Jul 13, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) at bat during the home run derby at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
PHILADELPHIA — The Boston Red Sox’s Willson Contreras and St. Louis Cardinals’ Jordan Walker each clubbed 13 homers to top the leaderboard in Round 1 of the 2026 Home Run Derby on Monday night.
Tampa Bay Rays star Junior Caminero added 12 homers, and hometown Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber added 10 to sneak into the four-hitter semifinals.
Fellow Phillie Bryce Harper, who won the 2018 derby as a hometown contestant in Washington, failed to join his teammate Schwarber in the last four as he batted last and finished with eight homers.
Those came in a new first-round format, in which every hitter had 20 swings. If they homered on their last swing, they could keep swinging until they failed to send a ball over the fence, though no hitters achieved any bonus home runs in that fashion in the first round.
The semifinals to follow will feature two one-on-one matchups with 15 swings each (with the same rule on the final swing), with the winners advancing to another 15-swing showdown.
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Chicago White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami (nine), the Kansas City Royals’ Jac Caglianone (eight) and the New York Yankees’ Ben Rice (seven) were the remaining hitters eliminated.
Contreras had the longest shot of the round at 490 feet to the back of the Arcade, the second deck in left field at Citizens’ Bank Park. Caminero nearly matched him with a 487-foot blast.
And while Caglianone did not move on, he became the first hitter to touch the third deck in right since Phillies legend Ryan Howard did it on a 2009 grand slam.
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In the city of Rocky Balboa, Joe Frazier and Bernard Hopkins, Philadelphia leaned into its combative spirit from the start.
Famous boxing master of ceremonies Michael Buffer introduced the eight contestants, who strode into a makeshift ring at second base, as the crowd booed everyone but their hometown heroes.
Harper, the last through the ropes, leaped onto the turnbuckle and raised his hands in exultation to the Philadelphia crowd.
The Fortnite v41.20 update is all set to release on July 16, 2026, and will introduce a plethora of new content for players to experience. This will be the second big update for the ongoing Fortnite Runners season, and will add new skins and weapons, as well as more sprites. A special Fortnite collaboration (and its related skins) will also be unveiled in this update.
Read on to find out more about all the upcoming content in the Fortnite v41.20 update.
Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3 v41.20 update: Release timing and details
Fortnite’s summer update is dropping soon (Image via Epic Games)
As per standard schedule, downtime for the Fortnite v41.20 update will begin on July 16, 2026, at 4 am ET. Matchmaking is expected to be paused 30 minutes prior to the beginning of maintenance, and will be available once again after servers are back up.
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While the exact downtime duration has not been announced by Epic Games yet, servers are expected to be back online after approximately two or three hours.
The following content will be added in Fortnite once the v41.20 update goes live:
DC Hot Bat Summer event
New sprites
Odyssey collab
Sprite events
Here are the details about these events:
1) DC Hot Bat Summer
The Fortnite DC Hot Bat Summer event will be officially launching on July 16, 2026. It will feature new summer skins for a variety of DC characters such as Batman, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Catwoman. Ace the Bat-Hound, Batman’s canine companion, is also expected to be added in the game as a sidekick.
2) New Sprites
Three new Sprites will be added (Image via Epic Games)
The following Sprites will be up for grabs along with the launch of the Fortnite v41.20 update:
Batman Sprite
Air Sprite
Seven Sprite
As with all the other Sprites that are currently in-game, different variants of these Sprites will also be available for players to collect.
3) Fortnite x Odyssey collab
A special Fortnite x Odyssey collab is in the works (Image via Epic Games)
A special Fortnite x Odyssey collaboration is scheduled for release once the new update rolls out. Details about this collab (and its skins) will be announcd by Epic Games before Fortnite v41.20 goes live.
4) Sprite events
New Sprite events are coming this week (Image via Epic Games)
Continuing the Sprite-based gameplay of the current season, new Sprite events have been scheduled for the upcoming week. This includes a brand-new Shiny Hours event which will take place on July 18, 2026, wherein the drop rates for certain special Sprites (to be announced later) will be boosted.
England and Argentina will write a new chapter in one of football’s most storied rivalries when they face off in Atlanta on Wednesday for a place in the World Cup final.
Remarkably, it will mark the first time Lionel Messi plays a part in it.
At 39, the Argentina legend will face England for the first time in his glittering career, locking horns with a fellow No.10 whose World Cup contribution has been equally impressive.
Just like Messi, Jude Bellingham has been inspirational in the Three Lions’ run to the final four. And Wednesday’s match may well be determined by which of the two has the biggest say on the day.
