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The Kentucky Derby 2025 is almost around the corner and will taken place on second Saturday of next month - May 3. &nbsp;This would be the 151st Kentucky Derby race and it is one of the prestigious races in the world with 20 horses fighting for the top honours.
Winning the Kentucky Derby may be the top goal for many jockeys and trainers but this is only the first step towards the elusive Triple Crown of US Horse Racing.
The Triple Crown involves two more races - The Preakness and the Belmont Stakes and winning all three would be a dream come true for any trainer, jockey or the horse.
<h2>2025 Kentucky Derby Field and Entries</h2>
Here's the list all the contender horses and their trainers:
<figure class="tinymce-table-div">
<table border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 574px; height: 559.765px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 286.5px;"><col style="width: 286.5px;"></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td class="center" style="height: 22.3906px;">Horse Name</td>
<td class="center" style="height: 22.3906px;">Trainer Name</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Burnham Square</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Ian R. Wilkes</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Sandman</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Mark E. Casse</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Journalism</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Michael W. McCarthy</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Rodriguez</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Bob Baffert</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Tiztastic</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Steven M. Asmussen</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Tappan Street</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Brad H. Cox</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Sovereignty</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">William I. Mott</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Final Gambit</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Brad H. Cox</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Coal Battle</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Lonnie Briley</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Chunk of Gold</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Ethan W. West</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Citizen Bull</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Bob Baffert</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Owen Almighty</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Brian Lynch</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Eact Avenue</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Brendan P. Walsh</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Publisher</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Steven M. Asmussen</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">American Promise</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">D. Wayne Lukas</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Flying Mohawk</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">D. Whitworth Beckman</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Grande</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Todd A. Pletcher</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Built</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Wayne M. Catalano</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Luxor Cafe</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Noriyuki Hori</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Admire Daytona</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Yukihiro Kato</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Neoequos</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Render Judgement</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Kenneth G. McPeek</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Baeza</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">John A. Shirreffs</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22.3906px;">
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">California Judgement</td>
<td style="height: 22.3906px;">Thomas Drury Jr.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
<h2>When is the Kentucky Derby 2025?</h2>
The Kentucky Derby 2025 will take place on Saturday (May 3) at the famous Churchill Downs in Louisville.
<h2>What is the Kentucky Derby 2025 timing?</h2>
The Kentucky Derby 2025 main race will take place on Saturday (May 3) at 7:30 PM (Sunday, May 4 - 5 AM IST) &nbsp;at the famous Churchill Downs in Louisville.
<h2>What is the Kentucky Derby 2025 prize money and purse?</h2>
Kentucky Derby 2025 will have a purse of $5 million with the winner taking home nearly $3 million. The horse finishing second will take home about $1 million while the third horse will win $500,000.
<h2>Who won the Kentucky Derby 2024?</h2>
Mystik Dan, trained by Kenny McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., won the Kentucky Derby 2024 and took home $3.1 million in prize money. Hernandez earned 10% of it and took home $310,000 for a race which lasted nearly two minutes.
<h2>How do horses qualify in Kentucky Derby?</h2>
To take part in Kentucky Derby, each horse in the field has to run in a series of races named The Road to the Kentucky Derby. These races are held every year from derby to derby around the world. The top five horses in each race are awarded certain points. At the end of the races, top 20 horses with maximum points qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

The 2025 edition would be the 151st Kentucky Derby race which will take place on Saturday, May 3 with 20 horses fighting for the top honours. Sports

The Kentucky Derby 2025 is almost around the corner and will taken place on second Saturday of next month - May 3. This would be the 151st Kentucky Derby race and it is one of the prestigious races in the world with 20 horses fighting for the top honours. Winning the Kentucky Derby may be the top goal for many jockeys and trainers but this is only the first step towards the elusive Triple Crown of US Horse Racing. The Triple Crown involves two more races - The Preakness and the Belmont Stakes and winning all three would be a dream come true for any trainer, jockey or the horse. 2025 Kentucky Derby Field and Entries Here's the list all the contender horses and their trainers: Horse Name Trainer Name Burnham Square Ian R. Wilkes Sandman Mark E. Casse Journalism Michael W. McCarthy Rodriguez Bob Baffert Tiztastic Steven M. Asmussen Tappan Street Brad H. Cox Sovereignty William I. Mott Final Gambit Brad H. Cox Coal Battle Lonnie Briley Chunk of Gold Ethan W. West Citizen Bull Bob Baffert Owen Almighty Brian Lynch Eact Avenue Brendan P. Walsh Publisher Steven M. Asmussen American Promise D. Wayne Lukas Flying Mohawk D. Whitworth Beckman Grande Todd A. Pletcher Built Wayne M. Catalano Luxor Cafe Noriyuki Hori Admire Daytona Yukihiro Kato Neoequos Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. Render Judgement Kenneth G. McPeek Baeza John A. Shirreffs California Judgement Thomas Drury Jr. When is the Kentucky Derby 2025? The Kentucky Derby 2025 will take place on Saturday (May 3) at the famous Churchill Downs in Louisville. What is the Kentucky Derby 2025 timing? The Kentucky Derby 2025 main race will take place on Saturday (May 3) at 7:30 PM (Sunday, May 4 - 5 AM IST) at the famous Churchill Downs in Louisville. What is the Kentucky Derby 2025 prize money and purse? Kentucky Derby 2025 will have a purse of $5 million with the winner taking home nearly $3 million. The horse finishing second will take home about $1 million while the third horse will win $500,000. Who won the Kentucky Derby 2024? Mystik Dan, trained by Kenny McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., won the Kentucky Derby 2024 and took home $3.1 million in prize money. Hernandez earned 10% of it and took home $310,000 for a race which lasted nearly two minutes. How do horses qualify in Kentucky Derby? To take part in Kentucky Derby, each horse in the field has to run in a series of races named The Road to the Kentucky Derby. These races are held every year from derby to derby around the world. The top five horses in each race are awarded certain points. At the end of the races, top 20 horses with maximum points qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

2025 Kentucky Derby: Date, Time, Prize Money, Purse, Entries, Field and all you need to know

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria questioned Islamabad and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the wake of a cowardly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in which 26 people lost their lives. The attack has been widely condemned by political leaders worldwide, with J&amp;K's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah describing the incident as "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years".&nbsp;
In an X post, Kaneria asked, "If Pakistan truly has no role in the Pahalgam terror attack, why hasn&rsquo;t Prime Minister @CMShehbaz condemned it yet?"&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pahalgam-attack-ex-pakistan-minister-responds-to-new-delhis-diplomatic-measures-8995537">Pahalgam attack: Ex-Pakistan minister responds to India's diplomatic measures, calls it 'childish decision'</a>
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has initiated an investigation into the attack. The security agencies have released sketches of the terrorists involved and identified a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, Saifullah Kasuri, as the mastermind behind the attack.&nbsp;
The cricketer further asked, "Why are your forces suddenly on high alert? Because deep down, you know the truth &mdash; you&rsquo;re sheltering and nurturing terrorists. Shame on you."&nbsp;
In another post, Kaneria asked, "Why do some Indian Muslims get offended whenever I tweet something? Genuinely curious &mdash; just asking."&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pahalgam-terror-attack-who-were-the-militants-behind-horrific-kashmir-massacre-3-pakistani-2-kashmiri-let-operatives-identified-8995576">Pahalgam attack: Who are the terrorists behind horrific Kashmir massacre? 3 Pakistani, 2 Kashmiri LeT operatives identified</a>
<figure class="image"><img alt="danish kaneria" src="https://img-cdn.publive.online/fit-in/1280x720/filters:format(webp)/wion/media/media_files/2025/04/24/tatXFDw6sBti4rg1Y3kO.png" style="width: 1280px;">
<figcaption>Photograph: (X)</figcaption>
</figure>
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/fawad-khan-reacts-pahalgam-terror-attack-abir-gulaal-release-ban-vaani-kapoor-8995563">Fawad Khan condemns Pahalgam terror attack amid backlash over Abir Gulaal</a>
Watch: Condolences Pour In From World Leaders As India Mourns Pahalgam Terror Attack
<iframe width="600" height="auto" style="width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 4/3;" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="external-video publive-iframes-block" src="https://cdn.thepublive.com/wion/static/kaltura_player/wion_video_player_iframe.html?thumbnail=wion/media/post_attachments/screenshot/2404_WION_PAHALGAM_ATTACK_FAMILY_7AM/00000002.jpg&amp;videourl=https://vodakm.zeenews.com/vod/WION/2404_WION_PAHALGAM_ATTACK_FAMILY_7AM.mp4/index.m3u8&amp;duration=191&amp;tags=pahalgam, terror attack, wion" title="Condolences Pour In From World Leaders As India Mourns Pahalgam Terror Attack" id="PL_iframe_block-m9urh3kb-jkoz1xc9-8aqx79c9"></iframe>
<h2>India vows 'loud and clear' response</h2>
India's defence minister said Wednesday that those who carried out and planned the Kashmir region's worst attack on civilians in years would see a swift response.&nbsp;
"Those responsible and behind such an act will very soon hear our response, loud and clear," Rajnath Singh said in a speech in New Delhi.&nbsp;
"We won't just reach those people who carried out the attack. We will also reach out to those who planned this from behind the scenes on our land, he added.&nbsp;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pahalgam-terror-attack-live-updates-jammu-kashmir-let-trf-news-tourists-death-injured-kashmir-bandh-pm-modi-visit-updates-8991894">Pahalgam Terror Attack Live: India suspends Indus water treaty, closes integrated Attari checkpost in swift response against Pakistan-based terror</a>

Sports | India news | The security agencies have released sketches of the terrorists involved and identified a top LeT commander as the mastermind behind the attack

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria questioned Islamabad and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the wake of a cowardly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in which 26 people lost their lives. The attack has been widely condemned by political leaders worldwide, with J&K's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah describing the incident as "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years". In an X post, Kaneria asked, "If Pakistan truly has no role in the Pahalgam terror attack, why hasn’t Prime Minister @CMShehbaz condemned it yet?" Also read: Pahalgam attack: Ex-Pakistan minister responds to India's diplomatic measures, calls it 'childish decision' The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has initiated an investigation into the attack. The security agencies have released sketches of the terrorists involved and identified a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, Saifullah Kasuri, as the mastermind behind the attack. The cricketer further asked, "Why are your forces suddenly on high alert? Because deep down, you know the truth — you’re sheltering and nurturing terrorists. Shame on you." In another post, Kaneria asked, "Why do some Indian Muslims get offended whenever I tweet something? Genuinely curious — just asking." Also read: Pahalgam attack: Who are the terrorists behind horrific Kashmir massacre? 3 Pakistani, 2 Kashmiri LeT operatives identified Photograph: (X) Also read: Fawad Khan condemns Pahalgam terror attack amid backlash over Abir Gulaal Watch: Condolences Pour In From World Leaders As India Mourns Pahalgam Terror Attack India vows 'loud and clear' response India's defence minister said Wednesday that those who carried out and planned the Kashmir region's worst attack on civilians in years would see a swift response. "Those responsible and behind such an act will very soon hear our response, loud and clear," Rajnath Singh said in a speech in New Delhi. "We won't just reach those people who carried out the attack. We will also reach out to those who planned this from behind the scenes on our land, he added. Also read: Pahalgam Terror Attack Live: India suspends Indus water treaty, closes integrated Attari checkpost in swift response against Pakistan-based terror

Ex-Pak cricketer questions Islamabad and Shehbaz Sharif on Pahalgam attack: 'Deep down, you know the truth'

The NFL Draft 2025 is just a day away and teams are busy figuring out whom to pick and whom to pass on. There have been many permutations and combinations already and the D-Day is final here. It'll take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
With over 250 players registered for the NFL Draft 2025, here are the top 5 draft prospects for each position by Bucky Brook for NFL:
Also Read -&nbsp;<a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/2025-nfl-draft-date-time-location-where-to-watch-live-round-1-draft-pick-order-8990822" aria-label="2025 NFL Draft: Date, time, location and all you need to know">2025 NFL Draft: Date, time, location and all you need to know</a>
<h2>Top 5 Quarterback Prospects&nbsp;</h2>
<ul>
<li>Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)</li>
<li>Cam Ward (Miami)</li>
<li>Jaxson Dart (Mississippi)</li>
<li>Jalen Milroe (Alabama)</li>
<li>Kyle McCord (Syracuse)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Top 5 Running Back Prospects</h2>
<ul>
<li>Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)</li>
<li>Omarion Hampton (North Carolina)</li>
<li>Treveyon Henderson (Ohio State)</li>
<li>Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State)</li>
<li>Cam Skattebo (Arizona State)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Top 5 Wide Receiver Prospects</h2>
<ul>
<li>Travis Hunter (Colorado)</li>
<li>Tetairoa Mcmillan (Arizona)</li>
<li>Matthew Golden (Texas)</li>
<li>Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State)</li>
<li>Luther Burden Iii (Missouri)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Top 5 Tight End Prospects</h2>
<ul>
<li>Tyler Warren (Penn State)</li>
<li>Colston Loveland (Michigan)</li>
<li>Mason Taylor (LSU)</li>
<li>Elijah Arroyo (Miami)</li>
<li>Harold Fannin Jr. (Bowling Green)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Top 5 Offensive Tackle Prospects</h2>
<ul>
<li>Will Campbell (LSU)</li>
<li>Armand Membou (Missouri)</li>
<li>Josh Simmons (Ohio State)</li>
<li>Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas)</li>
<li>Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Top 5 Interior Offensive Lineman Prospects</h2>
<ul>
<li>Tyler Booker (Alabama)</li>
<li>Donovan Jackson (Ohio State)</li>
<li>Grey Zabel (North Dakota State)</li>
<li>Jared Wilson (Georgia)</li>
<li>Tate Ratledge (Georgia)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Top 5 Cornerback Prospects</h2>
<ul>
<li>Travis Hunter (Colorado)</li>
<li>Will Johnson (Michigan)</li>
<li>Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame)</li>
<li>Trey Amos (Mississippi)</li>
<li>Shavon Revel Jr. (East Carolina)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Top 5 Defensive Tackle Prospects</h2>
<ul>
<li>Mason Graham (Michigan)</li>
<li>Walter Nolen (Mississippi)</li>
<li>Derrick Harmon (Oregon)</li>
<li>Kenneth Grant (Michigan)</li>
<li>Darius Alexander (Toledo)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Below is the Round 1 pick order of 2025 NFL Draft (subject to change)</h2>
<ol>
<li>Tennessee Titans</li>
<li>Cleveland Browns</li>
<li>New York Giants</li>
<li>New England Patriots</li>
<li>Jacksonville Jaguars</li>
<li>Las Vegas Raiders</li>
<li>New York Jets</li>
<li>Carolina Panthers</li>
<li>New Orleans Saints</li>
<li>Chicago Bears</li>
<li>San Francisco 49ers</li>
<li>Dallas Cowboys</li>
<li>Miami Dolphins</li>
<li>Indianapolis Colts</li>
<li>Atlanta Falcons</li>
<li>Arizona Cardinals</li>
<li>Cincinnati Bengals</li>
<li>Seattle Seahawks</li>
<li>Tampa Bay Buccaneers</li>
<li>Denver Broncos</li>
<li>Pittsburgh Steelers</li>
<li>Los Angeles Chargers</li>
<li>Green Bay Packers</li>
<li>Minnesota Vikings</li>
<li>Houston Texans</li>
<li>Los Angeles Rams</li>
<li>Baltimore Ravens</li>
<li>Detroit Lions</li>
<li>Washington Commanders</li>
<li>Buffalo Bills</li>
<li>Kansas City Chiefs</li>
<li>Philadelphia Eagles</li>
</ol>

