Sports
Nebraska Baseball Upsets #7 Auburn 9-8 in Extra Innings
This wasn’t a matchup we hadever seen before, Auburn vs Nebraska on the diamond. In fact, going to any SEC team for a weekend series isn’t something we see very often at all. But the way the NCAA Tournament Committee has been rewarding teams that have a tough non-conference schedule, it will probably become a more common sight. And with how good of a game we saw tonight, it would be a welcome one.
For the first time this season, the game had a true Friday night feeling as the teams rolled out top flight starters to begin a series. Nebraska with Ty Horn and Auburn with Virginia Tech transfer Jake Marciano, and they were dueling early on. They combined to strike out 7 batters in the first two innings.
Advertisement
Auburn was the first to strike in the 3rd inning. Mason McCraine singled through the right side of the infield, and stole second base. His brother, Brandon hit a choppy grounder to Husker third baseman Josh Overbeek who was unable to come up with it. A sac fly brought 1 run home. Then Horn slipped covering a bunt, potentially another out awarded to the Tigers. a 3-2 count walk, loaded the bases for Auburn, and back to back singles made it 4-0. In the middle of all that, Horn and Worthley also got crossed up on the pitch call, despite wearing the communication devices. Just a bad half inning all around.
The Huskers would respond in the next half inning. Case Sanderson singled to lead off. Overbeek and Dylan Carey both stuck out on 3-2 pitches, including Sandy, that was 3 batters in a row that got to a full count. DH Cole Kitchens had no interest in working a full count, driving his first pitch off the War Eagle Wall (Auburn’s version of Fenway’s Green Monster) for an RBI double. Nebraska left fielder Will Jesske hammered a ball (on a full count!) to the nearly the same spot, trading places with Kitchens and cutting the lead to 4-2.
Jesske has had a lot of pop in his bat to start the season, the only issue is he has played at some of the biggest and strangest laid out outfield fences you can find. Had Nebraska played all their games in places like Haymarket Park, Jesske could very well be leading the nation in home runs. Could that be foreshadowing?!
Advertisement
Auburn added a run back in the 4th, ending Horn’s day at 3.2 innings pitched, with 4 earned runs allowed, on 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. Things went sideways quick on him, for the first time in quite a few outings, as he was clutch down the stretch for Nebraska last year and had been off to a good start to 2026.
Marciano was able to make it only through 5 himself, as the Huskers were able to work him deep into counts often, and he chased the strikeouts, all 9 of them, but allowed zero walks. Nebraska would strike out 18 times in the 10 inning game, but despite the numerous deep counts, end up with zero walks. That shows you how ready you have to be in the batters box, but also how predictable the pitches can be when they get to a count with 3 balls.
The bullpens led by Cooper Katskee for the Huskers and Jett Johnston for the Tigers took over, tossing up zeros until Nebraska broke through in the 8th. Mac Moyer reached on an error, Case Sanderson ripped a single into center field, and Overbeek loaded the bases by taking a ball to the elbow.
The exact man Coach Will Bolt and Husker fans everywhere would want up for the situation strode to the plate, in Dylan Carey. Despite being 0-3 on the night, Carey worked it to a 3-2 count, and as stated above, got a predicable strike right over the middle of the plate and smashed the 51st double of his career to the War Eagle Wall. Two pitches later Cole Kitchens tied the game with a double into the right field corner. Overbeek scored on thr play, and Dylan Carey may have been able to score the go ahead run, but went back to tag up as the fielder seemed to get close to catching it on the fly from his perspective.
J’Shawn Unger took over on the mound in the 8th for NU, and despite a rocky inning with a walk, wild pitch, and unintentional/intentional walk, Unger was able to come up with a big strikeout to hold the tigers off the board.
After the Auburn closer struck out the side, Unger need only 7 pitches to retire the Tigers and send the game to extra innings.
