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IPL 2026: Klaasen finds joy in steadying the boat at SRH without fussing over strike-rates Heinrich Klaasen’s 39-ball 59 ensured that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) maintained the momentum through the middle overs after Abhishek Sharma’s blistering start against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).Even as wickets fell at regular intervals around him, the South African held firm, guiding the side to its highest Indian Premier League (IPL) total against CSK.While runs have continued to flow from his bat, his strike rate has drawn scrutiny. This season, he has scored at 144.39 – significantly lower than his previous highs of over 170.Notably, he has also been among the slowest starters, striking at 106.66 in his first 10 deliveries.Earlier this month, Klaasen admitted he needed to improve his scoring rate. However, after steering SRH to a narrow 10-run win on Saturday, he emphasised that his priority was navigating difficult situations rather than focusing on strike rate.ALSO READ | Chief selector Ajit Agarkar set to get an extension till 2027“I have been coming in at situations where we have lost four wickets in one or two overs. So I cannot go right from the start. I need to get the job done. In difficult situations, you have to take responsibility and be mature,” he explained.“We get paid to do the job, and I don’t care about strike rate. I know there has been a lot said about it this season, but I have been putting the team in good positions, and I am just doing my job,” he said.“The wicket was good enough. We lost too many wickets up front, and we needed to get to that 220 mark. I thought CSK bowled extremely well at the back, and that’s why we didn’t get there.”Klaasen also noted that the early loss of wickets led to Liam Livingstone being introduced as the Impact Player, even if it meant the likes of Nitish Kumar had to complete their full quota.“Nitish has been bowling brilliantly. That gives us the luxury to make brave decisions like that. We know that the wicket is not going to spin a lot, so we didn’t mind him bowling the couple of overs that he did.”Published on Apr 19, 2026 #IPL #Klaasen #finds #joy #steadying #boat #SRH #fussing #strikerates

IPL 2026: Klaasen finds joy in steadying the boat at SRH without fussing over strike-rates

Heinrich Klaasen’s 39-ball 59 ensured that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) maintained the momentum through the middle overs after Abhishek Sharma’s blistering start against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Even as wickets fell at regular intervals around him, the South African held firm, guiding the side to its highest Indian Premier League (IPL) total against CSK.

While runs have continued to flow from his bat, his strike rate has drawn scrutiny. This season, he has scored at 144.39 – significantly lower than his previous highs of over 170.

Notably, he has also been among the slowest starters, striking at 106.66 in his first 10 deliveries.

Earlier this month, Klaasen admitted he needed to improve his scoring rate. However, after steering SRH to a narrow 10-run win on Saturday, he emphasised that his priority was navigating difficult situations rather than focusing on strike rate.

ALSO READ | Chief selector Ajit Agarkar set to get an extension till 2027

“I have been coming in at situations where we have lost four wickets in one or two overs. So I cannot go right from the start. I need to get the job done. In difficult situations, you have to take responsibility and be mature,” he explained.

“We get paid to do the job, and I don’t care about strike rate. I know there has been a lot said about it this season, but I have been putting the team in good positions, and I am just doing my job,” he said.

“The wicket was good enough. We lost too many wickets up front, and we needed to get to that 220 mark. I thought CSK bowled extremely well at the back, and that’s why we didn’t get there.”

Klaasen also noted that the early loss of wickets led to Liam Livingstone being introduced as the Impact Player, even if it meant the likes of Nitish Kumar had to complete their full quota.

“Nitish has been bowling brilliantly. That gives us the luxury to make brave decisions like that. We know that the wicket is not going to spin a lot, so we didn’t mind him bowling the couple of overs that he did.”

Published on Apr 19, 2026

#IPL #Klaasen #finds #joy #steadying #boat #SRH #fussing #strikerates

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Heinrich Klaasen’s 39-ball 59 ensured that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) maintained the momentum through the middle overs after Abhishek Sharma’s blistering start against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Even as wickets fell at regular intervals around him, the South African held firm, guiding the side to its highest Indian Premier League (IPL) total against CSK.

While runs have continued to flow from his bat, his strike rate has drawn scrutiny. This season, he has scored at 144.39 – significantly lower than his previous highs of over 170.

