Shambhavi, Divyanshu, clinch mixed team air rifle gold with ISSF junior world record score India’s 10m air rifle mixed team pairing of Shambhavi Kshirsagar and Divyanshu Dewangan won the competition with a junior world record score of 499.9, as India claimed a fourth gold at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Cairo, Egypt on Friday.The pair had earlier topped the qualification round with a combined 632.0. Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Chieh-Ying and Chen You-An won silver with 498.3, while the French pairing of Tifenn Pomes and Gaspard Lesieur took bronze with 434.4.In the 25m rapid-fire pistol men’s junior event, Sameer made the final with a score of 573 in qualifying, which placed him second. France’s Arnaud Gamaleri posted a table-topping 589, equalling the junior world record. Sameer eventually finished seventh, scoring seven hits in the first three five-shot series of the eight-series final. Gamaleri went on to take gold with 29 hits.India now has 12 medals from the Cairo Junior World Cup and leads the medal tally with four gold, five silver and three bronze medals, with two days of competition remaining and six gold medals yet to be decided.Published on Apr 24, 2026 #Shambhavi #Divyanshu #clinch #mixed #team #air #rifle #gold #ISSF #junior #world #record #score

Shambhavi, Divyanshu, clinch mixed team air rifle gold with ISSF junior world record score
India’s 10m air rifle mixed team pairing of Shambhavi Kshirsagar and Divyanshu Dewangan won the competition with a junior world record score of 499.9, as India claimed a fourth gold at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Cairo, Egypt on Friday.
The pair had earlier topped the qualification round with a combined 632.0. Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Chieh-Ying and Chen You-An won silver with 498.3, while the French pairing of Tifenn Pomes and Gaspard Lesieur took bronze with 434.4.
In the 25m rapid-fire pistol men’s junior event, Sameer made the final with a score of 573 in qualifying, which placed him second. France’s Arnaud Gamaleri posted a table-topping 589, equalling the junior world record. Sameer eventually finished seventh, scoring seven hits in the first three five-shot series of the eight-series final. Gamaleri went on to take gold with 29 hits.
India now has 12 medals from the Cairo Junior World Cup and leads the medal tally with four gold, five silver and three bronze medals, with two days of competition remaining and six gold medals yet to be decided.
Published on Apr 24, 2026
#Shambhavi #Divyanshu #clinch #mixed #team #air #rifle #gold #ISSF #junior #world #record #score

India’s 10m air rifle mixed team pairing of Shambhavi Kshirsagar and Divyanshu Dewangan won the competition with a junior world record score of 499.9, as India claimed a fourth gold at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun in Cairo, Egypt on Friday.

The pair had earlier topped the qualification round with a combined 632.0. Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Chieh-Ying and Chen You-An won silver with 498.3, while the French pairing of Tifenn Pomes and Gaspard Lesieur took bronze with 434.4.

In the 25m rapid-fire pistol men’s junior event, Sameer made the final with a score of 573 in qualifying, which placed him second. France’s Arnaud Gamaleri posted a table-topping 589, equalling the junior world record. Sameer eventually finished seventh, scoring seven hits in the first three five-shot series of the eight-series final. Gamaleri went on to take gold with 29 hits.

India now has 12 medals from the Cairo Junior World Cup and leads the medal tally with four gold, five silver and three bronze medals, with two days of competition remaining and six gold medals yet to be decided.

Published on Apr 24, 2026

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#Shambhavi #Divyanshu #clinch #mixed #team #air #rifle #gold #ISSF #junior #world #record #score

Tag divyanshu dewangan issf junior world cup world record egypt shooting updates gaspard lesieur india gold issf junior world cup indian shooting team issf junior world cup issf junior world cup standings junior indian shooting team shambhavi kshirsagar shambhavi kshirsagar divyanshu dewangan junior world record shambhavi kshirsagar shooting shambhavi kshirsagar world record shambhavi kshirsagar world record issf world cup tifenn pomes tsai chieh-ying