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“We know how good Messi is,” England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said of the Argentina great, whose enduring brilliance has been on show again even at the age of 39.
“He’s scored so many goals and contributed to so many goals as well throughout his career, it’s great to finally go up against him,” Pickford said.
Messi is already considered by many to be the greatest football player of all time and he seems to be on a mission to settle the debate about where he stands in the history of the sport.
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Already the all-time top scorer in the World Cup with 21 goals, he could surpass Argentina icon Diego Maradona by leading his country to back-to-back world titles.
His eight goals in the tournament so far have been pivotal to Argentina’s run and his moments of magic have dragged his team through big scares against Cape Verde and Egypt.
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Cover image: Argentina’s Lionel Messi (10) celebrates scoring their second goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. AP Photo/undefined
“It’s just incredible his campaign, this tournament, how he carries that team it’s just absolutely incredible,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said of Messi. “There are no words (…) left for this kind of achievement, the responsibility and the quality that he shows again in this tournament.”
‘World-class’
Argentina’s World Cup triumph in 2022 saw Messi emulate Maradona by captaining his country to the title. Maradona lifted the trophy in 1986 and was runner-up with Argentina four years later when it lost to West Germany in the final.
“Trying to draw inspiration from what Diego did is difficult. Only Leo can do that,” said Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. “Diego is a national icon for us, and hopefully, we can achieve something similar to what that team did.”
England have a talismanic No.10 of their own in the form of Bellingham, who is at the opposite end of his career to Messi.
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At the age of 23, Real Madrid star Bellingham is already playing in his second World Cup and his fourth major tournament for England. He has six goals, including two each in the last two rounds against Mexico and Norway.
Bellingham and captain Harry Kane, who also has six goals, have spearheaded England’s run to the semi-finals.
Tuchel said the duo had delivered “like crazy” at the World Cup.
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It is Bellingham, however, who has provided the biggest moments in the last two games.
“We all strongly believe it’s a team sport and no one is doing it alone, but of course we are also relying on the world-class moments of world-class players,” Tuchel said.
A storied rivalry
Both England and Argentina will need to find a way to limit the impact of each other’s big stars.
Tuchel said he had considered trying to man-mark Messi by deploying one player to shadow him throughout the game.
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“Everyone knows the spaces where he wants to show up. If you analyse the matches, you feel like he sees stuff just earlier than anyone else on the field,” Tuchel said. “I think we found some patterns in their game, but if you close the patterns he will find maybe a new one and create a new one. That’s a super strength. That’s just what it is.”
If Messi is the main focus of England’s attention, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has to contend with the double threat of Bellingham and Kane.
“We’re facing great players, two of the best in the world,” Scaloni said. “We will try our best to neutralize them. We have our weapons and we will try to prevent them from having a good game.”
England vs. Argentina is a fierce rivalry that goes beyond the soccer field, with tensions also relating to the 1982 conflict over the Falkland Islands.
Maradona scored his infamous “Hand of God” goal in 1986 – and England also felt aggrieved when David Beckham was sent off for kicking out against Diego Simeone in 1998 before losing in a penalty shootout.
“If a fixture provides so many iconic moments you cannot just say it’s just another football match, but as a coach we do exactly that,” Tuchel said. “We don’t speak about the historic events. We don’t speak about the iconic moments.”
One of those iconic moments was Maradona’s second goal in the 2-1 win against England in the quarterfinals win in 1986 when he dribbled the ball from the halfway line before scoring.
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“That will be forever in our hearts. It was just such a beautiful goal,” Scaloni said. “It was just a coincidence that it was against England, but had it been against anybody else, it would have been just as beautiful.”
The Captain Stede Bonnet side quest in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced follows Edward as he investigates what happened to Stede Bonnet and uncovers his fate. You can access the Captain Stede Bonnet sidequest only after completing the “Marooned” main quest in Sequence 8.
Stede Bonnet sends a letter to Edward stating that he is being held in the Charles-Towne Jail. In it, he also asks Edward to recover his provisions that are stored inside the ship’s cabin, which is now stuck on a Mystery Island.
Read on to learn how to complete the Captain Stede Bonnet side quest in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced: Captain Stede Bonnet side quest walkthrough
Locate Stede’s ship
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After the cutscene is over, sail through the Caribbean until you reach the highlighted marker where you need to dock your ship. Once ashore, leave the ship and head towards the coordinates 906,122 to locate Stede’s ship. You’ll find the boat, The Revenge, stranded on Mystery Island with no crew.
