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ATP: Ben Shelton sinks Blockx to reach Munich quarters American second seed Ben Shelton is through to the quarter-finals of the ATP event in Munich after beating Belgian Alexander Blockx 6-4, 7-6 (10/8) on Wednesday.The 21-year-old Belgian wildcard, ranked 72nd in the world, pushed the world number six deep into a second-set tie-break but Shelton dug in to hold him at bay and secure victory in just over one hour and 45 minutes.Shelton, who blasted four aces and saved three of three break points across the match, will face Brazilian rising star Joao Fonseca in the last eight.The American is still chasing a first clay court title, having lost the final in Munich last year to Alexander Zverev.Three-time champion Zverev, who is again the top seed on home soil, faces Canadian Gabriel Diallo in their last-16 clash.Earlier on Wednesday, French world number 26 and seventh seed Arthur Rinderknech was eliminated by Fonseca 6-3, 6-2.The 19-year-old Brazilian, who also beat Rinderknech in Monte Carlo earlier in April, prevailed in one hour and 21 minutes.Published on Apr 15, 2026 #ATP #Ben #Shelton #sinks #Blockx #reach #Munich #quarters

ATP: Ben Shelton sinks Blockx to reach Munich quarters

American second seed Ben Shelton is through to the quarter-finals of the ATP event in Munich after beating Belgian Alexander Blockx 6-4, 7-6 (10/8) on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Belgian wildcard, ranked 72nd in the world, pushed the world number six deep into a second-set tie-break but Shelton dug in to hold him at bay and secure victory in just over one hour and 45 minutes.

Shelton, who blasted four aces and saved three of three break points across the match, will face Brazilian rising star Joao Fonseca in the last eight.

The American is still chasing a first clay court title, having lost the final in Munich last year to Alexander Zverev.

Three-time champion Zverev, who is again the top seed on home soil, faces Canadian Gabriel Diallo in their last-16 clash.

Earlier on Wednesday, French world number 26 and seventh seed Arthur Rinderknech was eliminated by Fonseca 6-3, 6-2.

The 19-year-old Brazilian, who also beat Rinderknech in Monte Carlo earlier in April, prevailed in one hour and 21 minutes.

Published on Apr 15, 2026

#ATP #Ben #Shelton #sinks #Blockx #reach #Munich #quarters

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American second seed Ben Shelton is through to the quarter-finals of the ATP event in Munich after beating Belgian Alexander Blockx 6-4, 7-6 (10/8) on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Belgian wildcard, ranked 72nd in the world, pushed the world number six deep into a second-set tie-break but Shelton dug in to hold him at bay and secure victory in just over one hour and 45 minutes.

Shelton, who blasted four aces and saved three of three break points across the match, will face Brazilian rising star Joao Fonseca in the last eight.

The American is still chasing a first clay court title, having lost the final in Munich last year to Alexander Zverev.

Three-time champion Zverev, who is again the top seed on home soil, faces Canadian Gabriel Diallo in their last-16 clash.

Earlier on Wednesday, French world number 26 and seventh seed Arthur Rinderknech was eliminated by Fonseca 6-3, 6-2.

The 19-year-old Brazilian, who also beat Rinderknech in Monte Carlo earlier in April, prevailed in one hour and 21 minutes.

