseem, Salman Ali Agha, Saad Baig, Moeen Ali (capt), Khushdil Shah, Azam Khan (wk), Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Adam Zampa, Ihsanullah

Hyderabad Kingsmen XI: Saim Ayub, Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Usman Khan (wk), Kusal Perera, Glenn Maxwell, Irfan Khan Niazi, Hassan Khan, Hunain Shah, Akif Javed, Mohammad Ali

READ: Babar Azam becomes first batter to achieve historic PSL milestone

KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam etched his name deeper into the record books on Saturday, becoming the first batter to score 4000 runs in the history of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The milestone came during Peshawar Zalmi’s ongoing PSL 11 clash against defending champions Lahore Qalandars at the National Bank Stadium.

Coming into the match, Babar required 39 runs to reach the landmark and got there with a single off Usama Mir on the first ball of the 14th over.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

The leg-spinner, however, had the final say shortly after, dismissing the Zalmi captain in the following over. Babar ended his innings with a composed 43 off 40 deliveries.

Having featured in the league since its inaugural edition in 2016, Babar has been the most consistent performer in PSL history and now sits comfortably at the top of the all-time run charts.

He is followed by Fakhar Zaman, who has amassed 3018 runs, and Mohammad Rizwan, who has 2853 runs to his name.

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Most runs in PSL

• Babar Azam (IU, KK, PZ) – 4004 runs
• Fakhar Zaman (LQ) – 3018 runs
• Mohammad Rizwan (KK, LQ, MS, RWP) – 2853 runs
• Rilee Rossouw (MS, QG) – 2366 runs
• Shoaib Malik (KK, MS, PZ, QG) – 2350 runs

Beyond the milestone, Babar has also been in fine touch in the ongoing PSL 11 season.

The right-hander is currently the third leading run-scorer in the season, having accumulated 212 runs in four matches at an impressive average of 70.66, while maintaining a strike rate of 135.89.

READ: Lahore Qalandars suffer major blow ahead of Peshawar Zalmi clash