Rajasthan Royals stormed into Qualifier 2 of IPL 2026 after beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs in the Eliminator on Wednesday. The night belonged to 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose 97 off just 29 balls put RR in complete control of the contest. Chasing a place in Qualifier 2, Rajasthan Royals first piled up 243 for eight after Sooryavanshi tore apart the SRH bowling attack in one of the most destructive knocks of the season. The youngster smashed 12 sixes and came within touching distance of Chris Gayle’s record for the fastest IPL hundred. Gayle had reached his century in 30 balls, while Sooryavanshi fell for 97 after facing only 29 deliveries. The left-hander attacked from the start and left Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins searching for answers. Anything full disappeared straight down the ground, while short balls were cut and pulled into the stands. Sooryavanshi reached his fifty in just 16 balls, with eight of those deliveries going for sixes. His opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal mostly watched from the other end and scored 29 off 29 balls. By the time Sooryavanshi was dismissed by Praful Hinge in the eighth over, Rajasthan Royals had already raced to 125 in just eight overs. The teenager also broke Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single IPL season. He now has 65 sixes this season, going past Gayle’s tally of 59. Dhruv Jurel then carried the innings forward with a quick 50 off 21 balls, his sixth half-century of the season. Rajasthan Royals looked set for an even bigger total at 180 for two in 13 overs, but Sunrisers Hyderabad fought back in the death overs. SRH picked up five wickets for 36 runs in the final five overs to stop RR from crossing the 260-run mark. Still, the damage had already been done. Pat Cummins finished with expensive figures of 0 for 64 in four overs. Sakib Hussain gave away 49 runs in three overs, while Praful Hinge took three wickets but conceded 54 runs. Eshan Malinga also struggled, while wrist spinner Shivang Kumar impressed and picked up the wicket of Jaiswal. In reply, Sunrisers Hyderabad never truly recovered after losing wickets in the powerplay. Jofra Archer struck key blows in the powerplay and removed Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Travis Head. Archer’s final figures read 4-0-58-3. Though he leaked runs later in the innings, his wickets of SRH’s biggest match-winners proved decisive. Ishan Kishan made 33 while Nitish Kumar Reddy scored 38 to keep SRH in the chase briefly. Salil Arora added 35, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Heinrich Klaasen also failed to make an impact and was trapped lbw by Yash Raj Punja while trying an attacking shot. The lower-middle order tried to counterattack, but the target proved too big. Sunrisers Hyderabad were eventually bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs. Rajasthan Royals will now face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 on Friday for a place in the IPL 2026 final.
Padraig Harrington is talking about the don’ts of golf, and he admits that’s strange, though there certainly are don’ts.
It’s just the word itself.
“I’m normally a very positive person,” he said.
Still, Harrington was ready for what he called “the mega lesson of don’ts.” The thoughts came in a recently posted video to the three-time major winner’s YouTube channel, which has become an instruction must-visit, and his latest post is a must-watch, despite that un-positive vibe. You can view it below, and below that are some comments.
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Padraig Harrington’s don’ts of the golf swing
Don’t keep your head down
You’ve heard this one. But it needs to be repeated. “By all means, keep an eye on the ball,” Harrington said in the video, “but your head is nice and relaxed. It doesn’t tuck down onto your chest. For most people, it will rotate a little bit in the backswing, and certainly in the follow-through, it will come up to a high position. … Your head must move.”
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Don’t keep your feel still or locked to the ground
During the swing, Harrington wants to avoid a set position. “You can create no speed, no power; you’ll go offline,” he said in the video. “Your feet should move at address … and then move back and forth. So simply little stepping. That’s why we do all these stepping drills. You’ve got to move your feet if you’re going to hit the golf ball.”
Don’t stay down during the swing
Harrington said this is “nearly sacrilege.” “So when you hit the golf ball, you must pop up to hit the golf ball. … OK, so our chest is somewhat staying down, but everything else is coming up. You pop up on the left-hand side. … So, we’ve got to make sure that you do that natural thing. Keep an eye on the ball, but make sure you’re jumping up with those legs. You can keep an eye on the ball, but make sure you’re accelerating up.”
