Jammu and Kashmir’s players celebrate after the team’s victory in Ranji Trophy semifinal against Bengal. (PTI Photo)

KALYANI: History had barely settled in when the phone rang. A familiar face flashed up on a video call. Minutes after Jammu and Kashmir sealed a spot in the Ranji Trophy final, the team heard from BCCI president Mithun Manhas, a former head of the J&K cricket’s ad-hoc committee. It was fitting. J&K first entered the Ranji Trophy in the 1959-60 season. For decades they were treated as plucky participants, rarely as genuine threats. The transformation into a side that now talks — and plays — like title contenders has had Manhas’ imprint on it.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“We have done it, Mithun,” J&K coach Ajay Sharma shouted out on the phone, “Mithun and I go back a long way. He made his debut for Delhi under me. I know how hard he had worked for this.”There is a fairy-tale quality to J&K’s rise as a cricketing power: overcoming odds, brushing aside doubts, and learning the most important skill of all — self-belief. But this isn’t a story built on romance alone. It has also been shaped by method, patience and the hard labour of building a culture.

Former Delhi player Sharma himself admits he struggled to get a grip when he first took charge before the 2022-23 season. “When I joined for the first time, I was handling 38 boys. I was alone then,” Sharma said.The set-up looks very different now. J&K have a bowling coach in P Krishnakumar and Dishant Yagnik as their fielding coach. These are small additions on paper, significant ones in a dressing room trying to grow into a winning unit.“Initially it was challenging because it was a very different culture in J&K. It took me around two years to understand these kids. It took time to bond with them,” he said. “I was hard on them initially. But today they see me as an elder brother.”The first shift, Sharma believes, had to happen in the mind. “These boys only think about white-ball cricket and the IPL. We have players from the state in the IPL. But Mithun, as J&K cricket administrator, had a vision and that is to win the Ranji trophy. Ranji trophy still remains the country’s premier tournament. If you do well here your name goes ahead,” Sharma said.From there, the work became more deliberate: identify a core and keep backing it. A group of 24-25 boys began to take shape — some, like left-arm pacer Sunil Kumar, emerging through talent-hunt competitions. “It’s the same bunch which has developed as we kept giving them confidence,” Sharma stated.Alongside confidence came ambition — not the loud, throwaway kind, but some-thing planted carefully and watered over seasons. “I slowly made them understand that you are all talented guys and you are all around 19-20 years of age. You have the game in you so if you apply a little, you can play for India,” he said.Infrastructure, too, mattered. J&K’s push included pitch preparation, with Sharma noting the state now has both black and red soil pitches, a rare advantage for a side looking to be versatile at home and resilient away.Preparation became a season-defining theme. “Pre-season is very important and we started playing the Buchi Babu (in Chennai) for the last two-three years,” Sharma pointed out. Facing bigger sides there, and surviving those examinations, helped the group believe it could beat anyone.“J&K has become a team to reckon with. Everybody is scared of playing J&K now,” Sharma thundered. “We have all bases covered having both quality fast bowlers and spinners. We have won both the knockout matches away from home.”

Champions League Match of the Day pundit Guillem Balague, who attended Real Madrid’s match at Benfica on Tuesday, explains the aftermath of the alleged racist incident between Vinicius Jr and Gianluca Prestianni.

READ MORE: Vinicius: Eight years at Real Madrid, 20 cases of alleged racist abuse

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Chelsea and England legend Frank Lampard has praised Super Eagles midfielder Frank Onyeka after his strong debut for Coventry City.

The 28-year-old joined Coventry from Brentford in the January transfer window but missed their previous match against Oxford United because his wife was about to give birth. He returned to action in their crucial clash against Middlesbrough and was named in the starting line-up.

Onyeka played 75 minutes at the Coventry Building Society Arena, winning duels, pressing high and helping his team stay organised in midfield.

After the game, Lampard expressed his delight with the Nigerian midfielder’s performance, saying his energy and ball-winning ability were key reasons he was signed.