Head towards the marked location on the map (Image via Ubisoft || YouTube@postmodeorg)
Investigate Stede’s wreck
Climb aboard the boat, and you’ll find the entrance below deck is locked. Shortly after, a group of pirates, who are actually members of Stede’s Crew, will appear and prepare to fight.
Investigate Stede’s wreck (Image via Ubisoft || YouTube@postmodeorg)
However, Edward will quickly explain that he is not there for a fight; he is Bonnet’s friend and is looking for his Crew. Realising and recognising Edward, they will ask him to join them at the nearby camp.
Talk to Stede’s Crew to know what happened (Image via Ubisoft || YouTube@postmodeorg)
After speaking to Rowland Sharp, he explains that after the Major sent them there, a mutiny broke out. The traitors stole the key to the Major’s cabin below deck and have taken all the provisions for themselves. Since then, they have been holding them off. Immediately after, one of the crew members informs you that the mutineers are further down the shore, gathering for an attack.
Follow the loyalists
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Kill all Mutineers to get the key (Image via Ubisoft || YouTube@postmodeorg)
Follow the in-charge to visit the shoreline where the Mutineers are already waiting. Fight with them, kill them one by one with the help of Stede’s Crew to finally get the Key in the Captain Stede Bonnet side quest.
Kill the British
Kill the British in Captain Stede Bonnet side quest (Image via Ubisoft || YouTube@postmodeorg)
Although all of the Mutineers have been killed, Edward still senses that there may be more enemies somewhere. After a while, a British ship arrives there to seize Bonnet’s property. Wait there for the British crew to arrive from the sea, and kill them one by one. Once that’s done, follow the loyalists back to Stede’s wreck.
Explore Stede’s Cabin
Explore Stede’s Cabin to find another letter at the end of the Captain Stede Bonnet side quest (Image via Ubisoft || YouTube@postmodeorg)
After a short cutscene, explore Stede’s cabin to find a letter and a sword lying on the table. The letter reveals that Stede is set to be hanged the following day on charges of piracy. After reading it, you’ll also find Stede’s portrait nearby.
Hang Stede’s portrait in the manor to complete the Captain Stede Bonnet side quest (Image via Ubisoft || YouTube@postmodeorg)
Now you need to take the portrait to your manor and look for a spot in the basement to hang it. This will conclude the Captain Stede Bonnet side quest.
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Wayne Rooney is part of the BBC’s World Cup team and will appear on their broadcast of the England vs Argentina semi-final clash
Wayne Rooney will be part of the BBC’s World Cup coverage of England vs Argentina. And there are not many more suitable than England’s second all-time goalscorer to run the rule over Harry Kane and co.
The former Manchester United forward has been a regular for the broadcasters in the United States as he settles into life post-football. Rooney enjoyed a headline-grabbing career on and off the pitch, featuring in three World Cups.
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Here, Manchester Evening News examines some major moments from Rooney’s life away from the pitch.
Cheating scandals
Wayne has been married to wife Coleen since 2008 but the pair have been rocked with numerous cheating allegations. In 2004, the ex-United star was reported to have visited a brothel in Liverpool on several occasions and paid for sex with three women aged 21, 37 and 48.
It was claimed that Rooney also signed autographs for other visitors as he waited his turn. Speaking out about the allegations, he said: “Foolish as it now seems, I did on occasions visit massage parlours and prostitutes.
“I now regret it deeply and hope people may understand that it was the sort of mistake you make when you are young and stupid.”
Coleen didn’t make a comment on the situation at the time, but revealed in her 2023 autobiography that the pair hadn’t been intimate before his brothel visits. She wrote: “The truth is, and I’ve never said this before, at that time in our relationship, I’d never even slept with Wayne. I was only 16 and we weren’t having that kind of relationship at that stage.”
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Six years later, Rooney was accused of further infedility when former escort Helen Wood claimed he had a threesome with her and another woman called Jenny Thompson. Wood insisted the incident occurred while Coleen was pregnant with their first son, Kai, and he regretted the affair immediately.
She said: “He said, ‘I feel really s*** already – I’m begging you two not to say anything. It will ruin my marriage if it gets out.’”
There were reports that Coleen moved out of their family home at that time but later reconciled, despite the pair never speaking out on the issue.
In 2017, just after he departed United, Rooney made headlines when he was arrested and charged with drink driving after a night out. The ex-England international wasn’t driving his own car, however; it actually belonged to Laura Simpson, whom he had met while out drinking.
Simpson claimed that Coleen called her after the arrest, telling The Sun: “She asked me to tell her what happened. She seemed unhappy with the fact that we had left a nightclub in a cab together to go to my car.”
