Youssef Shines as East Bengal Thrash Sporting Club Delhi 4-1
East Bengal delivered a commanding performance to outclass Sporting Club Delhi 4-1 in an action-packed encounter at Salt Lake. After conceding an early goal, the Red and Gold showed strong character, controlled the tempo, and attacked with intent to turn the game completely in their favour with clinical finishing and sustained pressure. Delhi struck first. Augustine scored in the 4th minute. He received the ball inside the box, beat his marker, and fired a low shot across goal. Gill reacted quickly but could not stop it. The ball found the far corner. East Bengal responded almost immediately in front of a roaring crowd. Edmund equalised. Bipin’s inswinging free-kick was cleared, and the ball fell outside the box. Edmund hit a first-time volley. The shot was on target. Keeper Vishal Yadav failed to hold it, and the ball slipped into the net. Then came the turning point. Youssef Ezzejjari put East Bengal ahead from the spot. The Spaniard used a stuttering run-up and calmly slotted the penalty as the keeper went the wrong way. He struck again in the 40th minute. Miguel delivered a precise assist into the box. Ezzejjari timed his run well and finished clinically to complete his brace and make it 3-1. Sporting Club Delhi created chances after the break. They pushed forward and tried to build attacks. But they failed to convert their opportunities. East Bengal sealed the match in stoppage time. Miguel scored in the 90+5th minute. He ran freely into the final third, cut near the edge of the box, and curled a fine shot into the far corner. A perfect finish. A crushing 4-1 win for the Red and Gold.
Siraj Out Of Field; India Wound With Fresh Injury Before Facing South Africa
India suffered an injury scare ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match against South Africa. Mohammed Siraj was hit on his left knee during training in Ahmedabad. The shot came from Hardik Pandya. Siraj was in pain and “hobbled out of the nets” at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The incident adds to India’s fitness concerns in the tournament. Jasprit Bumrah and Abhishek Sharma have already missed one match each due to illness. Washington Sundar was also unwell earlier. Before the World Cup, Harshit Rana was ruled out with an injury, leading to Siraj’s late inclusion in the squad. Siraj has played only one match so far, against the USA. He took three wickets in that game. In other matches, India preferred Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI. India are currently in Ahmedabad for the crucial Super 8 clash against South Africa. It is being seen as a rematch of the 2024 final. A win will push India closer to the semi-finals. Meanwhile, bowling coach Morne Morkel backed Varun Chakaravarthy. He called him a key strike bowler but stressed team support. “Varun is obviously a strike bowler for us,” Morkel said at the pre-match press conference. “He’s done really well in the World Cup and even before the tournament. He’s a go-to guy for us along with Bumrah and the other bowlers who can take wickets,” he added. Morkel also hinted that Varun’s impact depends on support from the rest of the attack, saying the mystery spinner becomes “even more effective when the entire bowling unit builds pressure together.”
