Sports
Pushing human potential or lethal circus?
What are the Enhanced Games?
It’s an event where athletes are permitted to take pharmaceuticals ordinarily banned in sports. Substances must only be approved by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a much lower bar than traditional sporting anti-doping organizations would employ.
Launched in 2023, organizers promised thousands of athletes competing in five sports. After aborted attempts to start it earlier, and some “exhibition events” featuring what the Enhanced Games call a swimming world record, the first Enhanced Games take place on May 24 in Las Vegas. In the end, it will feature 50 athletes across three sports — swimming, sprinting and weightlifting.
There is plenty of money behind it, with each event offering a total purse of $500,000 (€430,000), with $250,000 awarded to first place. There are also appearance fees and record-breaking bonuses, with $1 million for world records broken in the 100m sprint and swimming’s 50m freestyle. A purpose-built stadium has a capacity of 2,500 for the event.
Why are the Enhanced Games controversial?
The Games told DW their aims are to “unlock their [athletes’] best performances under the highest medical and clinical supervision transparently and safely using legal, licensed and approved FDA substances.” Critics argue that any chemically-enhanced records are moot and the pursuit of them under such circumstances is lethally dangerous.
“It’s not a sporting event, it’s a show, it’s a circus,” Michael Cepic, Chairman of the Central European Anti-Doping Agency told DW. Cepic said the notion that the Games prioritize athlete safety is nonsensical.
“There’s just one simple thing everybody can understand. Pharmaceutical products are developed for people with diseases and sickness. If you use them when you have no such issues, it can’t be good for your body.”
The Games’ spokesman added that their results are published on a US government site for peer review, but said that the public will not know the intake of each athlete. “We cannot publish individual protocols as this would violate personal healthcare information. However, we will be providing an aggregate total of substances used across all athletes later this week,” he said on Tuesday.
What are the risks for Enhanced Games athletes?
While it is not mandatory to take anything and there seem to be a handful of athletes who aren’t, Cepic supposes that most will. Regardless of which products are being tailored to which sport, he said, the danger of death and damage is very real. Athletes have been in a training camp under medical supervision in the UAE for some time, with drug programs tailored in order for them to peak this weekend.
“I think as a society we have to ask ourselves what the development has been in the last 2,000 years. In the Roman Empire, you also had exceptional fighters fighting each other until one dropped dead,” he said. “Now, people are endangering their own health just to deliver a big show for the entertainment of the audience and for the money.
“The difference maybe in the Roman Empire was that people died immediately. Here they may be doing all this stuff at 30, then will die at 43 or 47 and nobody cares.”
Cepic also expects this first event to only drive further negative health impacts in the following years.
“Let’s say you are a 50-meter swimmer not on substances, and to beat the world record, you need one tablet of a given substance per day. You take it and beat the world record, fine.
“If you are the next person who wants to beat that record, well, you have to take two tablets per day. And so on and so on and so on. Sooner or later, these bodies will not be able to take it anymore.”
For some athletes, the financial gains are worth the risks, if they see any.
“Swimming was my life for many years,” Marius Kusch, one of the two German competitors, told press agency DPA.
“I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, but the truth is that the sport never gave me the financial stability I needed to build a future for myself.” It is a perspective that has been shared by other athletes who have explained their position.
Will World Records be broken at the Enhanced Games?
It seems certain that, by the standards of the Enhanced Games, they will. Greek swimmer, Kristian Gkolomeev, swam a time of 20.89 seconds in the 50m freestyle at an Enhanced Games exhibition event in 2025, beating the official world record. But the world has only the Enhanced Games’ word to take for this, with every global and national sporting body rejecting the legitimacy of the Games.
“Our timing system is run by Primetime Timing, which does numerous international events. Our track was built by Mondo, who does Olympic venues, and Myrtha Pools built our pool, who also has built international event pools. This is a proper, verifiable results event,” the Games spokesman added.
Given that the financial incentive is biggest for records being toppled, there will almost certainly be reports of world records emerging from Las Vegas this weekend.
“If those athletes are able to break records, this is a wonderful by-product of this research as it demonstrates we can optimize human performance safely, allowing science and sport to co-exist safely,” the spokesman continued.
Who is funding the Enhanced Games, and why?
