India’s Hardik Pandya (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Former England seamer Stuart Broad has issued a strong warning to England ahead of their semifinal clash against India, singling out Hardik Pandya as the player who could decisively swing the contest.Broad stressed that Pandya’s impact goes far beyond numbers on the scoreboard. The Indian all-rounder has the rare ability to alter the tempo of a match, whether through late-innings power-hitting or by delivering crucial overs with the ball. According to Broad, Pandya relishes high-pressure scenarios and carries a self-assurance that energises those around him.

The semifinal also presents an added layer of comfort for Pandya, as it will be played at his IPL home venue. Familiarity with the surface and conditions, combined with strong crowd backing, could further enhance his influence on the game.Offering a tactical perspective, Broad suggested England must be smart about when Pandya comes to the crease. He believes the key lies in forcing him to bat earlier than he would ideally prefer, before he can slip seamlessly into his devastating finishing role.“If I am an England bowler, I think I need to get him in after 12 overs so I can bowl when he’s not in the hitting zone straightaway. He might think I would like to look at a few before going at the end. I would see that as my chance to get him out before he can hurt me in the last four overs. If India are just three or four down entering the death overs, that’s where India get over 200, and you are in a bit of trouble,” Broad said on the For the Love of Cricket podcast.Broad further explained that Pandya becomes especially dangerous if India lay a strong foundation in the first half of the innings. With a solid platform in place, the all-rounder’s confidence and presence can take over the game.“If India sets up a good first ten overs, Hardik Pandya becomes a huge danger. When he walks in, he’s extremely confident. He has got an aura about him and an ego on him in a positive way. He just believes he can do the job. He is so wiry and slim that you think how he can hit the ball 100 metres like he does. But he does it so effortlessly,” he added.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman defended the United States men’s hockey team for their reactions to President Donald Trump talking about the women’s team following their gold medal victory at the Milan Cortina Games. 

While on the phone with the men’s team after they defeated Canada to win gold, Trump said he would “have” to invite the women’s team, which also defeated Canada to win Olympic gold, to last week’s State of the Union address. He added that he “probably would be impeached” if he did not extend an invitation to the women’s team.

Members of both teams have said they supported each other throughout the Olympics, and Bettman agreed with that sentiment.

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks to the media prior to a game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre.  (Marc DesRosiers/Imagn Images)

“I know for a fact that the men’s team had no intention of doing anything to slight the women’s team,” Bettman said on Tuesday, via Sportsnet. “If anything, both teams were chanting, ‘Two for two.’ 

“What happened and how it was portrayed, I wish didn’t happen the way it did, and I think it was unfair to the men’s team. And again, I don’t think the women’s team had a different view of it. I mean, look at (U.S. women’s captain) Hilary Knight and the others talking about what happened. These two teams respected each other.”

Jeremy Swayman, the men’s team’s backup goaltender, admitted the team “should have reacted differently” to Trump’s comments. But he and Jack and Quinn Hughes all spoke highly of the women’s team and their relationships with them.

Megan Keller (5) of the United States and Hannah Bilka (23) of the United States celebrate after winning the gold medal in women’s ice hockey after defeating Canada during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 19, 2026. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)

Jack Hughes told reporters after his gold medal-winning goal that the first thing he thought about when the puck went in was Megan Keller, who scored the golden goal for the United States women’s team against Canada three days earlier.

The brothers’ mother, Ellen, a former Team USA player and current player development staff member, said the players only cared about “bring[ing] so much unity to a group and to a country.”

Team USA men’s hockey gold medalists have irked liberal pundits and news organizations despite captivating the nation with their Olympic accomplishment. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

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Knight and Megan Keller, who scored the women’s golden goal, joined the Hughes brothers on this past weekend’s “Saturday Night Live.”

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New Zealand opener Finn Allen created history in Kolkata by smashing the fastest century ever in a T20 World Cup on Wednesday, powering New Zealand into the final with a crushing nine-wicket win over South Africa.Chasing 170 in the first semi-final, Allen went on a rampage, scoring an unbeaten 100 off just 33 balls.

