Florida basketball (18-6, 9-2) moved up to No. 7 on the NET rankings following a 20-point win over the Georgia Bulldogs on Wednesday night, the Gators‘ fourth-straight blowout win against an SEC team.
The Gators are now ahead of top-10 staples UConn and Iowa State, who sit at Nos. 8 and 9, respectively. Florida notably lost to the Huskies in early December by four points, but UF has steadily climbed the NET rankings from No. 33 back on Nov. 30. Florida has spent the last week ranked inside the top 10 and is now approaching the top five. Florida is one of two teams in the top 12 with five or more losses, the other being No. 5 Illinois (20-5).
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Four of Florida’s seven remaining regular-season games are against Quadrant 1 teams, including Saturday’s home matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats, so the Gators have several chances to break into the top five.
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Breaking down Florida’s wins by Quadrant
Before going into Florida’s resume, it’s important to understand how the quadrants are divided. Where a game is played has as much to do with the quadrant as the quality of the opponent. As the rankings change, so does the quality of the wins.
Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353
Quadrant 1 Games
Florida is 7-5 in Quadrant 1 games.
Non-conference losses came against No. 1 Arizona, No. 3 Duke and No. 8 UConn. All three are considered very good losses. The Gators’ non-conference Q1 win came against No. 36 Miami at a neutral site (Jacksonville) and No. 47 TCU. The Hurricanes are firmly in Quadrant 1, while the Horned Frogs recently moved back within the top-50 threshold.
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Several of Florida’s SEC games were against Q1 opponents. The Missouri (No. 57) loss on the road remains in Quadrant 1, which is good for the Gators, but Auburn remains just outside of the top 30, dropping out of Q1 territory. The Q1 conference wins came against No. 15 Vanderbilt, No. 21 Alabama, No. 22 Tennessee, No. 43 Texas A&M and No. 73 Oklahoma. The most recent win over No. 35 Georgia came on the road, which makes it a Quadrant 1 win.
Quadrant 2 Games
In Quadrant 2 games, Florida is 5-1, with wins over No. 35 Georgia, No. 58 LSU — both at home — and at No. 112 South Carolina (road) during conference play. The other two Q2 wins came during the non-conference schedule against No. 77 Providence and No. 91 George Washington, both at a neutral site.
Florida’s lone Quadrant 2 losses came against No. 31 Auburn. The Tigers are one spot away from reentering Quadrant 1 territory, however.
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Quadrant 3 and 4 games
The only Quadrant 3 game Florida has played in so far was a home game against No. 95 Florida State. The Seminoles have trended down most of the season but recently climbed more than 40 spots in the NET. The Seminoles still need to get to No. 75 to reach Q2.
Florida went 5-0 against Q4 teams, beating No. 187 Merrimack, No. 198 Colgate, No. 236 Dartmouth, No. 339 North Florida and No. 353 Saint Francis by an average of 33.6 points.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
The Saudi Pro League is stepping up its pursuit of Liverpooland Egyptforward Mohamed Salah, 33, and is increasingly confident of securing an agreement before this summer’s World Cup. (Teamtalk) , external
Arsenal remain interested in signing Real Madrid’s 19-year-old Spanish defender Victor Valdepenas at the end of the season but will face competition from AC Milan.(Caughtoffside) , external
Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City as a free agent when his contract expires in June, with the 31-year-old already assessing his options. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Barcelona have set their sights on signing Borussia Dortmund and Germany forward Karim Adeyemi, 24, this summer. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Tiger Woods had at least one friend to lean on shortly after his vehicle rolled over in a crash.
Bodycam footage obtained by Fox News Digital showed Woods hanging up his phone, then telling an officer he was “talking to the president.”
After the crash, Woods took a phone call and walked down a street for a moment. Woods walked back and forth on the phone before an officer called him to return.
President Donald Trump presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Tiger Woods during an event at the White House Rose Garden in Washington, D.C., May 6, 2019.(Scott Taetsch/USA Today Sports)
“Mr. Woods, let me get you to hang with us down here, please,” the officer said.
“Thank you so much. All right, you got it. Thank you, bye,” Woods said as he ended his phone call.
Woods then asked the officer to repeat what he said, which the officer did.
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“Yeah, I was just talking to the president,” Woods said calmly.
