Also in this bulletin: high diving in a breathtaking setting, Kasia Niewiadoma’s big move on the Tour de France, Liverpool’s offer to PSG for Barcola, Marseille looking set to make more sales, PSG’s final friendly before the UEFA Super Cup, Aston Villa’s defeat to Bayern Munich, Terence Atmane’s exit at the Montreal Masters 1000, Naomi Osaka’s comfortable win in Toronto, and Gavi dying his hair pink.

Devin Haney has reportedly reached “advanced negotiations” for his maiden WBO title defence, with the welterweight champion seemingly still targeting a date of October 3.

Initially, this date was reserved for his mandatory title defence against Keyshawn Davis, only for their contest to go up in smoke after the ‘Businessman’ withdrew his interest.

The whole saga saw Davis reject a reported offer of $3m, before pulling out of the fight after a WBO purse bid hearing resulted in his promoter, Top Rank, winning with a sum of $8.55m.

As per the sanctioning bodies’ 75/25 split in favour of the champion, this would have meant Davis pocketing a total of $2.14m.

With Davis forgoing his mandatory position, however, Haney began pursuing a unification match with Liam Paro, who dethroned Lewis Crocker for the IBF 147lb title in June.

According to boxing journalist Julius Julianis, though, the Aussie priced himself out of negotiations and left Haney scratching around for yet another new opponent.

As per a Julianis social media post, which has been reshared by Haney, this led the three-weight world champion to invite Jack Catterall to the negotiating table.

“Devin Haney and Jack Catterall are in advanced negotiations to face off on October 3rd for the WBO welterweight world title currently held by Haney. Negotiations with Liam Paro broke down due to the Australian’s excessive financial demands.”

🚨🚨
Devin Haney y Jack Catterall, en negociaciones muy avanzadas para enfrentarse el 3 de octubre por el Mundial wélter WBO que ostenta Haney

La negociación con Liam Paro se rompió por las excesivas pretensiones económicas del australiano#HaneyCatterall

— JuliusJulianis (@julianisjulius) August 7, 2026

Catterall comes off arguably a career-best performance against Shakhram Giyasov, who he unanimously outpointed for the WBA ‘regular’ title in May.

Haney, meanwhile, has not fought since dethroning Brian Norman Jr in November; back when he, like Catterall, scored an early knockdown before winning convincingly on points.

Michael Carrick is Manchester United’s seventh permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson delivered their most recent Premier League title

After a successful audition in the second half of last season, Michael Carrick is bracing himself for his first full Premier League term as Manchester United manager. He is the seventh man to earn the gig on a permanent basis since legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson walked away in 2013, making for an average tenure of around two years.

Carrick has three more friendlies, including this Saturday against Paris Saint-Germain, during which he can tweak his lineup. The league opener is just a fortnight away and comes in the form of a lunchtime trip to newly promoted Hull City on August 22.

United are still chasing a first league title since Ferguson’s final season, with Carrick the latest to try his luck. The Manchester Evening News has taken a look at what happened to the other six, both during and after their tenures at Old Trafford.

David Moyes

Moyes succeeded Ferguson but lasted less than one season at Old Trafford after missing out on Champions League qualification. It took him a while to rebuild his reputation after stints at Real Sociedad and Sunderland but he managed it in some style.

At West Ham, the Scottish boss oversaw multiple European runs and led the club to Conference League glory in 2023. He has since returned to Everton, the club he left for United in 2013, finishing 13th in his first full league season back on Merseyside.

Louis van Gaal

Van Gaal delivered United’s first silverware of the post-Ferguson era in the form of the 2015/16 FA Cup. However, he would leave that very same summer.

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A brief retirement from football didn’t stick, with the Dutch boss returning to the dugout for the Netherlands national team and leading them to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup. He recently suggested he would be open to taking charge of the Oranje for a fourth time following Ronald Koeman’s dismissal.

Jose Mourinho

Mourinho went one better than Van Gaal, winning the Europa League and League Cup. Things quickly went south, though, with the Portuguese boss dismissed midway through the 2018/19 season.

