CSK vs SRH-Dhoni, Raina power Chennai Super Kings to 202/4

NEW DELHI: Suresh Raina smashed a quickfire half-century while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni produced a belligerent unbeaten knock of 63 as Chennai Super Kings toyed with a listless Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling attack to post a massive 202 for four in their Champions League T20 match.
Raina's impressive 57-ball 84 was perfectly matched by Dhoni's pyrotechnics as the hard-hitting local skipper broke the spirits of the Sunrisers bowlers with his ruthless batting display, here today.

Such was the brutality as neither speed nor spin provided any challenge to Dhoni as he decorated his 19-ball knock with an astonishing eight sixes.

There was no mistaking the impact Dhoni's arrival had on the innings and no one could better understand it than Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera, who was smashed for five huge sixes in the 18th over.

Dhoni, in the process, also struck the fastest fifty in the history of the Champions League, reaching the landmark in just 16 balls and surpassing West Indian Kieron Pollard's record (50 off 18 balls).

Dhoni played a leader's innings of the finest order and, together with Raina, put on a 60-run partnership in just 23 balls for the fourth wicket.

Before Dhoni's arrival, the show belonged entirely to Raina and his powerful stroke-play.

Walking in to bat after the dismissal of opener Murali Vijay, Raina took time to get his eyes in and then made the most of the Sunrisers' tactics of utilising pace against him.

Raina unleashed an assault on the Sunrisers pacers in the middle part of the innings, launching them over the mid-wicket and long-off boundaries with consummate ease.

Raina walked back to the pavillion in the penultimate over of the innings when he single-handedly caught by Perera at long on off Dale Steyn.

Raina's fine knock was decorated with nine fours and a six.

Manchester United beat Liverpool 1-0 in League Cup

The match Forget about talk of how much the League Cup means to the top clubs – this was a rousing affair at a noisy Old Trafford with both sides going all out to reach the fourth round. After defeats at Anfield and the Etihad, painfully so on Sunday, there may have been pressure on United but the response was emphatic. After a tight first half, Javier Hernandez struck from Wayne Rooney's corner seconds after the restart and both sides hit the woodwork, while David De Gea and Simon Mignolet made stunning saves.
Goals Just the one but how sweet that Chicharito, so often the scourge of the two Merseyside clubs, should get it. This was his chance to shine after being patient and he took it, losing Jose Enrique to flick out a leg and convert Rooney's corner.
Subplot Luis Suarez's return from a lengthy absence and a summer of headlines about his future received inevitable focus but, for United, this was all about bouncing back from Sunday's derby disaster. Rooney was handed the captaincy ahead of Ryan Giggs, which surprised some supporters, and it's worth remembering Liverpool were determined to go far in this competition because they are not in Europe.
Star men There were fine performances in red shirts throughout the team but centre-backs Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans were immense. Rooney

NEW DELHI: Banned for life from India's cricket establishment, a beleaguered former IPL boss Lalit Modi is not ready to throw in the towel yet and declared that he would indeed have the "last call" in this entire issue.

"They (BCCI) will have their day and I will have the last call. I am not going anywhere. I will be right here," Modi told 'Times Now' after BCCI imposed a life ban during a special general meeting (SGM) in Chennai today.

Modi also took a veiled potshot at BCCI's controversial president N Srinivasan accusing BCCI members of protecting the Tamil Nadu strongman.

"I think fans are a little disappointed on this match-fixing issue and also the persons involved. It is really sad that they banned the person who created the league but people who are fixing matches and those who are running the Board are being protected by the BCCI members," Modi said.

"The issue is very simple to me. The brand itself is bigger than any one person. But my name is married to IPL. I am the architect of IPL. It was a difficult dream but I realized it.

"I did a few things but I wanted the league to improve. But it's now going in backward direction. Hope BCCI get their act together. I wanted to tighten the rules but at the same time make it transparent," the former IPL czar said from his London residence.

Modi feels that it's imperative that one makes all the owners "responsible for running the game" but at the same time said that "BCCI probably doesn't want to lose control".

However on the issue of financial irregularities, Modi didn't come up with a concrete answer.

"I don't what they are saying. I brought USD 8 billion for BCCI," he claimed.

"I tried to protect the interest of BCCI and they accuse me of arm-twisting a franchise! After I left two franchises had to quit the league (Deccan Chargers Hyderabad, Kochi Tuskers). BCCI lost USD 700 million. Since I didn't toe their line, I was accused of financial impropriety," Modi said.

Modi didn't stop short while terming Srinivasan as a "Master match-fixer."

His family had been supportive during crisis period but the maverick administrator declared that he is "ready to move on."

"I have moved on and I will soon be associated with a global league. There are a lot of people in sporting fraternity across the world, who want me on board."

Hernandez ruins Suarez's Liverpool return

MANCHESTER (England): Manchester United nullified the returning Luis Suarez and began atoning for their derby drubbing by Manchester City with a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the League Cup on Wednesday.

Manager David Moyes made a raft of changes to the team trounced 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday and saw his side prevail in the third-round tie at Old Trafford through a 46th-minute strike from Javier Hernandez.

Suarez made his Liverpool return following a 10-game ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic, and he came close to snatching an equaliser with a free-kick that struck the crossbar.

United survived, however, to avenge their Premier League defeat at Anfield on September 1 and provide a measure of solace for Moyes after his stewardship came under heavy scrutiny in the wake of the loss to City.

"It was a big game for us," said Moyes, whose side will play Norwich City at home in the fourth round.

"We'd lost at Anfield a few weeks ago, we lost at the Etihad last week, so we wanted to put that right."

