Delhi Capitals suffered a heavy 47-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL 2026 clash on Tuesday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Batting first, SRH piled up a mammoth total of 242/2 in 20 overs, with opener Abhishek Sharma emerging as the chief architect of the innings. Facing just 68 deliveries, Abhishek remained unbeaten on a sensational 135, dismantling the DC bowling attack with ease. In reply, DC were restricted to 195/9 despite valiant efforts from Nitish Rana and Sameer Rizvi. Following the loss, DC opener and wicketkeeper KL Rahul has come under intense scrutiny for his sluggish knock of 37 off 23 balls.

Rahul’s innings, which included just one boundary and three sixes, failed to provide the momentum required in a steep chase, as DC managed only 59 runs in the powerplay. Former India opener Aakash Chopra was critical of Rahul’s approach, questioning his intent while chasing a daunting target of 243.

“I think the question needs to be asked. He faced 23 balls for the 37 runs he scored, but how many attacking shots did he actually play? In my humble opinion, when you’re chasing a 240-plus total and fail to capitalise on the powerplay, there’s a 99.5 percent chance you’re going to lose the match. It’s a mountain to climb anyway, but the intent felt missing. I didn’t feel they gave it everything they had while chasing such a massive total,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“He may have been carrying a niggle; it did seem like that. But once again, this is the same mistake LSG made the other day. If you don’t go all out and instead adopt a conservative approach while chasing such totals, you’re going to lose anyway. The question then is-did you give your best? Not enough, in my opinion,” he added.

Chopra also raised concerns about Rahul’s wicketkeeping, pointing out a crucial error behind the stumps that handed Abhishek Sharma a vital lifeline during the match.

“KL Rahul does keep wickets for India in the ODI setup as well, but let’s be very honest-he is a batter who keeps wickets, not the other way around. Most wicketkeepers are keepers first and then contribute with the bat,” Chopra said.

“Mistakes can happen to anyone, but when it’s KL Rahul, you do start questioning the overall value. If, as a keeper, you miss chances, it sometimes nullifies whatever contribution you make with the bat,” he concluded.

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IPL 2026 News | Shami’s Sensation Leads Lucknow to First Win of Season

As rapper Drake rolls out the latest promotion for his upcoming “Iceman” album, it appears he’s also taking a jab at Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams in the process.

The Canadian artist posted a photo on Monday of himself rocking a Green Bay Packers jacket in front of blocks of ice that were set up in downtown Toronto with the release date of his highly anticipated album hidden inside. The promotion led to fans trying to speed up the melting process of the heavy blocks.

A streamer who goes by “Kishka” ended up finding the envelope, took it to Drake’s home in the area, and the May 15 release date was eventually revealed for all to see.

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Rapper Drake performs onstage during the Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on Dec. 9, 2022. (Prince Williams/Wireimage)

The Packers even reposted the pictures of Drake, with a simple “Hi” in their caption while tagging the famous rapper.

So, where does Caleb Williams come into play here?

PACKERS GREAT CLAY MATTHEWS RESPECTS LIONS STAR AMON-RA ST BROWN ADDING JUICE TO RIVALRY: ‘I LOVE IT’

Well, as Williams helped lead the Bears to the playoffs, he claimed himself the “Iceman” after coming from behind for dramatic wins during a remarkable 2025 campaign.

Then, Williams took it to another level, trying to trademark the nickname in March, though he received scrutiny not from Drake, but Basketball Hall of Famer George Gervin. The four-time scoring champ and 12-time All-Star was called “Iceman” throughout his career.

But now, Drake is claiming himself the “Iceman.” And while it could just be a coincidence Drake was wearing the Packers bomber jacket, he is quite known for jabs at his “foes,” whether straight-forward or through subtle things like his attire.

Drake performs live on stage during day two of Wireless Festival 2025 at Finsbury Park in London on July 12, 2025. He is headlining all three nights of the festival. (Simone Joyner/Getty Images for ABA)

Drake has been hinting at this new album for some time now, slowly releasing promos since last summer. Considering his love for sports, he made sure to play that up to build anticipation for the album.

