The New York Mets season began Thursday night on quite a hilarious note — because why wouldn’t it for the Mets?

After the Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates‘ 2026 rosters were announced, Tony Award winner Chris Jackson, who played George Washington in “Hamilton,” was brought onto the field for the national anthem.

Things got off without a hitch until he moved onto the fourth line of the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

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Bo Bichette, Juan Soto, and Francisco Lindor, of the New York Mets look on during the national anthem prior to the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Thursday, March 26, 2026, in New York, New York. (Dustin Satloff/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Jackson was supposed to sing “O’er the ramparts we watched,” but instead went in reverse and repeated, “What so proudly we hailed” before moving on to the rest of the anthem.

The mishap started off as a bad omen for the Amazin’s, who choked away the best record in the major leagues on June 13 last year and missed the postseason, as they fell to a 2-0 hole with new ace Freddy Peralta on the mound before recording an out.

A general view of the field prior to the first inning between the New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day at Citi Field on March 26, 2026, in the Queens borough of New York City. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

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However, they stepped up with a five-run first inning, with the help of shoddy Pirates defense, and stunningly knocked reigning Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes out of the game. It was the first time Skenes had failed to get out of the first inning in his career, having always thrown at least two frames in his previous 55 starts.

Jackson also played “Benny” in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights.” He made his Broadway debut in 1997 in “The Lion King” as Simba. In an ironic twist, Jackson also played Derek Jeter in the former Broadway show, “Bronx Bombers,” that lasted less than a month.

Lin-Manuel Miranda performs his final performance as “Alexander Hamilton”  in “Hamilton” on Broadway at The Richard Rogers Theatre on July 9, 2016, in New York City. (Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

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It’s a new look for the Mets after last year’s debacle. They moved on from Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, and Brandon Nimmo and brought in Peralta, Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, and Jorge Polanco. Top prospect Carson Benge also made his MLB debut on Thursday.

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India defeat Pakistan in SAFF U20 C’ship opener to secure semi-final spot

India delivered a dominant performance to defeat Pakistan 3-0 in their opening Group B clash of the SAFF U20 Championship on Thursday, sealing a place in the semi-finals with a game to spare. Forward Omang Dodum starred with a second-half brace, finding the net in the 64th and 88th minutes, after Vishal Yadav had put India ahead as early as the third minute. The victory ensured a perfect start for India and confirmed their progression to the knockout stage. Pakistan, meanwhile, were knocked out of the tournament after suffering their second straight defeat, having earlier lost to Bangladesh. India will now take on Bangladesh on Saturday in a match that will determine the Group B toppers. India started aggressively and nearly opened the scoring within two minutes. Vishal Yadav broke down the right flank and sent in a threatening cross for Dodum, but the chance went begging. The opening goal arrived soon after. Gurnaj Singh Grewal spotted Yadav’s run and delivered a lofted ball over the defence. Yadav controlled it well and saw his initial effort blocked, but reacted quickly to slot the rebound home with his left foot at the near post. The early breakthrough boosted India’s confidence, although Pakistan grew into the game and began testing the defence. They came close to levelling the score on two occasions, only to be denied by goalkeeper Suraj Singh Aheibam, who made two crucial saves. India capitalised on those missed chances in the second half, doubling their lead through a swift counter-attack. Samson Ahongshangbam carried the ball forward from defence before switching play to Rishi Singh Ninthoukhongjam. Rishi then set up Dodum, who beat goalkeeper Zulqurnain to the ball and headed it in. With a two-goal advantage, India controlled proceedings while Pakistan searched for a response. The Indian backline remained organised, restricting further threats. In the closing stages, Muhammad Junaid fouled Prashan Jajo inside the box, leading referee Virendha Rai to award a penalty. Dodum stepped up and converted emphatically in the 88th minute to complete his brace and seal the result. The convincing win gives India strong momentum heading into their final group match against Bangladesh.

