For the second match running against Afghanistan, the Indian team went ahead with Sanju Samson in place of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the preferred opener. Samson, after scoring 10 in the first T20I, made a terrific comeback to slam 57 off 22 balls. For the third T20I, to be held on Thursday, Sooryavanshi is likely to get a chance, as hinted by captain Shreyas Iyer. “Definitely, we want all of them to get used to the wicket and get some practice, so it will be a good opportunity to give a chance to the guys sitting out,” Iyer said after the second T20I.

After the second T20I, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s father, Sanjeev, was asked about his son’s absence from the playing XI.

“When there is a need, he will play. Baccha taiyaar hai khelne ke liye (the boy is ready to play),” Sanjeev told India Today.

Chasing a target of 160 runs against Afghanistan in the second T20I, Team India never looked under pressure as the opening duo of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma forged an 88-run partnership for the first wicket. Samson roared back to form with a 57-run knock off just 22 balls as India overhauled the total in just 14.5 overs. The wicketkeeper-batter’s exemplary knock put the chatter around his competition with the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to bed, showing the cricket world once again that form is temporary, while class is permanent.

Samson, speaking at the press conference after the game, was asked about the competition for the two opening spots in the T20I team. However, the veteran cricketer produced a mic-drop statement, saying competition only exists for the outside world. For him, both Sooryavanshi and Abhishek are teammates playing together for the country. He stressed that there is no chatter in the team about one player being snubbed or another not getting enough opportunities.

“I think they (Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma) are competitors for the outside world, but we are a team, and we are playing for our country. We want to win the game first, and then it comes down to the other individuals. We cannot sulk or be in a negative frame of mind, thinking, ‘Oh, I did not get it, why was it given to him?’ Those kinds of mindsets do not work here,” Samson told reporters in the post-match press conference.

Samson also spoke about the chatter on social media, where a number of former Indian cricketers have opined on the competition for the opening spot. Some suggest that Sooryavanshi deserves to play ahead of Samson in the team, while others believe Abhishek should make way for the teenage batter.

While Samson is not someone who pays heed to comments on the internet, he admitted to having come across some remarks made by former cricketers.

“I try to switch the Wi-Fi off. But sometimes the Wi-Fi gets switched on, and comments become visible. Some senior player says something. So I think it is very normal.”

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IPL Auction to return in India (Agency Image)

The IPL could witness two significant developments ahead of the 2027 season, with the player auction likely to return to India after three years overseas and the future of the Impact Player rule back under discussion. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has expressed his desire to bring the auction back home, while the BCCI is seeking fresh feedback from franchises and other stakeholders on the controversial substitution rule.The auction for the 2027 season is expected to be a smaller event, with the host city yet to be finalised. The previous three editions were held outside India, in Dubai, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi. Dhumal, who is set to be re-elected as IPL chairman at the BCCI Annual General Meeting on September 18, said the league would make another attempt to host the auction in India.

IPL 2027 auction: BCCI keen to bring event back to India

The IPL auction has been held overseas for the past three years, with Dubai hosting the 2024 auction, Jeddah staging the 2025 mega auction and Abu Dhabi hosting the 2026 auction. Dhumal said the league had been trying to bring the event back to India but faced difficulties in securing a suitable venue due to the busy wedding season.“Every year we try for this to happen in India, but we don’t get the venue given the heavy marriage season. So, we definitely want it to be here this year, given that it would be a smaller auction and hopefully we will get the venue,” Dhumal told PTI.The host city for the auction will be decided based on the availability of the BCCI’s preferred venue.

Impact Player rule back under discussion ahead of IPL 2027

The future of the Impact Player rule has also emerged as a key talking point ahead of the 2027 season, with the BCCI seeking fresh feedback from franchises. The matter was discussed at a recent IPL Governing Council meeting after the board approached teams for their views on the rule, which is currently scheduled to remain in place until 2027.Several prominent Indian cricketers, including Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, former India captain Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel, have expressed reservations about the rule. One of the key concerns raised by players is that it reduces the importance of all-rounders by allowing teams to bring in a specialist batter or bowler during a match.Ahead of IPL 2026, several captains had conveyed their concerns to the BCCI, renewing calls for the rule to be scrapped. Dhumal said the board was open to reviewing the concept but would consult all stakeholders before making a decision.“The matter is under discussion. Will take a feedback from all the stakeholders and then take a call on this,” he said.The Impact Player rule allows teams to substitute a player at any stage of a match, giving them the flexibility to bring in an additional batter or bowler depending on the match situation.

