Author: AFP

Teenage star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the toast of the cricket world in a stunning IPL season for Rajasthan Royals, and the head coach, Kumar Sangakkara, says the 15-year-old is ready to represent India.

Sooryavanshi’s 96 runs on Friday in the last playoff went in vain, as Rajasthan lost to Gujarat Titans by seven wickets to bow out of the T20 tournament.

But the season belonged to the left-handed Sooryavanshi, who leads the batting chart with 776 runs at an average of 48.50, with a punishing strike-rate of 237.30 in 16 matches.

He missed out on a century for the second straight time, but once again impressed with his 47-ball knock, laced with eight fours and seven sixes, in New Chandigarh.

“With everything Vaibhav’s shown against some of the best bowlers in the world, I think he’s more than ready to take on any challenge that you throw at him,” Sangakkara said.

“I’m sure that he’ll get that (India) call-up very, very soon. He’s batted with a lot of maturity; he has shouldered the responsibility of that opening partnership so well for us this season.”

The teenage sensation held the innings together after Rajasthan lost two quick wickets and reached his fifty in 31 balls, his slowest in the IPL.

Sooryavanshi changed gears, smashing a six off Jason Holder down the ground. He fell to Kagiso Rabada after a mis-hit to deep third man, a dismissal similar to his previous when he struck a 29-ball 97 in the eliminator on Wednesday.

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“I think we are very, very proud of the season that he’s had,” said Sangakkara. “And we just want to make sure that he keeps going, keeps that intent, keeps that no-fear attitude and keeps growing. I think he’s going to be even better as the years go by.”

For the unversed, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi joined Rajasthan when he was 13, scoring a 35-ball century in his debut year in 2025 at age 14.

“I think we’ve got a good plan around him. We don’t cut his mind too much,” said former Sri Lanka captain Sangakkara.

“He comes to all our team meetings, he contributes, he listens. And he does a lot of homework. So we don’t want to put any unnecessary thoughts into his head. I think a clear mind, batting with that courage is exactly what we want to see of him.”

Sooryavanshi won praise from the opposition camp with Gujarat’s director of cricket, Vikram Solanki, saying the boy wonder is already among the T20 elite.

“I’ve not seen anyone bat like the way he bats, and I think in this format, probably he’s right now one of the best batters in the world,” said the former England batter.

“And it’s remarkable to see his biomechanics and his hand speed, and no matter what opposition he plays against… in the years to come, the opposition that he plays against is going to have a tough time against him.”

READ: Virat Kohli, RCB eye second IPL crown in final against Gujarat Titans

Barcelona confirmed the signing of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United on Friday, for a fee that could rise to 80 million euros ($93 million).

Gordon will sign for “the next five seasons, until June 30, 2031,” Barcelona said in a brief statement.

The 25-year-old left winger netted 17 goals for Newcastle this season, 10 of those in the Champions League, and was the club’s top scorer.

“As a kid, to play for Barcelona is the biggest dream possible, it’s the biggest club on the planet,” Gordon told reporters.

“I know it comes with a lot of responsibility, but like I said, I’m ready for this kind of challenge, ready for that responsibility.

“I know everybody, the players in the past who’ve worn the shirt, it holds a lot of weight, but I’m ready. I’m excited for the challenge.”

Gordon, part of England’s World Cup squad, bolsters a Barcelona attack losing Polish veteran striker Robert Lewandowski at the end of his contract, and possibly Marcus Rashford after his loan spell from Manchester United.

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La Liga champions Barcelona still hope to strengthen further in the coming weeks, with Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez linked with a switch to Catalonia, while the club have not ruled out a new move to keep Rashford.

After three years of reduced expenditure and with their partially rebuilt Camp Nou stadium reopened, Barca have more economic breathing room within La Liga’s strict financial fair play rules than previously.

Lewandowski’s departure and the end of Rashford’s loan give Barcelona margin to spend, while other players, including Roony Bardghji, Ansu Fati and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, may also leave.

Gordon’s transfer is Newcastle’s second-largest sale in their history after Liverpool paid £125m ($168m) for Alexander Isak last summer.

The Premier League side may move for Real Betis winger Ez Abde as a replacement, according to reports.

Anthony Gordon joined Newcastle from Everton for £45m in 2023, with the Merseyside club set to receive 15 percent of the profit from the winger’s departure from St James’s Park.

