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IPL 2024, RR vs DC: Sawai Mansingh Stadium Pitch Report, Jaipur Weather Forecast, T20 Stats & Records | Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals

In what anticipates an electrifying showdown, Rajasthan Royals (RR) are poised to face off against Delhi Capitals (DC) in the ninth match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The fixture is slated to take place at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Thursday, March 28. While the Royals emerged victorious against Lucknow Super…

Cricket Times IPL Breaking News
Cricket Australia announces central contracts for 2024-25; Marcus Stoinis misses out

Cricket Australia (CA) has unveiled the central contracts for the 2024-2025 season, awarding new deals to 23 players. However, the notable absence of veteran all-rounder Marcus Stoinis stands out as the biggest omission from the upcoming season’s contracts. Marcus Stoinis’ absence Stoinis, who recently dealt with injuries, was the part of the Australia‘s triumph in…

Cricket Times IPL Breaking News
Reports: SMU hotly pursuing USC coach Andy Enfield

SMU is getting closer to landing Southern California basketball coach Andy Enfield, multiple sources reported. Enfield has been the Mustangs' sole target since they fired Rob Lanier on March 21, a day after they lost a first-round game in the NIT to Indiana State 101-92, according to ESPN. After ESPN identified Enfield as a "person of interest" on Tuesday, AM-570 radio in Los Angeles reported that the coach was taking the SMU job. Wednesday's report from ESPN indicated that the deal might not be finalized for a few days, although SMU had not reached out to any other candidates. Enfield, 54, just concluded his 11th season at USC. Several key players missed time with injuries as the Trojans finished the season 15-18. They were drubbed by Arizona in the Pac-12 Conference quarterfinals. Enfield is 220-147 at USC, with five NCAA Tournament appearances. The Trojans reached the Elite Eight in the 2020-21 season. He previously coached at Florida Gulf Coast, guiding the 15th-seeded Eagles to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 in 2013. SMU, which finished 20-13 this season, will move to the Atlantic Coast Conference next season and reportedly wants a high-profile hire. The Mustangs, who went just 10-22 in 2022-23, lost seven of their last eight games this season, and Lanier was let go after two seasons at the school. The Mustangs have not made the NCAA Tournament since losing in the first round in 2016-17. --Field Level Media

Field Level Media NCAA Basketball Breaking News
FAU hires Baylor assistant John Jakus as head coach

After working a dozen years for two of the most successful programs in the nation, John Jakus is getting a shot to lead his own program. Florida Atlantic announced Wednesday that it hired Jakus as its head basketball coach. Terms of the deal weren't revealed, but Jakus received a five-year contract, according to multiple media reports. Jakus, 48, takes over the Owls after spending the last 12 years at Baylor and Gonzaga. After joining the Bears as a graduate assistant for two seasons, he moved to Gonzaga to serve as the director of basketball operations under head coach Mark Few. In 2017, he rejoined Baylor as an assistant coach under Scott Drew. The Bulldogs reached the national championship game in Jakus' tenure in 2017 and the Bears won the national championship in 2021. In his 12 seasons as a Division I coach, Jakus has seen his teams appear in five Sweet 16s, three Elite Eights and two Final Fours with the one national championship. "When we began this search, we spoke to coaches, athletic directors, administrators, scouts, and agents, and the name that kept coming up with glowing reviews was John Jakus," FAU athletic director Brian White said in a press release. "He checks so many boxes in what we're looking for to enhance and build on the momentum in our program. His pedigree, learning from two of the greatest coaches in the game today, is unmatched." The Owls made a surprising run to the Final Four as a No. 9 seed last season under head coach Dusty May, losing on a buzzer-beater to San Diego State in a national semifinal. FAU began this season ranked No. 10 and got as high as No. 7. Finishing the 2023-24 regular season with a 25-8 record, the Owls were seeded eighth in the East Region but fell 77-65 in overtime to No. 9 seed Northwestern in the first round on Friday. Prior to the back-to-back appearances, FAU had made only one NCAA Tournament in its history. Earlier this week, May was hired as Michigan's new head coach. A Chicago native, Jakus coached high school ball in Cincinnati before stints as head coach with Athletes in Action and pro teams in Macedonia and Bulgaria prior to joining Baylor for the first time in 2012. FAU will introduce Jakus at a news conference on Thursday. --Field Level Media

Field Level Media NCAA Basketball Breaking News
WATCH: SRH owner Kavya Maran dances in jubilation after Rohit Sharma’s dismissal, video goes viral

