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He has rattled off four successive fifties and is only four runs short of being the top scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy

Deivarayan Muthu28-Jan-2021Before the start of this Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, N Jagadeesan had opened only in five out of 22 T20 innings, and largely floated in the middle order. In the absence of a number of senior Tamil Nadu players, Jagadeesan has enjoyed an extended run at a top, rattling off four successive half-centuries. Only four runs separate Jagadeesan (322) from this season’s top-scorer Punjab’s Prabhsimran Singh (326).Jagadeesan’s reunion at the top with his childhood friend C Hari Nishanth – they had played junior cricket together in Coimbatore and have also opened together for Dindigul Dragons in the TNPL – has been central to Tamil Nadu’s unbeaten run in the tournament. The pair has struck up three fifty-plus opening partnerships, including an unbroken 128 against Assam.”Me and Hari have batted a lot together, right from Under-13 cricket,” Jagadeesan told ESPNcricinfo ahead of Tamil Nadu’s semi-final against Rajasthan on Friday. “The understanding between me and Hari is slightly higher than any other player because we’ve been playing together since childhood. It’s been a great run, we’re very hopeful and we wish to continue the same.”In the match against Bengal at the Eden Gardens, Jagadeesan had gotten off to a sketchy start, with Ishan Porel threatening both his edges under lights, but he managed to ride that spell out. He then pressed on to hasten Tamil Nadu’s victory by hitting Porel himself over the top in the company of his captain Dinesh Karthik.”He’s [Porel’s] a bowler with experience and also other bowlers were also pretty quick,” Jagadeesan recalled. “So, I think when they were bowling good lengths, it was important for us to give them some respect and we also knew there was something on the wicket – it was seaming a bit and swinging. So, as an opener, I just thought of going through that phase somehow without losing my wicket. Obviously, when the ball is not going to do much and once you get to know about the bowler more, it’s going to get much more easier for you towards the end, especially when you’re settled.”Jagadeesan isn’t quite a power-hitter, but he has thrived by lofting and chipping the ball over the infield against the pacers in the powerplay. He reckoned that the time he had spent with Chennai Super Kings batting coach Mike Hussey in the IPL has helped him grow as a batsman.”We’re not someone who’re totally dependent on power; we’re players who look more for timing and the gaps you get in the field,” Jagadeesan said, “Personally, it has been a great experience to have good conversations with Hussey and he’s helped me a lot. Moreover, you don’t get a lot of time to work on your technique during the [IPL] season. It’s more about the mental ability to handle the bowlers; the kind of ideas and clear thoughts you can get while playing. These are simple mental thoughts that he gives me and coming from a player from his stature, it has been good for me.”‘It has been a great experience to have good conversations with Hussey and he’s helped me a lot’ – N Jagadeesan•BCCIAfter warming the bench in IPL 2018 and then 2019, Jagadeesan was handed his IPL debut in the UAE last season. He was an uncertain starter, though.”I was looking forward to my debut because I’ve been warming the bench for a few years before that,” he said. “Just two weeks before we were going to Dubai, I was playing basketball and the post fell on my head and so I had to do a surgery on my forehead. I wasn’t completely fit [to start] to be honest, but thanks to the quality of physios, the recovery was much better. I was totally fit once the matches started and I was eager to make my debut.”He eventually made his IPL debut against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai, with captain MS Dhoni handing him his maiden IPL cap and easing him into the CSK XI.”He [Dhoni] did tell me since it’s an IPL match, ‘I don’t think you should be nervous right now and I think you should recall your first-ever game – how you enjoyed and you just wanted to play and express yourself’. Yes, it did help a great deal for me.”Obviously, very special feeling because everybody idolises him [Dhoni], but not everybody gets to share the dressing room with him. So, extremely privileged and whenever I go and ask for any doubts, he’s always there to help and the door is always open. It’s not just about wicketkeeping, I also talk to him about batting as well. The way he’s off the field – jovial – it makes your life much easier.”In a chase of 170, Jagadeesan made 33 off 28 balls, with his reverse-swept four off Yuzvendra Chahal being the highlight of his IPL debut. Jagadeesan has unveiled a variety of sweeps to unsettle the spinners in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament as well.”Before your debut, you ask questions to yourself : ‘do you belong here or can I score runs here?’ After the first innings, my confidence grew and it’s about carrying through. Sweep is also something I’ve been playing for a long time. Even in TNPL and first-class cricket, I’ve score a lot of runs with the sweep. So, it is something which comes naturally to me, I guess, so I don’t give a lot of thought about it. I just pick the right ball to be swept.”