Advertisement
The 10th started with a bang, as Sanderson collected his team leading 3rd hit of the night, a double into the left field corner. Overbeek hit a ball to the right side to move Sandy over to third and bring up that man again, Dylan Carey. Carey continued his hot streak, hitting a single to left and claiming his 3rd RBI of the night and team leading 15th RBI on the season in only 8 games. Devin Nunez added a base hit putting runners on 1st and 2nd for Jesske. This time Jesske conquered the War Eagle Wall, blasting his 3rd home run of the season and increasing his RBI total on the day to 4, putting his team up 9-5.
Nebraska would need every single one of those runs as they have struggled at the closer position to start the season. Kevin Mannell would be passed over, as the team tried other options. Unger gave up a 1 out single. The runner advanced to 2nd without a throw, then came around to score on a single. Caleb Clark came in to face a left handed batter and surrendered a 3-2 walk. Freshman Jace Ziola replaced Clark and gave up an 0-2 RBI single. A passed ball and 4 pitch walk loaded the bases.
Nebraska then turned to Pryce Bender, who was able to induce a ground ball which Carey snagged at short despite the runner and Overbeek both flashing in front of him. A run did score on the play, cutting the Husker lead down to 9-8. The best hitter for Auburn stepped to the plate with the tying run on 3rd and winning run on 2nd. Bender was able to get him to pop up on his first pitch and secure the win for Unger and a save for himself, albeit in nail-biting fashion.
Advertisement
This was the first Nebraska regular season win at an SEC field since 2014, and their 2nd win over a ranked team in a row. They did it by continually putting pressure on the Auburn pitchers, getting 6 lead off hitters on out of 10. Number of pitches is a big thing, but number of pitches under pressure is just an extra bit of stress on an arm. Nebraska is going to have to cut down on the strikeout numbers on offense if they want to win this series. They should go down a bit, as Auburn did use both of their closers and their top strikeout starter, but the rest of the staff is just as stingy on handing out walks, so get ready!
The Huskers go for the series win Saturday at 2pm CT.
Eddie Hearn has revealed that Conor Benn shot down the idea of fights with two reigning world champions before their promotional split.
Benn twice fought Chris Eubank Jr at middleweight during 2025, avenging his first career defeat in their November rematch before announcing a planned return to the welterweight division.
‘The Destroyer’ then made the surprising move from career-long promoter Hearn to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing – albeit for a one-fight deal – and marked this partnership with decision win against Regis Prograis this past weekend.
Underwhelmed by the performance of his former fighter, Hearn told Boxing Now that he believes Benn to be more effective at super-welterweight or even middleweight. The promoter then revealed that he had presented the opportunity to face IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker, or compete against the IBF’s 154 champion, Josh Kelly.
“He knows his level. I wanted him to fight Lewis Crocker. We went for lunch and I said, ‘mate, you could fight Lewis Crocker, that is a great fight. That is a very tough fight but, if you win that fight, you are a world champion’.
“[He said], ‘I don’t want to fight Lewis Crocker, I don’t like Billy Nelson [Crocker’s previous trainer]’, I said ‘What the f**k has that got to do with it? Just fight him’. Then, we talked about Josh Kelly, [he said], ‘Nah, f**k Josh Kelly’.”
“I actually think that he is right [to do that] because he is only going to make a few million to fight those guys and Zuffa just sp**ked their load giving him 15 [million] to fight a bloke who couldn’t even stand up!”
For several years now, the No. 1 golf equipment story I have been obsessed with is Cobra’s 3D printing. Dig deep and you’ll find their process is the culmination of a decade’s-worth of work by a team who was challenged to think outside the box. Not only did this year find something new, they charged down a path of innovation that could be the greatest stride in golf equipment I will ever cover in my career.
The Fully Equipped team dove in on this story and spent two days with the Cobra team to discuss how they’ve gotten the project to where it currently sits, the trials they went through, the problem-solving they needed, special programs they use, and a glimpse into the future of what 3D printing means for the consumer customer. Here are my 3 biggest takeaways from our feature piece.