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Don’t swing slowly
Your backswing, Harrington said, should be set “at your natural rhythm, whatever that is.” “Some people will be quick, some people will be relatively slow,” he said in the video. “What we do know is that professional golfers, I think, swing three times quicker than amateurs in the backswing. So, the backswing is quite for a natural rhythm at that sort of pace. … So, nice speed to it.”
Don’t swing easy
At times, you will, though, Harrington said. “But you must practice swinging as fast as you can sometimes and then tone it down to play,” he said in the video. “Not tone it down every shot because there’ll be some open drives where you should go flat-out. But in general, do not swing slow and easy. Swing hard and fast some of the time in order that you can swing at a comfortable 90 percent and keep your rhythm.”
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Don’t cast
“You’ve got to release the club with your hands as much as you can,” Harrington said in the video. “So absolutely throw that club like you’re going to throw it down the range. … People who cast — and this is like everything else in golf, it’s nearly the opposite — so people who cast put no pressure on the grip at this point and then the force of the club gets thrown out and they lose all their speed and power and strike. … So release the club as hard as you can with your hands from the top of the backswing.”
Don’t spin
“So a bad thought is turning your hips when they’re not connected to anything because that generally brings the hands with it, causing you to swipe across the ball and hit a slice,” Harrington said in the video. “Do not rotate your body. At impact, your shoulders are going to be close to square, maybe 10 degrees open. Your torso would be 30 and maybe your hips 45. … We don’t try and rotate. What we actually do is we push. We push. So, we go down into the left side. And as we’re springing up, we push from the ground, which pushes our hip back, which opens this up, our body stays reasonably square at impact. So don’t think turning is not going to add anything and is usually counterproductive. If you have to think about that, you push your way out by getting on the left side and pushing.”
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Can Harrington describe what to do?
He could.
“if you finish your golf swing, post it up on your left leg with the left leg straight, your chest up and high, slight little bit of arch, your right shoulder closest to the target, your head up in the air like that, you’ll probably have done all those other things correctly,” Harrington said in the video. “But remember, avoid the don’ts and try and get that lovely pose at the end and you’ll be doing everything — you’ll be doing it well enough to be a good golfer.”
Novak Djokovic extended his latest bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title with a four-set victory over Valentin Royer in the French Open second round on Wednesday, but women’s second seed Elena Rybakina crashed out of the tournament.
Elsewhere, four-time champion Iga Swiatek and Elina Svitolina both eased into the last 32 with straight-sets wins.
Djokovic had to come from a set down in his opening match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and was pushed hard again by another Frenchman in Royer, before finally sealing a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3 win after three and three-quarter hours on Court Philippe Chatrier.
“I hope I won’t play any more French players for the rest of the tournament,” said the third seed, who has been tied on 24 Grand Slam titles with Margaret Court since winning the 2023 US Open, with a wry smile.
Djokovic, who beat world number one Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open last four earlier this year, cannot meet the red-hot title favourite until the final at Roland Garros.
Djokovic powered through the first two sets, although world number 74 Royer, born just 5km from Roland Garros, showed much more resistance in the third before extending the match in a brilliant tie-break.
The Serb, who twice failed to consolidate breaks of serve in the third set, made no such mistake in the fourth as he belatedly booked his place in the next round on his fifth match point.
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Rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, seeing off James Duckworth 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-5.
‘Insane’ to play in heat wave
Jakub Mensik said it was “insane” to play a marathon match at the French Open in temperatures above 30C on Wednesday, after collapsing with cramp on court immediately after securing victory over Mariano Navone.
The 20-year-old Czech player needed eight match points to win 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (13/11) after four hours and 41 minutes on court 6, completely exposed to the sun.
“It’s insane to play in this weather, especially in front of the sun, to be there for more than four and a half hours, it’s just insane,” Mensik told reporters.
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“Even with the breaks, you don’t have that much time, the ball boy can’t bring you a towel.
“During the changeover you have just one minute, which obviously by when you sit, it’s already just 30 seconds, so there’s not much time to cool yourself down.”