Six years later, in Wayne’s 2023 documentary, the 40-year-old revealed that this scandal almost pushed the couple to the breaking point. Coleen said: “I forgive him but it wasn’t acceptable. If it comes up we talk about it like we are talking about it now. I haven’t got the anger I did at the time… Life goes on and I’ve moved on.”
Arrest at US airport
Rooney moved to Washington, D.C. in 2018 and signed for DC United after a year back at his boyhood club, Everton. Months after sealing the MLS deal, he was arrested for ‘public swearing and intoxication’ at Dulles airport after triggering a door alarm.
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He paid a total fine of $116 (£86), and Rooney’s spokesperson claimed he was “disoriented” after being prescribed sleeping tablets and drinking alcohol. The statement read: “During the flight, Wayne took a prescribed amount of sleeping tablets mixed with some alcohol consumption and consequently was disoriented on arrival.
“He was approached by police who arrested him on a minor misdemeanour charge. He received a statutory automatic fine and was released shortly afterwards at the airport. The matter is now at an end. Wayne would like to put on record his appreciation for the manner he was treated by all involved. No further comment will be made.”
Huge BBC salary
While Rooney was commanding a whopping £300,000-a-week wage during his prime at United, his BBC salary is nothing to be sniffed at. In 2025, the ex-United man signed a two-year deal with the broadcaster which is worth a reported £800,000.
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This contract established Rooney as one of the BBC’s most well-paid pundits. His current salary will be a pleasant boost to the ex-forward’s wealth, which is valued at an eye-watering £126m.
England’s 2026 World Cup kits
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England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code DEAL.
Mark your calendars, opening night of the NHL is officially set in stone.
On Wednesday, the NHL announced its opening night schedule for the expanded 84-game 2026-27 season, set for Tuesday, Sept. 29, with five games on the docket.
The showdowns are headlined by an Original Six game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, and a Pacific Division matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, both of which will air on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
It’s the first time in four seasons that the Leafs suit up for opening night, as in previous years, the opening-night schedule had typically featured three games between two U.S. teams.
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Action will start at 5 p.m. ET, when the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes square off against their predecessors, the Florida Panthers.
Additionally, the New York Rangers will take on the Boston Bruins in another Original Six showdown, and the Cup runner-up Vegas Golden Knights will host the Chicago Blackhawks.
The league also announced some key dates and spotlight matchups throughout the season.
The Heritage Classic will take place on Sunday, Oct. 25, as the Jets host the Canadiens outdoors at the Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.
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A few teams will head across the pond for the NHL Global Series, as the Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken head to Helsinki for two games on Nov. 12 and 14, and the Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators fly to Düsseldorf, Germany, for games on Dec. 18 and 20.
On New Year’s Eve, the Utah Mammoth will host the Colorado Avalanche at the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium for the annual NHL Winter Classic. Additionally, on Feb. 20, the Dallas Stars and Golden Knights will suit up at AT&T Stadium in Arlington for the Stadium Series.
All-Star weekend is scheduled for Feb. 5-6 at the UBS Arena on Long Island, home of the New York Islanders.
These college football coaches could find themselves in hot water in 2026
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4 min read
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Welcome once again to the annual CBS Sports Hot Seat Rankings, where the most pressured coaches in the sport take center stage. Last season was a bloodbath with major names like Brian Kelly, James Franklin and Mike Gundy shown the door. However, there seems to be a calm after the storm.
In fact, 95 coaches have a hot-seat score under 2.0. Forty-seven of them are under 1.0, a massive increase compared to 28 last season. A number of first-year coaches received zeros from the group, but mainstays like Kirby Smart, Curt Cignetti and Dan Lanning finished near the top of the list.
With the new era of college football, firing decisions have become a little more complicated. Multiple hot-seat coaches were brought back for 2026 and promised more support and resources. Others were returned to help develop a star player. And then of course, there are cases of schools simply being too broke to pull the trigger… looking at you, Tallahassee.
5
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Win or be fired
3
4-4.99
Start improving now
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3
3-3.99
Pressure is mounting
14
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2-2.99
All good … for now
23
1-1.99
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Safe and secure
48
0-0.99
Untouchable
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47
Last year, only one coach earned a “perfect” 5.0. Louisiana Tech’s Sonny Cumbie went on to beat the odds and posted an impressive 8-5 campaign. Oklahoma’s Brent Venables went from the country’s second-hottest seat to the College Football Playoff, while Arizona’s Brent Brennan cemented his place with a nine-win season. A bad grade is by no means a death sentence in a sport where everything can change in an instant.