2025 NFL Draft, a three-day event, will take place from April 24 to April 26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin in the USA - the home of the Green Bay Packers. NFl Sports

The NFL Draft 2025 is just a day away and teams are busy figuring out whom to pick and whom to pass on. There have been many permutations and combinations already and the D-Day is final here. It'll take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. With over 250 players registered for the NFL Draft 2025, here are the top 5 draft prospects for each position by Bucky Brook for NFL: Also Read - 2025 NFL Draft: Date, time, location and all you need to know Top 5 Quarterback Prospects Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) Cam Ward (Miami) Jaxson Dart (Mississippi) Jalen Milroe (Alabama) Kyle McCord (Syracuse) Top 5 Running Back Prospects Ashton Jeanty (Boise State) Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) Treveyon Henderson (Ohio State) Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State) Cam Skattebo (Arizona State) Top 5 Wide Receiver Prospects Travis Hunter (Colorado) Tetairoa Mcmillan (Arizona) Matthew Golden (Texas) Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State) Luther Burden Iii (Missouri) Top 5 Tight End Prospects Tyler Warren (Penn State) Colston Loveland (Michigan) Mason Taylor (LSU) Elijah Arroyo (Miami) Harold Fannin Jr. (Bowling Green) Top 5 Offensive Tackle Prospects Will Campbell (LSU) Armand Membou (Missouri) Josh Simmons (Ohio State) Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas) Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon) Top 5 Interior Offensive Lineman Prospects Tyler Booker (Alabama) Donovan Jackson (Ohio State) Grey Zabel (North Dakota State) Jared Wilson (Georgia) Tate Ratledge (Georgia) Top 5 Cornerback Prospects Travis Hunter (Colorado) Will Johnson (Michigan) Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame) Trey Amos (Mississippi) Shavon Revel Jr. (East Carolina) Top 5 Defensive Tackle Prospects Mason Graham (Michigan) Walter Nolen (Mississippi) Derrick Harmon (Oregon) Kenneth Grant (Michigan) Darius Alexander (Toledo) Below is the Round 1 pick order of 2025 NFL Draft (subject to change) Tennessee Titans Cleveland Browns New York Giants New England Patriots Jacksonville Jaguars Las Vegas Raiders New York Jets Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints Chicago Bears San Francisco 49ers Dallas Cowboys Miami Dolphins Indianapolis Colts Atlanta Falcons Arizona Cardinals Cincinnati Bengals Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Denver Broncos Pittsburgh Steelers Los Angeles Chargers Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings Houston Texans Los Angeles Rams Baltimore Ravens Detroit Lions Washington Commanders Buffalo Bills Kansas City Chiefs Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Draft 2025: Check out top prospects for each position

The Indiana Pacers withstood another big performance from Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the return of Damian Lillard, beating the Bucks 123-115 to take a 2-0 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Tuesday.
Pascal Siakam scored 24 points and pulled down 11 rebounds and Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points and 12 assists for the Pacers, who saw a 15-point fourth-quarter lead slashed to two thanks to a 13-0 scoring run from the Bucks.
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The Pacers held on for a wire-to-wire win, and Western Conference top seeds Oklahoma City also led throughout in defeating Memphis 118-99 -- two days after a crushing 51-point victory over the Grizzlies in game one.
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 34 points, adding 18 rebounds and seven assists.
Nine-time All-Star Lillard, playing his first game in five weeks after undergoing treatment for a blood clot in his right calf, scored 14 points and handed out seven assists in 37 minutes on the floor.
Lillard's three-pointer with 2:33 to play pulled the Bucks within 115-113. But Siakam responded with a three-pointer.
Andrew Nembhard drilled another trey and the Pacers held on. Nembhard added 17 points as six Pacers scored in double figures in a game that was testy throughout.
A brief scuffle in the first quarter resulted in technical fouls for Milwaukee's Gary Trent Jr. and Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin. Siakam and Milwaukee's Bobby Portis received technicals with less than two minutes to play, and there was plenty of jawing in between.
"It's fun," Haliburton said. "This is what everybody lives for. We're all competitors, so having a lot of fun competing right now."
In Oklahoma City, the Thunder showed no sign of a letdown after delivering the most lopsided game-one victory in NBA playoffs history.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 points, Jalen Williams added 24 and Chet Holmgren delivered 20 points, 11 rebounds &nbsp;and five blocked shots for the Thunder, who opened the game on a 9-0 run and led by as many as 23.
Oklahoma City made 12 of their 15 three-pointers in the first half. They led the Grizzlies in fast-beak points 21-3 and out-scored Memphis 54-46 in the paint.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 26 points and Ja Morant added 23 for the Grizzlies, who showed signs of life in the third quarter only for Oklahoma City to open the fourth on a 9-0 run.
The Grizzlies wouldn't get within 15 points the rest of the way.
In the final game of the night, LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers seek to rebound after dropping game one of their Western Conference series to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

NBA Playoffs: The Pacers held on for a wire-to-wire win, and Western Conference top seeds Oklahoma City also led throughout in defeating Memphis 118-99.

The Indiana Pacers withstood another big performance from Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the return of Damian Lillard, beating the Bucks 123-115 to take a 2-0 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Tuesday. Pascal Siakam scored 24 points and pulled down 11 rebounds and Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points and 12 assists for the Pacers, who saw a 15-point fourth-quarter lead slashed to two thanks to a 13-0 scoring run from the Bucks. Also Read - Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe eying Copa del Rey final return, says coach Ancelotti The Pacers held on for a wire-to-wire win, and Western Conference top seeds Oklahoma City also led throughout in defeating Memphis 118-99 -- two days after a crushing 51-point victory over the Grizzlies in game one. Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 34 points, adding 18 rebounds and seven assists. Nine-time All-Star Lillard, playing his first game in five weeks after undergoing treatment for a blood clot in his right calf, scored 14 points and handed out seven assists in 37 minutes on the floor. Lillard's three-pointer with 2:33 to play pulled the Bucks within 115-113. But Siakam responded with a three-pointer. Andrew Nembhard drilled another trey and the Pacers held on. Nembhard added 17 points as six Pacers scored in double figures in a game that was testy throughout. A brief scuffle in the first quarter resulted in technical fouls for Milwaukee's Gary Trent Jr. and Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin. Siakam and Milwaukee's Bobby Portis received technicals with less than two minutes to play, and there was plenty of jawing in between. "It's fun," Haliburton said. "This is what everybody lives for. We're all competitors, so having a lot of fun competing right now." In Oklahoma City, the Thunder showed no sign of a letdown after delivering the most lopsided game-one victory in NBA playoffs history. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 points, Jalen Williams added 24 and Chet Holmgren delivered 20 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Thunder, who opened the game on a 9-0 run and led by as many as 23. Oklahoma City made 12 of their 15 three-pointers in the first half. They led the Grizzlies in fast-beak points 21-3 and out-scored Memphis 54-46 in the paint. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 26 points and Ja Morant added 23 for the Grizzlies, who showed signs of life in the third quarter only for Oklahoma City to open the fourth on a 9-0 run. The Grizzlies wouldn't get within 15 points the rest of the way. In the final game of the night, LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers seek to rebound after dropping game one of their Western Conference series to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

NBA Playoffs: Pacers hold on to wire-to-wire win over Bucks; Thunder beat Grizzlies

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said striker Kylian Mbappe is poised to return from injury to face rivals Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday.
Mbappe missed Madrid's win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday in La Liga and will not be available for the visit to face Getafe on Wednesday.
Also Read -&nbsp;<a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/football/football-is-matheus-cunha-heading-to-manchester-united-this-summer-8989901" aria-label="Is Matheus Cunha heading to Manchester United this summer?">Is Matheus Cunha heading to Manchester United this summer?</a>
The French superstar was substituted with an ankle problem during Madrid's Champions League elimination by Arsenal last week, but along with compatriot Ferland Mendy, should be fit for the Clasico.
"For tomorrow's game they will not be ready, but they will train on these days, and I think they will be available for the game on Saturday," Ancelotti told a news conference on Tuesday.
Mbappe was whistled by some Madrid fans when he appeared on screens at the Santiago Bernabeu during Madrid's 1-0 win against Athletic, which kept them four points behind leaders Barcelona in the title race.
"Mbappe is hurting because of his injury, because he cannot help the team -- he's doing everything he can to be ready for Saturday," continued Ancelotti.
Without Mbappe, their top scorer this season with 33 goals, and using an extra midfielder, Madrid were more &nbsp;solid defensively against Athletic.
"I think the problems we have had this season have been quite evident," said Ancelotti.
"We have changed the way we play a bit because we have players with different characteristics.
"We've found it difficult to find this balance, and I hope we can find it in the run-in, because we've got a lot on the line... in the games that are left, if we don't have it, it will be hard to win."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

France and Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe was substituted with an ankle problem during Madrid's Champions League elimination by Arsenal last week. Football Sports

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said striker Kylian Mbappe is poised to return from injury to face rivals Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday. Mbappe missed Madrid's win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday in La Liga and will not be available for the visit to face Getafe on Wednesday. Also Read - Is Matheus Cunha heading to Manchester United this summer? The French superstar was substituted with an ankle problem during Madrid's Champions League elimination by Arsenal last week, but along with compatriot Ferland Mendy, should be fit for the Clasico. "For tomorrow's game they will not be ready, but they will train on these days, and I think they will be available for the game on Saturday," Ancelotti told a news conference on Tuesday. Mbappe was whistled by some Madrid fans when he appeared on screens at the Santiago Bernabeu during Madrid's 1-0 win against Athletic, which kept them four points behind leaders Barcelona in the title race. "Mbappe is hurting because of his injury, because he cannot help the team -- he's doing everything he can to be ready for Saturday," continued Ancelotti. Without Mbappe, their top scorer this season with 33 goals, and using an extra midfielder, Madrid were more solid defensively against Athletic. "I think the problems we have had this season have been quite evident," said Ancelotti. "We have changed the way we play a bit because we have players with different characteristics. "We've found it difficult to find this balance, and I hope we can find it in the run-in, because we've got a lot on the line... in the games that are left, if we don't have it, it will be hard to win." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe eying Copa del Rey final return, says coach Ancelotti

NFL Draft 2025 is almost here and all 32 teams will be hoping to pick up some big names from the college football to bolster their roster. The three-day event will take place at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin in the USA.&nbsp;
<h2>Here's the date, time, location and how to watch the NFL Draft 2025 live on TV and mobile</h2>
When is the 2025 NFL Draft?
2025 NFL Draft will take place over three days, i.e. from April 24 to April 26.
Where is the 2025 NFL Draft?
The 2025 NFL Draft is taking place at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin in the USA - the home of the Green Bay Packers.
What time is 2025 NFL Draft?
Below are the timings for 2025 NFL Draft for each day:
<ul>
<li>Thursday, April 24: Round 1, 8 p.m. ET (Wednesday, 12 a.m. GMT; Wednesday, 5:30 a.m. IST)</li>
<li>Friday, April 25: Rounds 2-3, 7 p.m. ET (Friday, 11 p.m. GMT; Thursday, 4:30 a.m. IST)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Saturday, April 26: Rounds 4-7, Noon ET (Saturday 4 p.m. GMT; Saturday, 9:30 p.m. IST)</li>
</ul>
Where to watch 2025 NFL Draft live on tv and mobile?
2025 NFL Draft can be watched live on NFL Network, NFL+, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes.
How many players are there in 2025 NFL Draft?
More than 250 players will take part in 2025 NFL Draft.
<h2>What is the Round 1 pick order of 2025 NFL Draft?</h2>
Below is the Round 1 pick order of 2025 NFL Draft (subject to change)
<ol>
<li>Tennessee Titans</li>
<li>Cleveland Browns</li>
<li>New York Giants</li>
<li>New England Patriots</li>
<li>Jacksonville Jaguars</li>
<li>Las Vegas Raiders</li>
<li>New York Jets</li>
<li>Carolina Panthers</li>
<li>New Orleans Saints</li>
<li>Chicago Bears</li>
<li>San Francisco 49ers</li>
<li>Dallas Cowboys</li>
<li>Miami Dolphins</li>
<li>Indianapolis Colts</li>
<li>Atlanta Falcons</li>
<li>Arizona Cardinals</li>
<li>Cincinnati Bengals</li>
<li>Seattle Seahawks</li>
<li>Tampa Bay Buccaneers</li>
<li>Denver Broncos</li>
<li>Pittsburgh Steelers</li>
<li>Los Angeles Chargers</li>
<li>Green Bay Packers</li>
<li>Minnesota Vikings</li>
<li>Houston Texans</li>
<li>Los Angeles Rams</li>
<li>Baltimore Ravens</li>
<li>Detroit Lions</li>
<li>Washington Commanders</li>
<li>Buffalo Bills</li>
<li>Kansas City Chiefs</li>
<li>Philadelphia Eagles</li>
</ol>

2025 NFL Draft, a three-day event, will take place from April 24 to April 26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin in the USA - the home of the Green Bay Packers. Sports NFL

NFL Draft 2025 is almost here and all 32 teams will be hoping to pick up some big names from the college football to bolster their roster. The three-day event will take place at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin in the USA. Here's the date, time, location and how to watch the NFL Draft 2025 live on TV and mobile When is the 2025 NFL Draft? 2025 NFL Draft will take place over three days, i.e. from April 24 to April 26. Where is the 2025 NFL Draft? The 2025 NFL Draft is taking place at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin in the USA - the home of the Green Bay Packers. What time is 2025 NFL Draft? Below are the timings for 2025 NFL Draft for each day: Thursday, April 24: Round 1, 8 p.m. ET (Wednesday, 12 a.m. GMT; Wednesday, 5:30 a.m. IST) Friday, April 25: Rounds 2-3, 7 p.m. ET (Friday, 11 p.m. GMT; Thursday, 4:30 a.m. IST) Saturday, April 26: Rounds 4-7, Noon ET (Saturday 4 p.m. GMT; Saturday, 9:30 p.m. IST) Where to watch 2025 NFL Draft live on tv and mobile? 2025 NFL Draft can be watched live on NFL Network, NFL+, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes. How many players are there in 2025 NFL Draft? More than 250 players will take part in 2025 NFL Draft. What is the Round 1 pick order of 2025 NFL Draft? Below is the Round 1 pick order of 2025 NFL Draft (subject to change) Tennessee Titans Cleveland Browns New York Giants New England Patriots Jacksonville Jaguars Las Vegas Raiders New York Jets Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints Chicago Bears San Francisco 49ers Dallas Cowboys Miami Dolphins Indianapolis Colts Atlanta Falcons Arizona Cardinals Cincinnati Bengals Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Denver Broncos Pittsburgh Steelers Los Angeles Chargers Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings Houston Texans Los Angeles Rams Baltimore Ravens Detroit Lions Washington Commanders Buffalo Bills Kansas City Chiefs Philadelphia Eagles

2025 NFL Draft: Date, time, location and all you need to know

Players get INR 7 crore yearly for being in A+ category, INR 5 crore in A category, INR 3 crore in B category and INR 1 crore in C category. Cricket Sports

From Dhruv Jurel to Harshit Rana: 7 New Players in BCCI Contract List 2024-25

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced its contract list with 34 players being selected across four categories. In top contract category A+ players are automatic choice in all three formats and the list features four players: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah.
Out of the four players, Rohit, Virat and Jadeja have already announced their retirement from T20Is after India won the T20 World Cup in June 2024. Hence, the question came up that how retired players could be a part of top category if they no longer play a format.
Also Read - <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2025-kkr-mentor-bravo-criticises-top-orders-batters-rahane-iyer-rinku-defends-andre-russell-8989143" aria-label="IPL 2025 | KKR mentor Bravo lashes out at top order batters in defence of out-of-form Russell">IPL 2025 | KKR mentor Bravo lashes out at top order batters in defence of out-of-form Russell</a>
<h2>Why Kohli, Rohit and Jadeja were offered A+ contract despite retiring from T20Is?</h2>
Speaking to news agency PTI, an official said on condition on anonymity: "The period of fresh central contract is from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. But the assessment year is October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. Kohli, Rohit and Jadeja played the T20 World Cup final in June, 2024 and hence at that time, they were all-format regulars. Going by that technicality, they are supposed to be in A+ category."&nbsp;
"Similarly, Ishan (2 World Cup matches) and Shreyas played 15 ODIs and a handful Tests in the 2023-24 season and hence got their respective categories," he added.
Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan got back into the contract set up after missing out last year while Rishabh Pant, who was in B category last year, has been promoted to A category.
Players get INR 7 crore yearly for being in A+ category, INR 5 crore in A category, INR 3 crore in B category and INR 1 crore in C category.
The BCCI has also included seven players in the contract list for the first time as well. These are - Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel, Abhishek Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Deep, Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana.

