They are down at No. 5 in the World Test Championship table and have plenty to do the the second half of their cycle

S Rajesh26-Nov-2025

India’s 2-0 series defeat against South Africa has seriously dented their chances of making the World Test Championship final. Halfway into their 2025-27 cycle – India have played nine out of 18 Tests – they are languishing in fifth place on the table, at 48.15%.It’s still early days for many of the other teams – New Zealand haven’t played a single series yet, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have played one, and England have just started their second – but with Australia (100%) and South Africa (75%) having begun so strongly, India will have to do much more in the second half of their campaign to stand a chance of finishing in the top two.Going by the numbers from the last two WTC cycles, teams will need to be in the 60-65% range to stand a chance of making the cut. In the 2021-23 cycle, India qualified as the second team for the final with a percentage of 58.8, while Australia’s 67.54% won them second place in the previous edition.Related

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For India to get to 60%, they need to finish on 130 points, since they’re playing 18 Tests in this cycle (18 x 12 points = 216). Teams earn 12 points for a win, and four points for a draw. So India need 78 more points from their remaining nine Tests – two each in Sri Lanka and New Zealand, and five at home against Australia. They can get there in at least two ways, assuming they aren’t docked any points:- six wins and a couple of draws: 6 x 12 + 2 x 4 = 80
– seven wins: 7 x 12 = 84Before they take on Australia early in 2027 in their next home Test series, India have two-match series lined up in Sri Lanka (in August 2026) and New Zealand (October-November 2026). India have an excellent recent record in Sri Lanka, winning five of their last six Tests there (though the last tour was in 2017), but New Zealand has been a much tougher to crack: they lost 2-0 in 2020 and 1-0 in 2014. Even if India win all four of those Tests, they will probably still go into the series against Australia needing plenty of points to finish among the top two.Australia have made a terrific start to their WTC campaign with four wins out of four. With six home Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand lined up in this cycle, they have an excellent chance of making another final, and accumulating most of the points they need for it before the tour of India begins.South Africa are well-placed too, with three wins from four Tests in two away series. Their only remaining overseas series in this cycle is against Sri Lanka in February 2027. Their home games won’t be easy, though, with six Tests against Australia and England, apart from two against Bangladesh. If they win both home Tests against Bangladesh, they will only need 41 points from their eight remaining Tests to finish at 60%.Some of the other teams could come into contention too as the cycle progresses – only 17 out of 71 matches have been played so far in this edition – but regardless of how the other teams perform, India’s home defeats could seriously hurt their prospects in this cycle, just as they did in the previous one.

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O West Ham já prepara o anúncio de contratação de Luís Guilherme, joia do Palmeiras. Segundo o jornalista italiano Fabrizio Romano, o atacante desembarcou em Londres, na Inglaterra, para fazer os exames médicos e assinar seu contrato como novo jogador dos Hammers.

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A venda do jogador de 18 anos pelo clube paulista ao West Ham chegou ao valor fixo de 23 milhões de euros (cerca de R$ 130,97 milhões), mais 7 milhões de bônus por metas contratuais (cerca de R$ 39,86 milhões), totalizado a negociação em 30 milhões de euros (R$ 170,83 milhões).

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Mesmo não atuando mais pelo Palmeiras caso a operação seja concluída, o Verdão ainda irá permanecer dono de 20% dos direitos de Luís Guilherme, o que implicará em mais dinheiro para o clube no caso de uma futura venda do atleta.

As negociações entre o atual campeão brasileiro e o time da Premier League estão bem encaminhadas. O atleta viajou neste domingo (9) e deve ser anunciado ainda nesta semana.

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Bennett and Raza added 61 off 44, while Evans’ three-for meant Sri Lanka were bowled out for 95

