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Women’s Candidates winner R. Vaishali returns home to lukewarm welcome in Chennai After 14 rounds of draining, exacting chess, and a final-round victory over former World Rapid and Blitz champion Kateryna Lagno to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026, Grandmaster R. Vaishali returned home in the early hours of Sunday.Despite the odd hour and the restrictions in place owing to the Tamil Nadu Assembly election week, the welcome was relatively subdued, though around 50 students from Velammal were still at the airport to receive her.Carrying placards with messages for the newly crowned challenger, they gathered to greet her, cut a cake and pose for photographs. Nearby stood Vaishali’s family. Her father, Rameshbabu, watched quietly from a corner, taking it all in, before Vaishali spotted him, rushed across and posed with her family and the winner’s medal. The Women’s Candidates remained open almost until the very end, and Vaishali’s patience and resilience saw her finally lift the title in Cyprus. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath The Women’s Candidates remained open almost until the very end, and Vaishali’s patience and resilience saw her finally lift the title in Cyprus. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath For Vaishali, the moment completion of a full circle.Back in 2013, as a 12-year-old, she had been in attendance when Viswanathan Anand faced Magnus Carlsen in Chennai for the World Championship title. More than a decade later, she now finds herself on the verge of that same stage.“It is a dream moment for me. I’m very happy. I’ve followed many World Championship matches, and now I’ll be playing one. I’m really looking forward to it,” Vaishali told Sportstar on her arrival in the city.The Women’s Candidates remained open almost until the very end, with multiple players still in contention deep into the tournament.Going into the final round, Vaishali needed to beat Lagno, while Bibisara Assaubayeva, who eventually finished second, had to either lose or draw against fellow Indian Divya Deshmukh. Divya held Bibisara, leaving Vaishali needing a win over Lagno to clinch the title that very day.“Before the tournament, we had worked on different openings, and we had narrowed it down to two that we thought could come up in the final round. As expected, one of them did, and thankfully it worked out,” said Grandmaster M. Pranesh, who travelled with Vaishali as a sparring partner.The opening was the Sicilian Dragon. Lagno gave up a pawn early to generate attacking chances against Vaishali’s king, but Vaishali defended precisely, stayed calm under pressure and gradually turned the position in her favour, using her bishop actively to keep Lagno’s queen under watch.“It was a very close tournament. It could have gone either way, and I won the last game, which was very crucial in that situation,” Vaishali said.Her path to the title had been anything but smooth. Vaishali began with four consecutive draws and then suffered a loss to Zhu Jiner in Round 5. When the two met again in Round 12, Vaishali went in with a one-point lead, only to lose once more. Yet that defeat, paradoxically, would come to be seen by her camp as a turning point rather than a setback.“The second loss was actually crucial,” said coach R.B. Ramesh. “She went into Round 12 with a one-point lead and then lost to Zhu, which brought them level. I told her to treat it as if she had drawn the game, because she was still in joint lead going into Round 13 against Tan Zhongyi. The idea was to take it positively and move on.”Almost everyone around Vaishali in Cyprus echoed that view. The loss to Zhu did not derail her campaign. If anything, it released some of the tension that had built up around the burden of leading and allowed her to reset for the final push.Now comes the biggest match of her career: a World Championship clash against reigning champion Ju Wenjun. The two met at last year’s Norway Chess Women, where their classical game ended in a draw before Vaishali won the Armageddon tiebreak, her first victory over Ju in any format. R. Vaishali’s challenges will only go steeper from here, for her next big match is against reigning world champion Ju Wenjun. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath R. Vaishali’s challenges will only go steeper from here, for her next big match is against reigning world champion Ju Wenjun. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath “I have played only a few classical games against her, and I’m very excited to face her for the title next,” Vaishali said.For Ramesh and the team around her, the scale of what lies ahead is still sinking in. Planning, he said, will begin soon, with discussions around building a support team, identifying areas of improvement and deciding the structure of the training camp, likely from the first week of May.“It will be her first match on such a big stage, and even for all of us it will be a new experience,” Ramesh said. “We will take suggestions from experienced people around us, listen to feedback and then move forward from there.”Published on Apr 19, 2026 #Womens #Candidates #winner #Vaishali #returns #home #lukewarm #Chennai

Women’s Candidates winner R. Vaishali returns home to lukewarm welcome in Chennai

After 14 rounds of draining, exacting chess, and a final-round victory over former World Rapid and Blitz champion Kateryna Lagno to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026, Grandmaster R. Vaishali returned home in the early hours of Sunday.