Kavya Maran-owned Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) put on a masterclass at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Wednesday, posting a record-breaking total of 277 for 3 wickets against Mumbai Indians (MI) in their allotted 20 overs. Openers Travis Head (50 off 18 balls) and Abhishek Sharma (50 off 16 balls) provided their team blistering start, laying…

Cricket Times IPL Breaking News
Wizards, Capitals agree to stay in Washington until 2050

After exploring the possibility of relocation to Virginia, the Wizards and Capitals will be staying in Washington until 2050. Washington mayor Muriel E. Bowser and Ted Leonsis, who owns both franchises, signed a deal on Wednesday that would keep the Wizards and Capitals in town as long as the D.C. Council approves it. Per the deal, the city will put $515 million into Capital One Arena -- the home of both the Wizards and Capitals -- over the next three years. Because of those renovations, Leonsis will sign a new lease that runs from 2025-50. "We are the current home and the future home of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards," Bowser said. "As Ted likes to say, we're going to be together for a long time." Leonsis' company, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, will also have the ability to expand throughout the city under the new deal. Just three months ago, Leonsis had a handshake agreement with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) in place for the construction of a new arena in Alexandria, Va. It would have been built in the Potomac Yard neighborhood of town as part of a $2.2 billion mixed-use development. But Bowser and the DC Council then made moves that caught Leonsis' eye, including the passage of a new crime bill and a plan to make downtown more vibrant, causing the owner to switch gears. "It's a great day, and I'm really relieved," Leonsis said Wednesday. "This was not only the right thing for the community, the right thing for the city, the right thing for us, it's a really smart business deal." --Field Level Media

Field Level Media NBA Breaking News
Top 5 highest team totals in the IPL: SRH breaks RCB’s 11-year-old record

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batters lit up the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday (March 27), posting a record-breaking score of 277/3 against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. This mammoth total eclipses the previous record of 263/5 set by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) against Pune Warriors India (PWI) back…

Cricket Times IPL Breaking News
IPL 2024: AB de Villiers reveals why Shivam Dube is shining with CSK but struggled while playing for RCB

Shivam Dube has emerged as a standout performer in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, replicating his stellar form from the previous edition. Representing the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Dube recently showcased his explosive batting prowess by smashing a sensational 51 runs off just 23 deliveries against Gujarat Titans (GT), earning him the coveted…

Cricket Times IPL Breaking News
76ers optimistic Joel Embiid could return in regular season

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is inching closer to a return before the end of the regular season, coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday. Embiid has been sidelined with a left knee injury sustained when the Golden State Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga fell on him in a Jan. 30 game. Embiid underwent a procedure to fix the damage to his knee on Feb. 6. Nurse said ahead of the team's game against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, "I think there's a very good likelihood that he will return before the play-in, playoff." Nurse added, "He's on the court ... and we still don't have a timeline for his return. ... I would imagine he's getting better each day. It's just trying to get him strong and confident and in shape and ramped up and all those wonderful words." The 76ers own a 26-8 record with Embiid on the floor this season. Without him, they were 13-25 entering play on Wednesday, 10-16 since Embiid got hurt on Jan. 30. Embiid, 30, is the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player. His average of 35.3 points per game this season would lead the league if he had played in enough games to qualify, and his rate of 11.3 rebounds per contest would rank among the top 10. Nurse also gave updates on Robert Covington, out since the start of the new year due to a knee injury, and De'Anthony Melton, sidelined since late February because of a back ailment. "Cov is progressing," Nurse said. "Looks like he could make a return here at some point. ... Melt is probably not as close yet. He's still kind of on a pain-tolerance thing. But again, we're kind of hopeful that both of them will be back at some point before this regular season ends." --Field Level Media

Field Level Media NBA Breaking News
Alabama's defense tasked with containing RJ Davis, UNC

