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‘He’s hitting really well, just needs to stitch together few more runs’ – Sangakkara not losing sleep over Parag’s poor form  Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag might be going through one of his leanest spells as a batter in the Indian Premier League. The 24-year-old has struggled so far in IPL 2026, managing just 81 runs from seven innings.Royals’ coach Kumar Sangakkara, though, isn’t losing sleep over Parag’s batting form. “I think he’s batting really well,” said Sangakkara on the eve of the Royals’ match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Jaipur on Saturday. “When you’re batting well, sometimes you don’t always score. I would have been concerned if he wasn’t hitting the ball well. I think he’s hitting it really well. He just needs to stitch together a few more runs so that he sets himself a good platform to attack in the end,” said Sangakkara. The former Sri Lankan skipper also explained the rationale behind Parag’s elevation as the Royals’ skipper. “More than anyone else’s influence, why we chose Riyan as captain is that his learning curve has been steep. He has learned a lot from others, but more importantly, from himself. READ: IPL 2026, RR vs SRH: Royals hope not to repeat mistakes from away leg even as Cummins returns to lead Sunrisers“I’ve never seen a young player under so much pressure from the start of his career in RR. Riyan was, a lot of the time, front and centre in a lot of our social media. He was always put out there.“Because he was an exciting young cricketer and had this aura about him. A pretty good-looking guy as well. But that also brings with it a lot of pressure. And sometimes it’s unfair to have such a young guy be under that pressure. I think he has learned a lot from those experiences,” added Sangakkara. The Royals coach added that Parag will continue to have the team’s backing as it expects him to grow into the role. “As a player, as a batter, the franchise backs him 100 per cent. And what’s really exciting for me is to see how he has just embraced the captaincy and the leadership. And you can see even in the last game how good a captain he was. So, I think he will learn more and more about pressure and he will get better.”Published on Apr 24, 2026  #Hes #hitting #stitch #runs #Sangakkara #losing #sleep #Parags #poor #form

‘He’s hitting really well, just needs to stitch together few more runs’ – Sangakkara not losing sleep over Parag’s poor form

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag might be going through one of his leanest spells as a batter in the Indian Premier League. The 24-year-old has struggled so far in IPL 2026, managing just 81 runs from seven innings.

Royals’ coach Kumar Sangakkara, though, isn’t losing sleep over Parag’s batting form. 

“I think he’s batting really well,” said Sangakkara on the eve of the Royals’ match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Jaipur on Saturday. 

“When you’re batting well, sometimes you don’t always score. I would have been concerned if he wasn’t hitting the ball well. I think he’s hitting it really well. He just needs to stitch together a few more runs so that he sets himself a good platform to attack in the end,” said Sangakkara. 

The former Sri Lankan skipper also explained the rationale behind Parag’s elevation as the Royals’ skipper. 

“More than anyone else’s influence, why we chose Riyan as captain is that his learning curve has been steep. He has learned a lot from others, but more importantly, from himself. 

READ: IPL 2026, RR vs SRH: Royals hope not to repeat mistakes from away leg even as Cummins returns to lead Sunrisers

“I’ve never seen a young player under so much pressure from the start of his career in RR. Riyan was, a lot of the time, front and centre in a lot of our social media. He was always put out there.

“Because he was an exciting young cricketer and had this aura about him. A pretty good-looking guy as well. But that also brings with it a lot of pressure. And sometimes it’s unfair to have such a young guy be under that pressure. I think he has learned a lot from those experiences,” added Sangakkara. 

The Royals coach added that Parag will continue to have the team’s backing as it expects him to grow into the role. 

“As a player, as a batter, the franchise backs him 100 per cent. And what’s really exciting for me is to see how he has just embraced the captaincy and the leadership. And you can see even in the last game how good a captain he was. So, I think he will learn more and more about pressure and he will get better.”

Published on Apr 24, 2026

#Hes #hitting #stitch #runs #Sangakkara #losing #sleep #Parags #poor #form

Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag might be going through one of his leanest spells as a batter in the Indian Premier League. The 24-year-old has struggled so far in IPL 2026, managing just 81 runs from seven innings.

Royals’ coach Kumar Sangakkara, though, isn’t losing sleep over Parag’s batting form. 

“I think he’s batting really well,” said Sangakkara on the eve of the Royals’ match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Jaipur on Saturday. 

“When you’re batting well, sometimes you don’t always score. I would have been concerned if he wasn’t hitting the ball well. I think he’s hitting it really well. He just needs to stitch together a few more runs so that he sets himself a good platform to attack in the end,” said Sangakkara. 