The shameless plug did not help matters in this situation because Woods was arrested for driving under the influence. Despite Woods blowing “triple-zeroes” on a breathalyzer, Woods showed signs of impairment and was found with two pills of hydrocodone, a prescription opioid for pain relief.
Tiger Woods poses with his son Charlie Axel Woods, daughter Sam Alexis Woods, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump after being presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony at the White House in the Rose Garden in Washington, D.C., May 6, 2019.(Scott Taetsch/USA Today Sports)
Woods told officers before field sobriety tests that he underwent seven back surgeries and “over 20 operations on his leg.” He told law enforcement, “I take a few” prescription medications.
In 2021, he got into a wreck that resulted in serious leg injuries that kept him off the golf course for the entire year.
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President Donald Trump voiced his continued support for Woods.
“He lives a life of pain. He has a lot of pain. He’s an amazing guy. He’s an amazing athlete. He does have pain,” Trump said Tuesday of Woods. “He doesn’t have an alcohol problem, but he does have pain.”
Vanessa Trump, girlfriend of Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links GC, and her daughter Kai Trump talk with Woods before a match against The Bay Golf Club at SoFi Center March 3, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.(Cliff Hawkins/TGL/TGL Golf/Getty Images)
Shortly after the crash, Trump described Woods as a “very close friend of mine” with “some difficulty.” Woods dates Trump’s former daughter-in-law, Vanessa, the mother of the president’s granddaughter Kai.
The Washington Wizards’ forgettable 2025-26 season drew attention across the NBA Wednesday night, but not for their latest on-court struggles.
Instead, the team’s April Fools’ attempt was an airball. The Wizards, who entered Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers with the NBA’s worst record, had a fan attempt a blindfolded half-court shot for an apparent cash prize.
The fan’s shot ultimately fell well short of the net. But for a brief moment, the fan, along with the in-arena announcers and mascots, celebrated what they thought was a win.
A general view of a Wilson basketball on the court during the second half of the game between the Washington Wizards and the Philadelphia 76ers at Capital One Arena Oct. 28, 2025.(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
“Somebody’s rich,” the in-arena host said. “The mascots are going crazy. The contestant is going crazy. The crowd is going crazy.”
The fan later saw on a jumbotron replay that the shot missed, and the Wizards admitted the misdirection was part of an April Fools’ Day prank.
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Fans hold signs during the second half of a game between the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Clippers at Capital One Arena Jan. 19, 2026, in Washington, DC.(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
“You didn’t see it, we all saw it. You want to see it?” the host continued as the fan held up an oversized presentation check. “All right, take a look at the screen for the replay.”
The team gave the fan an autographed jersey and courtside seats to a future game as a consolation prize. Amid backlash Thursday, the Wizards admitted they “missed the mark” in an apology for the scripted April Fools’ stunt.
“We apologize for last night’s April Fools’ joke that left many wondering if we had misled the fan. The skit involving our mascot and other members of our performance team was scripted and intended to celebrate the day. All participants were in on the joke, but we missed the mark. Our fans are our priority, and we continue to be committed to providing a positive experience to all who attend our games.”
Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson (12) shoots the ball over Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (1) in the second half at Capital One Arena on April 1, 2026; in Washington, District of Columbia.(Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
As for Wednesday’s NBA action, Washington came up short again, dropping its fourth straight game. The 153-131 loss helped the 76ers hold the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference as the playoffs near.
Tiger Woods was arrested on a DUI charge after a crash in Florida on March 27, 2006.(AP/Martin County Sheriff’s Office)
At one point, appearing concerned about the state of the driver, the 911 operator asked, “OK, have you been able to get a hold of the driver or no?”
The sheriff’s office representative responded somberly, saying, “No ma’am, we haven’t gotten any voice response from them.”
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Woods was arrested for driving under the influence after appearing to cause a crash in Florida that resulted in his vehicle rolling over, Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Friday.
The sheriff confirmed at a news conference that Woods was traveling at “a high rate of speed” when his vehicle collided with another car, resulting in his vehicle rolling over onto the driver’s side. Budensiek said Woods appeared to have exited the vehicle by “crawling” out of the passenger side.
Authorities said Woods “exemplified signs of impairment.” He blew “triple-zeroes” for alcohol but refused a urine test.
Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club after a match against Los Angeles Golf Club at SoFi Center March 24, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.(Adam Glanzman/TGL/TGL Golf)
Woods was charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a test, all misdemeanor charges. No one was injured, authorities said. Woods was alone in the car and crawled out of the passenger door after the crash.
Fox News Digital’s Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
NDIANAPOLIS — Maybe this is already Tommy Lloyd’s last dance at Arizona. Or maybe he’s performing a MasterClass in contract negotiation.
Lloyd has nothing to lose with Arizona in the Final Four for the first time in 25 years and North Carolina milling around ready to offer the Wildcats’ coach a throne and septer in Chapel Hill. Lloyd’s value can only increase by this time Tuesday, when he could be a national champion.
Until then, he’s a Final Four coach who might or might not be available. His position? He’s not the first, nor the last, coach Arizona will ever have.
“It’s absolutely true. There’s going to be another coach. This is a great program,” Lloyd said. “I didn’t say when. People are going to speculate all they want, this team has my full focus. Nothing, nothing, I promise you, nothing is knocking me off that path. And, you guys might call them distractions because you’re distracted. That doesn’t mean I’m distracted or we’re distracted.”
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Distracted might be overstating it for fans outside of Tucson but the intrigue of the Tar Heels looming with a blank check and Lloyd vs. Dusty May and Michigan on Saturday night in the national semifinals to follow Illinois and UConn.
Perhaps the two best coaches this season and the two best teams bring the juicy subplot of whether North Carolina can be the trophy for one of these relative Johnny Come Lately stories. Lloyd was a longtime assistant at Gonzaga under Mark Few before his chance came at Arizona. With an openness to a windshield wiper approach to roster-building and deep enough pockets to outpay Big 12 mainstays, Lloyd had Arizona in the mix near the top of the national rankings all season.
That part was nothing new for the Wildcats.
Seeing it through has been the hard part.
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May isn’t a fresh face at the Final Four. He was here with FAU and then hired to fix a Michigan team coming off of an 8-24 season. He has more than 60 wins, two Sweet 16 runs and guides the favorite for the national title into the weekend.
May sounds less likely to leave his current gig and that’s in part because Warde Manuel has shown he’ll pay up when others hover around his head coaches. Manuel isn’t hiding his protectiveness this time around, either.
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He openly said of the UNC rumors the desire is for May to “finish his career at Michigan.”
More wins are coming for both coaches. Where and when is to be determined.
The Chicago Cubs opened the 2026 season with a six-game homestand at historic Wrigley Field.
Among the thousands of Cubs fans who passed through the turnstiles at the famed ballpark on Chicago’s North Side was at least one who took Wednesday’s “businessman’s special” afternoon start to heart.
Temperatures in the Windy City didn’t climb above 40 degrees Wednesday, and one fan, bundled in a coat and hat, multitasked on his cellphone and laptop, apparently working after the 2 p.m. first pitch.
The rear of the scoreboard before a game between the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field March 28, 2026, in Chicago.(Patrick Gorski/Imagn Images)
The moment mirrors one from last season, when cameras caught a fan who, instead of winter gear, wore shorts and worked on his computer during an August 2025 game at Wrigley Field.
The fan even brought a computer mouse along as he intently focused on his computer while the Cubs faced the Milwaukee Brewers.
Alex Bregman (3) and Michael Busch (29) of the Chicago Cubs celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field April 1, 2026, in Chicago. (Jayden Mack/Getty Images)
The game broadcasters, however, questioned what he was up to.
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“There’s only one question: Is this guy working?” one broadcaster said. “Or maybe he’s reviewing his fantasy football draft.”
The Cubs’ broadcast network crafted a tongue-in-cheek work email: “Hi, per our last email, we have a hard stop. Let’s touch base Friday before the Cubs-Guardians game. All the best, Marquee.”
The Cubs celebrated a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday to take two of three games in the series. Matthew Boyd struck out ten batters and picked up the win.
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Matthew Boyd of the Chicago Cubs exits the field during a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field April 1, 2026, in Chicago.(Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders have signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a five-year, $172 million deal, kind of. The deal is really just $20 million guaranteed over one season, or, if things go incredibly well, a clause allows it to become a two-year deal for $80 million.
