Sports
IPL 2026 | Reality check for SRH: Strong start goes in vain as KKR cruise to third win on the trot
HYDERABAD : It was as if Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins had a premonition of the seven–wicket defeat when he said, “it’s very unlikely we’re going to win every single game for the rest of the season,” at the toss.
For, the toss was the only thing that went right for the hosts, as the Kolkata Knight Riders’ spin twins Varun Chakravarthy (3/36) and Sunil Narine (2/31) did the rest on a very hot day when the players would have been excused if they wanted to be someplace else than the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium.
The raucous cheers of the Sunday crowd as the Sunrisers cruised to 71/1 in the powerplay — identical for both teams — was soon silenced as Chakravarthy, back in the side after being the impact player in the previous match, derailed the innings by dismissing Travis Head (61; 28b, 9×4, 3×6).
Chakravarthy, who conceded 29 in the first two overs, turned on the screws in his second spell of 2-0-7-2 as the Sunrisers lost eight wickets for 58 runs to collapse between overs 11 and 19 and be dismissed for 165. It was way below par — KKR replied with 169/3 — and bucked the trend of the last three matches between the teams since 2025, when the team batting first scored upwards of 200 and won by margins of 80, 110 and 65 runs.
The 61-run stand for the second wicket between Head and Ishan Kishan (42; 29b, 4×4, 2×6) was the sole bright spot for the Sunrisers and a reality check, if they needed after five consecutive wins, of a soft underbelly that their middle order is when Heinrich Klaasen fails to come good.
The South African mainstay of the SRH batting fell to a stunning onehanded catch by Rovman Powell, diving full length to his right at midwicket after Klaasen carted Cameron Green for 10 in the previous two deliveries, and with an indisposed Nitish Reddy missing, the back end of the innings lacked the drive that took them to 107/2 at the halfway stage.
The KKR batters complemented the excellent show of their bowlers on a strip tailormade for batting. Impact player Finn Allen, who replaced fellow New Zealander Tim Seifert in the XI, missed out after smashing Cummins for 27 runs in the fourth over but skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s calm presence was all that Kolkata needed as they chased down the target in 18.2 overs for their third straight victory.
Though the skipper fell for 43 (36b, 4×4, 1×6) on threshold of victory, his 84–run (66b) partnership for the second wicket with Angkrish Raghuvanshi (59; 47b, 5×4, 2×6) ensured there were no more hiccups.
The Minnesota Vikings spent big during the free agency periods of 2024 and 2025, and because they scaled back in 2026, resetting their salary cap, they might be for sale, or so goes the theory from Pioneer Press‘s Charley Walters.
The Wilfs have spent aggressively, which makes the sale speculation tougher to buy.
Walters delivered the spicy take inside his weekly article, and the theory landed big time in front of shocked eyeballs, as nobody anywhere thinks or thought that the franchise is for sale.
Minnesota’s Spending Habits Tell a Different Story
Do you perceive the Vikings as for sale?
Walters: The Vikings Could Be For Sale
Walters wasn’t shy about unloading his theory, writing, “It’s beginning to look as if Vikings ownership now could be mirroring Twins ownership, which has sought to sell its team. Figuring they were championship worthy, the Vikings a year ago spent more money on player payroll in the offseason ($350 million) than any of the NFL’s other 31 teams.”
“This offseason, the Vikings have spent just $226 million, second lowest in the league. It appears Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf have decided on a significant payroll slash this year. The Vikings won’t admit it, but this sure looks like a rebuilding year. This is the 21st year the Wilfs have owned the Vikings. Until this year, they have made a commendable attempt at winning the Lombardi Trophy.”
Regarding the pursuit of a Lombardi Trophy in 2026, it is unclear why Walters thinks the Vikings have ruled themselves out. They boasted a Top 3 defense last year and signed Kyler Murray in March. Those components should suggest playoff contendership.
Walters continued, “Meanwhile, the Twins’ Pohlad ownership isn’t unlike what Red McCombs did with the Vikings in 2005 before selling to the Wilfs. McCombs, who bought the Vikings for $246 million in 1998, cut player and coaching staff payroll to a bare minimum and waited until he got his price ($600 million) from the Wilfs.”
