Sports
“Have Been Working Hard To Get Where I Am”: Devdutt Padikkal After Fiery Fifty vs GT
Devdutt Padikkal’s comeback continued to gain steam as his impressive 55 off 27 balls set the stage for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday. Reflecting on his return to form, Padikkal emphasised the effort behind the scenes. “Feels great. I’ve been working hard to get where I am, and I’m glad it’s paying off. I think a lot of this is thanks to the self-belief that the management has given me. At the same time, I’ve made some technical changes over the past few years. You have to stick to those changes. Now I am seeing the results.”
Chasing a tough target of 205, RCB needed a strong start, and Padikkal delivered just that. He took on the pace of Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj with confidence, hitting boundaries and maintaining the required run rate. One shot stood out – a beautiful lofted drive over extra cover – which he highlighted: “It was probably my favourite shot of the day for sure.”
Padikkal approached the innings with a clear strategy rather than recklessness. “At the end of the day, I need to play according to the situation and assess what’s happening out there. We were chasing 210, so we needed to make the most of the Powerplay and keep the momentum going for the next few overs,” he explained. This clarity showed as he dominated the middle overs, taking apart Prasidh Krishna and applying pressure on Rashid Khan with a mix of sweeps and lofted shots.
While Virat Kohli steadied the chase with a smooth 81, Padikkal’s aggressive innings ensured RCB stayed ahead of the required rate. Even after his dismissal, bowled by a clever googly from Rashid, the foundation he laid proved crucial.
Looking ahead, Padikkal expressed his desire to contribute more significantly. “I want to help finish games, so hopefully I can do that soon,” he said, while also recognising the depth of talent that gives him freedom at the top. “We’ve seen what Tim, Romario, and Jitesh can do down the order, so with that kind of firepower, you can feel free to go out and express yourself.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Now his playing days are done, Ramsey is aiming to make it as a coach.
He has most of his qualifications and has already had a taste of senior management, having taken charge of his boyhood club Cardiff City for three games at the end of last season as they were relegated from the Championship.
Having since been a part of Wales head coach Craig Bellamy’s staff in an unofficial capacity, Ramsey is being touted for a bright future.
“[I]100% want to go into coaching. That’s something that really excites me,” he says.
“I had that experience with Cardiff and loved it, even though the circumstances were difficult. I felt like I got a really good reaction from the team.
“I’ve been in the Welsh camps now with Bellers and his incredible staff as well, and I’ve worked with Cardiff’s Under-18s.
“We’ll just have to see which opportunities may arise soon and we’ll go from there.”
First, Ramsey has a marathon to run.
Ceri Menai-Davis, who has run the London Marathon before, reckons Ramsey has raised more than £25,000 for his charity – and that is before you count donations for Sunday’s race.
They have been friends for more than a decade and Ramsey’s shows of support for the charity – as well as his fundraising – include the butterfly symbol he used as a goal celebration during his career.
On Sunday, the most powerful reminder of Hugh’s life will be his father’s huge physical effort – and his son’s shoes draped around his shoulders.
“He was the most amazing, brave, courageous young boy,” Ceri says. “The reason I do marathons is, just before Hugh died, I stupidly put myself in for a marathon in 2021.
“I never thought I’d get in but I got in, started training for it and Hugh never got to see me run that marathon because I did it two weeks after he died, and we buried him the next day with my medal.
“Last year I carried a 22-kilo rucksack, which was the weight Hugh was when he passed away. That was to display what grief weighs on you as a parent.
“This year, with Hugh’s shoes, he walked into hospital in these shoes and sadly never came out. I wanted him to cheer me on when I did it in 2021 but sadly he never did.
“I did Paris with his shoes. He never got to see Paris so I showed him the Eiffel Tower and we had a chat all the way round. In London, he’ll be there with me on my shoulders and we’ll cross the finish line together.”
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Even at 38, Matthew Stafford remains one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. In fact, he added another trophy to his collection in February, winning his first league MVP award.
