India batter Ruturaj Gaikwad (PTI Photo)

Ruturaj Gaikwad has earned a return to the India A setup after being drafted into the squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka. The right-hander comes in as a replacement for Riyan Parag, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury and will now undergo rehabilitation under the supervision of the BCCI Centre of Excellence. The selection offers Gaikwad an immediate opportunity to rebuild momentum after a disappointing IPL 2026 campaign. Despite leading the Chennai Super Kings, the opener struggled to make his usual impact, scoring 337 runs at an average of 28.08 and a strike rate of 123.44. India A’s selectors, however, have shown faith in his ability by not only bringing him into the squad but also naming him vice-captain alongside captain Tilak Varma. The tour could prove crucial for Gaikwad as he looks to push his case for future national-team opportunities.Updated India A squad for tri-series: Tilak Varma (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vice-captain), Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Suryansh Shedge, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Kumar Kushagra (WK), Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur, Yudhvir Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Arshad Khan, Anukul Roy, The tri-series will feature India A, Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A. All white-ball matches will be played in Dambulla before the tour moves to Galle for two multi-day matches against Sri Lanka A. The squad for those red-ball fixtures will be announced separately. For Gaikwad, the tour represents more than just another India A assignment. After a difficult IPL season, it offers a valuable chance to rediscover form, lead from the front and remind selectors why he remains one of India’s most highly rated batting prospects.

As Victor Wembanyama waited to learn the identity of his eventual NBA team ahead of the 2023 Draft, Adrian Wojnarowski shared a somewhat startling sentiment bubbling among teams hoping to secure the greatest prospect in basketball history during ESPN’s broadcast of the lottery. 

“A number of executives who are in the room tonight, who are waiting on those bouncing balls in the lottery, they tell me that they believe Wembanyama could be the best player in the NBA on both the offensive and defensive ends by his third season in the league,” Wojnarowski said. 

That simply does not happen, at least not under modern circumstances. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the MVP and a champion by his second NBA season, but he played a full collegiate career. Magic Johnson won Finals MVP as a rookie, but Abdul-Jabbar was by his side for all but the clinching game of the Finals and would remain the superior player for several years. LeBron James reached the NBA Finals in his fourth season, but got swatted away by a more experienced San Antonio Spurs team and wouldn’t return until his eighth season.

These words were spoken about Wembanyama mere months after his 19th birthday. He had no NBA experience. He didn’t come up through the traditional American collegiate system. He was more accomplished in Europe, winning the French MVP award in 2023, but he barely played in the EuroLeague. Luka Dončić won the EuroLeague MVP award at 19. Wembanyama averaged 6.5 points in 17.5 minutes against Europe’s best competition. It didn’t matter. His future was obvious to anyone who’d ever bounced a ball. He was going to be the best basketball player in the world. Health permitting, he might genuinely be the best basketball player who’s ever lived.

We usually don’t start with those conversations. Michael Jordan didn’t truly throw his name into the “GOAT” ring until his first three-peat. James was compared to him from the moment he arrived in the NBA, but he’s said himself that his 2016 championship over the 73-win Golden State Warriors was the moment, in his mind, when it really happened. That came in his 13th season.

2026 NBA Finals schedule: Knicks vs. Spurs odds, dates, game times

Sam Quinn

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But Wojnarowski’s prophecy came true. It’s Wembanyama’s third season, and he’s already claimed “best in the league” status. He and the Spurs just knocked off two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals on the road in Game 7 on Saturday night. Gilgeous-Alexander was burdened with injuries to his secondary shot-creators, Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams, but Wembanyama was playing with two of his best teammates, De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper, also hobbled. 

In the regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 5.4 shot attempts in the restricted area per game. In the first six games of the Western Conference Finals, that number was nearly cut in half, down to three. Without the rim, the MVP was mortal. He shot 32.1% in the non-restricted portion of the paint, 38.3% in mid-range and 26.1% on 3s. When he didn’t draw fouls, he just didn’t have an efficient means of attacking San Antonio’s Wembanyama-led defense. This is Wembanyama’s competition, and he erased him.

It usually takes a few tries to reach this point. Jordan lost to the Bad Boy Pistons three times. James lost to the Boston Celtics twice and got pushed to the brink against them in 2012. There’s a certain rhythm to these things. A young star ascends, loses a few times to the incumbent heavyweights and then finally gets over the top. There wasn’t even really a climb here. The Spurs faced the Thunder in five regular-season games and won four. They beat them in their first postseason matchup. Maybe Wembanyama is just so big that he could pull himself up the mountaintop from a standing start.

The Thunder aren’t going anywhere. They’ll presumably be among Wembanyama’s biggest threats moving forward. They’ll probably be healthier if there’s a rematch next season, and both sides are loaded with enough assets to improve on the trade market if they decide it’s necessary. The rivalry isn’t over.