The former two-time Chelsea boss is now onto his fifth permanent job since leaving Old Trafford, in a fifth different league. After spells with Tottenham, Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica, he returned to Real Madrid this summer some 13 years on from his first spell at the Bernabeu.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Solskjaer, like Carrick, initially took over on an interim basis. However, he was given the permanent reins in March 2019 and was in charge for more matches than any other post-Ferguson boss.

The Norwegian has spent time as a technical observer for UEFA, though he paused the role for a brief stint as Besiktas manager. He was recently linked with the Ipswich Town job after Kieran McKenna’s departure, only for the gig to ultimately go to Gary O’Neil.

Erik ten Hag

Dutch boss Ten Hag led United to League Cup glory in 2023 and also took the club back into the Champions League. A difficult second season was salvaged somewhat by an FA Cup triumph but he was dismissed early in the 2024/25 season.

His next job was a far shorter affair as he lasted just 62 days at Bayer Leverkusen. He is now sporting director at FC Twente, the club where he ended his playing career and began life as a coach two decades ago.

Ruben Amorim

Amorim took over from Ten Hag after thriving with Sporting CP and took United to the Europa League final in his first season. However, his tenure lasted just 14 months, with his dismissal coming days after an explosive interview following a draw with Leeds.He was linked with the Benfica job after Mourinho left for Real Madrid but has instead ended up at AC Milan.

The Indian Army Ice Hockey Team held its nerve in a thrilling final against Leh Kings to claim the inaugural Royal Enfield Challengers’ Cup, edging their opponents 6-5 at the Nawang Dorjay Stobdan (NDS) Stadium in Leh.

In a final that showcased the growing depth of Indian ice hockey, Leh Kings pushed the country’s leading institutional side all the way before a late winner from Padma Namgail sealed the title for the Army team.

The tournament, held under the Royal Enfield Social Mission, was conceived as a bridge between grassroots development and elite competition, giving emerging players from the Himalayas an opportunity to test themselves against some of the country’s strongest institutional teams.

Leh Kings Strike First, Army Respond

Leh Kings made the more promising start, with Tsering Angchuk opening the scoring after converting an assist from Mushtaque Ahmad Giri.

The lead, however, lasted only briefly. The Indian Army Ice Hockey Team hit back through Dorjay Angchuk, who levelled the contest from a Phuntsog Namgail assist. Jigmath Kunzang then put the Army side ahead for the first time, converting Padma Namgail’s pass to give them a 2-1 advantage at the end of the opening period.

The Army team extended its lead early in the second period when Rigzin Norboo finished off a move created by Stanzin Namgail.

But Leh Kings refused to allow the game to slip away.

Leh Kings Fight Back

Stanzin Angchok became the catalyst for Leh Kings’ comeback, scoring twice in quick succession with assists from Stanzin Lotus and Mushtaque Ahmad Giri. The two goals brought Leh Kings level at 3-3 and transformed the contest into an end-to-end battle.

Rigzin Norboo restored the Army team’s advantage with his second goal of the night, but Leh Kings responded again. Chamba Tsetan converted Tsering Angchuk’s assist to make it 4-4 heading into the final period.

Hat-Trick Puts Leh Kings Ahead

Just 60 seconds into the third period, Stanzin Angchok completed his hat-trick to put Leh Kings 5-4 ahead.

With their unbeaten record and the inaugural title suddenly under threat, the Indian Army Ice Hockey Team responded with the composure expected from one of India’s most accomplished sides.

Jigmath Kunzang scored his second goal of the evening to restore parity at 5-5. Then came the decisive moment. Padma Namgail found the winner in the closing stages after receiving a pass from Phuntsog Namgail, completing a dramatic 6-5 victory for the Indian Army Ice Hockey Team and securing the first-ever Challengers’ Cup title.

Tsering Angchuk Named Best Player

The individual awards reflected the quality of competition throughout the tournament.

Indian Army goalkeeper Sonam Tsetan was named Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament after a series of commanding performances, while Leh Kings forward Tsering Angchuk was named Best Player of the Tournament following an outstanding campaign.

Angchuk’s performance in the final further underlined his influence, with his assist and three goals helping Leh Kings repeatedly claw their way back into the contest.

A New Pathway for Himalayan Ice Hockey

The final was also a validation of the idea behind the Challengers’ Cup.

The tournament brought together emerging players from the Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League and Spiti Cup with established institutional teams, providing the regional players with valuable exposure to a higher level of competition.

