India vs Afghanistan Live Score: India have already secured the ODI series against Afghanistan with convincing victories in Dharamsala and Lucknow, but there is still plenty at stake heading into the third and final ODI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.

With a 2-0 lead in the bag, Shubman Gill’s side will be aiming to complete a clean sweep while also continuing to evaluate their squad depth ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Team India Focused on Experimentation
India entered the series with a clear objective of assessing their bench strength, and that process is expected to continue in Chennai. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed that changes will be made to the playing XI for the dead rubber.

The series has already thrown up several positives. Ishan Kishan has seized his opportunity, culminating in a blistering century in Lucknow while batting at No. 4. Captain Shubman Gill has continued his rich vein of form, smashing a majestic 154 in the second ODI and proving equally effective at No. 3 in Virat Kohli’s absence.

Young pacer Gurnoor Brar has also impressed with his pace, bounce and ability to hit awkward lengths, attributes that could prove valuable in South African conditions during the 2027 World Cup.

India are expected to hand further opportunities to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is being assessed as a left-handed opening option and potential backup to Rohit Sharma. Nitish Kumar Reddy, now fully fit after recovering from a sore thigh, remains under the spotlight as India search for an all-round solution in Hardik Pandya’s absence. Prince Yadav and Harsh Dubey are also likely to remain in contention as the team continues to evaluate its next generation of talent.

KL Rahul could be rested after the series win, opening the door for Kishan to continue behind the stumps. Fast bowler Harshit Rana has also returned to the squad after recovering from knee surgery.

Afghanistan Eye Consolation Win
For Afghanistan, the final ODI represents an opportunity to avoid a series whitewash and end the tour on a positive note. The visitors were thoroughly outplayed in Lucknow, where India posted a mammoth 402 after Afghanistan opted to bowl first. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi admitted after the defeat that his side was simply “not good enough” on the day.

Afghanistan’s struggles have largely stemmed from an inconsistent batting lineup and the absence of key players. Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi missed the second ODI due to a viral infection, while Azmatullah Omarzai was sidelined through injury. If both clear their fitness tests, they are expected to return for the series finale.

The visitors will once again rely heavily on opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and star spinner Rashid Khan, their two biggest match-winners, to challenge an Indian side brimming with confidence.

Pitch and Weather Report
The match will be played on Pitch No. 4 at Chepauk, a red-soil surface that traditionally offers good bounce and carry. While Chennai has long been known for spin-friendly conditions, recent matches have produced more batting-friendly tracks. However, as the game progresses, quality spinners such as Rashid Khan could still extract grip and variable bounce.

The weather is expected to be hot and humid, with temperatures hovering around 35°C. Although there is a slight chance of afternoon showers, conditions are expected to remain largely suitable for a full match.

With the series already decided, India will look to continue building towards the future, while Afghanistan search for pride and a much-improved performance in the final ODI.

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — You know all the sayings. Patience is a virtue. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Good things come to those who wait. But how is patience practiced in golf, and how does one exemplify it amid a week where impatience is the featured dish on the menu?

As it tends to be with clichés, it is much easier said than done.

Through just about two rounds of the 2026 U.S. Open, Wyndham Clark has raced ahead of the rest of field at Shinnecock Hills. The 2023 champion set a new 36-hole scoring record at Shinnecock Hills, made 215 feet worth of putts and has taken control of this championship in the process.

But waiting patiently behind him is a man who knows all too well about the wait and how the weight can be lifted off one’s shoulders.

Xander Schauffele finds himself on the first page of the leaderboard once again at a U.S. Open. After admitting to being a little impatient in the easier afternoon wave on Thursday, Schauffele surged back Friday morning with a 4-under 66 to position himself at 3 under for the tournament. 

The two-time major champion arrived at Shinnecock Hills having never finished outside the top 15 in this championship, including his debut at Erin Hills that required him to go through final qualifying to earn his spot in the field.

Plenty has occurred since then and now. He has two majors, an Olympic gold medal and a slew of accolades attached to his name. The yellow boxes on his Wikipedia page that indicate major top-10 finishes seem to multiply by the year. His rate of such results has surpassed the 50% mark with two in a row in 2026.

But while time marches on, Schauffele has continued to march to the beat of the same drum — just keep chipping away and the results will come.

“I’ve become very patient not knocking off any wins in the last couple years,” Schauffele said in his winning press conference at the 2024 PGA Championship. “The people closest to me know how stubborn I can be. Winning, I said it earlier, is a result. This is awesome. It’s super sweet. But when I break it down, I’m really proud of how I handled certain moments on the course today, different from the past.”

From a broader perspective, Schauffele has always been patient. His father has a saying that Schauffele abides by, “A steady drip caves the stone.”

