Yuvraj Singh shone bright in the Indian cricket team at a time when the side had several giants. From Sachin Tendulkar to Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni to Zaheer Khan, the first decade-and-a-half of this millennium saw some of the biggest names in Indian cricket play together. In the midst of this, Yuvraj Singh was one of the chief architects of India’s two biggest triumphs – the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup.

It was also a period when MS Dhoni led the side with great alacrity. This meant that Yuvraj Singh never got the chance to lead the team on a long-term basis.

After Yuvraj’s playing career ended, his father, Yograj Singh, was quite vocal about MS Dhoni’s role in Yuvraj not getting the captaincy.

In a Sports Tak podcast, whose teaser was released on Thursday, Yuvraj Singh said: “I would like to apologise to Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni.”

He was also asked: “Do you feel bad when you listen to the interviews?” Yograj Singh’s photo appears when the query is made. Possibly responding to that question, Yuvraj says: “I told dad, it’s not OK.” Yuvraj’s ‘apology’, thus, may be in this regard. 

Yograj Singh, a renowned cricket coach in Punjab, is known for making controversial statements about former players. In 2025, he said he wanted to kill Kapil Dev for the then captain dropping him from the team during the 1980s.

“When Kapil Dev became captain of India, North Zone, and Haryana, he dropped me for no reason,” Yograj said on the YouTube channel ‘Unfiltered by Samdish’.

“My wife (Yuvi’s mother) wanted me to ask Kapil questions. I told her that I would teach this bloody man a lesson. I took my pistol out and went to Kapil’s house in Sector 9. He came out with his mother. I abused him a dozen times. I told him, because of you I have lost a friend, and for what you have done, you will pay for it.

“I told him, ‘I want to put a bullet through your head, but I am not doing it because you have a very pious mother who is standing here.’ I told Shabnam, ‘Let’s go.’

“That was the moment I decided I would not play cricket – Yuvi will play.”

On MS Dhoni and other former players, Yograj had once said: “I talk about Bishan Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni. I can talk about people whom I have been with. They have treated people like shit. Jo galat hai woh galat hai. Two wrongs cannot make one right. I say this openly – our cricketers and the team were destroyed by our captain.

Real Madrid are planning to sign a new midfielder in the summer, as they get set to finally replace Toni Kroos/Luka Modric. The likes of Rodri Hernandez, Vitinha and Kees Smit have been linked with moves to the Bernabeu, but in recent weeks, one name in particular has started to gain a lot of prominence in this regard: Enzo Fernandez.

Fernandez is increasingly keen to leave Chelsea this summer, and if he does push to do so, Real Madrid are expected to rekindle the interest they showed after his fine performances at the 2022 World Cup. The 25-year-old would be open to joining Los Blancos, and he’s not the only one that wants to see him in white for the start of next season.

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Franco Mastantuono is teammates with Fernandez in the Argentine national team, and as per comments to DSports (via ED), he would certainly welcome his compatriot with opens arms if he ends up at Real Madrid this summer.

“Of course I would like him to come (to Real Madrid).”

Mastantuono could be on his way out of Real Madrid

But even if Fernandez does join Real Madrid in the summer, there is no guarantee that he would be teammates with fellow River Plate alumni Mastantuono. Bernabeu officials are considering letting the teenage forward leave on loan for the 2026-27 season, as they want him to gain prominence elsewhere before returning to the club in a better place – as has, and will, be the case with Endrick Felipe.

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Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, and this is also the case for Fernandez’s possible move to Real Madrid. Chelsea’s delicate financial situation, which saw them record the biggest one-season loss in the Premier League history earlier this week, could mean they look to sell on the Argentine midfielder when the summer transfer window opens at the start of July.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed Akeem Ishola Busari as the new head coach of Nigeria’s U-17 girls’ team, the Flamingos.

Busari’s appointment was confirmed on April 2, 2026, marking a new beginning for one of Africa’s most successful youth teams. He replaces Bankole Olowookere, who guided the team to a bronze medal at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2022.

The new coach now faces the task of building on that success while introducing fresh ideas to the team.

Nigeria is preparing for the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted in Morocco. After receiving a bye in the first round, the Flamingos will play either Niger Republic or Guinea in May in a two-legged tie.

The schedule is tight, leaving little room for mistakes. If the team qualifies, they will face stronger opponents in July. Busari will also need to build a new squad, as players at this level often move on quickly.

Another key task for the coach is to restore confidence in the team. The Flamingos were knocked out in the round of 16 at the last World Cup after a heavy defeat to Italy, a result that still affects the team.

Busari brings a wealth of experience to the role. He is a CAF A-licensed coach and has worked in both men’s and women’s football in Nigeria and abroad.

Before his appointment, he was Technical Adviser at Pacesetter Queens in Ibadan. He has also coached clubs such as Shooting Stars, Crown FC, Gateway United, and Bayelsa Queens. At Shooting Stars, he helped the club gain promotion to the top flight during the 2008/2009 season.

