Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (ANI Photo)

Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes India should not wait too long before handing teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi an international debut, insisting the Rajasthan Royals opener has already done enough to force his way into the national conversation.Speaking on The ICC Review, Hussain was full of praise for the 15-year-old, whose record-shattering IPL 2026 campaign turned him into one of the most talked-about young cricketers in the world.“Such an easy answer to give to that is that yes, he has to play. I didn’t watch too much of the IPL to be honest, but I watched clips of Sooryavanshi and what an incredible talent,” Nasser Hussain said.Sooryavanshi’s numbers from the season were extraordinary. The left-handed opener accumulated 776 runs in 16 matches at a remarkable strike rate of 237.30. He also rewrote the IPL record books by smashing 72 sixes, the most ever recorded in a single edition of the tournament. His performances earned him both the Orange Cap and the Most Valuable Player award.The teenager’s rise has attracted admiration from some of the biggest names in cricket. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has already publicly backed him for higher honours, while batting legend Sachin Tendulkar recently praised the youngster’s technique and fearless batting style.Hussain drew on his own memories of witnessing a prodigious Indian talent for the first time, recalling his early encounter with Tendulkar during the Nehru Cup.“One of my first games for England was in the Nehru Cup, that’s how long ago it was, and this young lad strode out with pads on that I’d never seen before, and his name was Sachin Tendulkar,” Hussain recalled.“And I was in complete awe and I’ve noticed Sachin putting out some tweets about Sooryavanshi’s bat swing and if you can impress Sachin Tendulkar and if you can impress Virat Kohli and the rest, he’s impressed everyone. What an unbelievable talent,” he added.While acknowledging India’s abundance of batting options at the top of the order, Hussain argued that truly exceptional talent eventually makes selection unavoidable.India currently have several established and emerging white-ball openers, including Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. Yet Hussain believes Sooryavanshi’s case has become impossible to ignore.“So anywhere else in the world you would say get him in. But usually at the toss you just have to name 11 players. In international cricket, who do you leave out for him?“India have a list of batters they could play and should play, but in the end, someone makes such a case, such a consistent case, and such an incredible case for being picked. In the end, you have to say, I don’t care who we’re leaving out, this lad has to play,” Hussain believes.The former England skipper also pointed out that the next phase of Sooryavanshi’s development will involve proving himself in different conditions and overcoming the inevitable challenges that every young batter faces during a long career.“And I’m getting towards that stage where you say this lad has to play because there are other challenges doing it away from home.“Doing it against a ball that’s moving around, having an eventual downturn in form, which he’s not had yet, finding a weakness, maybe the short ball, who knows?“But he needs to get through all of that before you get to a world event and he’s going to be a star. We saw it in the U19 World Cup. We saw what he did to England in the U19 World Cup, to everyone, but England in particular. My word, this lad is a talent and he has to play,” he said.Sooryavanshi’s credentials extend beyond his IPL exploits. Earlier this year, he played a pivotal role in India’s victorious Under-19 World Cup campaign, producing the highest score ever recorded in a tournament final against England.The next step in his journey is already underway. Following his remarkable domestic and franchise season, Sooryavanshi has been named in the India A squad for the upcoming tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, which begins on June 9.

At some point, reality needs to be acknowledged.

Kevin O’Connell has been doing his best to slowdown the effort to fully ignite the passer battle. In the spring, the focus rests on digesting the playbook, building comradery among teammates, perfecting technique, and so on. Class on the grass, a coach will say. But while that may be the focus, Coach O’Connell is at least now acknowledging that the competition has begun.

Kevin O’Connell Talks Vikings QB Competition

Consider, for instance, the conversation that Kevin O’Connell had with Mike Florio and Chris Simms of Pro Football Talk.

The former NFL passers — Simms and O’Connell — dug into the topic. Simms, God bless him, asked about Minnesota actually having an open competition. O’Connell swerves immediately, re-framing the discussion: “What I would say is this: we’re going to go through the offseason program. I’ve always looked at that as kind of the learning [and] teaching phase. There’s a lot of individual player improvement plans being activated.”

