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Lionel Messi helped to inspire Inter Miami to a historic MLS Cup triumph, but the Argentine GOAT was not really in a party mood when wild post-match celebrations were taken in. Club co-owner Sir David Beckham formed part of those, as he led a conga line, but Messi – who has enhanced his status as the most decorated player of all-time – looked like he would rather be anywhere else in the world.

• Historic win: Inter Miami land MLS Cup in 2025

  The Herons have savoured MLS Cup glory for the first time, with impressive progress being made over the course of five years since becoming another expansion franchise in 2020. Acquiring eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi in 2023 represented a notable coup for the club.

  He helped them to Leagues Cup success a matter of weeks after arriving in South Florida, before claiming the Supporters’ Shield in record-breaking style last season. Inter Miami have now landed the ultimate prize, with Vancouver being seen off in the 2025 MLS Cup final.

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• Watch Messi forced to join Beckham's conga line

• How many trophies has Messi won?

  The contest took place at Chase Stadium, as the Herons prepare to bid farewell to that venue and move into a new purpose-built home for 2026. They delivered the perfect send-off when overcoming Thomas Muller and the Whitecaps.

  Messi was not among the goals in a 3-1 win over Vancouver, but delivered Golden Boot-winning exploits during the regular season – finding the target on 43 occasions across all competitions.

  The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain playmaker now has 47 major titles to his name. He was full of smiles after hoisting the MLS Cup aloft as captain of Inter Miami. Beckham was on hand – alongside wife Victoria – to join in with those celebrations.

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  Back for more: Messi under contract through 2028

  The party carried on long after confetti had been cleared from the field, with Inter Miami’s squad getting the chance to let their hair down alongside friends and family. Beckham was front and centre again, with the Manchester United and England legend leading players in a conga as drinks flowed.

  Messi was dragged into that performance, seemingly against his wishes. The evergreen 38-year-old looked less than impressed at being forced to parade alongside Sergio Busquets and Rodrigo De Paul.

  While not really being in the party spirit, Messi will be back for more with Inter Miami next season. He has committed to a new three-year contract that will take him through 2028. The all-time great also has a World Cup title defence with Argentina on his agenda, with the expectation being that he will form part of the Albiceleste’s plans for the major tournament that is heading to the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.

USMNT star Johnny Cardoso was hit by another injury blow, which forced him out of Atletico Madrid's clash with Barcelona after just 14 minutes on Tuesday. The midfielder was named in the starting XI for the huge clash at Camp Nou but came off early on in the game after picking up another injury issue in a collision with Barcelona star Dani Olmo, and was replaced by Koke.

• Cardoso's struggles continue at Atletico

  Cardoso was handed a big chance to impress against Barcelona after being named in Diego Simeone's starting XI for the match. The USMNT star has made only four starts for Atletico so far this season, having previously been sidelined with an ankle injury, and will have been aiming to impress against the Catalan giants. However, it proved to be another disappointing evening for the 24-year-old, who was forced off early and looks to now be facing more time out. Atletico confirmed that the midfielder had suffered a knee injury, posting on X: "Johnny was substituted during the first half due to a hard knock to the knee."

  Cardoso's injury wasn't the only disappointment for Atletico as they went on to lose the game 3-1 and end a run of seven straight wins in all competitions. An early goal from Alex Baena had put the visitors 1-0 up, but Barcelona hit back through strikes from Raphinha, Olmo and Ferran Torres to secure the win.

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  Atletico had 'high hopes' for Cardoso

  Atletico boss Simeone admitted he had been forced to adjust his tactics after the early departure of Cardoso. He told reporters: "Cardoso’s injury forced us to adjust. We had high hopes for Johnny, but he got injured and had to leave the game." Atletico must now wait and see the severity of Cardoso's injury and when he will be able to return to action for Los Colchoneros.

• Cardoso reveals injury frustrations

  Cardoso has spoken of his injury frustrations after making his long-awaited return last time out against Inter in the Champions League. He told ESPN Brasil: "Yes, now I feel very good, but as you said, it was a difficult moment. It was the ankle injury that kept me off the field the longest. I’d never been sidelined for that much time before. As I can say, it happened right at the start of my time here—a complicated situation to handle. But I had all the support from my teammates, the coaching staff, and obviously, my family was with me. It’s a moment where you have to keep a strong mentality, keep working, and recover well. It was a complicated injury that took time to heal. So I was eager to get back as quickly as possible, but I also knew I had to be smart about it so that when I returned, I could contribute and perform at my best on the field with the team."

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• Injuries to cost Cardoso World Cup spot?

