Category: Sports

MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has allowed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to have his parents accompany him on away tours. 

A day earlier, Sooryavanshi was named in India’s T20 squad for the tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games, after making remarkable performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

The southpaw is currently in Sri Lanka with the India A squad for a tri-nation series.

“His father will be flying down to Sri Lanka today,” said Devajit Saikia, secretary of the BCCI.

“Also, if his parents want to go to England and Ireland with him, then we will make arrangements for their travel. They would be his best support system,” he added.

For the unversed, India, the T20 World Cup 2026 winnersa are set to play Ireland and England at the end of this month.

For the unversed, India, the T20 World Cup 2026 winners, are set to play Ireland and England later this month.

Following these tours, they are scheduled to take part in the Asian Games to be held in Japan in September and October.

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Sooryavanshi could become India’s youngest international debutant at the age of 15. Currently, Sachin Tendulkar holds the record, having made his debut at the age of 16 years and 205 days in 1989.

The teenage prodigy selection comes after a stellar IPL campaign for Rajasthan Royals, where he finished as the highest-run getter with 776 runs to his name at a staggering strike rate of 237.30. He hit one century and five fifties in his record-breaking campaign.

For his outstanding performances, Sooryavanshi won the Orange Cap, the IPL’s most valuable player and the emerging player prizes.

During the squad announcement, India chief selector Ajit Agarkar noted that Sooryavanshi formed them to pick him in the squad.

“With his performances, he has almost forced us to pick him,” Ajit Agarkar said.

“Like everyone else that has watched T20 cricket in India, we have got high hopes of him. I think he just has picked himself,” he explained.

READ: PCB calls up 49 players for NCA training camps

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named 49 players for training camps at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), including the ace duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

The PCB revealed the names in a press release, confirming that players who featured in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia will feature in the red-ball camp from 15 June, which will continue until 15 July.

Of the 49 players selected, 22 have been named in the red-ball and 27 in the white-ball camp. The camps comprise a mix of experienced international cricketers and emerging domestic performers.

“The players who were part of the recently concluded ODI series against Australia and have been selected for the Red-Ball Camp will join the camp from 15 June,” the board said in a statement.

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“The NCA White-Ball Camp will commence on Monday, 15 June and continue until Friday, 18 September. Twenty-seven players will take part in the camp,” it added.

According to the board, the camps are designed to provide players with adequate preparation time for forthcoming international and domestic events. During the training period, players will fine-tune their skills under the supervision of national and NCA coaches, including one-on-one sessions.

In addition, PCB medical staff will monitor the players’ fitness and overall conditioning.

This will be the second occasion in recent months that the PCB has called up players for a training camp, with a similar camp having been held before the Bangladesh and Australia series.

22 Red-Ball Camp Players:

Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Abrar Ahmed, Ali Usman, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Obaid Shah, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saqib Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shahzad Gul and Shan Masood

27 White-Ball Camp Players :

Abdul Samad, Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Farhan Yousaf, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Khawaja Muhammad Nafay, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Rohail Nazir, Saad Baig, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Sameer Minhas, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shamyl Hussain, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed to be replaced by legendary batter as head coach: sources

Argentina eased to a 2-0 victory against a lacklustre Honduras in the reigning champions’ penultimate FIFA World Cup 2026 warm-up game in Texas on Saturday.

Lautaro Martinez and Giuliano Simeone scored the goals in a game dominated by Argentina in College Station.

Lionel Messi was on the bench but not used by coach Lionel Scaloni as he nurses the superstar back to fitness for the World Cup group games after he suffered a hamstring injury on May 24.

A lethargic game burst into life on 37 minutes when Nicolas Tagliafico was fouled in the penalty area by Cristopher Melendez and Inter Milan forward Martinez drove home the spot kick low to his left to make it 1-0 on 37 minutes.

The lively Martinez was the creator when Argentina doubled their lead on 54 minutes as his intelligent backheel set up Atletico Madrid’s Simeone to fire past Honduras goalkeeper Edrick Menjivar.