“If the Wilfs, who curiously still haven’t named a permanent general manager since firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah last January, were to sell the Vikings today, they could get between $8 billion and $9 billion.”
A Misinterpretation of Free Agency Spending
Walters equated the Vikings’ small-ish free-agent spending as evidence that ownership is chomping at the bit to sell. The first part is true; the second part is not.
In 2024, Minnesota used $167 million on new contracts. That ranked fourth-most in the NFL. In 2025, Minnesota used $270 million on new contracts. That ranked second-most in the NFL. A franchise cannot continually rank near the top of free agency spending; it’s impossible. It’s why there’s a salary cap.
When a club opts to spend freely for a year or two, it must scale back soon after. The scaleback is happening in real time right now. In fact, if Minnesota wants to spend next year or in 2028 free agency, it can now do so — because it held off on spending future years’ money in 2026.
Vikings’ Free Agency Spending,
NFL Ranking,
Since 2011:
2011: 26th
2012: 18th
2013: 7th
2014: 19th
2015: 29th
2016: 18th
2017: 5th
2018: 11th
2019: 29th
2020: 23rd
2021: 28th
2022: 13th
2023: 12th
2024: 4th
2025: 2nd
2026: 31st
Teams spend big, then they reset. Then, they do it again. The Vikings do it consistently. In fact, fans are probably looking at another year of quiet spending in 2027.
No Shred of Evidence beyond the Rumor Article
For those who want to see the Vikings led by new owners, you’re going to be waiting for a while.
Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling tweeted Sunday, “A source close to the Wilfs said there’s ‘zero truth’ to the notion the Vikings owners are thinking about selling the team. They’ve long talked about the team staying in the family for multiple generations, and both Mark and Zygi Wilf’s kids have taken on larger roles with the team in recent years.”
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis added, “You can only spend millions in cash over cap for so long without premium results. That’s the extent of this. And just for the record: The Wilfs aren’t selling the Vikings. Zero truth to that whatsoever. Source close to ownership made that abundantly clear.”
In the end, Walters’s take about the owners’ would-be sale of a team boiled down to one man’s opinion — a hot take.
Mike Florio’s Take
NBC Sports‘ Mike Florio interpreted Walters’s theory as if it were credible, noting, “While the ever-inflating values of NFL franchises could tempt more than a few current owners to take $10 billion or more and run, there’s not enough there to justify a conclusion that this is anything other than a cap correction after the Vikings overplayed their hand in 2025, due primarily to the very bad decision(s) made about the most important position on the team.”
“While no one will objectively conclude that the Minnesota roster screams out ‘Super Bowl contender’ for 2026, the spending decisions don’t immediately point to a potential sale of the team. Still, perception is reality. With the hypothesis morphing into the beginnings of a theory, it could be time for the Wilfs to make the case publicly that they aren’t getting ready to pound a ‘For Sale’ sign in the front yard.”
Walters’s thesis is pretty straightforward: the Vikings could be for sale because they rolled back the spending this offseason. The only problem with that hypothesis? It’s standard operating procedure to reduce spending after Top 4 spending sprees in consecutive offseasons.
If anything, onlookers should have expected and predicted a “boring” free agency.
DENVER — It was a heavyweight clash without heavyweight hockey.
The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild, Stanley Cup contenders who are rarely easy to play against or break down, opened their titanic Western Conference semifinal playoff series by trading chances and goals like it was an All-Star Game. Except for the intensity, atmosphere and stakes.
The National Hockey League’s best team during the regular season, the Avalanche scored the first three goals, still managed to trail by one late in the second period, then scored five of the final six to beat the Wild 9-6 in Game 1 Sunday in Colorado.
It was unexpected and spectacularly entertaining for everyone except the goalies and coaches.
We hardly knew what to make of it. Except this best-of-seven actually may live up to the hype that began about the time the Wild traded for Quinn Hughes in December to announce themselves as a serious threat to the Avalanche.
