June 2 is an important date on the NFL calendar. Under the NFL’s salary cap rules, bonus proration from remaining or future contract years is delayed until the following league year when a player is released, retires or is traded after June 1.

The date used to carry greater significance in the NFL. It marked the beginning of the final wave of free agency. Teams would primarily release players with excessive contracts or declining performance because of the change in salary cap implications.

In some years, more than 20 players were released after June 1. Some of the big-name players to hit the open market as June salary cap casualties included Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Kurt Warner.

These free agents were at a disadvantage in the marketplace because most teams had already filled their needs through the NFL Draft, and salary cap space was at a premium. As a result, most of the released players couldn’t secure deals that reflected their market value had they been available earlier.

This changed in 2006. To rectify the situation, the 2006 NFL collective bargaining agreement included a provision allowing teams to release up to two players each league year before June 2 (known as a post-June 1 designation) that are treated under the salary cap as though they were released after June 1.

With a post-June 1 designation, a team must carry the player’s full cap number until June 2 even though he is no longer part of the roster. The player’s salary comes off the books at that time unless it is guaranteed.

This provision has been included in every subsequent CBA, including the current labor agreement. Post-June 1 designations don’t apply to trades.

A majority of time when a player is traded or released, there is a residual cap charge, largely because of bonus proration. This cap charge for a player who is no longer on a team’s roster is commonly referred to as dead money. It is typically a sunk cost where money isn’t owed to the player. Only when there are salary guarantees or money previously paid in the current league year at the time of a release or trade is there an actual payment associated with dead money.

Eleven players have been released during the 2026 league year with a post-June 1 designation. Only the current year’s bonus proration counts against the 2026 salary cap when players are released or traded after June 1 this league year. Any future bonus proration becomes a 2027 salary cap charge.

Four teams — the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings — used both of their post-June 1 designations. These 11 players are listed below, along with the salary cap implications of their departures.

• 2026 salary cap number: $56,267,647
• 2026 compensation: $55 million
• 2026 dead money: $55.4 million (includes $15 million option bonus and $39 million 2026 base salary guarantee)
• 2026 salary cap savings: $867,647
• 2027 dead money: $43.8 million

As expected, Tua Tagovailoa was expendable under the new regime of general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley. The Dolphins gave Malik Willis a three-year, $67.5 million contract with $45 million fully guaranteed to replace Tagovailoa at quarterback.

The $99.2 million in total dead money is a record tied to a single player contract. The $55.4 million in 2026 is also a record for dead money associated with an individual player in a single league year.

The dead money is so high because Tagovailoa’s $54 million 2026 base salary was fully guaranteed. To avoid a 2026 dead-money charge of $67.4 million, the Dolphins exercised an option for a dummy/voiding 2030 contract year before Tagovailoa’s release in March by making a $15 million payment (i.e., an option bonus). 

Upon exercise, the option bonus was prorated at $3 million annually on Miami’s salary cap from 2026 through 2030. The dead-money charges would have been $67.4 million in 2026 and $31.8 million in 2027 had the option not been exercised.

• 2026 salary cap number: $51,711,466
• 2026 compensation: $42,542,500
• 2026 dead money: $46,568,966 (includes $22.835 million 2026 base salary guarantee and $13.965 million 2026 roster bonus guarantee)
• 2026 salary cap savings: $5,142,500
• 2027 dead money: $3,961,966

Kyler Murray was effectively benched in favor of Jacoby Brissett, a journeyman backup quarterback, before going on injured reserve in Week 10 with the right foot sprain he suffered five games into the 2025 season. Arizona’s offense operated more efficiently with Brissett at the helm.

The Cardinals attempted to trade Murray before his release in March but couldn’t find a taker because of his contract. Three years worth $125,234,860, including $36.8 million fully guaranteed for 2026, remained on the five-year, $230.1 million contract extension Murray signed in 2022.