Stafford edged New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye after throwing a career-best 46 touchdowns. The 2026 season will be his 18th, and with nearly two decades in the league, the Rams appear to be looking toward the future following Thursday night’s first round.
The Rams selected former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the No. 13 overall pick, potentially positioning him as Stafford’s successor. The decision sparked strong reactions and drew a response from Kelly Stafford, the veteran quarterback’s wife.
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Ty Simpson of Alabama celebrates after being selected as the 13th overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 23, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Simpson said Kelly Stafford welcomed him to the team with a message on social media.
“Kelly has actually texted me on Instagram and welcomed me and told me to hit her up if we need anything,” Simpson said during his introductory press conference. “But I can’t wait to talk to Matthew. I’m super ecstatic because I just want to pick his brain.”
FALCONS’ MICHAEL PENIX JR SHARES CRUCIAL ADVICE KIRK COUSINS GAVE HIM AFTER TAKING OVER AS STARTER
Simpson was the full-time starter at Alabama, throwing for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2025.
Rams coach Sean McVay shut down any speculation that Simpson was joining the team to compete with Stafford for the starting job.
Matthew Stafford and his wife Kelly celebrate after the Los Angeles Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Jan. 30, 2022. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“There were a lot of players that we liked, but when you do look at it, I think the thing you liked about the body of work is … let’s make one thing clear, this is Matthew’s team,” McVay said Thursday. “You get a chance to be able to address the backup quarterback.”
Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams stands on the field before the NFC Championship game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 25, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
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Simpson’s parents visited with Rams general manager Les Snead during Alabama’s trip to the Los Angeles area for the Rose Bowl in January, the NFL Network reported. Simpson’s father, Jason Simpson, is the head football coach at UT Martin.
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Todd Fleming, Executive Director of Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches with the 17th green in the distance on February 9, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The tournament director of the Cognizant Classic of the Palm Beaches has been laid off as part of a staff reduction by the PGA Tour, Sports Illustrated reported Friday.
On Thursday, the PGA Tour laid off 56 employees, per the report. Todd Fleming, the Cognizant director, was among them.
The Cognizant is expected to go on in 2027 with an interim director in charge. The tournament has been operated by PGA Tour Events for the past three years. That group also is in charge of events that include the Players Championship and the Tour Championship and uses PGA Tour employees.
Most tournaments on the PGA Tour are operated and owned by local groups that work on behalf of area non-profits. The Cognizant first was held in 1972 and known then as the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic. It later was called the Honda Classic and then the Cognizant.
Since 2007, PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens has been the home course of the event. It was played this season from Feb. 26-March 1 and won by Nico Echavarria, who earned just over $1.728 million.
Earlier this week, the PGA Tour said it is dropping the January season-opening events in Hawaii.
–Field Level Media
HOUSTON — LeBron James scored 29 points, including a tying three-pointer with 13 seconds left in regulation, Marcus Smart had eight points in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers took advantage of a Houston Rockets team missing Kevin Durant for a 112-108 win Friday night to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference first-round series.
The Lakers rallied from a six-point deficit with under 30 seconds remaining and can sweep the series Sunday night in Houston.
Los Angeles opened overtime with a 6-2 run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Smart to take a 107-103 lead. Alperen Sengun made a basket for Houston before Smart made two free throws to push the lead to 109-105 with 52 seconds left.
Smart made two free throws with 35.5 seconds to go to make it 111-105. Reed Sheppard made a 3-pointer to get Houston within three with less than 30 seconds left in overtime but Smart made 1 of 2 free throws to push the lead to 112-108.
Smart added 21 points and 10 assists, and Rui Hachimura added 22 points for the Lakers.
Even with Durant out for a second game in this series — this time with a sprained ankle after missing Game 1 with a knee injury — the Rockets were in position to close out the game after James had consecutive turnovers that Houston turned into a 101-95 lead.
Sengun led the Rockets with 33 points and 16 rebounds. Amen Thompson added 26 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lakers led by as many as 15 early, but were down six in the fourth before Smart was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 25.4 seconds to go after a Houston turnover and made all three free throws to get the Lakers within three.