At Scotiabank Arena, the home of the Toronto Raptors, Drake had fake icicles placed on the two courtside seats that he usually sits in when he attends NBA games. They were spotted on April 12 — a 136-101 blowout win for the home team.  

Meanwhile, Bears fans have learned to enjoy “Iceman” Williams, even if the games are rollercoasters at times. The 24-year-old threw for 3,942 yards with 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions, while leading the team to the playoffs with an 11-6 record.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 4, 2026. (David Banks/Imagn Images)

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The Bears eventually fell to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round in an overtime thriller. It wasn’t Williams’ best game, throwing for two touchdowns, but three interceptions in the loss.

But feelings around the Bears are that the No. 1 overall pick is the right guy to continue leading the franchise, especially when it comes to defeating divisional opponents like the Packers.  

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The Los Angeles Lakers expect to be without star guard Luka Dončić for the remainder of their first-round series with the Houston Rockets, but Austin Reaves has returned to on-court activity and could return late in the series, according to ESPN, if it reaches that point. The Lakers have a 2-0 lead after a 101-94 win in Game 2 on Tuesday night in L.A. 

Dončić suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain during the Lakers’ loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2 and has been ruled out indefinitely. Prior to the playoffs, Dončić went to Spain to undergo special treatment on his hamstring. He has since rejoined the team, but his timeline to return to play remains unclear.

Reaves went down with a Grade 2 oblique strain in the same game against the Thunder, but is closer to a return than his backcourt mate. Here’s more from Shams Charania:

“The sense around the Lakers is that Austin Reaves is actually the one that’s further along than Luka Doncic in their respective rehab processes. I am told Austin Reaves has started 1-on-1 on-court work. The next step for him is to continue to go through the progression of 3-on-3, 5-on-5. Remember, early April he had a four-to-six week timetable, so theoretically that puts him on track late in this series, potentially early in the next series.”

The Lakers caught a real break with the schedule for their first-round series, which is why there’s optimism that Reaves could play against the Rockets. There were two full days off between Games 1 and 2, and there will be another full two days off between Games 2 and 3 and Games 4 and 5. Here’s a look at the unique schedule, which will stretch into May if it gets to six games. 

• Game 3: Lakers at Rockets, April 24
• Game 4: Lakers at Rockets, April 26
• Game 5*: Rockets at Lakers, April 29
• Game 6*: Lakers at Rockets, May 1
• Game 7*: Rockets at Lakers, May 3

*If necessary

The Lakers winning Games 1 and 2 could change the team’s thinking some here. The Rockets lost Game 2 even with Kevin Durant back in the lineup, but the series could certainly be lengthened as it shifts back to Houston. Again, Reaves got hurt on April 2, and the initial timeline was four to six weeks, so it certainly would be conceivable that he could play by Game 6 or Game 7. 

Getting Reaves back would be a massive boost for the Lakers. He averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game on 49/36/87.1 shooting splits and put up career highs in both scoring and rebounds. He was second on the team in scoring and would have been 18th in the league if he had played enough games to qualify for the official leaderboard. 

While they got a huge night from Luke Kennard in Game 1 (27 points, four rebounds and three assists on 9 of 13 from the field, including 5 of 5 from 3-point range) and an outstanding performance from Marcus Smart in Game 2 (25 points, seven assists, five steals) they can’t count on that every night. Reaves, even at less than 100%, would give their offense another top-level creator who could get his own shots and take pressure off everyone else. 

If the Lakers get Reaves back and pull off an upset in this series to advance to the second round, that would give Dončić time to get back on the floor. 

The Premier League could boast six clubs in the Champions League for a second season running if all the right pieces fall into place.

The extra fifth place was sealed after Arsenal reached the Champions League quarter-finals. It is the second consecutive year that the Premier League has earned an additional spot, with the English top flight at the top of the European Performance Standings (EPS).