Despite the odd hour and the restrictions in place owing to the Tamil Nadu Assembly election week, the welcome was relatively subdued, though around 50 students from Velammal were still at the airport to receive her.

Carrying placards with messages for the newly crowned challenger, they gathered to greet her, cut a cake and pose for photographs. Nearby stood Vaishali’s family. Her father, Rameshbabu, watched quietly from a corner, taking it all in, before Vaishali spotted him, rushed across and posed with her family and the winner’s medal.

Women’s Candidates winner R. Vaishali returns home to lukewarm welcome in Chennai After 14 rounds of draining, exacting chess, and a final-round victory over former World Rapid and Blitz champion Kateryna Lagno to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026, Grandmaster R. Vaishali returned home in the early hours of Sunday.Despite the odd hour and the restrictions in place owing to the Tamil Nadu Assembly election week, the welcome was relatively subdued, though around 50 students from Velammal were still at the airport to receive her.Carrying placards with messages for the newly crowned challenger, they gathered to greet her, cut a cake and pose for photographs. Nearby stood Vaishali’s family. Her father, Rameshbabu, watched quietly from a corner, taking it all in, before Vaishali spotted him, rushed across and posed with her family and the winner’s medal. The Women’s Candidates remained open almost until the very end, and Vaishali’s patience and resilience saw her finally lift the title in Cyprus. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath The Women’s Candidates remained open almost until the very end, and Vaishali’s patience and resilience saw her finally lift the title in Cyprus. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath For Vaishali, the moment completion of a full circle.Back in 2013, as a 12-year-old, she had been in attendance when Viswanathan Anand faced Magnus Carlsen in Chennai for the World Championship title. More than a decade later, she now finds herself on the verge of that same stage.“It is a dream moment for me. I’m very happy. I’ve followed many World Championship matches, and now I’ll be playing one. I’m really looking forward to it,” Vaishali told Sportstar on her arrival in the city.The Women’s Candidates remained open almost until the very end, with multiple players still in contention deep into the tournament.Going into the final round, Vaishali needed to beat Lagno, while Bibisara Assaubayeva, who eventually finished second, had to either lose or draw against fellow Indian Divya Deshmukh. Divya held Bibisara, leaving Vaishali needing a win over Lagno to clinch the title that very day.“Before the tournament, we had worked on different openings, and we had narrowed it down to two that we thought could come up in the final round. As expected, one of them did, and thankfully it worked out,” said Grandmaster M. Pranesh, who travelled with Vaishali as a sparring partner.The opening was the Sicilian Dragon. Lagno gave up a pawn early to generate attacking chances against Vaishali’s king, but Vaishali defended precisely, stayed calm under pressure and gradually turned the position in her favour, using her bishop actively to keep Lagno’s queen under watch.“It was a very close tournament. It could have gone either way, and I won the last game, which was very crucial in that situation,” Vaishali said.Her path to the title had been anything but smooth. Vaishali began with four consecutive draws and then suffered a loss to Zhu Jiner in Round 5. When the two met again in Round 12, Vaishali went in with a one-point lead, only to lose once more. Yet that defeat, paradoxically, would come to be seen by her camp as a turning point rather than a setback.“The second loss was actually crucial,” said coach R.B. Ramesh. “She went into Round 12 with a one-point lead and then lost to Zhu, which brought them level. I told her to treat it as if she had drawn the game, because she was still in joint lead going into Round 13 against Tan Zhongyi. The idea was to take it positively and move on.”Almost everyone around Vaishali in Cyprus echoed that view. The loss to Zhu did not derail her campaign. If anything, it released some of the tension that had built up around the burden of leading and allowed her to reset for the final push.Now comes the biggest match of her career: a World Championship clash against reigning champion Ju Wenjun. The two met at last year’s Norway Chess Women, where their classical game ended in a draw before Vaishali won the Armageddon tiebreak, her first victory over Ju in any format. R. Vaishali’s challenges will only go steeper from here, for her next big match is against reigning world champion Ju Wenjun. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath R. Vaishali’s challenges will only go steeper from here, for her next big match is against reigning world champion Ju Wenjun. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath “I have played only a few classical games against her, and I’m very excited to face her for the title next,” Vaishali said.For Ramesh and the team around her, the scale of what lies ahead is still sinking in. Planning, he said, will begin soon, with discussions around building a support team, identifying areas of improvement and deciding the structure of the training camp, likely from the first week of May.“It will be her first match on such a big stage, and even for all of us it will be a new experience,” Ramesh said. “We will take suggestions from experienced people around us, listen to feedback and then move forward from there.”Published on Apr 19, 2026 #Womens #Candidates #winner #Vaishali #returns #home #lukewarm #Chennai