The former Sri Lankan skipper also explained the rationale behind Parag’s elevation as the Royals’ skipper. 

“More than anyone else’s influence, why we chose Riyan as captain is that his learning curve has been steep. He has learned a lot from others, but more importantly, from himself. 

READ: IPL 2026, RR vs SRH: Royals hope not to repeat mistakes from away leg even as Cummins returns to lead Sunrisers

“I’ve never seen a young player under so much pressure from the start of his career in RR. Riyan was, a lot of the time, front and centre in a lot of our social media. He was always put out there.

“Because he was an exciting young cricketer and had this aura about him. A pretty good-looking guy as well. But that also brings with it a lot of pressure. And sometimes it’s unfair to have such a young guy be under that pressure. I think he has learned a lot from those experiences,” added Sangakkara. 

The Royals coach added that Parag will continue to have the team’s backing as it expects him to grow into the role. 

“As a player, as a batter, the franchise backs him 100 per cent. And what’s really exciting for me is to see how he has just embraced the captaincy and the leadership. And you can see even in the last game how good a captain he was. So, I think he will learn more and more about pressure and he will get better.”

Published on Apr 24, 2026

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#Hes #hitting #stitch #runs #Sangakkara #losing #sleep #Parags #poor #form

Deadspin | Mariners’ big bats waking up ahead of series at Cardinals  Apr 20, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) hits an RBI-double against the Athletics during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images   Maybe the Seattle Mariners’ big three are finally getting over their World Baseball Classic hangovers.  Over their just-completed six-game homestand, Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor’s bats started to heat up.  The Mariners went 3-3 against a pair of American League West rivals, the Texas Rangers and the Athletics, and start a six-game trip Friday in St. Louis with an interleague encounter against the Cardinals.  With two outs in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday and the score tied at 4-4 against the A’s, Raleigh grounded a single to center field. Rodriguez followed by grounding a single to left, sending Raleigh to second, and he scored on Naylor’s line-drive single to left.  “These guys have really found a good groove,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Their at-bats have been outstanding, I was super impressed there with two outs, Cal getting the hit up the middle, Julio going into the hole and then Naylor going the other way to win it.”  Entering that homestand, the Mariners’ Nos. 2-4 hitters were scuffling. Raleigh was batting .169 with two homers and 11 RBIs, Rodriguez was hitting .200 with one homer and six RBIs, and Naylor was at .118 with two homers and seven RBIs.  During the six games, Raleigh went 7-for-24 with three homers — one in each of the past three games — and three RBIs; Rodriguez was 9-for-23 with two RBIs; and Naylor was 9-for-17 with three RBIs.  “You work hard to get those results,” Naylor said. “It’s a hard game we play. It’s arguably the hardest sport. We chose to play it — and we’re idiots for choosing it — but we did. And we have decided to come to this ballpark every day and grind.”  The Mariners hope to continue to progress on the road, where they’re 1-8 this season with eight consecutive defeats. They’ve been outscored 33-19 during the skid.   “We’ll take this on the road with us and take some momentum from it for sure,” Wilson said.  The Cardinals return home after going 4-2 on a six-game trip to Houston and Miami.  They lost 4-1 to the Marlins on Wednesday but got a chance to give Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn a day off.  Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol called it a “no-brainer” to get his key players two days off in a row with the team being idle Thursday.  “It’s hard because you want to empty out (the bench) and just take your shot,” Marmol said after the defeat. “But this early on (in the season), you also have to be disciplined about keeping your word. Hit the reset button. Getting (Thursday) off for some guys, two days off for the guys who needed it is important. It may not seem that way from a fan perspective. You look at it and go, ‘Gosh, hit Walker, Winn and Burly.’ That stuff catches up with you.”  Friday’s series opener is set to feature a pair of right-handers in the Mariners’ George Kirby (3-2, 2.97 ERA) and the Cardinals’ Andre Pallante (2-1, 4.05).  Kirby has won his past two starts, including a 7-3 decision against Texas on Saturday in which he allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings. He’s 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two previous starts against St. Louis.  Pallante is coming off a 7-5 victory Saturday in Houston in which he gave up one run in five innings. This will be his first appearance against the Mariners.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Mariners #big #bats #waking #ahead #series #CardinalsApr 20, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) hits an RBI-double against the Athletics during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Maybe the Seattle Mariners’ big three are finally getting over their World Baseball Classic hangovers.

Over their just-completed six-game homestand, Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor’s bats started to heat up.