• 2026 salary cap number: $24.6 million
• 2026 compensation: $12.1 million
• 2026 dead money: $22.5 million (includes $10 million 2026 roster bonus guarantee)
• 2026 salary cap savings: $2.1 million
• 2027 dead money: $12.5 million

The Falcons reworked Kirk Cousins‘ contract as the end of the 2025 regular season approached to pave the way for his release with a post-June 1 designation. His $35 million 2026 base salary was reduced to $2.1 million, freeing up $32.9 million in 2026 cap space. 

Cousins’ 2027 base salary was increased by $32.9 million to $67.9 million, with that money becoming fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2026 league year (March 13). By NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement rules, a post-June 1 designation is prohibited when contract modifications occur after the end of the previous regular season.

• 2026 salary cap number: $4.3 million
• 2026 compensation: $1.3 million
• 2026 dead money: $3 million
• 2026 salary cap savings: $1.3 million
• 2027 dead money: $7.6 million

The one-year, $10.25 million deal Harrison Smith signed with the Vikings last March was designed with the use of a post-June 1 designation in mind. There were 2026 through 2029 contract years for bonus-proration purposes. Smith’s $25 million 2027 base salary was set to become fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2026 league year if he wasn’t released. The Vikings remain open to Smith, who is 37 and contemplating retirement, returning for a 15th season in Minnesota.

• 2026 salary cap number: $31,202,742
• 2026 compensation: $20.23 million
• 2026 dead money: $10,972,742
• 2026 salary cap savings: $20.23 million
• 2027 dead money: $12,886,500

Bradley Chubb had a team-high 8.5 sacks for the Dolphins in 2025 after missing the entire 2024 season because of a severe right knee injury (torn ACL, meniscus and patellar tendon) suffered late in the 2023 season. A difficult Dolphins salary cap situation prompted Chubb’s departure.

• 2026 salary cap number: $10.834 million
• 2026 compensation: $1.3 million
• 2026 dead money: $9.534 million
• 2026 salary cap savings: $1.3 million
• 2027 dead money: $14.797 million

David Njoku’s contract with the Browns was set to expire on its own terms until a contract maneuver during the middle of the 2025 season. Dummy/voiding 2026 through 2028 contract years were converted into real contract years. Njoku’s 2028 base salary was an unsecured $75 million that became fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2026 league year (March 13) to ensure he would be released. The Browns would have had $24.331 million in 2026 dead money for Njoku without this creative salary-cap accounting maneuver.

• 2026 salary cap number: $10,356,666
• 2026 compensation: $9 million
• 2026 dead money: $2,166,666
• 2026 salary cap savings: $8.19 million
• 2027 dead money: $2,166,668

The Broncos ignored durability concerns about Dre Greenlaw when signing him to a three-year, $31.5 million contract averaging $10.5 million per year and worth up to $34.5 million in 2025 free agency. Greenlaw’s inability to stay healthy was a major factor in Denver releasing him after just one season.

• 2026 salary cap number: $23,866,666
• 2026 compensation: $17.7 million
• 2026 dead money: $12,666,666
• 2026 salary cap savings: $11.2 million (includes $8 million 2026 base salary guarantee)
• 2027 dead money: $4,666,668

An $8 million 2026 base salary guarantee wasn’t enough for Jonathan Allen to earn a second year with the Vikings after signing a three-year, $51 million contract worth up to $60 million through incentives and salary escalators as an unrestricted free agent in 2025. An additional $8 million of Allen’s 2026 base salary was set to become fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2026 league year.

• 2026 salary cap number: $10.393 million
• 2026 compensation: $2.1 million
• 2026 dead money: $8.293 million
• 2026 salary cap savings: $2.1 million
• 2027 dead money: $13.011 million

The Browns used the poison-pill concept employed with Njoku in a preseason contract restructure to create 2025 salary cap space. Wyatt Teller’s unsecured $99 million 2028 base salary becoming fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2026 league year was the poison pill in this case.