This mantra was harped on in 2024 when pressure mounted via close calls at the Genesis Invitational and especially The Players Championship where he fell short down the stretch to Scottie Scheffler. That Sunday at TPC Sawgrass, Schauffele coincidentally shared a tee time with Clark.

Despite knowing some on the outside were sipping the “haterade” as he put after The Players, Schauffele kept at it. Two months later, his wait was over with the full weight of the Wanamaker Trophy lifted above his head at Valhalla. A couple months on and this time it was the Claret Jug.

The patience game was different in 2025. Due to a rib injury, Schauffele was sidelined for a few months. He didn’t feel 100% himself on the golf course for roughly a year and missed the Tour Championship for the first time in his career.

“It was a first for me,” Schauffele said. “It made me appreciate the game, for sure, and sort of what it does for me mentally and how happy it makes me. Obviously it pisses me off often, but at the same time, I really missed being out on Tour. I missed practicing.

“I have a kid now, so I have easier distractions and more tasks to do, but at this time it was just myself, my dogs, and my wife. She was sick of me being at home too long. I definitely missed playing golf and appreciated being able to play for such a long time.”

Schauffele’s wide-scale patience has been put on full display throughout his U.S. Open career. Every year, this tournament feels like a window into his gut. Friday was another prime example as fairways and greens were his diet of choice. 

Schauffele hit an astounding 16 of 18 greens in regulation.

He was on cruise control for most of it before a speed bump on the par-5 5th produced his lone bogey. An unlikely birdie followed and a whole lot of patience, too. Birdie look after birdie look continued to materialize, and although not all fell, Schauffele kept chipping away at it.

“It’s just a lot of patience and good golf shots, for the most part,” Schauffele said. “I feel like U.S. Opens, the championship itself just wears you out. It’s a long way, and you really feel it after. If you can do some work in between, you can get rewarded for it. So that’s sort of what I try and do.”

For his effort, he finds himself closer to the top of the leaderboard. He’s not quite in the position he needs to be to raise this U.S. Open trophy, but he knows he’s on his way and with two days left for Schauffele to keep at it, chances are his patience will be every bit as valuable as any golf shot he hits.

“Whatever mountain I decide to be on,” Schauffele said. “I’m trying to climb it and just trying to chip away each and every day.”

Ten-man ​Paraguay eliminated Turkey with a courageous ​defensive effort to seal a dramatic 1-0 win on Friday after suffering a ​dismissal ‌before halftime, with the ⁠fastest goal of the World Cup proving ‌the difference.

Midfielder Matias Galarza wound up ⁠from 25 metres and fired a low rocket home after 64 ​seconds to eclipse Ismael Saibari’s ‌71-second strike in Morocco’s 1-0 win over Scotland conjured hours before.

Paraguay midfielder ‌Miguel Almiron was given a straight red card ​in first-half stoppage time for putting his hand over his mouth in a ​confrontation with Turkey’s Mert Muldur, ​the first to fall ​foul of the new rule at the tournament.

It ​made Paraguay’s task that much harder but they weathered wave after wave of Turkey attacks to claim the win ⁠in a remarkable turnaround following their opening ⁠4-1 ​demolition by the United States.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

Feb 9, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) between plays against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

After missing out on nearly half of last season, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope reportedly is giving it another go in Memphis.

The two-time NBA champion swingman will exercise his $21.6 million player option for next season and remain with the Grizzlies, ESPN reported Friday.

Caldwell-Pope, 33, missed 31 games last season, including the final 29 after undergoing surgery on his right pinky finger in February. He was averaging 8.4 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds when he was shut down.

The Grizzlies acquired Caldwell-Pope last offseason in the trade that sent Desmond Bane to Orlando. He played one season with the Magic after signing a three-year, $66 million contract prior to the 2024-25 season.

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Drafted eighth overall by Detroit in 2013, the former Georgia star has played with six clubs over his 13 NBA seasons. After four seasons with the Pistons, he played four with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning his first NBA title in the 2019-20 season. Following a season with the Washington Wizards, he won his second championship in 2023 during a two-season stint with the Denver Nuggets prior to joining the Magic.

Caldwell-Pope is a career 36.5% shooter from 3-point range but has seen his percentage drop from 40.6% in his second season with the Nuggets to 34.2% in 2024-25 and then 31.6% last season. He has averaged 11 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists over his career.

–Field Level Media

India pacer Harshit Rana said that he was relieved to be back in the national setup after spending five months on the sidelines with a knee injury, admitting the prolonged absence from cricket was the toughest phase of his career. “For me, especially, it was very difficult. Because as a kid, my dream was to play in the World Cup. And India had won, so I missed out on that. But I had five months. I mean, I’ve been away for five months. But I’ve worked a lot on everything,” Rana said in a BCCI video.