With Week 1 officially over and Week 2 around the corner, Tuesday saw a mix of injury updates across the NFL as teams digested their season openers. 

Kansas City Chiefs rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane appears to have avoided a long-term injury after making a big play against the Denver Broncos, while Baltimore Ravens wideout Ja’Kobi Lane could be facing a month-long absence. 

In Chicago, Ben Johnson explained why his Bears continued to score in the fourth quarter during a blowout win over the Carolina Panthers, rather than taking their foot off the gas late.

Here’s the latest from around the NFL. 

The Bears put up their highest-scoring Week 1 performance in franchise history Sunday, routing the Panthers 59-37, and head coach Ben Johnson made clear Monday that easing off wasn’t an option. Even with Chicago up 45-31 after a third-quarter touchdown run from Kyle Monangai, the offense tacked on two more scores in the fourth.

“Anytime you’re still within a couple of scores there in the fourth quarter, the game is still on, and so we needed that,” Ben Johnson said via transcript from the team. “I forget what time it was that we took the field for that last drive, and it was, ‘Guys, we want to finish the game with the ball’, and then ended up getting one to pop through, and [D’Andre Swift] ended up scoring there at the end.”

Johnson also noted how frequently Carolina’s offense had rallied from behind a season ago, adding that history stuck with the Bears’ coaching staff when preparing for the Panthers.

“It’s a credit to Carolina more than anything. We went into the game with a lot of respect for how well they could play in the fourth quarter. They had a number of games a year ago where the quarterback and the offense found a way to come back and win from behind; that was just something that was on our mind going into the game. We knew we couldn’t let off the gas.”  

The Bears’ offense will get an early test in their home opener against NFC North division rival, the Minnesota Vikings, on Sunday.

Baltimore’s receiving corps just got thinner. 

Rookie wideout Ja’Kobi Lane is expected to undergo surgery for a fractured wrist as soon as Wednesday, a procedure that could sideline him for close to a month, according to a CBS Sports report. The Ravens have reportedly not ruled out an injured reserve designation.

Lane’s absence compounds an already banged-up receiver room after Zay Flowers went down with a hamstring injury, pushing Rashod Bateman, Chris Moore and Elijah Sarratt up the depth chart. 

“Zay’s probably a little bit more like in the day-to-day range. You know, feel pretty good about where that’s at. We’ll see how the week goes,” Minter said about Flowers before adding he expected Lane to be out, “maybe a little bit longer,” Monday.

The 21-year-old third-round pick out of USC was expected to be a red-zone weapon alongside Flowers after a standout college career, but his NFL debut was cut short in Week 1 against the Colts. Lane arrived in Baltimore with plenty of hype after a three-season run at USC that produced 99 catches, 1,363 yards and 18 touchdowns, and he’d lined up as the No. 2  behind Flowers before the injury. 

A month-long absence could see Lane return for Baltimore’s game against the Falcons in October, after matchups with the New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans.

There’s encouraging news on the injury front for one of Kansas City’s top rookies. 

Cornerback Mansoor Delane is believed to have suffered only a short-term shoulder injury during Monday night’s win over Denver, according to NFL Network, with X-rays and CT scans reportedly coming back clean. Delane was still set to undergo an MRI.

The No. 6 overall pick appeared to have aggravated a shoulder issue that dated back to the offseason program and training camp. He made an instant impact anyway, hauling in his first career interception on his third career snap to end Denver’s opening possession, but he landed awkwardly on the shoulder during the play and didn’t return.

With the early word pointing to a short-term issue rather than a long-term absence, the Chiefs will be hopeful their top corner can be back in the mix quickly as the secondary settles into the regular season. 

The Chiefs host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night in Week 2.

Manchester United have announced that three youngsters have signed professional contracts with the club, with a fourth academy talent also reportedly expected to follow suit in the coming days

Youth players Fred Heath and Dante Plunkett have signed their first professional Manchester United deals, while Will Murdock has penned fresh terms with the club. Reports suggest that Noah Ajayi is expected to follow suit in a flurry of exciting signings for the club.

