An independent inquiry committee was set up after several allegations of corruption surfaced in the last BPL

Mohammad Isam29-Nov-2025

The BCB has dropped several cricketers from the BPL auction, set to take place in Dhaka on November 30, based on the findings of a corruption report into last season’s BPL. An independent inquiry committee was formed following last season’s BPL when several allegations of corruption surfaced.The board, however, didn’t announce the players’ names. These players were removed from the BPL auction based on the report, which is just an observation and hence no charges were made. Neither the BCB nor the inquiry committee announced any formal allegations against the players.After receiving the report from the three-member committee, the BCB formed an integrity unit, of which Alex Marshall was appointed independent chair.”In preparing for BPL season 12, the governing council received advice from the independent chair of the integrity unit on steps necessary to further safeguard the league. Based on that advice, a number of individuals, including some players, have not been invited to participate in this year’s tournament,” a BCB statement said on November 29.The BCB said the restriction on these cricketers only applies to the BPL. “This is a BPL-specific measure taken to ensure fairness of the investigation process and to protect the integrity of the league. It does not apply to other domestic cricket events conducted under the jurisdiction of the BCB.”

This will be the third successive year when the IPL auction is being held overseas

Nagraj Gollapudi13-Nov-2025The 2026 IPL auction will take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. This will be the third successive year when the IPL auction is being held overseas. The 2024 auction in Dubai was the first time it was held overseas. The two-day mega auction for the 2025 season was held in Jeddah in November 2024.Like all mini auctions, the 2026 edition, too, will be a day-long exercise. Franchises have to first sort the list of players they want to release and retain from their 2025 squads, by 3pm IST on November 15. After that they will be sent a registered pool of players to shortlist. That long list will then be pruned for IPL to finalise the auction pool.The trading window, which opened after the 2025 season, will continue until a week before the auction and then resume to go on until a month prior to the IPL start date in 2026. The 10 franchises cannot trade a player who will be bought at the 2026 auction.So far there have been four confirmed trades among five teams. That includes the most high-profile player swap in IPL history which involved five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) getting Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, who have traded in the allrounder pair of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.On Thursday, Mumbai Indians, also five-time champions, procured India allrounder Shardul Thakur and Sherfane Rutherford in all-cash deals from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for INR 2 crore and Gujarat Titans (GT) for INR 2.60 crore, respectively. In a separate trade, LSG got Arjun Tendulkar at his base price of INR 30 lakh from MI.The tentative window for IPL 2026 is March 15 to May 31.

Hardik Pandya will appear for Baroda in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), India’s domestic T20 tournament, marking his first appearance in professional cricket since the end of September. National selector Pragyan Ojha is expected to be in attendance for the two games- against Punjab and Gujarat on December 2 and 4, respectively – to assess Hardik’s match fitness.Hardik’s last appearance was for India, at the Asia Cup, during their Super Fours match against Sri Lanka on September 26. He has been out of action since then owing to a left quadricep injury. He arrived at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, in Bengaluru, to begin his rehabilitation on October 15, and after a three-day break for Diwali, he has continued working with them on his fitness during the stretch from October 21 to November 29.He appears for Baroda at the SMAT with the BCCI selectors at the cusp of announcing the squad for the five-match T20I series against South Africa. ESPNcricinfo understands that the selectors are expected to name a squad for the series in the next couple of days. Hardik’s availability for Baroda, and whether he can appear for any further fixtures, will depend on if and when he is called up to join the India squad for preparation.Baroda lost their opening encounters against Bengal and Puducherry at the SMAT – by six wickets and 17 runs, respectively – but have bounced back to win against Himachal Pradesh.

Jose Mourinho has revealed the hilarious reason he took Scott McTominay's shirt after the Champions League tie between Benfica and Napoli. After Benfica’s impressive 2-0 win, a result crafted through goals from Richard Rios and Leandro Barreiro, the Portuguese coach amused reporters by revealing an unexpected keepsake hidden inside a small bag he carried into the press conference.

