Manchester City produced a crucial 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, tightening the Premier League title race and cutting the gap at the top to just three points. Despite the defeat, Arsenal remain league leaders, but City’s win adds significant pressure heading into the final stretch of the season, especially with Pep Guardiola’s side still holding a game in hand.

Cherki sparks early City dominance

Manchester City started brightly and took the lead through Rayan Cherki, who produced a moment of individual brilliance. The midfielder danced through Arsenal’s defensive line before finishing clinically to put the hosts ahead. The goal reflected City’s early intensity and attacking intent in a high-stakes encounter.

However, Arsenal responded quickly, taking advantage of an error from City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, whose mistake gifted the visitors an equaliser and brought the game back into balance.

Haaland delivers decisive blow

Haaland’s goal proved to be the decisive moment in a tightly contested match, showcasing his ability to deliver in crucial moments of the title race.

Arsenal fight but fall short

Arsenal continued to push for another equaliser but were unable to break down City’s defensive structure in the closing stages. Despite spells of pressure, they lacked the final cutting edge needed to rescue a point at the Etihad.

The result keeps Arsenal at the top of the table, but their lead has been reduced, increasing pressure as the season approaches its decisive phase.

Title race intensifies

With this victory, Manchester City have firmly re-entered the title race conversation. The gap is now just three points, and with a game in hand, Guardiola’s side are in a strong position to challenge for top spot.

Arsenal, meanwhile, will need to respond quickly to avoid losing momentum in what is shaping up to be a dramatic Premier League title finish.

The 2026 NFL draft is fast approaching, so it’s time to start looking at the Vikings’ draft options. Having previously looked at safety, we now turn our attention to another position that has been a popular choice in the mock drafts. 

How Minnesota Can Attack DT across All Three Days

Defensive tackle is a position the Vikings need to strengthen, in terms of potential starters and depth. Here, we look at some of the Vikings’ draft options through the different rounds.

The Potential First Rounders

At one point, my 2026 Vikings draft crush, yet another injury heading into the combine has seen the excitement that was building for Caleb Banks. The talent is unquestionable; he wowed at the combine while carrying an injury, but his lengthy injury history (including multiple foot injuries) is a major red flag.

Banks can be a complementary pass-rush option early in his career, and can be a very good player in both phases if he can stay healthy. Right now, that is a big if, which makes pinpointing where he becomes good value in the draft difficult. I don’t think you can draft him at 18, but if the Vikings trade back, then he becomes an option.

Peter Woods offers an ideal blend of size, strength, and athleticism. His explosive first step and ability to convert speed to power make him disruptive at the line of scrimmage. He created a lot of pressures in college, but his pass-rush repertoire needs fine-tuning to make sure he turns those pressures into sacks – especially entering the pro ranks.

Woods was expected to be a top-half first-round pick entering the 2025 season, but after a disappointing year, his draft stock has fallen. He is also a player who becomes a better option if the Vikings trade back.

The most solid option of the potential first-rounder is Kayden McDonald. He is a big, powerful nose tackle who can be the cornerstone of the Vikings’ stout run defense. You know what you are getting with McDonald, which includes a limited pass-rush profile. For that reason, 18 is too high for him, so we are yet again looking at a trade back to make McDonald feel like a viable option.

Day 2 Represents Plenty of Good Options

A big argument for not drafting a DT in the first round is that the drop off on Day 2 isn’t too steep – all three of the listed potential first rounders may even make it to Day 2. Lee Hunter highlights the choices here, a player who showed steady improvement across four seasons.

He excels in run defense, but his improvement in pass-rush situations is what caught the eye over the past year and saw his draft stock climb.

Christen Miller is another round-two prospect with a strong frame, good length, and rare twitch for an interior defender. His quick first step, leverage, and processing ability make him a reliable run defender. He has raw power but needs to develop a pass-rushing skillset if he is to become a top player.

Another big guy in the middle is Domonique Orange. The Vikings have shown interest in the massive defensive line prospect during the pre-draft process. He has elite power potential, supported by impressive weight-room strength. He has first-step explosiveness; however, his hand speed and pass-rush finesse are limited.

He is the guy who can be the immovable object in the middle that the rest of the defensive line works around. Two more names to look out for in a similar mold on Day 2 are Darrel Jackson Jr and Rayshaun Benny.

