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IPL-linked Sunrisers sign Pakistan’s Abrar for Hundred | The Express Tribune

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IPL-linked Sunrisers sign Pakistan’s Abrar for Hundred | The Express Tribune


Spinner Usman Tariq signed by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000, while paceman Haris Rauf got no offers

Spinner Abrar Ahmed was snapped up by Sunrisers Leeds — a Hundred franchise with links to the Indian Premier League — on Thursday despite fears Pakistani players would be frozen out due to political tensions.

The England and Wales Cricket Board last month issued a statement saying all eight of the city-based franchises in the 100-ball-a-side competition were committed to selection based solely on performances.

A longstanding political stand-off between India and Pakistan mean the two nations only play each other in major global cricket events.

Read: England skipper Harry Brook says a ‘shame’ if Pakistan players snubbed for Hundred competition

Cricketers from Pakistan have not featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 because of diplomatic tensions.

The only two Pakistan players in Wednesday’s women’s auction, Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal, went unsold.

Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi withdrew from the men’s sale and fellow paceman Haris Rauf failed to attract an offer when put up for his reserve price of £100,000 ($134,000) at the auction in London on Thursday.

But Sunrisers bought 27-year-old Ahmed for £190,000, while fellow Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq, 28, was snapped up by Birmingham Phoenix for £140,000.

Sunrisers are owned in full by the group behind IPL outfit Sunrisers Hyderabad.

London Spirit paid £390,000 for uncapped English all-rounder James Cole while Welsh fire spent a combined £540,000 on batsman Jordan Cox and former England captain Joe Root.

The Hundred is staging the first auction of its kind in a major British sport after previously using a draft system to select players.

Stakes in the eight franchises were sold last year to private investors, raising huge sums for cricket in England and Wales.

Four of the franchises — MI London, Manchester Super Giants, Sunrisers Leeds and Southern Brave — are at least part-owned by companies that control IPL teams.

The 2026 edition of the Hundred, featuring men’s and women’s competitions, starts on July 21 and runs for four weeks.





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Late Iron Maiden drummer’s niece makes WWE NXT debut

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Late Iron Maiden drummer’s niece makes WWE NXT debut


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WWE NXT on Tuesday night was filled with surprise debuts, but one wrestler made more noise than the rest as she entered the ring.

Lizzy Rain, the niece of late Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, vowed to keep heavy metal alive as she came to WWE from PROGRESS Wrestling where she was the PROGRESS women’s champion. The British wrestler, formerly known in the ring as Rayne Leverkusen, squared off against Nikkita Lyons in her first NXT match.

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Lizzy Rain celebrates her win during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, on April 28, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)

She avoided a mid-rope splash from Lyons and then nailed her opponent with a step-up knee shot to Lyons, which was dubbed Thunderstruck. She pinned Lyons and picked up her first win.

Rain talked about how her uncle inspired her in her life on “Busted Open After Dark.”

“Clive, he inspired me so much. To be honest, when I was younger, I didn’t really know who he was,” she said, via Wrestle Talk. “He died, I think it’s 13 years ago now, something like that, so I was 15 years old. And when I was growing up, and he was well, he died from MS, unfortunately so he wasn’t very well by the time I got into my teens, he was not verbal or anything.

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“Then I was younger and around him I didn’t have a clue who he was. I liked music, I always liked Alice Cooper, I always liked Iron Maiden but as a child I didn’t really know, ‘Oh, my uncle is the original drummer of Iron Maiden,’ until I got into my teens.”

Unfortunately, Rain said, she was unable to really talk to Burr about his life in Iron Maiden before he died in 2013.

Elsewhere, a few other newcomers appeared.

Evil confronting Tony D'Angelo during NXT at WWE Performance Center

Evil confronts Tony D’Angelo during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on April 28, 2026. (Chansey Augustine/WWE)

Former IWGP champion known as EVIL stepped up to Tony D’Angelo, the current NXT champion. After EVIL left the ring, former PROGRESS atlas champion known as Will Kroos assaulted D’Angelo.

Kam Hendrix, Tristan Angels and Tate Wilder also appeared on NXT for the first time.

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Ricky Saints entering the wrestling ring at WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida

Ricky Saints enters the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on April 28, 2026. (Chansey Augustine/WWE)

NXT Results

Myles Borne def. Saquon Shugars to retain the NXT North American Championship.

EK Prosper and Sean Legacy def. Stacks Lorenzo and Uriah Connors.

Lizzy Rain def. Nikkita Lyons.

Kelani Jordan def. Wren Sinclair.

Shiloh Hill def. Ricky Saints.



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Two players ejected after scrum amid Knicks’ 50-point lead against Hawks sends referee crashing to the court

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Two players ejected after scrum amid Knicks’ 50-point lead against Hawks sends referee crashing to the court


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Frustrations boiled over in Game 6 of the New York Knicks-Atlanta Hawks series amid a shocking 50-point Knicks lead in the first half.

Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson and Hawks guard Dyson Daniels were both ejected after receiving double technical fouls after inciting a scrum that led to a referee hitting the court hard in the second quarter.

At the time, the Knicks were up a whopping 72-22 when free throws were being taken by New York. As OG Anunoby hit his and-one opportunity, Robinson and Daniels were face-to-face, leading to an embrace that turned aggressive.

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Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks and Jalen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks fight during the second quarter of Game 6 in the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on April 30, 2026. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

One official was trying to break up the skirmish but lost his footing and hit the hardwood. Meanwhile, Robinson was trying to go back at Daniels, and both Hawks and Knicks players were trying to hold others back in the exchange.

Robinson and Daniels continued jawing at each other, repeatedly trying to get face-to-face as coaches and officials worked to calm them down.

MAMDANI GETS MIXED REACTIONS FOR USING KNICKS STAR JALEN BRUNSON’S SIGNATURE CELEBRATION AT INAUGURAL SPEECH

Once Robinson and Daniels got back to their respective benches, both players were ejected after further review.

Replay showed that Daniels threw an elbow into Robinson’s chest while Anunoby was taking the free throw, and the Knicks center reacted accordingly. Ultimately, it led to an early exit for both players.

Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks reacts during a basketball game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta

Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks reacts during the first quarter of Game 6 against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on April 30, 2026. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Knicks entered the game on the road in Atlanta with a chance to move on to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, but perhaps even they didn’t expect what occurred in the first half.

When the buzzer rang out at the end of the second quarter, the Knicks were up 83-36 going into the locker room. Though there are two quarters left to play, it’s not looking good for the Hawks, who were shooting a lackluster 31% from the field, while committing 14 turnovers.

Meanwhile, the Knicks couldn’t stop hitting their shots, especially Anunoby, who had more points than the Hawks did as a team at one point in the first half. He ended the half with 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting, while hauling in seven rebounds and two assists. He also tallied four steals for New York.

Dyson Daniels driving past Jalen Brunson during NBA playoff game in Atlanta

Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks drives around Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks during the first quarter of Game 6 in the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on April 30, 2026. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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Mikal Bridges (16 points) and Jalen Brunson (13 points) also added to the Knicks’ total, while Karl-Anthony Towns hit all 10 of his free throw attempts in the first half.

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Colts decline Anthony Richardson’s fifth-year option, setting former No. 4 overall pick up for free agency

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Colts decline Anthony Richardson’s fifth-year option, setting former No. 4 overall pick up for free agency


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The Indianapolis Colts have declined quarterback Anthony Richardson’s fifth-year option.

Richardson, the team’s No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, is headed for free agency after the 2026 season.

The move was one many viewed as inevitable considering the tumultuous start Richardson has had to his NFL career. 

The Florida product has dealt with a number of injuries and inconsistent play, and the Colts looked outside the organization for quarterback help before the start of the 2025 season.

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. warms up before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., on Aug. 7, 2025. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

Indy was high on Richardson when it took him with the fourth overall pick of that year’s draft, though there were some who questioned if he was NFL ready right away.

That proved not to be the case. Richardson split time with veteran journeyman Gardner Minshew in 2023, while Joe Flacco eventually took over for him in 2024.

Richardson eventually got his starting spot back over Flacco in 2024, with the Colts announcing he would be the team’s starter the rest of the way.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones running off the field at SoFi Stadium

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones runs off the field after a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Oct. 19, 2025. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images)

But he was benched prior to Flacco coming in after voluntarily taking himself out of a game for one play, saying he “needed a breather.” The move was ridiculed by pundits and fans, and the Colts ultimately made an example of it.

The Colts signed Daniel Jones during the 2025 offseason after the New York Giants released him midway through the 2024 campaign, parting ways with their own first-round pick who had a roller-coaster tenure with the franchise. Jones and Richardson were pitted in an open quarterback battle at the start of training camp, and, on Aug. 19, Jones was named the team’s starter.

Richardson served as Jones’ backup to begin the year, but he was placed on the injured reserve after a freak accident fractured an orbital bone in his eye during pregame warmups.

Richardson also dealt with a grade-three AC joint sprain that required an IR stint during his rookie season. It was initially supposed to be a one-to-two-month recovery, but he needed surgery to repair the shoulder.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson warming up at Lucas Oil Stadium

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson warms up before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sept. 7, 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

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Richardson heads into his fourth NFL season fighting for his next contract, whether it’s with the Colts or elsewhere.

Jones re-signed with Indianapolis for two years and $88 million with $50 million guaranteed, and rookie Riley Leonard remains on the depth chart.

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