Freya Kemp of England celebrates after taking the wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues during the England and India, 2nd Women’s IT20 match at Seat Unique Stadium on May 30, 2026 in Bristol, England. (Photo/Getty Images)

Freya Kemp starred with both bat and ball as England defeated India by 26 runs in the second Women’s T20I in Bristol on Saturday to level the three-match series 1-1.Kemp first gave England a late boost with an unbeaten 39 off just 13 balls before returning figures of 2/15, dismissing Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues as India finished at 142/9 while chasing 169.The series will now be decided in the third and final T20I in Taunton on Tuesday.Earlier, India looked in control for most of England’s innings after restricting the hosts through the middle overs. Left-arm spinner Shree Charani continued her impressive start to international cricket, picking up 3/25.However, Kemp changed the course of the innings at the death. England scored 39 runs in the final two overs, including 24 runs from the last over bowled by Arundhati Reddy. Kemp struck two sixes and two fours during her innings as England reached 168/5.India made a positive start to the chase through openers Shafali Verma and Mandhana. Shafali scored 22 off 14 balls while Mandhana made 32 off 25 as the visitors kept pace with the target.Even after losing the openers, India were placed comfortably at 78/2 after 10 overs.The match turned during the middle overs when England’s spinners Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone slowed the scoring. Boundaries became difficult to find and the required run rate kept climbing.Yastika Bhatia, who was dropped by Dean on 29, struggled to increase the scoring rate and was eventually retired out after making 33 off 36 balls as India looked for quicker runs.Dean built pressure with a series of economical overs while Ecclestone also kept the Indian batters under control from the other end.India captain Harmanpreet Kaur tried to keep the chase alive with 28 off 22 balls. During her innings, she became only the third batter in Women’s T20Is to score 4,000 runs, joining Suzie Bates and Smriti Mandhana.But England continued to strike at key moments.Kemp removed Jemimah shortly after she came to the crease, while Dean delivered a major blow by dismissing Richa Ghosh (8) and Harmanpreet within four balls.Harmanpreet edged Dean behind while trying to attack outside off, and her dismissal left India with too much to do.With the required rate rising rapidly and wickets falling regularly, India were unable to recover as England sealed the win and kept the series alive.

Midfielder Tyler Fletcher was given his Scotland debut as a half-time substitute and Clarke confirmed the 19-year-old was one possible replacement for Gilmour.

The Manchester United player – son of former Scotland captain Darren – is one of four youngsters that have trained with the squad this week.

None of those are part of the squad for the World Cup matches against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil, and neither are Rangers’ Conor Barron, Andy Irving of Sparta Prague and Udinese’s Lennon Milller, who Clarke also named-checked.

“Those three are on standby and obviously Tyler joined us this week,” he said. “He’s trained well this week, so he’s a little bit closer than the other three, but I’d need to have a big discussion with my staff and decide the best way to go.”

Fletcher – whose twin Jack plays age-grade football for England – made his senior debut for his father’s former club in February and also came on in the final game of the season against Brighton.

Former Scotland winger Neil McCann put it to Clarke on BBC One Scotland that he looked “really accomplished” in a holding role.

Clarke responded: “Everybody was impressed – the players were impressed, the coaching staff were impressed, I had no doubts.

“I actually thought about putting him on as Billy came off but I just thought I’d have a little look, see how the game panned out before introducing him at half-time.”

Scotland midfielder Kenny McLean played with Darren Fletcher at the start of his own international career and said he “can’t speak highly enough” of Tyler.

“I said to the lads after his first session, I could see something special in him, so I was glad that he’d got on today. He deserved it after the week he’s had,” the Norwich City midfielder said.

“In my first session with Scotland, Darren stood out a mile. Fortunately for us, his son is pretty similar. There’s a lot of potential, it’s about using him the right way.”

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is widely considered the most prestigious club football competition in the world. Bringing together Europe’s top teams every season, the tournament serves as the ultimate stage for clubs seeking continental supremacy and global recognition.

Although other confederations such as CONMEBOL, AFC and CAF organize their own elite club competitions, none enjoy the same level of international attention, viewership and commercial success as the Champions League.

A Competition Steeped in History

The tournament was first launched in 1955 as the European Cup and initially featured only the champions of domestic leagues across Europe. For decades, it operated as a straight knockout competition before undergoing major changes in the early 1990s.

The introduction of a group-stage format in 1991 transformed the competition, while further expansion in the 1997-98 season allowed multiple clubs from Europe’s strongest leagues to qualify, increasing both competitiveness and commercial appeal.

