With a New South Wales country feature race already notched up this autumn, Churchill’s Choice and her renowned strong finish line her up for potential back-to-back successes this Friday in Scone.

Trained by Nathan Doyle, the mare looks to build on her Group 3 Hawkesbury Cup conquest by capturing the $200,000 Listed Scone Cup (1600m), starring on the first day of the carnival spanning two days.

The four-year-old’s slim-margin but striking victory at Hawkesbury on May 2 ended a dry spell since her benchmark 72 win at Randwick in December 2024, delighting her trainer.

Doyle from Newcastle wishes for a longer gap before the Scone Cup compared to Hawkesbury, but the race this coming week offered too strong an appeal in her present form.

“I don’t think she’s a horse that actually lacked too much confidence, it’s just that she was probably too relaxed in the middle stages of her races,” Doyle said.

“When they started to increase the tempo in the race, she just wanted to go through the motions a little bit, but she’s bounced through the run good and I can’t fault her.

“We think she’s quite a fresh horse, so whether the two-week turnaround is a bit quick and she may need a little bit longer time will tell, but we haven’t done much with her in between.”

That Hawkesbury success brought Churchill’s Choice to four career triumphs, the first addition since her opening trio of wins.

By Churchill, the mare ran second in last year’s Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) coinciding with the Hawkesbury weekend, and was also runner-up in the Group 3 Newcastle Stakes (1400m) on her campaign opener.

Regan Bayliss partnered Churchill’s Choice for the debut time in the Hawkesbury Cup, with Doyle hoping for a reunion this weekend.

“I got Regan to have a sit on her at the trials before he rode her in the Hawkesbury Cup and he felt that flat spot she can hit and he got her through that period in Hawkesbury Cup,” he said.

“He got on his bike quite early and I think that was the difference between winning the race or running a nice fourth or fifth, which is what she’d been normally doing.”

The Scone Cup attracted 37 nominations including recent winners Tavi Time and Sky Lab, Cristal Clear from the Group 2 Ajax Stakes, last season’s Queensland Guineas victor Depth Of Character, and Formal Display pursuing four in a row.

Discover competitive racing betting markets ahead of the Scone Cup.

Arsenal face a nervous finale as injury concerns mount for the Gunners’ final games of the season despite their win over West Ham

Arsenal edged past West Ham United to strengthen their pursuit of the Premier League title, though they could not avoid picking up two more injury concerns ahead of their final fixtures.

Leandro Trossard netted the decisive goal for the Gunners, who struggled throughout the encounter at the London Stadium. It was far from a polished display by the league leaders, who survived several anxious moments, including a late West Ham effort being disallowed by VAR.

Yet Mikel Arteta’s team battled through to claim another victory and establish a five-point advantage, albeit having played one match more than rivals Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side face a tough ask to overcome their rivals.

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Arteta will not be without his own anxieties with one particular position ravaged by injuries. With that in mind, we look at the latest Arsenal injury news as their battle with City continues.

Ben White

Ben White departed the London Stadium with his right knee in a brace following a first-half substitution during the clash with West Ham. The England international appeared visibly distressed as he left the pitch with support from Arsenal medical personnel.

The problem seemingly casts doubt over the remainder of his campaign with just three matches left for the Gunners.

“We don’t know but it does not look good at all,” Arteta said in his press conference following the match.

Potential return date: End of season.

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Riccardo Calafiori

Riccardo Calafiori was also forced off early during the clash with West Ham. The Italian failed to reappear for the second half, with Cristhian Mosquera taking his place after he sustained an injury.

Potential return date: Unknown

Jurrien Timber

The Dutchman has been sidelined through injury and may not feature again before the campaign concludes. The full-back was present at the London Stadium on Sunday and took to the pitch in Arsenal training gear during the warm-up.

Timber remains unavailable for selection, though. Speaking before the encounter with the Irons, Arteta acknowledged that his rehabilitation would need to accelerate considerably if he’s to feature at all.

Potential return date: End of season.

Mikel Merino

Mikel Merino has been absent long-term following surgery and is battling to be fit before the season’s conclusion. The Spaniard had hoped for an accelerated comeback but now looks unlikely to make an appearance.

“There’s still a fair bit to do, so everything has to be smooth and quick if they want to have a chance to play any minutes,” said Arteta ahead of West Ham.

