NEW YORK – If you’ve ever wondered what hype looked like, a few minutes in and around Cavan Sullivan’s orbit will do the trick. The 16-year-old may have walked into the EA Sports FC 27 launch party quietly on Tuesday, but in no time, he was swarmed with attention he seemed to be prepared for and was ultimately unfazed by, perhaps because he had enough people in the room whisking him away from those obligations in short order.

The buzz was a reminder rather than the point itself. Two days removed from scoring off a backheel and nutmegging a goalkeeper in San Diego, the latest in his tally of five goals and seven assists following MLS’ World Cup break, the Philadelphia Union attacker has earned the spotlight. He claimed Tuesday that he has no idea if his first senior call-up to the U.S. men’s national team is on its way, though he’ll reportedly be on Thursday’s squad, per ESPN, instead characterizing his current priorities differently.

“I’m just working to develop my game and get better day by day and hopefully keep proving myself, proving [to] the world what I can do in the games and just having fun,” he said.

After a North America-set World Cup that gripped U.S. audiences, Sullivan’s impressive run of form has allowed him to fill the attention vacuum seamlessly. He is tied for first on goal contributions post-World Cup with Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, who had already collected three LaLiga titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies before Sullivan was born. The 16-year-old said he was unaware of that commonality with Messi, though he did not hesitate to link it to the Union’s unbeaten run that has been intertwined with his own uptick in form.

Call it What You Want: A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States. Catch the show YouTube live every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.

“I didn’t know that,” he admitted. “That’s pretty cool. Like I said, I’m just trying to show what I can do. I told people that the goal contributions will come with the games but as always, the wins are most important, and 10 unbeaten is pretty special.”

The connection to the Union is obvious – Sullivan essentially blew up as soon as he was given an important role with his boyhood club, his promotion only coming this summer. The youngest player to make his MLS debut at 14, his integration into the Union’s first team was understandably slow but Sullivan has been handed a bigger role by interim head coach Ryan Richter, who succeeded Bradley Carnell after he was fired just before the World Cup. Sullivan has made his moments count since, attributing it to the vibe shift in the Union locker room.

“I think it was sort of just a spirit thing, a belief thing,” he said about the tonal change for the Union, who were below the playoff line before the World Cup and now have a three-point cushion on the flip side of the line. “A healthy competitiveness. Locker room filled with excitement to show up to training and excitement in the games. When we score, we celebrate. Sometimes we plan our celebrations and we just have fun.”

A few weeks shy of his 17th birthday, there’s a certain humor in the idea that Sullivan had to wait until the back half of the MLS season for his opportunities. Carnell restricted him to an average of 42.2 minutes per game, a 13-game stretch in which he notched just one goal and two assists. His post-World Cup outings are an example of a player meeting his moment, albeit after leaning into the serious side of a skillset that is built around exuberance and flair.

“I think just like the rest of the group,” he said about surviving the Union’s early season rough patch and the situation around his playing time, “just head down, driven, and continue to work hard … I have this winning mentality. I just really love to win, ever since I was a kid so that’s where the competitiveness comes from. I think it’s just [that] my drive is natural.”

There’s a professionalism to the way he characterized himself on Tuesday, perhaps a tacit acknowledgment that USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino and his staff are “watching everything” as they prepare to integrate younger players into the player pool. Sullivan, though, did not have a reason to hide his ambitions of representing the national team sooner rather than later, especially as a natural generational shift takes place on the long road to the 2030 World Cup.

“Obviously, everyone dreams of playing for the USA,” he said. “As a kid living in America, it’s the biggest goal, it’s the biggest honor so it would be a blessing to be able to represent. All four of the Sullivan brothers had dreams of playing for the USA. [Older brother] Quinn’s already done it so that was a pretty awesome moment for the family.”

England women’s all-time record try scorer Amy Hardcastle has announced her international retirement.

The St Helens centre, 37, scored 30 tries in 29 appearances for her country, having made her international debut in 2009.

England head coach Stuart Barrow described her as “one of the defining players of her generation”.

She leaves the international game a month before the start of the Rugby League World Cup – having featured at the past three tournaments – but will continue to play at club level.

Hardcastle was the only England player selected in the Women’s Team of the Decade, picked by the NRL in 2020 to highlight the outstanding players of the 2010s.

“Representing England has been the greatest honour of my rugby league career,” she said.

“To wear the national shirt, play alongside so many incredible team-mates and represent my family, clubs and community has meant everything to me.

“After a lot of reflection, I feel now is the right time to step away from the international game. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and how far women’s rugby league has come during my career.

“I’d like to thank every coach, team-mate, member of staff and supporter who has been part of my international journey.

“I’ll be the biggest cheerleader for the girls who are selected to fly to Australia, and I wish the squad and Stuart Barrow every success at the Rugby League World Cup.”