Leh Kings, Kargil Warriors and Spiti Titans represented the emerging talent from the regional leagues, while the Indian Army Ice Hockey Team and the Central Ice Hockey Team of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) provided the elite competition.

The five teams competed in a round-robin format, with the top two progressing to the final.

Vigyat Singh, Director at Eicher Group Foundation, highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for players to train and compete throughout the year.

“When we started this journey, Ice Hockey in the Himalayas was largely a winter pursuit. Today, the Challengers’ Cup taking place in August at Leh’s all-season artificial ice rink is a testament to how far the ecosystem has come. It is the coaches who train through the year, the referees who uphold the standards of the game, and the young athletes who show up every day to get better. Seeing these players go toe to toe with some of the best teams in the country reinforces why continued training and increased competitive exposure are so vital. This tournament is a celebration of that collective effort, and a reminder that building a sustainable sporting ecosystem is a long-term commitment we remain deeply invested in.”

Summer Ice Hockey Draws 15,000 Spectators

The tournament was hosted at Leh’s newly upgraded all-season artificial ice rink, allowing competitive ice hockey to be played during the summer rather than being restricted to the traditional winter season.

Held between August 1 and August 7 during the peak tourism period, the six-day event attracted more than 15,000 spectators, exposing domestic and international visitors to competitive ice hockey in the Himalayas.

The three regional teams also took part in dedicated on-ice training sessions between August 1 and August 4, with sessions running from noon to 3pm each day. The sessions focused on technical development and tactical understanding under the guidance of experienced coaches.

‘That Kind of Visibility Matters’

For the participating young players, the tournament offered more than just competitive experience.

Tsewang Namgyal, captain of the Indian Army Ice Hockey Team, said the event could have a lasting impact on players from Ladakh and Spiti by putting them in front of larger audiences.

“For us, playing in front of large crowds is something we are used to. But for the young players from Ladakh and Spiti, this kind of exposure can be life-changing. Holding the Challengers’ Cup during the peak tourism season meant these emerging athletes could showcase their talent to thousands of spectators, many of whom were watching Ice Hockey for the first time. That kind of visibility matters. It gives these players recognition, it brings attention to their journey, and it shows the world what Indian Ice Hockey is building in the Himalayas. Every team in this tournament, including ours, benefited from the energy that this timing and this stage created.”

Building Beyond the Winter Season

The inaugural Royal Enfield Challengers’ Cup represents another step in the development of ice hockey across the Himalayan region. By bringing together players from community-led development programmes with India’s leading institutional teams, the tournament aims to create a more defined pathway from grassroots participation to elite competition.

Its timing was equally significant. The use of Leh’s all-season artificial ice rink demonstrated that the sport can be played and developed beyond its traditional winter calendar, while the tournament’s visibility during the peak tourism season helped introduce the sport to a wider audience.

For Leh Kings, their 5-6 defeat ultimately ended without a trophy. But their performance against the Indian Army Ice Hockey Team offered perhaps the clearest indication yet that the next generation of Himalayan ice hockey players is ready to challenge the established order.

The tournament was organised as part of the Royal Enfield Social Mission in collaboration with the Ice Hockey Association of Ladakh and the Ice Hockey Association of Lahaul & Spiti, with the broader objective of building a sustainable, community-led sporting ecosystem in the region

Campbell Thompson celebrates after taking the wicket of Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. (Pic credit: Jack Riddiford/X)

Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons was left deeply disappointed after his batting unit suffered a stunning collapse against the Cricket Australia XI, with the visitors bowled out for just 54 in their second innings in Darwin on Saturday.A remarkable spell from 22-year-old left-arm seamer Campbell Thompson, who returned figures of 8 for 25, ripped through Bangladesh’s batting line-up as the visitors lost the three-day practice match by an innings and 38 runs.Bangladesh had made 263 in their first innings, before the CA XI responded with 355. But any confidence gained from their first-innings performance quickly disappeared as Bangladesh’s second innings lasted only 22 overs, with opener Tanzid Hasan’s 22 the only score above 10.Simmons did not hide his frustration after the collapse.“I think we let ourselves down with the bat in this practice match, and you look at how we got out and it wasn’t nice,” Simmons said.The Bangladesh coach, however, insisted there was still enough time to address the problems before the first Test against Australia begins on August 13.“I think that we have three [four] days to work on what we have to do properly in the Test match,” Simmons said. “And I trust that the guys are going to put in the work over these next three days to get us where we want to be for that Test match.”

