Lexie Hull remembers what it was like playing for the Indiana Fever before Caitlin Clark arrived in town.
It’s different now. The arenas are louder, the opposing players are more motivated and social media is more volatile.
“The most challenging part is there’s just so much scrutiny. People have opinions online, and, unfortunately, that’s part of the job and the role that we play,” Hull told Fox News Digital about what’s harder about playing in Indiana since 2024.
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“People need to know that everyone’s human. We’re real people. I think when things get blown out of proportion, when things get really personal and there’s personal attacks on people’s character, I think that’s where it gets over the line.”
Lexie Hull, left, and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever during a game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena June 27, 2024, in Seattle.(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
When asked if she has been the target of personal attacks online, Hull said, “I’m sure I have. I try not to read comments for that reason.”
Much of the controversial social media discourse about the Fever stems from heated moments on the court over the last two seasons. Clark and Fever fans often expressed outrage at times when an opposing player fouled her or delivered a physical play against Clark without a foul being called.
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Hull was drafted by the Fever in 2022 and played two full seasons in a quieter, less-crowded Gainbridge Fieldhouse than the one she has played in the last two years, falling short of the playoffs both years.
But when Clark was drafted in 2024, Hull’s team became the center of the women’s basketball world.
Hull says she noticed a difference in how opposing players started to perform against her team that year, which she credits to the surge in popularity.
“Because of the fans that we’ve gotten since 2024, with the rise in, I think, like, popularity with the Indiana Fever being like a name that people know. … And there’s a million Fever jerseys and Fever shirts. I think, like, as an opposing team, you’d want to win even more because you feel there’s so many people rooting,” Hull said.
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“It’s exciting to have that type of following across the country, and I think, like, for other teams, they have great fans and great people that show up for them, and they want to perform for those people, just like we want to perform for ours.”
When asked if she believes games have gotten more physical as a result, Hull said, “I think just the game itself is physical. I don’t know if it’s gotten any more physical. I think social media amplifies a lot of that.
“I think people want to win. I think people just want to win. … [The games] are all physical. … They all get chippy at times. Calls get made, calls don’t get made. That’s just part of the game.”
The Indiana Fevers’ Lexie Hull, Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham watch as the Golden State Valkyries celebrate their 88-77 win in a WNBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco June 19, 2025.(Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
During a game between the Fever and the Connecticut Sun June 17, physicality boiled into a brawl. After Sun guard Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye and fellow Sun player Marina Mabrey shoved Clark to the ground, Fever star Sophie Cunningham committed a hard foul on Sheldon, initiating an on-court fight that resulted in three ejections.
When asked if she believes her team is prepared for a similar incident in 2026, Hull said, “It shouldn’t get to that point.”
Instead, Hull said she is focused on helping her team win a championship. And she embraces all the attention and popularity despite the challenges that come with it.
“Growing up, I didn’t necessarily watch the WNBA as much, didn’t have dreams of playing in the league at a young age, and now girls have the ability to watch us, see us, dream about being professional athletes. And that’s what’s been the most rewarding part about it,” Hull said of the positives that come with the attention.
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She came one game shy of reaching the WNBA Finals last year, leading the Fever through the playoffs after Clark and Cunningham were lost for the season with injuries. In a career-best year, Hull averaged career highs in points (7.2), rebounds (4.3), and assists (1.8) while shooting 36.7% from 3-point range and appearing in all 44 games.
In the playoffs, she averaged10.3 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 8 games. It all came to an end in a 107-98 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals.
With Clark and Cunningham healthy and back this year, the Fever go into 2026 as a top contender for the title.
“Tasting that and being so close and feeling like we have so much more to give, I think that just changes our mindset a little bit,” Hull said.
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The trio of Clark, Cunningham and Hull proved to be an efficient and gravitating force in popularity when they were all on the court at the same time last year. Along the way, they earned a mysterious nickname on social media, which they later adopted for themselves — “Tres Leches,” which translates from Spanish to “three milks” and refers to a popular Latin American sponge cake.