Arsenal defender Myles Lewis-Skelly has reportedly been added to Manchester United’s summer transfer shortlist.

Manchester United are reportedly showing an interest in Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly. The Gunners academy product shot to prominence last season after establishing himself as the regular starter in the Gunners’ left-back position.

Nevertheless, his playing time has reduced significantly since the summer. He could look for a move away from the Emirates Stadium in search of more regular game time.

Sky Sports has now claimed that, alongside Nathaniel Brown of Frankfurt and Lewis Hall of Newcastle United, Lewis-Skelly is a player appreciated by United. football.london repoerted earlier this month that numerous leading clubs across Europe are tracking the circumstances of Lewis-Skelly

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At United, the pathway remains crowded but more open at left back than at Arsenal, with Patrick Dorgu, who has experienced fitness setbacks, being deployed in a more attacking position.

Despite being a regular in the starting line-up this season, Dorgu’s return to fitness, plus the addition of a new left-back to the squad, could free up Luke Shaw to move on. He is entering the final year of his contract and has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

Tyrell Malacia is also expected to leave the club when his contract expires in the summer. While the club has brought in 18-year-old Diego Leon, who is yet to make his Premier League bow.

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From an Arsenal standpoint, Mikel Arteta has consistently praised Lewis-Skelly but has been candid about the reality of the displays from both Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori, given the competition in the position.

Speaking earlier this month, he said, “Every season is different. He had very good moments in this season. He had other moments when he hasn’t played in that much.

“So, there are various reasons. Sometimes, as well, the good form of your teammates. There’s a lot of factors that contribute to that. But he’s doing well.”

football.london reports that outgoings are a priority for the club this summer with only a handful of players in the squad regarded as genuinely “unsellable”.

Should the Gunners receive what they consider an offer too tempting to decline for one of their players, it will prove extremely challenging to reject it.

Lewis-Skelly is thought to be one of the potential players who could depart if interest from a club, potentially even a Premier League outfit like United, becomes more concrete.

England’s 2026 World Cup kits

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England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code: ENGFREEDEL

IPL 2026: File photo of KKR co-owner Shahrukh Khan and Virat Kohli© BCCI

Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill did not hold back while giving his opinion on the Impact Player rule in IPL. The GT skipper said that he does not like the rule because in his view, the Impact Player takes the skill out of the game and makes it a more batter-friendly sport.

At the pre-season press conference of Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, Shubman Gill was asked about his thoughts on the Impact Player rule. Ahead of IPL 2026, reports surfaced claiming that a few captains were not happy with the existing Impact Player rule.

It seems like Gill was one of those few names because here’s what he had to say about the Impact Player rule:

“Personally for me, I don’t think there should be Impact Player. I think cricket in general is an 11-player game, and on wickets where we play, on the grounds that we play, adding an extra batsman is, I think, it takes the skill out of the game.”

Gill further commented that chasing 160 or 180 without an Impact Player on tricky pitches leads to more exciting matches than the ones where 220-240 are chased down easily on flat decks with an Impact Player. He thought the Impact Player rule made the game more one-dimensional.

“So I mean it’s going to be there till 2027, it’s something that we also spoke about in the captains’ meeting yesterday,” Gill added.

Impact Player rule was introduced in the year 2023. Since then, the run rate in IPL matches has increased significantly, with teams chasing down 200+ targets successfully without breaking much sweat.

“I don’t like it that much”- Shubman Gill gives his honest take on the Impact Player rule

At the same press conference, Shubman Gill said that although the Impact Player rule makes the game more entertaining for the spectators, he does not it like it much.

“I understand it makes the game bit more entertaining but let’s see, it’s there, it’s up to them what the BCCI is going to take their decision but personally I don’t like it that much,” Shubman Gill concluded.

The Impact Player rule is here to stay in IPL 2026. It will be interesting to see how captain Gill uses the Impact Player while leading the Gujarat Titans in IPL matches this year.