Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik hailed Virat Kohli after the batter scored a 19-ball 45 in the team’s second intra-squad practice game ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Speaking after RCB’s second practice game on Wednesday, Dinesh Karthik praised Virat Kohli for his strong performance in the warm-up match, highlighting his consistency, evolving game plan, and relentless drive to improve. He also emphasised Kohli’s energy and influence both on the field and within the team environment.
“Good game today. The class of Virat came through quite nicely up front, played some lovely shots. The greatness about Virat is every year he comes up with a certain plan, a certain intent. You saw how he’s really upped what he wants to do. I feel this year he’ll try and get even better. That tells a lot about the person that he is. He’s always trying to push his boundaries. And also what he brings in terms of energy to the crowd, to the meetings – those are all big things, and that’s a big part of Virat’s personality as well,” Karthik said in a video posted by RCB on social media.
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) March 25, 2026
RCB held their first intra-squad warm-up match on Monday. In that match, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma scored a 37-ball 81, skipper Rajat Patidar smashed a blazing 25-ball 74, while Kohli played a quick 12-ball 29-run cameo.
Batting first, the team led by Venkatesh Iyer posted 234/7, with Jitesh (81 in 37 balls), Tim David (36 in 14 balls), Iyer (30 in 16 balls) and Virat (29 in 12 balls) dominating the scorecard. In their 20 overs, the other team, led by Krunal, fired 247 runs, with Rajat (74 in 25 balls), Padikkal (63 in 33 balls) and Krunal (58 in 33 balls) delivering standout performances.
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RCB will kickstart their IPL 2026 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at home in Bengaluru on March 28.
Two-weight world champion Tim Bradley has predicted how a fight between David Benavidez and Jai Opetaia would go.
Benavidez has reigned at super-middleweight and currently holds the WBC light-heavyweight world title, but ‘The Mexican Monster’ is seeking honours in a third division, scheduled for a tough test against unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez in May.
Should he be successful, it is unknown whether Benavidez could be persuaded to stick around as a cruiserweight or whether he will stay true to his word and return to light-heavyweight, in pursuit of a clash with Dmitry Bivol.
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However, if he opts to remain at 200lbs, Opetaia is the man that fans will be demanding him to face, despite the fact that the Australian has been stripped of his IBF world title, after outpointing Brandon Glanton on his Zuffa Boxing debut.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Hall of Fame inductee Bradley spoke of that potential clash, where he explained why he believes Benavidez would have little trouble in handing Opetaia a first career defeat.
“He [Benavidez] would have stopped Glanton, he would have served him. I understand that styles make fights, I get that. However, s**t, Benavidez’s style breaks through anything, breaks through any style. He has been in there with boxers, he was in there with [David] Morrell, that can punch, he can box, southpaw just like Jai Opetaia.
“Y’all didn’t see his last couple of fights beforehand? Y’all ain’t see his fight with [Mairis] Briedis? Bro, the dude ran out of juice, he ran out of gas and Briedis is a small dude. Benavidez trains at 200lbs and then he works his way down to 175lbs.
“He has still got that hand speed and quickness and has probably got more pop in his shots at 200lbs or at 190. At cruiserweight, he is going to be cold, he is about to beat the s**t out of Ramirez, he is about to whoop Ramirez’s a** … After that, Jai Opetaia is going to get it too.”
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Zurdo-Benavidez takes place on Saturday, May 2, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, whilst Opetaia is plotting his next move after being stripped of his IBF belt.
Next weekend’s cruiserweight clash between Viddal Riley and Mateusz Masternak has now become all the more meaningful, with the victor expected to earn a shot at the vacant IBF crown, likely against former WBO champion Chris Billam-Smith.
Lana began in WWE as a manager and started wrestling in the latter half of her run. However, she is no longer involved in the Stamford-based promotion and is focused on other paths. One of them is exploring her time on the stage doing stand-up comedy.
Lana, aka CJ Perry, will be performing stand-up for the first time on Thursday, March 26, at The Comedy Chateau in North Hollywood, CA, with an open mic lineup at 7 PM. The show is free, but fans need to RSVP where CJ will be trying out her comic material.
