CRICKET
Sharma retires from Tests
India captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday announced his retirement from Test cricket ahead of a tour of England. The 38-year-old Sharma said that he would continue to represent India in limited-overs cricket. “It’s been an absolute honor to represent my country in whites,” he wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for all the love and support over the years.” Sharma scored 4,301 runs in 67 Tests at an average of 40.57 with 12 centuries. He replaced Virat Kohli as captain in March 2022 and guided India to 12 wins, nine losses and three draws.
Photo: AFP
TENNIS
Taiwan’s Tseng exits
Taiwan’s Tseng Chun-hsin on Wednesday exited at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, beaten in the first round of the men’s singles by Francesco Passaro. The Italian won 6-0, 2-6, 6-3, sending Tseng out in the round of 128 after he had won two qualifiers — 6-2, 6-4 against Gabriele Pirain of Italy on Sunday and 6-2, 6-4 over Juan Manuel Cerundolo of Argentina on Monday — to reach the main draw at the Foro Italico in Rome.
RUGBY UNION
NZR reports loss
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) reported a loss in yearly accounts released yesterday, with NZR chief executive officer Mark Robinson saying the governing body’s commercial model was “not sustainable” despite a private equity cash injection. Robinson pointed to high fixed costs, which include player wages, as the governing body booked losses of NZ$19.5 million (US$11.6 million) in its report for last year. Robinson said that there was “much work to do to get the shape of our game right.” Sponsorship deals and broadcast rights helped to put US$170 million in the body’s coffers last year, the accounts showed, which was a “record level of income,” but foreign exchange turbulence and investment in other areas of the business turned this into a loss.
RUGBY LEAGUE
NRL to add Perth Bears
Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) is to expand westward in the 2027 season with the addition of an 18th club, the Perth Bears, the league and the Western Australian government announced yesterday. The state government said that it had agreed to fund the new team to the tune of A$65.6 million (US$42.36 million) over seven years, ensuring the return of professional rugby league to the state for the first time since the demise of the Western Reds in 1997. “Western Australians love sport and now they have the opportunity to get behind a Perth-based rugby league club that will capture the hearts and minds of fans across the country,” Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys said in a statement. The new team’s name honors the heritage of the North Sydney Bears, one of the nine clubs that founded Australia’s first league in 1908 and which played in the top flight until 1999.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
PAINFUL VICTORY: Ruud said that felt pain in his rib during the warmup and was put on painkillers so that he could finish the match against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo With the help of painkillers, Casper Ruud overcame a rib ailment to defeat Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets and reach the Madrid Open final on Friday. Ruud is to face Jack Draper, who beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the other semi-final to make his third final of the year. Ruud received treatment on his rib three games into the match and went on to win 6-4, 7-5 on the Caja Magica center court. The 15th-ranked Norwegian saved 15 of the 18 break points he faced against the 21st-ranked Argentine. Ruud said he felt something in his rib during the warmup, just before
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