Rajasthan Royals batter creates history during his 95 off 45 balls at Eden Gardens

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-20251:44

Katey Martin breaks down how Parag took down KKR bowlers

Riyan Parag became the first batter in the IPL to hit six sixes off successive deliveries, a feat he achieved during Rajasthan Royals’ chase against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. He went past Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Rinku Singh, who all had hit five successive sixes. Coincidentally, all these instances came during the second innings of the match. Here’s a look at each of them.Riyan ParagRR vs KKR, Eden Gardens, IPL 2025Chasing 207, RR were 102 for 5 in 12 overs. Shimron Hetmyer took a single off the first ball of the 13th, bowled by Moeen Ali, to bring Parag on strike. Parag deposited the next four deliveries over either the long-on or square-leg boundary. Trying to get away from Parag’s hitting arc, Moeen ended up bowling a wide next up. There was no respite, though, as Parag launched the next delivery over long-off. In the next over, Hetmyer once again took a single first ball, and Parag reverse-swept Varun Chakravarthy over backward point to make it six sixes in a row. RR, though, lost the match by one run.Chris GayleRCB vs PW, Chinnaswamy Stadium, IPL 2012Gayle was on a sedate 41 off 36 balls with Royal Challengers Bengaluru chasing 183 against Pune Warriors. With their required rate ballooning to 13.37 after 12 overs, something had to give. Saurabh Tiwary took a single off the first ball off legspinner Rahul Sharma and watched Gayle smash the next five balls for five sixes. After three sixes, Rahul went around the wicket but it made no difference. Gayle fell for 81 off 48 but RCB sealed the win off the final delivery of the match.Kieron PollardMI vs SRH, Wankhede, IPL 2013MI needed 62 from four overs when Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Cameron White gave the ball to Thisara Perera. Rohit Sharma hit the first ball for a six and took a single off the second. Pollard then went 4, 6, 6, 6, making it a 29-run over. Amit Mishra bowled the next over. After a single off the first ball, Pollard was back on strike, and hit the next two balls for two more sixes. A dot later, Mishra bowled a waist-high no-ball; Pollard dispatched that too for a six, making it 40 off eight balls. MI finished the chase with three balls to spare.Rinku SinghKKR vs GT, Ahmedabad, IPL 2023Kolkata Knight Riders needed 29 off the final over against Gujarat Titans. No team had chased down that many in the 20th over of a T20 – the previous best was 23. But Rinku Singh changed that. Umesh Yadav took a single off Yash Dayal’s first ball. With 28 needed from five balls, Dayal lost his radar. He bowled three full tosses and two short deliveries that Rinku clattered for 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 as KKR chased down 205 in one of the most astonishing finishes in cricket.

أعلن الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، فيفا، مجموعة منتخب إنجلترا 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 إنجلترا (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وتأهل منتخب إنجلنرا، بقيادة المدرب توماس توخيل، إلى بطولة كأس العالم بعدما تواجد في صدارة المجموعة الحادية عشر في تصفيات قارة أوروبا برصيد 24 نقطة.

وودع منتخب إنجلترا بطولة كأس العالم، نسخة قطر 2022، من دور ربع النهائي بعد الخسارة أمام فرنسا بهدفين لهدف. مجموعة منتخب إنجلترا في كأس العالم 2026

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

المجموعة الثانية عشر: إنجلترا، كرواتيا، غانا، بنما.

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman excited the club's fanbase by importing seven players at the trade deadline, including three high-leverage relief pitchers to aid a bullpen that's been among the league's worst over the course of the last month.

Two of those relief pitchers, Jake Bird and David Bednar, made their debuts for the Yankees during Friday's game against the Miami Marlins. Let's just say it didn't exactly go according to plan.

Bird entered the game with a 9-4 lead and promptly loaded the bases with a pair of singles and a walk. Then, Bird missed badly with a sinker out over the middle of the plate to Marlings power-hitting outfielder Kyle Stowers, who belted it for a grand slam to make it a 9-8 ballgame. The Yankees then turned to Bednar, who they hoped would quickly put an end to the inning and preserve the club's lead.

Instead, Bednar surrendered the game-tying home run and a go-ahead RBI single. Fortunately, the Yankees tied the game in the top of the eighth inning and Bednar settled in for a scoreless frame in the bottom half.