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“Tomorrow will be my first ever Stand up Comedy show in LA !!!! Please rsvp and come out and have fun with me.” wrote CJ Perry
Perry is currently under a WWE Legends contract, though. Her husband, Rusev, is still in the company wrestling on RAW. However, CJ has confirmed to have retired from wrestling since 2021. It will be exciting to see how Perry’s future in stand-up comedy shapes up after her first show in LA.
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We at Sportskeeda congratulate CJ Perry and wish her the best for her first stand-up show.
WWE star Sami Zayn also performed a comedy show
Sami Zayn hosted a comedy show in 2024. However, it wasn’t a typical stand-up comedy event but was an extensive one with cameos. It was billed as a comedy and variety show with his monologues and chats with guests. The show, Sami Zayn & Friends, debuted at the Netflix Is a Joke festival in 2025.
Zayn then picked it up from there and did two more shows of it on his own. First around the Money in the Bank 2024 weekend in Toronto and then at the SummerSlam 2024 weekend in Cleveland.
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Coco Gauff didn’t just win her way through the Miami Open 2026. She picked up an unexpected tip along the way.
After her match, Gauff revealed that a simple fan tweet influenced her approach:
“Honestly, I saw a tweet saying I should go to the net more… I was like, ‘Yeah, you’re right. I win a lot of points at the net.’”
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And she actually used it.
Coming forward more, finishing points earlier. It worked. She adjusted, and she won.
So when Aryna Sabalenka spoke to the media, she was asked about it, whether players really take advice from social media, especially at this level.
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She replied:
“Of course, I see some of the things.. but for some reason I see more negative than positive about myself.”
“So I try not to really look deep and whenever I see my picture or something about myself I go to the next one because sometimes people are just being rude and mean to all of us.”
“I feel like it’s not really worth reading and going through.”
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But she still found the humor in Gauff’s approach:
“But.. well, if she helped, it helped. We’re all different right? Thanks for telling me.. now I’m gonna be ready that she’s coming to the net ”
Manchester United lost 3-2 at Old Trafford in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final
22:17, 25 Mar 2026Updated 22:17, 25 Mar 2026
Manchester United Women’s head coach Marc Skinner wrote warmly about the respect the Reds and Bayern Munich have for each other off the pitch as the clubs forever remain intrinsically linked after the 1958 Air Disaster. However, they were guilty of showing too much respect on the pitch as they were caught cold just moments into their Champions League quarter-final tie.
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A relatively straightforward ball over the top sent Pernille Harder in on goal and she slipped the ball comfortably beyond Phallon Tullis-Joyce before many in the press box had settled into their seats. The Frauen-Bundesliga leaders were backed by a boisterous 50-100 fans from Bavaria who did not need an excuse to raise the volume but the early goal did just that.
At this stage of the Champions League, it was a tough reality check for the Reds. However, it was a start that showed their naivety at this stage. Bayern settled like a team who had been there, done it and got the t-shirt. United will get their one day.
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The Reds’ supporters responded quicker than their team as they attempted to lift their players who looked overawed after the early goal. Despite a couple of half chances for the hosts, Bayern came closest to a second when Millie Turner overhit a back pass that left Tullis-Joyce scrambling. Fortunately for her, the ball sailed out for a corner. It summed up a bad opening 20 minutes.
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And yet, as football often does, United sprung a surprise. Lea Schuller’s first meaningful run into the Bayern box saw her win a penalty for a handball that perhaps would not have been given in the WSL.
It was tonight though and Maya Le Tissier made no mistake from the spot. A confident finish from the captain.
As the game wore on, United settled and Schuller had a couple of chances as the Reds finished the first half stronger. But they were always susceptible to a mistake.
That being said, they started the second half like a side who belonged in this competition. Melvine Malard enjoyed attacking the Stretford End and had her marker Giulia Gwinn struggling.
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Her excellent piece of skill by the touchline midway through the half got Old Trafford on their collective feet. If the Reds are to progress, she will be the one who is the difference in Bavaria.
However, the Reds’ achilles heel was exposed again with 20 minutes remaining. Another through ball over the top picked out Harder who finished confidently.
Hanna Lundkvist equalised immediately but Bayern’s quality eventually wore through. Substitute Momoko Tanikawa’s goal with six minutes of normal time remaining ensured of the victory for the visitors and left United empty-handed after a gutsy performance.
