NEW DELHI: Players of Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings were seen wearing black armbands during their IPL 2026 clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to field against the five-time champions.Rahane made one change to the XI, bringing in Varun Chakaravarthy in place of Navdeep Saini."Looking to bowl first. I think the last game was really good for us. Unfortunately, the result didn't go our way. But I thought the kind of cricket we played, guys are getting that confidence from the last game. It's all about starting fresh. It's important when things are not going your way, it's important to have that belief, stay positive and having those small, small moments in T20 format is really important. So, now looking forward to this game, we'll start off really well with the ball and then look to chase down the target. (on the last game) Yes, absolutely. The kind of knock Mukul played the other night was fantastic. I mean, it's going to happen in this format. As I said, it's all about belief. Guys are working really hard," Rahane said at the toss."For us, what matters is, putting those hard yards out, focusing on the controllables as players and, having that belief in each and every individual. As I said, the combination looked really good for us in the last game. So, yeah, thinking about this game and just wanted to be in the moment. (after a mega auction, it's tough) I mean, it is challenging after the mega auction to find the right balance and obviously the players are going through the injuries, players are unavailable. Tonight, just one change for us. Varun Chakaravarthy is fit. He's come in place of Navdeep Saini," he added.CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad named an unchanged playing XI."Yes, we would have bowled first as well. But as I said, past few games here, the wicket hasn't changed much throughout the course of the game. So not much of a difference. Definitely putting a big total on the scoreboard first innings would be challenging, but as I said, it looks a really good surface. (on the last game) Yes, as I said, even in the post-match as well, I felt the bowling was really good defending 210, you know, against a strong DC side. Gave us a lot of confidence and you know, even the fielding unit was charged up," Gaikwad said. IPL (@IPL) "We saved few runs and that is how I think collectively we did really well. Really exciting today as well. We got a job to do and everyone is feeling confident. (talking about the team balance) Yes, I think we are slowly getting it right. Brevis coming back and Jamie giving that crucial overs in the between as well. So I think we are slowly, slowly getting the right combination and it is just about delivering each and every game and staying consistent. We are going with the same team," he added.Why did KKR wear black armbands vs CSK?KKR players wore black armbands to mourn the passing of former India cricketer C. D. Gopinath, a member of Indias first-ever Test-winning team and an early contributor to the countrys journey in international cricket.Gopinath represented India in eight Tests between 1951 and 1960 and made an immediate impact on debut with scores of 50 not out and 42 against England.At a time when Indian cricket was still establishing itself globally, he was part of the team that secured the countrys maiden Test victory against England in 1952 in Madras (now Chennai) a landmark moment in Indias cricket history.At the domestic level, Gopinath was a key figure in Madras cricket, leading the side and contributing significantly to its growth. He enjoyed a distinguished first-class career, scoring 4,259 runs in 60 matches, and played a pivotal role in Madras first Ranji Trophy triumph in 1954-55, scoring a century in the final.After retirement, he served as a national selector including as chairman and later as manager of the Indian team during the 1979 tour of England. He remained closely associated with the game for decades and was widely respected for his deep understanding of cricket and his understated presence.

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Dianna Russini has resigned from her job at The Athletic, days after denying claims she was having an affair with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.

