Deadspin | Bats aid Javier Assad’s strong start as Cubs thump Rays Apr 7, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) celebrates with designated hitter Moises Ballesteros (25) after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images Javier Assad threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Pete Crow-Armstrong and Moises Ballesteros hit late-inning home runs to seal the Chicago Cubs’ 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. Seven Cubs, including Crow-Armstrong and Ballesteros, had two or more hits as part of a 16-hit output. Nico Hoerner went 2-4 with two RBIs. Further down the order, there was an RBI apiece for Michael Conforto and Matt Shaw as the Cubs evened the three-game series. Assad (1-0), making his season debut after beginning the year in Triple-A Iowa, retired the first 12 Rays in order. He allowed just one hit and two walks, striking out three. Mason Englert (0-1) was a spot starter for Tampa Bay after Drew Rasmussen was a late scratch for personal reasons. Englert took the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. A two-out Dansby Swanson double sparked a Chicago rally in the second. Conforto followed up with an RBI single before Shaw brought home Conforto with a double to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead. An error by Rays catcher Nick Fortes resulted in another Cubs run the next inning, when Alex Bregman scored on Fortes’ wayward throw made while attempting to catch Crow-Amstrong stealing second. With one out, Ballesteros then hit a sacrifice fly to complete Crow-Armstrong’s trip around the bases. It was Ballesteros’ turn to cross home plate in the sixth when he scored on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice by Hoerner. Crow-Armstrong’s blast off reliever Yoendrys Gomez an inning later snuck out just inside the right field foul pole for a 6-0 lead. The Cubs loaded the bases again in the eighth and Hoerner knocked in his second run with an RBI single. Jonathan Aranda ended the shutout bid with an RBI double off Phil Maton in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Vilade followed with an infield single which scored Yandy Diaz. Ballesteros completed his standout night at the plate with a two-run home run to right off Gomez in the final frame. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Bats #aid #Javier #Assads #strong #start #Cubs #thump #Rays

Deadspin | Bats aid Javier Assad’s strong start as Cubs thump Rays
Apr 7, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) celebrates with designated hitter Moises Ballesteros (25) after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Javier Assad threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Pete Crow-Armstrong and Moises Ballesteros hit late-inning home runs to seal the Chicago Cubs’ 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Seven Cubs, including Crow-Armstrong and Ballesteros, had two or more hits as part of a 16-hit output. Nico Hoerner went 2-4 with two RBIs. Further down the order, there was an RBI apiece for Michael Conforto and Matt Shaw as the Cubs evened the three-game series.

Assad (1-0), making his season debut after beginning the year in Triple-A Iowa, retired the first 12 Rays in order. He allowed just one hit and two walks, striking out three.

Mason Englert (0-1) was a spot starter for Tampa Bay after Drew Rasmussen was a late scratch for personal reasons. Englert took the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.

A two-out Dansby Swanson double sparked a Chicago rally in the second. Conforto followed up with an RBI single before Shaw brought home Conforto with a double to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead.

An error by Rays catcher Nick Fortes resulted in another Cubs run the next inning, when Alex Bregman scored on Fortes’ wayward throw made while attempting to catch Crow-Amstrong stealing second. With one out, Ballesteros then hit a sacrifice fly to complete Crow-Armstrong’s trip around the bases.

It was Ballesteros’ turn to cross home plate in the sixth when he scored on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice by Hoerner. Crow-Armstrong’s blast off reliever Yoendrys Gomez an inning later snuck out just inside the right field foul pole for a 6-0 lead.

The Cubs loaded the bases again in the eighth and Hoerner knocked in his second run with an RBI single.

Jonathan Aranda ended the shutout bid with an RBI double off Phil Maton in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Vilade followed with an infield single which scored Yandy Diaz.

Ballesteros completed his standout night at the plate with a two-run home run to right off Gomez in the final frame.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Bats #aid #Javier #Assads #strong #start #Cubs #thump #Rays

Sports news April 8, 2026

Apr 7, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) celebrates with designated hitter Moises Ballesteros (25) after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Javier Assad threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Pete Crow-Armstrong and Moises Ballesteros hit late-inning home runs to seal the Chicago Cubs’ 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Seven Cubs, including Crow-Armstrong and Ballesteros, had two or more hits as part of a 16-hit output. Nico Hoerner went 2-4 with two RBIs. Further down the order, there was an RBI apiece for Michael Conforto and Matt Shaw as the Cubs evened the three-game series.

Assad (1-0), making his season debut after beginning the year in Triple-A Iowa, retired the first 12 Rays in order. He allowed just one hit and two walks, striking out three.

Mason Englert (0-1) was a spot starter for Tampa Bay after Drew Rasmussen was a late scratch for personal reasons. Englert took the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.

A two-out Dansby Swanson double sparked a Chicago rally in the second. Conforto followed up with an RBI single before Shaw brought home Conforto with a double to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead.