The Best of the Rest On Day 3

Dontay Corleone, known as “The Godfather,” was one of the most dominant run defenders in 2022, using his size and strength to control the line of scrimmage. He also showed great pass-rushing skills early in his career, but the production faded in recent seasons. Four years on, and the outlook isn’t so good, and a blood clot issue in 2024 adds some concern. He offers rare quickness for a nose tackle and would be worth a gamble from the fifth round onwards.

A couple of other options at nose tackle worth looking at in the later rounds are Deonte Capehart and Tim Keenan. Capehart is a long, experienced defensive tackle, but he must use his length more consistently when stacking and rushing. Limited twitch and slower block-shedding cap his ceiling, though he can contribute as a rotational run defender. Keenan is a similar story whose strength and leverage make him a solid run defender who could be used in the rotation, but would need to develop his pass rushing to become more than that.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

The Minnesota Vikings will answer all your draft questions in four short days, with the event kicking off in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. Minnesota is scheduled to pick nine times from Thursday through Saturday, several more picks than last year. So, these are the main questions facing the franchise.

Five questions. One draft. Answers are on the way.

The Biggest Decisions Still Hanging Over Minnesota’s Draft Plan

Interim Rob Brzezinski will run the draft for the very first time as the top guy.

5. Are Any Existing Players Traded?

The Vikings arguably have three main trade candidates at the moment:

• Jordan Addison (WR)
• Jonathan Greenard (OLB)
• J.J. McCarthy (QB)

Addison and McCarthy probably won’t be traded, but Greenard is somewhat fair game, especially after his former employer, the Houston Texans, extended Will Anderson’s contract for three years and $150 million on Friday. That deal places Greenard in the $35 million-per-season range, which the Vikings may not be able to afford.

In theory, Minnesota could ship Greenard to an EDGE-needy team for a 2nd-Round pick and draft a rookie replacement.

4. What’s the New Center’s Name?

Unless the Vikings just love Blake Brandel, a new center is likely on the way from the draft. In tiers, these are the options:

Tier 1 —

• Sam Hecht (Kansas State)
• Connor Lew (Auburn)
• Logan Jones (Iowa)
• Jake Slaugther (Florida)

Tier 2 —

• Parker Brailsford (Alabama)
• Pat Coogan (Indiana)

The Tier 1 options will probably be drafted from Round 2 through 4; Tier 2 is after Round 4. Jones and Slaughter are “old” rookies who should be more game-ready than most. Lew is 20, and Hecht is a normal rookie age.

3. Who’s the New Running Back?

If one assumes that Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love will be picked in the Top 10 or before the Vikings’ draft pick, Minnesota must choose between these runners:

• Jadarian Price (Notre Dame | R2)
• Mike Washington Jr. (Arkansas | R3)
• Jonah Coleman (Washington | R3)
• Emmett Johnson (Nebraska | R4)
• Kaytron Allen (Penn State | R5)
• Nick Singleton (Penn State | R5)
• Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest | R6)
• Adam Randall (Clemson | R6)
• Le’Veon Moss (Texas A&M | R7)

The Vikings have met with several rookie tailbacks in the last two months; a new one is probably on the way. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are scheduled for 2027 free agency.

It’s worth noting that Johnson is from Minneapolis and has openly campaigned to be drafted by the Vikings. Our Brevan Bane on Johnson: “Johnson’s fit would be in the same realm of what Demond Claiborne would bring, just in a different style. The pass protection isn’t there, but Johnson would be an elusive back to Jordan Mason’s more power-running style.”

“With Johnson in the backfield, assuming Jordan Mason extends with the Vikings after 2026 (and also that Aaron Jones is gone after this year), Minnesota would still lack a running back that can either pass protect really well or truly turn on the burners. He’s different enough from Jordan Mason to not make the backfield completely redundant, but still lacks in some of the same areas that Mason does, although beating him in others.”

2. Will the Vikings Continue to Gloss Over CB?

Fact: In 2022, the Vikings needed a cornerback; they drafted a safety in Round 1 instead.

Fact: In 2023, the Vikings needed a cornerback; they drafted a wide receiver in Round 1 instead.

Fact: In 2024, the Vikings needed a quarterback and an edge rusher; they drafted a safety in Round 1 instead.

Fact: In 2025, the Vikings needed a cornerback; they drafted a guard in Round 1 instead.

