Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians kicked off their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024's campaign on a losing note as they suffered a six-run defeat against Gujarat Titans on March 24. In other IPL 2024's clash, Rajasthan Royals (RR) got the better of Lucknow Super Giants. Elsewhere, Pakistan's ace pacer Mohammad Amir reversed his retirement to make himself available for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
Let's have a look at the top 10 trending sports news on March 25's sports roundup:
Hardik Pandya-led MI go down to GT
The Mumbai Indians' woes in IPL season openers continued on March 24. In a nail-biting match against the Gujarat Titans, they fell agonisingly short by just six runs. Despite a brilliant bowling performance from Jasprit Bumrah, who restricted the Gujarat Titans to a modest total of 168 runs for 6 wickets in their 20 overs, Mumbai's batting faltered in the chase. Following the dismissal of Rohit Sharma, their innings fell apart, ultimately ending at 162 for 9 wickets, unable to surpass the target set by their opponents.
Hardik Pandya booed during GT vs MI's IPL clash
During MI versus GT's IPL 2024's campaign opener, Hardik Pandya was booed by the Ahmedabad crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The boos were directed at Hardik whenever he appeared on the big screen throughout the match. This contrasted sharply with the enthusiastic cheers that erupted whenever former MI captain Rohit Sharma's name was mentioned.
RR off to a flyer in IPL 2024
The Rajasthan Royals, led by Sanju Samson, secured a thrilling 20-run victory over the Lucknow Super Giants in their opening match of the IPL 2024 season. While Nicholas Pooran's late onslaught threatened to steal the show for LSG, the Royals held their nerve.
Trent Boult and Nandre Burger ripped through the LSG top order with exceptional bowling in the powerplay. However, a fighting partnership between KL Rahul and Nicholas Pooran brought Lucknow back into contention. Pooran, in particular, kept his team's hopes alive until the final over. However, Avesh Khan, returning to face his former team, displayed remarkable composure, conceding only 27 runs in the final over and sealing the win for the Rajasthan Royals.
Mohammed Amir takes U-turn on retirement
Veteran Pakistani pacer Mohammad Amir has come out of retirement for a shot at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 scheduled to be held in the USA and West Indies. Amir, who had called time on his international career in December 2020, announced his decision via his social media account. He revealed that discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) convinced him to make a comeback.
Collins Obuya announces retirement
Kenyan cricket legend Collins Obuya has announced retirement from international cricket following team's final match at the African Games which ended in a heartbreaking loss to Uganda in the bronze medal match held in Accra, Ghana. Kenya lost the match to Uganda by 106 runs.
Kamindu Mendis becomes 1st ever cricketer to do this
Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis after scoring his second hundred on his Test debut achieved a towering feat. Riding on his 164-run knock in Sri Lanka's second innings in the first Test against Bengladesh, Mendis became the first ever cricketer to achieve the incredible feat of scoring twin centuries while batting at number 7 or lower in a Test match.
Kidambi Srikanth crashes out of Swiss Open
Indian badminton star Kidambi Srikanth's impressive run at the Swiss Open 2024 was halted in the semifinals. Srikanth fell short against world No. 22 Lin Chun-Yi of Chinese Taipei in a closely contested men's singles match at the St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel. The final score was 21-15, 9-21, 18-21, with the entire match lasting one hour and five minutes.
Andy Murray knocked out of Miami Open
Andy Murray's Miami Open run ended in a frustrating three-set defeat to Tomas Machac. The match was filled with drama, including a heated exchange between Murray and umpire Carlos Bernardes. Murray's frustration boiled over after losing his serve at the end of the second set. He took aim at Bernardes, believing the umpire should have done more to manage the movement of spectators around the court, which he felt disrupted his focus.
Despite the outburst, Murray showed remarkable fighting spirit. He battled back from an injury scare and even saved a match point to force a deciding set tie-break. However, Machac ultimately proved too strong, securing a hard-fought 5-7 7-5 7-6 (7/5) victory after a marathon three hours and 27 minutes.
NBA: Philadelphia 76ers defeat LA Clippers
In a rematch of the blockbuster James Harden trade from November, the Philadelphia 76ers secured a 121-107 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey led the way for the 76ers, each contributing 24 points. This win marked a return to form for Philadelphia after a recent slump.
Italy's perfect dress rehearsal for Euro 2024
In a convincing performance ahead of Euro 2024, Italy cruised to a 2-0 victory over Ecuador in a friendly match at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.
Italy wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Lorenzo Pellegrini unleashed a powerful shot that found the net just three minutes into the game. Ecuador mounted some pressure in the second half, but their efforts were unsuccessful. In the dying moments of the match, Nicolo Barella put the game to bed with a beautiful chipped finish, securing Italy's dominant win.
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