Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is rewriting the record books every single day. Already the fastest Indian with the fastest ton in the IPL, Sooryavanshi is also the only batter to score two IPL tons in less than 40 balls (35-ball vs Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025, 36-ball ton vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026). On Saturday, Sooryavanshi broke another world record. With a first-ball six against Mohammed Siraj, Sooryavanshi shattered the world record for fastest to 100 T20 sixes. The 15-year-old reached the ‘century’ of sixes in just 514 balls. He is also the youngest player to reach the mark.

Sooryavanshi scored 36 in 16 balls. His innings included three sixes and three fours. All his three sixes came in the powerplay. Sooryavanshi now holds the record for most sixes in the powerplay in an IPL season.

Most sixes in powerplay (1-6 overs) in an IPL season

30* – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (2026)

29 – Abhishek Sharma (2024)

27* – Abhishek Sharma (2026)

22 – Sanath Jayasuriya (2008)

22 – Travis Head (2024)

22 – Yashasvi Jaiswal (2025)

Fifties from captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, along with a late flourish from Washington Sundar, guided Gujarat Titans (GT) to 229/4 in 20 overs against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their Indian Premier League match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday. Put in to bat by RR’s stand-in captain Yashasvi Jaiswal–stepping in for the injured Riyan Parag–the Titans were propelled to a 200+ total by fifties from captain Gill (84 off 44 balls), Sudharsan (55 off 36 balls) and a late cameo of 37* off 20 balls from Sundar.

Gujarat Titans capped off their innings in style, with Sundar and Rahul Tewatia smashing 21 runs in the final over bowled by Tushar Deshpande, who was struck for three sixes.

The Gujarat Titans openers, Gill and Sudharsan, started with a clear intent to exploit the powerplay overs, helped by an 18-run over bowled by RR’s Jofra Archer, who conceded nine extras in the opening over.

Both Gill and Sudharsan dealt in boundaries at regular intervals and guided GT’s score after the Powerplay to 82/0.

While Sudharsan completed his fifty off 30 balls in the ninth over, captain Gill brought up the fourth fifty of this IPL season in the 11th over, also off 30 balls. However, RR’s Yash Raj Punja broke the 118-run opening stand in the same over as he claimed Sudharsan’s wicket. After 11 overs, GT’s score was 119/1.

With ANI inputs 

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Lately, there has been a lot of attention on the decision to bring in WR Jauan Jennings. Doing so gives the Vikings a scary three-headed monster out wide for whoever is passing the pigskin.

Next up for deals was the decision to toss another young d-lineman into the mix. Check out the update from agent Brett Tessler: “The Minnesota Vikings just signed my client Smith Vilbert (DL, UNC / Penn State) to a 3-year deal after he attended their rookie minicamp this weekend.” The length, three years, is the standard for undrafted talent. Playing through the entire contract would mean being a Vikings RFA afterwards.

Vikings Fire Up Next Contract, Sign Young D-Lineman

Lately, there has been a ton of attention on Minnesota’s defensive line.

Most notable, of course, was the surprising decision to opt for the hulking Caleb Banks. The massive defensive tackle coming out Florida doesn’t lack for talent. What could be an issue, though, is his health and technique. Both earned concern moving into the 2026 NFL Draft, which is to say nothing of the firestorm of criticism after using No. 18 to snag him.

Next up was the move for Domonique Orange, a nose tackle who is reasonably referred to as “Big Citrus” due to his size and last name. Expect Mr. Orange to earn snaps early in his career to clog running lanes. He got chosen in the 3rd.

But then there has been a broader effort to insert young talent into the mix, an approach stretching back several years.

A couple of years ago, the Vikings found Jalen Redmond from a rival pro league. He overcame long odds to get onto the roster before becoming the team’s most formidable defensive lineman. He will soon demand meaty money, but Minnesota has him on an insanely-cheap deal at present.

So, too, did Elijah Williams get found late, signed after impressing in the spring. Rugged NT Taki Taimani was a UDFA pickup who has been around the Twin Cities for a couple years already.