The 2023 launch was led by Aron d’Souza. The Australian, who has since been replaced as the face of the organization by German Maximillian Martin, has a long-standing relationship with Peter Thiel, a US-German who is cofounder of PayPal and Palantir, whose AI technology is used extensively in wars around the globe.
D’Souza is now heading “Objection,” which he describes as an AI trial for truth in media and involves his AI deciding on the veracity of media stories at the behest of individuals or organizations. Thiel has been in the news himself plenty recently, with Palantir posting a political manifesto on X that was described as “techno-fascism.” Other investors include Donald Trump Jr, the US president’s son.
While the Games are the headline act this weekend, the more lucrative aim for investors is to profit from selling pharmaceuticals on its website, which represents the broader Enhanced business. The featured athletes do not even have their profiles on the website. Product pages for peptides, testosterone and fat loss products have much more detail.
With current US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy pushing to loosen regulation on peptides, Enhanched wants to be front of the queue in the growing anti-aging and “looksmaxxing” trends, according to an announcement it made in November.
“This model is designed to capture value from the broader cultural shift toward experiential spending and the growing desire for longevity-focused, direct-to-consumer products in both athletic and consumer contexts. By positioning itself as the premium brand in the performance medicine category, Enhanced aims to establish market leadership in this emerging sector.”
Edited by: Jonathan Harding
NEW YORK — James Harden could not stop Jalen Brunson down the stretch and did not have enough offensively to make up for it.
The Cleveland Cavaliers blew a 22-point lead to lose Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals to the New York Knicks in overtime on Tuesday night, and Harden’s struggles at each end of the court played a big part in the collapse.
Brunson scored on several possessions in a row off the dribble with Harden guarding him. Brunson had 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the fourth quarter alone.
“He made some tough ones, but we obviously all know he’s a great 1-on-1 player,” Harden said. “Anybody on an island, it’s going to be difficult, so we’ve got to do a better job of making sure he sees bodies. On the other hand, they do a good job at supporting him and helping him when he’s on an island. He made some tough ones, but we’ve got to do a better job as a team.”
Knicks coach Mike Brown put the ball in Brunson’s hands and trusted his point guard to exploit the matchup against Harden.
“There is no secret: We were attacking Harden,” Brown said. “Sometimes you’ve got to do what the game dictates, and they were trying to do the same thing with Jalen, so we said, ‘OK, we feel like we can play that game.’ We try not to play that game much, but we feel like we have a guy that we can play that game with in Jalen.”
Brunson only had 14 points at halftime, and Cleveland’s defense switching defenders on him paid dividends until he got 1-on-1 with Harden to spark the comeback.
“Jalen was a little bit more aggressive,” Harden said. “We just allowed him to be aggressive, and he made shots and he continued to make shots.”
Coach Kenny Atkinson said he and his staff made adjustments, but nothing worked.
“We started sending two at him, getting the ball out of his hands, full rotating,” Atkinson said. “James was good most of the game. Listen, we weren’t great defensively in the fourth quarter.”
Playing 48 hours after blowing out Detroit in Game 7 of the second round, Atkinson said he never considered taking Harden off the court defensively.
“Listen, he’s been one of our best defenders and a big player in the playoffs,” Atkinson said. “I trust him. He’s smart, great hands.”
Trading for Harden, an 11-time All-Star, in February helped propel the Cavaliers to this point. But the 36-year-old struggled Tuesday night with the ball in his hands, too.
Harden shot 5 of 16 from the floor, including 1 of 8 from 3-point range, and turned the ball over six times.
Donovan Mitchell, who led Cleveland with 29 points, said he and his teammates could have done a lot more collectively to slow down Brunson and did not put the blame for the improbable defeat on Harden’s shoulders.
“Ultimately, this isn’t on him — it’s on all of us,” Mitchell said. “It’s not just on one person. He’s been around the league long enough. He understands that.”
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Gerrit Cole is finally ready for his New York Yankees return since having Tommy John surgery.
Cole will make his 2026 season debut on Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays – his first start for the Yankees since 2024.
Cole, 35, missed the entirety of the 2025 campaign after undergoing surgery to repair a tear in his right UCL.