The Yankees scratched a pair of runs across in the top of the ninth and handed the ball to another new reliever in Camilo Doval, hoping the trade deadline pickup could shut the door on a victory. But the nightmarish night for the Yankees continued, as Doval allowed two baserunners on after getting the first out of the inning. Then, the Yankees righthander allowed a single to right field, which rolled under right fielder Jose Caballero's glove, allowing the tying runs to score.

The Marlins then won the game on an unplayable slow roller between Doval and catcher Austin Wells.

On Saturday Mike Trout hit a big career milestone. The Angels superstar mashed his 400th career home run, an absolute monster of a 485-foot shot against the Rockies at Coors Field. It was a cool moment for the former MVP amidst a down season in Los Angeles— and he capped the night off with a very classy gesture for the fan who caught the ball.

Per ESPN the fan caught the home run ball while attending the game with his family. He was willing to give the milestone baseball back to the superstar, but had one special request: to play a game of catch. Trout obliged, playing catch with the fan on the field after the 3-0 Angels win over the Rockies.

A really cool gesture from Trout and undoubtedly an incredible special moment for the fan. Trout also gave the fan's family three signed baseballs and two signed bats.

"Once they get older and realize, that'll be an awesome memory for the dad to tell the kids, to experience that," Trout said of playing catch with the fan. "I know how I felt when I went to a ballgame with my dad."

The homer was Trout's 22nd of the year for the 70-85 Angels. He'll try to hit No. 401 against the Rockies on Sunday with first pitch set 3:10 p.m. ET.

Argentine football has been shaken by a major disciplinary ruling after Estudiantes de La Plata refused to perform a guard of honour for Angel Di Maria’s Rosario Central. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) responded with sweeping sanctions, including a six-month suspension for club president Juan Sebastian Veron and bans for all 11 players involved, intensifying tensions around a controversial title awarded to Rosario.

Estudiantes' controversial protest lands club in trouble

The fallout from Estudiantes' dramatic protest last weekend has escalated into one of the most polarising episodes in recent Argentine football. The controversy began when the AFA unexpectedly awarded Rosario Central a title for having the most points in the 2025 calendar year, a decision that many clubs believed was merely a symbolic “recognition,” not an actual championship.

But when AFA president Chiqui Tapia presented a physical trophy to Rosario captain Di Maria, discontent erupted. Estudiantes became the only club to publicly reject the legitimacy of the title, and their response on the pitch sent shockwaves through the league. As Rosario’s players walked out expecting a traditional guard of honour, Estudiantes players turned their backs in unison in protest.

The gesture has since transformed into a debate, exposing growing frustration with the AFA’s leadership and the perception that Tapia has been using the national team’s recent success, and his proximity to Lionel Messi, to expand his influence over domestic competitions.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHeavy sanctions and Veron at the centre

After days of internal debate, the AFA delivered one of the harshest ruling in recent years. All 11 Estudiantes starters from the match received two-game suspensions, to be enforced in 2026. Captain Santiago Nunez was given an additional punishment: a three-month ban from wearing the armband.

But the most severe blow was dealt to club president Sebastian Veron. The AFA suspended him from all sporting activity for six months, declaring him the mastermind behind the protest.

The official ruling stated: “The president himself acknowledges having given the order that led to the behaviour being judged here… revealing that it was not an improvised or isolated gesture but a directive issued by the highest institutional authority of the club.”

The politics behind the protest

Beyond the immediate sanctions, the incident has exposed deeper fractures within Argentine football. Many clubs felt blindsided by the AFA’s decision to present the trophy to Rosario Central. They claim they agreed only to a “recognition” and not an official championship title.

Reports indicate that Tapia’s handling of the matter sparked widespread frustration, with club officials privately complaining that the process was orchestrated without transparency. Estudiantes, however, was the only club willing to publicly challenge the decision.

Their protest was symbolic but loaded. Historically, the guard of honour is a tradition rooted in respect, voluntarily performed for league champions who secure a title early. By rejecting it, Estudiantes sent a strong message. The AFA’s stern response only intensified the debate, raising questions about authority, protocol, and the growing political dimensions of Argentine football administration.

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Getty Images SportEstudiantes stand firm as the fallout continues

In the aftermath, Estudiantes issued a strong statement backing Veron, Nunez and the entire squad. The club announced it is “thoroughly analysing the sanction” and may pursue an appeal, arguing that the penalties reflect a punitive, politically motivated response rather than a fair administrative judgment.

Public reaction has been divided. Some believe Estudiantes crossed a line by politicising a matchday tradition. Others see the club’s stance as a principled challenge to an AFA presidency accused of consolidating power and reshaping competitions without wider consensus.

