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Babar Azam trolls Kevin Pietersen over all-time favourite cricketers list

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Babar Azam trolls Kevin Pietersen over all-time favourite cricketers list


Pakistan batter Babar Azam (left) and former England batter Kevin Pietersen. — Instagram/Reuters/@babarazam

Pakistani batter Babar Azam playfully trolled former captain Kevin Pietersen when asked about whether he was listed in his all-time favourite cricket stars.

“As a youngster, I looked up to AB de Villiers — he’s my all-time favourite,” Babar responded to the query about his cricket idol during a recent appearance on Pietersen’s YouTube channel.

When Pietersen jokingly asked whether he was featured second or third on Babar’s list of favourites. The former Pakistan captain answered with a smile and replied bluntly: “No… sixth or seventh.”

The 31-year-old threw light on his admiration for AB de Villiers, recalling how deeply the South African legend influenced his early years.

“When I was younger, I used to copy him, like his stance and his batting posture, his shots. In 2007, I was a ball picker in the stadium, so the first time there I saw de Villiers, I just froze and said my idol is here,” he said.

“I shook his hand and later on playing in PSL, and then I said to him, I need your time, I have a good relation with AB and I told him that you are my favourite, my hero,” he added.

Recently, Pietersen himself adopted a humorous approach while reacting to Babar ending his international century drought.

Taking to X, the 45-year-old shared a behind-the-scenes picture from a net session with Babar and jokingly took credit for the batter’s return to form.

“My net session with Babar Azam definitely helped him get his flow back and scoring 100s again!” Pietersen posted, adding a laughing emoji.

The picture was from September, when Babar joined Pietersen for his newly launched project, The Switch, featuring conversations and sessions with top current cricketers.

Babar, who previously scored an international century against Nepal in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023, finally brought up another hundred after 83 innings and an 807-day wait.

His match-winning knock powered Pakistan to an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka.

The century was his 20th in ODIs, equaling Saeed Anwar’s record for the most by a Pakistani batter in the format.

He also surpassed AB de Villiers to become the third-fastest player in men’s ODI cricket to reach 20 hundreds, achieving the feat in 39 fewer innings than the Proteas great.

Babar now trails only South Africa’s Hashim Amla (108 innings) and India’s Virat Kohli (133 innings) on the list.





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Harry Kane calf injury imperils Bundesliga record chase

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Harry Kane calf injury imperils Bundesliga record chase


Harry Kane will miss Bayern Munich‘s game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday with a calf injury in a blow to his hopes of breaking the Bundesliga record for most goals in a season.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said on Thursday the problem wasn’t serious but means Kane will play no part in Friday’s game, which could see Bayern open up a 14-point lead at the top of the table.

“He got a knock on his calf and hasn’t recovered yet,” Kompany said. “It’s nothing serious for the time being but we’d need maybe another a day for him to be involved. We’re pretty relaxed. Of course we would have liked Harry to be involved but these things happen.”

Kompany didn’t express concern Kane would miss Bayern’s visit to Atalanta in the Champions League round of 16 next week.

Kane has scored 30 goals in the Bundesliga and is 11 short of Robert Lewandowski‘s record of 41, with 10 games remaining.

Bayern will also be without Hiroki Ito and Alphonso Davies for Friday’s game, Kompany said.

Bayern, the defending Bundesliga champions, have an 11-point lead at the top of the table after beating second-placed Borussia Dortmund 3-2 last Saturday.

“We’ve had an 11-point lead before and we know how quickly that can change,” said Kompany.

“We’re just looking at our performance and our victories. I looked at the table once after the game against Dortmund and it looked good. But after that, once again the only thing that mattered was Gladbach. It sounds like a cliche, but it’s a way of life for me.”

The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.



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India beat England to set up T20 World Cup final with NZ – SUCH TV

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India beat England to set up T20 World Cup final with NZ – SUCH TV



An explosive half-century by in-form opener Sanju Samson, backed by a disciplined all-round bowling display, helped India secure a narrow seven-run victory over England in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

The victory propelled India into the final, where they will be locking horns with New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Set to chase a daunting 254-run target, England could accumulate 246/7 in their 20 overs despite Jacob Bethell’s gutsy century.

England got off to a dismal start to the pursuit as they lost opener Phil Salt (five) and captain Harry Brook (seven) inside five overs with just 38 runs on the board.

Following the early dismissals, Bethell walked out to bat at No.4 and shared a 26-run partnership for the third wicket with Jos Buttler, who made a 17-ball 25 before falling victim to Varun Chakravarthy on the penultimate delivery of the batting powerplay.

England then suffered another setback to their run chase in the eighth over when Axar Patel cleaned up Tom Banton (17) after being hit for two consecutive sixes, and consequently slipped to 95/4.