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Gerrit Cole pitches for the Hudson Valley Renegades during Thursday’s game versus the Brooklyn Cyclones on April 23, 2026. (Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The Yankees’ starting pitching staff has been a stellar group to start the 2026 campaign, but Cole’s return comes at a perfect time as fellow ace Max Fried in on the injured reserve with an elbow injury of his own. He is expected to miss around one month.
Manager Aaron Boone, who announced the move for Cole on Tuesday before the team’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, said on Monday that the Yankees were considering sticking with the original plan of having Cole make a seventh and final rehab start before his season debut with the team.
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“We’ll see,” he said prior to the Yankees winning its series opener against the Blue Jays. ‘We’re kind of talking about that here today, tomorrow, and we’ll make a call one way or another.”
The writing appeared to be on the wall, though, as the Yankees optioned Elmer Rodriguez, who started in place of Fried against the New York Mets over the weekend, back down to Triple-A. They called up reliever Yovanny Cruz instead of getting another starter in the clubhouse.
Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees stands for the national anthem during a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium in New York on April 16, 2026. (New York Yankees/Getty Images)
Cole hasn’t pitched for the Yankees since Game 4 of the 2024 World Series, making this quite the comeback for the franchise’s ace. However, the Yankees have seen some ace-like pitching elsewhere since then, including an unexpected place this season.
Cam Schlitter, the 6-foot-6 flamethrower, is in the early running for American League Cy Young Award winner. He currently leads the league in ERA (1.35) across his 10 outings, six of which being deemed quality starts. He has 68 strikeouts to 11 walks across 60 total innings, cementing himself as the ace on the staff right now.
Schlittler’s big moment came for the Yankees in Game 3 of their Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox this past postseason, but he’s followed that up by showing it wasn’t a one-and-done moment. Instead, he’s been the Yankees most consistent starter in a group filled with elite talent like Fried, Carlos Rodon and now Cole.
Now, Cole hasn’t had the best numbers in his rehab starts, owning a 5.28 ERA across 29 innings in six outings. However, his metrics have checked the boxes, including a fastball that topped out at 99.6 mph this past Saturday in what was his best rehab outing. He allowed just one run on six hits.
Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees warms up prior to a game against the Boston Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 18, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. The Yankees beat the Red Sox, 1-0. (Photo by Leah King/Diamond Images via Getty Images) (Leah King/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
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“He looks really good,” Boone added. “I think this [latest] outing was a little more with probably competition in mind, like going to get guys out and stepping on it stuff wise.”
Cole won the AL Cy Young in 2023 and has been the Yankees’ ace since signing with the franchise in 2019 on a nine-year, $324 million contract.
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Shan Masood admitted the future of his Test captaincy is now out of his hands after Bangladesh completed a historic 2-0 series sweep over Pakistan, with a 78-run victory in Sylhet on Wednesday.The defeat pushed Pakistan to eighth in the nine-team World Test Championship standings and intensified scrutiny on Masood, under whom Pakistan have now lost 12 of 16 Tests since he took over in December 2023.Facing questions about his leadership after another series defeat, the skipper said the decision on whether he remains captain rests entirely with the Pakistan Cricket Board. “I don’t want to criticise or praise anyone. Why we are not doing well in Test cricket… I will sit down with the board and discuss this. As far as the captaincy is concerned, it is for the board to decide,” Masood said.‘I can only offer my sincere apologies’Masood also issued a direct apology to supporters, acknowledging the disappointment of another failed campaign but insisting Pakistan must respond with clear thinking rather than emotion.“I can understand the emotions of the people with the result and I can only offer my sincere apologies for the loss, but we can’t look at things emotionally and we have to find a way to do well in Test matches,” he said.The 36-year-old stressed that despite the scoreline, Pakistan had opportunities in both matches and needed to reflect on where they let them slip.“It’s never good to lose games. In both matches we had significant chances, but we need to reflect on where we lost the game in batting, bowling and fielding if we want to move forward as a side.”Masood also praised the surfaces prepared for the series, calling them ideal Test wickets.“The pitches were very good Test tracks. They were good for batting and had something in them for the spinners and also pace and movement,” he added.Bangladesh create history againBangladesh’s win marked their first home Test series victory over Pakistan and followed their 2-0 triumph in Pakistan in 2024, making it a second successive sweep against their Asian rivals.Spinner Taijul Islam starred with six wickets in the second innings, bowling Pakistan out for 328 while defending a target of 437. Mohammad Rizwan fought with 94, but Pakistan’s chase ended in the first session.Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the team handled the pressure better than in previous contests.“Every player and member of the support staff contributed, and as captain I feel very proud of the team’s work ethic.”