As of now, the sanctions stand and so does the fracture they exposed. And with Veron sidelined for six months, the standoff between Estudiantes and the AFA is far from over.

Tottenham’s unbeaten Champions League run came to a dramatic end at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night against PSG, but there were positives to take from the thrilling encounter.

The European champions were rocked by Thomas Frank’s plucky Spurs side, who gave Luis Enrique a real nightmare, with PSG mounting two separate comebacks to secure a pulsating 5-3 victory.

Midfielder Vitinha claimed a memorable hat-trick, with PSG having to rely on moments of sheer quality just to overcome the north Londoners in France.

Frank’s men stunned the home side by taking a deserved lead on 35 minutes through Richarlison, who headed home from close range after brilliant build-up play involving youngsters Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. The Brazilian’s opener looked set to give Spurs a halftime advantage, but Vitinha crashed in a spectacular 25-yard equaliser via the crossbar just before the break.

PSG 5-3 Tottenham – best performers

Match Rating

Randal Kolo Muani

8.7

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

8.4

Vitinha

8.4

Willian Pacho

8.1

Joao Neves

8.0

via WhoScored

Tottenham regained their lead five minutes into the second period when Randal Kolo Muani fired home against his parent club, converting the rebound after Gray’s effort was cleared off the line. However, PSG responded immediately with a devastating 13-minute blitz that turned the contest decisively in their favour.

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Vitinha curled home his second goal after being afforded excessive space to cut inside, before Fabian Ruiz completed the turnaround six minutes later following a costly turnover from Pape Matar Sarr outside his own penalty area. William Pacho then extended PSG’s advantage to 4-2 after Tottenham failed to clear Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s corner adequately.

Kolo Muani bundled his way through to drill home his second goal with 18 minutes remaining, briefly offering Spurs hope of salvaging something from the match. Those aspirations were dampened moments later, when Cristian Romero’s handball gifted PSG a penalty, which Vitinha confidently converted to complete his hat-trick and seal all three points.

The loss was Tottenham’s first in nine Champions League matches and leaves them sitting 15th in the league phase standings. Despite showing attacking intent and twice taking the lead, Frank’s young side were ultimately undone by defensive lapses during crucial moments in the second half.

Kolo Muani’s man of the match display against PSG, a club he’s still under contract with, gave Spurs major hope that they could have the answer to their striking problems after all.

The Frenchman, who’s suffered repeated injury setbacks since joining on loan, bagged his first goals for the Lilywhites and proved a real mence against one of the continent’s top sides.

However, Kolo Muani wasn’t Tottenham’s only bright spark on the night.

Thomas Frank praises "very impressive" Archie Gray in Tottenham loss to PSG

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Frank reserved special praise for Gray, who linked up with Bergvall for Spurs’ opening goal of the contest and provided real energy in midfield.

The 19-year-old has spent most of this season out with a calf injury so far, and before that, found it hard to get consistent first-team minutes with Joao Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Sarr and Bergvall all ahead of him in the pecking order.

Much like last season, Gray responded with a solid performance when called upon last night, and it could be time for the Englishman to earn Frank’s starting nod much more often.

The former Leeds United sensation was given a baptism of fire under Ange Postecoglou last season when asked to play multiple unfamiliar roles during Spurs’ 24/25 injury crisis, and he’s done arguably done enough to earn the club’s favour.

With the 2026 World Cup just round the corner, Gray will be hoping that he can potentially stake his claim in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, but he’ll need Frank’s faith with more game time.

Chelsea have now submitted an opening bid for Athletic Club forward Nico Williams, amid a new update on his future at the La Liga club.

The Blues already have a plethora of attacking options, having invested heavily during the summer transfer window, with Jamie Gittens grabbing his first Premier League assist of the season in the 2-0 victory against Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Gittens set up fellow winger Pedro Neto with a perfectly weighted ball from the left, before Enzo Fernandez sealed all three points with just minutes left to play, moving the Blues up to second in the Premier League in the process.

After the disappointing 2-1 defeat against Sunderland at the end of October, Enzo Maresca’s side look like they are starting to click, and there may be an outside chance they could even compete for the title, although BlueCo may need to strengthen the squad in January to make that dream a reality.