Deadspin | Orioles get first look at AL East as slumping Red Sox visit <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-900/28784899.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28784899.jpg" alt="MLB: Baltimore Orioles at Kansas City Royals" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 22, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (25) runs the bases after hitting a two run home run against against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images  </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>The Baltimore Orioles will face an American League East rival for the first time this season when the Boston Red Sox visit to begin a three-game series Friday night.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Baltimore is 3-6 across its past nine games, so the Orioles are looking for consistency. Manager Craig Albernaz believes his players have the right approach.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>“How we take hits and keep bouncing back whether it be injuries, whether it be tough games, whether it be falling behind, our guys keep competing,” Albernaz said.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>The Orioles had Thursday off following a 3-4 road trip that concluded with an 8-6 victory at Kansas City on Wednesday. Baltimore matched its season-high run total in that contest.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>“I’d say that’s what our offense is capable of,” Albernaz said.</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>Of particular note was first baseman Pete Alonso’s third home run of the season. The shot went to right-center field, a good sign for the right-handed slugger who is still trying to get untracked in his first season with the team.</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>“That’s Pete, he has power to all fields, especially to right-center,” Albernaz said. “It just opens up everything for him.”</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>The Red Sox are coming off getting swept in three games by the visiting New York Yankees, including a 4-2 setback in the finale on Thursday. Boston gave up four runs in each game and scored a total of three runs in the series.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-9"> <p>“We’ve just got to keep playing,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It’s still early. It’s April. We’ve just got to play.”</p> </section> <section id="section-10"> <p>Boston, which has lost five of its past six games overall, owns a 4-8 road record.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>The potential Baltimore starter for the series opener was right-hander Dean Kremer, but he went on the injured list Thursday due to a strained right quadriceps. The Orioles recalled right-hander Brandon Young from Triple-A Norfolk, and he is slated to throw the first pitch on Friday.</p> </section><section id="section-12"> <p>Young (1-0, 0.00 ERA) fired five shutout innings on April 6 in a road victory against the Chicago White Sox before a roster shift resulted in him returning to the minor leagues. In 12 big-league outings last year and the one this year, he has yet to face the Red Sox.</p> </section><section id="section-13"> <p>Young pitched well for Norfolk, giving up two runs in 16 2/3 innings across three starts (1.08 ERA). He struck out 10 in 5 2/3 innings of no-hit, one-run ball on Saturday against Durham.</p> </section><section id="section-14"> <p>The Orioles placed reliever Ryan Helsley on the bereavement/family emergency list prior to the Wednesday, so he won’t be eligible to return before Sunday.</p> </section><section id="section-15"> <p>Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman came off the injured list earlier this week and went 2-for-4 on Tuesday before sitting out on Wednesday.</p> </section><section id="section-16"> <p>Brayan Bello (1-2, 6.75 ERA) will start for Boston in the series opener. The right-hander has reached the five-inning mark in only one of four starts this season, last working Saturday, when he gave up four runs in four innings during a loss to the visiting Detroit Tigers.</p> </section><section id="section-17"> <p>Bello started against Baltimore last Aug. 27, and he yielded two runs (one earned) in 6 2/3 innings during a no-decision. For his career, he is 4-2 with a 3.26 ERA in seven outings, all starts, vs. the Orioles.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-18"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section> </div> #Deadspin #Orioles #East #slumping #Red #Sox #visit