The Women’s Candidates remained open almost until the very end, and Vaishali’s patience and resilience saw her finally lift the title in Cyprus. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath

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The Women’s Candidates remained open almost until the very end, and Vaishali’s patience and resilience saw her finally lift the title in Cyprus. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath

For Vaishali, the moment completion of a full circle.

Back in 2013, as a 12-year-old, she had been in attendance when Viswanathan Anand faced Magnus Carlsen in Chennai for the World Championship title. More than a decade later, she now finds herself on the verge of that same stage.

“It is a dream moment for me. I’m very happy. I’ve followed many World Championship matches, and now I’ll be playing one. I’m really looking forward to it,” Vaishali told Sportstar on her arrival in the city.

The Women’s Candidates remained open almost until the very end, with multiple players still in contention deep into the tournament.

Going into the final round, Vaishali needed to beat Lagno, while Bibisara Assaubayeva, who eventually finished second, had to either lose or draw against fellow Indian Divya Deshmukh. Divya held Bibisara, leaving Vaishali needing a win over Lagno to clinch the title that very day.

“Before the tournament, we had worked on different openings, and we had narrowed it down to two that we thought could come up in the final round. As expected, one of them did, and thankfully it worked out,” said Grandmaster M. Pranesh, who travelled with Vaishali as a sparring partner.

The opening was the Sicilian Dragon. Lagno gave up a pawn early to generate attacking chances against Vaishali’s king, but Vaishali defended precisely, stayed calm under pressure and gradually turned the position in her favour, using her bishop actively to keep Lagno’s queen under watch.

“It was a very close tournament. It could have gone either way, and I won the last game, which was very crucial in that situation,” Vaishali said.

Her path to the title had been anything but smooth. Vaishali began with four consecutive draws and then suffered a loss to Zhu Jiner in Round 5. When the two met again in Round 12, Vaishali went in with a one-point lead, only to lose once more. Yet that defeat, paradoxically, would come to be seen by her camp as a turning point rather than a setback.

“The second loss was actually crucial,” said coach R.B. Ramesh. “She went into Round 12 with a one-point lead and then lost to Zhu, which brought them level. I told her to treat it as if she had drawn the game, because she was still in joint lead going into Round 13 against Tan Zhongyi. The idea was to take it positively and move on.”

Almost everyone around Vaishali in Cyprus echoed that view. The loss to Zhu did not derail her campaign. If anything, it released some of the tension that had built up around the burden of leading and allowed her to reset for the final push.

Now comes the biggest match of her career: a World Championship clash against reigning champion Ju Wenjun. The two met at last year’s Norway Chess Women, where their classical game ended in a draw before Vaishali won the Armageddon tiebreak, her first victory over Ju in any format.

R. Vaishali’s challenges will only go steeper from here, for her next big match is against reigning world champion Ju Wenjun.

R. Vaishali’s challenges will only go steeper from here, for her next big match is against reigning world champion Ju Wenjun. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath

lightbox-info

R. Vaishali’s challenges will only go steeper from here, for her next big match is against reigning world champion Ju Wenjun. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath

“I have played only a few classical games against her, and I’m very excited to face her for the title next,” Vaishali said.

For Ramesh and the team around her, the scale of what lies ahead is still sinking in. Planning, he said, will begin soon, with discussions around building a support team, identifying areas of improvement and deciding the structure of the training camp, likely from the first week of May.

“It will be her first match on such a big stage, and even for all of us it will be a new experience,” Ramesh said. “We will take suggestions from experienced people around us, listen to feedback and then move forward from there.”

Published on Apr 19, 2026

#Womens #Candidates #winner #Vaishali #returns #home #lukewarm #Chennai

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After 14 rounds of draining, exacting chess, and a final-round victory over former World Rapid and Blitz champion Kateryna Lagno to win the FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026, Grandmaster R. Vaishali returned home in the early hours of Sunday.