Does this pattern just continue? Does defensive coordinator Brian Flores really not need elite corners for his defense to flourish? How good would the defense be if he picked one?

1. Alas, Who’s the Pick at 18?

This year’s Vikings draft is extremely tricky to predict if one doesn’t expect it to be as simple as drafting Dillon Thieneman of Oregon. They could draft a cornerback, defensive tackle, tight end, wide receiver, or a safety like Thieneman, and no one would be too flabbergasted.

As an example, Minnesota’s pick could be any man from this list:

• C.J. Allen (LB, Georgia)
• Denzel Boston (WR, Washington)
• Omar Cooper Jr. (WR, Indiana)
• Kevin Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)
• Keldric Faulk (EDGE, Auburn)
• Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee)
• Chris Johnson (CB, San Diego State)
• Kayden McDonald (DT, Ohio State)
• Jermod McCoy (CB, Tennessee)
• Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (EDGE, Toledo)
• T.J. Parker (EDGE, Clemson)
• Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon)
• Avieon Terrell (CB, Clemson)
• Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon)
• Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)

Usually, a Vikings draft docket of suspects has half this count.

Therefore, the identity of the 18th pick will headline everything on Thursday night, as expected.

The 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has made a confident statement about his approach to the game and long-term ambition of representing India at the senior level, while also underlining his belief in his ability to change matches in pressure situations. Speaking on Doordarshan, Sooryavanshi reflected on his mindset at the crease and the conversations he has had with his family regarding his cricketing journey. Emphasising his self-belief, he said he remains focused on utilising his skills to influence games whenever he is at the crease.

“For whatever duration I am on the ground, as long as I am using my skills, dominate and play, I can snatch the match from opponents’ hands. I also spoke to my father. He said I have fulfilled half of his dream, but half is still left. I need to play in the World Cup for the senior Indian team. Of course, every player shares the same dream: to play for the seniors and win for their country, India. That is my focus for India,” Sooryavanshi said.

Former India cricketer Saba Karim, who also featured in the discussion, praised Sooryavanshi’s natural striking ability and compared his raw power to some of the best batters seen at a young age.

However, he made a distinction between power and technical refinement, suggesting that the youngster’s biggest strength lies in his natural ability rather than structured coaching.

“The power I saw in Sachin Tendulkar at a similar age, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has more power than that. I am talking about power, not technique. This boy’s bat speed, his swing, his high back-lift, that is unbelievable. And no coach can teach that. You get that by birth.”

In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 so far, Rajasthan Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has smashed 246 runs in six matches at a staggering strike rate of 236.53.

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

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The league table never lies, apparently. It may do now. A supposed title decider ended with the side still in second nevertheless possessing the advantage. It has been Arsenal’s title to lose for months, but perhaps this defeat means it is being lost.

They had retreated down the tunnel at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City went on their lap of honour, a bare-chested Erling Haaland letting his hair run free, Pep Guardiola directing kisses to the crowd, Gianluigi Donnarumma beating the badge on his chest, relieved the biggest error of his season had become a footnote, not the faulty footwork that determined the destination of the trophy.

This, perhaps, was what Arsenal feared. Second best against City in the Carabao Cup final, they will be second behind them on Wednesday, if Guardiola’s team beat Burnley. “It is a new league now,” admitted Mikel Arteta.

An epic game delivered a massive momentum shift to Manchester. In their last four matches against domestic opponents, Arsenal have lost to City twice, Southampton and Bournemouth. In their last four fixtures, City have beaten Arsenal twice, Liverpool and Chelsea. They are peaking when it matters. “We are alive,” said Guardiola, who had warned it would be all over with defeat. “I’m happy because we can extend the hope.”

Where there was Haaland, there was hope. City had the big man for the big occasion. Three years ago, Haaland – along with Kevin de Bruyne – decided a similar clash with Arsenal. History repeated itself when the striker contorted his giant frame to hook in a shot.

He had hit the post earlier. He had not scored in the Premier League for two months. He has had a barren 2026 but his last two home games have yielded a hat-trick against Liverpool and now this, perhaps the most seismic of his 158 City goals.

He was too much of a handful for Gabriel Magalhaes, who ripped his shirt tugging the Norwegian and somehow escaped a red card for aiming a headbutt at him. “I think if I fell on the floor, which I will not do unless someone really attacks me, it will maybe be a red card,” said Haaland. His honesty did not cost City. But Arsenal, the supposed defensive masters, were frayed in other respects, caught crucially on a counter-attack.