• 2026 salary cap number: $12,838,235
• 2026 compensation: $9.05 million
• 2026 dead money: $4 million
• 2026 salary cap savings: $8,838,235
• 2027 dead money: $8 million

Signing Nate Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million contract in 2025 free agency backfired on the Packers. Green Bay overestimated Hobbs’ ability to play on the perimeter in addition to playing slot cornerback. Hobbs made $17,988,235 during his one-season stint in Green Bay.

• 2026 salary cap number: $5,278,431
• 2026 compensation: $3.7 million
• 2026 dead money: $2,666,666 (includes $1 million March roster bonus)
• 2026 salary cap savings: $2,611,765
• 2027 dead money: $1,666,668

Brandon McManus‘ days in Green Bay were numbered after the Packers selected University of Florida kicker Trey Smack in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Making 80% of his field-goal attempts last season when the league-average conversion rate was 85.6% didn’t help his cause.

Jan 26, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) and quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) celebrate a touchdown against the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

A.J. Brown still has love for quarterback Jalen Hurts even though they drifted apart over the last few years, the three-time All-Pro wide receiver said.

Brown shared as much and more with NBC Sports’ Maria Taylor in an interview published on Tuesday, one day after his long-awaited trade from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New England Patriots. Per the Eagles, Brown was traded to the Patriots in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection, pending a physical.

New England head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed Tuesday that Brown passed that physical and will participate in the team’s voluntary practice.

Taylor asked Brown about his current relationship with Hurts, who also is the godfather of Brown’s daughter, Jersee.

“Not as close as we once were,” Brown said. “I believe that’s fine. There’s no bad blood. There’s actually still a lot of love. I love him to death. I want him to succeed and accomplish all the things that he wants to accomplish.

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“I didn’t truly understand why our friendship became the center of everyone’s attention when it comes to football. Because looking back on it, we haven’t been as close as we were for a couple years now. But that didn’t stop anything. We still competed, we still pushed each other, we still led the team. It was just kind of strange. People got so fixated on our relationship.

“Im’a say it to you, Im’a say it on camera, I have nothing but love for him. I want him to do well and accomplish everything that his heart desires.”

Brown acknowledged that there was no particular incident that led to the shift in the relationship.

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“Nothing happened, people just grow apart,” Brown said. “Nothing happened between me and him, or our families, wives, anything. Nothing like that ever happened. Life happens and you just look up sometimes and you just, you find yourself drifting away and that’s fine. And I think both parties accepted that.”

Brown and Hurts were teammates for the last four seasons after the Eagles acquired Brown from the Tennessee Titans in April 2022 for first- and third-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. The two went on to compete in two Super Bowls, winning one.

Brown’s time with the Titans was spent under Vrabel, who spoke about the Patriots’ new acquisition on Tuesday.

“He loves football. He has a physical skill set. I think he has great body control and can be strong at the catch point,” Vrabel said of Brown. “He’s been a productive, consistent player.”

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Brown, who turns 29 on June 30, is a three-time Pro Bowler who was selected second-team All-Pro with the Eagles in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

He averaged 72.5 catches and 1,041 receiving yards in the past two seasons, compared to 97.0 and 1,476 in his first two seasons with Philadelphia. Brown has the two highest single-season receiving yardage totals in franchise history in 2022 (1,496) and 2023 (1,456).

Brown finished his four years in Philadelphia with 339 receptions for 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns in 62 regular-season games (61 starts). He also had 28 catches for 334 yards and three TDs in eight playoff games (all starts) and a Super Bowl championship in the 2024 season.

–Field Level Media

Not long ago, the Minnesota Vikings just could not solve the Seattle Seahawks, and their one major hurdle: prime Russell Wilson. Not quite as deadly as Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, Wilson still represented a thorn in the Vikings’ side, and as of 2026, the man will leave the NFL as a player, at least temporarily, and join the CBS Sports booth as a broadcaster.