But it was Colorado’s Norris Trophy defenceman, Cale Makar, who made the difference in Game 1 by returning from the medical room to score twice in his team’s four-goal third period.
“That’s Cale Makar doing Cale Makar things,” Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “I wasn’t that concerned; I know he’s tough and he was going to be back at some point.”
After Minnesota missile Marcus Foligno launched Makar into orbit with a hit on the forecheck less than three minutes into the game, the player regarded as the best defenceman in hockey went straight to the bench, then the dressing room, and was not seen again until the second period.
The Wild saw too much of Makar in the third when he twice zipped shots past rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt from the right-wing circle.
“Just a weird game,” Makar said. “Coming from the last few games we played (in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings), it was really tight out there. Today, it just felt a little bit more open and sometimes that can be a tendency to kind of lack a little bit on the defensive side. I don’t think we’re going to see that again. Just probably a one-off. But I liked that we were able to stick with it and find a way to win, obviously, in a unique way.”
Makar said of Foligno’s legal hit: “I obviously saw it coming. I tried to absorb it. Just a weird kind of fall there. I tried to kind of back out of it as I saw he was kind of coming at me. I knew he was trying to separate myself from the puck. It’s a very common thing; you’re going to see it every single night. Just unfortunately caught me in a weird spot like that. I think I’ve got to find different ways to go back on pucks.”
Makar’s return was a game-changer. Had he not — had he been seriously enough injured to miss the rest of the game and others — it could have decided the series.
“You’ve got to give him a lot of credit, right?” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “Comes back not feeling great after the injury in the first. Gets sorted out and taken care of, but comes back and has a great finish to the game.
“But I’ll say, there’s not too many guys this time of year that aren’t playing hurt and digging in and playing through that stuff. That’s what makes the playoffs great. That’s what’s expected; it’s not a one-off. The bulk of guys on every team that are still playing and will continue to play are going to play hurt and injured. I think they all deserve the credit. Tonight, it was Cale. Tomorrow night, it’ll be somebody else.”
Game 2 is here Tuesday. And Game 1 is probably a one-off because the slack defending, missed coverages, poor plays with the puck, were so uncharacteristic for the Avalanche and Wild, who have in common that they do not often beat themselves.
The Avalanche led the NHL in team defence during the regular season, then allowed only five goals in their four-game sweep of Los Angeles in the playoffs’ first round.
The Wild hit that total on Sunday when Foligno scored on a shorthanded breakaway at 16:55 of the second period, nearly disfiguring both Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood and the net as Minnesota’s heavy forward crashed into the post while giving Minnesota its only lead, 5-4.
As for his team’s defensive play, although the Wild were ventilated in Round 1 by the Dallas Stars’ power play, they yielded only four five-on-five goals during a six-game win. The Wild dominated at even strength. The Avalanche scored seven five-on-five goals Sunday.
A power-play goal by Colorado’s Artturi Lehkonen offset Foligno’s shorty as the defensive powerhouses skated into the third period tied 5-5.
But Makar scored from a poorly-defended faceoff play at 3:21 of the third period, and Nazem Kadri beat Wallstedt cleanly from 35 feet on a breakaway to make it 7-5 at 5:43.
And after Matt Boldy’s bounce pass to the front of the net caromed in off teammate Mats Zuccarello to bring the Wild back within a goal with 3:59 remaining, Makar scored again 65 seconds later, creating room to get his shot past Boldy and through Artturi Lehkonen’s screen.
Nathan MacKinnon, who let the puck get past him on Foligno’s breakaway, scored into an empty net with 2:08 to go.
Eight different Avalanche players scored and 13 skaters finished with at least one point. MacKinnon had a goal and two assists and was plus-three. Devon Toews, Makar’s defence partner, had four points and was plus-four.
Hughes led the Wild with a goal and two assists. Minnesota’s offensive stars, Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov, finished with only a single assist each. The Wild played without top centre Joel Eriksson Ek and key defenceman Jonas Brodin, both injured.