Not long afterwards, there’s a mention of working toward “mastery” of the scheme.

Journey forward into OTAs at the beginning of June, a key part of individual learning that O’Connell layered into his March prophecy. O’Connell doesn’t appear so shy about the prospect of a competition unfolding right now.

“I’ve been really happy with the way both those guys,” O’Connell explained, “J.J. and Kyler have kind of attacked it in their own individual kind of ways, knowing that they’re competing. Look, there’s no, it’s a competition, these guys are working everyday. They know that. But the greater good of the Minnesota Vikings and our team’s ceiling is the most important thing that’s clear to both of those guys.”

And then afterwards there was chatter about McCarthy’s now infamous “high school classroom” comparison. The key point, though, is that Kevin O’Connell didn’t appear shy about naming the competition a competition. So, what changed?

First and most obvious is the calendar. Real work (June) rather than imagined work (March) is ongoing at TCO Performance Center. Reps are being taken, meaning the two combatants are squaring off even if it’s just shorts and jerseys.

Similarly of note is that O’Connell does still try to bring things around to the priority. The team, not the individual passers, is what matters. But then there’s the other detail shoehorned in there: each guy working through an own individualized plan to become a better quarterback. There is, in other words, somewhat of a tension that’s taking place.

In McCarthy and Murray, the Vikings have two quarterbacks pursuing singular pathways to push each individual game higher. Well and good. But then there’s the pool that these two are swimming in. Whoever becomes the QB1 needs to elevate the team via individual performance. Such is life for a professional quarterback within the NFL.

Advertisement

Combined, the Vikings’ quarterbacks did poorly last season.

The 9-8 Vikings had the trio of arms offer a 61.6% completion rate alongside 2,834 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. These are brutal statistics for a team boasting Kevin O’Connell as the head coach alongside Justin Jefferson at receiver.

Kevin O’Connell is moving into his fifth season as the team’s head coach. Quite possibly, a season that resembles the effort from last year will mean that O’Connell never arrives at a sixth NFL season in Minnesota, making the currently unfolding quarterback competition of the utmost importance.

Next up in the offseason program is mandatory minicamp. Slowly at first but then quite suddenly, the passer battle will grow in intensity.

---

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Advertisement

Every June, ESPN releases its FPI — Football Power Index — a thermometer of each team’s ranking before the regular season. This go-around, the metric claims the Minnesota Vikings are the league’s 19th-best team and on tap for an 8-9 record.

Yes, it’s a fancy way of saying the most powerful sports network in the world believes the Vikings are mid.

Brian Flores Should Give Vikings a Better Case Than No. 19

ESPN FPI: Vikings at No. 19

FPI rankings are out, and the Vikings are sandwiched between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 18) and the Indianapolis Colts (No. 20). ESPN argues that Minnesota is the NFL’s 19th-best team with the ninth-worst offense. The metric basically does not trust Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy.

Defense is a different story — thank goodness. ESPN FPI placed Minnesota at No. 7 defensively, which is actually a bit low because the Vikings ranked third-best in the league per EPA/Play and DVOA last season.

On special teams, Minnesota pulled down the No. 8 spot, probably because kicker Will Reichard was an All-Pro in 2025. And via strength of schedule, it was No. 16 for the Vikings — smack dab in the middle.

All told, FPI claims that Minnesota has a 29.1% chance of reaching the postseason.

What Is FPI?

New to FPI? That’s fair; it’s not overly popular. Here’s how ESPN describes the stat:

At its core, NFL FPI is a prediction system for the NFL. Each team’s FPI rating is composed of a predicted offensive, defensive and special teams efficiency, as measured by expected points added per play, and that rating is the basis for FPI’s game-level and season-level projections. Other information included in the preseason ratings include: previous years’ efficiencies for each unit, number of returning starters (on offense and defense), coaching/coordinator/quarterback changes and quarterback injuries.

After combining all of these factors, a preseason FPI rating is determined for each team, which represents the points above or below average a team is expected to be in the coming season. Preseason FPI will serve as the basis of the early-season predictions but will diminish in effect as the season progresses and we learn more about the actual strength of each team.