Despite the odd hour and the restrictions in place owing to the Tamil Nadu Assembly election week, the welcome was relatively subdued, though around 50 students from Velammal were still at the airport to receive her.

Carrying placards with messages for the newly crowned challenger, they gathered to greet her, cut a cake and pose for photographs. Nearby stood Vaishali’s family. Her father, Rameshbabu, watched quietly from a corner, taking it all in, before Vaishali spotted him, rushed across and posed with her family and the winner’s medal.

The Women’s Candidates remained open almost until the very end, and Vaishali’s patience and resilience saw her finally lift the title in Cyprus.
| Photo Credit:
M. Srinath

lightbox-info

The Women’s Candidates remained open almost until the very end, and Vaishali’s patience and resilience saw her finally lift the title in Cyprus.
| Photo Credit:
M. Srinath

For Vaishali, the moment completion of a full circle.

Back in 2013, as a 12-year-old, she had been in attendance when Viswanathan Anand faced Magnus Carlsen in Chennai for the World Championship title. More than a decade later, she now finds herself on the verge of that same stage.

“It is a dream moment for me. I’m very happy. I’ve followed many World Championship matches, and now I’ll be playing one. I’m really looking forward to it,” Vaishali told Sportstar on her arrival in the city.

The Women’s Candidates remained open almost until the very end, with multiple players still in contention deep into the tournament.

Going into the final round, Vaishali needed to beat Lagno, while Bibisara Assaubayeva, who eventually finished second, had to either lose or draw against fellow Indian Divya Deshmukh. Divya held Bibisara, leaving Vaishali needing a win over Lagno to clinch the title that very day.

“Before the tournament, we had worked on different openings, and we had narrowed it down to two that we thought could come up in the final round. As expected, one of them did, and thankfully it worked out,” said Grandmaster M. Pranesh, who travelled with Vaishali as a sparring partner.

The opening was the Sicilian Dragon. Lagno gave up a pawn early to generate attacking chances against Vaishali’s king, but Vaishali defended precisely, stayed calm under pressure and gradually turned the position in her favour, using her bishop actively to keep Lagno’s queen under watch.

“It was a very close tournament. It could have gone either way, and I won the last game, which was very crucial in that situation,” Vaishali said.

Her path to the title had been anything but smooth. Vaishali began with four consecutive draws and then suffered a loss to Zhu Jiner in Round 5. When the two met again in Round 12, Vaishali went in with a one-point lead, only to lose once more. Yet that defeat, paradoxically, would come to be seen by her camp as a turning point rather than a setback.

“The second loss was actually crucial,” said coach R.B. Ramesh. “She went into Round 12 with a one-point lead and then lost to Zhu, which brought them level. I told her to treat it as if she had drawn the game, because she was still in joint lead going into Round 13 against Tan Zhongyi. The idea was to take it positively and move on.”

Almost everyone around Vaishali in Cyprus echoed that view. The loss to Zhu did not derail her campaign. If anything, it released some of the tension that had built up around the burden of leading and allowed her to reset for the final push.

Now comes the biggest match of her career: a World Championship clash against reigning champion Ju Wenjun. The two met at last year’s Norway Chess Women, where their classical game ended in a draw before Vaishali won the Armageddon tiebreak, her first victory over Ju in any format.

R. Vaishali’s challenges will only go steeper from here, for her next big match is against reigning world champion Ju Wenjun.

R. Vaishali’s challenges will only go steeper from here, for her next big match is against reigning world champion Ju Wenjun.
| Photo Credit:
M. Srinath

lightbox-info

R. Vaishali’s challenges will only go steeper from here, for her next big match is against reigning world champion Ju Wenjun.
| Photo Credit:
M. Srinath

“I have played only a few classical games against her, and I’m very excited to face her for the title next,” Vaishali said.

For Ramesh and the team around her, the scale of what lies ahead is still sinking in. Planning, he said, will begin soon, with discussions around building a support team, identifying areas of improvement and deciding the structure of the training camp, likely from the first week of May.

“It will be her first match on such a big stage, and even for all of us it will be a new experience,” Ramesh said. “We will take suggestions from experienced people around us, listen to feedback and then move forward from there.”