Notably, he has also been among the slowest starters, striking at 106.66 in his first 10 deliveries.

Earlier this month, Klaasen admitted he needed to improve his scoring rate. However, after steering SRH to a narrow 10-run win on Saturday, he emphasised that his priority was navigating difficult situations rather than focusing on strike rate.

ALSO READ | Chief selector Ajit Agarkar set to get an extension till 2027

“I have been coming in at situations where we have lost four wickets in one or two overs. So I cannot go right from the start. I need to get the job done. In difficult situations, you have to take responsibility and be mature,” he explained.

“We get paid to do the job, and I don’t care about strike rate. I know there has been a lot said about it this season, but I have been putting the team in good positions, and I am just doing my job,” he said.

“The wicket was good enough. We lost too many wickets up front, and we needed to get to that 220 mark. I thought CSK bowled extremely well at the back, and that’s why we didn’t get there.”

Klaasen also noted that the early loss of wickets led to Liam Livingstone being introduced as the Impact Player, even if it meant the likes of Nitish Kumar had to complete their full quota.

“Nitish has been bowling brilliantly. That gives us the luxury to make brave decisions like that. We know that the wicket is not going to spin a lot, so we didn’t mind him bowling the couple of overs that he did.”

Published on Apr 19, 2026

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Deadspin | Rockies, Red Sox fall short of standards set in World Series meeting Jun 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner (18) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Nineteen years ago, the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies battled in the World Series. Things have changed since 2007, when Boston swept Colorado to win its second championship in four seasons. Now the teams will open a three-game series Monday night in Denver, not as title contenders but as basement dwellers. Boston sits in last place in the American League East while Colorado is in a familiar position — last in the National League West. The Rockies have finished last in four consecutive seasons, losing 100-plus games in the past three. The current series will begin with rookie left-hander Jake Bennett (1-3, 4.79 ERA) of the Red Sox opposing Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner (2-2, 5.05). Bennett won his major league debut on May 1 and has pitched well in two stints with the Red Sox. He made two starts after his first call-up from Triple-A Worcester but was optioned back to Worcester after suffering an 8-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on May 7. He returned June 10 and has made two more starts, losing both. In his most recent outing, he gave up two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings on Wednesday to Toronto, but Boston’s offense didn’t give him any support in a 3-0 loss. The frustration has mounted for the Red Sox, who are accustomed to fighting for a playoff spot. They are coming off a series win in Seattle against the Mariners over the weekend but have struggled to find consistency. “I think it’s the same thing we’ve been through literally the whole season, because we always put the runners in scoring position, but we couldn’t get the hit to drive in runs,” Wilyer Abreu said recently. “So we keep working hard. We’ll try to be better in those situations and try to drive the runs in.” Colorado, despite occupying last place, has shown improvement. The Rockies took two of three games from the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend to win their 30th game, a mark they didn’t reach last season until Aug. 2 — also against the Pirates. The Rockies nearly had their 31st after trailing 8-1 Sunday, but a five-run rally in the eighth and ninth innings fell short for an 8-6 loss. Feltner will try to get a victory in his fifth start since returning from the injured list on May 30. He is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in those four starts and had just one bad outing, when he gave up six runs over 4 1/3 innings to the Chicago Cubs on June 11, a 9-3 loss. He bounced back Tuesday in his next outing — also against Chicago — but a high pitch count (104) cost him a chance at a win when he was pulled after giving up two runs and six hits over 4 1/3 innings. The Rockies posted a 5-2 victory. Feltner will face Boston for the first time in his six-year career, which spans 77 appearances (76 starts). Outside of Tomoyuki Sugano, Feltner has been Colorado’s most reliable starter, but he doesn’t think in those terms. “I’m not a huge goal-setting guy, and I feel like that falls under that,” Feltner said after a recent start. “I just like to stick to my process and execute that to the best of my abilities. The best way I can say it is I’d like to just look up one day and realize where I am, instead of striving for something — it puts extra pressure on things.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Rockies #Red #Sox #fall #short #standards #set #World #Series #meetingJun 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner (18) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Nineteen years ago, the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies battled in the World Series.