Deadspin | Surging teams collide as Marlins visit Giants Apr 18, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Two teams that have ridden strong pitching to recent success will meet Friday night when the Miami Marlins open a three-game road series against the San Francisco Giants. Right-handers Sandy Alcantara (2-2, 3.06 ERA) of the Marlins and Adrian Houser (0-2, 5.40) of the Giants will kick off a series pairing a Miami team that’s won three of its past four games and a San Francisco club that’s prevailed in five of seven. The Marlins used Thursday as a travel day following a home series win over the St. Louis Cardinals. With starters Max Meyer and Janson Junk allowing just four hits and two runs over 10 1/3 innings, Miami took the book-end games of the three-game set 5-3 and 4-1. Junk was pitching so well that after Wednesday’s game, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough had to defend his decision to send in a reliever to start the sixth inning. McCullough said the available relievers provided beneficial matchups for Miami. “As good as Janson was pitching,” McCullough said, “our best path today to nail down a win was to go that route.” After a brilliant start to the season in which he allowed a total of just two earned runs and 10 hits over 24 1/3 innings in three starts, Alcantara has fallen victim to minimal support in his past two outings, during which his teammates have given him just two runs in each, both losses. He’s never won at San Francisco, going 0-3 in five appearances, four as a starter. For his career, the 30-year-old is 1-3 with a 2.95 ERA against the Giants over eight games (seven starts). The Marlins hope a healthy Esteury Ruiz can help ignite their offense. He is expected to make his season debut in San Francisco after having suffered a strained left oblique late in spring training. A fifth-year major-leaguer, Ruiz enjoyed his best season across the San Francisco Bay in Oakland, when he stole 67 bases and hit .254 for the Athletics in 2023. Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for prospect Adriano Marrero in December, Ruiz will be asked to tap into his entire arsenal. He had a home run, a single, a walk and two runs in his final rehab outing at Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday. To make room on the roster for Ruiz, the Marlins designated outfielder Austin Slater for assignment. He spent the first seven-plus seasons of his career in San Francisco, where he was a fan favorite. In 593 games with the Giants, he hit .254, slugged 39 home runs and stole 47 bases. He hadn’t homered in 12 games for the Marlins this season and was hitting just .174 in his first season with them. The Giants won two of three games against the Dodgers but lost 3-0 on Thursday. Landen Roupp and Tyler Mahle pitched San Francisco to 3-1 and 3-0 wins, respectively, in the first two contests before Logan Webb was a hard-luck loser in the finale. Giants manager Tony Vitello said he was impressed by his team’s performance vs. the Dodgers and hopes for repeat efforts against the Marlins. “There’s a lot of firepower,” Vitello noted about the Dodgers after Thursday’s loss. “To hold the entire lineup down for three straight days is just not something you’d go to Vegas and roll the dice on.” Houser has yet to win in four starts in his first season with the Giants after spending last year with the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. He’s never lost to the Marlins, going 3-0 with a 3.22 ERA in five career outings, three as a starter. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Surging #teams #collide #Marlins #visit #Giants

#Deadspin #Surging #teams #collide #Marlins #visit #Giants">

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Apr 18, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Two teams that have ridden strong pitching to recent success will meet Friday night when the Miami Marlins open a three-game road series against the San Francisco Giants.

Right-handers Sandy Alcantara (2-2, 3.06 ERA) of the Marlins and Adrian Houser (0-2, 5.40) of the Giants will kick off a series pairing a Miami team that’s won three of its past four games and a San Francisco club that’s prevailed in five of seven.

The Marlins used Thursday as a travel day following a home series win over the St. Louis Cardinals. With starters Max Meyer and Janson Junk allowing just four hits and two runs over 10 1/3 innings, Miami took the book-end games of the three-game set 5-3 and 4-1.

Junk was pitching so well that after Wednesday’s game, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough had to defend his decision to send in a reliever to start the sixth inning. McCullough said the available relievers provided beneficial matchups for Miami.

“As good as Janson was pitching,” McCullough said, “our best path today to nail down a win was to go that route.”

After a brilliant start to the season in which he allowed a total of just two earned runs and 10 hits over 24 1/3 innings in three starts, Alcantara has fallen victim to minimal support in his past two outings, during which his teammates have given him just two runs in each, both losses.

He’s never won at San Francisco, going 0-3 in five appearances, four as a starter. For his career, the 30-year-old is 1-3 with a 2.95 ERA against the Giants over eight games (seven starts).

The Marlins hope a healthy Esteury Ruiz can help ignite their offense. He is expected to make his season debut in San Francisco after having suffered a strained left oblique late in spring training.

A fifth-year major-leaguer, Ruiz enjoyed his best season across the San Francisco Bay in Oakland, when he stole 67 bases and hit .254 for the Athletics in 2023.

Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for prospect Adriano Marrero in December, Ruiz will be asked to tap into his entire arsenal.

He had a home run, a single, a walk and two runs in his final rehab outing at Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday.