FPI calls the Los Angeles Rams the top dog in the NFL — most do — with the Buffalo Bills a distant second.

ESPN’s Seth Walder noted on the NFC North specifically, “The NFC North trio of the Bears, Packers and Vikings rank 10th, 14th and 16th in strength of schedule, respectively. But the Lions rank 31st. Detroit lucked out after finishing last in the division in 2025, as its fourth-place schedule differ significantly from its NFC North rivals.”

“Though the other three teams must battle with NFC West heavyweights, the Lions face the Cardinals. Same deal (to less of an extreme) in facing the AFC South — the rest of the division has to face one of the Texans, Colts and Jaguars, while the Lions play the Titans. Detroit also will face the Giants, and the Bears and Packers will have to tangle with the Eagles and Cowboys, respectively.”

The 2024 Warning

At this time on the calendar in 2024, the Vikings ranked 25th per ESPN FPI. How did they respond? The club won 14 games during Sam Darnold’s rebirth season and almost pulled off an NFC North crown if not for a lousy game at Detroit in Week 18.

FPI is a wonderful guideline for how teams might fare in an upcoming season, but it obviously is not gospel. It also fluctuates. For example, if Minnesota wins its first few games in September, it will climb into the FPI Top 10, and few will remember the 19th ranking from June.

Another club that might be ranked too low? The New Orleans Saints. They sit at No. 25 per FPI. New Orleans finished the 2025 campaign strong, and some are high on quarterback Tyler Shough’s upside.

It’s the Defense, Stupid.

Flores has quietly assembled one of the NFL’s most formidable defenses in Minnesota. Consider the Vikings’ defensive EPA/Play rankings since Flores’s arrival:

2023: 17th
2024: 1st
2025: 3rd
2023–2025 overall: 2nd

The data reveals a noteworthy trend: over three years, Minnesota has boasted the NFL’s second-best defense by EPA/Play under Flores’s leadership.

The accomplishment should not be overlooked. Regardless of the Vikings’ offensive performance in 2026, the defense is already strong enough to contend for a Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the team’s inconsistent offense has overshadowed this larger narrative. In one season, the offense might struggle to find its rhythm; in another, it falters critically when it matters most. All the while, the defense performs at a high level.

Flores now possesses the talent, reputation, and track record to demonstrate that ESPN’s No. 19 ranking is undervalued. Barring an unforeseen collapse, Minnesota is poised to once again feature one of the league’s elite defensive units. It’s what Flores does.

The Vikings don’t need to aspire to a championship-caliber defense; they already have one.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

The Asian javelin revolution has a new flag bearer. After the exploits of Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem and India’s Neeraj Chopra transformed perceptions of the event across the continent, Sri Lanka has now entered the 90-metre club through Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage.  His stunning 92.62m effort at the Rome Diamond League made him the second-best Asian thrower in history and the first Sri Lankan to cross the sport’s most celebrated benchmark. More than a personal milestone, it was a throw that elevated an entire nation into elite company.  From 134kmph to 92.62m  For most Sri Lankan children, sporting dreams begin with a cricket bat or ball. Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage was no different.

By his teenage years, he was already attracting attention as a fast bowler. At under-18 level, he was clocked at 134 kilometres per hour and produced the kind of all-round performance that usually launches a cricket career, five wickets in four overs and a half-century for St Peter’s College, Colombo.

The father who changed the direction

The turning point came from home. Pathirage’s father had competed in discus and shot put and introduced his son to throwing events. What started with discus soon evolved into something else. After moving to St Peter’s College in 2017, Pathirage picked up a javelin for the first time.

His first throw travelled barely 30 metres. Two months later, he was throwing 63 metres. The progress was so dramatic that cricket slowly moved into the background.

“I started playing cricket in 2012, like any other Sri Lankan kid. After I came to St Peter’s College, I started javelin throwing. My first throw was around the 30m mark. After only two months of training, I increased my throw to 63m.” Pathirage recalled. That trajectory would continue almost every season thereafter.