Things have changed since 2007, when Boston swept Colorado to win its second championship in four seasons.

Now the teams will open a three-game series Monday night in Denver, not as title contenders but as basement dwellers. Boston sits in last place in the American League East while Colorado is in a familiar position — last in the National League West.

The Rockies have finished last in four consecutive seasons, losing 100-plus games in the past three.

The current series will begin with rookie left-hander Jake Bennett (1-3, 4.79 ERA) of the Red Sox opposing Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner (2-2, 5.05).

Bennett won his major league debut on May 1 and has pitched well in two stints with the Red Sox. He made two starts after his first call-up from Triple-A Worcester but was optioned back to Worcester after suffering an 8-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on May 7.

He returned June 10 and has made two more starts, losing both. In his most recent outing, he gave up two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings on Wednesday to Toronto, but Boston’s offense didn’t give him any support in a 3-0 loss.

The frustration has mounted for the Red Sox, who are accustomed to fighting for a playoff spot. They are coming off a series win in Seattle against the Mariners over the weekend but have struggled to find consistency.


“I think it’s the same thing we’ve been through literally the whole season, because we always put the runners in scoring position, but we couldn’t get the hit to drive in runs,” Wilyer Abreu said recently. “So we keep working hard. We’ll try to be better in those situations and try to drive the runs in.”

Colorado, despite occupying last place, has shown improvement. The Rockies took two of three games from the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend to win their 30th game, a mark they didn’t reach last season until Aug. 2 — also against the Pirates.

The Rockies nearly had their 31st after trailing 8-1 Sunday, but a five-run rally in the eighth and ninth innings fell short for an 8-6 loss.

Feltner will try to get a victory in his fifth start since returning from the injured list on May 30. He is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in those four starts and had just one bad outing, when he gave up six runs over 4 1/3 innings to the Chicago Cubs on June 11, a 9-3 loss.

He bounced back Tuesday in his next outing — also against Chicago — but a high pitch count (104) cost him a chance at a win when he was pulled after giving up two runs and six hits over 4 1/3 innings. The Rockies posted a 5-2 victory.

Feltner will face Boston for the first time in his six-year career, which spans 77 appearances (76 starts).

Outside of Tomoyuki Sugano, Feltner has been Colorado’s most reliable starter, but he doesn’t think in those terms.

“I’m not a huge goal-setting guy, and I feel like that falls under that,” Feltner said after a recent start. “I just like to stick to my process and execute that to the best of my abilities. The best way I can say it is I’d like to just look up one day and realize where I am, instead of striving for something — it puts extra pressure on things.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Rockies #Red #Sox #fall #short #standards #set #World #Series #meeting">Deadspin | Rockies, Red Sox fall short of standards set in World Series meeting Jun 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner (18) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Nineteen years ago, the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies battled in the World Series. Things have changed since 2007, when Boston swept Colorado to win its second championship in four seasons. Now the teams will open a three-game series Monday night in Denver, not as title contenders but as basement dwellers. Boston sits in last place in the American League East while Colorado is in a familiar position — last in the National League West. The Rockies have finished last in four consecutive seasons, losing 100-plus games in the past three. The current series will begin with rookie left-hander Jake Bennett (1-3, 4.79 ERA) of the Red Sox opposing Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner (2-2, 5.05). Bennett won his major league debut on May 1 and has pitched well in two stints with the Red Sox. He made two starts after his first call-up from Triple-A Worcester but was optioned back to Worcester after suffering an 8-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on May 7. He returned June 10 and has made two more starts, losing both. In his most recent outing, he gave up two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings on Wednesday to Toronto, but Boston’s offense didn’t give him any support in a 3-0 loss. The frustration has mounted for the Red Sox, who are accustomed to fighting for a playoff spot. They are coming off a series win in Seattle against the Mariners over the weekend but have struggled to find consistency. “I think it’s the same thing we’ve been through literally the whole season, because we always put the runners in scoring position, but we couldn’t get the hit to drive in runs,” Wilyer Abreu said recently. “So we keep working hard. We’ll try to be better in those situations and try to drive the runs in.” Colorado, despite occupying last place, has shown improvement. The Rockies took two of three games from the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend to win their 30th game, a mark they didn’t reach last season until Aug. 2 — also against the Pirates. The Rockies nearly had their 31st after trailing 8-1 Sunday, but a five-run rally in the eighth and ninth innings fell short for an 8-6 loss. Feltner will try to get a victory in his fifth start since returning from the injured list on May 30. He is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in those four starts and had just one bad outing, when he gave up six runs over 4 1/3 innings to the Chicago Cubs on June 11, a 9-3 loss. He bounced back Tuesday in his next outing — also against Chicago — but a high pitch count (104) cost him a chance at a win when he was pulled after giving up two runs and six hits over 4 1/3 innings. The Rockies posted a 5-2 victory. Feltner will face Boston for the first time in his six-year career, which spans 77 appearances (76 starts). Outside of Tomoyuki Sugano, Feltner has been Colorado’s most reliable starter, but he doesn’t think in those terms. “I’m not a huge goal-setting guy, and I feel like that falls under that,” Feltner said after a recent start. “I just like to stick to my process and execute that to the best of my abilities. The best way I can say it is I’d like to just look up one day and realize where I am, instead of striving for something — it puts extra pressure on things.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Rockies #Red #Sox #fall #short #standards #set #World #Series #meeting