England’s opening match of the World Cup is against Wales in Perth on 17 October.

Paying tribute to Hardcastle, England head coach Barrow added: “She has been an outstanding ambassador for the sport, a role model for young players and someone who has consistently driven standards on and off the field.

“Throughout her international career, Amy has shown professionalism, resilience and an unwavering commitment to the England programme.

“She has performed on the biggest stages, inspired team-mates and helped elevate the profile of women’s rugby league both nationally and internationally.”

Normally, a batch of Exhibit 9 contracts wouldn’t qualify as significant news. They’re non-guaranteed training camp deals, after all, the sort that teams typically hand out in bunches this time of year. But in the case of the defending NBA champion New York Knicks, however, those deals are potentially significant.

On Wednesday, the Knicks signed five players to those contracts: Ochai Agbaji, Bruce Brown, James Wiseman, John Konchar and Drew Eubanks. The Knicks currently have 13 players under guaranteed contracts for next season with a bit more than $3 million in room beneath the second apron. That essentially leaves them the space to add one player before the season starts, and we now know the five players who will compete for that final spot.

This competition proved hugely significant a year ago, when the Knicks brought in Landry Shamet, Malcolm Brogdon and Garrison Mathews to compete for their final roster spot under fairly similar financial circumstances. Shamet eventually became an essential role player for New York’s championship run and has since re-signed on a four-year deal.

Advertisement

The Knicks would obviously be thrilled to replicate that success with one of this year’s five signings, but the odds of doing so are usually low. Rarely does a player fighting for a team’s final roster spot even get the minutes needed to have such an impact. And even if those minutes arrive, there’s no guarantee that a player who was available for a camp deal in September would be able to take advantage of them. These are, in essence, low-odds signings. There are only so many Landry Shamets out there.

But they’re notable components of New York’s broader offseason plan, because, at least for the moment, the defending champions appear somewhat incomplete. In an effort to duck the second apron, the Knicks lost key backup center Mitchell Robinson, who signed with the rival Boston Celtics. He was nominally replaced by Andre Drummond, but that’s a downgrade to say the least. 

We know the Knicks want at least one more big man on the roster. Before they signed any of these Exhibit 9 contracts, they tried and failed to trade for Yves Missi of the New Orleans Pelicans. They then tendered a restricted free agent offer sheet to Dallas Mavericks big man Moussa Cissé. Dallas matched, and New York moved on.

A path to adding a playoff-caliber center?

Eubanks, an experienced journeyman big, and Wiseman, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, are fliers at center. The Sacramento Kings squeezed some occasional minutes out of Eubanks last season, and while Wiseman has only played five games over the past two seasons due to a torn Achilles tendon, there is still upside through his draft pedigree alone. Still, in the long run, it’s hard to imagine either factoring seriously into New York’s playoff rotation. 

If the Knicks are going to add another playoff-level center, it is probably coming through trade.

And that is where Brown, Konchar and Agbaji come into play. The Knicks theoretically could have thrown all of their camp slots at big men in an effort to cast the widest possible net, but instead, they signed three wings to an area of surplus. Shamet, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson and Miles McBride all seem unlikely to surrender their roles from last season, and both Mohamed Diawara and Tyler Kolek proved they’re ready for bigger roles during their rotation stints a year ago. The Knicks have a perimeter surplus, one that they can potentially trade from if one of those Exhibit 9 signings pans out.

The obvious candidate here would be McBride, who is entering the final season of his extremely team-friendly contract. He’ll make just below $4 million this season, but that’s a figure he could easily triple as a free agent next summer. He’s currently extension-eligible, but the Knicks haven’t yet given him a new deal. Given their commitment to remaining below the second apron, they may not be able to afford to, depending on what they wind up giving Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart. 

Greatest rebound ever? Best assist? The ultimate example of every NBA stat, from OG’s tip-in to Kobe’s lob

Sam Quinn

Advertisement

That makes McBride a realistic trade chip if the Knicks elect to pursue another big man at the deadline. Their options are relatively limited given how close they already are to the second apron. In all likelihood, they’d be targeting a center on a rookie deal or a very underpaid veteran. But with McBride on the table and their 2033 first-round pick now tradable, they have the ammunition to target such a player if he becomes available. For now, no such big man stands out. Maybe the Pelicans warm up to the idea of a Missi trade. Maybe another team with center depth or a draft-pick deficit emerges. If that’s the case, the Knicks will presumably be ready to pounce.

Are any of these five players likely to swing New York’s title defense? Probably not. Wiseman and Agbaji have upside based on draft pedigree. Brown has been a legitimate contributor on a championship team (the 2023 Denver Nuggets), but that same champion brought him back a season ago and was underwhelmed enough not to re-sign him this season. Eubanks has bounced around the league, and Konchar seemingly fell out of favor in Memphis. There’s a reason these players were available right before camp.