Chelsea submit opening offer for Nico Williams

According to a report from Spain, Chelsea have now submitted an opening offer of €70m (£62m) for Athletic Club star Williams, and they are willing to triple the winger’s salary in order to tempt him into a January move to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have been working on a deal for weeks, and they are now confident they will be able to get it over the line soon, with the 23-year-old being identified as a key target, although there is set to be competition for his signature.

Tottenham Hotspur have now matched the west Londoners’ offer for the Spain international, with it being revealed his future at Athletic Club is ‘more open than ever’, amid interest from two of the Premier League’s top sides.

There are question marks over whether the Athletic Club star would be a necessary signing, given that Maresca already has a wide array of attacking options, as Chelsea have been obsessed with signing young forwards with high potential.

However, the Pamplona-born forward has certainly impressed in both Spain and Europe over the past three seasons, indicating he could be capable of displacing Gittens in the starting XI at left-wing.

Nico Williams’ performance by season

Appearances (all comps)

Goal contributions

2023-24

37

26

2024-25

45

18

2025-26

10

4

The Spaniard was also one of the stars of Euro 2024, scoring two goals and picking up one assist as his side went on to defeat England 2-1 in the final, while Statman Dave was left particularly impressed by his performance against Georgia in the round of 16.

As such, Williams, who is regarded as one of the best wingers in the world, could be a solid signing for Chelsea, as they look to mount an outside push for the Premier League title.

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He’d be a stellar addition to Enzo Maresca’s side.

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West Ham United are now working on a January signing to replace Max Kilman, who has been “nowhere near good enough this season”.

West Ham have struggled from a defensive point of view so far this season, having shipped 25 Premier League goals, the second-highest of any side, behind only Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have taken just two points from their opening 12 games.

Although results have been much-improved in recent weeks, with the Hammers taking seven points from their last three games, they have been unable to fix their defensive issues, failing to keep a clean sheet in their last nine Premier League games.

Even in the 3-2 victory against Burnley earlier this month, Nuno’s side looked shaky at the back, with Alphonse Areola making an error leading to a goal, before Kilman went on to give away a penalty in the 2-2 draw at AFC Bournemouth last time out.

It appears as though the 28-year-old’s latest mistake may be the final straw for the Irons, with a replacement now wanted in the January transfer window…

West Ham working on January move for Max Kilman replacement

In an interview with Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown has now confirmed West Ham are looking to improve their centre-back options this winter, saying: “West Ham would like to upgrade on Max Kilman,

“They’ve assessed that he isn’t good enough for where they want to be, so the next step is identifying somebody who they can bring in to improve.

“They will already be aware of some who might be available and working to find out about others.

“Kilman, though, is definitely somebody who they think they can improve upon because his performances have been nowhere near good enough this season.

“In that game against Bournemouth, first of all he gave away the penalty, and then it was his mistake which led to the second goal as well.”

Wayne Rooney has since suggested the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man was lucky to avoid being sent off too, saying: “It’s a penalty, and it has to be a red card, he’s six yards out. It’s a clear goal-scoring opportunity, so it baffles me that it isn’t a red card”

It is no surprise the Hammers are looking to bring in a new centre-back, given that the Englishman has struggled at times this season, failing to win any of the three duels he contested in the victory against Burnley.

Reporter Joshua Mbu also took to X to single the centre-back out for criticism for his performance against the Clarets.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers man is one of West Ham’s highest earners, raking in £100k-a-week, and given that he hasn’t earned those high wages so far this season, it may be worth cashing in this January.

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Not everyone has been a hit, but Chelsea have built up quite a reputation for signing incredible young talents in recent years.

The likes of Moises Caicedo, Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens and Roméo Lavia were all 21 or younger when they secured their moves to Stamford Bridge.

However, the best young signing the club have made has to be Cole Palmer, although with how he’s playing, Estevao could take that title from him.

With that said, Chelsea have just secured the services of a hugely exciting prospect who could end up being a bigger star than both of them.

Palmer and Estevao's debut campaigns

When it comes to recent debut campaigns at Chelsea, it would be hard to deny that Palmer’s was the best in quite some time.

The former Manchester City gem arrived at the club without too much fanfare, but within a few games showed the fans and the rest of the league that he was not an ordinary signing.

He provided his first assist in the Third Round of the League Cup and then scored his first goal a couple of weeks later against Burnley in the league.

By the end of the season, the versatile international had scored 25 goals and provided 15 assists in 45 appearances, totalling just 3613 minutes.

That works out to an extraordinary average of a goal involvement every 1.12 games, or one every 90.32 minutes, which would be incredible for a seasoned veteran, let alone a 21-year-old.