Finalist in Rome and semi-finalist in Geneva, Casper Ruud suffered from heatstroke and a host of missed match points in the third set to escape in five sets from the clutches of Russian Roman Safiullin.
The Norwegian, a two-time finalist at Roland Garros, is set to play Serbian Hamad Medjedovic next.
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Rybakina stunned by Starodubtseva
Australian Open champion Rybakina blew a one-set lead to exit in dramatic fashion, slumping to a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10/4) loss to Ukraine‘s Yuliia Starodubtseva.
It is Rybakina’s earliest departure from any tour-level tournament since the 2025 Miami Open and first defeat in the opening two rounds of a major since the 2024 Australian Open.
“I couldn’t find the balance. I couldn’t find the right shot, and it was clearly just too many mistakes,” said the Kazakh world number two.
Starodubtseva will face China‘s Wang Xiyu for a place in the last 16.
She has already matched her previous best run at a Grand Slam event, when she lost to Jasmine Paolini in the French Open third round as a lucky loser 12 months ago.
“Honestly, hard to describe, I’m super happy,” said world number 55 Starodubtseva after beating a top-10 opponent for the first time in her career.
“I’m super proud of myself that I was able to do this today. It was a tricky third set but I got it done in the end.”
Swiatek, Svitolina through
Swiatek, looking to regain the title she last won in 2024, saw off battling Czech youngster Sara Bejlek 6-2, 6-3 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
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The third-seeded Pole will next face compatriot Magda Linette, who beat former winner Jelena Ostapenko in three sets, as she bids to preserve her record of having always reached the second week at Roland Garros.
“Usually the weather is quite different here, but it doesn’t matter,” said Swiatek after spending 93 minutes on court on another boiling hot day in Paris.
Swiatek is playing at a first Grand Slam tournament since linking up with Rafael Nadal‘s former coach Francisco Roig.
Svitolina, who beat Swiatek en route to the Rome title, beat world number 126 Kaitlin Quevedo 6-0, 6-4.
The Ukrainian seventh seed ended an eight-year wait for her fifth WTA 1000 trophy at the Italian Open to underline her credentials as a contender in Paris.
She struggled through her first-round tie, edging out Hungary‘s Anna Bondar in a deciding-set tie-break on Monday, before watching her husband Gael Monfils’ final French Open match in the night session.
But Svitolina raced out of the blocks this time, quickly taking control against Quevedo.
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The Spaniard competed better in the second set until a break in the ninth game helped Svitolina wrap up victory.
Svitolina, who reached her fourth career Slam semi-final earlier this year at the Australian Open, will next play Germany‘s Tamara Korpatsch.
Zverev cruises into French Open third round
Alexander Zverev continued his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title with a comfortable victory over ailing Czech Tomas Machac in the French Open second round.
The German second seed will face home player Quentin Halys on Friday for a place in the second week at Roland Garros after a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win in the night session match on Court Philippe Chatrier.
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“I’m happy where I am, I’m feeling confident in my game and moving forward, looking forward to hopefully being back on this court,” said Zverev.
Machac, the world number 43, struggled with his movement and took a lengthy medical time-out in the second set for treatment to his left foot.
“I thought for one and a half sets it was an amazing level … unfortunately the injury stopped the match flow a little bit,” added Zverev. “I’m happy to finish it in three sets.”
Zverev took full advantage with a dominant display, saving the only break point he faced as he dismantled Machac in just an hour and 48 minutes.
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The world number three has come closest to breaking his major duck in Paris, reaching at least the quarter-finals in each of the past five years, suffering a five-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 final.
There was certainly some surprise when England boss Tuchel opted to leave Wharton out of his 26-man squad heading to the World Cup.
Palace may have not had a great domestic season given they finished 15th in the Premier League and went out of the FA Cup against non-League Macclesfield – but they have now won a European trophy and Wharton was hugely influential in that.
This Conference League final performance was another reason to be wondering why Wharton is not on the plane.
The decision to pick Brentford midfielder Henderson at the age of 35 over the 22-year-old Wharton may be the most eye-catching and surprising selection.
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Henderson has obviously been picked for his experience but Wharton would probably have more to give on the pitch if you compare not only their performances this season but also last term.