An error by Rays catcher Nick Fortes resulted in another Cubs run the next inning, when Alex Bregman scored on Fortes’ wayward throw made while attempting to catch Crow-Amstrong stealing second. With one out, Ballesteros then hit a sacrifice fly to complete Crow-Armstrong’s trip around the bases.

It was Ballesteros’ turn to cross home plate in the sixth when he scored on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice by Hoerner. Crow-Armstrong’s blast off reliever Yoendrys Gomez an inning later snuck out just inside the right field foul pole for a 6-0 lead.

The Cubs loaded the bases again in the eighth and Hoerner knocked in his second run with an RBI single.

Jonathan Aranda ended the shutout bid with an RBI double off Phil Maton in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Vilade followed with an infield single which scored Yandy Diaz.

Ballesteros completed his standout night at the plate with a two-run home run to right off Gomez in the final frame.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Bats #aid #Javier #Assads #strong #start #Cubs #thump #Rays

Don’t think Dhoni had a big impact at CSK except for his leadership over the last year: Klaasen <div id="content-body-70837212" itemprop="articleBody">Heinrich Klaasen entered this season of the Indian Premier League carrying a few lingering self-doubts.The South African has been away from the intensity and grind of international cricket for nearly a year, a gap that can unsettle even the most seasoned players in a format as unforgiving as Twenty20.Determined to stay competitive, Klaasen explored new ways to keep himself in rhythm. If the first three matches are any indication, those efforts have paid off handsomely. With 145 runs at a strike rate of 147.95, including two half-centuries, the Sunrisers Hyderabad star has not only found his groove but also shifted the pressure firmly onto the opposition—and then some.In a media interaction facilitated by the JioStar Press Room, Klaasen reflected on his form and that of his team, his dominance against spin, his electric partnership with Nitish Kumar Reddy, and more.Q: Starting the IPL with back-to-back 50s must feel good…A: Unfortunately we’ve lost two games, but on a personal note, it’s been a good start. One of my biggest concerns was not playing as much cricket as I used to. ‘Can I still keep up with the standard that I set myself with?’ It’s been a pretty good start and hopefully this form will continue.How have you adapted to stepping away from international cricket?International cricket is a big miss in my game, but there are small things that I do that just keep me up to the pace of normal cricket speed. I’ve been working with a lady in Cape Town called Sherylle, who’s an eye doctor. We call it an EyeGym. It just helps you make a lot of decisions under pressure and in a certain amount of time. That has been working for me over the last year in making sure that my decision-making and reaction times are good. It’s just that one percent that you have to take a little bit more care of and give yourself a little bit more training right before coming into a competition like this. Normally, you can have a week or two off before you come into a long tournament like this. I just had to change my training schedules and make small tweaks like that to make sure that I get up to speed as quickly as I can.How would you assess Sunrisers Hyderabad’s performances so far?It’s a tough question. I will give us about a six at this moment.We have played some brilliant cricket in parts, but we’re just losing the plot in the crucial phases of the game. We lose it so badly that it just puts us out of the game entirely. If you take the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, we lost three wickets in the PowerPlay. Same against Lucknow Super Giants.I honestly do think the bowlers are hanging on exactly as planned. That aspect is doing very well. The rest of the batting unit is doing well. There are a lot of positives. I’ll say about 80 per cent positive.READ: <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/interviews/vyshak-vijaykumar-journey-india-call-up-injury-ipl-2026-pbks-impact-player/article70829406.ece" target="_blank">The Space Between: Vyshak Vijaykumar on a journey to find himself</a>Our fielding in the first two games hasn’t been up to standard at all. In our last game, against LSG, it was better. We’re working on that, and we’re setting a new standard for ourselves to put teams under pressure and make sure we hang on to our catches. But it’s not at the standard that we set for ourselves, as it stands.I’ll give us a six and not go with seven, which is an easy cop out. We want to get to eight and nine to make sure that we get some momentum. There’s no panic in the changing room yet. We’re looking forward to getting on a roll and putting all three compartments of the game together.SRH’s batting lineup is probably the most fearsome in the league. But with Pat Cummins missing, there are some concerns over the bite in the bowling unit, at least on paper. What do you make of it? Our batting has been good so far, but we’ve missed out on about 40 runs over the three games. So there’s still a lot of work to do for our batters. Obviously, if you miss a bowler like Pat Cummins, it’s a loss for any team in any format. Same with (Brydon) Carse. The rest of the bowlers are super experienced, especially our pace department. The wickets have been good in the two games in which we struggled in. We just didn’t execute with the bat like we wanted. It’s easy to say our bowlers don’t have the experience or are under the pump, but in the two games that we’ve lost, the batters left about 20 to 30 runs on the board.<div class=" article-picture center"><img src="https://ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/f1qgzr/article70837354.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/2026-04-02T135102Z_934424001_UP1EM4212H1F5_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-IPL-KKR-SRH.JPG" data-original="https://ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/f1qgzr/article70837354.