Suryakumar Yadav (R) interacts with Tilak Varma during a net session at Narendra Modi Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Ahmedabad, India. (Photo/Getty Images)

India captain Suryakumar Yadav on Saturday defended Tilak Varma despite his modest returns in the T20 World Cup league stage, saying the batter is following instructions given by the team management.Tilak’s strike rate, which is above 141 in his career, has dropped to the 120s in this tournament. He has struggled against slow bowlers on surfaces where the ball has gripped more. Across four matches, he has managed only 11 boundaries and three sixes and has not been able to shift gears after settling in.

The India captain said Tilak’s approach is part of a defined role.“I mean I have told him, the team management has told him that he has to bat that way. If one wicket is down, then he is definitely, he can go and have his own game in the powerplay,” Surya said.“But as soon as two wickets are down, then he has to take a little bit of backseat, get a partnership again, get to the 10th over and then we have enough firepower to continue and take on the bowling,” the Indian skipper explained the rationale behind the approach although it wasn’t exactly convincing.He added that Tilak himself would expect more from his performances.“Definitely, I am sure he must not be happy with how he is batting right now, I am sure. He must be and he has practiced a lot as well in the last 2-3 practice sessions. But I don’t have any concern regarding him. He has been delivering for India at No. 3 really well and I am very confident that he will do it better.”Suryakumar dismissed talk of replacing Tilak with Sanju Samson.“You mean, I should make him (Samson) play for Tilak?” he laughed.He said India’s scoring in the powerplay has been normal but expectations remain high.“It’s going well in powerplay. We’re making 40-50 runs. That’s normal cricket. Now we’ve played so well in bilaterals. It happens. We also have expectations of ourselves. Expectation to make 220, 240, 250,” he said.“But wickets are a little different here (in the World Cup). The four wickets we have played on so far were a little different and challenging. Off-spinners were not bowling earlier but are bowling now. So we have started preparation for that and hopefully we will tackle it as we start our Super 8 journey.”The captain said he is confident in the bowling unit, especially when defending totals around 175 to 180.“I do take a lot of pride in my bowling unit. I know that on a given day, if we ever make 170, 175, or 180 because of the high risk, high reward game we are trying to play, then we have a good bowling attack which can save the match, it can win that game,” he said.“Look, I never thought that this team will make scores like 250, 270, 220, 230. But the way we’re playing cricket now, you’ll see in the future, if you see a start, then after that, everyone bats with the same template. But the day you don’t get a start, that day you have to think about what the team needs.”

File photo of India’s Jasprit Bumrah during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. (ANI)

TimesofIndia.com in Ahmedabad: Right from the build-up to the start of the T20 World Cup, all the noise has surrounded India’s famed batting line-up. The broadcaster has relentlessly hyped the 300-mark and even after four group stage games, the talk remains focused on Indian batting. Reasons may vary, but the subject has seldom changed and all pre-match discussions have revolved around Abhishek Sharma’s three ducks, Ishan Kishan’s heroics, the slowdown by Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav, or the firepower in the lower order. Batting has remained the keyword and it has always been in this unforgiving format. Bowlers are often under appreciated based on their statistics — economy rate, wickets column — which rarely reveal the big picture or how they performed in the larger context of the match. A 35-ball fifty always trumps a 4-0-30-0 but the latter often makes the former look better than it has been.

While the batting unit has been the talk of the town, the potent bowling unit has slipped under the radar, but has continued to be the real deal. Varun Chakravarthy is the No.1 ranked T20I bowler, Arshdeep Singh has been a force in the format. Jasprit Bumrah continues to be brilliant, Axar Patel is smart and the two all-rounders — Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube — are genuine options, not just fillers. Not to forget the additional options in Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar. When India embraced the slam-bang mode in the format, their complete bowling attack provided underlying confidence. On days the approach backfired, bowlers were there to do the job. Like they were in that 2024 T20 World Cup final vs South Africa. Even on a bad day for Kuldeep and Axar, Hardik, Bumrah and Arshdeep combined to pull things back when they almost slipped away, helping India secure the elusive silverware. Now for them to defend the title, and become the only team to do so, the bowlers will hold the key. As the famous saying goes, “batters can win you matches but it’s the bowlers who win you tournaments,” and India have the most dangerous and well-rounded attack in the tournament.