To make room on the roster for Ruiz, the Marlins designated outfielder Austin Slater for assignment. He spent the first seven-plus seasons of his career in San Francisco, where he was a fan favorite. In 593 games with the Giants, he hit .254, slugged 39 home runs and stole 47 bases.

He hadn’t homered in 12 games for the Marlins this season and was hitting just .174 in his first season with them.

The Giants won two of three games against the Dodgers but lost 3-0 on Thursday. Landen Roupp and Tyler Mahle pitched San Francisco to 3-1 and 3-0 wins, respectively, in the first two contests before Logan Webb was a hard-luck loser in the finale.

Giants manager Tony Vitello said he was impressed by his team’s performance vs. the Dodgers and hopes for repeat efforts against the Marlins.

“There’s a lot of firepower,” Vitello noted about the Dodgers after Thursday’s loss. “To hold the entire lineup down for three straight days is just not something you’d go to Vegas and roll the dice on.”

Houser has yet to win in four starts in his first season with the Giants after spending last year with the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. He’s never lost to the Marlins, going 3-0 with a 3.22 ERA in five career outings, three as a starter.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Surging #teams #collide #Marlins #visit #Giants">Deadspin | Surging teams collide as Marlins visit Giants

Apr 18, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Two teams that have ridden strong pitching to recent success will meet Friday night when the Miami Marlins open a three-game road series against the San Francisco Giants.

Right-handers Sandy Alcantara (2-2, 3.06 ERA) of the Marlins and Adrian Houser (0-2, 5.40) of the Giants will kick off a series pairing a Miami team that’s won three of its past four games and a San Francisco club that’s prevailed in five of seven.

The Marlins used Thursday as a travel day following a home series win over the St. Louis Cardinals. With starters Max Meyer and Janson Junk allowing just four hits and two runs over 10 1/3 innings, Miami took the book-end games of the three-game set 5-3 and 4-1.

Junk was pitching so well that after Wednesday’s game, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough had to defend his decision to send in a reliever to start the sixth inning. McCullough said the available relievers provided beneficial matchups for Miami.

“As good as Janson was pitching,” McCullough said, “our best path today to nail down a win was to go that route.”

After a brilliant start to the season in which he allowed a total of just two earned runs and 10 hits over 24 1/3 innings in three starts, Alcantara has fallen victim to minimal support in his past two outings, during which his teammates have given him just two runs in each, both losses.

He’s never won at San Francisco, going 0-3 in five appearances, four as a starter. For his career, the 30-year-old is 1-3 with a 2.95 ERA against the Giants over eight games (seven starts).

The Marlins hope a healthy Esteury Ruiz can help ignite their offense. He is expected to make his season debut in San Francisco after having suffered a strained left oblique late in spring training.

A fifth-year major-leaguer, Ruiz enjoyed his best season across the San Francisco Bay in Oakland, when he stole 67 bases and hit .254 for the Athletics in 2023.

Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for prospect Adriano Marrero in December, Ruiz will be asked to tap into his entire arsenal.

He had a home run, a single, a walk and two runs in his final rehab outing at Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday.

To make room on the roster for Ruiz, the Marlins designated outfielder Austin Slater for assignment. He spent the first seven-plus seasons of his career in San Francisco, where he was a fan favorite. In 593 games with the Giants, he hit .254, slugged 39 home runs and stole 47 bases.

He hadn’t homered in 12 games for the Marlins this season and was hitting just .174 in his first season with them.

The Giants won two of three games against the Dodgers but lost 3-0 on Thursday. Landen Roupp and Tyler Mahle pitched San Francisco to 3-1 and 3-0 wins, respectively, in the first two contests before Logan Webb was a hard-luck loser in the finale.

Giants manager Tony Vitello said he was impressed by his team’s performance vs. the Dodgers and hopes for repeat efforts against the Marlins.

“There’s a lot of firepower,” Vitello noted about the Dodgers after Thursday’s loss. “To hold the entire lineup down for three straight days is just not something you’d go to Vegas and roll the dice on.”