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/2026-04-02T135102Z_934424001_UP1EM4212H1F5_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-IPL-KKR-SRH.JPG" alt="Sunrisers Hyderabad's Pat Cummins during a warm-up session." title="Sunrisers Hyderabad's Pat Cummins during a warm-up session." class=" lazy" width="100%" height="100%"/><div class="pic-caption"><figcaption class="figure-caption align-text-bottom"> Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS <img class="caption-image" src="https://assetsss.thehindu.com/theme/images/SSRX/lightbox-info.svg" alt="lightbox-info"/></figcaption></div> Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Pat Cummins during a warm-up session. | Photo Credit: REUTERS </div>We saw it against KKR, we put enough runs on the board… That’s our job. We need to get to that 220-230 mark. That’s why we have set up the team we have now, so we give our bowlers a proper chance at defending.SRH’s spin pool looks relatively inexperienced with players like Harsh Dubey and Shivang Kumar. What have you made of their ability to work under pressure? Is that lack of experience really such a big factor, especially in the middle overs? They’ve been fantastic so far. Our fielding has been poor against them, so that makes their figures look bad. The team should take it on the chin and keep encouraging them to do what they do. Having faced them in the nets, I can tell you that they may be inexperienced on paper, but they’re definitely experienced in playing the game and know what to do with the plan.They bowl extremely well. They haven’t really played on wickets that have been spinning too much. They’re just hanging on at the moment, picking up crucial wickets when we need it. I can’t wait till we get to a wicket that just suits them a little bit more, and then people will see the brilliant skill set that they have.What do you make of Ishan Kishan, the captain, so far? He’s been superb so far. He’s a guy who asks for advice. We’ve got a lot of experience in the changing room, so he leans on that as well. But his decision-making, the way he changes the bowler, the way the team listens to him, has been phenomenal so far.We’re in superb hands and luckily, he’s not an arrogant guy at all, which makes it a lot easier. He’s a really enjoyable captain to play under. There are a lot of jokes in between which helps because this game brings quite a tough environment to play in. He’s been superb and he has had some success in the domestic scene as well. I think his domestic team won a competition recently, so there’s a lot of experience in that aspect.TraviShek’s wonderful starts – how much of a cushion does that give the team?It depends on how you see it. Sometimes, when they go at 14 or 15 an over, you feel like the wicket is extremely flat or they make it look flat and you want to keep up with that pace. Sometimes that can put you under pressure a bit. <div class=" article-picture center"><img src="https://ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/mfohsi/article70837356.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/2026-04-02T143407Z_596927915_UP1EM4214GTFD_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-IPL-KKR-SRH.JPG" data-original="https://ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/mfohsi/article70837356.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/2026-04-02T143407Z_596927915_UP1EM4214GTFD_RTRMADP_3_CRICKET-IPL-KKR-SRH.JPG" alt="Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma." title="Sunrisers Hyderabad's Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma." class=" lazy" width="100%" height="100%"/><div class="pic-caption"><figcaption class="figure-caption align-text-bottom"> Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS <img class="caption-image" src="https://assetsss.thehindu.com/theme/images/SSRX/lightbox-info.svg" alt="lightbox-info"/></figcaption></div> Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head bumps fists with Abhishek Sharma. | Photo Credit: REUTERS </div>But having played with them for three seasons now, I do understand that you can play on tempo as well. They give you the luxury to hold on and get yourself in and then go again so that the run rate never really drops below 11 or 12. How has your role in this side evolved?It’s a role that I’ve played my whole life and in my whole career. You have to adapt to those situations and you have to be able to play different roles in the team. My role in the team is to keep on going if TraviShek and Ishan have put the opposition under pressure. But the days that doesn’t happen, I need to make sure we get into a position to defend a total. I know that’s my role. I have to play four or five different games, but that’s just what is required to be a professional cricketer at this moment. Every game is going to present different situations. It takes a different set of skills to understand those things and execute plans accordingly. You have a great partnership going with Nitish Kumar Reddy. How are you both finding a rhythm in the middle order?It helps when you play together for a couple of years. You start to understand each other, you understand what makes each other tick. Our communication this season has been incredible. We’ve been taking a lot of pressure off each other, especially from his side. He’s been taking a lot of pressure off me at the start of my innings. So a lot of credit needs to go to Nitish. He’s in form at the moment, so that makes it a lot easier as well to drop and change our plans as we go and to identify the bowlers each of us likes to take down.He reminds me of playing with David Miller. In your career, you get a few guys you just enjoy batting with. Nitish is extremely quick so when you feel like you’re under pressure a bit, you can always run two or three and make the over a little easier instead of just searching for boundaries. Running between the wickets becomes a crucial part of the game then. I love seeing him grow as well. It’s just been fantastic this season and hopefully we can put on a couple of bigger partnerships.You have been known as the spin destroyer of SRH. How did that come about for you?South Africa has some quality spinners and I’ve played a lot of four-day cricket at a stage where my career really needed it. It is a stage where probably all of those spinners played four-day cricket as well.I’m used to the ball turning away from me. I faced a lot of Tabraiz Shamsi in the nets, who is a quality spinner as well. A lot of training, a lot of hours have been spent experimenting. I’ve been in India for five to six years now. Over the years, I’ve gained some experience. Earlier in my career, we went to Sri Lanka, where the ball actually spun quite a bit. We had to figure things out for ourselves and learn new tricks. I’m very blessed to be able to play spin well. It’s always a challenge to keep taking them on because I know they’re looking to get my wicket.Is it safe to say that you love playing in India against the spinners specifically?The boundaries here