Appearances

45

16

Starts

40

7

Minutes

3613′

657′

Goals

25

4

Assists

15

1

Now, while it is unlikely that Estevao will beat that this year, he is certainly giving it a good go.

For example, in 16 mostly substitute appearances, totalling 657 minutes, the 18-year-old has scored four goals and provided one assist.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.2 games, or more crucially, every 131.4 minutes.

In all, it’s clear that, so long as they remain fit, Palmer and Estevao will continue to impress for Chelsea, but the club might have just signed another brilliant youngster who could be held in the same regard as them in the future.

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The latest prospect who could eventually be a game-changer for the Blues is Deinner Ordonez, who signed a pre-contract agreement with the club on Friday.

It had to be a pre-contract, as the Ecuadorian wonderkid is still just 16 years old and, due to rules on foreign-born youngsters, won’t be able to join Enzo Maresca’s squad until January 2028.

Moreover, he’s yet to even make a senior appearance for his club, Independiente del Valle.

However, that didn’t stop the West Londoners fighting off three other top European clubs for his signature, and based on what those in the know say about him, it’s easy to understand why.

For example, while he’s yet to play in the first team, the incredible prospect has been making waves in the youth system for some time now and was promoted to the u17s when he was just 14 years old.

Described as “an absolute alien of a talent” and someone who will “be one of the best CBs in the world” by Como scout Felix Johnstone, the Esmeraldas-born gem has also made a massive impression at the international level.

He is already playing for Ecuador’s u20 side and became the youngest player to represent the side at the South American U-20 Championship earlier this year.

It certainly feels like his senior debut is going to come sooner rather than later, especially as respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as a “huge potential CB with physicality and athleticism way beyond his age.”

He’s not just a youngster who has got ahead with impressive physicality, though, as Mattinson also points out his “outstanding range of passing” and the fact that he is “completely both-footed.”

Ultimately, it’s still so early in his career, but just like with Estevao, it’s already clear that Ordonez is a truly special prospect, and one that could be as effective for Chelsea as the Brazilian and Palmer.

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On an Adelaide pitch with extra bounce, he scored 61 off 77 balls using a more upright stance at the crease

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-20252:31

Iyer: ‘Definitely hurts losing in this manner’

Shreyas Iyer believes that going back to a more upright stance has helped him counter extra bounce. He has used this “new” stance – adapted from one he used in the past – in domestic cricket, against Australia A, and now, in the ODI series in Australia. While India scratched around on a seaming pitch in the second ODI in Adelaide, Iyer negotiated the tough spells, scoring 61 off 77.Iyer’s game against short-pitched bowling at high pace has always been a talking point. Not part of India’s Test or T20I sides, Iyer spent the time off working on his game to counter extra bounce. “Since last year, I wanted to have an upright stance [for conditions] where the bounce is a little bit more than expected,” he said.”And based on that, I worked with my coach and we developed this new technique, and it was kind of suiting me pretty well. And the way I grew up playing, it was very much that I predominantly had an upright stance, and I just was like, ‘Let’s go back to my old technique and see how it, you know, [holds] up.'”So, yeah, I backed myself and then, from there on, I started [trying the technique] in the domestic [games]… Till now, I’ve been continuing with the same stance.”Related

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Iyer grew up batting with this upright stance, but perhaps the back injuries he has battled made him make changes. “Even in Mumbai, when we play on red-soil wickets – where the bounce is a little bit extra than expected – I think it helps with the upright stance,” Iyer said.”And yeah, you’ve got to keep chopping and changing every now and then, because you don’t play on the same wickets [all the time]. Whatever the wicket demands, you’ve got to change your stance accordingly, and I think I’ve changed so many stances [that] I’m able to adapt anywhere at the moment.”Iyer last played for India during their undefeated Champions Trophy campaign in the UAE in March. Since then, he has played the IPL, two first-class matches, and then captained India A in the three one-day matches against Australia A. At some point during this break, he reached the conclusion that his body, at the moment, is not supporting his first-class cricket, prompting him to request the BCCI for a six-month break from red-ball cricket.”When I played red-ball cricket after the IPL, I realised that if I field for long spells on the ground, my intensity starts to go down. And the intensity that you need to maintain in international cricket, I wasn’t able to match up to it. In ODIs, you know you will get rest after one day and be able to recover. Not in Tests. That is why I made that call, and conveyed that message.”