  Cardoso's appearance for Atletico against Barcelona was his first in La Liga since starting the 1-1 draw with Alaves back in August. The midfielder's only other appearances this season have come against Elche and Espanyol in La Liga and Inter in the Champions League. Yet Atletico have demonstrated their faith in the USMNT star by handing him a new long-term contract back in October that keeps him tied to the club until 2030.

  While his future at Atletico looks secure despite his recent injury problems, his lack of game time means his place in the USMNT squad for World Cup 2026 is far from secure. Cardoso has only managed four appearances for the national team in 2025 and missed all six of the USMNT's fall friendlies due to injury.

Get to know the 2024 World Cup teams: Nepal, PNG, Uganda and USA

27-May-2024

Nepal

by Ashish Pant
The year 2023 started with Nepal conjuring 12 miracles to make it to the ODI World Cup qualifiers and ended with them qualifying for the T20 World Cup for the first time in a decade. In the group stage of the World Cup Asia Qualifier, they beat Singapore and Malaysia and made it to the knockouts despite losing to Oman. In the semi-final, they met old foes UAE, who were entering the knockouts unbeaten. In front of a packed home crowd, Nepal restricted UAE to 134 for 9 and made it to the final with eight wickets and 17 balls to spare, which also confirmed their qualification for the T20 World Cup. They lost to Oman in the final in the Super Over, but their World Cup ticket was secured.Key players
Rohit Paudel was Nepal’s leading run-scorer in T20Is last year, with 403 runs in 13 innings at an average of 50.37. The Nepal captain is also going into the T20 World Cup in prime form having scored 265 runs in four innings, which included a century and two fifties against a West Indies A side that had bowlers of international repute.Dipendra Singh Airee, Nepal’s highest run-getter in T20Is with 1626 runs in 56 innings, has had a stunning 12 months. Last year against Mongolia he broke the T20 record for the fastest fifty, getting there in just nine balls. More recently, he smashed six sixes in an over in a T20I against Qatar. Airee is also a handy offspinner. with 37 T20I wickets, and is an electric fielder to boot.Kushal Malla, just 20 years old, holds the record for the second-fastest century in T20Is, getting there in 34 balls, against Mongolia last year. He had an excellent 2023 where he scored 402 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 193.26. Malla also bowls left-arm spin and has 19 wickets at an economy of 6.18 in T20Is.Nepal in major tournaments
This is Nepal’s first T20 World Cup appearance since 2014. They made it to the 2023 ODI World Cup qualifiers last year, but couldn’t make it to the main event. In 2023, Nepal also qualified for the Asia Cup for the first time in history but failed to register a win in two attempts.Form guide*
LWLWWSquad
Rohit Paudel (capt), Aasif Sheikh, Anil Sah, Kushal Bhurtel, Kushal Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Lalit Rajbanshi, Karan KC, Gulsan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratis GC, Sundeep Jora, Abinash Bohara, Sagar Dhakal, Kamal AireeOpener Tony Ura scored two half-centuries and got his 125 runs at a strike rate of 164.47 in the T20I tri-series in Hong Kong in March•Peter Della Penna

Papua New Guinea

by Ashish Pant
PNG booked their place in the 2024 T20 World Cup after going unbeaten through the 2023 East-Asia-Pacific Qualifier, sealing their berth with a game to go.This will be their second appearance at the T20 World Cup. Ten members of the current squad played in the 2021 edition held in the UAE and Oman. Assad Vala remains captain and allrounder Charles Amini is his deputy. The bowling unit will be led by medium-pacer Norman Vanua, PNG’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is.Key players
Tony Ura is one of PNG’s most experienced batters and is coming into the World Cup on the back of fifties against Hong Kong and Nepal in a tri-series in Hong Kong in March. He is PNG’s highest run-getter in T20Is overall and since the start of 2023, and was second on the run-scorers’ list in the EAP Qualifier.Charles Amini’s all-round abilities will hold the key for PNG at the World Cup. He is third on PNG’s run-getters’ list (994 in 48 innings) in T20Is, behind Ura and Vala, and second on the wickets charts (47 in 48 innings), behind Vanua.PNG in major tournaments
In their only previous World Cup, in 2021, PNG were placed in a group with Scotland, Bangladesh and Oman in the first round but failed to win any of their three games.Form guide*
WLLWLSquad
Assad Vala (capt), Charles Amini, Alei Nao, Chad Soper, Hila Vare, Hiri Hiri, Jack Gardner, John Kariko, Kabua Morea, Kiplin Doriga, Lega Siaka, Norman Vanua, Semo Kamea, Sese Bau, Tony UraUganda beat every team they came up against in the Africa Region Qualifier, bar Namibia, in November last year•International Cricket Council