are not the biggest in the world. We’re used to some big boundaries. But the wickets are fantastic, so it’s a nice place to come to. It’s still a big challenge. I know they’re coming for me and they know I’m coming for them. This season, I see that they’ve got a couple of game plans, so I need to get back to doing some good homework against them and finding new ways of scoring against them.Is there any Indian spinner that you enjoy playing against the most?It’s an easy answer, Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal. We’ve had a few great battles over the last couple of years. He’s a quality bowler and very clever. I think we’re about 50-50 on winning those battles. He’s a good mate of mine as well, which makes it even better to fight against him on the pitch.You are going to play against CSK soon, who are struggling this year. The unavailability of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, how big is that an advantage for you guys?They’ve obviously got an incredible IPL record and they’ve always been a strong side. Not having Dhoni doesn’t make them less of a good side and the players they have currently are unbelievable as well. They’re going to get (Dewald) Brevis back. So that’s going to strengthen their middle order. The two openers haven’t really scored anything yet, so they’re due for runs. It’s not going to be an easy game. Hopefully their form continues to struggle a little bit against us so we can really put them under pressure. But they’re always a good side. It’s always nice (to) play against them because you want to play against the best sides in the world. Dhoni not being there doesn’t really make a difference, because he’s still in the dugout sharing his experience with the guys. Normally, over the last few seasons, he probably bats the last 10 balls only anyway. So it’s the other guys in the team that you have to worry about more.What’s the mood in the camp when you face a side like CSK? Does it feel like just another game or does the prospect of facing a team like that brings that extra intensity into the setup?Look, it’s always fun playing against them and knowing that our owners are also coming from Chennai, they do put an emphasis on that. We need to beat them. There will always be added pressure on that game, but it’s still a good game. All the teams that you have to play in the IPL, you have to be at your best and give your best performance. ALSO READ: <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/ipl-2026-exclusive-interview-punjab-kings-pbks-ben-dwarshuis-on-bowling-variations-consistency/article70832950.ece" target="_blank">Adaptability is Currency — PBKS seamer Ben Dwarshuis on surviving the grind in IPL 2026</a>Hopefully we can get a little bit of momentum going into the next game and then facing Chennai back home. The wicket hopefully will be a little bit better and then if we can, if we can get one over them going into their home ground, I think we should be in a good position to take them down this season.You haven’t been at your best against CSK. What are the learnings that you have taken from these past battles against CSK and how do you plan to improve your performances against the Men in Yellow?Chennai is probably not the easiest place to play cricket, especially if you have someone like Jadeja who can bowl at 100 kilometers an hour and the ball spins and just holds a little bit. Luckily he’s not there this season. It’s a completely different team. I probably just need to hit the ball a little bit longer and make sure I clear the boundary. I need to give myself enough opportunity to make a bigger impact. I’m not too worried about it, it’s just about finding form and when I do, it’s about just cherishing it and making sure that I hold on to it.When you face a CSK team without its talismanic skipper Dhoni, does his absence play at the back of your mind?I think the crowd will be a little bit quieter. Normally when he walks onto the ground, you can’t hear anything around you. So that would be a nice addition to playing them. I don’t think he had such a big impact except for his leadership over the last year. He’d normally just face 10 balls and then try to make an impact. But they do have quality additions to their side and we need to make good plans to get them out.<div class=" article-picture center"><img src="https://ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/tzvl9e/article70837358.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/DSC_0340.JPG" data-original="https://ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/tzvl9e/article70837358.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/DSC_0340.JPG" alt="An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai." title="An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai." class=" lazy" width="100%" height="100%"/><div class="pic-caption"><figcaption class="figure-caption align-text-bottom"> An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R <img class="caption-image" src="https://assetsss.thehindu.com/theme/images/SSRX/lightbox-info.svg" alt="lightbox-info"/></figcaption></div> An injured MS Dhoni is seen batting during a practice session in Chennai. | Photo Credit: RAGU R </div>A guy like Brevis is in good form and then you know the two openers got an unbelievable IPL record. We need to make sure that we keep putting them under pressure. When the calm head of Dhoni is not there, it’s an opportunity for us to maybe just put the pedal down and squeeze them a little bit more.Does the IPL stand out in any way compared to the other leagues?It’s by far the toughest there is in franchise cricket. I sometimes feel it’s tougher than international cricket. It depends on who you play but the standard of cricket and obviously the conditions play a big part. Every year, you just see a new Indian player coming through who you never knew about. The talent just sets the standard so high. It is by far the best competition in the world. There are a couple of tournaments they are striving to reach the same standard. But it’s tough.Do you have a message for the Sunrisers Hyderabad faithful?Just be patient. You can’t win a competition in the first week of the IPL. We’re getting everything together and hopefully, we can make it to the playoffs and then we’re going to have an extremely good chance of winning this trophy. I think we’re long due and we’ve got the squad to win a trophy. Keep supporting us and we’re looking forward to producing some good performances.Published on Apr 08, 2026</div> #Dont #Dhoni #big #impact #CSK #leadership #year #Klaasen