The Mariners went 3-3 against a pair of American League West rivals, the Texas Rangers and the Athletics, and start a six-game trip Friday in St. Louis with an interleague encounter against the Cardinals.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday and the score tied at 4-4 against the A’s, Raleigh grounded a single to center field. Rodriguez followed by grounding a single to left, sending Raleigh to second, and he scored on Naylor’s line-drive single to left.

“These guys have really found a good groove,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Their at-bats have been outstanding, I was super impressed there with two outs, Cal getting the hit up the middle, Julio going into the hole and then Naylor going the other way to win it.”

Entering that homestand, the Mariners’ Nos. 2-4 hitters were scuffling. Raleigh was batting .169 with two homers and 11 RBIs, Rodriguez was hitting .200 with one homer and six RBIs, and Naylor was at .118 with two homers and seven RBIs.

During the six games, Raleigh went 7-for-24 with three homers — one in each of the past three games — and three RBIs; Rodriguez was 9-for-23 with two RBIs; and Naylor was 9-for-17 with three RBIs.

“You work hard to get those results,” Naylor said. “It’s a hard game we play. It’s arguably the hardest sport. We chose to play it — and we’re idiots for choosing it — but we did. And we have decided to come to this ballpark every day and grind.”


The Mariners hope to continue to progress on the road, where they’re 1-8 this season with eight consecutive defeats. They’ve been outscored 33-19 during the skid.

“We’ll take this on the road with us and take some momentum from it for sure,” Wilson said.

The Cardinals return home after going 4-2 on a six-game trip to Houston and Miami.

They lost 4-1 to the Marlins on Wednesday but got a chance to give Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn a day off.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol called it a “no-brainer” to get his key players two days off in a row with the team being idle Thursday.

“It’s hard because you want to empty out (the bench) and just take your shot,” Marmol said after the defeat. “But this early on (in the season), you also have to be disciplined about keeping your word. Hit the reset button. Getting (Thursday) off for some guys, two days off for the guys who needed it is important. It may not seem that way from a fan perspective. You look at it and go, ‘Gosh, hit Walker, Winn and Burly.’ That stuff catches up with you.”

Friday’s series opener is set to feature a pair of right-handers in the Mariners’ George Kirby (3-2, 2.97 ERA) and the Cardinals’ Andre Pallante (2-1, 4.05).

Kirby has won his past two starts, including a 7-3 decision against Texas on Saturday in which he allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings. He’s 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two previous starts against St. Louis.

Pallante is coming off a 7-5 victory Saturday in Houston in which he gave up one run in five innings. This will be his first appearance against the Mariners.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Mariners #big #bats #waking #ahead #series #Cardinals">Deadspin | Mariners’ big bats waking up ahead of series at Cardinals  Apr 20, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) hits an RBI-double against the Athletics during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images   Maybe the Seattle Mariners’ big three are finally getting over their World Baseball Classic hangovers.  Over their just-completed six-game homestand, Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor’s bats started to heat up.  The Mariners went 3-3 against a pair of American League West rivals, the Texas Rangers and the Athletics, and start a six-game trip Friday in St. Louis with an interleague encounter against the Cardinals.  With two outs in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday and the score tied at 4-4 against the A’s, Raleigh grounded a single to center field. Rodriguez followed by grounding a single to left, sending Raleigh to second, and he scored on Naylor’s line-drive single to left.  “These guys have really found a good groove,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Their at-bats have been outstanding, I was super impressed there with two outs, Cal getting the hit up the middle, Julio going into the hole and then Naylor going the other way to win it.”  Entering that homestand, the Mariners’ Nos. 2-4 hitters were scuffling. Raleigh was batting .169 with two homers and 11 RBIs, Rodriguez was hitting .200 with one homer and six RBIs, and Naylor was at .118 with two homers and seven RBIs.  During the six games, Raleigh went 7-for-24 with three homers — one in each of the past three games — and three RBIs; Rodriguez was 9-for-23 with two RBIs; and Naylor was 9-for-17 with three RBIs.  “You work hard to get those results,” Naylor said. “It’s a hard game we play. It’s arguably the hardest sport. We chose to play it — and we’re idiots for choosing it — but we did. And we have decided to come to this ballpark every day and grind.”  The Mariners hope to continue to progress on the road, where they’re 1-8 this season with eight consecutive defeats. They’ve been outscored 33-19 during the skid.   “We’ll take this on the road with us and take some momentum from it for sure,” Wilson said.  The Cardinals return home after going 4-2 on a six-game trip to Houston and Miami.  They lost 4-1 to the Marlins on Wednesday but got a chance to give Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn a day off.  Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol called it a “no-brainer” to get his key players two days off in a row with the team being idle Thursday.  “It’s hard because you want to empty out (the bench) and just take your shot,” Marmol said after the defeat. “But this early on (in the season), you also have to be disciplined about keeping your word. Hit the reset button. Getting (Thursday) off for some guys, two days off for the guys who needed it is important. It may not seem that way from a fan perspective. You look at it and go, ‘Gosh, hit Walker, Winn and Burly.’ That stuff catches up with you.”  Friday’s series opener is set to feature a pair of right-handers in the Mariners’ George Kirby (3-2, 2.97 ERA) and the Cardinals’ Andre Pallante (2-1, 4.05).  Kirby has won his past two starts, including a 7-3 decision against Texas on Saturday in which he allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings. He’s 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two previous starts against St. Louis.  Pallante is coming off a 7-5 victory Saturday in Houston in which he gave up one run in five innings. This will be his first appearance against the Mariners.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Mariners #big #bats #waking #ahead #series #Cardinals