His knock broke the previous World Cup record of 47 balls set by Chris Gayle. New Zealand chased down the target in just 12.5 overs, finishing the match with 7.1 overs to spare.After the game, Allen said: “Yeah I would say it’s up there. Wanted to get into good positions and hit the ball. Wanted to put them on the back foot early. The way Seifert batted and got us to a flier helped me as well. We wanted to hit straight and enjoyed it together. “You adapt to the wicket, training is important. The boys played a lot on the blacksoil pitches against India before the World Cup so that was good intel. We look forward to the final on Sunday.”Allen’s 33-ball hundred is now the fastest in T20 World Cups, the fastest against a full-member team in T20 internationals, and joint third-fastest in all T20Is.Earlier, South Africa posted 169/8 in 20 overs, with Marco Jansen top-scoring with 55. But their total proved nowhere near enough. Tim Seifert gave New Zealand a flying start with 58 off 33 balls, setting the stage for Allen’s record-breaking blitz.With this dominant performance, New Zealand stormed into the final in style.

Chelsea significantly bolstered their Champions League aspirations with a commanding 4-1 victory over Aston Villa, spearheaded by a sensational hat-trick from Joao Pedro.

Pedro’s first Premier League treble propelled Liam Rosenior’s side into the top five, narrowing the gap to a struggling Villa in fourth place to just three points.

Cole Palmer also found the net on a memorable evening for the Blues, who displayed remarkable resilience to overturn an early deficit following Douglas Luiz’s opening goal.

The performance marked the strongest display of Rosenior’s two-month tenure, instilling considerable confidence for the remainder of the season.

Despite Luiz striking within three minutes, initially raising Villa’s hopes of solidifying their own Champions League ambitions, the night ultimately soured for the home side.

They have now won just one of their last six games and are in real danger of slipping out of contention for a place in next season’s most prestigious club competition.

And Unai Emery’s men are looking increasingly like they will need to win the Europa League as their route into it.

Chelsea boss Rosenior decided to drop goalkeeper Robert Sanchez after a difficult time against Arsenal on Sunday and replaced him with Filip Jorgensen.

And the Dane was picking the ball out of the net after just 150 seconds as Villa made a flying start.

Leon Bailey did well down the right and his cutback was dummied by Ollie Watkins, allowing Luiz to flick home his first goal of his second spell at Villa Park.

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Chelsea responded well and Villa needed Emiliano Martinez’s flying save to keep out Pedro’s header before Palmer then forced the Argentinian into another save with a shot from distance.

But Villa should have doubled their lead in the 23rd minute. Martinez kicked the ball long, Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana fell over looking for a free-kick and Watkins raced in on goal but weakly shot straight at Jorgensen under pressure from Trevoh Chalobah.

Watkins had another good chance soon after Emiliano Buendia played him in but Jorgensen beat the shot away with his arm.

The busy goalkeeper then got down well to keep out Morgan Rogers’ 34th-minute shot and that proved vital as 44 seconds later the game changed course.

Enzo Fernandez played in Malo Gusto, who beat the offside trap and laid the ball on a plate for Pedro to stab home from close range and level.

Villa thought they were back ahead five minutes later as Watkins finally beat Jorgensen, but he carelessly went a fraction early on his run and was ruled offside by VAR.

But it was Chelsea who went in at half-time in front as Pedro struck again in the sixth minute of time added on. The former Brighton striker was slipped in by Fernandez and his smart dinked finish found the bottom corner.

Things got even better for the visitors 10 minutes after the restart as Palmer made it 3-1. Martinez recklessly palmed Reece James’ cross straight to the England international, who powered home a low finish through a crowd of bodies.

Villa were getting picked apart and Pedro claimed the match ball in the 64th minute with his hat-trick goal. Alejandro Garnacho raced down the left and teed up his team-mate, who could not miss from close range.

Garnacho could have made it five from another counter-attack, but he shot straight at Martinez.

Legendary college football coach Lou Holtz, who spent 33 years leading teams including the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, died on Wednesday. He was 89. 

The Fighting Irish released a statement from Holtz’s family, saying he died surrounded by family at his home in Orlando, Florida. 

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates. 

The Braves saw their seven-year playoff streak come to an end last year as a number of their players underperformed. The likes of Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II and Jurickson Profar, who was just suspended for all of this season, all ended up as Fantasy baseball busts, whether due to injury, suspension, ineffectiveness or a combination. As anyone entering 2026 Fantasy baseball drafts knows, composing a winning squad will be as much about hitting on your top Fantasy baseball picks as it will be about avoiding selecting Fantasy baseball busts 2026.

