Pep Guardiola conducted his final pre-match press conference as Manchester City manager on Friday.
Pep Guardiola will miss Manchester, and Manchester will miss Pep Guardiola. Well, the blue half will anyway.
As the manager conducted his final pre-match press conference after deciding to call time on his glorious decade in charge at the Etihad, he was a man at peace. The time is right to depart, the energy levels are dwindling, the beach is calling.
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He will take time out of football, he will relax, go on holiday and play golf. But make no mistake, Manchester will always be a part of him.
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Guardiola has fallen in love with the city, he even said he would miss the Manchester rain. He’s eschewed erstwhile football haunts in Cheshire and lived in the city centre since his arrival.
His wife and daughter were watching Ariana Grande when the Manchester Arena attack happened, he felt the city’s remarkable resilience, its power, and its community.
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It was perhaps fitting that Guardiola spoke to the media on the ninth anniversary of the attack. “When you live 10 years you are not just at the Etihad or the CFA. You live in this city.”
The 55-year-old’s voice caught when he discussed the honour of having the new North Stand named after him and the pride he will feel having the Guardiola name forever part of the club. His dad, Valenti, 94, is coming to watch the Villa game on Sunday.
“It’s an incredible honour to have his name in this beautiful place,” said the Blues boss. “I’m speechless, no words. What can I say? Khaldoon called me this morning and said the club made that decision. I like to feel that my vibe or my energy will be there forever, I said okay good energy for the team.”
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Energy is one of the factors that has prompted his decision to depart. It’s been a while in the making but Guardiola is sure the time is right.
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“I feel I will not have the energy that is required every three days to fight for titles, being in front of the players. I know myself I have that energy now but I feel I will not have that. It’s 10 years.”
It is 10 years, but what a 10 years. The like we won’t see again.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) will seek to amend its constitution in line with the National Sports Governance Act and hold discussions on the new commercial partner of the Indian Super League during its Special General Body Meeting here on Saturday.
Each member association of the AIFF can send one representative. Members of the AIFF Executive Committee cannot vote and they cannot also represent the associations to which they belong.
“Amendment and adoption of AIFF Constitution in line with National Sports Governance Act 2025. Commercial partners for Indian Super League, Indian Women’s League and Super League (Cup),” said a few agenda items of the SGM in a notice issued on May 6.
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AIFF’s executive committee member Valanka Alemao had objected to the SGM being convened, saying it could potentially flout its constitution, leading to contempt of the Supreme Court.
She urged that the AIFF should first constitute the associations for players, coaches and referees to elect their representatives who, in turn, would be members of the General Body as per provisions of the new constitution as approved by the Supreme Court.
“…the AIFF despite adopting the said Constitution as directed by Hon’ble Supreme Court … has called for a SGM without filling the vacancies for eminent sportspersons and thus is in violation both of its own Constitution and also in contempt of the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” she had said in a ‘legal notice’ sent to the AIFF..
“…the SGM cannot be held without completing the quorum of general body members as per Article 20 of the AIFF Constitution (as approved by the Hon’ble Supreme Court)….
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“The AIFF through its Constitution expressly mandates that the Eminent Player representatives should be elected from the National Players Association constituted as per Schedule IV. Furthermore, Coaches’ and Referees’ Representatives are required to be elected through a procedure governed by the AIFF Election Committee..
Under the AIFF constitution, the General Body shall comprise of one representative from every member association, 15 eminent players out of which minimum five to be women, three club representatives, one each from ISL, I-League and Indian Women’s League, two representatives from referees (one male and one female) and two representatives from coaches (one male and one female)..
Regarding the commercial partner of the ISL, Genius Sports had emerged as the highest bidder in March, promising Rs 2129 crore annually for the next 15+5 years..
But the ISL clubs have proposed a different model. They want the highest bidders (Genius Sports) to stay as the league’s data and technology partner only..
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The clubs want to keep 90% of the “economic interest in the league structure” and AIFF the rest.
Meanwhile, the top officials of the AIFF are expected to meet the owners and representatives of the ISL clubs on Friday, though the details are not yet known.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar found himself on the wrong side of IPL history on Friday after enduring a nightmare outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad. The experienced Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer conceded 50-plus runs in an IPL innings for the ninth time in his career, equalling an unwanted all-time record held by Mohammed Shami. Despite being one of the most respected bowlers in IPL history and currently the leading wicket-taker of IPL 2026, Bhuvneshwar had no answers against SRH’s fearless batting approach on a flat Hyderabad surface.
