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NCA feels more like a ‘Hospital’… players are fearful of going: Munaf Patel | Cricket News

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Bombay Sport Exchange: Munaf Patel on Gautam Gambhir, Virat vs Bumrah & Indian bowling.

Munaf Patel (Screengrab)

Former India pacer and current Delhi Capitals bowling coach Munaf Patel has raised serious concerns about India’s cricketing ecosystem, calling for urgent reforms in the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and the domestic structure.Speaking on TOI Sports’ Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast, Munaf did not hold back in his assessment, suggesting that the current system lacks a strong feeder pathway and has inadvertently sidelined specialised institutions. He stressed that grassroots infrastructure, including access to physiotherapists, trainers, and structured coaching, must be strengthened at the state level to produce quality cricketers consistently.

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Bombay Sport Exchange: Munaf Patel on Gautam Gambhir, Virat vs Bumrah & Indian bowling.

Munaf was particularly critical of the NCA, describing it as overly focused on rehabilitation rather than holistic player development.“Just look at the setup,” he said. “If you go inside the NCA, you’ll understand everything. I’ve been saying this for a long time, it needs to change, 100 percent.”Tracing its origins, Munaf pointed out that the NCA was built in the early 2000s based on Australia’s Centre of Excellence model. ”Back in 2000-01, when the NCA started, Raj Singh Dungarpur and others built it by adopting Australia’s Centre of Excellence model. They brought their coaching manual and implemented it in India. Since then, Australia has updated their manuals multiple times, but we are still following the same 25-year-old manual from 2000. It hasn’t really evolved. Hopefully, with the new Centre of Excellence, things might change, but so far, that hasn’t happened,” Munaf said during podcast. One of his sharpest criticisms was of the NCA’s current role, which he likened to a “hospital.””Tell me this, when I get injured, I go to the NCA. Why? To get fit. It has become more like a hospital. You recover, come back, and go straight into the team. But who corrects your mistakes? If I’m a bowler or batter, it’s not just about fitness, my skills also need improvement,” Munaf said.Munaf also revealed that many players deny to go to the NCA, but refrain from speaking out due to fear of livelihood.”Players are fearful of going to the NCA, nobody really wants to go. But everyone stays quiet because their livelihood depends on it. No one wants to speak up as it could create trouble. However, the higher authorities should know what’s right and wrong,” he added.Highlighting structural gaps, Munaf pointed out the lack of monitoring across India’s vast domestic circuit, ”There’s no system tracking what’s happening in domestic cricket. For that, the NCA needs to be more regional,” he said.

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Giants 4-round mock draft after blockbuster Dexter Lawrence trade with Bengals

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Giants 4-round mock draft after blockbuster Dexter Lawrence trade with Bengals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With just days to go before the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Giantspulled off a blockbuster trade with the Cincinnati Bengals that jettisoned star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

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The deal saw the Giants send Lawrence to the Bengals for the No. 10 overall pick, which was no doubt more than anyone was expecting them to get. Now, Big Blue stands armed with two first-round picks, with the other coming at No. 5 overall.

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With needs on both sides of the ball, the Giants can now take care of the offense and defense with blue-chip prospects inside the top 10 of the draft later this week.

And that’s exactly what we have them doing in our new mock draft in the wake of the Lawrence trade with the Bengals.

Giants 4-round mock draft after Lawrence trade

Sonny Styles

Sonny Styles

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Round 1, Pick 5: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

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ESPN’s Jordan Raanan mentioned Styles as one of three players the Giants like with the No. 5 pick, and it’s not hard to see why.

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“Staying at No. 5, the three players who seem to be most squarely on their radar are Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and  (Ohio State safety Caleb) Downs,” Raanan wrote.

Styles is a freak athlete with sideline-to-sideline speed and great length. He’s a strong tackler, good in run defense and has shown elite skills in coverage after posting an 87.4 Pro Football Focus grade in that area last season.

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The Ohio State product can wear the green dot and will be a leader in New York’s defense for a decade.

Round 1, Pick 10 (via CIN): WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

The Giants were one of the teams to attend Tyson’s workout, which was his last opportunity to quell fears about his injury history. By all accounts, Tyson did manage to do that.

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“I think Jordyn Tyson goes much higher than earlier expected,” ESPN’s Matt Miller said. “Teams are comfortable with the INJ history. Conversation for him starts at 5 but he’s off the board no later than 16.”