Out of the four players in A+ category, Rohit, Virat and Jadeja have already announced their retirement from T20Is after India won the T20 World Cup in June 2024. Cricket Sports

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced its contract list with 34 players being selected across four categories. In top contract category A+ players are automatic choice in all three formats and the list features four players: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah. Out of the four players, Rohit, Virat and Jadeja have already announced their retirement from T20Is after India won the T20 World Cup in June 2024. Hence, the question came up that how retired players could be a part of top category if they no longer play a format. Also Read - IPL 2025 | KKR mentor Bravo lashes out at top order batters in defence of out-of-form Russell Why Kohli, Rohit and Jadeja were offered A+ contract despite retiring from T20Is? Speaking to news agency PTI, an official said on condition on anonymity: "The period of fresh central contract is from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. But the assessment year is October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. Kohli, Rohit and Jadeja played the T20 World Cup final in June, 2024 and hence at that time, they were all-format regulars. Going by that technicality, they are supposed to be in A+ category." "Similarly, Ishan (2 World Cup matches) and Shreyas played 15 ODIs and a handful Tests in the 2023-24 season and hence got their respective categories," he added. Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan got back into the contract set up after missing out last year while Rishabh Pant, who was in B category last year, has been promoted to A category. Players get INR 7 crore yearly for being in A+ category, INR 5 crore in A category, INR 3 crore in B category and INR 1 crore in C category. The BCCI has also included seven players in the contract list for the first time as well. These are - Nitish Kumar Reddy, Dhruv Jurel, Abhishek Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Deep, Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana.

Why Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja got A+ contract from BCCI despite retiring from T20Is

Defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Dwayne Bravo has lashed out at top order batters after their 39-run loss against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Monday (Apr 21). It was KKR's fifth loss in eight games and they now have the season in danger with six more games left to play. Bravo made the comments on top batters in defence of all-rounder Andre Russell who once again failed with the bat.
"Andre Russell is an experienced and successful player. Yes, in a couple of games, the leg-spinners got him out. But I don't think we are batting well as a team. That is the reality. Russell is not the only one struggling. As a group, we have to ensure players are backed. We need to keep preparing well. IPL is a tough tournament. If you don't start well, batters can go into a period where they lose confidence," Bravo told reporters after the game.
Also Read - <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-only-rohit-can-answer-that-australia-legend-steve-waugh-on-indian-captains-future-in-tests-8987418" aria-label="&lsquo;Only Rohit can answer that&rsquo;: Australia legend Steve Waugh on Indian captain&rsquo;s future in Tests">&lsquo;Only Rohit can answer that&rsquo;: Australia legend Steve Waugh on Indian captain&rsquo;s future in Tests</a>
Russell could manage only 21 off 14 balls before being outfoxed by Rashid Khan - second time in season he has been dismissed by a leg spinner. This concern, however, was put aside by Bravo as nothing.
"Not every team has leg-spinners and today he was up against a quality spinner like Rashid Khan. When Russell walks in to bat, every time the run rate is at 14 or 15 runs per over. Work needs to be done at the top to give him a chance to finish off games like he has been doing all these years for KKR. Yes, leg-spinners got him out a few times, but I don't think that is a big concern. We just need to bat better (at the top) to allow our finishers the chance to finish games," he added.
Chasing 199, KKR were never in hunt despite having enough wickets in hand at the half-way mark. GT, on the other hand, consolidated their top position with sixth win in eight games.

Russell could manage only 21 off 14 balls before being outfoxed by Rashid Khan - second time in season he has been dismissed by a leg spinner. This concern, however, was put aside by Bravo as nothing.

Defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Dwayne Bravo has lashed out at top order batters after their 39-run loss against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Monday (Apr 21). It was KKR's fifth loss in eight games and they now have the season in danger with six more games left to play. Bravo made the comments on top batters in defence of all-rounder Andre Russell who once again failed with the bat. "Andre Russell is an experienced and successful player. Yes, in a couple of games, the leg-spinners got him out. But I don't think we are batting well as a team. That is the reality. Russell is not the only one struggling. As a group, we have to ensure players are backed. We need to keep preparing well. IPL is a tough tournament. If you don't start well, batters can go into a period where they lose confidence," Bravo told reporters after the game. Also Read - ‘Only Rohit can answer that’: Australia legend Steve Waugh on Indian captain’s future in Tests Russell could manage only 21 off 14 balls before being outfoxed by Rashid Khan - second time in season he has been dismissed by a leg spinner. This concern, however, was put aside by Bravo as nothing. "Not every team has leg-spinners and today he was up against a quality spinner like Rashid Khan. When Russell walks in to bat, every time the run rate is at 14 or 15 runs per over. Work needs to be done at the top to give him a chance to finish off games like he has been doing all these years for KKR. Yes, leg-spinners got him out a few times, but I don't think that is a big concern. We just need to bat better (at the top) to allow our finishers the chance to finish games," he added. Chasing 199, KKR were never in hunt despite having enough wickets in hand at the half-way mark. GT, on the other hand, consolidated their top position with sixth win in eight games.

IPL 2025 | KKR mentor Bravo lashes out at top order batters in defence of out-of-form Russell

The Detroit Pistons snapped their record 15-game NBA playoff losing streak with a 100-94 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday to level their Eastern Conference first-round series at one game apiece.
Cade Cunningham scored 33 points with 12 rebounds and Dennis Schroder added 20 points off the bench -- including a go-ahead three-pointer with 55.7 seconds left -- as the Pistons thwarted another Knicks' rally bid.
The Los Angeles Clippers also bounced back from a game-one defeat, beating the Nuggets 105-102 in Denver behind a brilliant 39-point performance from Kawhi Leonard.
Also Read -&nbsp;<a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/armand-duplantis-named-as-laureus-world-sportsman-of-the-year-8987533" aria-label="Armand Duplantis named as Laureus World Sportsman of the Year">Armand Duplantis named as Laureus World Sportsman of the Year</a>
Leonard made 15 of his 19 shot attempts and the Clippers withstood NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic's triple-double of 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to level their Western Conference series at 1-1.
The Pistons, in the playoffs for the first time since 2019, notched their first playoff victory since game four of the 2008 Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics.
Two days after the Knicks authored a 21-0 scoring run to rally in game one, the Pistons were pushed to the finish in a fast-paced, physical encounter at Madison Square Garden.
They led by as many as 15 in the third quarter, but the Knicks had cut the deficit to eight going into the final period.
New York star Jalen Brunson scored 14 of his 37 points in the fourth and fed Josh Hart for a dunk that tied it at 94-94 with 1:15 to play.
But Schroder answered immediately, drilling a three-pointer that put the Pistons ahead for good.
The Knicks came up empty on three straight possessions while Schroder and Jalen Duren connected at the free-throw line to seal Detroit's win.
Tobias Harris scored 15 points and pulled down 13 rebounds and Duren had 12 points and 13 boards for the Pistons, who host game three on Thursday.
"Feels good to represent the city like we did tonight," Cunningham said. "It's something that the city's been waiting on a long time, so we feel good about it and we're ready to get back to the crib and perform in front of them."
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was irked at what he considered inconsistent officiating, noting that the Pistons went to the free-throw line 34 times to the Knicks' 19.
"If Cunningham's driving and there's marginal contact and he's getting to the line, then Jalen (Brunson) deserves to be getting to the line," Thibodeau said.
<h2>Vintage Leonard</h2>
It was another pulsating contest in Denver, where the Clippers bounced back from a narrow game-one overtime defeat thanks to a vintage performance from Leonard -- an NBA champion in 2014 and 2019 who has been hindered by injury in recent seasons.
Leonard set the tone early, making nine of his 10 shots in the first half and sending the Clippers into halftime up 55-52 with a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
In a game that featured 18 lead changes, the Nuggets tied it at 100-100 with 2:07 to play on a three-pointer by Murray.
But Norman Powell came up with a steal and drained a three-pointer and Leonard made a jump shot to put the Clippers up 105-102. Leonard stole a Jokic pass with 37.3 seconds left and Los Angeles held on as Christian Braun and Jokic missed in the waning seconds.
"I just kept going and stayed in the zone," Leonard said. "I didn't worry about what shots were making or missing. I just kept shooting."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The Pistons, in the playoffs for the first time since 2019, notched their first playoff victory since game four of the 2008 Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics. Sports NBA

The Detroit Pistons snapped their record 15-game NBA playoff losing streak with a 100-94 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday to level their Eastern Conference first-round series at one game apiece. Cade Cunningham scored 33 points with 12 rebounds and Dennis Schroder added 20 points off the bench -- including a go-ahead three-pointer with 55.7 seconds left -- as the Pistons thwarted another Knicks' rally bid. The Los Angeles Clippers also bounced back from a game-one defeat, beating the Nuggets 105-102 in Denver behind a brilliant 39-point performance from Kawhi Leonard. Also Read - Armand Duplantis named as Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Leonard made 15 of his 19 shot attempts and the Clippers withstood NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic's triple-double of 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to level their Western Conference series at 1-1. The Pistons, in the playoffs for the first time since 2019, notched their first playoff victory since game four of the 2008 Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics. Two days after the Knicks authored a 21-0 scoring run to rally in game one, the Pistons were pushed to the finish in a fast-paced, physical encounter at Madison Square Garden. They led by as many as 15 in the third quarter, but the Knicks had cut the deficit to eight going into the final period. New York star Jalen Brunson scored 14 of his 37 points in the fourth and fed Josh Hart for a dunk that tied it at 94-94 with 1:15 to play. But Schroder answered immediately, drilling a three-pointer that put the Pistons ahead for good. The Knicks came up empty on three straight possessions while Schroder and Jalen Duren connected at the free-throw line to seal Detroit's win. Tobias Harris scored 15 points and pulled down 13 rebounds and Duren had 12 points and 13 boards for the Pistons, who host game three on Thursday. "Feels good to represent the city like we did tonight," Cunningham said. "It's something that the city's been waiting on a long time, so we feel good about it and we're ready to get back to the crib and perform in front of them." Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was irked at what he considered inconsistent officiating, noting that the Pistons went to the free-throw line 34 times to the Knicks' 19. "If Cunningham's driving and there's marginal contact and he's getting to the line, then Jalen (Brunson) deserves to be getting to the line," Thibodeau said. Vintage Leonard It was another pulsating contest in Denver, where the Clippers bounced back from a narrow game-one overtime defeat thanks to a vintage performance from Leonard -- an NBA champion in 2014 and 2019 who has been hindered by injury in recent seasons. Leonard set the tone early, making nine of his 10 shots in the first half and sending the Clippers into halftime up 55-52 with a buzzer-beating three-pointer. In a game that featured 18 lead changes, the Nuggets tied it at 100-100 with 2:07 to play on a three-pointer by Murray. But Norman Powell came up with a steal and drained a three-pointer and Leonard made a jump shot to put the Clippers up 105-102. Leonard stole a Jokic pass with 37.3 seconds left and Los Angeles held on as Christian Braun and Jokic missed in the waning seconds. "I just kept going and stayed in the zone," Leonard said. "I didn't worry about what shots were making or missing. I just kept shooting." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

NBA Playoffs: Pistons win first game since 2008; vintage Kawhi Leonard leads Clippers' fightback

The two-time Olympic champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/armand-duplantis">Armand Duplantis</a> won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award at a ceremony in Madrid, Spain on Monday (21 April) against top stars, including four-time Grand Slam winner and Olympic tennis silver medallist Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, four-time Olympic swimming champion Leon Marchand of France, three-time Tour de France winner and Olympic road cycling bronze medallist Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, and Dutch four-time Formula One winner Max Verstappen.
Tennis ace Novak Djokovic, who was named World Sportsman of the Year in the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards, presented Duplantis with the statuette.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/cricket-only-rohit-can-answer-that-australia-legend-steve-waugh-on-indian-captains-future-in-tests-8987418">&lsquo;Only Rohit can answer that&rsquo;: Australia legend Steve Waugh on Indian captain&rsquo;s future in Tests</a>
Duplantis was also nominated for the Sportsman of the Year award in 2023 and 2024 in recognition of his record-breaking athletics performances. The 25-year-old first broke the world record in February 2020, setting a mark of 6.17m, and then improved it by 0.01m a few days later.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🏆 Mondo Duplantis is the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Laureus25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Laureus25</a> <a href="https://t.co/MZp1q2q5Dg">pic.twitter.com/MZp1q2q5Dg</a>
&mdash; Laureus (@LaureusSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaureusSport/status/1914381938237792428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>

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He broke his own record three more times in 2022, twice in 2023, and three times in 2024, including in the Paris 2024 final, to become the first back-to-back men's pole vault champion at the Olympic Games since the USA's Bob Richards, who achieved the feat in the 1950s.
Most recently, Duplantis set the world record mark at 6.27m on 28 February, during a meet in Clermont-Ferrand, France.
<h2>Read Marid wins team of the year</h2>
Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/real-madrid">Real Madrid</a> won the Laureus World Team of the Year.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Real Madrid are the Laureus World Team of the Year 🏆<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Laureus25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Laureus25</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadrid?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realmadrid</a> <a href="https://t.co/rNMY2QiUbQ">pic.twitter.com/rNMY2QiUbQ</a>
&mdash; Laureus (@LaureusSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaureusSport/status/1914384243326661059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>

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The Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year went to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/lamine-yamal">Lamine Yamal</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🏆 Lamine Yamal is the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Laureus25?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Laureus25</a> <a href="https://t.co/IvBkTEgvXl">pic.twitter.com/IvBkTEgvXl</a>
&mdash; Laureus (@LaureusSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaureusSport/status/1914385992620093820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>

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Sports: Duplantis broke the men's pole vault record for the eleventh time in February and won the prestigious award after getting nominated in the two previous editions