“I understand why the manager has taken Henderson but for me if he is going to do that kind of job, take him as a coach,” said Hoddle. “Take him as a player-coach if you like but I think there was a spot there for Wharton.”
The re-emergence of Mainoo at Manchester United has also not helped Wharton given the Palace midfielder was in Tuchel’s squads for the last two international breaks and featured in qualifiers against Serbia and Albania before a friendly appearance against Uruguay in March.
Mainoo, given he was being frozen out at Old Trafford by Ruben Amorim for the first half of the season, was not involved under Tuchel until the March friendlies and now has won his way into favour.
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Both were at Euro 2024 but Wharton never got on the pitch while Mainoo started all four knockout games, including the final.
Arsenal‘s Declan Rice is surely one of the first names on the team-sheet and Elliot Anderson is expected to partner him while Tuchel also has Bellingham, Eze and Rogers as midfield options.
It certainly feels a very harsh decision to leave someone like Wharton at home, even if Tuchel has many choices in the position.
Floyd Schofield’s long-awaited WBA lightweight world title shot looks like it could come against Gervonta Davis, and now fan-favourite three-division champion James Toney has shared his thoughts on the proposed fight.
As a result, ‘Tank’, who is currently named as the WBA’s ‘champion-in-recess’, has the opportunity to regain full status as a lightweight world champion if he agrees to take on ‘Kid Austin’ upon his return. If he doesn’t, he will lose his status as a champion.
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Speaking to MillCity Boxing, ‘Lights Out’ Toney dismissed the chances of Schofield causing Davis any problems, believing that their potential meeting would end similarly to Davis’ June 2024 knockout of Frank Martin – which remains the Baltimore knockout artist’s most recent victory.
“That kid is not ready. He will get knocked out.”
“[I see] nothing [in Floyd Schofield]. He is a good fighter for the lesser fighters, but when he steps up to Tank’s level, it will be something different. He will be like Frank Martin.”
‘Tank’s comeback is anticipated to take place in September, with 23-year-old Schofield hoping to overcome inactivity of his own – having fought in just one round since 2024 – and hand Davis a first career defeat as a professional to become boxing’s third youngest male world champion.
Arsenal demand £20m for Gabriel Jesus, Manchester City prioritise move for Elliot Anderson and RB Leipzig adamant Liverpool target Yan Diomande is going nowhere.
But City have no interest in signing Chelsea‘s wantaway Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 25. (Sky Sports), external
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RB Leipzig are adamant Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, 19, who is a target for Liverpool,is going nowhere this summer after the German club qualified for next season’s Champions League. (Mirror), external
Liverpool want to keep Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker for another season, leaving a summer deal for the 33-year-old to join Juventus in doubt. (Gianluca Di Marzio), external
Oscar Mingueza, 27, wants a Premier League move this summer, with Aston Villa and Newcastle among the clubs tracking the Celta Vigo and Spain defender, who is set to become a free agent. (Sky Sports), external
A major WWE star believes Jacob Fatu is going to defeat Roman Reigns at Clash in Italy this weekend. Reigns will be defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Fatu in a Tribal Combat match at the PLE this Sunday.
Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up, Cody Rhodes made a bold prediction for the World Heavyweight Championship match at Clash in Italy. Rhodes noted that a Tribal Combat match was similar to a Street Fight, and suggested that the stipulation favored Jacob Fatu.
Thanks for the submission!
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The former AEW star predicted that The Samoan Werewolf would defeat Roman Reigns and become the new World Heavyweight Champion at Clash in Italy this weekend.
“Well, that’s a Tribal Combat match, which is another way of saying a good old-fashioned street fight, which I think behooves Jacob Fatu. I think Jacob Fatu is going to beat Roman Reigns, which will be huge,” he said. (H/T: Fightful on X)
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You can check out the full interview in the video below:
Rhodes is also scheduled to compete at Clash in Italy. The American Nightmare will be defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther at the PLE this Sunday.
WWE Hall of Famer questions Roman Reigns’ booking
Wrestling legend Bully Ray was not happy with Roman Reigns’ booking at WWE Backlash earlier this month.