• A nod to an old protege

  The Scottish midfielder, now thriving in Serie A, owes much of his early career to the coach who thrust him into the Manchester United first team nearly a decade ago. Mourinho handed the midfielder his senior debut in May 2017, introducing him off the bench against Arsenal before starting him days later against Crystal Palace. The then-20-year-old quickly became a dependable fixture in Mourinho’s midfield rotation during the 2017–18 season, even being preferred at times to record signing Paul Pogba, £89 million ($119m). Although Mourinho departed Old Trafford in late 2018, McTominay went on to make more than 250 appearances for the club, proving the value of the faith placed in him.

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  Mourinho steals the show with press room antics

  Mourinho has never been one to leave a press room without creating a moment, and on Wednesday night, he delivered another classic. While Benfica’s players celebrated a crucial victory that keeps their European hopes alive, the 62-year-old manager walked in with a cryptic accessory that immediately sparked curiosity among the assembled journalists. When one asked whether he was handing out gifts, Mourinho responded with the kind of dry humour that has become his trademark.

  While Benfica’s players celebrated a crucial victory that keeps their European hopes alive, the 62-year-old manager walked in with a cryptic accessory that immediately sparked curiosity among the assembled journalists. When one asked whether he was handing out gifts, Mourinho responded with the kind of dry humour that has become his trademark.

  "The bag is mine," Mourinho said. "It's Scott McTominay's shirt. I put him in; I benched Paul Pogba for him at Manchester United. The least he could do was give me his shirt."

  After years of fluctuating form in Manchester, McTominay reignited his career with a move to Napoli in 2024. It turned out to be transformative. The central midfielder helped drive the club to the Scudetto, delivering dominant performances in the heart of the pitch and posting a career-best 13 goals across all competitions. His influence earned him a remarkable 18th-place finish in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings and culminated in him becoming the 2025 Serie A Player of the Year, the first Scot ever to claim the honour.

• Benfica deliver a statement performance

  The humour stemmed from Mourinho’s satisfaction at Benfica’s victory. The two-goal win over Napoli was one of their best European displays of the season, and the manager made sure to highlight the significance of the result.

  He said: "We deserved it, we played an extraordinary match. Some will say that Napoli weren't the team we know, but I disagree. Benfica did an extraordinary job, controlling the game at all times. For us, beating Napoli like this and still being alive in this competition is a great thing."

  He went on to say: "We have six points. Benfica lost at home to Qarabag early on, otherwise we'd have nine and be one step away from qualifying. The schedule is incredibly tough, but losing that match put us on the edge right away. It was important to win today, otherwise the story would have ended."

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  Domestic pressure mounts despite European lift

  While Benfica’s Champions League prospects received a much-needed boost, their domestic situation remains delicate. The Lisbon side sit third in the Portuguese league, eight points behind leaders Porto. With increasing pressure from supporters and a demanding December schedule, more slip-ups could derail their title aspirations. Their immediate task is to maintain momentum when they return to domestic action against Moreirense on Sunday. After stumbling in recent league fixtures, Benfica cannot afford another misstep if they are to stay within reach of Porto and Sporting in the title race.

Gabriel Jesus has taken another significant stride toward ending his lengthy spell on the sidelines, with the striker set to feature in a friendly against Manchester United with the Arsenal Under-21s on Saturday as part of his carefully managed rehabilitation programme. It marks the latest stage of a gradual return from a devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury that has kept him out since January.

A difficult 2025 for Jesus

Jesus' injury occurred during Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to United at the start of the year, when he ruptured the ACL in his left knee and was forced into immediate surgery. The blow came at one of the most congested points in the season, at a time when Mikel Arteta's attacking options were already depleted, as both Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz were in the treatment room. 

Speaking in May, Arteta recalled the moment with a mixture of frustration and helplessness.  He said: "It's very difficult now to understand that, if I could pause the game and say, Gabriel Jesus, we brought you back to life. You know, you are doing incredibly well. You're going to now get injured, so stop. I would stop him, bring another player in and continue to play the game. Unfortunately, we cannot do this in football."

