Sports
Chess: Belgium’s GM Vadim Malakhatko takes solo lead
Grand Master Vadim Malakhatko of Belgium took solo lead in the Year Long 2nd GM Chess Tournament securing three points after the 4th round matches held at Media Centre of Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) here on Wednesday.
GM Alexander Zubarev of Ukraine and IM Aronyak Ghosh of India are in the 2nd position jointly with 2.5 points each.
In the day’s 4th round, GM Malakhatko beat Sanket Chakravarty, IM Mohammad Fahad Rahman beat Anata Choudhury, GM Zubarev drew with IM Kaustav Chatterjee of India, IM Aronyak drew with GM Azer Mirzoev of Azerbaijan and IM Asyl Abdijapar of Kyrgyzstan beat and IM Neelash Saha of India.
Read: JPC Chess:Shahzad Mahmud emerges champion, Rafiqul Islam runners-up
In the Year Long 2nd International Masters Chess Tournament, IM Mohammad Nubairshah Shaikh of India is leading the point table, securing full four points after the 4th round matches on Wednesday.
CM Md Sharif Hossain and GM Alexey Kislinisky of Czech Republic are jointly in the 2nd position with 3 points each.
Read: GM Chess:Indian IM AronykGhoshm,NeelshSahamaintain joint lead
In the 4th round games, IM Nubairshah beat Swarnavo Choudhury, GM Alexey Kislinisky beat CM Sharif, IM Mahmood Lodhi of Pakistan beat FM Khandekar Aminul Islam, Sourath Biswas beat FM Sheikh Nasir Ahmed, FM Md Taibur Rahman beat CM Tahsin Tajwar Zia.
The 5th round matches of both the Year Long 2nd GM Chess Tournament and Year Long 2nd IM Chess Tournaments will be held on Thursday (Oct 14) at the same venue.
10-man Bangladesh exit SAFF Championship with 1-1 draw against Nepal
A 10-man Bangladesh crashed out of the five-nation SAFF Championship 2021 after playing out to 1-1 draw with Nepal in their last league match at the National Football Stadium in Male Wednesday.
Nepal will play the final on October 16 at 9pm Bangladesh time against hosts Maldives or India.
In Wednesday's other crucial match at 10pm, the league leader Maldives will play third-placed India, who have not yet conceded any defeat, Bangladesh time to clinch a berth in the final.
Read: SAFF Championship: 10-man Bangladesh come from behind to draw with India
The Maldives, who dominated the league table with six points from three matches after beating Sri Lanka 1-0, Bangladesh 2-0 and conceding 0-1 defeat against Nepal, need a draw against India to confirm their place in the final. But India will have to win the match to do so.
Defeat in warm-up match not a big thing: Minhajul
The chief selector of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Minhajul Abedin, has said a defeat in the warm-up is nothing to be worried about.
The Bangladesh national cricket team is playing two warm-up matches ahead of the T20 World Cup which is set to begin in Oman on October 17.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh played their first warm-up match against Sri Lanka and lost by four wickets.
Read: Tigers lose the plot while fielding to lose first warm-up against SL
“It can happen in warm-up matches,” Minhajul told the media on Wednesday while inaugurating a World Cup news-related website in Dhaka. “We experiment many things in warm-up matches. So this is not a big deal.”
According to Minhajul, the Bangladesh team will be able to prepare well before the World Cup takes the field.
“It’s a good luck that we are playing a few practice matches ahead of the World Cup. I believe that we can prepare ourselves well ahead of the main event starts. We also have another practice match on October 14, I hope we can do well,” Minhajul told the media.
Read: Mahmudullah out of Bangladesh’s first warm-up match
In the second official warm-up match, Bangladesh will take on Ireland at Abu Dhabi on October 14. After that, the Tigers will fly back to Oman and start their World Cup campaign with the match against Scotland on October 17.
Bangladesh captain Mahmudullah Riyad missed the first warm-up match due to a back injury, but he is expected to play the second match against Ireland. Mustafizur Rahman, fresh from IPL, is also expected to play in this match.
In Round 1 of the World Cup, Bangladesh will face Scotland, Oman and Papua New Guinea. If the Tigers can win two matches, they will advance to the Super 12s of the World Cup and join the teams like India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan.