New Era Under the Revamped Format

Beginning with the 2024-25 campaign, UEFA introduced a new structure for the Champions League. The traditional 32-team group stage was replaced by a 36-team league phase.

Under this system, each club plays eight matches against eight different opponents, creating a more varied and competitive schedule compared to the previous format.

Leading leagues such as the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 continue to provide the majority of participants. UEFA has also explored the possibility of future expansion, with discussions around increasing the competition to 48 teams.

Who has won the most UCL titles?

Reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff lost in three sets to Austrian Anastasia Potapova to end to her Roland Garros title defence on Saturday. The fourth seed was defeated in the third round 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 by the 28th seed after being a break up in the deciding set. “I think I’ve had a few (big wins) before, but I’d put it top three for sure,” Potapova said on court after earning a career third win over Gauff. Despite losing her first service game to open the match, Gauff struck back to break the Russian-born Austrian in the eighth and 10th games and take the lead.

Potapova responded with two consecutive breaks of her own to race 3-0 ahead at the start of the second frame.

The 25-year-old’s serve then deserted her as well, as the next five games all produced breaks, with Potapova passing up two set points behind her own delivery.

Gauff responded to that reprieve by earning her first hold of the set to force Potapova to serve again for the frame.

The two-time major winner  broke the world number 30 to level at 5-5 before holding again.

But Potapova then refound her own serve to force a tie-break.

A double fault dropped Gauff 5-0 behind, before she finally got on the board when Potapova overcooked a backhand.

It was too little, too late, however, as the Austrian powered to the next two points and sent the match into a deciding set.

Gauff drew first blood in the decider, pouncing on Potapova’s serve in the third game to nose in front, before being pegged back to 3-3.

A double fault in the next game brought Gauff two break-back points, but gutsy play allowed Potapova to hold.

A booming backhand winner down the line and a miss-hit Gauff forehand from deuce put Potapova 5-4 ahead with the world number four serving to keep her title defence alive.

But from 30-0, Gauff quickly unravelled and Potapova fell on her back in celebration as the American returned long and departed the tournament.

Potapova will meet Russian 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya for a spot in the quarter-finals.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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New Zealand have been boosted by the return of all-rounder Mitchell Santner for the Test series against England starting at Lord’s on Thursday.

Santner, 34, the Black Caps’ white-ball captain and key spinner, was initially ruled out of the first Test by a shoulder injury suffered last month in the Indian Premier League.

New Zealand had hoped he would recover for the second or third Tests but he will now join the squad before the first Test next week.

All-rounder Dean Foxcroft, who received his first call-up as cover, will return home.

New Zealand beat Ireland by an innings and 79 runs in this week’s one-off Test in Stormont.

They already have a strong bowling line-up featuring seamers Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke, Kyle Jamieson and Blair Tickner with Santner’s return a further boost.

He has taken 78 wickets in his 32 Tests and also made his one Test century against England in 2019.

New Zealand squad to play England: Tom Latham (capt), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears (traveling reserve), Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

Marcus Rashford’s future at Manchester United remains uncertain following his loan spell at Barcelona

Marcus Rashford has issued a clear message as his future at Manchester United remains unclear, with his loan spell at Barcelona about to come to an end.

Rashford spent the campaign on loan at the Camp Nou from United, having expressed a desire to leave Old Trafford last summer.

The England international enjoyed an impressive season at Barca, scoring 14 goals and providing 14 assists across all competitions, with such form helping him earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for this summer’s World Cup.

However, Rashford’s future remains uncertain as the summer transfer window nears. The 28-year-old played the final game of his loan spell with Barcelona earlier this month, and it now remains to be seen where he will be playing his football next season.

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Barcelona have the option of signing Rashford on a permanent deal for £26million this summer, but are running out of time to activate that clause before it expires.

Amid the ongoing uncertainty, Rashford has posted a message on social media. The United loanee has posted a series of photos on Instagram to his 22.2 million followers of himself taking part in an individual training session, along with a three-word caption which read: “Keep it moving”.

It remains to be seen what Barcelona have planned for this summer when it comes to Rashford’s future, having already invested in signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United.

Gordon officially became a Barcelona player on Friday, with the England international moving to the Camp Nou from St James’ Park in a deal reported to be worth €80million (£69.3m).

Barcelona’s decision to sign Gordon has created uncertainty about whether they will now look to bring Rashford back on a permanent basis, with both players typically operating in the same position on the pitch.

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There have also been reports that Barcelona are looking to sign Bernardo Silva on a free transfer, with the Portugal international leaving Manchester City this summer.