Published on Apr 19, 2026

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Deadspin | Padres, after rare loss, aim to start new win streak against Rockies Apr 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies left fielder Jordan Beck (27) hits a single in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images The San Diego Padres probably almost forgot just what a loss felt like. Their 8-3 loss at the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday was their third in the past 17 games and the first in six games against Colorado. The Padres will look to flip back into the win column in the finale of a three-game series at the Rockies on Thursday. The Padres will send Matt Waldron (0-1, 14.73 ERA) to the mound while Colorado counters with Ryan Feltner (1-1, 6.00). San Diego entered the night’s action on a three-game winning streak and having won 11 of their past 12 games. This is the second time this season that Feltner will face San Diego. He took the loss in the Padres’ 9-5 home win on April 11 when he allowed six runs on seven hits over four innings. In six career starts against San Diego, he has an 0-1 record with a 5.20 ERA. If the Rockies beat the Padres, they will win the series and finish the homestand 4-3 against two of the top teams in the majors. Colorado split a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers before hosting San Diego. The Rockies, who had the worst record in the majors last season, are 10-15 on the season. They did not win their 10th game on 2025 until June 2. The two wins over Los Angeles were a confidence boost for the young team, and Jordan Beck’s 3-for-4 night Monday was needed for the struggling outfielder. He started slowly last season, hitting .150 before being optioned to the minors for 13 days, and he was batting .122 before Monday night. “I feel like I’ve had some balls I should have hit better, and I’ve had some stuff I probably shouldn’t have swung at, too,” Beck said. “Part of that is just baseball, and part of it is a lack of being productive.” San Diego hasn’t been scoring a lot of runs, ranking 19th in the majors in that category with 100 runs through 25 games. But the pitching has been stingy, with an ERA of 3.43 — seventh in the majors. The wins have piled up despite a slew of injuries to the rotation, along with several ineffective starts. Waldron had one of those tough outings when he allowed six runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings in an 8-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in his season debut last Friday. Waldron was on the injured list while recovering from hemorrhoid surgery, then tossed 12 scoreless innings in three minor league starts. “I couldn’t have been more prepared. I couldn’t have been in a better mindset,” Waldron said after the loss. “I couldn’t have done anything except for make fewer mistakes.” Waldron is 2-1 with a 4.67 ERA in three career starts against the Rockies. San Diego bolstered its rotation before the Wednesday game when it signed free agent Lucas Giolito to a one-year deal. With Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta expected to remain out a few more weeks or longer, the Padres needed more arms. “We’ve got a young starting pitcher that we’ve brought into the fold, hopefully in his prime,” manager Craig Stammen said of Giolioto, 31. “We’ll get him built up and get him back out here, and hopefully he can help us win.” -Field Level Media #Deadspin #Padres #rare #loss #aim #start #win #streak #RockiesApr 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies left fielder Jordan Beck (27) hits a single in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres probably almost forgot just what a loss felt like.

Their 8-3 loss at the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday was their third in the past 17 games and the first in six games against Colorado. The Padres will look to flip back into the win column in the finale of a three-game series at the Rockies on Thursday.

The Padres will send Matt Waldron (0-1, 14.73 ERA) to the mound while Colorado counters with Ryan Feltner (1-1, 6.00).

San Diego entered the night’s action on a three-game winning streak and having won 11 of their past 12 games.

This is the second time this season that Feltner will face San Diego. He took the loss in the Padres’ 9-5 home win on April 11 when he allowed six runs on seven hits over four innings. In six career starts against San Diego, he has an 0-1 record with a 5.20 ERA.

If the Rockies beat the Padres, they will win the series and finish the homestand 4-3 against two of the top teams in the majors. Colorado split a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers before hosting San Diego.

The Rockies, who had the worst record in the majors last season, are 10-15 on the season. They did not win their 10th game on 2025 until June 2.

The two wins over Los Angeles were a confidence boost for the young team, and Jordan Beck’s 3-for-4 night Monday was needed for the struggling outfielder. He started slowly last season, hitting .150 before being optioned to the minors for 13 days, and he was batting .122 before Monday night.


“I feel like I’ve had some balls I should have hit better, and I’ve had some stuff I probably shouldn’t have swung at, too,” Beck said. “Part of that is just baseball, and part of it is a lack of being productive.”