This is the Reds’ first campaign in the Champions League and it showed against a well organised Bayern team. United learnt on the job at Old Trafford but still have a mountain to climb to qualify for the semi-finals.
MCG will play host to Sunday’s
Round 3 AFL game between Carlton Blues and
Melbourne Demons. The game kicks off at 3:15 pm with Melbourne Demons heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Carlton Blues vs.
Melbourne Demons
game and give you our free tips and bets.
Carlton faces Melbourne in a clash shaped by tight recent contests, with the Blues winning their last four meetings by narrow margins. Carlton returns from a bye after an unconvincing win over Richmond, still searching for consistency across four quarters. Melbourne, meanwhile, is coming off a heavy loss to Fremantle and continues to deal with an expanding injury list. Despite this, the Demons showed resilience the week prior and will look to respond. With both sides managing personnel challenges and fluctuating form, another closely fought contest is expected, consistent with their recent history.
The Edmonton Oilers have never found consistency this NHL season. They have secured wins against strong teams like the Colorado Avalanche recently, but have also suffered a shutout loss against the Florida Panthers and heavy defeats to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars. This does not paint a good picture of the team’s ability to compete against top opponents.
The same was pointed out by former NHL star Chris Pronger recently, who praised Connor McDavid but raised serious concerns about the Oilers during an appearance on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. Pronger pointed to the growing pressure on the team after consecutive deep playoff runs in 2024 and 2025 and questioned their identity.
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Pronger discussed the noise around McDavid and noted that roster moves, inconsistent performances, and unstable goaltending have left the Oilers searching for balance.
“I think there’s so much pressure on this team,” Pronger said. “They’ve gone to back-to-back finals. He’s kind of put them on the clock with respect to his contract. They’ve made a number of moves that haven’t necessarily panned out with respect to the goaltender.”
Despite having the best player in the league, Pronger stressed that individual brilliance does not guarantee team success.
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“They’re very much a team that’s kind of in flux, so to speak, in finding their game and finding their identity,” Pronger said. “… and he’s the best player in the league. But that doesn’t mean that you’re the best team in the league. And how you play together and how you work together a lot of times matter more than the singularity in how polarizing one player can be over another.”
McDavid continues to lead the Oilers with another elite season. The captain has recorded 118 points, including 40 goals and 78 assists, while crossing the 400-goal mark and 1200 points recently. His performances keep Edmonton competitive, especially on the league-leading power play.
Pronger on Oilers’ defensive commitment
Pronger focused heavily on defensive commitment. He said the Oilers must decide how badly they want to improve defensively, adding that success is not just about scoring goals.
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“Ultimately, it’s not about scoring goals. It’s about playing defense.” Pronger said.
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Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has a plus-minus rating of -18, and Jake Walman has a -12 rating. This has been part of their struggles this season.
Pronger also stressed that leadership starts with McDavid, who must set the tone with responsible two-way play.
“It always starts at the top,” Pronger said. “Your best player has to be committed to playing defense the proper way. And from there, you can move people around the board, and challenge players and hold one another accountable and push on one another to play better, whether it’s the goalie, whether it’s defense, whether it’s forwards, whether it’s collectively as a group and come together in the locker room and challenge one another to be better.”
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The Hall of Famer also questioned the team’s unity. From an outside view, he described Edmonton as “disjointed,” with players not always pulling in the same direction. He added that both coaching and management share responsibility for the current situation.
“They seem like they’re very disjointed in going in their own ways,” Pronger said. “Some of that can be coaching. Some of that can be the players. Some of that’s top down for management.”
Pronger warned the Oilers about relying on offense
Edmonton has a 35-28-9 record, and that’s primarily because of inconsistency, as they have failed to build a good win streak of over three games. Their offense averages 3.47 goals per game, and defensive struggles remain a concern.
“They look very disjointed defensively,” Pronger said. “They look at times disinterested. To me, it looks like they think they can score their way out of their problems all the time. And as we know, in the playoffs, it’s not always the case.
“And secondly, they have to get into the playoffs. They’re a bubble team right now. They’re in, but they’re a bubble team. And, as Connor McDavid said, the pillow fight in the Pacific certainly was a great line, because it’s very true when you look at how many points they have versus the East right now.”
As the playoff race tightens, the Oilers must address these gaps quickly.