#Wyndham #Clark #twotime #major #champion #dont #mad">Wyndham Clark is a two-time major champion, and you don’t have to be mad about it Wyndham Clark won the U.S. Open on Sunday. He did so at Shinnecock Hills. His win was just the ninth ever, the first in over a decade, where someone went wire-to-wire without any ties. Again… at the U.S. Open.What’s more is that Clark has won the national championship before. He is now a two-time U.S. Open winner and won his two titles within a four-year span. Everything about every word that I have said here so far is undeniably impressive.Unfortunately, Wyndham Clark is not exactly the most popular player on the PGA Tour. That was, also unfortunately, a big part of his victory on Sunday.You don’t have to be mad about thisLet’s start right now and say this: You can feel any way you want to.Be mad that Wyndham Clark won the U.S. Open again. Tweet about it. Maybe you were on the grounds at Shinnecock and among those voicing your displeasure for him while trying to manifest Literally Anyone Else winning the tournament.My objective here isn’t to tell anyone how to behave because I don’t think that makes sense to do. Goodness gracious though… Wyndham Clark won the U.S. Open! And people are hellbent on belittling it as much as possible.If you are new around here then you may not know that Wyndham, upon not performing well, damaged lockers at last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont. In the now year that has passed I have never seen anybody justify this in any capacity. It is hard to get universal agreement on anything on the internet, but it seems that we have that here. Wyndham doing that was not cool. It was embarrassing. It was lame. Whatever.Wyndham has also apologized for this many times over the last year. It was a constant talking point during NBC’s broadcast of the tournament. Once more, no one is justifying his behavior (or the club toss that he had at the PGA Championship in 2025 as well as the Oakmont incident) in any kind of way. No one is even telling you that you have to change your mind about how you feel about it all.Is it not unfortunate though that Wyndham just conquered (arguably) golf’s most difficult test (for a second time in four years) and that people are holding his feet to the fire about this? That he fought off boos and negative comments throughout his championship-winning round on Sunday?No part of me is trying to act like the Golf Police here, but if people are so concerned with the transgressions against the game that Wyndham committed… isn’t this public shame/discourse/criticism counter to the game’s principles, too? I’m not comparing anything. I’m just saying that this feels like an intense obession at this point.Even if you want to have the passionate feelings about this, you are more than welcome to as noted. Clark winning a golf tournament isn’t exactly some magic twist of the universe that will force you to change your mind.Maybe just… don’t put all of that intense energy out? All of the time? Because it is hardly doing anything positive? #Wyndham #Clark #twotime #major #champion #dont #mad

Indian women’s hockey team chief coach Sjoerd Marijne has called for improved field-goal conversion despite his team’s successful return to the FIH Pro League after winning the Nations Cup.

India defeated host New Zealand 2-0 in Sunday’s final, courtesy of goals from Navneet Kaur and Sunelita Toppo, to clinch its second Nations Cup title and secure promotion to the Pro League.