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In other highlights, Giovani Lo Celso hit the crossbar with a superb curling shot from outside the area in the first half and Tomas Aranda’s second-half attempt was well saved by the Honduras ‘keeper.

Honduras barely crossed the halfway line in the second half as Argentina exterted their dominance.

Scaloni said that despite playing some of his younger squad members, his team showed they have a solid identity as the defence of their crown approaches.

“Maybe it could have been done better, but as for the team’s hallmark, its identity, I think it remains intact, and that’s the most important thing. That’s what we’re looking for, in the end, not to break that identity,” he said.

Argentina face Iceland in their final friendly match in Auburn, Alabama on Tuesday before the three-time winners begin their World Cup group games against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City.

Scaloni has indicated that Messi could play a small part in one of the friendlies, meaning an appearance against Iceland is likely.

READ: Germany forward Lennart Karl ruled out of World Cup 2026

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan is likely to replace Sarfaraz Ahmed as the national Test head coach, with reports on Saturday indicating a major change in the team’s coaching setup following recent poor results.

According to sources, Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was appointed Test head coach in April this year, could be removed from his position after a disappointing start to his tenure.

The former captain kicked off his tenure with a two-match away Test series against Bangladesh, which was part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

Pakistan endured a 2-0 series whitewash in Bangladesh, marking their second consecutive Test series defeat against the same opposition and intensifying scrutiny over the team’s direction in red-ball cricket.

Following the back-to-back losses, further reports have suggested wider changes within the setup, including possible decisions on leadership roles, with Shan Masood’s captaincy also reportedly under review.

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Sources indicate that Younis Khan, one of Pakistan’s most respected batters and a former captain, is the leading candidate to take over the Test coaching role.

He is also expected to be included in the national team’s selection committee, adding another layer of influence to the restructuring process.

Sarfaraz Ahmed, however, is expected to continue working with the Pakistan Shaheens setup despite the potential change in his senior coaching responsibilities.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not yet officially confirmed any changes, but discussions around restructuring the coaching and selection framework are reportedly ongoing.

READ: India name injured Virat Kohli’s replacement for Afghanistan ODIs

MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday confirmed Yashasvi Jaiswal as a replacement for Virat Kohli in the ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against Afghanistan after the senior batter was ruled out due to a hamstring injury.

Kohli picked up the injury during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final while leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a successful title defence.

India’s chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, officially confirmed Kohli’s absence while addressing the media in Mumbai.

He also suggested that the former captain could return in time for the next ODI series against England starting July 14, though no definitive timeline has been provided by the medical team.

“With Virat at this point, it’s just been less than a week since he injured himself in the [IPL] finals. We don’t know the timelines yet,” Agarkar said.

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“But it looks like he might be fit for that England one-day series. It’s not a definitive answer, so don’t hold me to it. I haven’t had a clear timeline from the physio yet.”

Jaiswal, who made his ODI debut against England in February 2025, has so far played four matches in the format.

He showed his potential with an unbeaten 116 against South Africa in Visakhapatnam in December 2025, underlining his growing reputation in white-ball cricket.

India’s three-match ODI series against Afghanistan will begin on June 13 in Dharamsala, followed by matches in Lucknow on June 17 and Chennai on June 20.

India’s updated ODI squad for Afghanistan series: Shubman Gill (capt), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer (vice-capt), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey

READ: Shreyas Iyer replaces Suryakumar Yadav as India T20I captain

MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday appointed Shreyas Iyer as the new T20I captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav in a sweeping selection overhaul.

The decision comes amid Suryakumar’s dip in batting form, despite him leading India to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 title earlier this year.

He was dropped from the T20I side altogether after managing mere 242 runs in nine World Cup innings at a strike rate of 136.72 and enduring a modest IPL 2026 campaign with 270 runs in 13 matches at 20.76 average.

Iyer, meanwhile, returned to the T20I setup after a long absence, having last played in the format in December 2023. His appointment is backed by strong leadership credentials in franchise cricket, including guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL 2024 title and leading both Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings to IPL finals in 2020 and 2025, respectively.

His recent batting numbers further strengthened his case, with 604 runs in IPL 2025 at a strike rate of 175.07, followed by 498 runs in IPL 2026 at 168.81.