There was a time in the not-so-distant past that many Major League Baseball teams looked at their college baseball counterparts with a degree of skepticism. There were the metal bats, the shorter schedule and a sense that nothing could replace the seasoning that came with years of grinding through professional baseball's minor leagues.Not anymore.Thanks to a variety of factors especially money and technology the MLB and NCAA versions of baseball have never been more similar. There's also been more movement between the two versions of the sport in recent years.It's part of the reason Tony Vitello is now the manager of the San Francisco Giants despite never working or playing for a professional organization before he was hired a first in MLB history. It's also a factor in why Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2025 barely one year after finishing a decorated college career at Wake Forest.The college game has definitely taken a bigger step toward the pro game mainly because of the almighty dollar, said Arizona State coach Willie Bloomquist, who played 14 big league seasons. Essentially whats happened, the Power 4 Conferences are basically the minor leagues."Athletics general manager David Forst who selected Kurtz with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 draft said the first baseman's quick rise through the minors made him realize how good college baseball had become. Kurtz needed just 210 plate appearances in the minors before dominating MLB pitching, batting .290 with 36 homers and 86 RBIs over 117 games in 2025.Theres no doubt that top-level college baseball is High-A or Double-A now. Its really close, Forst said. I never would have imagined a player like Nick Kurtz coming to the big leagues for us 11 months after he was drafted.That was unthinkable when I first started doing this. The timeline is squashed because these guys are coming out of college so ready, so physically advanced. Some of them frankly dont need the minor league at-bats they used to need.One reason the college game has improved so much is an influx of cash. Coaching salaries have exploded over the past few decades: LSU's Jay Johnson is at the top of the scale at more than $3 million per year while Mississippi State's Brian O'Connor is second at $2.9 million. Those are outliers, but it's not uncommon for power conference coaches to make more than $1 million.The highest paid MLB managers make around $8 million per season, but top assistants like pitching and hitting coaches usually make six figures. The advent of NIL money has also made playing college baseball more lucrative, even if payouts lag well behind their football and basketball counterparts. There's also the fact that top-level NCAA programs are investing in technology.We have one of the better pitching labs on the West Coast, Bloomquist said. I think it would rival a lot of professional organizations. From a data standpoint, its all trickled down to the college level.After retiring as a player, Bloomquist worked in the Arizona Diamondbacks' front office before getting hired by the Sun Devils. His pitching coach Jeremy Accardo spent 18 years in professional baseball as a player and coach.Bloomquist said that MLB teams have become more comfortable trusting NCAA programs to develop professional talent instead of taking the risk of drafting an unproven 18-year-old straight out of high school. He added that it's probably one of the reasons that MLB felt comfortable cutting 40 minor league affiliates back in 2020.In the 2025 MLB draft, 56 college players were selected in the top 90 picks.These guys trust (college) programs, Bloomquist said. They say, Well just watch them in college in three years at a Power 4 program, see how they development and then we'll go get them."Georgia baseball coach Wes Johnson is another coach who has bounced between MLB and NCAA with success at both levels. He was hired as the pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins and had a strong 3 1/2-year run between 2019 and 2022 before going back to the college game. He helped develop 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes as LSU's pitching coach before landing the head job with the Bulldogs.Johnson said there's little doubt that the college and pro games have never been more similar, but added that there are still real differences for players and coaches. The biggest is the schedule.In college, the condensed schedule makes all 56 regular-season games feel huge. A three-game losing streak is the end of the world. In professional baseball, it's just a small bump in the road.With the Twins, we played 33 spring games, then played 162 in the season and then made the playoffs, Johnson said. Its every day there. That's the hardest challenge you have when you go from college to the big leagues. We won 101 games in 2019 (in the regular season). That means we only lost 61 games. "But thats the most Ive ever lost in my life in one year.Bloomquist agreed that the schedule is much different. He said age is a factor as well.Theres a different style in college than there is in professional baseball to an extent thats accurate," Bloomquist said. Theres an intensity in college, motivating 18 to 20 year olds, as opposed to guys who are making $20 million. Can you relate to those guys in pro ball?San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman played in college at Cal State Fullerton before becoming a five-time Gold Glove winner the big leagues. Even though there are some differences like many more native Spanish speakers in professional baseball he wasn't worried about Vitello's transition.Winning baseball looks the same," Chapman said. "Its pitching and defense, knowing how to run the bases and then managing personalities. He has a lot of experience with that.There will be a learning curve in some areas. You just cant fully know how to run a Major League clubhouse unless youve been in one. But its not foreign to him. Hes a baseball guy.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