Varun Chakravarthy is India’s highest wicket-taker so far in the T20 World Cup. (AP Photo)

When the questioning predictably focused on India’s batting — specifically their vulnerabilities against spin and the sluggishness in the middle overs — captain Suryakumar highlighted the efforts of the bowling unit’s and explained why he takes so much “pride” in them.“I take a lot of pride in my bowling unit. I know that on a given day, I always used to think that if we ever made 170, 175, or 180 in T20 cricket, then the high risk, high reward game we are trying to play, if we ever get stuck in 180, then we have so much good bowling that it can save the match, it can win that game,” said Surya.Even in their last group game against the Netherlands, the Indian team management wanted to prepare their bowlers for future challenges. The decision to bat first for the game was primarily made to give them a taste of dew.“When I had practiced here before the Netherlands game, there was very heavy dew one day before when we practiced. So we thought, why not bat first, take that pressure and then later put bowlers under little bit of pressure, bowl them under dew because we have not bowled under dew a lot. We didn’t face a lot of dew when we were at Wankhede, Delhi also. So it’s better they get an opportunity also to bowl in the dew and so that we are well prepared for it,” explained Surya.

Axar Patel, with skipper Suryakumar Yadav, celebrates the wicket of Pakistan’s Usman Khan. (ANI Photo)

The opposition has been busy planning for players like Abhishek, Kishan and Surya but significant attention is also paid to countering Bumrah & co. The different challenges which each of them bring to the table can be a nightmare for a batting unit to plan for, and South Africa have been no different. That familiar feeling exists because the two teams played in a bilateral series not long ago, and senior batter Quinton de Kock hoped the batters would apply their learnings to counter India’s x-factor Varun.“He’s (Varun) a good bowler, a very good bowler at the moment. And obviously he bowled really well against us in the series, like two months ago. Hopefully the guys have, after that series, just had a little bit more time to have a look at him, speak about how they’re going to play against him. So hopefully with their plans it comes off and if it doesn’t there’s a reason why he is probably the number one T20 spinner in the world. So we’ll have to see what we can do,” said de Kock on his former Kolkata Knight Riders teammate.Varun has an economy of 5.16, Bumrah is going at just 6 an over, Axar Patel is at 6.63, Kuldeep and Arshdeep at 4.66 and 7.60 respectively. Even the all-rounders Pandya and Dube have maintained control with an economy of 7.92 and 8.62 each. There are no freebies or releases on offer and it will take more than one bad day for this bowling unit to mess up a fixture. When serious business begins with the Super 8, the unsung bowlers will start hogging most of the limelight because they are the most crucial piece of the puzzle.

By beating Houston on its home court, something only one other Big 12 school had done in three seasons, Arizona is firmly in control of the race for the conference regular season title. The Wildcats are a game up in the standings with four to go and hold the tiebreaker over the Cougars.

“We’ve put ourselves in position to be in position, now you’ve got to take advantage of that,” UA coach Tommy Lloyd said after his team picked up its third win over a Top 3 opponent, the first school to do so in a regular season since Kansas in 2011-12. “I’m sure this win doesn’t look bad on our resume when it comes down to seeding and you’re hoping for matchups in the tournament. But by no means does this win guarantee anything.”

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Our game recap can be found here. Below is what Lloyd and freshman wing Ivan Kharchenkov said afterwards:

On winning at Houston: “For us to come out on top means a lot, but we still got a longer road ahead, so we’ve gotta make sure we’re locked in and prepared to move forward. And we will be. But just a great day for our program.”

On facing Kelvin Sampson: “I usually don’t talk about myself. I don’t know how my coaching career is going to end up at, but I know one thing: I’m going to have become a better coach having coached against Kelvin Sampson. A hundred percent. You look at coaches that kind of set the benchmark in certain areas, and for me he’s one of them. What he’s done with this program down here, it’s been amazing. The kind of run you guys are on down here, it reminds me of where I came from. I was at this little old school called Gonzaga, no one really believed, but they had a hell of coach just like you have. The head coach at Gonzaga and the head coach at Houston have willed these programs to be elite, and that’s really inspiring to me.”

On having a better gameplan against Houston than in previous meetings: “You always learn when you play against people, the more you play against them, but teams are different year after year. Their program has an identity and our program has an identity, and you have to figure out if those identities clash do you have to make some adjustments. I thought we made some adjustments today, kind of how we moved and spaced the ball a bit, I thought that alleviated some of the pressure and gave us some space maybe we haven’t had before. Good job by our coaching staff for adjusting. But on the same hand you want to say Houston gets credit, because if you can make a program like Arizona adjust that’s the ultimate sign of respect, and we respect them.”