Last term saw an unprecedented six English clubs qualify for the Champions League; five by their league position, and with Tottenham earning their place in the league phase after winning the Europa League.

The same could happen again this term, with the Premier League appearing as one of the more prominent beneficiaries to the competition’s expansion to 36 teams that came into effect at the beginning of 2024/25.

Here’s what needs to happen:

Why six Premier League teams could qualify for the Champions League

As with every season, the top four clubs in the Premier League table are guaranteed a spot in the 2026/27 edition – but like last year, England have earned an additional place.

That fifth spot is earned by being one of the best-performing two nations in each season’s European club competitions. English teams performed particularly well in the Champions League league phase, which boosted their points tally in Uefa’s standings, and while last-16 exits of Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle and Tottenham threatened their ranking, Arsenal’s success has eased any fears of the Premier League being limited to four berths next term.

The Premier League will therefore definitely have a quintet of Champions League teams by the end of the campaign. But wait, there’s more! The winner of the Europa League is also awarded a place in the Champions League – and Aston Villa will be playing Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals, with Freiburg and Braga on the other side of the draw.

What happens if Aston Villa win the Europa League?

Aston Villa are the favourites to lift the title. Unai Emery is a serial winner of the competition and Villa stormed past Bologna 7-1 on aggregate to reach the semi-finals, where they will face a Nottingham Forest side that is also battling relegation this season.

Villa are currently fourth in the Premier League, way ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea. As it stands, they are looking on course to qualify for the Champions League anyway. If Villa win the Europa League and finish fourth, the Premier League will stay with five teams in the Champions League.

But if Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth the additional place in the Champions League awarded by the EPS will drop down to the team that finishes sixth in the Premier League.

This is of interest to several Premier League teams, with the race for sixth extremely competitive this season. There are just three points separating sixth-placed Chelsea to Fulham, in 12th.

What happens if Nottingham Forest win the Europa League?

Forest are embroiled in a relegation battle at the other end of the table so their requirements are more straightforward; if they win the Europa League, a sixth spot in the continent’s premier competition will be sealed, just like Tottenham last season.

The Premier League could have had an unprecedented seventh seat at Europe’s top table, which might have come if an English team won the Champions League but also finished outside of the top five.

However, after how things panned out in the quarter-finals, that is no longer possible. Liverpool, who are fifth in the Premier League, were knocked out by holders Paris Saint-Germain, while Arsenal – still in the competition and set for a semi-final tie with Atletico Madrid – cannot mathematically finish outside the Champions League qualification places, sat 22 points ahead of sixth at the top of the English top flight.

Vafaei beat Barry Hawkins in the first round at the Crucible last year before losing 13-10 to Mark Williams.

An injury wrecked the start of this season but an intensive physio programme got him back playing, although he then had a poor run of results following his return.

“With my injury, I took two or three months [out] and after that I lost my form,” he added. “It was a shoulder problem, it was hurting my fingers and all the nerves on my left side.

“It was tough to get back my form and to find something and the struggles started from there.

“I’m under lots of pressure. I’m not having a good season. A lot of people have been like ‘where is he? what’s he doing?’. They’re thinking I’ve stopped playing snooker.

“I’ve had a tough year mentally, personally, and everything.”

But there has been some encouragement on the table as before his success at qualifying, he beat Williams and Zhang Anda to reach the quarter-finals of last month’s World Open where he was beaten by Trump.

However, he said news from back home meant he was often not focused on snooker.

“You get a bad text in the day and you can’t focus on your job. How can I focus?” said Vafaei.

“No-one knows how tough it is but hopefully it will be over soon, then the safety comes back to my country.”

Mike Tomlin didn’t stay with the Minnesota Vikings for long (2006), but purple fans still claim him nevertheless. Now, a few months removed from the Pittsburgh Steelers, he’s heading into the booth as an analyst.

Tomlin’s move to NBC may look like a career detour, but it also keeps him relevant to any future Vikings coaching speculation.

The arrangement could be a one-year pit stop for the future Hall of Fame coach.

