Jurgen Klopp’s agent has claimed Man Utd reached out about his availability before he joined the Red Bull network.
Manchester United have denied contacting Jurgen Klopp about the possibility of him managing the club after his Liverpool exit. Klopp left Anfield in the summer of 2024 and said he was “done” coaching.
A few months later, the Red Bull network announced they had signed Klopp as their head of global football. Klopp now oversees the international network of Red Bull-owned clubs, including German side RB Leipzig, Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg, and the NY Red Bulls, who are United States-based.
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Klopp’s agent, Marc Kosicke, has claimed in an interview with Transfermarkt that Klopp had the opportunity to join United and Chelsea before he was appointed by the Red Bull network.
United considered Erik ten Hag’s future at the end of the 2023/2024 season. The Dutchman won the FA Cup with a stunning victory against Manchester City and his contract was extended, despite overwhelming evidence from the Premier League campaign that he should have been sacked.
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Ineos contacted other managers as they considered sacking Ten Hag, including Thomas Tuchel, but United sources have denied the claim that Klopp was among the coaches approached.
Klopp’s agent said: “Maybe at some point he’ll say he needs to smell the locker room again. But at the moment, he’s very, very happy in his role. Before joining Red Bull, Jürgen could have coached the United States or England. Probably also Germany, if Julian Nagelsmann hadn’t already been there.”
He added: “Even Chelsea and Manchester United inquired, although Jürgen had clearly stated that he would not coach any other club in England. These inquiries keep coming.
“He’s extremely happy with what he’s achieved. And it’s still wonderful to go down in history as one of the few coaches who only managed three clubs and were never fired.”
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Klopp oversaw Liverpool’s most successful era since the late 1970s and 1980s, but his record against United was mixed, having won just seven from 21 games during his tenure.
The German won the Premier League title, Champions League, two League Cups and the FA Cup during his nine years at Liverpool.
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Tommy Hearns faced each of his fellow four kings – Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Marvin Hagler – during his 67-fight professional career, but one of them was on another level when it came to punching power.
‘The Hitman’ was considered a monstrous puncher himself, scoring 48 stoppages in 61 victories, before ending his prolific campaign as a five-division world champion.
Down at welter and super-welterweight, the American boasted a significant height and reach advantage over the majority of his opponents, including Leonard and Duran.
On that occasion, many felt Hearns was unfortunate to come away with a draw, though he would nonetheless claim the WBO title at 168lbs in his following outing.
His encounter with Duran, meanwhile, came in 1984, when the knockout specialist orchestrated a second-round finish to retain his WBC super-welterweight title.
But despite Duran – who supposedly once knocked out a horse – being known as ‘Hands of Stone’, it was actually Hagler who gave Hearns a sterner test in the power department.
Speaking with Marko Boxing nearly four decades later, Hearns still regards ‘Marvelous’ as the most formidable puncher he ever came up against.
“Marvin Hagler was [in] a different class [to] Roberto Duran. I think Marvin was the hardest puncher [I fought].”
Given that Hagler was a natural middleweight, whereas Duran typically campaigned in the lower divisions, it is perhaps unsurprising that Hearns arrived at this conclusion.
Feb 15, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) looks to pass as Indiana Hoosiers forward Reed Bailey (1) defends during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Tenth-ranked Illinois will take a swing through Los Angeles for a pair of crucial Big Ten Conference games this week, the first on Wednesday night against Southern California.
The Fighting Illini (21-5, 12-3 Big Ten) begin the week in a three-team tie for second place in the league’s loss column, knotted with No. 7 Purdue (21-4, 11-3) and No. 9 Nebraska (22-3, 11-3), just behind No. 1 Michigan (24-1, 14-1).
USC (18-7, 7-7) sits in the middle of the conference pack.
Illinois slipped from the top of the conference with back-to-back overtime losses at Michigan State on Feb. 7 and to Wisconsin on Feb. 10, but the Illini bounced back on Sunday with a 71-51 home rout of Indiana.
David Mirkovic scored 25 points against the Hoosiers, his ninth consecutive double-figure point-scoring performance since the freshman was inserted into the starting lineup. The 25 points represented his personal best in Big Ten play.
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The tone-setting effort came after Mirkovic took responsibility for the loss to the Badgers.
Illini coach Brad Underwood said, “I get an incredible text from Mirk after the Wisconsin game — taking the blame for it because he wasn’t mentally what he thought was at his best. (Mirkovic) practiced at a different level, and that showed off (against Indiana). He was dominant on both ends, and it’s as focused defensively as I’ve seen him.”