“He was outstanding – the energy, the ball winning,” Lampard said. “He was so visible with his pressing, break-up play and quality on the ball. He reads the game quickly, covers a lot of ground and can play as well.”

Lampard added that Onyeka’s experience in the Premier League and with the national team gave the squad a boost.

“When you bring in a player of that level, it gives everybody a lift. It’s not easy to come into a game at this level, but it looked like it was there,” he said.

Onyeka played alongside Matt Grimes in midfield, and the pair helped Coventry look more solid in the centre of the pitch. Lampard said Onyeka brought a different profile to the team and had already impressed in training.

“He was tired and cramping up, that’s why he had to come off, but he will get fitter. His impact was high, and I’m very pleased with him,” Lampard added.

Coventry’s win over Middlesbrough moved them to the top of the EFL Championship table, although only by a single point.

Betting markets suggest that the Minnesota Vikings are the frontrunners to acquire Kyler Murray in 2026. But one team cannot be ruled out as an alternate suitor: the New York Jets.

Minnesota’s Murray pursuit could turn into a Vikings-Jets tug-of-war, depending on Murray’s fate: trade or release.

Of course, it’s not a foregone conclusion that Minnesota will pursue Murray; the Vikings’ actions will prove yes or no in the next few weeks. Keep an eye on the Jets, too, as Murray’s other would-be destination.

Vikings and Jets Could Battle for Kyler Murray

Murray has to go somewhere, and it could be a binary choice between the Vikings and the Jets.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell on Murray to NYJ

Barnwell took on the upcoming quarterback carousel this week, outlining trades that made sense for the quarterback in question and the teams in need.

On Murray to the Jets, he wrote, “Jets get: QB Kyler Murray, 2026 sixth-round pick. Cardinals get: 2026 fourth-round pick. Aaron Glenn turned over nearly his entire staff after a disappointing first year, when the Jets were abysmal on both sides of the football. For most of the first half of the season, Glenn couldn’t decide whether to bench Justin Fields, and when Fields went down with an injury, the results from Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook weren’t much better.”

“Glenn could be coaching for his job in Year 2, and though he will trust his ability to turn around the defense, finding a veteran quarterback who can win a few games is critical. Swapping a Day 3 selection for a quarterback who ranked 14th in Total QBR over the past two years won’t hurt an organization that has a ton of draft capital after the Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner trades.”

The Cardinals are reportedly somewhat comfortable embarking on the 2026 season with last year’s QB2, now QB1, Jacoby Brissett.

Barnwell continued, “Jets fans would love to add their quarterback of the future after seeing Sam Darnold thrive in Seattle, but they also haven’t had even league-average QB play in a season since Josh McCown put together a solid year for the Jets in 2017.”

“It’s never fun to see the face of the franchise dealt for a Day 3 pick, but I would suspect that the new staff was interviewed and hired with the understanding that Murray wouldn’t be staying in Arizona for much longer. So a Murray trade might be about landing the best available deal instead of waiting for the right one.”

Since the beginning of the offseason, with the assumption that the Las Vegas Raiders will draft Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, two teams always made the most sense for Murray: Minnesota and New York. And now here are — with those franchises as the two pace-setters to net his services.

Steelers and Falcons as Dark Horses?

Most NFL teams have a quarterback plan in motion by now. A handful of teams do not, including the Vikings and Jets.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers could lurk as a dark horse for Murray. Aaron Rodgers probably won’t formally retire until he absorbs the most offseason attention possible, but at what point would the Steelers’ brass tell him no thanks and sign Murray if Arizona releases the 28-year-old? Most would consider a 28-year-old Murray an upgrade over 42-year-old Rodgers.

What’s more, the Atlanta Falcons could also peek at Murray, with Kirk Cousins on tap to be released and Michael Penix Jr. recovering from his third career ACL tear.

Other offshoot suitors if Murray is gettable for cheap? The Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, and Indianapolis Colts.