The two-time Olympic champion Armand Duplantis won the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award at a ceremony in Madrid, Spain on Monday (21 April) against top stars, including four-time Grand Slam winner and Olympic tennis silver medallist Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, four-time Olympic swimming champion Leon Marchand of France, three-time Tour de France winner and Olympic road cycling bronze medallist Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, and Dutch four-time Formula One winner Max Verstappen. Tennis ace Novak Djokovic, who was named World Sportsman of the Year in the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards, presented Duplantis with the statuette. Also Read: ‘Only Rohit can answer that’: Australia legend Steve Waugh on Indian captain’s future in Tests Duplantis was also nominated for the Sportsman of the Year award in 2023 and 2024 in recognition of his record-breaking athletics performances. The 25-year-old first broke the world record in February 2020, setting a mark of 6.17m, and then improved it by 0.01m a few days later. 🏆 Mondo Duplantis is the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year#Laureus25 pic.twitter.com/MZp1q2q5Dg — Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 21, 2025 He broke his own record three more times in 2022, twice in 2023, and three times in 2024, including in the Paris 2024 final, to become the first back-to-back men's pole vault champion at the Olympic Games since the USA's Bob Richards, who achieved the feat in the 1950s. Most recently, Duplantis set the world record mark at 6.27m on 28 February, during a meet in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Read Marid wins team of the year Meanwhile, Real Madrid won the Laureus World Team of the Year. Real Madrid are the Laureus World Team of the Year 🏆#Laureus25 | @realmadrid pic.twitter.com/rNMY2QiUbQ — Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 21, 2025 The Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year went to Lamine Yamal. 🏆 Lamine Yamal is the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year#Laureus25 pic.twitter.com/IvBkTEgvXl — Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 21, 2025

Armand Duplantis named as Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

Jelena Ostapenko stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to win the WTA event in Stuttgart on Monday, securing the ninth title of her career. Ostapenko, unseeded and ranked 24th in the world heading into the final, won 6-4, 6-1 to win her first title on clay since her 2017 French Open triumph.<o:p></o:p>
The Latvian cruised to victory, converting her first match point to lift her first WTA singles trophy since February last year.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-real-madrid-players-observe-a-minute-silence-for-pope-francis-at-training-la-liga-8986675" rel="dofollow">Real Madrid players observe a minute silence for Pope Francis at training</a> 
"It's great to share the court with you -- you're a champion," Ostapenko said to Sabalenka in her on-court interview.<o:p></o:p>
Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka has now lost four finals in Stuttgart in the past five seasons.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm sure you hate me now because you wanted this car so badly, but I'm sure you'll get it another time," Ostapenko added of the car tournament winners receive as a bonus prize.<o:p></o:p>
The 26-year-old Sabalenka, who won the 2024 US and Australian Opens, is still waiting for her first tournament victory on clay since the 2023 Madrid Open.<o:p></o:p>
"You were a better player than me, that's all there is to it," Sabalenka said.<o:p></o:p>
Ostapenko broke her opponent in the very first game of the match to set the tone.<o:p></o:p>
She did the same in the opening game of the second set, which appeared to break Sabalenka's resistance, with the Belarusian growing increasingly frustrated.<o:p></o:p>
At one point, Sabalenka fell to the clay, but signalled to her opponent and the umpire that she was not injured.<o:p></o:p>
The tournament win completes an impressive week for Ostapenko in Germany.<o:p></o:p>
She defeated five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, ranked second, in the quarters before a straight-sets victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semi-finals.<o:p></o:p>
Ostapenko will climb six places in the WTA rankings to 18th after her first win over Sabalenka at the fourth attempt.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The 26-year-old Sabalenka, who won the 2024 US and Australian Opens, is still waiting for her first tournament victory on clay since the 2023 Madrid Open. Sports, Tennis

Jelena Ostapenko stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets to win the WTA event in Stuttgart on Monday, securing the ninth title of her career. Ostapenko, unseeded and ranked 24th in the world heading into the final, won 6-4, 6-1 to win her first title on clay since her 2017 French Open triumph. The Latvian cruised to victory, converting her first match point to lift her first WTA singles trophy since February last year. Also read | Real Madrid players observe a minute silence for Pope Francis at training "It's great to share the court with you -- you're a champion," Ostapenko said to Sabalenka in her on-court interview. Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka has now lost four finals in Stuttgart in the past five seasons. "I'm sure you hate me now because you wanted this car so badly, but I'm sure you'll get it another time," Ostapenko added of the car tournament winners receive as a bonus prize. The 26-year-old Sabalenka, who won the 2024 US and Australian Opens, is still waiting for her first tournament victory on clay since the 2023 Madrid Open. "You were a better player than me, that's all there is to it," Sabalenka said. Ostapenko broke her opponent in the very first game of the match to set the tone. She did the same in the opening game of the second set, which appeared to break Sabalenka's resistance, with the Belarusian growing increasingly frustrated. At one point, Sabalenka fell to the clay, but signalled to her opponent and the umpire that she was not injured. The tournament win completes an impressive week for Ostapenko in Germany. She defeated five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, ranked second, in the quarters before a straight-sets victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semi-finals. Ostapenko will climb six places in the WTA rankings to 18th after her first win over Sabalenka at the fourth attempt. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Jelena Ostapenko beats world number one Aryna Sabalenka to win Stuttgart title

Real Madrid players observed a minute's silence before training on Monday as tributes poured in from across La Liga after the death of football-mad Pope Francis at 88.<o:p></o:p>
"Real Madrid wishes to express its condolences to the whole Catholic community in the face of the loss of a historic and universal figure," the club said in a statement. "During his papacy, marked by the scale of his great legacy, Pope Francis represented an enormous spirit of solidarity and support for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people."<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/football-federico-valverde-stunner-saves-real-madrid-la-liga-title-hopes-against-athletic-bilbao-barcelona-8984800" rel="dofollow">Valverde's injury-time stunner against Bilbao helps Real Madrid cut gap with Liga leaders Barcelona</a> 
The reigning Spanish and European champions posted a picture of the squad and coaching staff standing in a circle at the club training ground to hold a minute's silence.<o:p></o:p>
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were also among a slew of top-flight clubs joining La Liga in expressing their condolences for Francis.<o:p></o:p>
The Argentine pope was a passionate follower of the Buenos Aires club San Lorenzo and viewed football as a vehicle to educate and spread peace, receiving legends including Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.
&nbsp;

Real Madrid posted a picture of the squad and coaching staff standing in a circle at the club training ground to hold a minute's silence. Sports, Football

Real Madrid players observed a minute's silence before training on Monday as tributes poured in from across La Liga after the death of football-mad Pope Francis at 88. "Real Madrid wishes to express its condolences to the whole Catholic community in the face of the loss of a historic and universal figure," the club said in a statement. "During his papacy, marked by the scale of his great legacy, Pope Francis represented an enormous spirit of solidarity and support for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people." Also read | Valverde's injury-time stunner against Bilbao helps Real Madrid cut gap with Liga leaders Barcelona The reigning Spanish and European champions posted a picture of the squad and coaching staff standing in a circle at the club training ground to hold a minute's silence. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were also among a slew of top-flight clubs joining La Liga in expressing their condolences for Francis. The Argentine pope was a passionate follower of the Buenos Aires club San Lorenzo and viewed football as a vehicle to educate and spread peace, receiving legends including Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Real Madrid players observe a minute silence for Pope Francis at training

Former Pakistan bowling coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jason-gillespie" rel="dofollow">Jason Gillespie</a> accused the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pakistan-cricket-board" rel="dofollow">Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)</a> of not clearing his dues as he awaits a pending payment for his role with the team. The PCB appointed former South Africa great Gary Kirsten and Aussie quick Gillespie as part of their backroom staff earlier last year, only for them to part ways six months into their jobs. Though Gillespie claimed that miscommunication and lack of clarity, and support led to their departure, a PCB statement gives a different perspective on the story.
Four months after parting ways with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pakistan-cricket" rel="dofollow">Pakistan Cricket</a>, Gillespie said he hadn&rsquo;t received the payment he was supposed to from them during a candid interview with PakPassion.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Yes, without going into details. I'm still waiting on some remuneration for work that&rsquo;s been done. That&rsquo;s been a little disappointing, but hopefully it can be sorted sooner rather than later,&rdquo; he said in a video chat doing the rounds on social media.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-central-contract-list-abhishek-sharma-harshit-rana-among-newcomers-added-shreyas-iyer-ishan-kishan-back-rohit-kohli-bumrah-check-full-list-8985078" rel="dofollow">BCCI central contract list: Abhishek Sharma among newcomers added; Iyer, Kishan are back - Check full list</a>
Replying to Gillespie&rsquo;s claims, the PCB hit back at the former Australia quick, saying since Gillespie breached his contract by failing to serve the required&nbsp;notice period, the PCB doesn&rsquo;t feel obliged to pay the former coach any compensation.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The Pakistan Cricket Board refutes claims made by a former head coach regarding non-payment of dues. A PCB spokesperson stated that the former coach abruptly left his position without serving the four-month notice period, which was a clear breach of contractual terms. The coaching contract explicitly mentioned a notice period applicable to both parties, and the coach was fully aware of it,&rdquo; a PCB said in a statement on Monday.
<h2>All under Javed's watch</h2>
Meanwhile, Aaqib Javed is currently the interim head coach, with three separate players holding captaincy duties across formats. While gloveman Mohammad Rizwan leads the ODI side, seasoned campaigner Shan Masood is the Test skipper, with all-rounder Salman Ali Agha taking care of the T20I captaincy.
Currently, all players are plying their trade in the ongoing PSL 2025.
Pakistan&rsquo;s next international assignment is an away white-ball tour of the West Indies starting July 31, including three T20Is and as many One-Dayers.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Four months after parting ways with Pakistan Cricket, ex-bowling coach Jason Gillespie said he hadn’t received the payment he was supposed to from them. Sports, Cricket

Former Pakistan bowling coach Jason Gillespie accused the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of not clearing his dues as he awaits a pending payment for his role with the team. The PCB appointed former South Africa great Gary Kirsten and Aussie quick Gillespie as part of their backroom staff earlier last year, only for them to part ways six months into their jobs. Though Gillespie claimed that miscommunication and lack of clarity, and support led to their departure, a PCB statement gives a different perspective on the story. Four months after parting ways with Pakistan Cricket, Gillespie said he hadn’t received the payment he was supposed to from them during a candid interview with PakPassion. “Yes, without going into details. I'm still waiting on some remuneration for work that’s been done. That’s been a little disappointing, but hopefully it can be sorted sooner rather than later,” he said in a video chat doing the rounds on social media. Also read | BCCI central contract list: Abhishek Sharma among newcomers added; Iyer, Kishan are back - Check full list Replying to Gillespie’s claims, the PCB hit back at the former Australia quick, saying since Gillespie breached his contract by failing to serve the required notice period, the PCB doesn’t feel obliged to pay the former coach any compensation. “The Pakistan Cricket Board refutes claims made by a former head coach regarding non-payment of dues. A PCB spokesperson stated that the former coach abruptly left his position without serving the four-month notice period, which was a clear breach of contractual terms. The coaching contract explicitly mentioned a notice period applicable to both parties, and the coach was fully aware of it,” a PCB said in a statement on Monday. All under Javed's watch Meanwhile, Aaqib Javed is currently the interim head coach, with three separate players holding captaincy duties across formats. While gloveman Mohammad Rizwan leads the ODI side, seasoned campaigner Shan Masood is the Test skipper, with all-rounder Salman Ali Agha taking care of the T20I captaincy. Currently, all players are plying their trade in the ongoing PSL 2025. Pakistan’s next international assignment is an away white-ball tour of the West Indies starting July 31, including three T20Is and as many One-Dayers. (With inputs from agencies)

PCB hit back at ex-coach Jason Gillespie’s ‘unpaid due’ claims: ‘He abruptly left his position...’

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/chennai-super-kings-csk" rel="dofollow">Chennai Super Kings (CSK)</a> are languishing at the bottom of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a> points table with just two wins from eight contested matches, but their captain, MS Dhoni, hasn&rsquo;t lost hope of a miraculous turnaround this season. During the away Mumbai Indians (MI) game at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-no-merry-for-ms-dhoni-in-mumbai-indians-thrash-csk-at-wankhede-by-nine-wickets-rohit-sharma-suryakumar-yadav-bumrah-8983486" rel="dofollow">CSK never looked in the game, going down by an embarrassing nine wickets</a>.
Dhoni feels CSK must win the remaining six matches to give themselves any chance of an IPL 2025 playoff berth and pick their best XI for the next season. Dhoni said CSK will take each game at a time without thinking too much about the future, but should they fumble their quest this edition, they would aim to set the base for the coming season.&nbsp;
"With all the games in front of us that we are supposed to win, we will just take it one game at a time," Dhoni said after the match. "And if we lose a few, what will be important for us [is] to get the right combination for next year. We don't want too many players getting changed. So I think what will be important is to try and qualify. But if not, get a secured eleven for the next year and come back strong."
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2025-cab-seeks-ban-on-harsha-bhogle-simon-doull-from-doing-commentary-at-eden-gardens-report-kkr-pitch-curator-controversy-8985377" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Ban star commentators, demands Bengal cricket body over KKR pitch row - Report</a>
Meanwhile, MS Dhoni, 44, addressed his retirement rumours ahead of the 18th edition, saying his body will decide his future in the cash-rich league. With him thinking about preparing the best XI from the current squad for the next season, the chances of him retaining his place increase.
<h2>Fleming, too, is optimistic</h2>
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming also addressed the team&rsquo;s dismal performances this season, saying it&rsquo;s not easy to keep everyone motivated after such outcomes. However, like MS Dhoni, he is also not losing hope of turning the tables around this time, saying they are sure the opportunities will come in IPL 2025.&nbsp;
"It's hard, really. It's not when you're playing well below par to get enthusiastic about staying in the competition, but that's what we must do, and yes, there will be an opportunity. Nothing will be wasted during this tournament. We look back at other tournaments that haven't gone our way, and some of the work we have done at the back end of tournaments have set us up for wins in the following year,&rdquo; Fleming said during the post-match presser.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, CSK&rsquo;s next game is against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at home next Friday (Apr 25).&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

CSK's MS Dhoni, 44, addressed his retirement rumours ahead of the 18th edition, saying his body will decide his future in the cash-rich league. Sports, Cricket

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are languishing at the bottom of the IPL 2025 points table with just two wins from eight contested matches, but their captain, MS Dhoni, hasn’t lost hope of a miraculous turnaround this season. During the away Mumbai Indians (MI) game at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, CSK never looked in the game, going down by an embarrassing nine wickets. Dhoni feels CSK must win the remaining six matches to give themselves any chance of an IPL 2025 playoff berth and pick their best XI for the next season. Dhoni said CSK will take each game at a time without thinking too much about the future, but should they fumble their quest this edition, they would aim to set the base for the coming season. "With all the games in front of us that we are supposed to win, we will just take it one game at a time," Dhoni said after the match. "And if we lose a few, what will be important for us [is] to get the right combination for next year. We don't want too many players getting changed. So I think what will be important is to try and qualify. But if not, get a secured eleven for the next year and come back strong." Also read | IPL 2025: Ban star commentators, demands Bengal cricket body over KKR pitch row - Report Meanwhile, MS Dhoni, 44, addressed his retirement rumours ahead of the 18th edition, saying his body will decide his future in the cash-rich league. With him thinking about preparing the best XI from the current squad for the next season, the chances of him retaining his place increase. Fleming, too, is optimistic CSK head coach Stephen Fleming also addressed the team’s dismal performances this season, saying it’s not easy to keep everyone motivated after such outcomes. However, like MS Dhoni, he is also not losing hope of turning the tables around this time, saying they are sure the opportunities will come in IPL 2025. "It's hard, really. It's not when you're playing well below par to get enthusiastic about staying in the competition, but that's what we must do, and yes, there will be an opportunity. Nothing will be wasted during this tournament. We look back at other tournaments that haven't gone our way, and some of the work we have done at the back end of tournaments have set us up for wins in the following year,” Fleming said during the post-match presser. Meanwhile, CSK’s next game is against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at home next Friday (Apr 25). (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: CSK captain MS Dhoni is already thinking of getting a right combination for next year