Others like Mookie Betts, J.T. Realmuto, Zac Gallen and Devin Williams are also coming off down years and failing to live up to their Fantasy baseball ADP. Thus, you’re faced with a decision as to if last year was the start of a trend of if they’ll bounce back and are worth taking in 2026 Fantasy baseball drafts. Before finalizing your 2026 Fantasy baseball draft prep, be sure to see the 2026 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

Last season, SportsLine’s Projection Model identified several top Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts, including Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider.

Strider led MLB in both wins (20) and strikeouts (281) in 2023 before missing most of 2024 due to injury. He returned last year but the model predicted he would struggle to regain his pre-injury form and wouldn’t live up to his lofty Fantasy baseball ADP (97.81). Strider was the SP30 by average draft position, but SportsLine had him barely cracking the top 75 starting pitchers in its rankings.

The result: Strider posted a 7-14 record, with a 4.45 ERA and not even half as many strikeouts (131) as his dominant 2023 season. He also missed over a month of action due to another injury and ended up barely making the top 100 starting pitchers in Fantasy points, much closer to SportsLine’s projection of SP74 rather than his ADP of SP30. Anybody who followed the model’s advice and avoided Strider in their Fantasy baseball drafts avoided a major headache in their Fantasy baseball lineups.

The SportsLine model is engineered by the same people who powered projections for all three major Fantasy sites. And that same group is sharing its 2026 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets over at SportsLine, helping you find Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts long before your competition. Their cheat sheets, available for leagues on many major sites, are updated multiple times every day.

Any time more MLB news comes out about MLB free agency signings or Fantasy baseball injuries, the team at SportsLine updates its projections. Go to SportsLine now to see these proven Fantasy baseball cheat sheets.

Top 2026 Fantasy baseball busts

One of the Fantasy baseball busts 2026 the model is fading: Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. A June call-up last year, the rookie became the first pitcher in over 60 years to record 11 no-hit innings to start his career and then made MLB history by becoming an All-Star after just five starts. He had the majors’ fifth-highest average fastball velocity (99.3 m.p.h.) across his 66 regular season innings and then posted a microscopic 1.50 ERA across 12 postseason innings.

However, in between the All-Star Game and the playoffs, Misiorowski looked every bit like a novice on the mound. He had a 6.03 ERA over his last eight starts as batters adjusted to seeing his arsenal, while Misiorowski failed to make adjustments to hitters. Many Fantasy owners are being overly influenced by his hot start as his 107.50 Fantasy baseball ADP puts him amongst the top 30 starters. However, SportsLine’s model has him barely cracking the top 100 starting pitchers, making Misiorowski one to avoid in Fantasy baseball drafts 2026.

Another of the 2026 Fantasy baseball busts the model projects won’t live up to their ADP: Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso. After seven years in Queens, Alonso left the Mets for Baltimore in the offseason, on the heels of a season with 38 homers, 126 RBI and an .871 OPS. He’s going in the fourth round, on average, in 2026 Fantasy baseball drafts with a mean draft position of 33.20.

However, Alonso’s metrics from last year should be a bit concerning. His batting average on balls in play (BAbip) was a career-best of .305, indicating he was a bit lucky and could regress to the mean. Additionally, his home run rate (5.4%) was the second-lowest of his career, while his walk rate (8.6%) was the lowest of his seven seasons. Alonso’s greatest strength is his home run power, but the two lowest HR rates of his career have come in the last two seasons as the 31-year-old could be on the decline. The model has Alonso on par with Michael Busch in its Fantasy baseball 2026 rankings, but Alonso is being drafted seven rounds earlier on average. See more busts at SportsLine.

How to find proven 2026 Fantasy baseball rankings

SportsLine’s model is also fading a surprising ace who is coming off the board in the sixth round on average in early 2026 Fantasy baseball drafts. The model is predicting this All-Star fails to live up to his lofty daft status finishes outside the top 30 at his position. Avoiding him until later on could be the difference between winning your league or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.

So which 2026 Fantasy baseball busts should you avoid in your upcoming drafts? Visit SportsLine now to get 2026 Fantasy baseball rankings for every single position, all from the model that predicted Spencer Strider’s falloff in 2025, and find out.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams made a trade on Wednesday that not many saw coming.

The Chiefs traded superstar cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams for the No. 29 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Chiefs now have two first-round picks and also landed fifth and sixth-round selections from the Rams and a 2027 third-round pick.

Los Angeles will need to reset the cornerback market for McDuffie, who has been one of the best defensive backs in the NFL and is looking for a new contract.

Earlier this offseason, Kansas City restructured franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes again to free up cap space. The Chiefs also released veteran offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor in a move that would save nearly $20 million in cap space.