Wilson last played for the New York Giants and evidently won’t expressly retire.

A Former Vikings Nemesis Nears His Next Move

It’s Media for Wilson

It will be the first time Wilson hasn’t graced an NFL roster since 2011. ESPN broke the news Monday, “Quarterback Russell Wilson is finalizing a deal to become a CBS Sports analyst, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday. Wilson, who also had an offer on the table from the New York Jets to join the team as a backup to Geno Smith, had acknowledged last month to the New York Post that he was considering joining CBS Sports.”

“Wilson, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection who won a Super Bowl and the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award during his career, now is set to leave the NFL as a player to become an analyst on the network’s pregame show that includes James Brown, Nate Burleson and Bill Cowher. It is unclear if Wilson is retiring as a player or simply taking a pause on his playing career.”

Off the field and into the booth for Wilson, like so many of his peers before him.

Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio noted that Wilson is basically replacing Matt Ryan, who went to work for the Atlanta Falcons as a front office executive.

“The Jets were considering Wilson as a veteran backup to Geno Smith, who once was Wilson’s backup in Seattle. Wilson has said he had an offer from the Jets. It’s rare for any quarterback who was once the highest-paid player in the league to happily accept the second spot on a depth chart. (Joe Flacco is one of the most significant exceptions),” Florio explained.

“Wilson was the Giants’ starter when he signed there in 2025, and he was the Steelers’ starter when he signed there in 2024. His days as a starter are and were over. As to the biggest TV opportunities, those seats don’t always pop open. With Ryan exiting, there was a current opportunity for Wilson. If he didn’t take it now, it may not have been there in a year.”

His Reign over the Vikings

Make no mistake: Wilson tormented the Vikings. Teams led by him have a 7-1 record against the purple team, while Wilson personally delivered 1,763 passing yards, 16 total touchdowns, and just 3 interceptions. He also chipped in 232 rushing yards for good measure. Between 2012 and 2020 — so, nine seasons — the Seahawks won 7 consecutive games against the Vikings, with Wilson as the man behind the madness.

Based on his career split versus Minnesota, his stats, when scaled to a full season, would look like this:

For a while, in addition to Rodgers, Wilson was the Vikings’ Public Enemy No. 1.

A Career Splat in 2022

Wilson will become one of the most fascinating cases for the Hall of Fame in five or so years — if the booth gig means official retirement. He began his career in Seattle with tremendous seasons and only tailed off when he arrived in Denver.

With a new team, everything changed for Wilson. He turned 34 that year, and no one — especially the Broncos’ front office — remotely considered that he could encounter an age-related decline. But he did. Denver quickly soured on Wilson, especially when Sean Payton rode into town in 2023. The Broncos later cut bait, and Wilson landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 and the New York Giants in 2025.

He simply was not the man from the Seattle run in Denver, Pittsburgh, or New York. He looked like a replacement-level starter who teetered on QB2 material.

These are the numbers:

He fell off after departing Seattle. Plain and simple.

Open to a Return?

Wilson did not retire this week, which hints at an open door in 2026 and beyond. Sadly, every year in the NFL, a handful of starting quarterbacks are lost for the season due to injury, and men like Joe Flacco become sought after in a hurry. That could be Wilson this season.

For example, pretend he’s cozy in the CBS Sports booth, but then Matthew Stafford tears something, leaving the Los Angeles Rams searching for a replacement option to accompany a roster ready to win a Super Bowl. A man like Wilson could be the first call, equipped with fresh legs and no formal retirement.

This scenario has to be in play because Wilson would’ve retired otherwise this offseason.

He’ll turn 38 in November.

---

Before the Western Conference Finals were settled, the Knicks had a long layoff. While they were sitting around, Mike Brown was asked the usual question about which team he’d rather face, and he gave the usual answer about how it didn’t matter — with one important personal caveat.