“Listen, that was a crazy game,” Landeskog said, and not in an admiring way. “Let’s just call it for what it is. But I think we did a good job on the bench, in the room, talking about what we needed to focus on, settling down when we needed to when they kind of had momentum. We’ll enjoy this one tonight, and then tomorrow we’ll sort out what we can do better.”
Both teams did enough to lose.
“It’s not that we weren’t emotionally engaged in the game and physically engaged in the game, because I think we were,” Bednar explained. “But not enough on the defensive side. We were on the offensive side. The forecheck looked good (and) we did some good things. But like when it came to the defending, I feel like we forgot a little bit just how hard we need to work to be good defensively. We were easy in some areas and loose on some gaps and late a few times, and they play hard offensively.”
The Avalanche hadn’t played in a week. They had plenty of rest and practise for the series. The Wild, however, eliminated the Stars on Thursday night and didn’t know until late Friday that they’d be flying the next day to Denver to start on Sunday.
But Minnesota coach John Hynes bristled at the idea that his team could have used a practice to prepare for the Avalanche.
“I don’t think our practice has anything to do with it,” he said. “I think it’s all about wrapping your head around the series and understanding the differences between Colorado and Dallas. I think if we went out there for a 30- to 35-minute practice, it wouldn’t have made one ounce of difference on this. It’s about the mindset and understanding the differences between the two series.”
In Tuesday’s $150,000 Brierly Steeplechase, the opening day feature of the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival, Stern Idol will attempt to exceed his own previous achievement in the race.
The import under Ciaron Maher’s care shoulders 75kg for the 3450m journey.
Two years ago, the nine-year-old set the metric weight record by winning with 73kg, eclipsing Some Are Bent’s 71kg from 2010, and marking the highest since Deckard’s 75.5kg (11 stone 12 ounces) success in 1939.
Stern Idol faces his toughest weight assignment to date, 1kg beyond that in last year’s Grand National Steeplechase where he ran fourth; trainer Maher acknowledges the hurdle but backs his horse strongly.
He comes off a 25-length demolition under 72kg in Terang’s Spencer Memorial Steeplechase (3850m) on April 19.
“I suppose it can stop him, he’s got 10 kilos on most on the field, but he’s big though,” he said.
“With the weight, it’ll be a test.
“He was a good win the other day, he’s come through it well and he seems to get around there pretty well.”
Stern Idol, the $2.10 Brierly Steeplechase favourite, meets Leaderboard receiving 6kg, with only Mark Walker’s The Mighty Spar (67.5kg) also over 65kg.
At 65kg sit $3.20 elect Hit The Road Jack and Instigator, who trailed Stern Idol by a long neck when second in the 2024 Brierly Steeplechase.
The Brierly Steeplechase constitutes Stern Idol’s lone start at the Warrnambool Carnival, whereas Leaderboard, The Mighty Spar, Castrofrancaru, Hit The Road Jack and Instigator might follow up Thursday in the $350,000 Grand Annual Steeplechase, which had 11 declarations Monday.
Seeking repeat glory in the 5500m event is star Duke Of Bedford.
The $300,000 Warrnambool Cup on Thursday’s program over 2350m Listed sees recent Group 2 Chairman’s Quality (2600m) winner Newlook at the forefront.
Discover racing odds at the betting sites ahead of Stern Idol’s Brierly Steeplechase bid.
Apr 24, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) walks to the on deck circle during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The three-game interleague series between the Atlanta Braves and host Seattle Mariners that begins Monday will be without one superstar and perhaps a second.
Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a strained left hamstring suffered while running to first base the previous day in Colorado.
“The MRI showed a Grade 1 strain, so not too serious, but serious enough that we had to put him on the list,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said before Sunday’s 11-6 victory against the Rockies.
“It’s not going to be just a couple days,” Weiss continued. “It’s gonna be more than that, so we need to put him on the IL, and, hopefully, it’ll be sooner than later. No idea with these soft tissue injuries how long they’re gonna take, but I think the silver lining is that the MRI showed it wasn’t too serious.”