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Moreover, 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has earned his maiden call-up to the senior T20I squad after a blistering IPL season, during which he topped the run charts, amassing 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30, including a century and five half-centuries.

India will begin the new T20I era under Iyer with two matches in Ireland on June 26 and 28, followed by a five-match series in England from July 1 to 11.

The BCCI named a 16-member squad for the Ireland and England tours, which will be trimmed to 15 for the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi, Japan, scheduled from September 19 to October 4.

Jasprit Bumrah is set to replace Mohammed Siraj in the Asian Games squad, while Prince Yadav will miss out. The rest of the group remains unchanged.

India T20I squad for Ireland, England series: Shreyas Iyer (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vc), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Mohammed Siraj, Prince Yadav.

India T20I squad for Asian Games 2026: Shreyas Iyer (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (vc), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Jasprit Bumrah.

READ: Major blow for Sri Lanka ahead of Women’s T20 World Cup

Teenage Germany forward Lennart Karl has been ruled out of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 after sustaining an injury in training, the German Football Federation (DFB) said on Friday.

“Lenny tore a muscle bundle today in the final training session and is ruled out because of this injury. Have a good recovery, we’re thinking of you,” the DFB said on Instagram.

Germany have called up RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouedraogo to replace the 18-year-old Bayern Munich player.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann had said earlier in Chicago ahead of Saturday’s friendly against the United States that Karl’s injury “didn’t look good” and that he had been taken to the hospital for a scan.

The loss of Karl is a blow to Germany. He was one of the revelations of the Bundesliga season after making his top-flight debut this season, quickly establishing himself as part of Vincent Kompany’s league-winning side.

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He started his first match for Germany in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Finland, setting up a goal.

Nagelsmann also confirmed that veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer would not be fit in time to face the US, but hoped he would return for Germany’s first World Cup match against Curacao on June 14.

Neuer, 40, a World Cup winner in 2014, was surprisingly recalled for the tournament in May, almost two years after announcing his international retirement.

“At his age, he doesn’t need a warm-up phase,” Nagelsmann said. “He knows how to handle high-pressure situations. He’s on his way to peak fitness. However, we don’t want to take any risks tomorrow.”

READ: Argentina coach provides update on Messi fitness ahead of FIFA World Cup

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has provided a positive update on the fitness of their star player, Lionel Messi, ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 on Friday.

According to Scaloni, Messi has taken a step forward in his injury recovery and could play a few minutes in Argentina’s upcoming friendlies before their World Cup opener.

“Leo is doing well; he has already trained partly with the group, he’s no longer completely separated,” Scaloni said. “It’s possible he’ll play a few minutes in the friendlies. We’ll see whether that’s tomorrow’s game or the other one.”

Defending World Cup champions Argentina will take on Honduras in College Station, Texas, on Saturday and play Iceland on Tuesday in Auburn, Alabama.

“He’s much better, and that gives us peace of mind,” Scaloni said.

The medical staff of the Argentine national team has plenty of work, starting with their star Messi, who suffered a strain in his left hamstring in Inter Miami’s last match and was not expected to play against Honduras.

Scaloni also confirmed that goalkeeper Juan Musso, of Atletico Madrid, will start the game against Honduras at Kyle Field, given that his first-choice keeper, Emiliano Martinez, suffered a fracture in the ring finger of his right hand during the warm-up for the Europa League final.

Team medical staff has decided to hold him out of both friendlies, although Martinez should be available for the opener against Algeria.

Scaloni will also give minutes to debutant Santiago Beltran, the young River Plate goalkeeper called up for the friendlies.

In defense, right backs Nahuel Molina and Gonzalo Montiel are recovering from muscle tears, and the coaching staff has called up Agustin Giay and Nicolas Capaldo to replace them in the friendlies.

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Centre-back Cristian Romero is already training with the group after the knee sprain he suffered in April, although he comes in without match fitness.

Lionel Scaloni will have to decide whether to give him minutes or wait a few more days. Another case drawing scrutiny is that of Nicolas Paz, who is training separately after taking a heavy hit to his knee.