It almost didn’t happen… at several stages
;)
The very first question I asked when we sat down to begin discussing the project was, “Who will raise their hand and take credit for being in a board room years ago and proposing such a wild idea?” Turns out that, as Director of R&D Doug Roberts pointed out, that man was Ryan Roach. Roach leads the Innovation Team at Cobra Golf and his job, in a nutshell, is to dream. There’s some pressure attached to those dreams, of course; in actuality it’s Roach’s job to justify his dreams. And that’s exactly what Roach saw in 3D printing: A dream.
;)
John Sodaro / GOLF
In theory, the idea was simple. Create the ability to make a 1-of-1 golf club for anybody who wants to order. Even 10 years ago, this was possible; it just cost a significant amount of money. You’d have to build the tooling for a set of irons, test those irons, make changes, invest in more tooling, create a new set, and repeat until you had the clubs you wanted. A single set made for a tour pro for example could cost tens of thousands of dollars. That may be worth it when you’re playing for millions on the PGA Tour, but not when you’re trying to win $5 off your buddies on the weekends. So the dream added an asterisk. Create the ability to make a 1 of 1 golf club for anybody who wants to order *and* at an accessible price point.
;)
John Sodaro / GOLF
Their first hurdle? Nobody knew how to do it and nobody knew where to start — until Roach brought the idea of 3D printing forward. It had been used in other industries, and the technology was rapidly improving, but the idea of bringing the technology to golf was unheard of. From what we’ve been told, those discussions alone were almost enough to stop the project from happening. Become an industry leader would take resources, people, and most terrifying of all: time.
The second hurdle? Tour adoption. This concept wasn’t going to work if it didn’t work in the hands of the best players. This mean that the made-from-powdered-metal, stainless steel, lattice filled irons would have to perform, feel, and sound just like the forged options that players have been using for years. Any sacrifice in any category would halt the project.
Rickie Fowler changed nearly every club this year. He told us why | Bag Spy
;)
Thankfully Rickie Fowler, Max Homa, Matti Schmid, Lexi Thompson, and others have all settled in very nicely to their new 3DP irons, all of which are personal builds.
;)
John Sodaro / GOLF
Finding the digital speed to keep up with the analog speed
One of the most interesting things that came up during our interviews for the feature was their use of nTop. nTop is a computational design software that is a significant reason for the entire project’s success. Why it’s so interesting is because, in a weird turn of chance for the year 2026, the analog side of the 3D printing process was outrunning the digital side. Once a design was sent to the printer, it could be done in days, depending on the urgency. The issue was that the experimentation to actually design the clubs, particularly the internal lattice, was tedious and time consuming.
;)
John Sodaro / GOLF
Cobra’s Bryce Hobbs, R&D Team Leader, speaks in the feature about their research into mass properties. Mass properties are essentially the determination of how the weight in the head is going to be distributed depending on the performance outcome they are trying to achieve. If we take a look at the retail line of 3DP.MB, 3DP Tour, and 3DP.x you can see mass properties shift. The MB has its weight more central in the blade for better control and a higher overall center of gravity. The 3DP Tour uses over 100 grams of tungsten that’s set out towards the perimeter of the blade with a wider sole for increased forgiveness, and a lower, deeper CG placement. The 3DP.x takes that even further to spread the mass out towards the perimeter and create Cobra’s most forgiving 3DP platform design. And that’s all decided by how the internal lattice is constructed.
I’m not incredibly versed in computational design programs, but from what I got out of it was that nTop allowed them to speed up their digital design process by 10x; specifically in the way they design the internal lattice structures. The reason the internal lattice structure is so crucial to the irons is that it controls the performance characteristics of that design. Depending on the characteristics desired by the designer and the eventual player, tungsten weight needs to be moved around inside the head. With nTop, they’re able to prototype, design, and test different internal structures, shapes, and even materials with no delay in their overall manufacturing process. The digital design process can support the timelines of the analog manufacturing times, helping to speed up the overall process but also taking steps to learn faster. This is where the genius of the club design and the 3D printing engine really starts to hit home, and gives us a glimpse into what the future may actually look like in pursuit of the *accessible* 1-of-1 dream.
;)
John Sodaro / GOLF
What ACTUALLY comes next?