Manchester United fans would have loved what they saw if they stayed up until the early hours to see Matheus Cunha’s display against Haiti

Manchester United needed the bulk of their squad to fly across the pond to realise their attacking solution is already within their ranks.

Matheus Cunha has seemingly solved Carlo Ancelotti’s biggest dilemma with Brazil. Against Morocco, the South Americans were blunt, laboured and devoid of ideas. The ex-Real Madrid manager swapped Igor Thiago for Cunha and, suddenly, Brazil were playing a lot more like… well, Brazil.

The dearth of quality between the Brazilians and Haiti may have been as big as the Empire State Building, but Cape Verde have already proven how resolve can cut down giants like European champions Spain. Haiti set up with a flat back five, which compacted and overlapped like a set of shutter doors.

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Instead of a target man like Thiago, Cunha was deployed at the tip of their attack. He slipped his way between the lines, luring defenders out of their positions, carving neat alleyways for Vinicius Jr and co to run through.

Yet, Cunha was the hammer as well as the creator. While he ghosted in between defenders to bundle home for his first goal, he smacked a thunderbolt of a left-foot into the top corner for his second.

Carrick experimented with him as the centre-forward at the beginning of his reign and was repaid with an assist against Manchester City and a goal against Arsenal.

After the victory at the Emirates Stadium, he only featured up front in two of his next thirteen matches. Against Haiti, it became clear Cunha needs, and deserves, more space to work with, where he is away from the sidelines.

Shunting him out to the left wing, which he put himself forward to do, when he does not have the explosive pace to trouble full-backs, does him an injustice. Before injury cut his campaign short, Patrick Dorgu thrived while playing on the left of Cunha, and it’s still a position United are considering recruiting in.

He dashed through the same corridors Vinicius did in Philadelphia and seemingly became one of United’s most potent goal threats overnight. United have already been linked with left-wingers like Yan Diomande, Rafael Leao and Crysencio Summerville, who both star on the left wing. Once United are done with bringing in new midfielders and a left back, perhaps United should give some serious consideration to pushing Cunha up top and going and buying a new left winger as well to challenge Dorgu.

If they watched Cunha in action playing his all-round role at centre-forward, the prospect of sharing a front line with him would make their mouth water. One person who may not be as enthusiastic is Benjamin Sesko, who may have to content himself with the bench more if Cunha keeps starring in the World Cup in a central position.

But the Slovenian is a different player from the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers man. His game is built on getting on the end of crosses, passes and balls over the top, while Cunha is more than comfortable with starting and finishing a team move. Yes, Sesko had a strong end to last season, but Cunha showcased the threat he poses from central last night – and is the type of player who, if he’s not scoring, by being central, it gives the opportunity for attack-minded midfielders to thrive.

The World Cup seems to be telling the world that the 10-man low block could soon become a thing of the past.

The games have been more open and less compact. If this theme extends into the Premier League, United would need a creative Brazilian army knife in their front line. He may be the one to unlock all the defences in Europe and in the Premier League, if Carrick is brave enough to trust Cunha to hold the attacking line.

Cunha has still consistently performed well on the left for United, but in the early hours of Saturday, thousands of miles away and in the blue kit of Brazil, he may just have put a case forward for a change in Manchester next season.

After nine months away from competitive action, India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra made a reassuring return at the Doha Diamond League 2026, finishing fourth in a high-quality field while comfortably securing qualification for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

 

The Olympic and World Championship medallist may not have returned to the top step of the podium, but his performance in Doha offered plenty of positives as he continues his comeback from a back injury that delayed the start of his season.

 

A return after nine challenging months

 

All eyes were on Chopra as he stepped into the throwing circle for the first time since his lengthy injury layoff.

 
 

The 28-year-old entered the competition looking to test both his fitness and rhythm against some of the world’s leading javelin throwers. While expectations were naturally tempered after such a long absence, Chopra showed enough to suggest that he remains on track for another strong season.

 

His evening began with a false throw, an understandable sign of rust after months away from competition. However, he quickly settled into his rhythm and responded with an 82.77m effort on his second attempt.

 

That throw immediately achieved one important objective.

 

Commonwealth Games qualification secured

 

Chopra’s second-round effort of 82.77m comfortably surpassed the Athletics Federation of India’s Commonwealth Games qualifying standard of 82.61m.

 

With that throw alone, he effectively secured his place for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 2.

 

 

Best effort comes in third round

 

The Indian superstar saved his best throw for the third round.

 

Chopra launched the javelin to 85.69m, a mark that would ultimately stand as his best effort of the competition. While it was not enough to secure a podium finish, it demonstrated that he remains capable of competing at an elite level despite limited competitive preparation.