AdvertisementAFPFirst steps back on the pitch behind closed doors

Jesus has spent the past 11 months rebuilding his fitness, working through an exhaustive conditioning programme designed to ensure he returns fully prepared rather than rushed back prematurely. After rejoining full training in recent weeks, he was named on the bench for Arsenal’s matches against Chelsea and Brentford but did not make it onto the pitch. Instead, the club opted to give him controlled exposure by organising a private friendly as he played behind-closed-doors against Watford in late November. Arteta said the session offered valuable insight into how the Brazilian’s body would respond to the intensity of real competition.

"It did happen. Gabi participated, and Ethan as well, because he wanted some minutes," he said. "We took the opportunity; they wanted a bit of exposure to competition, and providing that was very positive."

Now, it has been revealed that Jesus is involved in a friendly against United, held at St George's Park. A statement on the Arsenal website read: "Gabriel Jesus and Max Dowman have travelled with the under-21s for a behind-closed-doors friendly against Manchester United at St George's Park as they look to build up their match fitness."

Jesus nears the final phase of his long recovery

For an Arsenal side that has battled through injuries to key attacking figures, Jesus's return will be timely. Havertz is still sidelined, while Leandro Trossard made a return against Aston Villa on Saturday but was forced off again. Whereas, the Gunners are also struggling in defence as their first-choice centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel are also sidelined. But games keep coming thick and fast with a busy festive schedule set to test Arsenal's squad depth. 

However, Arteta was not eager to pay much heed to the fixture congestion and said: "The only thing I can say is that whenever it's possible to help and give the players an extra day or hours to fulfil their maximum potential, let's do it. That's it. We are ready for tomorrow's game, that's for sure. Consistency, again, to perform at the highest level and win another game and then we'll go back to the same question, to the Champions League and then next weekend, because that's the nature of the game, and that's exactly how we have to take it every game."

When asked if he was happy with the summer business and the squad that he has at his disposal, Arteta provided a measured response.

"We've built a squad that I believe was the best one to give us the possibility to do it," he said. "Is it what I want it to be? No, because of the injuries that we have, to have a squad means that the players have to be fit and available because that has a lot of consequences not only during matches but also in the way that we prepare for the week and the options that we have to change and keep the presence in the team. But certainly very happy with how we deal with certain situations."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Jesus?

If his performances in training are any indication, Arsenal supporters may not have long to wait before seeing Jesus back in competitive action. Saturday’s quiet run-out against United will be another vital step, and perhaps one of the final hurdles, before the Brazilian returns to the spotlight. Arsenal play against Wolves in the Premier League next weekend, and the striker might get to feature at the Emirates after a lengthy break. 

Pope Leo XIV, recently chosen to take over for the late Pope Francis, is a Chicago White Sox fan. As is perhaps fitting for the first American pope in history. Fans found him attending a game during the 2005 World Series broadcast shortly after his selection was announced and just last week he donned a White Sox cap during a public general audience.

Thursday brought further hard proof of how deep the Pope's fandom runs. In a viral video posted on TikTok, a group of Americans went to see the Pope in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City and started chanting "White Sox" as he rode by. Pope Leo joined in once he realized what they were saying.

Truly, what a world. Not only is the Pope a sports fan he's a big enough fan to wear a team hat in a public setting and join in chants like he's in the South Side of Chicago.

A wonderful and unexpected storyline coming out of Vatican City.

The New York Mets enjoyed a scalding start to the 2025 MLB season but finally hit some road bumps earlier this month and are in the midst of their roughest stretch yet. Entering Saturday afternoon the Mets had lost 11 of their past 14 games but were hoping a date with the Pittsburgh Pirates might snap them out of the slump. It did not; New York lost 9-2 at PNC park to fall to 48-36 on the year and make it 12 losses in the last 15 games.

Frustrations apparently peaked at that point and several players, including star shortstop Francisco Lindor, acknowledged they held a players-only meeting following Saturday's defeat. It turns out Juan Soto delivered a five-word message of encouragement and hope to his teammates at that meeting, per Mets insider Mike Puma of the New York Post.

"Juan Soto was among those who spoke during the players' only meeting, according to a source," Puma wrote on his X account. "Soto's message? 'Keep going. Believe in it.'"