It’s hard to know exactly what comes next, but we’ve now been given plenty of hints as to what is possible. It’s just a matter of what the Cobra team decides to do in the space, and how quickly they want to do it. Let’s recap what we know, and what we can infer for the future based off the available facts.
1. Tour pros are getting custom 1-of-1 irons.
For Cobra’s Tour staff and select others, there is nothing off limits. They can choose every aspect of their iron build that they want down to the head weight. CG placement, top-line thickness, sole shape, offset, speed, even the material the iron is made out? Everything is in play for those at the highest level of the game. They even converted longtime Cobra S2 Forged player Lexi Thompson into a new set of 3DP irons. How’d they do it? They printed her a set that visually retains the crazy offset those irons had and the interesting blade shape and sole, with an internal structure that gave her more speed and more forgiveness on off-center strikes. Mind you, Cobra’s S2 Forged came out 15 years ago. This is a pretty big deal.
So you’d have to imagine that in pursuit of an *accessible* 1-of-1 irons program, that would all be up for grabs with the consumer in some way. I have no idea, they were very careful about not leaking that info. But I’m just telling you what we know is currently possible.
;)
John Sodaro / GOLF
2.) The lattice is the key.
I would encourage you to watch the nTop portion of the feature over again and really pay attention to what Ben says. The lattice is the key to this entire thing. By being able to structurally achieved different mass properties, they can give players options that nobody else can. You love your MBs but you want that CG pushed a little bit lower? No problem. Massive performance change, zero visual change. Do you love the 3DP Tour but wish it had a bit less offset and spun a bit more? No sweat. Massive performance change, zero visual change. All by adapting the way the lattice is built and the weight inside the head is manipulated. And it’s all at the finger tips of Ben and his co-workers. It’s hard to even fully wrap a thought process around understanding the potential that that unlocks.
3.) Cobra WANTS us to be the beneficiaries of their dream
You hear it at the end from Caitlin Farley. Doug Roberts mentions the excitement they had for 3DP Tour to hit retail for the first time. Ryan Roach mentions his confidence in the project several times. Bryce Hobbs and Ben Lemery are both focused on the “light” at the end of the tunnel. That’s their dream. 1 of 1 sets for consumers. Cobra wants this. This project isn’t meant to stay a Tour-only thing. It’s meant to give every single player an accessible chance at creating whatever set of irons they need to shoot the best scores. The levels of this are hard to comprehend. If they can scan and print Lexi’s S2 Forged irons with 2026 performance inside, what’s to stop them from scanning any other iron?
;)
John Sodaro / GOLF
Everything is on the table. We don’t know when. We still don’t quite know exactly how. And we don’t even know if they’ll stop at irons. What we do know is that this continues to be the coolest story in golf equipment innovation, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have a front-row seat to follow along and see the eventual impact it’s going to leave on our industry. Everything we know right now is truly the lead up, the Part 1 of this entire story. Part 2 has seemingly just started, and the introduction is already astonishing.
It’s like watching a sequel for a great movie and the first 60 seconds of the sequel have already made you forget the original. We’re watching that sequel in real time.
“>
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler publishes the most thorough draft publication in the world every April, and after doing that recently, he has a follow-up mock draft freshly released. For the Minnesota Vikings in Round 1, he rolled with Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy.
Minnesota may need cornerback help, and McCoy’s rising stock is putting him firmly in the first-round conversation.
McCoy’s draft profile has soared in the last couple of weeks, so much so that many wonder if he’ll even be available at Pick No. 18
One Draft Analyst Sees a Clear Fit in Minnesota
The draft is seven days away. Fasten your seatbelts.
Brugler: McCoy to MIN
In Round 1, Brugler tabbed McCoy for Minnesota, who would be the Vikings’ first Round 1 cornerback in six years (Jeff Gladney, 2020, TCU).
He explained the pick, “McCoy is a tough player to project in a mock draft — some teams are comfortable with his 2025 knee injury, while others won’t consider him in the first round. I don’t know how the Vikings feel, but adding his level of talent to a Brian Flores defense would be fun to watch.”