A sneak peek into our Tamil Nadu team's workout sessions @TNCACricket#MannequinChallenge pic.twitter.com/FPAYaF8GdO

— DK (@DineshKarthik) January 25, 2021

Trades happen fast in professional sports.

Especially ahead of the MLB trade deadline. If looking for an example of this fact, look no further than the case of Cincinnati Reds third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, who was dealt from the Pittsburgh Pirates to Cincinnati on Wednesday.

The deal—from acquisition to getting up to speed with the Reds—happened so quickly that Hayes didn't have time to get certain uniform items in Reds colors. So on Thursday, the day of his debut with the Reds, he simply wore Pirates-themed colors for his belt and cleats.

It was a pretty amusing sight, as well as a reminder of the business side of baseball.

Hayes thus far is hitless and made an error in his debut with Cincinnati.

The year 2024 was a difficult one for Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman and his family.

In the summer of the Dodgers' World Series-winning campaign, Freeman briefly stepped away from the team as his youngest son, Maximus, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. The rare autoimmune condition landed Maximus in the hospital, and Los Angeles rallied around Freddie as his son recovered.

Now, a year later, Freddie is giving back. The 2020 National League MVP is donating $1 million to the Children's Hospital of Orange County in California, he told ESPN's Jeff Passan Monday afternoon.

"Getting to know the doctors, nurses and care teams and seeing how they show up each day to bring healing and hope to kids and their families was inspiring," Freeman said. "CHOC saved Maximus's life."

Freeman, 35, is in his fourth year with the Dodgers. He currently leads the NL in batting average (.357) and OPS (1.063).