SAFF Championship 2021: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal in the Final Race
Despite the fact that India were the pre-tournament favorite, there was an expectation that the SAFF championship 2021 would be more competitive than recent editions. All of the teams have done well since the tournament began earlier this month. There are still four teams competing for a berth in the finals. As there is only one group in this competition, the top two teams in the points table will progress to the final match. Let's look at the group stage scenario and assess which two teams have the best chance of reaching the finals.
Read:SAFF Football: Bangladesh to face Nepal in a 'do or die" match on Wednesday
Scenario for Championship Match Berths in the Group Stage
The finalists of the SAFF Championship 2021 will be determined by the last two group stage matches. Because the winner of the match between Bangladesh and Nepal will face the winner of the match between India and the Maldives in the championship match on October 16 (Saturday) at the National Football Stadium in the Maldives.
SAFF Football Championship 2021 points table (as of October 10)
Team
Match
Win
Draw
Loss
GD
Points
Maldives
3
2
0
1
2
6
Nepal
3
2
0
1
1
6
India
3
1
2
0
2
5
Bangladesh
3
1
1
1
-1
4
Sri Lanka
4
0
1
3
-3
1
Read: SAFF Championship: Bangladesh lose 0-2 to Maldives
Bangladesh vs. Nepal: (5 pm, Bangladesh Standard Time)
Head-to-head:
Bangladesh Win: 13 | Draw: 2 | Nepal: 7
Bangladesh
Bangladesh have a simple equation in their quest for a final berth. Bangladesh will go to the final if they defeat Nepal.
Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka in their first match of the tournament. They surprised India by drawing the match with ten men on the field. However, Oscar Bruzon's team did not put up their best effort against the Maldives, losing 2-0. They have the lowest goal differential (-1) among the top four teams. Therefore, Bangladesh will not advance to the final if they draw their match against Nepal. So, this is a make-or-break situation for the tigers.
Read CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Lionel Messi Sets New South American Record
Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 4-3-3)
Anisur Rahman Zico (GK), Yasin Arafat, Tariq Kazi, Topu Barman, Md Saad Uddin, Jamal Bhuyan, Mohammad Ibrahim, Sohel Rana, Biplu Ahmed, Rahmat Mia, Motin Mia
Nepal
Nepal kicked up their SAFF Championship 2021 campaign with two impressive wins over the Maldives and Sri Lanka. They also performed well against India but were defeated 1-0. Nepal are currently in second place in the points standings after collecting six points in three games. Nepal will proceed to the final if they win against Bangladesh. However, Nepal may still qualify for the final if they draw this match and India lose to the Maldives.
Read: SAFF Champs: Bangladesh to play hosts Maldives Thursday night
Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 5-4-1)
Dangi (GK), Lama, Uparkoti, T.Tamang, S. Shrestha, G. Shrestha, Rajbanshi, A. Tamang, Chand, Aryal, Chemzong
India vs. Maldives (10 pm, Bangladesh Standard Time)
Head-to-head:
India Win: 14 | Draw: 2 | Maldives: 4
India
India got off to a shaky start in the tournament. They drew with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in their first two games, losing vital four points. They fought back strongly against Nepal and won the game 1-0. India are still in contention for a top-two finish in the points standings. They must win their encounter against the Maldives to qualify for the championship match. India will be eliminated from the competition if they lose points.
Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 4-2-2)
Singh Sandhu (GK), Desai, Bose, Bheke, Kotal, Femandes, Ralte, Wangjam, Yasir, Singh, Sunil Chhetri
Read: SAFF Championship 2021: How Bangladesh can qualify for the Final
Maldives
The Maldives had a shaky start to the tournament. They were defeated 1-0 by Nepal in their first match. However, they bounced back against Bangladesh, winning 2-0, and then beating Sri Lanka by a solitary goal. The Maldives are in first place in the points table with 6 points. If the host draws their match against India, they will progress to the final. So, the Maldives are in a stronger position than the other three teams in the final race.
Probable Starting XI (expected formation: 4-2-3-1)
Faisal (GK), Yoosuf, Samooh, Ghanee, Hassan, Nihaan, Ali, Mahudhee, Fasir, Mohamed, Ashfaq
Verdict
The top two teams in the points standings are the Maldives and Nepal as of October 10. These two teams appear to be competitive, and they have exhibited a desire to win the tournament. Though India remain the best side on paper to win the tournament. They made a fantastic comeback against Nepal in their last group stage encounter. On the other hand, Bangladesh had a promising start to the competition but struggled against the host Maldives. Bangladesh must come out on top against Nepal with a winning formula to proceed to the SAFF Championship 2021 final.