Madushka Balasuriya20-Nov-2025Sri Lanka’s batting imploded in the face of a disciplined Zimbabwe attack, as they fell to a 67-run defeat in the second match of the men’s T20I tri-series in Rawalpindi. They were bowled out for 95, chasing a target of 163. For Zimbabwe, it was the perfect response to their opening game defeat to Pakistan.The wickets were spread among each of the six bowlers used by Zimbabwe. Richard Ngarava was excellent picking up figures of 2 for 15, but he was outdone by the ever-reliable Brad Evans, who ended with match best figures of 3 for 9.For Sri Lanka, only Dasun Shanaka, the stand-in skipper, produced an innings of any promise, during a backs-to-the-wall 34 off 25. The only other player to reach double digits was Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who struck a pained 11 off 18 playing his first T20I since January.Zimbabwe, who had been put in at the toss, had a much better time with the bat, led by Brian Bennett (49) and Sikandar Raza (47). It wasn’t a perfect innings as they limped to the finish, but it proved to be more than enough in the end. Wanindu Hasaranga picked up innings-best figures off 3 for 32, while debutant Eshan Malinga also impressed with 2 for 27.Bennett and Raza set the toneBennett, as he has been doing increasingly of late, gave Zimbabwe a fast start inside the powerplay as he and Tadiwanashe Marumani put on a 26-run opening stand in a little over three overs. Sri Lanka though struck back, through Maheesh Theekshana and Malinga, to share the opening period with Zimbabwe on 46 for 2 after six oversSikandar Raza added 61 off 44 balls with Brian Bennett•Pakistan Cricket BoardHowever, Raza pushed himself up the order, likely in response to how their innings had fallen apart against Pakistan two nights ago, and together with Bennett set about putting up a 61-run partnership off just 44 deliveries.While Bennett fell for 49 for a second game running, the pair had ensured a solid platform as Zimbabwe’s 100 came up inside the 14th over. Raza continued on unbothered, on his way to 32-ball 47, inclusive for three fours and two sixes. With Raza at the crease, 180 was on the cards, and it would take a fantastic running catch in the deep from Shanaka to end his innings.With Bennett and Raza both back in the dugout, Zimbabwe’s innings closed out with a relative whimper; they struck 22 runs in the final three overs to sneak past the 160-mark. Malinga added to his impressive debut with a double-wicket penultimate over, while Dushmantha Chameera also gave away just 12 runs bowling two of the final three overs.Sri Lanka’s house of (batting) horrorsChasing 163, after the powerplay Sri Lanka had found themselves on 25 for 2, their lowest powerplay total in 14 T20Is in 2025. Zimbabwe’s combination of tight lines and lengths, and solid plans, had short-wired the thinking of the Sri Lankan batters.Pathum Nissanka had chipped one to midwicket in the opening over and Kusal Perera skied one to short fine leg in the next, but what followed was truly calamitous.Dasun Shanaka walks back after being dismissed•Associated PressThe returning Rajapaksa and Kusal Mendis ate up 26 deliveries in their 19-run stand, and such was the pressure being built by the likes of Ngarava, Tinotenda Maposa and Evans during this period, that the Lankan batters were starved of boundary deliveries and forced to take ever more risky singles.It was one such ill-fated run that brought an end to the partnership, as Rajapaksa struck one straight to cover before setting off on a non-existent single. By the time he looked up to realise his partner still at the other end, Rajapaksa was already halfway down. Not even a wayward throw to the wicketkeeper could save Kusal Mendis, who had made a belated dash for safety.An over later, Rajapaksa was at the non-striker’s end turning down a fairly straightforward single and nearly had Shanaka run out – a wicket spared only by a truly horrendous throw to the keeper.It wasn’t long before Rajapaksa himself was dismissed, clean bowled looking to hit out. It meant Sri Lanka had lost their top four inside the opening 10 overs – it was five midway through the 11th when Raza snuck one past Kamindu Mendis. Only Shanaka showed some defiance, but when he edged one behind from Ryan Burl, Sri Lanka’s faint hopes went with him. The rest of the batting dragged the game to the death, before Evans cleaned up the innings off the final delivery.

