Expresso National and International Sports News Update at 3:30 pm on 4th May

You are listening to the Expresso Sports Update. Here is the latest news from the world of Indian and International Sports brought to you by The Indian Express.

“Let’s begin this bulletin with some news on the Ranji Trophy.

The BCCI has delayed the knockout matches of the Ranji Trophy by two days and now the quarterfinals will begin from June 6 and the title clash of the premier domestic event will start from June 22.

According to an internal communication circulated by the BCCI to its state units, the two semifinals will now begin from June 14, instead of June 12.

The final is slated to be held at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru.

Bengal, Jharkhand, Mumbai, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh have qualified for the knockout stage of the first-class competition.”
“Meanwhile,

Mayank Shandilya was over the moon when his best friend Dinesh Bana smoked the winning six against England in the U-19 World Cup final.

In a conversation with indianexpress.com, Mayank revealed how the snub spurred him on to dazzle in the Cooch Behar Trophy, for u19 players in India. He said, “I just told myself that if they can do it, then why not me? All four of us have represented Haryana since our Under-14 days. We won the Vijay Merchant Trophy together a few years ago. I just wanted to perform,”

The 18-year-old scored 950 runs in eight matches, including three centuries with a highest score of 224 not out. He also bagged 44 wickets, including eight five-wicket hauls. ”
“In news from International cricket,

Nicholas Pooran has replaced Kieron Pollard as captain of the West Indies one-day international and Twenty20 teams.

Pollard retired from internationals last week. Pooran has been Pollard’s deputy for a year. Cricket West Indies confirmed the captaincy on Tuesday.

He said in a statement,
“I am following the footsteps of several giants of the game who have created an amazing legacy for West Indies cricket.This is, indeed, a prestigious role, a pivotal position in the West Indian society, as cricket is the force that brings us all West Indians together. To be named captain is, indeed, the highlight of my career so far.”

His first assignment will in the Netherlands at the end of this month for three ODIs.”
“In news from weightlifting,

Gyaneshwari Yadav clinched the silver medal while compatriot V Rithika finished third to give India a double podium finish in the women’s 49kg category at the IWF Junior World Weightlifting Championships in Heraklion, Greece.

Chattisgarh lifter Gyaneshwari produced a total effort of 156kg (73kg+83kg) to take home the silver medal on Monday night.

The 18-year-old Rithika, on the other hand, heaved 6 kgs less than her compatriot — 150kg (69kg+81kg) to bag the bronze medal in a depleted 10-lifter field.

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist and strong favourite Windy Cantika Aisah of Indonesia was crowned the champion in the category thanks to her total effort of 185kg (83kg+102kg).”
“Meanwhile,

Ace paddler Manika Batra attained a career-high singles ranking of 38 with a jump of 10 spots while G Sathiyan was the best placed Indian male at 34 in the latest International Table Tennis Federation rankings.

Veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal also gained a place to be world No. 37 as most of the Indian players climbed the charts.

At no 66 in the women’s rankings is Archana Kamath, who has made a big leap from her previous rank of world No. 92. Young Sreeja Akula, who is world No. 68, has gained 39 spots from 107th position.

The last Indian woman to be in top-100 is Reeth Tennison, who has gained an astounding 197 spots to be world No. 97.

”
“In some football news,

Liverpool players stared at each other in disbelief. By the bench, manager Jürgen Klopp watched in awe.

Just like that, Liverpool had squandered its two-goal lead from the first leg of the Champions League semifinals against Villarreal, and its spot in the final was suddenly in jeopardy.

Liverpool rallied in the second half to defeat Villarreal 3-2 and reach its third Champions League final in five seasons on Tuesday. It advanced 5-2 on aggregate at the La Cerámica Stadium.

Klopp, who will be making his fourth Champions League final appearance as coach, said,
“You could see how impressed we were with them in the first half. To come back and win in the second is really impressive.””
“Meanwhile,

Real Madrid are hoping to produce one last magical Champions League night at the Santiago Bernabéu this season.

After coming from behind at home to get by Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 and defending champion Chelsea in the quarterfinals, Madrid need to rally past Manchester City to return to the final for the first time since it won its record 13th European Cup title in 2018.

Madrid lost 4-3 in the first leg in England, when it trailed by two goals three different times.

The match against Man City comes only four days after Madrid celebrated winning the Spanish league title at the famed stadium. The club hadn’t clinched a title at the Bernabéu in 15 years. ”
“Bayer Leverkusen consolidated third place and Leipzig dropped out of the Bundesliga top four after contrasting fortunes for both in their quest for Champions League qualification.

Leipzig slipped to its second consecutive defeat when 10-man Borussia Mönchengladbach won their game 3-1 to move to 10th. That left visiting Leipzig fifth, one point behind Freiburg, which has the last qualification place for the Champions League with two rounds remaining.

Before the previous round, Leipzig was third until visiting Union Berlin struck late to win 2-1 and end the team’s 15-game unbeaten run across all competitions.

Leipzig could also reach the Champions League by winning the Europa League. They have a 1-0 lead over Glasgow Rangers going into the second leg of their semifinal.”
“And finally,

Cristiano Ronaldo continued to be the shining light in an otherwise disappointing season for Manchester United.

He scored his 18th goal in the English Premier League for after he converted a penalty that he earned himself in a 3-0 victory over Brentford on Monday.

Ronaldo also had a goal disallowed at Old Trafford for a narrow offside as United saved one of its best performances of the season for its final home game. Bruno Fernandes and Raphael Varane, with his first in English football, were the other scorers.

The victory kept alive sixth-placed United’s chance of finishing in the top four and qualifying for next season’s Champions League.”

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