Suryavanshi vs Bumrah — Much-awaited duel offers expected fireworks in Royal win against Mumbai Indians <div id="content-body-70837310" itemprop="articleBody">Everybody knew. The moment the revised playing conditions for the rain-affected Rajasthan Royals-Mumbai Indians clash confirmed that only one bowler per team can bowl three overs, everybody nodded in agreement. Jasprit Bumrah is going to get three.Why bother thinking?The one other thing everyone knew, or rather expected, was the coming together of Bumrah and Vaibhav Suryavanshi.The two had never faced off in a competitive setting. It was an intriguing prospect – this fearless teenage batter, taking the world by storm, going up against the most-feared bowler of this generation.There was also a sense of curiosity. Would Suryavanshi treat the pace ace with reverence? Would Bumrah go extra hard at the 15-year-old?It could have helped Suryavanshi’s cause that this was an 11-over shootout. But would we have played any differently if this were a longer game? Highly doubtful.And after all the narrative-building, Bumrah and Suryavanshi did square off in the second over, right after Yashasvi Jaiswal had ripped apart Deepak Chahar in a 22-run over.In all fairness, Bumrah’s first offering to Suryavanshi was a gift – an overpitched delivery that was in the batter’s hitting arc.<div class="inline_embed article-block-item"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It’s not raining… it’s raining sixes! ☔Vaibhav Suryavanshi takes on Jasprit Bumrah and sends it into the stands! 🚀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RRvMI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RRvMI</a><a href="https://t.co/tXEZWUihe7">pic.twitter.com/tXEZWUihe7</a>— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) <a href="https://twitter.com/sportstarweb/status/2041561199306002784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2026</a></blockquote></div>But what can’t be missed was the Royals’ opener’s intent. He had already shuffled into his hitting position. There was nothing half-measured about his much-talked-about bat swing. The contact and follow-through fell in place. The ball soared over the long-on fence and deep into the stands, while Suryavanshi looked on unbothered.RELATED: <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/vaibhav-suryavanshi-jasprit-bumrah-two-sixes-first-over-maiden-face-off-rr-vs-mi-rajasthan-royals-mumbai-indians/article70835636.ece#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashes Bumrah for two sixes in one over in first-ever meeting</a>As the crowd erupted in applause, Bumrah walked back to his run-up mark with a smile on his face. Was it amusement or bewilderment? Or was it helplessness? One can never be sure.Nevertheless, Bumrah’s reaction can probably be observed as an amalgamation of our collective thoughts on Suryavanshi.It has been proven beyond doubt that he is an inexplicable talent who poses more questions than answers for all stakeholders.As a teammate, a coach or a captain, how do you nurture his prodigious talents while insulating him from innumerable treasures and boundless fame that await him?As an opponent, what do you do against this batter who strikes the ball with such relentless ferocity and could do it for two more decades?As a viewer, how do you comprehend the fact that a kid born in 2011 is dominating world-class bowlers, tampering with one’s own sense of time?Let’s keep the existential questions aside for now and circle back to the Bumrah-Suryavanshi mini-battle. Having been swatted away for a six, the MI pacer went to his go-to option for the second ball – a back-of-a-length off-cutter into the batter’s body.Suryavanshi, though, was ready for it. He had put himself inside the line and then safely tucked it to the legside for a single – a bit of ‘smart and sensible’ cricket for the traditionalists.Jaiswal would immediately return the strike to Suryavanshi. If there was a feeling that the teenager wasn’t going to take any further risks against Bumrah, it was to be proven wrong immediately.Bumrah stuck to the same hard length. In fact, he had shifted the line further away from the stumps. But Suryavanshi was ready for it, again. A swivel pull, and the ball zooms over square leg for another six.This was already in the realms of ridiculousness. This is ‘The Bumrah.’ And this 15-year-old is going after him without a care in the world.ALSO READ | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/ipl-2026-rajasthan-royals-vs-mumbai-indians-rr-vs-mi-coach-mahela-jayawardene-comments-on-loss/article70836997.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">IPL 2026: ‘Difference was four sixes … we couldn’t find that,’ laments MI coach Jayawardene after loss</a>There were two more deliveries in this match-up. Both full-tosses. Both presumably attempted yorkers. Almost bafflingly, Suryavanshi failed to put both those easier pickings away.And in the end, we get five balls from this battle – two sixes, one single and two dot balls. Dramatic enough to write about.So we go back to the bigger question. What do you do with Suryavanshi? At least for one part, it is safe to assume that he has found himself in the right place.Rajasthan Royals has, so far, encouraged and set him up to play his natural style of cricket. The team also has, through its High Performance Centre, allowed the youngster to train at an unrivalled standard, both in terms of quality and quantity.For the other parts of the Suryavanshi conundrum, we will just have to wait and watch as it unfolds.Published on Apr 08, 2026</div><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> #Suryavanshi #Bumrah #Muchawaited #duel #offers #expected #fireworks #Royal #win #Mumbai #Indians