May 19, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) hits a single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Ivan Herrera’s three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th lifted the host St. Louis Cardinals to a 9-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
Herrera’s three-run home run — a 410-foot blast to left center field — off Pirates reliever Mason Montgomery (1-1) was the fourth home run of the game for the Cardinals, who won for the fourth time in their past five games and dealt the Pirates their fourth consecutive loss.
Nolan Gorman, JJ Wetherholt and Alec Burleson all hit home runs as well.
Herrera’s heroics followed a single by Wetherholt that put runners at the corners and advanced the ghost runner, Victor Scott II, to third.
George Soriano (2-0) retired the Pirates in order in the top of the 10th, stranding Brandon Lowe at second.
The Pirates trailed 6-4 heading into the top of the ninth before loading the bases with no outs on Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien. Marcell Ozuna grounded into a double play, which allowed Nick Gonzales to score. Spencer Horwitz then tied the game with a two-out single to score Konnor Griffin.
Gorman’s go-ahead, two-run home run off Pirates reliever Evan Sisk with two outs in the bottom of the sixth came after Pittsburgh rallied from a 3-0 deficit with four runs in the top of the fifth, highlighted by a game-tying two-run double by Bryan Reynolds and a go-ahead RBI single by Oneil Cruz.
But the Cardinals started their comeback when Pirates starter Mitch Keller hit Burleson with a pitch with one out. Two batters later, Sisk replaced Keller and surrendered the 437-foot blast to center field by Gorman. Matthew Liberatore started for the Cardinals and struck out nine. But Liberatore lasted only 4 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks.
The Pirates loaded the bases with one out in the fifth and Lowe scored their first run on a wild pitch by Liberatore, who then struck out Griffin.
But Reynolds leveled the game by belting a ball to left field to score Jared Triolo and Gonzales. After Ozuna walked, Cruz drove in Reynolds.
Keller went 5 2/3 innings, allowed four runs on four hits and one walk and struck out three. –Field Level Media
What I think is the more applicable bucket of players
My mini driver isn’t about replacing a 3-wood, because I would never have a 3-wood in the bag to begin with. For me, and lots of others who I know play a mini driver, it’s just about having a reliable second tee option. I don’t plan to hit my mini off the deck. I have, but it’s not a shot I should responsibly hit, and it’s rare I find myself on the golf course in need of a 270-yard off-the-deck carry. Again, at that point, I probably shouldn’t be hitting that shot, or I did something really bad to end up in that position in the first place.
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What I love about the mini is it can be a very purposely built tool. Here in the Chicago area, we play short, tight golf courses. Lots of times a 265-yard tee shot is really all you need. So there’s lots of times where I keep the driver in the bag for the majority of the round, and the mini comes out to hit nice high draws that fall softly in the fairway. To me, this is a much better actual use for a mini driver. My bag goes driver, mini driver, 5-wood. The 5-wood is built as a bit of a bomber so I can reach long par-5s most of the time, and it also serves as a nice tee option if I need to really control flight or dial it back on a shorter par-4. For me, it’s a great bag strategy that gives me a lot of flexibility at the top.
Who does it not work for?
I’m a big believer that the mini should not replace your actual driver. I’ve written about it, I’ve made videos about it, and I still maintain my thoughts on that. If you don’t have a good driver, you should get a better driver. If you’re finding success with the mini and it gives you that much more confidence over the driver, then there’s something in that build you might want to try and replicate in a longer, bigger, faster, more forgiving driver. Too often I’ve seen players give up on the driver, hit a really good mini driver, and then a few rounds later they see how much they are actually losing in distance that they end up back on the search for a new driver and the mini ends up staying in the garage. While you absolutely can use a mini driver as a driver replacement — even guys on Tour have done so — I wouldn’t suggest it unless you’ve got a really good reason to do so.
A quick nod to some of those who do not make the list. Udo Lattek won all three European trophies with different clubs – a European Cup at Bayern Munich, Uefa Cup with Borussia Monchengladbach and Cup Winners’ Cup with Barcelona.