Uganda

by Firdose Moonda
A former British colony with a substantial South Asian diaspora population (both before and after the Idi Amin dictatorship, during which Asians were expelled from the country), Uganda has a cricket history that comes from outside influence, but its present is home-grown. The majority of the current squad are Ugandan-born, developed in the sport through the schooling system and are now a pioneering generation of cricketers for their country. This is the first time a senior Uganda side will play at a World Cup, a feat that has not yet been achieved by the national football team.Uganda qualified ahead of Zimbabwe via the Africa Qualifier tournament last year,
where they beat Zimbabwe by five wickets and finished second on the seven-team points table. The only side they lost to were fellow qualifiers Namibia; they convincingly beat all other opposition, including their once-up-and-coming neighbours, Kenya.Key players

Frank Nsubuga began his cricket career 27 years ago (although official records have his first cap recorded in 2004), and at 43 he will be the oldest player at this T20 World Cup. He is heralded as one of the fittest members of the squad, who runs 10km before training and aims to sign off from the international game after this event.Riazat Ali Shah, born in Gilgit, Pakistan, is Uganda’s vice-captain, one of three batters in the side with over 1000 T20I runs, and one of their most reliable run-scorers. Riazat moved to Uganda when he was 16 years old but missed out on the next Under-19 World Cup because the logistics around his eligibility were not finalised. He was 20 when he debuted for Uganda in 2018, and is now one of their top performers.Roger Mukasa and Simon Ssesazi are the other two Ugandans with more than 1000 T20I runs, and Ssesazi’s brother, Henry Ssenyondo, is the country’s leading T20I wicket-taker and six away from becoming the first Ugandan to 100 T20I wickets.Uganda in major tournaments

Uganda have never played at a cricket World Cup but have competed in several multi-team tournaments in Africa with a fair amount of success. They won last year’s East Africa Cup in Rwanda with victories in 11 out of 12 games, and reached the semi-final of this year’s African Games in Accra, where they lost to Namibia.Form guide*

LLLLLSquad

Brian Masaba (capt), Riazat Ali Shah, Kenneth Waiswa, Dinesh Nakrani, Frank Nsubuga, Ronak Patel, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Bilal Hassan, Fred Achelam, Robinson Obuya, Simon Ssesazi, Henry Ssenyondo, Alpesh Ramjani, Juma MiyagiThis will be USA’s first World Cup, in either format•ICC via Getty Images

USA

by Hemant Brar
They have qualified for the tournament by virtue of being co-hosts. This will be their first World Cup in any format. Wicketkeeper-opener Monank Patel will lead the side; Aaron Jones will be his deputy.USA come into this World Cup having beaten Bangladesh 2-1 in a three-match T20I series at home. Before that, they trounced Canada 4-0 in a five-match T20I series, also at home.USA will face Canada once again in the World Cup opener in Dallas on June 1. India, Pakistan and Ireland are the other three teams in their group.Key players
Corey Anderson, who played one ODI World Cup and two T20 ones for New Zealand, will turn out for USA this time. He made his USA debut against Canada last month and scored 28 and 55 in two outings. Anderson held the record for the fastest ODI hundred at one time, and USA will want him to roll the clock back to the form of that period.Ali Khan, one of the biggest names in USA cricket, wanted to bowl as fast as Shoaib Akhtar when growing up in Pakistan. While that did not come to pass, he can land his yorkers at a decent pace. He has also been a regular in the CPL.After the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, Ian Chappell compared left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh, who represented India in that event, to Bishan Bedi, saying the youngster was ready for international cricket. Harmeet made his T20I debut for USA last month, scoring 34 not out off 17 balls and taking 4 for 18 against Canada.USA in major tournaments
They have never been part of a World Cup previously, though they did make it to the Champions Trophy in 2004. They came close for the 2022 T20 World Cup, when they won the Americas regional Qualifier the previous year, staying unbeaten throughout the tournament. But in the global Qualifier, with two spots to grab, they lost to Netherlands in the semi-final.Form guide*

LWWWWSquad

Monank Patel (capt), Aaron Jones, Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Ali Khan, Harmeet Singh, Jesdeep Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Nosthush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Shayan Jahangir*in last five games against teams featuring in the 2024 World CupAlso read the team previews of Canada, Namibia, Netherlands, Oman and Scotland

Nottingham Forest chiefs privately want owner Evangelos Marinakis to replace Ange Postecoglou with a “master” tactician, with the latter relieved of his duties immediately after their 3-0 defeat to Chelsea.

Ange Postecoglou sacked by Nottingham Forest after Chelsea loss

Goals from Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto and Reece James cemented Postecoglou’s title as the shortest reigning manager in Premier League history, but his departure has been inevitable for quite some time.