Saturday Night’s Main Event left fans with more questions than answers. Taking place in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the home state of Michael Jackson, SNME definitely wasn’t the thriller WWE thought it would be. The great news is that this was a well-paced show with minimal ads, unlike WWE’s counterpart on ESPN.

However, every match had a dirty finish, and some would argue the wrong person/team won at times. With only two weeks to build the PLE, Triple H and the creative team rushed to present us with five matches. With the bar set low, how did the superstars fare inside the squared circle?

Let’s hit the headlines.

Jade pins the Champ

Rhea kicked off the show to the biggest reception of the night to team up with Charlotte and Alexa Bliss. Jade Cargill, Michin, and B Fab, aka the ‘Takeover,’ entered the ring paying homage to Michael Jackson with their gear. The matchup started off awkwardly, but eventually everyone got their chance to shine. Michin got her fifteen minutes of fame, though, outshining all the other stars. The ending was a bit odd, with the babyfaces celebrating in the ring before Jade pushed them out of the way. Cargill hit Ripley with Jaded to score the victory and build momentum toward their next clash.

Jade and Rhea will collide this Sunday at ‘Clash in Italy’ for the WWE Women’s Championship. Since Jade got the win Saturday, by WWE’s booking, she will fall to the champ in Italy. We could’ve had Bliss or Flair take the pin, but Triple H wants Jade to look strong heading into her championship contest.

Sucking the So(u)l of the Arena

Fans in attendance were BOOING after Sol won by DQ against Becky Lynch in a non-title match. Sol Rucca lost her first two matches on the main roster and goaded the Women’s IC champ to a match at SNME. Lynch accepted, but said Rucca didn’t deserve a title shot, which was understandable. What doesn’t make sense is how this was booked. Rucca got her offense in early and dominated for a total of three minutes. She attempted her finisher called the ‘Sol Snatcher’, but hit the referee instead.

That same referee, Jessica Carr, had been in every PLE match of Lynch’s since WrestlePalooza. The champ has never liked her, and of course, some sort of shenanigans happens whenever Carr is around. This time, Carr called the match, and Rucca was given the win by DQ. In a backstage segment, GM Nick Aldis told Becky Lynch she is facing Sol for the title at Clash in Italy. They could’ve just had Rucca win in short fashion and then grant her a title match. Instead, this happened. Don’t be surprised if Rucca captures the title and soul of the crowd in her first win on the main roster. Stranger things have happened.

CERO MIEDO

That translates to ‘Zero Fear’ in English, and is the motto of Penta. Many fans (myself included) hoped we would see a title change hands in this match. Penta and ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page fought for the Intercontinental Championship. Page showed the world his arsenal and proved he could keep up with Penta. He gloated throughout the match, but Penta continued to use his aerial ability to his advantage. There was a moment where Page sent the champ over the announce table, and almost won by count-out. However, you cannot win the title unless it’s by pinfall or submission. The challenger got the champ back in the ring, but an exposed turnbuckle led to his demise. Despite kicking out of the Penta Driver, Page lost after being hit by a Mexican Destroyer off the top rope. Quite the PLE debut for the former NXT North American champ, and he’s impressing the higher-ups, so expect him to win the belt before the year is out.

Paige and Brie Bella are Still Untouchable

When Paige returned to WWE at WrestleMania 42 and won the tag titles with Brie Bella, the excitement couldn’t be contained. As weeks went on, it felt like this duo had a stranglehold on the women’s tag team division. A once-thriving division, including Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, and Nia Jax, turned into a revolt against Paige. She is a great performer, but Triple H and co. are biding their time for Nikki to come back and the Bella Twins to turn on Paige. That didn’t happen tonight. Instead, this was an average match that ended in Brie reinforcing her tag partner’s pin for the victory.

The babyfaces cheated to win, so does that mean they’re turning? Probably not if WWE’s storytelling has anything to say about it. Nia Jax and Lash Legend are likely to get a rematch, whether it’s just them or several other tag teams. All four competitors have their strengths, but the WWE Universe wants to see Paige in singles action soon.

20/20 Vision

The main event between the Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory) and the Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) was all sorts of fun. Between Paul and Ford’s athleticism, these two teams knocked it out of the park. That was until Bron Breakker showed up and got tossed over the announce table by Angelo Dawkins. Then, Paul Heyman put Theory’s foot on the rope after Ford flew off the top rope. Finally, Paul knocked out Ford with the brass knuckles which led to Theory going for a desperation pin and victory.

After the match, Bron Breakker speared the daylights out of the Street Profits as the Vision stood tall to end the show. WWE wants to rebuild the tag team division, but making the Profits look weak after being AWOL isn’t a great look. On top of that, they released the New Day and Motor City Machine Guns. On the bright side, the team of Enzo Amore and Big Cass is rumored to return this summer. Get ready to chant, “Bada bing, bada boom. Realest guys in the room. How you doin’?”