Promotion-chasing Millwall has received an apology from Westminster Council after the club’s badge was used in an illustration depicting ​a white supremacist in a children’s anti-racism booklet distributed in primary schools.

Millwall’s Supporters’ ‌Club said on X that legal action was still ​being considered after a ‘serious misuse’ of its registered rampant lion ⁠badge—saying it created a false and damaging image of the club.

“The council has confirmed no more copies of the image with the club’s logo will ‌be made or distributed by them, and all remaining material in their possession will be destroyed,” a statement on ‌ X said.

“The club is still considering its legal position on the ‌matter ⁠and is unable to comment further.”

Westminster Council’s booklet highlighted ⁠the career of Paul Canoville, the first Black player to play for Chelsea.

The illustration of the white supremacist, wearing a Ku Klux Klan-style white hood and robes emblazoned ​with the club’s badge, is placed ‌next to a photograph of Canoville, who has a speech bubble that says: “Racism never went away. I was badly abused in a reserve match at Millwall, but then I could show the racists ‌my 1984 2nd Division Champions medal!”

READ: Carrick keen to balance short-term success with building for the future

In its apology, Westminster Council ​said it accepted the use of the image was “an insensitive way to illustrate the historic problem of racism within ⁠football.”

“The booklet has been removed from circulation, and we are reviewing processes to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” it said in a statement.

The ‌Paul Canoville Foundation issued a statement saying it had no involvement in the commissioning or production of the booklet, although the former Chelsea player did make a personal appearance to meet students as part of the associated programme.

“We understand the illustration in question is a depiction of a real incident Paul experienced whilst playing for Chelsea Reserves against ‌Millwall Reserves in the 1980s, in which he was subjected to serious racial ​abuse by a number of individuals wearing Ku Klux Klan-style white hoods,” it said.

“This was one of many incidents of ⁠racist abuse Paul endured during his career, incidents that form the foundation ⁠of the educational and cultural work the Foundation exists to advance.”

The foundation added that it was not in a position ‌to speak for other parties’ editorial decisions.

South London club Millwall is pushing for promotion to the top flight for the first time ​since 1990 and is in third place with two games remaining.

Published on Apr 24, 2026

#Millwall #receives #apology #club #badge #antiracism #booklet">Millwall receives apology over use of club badge in anti-racism booklet  Promotion-chasing Millwall has received an apology from Westminster Council after the club’s badge was used in an illustration depicting ​a white supremacist in a children’s anti-racism booklet distributed in primary schools.Millwall’s Supporters’ ‌Club said on        X that legal action was still ​being considered after a ‘serious misuse’ of its registered rampant lion ⁠badge—saying it created a false and damaging image of the club.“The council has confirmed no more copies of the image with the club’s logo will ‌be made or distributed by them, and all remaining material in their possession will be destroyed,” a statement on ‌       X said.“The club is still considering its legal position on the ‌matter ⁠and is unable to comment further.”Westminster Council’s booklet highlighted ⁠the career of Paul Canoville, the first Black player to play for Chelsea.The illustration of the white supremacist, wearing a Ku Klux Klan-style white hood and robes emblazoned ​with the club’s badge, is placed ‌next to a photograph of Canoville, who has a speech bubble that says: “Racism never went away. I was badly abused in a reserve match at Millwall, but then I could show the racists ‌my 1984 2nd Division Champions medal!”READ: Carrick keen to balance short-term success with building for the futureIn its apology, Westminster Council ​said it accepted the use of the image was “an insensitive way to illustrate the historic problem of racism within ⁠football.”“The booklet has been removed from circulation, and we are reviewing processes to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” it said in a statement.The ‌Paul Canoville Foundation issued a statement saying it had no involvement in the commissioning or production of the booklet, although the former Chelsea player did make a personal appearance to meet students as part of the associated programme.“We understand the illustration in question is a depiction of a real incident Paul experienced whilst playing for Chelsea Reserves against ‌Millwall Reserves in the 1980s, in which he was subjected to serious racial ​abuse by a number of individuals wearing Ku Klux Klan-style white hoods,” it said.“This was one of many incidents of ⁠racist abuse Paul endured during his career, incidents that form the foundation ⁠of the educational and cultural work the Foundation exists to advance.”The foundation added that it was not in a position ‌to speak for other parties’ editorial decisions.South London club Millwall is pushing for promotion to the top flight for the first time ​since 1990 and is in third place with two games remaining.Published on Apr 24, 2026  #Millwall #receives #apology #club #badge #antiracism #booklet