Most times conceding 50+ runs in an IPL innings
Player
Times
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
9*
Mohammed Shami
9
Mohammed Siraj
8
The carnage began in the powerplay itself when Abhishek Sharma launched a stunning assault on his former SRH teammate. Abhishek smashed 56 off just 22 deliveries and refused to let Bhuvneshwar settle, flicking and lofting him repeatedly over the leg side. RCB’s troubles only deepened as Ishan Kishan produced a composed yet aggressive 79 off 44 balls, exposing the bowling side’s repeated errors in line and length. However, the most destructive phase came when Heinrich Klaasen walked in and completely dismantled the experienced attack. Klaasen hammered a brutal 51 off just 24 balls and tore into Josh Hazlewood for 27 runs in a single over, effectively breaking RCB captain Rajat Patidar’s plans. Bhuvneshwar was not the only bowler to suffer heavily. Hazlewood and Rasikh Salam Dar also leaked more than 50 runs each, making it one of RCB’s worst collective bowling performances of the season. SRH eventually piled up a massive 255 for 4, smashing 20 fours and 16 sixes in another breathtaking display of power-hitting. The innings further strengthened Hyderabad’s reputation as the most explosive batting side of IPL 2026 while leaving RCB’s bowling attack badly exposed ahead of the playoffs.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi played a scintillating knock against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in game 64 of IPL 2026 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Tuesday, May 19. The 15-year-old hammered 93 off just 38 as RR kept their playoff hopes intact with a seven-wicket victory.
Chasing a target of 221, RR got over the line in 19.1 overs as Sooryavanshi struck seven fours and 10 sixes. The left-handed batter added 75 runs for the first wicket with Yashasvi Jaiswal (43 off 23) in 39 balls and 105 for the second wicket with Dhruv Jurel (53* off 38) in 45 deliveries.
Sooryavanshi has opened the innings in 20 IPL matches so far. In this feature, we compare his stats with those of Aussie white-ball legend David Warner after the latter had also opened the innings in the same number of IPL matches.
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs David Warner – Who has a better average and strike rate after 20 IPL matches as opener?
In 20 IPL games as opener, Sooryavanshi has totaled 831 runs at an average of 41.55 and a sensational strike rate of 226.43. In three innings against Gujarat Titans (GT), he has notched up 168 runs, averaging 56 at a strike rate of 233.33. Also, in three innings against LSG, he has scored 135 runs at an average of 45 and a strike rate of 195.65.
After 20 IPL games as opener, Warner had scored exactly 500 runs at an average of 26.31 and a strike rate of 135.13 – all of them for Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils). In four innings against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he had 179 runs at an average of 59.66 and a strike rate of 149.16. Also, in two innings against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he had 66 runs at a strike rate of 183.33.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs David Warner – Who has more 50-plus scores after 20 IPL matches as opener?
Having played 20 IPL matches as opener, Sooryavanshi has smashed two centuries and four fifties. He clubbed 103 off 37 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Jaipur in the ongoing edition, striking five fours and 12 sixes. He also whacked 101 off 38 balls against GT in Jaipur last season. The innings included seven fours and 11 sixes.
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After 20 IPL matches as opener, Warner had one hundred and three half-centuries to his name. His best at that stage was 107*, which came off 69 balls against KKR in Delhi in IPL 2010. The knock featured nine fours and five sixes. Warner had also smacked 54 off 44 against RR in Jaipur in IPL 2011. The innings included six fours and a six.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs David Warner – Who has more fours and sixes after 20 IPL matches as opener?
In 20 IPL games as opener, Sooryavanshi has hit 68 fours and 77 sixes. The southpaw has struck 15 fours and 15 sixes in three innings against GT and eight fours and nine sixes in two innings against RCB. Also, he has five fours and 12 sixes in two innings against SRH and 11 fours and 13 sixes in three innings against LSG.
Player
Runs
Average
SR
HS
100s
50s
4s
6s
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
831
41.55
226.43
103
2
4
68
77
David Warner
500
26.31
135.13
107*
1
3
49
20
(Sooryavanshi vs Warner – Batting stats comparison after 20 IPL matches as opener)
After 20 IPL matches as opener, Warner had hit 49 fours and 20 sixes. He had 19 fours and seven sixes against KKR and six fours and four sixes against RCB. Also, Warner struck six fours and three sixes against MI and six fours and one six against CSK.
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs David Warner – Who has a better record in wins after 20 IPL matches as opener?
In nine wins, Sooryavanshi has scored 502 runs at an average of 55.77 and a strike rate of 237.91, with one ton and four fifties. In 11 losses, he has 329 runs at an average of 29.90 and a strike rate of 210.89. The southpaw’s 103 against SRH came in a losing cause.