San Diego hasn’t been scoring a lot of runs, ranking 19th in the majors in that category with 100 runs through 25 games. But the pitching has been stingy, with an ERA of 3.43 — seventh in the majors.

The wins have piled up despite a slew of injuries to the rotation, along with several ineffective starts. Waldron had one of those tough outings when he allowed six runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings in an 8-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in his season debut last Friday.

Waldron was on the injured list while recovering from hemorrhoid surgery, then tossed 12 scoreless innings in three minor league starts.

“I couldn’t have been more prepared. I couldn’t have been in a better mindset,” Waldron said after the loss. “I couldn’t have done anything except for make fewer mistakes.”

Waldron is 2-1 with a 4.67 ERA in three career starts against the Rockies.

San Diego bolstered its rotation before the Wednesday game when it signed free agent Lucas Giolito to a one-year deal. With Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta expected to remain out a few more weeks or longer, the Padres needed more arms.

“We’ve got a young starting pitcher that we’ve brought into the fold, hopefully in his prime,” manager Craig Stammen said of Giolioto, 31. “We’ll get him built up and get him back out here, and hopefully he can help us win.”

-Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Padres #rare #loss #aim #start #win #streak #Rockies">Deadspin | Padres, after rare loss, aim to start new win streak against Rockies Apr 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies left fielder Jordan Beck (27) hits a single in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images The San Diego Padres probably almost forgot just what a loss felt like. Their 8-3 loss at the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday was their third in the past 17 games and the first in six games against Colorado. The Padres will look to flip back into the win column in the finale of a three-game series at the Rockies on Thursday. The Padres will send Matt Waldron (0-1, 14.73 ERA) to the mound while Colorado counters with Ryan Feltner (1-1, 6.00). San Diego entered the night’s action on a three-game winning streak and having won 11 of their past 12 games. This is the second time this season that Feltner will face San Diego. He took the loss in the Padres’ 9-5 home win on April 11 when he allowed six runs on seven hits over four innings. In six career starts against San Diego, he has an 0-1 record with a 5.20 ERA. If the Rockies beat the Padres, they will win the series and finish the homestand 4-3 against two of the top teams in the majors. Colorado split a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers before hosting San Diego. The Rockies, who had the worst record in the majors last season, are 10-15 on the season. They did not win their 10th game on 2025 until June 2. The two wins over Los Angeles were a confidence boost for the young team, and Jordan Beck’s 3-for-4 night Monday was needed for the struggling outfielder. He started slowly last season, hitting .150 before being optioned to the minors for 13 days, and he was batting .122 before Monday night. “I feel like I’ve had some balls I should have hit better, and I’ve had some stuff I probably shouldn’t have swung at, too,” Beck said. “Part of that is just baseball, and part of it is a lack of being productive.” San Diego hasn’t been scoring a lot of runs, ranking 19th in the majors in that category with 100 runs through 25 games. But the pitching has been stingy, with an ERA of 3.43 — seventh in the majors. The wins have piled up despite a slew of injuries to the rotation, along with several ineffective starts. Waldron had one of those tough outings when he allowed six runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings in an 8-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in his season debut last Friday. Waldron was on the injured list while recovering from hemorrhoid surgery, then tossed 12 scoreless innings in three minor league starts. “I couldn’t have been more prepared. I couldn’t have been in a better mindset,” Waldron said after the loss. “I couldn’t have done anything except for make fewer mistakes.” Waldron is 2-1 with a 4.67 ERA in three career starts against the Rockies. San Diego bolstered its rotation before the Wednesday game when it signed free agent Lucas Giolito to a one-year deal. With Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta expected to remain out a few more weeks or longer, the Padres needed more arms. “We’ve got a young starting pitcher that we’ve brought into the fold, hopefully in his prime,” manager Craig Stammen said of Giolioto, 31. “We’ll get him built up and get him back out here, and hopefully he can help us win.” -Field Level Media #Deadspin #Padres #rare #loss #aim #start #win #streak #Rockies

Indian women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes her side’s below-par performance against South Africa has come at the right time, allowing the management sufficient time to address their shortcomings and “come back strong” for the T20 World Cup in June.

The ‘Women in Blue’ slumped to their first T20I series defeat since their group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup in October 2024, conceding a five-match rubber 0-3 to South Africa on Wednesday, with two matches still to be played.