Bangladesh’s spinners wrested back control from Ireland at stumps on the first day of the Sylhet Test. The visitors lost their way after a strong first session, ending the day on 270 for 8. Mehidy Hasan Miraz took three wickets while Hasan Murad, the debutant left-arm spinner, picked up two wickets.Ireland started losing their way in the middle session as they went from 96 for 1 to 184 for 4. Four more fell in the last session as they ended the first day in a disappointing note. Paul Stirling and debutant Cade Carmichael had given Ireland a bright start with a 96-run second-wicket stand. Stirling, opening for the second time in his career, made 60, with a dominant display through square on the off-side. He struck seven of his nine boundaries through that region.The 22-year-old Carmichael was composed in his first day of Test cricket, batting confidently in his 59. Stirling and Carmichael struck fifties while Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker got out in the forties. Towards the end of the day, the 19-year-old debutant Jordan Neill impressed with his drives in his unbeaten 30.Bangladesh had to wait for about half an hour in the last session to get their first breakthrough. But once they had removed Campher, who struck six boundaries including two sixes in his 94-ball 44, Bangladesh made more headways into the Ireland innings.Campher, who was caught at slip, was Murad’s first Test wicket. It was followed by the wicket of Tucker, who was beaten by Murad’s flight and stumped for 41 off 80 balls. Tucker was looking good and hit three fours and two sixes, but he got sucked into an aggressive false shot by Murad. Mehidy got the big wicket of Andy McBrine, also stumped, for five.Ireland however fought back with the eighth wicket stand between Neill and Barry McCarthy, who added 48 runs till the end of the day. Neill made 30 with three fours and a six before falling on the last ball of the day.Bangladesh could have had a much better start to the day, had they held on to three chances in successive overs in the morning. Stirling was dropped twice, at slip and gully, while Taijul Islam spilled Carmichael’s chance at short square-leg. All of this happened betwen overs 4 and 7.Already a wicket down and with Bangladesh creating regular chances, Stirling and Carmichael rode out the difficult period. They found regular boundaries, particularly Stirling cracking numerous hits through backward point. Carmichael was circumspect during the first session, hitting three boundaries.Ireland started losing their way in the middle session. Nahid Rana removed the well-set Stirling in the first over after lunch, getting caught at second slip. Mehidy Hasan Miraz trapped Harry Tector lbw for one in the next over, before Carmichael reached his fifty off 110 balls. Miraz however removed him for 59. Najmul Hossain Shanto then dropped Lorcan Tucker on 11 late in the second session.

Out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has picked his favourite destination after as many as 12 clubs made transfer enquiries for the young English star. Mainoo is desperate for an escape route from Old Trafford after failing to accumulate enough game time under Ruben Amorim this season as the Portuguese coach prefers Bruno Fernandes in the central midfield role alongside Casemiro.

• Mainoo picks favourite destination

  According to the, a dozen top European clubs have shown interest in signing Mainoo on loan in the January transfer market, however, the midfielder has picked Serie A champions Napoli as his preferred next destination. The England international's move to Italy is now dependent on whether the Red Devils give the green light to the transfer in the upcoming winter window.

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  Napoli a perfect destination for Mainoo to revive career

  Napoli, who are currently fighting to retain their Serie A crown, have seen their midfield dismantled by a cruel run of injuries. The latest blow was the high-grade lesion to Frank Anguissa's thigh, sustained on international duty, which will keep him out for the foreseeable future. This fresh setback comes on top of the long-term absence of Manchester City legend De Bruyne, who suffered a serious muscle tear in October. 

  With Stanislav Lobotka also working on his fitness issues, manager Antonio Conte is left with a skeleton crew in the middle of the park. The Italian coach is aware that relying solely on Scott McTominay and fringe players like Michael Folorunsho is not sustainable if the club are to compete on multiple fronts, making a January reinforcement an absolute necessity.

  With the scarcity of quality midfielders, Mainoo will surely enjoy a lot of game time in Italy and will also benefit from playing under a seasoned head coach like Conte, which could prove to be a huge learning opportunity for the youngster.

• Scholes feels Mainoo getting ruined at United

  With Mainoo growing 'deeply frustrated' with his lack of game time, Amorim recently addressed the media to speaking about the 20-year-old's situation at Old Trafford as he said: "I see him as a starter like the other players. I just have to make a choice and then in the end, it's not been Kobbie. In the future, I don't know. Again, I always think the same thing with Casemiro. (He) was not playing and then he plays. I just want to win games. I don't care who is playing.

  "I see it. I just want to win, I try to put the players, I don't look who it is, I don't care about that, I'm just trying to put the best players on the pitch. You have Manuel Ugarte that played two games. One of them, Casemiro, was out, Bruno Fernandes, he's always fit, he's the guy that is doing his position, so maybe it has to do with that."

  In response, though, club legend Paul Scholes slammed the Portuguese as he came to Mainoo's defence and said: "Bullsh*t. The kid is being ruined, not being played in a team that can't control a game of football. Hate seeing homegrown players leave but it's probably best for him now, enough is enough."

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  What next for Mainoo?

  The Africa Cup of Nations this winter will see several top African players leave to play for their respective national teams. This could be the perfect time for Mainoo to get as much game time as possible and win back Amorim's trust, but the coach has offered no guarantee of minutes.

  "I don't know, I don't know," he said. "It's the same question, I don't know what is going to happen. It depends. I've seen the training. If it's the best thing for the team, I will put (him in), that is the only way I know how to respond to that. Of course, I understand, and my job is to answer, but I'm trying to answer always the same thing, and you ask me always the same thing. I understand what you are saying. You love Kobbie, he starts for England. But that doesn't mean that I need to put Kobbie in when I feel that I shouldn't put Kobbie in, so it's my decision."