Even recent draftees such as Levi Drake Rodriguez (7th) and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (5th) earned modest interest from the NFL. Minnesota, quite evidently, is a spot where these low-profile young lads have a chance to shine.

Alec Lewis of The Athletic offered his two cents on the recent signing: “Vikings sign DL Smith Vilbert after rookie minicamp today. They’ve had very good history with some of these UDFA DL.”

Draft nerd Thor Nystrom (SKOR North) draws a connection between UNC head coach Bill Belichick and Vikings DC Brian Flores, writing, “And like Vikings UDFA CB Marcus Allen, Vilbert started on defense for UNC HC Bill Belichick last season. That still means something to somebody I know.”

During the 2025 season, Smith Vilbert picked up 22 tackles. He had a single sack to stand alongside 6 tackles for loss. Of note, as well, are his 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 passes defended.

Bringing in the new d-lineman follows shortly after signing veteran Eric Johnson, who boasts an impressive nickname: “The Creature.”

On PFF, Vilbert earned a modest 64.3 grade for his effort in 2025. He is listed as being 6’6″ and 282 pounds. His path to the 53-man roster will be a difficult one, but it begins with proving to be a capable special teams helper alongside someone who can soak up snaps in run defense.

Smith played at Penn State before going to UNC.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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Shakur Stevenson has considered how the respective styles of Floyd Mayweather and Terence Crawford would gel in a prime-for-prime showdown.

Several similarities can be drawn between both all-time greats, such as the fact that they retired as unbeaten five-division world champions.

On the flip side, though, it could be said that their extraordinary skills, while being somewhat comparable, were most effective against different styles of opponents.

Some have made the observation that Mayweather, for instance, would encounter moments of difficulty when facing southpaws in the early portion of his career.

As a fighter who could switch seamlessly between stances, it is then tempting to suggest that Crawford would have posed major issues for his countryman.

It must also be said, however, that ‘Bud’ occasionally allowed complacency to get the better of him, perhaps most notably in fights against Yuriorkis Gamboa and Egidijus Kavaliauskas.

Despite defeating both by stoppage, Crawford was made to overcome the slick style of Gamboa, and climb off the canvas – in what was ultimately ruled a no-knockdown – against ‘Mean Machine’.

Based on those two performances, and Mayweather’s apparent difficulty with southpaws, Stevenson has told The Agnew Podcast that it is practically impossible to select a winner at welterweight.

“It’s just hard to say. With both of them guys, they different. I think Floyd, early on in his career, he struggled with southpaws.

“I feel like ‘Bud’ is gonna be a southpaw and probably the best southpaw he’s ever [come up] against.

“But then I’ve seen ‘Bud’ have little issues with guys like ‘Mean Machine’, who was orthodox, and Gamboa was winning some rounds.

“It’s a 50/50 thing [with Mayweather and Crawford] – you just never know who would come in on-point and win that fight.”

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While Stevenson highlights Mayweather’s history against southpaws as a point of weakness, it is difficult to ignore the fact that against Manny Pacquiao, a naturally aggressive lefty, the American was able to produce a 12-round masterclass.

Manchester City fans unfurled a banner at the end of their last match at the Etihad: Panic on the streets of London. Arsenal had been defeated and Pep Guardiola’s side were, for the first time in the season, favourites to win the Premier League.

As the manager wrote in his programme notes, a lot has happened since then. And as Blues arrived at the ground and saw the teamsheet then if panic wasn’t quite the word there was certainly worry at the decision to replace Nico Gonzalez with Tijjani Reinders.

It wasn’t about the change of personnel – Gonzalez was pretty poor at Everton – but the idea of conceding three goals in 15 minutes and then replacing your holding midfielder with an attacking one is very much out of the Guardiola playbook that sets everybody on edge. The loss of Abdukodir Khusanov to injury, replaced by Nathan Ake, hardly helped matters.

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This isn’t Guardiola’s first rodeo though and while Brentford predictably threatened from set-pieces it was City who dominated possession in the first half. Just like the Everton game though, it simply wasn’t good enough in the final third as shots were either rushed off straight into a Brentford block or blasted high and wide of the goal.