The talismanic Nico O’Reilly, Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final nemesis, was his provider, with a low cross after running the ball out from his own half. A move begun by Donnarumma – this time his distribution was good – was finished by Haaland. He was there at the end, too, hoofing the ball clear from the edge of his own box. It amounted to a marauding display. “Today he fought like an animal,” said his captain, Bernardo Silva.

Donnarumma had particular grounds to be grateful to the warrior-striker. The goalkeeping error in the Carabao Cup final came from Arsenal and it was costly. This stemmed from City, but it was not. Kai Havertz scored a Champions League final winner against them, but when it seemed he had delivered a goal of a similar magnitude in the Premier League, Haaland ensured otherwise. “The difference was in both boxes,” lamented Arteta.

Each had scored from inside them as they traded goals in 107 seconds. Rayan Cherki, who had already hit the woodwork, weaved his way between Gabriel and Declan Rice, and angled his shot in off the far post.

But Arsenal were bolder than many expected. They did not come just to nullify City, and Arteta used their physical power to press high. It yielded a remarkable goal. Havertz charged down Donnarumma’s clearance, the ball flying in. It was a reminder that Donnarumma is no Ederson, no typical Guardiola goalkeeper. It revived the old criticism about his shortcomings with the ball at his feet. “The mistake from Gigi is our mistake,” said Guardiola. He could be forgiving because the Italian was to have a redemptive second half: a superb save from Havertz, the quick ball out that led to City’s second goal.

Which rendered it tougher for an Arsenal side who have only scored four times in six games. They scarcely fashioned their latest effort with creativity. And yet they were agonisingly close to more.

Havertz was denied by Donnarumma. Eberechi Eze struck one post with a shot, Gabriel the other with a header that deflected off O’Reilly. Havertz headed just over in the 95th minute. They could scarcely have come closer. “The margins,” sighed Arteta. “We hit the post [with Eze], I look at the images, it is incredible how the ball doesn’t go in.”

Part of the frustration for him may be that Arsenal were far better than they were against Bournemouth, and that he did much right. Choosing both Eze and Odegaard added flair; one almost scored, the other nearly assisted. Havertz looked a vast upgrade on the dropped Viktor Gyokeres. And yet it still was not enough.

Guardiola, Arteta’s boss for three-and-a-half years, can still be the boss when it matters. The business end of the season often brings the best from him. The strangest, too. He had slapped his thighs in irritation.

He went through his repertoire of extraordinary – at times, indescribably weird – gestures on the touchline. When he complained Gabriel did not see red, he got his seventh yellow card of the campaign. He may get his seventh Premier League title.

Arteta’s first could remain elusive. “We go again,” he said. But they may be second again.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur admitted her team is going through a tough phase but stressed the need to stick together and bounce back after suffering their second successive defeat to South Africa in the women’s T20 International series here on Sunday. India went down meekly by eight wickets in the second women’s T20I to trail 0-2 in the five-match series here on Sunday. Asked to bat first, India were all out for 147 and SA chased down the target quite comfortably, reaching 148 for 2 in 17.1 overs.

“Tough time. We as a team need to stay together,” Harmanpreet said at the post-match presentation.

“Hopefully, we’ll go (to Johannesburg for the third match on April 22) with positive approach. T20 format is like that: it’s about staying together.” Harmanpreet rued that her team could not do well in the death-over batting and powerplay bowling.

“I think with bat, we were not able to contribute way we wanted. Last ten overs of the innings we did not bat well. We need to think how we go about next three matches. When you’re not getting the shots, rotating strike is a key point. We were discussing… we can rotate strike and it can help us through that time. But it’s a time when things didn’t work.

“Powerplay, while bowling, is not going our way.” Opener Shafali Verma was the lone bright spot for India with a 38-ball 57, which was studded with seven fours and two sixes.

“Shafali been a great talent for us. Attacking batter. Hope she’ll continue for us,” the skipper said.

South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt said restricting India to 147 all out was a good job done by her side.

“Pretty good catching, one or two put down, but we took one or two good ones as well. After start they had, restricting them was great,” she said.