Wrexham's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have sold a minority Wrexham stake to new Atletico Madrid owners Apollo Sports Capital. The fresh round of investment will provide added funding for the club's stadium redevelopment. The iconic Racecourse Ground is undergoing a serious facelift as the Red Dragons remain focused on fulfilling their dream of competing in the Premier League.

Atletico's new owners buy stake in Wrexham

After buying the majority stake in La Liga side Atletico Madrid last month, Apollo Sports Capital (ASC) have now bought minority stakes at Championship side Wrexham. The Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac-owned club confirmed the news on Monday as their official statement read: "Wrexham AFC and co-chairmen, Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds, are excited to welcome Apollo Sports Capital, an affiliate of Apollo (NYSE: APO), a global alternative asset manager, as new minority investors in the Club. The investment aligns with Wrexham AFC’s long-term growth strategy and Premier League aspirations, with majority shareholders Mac and Reynolds continuing to oversee the Club as controlling owners. 

"As part of the investment, Apollo Sports Capital will also provide financing for the STōK Cae Ras, helping advance the ongoing redevelopment of the stadium, including the new Kop Stand. The redevelopment is a key component of the larger Wrexham Gateway Project, a large-scale regeneration plan to support the city’s connectivity and economic future. The project celebrates Wrexham’s heritage while creating an iconic destination for fans, visitors and the local community."

AdvertisementGetty/GOALHollywood owners excited after new round of investment

Following the sale of the club's stake, Reynolds and Mac issued a joint statement which read: "From day one, we wanted to build a sustainable future for Wrexham Association Football Club. And to do it with a little heart and humour. The dream has always been to take this club to the Premier League while staying true to the town. Growth like that takes world-class partners who share our vision and ambition, and Apollo absolutely does. We have known Al Tylis, the CEO of Apollo Sports Capital, for many years and are thrilled to now have ASC join the Wrexham family as we take the next step forward together."

ASC excited after new association with Wrexham

ASC officials showed excitement after their association with the Championship side, as Apollo Partner and Co-Portfolio Manager of ASC Lee Solomon said: "Wrexham is on an incredible journey, and we are thrilled to be a part of it and to support the Club, the Wrexham community and Rob and Ryan. This is a multi-faceted investment where Apollo Sports Capital can provide long-term, patient capital to help Wrexham reach its goals and to contribute to the ongoing revitalisation of the facilities and local economy." 

Wrexham CEO Michael Williamson then added: "We’re delighted to welcome Apollo Sports Capital as a new partner in Wrexham’s journey. Their investment represents both confidence in the Club’s direction and commitment to our long-term vision. Together, we will continue to strengthen Wrexham AFC on and off the pitch, building a sustainable future for the Club for our supporters, our community, and the generations to come."

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Getty Images SportWrexham stadium upgradation continues

ASC's investment comes just a year after Allyn Family Office made a minority investment in the Welsh club. The additional money will come in handy as it will add up to the fund for the upgrading of the club's iconic home venue, Racecourse Ground.

Last week, reported that the Welsh side received around £18 million ($24m) in funding for their stadium redevelopment project from the state fund. The Red Dragons were first awarded £3.8m ($5m) by Wrexham county borough council a year after Reynolds and Mac completed their stunning takeover of the club in 2021. A second payment of £14m ($18m) was made in September 2025.

Wrexham are working on the construction of a Kop Stand – with the original structure having been flattened some time ago – alongside new floodlights and a convertible ground that will allow the stadium to host international football and rugby matches. As it stands now, the actor duo might not have to pay a single penny for the stadium upgrade. 

The Boston Red Sox are surging in the month of July.

Boston has won 10 straight games, sweeping the Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies and Tampa Bay Rays prior to the start of the All-Star break. The recent surge has the Red Sox sitting just three games out of first place in the American League East. Officially, the Sox are 53-45 and in third place in the East behind the New York Yankees and the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.

Former New York Yankees star and current Fox baseball analyst Alex Rodriguez sits on a panel with the network alongside his former teammate Derek Jeter and Red Sox great David Ortiz.

And on Tuesday night, when it came time to talk about the Red Sox, Rodriguez was clear about what the franchise's surge means in the broader context of the sport. And it made him absolutely sick to say out loud.

"Bottom line, boys, if we zoom out, it's great for baseball when the Boston…I can't believe I'm saying this…when the Boston Red Sox are good," Rodriguez said on Tuesday night.