Player
Innings
Runs
Average
SR
HS
100s
50s
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
9
502
55.77
237.91
101
1
4
David Warner
10
289
32.11
140.29
107*
1
0
(Sooryavanshi vs Warner – Batting stats comparison in wins after 20 IPL matches as opener)
In 10 wins, Warner had 289 runs at an average of 32.11 and a strike rate of 140.29, with one century. In 10 losses, he had 211 runs at an average of 21.10 and a strike rate of 128.65, with three half-centuries.
NEW DELHI: With already a mountain of records to his name, Virat Kohli added yet another milestone to his glittering career during the IPL 2026 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday.Kohli became the batter involved in the most 50-plus partnerships in men’s T20 cricket history. The RCB superstar achieved the feat after stitching together another fifty-plus opening stand with Venkatesh Iyer against SRH.The partnership once again gave RCB a flying start before Venkatesh fell for a blazing 44 off just 19 balls, dismissed by Eshan Malinga.With this stand, Kohli took his tally to 211 fifty-plus partnerships in men’s T20s — the highest ever. He went past England batter Alex Hales, who sits second with 210 such stands. Former David Warner opener occupies third place with 200, followed by Babar Azam with 196 and T20 legend Chris Gayle with 191.
Batters involved in most 50-plus stands in Men’s T20s
211* — Virat Kohli
210 — Alex Hales
200 — David Warner
196 — Babar Azam
191 — Chris Gayle
Earlier in the evening, Sunrisers Hyderabad piled up a mammoth 255/4 against RCB, riding on explosive knocks from Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen in front of a packed Hyderabad crowd.Kishan (79) top-scored for Sunrisers Hyderabad. SRH were also well served by half-centuries from Abhishek (56) and Klaasen (51).Kishan and Klaasen put on 113 runs for the third wicket in what turned out to be a successful outing for the SRH batters.For RCB, Rasikh Salam Dar was pick among the bowlers taking 2/52.
Few occasions in modern cricket evoke as much pure sentiment as MS Dhoni walking out in Chennai Super Kings yellow in the Indian Premier League. For the fans, the team combinations and matchups aren’t as relevant as seeing Dhoni on the pitch. Following recent discussions on his future, former India cricketers Zaheer Khan and Murali Kartik shared unique insights into why the legendary skipper might surprise everyone yet again by extending his playing career to come out to play for CSK another season.
Predicting Dhoni’s next move has always been one of cricket’s most fascinating mysteries. Kartik highlighted that trying to guess what the veteran keeper-batsman will do is nearly impossible because of how tightly he guards his plans.
“The one thing which you know for a fact with MSD is you don’t know what he’s going to do,” Kartik said during a chat on Cricbuzz. “I’ve always said he never allows the left hand to know what his right hand is thinking, so we could be sitting here and talk till the cows come home and not figure out what MSD is thinking.”
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Despite Dhoni navigating his mid-40s, a strong sense remains that his journey with CSK is not quite finished.
“A part of me felt, what, he’s 43, 44? 44 years. So he might play and maybe just surprise everyone. So next year could be another surprise,” Kartik added.
This unpredictability is exactly why standard cricketing logic does not apply to him. “People of CSK, of Chennai, any CSK supporter for that matter, would want him in those yellows all the time, whether he does anything or nothing. It’s immaterial. It’s an emotion, and certain logics don’t go well with emotions. It’s just an emotion.”
A key factor supporting Dhoni’s continuation is his strategic approach to helping CSK navigate the mega-auction landscape. In a brilliant exploitation of the tournament rules, Kartik said that the multi-time ICC trophy-winning captain willingly allowed himself to be registered as an uncapped player.
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There is an obvious, fascinating irony in seeing Dhoni play for CSK as an “uncapped” player. However, this move highlights his team-first mentality. Kartik believes this tactical approach makes the upcoming season vital. It gives Dhoni the perfect buffer to evaluate his physical fitness over the off-season, mentor the next generation, and hand over a perfectly balanced squad before the next major cycle shifts.
“Isn’t it an irony for a guy who has won so many ICC titles, which means he’s got so many feathers in lots of caps, when he was chosen, he was chosen as an uncapped player? All of us who played for India, suddenly after a while because you have not played for a while, uncapped.”
However, this move highlights his team-first mentality. Zaheer felt that Dhoni viewed the rule purely as a tool to give CSK a financial and tactical advantage:
“When it comes to the big auction, and I think the kind of direction which CSK has gone in, which is investing heavily in youngsters when you’re retaining them, you have two slots of uncapped players. This year CSK, maybe in the beginning of the cycle, they used MSD as an uncapped option, isn’t it? So if they find someone who is going to take the franchise forward, then MS himself, like how he decided that, okay, he’s going to be an uncapped player, use that for his advantage, for the franchise’s advantage, so he will look at it that way.”