The Head of the Table defeated Jacob Fatu to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Reigns powered out of the Tongan Death Grip before emerging victorious.
“I don’t think Roman Reigns should’ve hulked up out of the Tongan Death Grip. That’s the one part of the match where I was like, ‘Uh uh. This doesn’t work for me.’ There is no hulking up out of a Tongan Death Grip. There is no hulking up out of having your Adam’s Apple crushed in another human being’s hands,” he said.
Bully Ray slams Roman Reigns’ Tongan Death Grip escape at Backlash! 😱👇
It will be fascinating to see if Fatu can pull off the upset and defeat The Tribal Chief at WWE Clash in Italy to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
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Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the winning goal as Crystal Palace defeated Rayo Vallecano to win the UEFA Conference League final and claim the club’s first European title.
The French striker reacted quickest to finish from close range early in the second half after Adam Wharton’s shot was pushed into his path by goalkeeper Augusto Batalla at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig.
The victory marked another major achievement for Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who is set to leave the club after guiding the Eagles to the FA Cup, Community Shield and now the Conference League during an impressive spell in charge.
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Both sides were playing in a European final for the first time, and chances were limited in a cautious first half. Alemao missed an opening for Rayo, while Unai Lopez also fired wide for the Spanish side.
Palace came close just before half-time when Tyrick Mitchell headed off target from Wharton’s excellent delivery into the penalty area.
The breakthrough arrived six minutes after the restart when Wharton’s effort was saved by Batalla, but Mateta was perfectly positioned to score the rebound for his 16th goal of the season.
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The striker nearly joined AC Milan in January before a knee injury stopped the transfer, and he once again proved his importance with the decisive goal.
Rayo pushed for an equaliser late on, with Yeremy Pino striking both posts from a free-kick, but Palace stayed organised defensively and held on to secure a famous victory.
The triumph also guarantees Europa League football for Palace next season after a difficult campaign in which they finished 15th in the Premier League and suffered an early FA Cup exit.
Glasner’s impact at Selhurst Park has been remarkable, especially in helping Mateta rediscover his best form. Since the Austrian coach arrived in 2024, the forward has become one of Palace’s key players and continued his fine scoring run on the biggest stage.
Crystal Palace lifted their first European trophy and punched their ticket to the Europa League after Jean-Philippe Mateta’s second-half goal proved the difference during their 1-0 Conference League final victory over Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig.
It marked the final chapter of a fairytale run for Palace boss Oliver Glasner, who, after guiding the Eagles to an historic FA Cup triumph and the Community Shield last season, is departing the south London club after spearheading the most successful period in their history.
Mateta nearly left the Eagles in January, only remaining after a knee issue denied him medical clearance for a desired move to AC Milan which left some sections of the Palace support unhappy with the France forward.
He vowed to give 100 per cent to Glasner and his teammates, and emphatically completed his redemption arc when he pounced on the rebound of a parried Adam Wharton effort to put Palace in the ascendancy, treating the euphoric Eagles fans to his signature corner-flag kick.
Adam Wharton’s participation was a concern ahead of the contest, but Glasner promised he would only start players who were “100 per cent fit”, and the midfielder was in the line-up, while Chris Richards began the game on the bench.
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Both thunderous fanbases lit flares before kick-off, when those in the Palace end – a sold-out contingent of about 13,000 that complemented many more in general seating – raised a banner reading “this story shall the good man teach his son”, a reference to King Henry V’s rallying cry to his soldiers in Shakespeare’s eponymous play.
Their accompanying tifo featured a fan, wearing a Palace shirt reading “Ultras 05” – the founding year of the Holmesdale Fanatics group – staring out an airport window. Beside him, a departures board showed “Liquidation cancelled, FA Cup landed, Europa League boarding”.
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the only goal of the game to give Crystal Palace a historic win (PA)
Many had arrived at the RB Arena via a boisterous fan march from the city centre, while back at home, more than 10,000 Eagles supporters who had not made the trip gathered in Selhurst Park.
