The T20 World Cup 2026 will be remembered for years to come, not only for India’s title triumph but also for the controversies surrounding it. The biggest of these was the exclusion of Bangladesh from the tournament, which paved the way for Scotland’s inclusion. The issue began with the removal of pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders squad following religious tensions in Bangladesh. Citing player safety concerns, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) demanded that their World Cup matches be shifted from India to Sri Lanka. However, with the tournament fast approaching, the ICC refused to accept BCB’s request, ultimately resulting in Bangladesh’s exclusion from the competition.

BCB recently formed an interim board, appointing former captain Tamim Iqbal as its head. Speaking to The Indian Express about the controversy, which raised questions regarding BCCI-BCB relations, Tamim expressed disappointment over how Bangladesh let the World Cup slip away.

“I was probably the first to speak out when the (T20) World Cup issue happened. What was done, how it was handled by the previous Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) administration, was not right. The ICC was lenient, there was room to find a solution. We should have found it,” Tamim said.

“Let me go back to 1996-97, how much we fought to win that ICC trophy against Kenya just to qualify for the World Cup. My house was floating in coloured water. People celebrated in the streets. That celebration brought kids into cricket, everybody wanted to be Minhajul Abedin Nannu, Khaled Mashud, Akram Khan. And we gave away a World Cup without even having a proper dialogue. There might be players in that squad who will never play in a World Cup again. That I did not take nicely,” he added.

On his relationship with the BCCI, Tamim said he shares a good bond with Indian board president Mithun Manhas and assured him of safe conditions in Bangladesh.

“Regarding BCCI, I have played a lot of cricket with (current BCCI president) Mithun Manhas. In the IPL, we were in the same team, he has come to Bangladesh many times to play in Dhaka leagues. Very good rapport. I haven’t had the chance to sit with him in this capacity yet, but I know him well,” he said.

“The country’s security is absolutely brilliant at the moment. There is no issue, no security threat, and it has never been for the Indian cricket team. When India comes here, the whole stadium is packed. People love that contest. I personally don’t think BCB and BCCI have any real issues anymore. A series here would be a great way to take the next step forward,” he added.

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One way to join Aronimink Golf Club, host of this week’s PGA Championship, is to win a big-time tournament at the course, then wait. 

For 63 years.

That’s how Gary Player did it.

In 1962, the last time Aronimink staged the PGA, Player edged Bob Goalby by a single shot to claim the Wanamaker Trophy. More than six decades later, in the fall of 2025, the club recognized that feat by making Player an honorary member and naming a room in the clubhouse after him.

A belated tribute? Sure. But also befitting of a club that doesn’t fast-track much.

Founded in 1896 as the Belmont Golf Association, and situated at its current address west of Philadelphia since 1926, Aronimink is an old-fashioned enclave that adds to its ranks the old-fashioned way: methodically. You can’t just stroke a check and join, a source with knowledge of the club told GOLF.com. As with many prestigious clubs, the application process is opaque. There’s a waiting list to join that is not so much a list as it is a pool.

“You might wait only six months before you get in,” the source said. “Or you also might wait 10 years and never get in. It’s not like they’re progressing through a roster, one candidate at a time.”

Once you’re accepted, the next step will cost you. Aronimink has long ranked among the more expensive clubs in the area. Initiation is $150,000 (more than double what it is at Philadelphia Cricket Club), plus some $1,800 in monthly dues.

Membership has its privileges. Along with access to a Donald Ross design — restored by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner in 2017 and ranked 84th on GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the U.S. — members enjoy a full complement of amenities: swimming pools, paddle and tennis courts, trap shooting, and a historic Tudor-style clubhouse with a veranda that looks out over the course.

In 1962, Player pocketed a first-place check of $13,000. This year’s winner will receive more than $3 million. That’s a lot of moolah. But it alone won’t get you through the door.

The Nigeria Premier Football League title race will be decided on the final day of the season after Enugu Rangers held on to top spot, while Bayelsa United and Wikki Tourists were officially relegated on Sunday.

Rangers remain first on the table with 65 points from 37 matches, just one point ahead of Rivers United, who are on 64 points.