He has also won several State FA Cup titles with Gateway United and Shooting Stars. At Bayelsa Queens, he served as Technical Director, gaining valuable experience in both coaching and administration.

Outside Nigeria, Busari has coached clubs in the Benin Republic, including Espoir FC and JSP Benin.

He is known for an attacking style of play, with his teams pressing high and moving the ball quickly. This style could suit the Flamingos, who are known for their speed and energy.

Off the pitch, Busari has also contributed to coaching development. A graduate of Lead City University, he has worked with the Lagos State Coaches Association, helping to train young coaches.

His new role with the Flamingos will focus on developing young players, maintaining Nigeria’s strong record in youth football, and preparing players for the senior national team.

The Tigers earned a crucial 3-0 win over Stockton Town in their bid to avoid relegation from the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Jonathan Reynolds MP hailed the power of community when he visited Hyde United for Non-League Day.

The government Chief Whip met the club’s volunteers, and even had a go at helping out himself, as the Tigers earned a crucial 3-0 win over Stockton Town in their bid to avoid relegation from the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Almost 600 were in attendance at the Project Solar Stadium on a day that put the lower levels of the pyramid in the spotlight, and Reynolds was full of praise for those who keep the club running.

“It’s a wonderful way to recognise the volunteers and what they do for a club like this,” he said.

“We are so blessed in this area. I represent three different non-League clubs and what they have all got in common, as well as a bit of rivalry, is that they are run by volunteers and community power.

“It is not just about sport, it is about local identity, local community. Maybe sometimes people take for granted the depth of the English football pyramid.

“In a place like this we do recognise and value what these clubs bring and the contribution these people make.”

The Tigers have battled against the drop all season but are in with a chance of survival heading into the final month.

Victory over play-off chasing Stockton was a huge boost to their chances but commentator Ian Burke believes the club is about far more than just the 90 minutes every Saturday.

Non-League clubs like Hyde are fuelled by volunteers, with league sponsors Pitching In providing fans an easy way to find opportunities to help out at their nearest club through its Volunteer Hub.

And Burke hopes Non-League Day may have encouraged a few more fans to discover the lower leagues and maybe even volunteer themselves.

“Non-League Day is important. It exposes people who aren’t used to the non-League game to it,” he added.

“It is almost like the biggest minority sport in the country. People know it’s there, but it is totally different from what you see in the Premier League.

“Non-League football runs on volunteers. There’s people who grumble constantly who work on the gates or around the ground. Everyone who works here does it for the love of it.”

Find volunteering opportunities near you at https://pitchinginvolunteers.co.uk/

Terence Crawford remains unwilling to return to the sport after his December retirement, but has named the two active and undefeated fan-favourite fighters that swerved a showdown with him when he was campaigning as a welterweight.

‘Bud’ captured the WBO welterweight world title back in 2018 when he knocked out Australian Manny Pacquiao-conqueror Jeff Horn and he defended that belt on six occasions before his legendary undisputed title win against Errol Spence Jr.

The Omaha operator then moved up to the super-welterweight division and dethroned Israil Madrimov for the WBA super-welterweight crown on his way up to the super-middleweight division.

Up at 168lbs, Crawford decisioned Canelo Alvarez in a legacy-defining win, becoming boxing’s sixth five-division world champion, joining Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao in that extremely elite club.

However, in an clip captured by Jai McAllister, Crawford revealed that he was willing to face the up-and-comers during his welterweight reign, but that Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr. avoided a shot at his WBO strap.

“I had the opportunity to fight Boots but Boots chose to drop out of the WBO rankings, him and Vergil [Ortiz Jr.]. So that is why I ended up fighting Shawn Porter.”

Ennis is a former unified welterweight world champion while Ortiz is the reigning WBC interim super-welterweight champion. The pair looked to be on a collision course with one another, but issues between Ortiz and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya ended those plans.

Instead, ‘Boots’ will attempt to become a two-division world champion when he challenges WBA and WBO titleholder Xander Zayas at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 27.

Michigan star Elliot Cadeau has rejoined his teammates for the Final Four a day after being rushed to the hospital.

The starting point guard revealed that he was hospitalized due to an allergic reaction after an accidental exposure to nuts.

“I just ate something I was allergic to,” the junior said as he sat at his locker at Lucas Oil Stadium two days before the Wolverines meet fellow No. 1 seed Arizona in the national semifinals.

Coach Dusty May said Cadeau, who averages 10.2 points and 5.8 assists, is “fine.”

Cadeau’s treatment came as his teammates were flying to the Final Four, though Cadeau said a Michigan staffer had driven him to Indianapolis to rejoin teammates ahead of Thursday’s locker-room interviews and other pregame promotional activities.

Cadeau described it as “just a minor inconvenience for me.”

“I just had a little bit of hives so that’s why I went to the hospital, just to prevent anything further from happening,” he said.