As it stands, the Vikings have Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and James Pierre lined up for CB duty in 2026, but no one would be too upset if the club invested in a potential young stud like McCoy.
Why? Well, Minnesota hasn’t successfully drafted a cornerback of any kind since 2015 or 2016 (Trae Waynes & Mackensie Alexander).
The Full Haul per Brugler
Because Brugler is about as thorough as it gets, he completed a full seven-round mock. Here’s the Vikings’ full haul, according to him:
- Jermod McCoy (CB, Tennessee) | R1
- Lee Hunter (DT, Texas Tech) | R2
- A.J. Haulcy (S, LSU) | R3
- Sam Hecht (C, Kansas State) | R3
- Jeff Caldwell (WR, Cincinnati) | R5
- Mason Reiger (EDGE, Wisconsin) | R6
- J.C. Davis (OT, Illinois) | R7
- Seth McGowan (RB, Kentucky) | R7
- Josh Cuevas (TE, Alabama) | R7
Fans would be especially elated by Hunter in Round 2 and Hecht with the Sam Darnold compensatory draft pick.
SI.com‘s Will Ragatz on Hunter: “When it comes to big-bodied run stuffers at defensive tackle, I like the idea of Hunter at 49 a lot more than Kayden McDonald at 18. He had 31.5 tackles for loss over the past three seasons at UCF and Texas Tech.”
“Hunter didn’t test very well athletically and isn’t much of a pass rusher, but he could be just what the Vikings need as a powerful nose tackle in the middle of their defense.”
McCoy’s Scouting Report
McCoy’s draft stock is rapidly rising, potentially putting him out of Minnesota’s reach by the time their selection is made. Widely regarded as the second-best cornerback in this year’s class, he trails only Mansoor Delane from LSU, who is projected as a 1st-Round pick.
Still only 20 years old, McCoy is returning from a torn ACL sustained in 2025 while at Tennessee. When healthy, he typically lines up as an outside cornerback, handling boundary responsibilities.
McCoy is 6’1″ and 190 pounds with 4.37 speed. He’s known for his ball skills, timing, fluidity, and press-man technique. He must improve his tackling and run support. The ACL tear in January 2025 also isn’t ideal.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared him to Tyson Campbell and noted, “McCoy is a toolsy outside corner with CB1 flashes, but an ACL tear robbed him of a much-needed third season. Hips and feet are smooth, allowing for quality lateral transitions and efficient gathers to match hard-breaking curls. He’s athletic in his recoveries but average acceleration leaves him chasing too often on go routes.”
“More focused, physical press disruption should make the rep easier to control. He’s opportunistic with strong ball skills at the catch point. His route squeeze and zone awareness should improve with more reps. We should expect McCoy’s athletic traits and instincts to help him make up for lost time once he gets into camp.”
RB Neglected for the Most Part
In Brugler’s mock, the Vikings didn’t nab a running back until Round 7, hopping into bed with McGowan of Kentucky, who will be a 25-year-old rookie and offers an RB2-RB3 skill set. Most fans expect — and want — a more serious young running back.
Before Round 7, men like Jadarian Price (Notre Dame), Jonah Coleman (Washington), Mike Washington Jr. (Arkansas), Emmett Johnson (Nebraska), and Nick Singleton (Penn State) will be available to Minnesota. First-rounder Jeremiyah Love, also from Notre Dame, will be long gone before Minnesota is summoned to pick.
Here’s to hoping that the Vikings land a tailback before Round 7. It’s time.
;)
TaylorMade Golf
The entire Shadowfall collection can be viewed at taylormadegolf.com
Chelsea owner Behdad Eghbali has revealed how the club will drastically shift their transfer strategy after growing dissent among supporters.
The Blues are currently in a battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League, with fifth the target in the Premier League to secure a berth, despite a remote chance of an extra English team in Europe’s top club competition.