“If we played San Antonio, it would save me some money because my family lives in San Antonio,” Brown said. “I don’t have to buy airline tickets.”

It was a good line, and he got some laughs. Like the team he coaches, Brown seems to be enjoying himself since the Knicks dispatched the Cavaliers and won the Eastern Conference Finals well over a week ago. It’s been an epic run for New York thus far. The Knicks are on an 11-game winning streak during which they have posted the biggest point differential in NBA history (regular season or playoffs). On Wednesday, they’ll make their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1999, and when they do they’ll enter the series boasting the best offensive and defensive rating of any team this postseason. No wonder they’ve spent much of the playoffs cracking jokes and smiles and having a good time.

To hear Josh Hart tell it, “building championship habits, it’s very boring and it’s very meticulous.” Which might be why Hart in particular likes to keep it light. The Knicks’ Swiss Army Knife on the floor is usually the jester off it. After their Game 2 win in the Eastern Conference Finals, Hart decided to multitask by bringing his postgame pizza to the press conference.  

That particular media availability was amusing for several reasons, not limited to Karl Anthony-Towns reacting to Hart pretty much the way everyone else does. Just look how KAT responds when Hart gives what we’ll call a unique answer when asked about the virtues of analytics.

The Big Bodega (first team All-NBA nickname) essentially doing a spit take and then pulling off his shades while Hart doubles down is first-rate material. The entire Knicks team is basically doing one big buddy cop comedy routine that we never knew we needed. They’re crushing it on the court and killing it when it comes to content. They’re not just good at basketball, they’re likable and easy to root for. It’s infuriating. For everyone who’s always rooted against the Knicks, the least they could do is have the decency to act like villains. 

Alas, the ‘Nova Knicks core at the heart of this team has been winning people over for too long to change now. As Jalen Brunson said after advancing to the NBA Finals, Mikal Bridges, Hart and he “share a bond and a brotherhood.” Three kids who became friends in college are now adults, just four wins away from an NBA championship. It’s the stuff they make Disney sports movies about that makes kids (and their parents) cry. Which does not mean that brotherhood is always earnest. The interaction between Hart and his podcast partner Brunson highlights one of the great two-man standup acts in recent sports memory. They bust each other’s chops reflexively. When Brunson isn’t hugging Mariska Hargity courtside or teasing reporters about their group chats, he’s usually messing with Hart the way only brothers can. When Hart rolled his ankle in the Cavs series, Brunson responded with that special brand of tough love and told him to walk it off. And after Hart went for 26 points and made five 3-pointers in a win over Cleveland, Brunson couldn’t help but tease him.

Full marks for the deadpan delivery. Timing is everything. Hart would no doubt agree, though how, when and where he executes his gags is decidedly different in style from Brunson. Some guys prefer dry humor, others are into more physical comedy. 

Who’s having more fun than the Knicks right now? KAT reminisced about Jeremy Lin’s run back in the day and how he ran off to Model’s sporting goods store as a kid to track down his jersey. Brown revealed how he’s gotten tight with Fat Joe and that his wife “freaked out” about seeing Ben Stiller. Even OG Anunoby, in his own laid back manner, rolling his eyes when Charles Barkley asked him what his real name is. Every media appearance seems designed to further endear them to the basketball-watching public (or at least the non-auto-haters).

Adam Silver and the league office have to be ecstatic about this Finals matchup. It has all the makings of a potential classic from an on-court standpoint, not to mention the storylines and stars. Wembanyama and the young, upstart Spurs jumping to the front of the line to battle one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports, a team that happens to have a roster full of charming media darlings. It should be a fantastic series, and regardless of who hoists the Larry O’Brien trophy in the end, the inherent entertainment figures to be massive. As Anunoby put it the way only he can when asked about the Knicks being back in the Finals for the first time in more than a quarter century, that should have everyone feeling a certain way.  