This offseason, the Chiefs have already lost McDuffie and Taylor. It’s possible that Travis Kelce retires. Even if he comes back, it’ll likely be on a team-friendly contract as his production has dipped on the back nine of his career.

The Chiefs have two first-round picks and a fair bit of cap space. The question is… what are they loading up for?

Mahomes is in his prime. That’s the good news. But Andy Reid’s offense just never felt right last year. And now Mahomes will be returning from a season-ending injury. This offseason, many included Kansas City to retool the offense, supporting Mahomes in his recovery. Instead, the Chiefs cut a Super Bowl champion offensive tackle and traded one of the best corners in the game.

With No. 9 and No. 29 overall in the NFL Draft, the Chiefs have enough ammunition to trade up. Legendary defensive tackle Chris Jones isn’t getting any younger. Could the Chiefs make a move up a few slots in the draft for a franchise EDGE like Ohio State’s Arvell Reese or Texas Tech’s David Bailey?

If the Chiefs are contemplating moving up from No. 9, maybe they’d also target Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, who could instantly be one of the best – if not the best – wide receiver on their roster. Rashee Rice is constantly in trouble, and the rest of that room is filled with question marks.

Or, the Chiefs could trade for a proven commodity.

It feels like the asking price to pry the disgruntled A.J. Brown away from the Philadelphia Eagles is a late first-round draft choice. By trading McDuffie, the Chiefs have an extra first-round pick if they wanted to trade for an established wideout.

Maxx Crosby is going to be on the move as well. And while the Las Vegas Raiders would never trade him to an AFC West rival, the idea of Crosby outside of the division should make the Chiefs feel even more confident about doubling down on their offense.

The NFL Playoffs without the Chiefs felt weird. Now, they have enough ammo to take several different routes this offseason in order to get back on that stage.

MCG will play host to Sunday’s
Round 1 AFL game between St Kilda Saints and
Collingwood Magpies. The game kicks off at 7:20 pm with Collingwood Magpies heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the St Kilda Saints vs.
Collingwood Magpies
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Sunday March 8, 2026 at 7:20 pm

Where: MCG

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

St Kilda Saints vs Collingwood Magpies Odds

St Kilda Saints vs Collingwood Magpies Preview

St Kilda’s bold recruiting drive will be put to the test when the Saints open their 2026 campaign against Collingwood in front of a big Sunday night crowd at the MCG. After a busy trade and free agency period that brought Tom De Koning, Jack Silvagni, Liam Ryan and Sam Flanders to Moorabbin, expectations have risen for a side that finished 9–14 last season and is chasing its first finals win since 2020.

Collingwood, a preliminary finalist in 2025, begins the year with some question marks around an ageing list and early injuries to key defenders Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe. The Magpies did handle the Saints comfortably when the sides last met, winning 108–74 at Marvel Stadium in Round 15. On that day, brothers Josh and Nick Daicos dominated with 30 disposals each and a combined 970 metres gained, setting the tone in a decisive performance.

Shakur Stevenson was stripped of his WBC lightweight world title last month and soon the 135lb division is will crown a new champion.

Stevenson jumped up to 140lbs in order to challenge Teofimo Lopez for the WBO super-lightweight world title, but had not ruled out a return to lightweight in an attempt to become the undisputed champion.

However, shortly after Stevenson defeated Lopez to become boxing’s third-youngest four-division world champion, the WBC ruled, controversially, to announce the lightweight strap as vacant. President Mauricio Sulaiman said Stevenson had not followed the correct process to fight for another belt in a new division and had also not paid a sanctioning fee.

Sulaiman has now informed Iñaky Arzate that the WBC have decided to order a fight between former WBC Interim titleholder William Zepeda and former WBA super-featherweight ruler Lamont Roach Jr.

“[Translated from Spanish] The WBC held a vote, there will a spectacular fight between the Mexican, ‘Camaron’ Zepeda, who will be fighting against Roach, who had two draws in his last two, one against ‘Pitbull’ Cruz. It will be a title fight for the vacant WBC lightweight world title.”

News of the WBC’s decision is sure to frustrate current WBC Interim champion Jadier Herrera, who was expected by many to be first in line for a shot at the vacant belt, if not elevated to full world champion.

The Cuban southpaw will become the mandatory challenger for the victor of Zepeda-Roach if it takes place, with the Gilberto Ramirez vs. David Benavidez undercard on Saturday May 2, being one possible location for the ordered contest.