There was a time in the not-so-distant past that many Major League Baseball teams looked at their college baseball counterparts with a degree of skepticism. There were the metal bats, the shorter schedule and a sense that nothing could replace the seasoning that came with years of grinding through professional baseball's minor leagues.Not anymore.Thanks to a variety of factors especially money and technology the MLB and NCAA versions of baseball have never been more similar. There's also been more movement between the two versions of the sport in recent years.It's part of the reason Tony Vitello is now the manager of the San Francisco Giants despite never working or playing for a professional organization before he was hired a first in MLB history. It's also a factor in why Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2025 barely one year after finishing a decorated college career at Wake Forest.The college game has definitely taken a bigger step toward the pro game mainly because of the almighty dollar, said Arizona State coach Willie Bloomquist, who played 14 big league seasons. Essentially whats happened, the Power 4 Conferences are basically the minor leagues."Athletics general manager David Forst who selected Kurtz with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 draft said the first baseman's quick rise through the minors made him realize how good college baseball had become. Kurtz needed just 210 plate appearances in the minors before dominating MLB pitching, batting .290 with 36 homers and 86 RBIs over 117 games in 2025.Theres no doubt that top-level college baseball is High-A or Double-A now. Its really close, Forst said. I never would have imagined a player like Nick Kurtz coming to the big leagues for us 11 months after he was drafted.That was unthinkable when I first started doing this. The timeline is squashed because these guys are coming out of college so ready, so physically advanced. Some of them frankly dont need the minor league at-bats they used to need.One reason the college game has improved so much is an influx of cash. Coaching salaries have exploded over the past few decades: LSU's Jay Johnson is at the top of the scale at more than $3 million per year while Mississippi State's Brian O'Connor is second at $2.9 million. Those are outliers, but it's not uncommon for power conference coaches to make more than $1 million.The highest paid MLB managers make around $8 million per season, but top assistants like pitching and hitting coaches usually make six figures. The advent of NIL money has also made playing college baseball more lucrative, even if payouts lag well behind their football and basketball counterparts. There's also the fact that top-level NCAA programs are investing in technology.We have one of the better pitching labs on the West Coast, Bloomquist said. I think it would rival a lot of professional organizations. From a data standpoint, its all trickled down to the college level.After retiring as a player, Bloomquist worked in the Arizona Diamondbacks' front office before getting hired by the Sun Devils. His pitching coach Jeremy Accardo spent 18 years in professional baseball as a player and coach.Bloomquist said that MLB teams have become more comfortable trusting NCAA programs to develop professional talent instead of taking the risk of drafting an unproven 18-year-old straight out of high school. He added that it's probably one of the reasons that MLB felt comfortable cutting 40 minor league affiliates back in 2020.In the 2025 MLB draft, 56 college players were selected in the top 90 picks.These guys trust (college) programs, Bloomquist said. They say, Well just watch them in college in three years at a Power 4 program, see how they development and then we'll go get them."Georgia baseball coach Wes Johnson is another coach who has bounced between MLB and NCAA with success at both levels. He was hired as the pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins and had a strong 3 1/2-year run between 2019 and 2022 before going back to the college game. He helped develop 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes as LSU's pitching coach before landing the head job with the Bulldogs.Johnson said there's little doubt that the college and pro games have never been more similar, but added that there are still real differences for players and coaches. The biggest is the schedule.In college, the condensed schedule makes all 56 regular-season games feel huge. A three-game losing streak is the end of the world. In professional baseball, it's just a small bump in the road.With the Twins, we played 33 spring games, then played 162 in the season and then made the playoffs, Johnson said. Its every day there. That's the hardest challenge you have when you go from college to the big leagues. We won 101 games in 2019 (in the regular season). That means we only lost 61 games. "But thats the most Ive ever lost in my life in one year.Bloomquist agreed that the schedule is much different. He said age is a factor as well.Theres a different style in college than there is in professional baseball to an extent thats accurate," Bloomquist said. Theres an intensity in college, motivating 18 to 20 year olds, as opposed to guys who are making $20 million. Can you relate to those guys in pro ball?San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman played in college at Cal State Fullerton before becoming a five-time Gold Glove winner the big leagues. Even though there are some differences like many more native Spanish speakers in professional baseball he wasn't worried about Vitello's transition.Winning baseball looks the same," Chapman said. "Its pitching and defense, knowing how to run the bases and then managing personalities. He has a lot of experience with that.There will be a learning curve in some areas. You just cant fully know how to run a Major League clubhouse unless youve been in one. But its not foreign to him. Hes a baseball guy.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Anthony Joshua may turn down Tyson Fury's lucrative challenge and instead opt for an alternative opponent when he returns to boxing.The 36-year-old former Olympic champion has yet to commit to facing Fury following a devastating car accident that claimed the lives of his close friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.Fury issued his challenge to Joshua after securing a points victory against Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday evening.However, promoter Eddie Hearn has indicated that Joshua could pursue a bout with another high-profile fighter before potentially meeting the Gypsy King.TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour SayJoshua is currently awaiting medical approval to resume full training following the tragic incident.Speaking to Sky Sports, Hearn addressed the contract situation: "I don't know if Fury has signed or not, that is his business. If he has then that is great."The promoter confirmed his team received the paperwork last week and are currently reviewing it.Hearn explained: "Obviously there has been a lot happening in AJ's life and we want to make sure that he is ready to return to the ring."He added: "He is about to get the all clear in terms of the physical side to return to full training and that is great news."We expect to see him back in the ring in July. The original plan was to fight in March, then to fight Tyson Fury in August."Given everything that has happened, that has been delayed. July and November are the two dates that have been presented to us now and we expect to move forward."Positive news emerged regarding Joshua's physical condition, with Hearn revealing he is close to receiving clearance to resume intensive training.LATEST SPORT NEWSDavid Haye sparks furious backlash after saying girlfriend has 'personality of a proper ugly bird'Anthony Joshua issues cryptic message to Tyson Fury just days after brutally snubbing face offTyson Fury blocked from boxing for a week after win over Arslanbek MakhmudovThe promoter anticipates a July ring return, with November presented as a secondary option.Initial plans had targeted a March bout followed by an August clash with Fury, but recent events necessitated a revised schedule.Fury, 37, maintains he has completed his side of the agreement.Fury said: "Hes just come off of a win, he broke a mans jaw. And Ive just come off of a win. Lets get it on, lets fight, were the same age. Whats the hold up? This fight was supposed to happen years ago. Now is the time to do it, its still the biggest fight in boxing."I have signed my contract, its done. I signed months ago. I was surprised he didnt get in the ring [after the fight with Makhmudov]. He was brought here to ringside for a reason, to do a face-off and get the fight done. He hasnt signed but I cannot do anymore."Joshua has been preparing alongside former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk as he readies himself for a potential showdown with Fury.Both British heavyweights enter negotiations on the back of victories, with Joshua having broken an opponent's jaw in his most recent outing."He's just come off of a win, he broke a man's jaw. And I've just come off of a win," Fury noted when making his case for the bout.The pair, separated by just a year in age, have seen this matchup evade them on multiple occasions despite years of speculation.Fury came out of retirement last weekend to defeat Makhmudov on points, reigniting calls for the all-British superfight.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