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By sliding into that slot, Dhoni freed up crucial retention resources for management to focus on building a squad for the future. Zaheer believes this calculated approach makes the upcoming season vital for a smooth transition:
“If you have that kind of approach, then the next year becomes important for him to come back and then take that call once it comes to the big auction. If you ask him, he’s going to say that, ‘Okay, I’ll see how the off-season goes,’ which every year he’s been doing, isn’t it?”
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IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss
Team manager Jojo Lastimosa is hoping that either of them could arrive in time for Sunday’s Game 3 of the Tropang 5G’s semifinal series with the Meralco Bolts after Bol sustained a partial tear on his Achilles.
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Lastimosa confirmed that Bol is done for the rest of the conference, and he immediately scrambled to find a replacement, especially with the series all even at 1-1.
Days is being groomed as the team’s reinforcement for the season-ending Governors’ Cup, which starts in July, though TNT is already familiar with the 26-year-old, having played for the team in preseason games in 2024 before bringing back Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Chriss, meanwhile, is the more established name after playing 292 NBA games for the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks from 2016 to 2022.
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“He’s the first guy that we’re looking at,” Lastimosa said of the 6-foot-9 Chriss, who is coming off a stint in China for Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin.
There will be some drawbacks before one of them can suit up for TNT for Sunday, as the team needs to complete some paperwork and inform the league of the change before Saturday’s 12 noon deadline.
Jet lag and familiarity with coach Chot Reyes’ system are also concerns.
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“We can follow-up the GAB requirements if it’s an emergency situation.” Lastimosa said. “And they also have to fly in quickly. Darius is in Florida and Marquese is in the West Coast, so if they leave right away, they’ll probably be here by Sunday morning.”
Bol got hurt with 2:38 left in the first quarter and had to be carried by teammates and staff to the locker room. He was later rushed to the hospital for an MRI.
But TNT was already fearing the worst before Bol left the arena.
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“He’s ruled out. He’s done,” Lastimos said of Bol’s status.
GIO Stadium will play host to Thursday’s
Round 12 NRL game between Canberra Raiders and
Dolphins. The game kicks off at 7:50 pm with Canberra Raiders heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Canberra Raiders vs.
Dolphins
game and give you our free tips and bets.
Canberra returns from the bye looking to reignite its season when it hosts an undermanned Dolphins outfit at GIO Stadium on Thursday night. The Raiders have lost three of their past four matches, including a disappointing defeat to Penrith in their most recent appearance, leaving Ricky Stuart’s side chasing consistency heading into an important stretch of home fixtures. Canberra will lose key forwards Hudson Young and Ethan Strange to Origin duties, but the return of Xavier Savage and Zac Hosking adds some much-needed spark and experience. The Dolphins, meanwhile, arrive full of confidence after climbing into the top eight with three straight wins, highlighted by an impressive victory over South Sydney. However, Kristian Woolf’s side has been heavily disrupted by Origin selections and injuries, with several first-choice stars unavailable. These sides produced entertaining contests last season, splitting two high-scoring meetings in an evenly matched rivalry.
Canberra Raiders vs Dolphins Teams
Raiders team: 1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Savelio Tamale 3. Sebastian Kris 4. Matthew Timoko 5. Xavier Savage 6. Daine Laurie 7. Ethan Sanders 8. Corey Horsburgh 9. Tom Starling 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Ata Mariota 12. Zac Hosking 13. Jayden Brailey 14. Owen Pattie 15. Jordan Uta 16. Morgan Smithies 17. Jed Stuart 18. Chevy Stewart 19. Jake Clydsdale 20. Coby Black 21. Vena Patuki-Case 22. Ethan Alaia
Dolphins team: 1. Trai Fuller 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jack Bostock 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Tevita Naufahu 6. Brad Schneider 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Felise Kaufusi 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Francis Molo 11. Connelly Lemuelu 12. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 13. Morgan Knowles 14. Kurt Donoghoe 15. Ray Stone 16. Tom Gilbert 17. Oryn Keeley 18. Brian Pouniu 19. Lewis Symonds 20. John Fineanganofo 21. LJ Nonu 22. Patrick Kailahi
Doping in sports is nothing new. Athletes at the Enhanced Games will know the risks — severe injury, even paralysis. But bioethicists are also concerned we’re opening the gates to altering our fundamental human biology.