Detroit radio station WWJ 950 posted a video on X Wednesday showing a covered individual sitting upright while being wheeled out of Michigan’s player development center on a gurney and loaded into an ambulance.

Michigan later confirmed it was Cadeau, who had complained of a possible allergic reaction and received medical supervision “out of an abundance of caution.”

“If it’s the worst thing that happens to us, then we’re very blessed,” May said Thursday. “It also just shows him how much he means to his teammates. They were very concerned, obviously, like we all would be for a reaction like that.

“But just grateful that he’s fine. We have great medical care, and he’s back with us. Dude is a warrior. He’ll be fine.”

The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up one of baseball’s best prospects. Shortstop Konnor Griffin will be summoned to make his MLB debut in the team’s home opener Friday, the Pirates announced Thursday. The news comes as the two sides are reportedly working on a long-term extension, which is expected to be in the range of nine years and $140 million, reports ESPN.

Griffin, 20 later this month, will be the first teenager to appear in the big leagues since Elvis Luciano and Juan Soto in 2019. The No. 9 pick in the 2024 Draft skyrocketed through the minors last season, slashing .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 steals while climbing from Low Class-A to Double-A. Griffin is 7 for 16 (.438) with three doubles in five Triple-A games this year. 

The Pirates gave Griffin a chance to win the shortstop job in spring training, though he stumbled a bit (7 for 41 with 13), specifically swinging through too many pitches in the zone. We ranked Griffin has the third-best prospect in baseball entering spring training. Here’s the write-up:

The rap on Griffin during his amateur days was that he had every tool but the hit tool, the most important of the bunch. It was encouraging, then, to see him ease concerns about his swing-and-miss during his first pro season. He connected on more than 75% of his attempts while showing off the power (he cleared the 114 mph threshold) and speed (he stole 65 bases) combination that gave him a high ceiling. Griffin even kept his strikeout rate under 24% during a 21-game stint in Double-A, suggesting that he wasn’t just feasting on younger pitchers or those with less raw talent. Knowing when to adjust priors is one of the trickiest parts of evaluating players. Given everything about Griffin’s year, it would be silly to ignore how much higher his chances of reaching his star ceiling are now than they were 365 days ago.  

It should be noted there are not service time games being played here. Griffin did not spend enough time in the minors this year to push his free agency back. The Pirates will control him from 2026-31, though if the two sides complete their reported nine-year extension, service time will be moot, and Griffin will be tied to the Pirates for nine years.

Griffin is being called up early enough that he will accrue a full year of service time and thus be eligible for a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick. Those are extra draft picks given to teams that do not manipulate the service time of top 100 prospects. To get a pick for Griffin, he would need to win Rookie of the Year, or finish top three in the MVP voting in one of his pre-arbitration seasons between 2026 and 2028. (The extension would also have to be signed after he appears in a game.)

The National League’s rookie class is stacked this year, with Griffin joining righty Nolan McLean (New York Mets), first baseman Sal Stewart (Cincinnati Reds), and second baseman JJ Wetherholt (St. Louis Cardinals) in the Rookie of the Year mix. Others like center fielder Justin Crawford and righty Andrew Painter, both of the Philadelphia Phillies, could factor into the race as well.

The Pirates are 3-3 in the early going. Thursday is a team off-day, then they’ll take on the Baltimore Orioles in Friday’s home opener. Utility man Jared Triolo has started five of the team’s six games at shortstop. Nick Gonzales has started the other.

A nine-year extension would still allow Griffin to become a free agent at age 28.

Three-time champion Phil Mickelson will miss this year’s Masters and step away from golf “for an extended period” because of a family health matter.

The American has only missed the tournament on three other occasions since making his debut at Augusta National in 1991.

In a post on X, Mickelson wrote: “Unfortunately, I will not play in the Masters Tournament next week and will be out for an extended period of time as my family continues to navigate a personal health matter.

“I have great respect for Augusta National Golf Club and it is definitely the most special week of the year. I wish everyone the best of luck and will be watching.”

The 55-year-old last missed the first major of the season in 2022 after making controversial comments about the then-proposed LIV Golf project and the PGA Tour.

His absence this year, for the tournament that runs from 9 to 12 April, means it will be the first time since 1994 that both Mickelson and Tiger Woods will not feature in the Masters.

Mickelson sat out of the first four events of the 2026 LIV Golf season, at Riyadh, Adelaide, Hong Kong and Singapore. He also cited a “family health matter” when announcing his initial absence on 1 February.

Although he returned to action last month at Steyn City in South Africa, where he finished tied for 48th place, it was unclear whether he would play at Augusta.

Mickelson, who missed the cut at last year’s Masters, has also won the US PGA Championship twice and triumphed at the Open Championship, at Muirfield, in 2013.

Only Jack Nicklaus (six), Woods (five) and Arnold Palmer (four) have won more Masters titles than Mickelson.