READ: Virat Kohli, RCB eye second IPL crown in final against Gujarat Titans

Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be eyeing their second straight IPL title against an upbeat Gujarat Titans in the final at the 130,000-capacity Ahmedabad stadium on Sunday.

The 37-year-old Kohli has been central to Bengaluru’s efforts since their first title in the T20 tournament last year.

Batting great Kohli will be back at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s biggest cricket ground and the venue of Bengaluru’s triumph in 2025.

Bengaluru topped the 10-team table at the end of the league stage and beat Gujarat in the first play-off to secure direct entry into the final.

However, Gujarat bounced back from their defeat in style as they hammered Rajasthan Royals in the last play-off to qualify for their third final in five years, winning the title in 2022.

“In the IPL and actually in any form of cricket, you have to remain reasonably level regardless of the result,” Gujarat’s director of cricket Vikram Solanki said.

“If you come off the back of a defeat, you can’t get too low, because, more often than not, you’re preparing for the next game.”

Skipper Shubman Gill, who is also India’s Test and ODI captain, hit 104 in New Chandigarh on Friday. The 26-year-old has scored 722 runs, putting him second in the batting chart behind Rajasthan’s 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on 776.

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Gill’s opening partner, Sai Sudharsan, is third with 710 runs. The pair have laid the foundation of Gujarat’s success.

“I can only imagine all of the work that Shubman has put in throughout his career to get to where he is, as far as batting is concerned,” said former England batter Solanki.

“He’s an exceptional young man. To be playing the cricket that he is, to be batting the way he is, is just phenomenal.”

Virat Kohli, who has stepped away from Test cricket and T20 internationals, has scored 600 runs this season, including one century and four half-centuries, at an average of 50.00 in 15 matches.

Bengaluru’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat, said: “Everybody understands what Virat Kohli brings, his intensity, his fight, his hunger”.

“Experience counts for a lot in pressure games, but I think it also speaks volumes for their personalities and character,” Bobat said.

Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar stepped up his game in the first qualifier, hammering an unbeaten 93 off 33 balls. His knock, after Kohli’s attacking 43, paved the way for Bengaluru’s mammoth total of 254 in a 92-run thrashing of Gujarat.

“Any team whose captain is playing well gets greater confidence from that,” said Bobat.

“We’re becoming accustomed to seeing these sorts of knocks from him now. He played some outrageous shots, but also really the aggressive intent… that’s leading by example.”

READ: ‘I’ll bowl at 200kph’: Shaheen Afridi reacts to questions over dip in pace

World number one Aryna Sabalenka eased into the third round at the French Open on Thursday with a 7-5, 6-2 win over France’s Elsa Jacquemot.

Sabalenka snatched a tight opening set with a break in the final game and then swept Jacquemot aside to set up a meeting with Australia’s Daria Kasatkina.

The Belarusian has reached the final at five of the past six Grand Slams. She finished runner-up to Coco Gauff at last year’s French Open.

The 67th-ranked home hope Jacquemot pushed Sabalenka for long periods on Chatrier but ultimately could not live with the Belarusian’s power.

Sabalenka, chasing a fifth Grand Slam title and first at Roland Garros, will next take on Daria Kasatkina.

“She’s a fighter. She’s putting all of the balls back. You have to really work for each point, especially on the clay court,” Sabalenka said of Kasatkina.

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Reigning champion Coco Gauff also booked her place in the last 32, seeing off Egyptian qualifier Mayar Sherif 6-3, 6-2.

The American, who could face Sabalenka in the semis in a rematch of last year’s final, got the better of a scrappy match featuring 11 breaks of serve.

“It was a physical match, a tough match, my patience was really tested today,” said Gauff.

Naomi Osaka edged closer to a possible last-16 meeting with Sabalenka after reaching the third round for the first time in seven years by beating Croatia’s Donna Vekic 7-6 (7/1), 6-4.

The four-time Grand Slam champion will face a tough test from American teenager Iva Jovic on Saturday after the 17th seed thrashed compatriot Emma Navarro 6-0, 6-3.

Sixth seed Amanda Anisimova, who lost the Wimbledon and US Open finals last year, progressed when her opponent Julia Grabher retired after losing the first set 6-0.