Potential return date: End of season.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about his plans for the upcoming Premier League game with Crystal Palace

Pep Guardiola suggested that Omar Marmoush could have played his way into the Manchester City team to face Crystal Palace on Wednesday as he made clear he would like to rotate the team. The manager has made barely any changes to his starting XI for the last five Premier League games but saw Marmoush, Phil Foden and Savinho all contribute from the bench on Saturday.

City took the lead against Brentford seconds after Marmoush and Foden came on and the pair helped to keep the Blues on the front foot with a 3-0 win that helps their goal difference. Savinho and Foden were involved in a lovely team move that ended with Erling Haaland putting Marmoush through to score just his second league goal of the campaign.

Guardiola wanted to wait for the result of the Arsenal match against West Ham on Sunday before thinking about his team to play Palace, but would like to rotate given that match is followed by the FA Cup Final and Bournemouth away inside seven days. Asked if the impact of the substitutes could change his starting XI in upcoming matches, Guardiola said: “Yeah, especially Omar. It’s not easy because normally we play with just one striker. He’s a proper striker and Erling is there.

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“Erling is so important for us. But the contribution of Omar, always he plays the amount of goals. And the rate for the minutes played is so high. So it’s really good. We talked many times.

“I know it’s not easy for them, but I’m pretty sure the next games they’re going to play. I want to rotate the team. Because otherwise we cannot arrive in the final or Bournemouth a little bit…We’ll see the result tomorrow and after we take our decisions.”

City’s packed schedule at the end of the season was a contentious issue for the club, who have waited three months for the Palace game to be rearranged and saw all their suggestions for the remaining fixtures rejected by the league. However, Guardiola welcomes the headaches that only come when silverware is at stake as he enjoys City’s return to fighting for titles after their slump last season.

“We don’t know about the generosity for the Premier League as always. So it has been really nice for this schedule. But it’s what it is. It’s what it is, we accept. I always have said, don’t play the final in FA Cup, you won’t have this schedule,” he said.

“We are in the final, you have this schedule. And I would love to have the schedule in the semi-final of the Champions League in the middle of the title race. We were there. When we won the treble, we were there in that dynamic. So it’s really nice.

“As much as you have fit [players], we have. With energy, it’s easy to say, OK, make the substitution, one minute, Jeremy, put the ball in the net. But we want energy and Omar gives us energy. And Phil gives us that, you know that? And you need everyone. So as much as you have fit [players], you can do it because we did it. And like we did it, we can do it.”

Roberto De Zerbi has scoffed at suggestions Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is too nice and is adamant Spurs can end their poor home on Monday against Leeds.

Tottenham’s survival prospects have been significantly lifted by back-to-back away wins, but they remain without a home victory in the Premier League since December 6.

The north London club have won only twice at home in the division all season and were seconds away from a third victory in De Zerbi’s debut in N17 before his old team Brighton produced a last-gasp equaliser.

Asked if the atmosphere at their ground might be part of the problem, De Zerbi insisted: “No, because there are a lot of big stadiums and very nice stadiums, like theatres in the Premier League.

“Tottenham’s stadium is hot. When I was in this stadium with Brighton, in the bench of Brighton, or against Brighton two weeks ago, the stadium was very, very hot.

“And for us, we are lucky to play in this stadium.

“The atmosphere against Brighton was amazing. The bottom of the (table), 60,000 fans to support you, to push you, to stay before the game, during the game, after the game, we have been very close with the (fans) and I think it’s luck for us.”

De Zerbi also pointed to Spurs’ 25-match unbeaten home record in Europe as evidence this season is a one-off.

He added: “I think it was a coincidence, because against Atletico Madrid, they won at home. Against Borussia Dortmund in January, they won at home.

“If you ask me against Brighton? We won, but we didn’t take three points. We took one point, but we won in my head as a performance and if we analyse the game against Brighton, it’s like a win. I think it’s a mistake if we keep the focus on this (poor home form) part.”

For Spurs to secure safety after a terrible campaign they will have to exorcise any demons at home in a similar manner to goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who suffered a nightmare display in Madrid last month but has bounced back admirably.

With Guglielmo Vicario still sidelined after hernia surgery, Kinsky will continue against Leeds and De Zerbi cited him as an example to the whole squad.