Houser has yet to win in four starts in his first season with the Giants after spending last year with the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. He’s never lost to the Marlins, going 3-0 with a 3.22 ERA in five career outings, three as a starter.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Surging #teams #collide #Marlins #visit #Giants

IPL 2026, RR vs SRH: Royals hope not to repeat mistakes from away leg even as Cummins returns to lead Sunrisers A fortnight is a long time in a fast-moving tournament like the Indian Premier League.Two weeks ago, the Rajasthan Royals was on top of the world, having won its first four IPL 2026 games. Around the same time, Sunrisers Hyderabad was floundering, having lost four of its five games.But, as the two teams come together at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday for the first game of the season in Jaipur, the narrative has transformed.Over their last three games, the Royals have tasted the bitterness of the law of averages, as their seemingly hypersonic top-order has screeched to a near halt.Consecutive failures by openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have denied the Royals an early launch, exposing their undercooked middle-order.Incidentally, the first team to apply the brakes on the Jai-Soorya duo was SRH, in their first meeting of the season in Hyderabad.Riding on four-wicket hauls from debutant pacers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, the Sunrisers had handed Royals their first defeat of the season.READ: The boy who asked for more: Behind the rise of Vaibhav SooryavanshiThe Royals then suffered another away defeat, to Kolkata Knight Riders, before recuperating with a hard-fought win against Lucknow Super Giants.Meanwhile, SRH has added two more wins to its kitty – against Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings – and now finds itself fourth in the table.Adding fuel to its momentum, full-time captain Pat Cummins has returned from injury and will make his first appearance of the season in Jaipur.For rival skipper Riyan Parag, IPL 2026 has been a mixed bag. With the bat, he has cut a sorry figure, aggregating just 81 runs from seven innings.But, on the leadership front, Parag has shone, marshalling his side adeptly to win five out of seven games and occupy the second spot in the standings.The sharpest tool at Parag’s disposal has been the express-pace duo of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger. Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
With their combined prowess with the new ball, Royals have claimed 18 wickets in the PowerPlay, the most by any team in IPL 2026.On Saturday, the Archer-Burger axis will look to unsettle SRH’s in-form opener Abhishek Sharma, who smashed a blazing hundred (135*) against Delhi Capitals in the last game.On the opposite corner, Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi would be on the lookout for payback against Hinge and Sakib.Both these early-game tussles and their outcomes could determine the course of Saturday’s game. The Jaipur crowd, which had to wait half a season to watch its team in flesh, would naturally be yearning for the game to swing the Royals’ way.Published on Apr 24, 2026 #IPL #SRH #Royals #hope #repeat #mistakes #leg #Cummins #returns #lead #Sunrisers — Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants. | Photo Credit: PTI

#IPL #SRH #Royals #hope #repeat #mistakes #leg #Cummins #returns #lead #Sunrisers">

mwasimuddin125 0

A fortnight is a long time in a fast-moving tournament like the Indian Premier League.
Two weeks ago, the Rajasthan Royals was on top of the world, having won its first four IPL 2026 games. Around the same time, Sunrisers Hyderabad was floundering, having lost four of its five games.
But, as the two teams come together at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday for the first game of the season in Jaipur, the narrative has transformed.
Over their last three games, the Royals have tasted the bitterness of the law of averages, as their seemingly hypersonic top-order has screeched to a near halt.
Consecutive failures by openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have denied the Royals an early launch, exposing their undercooked middle-order.
Incidentally, the first team to apply the brakes on the Jai-Soorya duo was SRH, in their first meeting of the season in Hyderabad.
Riding on four-wicket hauls from debutant pacers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, the Sunrisers had handed Royals their first defeat of the season.
READ: The boy who asked for more: Behind the rise of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
The Royals then suffered another away defeat, to Kolkata Knight Riders, before recuperating with a hard-fought win against Lucknow Super Giants.
Meanwhile, SRH has added two more wins to its kitty – against Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings – and now finds itself fourth in the table.
Adding fuel to its momentum, full-time captain Pat Cummins has returned from injury and will make his first appearance of the season in Jaipur.
For rival skipper Riyan Parag, IPL 2026 has been a mixed bag. With the bat, he has cut a sorry figure, aggregating just 81 runs from seven innings.
But, on the leadership front, Parag has shone, marshalling his side adeptly to win five out of seven games and occupy the second spot in the standings.
The sharpest tool at Parag’s disposal has been the express-pace duo of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger.
Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants. | Photo Credit: PTI
Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants. | Photo Credit: PTI
With their combined prowess with the new ball, Royals have claimed 18 wickets in the PowerPlay, the most by any team in IPL 2026.
On Saturday, the Archer-Burger axis will look to unsettle SRH’s in-form opener Abhishek Sharma, who smashed a blazing hundred (135*) against Delhi Capitals in the last game.
On the opposite corner, Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi would be on the lookout for payback against Hinge and Sakib.
Both these early-game tussles and their outcomes could determine the course of Saturday’s game. The Jaipur crowd, which had to wait half a season to watch its team in flesh, would naturally be yearning for the game to swing the Royals’ way.
Published on Apr 24, 2026