“We saw it on Twitter at some point, and people ran with it,” Hull said of the nickname. “It was funny.”
In terms of navigating the attention, Hull, Clark and their teammates now have two years of conditioning in that arena.
Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10), Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham laugh near the team bench June 3, 2025, during a game against the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.(IMAGN Syndication: The Indianapolis Star)
“I think everyone does a really good job of not giving the rise in attention any attention. I think we’re just showing up the same we do everyday,” Hull said.
“Knowing that there’s more eyes on us, knowing that there’s more seats in the stands, all of that is exciting, but I don’t think that necessarily changes how we go about the game, go about our relationships, go about what we post on social media. It just adds to the engagement.”
Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
“I think the way wickets are nowadays, you know, the margin batting first or bowling first is not much, but you know, we’ve got a bowl first. I think for us it’s amazing. You know, every win is important and especially when you win like that, it shows the character of a team, you know. But we want to move on from it, you know, take one match at a time and just give our best. (Talks about head-to-head) See, definitely it’s a great boost for winning a match and coming into the next one. But at the same time, you know, you still have to give your best each and every match because wicket might play different, condition might be different. But at the same time, last match when we played, we talked about intent on the field. We always talk about that as a team and that was great to see when we were on the field, we were putting bodies on the line. We are playing with the same team,” said LSG skipper Rishabh Pant.
The Indiana Fever made a series of offseason moves Saturday to surround superstar Caitlin Clark with talent as the team looks to contend for a WNBA championship this year.
The Fever re-signed key players Lexie Hull and Kelsey Mitchell, while adding veteran Monique Billings from the Golden State Valkyries.
Last season, Mitchell averaged 20.2 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 31.4 minutes per game, and was a 2025 All-WNBA First Team selection and MVP finalist.
Hull, meanwhile has become a fan favorite and part of the Fever core known as “Tres Leches” made up of her, Clark and Sophie Cunningham.
“We saw it on Twitter at some point, and people ran with it,” Hull recently told Fox News Digital of the nickname. “It was funny.”
Hull has also become a close personal friend of Clark, as Clark helped announce Hull’s return to the team on a multi-year deal in a TikTok video on Saturday.
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Billings, drafted 15th overall in 2018 by the Atlanta Dream, played there for six seasons before joining the Dallas Wings, Phoenix Mercury, and Valkyries. Known for her elite rebounding, she has consistently been a key rotational player with significant contributions in both the WNBA and overseas.
The players were signed after the Fever were one game shy of reaching the WNBA Finals in 2025 while Clark missed the entire postseason with an injury.
The Fever have the fourth-best odds to win the WNBA title in 2026 behind the Minnesota Lynx, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty.
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Hull previously teased the Fever’s offseason plans and championship ambitions in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark reacts during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center June 19, 2025.(Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images)
“I think it’s because we made it where we made it last year without some of our key pieces, and with a lot of injuries, and a lot of, like, this adversity. … Our bench was longer than every other bench. We had more people in the training room getting treatment than any other team, and we still almost made it to the Finals,” Hull said.
“Tasting that and being so close and feeling like we have so much more to give, I think that just changes our mindset a little bit. And it’s not necessarily overconfident, but confident in the fact that we really do have a chance. And we should be playing like every game matters, and we’re preparing for that last one.
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“I think it’s very achievable with what we’re going to be able to do with free agency.”
Playing for the Fever has also proven to be a tall task off-the-court, as the massive national attention Clark has brought to the team also results in tension among fans and added motivation among opponents, per Hull.
“The most challenging part is there’s just so much scrutiny. People have opinions online, and, unfortunately, that’s part of the job and the role that we play,” Hull told Fox News Digital about what’s harder about playing in Indiana since 2024.