The Flying Antelopes kept their slim advantage after recording a 2-1 home victory over Bendel Insurance. Rivers United also stayed in the title chase with a dramatic 3-2 away win against Wikki Tourists, a result that confirmed the Bauchi club’s relegation.

Attention now shifts to the final round of fixtures on May 24. Rangers face a difficult away trip to fourth-placed Ikorodu City, while Rivers United will welcome Katsina United in Port Harcourt.

Ikorodu City, who sit on 58 points, are still pushing for a continental ticket. They will hope to beat Rangers and move ahead of Shooting Stars, who have 60 points and face a tough away clash against relegation-threatened Niger Tornadoes.

The battle to avoid relegation also became tighter after Warri Wolves and Niger Tornadoes slipped into danger.

Warri Wolves suffered a narrow defeat to Kano Pillars, while Tornadoes played out a goalless draw with El Kanemi Warriors.

Several clubs are still fighting to survive before the final day. Niger Tornadoes are on 45 points, while Warri Wolves, Remo Stars, Enyimba and Kun Khalifat all have 46 points. El Kanemi Warriors, Plateau United and Kwara United are slightly above them on 47 points.

Bayelsa United’s relegation was confirmed after a 2-1 defeat away to Remo Stars.

Donovan Mitchell has long established himself as one of the most electric postseason scorers in NBA history, and he was at it again on Monday with 43 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ 112-103 win over the Detroit Pistons to even their second-round series at two games apiece. 

This was Mitchell’s fourth playoff game with at least 40 points with the Cavs, which pushes him ahead of Kyrie Irving for the second-most in franchise history and trails only LeBron James‘ 24.  

By the way, he had four points at halftime. Do the math, and that’s 39 second-half points for Mitchell, which makes him co-owner of the record for the most points ever scored in a single playoff half. 

You talk about coming up huge. The Cavs were close to being on the ropes, down four at halftime and in real danger of going down 3-1 in the series. I know we had three successful 3-1 comebacks in the first round, but it doesn’t happen often. This was essentially a must-win game for the Cavs, and with Mitchell in the captain’s seat, they took off to the tune of a 23-0 run to begin the second half. 

That is the most unanswered points a team has scored to open a playoff half in the last 30 years. Add in the final two points of the first half, and the Cavs’ run of 25 unanswered points is the second-biggest run of its kind in the play-by-play era. 

Mitchell personally rattled off eight points inside the first 96 seconds of the third quarter, and from there the “Cavalanche” was on. Mitchell wound up with 21 points in the third, marking the fifth time he has put up at least 20 points in a single playoff quarter. 

Only Stephen Curry and Jamal Murray have matched that number during the play-by-play era, which dates back to 1997. Again, Mitchell is no stranger to playoff eruptions. While with the Utah Jazz, his 57 points against the Denver Nuggets in the 2020 playoffs are the third-highest single-game output in playoff history. 

Later in that series, Mitchell went for 51, making him one of just four players in history to go for 50-plus twice in the same playoff series (joining Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson and Jamal Murray). Additionally, in 2024, he went for 50 against the Orlando Magic in the first round. 

Mitchell wasn’t at his best for the bulk of the first round, from which Cleveland barely escaped in seven games vs. the Toronto Raptors, and he’s only 12 for 39 from 3 in this series. But you knew it was only a matter of time before he put on a performance like this. The dude is pure box office. Always has been. He has 109 points over the last three games of this series, which is now down to a best-of-three beginning with Game 5 on Wednesday in Detroit.  

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (ANI Photo)

RAIPUR: On a Dec evening at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in 2012, a young Uttar Pradesh pacer announced himself to international cricket with a dream T20I debut against Pakistan. Swinging the new ball with remarkable control, Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned figures of 3/9. More than 13 years later, in a format that has tilted further towards batters, Bhuvneshwar remains not just relevant but among the most effective, as he has shown in the IPL this season. Once a young swing-bowling prospect, he now stands as a study in craft, discipline and constant reinvention.At 36, he has 21 wickets from 11 matches and leads the IPL wicket charts this season, a significant marker in a competition where 200-plus totals no longer feel safe and bowlers are challenged every over. For Bhuvneshwar, survival in modern T20 cricket has come down to one thing: constant evolution.