LOS ANGELES -- Hubert Davis' three seasons as head coach at North Carolina have made for one wild ride. North Carolina reached the national championship game in Davis' first season in 2021-22 after he replaced three-time national title winner Roy Williams, but the Tar Heels missed the tournament altogether a year ago. Now, the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament's West Region finds itself two wins shy of the Final Four when it faces No. 4 Alabama in the Sweet 16 on Thursday. North Carolina (29-7) has won 10 of its last 11 games after its 85-69 defeat of Michigan State on Sunday in the second round. "The big picture for Coach Davis is what he brings out of the guys," RJ Davis said following the win. "What that is is the passion and fire and competitive spirit to go out there each game and each practice to play to the best of our abilities. When you have a coach like that, I think you can go a long way." The Tar Heels come to Los Angeles aiming for their second Final Four under Hubert Davis and fourth since 2016. This year's North Carolina lineup leans heavily on veterans who were part of the national runner-up roster two seasons ago, with RJ Davis averaging 21.3 points per game and Armando Bacot producing a double-double average of 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. The consensus first-team All-American Davis scored a total of 42 points in North Carolina's first two NCAA Tournament games, the former in a 90-62 romp of 16th-seeded Wagner. The second-round defeat of Michigan State saw the Tar Heels come out on the right side of a roller-coaster game, reflective of the last few seasons. North Carolina rallied from a 12-point deficit against the Spartans. "When it comes to times like this and we go down 12, just knowing that our coaches believe in us, but also are hard on us, it just makes a huge difference," Bacot said. The Tar Heels will try to keep the high going against an Alabama team that reached the Sweet 16 for the third time in four seasons but is looking to secure its first Elite Eight appearance since 2004. The Crimson Tide (23-11) limped into the NCAA Tournament having gone 2-4 over their last six games before facing No. 13 seed Charleston last Friday. With its 109-96 win in the first round, followed by pulling away from No. 12 seed Grand Canyon 72-61 at the end of a raucous second-round matchup, Alabama put together its first winning streak since claiming three straight in Southeastern Conference play Feb. 10-21. The 61 points to which the Crimson Tide defense limited Grand Canyon was the team's best since January. Alabama coach Nate Oats said the defensive effort from the second round is the identity he hopes to see the Crimson Tide carry over into Los Angeles. "We lead the country in scoring (90.7 ppg), we play fast, our offense has been No. 1 in the country for a large part of the year, but we really try to build the program on toughness, blue collar," Oats said. "It hasn't been what we would like to see all the year." While Alabama's offense features four scorers averaging at least 11 points per game, led by Mark Sears' 21.5, the Crimson Tide have allowed 80.9 points per contest. Oats credited freshman forward Mouhamed Dioubate, who averages just eight minutes per game, for igniting the defense against Grand Canyon. Dioubate's play off the bench may be a factor for Alabama in countering North Carolina's 81.8-ppg offense. The Crimson Tide won't know until Thursday if guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. will be available. He sustained a concussion against Grand Canyon and Oats said Wrightsell is "basically on a day-to-day basis now." This is the second recent head injury for Wrightsell. He also missed four games late in the season due to a concussion. --Kyle Kensing, Field Level Media

By Kyle Kensing, Field Level Media NCAA Basketball Breaking News
Scottie Scheffler back in action, shoots for 3rd straight win

Scottie Scheffler apparently isn't one for superstition. Scheffler was growing out a thick beard while he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship in consecutive weeks. But as he arrived at Memorial Park Golf Course for the Texas Children's Houston Open, which begins Thursday, it was revealed to the golfing world that the beard was shorn. "It was nice because I didn't have to think about it, but then my beard got so long that it became work," Scheffler said. Golf hasn't looked like work for Scheffler lately. He comes to his home state of Texas trying to become the first since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win three straight starts on the PGA Tour. "I like trying to support as many events as I can in my home state," Scheffler said. "Like you said, I definitely am a proud Texan and so I like to do what I can to support the events here at home. Yeah, it's good to be back." The Houston Open is back in the spring after being held in the fall for a number of years. It was not played during the 2023 calendar year in anticipation of being moved back to the springtime amid the tour's schedule changes. Scheffler tied for second at the Houston Open in the fall of 2021 and tied for ninth in November 2022. He shot a tournament-record 62 in the second round in 2021, which Tony Finau equaled the following year. Finau won the 2022-23 event and hopes to get his season on the right track this week. He's had only one top-10 finish in eight starts. "Quite a different title defense as it's not playing at the same time of the year and 16 months later, but I am happy to be back and looking forward to playing some good golf this week," Finau said. Scheffler took off last week when the PGA Tour finished its Florida swing at the Valspar Championship, where Peter Malnati won his first tournament since 2015 and qualified for his first Masters. The Houston Open could allow another player not already qualified for the Masters to book his trip to Augusta with a win. There's also the matter of the Aon Swing 5 standings, which will help a lucky few qualify for the next non-major Signature Event, the RBC Heritage. Malnati, who was tearful after winning the Valspar, said Wednesday he isn't focused on any of the monetary outcomes associated with his victory. "I think people are just sick of the narrative in golf being about, you know, contracts on LIV, purses on the tour, guaranteed comp on the tour," Malnati said. "I think people are so sick of that. They want to see sport, they want to see people who are the best in the world at what they do, do it at a high level and celebrate that. Celebrate the athleticism, celebrate the achievement." Other notable names in the field include World No. 4 Wyndham Clark, Australia's Jason Day, Will Zalatoris and Si Woo Kim of South Korea. Clark finished second or tied for second in both of Scheffler's wins this month; he said he hurt a back muscle earlier in the week but believes he will be ready for his Thursday tee time. --Field Level Media