“People need to know that everyone’s human. We’re real people. I think when things get blown out of proportion, when things get really personal and there’s personal attacks on people’s character, I think that’s where it gets over the line.”
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Hull says she noticed a difference in how opposing players started to perform against her team that year, which she credits to the surge in popularity.
“Because of the fans that we’ve gotten since 2024, with the rise in, I think, like, popularity with the Indiana Fever being like a name that people know. … And there’s a million Fever jerseys and Fever shirts. I think, like, as an opposing team, you’d want to win even more because you feel there’s so many people rooting,” Hull said.
“It’s exciting to have that type of following across the country, and I think, like, for other teams, they have great fans and great people that show up for them, and they want to perform for those people, just like we want to perform for ours.”
Indiana Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell (0) and Caitlin Clark (22) talk during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round WNBA basketball playoff series against the Connecticut Sun Sept. 25, 2024, in Uncasville, Conn.(Jessica Hill/AP)
The Fever’s season ended in 107-98 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals last year.
With Clark returning from injury, their core intact and at least one new addition, Indiana is looking to finish the job.
Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
Teenage French starlet Paul Seixas completed his impressive Tour of the Basque Country victory on Saturday, while Andrew August claimed the sixth and final stage.
At 19 years old Seixas becomes the youngest ever winner of a World Tour stage race, a year younger than cycling‘s dominant force Tadej Pogacar managed the achievement.
Tadej Pogacar wins second straight cycling world champion title in Kigali
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The teenager finished 2min 30sec ahead of Florian Lipowitz and a further three seconds before Tobias Halland Johannessen in third in the general classification.
American Ineos Grenadiers rider August soloed to victory on a rainy day, with Raul Garcia Pierna in second and Frank van den Broek coming in third to make up the day’s podium.
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Seixas is enjoying a superb breakout season and claimed three stages at the race in a dominant week in northern Spain.
“I’m so happy to take the win, it was not easy today, but I stayed strong in the head,” he said.
“I never gave up and I feel super good … it’s an insane week, three victories, then the GC, what more can we ask for?
“I’m so happy to see I was always there and always strong.”
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Cycling: 19-year-old Paul Seixas earns first World Tour victory
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Overall ranking leader Team Decathlon CMA CGM’s French rider Paul Seixas waves on the podium after winning the first stage of the Basque Country’s Itzulia cycling tour, a 13.8 km time trial in Bilbao on April 6, 2026.AFP – ANDER GILLENEA
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The Decathlon rider, who has six wins this year, has drawn comparisons to Slovenian superstar Pogacar, who racked up eight victories in his own breakout season in 2019 at the age of 20.
Seixas also became the first Frenchman to win a World Tour stage race since Christophe Moreau at the Criterium du Dauphine in 2007.
Marc Soler, Ben Healy and Mattias Skjelmose formed the day’s break early on and others joined them before dropping away, leaving the trio out in front.
With just under 30 kilometres remaining the chase group, featuring Johannessen, caught them to form a 20-strong breakaway, which Seixas and Lipowitz were three minutes behind.
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Seixas started the day with a 5min 39sec advantage on Johannessen, who he had to keep an eye on with the Norwegian flying up the road.
August attacked from the breakaway to take the lead with little over 10 kilometres remaining and the 20-year-old was able to record the biggest result of his career to date.
Veteran Primoz Roglic started the day in third but struggled badly and dropped out of the top 10.
“Every day was hot and sunny but then we got the typical Basque weather, 10 degrees and rain today, everybody was freezing,” said August.
Anthony Joshua remained coy over fighting Tyson Fury despite his heavyweight rival’s challenge, but admits the long-awaited fight “probably” happens next.
The former world champions have been linked for years with speculation surrounding a deal materialising during Fury’s comeback fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Fury emerged victorious in a wide points victory over the Russian, with Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alashikh hinting that a “surprise” announcement would be made later in the evening to confirm “the biggest fight in the history of England.
