Sports World: Rafael Nadal Pulls Out Of Monte Carlo - As It Happened

Sporting action on April 4, 2024 saw an enthralling game turn out in the Indian Premier League 2024 as Gujarat Titans lost by three wickets against Punjab Kings. In football, Manchester United looked to climb up the EPL table as they geared up for a visit to the Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. In tennis, Rafael Nadal shocked his fans worldwide as he opted out of Monte Carlo Masters, jeopardising his return to clay. Meanwhile, the build-up continues for the fourth Formula One race of the season - the Japanese Grand Prix slated for the weekend. Follow all the scores and updates from the sports world right here

Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed Delhi Capitals by 106 runs to continue their winning run in the Indian Premier League in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, according to PTI reports.

Set an improbable target of 273, Delhi Capitals were all out for 166 in 17.2 overs.

Batting first, the seasoned Sunil Narine and young Angkrish Raghuvanshi struck scintillating half-centuries to power Kolkata Knight Riders to an imposing 272 for seven.

Manchester City continued to put pressure on their Premier League title rivals, Arsenal and Liverpool, with a commanding win over Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium. Phil Foden scored a stunning hat-trick to take his tally to 21 goals this season, while Rodri also got on the scoresheet, sweeping home Jeremy Doku's cross at the near post after 11 minutes. Despite leaving key players, Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne on the bench after Sunday's draw with Arsenal, the reigning champions were still too strong for injury-hit Villa. Villa, who lost goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to illness just before kick-off, drew level nine minutes later when Jhon Duran beat Stefan Ortega with a low finish after a neat exchange with Morgan Rogers. Although Villa were dangerous on the break, Foden produced a masterclass to secure the victory for City.

Arsenal managed to secure a victory against Luton Town, moving back to the top of the Premier League table despite the absence of their leading scorer Bukayo Saka who was out due to injury. The Gunners' much-changed side defeated their hard-working opponents, allowing them to surpass Liverpool at the summit. Captain Martin Odegaard scored the opening goal of the match in the 24th minute, taking advantage of Emile Smith Rowe's tackle on Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu. The Gunners doubled their lead just before the half-time whistle when Daiki Hashioka accidentally put the ball into his own team's net while trying to stop Reiss Nelson's attack after Smith Rowe was given too much space in the penalty area.

Paris St-Germain has secured a spot in the French Cup final against Lyon after defeating Rennes in the semi-final. Kylian Mbappe's deflected shot, which found the bottom corner, in the 40th minute was the decisive goal. However, Mbappe had a penalty saved by Rennes' goalkeeper Steve Mandanda in the 33rd minute after he was fouled in the area. Mandanda also tipped Mbappe's shot onto the bar in the 13th minute. This season will be Mbappe's final season with PSG. The win gives PSG the opportunity to increase their French Cup titles to 14, having last won it in 2020-21. It also keeps them in the race for a potential Treble of trophies, along with Ligue 1 and the Champions League, where they will face Barcelona in the quarter-finals.

The Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) has extended an invitation to India to send its team to the Asian Challenge Volleyball League, to be held in Islamabad next month, according to PTI reports.

Chaudhary Yaqoob who heads the PVF said that they had also sent invitations to the Indian volleyball federation for the event in which 10-12 teams are expected to participate.

The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, is furious over the way board officials have handled the injury of young fast bowler, Ehsanullah, according to PTI reports.

Ehsan, 21, made a big impact in last year's Pakistan Super League with his pace and subsequently went on to play in three T20 matches against Afghanistan in Sharjah and two ODIs at home against New Zealand.

The escalating crisis over its governance notwithstanding, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has approached renowned Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans to take charge of the national team ahead of two major events this year, according to PTI reports.

The crisis-ridden and cash-strapped PHF, which has now split into two bodies, has asked Oltmans to coach the Pakistan team in the Azlan Shah Cup and the Nations Cup, set to be held in Malaysia and Poland respectively in May-June.

Lionel Messi remained sidelined with a hamstring injury as his Inter Miami team built a one-goal lead against Mexico's Monterrey then came unraveled in the second half, losing 2-1 in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal, according to AP reports.

Messi, who missed his fourth straight game because of a right hamstring injury, has not played since March 13 and also missed Argentina's exhibitions last month against El Salvador and Costa Rica.

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has lashed out at his side after the "unacceptable" and "embarrassing" 106-run battering at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders, according to PTI reports.

The Capitals endured a forgettable outing here on Wednesday, first conceding 272 runs in the allotted 20 overs and then getting bowled out for 166 in 17.2 overs for one of their heaviest defeats in the tournament's history.

Indian pace sensation Mayank Yadav does not need to go through the domestic grind and can be fast-tracked into international cricket which will toughen up his body for the inevitable injury breakdowns, feels England fast bowling great Stuart Broad, according to PTI reports.

Broad, who retired from all formats last year with 604 Test wickets, feels that like him, Yadav too can learn at the highest level by starting young but must also brace himself for the ups and downs.