Published on Apr 15, 2026

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Deadspin | FIFA president Gianni Infantino: Iran ‘for sure’ playing in World Cup <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/Sa57d0ae8-8ea1-4211-9c74-a4912f6a389e.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/Sa57d0ae8-8ea1-4211-9c74-a4912f6a389e.jpg" alt="FIFA President Gianni Infantino Holds World Cup Trophy" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds the FIFA World Cup trophy at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22, 2026. <!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Despite Iran’s sports minister stating that the country cannot participate amid the war with the United States, along with President Donald Trump voicing concerns for the players’ “life and safety,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino is confident Iran will play in the FIFA World Cup this summer in North America.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>“We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help,” Infantino told CNBC on Tuesday. “But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Infantino said he was recently in Antalya, Turkey, to visit with the Iranian team at its training camp and said the team wants to participate in the World Cup.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>“They should play — sports should be outside of politics,” Infantino said. “Now, OK — we don’t live on the moon, we live on planet Earth, but if there is nobody else that believes in building bridges and in keeping them intact and together, well we are doing that.”</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>Iran, one of the first teams to qualify for the World Cup — which is projected to generate more than $11 billion in revenue — is scheduled to play all three of its group stages in the U.S. </p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>Iran is slated to open against New Zealand on June 15 then face Belgium on June 21, with both matches in Los Angeles. On June 26, Iran is scheduled to oppose Egypt in Seattle. Should Iran advance, the rest of its games would also be held in the U.S.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-7"> <p>Iran requested FIFA move its games to Mexico, which is hosting games along with the U.S. and Canada, but was denied. </p> </section> <section id="section-8"> <p>A national team has not withdrawn from a FIFA World Cup since 1950, the first tournament held after World War II.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>The cost of tickets and the safety of the millions of fans traveling from all over the world have also been significant concerns for organizers.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>Amid “an unprecedented demand for tickets,” Infantino said there were more than 500 million ticket requests.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>“Security is obviously key, it’s crucial, it’s important,” he said. “You can, of course, always hear and read there are bans or this and that, but the fact is, we received ticket requests from all 211 countries. Everybody’s coming and everybody wants to come.”</p> </section><section id="section-12"> <p>So for Infantino, what would qualify as a successful World Cup?</p> </section><section id="section-13"> <p>“A win would be that we have a successful World Cup from a security point of view, so no incidents,” he said. “And from a football point of view, great matches, great games, excitement for the people.”</p> </section><br/><section id="section-14"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section> </div> #Deadspin #FIFA #president #Gianni #Infantino #Iran #playing #World #Cup

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Deadspin | WTA roundup: Two-time Stuttgart champ Iga Swiatek into quarterfinals Mar 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Iga Swiatek (POL) hits a backhand against Magda Linette (POL) (not pictured) on day three of the 2026 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images In her first match with new clay-court coach Francisco Roig, former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek cruised past Laura Siegemund of Germany 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany. Swiatek, a two-time champion at Stuttgart who is seeded No. 3, failed to capitalize on an early break in the opening set, but rebounded by breaking Siegemund in the sixth and eighth games. In the second set, the six-time Grand Slam champion missed out on another early break but again broke her opponent in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead before closing out the match. Swiatek, who had a first-round bye, is on to the quarterfinals. Qualifier Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey pulled off a sizable upset, taking down fifth-seeded Jasmine Paolini of Italy 6-2, 6-2 in a one-hour, 16-minute match. Sönmez landed 72% of her first serves and also won 62.5% percent of second-return points, while Paolini failed to convert her lone break-point opportunities and won just 41.8% of total points. Fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine was among the other winners, dominating Eva Lys of Germany 6-1, 6-0. Sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva of Russia took down defending champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, American qualifier Alycia Parks defeated German wild card Noma Noha Akugue 6-4, 6-2, and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic outlasted Zhang Shuai of China 5-7, 6-1, 6-4. Rouen Metropolitan Open Unseeded Katie Boulter of Great Britain pulled off an upset of No. 3 seed Jaqueline Cristian of Romania, winning 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals at Rouen, France. Boulter, who has won just once on the WTA Tour, survived a tough first set that saw her take a 5-0 lead in the tiebreaker, only for Cristian to save five set points before Boulter prevailed. Cristian rebounded in the second set, but Boulter cruised in the third set, breaking Cristian twice en route to the win. Top-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine dropped the opening set to unseeded American Caty McNally, then bounced back for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory to reach the quarterfinals. Kostyuk will face fifth-seeded American Ann Li, who notched a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 triumph over unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan. Unseeded Tatjana Maria of Germany upset No. 9 seed Elsa Jacquemot of France 6-4, 6-3. Other winners included No. 2 seed Sorana Cirstea of Romania, Anna Bondar of Hungary and Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #WTA #roundup #Twotime #Stuttgart #champ #Iga #Swiatek #quarterfinalsMar 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Iga Swiatek (POL) hits a backhand against Magda Linette (POL) (not pictured) on day three of the 2026 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

In her first match with new clay-court coach Francisco Roig, former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek cruised past Laura Siegemund of Germany 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.

