×
IPL 2026 — Spencer Johnson joins CSK squad ahead of MI clash  Spencer Johnson, the Australian left-arm pacer who had been signed as Nathan Ellis’ replacement ahead of the season, joined Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Mumbai on Tuesday ahead of its marquee clash against Mumbai Indians.Johnson may be drafted into the XI for the injured Khaleel Ahmed for Thursday night’s clash.CSK has had an underwhelming start to its season with just two wins from its opening six games. Injuries have further weighed down its hopes of fighting back.In its previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ayush Mhatre suffered a hamstring injury which ruled him out of the remaining tourament.The five-time champion is already without talisman M.S. Dhoni, who had been ruled out for two weeks even before the side’s first game. However, the 43-year-old is yet to feature in the tournament despite being a regular presence at the team’s practice sessions.Published on Apr 21, 2026  #IPL #Spencer #Johnson #joins #CSK #squad #ahead #clash

IPL 2026 — Spencer Johnson joins CSK squad ahead of MI clash

Spencer Johnson, the Australian left-arm pacer who had been signed as Nathan Ellis’ replacement ahead of the season, joined Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Mumbai on Tuesday ahead of its marquee clash against Mumbai Indians.

Johnson may be drafted into the XI for the injured Khaleel Ahmed for Thursday night’s clash.

CSK has had an underwhelming start to its season with just two wins from its opening six games. Injuries have further weighed down its hopes of fighting back.

In its previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ayush Mhatre suffered a hamstring injury which ruled him out of the remaining tourament.

The five-time champion is already without talisman M.S. Dhoni, who had been ruled out for two weeks even before the side’s first game. However, the 43-year-old is yet to feature in the tournament despite being a regular presence at the team’s practice sessions.

Published on Apr 21, 2026

#IPL #Spencer #Johnson #joins #CSK #squad #ahead #clash

Spencer Johnson, the Australian left-arm pacer who had been signed as Nathan Ellis’ replacement ahead of the season, joined Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Mumbai on Tuesday ahead of its marquee clash against Mumbai Indians.

Johnson may be drafted into the XI for the injured Khaleel Ahmed for Thursday night’s clash.

CSK has had an underwhelming start to its season with just two wins from its opening six games. Injuries have further weighed down its hopes of fighting back.

In its previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ayush Mhatre suffered a hamstring injury which ruled him out of the remaining tourament.

The five-time champion is already without talisman M.S. Dhoni, who had been ruled out for two weeks even before the side’s first game. However, the 43-year-old is yet to feature in the tournament despite being a regular presence at the team’s practice sessions.

Published on Apr 21, 2026

Source link
#IPL #Spencer #Johnson #joins #CSK #squad #ahead #clash

Previous post

Deadspin | Kings hope physical play will help solve Avs in Game 2 <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28768269.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28768269.jpg" alt="NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Los Angeles Kings at Colorado Avalanche" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 19, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe (9) and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) fight during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>The Los Angeles Kings believe they have a plan heading into Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night in Denver.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>After averaging 20.1 hits during the regular season, the Kings delivered 49 during the 2-1 loss to Colorado in Game 1 on Sunday afternoon.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Los Angeles coach D.J. Smith believes they can turn it up a notch, however.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>“We’ve got to be more physical,” Smith said. “We’ve got to hit the D more, and I expect that in the next game.”</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>The Kings played their type of game in the first matchup on Sunday, holding the high-scoring Avalanche without a goal through the first half of the game and pulling within one with 2:22 remaining. Still, they couldn’t get a second puck past Scott Wedgewood.</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>“That’s the kind of game you can expect playing the Kings,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “It’s a tight-checking team. What’d they play, 50-something one-goal games and low-scoring games? I’m comfortable with that. I think our team’s comfortable with that.”</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>Colorado is comfortable with Wedgewood guarding the net as well.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>He led the NHL in save percentage (.921) during the regular season and has limited the opposition to one goal or fewer in his past five starts.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>“I thought he was fantastic,” Bednar said. “Did everything he needed to do. Obviously, bigger stakes, more emotion, but played the exact same way that he’s been playing for us all year.”</p> </section><br/><section id="section-10"> <p>The Kings missed two opportunities to score into a wide-open net during the game, crucial wasted chances against a team that led the NHL with 3.63 goals per game during the regular season.</p> </section> <section id="section-11"> <p>“I don’t think we can outscore them,” Los Angeles defenseman Mikey Anderson said. “We’re comfortable in the low-scoring games, so we’ve got to try and keep it tight, try and give them the least amount as possible.”</p> </section><section id="section-12"> <p>Colorado got its first goal on Sunday from the top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas, but its second goal came from the fourth line of Logan O’Connor, Joel Kiviranta and Jack Drury.</p> </section><section id="section-13"> <p>O’Connor did not have a goal in 13 regular-season games, but he could sense his line was gaining chemistry heading into the playoffs.</p> </section><section id="section-14"> <p>“For us, our game translates well to the playoffs,” O’Connor said. “It’s a lot of simplicity and muck it up and just wear teams down.”</p> </section><section id="section-15"> <p>The Kings scored their lone goal while on the power play and with their goalie pulled to create a two-man advantage. They’ll need to be even sharper on the power play come Tuesday.</p> </section><section id="section-16"> <p>Surprisingly, the Avalanche had just the 27th-best power play during the regular season, one spot better than the Kings.</p> </section><section id="section-17"> <p>“Whether it’s special teams or whatever, we’ve just got to bear down a little bit more on our chances,” Smith said. “I think we can get more pucks to the net and, again, I think we’ve just got to be a little meaner offensively.”</p> </section><section id="section-18"> <p>Anderson realizes the difference between a win and a loss could come down to a friendly bounce or two.</p> </section><section id="section-19"> <p>“They found a way to capitalize,” Anderson said of Colorado in Game 1. “So, we’ll watch it and figure out if we can change a few things and try to get better going into Game 2.”</p> </section><br/><section id="section-20"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section> </div> #Deadspin #Kings #hope #physical #play #solve #Avs #Game