Field Level Media Golf Breaking News
Dodgers sign C Will Smith to 10-year extension

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed catcher Will Smith to a 10-year extension worth $140 million on Wednesday. The deal will include deferred compensation, per MLB.com. Ten years marks the longest contract for a catcher in MLB history and potentially keeps Smith in Dodger blue through the 2033 season. Smith and the Dodgers had agreed to a deal worth $8.55 million for this season, avoiding arbitration. He'll now earn $14 million in 2024. Smith turns 29 on Thursday. Smith, who bats cleanup in the Dodgers' order, is coming off his first All-Star season. He hit .261 with 19 home runs and 76 RBIs in 2023. He's off to a 5-for-10 start this season after the two-game set vs. San Diego last week in South Korea. Smith, a first-round pick in the 2016 draft, owns a career slash line of .263/.358/.484 with 91 home runs and 308 RBIs. --Field Level Media

Field Level Media MLB Breaking News
Panthers sign Pro Bowl OLB Jadeveon Clowney

The Carolina Panthers flew under the radar and signed free agent outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney on Wednesday. The team did not disclose terms but ESPN and NFL Network reported it's a two-year deal worth $20 million and up to $24 million with incentives. Clowney fills a big void for a Panthers club that traded Pro Bowl pass rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants earlier this month and lost Yetur Gross-Matos in free agency. The New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens were seen as the favorites to land Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowl pick. Clowney, 31, racked up 9.5 sacks in 17 games (15 starts) last season for the Ravens. That matched his career high for sacks, accomplished in 2017. The Panthers will be Clowney's sixth team. He played his first five seasons with the Houston Texans, who selected him No. 1 overall in the 2014 draft. He has 52.5 career sacks in 126 games (113 starts). Clowney starred at South Carolina before embarking on his NFL career. --Field Level Media

Field Level Media NFL Breaking News
Wyndham Clark (back) 'trending in the right direction'

Wyndham Clark is optimistic that he will be able to compete in the Texas Children's Houston Open after sustaining a back injury earlier this week. The tournament starts Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston. Clark, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world and reigning U.S. Open champion, said Wednesday that he was injured while lifting weights on Monday. "I was in Scottsdale, I was working out," Clark said. "Body's been really healthy and I just got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and back went. It's not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn. I'm trending in the right direction, I'm hitting it or feeling stronger and more mobile every day." Clark, 30, acknowledged that his team of therapists has helped in his recovery, so much so that he was able to play in a nine-hole pro-am on Wednesday. "I was in pretty bad shape (Tuesday), but fortunately I have a great team that has gotten me to be able to swing and hit," Clark said. "I was only really able to chip and putt, then I did a bunch of rehab and I was able to hit balls today. So just in a short time I've improved a ton and I think I'll be ready for tomorrow." Clark acknowledged that he'd like to play in this tournament with The Masters approximately two weeks away. That said, he'll let his back ultimately make that decision. "I'm going to give it my best effort (Thursday), and hopefully I can play and compete," he said. "If not, I've got to get ready for tournaments to come after this." --Field Level Media

Field Level Media Golf Breaking News
Revs expect attendance record for Lionel Messi's visit

The New England Revolution are on track to break a 22-year-old attendance record when Lionel Messi and Inter Miami visit on April 27. The Revs announced Wednesday that more than 60,000 tickets already have been sold, leaving fewer than 5,000 still available for the match at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. New England's current attendance record is 61,316, established for the 2002 MLS Cup when the Los Angeles Galaxy posted a 1-0 win over the Revolution. Messi's attendance is not guaranteed. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has missed Miami's last two MLS matches due to a hamstring injury. Messi, 36, has recorded three goals and one assist in three MLS matches this season. The Argentina international signed with Inter Miami last July. --Field Level Media

Field Level Media MLS Breaking News