Two-time Olympic medallist <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/neeraj-chopra">Neeraj Chopra</a> spilled the beans on the names of few international stars who are set to headline the upcoming Neeraj Chopra Classic Javelin meet, scheduled for May 24 in Bengaluru at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
Pencilled in as the NC Classic, the one-day javelin throw meet is classified as a World Athletics &lsquo;A&rsquo; category event, equating to a Continental Tour Gold-level competition in ranking points.
Headlined by double Olympic medallist, the event will see elite male and female javelin throwers from around the world compete in India for the first time.
Addressing the media in a virtual press meet in regards to the upcoming international javelin event named after him 'Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025', the reigning world champion revealed that Paris Olympic bronze medallist and the two-time world champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/anderson-peters">Anderson Peters</a> of Grenada, along with Rio Olympic silver medallist and former world champion Julius Yego of Kenya are the few javelin stars who will visit India for the one-day javelin meet.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-dies-at-88pope-francis-chose-this-footballer-as-his-favourite-hint-its-not-messi-or-maradona-8986025">Pope Francis chose THIS footballer as his favourite. Hint: It's not Messi or Maradona</a>
Interestingly, Peters won the Diamond League finale in Brussels last year, pushing Neeraj Chopra to another second-placed finish.&nbsp;"Anderson Peters (Grenada), Julius Yego (Kenya), Curtis Thompson (America), Thomas Rohler are among the international stars who are going to participate in the 'Neeraj Chopra Claasic' Javelin throw meet in Bengaluru. These are the few names and rest we will reveal later. There will be Indian stars as well. I spoke to Rohit Yadav as well," Chopra said.
<h2>'I have sent invitation to Arshad'</h2>
The NC Classic 2025 will serve as a crucial qualification event for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/world-athletics-championships">World Athletics Championships</a> in Tokyo from September 13 to 21, though Neeraj, the reigning world champion, has already secured his spot.
"We are trying at least 4-5 Indians to compete. It's a gold-level event, which will give them good ranking points to qualify for the World Championships," he added.
When asked about the participation of the reigning Olympic champion, Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, the 27-year-old Indian athletics star said, "I have sent invitation to Arshad and he said he will get back to me after discussing with his coach. As of now he is yet to confirm participation," Chopra shared.
Chopra further confirmed that the event, which was initially planned to take place in his native state, Haryana, at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, is now relocated to Bengaluru's Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
Revealing the reason behind the change of venue, the javelin star said, "The stadium in Haryana does not have adequate lighting required for the broadcasting. It was 600 lux (in Tau Devi Lal Stadium) but we needed more. There was not enough time to get it fixed on time."
He added, "I spoke to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he gave us quite a positive response.". The event will be jointly organised by Neeraj Chopra and JSW Sports in collaboration with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and World Athletics.
Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/neeraj-chopra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Neeraj Chopra</a>&nbsp;also confirmed that he will begin his 2025 season at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/doha-diamond-league" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doha Diamond League</a>&nbsp;on May 16. The prestigious event will take place at the Qatar Sports Club in the capital city of Doha.

Sports: Headlined by double Olympic medallist, the event will see elite male and female javelin throwers from around the world compete in India for the first time

Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra spilled the beans on the names of few international stars who are set to headline the upcoming Neeraj Chopra Classic Javelin meet, scheduled for May 24 in Bengaluru at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. Pencilled in as the NC Classic, the one-day javelin throw meet is classified as a World Athletics ‘A’ category event, equating to a Continental Tour Gold-level competition in ranking points. Headlined by double Olympic medallist, the event will see elite male and female javelin throwers from around the world compete in India for the first time. Addressing the media in a virtual press meet in regards to the upcoming international javelin event named after him 'Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025', the reigning world champion revealed that Paris Olympic bronze medallist and the two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, along with Rio Olympic silver medallist and former world champion Julius Yego of Kenya are the few javelin stars who will visit India for the one-day javelin meet. Also Read: Pope Francis chose THIS footballer as his favourite. Hint: It's not Messi or Maradona Interestingly, Peters won the Diamond League finale in Brussels last year, pushing Neeraj Chopra to another second-placed finish. "Anderson Peters (Grenada), Julius Yego (Kenya), Curtis Thompson (America), Thomas Rohler are among the international stars who are going to participate in the 'Neeraj Chopra Claasic' Javelin throw meet in Bengaluru. These are the few names and rest we will reveal later. There will be Indian stars as well. I spoke to Rohit Yadav as well," Chopra said. 'I have sent invitation to Arshad' The NC Classic 2025 will serve as a crucial qualification event for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo from September 13 to 21, though Neeraj, the reigning world champion, has already secured his spot. "We are trying at least 4-5 Indians to compete. It's a gold-level event, which will give them good ranking points to qualify for the World Championships," he added. When asked about the participation of the reigning Olympic champion, Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, the 27-year-old Indian athletics star said, "I have sent invitation to Arshad and he said he will get back to me after discussing with his coach. As of now he is yet to confirm participation," Chopra shared. Chopra further confirmed that the event, which was initially planned to take place in his native state, Haryana, at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, is now relocated to Bengaluru's Sree Kanteerava Stadium. Revealing the reason behind the change of venue, the javelin star said, "The stadium in Haryana does not have adequate lighting required for the broadcasting. It was 600 lux (in Tau Devi Lal Stadium) but we needed more. There was not enough time to get it fixed on time." He added, "I spoke to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he gave us quite a positive response.". The event will be jointly organised by Neeraj Chopra and JSW Sports in collaboration with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and World Athletics. Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra also confirmed that he will begin his 2025 season at the Doha Diamond League on May 16. The prestigious event will take place at the Qatar Sports Club in the capital city of Doha.

Thomas Rohler, Anderson Peters, Julius Yego among other top stars set to compete at Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/wwe" rel="dofollow">WWE</a> WrestleMania 41 has concluded in Las Vegas, with veteran <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wwe-wrestlemania-41-john-cena-beats-cody-rhodes-to-become-17-time-world-champion-watch-ric-flair-travis-scott-8984721" rel="dofollow">John Cena winning the world title for the record 17th time</a>. He beat Cody Rhodes in the main event of Night 2, walking off with his head held high. However, a certain someone made a shocking return to the WWE ring before that match, and he was none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin; the former champion, however, caused a ruckus initially.
Just when Austin&rsquo;s music hit, the arena went bonkers, with the former Hall of Famer rushing towards the ring riding his ATV, much to everyone&rsquo;s excitement. That, however, went a bit too far, as Austin, who ideally would have parked his four-wheeler after completing one round of the ring, chose to take another one, only to ramp into one of the ringside barriers and disrupt a woman standing in the front row, to fall back on her seat.
Though the woman understandably looked irked after falling back on her seat, the Rattle Snack checked on her immediately before entering the ring.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wwe-paul-heyman-attacks-cm-punk-and-roman-reigns-to-close-night-1-at-wrestlemania-41-watch-video-seth-rollins-8982353" rel="dofollow">WWE WrestleMania 41: Paul Heyman backstabs CM Punk and Roman Reigns to close Night 1 &ndash; WATCH</a>
<h2>WATCH VIDEO &ndash;</h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9qyjwm0-oaspqfhf-yy0oypa7">
STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN JUST CRASHED HIS ATV INTO THE BARRICADE <a href="https://t.co/BgdxLF4koU">pic.twitter.com/BgdxLF4koU</a>
&mdash; Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1914136657562947834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
Austin looked in a hurry and even fumbled his cap upon sliding into the ring from the commentator&rsquo;s side. High on energy, Austin cut a short promo, announcing Night 2 attendance for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/wrestlemania-41" rel="dofollow">WrestleMania 41</a>.&nbsp;
Austin then jokingly began counting all the fans in the arena before himself calling it &lsquo;bullshit&rsquo;. He then urged fans to join WWE again for future WrestleMania before having a beer bash in the ring, with his music hitting in the background.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9qyj6kl-n2vcxo3p-ovia91lt">
SWIG OF BEER for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WrestleMania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WrestleMania</a> sold out attendance! 🍺 <a href="https://t.co/4NcGFE04Fl">pic.twitter.com/4NcGFE04Fl</a>
&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1914137633296429161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
However, after the segment ended, Austin and WWE CEO Nick Khan were present near the ringside barrier, checking on the female fan.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Austin last appeared at WrestleMania 38 in an impromptu match against Kevin Owens, which he won after delivering numerous stunners.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Though the woman understandably looked irked after falling back on her seat, the Rattle Snack checked on her immediately before entering the ring. Sports

WWE WrestleMania 41 has concluded in Las Vegas, with veteran John Cena winning the world title for the record 17th time. He beat Cody Rhodes in the main event of Night 2, walking off with his head held high. However, a certain someone made a shocking return to the WWE ring before that match, and he was none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin; the former champion, however, caused a ruckus initially. Just when Austin’s music hit, the arena went bonkers, with the former Hall of Famer rushing towards the ring riding his ATV, much to everyone’s excitement. That, however, went a bit too far, as Austin, who ideally would have parked his four-wheeler after completing one round of the ring, chose to take another one, only to ramp into one of the ringside barriers and disrupt a woman standing in the front row, to fall back on her seat. Though the woman understandably looked irked after falling back on her seat, the Rattle Snack checked on her immediately before entering the ring. Also read | WWE WrestleMania 41: Paul Heyman backstabs CM Punk and Roman Reigns to close Night 1 – WATCH WATCH VIDEO – STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN JUST CRASHED HIS ATV INTO THE BARRICADE pic.twitter.com/BgdxLF4koU — Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 21, 2025 Austin looked in a hurry and even fumbled his cap upon sliding into the ring from the commentator’s side. High on energy, Austin cut a short promo, announcing Night 2 attendance for WrestleMania 41. Austin then jokingly began counting all the fans in the arena before himself calling it ‘bullshit’. He then urged fans to join WWE again for future WrestleMania before having a beer bash in the ring, with his music hitting in the background. SWIG OF BEER for the #WrestleMania sold out attendance! 🍺 pic.twitter.com/4NcGFE04Fl — WWE (@WWE) April 21, 2025 However, after the segment ended, Austin and WWE CEO Nick Khan were present near the ringside barrier, checking on the female fan. Meanwhile, Austin last appeared at WrestleMania 38 in an impromptu match against Kevin Owens, which he won after delivering numerous stunners. (With inputs from agencies)

WWE WrestleMania 41: Stone Cold Steve Austin’s return on Night 2 ends in a BLUNDER! - Watch Video

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has written to the apex body &ndash; the BCCI, seeking a ban on star broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull from commentating during the remainder of IPL 2025 matches at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, per the latest report. In an explosive yet strong letter to the BCCI, the CAB expressed reservations over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-harsha-bhogle-simon-doull-unhappy-with-kkr-pitch-curator-for-disrespecting-ajinkya-rahane-8895205" rel="dofollow">Bhogle and Doull&rsquo;s remarks criticising the Eden pitch curator</a> Sujan Mukherjee.
It all began following Kolkata Knight Riders&rsquo; (KKR) tournament opener against RCB at the Eden Gardens, which the visitors won by seven wickets. After the KKR pitch curator denied preparing a spin-friendly track and instead offered the one where seamers had more purchase, team captain Ajinkya Rahane showed displeasure over the same during the post-match presentation.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-central-contract-list-abhishek-sharma-harshit-rana-among-newcomers-added-shreyas-iyer-ishan-kishan-back-rohit-kohli-bumrah-check-full-list-8985078" rel="dofollow">BCCI central contract list: Abhishek Sharma among newcomers added; Iyer, Kishan are back - Check full list</a>
Speaking on the same lines, TV broadcasters Bhogle and Doull slammed the KKR pitch curator (after KKR&rsquo;s away win against Rajasthan Royals) for not listening to the home team&rsquo;s demand, arguing that KKR should move their home matches outside the Eden Gardens and host them elsewhere.&nbsp;
&ldquo;...I saw something what the KKR curator has said. If I'm in the KKR camp, I'm extremely unhappy of what he said because I'm not asking for a 120 surface. I'm just saying, give me a surface where my bowlers can win matches. To say, 'Sorry, we don't prepare pitches like that...' No. We are not asking you to make a 120 pitch, we are not asking you to make a 240 pitch.&nbsp;
&ldquo;But I think home advantage in a tournament like IPL is absolutely legitimate. That will enhance the tournament because winning away becomes crucial then," Bhogle said in a Cricbuzz show.
Meanwhile, Simon Doull went one step ahead, saying, &ldquo;If he's not taking heed of what the home team wants... I mean, they are paying the stadium fees, they are paying for what's going on in the IPL, but if he's still not paying heed to what the home team wants, then just move the franchise away to somewhere else.
"His job is not to pass an opinion on the game. That's not what he's paid for,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;
<h2>'He's just following BCCI's rule book' - CAB on KKR pitch curator</h2>
Although there was plenty of two and fro surrounding this earlier, where Sujan first denied rejecting Rahane&rsquo;s plea to prepare spin-friendly tracks in home matches to later admitting doing away with that, claiming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-kkr-pitch-curator-does-u-turn-in-ajinkya-rahane-episode-says-those-who-are-accusing-me-sujan-mukherjee-8898729" rel="dofollow">he just followed BCCI&rsquo;s guidelines</a>, the CAB has thrown its weight behind him for the same reason.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-coach-chandrakant-pandit-backs-ajinkya-rahane-over-eden-gardens-pitch-controversy-bats-for-favourable-home-conditions-kkr-vs-mi-8907831" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: KKR coach backs Rahane over &lsquo;Eden Gardens pitch controversy&rsquo;, bats for &lsquo;favourable home conditions&rsquo;</a>
CAB argues that Sujan followed the BCCI&rsquo;s rule book, which states that no IPL franchise shall have a say in deciding a wicket&rsquo;s nature anywhere, let&nbsp;alone at home.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the report further suggests that BCCI hasn't responded to the letter yet, adding neither Bhogle nor Doull will be present at the venue for the side&rsquo;s home game against Gujarat Titans on Monday (Apr 21).&nbsp;
Sujan, however, commented on this matter earlier, saying, "I do not have to bother about what Harsha Bhogle or Simon Doull said. What matters to me is what the spectators and my association say about the wicket. I am accountable to the BCCI for producing a good sporting wicket."
(With inputs from agencies)

In an explosive yet strong letter to the BCCI, the CAB expressed reservations over Bhogle and Doull’s remarks criticising the Eden pitch curator. Sports, Cricket