Sven-Goran Eriksson led Gothenburg to a Uefa Cup, won a Cup Winners’ Cup with Lazio and lost European and Uefa Cup finals with Benfica.
Raymond Goethals lifted the Champions League with Marseille in 1993, having lost the final two years earlier, and led Anderlecht to Cup Winners’ Cup success in 1978 a year after finishing runners-up to Hamburg. He also lost a final with Standard Liege.
Then there’s Jurgen Klopp, Champions League winner in 2019 and three-time runner-up. And, of course, heavy-hitting omissions in Brian Clough, who clinched successive European Cups with Nottingham Forest, and Celtic great Jock Stein, the first British manager to win the continent’s top trophy and beaten finalist in 1970.
But on to those who made it…
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Pro wrestling fans know Kayla Becker as a regular during WWE programming doing backstage interviews, hosting pre-shows and even trying her hand at in-ring announcing.
Becker is being introduced to a whole host of new sports fans due to her partnership with BZZR – a social media platform dedicated to the fanatic.
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Kayla Becker attends the world premiere of “Black Phone 2” presented by Universal Pictures and Blumhouse at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, on Oct. 8, 2025. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse)
She told Fox News Digital she was excited to get back to her broadcasting roots and expanding her coverage outside of sports entertainment.
“Really excited to be a part of BZZR. I obviously have a sports entertainment background when it comes to wrestling. For eight years of my life, I only talked about wrestling, but I only had a passion for sports,” she said. “I was actually a sports broadcast minor in college. I had this dream of one day either grow up and play in the WNBA, but I didn’t hit 5-feet tall so that never happened. …. I’m really fortunate that BZZR approached me.
“Chris Dunn, who is actually head of content over there worked with me as a lead writer at WWE. So, when he got involved with BZZR, he was like I know a girl who can talk on camera for an extended period of time about whatever we tell her to. So, that’s essentially where we are right now and I’m having a blast with it.”
BZZR intends to be a platform to cut out the noise from the rest of the world that shows up on algorithms of much of the other social media companies.
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Kayla Becker attends the premiere of “Bring Her Back” at Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, Calif., on May 15, 2025. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Becker also told Fox News Digital that BZZR users will be able to talk about sports without the fear of bots or trolls making trouble.
“I think the fact that it’s a social media platform exclusively about sports. I think that in itself is really unique,” she said. “Also, all the creators on there are verified creators with a following of their own so when you go on there and sign up, you’re not dealing with bots or trolls. It’s real people who know what they’re talking about and want to share their passion for sports with the community. I’ve been able to bring some followers over from my wrestling world to check out what I’m saying on BZZR. They want to be there.
“So, on other social media platforms, we all experience, there’s some people who maybe shouldn’t be on social media. The good thing about BZZR is it’s a really safe, home base, for sports fans.”
Kayla Becker attends the “Five Nights At Freddy’s 2” premiere presented by Universal Pictures and Blumhouse at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, on Dec. 2, 2025. (Savion Washington/Getty Images for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse)
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Becker joined All Elite Wrestling star MVP and pro wrestling podcaster Dwayne Swayze as content creators on the platform.
Alyssa Valdez smiles during a game against Cignal in the PVL All-Filipino Conference.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Alyssa Valdez has started training with the Alas Pilipinas women’s volleyball pool ahead of the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Cup from June 6 to 14 in Candon City.
Valdez, who last played for the national team in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games as captain and flag bearer, got a call-up again from the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF).
READ: PVL: Alyssa Valdez embraces new role in Creamline’s latest title
PNVF president Tonyboy Liao confirmed Valdez’s participation in the training.
“Alyssa Valdez will always be Alyssa, her love for Volleyball has been there, whether playing for her university, club team, and country,” Liao said. “She’s so happy that now she’ll be playing with young players who have been looking up to her.”
But the three-time PVL MVP from Creamline will have to wait for her reunion with Tai Bundit, who will be out for three months due to an accident in Bangkok. Valdez and Bundit led Ateneo to two UAAP championships and won the Cool Smashers’ first three of 11 titles.
Ex-Cignal coach Shaq Delos Santos will be Alas’ interim coach, calling the shots for the national team since the 2018 Asian Games and 2019 SEA Games.