They were victors in 2023 and 2024 and things are looking good this year as well

Mohammad Isam10-Oct-2025

Big picture: Series win beckons AfghanistanAfghanistan are on the cusp of a third consecutive ODI series win against Bangladesh. They won the last two series in 2023 and 2024, as these two sides have become frequent bilateral opponents. Afghanistan’s five-wicket win on Wednesday was also a breath of fresh air after they lost their last five international matches.Azmatullah Omarzai was the all-round star in the game, taking three wickets and scoring an important 40 in the chase. His ODI stocks have been on the rise for the last few years. Rashid Khan also had a strong outing, picking up 3 for 38 and going past 200 ODI wickets.Afghanistan’s win this week also highlighted their other strengths. Rahmanullah Gurbaz played a mature knock under pressure, curbing his natural flair for the sake of the team’s stability. Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi continued as the background guys, keeping the batting line-up in shape in tricky chases. Left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote was another unsung hero, conceding just 31 runs in his full quota, taking Saif Hassan’s wicket. It is these percentage performers that keep the Afghanistan team going in ODIs.That isn’t the case for Bangladesh, who are having a hard time finding any consistent performers in this format. They are now lurching from one defeat to another in ODIs, having won just two games in the last 12 months. It was evident on Wednesday why they are no longer an ODI force. Bangladesh threw away a good start with soft dismissals and despite a recovery through a 101-run fourth-wicket stand, the rest of the batters succumbed to Rashid’s accuracy. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Jaker Ali and Nurul Hasan were all lbw to Rashid, which might have kept the head coach Phil Simmons busy in the lead-up to Saturday’s match.Bangladesh also need to figure out the Abu Dhabi conditions better. Afghanistan picking four spinners may have a lot to do with their confidence in the likes of Kharote and AM Ghazanfar, but Bangladesh missed out on playing Rishad Hossain. Bangladesh won the T20I leg of the tour 3-0. They’ll need some of that form seeping into the one-day leg if they are to keep the series alive.Form guideAfghanistan: WWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh: LLWLLNajmul Hossain Shanto needs to turn his form around•AFP/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Rahmat Shah and Najmul Hossain ShantoRahmat Shah goes undetected in the Afghanistan line-up of star allrounders and mystery spinners. But he leads the engine room – the middle-order – from where he has scripted many match-winning efforts. The latest was against Bangladesh, when he scored an invaluable half-century, in a 78-run third wicket stand with Gurbaz. It provided the foundation for Omarzai to thrive later on. Rahmat is the accumulator, and without him in the background, the Rashids, the Nabis and the Omarzais wouldn’t be able to grab the limelight.It has been a quiet few months for Najmul Hossain Shanto. Captain of Bangladesh in all three formats even last year, Shanto has taken a step back to work on his batting. Except that too hasn’t worked out well, after making just 37 runs in Bangladesh’s last ODI series against Sri Lanka. He came into this Afghanistan series with a single fifty in four matches for Rajshahi in the domestic T20 tournament. The format is different but Bangladesh need more from their No. 3 batter.Team news: Bangladesh need extra spinnerAfghanistan are likely to be unchanged for the second ODI.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Sediqullah Atal, 4 Rahmat Shah, 5 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 6 Azmatullah Omarzai, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 AM Ghazanfar, 10 Nangeyalia Kharote, 11 Bashir AhmadBangladesh could bring in Rishad to bolster their spin attack.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 6 Jaker Ali, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Tanzim Hasan Sakib, 9 Rishad Hossain, 10 Tanvir Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanPitch and conditions: Another slow pitch awaitsAbu Dhabi will continue to dish out slow pitches, so it is up to the batters to find ways to increase their scoring rates. The weather will be hot throughout the evening.Stats and trivia: Bangladesh struggling Bangladesh have won just two ODIs in the last 12 months, which has left them at No 10 in the ICC ODI Team Rankings. Rahmat took 119 innings to become Afghanistan’s first batter to reach 4000 runs in ODIs. He is now two runs short of reaching 5000 runs in all international formats. Bangladesh played out 168 dot balls, which represented 57.34% of the balls faced in the first match. Afghanistan meanwhile played 53.36% dot balls in their reply.

Carlo Ancelotti has explained why he ordered Estevao Willian to hand Brazil's second penalty to Lucas Paqueta in the draw against Tunisia, with the West Ham star's subsequent miss proving costly for the Selecao. The five-time world champions squandered a host of chances throughout the 90 minutes as they limped to a 1-1 draw against the African nation in their final international match of 2025.

Wasteful Brazil end 2025 with a draw

Brazil ended 2025 on a disappointing note as they were held to a 1-1 draw by a spirited Tunisia side, as Ancelotti oversaw his second draw as Selecao boss on Tuesday. The five-time world champions missed several chances throughout the game, including Rodrygo's early attempt, which was cleared off the line. Tunisia then took a shock lead in the 23rd minute as Hazem Mastouri broke the deadlock.

Casemiro and Vincius Junior then both came close to equalising before Estevao restored parity from a spot-kick in the 44th minute. Brazil were handed a second penalty in the 78th minute after Ferjani Sassi fouled Vitor Roque. Estevao, who had earlier converted a penalty, was instructed not to hand the kick over to West Ham star Lucas Paqueta, who then blazed over the crossbar.

AdvertisementAFPAncelotti explains why Paqueta took second penalty

Speaking to reporters after the game, Ancelotti explained why he ordered Estevao to stand down despite scoring the first-half penalty, telling reporters: "Paqueta was the penalty taker. For the second penalty, I changed because I wanted to take some of the pressure off Estevao, so I put Paquetá in, who usually takes them very well."

Analysing Brazil's overall performance, Ancelotti added: "Certainly, many, many (players). A few are missing, the list is quite complete. There are two friendlies left, but there are six months left, where anything can happen, the schedule is very demanding, the risk of injury is very high. The team, the atmosphere, are on the right track to reach the maximum level at the World Cup. 