But the Knicks are as good as any team in the NBA at maximizing the margins. Shamet was a home run signing under these circumstances, and whether they do so directly or indirectly, one of these players has a chance to be similarly impactful by helping the Knicks replace the size they lost with Robinson.

For the second match running against Afghanistan, the Indian team went ahead with Sanju Samson in place of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the preferred opener. Samson, after scoring 10 in the first T20I, made a terrific comeback to slam 57 off 22 balls. For the third T20I, to be held on Thursday, Sooryavanshi is likely to get a chance, as hinted by captain Shreyas Iyer. “Definitely, we want all of them to get used to the wicket and get some practice, so it will be a good opportunity to give a chance to the guys sitting out,” Iyer said after the second T20I.

After the second T20I, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s father, Sanjeev, was asked about his son’s absence from the playing XI.

“When there is a need, he will play. Baccha taiyaar hai khelne ke liye (the boy is ready to play),” Sanjeev told India Today.

Chasing a target of 160 runs against Afghanistan in the second T20I, Team India never looked under pressure as the opening duo of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma forged an 88-run partnership for the first wicket. Samson roared back to form with a 57-run knock off just 22 balls as India overhauled the total in just 14.5 overs. The wicketkeeper-batter’s exemplary knock put the chatter around his competition with the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to bed, showing the cricket world once again that form is temporary, while class is permanent.

Samson, speaking at the press conference after the game, was asked about the competition for the two opening spots in the T20I team. However, the veteran cricketer produced a mic-drop statement, saying competition only exists for the outside world. For him, both Sooryavanshi and Abhishek are teammates playing together for the country. He stressed that there is no chatter in the team about one player being snubbed or another not getting enough opportunities.

“I think they (Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma) are competitors for the outside world, but we are a team, and we are playing for our country. We want to win the game first, and then it comes down to the other individuals. We cannot sulk or be in a negative frame of mind, thinking, ‘Oh, I did not get it, why was it given to him?’ Those kinds of mindsets do not work here,” Samson told reporters in the post-match press conference.

Samson also spoke about the chatter on social media, where a number of former Indian cricketers have opined on the competition for the opening spot. Some suggest that Sooryavanshi deserves to play ahead of Samson in the team, while others believe Abhishek should make way for the teenage batter.

While Samson is not someone who pays heed to comments on the internet, he admitted to having come across some remarks made by former cricketers.

“I try to switch the Wi-Fi off. But sometimes the Wi-Fi gets switched on, and comments become visible. Some senior player says something. So I think it is very normal.”

Featured Video Of The Day

Spain’s Royal Family Welcomes World Cup Champions To Zarzuela Palace

IPL Auction to return in India (Agency Image)

The IPL could witness two significant developments ahead of the 2027 season, with the player auction likely to return to India after three years overseas and the future of the Impact Player rule back under discussion. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has expressed his desire to bring the auction back home, while the BCCI is seeking fresh feedback from franchises and other stakeholders on the controversial substitution rule.The auction for the 2027 season is expected to be a smaller event, with the host city yet to be finalised. The previous three editions were held outside India, in Dubai, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi. Dhumal, who is set to be re-elected as IPL chairman at the BCCI Annual General Meeting on September 18, said the league would make another attempt to host the auction in India.

IPL 2027 auction: BCCI keen to bring event back to India

The IPL auction has been held overseas for the past three years, with Dubai hosting the 2024 auction, Jeddah staging the 2025 mega auction and Abu Dhabi hosting the 2026 auction. Dhumal said the league had been trying to bring the event back to India but faced difficulties in securing a suitable venue due to the busy wedding season.“Every year we try for this to happen in India, but we don’t get the venue given the heavy marriage season. So, we definitely want it to be here this year, given that it would be a smaller auction and hopefully we will get the venue,” Dhumal told PTI.The host city for the auction will be decided based on the availability of the BCCI’s preferred venue.

Impact Player rule back under discussion ahead of IPL 2027

The future of the Impact Player rule has also emerged as a key talking point ahead of the 2027 season, with the BCCI seeking fresh feedback from franchises. The matter was discussed at a recent IPL Governing Council meeting after the board approached teams for their views on the rule, which is currently scheduled to remain in place until 2027.Several prominent Indian cricketers, including Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, former India captain Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel, have expressed reservations about the rule. One of the key concerns raised by players is that it reduces the importance of all-rounders by allowing teams to bring in a specialist batter or bowler during a match.Ahead of IPL 2026, several captains had conveyed their concerns to the BCCI, renewing calls for the rule to be scrapped. Dhumal said the board was open to reviewing the concept but would consult all stakeholders before making a decision.“The matter is under discussion. Will take a feedback from all the stakeholders and then take a call on this,” he said.The Impact Player rule allows teams to substitute a player at any stage of a match, giving them the flexibility to bring in an additional batter or bowler depending on the match situation.