The End of an Era

Saturday Night’s Main Event began in 1985 at the Nassau Coliseum in New York. WWE brought back the PLE in 2024, eventually giving Peacock exclusive rights to the show. WWE has one more SNME this year at Madison Square Garden, which is the most prestigious arena in pro wrestling history.

Their deal with Peacock expires at the end of 2026, and might be the end of the road for SNME. Look, it’s great to see the retro themes or the ring announcers doing their schtick with microphones hanging from the balances. However, when there were no title changes, multiple dirty finishes, and mediocre wrestling, is there any reason to continue it? This will certainly be a talking point among the pro wrestling media outlets for the next week, but it may be overlooked because…

A Chef’s Kiss in Italy

Looking ahead, WWE is presenting the first-ever PLE in Italy. ‘Clash In Italy’ takes place this Sunday in Italy at 2pm/ET, but it might as well be called ‘Rematch in Italy’. Two matches already took place at WrestleMania, one at Backlash, and one at SNME. Roman Reigns will clash with Jacob Fatu for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Tribal Combat match: Falls Count Anywhere stipulation where the loser acknowledges the other as the Tribal Chief.

Meanwhile, Gunther will look to put Cody Rhodes to sleep and become the new WWE Undisputed Champion. Out of all the title matches on this card, this looks to have the highest odds of a title change. That is, unless Randy Orton returns and seeks revenge.

Jade Cargill faces Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s title, and after tonight, it sure looks like we’re headed toward Ripley continuing her dominance. Another women’s bout added to the card was Sol Rucca taking on Becky Lynch for the Women’s IC title.

Lastly, Brock Lesnar is back, looking for Oba Femi’s blood after swerving the WWE Universe at WrestleMania 42. After losing to Femi, Lesnar put his gloves and boots in the ring, signaling his retirement. Instead, he did a sneak attack on Raw to set up this battle between two titans. Neither man can afford to lose, and that’s how you want it to be.

There could be one or two matches added before this Sunday, so tune in to Monday Night Raw and see what WWE has to offer. Friday Night SmackDown has been a chore to sit through, but with a PLE on the horizon, it could have some developments in store.

#Dirty #Finishes #WWE #Saturday #Night #Dominate #Ahead #Clash #Italy #Deadspin.com">