A Release by Cardinals Could Change Everything

The current kicker on Murray is straightforward: Will the Cardinals release Murray or trade him? If traded, Murray’s next team will take on a fat contract that would almost certainly be restructured. With a release, well, the Cardinals foot the entire bill.

Recent momentum suggests Arizona could cut Murray, as perhaps no team will take the bait on a trade and the contract. A free-agent Murray is a game-changer. What quasi-quarterback-needy team wouldn’t want him for something in the ballpark of the league minimum?

If Murray is released, the Vikings absolutely must pursue him. The value would be off the charts. The same mentality applies to the Jets, Steelers, or Dolphins.

Murray Would Probably Pick MIN over NYJ if Decision Is Left to Him

If you use social media, you likely know this factoid by now: Murray grew up cheering for the Vikings. He was reared in the Adrian Peterson era, and he’s told reporters numerous times that Minnesota was his squad.

Therefore, ask yourself: Would a free-agent Murray, who would have free will to pick his next team, pick the Jets, a franchise historically and habitually mired by dysfunction? Or would he pick his favorite team as a lad that also employs Justin Jefferson, the quarterback whisperer head coach, and Brian Flores?

A no-brainer.

American speedskater Brittany Bowe will not leave the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics with a medal, but she will return home with a new ring. 

Team USA women’s hockey captain Hilary Knight proposed to Bowe at the 2026 Winter Games. The two first met while competing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Knight proposed on the eve of the women’s hockey gold medal clash between the U.S. and Canada.

Knight shared the moment on social media, captioning a video of the two athletes in matching Team USA gear, “Olympics brought us together. This one made us forever.”

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Hilary Knight poses for a photo during the U.S. Olympic Team Media Summit in preparation for the 2026 Milan Olympic Winter Games at the Javits Center Oct. 29, 2025. (Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images)

Bowe entered with two bronze medals, and Knight, a four-time Olympic medalist, will leave with a fifth — gold or silver — after Thursday’s rematch with Canada.

OLYMPIC RIVALS TURNED LOVERS AS US ICE DANCER PROPOSES TO SPANISH SKATER ON VALENTINE’S DAY IN MILAN

Knight reflected on connecting with Bowe during the 2022 Beijing Games under COVID-19 protocols. 

“To have that human connection, even walking outside at a distance, it was really cool,” Knight told Olympics.com last week.

Brittany Bowe of the United States reacts after skating in the women’s team pursuit Final B during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Speed Skating Stadium Feb. 17, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Katie Stratman/Imagn Images)

Bowe said she has come to know a different side of Knight beyond her superstar persona.

“Knowing her as a hockey player, it’s like this big, strong, powerful female,” Bowe said. “But then, when we got to know each other, she was soft, genuine, kind, almost shy. That really sparked my interest.”

Brittany Bowe of the United States competes in the women’s 1500-meter race during the ISU World Cup Speed Skating at Calgary Olympic Oval Nov. 22, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta. (Leah Hennel-International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)

Romance has been part of the story at this year’s Games, particularly for Valentine’s Day. Last week, American skier Breezy Johnson’s boyfriend proposed at the finish of her super-G run in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

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Johnson captured her first career Olympic gold medal in the women’s Alpine skiing downhill event.

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The Premier League is building towards another thrilling run-in, as Arsenal and Manchester City face off in the title race.

After three second-place finishes in a row, Arsenal are bidding to finally end their 22-year wait for a league title under Mikel Arteta.

But they are once again facing competition from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who denied them in both 2023 and 2024.

Aston Villa, in third place under Unai Emery, are the closest challengers outside of the top two as the campaign heads towards the final straight.

Here’s how the crucial run-in is shaping up.

Arsenal

Played: 27

Points: 58

GD: +32

Toughest game? It’s obviously the trip to Manchester City in mid-April, with just five more league games to follow after that. Arsenal have not won at the Etihad since January 2015 and their title challenge went up in smoke there in a 4-1 thrashing in April 2023, before arguably playing too safe in a 0-0 draw in March 2024. Arsenal are in a good position to take a lead to the Etihad, though, and have shown they are made of stronger stuff under Mikel Arteta over the last couple of years: so a draw could be vital this time around.