Forest failed to win a single game during the Australian’s brief 39-day tenure in charge, with reports over the international break suggesting that Marinakis and co performed due-diligence on a host of potential replacements.

Postecoglou also broke a 100-year record at the City Ground, making the worst start out of any new Forest boss in a century, forcing Marinakis to call time on the former Tottenham boss after a nightmare stint.

In his final pre-match press conference, the 60-year-old went down swinging, perhaps realising that a loss to Chelsea this afternoon would spell the end.

Marinakis had apparently made up his mind about sacking Postecoglou before their clash with Chelsea had even finished, with the Greek billionaire even seen storming out of his seat (talkSPORT).

Postecoglou was informed of the decision just moments after the full-time whistle blew (talkSPORT), and he then said goodbye to his Forest players in the dressing room before the club officially announced his departure.

Now, attention turns to who could replace Postecoglou in the hot seat.

A succession of managers have been linked within the past fortnight — including Sean Dyche, Oliver Glasner, Steve Cooper and Rafael Benitez — but it is Fulham boss Marco Silva who’s seriously admired by the Forest hierarchy.

Nottingham Forest chiefs want Marinakis to replace Postecoglou with Marco Silva

According to the BBC, internal figures at the club have identified Silva as their “preferred option” to succeed Postecoglou.

The 48-year-old, who reportedly has an £8 million release clause in his contract, is poised to become a free agent at the end of this season, and it’s believed that Silva is likely to leave Craven Cottage in 2026 after rather public spats with the owners about their transfer activity.

However, it’ll be much more difficult to prise him out of West London immediately, as Forest are mindful of the compensation fees due if they decide to try and appoint Silva right now.

Marinakis has only just paid off Nuno, and will also have to compensate Postecoglou now that Forest have parted company with him too — meaning the club aren’t overly keen on shelling out yet more money for a new manager.

The Tricky Trees have studied alternatives to Silva amid the difficulties surrounding his appointment, but if Marinakis does decide to invest the cash, it is clear that he’s a very ideal candidate.

The former Everton and Hull City boss has worked wonders at Fulham on a shoe-string budget since guiding them back to the Premier League at the first time of asking in 2022.

They briefly contended for Europe last season as well, despite their meagre transfer spend compared to rivals, and Silva has been lavished with praise as a “master” tactician by players who’ve worked with him.

India batsman initially set to be available for three games but it could be extended

George Dobell08-Apr-2021Warwickshire have completed the signing of the India batsman Hanuma Vihari as their overseas player, after Pieter Malan, their original choice, ran into difficulties obtaining a visa.Vihari, who has played 12 Tests, including three on India’s victorious tour of Australia earlier this year, does not have an IPL deal and is expected to be available for at least three LV= Insurance County Championship games.He made his Test debut against England on their 2018 tour, while his highest score of 111 – his solitary Test century to date – came against West Indies in 2019. In his first-class career, Vihari has made 7,094 runs at 56.75 in 90 games, while he is also a part-time offspinner with 27 wickets to his name.The BCCI is understood to have agreed the deal in the hope that his experience in the county game will prove beneficial ahead of the World Test Championship final, which is scheduled to be played in Southampton in June, and India’s five-Test tour of England that follows.”Hanuma will arrive in the UK this afternoon,” Warwickshire’s Director of Cricket, Paul Farbrace, said. “We hope that this gives time for him to do his six days quarantine and to feature in next week’s game versus Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, subject to receiving negative COVID tests.”He’s a high-quality batsman, and an effective off spinner, who has been part of two India Test series victories in Australia. But he also comes to Warwickshire with an outstanding record in the first-class game and our young batsman are going to learn a huge amount from playing and training with someone of Hanuma’s calibre.Related

• Hanuma Vihari to lead Andhra, Natarajan released

• Warwickshire sign Malan as Championship overseas player

• 'I knew it was the end of my series' – Vihari

• Parnell to miss Northants opener after quarantine extended

• Virdi puts attacking spin on return to Surrey

“We’re also very grateful to Hanuma for stepping in at such short notice to cover Pieter Malan whilst we await confirmation of visa and his safe entry to the UK from South Africa.”Warwickshire had originally signed Malan, the South Africa top-order player, for the entire season. But with South Africa currently categorised as a “red list” country by the UK government, he has been unable to obtain a visa at this stage. Even if he does, he will be obliged to spend time in quarantine before becoming available, meaning it is unlikely he will play before May. With that in mind, there seems every chance Vihari’s stay could be extended.”I’m looking forward to this opportunity and to play for a big club like Warwickshire is really exciting,” Vihari said.Other India players such as Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, M Vijay and Axar Patel have all had spells in the county game in recent times, while Virat Kohli signed for Surrey in 2018 but was obliged to pull out due to injury. Shreyas Iyer has also signed to play for Lancashire in the 50-over competition, although his fitness is uncertain after requiring shoulder surgery.

