Manchester United, Como make winning starts as Lens stage dramatic co…

Manchester [UK], September 11 (ANI): Manchester United marked their return to the UEFA Champions League with an emphatic 4-0 victory over competition debutants Sabah FK, while newcomers Como 1907 announced their arrival on Europe’s biggest stage with a convincing 4-1 win over RB Leipzig on an action-packed Matchday 1. lebandit.lat

Michael Carrick’s Manchester United side took control against Sabah with a dominant display, with Matheus Cunha opening the scoring midway through the first half, according to the UEFA Champions League website.

The visitors had a chance to respond when Joy-Lance Mickels came close to finding an equaliser, but United quickly stamped their authority on the contest with two goals in the space of three minutes before half-time.

Bruno Fernandes doubled the advantage before Benjamin Sesko struck soon afterwards to put the hosts firmly in command at the break.

Lisandro Martinez completed the scoring in the second half as United began their Champions League campaign in style. Patrick Dorgu was named Player of the Match for his contribution to the convincing victory.

In Istanbul, Fenerbahce and Roma played out an entertaining 1-1 draw, with Archie Brown earning the hosts a point after Roma had taken the lead.

Roma, returning to the Champions League for the first time since 2019, threatened early through Paulo Dybala before Bryan Cristante put the visitors ahead with a long-range strike before the interval.

Fenerbahce responded soon after the restart when Brown clipped the ball into the net to bring the Turkish side level.

The hosts pushed for a winner late on and came close when Nathan Ake headed against the crossbar, but neither side could find the decisive goal. Brown was named Player of the Match after his equaliser earned Fenerbahce a share of the spoils.

PSV and Shakhtar Donetsk also shared the points in a 1-1 draw in a closely fought encounter.

Shakhtar took the lead shortly before half-time when Gleiker Mendoza produced a superb finish from a tight angle. PSV responded quickly after the restart, with Sergino Dest firing home after Armando Obispo’s cutback.

Dest then made an important defensive contribution late in the match, blocking an effort from Lassina Traore to preserve the draw and earning the Player of the Match award.

Como produced one of the most impressive results of the opening Matchday, defeating Leipzig 4-1 in a statement performance from the Italian newcomers.

Martin Baturina opened Como’s Champions League account after just 15 minutes, finishing a well-worked move following a neat exchange with Tasos Douvikas.

The roles were reversed later in the half, with Douvikas finding the net to give Cesc Fabregas’ side a two-goal advantage.

Como continued to threaten on the counter after the interval, and Assane Diao added a third to put the result beyond Leipzig’s reach.

Andrija Maksimovic gave the German side a brief glimmer of hope by pulling one back, but substitute Maximo Perrone restored Como’s three-goal cushion in the 90th minute.

Baturina was named Player of the Match after playing a key role in Como’s memorable European debut.

Lens produced the most dramatic comeback of the night, recovering from 2-1 down after 90 minutes to beat Slavia Praha 3-2 despite the Czech side playing with 10 men for much of the second half.

Slavia took the lead through Danijel Sturm before Abdallah Sima restored parity for Lens.

The hosts regained the advantage through Sturm’s second, but their task became significantly harder when Mikulas Konecny was sent off four minutes after half-time.

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Slavia remained within touching distance of victory until Lens completed a remarkable turnaround.

Florian Thauvin levelled the contest before Ruben Aguilar delivered the decisive blow in the third minute of added time, completing the comeback and securing three points for the French side. Thauvin was named Player of the Match.

Bayern Munich also began their Champions League campaign with a commanding victory, beating Bodo/Glimt 5-0.

Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane scored early in the second half before Alphonso Davies and a late double from Michael Olise completed a comfortable win for the German side, who also benefited from Bodo being reduced to 10 men following Odin Bjortuft’s late red card. (ANI)

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A fit-again Washington Sundar slogged hard at the Indian team's afternoon net session on Thursday as the team management awaited the arrival of Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Reddy ahead of the three-match away series against Afghanistan, starting Sunday.

With Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma finishing their Duleep Trophy final assignment in Chennai on Thursday, only 10 players were available for training under the scorching Delhi heat.

Bumrah, who has recovered from his impact injury, has completed his return-to-play protocols and along with Nitish will join the team in training from Friday.

On the day, Washington and Varun Chakravarthy bowled a lot in single-wicket drills under the watchful eyes of head coach Gautam Gambhir and spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule.

