Sports
Club Cup Hockey: Dhaka Abahani face Mariner Youngs' Saturday in final
Dhaka Abahani and Mariner Youngs' Club reached the final of the SIBL Club Cup Hockey Tournament 2021, eliminating their rivals in the semifinals at the Maulana Bhashani National Stadium Thursday.
The teams will play the final Saturday at 3pm at the same venue.
Read: Club Cup Hockey: Mariner crush Azad 9-0
In the day's semifinal, Dhaka Abahani thrashed Sonali Bank 7-2.
Belimappa Baharan scored three goals in the 7th, 13th and 59th minutes, while Pushkar Kisha Mimo, Naimuddin, Mehrab Hossain Shamin and Khorshed struck one each for Abahani.
Rocky scored two goals for Sonali Bank.
Read:Club Cup Hockey: Abahani, Mohammedan make flying start
In the day's other semifinal, Mariner Youngs' Club got a walkover against Dhaka Mohammedan and was later declared the winner by 2-0 goals as per league bye-laws.
Pedri to sign new deal with Barcelona through 2026
Barcelona midfielder Pedri González has agreed to a new contract with the team through 2026, the club said Thursday.
Barcelona said Pedri’s new contract will include a release cause of 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion). His salary was not made public. The deal will become official when the player signs on Friday.
Read:CONMEBOL World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Lionel Messi Sets New South American Record
The 18-year-old Pedri is coming off a breakout season, his first with Barcelona after joining from Las Palmas. The playmaker led Barcelona with 53 appearances, helping it win the Copa del Rey.
Pedri also became a key player for Spain, helping the national team reach the semifinals of the European Championship and winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The new contract signals Barcelona’s desire to have Pedri help lead the team that is undergoing a painful transition since the departure of Lionel Messi and is facing enormous financial difficulties.
Sk Russel Football: Wari Club to play Hatirjheel Club in final on Friday
Wari Club will play Hatirjheel Club in the final match of the Sheikh Russel Gold Cup U-18 Football Tournament on Friday.
The match will kick-off at 3 pm at Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur here.
Home Minister Asaduzzman Khan will be the chief guest at the final match, organized by Sheikh Russel Jatiya Shisu Kishore Parishad and sponsored by Saif Powertek Limited.
A total of 32 teams took part in the tournament that began on September 30 at the same venue.
Big setback: Bangladesh suffer two defeats before WC
With only three days to go before the T20 World Cup Bangladesh have suffered their second consecutive defeat in two warm-up matches.
On Thursday, the Tigers lost to Ireland by 33 runs after enduring another four-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in the first warm-up match.
The Tigers will now have to bounce back quickly before the main games of T20 World Cup begin on October 17 in Oman.
Read:T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh’s Group Stage Fixtures
Ireland won the toss in this match and opted to bat first. They posted a challenging total of 188 for three in 20 overs, with Gareth Delany hit 88 not-out off 50 balls with three fours and eight sixes.
Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie also did well with the bat scoring 22 and 25 respectively.
For Bangladesh, Taskin Ahmed bagged two wickets conceding 26 runs in four overs while Nasum Ahmed took one wicket conceding 33 runs in three overs.
Two left-arm pacers— Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam-- gave away 40 and 41 runs respectively but failed to grab any wicket.
In reply, Bangladesh lost the openers in five runs— Mohammad Naim scored 3 while Liton Das posted one. Soumya Sarkar, who came to bat at number three, posted 37 off 30 balls with one four and two sixes.
Mushfiqur Rahim, who has been going through a bad patch for a while, failed once again as he scored four only. Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain and Mahedi Hasan also displayed lean performance with the bat.
Read: Defeat in warm-up match not a big thing: Minhajul
Nurul Hasan, however, was the best batter for Bangladesh scoring 38 off 24 deliveries with six fours. But it was not enough for Bangladesh to avoid a big defeat.
Bangladesh ended up on 144 all-out in 20 overs, and lost the match by 33 runs. Mark Adair bagged three wickets for Ireland conceding 33 runs in four overs while Craig Young and Joshua Little scalped two wickets each.
Bangladesh will play their first World Cup match against Scotland on October 17, after that, they will take on Oman and Papua New Guinea.
T20 World Cup 2021: Bangladesh’s Group Stage Fixtures
The top eight teams in the ICC T20 team rankings directly qualified to the Super 12s phase. The remaining four teams will be determined through a group phase, which will begin a week before the main event. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka did not qualify for the Super 12, thus they will compete in the group stage to advance to the next round. The six teams who qualified for the tournament through the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier will join them. Let's have a look at the T20 World Cup 2021 group phase fixtures.
Read:IPL 2021 Final: Key Stats, Team News Ahead of CSK vs. KKR Championship Match
Group A Fixtures of T20 World Cup 2021
Ireland, Namibia, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka are the four teams in Group A. Among the teams, Sri Lanka are the clear favorites to advance to the Super 12s. However, the Lankan side may encounter stiff challenges playing against Ireland and the Netherlands.
Ireland are a promising team with the potential to upset strong opponents on any given day. On the other hand, the Netherlands are known for being a giant killer. They have a history of upsetting big teams in World Cup tournaments. Therefore, when confronting these opponents, Sri Lanka must take them seriously.
Namibia are a very weak team, thus making it to the group stage of the World Cup is a significant accomplishment. The winner of this group will play in Group 1, while the runner-up will play in Group 2 in the Super 12s round.