It's no wonder Camilla Kuver can't stop smiling. After making her Champions League debut only a couple of weeks prior, the 22-year-old has just won her first and second caps for Germany, starting both games against France over the last international break to help her country qualify for the Nations League final. These would be milestones worth celebrating for any player, but they are particularly special for the Wolfsburg defender, given the incredible bad luck she has had with injuries over the past four years.

“I’m not even really sure how I handled it all,” Kuver admits. Coming into this season, Germany’s new centre-back had made just five first-team starts since tearing her ACL in November 2021, at the tender age of 18. In fact, she didn’t get onto the pitch once in the 2024-25 campaign, that her second season with Wolfsburg, the two-time European champions and the most successful club in the history of German women’s football.

But after enduring setback after setback, Kuver looks to finally be on the other side and back on track in a career that still has so much promise. After all, despite all of those injuries, her goals in football were never really gone. “They were just postponed,” she notes.

Now, as huge Champions League encounters with the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid and, on Wednesday, Manchester United loom, Kuver has plenty of opportunity to show everyone just why she remains one of the most highly-rated young defenders in the game.

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  Injury hell

  As GOAL walks through Kuver’s injury history with her, it’s no wonder she admits there were times where there would be questions in the back of her mind asking, ‘Is it even worth it?’ After coming through the youth national teams as a talented and versatile full-back, and breaking into the Eintracht Frankfurt first team as a 17-year-old, an ACL tear during her second senior season would spark the beginning of an incredibly difficult few years.

  Kuver was back on the pitch at the start of the 2022-23 campaign, only to suffer another knee injury that would keep her out for eight more months. Then, after making just five appearances during her first season at Wolfsburg, having completed a move to the German giants during her rehabilitation process, she would miss the entire 2024-25 campaign in what she describes as “definitely the toughest” part of an extremely taxing time. Having overcome cartilage damage in her knee that sidelined her for half of the year, a dislocated shoulder and a ligament injury in her foot took care of the rest.

  “At some point I couldn't even take myself seriously, I feel like, because I came back from injury and then the next one came. Then I thought, 'Okay, now I'm really getting back', and then the next thing came,” Kuver tells GOAL. “Looking back on that time, I'm not even really sure how I handled it all. I just kind of did. I mean, I had to. I think that's what makes this time right now even more special.”

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  Fighting through

  A lot of people would’ve given up had they experienced the setbacks Kuver did. Yet, aside from what she describes as the occasional “tiny questions in the back of my head”, the 22-year-old never considered quitting. Why? “Just because I love playing football,” she responds. “It's always been the greatest joy in my life.

  “During rehab, I realised there's nothing that could compare and there's nothing that could give me the same kind of joy. That was something. I just wanted to be back on the field. Also, I had so many goals – for one, the national team goal. I still wanted to prove myself. I still wanted to show what I can do. That was always something, the mindset of, 'I'm not really done yet'. Even though there were all the injuries and stuff, my goals weren't gone. They were just postponed. That was definitely something that kept me going.”

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  Helpful factors

  Other factors helped, too. Kuver had several friends who were either enduring or had endured long-term setbacks like hers, meaning she could talk to people who knew exactly what she was going through.

  “I've always felt it was easier to talk to people who have gone through the same thing because, of course, people are trying to support you and be empathetic, and I'm sure they can imagine just how hard it is, but it's different when you've gone through it,” she explains. “That was definitely easier for me to talk to those people with. It was very, very important, actually.”

  School was a welcome distraction during her ACL recovery, while Wolfsburg’s decision to sign her when she was sidelined the following year provided a confidence boost. “It was definitely nice to hear that people saw my abilities and, despite my injuries, they thought it was worth it,” she says.

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  Savouring the 'special' moments

  The hope now is that all of that is well behind Kuver. She speaks to GOAL as a regular starter for the team placed second in the Frauen-Bundesliga table and as someone who, last month, experienced Champions League and senior international football for the first time. The player who ranked ninth in the 2022 NXGN list of the best teenage talents in the world is reminding everyone why she generated so much hype as she broke through. And while the injuries are something she would’ve gladly done without, they have made the recent months all the more sweet.