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On his message to the team after losing 2 in a row last week: “The message was simple: winning things. Get back to the winning things and the things that drive winning. Don’t be result-oriented, lock into a process. We just wanted to get back into our habits and what drives winning. We just had to change how we play a little bit the last couple games. We have a couple really good players not playing right now, so these guys that aren’t playing have made great adjustments and finding a way to win.”

On staying focused: “You lose that tough game at Kansas, you lose a tough game at home against Texas Tech and then your reward is you have BYU and Houston the next week. It can get out of control really quick in this conference. That we were able to right the ship says a lot about this team.”

On stopping Houston’s guards: “I’m not crazy into analytics, but us analytically, us and Houston are literally like neck and neck in everything. We’re a good defensive team, too. Our coaches put together a good plan, and we have good players, and the players went out there and executed it with conviction. There were a couple of stretches in the game where you’re on the road and they take a shot or two and it kind of rattles out and you’re like, phew. That’s kind of life on the road sometimes. We got a couple breaks in those, and that happen. When we played at home against Texas Tech we had a few where we were like, man, we usually make those. That happens sometimes, you’ve just got to keep moving.”

On how this win helps Arizona: “There’s a lot of ways a game like this gives you a boost. Number one is just confidence and believe and will to find a way. It keeps you in the hunt for a conference championship, which is obviously important. And I’m sure this win doesn’t look bad on our resume when it comes down to seeding and you’re hoping for matchups in the tournament. By no means does this win guarantee anything.”

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On Anthony Dell’Orso: “Delly, he’s a spitfire. I don’t know how many of you guys know Aussies, but he’s got some you know what to them. He has a little bit of that, and it wasn’t going his way for a good stretch there, and he hung with it. And our guys hung with him and our staff hung with him and I just told Delly, just hang in there, it’s coming. If there’s little adjustments we have to make we’ll see if we can figure them out, but we trust you and we believe in you and I don’t see any scenario where you don’t get opportunities. Our media was getting a little worried back home and I just kept telling them, guys, Delly is going to be at his best when we need him at his best. And I think you’ve seen that the last two games.”

On the game-winning 12-0 run: “I didn’t realize we’d made a 12-0 run. I was just trying to manage the game possession by possession, I guess I have a memory like a goldfish. We did have a few things that we had success with offensively that we went back to them back to back, and I’m not always doing that but today we did. It was a good way to control the game down the stretch.”

On the free throw shooting: “Our guys missed some free throws early that were probably regretful but we made most of them late, which allowed us to kind of keep them at arms length.”

On his tradition of cracking open a Coke (or Coke Zero) before doing his postgame presser: “I worked for a guy for a long time, Mark Few, and he used to call it the cool of the evening. We love these afternoon games, because you put a lot into them, and it’s really cool the rest of the night. Whether you’re on the road or at home and you get to hang out with your family. You’re all fans, or the media, I’m sure you’ve got a little fan into you that’s why you guys do that. But us as coaches put everything they have into this game, so when you can enjoy great moments it’s really special. But I’ll also say this, a lot of us coaches have a bit of a sickness. You lose a couple games and you’re actually probably doing okay because you get to figure things out, and there’s nothing cooler than accepting a challenge when things get tough and trying to help your group figure it out. Really it’s probably the most enjoyable coaching even though it comes with a little bit of pain.”

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On the Big 12 gauntlet: “We got a tough schedule. We’ve got at Baylor and then I don’t know what order it is, Kansas and Iowa State at home, on a Saturday/Monday, and then we got to go on the road to Colorado. I told our guys, obviously we want to win the Big 12, but what’s really cool about being in the Big 12 is you can take second or third in the conference and still win the national championship. The conference is that strong. We’ve put ourselves in position to be in position, now you’ve got to take advantage of that. We’ll start on our Baylor prep tonight, that’s the task at hand now is moving on from this one and getting ready for Baylor and trying to mend our wounded bodies and trying to find a way to get a tough road win in a tough environment.”