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

A fortnight is a long time in a fast-moving tournament like the Indian Premier League.

Two weeks ago, the Rajasthan Royals was on top of the world, having won its first four IPL 2026 games. Around the same time, Sunrisers Hyderabad was floundering, having lost four of its five games.

But, as the two teams come together at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday for the first game of the season in Jaipur, the narrative has transformed.

Over their last three games, the Royals have tasted the bitterness of the law of averages, as their seemingly hypersonic top-order has screeched to a near halt.

Consecutive failures by openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have denied the Royals an early launch, exposing their undercooked middle-order.

Incidentally, the first team to apply the brakes on the Jai-Soorya duo was SRH, in their first meeting of the season in Hyderabad.

Riding on four-wicket hauls from debutant pacers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, the Sunrisers had handed Royals their first defeat of the season.

READ: The boy who asked for more: Behind the rise of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

The Royals then suffered another away defeat, to Kolkata Knight Riders, before recuperating with a hard-fought win against Lucknow Super Giants.

Meanwhile, SRH has added two more wins to its kitty – against Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings – and now finds itself fourth in the table.

Adding fuel to its momentum, full-time captain Pat Cummins has returned from injury and will make his first appearance of the season in Jaipur.

For rival skipper Riyan Parag, IPL 2026 has been a mixed bag. With the bat, he has cut a sorry figure, aggregating just 81 runs from seven innings.

But, on the leadership front, Parag has shone, marshalling his side adeptly to win five out of seven games and occupy the second spot in the standings.

The sharpest tool at Parag’s disposal has been the express-pace duo of Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger.

Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants. | Photo Credit: PTI

Rajasthan Royals’ Brijesh Sharma, Jofra Archer, and Nandre Burger celebrate after winning against Lucknow Super Giants. | Photo Credit: PTI

With their combined prowess with the new ball, Royals have claimed 18 wickets in the PowerPlay, the most by any team in IPL 2026.

On Saturday, the Archer-Burger axis will look to unsettle SRH’s in-form opener Abhishek Sharma, who smashed a blazing hundred (135*) against Delhi Capitals in the last game.

On the opposite corner, Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi would be on the lookout for payback against Hinge and Sakib.

Both these early-game tussles and their outcomes could determine the course of Saturday’s game. The Jaipur crowd, which had to wait half a season to watch its team in flesh, would naturally be yearning for the game to swing the Royals’ way.

Published on Apr 24, 2026

#IPL #SRH #Royals #hope #repeat #mistakes #leg #Cummins #returns #lead #Sunrisers