Next post

How the 2027 QB class is impacting the 2026 NFL Draft <div id=""><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1teeyfa8 ls9zuh1">Though there might be only one quarterback drafted in this year’s first round, multiple are expected to be square in the first-round mix in the 2027 NFL draft.</p><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1teeyfa8 ls9zuh1">Quarterbacks already on the NFL’s radar for 2027 include Oregon’s Dante Moore, Texas’ Arch Manning, Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, Miami’s Darian Mensah, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, LSU’s Sam Leavitt, UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava and Oklahoma’s John Mateer. Not all of those players will be first-round picks, but there are great expectations for many of them, and it provides a glimpse of the potential.</p><p class="duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _1teeyfa8 ls9zuh1">But some teams aren’t even waiting. At least evaluator acknowledged that, while they were out at pro days scouting the prospects for this year’s draft, they took a long hard look at some of the aforementioned quarterbacks in next year’s class. At least one team put in some extra work with a few of these QBs while it was in those college towns, and chances are, that team was not the only one. The NFL is already thinking about the Class of 2027.</p></div> #class #impacting #NFL #Draft

When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.

The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.

The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.

That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.

On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.

Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.

But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.

I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.

One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.

Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.

In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.

There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.

I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.

Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.

#Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making">Larry Fitzgerald’s Hall of Fame induction is 25 years in the making  When I arrived to cover the Minnesota Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 2000, it was clear I was dealing with a star-studded roster.The team boasted future Pro Football Hall of Famers; wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss and defensive tackle John Randle. Plus, there were a ton of other stars including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, center Matt Birk and running back Robert Smith. The Vikings were loaded with star power.The talent around the team wasn’t relegated simply to the roster, however.That summer I first laid my eyes on a 16-year-old high school junior named Larry Fitzgerald Jr. The son of a local media member and close friend of Vikings’ head coach Dennis Green, Little Fitzy was a ball boy during training camp and on game days. It turns out, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. is very likely the most famous former NFL ball boy in history.On reporting date, fellow reporter Kevin Seifert pointed out Fitzgerald to me and said “that’s a bad man.” Seifert didn’t say that about any of the actual Vikings that day.Fitzgerald was already known as the best Minnesota high school prospect in years and he was considered one of the best high school players in the country. Seifert told me the buzz was that the kid was, no doubt, headed to the NFL in a half decade or so. Seifert was on the money. I’m not sure the Hall of Fame was mentioned or not.But this weekend of course, that’s exactly where Little Fitzy is headed. He will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.Fitzgerald will be remembered as one of the best and most productive wide receivers in league history after an incredible 17-season career with the Arizona Cardinals.I have a ton of memories of being around Fitzgerald, but there’s one that stands out among them all.One day after training camp, a nameless Vikings’ wide receiver camp body was getting extra work on a JUGS machine, catching balls. He was being tutored by Fitzgerald, who was showing this player how to properly approach the incoming ball. This was a child instructing a grown man an NFL team deemed good enough to attend training camp.Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was special even back then.In addition to his incredible natural football ability, Larry Fitzgerald Jr. stood out for his politeness and good nature. You could tell he was a good kid from the first time you met him.There was no I’m-going-to-be-a-star attitude. He was genuine and he worked his tail off with the rest of the ball boys. There was no entitlement. It was as if he was using his time around an NFL camp as an internship for his future. He passed with flying colors.I’ve always cherished following his career from his days at Pittsburgh in college to his days of dominating the NFL and I’ve enjoyed running into him over the years now and again.Enjoy Canton, Little Fitzy, you’ve earned it.  #Larry #Fitzgeralds #Hall #Fame #induction #years #making

Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.

TOSS

Tiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.

PLAYING XIs

Nellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky Bhasker

Tiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T Natarajan

Published on Aug 09, 2026

#TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings">TNPL 2026 Live: All-round batting display propels Nellai Royal Kings to 206/8  Follow Sportstar for extensive coverage of the tenth edition of the TNPL, from live scores and match reports to exclusive analysis and features.TOSSTiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and chose to bowl first.PLAYING XIsNellai Royal Kings: Athish SR(w), D Santhosh Kumar, Ajitesh Guruswamy, U Mukilesh, Rithik Easwaran, Sonu Yadav(c), Muhammed Adnan Khan, Ramalingam Rohit, Emmanuel Cherian, NS Harish, Rocky BhaskerTiruppur Tamizhans: Tushar Raheja(w), Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore(c), M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, Esakkimuthu A, T NatarajanPublished on Aug 09, 2026  #TNPL #Live #Allround #batting #display #propels #Nellai #Royal #Kings

Post Comment