Kharchenkov on bouncing back from the 2 losses: “Winning a game is pretty good any way, especially in the Big 12 Conference. We knew Houston is a tough matchup for us, especially with us banged up a little bit. And the two losses didn’t taste right in the mouth, so we just figured it out, fought, figured it out and came up on top.”

On winning on the road: “I love playing in tough environments, at home or on the road. And especially on the road it’s nice because after the game all the fans just leave and the gym gets real quiet and you know you did your job right. No more talking after that. Of course there’s a satisfaction to that, coming home or going to the next game you want to do that.”

The gold medal will be on the line on Sunday when the United States takes on Canada for the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey championship. It will be the eighth time the U.S. and Canada will have met for the gold, and first since 2010 when the Canadians claimed gold in Vancouver. Canada reached the final with a 3-2 win over Finland on Friday, while the United States downed Slovakia 6-2. Canada has nine men’s hockey gold medals, while the United States has two since the first Winter Games in Antwerp in 1920.

Canada enters as the -122 favorite, per FanDuel Sportsbook, while the U.S. is at +102. The over/under in total goals is 5.5, with the Under juiced to -160. Sunday’s puck drop is set for 8:10 a.m. ET from Palaltalia, Milan. Before making any USA vs. Canada picks or Winter Olympic predictions, you need to see what Matthew Severance has to say.

Severance is coming off an outstanding NHL season in which he went 235-155-21 (plus $2,022). He entered the Olympic break on a 26-12 roll on NHL money-line picks this season, returning $1,326 for $100 players. Anyone following his hockey picks at their favorite sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.

Now, Severance has turned his attention to the Winter Olympics men’s ice hockey finals. He’s only sharing his best bets at SportsLine, and you can see how to bet on USA vs. Canada here. Now, here are the latest USA vs. Canada lines for the gold-medal game. 

New users can also check out the latest FanDuel promo code and get $100 in bonus bets instantly at FanDuel if your first $5 bet wins:

2026 Winter Olympics Canada vs. USA final picks

For the 2026 Winter Olympics hockey final between Canada and the United States, Severance is taking the Under 5.5 goals (-160). The teams have met seven times for the gold medal, with Canada winning six of those. In Olympic competition, Canada and the USA have met 19 times, with Canada holding a 12-4-3 edge. At Beijing in 2022, the U.S. earned a 4-2 win in the preliminary round, before both teams were ousted in the quarterfinals. 

The United States is 5-0 in the competition, winning Group C by outscoring the competition 16-5. The U.S. then outlasted Sweden 2-1 in overtime in the quarterfinals, before downing Slovakia in the semifinals. Canada won Group A with a 5-0 win over Czechia, 5-1 win over Switzerland and 10-2 triumph over France, before beating Czechia 4-3 in overtime in the quarterfinals and Finland in the semifinals. See his other picks at SportsLine.

New users can check out the latest Kalshi bonus code CBSSPORTS to get a $10 cash bonus after making $10 in trades:

How to make Olympics hockey USA vs. Canada predictions

Severance has studied this matchup and found a critical x-factor that has him jumping on a pair of best bets. You can only see his Olympic picks here.

So who wins the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s ice hockey final between USA and Canada, and what are the best bets for this matchup? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s ice hockey picks and best bets from a hockey insider, and find out.

By the second or third week of March, the Minnesota Vikings will likely reveal their offseason quarterback addition, either via trade or free agency. The team’s leaders have expressed a desire for a deep quarterback room this offseason, and the only way to do that is add at least one more passer. Two weeks before free agency, our writers have official predictions for that transaction.

The common thread: keep the floor high while still betting on McCarthy as the long-term answer.

The question to each of our writers: “With free agency about two weeks away, I ask you to predict the three main guys in the Vikings’ quarterback room when Week 1 rolls around.”

Veteran Quarterback Options Loom for Minnesota

Here’s how the panel replied.

1. Geno Smith

Predictor: Wesley Johnson

The plan is to add a vet who will push J.J. McCarthy and ultimately be able to supplant him should he falter. Geno Smith should be just that guy, especially coming off a down year in Vegas.

Prediction for the Week 1 QB Room:

QB1: J.J. McCarthy
QB2: Geno Smith
QB3: Rookie

2. Aaron Rodgers

Predictor: Sean Borman

Rodgers coming to Minnesota, as unlikely as it is, would be very much in the Vikings’ spirit. With Brzezinski running the show, it would be the ultimate “all-in” move for a front office that just hit the reset button on their GM, essentially betting that a one-year rental of a legend is the best way for Kevin O’Connell to retain his job and keep Justin Jefferson from demanding a trade while J.J. McCarthy finds his footing.