Acuna had played in each of the Braves’ first 34 games this season after appearing in just 144 over the previous two campaigns after suffering a torn ACL in May 2024. The five-time All-Star and 2023 National League MVP had heated up after a slow start, batting .381 over his past six games.
“All things considered, it could have been a lot worse,” Weiss said.
Meanwhile, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, coming off a record 60-homer season, sat out the past two games with discomfort in his right side that required an MRI.
“Cal is continuing to make strides,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said before Sunday’s 4-1 loss to visiting Kansas City. “He’s got a little soreness in the side. We’ll continue to look at it day to day and go from there and continue to assess it.”
Raleigh, who has never been on the injured list in his six-year major league career, said he’s hoping to avoid that.
He said he first felt the discomfort after Friday’s game.
“Didn’t really think too much of it,” Raleigh said. “It’s normal. Things happen in games throughout the season, but I woke up the next day and it stayed sore, and I let the staff know. I was just trying to play it safe.”
Raleigh, who won the Home Run Derby at last year’s All-Star Game in Atlanta, also recently heated up after a slow start with five homers in a seven-game span from April 20-27. The 29-year-old said he felt much better Sunday and even took swings in the batting cage pregame to test his oblique area.
“It felt good,” he said. “(Sunday) was a good day. Obviously, everybody’s leaning on the cautionary side, which is to be expected. In the moment, you hate it, but down the line, I think they’ll pay dividends.”
While the Braves swept their three-game series in Colorado to improve to an MLB-best 25-10, the defending American League West champion Mariners lost all three to the visiting Royals to drop to 16-19.
Monday’s series opener is set to feature a pair of right-handers in Braves rookie JR Ritchie (1-0, 2.92 ERA), a Seattle-area native, and the Mariners’ Logan Gilbert (1-3, 4.03). Ritchie, who attended high school on nearby Bainbridge Island, will be making his third major league start. After winning his debut April 23 at Washington, he didn’t get a decision Wednesday against visiting Detroit when he allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits over 5 1/3 innings, with four walks and four strikeouts in a game the Braves won 4-3 with two runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Gilbert didn’t get a decision Tuesday in a 7-1 victory at Minnesota despite allowing one run on six hits over five innings. He’s 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two career starts against Atlanta.
–Field Level Media
Apr 17, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher José Soriano (59) delivers during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images The Chicago White Sox were one win away Sunday from reaching a pivotal milestone in their long rebuild.
But the White Sox will get a chance to again get within a game of .500 on Monday night when they visit the skidding Los Angeles Angels in the opener of a three-game series.
Davis Martin (4-1, 1.95 ERA) is slated to start for the White Sox against Jose Soriano (5-1, 0.84) in a battle of right-handers enjoying breakout seasons.
Both teams suffered losses Sunday afternoon. The visiting White Sox missed a chance to complete a sweep of the San Diego Padres as they fell 4-3 in the finale of a three-game series.
The host Angels squandered an early lead and fell to the New York Mets 5-1 in the rubber game of a three-game set.
The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the White Sox, who never trailed in the first two games of the series while outscoring the Padres 12-2. Chicago had a chance to extend its surge in the ninth inning Sunday when Tristan Peters singled off All-Star closer Mason Miller with two outs and stole second but Miller struck out Luisangel Acuna.
The loss cost the White Sox (16-18) a chance to move to .500 but did little to diminish the internal confidence that they’re ready to become contenders. Chicago, whose 178-342 record since the start of 2023 is the worst in the majors, has not been at .500 beyond the sixth game of a season since it ended the 2022 campaign at 81-81.
“They believe in each other, they believe in themselves,” White Sox manager Will Venable said, “We’ve just got to continue to battle and, as we continue to just play good baseball, we continue to develop that belief. So, a good series for us.” While the White Sox might finally be ready to turn a corner, the struggles continue for the Angels, whose 10 consecutive losing seasons and 11-season playoff drought are each the longest active streaks in baseball.