Bethell then eventually received formidable support at the other end in the form of all-rounder Will Jacks, and the duo displayed grit to keep England in the hunt as they put together 77 runs off just 39 deliveries amid their fifth-wicket partnership, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal in the 14th over.

Jacks made a notable contribution for England in the run chase with a 20-ball 35, comprising four fours and two sixes.

Bethell then shared a 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Sam Curran, who fell victim to Hardik Pandya in the penultimate over after scoring a 14-ball 18.

England’s batting mainstay Bethell eventually got run out on the first delivery of the final over and walked back after top-scoring with a valiant 105 off 48 deliveries, featuring eight fours and seven sixes.

Pandya was the standout bowler for India, taking two wickets for 38 runs in his four overs, while Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with one apiece.

England captain Harry Brook’s decision to field first backfired as the home side piled up 253/7 in their 20 overs.

India, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as their left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma (nine) was dismissed by Will Jacks in the second over with just 20 runs on the board.

The early setback, however, did not bother India as their top-order duo of Ishan Kishan and Samson raised 97 runs for the second wicket off 44 deliveries until Adil Rashid dismissed the former, who remained a notable contributor for the co-hosts with an 18-ball 39.

Samson was then involved in a 43-run partnership for the third wicket with all-rounder Shivam Dube until eventually falling victim to Jacks in the 14th over. He remained the top-scorer for India with a blazing 89 off 42 deliveries, studded with seven sixes and eight fours.

India suffered another major setback to their batting expedition an over later when Adil got their captain Suryakumar Yadav stumped, who could score 11 off six deliveries.

With the scoreboard reading 190/4 in 15.4 overs, Dube was joined by fellow all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the middle, and the duo put together 32 runs for the fifth wicket before the former was run out due to a mix-up, coupled with a direct hit by England captain Brook.

Dube remained a significant run-getter for India in the high-stakes T20 World Cup 2026 fixture, scoring 43 off 25 deliveries with the help of four sixes and a four.

Following his departure, Pandya and Tilak Varma ensured an equally dominant finish with the bat for India with blistering cameos, contributing 27 and 21, respectively. The duo also shared a 24-run partnership.

For England, Jacks and Adil bagged two wickets each, while Archer could pick up one.



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Athletics GM ‘always open’ to Kyler Murray reunion ahead of expected Cardinals release

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Athletics GM ‘always open’ to Kyler Murray reunion ahead of expected Cardinals release


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Kyler Murray’s tenure with the Arizona Cardinals is coming to an end. 

The team reportedly informed the former No. 1 overall pick this week that he will be released at the start of the new league year, making him a free agent eligible to sign with any team, including, potentially, one in Major League Baseball.

Prior to declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft, Murray was a two-sport athlete playing both football and baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Heisman Trophy winner threw for over 4,000 yards and 42 touchdowns during the 2018 season, but the then-Oakland Athletics still selected him with the 9th overall pick in the 2018 draft. 

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray throws a pass during the first half of an NFL game against the Tennessee Titans in Glendale, Ariz., on Oct. 5, 2025. (Rick Scuteri/AP)

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He signed a contract with a $4.66 million signing bonus, but Murray would forgo his senior year at Oklahoma and declare for the NFL Draft. After seven years in the NFL, Murray’s MLB career still remains a possibility.  

“Kyler is an elite NFL quarterback and I’m sure there are plenty of opportunities for him to continue his football career,” A’s general manager David Forst told MLB.com on Wednesday. 

“That said, he and his baseball representatives know that we’re always open to him exploring a return to baseball with the A’s if that time ever comes.”

Kyler Murray standing during batting practice at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Kyler Murray, the Oakland Athletics’ No. 1 draft pick and outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, looks on during batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on June 15, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Murray, 28, will likely have several options during the offseason. He is currently owed $36.8 million. 

His career with the Cardinals has been marred by injuries and other controversies, including the study clause that was initially included in his five-year, $230.5 million deal signed in 2022. The clause was later removed. He appeared in just five games last season after suffering a foot injury, which later landed him on injured reserve.

The Cardinals finished 3-14 behind backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett and later fired head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Kyler Murray batting during practice at Oakland Alameda Coliseum.

Kyler Murray, the Oakland Athletics’ number one draft pick and outfielder from the University of Oklahoma, takes batting practice before the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on June 15, 2018. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

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“To everyone that supported me and showed kindness to my family and I during my time in AZ, from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Murray posted in a farewell message to fans on social media. “I wanted nothing more than to be the one to end the 77-year drought for this organization, I am sorry I failed us. I wish this community and my brothers nothing but the best.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Cardinals' Kyler Murray apologizes to fans ahead of expected release: 'I am sorry I failed us'





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