But this is probably the worst Wembanyama’s ever going to be. He’s not close to his peak yet. One of the stories of the season was how effectively Oklahoma City’s defense kept Wembanyama away from the rim. He had 23 paint touches in Game 1, according to NBA.com tracking data. Then he had 33 in Games 2-6 combined. He still can’t quite assert his position near the rim as well as he’ll be able to in a few years, and his young guards will get better at entering the ball into him. He’s not going to completely bulk up, but he’ll probably add some muscle to better handle Oklahoma City’s physicality. His post-game is still developing. He worked with Hakeem Olajuwon last offseason. Odds are, he’ll check in with other legends in the summers to come. He’s still getting better.

He has a ways to go before he reaches those loftier ambitions. He’s not even a champion yet, and the New York Knicks pose a very real threat to his coronation. They beat the Spurs twice during the regular season, including the NBA Cup final, and that was before New York’s magical run through the Eastern Conference. He might still lose. He might face the same stumbles that Jordan and James did during their respective rises to power.

But the basketball world looked at Wembanyama before he’d even arrived in the NBA and reasoned that he would probably be the best player in the league by his third season. That theory, outlandish as it probably seemed to some in the moment, came to pass. And with that being the case, we probably can’t dismiss any other outlandish beliefs surrounding his future. 

Who cares that he’s only played three years? We’re all watching him and thinking the same thing. There’s never been anyone like him before. Nobody has ever had his combination of size, skill and demeanor. He’s capable of things on a basketball court that no other human being ever has been. 

It will take years for his resume to compare to Jordan’s or James’, but he’s ahead of where they were at this stage of their careers. If this goes the way we think it’s going to go, he’s going to be the greatest player in NBA history.

Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket against Tyler Kolek #13 and Jordan Clarkson #00 of the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter of the championship game of the Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena on December 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will be well represented in the NBA Finals featuring the San Antonio Spurs, who have fast-rising rookie Dylan Harper, and the New York Knicks with former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson.

Harper’s mother, Maria, was born and raised in Bataan before moving to the United States when she was seven years old. Clarkson’s mom, Annette Davis, also has Filipino roots and was born in Angeles City, Pampanga.

Harper and the Spurs booked a title date with the Knicks, who swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, after dethroning the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road in Game 7 on Sunday (Manila time).

READ: Dylan Harper joins list of players with Filipino roots in NBA

“It’s a blessing to represent the Philippines, where I’m from. I think Jordan Clarkson and I are doing a great job doing that, but I think the biggest thing is what’s in front of me,” said Harper during the post-game press conference following the Spurs’ 111-103 victory.

The 33-year-old Clarkson, who has represented the Philippines in the Fiba World Cup and Asian Games, is making his second NBA Finals appearance since 2018 as part of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Interestingly, this year’s finals is a rematch of the 1999 edition where the Spurs beat the Knicks in five.

San Antonio is back in the championship round for the first time since winning it all in 2014 with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard as their core.

The NBA Finals tips off on Thursday in San Antonio.

FILE–US chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines–Chess World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura is in the country to compete in the inaugural WR Bughouse Championship, which kicks off Monday at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bonifacio Global City.

The American Grandmaster arrived in Manila on Sunday with his partner, German Wadim Rosenstein, founder of WR Chess, which is staging the event with a total prize pool of $100,000 (around P6.1 million).

“Good morning from Manila,” Nakamura posted on social media. “Through chess, I’ve been able to travel around the world, and this is now the 63rd unique country I’ve been to.”

Nakamura headlines the two-day tournament featuring bughouse, or transfer chess, with 52 teams vying for the $50,000 top prize.

Also seeing action are American GM Awonder Liang, ranked No. 34 in the world, alongside Canadian Eilia Zomorrodian; Australian GM Anton Smirnov and American GM Timur Gareyev; and Indonesian GM Novendra Priasmoro and WGM Ardhiani Anastasia.

Leading the local challenge are GM Daniel Quizon and IM Eric Labog, GM Darwin Laylo and FM David Elorta, WGM Janelle Mae Frayna and WIM Ruelle Canino, and IMs Pau Bersamina and Jem Garcia.

The tournament opens with a 12-round elimination phase at 4 p.m., with the top eight teams advancing to Tuesday’s knockout stage.

Nakamura will also hold an autograph-signing session from 10 a.m. to noon on a first-come, first-served basis.

In bughouse, captured pieces are passed to a teammate for use on the adjacent board, with each player allotted five minutes and no increment.

Matches are decided by checkmate, resignation, or time forfeiture. Automatic checkmates using transferred pieces are prohibited, while pawn promotions are limited to pieces available from captured material.