Thompson’s eight-wicket burst exposes Bangladesh’s flaws

Bangladesh resumed their second innings with two wickets already down and quickly found themselves in deeper trouble as Thompson continued the damage he had started late on the previous evening.The South Australian took the first five wickets of the morning before eventually finishing with extraordinary figures of 8-25. He dismissed Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto for a duck and wrapped up the innings by taking the final two wickets with successive deliveries.Thompson had just one first-class appearance before the practice game but seized his opportunity against a Test side.“Sometimes you get lucky. It fell my way today, which was nice. It’s always a good experience and opportunity to come and play up against a Test side a few days out from a series. Then to play alongside experienced Aussie guys as well, like Kurtis Patterson and Corey Rocchiccioli and stuff like that. So, just involving myself around these guys has been awesome,” Thompson said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.For Bangladesh, the collapse comes just days before they face Australia’s formidable pace attack.

Simmons wants Bangladesh to move on

Despite the heavy defeat, Simmons urged his players to quickly put the result behind them and focus on the Test series.“Disappointing match, but we move on and we look forward to the Test match,” he said.There was also positive news regarding left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who suffered a finger injury after being struck while batting on the opening day.Bangladesh team physio Bayjedul Islam Khan said the injury was improving.“The injury that Taijul sustained while batting day before yesterday is much better now, both swelling and pain have decreased,” he said. “The first Test is still five days away so we have four days in our hand. I am totally expecting he will be available by that time.”Bangladesh will now have little time to regroup before the first Test, which begins on August 13 in Darwin. The series marks their first Test visit to Australia in 23 years.

Team Philippines bags silver in the aerodance final in the seniors category of the 2026 Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippines capped its campaign at the 10th Aero Gymnastics Asian Championships on Friday with a silver in the team senior aero dance and a bronze in the senior mixed pair event at Tagaytay CT Velodrome.

The country’s bets in the senior aero dance team scored 16.600 points to finish behind champion Vietnam, which had 17.250.

Seasoned national veterans Arcenio Cadlos and Charmaine Dolar led the squad, which also included Enrico Ostia, Danielle Grace Asuncion, James Benedict Yray, Dorothy Grace Asuncion, Princess Johanna Pama and Jhon Jeoffrey Cañones.

The Philippines edged Mongolia, which scored 16.475, by 0.125 of a point for the silver.

Cadlos and Dolar added a bronze in the senior mixed pair event with 18.300 points, behind a 1-2 finish by Vietnam.

Arcenio Cadlos and Charmaine Dolar wins bronze in the mixed pair event in the seniors category at the 2026 Aerobic Gymnastics Asian Championships. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

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In overnight results, the Philippines also won bronze in the youth aero dance event with 16.700 points.

The youth aero dance team was composed of Enoch Ryan, Jan Basmayor, Mikhaela Ladaran, Sean Emmanuel, Leona Shendrach, Jane Hallel Ramos, Anne Miguel Martin, Casey Meniano, Nathalya Facultad and Anne Haizzah Meniano.

The Philippines had also won two medals on Thursday, with Rhimel Daniel Cabides and Antonette Amante taking gold in the youth mixed pairs event, while Rhys Enoch Basmayor and John Mhikaela Ladaran won bronze.

“I’m very happy because all our sacrifices were worth it. It was very unexpected because we were the last entry and then we won silver,” Pama said.

The Philippines finished the two-day championships with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

“I’m happy that we won silver and bronze in the senior events. We really prepared for this,” national coach Alena Rius said.

“Especially Charmaine and Arcenio’s bronze because the Vietnamese who won gold and silver are world-rated, so that medal means a lot,” Rius added.

To be fair, most agreed with him after a disastrous start. He had done okay at left-back for 87 minutes against one of the poorest United sides in recent memory in late 2024, but then gave away a penalty as he covered the right-back area and City ended up losing another game horribly in what was an excruciating run for a team coming on the back of four consecutive league titles.