The 51 points to which the Illini held Indiana were the third-fewest Illinois allowed this season, just two weeks removed from limiting Northwestern to 44 points.
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Along with strong defense — Illinois ranks No. 49 nationally at 68.2 points allowed a contest — the Illini have thrived with balanced offense. Mirkovic heads into Los Angeles as one of five Illinois scorers averaging in double figures per game.
His rate of 13 points per game joins Keaton Wagler at 18.5, Kylan Boswell at 14, Andrej Stojakovic at 13.7 and Tomislav Ivisic at 10.5. Stojakovic missed the past two games because of a high ankle sprain, and his availability for the Wednesday contest was uncertain.
After opposing the Trojans, Illinois plays at UCLA on Saturday before returning home to oppose Michigan on Feb. 27.
Among USC’s season-long regulars, Chad Baker-Mazara leads the way with 18.3 points per game, while Ezra Ausar adds 15.7. Rodney Rice (20.3 ppg) sustained a season-ending shoulder injury in December. Alijah Arenas, who returned from a knee injury last month, has appeared in six games and has averaged 26 over the past three.
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Jacob Cofie (9.9 points, 7.2 rebounds per game) reached double-figure scoring in three of the Trojans’ past four outings.
Cofie was one of five Trojans to notch at least 12 at Ohio State on Feb. 11, led by Arenas’ 25. Arenas is posting 15.4 points per game since joining the lineup the last month, bouncing back from a knee injury sustained in a car accident.
The first-year blue-chip prospect started slowly, scoring 30 combined points in his first four appearances but since ran off games of 29 and 24 before the 25 in an 89-82 loss to the Buckeyes.
The setback snapped USC’s three-game winning streak and dropped the Trojans to .500 in the Big Ten. USC aims to use its week-long break since the loss to regroup, playing its next four in Los Angeles and three of the quartet at home.
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“It’s been a long year so far. I think this is a much-needed break for the guys,” USC assistant coach Earl Boykins said per the school’s website. “The three long trips we’ve taken this year are a lot. It’s going to be good for them to get the break and for us to get in the gym and get back to the basics.”
Medhi Benatia has made a dramatic U-turn at Marseille amid reported tensions with former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood
Medhi Benatia has performed a dramatic about-turn and will stay at Marseille just days after announcing his departure. The French club’s sporting director, who has reportedly had disagreements with former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood, made his exit official following Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Strasbourg, but club owner Frank McCourt has declared he will be remaining.
The 38-year-old revealed via Instagram that he would be leaving the club, having handed in his resignation before Roberto De Zerbi’s departure. However, McCourt, through a press release, has confirmed he is going nowhere and will take on expanded duties that will see him supervising “the entirety of sporting activities.”
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It has been a turbulent and somewhat catastrophic few weeks for Marseille with back-to-back 3-0 losses in the Champions League seeing them finish outside the top 32. They have also failed to win in three Ligue 1 matches which included a 5-0 thrashing by Paris Saint-Germain and surrendering a two-goal advantage against Strasbourg.
Supporter demonstrations have also occurred in the past week with De Zerbi’s departure and the absence of clear direction leading to fans choosing not to be in the Stade Velodrome for kick-off this past weekend. Benatia remaining could help restore some stability to the club particularly as they continue searching for a new head coach.
However, the former Roma centre-back has been embroiled in a controversy involving Greenwood. Despite being hailed as the club’s standout player and receiving public support from De Zerbi, it has been reported in France that he had a falling out with Benatia.
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French publication L’Equipe has alleged that the pair were not on speaking terms, with Benatia criticising Greenwood’s conduct both on and off the pitch.
The report suggested that the club chief was irritated by the 24-year-old disregarding commercial obligations without concern for potential repercussions. Given these allegations, it seems unlikely that Greenwood will be pleased with Benatia retaining his position and gaining more influence within the club.
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One player likely to welcome the surprising reversal is Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri. It’s understood that Benatia played a crucial role in negotiating the loan deal alongside president Pablo Longori.
The exact reasons behind Benatia’s change of heart remain unclear, but it appears that drastic action would have been taken based on his departure statement.
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Part of his announcement said: “I sense a growing dissatisfaction, a breakdown in communication that I deeply regret. In Marseille, results are the only true measure.