Sports fans have sued online gambling sites DraftKings and FanDuel, claiming they lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to the “addictive” product, according to a new lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Tuesday, alleges DraftKings and FanDuel, with game and player data supplied by the NFL and its betting data specialist partner Genius Sports, “intentionally and defectively designed their online sports gambling platforms to turn a known addictive product into a relentless, always-on addiction-amplifying machine.”
Online sports betting has dramatically changed the gambling industry in recent years. Instead of traveling to a sports betting parlor and placing a wager before a game starts, gamblers can now place bets on their phones as the game plays out in real-time.
The lawsuit claims this new live microbetting can “hijack gamblers’ brains and keep them immersed in ceaseless betting action.”
Sports fans have sued online gambling sites DraftKings and FanDuel, claiming they lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to the ‘addictive’ product, according to a new lawsuit (Getty Images)
Online sports betting caused plaintiffs Christopher Sage and Terry Thompson to develop severe gambling addictions, the suit alleges. Sage lost more than $170,300 on DraftKings and FanDuel. Thompson lost $1,856,000 on the sports betting platforms.
“We filed this case because the fundamental nature of sports gambling products has changed dramatically since they were legalized in Pennsylvania in November of 2018,” Mark Gottlieb, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told The Independent.
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“Our clients are just two examples of sports fans and sports gamblers who have experienced substantial harm caused by these new and defectively designed sports microbetting products,” Gottlieb added.
The lawsuit claims DraftKings and FanDuel don’t just enable gamblers to place wagers anywhere and at any time, but have features “designed to drive customers toward microbetting.”
The lawsuit claims live microbetting can ‘hijack gamblers’ brains and keep them immersed in ceaseless betting action’ (Getty Images for FanDuel)
“FanDuel and DraftKings can collect and analyze detailed behavioral data about each of their customers. They then use this behavioral data to generate and market personalized gambling opportunities based on each customer’s unique wagering history and app usage,” the suit alleges.
DraftKings and FanDuel send personalized push notifications “designed to grab customers’ attention and lure them back” with these personalized gambling opportunities, according to the lawsuit.
“Within just a few years of placing their first microbets on the Sportsbook Apps, Plaintiffs nearly lost everything—their money, their houses, their business, their families, and, in Plaintiff Thompson’s case, also nearly lost his life,” the suit claimed.
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The plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial on their claims against the online sports betting platforms and the other defendants, including the NFL (Getty Images)
Sage and Thompson are demanding a jury trial on their claims against the online sports betting platforms and the other defendants. The lawsuit seeks compensation for damages and to stop the defendants from continuing the alleged wrongful conduct.
“We seek justice for our clients and hope that their lawsuit ultimately helps prevent similar harm to other sports fans and their families,” Gottlieb told The Independent.
The Independent has reached out to the NFL, Genius Sports, DraftKings and FanDuel for comment.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling addiction, call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET.
He will have the chance to earn a place in Tuchel’s squad for the summer tournament in North America, meaning he will be unavailable for a second successive year of village cricket for Berkshire club Binfield.
The 21-year-old skipped last season in order to focus on his recovery from injury but he is hoping to miss it for a much more positive reason this year.
“I didn’t play last summer because I was going through my injury and was so focused on that,” he said. “And I’m hoping I don’t get to play any cricket this summer either.
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“I always played throughout my childhood, like a lot of my friends who did. It’s always been a good social thing for me.
“Although I’m playing at the level I am now with my football, I’m always the same person.
“So if I was playing cricket at eight years old, even though I’m playing football now, I don’t see a reason to stop. I enjoy spending time with my mates.
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“I wouldn’t say I’m great. A decent enough village player. I was a bit of an all-rounder when I was younger. Now, I’m more of a batter.”
Hall was handed his debut during Lee Carsley’s temporary reign in 2024 but he has now rejoined a fierce battle for the left-back spot, which has seen Myles Lewis-Skelley, Tino Livramento and Nico O’Reilly contest a place in Tuchel’s side.
He has used his time away from the group as a learning mission to hit the ground running upon his return.
“I’ve always watched the England games, especially the ones in September. I always had the aim to be here in the camp now,” he said.
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“I wanted to watch and absorb the style that the team plays.
“So if I’m selected, I should have a bit more of an understanding of the way the team wanted to play. I was able to take some information in and store it.”
Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday denied media reports that claimed Real Madrid examined the wrong leg when the France star sustained a knee injury late last year. The soccer show “After Foot” on French broadcaster RMC Sport reported this week that the Spanish club had initially scanned his right knee, rather than the left one, in December. Other media outlets in Spain ran similar stories, nearly all of them citing RMC.
Mbappe played throughout January but was then sidelined for three-and-a-half weeks before making his latest comeback.
“The report that said that they (examined) the wrong knee is false,” Mbappe said at a press conference ahead of France’s World Cup warmup against Brazil.
“I am maybe responsible indirectly for this situation, because when you don’t communicate on what’s happening, it opens doors to others’ interpretations.”
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The club said in late December that Mbappe had sprained his left knee.
Mbappe said he has “very clear communication” with Real Madrid.
France plays Brazil on Thursday in Foxborough and faces Colombia on Sunday in Landover.
On Monday in Paris, Mbappe said his knee feels fine. He was used as a substitute in Real Madrid’s last two matches as he works his way back into form.
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“There was a lot of frustration, a lot of anger, and then also some anxiety at one point,” Mbappe told French media late Monday at a promotional event. “I had reached a stage where I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I didn’t go through that period in the best way. I wasn’t the happiest player in the world. But I’m happy now because it’s truly behind me. It’s all gone.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
During that interview alongside Matt Vasgersian, CC Sabathia and Hunter Pence, Bonds recalled an interesting story about his free agency following the 1992 season, when he left the Pittsburgh Pirates for the Giants.
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The Yankees were one of Bonds’ other suitors at the time, and he claims it wasn’t money that ended up pushing him away from the Bronx. He said it was Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.
Bonds’ recollection:
“George isn’t here anymore, so I can tell the truth. I would have been a Yankee, but Steinbrenner got on the phone and he called us. They told me, ‘Barry, we’re going to give you the money’ — the highest-paid player at that time — ‘but you have to sign the contract by 2 o’clock this afternoon.’
“I said, ‘Excuse me?’ And I just hung the phone up. I went to go get lunch and Dennis Gilbert, my agent, was like, ‘Do you know what you just did?’ I’m like, ‘Do you know what he just said?’ By the time I walked down the street to go get lunch — I said, ‘Let me just think about this’ — the Giants called me and I said, ‘I’m going home.’”
There are a few things going on in this story, so let’s take this one-by-one.
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Bonds is apparently comfortable telling this story only because Steinbrenner is dead, which has been true since 2010.
The Yankees were allegedly set on giving Bonds the largest contract in MLB, but supposedly only if he would meet an arbitrary deadline to sign a contract the day they made the offer.
George Steinbrenner supposedly reached out to Bonds personally, despite the fact he was quite famously banned from baseball from 1990 to 1993.
That latter point is certainly worth pondering. Steinbrenner accepted a lifetime ban from then-MLB commissioner Fay Vincent for paying a known gambler for dirt on Dave Winfield and wasn’t officially reinstated until March of 1993. Bonds signed with the Giants in December of 1992.
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So we have a case where either Bonds is lying/misremembering or Steinbrenner was openly shirking a ban from baseball to talk to the biggest free agent in baseball. You can be the judge on what’s most likely.
Barry Bonds to the Yankees is a fascinating what-if.
(Michael Tullberg via Getty Images)
You can also choose whether to believe Bonds or the newspaper of record at the time. As The New York Times reported, the sticking point between Bonds and the Yankees wasn’t so much respect as the club’s refusal to add a year to their five-year, $36 million offer. The Yankees reportedly gave him a two-day window to accept their offer and withdrew from the proceedings when he turned them down.
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As then-Yankees general manger Gene Michael explained:
“We wanted him and now it’s off,” Michael said in a phone interview from Tampa, Fla. “We’re going for pitching. Maybe it’s the right thing to do. We will not have Barry Bonds with a sixth year.”
“We have to draw the line somewhere … I have no regrets saying we did not offer him a sixth year. We offered him a fantastic contract for five years. We really went out of our way to make a nice offer.”
The article does not mention Steinbrenner.
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The Giants ended up giving Bonds that sixth year on a then-record $44 million contract and kept him through 2007. In return, they received some spectacular baseball, then spectacular scandal.
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