In the latest example of a professional athlete making the leap back down to collegiate level, former Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jordyn Adams is finally getting his chance to play college football, at SMU.

One of the top wide receivers in the 2018 class, which also featured Ja’Marr Chase, Adams was set to attend North Carolina to play both baseball and football until being drafted 17th by the Angels that year, with a lucrative signing bonus.

A bona fide 5-star prospect, there were high expectations for Adams when he decided to sign with North Carolina.

But, given that the MLB came calling with a lucrative payday and opportunity, the talented receiver’s life story changed paths.

Brendan Sorsby gambled on his own team, yet the NCAA is somehow the bad guy in this case

After starting his career with the Los Angeles Angels, Jordyn would finally make his big-league debut in 2023.

He ended up playing in 17 games that season for the organization, before playing another 11 games in 2024, ultimately bouncing around a few clubhouses before ending his baseball career two weeks ago after playing his final minor-league game.

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Finishing with 13 hits at the MLB level, his professional career never really took off, bouncing around the minor-league system while briefly making it to the show. Adams did hit 55 homers during his time in the minors.

Now, following in the footsteps of others, more recently Monte Harrison at Arkansas, Jordyn Adams is going to finally put on the pads in college.

As of last week, the two-way player signed with the SMU Mustangs, where he will play wide receiver this fall. Will he have the same burst of success that we saw from Monte Harrison at Arkansas?

Arkansas Razorbacks’ 30-Year-Old Sophomore Monte Harrison Will Be A Weapon For Hogs, After 10-Year MLB Career

That’s left to be seen, but the chance to pursue his second career, while entering college for the first time, was an opportunity he obviously had in the back of his mind.

If you were wondering, yes, this is legal according to NCAA rules, since he never actually attended college or started his eligibility clock.

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But, as the NCAA prepares to pass the “5 in 5” rule, the timing of Adams enrolling at SMU was obviously a clear sign that he needed to get into college now.

Under the potential new rules, an athlete’s clock would start the minute they graduated high school or turned 19 years old.

Would this affect Adams? I would doubt it, and I don’t imagine SMU is wanting to waste time on a player who could ultimately end up ineligible, so the decision makes sense for both parties. And remember, he never actually enrolled at North Carolina in 2018, so he technically has years of eligibility left for college football.

He might be a tad older, but we’re about to find out if Jordyn Adams still has any juice left on the football field.

Some Manchester United players are off to the World Cup with Matheus Cunha handed a huge honour by Brazil

The World Cup squad numbers for Manchester United’s stars have been confirmed with Matheus Cunha receiving the iconic number nine shirt for Brazil. Ronaldo wore that jersey for several years with the 27-year-old now having the privilege and he is one of 13 United players representing their nations in the tournament this summer.

Cunha’s national team-mate Casemiro has been handed the number 5 shirt with Diogo Dalot and Manuel Ugarte of Portugal and Uruguay also to have that number on their backs. Bruno Fernandes will wear the number 8 strip for Portugal, the same as he does at Old Trafford with late Scotland call-up Tyler Fletcher also taking that number.

Goalkeepers Senne Lammens and Altay Bayindir have both been given number 12 for Belgium and Turkiye. Elsewhere, Amad takes the number 15 shirt for Ivory Coast while Noussair Mazraoui will be wearing number 3 with Morocco.

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England duo Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo have been handed their squad numbers by head coach Thomas Tuchel. The latter will be donning 16 for the Three Lions while the Barcelona loannee has been handed number 11.

Lisandro Martinez, who is heading to the United States with Argentina, will wear the number six shirt. The likes of Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount have all been left out and will thus have a full pre-season under Carrick.

The United head coach’s priority will undoubtedly be new signings throughout the World Cup with midfield in need of several additions.

Atalanta’s Ederson looks set to join in the coming weeks while Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali and Aurelien Tchouameni are other targets as the club aim to replace Casemiro.