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has written to the apex body – the BCCI, seeking a ban on star broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull from commentating during the remainder of IPL 2025 matches at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, per the latest report. In an explosive yet strong letter to the BCCI, the CAB expressed reservations over Bhogle and Doull’s remarks criticising the Eden pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee. It all began following Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) tournament opener against RCB at the Eden Gardens, which the visitors won by seven wickets. After the KKR pitch curator denied preparing a spin-friendly track and instead offered the one where seamers had more purchase, team captain Ajinkya Rahane showed displeasure over the same during the post-match presentation. Also read | BCCI central contract list: Abhishek Sharma among newcomers added; Iyer, Kishan are back - Check full list Speaking on the same lines, TV broadcasters Bhogle and Doull slammed the KKR pitch curator (after KKR’s away win against Rajasthan Royals) for not listening to the home team’s demand, arguing that KKR should move their home matches outside the Eden Gardens and host them elsewhere. “...I saw something what the KKR curator has said. If I'm in the KKR camp, I'm extremely unhappy of what he said because I'm not asking for a 120 surface. I'm just saying, give me a surface where my bowlers can win matches. To say, 'Sorry, we don't prepare pitches like that...' No. We are not asking you to make a 120 pitch, we are not asking you to make a 240 pitch. “But I think home advantage in a tournament like IPL is absolutely legitimate. That will enhance the tournament because winning away becomes crucial then," Bhogle said in a Cricbuzz show. Meanwhile, Simon Doull went one step ahead, saying, “If he's not taking heed of what the home team wants... I mean, they are paying the stadium fees, they are paying for what's going on in the IPL, but if he's still not paying heed to what the home team wants, then just move the franchise away to somewhere else. "His job is not to pass an opinion on the game. That's not what he's paid for,” he added. 'He's just following BCCI's rule book' - CAB on KKR pitch curator Although there was plenty of two and fro surrounding this earlier, where Sujan first denied rejecting Rahane’s plea to prepare spin-friendly tracks in home matches to later admitting doing away with that, claiming he just followed BCCI’s guidelines, the CAB has thrown its weight behind him for the same reason. Also read | IPL 2025: KKR coach backs Rahane over ‘Eden Gardens pitch controversy’, bats for ‘favourable home conditions’ CAB argues that Sujan followed the BCCI’s rule book, which states that no IPL franchise shall have a say in deciding a wicket’s nature anywhere, let alone at home. Meanwhile, the report further suggests that BCCI hasn't responded to the letter yet, adding neither Bhogle nor Doull will be present at the venue for the side’s home game against Gujarat Titans on Monday (Apr 21). Sujan, however, commented on this matter earlier, saying, "I do not have to bother about what Harsha Bhogle or Simon Doull said. What matters to me is what the spectators and my association say about the wicket. I am accountable to the BCCI for producing a good sporting wicket." (With inputs from agencies)

IPL 2025: Ban star commentators, demands Bengal cricket body over KKR pitch row - Report

The Indian Cricket Board announced the central contract list for the upcoming season (2024-25) on Monday (Apr 21), including several newcomers like batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma" rel="dofollow">Abhishek Sharma</a>, seamer Harshit Rana, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and spinner Varun Chakravarthy, among others. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shreyas-iyer" rel="dofollow">Shreyas Iyer</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ishan-kishan" rel="dofollow">Ishan Kishan</a> are also back after getting dropped for not honouring <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/bcci" rel="dofollow">BCCI</a>&rsquo;s orders early last year.
After the BCCI made it mandatory for each centrally contracted player not picked for any Indian squad, injured or unavailable for any unavoidable personal reason, to appear for their respective state teams in domestic cricket, Iyer and Kishan decided against obeying the orders. While Iyer cited back issues for his absence from Mumbai&rsquo;s Ranji Trophy games despite NCA doctors clearing him of any injury, Ishan remained unavailable for selection due to mental health issues.&nbsp;
Coming back to BCCI's central contract list, the top-tier category (A+) has four players, including ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma, star batter Virar Kohli, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and ace quick Jasprit Bumrah; the list, however, excludes Ravichandran Ashwin, who announced his Test retirement last year, although Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja retain their places despite stepping aside from the T20Is earlier in 2024.
On the other hand, the BCCI promoted gloveman Rishabh Pant from Grade B to Grade A, which also includes first-team players like Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami. Shreyas Iyer, India&rsquo;s mainstay white-ball batter, is also part of the Grade B, including Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Ishan Kishan, however, has been added to the C category.
<h2>The new entrants</h2>
The ones who received their maiden BCCI central contracts include rising T20I batter Abhishek Sharma, batters Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel, alongside seamers Akash Deep and Harshit Rana. Team India&rsquo;s mystery spinner Varun also earned his first BCCI contract.
However, a few were also left out, including Shardul Thakur, KS Bharat, Avesh Khan and keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma.
Although the BCCI did not mention the contract amounts for each category, an ESPNcricinfo report suggests INR 7 crore plus for the A+ category, INR 5 crore (A), INR 3 crore (B) and INR 1 crore (C).
<h3>BCCI central contract list for 2024-25 -</h3>
<ul>
<li>Category A+ - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja</li>
<li>Category A - Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant</li>
<li>Category B - Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer</li>
<li>Category C - Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Akash Deep, Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana</li>
</ul>
(With inputs from agencies)

India international batters Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan are also back after getting dropped for not honouring BCCI’s orders early last year. Sports, Cricket

The Indian Cricket Board announced the central contract list for the upcoming season (2024-25) on Monday (Apr 21), including several newcomers like batter Abhishek Sharma, seamer Harshit Rana, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and spinner Varun Chakravarthy, among others. Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan are also back after getting dropped for not honouring BCCI’s orders early last year. After the BCCI made it mandatory for each centrally contracted player not picked for any Indian squad, injured or unavailable for any unavoidable personal reason, to appear for their respective state teams in domestic cricket, Iyer and Kishan decided against obeying the orders. While Iyer cited back issues for his absence from Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy games despite NCA doctors clearing him of any injury, Ishan remained unavailable for selection due to mental health issues. Coming back to BCCI's central contract list, the top-tier category (A+) has four players, including ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma, star batter Virar Kohli, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and ace quick Jasprit Bumrah; the list, however, excludes Ravichandran Ashwin, who announced his Test retirement last year, although Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja retain their places despite stepping aside from the T20Is earlier in 2024. On the other hand, the BCCI promoted gloveman Rishabh Pant from Grade B to Grade A, which also includes first-team players like Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami. Shreyas Iyer, India’s mainstay white-ball batter, is also part of the Grade B, including Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Ishan Kishan, however, has been added to the C category. The new entrants The ones who received their maiden BCCI central contracts include rising T20I batter Abhishek Sharma, batters Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel, alongside seamers Akash Deep and Harshit Rana. Team India’s mystery spinner Varun also earned his first BCCI contract. However, a few were also left out, including Shardul Thakur, KS Bharat, Avesh Khan and keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma. Although the BCCI did not mention the contract amounts for each category, an ESPNcricinfo report suggests INR 7 crore plus for the A+ category, INR 5 crore (A), INR 3 crore (B) and INR 1 crore (C). BCCI central contract list for 2024-25 - Category A+ - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja Category A - Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant Category B - Suryakumar Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer Category C - Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Mukesh Kumar, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Akash Deep, Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana (With inputs from agencies)

BCCI central contract list: Abhishek Sharma among newcomers added; Iyer, Kishan are back - Check full list

Federico Valverde's superb 93rd-minute strike kept Real Madrid on Barcelona's tail in the Spanish title race, earning the champions a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Madrid stayed four points behind Barca after Valverde smashed into the top corner with a sliced, swerving effort.<o:p></o:p>
After the Champions League elimination by Arsenal, it looked like Madrid were set for another devastating result until the Uruguay international's stoppage-time intervention.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/leicester-city-relegated-as-liverpool-inch-closer-to-premier-league-title-8983566" rel="dofollow">Leicester City relegated as Liverpool inch closer to Premier League title</a> 
"Fede has such a good shot... in training yesterday he shot a ball that looked like it was going out and then it picked up a curl like that and you go 'how do you shoot like that?'" said Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.<o:p></o:p>
"In training, he does that once or twice a week."<o:p></o:p>
Athletic Bilbao, who reached the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday by beating Rangers, rotated heavily.<o:p></o:p>
Despite that, the Basque side proved a hard nut for Madrid to crack, especially with their top goalscorer Kylian Mbappe both suspended and recovering from an ankle problem.<o:p></o:p>
The forward was whistled by some fans for his failure to help the team overcome Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals in midweek when he was shown watching the game on the stadium screens.<o:p></o:p>
"Valverde was key in this game because he scored the goal," said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. "The team was good, a bit slower in the first half but very good in the second.<o:p></o:p>
"We wanted to win, we wanted to react after the elimination against Arsenal -- the team came through and Fede was the key player."<o:p></o:p>
Vinicius, who was previously criticised by Ancelotti for lack of defensive work ethic, was running hard on the left, which fans at the Santiago Bernabeu appreciated.<o:p></o:p>
The Brazilian has struggled for form at times this season but was Madrid's brightest player against Athletic, giving Unai Nunez a difficult night.<o:p></o:p>
Madrid played with intensity after their European elimination, trying to keep La Liga in their sights after Barcelona made a late comeback to beat Celta Vigo on Saturday.<o:p></o:p>
Rodrygo Goes came close early in the second half before Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simon saved from Eduardo Camavinga.<o:p></o:p>
The hosts began to push Athletic deeper and started to create better chances.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Madrid turn screw<o:p></o:p></h2>
Vinicius bent a delicious cross with the outside of his boot into the six-yard box for Jude Bellingham to meet, but Simon made an excellent save to tip over his header.<o:p></o:p>
Fede Valverde fired narrowly wide of the near post, and Vinicius did find the net, but Endrick was offside in the build-up.<o:p></o:p>
Bellingham appealed for a penalty after going down softly in the area and then fired over from close range in the final stages.<o:p></o:p>
It was the kind of chance the England international managed to turn into late match-winning goals last season as he inspired Madrid to La Liga and Champions League glory.<o:p></o:p>
Instead, it was Valverde who took up that role with his sublime blast, which left Simon with no chance.<o:p></o:p>
"Valverde has an extraordinary shot," said Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde. "We had a really good game (but) they are individually very good, Vinicius was very good."<o:p></o:p>
Madrid's victory offers them hope of salvaging their season and a morale boost ahead of next weekend's Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

After the UCL elimination, it looked like Madrid were set for another devastating result until the Uruguay international's stoppage-time intervention. Sports, Football

Federico Valverde's superb 93rd-minute strike kept Real Madrid on Barcelona's tail in the Spanish title race, earning the champions a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Madrid stayed four points behind Barca after Valverde smashed into the top corner with a sliced, swerving effort. After the Champions League elimination by Arsenal, it looked like Madrid were set for another devastating result until the Uruguay international's stoppage-time intervention. Also read | Leicester City relegated as Liverpool inch closer to Premier League title "Fede has such a good shot... in training yesterday he shot a ball that looked like it was going out and then it picked up a curl like that and you go 'how do you shoot like that?'" said Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. "In training, he does that once or twice a week." Athletic Bilbao, who reached the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday by beating Rangers, rotated heavily. Despite that, the Basque side proved a hard nut for Madrid to crack, especially with their top goalscorer Kylian Mbappe both suspended and recovering from an ankle problem. The forward was whistled by some fans for his failure to help the team overcome Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals in midweek when he was shown watching the game on the stadium screens. "Valverde was key in this game because he scored the goal," said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. "The team was good, a bit slower in the first half but very good in the second. "We wanted to win, we wanted to react after the elimination against Arsenal -- the team came through and Fede was the key player." Vinicius, who was previously criticised by Ancelotti for lack of defensive work ethic, was running hard on the left, which fans at the Santiago Bernabeu appreciated. The Brazilian has struggled for form at times this season but was Madrid's brightest player against Athletic, giving Unai Nunez a difficult night. Madrid played with intensity after their European elimination, trying to keep La Liga in their sights after Barcelona made a late comeback to beat Celta Vigo on Saturday. Rodrygo Goes came close early in the second half before Athletic goalkeeper Unai Simon saved from Eduardo Camavinga. The hosts began to push Athletic deeper and started to create better chances. Madrid turn screw Vinicius bent a delicious cross with the outside of his boot into the six-yard box for Jude Bellingham to meet, but Simon made an excellent save to tip over his header. Fede Valverde fired narrowly wide of the near post, and Vinicius did find the net, but Endrick was offside in the build-up. Bellingham appealed for a penalty after going down softly in the area and then fired over from close range in the final stages. It was the kind of chance the England international managed to turn into late match-winning goals last season as he inspired Madrid to La Liga and Champions League glory. Instead, it was Valverde who took up that role with his sublime blast, which left Simon with no chance. "Valverde has an extraordinary shot," said Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde. "We had a really good game (but) they are individually very good, Vinicius was very good." Madrid's victory offers them hope of salvaging their season and a morale boost ahead of next weekend's Copa del Rey final against Barcelona. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Valverde's injury-time stunner against Bilbao helps Real Madrid cut gap with Liga leaders Barcelona

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/john-cena" rel="dofollow">John Cena</a> is the most decorated WWE superstar of all time.
At the Night 2 main event of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/wwe" rel="dofollow">WWE</a> WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, Cena did the unthinkable, beating the current WWE champion Cody Rhodes to win his record 17th world title &ndash; the most by any superstar in the company&rsquo;s history. He surpassed legendary Ric Flair&rsquo;s tally of 16 world championships during his farewell run and at his last WrestleMania ever.
However, the &lsquo;Heel&rsquo; Cena needed assistance to get the job done. Instead of getting it from any wrestler or even the &lsquo;Final Boss&rsquo;, The Rock, with whom he allied at the Elimination Chamber 2025, he got a helping hand from the celebrity guest and world-renowned rapper Travis Scott, who even took a beating from Rhodes for Cena.
During the Night 2 main event, Cena came out to a no-show entrance, with just his music, a black background, no pyro or gimmick or any colours, nothing &ndash; just him and the boos, while champion Cody Rhodes came out wearing a skull mask, with the crowd cheering him out of the building.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wwe-paul-heyman-attacks-cm-punk-and-roman-reigns-to-close-night-1-at-wrestlemania-41-watch-video-seth-rollins-8982353" rel="dofollow">WWE WrestleMania 41: Paul Heyman backstabs CM Punk and Roman Reigns to close Night 1 &ndash; WATCH</a>
Cena and Cody took their time before getting down to business. The match progressed slowly, with Cena taking advantage now and then. Though Cody hit the veteran star with his finishing move &ndash; the CrossRhodes, Cena kicked out, keeping everyone engaged.&nbsp;
Just when Cena began making the right moves, pulling out his submission special, Cody escaped, hurting the referee. That was where it got interesting. Travis Scott came out suffering a beating from Rhodes before Cena hit a low blow to the champion, then with the belt on his head later. As the referee was down and out, he didn&rsquo;t see anything, with Cena making the most of it.&nbsp;
Cena then pinned Rhodes to realise his dream of becoming the 17-time WWE Champion at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/wrestlemania-41" rel="dofollow">WrestleMania 41</a>.&nbsp;
<h3>WATCH -</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9qq8mtv-2v3bgsaj-h1dxmxpz">
THE 1️⃣7️⃣ TIME CHAMP IS HERE!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WrestleMania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WrestleMania</a> <a href="https://t.co/WCvyixE512">pic.twitter.com/WCvyixE512</a>
&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1914149074627858447?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<h2>Cena's Time is Now!</h2>
His idol and legendary Flair took it to his social media handle X to congratulate him.&nbsp;
He wrote, &ldquo;Congrats To My Great Friend @JohnCena On Becoming A 17x Champion! It Was Only A Matter Of Time! You And @CodyRhodes Put On An Instant Classic! Much Respect! WOOOOO! #WrestleMania
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9qpyf9k-11bye0xw-w15vvog5">
Congrats To My Great Friend <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnCena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JohnCena</a> On Becoming A 17x Champion! It Was Only A Matter Of Time! You And <a href="https://twitter.com/CodyRhodes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CodyRhodes</a> Put On An Instant Classic! Much Respect! WOOOOO! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WrestleMania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WrestleMania</a> <a href="https://t.co/qwvowzTrhk">pic.twitter.com/qwvowzTrhk</a>
&mdash; Ric Flair&reg; (@RicFlairNatrBoy) <a href="https://twitter.com/RicFlairNatrBoy/status/1914147500832797030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
Meanwhile, during his 10th title defence, and more than a year after winning it for the first time by beating Roman Reigns in WrestleMania 40 Night 2 main event, Rhodes lost his championship match.&nbsp;