It took a timely Florian Lejeune tackle to stop the early run of Ismaila Sarr, who had been spotted by Jean-Philippe Mateta shortly after kick-off, then Dean Henderson was called in to collect two Rayo crosses.
The Spanish side threatened just before the half-hour when Brazilian forward Alemao connected with a cross which had evaded Chadi Riad and spun a volley just past the right post.
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The contest was paused in the 38th minute due to a medical emergency in the stands, and it remained goalless at the break after Tyrick Mitchell nodded a free header just wide from an excellent Wharton delivery in stoppage time – his regret visible as he remained sprawled in disbelief in front of Augusto Batalla’s goal.
Crystal Palace won the 2026 Conference League in Leipzig (AP)
Mateta, famous for his flag-kicking celebrations, finally got to demonstrate one to the 39,176 in attendance in Leipzig in the 51st minute.
Rayo did not do enough to stop Wharton, who stung Batalla’s palms, and the Frenchman reacted quickly to turn the rebound in from close range and put Palace in the driver’s seat.
The Eagles could not have come closer to a second moments later when Yeremy Pino’s free kick hit both posts and Mateta’s follow-up also clipped the woodwork in a spectacular sequence.
Oliver Glasner departs Crystal Palace having won the FA Cup, Community Shield and now the Uefa Conference League (Getty)
Cushion denied, it was a nervy finish as the LaLiga outfit dialled up the pressure for a late equaliser, but Glasner’s men continued to hold firm.
The Austrian said on Tuesday that the best parting gift his players could give him would be the opportunity to watch them in the Europa League next season.
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His men fought off five minutes of stoppage time and granted him his wish.
With the PWHL expanding for the second consecutive year, the league is making a concerted effort to maintain healthy competition as four new teams enter the fold.
The PWHL unveiled a six-phase expansion process that is “designed to support roster construction for the league’s four expansion teams while maintaining competitive balance and roster continuity for the league’s existing teams,” according to a statement released by the league.
The PWHL is expanding to Hamilton, San Jose, Las Vegas and Detroit next season, just one year after adding teams in Vancouver and Seattle.
Jayna Hefford, the league’s executive vice president of hockey operations, emphasized a major priority was to allow players to have a meaningful voice in the process.
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“We believe this framework accomplishes both goals and reflects the collaborative and forward-thinking approach that has helped shape the PWHL since Day 1,” Hefford added, per the league’s statement.
Below is a brief overview of all six phases, which begin on June 2 and end on June 19.
Phase 1: Existing team foundational signings/protections Key dates: June 2, June 3
In the first phase, existing PWHL teams will choose three players under contract for the 2026-27 season to protect during the expansion process. This list must be submitted to the league by June 3 at 5 p.m. ET.
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Prior to this, existing teams may sign players on expiring contracts or issue qualifying offers to players who have their rights held for the 2026-27 season, which must include a salary increase of three per cent. The signing period opens on June 2 at noon ET and closes June 3 at 3 p.m. ET.
Players on expiring contracts are eligible to sign with any existing team during this period, but each team can only lose up to one player through that process.
Players signed during this period are automatically considered one of the three protected players for their new teams.
Phase 2: Expansion team foundational signing period Key dates:June 5, June 8
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In this phase, expansion teams are permitted to sign their first five players. Expansion teams may sign any PWHL player who was on an existing team’s roster at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season and has not been protected by their team, regardless of contract status.
Existing teams can lose up to three players under contract, though teams may lose an unlimited number of players on expiring contracts to the expansion process.
The signing period opens on June 5 at noon ET and closes June 8 at 1 p.m. ET.
If an expansion team does not have five players at the conclusion of the signing period, that team will enter a post-signing selection process which, if necessary, will take place June 8 from 3 p.m. ET to 5 p.m. ET.
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Phase 3: Preliminary open signing period Key dates:June 10, June 12
In the third phase, expansion teams will sign up to three players on expiring contracts. If expansion teams do not sign three players, they will be permitted to sign additional players in Phase 4 to ensure they finish the fourth phase with 10 roster players.
Existing teams are permitted to protect three more players for whom they hold rights, but must extend a qualifying offer. This protection list is to be submitted to the league by June 12 at 5 p.m.