Rodriguez added that the trade of Rafael Devers could end up being a good thing for the Red Sox in the long run, as he referenced two specific examples from his own playing days.

"Sometimes when you clear a clubhouse of whatever perceived energy…I remember when [Ken] Griffey Jr. left us in Seattle, we got better. And then when I left the next year, we got even better. And sometimes you need the big brother to get out so all the other big brothers can excel and thrive and they're doing that in a beautiful way."

The Red Sox open the second half of the season with a series in Chicago against NL Central's first place Chicago Cubs. The Red Sox will then take on the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies before hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers later this month.

Three brutally tough series out of the break will tell the tale of whether or not the Red Sox are for real.

Cal Raleigh is the current home run king of Major League Baseball. He hit 38 home runs before the All-Star break which is more than anyone else in baseball, including Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and everyone else.

Raleigh then went out and hit 17 home runs in the first round of the Home Run Derby, which was good enough to tie for fourth place with Brent Rooker of the Athletics. Rather than go to a swing-off to determine who would move on, MLB advanced the player with the longer home run.

The only problem is that both guys hit their longest home runs 470 feet.

And the only solution was MLB claiming they knew how far all these home runs traveled down to an insanely precise decimal point.

The official determination was that Raleigh's longest home run traveled .08 feet—or 61/64ths of an inch—further than Rooker's longest dinger.

If that doesn't seem made up enough for you, check out this tweet from MLB where they claim to know the distance of the home runs down to the 10-billionth(?) place(!?). That's how exact we're supposed to believe MLB is measuring these home runs that leave the stadium or land in a mass of fans.

If you have some questions about this, well, you're not alone.

Or, to paraphrase another prodigious power hitter, do you want to know the terrifying truth, or do you want to see Cal Raleigh sock a few dingers?

أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، مجموعة منتخب فرنسا في بطولة كأس العالم نسخة 2026، الصيف المقبل، خلال مراسم إقرعة القرعة في مركز “جون كينيدي” مساء يوم الجمعة.

وتستضيف كل من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، كندا والمكسيك نهائيات النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم، في الفترة بين 11 يونيو و19 يوليو.

وتُعد تلك هي النسخة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم، بعد استحداث نظامها، حيث سيشارك فيها 48 منتخبًا، سيتم تقسيمهم على 12 مجموعة، ويتأهل متصدر ووصيف كل مجموعة إلى دور الـ32، بالإضافة إلى أفضل 8 منتخبات في مركز ثالث.

ويجري الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، في مركز “جون كينيدي” مراسم قرعة النسخة المقبلة من بطولة كأس العالم 2026، حيث تم الكشف عن طبيعة مجموعة منتخب فرنسا (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وتأهل منتخب فرنسا، بقيادة المدرب ديدييه ديشامب، إلى بطولة كأس العالم بعدما تواجد في صدارة المجموعة الرابعة في تصفيات قارة أوروبا برصيد 16 نقطة.

وخسر منتخب فرنسا في نهائي نسخة 2022 من بطولة كأس العالم أمام الأرجنتين، بركلات الترجيح. مجموعة منتخب فرنسا في كأس العالم 2026

حسبما تم الإعلان، جاءت مجموعة منتخب فرنسا في بطولة كأس العالم الصيف القادم، على النحو الآتي:

المجموعة التاسعة: فرنسا، السنغال، العراق/بوليفيا/سورينام، النرويج.

Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Oneil Cruz stole the show during the first round of the 2025 Home Run Derby on Monday night.

Cruz crushed 21 homers during his first round performance in the Derby, but one home run stood out amongst the others. He smashed a 513-foot homer straight out of Truist Park in Atlanta. It was the furthest hit home run of the night (thus far), and it happened to be the longest home run ever hit at Truist Park. The previous record was 495 feet, via MLB.

So, where does Cruz's blast compare in Home Run Derby history since 2016? His 513-foot homer ties for the fourth furthest hit in Derby history in that span. He ties homers hit by Shohei Ohtani in 2021 and by Aaron Judge in 2017—pretty good company to join in that spot.

The furthest home run hit at the Derby in the Statcast era was by Juan Soto in 2021 when he crushed one 520 feet. The next two longest homers also occurred in '21—a 518-foot blast hit by Trevor Story followed by a 514-foot home run hit by Pete Alonso.

We'll see how Cruz does during the rest of the Home Run Derby on Monday. Maybe he'll become the first Pirates player to win the title.