A potential banana skin? What about Everton? The Toffees admittedly have a woeful record at the Emirates, but they have the fifth-best away record in the Premier League this season under David Moyes. Plus, it will fall in between the two legs of their Champions League last-16 tie, and a week before the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City. This is precisely the type of game where Arsenal can’t afford to take their eye off the ball.

Final straight? On paper, it’s looking good for Arsenal. In May, they will play Fulham and Burnley at home. Mid-table Fulham will likely be in ‘nothing to play for’ territory while 19th-placed Burnley could well be down by the penultimate weekend. West Ham, though, could be fighting for their lives, and Crystal Palace, too, could be dragged into danger by the final game of the season. Still, the Gunners might not have to play a top-half team in May.

Man City

Played: 26

Points: 53

GD: +30

Toughest game? Pep Guardiola’s side have to be close to perfect before hosting Arsenal, so the two games that stand out are the away trips to Leeds and Chelsea. Leeds are unbeaten at home this season when playing ‘under the lights’ at Elland Road, so a 5:30pm kick-off looks a real test. Chelsea are unpredictable but have risen to the occasion at home this season and Cole Palmer is starting to come into form after an injury-hit campaign.

A potential banana skin? With Nottingham Forest looking for their third ‘new manager bounce’ of the season – after Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche fell flat – could Vitor Pereira repeat last season’s wonders at Wolves by turning their form around and going on a winning run?

Final straight? On paper, much tougher than Arsenal’s. Brentford and Bournemouth could be in the mix for European qualification over the final weeks of the season and City have to play them both in their final three games. Then, they host Aston Villa on the final weekend of the season. Will Unai Emery’s side have Champions League qualification wrapped up by then, or could they even be in the title race? City could do with hoping Villa get to the Europa League final that midweek.

Verdict?

This will be a run-in of two halves, with everything building up to the meeting between Manchester City and Arsenal in mid-April, and then everything that follows. But Arsenal’s fixtures before and then after going to the Etihad look more favourable than City’s, particularly their final stretch . A crucial factor for both sides will be the other cup competitions and how their squad depth holds up: they will also meet in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday 22 March, and are both also through to the Champions League last-16 and FA Cup fifth round.

Spring Training games are nearly here – things kick off Friday at 1:05 pm EST with the Yankees throwing a couple of big-time pitching prospects against the new-look Orioles, while a bunch of other teams will either be facing off against local colleges in exhibition games or kicking off their own Grapefruit or Cactus League action. Either way, we’re about to have real (or, mostly real) baseball to watch and analyze in just a few short days. 

But of course, Spring Training isn’t just about what happens on the field. For Fantasy players, it’s just as much about what happens in locker rooms and artificially lit hallways across Florida and Arizona. That’s where we learn about injuries, playing time developments, and everything else we really care about for Spring Training. This newsletter will be your one-stop shop to everything you need to know from spring, and in the coming days, we’ll be looking at the biggest questions and storylines from every team, plus a little guide to what actually matters during the spring. 

But we’ve already had some important headlines crop up in the first week or so since players reported, and with our recent focus on position previews, it’s been tough to catch up with them. So we’re hitting pause on the position previews for a few days to make sure you’re ready for the games that are about to kick off. 

Today, that means catching up on some key news that has already come out, starting, unfortunately, with some significant injury updates:

Pablo Lopez has a torn UCL

Lopez dealt with a forearm injury late last season and couldn’t even make it through his first mound work of the spring without exiting with forearm soreness. An MRI revealed a torn UCL, and while the course of action has not yet been determined, Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll acknowledged that “surgery is very much on the table.”

Whether that ends up being a full Tommy John reconstruction of the UCL or the relatively less serious Internal Brace procedure – or, as has become increasingly common in recent years, both in a hybrid procedure – remains to be seen. That determination may not come until Lopez actually has the surgery, as is often the case, but either way, he’s almost certainly looking at missing the entirety of the 2026 season.