READ: Jannik Sinner ‘hits wall’ as French Open bid collapses

Jannik Sinner said he ran out of energy and “hit the wall” as his 30-match winning run came to an abrupt halt in the second round of the French Open on Thursday.

World number one Sinner, the red-hot favourite at Roland Garros this year, suffered a dramatic five-set defeat by Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo after a sudden collapse on another sweltering day in Paris.

Sinner appeared to be cruising to victory, holding a two-set lead and a commanding 5–1 advantage in the third, before completely unravelling and sliding to a 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 loss.

“I had no energy today. That can happen. Nobody is a robot,” said the four-time Grand Slam champion, who complained of dehydration and dizziness, saying he felt as though he might vomit.

The Italian left Court Philippe Chatrier to receive medical treatment while serving for the match. He returned minutes later, but Cerundolo sensed his opportunity against an ailing opponent.

“I struggled, starting to feel very dizzy,” added the 24-year-old Sinner. “I was very, very flat, you know, the whole body. I don’t remember [the] last time I felt this weak.”

“I woke up this morning, didn’t feel very well and tried to keep the points very short. In the beginning, I was hitting very clean, very good, and then I just kind of hit the wall.”

Sinner revealed he began to fade halfway through the third set as temperatures once again climbed above 30C during a record-breaking heatwave in France.

But he refused to blame the conditions for his unexpected exit, his earliest at a Grand Slam since he lost at the same stage here in 2023.

“It was warm, but not crazy warm,” said Sinner. “Really, it was nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens.

“I don’t want to take anything away from him (Cerundolo). He played a very solid match.”

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Jannik Sinner arrived in Paris on the back of winning all three of the clay-court Masters titles, with his odds of completing a career Grand Slam enhanced further by the absence of injured rival Carlos Alcaraz.

Instead, it was another bitterly disappointing ending at Roland Garros for last year’s runner-up, who held three championship points 12 months ago before losing to Alcaraz.

“It’s tough to accept because of the position I’ve been in and everything considered, but yeah, now I have a lot of time to recover,” said Sinner.

“I won’t play any tournament on grass before (Wimbledon). Now I really need some time off, recover completely, also mentally, and then be ready to go again.

“As I said, at the beginning of the year, this (the French Open) is my main goal here. A very early exit it was not what I was looking for.”

For Cerundolo, who goes on to play Martin Landaluce in the last 32, it was just the third Grand Slam match win of his career.

The Buenos Aires native didn’t blink as Sinner tried to gamely hang on, Cerundolo putting away the struggling top seed to pull off a monumental upset.

“It’s tough for him (Sinner). I think I was a little bit lucky,” said Cerundolo. “The match was almost lost.”

“I started to notice that something wasn’t good, because I mean, he was beating me pretty easy,” he added.

“Tennis is about being in the present day and being better in that match. He’s number one in the world because he’s the best every day. (It) just happened this day. I was better this day.”

READ: Australia make late addition to ODI squad ahead of Pakistan series

FIFA released an additional batch of World Cup 2026 tickets on Thursday, just 14 days before the global soccer tournament kicks off in North America.

“Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last,” said an official social media post.

FIFA, soccer’s governing body, had indicated in April that tickets would be released for sale periodically via its official website right up until the final on July 19.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said that more than five million tickets have been sold, out of the approximately seven million expected to be made available.

The previous ticket sales record for a World Cup was 3.5 million, set in 1994 when the tournament was last held in the United States.

This time, the US is sharing hosting duties with Canada and Mexico. The upcoming 2026 World Cup will be the largest ever, featuring an expanded 48-team format and 104 matches.

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But the ticketing process and prices have sparked controversy, with FIFA accused of charging fans exorbitant amounts to follow their teams.

New York and New Jersey this week announced a “thorough investigation” into FIFA ticket practices, with prosecutors describing the process as a “gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity, and impossibly high prices.”

California, earlier this month, said it had contacted FIFA over possible legal violations in the sale of World Cup tickets, following allegations that some fans purchased seats in categories that were later changed.

Fan organisation Football Supporters Europe (FSE) has branded the World Cup pricing structure as “extortionate” and a “monumental betrayal.”

Infantino has defended ticket prices for the World Cup, saying they are driven by high demand and are appropriate for the US, which is hosting the bulk of the fixtures.