Since that early exit at the ICC showpiece, Harmanpreet’s side had enjoyed a strong run, winning series against West Indies, England, Sri Lanka and Australia.

ALSO READ | Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus shine for South Africa with record partnership

“After the last T20 WC, we have won the maximum T20 series, this is the only one we didn’t execute the way we were in the last series,” Harmanpreet said at the press conference after the team’s nine-wicket loss in the third WT20I on Wednesday.

“I think it’s good that whatever mistakes we are making are now and not in the World Cup. This is the right time where we can learn and come back strong.

“As a captain I take everything in a positive way. We still have two matches and we can still put up a decent show,” she added.

With the T20 World Cup in England and Wales less than two months away, India’s struggles, particularly with the ball, will be a concern.

While South Africa have claimed 21 Indian wickets in three matches, India have managed just seven scalps, with the visitors failing to make early inroads throughout the series.

In the third T20I, that inability proved costly as South Africa chased down India’s 192 for 4 with remarkable ease in just 16.3 overs, registering a nine-wicket win.

“The score was decent but unfortunately we were not able to get a breakthrough in the powerplay. No matter what match you are playing, taking wickets in powerplay always helps and we were not able to do that and it really cost us.

“On top of that we gave away too many runs. After that we didn’t get anything with the help of which we could make a comeback in the game.

“We were eyeing a breakthrough in the powerplay, it could have turned the game for us. We weren’t able to stick to our plans and execute well and they batted very well,” Harmanpreet said.

After modest totals of 157 for 7 and 147 all out in the first two games, India’s batting showed improvement in the third match, posting 192 for 4, courtesy half-centuries from Harmanpreet (66) and Shafali Verma (64).

“As a batting unit we were able to put up a decent total. but in the second innings there was dew and the ball was not gripping well and on top of that they were batting really well and while bowling nothing really worked for us,” Harmanpreet added.

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#VIDEO #Indias #mistakes #exposed #time #T20 #World #Cup #Harmanpreet #Kaur">VIDEO | India’s mistakes exposed at right time before T20 World Cup: Harmanpreet Kaur Indian women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes her side’s below-par performance against South Africa has come at the right time, allowing the management sufficient time to address their shortcomings and “come back strong” for the T20 World Cup in June.The ‘Women in Blue’ slumped to their first T20I series defeat since their group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup in October 2024, conceding a five-match rubber 0-3 to South Africa on Wednesday, with two matches still to be played.Since that early exit at the ICC showpiece, Harmanpreet’s side had enjoyed a strong run, winning series against West Indies, England, Sri Lanka and Australia.ALSO READ | Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus shine for South Africa with record partnership“After the last T20 WC, we have won the maximum T20 series, this is the only one we didn’t execute the way we were in the last series,” Harmanpreet said at the press conference after the team’s nine-wicket loss in the third WT20I on Wednesday.“I think it’s good that whatever mistakes we are making are now and not in the World Cup. This is the right time where we can learn and come back strong.“As a captain I take everything in a positive way. We still have two matches and we can still put up a decent show,” she added.With the T20 World Cup in England and Wales less than two months away, India’s struggles, particularly with the ball, will be a concern.While South Africa have claimed 21 Indian wickets in three matches, India have managed just seven scalps, with the visitors failing to make early inroads throughout the series.In the third T20I, that inability proved costly as South Africa chased down India’s 192 for 4 with remarkable ease in just 16.3 overs, registering a nine-wicket win.“The score was decent but unfortunately we were not able to get a breakthrough in the powerplay. No matter what match you are playing, taking wickets in powerplay always helps and we were not able to do that and it really cost us.“On top of that we gave away too many runs. After that we didn’t get anything with the help of which we could make a comeback in the game.“We were eyeing a breakthrough in the powerplay, it could have turned the game for us. We weren’t able to stick to our plans and execute well and they batted very well,” Harmanpreet said.After modest totals of 157 for 7 and 147 all out in the first two games, India’s batting showed improvement in the third match, posting 192 for 4, courtesy half-centuries from Harmanpreet (66) and Shafali Verma (64).“As a batting unit we were able to put up a decent total. but in the second innings there was dew and the ball was not gripping well and on top of that they were batting really well and while bowling nothing really worked for us,” Harmanpreet added.Published on Apr 23, 2026 #VIDEO #Indias #mistakes #exposed #time #T20 #World #Cup #Harmanpreet #Kaur

Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus shine for South Africa with record partnership

“After the last T20 WC, we have won the maximum T20 series, this is the only one we didn’t execute the way we were in the last series,” Harmanpreet said at the press conference after the team’s nine-wicket loss in the third WT20I on Wednesday.