Carrick keen to balance short-term success with building for the future

In its apology, Westminster Council ​said it accepted the use of the image was “an insensitive way to illustrate the historic problem of racism within ⁠football.”

“The booklet has been removed from circulation, and we are reviewing processes to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” it said in a statement.

The ‌Paul Canoville Foundation issued a statement saying it had no involvement in the commissioning or production of the booklet, although the former Chelsea player did make a personal appearance to meet students as part of the associated programme.

“We understand the illustration in question is a depiction of a real incident Paul experienced whilst playing for Chelsea Reserves against ‌Millwall Reserves in the 1980s, in which he was subjected to serious racial ​abuse by a number of individuals wearing Ku Klux Klan-style white hoods,” it said.

“This was one of many incidents of ⁠racist abuse Paul endured during his career, incidents that form the foundation ⁠of the educational and cultural work the Foundation exists to advance.”

The foundation added that it was not in a position ‌to speak for other parties’ editorial decisions.

South London club Millwall is pushing for promotion to the top flight for the first time ​since 1990 and is in third place with two games remaining.

Published on Apr 24, 2026

#Millwall #receives #apology #club #badge #antiracism #booklet">Millwall receives apology over use of club badge in anti-racism booklet

Promotion-chasing Millwall has received an apology from Westminster Council after the club’s badge was used in an illustration depicting ​a white supremacist in a children’s anti-racism booklet distributed in primary schools.

Millwall’s Supporters’ ‌Club said on X that legal action was still ​being considered after a ‘serious misuse’ of its registered rampant lion ⁠badge—saying it created a false and damaging image of the club.

“The council has confirmed no more copies of the image with the club’s logo will ‌be made or distributed by them, and all remaining material in their possession will be destroyed,” a statement on ‌ X said.

“The club is still considering its legal position on the ‌matter ⁠and is unable to comment further.”

Westminster Council’s booklet highlighted ⁠the career of Paul Canoville, the first Black player to play for Chelsea.

The illustration of the white supremacist, wearing a Ku Klux Klan-style white hood and robes emblazoned ​with the club’s badge, is placed ‌next to a photograph of Canoville, who has a speech bubble that says: “Racism never went away. I was badly abused in a reserve match at Millwall, but then I could show the racists ‌my 1984 2nd Division Champions medal!”

READ: Carrick keen to balance short-term success with building for the future

In its apology, Westminster Council ​said it accepted the use of the image was “an insensitive way to illustrate the historic problem of racism within ⁠football.”

“The booklet has been removed from circulation, and we are reviewing processes to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” it said in a statement.

The ‌Paul Canoville Foundation issued a statement saying it had no involvement in the commissioning or production of the booklet, although the former Chelsea player did make a personal appearance to meet students as part of the associated programme.

“We understand the illustration in question is a depiction of a real incident Paul experienced whilst playing for Chelsea Reserves against ‌Millwall Reserves in the 1980s, in which he was subjected to serious racial ​abuse by a number of individuals wearing Ku Klux Klan-style white hoods,” it said.

“This was one of many incidents of ⁠racist abuse Paul endured during his career, incidents that form the foundation ⁠of the educational and cultural work the Foundation exists to advance.”

The foundation added that it was not in a position ‌to speak for other parties’ editorial decisions.

South London club Millwall is pushing for promotion to the top flight for the first time ​since 1990 and is in third place with two games remaining.

Published on Apr 24, 2026

#Millwall #receives #apology #club #badge #antiracism #booklet

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