The rest of the coaches to receive higher than 4.0s were less lucky. All five were ultimately fired. Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and UAB’s Trent Dilfer were let go unceremoniously midseason during miserable campaigns. The hot seat giveth and taketh away.
It was France’s biggest hurdle at the World Cup – a team they haven’t beaten since 2017. For Les Bleus, that streak continues as Spain outclassed Didier Deschamps’ side with a 2-0 win in Dallas. The 2010 champions will now get a chance to add a second star to their shirt, as they’ll face either England or Argentina who are going head-to-head this Wednesday for a spot in the final.
Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is over two years removed from last serving in the NFL as a head coach, but as was the case in the latter part of his career, he remains viewed as being the greatest coach of all time.
According to CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo in the network’s ranking of the top 20 head coaches in NFL history, Belichick ranks No. 1 overall above all of the other greats to do it. In a panel of six voters, there were four who agreed that Belichick deserved the top spot in the rankings.
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“The most successful coach of the 21st century, Belichick, has two more Super Bowl wins than the next-closest coach,” DeArdo said. “He is second all-time in career wins (333) and third all-time in regular-season wins (302).”
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Belichick ended his career with six Super Bowl wins as a head coach, as well as three AP NFL Coach of the Year awards.
He coached innumerable NFL greats throughout his historic career, which also included a tenure with the Cleveland Browns, and his development of Tom Brady, widely regarded as the greatest player ever, adds to his body of work as the standard-setting head coach in league history.
The heavyweight division has been blown wide open recently, and in response one former ruler who defeated Anthony Joshua is hoping that he can get back into contention for the heavyweight throne, with his comeback fight officially confirmed.
The WBA, WBC and IBF world titles were in the possession of Oleksandr Usyk until last month, but an underwhelming performance against kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven seemed to convince the Ukrainian that Father Time may have caught up with him.
As a result, the 39-year-old has decided to drop the belts, but to remain in the sport for now, with Murat Gassiev (WBA) and Agit Kabayel (WBC) each being elevated to full world champions in his place, whilst a fight for the vacant IBF strap has been ordered.
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Consequently, there are a number of heavyweights who believe that they would be able to topple one of the newly crowned champions, including another former unified titleholder, Andy Ruiz Jr, who famously dethroned Joshua in 2019.
Ruiz stepped in on short notice to face Joshua at Madison Square Garden in New York, and despite being viewed as a big underdog, was able to land multiple knockdowns and secure the shock seventh round stoppage win.
His reign was short-lived after losing those belts to Joshua in the immediate rematch six months later, and since then he has only competed on three occasions, defeating Chris Arreola and Luis Ortiz before a draw with Jarrell Miller in August 2024.
He is now set to get his career back on track after signing with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and on his Instagram account, ‘The Destroyer’ outlined that his ‘mission is not over’.
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“I’m coming, no matter what anyone says, the mission is not over.”
The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 4, with middleweight duo Vito Mielnicki and Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams poised to collide in an intriguing co-main event.
Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has given Rohit Sharma complete freedom to play his natural game, and the team management is trying to make sure that the star batter remains in a relaxed frame of mind in the ongoing ODI series against England, according to a report by India Today. Rohit did not have a good outing in the first ODI encounter, where he was dismissed by Sam Curran after scoring 11 runs off 21 deliveries. Sources told India Today that Gambhir has asked Rohit to play his natural game and not be weighed down by questions surrounding his future with the ODI World Cup 2027 in focus.
“Rohit has done a lot for this team and the country in white-ball cricket. The coach wants him to play the way he has throughout his career and express himself freely,” sources said.
“The way Rohit Sharma has been batting under pressure, it seems clear that he needs a bit of time and mental space rather than constant scrutiny,” the source added.
“Players of his calibre often perform at their best when they are free from external pressure and allowed to trust their natural instincts. Instead of overanalysing every innings, it is important to back someone who has consistently delivered for India over the years. A relaxed and confident Rohit Sharma is capable of changing games on his own, and sometimes faith and patience are just as important as technical adjustments.”
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There has been a lot of chatter over Rohit’s future, with some reports suggesting that the team management may look beyond the veterans in the build-up to the tournament. Rohit will be 41 years old when the World Cup begins in 2027.
The report claimed that the team management is of the opinion that complete freedom will allow Rohit to play his best cricket, and Gambhir is looking to ‘maximise the impact’ that Rohit brings to the game. However, the sources claimed that the current stance is not related to Rohit’s future with the national team.
“Nobody knows what the future holds. The focus right now is on the present. The team management wants Rohit to have complete peace of mind so that he can give his best whenever he plays,” the source said.
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