  Kuver describes playing for Germany as something she thought about during her rehab process, “because it’s not always easy to be motivated to go to rehab every single day”. “That was just one of the big goals and dreams that made it possible for me to even get through it,” she recalls. “It is a very, very special feeling. I think it's also important that I keep reminding myself that it is very special, given the journey that I've been on.”

The hours of training, planning and research weren’t enough for top-notch batters to cope with what the fast men dished out

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Nov-20232:20

What sets this Indian pace unit apart from the rest?

How do you possibly play that? How do you prepare for a ball that vicious? How many hours of batting in the nets does it take? How many sets of how many reps of weights to condition the muscles? How many hours on treadmills and cycles to strip the fat that might slow you down?How many coaches must take a look, poring over how much footage, of how many balls faced, from how many angles?Second ball of the day at the Wankhede, Dilshan Madushanka bowled what in normal circumstances would be the best of the day. A contender, even, for ball of the tournament. He rolled his fingers over it, kept his wrist upright behind it, had it skid away off the surface, beat Rohit Sharma’s bat, and sent off stump into a cartwheel, in split seconds making futile all the preparation one of the best batters on the planet had undertaken for this match.Related

• Jasprit Bumrah is a species of exactly one

• India's Avengers assemble at the Wankhede

• Shami smashes records, while Sri Lanka plunge to new lows

• Shami: 'No rocket science, just rhythm'

It was a ball that had to pitch almost exactly at that length to have Rohit pinned on the crease, had to be bowled at almost exactly that speed to be quick enough to beat Rohit and still take the deviation off the pitch, and had to land on almost exactly on that line to take off stump.A magic ball.The kind that – from your earliest days of surging in, bracing your front leg, and whipping your body through your action – you dream of bowling. Even just once in a lifetime.But these are not normal circumstances, and Sri Lanka are not facing a normal attack.At the first possible instance, Jasprit Bumrah summons magic from an even higher realm. He comes from wide of the crease, angles it towards leg, has it dance off the seam, hits Pathum Nissanka in front of the stumps. How do you play this? How do you prepare for it?Mohammed Siraj, with his first delivery, also flirting with the supernatural, bowling from tight into the stumps, angling it seemingly across the left-handed Dimuth Karunaratne. It keeps going that way for most its trajectory before curving back, suddenly and emphatically. Karunaratne is in such a tangle, he times the pants out of his own boot instead of the ball, gets off balance, is hit in front of middle stump.For Angelo Mathews, Mohammed Shami had a ball straight out of fantasy•ICC/Getty ImagesIt is almost forgotten amid the sheer admiration these deliveries elicit, that both batters have reviewed these decisions, refusing to believe the angles. The wickets raise six roars from the exulting Wankhede – once each when the stadium goes up in appeal with the bowler, once each when the lbw is given, once each when confirmed on review.More come in quick succession. Siraj has one swing away late again, draws another batter into another false shot, but the batter is not good enough to edge it. Later in the over, knowing he is in a desperate fight, Sadeera Samarawickram comes out of the crease and tries to hit Siraj off his length. Siraj just pulls it back, pitches it wider, gets Samarawickrama’s edge anyway.In Siraj’s next over, more sorcery first ball, angled in, swinging late, seaming away, hitting the top of Kusal Mendis’ off stump, breaking the bail. This is after Bumrah bowled an over in which he had struck Mendis on the pad with a wicked ball that jagged, and after Bumrah had beaten Mendis’ edge with an awayswinger.The crowd is watching an opposition fail to put up even a semblance of a fight. But they are out of their seats anyway, slapping thighs and backs, gasping when the ball whizzes past the edge, living every electric moment. They are, like the batters themselves, in thrall. In thrall of a group of bowlers who are stringing magic balls together, bowling magic overs, turning them into magic spells. At one stage, it seems as if there are more dazed and dismissed batters in the Sri Lanka dressing room than there are runs on the board.2:18

Maharoof: Inconsistency has let Sri Lanka down

The one batter who has somehow resisted is Angelo Mathews. For him, first-change bowler Mohammed Shami has another ball, straight out of fantasy. A yorker that swings spectacularly from outside off, dives beneath the bat, and clatters into stumps. Even the hope of the tail hitting late boundaries feels distant. Shami rips through them, taking 5 for 18.This is a batting line-up that has twice crossed 320 this tournament, have a batter averaging 66.20, another who had hit four consecutive fifties and a 46 in the World Cup, and in Mathews a player with 193 ODI innings and some all-time great knocks on his record. Collectively, there are tens of thousands of hours of batting practice here, hundreds of coaching hours just in the last three months, and decades of knowledge in the dressing room.But India have seven in a row now. Their quicks have KOed a top order for the second time in a row. And they have now blasted Sri Lanka out for well under a 100 for the third time this year.They can do all this, defy all this history, make batting orders question how they can possibly be played, and rack up incredible numbers, because there is a sense emerging now: the attack might be once in a lifetime.