It has been a turbulent week for United following the news that JJ Gabriel had requested that his contract be ripped up by the club. The 15-year-old is highly rated at Old Trafford, with aspirations of the teenager becoming a key player for the club in the future.

However, they risk losing him and costing the club millions, as European clubs such as PSG, Barcelona and Real Madrid could land him at a discounted price.

Heath and Plunkett will be hoping to emulate players of yesteryear to graduate from the academy, with the goalkeeper and defender both penning their first professional deals at the club.

Plunkett is well thought of having featured 12 times for the Under-18s after arriving from Premier League rivals Aston Villa. But injuries have plagued his involvement recently.

Murdock has stepped up to United’s Under-21s side and was part of the squad that travelled to the United States for pre-season during the summer of 2025.

He has been a regular in United’s Premier League 2 aspirations, and played in the play-off final against Brighton.

Heath also featured in that summer’s pre-season squad and will likewise link up with the Under-21s, while Plunkett made 12 appearances for the under-18s throughout 2025/26.

The Daily Mail has claimed that Ajayi is also on the verge of agreeing a professional contract with the Old Trafford club. The winger has been turning heads with his displays, prompting United to look to tie him down with a new deal.

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The trio of extensions marks an element of good news at Old Trafford, with a fourth on the horizon mark. It follows Gabriel seemingly set to miss out on a competitive first-team debut with the club.

The 15-year-old was slated to be in the squad for Brighton’s visit in the Carabao Cup. However, following a refusal to train this week, the plans have been shelved.

It would have made him the youngest-ever player for United and if he was to make his bow in the Premier League, he’d become the fourth youngest to make a top-flight appearance.

All those star players, all that playoff experience with all that history that is on the line for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and they might be asking a youngster to help lead them navigate the gauntlet of October.

Josue De Paula is not a savior. Not by any means. The Dodgers have a roster that knows what it takes to get through the grind of the playoffs.

But after less than a week in the major leagues, the 21-year-old De Paula is showing that he can at least work a solid at-bat in pressure-packed moments and hit sky-scraping home runs. Anybody’s first few days in the major leagues, surrounded with high expectations, is about as high pressure as it gets.

Add in that De Paula replaced an injured Shohei Ohtani on the roster, then was immediately inserted into the designated-hitter role of the four-time MVP, it is easy to see why he is rising on manager Dave Roberts’ famed “trust tree.”

De Paula made his major league debut Friday, delivered a 416-foot home run for his first major league hit on Sunday and worked five walks over his first four major league games to give him a .500 on-base percentage.

His first clunker of a game came Monday, when he went 0-for-5 and struck out twice after Roberts had raised the stakes and put his youngster in the leadoff spot against the Cincinnati Reds. He still has just two hits over his first 19 plate appearances.

And yet De Paula has been the double espresso the Dodgers needed late in a regular season that has lacked the kind of zip the Dodgers are known for delivering.

Ohtani has labored through biceps and knee soreness that has plagued him since before the All-Star break and hasn’t pitched since July 2. Freddie Freeman has gone through a second-half power outage while only recently missing some games with his own sore knee. Mookie Betts has lacked the regular pop off his bat until recently.

The Dodgers wobbled through a 13-11 July and an even worse 13-14 August. Against playoff contenders in the Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves, they went 1-12 over a 28-day stretch.

There are other issues. Catcher Will Smith missed three months with neck inflammation. Andy Pages is out with a broken hand. And the bullpen is in disarray with closer Edwin Diaz missing most of the year with multiple injuries while Tanner Scott has been navigating his way through traffic on the base paths for a month now.

There is the real possibility the bullpen will be fortified with starters in the postseason like Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski, who was an All-Star in July for his work out of the rotation.

The Dodgers still believe Ohtani will be ready to return as a hitter by the time the playoffs arrive, but Roberts has already cautioned against the idea he will be completely pain free in October. Their belief is that any version of Ohtani is better than none at all.

The Dodgers just need offense of any kind. Their average of 3.9 runs per game in August might not cut it. They want to be somewhere near the 5.0 runs they have averaged all season.

In reality, an average offense might be enough for a starting rotation that is expected to consist of Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoro, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow come playoff time.

De Paula is technically ineligible for the playoff roster but can be added in case of an injury. The Dodgers had hoped to include backup catcher and left-handed power hitter Dalton Rushing in their October plans, but he is currently out with an elbow injury.