“He has a big character, a big personality, a great guy, a great professional and a great keeper. He’s playing very well. He has to stay focused and don’t take risks in any situation, but he’s playing very well. He’s very important for us now,” De Zerbi explained.

“Of course he is an example. Of course what he felt after Madrid, for sure was a big motivation for him.”

De Zerbi described Vicario as still “first choice”, but the Italian could miss the rest of the season and that is almost certainly the case for Dejan Kulusevski, who has targeted a place in Sweden’s World Cup squad despite making no appearances in 12 months after a right patella injury.

“For me it is difficult to understand how he can play the World Cup if he didn’t play any game this season, but I texted him after (Aston Villa),” De Zerbi said.

“He told me the next week I think he will come back (in the country) and I hope he can be available to stay with us (to watch) in the last game because he’s an amazing player.”

The NBA lottery gods repaid what was becoming a major debt to the Washington Wizards by awarding them with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft. This is a team that was one ping-pong ball away from the No. 1 pick in the Zion Williamson (2019), Victor Wembanyama (2023) and Cooper Flagg (2025) drafts.  

The 2025 fall was the one that statistically hurt the most. They had the second-worst record in the league that season (they’re actually the first team in history to lose at least 64 games three consecutive years) and thus a max 14.5% chance at Flagg. Instead, they got Tre Johnson at No. 6. 

The two highest picks the Wizards have had since they took John Wall at No. 1 in 2010 came in 2013 (when they got Otto Porter Jr. at No. 3 in what has proven to be an incredibly weak lottery class) and 2024 (when they selected Alex Sarr at No. 2 in another painfully weak class).

Unless every scout and draft analyst in the world is wrong, 2026 is the very opposite of a weak class. To get this particular No. 1 pick appears to be a serious score not only because the class is stacked with multiple projected franchise-changing players (our latest CBS Sports mock draft projects Washington to take BYU wing AJ Dybantsa), but also because this is the last year of the current lottery system that rewards — or at least is supposed to reward — the worst teams. 

That hasn’t happened in the last seven drafts. Since the current lottery odds were introduced in 2019, the team with the league’s worst record had never actually landed the top pick. Until now. The Wizards were blatant tankers: trading for Trae Young and Anthony Davis and basically never playing them, sitting all their rookies and second-year guys in fourth quarters en route to losing 26 of their final 27 games. But it worked. There is no overstating how huge this is for the franchise. 

Adding to the sudden surge of hope into what has been a largely hopeless franchise for the past decade is the fact that, as alluded to above, the lottery system is set to change next year. You can read about the proposed new one, but the key thing is that in an effort to curb tanking the three worst teams in the league will now have just a 5.6% chance at landing the No. 1 pick, while the teams that finish anywhere from the fourth worst record to the 10th worst will all have the maximum 8.1% chance. 

If the Wizards finish next season with a bottom-three record, things will have gone horribly wrong. More likely, they end up in that 4-10 range, which would be the have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too scenario in which a young team adds a franchise player, starts to experience winning and in doing so lays the foundation of an identity while also maximizing their chances at another high lottery pick in 2027. At which point they would really be cooking. 

Under the new lottery format, the Wizards could actually make the play-in as the East’s No. 9 or 10 seed and, even if they make the playoffs from there, still retain a 5.4% chance at the No. 1 pick (the same as the worst three records). Even as a No. 8 seed in the playoffs, they’d still get lottery balls. 

No matter what direction the Wizards decide to go next season, to me, landing in this 4-10 range, hopefully closer to 10, or in one of the play-in games is the most realistic outcome, even though the second that the lottery results were revealed Washington’s projected roster for next season started making the social media rounds as if to suggest the so-called scary hours are about to start. 

They’re not. Yes, there’s name value with Young and Davis, but Young, as we’ve seen for years now, is not changing your prospects all that much. Davis, in all likelihood, either won’t be healthy or will be traded. 

The NBA Draft Lottery will change the trade market, and these five teams could all make blockbusters

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Sam Quinn

Even if Davis stays put (he’s made it pretty clear he would prefer to play for a contender, and the Wizards are not that), the idea that Young is suddenly going to drive winning, and Davis is going to play in 65 games, and the Wizards are going to finish as a top-five-or-six seed in an Eastern Conference that is going to be tougher than it has been in years next season is something not too far south of a pipe dream. I would put the odds of that happening far longer than getting the No. 1 pick in the first place. 

