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Inter Miami Star Duo Messi, Suarez Unavailable For MLS All-Star Game

by Shambhu Datta Mishra

Inter Miami, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, MLS All-Star Game, MLS, Football, Sports

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

The Argentinian maestro, Messi, suffered an injury during the final of the Copa America against Colombia

Suarez, according to 'goal.com', Suarez is suffering from "knee discomfort," which has been a problem for him for quite some time

New Delhi, July 23: Inter Miami star duo Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are set to miss the 2024 MLS All-Star game due to injury.

Messi and Suarez were voted in for the Major League Soccer All-Star game, but a statement from MLS confirmed that both players are "unavailable" for the marquee clash, which will be played Wednesday (local time) at Lower.com Field. In the All-Star clash, selected players from 18 MLS sides face Mexico's Liga MX side.

The Argentinian maestro, Messi, suffered an injury during the final of the Copa America against Colombia. Messi was expected to be fit for the MLS all-star event, but he failed to recover in time.

Messi left the pitch in tears after Nico Gonzalez came in as a substitute for him in the 66th minute. In the first half, Messi sustained a heavy knock following a challenge from Arias. However, the Argentinian maestro got up without any assistance, but there was a slight limp as he resumed the game.

His injury aggravated in the second half after he was brought down once again. This led to his substitution, and the emotions got the better of him as he sat on the bench crying.

Lautaro Martinez's strike in extra time brought a smile to Messi's face at the end of the match. His strike sealed a 1-0 win for Argentina, which allowed Messi to celebrate his second and Argentina's record 16th title. Messi was recently spotted sporting a protective cast on his right ankle.

Messi's Inter Miami teammate, Suarez, was also a part of Uruguay's squad for the Copa America campaign. He played a part in Inter Miami's recent 2-1 win over Chicago Fire. However, according to Goal.com, Suarez is suffering from "knee discomfort," which has been a problem for him for quite some time.

Messi has been on fire for Inter Miami in the ongoing season with his impressive 12 goals and 13 assists. He became the quickest player to register 25 goal contributions in a single MLS campaign.

(ANI)

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Legends League Cricket Begins With Harbhajan's Manipal Tigers Meeting Konark Suryas Odisha

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

New Delhi, Sep 17: Legends League Cricket is back with another edition of the tournament starting with an explosive match between Harbhajan Singh’s Manipal Tigers and Konark Suryas Odisha captained by Irfan Pathan on Friday.

Previously known as Bhilwara Kings, Konark Suryas Odisha will be hoping to start their campaign as a renamed entity on a strong note.

A total of 25 matches will be played among the six teams and the last two teams standing will play an electrifying final on October 16. The franchise-based tournament, featuring a pool of over 200 players, will unfold across four cities − Jodhpur, Surat, Jammu and finally bring cricket back to Srinagar after 40 long years.

“Legends League Cricket is an exceptional platform for cricketing talent and this season will be more exciting as I welcome Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik along with Ambati Rayudu. Looking forward to kicking off the league in Jodhpur from the 20th of this month,” said Suresh Raina, captain of Toyam Hyderabad.

“I am really excited to play competitive cricket once again at the Legends League Cricket. I have watched the matches before and the level of cricket is extraordinary. Happy to be playing with Irfan Pathan for the Konark Suryas Odisha and I’m sure that there will be great matches for the fans to witness.” said, Ambati Rayudu of Konark Suryas Odisha.

In a press conference earlier on Tuesday, Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina officially announced Krasa International Private Limited as the title sponsor of the Legends League Cricket.

Legends League Cricket will kick off at the Barkatullah Khan Stadium, Jodhpur on Friday, making its way to the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, Surat on September 27. The third leg will be played at the Maulana Azad Stadium, Jammu from October 3 where international cricket made a comeback after 40 years with the fans finally getting the chance to watch their favourite cricketing heroes live in action.

The ultimate leg of the LLC will be played at the Bakshi Stadium, Srinagar from October 9 to 16 where the fans have eagerly waited for close to half a century to watch cricketing action live.

Final Fixtures:

Jodhpur

Sep 20: Konark Suryas Odisha vs Manipal Tigers

Sep 21: India Capitals vs Hyderabad Team

Sep 22: Manipal Tigers vs Gujarat Team

Sep 23: Southern Superstars vs Gujarat Team

Sep 24: REST DAY

Sep 25: Hyderabad Team vs Southern Superstars

Sep 26: Southern Superstars vs Gujarat Team

Surat:

Sep 27: Konark Suryas Odisha vs Manipal Tigers

Sep 28: Hyderabad Team vs Gujarat Team

Sep 29: India Capitals vs Konark Suryas Odisha

Sep 30: India Capitals vs Manipal Tigers

Oct 1: Manipal Tigers vs Southern Superstars

Oct 2: Konark Suryas Odisha vs Southern Superstars

Jammu:

Oct 3: Manipal Tigers vs Hyderabad Team

Oct 4: India Capitals vs Konark Suryas Odisha

Oct 5: Hyderabad Team vs Gujarat Team

Oct 6: India Capitals vs Southern Superstars

Oct 6: Konark Suryas Odisha vs Hyderabad Team

Oct 7: India Capitals vs Gujarat Team

Oct 8: REST DAY

Srinagar:

Oct 9: Hyderabad Team vs Southern Superstars

Oct 10: India Capitals vs Manipal Tigers

Oct 11: Konark Suryas Odisha vs Gujarat Team

Oct 12: Qualifier (Position 1 vs Position 2)

Oct 13: Eliminator (Position 3 vs Position 4)

Oct 14: Semifinal (Loser Qualifier vs Eliminator Winner)

Oct 15: REST DAY

Oct 16: FINAL (Winner Qualifier vs Winner Semis)

--IANS

Asian Champions Trophy: Coach Fulton Happy As Young Indian Team Beats China, Retains Title

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

Hulunbuir (China), Sep 17: Coach Craig Fulton was full of praise for the young Indian men's team that retained the Asian Champions Trophy, beating China 1-0 in the final at the Moqi Training Base in Inner Mongolia. The chief coach was happy with the unbeaten run in the tournament but said the campaign was not easy for the young side.

Harmanpreet Singh, the captain, who led India to a bronze medal in Paris, was named the Hero of the Tournament. He scored at crucial stages and also set up the winning goal in the final.

Chief coach Fulton said, "It was tough for us, a good one in the end. We had to work hard, it was a really good fight. Seven games and we played some good hockey but we just couldn't score tonight but we got the result in the end."

Fulton added, “It has been a roller-coaster ride, Paris and what happened there and just eight days with the family. To come here with a young group and some new players, the boys were tired but we found a way and that's always the sign of a good team," said the coach who guided India to a bronze medal in the Paris Olympic Games. India bagged back-to-back medals at the Olympic Games for the first time since the 1972 Munich Games.

Fulton added that this team could go a long way and there was enough talent to build a solid unit for the future.

Skipper Harmanpreet was also thrilled with the result as it showed the next lot was ready to take on the responsibility as India prepared for bigger challenges.

India’s full results in the Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament:

Match 1: India 3-0 China (India: Sukhjeet Singh 14’, Uttam Singh 27’, Abhishek 32’)

Match 2: India 5-1 Japan (India: Sukhjeet Singh 2’, 60’, Abhishek 2’, Sanjay 17’, Uttam Singh 54’; Japan: Matsumoto Kazumasa 41’)

Match 3: India 8-1 Malaysia (India: Raj Kumar Pal 3’, 25’, 33’, Araijeet Singh Hundal 6’, 39’, Jugraj Singh 7’, Harmanpreet Singh 22’, Uttam Singh 40’; Malaysia: Akhimullah Anuar 11’)

Match 4: India 3-1 South Korea (India: Harmanpreet Singh 9’, 43’, Araijeet Singh Hundal 8’; South Korea: Jihun Yang 30’)

Match 5: India 2-1 Pakistan (India: Harmanpreet Singh 13’, 19’; Pakistan: Ahmad Nadeem 8’)

Semi-final: India 4-1 South Korea (India: Harmanpreet Singh 19’, 45’, Uttam Singh 13’, Jarmanpreet Singh 32’; South Korea: Yang Ji-Hun 33’)

Final: India 1-0 China (India: Jugraj Singh 51’).

--IANS

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Raina Advocates For Spin-Heavy Attack As India Gears Up For Bangladesh Test

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

New Delhi, Sep 17: As India prepares to face Bangladesh in the first Test of their upcoming series, former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has recommended a bold strategy for the Indian team. Raina suggested that India should deploy a spin-dominant attack with three spinners and two fast bowlers for the match, which begins on Thursday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Raina's strategy is driven by the nature of the Chennai pitch, which he expects to favor spinners due to its black soil composition. He proposed selecting Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav as the spin trio, alongside fast bowlers Mohammad Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah.

"I believe India should go with five bowling options, that is three spinners and two pacers. Mohammad Siraj has been doing very well in the past few years in Red ball cricket, we all know how good Jasprit Bumrah is, and what he has done for the Indian cricket team in the past few years barely any fast bowlers in the world of cricket has done. So with two pacers and Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav India should go ahead," Raina told IANS in the backdrop of the LLC press conference.

"Ashwin and Jadeja combination on Indian pitches is the most deadly combination so with the condition that Chennai pitch offers, the black soil, humid conditions and the winds they will just unsettle the opponents," he added.

India, currently leading the World Test Championship (WTC) standings with a 68.52 percent rating, is looking to solidify their position at the top. The series against Bangladesh is crucial as it precedes Test series against New Zealand and Australia.

Raina acknowledged that while his suggestion is based on pitch conditions and current form, the final decision rests with Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who will assess the best combination for the team.

Raina welcomed former teammates Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik to the third edition of the Legends League Cricket. "I would like to welcome Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik to the Legends League Cricket, we all have been playing cricket since 1998, and it's good that we will play cricket again."

The Legends League Cricket (LLC) is set to return for the third edition with former India stars Dinesh Karthik and Shikhar Dhawan, the two latest entrants taking part in the tournament, signed directly by the respective teams Southern Superstars and Team Gujarat.

Harbhajan Singh-led defending champions Manipal Tigers will take on the Konark Suryas Odisha (previously known as Bhilwara Kings) captained by Irfan Pathan at the Barkatullah Khan Stadium, Jodhpur on September 20.

--IANS

Inter Miami, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, MLS All-Star Game, MLS, Football, Sports

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