But after inconsistent results since Enzo Maresca’s departure and the hiring of Liam Rosenior, fans have underlined “an erosion of trust” with the owners and the project, but Eghbali maintains the club’s approach will evolve in the coming months, instead targeting some “ready-made” players, despite a committed approach to signing younger, unproven talent in recent years.
“The view was to recruit and build elite players that can, frankly, be together and have that stability in the squad. We’re still in the 40th, 50th minute of that process,” Eghbali said at the CAA’s World Congress of Sports conference in Los Angeles on Thursday.
“But the view is to keep, sign and retain and compensate and extend some of the world’s best players, and ultimately the view was you need, eight, 10, 12, 15 elite players to win and win sustainably, year after year.
“I think we’ve done a few things right, a lot of things right. We’ve got to be better on a few things, to add more ready-made players at this part of the project, to take it to the next level, to be consistent over time.”
Eghbali also admitted regret at the mid-season departure of Maresca, adding: “Our policy has been no in-season [head coach] changes.
“You certainly review and hold not only the manager, but the management team, the sporting team, accountable, but typically in the summers, not in season.
“It’s not a change we wanted to make [Enzo Maresca leaving]. It’s a change that had a bit of a negative impact in the season, when you’re changing systems and personnel, and it’s one we’ve got to fight our way out of.
“We still have six matches in the Premier League, and an FA Cup semi-final coming up. So, hopefully the story of this season hasn’t been written yet, and you’ve got a lot to fight for. In my perspective, when you get punched in the face, you’ve got to fight back, you’ve got to stand up and fight. And it’s going to hopefully show a lot about the character of this squad.”
The Blues reported a pre-tax losses of £262.4m for the last financial year, a Premier League record, with around £1.5bn spent on transfer fees since the new ownership group took charge in 2022.
And now the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) has said there is a “lack of confidence” in the owners.
“These concerns are not driven by short-term results, and they will not be resolved by them. They relate to the underlying direction of the club, and they will persist regardless of fluctuations on the pitch,” said the CST.
“At the heart of supporter concern is a simple point: the current model has demanded a huge amount of faith from the fanbase, while giving too little clarity in return. Supporters have watched relentless upheaval. Players, managers, staff, and structures have changed at pace. This has been presented as part of a long-term plan.
“Yet four years on, there is still no sufficiently clear or convincing explanation of how that plan delivers sustained success while preserving a recognisable Chelsea identity. The vision remains unclear, its execution inconsistent, and its leadership insufficiently accountable.”
Ryder Cup star Jon Rahm was calm about the future of LIV Golf amid speculation the series’ Saudi backers could be about to pull funding.
The breakaway competition launched in 2021 and sent shockwaves through the sport, positioning itself as a rival to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
However, speculation has mounted this week that the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) is set to end its backing, which is reported to be approaching 5 billion US dollars (£3.7bn) since the series was launched.
Spanish star Rahm, who is reported to have earned £64million since joining the series in 2023, was interviewed after the first round of the ongoing LIV event in Mexico City.
“Until the people in charge told me if the rumours were valid or not, it didn’t make sense for me to think about it or to waste time thinking about it,” he said, in quotes reported by Sky Sports.
“As everything suddenly came out, so quickly, I wasn’t too worried about that, because normally, before the rumours come out, we know something.
“There’s always someone in the league who knows something. It was so fast that I didn’t really worry about it.”
The Telegraph has reported that players and staff have been told that the PIF funding is only guaranteed until the end of the current season, and that outside investment would be needed to keep going beyond then.
LIV Golf chief executive Scott O’Neil was bullish about the league’s future in an interview on Thursday.
“If we keep the trajectory going the way we are and the revenue growth going, this is going to be a really good business for a really long time,” he said.
On Thursday it was announced that the PIF had sold a 70 per cent stake in Al Hilal, one of four Saudi Pro League clubs it owns.
David Payne’s modest stable has a proven flair for developing Group 1 runners, with hopes high that the two-year-old Persian Wonder will follow suit.
The budding star contests Saturday’s Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick, targeting his breakthrough top-tier success after promising runs, notably a solid second to Southend in the Baillieu (1400m) at Rosehill a month ago.
