English
Indian
العربية
Español
Deutsch
Türkçe
Русский
Français (Afrique)
MI Captain Hardik Pandya Struggles in IPL 2026
Hardik Pandya has struggled with both bat and ball, scoring 146 runs at a strike rate of 136.44 and taking only four wickets at an economy of 12.26. These numbers have contributed to MI’s slump, as the team has lost seven of its first nine matches and is unlikely to reach the playoffs.
Carlos Prates says lightweight move is possible as he discusses Ilia Topuria title fight
Carlos Prates feels he is on the verge of a title shot
Carlos Prates thinks a win in Perth would put him right in line for a welterweight title shot.
While Ian Machado Garry looks to be first in line for Islam Makhachev, Prates is keeping an eye on the winner if he comes through this weekend. ipl-cricket.in
Meanwhile, if both Ilia Topuria and Makhachev win their next fights, there’s every chance that the bout could get pushed further down the road.
Speaking ahead of his May 2 main event, Prates also suggested that stepping up to 155 pounds wouldn’t be out of the question for him if he ever decided to make the move.
Carlos Prates is confident he could handle the move to lightweight, but sees no need
With a second win over a former champion, Carlos Prates is convinced he’ll be in line for a title shot. But that path might change depending on what Ilia Topuria decides to do next.
Prates touched on this during a recent interview, joking that if ‘El Matador’ moves up to welterweight, he’d drop down and go after the lightweight belt instead. He also mentioned that stepping into the 155-pound division isn’t out of reach for him physically.
“I can do 155,” he told MMA Fighting. “Of course I can. Normally I’m like 85 kilos, 84, so I can do lightweight. But, I’m kidding. I don’t want to do too much dieting any more but yeah, let’s see.”
The lead-up face-offs with Jack Della Maddalena made it clear that Prates holds a significant height advantage heading into Saturday night.
Despite that edge, Prates expects ‘JDM’ to be the stronger fighter once they’re inside the Octagon.
Read more:
Jakari Lipsey, four-star OL from Kalamazoo, picks Michigan football
The Michigan football coaching staff is beginning to make inroads in its new home turf.
Kyle Whittingham and company landed their first pledge from the Mitten State on Saturday, May 2, as Jakari Lipsey committed to the Wolverines. Lipsey, who shared the news on his Instagram, is a four-star tackle from Kalamazoo Loy Norrix ranks as the No. 3 player in Michigan, the No. 10 offensive tackle in the country and the No. 115 player nationally in the class of 2027, according to 247 Sports' composite rankings.
It's the first major commitment for first-year offensive line coach Jim Harding, who also has a pledge from Saline's Louis Esposito (Saline), who is the son of former defensive line coach Lou Esposito and originally committed to the previous staff. Michigan also has a pledge from Muskegon defensive lineman Recarder Kitchen, who, like Esposito, committed to the previous staff but appears poised to remain in the fold.
Harding, meanwhile, is known for his development skills, as evidenced by last month's NFL Draft: Two of Harding's former charges at Utah – Spencer Fano (No. 9 overall, Cleveland Browns) and Caleb Lomu (No. 28, New England Patriots – were selected in the first round.
Before the commitment, Lipsey had official visits set up with UCLA (May 15), Wisconsin (May 29), Michigan (June 5), Minnesota (June 12) and LSU (June 19) − it's unknown if he will take those visits or shut down his recruitment.
At 6 feet 5 and 290 pounds, Lipsey doesn't quite have prototypical tackle size, but he is more than large enough to be a guard. Michigan now has six commits in the class of 2027; its group ranks No. 33 in the nation and No. 12 among 18 Big Ten teams, per 247.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football lands four-star OL Jakari Lipsey for 2027
Some “Unfiltered” NFL Executives Toss Criticism at Vikings’ Draft
The Vikings’ draft effort in 2026 wasn’t without some detractors. Consider the anonymous NFL executives among those who aren’t totally sold.
Mike Sando of The Athletic leveraged his league connections to assemble a piece covering the NFC’s draft hauls alongside the AFC’s draft hauls. Maybe predictably, the Minnesota Vikings didn’t earn pristine grades. Check out what some NFL employees had to say about the draft haul under Rob Brzezinski.
NFL Executives Aren’t Sold on Vikings’ Draft Picks
On a basic level, the Vikings did much to beef up the roster. Minnesota went defense early, showing a particular preference for the front seven (consider a complete tracker if there’s a desire for more precise details).