“Area we struggled with last season (death bowling), bowlers identified bowling slower ones into the wicket was helping. It’s something we’ve talked a lot about. Being present on the cricket field. Little things showing on the field.” “(We’re in) great position to be in. But India, world champs in ODI cricket, they’ll come back pretty hardly. Switch off tomorrow and then be ready for the next one.” 

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

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Bayern Munich came from behind to beat VfB Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena and secure the Bundesliga title for a record 35th time.

The Bavarians, who have been dominant this season with only one defeat, needed just a draw to be confirmed champions after Borussia Dortmund lost to Hoffenheim on Saturday.

However, Stuttgart made a bright start and nearly delayed the celebrations. Chris Führich opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a fine curling effort that left the home fans stunned.

Bayern reacted quickly. Raphaël Guerreiro equalised 10 minutes later, before Nicolas Jackson, filling in for Harry Kane, put the hosts ahead just two minutes after the equaliser.

Alphonso Davies added a third goal before half-time, reacting smartly inside the box to guide the ball past Alexander Nübel after a pass from Luis Díaz.

Kane, who replaced Jamal Musiala at the break, made an instant impact. The England striker scored Bayern’s fourth goal just seven minutes into the second half, taking his league tally to 32 for the season.

Stuttgart managed a late reply through Chema Andrés in the 88th minute, but it was not enough to stop Bayern’s celebrations.

The victory means Bayern have now won 13 titles in the last 14 seasons, underlining their dominance in German football. They remain on course for a possible treble, with important semi-final clashes against Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal and Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League still to come later this month.

A total of two matches took place on Sunday, but the IPL 2026 points table saw only two teams swapping their positions. In the day game, Kolkata Knight Riders registered a comeback win by four wickets against Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens. With the win, the three-time champions rose to the ninth spot, with Mumbai Indians slipping to the bottom position in the points table. In the night game, Punjab Kings outplayed Lucknow Super Giants by a massive margin of 54 runs to retain their top position. Despite the loss, LSG remained in the eighth spot.

Explosive knocks from opener Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly helped table-toppers Punjab Kings hammer Lucknow Super Giants by 54 runs to stay unbeaten this season. Arya struck 93 off 37 balls, while fellow left-hander Connolly hit 87 to power Punjab to this season’s highest total of 254/7 after being invited to bat first in Chandigarh.

In reply, Lucknow managed just 200/5 as Punjab consolidated their top spot in the 10-team table with five wins and one no-result in six matches. An early reprieve for Connolly proved costly for Lucknow after skipper Rishabh Pant decided not to review an lbw call in the second over from Mohsin Khan, with replays suggesting the ball would have hit the stumps. Australia’s Connolly was on four at the time and went on to add 182 runs for the second wicket with Arya as the duo bludgeoned the opposition attack with 16 sixes between them.

“It was exceptional, some of the shots were jaw-dropping,” said Punjab skipper Shreyas Iyer. “I was just talking to Cooper and Priyansh; we were challenging each other on who will hit the most sixes this season. They are up for it.”

Arya reached his second fifty of the season in just 19 balls, and soon the Lucknow attack had no answers for the batting blitz. Connolly went after Aiden Markram with three straight sixes, and Arya finished the over with two more in a 32-run 13th over as Punjab threatened to breach 300. However, pace bowler Prince Yadav dismissed Connolly, and Arya fell three balls later in the next over to miss out on a century.

Mohsin Khan then dismissed Iyer for five, but Australia’s Marcus Stoinis steered the team to a mammoth total with a 16-ball 29. Mitchell Marsh, who hit 40, and Ayush Badoni (35) handed Lucknow a brisk start, while Pant struck 43. However, regular wickets and the ever-increasing run rate kept the side behind the chase. Markram hit a valiant 42 off 22 balls, but despite a few dropped catches by Punjab fielders, Lucknow suffered their third straight loss.

“Definitely, we believe in this team for sure,” said Pant. “But at the same time, when the opposition is playing well, like Punjab is playing now, you’ve got to give credit to them for playing good, hard cricket.”

In the first match of the day, Rinku Singh hit an unbeaten 53 to lead Kolkata Knight Riders to their first win of the IPL season as they beat Rajasthan Royals by four wickets. Rajasthan posted 155/9 as their batting faltered after 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi top-scored with 46 at Eden Gardens. Three-time champions Kolkata slipped to 85/6 before the left-handed Rinku steered the team home with two balls to spare.