The Angels have lost 12 of 14 following an 11-10 start. The only team with a worse record is the Mets. Los Angeles has scored three runs or fewer in 11 of its last 14 games. The Angels didn’t get a runner beyond first Sunday after Jorge Soler’s first-inning RBI single.
“Offensively, we’ve all dialed in to what our approach is going to be,” said Jo Adell, who hit into an inning-ending double play immediately after Soler’s single. “We’re just going to continue to show up and do what we do.”
Martin and Soriano are opposing each other for the second straight start. Martin earned the victory last Tuesday night, when he allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings as the White Sox began their winning streak by beating the Angels 5-2. He has given up two runs or fewer in each of his last five starts.
Soriano suffered his first loss of the season after giving up three runs over five innings. He entered Tuesday having allowed just one run over 37 2/3 innings in his first six starts.
Martin is 1-1 with a 2.66 ERA in four career starts against the Angels. Soriano is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in three games (two starts) against the White Sox.
–Field Level Media
Former India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara praised the all-round performance of Jason Holder after Gujarat Titans (GT) secured a four-wicket win over table-toppers Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their IPL 2026 clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday night. Speaking on Star Sports, Pujara highlighted Holder’s contributions with both bat and ball, underlining how the West Indies all-rounder had influenced the outcome of the high-pressure encounter.
“The way Jason Holder has made an impact on this team, both with the bat and the ball, has been impressive. He contributed to key wickets, including the important dismissal of Shreyas Iyer. Overall, his presence has taken the team to a different level,” JioStar expert Pujara said.
The former India batter further emphasised Holder’s value in the GT line-up, particularly in addressing concerns around the middle-order batting. Holder’s versatility to bat at number five, six, or seven was noted as a key factor in providing balance and stability to the side.
“GT had some concerns around the middle-order batting, and his flexibility to bat at No. 5, 6, or 7 adds great balance to the side,” Pujara added.
Coming to the contest, GT defeated table toppers PBKS by four wickets in a last-over thriller at the Narendra Modi Stadium, powered by Jason Holder’s four-wicket haul and crucial knocks from Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar.
PBKS posted 163/9 after recovering from an early collapse through a 79-run stand between Suryansh Shedge (57) and Marcus Stoinis (40), but Holder’s 4/24 restricted them.
In reply, GT chased down 164 in 19.5 overs despite losing early wickets, with Sudharsan anchoring the innings with 57 and Sundar finishing unbeaten on 40, sealing the win with a six. The victory moved GT to sixth place with 12 points, while PBKS remained on top of the table with 13 points.
Holder won the Player of the Match (POTM) award for his match-defining bowling figures of 4/24 in 4 overs. Holder claimed the wickets of PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are expected to fight in a matter of months and now Joshua’s former trainer Robert Garcia has laid out his prediction for the clash, believing that a statement stoppage could be on the cards.
Joshua continued with amateur trainer Rob McCracken when he made the switch to the professional scene, but appointed Garcia as his lead cornerman for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, after suffering a second career defeat under McCracken’s tutelage in his first encounter with the Ukrainian.
Although, despite the trainer switch, ‘AJ’ came up short once again in his rematch with Usyk, leading the Londoner to switch to Derrick James for his fight with Jermaine Franklin and then to Ben Davison for four fights thereafter – until a devastating knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois.
For his scrap with Jake Paul, Joshua teamed up with Iegor Golub, who also coaches Usyk, and it seems as though the two-time world champion will remain with Golub for his fights against Kristian Prenga and Fury during the second-half of the 2026 calendar.
Speaking with ESNEWS, Garcia looked ahead to the long-awaited fight and warned that Joshua will knock ‘The Gyspy King’ out cold if he is able to land the right-hand, anticipating a Joshua win, as long as he is mentally ready for a fight of such magnitude.
“If AJ is mentally ready, I think that AJ has the skills and the power to win. He has the right-hand to knock him out, but he has got to be mentally and physically 100%. Physically, I know that he is always ready, AJ is always in shape.
“He trains hard, he was dedicated when I was with him for a few months, but Fury is a street guy. He doesn’t give a f**k. He could come in heavy, fat, but he is still a going to give a good fight.”