If not for his injury history, Tyson would likely be the undisputed No. 1 receiver in this class. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound pass-catcher can line up anywhere on the field, is a polished route-runner and can even block.

After losing Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency, the Giants need another weapon for quarterback Jaxson Dart across from star wideout Malik Nabers. Not only would Tyson check that box, he could very well provide an upgrade over Robinson.

Round 2, Pick 37: DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

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kayden mcdonald

kayden mcdonald

The loss of Lawrence will leave a void in the middle of the Giants’ defense, hurting both the pass-rush and run defense. Making matters worse, New York was already weak upfront, even with Lawrence on the roster.

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While McDonald isn’t much of a pass-rusher, he showed improvement in that area last season with a career-high three sacks. He really shines as a run defender, with the Ohio State product posting the best PFF grade in the nation in run defense.

Once viewed as a first-round pick, the belief is most teams now have him with a second-round grade because of his lack of pass-rush prowess.

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That’s just fine for the Giants, as McDonald can provide the kind of boost to the run defense from Day 1 that New York needs.

Round 4, Pick 105: CB Tacario Davis, Washington

The loss of Cor’Dale Flott leaves the Giants with a big void after the team failed to adequately address the position in free agency, leaving a potential starting duo of Paulson Adebo and uninspiring free-agent signing Greg Newsome outside.

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After taking a step back in 2024, Davis rebounded with a strong showing after he transferred to Washington. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound cornerback gave up a passer rating of just 50.6 in coverage, notched a personal bests two interceptions and he showed out in the run game with an impressive PFF grade of 81.8.

Davis can offer some competition for Newsome on the boundary, and it’s not crazy to think he could win that competition in Year 1.

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Munich 2026 Final: Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and betting tips

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Match Details

Fixture: (2) Ben Shelton vs (4) Flavio Cobolli

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Date: April 19, 2026

Tournament: Bavarian International Tennis Championships

Round: Final

Venue: MTTC Iphitos e.V. tennis club in Munich, Germany

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Category: ATP 500

Surface: Clay

Prize Money: €2,561,110

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN

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Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli preview

Shelton pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: GettyShelton pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: Getty
Shelton pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: Getty

Second seed Ben Shelton will face off against fourth seed Flavio Cobolli in the final of the 2026 BMW Open on Sunday, April 19.

Shelton started his season with a quarterfinal run at the ASB Classic and followed it up with another quarterfinal finish at the Australian Open, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. He then went on to win the Dallas Open and reached the quarterfinals in Houston before arriving in Munich. There, he defeated Emilio Nava, Alexander Blockx, Joao Fonseca, and Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-4 to reach the final.

Cobolli pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: GettyCobolli pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: Getty
Cobolli pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: Getty

Meanwhile, Cobolli’s standout result this season is his title run at the Mexican Open. He also made the semifinals of the Delray Beach Open, losing to Sebastian Korda, but hasn’t had many other notable results. In Munich, he beat Diego Dedura, Zizou Bergs, Vit Kopriva, and Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-3 to set up a clash with Shelton.


Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli head-to-head

Shelton leads Cobolli 3–2 in their head-to-head. Cobolli won their first two meetings in Geneva and Washington in 2024, while Shelton has taken the last three in Acapulco, the Canadian Open, and the Paris Masters in 2025.

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Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli odds

Player Moneyline Handicap Bets Total Games
Ben Shelton -525 -4.5 (-105) Over 21.5 (-115)
Flavio Cobolli +360 +4.5 (-140) Under 21.5 (-125)

(Odds via BetMGM)


Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli prediction

Shelton plays with clear intent. The serve sets the tone, the forehand follows, and he looks to finish points before rallies really take shape. When he’s confident, everything happens quickly and on his terms.

Cobolli is more about structure and balance. He moves well, absorbs pace, and is comfortable building points rather than rushing them. He’s willing to stay in rallies and wait for openings instead of forcing them.

The key is whether Shelton can keep control early. If he’s landing first serves and dictating with his forehand, Cobolli may struggle to settle. But if rallies extend, Cobolli’s consistency and movement can start to make things uncomfortable. The American’s firepower gives him the edge, but he’ll need to stay disciplined to avoid letting the match drift.

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Pick: Shelton to win in straight sets.


Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli betting tips

Tip 1: The match will have over 21 games.

Tip 2: Shelton to win at least one set with a score of 7-5 or better.