Sando’s article offers a few words on opting for Randy Moss a while ago, a similarly controversial pick that happened to turn out alright. Can the same be said of the Caleb Banks decision? Someday, perhaps, but not everyone thinks it will turn out well.
To begin, there’s a reflection on the influence of Minnesota’s defensive coordinator. Some Sando and some NFL executive thoughts:
“The takeaway from the Minnesota draft is that (defensive coordinator) Brian Flores has a lot of say in the building,” an exec said.
In 2019, when Flores was the Dolphins’ new head coach, many believed he wanted to draft defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who was not invited to the combine after video footage (from 2016, when Simmons was in high school) showed him punching a woman while she was on the ground. The Dolphins, then led by fourth-year GM Chris Grier, instead drafted Christian Wilkins, a solid player with less perceived risk.
Flores got his guy this time. There is no denying the immense talent Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks brings to the field — if he makes it there after breaking his left foot before the 2025 season and again at the combine.
Consider another opinion: “‘Caleb Banks is really talented but does not play with great desire and is hurt all the time,’ a different exec said. ‘Scares me to death.'”
Likewise, there’s skepticism about the merit of moving on from Jonathan Greenard. “‘Greenard is too good of a player at a premium position to let go,’ a fourth exec said. ‘You gotta figure out a way to make that one work.'”
Note that there’s some optimism about the Jake Golday addition sprinkled into the mix, with a different NFL executive insisting that he’s “‘a perfect scheme fit for what Flores wants to do on the edge there.'”
Add it together and there’s an overwhelming takeaway: the Vikings made some risky decisions that defied expectations. People outside of the NFL and inside of the NFL don’t see things working out particularly well. Or, at the very least, there’s a widespread leaning toward a more negative assessment.
Minnesota’s path toward a strong draft haul begins with DT Caleb Banks. Seeing him turn into an elite defensive lineman who generates All Pro attention will mean that Vikings did tremendously well. Falling short of that lofty ideal means criticism will be upcoming, especially if the problem ends up being due to his health.
What should be remembered, though, is that the Vikings aren’t betting everything on the powerful defensive lineman. Minnesota’s legendary 2015 draft is considered so remarkable not because of the 1st-Round selection (CB Trae Waynes) but due to the 2nd-Round selection (LB Eric Kendricks), 3rd-Round selection (EDGE Danielle Hunter), and 5th-Round selection (WR Stefon Diggs).
So, keep an eye on what the other young lads do. They’ll be leaned on to help the Minnesota Vikings, too. Getting a stud in the Golday selection, the Domonique Orange add, and/or the various others (I’ve got my eye on CB Chuck Demmings) will mean that the chorus of critics start singing a different song. Even the UDFA haul has a role to play.
Next week, the Vikings are going to get into rookie minicamp. There will then be OTAs alongside mandatory minicamp coming up (read more). The other most notable story to watch is how these young fellas develop alongside whether the Vikings get a Jauan Jennings deal done.
Real Madrid veteran set to leave the club at the end of the season – report
It has been far from an exciting campaign for Dani Carvajal, who has struggled with injuries and fitness this season.
The Spaniard, in fact, has been ruled out for two more weeks with a fresh hamstring problem that could see him miss Real Madrid’s last few matches in the league this season.
Amid mounting fitness concerns, his future at the club has been a subject of hot debate, with many expecting him to leave at the end of the season.
Carvajal to leave the club
A recent report from MARCA now confirms that Carvajal will indeed leave Real Madrid when his contract expires at the end of the season.
This would mark the end of a 13-year spell at the Bernabeu that saw him feature in 300 La Liga matches and almost 450 competitive matches for Los Blancos.
Carvajal will not continue at Real Madrid. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
As per the report, Real Madrid have already decided not to offer him a contract renewal, a decision linked to his limited playing time in the final stretch of the season and his inability to return to his previous level following a string of injuries.
Since making his comeback from the serious knee injury sustained in October 2024, Carvajal has made just four starts, gone 14 matches without playing a single minute, and accumulated only 442 minutes on the pitch across 26 call-ups.
Clashes with coach Alvaro Arbeloa further complicated his final months at the club.
His latest injury has also all but ended his hopes of making Spain’s World Cup squad, another major blow for a player who had that tournament as one of his primary targets at the start of the season.
The expectation at Valdebebas is that Carvajal will be fit in time for the final league match against Athletic Bilbao at the Bernabeu, thus marking a fitting farewell at the stadium he has called home for so long.