De Paula’s path from Double-A to the major leagues last week was paved by an Ohtani injury. His spot in the playoffs could be created by another injury to Rushing. The Dodgers can petition for De Paula to replace an injured player.

All of the excitement De Paula already has generated, by arriving as the team’s top prospect, hasn’t even included a home game yet. That will come Friday in a matchup against the rival San Francisco Giants.

It will be another chance to show how he handles the spotlight. If he continues to rise to the occasion, a chance to suit up for the playoffs is possible, even if it’s a role as a power/on-base potential off the bench.

“I think that our player development group is very confident in his ability to conduct an at-bat,” Roberts said. “…I think that we’ve seen him in (spring-training) camp for two or three years. He doesn’t run from velocity.”

But the playoffs?

“Well, anything’s possible,” Roberts said.

There are no bad rooms at the best resorts. But some accommodations are a cut above the rest. GOLF’s new list of Top 100 Resorts in the World covers the game’s most resplendent lodging, from beachside cottages and baronial mansions to modernist suites and mountain chalets. All come, of course, with ready access to world-class golf, first-rate food and wine, and amenities to complement their surrounds. On a list where every option sparkles, the differences come down to taste. Here are 5 that stand out to us.

Apes Hill
St. James, Barbados

Named for the wild green monkeys that swing through its treetops, this hilltop resort pairs jungle-canopy seclusion with sweeping sea views. Villas — from two-story layouts to single-level residences over 4,000 square feet — open floor-to-ceiling to let island breezes do the cooling. Designer kitchens, private plunge pools, and a golf cart come standard, but it’s the indoor-outdoor flow, tuned to the tropics, that makes this feel like a luxurious tree-house stay.

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St. Regis Punta Mita
Bahia de Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico

The 120 hacienda-style rooms and villas here lean into old-world Mexican and Mediterranean craft, with terra-cotta floors, exposed wood beams and private plunge pools tucked into beachfront suites. But the real signature is the service: every guest gets round-the-clock butler care, from unpacking to pressing a shirt before dinner. Add indoor-outdoor marble bathrooms, hidden TVs that rise from cabinetry, just-so mattresses with high thread-count sheets, and windows that open to the coastal breezes, and the feeling of pampering is complete.

Heritage Resorts
Bel Ombre, Mauritius

Every lodging option here is a suite. No standard rooms. Just beautifully appointed, expansive spaces. Guests pick their vantage: beachfront, garden, or ocean view, each with the same all-suite comfort built in. No matter how you’re traveling — as a couple, with a family, on a group getaway — the accommodations allow you to spread out after a round, with the Indian Ocean or manicured grounds as backdrop.

Te Arai Links
Tomarata, New Zealand

The same restraint that defines Te Arai’s Tom Doak and Coore-Crenshaw courses carries into the lodging, its design all driftwood tones, clean lines, and windows and doors that give away to outdoor decks on along the dunes. The style is consistent but the scale varies, ranging from ocean-view rooms and suites to cottages and villas. Topping them all is the Whaitere, a five-bedroom house situated on the South Course with a gym, indoor and outdoor kitchens, a home office, and its own indoor putting green. Here, along a spectacular, unspoiled coast, the luxury comes in understated tones, not shouts.

Trump International Golf Links & Hotel
Doonbeg, Clare, Ireland

Set on a windswept stretch of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, Doonbeg’s 218 suites lean fully into their surroundings. Think stone walls, wood-beamed ceilings and fireplaces lit before you arrive. It’s old-world Irish estate luxury, unapologetically grand, with marble bathrooms, full kitchens, and ocean views standing in for anything understated. Between rounds, guests can retreat to the spa or settle by the fire, sipping whiskey and swapping embellished stories from the course.

In a declaration as revelatory as water is wet, Lane Kiffin conceded in his Week 3 press conference that “a lot’s going to be made about me.”

Typically, college football fans have to wait until Thanksgiving weekend to get matchups with the kind of venom likely to be evident between LSU and Ole Miss. But what most of those Rivalry Week games cultivated over decades to instill unbridled disdain between fan bases, the Tigers and Rebels achieved in a speed-run.

Kiffin was correct when he said much would be made of his return to Oxford, Mississippi, less than 10 months removed from his leaving Ole Miss for LSU. Plenty was already made from November 30 of last year onward, in fact, with this encounter eagerly anticipated on the college football calendar.