With his Mania 41 win, John Cena surpassed legendary Ric Flair’s tally of 16 WWE World Championships during his farewell run and at his last WrestleMania. Sports

John Cena is the most decorated WWE superstar of all time. At the Night 2 main event of WWE WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, Cena did the unthinkable, beating the current WWE champion Cody Rhodes to win his record 17th world title – the most by any superstar in the company’s history. He surpassed legendary Ric Flair’s tally of 16 world championships during his farewell run and at his last WrestleMania ever. However, the ‘Heel’ Cena needed assistance to get the job done. Instead of getting it from any wrestler or even the ‘Final Boss’, The Rock, with whom he allied at the Elimination Chamber 2025, he got a helping hand from the celebrity guest and world-renowned rapper Travis Scott, who even took a beating from Rhodes for Cena. During the Night 2 main event, Cena came out to a no-show entrance, with just his music, a black background, no pyro or gimmick or any colours, nothing – just him and the boos, while champion Cody Rhodes came out wearing a skull mask, with the crowd cheering him out of the building. Also read | WWE WrestleMania 41: Paul Heyman backstabs CM Punk and Roman Reigns to close Night 1 – WATCH Cena and Cody took their time before getting down to business. The match progressed slowly, with Cena taking advantage now and then. Though Cody hit the veteran star with his finishing move – the CrossRhodes, Cena kicked out, keeping everyone engaged. Just when Cena began making the right moves, pulling out his submission special, Cody escaped, hurting the referee. That was where it got interesting. Travis Scott came out suffering a beating from Rhodes before Cena hit a low blow to the champion, then with the belt on his head later. As the referee was down and out, he didn’t see anything, with Cena making the most of it. Cena then pinned Rhodes to realise his dream of becoming the 17-time WWE Champion at WrestleMania 41. WATCH - THE 1️⃣7️⃣ TIME CHAMP IS HERE!#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/WCvyixE512 — WWE (@WWE) April 21, 2025 Cena's Time is Now! His idol and legendary Flair took it to his social media handle X to congratulate him. He wrote, “Congrats To My Great Friend @JohnCena On Becoming A 17x Champion! It Was Only A Matter Of Time! You And @CodyRhodes Put On An Instant Classic! Much Respect! WOOOOO! #WrestleMania Congrats To My Great Friend @JohnCena On Becoming A 17x Champion! It Was Only A Matter Of Time! You And @CodyRhodes Put On An Instant Classic! Much Respect! WOOOOO! #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/qwvowzTrhk — Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) April 21, 2025 Meanwhile, during his 10th title defence, and more than a year after winning it for the first time by beating Roman Reigns in WrestleMania 40 Night 2 main event, Rhodes lost his championship match.

WWE WrestleMania 41: Cena beats Cody to become 17-time world champion at Night 2 – Watch

Leicester City were relegated from the Premier League as Liverpool moved to within one win of the title on Sunday with a 1-0 victory at the King Power. Trent Alexander-Arnold came off the bench to score the only goal 14 minutes from time as the Reds moved to the brink of a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool could be crowned champions on Wednesday should Arsenal lose at home to Crystal Palace.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-know-i-am-not-25-any-more-but-kevin-de-bruyne-shocked-over-manchester-city-exit-manchester-city-pep-guardiola-8983066" rel="dofollow">&lsquo;I know I am not 25 any more but&hellip;,&rsquo; De Bruyne &lsquo;shocked&rsquo; over Manchester City exit</a> 
If the Gunners avoid defeat, Arne Slot's men have the chance to seal the deal when Tottenham visit Anfield next Sunday.<o:p></o:p>
Leicester have not scored a single goal at home since December as nine consecutive defeats at the King Power have taken Ruud van Nistelrooy's men down.<o:p></o:p>
A Liverpool cruise seemed in store when Mohamed Salah hit both posts with a glorious chance inside the first two minutes.<o:p></o:p>
But after storming clear of the chasing pack in Slot's early months in charge to build a near unassailable lead, Liverpool have slowed in recent weeks as the finish line approaches.<o:p></o:p>
Wilfred Ndidi came close to ending Leicester's barren run with a low strike that came back off the post.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool struggled to create from open play in what remained of the first half.<o:p></o:p>
Ibrahima Konate came closest to breaking the deadlock when Ndidi hooked clear his goalbound header from a corner.<o:p></o:p>
The visitors upped the tempo at the start of the second period.<o:p></o:p>
Kostas Tsimikas should have done better when he fired straight at Mads Hermansen.<o:p></o:p>
At the other end Leicester did finally have the ball in the net but Patson Daka had fouled Alisson Becker before Connor Coady headed into an unguarded net.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Woodwork<o:p></o:p></h2>
Slot introduced Alexander-Arnold for the final 20 minutes on his return from a five-week absence due to an ankle injury. The right-back took just five minutes to score his 23rd and potentially last goal for his boyhood club.<o:p></o:p>
Salah and Diogo Jota somehow contrived to hit the woodwork rather than the net from point-blank range as Leicester struggled to clear a corner.<o:p></o:p>
The loose ball broke to Alexander-Arnold, whose shot went straight through the grasp of Hermansen.<o:p></o:p>
Alexander-Arnold ripped off his shirt in a wild celebration in front of the Liverpool fans.<o:p></o:p>
Unlike Salah and captain Virgil van Dijk, who have signed new contracts to remain at Liverpool for the next two years, the England international still seems set to depart after reportedly agreeing terms of a free transfer move to Real Madrid.<o:p></o:p>
Leicester still had a chance to snatch an unlikely point.<o:p></o:p>
But Facundo Buonanotte's wasteful finish with just Alisson to beat summed up their season to forget.<o:p></o:p>
Champions of England just nine years ago, the Foxes have found life back in the top-flight far too much of a step up in class after romping to the Championship title last season.<o:p></o:p>
They join Southampton, whose relegation was confirmed with a record seven games to go, in an immediate return to the second tier.<o:p></o:p>
Ipswich, who are 15 points adrift with five games to go, are set to follow as for the second consecutive season all three promoted sides will fail to avoid the drop.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The former league winners, Liverpool could be crowned Premier League champions next Wednesday should Arsenal lose at home to Crystal Palace. Sports, Football

Leicester City were relegated from the Premier League as Liverpool moved to within one win of the title on Sunday with a 1-0 victory at the King Power. Trent Alexander-Arnold came off the bench to score the only goal 14 minutes from time as the Reds moved to the brink of a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title. Liverpool could be crowned champions on Wednesday should Arsenal lose at home to Crystal Palace. Also read | ‘I know I am not 25 any more but…,’ De Bruyne ‘shocked’ over Manchester City exit If the Gunners avoid defeat, Arne Slot's men have the chance to seal the deal when Tottenham visit Anfield next Sunday. Leicester have not scored a single goal at home since December as nine consecutive defeats at the King Power have taken Ruud van Nistelrooy's men down. A Liverpool cruise seemed in store when Mohamed Salah hit both posts with a glorious chance inside the first two minutes. But after storming clear of the chasing pack in Slot's early months in charge to build a near unassailable lead, Liverpool have slowed in recent weeks as the finish line approaches. Wilfred Ndidi came close to ending Leicester's barren run with a low strike that came back off the post. Liverpool struggled to create from open play in what remained of the first half. Ibrahima Konate came closest to breaking the deadlock when Ndidi hooked clear his goalbound header from a corner. The visitors upped the tempo at the start of the second period. Kostas Tsimikas should have done better when he fired straight at Mads Hermansen. At the other end Leicester did finally have the ball in the net but Patson Daka had fouled Alisson Becker before Connor Coady headed into an unguarded net. Woodwork Slot introduced Alexander-Arnold for the final 20 minutes on his return from a five-week absence due to an ankle injury. The right-back took just five minutes to score his 23rd and potentially last goal for his boyhood club. Salah and Diogo Jota somehow contrived to hit the woodwork rather than the net from point-blank range as Leicester struggled to clear a corner. The loose ball broke to Alexander-Arnold, whose shot went straight through the grasp of Hermansen. Alexander-Arnold ripped off his shirt in a wild celebration in front of the Liverpool fans. Unlike Salah and captain Virgil van Dijk, who have signed new contracts to remain at Liverpool for the next two years, the England international still seems set to depart after reportedly agreeing terms of a free transfer move to Real Madrid. Leicester still had a chance to snatch an unlikely point. But Facundo Buonanotte's wasteful finish with just Alisson to beat summed up their season to forget. Champions of England just nine years ago, the Foxes have found life back in the top-flight far too much of a step up in class after romping to the Championship title last season. They join Southampton, whose relegation was confirmed with a record seven games to go, in an immediate return to the second tier. Ipswich, who are 15 points adrift with five games to go, are set to follow as for the second consecutive season all three promoted sides will fail to avoid the drop. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Leicester City relegated as Liverpool inch closer to Premier League title

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ms-dhoni" rel="dofollow">MS Dhoni</a>&rsquo;s return to his fortress at the Wankhede Stadium turned horror for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mumbai-indians" rel="dofollow">Mumbai Indians</a> thrashed the visitors by nine wickets, winning their fourth game in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ipl-2025" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025</a>. Mumbai climbed to the sixth spot on the points table with four wins in eight contested matches, while CSK remained at the bottom with six losses thus far this edition. Indian pair Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav completed respective fifties during the chase.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9pybj35-65cigo9f-fd6rwip2">
A perfect way to wrap a dominant victory and seal back-to-back home wins 💙<a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> sign off tonight by winning round 2⃣ against their arch rival 🥳 Scorecard ▶ <a href="https://t.co/v2k7Y5tg2Q">https://t.co/v2k7Y5tg2Q</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/u2BDXfHpXJ">pic.twitter.com/u2BDXfHpXJ</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1914010125943333212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
Mumbai Indians won the toss and, as it should be, decided to bowl first, considering the dew factor at the venue. Down on confidence, CSK lost their man in form, Rachin Ravindra, in the fourth over, with two rookie batters, including a debutant, Ayush Mhatre, and his partner Shaik Rasheed, beginning the rebuilding work.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2025-virat-kohli-krunal-pandya-power-rcb-to-beat-punjab-kings-in-return-leg-enter-top-three-8982952" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Kohli, Krunal power RCB to beat Punjab Kings in return leg, enter top three</a>
Mhatre impressed one and all on his IPL debut, smashing Ashwani Kumar for four and two sixes before opening his arms against Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9pycftj-y2sbhjzy-2j2qezwz">
𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙩 🤩 How about that for a start 🔥 Ayush Mhatre's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> career is up and away in some fashion 💛<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSK</a> 52/1 after 6 overs. Updates ▶ <a href="https://t.co/v2k7Y5sIdi">https://t.co/v2k7Y5sIdi</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvCSK</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/UVvmdWotvY">pic.twitter.com/UVvmdWotvY</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1913963836400415028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
After adding 41 for the second wicket, he got out to Chahar on 32 off just 15 balls. MI&rsquo;s ace spinner Mitchell Santner removed Rasheed in the next over, putting CSK&rsquo;s back against the wall.&nbsp;
The left-handed pair of Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja picked up the run rate, with Dube taking on the bowlers. Just after completing his fifty, premier MI seamer Jasprit Bumrah removed him before accounting for CSK captain and batting great MS Dhoni, caught at the deep on four.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9pyc688-3wximff7-yez9ff6p">
Not easy to hit him away 🙅&zwj; Jasprit Bumrah is his name 😎 And it's the big wicket of MS Dhoni ☝ Updates ▶ <a href="https://t.co/v2k7Y5sIdi">https://t.co/v2k7Y5sIdi</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvCSK</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Jaspritbumrah93?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jaspritbumrah93</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> <a href="https://t.co/xYzkipqEHE">pic.twitter.com/xYzkipqEHE</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1913982908810801195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
Meanwhile, Jadeja completed his fifty in the last over, helping CSK put up 176 for five.
<h2>No stopping MI</h2>
Since winning their last game against Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians look and play like a different team. And what&rsquo;s best? Rohit Sharma is back to form!
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m9pybw1k-wk359a7u-zfeuez73">
Wankhede stadium is buzzing 🥳 Rohit Sharma is depositing them into the second tiers 🔥 Updates ▶ <a href="https://t.co/v2k7Y5sIdi">https://t.co/v2k7Y5sIdi</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TATAIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TATAIPL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvCSK</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRo45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRo45</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> <a href="https://t.co/BAFtGG3DB1">pic.twitter.com/BAFtGG3DB1</a>
&mdash; IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1913991160814502041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
The veteran opener looked like his old self, taking all bowlers to the cleaners. He smashed sixes for fun against CSK bowlers, with Suryakumar Yadav tormenting them with utter disdain, mainly their premier spinner, Noor Ahmed.
The pair added 114 runs for the second wicket, with SKY hitting an unbeaten 68 off 30 balls, including five sixes and six fours. On the other hand, Rohit remained not out on 76 off 45 balls, bashing six massive sixes and four boundaries.
MI completed the chase in the 16th over.&nbsp;

Mumbai Indians rose to the sixth spot on the points table with four wins and as many losses in eight contested matches thus far in IPL 2025. Sports, Cricket

MS Dhoni’s return to his fortress at the Wankhede Stadium turned horror for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as Mumbai Indians thrashed the visitors by nine wickets, winning their fourth game in IPL 2025. Mumbai climbed to the sixth spot on the points table with four wins in eight contested matches, while CSK remained at the bottom with six losses thus far this edition. Indian pair Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav completed respective fifties during the chase. A perfect way to wrap a dominant victory and seal back-to-back home wins 💙@mipaltan sign off tonight by winning round 2⃣ against their arch rival 🥳 Scorecard ▶ https://t.co/v2k7Y5tg2Q#TATAIPL | #MIvCSK pic.twitter.com/u2BDXfHpXJ — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2025 Mumbai Indians won the toss and, as it should be, decided to bowl first, considering the dew factor at the venue. Down on confidence, CSK lost their man in form, Rachin Ravindra, in the fourth over, with two rookie batters, including a debutant, Ayush Mhatre, and his partner Shaik Rasheed, beginning the rebuilding work. Also read | IPL 2025: Kohli, Krunal power RCB to beat Punjab Kings in return leg, enter top three Mhatre impressed one and all on his IPL debut, smashing Ashwani Kumar for four and two sixes before opening his arms against Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult. 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙩 🤩 How about that for a start 🔥 Ayush Mhatre's #TATAIPL career is up and away in some fashion 💛#CSK 52/1 after 6 overs. Updates ▶ https://t.co/v2k7Y5sIdi#MIvCSK | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/UVvmdWotvY — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2025 After adding 41 for the second wicket, he got out to Chahar on 32 off just 15 balls. MI’s ace spinner Mitchell Santner removed Rasheed in the next over, putting CSK’s back against the wall. The left-handed pair of Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja picked up the run rate, with Dube taking on the bowlers. Just after completing his fifty, premier MI seamer Jasprit Bumrah removed him before accounting for CSK captain and batting great MS Dhoni, caught at the deep on four. Not easy to hit him away 🙅‍ Jasprit Bumrah is his name 😎 And it's the big wicket of MS Dhoni ☝ Updates ▶ https://t.co/v2k7Y5sIdi#TATAIPL | #MIvCSK | @Jaspritbumrah93 | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/xYzkipqEHE — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2025 Meanwhile, Jadeja completed his fifty in the last over, helping CSK put up 176 for five. No stopping MI Since winning their last game against Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians look and play like a different team. And what’s best? Rohit Sharma is back to form! Wankhede stadium is buzzing 🥳 Rohit Sharma is depositing them into the second tiers 🔥 Updates ▶ https://t.co/v2k7Y5sIdi#TATAIPL | #MIvCSK | @ImRo45 | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/BAFtGG3DB1 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2025 The veteran opener looked like his old self, taking all bowlers to the cleaners. He smashed sixes for fun against CSK bowlers, with Suryakumar Yadav tormenting them with utter disdain, mainly their premier spinner, Noor Ahmed. The pair added 114 runs for the second wicket, with SKY hitting an unbeaten 68 off 30 balls, including five sixes and six fours. On the other hand, Rohit remained not out on 76 off 45 balls, bashing six massive sixes and four boundaries. MI completed the chase in the 16th over.