(With AFP inputs)

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Mazu, the standout eight-year-old, preserves his blistering speed and love for racing, leading all the way to bag his hat-trick in the Group 3 $250,000 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.

Joe Pride’s veteran had prior Hall Mark successes on heavy tracks suited to his style, but he adapted superbly to the firm conditions, recording a swift 1m 8.19s for the win.

The result showcased Pride’s training prowess from various angles, most notably with the stable locking the trifecta as King’s Secret and Private Eye filled the next two berths, separated by less than half a length among the three.

The trainer’s fourth participant, Kerguelen, was a length-and-a-half behind in fifth.

“To train the trifecta in any race, particularly a Group 3, is very satisfying,” Pride said. “All four of my horses ran great races.

“But Mazu, what a fantastic old warrior he is. We’ve won three of these in-a-row and done it on a dry track today.

“I think this track’s got a little bit of give in it because In Flight won here last week and she has a similar record where her best form is on wet tracks.”

Rachel King guided the $3.70 chance Mazu to a brave head verdict over $7.50 shot King’s Secret, as $3.30 market leader Private Eye surged late for third, a short neck back.

“I think he knows this is his race; he loves it,” King said of Mazu.

“I was concerned with the firmer deck today, I just didn’t know how he’d let down on it.

“But that last 50m, he pinned his ears back and he just wanted to beat them.

“I love seeing an older horse like that, even if he only wins one race a year, he deserves it.”

At Randwick, the Hall Mark Stakes provided Pride’s second feature trifecta in succession, emulating Chris Waller’s trio of Fireball over Campione D’Italia and Diameter in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes.

Mazu now has 10 wins from 46 attempts, elevating his stake money to $10.8 million courtesy of owners Triple Crown Syndications via Chris Ward and Sam Manion.

Pride assessed the runs of each sprinter in turn, opening with Mazu. “Mazu’s grumpy, he’s not the kind of guy you want to hang out with on a long-term sort of basis,” Pride said.”It has to be all on his terms and we let him do that. He does everything as he wants, we don’t tell him what he has to do. He’s enjoying his racing and hopefully there’s another season or two left in him.

“We might give him a break. He doesn’t do much in Brisbane generally, but we’ll get him home and have a look at him.

“King’s Secret was really good. I think, out of the race, he’s probably the real eye-catcher because he’s not ready for all this yet, but I thought it was terrific.

“Private Eye’s probably looking for that a little bit further. Maybe just being a bit older, being first up is not as big an advantage as it used to be, but I thought he was good to the line.

“Kerguelen was super, he was really good from the back – so I couldn’t be happier with how it has worked out for the stable.”

Fans can check racing betting markets for similar sprint showdowns via online bookmakers.

Punjab Kings’ captain Shreyas Iyer (PTI Photo)

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer was left impressed after Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly produced a stunning batting display to power their side to a 54-run win over Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday. Arya, one of the country’s most talked about T20 batting talents alongside Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, smashed 93 off 37 balls, while Connolly, the highly rated Australian next-gen batter, struck 87 off 45 deliveries. Their 182-run partnership off just 80 balls laid the foundation for PBKS posting a massive 254 for 7. In reply, LSG could only manage 200 for 5 despite a fighting 43 from Rishabh Pant and 40 from Mitchell Marsh. Iyer was full of praise for the duo’s intent and mindset. He called the performance “exceptional” and said “some of the shots were jaw dropping”, highlighting the courage and composure shown at the crease. He also revealed a light-hearted challenge within the group, saying he had been “just talking to Cooper and Priyansh” about who would hit the most sixes this season, adding that both were “up for it”. The PBKS captain stressed the team environment gives young batters full freedom. “When you just let them be, go out and express themselves, they deliver,” he said, adding that he does not dictate how they should construct their innings as they follow their own routines and processes. Iyer also credited the support system around the team, mentioning Ricky Ponting’s involvement before games while he chips in with inputs. On the bowling group, he said PBKS have a largely international-quality attack and pointed to their execution levels as key to the win, while admitting the team takes “a lot of satisfaction” from reading and adapting to the wicket. The victory underlined PBKS’ growing confidence this season, built on aggressive intent and clarity in roles, as they continue to push towards a stronger campaign after finishing runners-up in 2025.