Nunes disappeared from the squad for a month after what he considers his lowest point at the club, and even when he was tried again it wasn’t enough to allow him to feel comfortable.

“I’m not going to lie, individually I would say this is probably the most difficult game,” he said of the December derby. “When you do mistakes as a midfielder, you would never affect the game like the effect of that one.

“I did one mistake and it led to a goal, and then you end up losing the game and that’s all you think in your head, you know? But it was not only that, it was me coming to a place where it was uncomfortable for me, a position where it was uncomfortable for me, not being able to accept it, because I wasn’t accepting it.

“In my head, ‘I’m not a full-back. I’m not a full-back’. That’s all I was thinking about. And yeah, I mean, it was difficult. You said six months, but I didn’t play every single game, you know what I mean? But [last] season I played every single game, and then it’s different.

“Even if I was playing, for example, one game, and then I would be five games on the bench and then I would play again as a full-back, it’s six months in total, but you played maybe 10 games or you played 15 games. So yeah, I didn’t have the consistency that I wanted to actually be comfortable in this position and to change my head around.

“I spoke to so many people. I have a psychologist, I spoke to my friends. I would tell my friends all the time, ‘I’m not a full-back, I’m not a full-back’. And they would always say, no, but you play so good there, you play so good. The team-mates, Bernardo and Ruben, were so annoying all the time as well, they were in my head constantly as well, ‘You were good there, you were good there. You need to accept it.’ And I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. All the time.

“But at a certain point you just have to see what the people are saying. You can’t be denying it for the rest of your life. If you do, maybe you miss your chance. And if I did that I would have missed it. So yeah, listening to everyone then actually seeing Pep during training and before the games as well, the way he believed in me once I changed to that position, I felt there was a bit of a difference also in the way that we interacted with each other after I played there.

“I don’t know, this stuff, you just feel it, it’s not something that I can explain. I just feel it. And once you start seeing all of this stuff, it changes the mindset. It was not easy, of course, but I had a decision to make: do I want to play or do I not want to play? And I wanted to play.

“Now I feel like a full-back. There is no difference for me, playing as a midfielder or a full-back.”

The Club World Cup last summer was pivotal for Nunes to make the switch in his mind. He had more than one game where he felt able to get into attacking areas and influence the game like he had done from midfield, and while the two roles are not so similar the Portugal international began to stop feeling like full-back prevented him from doing what he wanted to do.

As the 27-year-old began to accept that higher cost of mistakes as a defender but also get better in that area, he grew happier. And not only did that help the team on the pitch but the dressing room found that one of its jokers could laugh even louder.

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Nunes knew Silva and Dias through Portugal and had instantly clicked with John Stones on account of them both being wind-up merchants. He is somebody who loves to laugh and joke, keeping an extra eye on the fixture list so he can remember to ‘p*** off’ his Sunderland-supporting dad if they have a row.

But he found it difficult to fully clown around while he struggled to accept his role in the team, so learning to love right-back was liberating. And yes, he does know all about the Cafunes nickname given to him that has become popular in and out of the dressing room.

“This started with Bernardo, actually! When I was playing as a winger, he would call me Thierry Henry. Then I played as a full back and he called me Cafu. It was different people giving me different nicknames in the club. My friends started calling it me as well and I had to accept it.

“I would say the three of us [with Stones and Silva] are the jokers of the team. It’s always good to have a laugh — what’s the point of life if you’re not having a laugh? And these are the people that you spend most of your time with, you spend more time with these guys than with your family.

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“Sometimes you get sick of them because you see them so many times. And if you don’t have a good environment, there’s no point in being there, you don’t want to be working in a place where the vibe is not good. I just try to do that, and trying to be happy. I’m not trying anything, actually. I’m just being myself, and then I end up being a clown sometimes. It’s just the way it is.”

Having battled with Guardiola over his position, Nunes noticed that the manager changed towards him when he embraced the right-back role. Regular conversations with Guardiola and his assistants Kolo Toure and Pep Lijnders helped him to hone the role and he became one of the manager’s most used players, with only Erling Haaland getting more minutes than him last season.

Nunes grew so close to Guardiola that even two months after the day he found out he was leaving there is a wobble in his voice as he describes the moment. The manager had gathered them all in a meeting room at the training ground in the final week of the season and put a video on of everything that they had all achieved together over the past 10 years complete with candid speeches and conversations from the inner sanctum of the Etihad.