The first-year LSU coach’s attempts to shift that focus to the matchup on the field were also what one would expect of any game-week presser.

“This is about the players being prepared really well and playing really well,” Kiffin said. “[Ole Miss head coach] Pete [Golding is] not going to tackle anybody, [and] I’m not going to throw any touchdowns.”

True enough. And in college football perhaps more than any other sport, attention oftentimes turns to the coaches on the sideline more than the players.

In this instance, however, shifting focus onto the athletes and away from the coach just isn’t possible when key contributors on one side are part of the animus the other side feels.

Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss is interesting in that regard because it’s an opportunity to see certain realities of the modern transfer portal litigated on the field. Kiffin is hardly the first head coach to bring star transfers with him upon changing jobs since the rule changes of 2021 effectively created an open market.

Kiffin isn’t even the first coach to move within the same conference and take transfers with him. The four former Rebels who followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge pales in comparison to the 21 players that left Marshall for Sun Belt Conference counterpart Southern Miss alongside coach Charles Huff in 2025.

But while Marshall and Southern Miss did not face off last season, fate brought LSU and Ole Miss together almost immediately — and do so at Vaught Hemingway Stadium.

Considering the players who joined Kiffin in his move are now some of LSU’s top playmakers, their presence in purple-and-gold is an on-field manifestation of the jilting.

Linebacker TJ Dottery, the Rebels leading tackler in 2025 with 98, racked up nine in the Tigers’ Week 2 mauling of Louisiana Tech. Receiver Winston Watkins Jr., who hauled in 26 passes last season, has already caught 12 as a Tiger through two games.

And then there’s defensive end Princewill Umanmielen.

Two games into the campaign, Umanmielen has five sacks — most in the nation. The prospect of the former Rebel setting an LSU single-season sack record was alluded to Kiffin during the coach’s press conference.

The coach’s response, intentional or not, has to rub salt in some very fresh wounds.

“I’m glad he’s on our side,” Kiffin said.

Not exactly the kind of homecoming Ole Miss faithful would have liked to have held for an All-SEC honoree who contributed to the Rebels’ College Football Playoff journey.

For his part, Golding — who stepped in as head coach for that Playoff run — analogized Saturday to another type of homecoming.

“To me, it’s like high school homecoming for these dudes,” Golding told reporters. “If you focus on the wrong [things], that homecoming dance ain’t very fun after you get your butt beat on a Friday night.”

Ravindra Jadeja earns ODI recall (Agency Image)

India announced the squads for the T20I and ODI series against the West Indies on Wednesday. The men’s senior selection committee also named the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup next month.Because the ODIs against the West Indies overlap with the Asian Games, the men’s senior selection committee chaired by Ajit Agarkar gave maiden call-ups to Auqib Nabi and Naman Dhir and also recalled Ravindra Jadeja to the ODI squad. Mohammed Siraj will headline the fast bowling department which also features Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar.As expected, Rohit Sharma, who scored a brilliant hundred in the third ODI against England at Lord’s, retains his place but the selectors have also picked Yashasvi Jaiswal as the reserve opener. Ruturaj Gaikwad is expected to fill the No.4 position left vacant by Shreyas Iyer, who will lead the T20I side in Japan. Dhir is also available as an all-round option.In another interesting development, Nitish Kumar Reddy has been withdrawn from the Asian Games squad and will play the three ODIs against West Indies instead. It is reliably learnt that the team management wants to maximise Reddy’s ODI game time to have the seam bowling option ready. With Hardik Pandya yet to get the clearance from the CoE, the selectors are keen on keeping options ready.Regarding the second wicketkeeper spot, Dhruv Jurel has pipped Rishabh Pant, who will lead the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup next month. This could well mean a tough road back to the limited-overs set-up for the left-hander.The T20I team for the fixtures against the same opposition next month sees a return for Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav but interestingly, Yash Thakur, who replaced Harshit Rana in the Asian Games squad, has been ignored. Axar Patel retained his spot as the left-arm spinner and will have Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar for company.India’s ODI team: Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul [VC], Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Naman Dhir.India’s T20I Team: Shreyas Iyer [C], Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan [WK], Sanju Samson [WK], Tilak Varma [VC], Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav.India’s updated squad for the Japan T20I & the Asian Games: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (VC), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yash Thakur, Vipraj Nigam.