Deadspin | Cubs bring 9-game win streak into opener vs. Dodgers Apr 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) hits a walk-off single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the tenth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs carry the longest winning streak in the major leagues into the opener of a three-game road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night in a battle of division leaders. Chicago extended its winning streak to nine games with an 8-7 victory in 10 innings over the Philadelphia Phillies (nine straight losses) on Thursday. “A nine-game winning streak is unusual,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “You could say we’ve done it against teams that are struggling. But hopefully we are part of that. That’s what I would like to say, that we have made it tough on them.” Despite injuries that have thinned both the rotation and bullpen, Chicago — which is tied with Cincinnati for the National League Central lead — has thrived behind a strong defense. According to FanGraphs, the Cubs lead the majors in defensive runs saved with 12. Starting pitcher Cade Horton and reliever Porter Hodge are out for the season with UCL injuries. Closer Daniel Palencia (left oblique strain) and relievers Phil Maton (right knee), Hunter Harvey (right triceps) and Ethan Roberts (finger laceration) are on the 15-day injured list. Cubs left-hander Caleb Thielbar exited in the ninth inning Thursday after appearing to injure his leg. “It’s left hamstring tightness,” Counsell said. “He felt it tightened up on him when he was out there.” Michael Busch launched a three-run home run, and Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki each drilled a solo shot to pace an 18-hit Cubs attack on Thursday. Nico Hoerner leads the Cubs in batting average (.304), RBIs (22), hits (31) and doubles (seven). The Cubs are tied for fifth in the majors in homers with 32. “You have to hit home runs in this game to be a good offensive team,” Counsell said. “That’s for sure. I think we have been a well-rounded offensive group so far.” Right-hander Jameson Taillon (1-1, 3.97 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Cubs on Friday. In his last outing, he allowed one run on five hits over six innings, walking three and striking out four in a 4-2 win Saturday over the New York Mets. He is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers — tied with San Diego atop the NL West — who will start right-hander Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 5.85) on Friday. Sheehan didn’t factor into the decision in his last start on Saturday despite allowing two runs on four hits over five innings in a 4-3 loss against the Colorado Rockies. Friday will mark Sheehan’s first career appearance against Chicago. The right-hander won his previous two outings this season before Saturday. “The last three outings, each of them Emmet has gotten better,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “(He’s had a) lot better quality of pitch making. The stuff. That’s something for us to build on.” Andy Pages leads Los Angeles in batting average (.337), hits (30) and RBIs (21). Max Muncy leads the Dodgers with eight homers. Los Angeles staved off a sweep by the San Francisco Giants with a 3-0 road win on Thursday. Former Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker signed a four-year, 0 million contract with the Dodgers in the offseason. Tucker started the series against the Giants in a 0-for-8 hole, was moved down to the cleanup spot and had two singles. “Being there is fine,” Tucker said. “Wherever I am in the lineup, I want to help the team win. It’s been a little bit of a grind.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Cubs #bring #9game #win #streak #opener #Dodgers

#Deadspin #Cubs #bring #9game #win #streak #opener #Dodgers">

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Apr 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) hits a walk-off single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the tenth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs carry the longest winning streak in the major leagues into the opener of a three-game road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night in a battle of division leaders.

Chicago extended its winning streak to nine games with an 8-7 victory in 10 innings over the Philadelphia Phillies (nine straight losses) on Thursday.

“A nine-game winning streak is unusual,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “You could say we’ve done it against teams that are struggling. But hopefully we are part of that. That’s what I would like to say, that we have made it tough on them.”

Despite injuries that have thinned both the rotation and bullpen, Chicago — which is tied with Cincinnati for the National League Central lead — has thrived behind a strong defense. According to FanGraphs, the Cubs lead the majors in defensive runs saved with 12.

Starting pitcher Cade Horton and reliever Porter Hodge are out for the season with UCL injuries. Closer Daniel Palencia (left oblique strain) and relievers Phil Maton (right knee), Hunter Harvey (right triceps) and Ethan Roberts (finger laceration) are on the 15-day injured list.

Cubs left-hander Caleb Thielbar exited in the ninth inning Thursday after appearing to injure his leg.

“It’s left hamstring tightness,” Counsell said. “He felt it tightened up on him when he was out there.”

Michael Busch launched a three-run home run, and Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki each drilled a solo shot to pace an 18-hit Cubs attack on Thursday. Nico Hoerner leads the Cubs in batting average (.304), RBIs (22), hits (31) and doubles (seven).

The Cubs are tied for fifth in the majors in homers with 32.

“You have to hit home runs in this game to be a good offensive team,” Counsell said. “That’s for sure. I think we have been a well-rounded offensive group so far.”

Right-hander Jameson Taillon (1-1, 3.97 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Cubs on Friday. In his last outing, he allowed one run on five hits over six innings, walking three and striking out four in a 4-2 win Saturday over the New York Mets.