READ: Messi to captain Argentina squad at FIFA World Cup 2026

Lionel Messi will captain Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2026, national coach Lionel Scaloni announced Thursday as he unveiled his 26-man squad.

Messi, 38, had not previously confirmed he would play in what will be a record-breaking sixth tournament for the Argentine superstar.

But it had been widely assumed the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would again lead Argentina, four years after lifting the trophy in Qatar.

As well as confirming Messi’s presence, Thursday’s announcement notably excluded Real Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono from the Argentina squad.

Eighteen-year-old Mastantuono is considered one of the brightest prospects in Argentine football.

The largest ever World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, kicks off June 11. Argentina’s first match will be five days later against Algeria in Kansas City.

Messi has been at the heart of an injury scare in recent days, with his club side Inter Miami this week saying medical tests diagnosed him with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring.

The Major League Soccer club had provided no clear timetable for Messi’s return after his abrupt exit from Miami’s 6-4 victory over Philadelphia in the 73rd minute on Sunday.

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But Scaloni had played down the seriousness of the injury this week.

Centre-back Cristian Romero, who suffered a knee injury last month and has not played since, was also named in the squad.

The Tottenham Hotspur captain was ruled out for the remainder of the Premier League season after he was shoved into his own goalkeeper by Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey.

Argentina’s roster retains 17 of the 26 players who won the title in Qatar.

Young players who received call-ups include 21-year-olds Nicolas Paz and Valentin Barco. Palmeiras forward Jose Manuel Lopez, who only made his international debut last year, also features.

Other notable absentees include Emiliano Buendia, currently in excellent form at Aston Villa, and Roma star Paulo Dybala.

The South American giants will journey to the United States for pre-World Cup friendlies against Honduras on June 6 and Iceland on June 9.

Argentina’s World Cup group also contains Austria and Jordan.

Along with Messi, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa are also expected to appear in their sixth World Cups this summer.

Argentina squad for FIFA World Cup 2026

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid)

Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Facundo Medina (Marseille), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon).

Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Rodrigo de Paul (Inter Miami), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Alexis MacAllister (Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg)

Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Paz (Como), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan,), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras)

READ: Major update on Neymar injury ahead of FIFA World Cup

Brazil forward Neymar is a doubt for the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after injuring his calf, requiring two to three weeks of treatment, the national team’s doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said on Thursday.

The 34-year-old Santos star will miss Brazil’s two pre-World Cup friendlies against Panama and Egypt, but may also be out of their tournament opener against Morocco on June 13.

An MRI scan “identified a grade two muscle injury… our expectation is that he will be available in two to three weeks,” Lasmar said at Brazil’s pre-tournament training centre just outside Rio de Janeiro.

Neymar joined his international teammates at the training centre on Wednesday but sat out the first session.

He has missed Santos’s last few matches due to what his club coach Cuca had called “a slight injury”.

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His inclusion in Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad for the World Cup was something of a surprise as Neymar had not been picked for the national team in almost three years.

A mixture of injuries and poor form had left him outside the national team set-up, with Ancelotti citing concerns over his fitness after leaving him out of Brazil’s squad for March friendlies against France and Croatia.

However, Neymar is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer with 79 goals in 128 appearances for the Selecao. This will be his fourth World Cup.

His last appearance for Brazil was in 2023 during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.

READ: Jannik Sinner crashes out of French Open in seismic upset

Jannik Sinner succumbed to an apparent bout of heatstroke and a remarkable Juan Manuel Cerundolo comeback to crash out of the French Open on Thursday, blowing the men’s tournament wide open, before Aryna Sabalenka bids to avoid a similar fate.

The world number one was cruising when leading by two sets and 5-1 in the third set before suddenly struggling with his movement as he lost 18 points in a row.

Sinner took a medical time-out, complained of feeling “dizzy” and left a sweltering Court Philippe Chatrier for treatment, but after returning still slipped to a 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 loss to world number 56 Cerundolo.

“I was little bit lucky, I feel sorry for him,” said Cerundolo.

“I don’t know what happened, he was cramping, maybe the pressure. I feel sorry for him and hope he recovers.”

Sinner suffered his earliest exit from a Grand Slam since the 2023 French Open, as Cerundolo completed one of tennis’ biggest shocks in recent years and set up a last-32 tie against either Spanish youngster Martin Landaluce or Czech Vit Kopriva on Saturday.

The unseasonably hot weather has caused problems for players all week in Paris.