From South African origins, Payne has amassed over 100 Group 1 wins internationally, polishing Australian champions including Criterion, Ace High and Montefilia.
His operation continues to exceed its scale, operating on a tight budget and small team.
While the trainer modestly points to luck, his expertise in picking yearlings is unquestionable.
“I have been in the game a long time and I’ve been lucky with buying horses,” Payne said.
“But you’ve got to find the horse first. We buy maybe ten at the sales, other stables might buy 250. But we always find one, and we’ve got a couple there at the moment.”
Alongside Bangkok Hottie, fresh from a Wednesday win at Warwick Farm and set for a spell before the spring Princess Series, Persian Wonder stands as a future stable standout.
A challenging wide gate at Randwick adds difficulty, but with his affinity for rearward positions, Payne will stick to settling him back.
On his previous run closer to the front under James McDonald, he fell short of winning, yet Payne valued the experience.
“It was a good run. I thought he might have been a bit too handy, but it’s good that James taught him to get out of the gates,” he said.
“It’s a tough race on Saturday so we’ll ride him quiet and see what happens.
“We have been aiming him at this for a while, so we’ll see if he’s good enough.”
McDonald stays with Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Campione D’italia, bringing Chad Schofield back for Persian Wonder after his striking fourth placing in the Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) on March 14.
Visit betting sites to find the top racing odds for the Champagne Stakes.
Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya has come under scrutiny following the team’s dismal start to the IPL 2026 season. With just one win in five matches, MI languishes second from the bottom of the points table. On Thursday, the five-time champions were brushed aside at home by Shreyas Iyer‘s Punjab Kings (PBKS), marking their fourth defeat of the campaign. MI’s lone victory this season came against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, former India batter Manoj Tiwary criticised Hardik’s captaincy against PBKS, arguing that the all-rounder’s leadership has been below par since he took charge of the franchise.
“From where will ownership come? One has to look at oneself as well. You need to see how you have been playing. According to me, just because you are not having success this year doesn’t mean the mistakes happened only this year. You need to look at the root cause as well. From 2015-2023, Rohit Sharma helped the Mumbai Indians win several trophies,” said Tiwary.
Tiwary also urged Hardik to relinquish the captaincy and return it to Rohit Sharma, noting that the veteran batter led the franchise to five titles between 2013 and 2023.
“In 2023, there was no trophy. In 2024, there was no trophy, and the chances of the same happening are high this year too. I think the captaincy is weak. I don’t want to be harsh. But Hardik is not leading the team the way it should be. It’s very important to be proactive as a captain. I think that if a solution is needed, Hardik should step back from the captaincy and hand the responsibility back to Rohit. When you removed Rohit, you did an injustice,” he added.
Beyond the leadership change, Tiwary slammed Hardik’s tactical choices during the defeat to PBKS, specifically his decision to promote himself up the order ahead of Sherfane Rutherford. Furthermore, he questioned the move to open the bowling with Deepak Chahar despite the pacer’s recent struggles.
“Hardik shouldn’t have promoted himself against the Punjab Kings. He scored 14 runs off 12 balls. Sherfane Rutherford just got five balls. If Rutherford had played as many balls, he would have hit 3-4 sixes. Hardik Pandya thought he could do it. Yes, he could have done it. You should have pushed Rutherford up. And secondly, there is no point in giving Jasprit Bumrah the second over when you are not giving him the first. Deepak Chahar just isn’t able to swing the ball,” he said.
Featured Video Of The Day
IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss
Topics mentioned in this article
Friday hits the newsstands with a wide variety of topics and the return of a familiar face to the front pages: Leo Messi.
The new adventure of the ’10’ makes him the owner of UE Cornellà. A development that is the main story of the day in the newspapers.
Advertisement
But there are also echoes of Real Madrid’s debacle in Munich. The next steps for Los Blancos are also one of the main talking points this Friday.