“I think it’s good that whatever mistakes we are making are now and not in the World Cup. This is the right time where we can learn and come back strong.

“As a captain I take everything in a positive way. We still have two matches and we can still put up a decent show,” she added.

With the T20 World Cup in England and Wales less than two months away, India’s struggles, particularly with the ball, will be a concern.

While South Africa have claimed 21 Indian wickets in three matches, India have managed just seven scalps, with the visitors failing to make early inroads throughout the series.

In the third T20I, that inability proved costly as South Africa chased down India’s 192 for 4 with remarkable ease in just 16.3 overs, registering a nine-wicket win.

“The score was decent but unfortunately we were not able to get a breakthrough in the powerplay. No matter what match you are playing, taking wickets in powerplay always helps and we were not able to do that and it really cost us.

“On top of that we gave away too many runs. After that we didn’t get anything with the help of which we could make a comeback in the game.

“We were eyeing a breakthrough in the powerplay, it could have turned the game for us. We weren’t able to stick to our plans and execute well and they batted very well,” Harmanpreet said.

After modest totals of 157 for 7 and 147 all out in the first two games, India’s batting showed improvement in the third match, posting 192 for 4, courtesy half-centuries from Harmanpreet (66) and Shafali Verma (64).

“As a batting unit we were able to put up a decent total. but in the second innings there was dew and the ball was not gripping well and on top of that they were batting really well and while bowling nothing really worked for us,” Harmanpreet added.

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#VIDEO #Indias #mistakes #exposed #time #T20 #World #Cup #Harmanpreet #Kaur">VIDEO | India’s mistakes exposed at right time before T20 World Cup: Harmanpreet Kaur

Indian women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes her side’s below-par performance against South Africa has come at the right time, allowing the management sufficient time to address their shortcomings and “come back strong” for the T20 World Cup in June.

The ‘Women in Blue’ slumped to their first T20I series defeat since their group-stage exit at the T20 World Cup in October 2024, conceding a five-match rubber 0-3 to South Africa on Wednesday, with two matches still to be played.

Since that early exit at the ICC showpiece, Harmanpreet’s side had enjoyed a strong run, winning series against West Indies, England, Sri Lanka and Australia.

ALSO READ | Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus shine for South Africa with record partnership

“After the last T20 WC, we have won the maximum T20 series, this is the only one we didn’t execute the way we were in the last series,” Harmanpreet said at the press conference after the team’s nine-wicket loss in the third WT20I on Wednesday.

“I think it’s good that whatever mistakes we are making are now and not in the World Cup. This is the right time where we can learn and come back strong.

“As a captain I take everything in a positive way. We still have two matches and we can still put up a decent show,” she added.

With the T20 World Cup in England and Wales less than two months away, India’s struggles, particularly with the ball, will be a concern.

While South Africa have claimed 21 Indian wickets in three matches, India have managed just seven scalps, with the visitors failing to make early inroads throughout the series.

In the third T20I, that inability proved costly as South Africa chased down India’s 192 for 4 with remarkable ease in just 16.3 overs, registering a nine-wicket win.

“The score was decent but unfortunately we were not able to get a breakthrough in the powerplay. No matter what match you are playing, taking wickets in powerplay always helps and we were not able to do that and it really cost us.

“On top of that we gave away too many runs. After that we didn’t get anything with the help of which we could make a comeback in the game.

“We were eyeing a breakthrough in the powerplay, it could have turned the game for us. We weren’t able to stick to our plans and execute well and they batted very well,” Harmanpreet said.

After modest totals of 157 for 7 and 147 all out in the first two games, India’s batting showed improvement in the third match, posting 192 for 4, courtesy half-centuries from Harmanpreet (66) and Shafali Verma (64).

“As a batting unit we were able to put up a decent total. but in the second innings there was dew and the ball was not gripping well and on top of that they were batting really well and while bowling nothing really worked for us,” Harmanpreet added.

Published on Apr 23, 2026

#VIDEO #Indias #mistakes #exposed #time #T20 #World #Cup #Harmanpreet #Kaur

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