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said: "I can have no complaints. One lapse of concentration has cost us.

"I thought Luis Suarez was excellent. You could tell he'd been out for a long time as he tired at the end, but he's obviously a threat."

Suarez started up front with Daniel Sturridge, in one of only two changes to the team surprisingly beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the league on Saturday.

Left-back Jose Enrique was the only other newcomer to the visitors' starting XI, but Moyes gambled by making eight changes to the team thrashed by City, with Wayne Rooney handed the captain's armband.

The absence of Patrice Evra spared Suarez an uncomfortable reunion with a player he was found to have racially abused in 2011, but he took his time to make his presence felt.

United began with purpose, Martin Skrtel blocking from Nani and Shinji Kagawa dragging a shot wide, and with Liverpool using an unfamiliar 3-4-1-2 system, Suarez's initial touches betrayed signs of ring-rust.

Gradually, however, he began to influence the game. Only an alert intervention from Ryan Giggs prevented Victor Moses from attacking a lay-off from the Uruguayan, who then released Sturridge to shoot wide before forcing David de Gea to save at his feet after gathering a sweeping pass from Enrique.

Sturridge also had shots blocked by the two United centre-backs, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans, but after a first half short on incident, the hosts made the breakthrough within seconds of the restart.

With an ease that will have disquieted Rodgers, Rooney curled a corner into the six-yard box from the left and Hernandez stepped away from his marker to steer home a close-range volley.

Jordan Henderson squandered a good chance to equalise when he side-footed wide from 15 yards, and after De Gea fielded a mishit half-volley by Enrique, Nani blazed over from a Kagawa pass at the other end.

Belatedly, there was zip to United's passes, and Kagawa threatened to extend their lead when he ran from deep before dispatching a left-foot shot from range that clipped the crossbar.

Liverpool rallied, Suarez rippling the side netting and Moses forcing a reflex block from De Gea with a diving header, before Suarez came within inches of stealing the headlines with a free-kick that nicked off the United wall and hit the bar.

Rooney then worked Simon Mignolet twice in quick succession, with a free-kick and a curler from the edge of the box, while United were aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty when Alexander Buttner was sandwiched by Skrtel and Kolo Toure.

There were late scares for the home side when De Gea had to claw away an inswinging cross from Henderson and Toure threatened from 12 yards, but United held out to book their place in round four.

Sprinter Ben Johnson revisits scene of global disgrace

Disgraced drugs cheat Ben Johnson returned on Tuesday to Seoul's Olympic Stadium -- 25 years to the day of the steroid-assisted 100m final victory that destroyed his career and reputation.he Canadian sprinter revisited the site of his stunning triumph and downfall to bring an anti-doping message for a sport still struggling to rid itself of banned substance use.

Moyes confirms Van Persie out of Liverpool tie

Manchester United manager David Moyes expects to be without striker Robin van Persie for the League Cup third-round tie with Liverpool at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

The Dutch international has been nursing a groin injury he suffered in training recently which forced him to miss United's shock 4-1 defeat by Manchester City in a dramatic derby encounter last weekend.

Moyes had hoped to have Van Persie, the leading scorer in England last season with 30 goals in all competitions, available for the visit of Liverpool.

Now Moyes has said the 30-year-old is poised to miss the match, and is doubtful for the defending champions' forthcoming Premier League match against West Bromwich Albion.

"I don't think he'll play," Moyes told a news conference on Tuesday. "But I think he has an outside chance for Saturday."

Moyes admitted the manner of his side's 4-1 thrashing by City, his first derby since succeeding Alex Ferguson as United manager, had left him stunned.

"It shocked me, but when you're a football manager for the length of time I've been you are always going to have shocks," Moyes said.

"But it's gone now so I can't do anything about it," the former Everton boss added. "You can't dwell too long on it. We're looking to get the next game started and trying to win.

"It's always a big game whenever you play any cup tie, but especially I think when you play Liverpool against Manchester United. It maybe takes on a bigger significance than people would expect.

In recent years the League Cup has been seen as a 'development' competition by managers of leading English clubs, who've often rested their first-choice players for more important Premier League or European assignments.

But the City result has given Wednesday's match a different context for many United fans and Moyes acknowledged the conflicting interests surrounding this particular clash with Liverpool.

"I think my idea was always to focus on every competition," Moyes explained.

"It's always been (the mentality) here to win. I do think the Capital One (League) Cup is a route to give as many young players an much opportunity as we can.

"The draw sometimes in the competition gives you reasons to do that. But obviously this is a really big tie that came out of the hat first.

"I'm still getting to know all the players here and how they react to situations. I'll get the chance to know a few more of them this week.

"Hopefully, they will show me what they can do." Liverpool have Luis Suarez available again now the Uruguay striker has served his 10-match ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic last season.

Suarez's previous matches against the 'Red Devils' include a racism row with United defender Patrice Evra in 2011.

But Moyes tried to play down the importance of Suarez's anticipated return on Wednesday by saying: "I think it means Liverpool have got a really good player back.

"Does it change the complexion? I don't know. I'm not looking at Liverpool too much except that the qualities of Luis Suarez are very good."

Meanwhile, Moyes refused to comment on claims made Tuesday by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez that United made a late bid to derail the Spanish giants' signing of Gareth Bale, for a reported world transfer fee, from Tottenham Hotspur.

"If I was I wouldn't tell you," said Moyes. "We don't talk about it. "We only talk about the players we think there is a reason to talk about and I wouldn't comment on that.

Dhoni new hairstyle for Champions League T20

MS Dhoni's new look inspired by World War II paratroupers; not Mario Balotelli, reveals his hair stylist Sapna Bhavnani