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“It was unexpected. We thought there was a chance of him leaving but until he actually says it you don’t know if it’s going to happen.” he said. “He spoke to us in the auditorium and it was a very emotional day. A lot of people were crying. It’s very hard to say goodbye to someone who gave so much to us all.

“Someone who put the club to a level that seems unreachable again. What he did was unbelievable. It is difficult to talk about. I remember in that day, when you start to see everything on the screen, it becomes real that he is leaving. It didn’t seem real. It felt weird and awkward to actually have to believe it. A lot of things are going to change. I’ve never been in the club without him. Stuff like this. It’s never easy to say goodbye.”

City had to move on, and Nunes is now one of the senior players in what has become a significantly younger squad over the last 18 months. There are only a handful of players who won the Treble that are reunited with new boss Enzo Maresca, with Nunes part of the 2023 intake that must now set the standards in the squad.

Despite that, the importance of jokers in a dressing room never goes away and the former Wolves star has even more on his shoulders with the departures of Stones and Silva. Nunes will continue to set standards on the pitch, particularly given the club have decided against signing a right-back this summer, but he will also remind his teammates of the message that has helped him win trophies and successfully adapt a new role.

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“It’s not the change that worried me. Even ourselves, you have to remember what they have done. When you think about it, it is almost impossible to win six Premier Leagues in 10 years. This is not normal and people forget that,” he said.

“City is such a huge club and you think, ‘ah City is going to win every year’ but Liverpool is a big club, United, Arsenal, Chelsea are big clubs. They all think the same. It’s never easy. You need to be perfect at a lot of levels. We have to remind ourselves. We’re going to try, we’re always going to try and will give our best but sometimes football is just one detail. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t win.

“I recently saw a basketball player [Giannis Antetokounmpo] asked: ‘Do you look at this season as a failure because you didn’t win the championship?’ He said that if you go to work and don’t get a promotion, is that a failure? It’s not like you work the whole season for one goal and if not it’s a failure. Sometimes you have to go through a year or two of not winning to get to the win. Maybe it will be different [for us], who knows? Maybe it won’t. The club deserves us to try.”

Sarfaraz Khan (File Photo)

NEW DELHI: Sarfaraz Khan‘s place in India’s Test plans appears increasingly uncertain, but the Mumbai batter has made it clear that he is not ready to give up.Amid his continued absence from the national squad, Sarfaraz shared a cryptic Instagram story recently, posting a still from the 2019 Telugu film Jersey with a message that appeared to reflect his current situation.“I may not fit in, but I’ll fight with everything I’ve got.”The post quickly caught the attention of Indian cricket fans, coming just days before India begin their two-Test series against Sri Lanka. Sarfaraz was once again overlooked for the series despite boasting one of the strongest first-class records among India’s middle-order contenders.The 28-year-old has averaged an extraordinary 64.73 in 62 first-class matches but has played only six Tests for India. He was part of India’s squad for the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy but did not feature in a single game Down Under.

Sarfaraz Khan

From Test century to selection uncertainty

Sarfaraz’s omission is particularly notable given the impact he made during India’s home series against New Zealand in 2024.He scored a memorable 150 in the first Test in Bengaluru, one of the few positives from a series in which India suffered a historic 0-3 whitewash at home. However, he struggled to replicate that success in the remainder of the series and managed a highest score of only 11 thereafter.He was subsequently included in India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but did not feature in the series. Since then, opportunities to reclaim his place have remained scarce.Sarfaraz was also part of the India A setup during the England tour but remained on the fringes, suggesting that the selectors currently have other options ahead of him in the Test pecking order.

Fitness transformation, IPL comeback

Fitness had also been a recurring talking point around Sarfaraz, but the Mumbai batter has since undergone a significant transformation, shedding weight and improving his conditioning.He also returned to the IPL in 2026 after going unsold in the previous two auctions. Chennai Super Kings handed him an opportunity and Sarfaraz responded with 161 runs at a strike rate of 169.47, including two half-centuries.India are currently playing a three-day warm-up game in Colombo ahead of the series, with the first Test scheduled to begin in Galle on August 15 and the second at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.