James, who had 13 rebounds, then stole the ball from Sheppard and his three-pointer tied it at 101-all with 13.1 seconds to go in the fourth.
The Rockets had a chance to take the lead after that, but Sengun’s seven-footer was off. James grabbed the rebound and called a timeout. He grabbed the inbounds pass and had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but his 3-point attempt bounced off the rim to send it to OT.
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Nelly Korda made some changes. Now, she’s running away with a major
O’Keefe recalled her caddie in Scotland, who preached positivity and its power on the golf course. “He just kept saying, happy days. Every time we end up in a bunker, happy days. We’re good. I think that positivity, if you beat down on yourself, really if you’re negative in any way, it hurts you.”
That has been her guide this week.
The amateur will arrive at Memorial Park on Saturday facing a big deficit but believing Nelly Korda can be reeled in — that if she refuses not to blink, and smiles along the way, she’ll be right there with the LPGA’s marquee star come Sunday.
“I think it’s a dream,” O’Keefe said. “You know, it’s something that you think about every once in a while and hope for, but I wouldn’t — I feel like I’m trying to stay composed. There is a lot more golf left to be played. The job is not done and I’m just going to keep doing what I have been doing because it just happens to be working.
“I’m not going to force anything. Try not to get too flustered. Just keep playing my game.”
And see if the golf gods open the door for her on the weekend.
Sports
Mitchell Starc joins Delhi Capitals camp: Will he play against Punjab Kings today? | Cricket News
Delhi Capitals have received a major boost as their star overseas pacer, Mitchell Starc, has officially joined the camp ahead of their clash against Punjab Kings.Starc’s arrival was delayed in IPL 2026 due to ongoing shoulder and elbow injuries. These issues stemmed from a high workload during the Ashes series (where he bowled over 153 overs) and were compounded by a heavy fall while diving for a catch during the Big Bash League (BBL) in late January. Starc experienced persistent soreness when he attempted to return to bowling in February, necessitating a longer rehabilitation period in Sydney.Following his recovery, Cricket Australia officially cleared him to join Delhi Capitals on 23 April 2026. In his absence, Delhi Capital’s pace attack was led by Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, and Lungi Ngidi.In IPL 2025, Starc represented Delhi Capitals after being bought for Rs 11.75 crore in the mega auction. He was one of the franchise’s standout performers, finishing with 14 wickets in 11 matches. He also claimed his maiden IPL five-wicket haul (5/35) against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Visakhapatnam, becoming the first overseas pacer in DC’s history to achieve the feat. However, he did not complete the season, opting to return to Australia to prepare for the World Test Championship Final.
Will he play against Punjab Kings today?
Starc is unlikely to feature in the immediate home game against Punjab Kings on 25 April. Instead, he is expected to play his 1st match of IPL 2026 for Delhi Capitals on 1 May against Rajasthan Royals. Before returning to match action, he will undergo a brief training and acclimatisation phase with the DC support staff to gradually build up his bowling intensity after a three-month injury layoff.Barring any setbacks, Starc is expected to be available for the remainder of the season, including the final league matches and the playoffs. In the meantime, Delhi Capitals’ pace attack will continue to be led by Ngidi, who has taken seven wickets in the first six matches.
Shubman Gill did not shy away from pinpointing where the game slipped for the Gujarat Titans after their five-wicket defeat against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 34th match of the Indian Premier League (2026) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday. “Definitely. From the 16th to the 19th, those three overs, we couldn’t get any boundaries. Those overs were crucial for us. At the end of the Powerplay, we were in a good situation. We needed to take wickets,” he said. “I mean, when a batsman gets dropped on nought, it’s always tough on the fielder. But it’s about how you come back in the game. We had our moments. But we weren’t able to hit the right lengths consistently, which was important. But they batted very well in the middle overs.”
The dropped chance he referred to allowed Virat Kohli to flourish, and the veteran made GT pay with a commanding 81 off 44 balls.