Like in Phase 1, any player who signs with an existing team during this time is automatically considered to be one of the team’s three protected players in Phase 3. Existing teams will now have a total of six protected players.
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The signing period opens June 10 at noon ET and closes June 12 at 3 p.m. ET.
Phase 4: Expansion team signing period Key dates: June 14, June 15
Expansion teams are permitted to sign any player who has not been protected by their existing team, regardless of contract status.
By the end of this phase, expansion teams will have 10 roster players. If they have not reached that threshold, they will undergo another player selection process.
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This signing period opens on June 14 at noon ET and closes June 15 at 3 p.m.
Phase 5: Existing team exclusive re-signing period Key dates: June 16, June 18
In the fifth phase, existing teams are offered an exclusive window to negotiate and sign their own players on expiring contracts. These players may also choose to wait until the open signing period.
The first window opens on June 16 from 9 a.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET. The second window opens on June 18 from 9 a.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET. The PWHL Entry Draft will take place on June 17.
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Existing teams must also issue qualifying offers to 2025 draftees in order to retain their rights.
Phase 6: Open signing period Key date: June 19
Taking place two days after the 2026 PWHL Entry Draft, both expansion teams and existing teams are permitted to sign any additional player on an expiring contract starting June 19 at noon ET.
By the end of the process, all 12 PWHL teams should have a maximum of 23 active players plus three additional reserve players.
The Indian football team return to England for the first time in 24 years as they prepare to face Jamaica in the Unity Cup 2026 semifinal in London on Wednesday. The Blue Tigers last played on English soil back in 2002, coincidentally against the same opponents, and the upcoming clash presents another major test for Indian football under head coach Khalid Jamil.
India head into the contest after an encouraging victory over Hong Kong, but the challenge against Jamaica will be significantly tougher. Ranked 136th in the world, the Blue Tigers are clear underdogs against the 71st-ranked Reggae Boyz, who narrowly missed out on qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a playoff defeat to DR Congo earlier this year.
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Jamaica will be eager to bounce back strongly from that disappointment and are expected to dominate possession with their physical and high-intensity style of play. India, meanwhile, will rely on defensive organisation, discipline and quick transitions to trouble their opponents. A positive result would be a major statement for Jamil’s side, while Jamaica will see the tournament as an opportunity to rebuild confidence and push for silverware.
India Team News
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India’s squad has been reduced following the withdrawal of several Mohun Bagan Super Giant players after the club recalled them from national duty. Defender Anwar Ali is also unavailable due to injury, while Ashique Kuruniyan misses out as well. Midfielder Macarton Nickson, defender Nikhil Barla, and forwards Mohammed Sanan and Vikram Partap Singh have been added to the squad.
Jamaica Team News
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Jamaica have named a makeshift squad featuring 11 newly called-up players for the Unity Cup. One of the biggest names included is Caelan Cadamarteri, the talented youngster associated with Manchester City, who could make his international debut for the Reggae Boyz during the tournament.
Jamaica vs India probable starting 11:
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Jamaica starting 11: Coniah Boyce-Clarke (GK), Dexter Lembikisa, Damion Lowe, Joel Latibeaudiere, Odin Samuels-Smith, Isaac Hayden, Courtney Clarke, Kaheim Dixon, Dwight Merrick, Bailey Cadamarteri, Dajuane Brown
India starting 11: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Jeakson Singh, Ricky Shabong, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahim Ali, Ryan Williams, Farukh Choudhary
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Jamaica vs India Unity Cup live telecast and live streaming details
When will Jamaica vs India encounter in Unity Cup take place?
The Jamaica vs India clash will be played on May 28th (midnight).
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What time will the Jamaica vs India football match begin on may 28th?
The Jamaica vs India football match will be played on May 28th at 12 AM IST.
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Where will the live telecast of the Jamaica vs India football match be available in India?
The live telecast of the Jamaica vs India football match will not be available in India.
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Where will the live streaming of the Jamaica vs India football match be available in India?
The live streaming of the Jamaica vs India football match will be available on the FanCode app and website in India.
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