Prediction for the Week 1 QB Room:

QB1: Aaron Rodgers
QB2: J.J. McCarthy
QB3: Max Brosmer

3. Marcus Mariota

Predictor: Josh Frey

Maybe the Vikings are done with J.J. McCarthy, but I just don’t think Kevin O’Connell wants to get rid of the young QB just yet. Regardless, some competition is needed from the QB2 spot, and Marcus Mariota fits into a sweet spot of being a competent quarterback while not being an imminent threat to take over the starting role.

Prediction for the Week 1 QB Room:

QB1: J.J. McCarthy
QB2: Marcus Mariota
QB3: Max Brosmer

4. Jimmy Garoppolo

Predictor: Steve Hoikkala

I don’t see the Vikings making a trade for Mac Jones or Kyler Murray. I think they stick with J.J. McCarthy in hopes he continues to develop, and if he doesn’t, better quarterback options will be available in 2027.

Garoppolo is a cheap veteran option who is a system quarterback who would fit right in as a mentor to McCarthy. I expect the Vikings to pick up a quarterback in the draft as a project at QB3 in the mid-to-late rounds.

Prediction for the Week 1 QB Room:

QB1: J.J. McCarthy
QB2: Jimmy Garoppolo
QB3: Drew Allar

5. Justin Fields

Predictor: Kyle Joudry

In this formulation, the Vikings have solidified the position’s floor. What remains to be seen is how high the ceiling is with a top twosome of McCarthy alongside Fields.

Prediction for the Week 1 QB Room:

QB1: J.J. McCarthy
QB2: Justin Fields
QB3: Carson Wentz

6. Anthony Richardson

Predictor: Ali Siddiqui

Kevin O’Connell likes Richardson. Many think that’s who the Vikings will go after, and it is not surprising why. Richardson could all benefit from a change of scenery, and he is in the final year of his rookie contract, so he isn’t very expensive, and the Vikings wouldn’t have to give up much to get him.

Prediction for the Week 1 QB Room:

QB1: J.J. McCarthy
QB2: Anthony Richardson
QB3: Max Brosmer

t7. Kyler Murray

Predictor: Adam New

With Kevin O’Connell’s future potentially on the line in 2026, I just can’t see him throwing all of his eggs in the J.J. McCarthy basket. As far as a veteran addition goes, Kyler Murray just makes the most sense.

Prediction for the Week 1 QB Room:

QB1: Kyler Murray
QB2: J.J. McCarthy
QB3: Max Brosmer

t7. Kyler Murray

Predictor: Brevan Bane

I’ve been saying that Kevin O’Connell should sleep in the bed he helped make with the selection of J.J. McCarthy in 2024. Regardless, it feels like KOC is coaching for his job this year. Everyone knows that Minnesota has a roster good enough to make a “run,” and QB play was a major reason why they couldn’t last season.

Head coaches are humans at the end of the day, trying to save their own behind when their back is against the wall. A change of scenery for Murray and a marriage with one of the best offensive minds in the NFL could mean fireworks in U.S. Bank Stadium.

Prediction for the Week 1 QB Room:

QB1: Kyler Murray
QB2: J.J. McCarthy
QB3: Max Brosmer

t7. Kyler Murray

Predictor: Dustin Baker

It feels increasingly likely the Cardinals will release Murray; wouldn’t they have traded him by now if quarterback-needy teams had known he wouldn’t be released?

If Minnesota had to trade for Murray, the prediction here would’ve been a Vikings deal for Mac Jones — probably a 2nd-Rounder and 5th-Rounder to San Francisco for Jones and a 3rd-Round pick. But Murray, if released, will basically be free for a year, and that’s just perfect for a cash-strapped team like the Vikings.

Because Arizona will drop him and move on, Minnesota won’t be available to ignore the value of a free Kyler Murray. As a kid, he cheered for Adrian Peterson’s Vikings, so everything comes full circle.

Prediction for the Week 1 QB Room:

QB1: Kyler Murray
QB2: J.J. McCarthy
QB3: Carson Wentz

t10. Kirk Cousins

Predictor: Cole Smith

The depth chart that no one wants but everyone knows is coming. Cousins brings a level of professionalism to the room that gives the team a much higher floor.