Fury then goaded Joshua, who was sitting ringside, alongside his promoter Eddie Hearn.
“I want to give you all the fight you wanted,” Fury said. “I want you, AJ, Anthony Joshua, let’s give the fans what they want. The battle of Britain, my challenge, I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me next. Do you accept my challenge?”
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But Joshua remained unnerved, refusing to commit or agree to Fury’s terms ringside.
Tyson Fury celebrates victory (Getty Images for Netflix)
“Tyson, you are a clout chaser,” Joshua responded. “I’ve never had a problem getting in the ring with you. I punched you when we were kids.
“After watching you tonight, I’d do it again. I’ll see you in that ring in due time. You won’t tell me what to do. When you’re ready, you tell me your conditions, and I’ll tell you when I’m ready. I’m the landlord, remember that, you work for me.”
Joshua did concede that the fight is likely to be next, despite discussion surrounding a warm-up bout, following a fatal car accident in Nigeria earlier this year, which killed two of his closest friends.
Fury went the distance with Makhmudov but was always a step or two ahead (Getty)
“I’ll be honest, the negotiations you go through, I’ve sat in there many times, there’s no problem, it’s what I do,” Joshua added. “I’m not here for clout, I’m here to fight. Contracts will be sent over, but you’ll probably see us in the ring next, more than likely.
“He’s the one who retired. I’ve stayed in the ring; it’s on him, he disappears, comes back, disappears. I’m not here to chase fame, I’m a real person. I’ll fight him or the next person. I’m in the big fights, I make the big fights, that’s what I told him.
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Joshua (right) with Saudi boxing matchmaker Turki Alalshikh (Getty Images for Netflix)
“That could be a warm-up fight, after what I saw tonight, I was in a serious incident, so I need to check out. There’s real stuff happening in my life. I’m not ducking anyone. I have to attend to, once I’m 100 percent, I’ll fight. I run the game, you know I run the game. I’m a serious fighter, I’m very strong, when I hit Fury, I’m going to hurt him.”
“I’m sorting some things out with my brothers; the brotherhood is taking care of things. Tyson Fury, if he’s serious, you’ll see us in the ring. The ball is in his court. We’ve been here a million times, once my signature is on the paper, it’s a fight. There’s no fight right now, I’ve been here three or four times with Wilder and Fury. It’s boring to me, for you at home it’s exciting.
“I don’t think he’ll be able to cope with me. It’d be hard work for him. I don’t want to talk too much.”
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Anthony Joshua ringside for the Fury vs Makhmudov undercard (Getty Images for Netflix)
Fury boxed earlier in the evening in his first fight since December 2024, when he was outpointed by Oleksandr Usyk for the second time in a row, and the win over Makhmudov moved him closer to a long-awaited duel with Joshua.
Four months ago, when “AJ” knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami, there was renewed confidence that Joshua would face compatriot Fury in 2026 – in a generational battle of former heavyweight champions.
But 10 days after beating Paul, Joshua was injured in a car crash in Nigeria, which claimed the lives of two of his teammates.
(PA)
Although the accident seemed to leave Joshua’s fighting future up in the air, he soon returned to the gym, and his promoter Hearn talked up a summer return for the 36-year-old.
That bout was expected to be a warm-up for a possible showdown with Fury, 37, but with the pair facing off on Saturday, many fans will hope that the bout will be next for each boxer.
Australian teenager Gout Gout has run 200m faster than sprinting great Usain Bolt did at the same age.
The 18-year-old clocked a superb time of 19.67 seconds to win at his national championships on Sunday.
It was the first time that Gout had gone under the 20-second mark legally, after a wind-assisted 19.84 last season, and is the leading time in the world this year.
He had the quickest-ever time by a 16-year-old – setting a national record of 20.06 – when he burst on to the scene in 2024. Sunday’s mark in Sydney was quicker than the Jamaican eight-time Olympic champion’s time of 19.93 back in 2004.