He may have finally left the club, but former Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy often came under huge fire during his tenure for his actions off the field in North London.

The 63-year-old spent over two decades in the role, but was constantly called into question for his lack of spending to help improve the first-team squad.

He was undoubtedly part of the reason for the Lilywhites’ failures on the pitch, with the club even going 17 long years without a piece of silverware during his tenure.

Levy often became known for offloading key talents on the books of the club, something which once again led to anger from the supporters – especially given his lack of funding after such departures.

One player in particular was sold without an immediate adequate replacement being signed in the same window, which undoubtedly contributed to his demise in the role.

Levy’s decision to sell Harry Kane from Spurs

No Spurs fan would’ve predicted the success Harry Kane would have had for the first-team in North London, after he made his first Premier League start back in 2012.

The Englishman was an unknown quantity to many despite rising through the youth ranks, but rapidly adhered himself to the supporters with his form in front of goal.

He rapidly became a first-team regular, with his first major taste of success coming in the 2014/15 campaign, scoring 31 times in his 51 outings for the Lilywhites across all competitions.

Such a year would be the fourth-best of his time in North London, with his highest goalscoring year seeing him net a total of 35 goals – subsequently winning the Premier League golden boot that year.

As a result of his tremendous goalscoring record, the 32-year-old remains their highest ever goalscorer, with his total of 280 goals breaking the record set by the late Jimmy Greaves.

However, he was sold in the summer of 2023, subsequently joining German side Bayern Munich for a fee in the region of £82m – the second highest in their history.

Whilst they received a mammoth fee for his signature, no new centre forward was brought into the club until 12 months later, with Dominic Solanke costing a club-record £65m from Bournemouth.

However, the former chairman also made a huge mistake in allowing one other former player to depart the club, with the 63-year-old unable to land the reinforcements after his move away.

Levy’s biggest mistake whilst at Spurs

After such dismal years on the pitch for a prolonged period of time, it was hardly a surprise to see numerous top-level talents moving away for pastures new.

Just like Kane, numerous players caught the eye for the Lilywhites, including Kieran Trippier who has to depart and join Atlético Madrid to fulfil his ambitions of winning trophies.

The right-back racked up over 100 appearances in North London, but failed to win a single trophy – subsequently claiming the LaLiga trophy in his second year in Madrid.

He wasn’t the only player to move to Spain to take his career to the next level, with Gareth Bale making the leap and joining Real Madrid in a £85m deal in the summer of 2013.

His move remains a club-record fee received for a player, but such a deal left a huge hole in the club’s forward line and understandably so given his record in North London.

The Welsh international, who was dubbed “world-class” by John Hartson, scored 73 goals for the club before his big-money transfer, with his final campaign in the Premier League by far and away his best.

He netted 26 times in his 44 appearances for the Lilywhites, further highlighting the task the hierarchy had in trying to replace such a top-level talent.

In an attempt to do just that, Levy decided to fork out around £60m on the signatures of Roberto Soldado and Erik Lamela, but both ultimately failed to produce the goods in England.

The pair only scored 53 goals combined during their respective seasons at the club, with such a tally miles below the one Bale managed to achieve on his own.

Given his tally of 15 major trophies in Madrid, the player himself certainly made the right call in leaving the club, but it’s safe to say owner Levy should have tried harder to keep hold of the winger.

After seeing the replacements brought in to the club, there’s no question that Levy made a huge mess of the transfer, with such a decision one of his worst at the club.

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Game 7 of the World Series unfolded in truly epic fashion on Saturday night and it resulted in an absolutely gut-wrenching loss by the Blue Jays to the Dodgers. Thanks to a Will Smith home run in the top of the 11th and a clutch double play in the bottom of the frame Los Angeles won its third Fall Classic in the last six years to officially establish a dynasty. Toronto, meanwhile, has a very long offseason of painful reflection ahead after coming close to its first championship in over 30 years.

It was as brutal a loss as you’ll ever see in sports and Sportsnet broadcaster Caleb Joseph was not happy about it. Appearing on the Canadian broadcast after the game, Joseph did not hesitate to declare he believed the better team did not win the series, even dropping a curse word on television as he memorialized the best Blue Jays season in decades.

“There were a lot of wet eyes and I don’t blame them for that,” Joseph said as he described the scene at Rogers Centre following the defeat. “It’s going to sound like sour grapes, and I don’t really give a s—, but I think the better team did not win this series. I think the Blue Jays are the better team. I feel like they played baseball a certain way, it was infectious, it grabbed the attention of the fans, and it’s disheartening to see that the better team did not win. That’s not to take anything away from the Dodgers, but the Blue Jays, they did so many things correct, so many things right.”