It’s not to say the Wizards shouldn’t be doing cartwheels right now. They should. They now have a plethora of options, and they’re all good ones. 

Wizards’ roster-building options

• Take Dybantsa or Peterson at No. 1, keep Davis and Young, and field a competitive team next season while remaining in the hunt for another (hopefully high) lottery pick in 2027.

• Take Dybantsa or Peterson at No. 1, trade Davis, and still field a competitive enough team to win a decent number of games while all but assuring yourself of finishing in the 4-10 lottery range. 

• Trade the No. 1 pick, which Jake Fischer of The Stein Line has reported as a possibility (this could just be a smoke screen to see how much the Jazz, who are picking No. 2, would really be willing to pay to select Dybantsa), which would give them access to multiple picks this season and beyond (while still getting a stud at No. 2 if a trade with Utah, for example, were to be struck) to add to their already deep roster of young guns. Again, this would almost assure them of a 4-10 lottery finish and yet another good pick in 2027 in addition to whatever assets they might attain in a trade for this year’s top pick, which would be plentiful to say the least. 

Again, these are all good options for a team that has been largely devoid of such a thing for the last decade. Adding Dybantsa this year, and very possibly another lottery pick next year next year, to a young core of Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, Will Riley and Bub Carrington, all of whom are 22 years old or younger, represents a bright future. To bake Young and Davis into that cake provides hope for a win-now and win-even-bigger later parlay. 

The only bad decision the Wizards can make here would be to sign Davis to the kind of extension he wants. He’s 33 years old. He’s on the books for $58.5 million next season with a $62.7 million player option for ’27-28. He wants to get rid of that option and ink one last big-money deal. The Wizards should not, under any circumstances, be the team to give it to him. 

Personally, I’d be on the phone right now trying to trade him. He probably doesn’t have a ton of value, which is how the Wizards got him for next to nothing in the first place (of the two first-round picks they gave up for him, one is OKC’s and will be in the late 20s, and the other is Golden State’s in 2030 with a top-20 protection, which means it will also fall in the 20s or convert to a second-rounder), but make and take all the calls. 

Davis should not be part of a long-term plan. At most, he helps you compete at a reasonable level next season and then you let him decide on the player option in ’27. If he wants to walk for nothing, fine. Again, you didn’t give up that much to trade for him anyway. 

Before the Wizards landed this No. 1 pick, the trade for Davis felt a little impatient, even considering the low-risk swap. The Wizards were, and are, sick of losing, and wanted to fast forward with no long-term franchise player on the roster to dream on a longer timeline anyway. 

But now they’re going to get that long-term star, which means Davis should absolutely be a short timer. One year and done at the most. Move on with what is suddenly a very intriguing crop of young players. Also, if the Wizards take Peterson at No. 1, you know Young is also not part of the long-term plan. But if they take Dybantsa, Young is a wait-and-see player. He’s still young and talented enough to play it out for a bit longer than Davis. 

Again, these are all good options. Potentially great ones. Things have been seriously bleak for this franchise for a long time, but the Wizards finally struck lottery gold on Sunday and are now in position to start compounding their growth back to relevance and hopefully beyond. 

Manchester United’s hunt for a new head coach is yet to reach a conclusion despite Michael Carrick thriving on an interim basis

Michael Carrick may have just two matches remaining as Manchester United manager after his side were held to a goalless stalemate by Sunderland AFC on Saturday. Although Carrick has flourished at the helm since taking on an interim role until the season’s conclusion, he was unable to inspire his side to three points at the Stadium of Light.

United looked below par for much of the contest, despite arriving at the ground in considerably better form than the Black Cats. Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland commanded the match for lengthy spells, enjoying the greater share of both chances and possession.

To put it into perspective, United didn’t register their first shot on target until the 93rd minute, when Matheus Cunha’s effort was kept out by the shoulder of Robin Roefs. With the season nearing a conclusion, decisions will soon need to be made ahead of what will be a busy summer.

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Wayne Rooney’s managerial issue

Wayne Rooney believes the ongoing uncertainty surrounding United’s managerial position could prove damaging this summer, with prospective transfer targets likely wanting clarity on who will be leading the club before committing. While Champions League football is assured following the club’s remarkable resurgence under Carrick, it remains unclear whether the 44-year-old will be the man tasked with steering them through both domestic and European competition next term.