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Aidan Murphy, who was second to Gout, also beat the 20-second mark with a time of 19.88.
“This is what I’ve been waiting for,” said Gout, who was born in Queensland to parents from South Sudan.
“We have such incredible athletes in Australia and me being able to race these athletes, we push each other to the limits. Two Australians sub-20. I mean, this is amazing.
“There’s a big weight off my shoulders knowing I ran it legally, and I have the speed and my body to run times like that. So, it definitely feels great, and ready for more.”
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Gout has indicated that he will skip the Commonwealth Games, which begin in Glasgow on 23 July, to focus on the World Under-20 Championships in Oregon in early August.
It was not an entirely vintage performance from the 37-year-old, who often looked his age as he laboured through 12 rounds at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, shaking off 16 months of inactivity.
But still, it came as little surprise when Fury called out Joshua, his long-term rival, during his post-fight interview, urging him to sign on the dotted line.
Matching this enthusiasm, Alalshikh suggested their heavyweight dustup could soon be announced, while Joshua responded with a slightly different tone when handed the microphone.
Instead of playing Fury’s game, the 36-year-old decided to take a more measured approach, insisting that nothing is confirmed until both sides are satisfied with the deal.
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But while Joshua represents Fury’s preferred option, ‘The Gypsy King’ equally said at his post-fight press conference that a trilogy showdown with Oleksandr Usyk could also make sense.
“I wanna fight Anthony Joshua – that’s it. Or, if AJ don’t want it, then let’s get Usyk in the trilogy. But I need some f**king fair play.”
Clearly, Fury has maintained his belief that, despite twice being outpointed by Usyk in 2024, he should have had his hand raised on both occasions.
The chance to exact his revenge therefore represents an enticing possibility, while Joshua, who has not fought since stopping Jake Paul in December, may still consider a ‘warm-up’ fight.
Paris-Roubaix is a bike race which rewards guile and experience, one for the battle-hardened pro rather than the wide-eyed youngster. Zoe Backstedt in some ways is both. At 21 she is among the peloton’s younger contingent – but she has an additional weapon in her arsenal: a family history of Paris-Roubaix going back more than 20 years.
Her father, Magnus Backstedt, took the biggest win of his career in the famous Roubaix velodrome in 2004; Zoe and older sister and fellow cyclist Elynor grew up re-watching, analysing and celebrating his race.
“It’s in the family to enjoy this race and to have a special connection to it,” the younger Backstedt tells The Independentover video call,a few days before the 2026 edition. “For me part of it is following what he’s done, and one day I would also like to have a cobblestone to go next to his.”
Magnus’ iconic cobblestone prize lives on a bookshelf in the Backstedt family living room, and his success means that Zoe not only knows the ins and outs of the race – it means she’s aware of what it feels like to lift the trophy, too. “I tell you, if you try and lift it above your head after a race, I don’t think I could do it,” she grins. “[The shelf] now has a dip in it, because it’s just that heavy.”
Magnus raced Paris-Roubaix eight times over the course of his career and has been imparting his wisdom ever since. “He’s told me every single story there is to tell about this race, about every single edition that he’s done, that it was dry, wet, different changes in the course, he knows everything. He knows where every single pothole is on the course, he could tell you literally to a T. So we’ve grown up learning this course as well, watching his race back because as a family, it makes us so proud of his achievement.”
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When we speak Backstedt is fresh from a team recon of five of the 20 cobbled sectors, which make up just over 33km of the 143km women’s race. Her Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto team rode the first three sectors, which are new to the course this year, and the infamous Carrefour de l’Arbre: the fourth-last sector and one of two rated five stars, the most gruelling of all.
“It’s like a two-parter, you have a really awful, aggressive part to start with, and then it goes across the road, you’ve got a nice” – she checks her wording – “nice, I don’t know, less aggressive sector with a bit of gravel on the side. I made the most of that today, saved myself from the cobblestones, and I’m going to go full in for those on Sunday.”