“[With] that right-hand, if AJ lands, he will knock him out cold. And, he [Fury] gets hit with a lot of right-hand’s.”
Joshua fights Albania’s Prenga on Saturday, July 25, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will look to show further improvements following additional time training with Team Usyk.
The world’s top tennis players have expressed their “deep and collective disappointment” at the prize money on offer at this year’s Roland Garros.
While French Open organisers have announced an increase of 9.5 per cent in total prize money for this year’s tournament, rising to an overall pot of €61.7m (£53.7m), several leading players from the men’s and women’s top 10 continue to be frustrated.
The group of star players, including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, have long argued that they should receive a greater percentage of the revenues generated by the four grand slam tournaments and were similarly disappointment by the prize money at this year’s Australian Open.
According to the group, their share of the overall revenue generated by Roland Garros is projected to decline to 14.3 per cent this year. In recent years, the players have pushed for that figure to be closer to the 22 per cent received at mixed events on the ATP and WTA Tours with equal prize money, such as Indian Wells and this month’s Italian Open.
In response, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) said a decision had been made to focus prize money increases on “players who exit the tournament in the early rounds of the main draw and the qualifying stages”. Figures released by Roland Garros reveal an increase of around 11 per cent for the first three rounds of the main draw, compared to a 9.8 per cent increase for the singles champions.
A statement from the players said: “As Roland Garros looks to post record revenues, players are therefore receiving a declining share of the value they help create. More critically, the announcement does nothing to address the structural issues that players have consistently and reasonably raised over the past year. There has been no engagement on player welfare and no progress towards establishing a formal mechanism for player consultation within grand slam decision making.
“While other major international sports are modernising governance, aligning stakeholders, and building long-term value, the grand slams remain resistant to change. The absence of player consultation and the continued lack of investment in player welfare reflect a system that does not adequately represent the interests of those who are central to the sport’s success.
“The players who were signatories to the initial campaign remain united in their desire to see meaningful progress, both in terms of fair financial distribution and in how the sport is governed. They will continue to advocate for constructive dialogue and for reforms that ensure the long-term health and integrity of professional tennis.”
*2025 US Open: £66.3m (champions: £3.74m) 2026 Australian Open: £55.5m (champions: £2.1m)
2026 Roland Garros: £53.7m (champions: £2.4m)
*2025 Wimbledon: £53.5m (champions: £3m)
Total prize money at the four grand slam tournaments
The players initially outlined their proposals in letters to the four grand slams in March last year, detailing their desire for the major tournament to start contributing to a player welfare fund, supporting pensions, healthcare and maternity leave, and for more consultation with tournaments around matters such as scheduling.
Last season, Sinner, Sabalenka and Gauff were among the players to meet with the grand slams at Roland Garros but there was further frustration last autumn when further discussions were delayed. Ben Shelton, the world No 6 and top-ranked American man, told The Independent that players are “at the bottom” when prize money as a percentage of revenue was compared to other sports.
The FFT said the increase of prize money at this year’s French Open “reflects a sustained commitment to increasing player compensation over time”.
It added: “Beyond prize money, the Roland-Garros model is based on a specific economic framework. The FFT is a non-profit organization. All revenues generated by the tournament are reinvested into the Roland-Garros tournament, as well as the development of tennis in France and internationally.
“This includes direct support for the development of the sport at grassroot level, training and pathway programs, strong commitment to women’s tennis, inclusive tennis and wheelchair tennis, as well as significant contributions to international tennis development through the ITF.
“The FFT has also recently invested more than €400m in the Roland-Garros infrastructure, notably to significantly enhance player conditions and on-site services.
“Finally, the FFT remains fully committed to ongoing dialogue with all stakeholders in global tennis, including speaking directly with individual players. It will continue working to improve overall player conditions, in line with its responsibilities and its model.”
Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi is not getting carried away despite his side taking a major step towards Premier League safety with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa.
Spurs put in their best performance of the season to claim three crucial points at Villa Park, thanks to first-half goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison.