 

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect was how close he came to the medal positions.

 

His best throw was only 0.30m behind third-placed American Curtis Thompson, underlining just how competitive Chopra was on his return.

 

Sri Lanka’s Pathirage steals the spotlight

 

The standout performer of the evening was Sri Lanka’s rising star Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who continued his impressive season by claiming victory with a world-leading throw of 88.68m.

 

Former world champion Anderson Peters finished second with 86.38m, while Curtis Thompson took third place with 85.99m.

 

Bigger goals lie ahead for Neeraj

 

While a fourth-place finish may not normally satisfy an athlete of Chopra’s stature, context is important.

 

This was his first competitive appearance in nine months, following a back injury that disrupted his preparations and delayed his season. Under those circumstances, an 85.69m throw and immediate qualification for the Commonwealth Games represent a highly encouraging return.

 

Most importantly, Chopra came through the competition without any apparent setbacks and showed signs that his form is steadily returning.

 

With the Commonwealth Games approaching and major international competitions later in the season, Doha may ultimately be remembered not for the finishing position, but for the successful beginning of another comeback chapter in Neeraj Chopra’s remarkable career.

PHILADELPHIA — In front of a sold-out crowd of 68,324, Brazil started the process of getting things back on the right track with a 3-0 victory over Haiti in the 2026 World Cup group stage, but it’s a game that brings more worries than answers for Carlo Ancelotti as he looks to live up to the immense pressure that comes with managing the Selecao. The joy of Matheus Cunha’s brace was cancelled out by an injury to Raphinha as a game that started brightly for Brazil led to an uncomfortable finish. It’s also a match that saw Haiti become the first team eliminated from knockout contention due to already losing to Scotland.

It’s a hamstring injury for Raphinha and one that Ancelotti says will be assessed on Sunday, but after the match, Vinicius Junior expressed sadness for his teammate, who fought through injuries to be here after a challenging season with Barcelona. He also hopes that it’s nothing serious and that Raphinha will be able to continue the tournament with Brazil, and the squad very much needs him to find their balance.

Haitian fans started off the match cheering clearances like they were Jose Mourinho, but against a team with as much attacking talent as Brazil, that can only last so long. A first-half brace for Matheus Cunha vindicated Ancelotti’s changes, bringing the Manchester United man in for Igor Thiago and Danilo in for Roger Ibanez. 

It took 23 minutes for Cunha to break through Haiti’s defense, but the second that happened, the floodgates opened in the match, with Brazil pouring it on and surfing their way through the game, but despite the crooked score, it could spell doom for their chances when it gets to the knockout stages of the tournament. 

In the 40th minute, Raphinha was subbed out of the match with a non-contact injury, being replaced by Rayan. While it wasn’t a vintage performance with Raphinha getting a goal ruled out for being offside and failing to officially create a chance, the best attacking line for Brazil right now is Raphinha, Vinicius Junior, and Matheus Cunha, but losing part of that trio puts too much pressure on the others, and it showed in the second half.

As the goals dried up, the Brazilian fans also got quieter; Vini Jr. pressed too much, leading to missed chances, and the carefully curated balance that Ancelotti needs for this squad to play to their potential went down the drain. The crowd erupted as Endrick put the ball in the back of the net, only to cut their celebrations short when the offside flag went up on the chance. Just like Brazil’s day, it was the right process that ended up yielding the wrong result. 

One of the leaders in the side, Vini Jr., is aware of these missed chances, but trust in how Ancelotti wants the squad to set up could help change that moving forward. All it takes is back-to-back matches of multiple goals, and they could start putting things together.

“Depending on the game and very much on the opponent, today I played in a different position, where the coach asked me to play inside between the two center backs,” Vini Jr. said. “The truth is that I don’t play there very often, but whenever the coach asks me to, and says that I have to play there, I score goals, so I have to listen to him a lot more often. Surely, when I get to the locker room, he’ll say that he understands football very well.”

It’s clear that this is a flawed squad as they play with 25 men while hoping that Neymar can play a part in this tournament, but even with those flaws, chances went begging for Brazil that a cohesive unit would’ve taken care of. Now, on four points, Brazil are almost assured a place in the knockouts of the tournament, but unless they can iron out these issues, it will be a swift end to the World Cup once they get there.

Neymar could be returning soon as Ancelotti shed light on his status in his post-match press conference. With winning the group on the line, Brazil will need all the help they can get, and there’s a chance that Neymar could provide a lift as one creative player could now be missing out.

“Neymar will be training tomorrow individually, and then on Monday he will be training with the rest of the team. He will be available for the match against Scotland,” Ancelotti said.

There will be one more chance for tweaks in the final match of the group stage, as Brazil will face Scotland on June 24 with a chance to win the group.