Paris-Roubaix is one of the most gruelling races on the cycling calendar (AFP via Getty Images)
The race sees the riders swap the cobbles of Flanders in the previous Monument for the harsher pavé of northern France (Belga/AFP via Getty Images)
Many riders speak about Paris-Roubaix with a mix of respect and dread – there’s an element of masochism to the race – but Backstedt relishes it. “Just out there having a bit of fun, and the sun was shining in France – not Belgium,” she says, with the air of someone who has made that mix-up before. “It was super nice to see a bit of the course again.”
Backstedt has ridden Paris-Roubaix three times, finishing 46th on her debut at age 18 and upgrading that to 16th in 2024 and 15th last year. And the Red Bull athlete has every reason to hope she can crack the top 10, or go a step further this time round.
She will be one of the in-form riders on the start line in Denain and impressed in the hilly Tour of Flanders – the only other cobbled Monument – last Sunday. She finished fifth, her best-ever result in the race, backing up a fourth place in Dwars door Vlaanderen a few days prior.
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The Welshwoman was part of an elite group including three-time Flanders winner Lotte Kopecky, eventual winner Demi Vollering and defending Paris-Roubaix champion champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot over the infamous Koppenberg hill, and later said she had “goosebumps” being in such elite company.
Backstedt has multiple junior and under-23 world titles to her name and is one of the in-form riders of the peloton heading to Paris-Roubaix (Kristof Ramon / Red Bull Content Pool)
She said: “I was really proud of myself. I really didn’t expect to go into the day with the legs that I had and to be able to go over all of these iconic climbs, going over the Koppenberg in the front group of ten, with Kopecky, [Elisa] Longo Borghini, those kinds of riders, and be almost fighting for a podium – that was not on my bingo card for the day!”
Even so, she isn’t satisfied, adding: “It was a shame that I missed those front three that went [Vollering, Ferrand-Prevot and Puck Pieterse, who completed the podium], but what can you do?”
That result means she is full of confidence ahead of Paris-Roubaix, and with good reason: as a former world junior and under-23 cyclo-cross champion, she is well suited to difficult terrain.
She says: “I think it’s a super useful skill to have, just knowing how to handle uneven surfaces and conditions that are very unpredictable, especially if there’s rain at some point, if the cobblestones become super slippery.”
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She was among an elite group of ten at the business end of last Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, won by Demi Vollering (Belga/AFP via Getty Images)
Her success against the clock – she has won both junior and under-23 world titles in time trials too – may also come in handy. “Time trialling is very much an individual pain, an individual effort. Cyclocross is the same: one hour, you’re not riding with any teammates, with tactics, you’re purely riding, constantly with a high heart rate, constantly thinking under pressure. And your whole body is completely dead at the end, the same feeling that I’d have at the end of a time trial.”
And the same as at the end of Paris-Roubaix. “It’s definitely one of those races that you hate in the moment,” she smiles. “And then once you cross the finish line, and you know that you can relax, it’s one of the nicest and most rewarding races. Even to finish, to finish first or last, is such a rewarding thing.
“Going across kilometres of cobblestones that you’re not naturally meant to do, it’s aggressive on your hands, on your legs, on your arms, on your body, all of your muscles are just so tense for four hours. I think that’s also what makes it one of my favourite races, it brings out the strongest riders. The ones that are the front are the ones that can handle all of the pain, that can handle everything that your body is going to go through.”
Backstedt’s cyclo-cross background could give her the edge on Sunday (Kristof Ramon / Red Bull Content Pool)
Unsurprisingly, she has high hopes for Sunday. “It’s my favourite race of the whole season, so I’m hoping that the team will give me the chance to be the leader,” she says frankly. “Of course the whole race is a little bit based on luck, you can have a puncture one kilometre before the most important sector, and then your whole race is done, or someone can crash in front of you. There’s so many unknowns that you can’t really go in with too much expectation.