Which is a big bummer for Lopez, who overcame early-career shoulder injuries to throw 180-plus innings in each of the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons. He’ll be 31 the next time we see him on the mound, and he’ll be coming off a major elbow surgery. He could still be ready for the start of the 2027 season, and it’s not like we haven’t seen players in their 30s thrive coming off elbow reconstruction in recent years. But it’s a lost season of Lopez’s prime, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be back to his pre-injury form by then. 

The Twins do have some depth in their rotation, though it is little proven. Lopez’s injury would seemingly open up a spot for an open competition to take place, with the likeliest candidates to take that open rotation spot being Zebby Matthews, David Festa, and Mick Abel. All three have shown flashes at the MLB level, but none has emerged as a reliable option yet. 

My best guess would be on Matthews taking the job – he has shown the ability to rack up strong strikeout numbers and avoid walks, but has been held back by poor results on balls in play. Those results were earned, as Matthews gives up a bunch of hard contact, but that’s also the part of a pitcher’s game that tends to fluctuate the most from one year to the next. If he fixes that issue, Matthews still has some breakout potential. If not, they’ll cycle through their options, with Kendrys Rojas, Connor Prielipp, and Andrew Morris looming as options in the upper minors. 

Blake Snell isn’t throwing off a mound yet

Snell is behind schedule as the team tries to manage lingering soreness and fatigue from last year’s World Series run. He has been limited to playing catch off the side, but manager Dave Roberts admitted in the early days of camp that he doesn’t know when Snell is likely to be ready for the season.

“He’s playing catch,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Snell. “He’s throwing. Once he gets off the mound, throws a pen, and faces some hitters, we will know more. But obviously, he’s not there right now. So until he gets off the mound, I just really don’t know.”

Snell is expected to throw a bullpen session soon, though even that hasn’t been determined yet. It’s not clear if Snell is currently dealing with an injury, but the team is taking every precaution to try to keep him healthy in 2026. Which highlights an inherent issue with every Dodgers pitcher that came to fruition in 2025: This is a team that only really cares about October. In his first season with the team, Snell only threw 61.1 regular-season innings due to a shoulder injury, but he was healthy and effective for the postseason as they went on to win a World Series, so nobody considered it a disappointing season.

Obviously, the Dodgers can’t get 60 innings from all of their starters – they still need to get through the season and make the playoffs. But they have more than enough to get through the regular season without pushing anyone beyond their comfort zone, and having their best players healthy for October is really all they care about.

Hence, the lack of concern from the Dodgers camp about their $180 million pitcher potentially not being ready for Opening Day. Snell figures to be limited at least early on in the season, and given his track record, even that might not be enough to keep him healthy for a full season – he has only topped 130 innings twice in nine full MLB seasons. The upside when he’s on the mound might be worth chasing, but I need a bigger discount than his ~100 ADP in the month of February allows. 

Hurston Waldrep might need elbow surgery

The Braves already lost Spencer Schwellenbach to elbow surgery, and it sounds like Waldrep might be following him to the surgeon’s table. Waldrep will see Dr. Keith Meister after feeling soreness in his elbow during his first live batting practice session of the spring. 

An initial MRI didn’t show structural damage, so the injury sounds similar to Schwellenbach’s, with Waldrep dealing with loose bodies in his elbow. Sometimes, pitchers can pitch through that kind of issue, but the risk there is it can lead to both poor performance, lingering pain, and ultimately, further damage that requires more extensive surgery to repair.

At this point, it looks like Waldrep could be heading for a similar outcome to Schwellenbach: Arthroscopic surgery to clean up the elbow, with a timetable that could see him back on the mound in about three months. That could see both back on the mound by mid-May in a best-case scenario, though anytime we’re talking about a pitcher’s elbow, assuming the “best-case scenario” is an easy way to steer yourself wrong. Both could be back after missing a few months, but any kind of setback could restart the whole rehab process – or worse. Schwellenbach is just in the late-round discussion for drafts, while Waldrep, who is both less of a sure thing as a pitcher and less assured of a role when healthy, should be left only for leagues with multiple IL spots to play with. 