Prediction for the Week 1 QB Room:

QB1: Kirk Cousins
QB2: J.J. McCarthy
QB3: Max Brosmer

t10. Kirk Cousins

Predictor: Janik Eckardt

It feels inevitable, doesn’t it? The Vikings are reportedly in the market for a veteran quarterback to challenge McCarthy, and Cousins is expected to be in the market for a team with a quarterback vacancy. McCarthy and Cousins will compete for the QB1 gig, while Brosmer remains a developmental QB3 on the roster.

Prediction for the Week 1 QB Room:

QB1: Kirk Cousins
QB2: J.J. McCarthy
QB3: Max Brosmer

t10. Kirk Cousins

Predictor: Tony Schultz

I still think the team sticks with McCarthy as their starter. If you wanted the team to keep Sam Darnold after everyone had given up on him, isn’t that why you keep McCarthy? To develop him? To not let him go? To get there with your own guy? That’s how I see it staying, whether you think it’s the staff’s process or their ego.

We’re still a ways out, and bringing back Kirk Cousins as a veteran presence and good competition, or Malik Willis as young competition to push McCarthy, are both good strategies. Brosmer may bring up the rear unless the team finds another wayward soul in need of reclamation. One thing’s for sure, we’ll see the direction this team is heading in shortly.

Prediction for the Week 1 QB Room:

QB1: J.J. McCarthy
QB2: Kirk Cousins or Malik Willis
QB3: Max Brosmer or Developmental Prospect

The “Hail Mary” strategy from trainer Michael Freedman struck gold as his mare Cinsault in tremendous shape notched her initial stakes win in the Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens last Saturday.

Cinsault, under Godolphin colours, had dominated with three victories from four summer appearances in non-black-type races before being aimed at the headline mares’ feature by Freedman.

“It just goes to show what can happen when you have a mare in form like she is at the moment,” Freedman said.

“On facts and figures, I didn’t think she could beat Lazzura but she is in such a purple patch of form.

“This is a massive jump from a benchmark 78 race to a Group 2 but with a mare going as well as her, sometimes you just have to roll with it.

“I had a good chat with the Godolphin team early in the week and I told them I know this is a bit of a ‘Hail Mary’ but I thought it was worth having a go at some black type with Cinsault.

“Godolphin are very easy to train for and they said we will go with what you think.”

Priced at $6, Cinsault clawed back ground after Lazzura ($2.05 favourite) surged ahead, holding on by a long head as Dark Glitter ($9.50) ended up 2-1/2 lengths adrift in third.

Lazzura looked the probable victor halfway through the run home, but with trainer Chris Waller and jockey James McDonald on the cusp of their 500th mutual winner, Cinsault produced a valiant response to pip the frontrunner.

Schofield earned riding accolades with a treble, boosted by earlier wins on Stretan Ruler in the Silver Slipper Stakes and Starphisticated in the Midway, and praised Cinsault’s display as “very gutsy.”

“She (Cinsault) actually beat me in a ding-dong finish last start and I can see why, she’s very gutsy, she just wants to give you everything she has,” Schofield said.

“There was probably a bit more pace on early than ideal, but we were positioned nicely throughout.

“I waited until we straightened to come off the leader’s back and when Lazzura didn’t put me away early I thought “right, we’re the fit horse, we’ll get you later.” She was the stronger of the two late.”

This result delivered Freedman a stakes treble, following Ninja’s win in the Hobartville Stakes and Pallaton’s in the Zeditave Stakes at Caulfield.

If Cinsault comes through the race in excellent shape, Freedman will contemplate the Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 14.

Visit premier betting sites to access betting markets for the race like the Millie Fox Stakes.

Rory McIlroy lies six shots off the lead after Jacob Bridgeman’s stunning seven-under-par 64 cemented his place at the top of leaderboard after round three of the Genesis Invitational.

Northern Ireland’s McIlroy started the day one shot behind America’s Bridgeman but carded a two-under-par 69 to lie in second place on 13 under in Los Angeles.

Bridgeman, who also shot a 64 in round two, holed seven birdies and one eagle, on the 11th hole, in a fine display as he took control at the Riviera Country Club.

The 26-year-old, ranked 52 in the world, is enjoying a good start to the year having had two top-10 finishes in his opening four events, including last week’s eighth place at Pebble Beach.