Read:Tigers lose the plot while fielding to lose first warm-up against SL
ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Group A Schedule
Date
Fixture
Venue
Time
October 18 (Monday)
Ireland vs Netherlands
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
4 PM
October 18 (Monday)
Sri Lanka vs Namibia
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
8 PM
October 20
(Wednesday)
Namibia vs. Netherlands
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
4 PM
October 20
(Wednesday)
Sri Lanka vs. Ireland
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
8 PM
October 22 (Friday)
Namibia vs. Ireland
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
4 PM
October 22 (Friday)
Sri Lanka vs. Netherlands
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
8 PM
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read Defeat in warm-up match not a big thing: Minhajul
Group B Fixtures of T20 World Cup 2021
Bangladesh, Scotland, Oman, and Papua New Guinea are the four teams in Group B. On paper, Bangladesh appear to be the clear favorite to finish top in Group B's points table. Scotland will put Bangladesh to the test when the two teams play on Sunday (October 17). Whoever wins the contest will be favourite to take the first position in the points table.
One of the T20 World Cup 2021 hosts, Oman and Oceania’s Papua New Guinea have a slim chance of progressing to the next round. Participating in the preliminary round of the Twenty20 World Cup will be a significant achievement for both the associate nations of the International Cricket Council.
The winner of this group will play in Group 2, while the runner-up will play in Group 1 in the Super 12s round of the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup 2021.
Read: Mahmudullah out of Bangladesh’s first warm-up match
ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Group B Schedule
Date
Fixture
Venue
Time
October 17 (Sunday)
Oman vs Papua New Guinea
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman
4 PM
October 17 (Sunday)
Bangladesh vs. Scotland
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman
8 PM
October 19
(Tuesday)
Scotland vs. Papua New Guinea
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman
4 PM
October 19
(Tuesday)
Oman vs. Bangladesh
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman
8 PM
October 21 (Thursday)
Bangladesh vs. Papua New Guinea
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman
4 PM
October 21 (Thursday)
Oman vs. Scotland
Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Oman
8 PM
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read:IPL 2021 Eliminator: Shakib Scores the Winning Run as Kolkata Secure Qualifier 2
Verdict
As per the fixture, the competitive group in the T20 World Cup 2021 is Group A. Ireland, the Netherlands, and Sri Lanka are set to compete for a spot in the Super 12s Round of World Cup. Group B includes Bangladesh and Scotland. These two teams are considerably stronger than the rest of the group. The top two teams in each group will progress to the Super 12s phase. As a result, a tough contest can be expected among the participating teams in the group phase for a berth in the next round.
IPL 2021 Final: Key Stats, Team News Ahead of CSK vs. KKR Championship Match
Kolkata Knight Riders stunned the Delhi Capitals in the second qualifying match, thanks to a match-winning six by Rahul Tripathi in the final over. The Knight Riders campaign has gained a lot of confidence after winning the contest. However, they were defeated by CSK in both of their round-robin league matches of IPL 14. Therefore, Chennai Super Kings will be the most confident side in the IPL 2021 final. Let's take a look at some crucial stats ahead of the final between CSK and KKR.
Match Schedule: IPL 2021 Final
The final match of the IPL 2021 will be played on Friday (October 15) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders. The match will begin at 8 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time).
Read IPL 2021 Eliminator: Shakib Scores the Winning Run as Kolkata Secure Qualifier 2
Chennai Super Kings Team News
Chennai's campaign is in high spirits after winning a terrific match against Delhi Capitals in the qualifier 1. Captain MS Dhoni played a crucial part in that match, which is a positive sign for Chennai.
Chennai's opener Ruturaj Gaikwad has been the most productive batter in this year's competition. He should play a key role for CSK in the last match. On the other hand, Shardul Thakur has been the most booming bowler for Chennai. He has the ability to provide breakthroughs when required.
Read Bangladesh jersey for T20 World Cup revealed
Table 1: Notable Performers of Chennai Super Kings
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Match (15)
Runs (603)
HS (101*)
Ave (46.38)
SR (137.35)
100s (1)
50s (4)
6s (22)
Shardul Thakur
Match (15)
Wickets (18)
BBI (3/28)
Ave (27.16)
Econ (8.75)
SR (18.6)
4w (0)
5w (0)
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
In order to maintain the winning combination, Chennai is expected to pick the same lineup for the finals as they did for the first qualifier.
Predicted playing XI
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni (captain & wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Dwayne Bravo, Josh Hazlewood.
Read IPL 2021 Qualifier 1: Magnificent MS Dhoni Powers Chennai into Final
Kolkata Knight Riders Team News
Kolkata squad is in a fantastic spirit after a spectacular victory over Delhi on Wednesday (October 13). Kolkata's openers have been in splendid form. One of their main batsmen, Rahul Tripathi played a crucial part in the previous match. He will be a key player in the final in Kolkata's batting line-up.
Kolkata's most successful batsman is Shubman Gill, while the most flourishing bowler is Varun Chakravarthy.
Table 2: Notable Performers of Kolkata Knight Riders
Shubman Gill
Match (16)
Runs (427)
HS
(57)
Ave (26.68)
SR (118.94)
100s (0)
50s
(2)
6s
(12)
Varun Chakravarthy
Match (16)
Wickets (18)
BBI (3/13)
Ave (22.77)
Econ (6.40)
SR (21.3)
4w
(0)
5w
(0)
Source: https://www.espncricinfo.com/
Read Defeat in warm-up match not a big thing: Minhajul
Cricketer Mosharraf hospitalised again
Bangladesh cricketer Mosharraf Hossain Rubel was put into the incentive care unit of a Dhaka hospital Wednesday night.
Mosharraf has been suffering from a brain tumour for the last three years.
He was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2019. In March that year, he had an operation on his brain in Singapore and was never fully fit since then.
In January 2021, Mosharraf was diagnosed with a brain tumour again. The left-arm spinner's condition had been getting worse in the last few weeks, his wife Farhana Choity told the media.
The cricketer's condition is now critical, and he will be under observation for the next 24 hours, a close friend of Mosharraf said.
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.