“You know my frankness and transparency. Therefore, given the tensions surrounding the management, I have indeed submitted (not offered) my resignation, because in my opinion, the club will always come before individuals, and I do not want my presence to become an obstacle or a burden to the organisation and its development.
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“I leave with the feeling of having done my utmost professionally, but with the regret of not having been able to calm the atmosphere around the team, which, in my opinion, is more than capable of achieving the set objectives.”
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.
The Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs look to snap a five-game skid when they face the Charleston Southern Buccaneers in a Big South Conference matchup on Tuesday. Gardner-Webb is coming off a 112-87 loss to High Point on Saturday, while Charleston Southern dropped a 90-80 decision at Radford that same day. The Runnin’ Bulldogs (3-24, 1-11 Big South), who are ninth in the conference, are 0-13 on the road this year. The Buccaneers (12-15, 3-9 Big South), who are tied for seventh in the league, are 8-3 on their home court.
Tipoff from Buccaneer Field House in North Charleston, S.C., is set for 6 p.m. ET. Gardner-Webb is a 17.5-point favorite in the latest Gardner-Webb vs. Charleston Southern odds from DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 158.5. Before making any Gardner-Webb vs. Charleston Southern picks, check out the men’s college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times and it entered Week 16 on a sizzling 11-1 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season, and is on a 13-7 run on top-rated CBB side picks. Anyone following its college basketball betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.
How to make Gardner-Webb vs. Charleston Southern picks
SportsLine’s model is going Under on the total (158.5 points). The Under has hit in four of the last seven Gardner-Webb games, and in two of the last five Charleston Southern games.
The model projects the Bulldogs to have two players score 10.1 points or more, including Jacob Hogarth’s projected 10.2 points. The Buccaneers are projected to have four players score 12.8 or more points, led by Brycen Blaine, who is projected to score 25.8 points. The Under hits in 71% of simulations.
Oct 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) arrives prior to the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Last week, CBS Sports‘ Ryan Wilson said on national airwaves that free-agent Kansas City Chiefs cornerback could end up with the Minnesota Vikings, a team needing some defensive secondary oomph. A few days later, Fox Sports‘ Greg Auman agreed.
The Vikings need steadier cornerback play, and Watson keeps showing up as a realistic free-agent target.
The Vikings could also use Round 1 of the draft on a rookie like Mansoor Delane or Avieon Terrell at cornerback, but the solution could be as simple as signing Watson outright and eliminating the risk of another CB bust.
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Watson Fits the Vikings’ Need for a Reliable Outside Corner
Free agency is less than three weeks away.
Jaylen Watson runs onto the field on September 5, 2024, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City as the Chiefs prepare to face the Ravens, emerging from the tunnel and surveying the crowd while teammates warm up ahead of the nationally televised season opener. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images.
Auman: Watson to MIN in Free Agency
Auman outlined the NFL’s Top 100 free agents, predicting where each man might land. For Watson, Minnesota got the nod.
He wrote, “Watson, 27, is a former seventh-round pick who thrived in his first year as a full-time starter in 2025. He had two interceptions after just one in his first three seasons, and finished with 64 tackles. Pro Football Focus has him as their No. 13 corner, one spot behind teammate Trent McDuffie, who is due to make $13 million on his fifth-year option.”
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“Could Watson draw a similar salary on a multi-year deal? Kansas City is way over the salary cap, so this is an opportunity to grab a young defender with significant postseason experience, with two picks in 10 career playoff games. Prediction: Signs with Vikings.”
Minnesota has encountered significantly better luck in the last decade by signing free-agent cornerbacks than drafting them. Watson could continue the trend,
Who’s Jaylen Watson
In 2025, Watson played 868 snaps and secured a full-time starting role in Kansas City’s secondary. Over his four seasons, he has appeared in 53 games, starting 29. His most consistent play came last year. At 6’2″ and 200 pounds, he has the ideal size for an outside cornerback.
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His efficiency metrics support this assessment. In 2025, opposing quarterbacks had a 79.0 passer rating when targeting him, akin to his 75.4 mark in 2024. His first two seasons saw ratings above 103. Pro Football Focus grades also reflect his development, increasing from 61.2 to 68.5, then 69.6, and finally 74.1 last season.
This upward trend positions him favorably in a competitive market. Spotrac estimates his next contract at around $12.5 million per year, potentially a three-year, $38 million deal. The valuation places him in a difficult middle ground — neither a bargain nor an elite investment.