“But for sure, I want to be better than last year. I mean, I would love to do a top five like I did on the weekend, but I know that’s also going to be hard, so no expectation, no pressure for myself. It’s just going and having fun, racing the bike, and see what I can do.”
And if the 21-year-old can come away with a slab of French rock it will be not just a triumph for her and the team, but for a family bound up in the history of this race, a triumph 22 years in the making.
Former India player Aakash Chopra has highlighted the Mumbai Indians’ (MI) selection conundrum heading into their IPL 2026 clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He noted that the five-time champions have multiple choices to make in the bowling department, pointing out that virtually all their bowlers have proved very expensive.
MI will host RCB in the 20th game of IPL 2026 in Mumbai on Sunday, April 12. While the home team is placed eighth on the points table with two points from three games, the visitors have garnered four points from three matches and are third in the standings.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the former India opener noted that MI have struggled with their bowling, with Jasprit Bumrah being the only bowler to have an economy of less than 10 in IPL 2026, and would have to choose between Trent Boult and Corbin Bosch and between Deepak Chahar and Ashwani Kumar in the seam-bowling department.
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“Plenty of questions. A good team, but you (MI) have lost two of the three matches. It’s not a good story. Will you stay with Trent Boult? If you want to stay with Trent Boult, you will have to bowl him more overs with the new ball. Do you want to stay or go? You will have to answer that question,” Chopra said.
“Do you want to keep Deepak Chahar or play Ashwani Kumar? You will have to answer that question as well because the bowling is struggling. Only one bowler has an economy in single digits. Everyone else, who has played two or more matches, is in double digits,” he added.
Aakash Chopra also wondered whether the Mumbai Indians would want to try Raghu Sharma as a spinner, urging them to stick with Allah Ghazanfar ahead of Mitchell Santner. He added that MI might consider playing Will Jacks in place of Sherfane Rutherford if the England all-rounder is available.
“I have a suggestion for you” – Aakash Chopra on a potential change in RCB’s playing 12 for IPL 2026 clash vs MI
RCB suffered a six-wicket loss in their IPL 2026 clash against RR (Image via iplt20.com)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra wondered whether RCB should bring in Jacob Bethell at Phil Salt’s expense for their IPL 2026 clash against MI.
“If you (RCB) lose this, your situation will be like Delhi’s, with two wins and two losses. I have a suggestion for you. Do you want to play Jacob Bethell in place of Phil Salt? Phil Salt doesn’t keep in any case. Jitesh Sharma is doing the keeping,” he said.
The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that Bethell had scored a blazing century in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against India at the same venue.
“I am thinking about Jacob Bethell because of how well he batted at this ground. He was absolutely brilliant in the T20 World Cup semi-final. Would you want to play him? Phil Salt is not scoring runs. You can make Devdutt Padikkal open. Bring Bethell in place of Phil Salt, and keep him at No. 3,” Chopra observed.
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Jacob Bethell will also give RCB another left-arm spin option. He highlighted that MI have many right-handers in their batting lineup.
Graveyard Keeper is a very interesting simulation game where you have to do some shady graveyard work to make money and unlock new technologies to progress.
There are many tasks at hand such as expanding your church and spreading your influence that requires a lot of paperwork in Graveyard Keeper. Doing the paperwork also requires a lot of writing supplies and ink, and crafting ink can be confusing if you are starting out.
While you can buy ink from the Astrologer early on, crafting it yourself is essential to avoid spending money on something that is very important in the gameplay. Here is a straightforward, step-by-step guide to producing your own ink from scratch in Graveyard Keeper.