Edwin Uceta is dealing with a “cranky” shoulder

The Rays entered spring with an expected battle between Uceta and Griffin Jax for the closer’s role, but that battle is already up in the air. Uceta wasn’t cleared to pitch for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic due to the injury, though right now it is mostly being discussed as a precautionary move.

“It was a difficult decision, but it’s a decision that had to be made for me to get ready for the season,” Uceta said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “Obviously very upset that I can’t represent my country, but it’s a decision that we had to make for the start of the season.”

Uceta was working in the Dominican Republic during the offseason and started to experience discomfort after taking a week off to attend his arbitration hearing. He had been playing catch during camp before taking a few days off, and at this point, it doesn’t sound like the team is too concerned about him being ready for Opening Day. 

But given how close the competition between him and Jax is expected to be, any edge for one is a big deal. And Jax now seemingly has an edge, at least early in camp. Both can be high-end closers for Fantasy, and I’d still expect both to figure into the team’s plans. But if I were expecting something like a 50-50 split, I would lean more towards a 60-40 split in Jax’s favor right now. We might look back in two weeks and see no ill effects for Uceta that could even the score, but right now, Jax has to be the first reliever in the Rays bullpen taken in most drafts. 

Five playing time/position battle updates

• Sal Stewart is focusing on 1B in camp – Stewart split his time between third and first base last season in the majors and has played second in the minors, but it seems like his slide down the positional spectrum is coming early in his career – which is fine, since the Reds have excellent defensive options at second and third and Stewart probably doesn’t have the arm for the hot corner, anyway. Coming off a .907 OPS across Double-A and Triple-A and a stint in the majors where he more than held his own while flashing plus power, Stewart should have the bat to handle first base. There are some mild playing time concerns here, but if he lives up to his upside, he’s going to force the Reds to keep him in the lineup. He remains a great draft target outside the top 200 in ADP. 
• JJ Wetherholt is focusing on 2B – With Masyn Winn locked in as one of the very best defensive shortstops in baseball, Wetherholt always seemed likely to move to either his left or right, and left it is. Wetherholt figures to be very good at second base, and he doesn’t seem to have much left to prove in the minors. He played 47 games at Triple-A in 2025, hitting .314/.416/.562 with nearly as many walks (28) as strikeouts (33). He has 20-20 upside with the potential for a good batting average and should be a pretty safe bet for playing time on a rebuilding Cardinals side, making Wetherholt a worthy pick inside the top-200 on Draft Day. 
• Alec Bohm is the likeliest cleanup option for the Phillies – Bohm made the All-Star game in 2024, but has been underwhelming since. However, he has a good approach for RBI, and hitting behind Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper would be a great spot for him to get back to the 90-plus range he was at in 2023 and 2024. Bohm’s ADP is down to 259.9, making him a pretty attractive late-round alternative at third base. At the very least, you should get a pretty good batting average and a bunch of RBI from him. 
• Brandon Nimmo looks likely to lead off for the Rangers – Nimmo primarily hit fourth or fifth for the Mets last season, but his move to Texas will also see him moving to the top of the order. That’ll cause a drag on his RBI numbers, but hitting ahead of Wyatt Langford and Corey Seager should be great for his run scoring opportunities, and Nimmo’s on-base skills will fit well at the top of the lineup. I wonder if he could even see a little bump in stolen bases while setting the table, which would help make up for a likely drop in power production with Globe Life Field representing a downgrade in home park from Citi Field. 
• Marcelo Mayer is starting out at 2B He primarily played shortstop coming up through the minors and third base as a rookie, but with the acquisition of Caleb Durbin, the Red Sox are looking at Mayer at second this spring. He platooned as a rookie and could do so again in 2026, though Romy Gonzalez‘s spring has been delayed by a shoulder issue, which might open up an opportunity for Mayer to play every day early on. He’s a sleeper to keep in mind at either third or second, the two weakest positions for Fantasy.