Dirty Finishes at WWE Saturday Night Dominate Ahead of Clash in Italy | Deadspin.com Saturday Night’s Main Event left fans with more questions than answers. Taking place in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the home state of Michael Jackson, SNME definitely wasn’t the thriller WWE thought it would be. The great news is that this was a well-paced show with minimal ads, unlike WWE’s counterpart on ESPN.However, every match had a dirty finish, and some would argue the wrong person/team won at times. With only two weeks to build the PLE, Triple H and the creative team rushed to present us with five matches. With the bar set low, how did the superstars fare inside the squared circle?Let’s hit the headlines.Jade pins the ChampRhea kicked off the show to the biggest reception of the night to team up with Charlotte and Alexa Bliss. Jade Cargill, Michin, and B Fab, aka the ‘Takeover,’ entered the ring paying homage to Michael Jackson with their gear. The matchup started off awkwardly, but eventually everyone got their chance to shine. Michin got her fifteen minutes of fame, though, outshining all the other stars. The ending was a bit odd, with the babyfaces celebrating in the ring before Jade pushed them out of the way. Cargill hit Ripley with Jaded to score the victory and build momentum toward their next clash.Jade and Rhea will collide this Sunday at ‘Clash in Italy’ for the WWE Women’s Championship. Since Jade got the win Saturday, by WWE’s booking, she will fall to the champ in Italy. We could’ve had Bliss or Flair take the pin, but Triple H wants Jade to look strong heading into her championship contest.Sucking the So(u)l of the ArenaFans in attendance were BOOING after Sol won by DQ against Becky Lynch in a non-title match. Sol Rucca lost her first two matches on the main roster and goaded the Women’s IC champ to a match at SNME. Lynch accepted, but said Rucca didn’t deserve a title shot, which was understandable. What doesn’t make sense is how this was booked. Rucca got her offense in early and dominated for a total of three minutes. She attempted her finisher called the ‘Sol Snatcher’, but hit the referee instead.That same referee, Jessica Carr, had been in every PLE match of Lynch’s since WrestlePalooza. The champ has never liked her, and of course, some sort of shenanigans happens whenever Carr is around. This time, Carr called the match, and Rucca was given the win by DQ. In a backstage segment, GM Nick Aldis told Becky Lynch she is facing Sol for the title at Clash in Italy. They could’ve just had Rucca win in short fashion and then grant her a title match. Instead, this happened. Don’t be surprised if Rucca captures the title and soul of the crowd in her first win on the main roster. Stranger things have happened.CERO MIEDOThat translates to ‘Zero Fear’ in English, and is the motto of Penta. Many fans (myself included) hoped we would see a title change hands in this match. Penta and ‘All Ego’ Ethan Page fought for the Intercontinental Championship. Page showed the world his arsenal and proved he could keep up with Penta. He gloated throughout the match, but Penta continued to use his aerial ability to his advantage. There was a moment where Page sent the champ over the announce table, and almost won by count-out. However, you cannot win the title unless it’s by pinfall or submission. The challenger got the champ back in the ring, but an exposed turnbuckle led to his demise. Despite kicking out of the Penta Driver, Page lost after being hit by a Mexican Destroyer off the top rope. Quite the PLE debut for the former NXT North American champ, and he’s impressing the higher-ups, so expect him to win the belt before the year is out.Paige and Brie Bella are Still UntouchableWhen Paige returned to WWE at WrestleMania 42 and won the tag titles with Brie Bella, the excitement couldn’t be contained. As weeks went on, it felt like this duo had a stranglehold on the women’s tag team division. A once-thriving division, including Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, and Nia Jax, turned into a revolt against Paige. She is a great performer, but Triple H and co. are biding their time for Nikki to come back and the Bella Twins to turn on Paige. That didn’t happen tonight. Instead, this was an average match that ended in Brie reinforcing her tag partner’s pin for the victory.The babyfaces cheated to win, so does that mean they’re turning? Probably not if WWE’s storytelling has anything to say about it. Nia Jax and Lash Legend are likely to get a rematch, whether it’s just them or several other tag teams. All four competitors have their strengths, but the WWE Universe wants to see Paige in singles action soon.20/20 VisionThe main event between the Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory) and the Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) was all sorts of fun. Between Paul and Ford’s athleticism, these two teams knocked it out of the park. That was until Bron Breakker showed up and got tossed over the announce table by Angelo Dawkins. Then, Paul Heyman put Theory’s foot on the rope after Ford flew off the top rope. Finally, Paul knocked out Ford with the brass knuckles which led to Theory going for a desperation pin and victory.After the match, Bron Breakker speared the daylights out of the Street Profits as the Vision stood tall to end the show. WWE wants to rebuild the tag team division, but making the Profits look weak after being AWOL isn’t a great look. On top of that, they released the New Day and Motor City Machine Guns. On the bright side, the team of Enzo Amore and Big Cass is rumored to return this summer. Get ready to chant, “Bada bing, bada boom. Realest guys in the room. How you doin’?”The End of an EraSaturday Night’s Main Event began in 1985 at the Nassau Coliseum in New York. WWE brought back the PLE in 2024, eventually giving Peacock exclusive rights to the show. WWE has one more SNME this year at Madison Square Garden, which is the most prestigious arena in pro wrestling history.Their deal with Peacock expires at the end of 2026, and might be the end of the road for SNME. Look, it’s great to see the retro themes or the ring announcers doing their schtick with microphones hanging from the balances. However, when there were no title changes, multiple dirty finishes, and mediocre wrestling, is there any reason to continue it? This will certainly be a talking point among the pro wrestling media outlets for the next week, but it may be overlooked because…A Chef’s Kiss in ItalyLooking ahead, WWE is presenting the first-ever PLE in Italy. ‘Clash In Italy’ takes place this Sunday in Italy at 2pm/ET, but it might as well be called ‘Rematch in Italy’. Two matches already took place at WrestleMania, one at Backlash, and one at SNME. Roman Reigns will clash with Jacob Fatu for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Tribal Combat match: Falls Count Anywhere stipulation where the loser acknowledges the other as the Tribal Chief.Meanwhile, Gunther will look to put Cody Rhodes to sleep and become the new WWE Undisputed Champion. Out of all the title matches on this card, this looks to have the highest odds of a title change. That is, unless Randy Orton returns and seeks revenge.Jade Cargill faces Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s title, and after tonight, it sure looks like we’re headed toward Ripley continuing her dominance. Another women’s bout added to the card was Sol Rucca taking on Becky Lynch for the Women’s IC title.Lastly, Brock Lesnar is back, looking for Oba Femi’s blood after swerving the WWE Universe at WrestleMania 42. After losing to Femi, Lesnar put his gloves and boots in the ring, signaling his retirement. Instead, he did a sneak attack on Raw to set up this battle between two titans. Neither man can afford to lose, and that’s how you want it to be.There could be one or two matches added before this Sunday, so tune in to Monday Night Raw and see what WWE has to offer. Friday Night SmackDown has been a chore to sit through, but with a PLE on the horizon, it could have some developments in store. #Dirty #Finishes #WWE #Saturday #Night #Dominate #Ahead #Clash #Italy #Deadspin.com

mwasimuddin125 0

Saturday Night’s Main Event left fans with more questions than answers. Taking place in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the home state of Michael Jackson, SNME definitely wasn’t the thriller WWE thought it would be. The great news is that this was a well-paced show with minimal ads, unlike WWE’s counterpart on ESPN.
However, every match had a dirty finish, and some would argue the wrong person/team won at times. With only two weeks to build the PLE, Triple H and the creative team rushed to present us with five matches. With the bar set low, how did the superstars fare inside the squared circle?
Let’s hit the headlines.