No merry for MS Dhoni in Mumbai as hosts thrash CSK at Wankhede by nine wickets

Former Indian captain, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=azharuddin" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mohammed Azharuddin </a>is ready to drag the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=hyderabad+cricket+association" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hyderabad Cricket Association</a> (HCA) to court after the Ombudsman ordered the removal of his name from the North Stand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Azharuddin, who served as HCA President from 2019 to 2023, felt insulted by the decision and has made it clear that he will legally challenge the move in the Telangana High Court.
Justice (Retd) V Eswaraiah, Ethics officer at HCA poassed the order based on a petition filed by Lords Cricket Club, a member unit of the HCA.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/wion-exclusive-ipl-2025-even-as-a-5-year-old-vaibhav-had-a-flair-for-the-game-says-his-childhood-coach-brijesh-jha-8982140" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">WION Exclusive: IPL 2025 | Even as a 5-year-old Vaibhav had a flair for the game', says his childhood coach Brijesh Jha</a>
The petition alleged that Azharuddin misused his position as HCA President by getting a resolution passed in December 2019 to name the stand after himself just a month into his tenure without the approval of the General Body, as mandated by the HCA constitution.
<h2>Azharuddin questiones order's legality</h2>
&ldquo;I will definitely take legal recourse and will be appealing to the High Court to stay this order. It is a shame that an India captain&rsquo;s name is being asked to be removed,&rdquo; Azharuddin said in a chat with PTI.
Azhar also questioned the legality of the order, arguing that the Ombudsman&rsquo;s tenure had already ended in February 2025 and was not extended.
&ldquo;He hasn&rsquo;t got an extension, which can only happen in an AGM. So how did he pass this order?&rdquo; he was quoted saying.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-ipl-2025-virat-kohli-krunal-pandya-power-rcb-to-beat-punjab-kings-in-return-leg-enter-top-three-8982952" rel="dofollow">IPL 2025: Kohli, Krunal power RCB to beat Punjab Kings in return leg, enter top three</a>
The 62-year-old, who played 99 Tests and 334 ODIs, didn&rsquo;t hold back in calling out the people behind the move.
&ldquo;Crooks who&rsquo;ve never held a bat are questioning me. If my name goes, then remove those of Shivlal Yadav, Tiger Pataudi, Abid Ali and ML Jaisimha too.&rdquo;&nbsp;
He also dismissed claims about replacing VVS Laxman&rsquo;s name from the same stand.
&ldquo;Am I a fool to do that? Laxman&rsquo;s name is still there on the pavilion. Go and see,&rdquo; he was quoted saying.
Azhar accused current HCA President Jagan Mohan Rao of targeting him and added, &ldquo;This is one association that doesn&rsquo;t respect its stars. But I won&rsquo;t take this lying down.&rdquo;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: The petition alleged that Azharuddin misused his position by getting a resolution passed in December 2019 to name the stand after himself.

Former Indian captain, Mohammed Azharuddin is ready to drag the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) to court after the Ombudsman ordered the removal of his name from the North Stand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Azharuddin, who served as HCA President from 2019 to 2023, felt insulted by the decision and has made it clear that he will legally challenge the move in the Telangana High Court. Justice (Retd) V Eswaraiah, Ethics officer at HCA poassed the order based on a petition filed by Lords Cricket Club, a member unit of the HCA. Also Read: WION Exclusive: IPL 2025 | Even as a 5-year-old Vaibhav had a flair for the game', says his childhood coach Brijesh Jha The petition alleged that Azharuddin misused his position as HCA President by getting a resolution passed in December 2019 to name the stand after himself just a month into his tenure without the approval of the General Body, as mandated by the HCA constitution. Azharuddin questiones order's legality “I will definitely take legal recourse and will be appealing to the High Court to stay this order. It is a shame that an India captain’s name is being asked to be removed,” Azharuddin said in a chat with PTI. Azhar also questioned the legality of the order, arguing that the Ombudsman’s tenure had already ended in February 2025 and was not extended. “He hasn’t got an extension, which can only happen in an AGM. So how did he pass this order?” he was quoted saying. Also read | IPL 2025: Kohli, Krunal power RCB to beat Punjab Kings in return leg, enter top three The 62-year-old, who played 99 Tests and 334 ODIs, didn’t hold back in calling out the people behind the move. “Crooks who’ve never held a bat are questioning me. If my name goes, then remove those of Shivlal Yadav, Tiger Pataudi, Abid Ali and ML Jaisimha too.” He also dismissed claims about replacing VVS Laxman’s name from the same stand. “Am I a fool to do that? Laxman’s name is still there on the pavilion. Go and see,” he was quoted saying. Azhar accused current HCA President Jagan Mohan Rao of targeting him and added, “This is one association that doesn’t respect its stars. But I won’t take this lying down.” (With inputs from agencies)

'Crooks are pointing fingers at me,' Mohammad Azharuddin challenges HCA stand order

Seth Rollins won the Night 1 main event at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/wwe-wrestlemania" rel="dofollow">WWE WrestleMania</a> 41 in Las Vegas, beating Roman Reigns and CM Punk in a spectacular triple-threat match. He, however, did not do it alone, as he needed a certain someone to help him stand tall in the clash of the titans, with that being none other than Paul Heyman. Though how they got there is a separate story, the Heyman-Rollins pair could also appear sometime during the Night 2 main event between Cody Rhodes and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/john-cena" rel="dofollow">John Cena</a>.
There is an uncanny resemblance (with The Rock) in everything Seth has done so far in the lead-up to the Night 1 main event - from wearing almost the same kind of outfits (that the Rock once wore) during several weekly episodes of both Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown earlier, to walking down that aisle on Night 1 carrying a fire igniter, which The Rock also brought along during one of his previous WrestleMania entrances.
Like how the 16-time World Champion John Cena sold his soul to the Rock at the Elimination Chamber 2025 after turning heel for the first time in over two decades, Seth&rsquo;s new Wiseman - Paul Heyman, did the same to close Night 1.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wwe-paul-heyman-attacks-cm-punk-and-roman-reigns-to-close-night-1-at-wrestlemania-41-watch-video-seth-rollins-8982353" rel="dofollow">WWE WrestleMania 41: Paul Heyman backstabs CM Punk and Roman Reigns to close Night 1 &ndash; WATCH</a>
Heyman first targeted CM Punk, giving him a low blow just after offering him the chair to hit Roman Reigns before doing the same against his Tribal Chief, eventually joining hands with Seth Rollins.
With Heyman turning on his former allies, he could help Seth scale heights in this company that he always longed for despite being the top star for half a decade.&nbsp;
However, should Seth and Heyman assist Cena in winning the Night 2 main event against the WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, with the &lsquo;Final Boss&rsquo; also accompanying them in the centre, it could lead to a fraction no one ever thought of, perhaps the greatest.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wwe-wrestlemania-41-will-john-cena-beat-cody-rhodes-who-will-face-randy-orton-check-out-night-2-match-card-8982645" rel="dofollow">WWE WrestleMania 41: Will Cena beat Cody? Who will face Randy Orton? Check out Night 2 match card</a>
<h2>Cena's favourite to beat Cody</h2>
John Cena is chasing his record 17th world title, and going by his words on the last SmackDown episode before WrestleMania 41, where he said he doesn&rsquo;t even have to wrestle to beat Cody Rhodes - someone else would do the job for him; and it could be none other than Rollins.&nbsp;

With Heyman turning on his former allies, he could help Seth scale heights in this company that he always longed for despite being the top star for half a decade. Sports

Seth Rollins won the Night 1 main event at WWE WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, beating Roman Reigns and CM Punk in a spectacular triple-threat match. He, however, did not do it alone, as he needed a certain someone to help him stand tall in the clash of the titans, with that being none other than Paul Heyman. Though how they got there is a separate story, the Heyman-Rollins pair could also appear sometime during the Night 2 main event between Cody Rhodes and John Cena. There is an uncanny resemblance (with The Rock) in everything Seth has done so far in the lead-up to the Night 1 main event - from wearing almost the same kind of outfits (that the Rock once wore) during several weekly episodes of both Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown earlier, to walking down that aisle on Night 1 carrying a fire igniter, which The Rock also brought along during one of his previous WrestleMania entrances. Like how the 16-time World Champion John Cena sold his soul to the Rock at the Elimination Chamber 2025 after turning heel for the first time in over two decades, Seth’s new Wiseman - Paul Heyman, did the same to close Night 1. Also read | WWE WrestleMania 41: Paul Heyman backstabs CM Punk and Roman Reigns to close Night 1 – WATCH Heyman first targeted CM Punk, giving him a low blow just after offering him the chair to hit Roman Reigns before doing the same against his Tribal Chief, eventually joining hands with Seth Rollins. With Heyman turning on his former allies, he could help Seth scale heights in this company that he always longed for despite being the top star for half a decade. However, should Seth and Heyman assist Cena in winning the Night 2 main event against the WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, with the ‘Final Boss’ also accompanying them in the centre, it could lead to a fraction no one ever thought of, perhaps the greatest. Also read | WWE WrestleMania 41: Will Cena beat Cody? Who will face Randy Orton? Check out Night 2 match card Cena's favourite to beat Cody John Cena is chasing his record 17th world title, and going by his words on the last SmackDown episode before WrestleMania 41, where he said he doesn’t even have to wrestle to beat Cody Rhodes - someone else would do the job for him; and it could be none other than Rollins.

WWE WrestleMania 41: Will Seth Rollins join forces with Cena, Rock during Night 2 main event? Possible!

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kevin-de-bruyne" rel="dofollow">Kevin De Bruyne</a> has revealed he was "a bit surprised" to be told his glittering <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/manchester-city" rel="dofollow">Manchester City</a> career will finish at the end of this season. De Bruyne recently announced he will leave the Etihad Stadium once the current campaign is over, bringing the curtain down on a memorable era in Manchester for the Belgian midfielder.<o:p></o:p>
The 33-year-old arrived from German club Wolfsburg in 2015 and has been instrumental in City's incredible success during boss <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pep-guardiola" rel="dofollow">Pep Guardiola</a>'s reign.<o:p></o:p>
De Bruyne has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and the 2023 Champions League -- which capped an incredible treble-winning season.<o:p></o:p>
Guardiola hinted it was his decision to end De Bruyne's stay after the playmaker's struggles with injuries and inconsistent form over the last two seasons.<o:p></o:p>
City have dipped dramatically this term, surrendering their four-year spell as champions and were reduced to focussing on the battle to qualify for the Champions League.<o:p></o:p>
But De Bruyne admitted he was shocked not to receive a new contract offer because he believes he can still shine at the highest level.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/barcelonas-robert-lewandowski-out-of-copa-del-rey-final-with-hamstring-injury-report-8982703" rel="dofollow">Barcelona&rsquo;s Robert Lewandowski out of Copa del Rey final with hamstring injury - Report</a> 
"I have not had any offer the whole year, they just took a decision," he said after City's 2-0 win at Everton on Saturday. "Obviously, I was a bit surprised but I just have to accept it. Honestly, I still think I can perform at this level like I'm showing but I understand clubs have to make decisions.<o:p></o:p>
"Maybe if the team didn't struggle and I came back like I did this year and bedded in like normal then maybe they take another decision."<o:p></o:p>
De Bruyne said he has not made any decisions about his future as he is concentrating on the race to secure a top-five spot to extend City's run in the Champions League into a 15th successive season.<o:p></o:p>
He has already been linked with moves to Major League Soccer in the United States but he hasn't ruled out staying in the Premier League or joining a major European club.<o:p></o:p>
"I feel like I still have a lot to give. Obviously, I know I'm not 25 anymore, but I still feel like I can do my job," he said.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm open for anything. I have to look at the whole picture. I'm looking at sporting, family, everything together, what makes the most sense for me and my family.<o:p></o:p>
"I like to compete. That's what I feel so I can't say that I want to quit because I still feel that whenever I'm in training I want to beat the guys.<o:p></o:p>
"I feel like I'm doing really well and that's why I've also played a lot lately."<o:p></o:p>
De Bruyne applauded off at Goodison Park after Saturday's win, with his performance a bright spot in another spluttering City display.<o:p></o:p>
"It's something really rare to come out and get an applause from another team so I just want to say thank you to them. I think they appreciate the way that I play," he said.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

De Bruyne admitted he was shocked not to receive a new contract offer because he believes he can still shine at the highest level. Sports, Football

Kevin De Bruyne has revealed he was "a bit surprised" to be told his glittering Manchester City career will finish at the end of this season. De Bruyne recently announced he will leave the Etihad Stadium once the current campaign is over, bringing the curtain down on a memorable era in Manchester for the Belgian midfielder. The 33-year-old arrived from German club Wolfsburg in 2015 and has been instrumental in City's incredible success during boss Pep Guardiola's reign. De Bruyne has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and the 2023 Champions League -- which capped an incredible treble-winning season. Guardiola hinted it was his decision to end De Bruyne's stay after the playmaker's struggles with injuries and inconsistent form over the last two seasons. City have dipped dramatically this term, surrendering their four-year spell as champions and were reduced to focussing on the battle to qualify for the Champions League. But De Bruyne admitted he was shocked not to receive a new contract offer because he believes he can still shine at the highest level. Also read | Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski out of Copa del Rey final with hamstring injury - Report "I have not had any offer the whole year, they just took a decision," he said after City's 2-0 win at Everton on Saturday. "Obviously, I was a bit surprised but I just have to accept it. Honestly, I still think I can perform at this level like I'm showing but I understand clubs have to make decisions. "Maybe if the team didn't struggle and I came back like I did this year and bedded in like normal then maybe they take another decision." De Bruyne said he has not made any decisions about his future as he is concentrating on the race to secure a top-five spot to extend City's run in the Champions League into a 15th successive season. He has already been linked with moves to Major League Soccer in the United States but he hasn't ruled out staying in the Premier League or joining a major European club. "I feel like I still have a lot to give. Obviously, I know I'm not 25 anymore, but I still feel like I can do my job," he said. "I'm open for anything. I have to look at the whole picture. I'm looking at sporting, family, everything together, what makes the most sense for me and my family. "I like to compete. That's what I feel so I can't say that I want to quit because I still feel that whenever I'm in training I want to beat the guys. "I feel like I'm doing really well and that's why I've also played a lot lately." De Bruyne applauded off at Goodison Park after Saturday's win, with his performance a bright spot in another spluttering City display. "It's something really rare to come out and get an applause from another team so I just want to say thank you to them. I think they appreciate the way that I play," he said. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

‘I know I am not 25 any more but…,’ De Bruyne ‘shocked’ over Manchester City exit

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