This deal feels pretty crazy for the Raiders. In less than one month, Heisman trophy-winning quarterback, Fernando Mendozza, will walk across the stage wearing a Raiders cap as they will most likely select him with the first overall pick. I don’t mind Las Vegas adding a veteran quarterback to help mold their young draft pick, but why would they get one that’s as expensive as Cousins?
Las Vegas is a team with so many deficiencies across the board, so I can’t understand why they would pay $20 million for Kirk Cousins. His stint in Atlanta was a bit of a disaster for the Falcons, as he had two of his three lowest QBR seasons of his career and higher turnover numbers than usual.
Cousins won’t be getting any younger either; he will turn 38 this season, and his legs never really seemed to bounce back after his Achilles tear. This feels like a bit of a waste of money for the Raiders, but there is one person who comes out of this deal a winner, and it’s Mike McCartney.
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You might be wondering who McCartney even is, and he’s one of the NFL’s biggest thieves. McCartney is Kirk Cousins’ agent who has represented him throughout his entire NFL career. Cousins is far from being a bad NFL player, maybe even underrated at certain points in his career.
Despite being underrated in terms of status in football circles, Cousins has never been underpaid. With this contract, Cousins becomes the third-highest earning player in NFL history, only behind Matthew Stafford, a future Hall of Famer, and Tom Brady, another first ballot Hall of Famer. Cousins is a four-time Pro Bowler, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of, but his agent has turned that into $321 million in career earnings.
Since moving off his rookie deal in Washington, Cousins has earned at least $19.9 million every year of his career, and in 2024, he was paid $62.5 million from the Falcons, after tearing his Achilles.
Unless Kirk Cousins has some surprise ending to his career where he magically wins a Super Bowl, I don’t think he will end up in the Hall of Fame; however, Mike McCartney needs to end up in the agent Hall of Fame.
Oct 14, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Kirk Cousins during the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports.
Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has made some good money during his long NFL career. He’s known as a player who always signs fully guaranteed contracts. In fact, the last time his salary wasn’t guaranteed was over a decade ago, in Washington, during the final year of his rookie contract.
On Thursday, he announced that his next stop will be the Las Vegas Raiders, where he’ll mentor the likely first overall pick, Fernando Mendoza.
Dec 29, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) celebrates after a victory over the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
His deal with his new squad has turned some heads. ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed the inflated numbers in a tweet, saying:
Comp update: Kirk Cousins will sign a five-year, $172 million deal with the Raiders that in reality is a one-year, fully-guaranteed $20 million deal that also contains a club option for two years at $80M.
The Falcons will pay Cousins $8.7 million this season, the Raiders another $1.3 million and Las Vegas also agreed to pay its new QB a fully-guaranteed $10 million roster bonus on the third day of the 2027 new league year.
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And maybe most notably, it also sets another new mark: this will be the 11th straight NFL season in which Cousins’ contract will be fully guaranteed.
He ultimately used a bunch of words to describe a contract that will be shredded in a year. The last four years of the five-year deal are pretty much made up. Cousins will make $20 million for one season. Of that salary, his former team, the Atlanta Falcons, will be on the hook for $8.7 million. Las Vegas will pay the other $11.3 million.
Aug 8, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) on the sideline against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
But there’s one caveat that Atlanta can’t be happy about. The roster bonus will be due in March of 2027. Therefore, it doesn’t count against this year’s money he’s owed by Atlanta. Cousins had $10 million of guaranteed money left on his deal when the Falcons released him. He’d make that money whether he’s sitting on a beach or playing for someone else.
These contracts have offset language, however, meaning his new salary will reduce the money the old team has to pay him. The Vikings benefit from that rule multiple times this year. Because the Bengals pay Jonathan Allen more than the Vikings owed him, they no longer owe him that money.
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Cousins found a way to get the money from the Falcons, but also make more than they would’ve paid him.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio commented, “It seems too easy, too convenient. Cousins’s market value was $20 million. The Raiders found a way to get him there by making the Falcons pay $8.7 million of it. The Falcons, frankly, should be pissed. It’s one thing to sign a guy to a one-year deal for the minimum and to stick his former team with the rest of it, like Tagovailoa and Murray did. It’s another to come up with a way to pay Cousins more than the money he’s owed by the Falcons by bumping some of the guarantee into the next year.”