England’s Marco Penge, who started the day tied for the lead with Bridgeman, shot a three-over-par 74 as he slipped to joint-seventh on the leaderboard.

Penge’s compatriot Aaron Rai is fourth and eight shots off the lead on 11 under after carding a 66, with South Africa’s Aldrich Potgieter one shot ahead of him in third.

World number one Scottie Scheffler, who holed a seven-foot putt on Friday to make it to the weekend, is joint 22nd on five under after shooting a 66.

Wide receiver is one of the under-the-radar positions for the Vikings when it comes to big decisions this offseason. However, decisions need to be made across the whole position group.

The NFL world will once again be full of trade proposals for Justin Jefferson. That’s not going to happen, not this year. Another season like 2025, and the Vikings’ star player might start to kick up a fuss and want out. Kevin O’Connell will likely have also been fired, and a new leadership group might consider trading Jefferson for a haul.

Nailor, the Draft, and Minnesota’s WR Depth Questions

For now, Jefferson will stay in Minnesota as the Vikings’ star player. 2026 needs to provide a season that makes Jefferson believe staying is the right move for him.

The Vikings’ other first-round WR draftee, Jordan Addison, is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract – a decision on his fifth-year option is looming. If the decision were based purely on talent, then it would be fairly simple, but Addison’s history of indiscretions away from football, which cost him three games of the 2025 season through a ban, muddies the waters. Do the Vikings want to take on Addison to a long-term, expensive contract?

I expect the Vikings to take their time with the Addison decision; there won’t be an early contract extension, but they’ll likely commit to the fifth-year option.

What to Do at WR3?

For the past couple of seasons, Jalen Nailor has filled the WR3 role in Minnesota and has done a solid job, hitting over 400 receiving yards in both seasons and scoring 10 touchdowns. Nailor hits free agency and should garner plenty of interest. His contract projection ranges from $4 million to $12 million a year — even the lower end might be too much for Minnesota in its current position.

Nailor showed a good rapport with J.J. McCarthy last season, and it would be nice to bring him back, but a more needy team at WR should be looking to give him the opportunity for a bigger role and potentially a true breakout season.

The Vikings could look to pick up a WR in this year’s draft, but their third-round pick from last season, Tai Felton, has had no real opportunity yet. Felton got three targets across his entire rookie season. He flashed ability, catching all three targets for 25 yards and two first downs, but in a season where the Vikings’ offense struggled, he wasn’t able to make much impact.

He deserves a fair shot at showcasing his talents, but what do the Vikings think of him as a potential WR3? It’s hard to guess at this point. Myles Price rounded out the WR room in 2025 but was used exclusively as a returner.

Minnesota could look for a veteran to come in and fill out the depth chart. A big name became available recently: Tyreek Hill was cut by the Miami Dolphins, and a multi-time Pro Bowler who has repeatedly talked about his Vikings fandom as a kid is immediately linked to Minnesota.

Hill turns 32 at the beginning of March and is recovering from a gruesome leg injury, but that’s what might make him affordable. Still, it’s probably a long shot, and the Vikings will have to find a bargain player while hoping Felton leaps in Year 2.

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

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Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha, right, shakes hands with New Zealand’s captain Mitchel Santner after toss (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

NEW DELHI: Rain spoiled the Pakistan vs New Zealand Super 8 clash in Colombo, and the match was completely washed out without a ball being bowled. As a result, both teams shared one point, which has made the race for the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals much more complicated.

This was an important game for both sides because a win would have given them a strong start in the Super 8 stage. Instead, Pakistan and New Zealand now have only two matches left to push for a top-two finish in their group.For Pakistan, the situation is simple but tough. They will next play England and Sri Lanka. If Pakistan manage to win both matches, they will reach five points, which should be enough to book a place in the semi-finals. However, if they lose even one game, their chances become tricky. One win and one loss would leave them on three points, and then they would have to depend on other teams’ results. If Pakistan lose both remaining matches, they will be knocked out of the tournament.New Zealand are in the same boat. The rain has given them a point, but they will still need wins in their upcoming matches to stay in control of their destiny. Any slip-up could pull them into a tight battle with the other teams in the group.Since this was the first Super 8 match for both Pakistan and New Zealand, the full picture will only become clear once all teams have played at least one game. Both sides were seen as favourites to reach the semi-finals, but the washout has made their path harder and kept the group wide open.