A report in Spanish publication Sport claimed that if Barcelona were to move for Silva, they would then choose not to pursue a permanent deal for Rashford this summer.

If that were to happen, it would leave United with a decision to make on Rashford’s future, which could include looking for another club to sign the forward or look to bring him back into the first-team squad under head coach Michael Carrick.

Rain or Shine’s Adrian Nocum gestures during Game 5 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals against Ginebra.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Rain or Shine guard Adrian Nocum had his best game of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals on Friday, but even his numbers weren’t enough to give the Elasto Painters a crucial 3-2 lead.

Instead, it was Barangay Ginebra which came out on top, 111-104, to move one win closer to a return trip to the PBA Finals.

The Gin Kings didn’t get there easily, though, especially since Nocum waxed hot from the field.

The Rain or Shine rising star is hoping to do that again in Game 6.

“Coach (Yeng Guiao) told us that if you face Ginebra thrice, you’ll know how they play,” Nocum told the Inquirer in Filipino.

READ: PBA: Tempers flare anew in Ginebra-Rain or Shine Game 5 clash

“We just need to be smarter so we can get past the semifinals. We have to work on our things and watch out for our mistakes. We fell short. We just have to see where we lacked and made mistakes so that when Sunday comes, we’ll fix our mistakes.”

Nocum paced Rain or Shine on offense with 25 points, while import Jaylen Johnson finished with a double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds.

The Elasto Painters look to stay alive and force a deciding Game 7 on Sunday at Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo.

“We really have to watch what we have to adjust. We have to be smarter. Coach told us, whoever’s smarter will advance. We just need to stick together.”

“It’s on us if we want to win and no one else.”

A very fun and surprisingly competitive Chicago White Sox season continued Friday night with a come-from-behind win over the Detroit Tigers at Rate Field (CWS 4, DET 3 in 10 innings). In his fifth MLB game, rookie Rikuu Nishida squeeze-bunted in the tying run in the ninth thanks to a throwing error from first baseman Spencer Torkelson. An inning later, Miguel Vargas hit a walk-off homer.

“First in my career, in my life,” Vargas said about the walk-off homer (via MLB.com). “… I tried to drive in the runner and put the team in position to where we can win the game. I got lucky. I got the right pitch and put a good swing on it, and we got good results.”

It was not all good news for Chicago, however. Star slugger Munetaka Murakami exited the game with what the White Sox called right hamstring tightness after running hard to beat out a double play ball in the third inning. On Saturday, manager Will Venable announced Murakami has a Grade 2 hamstring strain and will miss 4-6 weeks. He has been placed on the 10-day injured list.

“Looks like a little hamstring strain on the initial evaluation,” Venable said after Friday’s game (via MLB.com). “He’ll get some imaging tomorrow, but probably a couple weeks. Nothing official, got to continue the evaluation, but it might be a couple weeks.”

Murakami went 0 for 2 in Friday’s game and is hitting a stout .240/.378/.560 with an AL-leading 20 home runs this season. Only Kyle Schwarber (22) has gone deep more times. Murakami has 20 homers in 246 plate appearances and the rest of Chicago’s left-handed batters have 24 homers in 987 plate appearances. His injury will leave a big lefty power void in the lineup.

The White Sox summoned infield prospect Jacob Gonzalez to replace Murakami, the team announced. Gonzalez, the No. 15 pick in the 2023 draft, is hitting .317/.419/.668 with 19 home runs in 52 Triple-A games this year. It is by far his best season. Gonzalez entered 2026 as a career .232/.310/.335 hitter with 17 home runs in 298 minor-league games.

Baseball America ranked Gonzalez as the No. 23 prospect in Chicago’s system in their May update, noting he “projects as a backup infielder with versatility to handle multiple spots.” Murakami’s production makes him close to irreplaceable, and the step down to Gonzalez could be enormous unless Gonzalez’s Triple-A breakout is for real.

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Friday’s win improved the White Sox to 30-27. It is the latest into the season they’ve had a winning record since being 81-80 on the second-to-last day in 2023. Chicago sits in the second AL wild card spot and has a three-game lead on a postseason berth. They’re three games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.

Vargas, Sam Antonacci, Chase Meidroth, and Colson Montgomery give the White Sox a strong offensive foundation both this year and long-term. There’s no doubt, though, that losing Murakami for 4-6 weeks is a devastating blow to the team’s postseason hopes. Few players are as important to their team as he is.

Chicago signed Murakami, 26, to a two-year, $34 million contract in December. He hit .270/.394/.550 with 265 home runs in parts of eight seasons with the Yakult Swallows in Japan. That includes 56 homers in 2022, the record for a Japanese-born player.