Category: Sports

Paris Saint-Germain’s dream of completing an unbeaten Ligue 1 season came to an abrupt end with a 3-1 home defeat against Nice on Friday. The loss comes just days before PSG’s crucial Champions League semifinal first leg against Arsenal. Morgan Sanson scored twice for the visitors while Youssouf Ndayishimiye added a third, stunning PSG despite their dominance in possession and chances. Fabian Ruiz had equalized late in the first half, cancelling out Sanson’s opener, but Sanson struck again just 22 seconds into the second half. Ndayishimiye’s header later sealed a famous victory for Nice. Luis Enrique’s side had been unbeaten in 30 Ligue 1 matches this season and were chasing history, hoping to become the first French top-flight team to go a full season without defeat. Their last domestic loss was almost a year ago, a 3-1 defeat to Toulouse in May 2024. With this defeat, PSG also miss the chance to match Nantes’ 1994/95 record of 32 games unbeaten from the start of a season. Despite the setback, Luis Enrique remained calm. “The result is not fair, but that’s football, you have to accept it,” said the PSG coach. He emphasized that the team’s objective remains clear: advancing to the Champions League final. “What I saw today, I would take again in London on Tuesday,” he added, praising his team’s attacking intent and energy despite their failure to convert numerous chances. Nice’s victory, meanwhile, is a massive boost to their Champions League qualification hopes. They now sit fourth in Ligue 1, level on points with third-placed Monaco and just a point behind second-placed Marseille. Franck Haise, Nice’s coach, called the win “quite an achievement,” especially considering PSG’s stellar season. With the Ligue 1 title already secured, PSG’s focus will now shift entirely to their European campaign, as they prepare to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, followed by the return leg at the Parc des Princes on May 7.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni did not hold back in expressing his frustration over the team’s batting performance following their loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2025 on Friday. Despite making a couple of changes to the lineup, including bringing in Dewald Brevis and Deepak Hooda while dropping Rachin Ravindra, CSK failed to deliver a strong start with the bat. The team lost Shaik Rasheed on the very first delivery of the match, which set the tone for another disappointing batting performance. Dhoni pointed to the failure to capitalize on a decent pitch and blamed the team’s inability to post a competitive total, despite the conditions being favorable for scoring. “We kept losing wickets, and in the first innings, the wicket was slightly better and 155 is not a justifiable score because it wasn’t turning a lot. Yes, after the 8-10th over, it became slightly two-paced for the fast bowlers, but nothing that was out of the ordinary. I feel we could have put a few more runs on the board,” Dhoni said after the match. “In the second innings, there was a bit of help for the spinners. They bowled well and it was stopping a bit, but we were short by 15-20 runs,” he added. The middle order did show some promise, with debutant Dewald Brevis contributing a quick 42 runs off 25 balls. However, Dhoni pointed out that the lack of consistency from other batters, particularly against spinners, was a significant issue. “I think he (Brevis) batted really well and we need something like that in the middle order, where we have slightly struggled when the spinners come in. That’s a time we need to either play good batsmanship, where you pick your areas or try to play the big shot in your area,” Dhoni said. The CSK captain emphasized that the team’s batting has been a major concern throughout the season, making it difficult for the side to stay competitive. He suggested that despite changes being made, when multiple players fail to perform, it becomes increasingly difficult to find a solution. “In a tournament like this, if you have one or two areas where you can plug in the holes, it’s good, but if the majority of your players are not doing well, it becomes very difficult,” Dhoni noted. “We need to assess conditions and look to put runs on the board. We can’t keep going because we’re not putting enough runs up. The game has changed,” he concluded.

Former Australian Test opener Michael Slater has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to a series of domestic violence-related charges. The 55-year-old was sentenced on Tuesday in the Maroochydore District Court in Queensland, but he is set to be released immediately as the sentence was backdated to cover time already served in custody. The remainder of his sentence has been suspended for five years. Slater had been behind bars since his bail was refused last year. His charges included unlawful stalking or intimidation, breaking and entering with intent at night, common assault, assault occasioning bodily harm, and choking or suffocation. The offenses reportedly occurred between December 2023 and April of the same year. He was also charged with breaching a domestic violence order. Slater’s legal troubles have persisted in recent years. In 2022, he faced similar domestic violence charges in Sydney, which were dismissed on mental health grounds. At the time, the court mandated that Slater follow a 12-month treatment plan under medical supervision. He was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, alcohol addiction, borderline personality disorder, and ADHD. Slater enjoyed a decorated cricketing career, debuting for Australia in 1993. He represented the country in 73 Test matches, scoring 5,312 runs at an average of nearly 43, and played 42 One Day Internationals before retiring in 2004. After hanging up his boots, he transitioned into television commentary, becoming a familiar face in cricket broadcasting until his legal troubles surfaced. The recent ruling marks a somber chapter for a once-celebrated athlete whose off-field struggles have overshadowed his sporting achievements.

At just 14 years and 23 days, Vaibhav Suryavanshi made history in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as its youngest-ever debutant, and he did it with flair. Representing the Rajasthan Royals, the teenage sensation was brought into the playing XI against Lucknow Super Giants as an impact substitute for the rested captain Sanju Samson. Facing a target of 181, Suryavanshi opened with Yashasvi Jaiswal and immediately made his presence felt by launching Shardul Thakur for a six over extra cover — off the very first ball he faced. The audacity of the shot left commentators stunned. Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson, on-air during the game, exclaimed, “My word, what the hell was that? One of the hardest shots in cricket is to gain power over cover off the front shoe … Power to burn from the 14-year-old. What a way to announce yourself to the world.” Inspired by his idol, Brian Lara, the left-handed batter continued in attacking fashion, hitting two more sixes en route to a 20-ball 34. His opening stand of 85 runs with Jaiswal laid a strong foundation, though Rajasthan ultimately fell short by two runs. Speaking after the game, Rajasthan Royals’ spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule praised the youngster: “It was important to give him an opportunity. He batted well in the nets, his preparation was good. Obviously, we missed Sanju, but it created an opportunity for Vaibhav and he made the most of it. He batted beautifully.” Bahutule added, “He’s a great kid with a really good head on his shoulders. He’s got a game that’s almost 360 degrees. He’s courageous, dominating, and wants to play his shots. His theory is, ‘watch the ball, hit the ball’.” Vaibhav Suryavanshi first made waves in November when he became the youngest-ever player to secure an IPL contract at just 13 years old, with Rajasthan Royals outbidding Delhi Capitals to sign him for ₹1.1 crore ($128,750). Even before his IPL debut, he had turned heads by playing in the Ranji Trophy at age 12 and scoring a century off just 58 balls against Australia while representing India’s Under-19 team. With his fearless debut and natural flair, the cricketing world may have just witnessed the birth of its next superstar.