The Iran-backed Hezbollah militia said it would not abide by any agreements of the meeting in Washington.

A Spanish budget airline named Volotea is sparking flight passengers' anger after reportedly asking them to pay extra charges for fuel after their tickets have already been purchased.At first glance, the added charge which will be $8 to $11 per passenger, per the "Simple Flying" aviation blog does not sound high. But travelers are concerned the fee could herald higher prices for additional airlines as fuel prices continue to skyrocket.The airline has a clause similar to clauses on some cruise lines which allows the company to tack on charges based on the cost of oil. Volotea refers to the rule as its "Fair Travel Promise."FLIGHT PASSENGERS SLAM AIRLINES FOR PUSHING EARLY BAG CHECKS EVEN WITH EMPTY BINS ON BOARDWhen a traveler purchases a ticket, there is a warning that an extra charge may be imposed around seven days before departure if the price of oil has increased, according to multiple reports."In the event of extraordinary variations in fuel prices affecting international energy markets, Volotea may apply a limited and temporary adjustment to the ticket price prior to the scheduled departure of the flight," the company's website says."The exact amount of any such adjustment will be communicated to passengers prior to departure, once the applicable fuel cost variation has been determined," the website also says.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER"Such adjustments will only apply to passengers who have been informed of this possibility during the booking process, allowing them to make an informed decision before completing their purchase," the website adds.Fox News Digital reached out to Volotea, which is headquartered in Barcelona, for comment.CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIESSince news broke of the company's extra charges, travelers have been reacting online."Pity to see a funky airline like Volotea resort to such a gritty survival instinct. I understand the 'why' behind the fuel costs, but charging for already booked seats is a bold move that risks a lot of goodwill," one reader wrote on the blog "Simple Flying.""A loophole in the conditions of carriage allows them to do this? Who ever reads the conditions of carriage?" a second reader added.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZA third commenter disagreed, saying, "Airlines could, of course, just cancel flights, as some apparently already have. Next thing, there'll be a shortage of seats, and guess what prices will really rise."The same person also wrote, "$10 seems a small price to keep flights operating as normally as possible."The much bigger concern is that Volotea's surcharge could be a sign of things to come.Popular travel guide The Points Guy recommended that people not wait to book flights."If you're planning to fly this summer, go ahead and lock in your airfare now," The Points Guy wrote."As experts noted, prices could surge any day now. That's especially true if you're hoping to fly in June or July, which in recent years have been the busiest and most expensive months of the summer to travel."

In einem engen Match hat sich Eva Lys in der ersten Runde des Porsche-Tennis-Tennis-Grand-Prix gegen die Spanierin Paula Badosa durchgesetzt.[mehr]

Oklahoma City Comets (8-7) vs. Albuquerque Isotopes (8-7)Game #16 of 150/First Half #16 of 75/Road #7 of 75Pitching Probables: OKC-LHP Cole Ir... - PCL Oklahoma City Comets