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Guide to making ink in Graveyard Keeper
You need to make black paint in Graveyard Keeper before making ink (Image via Lazy Bear Games || YouTube@jamasinplays)
Before you can start mixing ingredients, you must unlock the necessary workstations in your technology tree:
Writing supplies: This technology node allows you to craft ink and paper at the church workbench.
Alchemy: You must navigate the swamp and speak to Clotho the witch to unlock the alchemy tech tree. This allows you to build the alchemy workbench (tier I), which is mandatory for mixing dyes.
The biggest hurdle in making ink is obtaining black paint. There are a few alchemical recipes, but two methods are great for players who have just started Graveyard Keeper or progressed a little ahead. These methods are mixing ash with oil and adding graphite powder with water.
Ash: Easily obtained by cremating corpses on pyres instead of burying them.
Oil: You can buy “seed oil” from Dig (the vendor east of the tavern) or press it yourself from hemp seeds.
Note: You cannot put a glass bottle of “seed oil” directly into the alchemy bench. You must open your inventory, select the seed oil, and click “Use” to extract 10 drops of usable oil. Combine the ash and oil at the tier I alchemy workbench to create your paint.
The other method involves mixing graphite powder with water and it is not recommended for early gameplay. Here’s how you can make ink using this method.
Graphite powder: Mine coal, smelt it into graphite in a furnace (level 2 or higher), and grind it down using an alchemy mill.
Water: Draw a bucket from the well near your house and “Use” it in your inventory to get water droplets. Combine the powder and water at the bench.
Once you have your black paint, you need two final components to thin it out and store it:
Water (1x): Sourced from your home well.
Conical flasks (1x): Crafted at a furnace using glass (smelted from river sand and water) or purchased directly from the Astrologer.
Once you have all the necessary raw material, you can craft ink using the workbench (Image via Lazy Bear Games || YouTube@jamasinplays)
Head down to the church basement and interact with the church workbench. Combine your 1x black paint, 1x water, and 1x conical flask. This recipe is highly efficient, yielding 5x ink per craft. To turn your newly crafted ink into a usable writing tool, combine it with feathers (purchased from the village egg vendor) to make pen and ink.
If you have not set up your alchemy lab yet and just need to finish an early quest, like making flyers for the Inquisitor, do not panic. The Astrologer sells ink and feathers once a week. Buying a single bottle of ink to craft three sets of pen and ink is a great way to avoid the early grind until your graveyard economy is fully operational.
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Bred more for speed than endurance, Single Choice still holds strong prospects to hand trainer Matt Cumani a breakthrough Group One in the South Australian Derby.
A product of Anders, celebrated for explosive sprint ability, Single Choice asserted superiority to win the Listed Galilee Series Final (2400m) at Caulfield over the weekend.
Originally the standout favourite, he drifted to $5 third choice at the jump with Jamie Mott steering, settling the runner outside the frontrunners.
The race unfolded with a lethargic start before quickening, enabling Single Choice to burst clear for a 1-1/4 length margin over Arabian Prince ($3.70) as $2.90 favourite Amazake endured severe checking midrace around the turn.
“I was very nervous about whether he’d get the trip, but he got a beautiful ride by Motty,” Cumani said.
“No speed early, but they went pretty solid from the 800 (metres) out, even earlier than that and he had to sustain a pretty hard run.
“But he’s got to be of that turn of foot and that’s really valuable for a horse that can get a bit of a trip.
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“I think we’ve got to go to Adelaide off that. This race was a bit of a test to see if he might get a derby distance, and even though it might not have been a solid run 2400 throughout, I think it’s provided enough of a test to say that we can go there and give it a go.”
Rider Jamie Mott was impressed by Single Choice’s adaptation, particularly after the horse’s wide trip to victory in the Autumn Classic two runs previous.
“It was bit of a new scenario for him, and he adapted well, and I think if he takes his form today to the Derby, they’ll know he’s there for sure,” Mott said.
Visit premier betting sites to find the keenest racing odds on the upcoming South Australian Derby.
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