READ: PVL: Alyssa Valdez excited to share court with Belen, Gandler
Sources told Inquirer that former national team Ces Molina and rising star Trisha Tubu and Creamline libero Kyla Atienza also started training with the national team, including Far Eastern University’s trio Tin Ubaldo, Jaz Ellarina, and lone Alas holdover Cla Loresco, University of the Philippines middle blocker Niña Ytang, Adamson’s Lhouriz Tuddao, and Letran’s Lara Mae Silva and Natalie Estreller.
Another source reported that Myla Pablo and Jules Tolentino are asking Nxled for permission after receiving invitations, while Alas Pilipinas awaits the decision of Jovelyn Gonzaga, Erika Santos, and National University players.
The Philippines is slated in Pool A with Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Australia, and Uzbekistan. Defending champion Vietnam headlines Pool B with Kazakhstan, Iran, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Lebanon.
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In the past two AVC Women’s Cups, Alas earned a breakthrough bronze medal in 2024 at Rizal Memorial Coliseum, then reached the championship last year before falling to the host and defending champion Vietnam.
Sports
Has Ishan Kishan Mocked CSK Fans With Latest Instagram Post After Match-Winning Knock For SRH?
Sunrisers Hyderabad player Ishan Kishan’s celebration after leading his side to a win against Chennai Super Kings in an IPL 2026 game on Monday has become a topic of discussion. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 70 off 47 balls with the help of seven fours and three sixes, helping SRH chase down a 181-run target in 19 overs and enter the playoffs. Right after the victory, Kishan came up with a whistle gesture celebration, presumably mocking the CSK fans, and even playfully taunted the Chennai crowd by pointing towards it as he celebrated the win with his teammates.
Good team win that’s it well played Ishan Kishan pic.twitter.com/sfEtoeorOk
— jaguar (@rrd4859) May 18, 2026
Later, Kishan put up a post on Instagram with pictures from the match. He captioned it “Only thing louder than the whistles was the bat. Into the playoffs.”
After game, the swashbuckling batter said, “I would just say one thing. Sometimes I feel it’s also about motivation, and for me, my motivation was today, my cousin is just standing there. He lost his sister. It was a tough time in our family and they are watching the match for the first time here. So I just wanted to finish the game for them.”
“I’m glad they were here to witness this innings, and I was able to finish this game. I was just feeling blessed from upstairs. I had that sense of power, like, yes, I can do it if I’m there for the team. We will qualify, especially. He’ll be happy about it.”
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and opted to bat first, expecting that the pitch would slow down later on. Chennai posted 180 for 7, and that looked good enough. However, Kishan’s sensational knock comfortably took SRH through.
“When I was keeping, I felt the wicket was not easy — especially when the spinners were bowling, and the slower balls working really well. I had to just play till the last over. It was just about being there and believing in yourself. You cannot doubt yourself at any time. Being in the middle, it’s difficult for the bowlers to get it right every time,” said Kishan.
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The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been placed in Group L for the qualifiers of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, where they will battle Madagascar, co-hosts Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau for a place at the tournament.
The draw ceremony took place on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo. Former Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong was among the officials who assisted during the draw.
A total of 48 countries will compete in the qualification series, with the teams divided into 12 groups. Twenty-four nations will eventually secure places at the tournament, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
Nigeria, who were seeded in Pot 1, received what many consider to be a favourable group. However, because Tanzania have already qualified automatically as one of the hosts, only the team that finishes top of Group L will earn a ticket to the competition.
The same qualification rule will apply to every group containing one of the co-host nations, while the top two teams from the other groups will progress to the finals.
Elsewhere, 2023 champions Côte d’Ivoire were drawn in Group C alongside Ghana, The Gambia and Somalia. Defending champions Senegal will take on Mozambique, Sudan and Ethiopia in Group J, while Morocco were grouped with Gabon, Niger and Lesotho.
The qualifying matches will be played during three FIFA international windows. The first two rounds are scheduled for September 21 to October 6, 2026, while Matchdays Three and Four will hold from November 9 to 17, 2026.
The final round of qualifiers is expected to take place between March 22 and 30, 2027, when the full list of teams for the tournament will be confirmed.
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