Minnesota begins the offseason in a rough financial shape. While restructures and releases will change this figure, contracts in this range require careful consideration. Watson will be 28 in the fall, meaning this contract would likely cover his prime years. Ultimately, his value depends on whether a team views his 2025 performance as his new standard or his ceiling.
USA Today‘s Nate Davis wrote this week about Watson’s free agency: “He’s big (6-2, 197), young (27), still experienced (29 starts) and playoff tested. Watson is coming off his best season, but is probably a luxury for the capped-out Kansas City Chiefs.”
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Other CB Options This Offseason
If Watson is not the target, but the Vikings still want a productive option, the list grows. Here’s who Minnesota could pursue in March or April:
Jaylen Watson reacts during second-half action on January 26, 2025, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City as the Chiefs clash with the Bills in the AFC Championship Game, responding emotionally to a pivotal moment in the high-stakes playoff battle. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images.
The rookies on the list are CBs who are likely to be picked in Round 1 or 2, meaning they should be somewhat game-ready.
Murphy-Rodgers-Watson Trio Just Might Work
Last year, the Vikings ranked third in the NFL in passing defense per DVOA. All the rage right now is about a new cornerback, despite Brian Flores creating a Top 3 secondary.
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So you better believe Watson would thrive in Minnesota. The main reasons the Vikings should hunt cornerbacks are depth and insurance. Murphy Jr. and Rodgers played all 17 games, respectively, in 2025, and that kind of cornerback durability is rare. Having Watson or a different corner to call up would be beneficial.
Brian Flores addresses reporters on October 16, 2024, at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan, pausing mid-answer while discussing defensive adjustments, scheme evolution, and player accountability during a midseason media session following Minnesota’s early stretch of games. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
Of course, as always, cornerbacks will be in high demand during free agency. The Vikings will have to pull out their best recruiting spiel if Watson is the target. Minnesota could also seek an older cornerback on the open market, like Jamel Dean or Mike Hilton. They’ve used that route before.
The club is underwater by about $40 million per the salary cap in mid-February, but will release players and restructure player contracts in the next 20 days to become compliant.
As part of Mewgenics’ intense gameplay, you will sometimes run into a combat encounter where victory feels out of reach. In such moments, you may want to save scum by closing the game and starting fresh. However, things do not work so simply in Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel’s latest action-adventure title.
In this detailed article, we will explain how save scummingworks in the Mewgenics, what happens when you do it, and the consequences tied to it.
Mewgenics detects when you save scum (Image via Save scum warning by Steven (Image via Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel)
As mentioned earlier, save scumming is the process of avoiding the consequences of an unfavorable situation by force-closing the game and reloading an earlier state. Although the method is not new, there is a twist here.
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To save scum, you need to close the game and then relaunch it. You can press Alt + F4 or use the Task Manager to end the process. When you reload, you will resume from an earlier point rather than the moment where you lost. However, the game keeps track of this behavior.
Mewgenics’ save scum Easter Egg
Save scum warning by Steven (Image via Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel || @Accelerated Ideas/YouTube)
Interestingly, the mechanic also features an Easter egg. The first time you save scum, you will encounter Steven, a character associated with other titles by the developers, such as The Binding of Isaac, The End Is Nigh, and Time F**k.
However, he simply issues a warning during the first encounter. In the second instance, one of your cats suffers a reduction in IQ. The third time around, all cats receive a 10% debuff to their actions. When you do this for the fourth time, you lose direct control of your cats in combat, with fights becoming fully AI-controlled.
How to avoid save-scum penalty in Mewgenics
To avoid the penalty for force-quitting, there are two commonly used methods. The first one relies on timing. If you force-close using the Task Manager at the right moment, which is after losing a battle but before returning home, you’ll be in the clear.
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The other way requires you to first navigate to your saved file (C/users/YOUR NAME/app data/roaming/Glaiel Games folder) and search for scum. Now, two results will pop up, with one for save scumming detection and another that tracks the number of times you have used this exploit. Now, you need to edit the number in the second file to 0. Once that’s done, you won’t face a penalty this time around.
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Oleksandr Usyk is on the lookout for a voluntary defence of the unified heavyweight world titles and there is one world champion who was revealed that he would accept that shot ‘with both hands’.