Alongside him, Devdutt Padikkal produced a stunning 55 off 27, dismantling the attack through the middle overs. Their partnership ensured RCB stayed ahead of the asking rate, even as GT’s bowlers searched for control. Gill admitted there was some assistance in the pitch, particularly from Krunal Pandya’s bowling: “When we were batting, the balls that Krunal bowled, it was gripping a bit. I thought if we could get a few wickets, we would come back in the game.”
Earlier, the Gujarat Titans had posted a formidable 205/3, powered by a superb century from Sai Sudharsan, who struck 100 off 58 balls and became the fastest to 2000 IPL runs. Contributions from Gill and Jos Buttler added heft, but the total ultimately proved insufficient.
Despite a brief wobble when Rashid Khan and Manav Suthar removed Jitesh Sharma and Rajat Patidar in quick succession, Krunal’s late flourish sealed the outcome. His unbeaten 23 off 12 balls, including a decisive 18th over assault, shut the door on GT.
Gill also hinted at expectations from his top order moving forward: “He was quite upset with the way he got out in the previous game. But in the upcoming games, hopefully, he gives me some more strike in the Power-play.” It was a telling note from a captain whose side had their chances, but were ultimately outplayed in the moments that mattered most.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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While Nottingham Forest struck the first blow of the weekend on Friday, Tottenham and West Ham – unusually – both play at the same time on Saturday.
The Hammers host Everton and former manager David Moyes, with Spurs visiting already relegated Wolves.
Tottenham boss De Zerbi, whose side conceded a last-minute equaliser to draw 2-2 with Brighton in their previous fixture, said “a win can change this part of the season”.
“We are suffering, they are suffering because it is not easy to play in Tottenham in this condition of the table, but I said they have to be stronger,” he added.
“We have to live every part of the day waiting for a win and preparing for a win.”
Tottenham and West Ham have to contend with similar run-ins, with Spurs arguably facing the slightly easier of the two. The average position of the teams they still have to play is 11th, while for the Hammers it is 10th.
What West Ham do have which Tottenham do not, however, is some semblance of form.
Nuno’s team have won two and lost just one of their past five matches. Spurs have not won since last year.
“The players are improving their levels and the standards,” said Nuno. “We have been solid in defence, good in attack… sometimes not so good. Finding that balance in the remaining matches is going to be crucial for us.”
LUCKNOW: Former Ranji player from Lucknow, Tanmay Srivastava, is set to make his debut as an on-field umpire in the IPL during the Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals match at Mullanpur on April 28.Srivastava, who made his IPL debut as a player for Punjab Kings in 2008, will return in a new role after 18 years in a match of the same team.He became the first umpire from Uttar Pradesh to officiate an IPL match as an on-field umpire. Last year, he made his IPL debut as a fourth umpire.
He has been assigned four matches as an on-field umpire this season: Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals (April 28), Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings (May 5), Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians (May 10), and Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (May 18). He will also serve in several matches as a fourth umpire and TV umpire.A member of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning team, Srivastava began his cricket journey in the lanes of Lucknow. He initially played at Chowk and KD Singh Babu Stadium before moving to Green Park Hostel, where he progressed from Under-14 cricket to first-class cricket while representing Kanpur.Srivastava also worked as a scout with RCB and later moved into coaching and cleared the Level 2 coaching examination. He also served as fielding coach of the Jammu & Kashmir Ranji team and was part of the National Cricket Academy set up as batting coach of the Under-16 side.He then turned to umpiring and has been involved in officiating over the past three years. Srivastava, a former India Under-19 captain, played 90 first-class matches and scored 4,918 runs.
The Jonathan Greenard era in Minneapolis lasted two seasons, and the rumors since early March were accurate. The Minnesota Vikings did business with the Philadelphia Eagles, extracting a pair of 3rd-Rounders for the Pro Bowl outside linebacker.
Minnesota wanted more, but the final deal still gives interim general manager Rob Brzezinski some ammunition.
The Vikings allegedly wanted nothing less than a 2nd-Rounder for Greenard, but that stance did not work out.
Minnesota’s EDGE Depth Takes the Spotlight after the Deal
The Vikings will probably need another depth OLB.