While Washington bowled well within himself at the centre nets (inside main ground), he was very scratchy while facing the net bowlers picked from age group and DPL teams. The timing wasn't there and he distinctly lacked fluency. Harshit Rana's replacement Yash Thakur also sweated it out practising spot bowling.

At the Feroz Shah Kotla B nets, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma took turns to face Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi. During the 45-minute session, Abhishek did look more comfortable as he attacked both the spinners and Delhi off spinner Hrithik Shokeen.

Bowling coach Morne Morkel absent

On the day, the notable absentee was Team India pace bowling coach Morne Morkel who had gone back home from Sri Lanka. "Morne's work visa had expired. He had to go back to South Africa for renewal of his work visa. We are expecting his arrival in the next few days," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

BCCI set to remove physio Kamlesh

The BCCI is all set to remove senior Team India physio Kamlesh Jain, a result of the spate of injuries over the past six to eight months which has massively affected team's planning. "Kamlesh is on notice period. Since this is the Asian Games squad that is playing Afghanistan series, the physio and S&C coaches are the ones who will be travelling to Japan," a BCCI source told PTI.

It is understood that with the national selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir worried over the frequent breakdown of key players, someone from the sports science team had to take the fall. Jain being the physio has been on firing line for some time now.

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IPL team owners and other Indian investors have shown early interest in acquiring Big Bash League (BBL) franchises after Cricket Australia (CA) opened select teams to private investment. However, prospective buyers are reportedly wary of the commercial restrictions attached to the ownership model.

Raine Group, a US-based merchant bank, is managing the privatisation process after overseeing the equity sales for The Hundred in England. Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has called it a billion-dollar opportunity to bring private investment into Australian cricket over the next decade.

IPL Owners See Red Flags in Cricket Australia’s BBL Model

According to Cricbuzz, the Melbourne Renegades are the only BBL franchise currently available for a 100 percent acquisition. Cricket Australia is overseeing the sale instead of Cricket Victoria, with the deal expected to be completed by Christmas.

However, the new owner will have to build the team’s brand and fan base from scratch. The Hobart Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers are expected to be next, but private investors will reportedly be limited to 49 percent stakes. IPL owners usually prefer controlling stakes in overseas leagues.

The model is different from other leagues where Indian investors have entered. IPL groups have full ownership of teams in the SA20, ILT20, CPL, and Major League Cricket, while some investors in The Hundred also hold controlling stakes or significant operational control.

Cricket Australia Wants to Retain Control Over Big Bash Operations

Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird has made it clear that the governing body will retain control over key areas of Australian cricket. Speaking about the investment model, Baird said:

“CA and its members will maintain control over the most significant aspects of Australian Cricket operations, including international scheduling, player availability, the Big Bash Leagues salary caps, branding proposals as well as the reserve price for a licence to operate that must be achieved, and approval of investors.”

According to Cricbuzz, Cricket New South Wales also opposes private investment in the Big Bash League. The disagreement has added to the challenges around the proposed ownership model, while IPL investors continue to assess the commercial terms.

GMR, co-owner of Delhi Capitals, had previously explored a partnership with Cricket NSW. The group held talks in Sydney during the fifth Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. GMR also owns Hampshire County Cricket Club in England.

Player Availability and Travel Add to IPL Owners’ Concerns

The availability of Australian stars is a major concern for potential investors. The Big Bash League usually runs alongside Australia’s international season, unlike the IPL, where franchises have greater certainty over the availability of leading Indian players.

Pat Cummins has played only seven BBL matches since 2016, while he has played 76 IPL games. The BCCI also ensures the availability of contracted and marquee players for the IPL, giving franchises greater commercial certainty.

Overseas player availability is another concern. The BBL competes with leagues in South Africa, the UAE and Bangladesh, while Australia’s higher taxes could make those tournaments more attractive to international players.

Travel could also increase costs for BBL franchises. A trip to Perth can take around five to six hours by air, while teams in the SA20 generally face much shorter journeys between cities.

Potential investors are also looking at Cricket Australia’s media rights deal and the influence of the Australian Cricketers Association. CA is currently three years into a seven-year broadcast agreement. Most BBL teams are reportedly profitable, which could attract investors.

An IPL source told Cricbuzz: “The ECB was difficult; CA is five times tougher to negotiate with.”

Also read: Cricket Australia begins BBL privatisation process with Melbourne Renegades license sale