One potential positive for United are that all of Ederson, Fernandes and Tonali will not be playing at the World Cup which could allow for deals to be wrapped up sooner.

United’s World Cup stars Rashford and Ugarte are expected to be sold permanently this summer. Pre-season fixtures are expected to begin in mid-August, roughly one months on from the final in New York.

Full list of World Cup shirt numbers for United stars:

• Altay Bayindir (Turkey) – 12
• Amad (Ivory Coast) – 15
• Casemiro (Brazil) – 5
• Matheus Cunha (Brazil) – 9
• Diogo Dalot (Portugal) – 5
• Bruno Fernandes (Portugal) – 8
• Tyler Fletcher (Scotland) – 8
• Senne Lammens (Belgium) – 12
• Kobbie Mainoo (England) – 16
• Lisandro Martinez (Argentina) – 6
• Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco) – 3
• Marcus Rashford (England) – 11
• Manuel Ugarte (Uruguay) – 5

India Women vs England Women Live Score, 3rd T20I: India head into the series-deciding third Women’s T20 International against England hoping their middle order can finally deliver under pressure. With the series level at 1-1, the final match presents an important opportunity for both teams to build confidence before the Women’s T20 World Cup begins later this month.

For India, the England tour is more than just a bilateral assignment. It serves as a crucial rehearsal for the global tournament, allowing the team management to assess combinations and player roles in conditions similar to those expected during the World Cup.

While there have been encouraging signs from the top order, India’s batting has lacked consistency in the latter stages of innings. Yastika Bhatia has emerged as the standout performer, scoring a half-century in the first match and backing it up with another useful knock in the second. Jemimah Rodrigues also impressed with a fifty, while Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma looked in good touch during the chase in the previous game.

However, India’s inability to finish strongly remains a concern. In the opening match, the team managed only 40 runs in the final five overs despite being well placed earlier in the innings. The second game saw an even bigger collapse, as India stumbled dramatically in the closing stages of a chase after reaching a comfortable position.

As a result, the spotlight will be on experienced all-rounder Deepti Sharma and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh. India need the pair to provide stability and acceleration in the middle overs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, one of the team’s most powerful hitters, may also need to bat deeper and guide the innings through to the finish.

England, meanwhile, have their own batting concerns. Amy Jones’ 67 is the only fifty scored by an English batter in the series so far. Although several players have made starts, none have been able to produce a match-defining innings. With both sides searching for batting consistency, the final T20I promises to be a closely contested encounter with World Cup implications.

MANILA, Philippines—While most players would feel the pressure of facing a PBA legend in the Finals, RJ Abarrientos is simply enjoying the moment.

Abarrientos, set for his third Finals appearance, enters the Commissioner’s Cup championship series with a chance to go head-to-head with PBA legend Jayson Castro.

For some, that would be a daunting challenge. For Abarrientos, it’s a dream come true.

“I still feel like I’m dreaming,” Abarrientos said.

PBA Finals Preview: Another chapter in TNT-Ginebra rivalry

“I’m grateful that I get to face someone who I only watched before in the Finals. I’m just grateful to face Kuya Jayson. He’s healthy now, he’s back to the Finals and I’m looking forward to that.”

The last time the Gin Kings and the Tropang 5G met in the Finals, Castro was sidelined with a patellar tendon injury.

Still, Abarrientos and Castro have already shared the Finals stage. They faced off in last season’s Governors’ Cup, where Castro eventually earned Finals MVP honors.

Rather than seeking payback after losing his first two Finals appearances to TNT, Abarrientos is focused on the opportunity to challenge and learn from one of the league’s all-time greats.

“I’m just very happy and grateful to be here in the Finals to face the guys I looked up to and was just watching when I was a kid,” he said.

Abarrientos and the Gin Kings open their latest Finals showdown against Castro and TNT on Wednesday in Game 1 at Araneta Coliseum.