“Of course, we are delighted to win our first tournament and final together,” Marijne said after the victory.

“It was crucial for us to learn how to win finals, especially after our recent heartbreak against England in the World Cup qualifier. The team improved with every match. We relied on a very strong and well-organised defence.”

The Dutch coach, however, said India’s finishing from open play still requires improvement.

“While we created enough opportunities to score more, that remains an area where we must keep working. Our penalty-corner conversion was very good throughout this tournament. If we can achieve a higher conversion rate for field goals, that will be fantastic.”

Marijne also acknowledged the challenge of entering the competition as the highest-ranked team.

“It is never easy to win a tournament when you enter as the highest-ranked team. We showed that we can manage that pressure well.

“Moving forward, playing against the top teams in the world will provide an important learning process for our youngsters. Testing ourselves at the highest level is exactly what we need to grow to the next tier.”

India remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, defeating the USA, Japan and Uruguay in the group stage before overcoming Chile in the semifinal.

Striker Lalremsiami was named Player of the Final, while drag-flicker Deepika finished joint top scorer with six goals alongside USA’s Ashley Sessa.

Hockey India announced a cash reward of Rs. 3 lakh for each player and Rs. 1.5 lakh for every member of the support staff.

Team effort

Captain Salima Tete said the title was a reward for the team’s preparation.

“It feels absolutely amazing to lift this trophy. Our entire team worked incredibly hard for this moment. We entered this tournament with a clear mindset to bring the trophy home. Securing promotion back to the Pro League was extremely important for us. I am proud that we achieved our goal.”

Looking ahead to the World Cup in August, Salima added: “This victory provides a massive boost to our confidence. The team is playing with a very strong mindset right now. Every single match in this tournament was highly important for us. This win gives us the perfect momentum for our future preparations.”

Published on Jun 22, 2026

#Marijne #sharper #finishing #India #womens #team #seals #Pro #League #return">Marijne wants sharper finishing after India women’s team seals Pro League return Indian women’s hockey team chief coach Sjoerd Marijne has called for improved field-goal conversion despite his team’s successful return to the FIH Pro League after winning the Nations Cup.India defeated host New Zealand 2-0 in Sunday’s final, courtesy of goals from Navneet Kaur and Sunelita Toppo, to clinch its second Nations Cup title and secure promotion to the Pro League.“Of course, we are delighted to win our first tournament and final together,” Marijne said after the victory.“It was crucial for us to learn how to win finals, especially after our recent heartbreak against England in the World Cup qualifier. The team improved with every match. We relied on a very strong and well-organised defence.”The Dutch coach, however, said India’s finishing from open play still requires improvement.“While we created enough opportunities to score more, that remains an area where we must keep working. Our penalty-corner conversion was very good throughout this tournament. If we can achieve a higher conversion rate for field goals, that will be fantastic.”Marijne also acknowledged the challenge of entering the competition as the highest-ranked team.“It is never easy to win a tournament when you enter as the highest-ranked team. We showed that we can manage that pressure well.“Moving forward, playing against the top teams in the world will provide an important learning process for our youngsters. Testing ourselves at the highest level is exactly what we need to grow to the next tier.”India remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, defeating the USA, Japan and Uruguay in the group stage before overcoming Chile in the semifinal.Striker Lalremsiami was named Player of the Final, while drag-flicker Deepika finished joint top scorer with six goals alongside USA’s Ashley Sessa.Hockey India announced a cash reward of Rs. 3 lakh for each player and Rs. 1.5 lakh for every member of the support staff.Team effortCaptain Salima Tete said the title was a reward for the team’s preparation.“It feels absolutely amazing to lift this trophy. Our entire team worked incredibly hard for this moment. We entered this tournament with a clear mindset to bring the trophy home. Securing promotion back to the Pro League was extremely important for us. I am proud that we achieved our goal.”Looking ahead to the World Cup in August, Salima added: “This victory provides a massive boost to our confidence. The team is playing with a very strong mindset right now. Every single match in this tournament was highly important for us. This win gives us the perfect momentum for our future preparations.”Published on Jun 22, 2026 #Marijne #sharper #finishing #India #womens #team #seals #Pro #League #return

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