Swiatek, a two-time champion at Stuttgart who is seeded No. 3, failed to capitalize on an early break in the opening set, but rebounded by breaking Siegemund in the sixth and eighth games. In the second set, the six-time Grand Slam champion missed out on another early break but again broke her opponent in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead before closing out the match. Swiatek, who had a first-round bye, is on to the quarterfinals.

Qualifier Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey pulled off a sizable upset, taking down fifth-seeded Jasmine Paolini of Italy 6-2, 6-2 in a one-hour, 16-minute match. Sönmez landed 72% of her first serves and also won 62.5% percent of second-return points, while Paolini failed to convert her lone break-point opportunities and won just 41.8% of total points.

Fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine was among the other winners, dominating Eva Lys of Germany 6-1, 6-0. Sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva of Russia took down defending champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, American qualifier Alycia Parks defeated German wild card Noma Noha Akugue 6-4, 6-2, and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic outlasted Zhang Shuai of China 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.


Rouen Metropolitan Open

Unseeded Katie Boulter of Great Britain pulled off an upset of No. 3 seed Jaqueline Cristian of Romania, winning 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals at Rouen, France.

Boulter, who has won just once on the WTA Tour, survived a tough first set that saw her take a 5-0 lead in the tiebreaker, only for Cristian to save five set points before Boulter prevailed. Cristian rebounded in the second set, but Boulter cruised in the third set, breaking Cristian twice en route to the win.

Top-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine dropped the opening set to unseeded American Caty McNally, then bounced back for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory to reach the quarterfinals. Kostyuk will face fifth-seeded American Ann Li, who notched a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 triumph over unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan. Unseeded Tatjana Maria of Germany upset No. 9 seed Elsa Jacquemot of France 6-4, 6-3. Other winners included No. 2 seed Sorana Cirstea of Romania, Anna Bondar of Hungary and Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #WTA #roundup #Twotime #Stuttgart #champ #Iga #Swiatek #quarterfinals">Deadspin | WTA roundup: Two-time Stuttgart champ Iga Swiatek into quarterfinals Mar 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Iga Swiatek (POL) hits a backhand against Magda Linette (POL) (not pictured) on day three of the 2026 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images In her first match with new clay-court coach Francisco Roig, former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek cruised past Laura Siegemund of Germany 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany. Swiatek, a two-time champion at Stuttgart who is seeded No. 3, failed to capitalize on an early break in the opening set, but rebounded by breaking Siegemund in the sixth and eighth games. In the second set, the six-time Grand Slam champion missed out on another early break but again broke her opponent in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead before closing out the match. Swiatek, who had a first-round bye, is on to the quarterfinals. Qualifier Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey pulled off a sizable upset, taking down fifth-seeded Jasmine Paolini of Italy 6-2, 6-2 in a one-hour, 16-minute match. Sönmez landed 72% of her first serves and also won 62.5% percent of second-return points, while Paolini failed to convert her lone break-point opportunities and won just 41.8% of total points. Fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine was among the other winners, dominating Eva Lys of Germany 6-1, 6-0. Sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva of Russia took down defending champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, American qualifier Alycia Parks defeated German wild card Noma Noha Akugue 6-4, 6-2, and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic outlasted Zhang Shuai of China 5-7, 6-1, 6-4. Rouen Metropolitan Open Unseeded Katie Boulter of Great Britain pulled off an upset of No. 3 seed Jaqueline Cristian of Romania, winning 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals at Rouen, France. Boulter, who has won just once on the WTA Tour, survived a tough first set that saw her take a 5-0 lead in the tiebreaker, only for Cristian to save five set points before Boulter prevailed. Cristian rebounded in the second set, but Boulter cruised in the third set, breaking Cristian twice en route to the win. Top-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine dropped the opening set to unseeded American Caty McNally, then bounced back for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory to reach the quarterfinals. Kostyuk will face fifth-seeded American Ann Li, who notched a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 triumph over unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan. Unseeded Tatjana Maria of Germany upset No. 9 seed Elsa Jacquemot of France 6-4, 6-3. Other winners included No. 2 seed Sorana Cirstea of Romania, Anna Bondar of Hungary and Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #WTA #roundup #Twotime #Stuttgart #champ #Iga #Swiatek #quarterfinals

