The month of April is nearing its end with sporting action tantalizingly poised in various disciplines, including the Indian Premier League in cricket and the Uber and Thomas Cup in badminton. The first week of May promises an enthralling closure to many of those events, in addition to the onset of many new ones. (More Sports News)
Check out the key sports fixtures scheduled between April 29 and May 5, 2024.
Cricket
The league phase of IPL 2024 is well past the half-way mark, and the clamour for play-off spots has well and truly begun. While table-toppers Rajasthan Royals (16 points from nine matches) are virtually assured of a berth, the fate of every other team is uncertain. No side has been knocked out yet, including the bottom-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (4 points from nine games before the clash with Gujarat Titans).
All 10 franchises will take the field in the coming week, starting with a face-off between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals at the Eden Gardens on Monday (April 29). The first six days will feature evening games, and Sunday (May 5) will witness a double-header. Punjab Kings meet Chennai Super Kings in Dharamsala in the afternoon (3:30pm IST) and Lucknow Super Giants take on KKR in the evening (7:30pm IST).
In neighbouring Nepal, West Indies 'A' are on tour (the first-ever to Nepal from the Caribbean) for a five-match T20 series. After two tight finishes, the series is level at 1-1 and the remainder will be played out over the coming week. The third, fourth and fifth matches will be played on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday respectively.
Also in the sub-continent, the Indian women's team is on a tour of Bangladesh for a five-T20I series in Sylhet. The first game is currently underway and the second and third matches will be played on Tuesday and Thursday, with the last two games slated for the week after.
Football
The UEFA Champions League semi-finals will commence, with German powerhouse Bayern Munich hosting Spanish titan Real Madrid in the first leg at the Allianz Arena, late Tuesday night (12:30am IST on Wednesday). The following night, Borussia Dortmund will welcome Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal Iduna Park for the opening leg of their last-four clash. The return leg of both fixtures is slated for the week after.
Meanwhile, in the English Premier League, ninth-placed Chelsea will play hosts to Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge, late Thursday night (12am IST on Friday). Among other clashes, the weekend will see Liverpool facing Tottenham on Sunday and Chelsea up against West Ham on Saturday.
Back home, in the Indian Super League, FC Goa will travel to Mumbai City for the return leg of their semi-final, with the aggregate 3-2 in favour of the hosts. The winner of this semi-final will meet the victor of the corresponding tie between Odisha FC and Mohun Bagan, in the final on Saturday evening.
Other Sports
The Uber and Thomas Cups are currently underway in Chengdu, China. A young Indian women's badminton team has advanced to the quarter-finals, while their male counterparts are in the reckoning to do so. The men, who are the defending champions, will lock horns with England on Monday morning, followed by a tricky encounter with Indonesia on Wednesday. The women will take on China on Tuesday, following which their quarter-final fixture will be ascertained.
In tennis, the Madrid Open is currently underway, with a certain Rafael Nadal in action. The Spanish legend will meet Argentina's Pedro Cachin in the round of 32 on Monday. Every tennis buff will be keenly tracking Nadal's progress, given his likely retirement at the end of the year.