The officials were slow to Brentford slowing the game down and were booed off at half-time – not the home team, before the fake news spreads – but City were just as culpable. As 45 minutes turned to 60 without a breakthrough, the visitors grew in confidence and the defence had to be alert just to keep the score level.

Then came the double substitution that proved decisive. Phil Foden and Omar Marmoush had only been on the pitch for a few seconds when Jeremy Doku took a short corner, saw his pass bounce back to him and curled in an unstoppable effort past Caiomhin Kelleher.

That is now four goals in three games for Doku since he gave an interview saying he needed to score more, and it was richly deserved for being by far City’s best attacker up to that point. Panic turned to pandemonium in the stands as all the anxiety in the stands blew away.

It wasn’t that City hadn’t been trying before but suddenly the whole place was alive. Guardiola instantly called his centre-backs over to instruct calm and then, having been kept quiet for most of the game, Haaland found some space and bundled in a second goal.

Just as important, minutes later he was chasing down the left flank racing after a lost cause of a ball just to prevent Brentford from easily getting the ball forward. And the Norwegian put City into dreamland when he put Omar Marmoush through to add a third and boost that goal difference just in case something happens.

City fans sang of Steven Gerrard’s slip, trying to manifest an Arsenal mistake at West Ham on Sunday, and then it was onto the boys in blue (coming after you). Regardless, it was a City performance for the supporters to be proud of – summed up by the running of Haaland and the team as much as the goals.

Goals from Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush help Manchester City beat Brentford 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium to secure a vital win in the Premier League title race, as City move two points behind leaders Arsenal with three games remaining.

MATCH REPORT: Premier League – Manchester City 3-0 Brentford

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After barely escaping with a win in the third round, Coco Gauff revealed that she had been struggling with personal problems, which she took with her onto the court, resulting in a lack of motivation and a tough day for her at the Italian Open.

The World No. 4 American toiled at Foro Italico against Argentina’s Solana Sierra but managed to keep her campaign alive. Gauff produced 25 unforced errors, lost the opening set and trailed 0-3 in the decisive set before scripting a comeback story.

Her frustration level crossed the line of control after Sierra broke her serve in the opening set to take a 5-6 lead. Frustrated with how the game panned out, the 22-year-old briefly struck herself on the head with the racket. Despite a sluggish outing, Gauff survived the scare and qualified for the next round with a 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 win.

In the aftermath of the fixture, Gauff explained that she has been going through personal issues for a few months. She has carried it on the court, which has left her bereft of the pleasure of enjoying her time on the court.

“It was a tough day for me. One of those days I just didn’t feel motivated to go on the court. Then when you’re on the court, you’re motivated. You get too frustrated,” Coco Gauff said (via Tennis Now).

“No, mental. Just personal things off court that I’m just trying to get through, but then you also remember how much fun you have. I think my regret today was not enjoying the battle, for sure. I’ve been going through it for a few months. I mean, good days and bad days, yeah,” she added.

Gauff, seeded third, will continue her campaign in Rome, and her next opponent will be the winner of the clash between Iva Jovic or Taylor Townsend.

Coco Gauff supports French Open boycott ahead of title defense

After the Italian Open, Coco Gauff will shift her focus on her title defence at the Roland Garros later this month. However, the prestigious Grand Slam has found itself under scrutiny and boycott threats before she commences her title defence.

Top players across the men’s and women’s categories, including Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and others, have threatened to boycott the tournament. The controversy erupted due to a conflict over the prize money distribution between players and the organisers.

Gauff admitted that she can see a scenario where players boycott the French Open, but only if everyone stands together. She cited WNBA basketball players as an example to put emphasis on her point.

“It’s not about me, It’s about the future of our sport and the current players who aren’t getting as much benefits as even some of the top players are getting, when it comes to like sponsorship and things like that. We’re making money off court. Just taking what the WNBA accomplished. They also have a union, so I think that helps,” Coco Gauff commented.

While the fate of the tournament hangs in balance, reports indicate that players are expected to arrive in Paris for a crisis meeting before the French Open begins.