Read UEFA Nations League 2021: France Beat Spain in the Final to Become Champion
Tigers lose the plot while fielding to lose first warm-up against SL
In the first warm-match ahead of the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh lost to Sri Lanka by four wickets on Tuesday at Abu Dhabi.
Bangladesh batted first in this match after winning the toss, but they failed to post a challenging total to the board.
In 20 overs, they scored 147 for seven with Soumya Sarkar posting the highest, 34, for the team. No other Bangladeshi batter was able to pass the 20-run mark.
Read: Mahmudullah out of Bangladesh’s first warm-up match
For Sri Lanka, Dushmantha Chameera bagged three wickets conceding 27 runs in four overs while Lahiru Kumara, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Dasun Shanaka scalped one wicket each.
In reply, Sri Lanka slipped to 79/6 runs in 12 overs. It seemed a win only a matter of time for Bangladesh. But Avishka Fernando and Chamika Karunaratne put together an unbroken 69-run stand to seal victory in 19 overs.
Read: Mahmudullah's Best Test Innings For Bangladesh
Bangladesh will take on Ireland at the same venue on October 14 in the second warm-up match.
The Bangladesh team will return to Oman on October 15 before their first World Cup match against Scotland on October 17. In Round 1, Bangladesh will then take on Oman and Papua New Guinea.
Mahmudullah out of Bangladesh’s first warm-up match
Mahmudullah Riyad is not playing the first warm-up match of the Bangladesh national team ahead of the T20 World Cup which is set to begin on October 17 in Oman.
Bangladesh is set to take on Sri Lanka on Tuesday night, at Bangladesh time 8pm at Abu Dhabi.
Habibul Bashar, the selector of Bangladesh, said the T20 captain has been suffering from slight back pain for a couple of days. So as a precautionary step, he is not playing the first warm-up match.
“He won’t get enough time to rest during the tournament when we have match after match. So we are not taking any risk now. He will not play the warm-up match. We will give him a bit of time,” Bashar told the media.
Read: BAN vs. NZ Series 2021: Mahmudullah Becomes Bangladesh’s Most Successful T20I Captain
Mahmudullah, however, might take part in the second warm-up match against Ireland in Abu Dhabi.
While Mahmudulla is not playing the first warm-up match, Mustafizur Rahman might take part in it. The left-handed pacer joined the team after completing this IPL stint for Rajasthan Royals.
The Bangladesh team will return to Oman on October 15 before their first World Cup against Scotland. They will then face the hosts, Oman, and Papua New Guinea.
It is expected that the Tigers would end up as the champions of Group B. If they can successfully play in Round 1, they will meet India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Afghanistan in Group 2 at the Super 12s round along with the runners up of Group A of Round 1.
Read: Mahmudullah's Best Test Innings For Bangladesh
BCB had announced the squad for the World Cup early last month. They had included Rubel Hossain and Aminul Islam as the standby players. But in a recent move, the team management excluded Aminul from the touring party but kept Rubel with the team.
Bangladesh also included six players in the squad who has no experience of playing in a World Cup, including U-19 World Cup-winning stars— Shoriful Islam and Shamim Hossain.
SAFF Football: Bangladesh to face Nepal in a 'do or die" match on Wednesday
Bangladesh national football team will face Himalayan nation Nepal in a " do or die" league match of the five-nation SAFF Championship' 2021 on Wednesday.
The crucial match will kick-off at 5 pm (Bangladesh time) at the National Football Stadium in the Maldives capital Male.
The match will telecast live by T-Sports from big bowl.
League leader and hosts Maldives will play 3rd placed and only unbeaten team India in the last league match also on Wednesday at 10 pm (Bangladesh time) to assure the final berth in an any bodies game.
Read: SAFF Championship: 10-man Bangladesh come from behind to draw with India
The winners of Wednesday's matches will directly qualify for the final on October 16 at the same venue.
Bangladesh will play the last league matches in a must win situation to reach the final, but the Maldives, Nepal and India keep their final alive also with draw.
IPL 2021 Eliminator: Shakib Scores the Winning Run as Kolkata Secure Qualifier 2
Both KKR and RCB won a game against each other in the round-robin league stage. However, Kolkata won a one-sided affair in the most recent meeting between the two teams and they were full of confidence going into the elimination match. The batters failed to cope with the pitch, thus the eliminator was a low-scoring affair. Kolkata won the match in the last over as Shakib Al Hasan scored the winning run for his team. Kolkata Knight Riders will play Delhi Capitals in qualifier 2 on Wednesday (October 13) for a spot in the final.
