QPlay: KKR Beat Kings XI Punjab, Six Arrested for Betting in IPL
All the latest sports news in The Quint’s morning wrap.
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1. KKR Beat Kings XI Punjab by Six Wickets
Robin Uthappa smashed his way to the third fastest half-century of the season as Kolkata Knight Riders notched a comfortable six-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League at Mohali on Tuesday.
Put to bat, Kings XI Punjab was restricted to 138 for eight in the stipulated 20 overs at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium.
Led by Uthappa’s blazing knock of 53 off 28 balls, the visitors chased the target of 139 with 17 balls to spare.
KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir continued to lead the team well, scoring a run-a-ball 34.
Read the entire report here.
2. Six Arrested for Betting in IPL Matches
Six people were arrested for their alleged involvement in betting in IPL matches, police said on Tuesday.
The accused, Ravi Kumar, Govinda, Pradeep Kumar, Arun Kumar, Vikram and Monu Raghav were arrested on Monday during an IPL match, the police said.
Four mobile phones, a TV set and Rs 2000 cash were seized from the spot. The police added that a case has been registered against them.
3. Soon-To-Be-Dad Gayle Heads Home; Will Miss RCB’s Next Two Matches
Royal Challengers Bangalore will be without the services of their star batsman Chris Gayle for the next two IPL matches as he has gone back to Jamaica to be with his partner, Natasha Berridge, as they are expecting their first child.
The West Indian batsman on Monday posted a picture on Instagram of himself on board an aircraft, with the caption, “I’m on my way, Baby”.
Gayle will miss RCB’s Wednesday game against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium and also the next game against Rising Pune Supergiants in Pune on Friday.
RCB face Gujarat Lions on Sunday in Rajkot.
4. West Indies Reject Pakistan’s Offer to Play Their T20s in Lahore
West Indies will play all their games against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates as scheduled after turning down an offer from the host board to stage the two Twenty20 Internationals.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan said on Monday that they had requested the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to play the two games in Lahore but the Caribbean body had declined on the basis of security concerns, reports CMC.
5. Banned Umpire Who Worked at US Open Suspended For 10 Years
A Croatian umpire who officiated at the US Open while serving a 12-month suspension has been banned for 10 years, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said on Tuesday.
Denis Pitner was suspended by the ITF last August, but went on to work as a linesman at the US Open in September, due to what The United States Tennis Association (USTA) said was a “flaw” in their system.
The ITF said in a statement that Pitner had now been banned until 2026 after being found guilty of offenses, including his failure to notify the USTA that his certification had been suspended prior to the US Open.
He was also found guilty of misrepresentation in officiating at the 2016 Qatar Open and in an application to officiate at Wimbledon.
Pitner was originally suspended after sending information about a player to a coach during a tournament and regularly logging on to a betting account from which bets were placed on tennis matches.
6. Napoli Thrash Bologna 6-0
Dries Mertens scored a second-half hat-trick as Napoli did their best to keep the Serie A title race alive by thrashing Bologna 6-0 on Tuesday.
Manolo Gabbiadini scored the two opening goals in the first half. Napoli were still missing the Serie A topscorer Gonzalo Higuain, as he sat out of the final match of his three-match ban. David Lopez completed the rout.
The win left Napoli six points behind leaders Juventus who host Lazio on Wednesday.
Despite Napoli’s efforts on Tuesday, Juventus need only seven points from their last five games to clinch a fifth successive title.
7. Manchester City Draw With Newcastle
Manchester City gave renewed hope to the chasing pack in the battle for a Champions League spot as they were held to a battling 1-1 draw at relegation strugglers Newcastle United on Tuesday.
City, who took the lead when Sergio Aguero headed home from an offside position for his 100th Premier League goal after 14 minutes, were largely stifled by a Newcastle side who levelled through Vurnon Anita after 31 minutes.
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