Deadspin | ATP roundup: Ben Shelton continues successful run at BMW Open Ben Shelton keeps his eyes on the ball during his second-round match against Reilly Opelka at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Friday, March 6, 2026. Second-seeded Ben Shelton saved two set points in the second set, including one in the tiebreaker, in knocking off Belgian wild card Alexander Blockx 6-4, 7-6 (8) on Wednesday in the BMW Open’s second round in Munich, Germany. Ranked No. 6 in the world, Shelton is 6-1 all-time in Munich, where he reached the clay-court final in 2025 and lost to Germany’s Alexander Zverev. Shelton saved all three break points in the match against Blockx and had more winners (26-11) and aces (4-0) as well as double faults (2-0) and unforced errors (32-15). Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, the fourth seed, downed Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-2, 6-3, but other seeds didn’t fare as well. Czech Vit Kopriva upset eighth-seeded Luciano Darderi of Italy 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, and Brazil’s Joao Fonseca defeated seventh-seeded Arthur Rinderknech of France 6-3, 6-2. Fonseca, 19, takes on Shelton in the quarterfinals. Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan completed his match suspended by darkness on Tuesday with a 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday. Barcelona Open Wild card Rafael Jodar became the third Spanish teenager this century to reach the Barcelona quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli in one hour, 30 minutes. The other two teens were all-time great Rafael Nadal (2005-06) and current World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz (2022-23), who pulled out of the event due to a right wrist injury sustained in a victory on Tuesday. Jodar, No. 47 in the world, will face seventh-seeded Cameron Norrie of Great Britain, who beat Ethan Quinn 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Serbian qualifier Hamad Medjedovic upset third-seeded Alex de Minaur of Australia 6-3, 6-4, and will take on Portugal’s Nuno Borges, who defeated Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 7-6 (4). –Field Level Media #Deadspin #ATP #roundup #Ben #Shelton #continues #successful #run #BMW #OpenBen Shelton keeps his eyes on the ball during his second-round match against Reilly Opelka at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Friday, March 6, 2026.

Second-seeded Ben Shelton saved two set points in the second set, including one in the tiebreaker, in knocking off Belgian wild card Alexander Blockx 6-4, 7-6 (8) on Wednesday in the BMW Open’s second round in Munich, Germany.

Ranked No. 6 in the world, Shelton is 6-1 all-time in Munich, where he reached the clay-court final in 2025 and lost to Germany’s Alexander Zverev. Shelton saved all three break points in the match against Blockx and had more winners (26-11) and aces (4-0) as well as double faults (2-0) and unforced errors (32-15).

Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, the fourth seed, downed Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-2, 6-3, but other seeds didn’t fare as well. Czech Vit Kopriva upset eighth-seeded Luciano Darderi of Italy 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, and Brazil’s Joao Fonseca defeated seventh-seeded Arthur Rinderknech of France 6-3, 6-2. Fonseca, 19, takes on Shelton in the quarterfinals.

Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan completed his match suspended by darkness on Tuesday with a 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday.


Barcelona Open

Wild card Rafael Jodar became the third Spanish teenager this century to reach the Barcelona quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli in one hour, 30 minutes.