Match Report: KKR vs. RCB
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli chose to bat first against Kolkata Knight Riders in the eliminator match on Monday (October 11) at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah.
Bangalore’s Innings
Batted first, Royal Challengers Bangalore barely managed to score 138/7 in their allotted 20 overs.
They got off to a good start in the innings, scoring 49 runs in the first five overs. Captain Virat Kohli and new sensation Devdutt Padikkal, started cautiously but were eager to rotate the strike to put pressure on the bowlers.
Read Mahmudullah out of Bangladesh’s first warm-up match
They were doing well until Kolkata got their first breakthrough with a wide outside off delivery to Padikkal (21) from Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson. The left-handed batsman failed to connect with the ball and was clean bowled in the first delivery of the sixth over.
Losing opener Padikkal (21) put the Bangalore innings under strain, as they only managed to score 21 runs in the following five overs and lost Srikar Bharat's wicket. Bangalore had 70 runs on board for the cost of two wickets at that stage.
The Bangalore campaign was hoping that skipper Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and AB de Villiers would lead the team to a competitive score. Though neither of the players ignited in the death overs and Bangalore were forced to settle for a low total to defend.
Also read: Junaid Siddique to play in T10 League
Virat Kohli played a 39 off 33 balls knock before getting clean bowled by Sunil Narine in the 13th over. It was a fruitful day for Narine, who rattled Bangalore’s top and middle orders with some tight bowling and later played a crucial part with the bat. Narine finished his spell with 4-0-21-4. Apart from him, Ferguson took 2 wickets and Shakib Al Hasan had an economical spell as well.
Kolkata’s Innings
Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer got Kolkata off to a strong start with a 41-run opening partnership in pursuit of a modest score. The most successful bowler in IPL 2021, Harshal Patel interrupted their momentum by taking the first wicket in the sixth over. He removed Kolkata’s top scorer Shubman Gill (29) in an off-cutter slower delivery. Kolkata lost inform Rahul Tripathi in the following over.
Kolkata's batsmen had battled to get the scoreboard moving due to the slow nature of the pitch. Kolkata's innings were interrupted due to losing wickets at regular intervals, and the fate of the match was swinging both ways.
Read: IPL 2021: Who will play whom in the playoffs?
Nitesh Rana (23) and Sunil Narine (26) batted well in the middle of the innings to keep Kolkata in the run chase. Bangalore's campaign looked positive to clinch the contest when Sunil Narine and Dinesh Karthik went back to the pavilion in the 18th over.
However, Shakib Al Hasan and captain Eoin Morgan’s patient approach eased Kolkata’s victory with two balls to spare. Shakib took the winning run in the fourth ball of the final over. Siraj, Patel, and Chahal bagged two wickets each for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Player of the Match
All-rounder Sunil Narine was named the best player of the IPL 2021 eliminator match for his outstanding performance with the ball.
Read Bangladesh jersey for T20 World Cup revealed
Way Forward
Kolkata Knight Riders had been struggling before the postponement of the Indian Premier League last May. They came back strong when the competition resumed in September in the United Arab Emirates. The Kolkata team management has found their ideal formation with the addition of Shakib Al Hasan to the playing XI. However, sources indicate that the ace all-rounder is unlikely to play in the second qualifying match given his commitment to the Bangladesh national team.
Andre Russell may replace Shakib Al Hasan and the West Indian knows what it takes to win a big match. Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, and the openers did well in the eliminator match. They would play vital roles in the qualifier 2 encounter against Delhi Capitals in Sharjah.
Read Tigers start training in UAE Monday
CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Lionel Messi Sets New South American Record
Argentina thrashed Uruguay 3-0 at home in a South American World Cup 2022 qualifiers match on Sunday (October 10). On the other hand, Brazil drew 0-0 with Colombia away from home. Brazil dropped points for the first time in the current qualification matches. The Argentine superstar Lionel Messi was brilliant against Uruguay, setting a new international record in his illustrious career. Three more World Cup qualifiers were played on Sunday. Let's take a look at the outcomes of CONMEBOL's World Cup qualifiers.