It is a simple message but it may be all the Mets need. They were easily one of the best teams in baseball in the first two months of the year. June has not been kind but there are still a ton of games left to be played. Just keeping at it is as good advice as any before the All-Star break.

Soto should know given his rollercoaster of a season so far. The superstar slugger, signed to a massive $765 million deal this past offseason, hit only three home runs and posted a .241 batting average through March and April. Since the start of May, though, Soto has hit .262 with 17 homers. He kept at it, believed in his process, and is looking far more like the historically great hitter New York believed it was signing over the winter.

The Mets' next chance to turn it around will come on Sunday against the Pirates as they try to avoid an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the third-worst team in the National League.

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Há uma semana do seu próximo e decisivo compromisso diante do Novorizontino, pela semifinal do Paulista, o Palmeiras treinou nesta manhã de quinta-feira (21), na Academia de Futebol, e a atividade contou com uma iniciativa muito importante em um dia muito especial.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Os jogadores do Verdão usaram meias coloridas trocadas durante a atividade, para passar a mensagem que o diferente também é legal e divertido, além de promover o debate sobre a conscientização das pessoas com Síndrome de Down na nossa sociedade, uma vez que o dia 21 de março é celebrado o Dia Internacional da Síndrome de Down.

O treino alviverde inclusive foi fotografado por três integrantes do projeto ‘Galera do Click’, que também produziram alguns conteúdos para as redes sociais do Verdão.

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Dudu, Bruno Rodrigues e Gustavo Gómez, em tratamento de lesões, cumpriram cronograma com o Núcleo de Saúde e Performance na parte interna da Academia de Futebol, equanto o restante do elenco fez um treino técnico e tático no gramado.

O Palmeiras volta a treinar nesta sexta-feira (22), às 10h e folga no sábado, quando o elenco poderá torcer para Endrick e Murilo na Seleção Brasileira, em amistoso diante da Inglaterra.

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كشف مصدر مسؤول داخل نادي سيراميكا كليوباترا، حقيقة ما تردد حول استعادة ثنائي الأهلي أحمد رمضان بيكهام ومحمد شكري في فترة الانتقالاتت الشتوية المقبلة. 

وكان أحمد رمضان بيكهام قد انتقل من سيراميكا كليوباترا إلى الاهلي على سبيل الإعارة خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية، بينما انتقل محمد شكري إلى الاهلي على سبيل البيع النهائي. 

طالع.. جنش: لم أوقع لـ الأهلي.. ورفضت العودة إلى الزمالك

وقال المصدر في تصريحات لـ بطولات: “لا يوجد أي أحاديث مع الأهلي حتى هذه اللحظة بشأن عودة أحمد رمضان بيكهام ومحمد شكري إلى سيراميكا كليوباترا في يناير المقبل”. 

وأضاف المصدر: “الأهلي لم يقرر أي شيء حتى الآن بشأن مصير الثنائي أحمد رمضان بيكهام ومحمد شكري مع الفريق خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة”. 

وتابع: “بكل تأكيد حال قرر الأهلي التخلي عن بيكهام في يناير فنرحب بعودته مرة أخرى للفريق، ونفس الحالي بالنسبة لمحمد شكري”. 

The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in style Monday night, courtesy of a walk-off solo home run by Alec Burleson in the bottom of the ninth inning.

While it was a fun victory on a late summer night, a historically low number of fans were inside Busch Stadium to witness it.

The Cardinals are now just 65-67 on the season and it appears that they will miss the postseason for a third straight year. That lack of success might be the reason why only 17,675 fans were in attendance on Monday night. That number, according to the Derrick Goold, is the lowest in the stadium's history and the first time they have had under 20,000 people at a home game since the stadium was opened in 2006.

That's a tough look for a franchise that has won 11 World Series titles. But it's also a sign of the times for a club that has only won one two playoff series since 2014.

Lots of MLB fans roasted the Cardinals and their fans, who have been known to refer to themselves as the best in baseball.

The Cardinals will host the Pirates in the second game of their series Tuesday night at 7:45 p.m. ET.