Some takes are best left in Drafts, and sometimes things just don’t work out as planned. For the Minnesota Vikings’ sake, we track those items weekly in an article of “Nopey Nopes” — Vikings-themed content that is absurd, false, or didn’t unfold as expected.

This week lassoed a weird theory about rookie linebacker Jake Golday, a take on the Vikings’ quarterback room, and the state of Florida trying to flex on Teddy Bridgewater.

Vikings Offseason Debates Stretch from LB to QB

The Nopedy Nope: Drafting Jake Golday was dumb because the Vikings already have Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson.

The Ringer‘s Diante Lee retweeted a posting about Golday, captioning, “I still struggle to see how Golday is going to find an outsized role on a defense where Blake Cashman and Andrew Van Ginkel are both better versions of what he can bring to the table. Minnesota didn’t need another downhill thumper or tweener type in its LB room.”

He then noted that Minnesota’s existing linebackers won’t be around forever: “They’ll all be phased out soon, I know. Still don’t know if it justifies Golday being picked where he was.”

The tweet flummoxed Vikings fans.

The Vikings didn’t draft Golday just because they were bored. Looking ahead to 2026, Minnesota’s top linebackers from last season will be the following ages: Blake Cashman will be 30, Andrew Van Ginkel will be 31, and Eric Wilson will be 32. Additionally, Cashman and Van Ginkel are both set to enter free agency after this season.

This situation is momentous. Three key linebackers are already on the wrong side of 30, and two of them could be leaving next March. From this perspective, it makes perfect sense why the Vikings would want to draft a linebacker early in April.

Lee’s point that Golday could fit into Brian Flores’ defense in 2026 is valid. While Golday may not have a prominent role immediately — rookies often take time to develop — the Vikings are not just focused on this season only for Golday. Golday’s career won’t be evaluated in January 2027. This pick is about preparing for 2027, 2028, and 2029, when Cashman and Van Ginkel may be gone, declining, or in different roles.

Minnesota didn’t draft Golday despite having older linebackers; they drafted him because the linebacker room is aging.

The Verdict: Nopedy nope on wondering why a team would draft a young linebacker when the other linebackers are age 30 or older.

The Nopedy Nope: The Vikings’ quarterback room is one of the worst in the NFL.

Garrett Podell of CBS Sports called the Vikings’ QB room the seventh-worst in football, explaining, “One would think the Minnesota Vikings’ signing of two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray would keep them off this list, but that’s not the case. Murray earned his Pro Bowl selections in 2020 and 2021. That’s a lifetime ago in NFL years. From 2022 to 2025, Murray missed 30 of his possible 68 games.”

“In the five games Murray played for the Cardinals in 2025, he averaged a career low 227.0 total yards per game. Recent first-round pick J.J. McCarthy was the worst quarterback in the NFL in 2025, which sparked the signing of Murray. McCarthy’s performance was simply incredible considering the offensive ecosystem under 2024 Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell.”

Murray and McCarthy are on tap to battle for the QB1 job this summer.

“Despite an electrifying supporting cast, McCarthy ranked dead last in the league in completion percentage (57.6%), touchdown-to-interception ratio (11-12), and passer rating (72.6). Murray could rediscover his early career form with Minnesota,” Podell added.

“Murray is one of just four players in NFL history with 20,000-plus passing yards (20,460) and 30-plus rushing touchdowns (32) through his first seven seasons, joining Josh Allen, Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson. Week 1 starter: Kyler Murray.”

The world is not high on the Vikings’ quarterback room.

The Verdict: “QB Room Power Rankings” don’t really matter in May, but to suggest the Vikings have the league’s seventh-worst group is a little strange. When did the world decide that Murray is a terrible passer?

The Nopedy Nope: Teddy Bridgewater was the villain and culprit for helping high school football players.

Bridgewater won. Associated Press reported Saturday: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the ‘Teddy Bridgewater Act’ into law Friday, meaning high school coaches in the state will now be able to use their own money to help their players with expenses such as food, transportation, physical therapy and rehabilitation services.”

“The Bridgewater Act is named for the Florida native and longtime NFL quarterback who coached his alma mater, Miami Northwestern High, to a state championship in 2024. But he was suspended for the 2025 season after revealing that he personally paid for meals, ride-share services and treatments for some players.”

All the Bridgewater fuss kicked up last summer, as the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) didn’t enjoy the fact that he accommodated his players to the utmost.

“There will be strict rules regarding how — and how much — coaches can spend. It would apply to a team’s head coach only, cannot be used in recruiting, must be reported in full to a state agency and is capped at $15,000 per team per year,” AP added.

Bridgewater, now a backup quarterback for the Detroit Lions, was vindicated, paving the way for his return to high school coaching if he so desires when his NFL career ends.

The Verdict: Nopedy nope on punishing Bridgewater for a righteous act.

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