"I have a lot of confidence in this team, in these players, and especially in this environment, which is a good environment. The players are serious, professional, and patriotic. They have a lot of affection for the shirt, and these are very important aspects."

How are Brazil shaping up for 2026 World Cup?

Brazil will have two more friendlies in the March international break before they head to North America for the 2026 World Cup.

Ancelotti went on to reveal his message to the squad ahead of a lengthy international hiatus, saying: "I spoke with them (the players), wished them the best for the games they are going to play, we are observing them, staying in contact with them, talking, keeping the communication open until March and the World Cup. That's the idea we have, there's an observation process that will be very important."

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GettyEstevao backed for Ballon d'Or

Estevao, who has enjoyed a fine start to his career at Chelsea, scored in both the friendly matches that the Selecao played in November and is likely to be a key member of Ancelotti's World Cup squad next summer.

Tunisia boss Samsi Trabelsi hailed the youngster as a 'football genius' before Tuesday's game and backed the 18-year-old to become one of the best players of his generation. "I think he's a new football genius emerging, very young," he said. "I think he's doing very well and he's a player who can be expected to be among the greats, among the best in the world, certainly, in the coming years. If he manages to have good performances or win titles, whether with his club or national team, he will be among the players who, in the coming years, could even compete for the Ballon d'Or. He brings many solutions, a lot of technique, a lot of genius. There aren't many players of that level, of that category of genius, on the world stage."

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O técnico Abel Ferreira fez duras críticas ao calendário do Brasileirão após a vitória do Palmeiras por 3 a 0 contra o Internacional, na Arena Barueri. Ao expressar sua opinião diante da quantidade de jogos em sequência na temporada, o treinador foi bem direto: “É uma vergonha”. Abel criticou diretamente a CBF, relacionando a sequência de partidas com o alto número de lesões.

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➡️Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

– É uma vergonha a CBF deixar (o Palmeiras) fazer 8 jogos seguidos com 2 ou 3 dias de descanso. É uma vergonha, isso é insano para todo mundo. No último jogo aqui, o Athletico-PR ficou sem dois jogadores e mais dois do Internacional. Nós aqui ficamos sem o Luan, que não sabemos o que vai acontecer. Será que isso não faz as pessoas refletirem? – desabafou Abel Ferreira em entrevista coletiva após o duelo.

– O que fazem aos jogadores brasileiros, ao futebol brasileiro é uma vergonha, porque tem público top, jogadores de grande qualidade que se esforçam para estar jogando sempre de dois em dois dias. No jogo contra o Flamengo, por exemplo, não conseguimos. Tem que fazer refletir. Enquanto eu estiver aqui vão ouvir eu dizer sempre isso, mas é a minha opinião. Tudo que eu falo tem uma única intenção: tornar o jogador melhor, o futebol brasileiro melhor.

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Ainda, o técnico afirmou estar “cansado” da rotina intensa de trabalho provocada pelo calendário apertado do futebol brasileiro, deixando uma incógnita em relação ao seu futuro no Palmeiras.

– Ainda faltam quatro jogos. Já disse a vocês, estou cansado. Estou cansado dos oito jogos seguidos. É muito jogo seguido, é muita entrevista coletiva seguida, é muita viagem seguida, é chegar ao CT às 4h da manhã, é decidir se vou dormir na casa com a minha família ou se fico ali. Não é isso que eu quero para mim.

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+ Rony se emociona após vitória do Palmeiras e torcedores comentam: ‘Merece’

Com o resultado, o Palmeiras foi aos 62 pontos e assumiu provisoriamente a liderança do Brasileirão, ultrapassando Grêmio e Botafogo, ambos com 59 e que ainda jogam neste domingo (12). Na próxima rodada, após a pausa para a Data Fifa, o Verdão vai ao Castelão enfrentar o Fortaleza no dia 26 de novembro (domingo), às 18h30 (de Brasília).

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Abel FerreiraBrasileirãoPalmeiras