Usyk seemed set to take on Deontay Wilder until prolonged negotiations caused ‘The Bronze Bomber’ to pull out of talks and instead agree to a showdown with Derek Chisora, with that fight set to take place on April 4.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, IBF cruiserweight ruler Jai Opetaia said that, whilst his current focus is becoming the undisputed champion at 200lbs, he would step up to heavyweight and accept a fight against Usyk ‘with both hands’ if offered the opportunity.
“Who knows what the future holds. I’m not here to call out Usyk, I’m not like that. I never really sit here and call people out or try to disrespect anyone.
“Obviously, if that fight comes, a fight against Usyk, you take it with both hands but we are just here to focus on becoming undisputed at the moment.
“Them [Zuffa] being in talks with signing Usyk is huge. It just shows that Zuffa is heading in the right direction.”
Former undisputed champion Lennox Lewis has given his opinion on the upcoming all-British heavyweight world title clash between Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois, which is scheduled to take place in less than three months’ time.
Wardley-Dubois will be the seventh heavyweight title contest involving two Britons in the history of boxing and the sixth occasion on which a heavyweight title bout has headed to Manchester, with fight fans eagerly anticipating an instant classic in what looks to be a well-matched affair.
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Speaking with Pro Boxing Fans, Lewis, who defended the heavyweight crown against fellow Britons Frank Bruno and Henry Akinwande, looked ahead to the event and declared that former white collar fighter Wardley should be proud of how far he has come.
“I think that is another great fight to see because Fabio Wardley has come a long way and made some big steps, he should feel proud of what he has accomplished so far.
“I think that will be a great, British fight. All the British fans are going to be excited about it.”
Super Eagles and Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has revealed the difficulties he faced during his time at Napoli.
The 27-year-old joined the Italian club from Lille for €75 million, a record signing for Napoli. However, five years later, questions arose over the legitimacy of the transfer, and Napoli officials are now facing a court case over alleged false accounting linked to the deal.
Injury problems affected Osimhen during his first two seasons in Italy, but the 2022/2023 campaign changed everything. He scored 26 goals to help Napoli win the Serie A title for the first time in more than 30 years. Individually, he was named CAF Player of the Year and finished eighth in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings.
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Osimhen signed a new contract with Napoli in December 2023, which included a release clause allowing him to leave at the end of the season if a suitable offer arrived.
The striker later fell out with Napoli under new management, particularly after a club video with racist undertones caused tension, a situation described as “bizarre” by former Super Eagles coach José Peseiro.
Chelsea, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain all expressed interest in Osimhen, but Napoli were only willing to consider offers from the Saudi Pro League. Eventually, he joined Galatasaray on loan before making the move permanent.
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Speaking at a pre-match conference ahead of Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League play-off against Juventus, Osimhen said he could have joined Juventus from Napoli, but club president Aurelio De Laurentiis blocked the move.
“Before talks with Galatasaray began, Giuntoli called me to bring me to Juve. I spoke with a few people from the club, and they showed interest, but I knew he (De Laurentiis) wouldn’t let me go,” Osimhen said.
He added that while he was willing to stay and work under Antonio Conte, the treatment he received at Napoli was unfair.
“We had a gentleman’s agreement that I could leave the following summer, but the other side did not fully honour that commitment. They sent me everywhere to play and treated me like a dog. I worked so hard to build my career, I couldn’t accept that kind of treatment.
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“After the club’s TikTok, everything changed. I was insulted, and no one ever apologised. I was a victim of racist insults. I’m not a puppet. Conte wanted to keep me: I would have loved to work with him,” he concluded.
Osimhen’s move to Galatasaray has seen him shine again, earning him a place in the top three of the 2025 CAF Player of the Year alongside Mohamed Salah and Achraf Hakimi.
NEW DELHI: Australia’s campaign in the T20 World Cup came to a crushing halt after persistent rain forced the abandonment of the Zimbabwe vs Ireland fixture at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The washout confirmed Zimbabwe as the seventh side to seal a berth in the Super 8s, while simultaneously knocking both Australia and Ireland out of the tournament.Weather forecasts had predicted steady showers throughout the day, and those fears proved accurate as the rain refused to ease even briefly, leaving officials with no window to squeeze in play.
Thomas Draca exclusive: Hardik Pandya, ‘special’ pendant and T20 World Cup dream
With no result possible, the points split proved decisive in shaping the final standings.The outcome finalised the composition of Super 8 Group G1, which will feature India, South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe. Super 8 Group G2, meanwhile, will comprise Sri Lanka, England and New Zealand, along with either Pakistan or USA.