The Australian connection

Why 92.62m changes everything?

The throw in Rome was not merely a personal best, It was a statement.

Pathirage’s 92.62m effort made him:

• 
  The second-best Asian javelin thrower ever
• 
  The first Sri Lankan to cross 90 metres
• 
  Only the fourth Asian athlete to achieve the feat
• 
  The eighth-best performer in world history
• 
  The owner of the longest throw anywhere in the world since the Paris Olympics

Most importantly, it moved him ahead of both Neeraj Chopra and Chao-Tsun Cheng on Asia’s all-time list. Only Pakistan’s Olympic record holder Arshad Nadeem remains ahead of him.

The bigger story: Asia’s javelin boom

For years, Asian athletics was rarely associated with world-class javelin throwing. That perception has completely changed.

Nadeem’s Olympic gold, Neeraj’s Olympic title and World Championship success. Now Pathirage’s breakthrough. Asia suddenly possesses multiple athletes capable of competing with Europe’s traditional javelin powers.

The significance of Pathirage’s emergence goes beyond Sri Lanka. It reinforces the idea that elite javelin talent can emerge from nations without a long history in the event, provided the athlete receives the right coaching pathway.

Can he sustain it?

His progression has been consistent:

• 
  85.41m in Perth
• 
  86.50m national record
• 
  89.28m in Nairobi
• 
  89.37m in Diyagama
• 
  92.62m in Rome

The trend suggests an athlete improving steadily rather than relying on a single magical day.

Sri Lanka’s sporting gamble pays off

Back in 2017, Sri Lankan cricket may have lost a promising fast bowler. Nine years later, Sri Lankan athletics has gained something far rarer, a 92-metre javelin thrower.

And with the World Championships and Los Angeles 2028 on the horizon, Rumesh Pathirage’s greatest throws may still be ahead of him.

The SEC and Big Ten are now on record opposing the ‘Protect College Sports Act’ put forward in the United States Senate.

Are they likely to work with U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, as they claim, to address their concerns?

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, I’m joined by ‘Locked On Vols’ host Eric Cain to discuss the Tennessee quarterback situation.

Is there growing momentum for 5-star freshman Faizon Brandon?

SMU is adding a wide receiver, Jordyn Adams, who was in the same recruiting class as Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St Brown.

What does this say about the state of college sports? 

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

The Minnesota Vikings have a boatload of quarterbacks on the roster right now. After Kyler Murray fell into their laps, it was reported he would need to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting role.

Anyone who had ever watched both Murray and McCarthy play at the NFL level should have been aware of how that competition would pan out. Murray, while playing for a poor organization in Arizona, flashed plenty of talent and athleticism. McCarthy, while struggling to stay healthy, only showed growth in short bursts.

Vikings QB Battle Feels Over

We’re still weeks away from training camp, but Tom Pelissero was on KFAN Thursday and all but indicated that the competition was coming to a close.

It would be somewhat surprising to see the Minnesota Vikings call the competition over before training camp even begins. Then again, Murray’s talent gap can make the picture pretty clear for Kevin O’Connell. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert recently highlighted that as well.

Overall, the afternoon was a reminder that McCarthy could continue along the upward trajectory he established at the end of last season — and still fall well short of matching Murray’s experience, arm talent and potential to make big plays in the passing game.

Kevin Seifert – ESPN

Murray has 87 career games under his belt, and he has never operated as anything but a starter. His 67.1% completion rate is 10% higher than McCarthy’s, and he has a 121/60 TD/INT ratio as well. Put into an offense with the weapons Minnesota has, Murray has the chance to do something really special for the first time in his career.

Unfortunately, McCarthy’s career has gone the way that it has, but this is the reality the MN Vikings are dealing with. It’s good they aren’t going to pretend to know what they have all summer, though.

Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler

The Minnesota Vikings open with the Green Bay Packers in 2026, and their top rival just handed out yet another big payday. The benefit to Minnesota is that Green Bay seems to love giving away cap space to players who have questionable value relative to their production.