They also have the longest current playoff drought, which means even the Pittsburgh Pirates have been part of the postseason fun since the Angels last were involved in 2014. The last playoff victory? Try 2009.
The Angels gave out one of the worst contracts in baseball history by signing third baseman Anthony Rendon to a seven-year, $245 million deal in 2020 and he played in just 257 games for the club. They made another horrific decision by not dealing Shohei Ohtani prior to the 2023 trading deadline.
Not trading a huge talent heading out the door to free agency for a bushel of prospects set the stage for the team’s poor 17-34 record this season. The Angels have been outscored by 69 runs, the largest differential in the majors.
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Los Angeles has dropped 89 or more games in each of the past seasons. The Angels have no future and no present to go with their very unproductive recent past that includes 10 straight losing seasons.
Angel Stadium once had “Kids in the Outfield” but it’s now home to men who can’t play.
It’s also largely empty and very quiet – unless fans of the visiting team flock to the ballpark.
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It was very loud last August when Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a tiebreaking homer in the top of the ninth inning to help the Chicago Cubs notch a 3-2 victory. Cubs fans were everywhere and it was like Wrigleyville near the Chicago dugout.
Of course, late August is a time when there’s no reason for the locals to head to Anaheim with the playoffs out of sight. Playoffs is Fantasyland.
And it will be the same thing this summer with the Angels regularly sinking under first-year manager Kurt Suzuki and possibly saying good-bye to sixth-year general manager Perry Minasian after the season if not earlier.
The Angels have dropped nine of their last 10 games heading into Friday’s home contest against the Texas Rangers.
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The victory during that stretch was of the amazing variety.
The Angels were being no-hit entering the ninth inning by Oakland Athletics right-hander J.T. Ginn on Monday night. Adam Frazier broke up the no-no with a single and Zach Neto followed by delivering a walk-off, two-run homer.
The celebration was intense and crazy but at least nobody broke their leg like Kendrys Morales did in 2010 after his walk-off grand slam to beat the Seattle Mariners.
This time, it’s just broken spirits. The victory snapped a six-game slide but momentum didn’t follow.
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The Angels allowed 14 runs on Tuesday and then lost in extra innings on Wednesday and Thursday. Frazier, the second baseman, couldn’t get the ball out of his glove Thursday on a no-doubt inning-ending, double-play ball and that allowed the A’s to take the lead.
Frazier is one of several Angels who should be shipped by the trading deadline. Others include third baseman Yoan Moncada, outfielders Josh Lowe and Jorge Soler, catcher Travis d’Arnaud, left-handed starters Yusei Kikuchi and Reid Detmers and right-hander reliever Kirby Yates.
The Angels ought to revisit discussions with face of the franchise Mike Trout, who turns 35 in August, and see if he’s ready to go. It’s certainly a slippery slope for an 11-time All-Star in his 16th season with the organization.
But the team’s last winning season came in 2015 when Trout was the undisputed best player in baseball.
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Trout no longer resembles that version of himself. He won three American League MVP awards, finished second four times and finished fourth once in the eight-season period from 2012-19.
Midway through this decade, he’s just another guy who plays outfield. He’s no longer a difference-maker and is highly injury prone. The 130 games he played in last season are the most this decade.
Trout is batting .233 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs in 50 games this season.
Basically, the Angels need a full-on facelift. This isn’t an easy fix – that opportunity was there in 2023 and the club failed to act.
TNT Tropang 5G’s Jordan Heading during a game vs Meralco Bolts in the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–Jordan Heading said TNT’s locals will need to take on a bigger role following the injury to import Bol Bol in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
After TNT absorbed an 87-76 loss to Meralco in Game 2 at Mall of Asia Arena on Friday, Heading told the Inquirer that the team’s immediate priority is helping TNT’s incoming import adjust quickly.
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“Us locals definitely have to step up our leadership in terms of introducing whoever our new guy would be in our system,” he said. “We’ll try to help him feel at home as soon as possible, we’ll take the lead in making sure that he’s good to go.”
Bol was ruled out for the remainder of the conference after suffering a partial Achilles tear in the first quarter.
As of writing, TNT is choosing between former NBA players Darius Days and Marquese Chriss as possible replacements.
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Whether TNT picks Days or Chriss, Heading said the locals will do their part in helping the new import adjust to coach Chot Reyes’ system.
Heading also admitted that Bol’s injury was especially painful because TNT had already started building strong chemistry with him at the right time.
“Our chemistry has been really good with Bol, it became something we wanted it to be at the time that it mattered,” he said. “It’s extra heartbreaking with how well we’ve been gelling lately and how things have been going.”
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TNT will play things by ear before Sunday for Game 3 at the same venue.
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