Although United have been linked with a host of midfield targets as they seek a long-term replacement for Casemiro – among them Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Sandro Tonali – any prospective signing will likely want assurances about how they fit into a new manager’s plans before committing to a move.

Speaking on Match of the Day, Rooney said: “Manchester United need to invest in players in the summer in order to compete in the Premier League next season, in the Champions League next season, which is where they want to be. They have to invest.

“They have to strengthen the squad and I don’t think there’s any denying that. Now, if I was a player and Man United wanted to sign me, the first question I’d ask, ‘Who is the manager? Does the manager want me?’ So I think [they need] to have clarity on the manager.”

Rooney wants Carrick to get the job. He added: “I think for the club to announce him, I think they need to do it swiftly because they need to get players in. They need to get players to improve that team.”

Andoni Iraola’s stark managerial admission

Iraola has admitted that he is “in no rush” to make a decision on his next move, despite being linked with both United and Chelsea. The Bournemouth head coach will bring a three-year spell at the Vitality Stadium to an end this summer, even as the Cherries push towards a European qualification spot.

While several Premier League clubs are believed to be weighing up the prospect of appointing him as their next manager – Crystal Palace among them – it is now clear that Iraola has no intention of rushing into his next role.

Following Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Fulham in London, the Spaniard said: “I’m in no rush. I will not talk about my future. I’m fully focused on trying to finish this season with a reward, something tangible for the [Bournemouth] players and supporters.

“It was not an easy decision [to leave] but once it is made you feel relief. I feel we have used it in a positive way. Since that day, we’ve had great results but also the mood.

“Everyone is clear, the relationship is so clean and honest. Okay, this is going to happen, next season Marco Rose will be our manager. Everyone knows what’s happening. We are in good place and can use this in a positive way.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

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Two years ago, the Minnesota Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy in the first round, hoping that they could reset their quarterback position. Not only did he get hurt immediately, but he also flopped in year two when given the reins to a starting job.

Not willing to make the same mistakes again, the Vikings lucked out by having Kyler Murray fall right into their laps. With the Arizona Cardinals paying the freight for his contract, Minnesota is on the hook for just $1.3 million. Despite his established track record, Murray won’t just be crowned the next greatest thing in purple.

The Vikings’ QB Reality Is Hard to Ignore

While that’s a fair path to take, the idea that McCarthy will force a real competition seems laughable. It would be foolish to think the former Michigan product hasn’t taken steps forward from a development perspective this offseason. If he learned nothing from falling flat last season, that would be a true problem and something truly scary to think about moving forward.

On the flip side, it’s wild to think that someone coming in with the baseline that McCarthy has will be able to do anything that pushes Murray down the depth chart. Every talking head under the sun is pushing the narrative that the Vikings will have a true competition. There’s no benefit for Kevin O’Connell or the franchise to come out and thwart the dreams of their young signal caller. We can also have a greater sense of reality.

It’s not as though Murray is some world-beater because he has 87 starts under his belt. He does have a 67.1% career completion percentage, though, and he won a Rookie of the Year award with two Pro Bowl awards in tow as well. He has, however, seen the mountaintop and shown himself capable of that despite playing for an organization that consistently finds itself a dumpster fire.

Now placed in a situation where he gets to work with Kevin O’Connell and an offense that has arguably the best wide receiver room in the league, Murray gets a new lease on life. Short of Murray being injured, there’s just no legitimate way to convince yourself that McCarthy will be capable of winning whatever level of competition is put in front of him.

The Vikings should continue to tell the media the same story they have been telling. The media will continue to push the same narrative we have heard since Murray signed. Ultimately, though, it’s a veteran’s race to lose, and there’s no reason to believe that will happen.

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Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler

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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards reacts after scoring against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball second-round playoffs series in Minneapolis, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

MANILA, Philippines–The NBA Playoffs conference semifinals continued today, May 11 (May 10 in the United States), with the Philadelphia 76ers hosting the New York Knicks in the East, Minnesota Timberwolves protecting home court against the San Antonio Spurs in the West.