A first-time winner of the Hockey India women's Player of the Year honour, mid-fielder Salima Tete says the award is significant not just for her morale but is also a "huge thing" for her farmer family back in Jharkhand due to the prize cheque of Rs 25 lakh that came with it, according to PTI reports.

The 22-year-old was rewarded for her consistency in the game throughout the year, at the Hockey India annual gala on Sunday last.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi remained unsung despite amassing 278 runs during India's triumphant U-19 World Cup campaign in 2022, according to PTI reports.

But on Wednesday, Raghuvanshi waived his anonymity in a matter of 27 balls, paving the way for Kolkata Knight Riders' 106-run hammering of Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League in Vizag.

India registered the highest percentage of failed dope tests among countries which tested more than 2000 samples with South Africa being second in the 2022 Testing Figures Report released by the World Anti-Doping Agency, according to PTI reports.

India tested 3865 samples (urine, and blood combined) during the recorded period, of which 125 returned adverse analytical findings. This amounts to 3.2 per cent of the samples, the WADA said in its report released late on Wednesday.

The Indian Premier League recorded a viewership of 35 crore in its first 10 matches, which is higher than any previous edition of the tournament including the seasons played during the COVID-19 pandemic, the event's official broadcaster claimed on Thursday, according to PTI reports.

As per BARC data released by Disney Star, the overall watch-time for the tournament has sky-rocketed to 8028 crore minutes which is 20 per cent higher than last year.

South African footballer and Olympian Luke Fleurs has been killed in a hijacking in Johannesburg, his Kaizer Chiefs club said on Thursday, according to AP reports.

The 24-year-old defender was shot while waiting to be attended to at a petrol station in the Honeydew suburb in Johannesburg, according to police.

Young shuttler Anmol Kharb continued to impress as she progressed to the women's singles quarterfinals along with four other Indians at the Kazakhstan International Challenge in Astana on Thursday, according to PTI reports.

Besides Anmol, in-form Devika Sihag, former national champion Anupama Upadhaya, seventh seed Tanya Hemanth and Isharani Baruah also entered the last 8 in women's singles.

Still bitter about the scheduling fiasco that forced him and other senior players to miss a two-Test series against New Zealand earlier this year, South Africa pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada says they were not given a say in the "unacceptable" botch-up, according to PTI reports.

As many as seven uncapped players were named for the series which was a part of the World Test Championship, even as first-choice players were involved in the SA20 league at home.

The under-fire Igor Stimac will remain in charge of India's FIFA World Cup second-round qualifying matches against Kuwait and Qatar as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has asked the head coach of the senior men's team to focus on the upcoming two games, according to PTI reports.

Lewis Hamilton has recommended Sebastian Vettel as a potential replacement for him at Mercedes. Hamilton, who is a seven-time world champion, will be joining Ferrari from the next season. As a result, Mercedes will need to find a suitable candidate to fill the big shoes he is leaving behind, as he has won all but one of his drivers' titles with the team.

Double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and the two top doubles pairs have opted out of the Uber Cup but a strong men's team will take the court for its title defence in the Thomas Cup, commencing in Chengdu from April 27, according to PTI reports.

Sindhu, who has played six tournaments since returning to action at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in February, pulled out of the event to give herself more time to recover and be battle-ready for the Paris Olympics.

Saudi Arabia will host the WTA Finals as part of a three-year deal announced Thursday by the women's professional tennis tour that will increase the prize money for this November's season-ending championship to a record USD 15.25 million, a 70 per cent increase from 2023, according to AP.

India's best bet, Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa will start his campaign against French Alireza Firouza and it will be an all-Indian affair between D Gukesh and Vidit Gujrathi in the first round of the Candidates chess tournament that has begun in Toronto, according to PTI.

Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan won the toss and opted to bowl first against Gujarat Titans in the match 17 of the 2024 Indian Premier League match.

Shubman Gill's unbeaten 89 was the cataylst in Gujarat Titans achieving a formidable 199/4 in their IPL 2024 encounter.

An Italian tennis official has been suspended for 5 1/2 years for multiple corruption breaches, the sport's integrity agency said on Thursday. Manuel Guion, a national-level official who has also served as a line judge at ATP challenger level, admitted to five breaches of the tennis anti-corruption program. The breaches included conspiring to commit a corruption offense, soliciting a player to commit a corruption offense, encouraging tennis betting, and betting on events when officiating at them, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said in a statement. (AP)

Liverpool XI: Kelleher, Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Bradley, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Diaz, Nunez, Salah.

Sheffield United XI: Grbic, Robinson, Ahmedhodzic, Holgate, Trusty, Hamer, Arblaster, Souza, Bogle, Brereton Diaz, McAtee.

Chelsea XI: Petrovic, Gusto, Disasi, Badiashile, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Palmer, Gallagher, Mudryk, Jackson.

Subs: Thiago Silva, Sterling, Madueke, Bettinelli, Chalobah, Chukwuemeka, Casadei, Gilchrist, Tauriainen.

Manchester United XI: Onana, Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Mainoo, Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho, Hojlund

Subs: Amrabat, Mount, Rashford, Eriksen, Diallo, Heaton, Evans, McTominay, Kambwala

Till then, it's good night from us!