The California Knights registered their first win of the US Masters T10 League with a massive win as they beat Texas Chargers by 48 runs at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, Florida, on Saturday. The Knights put up a total of 158/1 before restricting the Chargers to 110/8 in their 10 overs.
The Knights went on a rampage despite the loss of an early wicket when they won the toss and chose to bat first. The Knights’ opening batter Aaron Finch departed in the very first over after being caught out by Fidel Edwards for a duck.
However, Jacques Kallis pulled the momentum towards the Knights through four boundaries off Sohail Tanvir’s bowling in the second over. Milind Kumar also joined the party in the fourth over as he struck three sixes and a boundary off Pragyan Ojha’s bowling.
Kallis played an incredible knock of 64* runs from 31 balls while Kumar smashed 76* runs off 28 balls to help the Knights post a target of 150 after their 10 overs. The duo struck 15 fours and 9 sixes during the course of their innings.
In reply, the Chargers’ Mohammad Hafeez fell to Peter Siddle for two runs in as many balls in the first over. However, Mukhtar Ahmed struck consecutive sixes and took the Chargers’ score to 19/1 for a fiery start. Ahmed smashed two more sixes off Krishmar Santokie’s bowling as the Chargers were comfortably placed at 54/1 at the end of the third over. A close game was on the cards.
Milind Kumar of California Knights celebrating his half century with Jacques Kallis. Saikat Das / ACEIMAGES
However, Ashley Nurse stopped the flow of runs by dismissing Ben Dunk and Mukhtar in the fourth over. Thereafter, the Knights kept picking up wickets at regular intervals and eventually walked off the field as winners.
On the opening day on Friday, Richard Levi (66 from 25 balls) powered New York Warriors to a six-run victory over Morrisville Unity. It was the only result on Day 1 with the first two matches washed out by rain. All the matches are being held at the same venue.
Brief Scores:
California Knights 158/1 (Milind Kumar 76*, Jacques Kallis 64*, Fidel Edwards 1/24) beat Texas Chargers 110/8 (Mukhtar Ahmed 33, Upul Tharanga 27, Ashley Nurse 3/12) by 48 runs.
New York Warriors 124/3 (Richard Levi 66, Kamran Akmal 24 n.o, Obus Pienaar 1/18) beat Morrisville Unity 118/5 (Obus Pienaar 35, Shehan Jayasuriya 28*, Umaid Asif 3/22) by 6 runs.
In a dramatic twist from the chessboard to the Wild West, the world’s top chess players swapped pawns for pistols, sieves, and lassos in this year’s edition of Norway Chess Games.
Held on a tournament rest day, the tradition of light-hearted competition continued in unforgettable fashion with the “Chess Cowboy Challenge”, a high-spirited showdown in Westernbyen, a Western-themed village in Ålgård, just outside Stavanger.
This year’s participants was -the star-studded lineup from Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh was unfortunately not able to join, and stepping in was Ella Carlsen, wife of Magnus, proving to be quite the sharpshooter in more ways than one.
Adopting their new Western personas, the players embraced the theme wholeheartedly:
Magnus “The Lone GOAT” Carlsen Caruana “The Sicilian Sniper” Hikaru “The Blitz Bandit” Nakamura Arjun “No Slip” Erigaisi Wei “The Quiet Storm” Yi Gukesh “The Chennai Sharpshooter” D
Vaishali “The Rising Rider” Rameshbabu Anna “Ice Veins” Muzychuk Humpy “The Hammer” Koneru Lei “The Lockdown” Tingjie Ju “No-Loss” Wenjun Ella Carlsen (stepping in as an honorary cowgirl)
With nicknames as fierce as their over-the-board styles, the competitors were more than ready to tackle the cowboy gauntlet ahead.
The Chess Cowboy Challenge took them through a series of wild tasks. They faced the Sheriff’s memory test in a jail escape, sought enlightenment by solving the priest’s riddle in the chapel, mined for gold, and tried their hand at axe throwing beside the church. Air rifles, lasso tosses, cowboy quizzes at the pleasure house, and classic horseshoe throws added to the flavor of the day, with real horses roaming the scene for that authentic atmosphere.
Each team, made up of one male and one female player, competed across all stations as they worked their way through the village.