Results of the South America World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Matchday 10 and 11
Argentina vs. Uruguay
Argentina made a strong start and seized the lead in the 38th minute due to Lionel Messi's brilliant chip strike from outside the D-Box. Rodrigo de Paul extended Argentina's lead within six minutes. After that, Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan scored Argentina's third goal in the 62nd minute, putting the game out of reach for the visitors. Argentina enjoyed possession of the ball, and goalkeeper Emi Martinez once again proved his true class by stopping two fantastic efforts from Luis Suarez.
Read: Lionel Messi's Charity Work: Exemplary philanthropy of legendary footballer
Colombia vs. Brazil
Brazil dominated the ball possession and attempted to score numerous times, but failed to find the net during the 90 minutes. They had 4 shots on target in 9 attempts. This was Brazil's first draw in the South American World Cup 2022 qualifiers. On the other hand, Colombia did a fantastic job of tightening up its defense.
Bolivia vs. Peru
It was a tight contest between the two teams, with the host Bolivia winning by a single goal. Bolivia enjoyed the most ball possession, but it took them till the 82nd minute to score. Bolivia climbed to 9th place with this victory, while Peru remained in seventh place with 11 points.
Venezuela vs. Ecuador
Venezuela defeated one of the table toppers, Ecuador at home. They won the match with a score of 2-1. Ecuador took the lead in the 37th minute, but Venezuela equalized in the first half's injury time. The home team scored the match-winning goal in the 64th minute. Venezuela are still at the bottom of the points table.
Read UEFA Nations League 2021: France Beat Spain in the Final to Become Champion
Chile vs. Paraguay
Chile needed to win this game to keep in contention for a place in the top four. They did an excellent job and won the game 2-0. Chile have moved up to the eighth place with ten points after this victory. On the other hand, Paraguay are in the sixth position with 12 points.
Lionel Messi’s New International Record
Lionel Messi became the first South American player to score 80 international goals during the encounter against Uruguay.
Lionel Messi's 80th goal came in the 38th minute of the match. He is now three goals clear of Brazilian legend Pele (77). Neymar comes in third with 69 goals, followed by Uruguayan Luis Suarez with 64 international goals.
Read France wins Nations League with late goal from Mbappé
Ronaldo Nazario ended his career with 62 goals and Romario netted 55 international goals for Brazil. Messi's countrymen Gabriel Batistuta led Argentina with 53 goals, followed by Edinson Cavani of Manchester United with 53 goals for Uruguay.
Messi is currently the fifth most prolific international goal scorer of all time. He needs 5 more goals to overtake former Real Madrid star Ferenc Puskas, who scored 84 goals for Hungary.
Former Malaysia striker Mokhtar Dahari is third on the list with 89 international goals, followed by Ali Daei of Iran with 109. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo is now in first place with 112 international goals.
Bottom Line
Argentina and Brazil are leading the South American World Cup 2022 qualifiers. Brazil are six points ahead of Argentina with 28 points, who are in the second position. On the other hand, Argentina are six points ahead of third-placed Ecuador. The rest of the eight nations are battling it out for third and fourth place. There will undoubtedly be many more exciting contests in the forthcoming CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier fixtures.
Read Argentina wins; Brazil draws in World Cup qualifiers
Bangladesh jersey for T20 World Cup revealed
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Monday revealed the team kit Bangladesh team will wear during the T20 World Cup 2021 which is set to begin on October 17 in Oman.
The new kit resembles the jersey that the Tigers wore during the early 2000s. The manufacturer acknowledged there was an effort to create something to close a retro kit.
Part of the fabric used in the jersey is made of recycled plastic waste, said the manufacturer. The jersey also has the cutting-edge air circulation system that will provide some relief from the excess humidity expected in the UAE and Oman.
READ: Tigers to wear special jersey marking Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh
The World Cup jersey will be available for the fans through the fashion brand Aarong. According to the authority, the jersey price will be Tk 1000 for children, and for adults, the jersey will cost Tk 1400.
Former Bangladesh captain Akram Khan, and Khaled Mahmud, board directors Mahbubul Anam, and Obed Rashid Nizam were present at the jersey unveiling ceremony.
Bangladesh team is currently touring the UAE for two warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup. On October 12, the Tigers will take on Sri Lanka at Abu Dhabi, and on October 14, they will play Ireland.
READ: Ashraful to auction his World Cup jersey
After that, the Bangladesh team will travel back to Oman to play Round 1 of the World Cup where they will face Scotland, Oman and Papua New Guinea.