Jordan Love is currently playing on a $220 million contract, despite effectively being a younger version of Kirk Cousins. Of course, he needs wide receivers to throw to, and Green Bay hasn’t had those since Donald Driver, Davante Adams, and Randall Cobb suited up.

Green Bay’s Spending Gives Minnesota Another Opening

Rather than aim for stars to outfit Love with in the passing game, the Packers have surrounded him with Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed, and now a very expensive (and oft-injured) Christian Watson.

The jury is still out on Golden as he was just a rookie last year. However, he played in only 14 games, contributed just 361 yards, and didn’t find the end zone. Reed has topped out at 857 yards as a high-water mark during a season, and would be an afterthought in a room with any notable level of talent. Then there’s Watson, who has never played in more than 15 games in a season and hasn’t gone beyond 620 yards.

Minnesota boasts an embarrassment of riches at the position, to be sure. Jordan Addison runs circles around the Packers group, and recently inked Jauan Jennings likely laps the Green Bay collection as well. For a Vikings team that has questionable secondary depth and answers, having divisional foes welcome mediocrity in the passing game is a good thing.

It remains to be seen whether Josh Jacobs will be charged or punished for his accusations this offseason. If that does happen, he’d be another player the Packers won’t have in Week 1 when they face Minnesota. Taking away a key cog in the running game while leaving the passing game as it is certainly debilitates the opponent.

Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler

David Benavidez moved up in weight and became unified cruiserweight world champion last month, leading to Canelo Alvarez suggesting that a fight between them will never happen because not only will Benavidez never make super-middleweight again, but he will struggle to drop back down to light-heavyweight.

Benavidez demanded a fight against Alvarez when campaigning at 168lbs, with his WBC interim world title making a strong case for it to happen. His interest was not reciprocated, and, rather than waiting around, ‘The Mexican Monster’ chose to move up to light-heavyweight where he soon became a world champion.

Benavidez moved up once again in May and emphatically dethroned unified titlist Gilberto Ramirez in one of the standout performances of 2026 so far. While weighing up his next move, he again called for a fight with Canelo.

The Mexican icon, however, has ruled out the possibility of it ever taking place, believing that Benavidez will be unable to make 175lbs in future.

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Benavidez disputed the claims.

“I can still be semi-complete at 175, he fought like two or three times there. If he wants to make the fight there, I can lose that weight. 

“He is saying it’s impossible, that I can’t go down. I can go down, and if they want that fight, I am 100% ready to give this fight.

“Now, I am kind of frustrated by it. Every time that I do something or win a belt, win a fight, Canelo is there [being mentioned in the background], Canelo, Canelo, Canelo. I can’t do anything there, I want that fight too, [just] as you [fans] want the fight.” 

Advertisement

Canelo is scheduled to return to action on Saturday, September 12, taking on Christian Mbilli in an attempt to reclaim the WBC super-middleweight world title.

AAMI Park will play host to Friday’s
Round 14 NRL game between Melbourne Storm and
Newcastle Knights. The game kicks off at 6:00 pm with Melbourne Storm heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Melbourne Storm vs.
Newcastle Knights
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Friday June 5, 2026 at 6:00 pm

Where: AAMI Park

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Melbourne Storm vs Newcastle Knights Odds

Melbourne Storm vs Newcastle Knights Preview

A genuine top-four test awaits Newcastle when it travels to AAMI Park to face a Melbourne side beginning to resemble its usual premiership-contending self. After enduring a difficult mid-season stretch, the Storm have won three of their past four matches, highlighted by a clinical defensive performance against the Roosters last weekend. Newcastle arrives with confidence after four consecutive victories, although the Knights were made to work hard against Parramatta and now face a much sterner challenge. Kalyn Ponga remains central to Newcastle’s hopes, while Melbourne’s electric fullback Sua Faalogo continues to grow in influence. History heavily favours the Storm, who have won 13 of the last 15 meetings and have not lost a home game against Newcastle since 2015. With both sides carrying momentum, this shapes as one of the round’s most significant contests.