Czech Jakub Mensik collapsed on court with cramps after his win on Wednesday, while Novak Djokovic called for matches to be moved to later in the day.

The 24-year-old Sinner was the latest to wilt under the blazing sun, seeing his 30-match winning streak, after taking titles in Rome, Madrid and Monte Carlo, Miami and Indian Wells, come to a shuddering halt.

The Italian will now have to wait until next year, when injured rival Carlos Alcaraz will likely be back in action, for his next chance to complete the career Grand Slam.

The top seed was in total control and romping towards the most routine of victories before he suddenly started to struggle physically, losing three consecutive games to love.

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He asked the chair umpire what his options were when 0-40 down in the next game, before being evaluated by a physio, saying he felt dizzy and needed to vomit.

Sinner gingerly returned to the court after treatment to applause from the crowd but continued to melt in the 32C heat and departed the stage again after Cerundolo took the set.

After a nine-minute delay, the cramping Sinner hobbled back out but quickly saw the fourth set slide away as Cerundolo levelled the tie.

The unheralded Argentinian appeared inspired by the opportunity to knock out the world’s best player and raced to victory against his deflated opponent, who was left bent over double after every lengthy rally.

The underdog was left to celebrate a sensational win after clipping away a forehand winner to reach the third round of a Slam for the first time.

“I tried to play my best, I’m going to keep trying to play my best. The clay is my best surface and I hope to be ready for the next match,” added Cerundolo.

Sinner’s compatriot Flavio Cobolli, the 10th seed, reached the third round for a second successive year with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over China’s Wu Yubing.

He will next face American Learner Tien after the 18th seed fought back to defeat world number 151 Facundo Diaz Acosta of Argentina 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.

READ: Pakistan, Ireland and West Indies tri-series trophy unveiled

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s latest extraordinary innings was hailed by cricket greats on Thursday, as calls grow for the 15-year-old phenomenon to be propelled straight into the senior India team.

The teenage opener hit 12 sixes, including three in a row off Australia captain Pat Cummins, before he was out for 97 off 29 balls for Rajasthan Royals in Wednesday’s playoff win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“Yeah, he played pretty well,” said a shell-shocked Cummins, who was launched into the stands four times in all by the left-hander.

“The margins are so small. You miss your yorker by a little bit and he doesn’t tend to miss them. So, yeah, fair play.”

Sooryavanshi hit seven boundaries in a row to reach 97 off 28 balls.

But he was caught in the deep attempting another that would have broken Chris Gayle’s record of 30 balls for the fastest IPL century.

On the way he smashed the West Indian’s 12-year-old record of 59 sixes in a single edition of the IPL.

He has cleared the ropes 65 times and is in possession of the Orange Cap for the most runs in the IPL season, with 680 at an average of 45.33.

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Past master Gayle called Sooryavanshi the IPL’s “new six machine”.

“What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment young man!” he posted on social media.

Sooryavanshi was crestfallen when he was out.

But he has a chance for more fireworks against Gujarat Titans in the final playoff match on Friday. The holders Royal Challengers Bengaluru await the winners in Sunday’s final.

Calls for Sooryavanshi to be fast-tracked into India’s team have accelerated since he slammed a 17-ball 52 to start his IPL season.

“He is the best T20 opener in the World… India have to pick him,” former England captain Michael Vaughan said on X on Wednesday.

India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar lauded Sooryavanshi’s technique calling the innings “simply spectacular”.

“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s bat swing has been exceptional,” he posted.

“What stands out even more is the way he effortlessly clears his front foot to make room for deliveries targeting his pads.

This gives him the freedom to play his natural game.”

Comparison with Tendulkar, who made his full international debut aged 16, have been inevitable.

But former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik warned against heaping expectation on young shoulders.

“What Vaibhav is doing is very special, but what I don’t want the people to do is tag him as the next Sachin because he is just 15 years old,” Karthik said on the Quest Talk podcats.

“I think what Sachin did was extraordinary. Vaibhav’s challenges will be completely different.”

Rajasthan captain Riyan Parag said he didn’t need to offer much advice to the fearless youngster.

“That’s the thing we don’t have any conversations,” Parag said.

“He likes batting. Just leave him alone, let him go and have fun.”

READ: ICC unveils Match Officials for Women’s World Cup 2026