They look a different side under De Zerbi, registering back-to-back league victories for the first time since August, and are now favourites to beat the drop.
The north London club leapfrogged West Ham in the table and with a home game to come against Leeds, after the Hammers host Arsenal, their position could be even rosier next week.
But the Italian has called for balance, with three games to go.
“I am very happy for the performance, we won a great game against a great Aston Villa,” the Italian said.
“They had to play Thursday, a very important game for them, but this is always very tough playing against (Unai) Emery, against this Villa in this stadium.
“For that I am really pleased, it was a good performance with the ball, without the ball. Without the ball we showed great courage and we showed great qualities.
“I am happy for this type of performance more than three points. We are one point more than West Ham but the most important thing is to play a great game and believe more and more in ourselves and believe in our qualities.
“The crucial thing now is keeping our head of what was the situation before the Wolverhampton game. This is the most important memory to keep in our head.
“In football it is very easy to change, if you lose, you are stupid. If you win, you are a champion.
“No, you have to find a balance. We have to work this week because Leeds is a very tough game.
“We have to remember in ourselves what we have done in the past.”
Spurs were fortunate to come up against a Villa side who produced their worst display of the season, with their attention clearly on Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest.
Indeed, Villa were so bad they scored in the sixth minute of time added on with their only effort on target, with Emiliano Buendia heading home.
Villa boss Emery defended his team selection, having made seven changes from the side that lost at Forest on Thursday.
“We lost on Thursday and we lost last week against Fulham, different players, different matches,” he said.
“We analysed a lot of things about the players playing in the starting XI. Maybe it is better to play with the same players but we lost (the last two matches).
“Before the match I knew my challenge, it was to win with some changes, but I believe in the players.
“If supporters or the media don’t believe in some of players…but (it) is not different when we are losing. I made changes against Sunderland but you were not asking, because we won.
“But I accept some criticism.”
Asked if he was disappointed with some of the performances of his players, Emery added: “No. Because those same players three months ago were winning a lot of matches in a row.
“Of course sometimes they don’t have the performance with individual quality. But I am so proud of them, so, so proud of them, how we are doing the season.”
Sports
Rohit Sharma: MI vs LSG IPL 2026: Will Rohit Sharma play today for Mumbai Indians vs Lucknow Super Giants? | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: The two bottom-placed teams – Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants – will face off in an IPL 2026 clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, both sides are desperate to turn things around and shift into top gear.Mumbai Indians, currently ninth on the table, have managed just two wins from nine matches. They head into the game after three consecutive defeats, including a heavy eight-wicket loss to Chennai Super Kings.LSG, placed at the bottom, also have two wins but from eight matches. They are struggling with five straight losses, the latest being a Super Over defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders.Mumbai’s campaign has been hit by inconsistent performances from key players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and captain Hardik Pandya, whose leadership has also come under scrutiny.The absence of Rohit Sharma due to a hamstring injury has further weakened the side, leaving them with little margin for error. Mumbai would ideally want Rohit back at the top of the order, but his availability for this crucial clash remains uncertain.
Will Rohit Sharma play against Lucknow Super Giants today?
Mumbai Indians have not provided any official update on Rohit’s return. The former skipper, who led the franchise to five IPL titles (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020), has not played since suffering a hamstring injury nearly three weeks ago during a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Rohit retired hurt on 19 in that game and has since missed matches against Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings.However, Rohit was seen batting in the nets ahead of the LSG clash in a video shared by Mumbai IndiansSquads:Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Shrijith Krishnan (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Will Jacks, Keshav Maharaj, Raj Angad Bawa, Vignesh Puthur, Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, VS Penmetsa, Arjun Tendulkar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jasprit Bumrah.Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Aiden Markram, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Mukul Choudhary, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahamad, Arshin Kulkarni, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ayush Badoni, Mohammad Shami, Avesh Khan, M. Siddharth, Digvesh Singh, Akash Singh, Prince Yadav, Arjun Tendulkar, Anrich Nortje, Naman Tiwari, Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan
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