The other two teens were all-time great Rafael Nadal (2005-06) and current World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz (2022-23), who pulled out of the event due to a right wrist injury sustained in a victory on Tuesday.

Jodar, No. 47 in the world, will face seventh-seeded Cameron Norrie of Great Britain, who beat Ethan Quinn 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Serbian qualifier Hamad Medjedovic upset third-seeded Alex de Minaur of Australia 6-3, 6-4, and will take on Portugal’s Nuno Borges, who defeated Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 7-6 (4).

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #ATP #roundup #Ben #Shelton #continues #successful #run #BMW #Open">Deadspin | ATP roundup: Ben Shelton continues successful run at BMW Open Ben Shelton keeps his eyes on the ball during his second-round match against Reilly Opelka at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Friday, March 6, 2026. Second-seeded Ben Shelton saved two set points in the second set, including one in the tiebreaker, in knocking off Belgian wild card Alexander Blockx 6-4, 7-6 (8) on Wednesday in the BMW Open’s second round in Munich, Germany. Ranked No. 6 in the world, Shelton is 6-1 all-time in Munich, where he reached the clay-court final in 2025 and lost to Germany’s Alexander Zverev. Shelton saved all three break points in the match against Blockx and had more winners (26-11) and aces (4-0) as well as double faults (2-0) and unforced errors (32-15). Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, the fourth seed, downed Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-2, 6-3, but other seeds didn’t fare as well. Czech Vit Kopriva upset eighth-seeded Luciano Darderi of Italy 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, and Brazil’s Joao Fonseca defeated seventh-seeded Arthur Rinderknech of France 6-3, 6-2. Fonseca, 19, takes on Shelton in the quarterfinals. Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan completed his match suspended by darkness on Tuesday with a 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday. Barcelona Open Wild card Rafael Jodar became the third Spanish teenager this century to reach the Barcelona quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli in one hour, 30 minutes. The other two teens were all-time great Rafael Nadal (2005-06) and current World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz (2022-23), who pulled out of the event due to a right wrist injury sustained in a victory on Tuesday. Jodar, No. 47 in the world, will face seventh-seeded Cameron Norrie of Great Britain, who beat Ethan Quinn 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Serbian qualifier Hamad Medjedovic upset third-seeded Alex de Minaur of Australia 6-3, 6-4, and will take on Portugal’s Nuno Borges, who defeated Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 7-6 (4). –Field Level Media #Deadspin #ATP #roundup #Ben #Shelton #continues #successful #run #BMW #Open

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Captain Ajinkya Rahane has been fined Rs 12 lakh for maintaining a slow over-rate during its Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) here.

Last-placed KKR extended its winless run this season as it went down by 32 runs to CSK here on Tuesday.

“Kolkata Knight Riders Captain Ajinkya Rahane has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match No. 22 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai,” said an IPL media advisory.

“As this was his team’s first offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences, Rahane was fined INR 12 lakhs,” it added.

KKR will take on Gujarat Titans next in Ahmedabad on Friday.

(with inputs from PTI)

Published on Apr 15, 2026

#IPL #Rahane #fined #lakh #KKRs #slow #rate #CSK">IPL 2026: Rahane fined Rs 12 lakh for KKR’s slow over rate against CSK Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Captain Ajinkya Rahane has been fined Rs 12 lakh for maintaining a slow over-rate during its Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) here.Last-placed KKR extended its winless run this season as it went down by 32 runs to CSK here on Tuesday.“Kolkata Knight Riders Captain Ajinkya Rahane has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match No. 22 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against Chennai Super Kings at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai,” said an IPL media advisory.“As this was his team’s first offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences, Rahane was fined INR 12 lakhs,” it added.KKR will take on Gujarat Titans next in Ahmedabad on Friday.(with inputs from PTI)Published on Apr 15, 2026 #IPL #Rahane #fined #lakh #KKRs #slow #rate #CSK

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