Eagles Nab Greenard from Vikings in Trade
It’s a done deal. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert and Tim McManus wrote Friday night, “The Philadelphia Eagles have acquired Jonathan Greenard in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings and agreed to a lucrative new deal with the star linebacker. The Eagles sent two third-round draft picks — the No. 98 pick in this year’s draft and a third-rounder next year — to the Vikings for Greenard, who then agreed to a four-year, $100 million extension with Philadelphia, his agents told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.”
“The new deal also includes $50 million in guaranteed money, according to his agents. Philadelphia also received a 2026 seventh-rounder in the trade, which was announced Friday. Greenard had been one of the Vikings’ top defensive players over the past two seasons. He spent the first four years of his career with the Texans before signing a four-year, $72 million contract with the Vikings in 2024.”
Greenard was scheduled to earn $19 million in Minnesota next season. Instead, he gets a ticket to Philadelphia and $50 million in guaranteed cheddar.
The Eagles’ & Vikings’ New-Look Defensive Lines
While the Vikings’ draft is still unfolding, and they could land mid- or late-round EDGE as a Greenard replacement, here’s a look at the current defensive line:
OLB: Andrew Van Ginkel
DT: Jalen Redmond
DT: Caleb Banks
NT: Levi Drake Rodriguez
OLB: Dallas Turner
OLB: Bo Richter
It’s unclear if Richter is ready to handle an OLB3 workload in Greenard’s absence. Perhaps, perhaps not.
In Philadelphia, the defensive line has these names:
OLB: Jonathan Greenard
DT: Jalen Clark
DT: Moro Ojomo
NT: Jordan Davis
OLB: Jalyx Hunt
OLB: Nolan Smith
Adding Greenard solves the Eagles’ problem — they need one more dependable EDGE. That’s Greenard.
USA Today‘s Tyler Nettuno opined on the swap, “Greenard may be coming off a down season, but if he can stay healthy, he could be due for a major bounce-back campaign as he becomes the latest addition to a talented Eagles defense.”
“Now, he could give that unit, which had just one player with more than five sacks last season, a true pass-rushing threat. Two third-rounders isn’t an awful price to pay, but there is some added risk involved with the extension. Still, Greenard will be just 29 by the start of the season, and if he can get back to playing at a high level, this move will pay immediate dividends.”
Value = Mid-3rd-Rounder
While Minnesota maintained a posture that suggested a 2nd-Rounder in return, it settled on a puny package, at least compared to trades involving Maxx Crosby (nullified) and Dexter Lawrence in the last couple of months.
On most trade charts, the sum of the Vikings’ trade haul is the equivalent of the 73rd pick in the draft. Brzezinski basically got a solid 3rd-Rounder for Greenard.
Go Birds Go host Eliot Shorr-Parks tweeted from an Eagles perspective, “Wow. This is a major, major investment in Greenard. More than usual for Howie when it comes to an EDGE, who prioritizes the position but also doesn’t usually pay this kind of money. They clearly love him as a player.”
On the other hand, Vikings fans were led to believe Minnesota would land a 2nd-Rounder for Greenard and were hence disappointed that it didn’t pan out.
Free-Agent OLBs to Replace Him?
Looking for solace? Well, the Vikings can rather easily sign a pass rusher or two from free agency, especially after freeing up cap space from the Greenard trade.
These men are available on the open market:
- Denico Autry
- Derek Barnett
- Joey Bosa
- Jadeveon Clowney
- Michael Danna
- A.J. Epenesa
- Dante Fowler Jr.
- Leonard Floyd
- Anfernee Jennings
- Cameron Jordan
- Von Miller
- Haason Reddick
- Kyle Van Noy
Clowney especially makes sense as a reliable veteran.
Greenard tallied 3 sacks in 12 games last season. Minnesota signed him instead of Danielle Hunter, who joined the Houston Texans in 2024 free agency. In hindsight, keeping Hunter probably would’ve been the wiser move.
The Vikings’ end of the bargain all depends on the fruits of the 3rd-Round picks. If they draft duds, the trade will look silly. And vice versa.
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