Joseph did spend the 2020 season with the organization and has followed their postseason run with Sportsnet. So the strong emotions are perhaps not a surprise.

But it ultimately doesn’t matter who was the “better team” in the way Joseph is talking about. The Dodgers won four out of seven games and thus they are the victor. The Blue Jays had their chances but couldn’t take advantage. Through that lens, the better team was from Los Angeles, and another World Series trophy belongs to the franchise as a result.

Joseph’s comments undoubtedly resonated with the Canadian audience who have loyally watched Sportsnet throughout this run. But no amount of lamenting who was the better team changes the outcome: the Blue Jays lost. The Dodgers won. And that’s how it'll be remembered forever.

Tottenham Hotspur dropped points for just the second time this season on home soil last night, with their meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers ending 1-1.

Santiago Bueno looked as though he had secured Vitor Pereira’s side their first league win of the Premier League campaign, but Thomas Frank’s side managed to stage a late fightback.

Joao Palhinha’s effort deep into stoppage time saw the Lilywhites claim a late point, extending the side’s unbeaten run to five games across all competitions.

It certainly wasn’t a vintage showing in North London, but it’s certainly a sign of a good side if they can avoid defeat even when not producing one of their best displays.

However, if Frank’s side are to be a success in the near future, the Dane desperately needs to address one issue that arose in the meeting with the West Midlands outfit.

Spurs’ biggest issue against Wolves last night

In front of goal this season, Spurs have been largely impressive, scoring 11 times in their six league outings – averaging nearly two goals per game in 2025/26.

However, their showing against Pereira’s side last night was a somewhat toothless one, subsequently being unable to break down the opposition, who have failed to win a single top-flight outing.

Whilst the Lilywhites had 51% of the play, completing 111 passes into the final third, but could only muster a total of three shots on target during the 90 minutes.

Even when managing to get a shot off, Frank’s men struggled with their accuracy, only managing to get 30% of their shots on target – undoubtedly leading to their inability to secure all three points.

Their subsequent chances only accrued an xG of just 0.87, with the visitors achieving a higher total of 1.15 – subsequently doing so despite managing fewer efforts on goal.

The Lilywhites’ attack was made up of over £150m worth of talent last night, but numerous of such players failed to make the desired impact in forward areas.

The Spurs player who needs to be dropped after Wolves

Xavi Simons joined Spurs in a £52m transfer from RB Leipzig late in the summer window, but as of yet, the Dutchman has struggled to hit the ground running in North London.

The 22-year-old has made five appearances in all competitions, but has only registered one goal contribution, with his assist for Pape Sarr against West Ham United his only tangible reward.

In his showing against Wolves yesterday, Simons only managed a 25% dribble success rate, whilst only completing 27% of the crosses he attempted – highlighting his lack of impact in North London.

In the majority of his matches to date, the youngster has operated in an unnatural role off the left-hand side, which has no doubt contributed to his lack of success since his big-money move.

However, the same can’t be said for Richarlison, with the Brazilian striker being Frank’s first choice number nine in the absence of Dominic Solanke since the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

Whilst the 28-year-old started the season in superb fashion, netting two goals in the opening day triumph over Burnley, he’s ultimately struggled to hit such heights in recent weeks.

He’s now only managed to find the back of the net once in his last seven outings across all competitions, hitting a blank against Wolves once again last night.

Despite not scoring, Richarlison may have been able to save himself with his all-round showing, but it was an evening to forget for the talisman in North London as he looked way off the pace throughout the draw.

His lack of impact was highlighted by his tally of just 20 touches, a figure lower than that of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who managed 29 throughout the contest.

Richarlison’s dismal showing was further reflected in his tally of just five passes completed, at a success rate of just 56%, whilst also losing possession eight times – losing the ball 40% of the time he touched it.

His further tallies of 0% dribbles completed and 33% duel success rate also indicate how alien he was during the meeting with Pereira’s men, often being dominated by the opposition backline.

As a result of his showing, the £50m forward was handed a measly 4/10 match rating by Football London journalist Alasdair Gold – topping off what was a disappointing performance from the Brazilian.

After such a showing, boss Frank has no choice but to make a change at the top end of the pitch, with such a position becoming an issue given the lack of tangible rewards produced in recent games.

The Champions League clash at Bodo Glimt could present an excellent opportunity to try something slightly left field in an attempt to try and rectify the problem currently apparent at the top end of the pitch.

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