He is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers — tied with San Diego atop the NL West — who will start right-hander Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 5.85) on Friday.

Sheehan didn’t factor into the decision in his last start on Saturday despite allowing two runs on four hits over five innings in a 4-3 loss against the Colorado Rockies.

Friday will mark Sheehan’s first career appearance against Chicago. The right-hander won his previous two outings this season before Saturday.

“The last three outings, each of them Emmet has gotten better,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “(He’s had a) lot better quality of pitch making. The stuff. That’s something for us to build on.”

Andy Pages leads Los Angeles in batting average (.337), hits (30) and RBIs (21). Max Muncy leads the Dodgers with eight homers.

Los Angeles staved off a sweep by the San Francisco Giants with a 3-0 road win on Thursday.

Former Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker signed a four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers in the offseason. Tucker started the series against the Giants in a 0-for-8 hole, was moved down to the cleanup spot and had two singles.

“Being there is fine,” Tucker said. “Wherever I am in the lineup, I want to help the team win. It’s been a little bit of a grind.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Cubs #bring #9game #win #streak #opener #Dodgers">Deadspin | Cubs bring 9-game win streak into opener vs. Dodgers

Apr 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) hits a walk-off single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the tenth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs carry the longest winning streak in the major leagues into the opener of a three-game road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night in a battle of division leaders.

Chicago extended its winning streak to nine games with an 8-7 victory in 10 innings over the Philadelphia Phillies (nine straight losses) on Thursday.

“A nine-game winning streak is unusual,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “You could say we’ve done it against teams that are struggling. But hopefully we are part of that. That’s what I would like to say, that we have made it tough on them.”

Despite injuries that have thinned both the rotation and bullpen, Chicago — which is tied with Cincinnati for the National League Central lead — has thrived behind a strong defense. According to FanGraphs, the Cubs lead the majors in defensive runs saved with 12.

Starting pitcher Cade Horton and reliever Porter Hodge are out for the season with UCL injuries. Closer Daniel Palencia (left oblique strain) and relievers Phil Maton (right knee), Hunter Harvey (right triceps) and Ethan Roberts (finger laceration) are on the 15-day injured list.

Cubs left-hander Caleb Thielbar exited in the ninth inning Thursday after appearing to injure his leg.

“It’s left hamstring tightness,” Counsell said. “He felt it tightened up on him when he was out there.”

Michael Busch launched a three-run home run, and Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki each drilled a solo shot to pace an 18-hit Cubs attack on Thursday. Nico Hoerner leads the Cubs in batting average (.304), RBIs (22), hits (31) and doubles (seven).

The Cubs are tied for fifth in the majors in homers with 32.

“You have to hit home runs in this game to be a good offensive team,” Counsell said. “That’s for sure. I think we have been a well-rounded offensive group so far.”

Right-hander Jameson Taillon (1-1, 3.97 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Cubs on Friday. In his last outing, he allowed one run on five hits over six innings, walking three and striking out four in a 4-2 win Saturday over the New York Mets.

He is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers — tied with San Diego atop the NL West — who will start right-hander Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 5.85) on Friday.

Sheehan didn’t factor into the decision in his last start on Saturday despite allowing two runs on four hits over five innings in a 4-3 loss against the Colorado Rockies.

Friday will mark Sheehan’s first career appearance against Chicago. The right-hander won his previous two outings this season before Saturday.

“The last three outings, each of them Emmet has gotten better,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “(He’s had a) lot better quality of pitch making. The stuff. That’s something for us to build on.”

Andy Pages leads Los Angeles in batting average (.337), hits (30) and RBIs (21). Max Muncy leads the Dodgers with eight homers.

Los Angeles staved off a sweep by the San Francisco Giants with a 3-0 road win on Thursday.

Former Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker signed a four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers in the offseason. Tucker started the series against the Giants in a 0-for-8 hole, was moved down to the cleanup spot and had two singles.

“Being there is fine,” Tucker said. “Wherever I am in the lineup, I want to help the team win. It’s been a little bit of a grind.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Cubs #bring #9game #win #streak #opener #Dodgers

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