Here is the roundup of scores from today’s NBA Playoffs matchups:

76ers vs Knicks (Game 4)

• In front of a raucous crowd rooting for the road team, the New York Knicks rolled past the hosts Philadelphia 76ers 144-114 on Sunday to sweep their NBA second-round playoffs series.
• Deuce McBride started in place of the injured OG Anunoby and hit seven 3-pointers, going 4 for 4 in the first quarter, and finished with 25 points. Jalen Brunson added 22.
• The Knicks, who tied the NBA postseason record with 25 3-pointers made, advanced to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year.

WATCH: Knicks light up 76ers in Game 4:

your knicks put on an offensive clinic in game 4‼️ pic.twitter.com/Os8oX5Wqmv

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 10, 2026

Timberwolves vs Spurs (Game 4)

• The Minnesota Timberwolves evened their second-round NBA Playoffs series against the San Antonio Spurs with a 114-109 victory following the stunning ejection of star Victor Wembanyama early in the second quarter of Game 4 on Sunday.
• Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his game-high 36 points in the fourth quarter.
• Naz Reid took the fateful elbow to the neck from a frustrated Wembanyama and finished with 15 points and nine rebounds to help the Timberwolves finish strong after some shaky stretches.

WATCH: Anthony Edwards fired up in Game 4

16 IN THE FOURTH. 36 FOR THE GAME.

ANT WAS ON 🔥 IN GAME 4.

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Tied 2-2… series shifts back to San Antonio!

Game 5: Tuesday, 8:00pm/et, NBC/Peacock pic.twitter.com/pvFrZs5e6n

— NBA (@NBA) May 11, 2026

NBA Playoffs bracket as of May 11

Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene attended what was probably the most difficult press conference of the season, as the five-time champions were officially eliminated from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoffs race on Sunday. MI did well to post a challenging total of 166/7 on a tricky wicket, but RCB were able to chase down the target on the final ball of the match. As the result confirmed Mumbai’s exit from the tournament, Jaywardene had to face some tough questions, including the ‘politics’ of benching some of the struggling senior stars. When asked during the press conference about what went wrong for the franchise this season, Jayawardene struggled to sum it all up.

“The season is disappointing. We’ve had our opportunities, but we were not good enough. We were not consistent enough with the ball or the bat, and that showed in the margins. We were probably two or three wins away from being in the same group of contenders to get into the playoffs, but we didn’t get those wins, and today was another classic example where we fell short,” the Sri Lankan legend said.

“It’s difficult for me to sum up a season right now; I have to give it some thought and figure out exactly what happened. But yeah, we were not good enough with our skills and execution this season,” he added.

It isn’t like the Mumbai Indians to shuffle their squad every other game, but this campaign saw constant chopping and changing. However, Jayawardene explained that most changes were forced.

“I don’t think it was chopping and changing. What probably you guys didn’t know is that we had a lot of injuries and a lot of niggles-guys getting injured or being unavailable. So, those were mostly forced changes. Tactically, we would have changed very few during the season. I would have loved to have our main core guys consistently out there. But there are no excuses. I think we had a quality squad. It’s just that we had to put our hands up and say that we were not good enough overall. We just need to continue to play good cricket. The message to the boys is to continue to do that,” he said.

The Debate Over Benching ‘Core’ Indian Players

While skipper Hardik Pandya‘s absence from the game was labelled as a ‘back spasm’ issue, several players were backed by the management despite a poor run of form. One of those players is Suryakumar Yadav, the team’s designated vice-captain, who scored only 195 runs in 11 matches this campaign.

When Jayawardene was asked if benching some of the out-of-form senior players had become a ‘political decision’, he ruled it out. The former Sri Lanka captain said that he saw how hard the core group was trying and gave them his full trust and confidence.

“I don’t think it is,” Jayawardene said when asked if it became a “political decision” to bench out-of-form senior players. “When you know the quality, you know they’re also trying to do their best. If I knew it was something to do with a lack of effort, I would have spoken to them, but the commitment and the effort they’re putting in is unbelievable. With Ro getting injured and coming back to bat the way he did-all that sums it up. The core group is quite valuable for us; you can’t just keep changing. We went with the trust and the confidence that we had in them. There was no reason for us to sideline them because they just came from a World Cup, and they had a really good World Cup, winning it and all that. As a unit, we haven’t been good enough.”

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