The Vikings got Kyler Murray for the same $1.3 million while the Arizona Cardinals are stuck with over $35 million. If the Raiders signed Cousins for $5 million, the Falcons would pay the remaining $5 million. If Las Vegas signed Cousins for $10 million or more, Atlanta would owe nothing.
Dec 8, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell talk after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Long story short, the Falcons still owe Cousins $8.7 million of his initial $10 million, while the Raiders pay him the difference. Then, Cousins will get another $10 million next year that doesn’t count towards that Falcons money due to contract magic.
Next offseason, Cousins will likely be released and land on the open market once again, as the two-year. $80 million club option triggers in March and it would be shocking if Cousins played well enough to be worth that.
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According to Over the Cap, Cousins ranks third in NFL history in career earnings. He’ll likely be passed by some players who entered the league after him in the near future, but as his earnings appraoch $350 million, he can’t be too mad about that.
Roman Reigns had a heartfelt interaction with a young fan. He also shared a nice message for the fan.
Reigns is one of the biggest stars in the world of professional wrestling. He has gained a massive fan following over the years. Given that Reigns’ appearances are treated as box office, he always gets a huge pop when he shows up. While he puts on the tough persona of someone who doesn’t care about anyone else but himself, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Thanks for the submission!
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The OTC recently granted a wish for a young fan named Javion. The former WWE Champion even went the extra mile and posted the pictures of his interaction with the young fan on Instagram with a heartfelt message. This was out of character for Reigns.
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“It was a pleasure meeting you and your family, Javion. Keep pushing, and keep inspiring others. I can’t wait to see your growth and what you do in the future. ☝🏽”
Check out his post here:
Trick Williams wants to face Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is one of the most sought-after stars on the WWE roster. Therefore, there are a lot of people who want his spot. There are also a lot of stars who want to face The OTC to find out who is the best. One of those stars is Trick Williams.
“I would love to get in the ring with Booker T, but in the event that day has passed, I want to lock up with Roman Reigns, The Big Dog, The Tribal Chief. He said he’s the greatest, so let’s find out,” Williams said.
If Trick Williams keeps improving in the ring, then this match won’t be too far away.
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Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has made a strong appeal to Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant, asking him to commit to opening the batting throughout the IPL 2026 season. Pant’s batting position has been a major talking point heading into the new campaign, especially after a mixed run in the previous edition where he struggled for consistency apart from a lone century. In their recent clash against Delhi Capitals at Ekana Cricket Stadium, Pant promoted himself to the top but his outing was cut short by an unfortunate run-out. Opening alongside Mitchell Marsh, Pant added a left-right combination at the top, pushing the in-form Aiden Markram down to No.3. The LSG captain looked fluent during his brief stay, even striking a crisp straight drive off Mukesh Kumar, before a freak moment saw Marsh’s shot deflect onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end, catching Pant short. Reacting to the situation, Ashwin felt Pant should avoid uncertainty and stick to opening. “It was very unfortunate the way Rishabh Pant got out, and even more unfortunate the way he talked after the match. He was asked whether he would open the innings, and he replied 50-50. I request you with folded hands, please open in every match. Justin Langer, or whoever is there in the LSG team management, should go and tell Rishabh Pant to go out there and play freely in the powerplay. Go and play the entire 14 games as an opener,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. He further explained that Pant’s impact could reduce if he bats lower down the order. “If he comes into bat after the powerplay, the bowlers have a strategy to stop him. So, I think he should open the batting, for himself and for LSG as well,” he added. Pant’s record as an opener in the IPL remains limited. Across six innings at the top, he has scored 132 runs at an average of 22.00 and a strike rate of 128.16, including one half-century. Despite Ashwin’s strong stance, Pant indicated that his role is not yet finalised. “It’s still a 50-50 call, but you’ll definitely see me batting in the top order this season,” Pant said after the defeat. Reflecting on the run-out and the loss, the wicketkeeper-batter stressed the importance of moving forward quickly. “The best way to recover is to move on and not dwell on it too much. Certain things are beyond your control, and thinking about them only puts you on the back foot. It’s about looking ahead and staying positive,” he said. LSG will next take on Sunrisers Hyderabad, led by Ishan Kishan, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on April 5, where Pant’s batting position will once again be under the spotlight.
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