MARCA
AS
MUNDO DEPORTIVO
SPORT
SUPERDEPORTE
ESTADIO DEPORTIVO
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
After Saturday last weekend’s call-out, Anthony Joshua is under pressure to accept a mammoth fight against Tyson Fury. Now, super-middleweight icon Carl Froch has had his say on how he thinks the potential bout may play out.
Fury boxed his way to a comfortable decision win against Arslanbek Makhmudov, claiming a first victory since 2023 and doing so after 16 months of inactivity, in what he hopes will be the first outing of a two-fight year.
Post-fight, Fury heaped the pressure onto fellow two-time world champion Joshua, demanding that he and ‘AJ’ fight next, but the Londoner was unwilling to rush into annoucing the contest.
Instead, Joshua remained calm and collected, refusing to publicly agree to the fight but saying that he does believe it will happen this year.
Speaking to his YouTube channel, Froch said that he sees Fury as the favourite, impressed by his Saturday showing against Makhmudov.
“I think that AJ will be the underdog for this one. I think that Fury is the favourite, especially off the back of that performance; he eased in tonight, it was just steady, he took his time, still looks good.
“I envy that actually, 16 months out of the ring and he is able to come and do a performance like that. Okay, he was in with Makhmudov, he is not in with a world beater, but it was a good 12 rounds’ work.”
Olivia Rodrigo Unveils Drop Dead Music Video As She Launches New Album Era
Quality As A Foundation In An Uncertain World
Texas man behind $20M Meta-1 Coin fraud gets 23-year sentence
Why Israel is blocking foreign journalists from entering
Bitcoin: We’re Entering The Most Dangerous Phase
Alan Cumming Brands Baftas Ceremony A ‘Triggering S**tshow’
THE BIGGEST WIN OF MY LIFE! #gambling #casino #money #comedy #slots
BITCOIN & GOLD LIVE TRADING ANALYSIS @tradingmentor22 Live Trading || #goldtrading #cryptotrading
#reseller #gold #antique #buisness #jewelry #fyp #crazy #money #ytshorts
-
Politics7 days agoUS brings back mandatory military draft registration
-
Sports7 days agoMan United discover Nico Schlotterbeck transfer fee as defender reaches Dortmund agreement
-
Fashion7 days agoWeekend Open Thread: Veronica Beard
-
Politics5 days agoWorld Cup exit makes Italy enter crisis mode
-
Business7 days agoTesla Model Y Tops China Auto Sales in March 2026 With 39,827 Registrations, Beating Cheaper EVs and Gas Cars
-
Crypto World4 days agoThe SEC Conditionalises DeFi Platforms to Be Avoided for Broker Registration
-
Crypto World3 days agoSEC Signals Exemption for Crypto Interfaces From Broker Registration
-
News Videos2 days agoSecure crypto trading starts with an FIU-registered
-
NewsBeat4 days agoPep Guardiola and Gary Neville agree over Arsenal title problem that benefits Man City
-
Business6 days agoIreland Fuel Protests Enter Day 5 as Blockades Spark Shortages and Government Prepares Support Package
-
Business7 days agoOpenAI Halts Stargate UK Data Centre Project Over Energy Costs and Copyright Row
-
Crypto World6 days agoFederal judge blocks Arizona from bringing criminal charges against Kalshi
-
NewsBeat3 days agoTrump and Pope Leo: Behind their disagreement over Iran war
-
Crypto World3 days agoSEC Proposes Certain Crypto Interfaces Don’t Need to Register as Brokers
-
NewsBeat5 days agoJD Vance announces ‘no agreement’ with Iran over nuclear weapons fear
-
Business6 days agoIMF retains floor for precautionary balances at SDR 20 billion
-
Business6 days agoFormer Liverpool CEO eviscerates FIFA for World Cup ticket pricing
-
Crypto World4 days agoSei Network Enters Quiet Reset Phase as On-Chain Metrics Signal a Slowdown in 2026
-
Business6 days ago
Coreweave CSO Venturo sells $5.5m in class a common stock
-
Sports6 days ago
1st-Round WR Enters Vikings Mock Draft Orbit
You must be logged in to post a comment Login