He has been ruled out for the Honduras game and will be cutting it close for the World Cup debut. Leandro Paredes and Julian Alvarez also arrived at Argentina’s camp in Kansas with physical issues.

Although they are improving, it is uncertain whether they will get any playing time in the warm-up matches.

“The situation is improving,” Scaloni said. “They’re fine, and we don’t want to risk them in these games, and the idea is surely that (the injured players) won’t take part in these friendlies.

“In this one (against Honduras), definitely not,” he added. “In the second, there might be a chance that one of them could play.”

Scaloni said the coming week will show “exactly where we stand.”

“For now everything is going quite well, and next week we’ll see,” he said.

Argentina are set to begin their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria in Kansas City.

READ: FIFA changes water bottle policy for World Cup after fan backlash

FIFA announced on Friday that it will permit fans to bring one “soft, plastic” disposable water bottle into World Cup 2026 venues, following an outcry over its ban on refillable bottles.

“All fans will be permitted to bring in one, soft, plastic 20 ounces (590ml), factory-sealed disposable water bottle into any FIFA World Cup 2026 match in the USA and Canada,” World Cup chief operating officer, Heimo Schirgi, said in a video posted on FIFA’s X account.

The announcement, which FIFA referred to as a “clarification” of its water bottle policy, followed two days after FIFA stated that refillable water bottles wouldn’t be permitted.

That was a change to their official stadium code of conduct that could force thirsty supporters to pay for bottled water.

FIFA justified the move on safety grounds, “to prevent risk and injury to players and attendees.

“Outside bottles are already prohibited at several of these venues for safety considerations, and FIFA is applying this consideration across its tournament stadiums,” FIFA said in a statement to AFP.

On Friday, FIFA said that those concerns remain valid.

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Schirgi said that “fans will not be permitted to bring in hard-sided, reusable water bottles due to safety and security reasons,” showing examples of bottles that will and won’t be allowed.

Forecasters have warned that fans could face health risks from extreme heat at open-air venues during the World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

A report published by the World Weather Attribution research group last month estimated that 26 of 104 games at the World Cup are likely to be played in conditions where the Wet Bulb Global Temperature (WBGT) exceeds 26 degrees.

WBGT is a measure of heat stress on the human body, which combines temperature, humidity, wind and sunlight.

At last year’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, where fans complained of searing temperatures, supporters were also barred from bringing water bottles into venues.

FIFA has noted that misting stations, fans, hydration stations and cooling tents would be available in “the stadium footprint”.

Bottled water inside the venue will be sold at prices which “remain consistent with other events held at each stadium,” FIFA says.

READ: Lionel Messi among first 11 named to MLS All-Star squad

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi of Argentina was among the first 11 players named on Friday to the MLS squad for next month’s MLS All-Star Game at Charlotte, North Carolina.

The MLS lineup, including at least five players competing in the FIFA World Cup 2026, will face a star-studded squad from the Mexican league on July 29.

The MLS “First XI” was chosen in a combined vote of players, fans and media and includes five players on World Cup rosters, Messi, South Korean Son Heung-min of Los Angeles FC, Americans Tim Ream of Charlotte, Sebastian Berhalter of Vancouver and South African Mbekezeli Mbokazi of Chicago.

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Others in the first batch of MLS All-Stars include goalkeeper Brian Schwake of Nashville, defensive backs Anthony Markanich of Minnesota United and Honduran Andy Najar of Nashville, midfielders Zavier Gozo of Real Salt Lake and German Hany Mukhtar of Nashville, plus Belgian forward Hugo Cuypers of Chicago.

Mbokazi became the second South African selected to an MLS All-Star squad after Doctor Khumalo in 1996, while Son was the second South Korean named an MLS All-Star after national team coach and former Los Angeles Galaxy defender Hong Myung-bo in 2003.

The final MLS Lineup will also include 13 players chosen by MLS All-Star coach Dean Smith of host Charlotte and two chosen by MLS commissioner Don Garber.

READ: England seize advantage against New Zealand in Lord’s Test