Yes, Tomlin Could Make Sense in MIN’s Long-Term Orbit

If you thought you’d miss Tomlin, well, he’s already back.

Tomlin the Announcer

It’s Sunday Night Football for Tomlin. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor wrote Tuesday, “For the first time in two decades, Mike Tomlin won’t be on an NFL sideline this fall. Tomlin, known for his one-of-a-kind oration, will be in the studio instead. The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach is joining NBC’s Sunday night pregame show, ‘Football Night in America,’ as a studio analyst, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.”

“Talks between Tomlin and the network picked up steam in Augusta, Georgia, two weeks ago, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Tomlin, 53, is the second former Steelers head coach to make a foray into broadcasting, joining his predecessor, Bill Cowher, who joined CBS as a studio analyst in 2007 after stepping down from the Steelers. Cowher never returned to coaching.”

It’s not a hot take to suggest Tomlin will be marvelous in the role.

The Athletic‘s Andrew Marchand also noted, “Fox showed some interest in Tomlin, but NBC had the biggest need for his services. The network is reimagining its pregame show, a move that has already led to Tony Dungy’s dismissal after 17 seasons.”

“The roles of Rodney Harrison, Jac Collinsworth and Chris Simms are also in question as the network seeks more current star power and fewer people on the show. NBC Sports declined to comment. Tomlin will join host Maria Taylor, ex-Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and Devin McCourty on set.”

The Split from PIT

Over the last decade, the Steelers habitually did the same thing: post a winning record, exalt Tomlin to the high heavens for it late December and early January, get to the playoffs, and refuse to win a game. Wash, rinse, repeat.

The routine evidently grew stale, as Pittsburgh and Tomlin mutually parted ways after the Houston Texans crushed the Steelers in the playoffs in January. There was not much steam about Tomlin interviewing for head coaching jobs around the league thereafter, and in fact, many exactly predicted the eventual outcome — he’d join the booth somewhere.

And that’s what happened.

The Steelers later hired Mike McCarthy from Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys fame, which was funny because he’s basically Tomlin, in a nutshell, though he doesn’t have the same consistent success.

A Name to Keep an Eye on for the Vikings if Things Go Bad

Tomlin to Minnesota would not be weird. Let’s just get out there. His connection with Vikings ownership will forever position him as a candidate whenever the head coach role is considered.

The 2026 season will be the critical juncture for Kevin O’Connell’s tenure. If the Vikings make significant progress — securing a postseason berth and finally achieving a playoff win — speculation will cease. O’Connell’s job will be secure, and external chatter will stop.

However, O’Connell’s current record — four seasons, two playoff appearances, and zero playoff wins — remains a significant factor. While he has earned more patience than many NFL head coaches, such a track record typically shortens a coach’s leash. External pressure will intensify if results don’t improve, and by the 2026 training camp, you can already expect to see O’Connell on “hot seat” lists.

Should the 2026 season conclude without a substantial playoff push, the coaching door will swing wide open. A change at that point would surprise no one. Tomlin, with his stability, experience, and established connection to the Vikings’ owners, would become an obvious candidate.

The only hassle? The Vikings would have to trade for Tomlin. He has the Sean-Payton-Saints deal, where his next team might have to donate draft picks to get him. An annoyance.

Other Possible 2027 Destinations

Tomlin turned 54 last month. Assuming the Sunday Night Football relationship is a one-hit wonder — it may not be — he’ll obviously have a market during next year’s coaching carousel. In addition to the Vikings, if O’Connell doesn’t produce, here’s a list of possible teams that could pursue Tomlin:

• Carolina Panthers
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Dallas Cowboys
• Detroit Lions
• Green Bay Packers
• Indianapolis Colts
• Kansas City Chiefs
• New England Patriots
• New Orleans Saints
• New York Jets
• Philadelphia Eagles
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Washington Commanders

Of course, if any of those teams win and play well, their respective head coaches won’t be fired. The list assumes that things go poorly or a coach retires.