Final Standings:
1st place: Magnus & Ella Carlsen — crowned Chess Sheriffs
2nd place: Hikaru Nakamura & Anna Muzychuk
3rd place: Fabiano Caruana & Vaishali Rameshbabu
4th place: Gukesh D & Ju Wenjun
5th place: Wei Yi & Lei Tingjie
6th place: Arjun Erigaisi & Humpy Koneru
About Norway Chess Games
Norway Chess Games is an annual tradition held during the tournament’s rest day. It gives the world’s best players a break from intense competition and a chance to connect in creative, unexpected ways. Previous editions have included:
Chess Chefs– a culinary battle where players cooked for top chefs
Cake Decorating Challenge– full of icing, sprinkles, and strategy
Farmer for a Day– featuring hand-milking cows and driving tractors
Design Your Own Knit Sweater– where players designed patterns later hand-knitted into real sweaters as unique keepsakes
India’s cricket superstar Virat Kohli has become an investor in the World Bowling League (WBL), a Dubai-founded initiative set to reinvent bowling as a fast-paced, global spectator sport.
Kohli joins Major League Baseball (MLB) icon Mookie Betts as a high-profile partner in the WBL, which was launched by Dubai-based entrepreneur Adi K. Mishra. The league is reimagining the traditional game with a dynamic format featuring mixed-gender teams, international tournaments, and a modern media-first approach aimed at younger audiences.
With franchises expected in Dubai and other global cities, the WBL plans to host 12 to 15 tournaments annually across the United States, Europe, and Asia, as part of its ambitious five-year growth plan.
“When I discovered Virat is also a bowler, it was exciting to align with this new-age vision for the sport,” said Mishra, founder and CEO of League Sports Co.
Kohli, one of the most followed athletes in the world on social media, revealed a long-standing personal connection to the sport.
“I started bowling when I was 11 years old,” Kohli said. “It’s clear how popular the sport is, yet it remains underappreciated as a business.”
The 36-year-old’s global influence and passion for sport are expected to significantly boost the league’s visibility and credibility as it enters its debut season. The WBL aims to position bowling not just as a recreational activity but as an engaging, competitive, and commercially viable sport with global appeal.
After a difficult season that saw Manchester City fall short of their lofty standards, Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has assured fans the team will bounce back in 2025 with renewed hunger and ambition.
Speaking in his annual end-of-season interview, published on the club’s website, Al Mubarak acknowledged that the recently concluded campaign was below par by City’s expectations. The team, which previously captured a historic Treble in 2022/23 and a record fourth consecutive Premier League title in 2023/24, ended this season with only the Community Shield to show.
“This season is now behind us,” Al Mubarak said. “Today is a new day. We’ve already started preparing for next season – in fact, we’ve been doing that since January.”
Transfer plans in motion
With the FIFA Club World Cup in June fast approaching, Al Mubarak confirmed that City are targeting new signings this summer to strengthen Pep Guardiola’s squad.
“We will take all the good things and the not-so-good things from this season, learn from them, and come back stronger,” he said.
“The club will do everything possible to return to the standards we know we can achieve.”
He also revealed that top-level discussions were already underway, with Director of Football Txiki Begiristain, CEO Ferran Soriano, manager Pep Guardiola, and Football Partnerships Director Hugo Viana all working closely on transfer strategy.
“I just got off the phone with Ferran. He spent the day with Txiki, Pep, and Hugo today. We finished our last game yesterday, and today we’re working. Nobody’s going on vacation yet,” he added.
Hunger in the squad
Despite the underwhelming season, the mood in the dressing room remains determined and focused. Al Mubarak attended City’s final game of the campaign, a 2-0 win at Fulham, and noted a strong sense of motivation among the players.
“Everyone I saw after the Fulham game was excited about coming back,” he said.
“They’re hungry. Rodri is already looking for games. Erling [Haaland] didn’t want to go on vacation, he wanted to stay with the physios and prepare for next season. That’s the attitude you want.”
Al Mubarak’s confidence in the club’s future stems from this player-driven determination and the leadership’s proactive approach to the upcoming transfer window.
“We’re going to come back strong, with a lot of positivity,” he said. “And I can assure you – we will be back competing for the biggest prizes next season.”